Sudhir Suri, the slain Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader, had received a threat call from the United Kingdom (UK) the night before his murder, and his family continued to receive such calls, his son Manik Suri revealed on Saturday. The Hindu leader was shot dead in broad daylight in Amritsar, Punjab on Friday (November 4). Following the incident, a pro-Khalistani group Justice League India claimed responsibility for the killing.
The caller, Manik Suri added, introduced himself as Amritpal Singh and stated his intention to send some men over. Manik added that the attack on his father was a “planned” one.
“There was a threat call the night before the incident. My father received a call from the UK. The caller introduced himself as Amritpal Singh and said he was sending some men and that his ‘deal is done’… It was planned, four bullets hit him,” Manik was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
There was a threat call the night before the incident. My father received a call from the UK. The caller introduced himself as Amritpal Singh & said he was sending some men & his deal is done…It was planned,4 bullets hit him: Manik Suri,son of slain Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri pic.twitter.com/Tb3X3FslE2
Deceased Sudhir Suri’s son also demanded martyrdom for his father and the suspension of negligent cops, among other things. He said that his family has refused to cremate Sudhir Suri’s body in case the government failed to announce him a martyr.
They also asked the government to ensure security for the family.
“We’re (Suri’s family) receiving threatening calls from outside. We’ve told the DGP and given it in writing too. We’re demanding the status of a martyr for my father, suspension of negligent officers and security and another accommodation for us. Won’t cremate him until our demands are met,” he added.
Notably, many eyewitnesses to the crime have spoken to the media, accusing the Punjab police of gross negligence in handling the incident of the attack on the Hindu leader. Rahul Sharma, the general secretary of Shiv Sena Taksali who was present there when the incident occurred, told Aaj Tak that when Suri was shot at with point blank range, two SHOs and an ACP were present at the site but they did nothing.
Republic TV also quoted an eyewitness as stating that multiple rounds were fired. “All the police were standing and watching. They ran away in front of them. All were watching and stunned,” he said.
Prior to this, OpIndia reported that a pro-Khalistani group named Justice League India claimed responsibility for the killing. Along with it, a video has emerged in which Pakistan-based pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla is seen celebrating the execution of the Hindu leader while also warning those in Punjab who follow similar ideologies that they will be killed as well.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Singh, the prime suspect in the murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri, appeared in court on Saturday and was sentenced to seven days in police custody.
On Friday (November 4), a video of Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad attempting to convert Sri Lankan cricketing legend TM Dilshan to Islam went viral on social media.
A 21-second long video clip of the incident was shared on Twitter by a user named Incognito X (@Incognito_jkl). “If you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven,” Shehzad was heard as saying.
Dilshan did not seem to pay any heed to the comments of the Pakistani cricketer. However, when the Sri Lankan legend finally responded (which was not captured by the microphone), Ahmed Shehzad warned, “Then be ready for the (Hell) fire.”
While reflecting on the on-field proselytization by the Pakistani cricketer, the Twitter user wrote, “Pakistan Cricket Team has 11 maulvis (clerics), not 11 cricketers.”
The Origins of the viral video
The viral video, dating back to August 30, 2014, was shot during the 3rd ODI match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The match was hosted at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium by the island nation.
During the 50-over encounter, Sri Lanka dismissed Pakistan for a paltry score of 102. TM Dilshan went on to score an unbeaten half-century and the hosts went on to win the match by 7 wickets (in accordance with the Duckworth-Lewis method).
Although Dilshan did not register a formal complaint, an official inquiry was initiated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). As per reports, TM Dilshan was born to a Muslim father and a Buddhist mother.
Following his international debut in 1999, he dropped his Muslim name ‘Tuwan Mohamed Dilshan.’ Thereafter, the Sri Lankan legend adopted his mother’s Sinhalese-Buddhist identity under the name Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan.
Similarly, many other Pakistani cricketers, mostly former players such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Muhammad Yusuf, Saqlain Mushtaq, and other have taken to Islamic preaching after announcing their retirement. Some of them have continued being connected with cricket in some or the other capacity, but that has not stopped them from routinely conducting sessions to preach Islamic religious scriptures.
Mohammad Rizwan invokes Allah in a match against the Netherlands
Being overtly religious and becoming an Islamic scholar is not just an exclusive preserve of the former Pakistani cricketers, for whom there are scarce economic opportunities after hanging up their booths in a country starkly polarised by Islamic extremism. Even the current crop of cricketers has displayed an evangelical zeal to proselytise the infidels and propagate their religion.
For instance, Mohammad Rizwan, the prolific run-scorer for Pakistan, has been one of the most ardent proponents of spreading Islam. Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, who was appointed as the Batting Coach of the Pakistan cricket team for the 2021 T20 World Cup, had in November 2021 made a startling revelation when he said that Mohammad Rizwan gifted him an English version of a copy of Quran.
