According to a recent court judgment, showing the middle finger to a woman tantamount to outraging her modesty and can land a person in jail, reported Times of India.
While hearing a case concerning an assault which dates back to 2014, a judge in Delhi recently sentenced a man to jail for gesturing at a woman with his middle finger apart from making obscene facial expressions at her.
Hearing the case, metropolitan magistrate Vasundhara Azad, stated that the actions of the accused amounted to making utterances or gestures intended to outrage the modesty of a woman. The accused might be looking at a maximum punishment of three years in jail along with a cash fine. However, the actual quantum of the punishment will only be announced on September 24 (Tuesday).
The complainant, in this particular case, had also alleged that the accused passed lewd remarks at her and even slapped her.
On May 24, 2014, a woman had complained against her brother-in-law, alleging that he showed his middle finger to her besides passing lewd remarks and also physically hurting her. Following the complaint, the police booked the accused under IPC sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt).
On October 8, 2015, the court framed charges against the man who pleaded not guilty and requested a trial in the case.
Though the woman in he testimony reiterated her claims, the man continued to oppose all the allegations claiming that case was the result of a property dispute between them and asked the court to examine his sister in his defence. The sister witnessed that her brother was at home the whole day and the woman had lodged a false complaint.
The court found no evidence about the property dispute claim, however, it took cognisance that the complainant had “specifically stated in her testimony” that the accused showed her his middle finger, made obscene facial expressions towards her and also passed lewd remarks. Hearing the case, metropolitan magistrate Vasundhara Azad, highlighted that the complainant’s medico-legal case (MLC) report showed a “linear bruise” on the woman’s body and held that, “The consistent testimony of the woman regarding hurt caused to her has been duly corroborated by her MLC”. Rejecting the defence witness’ testimony, judge Azad held the accused guilty.
The Delhi-NCR taxi drivers have fallen for bizarre fake news that they need to carry condoms in the taxi’s first aid kit to avoid traffic fine. They have been mandatorily carrying condoms in their cabs to avoid challans. They are convinced that if they do not carry condoms in their taxis they are likely to be fined, but clearly, they have no idea about which government rule stipulates this.
This ludicrous hearsay gained traction after a cab driver named Dharmendra claimed to have been fined for not keeping a condom in his cab.
Though Dharmendra had been fined for over-speeding he claimed that he was fined by the traffic police because he did not have a condom in his first-aid kit. His challan receipt, however, cited over-speeding as the reason for the fine.
This misinformation which gradually circulated amongst the taxi drivers made them believe that keeping condoms are mandatory to avoid challans.
Delhi Sarvodaya Driver Association president Kamaljeet Gill, said, “All public vehicles are required to carry at least three condoms at all times.” Gill gave an odd explanation for assuming that keeping condoms in the first aid kit is mandatory. He said that those condoms could be used to stop bleeding or to treat a wound. “If any person has a fracture, a condom can be tied at the spot till the person reaches the hospital,” Kamaljeet said.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver named Ramesh said, “I have heard that it is necessary to keep condoms, so I always keep at least one.” He said, “Till date, traffic policemen have not asked me regarding this. However, many times during fitness tests, the cab drivers have been asked whether they have condoms in the car or not.”
Traffic police confirmed that there is no such rule in the Motor Vehicle Act which directs drivers to keep condoms in their cars and added that no such bizarre investigations are done either during fitness tests as claimed by Ramesh. “However, NGO workers reach out to drivers outside the centre to educate them about safe sex. It is possible that drivers have developed the habit of keeping condoms from there,” said the traffic police, furthering that cab drivers should contact the authorities if they are fined for not keeping the condom.
A squabble over a standing spot near the door in Asangaon fast train took a violent turn as one of the individuals involved in the quarrel named Asif Yusuf Shaikh suddenly chewed off a part of the index finger of the other co-passenger. The incident took place on Thursday evening in Mumbai on a peak-time Asangaon fast local and the accused was arrested at Thane station by GRP after fellow commuters cautioned the police.
