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Delhi Waqf Board Money Laundering: No interim relief to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan; court grants time to ED to file reply

ANI
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Delhi Waqf Board Money Laundering: No interim relief to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan; court grants time to ED to file reply

The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday granted time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply on AAP MLA Amanat Ullah Khan’s anticipatory bail plea in the Delhi Waqf Board Money Laundering case.

Moreover, the court has not granted any interim relief to the AAP MLA. He has been summoned by the ED on Monday. Special judge Rakesh Syal granted time to ED and listed the matter for further hearing on February 24.

Special public prosecutor (SPP) Manish Jain and Simon Benjamin appeared for ED and submitted that they require one week to file a reply as their bail application was received yesterday.

During a short argument, it was submitted by the ED that Amanat Ullah Khan had approached the Delhi High Court against the summons. But the petition was withdrawn. This fact has been concealed by the applicant. ED sought a week to file a response.

On the other hand, advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, counsel for Khan opposed it and requested the court to adjourn the matter till Wednesday or Friday.

Khan’s Counsel also said that the ED wants to this application to become infructuous. Three summonses have already been issued to the applicant. He sought protection till the next date of hearing. After hearing the submissions the court listed the matter on Saturday for hearing.

At this point, the counsel for Khan orally said, “Yahan Par Sab ED ke Hisab se chal Raha hai.” SPP Manish Jain objected to this and requested the court to record this statement of Khan’s Counsel. The court asked the Counsel not to make any such statements.

The court on Monday issued notice to ED on anticipatory bail application. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy had argued and prayed for an interim protection. However, the court refused to grant the relief.

Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy submitted That Khan has been summoned in a money laundering case.
She submitted that the issue is filing two FIRs regarding the same cause of action. The first FIR of November 23, 2016, filed by CBI.

The allegation is that the petitioner was wrongfully appointed as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board and wrongfully bid.
The agency closed the matter and termed it as administrative irregularities but they used it in filing a second FIR.

It is a cardinal principle of criminal law that there cannot be two FIRs for one cause. In the two FIRs they tried to restart the case, the Senior advocate submitted.

She also submitted that the Bail orders in both cases arrived at the same conclusion that there was no loss to the exchequer.

It was also stated there is an allegation that 33 contractual employees were recruited and there were irregularities in the said appointments.

It was also noted in the bail orders that there was no bribe paid, and no recoveries were made. Then there is no question of proceeds of crime, She added.

For the two allegations the leasing of property it was concluded that there was no evidence of loss to the exchequer and it was concluded that they were administrative irregularities and the money that was given was for work done by the people, she submitted.

The senior counsel also said that three sets of summons have come. The last summon I complied with was through an AR, and I submitted my mobile phone. The third summon was for today.

The court asked, to have the applicant appear before ED. The counsel submitted that the applicant is before the court today. Kindly grant protection till the next date of the hearing.

Earlier, he had challenged the summons issued by the ED at the high court. However, the petition was withdrawn by him.

The Rouse Avenue court on January 19, 2024, took Cognizance of the Prosecution Complaint (Charge sheet) filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Waqf Board Money Laundering case.

ED has charge sheeted four persons Zeeshan Haider his partner Sky Power, Javed Imam Siddiqui, Dawood Nasir, and Qausar Imam Siddiqui.

During the hearing on consideration of the Charge sheet, ED had alleged that a property of Rs. 36 crore was purchased with the ill-gotten money on the behest of AAP MLA Amanat Ullah Khan. He himself handed over Rs. 8 crore in cash. In response to a question related to the role of Amanat Ullah Khan, ED’s counsel had submitted that further investigation related to the role of others is going on.

Special public prosecutor (SPP) Manish Jain for ED had submitted that during the investigation of this PMLA case, ED considered the FIRs were registered earlier, by the CBI, ACB and Delhi police.

It was further submitted that ACB requested for investigation under PMLA against MLA and then chairman Amanat Ullah Khan. Properties allegedly were made in Delhi, Telengana and Uttrakhand with alleged ill-gotten money.

ACB conducted searches at the premises owned and controlled by Hamid Ali Khan and Qausar Imam Siddiqui. Incriminating evidence and illegal weapons were recovered, ED had submitted.

During the searches, three diaries were also recovered. Quasar Imam Siddiqui maintained these diaries. In relation to the recovery of illegal weapons, an FIR was registered at police station Jamia Nagar under the section of the Arms Act.
It was also alleged that he purchased properties in the name of his benamidar Zeeshan Haider.

SPP Jain has also submitted that Diaries reveal high-value transactions between Amanat Ullah and Javed Imam Siddiqui including purchasing of a plot measuring 1200 Square Yards in Tikona Park, in Okhla.

