A case of molestation with a Hindu woman has come to light in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh. The accused, named Ata ur Rehman, has been arrested by the police in the case. The incident took place on Saturday (8th June). The police are investigating the case and taking necessary actions. Two videos related to this incident are also going viral on social media. In the first video, Ata ur Rehman, seen wearing Islamic attire and a netted skull cap, can be seen walking towards the woman. In the second video, the accused is seen limping and taking support from the shoulders of the police personnel.
अमरोहा में दूध लेने जा रही महिला का रास्ता रोककर अभद्रता करने वाला मो. अताउररहमान गिरफ्तार।
महिला अपराध में जीरो टॉलरेंस की नीति अपनाते हुए यूपी पुलिस अपराधी को पैरों पर चलने लायक नहीं छोड़ रही। pic.twitter.com/kZr6Ksk3q5
— Prashant Umrao (Modi Ka Parivar) (@ippatel) June 9, 2024
The incident took place in the Kotwali Gajraula area of Amroha district. On Saturday (8th June), the victim’s husband filed a complaint with the police. The complainant stated that on Saturday morning around 5:30 AM, his wife was going to buy milk. At that time, an unknown person approached her from behind. He stopped the victim and molested her. When she resisted, the accused threatened to kill her and hurled abuses at her. When the victim raised an alarm, the accused fled the scene while threatening her.
#Amroha : गजरौला में शनिवार की सुबह दूध लेने जा रही महिला से छेड़खानी करने वाले मुस्लिम युवक को पुलिस ने गिरफ्तार कर लिया है
The complainant works in a factory. He has demanded strict action against the unknown accused. The police have registered an FIR against the unknown person under sections 341, 323, 504, and 506 of the IPC. During the investigation, the accused was identified as Ata ur Rehman who is a resident of Gajraula. The police have arrested him. In the first of the two videos going viral on social media, the accused can be seen moving hurriedly towards the woman.
In the second video, Ata ur Rehman is seen limping and relying on support from Police personnel to walk out of the Police station. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint. The police are investigating the case and taking necessary actions.
On Monday (10th June), the Satnami Samaj staged a massive protest in Baloda Bazaar, Chhattisgarh. The protesters demanded a CBI probe into the recent act of vandalism at the Amar Gufa in the Giraudpuri area where miscreants damaged Jaitkham, a revered religious symbol for the community.
As per reports, while the state government had already announced a judicial probe into the vandalism incident that took place last month, protesters in thousands gathered outside the collectorate demanding a CBI probe. However, the protest turned violent and miscreants indulged in stone pelting and arson.
#WATCH | Chhattisgarh: Violence erupted in Balodabazar today after a demonstration over alleged damage to the religious place of Satnami Community. Stone pelting and arson reported during the violence; government offices vandalised, vehicles set on fire. pic.twitter.com/a3yF3mipwO
As per reports, miscreants also vandalised government offices and torched several vehicles. It is being reported that the miscreants damaged about 3 dozen motorcycles and a dozen cars in Baloda Bazaar, Chhattisgarh.
Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh: Protesters vandalize collectorate in anger over Amar Gufa and Jaithkham destruction. About 3 dozen motorcycles, a dozen cars damaged. Police encounter stone-pelting, causing injuries pic.twitter.com/03RtgZ6uIg
Notably, Satnami Samaj has been expressing displeasure with the administration’s action in the vandalism of the Jaitkham case for a long time. On Monday, they reached the collector’s office to stage a massive protest. During this time, thousands of people gathered around the collectorate. However, things went out of control and several miscreants broke the security cordon and stormed inside. Subsequently, clashes erupted between the miscreants and the Police personnel deployed there.
About 3-4 thousand people had gathered outside the office. As per reports, during this time, the mob set fire to the collector’s office and also torched several administrative vehicles parked outside.
The State government announced a Judicial probe into the vandalism of the Jaitkham incident
State Deputy Chief Minister, who also serves as the state Home Minister, Vijay Sharma had already ordered a judicial inquiry into the demolition of Jaitkham given the resentment of the Satnami Samaj. However, the community is demanding a CBI inquiry against those who were involved in the May vandalism incident.
Sharma said, “An attempt was made to harm the revered Jaitkham in the holy Amar Gufa on the intervening night of 15-16 March. As per the instructions of the Chief Minister of the state Vishnudev Sai, a judicial investigation will be conducted into this incident which disturbed the social harmony. An investigation will be conducted.”
