Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in an ‘X’ post on Thursday shared a video clip claiming that BJP National General Secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal questioned the presence of Swami Vivekananda’s portrait during a state BJP functionary meeting.
Expressing outrage against the BJP, CM Siddaramaiah wrote in his post, "No matter how much the BJP and Sangh Parivar worship and hug Vivekananda for show, the incident that took place in today's @BJP4Karnataka executive special meeting is proof of how much impatience there is for Vivekananda in their hearts. BJP national general secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal, on the stage in the program, questioned why there was a portrait of Vivekananda. They openly expressed their displeasure by questioning that. By insulting Vivekananda on his death anniversary, BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society.”
The Chief Minister further criticized Das for his actions, stating, "BJP National General Secretary openly expressed his displeasure by questioning what is the portrait of Vivekananda doing in the program. BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society by insulting him on the same day as Vivekananda's death anniversary.”
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"No matter how long the Sangh Parivar pampered Vivekananda, he still has not fully surrendered to the BJP and will not surrender in the future. Vivekananda preached brotherhood instead of hatred, scientific thinking instead of ignorance, interfaith coexistence instead of communal strife in the bedrock of Hinduism," added the CM.
Furthermore, he said, “At the Parliament of the World's Religions, Vivekananda, who addressed tens of thousands of people of different religions, cultures, and languages from hundreds of countries addressing them as ‘My dear brothers and sisters,’ stated that Hinduism is universal human thought. But if BJP leaders open their mouths, they incite violence by saying hit, hit, and kill. These thoughts of Vivekananda are not palatable to the BJP, which sows hatred in the name of religious protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no exception to this. For this reason, he (Das) dared to ask why there was a photo of Vivekananda in a meeting full of people.”
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramiah has demanded a public apology on the same platform from the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly insulting Vivekananda.
ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಘ ಪರಿವಾರದವರು ತೋರುಗಾಣಿಕೆಗಾಗಿ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದರನ್ನು ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಆರಾಧಿಸಿದರೂ, ಮುದ್ದಾಡಿದರೂ ಅವರ ಆಂತರ್ಯದೊಳಗೆ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಅಸಹನೆ ಇದೆ ಎಂಬುದಕ್ಕೆ ಇಂದಿನ @BJP4Karnataka ಕಾರ್ಯಕಾರಣಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದಿರುವ ಘಟನೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ. ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ರಾಧಾಮೋಹನ್ ದಾಸ್ ಅಗರ್ವಾಲ್… pic.twitter.com/mXMapBWPzx
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 4, 2024
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For the first time in history, a US-based organization has formally requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate a former US president for potential complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) has submitted a 172-page request to the ICC, urging an investigation into former President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for allegedly aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
The filing, known as an Article 15 communication, outlines how US officials continued to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel despite being aware that their assistance was being used in the commission of alleged war crimes. The ICC has already issued warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their roles in Gaza, and DAWN argues that US officials meet the legal criteria for "aiding and abetting" such crimes.
War crimes prosecutor and DAWN board member Reed Brody highlighted the significance of this case, stating: "This case might face political pushback, but that doesn’t change the message it sends: impunity isn’t a given. If the rule of law is supposed to mean anything, it has to apply across the board – not just to our enemies, but to our friends, and yes, to ourselves."
The organization contends that US support to Israel included the transfer of at least $17.9 billion in weapons, intelligence sharing, and targeting assistance. The US also abstained from, voted against, and vetoed multiple United Nations resolutions that called for a ceasefire, a hostage deal, or increased humanitarian aid over the course of 15 months. Additionally, the Biden administration repeatedly bypassed congressional review to send weapons to Israel, including those allegedly used in war crimes, such as the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab.
The filing states: "By continuously and unconditionally providing Political Support and Military Support to Israel while being fully aware of the specific crimes committed by Netanyahu, Gallant and their subordinates, President Biden, Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin contributed intentionally to the commission of those crimes while at least knowing the intention of the group to commit the Israeli Crimes, if not aiming of furthering such criminal activity."
Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s executive director, condemned the actions of the Biden administration, stating: "Not only did Biden, Blinken, and Secretary Austin ignore and justify the overwhelming evidence of Israel’s grotesque and deliberate crimes, overruling their own staff recommendations to halt weapons transfers to Israel, they doubled down by providing Israel with unconditional military and political support to ensure it could carry out its atrocities."
Despite mounting evidence and international criticism, the Biden administration has consistently defended its policy towards Israel, often reiterating that "Israel has a right to defend itself." While officials claimed that no civilian loss was acceptable and that they were urging Israel to improve its conduct, the administration took little tangible action to apply pressure. In May, the US State Department admitted that Israel had "likely" used American arms in violation of international law, but no policy changes were implemented. Instead, the administration argued that "a country’s overall commitment" to international law "is not necessarily disproven by individual violations, so long as that country is taking appropriate steps to investigate and, where appropriate, determine accountability."
In addition to Biden, Blinken, and Austin, DAWN's filing also names former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as officials who should be investigated for possible culpability in Israel's actions in Gaza. DAWN originally submitted the request last month on the same day a ceasefire took effect, but it was made public on Monday. The filing is backed by ICC-registered lawyers and war crimes experts.
While neither the US nor Israel is a member of the ICC, DAWN asserts that the court has jurisdiction, citing its ongoing investigation into alleged violations of the Rome Statute in Palestine.
DAWN’s submission is part of a growing wave of legal actions addressing the US-backed Israeli military campaign in Gaza. In December, Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans filed a federal lawsuit against Blinken, accusing him of failing to enforce the Leahy Law, which prohibits the US from providing military aid to foreign security forces engaged in gross human rights violations.
Internationally, several countries, including Spain, Ireland, and Belgium, have joined a South Africa-led case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide. The ICJ has already issued an interim ruling ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide, though Israel has reportedly continued its military operations without significant restraint.
Additionally, last year, a coalition of human rights organizations, Gaza residents, and US citizens with family members affected by the Israeli assault filed a lawsuit against Biden, Blinken, and Austin for failing to "prevent an unfolding genocide." Though a federal judge ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case, the judge was critical of the Biden administration, stating that it was "plausible" that Israel’s conduct amounted to genocide and calling on the White House "to examine the results of their unflagging support of the military siege against the Palestinians in Gaza."
In its filing, DAWN also raised concerns over potential future violations, particularly pointing to former President Donald Trump's past actions. It highlighted Trump's executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials and his proposed plan to forcibly displace all Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that these moves could make Trump liable for "obstruction of justice" as well as "war crimes and the crime of aggression." DAWN asserts that these actions warrant an ICC investigation.
Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s advocacy director, emphasized the importance of accountability, stating: "This filing is a message to our fellow Americans: our government has been complicit in genocide, and we all bear a responsibility to confront that reality and hold our officials accountable. This is about more than Palestine; this is about whether we, as Americans, accept a system where our leaders can facilitate mass atrocities without consequences."
As legal and political debates unfold, DAWN’s filing marks a historic attempt to hold US officials accountable for their role in supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The ICC’s response to this request could set a precedent for international justice, determining whether powerful nations can be subjected to the same scrutiny as others when it comes to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This report was originally published by Zeteo.com and has been rewritten by Vartha Bharati.