This particular property was purchased for Rs. 36 crore and this transaction is supported by the diary. Rs. 8 crore cash was handed over by Amanat Ullah. Rs. 9 crore was paid through the banking channel by accused Zeeshan and Dawood Nasir to Javed Imam Siddiqui, Jain had submitted.

SPP Jain said that the original owner of the property is Aisha Kanwar who bought it in 2019. It was sold to the accused Zeeshan and Dawood in 2021.

An agreement to sell Rs. 36 crore was recovered from the mobile of the accused. This transaction is supported by a diary, and an agreement to sell.

ED submitted that this property was bought at the behest of Amanat Ullah Khan. Quasar Imam Siddiqui is the cousin of Javed Imam Siddiqui.

Instead of placing the original agreement of Rs. 36 crore, another agreement of Rs. 13.40 crore was created and produced, ED argued.

It shows that they manipulated the front page. It is tampering with the evidence, ED’s counsel added. He also submitted that Out of Rs. 36 crore, Rs. 27 Crore cash transaction is evident. It is a clear-cut established against the accused persons and fits the case to summon the accused persons.

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

UK: Regional council wants elderly couple to sell their new home so ‘asylum seekers’ can be given housing, public anger grows over illegal immigration

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Regional council wants elderly couple to sell their new home so ‘asylum seekers’ can be given housing, public anger grows over illegal immigration

The Tory-led North Northamptonshire Council in the UK is facing massive backlash for allegedly spending large sums of money to ‘forcibly’ buy properties to house “illegal immigrants”. According to the allegations, the Regional Council is going to lengths to kick out elderly British citizens and purchase high-priced properties to accommodate the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the UK even when it is on the verge of getting ‘broke’. Following the revelation of a British elderly couple who had to fight to retain their house, questions have been raised about the UK’s migrant policy. 


The matter came to light when an elderly couple who had just moved into their house worth around USD 251775 (200,000 pounds) received an “Empty property initiative letter”. The couple was horrified as the letter ‘suggested’ that the property should be compulsorily sold so that the council could use it to house illegal immigrants, referred to as “asylum seekers” in the letter. 

The elderly British couple, Jose and Ted Saunders said that they were ‘insulted and shocked’ when they received the strongly-worded letter from North Northamptonshire Council last month. In the letter, the Council mentioned that their neat mid-terraced house in Rushden, near Wellingborough, was deemed to be an empty property, or was ‘derelict’ and the council could even force them to sell it.

Retired carer Jose (76) slammed the council and said, “I couldn’t believe it. We moved to Rushden to help provide childcare for my granddaughter and found this nice little place to live. The idea of forcing us to sell it to make room for refugees and asylum seekers seems totally wrong.”

The elderly couple who haven’t received papers for the house fear that they won’t receive deeds for the house. Jose added, “It was all the more worrying as we’d only moved in last November, so we still hadn’t received the deeds for the house.”

The letter titled ‘Empty Properties and Sites Initiative’ had their exact address in bold. While the couple recently shifted to the house in November last year and have been residing in it, the council argued, “We are writing as we have reason to believe that the above-named premises… is empty or unused.”  

(The Elderly couple’s relatively new property accused of being derelict by the Council to make compulsory purpose and house illegal immigrants, Image Source – Roland Leon/Dailymail)

The letter continued, “The Government has identified empty privately-owned properties as a potential cause of blight within communities and as a wasted resource at time of high housing need.” 

Justifying its controversial migrant policy, the Council noted that it was seeing a ‘considerable increase’ in positive immigration decisions. As per the council, the decisions have been made in favour of asylum seekers, mainly single men. For that, the authority was ‘struggling’ to source suitable accommodation for them, the letter added.

(Image Source – Roland Leon/Dailymail)

According to the Tory-led Council, the ideal long-term solution for the large influx of illegal immigrants (referred to as asylum seekers) would be to provide accommodation by using empty properties which would benefit owners and the project. It said the council could make a compulsory purchase order on the property.

Following the letter, Retired driving instructor Ted (78) and his wife made all efforts to retain their house and called the council to question them over the development. When they pressed and criticism mounted, three days later, they received an apology letter from the council. 

In the apology letter, the council said that their staff had mistakenly earmarked the house for possible compulsory purchase. Following their rationale, the Elderly British Couple raised questions about the policy itself. 

Jose asked, “What on earth is the council doing forcing people to sell their houses – and even an empty house is owned by someone – so that asylum seekers can live in them?” 

She added, “The answer to this is to stop them coming in the first place, not to force people out of their homes.” 

Financially stretched Council allegedly spending huge sums to support “illegal immigrants”, puts UK’s migrant policy in the dock

On Thursday (15th February), Politician Ben Habib of the Reform UK Party seized the matter to raise questions over the migrant policy. Habib, who is also the party’s co-deputy leader, told MailOnline: “I was horrified to hear the plight of Mr. & Mrs. Saunders, but my horror could not compare to what they experienced last month.” 

