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“Reports say otherwise”: Justice Lalit rejects Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea sought on medical grounds

OpIndia Staff
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“Reports say otherwise”: Justice Lalit rejects Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea sought on medical grounds

A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice UU Lalit dismissed as withdrawn the bail plea filed by ‘Urban Naxal’ Sudha Bhardwaj’ against the order of the Bombay High Court in which the court had rejected his plea seeking interim bail on medical grounds last month.

Bharadwaj who is lodged in jail since 2018 had moved the Bombay High Court seeking interim bail after her pleas was rejected by the special NIA court. Bharadwaj, who was represented in the Supreme Court by Advocate Vrinda Grover, had pleaded that she suffered from comorbidities and was at higher risk of Covid-19. Justice Lalit said that her medical report was “good”.

Grover further pleaded that Bharadwaj also had a heart condition therefore she needed a full cardio profile and that she was only requesting for an interim bail, she will be back. She pointed out that charges have not yet been framed against Bharadwaj. When Justice Lalit asked her about the status of investigation, Grover said that there was a conspiracy hatched against her client. Justice Lalit remarked that the court not be able to grant her plea solely on medical grounds as her reports said otherwise.

Justice Rastogi, who was on the Bench hearing plea, rebuked Grover for making a statement before the Bombay High Court that the report was false. “Who made the statement in the High Court saying that this report was false”, Justice Rastogi questioned Gover.

Justice Lalit told Grover that the court would dismiss the application if she did withdrew it.

The Bhima Koregaon Case

Bharadwaj along with several other ‘intellectuals’ was arrested in relation to the Bhima Koregaon violence. An event called Elgar Parishad was organised in 2018 to commemorate the battle of Bhima Koregaon in which Dalits had fought in the British Army with the Peshwas which had resulted in extreme violence.

Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots: Salman Khurshid, Prashant Bhushan, Kavita Krishnan named in the disclosure statement of the accused

OpIndia Staff
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Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots: Salman Khurshid, Prashant Bhushan, Kavita Krishnan named in the disclosure statement of the accused

The Delhi Police have named various senior Congress, CPM leaders as well as lawyer-activist like Prashant Bhushan in the charge-sheet filed in connection with Anti-Hindu Delhi riots.

According to the reports, former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, CPM leader Brinda Karat, Prashant Bhushan was among the ones who gave provocative speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), said the Delhi police in the charge-sheet. Addition to these names, far-left ‘protestors’ Kavita Krishnan, Kawalpreet Kaur, Gauhar Raza have also been named mention in disclosure statements of accused persons in a charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police.

The name of Congress leader Salman Khurshid was mentioned in the disclosure statements of accused Khalid Saifi as well as former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan. The disclosure statement of Saifi mentioned that to keep the protest going and sustaining it for long, he and former Congress leader Ishrat Jahan had invited the likes of Khurshid, to deliver “provocative speech”.

The statement of a protected witness, made under Section 164 CrPC, has also named Salman Khurshid stating that the Congress leader had made a provocative speech.

Prashant Bhushan, Kavita Krishnan named in the charge-sheet

Similarly, controversial activist and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan has been named in the disclosure statement of Saifi and Ishrat Jahan, who have allegedly blamed Prashant Bhushan for giving a provocative speech at Khureji.

Raza, who is claimed to be a ‘scientist’, has been mentioned for “instigating Muslims” through his speech at Khureji. A protected witness confessed that Raza, along with others, “spoke wrong and objectionable things against CAA, NRC and the current government, and instigated Muslims”.

Kawalpreet Kaur, another left-wing activist’s name has also been named in the disclosure statement of Saifi dated May 25, in which he said he was in touch with Kaur and others to “plan with them” and get them to send “provocative messages/tweets” so that the “Muslim community feels angered towards the government and its policies due to religious reasons”.

The charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police further said that Ishrat Jahan, in her disclosure statement, alleged that in order to sustain the anti-CAA protests, filmmaker Rahul Roy and Bhim Army member Himanshu were also invited by her and Saifi on the instructions of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC).

