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A chronology of how Arvind Kejriwal betrayed the 12 principles AAP was founded on

Yossarian
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A chronology of how Arvind Kejriwal betrayed the 12 principles AAP was founded on

In November 2012, as Aam Aadmi Party was launched, the national media romantically lapped up the idealistic vision and its call for a political revolution, with Arvind Kejriwal as the messiah. At the heart of such romantic idealism, were 12 founding principles, which Kejriwal vowed to follow, and codified it on AAP’s own national website to represent the USP of AAP as to ‘How we are different‘. Since that November of 2012, the nation has witnessed the wilful betrayal of each of those 12 founding principles in an alarmingly opportunistic manner, sacrificing at the altar of political expediency all the core beliefs of AAP. This article catalogues each of the 12 founding principles, and the chronology of how these principles were violated, to leave AAP without an ideology, at the hands of a leader who seems to have the taken the mould of political mercenary leading a party without a cause.

Principle 1: ‘There is no central high command in Aam Aadmi party.’

The testament to the devolution of AAP into a central high command led the party, did not come as much from the opposing parties, as from co-members within the highest national body of AAP itself – it’s National Executive. Between 2014 & 2018, 10 National Executive leaders, who represented nearly 44% of AAP’s National Executive, were either unilaterally sacked, quit out of severe disgruntlement with the high command culture or were ostensibly sidelined. This included leaders such as Ashok Aggarwal who quit in March 2014 saying AAP functions like a private limited company, Shazia Ilmi who quit in May 2014 citing lack of inner-party democracy, Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav & Ajit Jha who were manhandled in March 2015 by bouncers in a national council meeting while ousting them unceremoniously, Subhash Ware who quit in October 2015 citing the undemocratic way in which a state unit was dissolved, Professor Rakesh Sinha who was sacked in April 2015 for raising questions on the way Internal Lokpal was summarily dismissed, Mayank Gandhi who quit in November 2015 citing gutter-level politics, Ilias Azmi who quit in May 2016 saying he couldn’t bear Kejriwal’s autocratic style of functioning, and last but definitely not the least, Kumar Vishwas who was sidelined after being removed as the Rajasthan state-in-charge in April 2018.

Principles 2 & 3: ‘No MLA or MP of this party will use red lights or any other beacons on his or her vehicles.’ ‘No MLA or MP of this party will use any special security. We believe that elected people’s representatives need the same security as a common man.’

These principles were driven over soon after AAP tasted its first electoral success in 2014, with several ministers opting for swanky new official cars as a means of transport merrily abandoning the ‘Aam Aadmi’ modes of transport. By March 2017, the party MLAs in Punjab had en-mass segregated themselves from the ‘common man’ by accepting not just official vehicles, but also armed gunmen for security. In 2018, Kejriwal passed a resolution in the Delhi Assembly targeting the PM for “failing to ensure the security of an elected CM”. For a party that started with a principle of not needing any security for its leadership, to go on to condemn m the lack of adequate security through an assembly resolution is quite a remarkable volte-face.

Principle 4: ‘No MLA or MP of our party will live in opulent and luxurious government housing.’

It only took a mandate with 54% of the votes in the Delhi Assembly elections of 2015, to hang up on this principle. In March 2015, the CM Arvind Kejriwal readied himself to move into a 5 bedroom, 2 office bungalow with a sprawling lawn that could host 300 people. The bungalow was secured after a special request to the Urban Development Ministry. His Deputy Manish Sisodia took up the same bungalow as was accorded to the previous CM – Sheila Dixit and the rest of the AAP ministers followed suit.

Principle 5: ‘No one would need to buy an election ticket in our party. Candidates contesting elections from an area will be selected by the people of that area.’

This was a promise to hold primaries for every area to select a candidate. No primary was ever held. Instead, there were accusations flying thick and thin, on the amount of cash exchanged to secure tickets in AAP, and it reached a crescendo when AAP picked the cash-rich Gupta from the Congress party for a Rajya Sabha seat in early 2018, overlooking Kumar Vishwas’ popularity among the cadre. By the 2019 LS elections, the son of a Lok Sabha AAP candidate Balbir Jhakar was offering video testimony of 6 crores that were paid to Kejriwal to secure the ticket.

Principles 6 & 9: ‘In all political parties today criminals and mafia goons are given election tickets. Such people will never be given tickets to our party.’ ‘No two members of the same family will be eligible to contest elections in our party and no two members of the same family can become members of the Executive Body.’

By the second Delhi assembly election that AAP fought in 2015, AAP had 1/3rd of its MLAs in the assembly facing criminal charges. As of February 2020, AAP has improved this tally to an impressive 51% of its candidates facing criminal charges. For a party that was known to drop candidates on a whisper of wrongdoing, serious criminal charges among its candidate pool are now par for the course. And to those who insert the disclaimer of a lack of convictions, Jitender Tomar, convicted for defrauding the election process, secured an AAP ticket for his wife for the 2020 assembly elections, perhaps inspired by another convicted political criminal Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Principle 7: ‘This party will function with full financial transparency.’

Never has an avowed declaration of financial transparency been so transparently buried. In April 2014, the party shut down the web link that used to, until then, transparently post the donation data, citing technical reasons. The party continued to double down on this strategy as it blocked donor declarations on its website starting with the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2017, and in 2018 went on to ignore an Election Commission warning to declare donors in line with stated transparency norms.

