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Pilibhit: Congress and Bhim Army leader among 33 booked for holding a constable hostage, torturing him during anti-CAA ‘protest’

OpIndia Staff
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Pilibhit: Congress and Bhim Army leader among 33 booked for holding a constable hostage, torturing him during anti-CAA ‘protest’

The police have booked 33 individuals including Congress district president and lodged a case against 100 other unidentified elements for illegally confining and torturing a police constable during a recent anti-CAA ‘protest’. Along with the Congress district president Harpreet Singh Chaba, Bhim Army district president Atul Valmiki, district in-charge of Rashtriya Kisan Majdoor Sangathan Yusuf Chaudhary and five women are among the 33 named persons. The anti-CAA and anti-NRC protest were held last Thursday at Sher Mohammad locality.

Reportedly, during this protest, constable Dushyant Kumar had raised an objection against protestors cooking at the venue. It was this that angered the protestors including the Congress district president who then proceeded to hold him hostage and torture him.

“The protesters caught him and thrashed him. They even dragged him to an adjoining house and locked him up before threatening to kill him if he raised an alarm. However, he managed to escape from the house on Friday and reached the police station where he narrated his ordeal. After Kumar’s statement was recorded, he was sent for medical examination. He sustained seven injuries in the incident”, said a police official.

Read: Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protests funded by Islamist PFI, chief Mohammad Parvez Ahmed’s links to AAP’s Sanjay Singh and Congress’ Udit Raj emerge

Circle officer Malik has said that they were unaware of the constable’s ordeal and was under the impression that he was missing from duty on Thursday. He was, in fact, marked absent on that day. It was only on Friday when constable Dushyant Kumar reached the police outpost the police came to know about the matter. He said the police were unaware of the incident as Kumar was attacked behind the tent and they were deployed at the front.

According to reports, the protests were organised despite section 144 being imposed in the district and no permission being granted to the protestors.

The case was registered with City Kotwali police station under IPC provisions relating to rioting, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty among others, said Shridhar Dwivedi, Station House Officer of the police station.

Read: Nexus between Congress and Islamists in stoking anti-CAA riots? PFI spent over 120 crores, transferred huge sums to Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising: Read details

The anti-CAA riots fuelled by political interests like the Congress have been raging on in the country ever since the bill was passed in the parliament. The bill seeks to give citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic nations. Several Congress leaders have been actively involved and even booked for inciting violence and riots.

While investigating the incidents of statewide violence which occurred on December 21, the Patna Police recently got their hands on Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma who has been accused of attacking media people during the Bihar bandh and has been on the run since then. Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma was caught on camera assaulting journalists at the Dak Bungalow Chowk in Patna. The Congress leader was reportedly on the run after the case was registered against him.

Read: Take revenge, don’t spare any cop: Congress Corporator Shehzad Khan Pathan instigated anti-CAA riots in Ahmedabad

The crime branch of Ahmedabad police had nabbed a Congress leader for posting a fake and misleading video on social media which incited a Muslim mob during a protest march at Shah-e-Alam, Gujarat, where several police officials were brutally attacked by Muslim mobs.

Congress party’s minority cell member Umar Khan Pathan had shared a video on social media in which a police action against rioters from Lucknow was passed on as an incident in Ahmedabad stoking violence in the Shah-e-Alam. The fake news had unleashed a violent Muslim mob, who attacked and injured more than 25 policemen on duty.

Read: Khilafat 2.0: How Useful Idiots in the media and political parties were fooled by Jamia students associated with the ‘blood brother’ of a banned Radical Islamic outfit

The Ahmedabad Police had arrested Congress Corporator Shehzad Khan Pathan along with 32 others for carrying out the deadly attack during anti-CAA riots on police personnel. They have been booked for attempt to murder, rioting and assaulting police.

Additionally, Six people including four local politicians and the former Congress MLA were named as suspects in the Delhi Police FIR related to Jamia violence. The Delhi Police had named former Congress MLA Asif Khan as one of the accused in its FIR. The Delhi police had even summoned Asif Khan recently.

In Lohhardaga, Jharkhand, a pro-CAA rally had come under attack from Islamists with heavy stone-pelting. A man had also lost his life in the process. VHP had said that the stones not only came from the mosques but even the Congress office.

Recent revelations had also pointed towards a sinister plot. PFI, the radical Islamist outfit that has been actively involved in the anti-CAA riots had transferred huge sums of money to Congress leader Kapil Sibal.

