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CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur is not the only one, postal ballots received by separatists indicate the system is full of terror and separatist sympathisers

अर्पित त्रिपाठी
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CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur is not the only one, postal ballots received by separatists indicate the system is full of terror and separatist sympathisers

Actress-turned-member of parliament Kangana Ranaut was attacked at Chandigarh airport on Thursday (6th June) by Central Industrial Security Force security personnel identified as Kulwinder Kaur. After the assault, Kaur said that she slapped the Bollywood star because of her criticism of the farmers’ protest. Afterwards, she was suspended and a First Information Report under sections 321 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code was filed against it. Now, further investigation is underway.

People are shocked that a government employee could assault an elected member of parliament in such a manner and they are also wondering how government personnel are exposed to radical ideologies. Kulwinder Kaur’s startling action demonstrates both her lack of discipline and her fanaticism towards her ideology. Kulwinder Kaur’s actions are not novel. She is hardly the only government employee who has behaved inappropriately. Hundreds of similar cases already exist illustrating that people continue to fail to fulfil their obligations even after receiving hefty salaries funded by the country’s taxpayers.

This ecosystem has been present for many years and there are multiple examples of it. In Kashmir, there have been multiple instances since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) administration took office in 2014 of government officials being fired for providing financial support to terrorists, involvement in terrorist activities or connections to terrorists. At least 7 individuals who had ties to terrorism lost their jobs in 2023 alone.

Jammu and Kashmir have suffered tremendously as a result of this ecosystem. The security system is compromised, institutions are undermined and the public’s trust in them is eroded as a result of government servants betraying the nation. A significant example of the same has surfaced recently.

Government employees vote for separatists

One prime occurrence has been voters, which includes govt employees, voting in favour of the separatists during the general election this year. Three separatists from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab who contested the elections have emerged victorious. Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, son of the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh triumphed from Faridkot in Punjab while “Waris Punjab De” supremo Amritpal Singh who is a staunch supporter of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and is currently incarcerated under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) won from Khadoor Sahib.

Baramulla was also secured by separatist Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid who is behind bars for supporting terrorism in Kashmir. Their success indicates that the citizens of these Lok Sabha constituencies are indifferent to their actions. However, amidst all of this, government workers have also cast ballots for all three of them. According to Election Commission data, Amritpal Singh received 1830 votes in Khadoor Sahib through postal ballots which are usually cast by govt staff members who serve as polling officers.

Sarabjit Singh Khalsa got 1140 votes through postal ballots.

Engineer Rashid obtained 2907 votes through postal ballots.

What is a postal ballot and why is it important?

A postal ballot is one that allows a voter to cast his or her ballot in person before submitting it to election officials without having to visit a polling place. Government workers, members of the armed forces and paramilitary, people with disabilities, and media professionals have access to this facility to ensure they don’t miss to make use of their valuable vote. Although this year elderly voters were also allowed to used postal ballots, the majority of these votes are cast by government employees.

These government workers must have accounted for the majority of the postal ballot votes that Engineer Rashid, Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, and Amritpal Singh acquired. It is reasonable to assume that these government workers supported candidates with separatist ideologies. The security authorities need to be concerned about the disposition of these people.

Read the report in Hindi here.

Desecration of Indian tricolour, celebration of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in Canada: Timeline of Khalistanis events leading up to the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar

OpIndia Staff
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Desecration of Indian tricolour, celebration of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in Canada: Timeline of Khalistanis events leading up to the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar

On Thursday (6th June), Khalistanis gheraoed the Indian consulate in Vancouver city of Canada. They celebrated the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.

A pro-Khalistani event was organised outside the Indian consulate on the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. During that event, Khalistani extremists displayed effigies of Indira Gandhi and that of her assassins.

Besides, posters eulogising terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar and calling for the killing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were also spotted at the event.

The Khalistanis also desecrated and burnt the Indian constitution and the Indian tricolour.

While speaking about the event to OpIndia, journalist Mocha Bezirgan said, “I’ve been following these protests across Canada and U.S. and if you look at my footage you can see that the same group of people who were at the protest in Vancouver also show up in Edmonton, Calgary, and some of them even go as far as Sacramento, California.”

