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With ‘farmers’ failing to get mass support, editor-in-chief of Punjabi mag spreads blatant lies, fear-mongers about Armed forces uprising

OpIndia Staff
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With ‘farmers’ failing to get mass support, editor-in-chief of Punjabi mag spreads blatant lies, fear-mongers about Armed forces uprising

Amidst the raging protest by Punjab farmers against the farm laws that would actually empower farmers, several elements have been playing a dangerous game. After certain ‘farmers’ hailed the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, issued death to PM Modi and also hailed Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, now, the fear-mongering has started emanating from certain quarters of the media.

Gurcharan Singh Babbar, editor-in-chief of Quami Patrika and Sikh Times has now shared a provocative message against the central government. In his video message that has now gone viral in some circles, he made the preposterous claim that the government will soon launch an operation against the farmers protesting in and around Delhi.

Babbar started his message by introducing himself and said that as he is editor-in-chief of three daily newspapers. He further claimed that he had important ‘top-secret information’ about the ongoing farmers’ protests. He said the government is not going to take back the Agriculture Laws. Claiming that farmers’ agitation at the Sindhu border has ‘scared the government’, he said that the Modi government was planning to launch a ‘large operation’ to end the protest at the Sindhu border.

He said, “The government is using private agencies to collect information about the people who are attending the protest at the Sindhu border. These agencies are collecting information about the number of women, children, youth, elders, and leaders in the protest. Using the information collected by these agencies, the government will launch an operation against the protesters soon on a cold night. The government will cut off the electric supply of the area and the paramilitary forces will charge towards the agitators using big torches. The government may also use CRPF and BSF for the operation.”

He further added that the government would arrest people from the protest sites and will throw them in temporary jails. Simultaneously, he alleged that the government is planning to impose curfew in Punjab and Haryana so that no one can raise a voice against the operation.

It is pertinent to note that The Shaheen Bagh protest used the exact same tactic of repeatedly claiming that the Modi government was about to ‘crush the protest’ using force and till the very end, that did not happen. It was the protestors, the organisers and others who then launched large-scale violence against those who actually agreed with the CAA law and not the other way around.

The situation seems to be rather similar here. During Shaheen Bagh, once the Islamist slogans surfaced, the rhetoric about the protest being ‘organic’ and ‘spontaneous’ was completely discredited. The surfacing of Islamist Sharjeel Imam and others as masterminds also proved that they were indeed orchestrated and had nefarious designs. With the farmer protests, exactly the same happened, but with Khalistani slogans and posters. Once posters of Bhindranwale etc surfaced, the legitimacy of the protest was completely shattered. In both cases, once the credibility of the protest was shattered, the rhetoric about the government using force to end the protest started. Gurcharan Singh Babbar seems to be employing the exact strategy that Islamists employed during the Shaheen Bagh protest.

Indulging in mindless scare-mongering further, he alleged that as a senior leader, he believes a lot of people will die because of this operation and many will get injured. “Media is under control of the Modi government. They will talk in favour of the government. The media will say that the operation against the protestors was right”. He further alleged that the govt is holding a meeting with officers of paramilitary forces and top-secret agencies.

In this entire rant, Gurcharan Singh Babbar does not offer a single shred of evidence to support his extremely dangerous claims. He only makes up sources, much like a quintessential Lutyens journalist, and peddles the product of his own imagination as facts.

After scare-mongering and lying based on ‘sources’, Gurcharan Singh Babbar threatens the government

In his video, Babbar warned the government that if they take any action against the farmers, the whole nation will face the consequences. “I suggest the Modi government that they should sit with the farmers and agree to their demands so that the protests can come to an end. If the government tries to forcefully end the protests, the whole nation will face the consequences.” He further said that everyone should think about the nation.

Interestingly and rather dangerously, he further tried to instigate the Armed Forces. He said that instead of being ‘stubborn’, PM Modi should give in to the farmers demand and that if the government uses force, “the children of the farmers who are at the border, who are officers in Indian Armed forces, BSF, CRPF, who are IAS and IPS, will react”.

