With counting slated for today for the Lok Sabha elections, which have seen the largest voter participation, the electoral fate of several leaders across the political spectrum will be decided.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among the senior BJP leaders in the fray. Key opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are also contesting the poll.
Here is a look at some key contests involving prominent leaders:
1. Narendra Modi: Prime Minister Modi, is seeking a third term from Varanasi, the constituency that paved his way to the Lok Sabha after his stint as Chief Minister. He is pitted against Congress leader and INDIA bloc candidate Ajay Rai. PM Modi won the seat by huge margins in 2014 and 2019.
2. Amit Shah: The Union Home Minister entered the Lok Sabha in 2019 from Gandhinagar and is seeking his second straight term from the seat, which has been held by BJP veterans in the past. Shah, who earlier served as BJP President, is against Congress candidate Sonal Patel.
3. Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from two seats — Wayanad and Raebareli. Gandhi, who lost the family bastion seat of Amethi in 2019 and entered the Lok Sabha from Wayanad, is aiming to maintain the party’s lone bastion left in the state. He is up against BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh and BJP’s K. Surendran, as well as CPI-M’s Annie Raja in Wayanad.
4. Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar: The Baramati constituency is another ‘hot seat’ that will decide the future of the ‘Pawar’ legacy. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is against his cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, from the seat. The exit polls have predicted a tight contest.
5. Shashi Tharoor: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is a three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, is facing a three-way contest against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI-M’s Panniyan Ravindran. The exit polls have predicted a tight contest.
6. K. Annamalai: BJP Tamil Nadu chief and rising face in the south, K Annamalai, is aiming to make the party’s inroads in the state. Contesting from Coimbatore, the former cop is up against DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK’s Singai Ramachandran.
7. Rajnath Singh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking a third term from Lucknow. The former Uttar Pradesh CM served as the Home Minister in BJP’s first term and Defence Minister in the second term. Singh is facing SP candidate Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP candidate Sarwar Malik.
8. Abhishek Banerjee: As the BJP is aiming to make further inroads in West Bengal, and TMC is looking to maintain its fortress, TMC general secretary and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee is contesting from Diamond Harbour seeking a second term from the seat. Banerjee is pitted against CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das.
9. Akhilesh Yadav: Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made a surprise entry in the Lok Sabha polls, announcing his candidature from Kannauj. Yadav, who is an MLA from Karhal assembly constituency, is facing incumbent MP and BJP leader Subrat Pathak.
10. Asaduddin Owaisi: The Hyderabad constituency is bracing for a big showdown with four-time MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi facing a challenge against BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Madhavi Latha.
The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats of the lower house were held across seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on Tuesday, June 4.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing a third straight term in power, while the Opposition under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc is seeking to wrest power from the ruling party.
Meanwhile, all the exit polls have predicted the BJP returning to power with a resounding majority, with further inroads in Odisha, West Bengal, and southern states.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The I.N.D.I. Alliance is preparing to hold protests and demonstrations and “take other options” if the Lok Sabha election results do not come as per their expectations, news agency ANI has reported citing Congress sources. The development comes a day ahead of the counting of votes and announcement of election results. Notably, in an earlier meeting held on 1st June, I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders had claimed that they would secure more than 295 seats and form the next government.
According to ANI, the Congress party has asked all the senior leaders of the I.N.D.I. Alliance to stay in Delhi till the morning of 5th June. Congress sources stated the alliance leaders will hold a meeting after the announcement of the election results and if they secure fewer seats than their expectations, they will take other options, expressing distrust in the democratic process and an apparent warning that undermines and challenges people’s mandate.
According to the Sources, if the opposition doesn’t get the expected results, they will raise questions on the Election Commission, a Constitutional body.
“All senior leaders of the INDIA alliance have been called by Congress to stay in Delhi till tomorrow night or day after tomorrow morning. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also taken a positive stand on this. A meeting will be held after the election results. If the number of seats does not come as per expectations and assessment, then other options including demonstration/press conference/meeting with the President will be discussed where questions can be raised on the role of the Election Commission,” Congress Sources said as quoted by ANI.
All senior leaders of the INDIA alliance have been called by Congress to stay in Delhi till tomorrow night or day after tomorrow morning. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also taken a positive stand on this. A meeting will be held after the election results. If the number of…
Following the ANI report, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh issued a clarification. He said that they will obviously hold a meeting after the election results are announced and claimed that attributing any meaning to the said meeting is completely “misleading and false”.
Earlier on Sunday, the I.N.D.I. Alliance delegation led by Congress leader and senior Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the full bench of the Election Commission. The opposition bloc demanded that the poll body follow the strict rules prescribed for the vote counting and urged to preferentially count postal ballots over EVMs. Other I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders including Salman Khurshid, D Raja, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, Nassir Hussain, and Sitaram Yechuri were also part of the delegation.
It was earlier reported that around 120 organisations, opposition parties, activists, and Congress, left-leaning journalists were planning to create tensions ahead of election results and conspiring to get the polls cancelled by the court if BJP registered an electoral victory.
During the election campaign, Congress leader and former party President, Rahul Gandhi had once threatened that the whole country would be on fire if the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections and it amended the constitution. It is pertinent to note that Parliament has amended the Constitution over 100 times, the process of which is duly established in the Constitution itself under Article 368. However, the opposition bloc has peddled blatant lies during campaigning that the BJP would change the constitution and abolish reservations, a false and inflammatory claim.
Addressing a press conference a day ahead of the counting of votes, the Election Commission of India on Monday (3rd June) called out Jairam Ramesh for his earlier remarks where he made unsubstantiated claims that Amit Shah called 150 DMs to intimidate them days ahead of counting.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar categorically rejected the allegations of the Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and asserted that it is not right to spread rumours and doubt everyone. He, however, emphasised that action would be taken against anyone who tries to influence election officials or the electoral process but the complainant has to give details before the counting process.
In a categorical rejection of Jairam Ramesh’s allegations, Kumar asked can someone influence all the district magistrates. Notably, during the election period, DMs and collectors serve as returning officers in their respective districts.
