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Karnataka High Court declines to quash FIR against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh & Supriya Shrinate in copyright infringement case

On the 28th of June, the Karnataka High Court refused to quash an FIR registered against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Supriya Shrinate in a copyright infringement case. The case was registered by a music company named MRT Music. They alleged that the Congress leaders violated copyright rules and used a song from the popular Kannada movie “KGF Chapter 2” in their promotional video for the “Bharat Jodo Yatra”.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed, “Petitioner appeared to have tampered with source code, which would amount to infringement. Copyright of complainant is taken for granted and therefore prima facie all this requires investigation.”

The FIR against Congress leaders includes allegations of offences under sections 120-B, 403, and 465 read with Section 34 of the IPC, as well as Section 63 of the Copyright Act and Section 66 of the IT Act.

Earlier, on June 23, the Court heard the arguments from both sides and reserved its order. 

MRT Music had filed the case in November 2022, after it found that Congress used its music from ‘KGF Chapter 2’ in 2 promotional videos of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The complaint said, “Rahul Gandhi has resorted to getting videos created showcasing his heroism and to portray to the general public at large that he is a mass leader. For this reason, he has portrayed himself in the infringing video particularly considering the fact that the movie and more particularly the songs and the audio visual clippings of the two songs in the movie KGF chapter two have gained mass appeal and acceptance”. 

The songs used by the party to portray Rahul Gandhi as a ‘hero’ were ‘Falak Tu Garaj Tu’ and ‘Sulthan’ from the superhit movie KGF Chapter 2. 

The case proceedings

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Vikram Huilgol appeared for the petitioners. He argued that Section 63 of the Copyright Act has stricter criteria to prove infringement. He said, “The question of infringement at large itself is before the civil court. They have preferred a suit under section 55.” 

He further added that Section 63 speaks of “knowingly” infringing copyright but, there is no indication of that in the complaint. Huilgol said, “All that A3 (Rahul Gandhi) has admittedly done has walked or portrayed to be walking with the music in the background. By being portrayed in a video, would that amount to A3 knowingly infringing a copyright? The onus in Section 63 is to show that person knowingly infringed the copyright.”

In this case, the complainant M Naveen Kumar was represented by Senior Advocate S Sriranga and Advocate Pranav Kumar Mysore. The complainant’s counsel argued that the petitioners-accused had taken the source code, meddled with it, and superimposed the video. 

The counsel said, “The Act provides for civil remedy and criminal prosecution, in the case of such infringement the outcome of one does not depend upon the outcome of other, subject to all just exceptions.” 

It was further argued that if the petitioners claim they were completely ignorant and unaware of what was happening or the usage of the video or audio, they will have to establish this in due process. Citing Section 2 (f) of the Act, the counsel said, “It is not only audio in the background that is used, here is a case where everything of my work is used, font, lyrics, animation, only the logo is changed.” 

The past antecedent of actions on the Copyright Infringement issue

Apart from this, MRT Music has also filed a civil suit against the Congress party and its leaders. On the 7th of November, a trial court ordered Twitter to block the social media handles of the Congress party and Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

However, a day later, on November 8, the Karnataka High Court lifted the ban on the Congress party’s social media handles with an undertaking that the party will have to remove material from their handles that offend MRT Music’s copyrights.

Government interferes with rituals of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, HR&CE minister makes plans to take over

On June 27, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department official Velvizhi, accompanied by two female police personnel, entered the Kanagasabai amidst resistance from Dikshithars and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters. The development came days after a controversy erupted claiming Pothu Dikshitars of Chidambaram Natarajar temple declined permission to devotees to offer prayers from Kanagasabai during the Aani Thirumanjanam festival.

Pothu Dikshithars are the hereditary priests and custodians of Sri Sabanayagar Temple, popularly known as Lord Nataraja Temple.

As per a statement issued by Dikshitars, they were pushed down and their clothes were torn.

Notably, Deekshitars have been managing the temple for centuries. The temple has historically changed darshan timings and programs during festivals to ensure smooth management. The devotees and temple administration have been left confused and angered. Notably, Supreme Court has already ruled that the government cannot interfere in temple management. Despite the orders from the apex court, DMK continued to create controversy using HR&CE around the temple.

A petition has been filed by TR Ramesh, a devotee of the temple against TN government. He wrote, “I have today filed a PIL against the Arbitrary, Unlawful & Unconstitutional GO passed by TN Govt at the instance of TN HR&CE Dept regarding Chidambaram Sri Nataraja Temple. I shall expose the anti-Vedic agenda of this Govt in Court. I am exposing the financial frauds of the Dept too.”

Darshan from Kanagasabai is not allowed only for four days

During the Aani Thirumanjanam festival, just for four days, devotees are not allowed to enter Kanakasabai. The temple administration takes the step to ensure large crowds are managed smoothly, as a lot of devotees visit the temple during the annual festival.

