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‘Won’t provide safe haven to criminals’: Mehul Choksi’s Antiguan citizenship to be revoked, will be extradited to India

OpIndia Staff
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‘Won’t provide safe haven to criminals’: Mehul Choksi’s Antiguan citizenship to be revoked, will be extradited to India

In a major shot in the arm for the Modi government, fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi’s Antiguan citizenship is soon going to be revoked. The Antiguan government has decided to cancel Choksi’s citizenship with Antiguan PM Gaston Browne himself declaring that Choksi’s Antiguan citizenship will be rescinded and assured that he will be repatriated back to India.


Declaring the move to abrogate diamantaire Mehul Choksi’s citizenship, Antiguan PM Browne said, “We don’t provide safe haven to criminals involved in financial crimes. His citizenship was processed and he got through it. But there is a way for redressal. His citizenship will be revoked and he will be sent back to India. Browne further added that though Choksi has an option of going to the courts and defend his position but he has exhausted all his legal options and will be deported back to India.

An accused in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank scam, the extradition process to get the absconding businessman back to India started in March this year. In January 2018, In Choksi fled after the Rs 14,000-crore PNB fraud surfaced, in which diamantaires Nirav Modi and Choksi were the main accused. After fleeing the country, he surrendered his Indian passport and took up Antiguan citizenship.

Tightening the noose around Choksi’s extradition process, the Bombay HC recently directed him to submit his medical reports and asked a team of experts to determine whether he is fit to travel. The ED termed Choksi’s claims as being unfit to travel a facade to delay the legal proceedings. The agency had informed the court that it is willing to provide an air ambulance with medical experts to bring Choksi back to India and provide him with all the necessary medical treatment

Expelled by Congress for praising Modi, former MP from Kerala’s Kannur, AP Abdullakutty all set to join BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Expelled by Congress for praising Modi, former MP from Kerala’s Kannur, AP Abdullakutty all set to join BJP

Former Congress MP from Kerala’s Kannur, AP Abdullakutty, who was recently expelled by his party for praising PM Narendra Modi, has reportedly confirmed that he will formally join BJP shortly.

AP Abdullakutty met the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday. Affirming that his joining the saffron party was almost certain, the former Congress MP after his meeting in Delhi said, “My meetings with both were fruitful. We discussed many things including the prevailing political situation in Kerala. Both welcomed me to the party and I will formally join the BJP within two days.”

“Shah asked me to take membership in BJP immediately. He said he would speak to BJP’s Kerala leadership regarding my entry to the party…. He thanked me for my stand and said the BJP government is going ahead with taking minorities into confidence,’’ Abdullakutty said.

Asserting that the Muslims will have to concentrate more on development rather than on petty issues, he furthered, “Many educated people from the community feel that my entry will help bridge vacuum between the party and the Muslim community. I also feel we have to shed unnecessary reservations and fears vis-à-vis the BJP.”

“The PM said I had to pay a heavy price for speaking truth. And he congratulated me for sticking to my views. I am sure my entry will help improve the community’s ties with the party. I will work hard to remove mutual distrust,” he said.

There have been reports that Abdullakutty is looking to contest the Manjeshwar Assembly seat bypolls as a BJP candidate, which has been necessitated following the demise of IUML MLA, PB Abdul Razak.

Political observers believe that Abdullakutty’s entry will be an advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party since Manjeshwar has a sizeable Muslim population.

On June 3, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has expelled former MP AP Abdullakutty for praising PM Narendra Modi for following Gandhian values in governance in a Facebook post.

The former MP from Kannur, in a Facebook post, praised PM Narendra Modi for the BJP-led NDA’s massive victory in the 019 Lok Sabha election. In the post titled “On Narendra Modi’s impressive victory”, Abdullakutty opinioned that BJP’s victory was the acceptance of Modi’s development agenda.

He said the secret of the PM’s success was that he had adopted Gandhian values. He also hailed the centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), which envisages cleaning up India’s cities, towns and rural areas and to eliminate open defecation through construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets.

The Congress party had sought an explanation for his remarks on PM Modi. However, Abdullakutty was sacked after the party president found his explanation unsatisfactory.

However, in response to the expulsion, AP Abdullakutty had then said that it was sad news and that this was expected from the KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran. He also asserted that he wasn’t an opportunist and had only taken a stand on developmental issues.

