US President Donald Trump again on Sunday made it clear that he will not be delivering a concession speech anytime soon. He said that presumptive president-elect Joe Biden had only won in the eyes of the media and there is still a long way to go. Trump maintained that it was a ‘rigged election’.
In his unique style, Trump declared, “He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!” Twitter dutifully reminded the world that the claim was disputed, just in case it was not clear to everyone else by now.
“I concede NOTHING! -Donald Trump
Minutes earlier, he thundered, “RIGGED ELECTION. WE WILL WIN!”
Donald Trump still believes he can win
The declaration by Donald Trump came a day after hundreds and thousands of his supporters marched in Washington DC. A lot of violence was reported at the Million MAGA March, predominantly from left-wing thugs who attacked peaceful Trump supporters for exercising their right to peaceful protest.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed in states where Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden alleging election malpractice. The election process is not over yet in the USA although the media has crowned Joe Biden the president already. Although it is extremely unlikely that Trump will still be the US president at the end of it all, as Constitutional legal analyst Jonathan Turley pointed out, his chances are still not dead yet.
A Swedish research organisation, Nordic Monitor, has alleged an alliance between Turkic extremist group İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı (IHH) and radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). According to the report, the meeting was held on the 20th of October, 2018, seven months ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections in 2019.
#BREAKING | Photos of October 2018 secret meeting between India’s PFI and Turkish terror-linked group IHH in Turkey out. Details of meeting accessed by European research group Nordic monitor. #PFITurkeySecretMeet
The meeting, clouded in secrecy, was apparently part of Erdogan’s outreach towards Muslims in the Southeast Asia. The two key PFI leaders who attended the meeting were E.M. Abdul Rahiman and Prof. P. Koya, members of the National Executive Council of the PFI, the report claims. It was attended by IHH Secretary-General Durmuş Aydın and IHH Vice President Hüseyin Oruç as well and partnership in various fields were discussed.
The Nordic Monitor says that IHH works with Turkish intelligence service MIT, led by Erdogan loyalist Hakan Fidan, an Islamist as well. It also said that the PFI was promoted by Turkic state-run media Anadolu as a civic and social group the members of which were abused by Indian police. The IHH was accused to have smuggled arms to Al-Qaeda affiliated Jihadists in Syria in January 2014.
Photograph of meeting between IHH and PFI (Image Credit: Nordic Monitor)
The report states further, “The IHH had long been flagged by Russia as an organization that smuggled arms to jihadist groups in Syria, according to intelligence documents submitted to the UN Security Council on Feb. 10, 2016. Russian intelligence documents even furnished the license plate numbers of trucks dispatched by the IHH loaded with arms and supplies bound for al-Qaeda-affiliated groups including the Nusra Front.”
The Nordic Monitor also said that the Erdogan regime in Turkey is helping the IHH in global operations using its diplomatic clout. The PFI in India has been accused of involvement in numerous instances of violence and their members have been accused of murder as well. The Enforcement Directorate had accused the PFI of funding anti-CAA riots across the country.
(From L to 2nd R) Prof. P Koya, Durmuş Aydın, Hüseyin Oruç, E. M. Abdul Rahiman (Image Credit: Nordic Monitor)
UP police chief OP Singh had stated that members of radical Islamic organisations – Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political front, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), including political parties like Samajwadi Party were involved in instigating Muslim mobs to indulge in violence across the state during the anti-CAA protests. The UP police had advocated a ban on PFI after the widespread violence in the state.
The Kerala High Court haas quashed a defamation case against the Malayala Manorama Daily filed by one R Chandrasekaran and three others over a vigilance report. The complaint was directed against the Managing Editor, Chief Editor and Publisher of the daily. The newspaper had moved the High Court after District Magistrate took cognisance of the matter.
The Kerala High Court upheld that the press has the right to publish any news item along with its commentary unless done with a malafide intention or does not concern the public interest. Justice P. Somarajan stated that such a news piece if done with ‘imputation of truth’ for the public good, will not attract defamation charges.
The Court observed that the vigilance report published by Manorama Daily mentioned the complainant as an accused in a case for which a crime was registered. It noted that the report published by the Daily was a true version of the incident. It ruled that the defamation complaint defeats the purpose of the 4th estate.
