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DMK Stepping Up Outreach To Christian Voters? ‘Arputha Peruvizha’ Events Reportedly Organised Amid Fears Of Minority Vote Shift To Vijay’s TVK

By
The Commune
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The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has reportedly begun organising a series of “Arputha Peruvizha” (Miracle Festivals) across Tamil Nadu as part of an effort to retain Christian support ahead of the next election cycle. The move follows internal assessments that a section of minority voters, traditionally aligned with the DMK–Congress alliance, may be drifting towards actor Vijay’s recently launched party, Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Christians and Muslims have historically backed the DMK-led alliance in the state. Their support played a significant role in the coalition’s sweep of 159 constituencies during the 2021 Assembly elections. However, officials said intelligence inputs submitted to the government after Vijay’s recent campaign in Nagapattinam, which drew heavy crowds, indicated a possible shift in Christian voting preferences. Women supporters at the event were seen carrying placards featuring both Jesus and Vijay, suggesting TVK’s outreach to the community.

In response, the DMK has reportedly rolled out Christmas-season campaigns aimed at reinforcing its hold over Christian voters. The first “Arputha Peruvizha” was held in Udhagamandalam (Ooty) under the Coimbatore zone, reportedly backed by former minister Senthil Balaji. Around 90,000 attendees from the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts are said to have taken part in the gathering, which featured special prayers led by prominent CSI pastors. The event was organised by George, the DMK’s Ooty city secretary and district planning committee member.

Buoyed by the turnout, party leaders have approved similar programmes to be conducted across all eight DMK zones – north, south, east, and west – through the Christmas period. According to party insiders, the DMK intends to work closely with influential Christian clergy to consolidate support and prevent any erosion of its traditional minority vote base.

Apart from this, M.K. Stalin met members of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council (TNBC) at the Secretariat, where the delegation led by Archbishop Dr. George Anthonysamy submitted a memorandum outlining key concerns of the Christian community. The meeting, facilitated by Rev. Dr. Vincent Chinnadurai and attended by senior bishops, clergy, and state officials, highlighted issues such as exemptions for minority-aided schools under Section 19 of the Private Schools Regulation Act, extending welfare schemes like free textbooks and laptops to students in minority institutions, approval and staff fixation for English-medium sections in aided schools, political reservation for Dalit Christians, and MBC status for Christian Vanniyars. The Bishops appreciated the government’s commitment to social justice and minority welfare, while the Chief Minister assured full support and praised the Church’s contributions to education, healthcare, and social development.

(Source: Dinamalar, Catholic Connect)

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Chennai Tea Shop Owner Arrested For Beating Stray Dog To Death That Chased And Tried To Bite An Elderly

By
The Commune
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A tea shop owner in Chennai has been arrested for allegedly beating a stray dog to death after it chased an elderly man near his shop. The incident occurred on Bhajan Lal Street in Mylapore on Wednesday evening.

Police said the accused, Mohan (56), who runs a tea stall in the area, reacted angrily when a stray dog attempted to bite an elderly customer. The man reportedly ran into the shop for safety. Mohan then picked up a wooden stick and repeatedly struck the dog until it died, before disposing of the body in a garbage bin.

A local resident recorded the assault on a cellphone, and the video was later circulated widely on social media, drawing strong condemnation from animal welfare groups. Activists reached the spot soon after, recovered the dog’s body from the bin, and sent it for a post-mortem examination at a veterinary hospital. They also filed a complaint with the Mylapore Police Station.

Police said Mohan was arrested based on the complaint and video evidence. He has been booked under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for killing an animal.

The viral video has sparked renewed debate over stray dog management in the state. Tamil Nadu has seen a steady rise in stray dog numbers across districts, leading to an increase in attacks on children and the elderly.

Officials noted that the state government has recently expanded sterilization programmes and rabies vaccination drives for stray dogs. Government-run primary health centres have also been directed to provide medical care for people injured in dog attacks.