He also asserted that incidents that disturb social harmony will not be tolerated anywhere in the state. Strict action will be taken against the culprits who commit such acts.
The vandalism incident that took place in May this year in Giraudpuri, Chhattisgarh
On the night of 15-16 May, some anti-social elements damaged Jaitkham near the holy Amar Gufa of Giraudpuri Dham. Police had arrested three people in the case. The Satnami Samaj alleged that there were many more accused behind the scenes in this case, who should be arrested. Following the demand of the society, the state government had also announced to conduct a judicial inquiry.
(An example of Jaitkham, revered for the Satnami Samaj, Source – X/Progressive CG)
What is Jaitkham
Lakhs of people from the Satnami Samaj live in Chhattisgarh. They have established their religious places in many villages in and around Raipur. Jaitkham is a sacred religious symbol of the Satnami Samaj which they worship daily. Wherever people of the Satnami Samaj reside, they establish a Jaitkham there. In Raipur alone, more than 100 Jaitkhams have been erected by the Satnami Samaj. A white flag is hoisted over each Jaitkham.
On Monday (10th June), the Supreme Court upheld a Karnataka trial court’s order to prosecute Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni for the murder of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Yogesh Gowda. Yogesh was an elected member of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat. He was killed at his gym in June 2016.
Notably, Congress MLA Vinay Rajshekarappa Kulkarni was accused of a 2016 murder conspiracy against the BJP worker. A bench of Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and Augustine Masih rejected the MLA’s Special Leave Petition against the Karnataka High Court Order, which sustained the Special Court’s charges against Kulkarni and twenty other accused persons.
The Supreme Court held that Vinay Kulkarni had ‘bought over’ the deceased victim’s widow. Given that the Court was unlikely to consider the plea, Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, who represented Kulkarni, moved to withdraw it. This, however, enraged Justice Kumar who said, “This court has become a gambling court.”
Justice Kumar observed that the case was not fit for quashing. “This is not a case for quashing, 57 phone calls between you and A1 within the ambit of 5 months,” the Judge said.
The petitioner, represented by Senior Advocate Sidharth Dave, contended that the MLA was only mentioned in the CBI’s second charge sheet, and that the deceased’s widow’s statement did not reveal the petitioner’s name.
“The deposition of the wife is not against me, all that material has to be reconsidered…it is further investigation (the CBI’s second chargesheet) it is not an investigation. If it is not re-investigated, the earlier material cannot be wiped out…..He (trial judge) cannot go only on the basis of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI,” Kulkarni’s counsel said.
Justice Sanjay Kumar intervened to verbally observe, “You also write a letter to the Chief Secretary seeking transfer of the public prosecutor because she was vigorously conducting the trial, uninfluenced by you Minister…”
Expressing his disagreement, Kulkarni’s counsel said, “Even when I was the Minister, the trial took place, but not a whisper by the wife of the deceased.”
While dismissing the SLP, Justice Kumar said, “You obviously bought over the widow…sorry SLP dismissed.”
As Kulkarni’s counsel requested to withdraw the plea, the bench strongly condemned the trend of cases being filed and withdrawn over unfavourable outcomes.
“This has to stop. This trying your luck at the Supreme Court then back out, this court has become a gambling court or what?” the court said.
Yogesh Gowda murder case
Yogesh Gowda, a BJP Zila Panchayat member from the Hebballi constituency, was murdered by an armed gang at his gym in Saptapur, Dharwad, on the 15th of June 2016. Following his murder, Dharwad Police arrested six people and charged them with murder. Gurunath Gowda, Yogesh Gowda’s brother, wanted a CBI probe into the matter, which was finally fulfilled after the BJP-led government took power in the state. The CBI took up the investigation on the 24th of September 2019, arrested eight other accused, and submitted a charge sheet on the 20th of May 2020. Vinay Kulkarni was arrested on November 5, 2020, and has been in judicial custody in Hindalga Jail, Belagavi, after his bail plea was denied twice, first by the lower court and then in April this year by the High Court.
The CBI told the court in November 2020 that Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni had travelled to Delhi before and after Yogesh Gowda’s murder to use it as an alibi. The CBI investigation into the killing revealed that Kulkarni travelled to Delhi on the 12th of June, 2016, around 11.30 a.m. and returned the following day at 10.40 a.m.
