Home Blog Page 1401

The tragic story of Kintan Saraswat: Parents say bullying and medical negligence led to the death of their child who wanted to become IAF officer

OpIndia Staff
-
0
The tragic story of Kintan Saraswat: Parents say bullying and medical negligence led to the death of their child who wanted to become IAF officer

The day was 11th January, 2024. A 12-year-old Kintan Saraswat returned home, covered in bruises, from the government-run Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya School in North Delhi.

He was assaulted by a group of seniors after he accidentally hit one of them. Kintan was lifted in the air and thrown on the ground. The boys continued to thrash him. The 12-year-old was limping and in extreme pain after school ended on that fateful day.

His father Rahul Saraswat, who works as a daily wage worker at a private company, told The Quint, “My son told me that during recess, he went to use the washroom. When he was returning to the classroom, he accidentally hit a senior boy.”

“He told me that the senior called other kids and beat him up. He told me that they lifted him forcefully, threw him on the ground down and continued beating him,” Rahul stated.

Concerned over Kintan’s health condition, the family rushed him to the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar. After initial treatment, Kintan was referred to the orthopaedic department.

Rahul informed, “The staff told us that the orthopaedics specialists were unavailable and on leave and asked us to come back after three days.”

Health of Kintan Saraswat deteriorated after assault

On 12th January, Rahul Saraswat went to the Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya School during which two classmates of Kintan told him that the latter was indeed assaulted by some senior boys.

While the victim was initially relieved by the medications, he started experiencing pain again after a few days. On 15th January 2024, the family took Kintan to another orthopaedic clinic in Rohini instead of the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital.

“Since then, he began eating less and started to feel worse. On 20 January, his condition deteriorated further,” Rahul Saraswat stated. The victim was then taken to the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital for treatment.

The doctors administered drips to him, which initially eased his condition. According to Soni (Kitan’s mother), he feels hungry for the first time in 9 days. So, arrangements were made to feed him Khichdi.

Kintan unfortunately passed away before the food could reach him. While speaking about the matter to The Quint, Rahul Saraswat said, “I didn’t lose a child; I lost my soul with him…what did my child do to deserve this? Why did God do this to us?”

Kintan is now survived by his father, mother and 13-year-old sister Tannu. He wanted to become an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer. The police are awaiting the autopsy report to file a First Information Report (FIR) in connection to Kintan’s untimely death.

Rahul Saraswat blames negligence of hospital and school

The parents of Kintan Saraswat have squarely blamed the incident on the negligence of the school and the hospital authorities.

“The school does not even have proper CCTV camera. Isn’t it their responsibility to identify the students who hurt my son? We send our kids to school only so that they get educated, get a good job and prosper in life. We do it to ensure that they do not become daily-wage workers like us. Is this what we get in return?”, remarked Rahul Saraswat.

He said that despite visiting the school on 4 different occasions, no action has been taken against the accused senior boys. Rahul added that the school administration has sent him away each time under one pretext or the other.

He and his wife Soni have also accused the staff of Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital of medical negligence, which has been denied by the administration.

While speaking about the matter, the superintendent of the hospital Dr Vatsala Aggarwal said, “The patient had first come on January 11 and upon seeing his condition, which was not severe at the time, he was attended to at the OPD. His X-ray was taken and a painkiller was given to him.”

“He was asked to come back a few days later but he did not do so and came directly on January 20. He reached the hospital at a very critical stage with a high fever, vomiting and a high BP. Physicians, paediatricians and orthopaedic doctors saw him but the child could not be revived,” he concluded.

Chief Imam of All India Imam organisation, Dr Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, getting threats and criticism for attending Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Chief Imam of All India Imam organisation, Dr Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, getting threats and criticism for attending Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

The chief Imam of All India Imam organisation Dr Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, who recently attended the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January has been receiving threats and abuses from the Muslim community, as revealed by him in media interactions. Regarding his experience of attending the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, he said that he liked it. Rather than getting intimidated, the Imam said that he felt ‘welcomed’ at Ram Mandir.

Imam Ilyasi asserted that he went there with paigham-e-mohabbat (message of love) and advice that we need to forget about the past and move forward. According to him, being a chief cleric who is responsible for 5.5 lakh mosques, his job was to spread the message of love and harmony. 

Speaking with The Print, the Imam said, “Humein puraani ranjisho (rivalries) aur dushmaniyon (enmity) ko khatam karke aage ka sochna hai (we have to end old rivalries and enmity, and move forward.” 