Maha Vikas Aghadi crumbling? NCP fumes as Uddhav Thackeray stays firm on NPR implementation, Pawar summons meeting

OpIndia Staff
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Maha Vikas Aghadi crumbling? NCP fumes as Uddhav Thackeray stays firm on NPR implementation, Pawar summons meeting

Just after snubbing NCP’s requests and supporting the centre’s decision to hand over the Bhima Koregaon case investigation to NIA, the Uddhav Thackeray government seems to have got into another potential rift with its alliance partners. As per reports, the Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray is all set to roll out the National Population Register exercise in the state from May 1.


As per reports, Uddhav Thackeray has ignored the protests and objections from both the Congress and the NCP and has announced that the NPR exercise will be rolled out in the state from May 1. The state has reportedly already started preparations for the same.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has today summoned all 16 of his ministers in the Uddhav Thackeray government for a meeting in South Mumbai. It is reported hat Pawar has been very vocal over his displeasure at Uddhav deciding not to challenge the centre’s decision handing over the Bhima Koregaon investigation to the NIA.

Both the Congress and the NCP have been vocal against the CAA and the proposed NRC from the beginning. To this end, they have been stating that they will oppose the NPR exercise because it is nothing but ‘NRC in disguise’.

It is notable here that NCP had claimed multiple times that once in power, it will drop cases against the Bhima Koregaon rioters. However, the central government handing over the cases to NIA at the nick of time has quashed its hopes. NCP leader and Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh had even stated that CM Thackeray had overruled his decision and had declared not to challenge the centre’s order.

Recently, Deshmukh had even declared that the state is exploring legal options to block the NPR and NRC in the state. He had even urged the anti-CAA protestors in the state to call off their agitation asserting that NRC and NPR will not be implemented in the state.

Read: “Do not want to implement NPR and NRC in the state”: Maharashtra home minister says govt is exploring legal options to block NPR

While the Congress and the NCP are both opposed to the NPR exercise, their Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partner Shiv Sena has issued a statement saying, “NPR and NRC are two different subjects. NPR is related to the census and it is the centre’s prerogative to implement it. It is in the national interest.”

Uddhav’s backing of the NPR and the state government already beginning preparations for the NPR has reportedly not gone down well with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. As per a report in the Economic Times, Pawar has cut short a trip to Nashik and has returned to Mumbai to hold talks with his ministers today.

It is notable here that the Sena has already been at crosshairs with the Congress on several issues, The repeated insults to Veer Savarkar by Congress leaders has not been sitting well with Shiv Sena leaders too.

The NCP, Congress and ideologically distant Shiv Sena had come together to form government in Maharashtra after the Sena decided to dump its pre-poll alliance partner BJP and insisted on the CM post.

In another development, leader of the opposition and former CM Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that if elections were to be held in the state today, the BJP will gain a majority on its own.

On the day Arvind Kejriwal swears in as CM, AAP spokesperson engages in a sexist and misogynist tirade against PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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On the day Arvind Kejriwal swears in as CM, AAP spokesperson engages in a sexist and misogynist tirade against PM Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal swore in as the Chief Minister for the third time on Sunday, 16th February, 2020. One of his pre-poll promises was safety of women. However, the day he took oath, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson and social media head of Haryana, Sudhir Yadav took to Twitter to engage in an sexist and misogynist attack on Prime Minister Modi.

Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to India later this month, Yadav, taking a dig at PM Modi’s wife, tweeted that if Trump were to ask to meet ‘Bhabhiji’, who would PM Modi introduce him to.


Prime Minister Modi was married as a minor and it was a child marriage for both. However, they both decided to stay devoted but charted their own paths. Following the question, many other AAP supporters replied with even more derogatory remarks about other women including union cabinet minister Smriti Irani.


Anil Dusad is followed by Congress leader Dr Udit Raj.


Shockingly, the derogatory remarks against Union Minister Smriti Irani are by Twitter accounts which claim to be women themselves.


One ‘Arif’ suggested that PM Modi could introduce ‘Savita Bhabhi’ as his wife to US President Donald Trump. To that, Yadav responded with a laughing emoji with a comment ‘oops don’t hit below the belt’. ‘Savita Bhabhi’ is a reference to pornographic cartoon character.