(Source: ETV Bharat)

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IBC Tamil Dravidianist Journo Shankara Sharma Apologizes On Air After BJP Leader Asuvathaman Slams His For Baseless ‘Vote Theft’ Remark On Bihar Election Results

By
The Commune
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A live discussion on IBC Tamil turned heated on Friday, 14 November 2025, after BJP leader Asuvathaman confronted the channel’s reporter Shankara Sharma over a comment made during the channel’s coverage of the Bihar Assembly election results.

IBC Tamil, one of the several Dravidian-leaning media outlets in the state, was running its analysis as counting trends showed a decisive mandate for the BJP–JDU alliance. During the programme, anchor Shankara Sharma invited BJP’s Asuvathaman to join the discussion. As soon as the interaction began, Sharma remarked: “What sir, it seems like you have stolen a lot of votes and won?”

“Are you running a channel or doing some other business? What kind of language is this?” he asked, interrupting Sharma. “Speak only after you apologise. If you don’t apologise, I will file a case.”

Sharma initially attempted to continue the discussion, saying he was merely referring to the voting trend. But Asuvathaman refused to engage further until the reporter apologised. He reminded Sharma that the channel had reached out repeatedly asking him to participate in the programme.

“It was you who begged me for an hour,” he said. “What language are you using now? Apologise first. If you don’t, things will be different.”

Realising the escalation on air, Sharma withdrew his earlier comment and issued an apology, saying: “I take back what I said, and I apologise.”

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Bihar Election Result: BJP Wins And Congress-RJD Faces Massive Loss In Constituency Where MK Stalin Campaigned; Did DMK’s Anti-Hindi Politics Cost Congress-RJD Votes?

By
The Commune
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Stalin's High-Stakes Bihar Campaign For INDI Alliance Backfires As BJP Takes Lead In Muzaffarpur Constituency

In a dramatic electoral twist, the high-profile intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in the Bihar assembly elections appears to have had a negative effect for the Congress and RJD.

The BJP won Muzaffarpur with 1,00,477 votes with a thumping 32,657-vote margin, the very constituency where MK Stalin canvassed votes.

Just a few months ago, Stalin stood alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav at a massive rally in Muzaffarpur, where he sharply criticized the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. His rhetoric, framing the voter list revision as an attempt to disenfranchise opposition supporters, was meant to resonate with Bihar’s voters and showcase his growing stature within the I.N.D.I. bloc.

However, as counting trends solidified, BJP candidate Rakesh Kumar established a commanding lead of over 32000 votes in the same constituency, delivering a significant blow to the opposition alliance.

Did DMK’s Anti-Hindi Politics Cost Votes For Congress-RJD?

For years, the DMK has built its politics on aggressive anti-Hindi posturing, turning language into a battlefield and Hindi speakers into convenient punching bags. Inside Tamil Nadu, this rhetoric may energise the Dravidian base. But outside the state — especially in the Hindi belt — it creates deep resentment, suspicion, and a sense that the DMK views north Indians as culturally inferior or unwelcome.

DMK leaders have repeatedly taken potshots at Hindi-speaking states, mocked Hindi speakers working in Tamil Nadu, and painted the north as intellectually backward or socially regressive. These aren’t harmless quips; they reinforce a perception that the DMK’s worldview stops at the borders of Tamil Nadu. When such remarks circulate nationally, they don’t remain “Tamil Nadu-specific politics” — they become a stain on every party that chooses to ally with the DMK.

This is where the Congress–RJD alliance walks straight into trouble. Their silence on DMK’s anti-Hindi outbursts signals tacit approval and ends up alienating the very voters they desperately need across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The BJP doesn’t even need to invent narratives — it simply points to DMK’s own words to claim that the opposition coalition disrespects Hindi speakers. And in the Hindi-speaking heartland, respect and recognition matter far more than clever political theories.

Even worse, the hypocrisy is obvious to voters. While loudly decrying “Hindi imposition,” several DMK leaders privately benefit from Hindi-medium education and CBSE schools. Voters see this for what it is: elitist double-speak. It weakens Congress and RJD further, making them look like partners to a party that mocks the very people whose votes they seek.

