World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus narrowly escaped an aerial bombardment at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen on Thursday, which resulted in the deaths of at least two people.
Tedros, along with his United Nations (UN) and WHO colleagues, was about to board a flight when the attack took place, injuring one of the plane’s crew members.
In a post on X, the WHO chief Ghebreyesus said, “Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees’ immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged. We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave. My UN and @WHO colleagues and I are safe. Our heartfelt condolences to the families whose loved ones lost their lives in the attack.”
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called for the respect of international law, emphasizing that civilians and humanitarian workers must never be targeted.
In a post on X, Guterres regretted the recent escalation between Yemen and Israel, and called the airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen “alarming”.
According to the UN Chief, the airstrikes reportedly resulted in numerous casualties including at least three killed and dozens more injured. He reiterated the call for all parties to cease military actions and exercise restraint.
As per the Israel Defence Force (IDF), the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on military targets belonging to Houthis on the western coast and inland Yemen. The attacks were carried upon the Houthi military infrastructure used for its military activities. The sites targeted included the Sana’a International Airport and the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations in addition to Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports on the western coast.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 26th December, Euronews reported exclusive confirmation from Azerbaijani government sources that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Aktau on 25 December was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile. The sources claimed that the shrapnel of a Russian missile struck the passengers and cabin crew when it burst adjacent to Flight J28432 in midair after the missile was launched at the aircraft during anti-drone operations over Grozny in Russia.
According to Azerbaijani government sources who spoke to Euronews, the damaged aircraft was forced to fly over the Caspian Sea towards Aktau, Kazakhstan and was not permitted to land at any Russian airport, even though the pilots had requested an emergency landing. Notably, the flight from Baku in Azerbaijan was going to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya. Data indicated that along the flight path above the sea, the plane’s GPS navigation systems were jammed.
According to the Baku-based international portal AnewZ, the missile was fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system, citing Azerbaijani government sources. AnewZ also quoted a Russian military blogger who claimed that “the damage to the aircraft suggests that plane may have been accidentally struck by an air-defence missile system”.
Russian reports stated that the country’s air defence personnel were actively trying to shoot down Ukrainian UAVs when the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft was flying over Chechnya. Khamzat Kadyrov, the president of the Chechen Republic’s Security Council, acknowledged the 25th December morning’s drone attack on Grozny but insisted that there were no injuries or damage.
Chechen capital Grozny is heavily defended by Russian forces as it is a potential target for Ukraine’s drones. In recent times Ukraine has carried out several drone attacks in Russian cities.
Notably, photos and videos of the aircraft appear to show puncture damage to at least the left side of the vertical stabilizer.
From all these accounts, it implies that the passenger flight was accidentally hit by a Russian missile mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone. 38 of 87 people on the flight died in the crash. The plane was carrying 37 passengers were Azerbaijani nationals, 18 Russians, 6 Kazakhstani and 6 Kyrgyzstani citizens.
In an official statement, Azerbaijan Airlines announced that until the investigation is concluded, flights en route Baku-Grozny-Baku and Baku-Makhachkala-Baku will remain suspended.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed flight J28432 hovering over Aktau in the shape of 8 before crashing. Its altitude moved up and down during this period.
Flightradar24 posted on ? saying that the aircraft Embraer ERJ-190 was exposed to GPS jamming and spoofing near Grozny, and its altitude was oscillating for 74 minutes before the crash near Aktau Airport. It said that during the 74 minutes of flight J28243, the vertical speed oscillated between positive and negative values more than 100 times with peak values at -8300 feet per min and +8300 feet per min.
What we know about Azerbaijan Airlines flight #J28243
Aircraft: Embraer ERJ-190 Registration: 4K-AZ65 Age: 11 years Origin: Baku (GYD) Destination : Grozny (GRV) Average flight time: 57 minutes
The aircraft was exposed to GPS jamming and spoofing near Grozny.
According to a report published by the portal, valid ADS-B position data was received from the aircraft until 04:25 UTC when the flight encountered significant GPS interference. The aircraft stopped sending positional data altogether for the period between 04:25 and 04:37. It added that “between 04:37 and 04:40 the aircraft sent likely erroneous position data.” Flightradar24 has also published granular ADS-B data of the flight.
This would be the second time in ten years that Russian forces have destroyed a commercial aircraft following the MH17 tragedy in Ukraine if the initial evidence is accurate. In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777-200ER, was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine using a Russian Buk 9M38 surface-to-air missile. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed in the attack that took place just 4 months after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
This time, the victims include both Russian nationals and people from nearby nations. The event also brings to mind a previous occurrence in November 2018, in which an Air Astana Embraer 190 lost its hydraulics over Portugal but managed to make a safe landing with the assistance of the Portuguese Air Force.
The circumstances surrounding the missile’s fire, the non-authorization for landing at a nearby Russian airfield, and the directive to cross the sea with a damaged plane are all expected to be unveiled by more research into the incident. The current crash claimed the lives of 38 passengers. The flight was redirected because of poor weather conditions. It had been headed from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia.
“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading” once said American author Isaac Asimov. In India, however, censoring uncomfortable truths and banning books for political motives has been quite a norm in the past. In the year 1988, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government banned “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie shortly after its publication because the perennially offended Muslims found the book’s portrayal of supposed Islamic themes ‘blasphemous’.
It was only after 36 long years, that the book witnessed a renewed sale in India after the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition challenging the ban on the Rushdie-authored book’s import as the notification in this regard went dramatically untraceable. As soon as copies of The Satanic Verses began arriving at bookstores, several Muslim organisations came up with their appeal to the Central government to reinstate the ban. It has been reported that a limited stock of the book is available at the Bahrisons Booksellers in Delhi-NCR.
When Rajiv Gandhi’s ‘secular’ government banned The Satanic Verses to pander to the fragile sensibilities of Islamists
“The Satanic Verses” was the fourth novel by Salman Rushdie and it was released in September 1988. Rajiv Gandhi, the late prime minister, led the Indian government at the time. It’s interesting to note that India never explicitly banned the book, rather, they used the Finance Ministry to enforce a Customs Act constraint on book imports. Salman Rushdie was even prohibited from entering India by the Congress government. Eleven years later, in 1999, the Vajpayee government finally abolished the ban.
Within ten days of its first publication in Britain on 26th September 1988, the Indian government outlawed the import of The Satanic Verses. Congress MPs Syed Shahabuddin and Khurshid Alam Khan (father of former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid) spearheaded the call for the book to be banned. Shahabuddin petitioned for the same, arguing that it posed a threat to public order. Living up to his ‘secular’ [read Muslim-appeasing] credentials, Rajiv Gandhi decided to ban the book.
What was even more absurd was that the ban on the import of The Satanic Verses was imposed by the Finance Ministry, under Section 11 of the Indian Customs Act. Such was the state of affairs that the finance ministry decided which books Indians could read and which books they should simply not be allowed to read. Revolutionary, isn’t it?
Beyond the absurdity, it was a great disgrace that India, a ‘secular’ and democratic country was the first in the world to ban Rushdie’s book. Following the footsteps of India, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Sudan also banned The Satanic Verses. Massive protests and outrage were witnessed in the state-sponsor of Islamic terrorism, Pakistan and even in a secular India.
Many years have passed, however, not much has changed in the politics of Muslim-appeasing political parties. This time, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has extended support to Muslim organisations demanding a ban on sales of The Satanic Verses.
As predicted so-called "progressive moderate" parties like NC have begun to echo Muslim conservative groups that demand curbs on the sale of the Satanic Verses because it "provokes" Muslims.
Contrast this closing of ranks (and minds) within the Muslim community with the divide… pic.twitter.com/zSRW5zlAQD
When Islamists ran riots in Mumbai after Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei issued a fatwa against Rushdie
While the Congress-led government in India showed more dexterity in banning The Satanic Verses than even Islamic nations, in February 1989, Iran’s first Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, called upon all Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie. Following Khomeini’s call for the killing of Rushdie on 14th February 1989, Islamists in India called for a ‘bandh‘ on 24th February 1989, in the city of Mumbai.
A massive crowd gathered to march towards the British diplomatic mission, however, they were stopped by the police. It must be noted that back then, the Margaret Thatcher government in Britain had refused to outlaw the book, despite widespread demonstrations and book burnings in the country. The Indian Islamists were protesting against the British government’s decision to grant protection to Rushdie.
The mob of 2000 rioters burnt cars, buses, and motorcycles in South Mumbai and also torched a police station. They also opened fire at the police. It was then that the cops resorted to retaliatory firing and neutralised 12 Islamists in this process. Similar processions were banned for the rest of the day. A total of 500 Islamists were detained and 800 others were arrested.
Despite a ban on The Satanic Verses, the controversy around it refused to die down because how can Islamists rest when a prominent leader of the Muslim Ummah, Khamenei had issued a fatwa or ‘death sentence’ and declared a $6 million bounty on Rushdie’s head.
In 1992, the student union of the Jamia Milia Islamia created a ruckus on the university premises after a history Professor named Mushirul Hasan demanded the lifting of the ban on ‘The Satanic Verses.’ The Islamist ‘students’ declared Hasan an ‘enemy of Islam’ and burnt his effigy. The professor eventually was compelled to express regret over seeking to un-ban Rushdie’s book.
Salman Rushdie’s open letter to Rajiv Gandhi
Expressing his dismay over the unfair ban on his book, Salman Rushdie had written an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 19th October 1988, just days after the ban. The letter was published by The New York Times under the title “India Bans a Book For Its Own Good”.
source: NYT
In the open letter, Salman Rushdie emphasised the irony of the Finance Ministry dictating what Indian readers could and could not read. He mentioned that, according to a Press Trust of India article, the ministry stated that the ban did not detract from the book’s literary and artistic worth, to which Rushdie sarcastically responded, “Thanks for the good review.”
He further condemned the prohibition as a violation of free society principles, contending that it was tantamount to imprisoning an innocent person for their own security against potential attackers. Rushdie had called this move as “profoundly disturbing” and questioned the kind of India Rajiv Gandhi desired to govern—an open or repressive society.
“The ministry – I am quoting from The Press Trust of India’s report -” added that the ban did not detract from the literary and artistic merit of Rushdie’s work.” To which I can only reply: Thanks for the good review. The book was banned after representations by two or three Muslim politicians, including Syed Shahabuddin and Khurshid Alam Khan, both members of Parliament. These persons, whom I do not hesitate to call extremists, even fundamentalists, have attacked me and my novel while stating that they had no need actually to read it. That the Government should have given in to such figures is profoundly disturbing,” Rushdie wrote.
