G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs, has issued a letter responding to a letter written by Shiv Sena member of Parliament Rahul Shewale regarding a Pakistan original Bollywood event manager. In the letter, G Kishan Reddy says that in reference to Shewale’s letter to the Prime Minister dated 17th February 2020, he got the issue examined and the Ministry of External Affairs has apprised that Rehan Siddiqui, Rakesh Kaushal and Darshan Mehta have been blacklisted on the recommendations of the Consulate General of India, Houston.
Letter by G Kishan Reddy
The letter further says that the Embassy of India in Washington DC and the Consulate General of India in Houston have also been requested to engage with prominent influencers, cultural bodies and bonafide ‘Bollywood affiliated’ local entities to ensure that appropriate message is conveyed to Indian actors and artists to that they can disassociate themselves from such anti-national elements.
Who is Rehan Siddiqui, now blacklisted by India?
The issue surfaced earlier this year when the link between Rehan Siddiqui organising Bollywood events and funding of anti-India propaganda especially related Kashmir had surfaced.
In February, it was reported that Rehan Siddique was on the radar of Indian authorities after it was revealed that Siddique organises Bollywood events and the money raised from it is used to fund anti-India activities abroad, especially with a focus on Kashmir.
Rehan Siddique, who is a Pakistani but is based on Houston also owns a radio channel where he regularly espouses terrorist activity in Kashmir and India and spreads propaganda. Rehan Siddiqui had extensive experience in the music and radio industry and said to have organised more than 400 successful concerts with many of the biggest stars from South Asia and Bollywood.
“He owns a radio channel and brings Indian artistes to Houston for Bollywood concerts. He uses his radio channels as a platform to run anti-India propaganda,” a prominent member of the Indian community in Houston had said at the time.
The Indian diaspora in the United States had staunchly opposed Siddiqui’s organised events, urging the government to dissuade the Bollywood celebrities from participating in the events organised by an ‘ISI agent’. They have demanded that Bollywood celebrities should not be allowed to participate in shows. They have also asserted that Siddiqui and other Pakistani nationals are working to organise anti-CAA protests in Houston and pro-Khalistan protests by the local Sikh community. Siddiqui’s radio channel is also accused of running anti-India propaganda in the wake of Pulwama attack and the subsequent Balakot strikes.
Backlash and actors pulling out of events organised by the Pakistani event manager
In 2019, FWICE had asked singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh to not perform in a show promoted by a Pakistani national Rehan Siddiqui. Dosanjh had posted a message on Twitter informing that he will postpone his US tour while denying any link between the show and any Pakistani national. He ended the message with “I love my country and will always stand for the greater interest of the nation”.
In February 2020, Bollywood actor Salman Khan had called off his event in Houston amidst allegations of terror funding levelled against the Pakistani origin event organiser- Rehan Siddiqui.
The UP government has begun attaching the properties of violent rioters who had damaged public property during the anti-CAA protests in December 2019. As per the orders of the Allahabad High Court on March 20, the Lucknow administration had halted the damages recovery process due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the Lucknow administration attached the third shop in the process. As per reports, the shop belongs to an anti-CAA rioter named Nafees. As per a report by Indian Express, it is a welding workshop located in the Khurram Nagar area. Nafees was accused of damaging public property in the Parivartan Chowk area on December 19.
On Tuesday, the district administration had attached two other shops, namely NY Fashion Centre owned by one of the accused Dharamveer Singh, and a junk shop owned by Maahenoor Chaudhry. The property attachment has been done under the ‘Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance, 2020, based on order passed by District Magistrate Vishwa Bhushan Mishra.
Chaudhry and Singh are among the 13 accused who have been asked by the district administration to pay for damages worth Rs 21.76 lakhs for destroying public property in the Hansaganj police station area during the anti-CAA violence in the city last year.
Tehsildar (sadar) Shambhu Sharan Singh has stated that the two shops that were sealed on Tuesday will be auctioned on July 16 to recover the damages incurred by their owners. He added that if the accused pay up the amount, the auction process will be halted and the shops will be opened for them.
Yogi government had ordered attachment of properties of violent rioters
The Yogi Adityanath government had ordered the attachment of properties of violent rioters who had damaged public property during the anti-CAA riots in the city. In Lucknow, a total of 57 rioters are required to pay up for damages worth Rs 1.55 crore.
