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Nupur Sharma redux: ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised against a Hindu boy in Nashik after he responds to a derogatory post made by an Islamist on Lord Ram

Siddhi Somani
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Nupur Sharma redux: ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised against a Hindu boy in Nashik after he responds to a derogatory post made by an Islamist on Lord Ram

On Thursday (4th April), the city of Nashik in Maharashtra saw massive tension rising after thousands of Muslims gathered in the Jai Bhavani locality and vandalized public properties. The Muslims targeted the city link buses and also attacked private vehicles belonging to Hindus. This is after they alleged that a Hindu boy identified as Sanket Saudagar posted derogatory comments about Islamic Prophet Mohammed Paiganber’s daughter, Fatima al-Zahra.

The Muslims from the city during the month of Ramzan gathered and demanded death punishment for the alleged Hindu person. They also shared several posts on social media platforms saying that Saudagar had committed a grave crime by commenting against Fatima al-Zahra and that he deserved ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment. The images and videos of the posts have been obtained by OpIndia.

Posts being spread against Sanket Saudagar on social media

However, it is interesting to note that the quarrel as usual is said to have been initiated by the Muslim community. As per the information exclusively obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened in the last week. The Hindu community in Nashik has been making preparations for the upcoming Ram Navami festival (17th April). During the preparations, the Hindu community people, including Saudagar began posting elements of preparation on Instagram. But, this could not be tolerated by the Muslim community persons.

As per one of the Hindu local activists who provided information to OpIndia on the condition of anonymity, the Muslim locals, including one boy who specifically identified himself as ‘Khwaja’, posted derogatory comments on Lord Rama on Instagram. He along with the other Muslims demeaned the preparations for the upcoming Hindu festival of Ram Navami and used abusive language for Lord Rama on Instagram.

Public bus vandalized by Muslims

“The initial fight was between the two individuals only. Saudagar could not tolerate the insult of Lord Rama. He also then gave them answers in their own words. He made some remarks about the Islamic Prophet Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima al-Zahra. His acts cannot be justified by then this is what the Muslims wanted. They triggered the fight by commenting ill about Lord Rama and forced the Hindu boy to take this unjustifiable step. The screenshots of this post were then shared by Muslims in their groups which led them to gather to demand the death of Saudagar,” Vipin (named changed) said.

He added that after the violence was triggered, the Muslims deleted all the comments they made against Lord Rama and took screenshots of posts posted by Saudargar to specifically target him and the community.

The Muslims gathered in thousands and created chaos in the city of Nashik on 4th April. They raised the slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ and also insulted Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad took cognizance of the event and wrote to the city police demanding strict action against the Muslim community persons.

letter copy obtained by OpIndia

“Some individuals posted derogatory comments against Hindu Gods and Goddesses on social media. After that, they dismantled the Kamaan which was established for the Goddess Tuljabhavani temple ceremony. They pelted stones at the temple kamaan and insulted Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Further, they blocked roads vandalized vehicles, and public buses. The current environment in the city of Nashik is concerning. We demand strict action against the miscreants,” the letter by Vishwa Hindu Parishad read.

Kamaan destroyed by Muslims

Notably, Saudagar got trapped after the Muslims deleted all the derogatory comments they had passed against Lord Ram on Instagram. They, however, managed to take screenshots of the post posted by Saudagar and circulated the same in the Muslim community now demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment to Saudagar.

As per the latest updates, the Police have filed an FIR against Saudagar for allegedly passing derogatory comments about one’s religion. The police have also arrested Sanket Saudagar in the case and are investigating the matter. However, the Muslim person who made derogatory remarks against Lord Ram is believed to be absconding.

Police could not be reached for comment during the writing of this report. Further updates will be reported once the FIR copy and police comment in this case are obtained.

Nupur Sharma was targeted by Islamists, egged on by Mohammed Zubair, for responding to barbs on Lord Shiva

In 2022, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Islamists, egged on by the likes of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, issued multiple threats against her and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam. 

Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery. Islamists have claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain. Across social media platforms, detractors have been repeating ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises is a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God.

