On Tuesday, the 25th of June, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi took the oath as a Member of Parliament, and raised the ‘Jai Palestine’ [hail Palestine] slogan inside the Lok Sabha. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader was sworn in as a member of Lok Sabha for the fifth time from Hyderabad.
After taking the oath on Tuesday, Owaisi said, “Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine”.
#WATCH | AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha; concludes his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine" pic.twitter.com/ewZawXlaOB
Asaduddin Owaisi expressed solidarity with Palestine at a time when the territory is engaged in a violent conflict with Israel after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israeli civilians in October last year.
Right after Owaisi raised the pro-Palestine slogan in the Parliament, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje lodged a complaint against Asaduddin Owaisi. In a written complaint to the Speaker and the Home Minister, Karandlaje has reportedly asked that Owaisi’s speech be removed from the parliamentary record and that he retake his oath without the controversial slogan.
Earlier, in 2019, Owaisi ended his oath as a member of the Parliament with the words “Jai Bhim, Allah-o-Akbar, and Jai Hind”. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Owaisi defeated BJP candidate Madhavi Latha in the Hyderabad constituency by 3.3 lakh votes.
After a controversy erupted over his remarks, Owaisi defended himself saying that there was no clause in the Constitution prohibiting him from chanting “Jai Palestine”.
“Other members are also saying different things… I said ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’. How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of Constitution? You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine,” Asaduddin Owaisi said.
VIDEO | AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) said 'Jai Palestine' while taking oath as Member of Lok Sabha earlier today. Here's what he said about it.
"Other members are also saying different things… I said 'Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine'. How… pic.twitter.com/4YnLGEuxL2
Earlier, Asaduddin Owaisi had said that the situation in Palestine concerned not only Muslims but also humanity. He also referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “the devil”.
It is pertinent to recall that it is the same Owaisi who had outrightly refused to raise the “Vande Mataram” slogan. He has even claimed that Muslims were being assaulted for not raising Vande Mataram and Jai Shri Ram slogans. His brother and controversial AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had also opposed a Telangana government circular in 2019 which made singing Vande Mataram in schools mandatory.
On Monday, 25th June, the Mumbai Police arrested an individual identified as Amir Chaudhari Sayed Chaudhari after he trapped a Hindu minor girl into a love affair and molested her twice. The incident is said to have happened in the JP North society in Mumbai’s Mira Road region. The accused aged 18 has been booked and arrested by the Navghar Police Station under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO, 2012.
As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the victim had visited the society with her resident friend for a photo shoot. The accused happened to see the girl after which he extended the hand of ‘friendship’ to her. The duo exchanged their Instagram ids and began staying in touch.
The accused used to call the girl and also initiate chats with her on social media platforms. He also used to frequently call her to meet her. In March this year, the accused called the girl to meet him near the Max Pro gym where he tried to forcefully kiss her. He pulled her closer without her will and attempted to molest her. The girl pushed him away and escaped to reach home.
Recently, on 24th June, the accused again called the girl to meet in the garden close to Seven Square. He again tried to molest the girl by forcefully kissing her. The girl then managed to call her mother who came to rescue.
The duo then reached the police station and filed a police complaint.
Mira Road and the Bhayander area in Maharashtra’s Mumbai district have been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past. Recently, in the month of February 2024, OpIndia reported 15 similar cases in which the Islamists harassed Hindu women, molested then, raped and forced them to convert to Islam. The detailed report in this case can be read here.
The Sakal Hindu Samaj members earlier in an exclusive conversation, informed OpIndia that the Mira Road region in Mumbai is dominated by the Muslim majority population and that the community which claims to be a minority and oppressed is moving to become a problem for the other community residents.
Explaining the changing demography of the region, Kishor Sant (name changed for security reasons) of the Sakal Hindu Samaj had said, “Earlier this Mira Bhayander region, Nayanagar area was dominated by the Hindu population. In the past few years, several Muslims from the Mumbra region or even from different cities migrated to this area claiming their dominance. Later in the Nayanagar and Mira road region these people began deliberately harassing Hindus. They began harassing their daughters, disturbing them in their businesses and even there are many cases where these people have demanded ransom money from Hindus. As a result of this, several Hindus began migrating to other regions of Mumbai and Thane.”
As per Pratap Deokate (name changed for security reasons), another Hindu activist, the Muslims deliberately harass the Hindu businessmen in the Bhayander area which still is a Hindu-dominated locality. “They install hawkers in the areas which are literally ‘no-hawkers’ zones and indirectly block the customers from reaching into the Hindu shops. Then they slowly start trapping the daughters of the Hindu shopkeepers leading to the incidents of Love Jihad,” he said.
Further, while pressing for a stringent law against the Love Jihad, Deokate also opined that the police need to look into these cases seriously. “When a Hindu girl is harassed, sexually assaulted or murmured, these people in the administration don’t look at it from the perspective of Love Jihad. They don’t doubt the intentions of the Islamists accused. They just treat these cases like other normal criminal cases and that’s why these Islamists most of the time get a free pass. The police and the local administration should understand the intention of the accused Islamists behind targeting the Hindu girls. Only then they will be able to provide justice to the victims in such cases,” he was quoted as saying.
In the given case, OpIndia talked to the victim who confirmed the incident. However, she also mentioned that the accused tried to molest her but never talked about religion or conversion. Further investigations are underway.
On Monday (24th June), a 60-year-old man was brutally murdered with a sharp weapon in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Pune’s Yerawada area over a relationship of his son with Ismail Riyaz Shaikh’s sister, Pune city police officials said. As per some local media reports, the accused beheaded the victim.