The CBI alleged that Kulkarni went to Delhi on the 16th of June evening, one day after the murder, and returned on the 18th of June 2016. “The tickets were booked on the same day of the journey and the purpose of the journey was to create an alibi,” according to the CBI.
Notably, the CBI said that Gowda’s murder was caused due to political rivalry because Congress’s Vinay Kulkarni, had allegedly asked him not to run in the Zila Panchayat elections, however, Yogesh refused to do so.
Notably, Yogesh Gowda’s wife, Mallamma, a BJP candidate for the Hebballi zila panchayat by-election, lost by six votes and later joined the Congress party. After switching parties, she stopped blaming the Congress leaders for conspiring to kill her husband.
The Rajasthan High Court recently held that the act of removing a six-year-old minor girl’s innerwear and the accused undressing himself without proceeding beyond the stage of preparation will not attract the offence of ‘attempt to rape’ punishable under Section 376 read with Section 511 of the IPC. The court, however, ruled that it would attract the offence of ‘outraging the modesty of a woman’ punishable under Section 354 of the IPC.
The single-judge bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand emphasised what constitutes an “attempt”. He highlighted the distinction between an attempt to commit rape and attempt to commit indecent assault. The court stated that for the former, the accused must have gone beyond the stage of preparation.
The Court explained that 3 stages need to be fulfilled for any act to be punishable under the offence of “attempt”. First, the accused must have the intention to commit the offence. Second, the accused performs acts that lead to the commission of that offence. Third, the said act must be reasonably close to the culmination of the crime.
The Court noted that any act that fell short of such an act that crossed the stage of preparation constituted indecent assault which is punishable under Section 354 IPC.
The court stated, “The first stage exists when the culprit first entertains the idea or intention to commit an offence. In the second stage, he makes preparations to commit it. The third stage is reached when the culprit takes deliberate overt steps to commit the offence. Such overt act or step in order to be “criminal” need not be the penultimate act towards the commission of offence. It is sufficient if such act or acts were deliberately done and manifest a clear intention to commit the offence aimed, being reasonably proximate to the consummation of the offence.”
As per the case details, the 6-year-old prosecutrix alleged that the accused undressed both her and himself and fled the scene when she made hue and cry. However, there was no allegation that the accused attempted penetration.
The court modified Sections 376/511 under which the trial court had convicted him and changed it to Section 354. For this, the court relied upon the case of Sittu v State of Rajasthan. In that case, the girl was forcibly made naked and the accused attempted to penetrate her despite her resistance. The court noted that the said acts by the accused were seen as crossing the stage of preparation and amounted to attempting to commit rape.
However, in the case of Damodar Behera v State of Orissa, it was alleged that the accused had removed the victim’s saree but he fled away on seeing some persons. In that case, the act was not seen as reaching the stage of an attempt to commit rape but as fulfilling the conditions of an indecent assault under Section 354 IPC.
Relying on the aforementioned court orders, the Rajasthan High Court held, “Looking to the fact that the allegations have been levelled against the appellant, that he took-off the inner wear of the prosecutrix ‘D’ and also undressed himself, certainly, such act of the appellant does not amount to commission of offence under Section 376/511 IPC… In other words, the accused-appellant cannot be held to be guilty of attempt to commit rape.”
It added, “The prosecution has been able to prove the case of assault or use of illegal force on the prosecutrix ‘D’ (PW-2) with an intention to outrage her modesty or with knowledge that her modesty was likely to be outraged. Thus, it is a clear case of Section 354 I.P.C. as the act of present accused has not proceeded beyond the stage of preparation.”
The court noted that in the present case, the accused was below 25 years of age when he committed the act and he remained in jail for a total period of about 2.5 months.
Listing out reasons, the court restricted the custodial sentence of the accused-appellant to the period already undergone by him adding that would meet the ends of justice. In its order, the court elaborated on the following reasons –
(i) At the time when the offence under Section 354 I.P.C. was committed, the accused was below 25 years of age.
(ii) The incident took place on 9th March 1991 and near about 33 years have passed and this period is sufficient to exhaust anybody mentally, physically, and economically.
(iii) He has been in jail for about 2½ months during investigation, trial, and appeal.
