Home Blog Page 5990

Walayar rape case: After public outrage, Kerala government to file an appeal against court verdict, change prosecutor

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Walayar rape case: After public outrage, Kerala government to file an appeal against court verdict, change prosecutor

After facing massive protest over the handling of Walayar Rape case, in which two minor Dalit girls were brutally raped and murdered, the Kerala government has now decided to file an appeal against the court order acquitting the accused in the Walayar rape case.

According to the reports, the Communist government in Kerala led by Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday took the decision to file an appeal against the trial court verdict that had acquitted all the accused in the brutal murder and rape of two minor girls.

The high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with state police chief and Director General of Prosecution Manjeri Sreedharan Nair also decided to replace the public prosecutor.

“We will approach the court to continue with the investigation. All the legal possibilities to conduct a re-trial will be sought,” said Nair.

Read: Walayar Rape Case: Protests erupt against Kerala government over lapses in investigation after four accused gets an acquittal

On Monday, the civil society members across the country, especially in Kerala had expressed massive outrage against the Kerala government following the acquittal of all four persons in the rape and death case of two minor Dalit girls in Walayar in Palakkad district.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had also found lapses from investigating officials in the case. Following this, CM had said in the Assembly that it would be decided after examinations whether a CBI probe or a re-probe was required or not.

Two years after two minor sisters in Walayar in Palakkad district were found dead in mysterious circumstances, a court in Palakkad on Friday acquitted three persons who were accused of abetment of suicide and rape of the two minor Dalit girls.

It is being accused that the Kerala police under political pressure, allegedly helped the accused evade the conviction by weakening the case. Ironically, the accused in the case are CPI(M) workers and the defence lawyer was a local CPI(M) leader.

The Case:

The two minor Dalit girls, who were sisters, were found hanging after being sexually assaulted in January and March 2017 in Attappalam in Walayar, near Kerala’s border with Tamil Nadu.

The elder sister, who was 13 years old, was found hanging in her house on January 13, 2017. Within two months, her 9-year-old younger sister was also found hanging in her house on March 4, 2017. The minor girls belonged to the Scheduled Caste community. According to the postmortem reports, the girls were subjected to sexual assault. The autopsy report in the case of the younger girl even suggested the possibility of homicidal hanging.

However, the police did not investigate the murder charges and the final report was submitted against four accused – V Madhu, M Madhu, Shibu and Pradeep Kumar for offences of abetment of suicide, rape and unnatural sex under the Indian Penal Code and penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act.

Another accused is a juvenile and proceedings against him are progressing in the Juvenile Justice Board.

The Special POCSO Court, Palakkad had acquitted one of the accused Pradeep Kumar on September 30. On Friday, the First Additional Sessions Judge (Special POCSO Court) of Palakkad district acquitted three accused in the case – V Madhu, Shibu and M Madhu – citing that the prosecution was not able to prove their involvement in the case.

Advocate N Rajesh, who had been defending the accused, was also made the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee when the trial was underway, adding to further speculations over the ruling party’s involvement in protecting the accused.

Syrian media activist rescues a puppy after his mother died in the US raid which killed ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Syrian media activist rescues a puppy after his mother died in the US raid which killed ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

While Conan, K9 commando who chased down ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi down a tunnel has won hearts, another puppy was left orphaned as the US raid claimed life of his mother.

Fared Alhor, a Syrian activist, shared images on micro-blogging site Twitter of the little puppy looking lost and sad as he moved around in rubble, trying to find his mother.

Read: Ahead of US raid that killed Baghdadi, Syrian Kurd agent stole the ISIS leader’s underwear for DNA confirmation

Four hours after the mission was over, Alhor went to the site and took the little dog to a safe place and put him with a family of puppies and their mother. “He is very happy with his new family,” he tweeted.

The puppy is now named Bobe and netizens have thanked Fared for rescuing the little one.

ISIS chief and one of the most dreaded terrorists, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed on 27th October, 2019 when he detonated a suicide vest after a raid by the US troops. He was buried at sea.

The operation that took out ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi named after Kayla Mueller who was abducted, raped and killed in ISIS custody

OpIndia Staff
-
0
The operation that took out ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi named after Kayla Mueller who was abducted, raped and killed in ISIS custody

Twenty-two year old Kayla Mueller started assisting Syrian refugees in Turkey in December 2012. On 3rd August 2013, she travelled to Aleppo, Syria, with a Syrian resident to install communication equipment at Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo. Doctors Without Borders staff cautioned her presence in middle of a civil war. Fearing her safety decided to send her back to Turkey.