Gurcharan Singh Babbar replicates the Shaheen Bagh fear-mongering model, that ultimately led to the Delhi Riots

What Gurcharan Singh Babbar is doing, is arguable far worse than the Shaheen Bagh model. It is pertinent to note that there are historic wounds that are being alluded to here, that can only have disastrous consequences. First, during the protests, the Khalistan movement, that claimed thousands of lives is alluded to, while a terrorist like Bhindranwale being hailed. Simultaneously, certain farmers threaten the Prime Minister with a fate similar to that of Indira Gandhi.

What Gurcharan Singh Babbar seems to be doing is to attempt and equate the Golden Temple raid to flush out Khalistani terrorists with an imaginary situation where the Modi govt is set to end the protest by force. This is possibly only being done to inflame passions of the protestors, predominantly Sikhs. What makes Gurcharan Singh Babbar’s rant far worse, is that at the end of this mindless video, he alludes to the fact that officers from the Indian Armed forces, BSF, police, CRPF etc could rise in revolt against the government.

If there ever was seditious speech, this would perhaps be it.

In fact, this entire trop is seems to be rather well-thought out, spearheaded by Congress itself.

Only a few days ago, Tehseen Poonawalla, who is a relative of Rahul Gandhi, invoked the same trope. He posted a video where he was provoking the Sikh officers of the Indian Army to rise up against the Indian government.

Such fear-mongering only goes to show how these protests are not only orchestrated but has nefarious plans that have nothing to do with the farm laws, that would actually benefit the farmers.

Misinformation against Laws and Government

Babbar is not the only one who spreading misinformation or indulging in fear-mongering against the union government or the Agriculture laws. Yesterday, OpIndia reported about Katha Vachak Banta Singh Ji who used Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Ji to spread misinformation about the laws. From opposition leaders to Khalsa Aid’s founder Ravi Singh, and from organizations like PFI and SFJ are trying to take advantage of the situation and spread their anti-India propaganda. In fact, only a few days ago, it was revealed that the ‘farmer’ who was demanding that the laws be repealed was a Congress leader who had assets worth well over Rs 600 crores and also had several serious criminal charges against him.

What are the farm laws?

One of the biggest factors plaguing the growth of agriculture sector in the country is the inability of the farmer to find a market and to get a fair price to his produce. To address the issue, the erstwhile governments of different states enacted the Agricultural Produce Market Regulation Acts (APMC Acts), which authorised them to set up and regulate marketing practices in wholesale markets. 

The objective of these markets was to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce. However, with each passing year, the APMCs turned out to be inefficient with increasing cartelisation of middlemen, ban on private players to enter the trade, increasing corruption etc. 

The Modi government recently introduced three bills to promote much easier trade for the farm produce and to provide a competitive market for the producers outside the existing APMC system. The three laws were:

  1. The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: This law aims at creating additional trading opportunities outside the APMC market yards to help farmers get remunerative prices due to additional competition
  2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020: This law relates a framework for contract farming through an agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce. 
  3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020: This law aims to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances.

It is pertinent to mention that the farm laws are set of three laws that allow farmers to sell their products outside APMC act (most states make it compulsory for the farmers to sell at APMC mandis). It also allows farmers to directly have a contract with corporate houses.

That farm laws don’t do away with APMC, and if someone is not willing to trust markets outside the current system, they are free to stick to the ongoing system. It doesn’t do away with MSPs either. However, the prevalent narrative that seems to be motivated by political concerns falsely claims that APMCs and MSP are being done away with.

They also allege that due to these laws, big corporations would have the upper hand in a deal with farmers, however, that again is a lie. In fact, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 ensures that a contract is agreed upon and gives the farmer the power to even cancel contracts.

Jio writes to TRAI alleging Airtel and Vi using unethical campaign to port users to their network by spreading misinformation regarding farm laws

OpIndia Staff
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Jio writes to TRAI alleging Airtel and Vi using unethical campaign to port users to their network by spreading misinformation regarding farm laws

Reliance Jio has written a stern letter to telecom regulatory authority TRAI against its rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Reliance Jio has said in its letter to TRAI that the rivals are organising vicious campaigns against it by spreading rumours that they will gain benefits from the Farm Bills.

Jio in its letter sent to TRAI on December 11, said that large number of port out requests have come in where customers are citing this as the sole reason for porting out of Jio. The customers do not have any complaints or other issues related to Jio services. Jio said that these companies continue to remain directly indirectly involved in supporting and furthering the ensued notions, and false frivolous rumours of Reliance being an undue beneficiary of the farm laws. This, Reliance says, is unethical.

