Home Blog Page 1118

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor joins in instigating conspiracy theories about Hemant Karkare’s death during the 26/11 terror attack, wants a forensics investigation

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor joins in instigating conspiracy theories about Hemant Karkare’s death during the 26/11 terror attack, wants a forensics investigation

On Monday (6th May), senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor publicly extended his support to Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar. This came a day after Waettiwar alleged the involvement of an RSS-linked cop in Hemant Karkare’s death, thereby absolving Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab of the murder.

Speaking with news agency ANI, Shashi Tharoor argued that the allegations should be seriously investigated and demanded a forensic investigation to probe the allegations. It is pertinent to note that, in the past, courts have not just taken cognisance of this allegation but have also junked pleas alleging the same.

Furthering the conspiracy theory, ‘26/11 RSS ki sazish’, already busted by the judiciary, Shashi Tharoor argued that the nation has every right to know what really happened (around Hemant Karkare’s death).

Speaking with ANI in Pune regarding Wadettiwar’s allegations, Congress candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor said, “The matter is extremely serious. Our concern is that when the LoP points to something which is an allegation that has been in the public domain for some time and which featured in a book by the former IG of police, Mushrif, who said that the bullets found in Karkare’s body could not have been fired by the Ajmal Kasab and that it could have been fired by a police revolver, it seems to me that this allegation should have been seriously investigated. And it is not too late. Because on such an important matter, the nation has every right to know what really happened…We are not saying that the allegation is definitely true. We are saying it should be investigated.”

Wadettiwar allegations and SM Mushrif’s book couldn’t stand the test in the court of Law

It is pertinent to note that, yesterday, after facing massive backlash for his allegations, Congress leader Wadettiwar told reporters that he made the contentious remarks based on the book written by SM Mushrif. Click here, to read in detail about the controversial man SM Mushrif who had authored books to absolve Pakistani terrorists for several terror attacks and instead pinned the blame on ‘Brahminists’ adding that it is a major conspiracy of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).  

SM Mushrif is a controversial former Inspector General of Police (IGP). He wrote a book titled ‘Who killed Karkare? The Real Face of Terrorism in India’, claiming that the then ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed by “Hindu radicals”. 

According to SM Mushrif, Islamist terrorism in India is a figment of imagination, a facade created by the Intelligence Bureau to cover up the ‘real terrorism’ in the country perpetrated by Brahminists to establish Brahminist hegemony. He went further to allege that RSS is ‘India’s number 1 terrorist organisation’. He also wants that the secularists of the country should approach the Supreme Court and challenge the UAPA which is used against terrorists, in other heinous crimes as well as anti-national activities.

It is pertinent to note that in 2018, a decade after the Mumbai terror attack, Bombay HC had refused to order a probe into former ATS chief Karkare’s death and junked a petition alleging that his killing during the 26/11 terror attack was a conspiracy hatched by “Right Wing extremists”. Incidentally, the PIL relied on S M Mushrif’s book ‘Who Killed Karkare’. Additionally, he was also summoned by the Bombay High Court in 2010 in connection with his propaganda book.

Shashi Tharoor targets Ujjwal Nikam

Apart from demanding an investigation, Shashi Tharoor didn’t condemn the remarks of his party colleague Vijay Wadettiwar who had called Ujjwal Nikam, the former senior public prosecutor who fought the case against Kasab, a “traitor who suppressed the fact“. 

Targeting the then prosecutor and BJP candidate in the ongoing elections, Ujjwal Nikam, Shashi Tharoor alleged that he had already propagated an unjustified myth that the terrorist was served biryani in jail. 

Tharoor said, “We already had known that he (Ujjwal Nikam) had propagated this unjustified myth that the Pakistani terrorist was served biryani in prison and that is something that shows him in a very poor light. If, indeed he has already revealed his political bias in that moment, then there is every reason to worry whether his political bias had influenced any other of his stands. We are not saying that the allegation is true. We are saying it should be investigated.” 

Several prominent netizens have slammed the Congress leader for absolving Kasab based on unsubstantiated allegations that further’ conspiracy theories devised by Pakistan. Responding to a few X users, Tharoor issued a ‘clarification’ claiming that he is not giving clean chit to Kasab. He claimed that if there is “evidence”, the allegations must be investigated, prompting widespread criticism from netizens for claiming that there is evidence in this matter. 

Strikingly, the allegations rely solely on a book by SM Mushrif, which has been known to courts for decades. However, rather than accepting it as ‘evidence’, the courts have dismissed pleas based on it, suggesting that the book solicits no credence in the court of law.

