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China demands that participants critical of Beijing are banned, EU responds by cancelling China-Europe Trade Forum: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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China demands that participants critical of Beijing are banned, EU responds by cancelling China-Europe Trade Forum: Read details

The People Republic of China, which has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism globally over its increasing expansionist policies, faced yet another embarrassment last month as European organisers cancelled their meet annual EU-Chinese forum meet after Chinese demanded to ban participants critical of Beijing.

According to WSJ report, the fourth edition of the annual China-EU CEO and former Senior Officials Dialogue – a closed-door meeting that includes around 40 chief executives, top officials and academics from Europe and China was scheduled to be held through videoconference this year.

This year, China insisted that the organisers drop speakers who were critical of China. However, the European organizers at BusinessEurope, an umbrella organization for the European Union’s national business lobbies, rejected Chinese demands to exclude certain participants.

The reluctance on both sides to escalate this conflict led to organisers stating that another dialogue should take place again next year.

“We held three very successful editions of this dialogue that takes place every year, alternating in Brussels and Beijing,” said BusinessEurope spokesman Peter Sennekamp adding that ‘regrettably’ this year’s dialogue had to be cancelled.

Decision assumes significance amidst deteriorating ties between China and the rest of the world

The decision to ignore China’s demands comes at a time when Europe is trying to strike between safeguarding business interests and upholding democratic values amidst China’s increasingly aggressive global stance. Europe firm stands assume significance after US and Australia too had taken more forceful stands against China.

Experts believe that the cancellation of the event also gives a fresh sign of Europe’s hardening stance toward Beijing, a shift that became evident last year when the bloc described China as a systemic rival. The EU officials had openly taken an anti-China stand and had blamed China for disinformation during the coronavirus pandemic.

The China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE), which claims to promote international economic research and exchanges under the guidance and supervision of economic planning agency, noted that dialogues with other countries had been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A CCIEE official said that the dialogue’s aim was to promote international economic research and trade cooperation but that some participants did not seem to fit the principle or goal of the event. He claimed that some participants last year had violated rules.

China wanted a ban on European critics

Reportedly, China wanted trade forum to exclude two people from this year’s virtual event. One speaker is Reinhard Bütikofer, the European Parliament’s chairman of the EU-China caucus, who has publicly criticized Beijing over Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uighur minority. China had also asked to bar Mikko Huotari, the head of Merics, a German think tank critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to respond to the cancellation of the annual meet. The Chinese officials had attempted to ban German politicians, academics and journalists from past events, however, this is the first time the had targeted a senior European parliamentarian in charge of EU-China relations.

Jörg Wuttke, the head of the EU-China Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, said he was aware of the cancellation after the EU-China forum refused to give in to Chinese demands to leave out a company representative from one event he was organizing. That event did take place, he added.

In a report published by the Chamber in September, Wuttke criticized China’s “small but highly conspicuous ‘army of wolf warriors’ in the foreign affairs ministry who have escalated Twitter wars with politicians around the world. 

The Chinese diplomats and propagandists have taken on countries for calling out China’s inaction during the coronavirus pandemic. China has launched a diplomatic offensive against Australia after it called for an investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. China had also threatened France and cancelled a nationwide tour by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra after a tussle with the city’s mayor over Taiwan.

Truth bomb by Rohit Sardana triggers AltNews Islamist apologists, complain to Rahul Kanwal who they think can understand their angst

OpIndia Staff
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Truth bomb by Rohit Sardana triggers AltNews Islamist apologists, complain to Rahul Kanwal who they think can understand their angst

On Wednesday, during a live Q and A session with viewers of Aaj Tak on the issue of anti-farm law agitation, one Shaukat Ali tried to solicit a provocative reaction from journalist Rohit Sardana.

“If you think people participating in farmer protests are Khalistanis, then why does not ‘your leader’ Modi put everyone in jail?”, Ali asked the Aaj Tak journalist. Rohit Sardana clarified that since Prime Minister Modi is an elected representative, therefore he is also the leader of Shaukat Ali, and not just him. “See! Modi is also your leader. If you believe otherwise, then, you are free to leave,” Sardana dropped his first truth bomb on Ali.

