Tag: Modi government

  • ‘Ethnic cleansing’: Naseeruddin Shah asks Modi govt to stop genocide of Muslims

    ‘Ethnic cleansing’: Naseeruddin Shah asks Modi govt to stop genocide of Muslims

    Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah has asked the Modi government to stop genocide of Muslims and warned that oppression could lead to civil war.

    In an interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Shah said if attempts are made for Muslim genocide and ethnic cleansing, India’s 200 million Muslims are going to fight back.

    He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not care but ethnic cleansing of Muslims will trigger a civil war in India.

    While talking about the Mughals in India, he said that they “contributed” in the country and “came here to make this their homeland”.

    “The so-called atrocities of the Mughals are being highlighted all the time. We forget that the Mughals are people who have contributed to the country. They are people who have left lasting monuments in the country…who have left the tradition of dancing, music, painting, literature. Mughals came here to make this their homeland. You can call them refugees if you like,” he said.

    Shah, after this statement, earned a lot of backlash from the Indian social media, especially Indian Twitter. In a clip circulating on social media, the actor is seen talking during Thapar’s show on his YouTube channel. However, the clip omitted a few lines he said about the real marauders.

    These lines from the original video were omitted in the clip: “No one talks about Taimur, no one talks about Mahmud of Ghazni, no one talks about Nadir Shah. I don’t think these people are conversant with that history. Those were the marauders who came, looted and left.”

    https://twitter.com/MeghBulletin/status/1476082232586477572?s=20

    The clip is being circulated widely in India and has made ‘Mughals’ trend on Indian Twitter.

  • Environmental activist Greta Thunberg mocks world leaders for being ‘blah, blah, blah’ on climate action

    Environmental activist Greta Thunberg mocks world leaders for being ‘blah, blah, blah’ on climate action

    Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg mocked and criticised world leaders — including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson — over their promises to address the climate emergency, dismissing them as “blah, blah, blah”.

    While addressing the Youth4Climate summit in Milan, she said, “When I say climate change, what do you think of? I think jobs. Green jobs. Green jobs,” referring to Biden’s speeches on the climate crisis.

    Referring to a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, she said, “We must find a smooth transition towards a low carbon economy. There is no Planet B. There is no Planet Blah. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

    She quoted statements by Boris Johnson: “This is not some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging”, and PM Narendra Modi’s: “Fighting climate change calls for innovation, cooperation and willpower” but said that science did not lie.

    “Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises,” she added.

    https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1442860615941468161?s=20

    Climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, Thunberg and hundreds of other young people from across the world attended the summit. The event was held two days before dozens of ministers gather in Milan for a meeting before the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow at the end of October, reports CNN.

    Greta is an 18-year-old young environmental activist who became famous in 2018 when she skipped school for a strike against climate change.

  • Pakistan summons Indian embassy official over targeting of Muslims

    Pakistan summons Indian embassy official over targeting of Muslims

    The Foreign Office (FO) summoned the Indian Charge d’ Affaires on Friday and conveyed the government’s concern over the recent target killing of Muslims in the Indian state of Assam.

    In the incident, two people were reported dead. It took place in the Sipajhar area of Assam’s Darrang district, where most of the residents are Muslims, reports Dawn.

    In the video, several cops can be seen beating a man with sticks even as he lay motionless on the ground. It went viral on Twitter after which Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi came under fire.

    Earlier, Pakistan’s federal minister Fawad Chaudhry condemned the incident, and said, “Today, Prime Minister Imran Khan will once again draw the attention of the United Nations to the atrocities taking place in India. #ModiFascism.”

  • Video: Indian cops brutally beat Assam Muslims, Twitter slams Modi govt

    Video: Indian cops brutally beat Assam Muslims, Twitter slams Modi govt

    A harrowing video went viral on social media, where Indian police officers can be seen beating Muslims in Assam. In the video, several Assam cops can be seen beating a man with sticks even as he lay motionless on the ground.

    https://twitter.com/Vignesh_TMV/status/1441048703519715333

    The police brutality video has emerged from an eviction drive in the Sipajhar area of Darrang district of Assam. Policemen opened fire at a man and thrashed him.

