A mob in Imphal, Manipur, attacked the Fifth Indian Reserve Battalion post in Chingarel Tezpur, resulting in one death and two injuries.
On Tuesday, the incident occurred at almost 11 p.m., Okram Sanaton, a 24-year-old resident of Pangei Okram Leikai in Imphal East, was identified as the victim. He was shot during the attack and died as a result. The other two injured were taken to a hospital so they could receive treatment.
After the incident, it was reported that a large cache of weapons and ammunition had been taken from the location. Police sources said that two heavy-ammunition LMGs, four Carbines, three Knot Riffles, and six AK-47 Riffles were among the stolen weapons.
After a “Tribal Solidarity March” was held in the hill districts to express opposition to the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, more than 180 people have died in Manipur since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 of last year.
While tribal people, such as the Nagas and Kukis, make up 40% of the population and are primarily concentrated in the hill districts of Manipur, Meiteis make up roughly 53% of the state’s population and are primarily found in the Imphal Valley.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Farmers’ social media accounts were removed on February 13, the day before their protest was scheduled to begin. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a non-political organization led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, and Kisan Majdoor Morcha coordinator Sarvan Singh Pandher jointly issued the protest call.
The Haryana police have prohibited farmers from entering the state through multi-layered barricades on the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana from Patiala side and the Khanauri border from Sangrur district in Punjab. This prohibition extends beyond the ban on their social media accounts and the extended internet ban in seven districts of Haryana until February 15.
In addition to preventing them from entering Haryana, the Haryana police injured and confused farmers at the Shambhu border by shooting pellets at them and using drones to shoot tear gas. More than a hundred farmers reportedly suffered injuries.
Facebook and X accounts withheld
Prominent farmer leaders have had their X accounts and Facebook pages withheld, including Sarvan Singh Pandher, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) coordinator; Tejveer Singh Ambala, the BKU spokesperson (Shaheed Bhagat Singh); farmer leader Ramandeep Singh Mann; Surjit Singh Phull from BKU Krantikari; farmer leader Harpal Sangha; and Ashok Danoda from Haryana, among many others.
Additionally, the government outlawed official pages endorsing the movement and providing updates on it, such as Bhavjit Singh’s @Tractor2twitr_P, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s Bhartiya Kisan Union, and Guramneet Singh Mangat’s Progressive Farmers Front.
One of the major farmer unions, BKU (SBS), was spearheading the farmers’ demonstration from Ambala, Haryana.
Mandeep Punia, an independent journalist, has had both his personal page and the page “Gaon Sawera” removed. Mandeep, a well-known figure who supported the farmers’ protest, was detained in 2020. Mandeep recorded his legs while incarcerated and used those notes to write a report for The Caravan.
It is generally accepted that the procedure for withholding these accounts is opaque. Both Guramneet’s personal and Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s X accounts are still active. However, Dallewal’s Facebook page is prohibited.
“Your account has been withheld in IN [India] in response to a legal demand,” X wrote to the accounts.
Remarkably, Kisan Majdoor Morcha’s official page is still active despite having been started just before the Delhi Chalo protest.
It is important to note that the Union government had previously banned numerous social media accounts during the farmers’ protest in 2020–2021, among them was the official page of Kisan Ekta Morcha, which served as the SKM’s digital branch.
High-profile backers at the time, including independent journalist Sandeep Singh and Punjabi singer Jazzy B of Khalsa Aid, had their accounts withheld and remained under lock and key.
Accounts meant to debunk propaganda targeted
Speaking with The Wire, Bhavjit Singh, the administrator of the @Tractor2Twitr_i page on X (which was hidden in the interim until this report was released), claimed that all of these accounts were hidden on February 12 because farmer leaders were seated at a meeting with union ministers. “We believe that the Punjabi government, in addition to the Union government, was involved in the process of identifying the accounts of farmer union leaders.” This is a risky trend, he said, because official farmer mouthpieces intended to refute misinformation and propaganda are being targeted while accounts spreading propaganda against farmers are receiving support.
The government’s “agenda is to silence all those who dare to speak against or question Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it will affect his image,” according to Bhavjit, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
TIND Posting team is a collective team effort in writing an article. There is no single author who has contributed to the writing of the article. In case of any support contact us.
The Bhim Army has questioned the government regarding the commotion in Haldwani. According to Bhim Army State President Deepak Sethpur, the Muslim community is being abused by the powerful due to a disturbance in Haldwani.
Muslims and Dalits are the targets of abuse and harassment. He announced that a delegation headed by Manjit Singh Nautiyal, the National President of the Bhim Army, will visit Haldwani on February 17 to pay respects to the victims.
