The BJP has released its election manifesto on Friday for the upcoming February 8 Delhi assembly elections. The manifesto which includes a host of promises for the residents of Delhi with the saffron party’s vision for the National Capital was unveiled by senior party leader Nitin Gadkari, Union minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, party’s Delhi election in-charge Prakash Javadekar, Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel and other leaders.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that if BJP government is elected in the national capital, people in Delhi will get clean tap water and their dependency on water tankers will become zero. Also present at the event, Union Minister Nitin Gadkar, took a swipe at freebies given by AAP government saying, “Freebies will not help carve Delhi’s future, concrete steps were needed”.
The top focus of the ‘ Sankalp Patra’ is to reduce the air and water pollution in Delhi. The BJP, with its manifesto, has also made a range of promises to be fulfilled if it is elected to power in the state elections. Some of the salient points of the manifesto are:
Good quality wheat flour for Rs 2 per Kg for Economically Weaker Sections(EWS).
Ending the tanker mafia and providing every household in Delhi with clean tap water by 2024.
Provision of Rs 10000 crore to develop robust infrastructure in Delhi
Extension of “Ayushmaan Bharat” scheme that provides treatment worth Rs 5 lakhs to the residents of Delhi; providing a permanent house to homeless in Delhi by 2022 through “Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana”
Employment to at least 10 lakh unemployed youth in 5 years
200 new schools to be built in Delhi; 10 new colleges to be opened
Cycles to be offered to girls from economically weaker sections studying in 9th standard to 12th standard
Financially weaker families to get Rs 2 lakhs in their accounts for first two daughters when they turn 21
The government will provide Rs 51000 for the marriage of the daughters of poor widows
Free electric scooty to be given to poor college girls
Boost to electric vehicles and the addition of 10000 advanced green buses for Delhi transport; Green Corridor to be established for Green Energy Technology companies
In order to create awareness about the religious significance of the Yamuna river, an annual celebration of “Yamuna Mahotsav” on a grand scale to be commenced
Monthly pension of widows whose spouses died in 1984 anti-Sikh riots to be raised from Rs 2500 to Rs 3500; Any 1 progenies of the 1984 Sikh riots victim to be granted with a job
Pension amount for Differently-abled, widows, poor women and elderly residing in Delhi to be increased
Rs 1000 crore to be earmarked for “Startup and Innovation Fund”, along with instituting a futuristic startup policy, co-working spaces and incubation centres
New sports policy in line with PM Modi’s “Khelo India” and “Fit India” to be instituted in Delhi
Encourage and financially support rick-shaw pullers to migrate to e-rickshaws
Beautification and modernisation of Delhi under ‘Clean Delhi, Beautiful Delhi’ project
PM Kisan Yojana to be extended for Delhi farmers and Rs 6000 to be transferred annually to their accounts
Delhi’s villages to be developed under PM Modi’s ‘Smart Villages’ initiative
Section 33 and Section 81A of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, that poses problems for the farmers in Delhi in buying and selling of their lands, to be removed with the help of central government
Along with monetary compensation, farmers who lose their land to land acquisition to be provided with an alternative residential plot
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the budget session of Parliament by delivering a speech at a joint sitting of both the houses of parliament on Friday. Outlining the government’s policies and certain actions, agreements signed within the Indian state, President asserted that he expects that the decade will be India’s decade, and the century will be India’s century.
President Kovind started his speech with greetings of New Year and a new decade. Quoting Mahatama Gandhi’s dream of swaraj, Nehru’s dream of creating a modern society, Sardar Patel’s vision of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s goal of Antyodaya, Ram Manohar Lohia’s vision of social equality, he asserted that we the people of India will make their dreams a reality.
President Kovind said he is glad that the performance of Parliament in the last seven months has set new standards for conducting its businesses.
He congratulated the government for enacting the laws against Triple Talaq ensuring justice to Muslim women and safeguarding their rights; the Consumer Protection Act providing new rights to the citizens; the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act for protecting the savings of the poor; the Chit Funds AmendmentAct protecting the poor from fraudulent chit fund schemes; the law enhancing punishment for sexual offenses against children; Motor Vehicles Amendment Act aimed at reducing road accidents; and the law protecting the rights of the transgender persons, explaining the government’s strong commitment towards the population.