‘Rahul Gandhi wanted to overturn Ram Mandir verdict’: Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod’s explosive revelation

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Rahul Gandhi wanted to overturn Ram Mandir verdict’: Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod’s explosive revelation

On 6th May, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam stated that soon after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ramjanmbhoomi case, Rahul Gandhi expressed that the grand old party would “overturn the directive regarding the Ram temple once the Congress government comes into power”.

In a statement, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, “I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt was formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision…”

Notably, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod has been critical of the party as its leaders did not attend the Shri Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony on 22nd January this year. In February, Congress expelled him for indiscipline and making repeated statements against the party.

In recent times, several former Congress leaders revealed the problems they faced with the party leadership over Ram Mandir. The most recent example is of Radhika Khera who resigned from the grand old party on 5th May. In her letter to the All India Congress Committee, she alleged that justice was denied to her after the mistreatment by party members as she visited the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. She wrote, “It is an established truth since ancient times that those who support religion have been opposed. Examples of this range from Hiranyakashipu to Ravana and Kansa. At present, some people are opposing those who take the name of Lord Shri Ram in the same way. For every Hindu, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram holds great significance with its sacredness and while every Hindu considers his life successful just by seeing Ram Lalla, some people are opposing it.”

On 4th April, Gourav Vallabh resigned from the Congress Party. In a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, “I do not feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress party is moving forward today. I can neither raise anti-Sanatana slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country. I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party.” In a statement to India Today, he called Congress’s decision to skip the Ram Mandir event a “sin”. In a statement on Congress rejecting Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha invite, he said, “An invitation was received and Congress rejected the invitation, I cannot accept it…The leaders of the alliance raised questions on Sanatana, why was Congress not responding to it?…I joined BJP today and I hope to use my ability and knowledge to take India forward…” Later, he also slammed Rahul Gandhi for not visiting the Ram Mandir even after three months of Pran Pratishtha despite claiming to be a devoted Hindu. 

‘No proof of Islamic terrorism’: Rana Ayyub whitewashes Islamists who brutalised Israelis in October 7 attack and regularly persecute Hindus

Amit Kelkar
-
0
‘No proof of Islamic terrorism’: Rana Ayyub whitewashes Islamists who brutalised Israelis in October 7 attack and regularly persecute Hindus

Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub recently claimed that there is no proof of Islamic terrorism. The incredulous claim came during an interaction with the Middle East Eye, a UK-based propaganda portal known for whitewashing Islamist depravity and contextualising atrocities committed by Islamists. 

Ayyub, embroiled in a donation fraud scam that runs into crores, said that Islamic terrorism has no proof and is an artificial imagination aimed at vilifying Muslims. 

“There is no proof of Islamic terrorism. It is something that has been built,” Ayyub said while drawing a comparison between Israeli PM Netanyahu and PM Modi.

“After the October 7 attack, the official X handle of BJP put out a tweet stating that what happened in Israel is what used to happen in India before they came to power. It was a dog whistle that this is Islamic terrorism…. narratives are going on that claim Modi should be doing what Bibi is doing in Israel,” Ayyub said. 

This is not entirely surprising, since Ms Ayyub has a history of batting for the Islamists. If one goes by Ms Ayyub’s claims, the 9/11 terror attack in the United States, the London bombings, the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, or the Pulwama attack in February 2019 were not Islamic terror attacks, notwithstanding that the fact religion played a crucial part in the indoctrination of the terrorists who carried out the aforementioned attacks. 

Ajmal Aamir Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has on record admitted to being brainwashed through Islamic scriptures to conduct the attack. In the wake of the CRPF attack in Pulwama in February 2019, a pre-recorded video of terrorist Adil Ahmed Dar, who rammed his explosives-laden car into the CRPF convoy, was released that defended the attack and took a swipe at Hindus with a ‘gaumutra’ jibe. 

But for the likes of Rana Ayyub, there is no proof of Islamic terrorism as by doing so they deprive the victim of their agency to retaliate against the dastardly attacks mounted against them. Such proclamations are made as a part of the larger attempt to shield Islam from critical scrutiny and to discredit the legitimacy of retaliatory attacks against Islamic terrorists. 

In the 31-minute-long interaction that is available on YouTube, Rana Ayyub appears perpetually agitated and rants against a host of issues, including the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, lamenting that Modi used the temple to prop up his image of a Hindu leader who brought Ram back and built a temple on the ruins of a demolished mosque. 

The Ram Mandir consecration ceremony was conducted on January 22 this year and PM Modi was invited as a chief guest on the occasion. The temple was built after the SC in a historic judgment granted the disputed land to Hindus in 2019, 27 years after the demolition of the Babri edifice in December 1992. According to Hindu beliefs, archaeological examination, and British-era archives, a temple that existed at the said was demolished during the reign of Mughal emperor Babur to raise a mosque over it. 

