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PM Narendra Modi and Polish PM Donald Tusk decide to elevate India-Poland bilateral relations to the level of a “Strategic Partnership” during PM Modi’s Poland visit

OpIndia Staff
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PM Narendra Modi and Polish PM Donald Tusk decide to elevate India-Poland bilateral relations to the level of a “Strategic Partnership” during PM Modi’s Poland visit

At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, paid an official visit to Poland from August 21-22, 2024. The historic visit, came as both nations celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Recognizing their long-standing ties, reaffirming the deep-rooted bonds of friendship between their countries and peoples, and commitment to realizing the full potential of their ties, the two leaders decided to elevate India-Poland bilateral relations to the level of a “Strategic Partnership”. 

Both the Prime Ministers emphasized that shared values of democracy, freedom, and a rules-based international order, along with historical ties, are at the center of the growing bilateral partnership. They reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral, regional, and international cooperation for a more stable, prosperous, and sustainable world. 

Both leaders stressed the need to maintain regular high-level contacts to strengthen bilateral political dialogue and develop mutually beneficial initiatives. 

The leaders agreed to further intensify bilateral economic relations, stimulate trade and investment, and explore new mutually beneficial areas of cooperation. In this regard, they agreed to fully utilize the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation. The leaders also agreed that efforts should be made to balance bilateral trade and expand the trade basket. 

Both leaders acknowledged the growing importance of expanding economic cooperation in sectors such as technology, agriculture, connectivity, mining, energy, and environment. 

Acknowledging the critical role of digitalization in economic and social development, both sides agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation in this field, including in cybersecurity, to enhance stability and trust between the two countries. 

The Prime Ministers emphasized the importance of connectivity between two countries and respective regions. They welcomed the commencement of direct flight connections between the two countries and stress the need for a further increase of direct flights connections to new destinations in both countries. Both sides underlined the importance of strengthening maritime cooperation, and the patency of infrastructure corridors. 

The two leaders underscored that as the world’s two largest democracies, the EU and India have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar World They reaffirmed their commitment to deepen India-EU Strategic Partnership, which would not only benefit both sides but also have a far-reaching positive impact globally. 

The two Prime Ministers expressed their commitment to peace and rules-based international order with the UN Charter at its core and agreed that cooperation in the sphere of security in its multiple dimensions is vital during serious conflicts and tensions in various regions of the world. They decided to enhance collaboration at multilateral forums to promote respect for rules-based international order and maintain global peace, stability, and security. 

Both sides recognized the need to strengthen and deepen cooperation in the defence sector. To this end, they agreed to fully utilize existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Working Group for Defence Cooperation. 

The two leaders expressed their deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. They reiterated the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also noted the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for the Global South. In the context of this war, they shared the view that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. They underscored the importance of upholding international law, and in line with the UN Charter, reiterated that all states must refrain from the threat of or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. 

The two leaders reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasised that no country should provide a safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit terrorist acts. Both sides stressed the need for firm implementation of relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, as well as the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. They also reaffirmed on the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). 

The two sides reinforced their commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific in accordance with the international law of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS and with full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of navigation to the benefit of the maritime security and international peace and stability. 

Recognizing the significant challenges posed by climate change, both leaders agreed on the importance of cooperation in climate action initiatives. Indian side encouraged Polish side to consider Poland’s memberships of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). 

Appreciating the role of parliamentary contacts, the leaders agreed that expanding exchanges and cooperation between their legislatures would significantly deepen bilateral ties and mutual understanding. 

The Prime Ministers noted the longstanding special people to people ties and agreed to strengthen these further. They also agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of culture, education, science, research, and health. They welcomed efforts to promote and encourage additional steps to establish future-oriented partnerships between academic institutions. 

The leaders acknowledged the role of tourism in driving economic and business opportunities and enhancing understanding between the people of both countries. 

To implement the Strategic Partnership, both sides agreed to a five-year Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028. 

Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Tusk and the people of Poland for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation and he invited Prime Minister Tusk to visit India.

– Statement issued by Prime Minister’s Office on PIB

The grooming gang conundrum: Why for the media, Muslim perpetrators preying on young non-Muslim girls abroad always become ‘Indian’ and ‘Asian’

Shraddha Pandey
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The grooming gang conundrum: Why for the media, Muslim perpetrators preying on young non-Muslim girls abroad always become ‘Indian’ and ‘Asian’

The media, especially the Western media, has its own ways of shielding the religious identity of Muslims when found involved in criminal activities and emphasising the same they happen to do something positive. The world is in shock after A 40-year-old doctor in Michigan, Oumair Aejaz was arrested in the US after being charged with numerous sex crimes, including recording thousands of nude images of women and children over the past six years. A significant section of the media even in this horrifying crime managed to fan stereotypes against Indians and conceal the religious identity of the perpetrator.