‘Once a person was in jail, he didn’t face much problem there’: How leftist academics whitewash the Emergency

Abhishek Banerjee
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‘Once a person was in jail, he didn’t face much problem there’: How leftist academics whitewash the Emergency

Today is exactly 44 years since Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency on June 25, 1975. Yesterday, in the Rajya Sabha, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad made a passionate appeal to bring back the “Old India.”

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Coincidence?

I think I now understand what he really meant to say.

Growing up in India, I was only vaguely even aware that there had been an Emergency. My history textbook never mentioned it and my civics book danced around the topic, like a grown-up trying to explain to a five-year-old where babies come from. Somewhere out there, I had heard the refrain about trains running on time.

That the Indian public had been reduced to such destitution by the Gandhi Dynasty rule that train timings could be used as an argument against democracy is not something that was generally commented upon.

Incidentally, one of the schools I went to was named “Jawahar Vidya Mandir.” No matter where you grow up in India and what are your circumstances, you cannot escape the brand name which is plastered on everything.

It is only years later when I picked up a copy of Advaniji’s autobiography, My Country My Life, that I actually read about the Emergency. No right to due process. Imprisonment without trial. And no “Habeas Corpus,” i.e., the government can make people disappear and even in court you cannot ask where they are.

But the scary history of the Emergency has all but disappeared. From our public consciousness, from our textbooks, from our national discourse. How did this become possible?

Here is an example of the sort of thing I am talking about.

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See? Two-Three months in jail wasn’t that bad! And in fact, once in jail, it was not much of a problem at all. Because they weren’t being tortured (this claim is false anyway).

That’s “Professor DL Sheth,” supposedly eminent political scientist, Honorary Senior Fellow and former director of CSDS, speaking to Scroll in a 2015 interview.

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What kind of intelligentsia do we have when a man who has been President of Delhi People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) says that the government throwing dissenters in jail for years “wasn’t that bad”?

Nothing personal against this one guy. Just giving you an idea of the “swamp” that our so-called intelligentsia has become. This is their intellectual quality and credibility.

I suppose, however, that Kanhaiya Kumar spending a couple of days in jail was the most glorious act of political resistance in the history of the world. Incidentally, Kanhaiya belongs to the CPI, which actually supported the Emergency.

But why should facts matter? Especially when they’ve made sure nobody knows about it?

That’s how the emergency was whitewashed out of public consciousness. How badly was it whitewashed, you ask?

Let me show you. The Shah Commission was set up in 1977 to probe the excesses of the Emergency. As per this TOI report, one of the findings of the Commission was that a young officer, posted as secretary to the Lt. Governor of Delhi, had used his powers in a “callous and authoritarian manner” with little regard for public good or welfare.

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That man was Navin Chawla. He eventually rose to become Chief Election Commissioner of India. Of the world’s largest democracy. That was 2009, just ten years ago.

I suppose some “eminent” political scientist could easily explain it this way: Having an officer who was accused of being “callous and authoritarian” during Emergency as Chief Election Commissioner of the world’s largest democracy wasn’t that bad. 

If you don’t even know what there is to fear, then you have nothing to fear. Indira is India. India is Indira. Rejoice!

Jharkhand: Communal clashes break out after a group returning from a funeral are attacked by Muslim mob, over a dozen injured

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Communal clashes break out after a group returning from a funeral are attacked by Muslim mob, over a dozen injured

Another incidence of communal violence transpired in Madaidih village in Topchachi Block in Dhanbad District of Jharkhand on Monday, in which about a dozen people have been injured. Police forces have been deployed in the village. Topchachi police have registered an FIR against the perpetrators.

Bhimlal Mahato, who was allegedly attacked by a Muslim mob while they were returning home after performing the last rites of his eighty-year-old deceased mother, has demanded action against people from the ‘other community’.

Relatives and other people from the community, as a part of a ritual, were playing the drums while returning from Bhimlal’s mother’s funeral. As the group passed near a mosque a group of men allegedly stopped the funeral procession and raised objections on them using drums. A scuffle broke out between the two groups, and the mob attacked the people who were part of the funeral procession with bricks and lathis.

Several men and women, namely, Maheshwar Sau, Nandlal Sau, Shanichar Sau, Sanjay Sau, Pooja Devi, Muniya Devi, Sushila Devi, Juhi Kumari were injured in the clash. Maheshwar Sau suffered serious injuries and has been referred to the primary health centre. A 15-year-old boy Hamid Ansari was also injured in the clash. He was also taken to the primary health centre in Topchachi for treatment.

Bhimlal in his complaint has held 18 people, including Moin Ansari, Anwar Ansari, Iftikhar Bari, Taslim Ansari, Muslim Ansari, Yusuf Ansari and others, responsible for this incident.