Pakistan: 3 men arrested for sexually assaulting and videographing a college student naked; had blackmailed him and threatened to kill him

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan: 3 men arrested for sexually assaulting and videographing a college student naked; had blackmailed him and threatened to kill him

On Sunday (5th May), Pakistan’s Bisham Police arrested three men on charges of sexually harassing and videographing a college boy naked. The incident unfolded in the Maira area of Bisham tehsil in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The accused also blackmailed the victim to leak his video and threatened to kill him if he told anyone about the incident.  

An FIR has been registered at the Dandai Police station in Bisham tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Sections 377 (unnatural offence), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter term), and 506/34 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, on Friday, 3rd May, the victim was returning after giving his intermediate examination when he was approached by the accused who were known to him. They lured him on the pretense of taking him to a riverbank where they attempted to sexually molest him. While the victim resisted, the accused videographed the boy in a naked state and threatened to make it public and kill him if he reported the ordeal.

Confirming the arrests, Station House Officer (SHO) Dandai Muhammad Arif Khan said that the trio named in the FIR were arrested and further interrogation was underway.

According to the FIR, the victim was sent to the tehsil headquarters hospital, Bisham, on the day of the crime for medical examination.

Data collected by Sahil, an NGO dedicated to addressing child sexual abuse, reveals a disturbing trend: the majority of abusers are individuals known to the victims, such as acquaintances, neighbours, or even family members. 

Shockingly, religious teachers and clerics emerge as the primary perpetrators within institutional settings, surpassing even police officers, school teachers, or nuclear family members in the number of complaints filed against them, according to Pakistani news outlet Dawn. 

Incidentally, on 2nd April, a Pakistani man, Faisal Rafi, asked people on X (formerly Twitter) if they were raped or sexually abused by a Maulvi (Islamic priest/religious teacher). The question went viral quickly, and hundreds of people, irrespective of gender, responded by saying yes, shocking many. Faisal himself said yes to the question. He said the incident happened to him not at a madrasa but at his home.

The responses made it evident that physical and sexual assault by Maulvis is common in Pakistan, even among Muslims living in the UK. Even in India, such cases have emerged from time to time. In December 2023, a Maulvi named Muntazir Alam was arrested for the sexual assault of a minor girl who came to learn Urdu at a mosque in Hamirpur.

As per reports, primary data remains limited and organisations rely on media reports and police complaints but the trend over the past 20 years shows the gender divide of abused girls in madarsas is slightly higher than that of boys.

(With Inputs from ANI)

‘AAP received $16 million from Khalistani terror outfits’: Delhi LG recommends NIA probe against Arvind Kejriwal over ‘political funding’ from SFJ

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘AAP received $16 million from Khalistani terror outfits’: Delhi LG recommends NIA probe against Arvind Kejriwal over ‘political funding’ from SFJ

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, has urged for an NIA investigation into Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged acceptance of political funding from the banned terrorist organization “Sikhs for Justice,” potentially deepening the challenges for the AAP leader.

In a communication directed to the Home Secretary, Saxena highlighted a complaint he received regarding the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP allegedly receiving substantial funds – amounting to USD 16 million – from extremist Khalistani groups. These funds were purportedly linked to facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and promoting Pro-Khalistani sentiments between 2014 and 2022.

Furthermore, Saxena referenced the complainant, Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of the World Hindu Federation India, who cited tweets on Platform ‘X’ by Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada. These tweets allegedly confirmed Kejriwal’s clandestine meeting with Pro-Khalistani leaders at Richmond Hill Gurudwara, New York, in 2014.

The complainants cited the material from a video stored on their enclosed pen drive, purportedly showing Pannun making allegations. In the video, it is claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party, under Kejriwal’s leadership, received a substantial sum of USD 16 million in funding from Khalistani groups spanning from 2014 to 2022.

“The tweets also affirm that, beyond public appearances, Mr Kejriwal convened a private meeting with Pro-Khalistani Sikh Leaders at Richmond Hills Gurudwara. Additionally, it’s noted in the letter that Mr Kejriwal wrote to former President Sh. Pranab Mukherjee, advocating for clemency for Bhullar. A copy of a letter from Mr Arvind Kejriwal to one Sh. Iqbal Singh is provided in this context,” the letter elaborated.

Pannun had claimed AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups for elections

In a video released in March 2024, Khalistani terrorist and founder of terror organisation Sikhs For Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, alleged that Khalistani groups gave USD 16 million to Aam Aadmi Party to fund elections. He added that Kejriwal had allegedly offered to release Khalistani terrorist Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar within five hours of formation of government in Delhi.

