The Uttar Pradesh government has told the Supreme Court that due to the inflammatory speech made by JNU scholar Sharjeel imam at Aligarh on the 16th of January, widespread arson and looting ensued in the state. The statement was made in the affidavit filed by the government in connection to a plea filed by The Wire columnist requesting the consolidation of all FIRs against him in various states.
Opposing the plea, the Yogi government said that the FIR filed by UP Police could not be clubbed with the rest as his speech had a distinct local effect. The state government said that the speech by Sharjeel Imam led to large-scale arson, stone-pelting, firing at the Police and the looting of donation boxes in Temples over the next two months.
“On January 23, around 150-200 protesters, including AMU students, blocked the road and raised slogans of hatred. On January 31, more than 500 persons congregated, including AMU students, for an anti-CAA demonstration creating a tense situation. On February 23, more than 500-600 unknown persons pelted stones, looted donation boxes at temples, scuffled with temple priests, leading to conflict and tension,” the affidavit said.
“Again on February 23, more than one thousand persons in a pre-planned manner forcibly entered Kotwali Upkot and created a riotous situation by firing from illegal firearms. On February 24, a congregation raised hatred slogans and pelted stones at police and fired upon them with illegal weapons injuring several policemen and damaging public property,” it continued.
The Uttar Pradesh government contended that the consolidation of FIRs filed against Sharjeel Imam in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Assam, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh would cause great harm to the investigation that is underway to deduce the consequences of his speech and its links with the events that followed. The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing in the matter.
Even as the raging debate over the issue of nepotism in the movie industry continues, Bollywood entertainer Sonam Kapoor on Sunday took to Twitter to defend nepotism in the industry and went on to claim that it was her karma and a privilege to be the daughter of her father Anil Kapoor.
On the occasion of Fathers’ Day, the actress posted a tweet indirectly confessing that she was a product of nepotism in the Bollywood as she claimed that she was her father’s daughter and she is an actress because of her father Anil Kapoor. Calling herself to be privileged, Sonam Kapoor asserted that charges of nepotism against her are not an insult but ‘karma’.
“That’s not an insult, my father has worked very hard to give me all of this. And it is my karma where I’m born and to whom I’m born. I’m proud,” said Sonam Kapoor shielding herself after she was accused of being a ‘starkid’ and a product of nepotism rather than herself earning the spot based on the merit.
Image Source: Sonam Kapoor
The angry rants by Sonam Kapoor come at the backdrop of a recent controversy she had stoked after trying to disregard the charges of nepotism in the country, which were made against a group of producers, directors, starkids following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Netizens had posed tough questions to Sonam Kapoor for trying to defend nepotism even after the death of the actor.
Sonam Kapoor was also one of the many entertainers in the industry who was blamed for the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide on last Sunday. The fans had outraged against producers, directors and star kids, who they referred to as ‘insiders’, for bullying outsiders and shunting them out without giving them any due.
Following that, social media users demanded accountability from the actor, who then disabled the comment section on her Instagram posts. Later, social media users began to send direct messages to Sonam Kapoor’s account instead.
On Sunday, as she confessed and glorified that phenomenon of ‘nepotism’ in the cinema industry, the actress also posted screenshots of the social media posts, in which she had allegedly claimed of receiving hate from various social media users.
This is some of comments coming my way. All the media and all the people who’ve encouraged this sort of behaviour and instigated it. This is on you. People talking about how one should have been kind to someone are doing worse to others. pic.twitter.com/6rH4LSBOxp
The actress also shared screenshots of those messages on Instagram Stories, where people allegedly abused her and also wishing death upon her future children.
I encourage you guys to see my comment section. And I’m sure you don’t hope that the same comes your way. I hope your parents don’t have to see this sort of this stuff. pic.twitter.com/dmvI3xOKVd
In her post, Sonam Kapoor shared a few screenshots of the alleged abuse she received. She wrote, “Yes I’ve switched off my comments section and my parents’ comment section because I don’t want my 64 year old parents to go through this. They did nothing wrong to deserve this. And I’m not doing it out of fear you morons I’m doing it out of common sense to preserve my mental health and my parents.”