Appreciating the maturity displayed by the countrymen after the Supreme Court’s verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi, he said that the mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy and any kind of violence in the name of protests weakens the society and the nation.
Thanking for the mandate given by the people of the country, President said we are committed to making a new India.
‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’
President Kovind said in his speech that following the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, the government is working with sincerity. Free gas connections to 8 crores poor, houses to 2 crores poor, bank accounts to about 38 crores poor, free treatment facility of up to Rs 5 lakh to 50 crore people, insurance cover to 24 crore people and free electricity connections to over 2.5 crore people have been provided evenhandedly. The government has provided equitable access to benefits and facilities hence winning the support and trust of the people.
On Jammu and Kashmir, President quoted Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s concern raised when he was the Minister of Industry in the Government led by Jawaharlal Nehru, in the Lok Sabha: “In a democratic federal state, the fundamental rights of the citizens of one constituent unit cannot vary vis-à-vis the citizens of another unit. Are not the people of Jammu and Kashmir entitled to the fundamental rights that we have given to the people of India minus Jammu and Kashmir?”
He expressed gratitude by saying, “Today, after seven decades, the whole country is happy that the dream of Dr. Mukherjee has come true as the people of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, the Dalits and women from that area have also got the same rights as the people in the rest of the country. The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution by a two-thirds majority in both the Houses of Parliament is not only historic but has also paved the way for the equitable development of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh”.
The desire of paying respects at the Kartarpur Sahib for many years has been gratified. The Government has built the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in record time and dedicated it to the nation on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji will also be celebrated in a befitting manner with full grandeur and devotion.
Talking about north-east he stated that North-east has an emotional disconnect more than a physical distance that disheartened the people of the region. He stated that the Government has been working tirelessly to transform the situation during the last five years. As a result of these efforts of the Government, by 2022, the capitals of Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland will be connected to the rail network. The work on the Agartala-Akhaura rail link is also progressing at a fast pace. He declared the construction of the new airport at Holongi in Arunachal Pradesh by 2022.
The Central and Assam Governments have recently signed a historic agreement with the Bodo Organizations to bring an end to the 5 decade-old Bodo dispute. With this agreement, a complex problem, that has claimed more than 4000 lives, has been resolved. He declared that after this agreement, the Government will spend Rs1500 crore on the development of the Bodo community. Similarly, another landmark agreement between Tripura, Mizoram, the Central Government, and the Bru community has not only resolved a decades-old problem but has also ensured a secure life for thousands of people belonging to the Bru community.
Citing the Citizenship Amendment Act President said India has always believed in the principle of equal respect for all faiths. In the environment prevailing in the aftermath of partition, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said: “Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India. It is the duty of the Government of India to ensure a normal life for them.” Saying that the parliament fulfiled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi by enacting the CAA, the president Kovind said, “the father of our nation – Mahatma Gandhiji – had said after partition that Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and other religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh (East Pakistan) should be granted citizenship of India if they came seeking refuge. We must respect and honour the wishes of the father of the nation. To that effect, I am happy that both houses of Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act to ensure Bapu’s wishes come true”. While condemning the atrocities on the minorities in Pakistan, He urged the world community to take cognizance of it and take the necessary steps in this regard.
‘We are committed to the goal of making India a USD 5 trillion economy’.
President expressed his commitment to attain the goal of making India a USD 5 trillion economy. He said, ” Government is making efforts at all levels of the economy, in consultation with all stakeholders. In spite of global challenges, the fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong. Our foreign exchange reserves have reached a historical high of over USD 450 billion. The inflow of Foreign Direct Investment to India is also on the rise. As compared to last year, FDI has increased by USD 3 billion between April and October this year”.
He affirmed that In the first half of this financial year, 12 Public Sector Banks have reported profits. Due to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, nearly Rs 3.5 lakh crores have also been recovered by the banks and other institutions. The reduction of corporate tax and the codification of Labour Laws will increase the ease of doing business in India although In the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings India has upsurged 63rd position moving by 79 places. In the Resolving Insolvency rankings India has moved from 108th to 52nd rank and in the Global Innovation rankings 74th to 52nd rank. India has improved its international ranking by 10 points in the Logistics Performance Index. India has moved from 52nd to 34th position in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness rankings.