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The Poster On The Wall: How A Single Clue In Kashmir Unravelled A Pan-India Terror Plot

By
The Commune
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The Poster On The Wall: How A Single Clue In Kashmir Unravelled A Pan-India Terror Plot

It began with something that rarely prompts a second look in Kashmir: a poster pasted on a wall in a quiet corner of Srinagar. It carried a warning issued in the name of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Most residents walked past it. The message was not unusual, and the paper looked like the countless notices that appear and disappear across the Valley.

But for Dr Chakravarthy, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Srinagar, it was a red flag that demanded immediate and thorough investigation.

It appeared after midnight, the paper quality was better than usual, and the way it was fixed to the wall suggested preparation rather than haste. It was enough to raise curiosity, and that curiosity soon turned into a formal inquiry.

A CCTV Trail and an Unexpected Suspect

Cameras close to the spot captured a young man putting up the poster and walking away. He did not try to hide his face. He did not hurry. The absence of anxiety stood out more than anything else.

When the police eventually identified him, the finding cut through every stereotype about radicalisation. The man was not a dropout or an unemployed youth. He was Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, a medical practitioner from Anantnag.

Image Source: Netram Defence Review

The discovery changed the direction of the investigation instantly. Officers realised that the poster may not have been a one-off act, but part of a communication method used by organised cells: small signals meant for those who know how to read them.

The Digital Layer: Where the Real Trail Began

Instead of extensive questioning, investigators opened Adeel’s devices. Deleted messages, fragments of conversations that survived in cache memory, travel details, and contact names disguised under ordinary labels offered a different map of his life.

There were unexplained trips to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, stays at lodges with no documentation, encrypted communication, and periods of sudden digital silence. These gaps and coincidences linked him to places where he had no personal or professional reason to visit.

The pattern pointed outside Kashmir.

A Route Leading Into NCR

Digital triangulation repeatedly brought investigators to one location: a cluster of homes in Dhauj, Faridabad. Nothing about the neighbourhood suggested covert activity. It was the sort of place where families lived quietly, and businesses ran without fuss.

A team was sent for verification. They moved at dawn, when the chances of alerting suspects were lowest.

Inside one of the homes they entered, the officers found a stockpile that is rarely seen outside theatres of conflict: hundreds of kilos of ammonium nitrate, crude triggering devices, batteries, wiring, containers, and two firearms, including an assault rifle.

For investigators, the scale of the material was not just alarming—it was clarifying. It meant that the group was preparing for something far larger than a symbolic strike.

Professionals at the Centre of the Plot

The Faridabad property was occupied by two more medical professionals linked to academic institutions. The discovery indicated that the module had been built around individuals who blended seamlessly into urban life. Their qualifications, travel patterns, and social standing allowed them to operate without drawing suspicion.

With these arrests, a picture began to form: a network extending from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh to Haryana to Delhi, with evidence suggesting communication with handlers outside India.

Reconnaissance and Planning Material

Recovered digital files showed images of crowded markets, public-transit pinch points, and footfall patterns at Delhi Metro stations. Timelines, routes, and observations on security behaviour suggested that the suspects had conducted systematic reconnaissance.

This was not casual radicalism. It was structured preparation.

The Red Fort Blast and a Broken Chain

On 10 November 2025, an explosion near the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi killed 13 people. Investigators believe the blast was accidental, possibly caused when a member of the module panicked after sensing that the Faridabad cell was exposed. The premature detonation, tragic as it was, may have prevented something far worse.

By then, large quantities of explosive material had already been seized. Multiple safe houses had been uncovered. The network’s movements had been disrupted.

The public saw the blast. What they did not see were the many blasts that were never allowed to occur.

A Case Built on a Small Detail

The operation that followed was not built on a dramatic tip-off or a single confession. It was built on noticing something that looked slightly out of place, and then refusing to brush it aside. Each piece of information that came afterward – CCTV footage, digital footprints, suspicious travel, unusual purchases made sense only because someone paid attention to the first clue.