CEC Rajiv Kumar said, “Can someone influence them all? (district magistrates/returning officers) all? Can anyone influence 500-600 people? Tell us who did this. We will punish the person who did it. They should tell the details before counting the votes. It is not right that you spread a rumour and doubt everyone.”
#WATCH | On Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's allegations that Union HM called DMs/ROs (Returning Officers), CEC Rajiv Kumar says, "…Can someone influence them (DMs/ROs) all? Tell us who did this. We will punish the person who did it…It is not right that you spread a rumour and… pic.twitter.com/iejNzcZQ2G
Additionally, the ECI has also rejected the request of Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who sought 1 week time to respond to the ECI letter about his remarks. In the letter, the poll body had asked Jairam Ramesh to submit details about his claims that Amit Shah called 150 DMs to intimidate them. Rejecting one week’s time, the ECI asked him to reply by 7 pm today, June 3, as the counting of votes is due to take place tomorrow and the remarks have a bearing on the sanctity of elections.
The ECI letter stated, “Your allegations that attempts have been made to influence the DMs of around 150 constituencies who are also the ROs/DEOs has serious connotations and direct bearing on the sanctity of the counting process, scheduled for tomorrow.”
Further in the letter, the ECI noted that if Jairam Ramesh fails to file his response with details of his claim, it will be understood that he has nothing substantial to make such a claim. In that case, the ECI would proceed to take appropriate action, the letter added.
The development started after Congress party’s General Secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh shared a post on Saturday in which he alleged that Amit Shah was calling district magistrates and collectors and indulging in “blatant and brazen” intimidation.
Taking to X, Jairam Ramesh had alleged, “The outgoing home minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA Janbandhan will be victorious.”
Taking cognisance of his remarks, ECI on 2nd June had asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to share details about his claims by the day’s evening. Later, the Congress leader sought a one-week time to file a reply to ECI’s letter which was turned down by the poll body. It then asked him to submit his response by 7 PM on June 3, noting that failure to file a response would underscore that he has nothing substantial to make such a claim. The Commission had also noted that appropriate action would be taken in that case.
The Indian Opposition Parties have been looking for a narrative to claim ' Moral victory' on June 4 th.
Election Commission by not allowing Jairam Ramesh the extension of 7 days has called out yet another lie.
The Indian Opposition Parties should self introspect.
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)?? (@pradip103) June 3, 2024
OpIndia had earlier pointed out that even though virtually every allegation levelled by the opposition to sow distrust among the public about the election process and results have turned out to be based on unsubstantiated claims, hearsay, and blatant lies, the opposition has brazenly continued its smear campaign, as it capitalised on the absence of accountability for their defamatory remarks.
However, unsubstantiated and defamatory remarks may lead to legal consequences, as was witnessed in the case of Amit Shah’s doctored video which was peddled to spread blatant lies and fake news.
The Lok Sabha elections 2024 have concluded and only the vote count, and final results remain to be declared. Nearly all exit polls have forecast that the NDA alliance led by the BJP will win an absolute majority. This prediction has created a sense of despair in the INDI Alliance camp. Amidst all of this, West Bengal, which has 42 Lok Sabha seats, is also making headlines as the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to emerge as the largest party in the state for the first time. However, the same old situation continues in this state, which is notorious for post-poll violence.
In West Bengal, voting was conducted in seven phases. Sandeshkhali was also a major issue during the elections. In Basirhat (Lok Sabha seat under which Sandeshkhali falls), TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates were accused of sexually exploiting tribal women. He was arrested and the state government was seen protecting him.
There is no need to go too far back, just take into account the final phase of voting. Violence erupted in Sataulia, Bhangar in Jadhavpur, and Kolkata. The violence was not between the BJP and the TMC, but between supporters of Abbas Siddiqui’s party ISF and the CPI(M), which had ruled the state for 34 years. In Kultali, South 24 Parganas, an unruly mob gathered outside the polling booth and tossed the EVM into the pond.
The atmosphere in Sandeshkhali became so tense that local women were forced to take to the streets with bamboo sticks for protection. Several women have claimed that they are still in danger from Shahjahan Sheikh. TMC goons attacked BJP supporters in Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha seat of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Leftists were beaten up by TMC members in Ganguly Bagan, Jadhavpur. If this was not enough, stones were thrown at journalists in Itkhola, South 24 Parganas.
These were just the instances from the last phase, which were also documented by the media, just imagine the conditions in which the elections were held in all seven phases of West Bengal. And in what circumstances will the ballots be counted, and in what situation will BJP workers find themselves if their party wins the most seats? This has already started as Hafizul Sheikh, who had recently joined the BJP, was murdered in Nadia district. He was shot in the head at a tea stand with his head mutilated.
This is why, even though the polls are done and dusted, paramilitary forces will stay stationed in West Bengal for the next few days. The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) has deployed 400 companies in West Bengal. Even if the vote count is finished on the 4th of June as expected, and the results are announced, the troops will remain for the next two weeks. They have been asked to assume charge in Bengal until 19th June. It must be recalled that more than 50 people were killed during the Panchayat elections in 2023.
This is not the first time that this has happened in West Bengal, 1000 CAPF companies were deployed for the assembly elections in 2021 as well. In a scenario like this, you can comprehend how challenging it is for the Election Commission to organise elections in West Bengal. The elections also have to be held in several phases to negate the impact of violence. Similarly, there was violence during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well.
For the first time, the BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the TMC became the largest party with 22 seats. It was a watershed moment when the BJP increased its seat count from two to 18, while the Trinamool Congress lost its seat count from 34 to 22. Sensitive locations in West Bengal are now being identified and security is being enhanced to gear up for the vote counting. West Bengal is a state where enormous violence occurs both during and after elections.
What is crucial here is that no one is clamouring for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation or calling her a dictator. Propagandists like Dhruv Rathi are not uploading videos against her on YouTube, and international media organisations are not covering the deplorable state of affairs in West Bengal. The so-called ‘intellectuals’ were also not seen discussing it on television. Yet, the BJP, which is in power at the centre and whose people are being murdered, is undoubtedly being referred to as a dictator, and a sinister narrative is being pushed as part of the agenda.
