Scroll.in – Why BJP leaders’ comments on study about Muslim population in India are misleading

A study by Modi’s Economic Advisory Council has mentioned data on rise in share of Muslim population. This was already known from the decadal Census.

Abhik Deb

New Delhi – India, 09/05/2024. On Thursday, several news outlets reported on a study released by the prime minister’s Economic Advisory Council on the changes in the share of population of religious minorities in 167 countries between 1950 and 2015.

The headline for most publications was that the share of Muslim population in India had risen from from 9.84% in 1950 to 14.09% in 2015 – which is so say, 43.15%. On the other hand, the share of India’s Hindu population declined from 84.68% to 78.06% during that period – that is, 7.82%, the study said.

The first claim made by Chandrasekhar is misleading while the second one is outright false. The findings of the study about the change in religion-wise population share are not new and follow a trend that has been well-documented in the decadal Census.

Census data shows that the religious composition of the country’s population has undergone only modest changes since 1951. In fact, the decadal growth rate for Muslims has been declining over the past three decades.

As far back as 2015, Shoaib Daniyal had written about the flaws in the arguments of the leaders of the Hindutva party. In an article headlined, “Five charts that puncture the bogey of Muslim population growth”, he demonstrated how the rhetoric on demographics is belied by data.

On Thursday, several news outlets reported on a study released by the prime minister’s Economic Advisory Council on the changes in the share of population of religious minorities in 167 countries between 1950 and 2015.

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed that the “demography of India is being altered” due to increase in population of a “particular community”.

He also linked the study to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claim that the Congress wanted to introduce reservations in education and government jobs on the basis of religion.

The second claim that the Congress intends to provide quotas on the basis of religion has been debunked by several organisations, including Scroll. The Congress manifesto makes no such promise.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi made similar claims, while the party’s social media cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that the rise in share of population of Muslims was due to “decades of Congress rule”.

The fact that BJP leaders are using a well-known fact about India’s demographics to make misleading claims in the middle of the general elections raises questions on the timing of the release of the study.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav asked how the study could have determined the country’s population according to religion when the national Census, scheduled to be conducted in 2021, had not yet been started.

India’s religious composition largely unchanged

https://scroll.in/article/1067687/why-bjp-leaders-comments-on-study-about-muslim-population-in-india-are-misleading

The Nation – It is responsibility of state to trace missing persons: Sindh High Court

Dr Qaisar Rashid

Web Desk 09 May 2024. The Sindh High Court on Thursday heard cases of seven missing persons including a minor girl.

The family of a missing person in a plea to the court, presided over by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto complained that the police was failed to trace the person even after many years.

Investigation officer of the case, told the court that missing citizen Raees, has been a mental patient. “If he is a mental patient, it is still responsibility of the state to trace him. The police could not get out of its responsibility with these arguments,” the bench remarked.

“Who will trace the girl disappeared from a bungalow? If the underage girl has married or it is some other matter, there are several aspects of the investigation,” Justice Phulpoto said.

The court consoling the families of the missing persons said that the efforts are being made to trace their dear ones.

The bench also ordered the Steel Town, Mochko and Super Market police stations to register cases of the missing persons.

The court also summoned report from the federal government and various state institutions over the matter by August 12.

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday hearing 10 missing citizens case expressed its resentment over inaction of investigation officers and others in search of the missing persons.

“It has not yet decided even after 12 years that the missing persons went by their own or someone has taken them by force,” Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto remarked.

The bench also called reports from all jails and detention centres in the country.

The court also summoned the head of the joint investigation team (JIT) over failure in tracing a missing citizen, disappeared for last 12 years from Ajmer Nagri of Karachi.

