??Neither 'Bhole' nor a 'Baba': Suraj Pal's Satsang kills over 120 | ??Breakups* can now be criminalised

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??Neither 'Bhole' nor a 'Baba': Suraj Pal's Satsang kills over 120

At least 121 people, mostly women and children, died and over 300 were injured in a stampede during a religious congregation in Hathras district. A judicial enquiry has been ordered into the incident.

What happened? The stampede occurred during a religious event led by preacher ‘Bhole Baba’ Suraj Pal Singh. He is also being addressed as ‘Narayan Hari’ by his followers.

• Reports claim the stampede occurred when his followers started moving the stage to collect the soil walked on by Suraj Pal Singh leading to a pushback from the security officers.
• What’s shocking is that police officials are reportedly not allowed into the premises by the ‘sewaadars (private bodyguards)’, and such a request was obliged. It made it easier for him to escape and harder for the administration to intervene.

‘Missing’ — in FIR and in Person: Suraj Pal has gone missing ever since.

• The FIR does not name Suraj Pal as an accused. It alleges the organizers misrepresented the expected number of attendees, and failed to cooperate with traffic management

Who is Suraj Pal Singh? Hailing from a Dalit family, Suraj Pal has several followers in several states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. Suraj Pal’s rise to fame goes beyond tacky YouTube thumbnails and posters.

• In 2000, he was briefly arrested for claiming to resurrect a dead girl and placing her body in public for two full days.
• He is allegedly involved in rape and sexual assault cases before being terminated from his Uttar Pradesh police department. He falsely claimed to have worked for the Intelligence Department of the UP police.
• He held large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents claimed a similar stampede took place at his Satsang 12 years ago.

Godmen need to go! While waiting at the hospital and witnessing dead bodies pile up, one of the followers was seen saying that ‘there was no fault of Baba’ in this stampede and that he is the ‘creator of this universe’.

• People were seen bowing and praying at the gates of his massive multi-acre ashram in Mainpuri.
• Videos and tweets of Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav in 2023, endorsing and giving political relevance to Suraj Pal have gone viral.

Not the first: There are multiple cases across religions of self-styled godmen cheating and being caught in controversies. Congress has demanded a law to regulate religious congregations and curb the influence of “fake” godmen. But who is a ‘real godman’?

Pic du jour

This image from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s campaign where he appeared in a talk show with ‘Britain’s most tattooed Mom’.

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Give me some good news!Here's a quick round-up of positive, uplifting news to keep the optimist in you alive and kicking.

• ??The Delhi Metro's Magenta Line now operates 29 fully driverless trains, enhancing passenger space and reducing human error.
• ?? Welsh government is set to introduce legislation to make lying in politics illegal, aiming to disqualify candidates found guilty of deliberate deception.
• ??FDA has approved Eli Lilly's Kisunla, a drug that modestly slows Alzheimer's disease in its early stages, offering new treatment options.
• ??In a major relief, NASA announced that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked at the ISS, remains in good condition and can stay in orbit beyond its 45-day limit.
• ??A new bionic leg fully controlled by the human nervous system allows amputees to walk naturally, increasing their walking speed by 41%.
• ??A Ugandan startup Cheveux Organique has figured out a way to turn discarded banana stems to make biodegradable hair extensions from banana fibres. This also helps reduce agricultural waste.

Breakups* can now be criminalised

The introduction of Section 69 under the new Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has raised significant concerns among experts.

Of note: This is listed as a crime under 'Of offences against women and children' meaning the same would not apply to any man who is at the receiving end?of a 'broken promise of marriage after sexual intercourse'.

Criticism: It has sparked significant debate and criticism for its potential to reinforce patriarchal norms by putting the focus on women’s chastity, creating legal ambiguities, and potentially being misused in consensual relationship disputes.

• People in relationships fear the new law may deter intimacy and result in unjust harassment.

The details: Section 69 of BNS states that a person can face up to 10 years in prison if they make a false promise to marry and establish a sexual relationship

• Experts worry this provision is unprecedented and could lead to misuse, targeting men unfairly if relationships end without marriage.
• Lawyers argue that proving intent to marry is subjective and difficult, potentially causing long-term damage to individuals.
• Police officials express concern that the law may lead to faster arrests but may not hold up in court due to lack of evidence.

ICYMI

• ???PM Narendra Modi addressed the Manipur issue amidst opposition uproar and a walkout.
• ??Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cup-winning team will celebrate with an open-top bus parade in Mumbai, similar to the 2007 celebration.
• ?CISF clarified that Constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly slapped actress Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport, has not been transferred to Bengaluru despite multiple reposts claiming so.
• ??India's second attempt to auction mining rights for a lithium block in Jammu and Kashmir failed to attract bids.
• ??US President Joe Biden reveals why he nearly fell asleep during the debate amidst calls for his withdrawal from the presidential race.
• ??Zerodha's zero brokerage model faces an end after SEBI's new rules.