A day later, Mueller, along with the Syrian resident, were being driven to a bus stop so that she can go back to Turkey when she, along with the Syrian resident, were abducted by the ISIS. Her companion was released a few months later but Mueller never made it.

The negotiations

Nine months after she disappeared, in May 2014, Mueller’s parents received first message from her abductors. The ISIS gave proof that she was alive. On 12th July, 2014, her parents received another message. They were asked to give them 5 million Euros as ransom within 30 days if they wanted her alive. Or they could exchange Mueller for Pakistani scientist who studied in US, Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who was convicted of killing US soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan in 2008. Dr Siddiqui was serving her sentence in a jail in Texas. As deadline passed, they didn’t get any more notes. The family hoped that their daughter Kayla may still be alive.

Read: Washington Post glorifies ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in its obituary, changes headline after public backlash

Rescue attempts

The US military reportedly made several attempts to rescue Mueller. As reported, in July 2014 the US troops came quite close to rescuing her during a raid in an abandoned oil factory in Raqqa, Syria. Troops found evidence of hostages being kept there like writing on the walls and hair believed to be of Kayla.

The Obama administration and her death

The Muellers, along with other parents of US hostages held by ISIS, travelled to Washington and met the Obama administration officials and tried to push them to get their children freed. Soon, the ISIS started posting beheading videos of American hostages. Soon, ISIS released a video of beheading of a Jordanian pilot who was captured by the terror organisation. Jordan, in retaliation, began bombing ISIS targets in Syria. It was reported that in one such bombings, Kayla Mueller was also killed at age 26. While in captivity, it is believed that Kayla was tortured and raped by al-Baghdadi himself. She was reportedly treated worse for being an American.

Read: Ahead of US raid that killed Baghdadi, Syrian Kurd agent stole the ISIS leader’s underwear for DNA confirmation

Kayla Mueller

US National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, while speaking to the press on the operation that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said that the operation was named after Kayla Mueller.

“We finally brought justice to a man that beheaded the three Americans, two journalists and a humanitarian worker. And Kayla Mueller who was working as a humanitarian, great young American, idealistic, young girl. And one of the things that General Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, did was named the operation that took down al-Baghdadi after Kayla Mueller, after what she had suffered. That was something that people should know. But justice was brought to those Americans who were so brutally killed, as were others, as the president pointed out,” he said.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Dreaded terrorist and ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed on 27th October, 2019 when he detonated his suicide vest inside a tunnel following a raid by US troops. His body was buried at sea.

Pakistan: Male DNA found on the body and clothes of Hindu girl from Sindh who was found dead in hostel room

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan: Male DNA found on the body and clothes of Hindu girl from Sindh who was found dead in hostel room

The Pakistani police officials have carried out an investigation in connection with the mysterious death of a female Hindu dental student in Sindh, which has revealed that the DNA samples of a male suspect have been found on the body and clothes of the deceased Namrita Chandani.

These investigations have given a new twist to the case as earlier the college administration was claiming that the death was a suicide and had denied any foul-play.

Reportedly, Masood Bangash, who is a senior police officer in Larkana district said that they have Namrita Chandani’s DNA report which says DNA of a male person has been found on Nimrita’s body and clothes. Bangash added that the forensic laboratory has issued the DNA report of Namrita and the same will be produced before the court of law.

“Police on September 17 has sent the blood samples and clothes of Namarta to the Jamshoroo forensic laboratory. On Monday, we received the report that revealed the DNA samples of a male on her body and clothes,” he was quoted as saying by Daily Pakistan.

The officer further added that Namrita’s investigation has taken a new turn following the revelation about the DNA sample.

Hindu student Namrita Chandani, a final year BDS student in the Bibi Asifa Dental College of Larkana, Pakistan was found dead in her room in September. Namrita Chandani was found lying on a cot with a rope tied around her neck while her room was locked from inside.