In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which was evident even during the Times Now debate where some of the fellow panellists referred to the Shivling as a fountain, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

When Taslim Rehmani repeatedly used derogatory references to Lord Shiva on the Times Now debate, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma spoke about Prophet Muhammad and his marriage with Ayesha and other scriptural claims made in Islamic Hadiths, an edited video of which was later shared by Zubair to dog whistle Islamists against her, resulting in ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests across the country. 

Several Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur, Umesh Kolhe from Amravati, and many others, were hacked to death by Islamists for merely expressing solidarity with Nupur Sharma.

Rohith Vemula Act, caste census, more than 50% reservation: Congress manifesto eyes to divide India further along caste lines

Dibakar Dutta
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Rohith Vemula Act, caste census, more than 50% reservation: Congress manifesto eyes to divide India further along caste lines

On Friday (5th April), the Congress party stirred the hornet’s nest for trying to divide the country along caste lines in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The grand-old party has vowed to conduct a pan-India caste census and determine the socio-economic conditions of sub-castes as well. It has also promised to include fishing communities in the caste census.

At a time when the BJP is talking about taking the country forward as a nation, the Congress is eyeing to reduce the citizens to their caste identities alone.

Page 6 of the manifesto says, “Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economicand Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.”

The grand-old party has also announced to increase the cap on reservations from the existing 50%, as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. It also promised to give more public works contracts to those belonging to the SC/ ST community.

Congress also assured enactment of a legislation that will introduce reservations for SC/ ST and OBCs in private educational institutions.

While taking a cue from US politics, the grand-old party even vowed to establish ‘Diversity Commission’ to promote diversity in education, and public and private employment.

However, nothing comes close to its sinister agenda of enacting the Rohith Vemula Act. Page 7 of the Congress manifesto reads, “We will enact the Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination faced by students belonging to the backward and oppressed communities in educational institutions.”

It is interesting to note that the Congress party has been politicising the death of Rohith Vemula, a former PhD student at the University of Hyderabad, since 2016.

The left-liberal ecosystem also threw its weight behind this particular case, calling his suicide a consequence of ‘caste discrimination’.

Later, it came to light that Vemula was not a Dalit as claimed by Congress and the left-liberal ecosystem on social media. It was also unearthed that his untimely death had nothing to do with caste and that he was frustrated with ‘worldly affairs.’

The Andhra Pradesh government had also decided to cancel the ‘SC certificate’, which was fraudulently obtained by Rohith Vemula and his mother.

Despite being well aware of the findings in the case, the Congress party has decided to keep the pot boiling and drag Vemula’s suicide into its manifesto for the 2024 elections.

Congress resorts to Muslim appeasement

The Congress party also announced several schemes in its election manifesto to appease the Muslim community ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The grand-old party has vowed to send Muslim students abroad and increase their scholarships.

Interestingly, Congress has hinted at repealing the triple talaq act, allowing personal laws to supersede uniformity and entertain the wearing of non-essential religious clothing in educational institutes under the garb of the Right to Freedom of Religion.

All of these happen to be the talking points of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has previously opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. 

The Congress promised to appoint more judges, belonging to the Muslim community, to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. It has assured to strengthen the ‘autonomy’ of the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC.

Congress has also assured to provide collateral-free education loans up to 7.5 lakhs. The grand-old party has also suggested implementing the draconian Communal Violence Bill, which is aimed at disproportionately targeting the Hindu community.

How greed for an alleged ‘magic coin’ made an employee murder 2 businessmen in Bulandshahr: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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How greed for an alleged ‘magic coin’ made an employee murder 2 businessmen in Bulandshahr: Read details

The Uttar Pradesh police have solved a double murder case in Bulandshahr on Thursday (4th April). According to the police, this murder took place in connection with an alleged ‘magic coin’. The deceased uncle and nephew duo had an ‘ancient’ coin that they claimed to be ‘magical’. To get the coin, their servant Rishabh along with his partner murdered both of them.

Before the killers could find foreign buyers for the coin, the police apprehended them.