He emphasised, “I have never said that farmers are Khalistani separatists. However, if miscreants are unfurling the Khalistani flag under the garb of farmer protests, then should such people not be apprehended?” Rohit Sardana continued, “Or do you want (the State) to give free hand to (Khalistani elements) just like it was done in case of Shaheen Bagh protestors, who raise anti-national slogans?”

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/Aaj Tak)

Islamist apologists at Alt News miffed over the display of political incorrectness

However, the no-nonsense, straightforward answer of journalist Rohit Sardana did not go down well with Islamist apologists working at Alt News. Islamist sympathiser and serial fake news peddler Pratik Sinha decided to play the victim card, on behalf of Shaukat Ali.

While tagging Aaj Tak founder Aroon Purie and News Director Rahul Kanwal, Sinha cried, “What action will be taken against this anchor of your channel who uses your platform to ask a fellow citizen to go to Pakistan, or says things like “tumhare ko choot di thi…desh virodhi nare lagane ki (you were given the freedom to shout anti-national slogans)” because he belongs to the Muslim community?”

While it makes sense for a miffed Pratik Sinha to address his ‘concerns’ to the founder of the news channel, it did not make sense as to why he would tag a fellow journalist aka Rahul Kanwal, with no managerial powers, working at the same organisation. Netizens are left to wonder whether it was because of Kanwal’s past record wherein he tried to downplay the role of Islamists in creating nuisance in society.

Nevertheless, Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair too was worried about supposedly ‘normalising hate against minorities’ even though Rohit Sardana had just pointed out the role of Islamist Shaheen Bagh protestors and the Khalistani elements in the anti-farmer agitation.

He opined, “You are giving him your platform to spew venom against minorities and normalising this hate Mr. Aroon Purie. Rohit Sardana is not even hiding his hatred for minorities anymore.”

Khalistani slogans in ‘farmer protests’

The ‘farmer’ protest carried out along the Punjab-Haryana border against the recently passed farm bills had seen participation from pro-Khalistani elements, who not only gloated over the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi but also threatened PM Modi with a similar fate if their demands went unfulfilled.

In one of the videos from the protests, one of the demonstrators could be seen threatening PM Modi with dire consequences if the solution was not reached in the meeting between the farmers and the Centre over the agriculture bills. At several instances, banners of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, one of the fervid proponents of Khalistan, were also held during the protests.

In another video, one of the old demonstrators hailed Pakistani PM Imran Khan while insinuating that PM Modi was the enemy of the protesters. “Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan is our friend. Our enemy is sitting in Delhi,” the man says.

Islamist slogans were earlier raised at Shaheen Bagh

After the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the country has been gripped by riots, violence and arson specifically by the Left and Islamist mobs. A video had surfaced in January from the Shaheen Bagh protest where slogans like “Jinnah Wali Azadi” could be heard.

In the video, the individual on the stage could be heard chanting Azadi slogans. “Hum ladke lenge Azadi. Nehru wali Azadi. Gandhi wali Azadi. Bhagat wali Azadi. Ashfaq wali Azadi. Jinnah wali Azadi. Dilli wali Azadi….”.While one could understand Leftists and Islamists wanting “Nehru wali Azadi” since the cloak of “secularism” that amounted to shameless minority appeasement during the time of Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi, one had to wonder what ‘Jinnah wali Azadi’ means when chanted by the protestors at Shaheen Bagh.

AltNews works as an Islamic propaganda website

In their quest to exonerate perpetrators from the Muslim community, AltNews has employed several methods over the years. Their methods have now almost become predictable and standardised. While subtly peddling Islamic propaganda, AltNews keeps up the veneer of fact-checking to make their propaganda far more palatable to gullible readers, and that, they have the help of the entire ecosystem for their nefarious plans certainly helps move things along.

