On Friday (28th June), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the US State Department’s report on international religious freedom calling it “deeply biased”. MEA stated that the report published by USCIRF lacked an understanding of India’s social fabric.
Criticising the report during a media interaction today, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the report is deeply driven by vote bank considerations.
“We have noted the release by the US State Department of its report on international religious Freedom for 2023. As in the past, the report is deeply biased, lacks an understanding of India’s social fabric, and is visibly driven by votebank considerations and a prescriptive outlook. We therefore reject it,” Jaiswal said.
He further pointed out that the USCIRF report is a blend of misrepresentations, imputations, reliance on biased sources and one-sided projection of issues. In addition, Jaiswal emphasised that the report, in some cases, questions the validity of constitutional provisions and laws.
“The excise itself is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective usage of facts, reliance on biased sources, and a one-sided projection of issues. This extends even to the depiction of our constitutional provisions and duly enacted laws of India. It has selectively picked incidents to advance a preconceived narrative as well. In some cases, the very validity of laws and regulations are questioned by the report, as are the right of legislatures to enact them. The report also appears to challenge the integrity of certain legal judgments given by Indian courts,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA spokesperson also highlighted that the US State Department report targeted the regulations monitoring the financial flow into India. While the US insinuates that there is no need for such measures and compliance to the same is “unreasonable”, they have even more strict laws in this regard.
“The excise itself is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective usage of facts, reliance on biased sources, and a one-sided projection of issues. This extends even to the depiction of our constitutional provisions and duly enacted laws of India. It has selectively picked incidents to advance a preconceived narrative as well. In some cases, the very validity of laws and regulations are questioned by the report, as are the right of legislatures to enact them. The report also appears to challenge the integrity of certain legal judgments given by Indian courts,” Randhir Jaiswal said.
Randhir Jaiswal also stated that human rights and respect for diversity are legitimate topics for conversation between India and the United States. He emphasised India’s continuous efforts to combat hate crimes, racial attacks on Indian nationals and other minorities in the United States, vandalism, and the targeting of places of worship. However, he cautioned against using such conversation as a pretext for foreign intervention in domestic issues.
“In 2023, India has officially taken up numerous cases in the US of hate crimes, racial attacks on Indian nationals and other minorities, vandalisation and targeting of places of worship, violence and mistreatment by law enforcement authorities, as well as according to political space to advocates of extremism and terrorism abroad. However, such dialogue should not become a license for foreign interference in other polities,” the MEA spokesperson said.
This comes after the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an organisation India has strongly criticised in the past, again raised ‘concerns’ over religious freedoms, citing the alleged rise in ‘hate speech’, demolitions and anti-conversion laws. The USCIRF report came a few weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his third term in office and India and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation in high technology areas during a visit by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to New Delhi.
On Friday (28th June), BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Sudhanshu Trivedi hit back at the opposition over the assertion that the BJP lost the Lok Sabha election from all the places associated with Lord Ram including Ayodhya.
Watch: "…Our opponents are saying that we lost in Ayodhya, Basti, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Nashik, Ramtek, and Rameshwaram—all places associated with Lord Ram. Those who used to ask for proof of Ram's existence are now providing proof of Ram's existence from the north to the… pic.twitter.com/DTBlb34yQa
The BJP MP said that the opposition is unable to understand the Lord’s Leela. He said that Lord Ram has forced the opposition to acknowledge Lord Ram’s existence. During his speech in the Rajya Sabha, Trivedi said “Our opponents claim that you lost Ayodhya, Basti, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Nashik, and Rameshwaram. They claim that the BJP lost in all sites related to Lord Ram because they were unable to comprehend the Lord’s Leela. Those who used to say that Bhagwan Ram does not exist and used to ask for proof of his existence are proving Lord Ram’s existence from north to south, including Ayodhya, Basti, Prayagraj, Ramtek, and Rameshwaram. You think God came to defeat us, but God came to make you accept his existence…”
The BJP MP further recalled an incident mentioned in the Ramayan wherein Bhagwan Ram was caught in the Nagpaash [serpent noose] and fell unconscious causing delight among the anti-Ram party. However, this was part of the Lord’s Leela to remind Hanuman ji of his power. This is not the first time it has happened. When the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress (I) formed the government in Uttar Pradesh 30 years ago, they raised the slogan “Mulayam Kanshi Ram mile, Jai-Shri Ram ud gaye hawa mein.” In three years, we demonstrated our unwavering commitment by forming governments in Uttar Pradesh and the Centre. Sudhanshu Trivedi also emphasised that Lord Ram is not a matter of victory or defeat for the BJP.
