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Youth Congress scraps internal polls for sake of ‘internal democracy’: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Youth Congress scraps internal polls for sake of ‘internal democracy’: Here are the details

For Congress, ‘democracy’ is a cherished value. However, for ‘democracy’ to be a cherished value, it has to be bent and given definitions that suit their needs from time to time. A similar exercise was undertaken by Youth Congress recently, where to promote ‘internal democracy’, they proceeded to scrap internal democracy by doing away with internal polls.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, Youth Congress has scrapped the electoral-college and secret ballot methods for President selection and instead, it is replacing it with a new system where those who induct the most number of members would emerge as the front-runners to become President. Thereafter, Congress would ‘interview’ the top three candidates and ‘select’ a state unit chief. This new method has reportedly been introduced in Himachal Pradesh already. A Congress functionary told HT that this new system was being adopted to bring internal democracy in Youth Congress.

Reportedly, the top three candidates with maximum enrolment will be called for an interview and the final selection will be based on ideology and previous organisational work.

The report cited anonymous sources saying that the same process will be followed in the states of Gujarat, Telangana and Mumbai. However, elections to the posts in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh will be held as per the old format given that the process in these states had started some months ago, the functionary added.

The system of the secret ballot was reportedly introduced by Rahul Gandhi. However, the Youth Congress had repeatedly flagged issues with the system to Rahul Gandhi and later, even to Sonia Gandhi. It would make sense for Congress to have issues with democratic processes that they cannot really control. We see that all-pervasive mentality often, even outside Congress internal elections, where they have been complicit in fomenting trouble in the country because they did not like the result of the democratic process.

According to HT, a Congress functionary said that the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, will review this model in January-February next year and take a final call on the selection process to be adopted in the youth wing.

‘People like Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra will be hailed by left media for misleading, encouraging farmer protests’: Kangana Ranaut

OpIndia Staff
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‘People like Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra will be hailed by left media for misleading, encouraging farmer protests’: Kangana Ranaut

A day after anti-farm law protestors were seen holding banners and posters in support of arrested urban Naxals, Islamists and separatists, Kangana Ranaut questioned the corrupt system that promotes anti-nationals.

In a series of tweets, the actress emphasised that those opposing the historic farm laws are well-aware of the fact that it would benefit the farmers. She said that the anti-farm law protestors are inciting innocent farmers to engage in violence and hatred, just for petty gains.

She tweeted, “Problem is not just them but each and every individual who supports them and opposes Farmers Bill, they are all aware how important this bill is for farmers still they provoke innocent farmers to incite violence, hatred and Bharat Bandh for their petty gains”

While exposing the inner workings of the system that endorses such people, she said that actress Priyanka Chopra and singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh will be handed out awards, hailed by the left propagandist media, pro-Islamists and even brands. She lamented that the system is rigged to help anti-nationals prosper, while the nationalists are outnumbered and up against a corrupt system. While hoping for the system to change, she said that things will turn around soon.

She tweeted, “People like Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra will be hailed by the left media for misleading and encouraging farmers protests, pro-Islamists and anti-India film industry and brands will flood them with offers and English/living in colonial hangover media houses will felicitate them with awards.”

Kangana Ranaut added, “The problem is the whole system is designed to make anti-nationals flourish and grow and we are too less in numbers against a corrupt system, but I am sure magic will happen. In every fight of GOOD versus EVIL, evil has been much stronger, JAI SHRI RAM.”

Priyanka Chopra and Diljit Dosanjh had earlier supported the farmer protests

On Sunday, Priyanka Chopra made an emotional appeal for farmers, in line with Khalistani supporter Diljit Dosanjh. She said, “Our farmers are India’s Food Soldiers. Their fears need to be allayed. Their hopes need to be met. As a thriving democracy, we must ensure that this crises is resolved sooner than later.”

Diljit Dosanjh, who has been vocal against the farm laws, was earlier seen supporting Gurpatwant Pannu’s and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) demand for Khalistan. 