Police identified the deceased as Katalu Kachru Lahade. They also arrested two accused in this matter. The main accused was identified as Ismail Riyaz Shaikh (25) while his aide was identified as Sanket Umesh Gupta (21). Police stated that both Shaikh and Gupta are labourers and Lahade was unemployed.
According to reports, Lahade was attacked with a sharp weapon, allegedly a machete. At the time of the incident, Lahade was sitting under a tree in the open space of the Mental Hospital in Yerwada along with the staff, following lunch. Two attackers on a bike approached him and one of them launched the fatal attack. Lahade sustained severe injuries to his head and hand which resulted in his immediate demise.
#Interfaith: 60-year-old man stabbed to death over son's interfaith marriage in Pune.
Katalu Kachru Lahade was stabbed in the face and head by Ismail Riaz Shaikh.
Shaikh, a labourer, did this after his sister eloped with Lahade's son.
Pertinent to note that Lahade’s religious identity is unknown. As per reports, the ‘Interfaith marriage’ of Shaikh’s sister with the victim’s son is said to be the motive behind the brutal murder. On the day of the incident, Shaikh’s sister reportedly ran away with Lahade’s son without informing her family.
Yerawada police station in-charge, senior inspector Ravindra Shelke said, “Initial investigation points to this murder being a fallout between Lahade and Shaikh over the relationship between Lahade’s son and Shaikh’s sister. On Monday morning, it came to light that Shaikh’s sister left her home with Lahade’s son without informing her family. Probe suggests that this was the reason behind the fatal attack on Lahade.”
Shelke added, “Shaikh used a sharp weapon and attacked Lahade on his face… Gupta was with Shaikh when he attacked Lahade. We have deployed police teams in the area after the incident.”
The body of the deceased victim was sent for post-mortem examination. Inspector Shelke stated that appropriate measures have been taken at the spot, and there are no concerns regarding law and order at this time.
On Tuesday (25th June), the Madras High Court issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department in connection to a petition to remove idols of Sai Baba from government-controlled Hindu temples.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Madras High Court by a resident of Coimbatore named D Suresh Babu. He cited a previous judgment and contended that devotees of Sai Baba belonged to all Faiths and not just Hinduism.
He argued that Sai Mandirs are not exclusively meant for worship by Hindus. D Suresh Babu stated that Sai Baba preached both Islam and Hinduism and that the installation of his idol in a Hindu temple contradicted 8th-century Shaivite principles.
The petitioner further added that keeping idols of Sai Baba in 7-8 temples, run by the HR&CE Department, alongside that of Hindu deities violated Agama principles and hurt the sentiments, beliefs and customs of the Hindu community.
In his petition, D Suresh Babu pointed out that the HR&CE Department should have taken appropriate steps to prevent the installation of idols of individuals who are considered Godmen.
He sought the removal of Sai Baba idols from temples, which are under the direct and indirect control of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
The court has admitted a petition and issued a notice to the State and HR&CE. The petitioner argues that Sai Baba idols should be in Hindu temples under HR&CE because he is a Muslim, and placing his idol in a Hindu temple goes against the Agamas. #CourtCase#SaiBaba#HRCE…
“My prayer is that all idols of godmen, including Sai Baba, in temples under HR&CE should be removed. Private temples can do whatever they want. But can HR&CE temples have idols of godmen,” the counsel for the petitioner argued,” the PIL read.
On hearing the arguments in the case, a 2-judge Bench of Justice Mohammed Shaffiq and Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq issued notice to the Department.
The Tamil Nadu government controls 36635 temples, 45 mutts, 68 temples attached to mutts, 189 charitable endowments, 1721 specific endowments and 17 Jain temples.
There is a saying in Hindi, “Kaam karo na karo kaam ki fikr zaroor karo” [Work or not, be ‘concerned’ about work]. This seems to have been a fundamental principle of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. While the national capital is grappling with its worst water crisis, the AAP ministers instead of taking steps to resolve the issue are staging a dramatic indefinite fast—“Pani Satyagraha”. If the government itself is indulging in such theatrics who will provide adequate water supply to the people of Delhi?
Atishi Marlena, Delhi’s Water Minister, initiated an indefinite fast on the 21st of June 2024, accusing the Haryana government of not releasing Delhi’s rightful share of water. Atishi claims this has affected around 2.8 million residents due to the shortfall in water supply.
On the fourth day of her indefinite strike, Atishi continued with AAP’s usual blame game and said that the Haryana government has reduced Delhi’s water supply by 100 million gallons per day (MGD) over the last three weeks.
Even in its attempt to appear ‘concerned’ about the plight of the Delhi people, AAP could not avoid drama. On Monday, a video surfaced online wherein Delhi Water Minister Atishi was supposedly seen reminding a doctor who probably forgot the ‘script’, to tell people about her increasing ketone levels.
डॉक्टर बताना भूल गया था कि आतिशी का कीटोन लेवल बढ़ गया है, फिर आतिशी ने खुद डॉक्टर को बुलाकर बताया कि कहो कि "कीटोन लेवल लगातार बढ़ रहा है"
It is amusing that in just four days of her ‘Anshan’, Minister Atishi’s health deteriorated to the point that she had to be admitted to the LNJP hospital. The Aam Aadmi Party claimed that Atishi during the course of her four-day fast has been losing weight and her blood pressure is also decreasing. Doing ‘Anshan’ or claiming health deterioration is a tried and tested tactic of AAP to garner media attention and public sympathy.
But all this raises a question. How is Atishi’s Anshan going to get water into Delhi homes? She is the water minister. She is supposed to be in her office working, not on stage doing theatrics.
