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Completion of strategic DSDBO road was delayed because of misappropriation of fund and wrong alignment during Congress govt

OpIndia Staff
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Completion of strategic DSDBO road was delayed because of misappropriation of fund and wrong alignment during Congress govt

The recent conflict between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh has as its heart at the border constructions that India has been pursuing along the LAC. In this regard, the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road assumes significance as it had caused China some concern in the past and is suspected to be at the heart of the current dispute as well.

The 255 km-long all-weather road runs almost parallel to the LAC and took the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) almost two decades to complete. The DSDBO road connects Leh to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO). DBO is in the northernmost corner of Ladakh, which the Army refers to as sub-sector North. And as fate would have it, the Congress government had jeopardised Indian national security by engaging in fraud in the construction of the important road as well.

An inquiry conducted by the Chief Technical Examiner (CTE), on the instructions of the CVC, discovered in 2011 that the road had been laid on flat terrain and not on the mountains as per the approved plan, as reported in an Indian Express report. The construction of the road in such a manner meant that it got damaged every summer due to the flooding of the Shyok River caused by melting snow.

Thus, from June to October, the road remained close for as many as 94 days due to the flooding. Then Leh-based Chief Engineer of Project Himank, Brigadier Rizvi, observed that the construction of the road was not as per the recommendations of the Recce Survey and Trace Cutting (RSTC). He said that much of the road would have to be realigned and reconstructed.

The CTE further estimated that half of the money allotted for the project was misappropriated. The total monetary allocation made for the DSDBO road was Rs. 320 crore, which means around Rs 160 crore was misappropriated from the project. The entire project was monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister then. The original road was supposed to be completed by 2012 but the deadline was later extended to 2014. Ultimately, due to the need for realignment, it got pushed to 2017.

During the recent conflict, the BRO was looking forward to completing work on the DSDBO road, including eight bridges and its blacktopping. The use of the road had helped cut the travel time between Leh and DBO to six hours, which was significantly higher earlier. Thus, it appears that had the Congress government not engaged in the misappropriation of funds, India would have been much better prepared now than it is.

The approach of the UPA government with respect to China has always been dubious. For instance, they denied permission to the Indian Air Force to reactivate the DBO airstrip that serves a strategic objective for India in the region. In the end, former Air Marshall and the then Commander-in-Chief of the Western Air Command P K Barbora was forced to re-activate the airstrip without seeking prior permission from the Central Government.

The Congress party had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008. The deal was to ensure the exchange of information between the two entities and provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”.

As fate would have it, the MoU was signed by Rahul Gandhi as the then Congress general secretary and Xi Jinping himself, who was then the Chinese vice-president and standing committee member of the CPC’s politburo. The MoU was signed in the presence of his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi. Since then, there have been numerous suspicious dealings between the two.

Chinese military’s attack on Indian soldiers was pre-planned, India won’t allow anyone to cross even one inch over LAC and border: MoS Defence Shripad Naik

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Chinese military’s attack on Indian soldiers was pre-planned, India won’t allow anyone to cross even one inch over LAC and border: MoS Defence Shripad Naik

The Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) extensively planned and carried out the attack on the Indian troops positioned in the Eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley. This was revealed by Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik today. Naik said that China attacked India without any provocation, and India won’t allow anyone to cross even an inch over the LAC or the border.

Naik said while talking to media, “Today, China’s aggression on India is without reason. The attack on six-seven posts is pre-planned on part of China and we are confident that India will give a befitting reply to this.” 

The minister also said that there has been an ongoing discussion on an official level for several days regarding the tension which is prevalent on the India-China border. “Things had settled along five to six places (along the border). In some places, soldiers on both sides had withdrawn by 2.5 kms. But what happened in Leh recently was a very unfortunate occurrence, after China crossed the border. The matter started from there,” Naik said.

“We are firm in our effort and position that we will not allow China or anyone to cross even one inch over the LAC and our border,” the junior defense minister said.

Naik made the comments when he was speaking to the media at the Goa BJP office in Panaji.

According to sources, the Chinese military had planned the attack for two days during which they did a reconnaissance through drones to observe the military strength and positions and accordingly positioned themselves on the other side of LAC to prepare for an attack.

An official said that when the Indian army personnel appeared at the disputed sites in the Galwan area on 15 June, the PLA released the water from the river at high speed from the small rivulets at heightened regions that it had blocked as a part of its plan to disbalance the troops. The official further added, “The strong gush of water made the men lose balance. The Chinese charged, pushed the Army personnel and many fell into the Galwan river.”