Principles 8 & 10: ‘Every member of the Aam Aadmi Party will have to follow a strict internal code of conduct or internal Lokpal.’ ‘We will enact a Right to Reject law’

A member can only follow directions of an Internal Lokpal if it is allowed to exist. In March 2015, Arvind Kejriwal summarily sacked AAP’s internal Lokpal Admiral L Ramdas, without giving any tangible reasons, and anointed a successor. The internal Lokpal eventually decayed into non-existence, when Kejriwal refused to even appoint replacement members after the anointed one resigned within a month. The right to reject law faced a similar fate, with no action initiated either within the party or legislatively. In fact, the party’s defence of a convicted Jitender Singh Tomar, and subsequent awarding of a ticket to his wife, indicates the brazenness with which the party now operates.

Principle 11: ‘Aam Aadmi Party is fully committed to the principles of gender equity’

Even ignoring the fact that the party lost its National Executive member Shazia Ilmi by 2014, the fact that the current national executive of AAP has barely 4 women among 23 positions, and ZERO ministers in the Delhi govt points to its woeful inadequacy in adhering to this principle. Even the Indian National Congress has 5 women in its top body, the AICC.

Principle 12: ‘Aam Aadmi Party is committed to the principles of justice for all and will coopt representatives from the Dalit and other minority segments’

A woman Dalit national executive member resigned from AAP in December 2016 ahead of the Punjab Assembly terming the party anti-Dalit. In the 2018 Rajya Sabha seat contest, the party calculated carefully along caste lines to allot tickets to two baniyas, and clearly avoided any Dalit representation. In an analysis published in the outlook in 2016, it was dimly observed ‘the AAP’s key leadership positions remain with non-SC and non-OBC leaders‘.

So, what does a party, that has wilfully, systematically and repeatedly betrayed each one of the 12 principles on which it was founded, stand for? What should a voter or an AAP volunteer look towards as the core beliefs of a party that he/she votes for or supports if none of the core principles of a party survives? Is there any ideology remnant in such a party? Or is AAP a party without a cause, with a political mercenary at its helm?

Bihar: Dispute over Rs 200 linked with CAA and NRC, Hindus in Darbhanga village attacked by Muslim mob

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Dispute over Rs 200 linked with CAA and NRC, Hindus in Darbhanga village attacked by Muslim mob

Bihar’s Dahoda village of Manigachhi block in Darbhanga district witnessed severe communal violence on February 2, after a petty dispute over a sum of Rs 200 between two people of different communities was falsely associated to the newly introduced Citizenship Amendment law and NRC.

People belonging to the Muslim community allegedly resorted to arson, stone-pelting and vandalism causing severe damage to public property and life. Many local Hindus were reportedly chased and attacked by the Muslims in the area.

On receiving the information, police from several police stations including Manigachhi, Nehra, Bajitpur, Behera, Sakatpur reached the spot. Six policemen were also reportedly injured in the violence.

In what transpired on February 2, a small argument broke out between one local Hindu named Gunanand and a Muslim mechanic named Mohammad Murshid over a transaction of Rs 200. According to reports, after Murshid refused to pay back a sum of Rs 200 which he owed to Gunanand, the later spilt mud on Murshid’s shop.

Miffed over this, Murshid reportedly invoked the Citizenship Amendment law and NRC here which aggravated the dispute, confirmed an eyewitness to OpIndia. Many local Muslims at this point got involved and started resorting to violence, stone-pelting and vandalism. According to locals, heavy stone-pelting was carried out from the Mosque in the area. Many Hindus of the village were reportedly chased and thereafter attacked in the ensuing violence.

This petty dispute over a small sum of money, which was needlessly linked to CAA and NRC, within no time turned communal.

Some of the people amongst the violent mob also allegedly ransacked and looted the local shops. The situation became so grave that most of the shopkeepers of the market closed their shops and fled. According to initial reports, the damages caused were to the tune of Rs 4 lakhs. However, right now people say that this estimate may increase. The surveys conducted by the local administration have identified around 21 damaged shops until now.

According to the report of Dainik Jagran, local legislator Lalit Kumar Yadav reached the spot and tried to placate the situation by conducting a peace march there. Congratulating the administration for effectively bringing the situation in control, Yadav appealed to the locals to maintain peace. He requested people to cooperate with the administration to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.

According to reports, the local administration has also appealed to form a peace committee to keep the situation in the district under control. They have asked the locals to identify those spreading any sorts of rumours and intimate the local administration about it immediately. The villagers also demanded deputation of the police force along with the magistrate in the village till the atmosphere became normal.

According to the latest information, an FIR has been registered against the rioters. 23 have been named and 150 unknown people have been made accused on the basis of an application from sub-inspector Ramashankar Pandey. Moreover, out of the 23 people named, 18 have been sent to judicial custody on Monday, said SDPO Umeshwar Chaudhary.

At present, efforts are being made to set up a meeting of the peace committee to normalize the village atmosphere. On Monday, the meeting of this committee was chaired by BDO Manoj Kumar Rai. It appealed to all people to maintain mutual harmony and brotherhood.

