Adding to the sequence of name changes in Uttar Pradesh since the Yogi government took shape, a proposal to change the name of the Ghaziabad district was passed with a majority by the municipal corporation on Tuesday.
According to sources, two members of the corporation voted against the motion to rename Ghaziabad.
During the meeting, three names: Gaj Prastha, Doodheshwar Nath Nagar or Harnandipuram were finalised, which would now be sent to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Speaking on the development, Ghaziabad Mayor Sunita Dayal said a lot of people have been demanding a name change for the district.
“A proposal will be sent to the CM after the discussion with the board. The final decision on the name change rests with the CM,” the Mayor said.
Meanwhile, the head priest of Doodheshwar Nath temple in the district, Mahant Narayan Giri, said he had a meeting with CM Yogi last month during which the latter assured him that he would consider the request for name change.
“Back in the day, Ghaziabad used to be known as Gaj Prastha. Mughal emperor Akbar’s brother-in-law, Ghazuddin, renamed it Ghaziabad. Our first demand was that the name of this city be changed to either Gaj Prastha, Doodheshwar Nath Nagar or Haranandipuram. We also spoke to the chief minister and proposed these three names. He assured us that he would consider the matter,” he said.
The priest added that names that carry a colonial tag or the legacy of slavery should not be persisted with post independence.
“We consider it as our good fortune that the municipal corporation of Ghaziabad has passed this proposal. We are confident that Yogi-ji will restore the glory of the old times to the city,” he added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Tuesday (9th January), Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu urged China to “intensify” its efforts and send more tourists to the archipelago. The request comes at a time when Indian tourists are reportedly cancelling their trips to the Maldives en-masse in a backlash to his Ministers’ disparaging remarks against India and Indians.
On the second day of his ongoing five-day state visit to China, Muizzu addressed the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province. During his address, he urged China to increase the influx of Chinese tourists to the Maldives. According to a readout posted on his official website, Muizzu said, “China was our (Maldives’) number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position.”
At the event, he described China as the archipelago’s “closest” ally. He said, “China remains one of our closest allies and development partners.”
As per Maldivian media, Maldives has signed a USD 50 million project with China to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Arabian Sea islands.
According to Muizzu speech, he also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project. He claimed that the project “delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history.”
Meanwhile, the Maldives Tourism Ministry shared data indicating that in 2023, the highest number of visitors to the Maldives came from India, with 209,198 Indian tourists. Russia came second with 209,146 arrivals, and China was in third place with 187,118 arrivals.
In 2022, Maldives received the highest number of tourists from India with 240,000 arrivals. Russia followed India closely with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third that year with over 177,000 arrivals.
Before COVID, China occupied the leading position in Maldives with over 280,000 tourists. But Beijing is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism because of a nearly four-year lockdown policy which was coupled with the continued slowdown of its economy.
It is important to note that the Maldivian President appealed to China to send more tourists as it is facing a backlash from India. Its tourism sector is taking a hit after several ministers and members of the ruling party made derogatory remarks against Indians and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter’s visit to Lakshadweep.
While Indian social media users argued that Lakshadweep has the potential to replace Maldives, PM Modi had made no mention of it or any other nation during his trip. Yet the jittery Maldivian Ministers and users perceived it as a threat to its tourism potential and made uncouth commentary triggering a backlash from India.
Maldives government facing criticism from its opposition
Earlier, it was reported that Maldivian opposition has demanded the removal of their President Muizzu after several ruling leaders mocked India and PM Modi. Evidently, the minority leader in the Maldivian Parliament, Ali Azim, on Monday, called for the sacking of the archipelago’s President Mohamed Muizzu.
Azim called for steps to remove the Maldivian President from office including initiation of a vote of no confidence against him.
In response to Maldivian users’ and politicians’ uncalled-for racial commentary, trends like #BoycottMaldives, and cancellation of trips to Maldives are picking steam in India. In a firefighting bid, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry tried to distance itself from its Minister’s disparaging remarks against India and the Indian PM. It said that the government is aware of “derogatory remarks” on social media platforms against foreign leaders adding that the personal views do not represent its position.