Recently, the bodies of Sudhir Agarwal and Rajiv Garg, who were uncle and nephew, were discovered on the canal bank in Bulandshahr. After a three-day search, on 4th April, the police apprehended Rishabh and his accomplices, uncovering the murder case. According to the police, Rishabh and his friend brutally murdered Rajiv Garg and his uncle Sudhir Agarwal to obtain an alleged miracle coin.

SSP Shlok Kumar said in a media interaction that on 31st March, Rajiv Garg (resident of Brahmpuri police station Kotwali Nagar) along with his uncle Sudhir Agarwal (resident of DCM lane Gandhi Chowk) left for some work at the public service centre located near the ARTO office. But they did not reach home. On 1st April, the dead bodies of Rajiv Garg and Sudhir Agarwal were found near the Adauli canal under the Kotwali Dehat police station area.

A case was registered on the complaint of Sanjeev Garg, the family of the deceased. Utilizing technical evidence and footage from 200 CCTV cameras, the identities of Rishabh and his friend Tanu were revealed. They were subsequently apprehended by the SWOT team and the police station Kotwali Dehat police team.

As indicated by the arrested accused, the police teams recovered the knife used for the murders, the scooty of the deceased, and their mobile phones. During interrogation, it was found that the accused Rishabh used to work at the public service center run by the deceased Rajiv Garg. The deceased Rajiv owed Rs 80,000 to Rishabh who had not received his salary for a few months. About a month and a half ago, there was an argument between the two about this matter. Rishabh was very angry about this.

Additionally, Rishabh knew that Rajiv had a ‘magic coin’, which he had heard about from Rajiv Garg himself. To get this coin he killed Rajiv and his uncle Sudhir Agarwal. The killers reportedly believed the superstition that the magic coin possessed the power to alter the weather, induce rainfall, convert one metal into the other, and fulfil wishes. Rishabh also knew from the talks between Rajiv and Sudhir that there are only 26 such coins in the world and one of them is with the uncle-nephew duo. They were also trying to sell this coin to someone in Nepal for a high price. Driven by greed, Rishabh and his friend Tanu conspired in a plan to murder Rajiv Garg.

Rishabh escorted Rajiv to the Adauli canal, with his accomplice Tanu already stationed there on a scooter. Along the journey, they ambushed Rajiv from behind, causing the scooter to veer uncontrollably. Subsequently, they fatally attacked Rajiv by slashing his throat. Rishabh then proceeded to the shop using the deceased’s scooter. He convinced Rajiv’s uncle, Sudhir Agarwal, to accompany him under the pretext that Rajiv met with an accident. Subsequently, Rishabh and Tanu also murdered Sudhir Agarwal.

The police have also recovered the alleged ‘magic coin’ from the possession of the murder accused.

After promising Old Pension Scheme before assembly polls, Congress ignores it in Lok Sabha election manifesto, says ‘it’s in our minds’

OpIndia Staff
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After promising Old Pension Scheme before assembly polls, Congress ignores it in Lok Sabha election manifesto, says ‘it’s in our minds’

On 5th April, the Congress party released its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’ for the coming Lok Sabha elections. After strongly campaigning for reverting to Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in state assembly elections, the party has now backtracked and made no mention of OPS in its manifesto for the general elections.

When asked by the media about why the OPS has been missing from the party manifesto, Congress leader P Chidambaram said, “It’s not missing as such, it is very much in our minds. The party has not included the issue in the manifesto as the government has recently formed a committee to look into the provisions of the New Pension Scheme (NPS). We will review the situation after the committee outcome and move ahead according to that.”

While Congress is giving the excuse of the government’s committee on NPS, it is being said that the party leaders have realised that OPS is more of a burden on the government and is financially unsustainable.

In an effort to sway voters in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the Congress promoted the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) as a key promise. Despite providing enhanced pensions to government employees, the party was defeated in these states. Notably, the party’s sole victory in Telangana came without this poll promise.

The Congress party reintroduced the OPS in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after it won in 2018, as well as in Himachal Pradesh last year, at the very first Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu.