Responding to another comment, Sonam Kapoor said, “Also people wishing death on my future children. And on my family. That video you’ve been spouting was 7 years old. When he had one film out I didn’t know him, like he didn’t say anything about me till now..also please go and watch the episodes where my fellow actors have maybe said much worse about me, but I have taken it in the spirit the show was meant to be. in jest.”
While some of the abuses came from Islamists, Sonam Kapoor invoked Hindu philosophy and Dharma to state that Karma was the biggest leveller. “Bullying, misguided vengeance, and the need to further your own agenda not caring about the collateral damage. This is all your karma. May god and the universe forgive you,” the actress tweeted.
Bullying, misguided vengeance, and the need to further your own agenda not caring about the collateral damage. This is all your karma. May god and the universe forgive you. pic.twitter.com/SJpZPUWqCY
“Karma is the biggest leveller. We are where we are because of our karmas and we are born and go through what we go through because of our karmas. Everyone who is spouting hate it’s your karma. All of you are in my prayers. I thank god everyday for where I am and whom I’m born too. If you really knew what Hindu philosophy and dharma is about you wouldn’t be so foolish. You are just damaging yourself and quality of life,” she wrote.
During the recent conflict between India and China in Ladakh, a certain ‘defence expert’ made the headlines for his apocalyptic declarations on social media. Ajai Shukla, known to be a Congress sympathiser, spread quite a panic among India citizens with his sermons that gave people the impression that it was only moments before China marched firmly into Indian territory and claim the entirety of Ladakh for itself.
Ajai Shukla also worked hard to maintain the pretence that only Indians had suffered casualties and only Indians were captured even though it was definitely not the case. The statement made by the Army itself had stated that there had been casualties on the Chinese side as well but that was summarily ignored by Ajai Shukla.
Moreover, Ajai Shukla emphasised that certain Indian troops had been ‘captured’ by the Chinese. But since then, it has become evident that the Indian Army had taken some PLA men as well. It has been confirmed by the Indian media as well as Union Minister General V.K. Singh. The retired General also said that Indian troops had managed to eliminate more than double the number of martyrs on the Indian side. However, on the social media feed of Ajai Shukla, it was all doom and gloom and the sentiment of imminent dawn of the apocalypse.
As it turns out, Ajai Shukla was not always so apocalyptic about the prospect of confrontation with the Chinese. A short clip of his views on Chinese incursions during the UPA regime has now gone viral on social media. In the video clip, he can be heard saying during the UPA era that the border between India and China had not yet been actually decided and it is something that has been under negotiations since the 1962 War.
“The Border has not yet been decided yet. This border is being decided for the past 50-60 years and it will be settled at some point in the future. But right now, it cannot be said.. Only an Indian can say that China has transgressed into our territory but from the perspective of China, they had not entered our territory,” Ajai Shukla said. These words were presumably from the time when China intruded into India territory in 2013.
The second part of the viral video shows what Ajai Shukla said about the current conflict. He says that Chinese troops have entered Indian territory, erected posts and have settled there. Thus, comparing his stance from the UPA era with current times, it appears that with the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, the border between India and China magically air dropped itself into his brain.
But it is more likely that he was going out of his way to defend the UPA Government and is now going out of his way to attack the Modi government so that the Congress party could benefit from it. And it turns out a lot has changed about his views with regards to China since the days of the UPA regime.
Another significant change is that in 2013, in a column for the Business Standard, Ajai Shukla had freely admitted that “Since the 1962 war, China has extended its control over the entire Galwan River and Chip Chap River valleys in Ladakh.” However, in 2020, China’s presence in Galwan Valley became an incursion into ‘new areas’.
Ajai Shukla in his 2013 article said- “China has extended its control over Entire Galwan River since 1962”
Ajai Shukla in 2020 is saying China has entered India and claimed the Entire Galwan River in May 2020.
Along expected lines, people on social media were outraged by his conduct, convinced that he is a ‘Congress stooge’. During the outrage, it was also revealed that Ajai Shukla can be quite abusive, crossing all limits of decency. A screenshot of a tweet that has gone viral shows the individual using extremely vile language for the women of the family it was addressed to.
Considering the drastic change in the views of Ajai Shukla, it appears more than likely that his panic stricken assessment of the situation at Ladakh is driven by his politically partisan worldview. But as people have discovered to their great dismay of late, the internet never forgets. And before long, his partisan reporting on the whole matter has been revealed to the public at large.