“Even when we were a party with just two seats, even then we were standing the same way as we are standing now. For us, Lord Ram is not a matter of victory or defeat…” Trivedi said.
It is interesting to recall that the Congress-led UPA 1 Central Government stated back in September 2007 that there is no historical proof of Lord Ram’s existence. The UPA Government headed by the Congress party had told the Supreme Court that there was no historical evidence for the existence of Shri Ram. According to the then UPA government, the Ramayana lacked ‘scientific and historical veracity’.
“Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas admittedly form an important part of ancient Indian literature, but these cannot be said to be historical records to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters and occurrences of events depicted therein,” the UPA government had told the Supreme Court in an affidavit. The affidavit was filed to register the UPA government’s opposition to the demand to scrap the Sethusamudram project as it would damage the Ram Setu.
On 27th June, Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar issued a warning to the Tamil Nadu government over the confiscation of buses operated by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Tamil Nadu under the pretext of collecting taxes. “If our people are troubled, we will trouble their people visiting Kerala. Don’t forget that Sabarimala season is coming up. Most devotees come from Tamil Nadu. We will fill up our treasury,” he stated while addressing the assembly.
According to him, there was no discussion regarding the most recent tax increase with the state by the Tamil Nadu government. He said, “The centre is saying, it is the same tax across the country. We are on good terms, but Tamil Nadu did not even discuss with us when they increased the amount per seat on a bus by Rs 4,000.” He added that if the KSRTC buses were seized, Tamil Nadu buses would also be seized and there would be no compromise on this.
He declared, “Tamil Nadu should remember that Sabarimala season is coming. Most people come here from there. We will also fill the treasury. The position is that if you charge Rs 4,000 there, we will also charge Rs 4,000 here. If the KSRTC bus is seized, the Tamil Nadu vehicle will also be confiscated here. There is no compromise on that.” He further threatened retaliation and stated that if people travelling from the state to Tamil Nadu were harassed or hurt then those coming from there would meet the same fate. He voiced that Tamil Nadu buses would receive the same treatment if KSRTC buses were halted there. He spoke of a tough stance on the issue and announced that no indulgence would be granted.
Non-state buses operating in Tamil Nadu under the pretence of All India Tourist Permits obtained from other states were subject to restrictions imposed by the government. These vehicles would stop at different areas and pick up passengers. Subsequently, the Motor Vehicles Department of Tamil Nadu intensified its inspections of private buses registered in other states that were passing through the state while carrying passengers. The government of Tamil Nadu set a 17th June deadline for buses registered in other states to re-register with the state’s regional transport authority. 545 busses in total including ones from Kerala have been prohibited till now.
Each bus would pay an extra Rs 1 lakh a month to cover the additional tax. Interstate bus services from Kerala to Tamil Nadur were impacted in the third week of June when the latter stopped its busses in protest of an extra charge. The Supreme Court was then approached by tour bus operators. Tamil Nadu later decided against blocking the buses after speaking with Kerala’s transport department officials. Bus operators, however, accused that Tamil Nadur authorities continued to harass them about driving buses that are registered in Kerala.
A representative of the Interstate Bus Operator’s Association of Karnataka Rijas A J alleged, “Buses with All India Tourist Permit (AITP) can operate anywhere. When the law is against them they have started issuing fines. Tamil Nadu is putting pressure on us to register there.”