Delhi court admits charge-sheet filed by Delhi Police

Earlier, this week, the Delhi Court admitted the charge-sheets filed by the Delhi Police against the 15 accused in the Delhi riots. In its charge-sheet, the Delhi police had alleged that the anti-Hindu Delhi riots that took place in February were the result of a pre-planned conspiracy.

The Delhi police had invoked various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with the Indian Penal Code in the case. The case emanates from FIR No. 59, which was lodged by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on March 6, 2020.

The Delhi Police has named 15 prime accused in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case that includes former Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain, former Congress leader Ishrat Jahan, self-proclaimed activist Khalid Saifi, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar and Meeran Haider.

Far-left ‘activists’ and members of Pinjra Tod members – Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal have also been named in the charge-sheet along with Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) student Asif Iqbal Tanha.

‘We’ll have to spill the blood of these kaafirs’, eyewitness’ testimony shows Delhi riots were well-orchestrated: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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‘We’ll have to spill the blood of these kaafirs’, eyewitness’ testimony shows Delhi riots were well-orchestrated: Reports

A sensational testimony of an eyewitness to the February 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots proves beyond doubts that the violence were well orchestrated and was not a spontaneous action.

The testimony accessed by Times Now confirmed that an eyewitness has said before the magistrate that the violence was planned in the meetings held before the riots took place in the national capital. The eyewitness confessed that “Sadko par utrenge”, “Khoon bahayenge” calls were made and the Muslim mob was brainwashed into taking to the streets.

The eyewitness, who had attended the meeting which was conducted to plan the riots, said that in the meetings it was discussed that only protesting would not help. They would have to hit the streets and cause bloodshed to achieve the “cause”- that is to stir up communal violence.  

The extremists who conducted these meetings told the attendees, “Yahan bethe rehne se kuch nahi hoga, sadko par utarna hoga” (sitting here will not help, we will have to hit the streets), furthering that they would also need to gather weapons.

The eyewitness said that the violence was systematically planned beforehand, in these meetings. It was discussed that though they would speak about “bhaichara” (brotherhood), tolerance and violence against Muslim, their main aim would be to do “chakka jam” (block traffic) as a means to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The eyewitness confessed how they were brainwashed into perpetuating the violence.

The eyewitness confirmed that it was discussed in the meetings that even if they were required to shed blood to coerce the government into taking back the law (speaking about revoking the Citizenship Amendment Act), they should not hesitate. It was discussed that it was pertinent that the blame of the violence was pinned on others. They contended how they should exert pressure on the Delhi’s CM to put the onus of the violence on to the Delhi police instead on them.

The conspirators discussed that they would have to shed blood of at least 2 to 4 cops. “We’ll have to spill the blood of these kaafirs“. When the magistrate reportedly asked the eyewitness as to who were these Kaafirs, he said that all the non-Muslims were Kaafirs.

The eyewitness confirms to the magistrate that Yogendra Yadav, filmmaker Rahul Roy and Saba Dewan were a part of the meeting and in addition to that the former Jawaharlal Nehru University student-Umar Khalid was part of the Whatsapp group called ‘Delhi Protests Support Group’, which he was administrating along with Safoora Zargar and several others.

The Delhi police also mentioned in its charge sheet that former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam used social media to radicalise youth and mobilise them for the ‘chakka jam’ as a means to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Notably, the charge-sheet had stated that the conspiracy to cause communal riots was hatched by Umar Khalid and his friends during the visit of United States President Donald Trump to India. 

On September 14, Delhi police have summoned documentary filmmakers Rahul Roy and Saba Dewan for questioning in connection with the North-East Delhi riots, a day after they arrested former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid on charges of conspiracy in the case.