He opined, “We have to ensure our future generations work for the betterment of the nation”, adding that while attending the event the thoughts in his mind were about the “country, development and love”. 

However, the Chief Imam has been receiving severe criticism and threats from the Muslim community for his decision to attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. 

In an interview with Rajdharma’s Archana Tiwari, he was asked, “What has been the reaction from your own community to attending the consecration ceremony?” 

In response, the Imam claimed that attending it was the biggest decision of his life. He said, “It was not an easy decision and I took it after a lot of thought. This was the biggest decision of my life to attend the ceremony and what could happen.”

Replying to whether the Muslim community accepted his decision, Imam Ilyasi said, “They will not accept it so easily, challenges/problems were posed and there are many problems.”

He added that he has been receiving numerous threatening calls and messages in which nasty things are hurled at him but he hopes things will get better.

Saffron is the Colour of Protection

Imam Ilyasi was asked that some Muslim intellectuals and ‘Journalists’ have alleged that they feel intimidated on seeing Bhagwa (saffron) colour, in that context whether he felt fear or intimidation seeing saffron-clad Sadhus and flags there. 

He retorted saying, “Pehle to, Bhagwa darane wala rang nhi hai, bachane wala rang hai. (First of all, saffron colour is not the colour of intimidation rather it is the colour of protection.) Those saying so are entitled to their views but I felt welcomed there not fear or intimidation despite being the lone Imam there.”  

In reply to ‘Did anybody see you as a lesser being’, Chief Imam Ilyasi stated that nobody is inferior, we all are Bhartiya, nobody is first nobody is second, reiterating that he felt welcomed there.

Our faith and religion can certainly be different… Our main dharm is insaan and insaniyat. We live in Bharat and are Bharatiya. We all need to make Bharat strong. Rashtra sarvapriya (the nation is supreme), he added. 

Imam Ilyasi said, “To the parties and people who are opposing me — and I am being opposed a lot across the country — I just want to say apna nazariya badliye, nazaara khud badal jayega (change your perspective, and the view will change).” 

In both media interactions, he stressed, “Purani baaton ko bhool kar, miljul kar, pyaar se mohabbat se aage badhne ka waqt hai (it’s time to forget bygones and move forward with love).” 

The Imam also said, “The job of the opposition is to oppose. I am a chief imam… and the message we want to give is that we want to live with each other peacefully.” He emphasised that Indians needed to forget about the past and move forward, noting that dialogue was the only way ahead. 

According to Ilyasi, the enmity and strife between the two sides had gone on for too many years, and it should end as this is the time to move forward. He added, “We have to coexist and fight hatred.”  

He added, “I am an individual, society (representative of the community) but the country comes first for me, and I intended that my presence there would bring love and affection and everybody welcomed me there and I was successful in it.” He opined that the misunderstandings would only be over after we attend events of each other and it is time for unity. 

Pakistan should do Gharwapsi

The anchor Archana Tiwari asked Imam Ilyasi about Pakistan’s contentious remarks on the Ram Mandir despite the dwindling minority Hindu population in their nation adding that they are showing concerns for Indian Muslims. 

In reply, Ilyasi said, “I feel like laughing to hear their response. They should look inwards, they should learn from Indian Muslims.” He added that things are getting so much worse in Pakistan that it should do “Ghar Wapsi”. Their people are fed up, they don’t have power, employment, or food. They feel they were better off in India. 

Regarding the query on Karsevaks who demolished disputed structure in 1992, Imam Ilyasi opined that we should be forward looking and not talk about the past adding it is our duty to make things (communal bonhomie) better. India under PM Modi is progressing well and is heading to become Vishwa Guru and we should shun enmity, he added. 

When asked whether he wanted to skip the query about the demolition of the disputed structure, the Chief Imam added that his motive is not to skip or overlook it but we should be forward-looking in our approach. 

In response to the query that it is often alleged by Muslims that BJP/RSS is fanning hatred, he added that during earlier governments, there was no social media and there were limited communication mediums, everybody knows how many riots occurred earlier. He added that rioters and hatemongers are anti-nationals and they want to hamper and stall the ongoing progress of India and they can’t digest India’s current progress.   

However, Imam Ilyasi refrained from making future predictions about whether the Kashi and Mathura issues will also be harbingers of brotherhood like Ram Mandir.   