    A photographer, identified as Bijay Shankar Baniya, is also seen assaulting the man, who appears to have a bullet wound in his chest. Baniya is a professional photographer who was hired by the district administration to document the situation and has been arrested, according to reports.

    https://twitter.com/thenameis_Mr__J/status/1441011534008754182

    According to Scroll, the administration served an eviction notice to residents of Kirakota Char late on Wednesday night. There was a protest on Thursday morning, after which the administration reportedly “promised that the villagers will be rehabilitated before the eviction”. But when the activists left the area, the police opened fire on the protestors, residents told Scroll.

    Pakistan’s federal minister Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to condemn the incident, and said, “Today, Prime Minister Imran Khan will once again draw the attention of the United Nations to the atrocities taking place in India. #ModiFascism”

    Lawyer, Aman Wadud tweeted, “HOW will the govt stop the hatred he represents? Oh, wait! It is this govt that generated this HATRED!”

    Journalist Ankur Bhardwaj tweeted, “A dance of death. #Assam”

    https://twitter.com/Bhayankur/status/1441032166796718091
  • Pakistan condemns Modi for not allowing India-based foreign journalists to visit Pakistan

    Pakistan condemns Modi for not allowing India-based foreign journalists to visit Pakistan

    India has refused permission to allow five India-based international journalists to travel to Pakistan via Wagah.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi pointed out how the Indian government’s decision indicated that the space for free speech and independent journalism was shrinking in India under a “dictatorial regime”. Qureshi said the five journalists were to travel to Pakistan and were also to visit the Azad Kashmir Assembly.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also condemned New Delhi for refusing permission to the international journalists to visit Azad Kashmir. 

    The minister took to Twitter and questioned India for its freedom of expression.

    National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf said these “are the actions of an insecure government that has much to hide”.

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari questioned whether the foreign journalists will expose the growing myth of Indian democracy under the fascist Modi regime.

    Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar tweeted, “We want the world to see what is happening in Azad Kashmir and they want to hide what is happening in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The difference between right and wrong cannot get more stark than this.”

    A request by Pakistan to allow a group of five India-based foreign journalists to travel to Islamabad through Wagah has been declined by Indian authorities as the border crossing is virtually closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, reported Times of India.

    The report stated that Pakistan planned to take the journalists for interactions with top political leadership and senior officials on the overall situation in Afghanistan.

    “One of the persons familiar with the development said the visit was planned from August 3 to 7,” read the report.

     

  • Twitter censors tweets of lawmakers, filmmakers, MPs on Modi govt orders

    Twitter censors tweets of lawmakers, filmmakers, MPs on Modi govt orders

    At the request of the Modi government, Twitter has removed almost 50 tweets by influential people that criticised Modi for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to reports, the Indian government issued an emergency order to Twitter on Friday to censor 52 tweets.

    Among them were tweets from a lawmaker named Revnath Reddy, a minister in the state of West Bengal named Moloy Ghatak, and a filmmaker named Avinash Das.

    According to a spokesperson of Twitter, the accounts were notified in advance that their content will be withheld at the request of the Indian government.

    The spokesperson further added that the company made these tweets unable to be viewed because they violated the local law.

    Indian government cited Information Technology Act, 2020 that were violated by these Twitter accounts.

    “When we receive a valid legal request, we review it under both the Twitter Rules and local law. If the content violates Twitter’s Rules, the content will be removed from the service,” said the Twitter spokesperson. “If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction, but not in violation of the Twitter Rules, we may withhold access to the content in India only. In all cases, we notify the account holder directly so they’re aware that we’ve received a legal order about the account.”

    Besides, this is not the first time Twitter has bowed down against the pressure of the Indian government. In February, when framers were protesting in Delhi, more than 500 Twitter accounts were removed at the request of the Indian government.

    The Indian government issued a notice of noncompliance to Twitter, and the employees could face jail time if the company refused to comply with the order.

    India is in the midst of a deadly second wave of COVID-19 cases, which has made ventilators, medicine, and oxygen scarce.

