Latest news with #RajivSinha
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Anticipatory bail plea in NEET marks scam rejected
Mumbai: Observing that accusations of manipulating NEET exam marks to secure admission to government colleges would have a "direct impact on students whose careers are at stake" and the "huge amount" involved and the "prima facie case of involvement" of the accused, a special court last week rejected anticipatory bail plea of Rajiv Sinha, in connection with a scandal involving manipulation of NEET 2025 exam marks. Sinha (36), currently in Thailand, had sought pre-arrest bail through his wife, Shatabdi Sinha. The court vacated the ad-interim relief previously granted to him on July 8. The anticipatory bail plea was filed mainly on grounds that the accused is innocent and falsely implicated in the case. There are no allegations that he has received or demanded money, the plea said. It was submitted that maximum punishment in the offence is 7 years jail, custodial interrogation is not required. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Opposing the plea, CBI submitted that the accused was part of a meeting and had arranged it. It was said that co accused, Salim Patel had sent a list of 15 candidates to Rajiv Sinha. TNN
Middle East Eye
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK police accused of being heavy-handed at protest against BBC coverage on Gaza
London's Metropolitan Police is facing accusations of being heavy-handed after three people were "violently" arrested for protesting outside the BBC's offices over the broadcaster's coverage of the war on Gaza. One protester told Middle East Eye that he was repeatedly punched by officers late on Tuesday after police attempted to carry out an arrest. "The way the police acted was so violent. I've never seen this level of brutality towards protesters before," Rajiv Sinha, the director of Hindus for Human Rights UK, told MEE. "A large group of officers made their way through the crowd in a single-file line to arrest one person. We started pushing back and began chanting 'this is repression' as they dragged the protesters away." Sinha said the police vastly outnumbered the small crowd, and highlighted footage posted online which appeared to show officers hitting some of those in attendance. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Youth Demand, one of the organisers behind the protest, accused the Metropolitan Police of "extreme policing". "We were met with extreme policing, but we held it together to rally against the ongoing genocide," the spokesperson said in a video posted on Instagram. Earlier this year, the police imposed restrictions banning protests outside the BBC during the national March for Palestine in January. Officers arrested several people for allegedly breaking these restrictions, including Chris Nineham, who serves as the national steward for the National March for Palestine and chairs the Stop the War Coalition. Ben Jamal, who chairs the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was also called in for questioning. Both Jamal and Nineham pleaded not guilty to breaking the Public Order Act. Following the January protest, the police summoned several people for additional questioning, including Raghad Altikriti, who chairs the Muslim Association of Britain. Altikriti spoke to MEE after her police interview on Wednesday, where she condemned the police's attempts at intimidation. "It was not a pleasant experience being called in for standing up for justice and against oppression, especially when you know you have done nothing wrong," Altikriti told MEE. "Our strength is driven by the fact that we have been largely peaceful, with even statements by the police confirming that." A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told MEE that three people were arrested and no restrictions were imposed. "One person was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker after an officer received minor injuries," the spokesperson said. "Two people were identified as wanted for conspiracy to commit public nuisance. They were both arrested. However, one of the suspects was later de-arrested."