When asked, “Have the Indian Muslims been sidelined, threatened, or intimidated”, he inquired, “Where? By whom? In Pakistan? I have not heard such a thing, if you have reports about such a thing, tell us where it is happening? in India everybody is living comfortably.”

(Video Courtesy- The Rajdharma)

He, however, added that every society has some rotten apples and the whole community can’t be blamed for the wrongdoings of some person. 

The imam also said that the Prime Minister’s speech was not just for Hindus, but for all “Bharatwasis”. He added, “PM has declared Ram Mandir a ‘rashtra mandir’. He meant this for everyone. He has given a message that all Indians need to come together and make India and Indian-ness strong.”

As nations halt funding to UNRWA over charges of involvement in the Oct 7 terror attacks by Hamas, is this the beginning of the UN’s undoing?

Anurag
-
0
As nations halt funding to UNRWA over charges of involvement in the Oct 7 terror attacks by Hamas, is this the beginning of the UN’s undoing?

The 7th October terror attack on Israel by Hamas has caused a long shadow over the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Several staff members of UNRWA have been accused of being involved in the attack. The accusations have sparked a crisis of confidence and triggered funding cuts from major donors, including the United States, Germany, Italy, and other European Nations. Can this be the beginning of the unravelling of the United Nations itself? Notably, there have been calls for reforms in the United Nations bodies for years, including the recent one by billionaire Elon Musk.

The charges against the now-expelled contractors of UNRWA are serious. Israel has alleged that the attackers had the IDs given by UNRWA. Furthermore, the agency facilities and vehicles were misused in the assault. UNRWA has denied the direct involvement in the attack. However, their initial response was delayed. It was in contrast to their response and statements to the so-called human rights violations in Gaza. The disproportion between the timings of the comments coming from UNRWA raised concerns about the agency’s neutrality and its potential infiltration by Hamas.

Notably, there is a lack of transparency regarding the recruitment of UN staff in conflict zones. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure persons with vetting interests in volatile regions remain elusive. It has raised questions about the possibilities of loopholes and vulnerabilities within UN agencies. The opacity of the recruitment process only adds up to the case against the UN as it may lack accountability and strict vetting procedures. It has to be pointed out that the hiring policies of UNRWA have been under the radar multiple times.

During our research, we found that The Government Accountability Office report in May 2009 talked about the measures to prevent accidental payments to terrorists under Palestinian Aid Programs. It was then pointed out that UNRWA was not doing pre-employment screening of the staff; the screening was done once every six months. Furthermore, UNRWA should have included Hamas and Hezbollah in the list of organisations during the screening process. Interestingly, the US body found that UNRWA needed to assess the control for all cash assistant programs. Things have not changed much in over a decade.

Regarding the United Nations bodies, the 7th October incident is not an isolated case. Other UN Bodies have regularly come under the radar for lack of transparency, unnecessary meddling in a country’s affairs and inability to function correctly. Take the example of the World Health Organisation (WHO). It delayed and ultimately failed to properly conclude the investigation into the origins of COVID-19. United Nations Human Rights Council, or UNHRC, has a long history of meddling in the affairs of several countries, including India. Such shortcomings cast doubt on the UN’s effectiveness and raise concerns about how it can uphold its core principles.

India has always been a leading voice for reform within the United Nations. It has long advocated for a fairer and more representative Security Council. The current structure is dominated by the US, the UK, France, Russia and China as its permanent members. Such leadership fails to reflect the realities of the 21st century with emerging powers such as India, Brazil and the African Union.

There are cracks in the United Nations’ facade, and no one can deny it. The crisis that emerged on the sidelines of the terror attack on Israel, followed by the tension in the region, presented a crucial opportunity for introspection and reform. It is high time that the United Nations comprehensively address the charges against UNRWA with complete transparency. Merely, funding cuts are not going to work. Robust SOPs for staff recruitment in conflict zones are essential to regain the trust of the member nations. Furthermore, reforming UN bodies to sync them with the global power shift is long overdue and should happen sooner rather than later.

October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel

On 7th October, Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack on Israel from sea, land, and air. At least 5,000 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, and tunnels were used to breach the Israeli territory and butcher Israeli civilians, particularly in the border villages. A music festival hosting more than 200 people was turned into a slaughter ground with many women raped, mutilated and abducted to Gaza. At least 1,300 people, including some foreign nationals, babies, women and senior citizens, died in the attacks. More than 200 were abducted and taken to Gaza. Following the attack, Israel launched a counterattack to eliminate Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war entered its 114th day on 29th January 2024.

