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Burhan ‘headmaster’s son’ Wani 2.0: despite being exposed as terrorist and Jihad supporters, Barkha Dutt stands by her Jamia ‘sheroes’

OpIndia Staff
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Burhan ‘headmaster’s son’ Wani 2.0: despite being exposed as terrorist and Jihad supporters, Barkha Dutt stands by her Jamia ‘sheroes’

Despite the Jihadi ideologies of Barkha Dutt’s ‘sheroes’ from Jamia already being exposed by OpIndia and social media users, the controversial journalist continues to refuse to accept their reality. The female students of Jamia Milia Islamia university, Ladeeda Farzana and Aysha Renna, had become ‘sheroes’ of Barkha Dutt after a video had gone viral showing them protecting a male student from police lathi charge. The incident had happened during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest that had turned violent, prompting police to use force to control the situation.

After Barkha Dutt made the students heroes, whom she calls ‘sheroes’, and interviewed them, social media users were quick to find that these students harboured jihadi ideologies. Ladeeda Farzana, who uses the name Ladeeda Shakhaloon for her social media accounts, had openly given call for jihad. She had said that people should “learn about our ‘Jihad’”. She had also glorified the early Muslims who had scored victories against ‘Kaafirs’. Aysha Renna has been sharing jihadi and anti-India posts of Ladeeda.

Read: Jamia, AMU and many other anti-CAA agitations are “protests of entitlement”

The social media posts of Ladeeda are so radical that even committed ‘secularists’ are finding it hard to believe that she actually posted those ideas. She has now deleted her Facebook account, where she had posted the radical Islamic messages. But when media house India Today talked to her, she defended the views presented on those posts. She also refused to explain her opposition to secularism.


But despite the fact that these women have radical Islamic ideologies which they themselves do not refuse, Barkha Dutt continues in her mission to elevate them as some sort of heroes. Yes, they did try to protect one of their friends from police lathi charge, but that does not change the fact that they are deeply indoctrinated Islamic fundamentalism.

Barkha Dutt tries to emphasis on the fact the women are very young, just 22-year olds. But she ignores that Jihadi terrorists who blow themselves to kill Indian security forces are also from similar age group. It is easy to radicalised young minds, that’s why so many Islamic terrorists are so young. Pulwama terrorist Adil Ahmad Dar was also 22 years old, Burhan Wani was 22, Ajmal Kasab was just 21 when he opened fired on hundreds of innocents in Mumbai. Therefore, being of young age does not matter if someone believes in radical Islamic fundamentalism.

The controversial journalist has a history of defending terrorists. She had tried to garner sympathy for Burhan Wani by introducing him as the son of a poor school headmaster. These girls have not gone to the extent of taking up arms against India, but they have expressed support for such acts, and they can’t be made heroes or sheroes just because they are young and took police beating.

2008 Jaipur blast case: Special court awards death penalty to all four Islamist terrorists

OpIndia Staff
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2008 Jaipur blast case: Special court awards death penalty to all four Islamist terrorists

The Jaipur court has awarded death sentence to all the four convicts of the 2008 Jaipur blast case.

According to the reports, the Jaipur court announced the quantum of sentence to all the four convicts – Mohammad Saif aka Carreon, Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Saif alias Saifurrahman Ansari and Mohammad Salman. All the four convicts have been awarded the death penalty while the fifth accused was acquited on the benefit of the doubt.


On Wednesday, a special court in Jaipur had convicted four people for the 2008 Jaipur blasts, which killed nearly 80 people and left many others injured. The quantum of sentence was announced on Friday by the special court.

The special court convicted the four accused under sections of IPC, Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, Explosives Act, and PDPP Act. The Rajasthan Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) investigated the case and a charge-sheet was filed against five people. The court had also held banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen responsible for the same.

The blasts were a series of 9 synchronized bomb blasts that took place on May 13, 2008, at different locations in the capital of Rajasthan, especially crowded market areas and near a Hanuman temple in Jaipur killing more than 70 people. The special court upheld that Saif planted the bomb at Manek Chowk while Sarwar planted it at Chandpole Hanuman temple. Salman planted a bomb at Sanganeri Gate Hanuman Temple and Rahman at Phool Walon Ka Khande in the name of ‘jihad’.

The kingpin of the blasts, Aatif Amin was killed in Batla House encounter in Delhi in September 2008.

RDX was suspected to be used, which was set off from cycles near Tripolia Bazar, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal, which were located within a 2km radius of the old city.

Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam, a terrorist organization based in Bangladesh was suspected to be behind the attack. Terror group Indian Mujahideen’s co-founder Yasin Bhatkal was also suspected to be the mastermind of the attacks in Jaipur.

Watch: 9 videos of stone pelting, arson, vandalism by Muslims mobs and action by police during anti-CAA riots in UP today

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: 9 videos of stone pelting, arson, vandalism by Muslims mobs and action by police during anti-CAA riots in UP today

The protests against the Citizenship Act have turned violent in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, Firozabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha and various other cities.

Reportedly, violent mobs are targetting police officials in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest. A police post has also been damaged and three vehicles were torched by an unruly mob, following which the police used tear gas to control the situation.


According to News18, the violent mob attacked the police personnel in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.


According to ANI, rioters threw stones at police forces in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing Citizenship Amendment Act protests.


Similarly, several cops and protesters have been injured as rioters indulged in vandalism in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr. The Police had to lathi-charge after protesters engaged in stone-pelting, giving a violent turn to Citizenship Protests.


In a similar incident, security personnel had to baton charge violent rioters at Amroha and Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh.


The situation in Kanpur also turned violent after protesters went unruly in the city. The violent Muslim mobs chased a police jeep and ransacked public property.


Similarly, anti-CAA Protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar also took a violent turn as protesters set vehicles on fire.


On Thursday, Sambhal, a stronghold of Samajwadi Party, witnessed a large-scale protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act as four buses of UPSRTC and six police vehicles were vandalised by protesters who also hurled stones at security personnel and media persons.

Following the violent protests, the Uttar Pradesh police have registered a case against several accused persons including Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Shafiqur Rahman Barq and Feroz Khan for indulging in violent protests in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, reports ANI. Burq is the sitting MP from Sambhal.

Reportedly, over 250 unnamed persons have been booked for violent protests in Sambhal district. At least 30 people have been arrested in connection with the anti-CAA protest violence in the district.

As per reports, over 3000 people have been named in FIRs by UP Police for violence and riots. Mobile internet service has been suspended in over several districts in the state.

Can’t join protest while on duty, absence will be considered unauthorised: TISS issues circular to faculty and staff on anti-CAA protests

OpIndia Staff
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Can’t join protest while on duty, absence will be considered unauthorised: TISS issues circular to faculty and staff on anti-CAA protests

The Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) in Mumbai has issued a notification to its faculties informing them that absence from duty on account of protests against the Government of India will be deemed as unauthorised leave. The circular from TISS has come at a time when anti-CAA protests have turned into riots.


Earlier this week, anti-CAA protests were organised in Mumbai which saw participation from some of the on-duty staff and faculties of the TISS.

Taking stern action against truancy exhibited by some faculties, the TISS administration released a notification for all staff and facilities stating that since the Institute is funded by the Government of India, the staff and faculty cannot join any kind of protests while on duty.

Read: Media, celebrities spreading falsehoods, CAA being misinterpreted: Pune law students issue statement supporting the Act

The circular further added that it is against the conduct rules and the absence from duty to join the protests will be treated as unauthorised. The circular was issued with the Director’s approval.

The protests against the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act intensified after Delhi Police took corrective action against the hoodlums at the Jamia Millia Islamia indulging in acts of arson and vandalism under the pretext of carrying out peaceful protests against the enactment of the Citizenship Law.

Read: Digital media platform MyNation provides recourse to expelled students from MP’s Makhanlal Journalism University, offers job without requirement of graduation certificate

Scores of vehicles were torched, public property damaged and stones pelted at the police forces as a party of the protest organised at the Jamia Millia university.

Following the violence, the Delhi Police entered the Jamia Islamia Millia University to flush out violent hoodlums hiding inside the university. This triggered solidarity protests in some parts of the country, including Mumbai.

Left, media destroying Sanatan Dharma, Hindus should unite to preserve Hinduism: Former Deputy PM of Nepal Kamal Thapa

OpIndia Staff
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Left, media destroying Sanatan Dharma, Hindus should unite to preserve Hinduism: Former Deputy PM of Nepal Kamal Thapa

As many leftist portals, political parties from Congress and the communists and Islamic organisations are busy spreading falsehood about the Citizenship Amendment Act, giving it a communal spin, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Kamal Thapa today called for all the Hindus of the world to unite in fight against the leftists who are hellbent on destroying the ‘Sanatan Dharma’.