‘We will return the favour with interest,’ Bengal BJP leaders issue warnings after TMC goons attack the convoy of BJP president

OpIndia Staff
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‘We will return the favour with interest,’ Bengal BJP leaders issue warnings after TMC goons attack the convoy of BJP president

Hours after BJP chief JP Nadda and party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s convoy was attacked in West Bengal, State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh issued a stern warning to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, he cautioned, “Aami bolchi petan, tototai petan porobortikala jotota hajam karta parban. Lal diary te so likha rakhchi. Sud saho ferat debo amra.” The loose translation of his post goes as, “I am telling you to continue assaulting (our party leaders and workers). However, beat as much as you can withstand later on. I am writing everything down in my red book. We will return the favour with interest.”

Screengrab of the Facebook post by Dilip Ghosh

Sayantan Basu issues warning to TMC to mend their behaviour

Besides Dilip Ghosh, BJP leader Sayantan Basu also warned the Trinamool Congress with dire consequences, if they failed to mend their behaviour and do course-correction. “Sholay Cinemar dialogue sunacho toh. Ek maaroge toh hum 4 maarenge. BJP chaile Trinammol Congress er kunu neta der paschim bongar baira berhono bondho kore dita pare. Keu berhota parbana. Sob akhana idur er moton gorta lukiya thakba.“

The loose translation goes as, “You must have heard the dialogue from the movie ‘Sholay’ – If you kill one, then, we will kill 4. If BJP wants, it can ensure that TMC leaders cannot step outside the State of West Bengal. None can move an inch. And they will be forced to hide in one place like rats.”

Convoy of senior BJP leaders attacked by TMC goons

The convoy of JP Nadda and Kailash Vijayvargiya were attacked when they were en route Diamond Harbour on Thursday. ‘Protesters’ gathered on the streets, attempted to block the road to stop Nadda’s convoy from passing and also pelted stones at the vehicle. Videos had surfaced where protestors carrying Trinamool Congress flags were seen throwing stones and bricks at Kailash Vijayvargiya’s car, while the state police stand like mute spectators.

Sharing the same video which showed cracked windshields and pieces of bricks hurled at the car he was travelling in, Vijayvargiya called the attack an abject failure of the WB police working at the behest of Mamata Banerjee government. “In front of the police, near Siracol Bus Stand, the TMC goons hit our workers and threw stones at my car”, wrote Vijayvargiya, furthering that the Bengal police were informed about JP Nadda’s program in advance, still they failed to provide adequate security to the party president.

India already makes over 60% of the world’s vaccines, now gears up to meet the global demand for billions of coronavirus vaccine doses

OpIndia Staff
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India already makes over 60% of the world’s vaccines, now gears up to meet the global demand for billions of coronavirus vaccine doses

As several of the pharmaceutical companies have announced the development of a potent vaccine candidate for the coronavirus, the world has cast its eyes on India, the largest maker of the medicinal vaccines, to rise to the occasion and provide them with requisite doses of the vaccines. India, for its part, has pounced on the challenge, launching a massive vaccine production blitz, freeing up capacity and speeding up investments to capitalise on its vaccine production prowess, a report published by Reuters said.

With India manufacturing more than 60 per cent of the vaccines sold across the globe, even without its involvement in the manufacturing of the expensive Pfizer Inc and Moderna vaccines, India is all set to play a crucial role in vaccinating a major part of the world against a pandemic that has so far affected more than 68 million people and resulted into deaths of over 1.58 million.

The Indian pharmaceutical companies are gearing up to prepare eight, more economical vaccines, including the AstraZeneca’s Covishield, which is being called “vaccine for the world” because of the efforts to make it cheap and easily available for poorer nations.

