Home Blog Page 560

Maharashtra: Murtaza attacks son-in-law with acid for choosing Kashmir over Mecca for honeymoon, absconds after the incident

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Maharashtra: Murtaza attacks son-in-law with acid for choosing Kashmir over Mecca for honeymoon, absconds after the incident

On Wednesday (18th December), a newly married 29-year-old man was attacked with acid by his father-in-law in Maharashtra’s Thane district following a dispute over a honeymoon destination.

The victim, identified as Ibad Atik Falke, has currently been hospitalized. He had recently married the accused’s daughter after which he decided to go to Kashmir for his honeymoon.

However, the accused insisted that the couple travel to their religious destination abroad.

Following this, the 65-year-old accused identified as Jaki Gulam Murtaza Khotal who is absconding at present attacked the victim by throwing acid at him.

The victim has sustained severe injuries on his face and body and is undergoing treatment at the hospital. The accused father-in-law forced the couple to go to their religious destination to offer prayers.

However, the couple desired to go to Kashmir for their honeymoon. Following this severe altercation is believed to have occurred between the accused and the victim. The verbal altercations continued to occur for several days.

On Wednesday night, Ibad was stopped by Jaki while he was on his way to his house from the Lal Chowki area in Kalyan West.

Again, a minor argument occurred between the duo on the issue after which Jaki threw acid on the face of the victim. While Ibad yelled in pain for help, the accused fled from the spot leaving the victim with severe injuries.

“A case has been registered at the Bazarpet police station in this regard and a search operation has been initiated for the accused father-in-law,” police said.

Senior inspector of Bazarpet police station Suresh Singh Gaud further added that the son-in-law was adamant about going to Kashmir while his father-in-law was adamant about sending him to Mecca.

He also added that the father-in-law wanted to end his daughter’s marriage with his victim.

“Prima facie it seems that this led to an argument and the man attacked his son-in-law with acid and fled. Teams are searching various areas for the accused. We are investigating the matter thoroughly,” he said.

Bombay HC upholds Dharavi redevelopment tender awarded to Adani Group, dismisses petition by UAE-based company saying it lacks force

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bombay HC upholds Dharavi redevelopment tender awarded to Adani Group, dismisses petition by UAE-based company saying it lacks force

Bombay High Court on Friday upheld the Maharashtra government’s decision to award the Dharavi slum redevelopment project to Adani Properties Private Limited, dismissing a petition by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation that challenged the tender process. The court said that there was no arbitrariness, unreasonableness or perversity in the decision to award the project to the Adani Group company.

A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar dismissed the petition filed by Seclink Technologies challenging the govt’s decision. The bench noted the company’s petition lacks force and hence stands dismissed.

In 2018, Seclink Technologies had emerged as the highest bidder with a ₹7,200 crore offer for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project. However, the state government cancelled this tender, citing various external factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which impacted the financial and economic landscape. Additionally, an extra 45 acres of land became available for the project from the Indian Railways in March 2019, further justifying the reissuance of the tender.

In 2022, a new tender was issued with additional conditions, and Adani Properties secured the project with a ₹5,069 crore bid. Seclink Technologies contested both the cancellation of the 2018 tender and the awarding of the 2022 tender to Adani, alleging a lack of transparency and fairness in the process.

Seclink argued that its ₹7,200 crore offer was higher and more deserving than Adani’s ₹5,069 crore bid, and alleged that the decision to cancel the earlier tender issue a fresh one was biased, violating principles of natural justice.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, found no merit in Seclink’s arguments, stating that the petition lacked “force and effort.” The court accepted the government’s assertion that the tendering process was transparent and fair, leading to the dismissal of Seclink’s plea.

The state govt also stated that even though Seclink had emerged as winner in the 2018 tender, no formal contract was signed with the company, therefore the company does not have any legal right against cancellation of the tender process. The govt said that the 2018 tender was officially cancelled due to significant changes in tender conditions post the “Bid Due Date.”

The Dharavi redevelopment project aims to transform the 259-hectare slum area in central Mumbai into a modern urban space, providing improved housing and amenities for its residents. The project’s progression is expected to significantly impact the lives of Dharavi’s inhabitants and the city’s landscape.

The project has been a subject of politics because the tender has been won by an Adani group company. While the Shiv Sena initially supported the redevelopment initiative during its tenure in the Maharashtra government, the Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena started opposing the project after breaking away from the NDA and losing power. The party has been questioning the project’s transparency and the decision to award the tender to the Adani Group.

