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Here is why and how the Supreme Court got convinced to modify its earlier order and allow Rath Yatra to be conducted in Puri

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Here is why and how the Supreme Court got convinced to modify its earlier order and allow Rath Yatra to be conducted in Puri

What transpired before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Rath Yatra matter on 22.06.2020 that convinced the Court to modify its earlier order dated 18.06.2020 and allow the annual Rath Yatra to be conducted at Puri? Did the submissions of the counsels representing the parties coincide, that too on both the dates?

Intentions of Odisha Government to conduct Rath Yatra

From the actions of the Odisha Government, one could clearly make out that the State Government was apathetic to conduct the Rath Yatra at Puri this year. I list out three key reasons for it.

First, on 18.06.2020, the Petitioner was represented by two top Senior Advocates namely Mr. Mukul Rohatgi and Mr. Ranjit Kumar before the Supreme Court, who as instructed by the Petitioner, submitted that if the Rath Yatra is allowed in the midst of the Corona Pandemic, a congregation of 10 to 12 lakh people shall take place and this, in turn, shall be catastrophic.

The Central Government represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought deferment of the matter for the next day which would have enabled him to seek instructions in the matter. The Court disallowed it. The State of Odisha was represented by none other than Senior Advocate Mr Harish Salve who started his arguments on a note that “at times, one has to rise above his brief”. The Interveners repeatedly prayed for at least the rituals to continue which was supported by Mr Mehta appearing for the Central Government.

For a moment, the Court seemed to be of the opinion that at least the rituals could be allowed adhering to the social distancing norms. However, Mr Salve, who when asked if only rituals could be allowed, answered: “the moment there is a festivity, people will gather”, to which Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India agreed. Not even a word was uttered, promising the Court to conduct the Rath Yatra adhering to social distancing and guidelines issued by the Central and State government to stop the spread of COVID-19. No submissions regarding the already conducted rituals and ready to roll Rath (chariot) was made. More importantly, the submission regarding a gathering of about 10-12 lakh people made by the Petitioner was not opposed by Mr Salve.

It seemed as if the Petitioner and the State Government were on the same page wherein the State government agreed to whatever the Petitioner submitted. Ultimately, the order was dictated whereby the Court stalled the Rath Yatra at Puri and further restricted all religious and secular practices associated with the Yatra.

Second, by virtue of the MHA guidelines dated 30.05.2020 (popularly referred to as Unlock-1 guidelines) religious places and places of worship were allowed to be opened for the public from 08.06.2020. However, the Odisha Government, issued its own set of guidelines on 01.06.2020, Clause-3 of which stated that religious places and places of worship shall continue to remain closed till 30.06.2020. Adding salt to the injury, yet another Order dated 07.06.2020 was issued by the Odisha Government specifically stating that religious places and places of worship shall remain closed till 30.06.2020.

This order had no purpose as the earlier set of guidelines issued on 01.06.2020 had in verbatim made this prohibition. However, this repetition clarified the intention of the State government which had by then decided not to conduct the Rath Yatra. The Petitioner relied on these two documents to support his case which is to say that allowing the Rath Yatra shall lead to blatant violation of the guidelines and the order issued by the State Government.

Third, the MHA guidelines dated 30.05.2020 allowed the States/UTs to assess the situation and allow cultural/religious functions and other large congregations. The State Government owing to the sentiments and devotion of over 4.5 crore Odias and millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath all around the globe, should have utilised this clause and carved out an exception to organise the Rath Yatra. Needless to mention that all social distancing measures had to be adhered to. It could have been worked out. There was absolutely nothing that should have prevented the State Government from issuing such an Order. 

State Government in a fix after the order

The State Government’s stand before the Supreme Court received widespread criticism. There was resentment all around. Devotees, sevayats (priests), the Shankaracharya, the Gajapati Maharaj all reproved the Government. Senior journalist Saswat Panigahi who widely covered the issue had rightly stated that Governments ought to understand popular public opinion and give respect to it. The Gajapati Maharaj in a press conference stated that the State Government had bypassed the recommendations of the temple administration. He further addressed an open letter dated 20.06.2020 to the Chief Minister requesting the State Government to seek a modification of the 18.06.2020 order.

