A tense situation has been prevailing, for some time, in the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh following the suspicious death of a person named Aurangzeb, alias Mohammad Farid, on Tuesday (18th June 2024). Based on a complaint filed by Aurangzeb’s brother after his death, the police registered an FIR against 10 suspects. Six of the accused have been sent to jail. While the complainant described his brother Aurangzeb as a cook, the family of the accused said he was a thief.
The wife of an accused who was sent to jail has submitted a written complaint to the police against Aurangzeb. In the complaint, she made serious allegations against Aurangzeb and his three accomplices, including barging into their house, stealing, molesting the women of the house, and taking the family members hostage. While speaking with OpIndia, the victim reiterated her allegations. The complaint letter is addressed to the SHO of Gandhi Park police station in Aligarh.
In her written complaint, the woman stated that around 10 PM on Tuesday (18th June), her husband noticed a noise coming from the roof. At the same time, 4-5 armed men barged into their house through the stairs. The armed intruders took the victim and her family hostage in a room, threatening to shoot and kill everyone if they called for help. When the intruders demanded cash and jewelry, the terrified victim took them out of the safe and handed them over.
It is said that the robbers looted Rs 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 from their house. They handed this money to some of their accomplices who were on the roof. One of these accomplices is identified as Jameel, also known as Alfa Tailor. After giving the looted money and jewelry to Jameel, two suspects re-entered the victim’s house. They then grabbed the victim and another woman in the house with malicious intentions. Both the accused tore the clothes of the victims and attempted to rape them.
According to the victim, when they cried for help, people from the locality and surrounding areas gathered. Seeing themselves surrounded, all the suspects started to flee. One of them even fired at the neighbours, creating a chaotic situation. During this commotion, one of the fleeing robbers fell on the stairs and got injured, while his accomplices managed to escape. The injured person turned out to be Aurangzeb, alias Mohammad Farid. The neighbours caught hold of him and started questioning him.
According to the victim, when the neighbours questioned him, the accused Aurangzeb revealed the names of his accomplices as Salman, Tufail, Asif, and Jameel alias Alfa Tailor. Aurangzeb further said that he and his gang conduct reconnaissance in Hindu-populated areas to identify wealthy families. They had done a recce of the victim’s house for four days. When the police were informed about the matter, they reached the spot and took Aurangzeb with them.
The victim has demanded strict action against Farid alias Aurangzeb and his accomplices. Along with the victim, members of several Hindu organisations in Aligarh have also demanded that an FIR be registered and action be taken against the named accused. A copy of the victim’s complaint is available with OpIndia. In this regard, the OpIndia team has also spoken to the victim to understand the reality of the incident.
The victim told OpIndia that the robbers had also taken her 8-year-old child hostage. Fearing for her child’s life, they handed over all their savings to the thieves. During the conversation, the victim reiterated the allegations made in her written complaint. Speaking to the media, Aligarh’s SP City Mrigank Shekhar stated that a case has not yet been registered based on the complaint provided by the accused’s wife.
Pune district court on Friday granted bail Vishal Agarwal the father of the teenager accused in the Pune Porsche car crash case. Agarwal was granted bail in the primary case where he was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
The advocate of the Agarwal, Prashant Patil said that his client will continue to cooperate with the probe. “My client Vishal Agarwal has been granted bail by the Honourable Sessions Court at Pune.
It is his duty to abide by the conditions imposed by the Court and shall continue to cooperate with the investigation agency,” Patil said.
The father of the accused teenager is in police custody in connection with manipulation of blood samples, while the grandfather is in judicial custody following his arrest for allegedly abducting the family driver to force him to take responsibility for the crime on behalf of his minor grandson.
Two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike died on the night of May 19 after a Porsche car allegedly driven by the minor accused ploughed into them.
The teenager has been detained at an observation home on the order of the Juvenile Justice Board. He was earlier granted bail in the case but was later sent to the observation home for 14 days till June 5.
On June 15, a paternal aunt of the minor accused in the car crash case moved the Bombay High Court, claiming that the teenager’s detention was “illegal” and sought his immediate release.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said that the appointment of BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, has been done as per the “rules”, adding that Congress should not politicise the issue.
Congress reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.
The pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to newly elected members and oversees the proceedings of the House until the permanent Speaker is elected.
“We all want the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha to run peacefully. This is also the wish of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is a special session. There is no business transaction in this special session,” Rijiju said.