Recently, it was seen how Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case, claimed that his sugar levels his body weight dropped by 7 kgs suggesting that he might be suffering from a “serious disease”. He also claimed that his sugar levels have increased during his time in jail and he was deprived of insulin by the Tihar jail authorities. The self-proclaimed modern-day Bhagat Singh, Kejriwal blatantly played the victim card despite the fact that the Tihar Jail administration comes under Delhi Prison Department. The idea behind such tactics is to establish a narrative that somehow the central government is acting against Kejriwal due to political vendetta and a ‘fearless’ Kejriwal is going to jail to ‘save’ democracy. With this, the media and public would focus more on the “how” than “why” Kejriwal was jailed.
It must be noted how such theatrics help AAP build a narrative in its favour and deflect attention from the actual issue. Just days before, the mainstream media showed the people of Delhi after a long wait running behind water tankers to get their buckets filled. But now, the entire media attention is on Atishi’s ‘Pani Satyagraha’ and her ketone levels.
The visuals of Delhi residents running behind a water tanker in Chanakyapuri’s Vivekananda Camp have now been replaced with Minister Atishi being taken to the hospital after her health reportedly ‘deteriorated’ due to the fast.
Basically, the only thing Atishi’s Pani Satyagraha has achieved is that it has successfully shifted the media focus from the public suffering for something as basic as water to an entitled, powerful woman, a minister no less, highlighting her own ‘suffering’.
#WATCH | Delhi Water Minister Atishi being taken to LNJP hospital due to deteriorating health.
Atishi has been on an indefinite hunger strike since the last four days claiming that Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water. pic.twitter.com/BZtG4o9ThS
Notably, the water tanker mafia in Delhi has been a persistent issue, contributing significantly to the ongoing water crisis in the capital. Despite the Delhi government’s promises to curb this illegal activity, little effective action has been taken, leading to criticism from various quarters, including the Supreme Court.
Before the AAP government launched its ‘Pani Satyagraha’ gimmick, the Supreme Court recently reprimanded the Delhi government for its inaction against the water tanker mafia, emphasising that the failure to address this problem exacerbates the city’s water shortages.
“There are visuals on every channel that the tanker mafia is working in Delhi. What measures have you taken in this regard?… What measures have you taken to control water waste coming through the two barrages if this is a recurring problem?,” the Supreme Court asked.
Minister Atishi, however, instead of taking responsibility for her inaction resorted to blaming the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials for colluding with the tanker mafias. She claimed that the senior DJB officials reduced the number of tankers without her knowledge. It must be noted here that the DJB comes under the administration of the AAP-led Delhi government.
Minister Atishi called for an inquiry into potential collusion between these officials and the tanker mafia. Atishi also directed quick response teams to inspect major pipelines and prevent leakages, although these measures seem reactive rather than proactive. Again, little action more drama and a blame game keep the AAP government going whenever Delhi faces a crisis.
Falsely blaming Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh
Interestingly, while Atishi blamed the neighbouring Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for not providing Delhi its fair share of water, the Delhi Jal Board data exposed AAP’s lies indicating that Delhi has been receiving more than its allocated share of water from sources in Haryana and Uttarakhand. Wazirabad was already getting around 85 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) more than the allocated water from the Yamuna stream coming from the Hathnikund barrage to the pond.
The question that arises here is then where did the water go? Is the AAP government shielding tanker mafias as alleged by the BJP?
Perhaps, the ‘Pani Satyagraha’ is a coverup to this question while the people of Delhi have been pushed into perdition struggling to get even a bucket full of water.
Atishi’s “Pani Satyagraha” is apparently a strategic move to draw media attention and sway public sentiment, diverting focus from the actual crisis. AAP’s theatrics are aimed at gaining political mileage and constant media attention rather than addressing the underlying problems. Engaging in a fast might generate headlines and win some sympathy, but it doesn’t resolve the pressing issues of water management and stringent action against the tanker mafias. The residents of Delhi deserve pragmatic solutions, not political theatrics.
This, however, is not the first time that the AAP government has resorted to hogging media attention and blaming others when faced with a crisis. AAP has a history of doing so to hide its own incompetence.
The conduct of AAP leaders over the years demonstrates that they want to make everything about themselves, how they are the sole ‘voice of people’, ever concerned, always striving when convenient and shifting the blame on others when in a difficult spot.
AAP leaders seeking attention from incidents of sexual assault
Former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson and Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal who recently accused CM Kejriwal’s secretary Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her, also has often been seen doing ‘dharna’ etc in rape or molestation cases. Last year, she staged a Dharna outside the hospital where a minor rape survivor was admitted who was allegedly raped by a Delhi government official Premoday Khaka. Maliwal claimed that the Delhi Police did not allow her to meet the victim. Here, instead of the heinous crime allegedly committed by the deputy director in the Delhi government’s women and child development department, Maliwal being ‘stopped’ from meeting the victim became a bigger issue comfortably diverting the media and public attention.
AAP leaders have a knack for coming up with unique (read absurd) methods to ‘protest’ and grab attention in the wake of serious issues affecting lives and the law in Delhi and other states. Back in 2019, AAP leader and Swati Maliwal’s ex-husband Naveen Jaihind performed ‘Tapasya’ in the wake of the incidents of child sexual abuse in the country. Maliwal had vehemently defended Naveen’s theatrics when people called out his “nautanki”.