Thereafter, on 21.06.2020, the Law Department of the Government of Odisha issued a press note. It was stated therein that the State shall take a favourable stand on the request made by the Gajapati Maharaj. Interestingly, the press note stated that the State Government’s stand on 18.06.2020 before the Supreme Court was primarily with respect to thousands to Rath Yatras taking place across the State.

However, it is pertinent to note that the Petitioner only prayed to stall the Rath Yatra at Puri only. All submissions made by the counsels were centred around the Rath Yatra at Puri and not of any other yatra at any other place. The explanation of the State Government was therefore vague and didn’t hold ground. By 22.06.2020, a total of 16 intervention applications were filed by various individuals and associations seeking modification of the earlier order.

Hearing on 22.06.2020.

The matter was mentioned by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Mr Harish Salve appearing for the State of Odisha before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra who placed the matter before the Chief Justice of India. The Chief Justice immediately constituted the same bench comprising of Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice A.S. Bopanna. Everyone including the Petitioner, the Central Government, the State Government, the Temple Management Committee and the interveners were all on the same page i.e. Conduct Rath Yatra at Puri by adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines.

There are two notable points worth mentioning. First, the Petitioner, this time represented by Mr Ranjit Kumar out rightly concurred with the view of conducting the Rath Yatra at Puri and second, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the State Government was changing its stand. 

The Court thereafter agreed to allow the Rath Yatra. Para 3 of the order passed on 22.06.2020 is worth reproducing:

“Before we passed our earlier Order we had suggested to the parties that the procession of chariots, i.e., the Rath Yatra itself, could be allowed to proceed, however, without the general congregation which participates in this Yatra. We were informed that it would be well nigh impossible to ensure that there is no congregation. This Court was, therefore, left with no option but to grant an injunction restraining the Rath Yatra itself.”

We now know, who on 18.06.2020, while the Supreme Court was willing to grant permission for conducting the Rath Yatra, had opposed it.

(The author of this article is Arya Tripathy, who is a practicing Advocate before the Supreme Court. He had also appeared in the matter)

Twist in the tale: Tej Pratap Yadav’s sister in law Karishma joining RJD leaves him fuming

OpIndia Staff
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Twist in the tale: Tej Pratap Yadav’s sister in law Karishma joining RJD leaves him fuming

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap is upset after his sister in law Karishma, the sister of his estranged wife Aishwarya, joined RJD earlier today. Tej Pratap Yadav took to social networking site to say that he does not trust anyone from the family of those who ‘ruined his life’.

Karishma’s inclusion in RJD comes at a time when Tej Pratap is fighting a bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife Aishwarya Rai. Karishma is Aishwarya’s cousin. As per reports, this is a political move by Tej Pratap Yadav’s younger brother and RJD leader Tejashwi to try and create cracks within the Rai family. Karishma is niece of Chandrika Rai, Aishwarya’s father.

Karishma, like Tej Pratap’s sister Misa Bharti, is a doctor by profession. While joining RJD, Karishma reportedly said that they have old relations with the Yadav family. Speaking on the relationship between Tej Pratap and her sister Aishwarya, Karishma said that it is a personal thing. “Sometimes, marriage between two good people does not work out for reasons beyond control. No one can be blamed for it,” she said.

Tej Pratap Yadav reportedly said that the party’s decision is important. “There must be a reason why RJD gave her membership,” he told New18. However, moments later, he took to Twitter to say he does not trust anyone who is related to the family who ‘ruined his life’.

Troubled marriage of Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai

Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai got married on May 2018. But the couple filed for a divorce a few months after the wedding. In December last year, Aishwarya and Rabri Devi, her mother-in-law accused each other of torture and harassment. She also accused her sister in law Misa Bharti and Tej Pratap of harassing and assaulting her. Tej Pratap Yadav has claimed that he was made a scapegoat for the political benefits of his family members.