(iv) After such a long time for the offence under Section 354 I.P.C. the accused should now not be sent to jail and this Court does not think it proper to send back the accused-appellant in custody, the court order added.
Consequently, the court partly allowed the appeal filed by the accused-appellant in the following manner –
It altered the Sessions Judge judgement and order dated 3 July 1991 and changed the sections of the offence from Sections 376/511 to Section 354 of the IPC.
(Screengrab from court order)
However, for the offence under Section 354 I.P.C., the accused-appellant is sentenced to the period already undergone by him. The order of sentence dated 03.07.1991 passed by the learned Sessions Judge, Tonk stands modified accordingly, the court concluded.
On Sunday, 9th June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath for the third consecutive term and became the second ever Prime Minister to do so after India’s first PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Alongside him, cabinet ministers and ministers of state also took oaths at the hands of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. PM Modi-led third cabinet has 72 ministers. Interestingly, there is not a single Muslim MP or cabinet minister in NDA in this term that irked Islamists, “intellectuals” and left-liberals alike.
Propagandist posing as a journalist, The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani said in a post on X, “293 MPs, 72 Ministers. Zero Muslims Zero. This is how the largest democracy of the world excludes its Muslims, by design.”.
Source: X
Funny thing is, less than two hours before this post, Arfa “tried” to figure out what could be the reason that forced Muslim Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to attend the oath taking ceremony of PM Modi.
She was not the only one to assert that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government at the centre believes in excluding Muslim representation by design. Several others also accused the Modi government of “deliberate” exclusion. Congress supporter Dhivya Marunthiah posted, “293 MPs 72 Ministers ZERO Muslims Sums up NDA.”
Source: X
Rajdeep Sardesai, who is a Journalist and husband of Trinamool Congress’s journalist-turned-Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose, said in a post on X, “72 member council of ministers has wide representation from every caste, community, state, with 7 former CMs providing the weight and wealth of experience. Just one aspect missing: yet again not a single Muslim in the ministerial list . Not one. Truth is, Indian Muslims have been ‘invisibilised’ in the last decade politically. Surely, between regional allies, a dominant party and lateral entrants from bureaucracy, space could be found for representing 14% of the population.”
Source: X
Quoting Sardesai, journalist Sadanand Dhume said, “This is fair criticism. There are 200 million Muslims in India. That most of them don’t vote for the BJP does not absolve the government of the baseline responsibility to include Muslim representation in the cabinet.”
Source: X
Popular among left-liberals and anti-Modi social media users, X user Gabbar said, “No place for minorities in Modi Model”. He was quoting a graphic by Makhtoob Media, an Islamic propaganda news portal.
Source: X
In a post, Makhtoob Media said, “No Muslim, Christian, & Sikh MPs are among 293 elected MPs of the BJP-led NDA. Despite Muslims constituting over 200 million in India, Sikhs over 23 million, and Christians more than 22 million, the NDA has no representation from these communities among its 293 elected MPs.”
Source: X
Journalist Prabhat Shunglu said, “But that community is the biggest minority spread across different states in India. A population of nearly 20 crore goes unrepresented in Modi 3.0. cabinet. It’s surprising that being a miniscule minority in a state you claim you have been hounded out from you weigh in nasty majoritarian biases sitting in Delhi.” He was quoting journalist Adiya Raj Kaul who had quoted propagandist posing as RJ, Sayema, raising similar questions and informed her that NDA government has minority representation as there are two Sikhs, one Christian and one Buddhist Minister in the Council of Ministers.
Source: X
Author and propagandist Saba Naqvi said, “As they have done with Christian and Sikhs by inducting non elected people into cabinet, it would be good form for Modi regime to induct a Muslim, 14 per cent of India’s population. On TV last night both JD U and TDP spokies told me not to critique as this is not final cabinet. Even cosmetic civilities have some meaning when India engages with the world.”
Source: X
Propagandist and Islamist posing as RJ, Sayema, said, “Mockery of equal representation of all. No Muslim, Christian, Sikh MPs in NDA!” She was also quoting Maktoob Media’s post. Interestingly, she later accepted she committed a mistake as NDA government has ministers from minority community but asserted that it was shameful that a community that makes up 20 crores in population has no representation.
Source: X
X user Shoaib questioned where was Muslim representation in the government.
Source: X
AIMIM national spokesperson sarcastically wrote, “Sab ka sath sab ka vikas sab ka vishwas???” while quoting misleading report by The Print that suggested there were no Muslim, Christian or Sikh MPs in NDA.