What was ultimately prevented may never be fully known. But the evidence suggests that a sequence of coordinated attacks was being prepared, and that the seizure of explosive material in Faridabad alone prevented mass casualties.

The arrests spanned five states. The suspects included doctors working at the Al-Falah university, an imam, and individuals linked to foreign handlers. The investigation combined old-fashioned instinct with modern forensic work and moved quietly until the network was dismantled.

Al-Falah University: A House Of Terror?

The Attack That Didn’t Happen

Counter-terrorism successes rarely become visible. The victories lie in tragedies avoided, plans that never reach execution, networks that never surface, bombs that never explode.

This case began with a single poster on a wall in Srinagar. It ended with the unraveling of a network that had crossed state borders and professional boundaries, and with the prevention of an attack whose scale is difficult to imagine.

Sometimes the most important work in policing starts with something almost too small to notice, except to those who are trained to look twice.

(This article is based on an X thread by Saikiran Kannan)

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Prashant Kishor’s Zero, Is A Lesson For Vijay The Hero

By
The Commune
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prashant kishor vijay tvk

Bihar has delivered its verdict, and it comes with a warning siren that should echo all the way to Tamil Nadu. The NDA has stormed back to power, the Mahagathbandhan has collapsed, and one man who thought he could script a political revolution — Prashant Kishor — has been flattened by the voters he claimed were secretly marching behind him.

PK, the so-called master strategist who once dictated election blueprints to Chief Ministers, finally tested his own political luck. He floated Jan Suraaj, toured the length of Bihar, declared Nitish Kumar finished, and confidently predicted a “silent wave” only he could hear. The crowds cheered, cameras clicked, his volunteers amplified his every word — and PK began believing his own myth.

But voters exposed the mirage.

Jan Suraaj contested everywhere. It led nowhere. By the end of counting, the party sank without a trace, with a vote share so thin it wouldn’t even register on a political ECG. For a strategist who helped others win, his own debut was a spectacular self-goal.

And embedded in this humiliation lies a message Vijay can ignore only at his own peril.

Because Tamil Nadu’s newest political entrant must understand one brutal truth — mass applause, blockbuster dialogues, and lakhs of screaming fans do not translate into votes. Cinema charisma cannot replace booth strength. A blockbuster opening cannot substitute for street-level organisation. Politics is not a Friday release; it is a 365-day grind of booth committees, cadre discipline, voter lists, and tireless ground work.

Which brings us to the biggest red flag standing next to Vijay: his inner circle — especially Aadhav Arjuna.

Here is a man who has hopped from DMK to VCK to TVK, leaving behind confusion, factional fights, and suspicion. He dragged Prashant Kishor onto the TVK stage, created a media flutter about a possible understanding, hinted at coordination, and then — as if struck by lightning — publicly denied any alliance the very next day. It left the entire political class wondering whether TVK even knew what it was doing.

In Tamil Nadu political circles, Aadhav’s name floats with whispers — “DMK’s mole”, “opportunistic broker”, “unpredictable operator”. True or not, the perception exists. And in politics, perception can kill faster than reality.

Yet Vijay, in his naïveté, has placed hefty responsibility on a man many seasoned politicians wouldn’t trust for five minutes.

This is the danger. This is the Bihar lesson.

PK lost not because he wasn’t known — but because he trusted his own hype and surrounded himself with people who amplified that hype instead of grounding him in reality.

Vijay must not make the same mistake.

Fan mobs don’t win elections. Star power doesn’t win elections. Instagram reels don’t win elections. Booth captains win elections. Street workers win elections. Understanding the voter’s pulse wins elections.

And trusting the wrong people can destroy a movement before it even begins.

Tamil Nadu’s political battlefield is ruthless. It has chewed up film stars before. It has sent larger-than-life personalities packing. And it will do the same to Vijay if he keeps letting smooth-talking, loyalty-shifting operators navigate his path.