Recently, rumours regarding CAA and NRC have led to stray incidents of violence not only in Bihar but many other states in the country. On January 26, a team of researchers from Lucknow mistaken as surveyors for NRC were held hostage by locals in Bihar’s Darbhanga. As the 12-member team, which included four women, reached the village and began visiting households to collect information, word spread that they were NRC surveyors.

Furious and panicked villagers took them to the Jamalpur police station, where the situation was diffused and it was later found that they were working with a US-based PhD scholar from the Yale University.

In a similar incident, the house of a 20-year-old Chumki Khatun was set on fire by a mob in West Bengal’s Birbhum over rumours that she was collecting data for NRC. As per reports, Khatun worked with an NGO on a contract where it was training rural women to use smart phones effectively. As part of her training, Khatun collected some general data. This fuelled the rumours that she was collecting data for NRC. However, the police had denied that the incident was linked to NRC.

Despite Times Now predicting AAP winning Delhi, this is how they can still lose the elections

Rahul Roushan
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Despite Times Now predicting AAP winning Delhi, this is how they can still lose the elections

Among the supporters of all political parties, it’s the BJP supporters on social media who take opinion polls most seriously, perhaps even more seriously than those conducting such polls. One of the reasons could be that most of such supporters tend to trust data more than ‘mahaul’ – which is why they kept asking for data whenever a narrative on lynching, hate-crime, Jai Shri Ram, etc. was built by the opposition. Opinion polls deal with data, and thus BJP supporters find it a bit difficult to dismiss it, as it goes against their innate beliefs.

The wider held opinion among this support base, to whom my article is targeted at, was that BJP was nowhere in competition as the 2020 assembly elections drew closer, but with Amit Shah himself leading from the front and BJP going aggressive on cultural and ideological issues in the last couple of weeks, the game had changed and it was now an equal fight between BJP and AAP in Delhi.

However, the latest opinion poll by Times Now, which is being claimed as having been conducted between January 27 and February 1 i.e. during a duration when BJP is supposed to have surged ahead, has somewhat spoiled this enthusiasm among a section of BJP’s online support base. The poll gives an unbeatable 52% vote share to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party that could help AAP win as many as 60 out of the total 70 seats in the Delhi assembly.

Interestingly, the same opinion poll says that 52% of the voters were against the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, which has been made a central issue by the BJP in the Vidhan Sabha elections. It also says that the BJP will win all the seats in Delhi again if a Lok Sabha election was to be conducted at the same time. While it may appear contradictory, it indeed is a reality that people vote on different issues in state and general elections.

Read: Shaheen Bagh ground report: A well-organised ‘organic’ protest, estimated costs of Rs 5L everyday and protestors spying on you

So does that mean that BJP is not likely to win the Delhi assembly elections? I don’t think that is something that should be taken as a foregone conclusion. Here are 5 reasons:

The usual reason: Opinion polls are not an exact science

In the last assembly elections i.e. in 2015, virtually no opinion poll could predict the unprecedented victory AAP finally went on to register, winning 67 out of 70 seats. Half of the polls were predicting BJP getting majority while others gave AAP an edge. Opinion polls similarly have missed many other wave elections in other parts of the country, which should actually make their life easier, as against predicting a closely fought elections.

Read: Exit Polls and their methodology have too many flaws to ignore: Is this exercise turning out to be a complete farce?

The reason is that opinion polls are not an exact science. It is very difficult to get the true sample that represents the actual electorates. Furthermore, factors like voter turnout that in turn depends upon a party’s booth management abilities, and decisions by ‘undecided voters’ can change the voting patterns. BJP is far better in booth management and having a network of workers on the ground. AAP is lacking the army of self-driven volunteers, mostly young men and women, that it was able to attract last time.

‘Modi for PM, Kejriwal for CM’ might not be as strong as before

The Times Now poll virtually retains the vote shares that were obtained by BJP and AAP respectively in 2015. AAP is losing marginally and BJP is gaining marginally (less than 2% votes). This coupled with the fact that their own survey says that bulk of the voters still prefer Modi in the centre, suggests that nothing has changed in people’s outlook since 2015. ‘Modi for PM, Kejriwal for CM’ was a popular phrase, so much so that AAP itself had used it in a banner on their official website as part of the poll promotion. It was perhaps the first-ever case when a political party had used the face and name of their opponent to seek votes. Embarrassed, they had to soon remove the banner from their website.

If the Times Now opinion poll is to be believed, nothing has changed since then, and this sentiment remains strong. This assumption I believe is fallacious because after winning 2015, Kejriwal has never lost an opportunity to attack Modi in the most virulent terms. It was a totally different Kejriwal that people had seen before 2015, who, even though having fought directly against Modi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, didn’t indulge in polemics like calling Modi a “coward and psychopath”. This name-calling became worse after demonetisation and continued even in wake of India-Pakistan tensions, which ended up Pakistanis trending a hashtag in support of him.

It’s true that Kejriwal is trying to undo the damage and change that image. Recently he rejected support from a Pakistani minister for Delhi polls and has not made any ‘mental’ statement against Modi after the 2019 Lok Sabha results. But I don’t think people will forget his past antics so easily. The ‘Modi for PM, Kejriwal for CM’ voter block from the last elections would be in much smaller number this time, and that will hurt AAP.