Opposition parties allege that the new tendering process in 2022 was skewed in favor of Adani Properties, alleging that the company won the tender because of the perceived closeness of the Adani Group to the central government.

The BJP, in turn, dismissed these allegations as politically motivated and aimed at stalling development projects in the state. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has defended the decision to retender the project, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring fairness and efficiency. Fadnavis argued that the inclusion of additional land from Indian Railways and other changes to the tender justified the revised process, which has been validated by the Bombay High Court.

Bhopal: Sahil claims to be Rahul to sexually exploit a Dalit woman, hurls casteist slurs when she refuses to convert

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bhopal: Sahil claims to be Rahul to sexually exploit a Dalit woman, hurls casteist slurs when she refuses to convert

An incident of exploitation and pressure to convert to Islam has come to light in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh where a Muslim man named Sahil alias Sameer pretended to be Rahul, befriended a young Dalit woman under false identity, raped her and pressured her to embrace Islam. The members of Sanskriti Bachao Manch reached Kolar police station with her to register a complaint.

Afterwards, a case was filed under multiple sections including rape, the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act as well as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused is from Jahangirabad police station area. Hindu organizations have termed this crime as an act of love jihad and demanded strict action.

Kolar police station in-charge Sanjay Soni informed that a 25-year-old woman living in Kolar as a private employee, was approached by the accused under a false identity and started talking to her. This friendship developed into a love affair. Later, she learned that his real name was Sahil after six months and ended the relationship. However, he threatened to kill her or commit suicide if she left him. He even vowed to leave Islam and enter the fold of Sanatan Dharma for her.

The victim disclosed, “He befriended me through the phone. He earlier told me that his name was Rahul. Then when I came to know that he is a Muslim, I started distancing myself from him. However, he manipulated me with his words. He claimed that he really loved me, would change his religion and marry me. However, when I asked him to fulfil his promise, he started a fight and then absconded. Later he pressured me to convert to Islam.”

The woman had narrated that Sahil had sexually exploited her under a false identity and had been putting conversion to Islam as a precondition to getting married. The victim added that Sahil had even abused her with casteist slurs and threatened her. She approached Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, head of Sanskriti Bachao Manch and narrated her ordeal after which the members of the outfit took her to the police station. As the place of the incident was Jahangirabad, the case diary has been sent to the police station there. The matter is currently under investigation.

Mahua Moitra justifies attack on BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, lies about his involvement in the killing of Christian missionary Graham Staines: Know the truth about the incident

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mahua Moitra justifies attack on BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, lies about his involvement in the killing of Christian missionary Graham Staines: Know the truth about the incident

On 19th December, BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi suffered a fall on the stairs of the parliament and so did the sanctity of the temple of democracy. The BJP MP from Balasore was reportedly pushed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

While the 69-year-old BJP leader is undergoing medical treatment for the injuries he suffered, TMC MP Mahua Moitra took the charge to attack and villainise Sarangi by levelling false allegations.

She claimed that Sarangi was involved in the killing of Australian Christian missionary Grahan Staines and his two children in Odisha back in 1999.

Screengrab of the tweet by Mahua Moitra

In an X post published on Thursday, Mahua Moitra claimed that while Pratap Sarangi accused Rahul Gandhi of rowdyism, Sarangi had led the mob that burnt Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons alive in 1999.

“Btw this MP Mr. Sarangi accusing @RahulGandhi of “rowdyism” is very same Bajrang Dal activist accused for leading mob & setting fire to vehicle in which Christian missionary Graham Staines & his two sons were asleep. They burnt to death,” the Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar posted.

In no time, TMC supporters and the extended anti-BJP ecosystem began accusing Pratap Chandra Sarangi of involvement in the killing of the Australian Christian missionary and his two sons.

Screengrab of the tweet

In this vein, a Congress supporter wrote, “Pratap Chandra Sarangi was the Odisha coordinator of the Bajrang Dal when Graham Staines & his two kids were burned alive by Bajrang Dal members two decades ago.”

Screengrab of the tweet

Another one wrote, “Pratap Chandra Sarangi was Odisha’s state unit chief of the Bajrang Dal when Graham Staines, an Australian Christian, and his two minor children were burnt alive by the members of the right-wing outfit in 1999. How such a bile person becomes a MP??”