The bench directed for financial assistance of the family of a citizen missing from Mominabad locality of Karachi since year 2012.

https://www.nation.com.pk/09-May-2024/it-is-responsibility-of-state-to-trace-missing-persons-shc

Firstpost – Canada to probe India link to Nijjar’s killing after 3 people arrested, say police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have arrested Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22

Firstpost Staff – 04 May 2024. The Canadian Police on Saturday said that they will continue their investigation to find the alleged Indian government link to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

The statement comes hours after the police arrested and charged three Indian nationals over their involvement in the killing of Nijjar in June last year.

“There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the Government of India,” said Assistant Commissioner David Teboul.

The Assistant Commissioner refused to make comments on the nature of evidence collected by the police or speak about the motive behind Nijjar’s murder.

Nijjar’s murder in Vancouver last year sparked a diplomatic row between India and Canada with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing the Indian government of its involvement in the killing of the Canadian national.

Who are the people arrested by police?

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have arrested Karanpreet Singh – 28 – Kamalpreet Singh – 22 and Karan Brar 22.

The police said that all these men had been living in Edmonton, Alberta at the time of their arrest.

The trio has been booked with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Nijjar was killed by masked gunmen.

However, it is not clear whether the three arrested people are the same people who shot Nijjar.

The police added that Karanpreet, Amarpreet and Karan had been living in Canada for three to five years.

“We welcome the arrests but this does lead to a lot more questions,” said Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the Canada-based World Sikh Organization advocacy group.

“Those who have been arrested are part of a hit squad but it’s clear that they were directed,” he said by phone.

https://www.firstpost.com/world/hardeep-singh-nijjar-killing-three-arrested-canada13766985-13766985.html

The Pioneer – Maneka Gandhi files nomination

BJP candidate Maneka Gandhi filed her nomination papers from the Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat here on Wednesday.

Gandhi took out a roadshow to reach the collectorate and filed her papers in front of District Election Officer Krittika Jyotsna.

Sultanpur – Panjab – India, NDA ally NISHAD Party president Dr Sanjay Nishad and Apna Dal leader and cabinet minister Ashish Patel were with her at the time of the nomination filing.

After filing her nomination, Gandhi said she will do more work in the next five years than was done in the last five.

She said she wants to provide more houses to the people under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana here.

“We have to take this region ahead. The people living in the area must get all facilities – this has always been my effort and will be in future as well,” she said.

On the opposition’s allegation that the BJP, if voted back to power, will take away the reservation by changing the Constitution, she said no one can end quota.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/india/maneka-gandhi-files-nomination.html

Afghan repatriation

Op/Ed, 29 April 2024. Compared to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a lot more patient where the repatriation of Afghan nationals is concerned.

According to a recent news report, the validity of the Proof of Registration cards given to Afghan refugees has been extended to 30 June this year so that they may continue to avail education, banking and other facilities in Pakistan.

Perhaps the decision could have come a little sooner, considering that these cards had previously been valid till 01 April. One hopes that no one was made to suffer any inconvenience over the delayed decision.

Nonetheless, it is welcome news that the elected government is being more accommodating where the rights of refugees are concerned — one recalls the brutish manner in which the ‘repatriation’ drive began, with hundreds of thousands of Afghan men, women and children rounded up and placed in holding camps near the border to be ‘sent home’ to Afghanistan.

A recalibration was much needed. Considering the human costs involved, repatriation must be done as humanely as possible without injuring the dignity of those being told to leave.

While it is still early days, it appears that the policy of returning aliens who have called Pakistan home in recent years will stay in place. Ideally, a country should be open to all, to live in and be free as long as they agree to respect its customs and laws and promise to contribute to its social, cultural and economic development.

However, considering the challenges being faced by Pakistan and its depleting resources, those who make our national policies believe it is time the country excused itself from hosting anyone not entitled to its citizenship.

Those championing this line of reasoning believe Pakistan is well within its rights and international laws to demand all refugees to leave. If this is the consensus, then so be it.

However, the new government would send a much more positive message if it shows itself to be accommodative of those with Afghan ancestry but who were born in Pakistan, as well as the men and women who have married here.