Pannun had said, “Arvind Kejriwal and his associates who call themselves honest Indian Hindus turned out to be more dangerous than the dishonest Indian Hindus. When Kejriwal was not in power in 2014, he came to the US and promised pro-Khalistani groups that he would release Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar within five hours of forming a government. We told them not to trust him at that time. It has been nine years since he came to power.”

‘Protesters’ block road since January 2023, SC stays HC’s order to evict them: Judicial process so far and demand to release convicted Khalistanis

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Protesters’ block road since January 2023, SC stays HC’s order to evict them: Judicial process so far and demand to release convicted Khalistanis

On Saturday, 4th May, the Supreme Court of India stayed an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the authorities to clear the Chandigarh-Mohali road that has been blocked by a group of protesters since January 2023. A 3-judge bench of Justice BR Gavai, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued notice on a plea filed by the Government of Punjab seeking a response from the Centre, the Chandigarh Administration, and the NGO Arrive Safe Society in the matter. Notably, Arrive Safe Society had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get the road cleared.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Centre in the matter and supported the stand of the Government of Punjab. He said, “We are supporting each other. Federalism is always protected except when it comes to corruption. In Covid times, every state and the Centre worked together.” Advocate General for Punjab Gurminder Singh sought a stay on the High Court’s order.

Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered to clear Chandigarh-Mohali Road on 9th April

In an order dated 9th April, the Punjab and Haryana High Court said that it gave several opportunities to the State of Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh but both failed to provide any redress to the commuters of SAS Nagar Mohali and Chandigarh. The court said, “On account of a handful of people sitting and blocking the road, inconvenience is being caused to the commuters and residents of the Tri-city and the misery is continuing.” The court also objected to the fact that protesters were using Shri Guru Granth Sahib as a shield at the protest site.

The court had noted, “Only because some of the protestors have been hiding behind a shield of religious legitimacy by placing the Guru Granth Sahib would not as such give the State reason not to act against the persons concerned, who are misusing the religious sentiments.”

In its order, the High Court had cited the observations made by the Supreme Court of India in Shaheen Bagh Protests case where the apex court had said that public places cannot be occupied indefinitely.

The court noted that there was no large gathering given harvesting time making it the best opportunity to clear the blockade but the governments did not take any action. The court said, “Even though it is well known that all the agitators from the rural background are busy in harvesting and it is most opportune time to remove the blockage of the road, the State of Punjab and the Union Territory, Chandigarh, are dragging their feet for the reasons best known to them.”

The Government of India was made a party on 9th October in the matter. A notice was issued to the Director General of Police, Punjab in the matter as well.

The protesters sitting on the road are seeking release of Sikh prisoners including Balwant Singh Rajoana who was convicted in the assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh. Another such prisoner on the list is Devinderpal Singh Bhullar who was convicted in the 1993 Delhi Bomb Blast case.

Arrive Safe Society’s fight for a better commute on Chandigarh-Mohali Road

OpIndia spoke to the founder of Arrive Safe Society, Harman Singh Sidhu, the main petitioner in the matter where the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Punjab and Chandigarh administrations to find a solution for the road blockade on Chandigarh-Mohali Road. Sidhu himself is a road accident survivor who has been fighting for the rights of commuters for decades. He met with an accident in 1996 that left him wheelchair-bound due to a spine injury. He founded the Arrive Safe Society to make the roads safer and worked extensively to bring changes in the laws to ensure road safety.

Sidhu found it interesting that the plea in the Supreme Court was filed by the Punjab Government against the order to find a solution for the blockade created by Quami Insaaf Morcha in January 2023. He said, “It is interesting to note that on the same day, the Supreme Court passed two orders staying two Punjab and Haryana High Court’s orders. The apex court stayed the High Court’s order to find a solution for the blockage and also stayed the order to open a 500-metre stretch of road that has been closed since the 1980s outside Punjab’s Chief Minister’s residence.”

For those who are unaware, a 500-metre stretch outside the Punjab CM’s residence was closed in the 1980s after the rise of terrorism in the state. The High Court ordered to open the stretch on an “experimental basis” from 1st May initially from 7 AM to 7 PM.

He said, “Government must ensure safe movement of traffic. However, both the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Punjab government in a way told the Supreme Court to let the commuters suffer. For long, Chandigarh kept saying in the court that the protesters were sitting in Punjab and Punjab kept saying that they were sitting in Chandigarh. The reality is, that the protesters cover both. They kept passing the buck.”

“The last orders by the High Court were not direct orders to remove the blockage. The court simply asked Chandigarh and Punjab to find a solution by the next hearing. However, it appears both governments thought that the High Court might issue an unfavourable order probably because of the elections in the next hearing, so they approached the Supreme Court. What else could be the reason?”