Talking about the moment when he was given the book, Hayden said, “It was Rizzy (Mohammad Rizwan) and I have to say it was a beautiful moment I will never forget. I am curious about Islam even though I am a Christian. One follows Christ and the other Muhammad and in a sense never shall meet but he presented me with an English version of the Quran. We sat on the floor for half an hour and talked through it. I am reading a bit of it each day. Rizzy is one of my favourite individuals, a champion human being.”
More recently, Rizwan was caught on stump mic telling a Dutch player that he believed in Allah and not in the game situation. Rizwan reportedly made the comments during Pakistan vs Netherlands match, played on October 30 in the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. Pakistan is currently third on the points table and is all but certain of going back home without qualifying for the semis.
Not just this, Rizwan is also known for taking time out of his busy cricket schedule and preaching Islam in mosques and madarsas. Several videos of the cricketer preaching Islam and its teachings distilled from the Quran have gone viral on the internet.
In fact, not just in Pakistan, Rizwan also finds time to preach Islam on international tours to foreign countries. Recently, social media websites were awash with a video of him preaching Islam in a mosque in Melbourne amid the Pakistan cricket team’s world cup campaign.
Radhika Roy, the former associate editor with Live Law, recently had a meltdown on Twitter after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju continued his relentless attack against the collegium system for the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts.
“These speeches by Kiren Rijiju are unbecoming of the Law Minister of the country. He sounds like a sympathy-seeking jilted lover being scorned by the Supreme Court,” Roy tweeted.
Source: Twitter
Roy’s vituperation came in the wake of Rijiju’s acerbic comment against the Collegium system, which he said was “opaque” and reflected the thoughts of lawyers and judges.
“No system can be 100% perfect. But we need to strive for a better system. When Parliament passed the National Judicial Commission Act in 2015, the SC struck it down. They should have told us which system would be better,” Rijiju said.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave this week, Rijiju said he was not satisfied with the collegium system, adding that a majority of judges agreed with him.
“Judges are not happy with the collegium system today. The high court collegium comprises the Chief Justice of India and two senior-most judges who decide [on the appointment of judges]. For the Supreme Court, there are five members,” he explained.
Highlighting flaws in the system, Rijiju said the Collegium system by design would lead to the appointment of judges that are known to the consultee judge. “A consultee judge will recommend only those whom he knows. They won’t recommend someone they don’t know even if s/he is qualified and fit enough to be a judge of the SC or HC,” he said.
The Union Law Minister further added that he is opposed to this selection from private circles. “The fittest of the candidates should be elevated as judges; not the person whom the consultees know,” he said.
Even so, this is not the first time that Kiren Rijiju has spoken his heart out on his views on the Collegium system. He has persistently criticised the system he says is not transparent.
Earlier in October 2022, Rijiju had said that judges spend half their time spent in deciding who to appoint as judges instead of delivering justice, as he termed the collegium system “opaque” and described the Indian selection system as the only one where judges appoint judges.
“The primary task of a judge is to deliver justice to the people. What I see as a law minister (is that) half the time of the judges is spent on deciding who would become the next judge rather than giving justice,” Rijiju had said.
Former Gujarat MLA Indranil Rajguru deserted the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Congress party on Friday, claiming that the party is corrupt and that a lot of money comes to its office. Rajguru, in a strange allegation, also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party chose the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate. This follows after AAP announced Isudan Gadhvi as its face for CM in the Gujarat elections.
In a press conference, Indranil Rajguru stated, “After I returned to Congress, AAP alleged I wanted to be CM face & demanded tickets for 15 people. CM face was pre-decided… I was told not to insist & that list comes from Kamalam (Gujarat BJP HQ) & they’ve to go with it.”
I also saw a lot of money coming & asked where is it from. Both CMs(Kejriwal & Mann)had come to Rajkot & it was then that I asked about it, they signaled (shows an airborne aircraft) & said that’s how. It’s a party that befools people. So, I returned to Congress: Indranil Rajguru pic.twitter.com/mGX976sxED
“I also saw a lot of money coming and asked where is it from. Both CMs (Kejriwal & Mann) had come to Rajkot and it was then that I asked about it, they signaled (shows an airborne aircraft) and said that’s how. It’s a party that befools people. So, I returned to Congress,” Rajguru further said.
One of the few AAP leaders in Gujarat who has run for and won an assembly election before is Rajguru, a builder from Rajkot. In 2012, Rajguru won a seat in the Rajkot-East assembly. He received the Congress’ nomination to challenge Vijay Rupani, the previous chief minister, for the Rajkot-West seat in 2017. Rupani, who received 61% of the vote, ultimately beat Rajguru in the campaign.