What is UNRWA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949. Its primary mission is to offer humanitarian aid and protection to registered Palestine refugees within its designated operational area. UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

UNRWA facilitates the realisation of the full potential in human development for Palestine refugees by delivering high-quality services in education, healthcare, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and enhancement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. The agency relies heavily on voluntary contributions for its funding.

Israel has provided information to the agency that its employees were involved in conspiring the terrorist attack by Hamas on 7th October 2023. In response to the allegations, the UNRWA has terminated the employees and launched an investigation. The Israel-Hamas conflict started after this terrorist attack. Israel is in the middle of a war against Hamas following the terrorist attack.

NewsClick Chinese funding case: Delhi Court extends judicial custody of founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakravarty

ANI
-
0
NewsClick Chinese funding case: Delhi Court extends judicial custody of founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakravarty

 The Patiala House Court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief and Amit Chakravarty, HR Head of news portal in the case registered by Delhi Police under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that news portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda.

The Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur on Monday extended their judicial custody till February 17, 2024.

Recently the court allowed Amit Chakravarty to turn approver in the case.

Prabir was represented by Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana and Amit Chakravarty was represented by Advocate Lalit Kumar during the hearing.

The approver, an accomplice who decides to testify against the co-accused in exchange for a pardon, is subject to examination and treatment under the CrPC. Safeguards are in place to prevent coerced or deceitful confessions, and the approver’s testimony must be supported by corroborative evidence as per the law.

Earlier, the same court granted the Delhi Police Special Cell grants 2 months more time to complete the investigation. Police had sought an extension of time to complete the investigation in the case.

The court earlier had dismissed Newsclick’s founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha’s application, which sought directions to release his electronic devices seized by Delhi Police.

In October last year, the Delhi Police arrested Purkayastha and Newsclick HR Head Amit Chakraborty under the provisions of UAPA.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell, in its FIR against Purkayastha, stated that the People’s Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd., has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in place of crores of illegally routed foreign funds as part of a conspiracy.

The FIR further stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of a conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, and security of India.

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

‘Party busy in promoting ‘tourism’ instead of preparing for 2024 elections’: Congress leader Acharya Pramod slams Rahul Gandhi over NYAY Yatra

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Party busy in promoting ‘tourism’ instead of preparing for 2024 elections’: Congress leader Acharya Pramod slams Rahul Gandhi over NYAY Yatra

Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday (29th January), calling it “political tourism”. The Acharya stated that the Congress is “travelling” as other parties prepare for the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter Bihar on Monday (29th January) via Kishanganj, a district with a large Muslim population and a party stronghold. Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar travel comes a day after the Congress was left high and dry when former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam said that Congress is not preparing itself for the 2024 elections but “2029 Lok Sabha elections”. 

“Congress party has some very great and intelligent leaders. While on one hand, all political parties are gearing up for the 2024 elections, on the other hand, the whole Congress party is doing political tourism, they are travelling. Actually, we will figure out how to win the 2024 elections after 2024. It seems we are preparing ourselves for the 2029 elections. Had we been preparing for 2024, this would not have happened.” Acharya Krishnam said.

Rahul Gandhi will have a public gathering in Kishanganj on Tuesday (30th January), followed by a large demonstration in the neighbouring district of Purnea and another in Katihar the next day, according to Congress legislature party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan.

He would leave for West Bengal on Thursday via Araria district and return to Bihar a few days later via Jharkhand, according to state Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh.

According to state Congress leaders, the party’s Bihar coalition partners, including RJD president Lalu Prasad and CPI(ML)-L general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, have also been invited to the rally in Purnea.

Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president with whom the Congress had shared power until he abruptly resigned, was also issued an invitation, which the senior leader accepted.

Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam stated on Saturday that JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had lost credibility. “Nitish Kumar has lost his credibility. He and his decisions are responsible for this. Because of the deeds of Janata Dal (United) and its leaders, the INDIA bloc which was a new hope for the opposition, seems to be in danger. Congress should consider contesting the elections alone,” he said.

Krishnam has been criticizing Congress for its anti-Hindu views. In December, when Congress lost elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the leader noted that the numbers were a result of Hinduism’s opposition and the anti-Hindu mindset of the party.

Also, recently, when the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony happened in Ayodhya, Krishnam praised PM Modi and said that the Ram Mandir wouldn’t have been possible without his leadership. He also called Congress’ decision to not attend the event as unfortunate.