Kejriwal is not Modi

One of the reasons why media and pollster believe that AAP will repeat its 2015 elections is why Modi could repeat, rather better, his 2014 performance. Almost all of the journalists and pollsters had got the intensity of Modi’s 2019 victory wrong, and I think they are overcompensating it when it comes to Kejriwal. Even if their own data may not show Kejriwal winning this big, perhaps they are adding that “x-factor” that they had missed for Modi’s 2019 victory. Basically, once bitten twice shy.

But it’s not just ‘once bitten twice shy’, but it’s also because many of them actually believe that Kejriwal is like Modi and thus they are prone to believe that Kejriwal will repeat in 2020 what Modi could do in 2019, and thus adding that x-factor.

Read: Delhi govt led by Arvind Kejriwal failed to deliver on 75% promises made: Detailed analysis of all 70 promises made in 2015

It’s no secret that a huge section of media loves Kejriwal. During last elections, NDTV’s Ravish Kumar had written a blog that virtually argued that Kejriwal must win to keep the hope in democracy alive. Kejriwal did win and democracy thrived, which somehow gets suffocated when Modi wins elections. That aside, Kejriwal has been the original pyaar of the leftist ecosystem, which saw in him a nemesis of Modi. However, once Kejriwal failed to win Goa and Punjab, the ecosystem got disillusioned and some decided to go back to the patron Congress and joined the chorus of Rafale scam, while others kept looking for Modi’s nemesis in random JNU students and likes of Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani or in leaders like Mamata Banerjee.

After 2019 Lok Sabha verdict, the ecosystem has been repeating everything that they did after the 2014 results. Having belief in Kejriwal is part of being in that repeat mode. And they have reasons to believe that Kejriwal in Delhi is like Modi at the national stage. Both have delivered to the lower classes what matter to them. If Modi gave them gas cylinders, electricity, houses, etc., Kejriwal has at least given water and electricity “free”. While journalists kept on dreaming bad press due to imaginary Rafale scam, Modi was winning support on the ground. Kejriwal could similarly have support on the ground due to his free bijli and paani.

But the truth is Kejriwal is not Modi. Rafale scam was imaginary, but Kejriwal’s failure to deliver on his myriad of promises are real. BJP has been trying to highlight those failures and Amit Shah himself has led from the front. Modi doesn’t allow his detractors to trap him and force him to follow their narrative, while Kejriwal was trapped by Shah and he has been forced to talk about his unfulfilled promises. The dynamics that worked for Modi in 2019 are not directly applicable for Kejriwal in 2010, because they are very different personalities.

Delhi is not India

Apart from Kejriwal not being Modi, other difference is that Delhi is not India. It is a region that appears to get influenced by ‘mahaul’ more easily than other places in India, perhaps due to the disproportionate focus of the mainstream media on the region. Rise of AAP, which the party couldn’t replicate anywhere else in the country, is in a way testament to that theory. That is another reason why direct parallels between Modi’s 2019 performance can’t be made with an assumed repeat performance of Kejriwal in 2020.

And this is where BJP might not be erring in treating the elections as some sort of national elections, and creating a ‘mahaul’ around nationalism and civilizational issues. Obviously, the big difference is that while others get support from the ‘liberal media’ in creating such mahaul, BJP will not have that luxury. However, there is pretty good chances that this ‘mahaul’ could affect the Delhi electorates beyond those residing in areas near Shaheen Bagh.

What the party need to do is to have a healthy mix of creating this mahaul while nailing Kejriwal on his unfulfilled promises. There are reports that BJP volunteers have been asked to spend time in jhuggis ahead of the elections. They shouldn’t be talking only Shaheen Bagh there but explain to them how “free” is not really free and other such issues.

Last over batting by Modi

Narendra Modi’s rallies are coming. That’s a reason in itself.

Amnesty International defends the violent mobs and rioters of anti-CAA protests, starts petition claiming India is curbing ‘freedom of expression’

OpIndia Staff
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Amnesty International defends the violent mobs and rioters of anti-CAA protests, starts petition claiming India is curbing ‘freedom of expression’

Amnesty International, which is under investigation in India for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) laws, has floated a petition against the measures taken by the government and law enforcement agencies across the country to curb the mob violence that ensued in the name of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The dubious NGO claims that there was “excessive use of force towards protesters” and claims there was a “crackdown on peaceful protesters”.

The ‘peaceful protests’ that Amnesty International is referring to here have caused immense damage to public property, private property has been set on fire and vandalized, scores of policemen have been wounded by gunshots, Hindu Temples have been attacked, slogans such as ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi‘ and ‘Hinduon se Azadi‘ were raised, instances of stone-pelting have been far too numerous to count, and yet, the protests have been deemed ‘peaceful’ by Amnesty International. The selective amnesia of Amnesty is perhaps due to the fact that the Indian government under Narendra Modi has cracked down on the NGO for the violation of Indian laws.

Amnesty said, “People protesting peacefully against India’s new citizenship law are facing a brutal crackdown by the Indian Government. More than 1000 people have been arrested and over 5000 detained. Internet services have been shut down in many parts of the country, and at least 30 people have been killed.” It also claimed, “Excessive force, including police firing and lathi (baton) charge, is further used to deter largely peaceful protests.” The petition claimed that Indians are facing grave threats to their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association. It also claimed that India stands in violation of international laws and conventions.