The two countries share a deep social bond which cannot be aborted through a sudden policy change. The process must play out, but it must be completed with due consideration for the human rights of those affected.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1830279/afghan-repatriation

The Print – Indira, Manmohan, Modi, all raised income inequality. Until Hindu fears took the driving seat

The issue of inequality has assumed the blazing limelight at a time when inequality in India is said to be higher than it was in the British Raj. It’s a ripe situation for half-truths and incendiary statements.

TCA Sharad Raghavan

Op/Ed, 27 April, 2024. Reducing inequality and redistributing wealth are ideas that have sparked revolutions, toppled governments, and enabled despots. Such ideas have also elevated some nations -especially Scandinavian ones and a few in Europe – as paragons of social justice.

The Indian government has been grappling with the same ideas for the larger part of a century now, but can’t seem to decide on how much of a Robin Hood to be.

From Indira Gandhi’s ‘Garibi Hatao’ to Manmohan Singh’s ‘inclusive growth’ to Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ – income inequality has never really left Indian political imagination. This week, it all came down to two primal fears of Hindu voters – Muslims and Mangalsutra.

Should the government take from the rich (‘steal’ in the context of taxes might be a bit harsh) and give to the poor? The Congress has tried this in the past. Or should it simply give to the poor without taking from the rich? The Modi government is trying this now.

Either way, the issue of inequality and redistribution is once again on a hot streak — stressed by Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi, and pretty much everyone with an opinion — and that’s why it is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the Week.

It’s naturally an evocative issue and no wonder that Rahul Gandhi’s 2014-15 remark of the Modi government being a ‘suit-boot ki sarkar’ resonated so well with the public. It hit the right chords with his supporters while also twanging away at the establishment’s nerves.

Add to this a recent study, co-authored by Western economists like Thomas Piketty, which claims that inequality in India is higher than it was in the British Raj, and you have a situation ripe for an escalating conflagration of assertions, half-truths, and incendiary statements.

Inheritance tax rears its head again

The ball was sent rolling and, indeed, careening wildly by Indian Overseas Congress chairman and long-time Gandhi family advisor Sam Pitroda earlier this week, when he called for a discussion on whether India needs an “inheritance tax”.

Speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, Modi referred to Pitroda’s comments and said the mantra of the Congress was “loot zindagi ke saath bhi aur zindagi ke baad bhi” (Congress will loot you during your life and beyond it), a play on the popular tagline of the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Meanwhile, the Congress leapt into damage-control mode, with its communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh taking to X to assure everybody that “the Congress has no plan whatsoever to introduce an inheritance tax”.

Praveen Chakravarty, chairman of the All India Professionals’ Congress and a key member of the party’s manifesto committee, wrote an entire article on it.

Chakravarty even went so far as to fling Pitroda under the bus, referring to his statement as “a past-his-prime Congressman’s stray comments”. Talk about desperate damage control.

The thing is, the Congress has already tried the inheritance tax experiment, and discarded it as a failure. Back in 1953, the Jawaharlal Nehru government brought in the tax – called the estate duty – to reduce inequality and provide states more resources. The British government had been talking about such a tax in India as far back as 1935.

By 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government found the estate duty had comprehensively failed, and so abolished it. Other attempts to redistribute wealth through taxation, such as the gift tax and the wealth tax, lasted longer – being removed in 1998 and 2016, respectively.

Modi, Rahul & Mangalsutra

Parallel to this, there also arose the controversy around Modi’s speech in Rajasthan, where he said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had once remarked that Muslims had the first claim on the nation’s resources.

“This means they will distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators,” Modi said in Hindi.The outrage that followed was stupendous, with social media enthusiasts sharing and re-sharing his speech – which might have done as much harm as good – and making all kinds of fun of the Election Commission for remaining silent.

Even the international media took note.Unfazed, the PM on Tuesday reiterated his assertion that the Congress would redistribute the country’s wealth and give it to ‘select people’.What likely emboldened him to stick to this message was Rahul Gandhi doubling down on statements of his own that had created quite a stir.