In a flagrant display of hypocrisy, a large section of the media across the world emphasises a Muslim person’s religious identity when they do something great or decent, but downplays or obscures the same identity when they engage in criminal activity. While usually, the foreign media calls the accused persons involved in such cases either Asian or South Asian, this time, the emphasis is explicitly on his Indian origins.

Sadly, even the Indian media outlets toed the Western media’s line meant to tarnish India’s image globally and reported Oumair Aejaz as an “Indian doctor”. Interestingly, there can be Muslim doctors’ associations, and their religious identity be highlighted if they do something laudable but the same cannot be done with a Muslim doctor like Oumair Aejaz carries out horrendous crimes.

The headline of the report published by South China Morning Post (SCMP), a Hong Kong-based news outlet owned by the Alibaba Group, reads: “Indian doctor in US took thousands of images of naked adults and children as young as 2”.

The International Business Times, an American online newspaper also chose to call Oumair Aejaz an “Indian doctor”.

Meanwhile, a WION report’s headline reads: “‘13,000 videos in single drive,’ Indian doctor jailed in US for recording nude videos of children, women”.

Similarly, Mint’s headline states: “Indian doctor films naked children and adults in US, arrested; thousands of videos found at his Michigan home”.

IndiaTV reported: “’Disturbing on many levels’: Indian doctor arrested in US for taking pictures of naked adults and children”

Another leading Indian media outlet IndiaToday reported: “Indian doctor in US records thousands of nude videos of kids, women, arrested”.

On the face of it, nothing much might seem problematic here since perpetrator Oumair Aejaz is indeed of Indian origin, however, the emphasis on his Indian connection is the problem. Have a look at how the both Indian and foreign media report incidents wherein the “good Samaritan” happens to be a Muslim.

In 2017, Australian news outlet The Weekly Times reported: “Muslim doctor saves man’s life”.

In 2016, the Times of India reported how a Muslim girl saved her Hindu classmate from kidnappers even as there was no imperative to mention the girl’s Muslim identity but only talk about her act of bravery.

Just a few days back, a Pakistani news publication AajTV, boasted in its report how a “Heroic Muslim” saved people in the London knife attack. However, demonstrating its hypocrisy, the same publication chose to call Oumair Aejaz an “Indian doctor” in its report and not highlight his Muslim identity. Interestingly, the same Pakistani media called javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra’s Tokyo Olympics gold win a “victory of South Asia” but when a Muslim man Oumair Aejaz carries out a horrendous crime in Michigan, they dismiss him as a “Indian doctor”.

In January last year, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), a ‘Human rights’ group, reported about an incident wherein a man named Tipu Sultan saved girl Monali Kaushal’s life as she was drowning in Madhya Pradesh. “Muslim man risks life to save a Hindu girl from drowning in Madhya Pradesh,” CJP reported even as there was no imperative to highlight the saviour’s religious identity.

CJP reports

Another CJP report asserted how a “Muslim woman” saved the lives of many people through post-humous organ donation. The CJP, however, failed to mention that donating organs is prohibited in Islam and only receiving is allowed.

In July last year, Turkish news outlet Anadolu reported how a French Muslim “risked his life” to save people from fire in Romans-sur-Isere in southeastern France.

It must also be recalled how the Indian mainstream media highlighted the Muslim identity of rat miners who rescued 41 workers stranded in the Uttarakhand tunnel last year even as several Hindu rat miners were also involved in the rescue mission. The leftist media selectively highlighted the religious identity of Muslim rescuers making them national heroes while no such emphasis was laid on the religious identity of Hindu rescuers.

Glorify Muslims when something good happens, conceal their religious identity when involved in crimes: The hypocrisy of the global legacy media

Ironically, the very same section of foreign and Indian media that leaves no opportunity to glorify the Muslim identity when something good happens even as that the religiosity has little or nothing to do with the good actions of the people, also indulges in whitewashing the crimes committed by Muslims. A classic case of this is being seen in their coverage of anti-Hindu pogroms in Bangladesh, wherein Hindus are being attacked, killed, raped and their houses and temples vandalised, Hindu officials being forced to resign by Islamists solely out of their hatred for Hindus, yet the media outlets like Al Jazeera, NYT, ABC, etc passed these incidents off as “politically motivated revenge attacks”. Moreover, these hypocrites of top order highlighted the Muslim identity of those forming the farcical “human chains” to ‘protect’ Hindu temples, but failed to ‘verify’ whether the attacks on Hindus were driven by Islamism.