The victim, Mahesh Pandurang Dhumbre, who works for an insurance firm and lives in Ghansoli, went through a corrective surgery on Friday evening. On Thursday, after finishing off his work, he went on board the first-class compartment of the 5:40 PM local train at Dadar. The accused, Asif Yusuf Shaikh, hopped on the train from Kurla station and jostled Dhumbre and other passengers standing near the door. “He was trying to push others in order to make space for himself but the local was jam-packed and there was scarcely any space. In his struggle to carve a space for himself, he precluded others from boarding the train. So I pulled him in. However, this infuriated him and he pushed me away, Dhumbre said to Mumbai Mirror.
As per other co-passengers in the train, the jostling quickly devolved into a heated argument following which Shaikh hurled expletives at Dhumbre and held his collar so violently that his buttons came off. Dhumbre, on the other hand, fought back and pulled Shaikh by his neck which is when Shaikh bit his finger and held it tight between his teeth.
Speaking to Swati Goel Sharma of Swarajya Magazine, Dhumbre said, “It took me some moments to realise what had happened. I saw a part of my nail and flesh between his teeth before he coolly spat it out of the train. He looked like a shaitaan.”
While recounting the incident Dhumbre said that the pain was so excruciating that he bawled and closed his eyes tightly. After some time when he opened his eyes, he saw blood splattered on Shaikh’s shirt and mouth. He felt that he has injured Shaikh. However, it was Dhumbre who was profusely bleeding while a part of his index finger dangled from Shaikh’s mouth. In the scuffle, Dhumbre lost one cm distal phalanx of the index finger of his right hand.
Dhumbre was taken aback as Shaikh continued abusing him after spitting out the part of the finger. In fact, Asif Yusuf Sheikh told Dhumbre that when they both alight at Thane, he would tear Dhumbre’s stomach apart.
“I showed him my finger, so he could see what he had done. Instead of expressing shock, he attempted to hit me,” says Dhumbre to Swati Goel Sharma. He said he could hear murmurs in the train that only an animal could do such a thing.
The FIR filed with GRP Kurla mentions that Shaikh threatened to throw Dhumbre out of the running train but was held back by other co-passengers. One of the passengers called the railway helpline. When the train pulled in at Thane station, Shaikh was arrested by two GRP personnel and has been booked under sections 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 504 (intentionally insulting and provoking to break the public peace) of the Indian Penal Code. In the FIR, it is mentioned that Asif lives in a chawl.
“Asif was dressed well, in jeans, a neat black shirt and sports shoes. He looked like he belongs to a well-to-do family. I was surprised that he lives in a chawl,” says Dhumbre.
The police, who is not allowed to speak to the media told Swarajya that though the man is in custody now, he shows no signs of remorse and says that he bit Dhumbre’s finger off in self-defence.
The cop said Asif has no previous criminal record, is a college dropout (he enrolled in a BSc course but did not complete it, as per the cop) and is currently employed in a private firm on a temporary basis, according to the Swarajya report.
According to Dhumbre’s elder brother Yogesh, Doctors are unsure if they will be able to restore the finger completely. However, they have stated that they will try to reinstate the portion of the finger for the nail to grow back.
The most basic rule in any war is that only the one who survives will fight the battle the next day.
With the tax cuts announced yesterday, India’s corporate tax rate on manufacturers is now among the lowest in the world, comparable or even lower than business paradise destinations like Hong Kong or Singapore. This is easily one of the most decisive right-wing, pro-market reforms undertaken since independence. A change in outlook, away from soaking the rich and towards economic freedom.
And the government is probably just getting started. Big-ticket labour reforms could be around the corner. The Land Acquisition Bill, shelved in 2015, could make a comeback.
What will the opposition do now?
The opposition narrative, peddled by their pet leftists, is once again in disarray. Till yesterday, we had lifelong Communists opportunistically beating their chests at the woes of investors and corporates. Just to heap scorn on PM Modi. Where do they go from now?
That’s not hard to guess. The government announced that it would forgo Rs 1.45 lakh crore of revenue as a consequence of these tax cuts. The opposition will now seize upon this figure and talk about how rich investors were given a bonanza at the cost of money that could have been spent on the poor. Standard left-wing delusion about wealth being like a fixed pie and obsessing over how to divide it. Because leftists never produce anything, they think it is impossible to grow the pie. Despite all the evidence in the world. But leftists have trained themselves to ignore the evidence. Suit boot ki sarkar, anyone? Expect that jibe to make a comeback.