Vijay still has time to course-correct. But he must choose between two futures:

— one where he becomes a real leader who builds a disciplined ground force, listens to genuine workers, and cuts out freeloaders
OR
— one where he becomes yet another star who believed applause was equal to votes, trusted the wrong voices, and watched his political story end before it even began.

Bihar has shown what happens when leaders float in their own bubble.

Vijay’s test is simple:
Will he burst that bubble now — or let the voters do it later?

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IPS Officer Who Investigated Jaish-E-Mohammed Posters In J&K That Led To The Busting Of Islamist Doctors Terror Module Was Ranked 786 In His UPSC Rank List

By
The Commune
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In the high-stakes world of civil services, where aspirants often chase the elusive top 100, an officer who secured rank 786 in the UPSC CSE 2014 is demonstrating that the number on an appointment letter is no measure of one’s impact on the nation’s security. Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, the IPS officer currently in the spotlight for dismantling a sprawling Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module, is a testament to how operational brilliance, not just examination rank, defines a legacy.

The recent terror bust, which led to the seizure of nearly 2,900 kg of explosives and the arrest of several individuals, including Kashmiri doctors, has its origins in a seemingly minor event in mid-October. When Urdu posters signed by JeM ‘Commander Hanzala Bhai’ appeared in Nowgam, Srinagar, many dismissed them as routine militant propaganda. But for Dr. Chakravarthy, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Srinagar, it was a red flag that demanded immediate and thorough investigation.

The Doctor-Turned-“Operations Specialist”

Dr. Chakravarthy’s path to the IPS was unconventional. Born in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, in 1988 to a family of medical professionals, he seemed destined for a career in medicine. He completed his MBBS from Kurnool Medical College in 2010 and even practiced briefly. However, a call to serve in a different capacity led him to the civil services, where he joined the AGMUT cadre of the IPS.

His medical background, far from being irrelevant, has become a unique asset. Colleagues and subordinates describe him as an “Operations Specialist,” whose methodical, evidence-based approach, honed in medical school, strengthens his forensic and scientific policing techniques.

A Career Forged in the Fire of Jammu & Kashmir

Unlike many of his batchmates who may have taken postings in quieter Union Territories, Dr. Chakravarthy’s career has been almost entirely within the challenging theatre of Jammu and Kashmir. His resume reads like a tour of the region’s most sensitive hotspots. Before taking charge as SSP Srinagar on 21 April 2025, Dr Chakravarthy held several sensitive postings:

  • SDPO in the insurgency-prone areas of Uri and Sopore
  • SP Operations in Baramulla
  • SP South Srinagar
  • District leadership roles as SP/SSP in Handwara, Kupwara, Kulgam, and Anantnag
  • AIG (Civil), J&K Police Headquarters

These assignments placed him at the frontlines of counterinsurgency and community policing efforts. His colleagues describe him as an “operations specialist” known for detailed planning, rapid response, and forensic-led policing.

Decorated Officer With Medical Precision

Dr Chakravarthy has won:

  • President’s Police Medal for Gallantry – six times
  • J&K Police Medal for Gallantry – four times
  • Indian Army Chief’s Commendation Disc

Colleagues credit his medical background for strengthening his forensic and scientific approach to policing.

The Poster That Unraveled a Pan-India Plot

The Nowgam posters, which warned locals against “sheltering Indian predators,” were the spark that ignited a major counter-terror operation. Under Dr. Chakravarthy’s leadership, a case was swiftly registered under the UAPA, and CCTV footage was scoured. This led to the identification and detention of three individuals with previous records of stone-pelting.

Their interrogation unlocked the case, pointing to Maulvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian. The digital trail from Ahmad’s devices revealed a network stretching far beyond Kashmir into Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. A special team was dispatched to Faridabad, leading to the arrest of Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, a doctor from Pulwama working at a medical college there.