It is important to note that independent media reports have confirmed multiple Chinese casualties during the recent clash. It was also confirmed that the Chinese post that was constructed on the Indian side of the LAC was demolished by the Indian troops during the said clash.
Kulgam Police, Army and CRPF initiated an anti-terror operation in Lakadpora of Kulgam yesterday. The operation was concluded after the armed forces neutralized a terrorist affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammed. He was active in South Kashmir from the last few years. Another terrorist managed to escape from the scene. They recovered an AK-47 rifle and an M4 US-made rifle from the Kulgam encounter site.
The operation by Kulgam Police, Army and CRPF, which began at Lakadpora of Kulgam yesterday, concluded with the killing of a Pakistani terrorist affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammed. He was active in South Kashmir for the past few years. Another terrorist escaped: J&K Police Sources
In another operation, joint troops of CRPF Valley QAT (Quick Action Team), 115 Bn, 28Bn CRPF and J&K Police launched a cordon and search operation at Zadibal area of Srinagar. Three terrorists were cornered by the security forces in a house. The terrorists fired at the security forces after which exchange of fire underwent for a few hours.
J&K: 3 terrorists killed in encounter which began in Srinagar’s Zadibal following a cordon & search operation launched there, by joint troops of CRPF Valley QAT (Quick Action Team), 115 Bn, 28Bn CRPF and J&K Police. Search operation underway.(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/BQC8OjmeFv
Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, informed the media that after learning about the terrorists’ identity, they called their parents to appeal to them to surrender. The terrorists did not listen to the family members and continued firing on security forces. IG added to the statement that one of the terrorists was involved in an attack on two BSF jawans last month.
Arms and medicines from Pakistan recovered
During the press conference, IG Kashmir Vijay Kumar informed that they had recovered an AK-47, an M4 carbine and a pistol from the terrorist associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad in Kulgam. Some medicines from Pakistan were also recovered. Yesterday, the security forces shot down a drone from which an M4 rifle was also recovered. M4 is a commonly used weapon by Jaish-e-Mohammad.
A terrorist that goes by the name ‘Ali Bhai’ was mentioned in the Kathua incident intercepts. On cross-checking records, the security forces found out that a terrorist named Furkan was active in Pulwama. There is a possibility that the M4 rifle might have been brought for Furkan by the Pakistani drone.
Kumar said that as they were local terrorists, they asked some prominent people to request them to surrender, but they did not budge. They threw a hand grenade towards the security forces when they were asked to surrender. Later they were killed by the security forces. This is the first time that four chiefs of main terrorist outfits Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in four months. Kumar congratulated forces on this achievement as loss of leadership has a deep impact on these groups’ functioning.
Nepal has started radio warfare in bordering villages of Uttarakhand. The residents of these villages can catch Nepali Radio stations that are now playing anti-India songs from the last few months. These songs mainly state that areas like Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura in Uttarakhand are part of Nepal and India should return them. Nepal has recently included these areas in its new map. These songs are played several times between shows, including news bulletins. Along with anti-India sentiment, these songs also taunt Nepalese politicians for “not doing enough” to take control of the land that “belongs” to Nepal.
Locals raised concerns on increasing anti-India propaganda
In a report, TOI shared statements of several residents living on bordering villages. Babita Sanwal, a school teacher in Dharchula, district Pithoragarh, said that she was a regular listener of Darchula FM of Nepal. But now she has stopped listening to Nepalese radio since they started playing anti-India songs. The lyrics of one song she shared were “Hamrai ho tyo Kalapani, Lipulekha, Limpiyadhura… Utha, jaga, veer Nepali (Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura are ours… Wake up, brave people).”
Another Nepalese song popular on such FM channels says, “Lipulekh and Kalapani should be ours, it’s our land that has been stolen”. As per the reports, these songs are not new and have been making rounds from almost a year and a half. However, they have resurfaced with increased frequency recently, and they were premiered on Youtube and other platforms between March and June. Some of Nepal’s FM channels who broadcast such content are Kalapani Radio, Lok Darpan, Mallikarjun Radio, Naya Nepal, Darchula Radio, and many more. These channels are easily accessible by the villages on India’s side.