The Lucknow administration had put up large hoardings displaying the names and addresses of the rioters who are required to pay damages. A lot of outrage was registered by opposition parties, especially the ‘secular-liberal’ gang. When the court stated that there is no law that allows such public display of names and photographs of rioters, the Yogi government had on March 14 passed an ordinance named the ‘Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public Properties Ordinance, 2020’, thereby providing the authorization to the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh to recover the damages incurred from the accused individuals.
A claim recovery tribunal was set up as per the ordinance to oversee damages recovery and appeals. Reports state that the decisions taken by the tribunal will be final and are not liable to be challenged in ay court.
Sadat Jafar, a Congress leader cum activist who is also a small time actress, is also one of the accused.
Recovery process was halted due to lockdown
The damages recovery process and attachment of properties was halted on March 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Lucknow administration had earlier given a deadline till the first week of April for the rioters to pay up the damages amount.
As per reports, in the Khadra area, some 13 protesters were identified and a loss of property was estimated at Rs 21,76,000. In Parivartan Chowk, 24 persons were identified and loss was estimated at Rs 69,65,000. In the Thakurganj area, 10 persons were identified and the loss was Rs 47,85,800, and in Kaiserbagh six protesters were identified and the loss there was Rs 1,75,000.
The three accused Muslim men in the brutal murder of the 20-year-old Hindu youth Dilbar Negi have confessed before the Delhi police that they indulged in indiscriminate firing on Hindus at the Shiv Vihar in North-East Delhi during the Anti Hindu Riots in the national capital, reports Indian Express.
According to the reports, in the charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police in connection with the murder of Dilbar Negi stated that three accused in the case – Shahnawaz, Salman and Sonu Saifi, admitted to procuring a pistol, while Salman confessed of “firing at Hindus”. The charge-sheet also said that nine of the 12 had given identical confessions, while the remaining three admitting to indulging in violence.
The main accused in the case – Shahnawaz said to the police that he saw a crowd coming from Mustafabad and then said to his friends – Sahil Parvez, Salman and others, who collected sticks, match-stick and bottles. Further, Salman said that he had told Sonu to bring the pistol because he had purchased a pistol three-four months back from Shahnawaz.
Accused fired at Hindus indiscriminately
The accused Salman also said that he wore a helmet and started indiscriminate firing on Hindus at the Shiv Vihar Tiraha, emptied the magazine, and returned the pistol to Sonu.
Confirming the same, another accused Sonu said that Salman, who was pelting stones with them, asked him to get a pistol, which Sonu had purchased from Shahnawa.
“I bought the pistol from my house and gave it to Salman. Salman wore the helmet, and began firing the bullets at Hindus,” said Sonu according to the charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police.
Delhi Police mentions call records in the charge-sheet
The Delhi Police charge-sheet mentioned the call records of the accused to prove that all the three accused were present at the area during the riots. The CCTV footage seized from the Rajdhani School also located six of the accused at the crime scene.
The charge-sheet mentioned, “Azad, is seen ‘carrying a danda’ at 4:09:05 pm; Faisal is ‘seen’ at 3:44:50 pm; Shahrukh at 3:27:20 pm; Shoeb is ‘seen’ at 3:37:04 pm; Rashid is ‘seen’ at 3:37:55 pm; Tahir is ‘seen’ at 3:41:59 pm; Salman is seen at 4:50:25 pm.
The Delhi Police have also identified 24 more suspects in connection with the Anti-Hindu riots in Mustafabad and Shiv Vihar, who are yet to be questioned.
Owner of the hospital is the mastermind behind the killing of Dilbar Negi
Earlier, the owner of a hospital in North-East Delhi was also named by the Delhi Police in its charge-sheet as one of the masterminds of the anti-Hindu riots in Mustafabad, that led to the brutal killing of Hindu youth Dilbar Negi.
The Delhi Police had named Dr MA Anwar, the owner of Al-Hind hospital in the riot-hit Mustafabad area, as one of the organisers of the protest, which led to the murder of 20-year-old Hindu youth Dilbar Negi. The organisers of the protest which took place at Farooqia Masjid are Arshad Pradhan, Dr Anwar, owner of Al-Hind hospital, the charge-sheet mentioned.