Earlier reports had suggested that the clash happened when after Colonel Santosh Babu who was the commanding officer of the unit destroyed a tent set up by Chinese and set on fire. Now it has been revealed that the tent was destroyed two days before the clash. Reportedly, when the troopers were patrolling the site the militants of PLA threw boulders on them and unleashed a strong current of water by unblocking the rivulets.

The official noted that the Chinese were wearing body protecters, helmets and carried spiked batons.

MEA statement on the conflict

The MEA in its statement had mentioned that “Chinese side took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.”

The Official stated, “The patrolling team walked into an ambush. The area had witnessed clashes on May 5 and the attack took place despite a high alert. The men were outnumbered by the Chinese. No gunshot was fired.”

The violent clash claimed lives of 20 Indian soldiers

The brutal combat between the soldiers of two armies has confirmed to have claimed the lives of at least 20 Indian soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, Colonel Santosh Babu, and many others, partly also because of the extended exposure to sub-zero temperatures.

Though Beijing has been tight-lipped about the casualties endured by the Chinese side in the skirmishes at Galwan Valley, unofficial reports suggest at least 43 Chinese troopers have been killed in the brawl. According to a US intel report, 35 PLA personnel have perished in the border skirmish.

NDTV partners with Christian Missionary organisation World Vision, which allegedly helps US Govt to pursue its foreign policy goals

OpIndia Staff
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NDTV partners with Christian Missionary organisation World Vision, which allegedly helps US Govt to pursue its foreign policy goals

The mainstream media is known to have a covert understanding with Christian missionaries and other dubious foreign funded NGOs that prevents them from reporting accurately regarding matters involving them. But now, it is not secret anymore. NDTV has partnered with a Christian evangelical organisation, World Vision, for apparently a ‘hunger-free India’.

It is widely acknowledged, even by Christian evangelicals themselves, that the larger objective of charity and humanitarian work by missionary organisations is ultimately the conversion of people to the Christian faith. And yet, NDTV, which has great issues with Gharwapsi, sees no compunction in partnering with such an organisation.

NDTV also seeks donations from the public regarding the same and it is safe to say that a healthy proportion of the donated amount will be used to fund conversions to the Christian faith.

World Vision India is a branch of World Vision, which is an explicitly evangelical organisation. The website of WV says, “World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.”

The mission statement of WV includes, “Witness to Jesus Christ by life, deed, word and sign that encourages people to respond to the Gospel.” It also says, “Public Awareness that leads to informed understanding, giving, involvement and prayer.” The consolidated financial statement to makes it clear that it is a Christian religious organisation and its purposes are religious as well.

The mission statement of World Vision
Mission Statement

For its part, WV claims that it does not engage in proselytising. They claim that they “do not proselytize or work with those who insist on proselytism. Proselytism takes place whenever assistance is offered on condition that people must listen or respond to a message or as an inducement to leave one and join another part of the Christian church.”

However, World Vision does admit that “At the same time, World Vision shares the Church’s commitment to disciple followers of Jesus Christ who bear witness to the Gospel by life, deed, word and sign, with the goal of encouraging people to respond to the Gospel. We do this through the life of service that we lead, the deeds of Christian love we perform, the words that we share about our faith and the signs of prayers answered as we visibly and concretely improve the lives of others.”

In simple words, what WV wishes to say is that although they do not make their charity work conditional on the acceptance of the aid, they do encourage the recipients to convert to the Christian faith. Intriguingly enough, World Vision India provides no inclination about their evangelical roots.

World Vision India makes a deliberate effort to portray itself as just another ‘humanitarian’ organisation even though it definitely is not. The differences in the description of the vision between World Vision and World Vision India makes it abundantly clear that there has been a conscious effort to hide their missionary roots.

There are far more sinister designs at work here. Iain Buchanan, author of “Armies of God: Study in Militant Christianity”, claims that such missionary organisations are employed by the US government to pursue their foreign policy objectives.

In an interview to DNA, he said, “…there is no doubt at all that US strategy makes deliberate (and somewhat cynical) use of Christian agencies in pursuit of foreign policy — and that the distinction between the religious and the secular is deliberately blurred in the process. There are over 600 US-based evangelical groups, some as big as large corporations, and between them they constitute a vast and highly organised network of global influence, purposefully targeting non-Christians, and connecting and subverting every sector of life in the process.”