This breakthrough exposed what investigators have termed a “white-collar terror module,” leading to further arrests of doctors, including Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather and Dr. Shaheen Sayeed, and the massive seizure of explosives and AK-series rifles.

Rank is Just a Number, Impact is Everything

Dr. Chakravarthy’s journey underscores a critical, often-overlooked truth in the civil services: the initial rank is merely an entry point. His story is one of relentless dedication, courage, and the application of a unique skill set in one of India’s most demanding postings.

As security agencies continue to connect the dots following the tragic Red Fort blast in Delhi, the swift action led by Dr. Chakravarthy is seen as having potentially averted an even greater catastrophe. From a medical graduate in Kurnool to the SSP of Srinagar with a rank of 786 – very ironical given its correlation to Muslims, his career stands as an inspiring narrative of how purpose-driven service, not a rank number, truly defines a officer’s contribution to the nation.

(Source: Siasat)

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US Churches Partner With Terror-Linked Muslim Body IAMC To Conduct Seminars Against Hindu Nationalism

By
The Commune
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In a move that has alarmed many in the Hindu American community, major Christian denominational bodies are partnering with a controversial Muslim organization IAMC to launch a series of seminars explicitly targeting Hindu political and social ideology, framing it as a primary threat to religious freedom.

The seminar series, titled “Religious Nationalisms” and supported by the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, is being organized by the New York State Council of Churches’ “The Religious Nationalisms Project” (TRNP) in partnership with the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC). The events, scheduled across Northern California, list “Hindutva as a central case study,” alongside Christian nationalism.

A Targeted Seminar Series

The seminars, scheduled for late November in churches across the Bay Area and a Sikh Gurdwara, are being marketed as educational. However, the framing has been criticized by Hindu advocacy groups as prejudicial and divisive. The events promise to show the “local impact” of Hindu nationalism and provide “concrete action steps” for congregations to address its “harm.”

This partnership is not an isolated incident. It follows a joint statement issued in June 2025 by the NYSCC and TRNP, which condemned a Hindu event in Dallas and broadly vilified “Hindu supremacist” groups. The statement, signed by over 30 Christian leaders, used strong language to equate the Hindu political ideology of Hindutva with hate and violence, making sweeping allegations about its role in India.

The IAMC: A Terror-Linked Partner

The choice of partner for these seminars has intensified concerns. The IAMC has a documented history of anti-India activism and has been accused by researchers of having links to groups and ideologies hostile to India’s integrity.

Who Is IAMC?

To jog our readers’ memory, remember who Congress scion Rahul Gandhi met with during his 2023 US visit? Concerns arose when Gandhi was photographed with Sunita Vishwanath, a US-based activist linked to anti-India initiatives like the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” conference. Vishwanath is associated with groups like ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America), known for ties to Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami and promoting anti-India propaganda.

Reports allege that coordinators of Gandhi’s events, such as Tanzeem Ansari and Mohammed Aslam, are connected to ICNA and its affiliate organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood. ICNA has glorified Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin, a proponent of Kashmir’s separation from India. Another coordinator, Minhaj Khan, is linked to the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an anti-India lobbying group. IAMC has been accused of spreading fake news to incite communal tensions and lobbying against India in international forums.

IAMC’s Executive Director, Rasheed Ahmed, also leads IMANA (Islamic Medical Association of North America), implicated for alleged misuse of funds involving links to Pakistani officials and terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The IAMC is a problematic organization with links to Pakistan-based terror groups. It is known for peddling anti-India propaganda in the international arena and also lobbies with US leaders and bodies against Indian interests.

The IAMC had reportedly collected funds for the cause of Rohingya Muslims and used it to pay Fidelis Government Relations (FGR), a US-based lobby firm for getting India blacklisted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Awards To Leftist Journalists

In June 2022, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), claiming to be the largest advocacy organization for Indian Muslims in the US, awarded ₹3 lakh in prize money to several Indian journalists and media outlets through its Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism (HRRF) Awards. The winners included journalists from Newslaundry, The News Minute, The Caravan, The Wire, Scroll.in, and The New Issue Magazine (UK), as well as news portals Mooknayak and Article 14. The awards recognized reporting on issues like anti-conversion laws, persecution of Muslims during COVID-19, and human rights in Kashmir.