“But what I have been seeing since yesterday, especially the issue that the Congress party has created regarding the pro-tem Speaker and the Congress party is doing so many wrong things that it is trying to mislead people. First of all, the Congress party said that we have violated the rules while appointing the pro-tem Speaker. I want to tell you clearly that whatever steps have been taken to appoint the pro-tem Speaker have been done according to the rules…Congress should not do politics,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.
Earlier on Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that President Droupadi Murmu appointed BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
“President is pleased to appoint Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member, Lok Sabha, as Speaker Protem under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of Speaker till election of the Speaker,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X on Thursday.
President Murmu also appointed Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist the Speaker Protem in oath taking of the newly-elected members.
“President is also pleased to appoint Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Members of Lok Sabha under Article 99 of the Constitution to assist Speaker Protem in Oath/Affirmation to newly elected Members of 18th Lok Sabha till election of the Speaker,” he added.
After the announcement, the Congress objected to the government’s decision, saying that the longest-serving MP is made pro tem Speaker but as per convention party MP Kodikunnil Suresh should have been given the role as he is entering his eighth term as parliamentarian.
“By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when oath is administered to all newly elected MPs. The seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their eighth term. The latter is now a Union Minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for six terms and is now a BJP MP,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Congress leader KC Venugopal said the government should explain why it overlooked K Suresh.
“In yet another attempt at destroying parliamentary norms, Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab (a 7-term MP) has been appointed the Pro-Tem Speaker, superseding Sh. @kodikunnilMP, who will be entering his 8th term. It is an unquestioned norm that the senior most MP presides over the proceedings of the House before the Speaker is duly elected. It is a matter of immense pride for our party that K Suresh, a leader from the marginalised section of society, has achieved this feat of being 8-term MP,” he said.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Protem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress and said that the decision was a mistake on the part of the government.
“First mistake as Parliamentary Affairs Minister: seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab chosen as Protem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress. What are the minister’s intentions?” he asked in a post on X.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari targeted the BJP, arguing that it amounts to insulting the entire House and democracy.
Pointing to the fact that the appointment disregards the traditional practice of selecting the senior most for the position, he stated that disregarding K Suresh, an eight-time MP, in favour of a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab, for the 18th Lok Sabha pro-tem Speaker post is an insult to the entire House and the democratic process.
“What is the reason that a person who has been an MP for 8 times was not made the pro-tem Speaker and a person who has been an MP for 7 times was made the pro-tem Speaker? I believe that somewhere in this, an attempt has been made to bring dictatorship and in the name of democracy. This is an insult to the entire House, democracy,” Tiwari told ANI.
As per Article 94 of the Constitution, the office of the Speaker becomes vacant immediately before the first meeting of the new Lok Sabha. In that case, the duties of the Speaker are to be performed by a Member of the House appointed for this purpose by the President as Speaker pro tem.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will start on June 24. The Rajya Sabha session will begin on June 27.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Nilanjan Das was trending on X, formerly Twitter, after his past tweets mocking Hinduism, questioning the existence of Lord Ram, and general Hinduphobia surfaced online.
In one of the posts that has gone viral, Das, a member of TMC’s IT & Social Media Wing as per his X bio, derisively refers to Ramayana, the Hindu epic, as a cartoon—something that would have attracted ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threats for similar disdainful remarks on ‘he who cannot be named’.
In yet another tweet, he echoes what Congress said in 2007 when it questioned the existence of Lord Ram. “What God? A mythological character in Ramayana epic,” Das replied in one of his tweets.
Source: X
When he is not mocking Ramayana and questioning the existence of Lord Ram, Das busies himself hurling Gaumutra jibes, the language that Islamic terrorists use to dehumanise Hindus and justify using violence against them. Ahmad Adil Dhar, the Pulwama terrorist who rammed his explosives-laden car into a CRPF convoy in February 2019, resulting in the martyrdom of 40 soldiers, justified the attack in a pre-recorded video wherein he referred to Hindus as cow-piss drinkers.
Source: X
Nevertheless, the casual Hinduphobia by Das once again proves assertions made by PM Modi against the TMC government during the Lok Sabha elections. In a rally in Barrackpur, Modi slammed the Trinamool Congress and accused the state government of turning Hindus into “second-class citizens” in the state during the TMC regime.
“TMC has made bomb making a cottage industry in Bengal. Today, it has become difficult for a common man to follow his faith in Bengal. TMC threatens people when they chant the name of Shri Ram. Jai Shri Ram! TMC does not allow people to celebrate Ram Navami. Congress, too, stands against the Ram Mandir,” Modi said in the rally.