Observations made by the Kerala High Court
“The first proviso to Section 499 /PC has got a wide canvass in a democratic system and right to publish a news item with its necessary comments and views though sometimes contemptuous, cannot be defeated unless malafides writ large on its face and not concerning with a matter of public interest or public good. The contemptuous nature of news item, if it is connected with the imputation of truth, which requires publication for the public goodwill not attract the offence and there shall not be any misunderstanding with respect to the requirement to attract Section 499 IPC with the first exception therein. The news item published hence will not attract the offence of defamation as defined under Section 499 IPC,” stated Justice P. Somarajan.
The Court added, “It is the duty of the fourth estate to publish all news materials, especially having public importance and it is their further duty to comment on the news material with its pros and cons so as to enlighten the society to remain vigil on the matters of public importance. It would squarely come under the first exception attached to Section 499 IPC, when it is done with bonafides for the public interest.”
“The fourth estate is not expected to shy away from the matters governing public importance, but it is their solemn duty to serve the society with the news item with its pros and cons so as to bring the society more functional and vigil. The fourth estate being one of the rostrums to address and comment on each and every matter governing public interest/ public importance in a democratic society, the news item published with necessary comments, though sometimes contemptuous, may not itself amount to defamation as defined under Section 499 IPC unless the same is lacking in good faith and not concerning with a matter of public interest or public good,” the Court upheld.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will build a museum dedicated to Hindu emperor Prithviraj Chauhan in Delhi at Qila Rai Pithora, Jagran has reported. The building already built in this fort will be expanded for the museum dedicated to Prithviraj Chauhan. ASI has already started collecting documents and antiquities related to Chauhan for the museum. As per the reports, the museum will be ready in the next year.
During his tenure in the Vajpayee government as Urban Development Minister, Jagmohan rejuvenated Qila Rai Pithora. Before its revamp, there were slums around the fort, and the administration neglected it. Jagmohan’s ministry worked with Delhi Development Authority and developed plans to conserve and develop the fort. At that time, only a small part of the region was preserved. After Jagmohan became Minister of Tourism and Culture, he preserved the entire mound on which the fort was located and ordered excavation.
The expansion work was halted due to pollution
The Archaeological Survey of India took charge of the preservation. A conservation centre was also built on the premises, and a grand statue of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan was installed. However, later the construction was halted due to pollution. Now the work of expansion will start at full pace. There is a plan to build a museum and green park around the conservation centre.
DDA handed over the development work of the park in 2002. In his book, Jagmohan wrote how Chauhan constructed a huge fort. He said that in reality, Lal Kot Qila Rai Pithora is the actual Delhi. Tomar and Chauhan built several temples within Lal Kot, which were later demolished by Muslim emperors. The stones were reused for the Kuwaitul Islam Mosque. It is believed that Qutubuddin and Iltutmish made Qila Rai Pithora their residence.
The first city of Delhi
Qila Rai Pithora is the first of seven cities of Delhi. It was constructed between 1180 – 1186. Chauhan, who built this fort, was the last Hindu Emperor to have a strong central authority in Delhi. There were twelve gates to Rai Pithora, and the remains of the fort can be seen on the Press Enclave Road even today.
On Wednesday, the Jharkhand State Assembly unilaterally passed a resolution seeking separate religious status for the Sarna community in the Census of 2021.
While speaking on the development, Chief Minister Hemant Soren stated that the resolution was passed during a special one-day session of the Jharkhand Legislative assembly. He informed that the resolution will be sent to the Union government for approval. The BJP has meanwhile proposed removal of the oblique in ‘tribal/Sarna’ from the resolution. The amendment was accepted by the Chief Minister and the resolution was passed, following the support of all parties.
The Principal Secretary, in a letter to Hemant Soren, has argued that the tribal population in the state had declined from 38.3% to 26.02% between 1931 and 2011. The letter stated that since many tribals work in different States, their data remains missing in the Census. It was therefore proposed a separate religious code to ‘ensure’ that they are counted in the population. It was also highlighted how declining numbers of the Adivasis affects constitutional rights provided to them under the 5th Schedule of the constitution.
Advisasis converting to Christianity to avail dual benefits
Reportedly, this had been a long-standing demand of several tribal groups in Jharkhand. The BJP government had earlier announced in February 2019 that it would recommend the inclusion of Sarna in a distinct religious category. The Sarna community worships the nature and their Holy grail os ‘Jal, Jungle, Zameen (water, forests and land). The followers of Sarna worship the hills and the trees. While most of the 32 distinct tribal groups in Jharkhand identify themselves as Hindus, some have converted to Christianity. It is pertinent to remember that the State has about 4% Christian population.