A few days ago, Dikshithars placed a board in the temple informing devotees that there will be restrictions on entering the Kanagasabai till June 27 (Tuesday) due to the ongoing annual festival. However, it was removed by HR&CE officials on Monday. On Tuesday, PK Sekarbabu, HR&CE minister, said that the government would ensure the devotees would get access to the Kanagasabai even if the festival was happening. Furthermore, he added that the state government is gathering evidence to take over the temple claiming devotees have demanded it.

DMK minister attacked temple administration

In a statement, Sekarbabu said, “Devotees consider archakas next only to God. How can the government allow archakas to assault devotees? The Dikshithars are functioning in the Chidambaram temple by creating a power centre there. The HR&CE department has no intention to change any of the ongoing rituals being performed. At the same time, we have to remember that this temple was built by the kings in the past. But, the Dikshithars are trying to declare the Chidambaram temple a ‘denomination temple’ and are creating issues.”

He claimed that despite the temple being run on donations from the devotees, there is no “hundi”, and accounts are not maintained. He added, “Further, the Dikshithars are refusing to allow HR and CE officials to audit the revenue of the temple. They are also refusing to give details of costly gold ornaments in the temple and refuse to divulge details of income to the temple. In a nutshell, the Dikshithars are treating this temple as their own establishment, and the government is questioning this.”

Citing Madras High Court orders, he said devotees should be allowed to do darshan from Kangasabhai, but Dikshithars were not allowed in view of the ongoing annual festival. “The department will prove that the rule of law will be implemented in the temple,” he said. The festival was only for four days, during which the devotees were not allowed. What appears to be powerplay by the state government, the HR&CE department kept forcing the temple administration to let devotees do darshan even during the annual festival.

Following Velvizhi’s visit to the temple, the situation got tense. Revenue and police officials, including DSP B Ragubathy of Chidambaram, were present with Velvizhi. The officials demanded the temple administration to allow devotees to have darshan from Kanagasabai from Tuesday itself, but the Dikshithars emphasized it could be allowed only from Wednesday.

As per reports, after the official entered Kanagasabai with two female police officials, there was a heated argument between Congress workers who came with state executive council member M N Radha and BJP workers who came with Cuddalore west district secretary K Maruthai.

Dikshithars fear HR&CE officials may enter Kanagasabai again

On Tuesday, the Secretary of Podhu Dikshithars guild, TS Sivarama Dikshithar, issued a press release. “Over the past few days, HR&CE officials, with the assistance of police and revenue officials, have been threatening us with the aim to disrupt our puja and festival preparations during the festival.”

He continued, “On Monday evening, after discussions with the sub-collector and DSP, it was agreed that talks would take place after the festival. However, on Tuesday morning, police personnel were once again deployed in Keezha Veedhi, and HR&CE officials resumed interfering with our puja and other activities.”

He added, “We feel unsafe and apprehensive that HR&CE officials, with the support of police, may forcefully attempt to enter the Kanagasabai,” he added. They urged the administration to take action against the officials who removed the board placed by temple authorities at the entrance of the Kanagasabai. A complaint was also filed by them at Chidambaram Town Police Station, saying despite prior discussion with the officials, words were removed on Saturday from the board. It led to a vandalism case being filed against 11 Dikshithars, including the committee’s secretary.

The complaint read, “Similarly, on Monday evening, in the presence of police, revenue, and HR&CE officials, a person removed the board without prior notice while we were absent.” Podhu Dikshithars had asked for protection. They demanded legal action against the individual and submitted video evidence to support the claim.

Controversies around Chidambaram Temple

On May 4, OpIndia reported that Tamil Nadu governor Ravindra Narayana Ravi exposed the shocking truth about how minor girls were forced to undergo the two-finger test, also known as the virginity test, by the state administration in an effort to defame the podhu Dikshithars, in an explosive interview with the Times of India.

“Out of vengeance, government officers of the social welfare department lodged eight complaints of child marriage against the podhu Dikshithars, that they were getting their underage children married, whereas there were no such marriages,” Governor Ravi said.

(Update: This story is based on a report by Commune Magazine. Tamil Nadu police have since filed an FIR against the magazine and issued summons. You can read that report here)

Congress repeats Rafale lies: Here is how the party is using baseless claims and debunked falsehoods to derail drone deal with the US

The Congress party has learnt no lesson from the humiliation it faced in the court in its allegations in the Rafale deal, as it has started to spread similar lies in the recently announced deal to purchased to MQ-9B drones from US. Days after the Union Defence Ministry clarified that no price has been finalised for the deal and called the reports on the price ‘fake news’, Congress party today repeated the same false allegations.

Congress leader Pawan Khera addressed a press conference making several unsubstantiated claims about the General Atomics MQ-9B drones and the deal to procure 31 of them for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The Congress leader alleged that India is paying $3 billion or ₹25,000 crore for 31 ‘Predator’ drones, at the rate of ₹880 crore per drone. He also claimed that other other countries have bought the same drone at one-fourth the price.