OpIndia got in touch with Topchachi police station. An officer on duty confirmed that the incident had transpired and an FIR has been lodged against the perpetrators. However, he refused to divulge any other details pertaining to the case.

Pratapgarh murder: Vinay had his limbs chopped off, tied to a cot and burnt, police clueless

OpIndia Staff
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Pratapgarh murder: Vinay had his limbs chopped off, tied to a cot and burnt, police clueless

A 35-year-old Dalit man in UP’s Rampur Bela village was attacked and murdered in his hut outside the village. On the morning of June 18, when the villagers noticed the burning hut and had rushed to the spot, they had found Vinay Saroj’s body, tied to his cot and burned to death.

Vinay’s motorcycle had been charred too. The villagers had initially suspected that it was an attack by people of a particular community because, on the previous night, Vinay had allegedly had an altercation with them. However, Vinay’s family has disputed any such allegation. They had stated that Vinay was watching the match with his family and he had not mentioned any such scuffle.

Swarajya Magazine’s journalist Swati Goel Sharma had recently published her ground report from the village, attempting to shed some light on the still unsolved crime.

As per Swati’s report, Vinay was brutally murdered, and the sheer brutality of the crime has surprised the villagers and even medical professionals for the amount of violence involved.

The villagers say that Vinay’s body was dismembered, his legs and arms chopped off. The body was also reportedly tied with metal wires to the cot. Vinay’s brother Om Prakash states that he suspects even his throat was slit. He recalls a belt being tied to Vinay’s throat. “In the place of his stomach, I saw only ash”, adds Om Prakash.

Station house officer (SHO) of Patti police station Akhilesh Pratap Singh has been quoted by Sharma saying that the police has filed a case against unknown men. He said that investigation is on and the police have so far detained two men for questioning. These include Vinay’s partner in his small pig-farming business, one Prem Saroj. Prem also happens to be the brother of current village Pradhan (Head), also named Om Prakash Saroj.

The victim’s family, however, dismisses the possibility of Prem’s role in the case, saying he was like family.

Vinay’s family, on the other hand, suspects the role of some revellers in an under construction farmhouse about a hundred meters away. They claim that on the night of the murder, some men had partied till late in the night in the “upcoming farmhouse with meat, mutton and alcohol”. They cite several reasons for their suspicion, that are also supported by other villagers who visited the family on Tuesday.

The reasons for Vinay’s family’s suspicion are as follows:

  • The wire used to tie Vinay up is the same as the wire found at the building site
  • It is not possible that Vinay was getting attacked in such a brutal way and the revellers in the farmhouse did not hear anything.
  • The blood stains could be traced towards the farmhouse.
  • Two men who are related to the partners in the farmhouse are criminal-minded.

However, Vinay’s family has no clue or motive to ascertain to the unknown revellers in the farmhouse. They also claim that Vinay had no enmity with anyone and they are unable to fathom why any person would murder him in such a brutal way.

Regarding the family’s suspicion on the revellers in the farmhouse, SHO, Patti police station has reportedly stated that he is yet to receive any such complaint.

Residents of Bela Rampur say that the village has not seen such a gruesome crime after 1998-99 when, they recall, a family of five was killed by yet unknown killers. As per the Pradhan, almost half the population in Bela Rampur are Dalits and they have never witnessed caste or communal strife in the past. Vinay’s family also belongs to a Scheduled Caste.

Vinay was the eldest of four brothers. He is survived by his wife and a 3-year-old son. Vinay also had a previous marriage, which had ended up in divorce because his first wife was mentally not sound.

Some local politicians have visited the family and have offered help. But, with the police still clueless in the case, Vinay’s family are very far from any answers regarding the identity and motive of the killers who have snatched a young life in such a barbaric manner.

Not all of India is suffering from a ‘Super Emergency’, Mamata Banerjee, only West Bengal is

K Bhattacharjee
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Not all of India is suffering from a ‘Super Emergency’, Mamata Banerjee, only West Bengal is

44 years ago, on this very day, Indira Gandhi initiated a chain of events which, to this day, would mark the most egregious assault on Indian democracy. It was on the 25th of June, 1975 that the former Prime Minister of India declared the Emergency during which numerous human rights violations were committed and persecution of political opponents became state policy.

However, people have short memories and 44 years is a long time. Thus, we have Mamata Banerjee claim today that India suffered a ‘Super Emergency’ during the first tenure of the NDA government. “We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country,” she says.


