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The Hindu spreads misleading information about PM CARES RTI, trolls use it further to insinuate ‘scam’: Here is the truth

OpIndia Staff
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The Hindu spreads misleading information about PM CARES RTI, trolls use it further to insinuate ‘scam’: Here is the truth

After the Coronavirus pandemic gripped the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set up the PM CARES Fund and invited people to contribute to the Fund. PM CARES Fund Trust was formed on 27th March this year to receive public donations to fight emergencies or distresses like the current Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust, and its members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

After the PM CARES fund was set up by the government, opposition parties and a section of left-liberal intellectuals had launched a campaign against it, alleging that the fund will be misused as it will not be audited by the CAG. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had demanded that the entire money collected in the fund should be transferred to the PM National Relief Fund. The PMNRF is also not audited by the CAG, as both the fund does not receive any taxpayers’ money, but accepts only voluntary donations.

The tirade against the PM CARES Fund did not stop there and several conspiracy theories were floated. Now, a new attempt is being made to spread canards and misinformation regarding the PM CARES Fund.

The Hindu recently published a report claiming that the PM CARES Fund had refused to divulge information in response to an RTI.

In the tweet, they wrote, “The Prime Minister’s Office has denied a Right to Information request related to the PM-CARES Fund on the grounds that providing it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office'”.

Tweet by The Hindu on PM CARES Fund RTI
Tweet by The Hindu

One glance at the text shared by The Hindu, one would imagine that the Prime Minister’s office has denied the request for information relating to the Fund and/or the usage of the funds collected under PM CARES. In fact, without really reading the details of the report, several Congress politicians and their trolls started reacting and insinuating that a scam was brewing in the PM CARES Fund and hence, PMO had refused to divulge details.

Several such tweets insinuated that the PMO had refused to divulge information about the usage of the funds under PM CARES, however, the truth was far from it.

What The Hindu report said about the PM CARES RTI

The Hindu report says that activist Lokesh Batra (retd.) had filed an RTI request asking for the “total number of RTI applications and appeals received and disposed of in the PMO each month since April 2020, as well as the number of such applications and appeals related to PM-CARES and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund”.

At the very outset, it is clear that the RTI did not pertain to the usage of funds at all. It pertained to the number of RTIs received by the department in total, the number of RTIs disposed and the number of RTIs which were specific to PM CARES and PMNRF.

Further, the report says that the PMO did respond to the RTI with the overall data that it had, however, did not give the breakdown of the RTIs that pertained specifically to the two funds – PM CARES and PMNRF.

The reason cited by the PMO, according to The Hindu report, was, “The information sought by you is not maintained in this office in compiled form. Its collection and compilation would disproportionately divert the resources of this office from the efficient discharge of its normal functions, thereby attracting the provisions under Section 7(9) of the Act”.

It is pertinent to note here that the RTI was not about the funds’ utilisation at all. Information regarding how the funds are being utilised have been provided earlier from time to time. For example, Rs 3,100 crores were allotted to fight Coronavirus, for example, to manufacture ventilators.

Further, news had emerged that the Prime Minister’s Office had seen a 15% reduction in its staff strength keeping in tune with the “Minimum government” mantra of PM Modi. The reduction of staff can be one reason for not wanting to divert resources.

The chicanery by The Hindu – misrepresenting facts to insinuate wrongdoing

The Hindu starts the report with a load of insinuation that are sans merit.

The Hindu starts the article by insinuating that the PMO had altogether refused to provide information.

The Hindu cites the High Court judgement to say that this rationale can be used to change the format of information sought but not refuse to provide information altogether. However, further in the report, it is revealed that the PMO did indeed provide consolidated information and said that giving a break-up of the RTIs received specifically for PM CARES and PMNRF would result in the disproportionate diversion of resources since the department only keeps consolidated data and not the break-up.

Further, after providing the explanation by the PMO, that cites Section 7 (9), The Hindu goes ahead and tries to caste aspersions again, sans merit.