Read: Congress workers and supporters unleash sexist attack against Smriti Irani over picture with Hukumdev Narayan Yadav

What is even more shocking is that AAP leader’s obnoxious tweet is not even original. It was first tweeted by State General Secretary Rajasthan Mahila Congress, Reena Mimrot.


It is shocking to see the level of political discourse by Aam Aadmi Party and Congress leaders when they claim they believe in women empowerment and respect women. Despite being called out for their derogatory remarks, neither Yadav nor Mimrot have apologised for their despicable tweets and nor have they deleted it.

Did AAP lie about Atishi’s achievements or is Kejriwal threatened by women in power?

Abhishek Banerjee
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Did AAP lie about Atishi’s achievements or is Kejriwal threatened by women in power?

After winning a huge mandate in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal was again sworn in yesterday as Chief Minister, along with his Cabinet. Now, as Chief Minister, it is indeed Kejriwal’s prerogative to decide who his ministers should be. But isn’t it surprising, if not outright disappointing that in the year 2020, India’s national capital will not have a single female minister? For the second time in a row, that is.

Indeed, it would be interesting to know if there are any other state governments across India where the ministry does not have a single female member! At the Central level, PM Modi has had women holding portfolios of Finance, Defense and External Affairs at various points of time. Those are three of the top four positions in the Cabinet.

For a moment, let us suppose that Arvind Kejriwal does not believe in any form of tokenism or pandering to any group while allocating ministerial berths. I’m sure Imran Hussein has become a minister in Delhi government purely because of his outstanding administrative capabilities. That still leaves the question: why is AAP unable to create a party structure through which capable women can rise to power?

More specifically, one has to ask: what about Atishi Marlena? Why was she not included as a minister?

The AAP campaign was built around claims of some kind of great education revolution in Delhi, for which the credit was systematically given to Atishi Marlena. I do not know whether these claims were true. But AAP certainly did make those claims. And the party as well as its media cheerleaders have since claimed that the Delhi election verdict validates these claims of education revolution in the city.

And yet, Atishi Marlena was not made a minister. Why?

Read: How a born communist Atishi Marlena, who is today being hailed as a ‘revolutionary’, ruined Delhi’s education system

So did AAP lie during the campaign about the achievements of Atishi Marlena in the field of education? 

Or is it that Kejriwal is threatened by women in power?

Which one is it? Or is it both? Surely, the people of Delhi and the rest of the country deserve to know the answer.

Speaking of Kejriwal’s attitude towards women, there is one more question: Who is Soni?

I did not come up with that question. It was Kejriwal himself who said this, when confronted by a question from a mediaperson.

Who is Soni? Kejriwal says he doesn’t know. And presumably does not care.

Now that is extremely unfortunate. Because Soni was an AAP worker who ended her life, alleging sexual harassment from powerful members within her own party. Most distressingly, Soni said she had approached Kejriwal herself regarding her plight, to which he had responded by asking her to “compromise.” Soni’s words are still publicly available on video.

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AAP volunteer Soni Mishra who committed suicide. She had alleged that when she brought up sexual harassment to Kejriwal, he asked her to ‘compromise’

But it appears that Soni’s death does not weigh on Kejriwal’s conscience. He says he doesn’t even remember her name.

In fact, AAP MLA Sharad Chauhan was even arrested in connection to the matter. But Kejriwal just can’t remember who Soni is. A party with a handful of MLAs in one single city and Kejriwal cannot remember what is happening with who!

Perhaps the Chief Minister of Delhi simply does not take women very seriously. This time, just before the election, Kejriwal asked women voters to consult with male members of their families, before voting. This is Delhi in 2020. Simply wow.

Just as interesting as these questions themselves is who is not asking them. Those would be the feminists, who can’t be bothered to ask Kejriwal any tough questions. About why his Cabinet has zero women. About why women cannot rise in his party structure.

The explanation is fairly simple. The feminist movement in India (like in many places around the world) has been turned into a purely partisan tool in the hands of the left. They care little about the dignity or empowerment of women. Because their target is Narendra Modi.

The partisan silence of feminists fits into an even larger pattern of the left hijacking genuine and much needed social movements for the benefit of weaker sections. Be it movements for the rights of women, homosexuals, Dalits or tribals.

Those who claim to care the most for rights of tribals are also the most silent when 18 year old Trilochan Mahato is hanged publicly in Bengal for daring to be a BJP worker.