Anti-farm law protestors seen hailing urban naxals

In a shocking incident on Thursday, the protestors along the Tikri border, who started their protest as a grievance against the farm laws, began demanding the release of terrorist sympathisers and enablers such as Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bhardwaj, Varvara Rao, Anand Teltumbde, and riot accuses such as Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi etc.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan, which claims to be a farmers’ organisation and had gathered some of the protestors along the Delhi-Haryana border observed ‘human rights’ day at Tikri border and demanded the release of Urban Naxals arrested in Elgar Parishad case, Islamists arrested in Delhi riots case and others. The protestors also demanded the government to release separatists and secessionists currently under arrest.

Two Delhi Police officers posted on duty at farmers’ protest site near Singhu border test positive for coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Two Delhi Police officers posted on duty at farmers’ protest site near Singhu border test positive for coronavirus

Two senior IPS officers, who were on duty at the ‘farmers’ protest site along Delhi-Haryana Singhu border have been tested positive for COVID-19. 

According to the reports, the Delhi Police confirmed that two IPS officers – Outer North DCP Gaurav and Additional DCP Ghanshyam Bansal have been put in isolation after they were contracted the virus at the protest site.

As protestors have camped at four borders points of the national capital– Singhu, Noida, Ghazipur and Tikri – to protest against the three farm laws passed by the Modi government, the Delhi police had intensified its security arrangements at the protest site fearing law and order issue. The Delhi police had upped its security personnel after Khalistani elements and Islamists began to hijack the farmer protests.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed states and UTs to ensure that novel coronavirus guidelines are followed during farmers’ protests.

However, more protestors from Punjab have reached the protest site in the last few days, thus violating all the social distancing norms. The protestors were caught deliberately violating the coronavirus guidelines at the protest site. The protestors were also seen without masks at the protest site risking the chances of transmitting coronavirus.

Farm laws will not be repealed, MSP here to stay

Even as the so-called farmers continue to occupy public roads in the name of protests causing massive inconvenience to the public, the Modi government has clarified that it is ready to hold discussions with farmers to clarify on the farm laws.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar categorically stated that there is no question of withdrawing the three farm laws but they are open to discussions and suggestions on improvements and provisions further needed.

The minister also assured farmers that the new laws will not affect the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism.

Despite clarification from the government, the protesting organisation have continued to protests along the border risking not only transmitting the pandemic among themselves but also causing a law and order problem in the national capital.

Madrasas, Schools and Churches to fall under MP ‘Love Jihad’ law, could lose govt aid and land if found helping forced conversion

OpIndia Staff
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Madrasas, Schools and Churches to fall under MP ‘Love Jihad’ law, could lose govt aid and land if found helping forced conversion

In order to make an effective law to deal with forced religious conversions, the Madhya Pradesh government is introducing some stringent provision in the proposed law against forced religious conversions. According to reports, some new provisions added in the law will cover institutions like madrassas, churches and schools.

As per the new provisions, if an institution is found indulging in or aiding love jihad (grooming jihad) or forced religious conversion, the government may withdraw the aid provided to them. The proposed law will also empower the government to withdraw any land allotted to such institution. The Bill is expected to be passed in the last week of this month in the State Assembly.

Marriages solemnised solely for conversion to be null and void

The provisions have been introduced to cover the cases where religious institutions are found indulging cases of Grooming Jihad or forced conversion. The proposed Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act bill provides a punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine up to 1 lakh in case of conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means.

Marriages solemnised solely for the purpose of religious conversion will be declared null and void under the proposed law. Mass religious conversion (of 2 or more people) will attract 5-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh.

Government officials informed that after the proposed law is enacted, a person willing to convert to another religion would need to submit a declaration before a District Magistrate at least one month in advance.

Anti-conversion law part of Beti Bachao Abhiyan: CM

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had reportedly held a meeting on 5th December to discuss the proposed law. The Chief Minister said that bill was part of the state government’s Beti Bachao Abhiyan. “It is easy to mislead young girls with malicious intent. Later, their life becomes hell. Dharma Swatantrya Bill 2020 is our Beti Bachao Abhiyan”, he said.

The Pro-tem speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly Rameshwar Sharma said that love jihad causes communal disharmony and the agencies involved in love jihad are working to disturb the peace and establish Pakistan sponsored religious fanaticism. He said that such agencies need to be dealt with under the law.

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government had enacted an anti-conversion law to deal with the menace of Grooming Jihad and forced religious conversions. Several cases were registered as soon as the law was passed.