He further added, “The fundamental mantra of independence was a Self-reliant India. A self-reliant India is possible only when every Indian takes pride in every product made in India. My Government believes in the mantra of ‘Buy local for a better tomorrow’. I urge every representative of the people, from Panchayat level to the Parliament, and every Government in the country, to transform the philosophy of ‘Buy local for a better tomorrow’ into a movement. I also urge every Indian to give priority to local products. By using locally manufactured products, you will be able to help the small entrepreneurs in your area to a great extent.”
He mentioned, “India is making rapid strides in the electronics manufacturing sector in particular. National Policy on Electronics has been formulated to give further impetus to the manufacturing of mobile phones, TVs and other electronic devices. The value of electronic equipment manufactured in the country has increased to Rs 4 lakh 58 thousand crores in 2018-19, as against Rs 1 lakh 90 thousand crores in 2014-15. In 2014, there were only 2 companies manufacturing mobiles in India. Today India is the second-largest mobile manufacturing hub in the world. Make in India is also being encouraged by the Government in the automobile sector and railways. Full indigenous manufacturing of modern trains like Vande Bharat and Tejas Express is in progress”.
The speech of President Kovind to the joint session of parliament was delivered a day before the tabling of the budget that observed ruckus in Parliament.
Tensions have gripped Bihar’s Hajipur district after the murder of Bajrang Dal leader Kumar Neeraj on January 23rd (Thursday). Bajrang Dal today called for a Bandh to protest against police apathy in Kumar’s gruesome murder case.
The Bandh reportedly turned violent with news of incidents of violence and arson coming in. According to a report by a Hindi daily, Jagran, during the protest, some unknown miscreants shot one person in Hajipur. Except few, most shops and business establishments in the city remained closed today. The movement of vehicles on the roads is also much less than the normal days.
The Bajrang Dal activists along with members of other Hindu organisations blocked Gandhi Chowk in Hajipur district and shouted slogans against the police administration.
Police personnel have been deputed at Gandhi Chowk to ensure that the situation does not go out of control. Efforts are being made to convince the activists of the Hindu organizations from refraining from blocking the intersection.
Yesterday the Bajrang Dal activists had taken out a torch march in Hajipur and called for a bandh on Friday.
Last week, a Bajrang Dal leader was found murdered in Hajipur in Bihar. According to reports, the body of Neeraj Kumar was found from a well in Adalbari area under Hajipur police station in Vaishali district on Thursday, 23 January.
Bajrang Dal leader Neeraj Kumar was missing since Wednesday noon from Anjan Peer locality in Hajipur. He had gone to Adalpur with two companions to resolve a land dispute. According to sources the dispute developed into a fistfight and Neeraj was abducted by the other group. A police complaint was filed about his abduction be he could not be located until his body was recovered around 24 hours later.
Neerja’s body was found in a well inside a guava orchard at Adalbari. Bullet injuries were found on the body of Neeraj, and his throat was slit with a sharp weapon, which indicates that his body was dumped in the well after he was killed. Nine empty cartridges were located from the place.
When the search party had reached the spot, few persons were trying to cover the well. Three persons were arrested from the spot.
36-year-old Neeraj was a resident of Kadam Ghat area, and he ran a camera shop. He was a district-level leader of the Bajrang Dal. It is being assumed that political reasons are behind the murder, although police have said the land dispute was the reason.
Hajipur SDPO Raghav Singh said that one Pappu Singh from Kadamghat area is the main accused in the case. He said that raids are being conducted to arrest Pappu.
On Friday, comedian Kunal Kamra took to Twitter to display his creepy behaviour. He proudly declared that he had got hold of Arnab Goswami’s number without his permission. He further went ahead to message him and complained that the journalist was not responding to his requests for holding a debate.
