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Annual Hajj pilgrimage likely to be cancelled as Saudi Arabia is hit by second wave of coronavirus pandemic

OpIndia Staff
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Annual Hajj pilgrimage likely to be cancelled as Saudi Arabia is hit by second wave of coronavirus pandemic

As Saudi Arabia is facing a second wave of coronavirus epidemic, the authorities are now thinking to call off this year’s annual hajj pilgrimage for the first time in recent history. According to the reports, Saudi Arabia which has lately reported fresh coronavirus cases may cancel the highly anticipated Muslim holy pilgrimage to Mecca this year.

Since the first week of June, the number of new coronavirus cases has doubled and according to the Ministry of Health, 4,919 new cases were reported on Wednesday alone, reversing the earlier trend in the Islamic kingdom.

The Authorities in Saudi Arabia had started relaxing lockdown norms in May as the Coronavirus cases were showing a downward trend. Curfew times were reduced, congregational prayers in mosques were allowed, businesses were opened and domestic flights were resumed.

But since June 1, the new Coronavirus cases started rising sharply. Following the fresh scare, the authorities in Saudi had re-imposed a lockdown in the city of Jeddah from June 6, with imposing a curfew and ban on all non-essential work and activities. Officials say that the cases have increased as people violated social distancing norms during the lockdown period, especially during the Ramazan month. It is believed that people ignored government’s directives by holding iftar parties after the day-long fast with large gatherings of friends and family.

Coronavirus impacts 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims

The impact of the second wave of the pandemic has now affected over 2.5 million Muslims from around the world who visit Mecca every year for the hajj pilgrimage. The annual pilgrimage of Hajj may not happen at all this year.

Meanwhile, Muslim nations are urging Saudi Arabia to provide clarity on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July.

Already, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei have cancelled the annual Hajj event and other countries are also expected to make a decision in coming days regarding attending the pilgrimage. In France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to “postpone” their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to cancel the Hajj will be the first time since the kingdom was founded in 1932. Earlier, Saudi Arabia had managed to hold the pilgrimage during previous outbreaks of Ebola and MERS.

PM Modi launches Rs 50,000 crore ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to boost employment for returned migrants in 116 rural districts

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi launches Rs 50,000 crore ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to boost employment for returned migrants in 116 rural districts

PM Modi on Saturday launched a massive employment scheme, the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, to create jobs for millions of migrant workers who returned to their native places during the pandemic.

The Rs 50,000 crore scheme was launched through video conferencing by PM Modi which was attended by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. In addition, chief minister of 5 other concerned states and union territories joined the virtual launch of the employment scheme from Telihar village in Khagaria district of Bihar.

“So far, migrants were helping to build the cities. Now, they will get jobs near their homes. Till now, you were assisting in the development of cities. From now onwards, you will help in the development of your villages, your neighborhoods,” PM Modi said.

“The Government of India has decided to launch a massive rural public works scheme ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to empower and provide employment opportunities to the migrant workers who have returned during the lockdown and other rural citizens,” the Prime Minister’s office said ahead of the launch.

Here are the highlights of the ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’:

The scheme will be operated in 116 districts of 6 states–Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. All the districts in these states have received an influx of more than 25,000 migrants during the lockdown.

The scheme aims to empower unemployed migrant workers by providing them with employment for 125 days with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore.

Under this programme, the focus of the government will be to complete 25 different types of works to create jobs and build infrastructure in rural regions of the country.

The different types of work will entail building pucca houses for poor in villages, plantation drives at several places and construction of animal sheds. For potable water, ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ will be taken forward in collaboration with various Gram Sabhas. With ‘Garib Rojgar Kalyan Abhiyaan’, the centre also plans to empower every household in villages with fast and reliable internet connection.

“Skill mapping has already been started to help migrants. This means, that your skills will be identified while you are staying in your villages and job providers will seek you based on your skills,” PM Modi said.

The scheme will be a synchronised effort between 12 different ministries or departments—rural development, Panchayati Raj, road transport and highways, mines, drinking water and sanitation, environment, railways, petroleum and natural gas, new and renewable energy, border roads, telecom and agriculture. According to Rural development secretary, NN Sinha, the laying of fibre optics cable, railway works, rurban mission jobs, sanitation works, waste management, poultry, farm ponds and imparting skills through Krishi Vigyan Kendras will be provided to the migrant workers under the scheme.