Calling for Hindus of the world to stand against the left and preserve the glory of the Sanatan Dharma, the leader of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party of Nepal Kamal Thapa took to Twitter on December 20 to write: “This is true in Nepal’s context too. Nepal’s left and Nepali Congress along with some mainline media, academia are trying to destroy age-old Sanatan Dharma, culture, Nepali Maryada, parampara and identity.”


Thapa was responding to a tweet by Vedic Scholar Dr David Frawley, also known as Pandit Vamadeva Shastri. Frawley had said that Hindus have been under siege politically, religiously and demographically for centuries.

Read: Rajiv Gandhi govt threw out Hindu monarchy in Nepal, paving way for Communists and Chinese clout, reveals ex-special director of RAW

“India’s leftist media, academia and political parties from Congress to the Communists are now leading the charge. Hindus should have no illusions about their motivations and stand firm,” Dr Frawley said.


Responding to this Tweet Thapa said that similar to India, the leftists’ parties, media and the mainstream Nepali Congress too are trying to destroy the age-old Sanatan Dharma.

“Let’s all Hindus of the world unite in preserving the glory of Sanatan Dharma,” Thapa said.

Anti-CAA riots in Bihar: Vandalism, disruptions reported, Pappu Yadav marches wearing handcuffs and shackles

OpIndia Staff
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Anti-CAA riots in Bihar: Vandalism, disruptions reported, Pappu Yadav marches wearing handcuffs and shackles

Like many other states across the country, Patna in Bihar also turned into a war zone as the left-wing parties with support from around six Opposition parties in Bihar called for a statewide shutdown on Thursday in protest against the amended Citizenship Act and the proposed country-wide implementation of National Register of Citizens.

As per reports, Anti-CAA rioters took to the streets, resulting in large-scale traffic disruption, arson and vandalism. The rioters vandalised private and commercial vehicles in and around Patna during the bandh. In some districts including Patna, Ara and Darbhanga protesters disrupted rail routes.

Reports stated that workers of Jan Adhikar Party had indulged in vandalism in several areas of Patna. Stone pelting and arson incidents have been reported too.

Supporters of Jan Adhikar Party floated by former MP Pappu Yadav used burnt tyres to stop traffic on the streets adjacent to Rajendra Nagar terminus and also vandalised an ambulance while it was heading towards a residential area in Patna. Many of Yadav’s supporters squatted on the railway tracks to prevent trains from running on time.

JAP chief Pappu Yadav who had earlier claimed that he was placed under house arrest for extending support to the bandh said that “we have come out on the streets to oppose the Citizenship Act which is against the Constitution. It seems that the entire nation today has been held captive and needs to be released”.

Yadav marched on the streets accompanied by supporters wearing handcuffs and shackles, accusing the government of trying to smother dissent.

Moreover, supporters of the left parties created ruckus after halting a train at Lakhisarai on the Patna Kiul section under the Danapur division of East Central Railway.

According to Railway sources, the Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, which runs between Darbhanga and new Delhi via Hajipur was stranded at Laheriasarai for half an hour by the bandh supporters venting their ire against the CAA and the NRC.

RPF and GRP cops were alerted about the situation and moved to disperse the agitation.

Besides rail services, the bandh supporters had blocked the roads including the NHs across the state resulting into a complete halt of vehicles movements on roads.

The left-wing protestors were joined by members of several Muslim organisations to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

RJD which is the main Opposition party in Bihar didn’t participate in the bandh but provided “moral support” as they said that “the party has decided to organise a separate state-wide agitation against the issue on December 21”.

“We have called a bandh in Bihar on December 21 against the CAA. The act is unconstitutional and against humanity. It has exposed the divisive character of BJP,” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told ANI here on Friday.

Media, celebrities spreading falsehoods, CAA being misinterpreted: Pune law students issue statement supporting the Act

OpIndia Staff
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Media, celebrities spreading falsehoods, CAA being misinterpreted: Pune law students issue statement supporting the Act

Two days after it was reported that the students, alumni and faculty of the Indian Law Society’s Law College, Pune came out against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and supported the protests against it by students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University, a section of the college has now voiced their opinion in support of the Act.

On Wednesday, students of several educational institutions across the countries had issued statements supporting the anti-CAA protests by Jamia and AMU students. The ILS Law College in Pune was one among them, and the statement issued by them said, “We remind the state machinery that under our constitutional framework, the right to peaceful protest is safeguarded as a fundamental right under Part III. It ought not to come as a shock to the ruling establishments in various states where the protests are on-going that a vote is not a solemn declaration of irrevocable acceptance for all times to come. A vote is not a bargain for silence without dissent. We condemn the terrorizing of institutions of learning using the disproportionate weight of state machinery to stifle legitimate dissent. It is highly unbecoming of the state machinery to unleash violence on students. We stand in solidarity with the students who have suffered this indiscriminate brutality. We request the judiciary to take cognizance of these brutal acts by the state machinery and initiate an independent inquiry.”