Jio’s letter further added that the rivals’ employees and retailers are claiming that if people port out from Jio to their networks, they will be aiding to the farmers’ cause. It said, “We submit that Airtel and Vi remain unabated in pursuit, this vicious and divisive campaign through its employees, agents, and retailers. They are inciting the public by making preposterous claims that migrating Jio mobile numbers to their network would be an act to support farmers protests.”

Jio’s rivals’ counters seen on protest sites

Netizens have shared Airtel’s kiosk at the protest site where porting was done free of cost. Several photographs of people burning Jio SIMs were circulated on social media platforms.

Airtel’s reply to the allegations

In its letter to TRAI, Airtel has denied the allegations. It said, “Despite being provoked by some competitors who we know will go to any length to make baseless allegations, adopt bullying tactics and use intimidatory behaviour we have always conducted our business with character and transparency something that we are deeply proud of and known for… The current complaint therefore deserves to be dismissed and thrown out with the contempt that it deserves. It is in poor taste and is scurrilous to say the least.”

Economic Times in its report has said that the letter was sent after over 50,000 farmers supported a national boycott of the Reliance products that includes Jio’s SIM connections and phones. Till September-end, Jio had 406 million subscribers followed by Airtel with 294 million and Vi with 272 million.

It is 2020 and ‘Mullah’ Mulayam’s son Akhilesh has turned Ram Bhakt: Read Samajwadi Party’s history of insulting Hindu sentiments

K Bhattacharjee
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It is 2020 and ‘Mullah’ Mulayam’s son Akhilesh has turned Ram Bhakt: Read Samajwadi Party’s history of insulting Hindu sentiments

Decades ago, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the great Hindutva revolutionary, opined that should Hindus come to unite, then Congress leaders will be forced to wear their Janeu over their coats. That is, the Congress leaders will be forced to display their Hindu credentials overtly in order to retain their Hindu voters. Veer Savarkar said that for Congress but it largely holds true for every other non-Islamic political party as well, such as the Samajwadi Party and others.

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday declared that Shri Ram belongs to his party and he and his party men are Ram Bhakts. He also said that he will be visiting Ayodhya soon with his family. “I had also arranged lights on the banks of river Saryu and sound system at the ‘Bhajan Sthal’ for the worship of Lord Rama,” he added.

Akhilesh Yadav turns Ram Bhakt?

Amusingly enough, it is a total departure from what the Samajwadi Party was preaching in its heydays. One wonders how Mulayam Singh Yadav must be feeling at this moment. At the height of his power, as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he felt emboldened enough to order firing upon Karsevaks during the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement resulting in the death of innumerable Ram Bhakts.

Now, fortunes have turned around so greatly that Mulayam’s own son has to go around saying that he and his party members are Ram Bhakts. To be clear, Mulayam Singh Yadav had said tha he had regrets but defended his order that led to the death of the Ram Bhakts. And his defense was atrocious. He had said, “I regret giving orders to shoot kar sevaks at Ayodhya. My decision to order firing at kar sevaks was to save Muslim minorities. This decision was needed to keep the faith of Muslims in this country intact.”

Last year in February, Republic TV had revealed in a sting that the Karsevaks were denied proper funeral rites and were buried instead of being cremated as per Hindu rituals. The official government figure was 16 but the actual number was in the hundreds. It was one of the worst cases of human rights violations in Independent India. And now, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son claims that he and his party members are Ram Bhakts too.

Samajwadi Party under Mulayam Singh Yadav left no stones unturned to mock Shri Ram and his devotees. In fact, the slogan of the SP-BSP alliance for the UP Assembly Elections in 1993, a year after the demolition of the disputed structure at Ram Janmabhoomi, was “Mile Mulayam Kanshi Ram, Hawa Ho Gaye Jai Shri Ram”. Such conduct had earned Mulayam Singh Yadav the sobriquet ‘Mullah Mulayam’.

Akhilesh Yadav, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, carried on with the party legacy of antagonising Ram Bhakts. In 2013, he banned the 84-kosi Parikramah after Azam Khan issued a strong statement following a meeting between VHP leaders and the father-son duo of Mulayam and Akhilesh. The VHP was quite visibly upset.