Rushdie had also voiced discontent with his book being used as a “political football,” implying that the government was succumbing to Islamist fanatics for political gain, especially in light of coming elections.
In the open letter, Rushdie noted that the decision to ban his book reduced Indian democracy to a “laughing stock” around the world, leading to many Indian newspapers and publications, as well as foreign writers and organisations such as International PEN, criticising the ban.
Notably, the most ‘contentious’ part of the The Satanic Verses is claimed to be the dream sequences involving the protagonist Gibreel Farishta, wherein he dreams of being the Prophet Mahound, and introduces the concept of the “Satanic Verses,”. Islamists argue that the book allegorically depicts Muhammad as Mahound, indulging in humanly doubts and political manoeuvring, which they deemed blasphemous. However, Rushdie in his letter to Rajiv Gandhi refuted the allegations of supposed insult to Islamic prophet and tradition.
Excerpt from Salman Rushdie’s letter to Rajiv Gandhi (Source: New York Times)
“Clearly, your Government is feeling a little ashamed of itself and, sir, it has much to be ashamed about. It is not for nothing that just about every leading Indian newspaper and magazine has deplored the ban as, for example, ”a Philistine decision” (The Hindu) or ”thought control” (Indian Express). It is not for nothing that such eminent writers as Kingsley Amis, Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard have joined International PEN and India’s association of publishers and booksellers in condemning the decision. The right to freedom of expression is at the foundation of any democratic society, and at present, all over the world, Indian democracy is becoming something of a laughing-stock,” Rushdie wrote and outlined the context of the book’s fictional events and how it was not a direct attack on Islam,” Rushdie wrote.
Excerpt from Rushdie’s open letter to Rajiv Gandhi (Source: NYT)
In his memoir “Joseph Anton” released in 2012, Rushdie said that although he was arrogant in his open letter to Rajiv Gandhi, Rushdie was “defending a thing he revered above most things, the art of literature, against a piece of blatant political opportunism.” He concluded the letter with a rhetorical appeal to posterity, saying, “You own the present, Mr. Prime Minister; but the centuries belong to art.”
Attack on Salman Rushdie years after Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa
In August 2022, Salman Rushdie was brutally attacked by a 24-year-old Shia Jihadi named Hadi Matar, as he prepared to give a lecture in western New York. It was reported that the attacker was influenced by the ideology of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Fortunately, Rushdie survived the attack, however, he lost one eye and suffered serious injuries.
Stabbings, gunshots, and arson: When the translators and publishers of The Satanic Verses faced deadly attacks by Islamists
Since The Satanic Verses was first published, Salman Rushdie has constantly been receiving death threats from Islamists in some or the other corners of the world. Not only, Rushdie but even those who published or translated The Satanic Verses were attacked and some even killed. In July 1991, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses was brutally murdered at a university northeast of Tokyo. Ettore Capriolo translated ‘The Satanic Verses’ into Italian.
In June 1991, he was attacked by a person who pretended to be looking for a translation of an Islamic pamphlet. Two months after the Iranian fatwa, the Norwegian translation of The Satanic Verses was published. The Norwegian publisher William Nygaard got direct threats almost instantly and was granted armed security for a while. He was shot three times on October 11, 1993, in front of his residence in Dagaliveien, Oslo. In 1993, an Islamist mob coming out of mosques set a hotel on fire in the city of Sivas after learning that Turkish translator of The Satanic Verses, Aziz Nesin was there. While Nesin could be saved, 35 innocent people lost their lives and several others were injured. A detailed OpIndia report on these attacks can be read here.
Just as Rushdie said, the art of literature needs to be defended against political opportunism and censorship. While Rajiv Gandhi could at least prevent Islamists from turning hostile to his government and party, the banning of The Satanic Verses was a blot on Indian democracy and ideals of freedom of expression.
Fast forward to 2024, a lot has changed in the country’s socio-political landscape, however, neither the Islamist fixation with silencing those voices or any piece of literature or art they deem critical of their religion nor a set of political parties ever-ready to genuflect before the violent tendencies of Islamists has not changed. It would, however, be intriguing to see what position the Modi government takes on the opposition to the renewed sale of The Satanic Verses, whether it caves into the Islamist pressure or defend rthe ight to read, debate and even criticise literature with utmost liberty as George Orwell puts it, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025 is about to begin. 13 Akharas of saints from across the country will participate in it. Naga Sadhus are usually the center of attraction during every Mahakumbh, because their world is so mysterious that very few people know about them. Naga Sadhus are generally called the military sect of Sadhus. They have a total of seven Akharas, which are divided like military regiments.
These Akharas of Naga Sadhus are – Panchdashnami Jun Akhara, Niranjani Akhara, Mahanirvani Akhara, Atal Akhara, Agni Akhara, Anand Akhara and Awahan Akhara. Naga Sadhus are ascetics, but when needed, they do not shy away from taking up arms to protect the nation and religion. Naga Sadhus are also well versed with weapons. There are many such famous stories related to Naga Sadhus where they picked up weapons to defend Dharma.
It is said that when Maharana Pratap of Mewar was fighting against Mughal invader Akbar, Naga Sadhus also supported him. The war in which Naga Sanyasis supported Maharana Pratap was fought between Chapli talab and Ranakada Ghat in Rajasthan. The Mughals were defeated in this war. The tombs of the sacrificed sanyasis are still present there.
In 1666, Aurangzeb’s army attacked the Haridwar Kumbh as part of its campaign against Hinduism. During that time, Naga Sanyasis gathered the sadhus and saints and fought and drove away the invading army. Similarly, in 1751, Ahmed Ali Bangas attacked during the Prayagraj Kumbh. At that time, 50 thousand Naga Sanyasis forced Bangas’ army to flee.
When Aurangzeb attacked the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, these sanyasis took up arms to protect the temple. These sanyasis saved Varanasi from Aurangzeb. There was a fierce battle between Aurangzeb’s army and these sanyasis which led to a lot of bloodshed. Seeing the skills of the Naga sanyasis with weapons, Aurangzeb passed an order banning them from keeping weapons.
The Naga sadhus of Jun Akhada also stopped the Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali from looting Mathura-Vrindavan in 1757 AD. Due to this, Abdali’s dream of looting Gokul remained a dream. The Naga sadhus also fought a fierce war with the Nizam of Junagadh in Gujarat. In this war, the Naga sadhus defeated the Nizam and his army.
The Naga Sadhus also fought against the British. The Sanyasi war against the British is very famous in Bengal. Bangla poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee has written about this in his book ‘Anand Math’. The song Vande Mataram from this book is our national song today. Naga Sadhus have also been a part of the struggle for the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
How to become a Naga Sadhu
To become a Sanyasi of the Akhara, one has to fulfill a resolution lasting 12 years. The person who takes this resolution is called Brahmachari. During celibacy, the person is taught the rules and traditions of the Akhara. During this, one has to serve the Guru. When 12 years of Brahmacharya is completed, then in the upcoming Kumbh, one is initiated as a Naga Sadhu.
Initially, initiation of Sanyas is given by the Guru. All things are worn on the body by chanting mantras etc. After this, Vijay Sanskar is performed. In Vijay Sanskar, the person taking Sanyas is cut off from worldly attachments by performing Pind-daan and other sacrifices. After receiving Aahuti Diksha, the process of becoming a Naga Sanyasi begins.
During this Sanskar, all the sadhus are gathered under the Dharma Dhwaj and then initiation of Naga Sadhu takes place. During this, a separate Guru is appointed, who is a Digambar. After this, Nagas are put on duty in the Akharas. Naga Sadhus usually carry trident, sword, conch in their hands and wear Rudraksha around their neck and body.
Following a letter from Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, to the Lieutenant Governor on November 20, 2024, requesting a high-level investigation into the discovery of expensive luxury items at former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence at 6, Flag Staff Road, the Lieutenant Governor took action and instructed the Vigilance Department to look into the matter on December 6.
The Vigilance Department then directed the Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD) to investigate, as stated in a press release from the Leader of Opposition’s office.
In his letter, Gupta pointed out that there were discrepancies between the items provided by the PWD for Kejriwal’s residence in 2022, when he became Chief Minister for a second term, and the items found after he left office in 2024.
Gupta claimed that while the PWD provided certain furniture and amenities in 2022, an inventory check after Kejriwal vacated the bungalow in 2024 revealed many luxurious items not supplied by the department, such as high-end toilet seats, expensive wash basins, reclining sofas, costly curtains, premium carpets, and large TVs and refrigerators. Gupta questioned who supplied these items if not the PWD, suggesting they were funded by people benefiting from Kejriwal’s alleged corruption, including those linked to the liquor mafia benefiting from his controversial excise policy.
Gupta also referred to 2022 PWD documents, which showed no new items were supplied after that year. He alleged that between 2022 and 2024, Kejriwal enjoyed lavish amenities funded by those benefiting from his new liquor policy.
Gupta mentioned previous BJP claims of Rs 12-lakh toilet commodes, stating that these were part of a larger corruption scheme involving crores. He called for a thorough investigation into who provided such expensive amenities and what they gained in return.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
British-Indian author Salman Rushdie is appearing in the news and making headlines once again as his highly controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, has returned to market shelves after an almost 36-year ban. The book which is exclusively available at Bahrisons Booksellers in Delhi-NCR has re-sparked controversies drawing significant negative attention from the Muslim community.
@SalmanRushdie 's The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers! This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes. It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since it's pic.twitter.com/e0mtQjoMCb
As per the reports, several Muslim organizations and leaders have criticized the sale of the book claiming that it hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community. It is important to note that the book was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in the year 1988 after Muslims protested against it calling it ‘blasphemous’ literature. However, the resumption of the sale of books has provoked Muslims to urge the center to reinstate the ban on books.
The legal advisor for the Uttar Pradesh unit of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (AM), Maulana Kaab Rashidi commented on the matter and said that the religious sentiments of Muslims couldn’t be hurt by anybody under the guise of Article 21 which guarantees freedom of expression. He said the book that is being sold at Rs 2000 at present was ‘blasphemous’ and that it deserved to be banned again.
“If freedom of expression hurts someone’s sentiments, it is a legal offense. ‘The Satanic Verses’ is a blasphemous book. Selling such a controversial book under the pretext of freedom of expression cannot be accepted in any form. It goes against the spirit of the Constitution,” he was quoted as saying.
“We urge the government to protect constitutional values and reinstate the ban on this book as it hurts the sentiments of a large section of the population. The government has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, and banning this book is its duty,” he added.