According to Bezirgan, posters calling for a large assembly of Khalistanis outside Indian consulates were circulating on social media for at least two weeks before the day of the scheduled event i.e. June 6th 2024.

Screengrab of the poster shared by Khalistanis on social media

This was not the first event of its kind, organised by Khalistanis based in North America. On 17th May, journalist Mocha Bezirgan reported how Khalistanis tore an Indian flag using spears, swords and daggers in Calgary city in Alberta province of Canada.

“The Khalistan movement, notorious for Canada’s deadliest terror attack, is actively targeting Indian diplomats whenever they show up in Canada. The group was largely composed of the same protesters who clashed with police in Edmonton last week. However, unlike in Edmonton, this time supporters of India showed up to counter-protest. At one point, two groups got too close to each other, and the police had to intervene,” he tweeted.

In the same month, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian legislators were seen participating in a parade glorifying Khalistani terrorists such as Talwinder Singh Parmar, Harjinder Singh Jinda and Dilawar Singh Babbar.

“In addition to their participation in the parade that glorified terrorists, the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, and Calgary Police also set up tents to recruit new members from the event,” Mocha Bezirgan had informed then.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Liberal Party MP George Chahal and Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan participated in the Khalistani event. 

In April this year, the same group of extremists desecrated the Indian flag outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver.

They also accused the Indian government of killing terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil- a lie that has been repeated by the Trudeau government and propaganda portals such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News).

On 18th April, journalist Mocha Bezirgan said, “Ever since Nijjar’s killing, Khalistan activists have been targeting Indian government buildings and diplomats across Canada.”

Earlier on 1st April 2024, Khalistanis held a ‘non-binding referendum’ for the secession of Punjab from the Union of India. The said pro-Khalistani event took place in Sacramento city in California State of the US.

“After my exclusive coverage of Khalistan supporters’ threatening conduct in Canada received millions of views, I decided to follow them into California to observe their conduct in the United States,” journalist Mocha Bezirgan emphasised.

Mocha Bezirgan also reported about a Khalistani event in Edmonton city in Alberta province of Canada. During that event, the Khalistanis had clashed with the police.

He informed, “Edmonton Police physically pushed back the protesters who were charging towards the vehicle believed to have the Indian diplomat inside.”

The journalist pointed out how a Khalistani charged at him while he was reporting their activities from the ground zero.

“One of the protesters approached me, asking who I was, then grabbed my camera and pushed me, telling others that I was a racist in an attempt to instigate the crowd, while I was fully within my rights, observing the event from a distance. When police pulled him aside to warn him, he lied, saying that he did not touch me. No other media were present to cover this international event unfolding in Alberta’s capital city,” he tweeted.

This is reminiscent of the attack on non-pliant Indian media and reporters by Khalistanis, masquerading as anti-farm law protestors. Several incidents were reported in 2021 at the height of the motivated protests. As recently as February this year, farmer protestors assaulted ANI cameraperson at the Shambhu border.

With Justin Trudeau willing to risk bilateral ties to India to appease Khalistanis in Canada, we are likely to witness more glorification of terrorists eyeing to secede Punjab from the Union of India.

NIA arrests Kuki terrorist commander from Imphal, exposes transnational conspiracy to exacerbate Manipur violence

ANI
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NIA arrests Kuki terrorist commander from Imphal, exposes transnational conspiracy to exacerbate Manipur violence

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a key accused from Imphal airport in a case relating to a transnational conspiracy by insurgents and terrorist gangs to exacerbate the Manipur violence and spread terror in the north-eastern states.

Thongminthang Haokip alias Thangboi Haokip alias Roger (KNF-MC) has been arrested under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case which was registered suo moto by the NIA on July 19 last year.

As per the NIA, the conspiracy had been hatched by Kuki and Zomi insurgents backed by terrorist organisations based in the north-eastern states and in neighbouring Myanmar with the aim to exploit the current ethnic unrest in the region and wage war against the government of India through violent attacks.

“The accused was found to have been involved in attacks on security forces at various places during the ongoing insurgency and violence. He was in touch with the insurgent group, Kuki National Front (KNF)-B of Myanmar, for logistics support to aggravate the volatile situation in the state of Manipur and create terror in the minds of the people,” the NIA said.