The allegations Mamata is making against Narendra Modi appears to be a classic case of projection. While she kept the attention of the media focused on Narendra Modi by levelling unrealistic charges against him, she has ruled West Bengal with an iron hand without tolerating any dissent.

All the accusations that Mamata makes against the Prime Minister are actually charges she is guilty of herself. Under her reign of terror, communal polarization was at its worst and Hindus suffered greatly as a consequence. The Police were mute spectators when Muslim mobs went on a rampage and destroyed Hindu property and attacked them physically at Kaliachowk and Dhulagarh. The Police were again mute spectators when, a couple of years later, Mamata’s vote-bank struck again but this time at the NRS Medical College and Hospital.

Under Mamata’s leadership, law and order and freedom of expression have become entirely nonexistent. People are getting murdered for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, movies critical of Mamata are banned and there is a genuine climate of fear pervading the state where people are scared to voice their political opinion.

Persecution of political opponents has been the policy of the state government, the Police functions as an extended arm of Trinamool Congress itself. Various scams have been committed by luminaries of the party and Mamata Banerjee recently appeared to admit that her party workers and elected representatives were taking bribes from beneficiaries to implement the state’s welfare schemes.

All the crimes committed by Mamata Banerjee, it appears, is finally coming home to roost. Her crackdown on ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has only led to it becoming the battle cry in the state, the doctors were up in protest and teachers still are, people are lining up in front of the houses of her party members to demand the return of the bribe money they paid, the further deteriorating law and order situation continues to claim lives.

And all the while, Mamata Banerjee refuses to relent and restore some semblance of sanity. “Nero fiddled while Rome burned,” so goes the saying. But Mamata Banerjee is not Nero, she is not fiddling while Bengal burns. She is actively feeding fuel to the fire in the hope that it will burn her enemies and she will be reborn as the Dragon. But she is not a Targaryen either.

When Mamata Banerjee ousted the Communists from power, there were great expectations from her. Instead, she perpetuated the same policies and took control of the state machinery using the tactics of her predecessors. However, she took it a step further. People learnt the hard way that she was no different, she was just more of the same. Worse, she amplified the worst instincts of the communist regime by manifolds.

And as time progressed, her rule progressively deteriorated. And now, dictatorial tendencies dominate Mamata’s personality and her party actively subverts democratic elections themselves to maintain their stranglehold on power. The ‘Super Emergency’ that Mamata speaks of, the entire country hasn’t suffered it. Only one has, and it’s her own state, West Bengal.

Cricket World Cup preview – Australia v England: Will rain spoil the oldest rivalry?

Ritesh
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Cricket World Cup preview – Australia v England: Will rain spoil the oldest rivalry?

The oldest rivalry in cricket will lock their horns at Lord’s, one of the most iconic stadium in the world. These two teams played the first Test and ODI of Cricket history against each other, and the rivalry is also known as Ashes in Test cricket. Australia has won 5 World Cup titles whereas England couldn’t win one. But the rain won’t allow a full game today.

Australia has played great cricket so far in this tournament. They have scored runs, took wickets, saved runs, and did everything to the perfection in almost all the games they have played. Finch would be hoping to repeat all these acts in their game against the arch-rivals.

England lost to Sri Lanka in the last game which opened the gates for other teams to have a hope of reaching the semis. England needs to win at least two games out of their previous 3 to reach the semi-finals. The last time they won against Australia in the World Cup was in 1992. With their next two games against unbeaten sides (India and New Zealand), they would be hoping to win against Australia to have less pressure in the upcoming games.

Overcast weather is predicted for the day, as the first half will have some chances of the shower, which may result in a late start.

Players to watch out for

David Warner (447) must be eyeing to become the first player to reach 500 runs in this world cup. Also playing against their oldest opponent, there would be a lot of pressure to score runs at the top and that too against Archer and Wood. Warner needs to stay at wicket as much time as possible. The others can play around him.

Jofra Archer, England’s primary weapon in their bowling line up, needs to pick early wickets. Australia’s openers have always started well in the tournament, so Jofra has to break their opening partnership in the first few overs, and that would put pressure on the middle order which has not done anything significant so far in this World Cup.

Australia v England in ODIs:

Overall: Matches 147, Australia Won 81, England Won 61, Tie 2, No Result 3

World Cup: Matches 7, Australia Won 5, England Won 2

Recent Form (most recent first): Australia  W W W L W, England L W NR L L

ICC Rankings: Australia (5), England (1)

Upcoming Records:

Morgan needs 41 more runs to become the 8th England batsman to reach 500 runs milestone in the World Cup tournament.