For all its huff and puff against the Modi Government, Amnesty International has maintained a stoic silence over the Radical Islamic motivations of the protests. It has also maintained a studied silence over the fact that the Supreme Court of India itself has dismissed petitions against the Police for its crackdown on the Jamia rioters and CJI Bobde himself said that students cannot take law into their own hands and destroy property.

The Chief Justice had said as far back as in December, “We know how the rioting takes place. We are aware of the rights and we will decide on the rights but not amidst all this rioting. The court cannot be forced to decide anything only because some people decide to throw stones outside, this court cannot be bullied, aw cannot be taken into their hands just because they are students…we will hear and see what can be done only when things cool down, with a calm frame of mind…”

The conduct of Amnesty International has also made it painfully clear that imperialism and colonialism in the 21st Century manifest itself under the garb of human rights. Through the use of such unhealthy rhetoric and selective amnesia, Amnesty International wants to prevent the Indian government from taking adequate measures to establish the rule of law across the country. It seeks to keep India embroiled in anarchy and chaos so that its western masters can benefit from it.

The petition floated by Amnesty demands that the Prime Minister “Unequivocally condemn the excessive police and vigilante violence used on peaceful protestors and drop the charges against the peaceful protestors, Ensure peaceful protestors detained and arrested are treated with dignity and respect in line with international human rights standards,” and “Take necessary measures to establish a fully independent investigation into reports of excessive use of force towards protestors and vigilante violence and ensure those guilty of perpetrating violence are prosecuted.” Amnesty International also says in the petition that the Citizenship Amendment Act discriminates against Islam.

Amnesty International, as expected, does not say a word about the fact that Islamist organizations have been fomenting violence across the country in the name of CAA. Scores of PFI members have been arrested for their role in the violence that ensued. Property, buses, vehicles, even trains and stations have been torched in West Bengal, Delhi and UP in the name of ‘protests’. Even in the age of the internet, where there is so much information available on social media, Amnesty wants everyone to pretend that the violence never occurred and Police action was one-sided.

The NGO’s activism against the Indian government is not surprising given the fact that the government has cracked down on its dubious activities. Last year in November, a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation raided the New Delhi and Bengaluru offices of Amnesty India, CBI sources said that the books of accounts of Amnesty India revealed that they indulged in activities which were in violation of the FCRA.

Read: Amnesty International produced predetermined Kashmir reports using foreign money received in violation of FEMA

The Enforcement Directorate had also issued a show-cause notice to Amnesty International in November 2019 for violation of the foreign exchange law (FEMA) to the tune of over Rs 51 crore. During the run-up to the General Elections in 2019, the NGO had also roped in actor Naseeruddin Shah to peddle its propaganda against the ruling dispensation. It also has links to Radical Islam and the British Government.

Shaheen Bagh ground report: A well-organised ‘organic’ protest, estimated costs of Rs 5L everyday and protestors spying on you

OpIndia Staff
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Shaheen Bagh ground report: A well-organised ‘organic’ protest, estimated costs of Rs 5L everyday and protestors spying on you

The short walk from Jasola Vihar/Shaheen Bagh metro station to the Delhi-Noida road blockade which is currently the ‘protest site’ for the so-called organic protests is a little unnerving. As the stench of unclean canal fills your lungs, you can feel the heat of preening eyes on you, looking at you with suspicion.

You pass through the narrow, crowded lanes to reach the main road where there is ‘security check’. Not by security personnel or policemen. But by the ‘protestors’ who will ask your name, check your bags and if they will, check your ID proofs. Unless you are a ‘regular’ and people there have seen you before, you are marked.

Makeshift ‘security check’ for women at Shaheen Bagh

Unknown to you, they are keeping an eye on you.

“Don’t mention you’re from media. Not only they’ll keep a strict eye on you but in all possibility not allow you there,” we were told when we went to the ‘heart of anti-CAA protests’ some time back.

“Everything is planned”

The first thing that strikes you when you reach there is that the ‘organic protests’ are extremely well-organised. The tent has a stage, backstage and high power sound system. Along with this, there is a continuous supply of packaged drinking water for ‘protestors’. Bottles, pouches, packaged water in plastic glasses and even packaged fruit juices are there. They say these are not paid for, but people are giving them out of their support and solidarity.

Any media personnel who wants to come inside and take videos or bytes of the ‘protestors’ must go through screening. You are not allowed without permission. Permission to ‘Godi media’ comes only on the condition that it will telecast everything ‘live’. One such permission was revoked when one of the ‘protestor dadi’ ended up giving “wrong information” about CAA and NRC and the protests on live TV and one of the ‘organiser’ angrily ran inside the tent demanding to stop shooting.

India TV team being heckled

India TV News was recording a reaction of ‘protestors’ on the viral video tweeted by BJP leader Sambit Patra on Monday. A question came up whether the women were still aware of what they are protesting against. Suddenly, some men barge into the scene and stop the live telecast.

This is a small recording of the brawl that took place when ‘organisers’ stopped live telecast of India TV. One of the leading ‘protesting lady’ was upset at the ‘organiser’ for deciding for them who they would talk to and what they should talk. “Kaun hote hai yeh jo humein batate hai ki kis se baat karein aur kya baat karein? (Who are these to tell us who we should talk to?)”