सुनने में आ रहा है कि सलमान रश्दी कि विवादस्पद किताब “The Satanic verses“, जिसके विरोध में 1988 से 2022 तक दुनियाभर में कई जानलेवा हमले किये गए है, इस किताब के अनुवादको की हत्याएं हो गई है, 2022 में खुद सलमान रसदी हमले में बाल बाल बचे है, पर कोर्ट का अंतिम फैसला आ गया है और इसपर… pic.twitter.com/c1u7hilgIV
Maulana Masood Abbas, General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) also commented on the issue and demanded a ban on the book at the hands of the Center. “There should have been dialogue with people demanding a ban before allowing the sale of the book,” he said.
“The book mocks Islamic views, insults Prophet Muhammad and his companions, and hurts sentiments. Allowing its sale poses a threat to the country’s harmony. I urge the prime minister to impose a complete ban on this book in India,” he added.
Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat said, “The ban on The Satanic Verses had expired. Now, some publishers are planning to reprint the book in India. Back in 1988, Rajiv Gandhi’s government immediately banned it, but now preparations are underway to reintroduce it in India after the expiration of the ban.”
“This book insults Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and several Islamic figures. Its content is so offensive that it cannot be repeated. Allowing this book in the market will disturb the nation’s atmosphere. No Muslim can tolerate seeing this hateful book on any bookstore shelf,” Razvi added.
Not only this, but some of the political parties have also begun criticizing the sale of the book. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader, MLA of Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq stated that the book insulted the Muslim community and that it deserved to be banned.
“No community’s sentiments can be hurt in the name of secularism. If this is allowed, tomorrow controversial books on other religions might appear. Will the other community be happy then? I appeal to the center to ban the book immediately,” he said.
As predicted so-called "progressive moderate" parties like NC have begun to echo Muslim conservative groups that demand curbs on the sale of the Satanic Verses because it "provokes" Muslims.
Contrast this closing of ranks (and minds) within the Muslim community with the divide… pic.twitter.com/zSRW5zlAQD
JMM spokesperson Manoj Kumar Pandey also condemned the sale of the book. “The decision to lift the ban is beyond my understanding. When any government decided to ban a particular book, the ban was not lifted. If the ban is lifted, then the book comes to the market, and that makes sense. But I think the ban is still in place, and the order remains effective. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) makes a deliberate attempt to divert attention by raising such issues because they need a topic to fuel debates on Hindu-Muslim, religious conflicts, and India-Pakistan,” he said.
Ranchi, Jharkhand: JMM spokesperson Manoj Kumar Pandey on Indian-British novelist Salman Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses' returning to India after a 36-year ban says, "The decision to lift the ban is beyond my understanding. When any government decided to ban a particular… pic.twitter.com/SmyH8aDHrf
While Islamists are demanding a ban on the book, BJP leader Radha Krishna Kishore said that the central government was strong enough to handle the situation.
Ranchi, Jharkhand: On Indian-British novelist Salman Rushdie's book 'The Satanic Verses' returning to India after a 36-year ban, Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore says, "…Our central leadership is very strong" pic.twitter.com/w3vQERlDFc
The controversy revolving around the book is not new In 1988, the release of the book sparked massive outrage across the globe as Islamists claimed that the book insulted and hurt the Muslims. Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa instigating Muslims to kill the author and its publishers.
The unrest soon turned violent, with the book’s Japanese translator, Hitoshi Igarashi, being murdered in his office in July 1991. The author went into hiding, living under deployed security in the UK and the US. More recently, on August 12, 2022, Rushdie was targeted on a stage during a lecture in New York by Lebanese-American Hadi Matar, leaving him blind in one eye.
Notably, the resale of the book follows after the Delhi High Court terminated proceedings on a petition contesting the original prohibition due to a lack of evidence for notification. The event has again sparked outrage in the country with Muslims demanding a re-ban on the book.
“A half-truth is even more dangerous than a lie. A lie, you can detect at some stage, but half a truth is sure to mislead you for long,” the quote by writer Anurag Shourie holds significant relevance in our modern society, particularly regarding the construction of narratives by the media. The Indian media is not immune to such practices either, specifically, Islamo-Leftist propaganda portals which actively participate in promoting a specific narrative of victimhood and oppression, catering to the interests of its target audience.
Unfortunately, the most significant casualty in this situation is the truth, which is compromised and corrupted in the pursuit of selfish agendas. Notably, “The Wire” is a quintessential example of deeply ingrained biases and pervasive bigotry that regularly demonstrates its extraordinary propensity to manipulate the truth to serve its objectives. Notorious for disseminating anti-India and anti-Hindu propaganda masquerading as news, the platform has once more illustrated why it has earned such a reputation.
On 19th December, a video entitled “Waiting For Gul: The Story of Gulfisha Fatima” was published on its official YouTube channel. The video aimed to present Gulfisha, an accused in the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots as a victim of Hindu majoritarianism and an unfair judicial system. The video features conversations with her family members who audaciously defend her as the purpose is to construct an emotional argument in her favour and manipulate the unsuspecting audiences.
What’s in the video
Opening to dramatic scenes in a humble neighborhood, Gulfisha’s father Syed Tasneef Husain who runs a grocery store is introduced. He says, “She is my eldest daughter. If justice would have been prevailed then why would she be in prison? She is in jail because of injustice.” It also featured her photographs and snippets of her videos from the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests in a desperate attempt to make a case for her innocence. The video simultaneously slammed the government for arresting her while ironically referring to the riots as “anti-Muslim.”
Shakra Begum, her mother is brought in the video next. “I am Gulfisha’s mother. She had just one dream to pursue her education. She had no other interests except her education. Our dream was to get her a suitable match after her education.” Interestingly, the video is showcased from two distinct perspectives to enhance its dramatic effect.
The camera afterwards pans to Tasneef who adds, “She had no interest in fancy food or clothes. She would wear anything she could find. She didn’t care if the clothes were ironed or not. She would eat anything and go to the university. We are from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. We got to know from outside that Gulfisha had been arrested. Then we asked our son. He confirmed it. I asked him, ‘Why did you not inform me earlier?’
Shakra cried, “He didn’t tell us because of my husband’s health. This is why they told us everything in bits and pieces. They kept telling us that she’d have to go to the police station. But Gulfisha would tell us not to worry. When we first heard about it they said it’s a different Gulfisha. It must be some other Gul. We also thought that maybe she was a different Gulfisha. But she used to call us regularly. When she stopped calling, I asked my son about her. He said that he was in touch with her. He thought that she would be released soon. He didn’t want to trouble us. This was too big to be not troubled about.”
The video also includes Union Home Minister Amit Shah declaring in parliament that non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan would be awarded citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) along with Asaduddin Owaisi’s opposition to the bill as well as biased coverage of the demonstrations by Left-Liberal media houses.
Tasneef further says, “There were innumerable people in the protests. I used to think where are so many people coming from? I would briefly go and come back. I did not sit because of my work. I used to just check up on her and then come back to my shop. Except this, we never talked about the protests.” Shakra alleged that everyone “stood together” at the time. “Now, it’s Gulfisha and a few others. Now everyone is sitting in their homes. Nobody is speaking up for justice. If you are gone then you are gone. I mean those who were with us then, should have stood with us now.”
“But by going quiet, they’ll face the consequences too,” she threatened. “Just like a tree sheds leaves and the tree becomes naked. It is like that, Tasneef conveyed.
The video reported that 53 individuals lost their lives, accompanied by images of the unrest, and claimed that the majority of the victims were Muslims. TheWire cleverly displayed pictures and clips of Hindus while conveniently ignoring the inflammatory speeches delivered by Muslims and Leftists. It even cast aspersions on the police investigation and claimed that they failed to prove the involvement of Umar Khalid, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Ishrat Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider and others in “any actual act of violence.”
The video carries comments of Shahrukh Alam who is an advocate in the Supreme Court over the FIRs (First Information Reports) from an event in September of this year where she alleged that the poor and working-class Muslim men who were booked for perpetrating the violence have been acquitted one after another after almost 5 years.
Tasneef mentioned, “And this is what the protest was about. They were protesting within their rights.” Meanwhile, Shakra claimed, “We did not know that they would be charged under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). This is the first time that the law has been invoked against protestors. Everyone is saying that it was never invoked against protestors. These people have invoked UAPA. How does this amount to UAPA? Do we not have a right to protest? Then?”
She then took a jab at the centre and stated, “It’s this government’s kindness, they can do whatever they want. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s will. If we had known that educating our children would lead to this, we would have kept them illiterate and safe.” Her husband then voiced, “She had completed her MBA. She wanted to do a PhD. She missed it by 2 marks. Meanwhile, this torm came up. First, her friends got accused and after them, it was her turn.”
“Only after education, you can differentiate between right and wrong. If she had stayed at home and been illiterate, she would be safe. When she asked for her rights, then this happened. Five years is a long time for parents to be separated from their child,” Shakra alleged.
The video highlights that Gulfisha writes to her parents every month from jail and also displays them on camera along with a few lines that read, “I am still alive in this world, in Delhi, a little far from you. Do not lose hope. I cannot sleep when you are upset. The day you fell ill, I could not sleep the whole night. Take care of abbu (father). Talk nice things to him. Do not talk about me too much in front of him otherwise, he will miss me even more.”
Shakra is then asked, “If you could go back in time five years ago and you get a chance to stop your daughter from going to the protest,” to which she instantly replied, “She would go. There’s nothing to be anxious about. Courage grows with time as one person sees everything.” She further asserted, “What could we do? She was not doing anything wrong. She was fighting for her rights. She did alright. Allah is the master. She will be there till she has to. But when Allah orders her release then they would not be able to stop it,” in response to, “In hindsight, do you think you could have done something different?”
“Lights and lamps are for the others, our fate is filled with darkness,” Tasneef declared with poetic flair while she concluded, “May Allah grant happiness to everyone.”
The assertions made by the parents regarding their daughter’s involvement in the incident cannot overshadow the undeniable reality that stands in stark contrast. They celebrate her actions while simultaneously seeking to shield her from the repercussions. She might be modest, ambitious, or hardworking, but these do not provide sufficient justification to disregard her participation in the unrest that resulted in the loss of numerous lives. Emotional appeals designed to influence public sentiment can not obstruct the judicial process.
Shakra Begum rightly emphasized the anguish of being separated from a child for a long period, but what about the suffering endured by the parents and families who must now live with the grief of losing their children to anti-Hindu violence? What would she say to the family of Ankit Sharma and others like him? Furthermore, why did Gulfisha’s parents not address the rationale behind organizing the protests, given that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had no bearing on Indian Muslims and was unrelated to the National Register of Citizens (NRC)?