Why Modi 2.0 was needed
Except, who cares? Five years ago, the government might have been nervous in the face of such a jibe, but who cares now? The opposition is so discredited that they are almost irrelevant. In fact, the government itself gave them the figure of Rs 1.45 lakh crore, saving them the trouble of figuring it out independently. It shows how confident Modi sarkar is and how little the opposition matters now.
This is why a second successive term in office was so critical. Congress is now over. The right-wing is now finally free to remake Bharat the way they have always wanted. Be it Article 370, Ram Mandir or growing the Indian economy by unleashing the potential of the free market.
Lots of BJP supporters have long fretted through PM Modi’s first term, flagging the socialist approach of the government and itching to see their cultural agenda implemented without delay. After all, the BJP had its own majority in the Lok Sabha, a historic opportunity that might never come again.
PM Modi’s vision
This is where PM Modi was able to think ahead. Instead of seeing the 2014 election as a one time opportunity, he was able to see it as the first of many General Elections that would lead to decades of Hindu right-wing rule in India. In 2013, even as the UPA was ruling the Center and most states, he spoke of a ‘Congress Mukt Bharat.’ He could identify the Congress’ structural weaknesses beyond its powerful exterior, that the party had become feeble in states, lost the energy to make political comebacks in places where it had been out of power for extended periods. That it’s regional leaders were prone to deserting, etc. That Rahul had zero political instincts. That one big push and five years out of office would lead to a Congress collapse.
It’s a hard reality that the political well in India has been poisoned with socialism. Unless Modi 1.0 made peace with this reality, we would likely have seen Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister today. Any small gains made in five years would have quickly been wiped away by Rahul’s Congress. Remember how Sonia Gandhi’s NAC wiped out all changes made in the 1999-2004 era, besides harvesting the fruits of Atalji’s hard work on economic reforms to win the 2009 election.
The only thing that could remake India is a sustained right-wing rule at the Center. Instead of a powerful Cabinet berth at the Center, Amit Shah was deployed as party president. He led an aggressive campaign to revive the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Installing BJP governments in places like Haryana and Maharashtra, sweeping the North East. And a daring offensive in greenfield areas such as West Bengal and Odisha.
And most importantly, building a united Hindu vote. One that goes beyond caste.
The timing
Of course, in the success of every strategy lies a combination of hard work and timing. The nature of social media was such that the Gandhi myth could no longer be sold to the public by the media managers of the Dynasty. Rahul Gandhi had no chance. He wasn’t lucky like Rajiv or Sonia. A rapidly urbanizing India was also taking Hindu society out of traditional caste silos. Further, as Hindus were no longer living in abject poverty, they were looking to define their place in the world.
The time was just right.
The future is ours
The overwhelming success of this strategy now gives the BJP a free hand. Perhaps for many many elections to come. The sheer electoral arithmetic dictates that BJP will be the dominant party for many many election cycles. And Amit Shah is now at the Center, where he has started off with repealing Article 370. The Government is now free to cut taxes to levels only seen in HongKong and Singapore. What more can we achieve? The possibilities are endless. And we have time on our side. The future is all ours.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Howdy, Modi” rally in Houston in the USA on September 22, which is expected to be a mega show with the US President Donald Trump also likely to attend, protests are being planned by some minority communities. Earlier, OpIndia had reported how the bus routes for the protesters to get to this protest rally were limited to 16 mosques in Houston and 1 Gurudwara that has Khalistani links.
This is the list of the religious institution from where protesters can take buses to the venue.
Masjid Abu Bakr
Maryam Islamic Center
Masjid At-Taqwa
Masjid Hamza (Mission Bend Islamic Center)
Bear Creek Islamic Center/Masjid Al-Mustafa
The Woodlands Mosque
Islamic Center of Baytown
MAS Katy Center
Madrasah Islamiah
Al-Noor Society of Houston
Islamic Education Center
Pearland Islamic Center
Masjid al-Salam
Sikh National Center
Mishkah Center
Cypress Masjid
Bilal Masjid North
Few of these mosques are identified as promoting radical Islam by the Clarion Project, like the Islamic Education Center and Masjid At-Taqwa.
