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BJYM vandalises Tharoor’s office for saying BJP will turn India into a Hindu Pakistan if it returns to power

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Shashi Tharoor

Angered at Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s statement about how intolerance and majoritarianism would turn India into a mirror image of Pakistan – a ‘Hindu Pakistan’ – BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has proceeded to prove his point by vandalizing his office in his constituency of Thiruvananthapuram.

Tharoor on Monday, July 16, alleged that BJYM “vandals” attacked his constituency office in Thiruvananthapuram and even threatened to kill him.

Tharoor said the activists of BJP’s youth wing smeared black oil on signs, doors, and walls of his workplace and tied a banner saying “Hindu Pakistan” office.

BJP Thiruvananthapuram district president S Suresh justified the act, saying the Yuva Morcha workers’ action was a democratic way of protest. “Workers have every right to vent their anger if they are provoked with such irresponsible statements,” he said.

Some days earlier, the Congress leader had said India would turn into Hindu Pakistan if BJP returned to power in 2019.

Tharoor leader posted a series of tweets to say that his office was ransacked by the BJP Yuva Morcha who also drove away the people who were waiting to meet him and submit petitions.

“Today @YUVAMORCHABJP vandals attacked my constituency office in Thiruvananthapuram. They poured black engine oil on signs, doors, walls & gate, drove away innocent citizens waiting with their petitions, put up offensive banners & shouted slogans asking me to go to Pakistan,” wrote Tharoor.

“More details are emerging of their vile conduct. They threatened to kill me & to shut down my MP office. This is an assault on democracy & on freedom of expression. We have taken it to the Kerala Police,” wrote Tharoor.

In another tweet, Tharoor said BJP’s answer to the question about giving up the dream of a Hindu Rashtra was vandalism and violence. “The BJP’s answer to the simple question “have you given up the dream of a Hindu Rashtra?” is apparently vandalism and violence. That is the face they have shown in Thiruvananthapuram today. Most Hindus will say these Sanghi goondas do not represent us,” he said.

Tharoor later added, “We have asked the BJP a very simple question. Have they given up on the dream of Hindu Rashtra, they don’t answer that. By attacking me, they are pretending to defend the Constitution, but what we see today is their answer to a question that they are otherwise unable to answer. Vandalism, goondaism, driving out the people who have come with their petition, this is the kind of politics that they want to practice. People of Thiruvanthapuram and the people of India will reject this. We want a politics where they are free to express their opinion and we are free to express ours, not politics where the answer to a free opinion is acts of violence and vandalism.”

Senior Congress legislator VD Sateeshan told the media that the incident was a show of the BJP’s arrogance.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president MM Hassan extended their support to Tharoor and visited the office. Chennithala said that Tharoor cannot be stopped and intimidated by the BJP with “such acts of vandalism”.

“The attack on Tharoor’s office by BJP goons is not acceptable. Is this the way to behave in a democratic system? Tharoor has every right to voice his opinion on issues. So many people were waiting to see the MP today and they were dispersed by these people. They tried to ransack the office. I request the state government to take strong action against those behind the attack,” Chennithala said.

Though the BJP had sought an apology from him Tharoor stood his ground saying there was nothing wrong in his statement. “A state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place will be a Hindu Pakistan,” he reiterated.

Even as the Congress national leadership distanced itself from Tharoor’s ‘Hindu Pakistan’ jibe, the party’s Kerala unit stood behind him.

Speaking on “Threats faced by Indian Democracy and Secularism” at an event here last week, Tharoor said: “The great danger is that if they (the BJP) are able to win a repeat of their current strength in the Lok Sabha, then frankly our democratic constitution as we understand will not survive because they will have all the three elements they need to tear up the Constitution of India and write a new one.

“That will be a new one which will enshrine the principle of Hindu Rashtra, will remove equality for minorities, that will create a Hindu Pakistan.”

On July 14, a Kolkata court summoned Tharoor following a petition moved by lawyer Sumeet Chowdhury dubbing the leader’s comments as “a deliberate and malicious act ” that was “intended” at “outraging” religious feelings.

However, Tharoor reiterated on Monday, “He added, “When we say we don’t want India to become a Hindu Pakistan, we are not praising Pakistan. We are saying that Pakistan was founded on the principle of one religion. That is not the idea behind India and we don’t want India to become that. But the BJP apparently doesn’t understand this.”