“We will hold a financial and institutional survey after that,” Gandhi said. “Yeh pata lagayenge ki Hindustan ka dhan kiske hathon mein hai, kaun se varg ke haath mein hai. Aur is aitihasik kadam ke baad hum krantikari kaam shuru karenge.

(We will find out in whose hands the nation’s wealth is in, which class of people they are. And after this historic step, we will undertake revolutionary work).”This, too, was used extensively by Modi to rile up crowds.

Evocatively, he warned people that the Congress wanted to ‘X-ray’ the nation – a term Gandhi himself used – and take the Mangalsutras of the women, confiscate their stree-dhan, seize any extra property held by anybody, and redistribute it all.

Over this last week, Gandhi has reiterated his financial survey remark, although he clarified that he hadn’t mentioned any actions to be taken on the basis of such a survey. With both leaders not backing down, the Election Commission on Thursday finally issued notices to the Congress and the BJP over the remarks made by Gandhi and Modi.

This, too, created quite a stir since the notices didn’t go to the alleged violators individually, but to their respective parties.

Inequality in more than just politics

Now, if you thought that the issue of wealth redistribution was restricted to the political domain, please keep an eye on the courts – no less than a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India – and what it will decide about whether the private property of an individual can be regarded as resources of the community.

And while the redistribution discussion has been about the rich and the poor, let’s not forget that India often has a wealth difference even between husband and wife. Incredibly, even this aspect was covered this week.

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that ‘stree-dhan’ is the “absolute property” of the wife and that the husband has no title over it.

The issue of inequality will likely die down in a few days, replaced by something else that captures headlines, but the last week saw it assume the blazing limelight – a position it should assume every once in a while.

https://theprint.in/opinion/newsmaker-of-the-week/indira-manmohan-modi-all-raised-income-inequality-until-hindu-fears-took-the-driving-seat/2059074

The News – What can Pakistan do for Kashmir?

Touqir Hussain
26 April 2024

Singapore – 26 April 2024. Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Kashmir protesting against the Indian occupation as the forces of India looked on.

Kashmir is no ordinary dispute. It is about a territory, its people, and the dynamics of their history, culture, and aspirations for freedom. And it is about the ethics of international politics.

The dispute affects and reflects the tensions between the national identities, political ambitions, and contrasting views of the history of the two disputants – India and Pakistan.

In five years, Indian Prime Minister Modi has expunged the above reality by rewriting the script of the Kashmir tragedy. India knew that the success of the Kashmir cause depended on two factors – the strength of the insurgency and Pakistan’s support to the Kashmir cause.

It was not just the Kashmiris that stood in India’s way, Pakistan did too.

So the Indian strategy was to launch a campaign of isolating and defaming Pakistan and to put it on the defensive and make it off balance.

The idea was to marginalize it and force it to back away from supporting the Kashmiris with a view to demoralizing them as they would have no one to look up to for support. And then unleash extreme repressive measures to bludgeon them into submission.

The theme of the new Kashmir tragedy may have been Hindutva inspired but its plot was built around India’s rise and Pakistan’s diminished international status in recent decades.

The power disparity and the widening gap between the global standing of the two countries enabled India to break loose from the gravitational pull of the past India-Pakistan hyphenation.

This hyphenation had inclined the big powers to always consider the two countries and their disputes together. But that has all changed.

India is a global player now serving the West’s economic and strategic interests. Pakistan is still useful to the international community as a partner but has also become a source of concern as the alleged host of extremist organizations.

Taking advantage of the seat at the high table and the West’s, especially America’s, concerns about security, India went on to launch a campaign of isolating and vilifying Pakistan by accusing it of ‘terrorism’ which became India’s code word for attacking Pakistan’s Kashmir policy.

The Indian propaganda exaggerated the terrorist threat and insinuated that it was aimed at the destabilization of India in whose stability the West had come to have a big stake because of its role in the containment of China.