Read: Attack on Hindus in Ghotki, Pakistan pre-planned by Islamic leader Mian Mithoo to cover up abduction of Hindu girl: Reports

She hailed from Mirpur Mathelo in Ghotki region and was pursuing medical education at Bibi Asifa Dental College. Reportedly, the college administration tried to pass it as suicide. However, the evidence points in the other direction.

There were signs that she struggled to save her life. Her phone also went missing which was later recovered by the police.

Earlier, the Sindh police had detained 32 suspects, including two classmates of the victim Mehran Abro and Ali Shan Memon, after tracing the call data from the deceased’s cell phone. The two suspects were sent into the custody by the police after they traced the call data from Namrita’s cell phone. Namrita’s room was locked from inside.

The police claimed that Abro had conceded that the two were romantically involved. According to the police officials, Abro had said that Namrita had discussed the possibility of marriage with him which he rejected.

Following the incident, the Sindh High Court on September 25 had ordered a judicial inquiry into the death case of Namrita as her family alleged that she may have been murdered. A one-member judicial commission comprising Larkana district and sessions judge had launched the probe into the death of the Hindu girl.

The brother of the victim, Dr Vishal had also said that there were signs of strangulation with a cable wire around her neck and marks on her arms which indicated she was being held down. He demanded that the case must be investigated fairly and citizens should support his family.

The mysterious death of Hindu student Namrita had come just a day after violence against minority Hindus was unleashed by Muslims from Ghotki, Pakistan, the region where the deceased hailed from. Ghotki, a city in Pakistan’s Sindh province has been known for the persecution of Hindus, at the hands of Islamic leaders who enjoy protection and promotion by the Pakistani government.

Despite being reprimanded by Madras HC, Tamil Nadu government set on giving away temple land to illegal squatters

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Despite being reprimanded by Madras HC, Tamil Nadu government set on giving away temple land to illegal squatters

The Tamil Nadu government is determined to give away thousands of acres of Temple land to illegal squatters. The Madras High Court had warned earlier that the Tamil Nadu government is helping illegal squatters and come down heavily on th govt, however, despite the High Court observations, the Tamil Nadu government has reiterated its position to issue pattas to people squatting illegally on temple land.

The Tamil Nadu government had filed a counter-affidavit in High Court that categorically states that the Tamil Nadu government has decided to give patta to illegal squatters on Temple lands. According to the affidavit, the govt will give patta to the poor families who have been squatting on temple lands for a ‘considerable period of time’ after compensating the department for the land.

“It is not a blanket order and the encroachments in the temple lands will be taken up temple-wise, based on the availability of temple land and after getting concurrence of the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department,” the state said through a counter filed by S Anandhan, deputy secretary, revenue department, according to a report in Times of India.

Interestingly, here the Tamil Nadu government seems to be saying that the govt would compensate a department of the govt before giving away Temple land to squatters, while not even considering the temple itself as a stakeholder.

Read: Church in Thanjavur prevents residents of Nirmala Nagar from constructing a Ganesha temple on community land

The Tamil Nadu government, though has said that the poor squatters will be given a patta, it has not yet outlined the criteria it will apply to grant patta to the illegal squatters.

Furthering the rationale of the government compensating itself for giving away temple land, the affidavit has reportedly further said, in respect of such encroachments of temple lands necessary action will be taken to purchase the land from the department for which proposals would be sent to the government from temple-wise through HR and CE commissioner.

The Tamil Nadu government has conveniently asserted that the HR and CE commissioner will decide on a case to case basis having regard to the parameters in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act. However, they have refused to give any specific parameters thereby giving unbridled power to the government itself to give away temple land.

The affidavit also cited a November 2018 order that said that according to the order, temple lands are permitted to be sold for public purposes to government departments and public-sector undertakings. Accordingly, temple lands encroached by poor for the residential purpose would be considered for purchase by the revenue department for grant of house-patta for eligible poor families.

Read: Madurai: Villagers protest against the proposed government takeover of three ancient temples

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this entire affidavit is that the Tamil Nadu government will possess the absolute power to decide which temple land should be given away to squatters, while the Tamil Nadu govt compensates itself for the land, without even considering the Temple itself as a stakeholder in the decision making process.

In September 2019, the Madras High Court had slammed the Tamil Nadu government for its decision to give away temple lands. “Technically, the state is trying to help encroachers by making the encroachments legal”, a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee had said.