Pawan Khera also claimed that the drone is ‘outdated’, that the US does not use it now, and that they are selling ‘scrap’ drones to India from storage.

He also claimed that India is buying the drones after investing ₹1,786 crores for developing indigenous Rustom and Ghatak drones by DRDO. Taking a dig at the state dinner hosted by president Biden in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pawan Khera alleged that the dinner is costing ₹25,000 crore. He also claimed that General Atomics CEO has closed ties with someone in the Modi government.

The Congress leader repeated already debunked lies about ‘expensive vehicles, expensive suites, expensive mushrooms, expensive aircraft, expensive glasses’ used by PM Modi, alleging that the PM’s ‘expensive lifestyle’ is costing the country dearly. However, every single sentence uttered by the Congress leader was a lie, most of which are already debunked.

Cost

The Congress leader claimed that the drone deal is worth 3 billion US dollars, or Rs 25,000 crores, but the fact is, the Defence Ministry has already clarified that no price has been finalised yet. The ministry said that while the US govt has cited 3,072 million US dollars as the estimated cost, the final price will be determined only after detailed discussions and bargaining.

The ministry clarified that while issuing the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on June 15 for the deal, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) noted the estimated cost of $3,072 million provided by the US Government, but it has not been accepted and finalised. The ministry added that the price offered by the company to other purchasers will be considered during the negotiations.

Referring to reports that the deal will cost $3 billion, the ministry said that it is fake news spread with a motive to derail the deal. In this regard, all are requested not to spread fake news/misinformation which can have a serious impact on the morale of the Armed Forces and adversely impact the acquisition process, the ministry added in its statement.

As part of the deal, apart from supplying 31 drones, which include 16 SkyGuardian and 15 SeaGuardian drones, General Atomics will also establish a Comprehensive Global MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in India to support of India’s long-term goals to boost indigenous defence capabilities. Importantly, the drones will be assembled in India.

Pawan Khera also claimed that price details are mentioned in the India-US joint statement issued after PM Modi’s meeting with president Biden. But the fact is, the statement only mentions the deal, and has no mention of any price.

Price Comparison

Congress party and others in the opposition are claiming that UK paid just $200 million for 16 of the same drones in 2016, and therefore the price per drone was $12.5 million. However, they are misquoting the price from the reports they themselves are sharing. The same reports that say UK was about to purchase 16 drones for £180 million (around $200 million), also said that the UK bought the first 3 drones at £65 million (around $83 million), which means the price per drone was $27.7 million per drone, not $12.5 million.

The UK has exercised the option of purchasing 13 more drones at £195 million, or around $250 million. Which means, the price per unit for the 16 drones in total was around $21 million, almost twice the claimed price of $12.5 million. It is notable that even in the same deal, UK paid two different prices for the same drone.

It is notable that the drone UK purchased is Protector RG Mk1, a variant of MQ-9B. Drones, or most high-value defence equipment, are rarely purchased off the shelf, and buyers require a lot of customisations. Therefore, the prices paid by one buyer may not be the same as the price paid by another.

All other countries that are using the drone purchased its previous versions, MQ1 Predator, and MQ-9A Reaper, while India is buying the most recent version, the MQ-9B. Therefore, any price comparison with other countries is meaningless.

Outdated drone

Pawan Khera claimed that the Reaper is an outdated technology, the drone is no longer used by the US, and India is buying ‘scraps’ kept in storage. The fact is, the MQ-9B is the latest version of the MQ drone program, and also one of the most advanced drones in the world at present.

In fact, the US is currently using its previous version, which is also not outdated. US Air Force currently operates over 250 MQ-9A Reapers, the previous version, and it is the largest number of UAVs operated by the USAF. Security forces in the US are in fact starting to acquire MQ-9B variants only recently.

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian and MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones are very recent additions. In March this year, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) purchased three MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, which became the first customer in the US to use this drone. US Navy is currently conducting exercises with SeaGuardian drones owned by General Atomics.

While several countries have ordered the MQ-9B drones, there are no reports of any delivery. Therefore, far from being ‘outdated’, it is the next generation drones that no country operates at present, apart from just 3 being operated by the US. The US and other users of the drone are using its previous version MQ-9A, and that is also not outdated.

Predator vs Reaper

Pawan Khera kept claiming that India is purchasing the Predator drone, which is MQ-1 Drone. On the other hand, India is purchasing MQ-9B, which is larger, heavier, and has more capabilities. Moreover, this drone is called the Reaper, although sometimes it is also referred to as Predator B. Reaper has a 950 hp engine compared to the 115 hp engine of the Predator, and can carry 15 times more ordnance payload. Therefore, the prices of Predator can’t be compared with Reaper.

Reaper vs Rustam and Ghatak

Congress also attacked the Modi govt for purchasing the Reaper from the US while already investing in the development of Rustom and Ghatak drones by DRDO. But the fact is, they are different machines, and India needs all of them. MQ-9B Reaper is a hunter-killer drone with surveillance capabilities. It can carry bombs, guns and missiles, and carry out targeted attacks.