A 20-year-old male from the Baksa district of Assam was taken into custody on accusations of hiding his religious affiliation to trap a Hindu girl. The incident has spurred debate and prompted fears about the spread of the menace of love jihad in the area. The offender pretended to be a Hindu guy named Rana Saha on social media platforms to communicate with the victim, according to police reports.
Her family asserted that he created fictitious profiles on Facebook and Instagram to get closer to her. He was apprehended by members of the Bajrang Dal and turned over to the police at the Barpeta Road police station. A legal complaint has also been lodged against him by the female’s sister. A case (No. 15/24) has been opened by the police under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, involving allegations of criminal intimidation, cheating and fanning religious sentiments. Furthermore, the inclusion of charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act raises the possibility that the girl is a juvenile.
In 2019, a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the Salbari sub-division within the Baksa district by a young man identified as Aidur Ali, a resident of Salmara in Bongaigaon. He masqueraded as a Hindu named Rahul Nath to persuade the minor. The Gobardhana Police then arrested him on suspicion of abduction and rape. People living in the neighbourhood revealed that Aidur Ali used to call her regularly, and he took her away when she was en route to the home of her uncle after which he committed the crime.
The girl’s family members registered a First Information Report after she was rescued and the culprit was tracked down. It read, “The girl was on her way to her uncle’s home at Kalpani when Aidul took her to one of his relatives’ home at No 1 Salmara village of Abhayapuri of Bongaigaon district and raped her for 3 days.” One of the locals voiced, “We found several contact numbers of girls and their photographs in his mobile handset. We suspect it to be a case of love jihad. He has been targeting girls like this for quite some time now.”
India has achieved an outstanding outcome in the Mutual Evaluation conducted during 2023-24 by Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Mutual Evaluation Report of India, which was adopted in the FATF plenary held in Singapore between June 26th and June 28th, 2024, places India in the ‘regular follow-up’ category, a distinction shared by only four other G20 countries. This marks a significant milestone in the nation’s efforts to combat money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF).
Among other things, FATF has recognised the efforts made by India on:
Mitigating the risks arising from ML/TF, including the laundering of proceeds from corruption, fraud, and organised crime.
Effective measures implemented by India to transition from a cash-based to a digital economy to reduce ML/TF risks.
Implementation of the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) Trinity, along with stringent regulations on cash transactions, has led to a significant increase in financial inclusion and digital transactions; these measures have made transactions more traceable, thereby mitigating ML/TF risks and enhancing financial inclusion.
India’s performance on the FATF Mutual Evaluation accrues significant advantages to our growing economy, as it demonstrates the overall stability and integrity of the financial system. Good ratings will lead to better access to global financial markets and institutions and increase investor confidence. It will also help in the global expansion of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s fast payment system.
This recognition from the FATF is a testament to the rigorous and effective measures implemented by India over the last 10 years to safeguard its financial system from ML/TF threats. It underscores the country’s commitment to international standards and its proactive stance in the global fight against financial crimes. This sets a benchmark for countries in our region to effectively implement international standards on terrorist financing. India’s excellent rating will enhance the capacity of our country to lead the global effort on countering cross border terror financing and money laundering.
Since 2014, the Government has enacted a series of legislative changes and bolstered enforcement efforts to tackle ML, TF, and black money. This multi-pronged strategy has brought these measures in line with international standards and has demonstrably proven to be effective, yielding positive results. Indian authorities have had success in dismantling the terror funding network using actionable intelligence inputs. These operations have stemmed the flow of terror funding, black money, and narcotics, even along the coastline.
Over a two-year period, the Department of Revenue (DoR) spearheaded India’s engagement with FATF during the mutual evaluation process. This success was driven by the exceptional efforts and invaluable contribution of a diverse, multi-disciplinary team comprising representatives from various ministries, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), state authorities, the judiciary, financial sector regulators, self-regulatory organisations, financial institutions, and businesses all played a critical role. This collaborative effort demonstrated India’s effective AML/CFT framework.
India is already a member of the FATF Steering Group. India’s current performance will provide India with an opportunity to contribute significantly to the group’s overall functioning.
