New Delhi, July 7: Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm stance on terrorism at the BRICS Summit, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday expressed his complete faith that India will fight terrorism with full resolve and determination.

His remarks came in response to PM Modi’s statement at the global summit, where he called terrorism “the most serious challenge facing humanity” and emphasised that condemning terrorism must be a matter of principle, not convenience.

Speaking to Media, Pramod Tiwari supported the Prime Minister, stating, “At the BRICS Summit, voices should have been more vocal against terrorism. The platform should also raise social, economic, and global concerns of its member nations. India has consistently spoken for global peace and justice.

“I have full faith that our country will fight terrorism with unwavering determination. I wish those responsible for the recent attack in Pahalgam had been caught — it would have revealed who trained and supported them. Such information is crucial and would have commanded greater respect globally.”

Tiwari also took a swipe at US President Donald Trump, who recently lashed out at the BRICS alliance and warned of an “additional 10 per cent tariff” on countries aligning with what he termed “anti-American policies.”

“BRICS is for protecting nations who are in it. President Trump had previously issued similar warnings during his visit to India. At that time, Prime Minister Modi should not have laughed or responded lightly. He should have stood firm and reminded Trump that BRICS works on its own principles and is committed to its founding objectives,” said Tiwari.

The Congress leader criticised the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that extensive consultations had been held with political parties and acknowledged that “no one was satisfied” with the current status of the electoral rolls.

Reacting to the development, Tiwari said, “We are not satisfied with the Election Commission of India’s response. The documents required for voter list revision are unnecessarily complicated and impractical. If the process is designed to make it difficult for traditional voters who are against the BJP, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and minority voters, to remain on the rolls, then this raises serious questions about the Election Commission’s intent. If the ECI wants to remove them.”

He added that while some groups have approached the Supreme Court, others are considering forming “people’s courts” to ensure fairness.

“The Congress has always upheld the voter’s right to participate in democracy. We will continue to stand by that principle and ensure that all necessary documentation is provided,” he asserted.

Tiwari also took aim at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, particularly targeting Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan.

During a political rally in Saran district on Sunday, Chirag announced that he would contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and urged his party workers to prepare for all 243 constituencies in alliance with the BJP and JD(U).

Mocking the move, Tiwari remarked, “The NDA in Bihar is a sinking ship. Chirag Paswan, despite being the son of a respected leader like Ram Vilas Paswan, is trying to stay afloat in turbulent political waters. If he’s contesting all 243 seats, it means internal cracks have widened and many alliance members are already looking for the exit door ahead of elections.”

He continued, “It’s clear that NDA leaders are aware they are going to lose many seats. Their desperation is evident. While they are forming the central government, they are losing their grip on the state. This creates confusion among their own allies.”

In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Chirag Paswan’s LJP had contested 137 seats but managed to win only one, Matihani. Despite this, Chirag currently holds a Lok Sabha seat and serves as a Cabinet Minister in the BJP-led central government, which includes JD(U) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as key allies.

Mumbai, July 7: Mumbai Police have arrested a man from Delhi for allegedly attempting to fraudulently take control of a mobile number belonging to late NCP leader Baba Siddique, which is linked to his family’s businesses.

The accused, identified as Vivek Sabrawal, was apprehended in the Burari area of Delhi and brought to Mumbai for further investigation.

According to officials, Sabrawal tried to reactivate Siddique’s phone number on a new SIM card with the intention of using it for cyber fraud. Police said the accused has a history of cybercrime, with prior cases registered against him.

He was out on bail in one such matter when he attempted this latest fraudulent act.

A case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to cheating, attempted offences, forgery, fabrication of records, and using forged electronic documents as genuine.

Authorities suspect that Sabrawal aimed to misuse the number for financial or digital scams.

The matter came to light after Siddique’s daughter, Arshiya Siddique, filed an FIR at Bandra Police Station in Mumbai. She reported that an unknown individual had fraudulently attempted to become the “authorised signatory” for her late father’s mobile number, which remains active and is associated with the family’s business interests, including Zears Business India LLP and a food venture she runs under the name Flavour Food Venture.