With these arguments India managed to dictate its own view of Kashmir which the West, and even Pakistan’s friends in the Gulf, accepted unreservedly for their own reasons.

Pakistan’s international image, which was already damaged due to governance issues and troubled relations with Washington on account of the failure of the Afghanistan war, got a further hit.

As Pakistan lost, so did Occupied Kashmir – providing a perfect setting for Prime Minister Modi’s August 5, 2019 action.

Rightly calculating that Pakistan would not be able to mobilize any international support for the Kashmir cause, the Indian prime minister with his move stripped Pakistan of whatever locus standing it had on the dispute.

And confident that the West would turn a blind eye he set the process of annexation in motion beginning with maximum repression.

The repression continues. To quash any form of resistance unbearable restrictions have been placed on the freedom of expression and basic civil liberties.

A pervasive atmosphere of fear has been instilled among the citizens of Occupied Kashmir to intimidate and coerce them into unlawful assimilation.

Consequences of dissent range from job suspension to incarceration in distant Indian states. Media coverage is virtually non-existent as journalists have been detained, and media organizations subjected to raids.

The illegal occupation has seeped through every aspect of life in Kashmir. Public school educators and officials are coerced into displaying allegiance by posting pictures with the Indian flag on national occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day, sometimes even being pressured to hoist the flag at their residences.

This practice is just one instance of the myriad ways in which Kashmiris are subjected to humiliation, being forced into actions that contradict the spirit of Kashmiri resistance and promote pro-Indian sentiments.

India’s state machinery, including intelligence agencies, frequently employs tools such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) – both part of colonial sedition laws – to quell any form of resistance and instill a pervasive atmosphere of fear.

People are hesitant to even speak about their grievances, fearing severe consequences ranging from job suspension to incarceration in distant Indian states. This pattern underscores India’s efforts to reinforce its authority and perpetuate its occupation of the region.

Utilizing the rhetoric of ‘development’, the state has embarked on initiatives such as establishing ‘smart cities’, alongside initiatives to resettle non-Kashmiris and alter the demographic landscape. This exemplifies the broader strategy of complete assimilation of Kashmir into India.

Historically Kashmiris have contested Indian repression through various means, including armed resistance. However, the dynamics of protest have shifted significantly. Kashmiris find themselves largely powerless to take action, let alone mount any effective resistance.

The significance of any possible role by Pakistan has largely faded. Young Kashmiris have come to the realization that, with its ability to aid them in ending the occupation being limited, Pakistan has lost its earlier relevance to the cause.

India feels it has found the solution to the Kashmir ‘problem’ without Pakistan’s help and is under no obligation to give any concessions.

So what are Pakistan’s options? Neither wars nor Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri resistance has helped solve the dispute. Nor will the UN resolutions help since without big powers and the concerned parties’ backing for them they are ineffective, and relevant largely as an historical document.

That leaves Pakistan with only one option – normalization of relations with India, especially the resumption of trade. Even though trade will be more to India’s advantage, it may not agree to talk much less normalize unless Pakistan drops the Kashmir related pre-conditions.

Normalization if it happens might ease tensions with India but will not give any influence to Pakistan.
But it could open up future possibilities of Pakistan calibrating the level of economic engagement with transit rights giving Islamabad some leverage regarding Kashmir.

But for that Pakistan has to rise economically and rebuild its international standing to the level that India cannot isolate it, and the benefits of the relationship exceed the cost of ignoring it.

Bottom line: The struggle of Pakistan and the Kashmiris is for the long haul.