He added, “They were served with a letter from North Northamptonshire District Council seeking to possess their home. The accusation made was their home was derelict and the Council intended to use it to house single young men seeking asylum. Known to the rest of us as illegal migrants.”

Habib reiterated that the elderly couple was distraught by the threat made by the Council and they feared not having title deeds and being incapable of defending their position.

He raised questions over the Council’s financial decisions highlighting that the Council is virtually on the verge of being broke. 

He fumed, “It is utterly shocking that the Council would fire off a letter like that to two elderly people. And do so with the aim of buying a £200,000 house for asylum seekers. This is from a Council that is as good as bust and has never filed consolidated accounts since it was established in 2021.”

Habib argued that the same funds should be used for supporting hapless British citizens and armed forces veterans.  

“The local charity for homeless people, the Daylight Centre, spends £650 per head per homeless person per year. Think what that charity could do with £200,000! It would be able to provide care for over 300 British citizens. There are also veterans’ charities in the constituency struggling to care of soldiers who risked life and limb for the country. Instead of the money going to them, the Council was prepared to blow it on housing maybe 4 migrants, after forcing out of their home two elderly British citizens. Disgraceful,” he was quoted saying in Daily Mail. 

According to British media, the North Northamptonshire Council is run by the Tories who claim to be championing local issues. It has completely failed to manage its budget since its inception in 2021. Earlier, the council had defended itself arguing that increased pressures from demand-led services have driven up costs. 

However, the Council justified its actions and policy. Speaking with MailOnline, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) Jason Smithers argued that the NNC is just trying to bring empty and dilapidated properties into use. 

The official claimed that Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) are not utilised to “oust” current owners from their properties rather they are a tool used as a very last resort to bring valuable properties that are empty or dilapidated back into use. 

The officials said, “Unfortunately, in this case, records held by NNC were outdated, and the letter was incorrectly sent to a property that was occupied. For this, I am very sorry for causing any undue distress and worry.”

Pertinent to note that a similar criticism against ‘migrant policy’ was witnessed in the United States earlier in January this year. Notably, on account of surging illegal immigration in the US, the New York City administration had shut down a school to house 2,000 migrants. Back then, the locals had concerns that the illegal immigrants housed in the school had criminal records and hence they feared for their safety. Reacting to the developments, Elon Musk had warned that the administration would soon be coming after people’s houses as well forcing them to accommodate these illegal immigrants in their houses. 


Conspicuously, as part of the 60-day limit order explained here, a 40-year-old mother from Colombia, Mayra Martinez for whom the US government had provided hotel accommodation was asked to shift to another accommodation. Following the temporary eviction, she said her three children have mixed feelings about leaving the Row. The family had been living at the hotel for more than a year and had saved up enough to rent a three-bedroom apartment in nearby Newark, New Jersey.

‘Outright attempt to throttle media’: Wife of Republic TV journalist who was assaulted and arrested for reporting on Sandeshkhali violence approaches NHRC

OpIndia Staff
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‘Outright attempt to throttle media’: Wife of Republic TV journalist who was assaulted and arrested for reporting on Sandeshkhali violence approaches NHRC

A day after Bengal police forcefully detained and apprehended a Republic TV journalist Santu Pan, who was actively reporting on the Sandeshkhali incident, his wife approached the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC), reported Republic TV.

The complaint copy details how the Mamata Banerjee government is stifling the voices of journalists and the media that has been trying to bring forth accounts of multiple women victimised by TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides in Sandeshkhali.

The complaint read, “On the evening of 19 February 2024, my husband and Republic Bangla reporter Santu Pan was arrested with an outright attempt to throttle the media from reporting on the accounts of crimes against women in Sandeshkhali. Republic Bangla’s reporting team has brought forth accounts of multiple women in Sandeshkhali alleging politically institutionalised mass rape, political protection of the perpetrators and an environment of fear instilled into the victims.”

“My husband Santu Pan had conducted a live show from the ground on the Republic Bangla channel, which has consistently been reporting from Sandeshkhali as part of its ongoing investigative reportage on crimes against women in West Bengal. Hours after the live telecast, with outright malafide intent and sheer malice in law, Santu Pan was not allowed to leave Sandeshkhali,” the complaint added.

The complaint further stated that the video footage clearly showed how Santu Pan was surrounded by many law enforcement agents and taken inside an unauthorized detention facility without being given any prior warning.

“Neither me, as his wife nor his legal team, were given any intimation of any notice/FIR/illegal detention. I have only been able to access the Arrest Memo after seeing the horrific visuals of my husband being physically assaulted by the local police and dragged to a police station. Santu Pan’s arrest saw local police encircling him and physically assaulting him, before taking him into illegal custody and arrest. Furthermore, it is established in the LIVE TV footage that Santu Pan continued to exercise his right to report despite being physically assaulted by the local police at the time of arrest,” it further stated.