Screengrab of the tweet

Meanwhile, IndiaToday Chief Sub Editor Ajmal Abbas also insinuated that since Sarangi was a Bajrang Dal office bearer at the time when Staines and his sons were charred, he was also involved in the murder. “This guy, Pratap Sarangi, was the local Bajrang Dal chief when the outfit burnt alive Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his family in Odisha in 1999,” Abbas posted.

Screengrab of the tweet

Many others are sharing a 2019 BBC propaganda article titled ‘Pratap Sarangi: India social media hero minister’s dubious past’ wherein stated: “He was the leader of the Bajrang Dal, a hardline rightwing group when a Hindu mob brutally killed Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two children in 1999.”

The truth about the outrageous allegations against Pratap Chandra Sarangi

Contrary to the accusation made by Mahua Moitra, Pratap Sarangi was neither leading any mob which killed Graham Staines and his sons nor was he even named as an accused in the case.

In fact, Dara Singh, an activist linked to Bajrang Dal and 12 others was convicted in 2003 for the murders. On the intervening night of 22nd and 23rd January 1999, Graham Stewart Staines, an Australian missionary and his two small children were all burnt to death while they were sleeping in a station wagon in a remote village Manoharpur, in District Keonjhar of Odisha.

In this case, Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, an activist linked with Bajrang Dal alongside 12 others was convicted in 2003.

A commission under the leadership of Justice D.P. Wadhwa was constituted to investigate the triple murder case. The Wadhwa Commission found Dara Singh guilty, however, it found no evidence to suggest that Bajrang Dal was involved in the murders.

Furthermore, the area in which Staines worked had become a communal flashpoint as a result of Christian missionaries’ conversions.

Due to the continuous Christian conversion activities in the region, communal tensions peaked there. Just a year before his murder, Graham Staines noted in his journal that some people on motorcycles hampered his missionary work.

The police had even asked Staines to leave the area and informed him that they could not provide him security due to elections.

Admitting to his conversion activities, Staines had said, “The first jungle camp in Ranchandrapur was a fruitful one and the Spirit of God worked among the people. About 100 attended, some were baptised at the camp. At present, Misayel and some of the church leaders are touring a number of places where people are asking for baptism. Five were baptised at Bigonbadi.”

Even the Wadhwa Commission report mentions how communal tensions were at the peak in Keonjhar district due to missionary activities and that Bajrang Dal was not involved in the gruesome murder.

“From these issues of the ‘Tidings’ [newsletter published from Australia by Australian Missionary Tidings], following circumstances emerge: .Jungle Camps were regular features in the Districts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar. Jungle Camp means four days of Bible teaching, prayer and the fellowship of Christians living together. It enables believers from other churches to meet with local Christians to discuss experiences and encourage one another. Also speakers from other places broaden the vision of those whose lives have been confined to one small village. The teaching helps the church leaders to further develop material for their own regular ministry. The camp can also create hunger in the hearts of those who come just to observe. Each camp has a bookstall, which for many is the only chance to buy Christian literature. Conversions did take place in Jungle Camps. These conversions were not caused by any threat, inducement or duress. There was dispute among Church leaders of Manoharpur Church and attempts were made to sort out the differences among them. Differences were so acute that the Vacation Bible School which was to be held in Manoharpur was cancelled. There was tension in Thakurmunda area between Christians and non-Christians. From July 1998 issue, it does appear that persons, who had been converted to Christianity were Hindus,” the report reads.

Notably, both Dara Singh and Pratap Sarangi had denied the former’s association with Bajrang Dal. Sarangi, who was the state coordinator of Bajrang Dal back then had filed an affidavit before the court saying that “Dara Singh was never associated with the Bajrang Dal. ” Moreover, in his statement, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who is the State Coordinator of Bajrang Dal in Orissa, was categorical that re-conversion to Hinduism is not one of the objects of Bajrang Dal. In his affidavit, he stated that Bajrang Dal was not involved in the gruesome murder and that Dara Singh was never a member of the Bajrang Dal. Sarangi stated that Bajrang Dal is an independent forum associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He described the objectives and activities of the Bajrang Dal. It is not necessary to go into that as Bajrang Dal is not an unlawful organization,” the commission stated.

The Wadhwa Commission found that there was no evidence that any of the accused were Bajrang Dal members or had links with the Bhartiya Janata Party.

Excerpt from the Wadhwa Commission report

“The Commission has scrutinized the evidence before it and especially the evidence of the associates of Dara Singh who were involved in the carnage at Manoharpur. There is no evidence to suggest that any of the persons involved in the crime was in fact a member of either the Bajrang Dal or BJP or any organization. There is nothing to suggest in the evidence… that there is involvement of any organisation, even that of Bajrang Dal, in the planning and execution of the crime,” the Wadhwa Commission said.