SC extends stay on Allahabad HC order to appoint Commission on Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid case, next hearing in April

ANI
-
0
SC extends stay on Allahabad HC order to appoint Commission on Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid case, next hearing in April

 The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim order on stay on Allahabad HC order appointing Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in connection with Mathura’s Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute till next date of hearing.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta adjourned the hearing for April and directed the parties concerned to complete pleadings and file written submissions.

The court said that the interim order on stay on Allahabad HC order appointing a Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in connection with Mathura’s Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute will continue till the next date of hearing.

In the last hearing, the top court had stayed the Allahabad High Court order appointing the Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in connection with Mathura’s Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute

The order came on a plea filed by the Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah challenging the Allahabad High Court order for the appointment of a Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque.

The court had said that proceedings before the trial court can be continued but the commission cannot be executed till the next date of hearings.

The Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order for the appointment of a Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque.

The Special Leave Petition (SLP) by the mosque committee challenged the order dated December 14 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad allowing an Application for the appointment of a Commission for the Shahi Eidgah Mosque where prayers are being regularly offered by the Muslim community from time immemorial.

“The High Court has allowed the Application for appointment of a Commission without considering the objections of the Petitioner herein and without considering the fact that the very existence of the Suit has been questioned by the Petitioner herein, whose Application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC for rejection of the Plaint has been kept pending without any decision,” the petition copy said.

Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah was represented by advocates Tasneem Ahmadi, Mehmood Pracha and RHA Sikander.

The Supreme Court is also dealing with various matters relating to Mathura’s Krishna Janambhoomi land dispute. Earlier Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah filed an appeal in the top court challenging the Allahabad High Court order which transfers to all the petitions relating to Mathura’s Krishna Janambhoomi land dispute from District Court Mathura, Uttar Pradesh Masjid Idgah challenged the order dated May 26 passed by the Allahabad High Court whereby it transferred all such cases relating to the Krishna Janambhoomi dispute from the District Court Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, to itself.

Ranjana Agnihotri, a resident of Lucknow, had filed a suit in Mathura court demanding the ownership of 13.37 acres of land of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi. In her legal suit, Agnihotri demanded the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque built in Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The suit filed in the Mathura court sought the removal of a mosque said to have been built in 1669-70 on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav Dev temple, near the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

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

Al Jazeera anchor tries to corner BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi with motivated questions on Ram Mandir. Here’s how she defied them with facts

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Al Jazeera anchor tries to corner BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi with motivated questions on Ram Mandir. Here’s how she defied them with facts

Al Jazeera’s motivated questions aimed at BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi took no one by surprise and have instead only confirmed the Qatar-based channel’s hatred for Hindu-majority India. What has become the talking point instead is Shazia’s to-the-point and gracefully delivered answers to Al Jazeera’s motivated questions.

Speaking about the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, the news anchor asked if the ceremony is part of temple politics. Shazia rubbished the same and said that Lord Ram cannot be relegated as merely a religious figure.

“It’s a very important day for India. And it ends all the rancour and contention there has been around this issue. If you want to understand Lord Ram, I must tell you that you can’t relegate Lord Ram as just a religious figure. That would indeed diminish His contribution and he understanding of Lord Ram in the entire civilisational ethos of this country,” she said.

Shazia also said that Al Jazeera had cherry-picked facts and quoted such members of the Muslim society and others who see the Ram Mandir as a threat. She said that all Indians who grew up in the syncretic Indian culture look up to Lord Ram.

Interrupting her, the anchor asked, “What message do you think it sends to build a temple on the site of a former mosque?” to which Shazia had just the answer.

“On the contrary in fact, the temple was broken by Mir Abi Bir (Mir Baqui), who was the commander-in-chief of Babur, the first Mughal emperor invader of India. And a mosque was made and this temple was razed. This is why this has been a part of the national consciousness of India and all its people. There are Muslim writers who see Lord Rama has a saint of Muslims too. A historical wrong has been corrected. And not just that, this has only come after the orders of a Supreme Court verdict. This fight has gone on since the 16th century when a mosque was erected atop a mandir,” she said.

The third motivated question from Al Jazeera was if the Ram Mandir was a “vote-getter” for the BJP and Narendra Modi in the election year.

Shazia said, “To be honest, yes you can’t undermine the fact that this will yield electoral dividends to the BJP but this has been part of BJP’s manifesto since 1990, ever since the entire movement on Ram Temple has begun.”