India remains committed to further strengthening its AML/CFT framework and continuing its collaboration with international partners to combat financial crimes. The nation will build on this success to ensure a secure and transparent financial environment for all.
About FATF:
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1989 as the international watchdog to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. India became a member of FATF in 2010.
On Friday, the 28th of June, a dreadful murder came to the fore from the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Police nabbed one individual identified as Arbaaz after he murdered his wife Chahat over minor domestic arguments. The incident came to the fore while the accused attempted to dispose of the deceased by chopping her body into 4-5 pieces.
As per the reports, the accused mercilessly beheaded her, severed her hands, and sliced her body into four pieces. A police officer stated that the perpetrator, Arbaaz, married Chahat, a 21-year-old woman from Uttarakhand, around six months ago. They began living in a rented room without informing their relatives. However, they had begun having issues between them.
UP के मुजफ्फरनगर से भयावह और डरावनी खबर
अरबाज ने चाहत को टुकड़ों में काटा और बोरे में भरकर फेंक दिया.
21 साल की चाहत ने अरबाज से लव मैरिज की थी और परिवार के मना करने के बाद भी 7 महीने पहले भागकर निकाह किया था. दोनों में झगड़ा हुआ तो अरबाज ने अपने दोस्त शाहरुख़ को बुलाया. चाहत… pic.twitter.com/Ccc6d09IIG
He stated that a week ago, Arbaaz killed Chahat with a sharp weapon and severed her head and hands. According to SP Satyanarayan Prajapat, the city police were notified by some locals that two people were riding a motorcycle in the direction of the Kali River in Niyazipur village and trying to float a sack through it.
After learning this, the police and ASP hurried over to the location to learn that the accused with his friend were trying to dispose of the body of the deceased girl stuffed in the sack. “One of the suspects escaped when he saw the police, but they caught the other man. When they questioned him, they found a headless body in a sack,” Prajapat added.
The accused confessed that he married 21-year-old Chahat around six months ago. They soon began fighting over a variety of issues during the last six months.
About seven days ago, he and an accomplice slit his wife’s throat with a knife. The officer stated that a team had been organized to arrest the second accused. Police also stated that they had recovered the murder weapon.
Chahat was a resident of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand and Arbaaz is a resident of Muzaffarnagar in UP. Arbaaz has been arrested by the police while his friend is on the run. A team has been formed to nab the other accused as well.
On Thursday (27th June), a Muslim woman was stripped, dragged for 1 km by her hair and thrashed for over an hour by goons for supporting the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
The incident took place in Ruidanga village in Matha Bhanga-II block in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. The victim is currently undergoing treatment at the Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College & Hospital.
As per reports, a group of TMC goons attacked the woman for being a worker of the Opposition BJP in the State. The victim’s father has now filed a complaint with the police.
According to the police complaint, the local TMC cadre has prevented the woman from stepping out of her house since the Lok Sabha elections were announced on 4th June 2024.
The victim was attacked on Thursday when she was en route home from a nearby park. A group of TMC goons attacked her, stripped her and then dumped her clothes in a river.
They have also threatened to break her house if she dared to step out again. The Cooch Behar police have so far detained 4 people, including the primary accused Shafiqul, in connection to the case.
Shafiqul is accused of capturing the naked picture of the victim during the assault and disseminating it on social media platforms.
In a horrifying display of political violence, Rosonara Khatun, a BJP Minority Morcha member, was savagely beaten in Coochbehar, West Bengal.
Dragged by her hair and assaulted at Ramthenga Market, her crime was supporting the BJP.
In a tweet, the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of ‘BJP West Bengal’ posted, “In a horrifying display of political violence, Rosonara Khatun, a BJP Minority Morcha member, was savagely beaten in Coochbehar, West Bengal.”
“Dragged by her hair and assaulted at Ramthenga Market, her crime was supporting the BJP. This barbaric act has outraged the Muslim community, and the safety of women and political dissenters is under grave threat,” it added.
“This is Mamata’s Bengal: where violence silences opposition,” the saffron party added.
