India News

Kasganj riot: Misleading Reporting Fans Tension – Was it Motivated?

Published

9 years ago

January 30, 2018

Kasganj riot: Misleading Reporting Fans Tension - Was it Motivated?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Rajesh Sinha

“Violence started after Muslims objected to the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ by ABVP and VHP activists”, goes the common refrain.

How about this: “Violence started after a bike rally by ABVP and VHP activists disrupted Republic Day celebrations”?

Both are partly true, and misleading. As often happens in instances of sectarian violence, there is much distortion of facts.

In the ‘controversies’ twisting facts about the riots in Kasganj, the latest is the Facebook post by Bareilly district magistrate Raghavendra Vikram Singh, saying it has become a trend to raise anti-Pakistan slogans in Muslim dominated areas.

Singh deleted the post after his post created a stir on social media, with some supporting him and others against him.

The post itself was very clear: “Ajab rivaz ban gaya hai. Muslim mohallo me jabardasti julus le jao aur Pakistan murdabad ke nare lagao. Kyon bhai, ve Pakistani hain kya? Yehi yahan Bareilly mein Khailam mein hua tha. Fir patharav hua, mukadme likhe gaye… (A strange trend has started of late. Take out processions through Muslim-dominated localities and raise anti-Pakistan slogans. Why? Are these people Pakistani? The same thing had happened in Khailam village of Bareilly. Then stones were pelted, FIRs lodged),” a Times of India report quoted from Singh’s Facebook post.

In another post on Facebook, Singh asked why slogans are never raised against ‘bigger enemy’ China. He said: “Cheen to bada dushman hai, Tiranga lekar Cheen murdabad kyon nahin? (China is a bigger enemy to us. Why isn’t the tricolour being waved and anti-China slogans shouted)?”

Talking to the Times of India, Singh said he was hurt and angry at what was happening “in the name of nationalism.”

“Such fringe groups are coming up in every part of the state, taking the same ugly route to instigate people of the minority community by forcefully entering their locality in the name of nationalism. These people don’t care about the fabric of our mixed culture and brotherhood,” he said.

He was right. Such slogans are meant to annoy Muslims by implying they are Pakistan supporters. As one senior journalist commented some time ago, “When ‘they’ say Pakistanis should be taught a lesson, they keep looking towards Muslims.” The implication is clear. It is bound to irritate and inflame passions.

Attempts to create tension where there was no reason to was evident even in instigating violence on Republic Day. Unfortunately, the dominant version is wrong in saying that it started when a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ taken out by RSS wings of ABVP and VHP was passing through a Muslim dominated locality and the people there objected to its passage.

This is patently false. Most news reports ignored or downplayed the fact that Muslims were celebrating the Republic Day and were hoisting the national flag in the not-so-wide lane when the ABVP-VHP group taking out the so-called ‘Tiranga Yatra’ on bikes came with saffron flags and demanded that they be allowed to pass.

Instead of letting the locals to go ahead with their Republic Day program and hoist the national flag, they demanded that the Muslims should also hoist the saffron flag and join in shouting ‘Vande Mataram’. They also started shouting slogans against Pakistan.

The celebration was disrupted and the locals objected to this unwarranted interference with their program. The dispute soon deteriorated into violence. In the clash, some shots were fired. A Hindu boy and a Muslim sustained bullet injuries. The Hindu, Chandan Gupta, died later. The Muslim, Noushad, had been shot in the leg and he lived.

In the violence and arson that followed, Mohd Akram was also injured when a mob dragged him out of his Maruti car and tried to gouge out his eye when he was trying to reach a hospital with his pregnant wife. He lost an eye and somehow managed to take his wife to the hospitalwhere she delivered a baby girl.

Subsequent reports spoke only about the Hindu boy getting shot and not about any firing by the Hindus. To add to this, a rumour was spread about another Hindu young man, Rahul Upadhyay being killed in the riots.

The UP Police refuted this and later Rahul himself spoke out to deny the rumours. “One of my friends informed me of rumours on social media about me getting killed during Kasganj clashes. But I was not present in Kasganj at the time when the riots took place. I had gone to my village. I am absolutely fine,” Rahul said, according to a media report.

