After riding on caste politics, the Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi has shifted to milking the ‘North-South’ divide to woo voters ahead of the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly elections.
Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala claimed that representing a constituency in Kerala has been a refreshing change for a person like him who has represented a constituency in Northern India for the first 15 years of his career.
Addressing the public in Trivandrum, Kerala, the senior Congress leader said that “people in Kerala are interested in issues and not just superficially but going into detail in issues”.
One is left to wonder here, whether Rahul Gandhi was insinuating that the people in the North are not as serious as the people of the South. They do not go into the seriousness of any issue, instead, tackle it “just superficially”. It appears an insult to the people of Amethi who voted for him on multiple occasions.
For the first 15 yrs, I was an MP in north. I had got used to a different type of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing as suddenly I found that people are interested in issues & not just superficially but going into detail in issues: Rahul Gandhi, in Trivandrum pic.twitter.com/weBG2T1WAf
Moreover, ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying: “I was talking to some students in the US and I said that I really enjoy going to Kerala. It’s not just affection but the way you do your politics. If I might say so, the intelligence with which you do your politics. So, for me, it’s been learning experience & pleasure”.
It is evident from the choice of his words that Rahul Gandhi is trying his utmost best to impress his potential voters in Kerala as it is no secret that Congress needs to win the Kerala Assembly elections desperately if it wants to remain relevant in the country’s politics.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in Kerala in May 2021.
Those who are familiar with Kerala’s demography and politics will know that politically, by and large, Kerala has been bi-polar, with power alternating between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Assembly elections.
However, going by the declining performance of UDF including its two main elements, the Congress and Muslim League over the last three decades, Congress would be leaving no stone unturned to reverse its losing streak and making a political U-turn.
A video has gone viral on social media where a TMC leader is seen explaining to his party cadres how they will have to consolidate Muslim votes ahead of the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in West Bengal. While doing so, he is heard openly castigating and abusing Hindus who did not choose to vote for the Trinamool Congress in the past.
BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya shared the video on social media.
For TMC, it seems, it is all about getting the Muslim vote as if Hindus don’t matter…
Here a TMC leader can be heard calling those who didn’t vote for them in 2019 as “Beiman kaafir Hindu”.
The TMC leader says that even if you provide all sorts of facilities to “Beimaan Kafir Hindu” (Beimaan means cheaters while Kafir means non-believers in Islam) 364 days out of 365 days, missing out just a single day, they would not vote for you. He continued, saying that Hindus are the most unfaithful lot, an example of which the state witnessed during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, says the TMC leader.
The leader explains to his cadres, “Let us presume that out of 4500 votes, we will not get 500 votes. We have to do whatever it take to bag the rest of the 4000 votes. Whatever strategies need to be devised… even if that takes to pull a person by his hand, force him to vote by pulling him/her by the hair or falling on the persons feet.. basically, we have to administer the medication as per the requirement.”
West Bengal is set to witness its 17th Assembly election in a few weeks’ time. The 2021 elections are the most crucial battle for the ruling Trinamool Congress party and its supremo Mamata Banerjee to remain relevant in the country’s politics. Mamata Banerjee is currently in a catch 22 situation, where on one side the saffron wave in the state post-2014 Lok Sabha election is giving her sleepless nights, while on the other hand, she is having to cope with internal feuds and mass defection by leaders of her party.
Moreover, there is also a strong anti-Trinamool sentiment brewing in the state adding to the party’s predicaments. In such a precarious situation, Muslim votes could be the only saving grace for the Mamata Banerjee led party, which is why the TMC leader, in the viral video, explains to his cadres how “Beimaan Kafir Hindus” will not vote for TMC which is why they should concentrate on consolidating Muslim votes.
Female cartoon characters on Iranian television must wear hijab, as per a new ruling by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He further added that though it is not necessary for the women in cartoons and anime films to have their hair covered, a hijab is required because of the consequences associated with not following the practice.