Brutal murder of Dilbar Negi by Muslim mob
The 20-year-old Dilbar Negi, who hailed from Uttarakhand, was burnt by a Muslim mob, who had cut his hands and feet, threw the rest of his body into the burning fire during the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots in the national capital.
Negi, who worked at Anil Sweets shop in Shiv Vihar, was killed during the riots and his body was found on the afternoon of February 26 in a charred condition with lower limbs missing below the thigh.
The incident was first reported by OpIndia, when the relatives of Dalbir, the deceased, contacted us and reported the horrific accident. He came to Delhi just 6 months ago from Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand.
In the charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police, it was revealed that Dilbar Singh Negi was burnt alive inside his sweets-shop when a Muslim mob targeted properties of Hindus during the communal riots.
The police have so far named 12 persons as accused in the chargesheet — all of them are in judicial custody. They have been identified as Mohd Shanawaj alias Shanu, Mohd Faizal, Azad, Asraf Ali, Rashid alias Monu, Sharukh, Mohd Shoaib, Parvez, Rashid alias Raja, Md Tahir, Salman and Sonu Saifi.
The tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput had sent shockwaves in the film industry and given rise to heated debates about nepotism within the industry and how outsiders like Rajput have to struggle to find their place. The Mumbai Police is conducting an investigation and has questioned several people close to the actor in an attempt to ascertain the reason behind committing suicide. On July 6th, according to reports, the Mumbai Police will be interrogating director Sanjay Leela Bhansali in connection with the case.
Sushant Singh Rajput was supposed to get two big films from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production house but under a contract agreement with the production house of another big banner, these films never happened. It is said that Sushant was very depressed about the same and had expressed his grief to him as well.
It is expected that the police is planning to probe the reason for these movies being shelved and probe the status of the professional life of Sushant Singh Rajput. Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide on Sunday, June the 14th 2020. He was found hanging at his home in Bandra.
Yashraj Films asked to submit copy of contracts
The Mumbai police are currently investigating allegations that professional rivalry and lobbying might have pushed actor Sushant Singh Rajput to suicide. Apart from this, it is probing allegations that the actor was ousted from multiple films in the last six months after being “boycotted” by big banners. As part of the investigation, Mumbai police had asked Yash Raj Films to submit a copy of their contract signed with the actor. Police have directed that the contract copy must be submitted soon.
It is believed that the Sushant Singh Rajput had signed a three-film contract with YRF, but had featured in only two- Shuddh Desi Romance in 2013 and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy in 2015.
Family of Sushant Singh Rajput alleges foul play
It is notable here that though many reports have stated that the young actor was suffering from depression, his family has alleged foul play in his death. Sushant’s brother-in-law who is a senior police officer in Haryana had alleged foul play and has sought a thorough investigation into the case.
The maternal uncle of Sushant Singh Rajput has also demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Speaking to media, Sushant’s uncle RC Singh said that the actor couldn’t ever do such a thing and there is a conspiracy behind the whole incident. He said that he finds it difficult to believe that Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide.
RC Singh also added that they don’t have trust on the state police, and therefore was seeking probe by a central agency like CBI.
The uncle also alleged that a few days earlier, the death of the actor’s manager which was deemed to be suicide was, in fact, murder as well. He claimed that a nationalist has been murdered in Maharashtra and said that the Rajput Mahasabha demands a CBI inquiry into his death.
Veteran Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan died of a cardiac arrest late on Thursday night at the age of 71. Saroj Khan was admitted to Guru Nanak Hospital at Bandra after she encountered breathing complaints on Thursday.
The ace choreographer passed away due to cardiac arrest early in the morning at 1.52 am. She was admitted to the hospital on June 17. She had earlier tested negative for the coronavirus disease.
Saroj Khan is survived by her husband, son and two daughters.
Reportedly, the veteran choreographer had served the cinema industry for more than four decades. The three-time National Award winner has been credited with choreographing more than 2000 songs, including hits such as Hawa Hawai from Mr India, Ek Do Teen from Tezaab, Dhak Dhak Karne Laga from Beta and Dola Re Dola from Devdas.
Born as Nirmala Nagpal, Saroj Khan began her career by playing the young Shyama onscreen in Nazarana. She soon became a background dancer under the mentorship of dance director B. Sohanlal. After assisting as a dance choreographer for a few years, her first independent work came in Geeta Mera Naam (1974).
