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After deciding the national price for roti and naan, Pakistan focuses on ‘Kashmiri struggle’, Asif Ghafoor says ‘will go to any extent’

OpIndia Staff
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After deciding the national price for roti and naan, Pakistan focuses on ‘Kashmiri struggle’, Asif Ghafoor says ‘will go to any extent’

India’s decision to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 thereby nullifying the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir has got Pakistan in a tizzy. Asif Ghafoor, the spokesperson of Pakistan Army posted an incoherent, seemingly drunken tweet last night proclaiming that Pakistan is going to “take Kashmir back”.


Asif Ghafoor tweeted that ‘it is not over’ in Kashmir. While the grammar of the rest of the tweet makes it slightly difficult to understand, he seems to be saying that “it won’t be over” till the “struggle of Kashmiris succeed”. ‘IA’, by the way, stands for InshaAllah not Indian Airlines (which is now Air India, but Pakistan is stuck in 90s) or any such thing which could be *cough* hijacked *cough*. It may appear like it is a typo, but Ghafoor just abbreviated InshaAllah.

Further, Asif Ghafoor says that Pakistan will go to “any extent” to let Kashmir have its right of self determination.

This grandstanding by Asif Ghafoor comes right after Pakistan and its Prime Minister have found sometime after deciding on issues of national importance such as the national price of Roti and Naan.

Interestingly, while Asif Ghafoor grandstands, Pakistan is comtemplating shutting their airspace for Indian carriers yet again fearing another Balakot like aerial offensive by India. Asif Ghafoor, right after Balakot had claimed that India had only managed to burn down a few trees.

Pakistani commentator and security analyst F. Jeffery had recently tweeted that Pakistan was planning a massive excercise in sub-conventional warfare and was planning to adopt the policy of ‘bleed India with a million cuts’. In simpler words, Pakistan is planning to raise the level of terror it exports to India.


Jeffery may as well be bang on target considereing the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan himself has threatened India with another Pulwama like attack recently.

What Pakistan is perhaps miscalculating is that fact that India is not the same anymore. Recently, the political ruling class has ensured that the answer for one cut that bleeds India is that of giving Pakistan a bloody. India’s stand on Kashmir and the abrogation of special status to Jammy and Kashmir has been welcomed by most countries across the globe. Even the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has asserted that this is an internal matter for India. While China, who tried to express ‘concerns’ was told off by India in the strongest words possible.

With the global isolation faced by Pakistan, any retaliatory measure by India is unlikely to get any blowback from the world community.

Ignoring dissenting voices in party, CWC passes resolution against govt’s Kashmir move, holds meeting chaired by ‘resigned’ Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Ignoring dissenting voices in party, CWC passes resolution against govt’s Kashmir move, holds meeting chaired by ‘resigned’ Rahul Gandhi

As the BJP government’s bold move to strip Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir garnered wide support across the political spectrum, there has been a visible confusion within the Congress regarding their stand on this issue.

While many Congress members, including their ex-president, Rahul Gandhi opposed the decision several leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Deepender Hooda, Aditi Singh and Milind Deora, stood in favour of the Centre’s decision.

Moreover, Congress’ Chief Whip, Bhubaneshwar Kalita had resigned from the Rajya Sabha stating that Congress’ move to oppose the Government’ decision was a “political suicide”

To clear the confusion and to come across as an integrated party, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), in a meeting held late Tuesday passed a resolution condemning the government’s actions.


The resolution read, “The CWC deplores the unilateral, brazen and totally undemocratic manner in which provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was dismembered by misinterpreting the provisions of the Constitution”.

The Congress accused the BJP of violating constitutional law, the states’ rights, parliamentary procedure and democratic governance.

The meeting of the CWC was held soon after the Parliament approved the government’s action of revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the border state into two Union Territories.

It was chaired by Rahul Gandhi, who has already resigned from the post of the Congress president weeks ago and was attended by top party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, A K Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram and Priyanka Gandhi. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who yesterday stoked controversy by calling Jammu and Kashmir a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, also attended the meeting.