But now it has emerged that only a handful of students were behind this statement, and many students in the law college do not agree with protests against the CAA, and in fact, support the amendment. These students have now issued a statement in support of the CAA. They say that they strongly reiterate their support for the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and condemn the violent protests taking place across the country.

Read- Modi government dispels myths about CAA: Here are 19 FAQs and their answers

The students have said that the Act has been grossly misinterpreted to those who have not read the Act in its entirety and those who do not have access to the Act. “As educated people and law students/practitioners of India’s one of the most prestigious colleges, it is on us to educate the masses and correct the myths that are being circulated,” the statement reads. The students also allege that prominent media houses and celebrities are spreading false notions about the Act and are thus polarizing people in the name of religion.

A second-year BA LLB student of ILS Law College also an online poll on seeking the support of the statement supporting the CAA. While the statement received support from a large number of students of the college, the student organising the poll was hounded by left-leaning students on class WhatsApp Groups.

The full statement of the students of ILS Law College in Pune supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act is given below.

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT, 2019

We, the students and alumni of Indian Law Society’s Law College, Pune, in our personal capacity, strongly reiterate our support for the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and condemn the violent protests taking place across the country.

The Act has been grossly misinterpreted to those who have not read the Act in its entirety and those who do not have access to the Act. As educated people and law students/practitioners of India’s one of the most prestigious colleges, it is on us to educate the masses and correct the myths that are being circulated.

First and foremost, it is an Act that has no provision whatsoever to snatch citizenship. It can only grant citizenship. Prominent media houses and celebrities are spreading false notions and are thus polarizing people in the name of religion. Indian Muslims are rightful citizens of our country and will not be touched by this Act. Muslim brothers of the neighboring countries will still be provided Citizenship through the legal front door as has been happening in the past.

India has only one religion and that is the Constitution of India. The Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of Age. This Act is not in conflict with the Constitution. Article 14 guarantees to all equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. However equal treatment should not be confused with identical treatment. There is a principle of “Reasonable Classification” under Article 14. The Test of Reasonable Classification says that the classification must be based upon “Intelligible Differentia” that distinguishes persons or things that are grouped from others that are left out of the group. Here the intelligible differentia is the persecution of religious minorities in the three bordering Islamic States. The reasonable classifications made are country wise (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh) and community wise (Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Jew, Parsi, Christian).There are several case laws thathas established these concepts, Budhan Chowdhuri vs The Union of India & Ors., 1951 AIR 41, 1950 SCR 869; Lachmandas Kewalram Ahujanand vs The State of Bombay, 1952 AIR 235, 1952 SCR 710 et al.

An Act need not redress every social wrong however it is also imperative to work on other issues. CAA is an Act that ensures religious minorities who are being persecuted in the neighboring countries are redressed. The Act is in the interest of human rights of several voiceless and powerless people and hence must be celebrated.

We condemn the unprecedented violence and bloodshed that followed. We are against the use of violence by anyone and would not take sides since a plethora of false news regarding the student protests has transpired. Of what is known, several interest groups and political parties had helped in orchestrating these nationwide protests. It has become a tendency of many interest groups to mislead the public when their political agenda fails to succeed. As rightly said by someone, truth is the best disinfectant and hence we reaffirm our faith in the Supreme Court to decide the truth of the events.

We also urge the government to publish simplified facts and narrow the gap between the executive and the masses in order to prevent any further spread of falsity.

It is our earnest request to you to show support in this pledge as future legal luminaries of our country.

Out-on-bail Islamist KA Najeeb of PFI, accused in Kerala professor’s hand-chopping case re-arrested by NIA

OpIndia Staff
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Out-on-bail Islamist KA Najeeb of PFI, accused in Kerala professor’s hand-chopping case re-arrested by NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) re-arrested the out-on-bail accused and a member of the radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), KA Najeeb in connection with a professor’s palm chopping case in Kerala.

Najeeb was re-arrested on Wednesday after the Supreme Court stayed the order of the Kerala High Court granting bail to him.

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.”