Notably, on Monday, February 19, Bengal police forcefully detained and apprehended a Republic TV journalist who was actively reporting on the Sandeshkhali incident. “I’m being taken into custody by the police. They’re arresting me for conducting interviews with the mothers of Sandeshkhali,” expressed Santu Pan, a reporter with Republic Bangla, as he was forcefully escorted by the police at the Sandeshkhali ferry terminal.

In the footage, numerous heavily armed police officers were observed shoving and rough-handling the journalist before forcibly removing him. 

In response to the arrest, Arnab Goswami, the Managing Director of Republic TV, announced that the company would promptly file a case in the Kolkata High Court challenging the arrest of Santu Pan.

‘Elephant came from Karnataka’: Congress govt releases Rs 15 lakh for trampling victim in Kerala’s Wayanad on Rahul Gandhi’s orders, BJP objects

OpIndia Staff
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‘Elephant came from Karnataka’: Congress govt releases Rs 15 lakh for trampling victim in Kerala’s Wayanad on Rahul Gandhi’s orders, BJP objects

On 19th February, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka raised an objection to the state government’s aid worth 15 lakh released for a man who died in an elephant attack in Wayanad, Kerala. Notably, the money was released after Rahul Gandhi instructed to do so, stating the elephant that attacked the deceased man was originally from Karnataka.

In a post on X, BJP Karnataka wrote, “Shocking loot of Karnataka taxpayers’ money to please Gandhi-Scion Rahul Gandhi! Congress government has illegally disbursed Rs.15 lakh in “compensation” to a deceased individual from Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad constituency in Kerala, attributing his death to elephant trampling, claiming that the wild animal belonged to Karnataka.”

In a post on X, BJP Karnataka wrote, “Shocking loot of Karnataka taxpayers’ money to please Gandhi-Scion Rahul Gandhi! Congress government has illegally disbursed Rs.15 lakh in “compensation” to a deceased individual from Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad constituency in Kerala, attributing his death to elephant trampling, claiming that the wild animal belonged to Karnataka.” They added, “This loot comes amidst severe drought and distress in Karnataka with over 600 farmers ending their own lives. Yet, the Congress government, facing severe fiscal deficits & resource shortages for vital development, shamelessly diverts taxpayer money to appease Rahul Gandhi, while neglecting the state’s pressing needs. CM Siddaramaiah and his ministers owe an explanation on why an official letter is addressed to AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal who holds no constitutional position? Is the Congress government admitting that it’s funnelling taxpayers’ money at the behest of the Congress High Command?”

They added, “This loot comes amidst severe drought and distress in Karnataka with over 600 farmers ending their own lives. Yet, the Congress government, facing severe fiscal deficits & resource shortages for vital development, shamelessly diverts taxpayer money to appease Rahul Gandhi, while neglecting the state’s pressing needs. CM Siddaramaiah and his ministers owe an explanation on why an official letter is addressed to AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal who holds no constitutional position? Is the Congress government admitting that it’s funnelling taxpayers’ money at the behest of the Congress High Command?”

In the post, they also shared a letter issued by Eshwar B Khandre, Karnataka State Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment, to Rahul Gandhi. The letter mentioned that the state government announced compensation to deceased Ajeesh’s family, who “lost life due to elephant trampling in Wayanad, Kerala”. The letter said that Gandhi advised KC Venugopal, general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, to release the funds, and its message was conveyed to Khandre. He then discussed the matter with CM Siddaramiah, and accordingly, the state government set aside funds for the compensation.

In the letter, Khandre claimed that an elephant named Makna was relocated to Bandipur Tiger Reserve in November 2023 from Belur of district Hassan in Karnataka. The elephant had a radio collar. He was later seen in the Wayanad area of Kerala. Khandre then claimed that it was Makna who attacked Ajeesh, leading to his death.

Furthermore, Khandre said Karnataka has 6,395 elephants, the highest in the country. As the forest cover decreases, the number of human-animal conflicts rises. He said, “In this regard, I am planning to have a meeting of Forest Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and work out a plan of action to have a permanent solution for the menace to avoid man-animal conflict”.

Objecting to the funds released by Karnataka government on Rahul Gandhi’s directions, Karnataka BJP chief and MLA BY Vijayendra said, “Karnataka Government released Rs 15 Lakhs to a person from Wayanad (Kerala). Reason is that in an elephant trample incident, a person from Wayanad died. Karnataka government released Rs 15 Lakhs because Rahul Gandhi demanded this…This is a total misuse of state funds. How can the Karnataka Government or Siddaramaiah release funds to a person who died in Kerala? Secondly, due to pressure from Rahul Gandhi, the Government and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre are planning to lift the ban on traffic movement in the Bandipur Reserve Forest area…This is highly objectionable. BJP strongly condemns the act of the State Government. They are doing this only to make Rahul Gandhi happy…BJP can’t allow the State Government to make such decisions hastily…We will demand CM and the Government to take back the Rs 15 Lakhs.”