Foreign envoys impressed by India’s preparations for coronavirus vaccine production

About 64 foreign envoys recently visited India’s COVID-19 facilities in Hyderabad, a trip organised by the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA), in a bid to showcase Indian companies’ prowess in building the vaccine to fight COVID-19. The envoys were briefed about Covid-19 vaccine programmes and how India has taken the lead in fighting the pandemic. India’s leadership in vaccine development was backed by the statesmanship of PM Modi, who announced that the vaccines would be available for all of humanity.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that it would conduct similar trips for foreign envoys in other cities as well to exhibit India’s competence in large-scale manufacturing of vaccines.

Denmark’s envoy to India, Ambassador Svane Freddy, told media that he was proud to be a part of India’s journey in taking the lead on the COVID front. “It has been a great visit to Genome Valley, first to Bharat Biotech and then to Biological E. It is fantastic how India is setting the new standard. India is becoming a global hub for vaccines. It is impressive. India is moving and taking a lead. I am proud to be part of that,” he said.

Another foreign diplomat, Australia’s ambassador to India, Barry O’Farrell, who also toured the vaccine manufacturing sites in India, had glowing words of praise for India’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities. “There are many vaccine manufacturers across the world but there’s only one nation that has the manufacturing capacity to produce enough quantities to fulfil the demands of citizens in every country, and that’s India,” Barry said.

Indian vaccine manufactures expand their vaccine production capacity in anticipation of global orders

India’s vaccine production capability is reinforced by vaccine makers such as Serum Institute of India(SII), who holds the distinction of being the world’s largest vaccine manufacture. SII, which is based in Pune, has already amassed 50 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, even though the vaccine is yet to receive the go-ahead approval for emergency-use from both the British and Indian authorities. SII intends to stockpile around 400 million doses of Covishield by mid-2021 and is currently involved in establishing new production lines to support its goal of rolling out one billion shots a year.

SII CEO Adar Poonawalla has been quoted by Reuters as saying that the affordability and the volume capacity of India will make it an important player in the world’s fight against the coronavirus. “Because the volumes coming out of India and the affordability of the vaccines, there is no other country that will contribute more towards ending the pandemic than India,” Poonawalla said.

To this end, SII has signed deals with US biotech firm Codagenix, Novavax and Austria’s Themis and has lowered its production capacity for other diseases. The company has also been investing a lot in cold storage rooms, transport and logistics to meet the demand.

Another company, Bharat Biotech, has sought an emergency approval for its government-backed vaccine candidate, is in discussions with more than 10 countries in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe to sell its product. Besides being affordable, Bharat Biotech and AstraZeneca’s vaccines candidates do not require to be stored at extreme cold temperatures as is the case with the Pfizer’s vaccine. Many of the countries from South America, Asia and Africa lack the robust cold storage facilities required to store Pfizer’s vaccine. Bharat Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine, therefore, offers a very compelling alternative to these countries in their fight against the coronavirus.

Russia, which has also claimed of producing an effective coronavirus vaccine, has signed contracts with Indian manufactures to produce 100 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine every year.

It is notable here that the vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna need to be stored at below -70 degrees C. A requirement that makes them expensive to store and transport, as a result, raising the price of each shot exponentially. Most nations want an affordable vaccine to help their populations.

Ancillary companies step up their production capacity to match the spurt in vaccine manufacturing

The global interest in India for vaccine manufacturing has galvanised many manufactures to invest heavily in enhancing production capacities without having deals in their hands.

Rishad Dadachanji, a director at Schott Kaisha, which manufactures vials, said that his organisation has taken a “calculated risk” and is in discussions with 10 vaccines makers at home and abroad to manufacture their coronavirus candidates. It plans on increasing its manufacturing capacity by 300 million to 1.5 billion vials.

Similarly, their rival firm SGD Pharma India and Piramal Glass are also expanding their production base, in anticipation of large vaccine orders. SGD intends to boost up its capacity by 100 million units to its current capacity of 350 million glass vials, while Piramal has claimed that it could increase its production by 100 per cent just at a month’s notice, as per the Reuters report.

Other ancillary companies are also likely to benefit from the recent spurt in the manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccines. Pharmaceutical behemoths such as Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Cadila Healthcare, logistics company FedEx, cold storage special Snowman Logistics and Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices and many others stand to gain from the increased coronavirus vaccine manufacturing.