“Godi media”

A Shaheen Bagh resident who goes to the ‘protest site’ (which is literally on the main road), says that they’re upset with certain media houses who try to show the ‘protests’ in a bad light. “They come and take pictures of backstage and of food,” she said.

Back stage of 'Shaheen Bagh protests' where on-stage 'strategies' are decided.
Back stage of ‘Shaheen Bagh protests’ where on-stage ‘strategies’ are decided.

“Godi media” is not allowed. You will be ‘politely’ asked to leave the place, should you manage to reach despite the heavy screening. Note that police is not ‘allowed’ at the protest site, so you’re pretty much on your own should any untoward incident takes place.

Where are you from?

If you are visiting Shaheen Bagh for the first time, they’d know. You will invariably be asked whether you are a localite from Delhi and soft-probe on your reasons to visit. They’d try to know why you’re visiting without being overtly hostile.

Women are sitting for protests inside the tent, while men stand outside the tent ‘in solidarity’. This is strategically to show that the protest is led by women. A man was ‘cleaning’ the sitting space for women when someone recorded a video of background. He got mighty upset and demanded to see the phone. He made that person delete the video.

If you record anything that might go against them, they will get you to delete the footage.

Public property vandalism

Other than the fact that these ‘protestors’ are blocking one of the main roads which connects Delhi to Noida in Uttar Pradesh, they have also taken to defacing public property.

Public property defaced at Shaheen Bagh

They say ‘street art’ is a form of political protest. Except, in the words of Shaheen Bagh mastermind, ‘Shaheen Bagh model is of chakkajam‘. The modus operandi at Shaheen Bagh is of blocking roads and bringing cities and eventually country to a halt. Once the motive is of creating unrest in the country, it ceases to be a protest.

Public property defaced at Shaheen Bagh

What you are seeing here is that a foot over bridge is defaced with political slogans even as the road continues to be blocked for public movement.

‘Fatima Sheikh Savitribai Phule library’ which has come up on a bus stop near Shaheen Bagh

This is a bus stop. At least it was, till ‘protestors’ converted it into a ‘library’ where people come, sit and read books. This is often romanticised by media at how the ‘organic protest’ is ‘spreading love’, without stating that this is damaging public property and that these are very well organised ‘protests’ where students of universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University often come to help them organise these ‘libraries’, ‘painting competition’ and ‘essay writing competition’.

Removal of ‘problematic’ defacement

Public property defaced at Shaheen Bagh
Public property defaced at Shaheen Bagh

More defacement of public property. On the far right, one can see a structure which in its isolation wouldn’t draw much attention.

India Gate, before and after (image: Hindustan Times)

On the left, the India Gate replica was to be a ‘tribute’ to those who died in Shaheen Bagh protests. On the right, however, is the ‘replica’ of the broken India Gate. The India Gate installation, when it started giving out a wrong message of ‘endorsing the destruction of India Gate’.

Poster with misleading information about CAA and NRC has now been removed from the Shaheen Bagh protest site
Poster with misleading information about CAA and NRC has now been removed from the Shaheen Bagh protest site

This misleading poster with a fake message has also since been removed from Shaheen Bagh.

The cold and the death

Delhi in 2019 witnessed one of the coldest winters ever. The temperature at national capital dipped as low as 1 degree in December. The Shaheen Bagh protestors were hailed across media for continuing their ‘fight for democracy’ despite the bitter winter. The fight where they are demanding that persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh do not have their Indian citizenship fast-tracked.

Multiple children have been part of these protests. They were also hailed by media as ‘bright future’. Meanwhile, at least one child who accompanied the mother in the protests has now died due to cold. There are reports of two infants who died, but only one has been confirmed by the parents of the child. The parents have said they will continue to go protests. The protestors have been trying to suppress the deaths of these children. So much that one of the protestors even said that the child was given by Allah and now has been taken by Allah. For them, this is jihad and these infants are just a sacrifice.

Well-oiled, well-funded (plus, biryani)

A politician of a particular community had visited Shaheen Bagh last week and our of his own happiness took out a bundle of currency notes and just gave it to the organisers. So clearly, it is not just Allah who ‘sends miracle food’. There is a music system there, where rental charges are anything between Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per day. The tent would cost anything between 10,000 to 30,000 per day. During day time, there are about 200-300 ‘protestors’ who are provided with water and tea and free food.

Biryani being served to ‘protestors’ and ‘volunteers’

The crowd soars to 10,000-15,000 people in the night, sometimes even more. A carton of about 40 pieces of 200ml packaged water class costs Rs 55. For about an average of 2,00,000 water glasses, it costs about Rs 2,75,000. There were also water bottles, water pouches and packaged fruit juices. To put a rough estimate, it would also be costing approximately Rs 2,50,000. Till now, putting all these expenses, we have an estimated cost of Rs 5,00,000.

Then there is biryani. No, it is not a joke. “Protestors” are served meals and other refreshments like tea and coffee. This would again put an estimated cost of Rs 5,00,000 per day. This means these protests at ‘Shaheen Bagh’ are costing Rs 10,00,000 minimum per day. Even if you do dismiss the allegations of Rs 500 paid every day to sit for protests, Rs 10,00,000 a day is a huge cost to bear.