The Sikh organisers of the protest talked to Houston Chronicle, and from their comments, it is apparent that they are linked with the Khalistani movement. Jagdeep Singh, one of the Sikh organisers of the protest, is working towards the 2020 Punjab referendum, a Khalistani separatist campaign seeking to organise a referendum in Punjab in 2020 for forming an independent Khalistan. Hardam Singh Azad, chairman of the Sikh National Center, said “it’s a protest rally for freedom”, clearly indicating that the protest is being organised by separatists.
To follow the link more closely, OpIndia had its contact register for the event to see where the trail takes him.
The initial email after registration that our source got was to inform him that
Email from protest organisers
The email that starts with ‘Asaalaamu Aalaykum’ says that some ‘generous donors’ have arranged for luxury buses to and from the protest venue, which is the NSG stadium. The rest of the email asks the participants to be on time and that the buses will function on first come first serve basis. In fact, it even says that there will be a regular shuttle that would leave every 10 minutes and that no registration for it is required. The email, as one can see, is dated 20th September 2019.
However, till 17th September at least, there were several posts on social media that asked participants to carry water etc to the venue and there was no indication that any luxury arrangements had been done.
The initial flyer of bus routes that were floated had no indication of any donors arranging for luxury buses or even any ‘event partners’, so to speak.
Earlier flyer
The new flyer, however, that was floated along with the email had a completely revamped look and included several other details.
New flyer distributed along with the email
The new flyer had the information of free shuttle facility, free park and ride and also, the timings of the shuttles.
However, there was other additional information that was rather intriguing. The new flyer had names of a host of “Coalition partners” of the event.
It only stands to reason that perhaps, it is these ‘coalition partners’ who are ‘sponsoring’ the luxury buses to the event that is now being touted to ensure more people gather at the anti-Modi protest in Houston.
It thus becomes imperative to examine, one by one, who these purported ‘donors’ are.
The purported donors of ‘Howdy Modi’ protests with connections to Pakistan, including PTI
Following are the donors that have a distinctive connection with Pakistan, including, the ruling party of Pakistan, PTI.
1. HKSCA
The full form of the HKSCA acronym sheepishly mentioned in the new flyer is ‘Houston-Karachi Sister City Association’.
The stated goal of HKSCA
The stated goal of HKSCA is to increase cultural and educational exchange to improve understanding and promote interaction between the people of Houston and Karachi.
2. PAGH
The full form of PAGH is Pakistan Association of Greater Houston. The Pakistan Association of Greater Houston is a non-profit social organization created to sponsor and host charitable, social, and religious events for Pakistani Americans living in the greater Houston area. It also helps give a voice to the Pakistani community in civic matters, although we are not associated with any political parties.
While PAGH says it is not associated with any political party, it is deeply associated with Pakistan and hence, the deep-seated hatred for India is a natural product of their existence.
And now, the clincher. Another purported donor of the anti-Modi protest ahead of Howdy Modi event in Houston is PTI USA LLC.
PTI USA LLC
PTI is, of course, the ruling party of Pakistan and the party from which the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran ‘Taliban’ Khan hails from.
The purported donors of ‘Howdy Modi’ protests with links to Muslims and Radical Islam
1. Sound Vision
While the name sounds fairly generic, Sound Vision is rooted in Islam and is an organisation for Muslims. Sound Vision aims to produce content that helps build bridges of understanding among Muslims and their neighbours, with emphasis on youth.
The website, of course, peddled absolute lies and fabrications with hardly any proof to back its assertions. It is evident, that an organisation that works solely with Muslims and Islam, identifies with Pakistan’s cause for Kashmir owing to global Ummah. Pakistan has itself been talking about Islam and Muslims constantly while speaking about Kashmir.
2. EMGAGE
EMGAGE, on its website, says, “We are Emgage. We focus on programs based on community organizing and building strong relationships in order to drive voter registration and participation for the Muslim community in the United States. We seek to educate, empower, and engage Muslim Americans through educational events, voter initiatives, and leadership development in order to create a community of equitable, knowledgeable, and motivated citizens”.