NIA investigations have revealed the accused had met the leaders of PDF/KNF-B (Myanmar) for the supply of arms, ammunition and explosives for use in the current phase of violence in Manipur. He has admitted to having participated in several armed attacks against security forces and on the opposite group in the current crisis in the state.

“He has also admitted being a member of the Kuki National Front- Military Council (KNF-MC) and United Tribal Volunteers (UTV). Further investigations are continuing to identify and track others involved in the conspiracy and scuttle the terrorist outfits’ plans to destroy the peace and stability of the north-eastern region,” added the anti-terror agency.

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

Chhattisgarh: Seven left-wing Naxal terrorists killed in an encounter in Dantewada

ANI
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Chhattisgarh: Seven left-wing Naxal terrorists killed in an encounter in Dantewada

At least seven Naxals were killed in an encounter with District Reserve Group (DRG) personnel along the inter-district border of Narayanpur, Dantewada and Kondagaon, a senior police official said.

“Weapons have been recovered. Operation is underway,” Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said. Seven bodies of the naxals were recovered from the encounter site, he said.

Three Jawans of the Narayanpur DRG, who were injured in the encounter that took place on Friday night, were airlifted to a hospital from the Gobel area under the East Bastar Division.

A joint team of DRG from Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Dantewada and Jagdalpur along with the 45th Battalion of ITBP were out on anti-Maoist operation in the Abujhmad area when the Maoists opened fire on the forces and the attack was swiftly retaliated, police said. Earlier, on June 2, Naxalites set a mobile tower on fire in Durmi village in the Narayanpur district.

On May 25, two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the forest of Jappemarka and Kamkanar in Bijapur. Naxalism in Chhattisgarh has been a persistent challenge for both the state and central governments.

The dense forests and difficult terrain of the region have provided a conducive environment for Naxal groups to operate and establish their base in the state.

Earlier, in May, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government has taken decisive steps to tackle Naxalism and the country will be free of the problem in the next two to three years.

Shah said that efforts made by the BJP-led government have led to welfare schemes reaching those tribal areas which had remained bereft of them.

He said Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are completely free of Naxalism and the problem persists in three or four districts of Chhattisgarh.

“I think that in the next 2-3 years, the country will be completely free of Naxal issue. After the BJP government came to power in Chhattisgarh, within just 4.5 months, 112 naxals have been neutralised, around 375 have surrendered and 153 have been arrested…On the contrary, Congress says that fake encounters are being done,” Shah said. 

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

Kerala: Congress workers clash in party’s district office, CPI(M) and Congress blame each other after BJP registers historic victory in Thrissur

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Congress workers clash in party’s district office, CPI(M) and Congress blame each other after BJP registers historic victory in Thrissur

On Friday (7th June), a major clash broke out between two groups of Congress workers inside the District Congress Committee (DCC) office in Kerala’s Thrissur. The incident unfolded when a meeting was called in to discuss the defeat of Congress candidate K Muraleedharan from the Thrissur constituency. Earlier, the CPI(M) and Congress had blamed each other for “helping BJP win this Lok Sabha seat”.

Notably, BJP’s Suresh Gopi registered a historic victory from Thrissur as he defeated his nearest rival, CPI(M)’s VS Sunil Kumar by a margin of over 74,000 votes. Congress candidate K Muraleedharan came in third place. With this, Suresh Gopi created history for the BJP by delivering the first Lok Sabha seat for the party in Kerala.

(Source – ECI)

After the results were announced on 4th June, tensions have been brewing in the Congress unit of Thrissur district as some anonymous posters blamed DCC chief Jose Valloor and former Thrissur MP T N Prathapan for the defeat. One of the posters read, “No seat No seat for Prathapan even in a ward” and “Jose Vallur should resign”.

Later, on Friday, the situation escalated when DCC Chief Valloor confronted Suresh, a worker aligned with DCC secretary Sajeevan Kuttiyachira, about putting up posters.

It is alleged that Kuttiyachira, a supporter of Muraleedharan, and Suresh were also assaulted by DCC chief Vallur and his supporters. Subsequently, it led to an all-out altercation between supporters of the two factions. 