Several cases of corruption are coming to the fore in West Bengal. Sandeshkhali villain Shahjahan Sheikh is also accused in the ration scam, and the ED team attempting to arrest him was attacked. Following the recruitment scam, the Calcutta High Court ousted over 25,000 newly hired teachers. Similarly, OBC certificates produced after 2010 were revoked since many Muslim castes were added to satisfy Muslims. West Bengal is also infamous for bribes with ‘cut money’, indicating that corruption has become entrenched in the ‘system’.
When West Bengal became a hotbed of electoral violence during the Left’s reign, the TMC actively promoted this culture. TMC leaders and cadre need to understand that this is a democratic election, not a war. In a democracy, the button is pressed with a finger rather than the trigger. In India, one has to exercise one’s right to vote without breaking anyone’s head. The people’s mandate is gracefully accepted instead of resorting to violence. The culture of violence is terrible, and not suitable for human beings.
Former BSF DG Prakash Singh explained the Election Commission’s latest decision, saying that under normal circumstances, after the formation of the government at the Centre and the administration in the state falling under the state government, the central government waits for the state to suggest whether paramilitary forces are needed there or not. Prakash Singh asserts that the recent case is extraordinary since the ECI issued this order. He adds that whether TMC or BJP wins more seats, there is a risk of violence in both circumstances.
“In normal circumstances, once a government is formed at the Centre and the government in the state is restored, the Centre awaits a recommendation from the state government on whether they need central forces or not. In this case, it seems to be extraordinary because ECI has given such an order. Although ECI has certain authority, it may be questioned as to why they have given such orders for a prolonged period (almost 15 days) after the declaration of results. Maybe BJP will get the majority of seats as is being said in exit polls, or TMC may get more, but in either case, I visualise a disturbed scenario. It is a very complicated and tricky situation in West Bengal. I endorse the ECI’s prognosis that there may be (post-poll) violence on some scale irrespective of the result,” Singh said.
STORY | 400 companies of central forces to stay in Bengal till June 19: EC official
VIDEO | “In normal circumstances, once a government is formed at the Centre and the government in the state is restored, the Centre awaits a recommendation from… pic.twitter.com/eGz45y6W2l
That is, whatever the outcome, there is a risk of violence. However, there is concern that the use of central forces is under the purview of the state government and that if the TMC administration will not utilise them in the event of unrest, the security forces will stay immobilised. The question is, what would happen in such a situation? Because the ruling party is accused of violence, they may use paramilitary forces. Let us see what West Bengal has in store this time.
The recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India saw unprecedented foreign interference aimed at regime change, a detailed new report by DisInfo Lab revealed, providing a lowdown on dubious entities and individuals who made strenuous efforts in their attempt to topple the incumbent Modi government.
From global manipulator George Soros and organisations linked to him to Western media press that runs sponsored pieces against the Modi government to Henry Luce Foundation that made donations to several anti-India groups and individuals, the DisInfo Lab uncovered disparate yet finely-tuned and highly coordinated attempt at interfering in the Indian elections and shaping public opinion to undermine the popular support enjoyed by the Modi government.
These elections saw the most intrusive foreign reporting – overwhelmingly negative and obviously brazen. Tropes from the ‘Western media’ heavily laced with hyper adjectives and double standards forcing a meta narrative into the bloodstream of internet.
Approximately 968 million eligible voters out of India’s 1.4 billion population had the chance to exercise their democratic rights and choose their future government, according to data from the ECI website. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was seeking its third consecutive term, while the opposition INDI Alliance aimed to bring about change in the world’s largest democracy.
Regrettably, while millions of Indians were determining their future, a segment of the global media and academia was allegedly attempting to influence their decisions through a coordinated and well-funded campaign. This influence campaign extended beyond Western media, with many Indian intermediaries playing a key role and being highly adaptable. The Western media’s coverage of Indian elections, with relentless scrutiny of everything from institutions to climate issues (one outlet criticized the ECI for holding elections during a hot summer month), warrants detailed analysis. Much of this coverage seemed far from organic, with an extraordinary number of articles, Op-Eds, and research papers focusing on the Indian elections in the last six months.
Amid the vast number of articles published or “commissioned” on Indian elections—many by institutions with a particular interest in India—one striking pattern emerged. South Asians are familiar with the Western media’s lingering colonial bias and supremacist undertones. However, the commentary on this Indian election had a notably distinct tone. Although the usual suspects like the BBC, Washington Post, and New York Times have long been known for their biased coverage of India, this election saw a more coordinated effort with new entrants.
A detailed analysis of global reports on the Indian elections revealed an unusual pattern of media coverage aimed at shaping a specific narrative and influencing voter opinion. Surprisingly, much of this influence came from the French media, including the influential and widely-read newspaper, Le Monde.
The most notable pattern was that these Op-Eds, articles, and papers were either authored by or based on interviews with one French political scientist and researcher, Christophe Jaffrelot. He emerged as a central figure in this research. Further analysis revealed that Jaffrelot was also the main source for many articles from other Western and Indian media platforms, particularly those focusing on the Indian elections.
However, he was not the only participant. Examining events and activities outside India leading up to and during the elections revealed a key pattern that connected all these events, individuals, and narratives—common funding.
The investigation tracks a discernible pattern with interconnected fronts directly funded by the Henry Luce Foundation (HLF) and George Soros’s Open Society Foundation (OSF). The groups and individuals mentioned in this report are part of a larger network based in France and the USA, funded by US-based philanthropic entities, to influence the outcome of the Indian elections.
One of the shocking revelations made in the report is about the active involvement of the French media in influencing the Indian elections. Numerous articles have emerged from portals such as Le Soir, La Croix (International), Le Temps, Reporterre, and Radio France Internationale (RFI), aiming to shape a narrative and influence public opinion on the Indian elections. Leading this effort was France’s oldest, most influential, and widely circulated newspaper, Le Monde. Le Monde alone published numerous articles with biased narratives, covering fabricated themes such as the rise of ‘Islamophobia in India’ and the ‘undemocratic nature’ of its political environment, to the ‘stigmatization of Muslims’ and ‘growing authoritarianism’.