On 19th February, Ajeesh Joseph Panachiyil lost his life due to an elephant attack in the Pulpally region of Wayanad. Reports suggest that the elephant that killed Ajeesh was radio-collared by the Karnataka government in December 2023. On 17th February, Rahul Gandhi paused his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and rushed to Wayanad to meet Ajeesh’s family.

In an official communication, Karnataka’s Forest Minister said, “The elected representative of Wayanad, Shri Rahul Gandhi, requested the Government of Karnataka to be largehearted and pay compensation for that case. The Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Sri Eshwar Khandre, took up the matter of compensation with Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah on Sunday, 18th February 2024… The Chief Minister agreed to pay compensation to the family of Shri Ajeesh at par with any citizen of Karnataka.”

Earlier, when protests erupted in Wayanad after the incident, Khandre argued that it was incorrect to label elephants as “Karnataka elephants” or “Kerala elephants” as they are migratory.

Gandhi represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha. In the 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi contested from two places, Amethi and Wayanad. In Amethi, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani defeated Gandhi by a notable margin.

Congress donors give maximum money to ‘Minority Department’ during Nyay Yatra as Rahul Gandhi appeals for more donations, lowest amount given to OBC dept

OpIndia Staff
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Congress donors give maximum money to ‘Minority Department’ during Nyay Yatra as Rahul Gandhi appeals for more donations, lowest amount given to OBC dept

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is currently undertaking the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ which is passing through Uttar Pradesh. On Tuesday (20th February), shortly after the Congress scion was granted bail by a Sultanpur court in the 2018 defamation case, he took to X seeking donations for the march.

“We are fighting for justice! MSP fight for farmers, fight for employment for youth, fight for a share for the underprivileged, fight for democracy for the people. Strengthen this fight by donating to the Congress: donateinc.net,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Gandhi further took a jibe at the BJP saying, “Our strength is not electoral bond, it is your bond.” ‘RaGa’ shared a link to the donation website for the yatra but there’s a catch to it.

On the homepage, the donations received by the party for the ‘Nyay’ yatra are mentioned along with organisation-wise and region-wise breakup of the donations.

Under top organisations that received the Nyay donations is Congress’s Minority Department which has received the highest donation of Rs 90,82,286.

The Minority department of the Congress party has received the maximum donations where as the OBC department has received the least donations (image source: donateinc.net)

This is followed by Rs 39,34,266 received by Professionals’ Congress, Rs 24,46,451 received by Youth Congress, Rs 8,92,846 received by Seva Dal and finally, the last and least Rs 8,32,695 for OBC department.

Surprisingly, the OBC department of the party has received the least donations among all Congress organisations especially considering that Rahul Gandhi is often heard telling the backward classes that they have no representation under the Modi government.

The donation page for the yatra requires some basic details of the donor including name, number, state and pin code. Besides this, there is an option to choose which Congress organisation the donor wants to donate to.

Interestingly, the Minority Department has received the most donations. For a party that claims to be the torchbearer of secularism, its resulting donations appear rather unsecular.

The party has collected Rs 22,60,23,580 in online donations on the said website and has collected Rs 5,68,62,853 in total under ‘Donate for Nyay’

The ‘Donate for Desh’ fiasco

In December, the Congress launched an online crowd-funding campaign titled “Donate for Desh”. However, the party’s poorly-planned campaign left it red-faced.

The campaign was announced on 16th December. On the first day of the campaign, the party managed to collect Rs 1.45 crore rupees. Of this, Rs 1.38 lakh were donated by Party President Mallikarjun Kharge.

This shed light on Congress’s own economic downfall while it fails to look inwards and constantly keeps creating fictitious theories to show the Indian economy in bad light even when data fails the grand old party every time.

This was not the only thing wrong with the ‘Donate for Desh’ campaign. Congress failed to secure the online presence of the campaign.

The Congress Party forgot to register the top-level domains (TLDs) for its campaign! Consequently, donatefordesh.com and donatefordesh.org redirected users to the support page of OpIndia and the donate page of BJP respectively.

The party became a massive laughingstock for netizens launching a meme festival online.

Maratha Reservation Bill passed unanimously in assembly, seeks to provide 10% extra quota above 50% cap set by Supreme Court

ANI
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Maratha Reservation Bill passed unanimously in assembly, seeks to provide 10% extra quota above 50% cap set by Supreme Court

 The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (lower house) unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation Bill tabled on Tuesday, which intends to extend 10% reservation to Marathas above the 50% cap. The CM will now table the bill in the Legislative Council for assent after which it becomes a law.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, said the opposition parties were also of the same view that the Maratha community be given the reservation.

The state government has convened a one-day special session of the state legislature for tabling and further consideration of this special Bill.