While EMGAGE works exclusively for Muslims and Islam, it harbours a strong hatred for India and has peddled atrocious lies against India in the past.
With a combined population of over 221 million Muslims, India and China’s Muslims are being targeted and human rights violations are occuring.
Millions are under threat by the forces of bigotry and xenophobia. The world, still, remains quit. https://t.co/583ND7yyh8
EMGAGE, in its infinite dishonesty, compared the plight of Muslims in India to the plight of Uighur Muslims in China. While China has adopted a policy of putting Muslims in concentration camps, banned Azan and Islamic prayers, banned any manifestation of Islamic faith including keeping beard, hijab, burkha and even the Islamic cap worn by men, India has given equal rights to all its minorities. In fact, minorities get special rights via laws like RTI etc that even the majority Hindus don’t have access too.
We are seeing this trend from India to Europe and right here at home. Only through our unanimous rejection of these voices can we defeat them and protect our cherished freedoms and values.” – Emgage CEO @WaelAlzayat
One can, of course, recall what Linda Sarsour had said about Ayaan Hirsi Ali who talks about bringing reforms in Islam and shuns radicalism.
3. CAIR
One of the purported donors of the anti-Modi protest in Houston is the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
CAIR has a shady past. Elected US Congresswoman by the name of Ilhan Omar referred to 9/11 terror attacks recently as “some people did something.” Incidentally, Ilhan Omar was speaking at an event organized by the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which was an un-indicted co-conspirator in a case involving terror funding in Palestine.
Investigativeproject.org says about CAIR (and they do so with proof):
It offers a benign mission statement – “to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.” But a closer look at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) raises a host of troubling questions about its history and purpose.
Born of an effort to scuttle hopes for a negotiated Middle East peace, CAIR was listed among organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood’s American network. Its founders emerged from a separate Islamic organization that two courts have found played a supporting role for the terrorist group Hamas.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization purports to be a “leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding” and claims to speak for the majority of American Muslims. However, after a careful review of the history, activities, statements, and causes of and by CAIR, it seems that its primary goals are to silence and de-legitimize its critics and redefine what it means to be a moderate Muslim. And when it comes to U.S. efforts to crack down on terrorists and their financiers, CAIR takes an almost visceral stand in opposition. This has the effect of undermining the legitimate security-related concerns and campaigns of the United States and its allies. These conclusions and the summary immediately below are based upon the evidence and examples that follow in this report; beginning with CAIR’s very founding
The full investigation on the radical Islam and terror links of CAIR can be read here.
The Khalistan link in ‘Howdy Modi’ protests: Sikhs for Justice
In July 2019, the Indian government banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as a terror organisation. SFJ pushes for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda. The group’s primary objective is to establish an ‘independent and sovereign country’ in Punjab.
Notification by India banning SFJ
‘Sikhs for Justice’ is a UK based that group that is allegedly supported by ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency. The group had organized an event calling for a referendum for the separation Punjab from India at London’s Trafalgar Square last year in August. They had held what is known as the ‘London Declaration’ for the referendum in 2020. The group also had to face a large gathering of Indians who arranged a counter-protest, displaying support for India’s sovereignty.
The government had previously taken several steps to clamp down the Khalistani separatists. In September 2018 Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ’s legal advisor was banned from WhatsApp. The government had also successfully taken steps to limit his Facebook and Twitter reach.
Pannun is notorious for his numerous lawsuits against Sikh political leaders. Following the WhatsApp ban, he had also uploaded a video threatening the Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and insulted the Indian national flag. In 2017, the Punjab Government had filed a sedition case against him for putting up posters of the ‘referendum 2020’ supporting the Khalistan demand.
Pakistan’s close nexus with the Khalistani extremists was evident in December last year. Members of a Canada based Khalistani organisation had honoured Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and their Army Chief, General Bajwa for opening the Kartarpur Corridor.
Flyer by Khalistanis
One of the flyers by Sikhs for Justice regarding the anti-Modi protests names not only SJF but also Pannun rather clearly.