Click here, to read details about the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Maldives and how a post by Mr Sinha, following PM Modi’s trip to Lakshadweep, triggered a sequence of events leaving the Maldivian President under dock.
Further, the Maldives government had suspended three of its ministers – Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid amid diplomatic tensions with India.
On Tuesday (9th January), the Vadodara Centre of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) extended an invitation to controversial mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik as a speaker for its upcoming event. Taking to its official X account, the IGNCA made this announcement. The event is slated to take place on 17th January at Ravi Varma Studio in Laxmi Vilas Palace compound, Vadodara.
The post, which was later deleted after outrage, read, “Regional Centre Vadodara invites you to a talk by the renowned mythologist, author, and speaker Devdutt Pattanaik at Ravi Varma Studio, Laxmi Vilas Palace compound, on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at 5 p.m…”
Later, the institute posted that the talk has been cancelled.
Talk on Exploring the stories of Ramayana in the works of Raja Ravi Varma, organised by Regional Centre Vadodara on 17 January 2024 at Raja Ravi Varma Studio, Vadodara stands cancelled.
— Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (@ignca_delhi) January 9, 2024
As per the invite shared in the post, later deleted, Pattanaik was slated to deliver a talk on the subject – Exploring the stories of Ramayana in the works of Raja Ravi Varma. Although the post has been deleted, there is a shroud on details of the event as reportedly the invitation to Pattanaik has been cancelled after outrage.
(IGNCA’s post which was later deleted shared the invitation letter extended to controversial Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik)
It is important to note that IGNCA is an Autonomous Trust under the Ministry of Culture.
However, the invitation to controversial mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik led to a massive outrage. Netizens started sharing screenshots of his vile, abusive, and sexually derogatory tweets against women.
Initial, the popular Twitter user Shashank Jha, while responding to invite to Devdutt Pattanaik, wrote, “Shocking to see that this anti-Hindu Devdutt Pattanaik has been invited to speak on Shri Ram by the Ministry of Culture. Dear Kishan Reddy: kindly look into this asap and take action.”
Shocking to see that this anti-Hindu Devdutt Pattanaik has been invited to speak on Shri Ram by @MinOfCultureGoI.
Dear @kishanreddybjp: kindly look into this asap and take action.
Sharing controversial claims and tweets of Devdutt Pattanaik, Hindu post wrote, “Why is IGNCA inviting this abusive man Devdutt Pattanaik who is a known distorian who has hurt millions through his perverted interpretations of Dharma and our itihaas, and is also facing legal action for spreading canards like ‘Dalits are not allowed in Jagannath Puri’?”
Why is @ignca_delhi inviting this abusive man Devdutt Pattanaik who is a known distorian who has hurt millions through his perverted interpretations of Dharma and our itihaas, and is also facing legal action for spreading canards like 'Dalits are not allowed in Jaggannath Puri'?… pic.twitter.com/aAJAc73Klq
Hindu Post added, “Casteist slurs, abusive jibes, sexist rants – this is how Pattanaik responds whenever his views are critiqued and challenged. Some of his gems are posted as screenshots.”
Another user wrote, “I seriously hope you will not offer such a prestigious platform to an uncouth misogynist and sexist like Devdutt Pattanaik” along with tagging several Union Ministers in the post.
Responding to the IGNCA post which was later deleted, Hindu Rights activist and popular X user, Shefali Vaidya wrote, “Seriously? What’s wrong with IGNCA, Min of Culture, Kishan Reddy? inviting perverted, abusive, illiterate folks like Devdutt for a talk? Waste of taxpayers’ money! Who makes these decisions?”
Devdutt Pattnaik has a history of publishing anti-Hindu tweets and mocking everyone who counters his left-leaning ideology against Hindus. The self-proclaimed mythologist has found himself caught in controversies multiple times by making bizarre comments on the History of Sanatan Dharma. In July 2020, he echoed Nepal’s PM’s claim that Bhagwan Ram was from Nepal and called India a “land of Monkeys” while mocking Bhagwan Hanuman. He has often restored to using filthy language against those who disagree with him on social media.