Clearly, the Islamist sympathising media lives in and wants to further their delusion that there are only good Muslims and the rest just bad people even if they kill and rape non-Muslims in the name of their religion and Allah.

When Muslims achieve significant success or make great contributions to society, their Islamic identity is frequently highlighted even if their good actions are unrelated to their faith. This narrative framing aims to dispel negative perceptions and promote the notion of Muslims as integral and constructive members of Western society. However, when it comes to naming Islamic terrorists what they truly are, these same media outlets promote a “terrorism has no religion” lie. Apparently, the media and the left-liberals globally want the world to live in denial of the Islamist threat knocking at their doors.

Media called the UK grooming gangs “Asian” even as they explicitly targeted non-Muslim girls out of their pervert religious extremism

Even with the infamous UK grooming gangs, the mainstream media called them “Asian”, despite the fact that it was their Muslim identity that made them groom non-Muslim girls. For example, take this The Telegraph report’s headline, “Telford scandal: Over 1,000 girls abused and raped by Asian gangs while police looked the other way”. All the perpetrators in this grooming gang were Muslims, mostly of Pakistan descent who singled out non-Muslim, white girls groomed them, sexually abused them multiple times, and threatened to kill them over disclosing their deeds to anyone and yet the media failed to or deliberately covers up the religious and racial motivation behind the crime.

Be it Rotherham, Telford, or Rochdale grooming and sexual exploitation cases, the pattern remained the same, non-Muslim girls including Hindu, Sikh, and White Christian girls being systematically targeted in the United Kingdom by Pakistani Muslims out of their religiously and racially motivated hatred towards non-Muslims. While the pro-Islamist bias is an obvious reason behind downplaying these cases for years or concealing the religious motivation behind the crime, another important reason for the cover-up was the fear of offending the perennially offended Muslim community.

By calling the Muslim groomers “Asian grooming gangs” or by simply their nationality, avoiding the explicit mention of their Muslim identity, the media perpetuates a generalisation unfairly implicating other Asian communities who were the victims of these Muslim grooming gangs, while also avoiding uncomfortable discussions about the specific religious factors involved.

The idea behind laying selective emphasis on the religious identity of Muslims is apparently, intended to create a skewed perception, where the positive aspects or deeds are linked to the religion, but the negative aspects are detached from it. This contributes to the establishment of a one-sided narrative that only those who do good deeds are ‘real Muslims’ while the predators, terrorists etc are not real Muslims even if they quote they carry the Quran in one hand and weapon in another to eliminate non-Muslims as seen in the case of ISIS executing kafirs.

The Muslim grooming gangs in the UK were shielded by the media and pro-Islamist politicians by passing them off as “Asian” or “South Asian grooming gangs”, The Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas’s religiously driven attacks on Jews and Israel are passed off as ‘resistance’, Islamist attackers are labelled as “Bhatke huye naujawan [mislead youths] and grooming Jihad targeting Hindu women in India is outrightly dismissed as ‘hoax’, ‘fiction’, ‘right-wing conspiracy theory’ and whatnot. Currently, the media is obscuring Oumair Aejaz’s Muslim identity and passing him off as an ‘Indian doctor’, had the person happened to be a Hindu, the leftist media outlets would have somehow linked the crime with his religious identity and even to his political leanings. But since a Muslim can’t be bad because of being a Muslim, according to the leftist-Islamist propagandists, Aejaz and other criminals like him are and will be labelled “Asian”, “South Asian”, or “Indian”.

Ironically, Muslims who overtly assert their religiosity in anything and everything do not want the criminals and terrorists carrying out religiously motivated attacks on non-Muslims to be associated with Islam. However, these very people prioritise Islam over the country as was recently said by an Islamist maulana on national television.

If religion comes before the country for Muslims, shouldn’t the media also report according to this approach and mention “Muslim doctor” instead of “Indian doctor” as in the case of Oumair Aejaz? However, the media decided not to mention the predator’s name in their headlines but only in the body so that the focus remains on how an Indian doctor turned out to be a criminal but not essentially a Muslim doctor.

RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case: CBI seeks High Court’s permission for polygraph test on ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh & 4 other doctors

ANI
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RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case: CBI seeks High Court’s permission for polygraph test on ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh & 4 other doctors

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday approached Kolkata High Court for permission to conduct a polygraph test on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital’s ex-principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh, and four doctors after finding discrepancies in their statements during the investigation.

A senior CBI official informed that they have approached the court for permission and after getting the permission, the polygraph test will be conducted.

“We will corroborate their statements with the result of the polygraph test to verify their statement given to the agency,” the official added.