‘Vyapam whistleblower’ and Congress sympathiser doctor shares fake image of ‘brutality of Chinese forces on unarmed Indian soldiers’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Vyapam whistleblower’ and Congress sympathiser doctor shares fake image of ‘brutality of Chinese forces on unarmed Indian soldiers’

Activist doctor Anand Rai on Saturday posted an image of an injured soldier claiming that it was an image of an injured Indian soldiers who survived the brutality of the Chinese soldiers in Ladakh standoff.

Tweet by Anand Rai

In his tweet, Dr Rai claimed that this is an image of one of the soldiers who was attacked by the Chinese soldiers at the Galwan Valley. He claimed that he has nail injuries all over his body and further questioned the Prime Minister why were the armed forces stopped from picking up the weapons.

However, the above image is that of Thai soldiers dating as far as 2016.

Image from a 2016 blog

A 2016 blog which talked about training of Thai soldiers had put up the image of injury received by the soldiers during the training. In fact, a reverse search of above image also shows that the image has been used by one online shopper on an e-commerce website as his profile picture.

Online shopping website

As can be seen, a Malaysian shopping website shows this image consistently in Google search.

Malaysian website

As can be seen, a user with above image wrote an a review on the Malaysian shopping website on 25th June, 2019, a year ago.

Dr Anand Rai and history of misleading tweets

In August 2019, he had published confidential medical report to falsely malign Baba Ramdev’s associate. Publishing a report of one Acharya Balgovind he claimed that Baba Ramdev’s associate and Chairman of Patanjali Ayurved Acharya Balkrishna smokes marijuana. The doctor had deliberately used the medical report of a different person with an obvious different name in an attempt to malign the entrepreneur.

Prior to this, he had spread a vulgar lie about Union Minister Smriti Irani and had alleged she had gone to take ‘prasad’ from the ashram of a certain Baba named Virendra Dev Dikshit and also affixed an alleged photo of her with that Baba as ‘proof’. This Baba in question has featured prominently in the news recently after UP and Delhi police raided three centres run by him to rescue 47 women and six minor girls. He has been accused of keeping these girls inhumanly confined, who as per reports, were also sexually assaulted.

Dr Anand Rai wanted to contest the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections on a Congress ticket, but the party had denied him a ticket. Although he was denied the ticket, he maintains a close relationship with senior Congress leaders, and his Facebook page is a testimonial of that fact.

Family members of Sourav Ganguly test positive for Wuhan Coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Family members of Sourav Ganguly test positive for Wuhan Coronavirus

Family members of BCCI President Sourav Ganguly have tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. The wife of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Secretary Snehashish Ganguly, the elder brother of Sourav Ganguly, has tested positive for the virus. Her parents have tested positive for the virus as well.

In addition to that, a domestic help at Snehashish’s Mominpur home has tested positive for the virus as well. They are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital and their condition is reported to be stable.

“All the four complained of some health issues, which were similar to the symptoms of COVID-19 when they were staying at another residence and not at Ganguly’s ancestral house in Behala. After testing positive, all the four were shifted to a private nursing home,” a health department official said.

Snehashish himself has tested negative for the virus. Reportedly, whether they are discharged or will continue to remain under treatment will depend on the results of further tests that are conducted. “Whether they will be discharged or not, depends on the result of the tests,” an official at the nursing home stated.

West Bengal has a current total of 13090 confirmed cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus. Of these, 5258 are active cases while 7303 have been discharged. 529 individuals have succumbed to the disease in the state.

While China builds new fortifications, India moves its jets and helicopters to forward bases along LAC: Report

OpIndia Staff
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While China builds new fortifications, India moves its jets and helicopters to forward bases along LAC: Report

Following the violent clash between the Indian and Chinese security forces at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, India is now preparing for escalation from the opposing side. According to a report by The Times of India, India has moved its fighter jets and helicopters to its forward bases along the 3488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). Similarly, warships have been also been deployed in the Bay of Bengal region.

