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Karnataka: Hindus who participated in Ram Mandir movement 30 years ago face threat of arrest ahead of Pran Pratishtha, Police arrests Srikanth Poojari in 1992 case

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Hindus who participated in Ram Mandir movement 30 years ago face threat of arrest ahead of Pran Pratishtha, Police arrests Srikanth Poojari in 1992 case

As the date of the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya approaches, the Karnataka police department seems to have opened cases for investigation against Ram Mandir activists who allegedly engaged in property destruction and other offences during the peak of the movement for Ram Mandir thirty years ago.

According to an IANS report, the police department has assembled a special team and compiled a list of ‘suspects’ in instances related to the 1992 Ram Mandir movement, which led to acts of violence by Islamists and ensuing intercommunal conflicts.

Further, regarding a claimed incident of torching a minority-owned store in Hubballi on December 5, 1992, Srikanth Poojari has been taken into custody by the Hubballi police. Poojari is the third defendant in the case, and eight more defendants are being sought after by the police. Poojari was put under court supervision.

In a similar vein, Hubballi police have also created a list of 300 ‘suspects’ they claim are connected to communal conflicts that occurred between 1992 and 1996, according to the IANS report. The ‘accused’ are now in their early and late 70s, according to police sources, and many of them have left the city.

Many of the ‘suspects’ hold prominent positions today, and the police are contemplating the potential consequences of filing lawsuits against them. It is believed that the police department has been instructed by the Congress government to investigate these cases extensively.

Numerous members of the Ram Janma Bhoomi movement have gone on to become well-known BJP politicians and reports claim that under the BJP’s rule, cases against all these well-known leaders were dismissed.

Hindu organizations have denounced the Congress government’s current action with outrage. They have said that the Congress government, unable to stand the door-to-door campaigning by the BJP and Hindu organizations against the backdrop of the opening of the Sri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, is using this tactic to start investigating instances that were reported thirty years ago.

The news is probably going to spark a big debate in the state. Notably, major violence broke out in Karnataka in the 1990s as a result of Islamist opposition to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that was launched by veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani.

Jan Man Survey: PM Narendra Modi seeks direct feedback from the people. Read how you can share feedback on performance of the Modi government

OpIndia Staff
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Jan Man Survey: PM Narendra Modi seeks direct feedback from the people. Read how you can share feedback on performance of the Modi government

The winnability of any government depends on how far it gained success in bridging the gap between voters’ expectations and the government’s deliverables. With the Lok Sabha elections 2024 around the corner, the Modi government has started the “Jan Man Survey” to gauge its performance among the voters and strengthen its preparations for the crucial elections keeping “people’s aspirations and their feedback” at the centre.   

This is how you can share your feedback about the Modi government, New India’s progress, the performance of your local MPs, and issues that concern or drive you to the polling booth:

The feedback can be submitted through the official Narendra Modi App which is available both for Android and IOS users. To discard frivolous feedback, it asks the user to log in which can be availed through multiple ways including a Mobile number, google, or Facebook. It seeks basic details like E-mail ID, user name, and number to authenticate genuine feedback. The users submitting feedback through the App can also Volunteer by checking the box available in the bottom left corner. 

After creating their Profile, users can submit their submissions on key parameters on which voters tend to judge the performance and governance of any government. 

Here are samples of some questions you can give feedback on

Q1) How do you rate the overall performance of the Modi government? 

Users can move the slider to submit their responses with the extreme left placement of the slider represents an excellent performance while the rightward movement of the slider denotes a lesser positive response to the query.

Q2) Do you feel more optimistic about the future compared to the past? 

Q3) What is your opinion on India’s growing stature in the World? 

The government has also sought sector and department-wise feedback to go into the granular expectations and how far the government has lived up to meet those expectations. 

Q4) It includes 12 fields including Infrastructure creation, Affordable Healthcare, Employment Opportunities, Farmer Prosperity, Corruption Free Governance, National Security, Economy, Women Empowerment, Digital India, Swachh Bharat, Law and Order, and Urban Development. 

Q5) Have you personally benefited from any of the welfare schemes of the Modi government? 