The CBI official stated that the polygraph test would help verify their statements and corroborate evidence.

Ghosh was previously questioned about his response to the incident, notification to police and parents, and other aspects.

Meanwhile, after the Supreme Court’s appeal, health professionals at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Delhi called off their 11-day-long strike and are back on their duties as of Thursday.

In a statement, the Resident Doctors Association made the announcement and said, “In the interest of the nation and the spirit of public service, the RDA, AIIMS, New Delhi, has decided to call off the 11-day strike. This decision comes in response to the appeal and direction of the Supreme Court. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Supreme Court for taking cognizance of the RG Kar Medical College incident and addressing the broader issue of safety and security for healthcare workers across the country.”

Earlier, the Supreme Court, while commencing its hearing on the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case, said that health professionals must return to work and that once they resume their duties, the court will prevail upon authorities to not take adverse action against them.

The development comes days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the task force to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months.

The top court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. Also, the court asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the mob attack incident that took place at the RG Kar hospital on August 15.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Aligarh: Afsan charged for placing an alloy wheel on a rail track to derail a train, probe underway

OpIndia Staff
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Aligarh: Afsan charged for placing an alloy wheel on a rail track to derail a train, probe underway

On Thursday, 22nd August, the Aligarh Railway Police charged one Afsan for deliberately placing an alloy wheel on the railway track to derail a moving train. The incident happened on Tuesday, 20th August when the accused made a deliberate attempt to recreate the Kanpur rail accident that happened on August 17th. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishanav during the Kanpur case had confirmed that the derailment of the engine took place because of an object placed on the track.

Notably, twenty coaches of the Sabarmati Express passenger train had derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine hit an object placed on the track. In the Aligarh case also, Afsan placed an alloy wheel on the track to derail a train. However, a major train accident was averted due to the vigilance of the railway police team.

As per the reports, the railway police were informed that the alloy wheel was placed on the rail route of the Delhi-Kanpur freight corridor. The police immediately reached the spot and took down the wheel. The incident took place on the Talaspur railway track of the Roravar police station area.

Regarding the incident, Area Officer First Abhay Pandey said that a case at Roravar police station is being investigated. “Information was given by RPF in this matter. On receiving the information, the police force reached the spot, after which the railway track and the surrounding area were inspected. At the same time, a case was registered on the complaint given by the RPF in this regard and three police teams had been deployed to search for the accused,” he said.

The police have finally traced the accused and identified him as Afsan, as confirmed by the Times Now Navbharat.

Earlier, on August 17th, the engine of the Sabarmati Express train had derailed near Kanpur at 2.35 am. The Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that the derailment of the engine had taken place because of an object placed on the track.

Notably, this won’t be the first incident of someone deliberately placing objects on Railway tracks. There are many YouTube channels operating where the “creator” puts random things on Railway tracks and then records the videos for likes and shares.

Earlier in August, a YouTuber named Gulzar Sheikh was arrested for putting different items on railway tracks including cycles, soaps, stones, and more in the name of content creation.

OpIndia investigated the matter and found that many YouTube channels have been uploading such videos for likes and shares. In most probability, these channels are earning hefty money by monetizing these videos where they attempt to derail trains by placing objects on the tracks.

Ayodhya gang-rape case: After bakery demolition, SP leader and accused Moeed Khan’s illegal shopping complex demolished by authorities

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya gang-rape case: After bakery demolition, SP leader and accused Moeed Khan’s illegal shopping complex demolished by authorities

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Ayodhya gang-rape accused Moeed Khan has been subjected to further severe measures by the Uttar Pradesh government of Yogi Adityanath, following the demolition of his illegal bakery. On 22nd August, the authorities destroyed a third of his shopping complex, which was constructed unlawfully on public property.

A team of district administration drove up with bulldozers to the shopping centre located in Bhadarsa town at around 11 AM. The complex including banks and other businesses housed in the mall was vacated before the action. Notably, the perpetrator is a close associate of Samajwadi Party leader and Ayodhya Lok Sabha MP Awadhesh Prasad.

The victim has undergone medical termination of her pregnancy at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) Lucknow and has since moved to a residence in Bhadarsa town with her family. Meanwhile, security has been strengthened to safeguard her. She and her family have been under constant threat, therefore the officials informed that over thirty well-armed and prepared police officers, including female constables, have been strategically stationed around the clock to assure their protection.

Moeed Khan and his employee Raju Khan are accused of gang-raping a 12-year-old Other Backward Class (OBC) girl in Ayodhya and recording the incident to use as blackmail against her for more than two months. The victim’s pregnancy-related health problems brought the crime to light. The filing of the First Information Report was delayed. Since 2012, the police station has been housed on Moeed Khan’s land. Arrests were made following public outcry and an investigation into the matter is currently underway. 