Hindustan Syringes has scaled up its capacity by 42 per cent to 1 billion units by June 2021. It has so far sold 140 million syringes that disable themselves after one use to the international vaccine distribution program COVAX.

The logistics companies also have a huge role to play in the transportation and shipping of the vaccines produced in India. Carrier Global, which operates 500 trucks with cold-storage facilities, have already asked their vendors to be on standby if there is a spurt in demand to transport vaccines from production site to vaccination centres.

Global logistics behemoth DHL is already involved in vaccine transportation work in India. It had recently brought in Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for trials and claims that it will have a critical role to play in the foreseeable future in terms of exporting the vaccines and distributing them within the country.

Justin Trudeau hates our jawan and our kisan: Here is why our elites still love him

Abhishek Banerjee
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Justin Trudeau hates our jawan and our kisan: Here is why our elites still love him

One of the interesting features of the ongoing Punjab farmers protest is the proactive involvement of a foreign government. With no apparent provocation, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau waded into the matter, saying that he wants to stand up for the right to peaceful protest in India. Despite India’s strong objection, he even doubled down on this, repeating his comments.

More disturbingly, certain groups in India have welcomed his intervention. So what if a foreign government wants to speak up for people in India? Don’t we live in a globalized world?

The elites who make this argument are doing so for their vested interests. But there is a chance that ordinary people might fall for it. That’s why the elites are making it.

We have to get one thing clear. Justin Trudeau is an enemy of the Indian farmer. And incidentally, the Indian soldier.

For years now, Justin Trudeau has been banging doors at the WTO, trying to snatch every morsel from the Indian farmer. For instance, some of the protesters in Delhi have bought into the rumour that MSP is going away.

Who supports MSP for Indian farmers? Certainly not Canada. The Canadian government has been very vocal against India’s MSP regime. And more. Justin Trudeau has been complaining even about the Rs 6000 per year to Indian farmers under PM-Kisan.

Just imagine. Canada is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, with a per capita GDP of over $40,000. But Justin Trudeau can’t sleep because poor Indian farmers half a world away are making an extra Rs 500 a month. That’s not even $7. Simply on a humanitarian level, the cruelty of Canada’s demand is quite extraordinary.

Do the protesters at Delhi’s borders know that their Canadian “friend” is trying to squeeze them for Rs. 500 a month? Oh and Trudeau also wants the PM Fasal Bima Yojana to go away.

In other words, no MSP. No crop insurance. Not even the tiny bit of help of Rs. 500 a month that Indian farmers receive. Justin Trudeau wants it all to go away.

Did you know that the average Canadian farmer earns over Rs 7 lakh per month? But Justin Trudeau thinks an Indian farmer getting Rs 500 per month is too much. He is fighting to end it.

How do the protesters at Delhi’s border like their Canadian “friend” now?

There is more. Since the vast majority of the protesters are from Punjab, it is quite likely that many of them actually have brothers and sons who are serving in the Indian Army right now. Many of them might be Army veterans themselves. They should know about this.

This needs some explanation. The Chinese PLA was looking to train in cold areas. Like Canada. This would presumably help the Chinese in their machinations against Russia and even the United States. And certainly, against India in the cold deserts of Ladakh.

Understandably, the Canadian military did not want to help the Chinese PLA. That’s where Trudeau came in, pressurizing his *own* military to help train the Chinese. Luckily, the Canadian military prevailed over Justin Trudeau and the exercise was ultimately cancelled. The secret documents have now all tumbled into the public domain.

But think about what happened. Justin Trudeau was ready to betray his own country for the benefit of the Chinese PLA. He was ready to betray Canada’s hundred year old alliance with the United States. You think he cares about the rights of Indians to protest peacefully? If he did, he surely would not be trying to betray his own country for the benefit of the Chinese PLA, the worst human rights abusers in the world.

