As the National Capital of the country was yesterday racked with violent protestors indulging in acts of vandalism in several parts of the city, particularly Jamia Millia Islamia University, several AAP supporters extended their support to the protesting students following Delhi Police’s corrective action against the hoodlums.
Many AAP supporters and sympathisers on Twitter encouraged violence protests and riots by passing off a famous image from the Chile protests in 2016 on the 43 anniversary of the Pinochet coup as the Jamia Millia Islamia protests.
The Social Media and IT Strategist of the Aam Aadmi Party, Ankit Lal shared the image inciting protests against the government.
Another person, Dr Pooja Jha shared the image of the girl staring into the eyes of the police officer with the caption #JamiaProtest. In fact, Pooja has also changed her display picture with the Chile protest picture to extend her support to the Jamia Millia protestors.
Via Twitter
When another AAP supporter pointed out that the image belongs to 2016 and is from Chile, Pooja shamelessly brazened it out claiming that it is a symbolic image of protest.
The AAP supporters on Twitter are using the image to make people believe that the incident of the girl staring resolutely at the police officer pertains to the Jamia Millia protests in Delhi. However, the image of a girl staring defiantly at a police officer belongs to the Chile protests that erupted in 2016.
The image which was shared by tens and thousands of people on Social Media website had come to symbolise Chile protests 2016.
However, so far-removed were AAP supporters from the reality that they generously shared the image from 2016 believing that it belonged to the recently held Jamia Millia protests in Delhi.
The Delhi Police yesterday entered the Jamia Millia Islamia University premises to flush out the hoodlums who had indulged in vandalism and acts of arson under the pretext of carrying out a peaceful protest against the legislation of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019. Buses were torched, public property damaged and stones were pelted at policemen.
The arguments on the sentencing will be held on 19th December, 2019. Another accused Shashi Singh has been acquitted. Earlier this year, he was sacked from the BJP. The decision to sack the rape accused MLA comes after mounting pressure on the party after an accident killed kin of the Unnao rape victim and injured the victim and her lawyer.
Former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was the prime accused in the 2017 high profile rape case. The case pertains to an alleged rape committed by Sengar and his plot to silence the victim and intimidate her relatives by framing them in police cases based on flippant charges.
In August this year, the victim of the Unnao rape case was travelling to Rae Bareli with her two aunts, and her lawyer Mahendra Singh when their vehicle was hit by a truck, rendering them critically injured. The vehicle collided with a truck going in the opposite direction towards Lalganj in UP. The victim survived the near-fatal accident.
Two of her aunts were killed in the accident while her lawyer also sustained serious injuries. The woman’s family has filed a complaint alleging “conspiracy” behind the car crash.
The Allahabad High Court has disqualified senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s son and Suar MLA Abdullah Azam Khan from the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in connection with a fake affidavit. He is no longer an elected representative of the State.
Allahabad High Court disqualifies Abdullah Azam Khan from the membership of the State Legislative Assembly in connection with fake affidavit. He was the MLA from Suar of Rampur. He is the son of senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/tuDKV48OIN
On December 16 the court ruled that Abdullah Azam had produced fake documents about his age during the 2017 assembly elections and was underage at the time of elections. Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his son Abdulla Azam had landed in trouble after the Uttar Pradesh police filed a case of forgery against them. The police filed a case against the father-son duo following the directive by a Rampur court.
The case pertains to Abdulla Azam allegedly submitting a fake affidavit during the 2017 UP Assembly elections, in order to conceal his true age. The election was won by Abdulla from the Suar seat in Rampur.
Soon after the election, former BSP minister Kazim Ali Khan who is also known as Naved Mia, filed a case against Azam Khan and Abdullah, alleging their attempt to submit fake documents to prove that Abdulla was aged above 25 years. 25 is the minimum age required to contest either assembly or Lok Sabha elections. Abdulla’s father Azam Khan was dragged into this matter by the BSP leader by alleging that the latter too was involved in the forgery.
Last evening, the Delhi Police entered the Jamia Millia Islamia University to quell the bouts of violent acts accompanying the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Public property was destroyed as the enraged mobsters indulged in blatant acts of vandalism and arson. Hundreds of ‘protesters’ were paraded out of the University with their hands in the air. The Police said that they had nabbed some outsiders who were indulging in violence.