India’s TikTok ban may have caused losses worth 6 billion USD to Chinese parent company ByteDance, says China’s mouthpiece Global Times

OpIndia Staff
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India’s TikTok ban may have caused losses worth 6 billion USD to Chinese parent company ByteDance, says China’s mouthpiece Global Times

The Chinese media outlet The Global Times has reported that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, may lose $6 billion in revenue after India banned 59 Chinese apps. They tweeted, “The loss of Chinese internet company ByteDance – the mother company of Tik Tok — could be as high as $6 billion after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps including Tik Tok, following deadly border clash between Indian and Chinese troops last month.”

On 29th June, the Indian government announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, Vigo, UC Browser, ShareIt, Baidu map, Shein, and Clash of Kings. It is not the only step India has taken against China after the violent standoff at Galwan Valley. State governments and state-owned entities, including Indian Railways, Haryana government, Maharashtra government, BSNL, and NHAI have announced cancellations of agreements with Chinese companies.

Though TikTok released a statement that they are working with the Indian government and sorting issues raised against the app, it is highly unlikely to see a comeback anytime soon. Meanwhile, Chingari, a TikTok alternate of Indian origin, has seen a massive spike in downloads.

India’s economic retaliation against China

Along with banning 59 apps, including TikTok, the Indian government has taken several steps against China to halt its penetration in the Indian economy. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, on 1st June, announced that Chinese companies would not be allowed to take part in highway projects. They cannot take part in joint ventures as well.

The Maharashtra government has recently put a hold on three agreements with Chinese companies worth Rs.5,000 crore. The Haryana government has decided to cancel power project contracts with Chinese companies. National telecom giant BSNL has officially announced the cancellation of the agreement with a Chinese company for setting up 4G services in India. The Indian Railways had also recently terminated a contract worth Rs 471 crore with a Chinese company.

The Indian Federation of Working Journalists seeks probe into finances of PTI, accuses it of being mouthpiece of Congress

OpIndia Staff
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The Indian Federation of Working Journalists seeks probe into finances of PTI, accuses it of being mouthpiece of Congress

The Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) has written to the Prime Minister of India and the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, demanding a judicial inquiry into the various funds, subsidies, loans and financial help made available to the Press Trust of India (PTI) by the Government of India during the past several years.

In the letter, the largest journalist organization has accused the PTI management of misappropriating the Government funds for anti-worker purposes like splitting its plant union, favouring only loyalists and denying employees their legal dues under various statutory wage awards. It said that the Press Trust of India not only received a huge sum of money through various Union Government over the years, it also got a subsidized land to build its office on the fabulous Parliament Street. And all this at the cost of state exchequer and the Indian taxpayer money.

Accusing the news agency to have become a “mine of nepotism”, the Indian Federation of Working Journalists wrote that PTI ran on a professional pattern so long as its management had working journalists like P. Unnikrishnan, N.D. Prabhu and K.P. Srivastava among others. But after the management changed hands and the “nefarious contract system of employment and the rule of supersession started, the news agency became a mine of nepotism”, read the letter.

IFWJ accused the PTI fo being Congress’ mouthpiece

IFWJ also accused the PTI management of always shamelessly turning itself into the mouthpiece of the ruling party, chiefly the Congress party.

PTI’s interview with the ambassador of China raises doubts about its hidden agenda: IFJW

Speaking of the recent interview by the PTI with the ambassador of China, IFWJ wrote that the interview was done at a time when the Chinese Communist Party had virtually declared a state of war through media. The PTI story thus raises doubts about its hidden agenda, read the letter signed by Vipin Dhuliya, the secretary-general of IFWJ.

PTI had come under great criticism recently after an interview with Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong. During the interview, the Chinese ambassador blamed India for the clash between the two countries at Galwan Valley. Journalists of other agencies were outraged by the fact that the PTI did not bother to counter-question the Chinese ambassador on his dubious claims. People have also pointed out that the ‘interview’ came across as a press release by the Chinese Communist Party rather than a genuine interview.

Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ)

For the uninitiated, the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) is the largest journalist organization, with over 30,000 primary and associate members, working for electronic media, news agencies and 1,260 journals of 17 languages in 35 states and Union Territories. It was founded in  New Delhi on 28 October 1950.

The letter also spoke of how the independent multilingual news agency, the United News of India (UNI) was being starved of govt aid, which was in stark contrast with what PTI has been receiving over the years. The UNI was left to die slowly. Most of the UNI employees have not been paid full wages for over three to four years. This sad state of discrimination between two national news agencies has only ruined journalistic independence and professional integrity, read the letter.

Prasar Bharti greatly displeased with the ‘anti-national’ reporting by PTI

IT was reported how, Prasar Bharti, India’s largest public broadcasting agency, had expressed deep anguish on the blatant anti-India propaganda, which it called “anti-national’ reporting, by PTI in recent times and was considering withdrawing financial support to the latter over their recent coverage.

PTI has apparently been receiving huge fees from the public broadcaster, the fees are said to be in crores and it has been going on since decades. Reportedly, Prasar Bharti pays PTI over RS. 9 crores annually, which is in addition to the amount paid by PIB. Now, sources tell us that PTI’s ‘anti-national’ reporting makes Prasar Bharti believe that it does not make it feasible to carry forward the said relationship.

Sources also tell us that PTI has been averse towards a review of the same since 2016-17. But in light of PTI’s recent coverage, Prasar Bharti has initiated a review of the relationship between the two. We are told that PTI will be informed of the decision soon.

Past Incidents of Fake News by PTI

There have been numerous occasions in the past when the PTI has peddled fake news, on certain occasions, even on communally charged matters. Earlier in April, PTI had claimed that one Mehboob Ali was lynched on suspicions of being infected with the coronavirus. However, later it turned out that he was alive.

The PTI has spread fake news on matters of politics as well. Prior to the Delhi Elections in February, PTI had claimed that only 25% of AAP candidates had serious criminal cases against them. But in reality, the number was upwards of 50%.

Pakistan fears new virus spread due to human-animal contact during Bakra Eid, India was infected earlier too

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan fears new virus spread due to human-animal contact during Bakra Eid, India was infected earlier too

Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has expressed concerns over the increased risks of transmission of the Wuhan Coronavirus and another deadly disease named Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) due to increased human-animal interaction during the upcoming Eid al Adha or Bakra Eid. It has stated that the increased human-animal interaction during movement, purchase and herding of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid multiplies the risks of the CCHF. Eid al Adha

As per reports, Pakistan’s NIH, through its Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division (FEDSD), has issued an advisory alerting stakeholders, including healthcare providers to take timely steps to prevent widespread transmission of the above diseases.

The NIH advisory ahead of Eid

The 2-page advisory issued by the NIH states that the deadly disease that is spread by tick bites can be prevented by monitoring sacrificial animals at entry points at markets and making sure that every animal is treated by approved acaricides at least a week before they reach markets. It adds that people participating in slaughtering, butchering and handling tissues and skin should wear appropriate protective gear like gloves etc, even while doing it at home.

The NIH advisory further states that livestocks should always be examined for ticks and animal herders and sellers should take adequate precautions while examining and treating ticks on the body of animals. It added that ticks should never be crushed with fingers. It also called for proper handling, herding and burial practices.

The advisory stated that people visiting animal markets during Eid should wear full sleeves clothes, gloves and face masks. It advocated for the usage of insect repellents to avoid ticks, examining clothes and body for ticks and usage of proper hand wash and sanitisation techniques.

NIH, Pakistan’s advisory for public ahead of Eid

What is CCHF?

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a deadly and infectious disease caused by a tick-borne Nairovirus of the Bunyaviridae family. The fatality rate of the disease is at a risky 10-40% and in severe outbreaks, can even go up to 90%. Ticks present on the body of domestic animals like cattle, sheep, buffalo and goats serve as both the reservoir and vector of the virus. WHO says that the virus can spread quickly and can cause dangerous hospital and health facility outbreaks. It also says that the disease is very difficult to prevent and treat.