It is notable here that despite ‘resigning’ from the party president post weeks ago and declaring several times that he does not wish to be party president anymore, Rahul Gandhi is still effectively the Congress President because he has not accepted his own resignation yet.

The resolution said that Article 370 was conceived and crafted by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and BR Ambedkar, assisted by N Gopalaswamy Iyengar and VP Menon.

It said that it should have been “honoured until it was amended, after consultation with all section of the people, and strictly in accordance with the Constitution of India”.

The Congress said that it ‘pledges to stand with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and to fight BJP’s divisive and diabolical agenda’.

The CWC said what the BJP government accomplished yesterday in the Rajya Sabha and today in the Lok Sabha has “grave implications” going well beyond J&K and calls into question the very idea of India being a Union of States.

“Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India as one State and no government has the power to change its status or divide it or reduce any part of it to a Union Territory,” the party said.

This resolution adopted by Congress seems more like an afterthought to save the party’s reputation which was being put at stake by few party veterans, who either remained ununited on Article 370, pandering to Pakistan, dissing Sardar Patel and singing ‘Nehru-Indira-Chalisa.

Hate mongers celebrate her death as the nation mourns stateswoman Sushma Swaraj

OpIndia Staff
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Hate mongers celebrate her death as the nation mourns stateswoman Sushma Swaraj

As the entire nation grieves the death of stateswoman, BJP stalwart and former external minister Sushma Swaraj, a section of the society has been hate mongering and expressing their happiness over her demise.

The hatemongering and celebrations over the death of Sushma Swaraj began as soon as the news of her death was announced. Some of the social media users reacted to the death news with a joy smiley indicating that they welcomed the death of Former external minister who is revered across the political parties.


A journalist with social media account ‘Wooky galactic’, who is associated with Firstpost and  HuffingtonPost, asked others why they were mourning over Swaraj’s death claiming that Sushma Swaraj was the same woman who advocated ‘Hindutva fascism’ of her peers.


Ashok Swain, a serial abuser and purveyor of fake news, resorted to hatemongering as he tweeted whether people expected him to condole the death of Sushma Swaraj while saying people to ‘forget’ about it. He later deleted the post claiming his tweet was being ‘misinterpreted’.


A Congress troll named Ali Sohrab also celebrated the death of Sushma Swaraj as he claimed that her death was a reaction to the abrogation of Article 370. Shockingly, he tagged former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the post, wishing death to him, who is also suffering serious health issues.


Interestingly, when some of the Indians expressed happiness over the death of Sushma Swaraj, in a rare incident, few Pakistanis expressed their condolence after Swaraj passed away.


Sushma Swaraj, who was known for bringing a humane touch to foreign affairs, had provided medical visas to several Pakistani citizens so that they availed better and emergency treatment in India. Some of the citizens of Pakistan remembered the large-heartedness of Sushma Swaraj and tweeted to condole her death.

Scared of a Balakot redux, Pakistan to shut its airspace for Indian flights yet again: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Scared of a Balakot redux, Pakistan to shut its airspace for Indian flights yet again: Reports

Pakistan is all set to shut its airspace for Indian flights and carriers all over again after India effectively abrogated all provisions of Article 370 and stripped Jammu and Kashmir off its ‘special status’. The Modi government also turned J&K and Ladakh into Union Territories.

According to a report in Times of Islamabad, “Pakistan is anticipating February-like aerial aggression from the Indian side; thus, an airspace closure is deemed necessary”.

The report in Times of Islamabad further quoted the spokesperson of Pakistan International Airlines, Mashood Tajwar, saying that opening the airspace for India didn’t help the airline. He says that operating flights for India is not economically suited due to a low influx of passengers.

Speculations of Pakistan raising its alert status are also rife.


After the Balakot airstrikes where India had gone deep into Pakistan territory and flattened terror camps in Balakot with airstrikes, Pakistan had shut its airspace completely for weeks. Pakistan had in June asserted that it will open its Eastern airspace for flights to and from New Delhi only if India promises not to repeat a Balakot like operation inside Pakistan’s territory. Interestingly, while Pakistan wants India to promise that a Balakot like operation won’t be repeated, when the operation, codenamed ‘Operation Bandar’ had happened, Pakistan had lied that India had managed to burn just a few trees. It was only in July that Pakistan had re-opened its airspace for civilian flights again.

