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Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics.
She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks.
She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year.
She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home.
Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
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New Indian Express
31 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
The frightening power Laura Loomer wields in Trump's America
"#ProudIslamophobe". That's how Laura Loomer, far-right influencer and a close ally of US President Donald Trump, chooses to describe herself. As the New York Times noted, among the the 32-year-old's 1.7 million followers on her reactivated X account are Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller, Trump's chief domestic policy adviser. Talk of having the eyes and ears of an establishment... It was an online pressure campaign from this "blunt instrument" that encouraged the US government to recently halt visas for children injured in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza who are in need of urgent medical care. With Loomer egging her base on, the self-proclaimed "Land of the Free" decided, without the slightest compunction, that freedom does not extend to dying children. Why? Simply because Trump's red-hat fan base threw a temper tantrum online. Loomer is not some random troll. She has built a career on hate-mongering and manufactured outrage, and was banned from nearly every major platform – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even ride-sharing apps. An "investigative journalist and free spirit", according to her Twitter bio, who swears by Trump, Loomer has also called herself a "pro-white nationalist". Her resume reads like a greatest hits of conspiracy nonsense: Parkland and Santa Fe school shootings "staged", Parkland shooters magnetically aligned with ISIS, mail bomb attempts a "false flag", the Buffalo mass shooting dismissed as a Democratic hoax. Loomer ran for Congress in Florida—losing both times—but not before handcuffing herself to Twitter HQ in protest and jumping Nancy Pelosi's fence for grabbing headlines. Yet despite these circus acts, her influence has only grown under Trump, who praises her as a "very good patriot" and allows her to play loyalty enforcer from the shadows. This is no longer fringe behaviour; it is shaping policy with real consequences—including for the dying children fleeing war-ravaged Gaza. Misinformation with real consequences It all began when Loomer, once banned from X before Elon Musk's vanity purchase, took to the platform to spread conspiracy theories about a handful of Palestinian children who arrived in Houston and San Francisco for medical treatment. Loomer had decided that the sighs of relief of the badly-injured children were "jihadi chants" and claimed they were "doing the HAMAS terror whistle". "How is allowing for Islamic immigrants to come into the US America First policy?" she asked, going on to 'report' further Palestinian arrivals in Missouri and claiming that "several US Senators and members of Congress" had texted her to express their fury. Loomer also falsely claimed that she had "exclusively obtained" the clips she posted, but one was ripped off a medical aid charity's public Instagram account and the other was taken from the Houston Chronicle's YouTube channel. Loomer didn't stop there. She dived into the realm of fiction to claim that the injured children, including amputees arriving to get prosthetic legs, were "Islamic invaders from an Islamic terror hot zone", and demanded to know who in the State Department had "signed off" on their visas. "Is Rubio even aware of this?" Loomer wrote, in reference to the Secretary of State who was at that time in Alaska meeting Vladimir Putin. No MAGA post is complete without some fake statistic. In this one, Loomer claimed "95 per cent of Gazans voted for Hamas". That claim wasn't just wrong, it was laughably so—the kind of thing a two-second Google search could fix if only MAGA fanatics knew how to use anything beyond X and TruthSocial. Yet it was delivered with the blind confidence only found in the red-hat cult. In reality, Hamas won 44 per cent of the party list vote in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections across Gaza and the West Bank, losing three of the five Gaza districts to the secular Fatah party. There has been no election since. But why let reality get in the way when MAGA rage will do the trick? Just like clockwork, Republican lawmakers piled on. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas promised to "inquire", while Rep. Randy Fine of Florida called the arrivals a "national security risk". And the State Department folded. It announced that it was stopping visas for "individuals from Gaza". "All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days," the State Department said on its unofficial mouthpiece - its X handle. The language was cold, the tone distant - paperwork talk in the face of people fleeing bombardment, displacement, and starvation. An influence in Trump's orbit Loomer celebrated her win and pressed further, calling for all Gazans to be added to Trump's travel ban and declaring that "the US is not the world's hospital". More chilling than her success in denying basic rights through misinformation remains the influence she wields despite failing at basic fact-checking. She isn't just ranting into the void. Loomer has got several senior US security officials she deemed 'disloyal' to Trump dismissed. Loomer herself was quick to brag about it. "No other content creator or journalist has gotten as many Biden holdovers fired from the Trump admin!" she posted triumphantly on X. It was less a boast than a confession of just how dangerous her influence has become. In an interview to ABC News, Loomer proudly claimed, "I don't keep count anymore". "There's too many to keep track of," she said when asked how many officials she had helped force out. Rep. Fine publicly commended Loomer after the visa change was announced, in an acknowledgment of the part she had played in changing the visa policy. "Massive credit needs to be given to @LauraLoomer for uncovering this and making me and other officials aware. Well done, Laura," he wrote on X. 'Complicity with Israel's genocide' Outside the MAGA echo chamber, actual humans have expressed their horror. The Palestine Children's Relief Fund, which has evacuated thousands of kids for treatment over three decades, called the visa halt "dangerous and inhumane". "Medical evacuations are a lifeline for the children of Gaza who would otherwise face unimaginable suffering or death due to the collapse of medical infrastructure in Gaza," they stressed. The Council on Islamic-American Relations called it "intentional cruelty wrapped in President Trump's 'Israel First" agenda", and added that it was "deeply ironic" that the Trump administration was banning sick children while "rolling out the red carpet for racists and indicted war criminals from the Israeli government". "This ban is just the latest example of our government's complicity with Israel's genocide, which is increasingly rejected by the American people," it continued. Indeed, conditions in Gaza are catastrophic. Children being left to starve to death and people lining up for food aid at the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) are being shot down daily. Hospitals are collapsing, medicines are running out and even journalists aren't safe. The suffering is staggering. Just one snapshot. Of these 19 hospitals that remain in Gaza, just 12 provide a variety of health services; the rest are limited to basic emergency care. The supply crisis in these hospitals is real. 52 per cent of essential medicines and 68 per cent of consumables are at zero stock, while blood and plasma are in persistent shortage. Beyond the numbers on the screen is the cold reality, which is way more devastating. AMERICA FIRST! The Trump way This is not the first time the US under Donald Trump has slammed its doors on an entire population. In 2017, he signed an executive order barring people from several Muslim-majority countries and shutting out refugees. It was ban that was condemned as cruel, inhumane, and said to be in clear violation of international law. It came after he openly demanded a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" during his first presidential campaign. Now, in his second administration, the policy has been resurrected, widened, and repackaged. A new proclamation bars entry to people from a dozen countries—primarily African and Middle Eastern. Once again, it dresses up naked discrimination as "security". In practice, it demonises the vulnerable: people fleeing torturers, warlords, dictators. It is not policy. It is a licence to discriminate. Gaza's last lifelines are collapsing. How much longer will it be before an 'America First', driven by the likes of Laura Loomer, regains its moral compass?