CCHF has symptoms similar to dengue and causes, fever, headache and very low platelet count in humans.

India had also had a CCHF outbreak in 2011

In January 2011, NIV, Pune had confirmed India’s first CCHF outbreak in Gujarat’s Sanand. The patient zero was a woman named Amina Momin of the Kolat village near Sanand town, who had picked it up from ticks on domestic animals. Later, a doctor and a nurse treating her had contracted the disease. All three had died before a viral outbreak was suspected and NIV was contacted by the health authorities.

The NIV had confirmed the virus within 15 hours of getting the samples from Sanand. It had alerted the Gujarat government and the then state government had immediately begun screening of the entire area, covering some 16,000 villages. Due to strict measures and widespread screening, the outbreak was successfully contained. Many subsequent cases have also been reported, especially in the Gujarat region and among communities who herd and slaughter animals.

Tablighi Jamaat members tried to cheat the system when they entered India on a tourist visa: Here is what MHA affidavit says

OpIndia Staff
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Tablighi Jamaat members tried to cheat the system when they entered India on a tourist visa: Here is what MHA affidavit says

10 Tablighi Jamaat members had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Modi government’s move to cancel their visas after the Coronavirus pandemic fiasco. 34 individuals from 34 different countries had challenged the Ministry of Home Affairs order blacklisting over 2,500 foreign nationals presently in India for a period of 10 years from travelling to India for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamat activities (Malana Ala Hadrami and ors. v. UOi and anr). Maulana Ala Hadrami is a french national who has approached the SC. Now, the Ministry of Home Affairs had responded to the queries posted by the Supreme Court in the case.

The French petitioner had invoked the Indian Constitution to challenge the MHA. “En masse blacklisting of the aforesaid more than 2500 foreigners of about 40 different nationalities, currently in India, without affording any opportunity to prima facie defend themselves, is an egregious and blatant violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.”, the petition by Hadrami had stated.

The petitioners have urged the top court to quash the MHA orders blacklisting nearly 3,500 foreign nationals as it violates Article 21. They have sought the Court’s help to allow their travel back to their countries of citizenship. 

On Monday, a bench of A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna sought to know if there was a general direction for cancellation of visas and blacklisting them or if an order was passed in each individual case.

The court also asked the Union government to clarify why these foreign attendees had not been deported if their visas were cancelled.

In response, the Union Government has clarified several points with regards to the cancellation of visas and deportation of members of Tablighi Jamaat.

Firstly, the government has unequivocally stated that foreigners are not entitled to getting an Indian visa and also, have no right to invoke Article 21 under these circumstances.

MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case
MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case

MHA stated that a foreigner has no fundamental right to get an Indian visa or to continue living here on a cancelled or rescinded visa. The grant of visa is not an enforceable right, let alone a fundamental right of any foreigner. MHA also states that the petitioners cannot claim a right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution as it is always subject to the procedure established by law and thus, the petition is not maintainable.

The response of the MHA reveals that in the visa manual, specific provisions are cited that regulates “Tablighi work”. From 2003 to 2019, the MHA statement cited rules in the visa manual that spoke of the requirements of disclosures if a foreigner visits India for Tablighi work.

MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case
MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case
MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case
MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case

The MHA statement further revealed that the Tablighi Jamaat members were in India on a tourist visa and thus, they violated the norms set for the entry of anyone who wishes to get involved in Tablighi work.

MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case
MHA response in the Tablighi Jamaat case

“Keeping in view the fact that participation in Tablighi Jamaat activities on Tourist Visa is a serious violation of provisions of Visa Manual 2019 and is also a criminal offence punishable under sections 13 and 14 or The Foreigners Act, 1946, the Bureau of Immigration was directed on 02.04.2020 to blacklist these foreigners under Category A to prevent their future entry in India”, the response by MHA stated.

It is pertinent to note that according to The Hindu, after this fiasco, the MHA has included indulging in Tablighi activities” as a specific visa violation that will attract a penalty of $500 fine and has added a new category—“restriction on engaging in Tabligh activities” in the “general policy guidelines relating to Indian visa.”