After the Modi government effectively abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir, UAE, Sri Lanka and several other countries have spoken in support of the move. Most countries have categorically maintained that this is an internal matter of India, ignoring the noise Pakistanis seem to be making.

China had raised ‘concerns’ over India’s steps in Kashmir. India had issued a strong statement to China saying that this is an internal matter of the country and just as India doesn’t interfere in the internal matters of other countries, it expects other countries to do the same.

As Amit Shah thundered away in Lok Sabha yesterday, here are three significant takeaways from his speech

OpIndia Staff
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As Amit Shah thundered away in Lok Sabha yesterday, here are three significant takeaways from his speech

Amit Shah, in his reply to the Lok Sabha yesterday on the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization bill, emphasized on the necessity of passing the said Bill. He clarified on various matters raised by the members of the Parliament and reiterated the concerns which demanded the stripping of Articles 370.

Amit Shah’s bold statement declaring that when he mentions Jammu and Kashmir, he means it in its geographical entirety, including PoK and Aksai Chin, as a reply to Congress’s Adhir Chowdhury’s remark, created quite a stir on mainstream and social media. But apart from that, Shah’s speech also highlighted some very important aspects explaining the government’s decisions regarding Article 370 and the bifurcation.

1. On people who support Article 370

Shah labelled Article 370 as an instrument for discriminatory practices. He said, “What equality does Article 370 stand for? When Kashmiri Pandits were thrown out of Kashmir because Article 370 was in place, where was the idea of equality? Those who support Article 370 are anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, anti-women and anti-education.”

2. Infringement of rights

Shah also remarked that as a consequence of Article 370, children in Kashmir were being deprived of basic rights. He said, “All children of the age group of 6 to 14 years have the right to read but the children of Jammu and Kashmir do not. What has this section 370 done? Have you ever gone deep?” He added that child marriage is still rampant in Kashmir.

The Union Minister also asserted that the Article denied the minority communities in the region of their rights. He stated, “It was said that removal of Article 370 was a communal agenda. Do not Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs live in Jammu and Kashmir? Not forming minority commission there due to Article 370 is an injustice to minorities.”

3. Enough discussion, it was time for action

Shah asserted that debate had been raging about the Article for decades. Therefore, it was time to act. He said, “Debates have been happening for three generations. How long do we discuss it? Should we ask the people who take inspiration from Pakistan? We are not against debate but there should be a solution as well.”  He further made it clear that the government is open to restoring the statehood status to J&K once circumstances normalized. He said, “Once the state of affairs normalizes in J&K then the status can be changed from Union Territory to state.”

Remembering Sushma Swaraj, the mother to Indians stranded abroad

Nirwa Mehta
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Remembering Sushma Swaraj, the mother to Indians stranded abroad

I write this with a heavy heart. I never thought the demise of any politician will move me to tears. The unfortunate demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has come as a shock. We all know death is inevitable, for all of us. But no matter how much we are prepared, when it finally knocks on the door, it still takes us by surprise.

Sushma Swaraj’s death has left a strange void. She had not contested the recently concluded elections on health grounds. She had undergone kidney transplant a few years back. She had been keeping unwell. All these are facts. However, it still is tough to come to terms with her passing.

A lawyer by profession, Sushma Swaraj started practice as a Supreme Court lawyer in 1973 at 21. She rose to prominence among political ranks when she organised protests against Indira Gandhi’s government. She was also part of George Fernandes’ legal defence team in 1975 during Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency.

I do not have words to speak on her political achievements and how she shattered the glass ceiling way too many times in her career spanning over four decades. I would like to bring a compilation of tweets which show how she was just as human as each one of us. Oh and the inimitable sense of humour.

Someone on Twitter joked about Indian embassy on Mars after a successful Mangalyaan mission. She was ready with an answer.