A Muslim woman was stripped and beaten in West Bengal’s Coochbehar, for supporting the BJP. The incident took place at Ramthenga Market in the Mathabhanga Assembly of Coochbehar district. Rosonara Khatun, a member of the BJP's Minority Morcha, was dragged by her hair and… pic.twitter.com/tgcv6D815l
“There is a #Sandeshkhali in every village of Bengal. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice. Concerns over political violence and safety of women under Mamata Banerjee remains a huge concern,” BJP’s national spokesperson Amit Malviya condemned the incident.
Turmoil in Sandeshkhali
The unrest in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal brought into focus the atrocities committed against women by former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
Multiple women have come forward to narrate instances of land grabbing, and sexual violence perpetrated against them by the trio. Forced by circumstances, they took matters into their own hands and gheraoed the police station.
The agitation led by women eventually led to the arrest of the 3 TMC goons. OpIndia had previously reported how the Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have left no stone unturned to trivialise the sexual violence committed against women in Sandeshkhali.
Besides Mamata Banerjee, TMC MLA Udayan Guha also attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali as ‘eating pie (Pitha khaowa)’ and ‘mischief (Dushtami)’ on 29th February.
TMC spokesperson Jui Biswas also sought to deny sexual violence in Sandeshkhali by demanding ‘video footage of rapes’ as proof. Journalist’ Sagarika Ghose, who was recently rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat by the TMC, also trivialised the raging unrest in Sandeshkhali village as a ‘local land dispute.’
TMC Minister Partha Bhowmick had earlier tried to dismiss accusations of sexual violence by women of Sandeshkhali village as ‘fake.’ On 10th March, the actress turned TMC candidate from Hooghly, Rachna Banerjee, was seen casting aspersions on the sexual violence faced by women in Sandeshkhali.
On 28 June, Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit was slammed online after a purported poster appeared that claimed that she would be participating in an event in Houston hosted by Pakistani event manager Rehan Siddiqui. While Rehan Siddiqui has organised a large number of events in the USA featuring Bollywood stars, he has come under the radar of the Indian authorities for allegedly using funds raised from his events to finance Kashmir-related anti-India activities in the United States. In 2020, Salman Khan had cancelled his Houston event after the allegations against Siddiqui emerged.
Therefore, people were shocked that Madhuri Dixit is appearing in an event hosted by the same Siddiqui, even after allegations against him became well known. Based on a poster advertising the event on 16 August, several netizens slammed Dixit. The social media outrage was then covered by media houses like Navbharat Times and Free Press Journal.
However, OpIndia has found that apart from one single poster, there is no other evidence of any event of Madhuri Dixit hosted by Rehan Siddiqui in Houston or anywhere in the USA. Moreover, the design of the poster suggests that it could be fake because it seems to be created using a poster of Madhuri Dixit’s upcoming tour of several cities in the USA next month, which does not include Houston.
The poster mentions the tagline Forever Queen of Bollywood Madhuri Dixit, and mentions that tickets are available on Sulekha for the event on 16th August Friday. However, when we checked the Sulekha website, we could not find any mention of this event.
The events section of the Sulekha website has tickets available for Madhuri Dixit’s US tour in August, but it does not include any event in Houston, Texas. It mentions concerts in New York on 8 August, Virginia on 10 August, Atlanta on 11 August and New Jersey on 15 August. This tour is organised by World Star Entertainment, an event management company that organises programs featuring Bollywood actors, singers etc. The company is run by one Atique Sheikh.
World Star Entertainment’s Instagram page mentions some other events of Madhuri Dixit during the tour, which are 9 August in Dallas and 10 August in Chicago, apart from the events mentioned by Sulekha.
It could be possible that Rehan Siddiqui hosted the event in Houston coinciding with Madhuri Dixit’s presence in the USA in August. However several facts suggest that there is no such event, and the poster could be fake.
First, there is no mention of any such event on Rehan Siddiqui’s Instagram and Facebook pages. His posts show that while he has been organising events with Pakistani stars regularly, he has not hosted any Indian artists in recent years. It is evident that after he was accused of terror links in India, Indian stars have not attended any event hosted by him. An online search also didn’t return any results of the event being organised in Houston with Madhuri Dixit.