Reportedly, The amended guidelines read, “foreign nationals granted any type of visa and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders shall not be permitted to engage themselves in Tabligh work. There will be no restriction in visiting religious places and attending normal religious activities like attending religious discourses. However, preaching religious ideologies, making speeches in religious places, distribution of audio or visual display/ pamphlets pertaining to religious ideologies, spreading conversion etc. will not be allowed.”

From the response issued by MHA to the Supreme Court, it is evident that the members of the Tablighi Jamaat misrepresented the reasons for their visit to India. Under a tourist visa, one can move around in India for the specific purpose of visiting places only and not for indulging in any religious activity like that of the Tablighi Jamaat. Hence, to avoid issuing the necessary information for immigration, the Tablighi Jamaat members visited India on a Tourist Visa and thereafter, proceeded to indulge in religious activities by cheating the system.

The response by MHA further gave out the following information:

  1. Visa of 2679 foreigners, including 9 OCI card holders, have been cancelled so far on a case to case basis.
  2. No Tablighi Jamaat member has been deported so far as criminal proceedings against them are ongoing.
  3. Before the issuance of lookout notice and their blacklisting, 227 foreign Tablighi members were remaining in India.

Ever since the Tablighi Jamaat was busted and hauled up to quarantine facilities and hospitals, they have embarked on a Jihad against civility, decency and the laws of this country. Its members have sexually harassed nurses, made life difficult for healthcare providers and refused to cooperate with the administration even on the face of calamity.

Sopore: Liberal Indian media crosses frightening line

Abhishek Banerjee
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Sopore: Liberal Indian media crosses frightening line

On June 19, merely days after the bloody clash with China at Galwan valley, engineers of the Indian Army completed a crucial 60 meter bridge over the Galwan river high in the mountains. This would give the Indian Army easy connectivity to the crucial air field at Daulat Beg Oldie.

That’s the Indian Army for us all. Forever vigilant along the LAC and the LOC. Ready to build a bridge in difficult mountain terrain, with the enemy almost staring them in the face.

Yesterday, the Indian liberal media crossed a very different sort of bridge. It was a moral bridge. They officially crossed the bridge from hostility towards Modi sarkar to openly siding with Pakistani propaganda.

It happened thus. Terrorists attacked a CRPF party in Sopore in Northern Kashmir. One CRPF man was killed as well as a civilian. The heartbreaking images of the dead civilian, a grandfather, went viral yesterday, showing his little grandson grieving over the lifeless body.

That’s what terrorism is. It’s purpose is to take innocent lives. How many more heartbreaking images do you want to see? From Kashmir, from Delhi, from Mumbai, from Paris, New York, Sydney or Madrid?

But then something surprising happened. After the Sopore attack, segments in the Indian liberal media started circulating the rumor that the civilian in question had been killed not by terrorists, but by the CRPF.

Sure, the Indian media kept up a veneer of deniability. Instead of accusing the CRPF directly, they said they were merely reporting the rumors that had been circulating. But the objective of giving widespread publicity to these rumors is completely clear. And whose propaganda this is serving.

The approach was simple. The “reputed” liberal newspapers reported it in monkey balancing fashion, as two competing accounts of the Sopore attack. The murky online liberal portals were bolder: they made headlines out of the allegation and included the CRPF’s official version as a footnote.

Some of them went ahead and “interviewed” a 3 year old child rescued by security personnel in Sopore attack as evidence to support their claims. It’s official. They have no morals.

And so it begins. The propaganda effort to show Indian security personnel as terrorists in Kashmir.

They had been preparing the ground on this for a while. For a long time now, terrorists neutralized by security forces have been hailed in our media as headmasters sons, cricket enthusiasts, video game players, math teachers and what not. Their personal stories, their hopes and dreams, were splashed all over mainstream and social media. Meanwhile, casualties sustained by Indian security personnel were reported as dry statistics: X killed and Y injured.