Rajguru left Congress a year later due to his displeasure with the party’s leadership, but he returned in 2019 and pushed for Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. In order to join AAP, he again resigned in April 2022. Rajguru then commended Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the AAP, stating he stands up for the common man.
Rajguru joined the Congress in the presence of key leaders such as Sukhram Rathava, Jagdish Thakor, Raghu Sharma, the AICC’s Gujarat representative, and others.
Notably, the competition for Gujarat has heated up, with the BJP and the AAP emerging as the frontrunners. The BJP won 99 of the 182 seats in 2017, while the Congress won 77. In the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the ruling party is vying for a sixth consecutive term.
On Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into suspected anomalies in the now defunct excise policy. “The agency is questioning Devendra Sharma and recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)”, the ED said.
According to the reports, the ED officials conducted raids at Sharma’s residence. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took cognizance of the incident and blatantly cornered the BJP for misusing the central agency. He said that his assistant had been arrested and that the arrest was made due to fear of defeat in elections.
इन्होंने झूठी FIR कर मेरे घर रेड करवाई, बैंक लॉकर तलाश लिए, मेरे गाँव में जाँच कर ली लेकिन मेरे ख़िलाफ़ कहीं कुछ नहीं मिला आज इन्होंने मेरे PA के घर पर ईडी की रेड करी वहाँ भी कुछ नहीं मिला तो अब उसको गिरफ़्तार कर के ले गये है.
“They raided my house by filing a false FIR, searched for bank lockers, and checked in my village but nothing was found against me anywhere. Today, they raided my PA’s house and did not find anything there, so now they have arrested him and taken him away. BJP people! So much fear of defeat in elections”, Sisodiya tweeted.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) listed Sisodia as an accused in an FIR filed in August over suspected anomalies in the Delhi liquor policy. On August 19, the CBI raided 31 locations around the country, including Sisodia’s home. While Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it was an effort to coerce Sisodia and other MLAs into joining the BJP and destabilizing the government, the BJP denied the allegations.
The CBI summoned the Delhi minister for interrogation last month. Following this, Sisodia had claimed that after nine hours of questioning, he was forced to quit AAP and that the case against him intended to ensure the success of ‘Operation Lotus’.
However, the CBI later published a statement rejecting Sisodia’s accusations, claiming that he was examined only on the charges in the First Information Report and the material gathered throughout the investigation. The excise scheme came under scrutiny when the Delhi LG proposed a CBI investigation into potential anomalies in the execution of Delhi’s Excise Policy 2021-22. In addition, the LG suspended 11 excise officers.
A day after the Madras High Court had allowed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to hold its route march processions in 44 places in Tamil Nadu out of the proposed 50 places, the organisation had decided to postpone the rally planned to be held on 6th November 2022. While the High Court judgement had come as a victory for the Sangh against the Tamil Nadu government which was not granting permissions for the program, the organisation has decided not to hold the march as planned as the Madras High Court imposed conditions and restrictions on conducting the route march while granting permission for the same. RSS decided to postpone the event after it was learnt that the court has ordered the rallies to be held in indoor places or confined grounds only.
RSS had asked for permission for marches at 50 places. The court nodded to hold the programs at 44 places in the state and imposed several conditions and restrictions on them. In view of such an order, the RSS has now decided to challenge the order of the High Court.
The High Court allowed holding rallies at 44 places instead of 50
On Friday, November 4, The RSS was permitted to conduct route marches and have public gatherings at 44 locations around Tamil Nadu by a single-judge bench presided over by Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan. Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan reprimanded the police for not allowing rallies at 47 places in the state only on the basis of information received from the intelligence department, and also issued instructions to it to hold rallies at 44 places. The court said that there was nothing adverse in the intelligence reports cited by the police while denying permission. The High Court order came after Tamil Nadu police denied permission for the march despite court orders asking to grant the permission.
However, the judge’s logic behind not allowing the rally at six places was that the situation in those places in the state was not right. The six places where the RSS did not get permission to hold the rally are Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Pollachi (all three parts of Coimbatore district), Palladam in Tirupur district, Arumanai in Kanyakumari district and Nagercoil.
Various conditions were imposed on the RSS rallies
Besides, the court also imposed certain conditions on the permitted rallies, including the stipulation that the rallies must be held in indoor stadiums or such enclosed facilities. The Madras High Court had said that nothing should be said in Sangh rallies about the organizations banned by the central government. At the same time, the RSS members should not speak or work on any issue that affects the autonomy and integrity of the country. Apart from this, the workers attending the rally were also banned from bringing sticks and any other kind of items which may cause injury.