Najeeb was arrested by the NIA on April 10, 2015, in connection with the case from Coimbatore, but was granted bail by the Kerala HC on July 23, 2019, following delay in commencement of trial. Of the 31 people nabbed by the NIA in the case, 13 were found guilty and the rest were acquitted.

The NIA had challenged the Kerala HC’s order in the apex court, and following a stay by the Supreme Court the NIA team re-arrested him.

Professor TJ Joseph was the faculty of the Newmans College at Thodupuzha in Idukki. He was attacked by the members of Popular Front of India, a radical Muslim group, alleging that one of his questions in an internal examination paper, which was reportedly set by Joseph, had derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammed.

The Muslim radicals attacked the professor as a punishment for the alleged irreverent reference to Prophet Mohammed in a question paper that he prepared.

On July 4, 2010, when the professor was returning home along with his family after attending Sunday mass, he was attacked and one of his hands was chopped off by the accused.

For the Malayalam question paper, Joseph had selected a paragraph from a short story by CPI(M) leader PT Kunju Mohammed to test students on punctuation. In the story, a nameless villager questions god. When setting the question, Joseph had named this villager Mohammed. This had created a furore after a newspaper affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami sensationalised the issue by equating it with blasphemy.

Read: By speaking against Rasalullah, you have invited your own doom: When Asaduddin Owaisi had threatened Kamlesh Tiwari

In another such case, former Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari who spent months in jail for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad was brutally murdered by few radical Islamist in Lucknow in October this year. It was reported that arrested suspects Shamim, Faizan and Mohsin Sheikh had admitted of killing the Hindu leader over his remarks on Prophet Mohammad’s sexuality.

Everything that doesn’t fit ideology of a clique is not unconstitutional: 51 NLUO students extend support to CAA, slam critics

OpIndia Staff
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Everything that doesn’t fit ideology of a clique is not unconstitutional: 51 NLUO students extend support to CAA, slam critics

Amidst the spate of violent protests and riots in many left-leaning universities across the country against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (Anti-CAA riots), now, the students of National Law University Odisha (NLUO), have come forth to extend their support to the Bill that intends to naturalise persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian refugees from neighbouring countries.


“We undersigned law students of the National Law University Odisha, Cuttack with utmost respect for solidarity issues for our fellow colleagues, but also as proud Indian citizens and having prudently read, understood and reasonably being able to perceive the purpose voice our unequivocal support for the Citizenship Amendment Act,” the statement released by the signatories said.

The NLUO students also condemned the “premeditated violent protests” and “destruction of public property” by motivated sections in the aftermath of the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Read: Media tried to ‘manufacture consent’ about the authenticity of anti-CAA protests: Here is how students foiled that attempt

It further read that the enactment of the CAA Act is in no way discriminatory against a particular community and found on an intelligible differentia under the Article 14 of the Indian Constitution and will seek the objective of protecting and preserving the persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries.

In a scathing attack against the CAA protestors, the letter rubbished the critiques of the CAA Act saying, “The detractors of the CAA  must remember that everything that does not fit the particular ideology of a particular clique, is not unconstitutional”.

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

”We, therefore, appeal the cynics and pathological naysayers to uphold their democratic right to protest and not misuse their freedom. The legitimacy and sanctuary of the protests shall be maintained but no rational person opposes peaceful protests. Stone pelting and arson can never be considered as forms of protests, encouraging such acts must be condemned,” it read.

Earlier, the premier students’ body DSSF of the TISS institute had come forward voicing their support for the newly legislated Citizenship Amendment Act.

The enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Bill had triggered a series of violent protests in some pockets of the country. The protests which were deemed ‘peaceful’ by many saw violence, arson and acts of vandalism, committed by the demonstrators, especially in Delhi and West Bengal.

No right to question India when its own closet is brimming with skeletons: Here is why USCIRF should back off on CAA

Vinayak Jain
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No right to question India when its own closet is brimming with skeletons: Here is why USCIRF should back off on CAA

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has condemned the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA, then CAB) of the Narendra Modi government stating that it is ‘deeply troubled’ by the bill and recommends sanctions on Home Minister Amit Shah and other ‘principal leadership’ if the CAB (now CAA) successfully goes through both the houses.

Liberals and self-proclaimed ‘intellectuals’ have gone gaga over the report. These people are suffering from an existential crisis as their unabated access into the functioning of the government has been neutralised by Prime Minister Modi, and thus, they’re hanging onto the USCIRF report like a desperate man clinging onto a feeble branch in a raging river. If they depend too much on this ‘branch’ they will flow away in the current and drown.