Two Manipur separatists claim the titular King’s approval to launch ‘govt in exile’ in the UK, King distances himself

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Two Manipur separatists claim the titular King’s approval to launch ‘govt in exile’ in the UK, King distances himself

Two dissident leaders from Manipur claiming to be the representatives of King Leishemba Sanajaoba on Tuesday announced the launch of the “Manipur Government in exile” in London.

Addressing a press conference, Yamben Biren, who claims to be the ‘Chief Minister of Manipur State Council’ and Narengbam Samarjit, claiming to be the ‘Minister of External Affairs and Defence of Manipur State Council’ said they were speaking on behalf of the ‘Maharaja of Manipur’ to formally launch the government in exile — “The Manipur State Council”.

The two separatists, Biren and Samarjit produced some documents to suggest that they have been granted political asylum in the UK in August this year. They claimed that the ‘de jure government’ is shifted from Manipur to London.

However, the King of Manipur has issued a statement distancing himself from the announcement made by separatists claiming to be his representatives. According to Angellica Aribam, a Manipuri NSUI leader, the king has stated that he was made to sign some documents by these representatives on the pretext of acquiring some Manipur-related documents and pictures from London. However, he is unaware of the declaration made by these separatists. 


Meanwhile, the separatists claimed, “We believe that now is the right time to make public the Independent Government of Manipur before the international community and seek recognition. We call on all the Governments of the sovereign states of the members of the United Nations for their recognition of the de jure and exile Government of the Manipur from today onwards.”

“The three million Manipuri people want recognition as one of the Precious Native Nations. Our attempts to engage with the Indian government were met with hate and hostilities,” they claimed.

The separatists claimed that there were more than 1,528 cases of the extrajudicial killing which are pending before the Supreme Court of India.

“The state of Manipur is a de jure Government formed in Manipur under the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947. It received independence from the British Raj on August 14, 1947. They claimed the sovereign State of Manipur was excluded from India by the Order in Council by his Majesty on 27 December 1946 and the Indian Government annexed the Manipur State of India by the violation of the Act 1949,” the separatists claimed.

The two leaders said that they would make an appeal to Queen Elizabeth II and after getting an order from the Privy Council they would move the United Nations for recognition.

Manipur, a land of diverse cultures and ethnicities is a multicultural society comprising of Naga, Kuki and Meitei tribes. However, the ‘divide and rule policy’ of the British in relation to administering the hills and plains of Manipur and the introduction of Christianity has widened the cultural gap among these communities.

Over a period of time, separate aspirations and insecurity regarding overlapping claims over natural resources, added with help from neighbouring countries has led some of the groups and insurgents to move towards separatist movements. Till today, some of the Meitei insurgent groups continue to wage an insurgency in the name of self-determination and restoration of lost sovereignty.

The Naga insurgent group – NSCN(IM)’s demand for the formation of Nagalim, including the four districts of Manipur is also seen as a threat to Manipur’s territorial integrity. Meanwhile, the Kukis demand a separate statehood for the Kukis. The Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) was formed on November 2, 2010, to seek a ‘Kuki state’, which is to be carved out of their ancestral land in Manipur.

Pakistani minister threatens nations who back India on abrogation of Article 370, says will fire missile at them along with one on India

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistani minister threatens nations who back India on abrogation of Article 370, says will fire missile at them along with one on India

Pakistani Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, Ali Amin Gandapur threatened the countries backing India on abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.


While speaking at an event on Tuesday, the Pakistani minister said, those who are with India must beware that if situation against India escalates, and if they are standing with India, then if one missile is fired at India, another will be fired at them.

Gandapur was also spotted outside ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event in Houston, Texas last month and had mobilised Pakistanis to join the anti-Modi protests at the event.

Read: Pakistanis announce infiltrating India by crossing the LoC en masse to ‘liberate Kashmir’, Imran Khan says ‘No, it will upset narrative’

Gandapur’s anti-India threat comes after Pakistan has been snubbed by major countries and world bodies on Kashmir issue stating that abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir is an internal matter of India. Pakistan has failed to garner international support except for China and Turkey.

On 5th August, Government of India abrogated Article 370 which gave separate status to Jammu & Kashmir and made the state an integral part of India without any riders attached. The state was bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh which will become official on 1st November.