In anticipation of another premeditated attack, India has dispatched its Apache helicopters and Chinook heavy-lift choppers to the forward areas. While Apache helicopters can destroy tanks using air-to-ground missiles and rockets, the Chinook heavy-lift choppers are efficient in carrying troops and howitzers to high-altitude regions. A top military officer informed that all necessary steps have been taken to prevent “spiralling of the escalation matrix.”

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed several Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar fighters at the forward bases and activated all airbases along the northern border with China. The said airbases include Leh, Srinagar, Awantipur, Bareilly, Chabua, Hasimara, and Tezpur. Combat air patrols have been heightened in the region, owing to the new developments at the border. An air-bridge has been formed, between Ladakh and Chandigarh, with the help of C-17 Globemaster-III, AN-32 transport aircraft, and C-130J Super Hercules to transport weapons and soldiers to forward bases.

China builds new fortifications

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have also built up their forces in regions such as Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Depsang, Gogra-Hot Springs and Chushul. Several new fortifications have been built on the north bank of Pangong Tso from Finger-4 to 8 (mountainous spurs with 8 km distance between them.) China has deployed J-11 and J-8 fighters in Galwan and Hot Springs areas whereas long-range bombers have been accumulated at Kashgar and Hotan in Tibet. Reportedly, China can deploy as many as 20 fighter squadrons from the 8 airbases in Tibet and other airfields in the North. Due to high-altitude and low atmospheric pressure, the weapon and fuel-carrying capacity of Chinese jets are limited.

India-China Standoff

The current stand-off between India and China began on May 5-6 over China’s incursions into the India side at Pangong Tso in Ladakh. The movement of troops and heavy machinery along and across the LAC has been objected to by India. As per the ANI report, Indian forces have also been airlifted from other high altitude areas to the Eastern Ladakh sector. On Monday night, 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel were killed when Chinese troops had attacked with stones, batons, and barbed wires. In fierce combat that took place on extremely hostile terrain, 20 Indian soldiers had lost their lives to injuries and exposure. China is believed to have suffered 43 casualties but the communist state, as usual, has been obscure about information.

2008 Mumbai terror attacks key conspirator and David Headley aide Tahawwur Rana arrested in America after India requests extradition

OpIndia Staff
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2008 Mumbai terror attacks key conspirator and David Headley aide Tahawwur Rana arrested in America after India requests extradition

Tahawwur Rana, a former Pakistani military doctor, who is convicted in United States for his involvement in 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has now been arrested in Los Angeles. The arrest was made after India requested extradition. The Pakistani-born-Canadian is likely to be extradited back to India, where he will face charges for plotting Mumbai terror attacks.

According to the reports, Rana, who has been in US jail for more than 10 years in prison for supporting terrorist groups and plotting Mumbai attacks, faces extradition to India on murder conspiracy charges.

He was earlier convicted of his role in Mumbai terror attacks, but US prosecutors had failed to prove a terrorism charge connecting him directly to the terror attacks. Later, the 59-year-old Rana was serving a 14-year sentence and last week he was granted early release from a Los Angeles federal prison because of poor health and amidst coronavirus scare.

Rana was arrested two days later and now remains in custody in Los Angeles, from where he is likely to be extradited back to India.

Tahawwur Rana plotted Mumbai terrorists along with David Headley

Tahawwur Rana was convicted in Chicago for providing support for the Pakistani terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba – the main conspirator of the Mumbai attacks and also on charges of supporting a possible terror attack against a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005.

Terrorist Rana was convicted for a far more serious charge of providing support to the 10 men who carried out the attacks in Mumbai, which killed 166 people, injured nearly 240.

Meanwhile, the lawyers representing Rana said he had been cheated by his high school friend, David Coleman Headley, the terrorist who plotted the Mumbai attacks and also an approver. Headley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder, was sentenced to 35 years in prison. As part of his plea deal, he cannot be extradited to India.

It is believed that Rana had allowed Headley to open a branch of his Chicago-based immigration law business in Mumbai as a cover story and travel as a representative of the company in Denmark. The prosecutors said Rana knew Headley had trained as a terrorist. Headley had also shared information to Rana regarding the scouting missions he conducted in Mumbai and of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, where the terror attack took place.