Earlier, TMC MLA Humayun Kabir made controversial comments during an election rally in Murshidabad and said that Hindus would be drowned in the Bhagirathi River within two hours or else he would leave politics.
Hinduphobia flows from the top and is pervasive across the state
But party functionaries like Das draw their inspiration to ridicule Hinduism and Hindu God from the party supremo, who has often displayed shocking apathy towards Hindus and their concerns, usually in an attempt to shore up her minority vote bank.
Ahead of Ram Navami this year, Mamata Banerjee insinuated that Hindus who participate in the Ram Navami processions are rioters. She issued a warning to minorities by saying: “I want to caution my minority brothers and sisters that if you hear any provocative slogan on April 17, (just remember) it is the day when they try to trigger riots.”
Her predisposition against Hinduism is not a recent phenomenon. In the year 2022, Mamata Banerjee called Hindus cowards for chanting the slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ while she also favoured Islam saying that Hindus were ‘kafirs’ and hence cowards. “Let them do what they want. We are not scared. We are not cowards. We are not ‘Kafir’ [possibly]. We fight. We know how to fight. We will fight against them. We will finish them,” Banerjee was quoted as saying on the occasion of Eid that year.
Recently, a heart-rending video of a woman from Bengal’s Sandeshkhali spelt out the challenges Hindus confront in the state. In the video, a Hindu woman was heard saying in Bengali, “My husband was a polling agent of the BJP. They had also filed a case (fabricated) against my husband.”
“He has been missing since yesterday. The men in the village are not at their homes. They have been hunted down by TMC goons and beaten mercilessly,” she further added.
“My husband was BJP’s polling agent. He is missing. “They beat up our men so badly they will be crippled for life. “We are cut off from bare necessities, our children are starving. “TMC moles in our village are ratting out BJP workers to the goons. “We plead Mamata Banerjee to… pic.twitter.com/oWzSeq2eSr
Mamata Banerjee’s intolerance towards Hindus and the chant of Jai Shri Ram is a longstanding issue. In May 2019, soon after the BJP had secured a massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections with 18 seats in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal police arrested 10 people from Barrackpore for chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ in North 24 Parganas at Mamata Banerjee’s convoy.
Accusing the BJP of pitting non-Bengalis against Bengalis, Mamata had asked the police to immediately take down the names of those chanting the slogans so that stern action could be initiated against them. This was not only an aggressive use of power, but it also highlights cowardice because in this case someone as powerful as a chief minister of a state is seen getting disturbed by a simple nonviolent protest by innocent Hindus just chanting Jai Shri Ram.
Even before that, while in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee had stepped down from her vehicle to yell at those who were registering their protest by chanting Jai Shri Ram.
In January 2021, she was seen walking out of the stage refusing to address the public gathered at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial for Netaji birth anniversary celebrations, because the crowd was chanting Jai Shri Ram.
The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed criminal proceedings against the controversial ‘Eradicate Sanatan Conference’ held in Chennai in September 2023. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin had made controversial comments against Hinduism at this event, saying that Sanatan cannot be simply opposed, but it has to be eradicated.
The “Eradicate Sanatan Conference” was organised by Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association at Kamarajar Arangam, Teynampet in Chennai on 2nd September. Hearing a plea filed by the organisers of the event to quash the criminal case filed against it last year, Justice Krishna S Dixit stayed all criminal proceedings against the organisers until the next hearing.
The judge however expressed concern over comments made in the conference, saying that it is important to respect all religions. “See the statement. See the way the allegations were made. Whether we agree with certain tenets, religion, scriptures is one thing, but denigrating them is another thing,” Justice Dixit said.
The judge said that people should be careful about what they say and avoid making such derogatory comments, especially if they are public figures.
Udhayanidhi Stalin had said that just like Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona etc, Sanatan Dharma also need to be abolished, not just opposed. He is facing several cases over hate speech in various courts in the country. A petition to club all the FIRs against him are currently pending before the Supreme Court.
A separate criminal case was filed against the organisers of the event in Karnataka. After that, the organisers approached the Karnataka High Court seeking orders to quash the case. The case is currently being heard by a trial court in Bengaluru.
The organisers argue that they can’t be held responsible for comments made by a speaker at its event. They are also questioning the jurisdiction of the Karnataka court to hear the case over the event in Chennai. The Karnataka High Court judge said that the question of territorial jurisdiction may have to be examined.