AAP’s perennial ‘blame Haryana’ argument in its defence against Delhi air pollution
Delhi’s air pollution crisis has been a persistent issue, severely affecting the health and quality of life of its residents. The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has for years been blaming the neighbouring Punjab and Haryana and the central government for the pollution caused by stubble (Parali) burning in these states. However, after forming a government in Punjab, the Delhi government has miraculously stopped blaming Punjab for air pollution even though stubble burning in Punjab remains a major source of Delhi’s hazardous air quality in the winters. After winning Punjab in the 2022 elections, the AAP government in Delhi now blames BJP-ruled Haryana and cracker bursting on Diwali for pollution.
AAP has turned stubble burning in Haryana into a convenient scapegoat, even to the extent of pretending that stubble burning in Punjab doesn’t affect them, just the Haryana fires cause pollution.
Last year OpIndia reported how the Delhi government blamed Haryana for the alarmingly bad air quality in Delhi even though the stubble-burning incidents tripled in Punjab, while similar incidents in Haryana were limited. Other than blaming Haryana, AAP has also relied on advertisements to polish its image continuously ‘working’ to curb pollution in reality doing little to nothing. It has been reported that the AAP government spent more money on pollution mitigation advertisements than on actual pollution reduction measures.
It was also reported how some smog towers the Delhi government boasted as a weapon against air pollution were either locked up or their operations stopped for some or other reasons during the peak pollution season forcing Delhi residents to live in a gas chamber-like atmosphere.
AAP’s blame game over Yamuna water pollution
Delhi’s 70% of water supply comes from the Yamuna River. The Kejriwal government has over the years blamed Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the pollution in the Yamuna River. In the winter season every year, the Yamuna River froths with toxic white foam. This toxic foam is formed due to the industries discharging effluents containing a high concentration of ammonia and phosphate along with other chemicals.
The assertion that neighbouring states are primarily to blame for Yamuna’s pollution downplays the significant contribution of Delhi’s own pollution sources. Industrial discharge, untreated sewage, and improper waste management within Delhi itself are major factors contributing to the river’s degradation. The city’s numerous unauthorised colonies often lack proper sewage treatment facilities, leading to direct discharge into the Yamuna.
In November last year, ahead of the Chhath Pooja festival, it was reported how Delhi Water Minister Atishi accused the Uttar Pradesh government of releasing polluted water into the Yamuna river. In 2021, AAP MP Raghav Chadha had blamed Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for Yamuna pollution. However, OpIndia reported how there is a lack of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) while Delhi Jal Board’s Sewage Treatment Plant (STPs) have been operating below their capacities as the DJB failed to set up a system to carry enough sewage to the STPs. AAP government blamed Haryana and UP for Yamuna pollution without a smidgen of shame, while 60% of STPs in the national capital were not in compliance with prescribed parameters.
Blaming neighbouring states serves as a convenient tactic to deflect criticism and accountability from the Delhi government’s own shortcomings in environmental management.
When AAP blamed the Centre for oxygen shortage during the Covid pandemic
When the nation was grappling with the Coronavirus outbreak, the national capital witnessed an oxygen crisis and the Delhi government was accused of disrupting the oxygen supply chain. After this, the High Court slammed the AAP government for its crisis mismanagement. A Supreme Court audit report said that the Delhi government exaggerated the oxygen requirement in the national capital by more than four times during the April 25-May 10 peak period of the COVID-19 second wave. The report also stated that the supply of excess oxygen to the national capital could have caused supply constraints shortage for at least 12 states that needed it. The then Deputy CM (now jailed) Manish Sisodia has trivialised the report claiming it to be made in the BJP headquarters.
It was rather disgraceful on the part of the Delhi government to play politics when the city was battling a serious health crisis. From the creating migrant crisis by spreading rumours of buses waiting at UP borders to take them, lobbying for American vaccine, blaming the Centre for the lack of hospital beds and other infrastructure, inaction against Tablighi Jamaat super-spreaders, banning outsiders from getting treatment at Delhi hospitals, to openly supporting farmers protest the Delhi government demonstrated a colossal failure in handling covid crisis prioritising politics over innocent lives.
However, the Delhi government ran a rigorous PR campaign spending Rs 150 crores from January 2021 to March 2021 on advertisements and publicity through various mediums to polish its image and cover up its failures.
When the Delhi government lamented the coal shortage and power crisis after banning coal-based plants
Back in 2021, the then deputy CM Manish Sisodia accused the central government of ‘ignoring’ the coal shortage in Delhi. This came after CM Kejriwal urged PM Modi to intervene in the matter. Sisodia held a press conference attacking the Modi government insinuating that while the Delhi government was overwhelmingly ‘concerned’ about the coal crisis, it was the central government which was indifferent towards Delhi and was being “irresponsible”.
In a classic AAP-style hypocrisy, on one hand, the AAP government blamed the Centre for the coal shortage in Delhi and built a narrative that CM Kejriwal is trying his level best to procure coal for the thermal power plants, on the other, the Kejriwal government had in 2019 completely banned coal-based power plants. It also imposed a ban on the industries that were using coal as a power source.
Conclusion
The AAP-led Delhi government has often resorted to blaming other state governments and the central government for its own policy failures and administrative shortcomings. This trend is not only counterproductive but also has alarming and sinister implications for governance and public welfare. By blaming external entities, the Delhi government effectively evades responsibility for its own failures. Whether it’s the handling of the COVID-19 crisis, pollution in the Yamuna River, or the management of public infrastructure. AAP’s politicisation of covid crisis not only hampered effective crisis management but also sowed confusion and panic among the public. Moreover, AAP’s constant blame game against other state governments and the Centre undermines cooperative federalism.
For effective governance and real progress, the Delhi administration must focus on addressing its own shortcomings and working collaboratively with other stakeholders rather than engaging in counterproductive blame games, and headline hogging to pretend they are working.