She also mentioned that Muslims too were given 5 acres of land by the SC and that Babri is not even a revered place like Mecca, Medina or Al Aqsa whereas Ayodhya itself is the birthplace of Lord Ram.

The Al Jazeera anchor then played up the Muslim victim card saying that the place for Muslims has been shrinking.

Shazia denied the insinuation and said that all is done in accordance of law. She reiterated that the Ram Mandir was built in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment.

The anchor interrupted and said that he is asking a political question about the “balance in the country between the communities”.

“The Muslim side accepted the SC verdict. This does not undermine secularism and the rule of law,” Shazia said. “We adhere to the Constitution of this country,” she said.

The anchor insisted that Shazia answer the question on whether this hinders the balance between communities.

She said, “There is complete balance between communities. Under PM Modi’s leadership, Muslims have benefitted the most. Muslims are only 14% of Indian population but 30% beneficiaries of central schemes are Muslims.”

“There is no discrimination whatsoever. This is a sacred place. It is the birthplace of Lord Rama. The Archaeological Survey of India has found the remains of Hindu temple. I think this is a moment of jubilation and end of hostilities,” Shazia concluded.

Al Jazeera and the Western media’s coverage of the Pran Pratistha has been heavily hateful, anti-India and anti-Hindu. They have historically never minced their words in downplaying India’s Hindu identity, in demonising it and even terming it as fringe.

Ayodhya: How Hindus were massacred on the call of jihad by Maulvi Amir Ali after King Devi Bakhsh Singh built Ram Chabootra on Janmabhoomi

राहुल पाण्डेय
-
0
Ayodhya: How Hindus were massacred on the call of jihad by Maulvi Amir Ali after King Devi Bakhsh Singh built Ram Chabootra on Janmabhoomi

The Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Mandir took place at Lord Ram’s birthplace in Ayodhya on 22nd January this year. Hindus all over the world are ecstatic about the development—the souls of innumerable Ram Bhakts who sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace.

Many such sacrifices and occurrences, either forgotten by the people or purposefully swept under the carpet by communist historians were brought to the world’s attention by OpIndia’s team in their ground reports.

When OpIndia began looking into Ram Janmbhoomi and its related issues during our ground report in and around Ayodhya, we discovered a lot of information that most people were unaware of. The atrocities of the Mughals were extensively detailed in the ground report. These comprise the sacrifices made by King Devi Bakhsh Singh of Gonda and King Jaydatt Singh of Bhiti as well as the jihad waged by Maulana Amir Ali and the unprecedented riots that occurred in Ayodhya around 1850.

King Devi Bakhsh Singh waged a war in the British period

As we mentioned in the last story, Bhiti king Mahtab Singh died in defence of Ram Janmbhoomi and 80,000 of his soldiers. In that piece, we found out that Mir Baqi mixed the blood of Raja Mahtab Singh and his warriors with mud to lay the mosque’s foundation. Further research into King Mahtab Singh revealed that his successors too attained martyrdom in the service of Ram Janmbhoomi.

Around 1527–1528, King Mahtab Singh, the ruler of Bhiti ruler was martyred in the service of Ram Mandir. King Jayadat Singh, a descendant of King Mahtab Singh sacrificed his life to defend Ram Janmbhoomi nearly 300 years after Mahtab’s death. The battle transpired between the years 1847–1857. Devi Bakhsh Singh, the king of Gonda fought for the Ram Mandir during this period and constructed a Ram Chabootra (platform) there.

Jitendra Singh Bisen, a fifth-generation descendant of King Devi Bakhsh Singh’s general Gulab Singh Bisen was interviewed by OpIndia. Jitendra Singh Bisen claimed that all of the fighters who had previously served in the Mughal army had joined the British Army. The disputed structure was attacked by King Devi Bakhsh Singh, the Gonda monarch at the time, who sensed the weakness of the Mughals. Ramjanmbhoomi was completely under Mughal control at this point.

The verbal accounts of how Ram Janmabhoomi remained a flashpoint between Hindus and Muslims from the Mughal era also attest to the Hindu assertion that a mosque was built atop a temple at one of their holiest sites.

Nevertheless, the Ramabhakts continued to make sporadic attacks and were making attempts to reclaim Janmbhoomi. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah occupied the Awadh throne at the time. King Devi Bakhsh Singh’s invasion decisively destroyed Wajid Ali and his troops. King Devi Bakhsh Singh’s forces eventually managed to reach Ramjanmbhoomi. Vijay Swaroop established a Ram Chabootra alongside the contested building.