It raises questions as to why she and her associates fiercely opposed granting citizenship to persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring Islamic nations. The interview seems to be a deliberate strategy of emotional manipulation designed to elicit sympathy for the individuals accused of anti-Hindi Delhi riots, while completely disregarding the merits of the case and the true intentions behind the unrest. While these tactics could resonate with the intended audience or potentially evoke sympathy, they cannot conceal the grim truth of the violence.
It is important to note here that TheWire report while painting the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots as anti-Muslim violence missed several crucial points. First and foremost, the report made no mention of Hindu victims. It failed to mention that Ratan Lal was the first casualty – he was lynched in a planned manner by a large mob of Muslims. The Muslim mob had mobilised from lanes of Mustafabad and Chand Bagh converging in Wazirabad road to lynch Ratan Lal. By the movement of the mob itself, it is evident that the lynching was a planned conspiracy and not spontaneous.
For the global media, the Delhi anti-Hindu riot of 2020 was an anti-Muslim pogrom. However, the truth is far from it. Sub-inspector Ratan Lal was the first casualty in the violence. A Muslim mob lynched him to death in the middle of the street. This video has been created based… pic.twitter.com/hwtxtzOJoZ
Secondly, TheWire fails to answer a basic question – what exactly were Muslims protesting against since CAA had nothing to do with Indian Muslims to begin with?
Most importantly, while claiming that Gulfisha and others have been incarcerated unfairly, TheWire gives its readers no context about the accusations against her, her involvement in the conspiracy to create violence and the basis on which the court refused to grant her bail, finding the charges against her prima facie true.
Large-scale violence is characterised not by casualties alone, but also by a dispassionate analysis of who started the violence and the root cause of the conspiracy. In this case, it is an established fact that the conspiracy to create violence targeted against Hindus was afoot ever since the 5th of December 2019, which culminated in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots of February 2020. Gulfisha, an accused TheWire tries to exonerate, was an inextricable part of the conspiracy to target Hindus. It is the same riot in which Tahir Hussain had, in his disclosure statement, admitted to specifically conspiring to create violence to “teach Kafirs a lesson”. It is the same riot where Tahir Hussain along with his band of radicals murdered Ankit Sharma – stabbing him so many times that his intestines lay out of his body. It is the same riot where a Hindu boy, Dilbar Negi, was first attacked, his hands and legs chopped off, then burnt alive. And it is the same riot that Gulfisha helped plan.
If they are genuinely uninformed about the facts, they could have simply reviewed the judgment order to understand that Gulfisha’s incarceration is not an act of injustice, but rather a necessary measure to uphold justice for the victims of her conspiracy. However, in reality, they are aware yet remain indifferent, preferring to play the victim card, which seems to have an indefinite validity.
The Wire’s relentless efforts to whitewash anti-Hindu Delhi riots
TheWire’s recent video is part of a persistent series of similar initiatives that seek to portray a sanitized version of the violence in Delhi, categorizing the perpetrators as Hindus and the victims as Muslims, even though the truth is quite the opposite. Unsurprisingly, it adheres to a consistent narrative, wherein Muslims are invariably depicted as the oppressed while Hindus as the aggressors, regardless of the specific circumstances to promote the notion of perpetual victimhood.
During anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, the DRP Public School, owned by a Hindu, was set ablaze while the Rajdhani Public School, which belonged to a Muslim, was utilized as a base for attacks. Both institutions are located in Shiv Vihar. However, in March 2020, a “ground report” by The Wire stated that both schools were under Muslim ownership to dismiss the arson perpetrated by the members of the Muslim community and undermine the communal nature of the incident.
The Delhi Police had taken issue with a piece published by The Wire in which it alleged bias against the Muslim community by both the police and the Judiciary, in May of the same year. According to the former’s response, the reporter had confused two entirely distinct cases in order to assert that a Muslim and a Hindu individual had been booked in the same case but had received different treatment. The platform sought to highlight the supposed discrimination against Delhi-riots accused Safoora Zargar, but it mixed two cases, which had FIRs registered on different dates, thereby drawing far-fetched and misleading conclusions in its article.
The Wire in June 2020 criticized the Indian courts and political establishment for the continued imprisonment of Safoora Zargar, who was 21 weeks pregnant at the time. It claimed that her imprisonment served as a harsh truth of the nation’s selective veneration of motherhood. However, it is noteworthy that the defence of her case was predominantly based on her status as an expecting mother rather than her innocence.
The media outlet further rubbed salt into the wounds of the Hindu community by glorifying Aam Aadmi Party’s councillor, Tahir Hussain, who is the primary suspect in the riots, during the Diwali season in 2020 and celebrated him as a hero. The Wire’s persistent effort to project those involved in the riots as heroic figures and assert their innocence has continued unabated. The media outlet went a step ahead in 2024 as Arfa Khanum Sherwani interviewed Umar Khalid’s father Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas with the intention to sway the judicial proceedings.
How ‘innocent’ is Gulfisha: Her involvement in the Delhi Riots 2020 conspiracy and what the court said while denying her bail
The Karkardooma Court’s ruling from 16th March 2022, threw light on Gulfisha’s ‘innocence’ and the reasons behind her bail denial. Notably, she was represented by ISIS poster boy Mehmood Pracha during the hearing after which the judge “disposed of the bail application of applicant/accused Gulfisha filed under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C) on 18.06.2021.”
The court order highlighted that the prosecution asserted, “Delhi Riots 2020 was a large-scale and deep-rooted conspiracy hatched after the passing of the resolution by Cabinet Committee to present CAB in both Houses of Parliament on 04.12.2019.” It mentioned how Umar Khalid, Gulfisha, Tahir Hussain, Sharjeel Imam and others plotted the conspiracy to create unrest in the national capital in the name of CAA protests.
It pointed out, “He then referred to the contents of the chargesheet to allege that prima facie allegations were correct. It was further contended that in this entire conspiracy, there were various organizations like Pinjra Tod, AAZMI, SIO, SFI, etc., through individuals who participated. There was a centrality of JCC in the ecosystem. As part of the conspiracy, 23 (24×7) protest sites (against CAB) were created in Muslim-majority areas close to mosques/mazar (mausoleum) and close to main roads. Before the major riots of February 2020, a replica of the riots took place in December 2019 on a lower scale but with similar characters and modus Operandi.
The prosecution further said, “With the lessons learned, February riots were planned and executed. The idea was to escalate the protest to chakka-jam, once critical mass is generated and at an appropriate time to eventually lead to violence against police and then others. In order to give a secular look, secular names/Hindu names were given to protest sites to give secular colour. The conspiracy involved moving from the protest sites to designated locations on main roads/highways and blockade causing disruptive chakka-jam, creating confrontational situations, attacking police and paramilitary, spreading communal violence/attacking non-Muslims and damaging public and private property by use of petrol bombs, firearms, deadly weapon, acid bombs, stones, lathi and chilly powder. Finances were also arranged and diverted to protest sites and were utilized in organizing violence.”
According to the argument, the accused individuals Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Gulfisha were among the many individuals who formed Pinja Tod. It further stated that the date of the Delhi anti-Hindu violence was specifically selected to coincide with the visit of US President Donald Trump to Delhi. “The video showing how the CCTV cameras installed at Chand Bagh area were systematically dislocated so that the footage of riots could not be found,” the prosecution stated.
It was underlined that “On 17.12.2019, the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) was constituted. Gate No.7 of Jamia Milia was declared a protest site. Safoora Zargar created a Whatsapp group JMI Coordination Committee for communication with JCC members which included Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha, ShifaurRehman, Saiful Islam, Meeran Haider, Amanullah among others. A mobile card no. 9205448022 was activated on forged and fabricated documents for the ulterior purpose. The media team with Safoora Zargar as head and the Facebook page for JCC was created on 18.12.2019. JCC, as per its own official release as a Facebook post, showed AAJMI, AISA, CFI, MSF, Pinjra Tod, SIO, Khudai Khidmatgar, etc. as part of it.”
The prosecution stated that various groups, including DPSG, JCC, MSJ, and Pinjra Tod, collaborated effectively. Members from one group were also involved in others, fostering a shared understanding and coherence in their strategic approach. “Overtime, different protest sites totalling to 23 were developed in different parts of Delhi. In January, Sharjeel continued to give seditious speeches and spreading his idea of disruptive chakka-jam.”
He contended, “A conspiratorial meeting took place on the intervening night of 23/24.01.2020 at Seelampur, Jafrabad Protest site between Umar Khalid with Pinjra Tod members and others. It was decided to induce local women of Seelampur to start stockpiling knives, bottles, acids, stones, chilly powder and other dangerous articles to be used in rioting as part of a conspiracy. The plan was to escalate the protest to the next level of chakka-jam and then riots.”
The prosecution elaborated on the execution of the plot and pointed out, “On 16/17.02.2020, a midnight secret meeting takes place at Chand Bagh for chakkajam. Athar, Suleman Siddiqui, Natasha, Devangana, Gulfisha, Shadab, Salim Malik, Saleem Khan, Tasleem, Ayyaz and others attend the meeting. Planning for chakkajam during the visit of President of USA and adoption of violent measures to escalate the protest was taken in this meeting. DPSG chat revealed that the meeting failed as a result of uninviting and disturbing elements which became aware of time and venue of the said meeting. There was a clear message on DPSG Whatsapp chat where one member clearly said that ‘danga nahin karne denge tumhe aur tumhare doston ko’ (If we won’t riot then our friends will be).”
He stated that Owais Sultan Khan, a member of DPSG “cites what the Pinjra Tod is saying that ‘Kafan Baandh ke aaye hain, aur joh humare saath nahin, who desh ka gaddar hai’ (be ready to die and those who are not with us are traitors of the country) in response to the local women protesters requesting them not to block the road.”
“On 23.02.2020, Janhavi, Rahul Roy and Tabrej are involved in clandestine transportation of large number of people, mainly women and children from Jahangir Puri to Jafrabad via Shaheen Bagh. These women are received by Natasha, Devangana and Gulfisha at Jafrabad and they are the ones who initially do the stone pelting at police and others,” the prosecution informed. According to him, “Owais Sultan Khan asked why the packets of red mirchi powder have been distributed to women for attacking the police and paramilitary. Their families are protesting and their lives are now being put in danger. On 23.02.2020, the conspirators from various protest sites completely blocked the traffic at predesignated spots on the main roads.”