Moreover, the poster being shared has the same design and tagline as the World Star Entertainment poster, which means that it is fake. Rehan Siddiqui has been in the business for a long time, and it is unlikely that he will copy his rival’s poster for his event.
The poster being shared uses the tagline Forever Queen of Bollywood Madhuri Dixit in the same design and typeface as the posters for the real tour of Dixit. A cursory glance shows that this poster has been created using the poster for the Virginia concert on 10 August. Madhuri Dixit’s photo along with the tagline has been retained, while the background and other text have been changed.
While the original poster’s photo has Madhuri Dixit’s body from head to waist, the photo has been cropped in the ‘Houston poster’, retaining only from head to chest. This could be done to remove the text in the original poster which was superimposed on the photo.
Therefore, it can be safely concluded that Rehan Siddiqui is not hosting any event featuring Madhuri Dixit in Houston on 16 August, and the poster being shared on social media to slam the Bollywood star seems to be fake. However, Madhuri Dixit has not reacted to the claim yet.
In a startling exposé published on the 27th of June by the Canadian daily The Globe and Mail, it has emerged that former defence minister Harjit Sajjan instructed Canadian special forces to rescue approximately 225 Afghan Sikhs after the Taliban took power in 2021. This allegedly resulted in resources being misdirected from assisting Canadian nationals and Afghans with ties to Canada.
The report highlighted that Sajjan used his influence to ensure that Afghan Sikhs were given special attention during the chaotic and urgent evacuation operation which was botched up and the Indian government had to come to the rescue.
The Globe and Mail report on Harjit Sajjan
According to the report, Sajjan’s actions included direct communications with government officials, urging them to expedite the evacuation process for this vulnerable group. The report suggested that Sajjan’s advocacy might have influenced the allocation of resources and efforts, potentially diverting attention from other at-risk groups also in need of evacuation. This involvement has raised questions about whether his actions were aligned with the broader, equitable evacuation strategy that the Canadian government should have implemented during the crisis.
“Mr. Sajjan also relayed location information and other details about the Sikhs to the military as special operation forces worked to meet up with the group. The information was passed to him from a Canadian Sikh group that was in contact with these Afghan Sikhs,” the report reads.
Harjit Sajjan ordered Canadian forces to focus on rescuing Afghan Sikhs instead of Canadian nationals stranded in Afghanistan
During the violent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, the situation in Kabul was chaotic, with evacuation flights ending and Canada and other Western countries rushing to get their citizens out of Afghanistan.
While Sajjan desperately sought to rescue Afghan Sikhs, the military sources indicated that they were not a priority for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) because they had no connection to Canada. They accused him of compromising the interests of Canadians and Afghans, whom they believed he should have prioritised.
“The way it was presented to us at first was: If we can do this and pay attention to it, great, but not stopping doing everything else. But a day or so later, it came back to us as a firm order,” a source told The Globe and Mail
Due to the immense pressure built by Minister Harjit Sajjan, the CAF for the last 24 hours of the rescue operation focused solely on rescuing Sikhs. However, they were unsuccessful.
“There was such furious anger that the last 24 hours were solely dedicated to getting the Sikhs out. We were unsuccessful. They were just one group that we were asked to do” a source said.
Harjit Sajjan admits to giving information to CAF about Afghan Sikhs with no Canada connection for rescue
Amidst CAF’s rescue operation in Afghanistan, Minister Harjit Sajjan spoke to Canadian Sikhs, who told him about three busloads of Afghan Sikhs waiting for troops near the airport. They were concerned and departed before the soldiers arrived, however they were asked to stay. The report says that Sajjan confirmed communicating with the CAF about the circumstances on the ground after communicating with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, which agreed to fund the Afghan Sikhs.
“I relayed whatever information that the NGO provided about the location and status of these Sikhs to the chain of command for it to use as it saw fit, in line with its operational plan on the ground in Afghanistan,” Sajjan said.
