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Who is Haji Nurul Islam nominated by TMC from Sandeshkhali’s Bashirhat: Mastermind of 2010 riot where Muslim mob burnt down Hindu homes & temples to stop Durga Puja

Jhankar Mohta
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Who is Haji Nurul Islam nominated by TMC from Sandeshkhali’s Bashirhat: Mastermind of 2010 riot where Muslim mob burnt down Hindu homes & temples to stop Durga Puja

On Sunday, March 10, the Trinamool Congress Party led by Mamata Banerjee released its candidate roster for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. For the Bashirhat constituency, the party has dropped its sitting MP Nusrat Jahan and instead pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam.

Interestingly, the Sandeshkhali village, which witnessed widespread protests against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Mamata Banerjee’s close aide Shahjahan Sheikh and his goons over allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault, falls under the Bashirhat Constituency.

Apart from accusations of institutionalised sexual exploitation, rape, property encroachment, and corruption, Sheikh Shahjahan, whom the party was forced to suspend after the Sandeshkhali row became a national debate, faces several criminal cases, including murder of three BJP supporters and violence against power department employees in West Bengal. In most cases, either the case chargesheet is unavailable or the investigation against Shahjahan is pending. Despite all of this, the Mamata Banerjee’s government gave a clean chit to her aide Sheikh Shahjahan and instead pinned the blame on the BJP and the RSS.

Mamata Banerjee received severe backlash for her blatant bias in handling the case against Sheikh Sahajahan. The Calcutta HC rebuked her government for delaying action against the TMC leader. “Sheikh Shahjahan has some 43 cases against him. Now, for the next 10 years, this man will keep you busy. You will have to handle all his cases till the next 10 years at least,” the Chief Justice told Shahjahan’s lawyer.

Opposition party leaders, including those of the BJP, also castigated Mamata and her administration for turning a blind eye towards the crime committed by the party’s strongman. Owing to the pressure, Trinamool Congress suspended Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years.

Now, after all of this, Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to field the 60-year-old incumbent MLA in the Haroa constituency Haji Nurul Islam from the Basirhat seat that covers the Sandeshkhali region who is the prime accused in the 2010 anti-Hindu Deganga riots, which he orchestrated with the aim to disrupt that year’s Durga Puja celebrations in the state.

Who is former TMC MP Haji Nurul Islam, the key conspirator of the 2010 anti-Hindu Deganga riots

Born in 1964, Haji Nurul Islam is a former MP who represented the Bashirhat constituency in West Bengal from 2009 to 2014 on a TMC ticket. One of the tallest minority community leaders in the party, Nurul Islam was the key conspirator behind the over three-day mayhem that erupted on September 6, 2010, in the Deganga district in West Bengal. He reportedly led a mob of 500 frenzied Islamists who destroyed properties belonging to Hindus; desecrated temples and also set vehicles and police jeeps on fire.

Deganga is approximately 50 km from Kolkata’s Dum Dum airport, past the busy suburban town of Barasat. The Deganga violence happened in September 2010, months before the 2011 Assembly elections in the state, which saw Mamata Banerjee winning an absolute majority of seats in the state in a historic win marking the end of the 34-year rule of Left Front, the longest-serving democratically elected communist government in the world. Several media reports had then suggested of a linkage between the motivated triggering of the rampage and the forthcoming State Assembly polls.

Deganga was a longtime Left bastion until the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when CPI candidate Ajay Chakrabarti was overwhelmingly defeated by avowed fundamentalist, Haji Nurul Islam of the Trinamool Congress. Since then, Deganga has been a victim of communal division.

Deganga, which was predominantly a Hindu-dominated region, was gradually going through a major demographic shift even when the Left was at the helm in West Bengal. Things, however, became worse after the reigns of Deganga went into the hands of Haji Nurul Islam in 2009.

To consolidate Muslim votes, Haji Nurul Islam had promised his core vote bank that a mike would be installed atop a mosque in Deganga Bazar in defiance of an express Calcutta High Court order and that he would expand a Muslim cemetery constructed on a piece of land in the Chattal Pally village that originally belonged to the legendary Rani Rashmoni, patron of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, mentor of Swami Vivekanand. Adjacent to the cemetery there was a Shiv temple and the Hindus every year, for the last 39 years, used to organise a community Durga puja celebration next to this place of Hindu worship. The flashpoint for the 2010 anti-Hindu riots was this piece of land.

Before the riots were instigated on September 6, 2010, the Hindu community was building a pandal next to their temple, as they did every year. On the morning of 6 September, the Muslims in the area started building a wall around the cemetery, which was constructed against the boundary of the Hindu temple. Members of the Hindu community objected to the construction of the wall as that was blocking the entry to the Shiv temple and also the Durga puja pandal. Haji Nurul Islam reportedly saw this as an opportunity and instigated the local Muslims against the Hindus.