Christophe Jaffrelot
This perversion in the French media is driven by none other than Christophe Jaffrelot. A French political scientist and Indologist who specializes in South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, Jaffrelot holds a PhD from Sciences Po University (1991) and, upon completing his doctorate, joined the Center for International Studies and Research (CERI) at Sciences Po as a social scientist. He currently serves as the Research Director at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS.
Additionally, Christophe has held positions as a Visiting Professor at Columbia University (September 2009-December 2009) and as a Global Scholar at Princeton University (July 2013-July 2016). He is currently the Avantha Chair and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King’s India Institute and the Research Lead for the Global Institutes at King’s College London. In July 2020, he became the President of the French Political Science Association, and in November 2023, he was appointed Chair of the British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS).
Notably, for the numerous articles, Op-Eds, and interviews that shaped narratives and micro-narratives about the Indian elections, the primary source was French political scientist and Indologist Christophe Jaffrelot (CJ). His influence was significant, as he was frequently quoted not only by French media outlets but also by Indian platforms such as The Indian Express and The Wire, where he was recognised as a political commentator and expert on Indian elections.
Christophe Jaffrelot and his protégé Gilles Verniers, through the Trivedi Centre for Political Data (TCPD) at Ashoka University, actively promoted the narrative that ‘lower castes’ were underrepresented in politics, citing the profile of MPs in the 2014 Lok Sabha.
However, the expert pair quickly shifted their stance when the 2019 Lok Sabha saw an increase in representation from lower castes.
Deeper scrutiny into CJ’s ‘academic work’ revealed that mentions of #castecensus reached an all-time high after his caste-based tropes in many Op-Eds authored by him. Jaffrelot authored a paper advocating for the necessity of a caste census in September 2021. Since then, it has been picked up by various ‘intellectuals’, western media houses, far-left Indian rags, and even opposition politicians in the country.
Yet, what was even more surprising was that the discussion on #CasteCensus didn’t appear entirely spontaneous, as evidenced by the posting patterns. There wasn’t a clear catalyst for the discourse, mirroring observations in news media from India to France. It seemed as if an ‘invisible hand’ was at play, DisInfo Lab report concluded.
Henry Luce Foundation and its funding to dubious anti-India organisations
Corresponding with the rise of the caste narrative and his unexpected popularity, Christophe Jaffrelot experienced a parallel development: he received substantial funding from the US-based ‘philanthropic’ organisation Henry Luce Foundation (HLF) during a similar timeframe.
Henry Luce Foundation (HLF)
HLF was founded by Henry Luce, known as the founder of TIME magazine. What is less known is Luce’s deep-state connections. Luce was born to Presbyterian Christian Missionaries and was significantly supported by another Presbyterian – Nancy McCormicks.… pic.twitter.com/bJ0nc5rYbm
The grant was channelled through the US arm of Sciences Po. Sciences Po operates its foundation in the US, known as the Sciences Po American Foundation, located in New York. This centre serves as the hub for Christophe Jaffrelot’s academic connections in the US. In January 2021, the US Sciences Po Foundation, in collaboration with two other American universities, Princeton University and Columbia University, initiated a research project titled ‘Muslims in a Time of Hindu Majoritarianism’, slated to run for three years (2021-2024). The Sciences Po American Foundation received a sum of USD 385,000 for the project in March 2020. However, the public announcement regarding this funding was made in 2021.
HLF funded organisations that later churned out propaganda reports on India
Since 2020-21, the HLF has awarded six significant grants to organizations for projects related to India, spanning the next three years. It’s crucial to emphasise the timeframe of “the next three years” since Lok Sabha elections were scheduled to take place in India in 2024. These organizations receiving funds from the Henry Luce Foundation (HLF) have raised concerns due to their previous activities, reports, physical events, and the creation of micro-narratives that depict a biased narrative against India. Some of these actions have already been brought to light by Disinfolab in previous reports.
In January 2021, the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (BCRPWA), located at Georgetown University, received a grant of USD 346,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation. Over three years later and just six months before the general elections, in October 2023, the Berkeley Center for Religion (BCRPWA) and the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy (TPNRD) jointly published a report titled ‘THE HINDU RIGHT AND INDIA’S RELIGIOUS DIPLOMACY’.
The story only begins now:
HLF has doled out funds to many other fronts – to ‘research’ on India. Most of which were funded around 2020/21 – for three years – till 2024!
These fronts, known for anti-India propaganda, had similar mandates.
The report discusses India’s investment in religious diplomacy with a Hindu-centric approach, and it concludes that India’s reputation has diminished in the eyes of Western governments and think tanks. Additionally, the report mentions the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation applied to India by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Another organization that has received funding from the Henry Luce Foundation is the Washington DC-based think tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). HLF provided funding to CEIP for projects related to India twice, in 2018 and 2020. In 2020, HLF granted USD 120,000 to CEIP for the project titled “Communalizing Citizenship in India”. Subsequently, two years later, on June 2, 2022, CEIP published a collection of essays on ‘Authoritarian Repression’, ‘Hindu Nationalism’, ‘the emerging Hindu vote’, etc.
Before the 2019 General elections, CEIP had received similar funding from the HLF. In November 2018, CEIP was granted a sum of USD 40,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation for a project named ‘Religious Populism and the Future of Indian Democracy’. Subsequently, on April 4, 2019, CEIP released a report titled ‘The BJP in Power: Indian Democracy and Religious Nationalism’.
Yet another dubious anti-India organisation that was a beneficiary of HLF’s grants was Human Rights Watch (HRW). In March 2020, Human Rights Watch (HRW) was granted USD 300,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation (HLF) to support research and documentation of religious intolerance and violence in three Asian countries. Although HLF and HRW did not specify the countries, the grant-making link URL revealed the names: Myanmar, Indonesia, and India.