Defending the call to eradicate Hinduism at the event, Ravivarma Kumar representing the organisers said that Hinduism is known for its tolerance, and it accepts not only theism but also atheism. But the judge asked why Hinduism was denigrated at the event. To this, advocate Kumar said that the organisers didn’t make the comments, those were said by Stalin.
“Tolerance practiced among Hindus is of the highest order. My senior used to repeatedly mention this, tolerance is inbuilt in us,” Kumar further argued invoking tolerance in Hinduism.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was stumped when a journalist questioned her about the government’s change of heart about the murdered Khalistani of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The recent “tribute” or silence observed by the Canadian Parliament to mark his one-year death anniversary was brought up by the journalist during a press conference. The journalist highlighted that during the Khalistani separatist’s lifetime, the Canadian government regarded him as a threat, but paid him tribute after his death.
“I have a question regarding Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This week, the Canadian Parliament paid tribute to him but before his assassination, he was on the ‘no-fly list’ and the same government put him there. His bank accounts were frozen. What’s behind all of this sudden change,” the journalist asked.
Chrystia Freeland @cafreeland is stumped with this question asking why Hardeep Singh Nijjar who, before his death was on the no-fly list and his bank accounts were frozen, now after his death he is being given tribute in the parliament….what exactly changed?
Chrystia Freeland who is also the Finance Minister was caught off guard by the question. She first thanked him and called it an “important question” after which she tried to scrabble together an appropriate response. She said, “I do want to start by saying that this week was a very sad and solemn anniversary of the murder. I was in the House of Commons and I guess all three of us were (referring to the two men sitting beside her). It was important to have a moment of silence to recognise this was the murder of a Canadian in Canada on Canadian soil and that is entirely unacceptable. Second of all, I do want to say I was very proud of the prime minister and of the strong position he took after the murder.”
She further alleged, “It was the right thing to do but it wasn’t an easy thing to do and the prime minister made absolutely correctly very clear that for the government of Canada, for our government all Canadians are the same, all Canadians have the same rights and murder on Candian soil is just not allowed. The government of Canada will enforce our laws and protect all Canadians regardless of who is threatening them and what the consequences might be. Doing that was a big thing for the prime minister and I think all of us should face safer and more secure knowing that he will stand for Canadians and against the killers of Canadians no matter what.”
Chrystia Freeland thanked MP Randeep Singh Sarai and MP Sukhminder Singh Dhaliwal “specifically” who raised the issue directly with her and the prime minister and reiterated, “We also had intelligence information but they were very very strong in ensuring that we understood what was happening in the community and threats that people were facing.”
However, Chrystia Freeland completely avoided the question of why the sudden support for Nijjar after his death when the same govt had put restrictions on him when he was alive. The minister didn’t comment anything on why Nijjar was on a no-fly list, why his bank accounts were frozen, and why such a person was paid tribute in the parliament.
The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on 18th June 2023, in Surrey Canada, continues to strain the relationship between India and Canada. Ottawa has relentlessly accused India of the murder on the basis of “credible allegations,” however, in the absence of any evidence. On the other hand, New Delhi has repeatedly slammed Justin Trudeau’s administration for pandering to the separatist elements for political gains. Notably, four Indian nationals Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh who were linked to Lawrence Bishnoi gang were arrested in May 2024 for killing him.
On the 20th of June, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh lamented that seven-time MP and BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed as the protem speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha instead of 8 term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh.
Taking to X, Jairam Ramesh attacked the Modi government alleging deviation from the tradition of appointing senior-most MP regardless of party line as the protem speaker.
“By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when oath is administered to all newly elected MPs. The seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their 8th term. The latter is now a Union Minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a 7-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for 6 terms and is now a BJP MP,” Ramesh posted.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader KC Venugopal deemed the appointment of Bhartruhari Mahtab as protem speaker as an attempt at “destroying parliamentary norms.” Venugopal also invoked merit and seniority to attack the ruling dispensation for breaking the ‘unquestioned norm’.
“In yet another attempt at destroying parliamentary norms, Mr. Bhartruhari Mahtab (a 7-term MP) has been appointed the Pro-Tem Speaker, superseding Sh. @kodikunnilMP, who will be entering his 8th term. It is an unquestioned norm that the senior most MP presides over the proceedings of the House before the Speaker is duly elected. It is a matter of immense pride for our party that K Suresh, a leader from the marginalised section of society, has achieved this feat of being an 8-term MP. The government should explain why it chose to overlook K Suresh, what was the factor that disqualified him from this post? Are there deeper issues influencing this decision, perhaps beyond just merit and seniority?” the Alappuzha MP posted on Thursday.