A Muslim mob of around 500 people, led by Haji Nurul Islam, started a road blockade. On the evening of September 6, the mob marched to the police station where they created a ruckus. On the way and back, the frenzied Muslim mob destroyed hundreds of houses and shops belonging to Hindus. Besides, they also set fire to several vehicles and police jeeps and desecrated the Shiv temple.

A journalist of the Daily Pioneer, who had then visited the area after the mayhem reported how the Muslim mob had vandalised an idol placed at a roadside Kali temple and threw it on the road. They also ransacked and burnt several shops and houses belonging to the Hindus in the area.

“We were virtually dragged into the interior by a frenzied crowd that wanted us to see the wanton burning of houses and hutments by mobs who came from outside to “teach a lesson” to members of a community,” the report read.

The disruption continued overnight and into the next morning. When the number of confirmed injuries reached at least 24, the police, outnumbered by the mob, were reinforced first by paramilitary troops from Kolkata and subsequently by the Rapid Action Force (RAF). Additionally, a curfew was implemented in the area under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The central government dispatched the Army since the paramilitary RAF was also outnumbered and unable to take complete control of the situation. The force, which was variously reported to comprise 200 and 400 personnel, conducted route marches in the area.

A young person who had been shot by a Muslim rioter died, exacerbating the bloodshed. On September 8, the violence intensified. In one incident, an Islamist mob from Ramnathpur and Khejurdanga attacked homes in the Salimpukur and Hospital neighbourhood, which is located off the Taki Road that passes through the district.

In the mayhem that lasted for three days in Deganga in 2010, as many as 250 shops had been looted. 50 Hindu houses had been burnt to ashes and 5 temples were desecrated. The Muslim mob had also hoisted a loudspeaker at the mosque near Deganga market, violating the High Court order.

An FIR was filed against Haji Nurul Islam, in which he was named as the prime accused in the 2010 Degenge riots. The TMC leader, however, denied the allegations. Instead, he claimed that he had tried to pacify the Muslim rioters. Trinamool Party also refused to take part in meetings intended to resolve the riots.

Haji Nurul Islam’s influence within the Trinamool cadre, particularly among the Muslim voter base, is notable, evident in his role as chairman of the party’s minority cell. His significance is underscored by the creation of the chairman’s post to accommodate him after being replaced as the minority wing’s president by Mosarraf Hossain.

‘I saw Nurul Islam shouting at his men to ravage the temple’: Eyewitnesses of 2010 Degange riots narrated some horrific details

Several Hindus came out following the riots to recount the horrifying specifics of the carnage that TMC’s Haji Nurul Islam and his henchmen had unleashed. Uttam Saha, a Hindu trader lamented, “Either kill us or give us a reason to live with dignity,” after losing products valued at Rs 4.5 lakh to the chaos. They have robbed all we owned and set fire to our homes and businesses.”

Niranjan Sarkar, another Hindu victim from Kartickpur, added, “I witnessed Nurul Islam yelling at his men as they drove on trucks from Beliaghata, Sashan, and Basirhat to destroy the temple. Overwhelmed with guilt and rage, he continued, “After disfiguring the idols of Lord Shani and goddess Kali, they smashed them.

One criminal being replaced by another: Netizens slam Mamata Banerjee for favouring criminals

Owing to Haji Nurul Islam’s past criminal antecedents, several opposition leaders and social media users chastised Mamata Banerjee for not only providing safe haven to criminals but also elevating them to leadership roles.

Journalist Abhijit Mujumdar claimed that Haji Nurul Islam was the preferred candidate to succeed Sheikh Shahjahan by the Mamata Banerjee administration.

While one X user asserted that nominating radical Islamist Haji Nurul Islam from Bashirhat constituency was TMC’s ploy to appease the local Muslims of the area, while others highlighted how Mamata Banerjee was endangering the future of the Hindus in Sandehkhali, who had up until now suffered under the anarchy of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan at the hands of another criminal, Haji Nurul Islam

2016 data shows one out of every three TMC leader has a criminal record

It may be noted that after the 2016 West Bengal Assembly Elections were over the Trinamool came to power for the second term, the Association for Democratic Reforms, a New Delhi-based think tank, released date which read that one our of every three TMC leader in the state had a criminal record.

Source:Indiaspend

According to the report, which was then published, Kerala had 87 MLAs (members of legislative assembly) with criminal charges, while West Bengal had the highest number at 107. Moreover, West Bengal also had 93, winning candidates with serious criminal charges, which was the highest number amongst all the states. Trinamool Congress, which won the elections in West Bengal in 2016, had 66 MLAs with criminal charges, more than any party.

Source: Indiaspend

It also had 60 MLAs face serious criminal cases. The serious criminal cases included murder, attempt to murder, rape, kidnapping and theft.