Those who say they care about problems of caste privilege have somehow never noticed how one single upper caste family has controlled the Congress Party and run the country for over fifty years. It is the one privilege they cannot see. Even when the party boasts openly about the “janeudhari” status of their leader.

We all remember the Delhi pride parade where so called “activists” were raising slogans against the abrogation of Article 370! This, despite the fact that Article 370 empowered the Jammu and Kashmir government to criminalize homosexuality, ignoring the Supreme Court verdict that applied to every other part of India.

The left does not care about the rights and dignity of women, homosexuals, tribals or Dalits. They only care about fighting Narendra Modi. Instead of fighting social evils, they have weaponized these issues to mobilize opinion against PM Modi, who is somehow held responsible for all these problems, despite being only in his sixth year of rule. You never see these activists pose a single question to the party that ran India for sixty years.

What Kejriwal is really saying is that women are neither capable of buying bus tickets nor becoming ministers. That women have no agency. A patronizing, regressive attitude that belongs in the dark ages. Certainly not in India’s capital city in the 21st century.

A R Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman says burqa empowers her after Taslima Nasreen finds it depressing and suffocating

OpIndia Staff
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A R Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman says burqa empowers her after Taslima Nasreen finds it depressing and suffocating

Oscar-winning music maestro AR Rahman’s daughter Khatija Rahman took to her official Instagram handle to slam the controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen for calling her burqa ‘depressing’.

The music composer’s daughter took to the social media site to write that it was her choice to wear what she wants and that she feels empowered by wearing a burqa.

Her post reads: “Been only a year and this topic is in the rounds again..there’s so much happening in the country and all people are concerned about is the piece of attire a woman wants to wear. Wow, I’m quite startled. Every time this topic comes the fire in me rages and makes me want to say a lot of things…Over the last one year, I’ve found a different version of myself which I haven’t seen in so many years. I will not be weak or regret the choices I’ve made in life. I am happy and proud of what I do and thanks to those who have accepted me the way I am. My work will speak, God willing… I don’t wish to say any further”.

“To those of you who feel why I’m even bringing this up and explaining myself, sadly it so happens and one has to speak for oneself, that’s why I’m doing it. Dear Taslima Nasreen, I’m sorry you feel suffocated by my attire. Please get some fresh air, cause I don’t feel suffocated rather I’m proud and empowered for what I stand for. I suggest you google up what true feminism means because it isn’t bashing other women down nor bringing their fathers into the issue. I also don’t recall sending my photos to you for your perusal”.

Khatija Rahman took to Instagram to reply to Taslima’s tweet.

Khatija Rahman’s strong response came after Taslima Nasreen took to Twitter to share a photo of Khatija and her thoughts on Khatija wearing a burqa. She wrote that she feels suffocated when she looks at Khatija Rahman wearing a burqa. “I absolutely love A R Rahman’s music. But whenever i see his dear daughter, i feel suffocated. It is really depressing to learn that even educated women in a cultural family can get brainwashed very easily,” wrote Taslima on February 11.

Taslima Nasreen’s Tweet dated February 11th

This is, however, not the first time Khatija Rahman’s attire has come under fire. A year ago, A R Rahman was trolled by social media users after Khatija had appeared in an even with him wearing a burqa. However, then the composer had explained that the women in his family are free to wear whatever they want.

Man criticising Akhilesh Yadav gets death threats from Samajwadi Party workers after Yadav reveals his phone number on social media

OpIndia Staff
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Man criticising Akhilesh Yadav gets death threats from Samajwadi Party workers after Yadav reveals his phone number on social media

Akhilesh Yadav had recently posted the screenshot of texts he had received on his phone that called him a ‘toti chor’ (faucet thief). In doing so, he had revealed the phone number from which he had received the said texts. Now, the person to whom the number belongs is receiving death threats from the workers of the Samajwadi Party. Journalist Swati Goel posted the video on Twitter that the said person, Prashant Singh, shared with her.


Akhilesh Yadav had shared a screenshot of WhatsApp message Twitter that he had received, the message had said, “Bharatiya Janata Party Zindabad, Amit Shah Zindabad, Modi Ji Zindabad, Toti Chor.” The number of the sender Prashant Singh was visible on the screenshot.

After losing the Assembly elections in UP, Akhilesh Yadav was accused of vandalising the CM’s bungalow and taking away several items like expensive tiles, electrical fittings, bathroom and kitchen fittings, decorative items etc. After the bungalow turned into ruins was discovered by the administration under new CM Yogi Adityanath, BJP had given Yadav the moniker ‘Toti Chor’, meaning faucet thief. However, Yadav had denied the allegations, and accused officials of doing it on the instructions of newly elected BJP government.