OpIndia’s extensively documents events that led to the anti-Hindu riots

OpIndia in its extensive report on the anti-Hindu Delhi riots concluded how the communal violence in the national capital was the manifestation of deep-seated bigotry that festers in the hearts of the anti-CAA protesters. Our report documented the anti-CAA protests and other significant developments related to the matter from the month of December when violence first broke out not only in Delhi but across the country. We reported the manner in which politicians, non-governmental organisations and ‘civil society’ joined hands with the extremist elements within the Muslim community to wreak havoc across the country.

Delhi Court admits charge-sheets filed by the Delhi Police against accused in the Delhi riots

Meanwhile, on September 19, a Delhi Court has admitted the charge-sheets filed by the Delhi Police against the 15 accused in the Delhi riots. In its charge-sheet, the Delhi police had alleged that the anti-Hindu Delhi riots that took place in February were the result of a pre-planned conspiracy.

The bills will bring a revolutionary change in farmers’ life: Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar

OpIndia Staff
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The bills will bring a revolutionary change in farmers’ life: Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar

While talking to ANI, Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, said that the agriculture bills that have been recently passed in both houses would bring a revolutionary change in the lives of the farmers.

He said that during the first tenure of PM Modi in the office, the government decided to ensure a 50% increase in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) in order to improve the financial condition of the farmers. The government took several initiatives to improve productivity and reduce the cost of farming.

A mission to double the income

He said that when the government announced that by 2022, they want to double the income of the farmers, several meetings were done with the states and the stakeholders to formulate the plan. As a part of the initiative, the government announced PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana under which every registered small and marginal farmer will get Rs.6000 every year divided into three instalments. Under the scheme, the government has paid Rs.93,000 crore to the farmers.

The government has decided to open 10,000 Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) centers across the country to help small and marginal farmers. The government is going to spend 6,850 crores on the scheme in five years. These centers will help them in improving their production and income. The government has also announced a 1 lakh crore infrastructure fund in the field of agriculture.

Why are new bills essential?

The union minister said that the new bills dubbed as Farmers’ Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Bill, and Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Bill would help in removing the hold of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) from the market. These bills will enable the farmers to sell their produce at a higher price directly to the buyers without any middleman.

He said, according to the present system, the farmer brings the produce to the market. 25-30 licensed traders hold the auction for the produce. The farmer has to sell the produce at the price they have decided. The farmers often bend down to the price the market chooses to, due to the fact that most of them cannot afford to take the produce back with them. This act will enable the farmer to sell the produce in the market or outside the market directly to the end-buyer.

The end of the state and center tax

Tomar said that anyone who sells the produce outside the APMC market would not have to pay tax to the centre or the state. He said that these bills should not be seen as an end to the APMC market. APMC act functions at the state level. The farmer will have the right to decide where he wants to sell the produce. He can either trade in the APMC market, or he can sell in accordance with the new reforms introduced by the central government.

MSP and procurement of the produce by the government

The union minister said that the government would continue to procure the produce from the farmers. MSP has already been announced for the Rabi and Kharif crops. As soon as the Kharif crop comes to the market, the government will start the procurement procedure. He said that those who are raising questions on MSP should answer if it was a part of any law before. MSP was never a part of any law.

About contract farming

When he was asked about the concerns where some experts suggest these bills will only work in favor of contract farming, he said they do not understand the agriculture sector itself. He said that the bills would help the small farmers in the long run as they will not be forced to bring the produce in the APMC market. They will save on the logistics as the sellers will be able to buy the produce directly from the farm.

The minister said the small formers would be able to form a group in their villages and sell their produce together. He said as the buyers will know that they produce will not reach the market, they will work on contacting the farmers to get products directly. When he was asked that there are concerns that corporate will exploit farmers, he said that bills passed give MSP guarantee at the time of sowing a crop.

Also, as per the law, the contract between the corporate and the farmer will only be for the produce and not for the land. The farmer will have the right to nullify the agreement at any stage, but the corporate cannot step out of the agreement. If there is any dispute, and the decision is in favor of the corporate, the farmer only has to pay the amount that the corporate has paid as initial payment. The cases related to any dispute between the corporate and the farmer will be handled by Sub Divisional Magistrate. As per the law, the SDM has to resolve such cases in 30-days of filing.