The bill for the 10% Maratha quota that the Mahayuti government of Eknath Shinde has approved on Tuesday is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government.

This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.

“I am the CM of the state and I work with the blessings of all. We don’t think on the basis of caste or religion. If such a situation comes with any other community, my stand as CM will be similar to what is my stand for the Maratha community. Our PM always says Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said.

“We all are of similar views here on the Maratha reservation so I will not make may political statement here. With the co-operation of you all, we could do it. I kept my promise which I made to the Maratha community. I thank all my colleagues including my both DCMs and other ministers. Today is a day of fulfillment of our promises,” Shinde added after tabling the bill.

“Our aim was to work on a war footing, day and night, to bring this issue to a proper conclusion. The Maharashtra government is fully committed to giving reservation to the Marathas and today we are doing this. Devendra ji and Ajit Pawar ji always used to tell me that by whatever means we have to give reservation to the Maratha community. Devendra ji had once given reservation to the Maratha community while being the Chief Minister and that reservation was also upheld in the High Court. But unfortunately for some reason it was struck down by the honorable Supreme Court” the CM further stated.

“Therefore, this time we have reconstituted the Backward Classes Commission and conducted a survey as per the order of the Supreme Court and after collecting the necessary data, we are now planning to give them reservation. We have tried to fulfill the rules and regulations in every way and now we are ready to give this reservation,” he added.

The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district. Among his demands are Kunbi certificates for all Marathas, free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level, and reservation of seats for Marathas in government job recruitments.

The reservation has been extended based on a report submitted to the state government by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre.

The state already has a 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in which the Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries, claiming about 85% of those.

The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community for which it had undertaken a survey of around 2.5 crore homes within only nine days.

The committee proposed a 10% reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that of the previous bill brought in 2018 by the then-state government.

In June 2017, the then Devendra Fadnavis government constituted the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice (retired) MG Gaikwad to study the social, financial and educational status of the Maratha community.

The Commission submitted its report in November 2018, classifying Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class (SEBC).

On May 5, 2021, the Supreme Court struck down reservations for the Maratha community in colleges, higher educational institutions, and jobs, after noting that there was no valid ground to breach 50% reservation while granting Maratha reservation. 

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

Hyderabad: 28-year-old groom-to-be dies during surgery to ‘enhance smile’, dental clinic booked for negligence

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad: 28-year-old groom-to-be dies during surgery to ‘enhance smile’, dental clinic booked for negligence

A dental procedure to ‘enhance’ his smile right before his wedding proved fatal for a 28-year-old businessman, who died allegedly due to an overdose of anesthesia on 16th February. Regarding the incident, the police said that a Hyderabad man died during surgery to enhance his smile ahead of his wedding which was scheduled last week. The deceased has been identified as Laxmi Narayana Vinjam who was about to get married. 

The police added that 28-year-old Laxmi Narayana Vinjam died while undergoing the ‘smile designing‘ procedure at the FMS International Dental Clinic in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills on 16th February. 

Based on the complaint of his family, the police have booked FMS International Dental Clinic under Section 304A of the IPC (causing death by negligence).

As per reports, Laxmi Narayana Vinjam was preparing for his wedding. He wanted to enhance his smile ahead of his wedding. For the same, he visited the dental clinic on 16th February to undergo a ‘smile designing’ procedure.

That evening, Vinjam Ramulu, the father of the deceased, dialed his son’s phone number, which was picked up by the clinic staff. Upon answering the call, they informed his father that his son had become unconscious during the procedure.

According to his family, Narayan was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. As per allegations, he died of an anesthesia overdose at the dental clinic in Hyderabad. 

His father added that his son had not informed them of the surgery and he had no health issues. He held the doctors responsible for the death of his son. Narayan was administered anesthesia in excess, which led to his death, the family alleged.

Police are investigating the matter and have gathered CCTV evidence from the clinic.

Smile designing is a way to make one’s smile look better through dental treatments like whitening, veneers, or braces. It helps fix issues like stained teeth, crookedness, or gaps for a ‘nicer’ smile.

One person cannot hold entire population to ransom: Calcutta High Court raps Mamata Banerjee govt for failing to arrest TMC goon Sheikh Shahjahan

OpIndia Staff
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One person cannot hold entire population to ransom: Calcutta High Court raps Mamata Banerjee govt for failing to arrest TMC goon Sheikh Shahjahan

On Tuesday (20th February), the Calcutta High Court rapped the Mamata Banerjee-led-West Bengal government for failing to arrest ‘absconding’ Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan, responsible for the violence and unrest in Sandeshkhali village.

During the hearing, the court observed, “He (Sheikh Shahjahan) cannot be encouraged by State dispensation. There is a prima facie material to show he has done damage…”

“This person cannot be on the run. Obviously, there will be law and order problem. He is a public representative. He cannot be defying law. Let’s see whether he can appear before the Court,” it noted.