In the video, Prashant Singh mentions that his phone number was leaked by Akhilesh Yadav on social media and it was claimed that he had given him death threats. Singh also said that the texts had been sent on the 16th of January and yet, it was shared much later by the Samajwadi Party supremo. He accused Akhilesh Yadav of leaking his phone number online, as a consequence of which, his party workers have become thirsty for his blood.


Singh also says that he is receiving death threats and Samajwadi Party workers are also on the hunt for him because of which he and his family are worried for their lives. He also expressed regret if his language offended Akhilesh Yadav in any manner. Singh also says that Yadav should not have done it and he is unable to go anywhere due to the threats he is receiving.

“What did I message you? Every person should do Zindabad of the one who is doing good work,” Singh says in the video, before continuing, “Modi ji is doing good work, Yogi ji is doing good work. Their Zindabad should happen. If you do good work in the future, then your Zindabad will happen too.” Singh also says that if Akhilesh Yadav can prove that he has given him a death threat, then he will do whatever Yadav asks of him.

Singh also said that if any harm comes to him or his family, Akhilesh Yadav will be responsible. He also said that he liked the policies being implemented by the Modi Government. He spoke of how the Samajwadi Party was misguiding people on the Citizenship Amendment Act. Singh also said that the workers of Akhilesh Yadav’s party address Yogi Adityanath with crass names including ‘Chillum Wale Baba’ (The Pothead Monk) and yet the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has never pursued vendetta politics against them. “This is his greatness,” Singh says of Yogi Adityanath and tells Akhilesh Yadav that he has made his party workers thirsty for his blood.

13 people including 11 Navy personnel arrested on espionage charges who had passed information to Pakistan after being honey-trapped

OpIndia Staff
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13 people including 11 Navy personnel arrested on espionage charges who had passed information to Pakistan after being honey-trapped

The Andhra Pradesh police jointly with the Naval intelligence have arrested thirteen people, including eleven Navy personnel and two civilians, in connection with an alleged espionage case. It has been revealed that they were honey-trapped by the Pakistani ISI operatives on social media after which these men had leaked sensitive information related to the Indian Navy through their social media profiles.

“The 11 Navy personnel and the two civilians have been apprehended in connection with the espionage case so far while a large number of social media profiles of service personnel are under the scanner for being in touch with the suspicious profiles,” Navy sources told ANI.

The Navy personnel apprehended by the police are from the different naval bases including Mumbai, Karwar (Karnataka) and Visakhapatnam.

The investigation began after the Andhra Pradesh Police, Naval Intelligence and Central Intelligence Agencies in a joint operation arrested seven navy personnel who have been allegedly involved in espionage.

Read- Honey trapping job? Pakistan’s ‘military owned’ media house looks for ‘females’ to ‘attract and communicate’ on Social Media

After the misuse of social media by the naval personnel came to light, the Indian Navy imposed a strict ban on the use of smartphones and social media applications such as Facebook by its personnel.

Pakistan intelligence is increasingly using social media for spying activities. It has long been trying to lure the armed force personnel for carrying out espionage against India.

Last month it was revealed that one Army jawan named Sepoy Somveer Singh, who was arrested four months back on charges of espionage in Jaiselmer, got in touch with one ‘Anika Chopra’ over Facebook and was chatting regularly with her and exchanging details and information about the armoured unit including its movement. Following this, multiple accounts of officers and jawans are under probe with whom ‘Anika Chopra’ was in touch with. Now, as many as 50 jawans are under investigation.

A few months back, an Engineer at Brahmos facility in Nagpur, Nishant Agarwal, was arrested for alleged spying and passing on sensitive information to his ISI handlers. Even then Pakistani handlers had used social media accounts of women to honeytrap Agarwal.

In October last year, an Indian Army soldier of Meerut Cantonment was caught and several others detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on the charges of espionage activities carried out on the directions of the infamous ISI. The arrested jawan was stationed in the Army’s Signal Regiment in Meerut Cantonment.

