Screengrab from a video of the assault on the journalist
EDITORS GUILD CONDEMNS ASSAULT ON UNNAO JOURNALIST
The Editors Guild of India on July 12 issued a statement condemning a recent incident where an officer of the Uttar Pradesh government assaulted a journalist while he was covering local body elections in the state. On July 10, a video was widely circulated on social media, where Divyanshu Patel, Chief Development Officer of Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district, could be seen beating up a local journalist. Patel attacked the journalist after the latter filmed the government officer allegedly helping kidnap local council members to stop them from voting, NDTV reported. The Editors Guild noted that the state administration’s approach was hurting democratic rights of the media, which was crucial ahead of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh early next year. Patel reportedly apologised to Tiwari and photos of them exchanging sweets were circulated on July 11.
The photograph on the government website
RIOT VICTIM MUSLIM FAMILY’S PHOTO WITH ‘FOREIGNER’ TAG
The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) on July 10 submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary of Assam, asking for the removal of a photograph of a Muslim family featured on the website of the Assam government’s Home Political Department, on a page about ‘Foreigners’ Tribunals’. “It is a symbolic portrayal of Indian citizens as foreigners,” AAMSU alleged. The photograph was reportedly taken by photographer and journalist Abdul Maleque Ahmed during the riots between Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam in 2012. While speaking to the Indian Express, Ibrahim Ali, 39, whose mother and siblings were in the photo, said it was a shock to see his family portrayed as foreigners. “If people go to the website and see the photo… isn’t that what they will think (that we are foreigners)? But all our papers are in order, our names in the NRC too,” said Ibrahim who could return home only after nine months spent in a relief camp.
IT rules deviate from the provisions of the Constitution PTI
PTI CHALLENGES NEW IT RULES IN DELHI HC
India’s largest news agency, Press Trust of India (PTI), has legally challenged the new IT regulations that were introduced in February 2021, asserting that they deviate from the provisions of the Constitution. In its plea submitted to the Delhi High Court, PTI has said that the new rules allow the government to “virtually dictate content to digital news portals, and squarely violate media freedom,” The Hindu reported. Indicating that the regulations are violative of the Constitution’s provisions, PTI argued in its petition that the rules “introduce digital portals with ‘news and current affairs content’ as a specific and targeted class to be subject to regulation by a loose-ranging ‘Code of Ethics’, and to be consummately overseen by Central Government officers, all of which is violative… of the Constitution.” According to a Forbes report, PTI has further said that the Code of Ethics is “draconian” and that the Rules “usher in an era of surveillance and fear.” In its petition, the news agency also noted that the newly-introduced regulations go beyond the scope of the IT Act of the Constitution. Several news organisations, including The Quint, The Wire and LiveLaw had also filed similar petitions against the IT regulations.
The Jamia shooter arrested for hate speech at Pataudi
ONE ARRESTED OVER COMMUNAL SPEECH AT PATAUDI
The Gurugram police have arrested the man who recently made provocative communal speeches at a mahapanchayat at Pataudi in Haryana on July 4, reports said on July 13. This is the man who, as a minor then had shot at anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2020, injuring a college student. Indian Express quoted the Manesar DCP Varun Singla as having said that the FIR against the accused has been registered under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC. The complaint was allegedly submitted by a resident of Jamalpur village, identified as ‘Dinesh’. At the mahapanchayat, the accused asked Hindu audience members to avenge “love jihad” by abducting Muslim women. The audience was also heard chanting anti-Muslim slogans.
They made me sign on a blank sheet of paper, Farman alleged
DELHI RIOTS: ‘THEY MADE ME SIGN A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER’
Mohammed Farman, the 22-year-old from Khajuri Khas in Northeast Delhi, had been picked up by the police, charged with violence and jailed. He has just been released from Mandoli Jail on bail, Nikita Jain said in a report in The Wire on July 11. Last March, Farman was charged by the Delhi Police in connection with the murder of Babbu Khan, an auto driver and resident of Khajuri Khas, who was killed by a mob at Khajuri Khas Pushta on February 25, 2020. “I was with my family when the police suddenly came to our shanty and started asking me questions. They asked me my name and then took me away with them to a nearby police station. They made me wait at the station the entire night and shifted me to Mandoli Jail the next day,” Farman told The Wire. “They made me sign on a blank sheet of paper when I was at the police station and did not tell me anything until I reached Mandoli jail, where I was told about the charge sheet and the allegations against me,” he alleged.
154 anti-Christian incidents of violence reported in first six months of 2021
154 INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN 2021
One hundred and fifty-four incidents of violence against Christians across India were reported on UCF toll-free helpline number: 1-800-208-4545 in the first six months of 2021, said AC Michael, former Member of Delhi Minorities Commission in an article on Countercurrents on July 12. January witnessed the highest number of incidents with 34 followed by 28 in June, 27 in March, 26 in April, 21 in February and 16 in the month of May. Two North Indian states Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have recorded 22 incidents of violence against Christians in these six months followed by 19 in Uttar Pradesh and 17 in Karnataka.