In January 2022, Devdutt Pattnaik took to social media platforms to tender an apology over derogatory and misogynistic tweets posted by him in the past. However, in doing so, he admitted to using rape as a tool to exact revenge.
The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of ex-Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt and upheld his conviction and life sentence handed down by a Jamnagar sessions court in a case related to custodial death.
The decision of the sessions court was affirmed by a division bench comprising Justices Ashutosh Shastri and Sandeep Bhatt.
“The trial court’s decision to convict the appellants is justified. We affirm this verdict and reject the appeals,” declared the bench during the judgment pronouncement.
The case revolves around an incident from 1990, during Bhatt’s tenure as the additional superintendent of police in Jamnagar district.
As the additional superintendent of police in Jamnagar district, he detained approximately 133 individuals under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) in the aftermath of a communal riot that erupted in a town in Jamnagar. The riots ensued following a Bharat Bandh called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on October 30, 1990, in protest of the arrest of Lal Krishna Advani, then BJP chief, who had initiated a Rath Yatra procession to Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir issue.
Among those detained, Prabhudas Vaishnani died after being released from custody. His family alleged that he had endured custodial torture at the hands of Bhatt and his colleagues. The family claimed that the detainees were indiscriminately beaten with sticks and coerced into various acts, such as crawling on their elbows. It was further alleged that they were denied access to water, leading to kidney damage in Vaishnani’s case.
Vaishnani spent nine days in police custody. After being released on bail, he succumbed to renal failure. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against Sanjiv Bhatt and other officers for custodial death, and a Magistrate took cognizance of the matter in 1995.
A total of seven police officers were implicated in the case, including two sub-inspectors and three police constables. The accused in the case were Sanjivkumar Bhatt IPS, Dipakkumar Bhagwandas Shah PSI, Shaileshkumar Labhshankar Pandya PSI, Pravinsinh Bavubha Zala PC, Pravinsinh Jorubha Jadeja PC, Anopsinh Mohbbatsinh Jethva PC, and Kesubha Dolubha Jadeja PC.
While thousands of dignitaries and people from all sections of society are gearing up to attend the auspicious Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has reportedly turned down the invitation.
On January 9, media outlets quoted the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) sources as confirming that a VHP functionary had approached the SP chief with the invitation to attend the ceremony but Akhilesh did not “accept” the invitation saying that he did not know the person (VHP functionary) who went to invite him.
“We do not accept invitations from those whom we do not know,” Akhilesh was quoted as having told the VHP functionary.
Meanwhile, reacting to Akhilesh Yadav’s offensive behaviour, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Alok Kumar said, “Invitation has been sent to him…let’s see if Lord Ram calls him.”
The Trust also retorted by saying that any devotee could pay obeisance at the Ram Temple whether he was invited or not.
When asked about Alok Kumar’s comments on a TV news channel in New Delhi on Tuesday morning, Yadav criticized the BJP-led administration, claiming it is anti-minorities. “This government is against minorities. Our Gods are PDA – Pichhade, Dalit and Alpasankhayak (Backward, Dalit and Minority).” The SP chief neither confirmed nor denied receiving the invitation.
Earlier, VHP international working president Alok Kumar had said: “Sometime back, I read his (Akhilesh’s) statement wherein he was quoted as saying that ‘If he gets an invitation for the ceremony, he will go’, so we have invited him; then I read another statement saying ‘If Bhagwan Ram Ji calls, then I will go’. So, now I am eagerly waiting to know if Ram ji calls the Samajwadi Party and its president or not. If not called, then it will be clear to people that Bhagwan Ram does not want (them).”
Notably, Akhilesh Yadav has over the months been very vague about attending the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. Recently, while SP MP and Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav has stated unequivocally that she will attend the Ram Temple consecration event if invited, Akhilesh gave a vague response as to whether he would go for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir. He stated that he would visit the Temple “whenever God wants him to”.