What does the law say about the appointment of a Protem speaker?
The protem speaker of the Lok Sabha is a temporary position appointed to preside over the first meeting of the newly elected Lok Sabha. The official ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ mentions the appointment and functions of a protem speaker.
The president appointed Mahtab as the protem speaker under Article 95(1) of the constitution. This article states that when the post of speaker is vacant, the duties will be performed by the Deputy Speaker. And if the officer of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, the president can appoint a member of the house as the speaker. Thereby, as there are no speaker and deputy speaker of the newly elected Lok Sabha, the president named Bhartruhari Mahtab as the protem speaker. The job of the protem speaker is to administer the oath of the newly elected members, after which the members will elect a permanent speaker.
Also, there are other Constitutional provisions that indirectly touch upon the role of the protem speaker. These include Article 94: Concerning the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Article 95: Detailing the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and Article 93: Mandates the Lok Sabha to choose two members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Moreover, Article 99 states “Every Member of the House shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule of the Constitution.”
The primary duty of the protem speaker is to administer the oath of office to new members of Parliament and to oversee the election of the regular Speaker of the Lok Sabha. After the new Lok Sabha MPs are elected, a list comprising the names of the senior-most members of the Lok Sabha is prepared. The seniority is decided by total tenure as a member of the Lok Sabha. The President then appoints one of the MPs from the list who acts as the Speaker pro-tem, on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Some other members are also named under Article 99 to help the protem speaker in conducting the oath. This time, Lok Sabha members Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay have been appointed for this role. Notably, while the handbook talks about 3 associates, this time 5 members have been named to assist the protem speaker.
“After the approval of the Prime Minister, the consent of these Members is obtained by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, generally over the telephone. Thereafter, the Minister submits a note to the President (Annex II-C) seeking his approval to the appointment of the Speaker pro tem and the other three Members and also seeking the convenience of the President to the date and time of the swearing-in ceremony, the Handbook states.
The protem speaker is appointed by the President of India. The appointment of a protem speaker is usually made based on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet and is sworn in by the President before assuming the duties.
“The President administers the oath to the Speaker pro tem in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The other three Members appointed by the President to assist him in administering the oath/ affirmation are administered the oath/affirmation by the Speaker pro tem in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker pro tem then administers the oath/affirmation to the newly elected Members with the help of the three persons so appointed by the President…” the Parliament handbook reads.
While traditionally, the seniormost and non-controversial member of the Lok Sabha is appointed as the protem speaker, this practice is based on convention rather than any statutory requirement. The simple idea is that a senior member would have the requisite experience and respect of the house to carry out the duties effectively.
Is the ‘norm’ of appointing senior-most MP as protem speaker broken for the first time?
Interestingly, while the Congress party is upset over Kodikunnil Suresh not being appointed as the protem speaker, the so-called tradition of appointing the most senior member as the protem speaker was not followed in certain instances. For instance, in 1956, when Jawaharlal Nehru secured an easy second term, Sardar Hukam Singh was appointed to the post instead of the senior-most member. Similarly, in 1977, after the national emergency ended, D N Tiwari was appointed as the protem Speaker despite not being the most senior member of the House.
In the recent case of 2019, Virendra Kumar, a seven-term member of the Lok Sabha, was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker. It is worth mentioning that Maneka Gandhi, an eight-term member, held seniority in the previous Lok Sabha. Therefore, it is evident that the appointment of a protem speaker based on factors other than seniority is not unprecedented.
What the Supreme Court said on the appointment of protem speaker
Back in 2018, the Congress and its then ally JD(S) had moved the Supreme Court challenging the appointment of BJP MLA KG Bopaiah as the Protem Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly for the floor test since he was not the seniormost MLA. Justice S A Bobde, however, reminded the Congress party’s counsel Kapil Sibal of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil’s appointment as the protem speaker in 2004 when Congress-led UPA came to power even though Sis Ram Ola was the senior-most MLA at that time.
Another such incident discussed in the court at that time, was when Pradeep Balmuchu was appointed the protem speaker of the Jharkhand assembly in 2005 even though Inderjeet Namdhari was the seniormost MLA.
Sibal although admitted that there is no rule that the seniormost leader has to be appointed the protem speaker, he asked the court to stop the BJP MLA appointed to post from taking up the floor test.