About food security

Tomar was asked about food security during the interview. There are some concerns that, due to the lack of incentive in conventional crops, the farmers will shift to cash-crops. It will lead to a decline in the production of traditional crops that are essential, especially in the time of need, such as the current situation of the pandemic. The buffer stock is being used extensively during the Covid-19 widespread across the country.

Tomar said that India has a surplus of buffer stock of essential grains. India does not have enough storage capacity to store the produce. Every year tons of crops go bad due to the lack of storage capacity. Also, it is the need of time that the farmers shift to crops that utilize lesser resources to fight climate change. It will be good if farmers choose to grow crops that require a lesser amount of water and chemical fertilizers. The crops that can provide higher profit at less cost will be beneficial for the farmers.

The noise from the opposition is only a political game

Towards the end of the interview, Tomar said that during his reply in the parliament houses, the opposition parties raised voice against the bill without providing any base to their objections. He said when he was asked to answer the queries of the MPs, he thought he had to talk about the bills, but the queries were just political noises and are not meant for the welfare of farmers.

More details about the bills can be read here.

ABP journalist manhandles and slaps psephologist Pradeep Bhandari

OpIndia Staff
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ABP journalist manhandles and slaps psephologist Pradeep Bhandari

ABP journalist Manoj Verma manhandled and slapped Republic TV journalist and psephologist Pradeep Bhandari while reporting from Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Speaking to OpIndia, Bhandari said that Verma even broke his goggles and phone. “They are like hooligans,” he said.

“I was punched for asking drug-related questions. Maybe because of their falling TRP which is 14. These are all dalals who don’t ask questions. Mumbai Police also asked me to speak softly,” Bhandari said.

Bhandari was in Mumbai near the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) covering the bollywood drug abuse scandal where he was manhandled by the ABP News journalist.

Akshardham Temple attack: 18 years ago, on this day, two terrorists laid siege on our faith

OpIndia Staff
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Akshardham Temple attack: 18 years ago, on this day, two terrorists laid siege on our faith

Eighteen years ago, on 24th September 2002, two terrorists attacked the Akshardham Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. 30 people were killed in the attack, and 80 were injured. Laskar-e-Taiba was believed to be behind the attack. Here is the sequence of events that happened during the attack.

The entry of two terrorists on 24th September

As per the reports, at 4:45 PM, two terrorists were dropped off at Gate 3 of the Akshardham Temple Complex. They tried to enter the complex, but BAPS volunteers working in the temple premises stopped them for security screening. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is the organization that manages the temple.

The terrorists skipped the screening to jump over a high fence. They started firing while making their way through the amusement park in the complex. They rushed towards the main walkway of the complex while firing and throwing grenades at innocent pilgrims. Witnessing the attack, BAPS volunteers, including the temple supervisor Khodsinh Jadhav, communicated with the volunteers present in the main temple and asked to shut the doors immediately.

CM’s office informed about the attack

At around 4:48 PM, the Chief Minister’s office was informed about the attack. Within 15 minutes, state police and commando units reached the premises. They escorted hundreds of pilgrims present in the premises to the safety, and many local individuals came forward to help provide support to transport injured to the hospitals.

Targets shifted

When terrorists realized they could not open the main temple doors, they got into the Exhibition Hall 1 where a multimedia show was being played. They fired shots at the audience resulting in death and injuries to men, women, and children present in the hall. After leaving the Exhibition Hall, they hid in the parikrama.

Evacuation continued

While the security forces searched for the terrorists who were hiding in an alternative spot, they kept on evacuating visitors from the premises. The pilgrims present in the main Temple were escorted out at around 7:30 PM. Realizing there is no escape, the terrorists jumped out of the parikrama area and fired on the commandos.