The Hindu population in the Bashirhat region experienced trauma and victimisation after Haji Nurul Islam was granted control of the Bashirhat constituency by the Trinamool Congress party in 2009. He spurred the local Muslims to carry out the horrifying Deganga massacre, in which a number of Hindu residences, businesses, and temples were attacked and Hindu women were victamised. Hindus in Bashirhat were reeling from the fear and horrors done by Haji Narul Islam and his accomplices, when TMC strongman Sheikh Sahajahan began rearing his head in the area. Popularly referred to as ‘Betaj Badshah’, TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh was an influential person in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, an area that is adjacent to the Bangladesh border.

It is believed that Sheikh has played a significant role in the political party in power by aiding in the rigging of the Sandeshkhali area elections.

Additionally, Sheikh’s name has always kept coming up whenever the ruling TMC has clashed with the BJP party in the state.

In fact, in June 2019, violent clashes erupted in Sandeshkhali post the Lok Sabha elections where TMC goons had clashed with BJP workers in the area. The clash led to the death of three BJP workers including Pradip and Sukanta Mandal. TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh was named as an accused in the FIR filed in connection with the murder of these two BJP workers but he had escaped any sort of police action.

Locals said that Sheikh has been involved in various illegal activities since 2006 but he has always surrounded himself with powerful people as a defensive tactic in case he gets charged with any wrongdoing. This is purportedly the reason why he got away in the BJP workers Pradip and Sukanta Mandal’s murder case.

On Saturday, January 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh, a block-level official of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The move came a day after a team comprising officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CRPF, and journalists en route to Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal was attacked and their vehicles were targeted.

The ED team had reached to execute a raid on the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh as part of an investigation into the ration scam when a mob of 800-1000 people, purportedly the supporters of Sheikh attacked the ED team. The ED on Friday said that the mob attacked its officials “with an intention to cause death.”

Weeks after, women started protesting and gheraoed the local police stations demanding the immediate arrest of Sheikh and his associates Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar holding them responsible for land grabbing and gang-raping women.

Mamata Banerjee continued to protect Sheikh Sahajahan for weeks on end. Nevertheless, when the matter started drawing national attention and began to slip through the WB administration’s fingers, they suspended Sheikh Shahjahan under duress. He was eventually handed over to the CBI.

After the sexual predator Sheikh Shahjahan’s arrest, the Hindu victims of Sandeshkhali may be thinking that after years of atrocities, inflicted on them, they would, at last, get to sleep in peace. Just then, the Mamata Government once again planned to send them to the gallows by pitching in the rabid Islamist Haji Nurul Islam from the constituency.

Chhattisgarh: Following targeted killings of BJP workers by leftist terrorists in Naxal-infested Bastar, government provides security cover to 43 BJP leaders

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Following targeted killings of BJP workers by leftist terrorists in Naxal-infested Bastar, government provides security cover to 43 BJP leaders

Following the spate of killings of BJP leaders in Naxal-infested areas in southern Chhattisgarh, CM Vishnu Deo Sai-led state government has provided security cover to 43 BJP leaders. These leaders include BJP workers and functionaries who are scheduled to visit remote villages in the Maoist-hit areas to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The development comes after nine leaders, including Bijapur BJP district president Srinivas Mudaliar, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking security for party leaders citing targeted killings of leaders of the saffron party.

BJP leaders noted that the Naxalites are targeting BJP leaders because of the government’s anti-Naxal operations. They requested the Union Home Minister to provide them with ‘Z’ category security. They emphasised that it would be difficult to campaign for the upcoming elections without a security cover as they were under constant threat of Naxal attacks.

On 7th March, Mudaliar had written, “Naxalites are targeting BJP leaders out of frustration with the state govt’s anti-Naxal campaigns. Bijapur district is a Naxal-affected area, so BJP officials and workers are always in fear of death.” 

He added, “Recently, a party leader was brutally murdered, creating an atmosphere of fear among officials. Several leaders are constantly targeted by Naxals, forcing them to frequently change their residence at night.” 

Following these developments, the Police Headquarters has issued an order listing the names of the 43 BJP leaders from Bastar, who will receive security cover.

Targeted killings of BJP leaders by Naxals in recent times

This month alone, Naxalites have brutally killed two BJP leaders. On 1st March, BJP leader Tirupati Katla (49) was killed by Naxalites in Bijapur’s Toyna village when he was returning from a wedding. Later on 6th March, another BJP leader Kailash Nag (40) was killed in a similar attack in the Jangla police station area in Bijapur. Around nine BJP leaders have been killed by Naxalites in the Bastar region since last year. 

The Bastar region has seven districts and two Lok Sabha seats — Kanker and Bastar.

During the last year’s Assembly elections, when BJP was in Opposition in the state, seven BJP leaders and workers were either shot or hacked to death by Maoists in the Bastar region, and the adjacent Mohala Manpur district. 

Last year, several leaders were abducted and were threatened to quit BJP. Fearing for their lives, some of these leaders chose to resign from the party and refrained from lodging complaints with the local police.