The triviality of Congress’s resentment
While seniority has often been a key factor, there have been instances where other considerations influenced the appointment. For instance, political dynamics, the need for neutrality, and the government’s preference have played roles in deciding the Protem Speaker. This flexibility allows for a pragmatic approach in selecting a suitable candidate who can efficiently handle the responsibilities, even if they are not the seniormost MP. It must be noted here that Bharturhari Mahtab is the first ever Lok Sabha protem speaker hailing from Odisha.
Given the temporary and procedural nature of the Protem Speaker’s role, the uproar seems disproportionate. Congress focus should be on the seamless functioning of parliamentary processes rather than on who holds this temporary position and also take look at its own past conduct. Moreover, since the appointment is at the President’s discretion, based on the advice of the Union Cabinet, political considerations inevitably come into play, which is a common aspect of parliamentary democracies. Congress being the grand old party should understand it better and find some real issues to criticise the government.
Social media websites were recently awash with claims that cracks have emerged on the newly constructed Atal Setu bridge, popularly known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), rendering it dangerous to travel for commuters.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole inspected the site to examine the cracks and expressed significant concerns regarding commuter safety.
“I am here to demonstrate that our claims are not mere accusations. The government presents itself as working for the people, but evident corruption contradicts this. They are enriching themselves at the expense of public safety. Who granted them the right to endanger people’s lives? It’s time for the public to consider how to remove this corrupt government,” Patole stated.
Shortly after Patole’s visit, social media platform X was abuzz with claims that cracks had developed on the newly constructed Atal Setu, with Congress supporting troll accounts accusing the BJP government in the state and the centre of corruption.
Ashish Singh, an X user with over 28,000 followers who often promotes Congress talking points and routinely lionises Rahul Gandhi, shared a video of Patole’s visit and tweeted, “See the cracks on the bridge.”
Source: X
Another Congress troll account shared a picture of actor Rashmika Mandanna, who had featured in a video promoting the Atal Setu bridge, with a picture of cracks on a road and claimed that people are facing trouble due to them. The post was flagged by X’s community notes.
Source: X
Ankit Mayank, another Congress IT troll, shared the video of Congress leader Nana Patole inspecting a road and tweeted, “This is the current state of the bridge, with cracks all over it. This is the scale of corruption by BJP Govt.” Mayank also levelled grave allegations against PM Modi and Shah, insinuating that “two Gujjus” are looting Maharashtrians in plain sight.
Source: X
Some news organisations also shared videos of cracks on a road stating that just first rainfalls in the city had caused cracks on the Atal Setu bridge which was built at a staggering cost of Rs 17,500 crores and inaugurated by PM Modi this January.
India Today and Times Now also published articles saying that cracks had developed on the recently inaugurated Atal Setu bridge in Mumbai.
Source: India TodaySource: Times Now
As rumours of cracks being developed on the Atal Setu bridge started doing the rounds on the internet, Kailash Ganatra, the project head of Atal Setu Package 4 from Strabag Company, dismissed them as baseless.
Govt official rubbishes claims of cracks on Atal Setu bridges, says pictures of cracks circulated on SM are from temporary service road
In conversation with IANS, Ganatra clarified that there were no cracks on the Atal Setu bridge and pictures being reported are of the approach road connecting MTHL to Mumbai from Ulwe. He explained that the service road was constructed as a last-minute temporary connection because there was no coastal road. Ganatra also addressed the issue of cracks on the road, stating that they were minor and caused by the rain, and assured they would be filled by tomorrow evening.
“We want to make it clear that the cracks are not on the bridge itself, but on the approach road connecting MTHL to Mumbai from Ulwe. During an inspection conducted by the operations and maintenance team on June 20, 2024, small cracks were found at three spots on the road surface near the edges of Ramp 5 (the ramp heading towards Mumbai).”
Mumbai: "This is a service road, a temporary connecting line, and part of the main bridge. It was constructed at the last moment due to the coastal road not being built. These are minor cracks, and construction work has already started," says Kailash Gantara, Project Head of Atal… pic.twitter.com/V7Fhfzlvsn
Further adding that the cracks are completely normal and don’t denote any structural issues with the road, Ganatra said, “These cracks are small and located at the edges of the road. It is important to note that these cracks are not due to any structural defect. They are minor cracks in the asphalt pavement and can be repaired. The contractor for Package 4, Messrs. Strabag, has already started the repair work. The repairs will be completed within 24 hours.”
The highly anticipated Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Bridge, connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12. Cars will have to pay a toll of ₹250 on MTHL, while buses and trucks (2-axle) will have to pay ₹830. Additionally, return trips, day passes, and monthly passes will be available for frequent travellers.