Conclusion

It is thus, evident from the official records of legal proceedings in the case that Pratap Sarangi was not even named as an accused in the murder of Graham Staines and his children nor was Bajrang Dal involved.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra and the anti-BJP ecosystem are deliberately maligning the image of the BJP MP to downplay his manhandling in the Parliament premises and to normalise violence against MPs of opposing parties.

They believe that it is acceptable to manhandle and injure a person whom they accuse of involvement in criminal activities despite not having a shred of evidence.

Karnataka HC stays probe against Arnab Goswami over ‘fake news’ complaint by Congress leader, calls it ‘Reckless registration of crime’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Karnataka HC stays probe against Arnab Goswami over ‘fake news’ complaint by Congress leader, calls it ‘Reckless registration of crime’

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday stayed criminal proceedings by Karnataka police against journalist Arnab Goswami in an alleged fake news case. The court called the registration of FIR in the case a “reckless registration of a crime” while passing the interim order to stay the probe against the Republic TV editor-in-chief.

A bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the order in response to a petition by Arnab Goswami pleading to quash the proceedings. The case relates to a news report by the Republic Kannada Channel alleging that an ambulance was stuck in traffic after vehicles were stopped for convoy of Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The report was broadcast on 27 March this year, which said that traffic on Bengaluru’s MG Road was stopped to clear the way for the CM’s convoy. As a result, an ambulance was stuck in the traffic, the Kannada report stated.

Following the news report, Congress leader Ravindra MV filed a complaint against Arnab Goswami and Republic Kannada editor Niranjan. In the complaint, Ravindra had said that CM Siddaramaiah was actually in Mysuru at the time of the alleged incident.

Accordingly, police registered an FIR under Section 505 (2) (for creating enmity) of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that the channel had spread fake news ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to mislead the public.

Arnab Goswami refuted the allegations, stating that the report was on air for only a few minutes and then an apology was issued due to the apology. Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, representing Goswami, informed the Court that the news report was promptly deleted once the channel realised that it was inaccurate.

The court stated that the entire report was about public suffering due to movement of CM’s convoy, and then the report was immediately deleted after it was realised that CM was not there. The court noted that everything happened within 24 hours, and the complaint was filed after that.

Noting that section 505(2) does not apply to the alleged offence, the court stated, “it is ununderstandable as to how 505(2) could spring as to its remotest sense in the case at hand. If such reckless registrations were permitted to be continued, it would be an abuse of process of law.”

The court questioned what was the offence of Arnab Goswami for the Kannada report. Justice Nagaprasanna said, “What has Arnab Goswami done? There is a plethora of things brought out by him. It might have proved good for some and bad for others, but where is the case of inciting? We will hear both parties but now we will stay the investigation,”

The court stayed all further investigations until the next hearing, scheduled for January 16, 2025.

New York: American citizen pleads guilty of involvement in operating a secret Chinese police station in Manhattan’s Chinatown

ANI
-
0
New York: American citizen pleads guilty of involvement in operating a secret Chinese police station in Manhattan’s Chinatown

A resident of Manhattan has admitted guilt in US federal court for his involvement in operating a secret Chinese police station in New York, as reported by Radio Free Asia.

The resident has been identified as Chen Jinping, a US citizen, who helped with administrative duties at the secretive station in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 2022, according to Radio Free Asia report.

US prosecutors stated that the station was established by officials from China’s Fuzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, a division of its Ministry of Public Security, and was used to threaten and silence opponents of the Chinese government in New York.

Chen’s plea in Brooklyn on Wednesday marks the first instance of someone involved in these overseas police outposts being held accountable in court. Over 100 Chinese police stations are believed to have been set up in cities globally.

According to the RFA report, Chen pleaded guilty to conspiring to serve as an agent of a foreign government, a crime that could lead to a prison sentence of up to five years.

The existence of the police station in Chinatown, along with others worldwide, was initially revealed in a 2022 report by the Spain-based human rights organization, Safeguard Defenders.

Laura Harth, the campaign director of Safeguard Defenders stated, “I hope the outcome of cases like this will encourage victims of the PRC’s transnational repression to come forward in greater numbers.”

She further highlighted, “I also hope that the 53 countries where ‘overseas police stations’ have been uncovered take note and take action. This case serves as a warning to anyone considering assisting the CCP in its covert operations: there is no advantage in doing so.”