Later, Sajeevan Kuttiyachira staged a sit-in on the ground floor of the DCC office as he sat in front of a picture of Congress leader and father of K Muraleedharan, K Karunakaran. However, the altercation intensified when supporters of Muraleedharan reached the office.

In fact, on the counting day, K Muraleedharan had criticised the district and state leadership and alleged that no leaders came to campaign for him. 

CPI(M) and Congress blame each other for helping the BJP register its first victory in Kerala

It is pertinent to note that earlier a war of words had erupted between the CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala over Suresh Gopi’s groundbreaking win in Thrissur. They blamed and accused each other of helping the BJP to win its first seat in the state. 

As per electoral data, the Congress party’s vote share in Thrissur declined from 39.83% in 2019 to 30.08% this time, while the BJP’s vote share increased from 29.19% to 37.8%. However, the CPI(M)-led LDF vote share remained nearly the same, increasing slightly from 30.85% in 2019 to 30.95% in the 2024 elections.

After the results were announced, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for a serious examination of the Thrissur result. Afterward, his colleague and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan claimed that Congress ensured BJP’s victory from Thrissur. 

He said, “The BJP has got the Congress votes in Thrissur. The Congress lost 86,000 votes while Gopi’s victory margin was 74,000. The LDF increased its votes by 6,000. Our assessment was very clear that the BJP would not win. But the Congress ensured the BJP’s victory.” 

Trading barbs from the Congress side, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Wednesday had blamed Vijayan for the BJP’s Thrissur win. 

He had said, “The UDF had raised concerns over the erosion of votes in CPI(M) areas before the elections. The CPI(M)-BJP deal was out in the open… He (Vijayan) made the deal as he wanted to stop Central agencies from probing his party leaders.”

Congress candidate blames party leadership for his defeat

Furthermore, Congress’ losing Thrissur candidate K Muraleedharan, who had won the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat in 2019, blamed his party for his defeat, adding to the embarrassment for the grand old party.  

Muraleedharan said, “The Congress machinery in the constituency (Thrissur) was in a shambles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned for Gopi and Chief Minister (Pinarayi) Vijayan campaigned for the LDF. No one came for me.” 

He added that he may have won had he contested from Vadakara again. Incidentally, he was already campaigning in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, when the Congress abruptly announced his ticket from Thrissur. The development came after his sister Padmaja Venugopal switched to the BJP. Notably, both of them are children of the late Congress Kerala veteran, K Karuankaran. 

Meanwhile, a section of the Youth Congress leaders also raised questions over Muraleedharan’s loss and they demanded the resignation of district president Jose Vallore and senior leader T N Prathapan, who won from Thrissur in 2019. 

However, Kerala Congress chief K Sudhakaran reached out to Muraleedharan and said that the party will review what went wrong in Thrissur. Sudhakaran said, “The outcome was totally unexpected. Muraleedharan is an asset for the party and is not a leader who should stay away from public life. We will ensure he is active in the Congress at any cost.”

Samajwadi MLA Irfan Solanki, jailed in arson and land grabbing case, helped illegal Bangladeshi nationals to settle in India, had links with Kanpur riots accused

OpIndia Staff
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Samajwadi MLA Irfan Solanki, jailed in arson and land grabbing case, helped illegal Bangladeshi nationals to settle in India, had links with Kanpur riots accused

On Friday (7th June), an MP/MLA court sentenced Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki, his younger brother Rizwan Solanki, and three others to seven years imprisonment. Irfan has been found guilty of harassing a woman, setting her house on fire, and beating her son in an attempt to grab her land in the Jajmau area of Kanpur in 2022. It is also alleged that Irfan has relations with the main accused in the Kanpur riots. Additionally, as an MLA, he reportedly signed letters that got 5 Bangladeshi nationals Indian citizenship. 

This was the first conviction of Solanki (45) who has been booked in eight cases, including charges under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act and that of forgery, in the past two years. He has been a four-time legislator from the Sishamau constituency in Kanpur district but following the conviction and sentencing, Irfan Solanki may also lose his assembly seat. The others awarded the sentence in the case are Shaukat Ali, a builder, Israel Attewala, and Mohammad Shareef. Currently, Irfan is lodged in the Maharajganj district jail, while the other convicts are in a Kanpur jail.