Last year, the BJP-led Central government had to provide security in response to repeated Naxal attacks. However, this time, the BJP-led state government has taken measures to safeguard its leaders from Naxal attacks and provided security cover in the form of X, Y, and Y+ categories depending on the threat perception.

The leaders’ given security hail from Sukma, Bijapur, Kanker, Bastar, Dantewada, and Narayanpur, with many of them holding key positions such as treasurer, district chief, deputy chief, head of the farmers’ wing, and other significant roles in organising BJP events.

It is important to note that Naxal-infected areas or Red Corridor has reduced significantly in the last decade and it’s restricted to only a few districts. Additionally, in several addresses, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that the country will get rid of the menace of Naxalism and other forms of extremism during the third term of the Modi government. 

Sandeshkhali: ABVP workers protesting against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s atrocities lathicharged by Bengal police in Siliguri

ANI
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Sandeshkhali: ABVP workers protesting against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s atrocities lathicharged by Bengal police in Siliguri

West Bengal Police lathi-charged the workers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who were protesting against the state government over the Sandeshkhali incident, in Siliguri on Monday.

The protestors raised slogans against the state government and were later detained by the police.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned nine people, including some close aides and acquaintances of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh, to appear before it on Monday in the case related to the alleged attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

All the accused have been asked to appear at Nizam Palace, the CBI office in Kolkata. Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 and was produced in court yesterday, after his 10-day police custody ended.

The Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court yesterday sent Sheikh Shahjahan to four-day CBI custody in connection with the January 5 attack on the Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali.

Earlier, on the directive of the Calcutta High Court, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Kolkata Police handed custody of Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI.

Issuing a contempt notice to the CID, the high court ruled on Wednesday that the case pertaining to the attack on ED officials be handed over to the CBI along with the custody of the prime accused, Shahjahan. The court further observed that state police played ‘hide and seek’ in the matter.

“The accused is a political influencer. The investigation should be handed over to the CBI and the custody of the accused by 4:15 pm today,” the high court observed.

Apart from the attack on an ED team, which was out raiding his Sandeshkhali residence in connection with the alleged ration scam, Shahjahan is also accused of land grab, extortion and committing excesses on women along with his henchmen.

The women of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district erupted in violent protests and came out on the streets, accusing Shahjahan and his aides of grave excesses and atrocities.

Multiple women in the island accused Shajahan and his aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.

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

Congress’ trusted journalist Rasheed Kidwai paints a sorry picture of Rahul Gandhi in Barkha Dutt interview: Here are 5 things he said

Anurag
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Congress’ trusted journalist Rasheed Kidwai paints a sorry picture of Rahul Gandhi in Barkha Dutt interview: Here are 5 things he said

On 10th March, journalist-turned-YouTuber Barkha Dutt published an interview with journalist Rasheed Kidwai. He is a journalist who is best known for his intimate knowledge of the inner circle of the Congress Party. During the interview, Kidwai provided a better picture of the current state of the grand old party under the leadership of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.

Notably, Kidwai said that though Congress has a working president with a lot of experience in the political arena in the form of Mallikarjun Kharge, he has to look to Rahul Gandhi for the final decisions. Kidwai’s insights about the Congress party provided deeper information about the challenges that have plagued it over the years which varied from leadership issues to ideological vacuity.

Leadership and confidence crisis

One of the most notable points that Kidwai made was that Rahul Gandhi lacked confidence when it comes to leadership. He drew a contrasting parallel between the leadership of Gandhi and the confident and dynamic presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indian politics. According to Kidwai, Gandhi had a serious lack of confidence and decisiveness which are hallmarks of effective leadership which eventually translated into a lack of clear vision and direction for the Congress party.

Furthermore, there is an issue of communication gap between Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders and the masses. Kidwai pointed out that Rahul Gandhi’s grooming was completely different from Rajiv Gandhi’s and Sanjay Gandhi’s. Sonia Gandhi could not help Rahul in becoming a leader who could win the masses, like Rajiv Gandhi. He emphasises that effective communication is not just about speaking but resonating with the electorate’s aspirations and concerns. Rahul Gandhi seriously falls short of such a connection to the masses.

The Gandhi dynasty’s political failures

The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is known for its influence on India’s political landscape. However, compared to leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is marked by a series of electoral failures. It has cast doubts on his political will and the viability of the dynasty’s continuing leadership.

Furthermore, Kidwai asserted a perception that Rahul Gandhi has failed as a political leader. He doing is his best to remain significant in the political landscape. However, his overall desire to win elections has faded to a point where the Congress party looks more like a party whose only aim is to bring social change whether they win the elections or not. Despite the dynasty’s storied legacy, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership poses a significant challenge to the revival of the grand old party. Kidwai hinted that Congress needs to re-evaluate the leadership strategies within the party.

Rasheed Kidwai also pointed out that the party failed to form a parliamentary committee since Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination which is off for the Congress party as its constitution repeatedly talks about the importance of a parliamentary committee.

