IUML organises massive rally against Israeli bombardment in Gaza
Kozhikode (Ker) (PTI): The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, organised a massive rally here on Thursday denouncing the reported indiscriminate killings of civilians, including women and children, in the Israeli attack on the Gaza strip.
Tens of thousands of IUML supporters took part in the Palestine Solidarity Human Rights rally, inaugurated by IUML leader Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor attended the event as the chief guest.
Tharoor, addressing the gathering, lamented what he termed as "one of the most distressing human rights catastrophes" witnessed over the past 19 days.
"This may well be one of the most significant political rallies we have seen in India and perhaps across the world in defence of human rights and in favor of peace. This is a rally for peace," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
He said that innocent women and children had suffered casualties, initially in Israel and subsequently in Gaza, and emphasised the imperative of ending this conflict.
Tharoor underscored India's historical commitment to peace, tracing it back to the era of Mahatma Gandhi.
"We have always stood for a permanent solution to this crisis," he said.
In unequivocal terms, Tharoor also condemned the attack carried by Palestinian armed group Hamas in Israel on October 7, describing it as an 'act of terror'.
"On October 7, terrorists attacked Israel and claimed 1,400 lives. Two hundred individuals were taken hostage. In response, Israel killed 6000 people. The bombing continues," he said.
The Congress leader said that this was not an issue confined to Muslims alone, but a matter of fundamental human rights.
"The bomb falls without asking anyone's religion. Christians constitute one to two percent of the Palestinian population. They too have perished in this conflict," he asserted.
Recollecting his tenure as a UN diplomat, Tharoor recounted his personal meetings with Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat, who often referenced Indira Gandhi with pride, highlighting India's enduring support for Palestine.
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3 held, hunt on for 4 accomplices after they kidnap, assault and urinate on man in Bhopal
Bhopal (PTI): Police have registered a case against seven persons and arrested three of them for allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and urinating on a 22-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, officials said on Thursday.
The incident occurred during the intervening night of April 26 and 27 in an area located under the Hanumanganj police station limits, an official said.
One of the accused urinated on the face of the victim and captured a video of the act, which was later circulated on social media to humiliate him, he said.
"A complaint in this connection was lodged by Jaswant Markam (22), a resident of Kamla Nagar, based on which a case was registered against seven persons under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and police have arrested three of them, including one Prem Thapa," Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.
Three police teams have been formed and the remaining suspects will be apprehended soon, he said.
During the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, Markam was at the local bus stand with a friend when around 4 am, the accused took him away on the pretext of discussing something with him. They asked him about his neighbour and friend Aniket. When he refused to provide any information, they started assaulting him, the police said.
The accused then took him to a forest in Karond area, where he was stripped and severely thrashed, they said.
When the man began to lose consciousness, one of the accused urinated on his face and made a video of the act, which was circulated on social media to humiliate him and spread terror, according to the police.
The accused called Markam's friend around 5 am to inform him about his condition. The victim was subsequently admitted to a hospital, the officials said, adding that the viral video was also being investigated.
Responding to a query, Hanumanganj police station in-charge Awdhesh Bhadoria said if the victim was found to be from the tribal community, then relevant sections will be invoked against the accused.
At present, the police are probing the incident and search is on to arrest the remaining accused, he added.
In 2023, a man had urinated on a tribal youth in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media platforms and created a controversy.