NSG called

At around 5:15 PM, then-CM Narendra Modi called Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and asked for National Security Guards to manage the situation. At around 10:10 PM, NSG commandos reached Akshardham. At around 11:30 PM, they started the operation. The terrorists entered a bathroom to hide around midnight. By that time, several security agencies, including Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force, State Reserve police and Anti-Terrorist Squad, had reached the premises.

Terrorists neutralized next day

As the sun started to rise, the terrorists became impatient and fired continuously on the security forces. At around 6:45 AM, the commandos managed to neutralize the terrorists who by then had moved into bushes close to Exhibition Hall 3.

Several lives lost

30 pilgrims, one state police officer, and one commando lost their lives during the attack. Another commando was seriously injured and died later in the hospital after fighting for his life for two years.

Reopening of Akshardham Temple

On 7th October 2002, the temple premises were reopened for the public. Several steps were taken by the temple administration and the state government to ensure improved safety measures.

POTA court convicted and sentenced the six accused but they were acquitted by the Supreme court in 2014 in lack of evidence. An absconding accused was arrested by ATS in 2019 from Jammu and Kashmir.

Triple talaq to child marriage: All the crimes against ‘Bilkis’ that Indian liberals would have supported

Abhishek Banerjee
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Triple talaq to child marriage: All the crimes against ‘Bilkis’ that Indian liberals would have supported

If you stand in the crowd at Mumbai’s CST station, you are likely to come across at least one Bilkis. A common name for an Indian Muslim girl, “Bilkis” could be almost anyone among the great masses. But today, among the 1300 million citizens of India, one Bilkis stands apart.

Indian liberals are very proud of her. The 82 year old Bilkis has been featured as one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine.

At 82 years of age, Bilkis must have seen a lot of life. This is not a biography of Bilkis. I do not know about her, except that she was part of the protests at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. Like I said, Bilkis could be any face in the crowd. This is a telling of all the things that could have happened to someone named Bilkis as she grew up in India, all the way to the ripe old age of 82. All the crimes that could have been committed against her. All the crimes that would have been approved by Indian “liberalism.”

What if ‘Bilkis’ was a 62 year old mother of five, who had dedicated her whole life to raising her children? And what if her husband had one day pronounced a talaq against her and turned her into the street, without a single paisa to her name? What if, at the age of 62 years, she found the strength to approach the Supreme Court and actually win the right to alimony? What would liberals do? Would they want to see her on the cover of TIME Magazine?

No. Of course not. Indian liberals would want Parliament to call an emergency session and pass a law to deprive her of the means of living. The liberals would go on to proudly call this the “Muslim Woman (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act.” She would receive the “protection” of losing everything. Like George Orwell said, “Freedom is slavery.”

What if ‘Bilkis’ was a woman living an ordinary married life and one day her husband just decided to get rid of her? All he would have to do is say “Talaq – Talaq – Talaq.” Three times. That’s all. If he was an even bigger coward and unable to look her in the eye, he could just say the words by SMS. And she would be out of his life instantly. She would have been cast away with no rights to anything. Indian liberals would have supported that.

What if ‘Bilkis’ gave up her self respect and begged and pleaded on hearing those three words, or reading them in an SMS? What if her begging and pleading melted her now ex-husband’s heart and he agreed to take her back? What would ‘Bilkis’ have to do? First, she would have to sleep with a strange man as part of “Nikah-Halala.” Indian liberals would have supported that too.

What if ‘Bilkis’ was 30 years old and suddenly heard the terrible news that her father had passed away? Her father would have worked hard his whole life to leave something for all his children, whom he would have loved equally. So can ‘Bilkis’ get an equal share of the inheritance?

Not if ‘Bilkis’ had any brothers. As a daughter, she would be entitled to receive [pdf] only half of what her brothers get. Actually, that’s wrong. As a daughter, she isn’t “entitled” to anything. Muslim personal law divides people into “sharers” and “residuaries.” The sons are “sharers” : they are the ones who are entitled to a share of the property. As a ‘daughter’ she can only be a “residuary”: those who take up what is left over after the sharers have taken their part!

Equal citizen of India. But not equal in the eyes of the law. Indian liberals support this.