The Hindu in this section tries to insinuate that the PMO is citing an incorrect section to “deny information” in response to the RTI. The Hindu essentially says that if the PMO had to “deny information”, it would have to do it under Section 8 (1) which lists the various valid reasons for exemption under the Act. “HOWEVER”, The Hindu says, Section 7 (9), which was cited by the PMO, “ONLY SAYS” that information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unwell “it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority”.

The use of words like “however”, only exposes the nefarious designs of The Hindu. While citing Section 7 (9) and the legality of what the PMO has done, The Hindu attempts to insinuate that the PMO has indulged in breach of law by not only citing the incorrect section but also by “refusing information” based on it.

The fact is that the PMO has cited Section 7(9) and while providing consolidated information, said that it will not be able to provide a break up of the number of RTIs that pertains only to PM CARES and PMNRF since PMO does not keep the break up of the information and compilation of such would lead to the disproportionate diversion of resources.

Further, The Hindu cites the High Court order that says that the authority may only provide information in a different format and not refuse information altogether. However, PMO seems to have done exactly that. It has provided the consolidated data.

The Hindu report itself says, “On the eve of Independence Day, the PMO responded, providing the overall data, but denying information specific to the two funds”.

Hence, it can be said that the PMO did provide information but in a different format. Evidently, The Hindu wanted to slyly insinuate wrongdoing with working the article in a manner loaded with allegations, which can then be picked up by Congress trolls and others to allege that a scam was underway.

It must be remembered that The Hindu has a history of misreporting documents to try and allege a scam that finds its way directly to the PM. Earlier, The Hindu had morphed and edited Defence Documents to insinuate a scam in the Rafale deal by the PMO. This allegation was then picked up by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. Even after the full document being released that debunked the allegations, The Hindu had refused to rectify itself.

Pakistan: Actress Saba Qamar and co-star booked for shooting a song at Wazir Khan mosque in Lahore

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Actress Saba Qamar and co-star booked for shooting a song at Wazir Khan mosque in Lahore

Pakistani actress Saba Qamar and singer/actor Bilal Saeed have been booked on Friday for allegedly “violating the sanctity” of the Wazir Khan Mosque at Lahore. They had shot a scene at the mosque for a song that was scheduled to release on 11th August but was later postponed for a day.

Before the song could be released, a video of the two was circulated on the social media where there were seen doing a dance move with the mosque in the background. The said video caused outrage on the social media and many users demanded action against the actors and the team for shooting a song in the mosque.

According to the reports, a sessions court in Lahore has ordered the station house officer (SHO) to file the case and proceed with the actions against the team involved in shooting the song as per the law. Geo TV in its report said that a petition was heard on Thursday filed by Advocate Sardar Farhat Manzoor Khan. Additional District and Sessions Judge Attiqur Rehman listened to the petition in which the advocate requested the court to order the Lahore police to file a case against the duo and the team behind the song. The advocate also asked the court to take appropriate action against the officials of Pak’s Punjab government for allowing the shoot.

It is notable here that fundamentalist Muslims consider music and dance as ‘inappropriate’ and music and dance inside mosque premises are prohibited.

FIR registered under several acts

On court’s orders FIR has been registered against the actors and the team under sections including “offences relating to religion, injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting Its religion or religious beliefs,” the report said.

The Punjab Government had suspended Ishtiaq Ahmed, manager Wazir Khan Mosque on 9th August. Punjab minister Sahibzada Saeedul Hassan was quoted by Geo TV saying, “The video shoot raised a lot of questions”. He vowed strict action against those who gave permission for the shoot, ‘no matter how high a position they held’.

Actors posted apology statements on social media

Both Saba and Bilal posted apology posts on Twitter and tried to clarify that they did not shoot any music or dance sequence in the mosque. According to them, the video posted on social media was misleading. While Saba shared a trailer of the song and ensured there was no music or dance sequence in the mosque, Bilal posted a video message and said he and the team are extremely sorry if they hurt anyone sentiments. He added that being a devote Muslim, he cannot think of violating the sanctity of a mosque ever in his life.