Q6) MP Performance and Accessibility 

Q7) Are you aware of your MP’s initiatives? 

Q8) Are you satisfied with your MP’s work? 

Q9) Is your MP popular in your constituency? 

Q10) Name the three most popular BJP leaders in your constituency. 

Q11) Rate your Satisfaction with the condition of the following in your constituency: Roads, Power, Drinking Water, healthcare, Education, Ration related Issues, Job Opportunities, Law and Order, Cleanliness 

Q12) Which issue is a prime factor for you while voting? 

Q13) Do you intend to vote for BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections? 

Q14) Will you be interested in becoming a Viksit Bharat Ambassador? 

After completing the survey, you can share invite links with your family and friends to share their feedback about the Narendra Modi government at Centre, your local MP along with issues that concern voters.  

Additionally, users can also join a 100-day challenge in which volunteers will be given rewards for completing certain tasks like sharing the initiatives undertaken by the Modi government. 

“Bakwaas”: Saba Naqvi insults upcoming Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in a meltdown, says bigger things happening in the world like war in Gaza

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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“Bakwaas”: Saba Naqvi insults upcoming Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in a meltdown, says bigger things happening in the world like war in Gaza

There is a new election conspiracy theory in town if you ask Journalist-turned-panelist Saba Naqvi. The names of Muslim voters are vanishing, she has said during a panel discussion on YouTube channel ‘Satya Hindi’.

The panel discussion was on the topic ‘Congress and Ram Mandir – Why party can’t decide to accept or reject Ayodhya invitation?’

Naqvi’s response is why should they, implying that the party which claims to have driven India to Independence and is the oldest political party is not obliged to go.

Saba Naqvi blamed the entire event and the discussion around Ram Mandir as the reason for Congress’s inability to decide whether it should accept the invite to a historic celebration in the country scheduled on 22nd January 2024.

“Itne bakwaas mein hum sabko phasaya gaya hai (we have all been trapped in such nonsense),” Naqvi said. She said that there is a big war happening in Gaza, the world is changing but India is on Ram Mandir and Ayodhya.

She also expressed her frustration over the fact that everyone is bowing down to the Ram Mandir, constant TV coverage of Ram Mandir and that this is making a joke out of “us”.

She also criticised headlines that mention the nearly 500-year-long journey of the revival of Ram Mandir. She expressed objection to Sadhvi Ritambhara’s interviews.

Saba Naqvi said that this is all a political game is happening within a framework of the BJP. “This is a gamble which the BJP has won,” she said.

She also said that this entire issue merits a set of “gaalis” (abuses) which are “spoken largely in Uttar Pradesh” but that she won’t say them.

The former political editor of Outlook Magazine also victimised the Muslim voter. She said that Muslim voter has gotten “very weak” and that where the Muslim voter does exist, their names are vanishing from the voterlists.

She said that this is being used by the BJP by using the face of Muslims to garner their votes. She criticised the show itself on which she was venting saying that the topic of show is making it look like “Godi media”.

After being questioned by anchor Ashutosh again as to why the Congress is not being clear and giving a definite response to the invite to end speculation, Saba Naqvi said that she agrees tha the Congress should give a clear answer.

She said that the Congress is scared of the BJP. This clearly appeared to have added to the panelist’s frustration that the Congress is refusing to take a stand against the BJP.

Naqvi had a meltdown about TV anchors and channels showing Ram’s visuals and images and news about the Ram Mandir. “This is all what our country has become,” she said.

Her response got more secular towards the end of her long answer when she pointed that it is wrong for such a news, whether about a mosque, church or temple, in any country becomes a 24/7 topic.

The entire meltdown reveals just how little understanding Saba Naqvi has of the significance of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha and Ram Mandir ianuguration and what it means to the Hindus of this country.

The headlines Naqvi criticised about the 500 years of struggle appears trivial to Islamists and Leftists. Recently, former NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar had a similar meltdown.