Even as the police valiantly discharged their duty to uphold law and order in the National Capital, some of the mischief mongers on Social Media websites were busy fanning falsehoods and stoking rumours about the police crackdown. One such unverified speculation floated by these miscreants that snowballed into a widespread rumour was related to a death of JMI student Shakir Kota.
Scores of Twitter users instantly lapped up the rumour and started tweeting about the student’s death in order to further incite the protests and assert that the Delhi Police has been an enabler of a fascist regime.
My friend is stuck in Jamia, has sent me some videos.
According to him It’s emergency in Jamia, one JMI student named Shakir Kota ( Department not known for now) has been killed.
However, these assertions were merely falsehoods to push a motivated agenda against the law enforcement agencies and thereby pressurising the government into revoking the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019. Pro-AAP blog Janta Ka Reporter also reported unverified news that there are reports that three students have died in the clashes.
Amongst those involve in rumour mongering were one Ashlin Mathew, editor with Congress mouthpiece National Herald.
Editor at National Herald
Delhi-based lawyer Dushyant Arora also tweeted how at least one student is confirmed dead. He has now quietly deleted the tweet without offering any explanation for the fake news.
Before long, the propaganda was busted as the news started to trickle in that no protestors were killed in the police action. Shakir, which many Twitter users were claiming had died is still alive. However, despite news reports denying deaths of demonstrators, the rumours about the deaths of protestors continued to be propagated unabatedly.
Today, the Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia, Najma Akthar had to come out and brief the media over the ongoing rumours of deaths of two students of the University.
Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Najma Akhtar: There has been a strong rumour that two students died, we deny this totally, none of our students died. About 200 people were injured of which many were our students pic.twitter.com/3uGAAVJuri
Denying the rumours about deaths of two JMI students, Akthar said that none of their students died due to the police action. She also mentioned that about 200 students got injured because of the police crackdown adding that many of those 200 injured students did not belong to the university.
Chief Justice Bobde appears to be losing patience with the ‘PIL activists’. After telling the petitioners seeking a judicial inquiry into the police action at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh University that students have no right to take the law into their hands just because they happen to be students, the Chief Justice took aim at the perennially disgruntled Prashant Bhushan when one of his pleas came up for hearing.
The plea in question was related to an earlier petition Prashant Bhushan had filed regarding the appointment of Information Commissioners pertaining to the RTI Act in states. The PIL activist alleged that the functionality of the RTI Act was deliberately being stalled. The CJI responded that are some serious apprehensions about RTI, he asserted that people who have nothing to do with the issue seek information. Appearing annoyed at Bhushan, Justice Bobde said, “Some people call themselves RTI activists. Tell me, is that an occupation?”
CJI- there is some apprehension regarding RTI. Decisions are not being taken.
Anyone who has nothing to do with the issue seek information
Some people call themselves #RTI activists. Tell me, is that an occupation?
The Chief Justice emphasized that he had nothing against the flow of information but he was concerned that those who have nothing to do with an issue want information on the matter. Having another go at Bhushan, Justice Bobde said, “Every day someone seeks information, and you are behind them. There should be some sort of filter.”
CJI to @pbhushan1 PB- everyday someone seeks information, and you are behind them
There should be some sort of filter#RTI
Justice Bobde expressed concern that the information could be used to blackmail people. He also said there should be no abuse of the law. Prashant Bhushan answered that he will ‘apply his mind for a solution’.
On Saturday, Kolkata Mayor from the Trinamool Congress, Firhad Hakim, appealed to the Muslim rioting mobs, who he addressed as friends, to not indulge in rioting in the state and damage public property. He further stated that they were only benefitting the BJP with their violence and rampage.
He also said that Mamata Banerjee has already declared that NRC and CAB will not be implemented in the state, therefore, they need not worry.
Hakim said, “Why should we, as people of Bengal, harm other people of Bengal? Why should we damage the public property of the people of Bengal? Those people will then start supporting Amit Shah and if 70% of them support Amit Shah, then when BJP comes to power here, then you’ll have to keep your heads down like they do in Uttar Pradesh. No one will come on the streets then.”
He continued, “If you want to protest, then join the rally called by Mamata Banerjee. Protest against the CAB and NRC in a democratic, social way. We are not criminals that we will burn buses and spread anarchy. Therefore, I request the brothers who are indulging in these protests to think sensibly. The people of Bengal are being hurt and Delhi’s Amit Shah is laughing at this.