Apology in form of a Tweet Thread posted by Saba Qamar on her Twitter account

Bilal added in his statement that they would remove the shots. The sequence did not make it to the final song released on 12th August. The actress had stated that the viral clip on social media was taken from a still photo shoot for the promotion of the song, intendeded to depict a happy couple after their Nikah. She had also asserted that no playback music was playing during the shoot.

Facebook rubbishes charges of being pro-BJP, claims they ‘penalise’ everyone irrespective of political affiliation

OpIndia Staff
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Facebook rubbishes charges of being pro-BJP, claims they ‘penalise’ everyone irrespective of political affiliation

Facebook today has refuted the allegations that it is pro-BJP and claimed that they prohibit ‘hate speech’ and content that ‘incites violence’ irrespective of party affiliation.

A Facebook spokesperson was quoted by ANI saying, “We prohibit hate speech & content that incites violence & we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position/party affiliation. We’re making progress on enforcement & conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness & accuracy.”

In the last few days, opposition parties and their supporters are locking horns with Facebook over allegations of ignoring alleged hate speech by members of Bhartiya Janata Party. Facebook, in a statement, has rubbished the claims and said that they do not favour any political party or position. Facebook added that they penalise everyone for posting hate speech irrespective of their political affiliation.

WSJ claims Facebook is pro-BJP

In a report published in the Wall Street Journal, it was claimed that the Facebook India officials were reluctant in taking steps against an alleged anti-Muslim post by a BJP linked account(s). The report claimed that a top executive at Facebook India does not consider anti-Muslim posts as ‘hate speech’. The name of a senior Facebook official Ankhi Das was cited in the report by The Wire as the alleged BJP supporter. Some Twitter users, including Nidhi, ex-NDTV journalist, posted on Twitter that they have left Facebook to mark their protest against the alleged ‘pro-BJP’ stand of Facebook.

Malaysia: India returnee Nezar Mohamed imprisoned for 5 months for breaching home-quarantine as a deadly strain of coronavirus ‘D614G’ detected

OpIndia Staff
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Malaysia: India returnee Nezar Mohamed imprisoned for 5 months for breaching home-quarantine as a deadly strain of coronavirus ‘D614G’ detected

An Indian man identified as Nezar Mohamed Sabur Batca, who had returned from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu has been imprisoned in Malaysia for breaching the 14-day self-quarantine protocol and is currently serving 5-months imprisonment for the violation. The arrest was made after the Malaysia’s Institute of Medical Research (IMR) detected a D614G-type mutation of Covid-19 in the culture tests of samples taken from three cases linked to the Sivaganga cluster, and one from the Ulu Tiram Cluster.

As per reports, he had tested negative when he reached Malaysia from India on July 13. However, he was instructed to home quarantine himself. As per the charge sheet, Batca was found in four public spaces on July 14, thereby breaking the quarantine norms. His later screening showed he had symptoms for coronavirus following which he was admitted to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital.

He is now jailed for five months and fine of RM 12,000 has been imposed on him.

Deadly D614G strain found in coronavirus

Even as the world grappling with the galloping coronavirus crisis, a grim news has emanated from the South-East Asian nation Malaysia about the discovery of a deadlier strain of coronavirus. Malaysia has detected a new strain of coronavirus which is 10 times more infectious.

Taking to the social media website Facebook, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah claimed that the D614G mutation was first discovered in July, and the studies would possibly find that any existing vaccine is ineffective against the strain.

Facebook post by Dr Noor

“People must remain vigilant and Cautious as Covid-19 with the D614G mutation has been detected in Malaysia,” he wrote in his Facebook post.

He further added, “Public should continue take preventive measures and follow the standard operating procedures as mandated, such as strict social distancing, wearing masks in public places and self-hygiene practices.”

Dr Noor said that the test by the IMR was preliminary and that there were several subsequent tests lined up on other cases, including index cases of the two clusters.

The deadly infection which had ravaged other parts of the world, called D614G, was detected in at least three of the 45 cases in a cluster that started from a restaurant owner returning from India and breaching his 14-day home quarantine. The man has since been sentenced to five months in prison and penalised. The strain was also found in another cluster involving people returning from the Philippines.