Source: X
X user Zafar Saifi said, “Muslims are new “untouchables” in India” as there were no Muslims in Modi Govt 3.0.
Source: X
For those who are unaware, there are two Sikh, one Christian and two Buddhist ministers in the cabinet. These ministers are Hardeep Singh Puri, Ravneet Singh Bittu, George Kurien, Kiren Rijiju, and Ramdas Athavale.
The level to which they lie & peddle fakery Not just MPs but here are Sikh, Christian, Buddhist ( minority ) MPs & Ministers of NDA
Hardeep Puri – Sikh Ravneet Bittu – Sikh George Kurien- Christian Kiren Rijiju & Ramdas Athavale – Buddhist
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) June 10, 2024
For the past decade, PM Modi-led government has been under relentless scrutiny for various reasons, specifically by self-proclaimed left-liberals and Islamists. Despite the efforts by the government of India, these critics have struggled to pinpoint any concrete evidence that there has been systematic injustice or widespread discrimination against Muslims or any other minority community under the Modi government. The narrative of exclusion is now being pushed to set a narrative that Muslims are marginalised despite making up the largest population of the country after Hindus.
It is a fact that the Muslim representation in the cabinet is missing. However, the crux of the argument lies in whether it is by design as claimed by the likes of Arfa Khanum Sherwani or it is a result of the electorate dynamics and political landscape of the country. If we look at the historical data, it is evident that despite getting a large portion of the central government’s benefits, Muslims do not vote for the BJP government.
Take the example of a specific village in Rampur which has a 100% Muslim population. 2,322 voters cast votes at the polling booth and not a single vote went to BJP candidates even though the area got over 500 PM Awas Yojna Houses. Even if the BJP gives tickets to Muslim candidates, the votes go to other parties’ candidates, Muslim or not. The absence of Muslims in prominent cabinet positions is a reflection of the electoral outcomes and cannot be pinned on the ruling party as an orchestrated plan to exclude them.
This is an opener!
People get 532 PM Awas Yojna: Faizabad, Ayodhya, Rampur
— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY ?? (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AdvAshutoshBJP) June 5, 2024
BJP-led NDA government has always believed in “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” and PM Modi has ensured that the Muslim community gets its fair share in the central government schemes. The representation of Muslims in government jobs, especially in civil services has increased after PM Modi took charge. Just because there is no Muslim representation, that does not mean that they do not get benefits.
The BJP has historically had less support from Muslim voters compared to other communities. In a democratic country like India, electoral success determines political power and representation. The lower level of support translates to fewer Muslim MPs from the BJP, which in the current case is zero. Consequently, the pool from which ministers can be chosen includes fewer Muslim candidates as the allied parties of BJP also have a lower number of Muslim candidates and none managed to win elections.
Out of 78 Muslim candidates who contested Lok Sabha Elections, 24 Muslim MPs won Lok Sabha Elections from their respective seats out of which seven are from Congress, four from Samajwadi Party, six from TMC, three from IUML, two from National Conference, one from AIMIM and two independents. None of these are part of the NDA. If they are not part of the alliance that formed the government at the centre, how can there be a cabinet minister from the Muslim community?
Furthermore, it is essential to consider the regional dynamics as well. Take the example of Lakshadweep. NDA candidate Yusuf TP got only 201 votes and some Muslims went online and celebrated it. Lakshadweep is 98% Muslim-dominant UT. In such a place, despite NDA having a Muslim candidate, he managed to get only 201 votes. If Muslims were that concerned about their representation at the centre, they could have voted for the NDA candidate. But that was not the case. Notably, despite the fact that BJP or NDA never won election in Lakshwadweep, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself went to the UT and promoted tourism there.
The left-liberals outcry appears to be an attempt to spotlight a perceived injustice. However, it is essential to look deeply into the narrative to find out if it is a substantive issue or merely a politically motivated narrative. Accusations of systematic exclusion of Muslims have to be backed by concrete evidence of discriminatory policies and practices which was missing from the two terms of PM Modi’s leadership.