The Calcutta High Court then directed the accused Trinamool Congress leader to surrender before the law enforcement authorities. “In the suo motu matter, we will ask him to surrender here… One person cannot hold entire population to ransom,” it added.

The Calcutta High Court further observed, “It is almost more than 18 days. One person who is cause for entire problem being precipitated is still on the run. We don’t know whether he is being protected or not but is not being able to be secured.”

Earlier on Monday (19th February), the Calcutta High Court refused to entertain a PIL for an urgent hearing, which sought protection for women residing in the Sandeshkhali area amid allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by individuals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The Background of the Controversy

On 8th February this year, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets to protest against land grabbing, non-payment of wages and sexual violence committed by Trinamool Congress goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

The women attacked Shahjahan’s illicitly obtained properties and set fire to a poultry farm owned by Shiba Prasad Hazra. They also surrounded the Sandeshkali police station and demanded the immediate arrest of the trio. The agitation in the village lasted for 3 days.

During that time, the TMC goons retaliated and the police acted as mute spectators. In several cases, the cops themselves resorted to harassment of the women. It had come to light that the residents were the subject of sexual violence by the TMC for a long time.

On 10th February, the local police imposed Section 144 in various areas in Sandeshkhali and also banned the use of the Internet in 16 panchayats scattered over the two blocks of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II.

In a bid to pacify the angry villagers of Sandeshkhali, the TMC leadership suspended Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently arrested in the Sandeshkhali police station area.

The Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government arrested a former CPI(M) MLA named Nirpada Sardar in connection to the case on 11th February. BJP leader Vikas Singh, who happens to be the Convenor of the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, was also arrested in connection to the women’s protest against TMC goons.

On Friday (17th February), the police arrested TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra over land grabbing and sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali. The primary accused Sheikh Shahjahan, is still on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

Rahul Gandhi spreads fake news that President Murmu was ‘not invited’ to Ram Mandir because she is ‘Adivasi’: Here’s the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi spreads fake news that President Murmu was ‘not invited’ to Ram Mandir because she is ‘Adivasi’: Here’s the truth

On Monday (19th February), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi attempted to spread fake information as he attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre, and claimed that the Indian President, Droupadi Murmu was deliberately not invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony held in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on 22nd January. Rahul Gandhi was addressing a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi during his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ on Monday, February 19.

Attacking the BJP-led central government, Rahul Gandhi said that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the mega event because she is an ‘Adivasi’ (member of a tribal community).

“Did you see the Ram Mandir event? It was held with great fanfare. But did you see any Dalit faces? Our President is an Adivasi, so she wasn’t allowed to attend the event. Did you see any farmers or labourers during the event? No backward class faces were anywhere seen during the event. But you must have seen Adani, Ambani, and their families. All the businessmen were there. Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and Narendra Modi were there,” he said.

On 22nd January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the ‘Pran Pratishtha‘ ceremony for Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya’s historic temple, which was led by a group of priests. It was attended by people from all walks of life. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi said, “This is their India. This is not yours. All you do is chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, while all they do is have helicopter rides and make money.”

In this case, Rahul Gandhi has spread fake news against the ruling government by saying that the party deliberately did not invite President Murmu given her tribal background.

Apart from Rahul Gandhi, several social media posts also claimed that President Murmu was deliberately not invited by the Centre for the inauguration of Ram Mandir given her tribal background. The posts claimed that President Murmu had been a victim of casteism.

The truth is that President Murmu was formally invited by a delegation representing the Ram Temple Trust to attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. The invitation was extended on 12th January by a delegation comprising Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Alok Kumar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Lal, and Ram Mandir construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra.

However, President Murmu had said that she would soon decide the time to visit Ayodhya. In fact, on 21st January, the President hailed the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony and sent heartfelt wishes to the Prime Minister for making the temple appear into reality.

“The nationwide celebratory atmosphere around the inauguration of the grand temple of Prabhu Shri Ram at Ayodhya Dham is an uninhibited expression of the eternal soul of India. We all are fortunate to witness the commencement of a new cycle in resurgence of our nation,” President Murmu was quoted as saying.

The President also appreciated ‘Maa Shabri’s’ reference made by PM Modi in his address before the inauguration of the Ram Mandir.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi had earlier spread fake news and lies against the Modi government on international platforms. While delivering a lecture to the MBA students of Cambridge University last year, Rahul Gandhi spoke on topics like the Hathras case, the Pulwama attack, and the Pegasus row to peddle his anti-India propaganda. He launched one of his usual attacks on the Modi government and said that Modi government was undermining the democracy of India. While delivering a presentation at Cambridge University, Rahul Gandhi lied that the Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to monitor his phone.