Tasnim News Agency, a pro-regime news agency, had asked Khamenei if he believes it was essential for the female characters of animated films to observe hijab. He replied, “‘Although wearing hijab in such a hypothetical situation is not required per se, observing hijab in animation is required due to the consequences of not wearing hijab.”
Khamenei did not explain what ‘consequences’ he was referring to. However, according to activists, he had earlier suggested he was fearful that the girls would grow up and not wear hijab.
Activists believe the ruling is toxic
The political activists have termed the ruling as toxic. They further added that those who are in power in Iran are obsessed with everything associated with women. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and activist, said on Twitter, “This isn’t a joke! The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced women even in animations, should wear hijab! Even female insects like bees have their hijabs on! Their obsession with the hair of female anything is toxic. These people are in power in Iran.”
This isn’t a joke!
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced women even in animations should wear hijab!
Even female insects like bees have their hijabs on!
Their obsession with the hair of female anything is toxic. These people are in power in Iran. pic.twitter.com/HSZ9P4H9XQ
Arash Azizi shared a report on the issue and said, “In case you thought the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei wasn’t focused on core issues of interest for #Iran and Iranians.”
In case you thought the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei wasn’t focused on core issues of interest for #Iran and Iranians https://t.co/uyWsn8iWB9
Heba Yosry, a teacher from Egypt, said, “The absurdity of this is beyond my comprehension. Is the fear that girls will grow up and not wear hijab? Or that cartoon characters might be seductive to some adults? Is this what #Islam has become?”
The absurdity of this is beyond my comprehension. Is the fear that girls will grow up and not wear hijab? Or that cartoon characters might be seductive to some adults? Is this what #Islam has become? https://t.co/rUbmyxKPVs
There are a lot of restrictions on the Iranian film industry. Men and women cannot have physical interactions. Controversial topics cannot be discussed in the scripts. The scenes that are deemed immoral or offensive to the regime are often removed, and films that are considered hostile to Islamic value are prohibited.
There have been demands from the ultra-conservative figures in Iram to ban foreign films where women are not wearing the hijab. Khamenei had earlier said that the programs of the West lead to ‘misleading thoughts and factual misrepresentations’.
History of persecution for not wearing Hijab in Iran
Since the 1979 revolution, Iranian women must wear hijab or face persecution. It should cover their head and neck and conceal their hair. In October 2020, a woman was arrested for insulting the Islamic Hijab after her video went viral in which she was cycling without wearing one. At that time, Mojataba Raei, governor of Najafabad, had said that she was arrested for violating norms and insulting the Islamic veil.
Derek O’Brien, Trinamool MP, shared a ‘fact check‘ of the speech made by Prime Minister Modi in West Bengal while campaigning for the assembly elections in the state. However, as ‘fact checks’ have been normalized as a tool of propaganda in liberal circles, the senior Trinamool leader made a series of misleading claims and outright lies in order to claim victory where there was none.
O’Brien made nine claims in his ‘fact check’ of the Prime Minister’s speech. They ranged from comments on Durga Pujo to those on railways. The BJP has now issued its own fact check aiming to clear the air around the Trinamool MP’s bid to spread misinformation.
We did a #FactCheck of the speech delivered in Bengal by the Hon. Prime Minister today.
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) February 22, 2021
The BJP has issued a point by point rebuttal to the ‘fact check’.
People from Bengal are stopped from worshipping Maa Durga
In order to rebut the comment, O’Brien highlighted welfare activities related to Durga Puja celebrations which is entirely unrelated to the matter at hand. The BJP reminded in its response that the villagers of Kanglapahari were denied permission by the state government to celebrate the Durga Puja.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
The BJP also pointed towards the order to postpone Vijaya Dashami immersion of Durga Idols due to a festival on the same day for the Muslim community.
Farmers of Bengal deprived of PM Kisan
Derek O’Brien claimed that the state government had sent the names of 2.5 lakh farmers in the state for inclusion in the PM-Kisan scheme. However, the BJP maintained that the Trinamool government has not permitted the scheme to be implemented.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
The BJP asserted that the state government insists that the funds be allocated to them which they will then transfer to farmers. The party insinuated that it could be because the state government wants its share of the pie.