He revealed further shocking details about the nefarious plan and stated, “In the supplementary chargesheet, the analysis of CCTV cameras in the streets on 25 Foota Road, Chand Bagh and Mustafabad area based upon the footage was filed and it showed mobilization of rioters prior to dislocation and disconnection of all the 26 functional (out of 33) CCTV cameras on 24.02.2020. The said large-scale mobilization of rioters was purposely done and it was to carry out the riots in the Chand Bagh area and which actually happened. Within 10 minutes of the final camera being dislocated/disconnected, one of the major casualties of the riots i.e. death of Ratan Lal and injuries to various police personnel including DCP (Shahdara) took place on the road on which the rioters had descended. This was also captured in a video footage.
“As per the chargesheet, the analysis of 33 CCTV cameras of Chand Bagh and Mustafabad and 43 CCTV cameras of predominantly non-Muslims areas of Khajuri Khas, Karawal Nagar, Sonia Vihar and Jyoti Nagar, shows that not only the riots were pre-meditated and pre-planned but also began when the Muslims living in Chand Bagh, Mustafabad area mobilized and came out of lanes and bye-lanes passing through Chand Bagh and descended on Main Wazirabad road having Yamuna Vihar and Bhajanpura localities having the mixed population to put in to effect a violent chakka-jam and brutalized attack on police personnel and nonMuslims community while at the same time, the footages from the PWDs cameras at the places inhibited by non-Muslims communities showed the life to be tranquil,” he unveiled.
The accused and the groups they organized to implement their violent plan were then named in the court. “Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG) Whatsapp Group comprised of many persons including accused persons namely Khalid Saifi (UAH), Shadab Ahmed, Natasha (Pinjra Tod), Devangana Kalita (Pinjra Tod), Athar Khan and Umar Khalid (UAH). Muslims Students of JNU (MSJ) comprised many persons including accused persons namely Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Safoora, Shafa Ur Rehman and Asif Iqbal Tanha. Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) comprised many persons including accused persons namely Safoora, Shifaur Rehman, Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid. Pinja Tod comprised many persons including accused persons namely Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Gulfisha.”
“Thus, it was argued that there is sufficient material on record to establish that the accusation against the accused Gulfisha is prima facie true and hence the bail application of the accused may be dismissed,” the prosecution appealed.
The role played by Gulfisha in the riots
The video by The Wire and Gulfisha’s parents tried hard to claim otherwise, but she was instrumental in instigating the violence. “She was not only involved in the entire protest before the period of riots at Seelampur and Jafrabad in North East Delhi but also actively guiding it. “She was engaged in mass mobilization at a local level and had created two Whatsapp groups called Warrior and Aurton Ka Inquilab. At the time of the riots, she was present in NorthEast Delhi and in fact, as per the witnesses, she was the one who started the blockade and prompted the attack on police personnel and others with weapons like dande, lal-mirchi powder and others in Jafrabad area which had a cascading effect leading to riots.”
The prosecution informed, “She was also part of and representing Pinjra Tod, which was again involved in different groups and individuals. Pinjra Tod was represented in DPSG as well. She was in touch with other accused persons like Devangana, Natasha, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Meeran and others. She was involved in the conspiratorial meeting on 23/24.01.2020 at the Seelampur and Jafrabad protest site among others like Umar Khalid and Pinjra Tod members. She was also present at a midnight secret meeting on 16/17.02.2020 at Chand Bagh for chakka-jam. She is also involved in the incident of 22.02.2020 at Jafrabad Metro Station. There are also messages in the DPSG group revealing the stockpiling and distribution of mirchi powder and other weapons and about what the Pinjra Tod was saying.”
It was stated that Gulfisha played a pivotal role in the conspiracy by welcoming women protesters at Seelampur and Jafrabad, who were arriving from Jahangir Puri to instigate the violence. The cops were unable to recover the mobile device she was utilizing. The order noted, “It was argued that CAA/NRC protests were held across India but the case is in Delhi. Firstly, the riots of this horrendous scale happened in Delhi. Regarding the relevance of Delhi, accused Sharjeel Imam in his speech of 13.12.2019 makes a mention about Delhi being the capital of India and gives an illustration that if even a flyover collapses, the whole world will know of it. Also, Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America was to visit Delhi on 24th of February 2020. The happening of riots on the same day when the President of the USA was in Delhi and the whole world media was there to cover it, does not appear from the chargesheet to be mere coincidence.”
It further added, “In fact, there is a mention of the visit of the President before the riots began. Accused Umar Khalid in his Amrawati speech specifically made a mention of the said visit by the President of the USA on 24th of February 2020 in Delhi and the need to show to the world with media all around. Various witnesses also referred to enhanced activity after the visit of the President of the United States of America was announced (discussed in subsequent paragraphs). Sharjeel Imam in his Gaya speech of 23.01.2020 while again referring to the blockage of highways in Delhi, says that they will paralyze the government. He makes an interesting reference while referring to the protest across India. He says that Delhi is special because anything that happens here will get international media in five minutes, firing will be covered in media and thus, if the army is to be deployed then it will be a humiliation for the government and not for Muslims.”
The appeals of the defence were dismissed and highlighted, “Ld. Counsel for the accused had made submissions regarding general denial of any conspiracy and harping on the investigating aspects. It is a case of UAPA and like any criminal case requires submissions and analysis based upon the contents of the chargesheet and the accompanying documents. Most of the arguments are not relevant for the bail application where the embargo of Section 437 Cr.P.C and Section 43D UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) have to be met. In fact, even the judgments filed are not applicable. Moreover, a look at the statement of protected witnesses under Section 164 Cr.P.C, shows sufficient incriminating material against the present accused.”
The defence’s statements were further countered as it was mentioned, “Ld. Counsel for the accused had submitted that the statements of witnesses were either false or contradictory and should not be relied upon. However, at this stage of bail, the statements of witnesses have to be taken at face value and their veracity will tested at the time of cross-examination. Protected witness ‘BEETA’ had stated that he saw the news on television on 16.12.2019 where students, in protest against CAA/NRC, had burnt buses. He watched the incident at Jamia Library and decided to join the protest. He noticed that various persons attended the said protests. He then details the events around 28.12.2019 about protest sites. Amanullah said that they would soon start the Jamia Awareness Campaign Team and would campaign against CAA/NRC in Muslim prominent areas.”
The order carried a significant amount of work that went into the planning. “On 10.01.2020, they again went to the protest site and it was decided that a 24×7 local sitting would be done. There used to be one or two students from Jamia at every protest site. At the Seelampur Protest sites, there were members of Pinjra Tod like Devangana, Gul and other students and they were doing local sitting at the said site. He then one day saw a video wherein Umar Khalid gave a speech in Amravati, Maharashtra stating that Trump is coming to India and they have to show their power by coming on to the roads. Thereafter, meetings started happening continuously in the Jamia Coordination Committee room. Amanullah told that it was decided to do chakka-jam by the JCC in coordination with Pinjra Tod.”
It also narrated the part played by Mehmood Pracha. “On 22.02.2020, he came to know that girls from Pinjra Tod had done chakka-jam at Jafrabad. On 23.02.2020, chakka-jam happens on all the protest sites. Stone pelting took place. He realized that the entire protest had been done in a planned manner. Pinjra Tod along with others had done it in a planned manner due to which people have died, property burnt and damaged. They used to give provocative speeches. Mehmood Pracha used to come to protest site and said that he would provide legal support. Protected witness ‘GAMA’ stated that he went to meet one of his friends at Seelampur. He introduced him to his friends including Natasha, Devengana, Gul and Tasleem.”
It further added, “He started visiting the protest sites to meet them. Later when he went there, Umar Khalid had come and was giving provocative speeches. After some days in February, the roadblock was planned by Sohail and others along with Gul. It was also decided to assemble ladies and children and they were asked to get red chilly, dande (sticks), pathar (stones), lathi (sticks) to be used when required. On 22.02.2020, Gul along with her team started a protest below Jafrabad Metro Station. Devangana said to women that they would not move till their death and gave provocative speeches. He was present there.”
The prosecution emphasized the enormous and significant role that Gulfisha played in the riots. “She also said that they would show their power to the police and gave provocative statements. He, thereafter, stopped going there. The next day, he came to know that the fight/violence had begun. Later, when they thought about how far can they run, Sohail talked to Devangana and the next day, they went to a house near Delhi University and one aunty took Gul and Sohail inside. There one uncle, one aunty, Natasha, Devengana, Sohail and Gul were present and they were calling the said uncle a professor, and it was said that they were to bring the government to its knees. Uncle stated that nobody’s name has to be taken and that the government has to be brought down and make it a Hindu-Muslim issue. He asked Gul who that uncle was and she told that he was Apoorvanand. Protected witness ‘ECHO’ had stated that Gul and her friends Devangana and Proma Roy were doing a protest near Central Bank, Seelampur.”
The order mentioned, “Natasha was also present. Gul told the women to bring their children along so that police would not be able to take any action and if police were to take action, then because of the children, they would get sympathy. After some days, a candle march was carried out in gullies. On 15.01.2020, Gul along with other women sat on a Dharna near Nadima Masjid near Metro Pillar No. 164, Seelampur. Gul and others refused to leave despite being asked by the police. After some time, Mehmood Pracha came and provoked people to protest which is their right. Various leaders started coming there. Gul used to decide who would coordinate and who would speak. In January last, Khalid of JNU also came and provoked people by referring to CAA, Article 370 & Ram Mandir. Gul name is Gulfisha. Gul, Devangana, Natasha and others had established their office at E1/ 13, Seelampur.”
The prosecution underscored how Gulfisha and other accused were committed to engage in violence with the intent of incapacitating the government. “Umar stated to Gul that the speech would not work, they all have to understand that the government is against Muslims and they will have to spill blood. Chakka-jam is the last resort and they will have to bring the government to its knees. Photograph was also taken. After some days, Gul started asking women to bring Lal Mirch powder, dande and acid bottles. She also stated code words like ‘kal eid hai’, ‘kal Nainital jana hai’ which means that roadblock karne chalna hai (we have to block roads) and ‘aaj chand raat hai’ which means today is road block’s night. These code words were known to the women and girls there only. Gul along with Pinjra Tod girls, Shadab, Tasleem and others decided to do a roadblock. He opposed the move and tried to reason out Gul and her team but they did not agree. He did not find their intentions to be correct.”