In other words, the terrorists were humanized, turned into people who seemed relatable. Indian security personnel were rendered nameless and faceless.

This instinct has been lurking in the Indian liberal mind for a while now, even before Modi sarkar. The Batla House encounter of Sep 2008, in which Inspector M C Sharma laid down his life, has repeatedly been described as a fake encounter. Even after the 26/11 attacks, a section of media quite eager to excuse Pakistan and somehow blame the RSS.

But secular parties were in power then. The parties and their cheerleaders were torn between ideology and votebank on the one hand and the basic responsibility of running the state on the other.

Then, 2014 happened. And then 2019. After Article 370 was removed in August last year, the media drive against India became turbocharged. The Indian state was routinely labelled as Nazi and fascist. Even Kashmiri Hindus celebrating the move were labelled as Nazis. Of course, this is exactly what Pakistan and China wanted to hear : India as the occupier in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Pakistanis want Kashmir. The Chinese want Ladakh. The liberal media wants to get back its hold in the corridors of power in Delhi. Three forces, one objective.

In retrospect, it is surprising that it took the Indian media so long to cross this bridge.

Kolkata: Family stores dead body of elderly coronavirus patient in ice-cream freezer for 2 days after being turned away by mortuaries

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata: Family stores dead body of elderly coronavirus patient in ice-cream freezer for 2 days after being turned away by mortuaries

In a shocking incident, a family-based in North Kolkata in West Bengal was compelled to store the dead body of their elderly family member, who later turned out to be Coronavirus positive, in an ice-cream freezer for two days after the doctor refused to issue a death certificate without the COVID-19 test results, urging the family to contact the health department or the police. Multiple city mortuaries also turned them away demanding a COVID-19 test report and the death certificate, citing protocols.

According to reports, the elderly visited the doctor after complaining of breathing distress. The doctor conducted a Coronavirus test on him, but the man died on Monday before the test results arrived. The test report came on Tuesday and confirmed that the septuagenarian was coronavirus positive.

Only after 48-hours, did the health department workers arrive to take the body away. The building in which the man lived was sanitised 50 hours after he died.

The family in Kolkata made distress calls to the health department, civic authorities, police and politicians, but to no avail

After the man died on Monday, the family called a doctor. The doctor said that the man probably died due to heart attack, but refused to issue a death certificate as his Coronavirus test result was not available yet. The doctor advised them to preserve the body til the report comes. Accordingly, the family carried the body to multiple morgues in the city, but all of them refused to keep the body in the absence of the test result.

After that, the family ran pillar to post, but to no avail. They allegedly made an endless number of calls. They first called the police, which directed the family to the local councillor, who reportedly didn’t respond. Calls to the health department, civic authorities, the police and politicians also did not help.

As the body started decomposing by the next day, the family decided to buy an ice-cream freezer to preserve it. “We even made several calls to the helpline given to us by a person when we called up the health department but nobody responded,” said a family member quoted by Press Trust of India. “Calls were not answered. That’s why decided to keep his body at home inside a freezer,” the family member said.

“In fact even after getting the test reports we kept on calling the state health department but there was no response. On Wednesday morning, health department finally called up and set the process in motion for removing the body for last rites,” he said.

According to reports, the man’s body was collected by health department workers after a full 48 hours for cremation.

This incident throws light on the casual approach adopted by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government to handle the coronavirus crisis and also highlights the complete lack of coordination among agencies dealing with COVID situations.

But the police have denied the allegations of non-cooperation, saying that they were just following the protocol for handling bodied of Coronavirus victims. They said that they were informed by the laboratory that the report will not be available on Monday, the day of the death, and they received the report and death certification only at 11 PM on Tuesday. Because of this, the body was collected on Wednesday only.

A senior official of the health department admitted to “miscommunication” that led to the family buying a freezer to preserve the body. The official added that the family should have insisted on admitting the patient at a hospital, considering his age. Another doctor said that even after the death, had the body been taken to a government hospital, the harassment could have been minimised, as the body would have been kept at the hospital morgue until the Coronavirus report arrived.