Police Station In-Charge Ratanlal Sharma and Outpost In-Charge Akhilesh Gupta have been suspended by the Yogi Adityanath government. An official complaint has been lodged against Bharatkund Bhadarsa Nagar Panchayat President Mohammad Rashid Khan, another SP leader. According to the complaint, he and his aides issued death threats to the minor rape victim. “With the intention of killing the rape victim, Mohammad Rashid, along with Jai Singh and an unknown person, reached near the room of the women’s district hospital at 11 pm on Thursday (August 1, 2024).” The complaint mentioned that he had already intimidated the victim in her home.

Government lands and ponds have been illegally occupied by Moid Khan. Furthermore, he is charged with taking over the land belonging to multiple Dalit families. In a letter to the District Magistrate, Bajrang Dal stated that Janaki Prasad, a Dalit, possesses plot numbers 1675 and 1676, and Moeed’s bakery in Bhadarsa Bhahar was also situated on this land. A high-level probe of his possessions and activities, as well as those of Ratanlal Sharma, were demanded by the outfit.

Madhya Pradesh: Bulldozer action against accused from Muslim mob that pelted stones at Chhatarpur police during protest against Ramgiri Maharaj

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Bulldozer action against accused from Muslim mob that pelted stones at Chhatarpur police during protest against Ramgiri Maharaj

On Thursday, 22nd August, Madhya Pradesh police took strict action against Islamists who pelted stones and created a ruckus in Chhatarpur Kotwali police station on Wednesday afternoon. The Muslims are believed to have protested against Ramgiri Maharaj from Maharashtra who allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed last week.

The police registered a case against 150 people involved in the ruckus after the orders were issued by CM Mohan Yadav. The FIR includes 50 named and 100 other people who pelted stones at the police station injuring two officers. After this, Chief Minister of the state, Dr Mohan Yadav directed the police to take strict action against the culprits of this incident. Reportedly, the state administration began demolishing the houses of the accused who pelted stones at the Police at Kotwali Police Station.

As per the local reports, the bulldozer action is underway amid heavy police force and administration team present on the spot. As notified to the media, accused Haji Shahzad Ali’s house in Mastan Sahab Colony of Chhatarpur city was being demolished with the help of a bulldozer at the time of writing of this report.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav wrote on X, ”Today an unfortunate incident took place in Chhattarpur district in which on receiving information about some policemen getting injured, I immediately got information about the incident from higher officials and gave instructions for proper treatment of the jawans. Madhya Pradesh is a ‘State of Peace’, anyone taking the law into their own hands in a planned manner will not be tolerated at all. I have given clear instructions to the senior police officials to identify the culprits quickly and take strict action against them so that such incidents do not recur in the future. It is our priority to maintain peace and harmony in the state.”

It is important to note that the members of the Muslim community in Chhatarpur demonstrated against Ramgiri Maharaj at around 4 pm on Wednesday. During this, the Muslims resorted to stone pelting and rioting, damaging some vehicles and injuring two police officers. Ramgiri Maharaj had allegedly made objectionable remarks targeting Prophet Mohammad and Islam last week. The Hindu saint during one of his sermons in Nashik, indicated that several Islamists have disrespected women in the past because of the religious doctrine they follow. The remarks sparked wide outrage in several districts of Maharashtra including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Mumbai, and Pune with several Islamist leaders and organizations filing FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Chhatarpur DIG Lalit Shakyawar said that about 300-400 people led by religious leaders Syed Haji Ali and Syed Javed Ali had come to the police station to submit a memorandum on Wednesday, 21st August. They were demanding to register a case against Ramgiri Maharaj, against whom several FIRs are already registered in Maharashtra.

Shakyawar said that the crowd suddenly became aggressive and started pelting stones, which continued for about ten minutes, after which the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. The DIG said that due to stone pelting, Kotwali police station in-charge Arvind Kujur has suffered serious injuries in his hand and head. He is undergoing treatment. Constable Bhupendra Prajapati has also been injured.

Congress and National Conference forms alliance to contest Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections together, Farooq Abdullah says doors open for all

ANI
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Congress and National Conference forms alliance to contest Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections together, Farooq Abdullah says doors open for all

The National Conference and the Congress will contest the forthcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir together and have formed an alliance.

The formal announcement of the tie-up was made by NC patron Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar on Thursday.

The announcement was made after Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

“The alliance has been finalised and by this evening the details of seat-sharing will be announced. The Alliance is for 90 seats,” Farooq Abdullah said.