Saroj got noticed after she choreographed for Sridevi in Mr. India’s song “Hawa Hawai” (1987). She worked with Sridevi in films like Nagina and Chandni. This was followed by her long-term partnership with Madhuri Dixit in the 1990s in songs like “Ek Do Teen”, “Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai Intezaar”, “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”, “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai”, and “Tamma Tamma”.
Her last rites will be carried out near Ahle Sunnat cemetery in Malad, Mumbai on Friday.
The Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, which was recently banned by the government of India, has issued a statement in which it has refuted the media claims that it is challenging the decision of govt of India to ban it in the country. In the statement, the spokesperson of TikTok clarified that it does not ‘plan to’ take any action against the Government of India.
Issuing a statement on Thursday, TikTok said: “There have been statements in the press concerning the possibility that TikTok might pursue legal action regarding the directive by the Government of India. We have no plans to pursue such action. We are committed to working with the government to address its concerns”.
The Chinese app said that it complies with the laws and regulations of the government of India, and said that the data sovereignty, security and privacy of users has always been and will continue to be a top priority for them.
The statement by TikTok came after senior lawyers had told media that they will not represent the company in Supreme Court against the central govt’s decision to ban them, suggesting that the company was preparing to fight a legal battle against the govt of India.
Senior lawyers commented of not representing TikTok in SC
Yesterday, Congress leader and senior lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said that he would not represent the Chinese video-sharing app in Supreme Court. The Congress leader’s decision came after former Attorney General of India and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi expressed unwillingness to be a lawyer for TikTok. Earlier in the day, Mukul Rohatgi had clarified that he doesn’t want to represent a Chinese company against the Government of India.
These comments from the lawyers suggested that TikTok, owned by Chinese internet firm Bytedance, is challenging the decision of govt of India to ban it in the country, along with 58 other apps from China, and the company was approaching senior lawyers for the same. Abhishek Manu Singhvi had defended the app last year against the Madras High Court’s interim order to ban it.
TikTok is the most popular app on the ban list, which is known for its user-generated lip-syncing, talent and comedy short videos. In recent times the app also faced controversy after a large number of videos were uploaded on TikTok by Muslims mocking and downplaying the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Chinese video sharing app banned in India
The government of India had announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps that were listed on the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store in India over concerns that these apps were engaging in activities that threatened national security, defence of India, sovereignty and integrity of India.
TikTok India released statement, claims does not share data with Chinese govt
Following the ban, TikTok’s India office had released a statement, in which Nikhil Gandhi, head of TikTok in India claimed that TikTok continues to comply with data privacy and security requirements and has not shared information of users to any foreign government including the Chinese government.
Speaking on the recent attack on a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore by terrorists, Amnesty India took to Twitter to claim that the Kashmir police violated laws by revealing the identity of the three-year-old child whom the Jammu and Kashmir police had rescued from being killed by terrorists. The kid was rescued by security forces after his civilian grandfather was killed by terrorists during an encounter with security forces.
Sharing the tweet by Kashmir zone police, where the police had shared an image of the police personnel carrying the three-year-old child in his arms, Amnesty India retorted that by disclosing the identity of the child, the Kashmir police violated Article 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
In its subsequent tweet, Amnesty claimed that the action amounted to a breach of the best interests of the child principle under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a state party”.
By disclosing the identity of a minor witness of a crime, Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) stands in violation of Article 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. pic.twitter.com/brwzH7wPuc
As a response to the NGO’s Tweet, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul shared the screenshot of one of Amnesty India’s 2018 tweet, to call out its hypocrisy. In 2018 the NGO has shared a picture of a toddler who was allegedly hit by pellets. In its tweet, the NGO had not only shared the picture of the 9-month-old toddler but had also shared the name of the child.
One pellet hit Hiba in her right eye and hit her mother’s right hand while she was trying to protect Hiba.
In 2017, we highlighted 88 similar cases that illustrated how pellet firing shotguns are inherently inaccurate weapons & should be banned.https://t.co/jaTkzdQlRY
In one such other tweet posted on June 3, 2020, Amnesty India had shared the picture and name of one 9-year-old, Owais Ahmad, claiming that the child was hurt by pellet-firing shotguns. Not only this, but the NGO had also gone a step ahead to use the child’s name and picture to attack the Modi government. The tweet said that the 9-year-old Owais Ahmad was a grim reminder of the cost Kashmiris are paying for Government’s heavy-headed crackdown in the valley.