Ladakh standoff: India Inc steps up for India, industrialists rise to the occasion to move forward on path of self-reliance

OpIndia Staff
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Ladakh standoff: India Inc steps up for India, industrialists rise to the occasion to move forward on path of self-reliance

After the unprovoked intrusion from the Chinese army at Ladakh border, there has been a great deal of anger in Indian citizens. While there have been call for boycott of Chinese products the Indian industrialists, too, have now stepped in to help us move forward on the path of self-reliance.

Parth Jindal, the managing director of JSW Cement, on Wednesday took to Twitter to slam China for its aggression against India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Ladakh killing 20 Indian soldiers.

In a tweet, the Indian industrialist also said that the unprovoked attack by the Chinese on Indian soil on our soldiers was a huge wake-up call and a clarion call for action and pledged that JSW Group, which has net imports of $400 million from China, will bring it down to zero in next two years.

Image Source: Parth Jindal

Reportedly, the cement business of the JSW Group imports clinkers, the base rock of cement from China, which is then converted into usable cement by mixing fly ash supplied by JSW Steel to supply it to the domestic markets.

Anand Mahindra responds to Chinese aggression

Jindal’s tweet comes a day after businessman Anand Mahindra had also slammed Hu Xijin, the editor of English China daily Global Times, who had tried to mock India over the ban of 59 Chinese apps including TikTok.

Following the ban of Chinese apps, Hu Xijin had taken to Twitter to state that even if Chinese people wanted to boycott Indian products, they cannot do it as they do not find many Indian goods.

The tweet by Chinese media propagandist had angered Anand Mahindra, who responded to him by stating, “I suspect this comment might well be the most effective & motivating rallying cry that India Inc. has ever received. Thank you for the provocation. We will rise to the occasion…”

Image Source: Anand Mahindra

India bans Chinese app, infrastructure contracts

Recently, in the backdrop of India-China face-off in Galwan Valley, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, citing that these apps possess threats to national security.

Earlier, the Indian Railways had also terminated a contract worth Rs.471 crore with a Chinese company. A few days back, BSNL had announced that they will terminate the contract with a Chinese company to set up 4G services. The Department of Telecom has also decided not to let Huawei to take part in 5G spectrum testing.

Taking a cue, on Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also stated that the Indian government will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects. He had added that the companies would not be able to participate in joint ventures as well.

Nandi idol desecrated in Rajkot for “sensational” TikTok video, two people arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Nandi idol desecrated in Rajkot for “sensational” TikTok video, two people arrested

Rajkot Police have arrested two persons for desecrating a Nandi idol in a temple in Shapar Veraval industrial zone on Wednesday. Police have identified them as Jayesh Chudasma (27) and Dinesh Mahida (25), who work as laborers. They reportedly shot a video while kicking the idol, as they wanted to create “sensation” on the social media platforms.

According to the reports, after shooting the video, they uploaded it on TikTok, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms on 28th June, a day before India’s government imposed a blanket ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok. Both of them were drunk while shooting the video.

In the video that went viral on the internet, Chudasma was seen kicking the idol. Mahida was behind the camera recording the video. The complaint against the video was submitted by one Karan Parmar, who is a resident of Metoda GIDC. When he inquired about the video in his circle, he discovered that they committed the alleged crime in Shapar Veraval industrial zone. He informed the police and filed an official complaint.

While talking to TOI, an official from Shapar Veraval police station said, “As soon as the complaint was lodged, we swung into action and traced the accused. The accused are also seen smoking in the temple premises in the video. Both the accused are laborers. They said they were looking for a subject to make a Tik Tok video and decided that the desecration of an idol in a temple would make a sensational video.” He added that they were drunk while committing the crime. They have apologized for their crime and made a video saying ‘sorry’ that was uploaded on WhatsApp and other social media networks.

This is not the first time someone has desecrated a Hindu idol to shoot a sensational video. On 21st January 2020, idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were desecrated in Andhra Pradesh. In August 2019, two Muslim youth destroyed Goddess Bhavani idol in Bijnor.

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