Muslim mobs have been on a rampage in West Bengal and the state government has, thus far, shown no inclination of dealing with them with a strict hand. Buses have been burnt, trains have been set on fire and immense loss to public property has been reported from the state.
CJI S.A. Bobde on Monday agreed to hear the plea for a judicial inquiry into the Police action at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University. However, he did so on the condition that the violent protests and arson ceases to occur. Advocate Colin Gonsalves, the founder of the Human Rights Law Network that has received funds from George Soros’ Open Society Insititute and the European Union, appeared in the Court seeking a judicial intervention.
The Chief Justice said, “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…law 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…”
Justice Bobde was also of the opinion that there was little the Court could do as it is a law and order situation for the police to handle. He also observed that “both the sides have acted in a certain way”.
Delhi Police entered the Jamia Milia Islamia University last night to flush out the protesting students. In Uttar Pradesh, the Police carried out similar action against ‘protesters’ who had holed themselves up inside the Aligarh Muslim University. The students had pelted stones at the Police which forced the Police to retaliate.
Jamia Millia Islamia University, which had already seen violent protests earlier, found itself in thick of violence once again. At Jamia Nagar in Delhi where the university is located, Jihadist slogans were raised. The so-called ‘protesters’ raised slogans of ‘Hinduon se Azadi’ and ‘Chheen ke lengey Azadi’ and ‘Ladh ke lengey Azadi’. The slogans translate to ‘Freedom from Hindus’, ‘We will fight for freedom’. Given the violence that was witnessed, the ‘fight’ cannot be interpreted as a non-violent ‘fight’ alone.
‘Fact-checking’ website BoomLive wrongly ‘fact-checked’ OpIndia and said that OpIndia had wrongly claimed that the student-protestors at Jamia Nagar near Jamia Millia Islamia were shouting slogans where they were demanding ‘azaadi’ from Hindus. BoomLive was ‘fact-checking’ a sloganeering video from Aligarh Muslim University which was first published on 12th December where a mob was heard saying ‘Hindutva ki kabr khudegi, AMU ki chhati par’ (a grave of Hindutva will be dug on AMU campus).
The above video one can hear the mob chanting they will dig graves of Hindutva, Savarkar, BJP, Brahmanvaad and Jaativaad on the campus of AMU.
While many had misheard ‘Hindutva’ as ‘Hinduon’ and shared as such, BoomLive decided to fact-check the same. BoomLive in its fact-check does not mention that the AMU video is not from yesterday but quite possibly from last week.
Now, the video OpIndia had shared was from the protests that took place in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi on Sunday. OpIndia has specifically mentioned that in the video uploaded on YouTube as well as in the article.
At around 6 seconds into the video which was shot at Jamia Nagar and not AMU (please note, BoomLive), one can hear the bespectacled goon shout how they will take ‘azaadi’ from Modi, Amit Shah and Hindus(emphasis added for benefit of BoomLive).
BoomLive, while targeting OpIndia in its ‘fact-check’ does not even mention that the article we are talking about and the accompanying video is shot at Jamia Nagar and not at AMU as they have constantly maintained in their article.
BoomLive is paid and empowered by Facebook to ‘spot fake news’ and they are busy indulging in propaganda.
Yesterday, unrest and violence in Jamia Nagar had created chaos in the national capital. Late last night, Delhi Police had to enter the Jamia Millia Islamia campus to catch the stone pelters and violent protestors.
Later, it was reported that students of AMU had also clashed with UP Police on the night of 15 December. Explaining the details of the ruckus, OP Singh, the DGP of UP, has stated to the media that, after Jamia incident, rumours had spread to AMU where students were gathered. He added that despite the police interacting with the students to remain calm and not resort to violence, some students started stone-pelting.
OP Singh, Uttar Pradesh DGP: The police also fired tear gas shells, at least 16-17 police officers also received injuries, case has been registered. Situation is under control. 2/2 https://t.co/U9jYtaLs8Ipic.twitter.com/wtaGKp2lgv
OP Singh stated that the police, with the university administration, have decided to evacuate the entire campus to avoid further instances of violence. He added that the university also wants the students to be evacuated from the campus.
Dispelling social media rumours, the UP Police had shared images on Twitter where they said the AMU Proctoral team was trying to block the gates and prevent AMU students from going out. The police team, they said, was at AMU circle at that time.