9 year old Owais Ahmad is yet another reminder of the human cost of the government’s heavy-handed crackdown in #Kashmir.
Similarly in 2018, Amnesty India had tweeted that class 10 student Insha lost vision in both her eyes after getting hit by pellets fired by Indian security forces. “She is one of the many children who have been affected by pellet-firing shotguns”, they had claimed, and posted her photograph in the tweet.
Insha lost vision in both eyes due to pellet injuries. Despite this, she cleared her class 10 board exams in January!
Thus, it can be seen that Amnesty India has been regularly disclosing identities and photographs of minors, when they are allegedly victims of pellets fired by Indian security forces. But when Kashmir police posts photograph of a child rescued by them from terrorists, it becomes a violation of the law for the Islamist organisation.
It’s appalling how not only Amnesty India, but many Twitter users had blatantly used the Sopore encounter to cast aspersions at the Jammu and Kashmir police. Some had claimed that the civilian, who had actually died in cross-firing, was killed by the CRPF personnel. However, refuting social media claims that the old man was brought down by the CRPF, Sopore Police had yesterday issued a statement. Calling the claims baseless and far beyond the facts, Sopore police said that action would be initiated against those spreading rumours.
Sopore encounter
Yesterday, terrorists in Sopore town of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir attacked a patrolling party of CRPF today. A three-year-old boy has been rescued by the Jammu and Kashmir police. Kashmir Zone Police shared a picture of a police officer holding the child. The child was present at the spot when the attack happened. During the attack, a CRPF jawan and a civilian lost their lives. The child was the grandson of the civilian who was killed by the terrorists.
The selective amnesia of Amnesty
Amnesty India has many times in the past been caught on the wrong foot. In March 2018 the NGO had come under the scanner of the government for allegedly violating foreign funding laws. Subsequently, in October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had raided Amnesty India’s parent organisation, headquartered in Bengaluru for violation of FDI guidelines.
Amnesty International had then as a retaliatory reaction, floated a petition against the ‘excesses’ carried out against ‘peaceful protestors’ by the central government and law enforcement agencies across the country to curb the mob violence that ensued in the name of protests against the CAA, which included immense damage to public property, arson, damages to public life, scores of policemen being wounded by gunshots, Hindu Temples being attacked, slogans such as ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi‘ and ‘Hinduon se Azadi‘ being raised, instances of stone-pelting, and much more.
Islamic propaganda site masquerading as fact-checker, Alt News, which often fact-checks memes, jokes and claims not seen by anyone else, again fell for a joke and included it in a fact-check article. On this instant, they could not spot the joke posted by an aviation writer and analyst, and ruled that a tweet posted by him was fake.
After the clash between Indian and Chinese forces at the Galwan valley along the LAC in Ladakh, one video had emerged on social media claiming that it showed Apache helicopters of the Indian Air Force flying low over the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, another site of conflict between the two countries. Major General Brajesh Kumar, retired Air Marshal Anil Chopra and some media houses also shared the video claiming that the IAF choppers were patrolling over the lake. After that, it was already pointed by many on Twitter that it was an old video from the USA.
On 30th June, Alt News decided to fact-check the claim, and concluded that the video showed Apache helicopter of US military flying over flying over Lake Havasu in Arizona, and not the recently inducted Apache attack helicopters of Indian Air Force.
While they correctly fact-checked the false claim, towards the end of the article, they decided to include other people who had made the same claim, and in this, they failed to spot a joke. They included a tweet by aviation writer Mihir Shah, where he had mocked the false claims made by several people about the video of the Apache helicopters. He had tweeted, “The Indian Navy’s Sea King helicopters with mast-mounted sonars conducting anti-submarine operations at Pangong Tso.” It was an obvious joke, as there are no submarines in the Pangong Tso lake, and therefore there is no question of Indian Navy conducting anti-submarine operations at the lake situated at the Himalayas. Submarines, as the name suggests, operate in seas and oceans, and may enter lakes connected with seas, but they can’t operate in land-locked lakes, that too in a lake like Pangong Tso which is located at a very high altitude in the world’s tallest mountain range.