The Reaper can be equipped with Hellfire missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, Stinger missiles, laser-guided bombs, and other such weapons. It is a long-endurance high-altitude UAV, which means it can fly for a long time and can fly at very high altitudes.

DRDO Rustom is a Short Range Remotely Piloted Aircraft System which is used for Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Target Acquisition/ Tracking and Image Exploitation. The Rustom-II, known as TAPAS-BH-201, is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, meant for aerial surveillance. While it was reported that Rustom-II will be armed, with media calling it ‘India’s Predator’, DRDO has clarified that it is a UAV and not UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle).

The Reaper is also four times bigger than Rustom-II, and twice the heavier. Therefore, Reaper is not replacing Rustom, as they fulfil different requirements.

Moreover, the Rustom program is on its track, its user trials are going on, and the drones will be inducted soon. Reportedly, a separate program is also underway for the weaponization of the drone. However, given that it is much smaller than Reaper, the weapons it will be able to carry will be different.

DRDO Ghatak is an ambitious Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle being developed by DRDO, but the project is in its initial phases. Even a prototype of the drone is yet to be built, while DRDO tested a scaled-down technology demonstrator UAV in 2021. This project is also ongoing, and when completed, Ghatak will provide Reaper like capabilities.  

But the drone will take substantial time to develop. Therefore, Indian defence forces require to purchase the Reaper from the US at present. The purchase is not undermining the indigenous drone development programs.

Rafale deal

Pawan Khera claimed that the drone deal is a scam just like the Rafale deal was a ‘scam’. But the fact is, despite tall claims of Rahul Gandhi, alleging Anil Ambani getting US$ 20 billion crore from the deal, the deal was cleared by the Supreme Court.

Multiple pleas were filed to stall the vital deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets, but the apex court had rejected them, finding no merit in them. The court later rejected review petitions also. In fact, Rahul Gandhi had to apologise for falsely claiming that Supreme Court had called PM Modi a thief while hearing the Rafale review plea.

Claims of PM’s Expensive lifestyle

Pawan Khera accused that lots of money are spent on ‘expensive lifestyle’ of PM Modi. Here are the facts in regard to that claim.

Vehicles: The vehicles used by the PM, President and other VVIPs are selected by the Special Protection Group (SPG). All heads of state and government use similar VIP armoured vehicles.

Aircraft: Earlier Indian PMs and Presidents used Air India’s Boeing 747 aircraft for international travel. The aircraft didn’t have critical security and communication facilities needs for the head of the state and head of the govt, therefore the govt decided to procure modern fuel-efficient aircraft for VVIP travel. Accordingly, two Boeing 777s have been converted for this purpose.

Notably, India didn’t purchase any new plane for this purpose, the two planes were taken from the planes purchased by Air India. The national airline went bankrupt due to ordering much greater number of planes that it needed during the UPA govt, and 2 777s from this was taken for converting to Air India One.

Suit: It was alleged by Congress in 2015 that PM Modi wore a suit worth ₹10 lakh, which was a completely baseless claim. It was later clarified that the pinstripe suit with the PM’s name monogrammed was a gift by a businessman.

Mushroom: For some reason, some Congress leaders and their allies believe that PM Modi consumes some very expensive mushrooms. In 2017, Congress ally in Gujarat Alpesh Thakor claimed that Narendra Modi turned fair because consumes mushrooms imported from Taiwan that cost Rs 80,000 per piece. “One mushroom costs Rs 80,000, and he eats five mushrooms a day,” he had claimed, saying that ‘someone told him’ about it. Thakor had claimed that PM Modi has been Mushrooms worth 1.2 crore in a month since he was Gujarat CM.
Obviously, it was a completely fake claim, but for some reason, the Congress leader chose to repeat it today.

Glasses: PM Modi is in fact known for sporting luxury sunglasses and watches, but nobody has ever alleged that these are purchased using public money. He is a PM and MP, and was CM and MLA for a long time. These jobs offer decent salaries and allowances, and has some of the best benefits, like free housing, travel etc. As a result, the PM, who is bachelor and vegetarian, can certainly save enough to spend his own money on glasses, watches, attire etc.

The purchase of the drones is done as per the requirement of Indian security forces, not some ‘lifestyle choice’ of the PM, as the Congress is alleging. Such high-value defence purchases go through a long process of deliberation. With ever-increasing threats from Pakistan and China in the north, India needs a lot of drones to monitor the vast border areas. Similarly, the navy needs to monitor a large area to protect against hostile forces and pirates.

Once again, the Congress party is trying to derail a defence deal with baseless allegations, just like it had tried with the Rafale deal.

Ilyas gives ‘triple talaq’ to wife, forces her into ‘Nikah-Halala’ with brother-in-law Rafiq, then abandons her

In 2017, a law was passed in India against triple talaq and declared it illegal. However, the practice of instant talaq continues to haunt Muslim women. A similar case has come to light in Palanpur of Gujarat where a man gave triple talaq to his wife because the couple did not have children.