Police said the fraudster had created a fake email ID in the name of Shahzeen Siddique, Baba Siddique’s wife, and used it to contact Vodafone to enquire about the status of the authorised signatory on the mobile number.

In a more disturbing development, the individual accessed Shahzeen Siddique’s personal documents — including Aadhaar, PAN card, GST details, and the company’s letterhead — to support the fraudulent request.

Using these forged details, the accused submitted a request to Vodafone to update the signatory, listing fake identities such as Michael Sharma, Tarun Kumar, Avinash Arora, and Sumit Sharma.

On June 25, Vodafone responded to the request by CC’ing Shahzeen Siddique’s real email ID, which immediately alerted the family that an unauthorised application had been made using forged credentials.

Alarmed by the development, the Siddique family approached the police. While Sabrawal has been arrested for his involvement in the SIM card reactivation attempt, investigations are ongoing to determine whether there are additional suspects involved in the attempted fraud.

The complainant has urged Mumbai Police to trace the origin of the fake email ID and analyse the call data records (CDR) associated with the number listed in the request, citing fears of a possible connection with individuals involved in Baba Siddique’s sudden demise.

Mumbai Police have said further action will follow based on electronic and forensic analysis of the digital evidence, and more arrests may be made if links to a broader conspiracy are established.

Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead in the Bandra area of Mumbai on October 12, 2024.

Dhaka, July 7: In a span of nine days, 24 women, including an infant, were raped in Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh, according to the Awami League, which added that over 281,000 complaints have piled up and are still “unresolved.”

“In just 9 days, 24 women were raped. Among them, a child was raped by a 60-year-old man. These numbers are horrifying, but each number hides a lifetime of pain and trauma,” said the Awami League on Sunday.

According to the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, “Rapists aren’t strangers — they’re police officers, teachers, politicians, and many roam free, protected by silence and a broken system.”

“Under Yunus’s illegal rule, Bangladesh is no longer a safe place for women. Every day, women are raped while the state stays silent. When survivors seek justice, they’re humiliated again — by police questions, invasive medical exams, courtroom cruelty, and society’s blaming gaze. In court, survivors are shamed for their clothes and character. Cases drag on for years. Social media adds more wounds, as victims’ images spread while rapists remain anonymous,” the Awami League stated.

“Laws alone won’t save us. We need a social revolution. Women must rise, confront, and demand justice. Men must stand with them. Silence is complicity. As long as leaders like Muhammad Yunus remain in power, nothing will change,” it added.

Calling a Bangladeshi woman’s body “a battlefield,” the party said, “Until the state takes responsibility, this bleeding won’t stop. We must challenge the state — or women will never be safe.”

Recently, the Awami League revealed the statistics mentioned that only in June, 63 incidents of rapes were reported, including 17 gang rapes, seven survivors were women/girls with disabilities, while 19 children and 23 teenage girls were raped.

Additionally, 39 cases of sexual harassment and 51 physical assaults on women were reported.

“These aren’t just statistics. They are devastating proof that women and girls in Bangladesh live in constant fear,” said the party.

Last week, addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, Sharmeen S. Murshid, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh under the interim government, described the rising incidents of violence against women and children in the country as a “pandemic-level crisis.”

The advisor revealed that over the past 10–11 months, 281,000 complaints have been received by the ministry’s toll-free hotline.

“Violence is being committed in families, workplaces, public spaces, and online. Despite Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the High Court’s directives, victims’ photos are still being published in the media,” Bangladesh’s leading daily, The Dhaka Tribune, quoted the Advisor as saying.

“Though I am a human rights activist, I now support the death penalty for these criminals. The level of violence has exceeded our tolerance,” Sharmeen added.

Bangladesh has been gripped by protest movements, a deteriorating law and order situation and an increasing number of incidents of violence against women since the ouster of Hasina in August 2024, when the Yunus-led administration took the helm.