Maulvi Amir Ali had waged jihad

Jitendra Singh further stated that as soon as the news of the construction of Ram Chabootra and Wajid Ali Shah’s defeat came to light, the Muslim zamindars (feudal rulers) in the area were incensed. Maulvi Amir Ali of Amethi was one of them. He marched to Ayodhya with a contingent of Mughals. His goal was to destroy the Ram platform and drive out the Hindus from Ram Janmbhoomi. Hindus had also begun to worship at Ram Janmbhoomi around this point.

Maulvi Amir Ali was determined to put an end to these prayers at whatever costs. Some more Muslim landlords moved towards Ayodhya with him. On the other hand, King Devi Bakhsh Singh battled against the British as he advanced towards the Nepal border up to Terai. He fought the war while residing in Nepal’s border regions and did not fall into the hands of the British throughout his life.

The British started to seek and destroy his strongholds and allies. Kranti Upvan Park in Gonda is constructed in honour of King Devi Bakhsh Singh. A monument commemorating him and the other warriors who died beside him in the 1857 revolt is located in this park. This monument also bears the name of Jitendra Singh Bisen’s ancestor, Gulab Singh.

Gonda’s Kranti Upvan where Raja Devi Bakhsh Singh and Gulab Singh’s memorial is built. (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

Later, Jitendra Singh Bisen became a member of the Hindu Mahasabha and fought to defend the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The Hindu Mahasabha itself contested the case in support of Ram Lalla Virajman. Jitendra Singh Bisen referred to it as his good fortune to have witnessed the culmination of the movement started by his ancestors and to have made an equal amount of contributions to it.

King Jaydatt of Bhiti was sacrificed

A descendant of King Jaydatt named Pranav Pratap Singh told OpIndia that as soon as the Mughal princes and clerics’ armies began moving toward Ayodhya, the Hindu kingdoms in the region also began to band together. They assembled far from Ayodhya. It is estimated that this was around 1850. The British had achieved total hegemony over India by that point.

Maulvi Amir Ali tried to break this circle near Raunahi where the front was guarded by King Jaydatt Singh, a descendant of Bhiti King Mahtab Singh who was the first to give his life for Ram Mandir while battling Mir Baqi. King Jaydatt Singh valiantly faced off against Amir Ali and became a fallen hero on the battlefield. Amir Ali and his soldiers reportedly perished during the clash.

Folk songs honouring King Jaydatt’s bravery are still sung in the Awadh region today. Kavindra Laxman Das wrote, “Awadh viagra hetu jab, jawn jure chahoon aaye; Chordi yatra kar liyo, kinho samar subhaye; Kush penti sab chaadi liye, khadg bhawani Datt; Ali Amiro so bhidyo, samar soor Jaydatt.” (The Hindu rulers arrived at the battleground and withdrew from their pilgrimages and other activities when the mob assembled to attack Ayodhya. The emperors then lifted their swords, setting aside the offerings of worship that they had taken in hand. Among them was the warrior king Jaydatta who was martyred in a battle against Amir Ali.)

Even now one can still observe religious symbols in King Jaydatt’s run-down palace. (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

Armies were fighting outside while rioting was occurring inside

The Faizabad Gazetteer disclosed that there was a riot between Hindus and Muslims in and around the Ram Mandir when the armies of Kshatriya Kings confronted Muslim landlords and clerics. Historian Cunningham noted that the Awadh region had never had a riot of this magnitude which took the lives of thousands of people.

Radical Muslims would stop at nothing to destroy Ram’s platform. At the same time, the Hindu side was striving to safeguard Janmbhoomi, their holy site of worship, at all costs. During the violence, Muslims also targeted Hindu women, children and the elderly while Hindus did not lay a hand on their women, children or old persons. The saints of Ayodhya were also attacked in the riots. This period of violence lasted from 1853 to 1859.

The British then avoided this issue as they were preoccupied with putting an end to the 1857 revolution. They only intervened in Ayodhya after suppressing the countrywide freedom movement. Afterwards, the British authorities of the time gave the order to keep things as they were. There were British troops stationed at Janmbhoomi. At last, Ram Chabootra was preserved due to the sacrifices made by Hindus as well as their kings and the worship continued there.