Buchanan also asserted that World Vision is effectively an extended arm of the US Department of State. He said, “Most of the major evangelical corporations (like World Vision, Campus Crusade, Youth with a Mission, and Samaritan’s Purse) operate in partnership with the US government in its pursuit of foreign policy goals. World Vision, which is effectively an arm of the State Department, is perhaps the most notable example of this. There is also the benefit of a custom-built legislation, with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 providing necessary sanction to bring errant nations into line.”

Under such circumstances, NDTV declaring a partnership between itself and World Vision India even for the sake of something that appears noble on the face of it is a cause for extreme concern. It is a legitimate question on whether media organisations should have the liberty to ally with international religious organisations that have intimate links with the US Government.

However, it cannot be denied that it severely compromises the ethical claim to neutrality and integrity that any media network claims to have. Fortunately for the NDTV, it does not suffer from any such misgivings. Neither is it neutral, nor does it pretend to have any integrity. The co-founder of NDTV and executive chairperson, Prannoy Roy, is accused of fraud and is being investigated by the CBI.

In addition to this, NDTV has taken an anti-India stand on numerous occasions in the past, especially on Kashmir and during conflict with Pakistan. The news network is also a purveyor of fake news and often, it peddles propaganda to target Hindutva oriented organisations.

Coronavirus: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s condition worsens, put on oxygen support

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain’s condition worsens, put on oxygen support

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was earlier tested positive for coronavirus, has been put on oxygen support after his lung infection deteriorated on Friday.

According to the reports, the office of the Delhi Health Minister on Friday confirmed that Minister Satyendar Jain has been put on oxygen support after he contracted the Chinese epidemic this week.

Reportedly, the Delhi Health Minister will be shifted to another hospital in the national capital. He was earlier admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) on Tuesday after he complained of high fever and drop in oxygen level.

Earlier, the minister’s office had said that Jain was being given oxygen support only when required and had said that his health condition was improving. As per the latest reports, Jain is showing symptoms of acute pneumonia and will be treated with plasma therapy.

In the absence of Jain, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia has been affairs of the Health Ministry, which is responsible for the fight against the coronavirus in the national capital.

Jain had recently attended a high-level meeting organized by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and CM Arvind Kejriwal were also present during that meeting, among others. He had been admitted in Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi super speciality hospital.

Along with Satyendar Jain, Kalkaji MLA Atishi Marlena was also tested positive for coronavirus infection on Wednesday evening. She became the fourth MLA of AAP to be tested positive. She is currently under home quarantine. 

UP Anti-terror squad arrests one Inamul Haq from Bareilly for radicalizing youths for jihad

OpIndia Staff
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UP Anti-terror squad arrests one Inamul Haq from Bareilly for radicalizing youths for jihad

Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad nabbed one Mohammad Inamul Haq from Riyaz colony of Bareilly on the charge radicalising others. The ATS alleged that the 30-year old Muslim man was indulged in radicalizing youths to commit jihad. The ATS has found inflammatory literature saved on his mobile. Reportedly, he used to instigate youth by using several social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, and Telegram.

As per reports of News 18, the UP ATS had received a tip-off about an individual named Mohammad Shoaib alias Abu Muhammad Al Hindi is highly radicalized and recruiting youth for terrorist organizations by preaching jihad to them. But after investigation, it was found that the real name of the perpetrator was Mohammad Inamul Haq who lives in Dr. Riyaz colony of Katghar, Bareilly.

Found suspicious during Social media scanning

Additional Director General of UP ATS DK Thakur stated that Inamul used to send messages to others through social media sites about planned terror activities. The intelligence agencies found his account suspicious during the random scanning of social media.

He said, “He used to send messages to others on Facebook of planning terror activities and jihad. His WhatsApp and telegram also have many objectionable messages.”

Inflammatory literature, Anti-India conversations found

ADG Thakur also informed that the police have also recovered literature on international terror organizations like Al-Qaeda. Anti-India conversations were also seized from his Whatsapp and Telegram feed.

As per the reports of TOI, he has saved a picture of Hindu leader Kamlesh Tiwari with a message in Arabic on it. Hindu Samaj Party founder Kamlesh Tiwari was murdered by jihadists in October last year.

Reportedly, he was produced before the court from where he was sent to 10-day police remand.

Ladakh: Amid LAC standoff, Indian Army completes crucial Galwan river bridge that PLA has been trying to stall

OpIndia Staff
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Ladakh: Amid LAC standoff, Indian Army completes crucial Galwan river bridge that PLA has been trying to stall

The engineers of the Indian Army have completed the construction of a 60-metre bridge over the Galwan river in eastern Ladakh that would strengthen India’s control of the region by enabling the Indian troops to move across the river and provide a shield to the 255 KM strategic road from Darbuk to Daulat Beg Oldie, the final post south of the Karakoram Pass, the Hindustan Times reported.