The fake news peddled by Congress troll accounts and supporters, however, is in sync with the party strategy as witnessed during the Lok Sabha elections 2024, when malicious fake news and disinformation like the doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah claiming they will end reservations, were in circulation on the internet and had reportedly caused grave damage to the BJP. The recent attempt to stoke unfounded fear among people by claiming cracks are developing on the Atal Setu bridge and rally them against the BJP government months ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls seems right out of Congress’ LS election playbook.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is being used by extremist groups to spread hate and propaganda against Indians, especially the Hindu community.
On Thursday (20th June), the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) published a 223-page report about the exploitation of AI by neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-government extremists for their hateful agenda.
On Page 12 of the report, the American think-tank pointed out how voices and audio clips of prominent personalities were being manipulated/cloned/emulated to disseminate racist narratives. A case in point was the targeting of Indians as ‘subhuman.’
Screengrab of the front page of the MEMRI report
MEMRI pointed out that on 2nd April this year, a neo-Nazi identified as Christopher “Hammer” Pohlhaus forwarded a racist video from an extremist group called ‘AZOV Ukraine Supporters’. The video used an AI-generated voiceover of historian David Attenborough to make dehumanising remarks about Indians.
OpIndia has found that the said video has since been widely shared by Islamists to spread vitriol against the Hindu community. The transcript of the video reads as –
“India (is) a country shrouded in mystery. It is a cursed land and quite possibly the most disgusting country on earth today. Some may even say it is the worst country to ever exist. In this godforsaken land, the native Indian Hindu, more colloquially known as the Pajeet, breeds out of control like a plague of rats. Often defecating in the open with no regard for its native habitat, the Pajeet spreads across the face of the earth like a cancerous tumour, consuming all in its path while the world watches on in disgust and horror.
Screengrab of an Islamist handle posting the derogatory video
With almost 1.4 billion Pajeets and rising, our mother earth buckles under the terrible strain as these creatures rapidly multiply in their own filth with seemingly no end in sight. Although they are incredibly disgusting and unhygienic creatures, somehow the Pajeet manages to procreate and thrive in its horrible surroundings. Often mutated due to its toxic environment, the Pajeet wallows in superstition. Its life is one of never-ending death, never-ending defecation, and even more, never-ending degeneracy.To gaze at India is like looking into the very mouth of hell itself.”
As evident from the transcript, the video is not just targeted at Indians but also the Hindu community. The AI-generated video degrades practitioners of Hinduism as ‘rats’, ‘cancerous tumour’, ‘open defecators’, and ‘disgusting and unhygienic creatures.’
A dehumanising term called ‘Pajeet’ (popularised by radical Muslims) is also used to depict Hindus as ‘unworthy of being called human beings’.
Screengrab of handle re-posting the derogatory AI-generated documentary targeting Indians, especially Hindus
On further investigation, OpIndia found that the same extremists had created a 1 hour 22-minute long AI-generated documentary using the voiceover of David Attenborough.
Fantasy of post-colonial invasion in India
On Page 47 of its report, MEMRI highlighted that a neo-Nazi magazine named ‘Sunflower Society’ urged white men in March 2023 to wreak havoc on India through Artificial Intelligence and create a new world order based on expansion and conquest.
Interestingly, an article to this effect was published with the title ‘AI: Route to India.’ It read, “For young white men, freedom has often been available only via conquest and expansion, discovery on the bleeding edge of innovation…Enter Artificial Intelligence. The Luddite impulse at first glance is somewhat understandable.”
“AI is going to wreak havoc and is definitely going to liquidate a massive amount of the job market, particularly fields that up to now have been considered safe, and prestigious. For us, young, intelligent, dispossessed white men it has the potential to be nothing short of salvific,” it further added.
Screengrab of the neo-Nazi ‘Sunflower Society’ magazine, images via MEMRI
In the hopes of a modern-day, post-colonial conquest, the neo-nazi magazine announced, “AI is a new frontier, a new path to India is opening before our eyes. We need only take hold of it.”
Fearmongering about demographic change in UK
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) exposed how white supremacists had been scaremongering about demographic change in the United Kingdom and using Indians as bait to allege the growing presence of immigrants in the country.
On Page 183 of the report, the American think tank highlighted the case of an Australia-based white supremacist named Blair Cottrell who shared an AI-generated image of a British soldier being jeered on by brown people waving the Indian flag.