The City Court of Houston has also hilariously ‘summoned’ PM Modi. According to the Houston Chronicle, a local daily, the summons was issued Thursday on a civil complaint filed by two unnamed Kashmiris settled in the US through an organisation called the ‘Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front’. Intelligence Agencies believe that SJF is behind the lawsuit.
Random groups to make it seem official
One donor mentioned in the flyer is ‘Stop Nazi Modi’. Interestingly, one cannot find much information about this group on the internet at all. All one finds is the event invitation for this anti-Modi protest itself.
There seem to be several such names inserted simply to make it appear as if the protest organised by Khalistanis, Pakistanis and Radical Islamists with links to terror groups like Hamas have wide acceptance among a varied group of individuals.
It is no surprise that terror group linked organisations, Islamists, Pakistanis and Khalistanis would protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has not only taken a strong stand against Radical Islamism but also terror-exporting Pakistan with the surgical strike, Balakot airstrike and an all-out diplomatic offensive against Pakistan.
It is amazing how the ’eminent historians’ whose writings and ideals have been dominating the Indian textbooks and mainstream thought-process have managed to fool us all these decades by claims and parallels that are not only completely imaginary but also the complete opposite of the real picture.
An old video of ‘historian’ Romila Thapar has been doing the rounds on social media where she discusses how Yudhisthira had wanted to renounce the king’s crown as described in Mahabharat’s ‘Shanti Parva’. She claims that some scholars think that Yudhisthira may have had the image of Ashoka in his mind. She also adds that Yudhisthira’s thought of ‘renouncing’ power and authority is a fundamental of Buddhism.
I want the stuff Romila Thapar is smoking!! According to her Yudhishthir from #Mahabharat had the image of King Ashoka in his mind while renouncing the kingdom. Yes, she ACTUALLY says that, and she calls herself a ‘historian’!! pic.twitter.com/gkQrJpL0OI
As many people from social media pointed it out, not only Romila’s claim is completely ignoring a few millennia between Mahabharata and Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it also has many other flaws.
For example, Romila claims that the idea of renouncing power is fundamental to Buddhism. It is indeed a twisted narrative as Hindu scripture and teachings hold the idea of ‘Tyaga’ or renunciation at very high regard and there are numerous examples of Kings renouncing power and spending lives in ‘Tapasya’.
Also, projecting Ashoka as the ideal of renunciation is also a flawed argument because Ashoka had, as per some claims, only expressed regret at the violence and futility of wars after the Kalinga war, he had never ‘renounced’ anything, instead, A young Ashoka had brutally executed his brothers (99 of them, as per claims), all the sons of his father emperor Bindusara, except the youngest, to ascend the throne of Magadha empire.
Yudhisthira had fought the war in Kurukshetra to establish Dharma and end Duryodhan’s brutal regime. The importance of duty over personal emotions forms the basis of the teachings of Mahabharata. Comparing that and claiming that it was probably inspired by Ashoka’s fierce quest to hold power and assertive rule for decades conquering one kingdom after other, is perhaps just a small glimpse of the twisted narratives that have been peddled by these so-called historians all these years.
It is also notable here that Ashoka’s ‘regret and desire to renounce power’ are also highly debated and a considerable number of scholars believe that the narrative was added later to project Ashoka as a ‘good’ king. Sanjeev Sanyal’s book ‘Ocean of Churn’ explains this from a very practical point of view.
The outrageous claims of Romila Thapar also have spawned memes and jokes on Twitter.
Romila Thapar was right in saying Yudhishthira took inspiration from Samrat Ashoka. In fact, Ashoka was right there to guide Yudhisthira throughout the fight of Mahabharata.
#RomilaThapar your History is out of sequence . Next you would say Yudhishteer & Ashoka both were inspired by Sonia Gandhi who let go PM’s seat for MMS. ??
Reconfirming Nehru’s blunder selecting you out of crores of Indians to mess up with our history . https://t.co/PTwspH5A55
Romila Thapar and her supporters among the left-liberal cabal were outraged when the JNU administration had recently asked all emeritus professors above 75 years of age, including Romila, to submit their CVs. As per the cabal, Romila is too great a personality to be bothered with mundane administrative processes, despite getting the payments and the facilities that come with the post.