On 25th June, the Delhi High Court set aside the trial court’s order granting bail to Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy Scam case. The matter is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In the order, Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain criticised the trial court for mishandling the case. Justice Jain stated that the trial court did not consider the material submitted by the ED properly and failed to provide adequate opportunity for the ED to argue its case. Justice Jain said, “The observation by the trial court that voluminous material cannot be considered is unjustified and shows that the trial court has not applied its mind to the material.”
On 20th June, a vacation bench of the Trial Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal. The decision was challenged in the High Court by the ED seeking a stay on the bail order. The High Court noted that the trial court did not address the twin conditions for bail properly under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). “There was a strong argument that the twin condition of Section 45 PMLA was not deliberated by the vacation judge. This court thinks that Section 45 PMLA has not been properly discussed by the trial court,” the High Court said.
Furthermore, the High Court pointed out that the Trial Court’s findings of malafides on the ED’s part were incorrect. The court referred to the previous order of the High Court that rejected Kejriwal’s claim of malafides. Justice Jain said, “The trial court should not have given any finding which is opposite to the finding of the High Court.”
In its order, the Trial Court had granted bail to Kejriwal on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. Special Judge (PC Act) Niyay Bindu of the Rouse Avenue Court had stated that the ED failed to provide direct evidence linking Kejriwal to the crime proceeds and did not show that another accused, Vijay Nair, acted on Kejriwal’s behalf. However, the ED argued that Kejriwal was involved in a conspiracy to manipulate the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22 that benefitted the liquor sellers. ED also stated that kickbacks from the sellers were allegedly used by AAP in the election campaign in the Goa State Elections.
The Delhi High Court’s interim stay was challenged by Kejriwal in the Supreme Court on 24th June. The Apex Court termed the stay order as “unusual” but decided to wait for the final order by the High Court. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on 26th June.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam case on 21st March after he failed to appear at the ED office for questioning nine times. Nine of the ED’s notices to appear were ignored by Delhi’s CM and they were challenged in the court. The court questioned ED why AAP, the political party, was not made a party in the matter and refused to grant any relief to Kejriwal. ED then went to his residence for questioning and subsequently, Delhi CM was arrested in the matter. Apart from Kejriwal, Delhi’s former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is also currently lodged in jail in the matter. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh however was granted bail.
On 21st June, a Hindu family was attacked at their shop in village Akerda of district Nuh, Haryana allegedly for voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recent Lok Sabha elections. As per the NBT Navbharat Times report, Manoj, one of the victims, was working at the family shop where the family runs a cosmetics and Common Service Centre (SCS) in front of their house. Three villagers identified as Mausam, Shahid and Arfat came and started discussing the Lok Sabha Elections with him.
During the discussion, Manoj told them that he voted for BJP which enraged the trio. They accused Manoj of contributing to the defeat of the Congress candidate in the region and began assaulting him. They also abused him using casteist slurs. Manoj cried for help. His family members including his father Ramkishan rushed to help him but they were also attacked. Ramkishan’s 8-month-old pregnant daughter-in-law was also physically assaulted during the attack.
People nearby heard the cries of the victims and rushed to the scene. They intervened and rescued the family members from the attackers. The injured pregnant woman was rushed to Nalhad Medical College for treatment. The incident was reported to the police by the victims. However, after three days of the incident, the police did not take any strict action against the attackers. The family said in a statement that they were living in fear and alleged that police were pressuring them to change their statement.
The investigating officer told NBT Navbharat Times that a complaint was received from the victims. He added that the police called both sides for an inquiry and assured appropriate action would be taken once the investigation was over.
BJP district chief gets threat to leave Nuh
Nuh has been consistently in the news for all the wrong reasons. Apart from family getting attacked allegedly for voting BJP in Lok Sabha Elections, BJP district chief Narendra Patel received a threatening letter via mail to leave Nuh. On 24th June, BJP leaders and workers visited the District Secretariat and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, DC and SP regarding the threat.
A complaint in the matter has been filed at City Police Station Nuh. The police have registered a case against the accused in the matter and further investigation is underway.
The letter was received by Patel on 23rd June in which the sender identified himself as Tehmur. The letter, which was written in very bad handwriting, read, “BJP’s Narendra Patel, either leave Nuh or you will be shot. You have troubled the people of our Mewli village a lot. You have implicated many people in the riots as well. I, Sakir Abrar from Mewli village, will run you over with a car one day. I will not spare you, Mewli is not afraid of anyone. Sahid Torif Khusid says your death is certain… Tehmur.”
Source: Bhaskar/citytehelka
District officials have assured BJP leaders and workers that strict action will be taken against those who sent the letter.
On the occasion of Bakrid which fell on 17th June, communal tensions flared up in Jogidher, a small Hindu-majority village in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. Notably, the Hindu community was outraged after a Muslim family publicly slaughtered a buffalo near a Shiva temple which according to residents marked a departure from the village’s custom. According to protesters, Muslim villagers had not sacrificed buffalo on Bakrid in the past. Consequently, Hindu villagers asserted that they would patrol streets during the next Bakrid to prevent the slaughter of large animals.
As things escalated, the Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control. They also booked eight men from the Muslim family involved, under charges of animal cruelty. They also arrested two accused who were released on bail the following day.
The incident unfolded on the morning of the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Adha, commonly known as Bakrid. Sangram Singh, a resident, captured a video of his neighbour, Mohammed Israr in which he was slaughtering a buffalo in an open space outside his home. According to Singh, this was done close to a Shiva temple. In the video accessed by Swarajya, several men were seen moving the dead remains of the buffalo inside a house.