Congress’s decision to restore the Old Pension Scheme has taken a heavy toll on the state’s economy. In November last year, it was reported that the state government had to raise a loan of Rs 800 crore to pay salaries, dearness allowances and pensions of government employees. A report says that there are over 1.36 lakh beneficiaries of the OPS in Himachal Pradesh. In this Congress-ruled state, the debt burden has crossed Rs 80,000 crore.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for the fiscal year 2022-23 said that the state government raised around Rs 13,055 crore as loan, taking the state’s total debt to Rs 86, 589 crore in 2022-23.

Interestingly, despite seeing the Old Pension Scheme as a vote-catching poll promise, Congress during its plenary session in Raipur last year had also ignored the government-funded scheme in the economic resolution it passed.

“Well, we felt the issue of OPS should be left to the state governments and the state Congress units and, therefore, there was no need to specifically mention the issue in the plenary resolutions which are more about national policies,” Congress said back then.

Notably, the OPS provides a set pension equivalent to 50% of a government employee’s last pay without needing any contribution from them. In contrast, the NPS, implemented in 2004 by the then-BJP government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, requires employees to contribute 10% of their base salary, with the government providing the remaining 14%. The future pension amount is determined by the market returns of the funds that were invested.

It is obvious that many of those in government service will want the OPS to return because they receive guaranteed money on a monthly basis for the rest of their lives. Although reverting to OPS may win the support of government employees, it is an unwise move for the states since they may go bankrupt as it will take a heavy toll on the state exchequer.

Samina calls Sachin to meet and kills him by slitting his throat: ‘Khan Saab’ conspired murder over suspicion of an extramarital affair with his wife

OpIndia Staff
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Samina calls Sachin to meet and kills him by slitting his throat: ‘Khan Saab’ conspired murder over suspicion of an extramarital affair with his wife

A shocking case of betrayal and murder has come to light in Delhi where 31-year-old Habib (or Hashib) Khan and his 29-year-old wife Samina (or Sameena) Begum murdered 22-year-old Sachin Kumar on 31st March, and his naked body was thrown in Uttar Pradesh’s Hindon river. Habib murdered Sachin after suspecting him of having an extramarital affair with Samina. The pair has been taken into custody.

The victim was a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and was employed as a cook at a restaurant in Connaught Place a few days ago. He previously worked at Hashib Khan’s T-shirt manufacturing unit in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. Habib believed Sachin had a relationship with his spouse, which often led to arguments between the couple. The conflict even escalated to divorce. Habib sacked Sachin in February, but he doubted that he was still in contact with Samina and they talked regularly. Sachin had also taken a loan of Rs 2 lakh from the accused.

He then decided to end the youngster’s life who was working at the famous “Jain Chawal Wale.” Habib continued to search for Sachin and told his wife to call him on the fateful day, and she directed him to come to an isolated area where he was made to sit in a car. The couple afterwards killed him with a knife before tossing the corpse into the Hindon River and then washing the vehicle.

According to some reports, he was called to the couple’s residence where he was killed and then discarded in a jungle area in Dasna in Uttar Pradesh, while others claimed that Habib murdered Sachin with the help of a relative. The three men first drank alcohol, after which Sachin was stabbed to death in a moving automobile by the other two, and his body was recovered from Dasana after the duo dumped it there. After the arrest of Habib and Samina, the hunt is on to arrest the third culprit.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), Devesh Kumar Mahla, the police filed a kidnapping case based on the complaint of the young man’s family after he went missing from Connaught Place. When he did not return until late at night and had turned off his phone, his family approached the Delhi Police.

The authorities reported that to track Sachin, they took out the call details, which provided them with a lead and pinpointed Habib Khan after they showed that he was last seen near Sangam Vihar, following which the perpetrators were apprehended and confessed to killing him during the questioning. Habib also disclosed the reason for the crime, which was based on his belief that Sachin and Samina were having an illicit affair.