Matthew G Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department emphasised, “Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Sambhal: SP leader Zia Ur Rehman Barq charged with electricity theft, fined ₹1.9 crores, FIR filed

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Sambhal: SP leader Zia Ur Rehman Barq charged with electricity theft, fined ₹1.9 crores, FIR filed

On Thursday, 19th December, the electricity department in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh slapped Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia-ur-Rehman Barq with hefty monetary fine amounting to ₹1.91 crore for alleged power theft. The department filed an FIR against the MP and also disconnected electricity to his residence. The authorities now have also issued a notice to the MP demanding payment of the penalty as soon as possible.

As per the reports, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Santosh Tripathi confirmed the development and said that if the penalty amount is not paid by the leader, a recovery certificate (RC) will be issued soon in his name.

This comes after a team from the electricity department along with the state police raided and inspected Barq’s residence in Sambhal to check suspected power theft. The department collected existing meters as evidence as it charged the leader of tampering with the meters, and installed new smart meters.

Reports suggest that the old meters of the SP MP had been sealed and sent to the laboratory for examination. The complaint in the name of the leader states that Barq had been illegally using the electricity by bypassing his house meters. The current meter at Barq’s residence, as per the authorities, displayed a reading of zero.

However, it is crucial to note that apart from the theft charges, Barq and his associates have also been accused of issuing threats to the electricity department. It is also believed that Barq’s father, Mamluk-ur-Rehman Barq also issued threats to the officials of the department.

“Santosh Tripathi visited the senior Barq’s residence at 7:30 am to inspect electrical equipment. The officials were reportedly obstructed by Barq’s father, who remarked, ‘We will see if the government changes.’ Officials recorded the incident on video as evidence,” Superintendent of Police (Sambhal) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said.

The State Electricity Department commented on the matter and stated that Barq had taken a 2 kilowatt (kW) connection while the load he used was 16.5 kW. However, the new smart meters established two days ago showed a power load of 5.5 kW. “Barq’s family members said they have installed a 10 kW solar panel and 5 kW generator in the house with which the MP’s house can take up to 19 kW electricity load. The solar panels installed in the home were also not working,” the Superintending Engineer of the Electricity Department said.

The officials further also found heavy electrical appliances that were frequently being used at the residence. The types of equipment included over 50 LED bulbs, a deep freezer, three split ACs, 2 fridges, a coffee maker, a geyser, and a microwave oven. These notably take the electrical load to 16,480 kW.

The charges imposed against Barq are under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which pertains to electricity theft and unauthorized use. The bill of the residence for the past six months had notably been reading zero.

The electricity department with a large contingent of security personnel arrived to check suspected power theft at the residence of MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq. Earlier this week, a smart meter was installed at the MP’s residence. As reported earlier, the State Electricity Department flagged irregularities in electricity usage at the premises of the MP.

As the anti-encroachment drive proceeded in Sambhal, industrial-scale electricity theft has been coming to light in densely populated areas. As per reports, in the past 3 months, the Sambhal district police and administration have registered 1250 FIRs and imposed fines amounting to Rs 5.2 crores for electricity theft alone. Multiple mosques and madrasas were found to have used devious means to steal electricity from the supply grid and extend illegal connections around the densely populated areas.

More than 90 FIRs have been filed in the cases of electricity theft including instances at 4 Madrsas and 1 Mosque. A total fine of Rs 5.2 crores has also been filed in the cases.

An entire illegal powerhouse was found running on top of a mosque, supplying stolen power to over 100 houses. In early morning raids in the Deepa Sarai and Nai Sarai localities, the officials found a mosque with 59 fans, over 30 light points, and a fridge, but the meter was shut down.

Why has Rahul Gandhi become so aggressive despite no upcoming elections? It’s not about Modi. It’s about outshining his ‘allies’ who pose a challenge

Ganesh R
-
0
Why has Rahul Gandhi become so aggressive despite no upcoming elections? It’s not about Modi. It’s about outshining his ‘allies’ who pose a challenge

The recent ruckus in the Parliament, resulting in severe injuries to a frail BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, one of the poorest, humblest members of the house and to another MP has made clear to the Indian public Rahul Gandhi’s intentions. To do even better than his granny in terms of destroying institutions of democracy and engaging in political violence. I do hope the government and the judiciary will take evidence into account and make sure the guilty are not spared, however elite or connected their families are.

Let us ignore that incident for now but focus on the real question – what exactly is going on? When I saw the post by Ankit Jain, he seemed to ask the right question and it made me think. 