What if ‘Bilkis’ was a mere teenager, perhaps 15 or 16 years old? At that age, she would most likely be starting to develop an interest in boys. Perhaps thinking about holding hands with a boy or dreaming about her first kiss. Not old enough for marriage. Or for that matter, dating anyone seriously. She would have too much homework at school anyway. Could they take young ‘Bilkis’ and force her to get married? They absolutely could. A Muslim girl in India can be legally married off once she has hit puberty. Liberals support this as well.

What if ‘Bilkis’ was a naturally curious 10 year old girl, with an interest in math or science? Would her teachers at school spot her talent and try to nurture it? Well, not necessarily. Her “school” could be a madrassa that does not even teach science or math. It would still be called a “school” despite the fact that it doesn’t teach math or science. In 2015, the Govt of Maharashtra decided that in order to be recognized as a school, it must teach math and science. Liberals were very angry with this. They said this was an example of “intolerance.” When has anything good ever come from teaching math and science to kids?

What if ‘Bilkis’ was a six or seven year old girl and they decided to mutilate her genitals? Should that be legal? Indian liberals seem to think it should be. As for the Supreme Court, they have referred the matter to a larger bench. They are still thinking. We will know when the honorable justices have made up their minds.

And finally, let us get back to a protest site such as Shaheen Bagh. What if ‘Bilkis’ was an infant, a newborn barely a few days old? What if her mother and father kept taking her out to the protest in the bitterly cold Delhi winter nights? What if ‘Bilkis’ was coughing, but she was so little that nobody even noticed? What if one day, her struggles suddenly came to an end, without so much as making a sound? And she left the cruel world, just a few weeks old? All this while, secular intellectuals would be circling like vultures, making provocative speeches and glorifying the mothers for bringing babies out there. And of course, scouting for a kind looking 82 year old grandmother to put on the cover of TIME Magazine…

Like I said before, ‘Bilkis’ could be any face in the crowd. In India, ‘Bilkis’ could come in many forms. But Indian liberals love just one of them.

What they did on 5th August, was the last nail on the ‘coffin of India’: Farooq Abdullah says Kashmiris would prefer to be ruled by China

OpIndia Staff
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What they did on 5th August, was the last nail on the ‘coffin of India’: Farooq Abdullah says Kashmiris would prefer to be ruled by China

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday claimed that after the abrogation of Article 370, the Kashmiri people ‘do not feel or want to be Indian’ and they would rather prefer to be ruled by China, instead of India. 

Speaking to the far-left website ‘The Wire’, Farooq Abdullah, who is also a Member of Parliament, said that the Kashmiris would rather be ruled by the Chinese, rather than being part of the country. In the interview, Abdullah claimed that the sentiments of the Kashmiris are such that they are waiting for Chinese to enter Kashmir despite their human rights record with Muslims in China.

“To be honest, I wonder whether they (Modi govt) will find somebody who will call himself an Indian today. What they did on 5th August last year, was the last nail in the coffin of India. And that’s what they did. You go and talk to anybody; they don’t want to be known as Indians,” the three-time Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah said to Karan Thapar.

Claiming that the people of Kashmir have lost faith from the Modi-led government, Abdullah said that the lakhs of Kashmiri will hit the streets in the future against the policies of Modi government once Section 144 is lifted. “We had joined Gandhi’s India, not Modi’s India,” he said.

In the 44-minute interview, Farooq Abdullah said that the Modi government has brought a new domicile law that is intended to flood the Valley with Hindus and create a Hindu majority.

Speaking on his alleged detention after the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, the former Chief Minister said that it was the ‘Quran’ which gave him the courage to stand on fight against the Modi government.

Article 370, 35A will be reinstated in Jammu and Kashmir, says Farooq Abdullah

In the interview, Farooq Abdullah said that the National Conference and other parties had come together to issue the Gupkar Declaration of August 2019, which reiterated its stand again on August 22 this year. The parties, according to the declaration, are committed to restoring the dignity of Kashmiris.