The Political Conflict, Gender, and People’s Rights Initiative (PCRes) based at the Center for Race and Gender at the University of California Berkeley is among the primary recipients of funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. Before its rebranding in 2016, PCRes operated under the name Armed Conflict Resolution and People’s Rights Project (ACRes), established in 2012 at the Center for Social Sector Leadership, which is affiliated with the Haas School of Business (2012-2015).
HLF funded to Angana Chatterji’s PCRes; Chatterji was infamous for attending events on Kashimiri separatism by convicted ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai
One of the original co-chairs of the Armed Conflict Resolution and People’s Rights Project (ACR-PRP) is Angana P Chatterji. Additionally, she served as the co-founder and convener (2008-2012) of the People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice. Notably, she was among three Indians, along with Gautam Navalakha and Ved Bhasin, who attended events on Kashmir separatism organized by Ghulam Nabi Fai, a convicted ISI agent, at Capitol Hill.
Interestingly, in April 2021, The Political Conflict, Gender, and People’s Rights Initiative at the Center for Race and Gender (PCRes-CRG) was awarded a grant of USD 370,000 from the Henry Luce Foundation. The grant was provided “to investigate the divisions between citizenship, religion in the public sphere, and the concept of belonging in modern-day South Asia.” It is hardly a surprise that Christophe Jaffrelot is one of the Distinguished Scholars (non-resident) at PCRes.
Web of grants made by HLF (Source: DisInfo Lab)
Since October 2023, PCRes-CRG has hosted numerous events and webinars covering topics such as violence in Nuh (Haryana), Islamophobia, violence in Manipur (featuring Niang Hangzo, Co-Founder of NAMTA: North American Manipur Tribal Association), caste issues, Hindu nationalism, and the Indian elections of 2024.
In fact, amid the Indian elections, on April 26, 2024, PCRes hosted an online event titled “India Elections 2024: Hindu Nationalism, Ayodhya, and Dispossession” as part of the CRG Forum series. The event was co-sponsored by the Institute for South Asia Studies, the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, the Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies, and the Department of Anthropology at Stanford University.
Audrey Truschke, a professor at Rutgers University Newark, participated in the Indian Elections 2024 event organized by PCRes-CRG. Additionally, she is a member of the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC), established in July 2021, and has also been awarded grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, details of which will be discussed in the following chapter.
The newest addition to PCRes is Raqib Hameed Naik, based in the US and the founder of the now-banned Hindutva Watch portal in India. Hindutva Watch was prohibited in India in January 2024 for breaching the Information Technology Act of 2000. Raqib Hameed Naik has played a prominent role in shaping narratives related to Islamophobia and caste issues, as indicated by his articles published in Al Jazeera.
Soros, Ricken Patel, and ‘Friends of Democracy’
In March 2023, a new domain called Friends of Democracy (www.friends-of-democracy.net) was registered and went live in the following months. Based in New York, Friends of Democracy claims to oppose the ruling party in India to “save” Indian democracy, describing the country as one where democracy is precariously hanging by a “thread” due to the influence of big tech and Hindu “extremism.” Intriguingly, there is also a platform called Friends of Democracy PAC, co-founded by Jonathan Soros, the son of George Soros. It is too big a coincidence for the names to be identical.
Patel is a serial activist.
He had earlier founded AVAAZ; Respublica; & Moveon. He also served on the advisory board of Access Now.
All these fronts- Respublica, Avaaz, and Access Now have been funded by Open Society Foundations (OSF).
The chair of Friends of Democracy is Ricken Patel, who, according to further details on the website, was the founding CEO of Avaaz, one of the world’s leading democratic movements. On September 5, 2023, Friends of Democracy (FoD) published a blog titled, “India spent $61.2 billion on Russian fossil fuels since the start of the Ukraine war.” The article was administered by Respublica.
Ricken Patel, the chair of Friends of Democracy, is a Canadian-British activist and the founding President and CEO of Respublica, a British independent public policy think tank, founded in 2009, by English political philosopher, and Anglican theologian, Phillip Bond. Patel, in essence, is the go-to man for George Soros, the DisInfo Lab report says, adding that Respublica, Avaaz, and Access Now are all funded by Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF).
NAMATI, CPR and George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF)
Patel and OSF brings us to NAMATI, another dubious organisation engaged in anti-India activities. Founded in 2011, NAMATI is a non-profit legal advocacy organization based in the United States. George Soros, a significant donor to the organization through OSF, sits on its advisory board. Essentially, Namati serves as a legal empowerment partner for OSF.
NAMATI has also received funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, in addition to support from various other organizations such as the US Department of State, Luminate group, American Jewish World Service, and UK Aid, among others. On March 10, 2022, the Henry Luce Foundation contributed $300,000 to Namati for the purpose of “supporting grassroots policy development activities related to democracy, ethics, and public trust.”
In December 2022, the Income Tax Department issued a 33-page show cause notice to CPR, alleging that the think tank had engaged in activities that were “not in accordance with the objects and conditions subject to which it was registered.” The notice required CPR to provide an explanation for receiving donations from NAMATI, a Washington DC-based organization, and for purportedly using the funds for litigation and filing cases.
Identifying irregularities, the Government of India revoked the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of CPR on February 27, 2023, suspending it for 180 days due to violations discovered during the proceedings conducted by the IT Department.
The degree to which these attempts at building narratives aimed at undermining the current government of India, promoted by dubious individuals, interconnected web of suspicious organisations and malicious ‘activist-scholars’, influence Indian voters can only be speculated. However, it’s undeniable that these narratives do influence a section of population and seeks to exploit India’s many societal fault lines.
The same lobby that peddled the Islamophobia narrative for several years, had created and amplified the caste narrative in the last three years. Additionally, several prominent academicians, researchers, and educational institutions were involved in this drive, as reported by Times Now citing a dossier that exposes ‘foreign meddling’ in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Notably, Times Now on Monday (3rd June) reported that it has accessed a secret dossier exposing foreign meddling days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned about foreign interference in Indian elections. The development comes a day ahead of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections.