That now Mulayam’s son Akhilesh has turned around and declared himself a Ram Bhakt only goes on to show the tectonic shift Indian politics has undergone. The rise of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has ensured that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to continue to rule politically while disrespecting Hindu sentiments. The Congress party was the first to undergo such a transformation. Now, it appears regional parties are following suit.

Rajasthan: Jodhpur court sends notice to Prakash Jha and Bobby Deol for their web series ‘Aashram’. Read why

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Jodhpur court sends notice to Prakash Jha and Bobby Deol for their web series ‘Aashram’. Read why

District and sessions court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has sent a notice to filmmaker Prakash Jha and actor Bobby Deol seeking their stand on a plea taking offence to the controversial portrayal of Hindu saints in their recently released OTT web series Aashram. The matter has been listed for hearing on January 11.

A local resident Khush Khandelwal has filed the petition in the Jodhpur court, contending that the portrayal of actor Bobby Deol in the web series as a morally depraved Hindu saint has belittled the image of Hindu saints and has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

“The portrayal of Deol as a Hindu saint has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus, who respect and worship saints. His portrayal as a rapist, corrupt and drug dealer has diminished the place saints hold for Hindus,” Khandelwal wrote in his petition.

Issuing notices to Jha and Deol, Jodhpur District and Session Judge Ravindra Joshi listed the matter for hearing on January 11.

Deol’s role in Ashram

In the recently released, actor Bobby Deol’s debut digital series, the actor has played the lead role, which portrays a Hindu sadhu as a man who exploits young girls, is involved with the drug trade, and other dark realities. The MX Player’s web series ‘Aashram’ ran into controversy for insulting Hindus and India’s spiritual history, with many people demanding a ban on the series.

Petitioner Khush Khandelwal had earlier complained to the Jodhpur police, seeking registration of an FIR against the duo, but the police refused to lodge any case over his complaint. He had also moved the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate with the same plea. However, with the ACJMM also dismissing his plea, Khandelwal approached the Jodhpur district and session judge challenging the ACJJM’s decision.

OTT platforms and controversies

In the month of June, a controversial web series – ‘Godman’, was suspended from being released on OTT platforms Zee5 after it faced a lot of criticism over its alleged Hinduphobic storyline. Almost during the same time, another controversy was kicked up after Netflix’s Telugu film “Krishna and his Leela” showed a male character named Krishna having sexual encounters with many women, one of them with a girl named Radha. People on social media had protested against the controversial content of the film which they felt was Hinduphobic and an insult to Hinduism. Anushka Sharma produced web series Pataal Lok, which was released on Amazon Prime, had also faced flak for its content.

Persecution of religious minorities continue in Pakistan as Islamists attack homes of Hindus in Sindh, forcing them to leave

OpIndia Staff
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Persecution of religious minorities continue in Pakistan as Islamists attack homes of Hindus in Sindh, forcing them to leave

Pakistani human rights activist Rahat Austin on Monday shared that homes of Hindus belonging to Bheel community were attacked and looted by Islamists in Sindh, Pakistan. The Bheel community in Pakistan is highly marginalised and socio-economically backward. He informed that one Muhammad Aslam along with a few others from the neighbourhood, tortured the impoverished Hindus living in that area and forced them to leave their houses.

These persecuted Hindus who are now scared to return to their respective homes have submitted a request for protection to the Session Judge and the SSP police Badin, Pakistan. The video shared by Rahat Austin shows these troubled Hindus raising slogans against the continuous atrocities meted out to them.

These unfortunate incidents are very common in Pakistan. In October, Islamists had burnt down houses of some Hindus in Sindh in order to exert pressure on them to convert to Islam. Rahat Austin had claimed that by carrying out such atrocities, these Islamists continuously try and create pressure on these marginalised Hindus to either take up Islam or have them work as slaves.

A month prior to the above incident, we reported how 171 Hindu men, women and children belonging to the Bheel community were forcefully converted to Islam inside a madarsa in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Rahat had informed that the poor and vulnerable community has been subject to mass conversion under various allurements.

According to reports, incessant atrocities have forced many Hindus in Pakistan to take up Islam in hope that at least then they would get social recognition and money and would be able to live with dignity in the Islamic state of Pakistan.