“Something is going on in the background that Congress has become so aggressive. There is no reason as elections are not anytime soon”

The answer, friends, is not what we think it is. Here is my take.

As usual, let us start with a movie anecdote. In Moonraker, the villain challenges Bond to shoot birds with a rifle, having positioned a sniper on a tree to kill him. Bond aims for the bird he is supposed to shoot but actually shoots the sniper accurately. “You miss, Mr. Bond” says the villain. “Did I?” retorts Roger Moore, as the sniper’s body falls from the tree. 

The point here is, Bond’s aim has always been clear – he is aiming at the sniper. But both the villain (who did a superb job in the movie Day of the Jackal as the police officer, by the way) and many of us in the audience are fooled.

Rahul Gandhi’s aggression is NOT targeted at Modi. It is actually targeted at his own so-called allies. 

Sounds crazy? Allow me to explain.

The first thing to understand is that Maharashtra and Haryana’s results have finally put to rest any hopes the dynasty and its brown noses had of the loot resuming soon. If you notice, the tone of prominent media coolies and  YouTube servant army has changed. It’s 2029 now, barring black swan events. So it’s now a longer-term game.

While researching for this article, I was somewhat surprised to discover that the dotted alliance has 37 parties! Anyway most of them are of no consequence even in any one state. Many of them have leaders that don’t even have Wiki pages of their own! How many of you know G. Devarajan of the Forward bloc? I will be happy to admit I didn’t. Only a few matter and it should be obvious that practically all of them, barring the communists, are dynastic shopfronts. 

This is where Rahul and his sister are facing a big issue – they are caught in a catch-22 situation. The alliance has become the single biggest obstacle in growing the party and reviving its past glory. And yet giving up on it is even worse – at least at this point in time. Because that will reduce Congress to total irrelevance in even more states. He has no choice but to wreck it from within. Of of

The good news is that there is no one among the ‘partners’ that can challenge Rahul Gandhi for the PM chair among the various dynasts. Most are content to live off the takings from one state. Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal are wildcards but you can still argue it will be an uphill challenge for them. 

The bad news is that each of them and all of them together are making sure Rahul Gandhi can never get there. Not just in state polls, where the regional and one-state parties have a good claim to grabbing most seats and ensuring their survival, but even in national elections. AAP didn’t give any in Punjab, communists none in Kerala and TMC zilch in Bengal. Stalin was a bit generous in TN, hoping perhaps having the Center on his side was worth the price, and so was Akhilesh in UP – 17 seats. Which many felt was way too much and they were right – Congress’s success rate was far lower than SP’s. In states where there are no regional parties like RJ, GJ, MP or CG, the BJP is way too strong even if it suffers a setback here and there. Ignoring RJ, the dotted alliance won only 2 seats between the other three states, out of 65!

If you look at the long term, Rahul Gandhi (58 in 2029) faces very little challenge from Modi – who will be almost 80 in 2029. And there is no obvious successor in sight. But the challenge posed to him by Akhilesh (55), Kejriwal (60) or even Tejaswi (40!) will last as long as his own political career can last, if not longer. Mamata may be 73 in 2029 but if she can destroy Rahul’s chances in 2029, that is good enough as by then it will be beyond retrieval. Even India Today or Ravish Pandey may give up on launching him or declaring him as arrived and ready. Priyanka Vadra can also forget about passing the throne to her son one day. 

These dynasties are not at all naive like Uddhav / Aditya Thackeray to commit political harakiri and pay obeisance at the Palazzo. They play the game as good as any and as hard as any. Look at how cleverly Omar Abdullah has positioned himself, after winning the polls under his own steam. If Modi were as accommodative as ABV, he would have joined NDA.

You can argue that Congress and the First Family are stuck in a rut – they are forever at the mercy of the allies, getting either nothing or table scraps. And to make matters worse, the Pidi media often rants at Congress for not being “generous” – shorthand for “why can’t you win and help us redeem IOUs accumulated over ten-plus years of brown-nosing for next to nothing?” 

Any “victory” with this set of partners will at best be pointless and worst, completely out of reach. Only a total collapse of BJP in states where there is no dotted partnership – like the ones I listed above, will give Congress decent enough seats to demand the PM chair without looking childish. Even if that happens, it will only reinforce my point – that Modi is not Rahul’s biggest issue. Because Congress is the default Plan B for voters in these states if they tire of BJP or Modi. It will fall on his lap.