Terrorists shot dead 6 daily wage earners from West Bengal in Jammu and Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Terrorists shot dead 6 daily wage earners from West Bengal in Jammu and Kashmir

In a horrific terror attack, 6 labourers were shot dead by terrorists in Katrusu village of Kulgam in South Kashmir today evening. All six persons are from West Bengal and were daily wage earners.


Five persons died immediately in the attack, while one person was critically injured, and he was rushed to Srinagar for treatment. The injured person has been identified as Zahooruddin. Later he succumbed to his injuries. The other deceased persons have not been identified yet.

According to reports, the victims were working as masons. They were building a house, and were staying at the home a local in Katrusu village. Terrorists opened fire on them when they were in the house in the evening.

Security agencies have launched a massive search operation to nab the terrorists.

The attack happened on a day a delegation of 28 members of the European Parliament is in the state to observe the situation in Jammu and Kashmir firsthand.

Terrorists have been targeting truck drivers and labourers, mainly those from outside Jammu and Kashmir, since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government. On Monday, a truck driver from Udhampur was killed in Anantnag. On October 24, two non-Kashmiri truck drivers were killed by Jihadi terrorists. On 14th October, a truck driver from Rajasthan was killed by two terrorists. On 16th, an apple trader from Punjab and a brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh were shot dead in Pulwama district.

Russ Foundation: Another child-care institution run by foreign funded NGO found committing crime against children

Suren
-
0
Russ Foundation: Another child-care institution run by foreign funded NGO found committing crime against children

In June, OpIndia had covered the issue of foreign-funded childcare institutions operating with little supervision and prone to malpractice. The latest shocking development is of the arrest of the founder of Russ Foundation and the supervisor of a Children’s Home run by this foundation on charges of sexual assault of an 11-year-old inmate.

This organization has received Rs 1.7 Crores from the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, which is a Society run by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the last three years. Our examination of Russ Foundation’s FCRA returns reveal that it has received a total of around Rs. 5.5 Crore foreign funds during the period 2006 to 2017.

Introduction

The total number of orphans residing in Child Care Institutions (CCI)/Homes across India was 41,730, out of which Tamil Nadu alone had a whopping 5,994 orphans living in 1647 CCIs/Homes. Yes, you read it right. According to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Welfare’s 2015 Mapping of CCI Report, TN alone has more than 1600 Orphanages, working out to around 45 CCIs per district, on average.

One such Government approved CCI/Home is run by a Russ Foundation, an organization registered in Ellis Nagar, Madurai. According to Russ Foundation’s submission on Niti Aayog’s Darpan portal, they “have been working for the welfare and development of girl children and women since 1992 providing shelter, education, food and other nutritional and medical supplements. HIV prevention and care and support is another major thrust areas where the Russ Foundation is working for the HIV prevention amongst the high-risk behaviour population.”

Funding Information

Russ Foundation receives grants from Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS). For instance, in the years 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, TANSACS granted them Rs. 67.8, Rs. 51.5, and Rs. 64.5 lakh respectively, as per the Darpan portal.

Russ Foundation is also an FCRA registered NGO, i.e., they are eligible to receive foreign funds and their FCRA registration number is TN/075940289.

Russ Foundation has also received considerable funds from abroad, primarily from The United Kingdom. In particular, an examination of their 2017 FC4 return shows that charities such as the Essex-based ‘Russ International (Charity No. 1167098) and the Colchester-based ‘Good Foundation’ (Charity No. 0000291251) and students of Leicestershire-based Loughborough University have donated considerable sums to the Madurai based NGO.

Their Shalom Hospice was inaugurated by the Japanese Consul General in an event which was also graced by Bishop Rev. M Joseph, currently the Bishop of Church of South India, Madurai Ramnad Diocese.

Sums of Rs. 1.18 Crore, Rs. 52 lakh and Rs. 52 lakh as direct foreign ‘donations’ were received from abroad in the years 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 respectively.

Incidentally, Russ International’s 2018 Annual Report submitted to UK’s Charity Commission mentions Berlin Jose as one of the Charity’s Trustees and a Peter Harrington as the Trust’s Chair. In its 2017 Annual Report, Russ International states “Our first grant provided was for a new bore well on the Russ Foundation campus, which was essential for providing the water required by the Home for Children without Parents, and other activities undertaken on the Russ Foundation campus in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India”, which establishes the close relationship between the foreign charity and the Madurai Home. Similarly, the 2018 Annual Report of Good Foundation states “the trustees of the (Good) Foundation focus their attention and activities on raising support for, and promoting the work of Russ Foundation of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.” It further adds “Trustees are recruited from people who have visited and experienced Russ Foundation (Madurai)”.