Protests at Shaheen Bagh have been going on for about 50 days now. That brings the figure to Rs 5,00,00,000 (Rs 5 crore). This is just the very basic, very rough estimate with only 10-15 thousand protestors. The crowd has been even more on some days, which would mean an increase in these costs. This in addition to the opportunity cost of the shops which are closed in ‘solidarity’ with these protests.

So, who has borne the expenses for these ‘organic’ protests?

Imran Khan boasts in Malaysia, says Pakistan will buy Malaysia’s palm oil to to compensate for its losses after India’s import curb

OpIndia Staff
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Imran Khan boasts in Malaysia, says Pakistan will buy Malaysia’s palm oil to to compensate for its losses after India’s import curb

Notwithstanding its own dismal economic status, Pakistan has promised Malaysia of increasing its import for palm oil following the curbs enforced by India in the wake of Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad’s unsavoury remarks on India’s action in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistani PM Imran Khan is on a 3-day visit to Malaysia, reportedly to placate the country’s leadership after he skipped a major summit of Muslim nations in Kuala Lumpur. When questioned if would increase the purchase of palm oil following the ban from India, Khan said, “Malaysia has supported Pakistan on Kashmir. India has threatened Malaysia and stopped the palm oil purchase. We would definitely increase the palm oil imports so that Malaysia is minimally damaged.”

Khan was to attend the Muslim summit organised by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. But due to the pressure allegedly exerted by Saudi Arabia, which has liberally extended financial bailouts for cash-strapped Pakistan, Khan chose to skip the summit.

The world’s largest buyer of the edible oil, India, effectively curbed imports from its largest supplier and the world’s second-largest producer following Malaysian PM Mahathir’s remarks against India regarding its internal policies pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir and the CAA.

In his address to the 74th UNGA, Mahathir had accused India of “invading and occupying” Jammu and Kashmir. This was after India abrogated Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its separate status and subsequently bifurcating the state into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Read: We are ‘too small’ to take retaliatory action against India’s palm oil import curb: Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad

The promise made by Pakistan PM Imran Khan to make reparations for India’s palm oil curbs on Malaysia comes at a time when his country, Pakistan is reeling under an unprecedented economic crisis. According to the World Bank report published in 2019, countries in South Asia are set on a growth trajectory except for Pakistan, whose growth it is set to drop at 2.7% in the FY19-20.

Pakistan is in desperate straits as economists’ predict its economy is on the brink of collapse.  The ‘Trade and Development Report 2019’ released by the United Nations also said that Pakistan’s economic crisis has not been resolved despite the fact that support from China and Saudi Arabia and a large IMF loan have helped address the immediate problem. The report made a terse commentary stating “Pakistan is in a midst of crisis”, as the growth rate has halved, the balance of payments is in bad shape, the rupee has depreciated significantly and the external debt is large and swelling.

No decision on NRC at the national level till now: Home Ministry clarifies on the floor of Parliament

OpIndia Staff
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No decision on NRC at the national level till now: Home Ministry clarifies on the floor of Parliament

The Home Ministry on Tuesday, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, said the government has not taken any decision till now to prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) at the national level.

Two Members of Parliament – Lok Janshakti Party Nawada MP Chandan Singh and Telangana Rashtriya Samiti MP from Khammam Nama Nageswara Rao had asked the Union government regarding whether they had any plans to introduce National Register of Citizens (NRC) all over the country.

They also asked information regarding the timeline fixed for implementation of NRC in the country and whether the Government was aware that NRC will put an extra burden on Indian citizens.

MPs question on NRIC in Lok Sabha

Responding to the questions, the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that they have not taken any decision to prepare a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the National level. The reply from the Ministry of Home Affairs is the first official response from the Modi government over the question of implementing a nationwide NRC.

“Till now, the government has not taken any decision to prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the national level,”

Read: Delhi police reveals Sharjeel Imam had prepared anti-CAA, anti-NRC pamphlets with misleading information and distributed in various masjids

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been consistently allaying fears of the public by clarifying that there was no discussion over the countrywide implementation of the NRC. Even Home Minister Amit Shah has conveyed several times that there have no discussions on the issue of implementation of the NRC yet.

Essentially, while the government’s top brass has expressed the intention to implement NRC throughout the country, the policy decision and the framework of it has not been discussed yet and thus, the fearmongering is needless.

Read: Modi government dispels myths about NRC: Here are 13 FAQs and their answers published by the govt

However, the opposition parties joining hands with “liberal-secular” media and ultra-left wing elements are indulging in fearmongering to incite Muslim mobs against the government to instigate violence across the country by claiming that the government intends to implement a nationwide National Register of Citizens after which they will throw Muslims out of the country.

Zakia Jafri’s petition challenging acquittal of then CM Modi and others by SIT in 2002 Gujarat riots case adjourned till April 14

OpIndia Staff
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Zakia Jafri’s petition challenging acquittal of then CM Modi and others by SIT in 2002 Gujarat riots case adjourned till April 14

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday postponed to the hearing till April 14 on the petition filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team to the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Zakia Jafri’s husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was killed by a mob which attacked Gulberg society during 2002 riots in Ahmedabad.