During the run-up to general elections, Swaraj had added ‘Chowkidar’ as part of the BJP #MainBhiChowkidar campaign. Someone quipped how can she call herself a chowkidar, after all, she was the ‘only sensible’ person in BJP. She responded to how she was doing the chowkidari of Indians abroad.


Another one of my absolute favourite tweets from her was when she very nicely, politely told someone who reached out to her to get his fridge repaired that she couldn’t really help him because she is busy helping Indians in distress.


Oh, and you didn’t really need to have a huge follower count to get former minister’s attention. As displayed in the following set of tweets.


One Gavy reached out to Swaraj who was in Malaysia and needed help. Swaraj immediately asked the High Commission in Malaysia to help him out. Gavy’s message had grammatical errors and someone pointed it out to him how he could have written it in Hindi or Punjabi instead since English does not seem to be his strongest point. The ever amazing Swaraj responded that after becoming the foreign minister, she has learnt to understand English in all accents and grammar.


Two weeks back, when Mange Ram Garg, former Delhi BJP President passed away, Swaraj had posted her condolence message on Twitter. Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had also just recently passed away. In response to her condolence message, a troll, Irfan Khan had wished death upon the former Union Minister. He tweeted to Sushma Swaraj that someday she too would be remembered in the same manner.

Sushma Swaraj had shut him down by thanking him for his kind thought.


And at last, as if almost she had a premonition, last evening, just hours before she suffered a massive cardiac arrest, she tweeted her thanks to the Prime Minister for dilution of Article 370, which made Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India without any conditions and riders attached.


She tweeted that she was waiting to see this day in her lifetime. It is almost as if she knew.

Sushma Swaraj was one of the most prominent ministers in the Modi government in the first term. She will sorely be missed.

BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj passes away at the age of 67, nation mourns

OpIndia Staff
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BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj passes away at the age of 67, nation mourns

BJP stalwart and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away at the age of 67 on the night of August 6 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The senior BJP leader was brought to AIIMS at 10:15 PM and was straight away taken to the emergency ward. However, Sushma Swaraj was very critical at the time she was brought to the hospital. Unfortunately, Swaraj did not respond to the CPR done by the AIIMS doctor and passed away in the hospital.

Sushma Swaraj’s body was then taken to her home, Dhawan Deep Building in Connaught Place, New Delhi. On Wednesday at 12 PM, her body will be kept for three hours at the BJP headquarters today for party workers and leaders to pay tributes, Later her last rites will be performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium at 3 PM.

Sushma Swaraj and her husband had vacated the government bungalow allocated to her just days after the second term of the Modi government began. She had announced earlier that she would not be a part of the new government. She had had a kidney transplant earlier.

Sushma Swaraj started her political life with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS’ student wing and later joined the BJP. She had also played a key role in strengthening the BJP across the country in the early 1990s. At 25, she had become the youngest cabinet minister in the then Haryana government. She eventually went on to become the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1996 and got the Cabinet portfolio again after he led the BJP to power in 1998.

Swaraj then contested against the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Bellary in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls. Sushma lost the elections but rose to be one of the tallest leaders of the country. Sushma Swaraj, a protégé of veteran BJP leader LK Advani, was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha between 2009-14. Sushma Swaraj was a seven-time MP and three-time MLA.

India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted after the death of former union minister and BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj at Delhi’s AIIMS hospital.

PM Modi remembering the former Foreign Affairs minister, tweeted that “a glorious chapter in Indian politics comes to an end.”

“India grieves the demise of a remarkable leader who devoted her life to public service and bettering lives of the poor. Sushma Swaraj Ji was one of her kind, who was a source of inspiration for crores of people,” the PM tweeted.

“An excellent administrator, Sushma Ji set high standards in every Ministry she handled. She played a key role in bettering India’s ties with various nations. As a Minister we also saw her compassionate side, helping fellow Indians who were in distress in any part of the world,” PM Modi tweeted. PM Modi termed the demise of Sushma Swaraj as a personal loss.


