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‘Modi is terrorist’: Khalistanis desecrate Hindu temple in US, attacks on Hindu places of worship continue unabated

OpIndia Staff
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‘Modi is terrorist’: Khalistanis desecrate Hindu temple in US, attacks on Hindu places of worship continue unabated

In yet another case of temple desecration, the Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward city in California state of the United States was desecrated with pro-Khalistani slogans.

The temple was spray-painted with slogans such as ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Modi is terrorist.’ The development was confirmed by the temple administration on Facebook.

In a statement released on Tuesday (2nd January), it said, “Jai Mata Di Bhakto’s. With deep regret, we would like to inform you (that) the Temple has been vandalized last week. We have informed the police and they have classified it as a hate crime.”

“A few other Hindu Temple’s in the area have also been vandalized (most likely by the same culprits). We pray for those who wish harm and hatred on others that Mata Rani cleans their souls and gives them happiness and eradicates hate from their hearts,” the temple administration informed.

In a tweet, the Hindu advocacy group ‘Hindu American Foundation (HAF)’ added, “Breaking: Another Bay Area Hindu temple attacked with pro-#Khalistan graffiti.”

It emphasised, “The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward, CA sustained a copycat defacement just two weeks after the Swaminarayan Mandir attack and one week after a theft at the Shiv Durga temple in the same area.”

“HAF is in touch with temple leaders and in contact with Alameda Police Department and Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division,” it concluded.

The Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward was built in memory of Fijian Hindu immigrant Vijay Chand, who became a real estate tycoon in San Francisco and wanted a community centre for Hindus to eat, gather, pray and meditate.

This is not the first time that a Hindu temple was desecrated by Khalistani elements. On 22nd December last, the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark city of California, was defaced with pro-Khalistan, anti-Modi and anti-India slogans.

The outer wall of the temple was defaced with slogans such as “Khalistan”, “Shaheed [Martyr] Bhindrawale”, “F$%k Modi Jindabad” and “Modi Is Terrorist”.

Taking to X, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) shared pictures of the defaced temple walls and said that they had informed Newark Police about the incident. The Foundation has requested Newark Police to investigate the matter as a hate crime.

Similar attacks have taken place in the past, both in the United States and its neighbouring Canada, wherein Hindu temples have been attacked, vandalised and defaced with derogatory graffiti.

India has already voiced alarm over the increasing activities of Khalistani terrorists and has asked countries to cracked down on groups and people attempting to incite separatism in India.

EAM Jaishankar in Kathmandu: India announces NPR 1000 crores help for Nepal for earthquake relief measures

ANI
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EAM Jaishankar in Kathmandu: India announces NPR 1000 crores help for Nepal for earthquake relief measures

 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that the Indian government will provide a financial assistance package of approximately NPR 1000 crores to Nepal to provide further support following the recent earthquake in Jajarkot, Indian embassy in Kathmandu said in a press statement.

Earlier in November, 128 people died and at least 141 were injured after a strong earthquake of 6.4 magnitude jolted Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated on Thursday that Jaishankar and Foreign Affairs Minister of Nepal NP Saud also witnessed the handover of the fifth tranche of post-Jajarkot earthquake relief supply provided by the Indian government.

It consisted of “200 prefabricated houses, 1200 blankets, 150 tents and 2000 sleeping bags for the earthquake-affected people in Nepal,” the statement said.

“Out of the 200 prefabricated houses, 20 were handed over today and the remaining shall be handed over in various tranches over the next few weeks,” it added.

EAM Jaishankar is on an official visit to Nepal from January 4 to 5, 2024, at the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, NP Saud.

The two ministers co-chaired the 7th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission on Thursday, which reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, including developmental partnerships.

“The Joint Commission appreciated the achievements made in all areas of bilateral cooperation during the period following the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission held on January 2021,” the statement said.

Following the meeting of the Joint Commission, EAM and the Foreign Minister of Nepal witnessed the exchange of the four agreements.

The first agreement between India and Nepal was for the implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal.

“In the new agreement, the budgetary ceiling for the implementation of HICDPs has been increased from NPR. 5 crore to NPR. 20 crore,” it stressed.

Second, an agreement between the Indian government and the Nepal government was for Long Term Power Trade.