It is said that several people from the Sarna community had converted to Christianity to avail dual benefits of religious minority and that provided to the Scheduled Tribes (STs). The Sarna community, who have originally been loyal to Hinduism, had demanded the benefits must be limited to those who have not converted to Christianity.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was admitted to ICU on Sunday. He has been seriously ill with Covid-19. He contracted the infection in the first week of October, and since then, he was undergoing treatment. He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta Hospital, Gurugram. The 71-year-old Congress leader announced on 1st October on Twitter that he had contracted the infection.
Congress MP Ahmed Patel admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Medanta Hospital, Gurugram for further treatment. His condition is stable and he continues to be under medical observation.
On Sunday, Faisal, Patel’s son, said, “On behalf of his family, we would like to share that Shri Ahmed Patel had tested positive for Covid-19 a few weeks ago. He has now been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon for further treatment.” “His condition is stable and he continues to be under medical observation…We request you to pray for his speedy recovery,” he said.
Patel is a close aide and political advisor of Sonia Gandhi. Several Congress leaders have wished him a speedy recovery. He is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha.
There was a very entertaining debate underway between Rohini Singh of The Wire fame and Nidhi Razdan, former NDTV ‘journalist’. The debate was sparked off by Gargi Rawat, from NDTV, who was bemoaning the fact that Arvind Kejriwal celebrated his Diwali by participating in celebrations at the Akshardham Temple amidst rising Coronavirus cases in Delhi. The Delhi Chief Minister had also organised a ‘virtual’ Puja on the occasion as well.
Rohini Singh commented that Coronavirus cases were on the rise at the national capital due to the fact that citizens were thronging markets during the festive season. It was then that the the star of the show, Nidhi Razdan, stepped in. She declared that “Governments have to take charge” and suggested that they should “lock it down”.
It appears to have escaped her notice that after all these months, with massive mass gatherings at political rallies and elsewhere, the governments will find it a bit difficult to enforce the kind of stringent lockdown that would otherwise be required under such circumstances. After all, it will be hard to convince people to refrain from trying to earn their livelihoods due to the pandemic when they could see for themselves the massive crowds at the election rallies for the Bihar Assembly Elections.
The first part of the debate between Nidhi Razdan and Rohini Singh
Rohini Singh pointed out that “Lockdowns have huge economic impact” and we cannot really afford it at the moment. It was then that the totalitarian inclinations of Nidhi Razdan sprang forward. She said, “People also have to learn there are costs to being irresponsible.” That is a pretty strong statement to make about citizens trying to enjoy the festive period in a year that has seen too much of doom and gloom.
“The governments must make sure that the plebs know their place!” That is quite an elitist comment to make. Rohini Singh, on the other hand, argued further that lockdown is going to be too painful for those not economically well-off but Nidhi Razdan still appears to be stuck in the ‘Economy vs Public health’ debate that was underway during the initial stages of the pandemic. That ship has sailed long back.
The second part of the debate between Nidhi Razdan and Rohini Singh
The debate concluded on an inconclusive note, as much of these debates often do. However, there are a lot of lessons that observers could learn from this. We had Rohini Singh, on one hand, blaming citizens for the rising Coronavirus cases. Interestingly enough, she did not blame the massive crowds at Tejashvi Yadav’s rallies ahead of the Bihar elections.
On the other hand, we had Nidhi Razdan who was so triggered by Arvind Kejriwal’s participation in Diwali celebrations that she wanted the government to punish people with a lockdown in order to show them that there are ‘costs’. This is peak 2020, ladies and gentlemen. One cannot make this up.
The third part of the debate between Nidhi Razdan and Rohini Singh
As it so happens, Nidhi Razdan was not always such a lockdown enthusiast. In fact, she abhorred lockdowns and made much of the same argument as Rohini Singh. However, quite ostensibly, Kejriwa’s participation in Diwali celebrations was too much for her to bear. And thus, she made a complete U-Turn from her previous stand.
As early as the 26th of March, Nidhi was already arguing against lockdowns. Replying to a now deleted tweet from Rajdeep Sardesai, she argued that “the economic disruption caused by an almost month long lockdown will be felt much longer than the actual lockdown.” She also shared a tweet thread that documented the hardship that would be endured by migrant workers.
Nidhi’s reply to a deleted tweet by Rajdeep Sardesai
Nidhi shares a tweet thread documenting hardship faced by migrant workers
Her opinions had not changed by May either. She endorsed the position that it was time to lift the lockdown in India. Nidhi said that Dr. Vikram Patel of the Harvard Medical School “has made some excellent points on why India can’t afford a lockdown, how people with other health issues have been hit, mostly the poor.”