I found arnab’s number I’m still asking him for a debate and he’s just not responding, @republic is your editor a coward or a nationalist? pic.twitter.com/Oqph1KpYV3
Mr Goswami, this is my number you can reach out to me whenever you think you want to have a civil debate on what is the idea of nation and who’s a nationalist…. all my resentment towards you is my past. I’m a follower of Buddha and Mahavira and I want to extend you an olive branch to have a civil discourse..that’s all I asked for in the first place… if you were less of a prick this we wouldn’t have gotten here, anyway, this is Kunal Kamra & I’m not sorry.
Arnab Goswami has made it clear that he does not want to have any conversation with Kunal Kamra, but Kamra seems very much obsessed with the Republic editor as he continues to stalk him on both online and offline world.
Netizens were quick to call out his creepy behaviour. A Twitter user @oldschoolmonk pointed out the insatiable obsession of Kunal Kamra with Arnab Goswami.
Bhai itna obsessed to SRK bhi nahi tha Juhi Chawla ke liye Darr movie mein.
Another Twitter user @Vinodhari2 slammed Kamra and asked whether he has the required credentials to be a part of a national debate. He also said that he should air his “lost interview” with Vivek Agnihotri first.
you first finish the promised session with vivek, anand and OP india which you have not yet broadcasted with excuse- lost tape. Finish this first
For Arnab, u cannot demand this. What is your virtue to be in a national debate??? Reach that level first
One user told him that his use of profanity and vulgar language make him unfit for any discourse in public forum.
You language doesn’t indicate any civility! Using profanities and vulgar slang for private parts in college crowd and in your Russel Peter style profanities infested excuse for a comedy show may be ok with you, but not on a public forum!
On Tuesday, the mentally unstable comedian heckled Arnab Goswami on an Indigo flight to Lucknow. This prompted several leading airline companies to put Kunal Kamra on a no-flying list. Instead of being apologetic about his ruthless behaviour, he carried a placard that read “I am not sorry” outside Republic TV studio.
To whitewash his outrageous actions, the cabal of liberal spin masters soon came to his rescue. Kunal Kamra was thus motivated to harass Goswami on board a flight again. Whether the comedian attempts to stay in the limelight or is deeply obsessed with the journalist, we will possibly never know.
Indonesia has ‘unveiled’ its first female flogging squad to publicly punish women who violate Sharia Law. One of the eight new female recruits in the country’s Aceh province has already delivered her first punishment. The unfortunate victim of the spectacle was an unmarried woman discovered with a man who was not family. The female flogging squad has been raised in Aceh province, the only province in Indonesia that imposes Sharia law.
As per reports, the new recruit initially needed some coaxing to thrash the woman. However, after she approached the woman nervously, she meted out a series of lashes. The behaviour for which the woman was punished constitutes a ‘morality crime’ in Indonesia, the biggest Muslim majority country. Those found guilty are often whipped publicly with a rattan cane in Aceh.
Aceh is a deeply conservative region on the Sumatra island. A limited autonomy deal signed more than a decade ago between Aceh and the central government of Indonesia allows the province to follow the Islamic Sharia law. The deal was made to end decades-long insurgency in the area in 2005.
The woman, covered from head to toe in traditional Islamic garb, was distinguished from her punisher by her pristine white clothing. The punisher, dressed in similar attire, wore a brown garb. Traditionally, the punishment has been meted out by men but in recent times, more and more women are being found guilty of ‘morality crimes’. Hence, the need for an exclusive female flogging squad was felt.
The chief investigator of Banda Aceh Sharia police was impressed by the punisher’s first flogging. “I think she did a good job. Her technique was nice,” Zakwan said. The women have been trained in how to flog properly without inflicting permanent damage. “We train them to make sure they’re physically fit and teach them how to do a proper whipping,” he said. “It’s kind of an indoctrination that we give to them so they have a better understanding of their role — have no mercy for those who violate God’s law’, he added.
Sharia police in Banda Aceh, a city of some 220,000 people, are on the streets round-the-clock in three shifts. If they find anyone violating strict codes about unmarried men and women interacting, they arrest them for punishment to be given under Sharia laws. The eight women inducted into the female flogging squad were already officers in the Sharia police.