Under this agreement, it has been agreed to strive to increase the quantum of power export from Nepal to India to 10,000 MW within a timeframe of ten years and, towards this end, take all necessary measures to encourage mutually beneficial investments in Nepal’s hydropower generation sector and transmission infrastructure.

Thirdly, the Launch Service Agreement for Munal Satellite was developed by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology between NewSpace India Limited and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.

“This satellite developed by Nepali students shall be launched on a gratis basis on an Indian launch rocket,” the statement said.

Lastly, the MoU for Cooperation in Renewable Energy Development between NTPC Limited and Nepal Electricity Authority was signed. This MoU creates a framework for cooperation in renewables between NTPC and NEA.

Moreover, they also jointly inaugurated three 132 kV cross-border transmission lines between India and Nepal, namely, the second circuit of the Raxaul-Parwanipur line, the second circuit of Kataiya-Kusaha line, and the New Nautanwa-Mainhiya lines.

“EAM paid courtesy calls on Rt Hon’ble President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Paudel and Rt Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’,” the statement highlighted.

Additionally, bilateral matters of mutual interest were discussed in these meetings.

During the day, EAM also held meetings with other senior political leaders in Nepal.

Later, the Foreign Minister of Nepal also hosted a dinner in honour of the EAM, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu stated.

On Friday, EAM Jaishankar will inaugurate 59 post-earthquake reconstruction projects in the education, health and culture sectors, including the new building of the Tribhuvan University Central Library, which has been built with the Government of India’s grant assistance.

Later, EAM will return to India tomorrow.

Notably, Nepal is a priority partner of India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between two close and friendly neighbours,” the statement stressed.

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

US: 1 student killed in shooting at Iowa high school, shooter dead

OpIndia Staff
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US: 1 student killed in shooting at Iowa high school, shooter dead

A six grader was killed and 5 other students wounded in a shooting on Thursday morning (US local time) at Iowa’s Perry High School. According to ABC News, there appeared to be at least two people injured on the scene as well.

The scene is now “secured,” according to Dallas County, Iowa, officials. The FBI’s resident agent at its Des Moines office responded to the scene to assist the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI said.

Reports have now emerged that the accused is a 17-year-old student at the school and has died of “self-inflicted” gunshot sounds. The accused has been identified as Dylan Butler, who, according to his social media account, was a transgender.

According to reports, he had published some posts on his TikTok account before going on a shooting spree.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also on the scene, according to ABC News. Perry is located in the suburbs northwest of Des Moines. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies)

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexual harassment case: Delhi Police begins arguments afresh after the transfer of judge

ANI
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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexual harassment case: Delhi Police begins arguments afresh after the transfer of judge

Delhi Police on Thursday began its arguments afresh on the framing of charges against former WFI Chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case. This matter is at the stage of framing charges before the Rouse Avenue Court.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajput, after hearing the submission of Delhi police, listed the matter for further arguments on January 6, 2024.

This case was filed on the basis of six complaints filed by six female wrestlers. Delhi police have already filed a charge sheet against BJP MP Singh.

The matter has been argued afresh as the predecessor judge who heard the parties on the point of framing of charge has been transferred.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava appeared for the Delhi police. He argued that incidents of sexual harassment of female wrestlers took place in India and Delhi.

He argued that there are multiple incidents within and outside India when the accused sexually harassed the complainant wrestlers by touching their breasts and stomachs on the pretext of checking their breathing patterns.

APP also submitted that 44 persons have been made witnesses, including 6 victims.

APP submitted that on April 21, 2023, six complaints were filed with the police. They also approached the government and the Supreme Court. Two FIRs were registered by the police and were placed before the Supreme Court.

An additional public prosecutor also read over the statements of the complainants. One of the complainants stated that in 2018, she went to Kazakhstan and won a gold medal.

It has been alleged that when she was stretching, the accused came near me and, without my permission, lifted my T-shirt, touched her breast and slid his hand to her stomach on the pretext of my breathing pattern.

Another incident was in New Delhi when the complainant went to meet the former WFI Chief, Brij Bhushan, at its office, the APP submitted.

Another statement was also read, which stated that when she was doing a stretch in the arena, the accused allegedly touched the breast of the female wrestler.

She also stated that the accused hugged her and held her waist. He asked the girl to compromise with him and told her she would not face any difficulty in her career. Her brother was stopped outside by her co-accused, Vinod Tomar.

APP submitted that this incident attracted Section 354A of the IPC as he sought sexual advancement.