The construction of the bridge was completed in the wake of belligerence displayed by the People Liberation Army in a bid to discourage the Indian Army from completing the project. The building of the bridge over the Galwan river seen as a strategic move by India which triggered the expansionist moves by the Chinese army that resulted in the standoff between the armies of the two countries before the PLA made an inflated claim over the entire Galwan Valley region.

The strategic location of the bridge

As per the HT report, the newly constructed four-span bridge is situated three kilometres east of the Shyok river-Galwan confluence, while the latest flashpoint-PP14 is located further 2 km east of the Bailey bridge. The Patrolling Point 14, the site of the bloody clashes between the two armies on June 15 is located close to the Y-junction which is the confluence of Galwan and Shyok rivers. An Indian army camp is set up at the said location, right next to the DSDBO road.

“Right through the stand-off between the two countries, we continued building the bridge. Even as the skirmishes broke out between the Indian soldiers and the PLA on June 15, the completion of the bridge continued steadfastly,” an official was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

China’s nefarious aims to make sweeping claims of the entire Galwan Valley is an attempt to reduce India’s assertion to Shyok river and if it happens, the Chinese will have a birds-eye view of the DSDBO road and in the times of hostility, they can snap the road connectivity to Daulat Beg Oldie. This will provide them with another avenue to open road to Pakistan via Murgo, the last Indian village before DBO.

Built on concrete pillars, the Bailey bridge consolidates India’s hold in the region and provides its military with the advantage of rapid military mobilisation to protect Indian strategic interests. With Indian Army vehicles being able to cross the river through the newly-built bridge, the Indian military will be better poised to rein in the aggressive manoeuvres by the Chinese PLA.

Violent clashes between Indian and Chinese army at the Galwan Valley

At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, had attained martyrdom in the violent clashes with the Chinese troopers in Eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the Indian Army said on Tuesday. The Army had initially claimed that 3 soldiers, including one Commanding Officer, were killed in the skirmishes but later in the evening it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others had succumbed to their injuries due to the prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures.

The killing of the Indian soldiers marks the Indian Army’s worst losses since the Kargil War in 1999 and signifies the most intense military combat between India and China since 1967 when about 80 Indian soldiers and at least 300 Chinese PLA troops were killed in the course of the savage skirmishes that broke out near the Nathu La and Cho Lo passes, the strategic gateway to the crucial Chumbi valley.

No one from their side died, only our Jawans died: Watch Congress leader Husain Dalwai peddling China agenda

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No one from their side died, only our Jawans died: Watch Congress leader Husain Dalwai peddling China agenda

On Friday, senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Husain Dalwai parroted same lies as his party’s former chief Rahul Gandhi as he claimed that Modi government had sent the Indian Army soldiers without arms, which resulted in the death of soldiers during the clash between PLA and Indian troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Monday.

Speaking to the media, the former RS members Husain Dalwai also claimed that it was only the Indian troops that were killed during the Monday clash in the Galwan valley at Ladakh and went on to say that no Chinese troops were killed during the clash.

Echoing same lies as Rahul Gandhi, Dalwai went on to make false assertion by stating that the Modi government sent these troops without any arms. He added that the troops could have fought against the PLA but did not get any chance as they had only sticks.

Further, using the matter of national security to politicise the issue, Dalwai dragged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, by asking whether jawans were fighting inside an RSS Shakha and also asked the government to send the RSS workers instead of soldiers as they can fight the Chinese with the sticks.

“No one from their side died, only our jawans died…How can you send our jawans without arms? They could’ve fought but didn’t get chance. They just had sticks. Is this RSS shakha? Why send soldiers? Send RSS people. They’ll guard border,” said former Congress MP Husain Dalwai.

Dalwai repeats same misinformation as Rahul Gandhi

Husain Dalwai tirade against the Modi government regarding the Indian side confronting the Chinese military in hand-to-hand combat rather than facing the Chinese with the guns comes a day after Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi had tried to pull a similar narrative.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had also claimed that launched an attack on the Modi government questioning operational decisions made by the armed forces. The Congress party leaders and workers had asked why the Indian side went to confront the Chinese military without carrying guns.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had also asked the same question on why Indian soldiers sent unarmed to a dangerous situation, and who was responsible for this decision. In a hurry to target the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi despite being an MP for so many years was not aware of the agreements signed by governments led and supported by his own party that prevented the soldiers from using firearms on the border with China.