Ideological confusion within Congress

Kidwai pointed out that there is a serious lack of clear ideology in the Congress party. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has branded itself as a mix of nationalism and development politics, Congress lacked a coherent ideological stand. It makes it difficult for the party to position itself as a credible alternative to the mammoth that BJP has become. Interestingly, he pointed out that Gandhi had failed to even propagate his attack on Adani to his party workers. Senior party leaders avoid direct attack on Adani and Congress-ruled states have done deals with the Adani Group to bring business to the state. All it has happened while Gandhi consistently targeted Adani by linking him to PM Modi.

Furthermore, Congress struggles to define its ideological identity to compete with the BJP’s dominant narrative, Kidwai explained. “There is ideological confusion among the party leaders which is never seen among the BJP leadership”, he told. Rasheed Kidwai said if 100 BJP leaders were asked about an ideological question, their answer would remain the same. However, if 100 Congress leaders are asked about an ideological question, their answers would be in different directions. Such ideological confusion has rendered the party unable to attract new supporters effectively.

Exodus of party veterans

Another serious issue, according to Kidwai is the exodus of party veterans and senior leaders. The departure of seasoned and popular politicians from the Congress party highlighted a crisis of confidence within the party ranks. Gulam Nabi Azad, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sunil Jakhar and Amarinder Singh are some of the names that left the party. Sarma, Scindia, Jakhar and Singh joined the BJP and doing well in their political careers. The loss of experienced leaders had a serious impact on the morale of the party workers which eventually helped the BJP, Kidwai added.

Talking about Sarma’s reason for leaving the party, Kidwai said that Sarma set a narrative and gave a solid reason for leaving the party. However, the other side of the story never came out. Rahul Gandhi never explained himself or told his side of the story. He claimed that the “biscuit incident” which Sarma referred to would have happened multiple times in the past but never made it to the headlines.

For those who are unaware, Sarma left the Congress party after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Sarma accused Gandhi of offering Congress leaders biscuits from the same plate his dog, Pidi, ate biscuits. He also accused Gandhi of ignoring them during the meeting and rather spending time with the dog.

Failure in media engagement

Rasheed Kidwai said that Rahul and Priyanka were reluctant to proactively engage with media which has resulted in a narrative that is controlled by the opponents. When Barkha Dutt pointed out that Gandhis do press meets unlike PM Modi, he said that Gandhis have failed to engage with the local media strategically. Unlike the BJP, Congress failed to articulate the party’s vision via media platforms and counteract adversarial narratives.

Kidwai mentioned that the narrative that the media is biased towards Gandhis is wrong. He pointed out that even in BJP-ruled Gujarat, newspapers that are critical of PM Modi have flourished exponentially during his tenure as Chief Minister of the state.

As Lok Sabha elections are approaching, the Congress Party has been increasingly coming across as chaotic and unprepared. While leaders like Sachin Pilot have argued that Congress has to win elections as they are a political party and not an NGO, Congress’ own leaders seem confused and clueless about their election strategy and approach.

Union Home Ministry to notify CAA today, state DGPs & Chief Secretaries to chair meetings: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Union Home Ministry to notify CAA today, state DGPs & Chief Secretaries to chair meetings: Reports

The Union Home Ministry is likely to notify the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) today (11th March), Republic TV has confirmed citing sources.

A communication has reportedly been sent by the Home Secretary to all Chief Secretaries (CS) and the DGPs. The Uttar Pradesh DGP has reportedly called a meeting at 6 PM and the Haryana DGP and CS have called a meeting at 5:30 PM.

The Bihar DGP and CS have called a meeting at 6:45 PM and the Maharashtra government has called a meeting at 6 PM, according to Republic TV.

The development comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently reiterated at the Republic TV Summit on 7th March that the Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented before the Lok Sabha elections.

On 6th March, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar had stated that the UP Police is completely ready for CAA to be implemented.

Kumar had assured the citizens that law and order would not be disrupted upon the implementation of CAA and that the UP Police is holding dialogue with religious heads and the society at large.

Moreover, on 27th February, ANI citing sources reported that the MHA is expected to announce the CAA 2019 regulations before the enforcement of the model code of conduct.

The Lok Sabha on 9th December 2019 passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 while the Rajya Sabha passed it on 11th December 2019.

Addressing the Parliament at the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had reiterated that the Bill is not against any Minority in India and the rights of each Indian Citizen will be equally protected.

Shah had said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, will give a new ray of hope to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have migrated to India after facing persecution on the ground of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Even as the Bill itself was passed, the rules required for its implementation were not notified. Anti-CAA protests rocked the country immediately after the passage of the Bill with several Muslims holding the state to ransom.

Violence was reported across cities including in the national capital. At least 53 people died in the subsequent riots that followed and 200 people were left injured.

OpIndia had extensively covered the anti-Hindu riots, which were falsely presented by the mainstream media as an anti-Muslim pogrom, and established facts documenting tragic cries of Hindus which would otherwise have gone unheard.