The APP also mentioned that the incidents took place in Magnolia, Bellary Karnataka, Tokyo and Jakarta.

Another girl stated that she went to WFI along with her would-be husband, who was asked to stop outside by the co-accused, Vinod Tomar. During the incident, the accused sexually harassed the complainant, APP argued.

This matter pertains to the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Singh by six female wrestlers.

Earlier, Delhi police had submitted that, as per the statements of the witnesses and victims, they were molested at different places, including abroad as well as in different parts of India, including a place that falls within the jurisdiction of PS Connaught Place.

On November 28, complainant female wrestlers filed written submissions on the framing of charges against MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the sexual harassment case.

Singh had already filed his written submissions.

The court had noted that it was argued by the defence counsel, Rajiv Mohan, that this court has no jurisdiction to try any offence allegedly committed outside India as the sanction under Section 188 Cr.pc has not been obtained.

It was also argued that no sanction is required when the offence is partly committed in India and partly outside India, the court noted.

The court also noted the defence counsel’s arguments that the alleged offences, as per their prosecution, have happened in Tokyo, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Jakarta, Kazakhstan, Turkey, etc. and cannot be tried by this court.

The court asked the question of the Sexual harassment can be called a continuing offence. Multiple offences, separated by date, time and place, can be covered.

The court also noted the submissions made by the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) that the act of sexual harassment was a continuing offence as it didn’t stop at any particular time.

As per APP, the accused molested the victim whenever he got the opportunity and such harassment can not be looked at as isolated, the court noted.

During the hearing, defence counsel submitted that one of the complainants alleged that the accused made sexual advances in 2022.

He further submitted that the incident of 2022 is of Bulgarian and WFI offices. The incident at the WFI office was not mentioned before the oversight committee.

He also referred to the SC judgement of 1993 which said that the offences committed here can be tried in 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)

‘Mamata Banerjee is busy serving Modi’: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attacks the TMC chief after TMC offers just two seats to Congress in WB

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mamata Banerjee is busy serving Modi’: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attacks the TMC chief after TMC offers just two seats to Congress in WB

‘As far as possible’, this was the caveat added in the opposition’s I.N.D.I. Alliance back in September 2023 resolution to fight the upcoming general elections slated for May 2024. However, it seems even before the elections, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties are not interested in supporting each other ‘as far as possible’ but rather only tolerating each other since they cannot take on Narendra Modi and BJP individually in the elections.

Seat sharing has emerged as a major dispute among the I.N.D.I. Alliance parties as was seen in the Madhya Pradesh elections when the Samajwadi Party openly slammed Congress for not giving enough seats to the party with SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav calling Congress a “Chalu” party and wishing for its defeat. Now, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has launched a fresh attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that she is “busy serving” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chowdhury on Thursday (4th January), further claimed that Mamata Banerjee does not want an alliance with the Congress party and that his party can fight in the coming Lok Sabha election on its own.

“We did not ask for alms. Mamata Banerjee herself said she wanted an alliance. We do not need Mamata Banerjee’s mercy. We can contest elections on our own. Mamata Banerjee actually doesn’t want an alliance as she is busy serving PM Modi,” Chowdhury said during a media interaction today.

While speaking to the media in Murshidabad on Thursday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attacked Mamata Banerjee saying that her “real intention is out”. He added that TMC is offering the Congress 2 seats for the general elections which already have Congress MPs.

“The real intention of Mamata Banerjee is out. They are saying that they (TMC) will give two seats (to Congress) in West Bengal. Those seats already have Congress MPs. What new are they giving us? We won these two seats by defeating Mamata Banerjee and the BJP. What favour are they doing to us? Who will trust her (Mamata Banerjee)? It is Mamata who needs Congress to win… Congress can fight and is capable of winning more seats on its own. We will show. We don’t need to keep these two seats on Mamata’s pity…” Chowdhury said.

This comes after it was reported that the Trinamool Congress has offered 2 Lok Sabha seats to its I.N.D.I.A. bloc ally Congress party in West Bengal. Notably, it will be a slight climb down from the TMC side after earlier stating that they want to fight on all 42 seats in Bengal.

As reported earlier, TMC is said to have advocated for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to take the place of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s convenor instead of Bihar CM and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar. While there is nothing against Nitish Kumar from the TMC side, they feel that Kharge will make a better convenor. Notably, a few days ago, there were reports that the I.N.D.I.A. block will make Mallikarjun Kharge their PM candidate. Interestingly, a few days back, some supporters of TMC’s Mamata Banerjee had started a website projecting her as the next PM.