Do the protesters at Delhi’s borders know about this? Their own brothers and sons might be facing the same Chinese troops that Justin Trudeau was trying to train.

Honestly, we did not even need to get into this. These protests are a purely internal matter of India. And Canada has no right to comment about this. The matter ends there.

But because so many powerful Indian elites have welcomed Trudeau’s intervention, this becomes necessary. Everyone needs to know just how much Justin Trudeau hates the Indian farmer and the Indian soldier.

The powerful elites cheering on Trudeau know exactly what they are doing. With Modi seemingly invincible in elections, they are openly reaching out to foreign powers to remove our Prime Minister. This should tell you just how badly Modi’s rise has hurt certain vested interests. Even today, a major liberal outlet has published “expert” opinions on why India should not build its own dam in the North East to counter the Chinese plan for a dam on the Brahmaputra. For environmental reasons, of course. Go figure.

Pakistan: Imran Khan government seals Lahore eatery Butt Karahi for allowing opposition leader Maryam Nawaz to dine-in

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Imran Khan government seals Lahore eatery Butt Karahi for allowing opposition leader Maryam Nawaz to dine-in

The Imran Khan government in Pakistan has registered a case against a restaurant named Butt Karahi in Lahore for allowing its political rival PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and her supporters to dine-in at the restaurant following their rally in Lahore on Thursday.

The administration also sealed the popular eatery, alleging violations of Coronavirus protocol.

Butt Karahi restaurant

At least 5 cases have been registered against Maryam Nawaz and 200 PML-N workers on the charges of flouting the coronavirus guidelines during their rally in Lahore. Nawaz has been named in two cases which are registered at the Gawalmandi police station, while one each has been lodged at the Mazang police station, Ichhra police station and Lohari Gate police station.

Maryam Nawaz had held a rally to garner support for the forthcoming rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement. It started from her residence in Jati Umrah and finished at Data Darbar. Following her rally, Nawaz was seen relishing food at Butt Karahi, situated at Lakshmi Chowk. The PML-N leader had also praised the meal on her Twitter account.

However, before long, the Pakistani government closed off the restaurant for allowing Maryam Nawaz and her party workers to dine-in. In the wake of coronavirus crisis, dining has been banned at Lahore restaurants and they are permitted to remain open for takeaway only.

But the critics claim that the crackdown against the restaurant is not rooted in the violations of the coronavirus SOPs but the soaring popularity and support that the opposition leader in Pakistan is garnering of late. The Imran Khan government, embattled by the chronic financial crisis and coronavirus pandemic, has been spooked by the popular support that the opposition leaders have attracted from the masses. The coercive action against the restaurant is therefore perceived by many as an attempt by the PTI government in Pakistan to threaten the population from aligning with the anti-government movement launched by the opposition leaders.

Maryam Nawaz spearheads the Pakistan Democratic Movement against Pakistan Army and Imran Khan

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of the former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif, has taken on the Pakistani Army for its interference in politics, drawing hundreds of thousands to the ongoing rallies against the government.

Nawaz had alleged that Pakistani military had conspired against the then government by framing corruption charges against her father and installing Khan as the Prime Minister through rigged elections.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement(PDM), a campaign launched to organise a “long march” to the capital Islamabad in January 2021, aiming to oust the government. Spearheaded by Maryam Nawaz, the movement is an alliance of 11 opposition parties and has organised several anti-government rallies in Pakistan till date. It is expected to hold its last anti-government rally in Lahore on December 13. However, the Lahore administration has denied the alliance permission to hold the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan.

Khalsa Aid, suspected front organisation of Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa, opens foot massage center for protesters at Singhu Border

OpIndia Staff
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Khalsa Aid, suspected front organisation of Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa, opens foot massage center for protesters at Singhu Border

Khalsa Aid India has set up massage centers at the farmer protests in makeshift spaces at Singhu border. In a Facebook post, they announced, “Khalsa Aid India has set up this makeshift space as a massage centre. This is for our farmer brothers and sisters who were experiencing pain. We are overwhelmed by the love and blessings that our farmers bestow on us.”