The left-liberals threw narratives like CAA was anti-Muslim which was not. For those who are unaware, the CAA or Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 to facilitate persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Jains in neighbouring Islamic countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to get fast-track Indian citizenship. It did not affect Muslims who seek Indian citizenship or Indian Muslims in any way. Above all, CAA only benefits those who entered India before 31st December 2014. Sadly, the false narrative against CAA caused India dearly and we saw the deadly anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of February 2020 as a result of the protests.
While the critics are focusing on religious representation in the cabinet, which is anyway not promised by the Constitution of India, there are more pressing issues that the Muslim community faces such as education, social integration and education. The government of India has always been committed to providing the best facilities to all citizens of India irrespective of their religion. Muslim-centric schemes were announced from time to time by the PM Modi-led government to help the Muslim community live a better life. Interestingly, it was PM Modi who gave the slogan of “Quran in one hand and laptop in other”.
Moving forward
We may say that representation is important in the parliament, but it should not be viewed as in isolation. The true test of the government’s inclusivity lies in its policies and their outcomes for all communities, including Muslims. The Modi government’s track record in various sectors, such as housing, healthcare, and economic empowerment, offers a more comprehensive picture of its approach to governance.
The debate over Muslim representation in the cabinet is emblematic of the broader ideological battles being fought in India’s political arena. As the country continues to evolve, it is crucial to ensure that discussions about inclusivity are grounded in facts and focused on genuine issues of concern, rather than being swayed by politically motivated narratives based on religious representation in the Houses.
On Monday (10th June), a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader identified as Gourinath Chowdary was brutally murdered allegedly by Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) members in Veldurthi Mandal, Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The incident is said to have occurred in Bommirreddipalle village, where Gourinath Chowdary was assaulted first and then brutally killed. As per the ANI sources, forces have been dispatched to preserve law and order in the area.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: TDP leader Gourinath Chowdary was brutally murdered allegedly by YSRCP workers in Veldurthi Mandal, Kurnool district. The incident occurred in Bommirreddipalle village, where Gourinath Chowdary was attacked, resulting in his death. Forces have been… pic.twitter.com/oGHQbfUt30
Kurnool SP paid a visit to the village where the murder happened and assured the locals of the necessary security measures. The police have also established a checkpoint in the area to avoid further unfortunate acts.
As per the initial information, the murder is viewed as a politically motivated crime considering the victim who was a senior TDP leader in the area. The dispute arose over political reasons, and YSRCP activists are said to have brutally murdered the TDP leader.
A case has been filed against the accused YSRCP activists and search operations are ongoing to locate the accused persons. “The Circle Inspector and Sub-Inspector have been assigned to VR (Vacancy Reserve). Investigations are underway,” Pathikonda DSP Srinivas was quoted as saying.
Earlier it was reported that a YSRCP leader, Jaggavarapu Venugopalareddy committed suicide after he lost around Rs 30 crore he bet on YSRCP’s anticipated victory in the Nuziveedu Mandal constituency.
The YSRCP lost the Nuziveedu Mandal constituency seat to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The results of the constituency were counted on 4th June. While it is said that Venugopalareddy suffered a loss of Rs 30 crores, some media reports cited the amount to be Rs 10 crores.
The episode is believed to be a part of a larger trend of financial difficulties among YSRCP followers. Many people embarked on enormous debt and wagered on the election outcome, believing that their leader, Jagan Mohan Reddy, would win. However, following the party’s surprise defeat, these supporters are now facing significant financial losses.
A dreadful case of love jihad has come to the fore from the Hamirpur region of Uttar Pradesh. The state police arrested one Muslim individual identified as Khalil on 9th June after he cheated and raped a Hindu girl using a fake identity. He introduced himself to the girl as a Hindu named Anil and also forced her to convert her religion to Islam.
As per the reports, the accused has been booked and arrested by the police. The incident is said to have come to the fore in the last week after the victim woman filed a complaint against the accused person. The victim said that the accused met her two years ago and made her believe that he was in love with her. He then also promised her marriage and kept illegal sexual relations with the girl.
The accused posed himself as Anil Kumar and raped the girl, abused her, and also forced her to abort her child. The victim who was forced to stay with the accused, somehow managed to escape from his captivity and reached her home. Later, she came to know that the accused was actually a Muslim and that he was already married.
The victim girl then filed a police complaint revealing all the brutality that she had to face when she was forced to stay with him. She said that the accused forced her to establish sexual relations with him. Later he also forced her to abort her child and refused to marry unless she agreed to convert her religion to Islam.