The IAMC has also been criticized for its links to Pakistan-based terror groups and anti-India lobbying efforts, including funding campaigns to blacklist India internationally. The organization has also been accused of violating India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which prohibits foreign funding of media professionals.

Connection With USICRF

During a February 2023 IAMC event, USICRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck advocated for classifying India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ He asserted, “The Indian government at the local, state, and national level continues to create policies that negatively impact Muslims, Christians, and other religious minorities…Application of these policies has created a culture of impunity for national campaigns of violence against Muslims and Christians. The U.S. must designate India a country of particular concern. We at USCIRF continue to press President Biden and congress to do so.”

Stephen Schneck frequently attends events organized by the Jamat-e-Islami front, IAMC.

Connection With Banned Organisations

The IAMC is very intricately connected with organizations/Jamaat fronts such as ICNA, Justice For All, SIMI, IACSJ, etc. IAMC’s Sheikh Ubaid is friends with Abdul Malik Mujahid, who headed the Islamic Circle of North America, the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. It also reportedly has links with the banned Islamist organization Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Image Source: Disinfo Lab

For many Hindu Americans, the NYSCC’s decision to ally with IAMC signals a move away from genuine interfaith understanding and toward a politically motivated coalition built on a one-sided condemnation of Hinduism’s political expression.

A Pattern of Collaboration

This alliance appears to be part of a broader pattern where certain segments of the Christian and Muslim leadership, often at odds elsewhere, are finding common cause in opposing the rise of Hindu political consciousness. The seminars represent an institutionalization of this collaboration, bringing the resources and pulpits of mainline Christian churches to an agenda long championed by the IAMC.

Hindu community leaders have expressed dismay, arguing that this partnership unfairly demonizes an entire community and its beliefs while ignoring the persecution faced by Hindus in various regions. They see it not as a pursuit of justice, but as the formation of a selective coalition that singles out Hindus for criticism, potentially fueling prejudice against the millions of peaceful Hindu Americans who simply wish to practice their faith and preserve their culture without being labeled “supremacist.”

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Terror Module Member, An Islamist Doctor From Kashmir, Linked To Delhi Blast Probe Reportedly Fled To Afghanistan In August: Reports

By
The Commune
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Terror Module Member, A Kashmiri Doctor, Linked To Delhi Blast Probe Reportedly Fled To Afghanistan In August: Reports

A senior member of the Kashmir-based terror module currently under investigation for the Red Fort blast is believed to have travelled to Afghanistan in mid-August, according to intelligence sources cited by The Print. Agencies suspect the group was preparing what could have been the largest coordinated terrorist attack in India since 1993.

Intelligence officials told the publication that Muzaffar Ahmad Rather, a 33-year-old paediatrician from Srinagar, left India earlier this year and was expected to act as a liaison between the Kashmir group and Afghanistan-based jihadist commanders for guidance on bomb-making and assault tactics. Muzaffar is the elder brother of Adeel Ahmad Rather, the 31-year-old doctor arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as the alleged head of the module.

According to the J&K Police, a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from one of Adeel’s lockers during raids linked to the investigation. The case has also drawn attention to a network of Kashmiri doctors who were working at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad.

Among them was Dr Umar un Nabi, who died in the 10 November blast near Delhi’s Red Fort metro station. Officials said he was driving a white Hyundai i20 that exploded while he was allegedly attempting to flee with explosives collected by the group.

The Rather family did not respond to The Print’s request for comment regarding Muzaffar’s current location.

Journey to Afghanistan

An intelligence officer told The Print that Muzaffar first travelled to Dubai before departing for Afghanistan. The officer said Muzaffar informed his family that he wished to “serve a truly Islamic society and state.” Intelligence assessments suggest Muzaffar had previously attempted to reach Afghanistan in March 2022 along with two other doctors, Faridabad-based senior resident Muzammil Ahmad Gani and his colleague Umar un Nabi via Turkey. The group reportedly failed in the attempt, which investigators believe may have been a turning point in their radicalisation.