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
NCERT introduces special modules on Operation Sindoor for classes 3 to 12
The NCERT has introduced two special modules on the Operation Sindoor for classes 3 to 12 describing the mission not just as a military operation but a promise to protect peace and honour the lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack . The modules which have been introduced as supplementary material in the curriculum come over three months after Operation Sindoor. The modules also state that although Pakistan denied any involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, it was carried out on "direct orders" by "Pakistan's military and political leadership". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Drive, Sail & Save – The Budget-Friendly Way to Explore Europe! Learn More "India launched missiles and air strikes, targeting nine terrorist sites situated in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on May 7, 2025. Out of nine targets which were finally chosen and approved, seven of these terror camps were destroyed by the Indian Army, while the Indian Air Force destroyed terrorist targets in Muridke and Bahawalpur, which are the nerve centres of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," one of the modules said. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reiterated government stand that India made sure no civilians were harmed. Live Events "Every target was double-checked. Only terrorist bases were attacked. This operation showed that India would not let terror masterminds escape punishment," it added. The two modules are titled 'Operation Sindoor-A Saga of Valour' for preparatory and middle stages or classes 3 to 8, and 'Operation Sindoor-A Mission of Honour and Bravery' for secondary stage or classes 9 to 12. The modules have been created with the aim of raising awareness about India's military power among school children. Calling Operation Sindoor "a triumph of bravery, strategy, and innovation", the modules also mention India's air defence systems, like the S-400, which shot down enemy aircraft at long distances and also prevented enemy drones from causing damage. The modules highlight that people across the country stood united, with candlelight marches held nationwide in solidarity. "Muslim communities in Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Bhopal wore black armbands and openly denounced the attack. In Kashmir, shopkeepers closed their shops in protest. Villages near the border demanded strong action and supported the Armed Forces," the secondary stage module stated. "The local (Kashmiri) population stood up and spoke against terrorists. Their response breaks stereotypes and shows the real voice of peace-loving people," it added. The modules also explain that the name Operation Sindoor was chosen as a tribute to the widows of the victims, symbolising solidarity, empathy, and respect. The modules highlight retaliatory actions by Indian military forces, including the Balakot air strikes in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack, and more recently, Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terror attack. "In the past, India has never shied away from standing up for its citizens. We gave a strong reply in the wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999... Operation Sindoor was also India's way of stopping terrorism, led by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) and Pakistan's spy agency, ISI," one of the modules said. "It was not just a military operation; it was a promise to protect peace and honour the lives lost," it said.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Dharmasthala secret burials case: BJP MP Veerendra Heggade dismisses charges against family as ‘totally baseless'
Breaking his silence on the allegations about his family in connection with the secret burials case, Karnataka BJP MP Veerendra Heggade, who is also the head of the Dharmasthala temple, said the controversy was the handiwork of people who are envious of the development work undertaken under the aegis of the renowned temple. Heggade has come under attack from a section of social media users after the Karnataka Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into allegations made by a former sanitation worker that he had been forced to bury several bodies of suspected sexual assault victims around Dharmasthala. Heggade said that various claims made on social media had upset the devotees of the temple. 'They (YouTubers) created doubt, confusion and disturbance in the minds of these devotees,' he said, hoping that the SIT investigation would dismiss all incorrect claims made against Dharmasthala. 'It was a good decision of the Government to form the SIT. These issues were baseless,' he said. Heggade said that he was hurt by the allegations levelled against him during the ongoing probe around the temple town. 'My followers have immense faith in me. They have no doubt about the temple (Dharmasthala) or me,' he said, calling the allegations 'totally baseless'. 'It is not a moral way to fight with us.' The MP, who is a Padma Vibhushan winner, also urged the Government to initiate action against those involved in the 'smear campaign' against the town. 'People are hurt by this. The Government should take strict action,' he said. Social posts regarding investigation in the case have come under scrutiny after Heggade's family sought an injunction against over 8,000 posts, a majority of which were on YouTube and Instagram. Two groups clashed near Dharmasthala earlier this month over the allegation that YouTubers had defamed the temple town. On Monday, Home Minister G Parameshwara told the Legislative Assembly that the Government would take action against those spreading misinformation about the temple town.