In September last year, Uttar Pradesh ATS team had arrested a BSF Jawan, Achutanand Misra, a resident of Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district, for sharing vital information about India’s defence preparedness with ISI lackeys. He was “honey-trapped” by a woman claiming to be a journalist into sharing information about unit operational details, police academy and training centre. Prior to that, a person named Ramesh who worked as a cook in an Indian diplomat’s house was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir military Intelligence Unit and the Uttar Pradesh police from Pithoragarh for bugging the house and passing off the information to the ISI.

Recently, a suspected Pakistani spy was arrested from Arunachal Pradesh border who had allegedly passed sensitive information about Army deployment and location, weapons information and number of Artillery installations in Kibithu to his Dubai based handler.

Shiv Sena worker among three persons arrested for attacking the convoy of Kanhaiya Kumar in Bihar

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena worker among three persons arrested for attacking the convoy of Kanhaiya Kumar in Bihar

The Bihar police have apprehended three people, including a Shiv Sena party worker for allegedly attacking the convoy of the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday. Two motorbikes had also been seized from the crime scene.

The incident took place in Bihar’s Arrah district where Kanhaiya Kumar’s convoy was damaged by stone-pelting by a group of bikers. Kanhaiya Kumar was on his way to address a gathering against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He escaped unhurt and was escorted by the cops in another vehicle.

It was alleged that to escape the stone-pelting, Kumar’s convoy had hit some bikers, after which the villagers got agitated and the attack on the convoy had intensified. Several bikers were injured after being knocked down by vehicles in the convoy. This was the 8th time that his convoy was attacked. Kanhaiya Kumar also claimed that the stage built for his rally was damaged by some unidentified people.

Araah SP Sushil Kumar stated, “An FIR on the statement of an ASI, who was assigned with the task of escorting the convoy, was lodged under relevant sections named against 10 and 15 unknown persons.”

Kanhaiya Kumar has embarked on a statewide “Jana-Gana-mana” yatra since January 30. The CPI General Secretary D Raja had written a letter addressing the State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to provide adequate protection to Kumar.

Kumar never leaves an opportunity to make headlines for the wrong reasons. Last month, a research scholar accused him of publishing his research paper in a predatory journal.

Two courts give opposite judgements on citizenship in same week, Mumbai court says Election card is proof of citizenship, Gauhati HC says it is not

OpIndia Staff
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Two courts give opposite judgements on citizenship in same week, Mumbai court says Election card is proof of citizenship, Gauhati HC says it is not

While the debate on citizenship in the country rages on with the ongoing protests against CAA, NPR and NRC, two completely opposite judgements have come from two courts in the country on proof of citizenship in the same week. While a court in Mumbai has said that the Voter Identity Card issued by the Election Commission is a proof of citizenship, the Gauhati High Court has said that it is not.

According to reports, a Magistrate court in Mumbai has said that Voter Identity Cards are valid proof of citizenship while acquitting a couple accused of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Ruling that the, Abbas Shaikh (45) and Rabiya Shaikh (40), who were arrested in 2017, were able to prove that they are Indian citizens, the court said, “the birth certificate, domicile certificate, bonafide certificate, passport, etc can be relied upon to establish the origin of any person.” The court then added that, “even the election card can be said to be a sufficient proof of citizenship as while applying for the election card or voting card, a person has to file declaration with the authority in view of Form 6 of Peoples Representation Act to the authority that he is citizen of India and if the declaration is found false, he is liable for punishment.” The court said that the couple had submitted original documents, and the prosecution could not prove that they were obtained fraudulently and they were not genuine.

Although the court clarified that Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence and Ration Card are not valid proofs of citizenship.

On the other hand, in an order issued on February 12, the Gauhati High Court has ruled that the Voter Identity Card is not a valid proof of citizenship. Saying that petitioner Munindra Biswas can’t be termed as Indian citizen based on Voter ID and name on Voter list, the High Court has said that supporting evidence is needed to prove citizenship.

The Gauhati High Court judgement on Voter ID

Quoting an earlier judgement of the same court, the division bench of Justice Manojit Bhuyan and Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia said, “Regarding Electoral Photo Identity Card this court in the case of Md. Babul Islam Vs. State of Assam [WP(C) No. 3547 of 2016] has held that Electoral Photo Identity Card is not a proof of citizenship”.

The 2016 judgement had said that the Electoral Photo Identity Card is a post 25.03.1971 document. Besides, merely producing such an identity card in the absence of supporting evidence would not be proof of citizenship, the Gauhati High Court had ruled. Like the Mumbai Court, the Gauhati High Cort had also ruled that documents like PAN card, Driving licence are not proof of citizenship.