The order then read, “On 22.02.2020 at the Seelampur protest site, they assembled the people and provoked them saying that they would be put in detention center and blocked the road at Jafrabad Metro Station. Realizing that it would not be a peaceful protest but a chakka-jam, he decided not to go there. Pinjra Tod girls and Gul used to give provocative speeches. The motive of JCC and these people was to cause riots in Delhi. Protected witness ‘JUPITER’ had stated that he was a member of the WhatsApp group DSPG (Delhi Solidarity Protest Group). Rahul Roy had added him to the group. It was created for discussion of the protest carried out from December to February in Delhi regarding CAA/NRC. Natasha and Athar were also members of the group. Athar was related to the Chand Bagh protest. Gul was not a member, she was member of the ‘Pinjra Tod Group’. Natasha was also in that group. On 20.02.2020, he received a call that there was a meeting held in Chand Bagh attended by Gul, Natasha and Athar along with others and he came to know that these three were planning ‘chakka-jam’ and violence and for this purpose, they had also distributed chilly powder to protesters. Some people have decided to stop and oppose them as it will cost the lives of people.”
The prosecution laid out Gulfishan’s intricate role and stated, “His motive was to stop chakka-jam and violence. The question was also put in the DPSG Whatsapp group. He called Rahul Roy who said that when chakka-jam happens, violence also happens. They requested to have a talk with Pinjra Tod members but it was ignored. Another protected witness ‘DELTA’ in his statement under Section 164 Cr.P.C mentioned about the protest at Old Seelampur Central area on 05.01.2020, which was led by Gul @ Gulfisha, which was removed. He identified Gulfisha as residing near his house. He stated that Gul continued to do her activities in the guise of candle march. Along with Gul were other ladies like Devangana, Natasha and men like Sohail and Tasleem. One day on 15.01.2020, at Seelampur Bus Stop, 66 Foota Road, these people sat on a dharna. Police tried to remove them when Mehmood Pracha their lawyer came. They again sat there and police could not remove them.
He further conveyed, “Thereafter, some political personalities came. He also said that later on, he came to know that Gul was a member of Pinjra Tod and so were her associates. Slowly, Gul’s team came to control the stage. Later on, he came to know that Gul was talking about road block plan to the ladies. Gul was talking of mirchi powder, dande and bottles for facing the police. Umar Khalid also came to the protest site and gave speeches against the government. After 12.02.2020, when he again came to the protest site, it came to his knowledge that they were again trying to block the road but they could not block it at the protest site. There were some code words like ‘ Eid per Nainital jana hai’ which means ‘road block karna hai’; ‘aaj chand raat hai’ and also gave provocative speeches like ‘aandolan khoon maangta hai’ (revolution demands blood). On the pretext of a candle march, on 22.02.2020, they blocked the road beneath Jafrabad Metro Station.”
Police also arrived at the scene, according to the order, but the demonstrators refused to move and left for their homes. Afterward, there were riots between Muslims and Hindus. “Protected witness ‘JOHNEY’ stated that on 15.01.2020, there was a protest against CAA/NRC at Seelampur, Old Bus Stand. He also reached there and met with Gulfisha who introduced her to Devangana, Natasha, Proma, Subhashini, Tasleem, Sohail and Adnan as member of Pinjra Tod who are running this protest. In the last week of January, he came to know that these people had started to collect dande, pathar and Lal Mirch and also asked the people to collect these things. On 15.02.2020, he came to know that a meeting was likely to be scheduled at Chand Bagh at night at 23 am (on 16/17 February) regarding the blocking of road,” per the order.
It stated, “He also joined the meeting and around 50100 persons were there in the meeting besides Gulfisha, Devangana, Natasha, Shivangi, Shadab, Athar, Rashid, etc. Athar Khan told in the meeting that they will do chakka-jam in the protest site of North-East Delhi and nothing would happen by sitting silently. In the meeting, people were asked to collect acid beside pathar. Protected witness ‘SMITH’ stated that last year, the CAA/NRC Act was passed by the government and thereafter, dharna pradarshan started. Dharna also started near his house (66 Foota Road). He used to remain there from 9.00 pm to 12.00 am. In his presence, Umar Khalid and Mehmood Pracha gave speeches. Gulfisha, who was living in Jafrabad, was organizing the protest. She met with her during the protest. Devangana, Natasha, Gulfisha, Tasleem and other girls used to instigate local women of Seelampur Jafrabad to come outside. They used to tell people if they did not have documents with them then they along with their families would be sent to detention centers.” This is how people were manipulated by this group under the pretext of demonstrations.
The prosecution mentioned, “On the night of 15.01.2020, Devangana, Natasha, Sohail and Shadab along with other girls and 100150 women carried out Dharna at Old Bus Stand, Madina Masjid. Yameen’s house at E1/ 13 was their office where their meeting used to happen. On 23.01.2020, Umar Khalid gave a speech. Thereafter, Gulfisha, Devengana and Natasha brought Umar Khalid to their office. He also followed them and saw that Gulfisha, Natasha, Devengana, Sohail and Shadab along with other girls were also sitting there. Umar Khalid was saying that in the protest against CAA/NRC and to bring the Indian government down, they are ready even if riots occurred in Delhi; we have collected arms upon which all the persons stated that they are ready. Their motive was quite dangerous and he got scared after hearing this and came out from there. After two-three days, Gulfisha, Devangana and Natasha were asking ladies to collect empty glass bottles, acid, pathar, chhuri (knife), etc.”
He added, “On 23.02.2020, he saw that Gulfisha, Devengana and Natasha along with many other women had blocked the road at Jafrabad Metro Station and were asking to attack the police officials. After some time, Wazirabad, Ghaziabad and Seelampur Road, were all jammed and movement stopped. Local ladies pelted stones on people who were struck there due to which Hindu-Muslim riots started. Riots also started across Yamuna between Hindu-Muslims resulted in the killing of innocent people. They are very dangerous people and his name may be kept secret. Protected witness ‘SATURN’ stated that before the riots, he used to go with Tahir Hussain on his instructions. Tahir Hussain used to call Suleman Siddiqui at the Chand Bagh protest site and used to give him money and tell him that this money would be used for riots. Thereafter, he used to go to the Seelampur protest site where he used to give money to a lady called Gul and he again used to say that this would be used for riots. Tahir Hussain also went to Shaheen Bagh on 08.01.2020 where Umar Khalid and Kahid Saifi were also present.”
The prosecution pointed out, “He then narrated financial transactions pertaining to money obtained by Tahir Hussain. Protected witness ‘HELIUM’ stated that on 10.02.2020, he reached Jantar Mantar in a protest and met Umar Khalid and his father SQ Ilyas who said that he comes from Jahangir Puri where there are a lot of Bangladeshis and asked them to educate them and fight against CAA/NRC. On 22.02.2020, he received a call from Janhavi madam. He was asked if he was coming and on 23.02.2020 around 11.30 to 12.00 pm he started with around 300 people mostly comprising women and children. On his way, he received a call from Janhavi madam that instead of going to Shaheen Bagh, he should go to Jafrabad.”
The order further mentioned, “He said that the buses are not sequentially running to which madam said that you may come to Jafrabad via Shaheen Bagh. He was told that in Jafrabad, he would meet Natasha, Gul and Devangana who would pay the expenses. When they reached Seelampur Pulia, they met the said ladies who took the burqua-clad women to the Jafarabad Site and thereafter, to Maujpur Metro Station. Natasha, Devangana and Gul were distributing stones, broken glasses and mirchi powder to these burqua-clad women and asking them to throw at those protesting in favor of CAA/NRC. He got angry and told them that he was called by deceit and the riots caused by them were wrong. They had told us for our participation and peaceful protest but they had indulged in riots.”
Afterwards, the court pronounced, “Ld. Counsel for the accused had vehemently argued that the Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi vide its order dated 15.06.2021 had granted bail to accused Devengana, Natasha and Asif Iqbal Tanha and filed the said judgment of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi with the bail application. It was argued that the accused Gulfisha is similarly placed as Devengana and Natasha and thus, bail must be granted on the ground of parity. It was contended on being asked, that the order dated 18.06.2021 of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India granting a stay of the effect of the order of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and directing the High Court judgment not to be treated as a precedent, will have not any effect as it is not speaking order and bail can still be granted on parity in view of the Hon’ble High Court judgment.”
Moreover, it observed, “In the opinion of this Court, by making such a submission in the bail application, by filing the bail order dated 15.06.2020 of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and during arguments, and that too so vehemently, not only is the counsel negating the order of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India granting a stay of the order of bail dated 15.06.2021 of the Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, but also asking this Court to essentially follow the High Court order, the effect of which has been stayed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and thus, to disregard the order of the Hon’ble Apex Court.”
It also quoted the Supreme Court and declared, “In the meantime, the impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent and may not be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings.” The court then delivered its verdict, “Hence, in view of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, it is clear that the impugned judgment dated 15.06.2020 was neither to be treated as a precedent nor to be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings. The court is bound by the law of the land and the judicial discipline. This argument is strongly rejected.”
It added, “Thus, on the perusal of the chargesheet and accompanying documents, for the limited purpose of the bail, I am of the opinion that the allegations against the accused Gul @ Gulfisha are prima facie true. In view of the above discussion, since there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the accused Gulfisha is prima facie true, hence, embargo created by Section 43D of UAPA applies to grant bail to the accused and also, the embargo contained in Section 437 Cr.P.C. Hence, the present application for bail of accused Gulfisha stands dismissed. Application is disposed off accordingly.”
Delhi Riots: A Conspiracy Against Hindus
The aforementioned judgment is quite telling of how the riots served solely as a means to damage India’s global standing and target Hindus while also tarnishing their image. A Delhi Police Head Constable and an Intelligence Bureau Constable were killed in the riots. The latter went to prevent the violence but was claimed by it as Hindus listened to him but the Muslims saw him as a vulnerable target and brutally ended his life. One individual later identified as Shahrukh was seen firing bullets and flashing his gun at the police. Islamists hacked off the hands and legs of a Hindu man named Dilbar Negi, who was then burned to death. Communal violence had plagued Delhi since the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed and the riots were merely the culmination of a fire that radicals had started months earlier.
The sequence of events, ranging from the initial calls to separate the chicken neck and the meticulous orchestration of the conspiracy involving the display of the national flag to give the protests a secular clour and the deliberate sabotage of CCTV cameras, all coinciding with Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to India reveal the underlying motives of the violence, which was superficially presented as a protest against the CAA. The protests were, in fact, anti-Hindu and anti-India in nature, with aspirations for the balkanization of the country and no degree of emotional manipulation or claims of victimhood can obscure this dark reality.