A Twitter user has alleged that Congress General Secretary of Patparganj District Congress Committee, Sabir Ali has abused and threatened her with rape threats on social media.
The victim, Rupa Murthy, has posted screenshots of the Facebook messages, where an account, allegedly Sabir Ali’s, is seen giving violent and extremely abusive threats. The messages also include rape threats if she ‘says something about Muslims’. The authenticity of the account cannot be established.
The ex reporter who is threatening to rape me and my mother is also a Congress member @RahulGandhi .
You too claim Musalmaan khatre mein hai, and YOUR party leaders are giving me and my mother Rape threats.
Rupa Murthy has claimed that the messages of rape threats and abusive comments were sent to her by Sabir Ali. The messages contain violent, abusive language and rape threats id she ‘says anything against Muslims’.
However, Sabir Ali has issued a clarification through a different Facebook account whose authenticity also cannot be established, stating that he has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against an unknown person for creating and operating a Facebook account under his name and dishing out rape threats to women and murder threats to others.
In his complaint, Ali has asserted he was shocked with the allegations raised against him as he had never used unparliamentary language against women and its a conspiracy against him to defame him. Ali has urged the police to look into the matter and nab the real offender.
A shocking video clip has surfaced in which Congress leader Ajay Verma while speaking on a show ‘Taal Thok Ke’ aired on Zee News, where participants were debating the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, is heard daring the Bhartiya Janata Party-led ruling government to carve a separate country like Pakistan out of India for all the Muslims living here before declaring India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
He is heard saying: “Seena dikhaiyen, ek aur Bangladesh ki tarah jo desh mein 20/25 crore Muslim abadi hain unke liye ek aur Pakistan bana dijiye aur Hindustan ko Hindu Rashtra ghoshit kar dijiyen” roughly translated as “India has 20-25 crore Muslims like Bangladesh, I dare Indian government to show guts and give a separate country, like Pakistan, to Indian Muslims. Then you can declare India as a Hindu Rashtra (nation),” he said during a live debate on Zee news.
Ajay Verma of Sonia Gandhi led Congress Party says on national TV “Now that Moosleems are 25cr , give them another bangladesh from Hindustan
So congress party is truly following “Jinnah Wali Azadi” like it did in 1947
— Ritu (सत्यसाधक) #EqualRightsForHindus (@RituRathaur) January 30, 2020
This shocking remark where the Congress leader is brazenly calling for breaking India drew sharp reactions from the anchor and from the BJP spokesperson, Sudhanshu Trivedi, who criticised him for his inflammatory and divisive comments.
Twitter users wondered whether Congress party is truely following “Jinnah Wali Azadi” like it did in 1947.
Citing the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had said the people of Delhi need to decide whether they want “Jinnah Wali Azaadi” or Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Javadekar had accused the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party of “poisoning” the minds of minorities.
Moreover, sharing a video, the BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya had also alleged that the Congress ecosystem is behind these “sponsored” protests. Even though OpIndia could not verify the authenticity of the video, it certainly raises doubts about the credibility of the organized Shaheen Bagh protests.
After the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the country has been gripped by riots, violence and arson specifically by the Left and Islamist mobs. The protests, which have been raging on for weeks have exposed itself to be deeply Islamic and anti-Hindu in nature with posters like F*ck Hindutva that distorted the Om symbol to several slogans that exposed the Islamist mobs’ deep-seated hatred for Hindus.
Interestingly, earlier, ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi’ slogans were raised at Shaheen Bagh which also pointed towards the main agenda of these anti-CAA protests, specifically at Shaheen Bagh, is the second partition of India.
In just a week, many incidents have surfaced which laid the secessionist agenda of the ultra-left wing protestors at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area exposed. It is now sufficiently clear that this protest like all other anti-CAA riots is anything but ‘organic’. In fact, it is another typical left-wing organised blatant communal event where protestors are openly batting for secession from India.
Sharjeel Imam, the mastermind of the Shaheen Bagh protests and a columnist at The Wire, was arrested recently for his seditious speeches. He had called for the breaking up of India and had spoken about cutting off Assam from India. During interrogation, it was revealed that Sharjeel Imam is highly radicalized and wants to turn India into an Islamic state.