Bhim Army State President Deepak Sethpur inquired about about the commotion in Haldwani during Monday’s Laksar press conference. He claimed that the state government had harmed religious beliefs. Muslims and Dalits are the targets of abuse and harassment.
The government should have taken action by sending out a formal notice following the Lok Sabha elections if their intentions were clearly stated. However, nothing was done about it. He said that the state government is under suspicion and that members of the Muslim community are being picked out and targeted for torture.
He said that a group headed by Manjit Singh Nautiyal, National President of the Bhim Army, will visit Haldwani on February 17 in order to meet with the victims’ families. He also offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured police officers during the turmoil. State Incharge Sonu Lathi, State Vice President Ankush Sherwal, State Secretary Saurabh, District President Sachin Kumar, Speaker of the Laksar Assembly Amit Kumar, District Minister Izharul Ansari, Speaker of the Khanpur Assembly Sanjay Kumar, and others were present during this.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Grandson of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Vibhakar Shastri joined the BJP today in the presence of deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak.
The Congressman Vibhakar Shastri resigned on Wednesday. Shastri has unsuccessfully run for Lok Sabha before. He is the son of Hari Krishna Shastri and the grandson of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
“Hon’ble Congress President Shri Kharge ji!” Shastri wrote in a post on X. Respected Sir, please accept my resignation from the Indian National Congress as a primary member. Best regards. Vibhakar Shastri.
Hon'ble Congress President Shri @kharge ji! Respected Sir, I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of Indian National Congress (@INCIndia) Regards Vibhakar Shastri
He joined BJP after the tweet where he confirmed him leaving Congress
Speaking later about his choice, he taunted the Congress party by saying he would be able to carry out the former prime minister Jai Jawan’s dream under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“To PM Narendra Modi, Nadda ji, HM Amit Shah ji, CM Yogi Adityanath ji, and Brajesh Pathak, I would like to convey my gratitude for opening the doors of BJP for me. I believe that I would have the chance to carry on my grandfather Lal Bahadur Shastri’s legacy. I’ll carry out my duties according to party leadership directives. The INDIA alliance wants to remove Modi ji, but it has no ideology. Rahul Ji ought to disclose the ideology of the Congress said Shastri
A number of prominent figures have left the Congress in recently, including Ashok Chavan, Milind Deora, Baba Siddiqui, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasad, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sushmita Dev, RPN Singh, and Jaiveer Shergill.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
In an interview with injured farmer Gurmeet Singh, who was taking part in the “Delhi Chalo” march, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government’s “dictatorial attitude” towards the country’s farmers.
The phone call took place on Tuesday evening, thanks to Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring, who had visited a government hospital in Rajpura town following altercations between farmers and Haryana Police.
Phone conversation with the injured protestor
He said, “Talked on phone to former soldier Gurmeet Singh ji, who was seriously injured in police atrocities during the farmers’ movement. He is a youth as well as a farmer – instead of hailing him, this dictatorial attitude of the Modi government towards the country’s protector and food provider is putting democracy to shame,” Gandhi claimed.
He asked how Singh was doing and offered his support for the nonviolent movement that was fighting for their rights.
Singh’s status as a young farmer was emphasised by Gandhi, who also denounced the Modi government’s treatment of the nation’s guardian and food supplier, saying it belittles democracy. As they attempted to breach barricades on their protest march towards the nation’s capital, farmers engaged in combat with Haryana Police on Tuesday at two state borders. They police used water cannons and tear gas on the protestors.
Support towards the farmer protestors
Gandhi assured the farmer, “We are with you,” and showed solidarity by rejecting the police action as wholly incorrect. Be at ease. He gave Singh a “Shabash” (Well done) and best wishes, praising his devotion to the nation.
Leaders of farmers in Punjab and Haryana claimed 60 injuries from tear gas shells at border crossings on Tuesday, accusing the Centre of launching a “attack” on protestors. In addition, protesters’ stone-throwing caused 24 police personnel to sustain injuries, including a deputy superintendent.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Jamshedpur: On Wednesday, the police arrested five accused including the main accused Vikas Tiwari in the firing case that took place in Daigutu Krishna Road of Mango police station area of the city. Apart from Vikas, the arrested accused include Prince Singh, Jugsalai resident Sanjar Ahmed alias Arzoo, Sagar Prasad and Ankit Kumar Thakur alias Golu. Vikas Tiwari’s brother Shubham and Atul and two others are absconding. On the trail of the accused, Jamshedpur Police has recovered a country-made pistol, two live bullets, a hockey stick and the car used in the incident.
Let us tell you that a total of 20 criminal cases are registered against Vikas Tiwari. He is convicted in the Chhotu Pandit murder case and is currently out on appeal bail. Here, while taking the accused to the court after arrest, the police vehicle broke down, due to which the police took the accused to the court on foot. The police took the accused on foot on the streets from MGM Hospital to Jamshedpur Court.