Police complaint in the case has been filed under sections 376 (2) (n), 342, 313, 323, 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and section 3/5 (1) Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The accused has been arrested. Further investigations are underway.
On Monday, 10th June, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, responded to Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau’s congratulatory message four days after it was initially sent. The timeline of the response by the Indian Prime Minister underscored the ongoing political tensions between India and Canada as PM Justin Trudeau is the only world leader who got a response after a four-day gap. PM Modi responded to other world leaders within a day, even Pakistani PM got a reponse within five hours.
PM Trudeau, in his message on 6th June, congratulated PM Modi on his electoral victory and mentioned Canada’s readiness to work with India. He highlighted themes including human rights, diversity and the “rule of law”. Trudeau’s statement read, “Congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his electoral victory. Canada stands ready to work with his government to advance the relationship between our nations’ peoples—anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law.”
“Congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his electoral victory. Canada stands ready to work with his government to advance the relationship between our nations’ peoples—anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law.” – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Responding to his post, PM Modi thanked Trudeau but stressed the importance of “mutual understanding and respect for each other’s concerns.”
PM Modi said, “Thank you @CanadianPM for the congratulatory message. India looks forward to working with Canada based on mutual understanding and respect for each other’s concerns.”
Thank you @CanadianPM for the congratulatory message. India looks forward to working with Canada based on mutual understanding and respect for each others concerns. https://t.co/QQJFngoMyH
The exchange between the two leaders came amidst the backdrop of strained relations between the two countries. Canada is well known for meddling in India’s affairs. Before October 2023, there were a disproportionately large number of Canadian diplomats who were living in India raising questions over their intentions. Notably, from time to time, Canada tried to interfere in internal matters of India. For example, during farmer protests, not only Justin Trudeau, but other Canadian leaders, some of them pro-Khalistanis, tried to lecture India on how to handle protesters.
Furthermore, Canada has accused India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Nijjar had fled India in the 1990s on a false identity. He gained Canadian citizenship a few years back. Notably, reports suggest that Nijjar died as a result of a gang war. However, Justin Trudeau in September accused Indian agents of being behind his murder. Following the allegations, a top Indian diplomat was removed by the Canadian government leading to a serious political scuffle between the two countries.
In retaliation, India not only removed a top Canadian diplomat but also gave an ultimatum to several Canadian diplomats to leave India in October. India has raised the problem of gangsters, criminals and terrorists wanted in India taking shelter in Canada but the Canadian authorities have failed to act on it. The tension between India and Canada has affected Canada much more compared to India as the number of students taking admission in Canada has significantly dropped. Furthermore, India was one of the largest importers of Canadian agriculture products which has faced problems since the allegations against India were raised.
On Sunday, June 9, India and Pakistan clashed once again in a World Cup contest. As is the usual norm, India defeated Pakistan, this time by 6 runs, thanks to brilliant bowling by Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh keeping his cool at the end. While most of the reactions from Pakistan after the defeat focused on their own team’s pathetic performance, former Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal chose this moment to mock Sikhs instead.
On a show on ARY News, where Kamran Akmal was a guest, he took a jibe at Arshdeep Singh and said even though Arshdeep’s rhythm isn’t looking good but ’12 baj gaye hain’, another co-panelist joined in and said no Sikh should be allowed to bowl at 12 o’clock.
Former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal making fun of Arshdeep Singh because he is Sikh.
Absolutely disgusting, deplorable behaviour from these Jihadis.
Absolutely disgusting, hateful and deplorable statements by Pakistani specialists including former Pak cricketer Kamran Akmal covering #INDVPAK match against Indian player Arshdeep Singh because he is Sikh. pic.twitter.com/1GFrIsImWT
Notably, this ’12 baj gaye hain’ is an insult directed towards Sikh community in the illiterate part of the world. The implication of the insult is that Sikhs don’t behave normally when the clock strikes 12. It is a sort of discrimination against a religion, it is offensive to them, and mostly, it is downright hateful most of the time.
Arshdeep Singh, in his last over yesterday, gave away only 11 runs and picked the wicket of Imad Wasim, sealing victory for India. Maybe Kamran Akmal saw it coming so started badmouthing Arshdeep before he bowled that last over.