It was also revealed that he does not regret his actions. Now, reports have emerged that the police are looking into his links with radical Islamist outfit PFI and the Islamic Youth Federation. In this report, we shall look into the backgrounds of these two organizations.
Popular Front of India (PFI)
The radical Islamic outfit, Popular Front of India has been in the midst of several dangerous controversies and plots of radical terrorists. It was launched after the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD, Karnataka) National Development Front (NDF, Kerala) Manitha Neethi Pasarai (MNP, Tamil Nadu) and the South India Council decided to float the organization together.
The PFI is suspected of funding violence in the recent spate of violence during the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Enforcement Directorate has claimed that the PFI has spent around Rs. 120 crores to fuel riots across the country. The investigation report says that the money was withdrawn a day before or on the day of the anti-CAA protests.
Three people associated with PFI, including UP state head Waseem, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for orchestrating violence by spreading misinformation through social media platforms. UP police chief OP Singh has stated that members of radical Islamic organisations – PFI and its political front, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), including political parties like Samajwadi Party were involved in instigating Muslim mobs to indulge in violence across the state during the anti-CAA protests. The UP police have advocated a ban on PFI after the widespread violence in the state. Five more PFI members have been arrested by the UP Police on the 31st of January, Friday.
The PFI has a history of its members being associated with violence. Only last month, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had re-arrested the out-on-bail accused and a member of PFI, KA Najeeb, in connection with a professor’s palm chopping case in Kerala. Najeeb was booked under relevant sections of the IPC, Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for “conspiring and facilitating the lethal attack on Professor TJ Joseph at Thodupuzha, Ernakulam district in Kerala on July 4, 2010.”
PFI member Asim Sharif is also suspected of involvement in the killing of RSS activist Rudresh. Rudresh, the RSS worker, was hacked to death in the Shivajinagar area of Bengaluru in October 2016. Five men including Asim Sharif were arrested in the case and a National Investigation Agency court had framed charges against them. Asim Sharif was reportedly the district president of Bengaluru PFI.
The NIA had also arrested a Muslim man named Myden Ahmed Shali last year, the head of one ‘Dawah’ team, for the killing of 42-year-old Hindu activist and PMK leader Ramalingam on the morning of 5th February 2019 at Pakku Vinayagam Thoppu in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. The Dawah team was linked to the PFI. Earlier, the NIA had arrested another PFI member named Mohammad Faruk in connection with the murder. Tamil Nadu police had earlier arrested 10 persons before NIA took over the case.
Islamic Youth Federation (IYF)
The IYF was founded as a consequence of a merge between various Radical Islamic organizations that used to operate under the umbrella of Federation of Islamic Youth Organizations (FIYO) since 11 January 2009. At the end of 2018, the member groups of FIYO decided to come together and form a single group in order to build a single nationwide student movement. Thus, on the 31st of March, 2019, all these groups of FIYO came together to form the IYF.
According to a DailyO report from April 2019, the IYF considers itself the true heir to the legacy of Abul A’la Maududi, the founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). The JI was founded in 1941 by the Islamic fundamentalist Maududi. Some members of the JI chose to stay in India post the partition of the country and it began calling itself the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), however, there was no visible disassociation from its Islamic fundamentalist objectives. It was only in 1984 that it lifted its ‘voting ban’ on its members, until then, their members were not permitted to vote in elections. It also ‘boycotted’ judiciary, army and the banking system.
The report also says that the constituent members of the FIYO wished to establish an Islamic State in India. It goes so far as to say, “The IYF doesn’t represent anything new. It is just a continuation of Maududi’s original programme of establishing Hukumat e Ilahiya. JIH left it midway and moderated itself. SIMI continued the same but got banned. IYF now seeks to carry that legacy forward.” ‘Hukumar e Ilahiya means the government of Allah.
The website of IYF says that its aim is ‘To achieve the pleasure of Almighty Allah through the establishment of Islam in individual and collective lives.’ Other objectives include “To try to eliminate moral degradation, sexual anarchy and mental slavery” and “To present the message of Islam to Non-Muslim students and youth and to call them towards it”.