Headley, who was born in the US to a Pakistani father and American mother, said his hatred of India dated back to his childhood when his school was bombed by Indian military planes during a war between the countries in 1971. Headley was reportedly close associate of Rahul Bhatt, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s son. As per reports, a day prior to the deadly Mumbai attack in 2008, Headley had warned Bhatt and asked him not to go to South Mumbai on 26th November, 2008, the day of the attack.

Tahir Hussain led a mob to godown and set it on fire, destroyed food prepared for a wedding: Police files two more charge sheets in Delhi riots case

OpIndia Staff
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Tahir Hussain led a mob to godown and set it on fire, destroyed food prepared for a wedding: Police files two more charge sheets in Delhi riots case

On Friday, Delhi Police filed two more charge-sheets against former AAP leader Tahir Hussain for his involvement in the Anti-Hindu riots in North-east Delhi in February 2020.

According to the reports, the Delhi Police has filed two charge-sheets against Tahir Hussain for his role in two separate incidents of violence during the Anti-Hindu riots. The first charge-sheet is related to arson and rioting at a parking lot in Chand Bagh, in which at least a hundred vehicles were set on fire. The second charge-sheet is filed against arson and robbery at a godown of essential goods in Karawal Nagar.

Reportedly, addition to Hussain, his younger brother Shah Alam and at least 10 others have also been named in the charge-sheet for rioting, carrying deadly armed weapons, dacoity, mischief by fire or explosive substance, unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy.

“Both incidents took place on February 24 and two separate FIRs were registered on February 27. In the first case, it has been established in the charge sheet based on electronic evidence and on the statements of the eyewitnesses that Tahir Hussain led a mob into a godown of essential commodities in Karawal Nagar and set it afire. The owner of the godown claimed a loss of worth Rs 25-30 lakhs. Tahir Hussain and five others were later arrested for the offence,” reported Hindustan Times quoting a police officer.

Tahir Hussain destroyed food prepared at a wedding, threw bombs at parking lot

In the second charge sheet, according to the police, Tahir Hussain and his younger brother Shah Alam along with eight others, reached Pradeep Parking Lot and broke open its shutters. The accused reached the first floor and robbed the people who were present there of their money and valuables.

“There were food preparations going on in there for a marriage function. Hussain and others destroyed the food prepared and then threw petrol bombs into the parking area where several vehicles were parked at the time. All the vehicles parked in Pradeep Parking lot were gutted,” the officer said.

The Delhi Police submitted the charge-sheets before Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Rampuri in cases relating to the Anti-Hindu riots. The charge-sheets have been filed under Indian Penal Code sections, including 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 34 (common intention).

Tahir Hussain – the main conspirator of Anti-Hindu riots in Delhi

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has filed various charge-sheet in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots which took place in February 2020. Since then, shocking details have emerged regarding the deep conspiracy involved. The role of former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain in the entire series of events has become increasingly clear.

The charge-sheet says that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the murder of Intelligence Bureau Constable Ankit Sharma. It alleges that he was specifically targeted by a mob led by former AAP leader Tahir Hussain. According to the charge-sheet, Ankit Sharma was murdered on the 25th of February at Khajuri Khas outside the home of the former AAP Councillor.

The charge-sheet also says that Tahir Hussain transferred Rs. 1.1 crore to shell companies in the second week of January which was later withdrawn in cash and used to prepare for the riots. 

The charge-sheet says that as many as fifteen people, including Tahir Hussain, played a pivotal role in the riots that took place outside Hussain’s house in Khajuri Khas, Delhi. His younger brother, Shah Alam was arrested earlier as well. Hussain’s licensed pistol, which he used during the riots, was impounded by the police during the investigation.

Hussain, along with others, has been booked under sections 109, 114, 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 395, 427, 435, 436, 452, 454, 153A, 505, 120B, of the Indian Penal Code and 3/4 PDPP Act and Arms Act. 

The Delhi Anti-Hindu Riots

Massive riots had broken out in the national capital during Donald Trump’s visit to India in February. The riots cost huge losses to life and property. Over the course of the investigation, the role of Radical Islamist organization PFI and others came to the fore. Home Minister Amit had promised on the floor of the Parliament that a thorough investigation into the matter would be carried out and the guilty would be punished. 

The OpIndia ground reports have revealed how some Muslim women rained down acid from the terrace and how slingshots were used to hurl petrol bombs. Eyewitnesses also told OpIndia that the rioters were well-prepared, organised and how women and children were also armed to attack Hindus.