D614G mutation of the coronavirus

D614G is one of the deadliest mutation of the coronavirus that is predominant in several parts of the United States and Europe, two of the regions worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the World Health Organisation has issued a clarification, saying there’s no evidence to prove that the strain leads to a severe version of the disease.

As per research in the journal Cell, a variant of the novel coronavirus, named ‘D614G’ is more contagious in cell cultures under laboratory conditions.

However, another paper published in Cell Press contrasts the claim, asserting that the strain is unlikely to have a major impact on the effectiveness of vaccines which currently being developed.

Xinjiang: China razes Uyghur mosque, builds public toilet on the site

OpIndia Staff
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Xinjiang: China razes Uyghur mosque, builds public toilet on the site

The attack on Uyghur culture in China continues as China has now reportedly built a public toilet on the site where a Mosque once stood in Suntagh village, Atush (in Chinese, Atushi) city in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), northwest China, as per a report in Radio Free Asia. In the past few years, China has been hell-bent on breaking the spirit of Uyghur Muslims.

As per reports, in 2016, directives were issued to destroy Muslim places of worship. The destruction of the Tokul mosque along with a few other mosques in the area was part of the drive. Now the reports have emerged that the local authorities have erected a restroom on the site.

Xi Jinping’s “mosque rectification” drive is a small part of policies against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China. In an interview conducted by Radio Free Asia, Uyghur neighbourhood committee chief from Suntagh village in Atush said the mosque was torn down in 2018. The “Han comrades” have now constructed a toilet in the place. “It’s a public toilet … they haven’t opened it yet, but it’s built,” he added.

When he was asked if there was any need of a public toilet in the location, he said, “People have toilets at home, so there weren’t any problems like that.” Suntagh is located around 3 KM outside central Astush, and hardly any tourists visit the place. He said that there was no reason a public toilet had to be built here. According to the chief, the toilet was constructed to cover the ruins of the Tokul mosque.

RFA talked to one other resident of the village who told them that Azna mosque, another mosque in the area, was converted into a convenience store. It sells alcohol and cigarettes, which is considered against the religion in Islam. Only Teres Mosque currently stands in the area in poor condition.

China’s oppression of Uyghur Muslims

China has been accused of committing grave human rights violations against the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. Thousands of Uyghurs have been held in ‘re-education’ camps, while the CCP imposes restrictions on prayers, festivals and traditional rituals. Chinese oppression of Uyghur Muslims has been known for a long time. Earlier the Chinese police had imposed a dress code for Uyghur women, under which the Muslim women are not allowed to wear long dresses.

Nearly 10 percent of the Uyghur population is estimated to be in these re-education camps and in some cases, half of the entire village, townships are in these concentration camps.

West Bengal: TMC worker Humayun Kabir dies in an explosion while making crude bombs

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC worker Humayun Kabir dies in an explosion while making crude bombs

On Saturday, a 40-year-old TMC worker named Humayun Kabir died after sustaining grave injuries during an explosion caused while making crude bombs at the roof of his house, reported The Hindustan Times. The incident took place in the Shamshergunj area in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

As per the report, the 10-year-old son of Humayun was also injured in the explosion. According to sub-divisional police officer of Jangipur, Prasenjit Banerjee, Kabir was fatally injured while trying to make crude bombs. He informed, “Preliminary investigation shows that Kabir was making bombs on the roof of his house.” Banerjee further stated that the explosion was accidental and that a probe has been initiated into the matter. Reportedly, no arrests have been made in there case so far.

According to the locals, a loud explosion took place on Saturday night at 9 pm, post which they rushed to Kabir’s house. Reportedly, they discovered his blood-soaked body on the roof of his house. The deceased’s mother, Kachinur Bewa, informed that the explosion took place after they had dinner.

Kabir had a criminal history; mother denies charges

Dismissing the allegations of bomb-making levelled against her son, Kabir’s mother claimed, “My son was not associated with any criminal activity. We suspect that someone hurled a bomb at our house.” However, cops had revealed that Kabir was involved in several criminal activities in the past and had been arrested many times. The police officials suspect that the family hid the bomb-making materials in a bid to remove evidence.