“People have suffered much in the last 10 years. Statehood is the prime concern for us. And we want all the powers of the state. Our common program is to fight divisive forces. Our doors are open for all, let’s first win the election. My heart is happy today,” the NC patron added.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi asserted that it was his and his party’s duty to ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir get their democratic rights back and that statehood is restored.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi said that it is the priority of both the Congress Party and the INDIA alliance to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible.

“We had expected that this would be done before the elections but elections have been declared. It is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible and the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, democratic rights will be restored to them. This is the first time since independence that a state has become a union territory. This has never happened before. Union territories have become states but it is the first time that a State has become Union Territory. So, we are very clear in our national manifesto as well that it is a priority for us that the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh get their democratic rights back,” he said.

“My message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir is…we can help you, the Congress Party is always there. We understand that you’re going through a very difficult period, a tough period, and we want to remove violence,” he added.

Kharge slammed the BJP-led central government and said that the promises made to Jammu and Kashmir were not fulfilled.

“Our party has decided that under the leadership of Rahulji, we will restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, and we make this promise. So far, Union Territories (UTs) mentioned in the Constitution have been made into states, but Jammu and Kashmir, which was a state, was made into a UT, and today, there is no council, assembly, panchayat, or municipality here. Instead of protecting democracy, it has been dismantled,” he said.

“No matter how much BJP and PM Modi try, they cannot suppress the voice of the people. We will stand with the people and strive to fulfil their aspirations,” Kharge added.

The Congress and the NC had fought the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance with each other. The National Conference won two seats – Anantnag and Srinagar. The Congress could not win any seat.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.

The Election Commission has issued notification for the first phase of assembly seats for 24 seats.

This is the first assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

West Bengal: RG Kar Medical College’s ex-principal Sandip Ghosh appointed as OSD in Health Ministry, new principal of the medical college transferred to Barasat

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: RG Kar Medical College’s ex-principal Sandip Ghosh appointed as OSD in Health Ministry, new principal of the medical college transferred to Barasat

The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) is questioning Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkatta, on a regular basis following the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the institution. He was forced to resign from his position amid major protests and strikes by doctors and other medical professionals. He was then appointed Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital’s principal following his ouster, however, he was removed from the post as well on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Now, he has been made OSD (Officer on Special Duty) by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration.

As per reports, Ghosh has been appointed as OSD at the Health Ministry of the West Bengal government, as per a notification issued on Wednesday.

The High Court had slammed the decision to make him the principal of National Medical College after which he took a leave of absence. However, the students of RG Kar Medical College relentlessly called for his dismissal and on the night of 21st August a delegation of students assembled at Swasthya Bhawan. Afterwards, a total of four medical officers including Sandip Ghosh were transferred and the latter was also removed from the post.

However, Sandip Ghosh’s removal has been followed by reports of his appointment as an officer on special duty. The government’s decision not to suspend him in spite of the numerous accusations levelled against him has been questioned by the outraged pupils. On the other hand, the authorities claimed that the termination procedure is drawn out in accordance with government regulations. Sandip Ghosh would be able to testify at the departmental hearing even if the vigilance report declares him guilty. Otherwise, he could approach the court to challenge the ruling. The students countered that the government had the option to at least send him on leave, but they chose not to do it.

Government officials, however, maintained that he was no longer a college professor or the principal. The government has made the decision to temporarily house him in the Swasthya Bhawan rather than the medical college. It is unclear if he would be given departmental responsibilities as OSD or not. However, concerns have been expressed over his selection to a government position since the CBI is investigating him regularly regarding the rape and murder case.

Akhtar Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, had earlier accused him of corruption and malpractice, claiming that Sandip Ghosh had sold unclaimed dead bodies, trafficked biomedical waste to contacts in Bangladesh, taken a 20% commission on each tender and purposefully failing students to demand money. He had filed a criminal case against the latter in the Calcutta High Court.

In the meantime, Suhrita Paul, who was made the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital after the resignation of Sandip Ghosh, has also been transferred to Barasat Medical College. Manas Banerjee, the current principal of Barasat Medical College, has been appointed as the principal of RG Kar Medical College.

After Suhrita Paul was made the new principal of RG Kar Medical College, her role in the investigation of the case was questioned by the protesting students. The hospital was vandalised by pro-TMC goons during her tenure. She was OSD in the health ministry before her appointment at the hospital. Reportedly, she continued to function from the Swasthya Bhawan, and visited the hospital only once, inviting the anger of the students.

Besides, Bulbul Mukherjee has also been relieved from the duties of MSVP of RG Kar Hospital and Dean of Students. He has been only retained as a professor in the Department of Physiology at the medical college. Also, Arunabh Dutta Chowdhury, head of the chest medicine department at RG Kar, has been transferred to Maldah Medical College in North Bengal. Notably, the victim was a doctor and a PG student at the chest medicine department.