Officials stated that extremist groups have increasingly relied on online platforms to deliver basic training in weapons use, combat tactics and improvised explosive devices.

A second intelligence officer said Muzaffar’s eventual departure to Afghanistan indicated that planning for the attacks had reached a critical phase.

Cleric’s Role and Funding Trail

Intelligence sources also told The Print that Kashmiri cleric Irfan Ahmad, who ran a study circle in Srinagar, introduced the doctors to jihadist commanders operating in the Kunar region of Afghanistan. The cleric is alleged to have facilitated access to assault weapons that had been hidden by Nadeem Muzaffar, a former member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind who was killed in 2018.

The study group was said to be influenced by a strain of Deobandi ideology associated with Hyderabad cleric Abdul Aleem Islahi, and by Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s rejection of militant factions tied to state intelligence networks.

Investigators alleged that Lucknow-based doctor Shaheen Saeed largely funded the group’s foreign travel and procurement of chemicals for the planned bombings.

According to the United Nations Security Council, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have operated training camps in southern Afghanistan in recent years, and several Kashmir-linked jihadists have held roles in these networks.

Background of the Suspects

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) official told The Print that investigators have sought to understand why Adeel and his associates established a terror cell after 2021. Adeel, the son of a local tehsildar from Wanpora village, studied at Crescent School and Yar Kushi Pora Government School before earning admission to the Government Medical College, Srinagar, in his first attempt. He completed senior residency in 2024.

Muzaffar, the eldest surviving brother, completed his medical degree two years earlier, while another elder brother, Zakir Ahmad Rather, is a veterinary scientist. Their sister, Gowhar Jan, holds a postgraduate degree in medicine and is married to a pharmaceutical businessman in Kulgam. She said it was “impossible to believe” that her brothers were involved in terrorism, describing them as deeply religious and compassionate.

Adeel married psychiatrist Syed Ruqaya in early October. Guests told The Print that Muzaffar’s absence at the wedding was attributed to employment in Dubai. After the ceremony, the couple took an eight-day trip to Kerala before returning to work.

Plans and Material Prepared

Intelligence officials said the group faced logistical difficulties in advancing its plan. While they managed to acquire timers, they reportedly had only three vehicles and struggled to source detonators. This led them to experiment with acid-based triggering mechanisms.

Investigators believe the group had accumulated several thousand kilograms of ammonium nitrate and other incendiary materials since 2022. Comparisons have been drawn to the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, in which seven IEDs packed with ammonium nitrate killed over 200 people.

The investigation into the Red Fort blast and the wider terror module remains ongoing.

(Source: The Print)

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RSS Denies Hiring US Lobbying Firm

By
The Commune
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RSS Denies Hiring US Lobbying Firm After Alleged Disclosures Show $330,000 Payment

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday denied engaging any lobbying firm in the United States, following a report by non-profit newsroom Prism that claimed the organisation had indirectly hired one.

RSS leader Sunil Ambekar said in a post on X that the organisation “works in Bharat” and has “not engaged any lobbying firm in United States of America.”

The clarification came after lobbying disclosure statements, reviewed independently by Hindustan Times, showed that the US firm Squire Patton Boggs received $330,000 this year from One+ Advisers, another lobbying outfit, for work carried out “on behalf of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.” The disclosures listed the objective of the contract as efforts to “introduce the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” to US officials.

It is, however, unclear from the documents who hired the lobbying firms. Both One+ Advisers and Squire Patton Boggs had not responded to HT’s requests for comment at the time of publication. Squire Patton Boggs is also known to lobby on behalf of Pakistan.

The report prompted a political reaction, with Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh alleging that the development marked another instance of the RSS “betraying national interest.”

(Source: Hindustan Times)

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