Political leaders across the political spectrum have expressed their sadness and offered condolences to Swaraj’s family.

Swaraj had redefined the relationship between the people and the government. Using social media to its fullest extent, she had reached out and helped countless Indians stranded in other countries. Often, a mere tweet calling for help was enough for her to reach out and provide help in the most difficult of scenarios.

No united stand on 370, pandering to Pakistan, dissing Sardar Patel and singing ‘Nehru-Indira-chalisa’: The Congress suicide note

OpIndia Staff
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No united stand on 370, pandering to Pakistan, dissing Sardar Patel and singing ‘Nehru-Indira-chalisa’: The Congress suicide note

The grand old party of India- Indian National Congress seems to be still stuck in the past fermenting the hysteria about the alleged contribution of Nehru-Gandhi parivar into nation’s development, despite the fact that the people of the country has moved away from these legacies.

A similar propaganda got propped up today after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh credited Nehru-Gandhi dynasty for the integration of the country at a time when Congress has been reluctant to take a stand on the critical issue of revoking special status to Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating controversial Article 370 and bifurcating the state into two Union territories.

While Congress party fears to take a stand on the issue and panders to the sentiments of Pakistan, controversial Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in a tweet has sung the praise of the first family of the party as he claimed that it was former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the one who gave us Goa and his daughter Indira Gandhi gave India the state of Sikkim.

Further, Singh claimed that it was the leadership of Indira Gandhi which “bifurcated” Pakistan to help create Bangladesh.


In a hurry to deflect from the issue of Article 370, Digvijaya Singh resorted to rhetorics when he claimed that Nehru was responsible for the independence of Goa, and Indira Gandhi was responsible for freeing up Sikkim. Neither of his claims regarding Goa or Sikkim is completely true.

The Goa liberation movement, a movement during the 1940s sought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa had begun much earlier than Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister of the country. With the effort of parties like United Front of Goans and Azad Gomantak Dal, India was able to annex the Goa from Portuguese, contrary to claims of Digvijaya Singh.

Further, Sikkim was an independent kingdom which had retained guarantees of independence from Britain when it became independent and such guarantees were transferred to the Indian government when it gained independence in 1947. On 14 April 1975, a referendum was held in which Sikkim voted to merge with India. Sikkim became the 22nd Indian State and on 16 May 1975, and Sikkim officially became an Indian state.

By bringing equivalence to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and the breaking up of Pakistan to form Bangladesh, Digvijaya Singh has yet again toed the line of Pakistan by hinting that Jammu and Kashmir belonged to Pakistan and India has no right to bifurcate its own state.

Earlier in the day, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhry, the Congress party’s leader in Lok Sabha kicked up a storm in the Assembly today after he parroted the lines of Pakistan by questioning the government whether Article 370 and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter. He questioned how can matters related to Jammu and Kashmir be ‘internal matter’ if it is being monitored by the UN since 1948.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhry also questioned the legality of the union government to make laws on the region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhry further demanded an explanation from the government on whether Kashmir is a bilateral issue or not.

An infuriated Amit Shah had to respond in the Lok Sabha to make it clear that PoK is an integral part of India and should never be considered separate from Jammu and Kashmir. He asserted that we will lay down our lives for it.

After remaining silent for a whole day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi finally arrived on Twitter to oppose the recent decisions of the Modi government on Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi opined that the government’s decision violates the constitution and that the nation is made up of people, not plots of land. However, he did not clarify whether he or his party supported or rejected abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress leadership time and again resorts to hysteria whenever they are unable to take a reasonable stand on any issue. In fact, even in 2019, Congress party has to fall back to the ‘glory’ of its erstwhile leaders like Nehru and Indira Gandhi to claim some kind of moral victory.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan warns India of another Pulwama like attack due to effective abrogation of Article 370

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan PM Imran Khan warns India of another Pulwama like attack due to effective abrogation of Article 370

Reacting to India’s internal matter regarding effective abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan today threatened India saying that “incidents like Pulwama are bound to happen again”, after Indian government decided to revoke Article 370 and strip Jammu and Kashmir of the special status. Foretelling a terror attack, Khan said, “I can already foretell this will happen. They will attempt to pin the blame on us again. They may strike us again, and we will strike back.”