The fact that the process was in accordance to the Rule 32(g) of JNU, which says that after Professor Emeritus attains the age of 75 years, the EC will review the continuation of the status, was apparently too irrelevant for left-liberal senses of entitlement.
Since the abrogation of Article 370, around 4000 people have been detained in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a report in the Times of India, 3100 people out of the 4000 detained since August 5th have now been released. The 3100 releases have been made either in hours or days of their original detention. The Police has said that while most people were detained under Section 107 of CrPc, around 200-250 people were detained under PSA (Public Safety Act).
According to the report, DGP of Jammu and Kashmir Dilbag Singh has said that since the abrogation, several people who were threatening locals have been arrested. The police have been working tirelessly to counter terror in forms of threats issued orally, by posters or even physical violence stopping people from resuming their normal lives.
DGP Singh said that the Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested over 30 people recently who were threatening people and forcing them not to open their shops or market place for business, thereby disrupting peace in the valley.
In a conversation with the Times of India, DGP Singh said, “J&K police is watching activities of those terrorising locals from resuming normal lives, identifying the perpetrators and moving swiftly to arrest them. Around 30 arrests have been made from places like Srinagar, Ganderbal, Sopore, Shopian, Pulwama. We are taking strong legal action against these scare-mongers, including under PSA”.
Further, Singh said, “There is now a 100% relaxation in curbs (barring the mobile/internet shutdown) in the Valley. The situation is absolutely normal barring in a few sensitive areas including part of Srinagar downtown. For instance, there were zero incidents of violence recorded on Thursday. Even on a normal day in the Valley (prior to abrogation of J&K’s special status), there was never a day without some incident or the other. In 2016, during the protests against the killing of Burhan Wani, scores of violent incidents were recorded in a single day”.
Confirming to TOI, DGP said that while most politicians have been detained under Section 107 of CrPc, NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah has been detained under PSA. He said that he has not been detained under PSA for his actions but his statements that threaten to disrupt peace in the valley.
He also said that most stone pelters and troublemakers arrested under CrPc were subsequently released with bond and the active involvement of their community. In most of the cases where the detainees were released, no repeat-offenders have been reported so far.
After being almost being reduced to irrelevance in national politics, Sharad Pawar, the NCP supremo has been trying desperately to stay in news and ensure enough seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections to keep his party afloat.
Speaking to the media at a press conference in Aurangabad on Friday, the NCP chief stated, “Before the Lok Sabha elections, there was an environment of anger and distress against PM Modi. However, the Pulwama attack against CRPF jawans changed the entire scenario. Now, people’s mind can be changed only with a Pulwama attack-like situation.”
Going further, as per a report in ANI, Pawar stated that after the Pulwama attack in February earlier this year, he had suspected that it might have been orchestrated. “I have worked in defence. I spoke to some officials at that time and suspected that the attack was deliberately orchestrated or Pakistan may be behind it,” claimed Pawar.
He added further that the Balakot airstrikes against Pakistan-based terror camps had boosted the popularity of the Modi government. But Modi’s popularity will not work in Maharashtra as the people are not satisfied with the Fadnavis government.
Pawar further stated that he is working to bring ‘secular forces’ together to take on the BJP. He claimed that the Congress and the NCP have come together and they are trying to bring Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and Samajwadi Party for an alliance too. However, he did not explain that if he thinks the people are against the Fadnavis government, why does he need to bring all these parties into an alliance to contest against it.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress have both been losing powerful and influential leaders recently to the BJP. Many strong leaders like Congress’ Sachin Ahir, Harshvardhan Patil, and many NCP stalwarts, most notably Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhonsale and Navi Mumbai leader Sandeep Naik had recently left the parties to join the BJP fold.
Sharad Pawar’s recent statements follow a strange pattern from being highly controversial, to incoherent and sometimes downright outrageous. In June, he had claimed that the airstrikes had happened in Kashmir, not Pakistan.
Back in March, he had claimed that he was the one who had suggested carrying out the airstrikes against Pakistan to the airforce. He had even claimed that PM Modi had nothing to do with the decision. It is notable here that as the Home Minister in 1993 during the Mumbai bomb blasts, Sharad Pawar had ‘invented’ the 13th blast just to show that Muslims were the victims too. In reality, there only 12 blasts.