A 17-year-old boy died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti after he faced violence and humiliation at a birthday party where he was invited. The minor boy had attended the party on 20 December, where he was stripped, brutally beaten, and urinated upon by four youths. The attackers also recorded the entire incident and threatened to make the video viral.
The boy pleaded with them to delete the video, but they humiliated him further and even forced him to lick his spit. The traumatised boy returned home, narrated the incident to his parents and then took his own life by hanging himself.
As the boy belongs to the Dalit community, attempts have been made to portray the incident as a caste-based violence. The New Indian Express in its report on 24 December wrote that the boy Aditya faced severe caste discrimination and harassment. Most media reports mentioned that the victim was Dalit, but didn’t mention the identity of the attackers, which caused people to assume that he was attacked for his caste.
Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub shared an India Today report on the incident on X with the words ‘But caste…’, implying that the minor Dalit was humiliated and assaulted by upper caste Hindus.
Similarly, several other social media users made similar claims saying that it was a caste-based violence.
2772 ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: Claims circulating on social media allege that a young Dalit boy took his own life after facing humiliation, torture, and inaction from the police against the accused. The incident is being framed as a caste-based hate crime, (1/2) pic.twitter.com/pAoa6iDNCn
However as per the Police, the attackers were also Dalits, and the incident had nothing to do with caste. Talking about the incident, Basti Police SP Gopal Krishan Choudhary said that the victim and the attackers belong to the same community. He said that both parties knew each other and that the accused persons had been booked.
#BastiPolice थाना कप्तानगंज क्षेत्रांतर्गत एक युवक द्वारा दुर्व्यवहार से क्षुब्ध होकर आत्महत्या कर लेने पर पुलिस द्वारा की गई कार्यवाही के संबंध में पुलिस अधीक्षक बस्ती द्वारा दी गई बाइट- pic.twitter.com/EtMhUzNNop
The SP also said that the SHO of the police station has been suspended after the victim’s family alleged that the police didn’t take prompt action after a complaint was filed against the four accused.
From the police version, it is clear that the four attackers and the victim boy belonged to the same community, which means all of them were Dalits. Therefore, it is completely wrong to label the incident as a caste-based violence. Without the identity of the accused persons, Islamists like Rana Ayyub jumped to claim that it was caste-based violence.
The incident could be the result of some personal enmity, as the victim and the accused knew each other, which will be revealed after the police investigation.
Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections 2025, Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is planning to field Delhi riots prime accused Shahrukh Pathan as its candidate from one of the 70 constituencies. While the decision regarding this has not yet been finalized, the idea of AIMIM fielding another anti-India Islamist in the Delhi assembly elections is sparking outrage all over the state.
The information regarding this was confirmed by AIMIM Delhi unit president, Shoaib Jamei. He met the family of Pathan who is behind bars at present and indicated that the party was considering fielding Pathan from the Seelampur constituency. However, he said that no confirmed decision about this was taken.
“Yesterday we met the mother of jailed Shahrukh Pathan at his home. A delegation of Delhi AIMIM met his family and discussed the conditions and legal aid that Pathan needs. This small step of ours in the campaign for justice in Delhi will encourage many families whose children have been in jail for years without trial. According to the Supreme Court, bail is the right of those prisoners whose cases are pending. His mother says that the case was registered against her son at the behest of Arvind Kejriwal and she will not forget this,” Jamei shared in a post on Facebook.
Along with Jamei, other AIMIM leaders like Joint Secretary Manzar Shoaib, Asghar Ansari, MNS Nasir, and Nadeem Sheikh also met the family of the prime accused in the Delhi riot case and offered assistance to them to probably get him out of jail.
Pathan open fired at Delhi police officials
Pathan at present is lodged in Tihar jail and is accused of instigating anti-CAA riots in Delhi in the year 2020. He was arrested in the year 2020 on the charges of opening fire at the Delhi Police officials and inciting riots in the national capital during the Anti-Hindu riots. Shahrukh Pathan became the poster boy of the anti-Hindu riots after images of him pointing a pistol at a policeman had gone viral during the violence.
He, therefore, has been charged in two cases. He has been booked under rioting and relevant sections for allegedly pointing a gun at head constable Deepak Dahiya during the riots on February 24, 2020. His name is also included in a charge sheet in connection with the Maujpur incident on February 24th, where violence erupted between pro-CAA and anti-CAA groups and later spread to other parts of Northeast Delhi.
CCTV videos of head constable Deepak Dahiya standing resolute on duty, fearlessly facing the criminal Shahrukh who fired bullets at him had gone viral on social media.
Two policemen named Raman and Deepak and a passerby Rohit Shukla had sustained injuries because of the violence that had broken out at Maujpur Chowk on February 24th. Shukla had then confirmed that there were two groups of people, one of which was shouting ‘AllahhuAkbar’ and protesting against CAA and NRC.
While the AIMIM leaders are offering assistance to bail Pathan, it is crucial to note that the Delhi Court in 2023 had rejected Pathan’s bail saying that there was no reason to grant him bail. “Considering the conduct of the accused Shahrukh Pathan in jail during his judicial custody, his conduct before his being arrested, conduct during court proceedings, and most importantly, the allegations against the accused which are being supported by the eyewitnesses and also the video footage, on any of the counts on which bail can be considered, the court sees nothing to set him enlarged on bail,” Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat of Karkardooma Court was quoted as saying.
During the riot, on the 24th of February 2020, a confrontation broke out between Jaffrabad Metro Station and Maujpur Bridge. There were more than 5,000 people who came face to face in that area. The anti-CAA protestors (Islamist mob) were pelting stones and brandishing guns. When the investigation was carried out, 3 cartridges were found at the spot where Shahrukh Pathan brandished a gun, aimed at the head of a police officer in uniform.
Pathan first fired a few rounds at the crowd and refused to pay heed to the warnings issued by the police officer. When he advanced, for the safety of the crowd, the police officer stood in his path and did not move. When Pathan was at a distance of 9-10 feet from the police officer, he fired his weapon aimed at the police officer’s head to kill him. The police officer dodged the bullet but continued to stand there in his path so he couldn’t advance further and kill the Hindus. As the police officer refused to move, Pathan pushed the officer and then aimed the gun at his head again. When the police officer issued another warning after being pushed, Shahrukh Pathan fired at the crowd and started retreating.
It was only after sustained interrogation that Shahrukh Pathan revealed his full identity and confessed to his involvement in the crime.
The Delhi Court had later ordered an FIR against Pathan and booked him under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with a weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 307 (murder attempt), 505, 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code along with Section 27 of the Arms Act.
He lied that he was tortured in jail
It was earlier reported that Pathan during the investigation was not at all cooperative and he also had misled the police. He further had also refused to reveal the identity of other rioters who were involved.
During his time in jail, Pathan had also lied that he was tortured by the jail superintendent who threatened him with dire consequences for pointing a gun at an officer from his caste. “Assistant Jail Superintendent by the name of Rajesh Dahiya slapped Pathan on his face and threatened him with dire consequences for having pointed his pistol at a person of his cast/(Gotra). The police also threatened Pathan saying that they would kill him before the trial concluded and that all this was done amidst the presence of all the other Jail officials,” the counsel of Pathan was quoted as saying back in 2023.
The counsel further claimed that the attack on Pathan was a calculated one, testing the waters for a larger attack. He also stated that Shahrukh Pathan was scared for his life and was living in fear inside the jail, thus demanding release. The court, however, considered the evidence and denied bail, indicating that Shahrukh Pathan and his lawyer had blatantly lied in their application to the court.
Pathan’s father convicted for drug peddling, evidence of collusion with Pakistanis
It is important to note that not only Pathan but his father was also charged by the Delhi Police. Shahrukh Pathan’s father was convicted by a Delhi court on 11th August 2016. In January 2010, Meghalaya Police filed a complaint in Delhi that three Pakistani nationals Abdul Razzaq, Mohd. Saddique and Rafakat Ali who had been brought from Lampur Seva Sadan (FRRO detention centre) on 1st January 2010 to Guru Nanak Eye Hospital for their medical examination had escaped while they were being taken back.
During the investigation to track down the missing Pakistanis, the visitor’s register which was maintained by Meghalaya Police was also checked. The entries in the register made from 28th September 2009 to 2nd January 2010 revealed that two people – Anees Khan and Arbaz Khan – had met Abdul Razzaq and Saleem on 29th December 2009 and 30th December 2009. During interrogation, it was revealed that before absconding in January 2010, the three Pakistanis had after going to Gurunanak Eye Hospital been first taken to Jama Masjid and then one of them (Abdul Razzak) was taken by him to Seelampur near Jaffarbad to collect money from someone. Anees and Arbaz were nephews of Sabir Ali.
It is pertinent to understand here that the three Pakistanis were in India illegally and therefore, were being held at a detention centre. They were given harbor at Jama Masjid from where one of them was taken to Seelampur (near Jaffrabad) to collect money – the very area where the Delhi anti-Hindu riots had broken out in February 2020 – in which Shahrukh Pathan was primarily leading a mob.
Based on this investigation, Sabir Ali (Baldev Singh), Anees Khan, and Arbaz were called to the Special Cell office and inquiries were made from them. During interrogation, it was revealed that Sabir Ali (Baldev Singh) had given money to Abdul Razzaq at Seelampur before he had absconded.
The numbers that were taken from the accused during interrogation were then thoroughly investigated after those detained and questioned – including the father of Shahrukh Pathan – were set free. During the surveillance of the numbers, it was revealed that the accused – including Pathan’s father – were involved in the business of fake currency and drugs. There was also an intercepted call where Sabir Ali had spoken about the international smuggling of drugs.
After this surveillance, when a notice was served to Sabir Ali, Arbaz, and Anees, they refused to answer the notice served by the special cell. The Special Cell then received information about a Charas and Smack delivery that Sabir Ali and his co-accused Sannaullah Mir were about to make. When the raiding party intercepted Ali and Mir, they discovered drugs in their possession. Substantial amounts of drugs were also found on the scooter of Sabir Ali – the substance in the scooter was heroin.
After the subsequent arrest, Mir and Ali were interrogated separately. During interrogation, the father of Shahrukh Pathan, Sabir Ali, confessed that he was in the business of drugs and fake currency notes along with his associates Anees, Arbaz, Jarnail, and Mir. He also disclosed how the police could arrest Jarnail Singh and revealed that on an earlier occasion, Singh had given him 2 lacs and drugs, parts of which were then distributed to the others. He also agreed to lead the police to another accused – Javed. Several of the co-accused were then arrested post-interrogation of Ali.