‘Some Muslim castes added to OBC list in less than 24 hours, others before they even applied to be included’: Bengal govt’s affidavit in Supreme Court exposes shocking details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Some Muslim castes added to OBC list in less than 24 hours, others before they even applied to be included’: Bengal govt’s affidavit in Supreme Court exposes shocking details

A major reservation row broke out in West Bengal after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government included the Muslim community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota without due diligence, only to cater to her party’s minority vote bank. Notably, the All Indian Trinamool Congress administration not only continued but even added to the appeasement policy adopted by the previous Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in the state. Now, the AITC regime is being slammed for arbitrarily introducing 77 castes, 75 of whom are Muslim, into the OBC category.

In a landmark judgment on Wednesday (22nd May) this year, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government filed an affidavit and defended its decision in the Supreme Court after a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in its 5th August order sought details regarding the procedure adopted for inclusion in the OBC category. However, the astounding details in it revealed the extent to which it flouted all norms to pander to its Muslim voters.

Complex 3-tier process, but many red flags

The government claimed that the OBC list was expanded through a complex three-tier process which involved two surveys and a hearing by the Commission for Backward Classes, reported The Times of India. On the other hand, it was unveiled that for some Muslim groups, the process was concluded in less than a day, which otherwise would have been an impossibility given the complexity of the work and the rate at which government machinery operates.

The Khotta Muslim community applied on 13th November 2009 and they were made part of the OBC list by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes recommended on the same day. Likewise, the Jamadar Muslim group which submitted an application on 21st April 2010 was awarded the OBC category, the very same day. The OBC Commission acted with equally surprising speed. It recommended the incorporation of Gayen and Bhatia Muslim communities within a day, the Chutor Mistri Muslim community in four days and the addition of a dozen other Muslim groups to the OBC list in less than a month.

There were instances where the sub-categorization survey was carried out even before community members applied to the Commission to be put in the OBC category. While surveys for Kazi, Kotal, Hazari, Layek, Khas and some other Muslim communities were completed in June 2015, their applications were submitted considerably later, even a year or two afterwards. “It was only after a detailed enquiry and/or upon consideration of the material before it in oral or documentary nature, that a final report on each of the 34 communities was prepared along with the final recommendation by the Commission,” the West Bengal government claimed in the apex court.

According to the affidavit presented by Abhijit Mukherjee, the process begins with an application by communities who intend to be included in the OBC list, providing information about the name of the class, its population size, its concentration area, as well as social, educational, marital, occupational and economic data. Abhijit Mukherjee is the additional secretary and ex-officio joint commissioner of reservation at the backward classes welfare department. The affidavit asserted that the state meticulously adhered to the three-tier process.

The commission conducts field surveys through its members (before 2012) or through the Cultural Research Institute (CRI) of the state government and the anthropologists working with them (after 2012) upon the filing of a request. The commission notifies the public of the application hearing and any opposition to the claim during such a survey. The commission reviews documents, poll responses, questions and evidence presented at public hearings before making a decision on whether to approve or disapprove the proposal. The state stated that this recommendation is “ordinarily binding” on the government upon acceptance and introduces the group to the OBC list. The cabinet is then asked to approve it and is subsequently published in the official gazette following the authorization.

On 5th August the Supreme Court directed the West Bengal administration to “explain the process” used to classify 77 communities as OBC between 2010 and 2012, as well as the type of survey that was conducted on the two issues of social and educational backwardness and inadequate representation in state services. Mamata Banerjee’s government lodged an appeal against a Calcutta High Court ruling to revoke the inclusion of such communities in the OBC list without conforming to the proper protocol. Notably, the Supreme Court declined to halt the High Court order.

Observations of Calcutta High Court

In May this year, a two-judge bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha had cancelled the Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012. The judges observed that the West Bengal administration utilized the Sachar Committee Report of 2006 “extensively” which notoriously concluded that Muslims in India were in worse condition than members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The Sachar Committee Report used by the state to support the claims of backwardness of Muslims and classify them as OBCs lacked constitutional validity, per the Calcutta High Court.

The court also took issue with the West Bengal government-appointed Commission’s negligence in failing to execute a thorough investigation to ascertain the degree of social deprivation of the groups admitted into the OBC category. It made clear that it is untenable to notify OBC categories between 2011 and 2022 based solely on the out-of-date Mandal Commission report.

Additionally, the Calcutta High Court noted that by passing the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 and eliminating the Commission’s involvement in the process of identifying new OBCs, the West Bengal government had engaged in a “fraud on the Constitutional power of the State.” The erudite judges further emphasized how the Commission disregarded constitutional provisions in order to classify Muslims as OBCs.