    According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource centre, India reported 346,786 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, a new record high, and 2,624 deaths, also a new record. Less than 1.5 per cent of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated.

  • Amazon Prime offers rare apology ‘to anyone who felt hurt’ over ‘Tandav’

    In a rare move, Amazon Prime has issued an apology to its Indian viewers over the scenes in its political drama Tandav which sparked outrage and hurt religious sentiments, Reuters has reported.

    In a statement, the streaming said that it deeply regrets that viewers found certain scenes to be objectionable.

    Amazon apologises “unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt,” read the statement, adding that it will continue to “develop content while respecting the diversity of audiences’ culture and beliefs”.

    While Tandav controversy began in January, soon after the series released, it escalated last week when police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) questioned one of Amazon’s top executives for hours in one case filed against the show.

    When asked about the company apology, a senior state police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities would continue to investigate the matter.

    Read more – ‘Tandav’: A weak script saved by brilliant performances

    Featuring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Gauahar Khan and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in key roles, Tandav has been accused of disrespecting Hindu deities, with several political leaders including Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya demanding legal action against the team. Karni Sena also announced a Rs 1 crore award to the person who will chop of the tongue of Tandav’s makers.

    Earlier, following the backlash and outrage, Tandav creator Ali Abbas Zafar issued an “unconditional apology” on behalf of the team and, clarified that “Tandav is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental” and that’s how one should also take it. While the series does appear to have been inspired by real-life incidents, it is also imperative to keep in mind that creative liberty has been taken.”

    Later, Ali issued another statement, in which he said that the makers decided to “implement changes” to the web series after concerns were raised. At least two scenes were removed from the show.

  • Goswami WhatsApp chat proves Modi used Balakot strikes to gain popularity: PM

    Goswami WhatsApp chat proves Modi used Balakot strikes to gain popularity: PM

    Prime Minister Imran Khan said the leaked WhatsApp conversation between Indian journalist Arnab Goswami and another Indian senior media official proved that the Indian government led by Narendra Modi used the Balakot strikes for electoral gains.

    Imran was referring to WhatsApp conversations between Goswami and Pratho Dasgupta — the incarcerated head of ratings company Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).

    According to the conversation that was a part of a chargesheet filed against Goswami in a ratings scam, the firebrand anchor knew about the strikes three days before the Indian air force bombed an alleged militant camp inside the Pakistani territory.

    In the conversation on Feb 23, 2019, Goswami said that ‘something big will happen’ and three days later, the Indian jets carried out a strike in Pakistan, bringing the two countries on the brink of a full-fledged war.

    The conversation had also suggested that the strikes were conducted to boost ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) popularity ahead of the national elections.

    In a comment on this conversation, PM Imran Khan made a series of tweet. He recalled that in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, he had told the international community that the ruling BJP had “used the Balakot crisis for domestic electoral gains”.

    “Latest revelations from communication of an Indian journalist, known for his warmongering, reveal the unholy nexus between the Modi govt & Indian media,” he said, referring to Goswami having access to the “confidential information”.

    “Now India’s own media has revealed the dirty nexus that is pushing our nuclearised region to the brink of a conflict it cannot afford,” the premier said.

    “I want to reiterate that my government will continue to expose India’s belligerent designs towards Pakistan and Modi government’s fascism. Int(ernational) community must stop India from its reckless, militarist agenda before the Modi government’s brinkmanship pushes our region into a conflict it cannot control.”

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India stood further exposed with the leaked chats revealing a “staggering new low”.

    The Foreign Office issued a statement on the issue as well. It said the anchorperson knowing the plan to attack Pakistan “further exposed India’s sinister designs and vindicated Pakistan’s long-held position”.

    In a statement on Sunday, the FO said: “The latest revelations further confirm… [that] BJP government stages ‘false-flag’ operations; maligns Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations; stokes hyper-nationalism in the country; claims to have launched so-called ‘surgical strike[s]’; and then deviously manipulates national sentiment in its bid to win elections.”