“Rahul Gandhi, don’t indulge in politics” Father of an Indian soldier injured in Ladakh standoff appeals to the Congress leader

OpIndia Staff
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“Rahul Gandhi, don’t indulge in politics” Father of an Indian soldier injured in Ladakh standoff appeals to the Congress leader

In a video that has now gone viral on social media, the father of an injured soldier could be heard appealing to Rahul Gandhi to not politicise the recent violent clash between the Indian security forces and the Chinese army. “The Indian army is strong and can defeat China…My son fought in the army and will continue to fight in the army,” he emphasised.

Rahul Gandhi accuses Ministers of lying

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted a video of the same man who was seen narrating the chain of events, leading to his son’s injury during the scuffle at the LAC. Balwant Singh, the father of the injured soldier was narrating what his son told him over phone while getting treatment at Leh after the clash. “It’s sad to see senior GOI ministers reduced to lying in order to protect the PM. Don’t insult our martyrs with your lies. Don’t insult our martyrs with your lies,” Rahul Gandhi had written.

Home Minister Amit Shah too rapped Rahul Gandhi for indulging in petty politics at a time when the nation needs to be united.

“At a time when the entire nation is united, Mr. Rahul Gandhi should also rise above petty politics and stand in solidarity with national interest,” Shah tweeted.

India-China Standoff

The current stand-off between India and China began on May 5-6 over China’s incursions into the India side at Pangong Tso in Ladakh. The movement of troops and heavy machinery along and across the LAC has been objected to by India. As per the ANI report, Indian forces have also been airlifted from other high altitude areas to the Eastern Ladakh sector. On Monday night, 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel were killed when Chinese troops had attacked with stones, batons, and barbed wires. In fierce combat that took place on extremely hostile terrain, 20 Indian soldiers had lost their lives to injuries and exposure. China is believed to have suffered 43 casualties but the communist state, as usual, has been obscure about information.

#BoycottChineseProducts: IPL to review sponsorship deals amid India-China faceoff at Ladakh

OpIndia Staff
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#BoycottChineseProducts: IPL to review sponsorship deals amid India-China faceoff at Ladakh

Following the violent clash between the Indian and Chinese forces at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, demands for boycotting Chinese products have been gaining momentum. On Friday, the official handle of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tweeted that a meeting of the Governing Council had been scheduled the following week, in light of the border skirmish that led to the martyrdom of our brave soldiers. The meeting sought to ‘review’ various sponsorship deals in the richest T20 cricket league.

Chinese sponsorship in IPL

Reportedly, a Chinese mobile brand, Vivo, is the title sponsor of the event. The sponsorship rights were secured by the company in 2018 for ₹2,199 crores for a period of five years. Even the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI) has sponsors from Chinese firms such as Vivo, and Dream 11, an online fantasy game. Other sponsors for Indian team such as Byju’s and Paytm have Chinese investment.

Call to boycott Chinese products

Following the violent standoff at Ladakh which started in May this year, many celebrities as well as social media users have called for boycotting Chinese products. Cricketer Harbhajan Singh took to Twitter to say that he will not be endorsing Chinese products henceforth.

Similarly, after netizens put up pressure to boycott Chinese products, the Chinese mobile phone brand Oppo had cancelled its live streaming of launch of its new phone. Actors Arshad Warsi and Milind Soman had also called to boycott Chinese products amid the standoff. However, the duo were attacked by Islamists and Pakistanis for voicing their support for India.

Rahul Gandhi twists PM Modi’s word on Ladakh standoff, Congress continues to behave wayward on the issue

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi twists PM Modi’s word on Ladakh standoff, Congress continues to behave wayward on the issue

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took to Twitter to twist Prime Minister Modi’s statement on Ladakh standoff and deliberately mislead everyone on the Galwan Valley issue.

Using a screenshot where Prime Minister Modi had assured Indians that the Chinese have not managed to intrude in our territory and grab any land, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of ‘surrendering Indian territory to Chinese aggression’.

He then said that if the land was Chinese, why were our soldiers killed and where were they killed. He thereby cast aspersions that Galwan Valley, which is part of Indian territory and where Indian soldiers were martyred fighting the PLA, is now ‘surrendered to Chinese aggression’. Rahul Gandhi, thereby, suggested that the Galwan Valley territory in Ladakh is now grabbed by the Chinese.