Some party officials then stated that the party’s position is still ambiguous because the situation is a Catch-22 for the SP. Knowing that the SP relies heavily on Muslim votes in the state the party does not want to irritate the minority community. At the same time, it does not want to turn its back on the Temple event, knowing that a large section of UP’s population is celebrating the historic event.
Akhilesh Yadav and his party have criticised the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for years
In November 2019, the Supreme Court had delivered the judgment in the Ayodhya case and handed over the Ram Janmabhoomi site to Hindus to build the temple of Lord Ram. Saints and devotees across the country had launched ‘Shri Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan’ campaign to raise funds for the grand temple.
A simmering wave of resentment swept the devotees of Lord Ram after Akhilesh Yadav derided the donation collectors, calling them “Chanda jeevi” or professional donation collectors. People responded to him with disdain and called him “Babar-Jeevi“.
Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when he banned the 84 koshi parikrama in Ayodhya under pressure from his minister Azam Khan to please fundamentalist Muslims.
Moreover, back in 2013 when the Samajwadi Party was in power in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh had suspended the then Home Secretary for convening a meeting to discuss aspects of the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir.
Akhilesh Yadav inherited hate for Hindus and the Ram Janmabhumi from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. He was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when had ordered firing upon the Karsevaks who had gathered at Ayodhya in November 1990 to demand the construction of a Ram temple. Mulayam Singh Yadav earned the nickname of ‘Mullah Mulayam’ for his atrocities on Hindus.
On Friday (5th January) morning, a local Trinamool Congress politician reportedly raped the mother of a BJP worker in Baruipur town in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
As per a report by ETV Bharat, the accused was identified as Malay Naskar aka Gora. He attacked the victim in the wee hours of the morning when she left her home to collect firewood.
Gora reportedly shoved the victim into a nearby bush and raped her at knifepoint. He then thrashed the woman, tied her hands with a cloth and dumped her into a nearby pond. The accused also threatened the victim against telling anyone about the crime.
The TMC leader tied a piece of cloth round her neck and threw her in the pond after sexually assaulting her.
Horror in Bengal. A BJP worker's mother recounts the incident in her police complaint. Apparently 2 days have passed but no one has been arrested. https://t.co/lKj4WO5wiYpic.twitter.com/n9gnJu4Wpf
Following the incident, the victim filed a complaint with the Baruipur police. However, no arrests have been made so far in connection to the rape case. The accused TMC politician has been reportedly absconding since the incident.
Miffed over the inaction of the police, the BJP Mahila Morcha staged a demonstration and blocked a road in Baruipur on Sunday (7th January). They have demanded immediate action against Malay Naskar aka Gora.
While speaking about the matter, BJP leader Anirban Ganguly told ETV Bharat, “The cops are not arresting the accused because he is a member of the Trinamool Congress. Everyone in this area knows who committed the crime.”
“Let the police arrest the accused without looking at his political affiliation. Otherwise, we will start a larger demonstration. Tomorrow I will go to Delhi and file a complaint with the Women’s Commissioner,” he concluded.
The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has written to Ease My Trip CEO Nishant Pitti seeking his assistance in fostering positive relations between the two countries in the wake of a diplomatic row over derogatory comments made by Maldivian politicians, public figures against India, Indians, and PM Modi.
“It is with a heavy heart that MATATO acknowledges the regrettable and derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms. These individuals, now suspended from their roles, do not reflect the sentiments of Maldivians in general. MATATO extends its sincere apologies for the hurt caused by these remarks,” the letter read.
Emphasising that they treat Indian counterparts not just as business associates but as brothers and sisters, the letter read, “Tourism stands as the lifeblood of the Maldives, contributing over two-thirds of our GDP and providing livelihoods to approximately 44,000 Maldivians who work directly in the tourism sector. The potential adverse impact on tourism holds the power to unleash severe repercussions on our economy, affecting the lives and well-being of many.”