On Monday, when someone on Twitter pointed out to Tharoor that the vandalism was only an “equal and opposite reaction”, Tharoor shot back saying, “No one. The equal reaction to a speech is a rebuttal speech. Not vandalism. But you need to be a democrat to value that. Not too many of those in the Sangh Parivar, clearly.”

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Enforcement Directorate says Arvind Kejriwal is deliberately eating mangoes, sweets, taking sugar with tea to increase his blood sugar level and create ground for bail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

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The Enforcement Directorate told the court on Thursday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in liquor policy case, is taking high sugar intake like mangoes and sweets every day deliberately in spite of suffering from type 2 diabetes so that he can create grounds for medical bail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

Kejriwal had moved court and also sought permission to consult his regular doctor via video conference because his sugar levels were fluctuating. The judge directed the authorities concerned to file the report by tomorrow, when the court will take up the matter again.

 Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responded to the ED’s argument and said this is an issue made by Enforcement Directorate so that home-cooked food should also be stopped. He said this would have a major impact on his health. Advocate Jain added that whatever Kejriwal is eating is as per his doctors prescribed dietary chart. He said the matter is sub judice and they do not have anything to say.

Advocate Vivek Jain objected to the Enforcement Directorate’s submission and said that the agency is making these allegations only for the media. He said that some toffee and other things are given to diabetic patients so that they can maintain their sugar levels. Jain added that Kejriwal is withdrawing his application and will file a better one later.

AAP minister Atishi Marlena said that Arvind Kejriwal had fallen ill and lost about 4.5 kg since his arrest on March 21. She addressed a press conference where the AAP leader said, Arvind Kejriwal is a severe diabetes patient but he never lets his health issue come as the way of his in the service to the nation.

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Enforcement Directorate seizes Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97 crore

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday seized businessman Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97.79 crore. The siezed properties include a residential flat in Mumbai’s Juhu, which is named after his wife and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.  The Enforcement Directorate said the seized properties include another property which is a residential bungalow in Pune and Equity shares in the name of Raj Kundra.

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Enforcement Directorate began the investigation on the basis of a number of FIRs which were registered by Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police. It is being said that Kundra collected large sums of money in the form of bitcoins which were worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017 from the public with the false promises of 10 % monthly return in the form of bitcoins.

The ED said that it was planned that the collected bitcoins will be used for bitcoin mining and investors will get to get a large return in Crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors as they concealed the ill-gotten bitcoins in obscure online wallets. The Enforcement Directorate revealed in its investigation that Raj Kundra received 285 bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam Amit Bhardwaj for setting up bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

The Enforcement Directorate in its statement said that the bitcoins were sourced out of proceeds of crime collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors. Since the deal did not go through, so Kundra is still in possession and enjoyment of 285 bitcoins which are valued at more than Rs 150 crore. Earlier a number of search operations were conducted in connection with this case, leading to the arrest of three people — Simpy Bhardwaj on December 17, 2023, Nitin Gaur on December 29, 2023, and Nikhil Mahajan on January 16, 2023.

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Religious outfit vandalises The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Telangana after teachers object to students wearing Hanuman Deeksha dress

The Religious group broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

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A religious group shouting Jai Shri Ram has vandalised a Catholic school and assaulted a priest in Telangana’s Mancherial district on Tuesday. The saffron mob staged protest and vandalised The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Kannepally village. They broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

The priest who is a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) said some of members of the mob even slapped and threw punches at him while others attacked him from behind. The religious outfit accused the school management of not allowing Hindu students to wear their religious costumes. The school authorities said the allegation made by the mob is misleading and has no truth in it.

Earlier, the students who wore religious costumes had informed the school principal that it was part of a 21-day special religious practice. The principal said he had only asked the students to bring their parents to school after noticing that they are not wearing the school uniform.

Later, members of the religious outfit started protesting outside the school. They demanded action should be taken against the management for stopping the students from entering the school and appearing for their annual examinations as they were wearing the Hanuman deeksha dress.

The priest said soon after the video started circulating on social media and became viral with hate messages against Christians. After this incident many Hindus reached the school and vandalized it. A complaint has been lodged at the local police station by the school management, but no arrests have been made so far. Instead of taking action against the miscreants, the police have filed a case against the school management for hurting religious sentiments of the local people.

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