The man later said that he would bring his wife back if she undergoes Halala with his brother-in-law. Nikah-Halala according to Islamic customs, is a practice where the divorced wife has to temporarily marry another person, consummate the marriage and get talaq again. After performing Halala, the man refused to accept the woman. A complaint has been lodged in this regard.

According to reports, the victim woman Taslim, a resident of Palampur, was married to Ilyas Mankanojia of Mumnavas village in Vadgam in 2016. The couple lived together for 2 years, however, Ilyas was angry over them not having any children. Eventually, Ilyas started to beat his wife Taslim. In 2018, he gave talaq to Taslim twice.

Taslim continued to suffer from the atrocities unleashed by her husband Ilyas. Finally, in 2022, Ilyas gave talaq to Taslim for the third time. Ilyas, in a fit of rage, gave triple talaq to Taslim.

Shortly after giving triple talaq, Ilyas repented and tried to bring Taslim back. Now according to Islamic customs, when a triple talaq is given to a woman and later she has to be brought back, then she has to first undergo the ‘Nikah-Halala’ custom with another man. In most cases, this Halala is performed with a member of the family or a maulvi.

Halala was done with brother-in-law Rafiq

Ilyas took Taslim into confidence and made her undergo the Nikah-halala ritual with his brother-in-law Rafiq. They even went as far as drafting a contract to ensure the acceptance of Taslim back as his wife. However, Taslim’s trust was shattered when Ilyas refused the reconciliation with his wife, leaving Taslim and Rafiq feeling betrayed. Despite Rafiq’s persistent attempts to persuade Ilyas to accept Taslim back as his wife, Ilyas resorted to threats and coercion, ultimately forcing Taslim and Rafiq to leave their village. As a result, for the past year, Taslim and Rafiq have been living in exile.

It is important to mention that Rafiq is not only responsible for Taslim but also has a wife and four children of his own. Consequently, he is unable to reunite with his wife and children while accommodating Taslim.

Taslim files complaint against husband and 4 others

The complainant Taslim Mankanojia said, “After my husband gave me triple talaq, he regretted it and made me undergo halala with his brother-in-law to take me back. But he did not take me back with him after the halala. We have complained as we are being threatened.”

In this regard, Ilyas’ brother-in-law Rafiq Rajpura said, “My brother-in-law, after divorcing his wife, took me into confidence and executed her halala with me and has now trapped me.”

Taslim lodged a complaint against her husband Ilyas Mankanojia, Irfan Mankanojia, Mohammad Manganojia, Armaan Mankanojia and Ruksanaben Mankanojia at the Women’s Police Station in Palampur.

Union Cabinet approves schemes worth Rs 3.7 lakh crores for farmers: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

The Union Cabinet has approved a total outlay of Rs 3.70 lakh crore aimed at benefitting farmers through schemes, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said here on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference Union Health Minister said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved a total outlay of Rs 3.70 lakh crore for farmers; the package has different components that are focused on the well-being and economic betterment of farmers by promoting sustainable agriculture.”

“The cabinet has approved the Urea Subsidy Scheme to ensure constant availability of urea to the farmers at the same price of Rs 242/45 kg bag excluding taxes and neam coating charges. Out of the above-approved package, Rs. 3,68,676.7 crore have been committed for urea subsidy for three years (2022-23 to 2024-25),” he said as he highlighted the approval of the Urea Subsidy Scheme, which ensures a consistent supply of urea to farmers at a fixed price.

Furthermore, he discussed the approval of the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PMPRANAM) as another aspect of the scheme.

“Promoting natural/organic farming, alternate fertilizers, and innovations like Nano Fertilizers and bio-Fertilizers can help in restoring the fertility of our Mother Earth. Thus, it was announced in the Budget that “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother – Earth (PMPRANAM)” will be launched to incentivize States and Union Territories to promote alternate fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers,’ he added.

He further said that another initiative of the package is that the Sulphur coated Urea (Urea Gold) is being introduced in the country for the first time. It is more economical and efficient than the currently used Neem coated urea.

Mandaviya also talked about the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) and said it has touched one lakh.
“PMKSKs have already come up in the country. For the convenience of farmers, farm inputs are being provided as a one-stop solution for all needs of farmers,” he said.

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

Sweden: Police grant permission to burn the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm ahead of Eid after court overturns ban on such protests. Details

On Wednesday, June 28, the Swedish Police granted permission to one Salwan Momika to burn the Quran during a protest outside a mosque in Stockholm’s main mosque ahead of Eid-Al-Adha. This comes after a court in Sweden overturned the police ban on Quran-burning protests. 

If the protest goes ahead as planned outside the main mosque on Sodermalm island in the city centre, it will be the first public act of its kind in Sweden since Rasmus Paludan, the Danish-Swedish leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line sparked outrage in Turkey and other Muslim countries in January by burning a translated copy of the Koran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. Following the protest, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not support Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Turkey, a NATO member, is utilizing its right to hold the applications under particular circumstances, including deporting critics of its President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and labelling Kurds as terrorists. 