Notably, Nazeer Fatima, a resident of the Defense Colony of Jajmau, lodged a complaint on 8th November 2022. In her complaint, she accused Irfan and Rizwan of regularly harassing her and threatening to kill her family in an attempt to grab her house located in the Defence Colony area of the city. 

Fatima further said that on 7th November 2022, Irfan, Rizwan, and their associates set her house on fire while she and her family had gone to a relative’s wedding. When her son reached home, he saw that their house was on fire. Fatima also said that Irfan Solanki, his brother Rizwan Solanki, and their associates had assaulted her son and also tried to push him into the fire. After the Police registered an FIR against MLA Solanki, he went absconding to avoid arrest.

On 4th April this year, Fatima’s 14-year-old granddaughter went missing. She went to school with her brother but did not return home. Her bicycle was found abandoned near the railway station. Aslam, the father of the missing minor, had lodged a complaint with the police.

Irfan signed letters that authorised illegal Bangladeshis as Indian citizens

Apart from all these allegations, Irfan Solanki is also accused of giving certificates of Indian citizens to Bangladeshi Muslims and having close relations with the accused of the Kanpur riots. In fact, in December 2022, Kanpur Police arrested 5 Bangladeshi Muslims of one family living illegally. The arrested individuals included 2 men, 2 women, and a minor.

All these infiltrators were living in India with fake identities. According to the reports, the Police seized fake identity cards including passports and Aadhaar cards, from the arrested individuals. One of these Bangladeshi citizens had traveled to many countries, and currency from several countries was also recovered from him. The accused were issued a letter purportedly signed by jailed Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Irfan Solanki, which authorized them as Indian nationals.

On 11th December 2022, the Mulganj police station in Kanpur received information about some suspects heading towards Meston Road. Following this tip-off, the police set up a blockade and apprehended four individuals. When asked to show their identity cards, they hesitated. To mislead the police, all the suspects claimed that their identity cards were at home.

The police then took all the suspects to their house. There, they found a person named Khalid Majid. Upon searching the house, the police recovered his Bangladeshi passport, a fake Aadhaar card, foreign currency, and about Rs 14.5 lakh. When questioned about this, the accused could not provide any satisfactory answers.

Eventually, the police took all five suspects into custody. During interrogation, the accused revealed that they were originally residents of the Khulna district in Bangladesh. The suspects were identified as 79-year-old Khalid Majeed, 53-year-old Rizwan Mohammed, 45-year-old Hina Khalid, and 21-year-old Rukhsar. Another minor was also apprehended.

The accused told the police that they had been living in India since 2016. A total of 1001 dollars in foreign currency and many pieces of gold jewelry were recovered from them. The arrested Rizwan had traveled to Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Nepal several times.

The police stated that the documents of these accused were verified by SP MLA Irfan Solanki. Irfan not only provided the arrested individuals with certificates of being Indian on his official letterhead but also continuously verified their documents. Additionally, in 2019, SP councilor Mannu Rehman issued certificates declaring these Bangladeshis to be Indians.

Additional CP Anand Prakash Tiwari also confirmed that SP MLA Solanki and SP councilor Mannu Rehman helped the accused in attaining the residence proof certificates which proved them as Indian Nationals.

Irfan Solanki also linked to the main accused of the Kanpur riots

Several cases have been registered against Irfan Solanki and his associates in Uttar Pradesh for extortion, encroachment on public and private land, and illegal construction. Reports have also surfaced about Irfan Solanki’s collusion with builders Shaukat Ali and Haji Wasi Khan. Wasi Khan is accused of funding the 2022 Kanpur riots. He is also accused of illegally settling Bangladeshis in Kanpur. In this matter, cases under the Gangster Act have been registered against Haji Wasi Khan and his groups.

ED conducted raids at several locations of Irfan Solanki in connection with money laundering

In March this year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided several locations linked to SP MLA Irfan Solanki regarding his disproportionate growth of assets. Between 2016 and 2022, while he was an MLA, Irfan’s wealth increased by 282 percent. It is alleged that this unaccounted benami property of Irfan Solanki was created through money laundering.