The police stated that despite the proctoral team’s attempts, many students had scaled the gates, and had come outside to clash with the police at AMU circle. Another video showed the police warning the students not to resort to violence and breach orders of unlawful assembly.
When the rioters continued to pelt stones, the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Reports say that UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the issue.
Ever since the Citizenship Amendment Bill (now Act) was passed into law, protesters (better called rioters) have sought to intimidate the country by burning trains, burning buses, pelting stones and attacking police. The left liberal propaganda machine, both on mainstream and social media has been coordinating to create an image of a nation in flames.
The truth of course, is different. Outside the North East, where there might be long held fears stemming from a complicated history that caused pain on all sides, the violent protests elsewhere have been very localized to one group of people and one group of institutions. As Modiji said in Jharkhand yesterday, you can often identify them by their clothes.
In fact, the situation in Assam has improved very rapidly. On Saturday, curfew was relaxed from a full 9 am to 5 pm. This improved by an extra hour on Sunday, with curfew lifted from 9 am to 6 pm. It’s Monday and curfew today is lifted right from 6 am in the morning all the way to 9 pm. This leaves only the late night under curfew, which could not possibly be a huge inconvenience.
The epicenter of violence has moved to West Bengal, Jamia Millia University in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh. So much anger just because a tiny bit of justice was given to Hindu (and Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, etc) victims of Partition.
These can only be called “protests of entitlement.” These are not when something is taken from you. These are when you get angry that someone you previously considered subhuman is getting the same kind of privileges that you have. It’s a mixture of hatred and bigotry. Like KKK rallies against equal rights for African Americans.
What do these protesters/rioters feel entitled to?
First of all, they feel entitled to destroy public property, burn buses and trains and pelt stones at the police. The entitlement mentality of having “first right to resources” at work. The Govt of India announced this official policy during the dark UPA years. Actually, the media reporting around this 2006 statement missed a crucial point: the remarks were made by Dr. Manmohan Singh speaking in his official capacity of Prime Minister of India at a meeting of the National Development Council. This makes it much more than a mere remark from a politician; it becomes an official policy announcement by the Govt of India. However, I’m sure that well educated AMU and Jamia students would not have missed this serious point.
Second, they feel entitled to overturn a law passed by Parliament by violence on the streets. Thus placing raw street power above the legitimacy of the Indian state, the Indian Constitution and the electoral process. And why not? For long, intellectuals and academics have cultivated the myth of a certain “veto” when it comes to deciding who can rule over India. They felt entitled to that veto and now it is gone.
In fact, at institutions like Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University, it is easy to develop a perception of being above the law of the land. After all, both are fully government funded public universities. Yet both enjoy the status of “minority institution” which makes them almost independent from government control. Most significantly, neither Jamia nor AMU have implemented reservation for SC/ST and OBC students. Those “students” showing off banners of Dr. Ambedkar might want to think about the irony.
Actually, I think they know the irony. They just don’t want to talk about it.
And yes, the Supreme Court has categorically ruled that Aligarh Muslim University cannot be a minority institution. Not today, but in 1967! This was not enforced and a special law was passed in 1981 granting AMU an exemption from the Constitution. Today AMU students are protesting because they think a law that grants special protection to Pakistani Hindus is against Constitution of India? Are we supposed to seriously believe this? Doesn’t it seem more likely that they want to be above the Constitution of India?
Third, do I even need to point out the entitlement behind chants of “Hinduon se Azaadi“?
It is time to say NO! The sense of entitlement stops here. The Constitution begins. You can’t intimidate Parliament by burning buses. And if the police is pelted with stones, they have every right to respond and control the situation. We have heard a lot about communities that are peaceful and believe in equality. This is a good time to prove it.
By not burning buses. By not standing in the way of persecuted, near defenseless and hopelessly outnumbered Pakistani Hindus getting asylum in India.
Over the last 70 years, India must have gathered hundreds of laws on the books giving some or other kind of special privilege to one community. The first time we have a law that gives something to vulnerable Hindus. Equal rights for “non-believers”, for women, for LGBTs, etc are here to stay. Not a step back on this.
There will be measures taken to ensure fairness for marginalized and vulnerable groups, exactly as permitted by the Constitution. Let me describe the Citizenship Amendment Act in a format such that even Dr. Manmohan Singh would like it. Let’s just say that persecuted religious minorities from undivided India shall have the first right to asylum in this country. Get it now?