The motives of IYF
The reasons for Muslims to join this organization include “(IF!!!) You wish to liberate the humans from human dominance and bring the humanity under the rule of Allah” and “(IF!!!) You wish your school, college, campus, hostel, streets and cities to live by belief (iman) and Islam in vision, mission and action”. IYF also says that Muslims should join it if “You wish to convert your society into the best and exemplary society”.
Why Muslims should join the IYF
The Facebook page of the organization provides further clues about its fundamentalist inclinations. They club atheism, movies and music, birthday celebrations along with alcohol, nudity, affairs (presumably extramarital) and vulgarity.
And the poster was part of its ‘Crush Evil Campus Campaign’. It does appear a bit drastic to condemn birthday celebrations and music as evil but it is consistent with Islamic fundamentalism. Furthermore, it clubs social media as evil too, which is a bit amusing given the fact that the poster was published on Facebook.
Source: IYF’s Facebook Page
According to the IYF, the Muslim youth should come forward “To attain the happiness of Allah and achieve Jannat (Heaven) join the effort and struggle of dominating of the motto ‘La ilaaha illallaah’ (There is no God and sovereign except Allah) and making Quran the constitution of lives of humans. Become an integral part of this important student and youth organization Islamic Youth Federation (IYF). And sacrifice the most important and precious phase of your life, your youth, in the path of your creator and lord, Allah.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the slogan of ‘La ilaha illallah’ has been the dominating slogan of these Muslim protests against the CAA. The same slogan caused a split between the ‘secular’ camp and the Islamic fundamentalist brigade. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor spoke out against the slogan being used in these anti-CAA protests, however, his voice was soon crushed by the Radical Muslims driving the movement. Tharoor was also subjected to sloganeering for his words.
The DailyO report says that “As a part of its programme, IYF makes sure it vilifies nationalism, secularism, feminism, communism and liberalism every now and then through the posters it releases, both online and offline. These ‘isms’, they believe, are antithetical to Islam and must be demolished before an Islamic state can be established.” The poster by IYF appears consistent with this. It’s also consistent with Sharjeel Imam’s ideology who considers Materialism, Atheism, Liberalism, Idolatry and Humanism as ‘Shirk’.
The distressing part here is the fact that the IYF has added another word to the conventional interpretation of ‘La ilaha illallah’. According to the IYF, it doesn’t simply mean ‘No God But Allah’ but also means ‘No God or Sovereign but Allah’. It is a clear hint towards the fact that the organization does not consider the Indian State to be sovereign. The preamble of the Indian Constitution declares India to be a sovereign country, the IYF is clearly rejecting it. This is also consistent with Sharjeel Imam’s ideology who considers nationalism to be ‘Shirk’.
What It Means
It clearly indicates that Sharjeel Imam is just one individual but there exists a vast network of such organizations and individuals who share the same ideology as him and are working towards the same objective. It also indicates that the Shaheen Bagh protests and the violence in response to the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act were organized by a network of organizations that envision another partition of the country.
The ‘Jamia Coordination Committee’ and the Alumni Association have filed a complaint with the Station House Officer (SHO) of New Friends colony, asking for the registration of an FIR against Union Minister Anurag Thakur, BJP leader Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma in connection with the Thursday’s Jamia firing incident. They have also urged police to register FIR against the shooter who had been identified as one Gulshan Sharma (name changed), a resident of Jewar in Greater Noida.
The complaint also names BJP MPs Anurag Thakur, Pravesh Singh and MLA Kapil Mishra
Blaming the Delhi police of being in collaboration with the shooter the Association in its press release said: “The increasing intensity of terrorism and police’s collaboration with them has to be immediately recognised as Hindutva terrorism. The time is such that a pro-CAA terrorist can open fire unchallenged in front to hundreds of policemen, while peaceful anti-CAA and NRC protests are broken with lathis and arrests”.
Jamia Coordination Committee press release.