The writer, a former ambassador, is adjunct professor at Georgetown University and visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1182244-what-can-pakistan-do-for-kashmir

The Telegraph – In contrast to Rajasthan Modi dons Muslim-friendly face in Aligarh with increased Haj quota

Modi also reiterated what he had said in Rajasthan about the Congress confiscating people’s assets but left out the part about these being distributed among Muslims

Piyush Srivastava

Lucknow – Uttar Pradesh – India, 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government had got Saudi Arabia to increase India’s Haj quota and arranged for Muslim women to go on the pilgrimage alone, presenting a minority-friendly face a day after delivering a polarising speech that targeted the community.

On Sunday in Rajasthan, Modi had alluded to the largest minority community as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children” while alleging the Congress manifesto promises to take away citizens’ assets — including (Hindu) women’s mangalsutras — and hand them over to Muslims.

A day later in Aligarh, where Muslims make up 42 per cent of the population, Modi’s speech seemed to emphasise his long-time claim about being a benefactor of Muslim women – for instance, by banning the instant triple talaq.

“There was a rush earlier because of lower quotas for Haj and only powerful people used to get this opportunity (for the pilgrimage). I requested the crown prince of Saudi Arabia to increase the Haj quota for our Muslim brothers and sisters in India,” Modi said at Aligarh’s Numaish Maidan.

“Today, not only has the Haj quota for India been increased but the visa rules have also been relaxed. The government took a major decision because our Muslim mothers and sisters were unable to go on Haj alone. The government has allowed our women to set out for Haj without mahram (husband, brother or son).”

He added: “Thousands of those sisters whose dream of going on Haj has been fulfilled have blessed me. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party always played the politics of appeasement but did nothing for the political, social and economic growth of the Muslims.”

Modi also reiterated what he had said in Rajasthan about the Congress confiscating people’s assets but left out the part about these being distributed among Muslims.

“I want to alert the people of the country about a dangerous plan of the Congress’s alliance. I alert the people of Aligarh – the Congress and the INDI alliance have their eyes on your income, on your wealth,” Modi said.

“The shahzada (prince, an allusion to Rahul Gandhi) of the Congress has said that if voted to power, they would conduct surveys about who earns how much, who has how much property… and who has how many houses.

“This wealth will be confiscated by the (Congress-INDIA) government and distributed among others. Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is considered sacred. But their eyes are set on amending the law to snatch the properties from our mothers and sisters – the mangalsutras of mothers and sisters are not safe.”

https://www.telegraphindia.com/elections/lok-sabha-election-2024/in-contrast-to-rajasthan-modi-dons-muslim-friendly-face-in-aligarh-with-increased-haj-quota/cid/2015111

Hindustan Times – Maryam Nawaz reaches out to Sikh pilgrims at Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara

Maryam, as part of the celebrations of harvest festival of Punjab Baisakhi, welcomed 2.400 Sikhs who are currently visiting Pakistan to attend the festivities.

HT Correspondent

Kartarpur – Panjab – Pakistan, 20 April 2024, Chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province Maryam Nawaz on Thursday invoked Punjabi pride, met a group of Sikh pilgrims, mostly from India, and reminded the gathering at the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara that her father Nawaz Sharif said the country should not fight with its neighbours.

Maryam, as part of the first official state-level celebrations of Baisakhi, the harvest festival of Punjab, welcomed some 2,400 Sikhs who are currently visiting Pakistan to attend the festivities.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib has the samadhi of the first Sikh master Guru Nanak and Sikh pilgrims from all over visit the place to perform rituals.

Addressing the gathering at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, 130 km northeast of Lahore, Maryam quoted her father and three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as saying, “We should not fight with our neighbours. We need to open our hearts for them.”

Maryam, 50, is considered the political heir of Nawaz Sharif. She was elected as the first woman chief minister in Pakistan in February.

“When I became the chief minister, I received greetings from Punjabi brothers from across the border too. I am a Pakistani, but I am a Panjabi (hardcore Panjabi) too,” she said.

“We wish to speak Panjabi here like the people of Indian Punjab. My grandfather, Mian Sharif, is from Jati Umra, Amritsar. When a Punjabi Indian brought soil of Jati Umra, I placed it on his (grandfather’s) grave,” she said.