The Madras High Court bench had said that an undertaking can also be taken from the RSS for these rallies, which ensures that any loss of public or private property will be compensated by the Sangh itself. The court had said that if any of these conditions are not met, then the police authorities are free to take the necessary action as per the law. The court had said that the rallies will have to be conducted peacefully, otherwise, RSS will face consequences.
RSS postponed the program and decided to challenge the order
When detailed order from the High Court was made available, the terms and conditions imposed became clear. Following this, the RSS top leadership held a meeting on 5th November 2022 and decided to postpone it and to challenge the order. The organisation particularly objected to the condition that marches must be held inside indoor places only. R. Vanniyarajan, president of South Zone RSS, said in a statement, “The Madras High Court ruling imposed restrictions on conducting the route march — it could be held only indoors in an auditorium or within four walls of the compound. This is unacceptable to us.”
He added, “Across India including places like Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and West Bengal, the route marches were being held in public roads and the Madras High Court verdict is not acceptable to us.”
Rabu Manohar, the advocate representing RSS said, “the judgment was delivered by the high court yesterday. Initially it was said that permission was given for 44 places and it was deferred in 6 places. When we saw the order, we came to know that in all the 44 places, permission was given inside closed premises or a stadium and for such events permission is not needed.”
RSS leaders said that the route marches are meant to be held on roads and streets and not inside stadiums or grounds, therefore they can’t hold it as per court orders.
The organisation had originally planned to hold the route march at 50 places in Tamil Nadu on October 2, but as the Tamil Nadu government denied permission for the same, it was rescheduled for November 5.
On Friday (November 4), former minister and AAP legislator Rajendra Pal Gautam revealed his nefarious agenda of converting India into a Buddhist-majority nation.
He made the remarks during an interview with ‘journalist’ Arfa Khanum Sherwani of The Wire. At about 15 minutes into the conversation, he said, “People who want to fight against those indulging in politics of religion and majoritarianism must come forward.”
He followed it up with comments about turning this country into a non-Hindu majority. “They are going to remain a majority, only for a few years’ time. I have not resigned from the party without any goal in mind,” the AAP MLA contended. Rajendra Pal Gautam said that the way the majority population (Hindus) was spreading terror in the country, they would soon turn into the majority.
He then attempted to rationalise his sinister plans by painting the Hindu community as inherently ‘violent and discriminatory.’
Rajendra Pal Gautam claimed, “The only way to stop them (Hindus) from striking fear in people’s hearts, creating chaos in the name of caste and religion and terrorising people is to make them a minority.”
“They (Hindus) will soon become a minority, won’t stay majority for long,” he asserted. The AAP MLA claimed that the SC/ST community will convert to Buddhism en masse, owing to the supposed ‘atrocities’ committed by the Hindu majority on them.
Half of the country will convert to Buddhism in 5-6 years: Rajendra Pal Gautam
He claimed, “Over 110 crore people in this country belong to SC/ST community. Within 5-6 years, they will all convert to Buddhism. Let’s see who will remain the majority after that.” He also added that 2 lakh people had converted to Buddhism this year.
Rajendra Pal Gautam then tried to undo the damage by ironically claiming that he did not believe in the concept of ‘majority’ or ‘minority’ and how he upheld the concept of ‘unity in diversity.’
Later, he warned political parties to end ‘caste-based discrimination’ or else risk the conversion of India into a Buddhist-majority country.
The Wire journalist wants SC/ST communities to shed their Hindu identity
At about 17 minutes into the conversation, Arfa Khanum Sherwani lamented about the ‘Sanskritisation/ Hinduisation’ of the SC/ ST communities.
“Will people like you be able to stop it (detach them from this Hindu identity)?” she asked.
The AAP MLA remarked, “I have resigned so as to achieve this objective. We have created teams in a bid to reach each and every household and make people distinguish between good and bad (brainwash them to convert).”
Rajendra Pal Gautam peddles conspiracy theory and disinformation
During the interview, he said that a survey conducted by him concluded that 98% of top Judges, bureaucrats and government officials have studied in government schools.
Rajendra Pal Gautam then insinuated that the mushrooming of private schools is being facilitated to ‘stop’ poor, Dalit children from reaching positions of power.
“Our survey found that 98% of those in powerful positions studied in government schools. It means quality education was being provided by these institutes. In the past 40 years, government schools have been weakened and private schools have been incentivised. What is this conspiracy?” he claimed.
“The conspiracy is to keep poor Dalit children out of schools and condemn them to a life of labourers,” the AAP MLA continued. During the interview, he also reiterated the fake news that PM Modi promised 2 crore jobs to the people of India.
He kept on berating others for indulging in politics of religion (Dharam ki Rajneeti)while revealing his sinister plans of converting vulnerable factions of the Hindu community to Buddhism.