What PM Modi said

Prime Minister Modi on Friday, after an all-party meet, assured the citizens of India that the no part of Indian territory was taken over by the Chinese.

“No one entered Indian territory, nor were Indian posts taken over,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an all-party meeting this evening to discuss the Ladakh clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. “20 jawans did die, but they taught a lesson to those who had cast their evil eyes on Bharat Mata (India),” PM Modi said.

Essentially, what Prime Minister Modi said was that while the Chinese soldiers did clash with the Indian soldiers at the LAC (Line of Actual Control), they were confronted by the brave soldiers. As many as 20 Indian soldiers laid down their lives fighting the enemy at the border. PM Modi had further said that China has been conveyed about India’s stand on the issue in no uncertain terms and the armed forces have been given full freedom to take any action that it deems necessary.

Hence, Prime Minister Modi was specifically referring to the status as of today and not at the time of the clash where there was movement of the Chinese troops at the LAC but were confronted by the Indian Army soldiers who put up a brave fight.

Congress’ wayward ways on Ladakh standoff

During the all party meet held on Friday to discuss the Ladakh standoff, while most opposition parties stood by PM Modi and expressed their faith the government of India, Congress reportedly tried its best to create differences. However, other opposition parties stood by firmly with the government of India. TMC, BSP, Shiv Sena as well as NCP and TRS expressed their support to the PM on Ladakh issue. BJD and DMK also extended their full support to the PM.

Many on social media pointed out that before Rahul Gandhi decided to officially ‘twist’ PM Modi’s words on Ladakh standoff, an assortment of trolls and Congress ecosystem had already set the stage last night itself.

Many on social media could see the twisting and wondered if it was part of a campaign.

Congress and CCP 2008 pact on consulting over ‘important issues’

In 2008, during UPA1 when the Left parties had expressed lack of trust in Congress-led UPA government, Sonia Gandhi, who was then the party president and UPA chairperson, had signed an MOU with the Chinese CCP, which was then led by Xi Jinping, who later on became the President of China. A deal was signed in Beijing for exchanging high-level information and co-operation between Congress and CCP. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”.

It was suggested that that even as China was aware of the political landscape in India, Xi Jinping went ahead and signed the pact with Congress as CCP wanted deeper ties with Congress, especially the Gandhi family.

Interestingly, the MoU was signed by the then Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and on the Chinese side, it was signed by none other than Xi Jinping himself, who was then the Chinese vice-president and standing committee member of the CPC’s politburo. In 2008, Sonia Gandhi had visited Beijing along with Rahul, daughter Priyanka, son-in-law Robert Vadra and their two children to attend the opening of the Olympic Games. A year prior, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had also led a delegation of the Congress party to China.

Rahul Gandhi and China

Rahul Gandhi’s mysterious relationship with China had also got highlighted just few years ago during the Doklam stand-off when he was caught secretly meeting Chinese officials.

The Gandhi-scion, not once but twice, was caught meeting Chinese officials, raising suspicion among the policymakers regarding the intent of his secretive meeting with the Chinese. The first meeting had taken place in 2017, when Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui, especially at a time when India and China were in the middle of a stand-off at Doklam. While Congress had denied such meetings and had termed news reports suggesting that the Gandhi-scion had indeed met Chinese officials as ‘fake news’, Chinese embassy itself confirmed the same much to Congress’ embarrassment.

This meeting was especially suspicious, because the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, at that time were vehemently attacking the Indian government over their stand in the ongoing military standoff with China, just as they are doing so now.

Then in 2018, Rahul Gandhi had himself revealed regarding the secret meeting with a couple of Chinese ministers during his trip to Kailash Mansarovar in September 2018. The meeting was kept secret initially but later Rahul Gandhi had revealed the details of the meeting accidentally leading to people to speculate even more as to why both the Congress party and China were trying to hide the meeting. Rahul Gandhi was then the President of Congress.

Rahul Gandhi loves to not trust India, so maybe he should trust China? And if he trusts China, then they’re saying that it’s actually us who intruded. So it’s 50-50 for Rahul Gandhi woh turned 50 yesterday.

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