Bengalis are deprived of Ayushman Bharat
O’Brien claimed that the Bengal government has a better health insurance scheme than Ayushman Bharat, the Swasthya Sathi.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
|The BJP said that West Bengal’s insurance cover had decreased by 4.10% between 2015-16 and 2019-2020, a period during which Assam had increased by 50% during the same period.
BJP government has boosted railways in Bengal
Derek O’Brien claimed that it was Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister who had paved the way for infrastructure projects in the state. The BJP responded saying that the Dumdum-Dakshineswar Metro was delayed and stalled only during the current government.
As if Bhaipo wasn’t enough, now TMC’s @derekobrienmp is trying to outdo him when it comes to sinking Pishi…
Here is fact checking the ‘fact checker’, who was spreading lies and misinformation on Prime Minister’s speech.@MamataOfficial’s TMC is now getting desperate!
The BJP also mentioned the Gomoh-Dankuni section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and East Coast corridor from Kharagpur to Vijayawada and East-West Corridor from Bhusaval to Kharagpur to Dankuni which will be taken up by the central government in the near future.
Other ‘fact check’ rebuttals
The other comments ‘fact checked’ by the Trinamool MP include “TMC is not letting Bengal develop”, “Bengal Government did not spend 1700 crore allocated for clean piped water to households”, “Bengal used to be an industrial hub but the situation has reversed now. People from Bengal have to move outside to search for jobs” and “The jute industry, the potato industry has suffered”.
As can be seen, these are political points that could hardly be the substance of a ‘fact check’. Nonetheless, the BJP responded to the claims highlighting how the state government has failed the people of West Bengal.
In a new development, Khalistani organisations in the United Kingdom have asked the Sikhs in the country to not identify themselves as ‘Indians’ in the upcoming Census, reportedThe Times of India.
The Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO), which runs more than 130 Gurdwaras and organisations in the UK, has tweeted on Thursday (February 18), “On 21 March 2021 the Census will occur. We have made some recommendations for the British Sikh community on some of the Census questions – in relation to religion, ethnicity & language. It is of course up to the individual to fill in as they best see fit.”
Screengrab of the tweet by NSO
NSO had shared four infographics, asking Sikh residents to choose ‘Sikh’ as their religion, primary language as ‘Punjabi’ and ethnicity as ‘Punjabi’ under the Asian section. “Our final recommendation is the question of ethnicity. This asks participants to answer, ‘What is your ethnic group’? In this section (15C), We recommend individuals unhappy with the ‘Indian’ option should tick Any other Asian background’ (under ‘Asian or Asian British’) and write in ‘Punjabi’, NSO tweeted.
Screengrab of the infograohic by NSO
Sikh Federation asks to use ‘Sikh’ as ethnicity instead of ‘Indian’ or ‘Punjabi’
While speaking to the Times of India, NSO Director Lord Singh of Wimbledon said, “On ethnicity, our advice to those unwilling to describe themselves as ‘Indian, because of the absence of closure for the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide is to write ‘Punjabi — a more accurate description of ethnicity.” While NSO recommended the use of the ‘Asian’ group, another Khalistani outfit named the Sikh Federation suggested to pick the ‘other ethnic group’ category and write ‘Sikh’ as the ethnicity.
UK Census may collect factually incorrect data
The Sikh Federation had earlier lost a legal battle while trying to compel the UK government to identify ‘Sikh’ as an ethnicity in the Census. Its spokesperson said that 83,000 Sikhs refused to use exisiting ‘ethnic’ categories during the 2011 UK Census and choose the ‘other’ option. “Now we plan to double that number and possibly get up to 200,000 Sikhs to tick ‘other’ and write ‘Sikh’ this time to send a strong signal to the UK government,” remarked the spokesperson of the Sikh Federation.
