HJS petitions have led to cancellations of many events

HJS petitions have led to cancellations of many events

K.V. Aditya BharadwajBengaluru

In the last year, at least three programmes were cancelled in Bengaluru by the police and other authorities, acting on petitions submitted by Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), a sister organisation of Goa-based Hindutva organisation Sanatan Sanstha.

Members of HJS and Sanstha have been charged in the murders of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M.M. Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh. 

In the latest instance, following a petition by HJS, the Kannada and Culture Department withdrew permission to use its venue for the release of a book on former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday.

Earlier, HJS has got two stand-up comedy shows of Munawar Faruqui cancelled in November, 2021, and August, 2022. In all these petitions, HJS alleged the programmes were “anti-Hindu”, “anti-national” and threatened protests if the programmes were allowed to be held, following which police and other authorities cancelled them.

HJS has also similarly petitioned against several other programmes in the city, though they did not result in cancellation, including against a lecture by writer and activist Arundhati Roy.

‘Modus operandi’

Avinash Patil, of Maharashtra Andhashradha Nirmoolan Samiti, started by the late Dabholkar, for whose murder in 2013 individuals associated with HJS were charged, said petitioning against events organised by progressive groups and getting them cancelled was a familiar modus operandi.

“They have been consistently targeting events by rationalists and other progressive groups for decades. They petition local police stations, district authorities and venue owners threatening them with protests if the events were allowed. Local authorities and venue owners are usually risk averse and end up cancelling our events to avoid trouble,” he said. 

A senior police official said the mainstreaming of HJS and several other fringe Hindutva organisations in Karnataka, especially during January to June 2022, had been flagged to the government as a security concern.

Farooq hits back at BJP over tirade against Nehru, Abdullah

 Farooq hits back at BJP over tirade against Nehru, Abdullah

Only history will decide who was a hero and who was a villain; National Conference founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s sacrifices cannot be forgotten, says party president

He [Rijiju] should mind his words... They should talk about joining hearts, but such statements break them, says Farooq Abdullah. File Photo

The Hindu Bureau SRINAGAR

Referring to the BJP leaders’ tirade against former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, former Chief Minister and NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Friday said only history will decide who was a hero and who was a villain.

‘Behind progress’

“Any leader’s statement doesn’t matter. Only history will decide who is a hero and who is a villain. Nehru’s history is unforgettable. He ruled India for 17 years and spearheaded the leap India took from a needle-importing country to one with large scale industrialisation. India became an atomic power. Who was the man behind the leap?” Dr. Abdullah said in Srinagar.

The former Chief Minister of J&K also took exception to the remarks made by BJP leaders about the NC founder.

“Sheikh Abdullah’s sacrifices cannot be forgotten. From being a place of unlettered people to now holding top positions across the globe, who brought this change? Did the change take place from the skies?” he said.

Making a pointed reference to BJP leader and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju’s recent article, Dr. Abdullah said, “He [Rijiju] should mind his words. We are not slaves. They should talk about joining hearts, but such statements break them.”

Responding to the accusation of ‘double talk’ in Srinagar and Delhi, the former Chief Minister said, “These accusations have been made in the past too. It’s of no importance. We are a part of India. J&K is the crown of India, not its shoe.”

Several BJP leaders had recently targeted the Abdullahs and Pt. Nehru for the Kashmir policy.

Demand for images of Hindu gods on currency notes sparks war of words

 Demand for images of Hindu gods on currency notes sparks war of words

BJP says ‘Kejriwal’s Hindu love’ has woken up just before the Gujarat Assembly election; Congress calls for his resignation for ‘violating’ the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution 

The Hindu Bureau New Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal on Wednesday to print images of Hindu deities on Indian currency notes to “improve the country’s economy” turned into a political slugfest with the BJP saying that “Kejriwal’s Hindu love” has woken up just before the Assembly election in Gujarat. 

The Delhi Congress also reacted to Mr. Kejriwal’s demands and called for his resignation for “violating” the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution to derive “cheap political mileage” ahead of the election.

Move defended

AAP defended the move with its senior leaders holding back-to-back press conferences and questioned why the BJP was opposing the move. 

Talking about the Gujarat Assembly election and the civic body polls in Delhi, Mr. Kejriwal said those against AAP are “asur (evil)” powers who want to suppress honesty and truth. 

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri called Mr. Kejriwal’s demand a “new political manoeuvre” and said his “Hindu love” has come to the fore as elections are near. 