Nidhi Razdan endorsed the position that it was time to lift the lockdown in India in May
Again in May, Nidhi complimented Arvind Kejriwal for ‘saying what was needed to be said’. “We needed a harsh lockdown but now we can’t go on like this, we have to learn to live with the virus, and take precautions while getting back to our lives. The economic distress is real,” she tweeted.
Nidhi Razdan compliments Arvind Kejriwal for his anti-lockdown stand
Later in the same month, Nidhi Razdan went to the extent of admonishing the Chief Ministers advocating for a longer lockdown. She said, “Chief Ministers advocating a longer lockdown today are abdicating their responsibility. Tough questions need to be asked – what have you been doing for the last 2 months? Are hospitals better prepared? Locking down is just hoping the problem will go away. It won’t.”
Nidhi Razdan admonishes Chief Ministers arguing for longer lockdowns
But all of that is in the past. Now, Hindus are engaging in festivities during Diwali and hence, governments must step in to show that there are ‘costs’ for ‘irresponsible behaviour’. The massive election rallies have already been forgotten. The gatherings for Namaz and Eid are to be forgotten too. We also should forget that Tablighi Jamaat was one of the drivers of the pandemic in India and every single liberal journalist was busy whitewashing their deplorable conduct.
But now, with Arvind Kejriwal participating in Diwali celebrations, things have crossed all limits and we must all collectively feel the horror that every liberal journalist is currently feeling and compel our elected representatives to punish Hindus celebrating Diwali in the most hideous of ways. There is good news amidst all of this, however. The active cases in the country have been falling consistently since mid-September even as the country has been opening up since then and the number of new cases everyday has fallen as well.
The Congress party led by the Gandhi family seems to be suffering losses after losses, and not just in electoral politics. After the drubbing in Bihar, now, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Minority Chairman, Urfan Mulla has now resigned from his post citing the lack of direction and leadership in the party.
Urfan Mulla (file photo) resigns from post of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Minority Chairman & Spox.
His letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi says, "Congress suffers from lack of org, direction & leadership. Old guards in party in Goa have miserably failed in decision making." pic.twitter.com/oorn8XZTuB
According to news agency ANI, Urfan Mulla wrote a letter to interim party president Sonia Gandhi saying that “Congress suffers from lack of organisation, direction and leadership. Old guards in party in Goa have miserably failed in decision making”.
Congress in disarray, 23 senior Congress leaders write to Sonia Gandhi, slam Rahul and Priyanka, demand elections to decide party president
The resignation of Urfan Mulla is the second jolt that the Congress party has got in a matter of hours. Earlier today, 23 senior Congress leaders wrote to Sonia Gandhi expressing their displeasure in the way in which the party is functioning.
In the letter, the leaders demanded that an immediate CWC meeting be called to discuss the poll debacle in Bihar. They have reportedly also demanded organisational elections for the party president’s post be held at the earliest in the view of the electoral drubbing.
According to a Rediff report by R Rajagopalan, five CWC members confirmed to this correspondent that such a letter has indeed been sent this week. The letter reportedly points to the fact that at the peak of Bihar campaigning and even on result day, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were holidaying in Shimla instead of being with the party and leading the way.
In the letter, certain concerns were raised that the Congress leaders feel led to the debacle in Bihar. With the pandemic and Ahmed Patel, who is undergoing treatment for coronavirus, the AICC headquarters at 24, Akbar Road in New Delhi, wears a deserted look with no visible political activity.
Further, the letter seems to point towards a lack of faith in the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Though the CWC had initiated the poll process, insiders feel it will once again be a unanimous/unopposed poll process. Further, their absence while on Shimla vacation has not sat well with the Congress leaders.
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh region have been setting their houses on fire before fleeing to their new homes in Armenia. The ethnic Armenians, who are mostly Christians, living in the region were given a weekend’s deadline to leave, following a peace deal between the two countries and handing over the Nagorno-Karabakh region to Muslim majority Azerbaijan. The Christians of Armenians are resorting to a scorched earth policy before the Muslims of Azerbaijan take over their land.
As per reports, the development comes after it was announced that Azerbaijan will take control of the region on Sunday. On Saturday, at least 6 houses were set on fire in the Kalbajar village of Charektar by ethnic Armenians while more 10 houses were razed on Sunday. “This is my house, I can’t leave it to the Turks…Everybody is going to burn down their house today … we were given until midnight to leave. We also moved our parents’ graves, the Azerbaijanis will take great pleasure in desecrating our graves. It’s unbearable,” an ethnic Armenian, forced to leave the Nagorno-Karabakh region lamented. He was seen throwing gasoline-soaked rags and burning wooden planks into a house.