Shalu Datal, a resident of Dantu village, talked to Hindustan Times and claimed that these channels play anti-India speeches between the songs too. “Some old channels like Mallikarjun Radio and a website named annapurna.online are also broadcasting reports depicting Kalapani as Nepalese territory,” she said.
A local trader from Dharchula, Krishna Garbiyal, was a regular listener of news on these radio stations. He stopped listening to these channels when they started broadcasting such content. Some songs even stated that Shillong and Darjeeling were part of Nepal.
Chief secretary of Uttarakhand, N S Napalchyal, said, “The state government and even the central government should start its own community radios in the area to give a clear picture to locals about the present scenario.” He hails from the Dharchula area of Pithoragarh. Madan Kaushik, a state government spokesperson, stated it is a genuine concern and the government is focusing on setting up community radios.
Nepalese Radio denied propaganda
An RJ from Nepalese Radio Manju Tinkari said in a statement that they do not exaggerate or underplay anything. They mainly concentrate on news bulletins as they have happened. The listeners dictate song requests and they just oblige to them. A senior Nepalese official stated such anti-India songs are not common in Nepal. He said that they might be prevalent in the areas along the border.
Radio warfare is nothing new for India. Pakistan has been indulging in such tactics both on radio and television alongside the border for a long time. India has countered such propaganda in the past. However, as of now, the local administration has shown ignorance towards the propaganda. Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Preeti Priyadarshini said in her statement that the intelligence units had not shared any intel on such propaganda. Dharchula Circle Officer V K Acharya said, “Our intelligence units have not yet spoken about any such anti-India propaganda by Nepal.” The local leaders are, however, urging for strong action. A leader from Vyas Valley Ashok Nabiyal said that the intelligence agencies, alongside the border, need to take cognizance of the situation and take immediate action to counter the propaganda.
A lot of details regarding the recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh have remained hidden beneath a shroud of secrecy. However, with the passage of time, more details are emerging with regards to what exactly transpired on that night. A report by news agency ANI on June 15, talks were to be held between two countries near the Y junction of Shyok and Galwan rivers in eastern Ladakh centres.
Indian security forces, including 16 Bihar Regiment, were asked to ensure that the Chinese pos was removed by them. Hence, a small patrol party was sent to convey the same message to the Chinese. The ANI report says that the 10-12 Chinese troops manning the post were asked by the Indian troops to go away as the same was agreed upon during senior level military talks. When Chinese refused to do so, the Indian troops returned to the unit to update on the development.
Following this, Commander Officer of the 16 Bihar Infantry Battalion controlling the area Colonel B Santosh Babu visited the site with a team of 35 men. A report by India Today’s Shiv Aroor says that on his arrival, he observed that the PLA men posted there were not the ones who usually patrolled the area but new troops who had been transferred there at short notice. It is believed that these men were sent in from a PLA exercise in Tibet in the second half of May.
Aroor’s report states that during the earlier held talks, the Chinese observation post which was set up on the vertex of Galwan River was proven to be on the Indian side and hence an agreement was reached to dismantle it. The Chinese dismantled the post a few days later. In fact, Aroor reports that Colonel B Santosh Babu even held talks with his Chinese counterpart the day after it was dismantled. However, on 14th June, the observation post was again set up by the Chinese.
Hence, Colonel Santosh Babu, at around 5 PM on June 15, again went up to the camp with a team. ANI report states that Chinese had called in for reinforcements and built up troops on higher ground. They had also stocked up on stones and weapons ready to launch an attack on Indian troops.
These new troops were belligerent and misbehaved with Colonel Babu which angered the troops. But as the CO, he maintained his calm. As the argument became heated one, the Indian side started uprooting the tents and equipments. This is when the Chinese started attacking Indians. It was during this bout of stone pelting that one of the stones hit that took lives of Colonel Babu and Havildar Pilani of 16 Bihar Regiment. ANI report suggests that after the CO was martyred, the Indian side lost their cool and attacked the Chinese ferociously despite being heavily outnumbered.
Indian side had about 100 men while Chinese had over 350 people on location including the ones on higher ground pelting stones on Indian troops. The fight went on for several hours till late in the night till. During the course of the fight, several Chinese as well as Indian soldiers dropped into the river. Several Chinese troops were either dead or seriously injured.
Quoting sources, ANI states that the next morning when the situation was relatively calm, the Indian troops returned the dead bodies of Chinese troops which were lying in the open.