‘He tried to play victim first’: Congress leader caught transporting terrorists in South Kashmir, charged under UAPA

OpIndia Staff
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‘He tried to play victim first’: Congress leader caught transporting terrorists in South Kashmir, charged under UAPA

A Congress leader has been arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday for ferrying terrorists in Shopian district of South Kashmir. According to reports, Congress leader Gowhar Ahmed Wani of Imamsahab Shopian was caught transporting terrorists on December 7. The Congress member has now been arrested and booked under stringent sections of UAPA.

Speaking to the media after the arrest, a senior police officer said that a case under UAPA has been registered at police station Imamsahab, Shopian and they have also obtained 7 days remand from a local court. 

Army personnel intercepted the car ferrying terrorists in Kashmir, Congress leader escaped

The security personnel had received intel that terrorists were travelling in a car. Indian Army personnel intercepted the car at Baba Khader Rampura Chowk in Trenz area on December 7. However, the terrorists and Congress leader escaped and left the vehicle near Pargachoo.

The police said that Wani returned home at Imam Sahib on Wednesday. He was immediately detained for interrogation. “He had initially tried to play the victim. We formally arrested him after hours of questioning him,” a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, J&K Congress chief GA Mir claimed that Wani was never a Congress party member. The police are wrongly linking some arrested lawyer with the Congress and we vehemently deny his association with the party, said Mir.

Blow to anti-Modi ‘Minorities under attack’ narrative as US rejects USCIRF comments accusing India of violating religious freedom of minorities

OpIndia Staff
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Blow to anti-Modi ‘Minorities under attack’ narrative as US rejects USCIRF comments accusing India of violating religious freedom of minorities

The US State Department has rejected the recommendation of the controversial United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to include India in the list of countries of particular concern (CPC) for alleged violation of religious freedom. The State Department has designated ten countries including China and Pakistan in the CPC list on December 7.

In response to a question as to why Pakistan was included in the CPC list and India was not, the US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback had said that violation of religious freedom was carried out by the government in Pakistan which was not the case in India. “(In) Pakistan, a lot of their actions (violations of religious freedom) are done by the government. In India, some of them are done by the government and the law that was passed, and much of its communal violence. And then when that takes place, we try to determine whether or not there has been effective enforcement, judicial action after communal violence takes place”, said Brownback. He added that half of the world’s people locked in jail on the charges of blasphemy were in Pakistan’s jails.

Besides China and Pakistan, the other countries included in the list are Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The countries of Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragu and Russia have been placed in the Special Watch List (SWL) for governments in these countries have either engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The US has designated Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-shram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the Taliban as the Entities of Particular Concern’.

India rejects USCIRF observations as biased and tendentious

The USCIRF had told the US government in its 2020 annual report that religious freedom in India had experienced a ‘drastic turn downward’ and that the religious minorities in the country were under ‘increasing assault’ in 2019. The organisation had made a similar recommendation in 2004. India had rejected the USCIRF observations as biased and tendentious. The USCIRF claimed that India was “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”. It stated in the report that the Indian government allowed violence against minorities and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence.

The USCIRF has been meddling with the internal affairs of India ever since the Modi government returned to power in 2019. It had been pushing one sided propaganda against the Modi government. In June this year, the Ministry of External Affairs had denied visas to the USCIRF teams in connection with issues relating to religious freedom. “We have denied a visa to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom, as we do not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights”, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had clarified.

Hindu and Christian Women in Pakistan being marketed as concubines and forced brides into China: US diplomat

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu and Christian Women in Pakistan being marketed as concubines and forced brides into China: US diplomat

The United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback made certain revelations regarding the situation of Hindu and Christian women in Pakistan. Brownback said that Pakistan has been marketing Hindu and Christian woman as concubines and forced brides to China. He highlighted how religious discrimination makes religious minorities in the country vulnerable.

Pakistan designated as Country of Particular Concern

Brownback said that this was the reason that Pakistan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act. “We just had a really difficult webinar this morning on forced brides into China, and one of the source places is Pakistan religious minorities, Christian and Hindu women being marketed as concubines or forced brides into China because there’s not effective support, and then there’s discrimination against the religious minorities that make them more vulnerable”, he said.