With this being the case, if I were Soros, Politburo or the deep state, I would be worried. This state of affairs must change. As I have mentioned in other articles, the woke left in the USA and the Stalinist left in India have complete trust only in Rahul Gandhi. At this point the Stalinists don’t even mind that they can’t win anymore – Rahul winning is just as good, for their Polpotist pogrom on Sanatana Dharma or for Beijing’s plan for South Asia. In fact, they can end the farce and merge their party with Congress. The ecosystem cannot trust any of the other dynasts who do not hate Sanatana dharma, not obedient to the deep state ecosystem and are not reliably woke. 

I am sure Rahul is being told to up his game and try to grab more minds and vote share from his own allies as they are an easier grab than going after hardcore Modi voters. If not their investments over the years will go up in smoke like Iran’s did in Syria. The return of UPA with Mamata or Akhilesh or someone else at the helm is as good as nothing for the global Soros-woke ecosystem. The only way Congress can go back to its glory days is to recover at least in UP, Bihar and WB.

So what can Rahul do, short of disbanding the alliance and openly declaring he will take on BJP by himself and aim for 400+ seats his father once had?

Over-reliance on the minority vote has reached a point of negative return. Although the recent Palestine tote bag drama of Priyanka Vadra seems to indicate that the lesson has not been learnt, I think it must have sunk in. You can only get 100%. 120% or 200% is not possible. That much mathematics should be within even Rahul’s grasp. I guess these farcical gestures are simply to keep that 100% safe since others are pecking at it too – who? Modi? So-called allies of course! Do you get the point?

It is also interesting to note that where the alliance ‘partner’ is secure that the M-vote won’t desert them, Congress gets the short end of the stick – like in WB or JK. Where the current leaseholder of the M-vote is insecure – like in UP where Akhilesh wasn’t that sure, he could be arm-twisted into giving 17 seats. Where it hardly matters – like TN – Congress gets thrown crumbs. This should explain the love affair with Palestine and Islamist agendas.

Delhi is an interesting case where Kejriwal seems to think he is like Mamata Didi – he can tell Rahul off and yet keep it – time will tell. If he loses, Kejriwal’s national ambition will be toast for the rest of his career, and Akhilesh and Tejaswi will be scared to death – they know their political base can be wiped out unless they kowtow at 10JP. Those are big states. And well worth playing for keeps. 

Thus this aggression ensures that Congress and the Crown Prince are always on the news, occupying the front pages, edging out others that can pose a challenge.

Karnataka BJP leader CT Ravi files complaint against INC leaders for conspiring to kill him, denies charges of ‘derogatory slur’ against Laxmi Hebbalkar

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Karnataka BJP leader CT Ravi files complaint against INC leaders for conspiring to kill him, denies charges of ‘derogatory slur’ against Laxmi Hebbalkar

On Thursday, 19th December, Former Karnataka Minister and BJP MLC CT Ravi filed a complaint against state minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accusing her and others including DK Shivakumar, and Saddam of conspiring to murder him. This follows Ravi’s arrest by the police on the charges of using derogatory language against Minister Hebbalkar.

The counter complaint has been filed against the Congress leaders at Khanapura police station, Belgavi.

The BJP leader stated that the police had not registered any FIR against him and that he was arrested by the authorities negligently. “Police brought me to Khanapura police station around 8 pm. They didn’t tell me in which case they brought me. They’re not registering my complaint, they’re not even filing zero FIR,” Ravi was quoted as saying by ANI.

He also added that the Congress leaders were attempting to murder him and that if anything happened to him, the party would be held responsible. “If something happens to me, Congress Govt must take responsibility. By registering a false case, they’re conspiring to murder me. I have already filed a complaint. It’s been 3 hours since I was brought to the police station, and I haven’t been told why I have been brought to the police station. If something happens to me, the police, DK Shivakumar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, and their team will be responsible,” he added.

The leader also stated that the ruling party in the state of Karnataka was treating him like a criminal and that the entire event was pushing him into self-doubt. He also alleged that the party was using emergency-like tactics. “They’re treating me like a criminal and it’s creating doubt in me. I have worked as a minister and I’m a people representative. They’re acting the way they acted at the time of emergency,” he said.

Notably, reports suggest that Ravi attained head injuries while in custody and that he was provided treatment after 3 hours of the injury. He also executed a sit-in protest as he stated that the police were treating him like a criminal.