Khalsa Aid India opens massage center at Singh Border for farmer protests

According to their Facebook page, Khalsa Aid India has also opened stalls at the Singhu Border. They said that they are providing aid to the farmers. The stall was also visited by the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council Chairman and his delegation. A thousand blankets and five hundred mattresses were handed over to Khalsa Aid India as well.

Khalsa Aid India stall

The Khalsa Aid is suspected to be a front organisation for the Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The NIA had registered a case in 2012 where the allegations were summarised as, “On the allegation that Punjab based BKI operatives are receiving money from UK based BKI operatives (viz. Balbir Singh Bains, Joga Singh) and its front organizations, Including but not limited to, Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare (SoPW), Akhand Kirtanee Jattha (AKJ) and Khalsa Aid, to commit terrorist acts in India, with the active support of Pakistan based BKI leaders (Wadhwa Singh, Jagtar Singh Tara). Further, Intelligence suggested that the money is being distributed to sleeper cells, jailed terrorists and the families of the terrorists in Punjab.”

In 2015, it was reported that the NIA had been unable to complete its investigation because the United Kingdom had refused to share evidence regarding the accused based in the UK. Babbar Khalsa intends to create an independent Sikh state in India through violent means and is responsible for several terror attacks in the country resulting in many civilian deaths. The Trump administration had declared BKI a threat to American interests.

During the ongoing farmer protests, attempts have been made by Khalistani elements to hijack them in order to further their divisive agenda. Foreign based Khalistanis and certain entertainers with a shady history have been extremely vocal over the course of these protests.

Ram Mandir and Ayodhya to be the theme of Uttar Pradesh’s Republic Day tableau, proposal approved

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir and Ayodhya to be the theme of Uttar Pradesh’s Republic Day tableau, proposal approved

Ayodhya will be the focus of Uttar Pradesh’s tableau at the Republic Day Parade on the 26th of January 2021. The theme ‘Ayodhya: Cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh’ has been approved and the presentation will display imagery relating to Shri Ram and the Bhavya Ram Mandir at Ram Janmabhoomi.

The Yogi Adityanath Government in the state has made it clear that they will reshape the identity of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodha and Shri Ram. Recently, the Chief Minister had cleared a proposal to rename the Ayodhya Airport to Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram Airport, Ayodhya. The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony at Ram Janmabhoomi had occurred earlier this year following the Supreme Court paving the way for the Temple on the 9th of November, 2019.

Some Republic Day Tableaus in recent times have attracted immense praise from the citizenry for focusing on the cultural heritage of the country. The 2018 Maharashtra Tableau was themed on the coronation of the legendary Hindu Monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Since the Maharashtra Tableau, the Ayodhya Tableau will perhaps attract the most attention and earn the highest amount of praise.

Nagpur: Mohsin Khan slits throat of alleged girlfriend’s grandmother and minor brother for objecting to their relationship

OpIndia Staff
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Nagpur: Mohsin Khan slits throat of alleged girlfriend’s grandmother and minor brother for objecting to their relationship

In a shocking incident, a minor boy has hacked his alleged girlfriend’s grandmother and brother to death for opposing his relationship with a girl. 17-year-old Mohsin Khan* brutally killed 70-year-old Laxmi Dhruve and her 10-year-old grandson Yash by slitting their throats at their residence at Hazaripahad, Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Thursday. The heinous act was a fallout of the girl’s family’s objection to Mohsin Khan and their daughter’s alleged friendship, said police.

Girl’s grandmother and minor brother found dead at the residence in Nagpur

The police confirmed that Laxmi Dhruve was found murdered on a chair at her house with multiple stab injuries by her daughter-in-law Sonali after she returned from work at around 2 pm on December 10 (Thursday). Shocked to see her mother-in-law lying dead, soaked in blood, Sonali started frantically searching for her minor son, who could not be found anywhere in the rooms or in the neighbourhood. “I thought he (daughter’s friend) must have kidnapped my son whose body was later found inside the bathroom with blood all over”, said the devastated mother. She alerted her husband Mohan and raised an alarm in the neighbourhood.