The police suspect that more people may have been involved in the murder and are trying to trace them through interrogation. The police have handed over the body to his family members after the post-mortem. A First Information Report has also been registered. According to his brother Mohit, who lives in Aligarh, Sachin had been employed at Habib Khan’s Sangam Vihar plant for more than a year before quitting due to a financial disagreement. They used to threaten him over the phone for more money, he added, even though he had repaid one lakh.


Congress party promises to slow down India’s GDP growth in its manifesto Nyay Patra

OpIndia Staff
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Congress party promises to slow down India’s GDP growth in its manifesto Nyay Patra

The Congress party on Saturday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections, titled Nyay Patra. In the economy section of the manifesto, the party had accused the BJP government of not achieving desired economic growth, and said that it is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth.

In the Nyay Patra, the Congress party has said that it will double India’s GDP in the next 10 years. It says, “We have set a target of doubling the GDP in the next 10 years.” Doubling GDP in 10 years sounds impressive, the authors of the manifesto must have thought. But the fact is, this target means that Congress is expecting a much slower GDP growth if it comes to power.

Screenshot from Nyay Patra

The current size of India’s GDP is over $3.7 trillion, and as per all estimates, it will grow by 7%-8% for the next several years. The Modi government has estimated that India’s GDP will reach $7 trillion by 2030. Which means, the GDP will more than double in the next 6 years, but the Congress party is promising to achieve the same feat in 10 years.

The country’s GDP is expected to reach $5 trillion in the next 3 years itself, becoming the 3rd largest economy. India is well set to reach $7 trillion GDP by 2030. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in January this year said that India can aspire to become a $7 trillion economy by 2030. She also added that the Modi government has set a higher goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

A report titled “The Indian Economy: A Review” written by V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the government, has also said that India can aspire to become a $7 trillion economy by 2030. The finance ministry expects the size of GDP to reach $7.3 trillion by the end of the decade.

It is not that only government of India is targeting $7 trillion economy by 2030, many other organisations have also made similar predictions. James Sullivan, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Equity Research at JPMorgan, said last year that the size of Indian economy will double to $7 trillion by 2030. -S&P Global Ratings also made similar projections, and have said that India will remain the fastest-growing major economy for at least the next three years.

Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) also said in January this year that India is expected to grow into a $7 trillion economy by the year 2030, establishing itself as the second-largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region and the third-largest globally.

Therefore, while the Indian economy is set to double by 2030, the Congress party in its manifesto targets to achieve this in 10 years. In effect, the party is promising to slow down the growth of economy from its current rate.

The Congress manifesto Nyay Patra has also promises to write off all due amounts in student loans, including interests. The party has promised that the banks will be compensated by the government for writing off student loans.

Massive Covid scam in Italy to swindle EU recovery grant: 22 persons arrested for siphoning over 650 million USD for luxury cars, and villas

ANI
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Massive Covid scam in Italy to swindle EU recovery grant: 22 persons arrested for siphoning over 650 million USD for luxury cars, and villas

Italian financial police on Thursday said that it has arrested 22 people and seized assets worth more than 600 million Euros (USD 650 million) in connection with alleged fraud linked to the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund, CNN reported on Friday.

Following the arrests from Italy, Austria, Romania and Slovakia and an investigation by the EU prosecutor, eight people were detained, 14 were placed under house arrest and two others were barred from practicing their profession.

The assets that were seized during dozens of raids on homes and offices included Lamborghinis, Porsches, Rolexes, Cartier jewelry, cryptocurrencies, luxury villas, and other items.

The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s 800-billion euro recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy. Italy was the largest beneficiary of the fund, with grants of more than 194 billion euros.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said a criminal organization is suspected of running a fraud scheme between 2021 and 2023 to swindle Italy’s recovery packages.

In 2021, the group applied to receive non-repayable grants, the EPPO said, ostensibly to support small- and medium-sized companies, but later cooked up false balance sheets “to show that the companies were active and profitable, whereas in fact they were non-active, fictitious companies.”

After getting hold of some 600 million Euros in funds from the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the group then transferred the funds to their bank accounts in Austria, Romania, and Slovakia, the EPPO said, CNN reported.

