UP: Social media influencer arrested for making objectionable remarks against Valmiki community
Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): A social media influencer was arrested here after his alleged objectionable remarks against the Valmiki community triggered protests and a road blockade, police said on Sunday.
Station House Officer Naresh Tyagi said the incident came to light after Wasim Raza, from Naugawan Pakdiya village, posted a video on his social media page with the username 'Mr Pilibhit', during a visit to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
In the video, he purportedly used derogatory language against the Valmiki community.
Tension prevailed in the area after the video surfaced on social media, prompting hundreds of members of the community to stage a protest and block traffic at Gas Chauraha.
Following the protest, the accused was arrested by Sungarhi police station officials.
A case was registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and of the Information Technology Act, and he was sent to jail, officials said.
Members of the Valmiki community alleged that Raza repeatedly made offensive remarks against them and had earlier also made objectionable comments on Hindu deities.
On Sunday morning, angry residents gathered at a Valmiki temple in Nakhasa locality and took out a procession before blocking the road at Gas Chauraha.
Senior officials, including Additional Superintendent of Police Vikram Dahiya, City Magistrate Vijay Vardhan Tomar and Circle Officer (City) Deepak Chaturvedi, rushed to the spot with a heavy police force to control the situation.
Following an assurance of action from the authorities, the protesters lifted the blockade.
The FIR was lodged on the complaint of a local, Himanshu Nandan. As a precautionary measure, additional police and Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel have been deployed in Nakhasa and other sensitive areas.
Police have appealed to the public to maintain peace and not to be misled by rumours, officials added.
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India, China bear brunt of Trump's tougher visa policies: report
Washington (PTI): India and China bore the maximum brunt of tougher immigration policy unveiled by the Trump administration which issued 2.5 lakh fewer visas in the first eight months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to a media report.
From January to August 2025, the State Department approved 11 per cent fewer permanent resident and temporary visas compared with the same period a year before, according to State Department data released in early March.
These visas are generally issued for students, workers, and family members of citizens and legal residents.
The 11 per cent drop doesn't include tourist visas, which also fell during the same period, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
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According to the report, visas for Chinese and Indian nationals fell by about 84,000 compared with the same period in 2024, largely reflecting a drop-off in international students and workers from those countries.
Business and tourism visas declined by about 3.4 per cent in the first eight months of 2025 compared with that period a year earlier, a drop of nearly two lakh visas.
Between January and August 2024, the US had issued more than 3.44 lakh student visas, the number declined to a little over 2.38 lakh during the same period in 2025.
The family preference visa, which includes adult children and siblings of US citizens fell by more than 27 per cent or by over 44,000.
The visas issued to sea and airline workers also reduced by 30,876, while those issued for culture exchange visitors declined by 29,594.
The visas issued to fiance/spouse declined from 37,229 in the first eight months of 2024 to 18,894 for the period under review in 2025.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement that “President Trump was elected with a resounding mandate to put American citizens first and every policy decision he’s made has reflected that priority.”
In a statement to The Washington Post, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said: “A visa is a privilege, not a right. Unlike the Biden administration, President Trump is not willing to compromise the safety of American citizens to allow mass migration of unvetted foreign nationals into our country.”