Another Armenian Arsen said that they are not leaving anything useful for the Azeris, and Azeris will have to build their own houses from scratch. Armenians were carrying everything they could with them, and they loaded trucks with household items before burning the houses. Most families removed most items from their houses, some even removed the doors and windows and loaded onto the trucks, which they will be able to use in their new houses, before burning the houses.
The current peace deal mandates the return of Kalbajar and Aghdam districts to Azerbaijan by Armenia within November 20. Similarly, the Lachin district, held by Armenia since the 1990s, is to be returned by December 1. Meanwhile, Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, had demanded compensation from Armenia for the actions of ethnic Armenians in supposedly destroying 99% of ‘liberated territory’, including schools and hospitals.
The Background of the conflict
Trapped between Turkey and Azerbaijan is the tiny country of Armenia. The Azeris are ethnic Turks and have the same religion and culture as Turkey. For a long time, the mostly Christian Armenians were colonized by the Ottoman Empire. The Soviets took over the land in the 1920s and Armenia was cut up between three Soviet Republics : Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
When the Soviet empire collapsed in the 1990s, both Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent. But a portion of land, populated by ethnic Armenians, remained part of Azerbaijan. This region is known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Tensions erupted and this area declared independence in the 1990s, supported by Armenia. The stalemate has been around for nearly three decades until Azerbaijan (with Turkish support) unilaterally broke the ceasefire a few weeks ago. The ethnic Armenians were quickly defeated. And now thousands of them have less than a week to leave their homes behind and flee.
Pakistan seems to be taking the path of Maldives, Sri Lanka, and several other nations and seeking large loans from China. Imran Khan-led Pakistan govt is seeking USD 2.7 billion loan from the Chinese govt to complete construction projects of package-I of the Mainline-1 project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to the Pakistani media, during the sixth meeting of the financing committee on the ML-1 project, it was decided that Pakistan would request to sanction USD 2.73 billion out of the total USD 6.1 billion worth of Chinese funding the neighbour would need for the project.
Under the project, Pakistan’s existing 2,655 km railway tracks will be upgraded to allow trains to move up to 165km per hour, which will be double the speed of the capacity of the current network. Moreover, the line capacity will increase from 34 to over 150 trains each way per day. 90% of the project cost is being financed by China.
Pakistan’s economy is sitting on the crumble that can collapse anytime, and the Covid-19 situation worsens the condition further. The Ministry of Economic Affairs Pakistan will send a request to China next week as China will finalize 2021 financing plans by the end of November.
In August this year, Pakistan had borrowed $1 Billion from its all-weather ally China to repay loan of $1 Billion to Saudi Arabia to avoid default on international debt obligations.
Misappropriation of 100 billion Pakistani rupees
In May 2020, a 278-page report “Committee for Power Sector Audit, Circular Debt Reservation, and Future RoadMap” was handed over to Khan. It listed the malpractices worth 100 billion Pakistani rupees in the independent power generating sector. The nine-member committee was formed to find the causes of the steep cost of electricity in Pakistan. As per the report, the sponsors misrepresented the deduction of ‘Interest During Construction’ or IDC and did not consider the early completion of the projects in the cost estimate.
As a result, Pakistan ended up paying 32.46 billion Pakistan rupees to the two Chinese coal-based plants. The interest deduction was allowed for 48 months, but the project was completed in 27-29 months. It resulted in an additional payment of USD 27.4 million annually for the entire life of the Sahiwal plant, i.e., 30 years. Though the agency that brought the report into the public eye did not directly name CPEC, Pakistan’s former Ambassador Hussain Haqqani in an article revealed the report did mention CPEC.
India’s stand on CPEC and PoK
Over time, India has protested the CPEC as it also covers Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs has said several times that Pakistan was informed that the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India. Pakistan has recently given province status to PoK to clear the path for CPEC. India has categorically told Pakistan to revoke the status and vacate PoK.
Pakistan is moving fast on the path to becoming pray to China’s land-grabbing policies
The dragon is famous for its land-grabbing techniques in the pretext of loans for development. Countries like the Maldives and Sri Lanka, among several others, have already lost a chunk of their land to China as they failed to repay the loans. China is playing the same tactics in African countries and expanding its territories quickly. If Pakistan continues to take a loan from China, it will soon start to lose land to the Communist dragon.