The prosecutor’s office claimed the group used cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and offshore cloud servers to carry out and conceal the fraud.

The United States has also attempted to crack down on alleged fraud involving Covid-19 relief resources. A federal watchdog warned in June that the Small Business Administration distributed more than USD 200 billion in potentially fraudulent post-pandemic funds.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Election Commission sends notice to Delhi minister Atishi over her charge that BJP told her to ‘join BJP or face arrest’

ANI
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Election Commission sends notice to Delhi minister Atishi over her charge that BJP told her to ‘join BJP or face arrest’

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday sent a notice to AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi over her claim that the BJP approached her for membership through one of her ‘close’ aides.

The poll panel asked the AAP leader to respond to its notice by noon on April 8.

“Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided,” the notice by the EC read.

“The political parties and leaders shall not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters. Criticism of other parties or their workers on the basis of unverified allegations or on distortions shall be avoided,” it added.

Denying that she was approached with an offer to join the party, the BJP earlier demanded that Atishi furnish evidence to support her claim.

The poll panel added in its notice that it received a complaint on April 4 from the BJP that Atishi made “misleading and unverified statements” during her press conference on April 2.

The AAP leader claimed that she was asked to join the BJP or face arrest.

“The BJP, through one of my close aides, approached me to join their party to save my political career. I was told that if I do not join the BJP, I will be arrested by the ED,” Atishi claimed.

However, the BJP dismissed her allegations as ‘baseless’.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who is seeking a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from North East Delhi, spoke on the EC notice, saying, “She came up with baseless allegations. We warned her of action but she did not apologise. We took up this matter with the Election Commission. it has now issued a notice.”

“AAP leaders, especially Atishi, are in the habit of maligning the BJP,” he added.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Legitimising Love Jihad, control of investigation agencies and bail to accused like Umar Khalid: 7 points in Congress manifesto that point to dangerous times

OpIndia Staff
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Legitimising Love Jihad, control of investigation agencies and bail to accused like Umar Khalid: 7 points in Congress manifesto that point to dangerous times

On Friday, the Congress unveiled its manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra,’ for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Leading figures of the Congress, such as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, presented the election blueprint, just days ahead of the general elections.

The Congress manifesto highlighted the importance of ‘Paanch Nyay’ or the ‘five pillars of justice,’ which include ‘Yuva Nyay,’ ‘Naari Nyay,’ ‘Kisaan Nyay,’ ‘Shramik Nyay,’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay.’ These pillars and the party’s commitments and guarantees to the people form a significant part of its election promises for the Lok Sabha polls.

However, underneath the web of jargon that Congress seems to weave, there is a sinister agenda underway that seeks to legitimise love jihad, beef-eating, control of investigating agencies and freeing of criminals, among other things. Here are 7 points in the Congress manifesto that point towards dangerous times:-

1. No ‘one nation, one election’

The Congress party has promised that there will be no ‘one nation, one election’—an idea floated by the incumbent Modi government to minimise the state exchequer on election procedures and provide governments more time to fulfil promises made to their subjects. However, the Congress party has promised that it wants to stick to the old fashion of conducting Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections as per the existing methods and tie up the entire state machinery in holding elections throughout the 5-year tenure of the central government, which often hinders them from fulfilling their poll objectives and promises through the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

2. Hinting at bringing back paper ballots

The Congress manifesto also spoke about bringing back paper ballots alongside EVM machines. The manifesto claims that voting will be held through EVMs but voters will be able to hold and deposit the machine-generated audit trail into the VVPAT unit. This would not only complicate the process but also provide opportunities for booth hacking where a candidate unlikely of winning an election can employ illegal means to either rig the elections or get them cancelled.

Congress’ ‘Save the Constitution’ document

3. Bringing investigating agencies under parliamentary oversight

Perhaps among the most sinister of the promises made in the Congress manifesto is bringing the police, investigation and intelligence agencies under the purview of the parliament. This would ultimately rob the agencies of their independence and make them susceptible to intereference from lawmakers, rendering them into a puppet of the government of the day.