The reason for the same is a slew of agreements signed between India and China, in an effort to keep the tension at the border under check. Both the nations have signed border agreements in 1993, 1996 and 2005, which defines the activities which are allowed and not allowed along the Line of Actual Control between India and China.

Like Rahul Gandhi, Husain Dalwai despite being in politics for so-long and also being a two-term parliamentarian parroted the same false propaganda despite being aware that it was his party which was responsible for signing agreements with the Chinese side to limit Indian troops carrying arms along the LAC.

Ayodhya: Ram Janmabhoomi Trust suspends temples construction work in view of the security situation in Ladakh, says will resume on appropriate time

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: Ram Janmabhoomi Trust suspends temples construction work in view of the security situation in Ladakh, says will resume on appropriate time

Amidst tense situation along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh following the deadly skirmishes in Galwan Valley between the armies of the two countries, the Ram Mandir trust has announced that the appropriate date for the start of the construction of the Ram Temple will be taken keeping in view the prevailing situation in the country.

The Trust, in its official communique, said that the situation at the border is serious and the overriding concern at present is to defend the country against the Chinese aggression.

The trust paid tributes to the fallen soldiers who attained martyrdom after Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley stealthily mounted an attack against the Indian troopers with the help of medieval weapons such as clubs wrapped in barbed wire, boulders and batons with protruding nails. The organisation which has been charged with the construction of the Ram Temple after a historic judgment by the Supreme Court last year said that a new date will soon be decided by the trust keeping in view the situation on the border.

“The decision to begin construction (of temple) will be taken according to the situation in the country and will be announced officially,” Anil Mishra, member of the trust, told PTI.

Many Hindu organisations have organised protests in Ayodhya recently opposing the unilateral expansionism exhibited by the Chinese. Earlier, PTI had reported that the Trust has suspended the plans to start construction of the temple in Ayodhya.

Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad says lakhs of Naga Sadhus would volunteer to help the Army if need arises

The apex body of the saints and seers in India, Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad has said that lakhs of Naga sanyasis(hermits) would volunteer to fight the Chinese if the need arises.

While condemning the dastardly attack by the Chinese forces against 16 Bihar Regiment soldiers in Galwan Valley, Mahant Narendra Giri, President of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), said that the Indian Army is capable of handling the Chinese manoeuvres on the border, but if the need arises, lakhs of Naga sadhus will also volunteer to protect the motherland.

“Naga sadhus are equally adept in shaashtra (religious texts) and shashtra (arms),” he said while adding, “Naga sadhus are trained in martial arts and can also carry tridents, swords, canes and spears”.

He further explained that Naga sanyasis once acted as a bulwark for the Hindus against the Mughal oppression and were involved in a large number of military defence campaigns. However, Giri added, following the country’s independence, there was no need for the Nagas to remain active in military activities and therefore they turned to religion.

Violent clashes between India and China in Galwan Valley

At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, had attained martyrdom in the violent clashes with the Chinese troopers in Eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the Indian Army said on Tuesday. The Army had initially claimed that 3 soldiers, including one Commanding Officer, were killed in the skirmishes but later in the evening it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others had succumbed to their injuries due to the prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures.

The killing of the Indian soldiers marks the Indian Army’s worst losses since the Kargil War in 1999 and signifies the most intense military combat between India and China since 1967 when about 80 Indian soldiers and at least 300 Chinese PLA troops were killed in the course of the savage skirmishes that broke out near the Nathu La and Cho Lo passes, the strategic gateway to the crucial Chumbi valley.

Amid ongoing tensions with China, Australia hit by a massive and malicious “state-based cyber-attack”

OpIndia Staff
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Amid ongoing tensions with China, Australia hit by a massive and malicious “state-based cyber-attack”

Australia is currently been targeted by a massive and “malicious” cyber-attack by a foreign government, Australian PM Scott Morrison said at the Parliament House, Friday.

In an urgent press conference called this morning in Canberra, the Australian PM said that the ongoing large scale cyber attack on government as well as private institutions are being executed by a “sophisticated state-based cyber actor.”

“This activity is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure,” Morrison told reporters.

The Australian PM said that this activity is not new and the frequency has only been increasing over many months, furthered the Australian PM.

The scale of the cyberattack in Australia hints that it no random attack

The PM said the cyber experts have identified that it is a no random attack but a state hack because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used. Though the PM did not give “public attribution” to any country, he said that not many states can engage in this type of activity.