Recently, addressing a special event for the minorities at the NCP headquarters, he had claimed that Pakistan is a happy, hospitable place and it is the BJP government who is spreading lies about it for political gains. Before 2019 elections, he had claimed that EVMs inside polling booths can be ‘controlled’ via towers in the surrounding areas.
A Marol woman was threatened by an Aarey ‘activist’ from NGO Vanashakti for writing a Facebook post that supported the Mumbai Metro Construction project. Vanashakti NGO is one of the petitioners in the ongoing Aarey hearing in the High Court, where ‘activists’ want Aarey land to be declared as a forest and to essentially, stall the metro construction project.
According to a report in DNA, Punita (who has requested that further information about her not be published) was threatened with ‘dire consequences’ if she did not take down her Facebook post supporting the construction of Mumbai Metro. Ultimately, Punita succumbed to the pressure and took the Facebook post down.
Punita has accused D Stalin of Vanashakti NGO of threatening her over the post which was later removed by her.
According to the DNA report, the girl who has been intimidated to take her post down has said, “When he [Stalin] read the post, he called me and threatened me. He also asked me to delete the post which later I did.” However, the ordeal didn’t end for Punita. “Despite talking to me and threatening me, he called one of my friends who is also an activist. In return, my friend called my family and told them that they could get into deep trouble. Your daughter shouldn’t have done that what she did, said the friend”.
The Marol resident has filed a complaint with MIDC police in Andheri and the police have confirmed that there was nothing defamatory in the Facebook post for which she was threatened and they will be looking into the matter.
NGO Vanashakti is opposed to the proposed car shed at Aarey Colony for the Colaba–Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 line, Metros are generally considered the most efficient mode of the mass-transit system and the government rightly says that it will cut down pollution in future. However, the ‘activists’ are not happy.
The campaign against the Metro project has been ridden with several lies and inaccuracies. it has almost become the professional demand of certain NGOs to stall development work by citing ‘environmental reasons’. Recently, Mumbai High Court imposed a fine of rupees one lakh on an NGO for filing a frivolous petition to stall development project in Navi Mumbai. The court noted that the PIL filed by Abhivyakti, the NGO, was motivated to somehow stall development work in Navi Mumbai.
Going by all the arguments, the court concluded that the initial claim of the petitioner that the wetland was created due to it being connected to Panvel creek was factually incorrect. After that, they had claimed that it was a pond created by rainwater, which was also proved false as water accumulated only during monsoon season. The court also noted that the land was privately owned which was acquired by the government for development. The court also notes that no pond was detected in satellite mapping done by ISRO.
As a result, the court concluded that the petition was filed to stop development in Navi Mumbai. The court said that the petitioners had used Google images of the area obtained during monsoon to raise the boogie of the environment being damaged.
The Indian Air Force received its first ‘acceptance’ Rafale fighter jet from the Dassault Aviations in France yesterday. The tail number of India’s first Rafale jet is RB-01, that stands for the name of Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria, who played a pivotal role in sealing the combat aircraft deal between India and France.
Indian Air Force (IAF) Sources: IAF received its first ‘acceptance’ Rafale combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation in France, yesterday. Deputy Air Force Chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhary also flew in the aircraft for around one hour. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/bzm0gwuVWd
The aircraft was flown by Deputy Air Force Chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhary for around one hour. The formal handing over ceremony is scheduled to happen on October 8.
The multi-role combat aircraft aims to add teeth to the capabilities of the Indian Air Force. It is hailed as 4+ generation aircraft and its capabilities comprise air-defence or air-superiority, can be sent on reconnaissance missions and provide close air support. It can also handle air-to-ground precision strikes, hold nuclear and conventional warheads, carry out anti-ship attacks and allows re-fuelling between two Rafale aircraft without having to wait for mid-air refuelling tankers.
The Dassault Aviation is expected to hand over 4-5 Rafale jets by March-April 2020 following which they will be flown to India and officially inducted in the Indian Air Force.
India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
