'Ongoing efforts to give legitimacy and legal sanction to hate speech has taken another step forward with Subramanian Swamy’s case coming up for a hearing before the Supreme Court. A case of hate speech was filed against Subramanian Swamy for his book on 'Terrorism in India' under Sections 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Dr Swamy has challenged the constitutionality of the sections of the IPC dealing with hate speech, saying they curtail free speech...
'Assam Governor P B Acharya was caught in another controversy on Sunday as he said that Indian Muslims are free to go anywhere, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. His remark came a day after he was reported to have said that “Hindustan is for Hindus”. As his reported statement — quoted by a section of the local media — came under fire, Acharya held a press conference on Sunday, where he claimed that he had been misquoted. However, he stirred a fresh row, with his response to a question on Indian Muslims who face persecution. “They (Indian Muslims) are free to go anywhere.
'A Kashmiri trucker was attacked by a mob shouting anti-Kashmir slogans in the volatile Jammu region, sparking condemnation from a prominent business body in Jammu and Kashmir. Police and family sources said Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Keegam in south Kashmir's Shopian district, was injured when "miscreants" attacked his Srinagar-bound oil tanker near Nandini Tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu Highway Saturday night and later assaulted him. The victim was left in a bleeding state by the six assailants, who were shouting anti-Kashmir slogans and travelling in two cars, sources said...
'In a shocking incident at Allahabad University on late Thursday night, students belonging to the BJP’s youth wing ABVP physically attacked, harassed and intimidated Richa Singh, the president of the students union and other students including women. The incident took place during a peaceful hunger strike that was being led by Richa.
'Delhi University’s Sanskrit department and the RSS-backed Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN) will be holding a seminar on November 24 to discuss the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry’s ‘New Education Policy-2015’. The seminar, whose final report will be sent to HRD minister Smriti Irani, will also have educationist Dinanath Batra delivering the keynote lecture on changes required in education.
'In the past four months, the country witnessed 300 incidents of communal violence, 75 every month, where 35 people were killed, according to Home Ministry data accessed by The Hindu. In the entire year till October, 630 incidents were reported and 86 persons lost their lives. The data do not show any spike in incidents under the NDA government. In 2013, when the UPA was in power, 823 such incidents were reported and in 2014 the figure stood at 644, the NDA came to power on May 26, 2014.
The leader: 12 December is the 143rd birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue BS Moonje. He was the mentor of KB Hedgewar and helped him shape the RSS.
The outfit: Moonje founded the Central Hindu Miltary Education Society which runs the Bhonsala Military School in Nashik. The School was named in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blasts.
More in the story: What is the BJP's view of Moonje? Why associating with Moonje's outfit can harm the BJP? What was Moonje's association with Benito Mussolini?
'Accusing the late prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi of ‘justifying’ the killing of innocent Sikhs in the 1984 carnage following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party leader and lawyer H S Phoolka along with BJP secretary R P Singh came together to demand that Bharat Ratna given to the former Prime Minister be taken back.
'A controversy erupted at the Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) in Jaipur and two artists were detained by the police, on Saturday, over exhibiting a plastic cow which was tied to a balloon and was floating at a height of 50 feet from the ground. Half an hour after the plastic cow installation was displayed during the Third Jaipur Art Summit at JKK, some right-wing groups and NGOs reached the spot and asked the organisers to dismantle the art work made by artist Siddharth Kararwal.
'...Repeating the 2014 success seems to be the overarching aim of the elaborate planning behind meticulously orchestrated welcomes accorded Modi during his trips to the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain over the past 14 months. The activities do not violate Indian law. The Overseas Friends of BJP will continue to orchestrate the key part in this scheme. The vast majority of OFBJP ranks are members of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, the foreign arm of the Hindu chauvinist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