Farooq Abdullah said that the parties will look to reinstate Articles 370 and 35A and also restore statehood of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah claimed that he had faith in the Supreme Court and hoped that it would hear his petition expeditiously.

The KWAN connection: Deepika Padukone’s NGO had Anirban Das Blah as one of the trustees

OpIndia Staff
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The KWAN connection: Deepika Padukone’s NGO had Anirban Das Blah as one of the trustees

As Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is closing down on Bollywood’s connection to drug usage, several celebrities are coming under the scanner of the agency. One of the latest names that have emerged in the drug abuse case is of Deepika Padukone. Netizens have now dig out the connection between her NGO ‘The Live Love Laugh Foundation’ (TLLLF) and KWAN talent agency.

TLLLF History and its connection to KWAN Entertainment

TLLLF was founded in 2015 by Deepika Padukone, aimed at raising awareness about mental health. Deepika, who claims to have suffered from depression, had said that there should be a supporting ecosystem to allow a person suffering from a mental disorder to cope with hope and dignity. Though the aim of the charitable trust sounds progressive and important, especially in a country like India, where mental illness is considered to be a taboo, TLLLF’s name got associated with several controversies.

Anirban Das Blah, ex-owner of KWAN Entertainment, was associated with Deepika’s NGO. When his name first appeared in the “Me Too” movement in 2018, both KWAN and TLLLF issued a statement that they have removed Anirban from his respective positions in the organization. On 23 September, Blah’s name again appeared in controversy when actress Sherlyn Chopra alleged that he sexually harassed her during a meeting. KWAN’s employee Karishma and Deepika’s alleged 2017 chat has recently surfaced discussing procuring drugs.

NCB has also summoned Madhu Mantena Varma, co-founder of KWAN, Dhruv Chitgopekar, CEO KWAN and Jaya Saha Talent Manager KWAN who managed Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty. Saha also admitted ordering CBD Oil for Rhea and Rajput.

Same PAN for two NGOs

Twitter account @cyber_hunnt also pointed out how two NGOs, TLLLF and Maa Samadhanam Educational Charitable Trust have the same PAN.

TLLLF too has quoted same PAN on its website.
TLLLF PAN

Interestingly, there is another NGO named Maa Samadhanam Educational and Charitable Trust (“and” being the differentiating factor) which has a different PAN.

Exemption detail for Maa Samadhanam Educational and Charitable Trust

The PAN of Maa Samadhanam Educational and Charitable Trust is AADTM6352J. But the PANs of both Maa Samadhanam Educational Charitable Trust and The Live Love Laugh Foundation are mentioned as same, AACTT5919M. The TLLLF has mentioned the PAN in their website, and also uploaded a copy of the PAN. On the other hand, there is no website of both the Maa Samadhanam NGOs, but their names appear in a list of exempted institutions on the website of the Income Tax department with the respcting PANs, one being same as TLLLF’s PAN.

Copy of PAN of TLLLF

TLLLF has also uploaded the approval letters issued by the Income Tax department under sections 12A and 80G, and both the letters mention the PAN. Therefore, it can be assumed that TLLLF PAN is genuine, but there is a mystery about why another NGO has the same PAN, and why the same NGO has a different PAN under a slightly different name.

FCRA Approval

In the annual report for the year 2018-2019, Anisha Padukone, Director TLLLF, mentioned that the organization applied for Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license so that they can receive foreign funding to expand the functioning of the organization. In the next year’s annual report that is of 2019-2020, it was mentioned that they had received the FCRA license in July 2019 and now eligible to receive foreign funding. The organization has not submitted its FCRA return for 2019-2020 so far; however, their audit report was included in the annual report 2019-2020.

Deepika and history of controversies

Statement on Rahul Gandhi: In an old video, Deepika praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his contributions towards the nation as a youth leader. In the video, she hoped Gandhi would become PM one day and lead the nation. Her statement often surfaces over social media mocking her for her views on politics.