TMC distances itself from the incident

Humayun Kabir was a part-time labourer at a nearby Bidi factory. Following his death, the Trinamool Congress has distanced itself from the incident. The spokesperson of the party in Murshidabad, Goutam Ghosh, said that no TMC worker was involved in the incident. “We have requested the police to probe the matter impartially,” he was quoted as saying.

Germany: Pakistanis abuse India and Indian citizen for standing ground and calling out their anti-India slogans in Frankfurt

OpIndia Staff
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Germany: Pakistanis abuse India and Indian citizen for standing ground and calling out their anti-India slogans in Frankfurt

On 15th August, on the occasion of India’s Independence Day, some Pakistanis and pro-Khalistanis gathered in Frankfurt, Germany for a rally against India. The main aim of the rally was to show support for “Azad Kashmir” and Khalistan. A few videos and photos have emerged on the social media showing them raising slogans against India and PM Modi. Pro-Pakistan and pro-Khalistan slogans can also be heard in the background.

The user Prashant Vengurlekar @/vengurlekarpras uploaded the video on his Twitter handle. He was present at the scene showing support for India. He tagged PM Modi, Ministry of External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar, along with a few media houses and wrote, “This Shameful protest by Pakistanis in Frankfurt abusing our great Nation and PM. I alone opposed them & stood my ground in face of [the] aggression. JAI HIND.”

When people in the rally noticed him recording the video, they hurled abuses and even tried to attack him. One of the protesters wanted to hit him with the Pakistani flag. The Police present at the scene to control the crowd had to intervene.

A user Sajjan M Sharma @/SMSharma uploaded a video of the rally in which a man was seen hurling abuses on the person recording the video who had to approach to Police to save himself from the Pakistani attack. The video below has abusive language, viewer discretion advised.

Pakistan-sponsored elements in London had attacked the Indian Consulate last year

Last year, agitated and humiliated after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan had sponsored a number of anti-India rallies in the UK. In London, on the occasion of the Indian Independence Day, the Indian diaspora gathered at the Consulate to celebrate was attacked by Pakistani stooges. The Indian embassy building was attacked too. The Indian government had raised a strong protest over the incident. Similar anti-India rallies were taken out in several other UK cities too, with the support of Labour Party politicians. Eventually, the explicit support of the UK Labour Party to Pakistani Islamist elements in the UK was exposed, and the Indian government had strongly denounced it.

It is notable here that such anti-India protests had abruptly stopped after the UK Labour suffered a humiliating defeat in the UK elections last year.

Pakistan has been sponsoring Khalistan separatists for anti-India activities

This is not the first time pro-Pakistanis and pro-Khalistanis have organized rallies against India on foreign lands. Anti-India elements have even called for a referendum in November 2020 for separate Khalistan. On Independence Day, Khalistani flags were raised in different locations in Punjab including an administration building in Moga. Captain Amrinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab issued a statement and urged the youth of Punjab not to fall for anti-India propaganda.

UK and Canada have been the most prominent foreign locations for Pakistanis and their Khalistani stooges to display anti-India activities.

Indian Railways refutes New Indian Express report claiming North Indians were preferred over Tamilians in a recent recruitment exercise

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Railways refutes New Indian Express report claiming North Indians were preferred over Tamilians in a recent recruitment exercise

On 4th of August, The New Indian Express published a report claiming that hundreds of people from North India have been appointed to Indian Railways in Tamil Nadu, while very few locals were selected for the vacant posts. The report claimed that hundreds of natives from North Indian states arrived in Trichy in Tamil Nadu by flights for document verification process of the recruitment, and they didn’t take COVID-19 tests and didn’t self-isolated themselves.

The report claims that out of the 581 vacancies available for the Technicians (Grade-3) posts in Ponmalai Railway Workshop, only 12 people from Tamil Nadu were selected. It adds that 163 candidates from Bihar and 115 from Rajasthan were selected for the position.