Narrating the incident, Singh (60) told Swarajya, “It was around 11 am. We were inside our house when we were overwhelmed by an unbearable stench. My wife, covering her mouth, went outside to find the source. She was horrified to see our neighbours slaughtering a buffalo.”
He then recorded the act and shared the video among the villagers. Notably, the village has about 2,500 Hindus and nearly 300 Muslims.
(Screengrab from video, Source – Swarajya)
The video soon started doing rounds among the villagers, sparking an outrage over the act. Soon, residents gathered and surrounded the local police station. They raised slogans that they would oppose the “initiation of a new tradition on Bakrid”. They said that the slaughter marked a departure from the village’s custom. They demanded that the family involved in the act should be arrested.
(It is alleged that the buffalo was slaughtered publicly, near a Shiva temple, outraging the Hindu community, Image Source – Swarajya)
Initially, Police were reluctant to intervene
The village Pradhan, Ram Swaroop Kashyap told Swarajya’s Swati Goel Sharma that although police arrived quickly at the scene, they initially declined to intervene. They cited the incident as part of the Muslim festival of animal sacrifice.
The officers argued that if the animal had been a cow or its progeny, they would have proceeded under the Cow Protection Act. Dissatisfied with the officer’s response, the villagers threatened to escalate their protests.
Some villagers told the police that the slaughter was conducted openly which was against the state guidelines that prohibit such visible acts of animal sacrifice. They also highlighted that it was carried out just twenty meters from a Hindu temple.
Kashyap said that the police acknowledged the validity of the villagers’ complaints. Subsequently, the Police filed an FIR that evening at the Collector Bukganj Police Station in the CB Ganj area against eight family members (FIR number 213).
The accused named in the FIR include Mohammed Israr, Mohammed Islam, Mohammed Shafi, and Mohammed Akhlaq, along with Israr’s four sons but their names were not disclosed. The accused were charged under IPC section 429 for harming or destroying livestock and under Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, for cruelty like mutilation or unnecessarily killing animals.
(FIR copy, Credit – Swarajya)
Two accused were detained that evening. But according to Kashyap, they were released on bail the following day.
The complaint was given in the name of Sangram Singh and over 30 Hindu residents are named as co-complainants in the case. The complaint stated that although Muslim residents sacrificed goats in the past, buffalo sacrifice on Bakrid is an attempt to start a new custom and it has created communal tensions in the village.
Hindu villagers assert that they will not allow new customs in the village
The Hindu community which is in majority, including the Pradhan, Ram Swaroop Kashyap, has openly opposed the practice of animal slaughter on Bakrid, which according to them is an introduction of a new religious custom.
However, the Muslim villagers alleged that it was an infringement on their religious rights.
Kashyap (65) stressed that the issue transcends religious lines. He said, “This is not about Hindu versus Muslim. It’s about maintaining our traditional practices. If Hindus introduced a new ritual, we would oppose that just the same.”
The former Pradhan, Mohammed Kamruddin alleged that the Hindu majority is leveraging their greater numbers to suppress Muslim practices. He also alleged that the villagers were under “the influence of RSS and Bajrang Dal”.
Speaking with Swarajya, he refuted the claim that animal sacrifice on Bakrid is a new custom. He said, “In families that can afford it, animal sacrifice has always been part of Bakrid. I have sacrificed goats every year.”
He added that families who can afford it typically opt to slaughter larger animals, such as buffaloes.
He claimed that Hindu nationalist groups like the RSS and Bajrang Dal have become active in the village which is leading to such an opposition. He alleged, “The villagers are causing disturbances under their influence.”
Regarding the next Bakrid, Kamruddin advised his community to consider conducting their sacrifices in a neighbouring Muslim-majority village to avoid conflict.
Meanwhile, Sangram Singh and other Hindu residents maintained that no new customs would be allowed in the village. Singh said they plan to ensure that “no new practices are established”. He declared, “Next year, we’ll patrol the streets of Bakrid to ensure there’s no deviation from our village’s customs.”
The issue of reservation for the Maratha community has been ongoing in Maharashtra for years with minimal solutions to date. There is a reason to decide the issue soon as the protests undertaken by the ‘Maratha activist’ Manoj Jarange Patil don’t seem to end. Patil has been on strike, demanding reservations for Marathas from the backward quota, since October 2023. The protests have also turned violent and caused damage to public property and vehicles in several districts of Maharashtra like Jalna, Pune, Beed, Dharashiv, etc. Houses of several NCP politicians were also set on fire by the demonstrators who expressed their anger and yelled slogans ‘Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha’.
The state government led by CM Eknath Shinde, recently in January this year, accepted all the requests put forth by Jarange Patil and extended 10% reservation to Marathas above the 52% cap, further classifying Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class (SEBC). While Jarange Patil declared to end his strike after this, he began a fresh protest in June this year demanding the implementation of a draft notification that recognises all blood relatives of Maratha community members as Kunbis, an agrarian group classified as another backward class (OBC) community, who are eligible for reservation. “I will not give up until the Maratha reservation is granted,” Patil was quoted as saying.
Shinde assured solution to the problem and approved 10% reservation to Maratha community
Patil also demanded that a law be enacted to designate Kunbis as Marathas, and he threatened to field candidates for all 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra in the forthcoming State election if his demands were not met.
If these threats of his were not enough, the activist, who earlier was believed to have been raising his voice for the Maratha community, has now started protesting and threatening the government to provide reservations to the Muslim community as well.
Muslims should get a reservation from OBC quota: Jarange Patil
On Monday (24th June), in a major setback to the OBC community in the state, Jarange Patil demanded reservation for the Muslim community from the OBC quota. He said that Muslims who have Kunbi caste certificates should also be extended reservations in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Class quota in Maharashtra.