The intervention of the Khalistani outfits has sparked fears of the census capturing wrong data about the Indian community and its population. While some Sikhs may write ‘Punjabi’ as their ‘ethnicity’, others might go with ‘Sikh’ or ‘Indian.’ It must be mentioned that around 2.5% (14.13 lac) of the British population identified as ‘Indian’ in the 2011 Census. However, only 1.5% (8.35 lac) identified as ‘others’ in the Asian category and 0.06% (3.33 lac) in the ‘any other ethnic group’ section.
British Indians Voice remains hopeful about British Indians choosing the ‘Indian’ ethnicity box in Census
While speaking about the development, the spokesperson of the British Indians Voice said, “I am confident everyone who is ethnically Indian will tick the ‘Indian’ box…For the ethnicity question we want people to tick Asian, then Indian. This applies to Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Buddhist Christians and others with roots in India.”
The spokesperson added that incorrect information will affect funds collected for relevant necessities such as temples, chaplains, crematorium etc. He reiterated that British Indians should be known by their own identity and not ‘Asian’, ‘British Asian’, or ‘South Asian’.
Farmers protest in India hijacked by Khalistanis
OpIndia has reported how Khalistani elements had infiltrated the Punjab farmer protest, which subsequently turned violent with the rioters unfurling multiple flags with Sikh religious symbol on the Red Fort on Republic Day.
A week later, after popstar Rihanna and porn star Mia Khalifa along with international protestor Greta Thunberg voiced their support to protesting farmers, a bigger conspiracy to defame India on global platform backed by pro-Khalistan outfit Poetic Justice Foundation was revealed. Khalistanis in California, USA, have also indulged in supporting and celebrating the violent farmer protests and had even broken Mahatma Gandhi statue.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in May 2021. This election is extremely critical for the Congress party, which has lost its political significance in almost all states of the country. Now, the Syro Malabar church in Kerala has issued a stern directive to the Congress party. The Changanassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Perumthottam has warned the Congress party against deciding its candidates for the upcoming Assembly election without consulting the church.
The Metropolitan Archbishop has instructed that Congress should consult the minorities before it decides on its candidates for the minority-dominated areas. It also said that the party should consult the church before deciding candidates for the Christian areas in the state.
In an editorial in Deepika, the official mouth-piece of the church, Mar Joseph Perumthottam stated that Congress should not field candidates from outside the community. The editorial piece recalls that in 1951, Jawaharlal Nehru had issued a similar directive to PCC presidents.
Saying so, the Archbishop wrote that the candidates should only be those who have won the trust of the minorities in the area from where they are being fielded. It said that outsiders, who do not belong to the community either by faith or birth, should not be touted as candidates in the minority Christian constituencies.
The 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election is round the corner. Those who are familiar with Kerala’s demography and politics will know that politically, by and large, Kerala has been bi-polar, with power alternating between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Assembly elections.
However, going by the declining performance of UDF including its two main elements, the Congress and Muslim League over the last three decades, Congress would be leaving no stone unturned to reverse its losing streak and making a political U-turn. In such a scenario, it would be interesting to watch whether Congress will be giving in to the Syro-Malabar church’s demands.
On 22nd Feb, a video featuring derogatory anti-Modi chants aimed towards prominent Indian-American Dr Romesh Japra caught attention on social media. This video features chants in Punjabi by a sizeable mob of protestors equating Dr Japra to a dog, directly outside Dr Japra’s house in Fremont, California. This ‘counter-protest’ is part of a backlash against Dr Japra for organizing a car rally in support of the 2020 Indian laws.
See,how Hindu Homes are getting attacked in California just for Supporting farmers law..yesterday these Khalistani goons have attacked eminent Indian American cardiologist Dr.Romesh Japra's home just for one facebook post supporting Farmers Law…unbelivable!! pic.twitter.com/wIBvC8ULgl
Dr Romesh Japra is a very prominent figure in the Indian-American community of California, especially Fremont. Dr Japra is an eminent Cardiologist with an MBBS degree from AIIMS, Delhi before moving to the USA in 1973. Beyond the field of medicine, Dr Japra is the founder and convener of the Festival of Globe, an annual multi-ethnic cultural event featuring film, visual, performing and folk arts located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the years, this event has featured a multitude of Bollywood celebrities including Vivek Oberoi, Gulshan Grover, Randeep Hooda etc.