A day after the clashes happened on Republic Day, the local BJP MP and MLA had visited Kasganj and participated in the cremation of Chandan Gupta. The mob there demanded status of martyr for him with compensation to his family and, on its way back, indulged in further violence and arson.

Reacting to the violence, Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti took forward the same line of people objecting to ‘Tiranga Yatra’. “The incident means that anti-national elements cannot tolerate Tiranga Yatra. The UP government is taking strict actions. Such incidents will not be tolerated and it should also not be politicised,” she said, according to News 18.

Meanwhile, UP government, trying damage control, shunted out Kasganj Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Singh to “a less significant post”. Piyush Srivastava was appointed the new Kasganj SP, said media reports, while Singh was sent to Police Training School, Meerut.

Governor Ram Naik had called the Kasganj violence a “blot” for the state ruled by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The situation in Kasganj was reportedly tense but a heavy deployment of police personnel combined with a crackdown on hooligans in the district has ensured peace, reported NDTV.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Air India sacks Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after failing drug test

Air India has terminated the Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after a confirmatory test found a psychoactive substance following the August 4 incident.

Published

5 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Air India has terminated the employment of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The pilot was in command of flight AI2379, which was travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude over Odisha. The incident left 24 passengers injured.

Air India said the termination was in line with its zero-tolerance policy regarding safety violations and regulatory requirements.

Air India terminates pilot with immediate effect

In a statement, the Tata-owned airline said the pilot-in-command had tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The airline said that, considering its zero-tolerance approach to violations related to safety, fitness and regulatory requirements, the pilot’s employment had been terminated with immediate effect.

Air India also said it continues to cooperate fully with the investigation into the incident and has provided access to relevant operational, maintenance and technical records.

What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?

According to the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Airbus A320 was carrying 145 people when it experienced the near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at around 36,000 feet.

The technical failure resulted in the autopilot disconnecting and triggered a brief stall warning. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude, resulting in injuries to 24 passengers.

The preliminary report also noted that the pilot tested non-negative for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

However, the report did not establish that the pilot’s drug-test result caused or contributed to the hydraulic system failure or the subsequent loss of altitude.

AAIB recommends action over psychoactive substance finding

The AAIB described the confirmation of psychoactive substance use as a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action against the pilot on priority.

The investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is still underway.

The preliminary report also noted that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft when the incident occurred and attempted to bring the situation under control.

Air India said safety remains its highest priority and that its pilots undergo training, proficiency checks, medical examinations and other regulatory assessments in accordance with applicable requirements.

India News

India offers forensic DNA support to identify Nepal flood victims

India will make forensic laboratory facilities available for DNA profiling of first-degree relatives of people missing after Nepal’s August 26 flash floods.

Published

10 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

India has offered forensic laboratory support to help identify people who remain missing after the devastating flash floods in Nepal.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said central and state forensic laboratories in India will make their DNA profiling facilities available for first-degree biological relatives of people missing after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal.

DNA samples can be provided by relatives in India

According to the MEA, first-degree biological relatives living in India can have their biological samples collected and DNA profiles prepared.

The relatives can include a person’s father, mother, son, daughter or sibling. DNA profiling can be carried out at Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs), State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSLs), laboratories of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and NABL-accredited laboratories with DNA profiling capabilities.

The initiative is intended to support Nepal’s ongoing process of identifying mortal remains recovered after the flash floods.

DNA profiles to be compared with unidentified remains

The MEA said the DNA profiling may use Autosomal STR DNA profiling, as advised by Nepal Police, subject to the technical requirements communicated by the Nepali authorities.

Once prepared, DNA profiles and the preliminary information required by Nepalese authorities can be sent to Nepal Police by email for comparison with DNA profiles obtained from unidentified mortal remains.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu will also facilitate coordination, with copies of the DNA profiles to be shared with the embassy for this purpose.

Nepal flood death toll rises

The death toll from the flash floods has risen to at least 1,259, according to Nepalese authorities, after rescue workers recovered additional bodies from affected areas.

More than 12,000 people have been rescued, while around 5,000 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The flash floods, which followed an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, caused extensive destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

India News

PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

Published

15 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

Yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for our nation.

The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India’s first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define… https://t.co/fXzwnSmwAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2026

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.