Zakia Jafri had lodged a petition in the apex court on October 5, 2017, challenging the Gujarat High Court’s judgment which upheld the clean chit given to politicians and officials by the SIT in its conclusion, citing lack of “prosecutable evidence” against them. The Gujarat High Court maintained the investigation of the Special Investigation Team, giving a clean chit to 64 people including Narendra Modi. According to Zakia Jafri, the Gujarat High Court “erroneously” upheld the Magistrate Court order absolving all accused.

Read: The real whitewashing – how the crime of burning 59 Hindus alive was covered up

Senior advocate Mukul Rastogi, representing SIT argued in the SC that Zakia’s case was unsustainable and that “it was an issue of fact and for how long it can go on.” Solicitor General Tushar Malhotra claimed that the parallel findings by the subordinate courts and High court led to the rejection of Zakia’s petition in the past as well.

Ehsan Jafri and 68 others were brutally killed by the mob in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning. The mob barged in the Muslim dominated Gulberg Society of Ahmedabad and killed 69 people. In 2006, the police filed a case against Modi, some ministers and officials in response to a complaint filed by Zakia.

On April 27, 2009, the Supreme Court ordered SIT to take action on the complaint of Zakia. SIT investigated the case and a filed closure report in 2012. The closure report cited that no substantial evidence was found against Modi or other accused officials.

Coronavirus: Five men in Manesar camp, who were evacuated from Hubei province, develop symptoms, sent to Army Hospital

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: Five men in Manesar camp, who were evacuated from Hubei province, develop symptoms, sent to Army Hospital

Five men showing symptoms of cough and cold were moved from a quarantine facility in Manesar to the Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment on Monday. The five were among those evacuated from coronavirus-hit Hubei province.

According to reports, one of five samples has been sent for tests to AIIMS and it has tested negative for coronavirus. Results of the remaining four samples sent today are awaited, an official said.

Reportedly, an official said that any individual suspected to be infected with the novel coronavirus will be shifted to an isolation ward at Delhi Cantonment Base Hospital.

The Indian Army had set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep over 300 Indian students who were evacuated from China’s Hubei province on Saturday. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police have also prepared a 600-bed facility in Delhi to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been infected with the coronavirus.

Read: 3 confirmed cases in Kerala: State government declares coronavirus outbreak as ‘state disaster’

The Indian government has been extremely proactive in handling the ongoing Coronavirus crisis and has taken effective steps to evacuate Indian citizens who were trapped in China following the global crisis.

The Indian government had sent Air India jumbo B747 to China to evacuate citizens. The Air India flight made two flights to Wuhan city – the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic. In the first flight on early Saturday, 324 Indians were evacuated and on Sunday another 323 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens were flown back.

This comes at a time when a third positive case of coronavirus has also been confirmed in Kerala on Monday. The patient is a student from Wuhan and is in isolation at a hospital in Kasaragod district. The two other positive cases are also from Kerela and are students who have returned from Wuhan.

Read: Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China

The first case of coronavirus in India was reported from Thrissur, Kerala on January 30. The second case was reported from Alappuzha in Southern Kerala. Nearly 70 people have been kept in isolation words in Kerala while 2000 suspected people are kept under surveillance at their homes in different parts of Kerala.

Following the outbreak of coronavirus in the state, the Kerala Government has declared the outbreak a ‘state disaster’.

The 2019-novel coronavirus epidemic that has concerned health experts worldwide broke out in China’s Wuhan city in early December 2019 and has so far claimed more than 300 lives and exposing more than 14,000 people.

Read: Coronavirus: Pakistan President first cites Prophet justifying not evacuating its citizens from China, then contradicts himself

The virus is believed to have originated late last year in a food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife meat. Health experts think it may have originated in bats and then passed to humans, possibly via another animal species.

Bali: Indonesian President Joko Widodo sets up the country’s first Hindu State University

OpIndia Staff
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Bali: Indonesian President Joko Widodo sets up the country’s first Hindu State University

The Indonesian President, Joko Widodo has issued a presidential regulation last week to set up the country’s first Hindu State University in Denpasar, Bali. As reported by The Jakarta Post, the existing Hindu Dharma State Institute (IHDN) will be transformed into the I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa State Hindu University (UHN).

IHDN’s assets, employees and students will be transferred to the newly formed university. The institute was formed in 1993 to serve as an academy for Hindu religious teachers. It was then transformed into Hindu Religion State College in 1999, followed by IHDN in 2004.

Bali: Indonesian President Joko Widodo sets up country's first Hindu State University
Bali’s first Hindu State University (Photo Credits: Instagram – @ihdndenpasar_ )

The primary objective of the regulation to set up a new varsity is to administer and support Hindu higher education programmes. IHDN rector, I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, is optimistic about this new development. He is now awaiting the handover from the central government. Sudiana also hailed this move as a historic moment for the Indonesian Hindus.

He said, “Clearly this shows that President Jokowi has given special attention to Hindu educational institutions in Bali in order to improve the quality of our human capital.” Earlier, in November 2019, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia (Prambanan Temple) was purified through Abhiseka ceremony after 1,163 years.

The name of the university is taken from the famous Hindu leader I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa. It is notable here that Hindus are the third-largest religious group in Indonesia. Bali has a majority of Hindus with over 83% of its residents following the Balinese Hinduism. The UHN will be the first public Hindu university in the country.

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