Mohsin Khan involved in various anti-social activities

The accused Mohsin Khan, a resident of Gandhibagh, had befriended the young girl, around a year ago through another friend on social media. The girl reportedly maintained an on-off relationship with the boy since her family was against their friendship.

The police said that the girl’s family was against the relationship since the boy was from another community and also after they learnt that Mohsin Khan was involved in various anti-social activities and committed petty crimes like theft etc. He also carried a knife with him.

Mohsin Khan frequently threatened the girl’s family of dire consequences

According to reports, the family of the 20-year-old girl had shifted the girl to her maternal uncle’s house Surendra Nagar sometime back after they learnt about the relationship. For the last few months, Mohsin Khan had frequently started engaging in verbal altercations with the girl’s family. Khan had also threatened them of dire consequences had they not stopped opposing his relationship with their daughter.

Mohsin Khan would also threaten the girl if she avoided him. “The boy used to call up her family members and threaten them if she refused to meet him. He often thrashed her but she was unable to break off with him for an unspecified reason, TOI quoted a family member as saying. However, the girl’s family did not report the matter to police.

Enraged by the girl’s and her family’s opposition, Mohsin Khan allegedly attacked the elderly woman and her grandson when no one else was there in the house. Following a complaint from the victims’ family, Gittikhadan police registered a murder case against Mohsin Khan and launched a search operation to look for Khan, who went missing after the incident.

*The name of the accused has been changed as he is a minor.

Economist who had advised Rahul Gandhi on the NYAY scheme admits that farmers are not protesting because of provisions of the 3 farm bills

OpIndia Staff
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Economist who had advised Rahul Gandhi on the NYAY scheme admits that farmers are not protesting because of provisions of the 3 farm bills

Nobel Prize winner and Economist Abhijit Banerjee on Thursday said that the ongoing farmers’ protest is less to do with the content of the farm laws passed by the Modi government and more about lack of trust between the farmers and the government. It is notable that Abhijit Banerjee was an advisor of the Rahul Gandhi and Congress party ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking on the ongoing protests by ‘farmers’ along the Haryana-Delhi border against the three farm laws introduced by the Modi government that is causing massive inconvenience to the public in the national capital, Abhijit Banerjee highlighted that the protests have nothing to do with provisions in the three laws passed by the government to bring in changes to the existing procurement structure in the country but because of the distrust between farmers and the government.

Essentially, Banerjee hinted that the three reforms introduced by the Modi government are per se not problematic, however, also subtly made a political point saying that the alleged ‘distrust’ between the farmers and the government is the cause for such a protest.

“The farmers are essentially acting out of suspicion of the govt’s motive. The crisis is about trust. It’s really not about the content of the legislation. It is interesting to see how long Haryana withstands pressure from its farmers,” Abhijit Banerjee said. He added, “It is not so much that you could not make a case for getting rid of many of these very old-fashioned institutions we have in the agriculture sector, we absolutely could, but the lack of trust is massive”.

Banerjee said all the negotiations with farmers eventually will have to go through some state governments. “This (the farm legislations) is a move at a time when states are feeling economically threatened because the economy is not delivering as much as it was earlier,” he said.

Abhijit Banerjee had helped Congress in formulating NYAY scheme

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2019, then Congress had announced in its manifesto a “Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme”- formally called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), to five crore ‘poorest families’ covering 25 crore people by assuring them a guaranteeing minimum income of ₹6,000 per month or ₹72,000 a year. Abhijit Banerjee was credited as one of the economists who had advised the party in formulating the scheme.

Although the scheme proposed a guaranteeing minimum income of ₹6,000 per month or ₹72,000 a year, the exact amount promised kept changing with every rally of Rahul Gandhi. Sometimes it became ₹ 72,000 annually, sometimes it was ₹ 72,000 monthly. 

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