Two subsequent requests for protests involving Qur’an burnings were denied by police, one by a private individual and the other by an organisation, outside the Turkish and Iraqi embassies in Stockholm in February. The appeals court ruled in June that the police were wrong to ban the protests, stating that “the order and security problems” mentioned by the police did not have “a sufficiently clear connection to the planned event or its immediate vicinity.”

The police wrote in their permit for Wednesday’s demonstration that while it “may have foreign policy consequences,” the security risks and consequences associated with a Quran burning were not of such a nature that the application should be denied.

According to Stockholm police, only two people were anticipated to attend the protest, including its organiser, Salwan Momika (37), who a recent newspaper interview identified himself as an Iraqi refugee seeking to ban the Quran.

“I want to protest in front of the large mosque in Stockholm, and I want to express my opinion about the Qur’an… I will tear up the Qur’an and burn it,” Salwan Momika wrote in his application seeking permission for a Quran-burning protest.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated on Wednesday that Sweden still is interested in joining NATO before or during the organization’s summit in Vilnius next month. 

Past incidents of Quran burning and aftermath

There have been several such incidents in the past of Quran burning that led to violence from pro-Islamic groups. In April 2022, the frenzied mob went on a rampage in the Swedish town of Linköping after Danish anti-immigration party Stram Kurs announced to burn a copy of the Quran the following day.

Amidst the ‘Allahu Akbar’ chants, the masked men attacked police vehicles and set them ablaze. According to independent researcher Hugo Kamman, a total of 4 police officers were injured during the attack. Two people have been arrested so far in connection to the case.

In July 2022, two women rammed into an anti-Islamic group leader’s vehicle, which turned upside down. The video had gone viral on social media platforms. As per reports, the woman allegedly attacked the man, identified as Lars Thorsen, after he burnt copies of the Quran. The incident occurred around 3 PM when Thorsen was driving toward Norway’s capital, Oslo, on July 2. Thorsen is the leader of the anti-Islamisation group ‘Stop the Islamisation of Norway’ (SIAN).

Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayan’ to return on television from July 3, Shemaroo TV announces

The end of troubles for the creators of ‘Adipurush’ doesn’t appear to be in sight. The film drew strong criticism from every nook and cranny of the nation which consequently led to its massive failure at the box office. Additionally, the audiences drew parallels and compared it with Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan.

Now, a day after attracting stinging remarks from the Allahabad High Court, the inevitable comparison of ‘Adipurush’ with Ramanand Sagar’s Epic Ramayan show seems to have materialized in its truest form. 

As per media reports, Shemaroo TV has announced that Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayan’ show which is based on Hindu Itihasa and revered Mahakavya Ramayana will begin its rerun on July 3 on its channel. 

Shemaroo TV’s Instagram handle shared a video from the TV show, and wrote, “World famous mythological serial Ramayan is back for all the fans and our audience. Watch it from July 3, 7.30 PM, on your favorite channel Shemaroo TV.”

With this, the 40-year-old TV series Ramayan will now have a re-rerun on television from July 3. 

Earlier, when Ramayan was re-televised on the 28th of March, 2020, it created a world record and became the most-viewed entertainment program globally. As per DD National, around 7.7 crore people across the globe watched the show on April 16. 

Allahabad High Court’s observation on Adipurush

While hearing two PILs on June 27, the Allahabad High Court criticized the Adipurush team in very strong language. 

The court made several stinging remarks and asked the makers ‘Why are you testing the tolerance level of Hindus’?

The bench remarked, “Agar hum log ispar bhi aankh band kar len kyonki yeh kaha jaata hai ki yeh dharm ke log bade sahishnu (tolerant) hain to kya uska test liya jayega? (If we close our eyes on this issue too, because it is said that the people of this religion are very tolerant, will it be put to test as well?)”.

Slamming the makers, the court orally remarked, “The one who is gentle should be suppressed? Is it so? It is good that it is about religion, the believers of which did not create any law and order problem. We should be thankful. We saw in the news that some people had gone to cinema halls (wherein the movie was being exhibited) and they only forced them to close the hall, they could have done something else as well.”

Responding to the issue of the disclaimer, the bench got further infuriated and said, “Kya yeh disclaimer dene wale country ko, youth ko bewakoof samajhte hain? Picture agar ruk jayegi to jinki feelings hurt hui hain unhe rahat milegi. Aap wahi Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, wahi Ravana, wahi Lanka dikhaiye aur kahiye ki yeh Ramayana nahin?” (Do the people who put the disclaimer consider the countrymen, and youth to be brainless? You show Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, Ravana, Lanka and then say it is not Ramayan).

The court also reminded the makers about the reverence of Hindu Mahakavyas. It stated that here the issue is the nature of the dialogue in the film. Ramayana is a paragon for us. People read Ramcharitmanas before leaving home. 