The Indian Navy’s Sea King helicopters with mast-mounted sonars conducting anti-submarine operations at Pangong Tso. pic.twitter.com/bpVcuoeoCG
Moreover, Sea King helicopters are completely different in appearance from Apache helicopters seen in the video, and Shah had called them Sea King helicopters to highlight the fake news being circulated about the video. But ironically Alt News mistook his tweet for a genuine tweet, and included it in their fact-check on the video.
In what can be seen as a significant move for the upliftment of transgenders, the Union Home Ministry has asked the central armed forces like the CRPF, ITBP, SSB & CISF for their opinion on incorporating ‘transgender’ as a Third category along with male and female in the rules of Central Armed Police Forces- CAPF(AC) Examination 2020. The departments have been asked to furnish their opinions so as to a final view on the matter can be taken soon.
Union Home Ministry has asked CRPF, ITBP, SSB & CISF to examine the issue of incorporating ‘transgender’ as Third gender along with Male/Female in the rules of CAPF(AC’) Examination 2020; asks the forces to furnish comments to take final view on the matter. pic.twitter.com/QMU1ctaat9
The concerned authorities have asked to share their views on recruiting transgender people in the rank of the Assistant Commandants (ACs). At present, there is no provision of hiring transgender people in the central armed forces or in the Indian Army. If the centre gets a positive response from all the said departments, the decision would be shared with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which will then incorporate a separate third section for the transgenders in the application forms for the exams which are scheduled to be held in December this year.
Officials familiar with the development said the centre first wants to start with the officers’ rank through the Staff Service Commission (SSC).
Yogi Govt dedicates Noida’s Sector-50 Metro station for employment of transgenders
Recently, the Yogi government, in a step forward, had dedicated the Noida’s Sector-50 metro station for the transgender community. This initiative was taken to give the transgenders an opportunity to connect with the mainstream sections of the society.
DoPT asked central govt to include ‘transgender’ as a separate category of gender for recruitment in civil services and other posts
In April 2020, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had issued a memorandum asking all central government departments to include ‘transgender’ as a separate category of gender for recruitment in civil services and other posts.
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill became law after getting president’s assent last year
These initiatives are being taken after the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill was passed in both the houses and had got assent from President Ram Nath Kovind on 5 December last year. The law forbids discrimination against a transgender person, including refusal of service or prejudicial treatment in relation to education, employment, healthcare, access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public, right to movement, right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property, opportunity to hold public or private office, and access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.
On Wednesday, the Pakistan sponsored terrorists in Kashmir killed a CRPF jawan and a civilian in Sopore town of Baramulla district. The heart-wrenching scene of a three-year-old child, sitting on the blood-splattered body of his grandfather, killed by the Pakistan sponsored terrorists went viral on the internet evoking mixed responses within the country.
Several people took to social media to express their shock over the brutality of the terrorists, who killed the civilian grandfather leaving the child alone on the streets only to be rescued by the Indian Army.
Unsurprisingly, the usual Islamists and pro-Pakistan sympathisers in the valley, often backed by the left-liberals in the country, fell prey for the Pakistan propaganda to claim that it was Indian security forces which killed the civilian in Sopore and not the Islamic terrorists in the valley.
The heinous terror attacks which also left a CRPF jawan killed evoked a strong response from nationalist Indians, who expressed their anguish over the inhuman killings of fellow Indians in Kashmir by Islamists. They attacked the pro-Pakistan sympathisers within the country, who peddled anti-India agenda over the dead bodies of the deceased Kashmiri.
Sambit Patra, the fiery spokesperson of the BJP, also took to Twitter to voice his anger, who directed it towards a section pro-Pakistan intelligentsia and media in the country, who often derides Indian security forces and bats on behalf of Pakistan.
In his tweet, Sambit Patra shared an image of the three-year-old child, sitting on the chest of his grandfather and wrote, “Pulitzer lovers?”. The carefully-worded assertion by Sambit Patra was aimed at Pulitzer prize-winning individuals from Kashmir, who are accused of being beneficiaries of an ecosystem which sell one-sided propaganda against India. The award-winning photographs mostly happen to show alleged suffering of the common man in the hand of security forces, but photographs showing terror of Islamic terrorists rarely win such prizes.
This so-called intelligentsia and journalists in Kashmir have been peddling false narrative against India in global fora, resulting in a skewed depiction of Kashmir affairs across the world.