Notably, Kamran Akmal is suspected to have fixed several cricket matches during his career. He used to drop simple catches for fun, much to the frustration of his own team’s bowlers. His drops of Ross Taylor in 2011 Cricket World Cup got us one of the most exhilarating knocks in ODI World Cup history as Taylor capitalised on all the chances. And who can forget the Sydney Test of 2010 where Kamran Akmal missed more chances than the number of times Pakistan Army has engineered a coup in the country.
This mocking of Sikhs by Kamran Akmal and his fellow panelists once again highlights how minorities are seen and treated in Pakistan.
On 8th June, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya sent a legal notice to one Santanu Sinha from West Bengal for making allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The notice, however, appeared on social media only after Congress leader and IT Cell chief Supriya Shrinate talked about the allegations against Malviya in a press conference.
BJP’s National SM & IT head Amit Malviya slaps a defamation notice on Santanu Sinha for making loose, slanderous comments & fabricated charges of sexual misconduct against him on an FB post.
— Priti Gandhi (Modi ka Parivar) (@MrsGandhi) June 10, 2024
As per the legal notice, the post against Malviya was published on 7th June 2024 on Facebook. The notice was sent by Supreme Court advocate Abhijeet on behalf of Malviya asking Santanu to take down the post and tender unconditional apology. The notice pointed out that the post on Facebook by Santanu made “false and defamatory” allegations against Malviya with an “intention to harm his reputation.”
The notice read, “That the nature of allegations is extremely offensive in as much as they falsely allege sexual misconduct purportedly committed by my client. The same is fatally injurious to the dignity and reputation of my client who, by his professional profile, is a public figure. Such malevolently malicious statements have been deliberately made to tarnish his reputation.”
Santanu was asked to remove the post within three days. However, before the notice period could end, Srinate raised the issue in a press conference. Quoting Malviya, news agency ANI wrote, “Since the Congress and earlier TMC in West Bengal held a press conference on the slanderous post. The three-day notice ends tomorrow, 11th June. Appropriate action will follow.”
Amit Malviya says "Since the Congress and earlier TMC in West Bengal held a press conference on the slanderous post. The three-day notice ends tomorrow, 11th June. Appropriate action will follow."
Supriya Srinate levels sexual harrasment allegations against Malviya
In a press conference on 10th June, Congress’s IT Cell chief Supriya Srinate levelled sexual harrasment allegations against BJP’s Amit Malviya based on social media post by RSS’s Santanu Sinha on Facebook. In his statement, Srinate said, “An RSS member Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya is indulged in nefarious activities. He is indulged in the sexual exploitation of women. Not just in 5-star hotels but in BJP offices in West Bengal. The only thing that we seek from the BJP is, justice for women… The reality is less than 24 hours after PM Modi was sworn in, serious charges of sexual exploitation have been levelled against a very prominent office bearer of the BJP, the head of its IT cell…Today we seek the immediate removal of Amit Malviya from his position. It’s an extremely influential position. It’s a position of power and there can be no independent inquiry. There can be no independent probe. There cannot be justice unless and until he doesn’t get removed from his position…”
#WATCH | Congress leader Supriya Shrinate says, "…An RSS member Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya is indulged in nefarious activities. He is indulged in the sexual exploitation of women. Not just in 5-star hotels… pic.twitter.com/kfBYgofQTu
Despite the legal notice, Santanu Sinha has not removed the post from Facebook. In the post in Bengali, Santanu accused Amit Malviya and other senior leadership of BJP of accepting sexual favours from leaders in West Bengal and in exchange providing them positions in the party. He accused West Bengal BJP leaders of sending women to Malviya and other senior leaders of BJP women in 5-star hotels to secure president’s posts. He wrote, “Is Amit Malviya still waiting in a five-star hotel in Kolkata for the Bengal leadership to provide beautiful women? Has the competition among the Bengal leadership stopped over who can provide the most beautiful women to secure the president’s post? Please, compete in standing by your workers and supporters. Not in providing beautiful women to Amit Malviya or the observers sent from Delhi to secure the president or secretary posts. They, after all, took risks in their lives based on your assurances and your words. Bengal leadership, please don’t sit idle like a mere figurehead.” (Translation from Bengali to English done using ChatGPT).
Source: Facebook
It is notable here that earlier this year, grave allegations of sexual exploitation emerged against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides in Sandeshkhali. Sheikh Shahjahan and his goon were accused of exploiting women in the area for years.