AAP MLA compares himself to Ambedkar
The former AAP MLA likened himself to BR Ambedkar for resigning from the Delhi cabinet of the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It must be mentioned that BR Ambedkar resigned from the Nehru cabinet in 1951 after the government backtracked on the Hindu Code Bill.
Rajendra Pal Gautam compared that historical event to that of his own resignation from AAP, which was done as a face-saving measure ahead of the 2022 Gujarat polls.
“I am experiencing the same euphoria that BR Ambedkar must have felt. Not everyone gets to experience this feeling,” he emphasised.
Rajendra Pal Gautam participated in the event where 10000 Hindus were converted
On October 5, he was spotted at an event where 10,000 Hindus were converted en masse to Buddhism. The controversial event, organised by the Buddhist Society of India, was conducted at the Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi.
The AAP leader had tweeted, “With the support of Mission Jai Bhim”, more than 10,000 intellectuals took a pledge to make a caste-free and untouchable India by converting to the Faith of Gautam Buddha.” The archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.
During the event, Rajendra Pal Gautam urged Hindus to renounce their Faith and tread the path of Dr Ambedkar. “If you don’t want to be called a traitor, then, we need to spread this message of BR Ambedkar to every household,” he said.
“If caste has been made by nature, why there is no caste in France, China, Korea, Australia, or New Zealand?” the AAP leader displayed his ignorance about social hierarchy and affirmative action in other nations.
“Who benefitted from this caste system and who suffered the most? BR Ambedkar had found the medicine to this disease and we are now spreading it,” he was heard as saying.
Rajendra Pal Gautam also lamented how BR Ambedkar died within a month of converting to Buddhism and failed to convert the whole nation. Known as Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din, Ambedkar converted to Lord Buddha’s Faith on October 14, 1956, along with 3,80,000 of his followers.
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have registered a case against noted music composer Devi Sri Prasad, popularly known as DSP, in the wake of a complaint alleging that his recent song hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus. The complaint against the music director of the Telugu blockbuster movie Pushpa’s famous song Oo Antava was registered on November 2 for his recently released Hindi song O Pari. Based on the complaint, the Hyderabad police registered an FIR against DSP under IPC sections 153(A) and 295 (A).
The complaint was filed by actor Karate Kalyani, who is also the woman president of the Rashtriya Hindu Joint Action Committee, and Lalith Kumar, president of Hindu Janashakti, in connection with a song released by Devi Sri Prasad a month ago. The song titled ‘O Pari’ was released in different languages by T-series and has garnered over 20 million views on YouTube.
‘Skimpily dressed women reciting the Hindu devotional chant is offensive’, the complaint seeks apology from Telugu music composer DSP
Karate Kalyani’s complaint alleged that the song in question contained skimpily dressed women reciting the Hindu devotional chant ‘rama rama hare bolo krishna krishna hare,’ which offended Hindu religious sensitivities.
“This is not DSP’s first time abusing Hindu gods. He has already sung spiritual songs to the tune of item songs,” she wrote. The term “item song” refers to a snappy, lively, and frequently sexually explicit dance routine for a song in a film. The allegation refers to a statement made by DSP at a press conference in which he stated that all music, whether devotional or item tunes, was the same to him as a composer. He went on to sing a song that mixed devotional and item song tunes.
She further alleged that the lyricist of ‘O Pari,’ Raqueeb Alam, wrote the lyrics with the objective of offending Hindus. “As Hindus, we strongly believe that the lyricist does not value Hindu gods, which is the reason he wrote such lyrics to demean the Hindus. Despite being Hindu, Devi Sri Prasad has also become a partner in crime,” she asserted.
“If someone can’t say the complete verses of Bhagavad Gita or any other sacred hymns, we simply ask them to chant Hare Krishna Hare Ram,” said Kalyani, adding that even those lines are powerful. “Did he even once think how hurt we’ll all feel before putting out a song showcasing such provocative depictions “If you aren’t able to save what’s left of Hindu dharma, at least don’t disgrace it. That’s what we’re requesting. We are demanding your apology for the same. We demand the song be taken down. If necessary, we will even storm into his studio to make him hear us,” Kalyani added.
The complaint also demanded that action be taken against the music production company T-series, as well as the cast and crew participating in the song.
Speaking about the complaint, Prasad, ACP, Hyderabad Cyber Crime said, “On November 2, we received a complaint from Lalit Kumar as well as Karate Kalyani, an actor, regarding the song by music director Devi Sri Prasad. We will be enquiring into this matter as it is a legal issue.”
Based on the complaint, the police filed a case under sections 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Apart from singing the song, Rockstar DSP has also given music to it, and the video of the song features models Yvette, Shalae, Amarah and Maria.