In recent years, Dr Japra has gravitated towards pushing pro-India and pro-Hindu politics in California in response to the perceived anti-India rhetoric and actions of the Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party, especially Rep. Ro Khanna, the U.S. Congressman for the 17th Congressional District, the district Dr Japra resides in. Rep. Ro Khanna is a member of the Pakistani Congressional Caucus. In the 2020 U.S. election, Dr Japra supported an Indian-American Republican challenger against Rep. Khanna, however, Khanna was able to retain his seat in the historically super-majority Democrat seat.
Meet Dr Romesh Japra
Dr Romesh Japra was born in Phagwara, Punjab in 1950 in a Hindu family. Raised in a village in the Phagwara Tehsil, Dr Japra successfully completed his MBBS degree at AIIMS, Delhi and moved to the US in 1973. After that, Dr Japra established his highly successful medical practice as a Cardiologist. Moreover, Dr Japra was also highly active in the affairs of the Indian community in USA. In 1983, he was a co-founder of the Fremont Hindu Temple and Cultural Center, one of the first, if not the first, Hindu temples established in Fremont, California.
“Being a small immigrant community in those days we needed a place to worship and socialise. We had to rent time from churches for the same. So we took this Church and turned it into a Hindu Temple.” Dr Japra was quoted as saying. Dr Japra has also been the Chairman of the Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California, a Fremont based umbrella organization that consists of over 40 Indian-American member organizations.
The Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California, under the stewardship of Dr Romesh Japra, launched the annual Festival of India in 1993 on the occasion of the Indian Independence Day. The event, which features a Grand Parade was led by then Bollywood star Asha Parekh in 1993, followed by Sushmita Sen the next year. Ever since then, the Festival of India has been one of the most premier Indian cultural events in the San Francisco Bay Area, also popularly called Silicon Valley. The Festival of India has featured prominent Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Ayushmaan Khurana over the years.
In recent years, the Festival of India has evolved into the Festival of Globe, with Chinese and Hispanic groups also showcasing their respective cultures. The cultural festival has an attendance of approximately 150,000 to 200,000 people, making it a highly productive festival with an explicit aim to showcase and highlight Indian culture.
Involvement in Pro-Indian politics
On August 29, 2019, U.S. Congressman Rep. Ro Khanna replied to a tweet from accused Khalistani asset Pieter Friedrich. The tweet, which Rep. Khanna replies to, is an article by Pieter Friedrich in the Caravan Magazine which baselessly accuses Anti-War Progressive Hindu politician Tulsi Gabbard of being financially aided by the RSS in exchange for certain favors. In his reply Rep. Ro Khanna tweets, “Important article. It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians. That is the vision of India my grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar fought for.”
Important article. It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians. That is the vision of India my grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar fought for.
OpIndia had recently covered Pieter Friedrich’s and OFMI’s campaign to target pro-India and Hindu politicians and its links with Khalistani and ISI elements. In the middle of this coordinated smear campaign against a progressive Hindu politician like Tulsi Gabbard, Rep. Ro Khanna, another progressive Hindu politician threw Tulsi Gabbard under the bus, commended Pieter Friedrich’s article, and called for the rejection of Hindutva. Naturally, this led to a backlash against Khanna amongst the Indian Hindu community residing in Fremont and the Indian-American Hindu community in general.