Significantly, Shiv Aroor reported that 16 Chinese bodies including that of 5 officers were handed over to them by the Indian Army following a brawl. However, the men the journalist spoke to insisted that it wasn’t a prisoner exchange and both sides had taken care and provided treatment to the men in their custody. 10 men of the Indian Army were taken by the Chinese during the Galwan Valley clash, Aroor reports.
“It was not a captivity situation. We were providing medical treatment to their men. And they were treating our men,” a top Army official told India Today. Union Minister General V.K. Singh also said on Saturday during an interview that India had taken PLA troops during the Galwan Valley clash as well but asserted that these things are not spoken of as they are of no consequence. He said that while 20 Indian soldiers were martyred, China had lost more than double that number.
However, soon after, the Chinese have reinforced their positions near the location and have their offensive forces ready. Lieutenant General level talks are scheduled in coming days between Indian and Chinese side to defuse the situation further on PP-14, PP-15 and PP-17A. However, despite being heavily outnumbered, the 16 Bihar Regiment soldiers managed to uproot the Chinese position at the Patrolling Point 14.
Days after welcoming the Supreme Court order on the cancellation of annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath at Puri, the BJP has now taken an u-turn on Saturday after it asked the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government to look for ways to conduct the Rath Yatra without much crowd on June 23.
Speaking to a local media, state BJP president Samir Mohanty appealed to the state government to take steps according to Puri’s titular king Dibyasingha Deb’s proposal for the conduct of Rath Yatra in Puri. He also added that the Odisha government should also discuss the matter with Puri Shankaracharya.
#RathYatraCancelled: #Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty appeals State Govt to take steps as per #Puri King Dibyasingha Deb’s proposal for conduct of #RathYatra in Puri; says, “Odisha govt should also discuss the matter with Puri Shankaracharya.” pic.twitter.com/NMGK2xrwWk
The Supreme court on Thursday had stayed the Rath Yatra, which was to begin on June 23. The apex court had also stopped all activities related to the festival, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Soon after the judgement, opposition parties in the state including BJP, SP and Congress had said everybody has to abide by the Supreme Court order on the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. In a statement, the BJP had said that everybody has to abide by the Supreme Court order on Rath Yatra even if it is painful.
“We have to accept the reality that the pandemic is at its high during the month,” BJP state president Samir Mohanty had said.
However, BJP has now taken an u-turn on the issue and has advised the state government to hold a “devotee-less” festival, instead of cancelling as suggested by Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb.
Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb who is the titular king of Puri and considered the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and other associated with the Shree Jagannath Temple had urged the state government to hold the festival without the presence of devotees.
Addition to that, they had asked the Naveen Patnaik-led government to bring an ordinance to overrule the Supreme Court order, as was done by the government in the case with the practice of Jallikattu, a bull-taming sport, in Tamil Nadu.
Opposition parties, temple trust attack Odisha government
Meanwhile, the opposition political parties in the state have attacked the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government for its failure to convince the Supreme Court to conduct the annual event without any crowd.
Dibyasingha Deb, who is also the chairperson of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, said that the Naveen Patnaik-led state government did not properly apprise the Supreme Court of plans to hold a crowd-less festival this year.
The committee had earlier recommended to the state government that a devotee-less Ratha Yatra was possible as was done during the Lord’s ‘Snan Purnima’ (bathing rituals) on June 5. Deb further said the devotees can witness the festival through television as it has been done during the Snan Purnima.
Instead of opposing the petition seeking cancellation of the Ratha Yatra, the state government’s counsel seemed to have supported it which led to the passing of an order to stay the festival, he alleged.
Deb said the managing committee and the Chhattisha Nijog have urged the state government to file another application in the Supreme Court for altering its June 18 order to allow them to conduct the festival in a restricted way.
SC stays annual Puri Rath Yatra
The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra which was slated to take place in Odisha on June 23 was stalled by the Supreme Court this year citing the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
The PIL was filed on June 15 by Bhubaneswar-based NGO ‘Odisha Vikas Parishad’ stating argued that holding the annual chariot festival, which attracts almost 10 lakh people from across the country and abroad would be an open invitation to infect lakhs of devotees given the spiralling number of coronavirus patients in India, including Odisha.