While Sajjan has defended his actions saying that his instructions were “acceptable”, the shift in mission to rescue these Sikhs proved a “logistical nightmare” while “we are still trying to hurry and process people through who have Canadian passports,” a military source said.
In a recent statement, Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) stated that evacuation operations in Kabul were carried out “in accordance with direction by the Government of Canada and the Minister of National Defence.” It also stated that General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and his officers issued orders to the on-the-ground forces. However, a senior commander in Ottawa opined that a directive or even a suggestion from the defence minister is practically an order.
Harjit Sajjan resorts to playing victim card after failing to offer a rational explanation for his alleged favouritism even in a crisis
Amidst severe backlash over The Globe’s report, Harjit Sajjan called the allegations made against him as “utter BS”. Sajjan further asserted that he is being ‘targeted’ because of his Sikh identity. “I can only surmise that if I did not wear a turban no one would question whether my actions were appropriate… when it was clear Sikhs and other minorities were part of government policy to support and assist vulnerable Afghans,” the Labour Party leader and current Emergency Preparedness Minister said.
Notably, while Sajjan asserted that it was a part of the PM Justin Trudeau-led government’s policy to rescue “vulnerable Afghans” insinuating that a Canada connection was not essential, the government documents state otherwise.
According to an official document, the military’s top priority during the evacuation was to aid Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members, as well as vulnerable Afghans who had assisted Canada during its military campaign in the country.
Even in its resettlement program, the Canadian government said that it would implement a special immigration program for Afghans who contributed to Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan as well as persecuted minorities. However, its policy was not to prioritise Afghan Sikhs alone over people who had more claim to Canadian support.
Notably, beginning from October 2001 as a part of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Canadian forces were engaged in combat operations against Taliban terrorists, counter-terrorism missions etc. However, as the mission was costly both financially and in terms of lives lost, in 2011, Canada officially ceased its combat operations, transitioning to a training mission for Afghan security forces. By 2014, all Canadian military personnel had withdrawn from Afghanistan, marking the end of its 13-year presence. It was during these military operations that many local Afghans helped the Canadian troops.
While Sajjan asserted that his action was rooted in ‘humanitarian concern’, the situation raises important questions about the balance between advocacy and impartiality in governmental decisions. Prioritising one religious group with no connection with Canada over Canadian nationals in a crisis scenario is a deviation from standard procedures, and undermines the principles of equity and fairness. The decision-making process during the evacuation was already fraught with complexity, and Sajjan’s preferential treatment for his co-religionists could be perceived as favouritism.
Meanwhile, conservative leaders in Canada have already started demanding a parliamentary hearing into the allegations made against Harjit Sajjan. On Thursday, Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and the Bloc Québécois demanded a parliamentary hearing on the matter and said that the House of Commons hearings should look into why Afghan Sikhs were given preference over Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Afghans who assisted Canada’s troops during its 12-year military campaign in Afghanistan.
Khalistan sympathising NDP leader Jagmeet Singh calls Canada rescue ops in Afghanistan a massive failure, refuses to condemn Sajjan’s Sikh favouritism
When asked to comment on Sajjan’s involvement in the rescue of Afghan Sikhs, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the Liberal government’s Kabul rescue attempts “a failure”. “Canada has a responsibility to provide some relief to folks and didn’t do a good job,” Singh claimed.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he can't condemn fmr defence minister Harjit Sajjan for using military resources to rescue Afghan Sikhs instead of Canadian citizens and Afghan allies:
"I don't know enough of the details to get the specifics of what Mr. Sajjan did or didn't do." pic.twitter.com/WHdJWv3Z6A
However, he declined to condemn Sajjan or even comment on whether it was right for Harjit Sajjan to liaise with the military on how to rescue a specific group of Sikhs, claiming that he does not know enough about what the minister did.
World Sikh Organisation of Canada (WSO) defends Harjit Sajjan
Amidst the controversy, the World Sikh Organisation has come to Harjit Sajjan’s defence alleging that The Globe’s report is influenced by a “bias” against the Sikh community. “These evacuation efforts were driven by the dire humanitarian need to protect the highly vulnerable Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. Allegations that Minister Harjit Sajjan acted inappropriately are unfounded and appear to be influenced by bias against his Sikh identity,” the WSO statement reads. Notably, Harjit Sajjan’s father, Kundan Sajjan, was an executive board member of the WSO.