In October 2019, a group of Indian Americans gathered outside an elementary school which was the venue of a town hall meeting featuring Rep. Ro Khanna. They held signs saying “Ro: Stand with the community, not with racists” and ““Ro: Stand for Equality, Stand Against Hinduphobia” in order to protest Ro Khanna’s. Ro Khanna also came under fire from over 230 Indian-American organization which collectively signed a letter to Rep. Khanna, condemning his endorsement of Pieter Friedrich who the letter refers to as a ‘fringe and extremist Anti-Hindu activist’. Ironically, the town hall was held to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary. Mahatma Gandhi has long been a target of Pieter Friedrich and OFMI, with baseless allegations of Nazism and Pedophilia against the Mahatma promoted by them.
In the fallout of all this, Dr Romesh Japra saw the need for a pro-Hindu and pro-India political action committee (PAC). This led to the formation of Americans for Hindus, a new PAC in order to push for pro-India policies in reaction to “Anti India and Anti-Hindu statements and actions by members of the Progressive Caucus (“PC”) of the Democratic party that have aggrieved a large swath of the Hindu-American community”. This PAC was formed in December 2019 and commenced operations in early 2020.
By October 2020, the Americans for Hindus PAC raised around $225,000. The PAC endorsed 14 candidates for Congressional races across the USA in the 2020 election cycle including a Republican challenger for Rep. Ro Khanna. The Indian-American Republican challenger to Khanna, Ritesh Tandon was a personal friend of Dr Japra and relied highly on Dr Japra’s influential support. However, the lack of campaigning due to the pandemic, meant that Rep. Khanna would retain his historically Democrat district.
Ro Khanna has not only put his own community under the Bus by joining Pakistan Caucus and tweeting " Reject Hindutva " but has moved too much to the Left and become ultra radical Socialist and wants to make Silicon Valley into Venezuela. Friends, vote for Ritesh Tandon4Congress pic.twitter.com/bGzLtMQUXE
In many ways, Dr. Romesh Japra is a pioneer for Indian American and Hindu American communities. A highly successful Cardiologist, he has also been a pillar of the Indian diaspora in Fremont, organizing cultural events in order to promote Indian culture in the West and also to inculcate it within children in the Indian diaspora. Dr. Japra is also a pioneer for utilizing his resources towards actually using the American political system for the benefit of India and Indians worldwide. The attack on Dr Japra seems to be a result of his efforts to bring pro-India narrative into American politics and an organised effort by the highly active pro-Khalistani forces in North America to threaten the pro-India voices.
The Greta Thunberg toolkit has shed great light into the manner in which a global campaign was orchestrated against India riding on the ‘farmer protests’. While the toolkit has exposed the dark underbelly of the campaign and shady organisations such as the Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF), the darkest secret that it has revealed is the alliance between Khalistanis and caste activists in the West to tarnish India’s reputation abroad and undermine our national interests.
The nexus first came to light when it was revealed that Suraj Yengde, a Harvard alumni, whose columns appear across numerous media outlets, had partnered with the PJF for a Caste related project funded by the Canadian federal funding agency. The project received $25000 in grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in Canada. The PJF was founded by Khalistanis and was intimately involved with the current global campaign.
Suraj Yengde, despite his dubious associations, is a prominent figure in the media. His columns have appeared on the Indian Express and The Print and he has been actively promoted by Indian liberal media as an ’eminent intellectual’. In his columns, he primarily focuses on Caste and waxes eloquence against ‘Brahminism’.
Suraj Yengde writes against Brahminism
Another distinct proposition of his is that the “new image of Dalit capitalists is a creation of the dominant castes to diffuse the potential risk of Dalit rebellion against capitalism.”
Suraj Yengde on Capitalism
His hatred towards Hindus is well documented. He once called Hindus the “sick people of India”. Despite his virulent hatred towards Hindus, he has been feted by Indian liberal media as an ‘intellectual’.
Screenshot source: India Currents
Now we know that Suraj Yengde has worked with Khalistanis in the past, all thanks to Greta Thunberg. But he is only a small part, albeit very significant, in a slick propaganda machine that has been developed by Khalistani and anti-Brahminism Caste activists for their tirade against India.
The Equality Labs is an extremely prominent anti-Brahminism Caste activism group in the United States. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had once stoked a massive controversy when he held an anti-Brahmin placard that said ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’. Incidentally, that poster was designed by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the Executive Director of Equality Labs.
