Friday, January 20, 2023

If George Bush can't.

"India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. The 43 Heads of Delegations - the largest ever in G20 - will be participating in the final New Delhi Summit in September next year." pib.gov.in. "India will host over 200 meetings in over 50 cities across 32 different work streams." The trouble is that G20 meetings attract thousands of protesters from across the world. In October 2021, thousands of protesters marched in Rome during the G20 summit. NYT. In 2017, "German police clashed with protesters before a G20 summit in Hamburg..., tarnishing the outset of a meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will cement her role as a stateswoman." CNBC. "A BBC documentary, 'India: The Modi Question' looks at" "his role in the large-scale communal violence" in February and March 2002" following the "burning of a train at Godhra on February 27, 2002 carrying kar sevaks which led to 59 deaths." The Wire. "These were very serious claims - that Chief Minister Modi played a pretty active part in pulling back the police and in tacitly encouraging the Hindu extremists," Former British Foreign Secretary told the BBC. The Ministry of External affairs in India dismissed the documentary as "propaganda" and "colonial mindset". HT. But then, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in November 2022, "During the Congress rule in Gujarat (before 1995), communal riots were rampant." "But after they were taught a lesson in 2002, these elements left that path (of violence)." TOI. Any Indian knows that "communal" means "Muslims" and what "taught a lesson in 2002" means. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim, tweeted, "What lesson did Amit Shah teach in 2002? Lessons from Naroda Patiya (97 Muslims killed, wikipedia)? Lessons from Gulbarga, (35 killed, 31 missing, wikipedia)? Best Bakery lesson (11 Muslims and 3 Hindus killed, wikipedia)? Lessons from Bilkis Bano (gang rape of pregnant Bano and killing of 14 family members including her 3-year old daughter, BBC)?" In November 2022, "In his remarks last week over defending immunity to Saudi Crown Prince, US state department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel cited immunity given to several heads of state including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi." TN. Immunity only as long as he is head of state. Interesting. The misuse of the national investigation agencies - the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) - against opposition parties has reached intolerable levels. The Wire. For all these reasons it is of paramount importance for Modi to win the 2024 general election, by any means possible. But, what will he do if foreigners come to India to protest against him? After all, he cannot use the draconian UAPA law against Americans and Europeans like he did against Indian citizens in 2019 for protesting peacefully. Legal Service India. We understand that President George Bush does not travel abroad even though there is no arrest warrant against him. Politifact. And, he is American.      

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