Image Source: Sambit Patra
Through his sharp tweet, Patra questioned the silence of the Pulitzer winning journalists and the pro-Pakistan ecosystem over the death of the 64-year-old Indian citizen, who was brutally killed by the Pakistan sponsored terror in the country.
Questioning the integrity of these Pulitzer-winning ‘journalists’ of Kashmir, Patra indirectly asked whether they would capture the photographs of the dire scenario and subsequently publish them to expose the inhuman actions of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the Kashmir valley.
Perhaps, through his tweets, Sambit Patra not only exposed the hypocrisy of Pulitzer-winning ‘journalists’ of Kashmir, who have been selling anti-India stories unchecked for decades now but also held a mirror to the ‘liberal-secular’ ecosystem of the country who often go into hiding when the Islamists target their own in Kashmir.
The ‘no-holds-barred’ approach of Sambit Patra, even though slightly political, to denounce pro-Pakistan sympathisers’ nefarious designs in the country, however, strangely evoked sharp reaction from the ‘liberal-secular’ ecosystem of the country, who deliberately twisted his statements to claim that he was expressing glee over the death of Kashmiris.
Soon, the barrage of hate-filled abuse was hurled at the BJP leader for setting things straight regarding the cost that the country has paid due to the pampering of pro-Pakistan sympathisers in the country.
The so-called celebrities, left-wing ‘activists’, assorted trolls of the opposition parties, self-proclaimed journalists descended on his timeline to abuse the BJP spokesperson by propping up a lopsided view on the whole incident.
The ‘secular-liberals’ were angered by the sharp response of the BJP spokesperson, who then followed it with preaching ‘Humanism’ to Sambit Patra for posting images of a three-year-old sitting on a dead body, which was insensitive according to them.
Dia Mirza, the Bollywood entertainer, who had once shed tears on the issue of malnutrition by posting an image of the Indian child to make a point, on Wednesday targeted Sambit Patra after he had posted a similar image of child to question the hypocrisy of the pro-Pakistan sympathisers.
Image Source: Abhijit Iyer Mitra
Similarly, the husband-wife duo of Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghose, who were extremely upset against Sambit Patra, also attacked him for the image he shared on Twitter.
While Rajdeep Sardesai claimed that Sambit Patra used the three-year-old kid to peddle his low-level-political propaganda, his own tweet made in the past reflected that he had himself indulged in posting an image of a child to make an indirect political point against the BJP.
Image Source: Anjali
His wife Sagarika Ghose, following her husband, also peddled the same theory of Sambit Patra being ‘heartless’ and ‘hateful’. However, netizens reminded her of a similar tweet, in which she had used an image of a 6-year-old Munifa Nazirwani who was allegedly hit on her eye by a marble shot.
Ironically, Sagarika Ghose had tweeted an image which won the Pulitzer award, which depicted a one-sided story of Kashmir narrative, as suggested by Sambit Patra, while trying to make a political point.
Image Source: Durga Saxena Rastogi
The self-proclaimed human right champions, who had once grieved the death of Syrian Alan Kurdi and the horrific killing of George Floyd in distant America by expressing solidarity through posting their images to make a political point, were now preaching morality to BJP leader Sambit Patra, asserting that he was wrong to post an image of the three-year-old kid.
The liberals, whose politics is entirely based on manipulating tragic events that occurred in far-away lands to further their political agenda in the country, despite having no relevance to it, on Wednesday pretended that they never indulged in such acts. The very same set of people who time and again indulge in cheap politics over dead bodies of unrelated individuals are now crying over Patra’s objective assessment as it distorted their monopoly on setting narratives during such incidents.
Perhaps, the left-liberals and the members of the elite ecosystem of the country were not angered by the image of three-year-old per se, but for the unhindered courage and the audacity of nationalists like Sambit Patra, to make a straight point without worrying too much about its political correctness.
In a country, where the political class think twice to make a point, Sambit Patra is an exception, who has been extremely confident and unflinching about the so-called political correctness while making an objective assertion. The increasing assertion by the likes Sambit Patra to dismantle the strongly held media-monopoly over setting the political narrative has now led to a sustained campaign to discredit him by manipulating his opinion on a particular issue, which was just evident in the yesterday’s incident.