Visit at JNU: During anti-CAA protests, Deepika visited Jawaharlal Nehru University and supported those who were raising their voice against CAA and NRC. She also had a word with Aishe Ghosh, a student leader who was one of the persons leading the protest. There were two theories about why she went to support the protesters in a hurry. One theory suggested she was there to promote her then-soon-to-be-released movie Chappak and the other theory indicated that she was paid to do so by Aneel Mussarat.

Monsoon session of Lok Sabha concludes, becomes the most productive session in the history with productivity rate of 167%

OpIndia Staff
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Monsoon session of Lok Sabha concludes, becomes the most productive session in the history with productivity rate of 167%

The monsoon session of the 17th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die today, with the session cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The session was otherwise scheduled to continue till 1st October.

This session of Lok Sabha has been unique in term of productivity. Despite the unprecedented challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic, this Lok Sabha session witnessed all-time high productivity so far. The productivity percentage of this Lok Sabha session, which was presided by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, stood at 167% which is the highest ever. The 8th Lok Sabha comes second with 163 % productivity.

As the session was shortened due to the pandemic, private member business was skipped in this session. Therefore, no private member was introduced or discussed. Masks were mandatory for the MPs present in the house, and MPs also sat at the visitor’s gallery above the Lok Sabha to maintain social distancing. Fibreglass panels were installed in front of each bench and both the sides of members to avoid possible spread of coronavirus. For the same reason members were allowed to stand up while speaking, so that they remain inside the shields.

Here are some of the statistics of the current Lok Sabha session:

Productivity

  • In this monsoon session of the Lok Sabha, a total of 25 Bills were passed in the ten-day long session.
  • This Lok Sabha session had no holiday which is a also a record. Also, the proceedings of the session continued till 12:30 a.m. in the night on two days, Sunday and Monday.
  • September 21 proved to be the most productive day of the session with 234 per cent productivity which is the highest for any single day till now.
  • Out of total 10 sittings, the session worked for 60 hours which is one and a half times more than the usual 37 hours. During the session 68 per cent of the total time was devoted for legislative functions and the remaining 32 per cent was devoted for other activities. During this time, 16 bills were introduced while 25 bills were passed.

Zero Hour

  • In the fixed duration of the zero hour, 370 members got the chance to raise the questions of public importance while only 180 members were supposed to get the chance to speak.
  • During the proceedings of the session on September 20, 88 members got the chance to speak in the zero hour and out of total 78 women members, 60 got the opportunity to speak during this time.

Rule 377

  • Under Rule 377 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs takes follow-up questions on matters raised by the members.
  • As compared to the fourth session of the 15th and the 16th Lok Sabha, almost double the members asked questions in the fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha.
  • The session fared better in terms of questions addressed by the government. The government was able to answer 99 per cent of the subjects raised.
  • On average, 35 members asked questions in the zero hour every day.
  • On an average 7 members in the 13th Lok Sabha, 9 members in the 14th Lok Sabha, 10 members in the 15th Lok Sabha and 12 members in the 16th Lok Sabha had got the opportunity to speak on various subjects. However, in the 17th Lok Sabha 18 members, on an average, got the chance to speak every day.

Questions

  • Answers of almost 2300 unstarred questions were presented on the floor of the house.

Health Safety

  • Special attention was paid to the health of MPs and officials during the session. A total of 8029 people were tested for Covid-19 including members of Parliament, their family and relatives, personal staff, Lok Sabha officers and workers and media persons.
  • The Coronavirus situation in the country was discussed for 5 hours and 8 minutes.

Several important bills were passed in the monsoon of the parliament this year. Some of them include the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, The Farmers (Empowerment And Protection) Agreement On Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, and the Amendment to 1955 Essential Commodities Bill, The FCRA Amendment Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, and three labour code bills, namely The Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, The Code On Social Security, and The Industrial Relations Code.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned sine die earlier in the afternoon, which was marked by boycott by opposition following the ruckus in the upper house on Sunday.

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