How mocking Hindu faith and culture has become the new normal with celebrities, journalists and politicians
However, this is not the first time that members of the film industry have insulted Hindu gods and goddesses or openly mocked the Hindu faith and culture. In fact, everyone is aware of how anti-Hindu sentiment and Hinduphobia are subtly fostered in Bollywood films through one-sided, faulty, and fake stories. A similar strategy was adopted recently in the film Shamshera, in which the filmmakers portrayed the antagonist as a savage barbarian who is also a devout Hindu.
In fact, amidst the controversy over the comments on Prophet Muhammad by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and former Delhi BJP leader Naveen Jindal, OpIndia had presented an indicative and not an exhaustive list of instances where over the past few years, many celebrities, journalists and politicians have gotten away with abusing Hindu Gods without any backlash.
Elon Musk has just taken over Twitter. What more is 2022 going to do to the beleaguered left? While your guess is good as mine, there is not an iota of doubt that 2022, so far, has truly been a year of pleasant surprises like no other. And in India, as we watch many tall citadels carefully built over years, on the foundations of falsehoods and lies, come crashing before our very eyes, we sense this truth more closely than anywhere else.
Be it intellectual institutions, social media or even that otherwise incorrigible hotbed of mediocrity called Bollywood, it has been so hearty to see old strangleholds loosening and newer (dare I say, saner) discourses and players appearing. Most importantly, in 2022, the voice of the common citizen does seem to be ringing aloud. And what a glorious melody is it turning out to be.
That the Overton window was shifting was in no doubt at all. In Indian politics, especially, the change was marked back in 2014. The fear that this was an aberration was put to rest in 2019 (the oscillating fortunes of various political parties in state elections notwithstanding). In fact, I have always felt that Narendra Modi’s consecutive successes in the Lok Sabha elections were fueled by Hindu resurgence and not vice versa. But since this has been discussed ad nauseam, let’s not dwell on it further. And instead, look at the upheavals we are witnessing in 2022 in otherwise unexpected spheres on the ground. Especially away from the din of social media.
The shift begins
When celebrities first appeared on our TV screens in their non-filmy avatars, it was many moons ago. We were thrilled. Whether they lip-synced in unison to ‘mile sur mera tumhara’ and emphasized national unity, or highlighted the importance of polio vaccines, we idolized them and appreciated their noble gesture. In the decades that followed, as the economy opened, the endorsement extended to (sometimes dubious) brands and products, but we were happy to tolerate that too. But things started taking an ugly turn when in recent years some of them decided to model themselves after prophets and used advertisements as their medium of discourse on social reform. It did not slip anyone’s notice that invariably it was the Hindu who was their only target always. To burst crackers or not, to retain our wedding customs or not, was Karwa Chauth regressive or not, how Bindis as a symbol of identity were totally uncool and on a thousand other topics, Hindus were infantilized and lectured to.
Far from debating and discussing misgivings, if any, from learned acharyas or scholars the Hindu was expected to get her instruction from two-bit celebrities and ad agencies. As expected, the sanctimonious lectures got so out of hand, that the inevitable vocal and visible public disapproval followed. The latest one to join the ranks is repeat offender Aamir Khan whose banking ad (of all things!) had to be taken off air after public backlash. Finally, now that the so-called activists are doing a double take and slowing down on their activism, 2022 was the year when Diwali wishes from usual suspects looked like Diwali wishes and not some faux PETA ad.
Intellectual elitism had been another dearly held domain. Like many, I too in the past had been guilty of devouring the writings of the likes of Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy and taking their message to heart. In our defence, decades ago, I should say that contrarian opinions were so hard to find in the mainstream that many of us grew up as “secular, liberals” our minds poisoned by the trash spewed by these Naxals. However, 2022 (2021 itself, perhaps, to a great extent) is seeing a shift.
Alternative narratives (as found in J Sai Deepak’s or Vikram Sampath’s books) are not only generating curiosity but also making inroads into the mainstream. Be it primetime coverage in news channels or reviews in (otherwise secular) portals like LinkedIn, these dharmic voices are gaining not only readership but also widespread acceptance. How many times in the past have we found books such as these consistently in the list of bestsellers? Finally, in 2022, we are seeing that owning up to one’s Hindu identity is no longer taboo. I hope the day is not far off when we don’t have to handle more bitter truths of our traumatic past with kid gloves.
While these changes had been building up over time, being nurtured and grown over the foundation laid by Dharmic intellectuals of the past, something in 2022 came totally out of the left field that surprised the left and non-left alike. While the outright rejection of mainstream anti-Hindu Bollywood and welcoming of regional movies had been brewing for some time now, what is truly jaw-dropping has been the pan- Indian audience’s unapologetic thumbs-up to low-budgeted and otherwise nondescript movies that unabashedly asserted their Hindu identity.