Again, thanks to Greta Thunberg, we learnt that Equality Labs had collaborated with the Organisation for Minorities in India (OFMI), among other organisations, for a report titled ‘Caste in the United States: A Survey Of Caste Among South Asian Americans’. The OFMI was founded by Bhajan Singh Bhinder, a known ISI operative, and his puppet Pieter Friedrich was part of the organisation too.
Pieter Friedrich was listed as a ‘resource person’ in the Greta toolkit, which again brought him into the attention of Delhi Police. We now know for a fact that this ISI-Khalistan nexus has also been extremely vocal against Hindu Americans and has been attempting to influence American politics. They have run a dedicated campaign against former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard during her run for the presidency of the United States.
Equality Labs holds great influence among the ‘Justice Democrats’ wing of the Democrat Party. They were campaigning hard against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the United States while accusing India of committing genocide with the hashtag ‘Stop Hindu fascism’.
EqualityLabs campaign against India
Equality Labs also campaigned hard against Amit Jani, who had worked in the Joe Biden campaign, accusing him of supporting ‘Hindu Fascism’. Quite clearly, there is great resemblance in tactics adopted by the ‘anti-Brahminism’ Caste activist group against Jani and that adopted by Friedrich against Tulsi Gabbard.
Equality Labs campaigns against Amit Jani
The Caste Activist organisation has also been trying hard to insert a ‘Dalit’ angle to the current farmer protests even though the protests are clearly an attempt by dominant caste groups in Punjab and Haryana to preserve their privilege.
Equality Labs farmer protests campaign
Further testament to the Equality Labs’ influence among Justice Democrats is that they have worked with Congressman Ro Khanna for a seemingly benign project. Ro Khanna worked with them to introduce a resolution in celebration of the 129th birth anniversary of B.R.Ambedkar.
In a press statement, he said, “Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was a pioneer in the movement to make India a free, fair, and just society for everyone in it,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “He mobilized a generation to push back against discrimination and to instead celebrate equality, human rights, and universal tolerance. Today, we stand at a moment in world history when we could all use more of that compassionate spirit. I’m proud to work with Equality Labs and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) to make this landmark resolution a reality.”
Here we find three distinctive issues where Equality Labs and Khalistani-backed Pieter Friedrich find themselves on the same side of the fence spreading the same brand of delusional propaganda and using similar tactics to target Hindu Americans in the United States. Article 370, the CAA and the farmer protests have seen precisely the same brand of propaganda by anti-Brahminism Caste activists and Khalistanis.
We also see the collaboration between Suraj Yengde and the PJF for a project funded by Canada’s SSHRC and the collaboration between Equality Labs and OFMI for a Caste report. Thus, the evidence is abundantly clear that a nexus of Caste activists, Khalistanis and Pakistan’s ISI is working in tandem in the United States, and more broadly, the West, to tarnish India’s reputation abroad.
In a major development, the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme Implementation Committee in Uttarakhand has sent a proposal to set up smart classes in madrassas that are registered with the State Madrassa Education Board, reportedThe Times of India.
The said proposal, which is yet to receive a green signal, has been sent to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs. As per the proposal, the madrassa classrooms will be equipped with speakers and large LED screens. The smart classes are aimed at providing education to Muslim students via visual tools with built-in internet. Reportedly, the project will first be developed at Rehmaniya Madrassa in Roorkee, Uttarkhand. The Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme Implementation Committee in Uttarakhand has been seeking ₹27 crores from the Central government for the project.
While speaking about the development, the Deputy Chairman of the committee Shadab Shams stated, “Compared to those in private schools, children in madrassas shouldn’t lag behind in their studies. It is important that madrassas also get technologically advanced and move with the times. We have sent a proposal in this regard to the Centre amounting Rs 27 crore.” He added, “It is an initiative to bring madrassas and its students in the mainstream. Apart from this, we have fully implemented NCERT academic syllabus in 420 registered madrassas across the state.”