The RO/ARO examination was held on February 11 by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC). However, by the evening, a large number of people on social media started claiming that the exam paper had already been leaked in certain districts. Social media users are claiming that the RO ARO exam 2024 form and all of the exam answers were leaked ahead of time. The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has not yet commented on this, though. However, a lot of accusations are being made about this on social media, and people are expressing their disapproval.
Uproar on social media
Rajneesh Ram Tripathi said – RO ARO exam paper conducted by Lok Sabha Commission in Uttar Pradesh has been leaked! The collusion of BJP government and education mafia has ruined the lives of lakhs of youth of the country!
उत्तर प्रदेश में लोकसभा आयोग द्वारा आयोजित RO ARO परीक्षा पेपर लीक हो चुका है!
— Rajneesh Ram Tripathi Official (@officialrajnesh) February 11, 2024
Another user Anju Yaduvanchi shared a video along with here tweet – Amritkal is going on in Uttar Pradesh! The youth are giving money to the government despite being unemployed! The treasury is filling! But the government is not able to stop even one leakage! This is the reason why today, on the day of paper, the Honorable had come to pray to Lord Ram that Lord stop the leakage but….
… उत्तर प्रदेश में अमृतकाल चल रहा है! युवा बेरोजगार होकर भी सरकार को पैसे दे रहा है! ख़जाना भर रहा है!
लेकिन सरकार से एक लीकेज तक नहीं मिट पा रही! यही वजह है कि आज पेपर के दिन माननीय प्रभु राम से प्रार्थना करने पहुंचे थे कि प्रभु लीकेज रोक लो लेकिन….#RO_ARO_PAPER_LEAK… pic.twitter.com/axVn4HvhZC
Amit Yadav posted – It is a matter of shame that even the UPPSC exam papers have started getting leaked! How much time and money must have been spent not only by the departments but also by the students in the entire process. Lakhs of candidates must have reached the center after traveling by train and spending the whole night at the station. How sad all this is.
कितनी शर्म की बात है ये UPPSC की परीक्षा का भी पेपर लीक होने लगा है! पूरे प्रोसेस में विभागों के अलावा छात्रों का भी कितना समय और पैसा खर्च हुआ होगा। लाखों परीक्षार्थी ट्रेन में धक्के खाकर, स्टेशन पर रातभर बिताकर सेंटर पहुँचे होंगे। कितना दुखद है यह सब।
There is uproar amongst the exam candidates who were disappointed and upset with the paper leak.
by Swapnil Angel Samad
Swapnil Samad has pursued Bachelors in Mass Communication. He is an author and editor working with TIND Posting in the head office situated in Jamshedpur. Swapnil has great experience in fact finding and news researching.
Leaders of farm unions are requesting legal assurances of increased state assistance or a minimum price at which crops must be purchased.
Each year, the government sets a benchmark by announcing support prices for over 20 crops; however, only rice and wheat are purchased by state agencies at the support level, benefiting only about 7 percent of farmers who grow those crops.
Enact a legally bound Minimum Support Price Law.
Withdraw all cases filed nationwide against agitators during 2020-21 farmers’ protest.
Justice for Lakhimpur Kheri victims.
Repeal Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2023
Implement Swaminathan Commission Report MSP on C2 + 50% formula.
Waive off the loans on entire farming and labourer community nationwide.
India should quit the World Trade Organisation.
End reducing import duty on agricultural goods
Promise to increase import duty and benefit Indian farmers.
Revive Pre-2013 Land Acquisition Act
In addition, they demand that the government keep its pledge to double their earnings, claiming that the last few years have seen a spike in cultivation costs while incomes have remained flat, turning farming into a losing venture.
The Modi administration promised to increase funding for rural development in 2016 with the goal of tripling farmer incomes by 2022. Farmers further demand that the government guarantee a minimum of 50% profit above their total cost of production.
They have also requested that the federal minister’s son be prosecuted by the government for allegedly running over and killing four protesting farmers during the 2021 demonstration.
The Farmers’ Protest, which saw 200 unions stage a demonstration against the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and start the Dilli Chalo march three years ago, is expected to recur in Delhi. Just a few months before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, farmers are fortifying Delhi as they march there on foot while pulling tractors.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh organized a protest three years prior, spending months sitting in the savage cold at the Tikri border until Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to repeal the three farm laws. They also insisted on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) being imposed with certainty.
In his speech to the nation on November 19, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the three farm laws that the Parliament had passed the year before would be repealed by the Center.
Just before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, a fresh round of farmer protests—the only ones thought to have stood up to the PM Modi administration—would represent a governance test for both the Modi administration and the opposition INDIA bloc.