According to reports, Irfan carried out money laundering through fake companies. Between 2015-16 and 2022-23, it was discovered that approximately 12.5 crore rupees were deposited in Irfan’s account in cash, while income tax returns were filed for only Rs 6 lakh. The bungalow that Irfan and his brother Rizwan live in, which is spread across 1000 square meters, is valued at around Rs 10 crore.

According to the agency, this wealth was also accumulated illegally. During the ED’s raids, some diaries were recovered that revealed transactions amounting to approximately Rs 40 to 50 crore. Additionally, documents for land worth Rs 5 crore in Mumbai were also found. Moreover, cash and digital devices were seized during the raids, which are currently being examined.

‘Houses ransacked, family members targeted, livelihood destroyed’: BJP workers in West Bengal flee homes after Lok Sabha elections, narrate their ordeal

OpIndia Staff
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‘Houses ransacked, family members targeted, livelihood destroyed’: BJP workers in West Bengal flee homes after Lok Sabha elections, narrate their ordeal

Following the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, hundreds of BJP workers have fled their villages and homes – a grim situation reminiscent of the 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections and 2023 Panchayat election in the State.

The development was confirmed in a report, published by The Indian Express on Saturday (8th June). While speaking about the matter, a BJP worker named Prasanta Haldar informed, “Election season mane amader ghor chharar season (election season for us means the season of leaving home).”

A resident of Vidyadhar Palli area of Baruipur, Haldar and his family fled home after casting their vote during the 7th Pphase of Lok Sabha elections. He had sent his wife and children to a relative’s house.

BJP workers seek refuse in safe houses

In the meantime, he has sought refuge along with 50 others at the BJP office in Baruipur. Haldar told The Indian Express, “I was forced to leave home in 2021 after the Assembly polls, and then after panchayat polls last year.”

“I was able to get back home in April this year, but now once again, I am homeless. Me and other workers from my village got threats before the Lok Sabha polls, but I still worked for the party. However, on June 2, after the last phase of polls, I left home. I later heard that my home was ransacked,” the BJP worker lamented.

Another party worker named Mamoni Das informed The Indian Express that TMC goons forced her out of her home in Matherdighi village in South 24 Parganas. “Then I lived in rented houses in Sahapara and later Kathpol, but we still got threats,” said added.

Livelihood and safety under threat for BJP workers in West Bengal

Mamoni, who serves as the VP of the BJP Baruipur, informed that 50 TMC goons gheraoed her house on the day of Lok Sabha election result (4th June 2024).

“I hid myself, but the goons beat up my husband and my mother – both were injured. In the early hours of the next day, we left home again, and I took both of them to the hospital. Since then, this party office has been our home,” she lamented.

Similarly, TMC goons harassed another BJP worker named Bikas Roy and took away his e-rickshaw. They also ambushed his residence and issued threats.

“They broke open the lock and took my toto (e-rickshaw) away. How will I earn a living now? That night, I left home and came here. My wife and children are at a relative’s house,” he lamented.

Attack on family members

The plight of BJP workers in Kolkata is no different. About 100 of them are now housed in a building near BJP’s West Bengal headquarters.

A 31-year-old Shanu Pramanik told The Indian Express, “After results were out on June 4, our houses were ransacked by TMC goons. I ran away before they could barge in. We then hid at our relative’s place, and at around 3 am today, we left and reached here at 1 pm.”

“My family members are still there. They have asked us not to go back as threats continue to come in that we would be killed if we returned,” he added.

Another BJP worker named Bishnu Dhali was quick to flee his home and avoid being attacked by TMC goons. “But they severely beat up my aunt. They also ransacked our house, he added.

Calcutta High Court takes cognisance of the matter

On Thursday (6th June), the Calcutta High Court rapped the Mamata Banerjee-led- Trinamool Congress government over post-poll violence in West Bengal.

While hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) into the matter, a 2-Judge Bench of Justices Kausik Chanda and Apurba Sinha Ray said that the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) might be retained in the State for the next 5 years if the government fails to control violence.