Khan was addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday to deliberate about the country’s response to India’s decision of scrapping Article 370 from its constitution and thereby revoking the special status granted to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan declaimed that when he came to power, his government’s priority was to improve relations with the neighbouring country including India.

“On my first communication with India, they had raised concerns about militant outfits operating from Pakistan. I assured Modi that after the tragic incident of Army School massacre, all the political parties in Pakistan pledged to not let their land be used for terror activities. However, I felt that the Indian side was interested in talks. My doubts were confirmed on my trip to Bikshek, where the Indian side showed no willingness to talk about the strained relations between the two countries,” Khan said.

Khan further said that the Indian regime believes in Hindu supremacy and their aim to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir and scrap Article 370 is a manifestation of their entrenched ideology that puts Hindus above other religions and aims to subjugate minorities by the use of sheer brute and force. “What happened in Kashmir reconciles with their ideology. They are racists,” Khan said.

In what appeared as another desperate attempt to draw the world’s attention towards Kashmir after failing innumerable times, Khan said, “India will intensify their clampdown on Kashmiris now. This will result in incidents like Pulwama attack. They will place the blame on us and attack us. We will respond and both the countries will go to war which will have grave consequences for the rest of the world. This is not nuclear blackmail. We want world leaders to take note of this matter. I will inform the Western world about the systematic repression of Muslims done by the Indian government.”

With this threat, all the pretence of Pakistan being serious and committed against clamping down the terror organisations operating from its land stands exposed as PM Khan hails and attempts to glorify terror attacks such as Pulwama attack that killed 40 Indian soldiers.

Pulwama attack was schemed by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Muhammad terror organisation. In a dastardly attack, a Kashmiri youth indoctrinated by religious bigotry was brainwashed to attack a convoy of CRPF convoy, killing 40 soldiers. After the attack, JeM released a video in which the attacker was seen spewing hatred for Hindus. After Pulwama attack, Indian Air Force avenged the deaths of the Indian Bravehearts by conducting airstrikes deep inside Pakistan, in Balakot, killing about 200-300 JeM terrorists.

Ayodhya hearing day 1: “keep the dignity of the court” CJI tells advocate of Muslim party as hearing witnesses heated exchanges

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya hearing day 1: “keep the dignity of the court” CJI tells advocate of Muslim party as hearing witnesses heated exchanges

The day to day hearing in the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute case commenced in the Supreme Court today. The case was heard by a Constitution Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer.

The Ayodhya case has been taken up for a day to day hearing after the efforts to arrive at an amicable settlement through mediation failed.

Today was the first day of the hearing in the case and CJI Gogoi has turned down the plea for live-streaming, audio-video recording of the hearing.

Allahabad high court in its September 30, 2010 verdict had divided the 2.77 acres of main disputed Ayodhya land into three equal parts. It had allotted one part each to Ram Lalla (idol), Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Wakf Board. All three parties had appealed the High Court judgement in the Supreme Court.

Senior Advocate Sushil Kumar Jain began making submissions on behalf of Nirmohi Akhara, which is claiming ownership of the entire disputed plot.

  • He began by saying, “We have been fighting for this for so long because it is an issue of emotions for us.”
  • Senior advocate Sushil Kumar Jain, appearing for the Nirmohi Akhara, said that the “Ram Janmasthan” belonged to, had been the possession of, and was managed by the organisation. “I am a registered body. My suit is basically for belongings, possession and management rights”, said Jain.
  • “Outer courtyard has always been in possession of Nirmohi Akhara, therefore suit of Nirmohi Akhara is limited to the inner courtyard, including Sita Rasoi, bhandar grih.” Attachment order of 1951 is confined to the inner portion, Jain argued in front of the bench.
  • Staking a claim over the disputed 2.77 acres of land, Jain argued, “The place known as Ram Janmasthan or the ‘Janam Asthan’ was also in possession of Nirmohi Akhara and Hindu’s were allowed to worship there”.
  • “The plaintiffs have been wrongfully deprived of the charge and management of the temple”, Sushil Kumar Jain.
  • “I am making a prayer for the removal of the Receiver and giving the custody and management to the plaintiff”, Jain furthered on behalf of Nirmohi Akhara.