“Communal riots happen due to appeasement of one community”: Bareilly court, hails CM Yogi Adityanath to Plato’s idea of ‘Philosopher King’

OpIndia Staff
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“Communal riots happen due to appeasement of one community”: Bareilly court, hails CM Yogi Adityanath to Plato’s idea of ‘Philosopher King’

On 5th March,  Additional Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar said that communal riots in India transpire because politicians engage in appeasement of a particular religious community. ADJ Ravi Kumar Diwakar made the statement while summoning radical Islamist cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in the 2010 Bareilly riot case. The Islamist Maulana was asked to appear before the court on 11th March.

The court also declared Maulana Tauqeer Raza as the “mastermind” of the 2010 anti-Hindu riots.

“The main reason for communal riots in India is that the political parties here are engaged in appeasement of a particular religion, due to which the morale of prominent people of that particular religion increases so much and they believe that even if riots etc. if they get it done, not even a hair will be left unturned due to power protection,” the Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar said.

ADJ Diwakar hails Yogi government, likens CM Yogi Adityanath to the idea of Plato’s “Philosopher King”

The ADJ of Bareilly district also praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as an excellent example of a “religious person” holding a position of power in the state. He also compared CM Adityanath to Plato’s concept of a ‘Philosopher King’ as described in his book, Republic.

“If a religious person sits on the seat of power, he gets very good results, as propounded by the philosopher, Plato in his concept of the Philosopher King in his book Republic. Plato said that there will be no end to suffering in our city-states until philosophers become Kings,” Judge Diwakar said.

The court also observed that Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan would have incited another communal riot in Bareilly had there not been a Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh.

He further asserted that although the word “justice” today is used in a legal sense, during Plato’s time it was used in a religious sense.

“The head of power should be a religious person since the life of a religious person is not of enjoyment but of sacrifice and dedication. For example, in the present time Peethadhishwar Mahant Baba Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji of the great Siddhapeeth Gorakhnath Temple, who is also the Chief Minister of our Uttar Pradesh at present, has proved the said concept to be true,” the judge said.

The judge went on to say that under the Indian judicial system, it takes years for people to get justice, which encourages rioters since they think they will not be punished by the judiciary.

“It is almost impossible to get punished. The case in question is also pending before the court since 2010. But the case has not been resolved yet. In this regard I would also like to mention the fear prevalent in the society,” the judge opined.

“Received threats for my decision in Gyanvapi case,” Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar says he and his family are concerned about their safety

In his 10-page judgement, Judge Diwakar, who directed a videographic examination of the Gyanvapi complex in 2022, justified his order in the Gyanvapi case, stating that the directions he issued were in accordance with the law. He further stated that he and his family members are continually concerned about his safety.

“An atmosphere of fear prevails in my family and me in such a way that it is not possible to express it in words. Everyone in the family is worried about each other’s safety. One has to think many times before leaving the house. Especially, my mother remains worried about my safety”

Moreover, the judge highlighted that the attitude of Muslim officials and people in general has changed towards him since his pronouncement in the Gyanvapi case.

“This fact is also noteworthy that ever since I have given the verdict in the Gyanvapi case, the attitude of people of a particular religion and officials towards me has become strange, as if it seems that I have committed some sin by giving the verdict in the Gyanvapi case … In the Gyanvapi case I gave it under the legal provisions,” the judge remarked.

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan was the mastermind of 2010 anti-Hindu Bareilly Riots

As reported earlier, anti-Hindu riots rocked the Bareilly district in 2010 after a mob, which was part of a Muslim Barawafat procession, diverted from its decided route and attempted to forcefully pass through a Hindu area. Large-scale violence and arson by Islamists continued in parts bringing the city to a standstill owing to curfew for more than 10 days.

The case diary reportedly cited by the court reveals how Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan was at the helm of the riots. Several accounts researched by OpIndia reveal how the Muslim mob was armed and had even indulged in communal sloganeering during the religious procession. It was after Maulana’s violent address that the mob unleashed a terrorising attack on Hindus.

Not only Hindus, Sikhs too were targeted by the Jihadi mobs. BJP MP SS Ahluwalia raising the issue in the Parliament said that shops of Sikhs along with other minorities and Hindus were also targeted by the mob. He said that several Sikhs in Bareilly had relocated from Punjab and surrounding regions following the ani-Sikh riots in 1984 in order to find a fresh start but they met the same fate with the attacks by the mob.

“Police ki vardi nahi hoti na….”: Muslim youth threatens to kill police officer Manoj Tomar who stopped people from offering Namaz on-road

OpIndia Staff
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“Police ki vardi nahi hoti na….”: Muslim youth threatens to kill police officer Manoj Tomar who stopped people from offering Namaz on-road

Several videos of a frenzied Islamist mob involved in Delhi’s Inderlok Namaz on-road incident have surfaced on social media. As per reports, a large mob of Muslims had gheraoed the police personnel in the Inderlok area and had even attempted to harm police officials, venting their anger and shouting abuses against SI Manoj Tomar after he was seen kicking Namazis who were blocking a road.