Sajjan himself is notorious for being a Khalistan sympathiser. Back in April 2017, the then Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had refused to meet Sajjan over his connection to the Sikh separatist movement. Sajjan’s Sikh favouritism, however, is not shocking given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself and his government have been appeasing the Sikh community for electoral gains. Trudeau government has openly been mollycoddling Khalistani terrorists like Hardeep Singh Nijjar and allowing anti-India protests, farcical ‘referendums’ and perpetual disrespect of the Indian flag, and defacing of Hindu temples on Canadian soil. All at the cost of straining diplomatic ties with India.
How the Modi government undertook Operation Devi Shakti to rescue Afghan Sikhs
It is worth recalling that during the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, India launched an extensive rescue operation named “Operation Devi Shakti” to evacuate its nationals and vulnerable Afghan citizens, including Sikhs and Hindus. The operation involved several evacuation flights, coordinated by the Indian government, military, and diplomatic missions. India successfully evacuated approximately 565 individuals, including several Afghan Sikhs, amid the chaotic and dangerous conditions in Kabul. While Khalistanis often attack PM Modi calling him a ‘terrorist’ and somehow “anti-Sikh”, however, it was under his government that 110 Afghan Sikhs were rescued. Before this, Afghan Sikhs had brought three hand-written Swaroop of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from Afghanistan to India. India also rescued Afghanistan Member of Parliament Narender Singh Khalsa including 20 other Sikhs.
On Friday, June 28th, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar slammed TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, Saket Gokhale, and Derek O’Brien for creating a ruckus in the Parliament over the issue of NEET exams and paper leak involving other irregularities. The three MPs representing the TMC in the Rajya Sabha were creating chaos in the parliament when BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Sudanshu Trivedi was addressing the upper house.
Dhankar slammed TMC MP asking if she came to the house to create chaos. He also slammed MP Saket Gokhale calling him a nuisance. “Sagarika Ghose, have to come to this house for this purpose? Saket, you are virtually becoming a nuisance to yourself. And Mr. Derek O’Brien you are becoming the director of all this,” Dhankar said immediately before adjourning the House.
Yesterday Om Birla, today Jagdeep Dhankhar ?
Sagarika Ghose, have you come to house for this purpose?
Saket Gokhale, you're becoming nuisance to yourself.
Dhankar earlier said that he had received 22 notices demanding discussion on the NEET examination and irregularities involved. “The government will launch a thorough investigation in the case ensuring strict punishment to the culprits. The government is working also to establish major reforms in exam-related bodies and to enhance their functioning,” he said.
The protest by opposition in both houses continued as the demonstrating parties demanded a discussion on the NEET exam and the paper leak incident. The opposition leaders yelled in the upper house of the Parliament forcing the Chairman to adjourn the House.
Also, Om Birla in the lower house asked the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to avoid creating chaos in the Parliament over the NEET issue. “We wanted to give a joint message to the students of India, on behalf of the Opposition and Government – that we consider this an important issue. So, we thought that to respect students we would have discussion on NEET today, a dedicated discussion,” Rahul Gandhi said to which Speaker Om Birla insisted that the discussion on Motion of Thanks to President’s Address be taken up first. The House was adjourned till 12 pm.
#WATCH | Lok Sabha adjourned til 12 noon. LoP Rahul Gandhi raised NEET issue and demanded, along wth Opposition MPs, that the matter be discussed. Speaker Om Birla insisted that discussion on Motion of Thanks to President's Address be taken up first.
The National Eligibility and Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, was administered by the NTA on May 5th, with around 24 lakh candidates enrolling. The results were announced on June 4th, but they were met with suspicions of question paper leaks in areas such as Bihar, among other abnormalities. The Education Ministry also canceled the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) and NEET (postgraduate) exams after receiving reports that their “integrity may have been compromised.”