‘He is still a Bishop’: How Kerala Church defended their decision to put rape accused Franco Mulakkal on their annual calendar

OpIndia Staff
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‘He is still a Bishop’: How Kerala Church defended their decision to put rape accused Franco Mulakkal on their annual calendar

Kerala’s Syro-Malabar Church has published the photograph of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal in their official calendar for 2021. This move has been criticised by the followers of the Church, who have burnt the copies of the calendar in protest.

As per reports, the Church had not only printed the photograph of Mulakkal on the annual calendar, they also specified his birthday on it. Following criticism from several quarters and burning of calendar copies in Thrissur and Kollam, the Syro-Malabar Church has defended its move and claimed that charges against the accused have not yet been proven and that he continues to remain a Bishop.

Managing Editor of Catholica Sabha, Fr Akkamattathil Raphael, stated, “Mulakkal continues to be a Bishop. Only his administrative duties have been taken away. Sp along with birthdays of other Bishops, we mentioned his birthday too. That’s all. He faces some charges and a trial is progressing. Let the verdict come. Some people are needlessly trying to create a controversy against the Church.”

Screenshot of the Syro-Malabar Church calendar for 2021, image via Twitter

Protests against the Church

The decision of the Syro-Malabar Church was heavily criticised by the members of ‘Save Our Sisters Action Council’. The group, which protects nuns from persecution by the Church authorities, expressed their angst by burning copies of the contentious calendar outside the administrative buildings of the Church in Kollam and Thrissur. They have accused the Archdiocese of ‘eulogising’ a rape accused and sending the wrong message to the society about their professional ethics.

The rape case of Franco Mulakkal

Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, was accused of raping a 44-year-old nun at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and subsequent sexual exploitations afterwards. The nun had registered a complaint in June 2018 and has also claimed that despite her complaints, the church took no action on the bishop.

He was however charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (c)(a) sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 376(2)(k) (sexual intercourse by exhorting authority), 377 (unnatural sex) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Earlier in August, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition seeking to quash Kerala High Court’s order that had dismissed his discharge plea in the rape case. The Kerala High Court had ruled that the rape-accused Bishop must face trial in the case after the prosecution had argued that there was enough evidence against him.

Shaheen Bagh redux: After Khalistani elements, now children join the farmers’ protest at Singhu border

OpIndia Staff
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Shaheen Bagh redux: After Khalistani elements, now children join the farmers’ protest at Singhu border

With the meetings between the demonstrators protesting along the Singhu borders and the central government over the newly introduced farm bills hitting an impasse, the protests have now seen participation from young and impressionable children. 

Scores of children are now being used as pawns by the protesters to mount pressure on the Centre into acceding to their demands. Young children were seen holding posters and banners in solidarity with the protesters and demanding the government to repeal the farm bills. 

Even though pandemic induced online schooling has greatly impacted the education of children, the protesters have used the remote schooling to their advantage, taking their children to the protest sites to rail against the farm laws. Children start their day sloganeering at the protest site and ends up poring on the screen on the screen of his smartphone, going through the assignments or notes sent throughout the day.

Earlier, Khalistani elements were found participating and actively supporting and funding the farmers’ stir near Delhi border. Khalsa Aid India had set up massage centres at Singhu border. The Khalsa Aid is a front organisation for the Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Children used as props during the anti-CAA stir in Shaheen Bagh

The participation of children in protest along theDelhi border bears a stark resemblance with the Shaheen Bagh protests that also witnessed children being used as prop by the protesters to garner sympathy from the masses and pressurise the government into repealing the Citizenship Amendment Act. 

The anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh had witnessed a tragic death of a 4-month-old infant due to severe cold and congestion after being exposed to bitter cold that swept the national capital region earlier in January. There infant, Mohammad Jahan, who died on January 30, was taken to protest site at Shaheen Bagh almost every day. The Supreme Court had fumed over the incident, questioning how can a 4-month-old baby participate in a protest. 

If this wasn’t enough, a video of children holding posters of Mohammad Jahan had gone viral on the social media websites. In the video, while the gullible children were holding Jahan’s pictures, Shaheen Bagh protesters in the background could be heard rationalising Jahan’s death as a ‘Qurbani’ or sacrifice for the anti-CAA movement.