Sidhu is the man behind ban on liquor shops on highways. He had filed a petition via his NGO in the Punjab and Haryana court seeking a ban on the sale of liquor along state and national highways. The court prohibited the sale along highways which was challenged by the Punjab and Haryana in the Supreme Court. The apex court upheld the verdict of the High Court and the ban came into force on 1st April 2017. 

Qaumi Insaaf Morcha protest demanding release of Sikh prisoners

The protesters blocking the Chandigarh-Mohali Road are linked to Qaumi Insaaf Morcha. The protest has been going on since 7th January, and their main demand is to release Sikh prisoners also known as ‘Bandi Sikhs’. Initially, the protesters went on a march from Amb Sahib Gurdwara in Mohali to Chandigarh but they were stopped at the border. They created a protest site on the road and since then, they have been sitting there. 

The main focus of the protest was to get nine Sikh prisoners released from the jail who have been behind bars for 15 to 31 years. These prisoners are Khalistani terrorists who were linked to Beant Singh’s assassination and other terror attacks. 

Devinderpal Singh Bhullar – He was involved in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast. He has been in jail since 1995. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. 

Gurdeep Singh Khera – He was arrested for bomb blasts in Delhi and Karnataka. He was jailed in 1990 and is serving two life sentences.

Lakhwinder Singh (Lakha) – He was convicted in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. He has been behind bars since 1995.

Gurmeet Singh (Meeta) – He was involved in Beant Singh’s assassination. He was jailed in 1995.

Shamsher Singh – He was convicted in the Beant Singh murder case and was jailed in 1995.

Paramjit Singh Bheora – He was also linked to Beant Singh’s murder. He has been in jail since 1997. He once escaped from prison but was caught again. 

Balwant Singh Rajoana – Convicted and sentenced to death in the Beant Singh case. His sentence was later stayed and is pending commutation to life imprisonment.

Jagtar Singh Hawara – He was also jailed for Beant Singh’s murder in 1995. He escaped in 2004 and was recaptured in 2005.

Jagtar Singh Tara – He was also arrested for involvement in Beant Singh’s murder. He escaped in 2004 but was caught in 2015.

Notably, in February 2023, a clash broke out between police personnel and “protesters” linked to Qaumi Insaaf Morcha at Chandigarh-Mohali border. At least 33 police personnel, including female police officers, were injured, and dozens of police vehicles were damaged by armed Sikh protesters near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on the Sector 52-Sector 53 dividing road. The violent clash lasted over two hours. 22 police personnel of Chandigarh Police and 11 of Mohali police were reportedly injured. Seven of them were female police personnel. Nine were from Rapid Action Force, and three were Home Guards volunteers. All of them were rushed to the hospital. Before the protesters left the scene, they allegedly took away a fire tender and over a dozen barricades of Chandigarh Police with them. While returning to Mohali after the violence, the protesters tried to march towards the police barricades placed by Mohali Police. 

Journalist insists that ‘jihad’ means internal struggle: Verses Waseem Rizvi pointed out, what the Calcutta Quran Petition says, and the big fat lie

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Journalist insists that ‘jihad’ means internal struggle: Verses Waseem Rizvi pointed out, what the Calcutta Quran Petition says, and the big fat lie

Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s niece, Maria Alam Khan recently gave a clarion call for Muslim voters to do ‘Vote Jihad’. While discussing the vote jihad issue, a ‘journalist’ while interviewing BJP leader Kapil Mishra tried to downplay Jihad saying that it means ‘internal struggle’ in a bid to justify that Islam is a religion of peace. The firebrand BJP leader, however, strongly objected to the India Daily Live’s Priyank Vajpai and schooled about the meaning and purpose of Jihad as history demonstrates.

“Why did they say vote jihad, what is the meaning of jihad? The simple meaning of jihad is to kill kafirs [infidels] and make them Muslims. [Ajmal] Kasab came to do what? Jihad. Those who attacked the parliament came to do what? Jihad,” Mishra said, as Vajpai interrupted to say that the term Jihad implies an internal struggle within oneself.

To this, an infuriated Kapil Mishra questioned if terrorist Ajmal Kasab came to Mumbai for self-struggle. “What are you even saying? There have been killings and violence in the name of jihad. You don’t judge a word by its dictionary meaning but how it is used. Kasab came to kill Hindus. Go and tell the meaning of Jihad to those in Rawalpindi…you will sit among Hindus and explain to them the meaning of Jihad and justify those who hurl bombs on Hindus…” Mishra said, adding that Kasab did Jihad with guns, and now the opposition wants to do Jihad with votes.