As if the tremors unleashed on Bollywood by Kashmir Files earlier this year was not enough, the tectonic shift called Kantara chose to occur later in the year. And what a magnificent event it has been! A whole month later, the effect that movie has had on viewers is yet to wane. The left ecosystem as usual tried to stifle the successes of both movies (by calling the Kashmir Files a fabricated story and in the case of the latter by trying to dissociate the culture depicted from Hinduism) but they failed spectacularly in both cases even as makers stood their ground, true to their vision and ideology.
At the risk of sounding over dramatic, I am tempted to paint this as a major civilizational change for us. Exactly two years ago, I lamented in my review (of Netflix’s A Suitable Boy) here that “As long as distortions and stereotypes are packaged glossily and sold well, they would remain entrenched as the unquestioned truth in the minds of large swathes of the viewing audiences. It is time for professional Hindu voices to learn to tell and sell our versions of our stories.” Now, less than 2 years later, in a happy turn of events, we have already had some great stories told on screen and received with resounding applause. This will only open the floodgates for more and more honest storytellers to follow, I hope.
In conclusion
As dharmic political superstars (who do not see the need for political correctness at the cost of Hindu identity) rise in all parts of the country, the Hindu society also seems to be finding its voice back. While the Nupur Sharma episode and Kanhaiya Lal incidents show that the Indian state still has a long way to go before dharma becomes a state policy in this land, this is still a hopeful start for us.
Is the much-awaited Dharmic ecosystem taking shape? I, for one, would certainly like to believe so. As the Samskrta saying goes,
Great tasks can be accomplished by judicious deployment of small things just as a rope woven together by using several strands of grass is able to hold in check the mighty intoxicated elephant
There is much ground to be covered, no doubt. Academics, judiciary, and a whole spectrum of territory remain out of reach yet, but if we as Hindus have finally started weaving together the various dharmic strands into a rope to tame the radical all-powerful adharmic forces at play, then more power to us, I say!
The US government-funded human rights ‘watchdog’ Freedom House, which had downgraded India from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’ based on The Wire’s now retracted reports on Tek Fog, has finally responded to OpIndia saying it has updated its FreedomOnTheNet 2022 report and claimed that Tek Fog stories had no impact on India’s score.
OpIndia had written to Freedom House on its Internet Freedom in India report that cited Tek Fog stories as one of the many instances to defend downgrading India’s status from free to partly free in 2022. While the US government-funded ‘watchdog’ did not initially respond to OpIndia’s queries, it finally did on Friday, brazening its stand about showing India in a bad light instead of apologising to its people for failing to conduct due diligence and using a fraudulent story to tarnish India’s reputation globally.
Freedom House claims The Wire’s Tek Fog story did not impact its downgrading of India’s score
“In light of the Wire’s removal of its Tek Fog stories pending an internal investigation, we’ve updated the #FreedomOnTheNet 2022 India report to add additional context and clarify those stories did not impact India’s score. Internet freedom in India remains ranked “Partly Free.” The score improved in 2022 as efforts to bridge digital divides yielded results,” Freedom House said in an email response to OpIndia.
In light of the Wire’s removal of its Tek Fog stories pending an internal investigation, we’ve updated the #FreedomOnTheNet 2022 India report to add additional context and clarify those stories did not impact India’s score. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/MvXEWw6Dru
“Still, misinformation in India is frequently shared online, and users face the risk of online harassment. The Wire’s 2022 Tek Fog stories did not factor into India’s #FreedomInTheWorld status change from “Free” to “Partly Free” in 2021, a full year prior. The downgrade was due to the govt’s crackdown on civil society and discrimination against Muslims,” the human rights ‘watchdog’ further added.
The updated report by Freedom House also included an Editor’s note, informing readers about the changes the organisation had to make in the light of The Wire’s withdrawal of Tek Fog stories. Besides the Editor’s note, the updated report also bears notes in places where it had originally included inferences from The Wire’s Tek Fog stories.
Source: Freedom House
Following the Meta fiasco, The Wire pulls down its Tek Fog story too
Earlier last month, The Wire suffered a series of embarrassments as it had to withdraw its reports on the Meta story, in which it had claimed that BJP’s Amit Malviya enjoyed special privilege with the social media giant and had the power of getting removed from any Instagram post that was against his liking. With the independent experts and social media users pointing out the glaring holes in The Wire’s allegations against Malviya and Meta, the leftist publication was forced to retract its story and announce an “internal assessment” over what went wrong in its reportage.
Days later, The Wire pulled down its Tek Fog story as well. Incidentally, one of the writers, who co-authored its Meta story, had co-authored some reports on Tek Fog too. Suspending its reports on Tek Fog, The Wire updated the links to them with a message that reads: “This story has been removed from public view pending the outcome of an internal review by The Wire. More details here.”