“In response to recent social media exchanges, MATATO feels compelled to underscore the paramount importance of fostering positive ties with all countries, especially our South Asian neighbours,” it further added, referring to the uncharitable comments against India passed by some Maldivian politicians, who were later suspended.
“The Indian market remains an indispensable force in the success of the Maldivian tourism sector, providing vital support to guest houses and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that depend on the influx of Indian visitors. Together, we can ensure the continued growth and prosperity of both our nations,” it further said.
Asking Nishant Pitti to resume flight bookings to Maldives, the association said, “In conclusion, MATATO humbly seeks your assistance and support in fostering positive relations and dispelling any misunderstandings that may have arisen and reopening EaseMy Trip flights to Maldives.”
Ease My Trip CEO Nishant Pitti announces suspension of all flight bookings to Maldives
In the wake of derogatory comments made by some Maldivian politicians against India and PM Modi, Ease My Trip, an Indian online travel company, suspended all flight bookings to Maldives.
The development was confirmed by the company’s CEO Nishant Pitti on X (formerly Twitter). In a tweet, he stated, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”
“Embark on a journey with EaseMyTrip to discover the enchanting beauty of Ayodhya and the pristine allure of Lakshadweep! Immerse yourself in rich culture and breathtaking landscapes. Say no to Maldives bookings and explore the wonders of Ayodhya and Lakshadweep,” he further added.
The Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is preparing for its Pran Pratishtha ceremony set to take place on January 22, 2024. Amid the elaborate arrangements, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday (January 9), declared a holiday on January 22 for all schools and colleges in the state. The CM also said that there would be no sale of liquor across the state on the day of the event.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has given instructions to declare a holiday in all educational institutions across the state on January 22, in view of Ram Temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony
The CM has also said that liquor shops will remain closed in the state on the day.
The CM has further directed that all government buildings be decked on January 22nd, along with fireworks to commemorate the occasion.
Further, Yogi Adityanath ordered the application of the ‘Kumbh Model’ of cleanliness in Ayodhya.
On January 14, he announced the commencement of a cleanliness campaign in Ayodhya, emphasizing the need to keep the city hygienic and clean while preparing for the consecration ceremony.
The Chief Minister also instructed authorities to plan ahead of time where VVIPs would rest, ensuring the ceremony runs smoothly and efficiently.
The Chief Minister has urged the people of the state to mark the historic event with peace, harmony, and Covid-appropriate behaviour. He has also directed officials to provide adequate security, traffic management, and sanitary facilities in Ayodhya and other parts of the state.
Meanwhile, one lakh laddoos are being prepared in Andhra Pradesh for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Bhagwan Ram in Ayodhya. The ceremony is scheduled for 22nd January 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, saints and devotees have been invited to the mega event. As per reports, ‘Srivari laddu’, a Prasadam that is offered to Bhagwan Venkateswara in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is being prepared for the devotees of Bhagwan Ram for the auspicious day. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams are preparing the laddoos.
On Monday, January 8, Mahesh Panchal, brother of the Hindu activist Bittu Bajrangi passed away in AIIMS Delhi. He had been battling for his life for over a month after assailants poured thinner on him in Dabua Colony of Faridabad, Haryana and set him on fire. The incident happened on December 13th last year.
Within hours, Mahesh Panchal was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. He had sustained severe burn injuries which were estimated to be around 60%.
According to media sources, the attackers initially confirmed Bittu Bajrangi’s brother Mahesh Panchal’s identification. ‘Are you Bittu Bajrangi’s brother?’ they asked Mahesh Panchal. When Mahesh answered yes to this inquiry, they poured thinner on him and lit him on fire. Mahesh dived into a drain right away to douse the fire and walked to his house since no one came to help him. When Mahesh eventually arrived home, Bittu Bajrangi took him to the hospital.
While Mahesh Panchal was battling for his life with 60 per cent burns on his body, the leftist media houses and the usual set of Islamists and liberals had gone to peddle blatant lies regarding the attack on the Hindu activist’s brother.