Asked if China was to blame, the Prime Minister said that the “threshold to formally identify a state-based actor was high but the list of possible suspects was not long”.

Australian government sources have said China is behind the attack

A report by news.com.au said that the Australian government sources have said China is behind the attack. It read that last year, Australia’s main political parties and parliament were hit by a “malicious intrusion” on their computer networks carried out by a “sophisticated state actor”. The Reuters news agency had then reported that the Australian intelligence agencies suspected China to be behind 2019 hack. Then too, Canberra had declined to comment.

Moreover, this attack comes at the time when Australia’s diplomatic relation with its biggest trade partner, China is extremely vulnerable over new tariffs on barley and warnings to tourists and overseas students to no longer travel to the island nation amid the coronavirus threat. Australia has been extremely critical of China over the handling of Coronavirus crisis during the beginning. Australia alleges China of hiding the pandemic during its earlier phases which could have helped in containing it.

A report by BBC also said that the cyber intelligence experts have long linked various hacks in Australia to China. They say China is one of the few states, along with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, which have the capacity for such attacks.

“There’s always simmering tensions between Russia and China so really it comes down to those being the key actors they (Australia) would be referring to,” expert Joshua Kennedy-White told the BBC.

Meanwhile, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that no major personal data breaches had been made as he advised to “continue to be as ever-vigilant as we possibly can”.

Supreme Court refuses to stay prosecution on sedition cases filed against rabid Islamist Sharjeel Imam: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court refuses to stay prosecution on sedition cases filed against rabid Islamist Sharjeel Imam: Read details

The Supreme Court today refused to stay the prosecution on sedition cases filed against radical Islamist, Sharjeel Imam, in 5 States clarifying that the plea before it is only for consolidation of FIRs. 

The apex court two-member bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and V Ramasubramanian was hearing a plea by JNU student Sharjeel Imam seeking to club all FIRs filed against him for his speech during the anti-CAA protests in Delhi.

Senior Counsel Siddharth Dave representing Sharjeel Imam argued before the Court that there was an urgency in the case given that prosecution against Imam would begin in the States and the Court is scheduled to go on vacation in the next week. He said that the court had in the previous hearing issued notices to the five states and given them two weeks time to consolidate all the FIRs, but Dave said that none of the states complied by the SC orders hence he urged that the SC puts a stay on the prosecution.

The apex court, however, said that the case the court was hearing today was only for consolidation of FIRs. Hence it said it cannot pass any other orders. “But the case is only for consolidation of FIRs. We cannot pass any other orders”, said, Justice Bhushan, heading the Bench.

Dave urged the Court to consider the urgency involved. However, the Court categorically rejected to pass an interim order: “That is not the prayer before us… We cannot pass such an interim order”, said the two-member bench.

Keeping in view the scope of the plea before the Court, the Bench refused to grant a stay on the prosecution of Imam and directed the States to file their replies in a period of three weeks.

Radical Islamist Sharjeel Imam approached SC seeking clubbing of all the FIRs against him

On May 26, Sharjeel Imam had moved the apex court seeking the amalgamation of all FIRs filed against him in different states of India.

The petition had come up before a 3-Judge Bench comprising of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and MR Shah. Counsel appearing for the accused, Siddhartha Dave, reportedly cited the case of Arnab Goswami and the Aligarh Muslim University case to club all FIRs filed against Imam into one single case.

During the hearing, SC had directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi government, to file its response on Sharjeel Imam’s plea which sought the transfer of all criminal cases against him to the national capital and probe by a single agency.

It had then issued notice to the States of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh where the other FIRs were lodged against Sharjeel Imam.

Threats by Sharjeel Imam to ‘cut off’ Assam

Earlier, a series of videos had gone viral on social media in which Sharjeel Imam, the chief co-ordinator of Shaheen Bagh protest and a The Wire columnist was seen instigating Muslims of the country to break India by cutting of North-east from the rest of the country. While speaking to Muslim mobs, he said, “Our aim is to cut Assam and North-east India from rest of India”.

Arrested for Sedition

In January this year, Sharjeel Imam was arrested by the Police from Bihar’s Jehanabad. Sedition charges were filed against him in multiple states for his remarks urging Muslims to cut off North East India from the rest of the country by blocking the Chicken’s neck. The arrest was made by the Delhi Police Crime Branch after he was absconding for four days. A manhunt was launched after the video of his seditious speech went viral on social media.

Several states like Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh had filed FIRs against him under charges of sedition and other offences for his secessionist statements.

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