It may seem BJP is not worried with the farmer protest this time
Though BJP leaders acknowledged that the protests created “bad optics” and could harm the party’s standing in Punjab, they expressed optimism about the state’s and Haryana’s and west Uttar Pradesh’s “counter-polarization.” The party would progressively “expose the illogicality of the demand for a law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for all crops,” according to BJP officials.
There is no sense in demanding a law when the Lok Sabha is set to dissolve, the Parliament session is about to end, and elections are about to be announced. A BJP leader stated, “It would have made sense if they had protested after the formation of the new government.” “If some elements in the protest are wearing the mask of being farmers, they should remove it and state their real agenda,” stated a second BJP insider.
#WATCH | Delhi: Union Minister Arjun Munda who is also negotiating with farmer leaders speaks on Farmers' protest.
He says, "…I would like to urge all the leaders from different farmers' organizations to cooperate and communicate so that the common people shouldn't have to… pic.twitter.com/vcrg0YaY4Y
The BJP leadership was concerned about the impact of the farm protests in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly elections, which made them uneasy during the 2020–2021 protests. Leading BJP figures believed the protests would negatively impact their base of Jat support in western Uttar Pradesh. The top brass of the BJP informed leaders in UP, Haryana, and Punjab at the time that at least 40 Lok Sabha seats in these states could be impacted by “disaffection among Jats.”
This time, the BJP is confident that the protests will have a minimal impact because the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), led by Jayant Chaudhary, has partnered with it. “Any resentment among Jat farmers will be eased by the Bharat Ratna in honor of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the patriarch of the Jat people. According to a UP party leader, “The party does not see a big potential for the current agitation to have a similar impact.” according to inputs from The Indian Express
The leaders of the BJP want to defuse the situation and prevent the farmers from barricading Delhi’s borders, despite the party’s statement that it is unfazed. “There may be some people there who want to see it as a problem but do not want a solution,” Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda stated. Therefore, I will advise farmers to exercise caution around those who wish to sow discord.
Farmer Protest Live: Police fires tear gas to stop the resume of “Delhi Chalo”
For a second day, Indian police have used tear gas to dissuade farmers who are demanding minimum crop prices from marching towards the nation’s capital, Delhi. The farmers, who are mostly from Punjab state, are still 200 km (125 miles) from Delhi at the Haryana state border with Shambhu.
To prevent their entry, fencing, cement blocks, and razor wire surround the capital on three sides. Haryana police used tear gas on Tuesday after farmers started taking down roadblocks.
Farm leaders declared a “ceasefire” later that evening and announced that they would start their march again in the morning. Thousands of riot police and paramilitary troops were stationed along Delhi’s borders on Wednesday morning, according to video footage, in order to keep the protesters at bay.
Protesters were being given protective eyewear by farmers on the Shambhu border, while police used tear gas shells to break up the demonstrators’ march. Additionally, farm leaders there claimed in a press conference that they had been targeted with rubber and plastic bullets as per BBC reports
They also took issue with how the protests were covered by the media, claiming that it was giving the impression that farmers were “terrorists” or supporters of the opposition. Reporters were informed by farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher that “we have nothing to do with anyone else.” “Our demands have been the same from the very beginning.”
by TIND Posting team
TIND Posting team is a collective team effort in writing an article. There is no single author who has contributed to the writing of the article. In case of any support contact us.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, stated that he thinks pressure is coming from Russia to stop the war in Ukraine. The billionaire businessman further stated that Putin “would be assassinated” if he withdrew from the bloody conflict.
Musk said this while speaking with US Republican senators on X Spaces; the senators were against a draft measure that would have given Ukraine more aid during the war.
The CEO of Tesla stated that “there’s no way hell” that the Russian President could lose the war he launched in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, even if he also opposed the further aid to Kyiv.
He asserted that extending the conflict and providing US support would not benefit Ukraine.
In addition, Musk called the claims that he was supporting Putin in the war “absurd” and stated that his businesses, including Starlink, “have probably done more to undermine Russia than anything.”
Musk turned down the Ukrainian government’s urgent request in September 2023 to turn on the SpaceX-owned satellite communications network Starlink in the event of an armed invasion because he believed it would spark a significant act of war and escalate the conflict.
The Ukrainian military has placed a great deal of reliance on Starlink since Russia’s full-scale invasion, citing it as a means of keeping front-line soldiers in communication with their superiors.
Since February 2022, the system has given Ukraine access to thousands of Starlink terminals.
Musk also voiced his scepticism on a potential Russian regime change at the X Spaces discussion, stating that the individual capable of unseating the Russian President would probably be “even more hardcore than Putin”.