“Just a few days ago, a Minister in the Kejriwal government insulted Hindu deities. Due to pressure from the BJP, Mr. Kejriwal had to remove this Minister from the Cabinet in a hurry. Mr. Kejriwal himself had opposed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. AAP Gujarat unit chief Gopal Italia has also given anti-Hindu statements,” Mr. Bidhuri said.

He added that the public knows that Mr. Kejriwal was now giving such statements only to hide his anti-Hindu sentiments. “If he had faith in goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha then why didn’t he organise Deepavali puja this year as he had done in the previous years?” Mr. Bidhuri said.

At a press conference, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari termed Mr. Kejriwal’s demand an “unsuccessful attempt” to hide his party’s “ugly anti-Hindu face” ahead of the elections. Mr. Tiwari demanded that Mr. Kejriwal first expel former Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and Mr. Italia from the party to prove that he has respect for Sanatana Dharma. “Mr. Kejriwal, who has so far protected his party leaders who ‘insulted Hindu gods and goddesses’, is now trying to save his face in view of the elections,” Mr. Tiwari said.

Responding to the attack from the BJP, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said in a tweet in Hindi, “These people are opposing Lord Ganesh, Lakshmi because, we have come to know that the Modi government is going to put the photo of Savarkar (on currency notes).”

AAP leader Atishi said, “The BJP leaders can hate Mr. Kejriwal but why hate Hindu deities Lakshmi and Ganesh? Do you not want the blessings of our gods to be with the people of the country? I humbly request leaders of the BJP not to oppose this noble proposal. It is not just a proposal from Arvind Kejriwal, but is the proposal of 130-crore citizens of this country.”

AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP’s real face was now out in the open. “CM Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal hasn’t been opposed even by extremist Muslim leaders but these BJP people are opposing it,” he said.

Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar said, “With his demand, he has lost the confidence of the people of Delhi, which is a mini-India, consisting of people of all faiths, religions, caste and creed, as his statement hurt the feelings and sentiments of all Delhiites,” Mr. Kumar added.

Video Of Namaz Inside Train Sparks Fresh Row, UP Cops Say Probe On

 Video Of Namaz Inside Train Sparks Fresh Row, UP Cops Say Probe On

Uttar Pradesh police and the Railway Protection Force have said they are investigating the matter.

India NewsReported by Alok Pandey, Edited by Saikat Kumar BoseUpdated: October 23, 2022 10:21 am IST

The video was reportedly shot on the Satyagraha Express while it had stopped at Khadda station

Lucknow: A fresh row has erupted over offering namaz in public after a video from the compartment of a train stationed in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar started doing the rounds on social media. State police and the Railway Protection Force have said they are investigating the matter.

The video was shared by former BJP MLA from Kushinagar Deeplal Bharati. It shows four Muslim men offering namaz in the aisle of a sleeper coach. The video was reportedly shot on the Satyagraha Express while it had stopped at Khadda railway station.

One man seated next to those offering namaz was heard asking passengers to wait till they are done.

The offering of namaz at public places has emerged as a matter of intense debate. Right-wing outfits' charge that they cause disruption have been countered by allegations of using the issue to targeting Muslims.

Earlier this year, protests erupted at an open area in designated for namaz in Haryana. Supporters of Hindu right-wing groups gathered and raised Jai Shri Ram slogans, as Muslims offered namaz at the area. Police had to step in to prevent the situation from spiralling into a communal clash.

In Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, a row erupted last month after a video of a woman offering namaz at a hospital went viral. Police later issued a statement that she was praying for the recovery of a family member and was not causing any disruption whatsoever. "Her action does not fall under the category of any crime," police said.

In July, several arrests were made in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow after a video of some men offering namaz at the newly inaugurated Lulu Mall went viral. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed police to act tough against elements "hell-bent on vitiating the atmosphere" in the state. Right-wing outfits had launched protests, demanding that they be allowed to perform prayers at the mall.

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Earlier this year, Chief minister Adityanath had said no religious procession in the state should be undertaken without prior permission of the administration and that loudspeakers should not cause inconvenience to others.

BJP ‘unhappy’ over its West Delhi MP’s ‘boycott community’ remarks

 BJP ‘unhappy’ over its West Delhi MP’s ‘boycott community’ remarks

West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh. File Photo-

Jatin Anand Nistula Hebbar New Delhi

Ahead of BJP national president J.P. Nadda’s organisational meeting with the Delhi unit of the party on October 16, there is unhappiness in some quarters over West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh’s controversial remarks calling for the economic boycott of a particular community during a public meeting.

Mr. Nadda has reportedly also asked for unedited footage of the speech Mr. Singh made while addressing a meeting organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s local unit along with other organisations in east Delhi on October 9. While there has been no talk yet of any action being taken against Mr. Singh by the high command, it is clear that the BJP and the RSS, which have been talking of engaging with Muslims and the backward among the community in particular, find the remarks jarring to these efforts.