The petitioner had also submitted a voter list from 1997 containing his name and two sales deeds from 1964 and 1970, but the court said they are not enough evidence. The judgement said that the sale deeds are private documents, and their execution has to be proved by admissible evidence, which was not done. The court also ruled that a voter list from 1997 is not a proof that the petitioner has been staying in Assam prior to 1971, a requirement as per the Assam Accord 1985 for claiming citizenship in Assam.

Read- Prime Minister Modi vows to safeguard Clause 6 of Assam Accord: Read its significance amidst CAB debate

Although both the judgements contradict each other completely, both have logic behind them. In general, the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) should be the proof of citizenship, as holding an EPIC and having the name listed in voter list means that one can vote in Indian elections, and only Indian citizens are allowed to vote in elections in India. While others like Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence etc can be issued to foreigners legally living in India, that is not the case for Voter ID, and that’s why it is a valid proof of citizenship.

But the Gauhati High Court is also correct that voter ID is not enough to prove citizenship in the context of Assam. Citizenship in Assam has separate criteria than the rest of the country. According to section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which was inserted as per the provisions of Assam Accord, those foreigners who came to Assam on or before 25th March 1971, will be considered Indian citizens. As the voter cards are issued after that date, and the voter list with the petitioner’s name was from 1997, they don’t prove that he came to Assam before the cut-off date.

Moreover, the Assam Accord was signed after the six-year-long agitation demanding the deportation of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The agitation was started after a large number of suspected voters were found to be included in voter lists for a byelection in 1978. The agitation had three Ds as the demands, detection, deletion and deportation. Means the illegal voters have to be detected, their name deleted from electoral rolls, and they should be deported. It is alleged that a large number of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has managed to get themselves registered as voters in India, giving them the power to change political arithmetic in several constituencies in Assam. Due to that reason, having Voter Identity Card or having name listed on a voter list after 1971 is not enough to prove that on is Indian citizen in Assam.

Watch: Jamia ‘students’ with stones in hand taking shelter in library before Police barged in during anti-CAA riots

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Jamia ‘students’ with stones in hand taking shelter in library before Police barged in during anti-CAA riots

A new video has now surfaced from the night of 15th December 2019 that shows ‘students’ of the Jamia Milia Islamia University entering the library with stones in their hands before the Delhi Police took action against those present in the room. Earlier, a 49-second video was released that showed men in police uniforms caning ‘students’ ‘studying’ in the library. The first video was released by the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), which includes students and alumni of the Jamia Millia Islamia.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn_dHbSJnfc]

After the first video was released, the entire anti-BJP ecosystem had jumped in to defend the Jamia students and portray the Delhi Police in poor light. Even in that video, the ‘students’ could be seen sitting with closed books on the desks when the police personnel are seen entering the library. One student suddenly put up a handkerchief mask on his face just before the police entered the library. Another student was also wearing a handkerchief across his face while standing against a wall.

In the new video that has surfaced, it can be clearly seen that a student with a stone in his hand is urging ‘students’ from outside to enter the library and thereby, providing shelter to other students who are entering the library from outside where violence had ensued between the ‘students’ and the Police. The new video appears to depict events that occurred prior to police action in the library.

This video busts the propaganda of the liberal camp that the Police had no justification to enter the library. It also busts their claim that the ‘students’ in the library were just ‘studying’ when the Police barged into the room. The new video does lead one to believe that the ‘students’ were taking shelter in the library after indulging in violence outside.


The University Administration also came out to disassociate itself from the release of the first video. “It has come to our notice that some video regards to police brutalities in Dr Zakir Hussain library are in circulation. This is to clarify that the video has not been released by the university,” Jamia Millia Islamia University administration said in a statement.

The controversial Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi had emerged as one of the epi-centres of the anti-CAA agitations being perpetrated in the name of ‘peaceful protests’. The students and Muslim mob associated with the Jamia Millia Islamia University had unleashed violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

In December, the protests against CAA and NRC had turned violent amidst chants of Allah-o-Akbar and Naara-e-Taqbeer. The Muslim mobs had burnt four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes and pelted stones, injuring several policemen.

Following the riots, the Delhi police had registered an FIR against six people including four local politicians and a former Congress MLA was also named as suspects related to Jamia violence. The Delhi Police had named former Congress MLA Asif Khan as one of the accused in its FIR.

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