A video was shared on social media claiming that a Muslim mob attacked SI Manoj Tomar when he was being taken to court.

Though the Delhi Police initially ‘denied’ claims that SI Manoj Tomar was attacked by a mob, they later admitted that a mob had indeed clashed with police officials on 8th March, adding that SI Tomar was not present there when the ‘scuffle’ took place. They clarified that the claim of Manoj Tomar being attacked is wrong.

Now, a video of a Muslim youth has come out in which he is heard threatening to kill Police Officer Manoj Tomar. 

Taking to X, popular handle Mr. Sinha had shared a video of a man reportedly named Sameer Khan, a resident of Delhi. In the video, the Muslim youth is heard referring to the Inderlok incident where brave officer Manoj Tomar, after repeated urgings to clear the road falling on deaf ears, had to use force to clear the road and prevent inconvenience to commuters and in the act, he “kicked” a Muslim man who was among the Namazis offering prayers on the road. 

In the video shared by Mr. Sinha, the Muslim youth Sameer Khan goes on to issue a death threat to the Police officer arguing that it was only the Police uniform that “saved him”. He threatens, “Police ki vardi nhi hoti na, to tumhe dunia se utha dete.” (Translation – If it was not the Police uniform, you would have been killed.)

Along with the video of the Muslim youth threatening to kill Manoj Tomar, Mr. Sinha wrote, “Police officer #ManojTomar got away because he was wearing uniform else we would have killed him – An oppressed brother of @BarackObama. His name is Sameer Khan & he lives in Delhi. @DelhiPolice .”

Meanwhile, in several videos of the incident, the irate Muslim mob could also be heard abusing the police personnel while getting aggressive and also endangering the lives of other personnel as well. In one of the videos that has gone viral, some in the Muslim mob can be heard yelling, ‘Yehi hai be*en ke lo*de. Maaro be*en ke lo*do ko. Maaro iski be*en ki ch*t. yehi hai la*di ka.’

The Inderlok incident where the Islamist mob aggressively surrounded the Police officers on duty

On Friday (8th March), a video of several Muslims offering namaz on the road in the Indralok area of Delhi surfaced online. In the video, an officer arrives and kicks a man offering namaz and angrily asks him to move. However, a longer version of this video has now surfaced in which it is seen that the Muslims offering namaz on the road were warned multiple times by the Delhi police before this incident took place. Netizens extended their support to the officer who tried to prevent Namaz from being offered on the road.

The video that went viral on 8th March was a 34-second snippet. The video that later surfaced was a 1 minute 44 seconds clip that showed that the Delhi police were warning the people not to offer namaz on the road. However, the Muslims seen in the video continued to prepare themselves to offer namaz on the road disregarding the police warning. After this, the police officer is first seen pushing them away and then kicking two of those who offered namaz despite repeated warnings.

Outraging against the on-duty officer, the Namazis aggressively started encircling the Police officer Manoj Tomar. Following this, the officer and the mob had a heated argument. Some voices in the background can heard saying “Maaro saale ko… (beat the scoundrel)”. Notably, the police officer was suspended by the Delhi police under a so-called disciplinary action.

Now as more and more videos of the incident are coming out, it has become clear that the Muslim mob was trying to block the road for Namaz in conflict with the police and later became aggressive after SI Tomar intervened to stop the Namaz that was blocking traffic in the area. Additionally, Netizens have also started to come out in support of the Delhi police and the officer who was trying to prevent the namaz from being offered on the road.

Assam: ‘Missing’ minor Hindu girl found dead in Bongaigaon, police detain one Sarfaraz Hussain

OpIndia Staff
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Assam: ‘Missing’ minor Hindu girl found dead in Bongaigaon, police detain one Sarfaraz Hussain

On Friday (8th March) night, the dead body of a 16-year-old Hindu girl was found near Dangtal Railway Market in Bongaigaon district of Assam.

As per reports, the victim had been missing since Tuesday (5th March). A day later, her family filed a complaint with the Bongaigaon police and accused a local named Sarfaraz Hussain of luring and entraping the minor girl.

Based on the complaint, the police detained the accused. When the body of the 16-year-old was discovered on Friday, the Hindus in the area staged a demonstration demanding justice for the victim.

They staged a road and railway blockage and demanded strong action against ‘jihadi’ Sarfaraz Hussain. The demonstrators accused Hussain and his accomplices of being involved in the death of the minor Hindu girl.

They were seen holding placards that read ‘We Want Justice’ and ‘Go Back Jihadi.’ In the meantime, the police took measures to maintain law and order in the area. This resulted in a scuffle, which injured some of the protestors.

While speaking to the media, a protestor demanded the death penalty for the accused Sarfaraz Hussain. Another demonstrator dubbed the incident as a case of ‘love jihad.’