Notably, the Congress party which earlier was playing the self-appointed ‘big brother’ role in the INDI Alliance boasting its “national party” status has been pushed on the backfoot, especially after its recent defeats in the Hindi heartland. Other than TMC in Bengal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also refused to share seats with the Congress party. On 17th December 2023, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal expressed his desire to contest all thirteen Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and one Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

During a public meeting in Bathinda, Punjab, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal said, “There are 13 seats in Punjab and one seat in Chandigarh. My heart says the way people are getting benefitted; you should give all 13 seats to us and make us strong.”

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, another INDI bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT) is at loggerheads with Congress over demand to contest 23 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut argued that their I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Congress would have to start with zero while they have been fighting on 23 seats in Lok Sabha adding that state leaders giving comments over the seat-sharing formula doesn’t matter.

From clashes over seat sharing to prime ministerial candidate against the invincible Narendra Modi, the I.N.D.I. bloc has not been able to sort out its issues while not much time is left for the elections. When the opposition bloc is fighting over a mere one or two seats, forget “as far as possible” it seems ‘impossible’ for these parties to even pretend to be ‘together’ for too long.

Viral photographs of PM Modi in Lakshadweep cause huge jump in people searching for more information on the islands and snorkelling

OpIndia Staff
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Viral photographs of PM Modi in Lakshadweep cause huge jump in people searching for more information on the islands and snorkelling

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep on 2 and 3 January, as part of his South India visit which also included programs in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The PM reached Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, 2nd January, from there he flew to Agatti in Lakshadweep on the same day. He spent the night in union territory, attended several programs, before moving to Kerala for a road show on 3rd January.

Today PM Modi shared several photographs on X, showing that apart from attending public programs, he also took part in some adventurous activities in the scenic islands. He tried snorkelling, and shared photographs on the same. He tweeted, “During my stay, I also tried snorkelling – what an exhilarating experience it was!”

PM Modi also shared two underwater photographs of coral reefs and other marine life. He tweeted, “For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.”

He also shared images of enjoying some time on the beach, saying, “In addition to the scenic beauty, Lakshadweep’s tranquility is also mesmerising. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how to work even harder for the welfare of 140 crore Indians.” PM Modi said he took early morning walks “along the pristine beaches” which proved to be “moments of pure bliss”.

After PM Modi posted those images, the number of searches for the terms Lakshadweep and snorkelling skyrocketed. The Google searches for snorkelling has jumped by over 2000%, while the searches for Lakshadweep has increased by around 350%.

This shows a massive increase of people on Lakshadweep, including the snorkelling activity. It is notable that snorkelling is the activity of swimming under water while breathing ambient water using a tube called snorkel. This allows people to observe the underwater environment by swimming just under the water surface. As a tube is use to breath ambient air, it does not require oxygen tank, which is needed in diving.

Snorkelling is a popular recreational activity at beach resort locations, and Lakshadweep has plenty of such locations which can give a boost to tourism in the islands.

During his visit to Lakshadweep, the Prime Minister inaugurated development projects worth more than Rs 1,150 crore. One major project is the inauguration of the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI-SOFC) project, which he had announced in his independence day speech in 2020. This will lead to an increase of internet speed for more than 100 times, from 1.7 Gbps to 200 Gbps, in the UT. This is the first Submarine Optic Fibre Cable connection for Lakshadweep.

PM Modi also dedicated the Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination plant at Kadmat to the nation, which will produce 1.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water every day.

‘No intention to humiliate’, ‘did not know woman’s caste’: Punjab and Haryana HC quashes SC/ST FIR against Times Now journalist Bhawana Gupta

OpIndia Staff
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‘No intention to humiliate’, ‘did not know woman’s caste’: Punjab and Haryana HC quashes SC/ST FIR against Times Now journalist Bhawana Gupta

On Thursday, 4th January, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed an FIR filed last year against Times Now Navbharat reporter Bhawana Gupta (Bhawana Kishore) for allegedly hitting a Dalit woman with a car and hurling casteist slurs against her.