Maryam said she made Ramesh Singh Arora the first Sikh minister in her government.

“My father laid the foundation of Kartarpur Corridor in 2013. He also made a Sikh a member of the Panjab Assembly,” she claimed.

She said on the wish of Sikhs, she has ordered the construction of a road at Kartarpur.

The corridor was opened in November 2019 by the then prime minister Imran Khan. Maryam tried to take credit for the corridor by saying her father was keen to open it for Indian Sikhs and he took the initiative by making a local Sikh lawmaker.

Maryam also said that this is the first time that the Baisakhi festival is being celebrated in Pakistan at a government level. “This is my Punjab and we are celebrating all festivals of minority communities such as Holi, Easter, and Baisakhi together,” she said.

At the gurdwara she sat in the sanctum with pilgrims and then had langar with them. Later, she also hugged an old Indian woman who came from Amritsar and exchanged pleasantries.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/maryam-nawaz-reaches-out-to-sikh-pilgrims-at-kartarpur-101713551101508.html

New Indian Express – Democracy will end if ‘Modi-Shah sarkar’ returns to power: Kharge

“Did you all get 20 crore jobs? Ask the BJP about their 20 crore jobs (promise). Ask them where is Rs 15 lakh when they come seeking your votes.” the senior Congress leader said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed that democracy will end in the country if the Modi-Shah sarkar returns to power, launching an attack on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, Kharge said they will also scrap the Constitution.

“They will scrap the Constitution scripted by Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar. If you want to keep it alive, the right to vote for women, labourers and farmers, then vote for the Congress and its ‘panja’ (hand) symbol,” he appealed to the voters.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address the rally in Satna but his visit was cancelled as he took ill, a party leader said earlier, adding that Kharge would fill in for him.

The Satna Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the second phase on April 26.

Democracy will end if Modi-Shah’s government returns to power, Kharge claimed addressing the public meeting held in support of Congress candidate Siddharth Kushwaha.

Accusing PM Modi of telling lies, Kharge said the PM keeps talking about Modi ki guarantee without taking his party’s name.

He had said that if he became the prime minister, Rs 15 lakh would be given to every person by bringing back the black money stashed abroad.

“Did you get it?” he asked.

Modi had also told the young people of this country that 2 crore jobs would be generated every year, said Kharge continuing his criticism of the PM. Now 10 years have gone.

“Did you all get 20 crore jobs? Ask the BJP about their 20 crore jobs (promise). Ask them where is Rs 15 lakh when they come seeking your votes.” the senior Congress leader said.

Kharge said Modi had promised to double farmers’ income but that too has not happened.

Listing out the prices of cooking gas cylinders, milk, flour and pulses when the Congress-led UPA was in power before 2014, Kharge said rates of these commodities have skyrocketed in the past ten years.

“These are Modi’s acche din (good days). This man always says I will bring acche din. He tells so many lies. That’s why I call him jhoothon ka sardar’,” Kharge said.

The country’s unemployment rate is the highest in the past 45 years but there is no account of it, he said.

Kharge also claimed that the country’s assets like airports, roads, land, public sector undertakings and big factories are being sold to two buyers.

“Who are these two men? Adani and Ambani are buyers. Who are the sellers? Modi and Shah, Kharge said.

Loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of rich people have been waived but the loans of poor farmers are yet to be written off, he said.

Farm loans of Rs 72,000 crore were waived under the leadership of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge also slammed PM Modi and Union minister Shah for taking those into the BJP fold who were “corrupt” till they were in other parties.

It seems Shah has a “big laundry with a washing machine to wash those who are corrupt” before inducting them into the BJP, the Congress leader claimed.

Besides Satna, Rewa, Tikamgarh, Khajuraho, Damoh and Hoshangabad seats will vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on 26 April.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Apr/21/democracy-will-end-if-modi-shah-sarkar-returns-to-power-kharge-2