“There are government records that show that the Muslims are also part of Kunbi castes. When these records prove that they are also farmers and belong to the Kunbi community, then Muslims should also be given reservations from the OBC quota. Muslims should not be facing injustice,” Jarange Patil was quoted as saying.
This comes after as per Jarange Patil, Pasha Patel, BJP leader’s record showed that he was a Kunbi. “If there are such records, then all Muslims should get a reservation from the OBC quota. I will see how they don’t get their rights,” he threatened.
BJP leader Pasha Patel
Demanding reservations for the Maratha community could be understood as the issue has been ongoing for over 32 years now and several political parties and activists have made attempts to find a solution to the issue. However, why is Jarange Patil interested in issuing reservations for the Muslim community, which in fact is a separate religion and not a Hindu caste like that of Marathas? Jarange Patil’s stance, in this case, is seen as a ploy to annoy OBCs, who are already apprehensive about losing their reservation in light of calls for blanket reservation for the Maratha group from their quota.
OBC leaders oppose Jarange Patil’s demand for Muslim reservation, call it a separate religion
After Jarange Patil’s demand for Muslim reservations, OBC activist Laxman Hake, who has been protesting to for the OBC community, said that the Muslim community is being seen as a religion and some of the castes from their community who fall under OBC quota are already getting the reservation. “Hinduism is divided into social hierarchies, but the Muslim community is seen as a religion,” he said.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane also opposed the demand made by Jarange Patil saying that our Constitution does not allow giving reservations based on religion. “Our Constitution does not allow giving reservations on religious grounds. Jarange Patil may not be aware that the reservation can be granted only on the backwardness of a caste,” he said.
OBC leader Chagan Bhujpal (NCP-Ajit Pawar) also slammed Jarange Patil for demanding reservation for Muslims from the OBC quota. According to Bhujbal, the activist knows nothing about reservations in the state, thus he is unaware that Muslims have received reservation advantages under the OBC quota for the previous 25 years. “Many castes among Muslims have been getting reservations under the OBC quota,” said Bhujbal alleging that he was being targeted by Jarange Patil for no reason. However, he also said that he was not scared of anybody.
OBC leader Chagan Bhujbal (L)
Apart from Bhujbal, Jarange Patil has also received criticism from the revenue minister and BJP Maratha leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who stated that the Maratha quota protest had lost direction. “Jarange Patil is not the only representative of Marathas. The government has already given a separate reservation of 10% to Marathas. The government has also started deliberations on reservations for Marathas and OBCs,” Vikhe Patil said.
It is important to note that the state had approved a 10% reservation to the Maratha community over and above the 52% existing quota which already includes 10% reservations for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Jarange Patil is asking for a reservation for a separate religion now. But won’t giving Muslims space in this specified quota be unfair to Marathas and OBCs (given no clarity over demands of separate reservations for the community)?
Muslim reservation- a contentious issue; Bombay HC knocking down a portion
The issue of reservation for Muslims was also raised before the year 2014 when the Congress-NCP government was in power in the state. The government then announced a 5% reservation for the Muslim population in government posts and education.
However, the Bombay High Court knocked down portions of the regulation. It eliminated reservation provisions in government positions while allowing them in education. The decision was rejected by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government when it took office in 2014, stating that they are opposed to religious reservations.
Muslim leaders, Samajwadi Party, NCP (Sharad Pawar) making demands for 5% Muslim reservations
Now, apart from Jarange Patil, after the state approved reservations for the Maratha community, several Muslim leaders also started demanding reservations for Muslims. On February 20th, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Rais Shaikh had written to CM Eknath Shinde demanding a 5% reservation for Muslims at the earliest. He said this was necessary to eradicate the backwardness of the community and to bring them into the path of mainstream development.
He mentioned that the NCP-Congress government had approved a 5% quota for Muslims but its implementation never happened. “It is a gross injustice to the Muslim community, which has been fighting for their rightful reservation for decades. There is a lot of resentment among the community for not getting our due. It is high time that the government must provide reservation to the community,” said Shaikh in the letter.
“Around 50 sub-castes in the community will benefit from the reservation. The demand for reservation is based on the economic and social backwardness of the community. We hope that the government will give the rightful reservation to us,” he had added.
SP MLA Rais Shaikh
Shaikh also stated that Marathas should get separate reservations and that the OBC quota shouldn’t be touched. However, the leader selectively forgot that the Muslim community has been benefitting from the reservation for 25 years. Those Muslims falling under the OBC category are getting all the benefits of the government reservations.
Saleem Sarang, vice-president of the NCP, issued warnings on June 9th to protest if the state government failed to provide Muslims with 5% reservation in educational institutes, as partially allowed by the Bombay High Court. “The BJP has no qualms in joining hands with Chandrababu Naidu of TDP whose pro-Muslim reservation stand is well-known. So, why should the BJP oppose it if the Mahayuti government gives Muslim quota?” Saleem was quoted as saying.
Arif Naseem Khan, a former state minister, has also demanded Muslim reservations. Khan stated that the BJP is allied with the TDP at the center, which supports Muslim reservations. “N Chandrababu Naidu’s son and TDP’s general secretary, N Lokesh, has announced that the TDP government will continue with the 4% Muslim reservation. In Maharashtra, our government had given a 5% quota to Muslims on the basis of educational and economic backwardness. The government must restore this reservation along with the quota for Maratha and Dhangar communities,” said Khan.
Earlier in December 2023, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA from Baramati constituency had demanded reservation for Muslims. While raising the issue of Maratha reservations, the leader said that there was a need to find an amicable solution to the issue of reservations for Maratha, Dhangar, Lingayat, and the Muslim community in Maharashtra. The leader again, selectively happened to forget that Islam is a separate religion while Maratha, Dhangar, and Lingayat are castes and that religion-based reservation is not allowed by the Constitution.