A bench of Justice Anoop Chitkara observed, “It remains undisputed that the accused/petitioner had no personal knowledge of the victim’s or her family’s caste. As such, the Court cannot presume that the accused was aware of the victim’s caste or tribal identity. Given this, the primary burden was on the complainant to establish this knowledge, which they did not state. Neither the State nor the complainant mentioned that the petitioner was aware of the victim’s caste, and their conspicuous silence speaks more than the words.”

The court invoked its inherent jurisdiction under section 482 CrPC and quashed the FIR and all subsequent proceedings qua the petitioner, saying that it was a fit case where continuing criminal proceedings would amount to an abuse of the legal process.

Notably, in May 2023, Bhawana Gupta, cameraman Mrityunjay Kumar, and the driver of their car, Parmender Singh Rawat, were arrested in connection with the road accident. While the accused were charged under Indian Penal Code sections 279, 337, and 427, the TimesNow journalist was charged also under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act sections 3 and 4. The FIR against Kumar and Rawat had already been quashed by the high court.

Gupta argued, through her lawyer, that even if the allegations were assumed to be true, she had no intention of abusing the woman with the words attributed to her in the FIR because she had never met her and was unaware of her caste. The counsel additionally contended that the FIR was politically motivated, fabricated, and would stifle the media’s voice.

The state counsel, on the other hand, argued that the investigation was in its early stages and that Gupta intended to insult the woman with casteist abuses, thus violating the provisions of the SC/ST Act.

Justice Chitkara ruled that the driver of the vehicle was responsible for the offences under IPC sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by doing any act so rashly or negligently), and that section 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) was involved in the damage to a mobile phone that had fallen as a result of the accident’s impact.

“It would be a travesty of justice to arrive at a finding of a prima facie case that the petitioner, who was not driving and was a passenger, had caused impact with the vehicle with the intention or knowledge that the driver will cause an accident, the phone that the victim might be carrying would fall, which in turn would cause a loss of more than Rs.50. Thus, by such an imagination, the ingredients of mischief could not have been invoked against the petitioner,” the bench noted.

“Even if all allegations of causing damage to the phone are taken to be true, it will not constitute any offence against the petitioner, punishable under Sections 279, 337, 427 IPC,” the Court said, dismissing the FIR for an offence under Sections 279, 337, 427 IPC.

Furthermore, regarding the accusation that Bhawana Gupta hurled casteist abuses and insulted the complainant publicly for belonging to SC/ST, Justice Chitaka opined, “Offence under the Act is not established merely on the fact that the informant is a member of Scheduled Caste unless there is an intention to humiliate a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe for the reason that the victim belongs to such caste.”

In the face of the foregoing, the Court ruled that continuing criminal proceedings would be an abuse of the legal process, and thus quashed the FIR and all subsequent proceedings relating to Gupta.

Back in May last year, Times Now had alleged that their reporter was falsely implicated in an SC-ST case by the Ludhiana police. The channel also said that she was not driving the vehicle and was not responsible for the accident. Bhawana was arrested while she was on her way to report the inauguration of Mohalla Clinics by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

The channel, hinting at an alleged witchhunt launched against them by the Aam Aadmi Party after their recent “Operation Sheesh Mahal” expose against their supremo Arvind Kejriwal, said that Bhawana was taken away in a car by a male cop before a flimsy FIR was filed against her in Ludhiana’s Section 3 Division Police Station. It was also noted that the said cop was not wearing a nameplate displaying his name while taking Bhavana.

Speaking about her ordeal last year while she was held in police custody, Bhawana had said that she was forced by the police to use the toilet with its door open. “I was not feeling well, so I ate the food [they gave]. The driver and cameraperson also ate a little. I was having a lot of water as I was feeling nervous. When I went to the washroom, 2-3 female constables accompanied me. There was no electricity or water at the police station [I was kept in],” Bhawana said.

Karnataka: After Kar Sewak’s arrest, Congress govt reopens yet another case against a Hindu activist in connection with demolition of tomb in Dattapeetha

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: After Kar Sewak’s arrest, Congress govt reopens yet another case against a Hindu activist in connection with demolition of tomb in Dattapeetha

The Congress-led state government has reopened another case against Hindu activists in Karnataka. As per reports, a case against Dattapeetha activist has been reopened a day after Karsewak Srikant Poojari’s arrest. The case against Dattapeetha activists is linked to the demolition of a tomb in Dattapeetha in 2017 in Taluk Chikkamagaluru. The case was closed when the BJP government was in power in the state.