An NGO named ‘Save Child India’ had filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) registering their concerns over the fact that children were being used in protests as props during the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh. The NGO had said that using children as props for anti-CAA protests was a gross violation of the rights of children and calls it child abuse. This complaint came after several children were seen raising slogans and protesting in Shaheen Bagh.

Has been praising Osama Bin Laden: Here is what UP govt said while opposing bail for PFI member and ‘dubious’ journalist Siddique Kappan

OpIndia Staff
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Has been praising Osama Bin Laden: Here is what UP govt said while opposing bail for PFI member and ‘dubious’ journalist Siddique Kappan

In its latest affidavit in the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh government has opposed the bail plea of PFI member and Kerala ‘journalist’ Siddique Kappan. He was arrested on October 5 for trying to disturb social harmony and incite caste violence following the Hathras case, along with Atiqur Rahman, Masood Ahmed and Alam.

The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), where Kappan served as the secretary of the Delhi unit, had moved the Supreme Court demanding his release and accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of ‘illegal arrest’ and trying to ‘silence the media’. However, the government had rubbished all its claims in the latest affidavit to the apex court.

KUWJ is a dubious organisation, tried to pass off Siddique Kappan as a ‘journalist’

The Yogi Adityanath-led-Uttar Pradesh government pointed out that Siddique Kappan was associated with the radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and a banned terrorist organisation named Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). It argued that KUWJ, which sought for the release of Kappan, is a dubious organisation with no credibility and that the accused is not a journalist, as per a report in Hindustan Times.

“KUWJ does not represent all journalists. There is a separate association of journalists which is the mainstream association. Therefore, the present petition is not maintainable…Kappan and all other co-accused are directly and closely associated with PFI members, who have been the executive members of the banned terrorist organisation SIMI,” it added.

The government also slammed the Kerala Union of Working Journalists for trying to cover up the ‘true identity’ of the accused. It said that Kappan worked as a ‘contributor’ at a newspaper named Thejas, and not as a ‘full-time journalist’. The news organisation had shut operations in December 2018 and as such, it did not make sense for Kappan to visit Hathras under the pretext of covering the case. The government, in its affidavit, said that Kappan and three other accused were en route Hathras to incite caste violence in the region, on the instructions of Delhi riot accused Mohammed Danish.

KUWJ facing charges for land encroachment, financial irregularities, and terror connections

The State government emphasised that KUWJ was under a vigilance inquiry on charges of ’embezzlement’ and ‘misappropriation’ of public funds, following an order of the Kerala High Court. It further stated that the Thrissur unit of KUWJ was also being probed for encroaching upon the land of the religious trust (devaswom) of Vadakkumnatha temple in Kerala.

It said that all ex-Editors working at the news organisation had links with PFI. The affidavit stated, “As per the investigations till date, most of the executive members of PFI who are ex-office bearers of terrorist organisation SIMI have been in close intimacy with Kappan… Documents disclosed the formation of PFI as a reincarnation of SIMI after being banned. Also, the motive and ideology of both PFI and SIMI are corroborative.”

Siddique Kappan – PFI member who supported Osama Bin Laden

The Uttar Pradesh government had submitted a copy of a front-page story by Kappan in Thejas, dating back to November 30, 2011, wherein he claimed that Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama bin Laden was a ‘martyr’. The government revealed that Siddique Kappan was the mastermind of several other riots, who in collusion with Thejas Editors, wanted to create religious unrest in the State of Kerala.

The UP government also informed the Supreme Court that Kappan and other co-accused were being investigated for fraudulent financial transactions. It has also accused Kappan of non-cooperation, reluctance to share details of his social media accounts and lying to the investigative officials about his residence in Delhi. The Supreme Court has now adjourned the hearing till the third week of January.

PFI member Rauf Sharif had paid for the Hathras trip of Kappan

Popular Front of India’s student wing Campus Front of India (CFI) leader KA Rauf Sharif was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday from Thiruvananthapuram when he was trying to flee from the country. As per the ED report, Rauf Sharif had funded the trip by PFI members and self-proclaimed journalist Siddique Kappan to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh after the controversy over the case. A lot of political parties and organisations had gathered in Hathras, trying to stoke unrest and stir up caste violence.