The New Indian Express reports that ex-apprentices of Railways have alleged corruption in appointment in Railways to favour North Indians, and they staged protests against this. The ex-apprentices questioned how North Indians were called for verification, and how they travelled all the way to Tamil Nadu during the Coronavirus pandemic. The report also quoted one former apprentice saying that “Tamilians those who finished apprenticeship are waiting for jobs since 2008. But the railways are selecting North Indians primarily.” He also asked did the North Indians participated in the verification without quarantine.

Almost two weeks after the publication of the report, now the Indian Railways has issued a statement denying all the allegations made in the report. The statement issued by Southern Railway states that there are 21 Railway recruitment Boards in India, and all RRBs call for applications for various posts through a common notification taking into account all the vacancies that are existing in Various zonal Railways and Production units. Applications are invited through “Employment News” and the websites of the RRBs.

Therefore, candidates from all over the country can apply for vacant jobs anywhere in India under any RRB. At the time of applying they have to select any one RRB, and they are allotted a Railway zone based on their selection of RRB. Once a board is selected, a candidate can’t change the same. This means, the North Indian candidates who had arrived in Tamil Nadu had selected the Chennai RRB at the time of submitting the application forms itself.

Coming to the allegation that only 12 candidates from Tamil Nadu were selected, the statement says in the total number of selected candidates, 17% are from Tamil Nadu. The recruitments are being done for two posts, Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician. For the post of Assistant Loco Pilot, 53% of the selected candidates are from Tamil Nadu.

The statement informs that the number of Technicians selected from Tamil Nadu is less because most of the candidates from the state were over-qualified. The qualification criteria for Technician is ITI degree in the relevant field, and Engineering Degree or Diploma holders are not selected for the post of Technician. For the ALP post, these qualifications are accepted. Due to this reason, while more than half the candidates selected for the post of ALP are from Tamil Nadu, the share of candidates from the state for Technician is much less.

The Railways have also denied the allegations of violating Coronavirus protocol by the candidates who had reached Trichy for verification. The statement informs that the candidates were called for Certification verification from 4th August, and they were informed about the same much earlier. The Candidates arrived by flight well ahead of the scheduled date, and underwent 14 days of mandatory quarantine, Southern Railway confirms. The railway has also confirmed that swab tests were done for all the candidates as per the state govt’s protocols, and the results of the tests were verified by the Railway authorities through the online Covid-19 portal of the district administration.

Referring to the former-apprentices waiting for recruitment in Railways, the statement adds that Railways engage apprentices in workshops and Production units and impart them technical training with the objective of developing skilled manpower, and employment in Railways is not guaranteed on completion of Apprenticeship. Still, Railways have earmarked 20% posts in Railway Recruitment Cell for which aspirants who have completed Railway apprentice training are free to apply.

The statement by Southern Railway deny any foul-play in candidates as alleged in the news report. It says that RRB conducts exam in a fair and transparent manner, which is a computer-based test and notifications are issued on pan India basis. It also states that candidates from across the country have the right to choose any specific RRB, and candidates are selected purely based on their merits and their eligibility criteria irrespective of their state of origin.

The Southern Railway has asked the New Indian Express to publish the correct facts, so that misconception in the minds of public is cleared.

Maharashtra govt to train minority youth to ensure ‘maximum recruitment’ in the police department

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra govt to train minority youth to ensure ‘maximum recruitment’ in the police department

On Sunday, Nawab Malik, the national spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Minority Affairs Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, informed that youth belonging to the ‘minority communities’ would be given pre-recruitment training to ensure their ‘maximum appointment’ in the police Department.

Malik had shared a post of Twitter that read, “Minority youths in the state will be given pre-recruitment training in view of their maximum appointment in the police department.” The post by Nawab Malik further read, “At present, the process of selecting candidates for the training has been started in 14 districts of the state and soon it will be started in the remaining districts as well. Accordingly, direct training will be started later.”

The decision by the Maharashtra government, however, did not go well with netizens. Several people took to social media to express their concern about the State government indulging in blatant ‘minority appeasement.’