Cottrell posted the image on Telegram on 3rd November 2023 with a quote from a controversial Conservative UK leader named Enoch Powell.
Screengrab of the Telegram Post of Blair Cottrell via MEMRI
“Have you ever wondered why opinions which the majority of people hold are, if anyone dares express them publicly, denounced as ‘controversial, ‘extremist’, ‘disgraceful’, and overwhelmed with a violence and venom quite unknown to sensible debate? It is because the whole power of the aggressor depends upon preventing people from seeing what is happening and from saying what they do see,” he had written in his Telegram post to pass off his racist views as belonging to someone of contrarian disposition.
Opindia participates in MEMRI media roundtable
On Tuesday (18th June), OpIndia’s Assistant Editor attended the media roundtable, hosted by the Middle East Media Research Institute to discuss its report on AI’s misuse by extremist groups.
Following a brief presentation by MEMRI’s Director Dr Simon Purdue, OpIndia sought answers to 2 important questions:
Are AI-generated images targeted more towards one community (Jews) as compared to others? You have cited one example of Hindus being dehumanised for instance.
Can legal action (besides content removal by respective social media platforms) be taken against those creating and disseminating harmful and offensive AI images/videos?
OpIndia received satisfactory answers to these questions as well as a copy of the research report prepared by MEMRI.
On Tuesday (18th June), one Aurangzeb, also known as Mohammad Farid, died in strange circumstances in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district after which several Hindu traders and businessmen have been accused of his murder. The deceased’s family members have filed a case against the ten identified as the accused, alleging murder. So far, six accused have been arrested. At the same time, the Hindu accused’s family members have stated that Aurangzeb was a thief who invaded their homes intending to steal.
The Udyog Yuva Vyapar Mandal in the Mamu-Bhanja area of Aligarh has formed a support group for the accused Hindus. On 20th June, several businessmen submitted a memorandum to the local BJP MP, claiming themselves to be victims of the thieves. In the given case, they have alleged that the Hindu members are unnecessarily being targeted under the wrong sections for raising their voices against Halal products.
The Gandhi Park police station covers the Mamu-Bhanja area in Aligarh. The area includes Radio Market, which is home to hundreds of traders. The majority of the traders here are Hindus. Approximately half a dozen of the accused in the murder of Farid alias Aurangzeb are local businesspeople who operate in a variety of industries here.
Satish Gautam, the BJP MP from Aligarh, visited this market on Thursday, June 20. Dozens of businessmen gathered here and presented him with a memorandum. The memorandum states that in the incident in which action was to be taken under Section 304 (culpable homicide that does not amount to murder) of the IPC, Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been imposed due to pressure from Muslims.
Sections of culpable homicide imposed
Many businessmen, including Rajesh Garg, Rahul Garg, Sunil Rajni, Pankaj Aggarwal, and Kishan Arora, claim that they had no prior enmity with the deceased Aurangzeb. The businessmen accused in this case have no criminal background. As a result, this incident was not intentional.
It is reported that Aurangzeb was caught while stealing. Following this, people got angry and beat him up. The accused say that Aurangzeb was turned over to the police alive. If Aurangzeb dies later, a case should be made for culpable homicide, which is not murder and does not fall under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
Targeted after supporting action on Halal products
In the memorandum handed to the BJP MP, the traders stated that they are the target of conspirators both domestically and internationally. According to Vyapar Yuva Mandal, the major reason for the conspiracy against them is a boycott of Halal items. According to dealers, the market fully supported the Uttar Pradesh government’s action against Halal items in February 2024.
All market traders were prohibited from purchasing or selling halal goods. Traders claim that the boycott is being used to express anger by labeling them murderers and imposing other charges. They also say that tweets from outside and the actions of some local suspects back up his assertions.
The traders have also expressed apprehension in their memorandum that in the coming future, the traders of the Mamu-Bhanja area may be made victims of some conspiracy or the other. All of them have collectively demanded protection from the government. He also accused him of spreading propaganda to defame businessmen.
It is all propaganda so that thieves and dacoits can easily rob us
According to the memorandum handed to the BJP MP by local traders in Aligarh, the goal of disseminating such propaganda is also to ensure that if theft or other problems occur at their location in the future, they will not report out of fear. All of them agreed that numerous robbers had previously been apprehended here, the majority of whom belonged to a specific community (the Muslim population).
Traders claim that such shared angles are being circulated as part of a conspiracy, resulting in massive losses for their businesses. Traders have also alleged that the controversy over the incident is being generated so that traders will continue to tolerate theft and other instances without taking action.