According to the Times Now report, the dossier is an open-source intelligence that has been compiled from various trends, especially over the last three years. The dossier accessed by Times Now highlights how certain narratives were created and amplified not just in the social media space, but also in academia, through political parties. It also highlights the funding for the same.
As per the dossier, the caste narrative pushed by the ‘opposition’ is also part of the propaganda. The open-source intelligence points to how the caste narrative was suddenly amplified in 2021. The dossier asserts that it was created in academia and several research papers were also commissioned for the same.
The dossier notes that several prominent academics, researchers, and educational institutions were also involved in this exercise. It also points out that the entire caste narrative was then picked up and propagated among the political circles.
The dossier further stated, “There is a very direct link to funding also that has been highlighted in the document, how there is an entire web where the same people who initially tried to propagate the ‘Islamophobia’ narrative within India between 2013 and 2021. From 2021 to 2024, the new thread that was picked up on was that of caste, why India needs caste census, and how certain castes are disadvantaged.”
On the eve of results day, TIMES NOW accesses a super secret dossier, which exposes 'foreign meddling' in polls.
It is an open-source intelligence, which points out that certain narratives were created & amplified across social media & academia… From 2021, this… pic.twitter.com/XO5zOIR0Mc
A day earlier, Union Minister Piyush Goyal lambasted the opposition I.N.D.I. Alliance for undermining the integrity of the electoral process. On Sunday, June 2, Goyal said, “The toolkit has come out with Delhi resolution on 28 May, they tend to undermine the electoral process, they mistrust our regulators and create unrest among civil society, Rahul Gandhi passed very uncharitable comments on media regarding Exit polls, we condemn this attack by Gandhi on media. He is trying to put pressure on the media with such comments.”
It is pertinent to note that on multiple occasions, PM Modi has warned about foreign interference in Indian elections. In an interview with IANS, he noted that it was a serious matter of investigation.
Responding to the issue of Foreign interference, PM Modi said, “I am not aware why certain people are liked by those who harbour animosity towards us. Why does support emerge from there (Pakistan) for a few individuals? This is a matter that requires thorough investigation.”
Furthermore, in an interview with Hindi broadcaster Times Now Navbharat, PM Modi acknowledged that there are active attempts to interfere with India’s elections from abroad. Regarding this, PM Modi had said, “Many in the world are trying to influence the election, which they shouldn’t be doing… They are not merely making comments or remarks, but trying to influence the election.”
However, PM Modi asserted, “They won’t have the guts to say anything after 4 June. They would witness the power of India, its democracy, and its voters on 4 June.”
Ahead of the 7th phase of Lok Sabha elections in the country, a pro-Congress ‘journalist’ named Kapil Komireddi cast aspersions on the Indian democracy under the Narendra Modi-led-BJP government.
While he is not the first one to carry out a hit job against the Modi government during elections, Kapil Komireddi chose to use his dead father to further his agenda.
And this goes on to show that some ‘journalists’ loyal to the Congress party could stoop to any level to disseminate their political propaganda.
Screengrab of the article written by Kapil Komireddi for The New Yorker
An imaginary fight to reclaim the Indian Republic
Kapil Komireddi wrote a vicious article titled “My Father’s Fate and India’s”, which was published in The New Yorker on Friday (31st May).
At the very onset, he reminisced how his deceased father would console friends and family about ordinary Indians reclaiming the Indian Republic from the Modi government.
“If you can bring yourself to look beyond the regime, you will see a people fighting with all their strength to preserve their dignity and realize the promise of democracy,” Kapil Komireddi recounted a statement allegedly made by his father in 2021.
In his desperate bid to suggest that the ordinary people of India somehow wanted to overthrow the Modi government, the pro-Congress ‘journalist’ conveniently forgot that the BJP was elected to power by the ordinary people.
The Indian experiment in democracy has not failed. It has spawned a tenacious citizenry that is staging the most spirited fight to preserve its rights and dignity. What lets it down is India's muddled opposition.
In 2014, the BJP got 17.16 crore votes (31% vote share) and emerged as the single largest party. In 2019, it was re-elected with an even bigger mandate of 22.90 crore votes (37.36% vote share).
If exit polls are to be believed, the saffron party is slated to win even more seats with a mammoth vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
If there was resentment among the common people as Kapil Komireddi’s late father had allegedly prophesied, it should have been reflected in the voting pattern by now.
In reality, the fight to reclaim the Indian Republic from the Modi government only seems to exist in the fantasy of the doomsday prophets and has no connection with ground reality.
A picturesque make-believe story
Kapil Komireddi, who had previously cried foul over the Central Vista Redevelopment Project in the National Capital, narrated a picturesque make-believe story involving his deceased father and (not surprisingly) a politically opinionated pro-Modi voter who has a change of heart.
The story revolves around the pro-Congress propagandist’s visit to Varanasi to scatter the ashes of his late father and an accidental meeting with a 29-year-old man named Ajit Kumar Singh.
According to Kapil Komireddi, Singh had voted for the BJP in 2014 but was left impoverished after the demonetisation exercise of 2016. The once pro-Modi voter had to quit studies to support his father, whose business was supposedly destroyed by the surgical strike on black money.
The same guy somehow voted for the BJP again in 2019 due to PM Modi’s supposed over-emphasis on the Hindu identity.
Towards the end of this make-believe story, the pro-Congress ‘journalist’ claimed that Singh had a change of heart and decided to vote against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“But now he was done. “All that has happened in the past five years is ‘Hindu-Muslim,’ ‘Hindu-Muslim,’ ” Singh said. “How is this going to fill my stomach? How will this get me a job?”“Kapil Komireddi concluded.
Madrassa education and a funeral story like no other
If we keep all his pre-conceived notions and concocted stories aside, we can focus on the most crucial aspect of Kapil Komireddi’s upbringing – He was enrolled in a madrassa (Islamic seminary) by his late father to teach him the ethos of ‘secularism.’