Rahul Gandhi, who walks with dozens of commandoes, party leaders, and supporters surrounding him, claimed that he walked very safely in Kashmir, even through the stretch in Pulwama where a “car bomb” killed 40 soldiers, and he saw two “militants” there. He went ahead to claim that the militants saw him but could not harm him, because he was promoting the idea of non-violence and peace.

The Congress scion even compared his Bharat Jodo Yatra to Gandhi’s Dandi March, drawing equivalence with the freedom struggle against the British, painting himself as carrying the legacy of Mohandas Gandhi (they are not related), of fighting against tyranny.

This is not the first lie Rahul Gandhi has spread during his latest yatra. Recently, he visited Meghalaya and defamed the center for the ‘poor infrastructure’ in the state. He said that the state was not benefiting from the Centre’s policies due to its poor infrastructure. However, he was caught spreading lies as he claimed that the infrastructural development had not reached the state to make it economically and socially stable. The report regarding the same can be read here.

‘Chor, ch*mar, Jaanvar, Keeda’: Old video shows Muslim cleric Salman Azhari hurling abuses at CM Yogi over bulldozer action against criminals

OpIndia Staff
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‘Chor, ch*mar, Jaanvar, Keeda’: Old video shows Muslim cleric Salman Azhari hurling abuses at CM Yogi over bulldozer action against criminals

Amidst police action against hateful Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari in multiple hate speech cases, yet another video of the Mufti has surfaced online wherein he is heard using casteist and derogatory slurs against Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.

In a 49-second-long video, Mufti Azhari attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his bulldozer action against criminals. Azhari asserted that CM Yogi was bulldozing houses and shops of poor Muslims and while doing this he was heard using highly derogatory slurs against Uttar Pradesh CM. This video was shared by a YouTube channel named ‘Barakati Network’ on 5th November 2023.

“People across the land of Hindustan are getting scared, they have started panicking (Hindustan ki sarzameen par log abhi se ghabrane lag gaye, darne lag gaye). What will happen…if these thieves, Ch*mar, such an animal living in the jungle bulldoze a poor person’s house then do not be afraid (Kya hoga…arey chor, ch*mar aaye, jungle mein rehne wale aise janwar hukumton par baith kar ke agar kisi gareeb ke ghar par bulldozer chalate hain toh tum khauf na khana). This baba [Yogi Adityanath] has less strength than even insects (keede).

You [Muslims] should not fear their terror (Arey ye toh keedon se bhi kam taaqat rakhne wale baba [Yogi Adityanath] hain jinki haibat se tumko ghabrane ki zarurat nahi darne ki zarurat nahi). Challenge them and say that you have destroyed a house or bulldozed someone’s shop. These are walls and can be built again (Unko lalkaar karke kaho tumne toh ek ghar nasht kiya hai ya kisi ki dukaan par bulldozer chalaya hai. Ye toh deewarein hain ban jayengi).  And if it pleases you then run your bulldozer over our chests, even then we will keep calling the name of our Prophet (Jis din tumhara mann kare seene par chalao uss waqt bhi hum apne nabi ka naam pukaarte rahenge),” Mufti Salman Azhari said.

Mufti Salman Azhari has a history of delivering inflammatory speeches and instigating Muslim youths against Hinduism. On February 14, a video of Mufti Salman Azhari, whom Gujarat Police recently arrested for his inflammatory remarks, made rounds on social media. In the video, Azhari could be seen instigating the youths against Hindus and the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Prior to this, he also gave a speech in Jamsar, Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he asked the Sunni Muslim youths to sacrifice their lives for Islam.

On 12th February, controversial Islamic cleric Mufti Salman Azhari was arrested and he is now facing legal action in Gujarat for making provocative remarks. Modasa police arrested him within 24 hours of the Bhachau Court of Kutch granting him bail. A case was filed against Azhari at Modasa Town Police Station, and action was subsequently taken by the police. The court granted five days remand after Mufti Azhari was produced in the court.

Right after Mufti Salman Azhari was granted bail in Kutch, Modasa police intervened and took him into custody from Kutch police. Azhari was taken into custody by Aravalli police and brought before a court asking for a 10-day remand. However, after hearing both sides’ arguments, the court ordered a 5-day remand.

Earlier, Gujarat Police arrested him on 4th February for his inflammatory speech in Junagadh on 31st January. On January 31, accused Mufti Salman Azhari gave a hateful speech during a program attended by a large number of Muslims on the grounds of Narayan Vidya Mandir near the Junagadh court.

In June 2022, during Kanhaiyalal and Umesh Kolhe’s brutal murders, Mufti Salman Azhari instigated and dog-whistled Muslims across India to commit Jihad and execute suicide attacks.

Notably, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had recently said that an investigation will be conducted into the terror angle in the case against Azhari. As reported earlier, Gujarat ATS SP Om Prakash Jat said that ATS will probe the financing of Mufti Azhari’s trust ‘Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust’ in addition to his activities.

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