In 2011, all the accused persons were charged for the offenses u/s 29 r.w.s. 21, 20, and 23 of the NDPS Act, and accused Sabir Ali was separately charged for the offense u/s 21(c), 25A of the NDPS Act and accused Sanaullah Mir was separately charged for the offense of u/s 20 (b) (ii) (C) of the NDPS Act. All the accused persons were also charged for the offenses u/s 489 C r.w.s. 120B IPC.
In court, the prosecution examined 39 witnesses in all to prove its case against the accused. All the accused, including the father of Shahrukh Pathan, took the defense that they had been falsely implicated by the police and that no contraband/counterfeit currency notes had been recovered from their possession or at their instance at any point in time. Among all the accused, the court ‘particularly’ was intrigued by the defense of Sabir Ali alias Baldev Singh. It is pertinent to mention here that Shahrukh Pathan’s father was previously a Sikh named Baldev Singh and had converted to Islam before marrying.
When Sabir Ali started explaining why he was supposedly implicated by the police, he ended up revealing his long illustrious career as a criminal. A detailed report regarding this can be read here.
Following this, Sabir Ali (alias Baldev Singh) was convicted for 10 years with a fine of Rs 1 lac under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and sections of the NDPS Act.
UAPA accused Tahir Husain AIMIM candidate from Mustafabad seat
The AIMIM’s plan to field Pathan from the Saleempur constituency in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections has sparked outrage given the ongoing grievous charges against him. Notably, this is not the first time that AIMIM is planning to field a candidate with a criminal background. Earlier, on 10th December, AIMIM fielded ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, accused in the larger conspiracy of the Delhi riots 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as a candidate from the Mustafabad seat.
MCD Councillor Tahir Hussain joined @aimim_national & will be our candidate from Mustafabad Assembly Constituency in the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. His family members & supporters met with me today & joined the party pic.twitter.com/oFnQBlJgOF
Tahir Hussain is a former AAP member and is accused of participating in, funding and orchestrating riots in Delhi in the year 2020. In March last year, the Karkardooma court in Delhi framed murder and conspiracy charges against Hussain and ten others for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots on 25th February 2020.
The 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election for all 70 constituencies is expected to take place on or before February 2025. Hussain and Pathan probably contesting from AIMIM shall, however, be a challenge for the Aam Aadmi Party which seeks to secure a third term in the state.
As soon as US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Sriram Krishnan would serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the American journalist and conspiracy theorist racist Laura Loomer launched an online attack against Sriram Krishnan.
Sriram’s stance on removing the country cap on H1-B visas was misrepresented online, suggesting that he would prefer skilled workers from foreign nations over Americans. Soon after, an online campaign was launched against him with Loomer spearheading the attack.
Deeply disturbing to see the appointment of Sriram Krishnan @sriramk as Senior Policy Advisor for AI at the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Calling his appointment “disappointing”, Laura Loomer, in her diatribe questioned the “America First” policy implications of Krishnan’s appointment, and labeled Indians as “third-world invaders” and claimed that the United States was founded by “white Europeans.”
Loomer also made disparaging remarks regarding Indian hygiene practices, saying, “If India was so high skilled, people would stay there instead of flocking to the US.”
Laura Loomer’s comments garnered much-deserved criticism. Probably, the anti-Indian segment of the American right-wing wants the skills of talented Indians but not Indian people.
In response to a post by an Indian immigrant who emphasised how skilled immigrants built America and people like Laura Loomer are propaganda machines undermining America’s competitive edge, Loomer retorted with racist and derogatory comments which have little to do with reality.
“Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third world invaders from India. @Cloudwatch199 You know, it was white Europeans who created the American Dream, and we didn’t create it so that it could be exploited by pro open border techies like you. PS: why are people in India still shitting in the water they bathe and drink from? Don’t talk to me as an American citizen about INNOVATION when we actually have running water and indoor plumbing here in America. Perhaps you need to retake your American history class. Do the tech billionaires you work with in Silicon Valley even bother teaching their third world hires about AMERICAN history anymore? Or are you only interested in your invader supremacist revisionist history?” she said.
Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third world invaders from India. @Cloudwatch199
You know, it was white Europeans who created the American Dream, and we didn’t create it so that it could be exploited by pro open border techies like you.
Laura Loomer’s recent racist tirade against Sriram Krishnan in particular and Indians, in general, has elicited support from her racist ilk as well as widespread condemnation from those both within and outside the American right-wing fold. Notably, her career has been dominated by her racist and controversial statements, positioning her as a divisive figure even within the far-right circles she seeks to influence.
Laura Loomer’s “Curry” jibe against Kamala Harris
Racist rhetoric has been the recurring theme of Laura Loomer’s socio-political commentary with one of the most outrageous being the one slandering current Vice President Kamala Harris because of her Indian origin. In September 2024, Loomer said on X that if Kamala Harris is elected president, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call centre,” in a prejudiced reference to Harris’ origins.
Unsurprisingly, her statement drew significant condemnation. Despite the outcry, instead of apologising, Loomer maintained that her remarks were intended as humour or political satire.
While Laura Loomer claims to be a big-time Trump and Republican party supporter, the party leaders have time and again condemned her for peddling conspiracy theories. In September, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called Loomer a “crazy conspiracy theorist”.
“Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans. A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough,” Tillies said.
Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans. A DNC plant couldn't do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump's chances of winning re-election. Enough.
Master in racist commentary, failure in electoral politics
Laura Loomer’s stint in electoral politics demonstrates that she is only capable of garnering social media attention through her racist rhetoric and cannot garner votes. In the 2020 Florida UD House of Representatives contest, Loomer ran as a Republican but lost. Two years later, she also lost the Republican primary.
Laura Loomer behind the “Haitian cannibals” claim?
During the September presidential debate, Donald Trump alleged that illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating pets in the Ohio town triggering a memefest on American social media. Laura Loomer stated on X one day before the debate that “cannibalistic Haitians are now killing people’s pets and hunting domestic animals on the streets of Ohio”.
“Disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Ohio where Democrats like @SenSherrodBrown and the Biden-Harris regime imported over 20,000 cannibalistic Haitians who are now killing people’s pets and hunting domestic animals on the streets of Ohio. Just a reminder that Ohio Democrat Senator @SenSherrodBrown voted to extend temporary protective status to Haitians and also voted AGAINST stopping the tax payer funded flights from Haiti to the US!!,” Loomer posted on X on 9th September 2024.
Disturbing reports came out this weekend about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in Ohio where Democrats like @SenSherrodBrown and the Biden-Harris regime imported over 20,000 cannibalistic Haitians who are now killing people’s pets and hunting domestic animals on the… https://t.co/TKReL5HEkN
Just two days after US President Joe Biden pulled out of the presidential race in July, Loomer posted on X that he was near death and had started to delegate some of his duties to others. She claimed that “his time is limited” and that his family and staff “are holding on for dear life right now.”
“BIDEN IS DYING AND HAS STARTED QUIETLY DELEGATING HIS AUTHORITY AS PRESIDENT TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE. In an act that is further evidence that Joe Biden @JoeBiden is dying and @KamalaHarris will be President soon, today while everyone was distracted by the @GOPoversight hearing with @SecretService Director Kim Cheatle, and news of Joe Biden dropping out, today Biden started quietly delegating his authority as President of the United States to the Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State. Biden is dying, and he’s dying fast. Get ready for President Kamala Harris! BOOKMARK THIS TWEET!” Loomer posted.
However, Loomer’s X post got community-noted which said that there was nothing unusual in these texts, this is standard language also used by the Trump White House as well as other past administrations.
Similarly, in July, she claimed in a social media post that President Biden had a medical emergency after landing at Andrews Base. However, it was reported that Air Force One did not land at Joint Base Andrews, but rather at Delaware’s National Guard Base, where Biden was spotted leaving the plane on his own, saluting an officer and answering questions from journalists.
9/11 attack an “inside job”
Laura Loomer has also peddled the conspiracy theory that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job,” which has been largely debunked but is still propagated by her.
23 years later, and there’s still a lot of unanswered questions.
The 9/11 documents are still classified to this day. The American people deserve to know the entire truth. Not just what our lying government chose to tell us.
Loomer’s comments inadvertently handing a clean-chit to Jihadis like Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden who masterminded the attack, triggered backlash, particularly when she was spotted with Trump at 9/11 memorial events.
HAPPENING NOW:
President Trump just surprised the firefighters at Ladder 15 in New York City following the 9/11 memorial ceremony today. They were thrilled to see him.
Loomer spread anti-vaccine propaganda and conspiracy theories about the CoronaVirus. She called the pandemic a “scam” and argued that health measures were part of a larger Biden administration’s control tactic. Ironically, Laura Loomer who dismissed Covid as a ‘scam’ and hoped to get coronavirus so she could “prove to people” that even food-poisoning deaths are more serious than Covid, later tested Covid positive in September 2021 and suffered brutal body aches and nausea.
Loomer backed QAnon
Loomer has also shown support for QAnon, a conspiracy theory that alleges elites are involved in child trafficking and Satanic rituals. Although she has not openly adopted all of QAnon’s beliefs, her rhetoric and actions are consistent with many aspects of the conspiracy, particularly her allegations against political and media elites.
When Laura Loomer disrupted Julius Caesar drama and got arrested
Laura Loomer also made headlines in June 2017 when she interrupted a production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park in New York City. The show sparked controversy because it depicted Julius Caesar as a Donald Trump-like figure who is slain in a manner similar to Trump’s portrayal on stage.
Loomer was quickly taken down from the stage by security and was arrested by the NYPD. She was charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. After being arrested, she was released the same night and asked to appear in court later.
Social media bans and Laura Loomer’s theatrics
Back in 2018, Laura Loomer handcuffed herself to Twitter’s New York City headquarters to register her protest against a ban on her on Twitter. It was reported that she attached herself to the building’s front door, blocking the entrance to the building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood in a live-streamed protest on Periscope. In the video stream, Loomer was seen wearing a yellow Star of David on her chest, as many European Jews were compelled to do during the Holocaust, as well as a hoodie with the hashtag “#STOPTHEBIAS.” Loomer was banned from Twitter after claiming that US Senator Ilhan Omar was anti-Jewish and pro-Sharia.
While Laura Loomer has received support from conspiracy theory enthusiasts and racists, her divisive and anti-Indian rhetoric has attracted criticism across the political spectrum. Loomer’s racist and divisive rhetoric has often compelled the Republican leaders to do the damage control. Her statements and actions do more damage to the Republican party than benefit them. Probably, Laura Loomer has become the Mani Shankar Aiyar of the MAGA movement.