“We want to ensure security of the people of the state at any cost,” the court noted. Justice Koushik Chanda pointed out, “Every day, we are watching in the media about post-poll violence. What happened after the last Assembly election, the same thing is happening this time also.”

“You (State) should be ashamed. If the state fails to control this violence, we have to make a decision that in the next five years, the Central forces will stay in this state,” he cautioned.

The court ruled that those aggrieved by post-poll violence can not only lodge their complaints at the nearest police station but almost submit them to the Director General and Inspector General of Police in West Bengal via the emails –[email protected] and [email protected]

Thereafter, the complaints need to be published immediately on the relevant website of the West Bengal Police and brought into the public domain.

Those who refused to make Nitish Kumar even convenor, are now offering him PM post: JDU leader KC Tyagi take a dig at I.N.D.I. Alliance, reiterates support to NDA

OpIndia Staff
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Those who refused to make Nitish Kumar even convenor, are now offering him PM post: JDU leader KC Tyagi take a dig at I.N.D.I. Alliance, reiterates support to NDA

On Friday (7th June), JDU advisor and national spokesperson KC Tyagi slammed the I.N.D.I. alliance leaders for attempting to court Nitish Kumar by offering him the PM post. KC Tyagi stated that the opposition bloc ill-treated the Bihar Chief Minister, who played a key role in forming the I.N.D.I. alliance in the first place. He added that the same I.N.D.I. alliance, which had refused to make JDU Supremo and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar the National Convenor, is now offering him the Prime Minister’s post. Tyagi noted that they have outrightly rejected the offer and reiterated JDU’s support for the NDA alliance under the leadership of PM Modi.

KC Tyagi asserted that there is no question of looking back or joining the I.N.D.I. alliance as their party’s respect has been restored with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).   

Notably, speaking with The Indian Express on Friday, Tyagi said, “Such is the game of politics that those who had refused to make Nitish Kumar INDIA bloc’s national convenor have been now making offers to make Nitish PM.”

KC Tyagi added that the Congress and other parties “ill-treated” Nitish because of which he was “forced to return” to the NDA in January this year. He further stated, “There is no question of looking back, as was also said several times by Nitish Kumar during the election campaign. We are now a valued partner of the NDA and we will strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi, who is all set to become Prime Minister for the third straight term.”

Tyagi pointed out that Nitish played an instrumental role in the idea of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc yet he was “pushed aside” by various members of the opposition bloc. 

He added, “With the NDA, our respectability is restored and Nitish Kumar has become a stakeholder in national politics. We are getting a lot of respect from ally BJP.”

It is pertinent to note that Nitish Kumar-led JDU has bagged 12 seats while Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP has won 16 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. BJP won 240 seats and fell below the halfway mark on its own, but with the support of the alliance partners, NDA got absolute majority for government formation and its continuation. During the NDA partners’ meet, both alliance partners lauded PM Modi’s leadership and extended unconditional support to the NDA after which President Droupadi Murmu officially invited BJP leader Narendra Modi to form government for the historic third term. 

Meanwhile, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar snapped ties with the Mahagathbandan in January this year after a war of words erupted between the leaders of the RJD and JDU over dynastic politics.  

Reacting to his critical remarks on dynastic politics, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya made personal remarks about Nitish Kumar. 

She shared three posts on X and later deleted them. In those posts, she wrote, “He promises to be a socialist leader, whose ideology changes like the winds. What will happen by getting annoyed when no one is worthy of himself? Who can avoid fate when there is a fault in one’s own intention? Often some people do not see their shortcomings, but keep misbehaving to throw mud on someone else.”

Earlier, the JDU leaders had expressed displeasure with the I.N.D.I. alliance leaders over the issue of the appointment of National Convenor, “wrong timing” of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and Congress’ indecision, delay on seat-sharing formula, and poll preparedness. In fact, he had been expressing his disappointment with the opposition bloc for months and a heated incident involving Nitish Kumar took place in Delhi in December last year as well. 

According to reports, during the opposition bloc meeting, DMK leader TR Baalu requested an English translation of Nitish Kumar’s Hindi speech, leading to a surprising eruption from the Bihar Chief Minister. Expressing frustration, Nitish Kumar asserted that Hindi is the national language and insisted that everyone should comprehend it. His outburst continued for several minutes, delving into Indian history and criticising the imposition of English.