Middle East Eye
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK government report identifies role of 'Hindu nationalist extremism' in Leicester riots
A leaked report produced by the UK Home Office stated that "Hindu nationalist extremism" played a part in the 2022 Leicester riots, identifying it as a proposed target for British counter-extremism efforts for the first time. Details of the leaked internal review into the British government's counter-extremism strategy were published on Monday by Policy Exchange, a right-wing think tank. The Home Office review called for the scope of counter-extremism work to be widened to cover a range of causes and activities including Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), extreme misogyny, and a fascination with violence. It advocated a focus on 'behaviours and activity of concern' rather than ideologies. But on Tuesday it was reported that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper did not agree with the recommendations of her department's review and would order the focus of policy to remain directed towards Islamist and far-right extremism. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Speaking in the House of Commons, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the leaked review did not reflect government policy. "Many documents produced across Government as part of commissioned work are not implemented and do not constitute government policy," Jarvis told MPs. "To be clear, the leaked documents were not current or new government policy." 'We hope this revelation from the leaked report supplies further grounds and inclination to tackle Hindu nationalism' - Rajiv Sinha, Hindus for Human Rights UK The review nonetheless marks the first time that Hindutva has been discussed in detail in a major policy document. It asserts that "Hindu nationalist extremism" played a part in the unprecedented spate of violence that erupted between Hindus and Muslims in the multicultural Midlands city of Leicester in 2022. This is also the first time a government document has linked Hindu nationalism to the Leicester riots, although a Daily Mail report in May 2023 quoted unnamed security sources as saying that the violence was stoked by activists linked to India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rajiv Sinha, director of Hindus for Human Rights UK, told MEE: "As Brits of Indian descent, and in my case as a proud Hindu, we hope this revelation from the leaked report supplies further grounds and inclination to tackle Hindu nationalism, which in its many forms poses a great threat to the stability of the United Kingdom." 'Exploiting tensions and inciting hate' The 2022 riots began when nearly 200 Hindu men wearing masks and balaclavas marched through Leicester's Highfield area chanting "Jai Shri Ram," which translates from Hindi to "hail Lord Ram" or "victory to Lord Ram," words that are increasingly appropriated by perpetrators of anti-Muslim violence in India. Following the march, some Muslims came out onto the streets, leading to scuffles between the two groups. The Policy Exchange report on Monday notes that the Home Office review places "Hindu nationalist extremism" under the spotlight. Leicester riots: When Hindu nationalism came to Britain Read More » The review reportedly judges that "key voices within both Muslim and Hindu communities also played a significant role in opportunistically exploiting tensions and inciting hate among the local communities." Shortly after the riots, the mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby, went on the record and said that Hindutva ideology played a role in the unrest. Soulsby said that "ideologies that have their roots in the Indian subcontinent" played a role in the events. He was asked whether he was talking about Hindutva and answered: "Yes." Claudia Webbe, a sitting MP at the time, said: "We have fringe elements led and inspired by extremism and right-wing ideology rearing its head in the UK and in the peaceful city of Leicester." In response to growing public outcry, in September 2023, the Sunak government appointed Lord Ian Austin, then trade envoy to Israel, to lead an independent review into the unrest. Austin, however, was already a controversial figure among large segments of the Muslim community, especially in Leicester, for having falsely claimed that the pro-Palestine campaign group Friends of Al-Aqsa were Holocaust deniers. Following Austin's appointment, more than 100 Leicester-based Muslim organisations and individuals committed themselves to not engaging with the review. Hindutva ideology Not to be confused with Hinduism, a religion practised by a billion people worldwide, Hindutva is a 100-year-old political ideology that aims to turn the constitutionally secular India into an exclusive Hindu state. Its chief proponent is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a constellation of Hindu nationalist organisations responsible for political violence against Indian minorities. Modelled on 1930s European fascist organisations, including the Nazis, the RSS is a Hindu nationalist paramilitary group that routinely targets Muslims and other minority groups. Rishi Sunak, his family, and India's far right Read More » RSS supporters say the organisation advocates a nationalist ideology which upholds Hindu culture and values, but critics claim that it is "founded on the premise of Hindu supremacy". In recent years, the RSS has been intimately associated with Narendra Modi's BJP and its rise to power. The Community Policy Forum (CPF), a think tank which says it aims to address structural inequalities facing British Muslims, described the leaked review as a "crucial and positive step forward". "Until now, politicians have been largely unwilling to fully acknowledge the role of Hindutva ideologies in the unrest we saw in Leicester in 2022. Failing to recognise its influence severely hinders efforts to understand and address divisions within communities." The CPF mentioned its forthcoming report, co-authored with the United Kingdom Indian Muslim Council, on the Leicester unrest and Hindutva's role in allegedly "exacerbating communal tensions". It said that Austin's review of the riots "lacks community confidence, thereby rendering it unfit for purpose", and called for a new "impartial and comprehensive review".