As the ‘journalist’ passes off self-struggle as the true definition of ‘Jihad’, it is pertinent to delve into what the term means and what the Islamic text Quran says about it. The discussion around the Quranic meaning of Jihad warrants recounting 26 verses from the Islamic text that former Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi claimed to promote terrorism.

Waseem Rizvi had approached SC seeking omission of Quranic verses that justified attacks on kaafirs

Rizvi had even moved a PIL in Supreme Court to get these verses omitted from Quran arguing that these verses are allegedly used by Islamist Terrorist Groups as justification for attacks on Kafirs/non-believers and civilians. One such verse mentioned was taken from Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah) Verse 191: And kill them [in battle] wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah1 is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Ḥarām until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. A detailed list of the 26 verses in question can be checked here.

In response to a query about why Muslims wage Jihad, Islamqa.info says that Jihad is undertaken to make non-believers believe in and worship Allah. It says that Allah calls upon Muslims to fight until there is no more ‘Fitnah’ which means worship of Gods other than Allah.

“The main goal of jihad is to make the people worship Allaah alone and to bring them forth from servitude to people to servitude to the Lord of people. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allaah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allaah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zaalimoon (the polytheists, and wrong-doers) [al-Baqarah 2:193],” the website’s response to a query reads.

Source: Islamqa.info

The Islamic texts contain special disdain for polytheists and call upon the Muslims to kill them as the ‘holy’ month of Ramzan passes as evident in Surah Tawbah verse 5: “And when the inviolable months1 have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Source: Saheeh International

Struggle within oneself or against infidels?: Jihad and its many forms

While many people dedicated to combatting hatred against Hindus would have read many of Sita Ram Goel’s authoritative books on Hindu issues, Hindus in general would not have read Goel’s book “The Calcutta Quran Petition”. Notably, on the 29th of March 1985, Chandmal Chopra filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking a ban on the Quran under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code contending that it “incites violence, disturbs public tranquillity, promotes, on the ground of religion, feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious communities, and insults other religions or religious beliefs of other religious communities of India.”

Goel in chapter 3 titled “Entire Quran is a manual of Jihad” cites Hadis collections and noted commentaries [Tafsir] on Quran to list four forms of Jihad—Jihad bil nafs, Jihad bil lasan, Jihad bil Qalam and Jihad bil Saif. Describing the first three forms of Jihad Goel writes:

  • Jihad bil nafs: striving by the heart or conscience, that is, cursing the Kafirs silently or in private if conditions do not permit cursing them publicly by means of speech and writing etc.
  • Jihad bil lasan: striving by the tongue or word of mouth, that is, preaching against the Kafirs publicly, pasting pejorative labels on them, and threatening them with the defeat and disgrace which await them in this world, and the doom hereafter.
  • Jihad bil qalam: striving by the pen, that is, writing down on paper and other materials what one has harboured in one’s heart or harangued in one’s speeches or plans to say at the appropriate opportunity. The written material is used for the preservation of the Polemics as well as for its wider circulation.

Calling the Quran a “compendium on Jihad”, Sita Ram Geol also mentioned Jihad bil Saif‑striving by sword. Jihad bil Saif is essentially a war fought by Muslims against the Kafirs. Pointing out the dual interpretations of the Quranic verses, Goel that oppression against Muslims stands for opposition to Islam and thus Muslims are supposed to wage war against non-Muslims till there is no non-Muslim left to oppose Islam.

“The Quran commands the Faithful to keep on fighting “until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allah” (2.193; 8.40). Here the language is deceptive as in all cases of double-speak. The words “tumult and oppression” stand for opposition to Islam, for whatever reason. So the Muslims are to continue waging wars so long as there are non-Muslims anywhere in the world. Of course, Muslims are free to sign treaties of peace with non-Muslims whenever such treaties serve their purpose. But they are also free to violate the treaties of peace whenever they find war more profitable than peace; they can always accuse the Unbelievers of planning treachery (8.56- 58),” Goel wrote.

According to the Islamic text, those Muslims who join in the “divine war” stand higher in the eyes of Allah than those who ignore or refrain from doing so, even if the latter are virtuous and follow other Islamic tenets.

While Islamists employing the “Al Taqqiya” [committing a sinful act or concealing one’s belief for a pious goal] often pass off Jihad as the struggle within to curb ego and become a good person etc and have propagated it so much that without much study and questioning even the non-Muslims the journalist who interviewed Kapil Mishra have largely accepted this ‘definition’. However, while these can be an aspect of Jihad, it is not confined to this alone.