Going further, the bench observed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should have done something while granting certification to the movie.

Lastly, the Court accepted the request to include Manoj Muntashir Shukla, Adipurush’s dialogue writer, as a party respondent in the PIL plea and ordered that notice be sent to him.

Gorakhpur: Khurshid Hashmi rapes, abuses Hindu woman, forces her for abortion, and conversion to Islam

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested a man identified as Khurshid Hashmi for assaulting and raping a Hindu woman and forcing her to convert to Islam. The accused also forced the victim woman to abort her child and asked her to convert to Islam.

According to the reports, the 32-year-old Hindu victim woman who hails from Varanasi is believed to be divorced after which she was trapped in a love affair by the accused who met her at a workplace in Gorakhpur. The woman worked at an orchestra in order to support her three-year-old daughter.

He developed a friendship and soon later the accused established sexual relations with her. He promised her of marriage and raped her. He also forced the woman to undergo an abortion after she got pregnant. He further asked her to convert her religion to Islam when she sought to legalize of their relationship.

The Uttar Pradesh Police filed an FIR in the case based on the complaint filed by the woman.

The woman in her complaint said that she was married to a Hindu man 5 years ago and now was a divorcee. She said that she has a 3-year-old daughter who needs to be looked after. As per the complaint, the woman after her divorce began working in an orchestra where the accused would play drums. He showed concern towards her and developed a friendship with her.

One day he called her to his place and offered her a meal that had some drugs mixed in it. Hashmi then raped the woman and also shot an objectionable video of her. He later used the video to blackmail the woman. He converted the woman to Islam and kept her in an apartment in the Turkmanpur area.

The duo got married and the woman came to know about his previous marriage only after she got pregnant with his child. On confronting, the woman was badly beaten and threatened with death.

The Uttar Pradesh police arrested the accused Khurshid within 24 hours of the complaint. He has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

Thiruvananthapuram: Seven students of Govt Medical College seek permission to wear hijab-like PPE inside OR to ‘maintain modesty’. What we know

Seven female students of Thiruvananthapuram Govt Medical College have reportedly sought permission to wear hijab-like attire inside the operation theatre. The students made the demand in a letter to the principal dated June 26. A purported copy of the letter was shared on Twitter by a user @HKupdate.

The letter written by a student of the 2020 MBBS batch carried the signatures of 6 students from 2018, 2021 and 2022 batch.

The subject line of the letter reads: “Regarding the issue of wearing hijab in operation theatre”. In the letter, the girls have alleged that they are not being allowed to wear hijab inside the operation theatre which makes it difficult for hijab-wearing Muslims to find a balance between maintaining modesty and complying with hospital and operation room regulations.

“Based on alternatives for hospital personnel in other parts of the world, and based on what is available from companies that supply clothing for the operating room, alternatives can be used,” the letter reads.

The students have asked permission to wear long sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods inside the operation theatre on the grounds that these will allow them to maintain sterile precautions as well as their hijab. The letter has been written by a student named Afeefa NA and signed by seven other students.

The Principal, Dr Linette J Morris reportedly explained to the students that such a dress code could be difficult as every time they enter the operation theatre they have to scrub and sterilise their hands up to the elbow and then wear the gown. Hence wearing long sleeves could be a problem.

The Principal has said that a committee of surgeons and infection control team would be formed to discuss whether such an implementation is possible or not.

What is the set code of conduct in OR?

Both AIIMS and MoHFW have prescribed guidelines based on the universal bare-below-the-elbow policy. Hygiene and prevention of infections are the primary foundations of these guidelines.

The AIIMS Infection Control Manual dedicates a large section of its guidelines to hand hygiene alone which involves hand washing and sterilising right from the finger tip the elbow followed by protocol on hand movements and drying of hands.

Key components of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the OR include gowns, face masks, gloves, respirators, eyewear and goggles, and protective footwear. Each of these is to be worn as per due procedure and in a particular order.

The National Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities lays down the detailed surgical attire to be worn as per due procedure before entering the OR. This includes gloves, gown, mask, eyewear, cap, and footwear; each is to be worn in a particular order with an assistant to help with the dressing in order to avoid touching the sterile surfaces of the gown and gloves.

The above guidelines are all based on scientific reasoning and standards keeping the patient’s health and safety as the priority along with that of the healthcare providers. The letter is a first of its kind seeking to tweak a part of medical practice on religious grounds.

Islamists and Leftists outrage about residents opposing potential animal slaughter on Eid inside Mira Road housing society, call them ‘uncivilised’: How it’s illegal

On June 27, a controversy erupted in the capital city of Maharashtra concerning a Muslim family living in a Mira Road society in Mumbai. The family had purchased two goats one day prior to Bakrid (Bakra-eid, Eid-Ul-Adha), however, the residents of Mira road housing society protested and stated that they would not allow any slaughter of animals (the goats) to take place within the society.