Delhi Police investigating the case have refuted the allegations of police inaction when a man opened fire at protestors near Jamia Millia University today. DCP Chinmay Biswal, speaking to the media said that police were deployed at the usual areas in and around the university and the protestors were asked not to take out this march. Irrespective of being denied permission the protestors went ahead with the march. He also confirms that the shooter came from within the crowd of protestors and wielded the gun.
The Delhi Police also said that the incident occurred in “a split of a second” and sufficient police arrangement was made for the march for which there was no permission. “The police immediately rushed towards the person and overpowered him”, said the police in its statement.
On allegations, that police did not help the wounded student, the police clarified that though barricades were tied to each other to deal with the march, the student was immediately rushed to the hospital by the police who lifted him from behind the barricades to save precious time.
Devesh Shrivastava, Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police said that the shooter who fired at students of the Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday afternoon had been booked under Section 307 of the IPC, which is the charge of attempt to murder. He also confirmed that the protestors were not given permission for the march. “They wanted permission to protest at Raj Ghat. We have stopped them here as they do not have any such permission.”
Devesh Shrivastava, Joint Commissioner of Police: They wanted permission to protest at Raj Ghat. We have stopped them here as they do not have any such permission. FIR has been registered against person who opened fire under 307 IPC and Arms Act and further investigation is on. https://t.co/UhkBEla6fYpic.twitter.com/ncFgv5t2BV
Union home minister Amit Shah tweeted saying action would be taken against those behind the incident. “I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner on the incident of firing in Delhi and have directed him to take the strictest action,” he said.
By late evening, the investigation was handed over to the crime branch.
The Supreme Court today sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking explanation on a plea for quashing notices sent to the anti-CAA rioters by the district administration for recovery of damages caused to public property during the riots against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which had gripped the state last month.
A bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and KM Joseph issued the notice to the Yogi-led state government and directed it to file its response within four weeks.
The apex court was hearing a plea which alleged that notices have been sent by the Uttar Pradesh government in an “arbitrary manner”, citing instances where people above 90 years of age had allegedly received notices. Advocate Parwaiz Arif Titu, a petitioner in the case, sought a stay on these notices claiming that they were sent in a disorganized manner to people who have not been booked under any criminal provisions or have no FIR’s registered in their names.
Advocate Nilofar Khan, who filed the petition in the apex court against the Yogi government argued that the notices slapped on the protestors were based on an Allahabad High Court verdict delivered in 2010. This was “is in violation of the guidelines” passed by the apex court in a 2009 judgment which was later re-affirmed in a 2018 verdict, affirmed Khan.
The plea has also sought setting up of an independent judicial inquiry to probe into the incidents which happened during the protests against CAA and NRC in Uttar Pradesh, as has been done by the Karnataka High Court.
The plea has claimed that even before any demonstrations, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had declared that there was no reason for anyone to protest against the CAA. The SC has given the UP government four-weeks time to file its response.
It is pertinent to note here that Uttar Pradesh was one of the worst-hit by the anti-CAA riots in which Muslim mobs ran amok damaging public property and injuring police personnel and innocent civilians. During the clashes, several minors were seen throwing stones at the policemen and vandalizing properties.
Uttar Pradesh police had released several videos and pictures which busts the myth that anti-CAA protests were inherently peaceful and spontaneous. These videos show how rioters have been attacking police personnel, resorting to vandalism, arson and rioting, damaging the public property and injuring public as well as the police officials.
Condemning the violence and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in parts of Uttar Pradesh and parts of the country, Yogi Adityanath had said people cannot indulge in violence in the “name of protests”. The UP CM had assured that strict actions will be taken against hoodlums who have been trying to create unrest in his state and various parts of the country.
The Rampur Police were the first to issue notices to as many as 28 locals across Rampur district, holding them responsible for acts of violence and causing damage to government property. The police had sought an explanation as to why recoveries should not be made for damage worth Rs 14.86 lakh.
The notice cited damage to the government properties to the tune of Rs 14,86,500. It listed, among others, a police jeep of Bhot police station (Rs 750,000), motorcycle of a sub-inspector (Rs 65,000), motorcycle of City Kotwali police station (Rs 90,000), wireless set, hooter/loudspeaker, 10 sticks, three helmets, and three body protectors.