In the 7th chapter of “The Calcutta Quran Petition”  Goel stated that the doctrine of Jihad deals with the performance of the militarized Muslim Ummah till the land of Kafirs is conquered and Muslims assert their absolute control over it by employing slaughter and pillage. Besides highlighting the aspects of an “Islamic State” wherein the Islamic faith and its furtherance hold primacy, Goel wrote that tolerance of infidels and anyone “outside the fold of orthodox Islam is no better than compounding with sin. And the worst form of sin is polytheism [Kufr], the belief that the one true Allah has partners in the form of other deities.”

While in current times a significant section of Muslims in European countries with non-Muslim majority populations are exploiting democracy to end democracy there, in the “Islamic State”, a non-Muslim’s status is equivalent to that of a “slave”. “He lives under a contract (zimma) with the State: for the life and property that is grudgingly spared to him by the Commander of the Faithful. He must undergo political and social disabilities, and pay commutation money (jaziya),” Goel wrote.

FPJ’s report on Pak-funded Maulana conspiring to kill Nupur Sharma blames the victim; gives cover-fire to jihadis baying for blood of Hindu leaders

OpIndia Staff
-
0
FPJ’s report on Pak-funded Maulana conspiring to kill Nupur Sharma blames the victim; gives cover-fire to jihadis baying for blood of Hindu leaders

On Monday (6th May), Free Press Journal published a report to unveil the terror plot in the Surat incident where a Maulana (cleric) was recently arrested for conspiring to kill prominent Hindu leaders including suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. In a sleight of hand and omission of qualifier words, the report about the radicalised and murderous cleric goes on to shift the blame onto the victims for having brought fate upon themselves, accusing them of inciting religious sentiments and making inflammatory speeches against Islam. 

While the headline of the report has used ‘alleged’ as a qualifier to avoid directly labelling the victims as guilty, in the body, it has adjudged and labelled the victims as anti-Islamic and guilty of hate speeches against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. With the ever-increasing menace of Sar Tan Se Juda chanting frenzied mobs issuing open threats for perceived hate speeches or insulting remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed, blaming the victims of hate speeches against Prophet Mohammed, violating their right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, paints a target on their backs for the Islamist mob. 

It is virtually a death sentence for the victims and a clarion call for Islamist mobs to bay for their lives for indulging in a crime that is deemed worthy to be punished by beheading, as per Islamists.

Evidently, the report states that the arrest of the cleric in Surat has revealed a sinister conspiracy to assassinate prominent Hindu and right-wing leaders in India for their hate speeches against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. It added that the individuals targeted by Maulana and his Pakistan-based accomplices are “known for their anti-Islamic rhetoric, igniting religious sentiments across the nation.”

According to the report, suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Updesh Rana, the national secretary of Vishwa Sanatan Sangh, were among the prime targets of Maulana Abu Bakr “for their inflammatory speeches”. 

To portray Sharma negatively and hold her accountable for violence and unrest in parts of India, the report cited an oral observation made by one of the Supreme Court Judges in July 2022, who had reprimanded her for her remarks in a televised debate. However, it omitted the fact that the victim in this case, Nupur Sharma, has been living in hiding for more than a year and has been constantly fearing for her life due to the supposed crime, which has not been proven and draws reference from Islamic scriptures.

Additionally, while rationalising the motive of the arrested cleric for hatching the conspiracy to kill prominent Hindu leaders, the report also omitted the backdrop that led Sharma to retort to a Muslim cleric deriding Hindu deities with profanity by cautioning him to quote an excerpt from Islamic scripture. Pertinent to note that no Islamic scholar has raised objections or termed the quoted excerpts as anti-Islamic. Incidentally, on 1st December last year, former Indian Express ‘journalist‘ Irena Akbar tweeted the same thing that former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had said, with several fellow Islamists agreeing with her.    

The FPJ report states, “Former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Updesh Rana, the national secretary of Vishwa Sanatan Sangh, were among the prime targets of Maulana Abu Bakr for their inflammatory speeches. This revelation comes in the wake of a Supreme Court reprimand directed at Nupur Sharma in July 2022, following her remarks against Prophet Mohammad in a televised debate. The court held Sharma accountable for inciting violence and unrest, emphasizing her role in triggering nationwide protests.” 

Further, it added that sources within the Surat crime branch revealed Maulana’s deep-seated animosity towards Updesh Rana and Nupur Sharma “for their anti-Islamic stance”. “Updesh Rana’s dissemination of hate speeches and provocative content online fueled the ire of Maulana and his associates, exacerbating religious tensions in the country,” it added while blaming Updesh Rana, the victim in this case, for irking the Maulana. 