We’ll tell you about the horrors carried out by the Mughal army in King Mahtab Singh’s kingdom as they were outraged by the first sacrifice made by the Bhiti ruler to defend the Ram Mandir in our upcoming article.

Maldives: Opposition to move motion to impeach pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu. Here is what’s happening in the archipelago

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Maldives: Opposition to move motion to impeach pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu. Here is what’s happening in the archipelago

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the leading Opposition party in the archipelago, has garnered enough signatures to move a motion to impeach incumbent anti-India, pro-China Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu.

As per a report by Sun Online International, the development was confirmed by a lawmaker belonging to the MDP. The impeachment motion is reportedly being moved with the help of the Democrats. However, the motion is yet to be submitted in the Parliament.

The MDP has 43 MPs and the Democrats have 13 MPs in a Parliament of 80 seats. As per the standing orders of the Parliament, a sitting President can be impeached with 56 votes.

The development comes a day after a ruckus broke out in the Maldivian Parliament over a crucial vote to determine the cabinet of Mohamed Muizzu.

The chaos began after Opposition MPs were barred from entering the Parliamentary chamber by the ruling party MPs belonging to the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC).

It must be mentioned that the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) wields significant power in the Parliament has refused to approve 4 members (Ahmed Usham, Mohamed Saeed, Dr. Ali Haidar, and Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed) of the ruling party from joining the cabinet of President Muizzu.

The Opposition has raised questions about the suitability of the ‘designated cabinet ministers. The MPs belonging to the ruling PPM and PPC thus disrupted the Parliamentary proceedings and the functioning of the Speaker of the House.

In videos that have emerged on social media, some ruling MPs were seen blowing trumpet next to the chair of the Speaker. Others were seen manhandling, pushing and shoving Opposition MPs.

They had also submitted a motion of no-confidence against Speaker Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem. The videos of the scuffle have gone viral on social media, with netizens questioning the political turmoil in the archipelago.

Punjab: Indian-origin US citizen murdered by in-laws in Kapurthala for insurance money

Siddhi Somani
-
0
Punjab: Indian-origin US citizen murdered by in-laws in Kapurthala for insurance money

Rajdeep Kaur (32), a US-based Punjabi woman, was allegedly murdered by her in-laws in a Kapurthala village of Punjab after being called back to India on the pretext of attending a relative’s wedding.

The mother of a five-year-old son, Rajdeep was a US citizen and is believed to have been murdered for her insurance money. “It is believed the woman was murdered as she had a hefty life insurance coverage,” Babandeep Singh, DSP, Sultanpur Lodhi said.

Rajdeep’s mother-in-law Daljit Kaur and father-in-law Jagdev Singh were arrested by police on Monday (29th January) morning. Her husband, Manjinder Singh, who is in the United States, has also been charged.

Rajdeep Kaur was murdered between the night of January 19 and 20 at Nano Malian village, Kapurthala. Her husband had insisted that she and their five-year-old kid travel to Kapurthala on 12th January. While she was a US citizen, her husband is reportedly living illegally in the country and is trying to obtain a green card.

According to the post-mortem examination report, the cause of death was “asphyxia due to smothering” stated the police.

The victim’s in-laws stored the body in a freezer in Sidhwa Dona village for two days before reporting their daughter-in-law’s death to the Sultanpur Lodhi police. On 23rd January, police took the body for a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, Rajdeep’s parents in the UK learned of their daughter’s death over the phone. On 25th January, her mother Nirmal Kaur traveled to India, fearing Rajdeep had been murdered, and filed a complaint with the Sultanpur Lodhi police.

On 27th January, Rajdeep’s relatives protested outside the Sultanpur Lodhi police station, prompting the registration of an FIR against the deceased’s in-laws. 

“Rajdeep was constantly tortured by her husband. He wanted her to name all her property in his name so that he could get a green card. My daughter was called to India on the basis of a lie about a wedding. It was a plan to kill her. Her husband Manjinder told us she died of a heart attack. Another relative said she died due to gas from a room heater,” Nirmal Kaur said.

“Rajdeep was invited to Kapurthala on the pretext of the wedding of the son of Manjinder’s aunt. But there was no wedding. The woman died due to asphyxia, establishing that she was murdered. The FIR was lodged against the in-laws and husband the very day (Saturday) the post-mortem examination report came,” DSP Babandeep Singh said.

1...1,4001,4011,402...7,656Page 1,401 of 7,656