These demonstrate that the Trustees of the UK-based Good Foundation have indeed visited Madurai’s Russ Foundation (as any Charity funder would do, for purposes of oversight). Their Annual Report also adds that they ‘run the Carlsson School which provides primary education for village children within reach of Chattirapatti and Thondamanpatti. This school also provides primary education for the girls and boys at the Children’s Home”. Needless to state, Russ Foundation’s Home is located in Thondamanpatti, Madurai.

A quick glance at their current projects does not reveal the scale and size of an enterprise that would require such large sums of money. The main activities that would require significant sums of money are a 40-inmate Children’s Home, a primary school for 125 children and a Hospice for terminally ill. The others are interventions in terms of awareness programs, health camps, help in arranging funerals and regular supply of medicines and nutrition.

However, a look at their photo gallery demonstrates an organization well-geared to market itself and attract donors. They have had able support from Indian media, as this puff-piece in The Hindu’s Metro Plus supplement demonstrate.

Crime

Mainstream media reports have surfaced that Russ Foundation’s Founder M. Berlin Jose and the supervisor of the Children’s Home, V. John Prabakar were arrested under various sections of POCSO, on charges of alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl living in the Home. The Hindu also adds “that other children (in the Home) were also being examined to ascertain if any other inmate was subjected to sexual assault”. In a strange and unusual manner, Tamil mainstream media have written far fewer lines about this alleged crime than the English media.

The media also adds that the District Collector has instructed his team “to close down the home and seal it, after rescuing the children”.

Readers may recall OpIndia’s coverage of similar abuse of innocent children in CCIs/Homes in Tamil Nadu. For instance, in this shocking story, 44 children were rescued from a Home in Chennai run by a Jacob and a Vimala Jacob. In another sordid story, we covered how 50 children were rescued from Mercy Adaikalapuram Missionary Home in Tiruvannamalai run by a Rev. Luban Kumar and Mercy Rani. Thus, today’s story from Madurai is not about a one-off crime. There is a pattern.

While the law will take its course and justice will be served to the innocent child victims in such orphanages, we, as a society need to ponder over some questions.

Is the Road to Hell paved with Noble Intentions? Should Tamil Nadu be having so many Private Orphanages, allowed to run purely on their proclamations of Love and Noble Intentions? That too, with foreign funds?

23 days after he left for a Bangkok vacation, Rahul Gandhi leaves for another foreign tour, this time Indonesia: Reports

OpIndia Staff
-
0
23 days after he left for a Bangkok vacation, Rahul Gandhi leaves for another foreign tour, this time Indonesia: Reports

According to a source quoted by the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has embarked upon yet another foreign visit. The Gandhi scion is reportedly travelling to Indonesia.

Earlier too, on 6th October 2019, Rahul Gandhi had gone to Bangkok before the October 21 assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. Doubts were being raised about Rahul’s suspicious visits to foreign countries and his leadership questioned for leaving the party in the lurch amidst such crucial assembly elections. Nonetheless, the party failed to perform satisfactorily in the assembly elections with the BJP once again consolidating and forming government in both the states.

Read: Rules of Congress Mukht Bharat: BJP and Congress are no longer in the same league, far from it

The Congress party had then defended their former president’s visit to Bangkok saying that it was a personal visit and people should refrain from commenting on his individual life.  “The person should not be mixed with the public life of an individual. We need to entitle everybody an eternal sense of liberty and privacy. After all, this is the basic and outlining principle of progressive and liberal democracy,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Read: Rahul Gandhi walking away was the biggest problem, Congress unlikely to win Haryana and Maharashtra elections: Congress leader Salman Khurshid

The opposition, on the other hand, has often targeted Rahul for his unaccounted escapades, claiming that shunning responsibilities is par for the course for the Wayanad MP. The BJP leaders have frequently questioned Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits, with Amit Shah stirring up a furore asking why Rahul Gandhi does not take SPG cover with him on his foreign trips and what is he hiding from the world.

1...5,9895,9905,991...7,659Page 5,990 of 7,659