A week after the assault, the Hindustan Times published an article where it claimed that Mahesh Panchal had faked the assault on himself. The article authored by Leena Dhankhar was titled: “Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi’s brother faked assault: Police” quoted the Faridabad police as saying that he had suffered burns after allegedly falling into a bonfire and that there was no proof to suggest that his injuries were sustained in a murder attempt.
The report quoted senior police officers to claim that Mahesh and Bittu Bajrangi lodged a “false complaint” to frame a suspected cow smuggler.
SS of the HT report published on December 22, 2023
The Hindustan Times report got the ball rolling for several like-minded leftist media outlets and the usual coteries of liberals and Islamists. “‘Bittu Bajrangi’s brother lied to police got burned falling in a bonfire'”, read the report published by The Wire.
SS of report published by The Week
Ultra-leftist news portal ThePrint also published a report on similar lines where it accused Mahesh Panchal and his brother Bittu Bajrangi of faking the assault. The report was headlined: ‘Bittu Bajrangi’s brother lied to police, got burned falling in a bonfire’.
SS of the report published by ThePrint
‘Fact-checking’ website Alt News’ out on bail co-founder Mohammed Zubair had jumped at the opportunity. As soon as the HT report was out claiming that Bittu Bajrangi’s brother faked the assault, Zubair shared the information widely on social media and propagated it as truth.
In fact, Zubair published multiple posts on social media against Bittu Bajrangi and his brother since the fake news was published by the Hindustan Times. In a post on X, he wrote, “Cow vigilante #BittuBajrangi’s brother faked assault: Police.” He shared the link to the HT report in the post. However, the “fact checker” did not care to confirm if Faridabad Police gave any such statement or not.
Zubair had gone as far as raising fingers at OpIndia’s coverage of the assault on Mahesh Panchal where we reported how a mob led by one Armaan had attacked Mahesh Panchal after confirming that he was the brother of the Hindu activist Bittu Bajrangi, who was hounded by Islamists during Nuh violence.
However, the police officials investigating the matter had rubbished HT’s report. While talking to OpIndia, the Faridabad Police denied the claims in the HT report. When informed about the HT report, ACP Faridabad asked who in the force had declared this case fake.
He said that it is true that no evidence has been found against the accused in this case so far, but it does not mean that the case is said to be fake. He has confirmed that Bittu Bajrangi’s brother has been burnt.
He said that it is a matter of investigation as to how he got burnt, who burnt him and for what reason. He said that till now no one has been given a clean chit nor has the investigation ended, but the investigation is still going on.
Moreover, on Sunday (24th December), the president of Gau Raksha Bajrang Force, Bittu Bajrangi, released a video accusing Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair and Hindustan Times (HT) of peddling a fake story against his brother.
In his video statement, Bittu Bajrangi said, “I am facing a painful phase of conspiracy against me. Me and my family are the target of anti-social elements. Hindustan Times and Mohammed Zubair took advantage of my silence. They made false reports viral against me. The reporter who wrote the report has a communist mindset. However, in the end, she is my sister. It’s okay, sister.”
He emphasised, “The day you become a victim of Love Jihad or conspiracy-like Nikita Tomar, Bittu Bajrangi will stand with you as well. I am now coming to Mohammed Zubair, who is spreading fake news against me, though Faridabad Police have not released any statement. I will file a case against him in Faridabad. He will be questioned as per the law about the fake news he published. I will take legal action against those who published the fake news. Mohammed Zubair, a communist, is spreading fake news against me. The administration should take action against him.”