In his article for The New Yorker, the pro-Congress journalist wrote, “In the nineties, as India opened up its economy and Hindu nationalists began proliferating in Parliament, he (my father) enrolled me at a madrassa, an Islamic seminary, in the hope that the experience of mixing with Muslim children my age might inoculate me against the snare of Hindu-supremacist temptations later in life.”
The skewed understanding of secularism perhaps explains how the funeral of Kapil Komireddi’s late father became a spectacle for ‘inter-faith harmony’.
The controversial ‘journalist’ claimed, “A sea of mourners attended his funeral. They came uninvited. And it was in them that my father’s optimism about India, which had seemed so misplaced to me for many of the Modi years, truly cohered. A Muslim religious leader, blind and barely able to walk, threw himself on my father’s body and sobbed inconsolably. Then came a finely robed pastor, who whispered thanks in my father’s ear for having volunteered legal work for Christian communities. He read from the Bible. Only then did my father’s body pass to Hindu priests. None of this had been orchestrated. It was India being India.“
Nehruvian inclusivity that doesn’t spare the dead for politics
Towards the end of his long article, Kapil Komireddi highlighted how his late father was a follower of the inclusive nationalism of Jawaharlal Nehru.
“On the morning of April 5, 2023, my father died. He belonged to a generation of Indians who had internalized Nehru’s inclusive nationalism. Nearly killed in the carnage that attended the Partition, he sought throughout his life to defy the many attempts to deform India’s capacious character,” he wrote.
True to this deranged form of inclusivity, Kapil Komireddi could think about the Modi government while scattering his father’s ashes in Ganga.
“A year after my father’s departure, dispersing his ashes in the sacred waters of the Ganges, I came to share his hopefulness about our country. India, I felt, will pull through,” he wrote.
Conclusion
It’s fascinating how the pro-Congress ‘journalist’ managed to share the demise of his father and simultaneously weave his anti-Modi agenda in the form of a story.
To my mind, it is rather magical how different characters that Kapil Komireddi allegedly met during his trip to India align with his political ideology and help him further the Congress talking points.
It’s an unfortunate reality that political propagandists can now stoop as low as to not spare their deceased parents to cast aspersions on Indian democracy under Narendra Modi.
In Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, a case of gang rape of an 11th-class girl has come to the fore. The accused, identified as Irfan, lured the victim into the trap of friendship via Instagram through one of his friends. After this, Irfan and his accomplices gang-raped her and began harassing her by threatening to make the video viral. The accused Irfan also extorted Rs 5 lakh from the girl and later demanded Rs 10 lakh.
The police have now registered a case in this matter following the victim’s father’s complaint. The victim’s father told police that his daughter became friends with a girl at the coaching centre in October of 2023. The victim’s friend asked to become friends with Irfan on Instagram. The victim blocked the ID at that moment, but her friend persuaded her to befriend that boy. Then one day, the victim’s Instagram ID password was stolen and started being misused.
The victim was blackmailed using obscene chats made from her Instagram ID and was pressured into a physical relationship. The accused clicked obscene pictures of the victim and used them to extort money after threatening to make the photos viral online. This compelled the victim to steal money from her house and give it to the accused Irfan. Accused Irfan asked the victim to have sex with him when he came to collect money.
In March this year, Irfan demanded ten lakh rupees from the victim leaving her shocked. When her family members asked about the missing cash kept in the home, she disclosed what she had gone through. Subsequently, the victim’s father informed the police that his daughter had been gang raped by five people.
So far in this case, the primary accused, Irfan, his companion Arbaaz, and one other person have been arrested. Arvind Singh, CI of the Christian Ganj police station, stated that this is a serious case with the possibility of several other arrests. The search for the other accused persons is ongoing. Meanwhile, details about the girl who initiated the friendship are being looked into. The investigating officer stated that CO North Rudrapratap Sharma informed them that obscene photos were found on the accused Irfan’s phone adding that these will be forensically examined.
1992 Ajmer Sex Scandal
In 1992, the small town of Ajmer in Rajasthan woke up to a shameful, sordid scandal. The scandal involved hundreds of young girls, some college students while some others were still in school. The news of the scandal broke after a local paper, ‘Navjyoti’ published some nude images and a story that spoke about school students being blackmailed by local gangs.
It all started with Farooq Chishti grooming a female student of Sophia Senior Secondary School and raping her. He took objectionable photographs of the minor and threatened her to introduce other girls to him. Later, those girls were raped and blackmailed as well.
Farooq Chishti was the president of the Ajmer Youth Congress while two other accused, Nafis Chishti and Anwar Chishti were the vice-president and joint secretary respectively of the city Congress unit. In this case, some of the accused were the Chishti Khadims (caretakers) of the Ajmer Dargah.
Further investigations led to 18 men in total being charged in the case and tensions ran high in the town for several days. Most of the accused were Muslims, many from the families of Khadims, and most victims were young Hindu girls.
What followed next was another saga of political influence and administrative incompetence. There are speculations that the matter was suppressed to the point that many witnesses and victims turned hostile, and many details got buried. The witnesses and victims were threatened and blackmailed as well to stop them from coming forward. Some of them turned hostile due to social stigma.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its recent supplementary chargesheet filed in Delhi Court stated that the total Proceeds of Crime (PoC) identified so far is Rs 1100 Cr, out of which PoC of Rs 292.8 Cr is being dealt with in this Prosecution Complaint. The ED has recently filed a Supplementary prosecution chargesheet naming BR Leader K Kavitha and several others in connection with the Excise policy money laundering case.
The chargesheet stated that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha was involved in PoC of 292.8 crores out of which 100 crores are kickbacks to AAP leaders & 192.8 crores are profit of Indospirits. K Kavitha conspired with the members of the South Group and the AAP leaders through Vijay Nair (who was acting on behalf of the top leaders of the AAP) to pay kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 Cr and receive undue benefits.
Kavitha by way of conspiracy and formation of Indo Spirits has participated in the generation, acquisition and use of the PoC of Rs. 192.8 Cr which was derived as a result of the conspiracy of kickbacks and payment of kickbacks. By showing Indo Spirits as a genuine business entity and acquiring the PoC of Rs 192.8 Cr she is involved in projecting this PoC as genuine profit from a legitimate business, stated the chargesheet.