The ED has stated that Rauf Sharif had received foreign funding worth crores in the multiple bank accounts under suspicious transactions.

Farmers, who were enjoying gyms, massage parlours and pizza are now upset about the absence of proper toilets

OpIndia Staff
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Farmers, who were enjoying gyms, massage parlours and pizza are now upset about the absence of proper toilets

Protesting Punjab farmers at Singhu border are upset over lack of facilities and cleanliness.

The protesting farmers from Punjab have blamed the organisers for not providing running water in toilets. They claim they will die of diseases but will not give up the protests.

Another protestor also complained about increase of mosquito menace there. This while the protest organisers have been providing them with foot massagers, gyms, music concerts and also live food counters like pizzas for the protestors.

Pizza party organised at ‘farmer’ protest site along Haryana-Delhi border/ Image Source: Rightster

Over and above the facilities for entertainment provided by protest organisers, Arvind Kejriwal’s Delhi government has also provided basic amenities to the protestors. In fact, AAP govt has been boasting of providing these services to the protestors.

Quite literally.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had also declared himself as the ‘sevadar’ for the protestors.

But as the protests enter the 20th day, the protestors seem to be getting edgy.

Delhi farmers’ protest

Farmers, mostly from Punjab and some from Haryana, have been blocking major roads to Delhi protesting against the central government’s new farm laws which lets them sell their produce to whoever they want, at whatever price they want. The protestors, however, are claiming that the government is doing away with the ‘mandi’ system and the minimum support price govt gives to purchase the produce. The government, however, has been relentlessly busting the myth and has clarified umpteen number of times that the mandi system as well as MSP stays. However, the protestors are not ready to budge.

These protests have now taken a dangerous turn as certain Khalistani elements seem to have extended their support with quite a few hateful slogans being raised at the protest sites.

Goa: BJP sweeps Zilla Panchayat elections, Congress, AAP wiped out

OpIndia Staff
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Goa: BJP sweeps Zilla Panchayat elections, Congress, AAP wiped out

On Monday, the ruling party BJP won 33 out of the 42 seats contested in two Zila Panchayat bodies in Goa. The Congress Party managed to win only one out of the 38 seats on which it contested. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the people have shown trust in BJP. He applauded the enthusiasm of the people of Goa to vote amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Notably, independent candidates won seven seats in the Zila Panchayat polls. Regional party MGP won four seats and AAP managed only one seat in the elections. According to the state election commission, out of 7,91,814 eligible voters, 4.50 lakh voters cast votes. Paper ballots were used in the election instead of EVM machines. This was the first time all major parties except Goa Forward Party were contesting in Zila Panchayat elections.

People trust PM Modi’s policies – BJP leaders

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a tweet, “I humbly bow down before the people of Goa for the trust they have reposed in the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Govt of Goa working under my leadership. Let us shape a glorious and Swayampurna (self-reliant) Goa by taking ahead the same trust and confidence.” Sawant had called these elections a test for his government as since he became CM the state has been facing several issues including unemployment, inability to resume mining operations, and Mhadhei water dispute with Karnataka.

National President of Bharatiya Janata Party JP Nadda congratulated Goa BJP leaders and said, “This result shows the faith of Farmers, Labourers, Women & Youth in the leadership of @narendramodi
ji & policies of BJP govt in State.”

Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated CM Sawant and said, “I thank people of Goa for choosing development in Zilla Panchayat elections. People across the nation have faith in PM @narendramodi led BJP’s Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas.”

There have been protests against infrastructure projects and policy decisions in the state. The result, as per the ruling party, is a nod to the projects. Sadanand Tanavade, State BJP President said that there were several agitations across social media platforms about coal transportation, power, and double-tracking. Political parties and NGOs were creating protests to defame the government. “The result is a slap on their faces and a certificate of appreciation to BJP,” he added.

Congress needs deep analysis, says Goa Congress president

Girish Chodankar, Goa Congress president said that the party needs a deep analysis of the results. He said that they have failed to convince people that they are changing. “They feel that if they vote to Congress, then their vote will go to BJP as in past our MLAs defected. We failed to weed out this perception from people’s minds,” he added. Chodankar further said that they respect the dissent and vow to change.

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