The reason for saying so is that the US itself has explicitly or tacitly indulged in a plethora of human rights violations and looked away from bloody acts that have punished innocents for being born into a faith that doesn’t sit down well with the regressive beliefs of the majority. The US has absolutely no moral standing to question the Narendra Modi government as the one thing this dispensation has shown is a staunch desire to take development to all sections of the society without any shred of discrimination. (Seems like the USCIRF was more happy with Manmohan Singh’s statement about minorities having first right on the resources of the country probably because the US had an influence on Indian policies back then which has now been blown to smithereens).

Read: USCIRF, the commission that recommended denial of US visa to Modi, threats US sanctions against Amit Shah if CAB is passed

The USCIRF is said to be an independent body. However, it is not exactly a non-political entity considering that it was created by ‘The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’ which was passed by the 105th US Congress (1997-99) and signed into law by the then-President Bill Clinton. The first sentence of the act reveals a lot: “An act to express United States foreign policy with respect to, and to strengthen United States advocacy on behalf of, individuals persecuted in foreign countries on account of religion…” In simple words, what the USCIRF says and does is essentially an extension of US foreign policy. It will ignore what it sees unfit for the geopolitical interests of the country.

Why it chose to go to the extent of threatening sanctions on our leadership is because the US has been unable to influence and alter our policies since 2014, which, has been a regular feature of its functioning not just with respect to India but many other countries for decades. It is indeed the foremost superpower in the world but, somehow, it feels that it is also the international moral police. Ironically, in this case, the police has committed a hell of a lot more crimes that those it attempts to regulate and punish.

Before I go on to unravel a tiny piece of US hypocrisy, I wish to remind readers that what India has proposed through the CAA – shelter and citizenship for persecuted minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh – is exactly what President Trump did in 2017. In an interview, he said that persecuted Christians will be given priority as refugees as they have been ‘horribly treated’. Nothing more needs to be said in this matter.

America has been particularly lenient towards Pakistan. The gravest injustice America did, despite always pretending to have an eye out for crimes against innocents, was when it ignored Pakistan’s sanguinary campaign in East Pakistan to eliminate Bengali Muslims and Hindus. At that time it suited America to support Pakistan as it was an ally against Communism and Soviet influence in South Asia, and so, it let millions be massacred, raped and displaced.

Read: USCIRF, the commission that recommended denial of US visa to Modi, threats US sanctions against Amit Shah if CAB is passed

This soft corner that the American establishment has for Pakistan continues till date as it looks away from atrocities committed in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK. And all this simply because exposing Pakistan’s inhumane acts would hurt American interests. In this context, it doesn’t give a toss for human rights.

Now, let’s turn to America’s own history. (The following anecdotes have been taken from Noam Chomsky’s ‘How The World Works’)

In 1949, America put its espionage network in Eastern Europe under the control of Reinhard Gehlen. Gehlen had headed Nazi military intelligence on the Eastern Front. This network went on to take in many notorious Nazi criminals. Operations conducted under the US-Nazi ‘alliance’ provided agents and supplies to armies established by Hitler that were still up and running in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the 1950s.

The Americans had invaded Panama in the early ‘90s. Once the invasion was over, President Bush announced an aid of $1 billion. The fascinating aspect to this ‘aid’ package was that $400 million were incentives to US businesses to export products to Panama, $150 million was to pay off bank loans and $65 million were for private sector loans and guarantees to US investors. After ravaging the country with an invasion, American aid of $1 billion constituted of $615 million that essentially went from American taxpayers into the hands of American businesses. Is this looking after the interests of war-torn humans?

Suharto, a dictator of Indonesia in the 1960s, was largely supported by the West. His coming to power had involved the killing of almost 7 lakh people, and yet, it was allowed to happen. Another example of American apathy comes from Vietnam. As if the war and carnage unleashed wasn’t enough to disrupt lives in Vietnam, the US went on to prevent even the most meagre aid from reaching the Vietnamese that was meant to act as a balm to the seething wounds. India wanted to send 100 water buffaloes to Vietnam but the US threatened to cancel Food for Peace aid. Pencils and solar pumps to Cambodia were also tried to be stopped by the State Department.

A perfect summing up to this article would be to quote the findings of two academics – Lars Schoultz and Edward Herman. The former discovered that ‘US aid has tended to flow disproportionately to Latin governments which torture their citizens’. Herman also found a close correlation between US aid and torture of citizens.

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