Maulvi’s job is to teach religion, students’ education is the govt’s responsibility
Earlier on January 25, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Health and Education Minister of Assam said that the recent step to close state-run madrassas was right. He was answering ABP News’s question on allegations made by All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Badruddin Ajmal who alleged if the BJP government comes in power again, it will close down mosques and madarsas.
Sarma asserted that after being re-elected, the BJP government in Assam will work to bring education in madrassas at par with mainstream education in schools by introducing maths, computers and science. “Muslim clerics’ job is to go to the mosque to teach religion. It is the responsibility of the government to educate students, it is the job of the education minister. We will fulfil our responsibility and they should fulfil their responsibility. Where is the dispute in this?” Sarma added.
In yet another indication that Congress has been supporting the ‘farmers’ rebellion in the country, gangster Lakha Sidhana, who is wanted in connection with the Delhi violence that erupted in the national capital in the wake of the tractor rally on January 26, was today seen at a ‘farmers’ rally held in Bhatinda’s Mehraj, the ancestral town of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
In a brazen challenge to the security agencies, Sidhana was today seen seating on the stage at the ‘farmers’ rally in Mehraj. Sidhana subsequently even addressed the gathering and the organisers on the stage dared the police to arrest Sidhana, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 lakh.
Sidhana urged the villagers to not allow police to arrest anyone in connection with the violence that transpired at the Red Fort on Republic Day this year. He alleged that the central government was wrongly implicating people from Punjab to undermine the ‘farmers’ protest and appealed to the Dalit community to participate in the protest in large numbers. After the rally, Sidhana reportedly ran away on a motorcycle from the spot.
It is also pertinent to note that several farm union leader, including Haryana BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, have egged on people in Punjab to stop Delhi Police from entering their villages to arrest those responsible for wreaking havoc in the national capital on Republic Day.
Organisers of ‘farmers’ rally wash their hands off involvement with gangster Lakha Sidhana
Baba Hardeep Singh Dal Khalsa, the organiser of the rally washed off his hands from the involvement of Sidhana in the demonstrations. He alleged that Sidhana was not in their contact and stressed that they had announced the rally before Lakha exhorted people to attend it.
“We wanted to send our voice to Kisan morcha that they have support from Punjab. The response of the gathering will reveal the next course of action from this rally. Lakha Sidhana is not in our contact though we have announced the rally before Lakha. He has supported the rally but we have no information if Lakha is visiting this rally,” Singh said.
Lakha Sidhana releases a video on social media asking people to join protests in Bhatinda’s Mehraj
Last week, in a bid to instigate people, Sidhana released a video on social media, asking people to join in support of the farm agitation in Bathinda district’s Mehraj, the ancestral village of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on February 23.
In the video that was posted on Friday night, Sidhana urged people to gather in big numbers at the grain market in Mehraj, 35 km from the Bathinda district headquarters. “We are organising a farmers’ gathering in Mehraj of Bhatinda on February 23,” said Lakha Sidhana and urged people to reach the protest in large numbers.
Gangster Lakha Sidhana absconding since violence erupted in Delhi on January 26
The gangster Lakha Sidhana was about to be caught from the Singhu border area on January 26 but as the tractor rally crowd went rampaging, the accused switched off his phone and managed to flee from the area. In addition to Sidhana, actor-activist Deep Sidhu was also listed as one of the accused in inciting demonstrators to indulge in violence in Red Fort. While Sidhu has been arrested, Sidhana remains untraceable.
Since then, Delhi Police has been on the lookout to trace the whereabouts of gangster Lakha Sidhana, accused of fomenting violence during the tractor rally on the Republic Day when thousands of demonstrators breached barricades, clashed with the police and stormed the grounds of the iconic Red Fort.
After the violence swept over the national capital, Delhi Police named actor-activist Deep Sidhu and Lakha Sidhana in an FIR accusing the two of instigating the protesting farmers to storm the iconic monument and hoist flags, including Khalistani flags.