The court further pointed out that the University of Calcutta’s Anthropology Department collaborated with the earlier Left government to justify the decision to announce the first group of new OBCs centred only on religious criteria. The West Bengal administration was harshly criticized by the judges for treating Muslims as a “political commodity” and employing them to further its political agenda.

“I don’t accept Calcutta High Court’s verdict. OBC reservation will continue as it is,” Mamata Banerjee declared after the Calcutta High Court cancelled around five lakh OBC certificates issued after 2010 by her government. The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) discovered in June 2023 that OBC certificates had been issued to Rohingyas and undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh in West Bengal. NCBC further found that, although Hindus make up the majority population in West Bengal, there were more Muslim OBC castes in the state.

Background of the controversy

66 classes were designated as OBCs between 1994 and 2009 by the CPIM government, which ruled the state prior to TMC. The Muslim community comprised about 12 of the classes. The CPIM government issued seven executive orders between 5th March and 10th September 2010 recognizing 42 additional classes as OBCs, presumably with the 2011 elections in mind. The Muslim community accounted for forty-one of them. As a result, these new groups qualified for representation and reservations in jobs offered by the West Bengal government. A 10% reservation for Muslims in government positions was also announced by the CPIM in February 2010 to further accommodate its Muslim voting bank.

Mamata Banerjee maintained the Left regime’s appeasement policy after taking office as chief minister of West Bengal in May 2011. An additional 35 new classes were established as OBCs by the TMC administration in an executive order dated 11th May 2012. Thirty-four of the classes, predictably, belonged to the Muslim community and in just two years, the Left and TMC governments added 77 new classes (75 of which belonged to the Muslim minority) to the OBC group. The 77 groups were further divided into OBC A (More Backward) and OBC B (Backward) categories by the Mamata Banerjee government, which also passed the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012.

A man named Amal Chandra Das filed the first petition on 18th January 2011, contesting the Left government’s decision. He questioned the decision to designate 42 castes as OBCs based only on religious beliefs. He emphasized that the survey performed by the Commission, which was established by the West Bengal government to help with the identification of OBCs, was prefabricated and the classification was not based on any reliable evidence.

From 2012 until 2020, Amal Chandra Das, Purabi Das and Atmadeep filed three more petitions contesting the constitutionality of the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012, as well as a number of its provisions. All four petitions were tagged and heard concurrently in the Calcutta High Court which pronounced its decision on 22nd May.

Reports claim Maldives has run out of usable dollars after payment of oil bill, govt claims it has not reached zero and situation will improve by August

OpIndia Staff
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Reports claim Maldives has run out of usable dollars after payment of oil bill, govt claims it has not reached zero and situation will improve by August

Days after the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) sent a warning letter to the Finance Ministry warning about exhausting usable reserves of the country, the state’s usable dollar reserves have actually run out, reported Adhadhu, a local media outlet.

This is the first time in the history of Maldies that its reserves have gone to negative. The MMA and the Finance Ministry failed to comment on the issue, but Adhadhu claims to know that the country’s remaining dollar reserves have been exhausted on Wednesday, 21st August. 

Two different reputable sources confirmed to Adhadhu that usable dollar reserves are currently negative. As per the report, the government held a USD 25 million oil payment due, and the reserves could run out and go negative if the bill was paid. 

The useable dollar reserve in Maldives is the amount of money held by the government to repay loans and spend on critical imports. The reserve is made up of dollar revenue received by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), grants from the state, and budget support. The reserve is also used to send funds to students studying abroad, as well as to sell dollars to Maldivians travelling abroad. It is also used to distribute cash to banks and government entities.

According to the most recent data given by the MMA as of July 24, the official reserves stood at $365.44 million, while the usable reserves of the country stood at $21.97 million. Experts who talked with Adhadhu suggested the Sovereign Development Fund (SDF) may need to be used if the state’s dollar reserves run out.

However, both the government and the MMA dismiss the prospect of encountering such a circumstance. The Finance Ministry and the MMA told several local media sources that the situation would not deteriorate and that the reserves would stabilize by the end of this month.

“The authority continues to publish reserve data on a monthly basis. Maldives’ usable reserves are expected to increase by August from the level at the end of July,” the MMA said in the statement.

On Monday, 19th August the finance ministry issued a letter requesting that companies stop paying salaries in dollars. Maldives requires $70 million each month to import vital supplies. As a result, the latest MMA reserve data reveal that there is enough money to import products for 0.9 months. According to data, the Maldives requires $508 million this year to repay its foreign loans.

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