Half of the people jailed for blasphemy are in Pakistan

According to reports, China is witnessing an acute shortage of women owing to a number of reasons including to its decades old one-child policy and the cultural preference for boys. This has led to Chinese men importing women as brides, mistresses and labourers. Replying to a question as to why the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Pakistan as CPC and not India, Brownback said that half of the world’s people locked in jail for blasphemy are in Pakistani prisons.

On December 7, Pompeo had designated ten countries including Pakistan and China as countries of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations violations of religious freedom”. The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recommended to the US State Department to include India as a country of particular concern but the recommendation was not accepted. Myanmar Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are the other countries on the CPC list.

“(In) Pakistan, a lot of their actions (violations of religious freedom) are done by the government. In India much of it is communal violence. And then when that takes place, we try to determine whether or not there has been effective police enforcement, judicial action after communal violence takes place”, Brownback told reporters during a conference call. The USCIRF observations in its annual report were rejected by India.

Bareilly: Father of a Muslim girl accuses Hindu boy of kidnapping his daughter, the girl tells court she married him on her own free will

OpIndia Staff
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Bareilly: Father of a Muslim girl accuses Hindu boy of kidnapping his daughter, the girl tells court she married him on her own free will

According to a report by Navbharat Times, on December 5 (Saturday), Shahid Mian, the father of 22-year-old Alisha, lodged an FIR at Prem Nagar police station in Bareilly stating that his daughter had been kidnapped by three people, the owner of a firm where she had worked. Besides Siddharth Saxena alias Aman (24), who married Alisha, the FIR named his sister Chanchal, who was her colleague at a private firm, and the firm’s owner Manoj Kumar Saxena.

In the FIR, the father claimed that on December 1, his daughter left home “to collect pending dues from her office” and did not return. Finding her phone switched off, Mian said, he went to the office and met Saxena who did not provide any information.

Mian claimed that Aman used to pressure his daughter for marriage, which led to her stop going to work. He accused Manoj Kumar and Anchal of putting pressure on Alisha to marry Aman.

Muslim girl gives a statement in court in favour of the Hindu youth

While Mian has accused Bareilly police of inaction, SP City Ravindra Kumar confirmed that following the complaint, they recovered Alisha on December 6 and produced in front of the magistrate, where she confirmed of marrying Aman on her will as she was a major. Kumar said that the girl had given a statement in court in favour of the youth. There was no mention of any religious conversion. Following the testimony, Alisha was allowed to go with her husband, said the police.

According to Station House Officer Avaneesh Kumar, after the FIR was filed, the Bareilly police who started investigating the case, found that the allegations meted out at Aman, Manoj and Chanchal were baseless. Kumar confirmed that Alisha had visited the station and said that she was a major, denied the charge of kidnapping and confirmed that she had gone with Aman on her own free will.

“The girl told us that she married Aman at an Arya Samaj temple on September 29 and that they hid this information from her family. The girl had the marriage documents with her,” said Kumar.

Police got Alisha’s medical examination done and got her identified by her family. On Monday, they got her statement recorded before a magistrate in which she reiterated what she told police, confirmed SHO Avaneesh Kumar.

Incidences where Hindus have become victims of religious bigotry for being romantically involved with Muslim women

We have previously reported as many as 20 instances where Hindus have been assaulted and killed by the family members of their Muslim lover/wife. These instances of religious bigotry exhibited by Muslim family members against Hindu men for being romantically involved with their daughter have often failed to garner the attention of mainstream media organisations and leftist portals since in these cases the perpetrators are Muslims.

Samajwadi Party leader in trouble over ‘mota lamba tonti’, NCW Chief takes cognizance of derogatory tweet against women

OpIndia Staff
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Samajwadi Party leader in trouble over ‘mota lamba tonti’, NCW Chief takes cognizance of derogatory tweet against women

Manish Jagan Agrawal, digital media coordinator of the Samajwadi Party, is in trouble after making a disgusting tweet against women. Since then, he appears to have deleted the tweet. But Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, has taken cognizance of the tweet after being made aware of the issue by a concerned citizen.

In the concerned tweet, Agrawal tells an individual, “Please keep your sisters, wives and mothers safe, some ‘samajwadi’ might end up putting his hands inside their skirt or put his big, fat ‘tonti’ and do a plumbing job. Our ‘tontis’ have a good pressure flow which pushes water up till the liver, all your mothers, sisters and wives will be satisfied.”