Reports suggest that the state government has reopened cases against 14 people. Some of the activists against whom the cases were reopened are Tudukur Manju, Shivaraj, Sandesh, Sumanth, Naga, Nagendra Poojary, Mohan, Ashok, Teju, Srinath, Lokesh Mahendra, Sandeep and Ramu. They have been asked to appear in court on 8th January.

Karnataka Government reopened cases ahead of Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya

Ahead of the date of Pran Pratishta of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, the Karnataka government has stirred a controversy by reopening several cases against Hindu activists. One of the Kar Sewak Srikant Poojari was arrested by Karnataka Police for his alleged involvement in riots following the demolition of a disputed structure in Ayodhya.

After his arrest, BJP leaders staged protests in the state, accusing the government of vendetta politics. On the other hand, Congress workers protested, demanding the arrest of BJP leaders. Notably, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on 2nd January that a criminal remains a criminal until he is proven innocent by a court of law.

Who is Devendra Tiwari, who conspired to send threats to Yogi, Ram Mandir and himself: Fought polls on SP ticket, supported Congress, supported Tikait in farm law protests

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Devendra Tiwari, who conspired to send threats to Yogi, Ram Mandir and himself: Fought polls on SP ticket, supported Congress, supported Tikait in farm law protests

On Wednesday (3rd January), two individuals were apprehended for issuing bomb threats targeting the Shri Ram Temple, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and the chief of the UP Police Special Task Force (STF). It was discovered that Devendra Tiwari, the head of NGOs named Bharatiya Kisan Manch and Bharatiya Gau Seva Parishad, masterminded the plot.

After Devendra Tiwari was named in the case, several people, including the Congress party and Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair are accusing that he is linked with BJP. They have been sharing photographs showing Tiwari with BJP leaders like UP CM Yodi Adityanath.

Uttar Pradesh Sevadal posted such an image on Twitter showing Tiwari meeting Yogi Adityanath, to insinuate that he has links with BJP.

Samajwadi Prahari, the mouthpiece of Samajwadi Party, claimed that Tiwari is a BJP supporter and close to several BJP leaders.

‘Fact checker’ Zubair also shared the photo saying that Tiwari had shared the image of him meeting Yogi Adityanath and had assured full support to BJP in 2022 assembly elections.

Zubair also shared social media posts of Tiwari extending support to BJP, along with an acknowledgement letter by the party.

While it is a fact that Devendra Tiwari had met Yogi Adityanath and extended support to BJP, opposition parties and others missed a crucial fact. That fact is, Tiwari has hobnobbed with several different political parties in the past, including Congress and SP.

Tiwari has used the photo of him meeting the UP CM as the banner image in his Facebook profile, but the photos in the same profile shows that he does not have any special ties with BJP, and he meets leaders of almost all political parties. As he heads Bharatiya Kisan Manch, he is actively involved in farmer politics, and is seen with Rakesh Tikait in many photos. He also participated in the farmer protests.

Devendra Tiwari with Rakesh Tikait

Notably, Devendra Tiwai fought the Zila Panchayat elections in 2015 from a Samajwadi Ticket. He was a candidate from Sarojini Nagar from the party. He was seen with banners of SP featuring images of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav.

Devendra Tiwari fought local body poll on SP ticket

In the 2017 assembly elections, he supported SP candidate Anurag Yadav from Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency.

Devendra Tiwari supported SP candidate

He was also associated with the Congress party in the same period. In 2016, he posted a photo of himself with the Congress hand symbol superimposed on it. He is seen with Sheila Dikshit in the same year in a photo he posted on Facebook. In the same year, he was also seen in a Congress rally in Varanasi, joining the campaign for Congress candidate Rajendra Mishra from Varanasi South in assembly polls.

Devendra Tiwari supported Congress candidate

Devendra Tiwari’s social media history shows that he was an opponent of BJP till 2021. Apart from participating in SP and Congress events, he regularly posted messages supporting these two parties, apart from supporting the farmer organisations protesting against the BJP government. He also actively took part in the anti-farm law protests.

However, he seems to have pivoted to have a favourable view of the BJP in 2021. He started supporting BJP candidates in local body polls in that year. Devendra Tiwari posted the photos of him meeting Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders in March 2022. During this time he also assured support to the BJP.