Amidst the escalated tensions between India and China, following the violent clash between the two sides on June 15 at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, social media warriors from the liberal camp took to Twitter to cast aspersions about the tragic incident. In a bid to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the liberals mocked the martyrdom of 20 soldiers and suggested that it was a ploy to garner votes in the upcoming Bihar elections.
A Twitter user (@BrandySahni) wrote, “Strange how there are always martyred soldiers ready for use before every election. And this time Taujee (PM Modi) hit the bullseye… Slain soldiers from the Bihar Regiment before elections in Bihar. It could not have been more opportune if he has planned it!!!”
Strange how there are always martyred soldiers ready for use before every election.
And this time Taujee hit the bullseye……Slain soldiers from the Bihar Regiment before elections in Bihar!!!!
Uzair Hasan Rizvi who claims to be a ‘fact checker’ for AFP on his Twitter bio said that the Bihar regiment of the Indian army have soldiers from different states and concluded that the mention of Bihar in the condolence message of PM Modi was to get leverage in the upcoming Bihar elections.
Bihar regiment of Indian Army have soldiers from different states as well.
Mention of ‘Bihar’ primarily is due to elections which is going to be held in the state later this year. https://t.co/mnXbaQ3kiu
Another Twitter user (@jameel7866786) suggested a bigger ‘internal conspiracy’ surrounding the martyrdom of Pulwama soldiers in 2019 and the recent border clash between the Indian and Chinese forces. Linking the tragic Pulwama attack with the General Elections of 2019 and the martyrdom of 20 soldiers from the Bihar regiment to Bihar elections, he asked others to ‘connect the dots’ between the two mutually exclusive events.
2019: Pulwama attack – General elections
2020: 20 soldiers from Bihar regiment – Bihar elections
Connect the dots
— Your_2_OwaisiBrothers (@jameel7866786) June 20, 2020
A Twitter user named Professor questioned the ‘coincidence’ of the timing of the Bihar elections and the decision to deploy the Bihar regiment at the Line of Actual Control.
Replying to an absurd and baseless tweet that PM Modi gave away the Galwan Valley to China, a Congress supporter (@SamanSutiya1) wrote that the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers was connected to victory in Bihar elections. “20 mein se 13 Bihar ke thay. Ab benefit le sakta hain,” he claimed. The loose translation goes as, “13 out of 20 soldiers were from Bihar. They (BJP) can now be benefitted.”
Sasidharan Pazhoor wrote, “Bihar elections ahead. Bihar regiment suffers casualties. No, I am not suggesting anything.” Interestingly, this is a textbook ‘liberal’ strategy to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s mind without being explicit about it.
Replying to controversial journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, a user named Desh who claimed to have lost his brother reiterated the conspiracy theory of deploying Bihar regiment at the border for ‘benefitting’ in Bihar elections.
Exactly my worry is that was there a larger conspiracy to deploy Bihar regiment for benefitting in Bihar elections? I lost my brother too..
This is not the first time that the liberal jamaat has ganged up to disprove facts and peddle conspiracy theories. Following the Pulwama attack, many Congress supporters had floated conspiracy theories that Pulwama was an ‘inside job’ carried out on the behest of Prime Minister Modi. One Congress leader and conman who questioned Pulwama as an ‘inside job’ was given a Lok Sabha ticket by the party. A Goa Congress leader had even asked for proof of the terror attack and accused PM Modi of ‘planning’ the Pulwama attack. A Karnataka Congress MP even said that the Pulwama attack was a ‘match-fixing’ between PM Modi and Pakistan. Congress party had even raised questions asking how did explosives reach the spot indirectly accusing the Modi government of carrying out an inside job. It is not just limited to the Congress party. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had stated that PM Modi knew about the Pulwama attack earlier and did not do anything to stop it.
On June 21, 2020, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif took to social media to celebrate International Yoga Day and shared pictures of himself posing in various Yoga poses.
“Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Mind. Body. Spirit,” he tweeted. However, he was soon attacked by Islamists who asked him to perform 5 times namaz (obligatory prayer performed by practicing Muslim) instead of Yoga.
Bahi ye nautanki mat kar Namaz 5time ka padh full fit रहेगा with mind and soul..at least aap log to ye mat kar bhai. Kaif, Irfan, Yusuf aga aisi nautanki me fase ga to bad hai…??