The tweet by Samajwadi Party digital media coordinator

‘Tonti’ actually means faucets or water taps but the Digital Media Coordinator of Samajwadi Party obviously has used the word for the male genitalia. The tweet was made to Swatantra Singh, who tweets under the username @swatantra52. He was extremely angry and questioned leaders of the Samajwadi Party regarding how such a man could be appointed to a position of influence in the party.

Rekha Sharma, taking cognizance of the tweet, said that she will be writing to the Police and Twitter India.

There have been cases in the past where members of the Samajwadi Party have behaved inappropriately with women. The district chief of Samajwadi Party in Shahjahanpur district in UP, Tanveer Khan, was booked along with three others for a case of robbery and sexual assault on a Dalit Woman in Shahjahanpur Kotwali and attempting to change her religion.

After preparing to expel 231 radicalized foreign nationals, France Government unveils new law to tackle Islamist extremism

OpIndia Staff
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After preparing to expel 231 radicalized foreign nationals, France Government unveils new law to tackle Islamist extremism

The France government, continuing with it’s zero-tolerance towards Islamist radicalism, has unveiled a draft law on Wednesday targetting extremism. This project was prompted by the French President Emmanuel Macron to root out what he calls “separatists” undermining the nation. This law is a result of the various attacks carried out by radical Islamists in the country including the gruesome beheading of a teacher-  Samuel Paty by an Islamist amidst chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ in Paris in October this year.

After the Samuel Paty beheading incident, the French President Emmanuel Macron had stated that a bill would be tabled in the Parliament to fight homegrown Islamic separatism within Muslim communities in the country.

The law was in the pipeline before the murder in October of Samuel Paty, who was attacked in the street and beheaded after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a civics class. But the killing, committed by an 18-year-old radicalised Islamist after a virulent social media campaign against the teacher, gave new impetus to the bill. It prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet.

The bill “supporting Republican principles” would tighten restrictions on online hate speech and ban the use of the internet to maliciously reveal personal details about other people. The law also bans “clandestine” schools that promote Islamist ideology and tightens rules on home-schooling.

It would also reinforce the ban on polygamy by refusing residency to polygamous applicants. Doctors could be fined or banned for performing virginity tests on girls.

The bill also extends what is known in France as the “neutrality principle”, which prohibits civil servants from wearing ostentatious religious symbols like the Muslim headscarf and voicing political views, beyond public sector employees to all private contractors of public services.

There are new rules on financial transparency for Muslim associations and a requirement that they sign up to France’s republican values in return for funding.

Moreover, a ban on officials wearing religious attire at work is being extended to transport workers and staff at swimming pools and markets.

Introducing the draft law to fight separatism, Prime Minister Jean Castex stressed that it “is not a text against religion in particular.” Instead, he said, it is “a bill of freedom, a bill of protection, a bill of emancipation from Islamist fundamentalism” or other ideologies pursuing the same goals.

French Govt prepares to expel 231 religious extremists from the country

The French government has decided to come down heavily on suspected Islamic extremists in the country. Merely two days after the brutal beheading of Samuel Paty reports suggested that France had been preparing to expel 231 radicalized foreign national.

It was reported that more than 850 illegal immigrants are registered to the File of Alerts for the Prevention of Terrorist Attacks (FSPRT). Out of 231 fundamentalists in the FSPRT who will be deported, 180 people are currently in prison and 51 were due to be arrested.

France defines extremists as “people who, engaged in a process of radicalisation, are likely to want to go abroad to join terrorist groups or take part in terrorist activities”. 

Radical Islamist attacks in France

France has faced the wrath of several jihadist attacks in the past 5 years, resulting in 250 deaths. Last week, an 18-year-old Pakistani terrorist named Ali Hassan aka Zaheer Hassan Mehmood stabbed four people with a meat cleaver near the former offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo near the Richard Lenoir Metro Station in Paris. Two people were critically injured in the attack. Hassan, who hails from Mandi Bahauddin in Punjab province of Pakistan, was eventually nabbed by the Paris Police Department.

Charlie Hebdo had decided to republish the cartoons on prophet Mohammed that led to the terrorist attack against them in 2015. Their decision to republish the cartoons had triggered widespread protests across the Muslim world and renewed calls for violence.

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