The Pakistan-funded Muslim cleric, Abu Bakar, was in touch with radicals from Indonesia to Kazakhstan

Gujarat Police arrested a 27-year-old Maulvi (cleric) named Sohail Abu Bakar Timol from Surat on Saturday, 4th May 2024. He is accused of conspiring to kill suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, party MLA from Hyderabad’s Goshamahal T Raja Singh, Sudarshan News editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke, and Sanatan Sangh national chairman as well as social media activist Updesh Rana. 

The Maulvi considered them ‘gustakh’ (blasphemers). He maintained contact with handlers living in Pakistan and Nepal to execute his nefarious plans. He was also using a foreign SIM card to evade security agencies. 

OpIndia looked into the activities of Maulvi Sohail Abu Bakar Timol and his handlers. He used the picture of Hamas terrorists as his WhatsApp profile picture in which many masked terrorists could be seen prostrating in front of lethal weapons. He had written “Owaisi’s follower” in broken English as an introduction to his True Caller. Click here, to read more details about the case.

The cleric had been in touch with handlers in Pakistan and Nepal over the previous year and a half, the police uncovered during their inquiry. The handler in Nepal has been identified as Shahzad. The cleric talked with each of them via a SIM Card issued from Laos. He used WhatsApp and other social media platforms to communicate. Sohail was ordered by his superiors to ‘straighten out’ those who, according to them, were defaming the honour of the Islamic Prophet.

Uttar Pradesh: Mehar Jahan burns her husband’s private part with cigarettes, attempts to chop it off with knife

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Mehar Jahan burns her husband’s private part with cigarettes, attempts to chop it off with knife

On Sunday (5th May), the Uttar Pradesh police arrested a 30-year-old woman named Mehar Jahan for burning her husband’s private part with cigarettes and attempting to chop it off with a knife.

The incident occurred in Chak Mehood village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Seohara police station in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh.

On 29th April, Mehar Jahan reportedly made her husband Mannan Zaidi drink milk which was spiked with intoxicants. When the victim became unconscious, she tied his hands and legs and brutally tortured him.

The incident was caught on camera and is now doing the rounds of the internet. In the visuals, Mannan Zaidi could be heard pleading with his wife but the torture did not stop.

Later, he filed a complaint with the Seohara police station. According to Zaidi, he married Mehar Jahan on 17th November last year. It was only after their wedding that he learnt about her smoking and drinking habits.

When the victim reportedly protested against it, Mehar Jahan threatened to kill him. She also mentally and physically harassed him. Mannan Zaidi also accused his wife of trying to strangle him to death.

The victim also said that Jahan had threatened to falsely implicate him and send him to jail. While speaking about the matter, SP Dharampal Singh said confirmed the arrest of the accused woman.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Mehar Jahan under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323(voluntarily causing hurt), 328 (causing hurt using poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug), and 506 (Criminal intimidation).

Kolkata police ask X user to disclose identity for making a spoof video showing Mamata Banerjee vibing to Rumba Mumba

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kolkata police ask X user to disclose identity for making a spoof video showing Mamata Banerjee vibing to Rumba Mumba

The official X account of the DCP Crime Branch of Kolkata Police on Monday asked a social media user to disclose his identity, including his name and residence, after he shared a spoof video on CM Mamata Banerjee on the microblogging platform. 

“You are directed to immediately disclose your identity including name and residence. If the information sought is not revealed, you shall be liable for legal action u/s 42 CrPC,” the official X account of the DCP Crime Branch of Kolkata Police tweeted.

The tweet was in response to a spoof video on Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and the chief of Trinamool Congress. The video, which shows Mamata Banerjee dancing to a song, had gone viral on social media and garnered over 400 retweets.

“It has been observed that you are using social media for posting offensive, malicious and inciting posts,” a notice to the said user by Kolkata Police said. “You are hereby directed to delete the above-mentioned post and also refrain from such acts failing which you will be liable for strict penal action under the relevant provision of laws.”

Woman arrested for sharing MET Gala themed meme on Mamata Banerjee

In 2019, a woman was arrested for sharing a MET Gala-themed meme on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. A complaint against the convenor of BJYM, Priyanka Sharma was made by TMC leader Vibhas Hazra in Howrah for allegedly sharing a morphed picture of Mamata Banerjee. The MET Gala 2019-themed meme superimposed Mamata’s face on Priyanka Chopra’s body. She was arrested and produced in Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Howrah.

The copy of the complaint read that this act broke the community guidelines and was being viewed as an issue of violence. “She has not only tried to insult our Hon’ble Chief Minister, but she is trying to insult the culture of our Bengal by her post on Facebook which is Cyber Crime”, read the complaint. The Supreme Court had subsequently rapped the TMC government, noting that the arrest of the woman was “prima facie arbitrary”.

1...1,1171,1181,119...7,657Page 1,118 of 7,657