“Don’t do this drama, do 5 times Namaz, you will stay fit with mind and soul,” one of the Twitter users said. He pointed out that at least cricketers like Kaif, Irfan (Pathan) and Yusuf (Pathan) should stay away from such ‘drama’.
The rabid Islamists post nasty comments on Instagram too.
Mohammad Kaif abused on his Instagram profile for supporting Yoga
Similar comments were also spotted on his Facebook account.
Islamists on Mohammad Kaif’s Facebook page
Most asked him to offer namaz instead of doing Yoga as if one offers namaz, one does not need to do yoga.
Kaif, a soft target for Islamists
This is not the first time Kaif has faced a backlash from Islamists for supporting a good cause. He faced a lot of criticism for supporting PM’s Janta Curfew in March this year. Later in April, when he posted a tweet for lighting lamp, the rabid Islamists abused him on social media accounts. In 2016, he faced a lot of criticism from Islamists for posting photos doing Surya Namaskar. He was called out for compromising religion for publicity.
Other celebrities targetted for supporting Hindu festivals
Kaif is not the only Muslim celebrity who has faced a backlash from Islamists. Mohammad Shami was trolled and abused for celebrating his daughter’s birthday. Zaheer Khan was trolled for lighting a Diya in April. Irfan Pathan was trolled for sharing a photo on Rakshabandhan, stating it is against Islam. Shah Rukh Khan was called a “False Muslim” for sporting a Tilak and he often faces backlash for posting on Hindu Festivals. The Islamists questioned Sara Ali Khan for wishing people on Ganesh Chaturthi. Journalist Rubika Liyakat has faced attacks on social media countless times for her views. A Muslim Yoga teacher Rafia Naz has faced abused from her own community for teaching Yoga.
India leads International Yoga Day
21st June is celebrated as International Yoga Day since 2015 after its inception by United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed it during his speech on 27th September 2014 in which he said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Saturday said that they have detected unusual movement of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) along the border in Ladakh. The Air Force chief also said they have already put in place its own strategy to respond to any contingency, reports Times of India.
Speaking at the annual graduation day parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said the Indian Air Force (IAF) had information regarding China’s air bases and the deployment along the LAC.
“During the summer, there are usual exercises. But at this time, we have noticed more than usual deployment. We have taken necessary action,” the Air Force chief said the rationale behindIAF moving its aircraft to the forward air bases.
The Air Force chief also clarified that India was not at war with China, but he added that they are prepared for any contingency and said that all efforts are being made to solve the situation at the LAC peacefully.
The IAF chief Bhadauria, responding to the Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control at PP-4 near Galwan valley on June 15, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, said these were “unacceptable Chinese actions”. “We will never let the sacrifice of our braves of Galwan go in vain,” he asserted.
Our Armed Forces can handle the situation: Air Force Chief
When asked if China had an advantage over India, the Air Chief said, “Rest assured, our armed forces are capable of handling the situation.”
“Have faith in the Indian Army. It has come out with information about what happened. We don’t have to give any message to the adversary because the adversary knows our capacity,” he said while adding that air patrolling in the Ladakh region has been increased.
The Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Saturday visited Dindigul airbase to witness the combined graduation parade in which as 123 graduating officers were awarded the President’s Commission. Eleven officers of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard also earned their wings apart from two officers of Vietnam Air Force, who too passed out.
In his speech, the Air Chief paid tributes to Colonel Santosh Babu and 19 soldiers who were killed in the clash with Chinese soldiers. “Their gallant actions in a highly challenging situation have demonstrated our resolve to protect the sovereignty of our country – at any cost,” he said.
He said the graduating officers would go straight to their units and not take a break. “The security scenario in our region mandates our armed forces to remain prepared and vigilant at all times,” he added.
Indian Air Force moves its assets to forward bases
Amidst the current tension with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Air Force had deployed its newly acquired Apache attack helicopter and upgraded MiG-29s in Ladakh.
These Apache helicopters were deployed to provide air support to the Indian Army troops. The patrolling was in line with the recent decision of the IAF to move its assets including fighter jets to the forward bases and airfields in wake of the ongoing dispute between India and China at LAC.
The critical front-line assets of the IAF, including the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter jets were all put to the advanced positions so that they are ready to fly in a very short notice to carry out operations if needed.