In fact, ever since then party spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad and the diplomatic furore it caused with West Asian countries, the BJP has tread with caution on inter-community issues, at least in public rhetoric. Ms. Sharma was suspended from the party following her remarks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had at the Hyderabad national executive meet of the BJP told leaders that it was important to engage with the backward communities, including the Pasmanda Muslims. In fact, the BJP had also spoken of “sneh yatras” being undertaken by the party’s minority cell to bridge divisions.

According to sources in the Delhi BJP, the party was “clearly unhappy” with Mr. Singh since his speech last Sunday and discussions over the “need” for the West Delhi MP to have “attempted polarisation” of the electorate ahead of the civic body elections in the Capital.

“There have been discussions since the event over the need for it [the speech] so close to the MCD elections, which are very small in comparison to the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat,” a party source said.

“There was no need for an attempt at polarisation from any point of view; the BJP is on a strong footing in both the States. In Delhi, the new Lieutenant-Governor’s proactive approach in handling civic issues is enough from a political point of view,” the source added.

“The MCD elections need to be contested on the basis of work and not anything else, which is why the three MCDs were reunified and an effective L-G was put in place by the Centre in the first place,” the source said.

‘narrative terrorism’- Editor, scholar chargesheeted in ‘narrative terrorism’ case in J&K

 Editor, scholar chargesheeted in ‘narrative terrorism’ case in J&K

The Hindu BureauSRINAGAR

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir filed a chargesheet against the editor of the online magazine, The Kashmir Walla, and a PhD scholar in a “narrative terrorism” case on Thursday.

The SIA, in a statement, said journalist Fahad Shah, a resident of Srinagar, and Aala Fazili, a scholar in the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Kashmir University, had been booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency termed the duo “contaminated and compromised mediapersons” and said their end objective was to “create, sustain, and spread disaffection, hatred and enmity against the Indian state”.

Arrested over article

Mr. Fazili was arrested in April over his article titled ‘The shackles of slavery will break’, which was published in The Kashmir Walla on November 6, 2011. Mr. Shah was arrested on February 4 and booked under the Public Safety Act on March 16. He is lodged in Kupwara jail.

“The case relates to narrative terrorism wherein as part of a criminal conspiracy to spread terrorism and create a false narrative, accused Fazili, through his highly provocative and seditious write-up, intended to create unrest, and aid and abet gullible youth to take the path of violence,” the SIA said.

It added that the article was found to be “against national integration and supported the claim of secession of a part of the country’s territory, challenged sovereignty and territorial integrity, glorified violence, and advocated and abetted commission of terrorist acts”.

The probe agency said Mr. Shah “intentionally conspired” with Mr. Fazili and published the article, and this led to an increase in terrorism and unlawful activities across J&K.

“Their interim objective was to preserve Pakistani influence by manipulating and playing with facts,” the agency’s statement said.

SC delivers split verdict on Karnataka hijab ban

 SC delivers split verdict on Karnataka hijab ban

The two judges on the Bench had divergent opinions on the ideas of secularity, freedom ofexpression and effect of the ban on education of girls; case will now be heard by a larger Bench

Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a split verdict on whether Muslim students should shed their hijabs at their school gates.

Justice Hemant Gupta upheld Karnataka’s prohibitive government order of February 5, saying “apparent symbols of religious belief cannot be worn to secular schools maintained from State funds”.

Justice Gupta said ‘secularity’ meant uniformity, manifested by parity among students in terms of uniform.

Justice Gupta held that adherence to uniform was a reasonable restriction to free expression. The discipline reinforced equality. The State had never forced students out of State schools by restricting hijab. The decision to stay out was a “voluntary act” of the student.

In his divergent opinion, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said secularity meant tolerance to “diversity”. Wearing or not wearing a hijab to school was “ultimately a matter of choice”. For girls from conservative families, “her hijab is her ticket to education”.

“Asking the girls to take off their hijab before they enter the school gates, is first, an invasion of their privacy, then it is an attack on their dignity, and then ultimately it is a denial to them of secular education… There shall be no restriction on the wearing of hijab anywhere in schools and colleges in Karnataka,” Justice Dhulia held.

He further remarked that one of the best sights in India was a girl going to school like her brother.

“Are we making the life of a girl child any better by denying her education, merely because she wears a hijab! All the petitioners (students) want is to wear a hijab! Is it too much to ask in a democracy? How is it against public order, morality or health or even decency?” Justice Dhulia asked.