It is worth noting such efforts to bring investigating agencies under parliamentary control were done during UPA II regime as well. In 2012, a draft legislation, introduced by a private member, was presented in parliament. This proposed law had aimed to establish the snooping agencies as statutory bodies and make them accountable to a committee under the prime minister’s authority.

The proposed billed aimed to place the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s domestic intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), its external espionage unit, and the technical intelligence collector National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) under the purview of parliament.

4. ‘Bail is the rule, jail is an exception’ to be implemented

The Congress party has promised to enact laws that would ensure the principle of ‘bail is the rule, jail is an exception’ is applied to all criminal laws. The implication of such a law would be such that UAPA accused like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam would be out on bail, with investigating agencies, under the purview of the parliament, hard-pressed to gather evidence against them and record their depositions that would link crucial links in conspiracies hatched to create public unrest and violence.

5. Promise to end suspension of internet

The internet is a powerful tool, which has both positives and negatives attached to it, which makes it all the important for the administration to regulate it and ensure it is not being exploited for ulterior means. The Congress party has promised to end suspension of internet, a tool which is often used in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent mobilisation of stone pelters trying to impede combing operations launched by armed forces.

Congress’ ‘Save the Constitution’ document

6. Uphold people’s right to assemble

The Congress party has also promised to uphold people’s right to assembly and protest, which in crude terms means protesters get the sanction of the law to squat on busy public roads and cause grave inconvenience to commuters such as witnessed during Shaheen Bagh protests and Farmers’ protests.

7. Legitimising Love Jihad and beef consumption

Another insidious promise that Congress made in its manifesto is related to consumption of food and an individual’s choice to love and marry. Although it sounds anodyne, it is worth noting that such promises indirectly legitimise beef consumption and perennial menace of love jihad, which the Congress leaders have sought to dismiss it as figment of right-wing imagination even as hundreds of cases keep emerging almost on a daily basis.

“Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki..”: Hours after the Guardian report, PM Modi says in a rally, “Even our enemies know this is new India, ye ghar main ghus ke maarta hai”

OpIndia Staff
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“Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki..”: Hours after the Guardian report, PM Modi says in a rally, “Even our enemies know this is new India, ye ghar main ghus ke maarta hai”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 5th April, addressed a rally in Rajasthan’s Churu. He said that the country has witnessed a change in the last ten years of his government.

The Prime Minister recalled his visit to Churu on 26th February 2019, the same day when India conducted the Balakote air strikes. “We had taught a lesson to terrorists,” he said.

“The words that I had said on the land of Churu that day, I want to reiterate those sentiments today on the land of the braves. I had said here ‘Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki, main desh nahin mitne dunga, main desh nahin rukne dunga, main desh nahin khukne dunga, mera vachan hai Bharat Maa ko, tera sheesh nahin jhukne dunga’,” PM Modi said amid rousing applauds and sloganeering by the crowd.

The Prime Minister recalled the insult by Congress to the nation and the Indian forces. “The people of this arrogant alliance were demanding proof of bravery from our Army,” he said adding that insulting the forces and dividing the nation is the characteristic of the Congress party.

He further said, “Aaj dushman ko bhi pata hai yeh Modi hai, yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh naya Bharat ghar mein ghus kar maarta hai (Today even the enemy knows that this is Modi, this is New India, this New India breaks in and attacks).”

PM Modi’s statement comes just hours after British newspaper The Guardian published a contentious article on Thursday (4th April) titled ‘Indian government ordered killings in Pakistan, intelligence officials claim.’

It relied heavily on anonymous sources, particularly from the Pakistani intelligence, to demonise PM Modi as a facilitator of ‘extra-territorial killings.’ In doing so, The Guardian ended up acknowledging him as a defender of India’s security interests from external threats.

The article has been authored by anti-India propagandist Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Aakash Hassan and Pakistani ‘journalist’ Shah Meer Baloch. At the very onset, it described Pakistani terrorists as ‘individuals’ who were supposedly assassinated by the Indian government.

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