    REPUBLIC TV RESPONDS TO PAKISTAN STATEMENTS:

    Meanwhile, Republic TV issued a statement, rejecting the “allegations against Goswami” by the Pakistan government.

    “Goswami…as India’s leading journalist exposed every sinister design…. of the government of Pakistan and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence),” it said in response to the statements by the Pakistani officials. It also termed these statements as part of “deep conspiracy” to target Arnab Goswami.

    “The desperations with which government of Pakistan has attacked the Republic Media Network in an open forum today also lays bare the involvement of anti-India forces in the conspiracy,” it added.

    The statement also took a potshot at Congress, saying the opposition party should stop working in tandem with the government of Pakistan to spread lies against India’s interests.

  • ‘At least 229 killed in occupied Kashmir within first half of 2020’

    Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) has seen at least 229 killings during more than 100 military operations since January, a rights group has reported.

    The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), which operates in the region, said in its bi-annual report that from January 1 to June 30, the region witnessed the extrajudicial executions of at least 32 civilians and the killing of 54 armed forces personnel.

    It also saw 55 internet shutdowns and the destruction of 48 structures, it said.

    The report said three children and two women were also killed, while at least “107 cordon-and-search operations and cordon-and-destroy operations were conducted in the region”.

    In addition, during search operations and encounters, “vandalism and destruction of civilian properties were reported”.

    The report said that in the first six months of 2020, the media continued to be at the receiving end of pressure, intimidation and harassment by authorities, with several incidents involving the beating of journalists.

    “Besides physical assaults, a few Kashmir-based journalists were also booked under stringent charges and cases were filed against them,” it said.

    The report noted that the police filed cases against two Kashmiri journalists under the Unlawful Activities Act, which clearly infringes on the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press as “such tactics signal a forewarning for media personnel to adhere to the state narrative”.

    It also said that high-speed mobile internet services have remained banned since August 5, 2019, noting that in the last six months, there were 55 instances of internet blockades.

    The report said India is paving the way for demographic change in occupied Kashmir on a large scale, thus institutionalising a system of domination over indigenous populations.

    “The order is a clear violation of the 4th Geneva Convention,” it noted.

    The report cited observers as warning that the new domicile law could permanently alter the demography of the disputed region.

    It also touched on the recently introduced new media policy wherein the government will examine the content of the media.

    According to the policy, the government will decide what is “fake,” “unethical” or “anti-national” news and take legal action against the journalist or media organisation concerned, including sharing information with security agencies.

  • ‘We want freedom’: Protests in Kashmir after elderly man’s killing in front of 3yo grandson

    ‘We want freedom’: Protests in Kashmir after elderly man’s killing in front of 3yo grandson

    Hundreds of people in occupied Kashmir staged protests on Wednesday, accusing government forces of killing an elderly man in front of his minor grandson during a gun battle with Kashmiri fighters, which also left a trooper dead.

    The Kashmiri fighters opened fire from a mosque attic in the northern town of Sopore, setting off a battle with security forces, paramilitary police spokesperson Junaid Khan told AFP.

    The family of Bashir Ahmed Khan alleged that he was dragged out of his car after the showdown and shot dead by paramilitary troopers.

    His three-year-old grandson, who was travelling with him, was later pictured sitting on his chest.

    “Locals said that he [Khan] was brought out of his car and shot dead by the forces,” Farooq Ahmed, a nephew of the deceased man told AFP.

    “They told us that someone in uniform then put the child on his chest as he lay dead on the road and took photographs,” Farooq Ahmed said.

    The photo of the child sat on the body of his dead grandfather was widely shared on social media.

    Paramilitary spokesman Khan said the allegation was “baseless”. Police also denied the claims, saying legal action would be taken for “false reports and rumours”.

    “There was no retaliation from the security forces,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told reporters.

    Hundreds assembled at the man’s funeral near the main city of Srinagar shouting, “We want freedom”.

    Government forces have intensified counterinsurgency operations against Kashmiri fighters since a coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March.

    Since January, at least 229 people have been killed during over 100 military operations across occupied Kashmir, including 32 civilians, 54 government forces and 143 fighters, according to the Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a rights group.