Protestors blame police inaction, demand CBI probe

One protestor said that the girl received a call on her father’s cell phone, after which she left home under the pretext of going to the bathroom.

“Till now only one arrest has made. This is the work of 4-5 individuals. If the police had investigated the matter early on, the girl would not have died,” he was heard saying.

“We have only one demand. The culprit should be punished. We are not happy with the investigation. We demand a CBI probe into the matter,” the protestor remarked.

“It will also shift gear of people’s lives,” PM Modi after inaugurating Dwarka Expressway

ANI
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“It will also shift gear of people’s lives,” PM Modi after inaugurating Dwarka Expressway

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday after inaugurating Dwarka Expressway, asserted that the country has taken another big step towards modern connectivity adding that the modern expressway will work to shift gears not only in vehicles but also in the lives of the people of Delhi NCR.

To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway on Monday.

Addressing the event in Gurugram, PM Modi on Monday said that through modern technology connectivity, lakhs of people in every corner of the country are connected to this program.

“There was a time when programs were organized from Delhi, and the country used to get connected. Times have changed, today the program is organized in Gurugram, and the country has been connected, Haryana is showing this potential,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister further congratulated the people of Delhi, NCR, and Haryana for this modern expressway.

“Today the country has taken another big step towards modern connectivity, I am happy that today I have got the opportunity to dedicate the Dwarka Expressway to the country. More than Rs 9,000 crores have been spent on this expressway. From today, the experience of traffic between Delhi and Haryana will change forever. This modern expressway will work to shift gears not only in vehicles but also in the lives of the people of Delhi NCR. I congratulate the people of Delhi, NCR, and Haryana for this modern expressway. I wish you many good wishes,” he said.

He further asserted that just three months of 2024 have passed and the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore has been laid and inaugurated.

“Not even three months have passed since 2024, and in such a short time, the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore has been laid and inaugurated. These are only the projects in which I have been involved. Apart from this, several Chief Ministers and Ministers have also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects,” he added.

The Prime Minister further said at one time people used to avoid coming to the area where Dwarka Expressway has been constructed.
“Where Dwarka Expressway has been constructed today, there was a time when people used to avoid coming here after dusk. Even the taxi drivers used to refuse that they should not come here. This entire area was considered unsafe. But today many big companies are coming here and setting up their projects. This area is becoming one of the fastest developing areas of NCR,” he asserted.

PM Modi further said that the rapid infrastructure construction work going on in the country will equally quickly make India the third-largest economic power in the world.

PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 112 National Highway projects spread across the country worth about Rs 1 lakh crore on Monday.

The 19-km-long Haryana section of the 8-lane Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around Rs 4,100 crore and includes two packages of 10.2 km long Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7 km long Basai ROB to Kherki Daula. It will also provide direct connectivity to the IGI Airport in Delhi and the Gurugram Bypass.

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

Lucknow: Habidul, Arshad, Naushad, Fazal, Saif, Adil, Rehan among others booked for pelting stones at cops & rumor-mongering about demolition of illegal structures

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: Habidul, Arshad, Naushad, Fazal, Saif, Adil, Rehan among others booked for pelting stones at cops & rumor-mongering about demolition of illegal structures

An FIR has been filed against seven persons namely Habidul, Arshad Warsi, Mohd. Naushad, Fazal Ahmed, Mohammad Saif Khan, Adil Istiaq, Rehan Ali and hundreds of others a day after the demolition of unauthorised buildings in Lucknow caused an uproar.

On 10th March the removal of unauthorized buildings caused an uproar in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh capital because of a rumour that some persons were buried under the debris of a demolished structure.

People began throwing stones as the police team and other members of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) were forced to flee the scene in order to protect their lives.

An FIR was registered late night under sections 147, 186, 336, 332, 353, 427 of IPC, sections 2 and 3 of Public Property Act and section 7 of Criminal Law Act in the Mahanagar Kotwali.

According to the High Court’s directives, the authorities showed up in Akbarnagar, armed with Poclains and JCBs to demolish the illegally built structures.

One of the building’s demolition was initiated by the machinery. However, when the crew was dismantling the building, it quickly collapsed into debris. The video of the collapse of the building went viral on social media.

After that, soon a rumour was spread that there were people in the building and they were buried beneath the crumbling structure began to circulate in the meantime.

When word got out, locals flocked to the scene and began making a commotion. People refused to accept that there was nobody under the rubble, despite the administration’s assurances that the structure was completely vacated before it was hit with the machines.

The furious mob reacted violently and started pelting stones at the officials and chased them off the location.

Simultaneously, the building’s wreckage also struck another dwelling which further infuriated the agitators.

The Lucknow Development Authority team was accused of recklessness by the demonstrates. Some people charged that the LDA team’s irresponsibility prompted the accident to take place.

The FIR was lodged by Sanjeev Kumar of the LDA.

Meanwhile, as per reports, the administration has assured that the seven families whose houses were damaged during the demolition drive will receive homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

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