#वामपंथी मोहम्मद जुबेर ने जो हिंदुस्तान टाइम्स का पत्रकार है वह बिगर जांच परख के मेरे बारे में फालतू बातें छाप कर गलत खबरें वह गलत अफवाह फैला रहा है उसके खिलाफ फरीदाबाद पुलिस में जल्द मुकदमा दर्ज कराऊंगा pic.twitter.com/IqaDHJQ47l
Mahesh Panchal, the brother of Gau Raksha Bajrang Force president Bittu Bajrangi, died after fighting for his life for almost a month. Individuals like Mohammed Zubair and his adherents should be questioned at this point: why would someone plan his own death, that to one as heinous as this? The physical and emotional suffering Mahesh Panchal must have gone through every single minute in this last month is unimaginable. However, none of this matters to Zubair or his adherents. The only thing which matters to them is muddling the readers with fake news and biased fact-checks focusing only on those facets that help them bolster their anti-Hindu propaganda.
Days after X (formerly Twitter) user ‘Mr Sinha’ shook the Maldives with a single tweet, a campaign has been underway to falsely label him as a ‘rapist’ and ‘paedophile.’
On Tuesday (9th December), another X user (@B5001001101) juxtaposed the photo of Mr Sinha (aka businessman Raushan Sinha) on a poster with a nefarious agenda to tarnish his image.
The poster falsely claimed that ‘Mr Sinha’ committed the rape of a 17-year-old Muslim girl in March 2022 in Surat city of Gujarat and that he was arrested for some time. It went on to claim that the case was dropped by the police on the behest of a Delhi-based BJP politician.
Screengrab of the fake news
“Mr. Raushan Singa (sic), an Indian national born and raised in Gujarat, allegedly raped a 17-year old Muslim girl named Meera Shah in March 2022 while she was returning home from school in Surat, Gujarat. He does not live there, but News ake News he was visiting the city at that time. This was reported to the Gujarat Police Department immediately as soon as the family knew about the incident. Police launched an investigation, collected forensic evidence and even arrested Sinha for a brief time period. However, the investigation was disrupted after an influential figure from BJP in New Delhi interfered in the investigation a few days later. The girl experienced significant trauma, which led to her discontinuing school attendance. Since then, her family has faced continuous harassment from his associates, leaving them feeling despondent. However, there is a possibility that the case might be reopened by the police if the party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not succeed in the Lok Sabha general elections scheduled for April/May 2024. Please alert the public about this individual,” the fake news posted by X user (@B5001001101) read.
The controversial user boasts of more than 17000 followers on the micro-blogging platform. At the time of taking screenshots, the fake news was shared over 200 times and liked by 500 people.
Popular X user ‘Vijay Patel’ alerted ‘Mr Sinha’ about the vicious attempt at character assassination. In a tweet, Raushan Sinha informed that he was on his way to the police station to register a complaint against the fake news peddler.
Mr Sinha is a Bihari living in Gujarat. His social media presence has grown strong over the years. Despite several of his old accounts suspended, his India first and pro-Hindu stand has resonated with many leading to a staggering 165.4k followers on X, formerly Twitter, which he joined in 2016.
On the evening of 4th January, Mr Sinha shared PM Modi’s Lakshadweep video in a post on his X account. Little did he know that this post would cut the ground from under People’s National Congress’s (PNC) feet, the ruling party in Maldives.
Mr Raushan Sinha, a political commentator, took to X to share PM Modi’s appeal to people around the world to visit Lakshadweep. “What a great move! It’s a big setback to the new Chinese puppet govt of Maldives. Also, it will boost tourism in #Lakshadweep,” Mr Sinha wrote.
The post irked Mariyam Shiuna, Maldives’ Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts. The Maldivian leader responded to Mr Sinha’s post calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “clown” and a “puppet of Israel”.
Shiuna, along with two more ruling party leaders in Maldives, is now suspended and has deleted her post. While Indian netizens in clear words objected to the derogatory words used against their country and Prime Minister, Mr Sinha raised in a significant point in his clarification post.
On 5th January, he wrote, “It seems it has reached the Maldives & many Maldivians are hurt with this. Just to clarify that we have nothing against the Maldives, we are against your new govt which is pro China & anti India.”
Speaking to OpIndia, he pointed out that the Opposition in Maldives is pro-India whereas the ruling government led by Mohamed Muizzu is pro-China. Notably, the controversy erupted ahead of Muizzu’s visit to China on 8th January.