Pat Cummins has taken 93 wickets and needs seven more to become the seventeenth Australian player to reach the 100 ODI wickets milestone.

Squads:

Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Setback to Congress: SC rejects Gujarat Congress leader’s plea against EC decision to hold separate bypolls for two RS seats

OpIndia Staff
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Setback to Congress: SC rejects Gujarat Congress leader’s plea against EC decision to hold separate bypolls for two RS seats

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea of Gujarat Congress leader Pareshbhai Dhanani against the decision of the Election Commission to hold separate bypolls for two vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state. The Supreme Court suggested Gujarat Congress may approach the Election Commission in this regard.

The EC had issued two separate notifications and polling for each of the two vacant seats. The EC can now conduct two separate bypolls. The Supreme Court said that it cannot interfere in the matter.

In an affidavit filed in the SC, the EC refuted the allegations of Congress of bias and told the court how separate polls in byelections were held for Rajya Sabha in 2006 as well as in 2009 and how the Delhi High Court as well as Bombay High Court and delivered judgements in EC’s favour both the times.

External Affairs Minister Dr Subramanyam Jaishankar and Jugalji Thakor from Mehsana will be BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll in Gujarat.

BJP releases names of RS candidates for bypolls

The two Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat were vacated after BJP President Amit Shah and Smriti Irani won Lok Sabha seats from Gandhinagar and Amethi respectively.

The two BJP candidates have reached Gujarat Vidhan Sabha to file their nominations.

Arvind Kejriwal shields Congress and even gets facts wrong as he tweets about Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal shields Congress and even gets facts wrong as he tweets about Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal today took to Twitter to talk about the Emergency and send out a reminder how democracy is important. Except, in that one tweet, he not only managed to protect Congress by choosing not to name Indira Gandhi who had imposed the Emergency but he also got it factually incorrect.


Arvind Kejriwal said that the Emergency was imposed 34 years ago when in reality it was imposed 44 years ago. Kejriwal very carefully also refers to Indira Gandhi as ‘the then Prime Minister’ instead of actually naming her, thereby shielding Congress and the Gandhis. Netizens took this opportunity to take a dig at Kejriwal, who till few days back was begging in front of the same political party which ‘subverted the constitution of this great democracy’ to forge an alliance for the recently concluded general elections.


Perhaps Kejriwal just forgot to add the 10 years of UPA, which pushed us back a few years due to policy paralysis, every one of us wishes to forget.

Video and statistical Highlights from Afghanistan v Bangladesh match

OpIndia Staff
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Video and statistical Highlights from Afghanistan v Bangladesh match

As expected, an easy win for Bangladesh against Afghanistan for the second time in the world cup. The victory has kept the hopes alive for Bangladesh to reserve a seat for a semi-final berth. It was a man show, Shakib ruled the match both with bat and ball.

After winning the toss, Afghanistan decided to bowl first, wonder why would a team like to chase when the pressure of chasing is always more than the pressure of defending the total.

Bangladesh lost the new opener, Liton Das, at the score of 23 runs in the 5th over. The in-form Shakib added 59 runs with the other opener, Tamim Iqbal. Shakib brought up his another half century and in that process became the highest run scorer of the current World Cup. Rahim started innings from where he left off against Australia, scored run a ball 83 and added valuable runs with the lower order. Bangladesh finished at 262 for 7 in their 50 overs, for Afganistan, Mujeeb took 3 for 39.

Afghanistan started well for the first time in the tournament, as their openers added 49 runs for the first wicket. All looked fine till the 20th over when Afghan moving ahead with 79 runs for the loss of one wicket but then happened the collapse. Just like they lost two wickets for no run in an over against India, here too same thing occurred, which derailed their run chase. After scoring a half-century, Shakib ran away through the middle order of Afghanistan, taking five wickets for just 29 runs. A feat only Yuvraj achieved in World Cup previously. Afghanistan lost the match by 62 runs, after being bowled out for 200 in 47 overs.

Match Highlights

STATS

  • Shakib became the first player to take ten wickets and score 400 or more runs in a World Cup edition.
  • Shakib Al Hasan reached the 1000 runs milestone during his knock of 51; he is the first Bangladeshi batsman to reach 1000 runs in World Cup.
  • Shakib took five wickets and scored 51 runs in the match, only Yuvraj Singh (in 2011) has a half-century and five-wicket haul in the same game of the World Cup.
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