While the five-judge bench asked questions to understand the “structure and locations” of the disputed site, the Nirmohi Akhara council argued that its temples had been “demolished by some miscreants with no caste, or creed, or religion” on 6 December 1992.

Explaining the legal status and functions of Nirmohi Akhara, Jain added that Nirmohi Akhara manages several temples.

Asserting that the Jhansi ki Rani was also “protected” by the Akhara after the battle of Jhansi when she “took refuge” at the temple in Ayodhya, Jain on behalf of the Nirmohi Akhara claimed that no Muslims were allowed to enter the structure since 1934 and it has been in exclusive possession of Nirmohi Akhara.

Jain cited Allahabad High Court judgements to back his claims that ‘no Muslims were allowed to enter the structure since 1934″:

  • “A place cannot be considered a mosque if no prayers or namaz are offered there,” the senior advocate said.
  •  The absence of provision for ‘wuzu‘, by which Muslims wash hands and feet before namaz, at the disputed site, was interpreted by the Allahabad high court, to arrive at the conclusion that prayers were not being offered there since 1885 hence it ceased to be a mosque long back, argued Jain.

However, in response to his argument the Supreme Court cited the Allahabad’s high court’s order saying that before 1934, Muslims were offering regular prayers at the site.

Meanwhile, the ongoing argument witnessed a heated exchange of words between the CJI and senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is appearing for the Muslim party.

While the bench was asking the counsell for the Nirmohi Akhara to confine his arguments to the civil dispute and skip reading some written statements, Dhavan interfered and said perhaps there should not be any curtailment of arguments.

The CJI said the hearing of the arguments would not be curtailed in any manner and there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind about it. In response, Dhavan got up and clarified that he meant when CJI stopped him and told him to speak when it is his turn.”Mr Dhavan please maintain the dignity of the court”, said CJI Gogoi to which Dhavan replied, “Your Lordships asked a question, I answered”. However, CJI Gogoi reprimanded the advocate by saying, “there is a way to answer it, you are an officer of the Court”.

Justice Chandrachud, one of the members of the Constitution Bench, questioned Jain whether the basis of the claim of the Nirmohi Akhara to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land was possession or ownership, to which the counsel said, “Ownership because of possession.”

The Supreme Court, in its reply, said, “In any case, you have been given one-third of the disputed area in a preliminary decree by the Allahabad High Court.”

CJI Gogoi, reading from the Allahabad High Court judgment just before the bench took a break for lunch, quoted the statement and said, “There is no evidence to show that there existed any temple and that there were idols in it”. Jain responded to this by saying, “My lords, the structure was demolished in 1992.”

Gogoi countered the claim by demanding evidence from the advocate, citing the Allahabad judge’s statement about there being “no evidence”.

After this, the bench rose for lunch at 2 pm. Post lunch, Jain assured the judges that he will show “only the findings”. Continuing with his argument, Jain emphasised on the “importance of worshipping the deity” at the “Ram Janmabhoomi site”.

Reading relevant portions from the Allahabad High Court’s judgment in 2010, Jain said that the Nirmohi Akhara’s suit in the dispute was filed in 1959, “four years after the attachment orders were issued in relation to properties in their possession.”

The Counsel and Bench continued to read various parts of Allahabad High Court judgment, with which Day 1 of the hearing in the Ayodhya case came to an end, which will resume tomorrow (Wednesday).

The daily hearings were prescribed by the Constitutional bench on August 2 after taking note of the failed mediation by a three-member panel led by former Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla, also comprising of spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate and renowned mediator Sriram Panchu.

The panel had said in its report that the Hindu and the Muslim parties had not been able to find a solution to the vexatious dispute.

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