The BJP leader, CT Ravi was arrested by the police on Thursday, 19th December after Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar complained that he used derogatory words against her in the Legislative Council earlier in the day. As per the police, the complaint against Ravi was registered under charges of sexual harassment and using words, gestures, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

The incident is believed to have happened during the last winter session of the Karnataka Assembly in Belagavi, Karnataka. He was notably taken into custody from the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises in the district.

Ravi eventually denied all the charges and stated that the Congress leaders were making false accusations against him. He stated that the Congress leaders including DK Shivkumar were planning a conspiracy to murder him.

The altercation between Ravi and Hebbalkar is believed to have happened when the house was discussing the alleged remarks made by Union Minister Amit Shah against BR Ambedkar. During the altercation, Hebbalkar made certain comments against Ravi in the session following which the latter is alleged to have made ‘derogatory’ remarks against the Minister. Ravi however, has denied all the allegations.

DK Shivakumar calls CT Ravi ‘filthy mouth’

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also commented on the matter lashing out at Ravi over his alleged derogatory remarks. He called the latter ‘filthy mouth’ and dismissed Ravi’s claims that the police were attempting to murder him. “No one is murdering anyone. I saw one video clip, when the Police allowed them to meet, they had a BJP meeting. Is the Police station the place for holding such a meeting? The Police behaved very well. We are not interfering in anything; the Police allowed all of them inside. I’m asking the Police how they allowed such a meeting. Family members or 1-2 people can meet, but why did they have a meeting inside? Who is murdering them? It’s natural that supporters of Lakshmi Hebbalkar protested; it happened out of emotions because such filthy words were used against their leader,” he said.

He also claimed that the party had proof that Ravi used alleged derogatory words against Hebbalkar.

“There was a discussion over disrespect to Babasaheb Ambedkar. There was a protest over it as he called Rahul Gandhi a drug addict. There is proof that he has used derogatory slur for the lady MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar, you have all the videos and documents. Why did he call Rahul Gandhi a drug addict? Is it Chikkamagaluru’s culture, BJP culture, and Indian culture? Show everything, I’ll give you proof,” he said.

The BJP continues to criticize the police for failing to control the situation. “The way the state government has handled this entire issue is unpardonable. They have treated CT Ravi as a terrorist. They will probably produce him before the magistrate; all our advocates and experts are there. We will discuss and take further action… We have called for a protest across the state, in all the district HQs. We have taken this issue seriously,” State BJP chief BY Vijayendra said.

US attorney Breon Peace who brought charges against Adani resigns ahead of Trump inauguration

OpIndia Staff
-
0
US attorney Breon Peace who brought charges against Adani resigns ahead of Trump inauguration

Weeks after Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and seven other executives were indicted in an alleged fraud and bribery case, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, who presented charges in this case, announced his resignation on Wednesday (18th December).

In a statement, Breon Peace said, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as United States Attorney, to be at the forefront in protecting the over eight million residents of this great district from harm, in upholding the rule of law and promoting civil rights and dignity for all people. As United States Attorney, I have had the singularly rewarding experience of being called to public service and leadership in a district that is filled with people of different backgrounds and life experiences – yet share a common bond of humanity…”

The statement mentions that Breon Peace will be replaced by First Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Pokorny as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January 2025.

Interestingly, Breon Peace is reported to have links with Hungarian billionaire and regime change specialist George Soros. Breon Peace’s spouse Jacqueline Jones-Peace is the Director of Development & Senior Attorney at Equal Justice Initiative, which is based in Montgomery, Alabama. The non-profit and human rights organisation was founded by Bryan Stevenson who also serves as its Executive Director. However, the interesting part is that he is also a member of the Open Society Foundations US Programs board, which establishes an evident relationship between the Peace couple and George Soros.

Majority Leader of the United States Senate Chuck Schumer, who had longstanding ties to George Soros and his family, publicly supported Breon Peace’s judicial appointment and played a key part in it in 2021. Chuck Schumer supports a number of Soros family initiatives. Left-wing billionaires, including George Soros, had contributed significantly to a super political action committee (PAC) supporting Chuck Schumer in order to help the attempts made by the Democratic Party to maintain Senate control ahead of the 2024 election.

On 22nd June, Soros-primarily funded Democracy PAC II. He contributed $2.5 million to Senate Majority PAC on 22nd June, bringing its total donations to $6 million over the past three years, following $3.5 million in 2022 and $2.5 million in 2021. He donated 16 million to PAC in 2024.

The Adani Group had refuted the charges brought by Breon Peace.

1...559560561...7,576Page 560 of 7,576