Residents of the society on Mira Road protested against the slaughter of goats on Bakrid within their premises. They also chanted Hanuman Chalisa, and some individuals raised slogans of “Jai Shree Ram”. Videos of the incident have since gone viral in the media. After the residents protested, the police assured that no slaughter would take place inside the housing society and the Muslim couple also said the same.

Reacting to the controversy, Islamists and leftists were outraged about residents not wanting the Muslim family to slaughter goats inside the housing society and called it ‘uncivilised’ opposition.

Fake news peddler Meer Faisal shared the report but did not mention that the society already had a rule in place that slaughter would not be allowed at houses. He wrote, “Hundreds of JP Infra Housing Society members clashed with police while chanting “Jai Shri Ram” at Mira Road, Mumbai, over a Muslim resident named Mohsin Sheikh bringing home a lamb for Eid-ul-Adha.”

Quoting him, propaganda specialist RJ Sayema questioned if “everyone has lost it”. She added if such opposition was sign of a civilised society and claimed the world would be laughing at India. She said, “What? Has everyone lost it? Are these signs of a civilised society? The world would be laughing at us! Intolerance bordering on insanity!”

Journalist Ansar Imran, who writes for portals like Lallanpost and The Report, said, “This is the civilised society where mutton chap can be eaten, but a goat cannot be kept at home for sacrifice.”

Another propaganda and fake news paddler, journalist Sadaf Afreen, called residents opposing slaughter inside the house ‘mad’. She wrote, “The crowd has gone mad. It has lost its temple. This is the gift of the government. Hatred towards other’s religion, stopping others from celebrating their festival, that’s all that remains! If ‘mob terror’ is not stopped, then this mob will destroy the country!”

Journalist Alishan Jafri who writes for portals like The Wire, The Quint, BBC Hindi, Article 14 and others, called the residents ‘vego-facists’ and claimed they “terrorise and often kill meat-eating Muslims, Dalits and tribals”.

NCP leader Saleem Sarang wrote, “The kind of atmosphere that is being created in Maharashtra is very wrong and going to destroy the future. How saying Jai Shri Ram and beating anyone be legal? This type of mentality is increasing. This will turn the whole society against each other. Is this what government wants to do?”

As these people who called out residents for opposing goat slaughter inside Mira Road housing society premises are journalists and political leaders, they are expected to be well-versed with the law and regulations. However, to satisfy their agenda, they decided to summarily ignore it.

Twitter user BefittingFacts shared a BMC circular that prohibited the slaughtering of animals inside societies without NOC of the society and receipt of the number of animals to be sacrificed from the Deonar Slaughterhouse. As per the circular, every citizen who wants to perform a sacrifice on Eid has to register on the My BMC app. The animals must be bought from Deonar slaughterhouse only. Furthermore, 119 places were marked for slaughter for June 28 to June 30 by the municipal corporation. BMC also issued a phone number, 9930501293, to register complaints against the illegal slaughter of animals.

Apart from that, it must be noted that a Bombay High Court order in place from 2019 prohibits the slaughtering of animals inside societies.

In fact, in June 2023 the Bombay High Court had directed the State to make provisions for and allow e-complaints against illegal slaughter during Bakrid.

“…we direct that the Municipal Corporation should also make the Grievance Forum available to complainants/citizens by way of an email. The policy, email address and toll-free numbers also shall be prominently displayed on the website of the Municipal Corporation, at least for the concerned period”, the court said in its order dated June 8th. The court had also directed to ensure that a toll-free number is available to ensure that complaints regarding illegal slaughters are lodged.

Furthermore, as per the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, Section 3(1), no person shall slaughter any animal within a municipal area except in a slaughterhouse recognised or licensed by the concerned authority empowered under the law for the time being in force to do so.

Interestingly, another argument was put forth to defend the Muslim family who brought the goats allegedly to slaughter inside the housing society premises. RJ Sayema, who often peddles Islamist agenda, asked if there was a law that prevented the Muslim family from keeping a goat in their apartment, because per her, there is no proof that they were going to slaughter the animals.

The Maharashtra Co-operative Housing Society Bye Laws”, Section 50 (a) clearly states that no resident may do anything that would cause inconvenience to residents of a housing society. This act of the Muslim couple clearly did and is therefore against the law.

The Maharashtra Co-operative Housing Society Bye Laws”, Section 50 (a)

One can keep any animal in their house provided their own the property and the land that the property is built on, however, in a housing society, every resident is subject to scrutiny depending on what the members of the society find inconvenient and causing nuisance.

For the Leftists and Islamists, it would appear that India would be considered ‘secular’, ‘tolerant’ and civilised only if people normalise bloodshed in homes, that of Kafirs and animals alike, as a part of religious practice and never protest against the imposition of brutality in the name of religious freedom. India would also be a tolerant nation if illegal activity is acceptable in the name of religious practices simply because one section of the society is perennially victimised by ‘uncivilised barbarians’ opposing illegal activity and wonton bloodshed of animals in private spaces, houses and societies.

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