Supriya Sule demands 'Muslim Reservation'
This is real plan of INDI Alliance. Divide Hindus into caste and give reservations to Muslims.
What the Indian Constitution says about religion-based reservations
The Indian Constitution moved toward equity, which ensures justice and may necessitate differential treatment or special measures for certain groups.
The Constitution removed the term ‘minorities’ from Article 296 (Article 335 of the current Constitution), but included Article 16(4), which allows the state to make “any provision for …reservation…in favor of any backward class of citizens which…is not adequately represented in the services under the state.”
Article 15(4) of the first constitutional amendment enabled the state to make “any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes”.
Article 15 clearly prohibits the state from discriminating against residents based only on religion and caste (as well as gender, race, and place of birth). Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the State of Kerala vs N M Thomas (1975), reservation is viewed as an extension of equality rather than an exception to Articles 15(1) and 16(1)’s equality/non-discrimination clauses.
Representative Image- Indian Express
The key word in Articles 15 and 16 is ‘only’, which means that if a religious, racial, or caste group is considered a “weaker section” under Article 46, or a backward class, it is entitled to special provisions for advancement.
Some Muslim castes receive reservations not because they are Muslims, but because they were classified as backward, and reservation in many states has been granted without affecting the quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs by establishing a sub-quota within the OBCs. At present, there are 14 states and UTs in India where Muslim communities are included in the quota list, based on social and economic backwardness.
Probable reasons why Jarange Patil is allegedly becoming the voice of Muslims
This is actually as surprising as it looks. Jarange Patil, who was to date raising his voice for the Maratha community, is now worried about the ‘so-called’ injustice happening to the Muslim community. Further, it is important to note that the protests regarding the Maratha reservation became prominent and massively violent probably only when the BJP government ruled the state, be it in the year 2014 or 2023-24.
Further, the outcomes of the current Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra saw Muslims supporting the parties other than the BJP. The ruling party was unable to secure a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to this. The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, won 7 seats and the BJP won 9, while parties with Muslim and Communist support, such as the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Indian National Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT), gained 8, 13, and 9 seats, respectively. This clearly shows that Muslims in the state of Maharashtra voted for any party standing against BJP.
Given Jarange Patil’s previous association with Congress and his current sympathies for the Muslim community, it would not be an exaggeration to claim that Patil’s move is probably to raise mass appeal in support of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Indian National Congress ahead of the State Assembly Elections under the guise of fighting for Maratha reservation.
If not, what exactly made him start fresh protests in June over the ‘Maratha reservation’ after the state approved 10% reservations over existing 52% in February this year? What made him suddenly talk about Muslim reservations when the community has already been benefiting from the OBC quota for years? What made him suddenly think of Muslim reservations in the first place, given his no direct association with the community?
As several leaders opine, Jarange Patil has seemingly lost direction while primarily fighting for the Maratha quota in the state. He has also issued threats to the government saying he would see how the state fails to provide reservation to the Muslim community. This is alarming in itself and probably the situation needs immediate attention from the Centre.
On Monday (24th June), the police arrested Tommy Robinson, a British activist and critic of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, from Calgary in Alberta province of Canada.
The British activist had a speaking engagement in Calgary, organised by independent news outfit Rebel News. It must be mentioned that Justin Trudeau-led-Liberal Party in Canada has hounded Rebel News on several occasions in the past.
After the conclusion of the event, Tommy Robinson was arrested by the police. Reportedly, a warrant to this effect was issued by the government.
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 25, 2024
In the meantime, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant informed that he has hired Alain Hepner, a leading criminal lawyer in Calgary, to secure the release of the British activist. He had also sought donations from the public to pay legal fees.
BREAKING: Ezra Levant has an emergency update on Tommy Robinson arrest after speaking event in Calgary.
Rebel News has hired Calgary's leading criminal lawyer Alain Hepner and we are working to secure his release as soon as possible.
Two hours later, Tommy Robinson posted a tweet stating that he had been released. However, the activist pointed out that he had been directed to give his passport, remain in south Alberta and not leave Canada.
“Ok I’m FREE , we’ll sort of, None of this makes sense , I’m now detained in Calgary , prevented from leaving the city , these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada & meeting with guests for podcasts . I’m not even allowed to leave to travel home,” he said in a tweet.
Ok I’m FREE , we’ll sort of, None of this makes sense , I’m now detained in Calgary , prevented from leaving the city , these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada & meeting with guests for podcasts . I’m not even allowed to leave to travel home https://t.co/tNr2ovHOP2
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 25, 2024
It must be mentioned that Tommy Robinson had been a vocal critic of the Justin Trudeau government in Canada. The British activist had dubbed the Liberal Party leader as ‘commie’ who is triggered by democracy.
On 10th June, he tweeted, “The far left are running riot in France tonight because the people chose right, and now Trudeau just dropped a video about his “concerns” that the people of Europe chose right. All these people aren’t even pretending not to be commies anymore. They’re triggered by democracy.”
The far left are running riot in France tonight because the people chose right, and now Trudeau just dropped a video about his "concerns" that the people of Europe chose right.
All these people aren't even pretending not to be commies anymore.
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 10, 2024
Tommy Robinson was previously arrested in August 2018 for supposed ‘contempt of court.’ OpInida’s Editor-in-Chief Nupur Sharma interviewed him in September 2022 regarding the anti-Hindu Leicester unrest and the menace of Islamism in the United Kingdom.