K Kavitha also received the PoC of Rs 5.5 Cr from M/s Indo Spirits in the name of her associate Abhishek Boinpally. K Kavitha by paying kickback to the Govt functionaries through their middleman has participated in the generation of PoC of Rs. 100 Cr. K Kavitha has then participated in the transfer of this PoC to the Govt functionaries, as stated in the chargesheet.
It also stated that K Kavitha actively destroyed the digital evidence to conceal her role and involvement in this scam. K Kavitha has deleted evidence and contents of her mobile phone. K Kavitha presented 9 phones for examination, these phones were formatted and had no data. She was evasive and couldn’t give any explanation for those formatted phones. Kavitha is also involved in acts of influencing the witnesses. Buchi Babu, CA of K Kavitha in his statement revealed that an associate of K Kavitha was being asked to retract his statements against Smt K Kavitha given on 23.02.2023 and 28.03.2023 to ED.
By way of participating in the conspiracy of formation of M/s Indo Spirits to recoup advance bribes of Rs. 100 Cr paid K. Kavitha is knowingly involved in the generation and transfer of PoC of Rs 100 Cr and the generation, acquisition, and possession of PoC Rs 192.8 Cr in the guise of profits generated by Indo Spirits (accused no. 4) during November 2021-August 2022. For acquiring this PoC, Smt K Kavitha in conspiracy with others, formed a partnership concern using dummies/proxy persons and projected them as genuine business partners. Further, she is also involved in the possession of Rs 32 cr approx. Through her proxy Arun Pillai which is part of her share of profits in M/s Indo Spirits. The same is recoupment of advance kickbacks paid. In this manner, Kavitha is involved in the generation, acquisition of Rs 192.8 Cr. possession and projection of the POC as untainted.
On May 29, 2024, the Rouse Avenue Court took cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate’s supplementary prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) filed against BRS Leader K Kavitha and others in connection with the Excise policy money laundering case.
The chargesheet was filed against BRS Leader K Kavitha and other accused namely Chanpreet Singh, Damodar Sharma Prince Kumar and Arvind Singh.
On May 6, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi dismissed the bail petitions moved by Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in connection with CBI and ED cases related to the Excise Policy case.
BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15, 2024 and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024.
Earlier, CBI through remand application stated that “Kavitha Kalvakuntla was required to be arrested in the instant case to conduct her custodial interrogation for confronting her with the evidence and witnesses to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched among the accused, suspect persons regarding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy, as well as to establish the money trail of ill-gotten money generated and to establish the role of other accused/suspect persons, including public servants, as well as to unearth the facts which are in her exclusive knowledge.”
The CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.
The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.
As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.
Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On May 28th, a 23-year-old Indian student Nisheetha Kandula went missing in the US state of California. Now, the authorities have appealed to the public for help in finding the missing California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) student. Several similar cases involving Indian students have been reported in recent months in the US.
Taking to X on Sunday (2nd June), CSUSB police chief John Guttierez said that Kandula was last seen in Los Angeles and was reported missing on the 30th of May.
“#MissingPersonAlert: California State University, San Bernardino Police along with our partners in #LAPD, is asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of @CSUSBNews Nitheesha Kandula, to contact us at: (909) 537-5165,” Guttierez posted.
#MissingPersonAlert: California State University, San Bernardino Police along with our partners in #LAPD, is asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of @CSUSBNews Nitheesha Kandula, to contact us at: (909) 537-5165. pic.twitter.com/pZaJ35iwuq
— Chief John Guttierez (@guttierez_john) June 1, 2024
According to a written statement from the police, the missing Indian student is 5’6″ tall, weighs around 160 pounds (72.5 kg), and has black hair and eyes. The police said that Nisheetha Kandula was driving a Toyota Corolla that was licenced in California.
“Anyone with information is urged to contact the CSUSB Police Department at (909) 538-7777, or the LAPD’s Southwest Division at (213) 485-2582,” the police statement adds.
Notably, in April this year, a similar incident was reported wherein a 25-year-old Indian student Mohammed Abdul Arfath, who was missing since March this year, was found dead in the US state of Ohio. As reported earlier, Arafat, a native of Hyderabad, went to the US for his Master’s degree in IT from Cleveland University was missing since March 7 this year. His father, Mohd Saleem, said that after ten days, they received a phone call from an unidentified person who claimed Arafat had been kidnapped and demanded a USD 1200 ransom for his release.
This follows a string of strange disappearances and deaths of Indian students in the United States of America.
Earlier on 5th April, it was reported that an Indian student named Uma Satya Sai Gadde died in the US state of Ohio. The cause of death remains unknown.
A 23-year-old engineering student at Boston University, Paruchuri Abhijit, was found dead in an abandoned car on 11th March this year. He hailed from the Burripalem in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Abhijit is believed to have been murdered by unidentified assailants.
On 27th February, Indian dancer Amarnath Ghosh was murdered by unidentified men while he was out in the St Louis Academy neighbourhood.
On 2nd February, a 41-year-old Indian-origin man named Vivek Taneja succumbed to his injuries after being grievously assaulted by an unidentified man in downtown Washington in the United States.
A day earlier, Shreyas Reddy Beningeri, who had been pursuing a graduate degree from Lindner School of Business, died in Ohio.
One Neel Acharya, an Indian student pursuing a double master’s at the Purdue University in Indiana, went missing on 31st January. Later, his dead body was recovered by the police.
Earlier on 20th January, Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old Indian-American student, was found dead near the University of Illinois. He reportedly froze to death after being denied entry into a nightclub.
Another Indian student Vivek Saini was brutally killed with repeated blows from a hammer by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia, US on January 16th this year.
Two students named Nikesh and Gattu Dinesh were found dead in their room in Connecticut in the United States on 14th January 2024. They were students of the Sacred Heart University and believed to have died due to ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’.
Besides the 11 cases of mysterious death, an Indian student named Sameer Kamath committed suicide on 5th February while another student named Venkataramana Pittala died in a jet-ski accident.