However, this does not mean that he has any special affiliation with BJP. He continues to be part of farmer movements, being the chief of Bharatiya Kisan Manch. While has only promised to BJP, he actually contested election on a SP tickets. Moreover, he campaigned for both SP and Congress candidates in the 2017 assembly polls.

As per the police, Devendra Tiwari hatched the entire plan to send threatening messages to gain political prominence. It has been alleged he had asked his employees Tahar Singh and Om Prakash Mishra to send the threat emails using fake names, so that he can demand more security from the government. A terrorist threat and govt security will improve his political stature, he had thought.

The emails had threatened bomb attacks against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, STF Chief Amitabh Yash, Devendra Nath Tiwari, and the upcoming Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Kar sevak Shrikant Poojary arrested: Discrepancies between Hubbali-Dharwad police and Karnataka Home dept versions raise suspicion over intent of arrest

OpIndia Staff
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Kar sevak Shrikant Poojary arrested: Discrepancies between Hubbali-Dharwad police and Karnataka Home dept versions raise suspicion over intent of arrest

While the Hubbali-Dharwad Police in Karnataka has claimed that arrested kar sevak Shrikant Poojary had been absconding since 1992 when the case was filed, government documents reveal that he had been fined and even summoned several times in the past.

A report by News18 citing documents released by the Karnataka Home Department says that Poojary was summoned by the police in 2004, 2009 and 2018 prompting the question that why an arrest wasn’t made then.

According to the News18 report, Poojary was also asked to give an undertaking at the police station for good behaviour whenever there was a precautionary arrest under 107 of CrPC. Moreover, Poojary was also reporedly fined multiple times under the Karnataka Police Act.

The report alleges that the Hubbali-Dharwad Police knew about the whereabouts of Shrikant Poojary. This thereby reveals a huge inconsistency in the case of the arrest of Shrikant Poojary.

As per reports, Poojary was booked in 16 cases in the past 31 years including pertaining to riots in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.

A case was filed in 1992 at the Hubbali town policestaion for rioting and other offences under Sections 143, 147, 436, 427 of IPC. In 2006, the case was designated as long pending by a court.

According to Hubli-Dharwad City Police Commissioner Renuka K Sukumar, the action is part of a routine drive to clear long-pending cases.

An official quoted by News18 said, “The investigations into long-pending cases or LPCs began and we found that Poojary was the one we could categorise under absconding, so he was picked up and arrested.”

Sanjeev Bhadaskar, Counsel of Shrikant Poojary, while speaking to Republic TV said that Poojary has been living in the same city in Karnataka since the past 31 years.

In view of the above information, the timing of Poojary’s arrest has come into question. Since Poojary was named in the Hubbali 1992 riots case in 1992 itself and with the state government documents revealing that Poojary had given undertaking for good behaviour and had not left the city, the BJP has asked why was the arrest now made in the case in the past 30+ years?

Karnataka BJP has been protesting across the state to protest Poojary’s arrest. BJP leader CT Ravi staged a protest outside he town police station in Chikmagalur.

In a statement, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the Congress-led government of being anti-Hindu. He said, “Karnataka government is proving again and again that it is an anti-Hindu government. Yesterday in Hubballi, they reopened a 31-year-old case, and Hindu worker Srikant Poojari was arrested; we strongly condemn this.”

Simultaneously, BJP MLA and general secretary V Sunil Kumar was detained by police for staging a protest in Bengaluru. Kumar held a placard that read, “I am Kar Sewak; arrest me”, after which the police detained him.

The protests comes a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified the action saying that it did not stem from vendetta. Speaking to the media in Koppal, he said, “His involvement in the violence after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 in Hubli was found during investigations, and the arrest was not an action that stemmed from vendetta.”

Meanwhile, Poojary’s son has said that his father had cleared his name years ago. “I don’t know why they have raked this issue up now,” he was quoted by News18. Poojary continues to reside at his ancestral house and drives an auto to earn a living.

Notably, the controversial action by the Karnataka government against the kar sevak comes just days ahead of the much-awaited Ram Mandir inauguration and Pran Pratishtha ceremony on 22nd January. The action against the kar sevak by the Congress government in Karnataka is being questioned in the backdrop of this event.

Two years after they were murdered in cold blood in 1990 by the SP government, another batch of kar sevaks on 6 December 1992 demolished the Babri masjid paving the way for the development of Ram Mandir on Ram Janmabhoomi.

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