After snapping ties with the Mahagathbandan, Kumar maintained that there was no question of him going anywhere else as they would stay together with NDA. 

Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen assaulted in Copenhagen, one man arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen assaulted in Copenhagen, one man arrested

On Friday, June 7, Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen was assaulted by a man in the capital city of Copenhagen. The assault took place at a square in the centre of the city when a man walked up to PM Frederiksen and hit her. As per the PM office, the assault has left the PM shocked. The man was subsequently arrested after the attack.

“Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet in Copenhagen by a man who was subsequently arrested. The prime minister is shocked by the incident,” the statement from the PM office said. The office didn’t provide any more details about the man or the reason behind the assault.

Two eyewitnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, told local newspaper BT that they had seen the attack. “A man came by in the opposite direction and gave her a hard shove on the shoulder, causing her to fall to the side,” the two women told the newspaper.

Mette Frederiksen, 46, became prime minister of Denmark in 2019 after taking over as leader of the centre-left Social Democrats four years earlier becoming the youngest PM in Danish history. The Social Democrats are the biggest party in Denmark’s coalition government.

Notably, the attack comes just two days before Denmark votes in the upcoming European Union election. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called the attack a despicable act in her criticism of the assault.

The attack on Denmark PM comes less than a month after in Slovakia, another EU member, the PM Robert Fico was shot several times as he greeted supporters. The Slovak PM Fico survived the attack and has been undergoing treatment.

Notably, just two days back, Indian MP Kangana Ranaut was also physically assaulted by a CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur at Chandigarh Airport while she was on her way to Delhi to attend her coalition National Democratic Alliance’s meeting.

Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi Court refuses bail to Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar in view of threats received by the victim

ANI
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Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi Court refuses bail to Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar in view of threats received by the victim

Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court dismissed the regular bail plea of Bibhav Kumar, former aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the Swati Maliwal assault case on Saturday.

The court dismissed the bail application in view of threats received by the victim Swati Maliwal and apprehension of influencing the witnesses by the accused.

Swati Maliwal was also present during the hearing and placed on record a copy of screenshots evidencing threats received by her. She also narrated the incident which occurred on May 13.

Special judge (NDPS) Ekta Gauba Mann dismissed the regular bail plea of Bibhav Kumar. He is in judicial custody after police interrogation.

“In view of the fact that Investigation is at initial stage and there is a fear in the mind of the victim regarding her security as well as security of her family members. There is also apprehension that the accused Bibhav Kumar would influence the witnesses, if at liberty, So I do not find any merit in the bail application of accused Bibhav Kumar. Hence the present regular bail application of accused Bibhav Kumar is hereby dismissed,” Special Judge Ekta Gauba Mann ordered on June 7.

The victim has alleged that her family and extended family members are being given continued threats. She also stated that she is scared as there is a risk to her life as well as the life of her family members if the accused is granted. She strongly opposed the bail application.

It is the second bail plea which has been dismissed by the court. His first regular bail plea was dismissed on May 27.

While seeking bail, the defence counsel argued that the accused has been a PA to the CM since 2010, even CM was not CM at the time. He is only a PA to CM who gives appointments as per the direction of CM. He also relied upon the complaint filed by the assistant section officer of camp office at CM residence to his department regarding the time of arrival of victim and accused on May 13, 2024.

Victim opposed the bail application and stated that accused is a very influential person and after she has made a complaint against him, all the leaders of her political party and cabinet ministers are busy in victim shaming/ doing character assassination of her and she has been ostracized by her entire political party as she has made a complaint against the accused.

She also stated that accused Bibhav Kumar is such an influential person and under the protection of leaders of his political party.

She also stated that a fake video was made by the accused after the incident had already occurred. She also stated that the alleged doctored and edited video that was leaked by the accused is of no use as the video was not at the time of the incident but after the incident already had occurred and she had made a call to the police.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava opposed the application and submitted that an investigation is going on and the accused is an influential person. There is a case pending against him in Noida. He should not be granted bail.

It was also submitted that as per IO there is no proper register maintained for appointment for meeting CM at his residence.

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

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