In its story from January 2022, The Wire claimed the existence of a fictitious and mysterious app named ‘Tek Fog’, which it said allowed BJP to bypass all security measures available in top social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram etc, and create and delete dozens of accounts at the click of a button. They claimed BJP could hijack social media trends and target hatred towards journalists using the app. They claimed that the app can bypass email and OTP verifications required to log on to those platforms to create temporary accounts.
Similar to the Meta story, netizens had exposed the massive loopholes in the Tek Fog story too. That story also entirely relied on ‘screenshots’ of the so-called app and didn’t have any other verifiable evidence. And again, like the Meta story, the Tek Fog story was also questioned by independent tech experts who had raised red flags about the assertions made by The Wire at the time of its reportage.
Nevertheless, several international organisations, including Freedom House, Washington Post, RSF, and others, sidestepped the scepticism voiced by independent researchers and extensively covered The Wire’s Tek Fog story, using it to defame India internationally.
How Freedom House’s report on Internet freedom in India continues to rely on prejudicial reportage, fake news, lies, and disinformation
Even though Freedom House has removed references to Tek Fog in its FreedomOnTheNet 2022 report on India and claimed that the story had no bearing on the country’s score, the index still relies on misleading claims, biased reportage, and disinformation to show India in a bad light.
For instance, India’s sovereign right to block YouTube channels that spewed hatred; undermined the country’s national security, and attempted to foment civil unrest, was cast as an attempt by the Centre to block content supposedly “protected by international human rights”.
In a section on legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity, Freedom House granted India a paltry 2 out 6 points, citing the rare network shutdowns imposed in the country, especially in the wake of protests that erupted following the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), when rioters in many parts of the country had gone on a rampage, vandalising public properties and indulging in unmitigated destruction.
The relevant section from the Freedom House’s report
In order to control escalation and prevent rioters from mobilising similar violent protests, local administrations in many places across the country imposed temporary network shutdowns. However, for the Freedom House, thwarting the orgy of violence and rioting amounted to restricting freedom.
To give a perspective, the Indian Railways alone suffered damages to the tune of Rs 88 crores because of rioting and vandalism by anti-CAA protesters.
Similarly, the Freedom House’s downgrading of India’s status also relied on the fake news peddled by Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, The Wire, and several other left-leaning websites about the assault of an elderly man in Ghaziabad.
The leftist propagandists had shared the video of the assault claiming that the Muslim man was thrashed because he had refused to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. However, police later revealed that the victim Saifi sold amulets for a living, and the accused were miffed after the amulet sold by him proved harmful to them.
The relevant section from the Freedom House’s report
The organisation has also used legal action against individuals as grounds for lowering India’s freedom status. It cited the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair as an instance that ‘journalists’ in India suffered prosecution at the hands of the police and state.
However, it conveniently skipped mentioning that Zubair was arrested for his disparaging posts against Hindu Gods on social media. After his Hinduphobic posts had gone viral on the internet, the Alt News co-founder promptly deactivated his Facebook account, presumably from the fear that users might dredge up more posts where he had insulted Hindu Gods and beliefs.
Zubair is also notorious for dog-whistling against former BJP leader Nupur Sharma by sharing an edited video of her statement on a Times Now debate that attracted the wrath of Islamists, who took to the streets chanting ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threats against Sharma and led to the deaths of unsuspecting Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe from Amravati, who dared to extend their solidarity against the beleaguered leader.
Likewise, the human rights ‘watchdog’ also highlighted corrective action against donation-fraud accused Rana Ayyub as politically motivated. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier this year accused Rana Ayyub of raising funds from the public for herself.
“Investigation by ED further revealed that Ms Rana Ayyub illegally raised Rs. 2.69 Crore by launching three online campaigns in the name of charity by cheating the general public donors. These funds were not used for the intended purpose but instead used for the creation of assets for herself. Ms Rana Ayyub has tried to project these funds as untainted and thus has laundered the funds received from the general public,” the agency said.
But the Freedom House cited the inquiry into a potential fraud carried out by Rana Ayyub as an attempt to subject individuals to extralegal intimidation or physical violence by state authorities in relation to their online activities.
The said incidents reflect a small sample of prejudicial reportage and disinformation that populate Freedom House’s report and have a bearing on India’s score. It is in no way an exhaustive list of instances where the organisation has relied on half-truths, lies, propaganda, and fake news to tarnish India’s reputation internationally.
Taken together—the unsatisfactory clarification of the Tek Fog story—and the references mentioned in Freedom House’s Free On The Net 2022 report demonstrate that the organisation is not only adamant in its negative coverage of India, but it is also remorseless of leaning on fake news and disinformation for its ratings.