Malik had also promised 5% Muslim quota

Since the Maha Vikas Aghadi government assumed power in the state, many political leaders, including Nawab Malik, have spoken in favour of implementing 5% Muslim quota in the state for government jobs. Malik had earlier also asserted that the MVA government will bring an ordinance for the same.

Aamir Khan draws ire for meeting Turkish First Lady amid reports of Turkey radicalising Indian Muslim youth with help of Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Aamir Khan draws ire for meeting Turkish First Lady amid reports of Turkey radicalising Indian Muslim youth with help of Pakistan

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan who is in Turkey for the shooting of Laal Singh Chaddha on Sunday met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s wife Emine Ergogan.

This meeting comes in the backdrop of Turkey’s increasing anti-India and pro-Pakistan stand. Recently, reports had emerged how Turkey has been funding anti-India activities where Erdogan has been vying to become the leader of the Islamic nations.

As per the report, the expansionist Turkish government, is seeking to establish its dominance in the Islamic world through its conservatism and ‘Ottoman traditions’. It plans to achieve this by exerting its influence on South Asian Muslims. According to officials familiar with the security assessment, an extensive review was carried out to unearth the escalated anti-India activities that are perpetrated by Turkey in coordination with the deep state in Pakistan.

Erdogan sponsoring religious seminars in India

Reportedly, Erdogan is now funding religious seminars in India to radicalise Muslims. This includes taking them on a full-expense covered trip to Turkey for further indoctrination. “We are also aware of some people from this group travelling to Qatar to meet some people from Turkey to seek funding for their activities. That amounts as high as Rs 40 lakh is being offered to preach radical Islam in Kerala,” a government official was recently quoted as saying.

Turkish officials funded Anti-CAA protests, Zakir Naik

According to the report, Pakistani and Turkish officials had also funded hate preacher Zakir Naik, who has been accused of inciting and radicalising Indian Muslims, with the help of Qatar. Besides criticising India over the humanitarian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the subsequent riots, the Turkish government had reportedly pumped in funds to prolong the protests. Reportedly, the government in Turkey have been funding separatist leader in Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, for several years. The Turkish government has also disbursed funds to a radical Islamist organisation in Kerala from time to time, the report further stated.

Turkey is the new ‘Dubai’ for ISI

According to officials quoted in the HT report, Turkey has now become ‘Pakistan’s Dubai’, a safe haven for the intelligence agency ISI between 2000 and 2010. Reportedly, ISI had been successful in radicalising Indian Muslims in UAE, including the founders of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. However, due to improved bilateral relations between India and UAE since 2014, the Gulf country is no longer the hub for anti-India activities.

Congress opened office in Turkey?

In November 2019, the Turkish media had reported that Congress’ Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has issued a press statement about opening an office in Istanbul. One Muhammad Yusuf Khan was reported to be heading this office in Turkey. The reports of Congress opening an office there had come just days after Erdogan mirrored Pakistan’s stand over Kashmir in open defiance to India’s interests in the UN.

Turkey criticised India over Kashmir

In 2019, during an address at the United Nations post the abrogation of Article 370, Erdogan was seen supporting Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir. During a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, he compared the so-called “struggle” of the Kashmiris to that of the fight of the Turks against foreign occupation during the First World War. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs warned Erdogan to not interfere in India’s internal affairs. The then spokesperson of the MEA, Raveesh Kumar, had stated, “India rejects all references to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India”.

Pakistan-Turkey, a new love affair

Recently, Turkish period drama Ertugrul, which talks about the Turkish Caliphate, has won Pakistani hearts. Pakistanis have been hyperventilating over the dreams of an Islamic mega-kingdom led by Turkey where they hope Pakistan will gain some much-desired prominence. Recently, after converting the Hagia Sophia to a mosque, Erdogan had vowed to ‘liberate’ the Al-Asqa mosque from Israel.

Netizens fume over Aamir Khan meeting Emine Erdogan

In 2018 when Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuhu had visited India, the Aamir Khan, along with Shah Rukh and Salman stayed away from meeting him.

Despite Erdogan’s anti-India stand, Aamir Khan meeting the wife of Turkish President didn’t go down too well with Indians.

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