As the ceremony approaches, every day, a new face from the ecosystem is propping up, more morose with more fits of frustration with every passing day. The insults to Shri Ram, Ram Mandir and the faith of Hindus have become a daily ritual as they have been in the past decades. Good thing is, a lot has changed for Hindus for the better, nothing has changed for the ecosystem.

Anti-Hindu statements made by Saba Naqvi

June 2022: Made derogatory remarks against Shivling

Saba Naqvi had shared a picture of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on 18th May 2022 to take a swipe at the Shivling discovered inside the Gyanvapi compound. Attributing it to Whatsapp, Naqvi shared an image of the huge dome of the centre with a caption that said, “Huge Shivling discovered at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.”

June 2021: Complaint against Naqvi for spreading fake news

The Uttar Pradesh Police had registered an FIR against Saba Naqvi along with Mohammed Zubair and others for sharing a manipulated video to allege that an elderly Muslim man had been thrashed for refusing to chant Jai Shri Ram.

September 2020: Tweet shows Naqvi cast aspersions that a sambhar masala brand was ‘Brahmised’

In 2020, entrepreneur Arun Pudur dug out an old tweet posted by ‘journalist’ Saba Naqvi in 2018. In the said tweet, Naqvi peddled her political agenda by casting aspersions about the saffronisation of Sambhar masala powder.

Posting a picture of ‘Brahmin Sambhar powder’ sachet, manufactured by Eastern Condiments Pvt Ltd, the journalist had tweeted, “My discovery in Karwar region near coast of Karnataka. Anant Kumar hedge country (suggesting a Hindu land)…”

On visiting the website of the Eastern Condiments Pvt Ltd, we found about the history of the company. The company (earlier knows as Eastern Trading Company) was founded by one M.E. Meeran, who hailed from a Muslim family in Kerala.

‘DMK excels in degrading people by profession or language’: Annamalai slams Maran over ‘jobless barbers’ jibe at North Indians

OpIndia Staff
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‘DMK excels in degrading people by profession or language’: Annamalai slams Maran over ‘jobless barbers’ jibe at North Indians

BJP leader K Annamalai on Monday slammed DMK’S Dayanidhi Maran after he called those criticising him over his remarks against migrants from UP, Bihar in Tamil Nadu as ‘jobless barber’.

“Instead of apologising, Thiru Dayanidhi Maran calls those spreading & reacting to his rants on our North Indian Brothers and Sisters the work of a ‘Jobless Barber’,” Annamalai tweeted, adding that DMK excels in degrading people by profession or language.

“With this constant degrading, it is only evident that even the continuous taste of electoral defeat doesn’t seem to shake the resolve of the leaders in the I.N.D.I. Alliance,” he further tweeted.

Annamalai’s sharp rebuke came in response to Maran’s comment who reportedly attacked those criticising his remarks on migrants from UP, Bihar to Tamil Nadu as “jobless barber”.

Earlier last month, an old video of Maran making disparaging remarks against migrants coming from Hindi-speaking states to Tamil Nadu had gone viral on the internet.

“Hindi-speaking people are cleaning toilets and roads for us,” Dayanidhi Maran, a leader of DMK, one of the members of the INDI alliance, was seen saying at a public meeting in Tamil Nadu in the video.

In the first week of December 2023, Senthil Kumar, the DMK MP from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India. While addressing the Parliament on ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023’, the DMK leader referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”. 

‘Temple means the path of mental slavery’: RJD puts up an anti-Hindu poster outside Lalu-Rabri’s residence ahead of Pran Pratistha in Ram Mandir

OpIndia Staff
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‘Temple means the path of mental slavery’: RJD puts up an anti-Hindu poster outside Lalu-Rabri’s residence ahead of Pran Pratistha in Ram Mandir

Weeks ahead of the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha in Ram Mandir, Ayodhya, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has put up a poster outside the residence of Lalu-Rabri and their son Tejaswi Yadav in Patna. Attacking the Hindu faith, the poster describes temple worship as a path to mental slavery.

Among the many posters put up outside the Lalu-Rabri residence, this controversial poster pits education against temple worshipping describing the latter as a path towards mental slavery. There is a picture of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi on one side while on the other side, there is a picture of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Additionally, pictures of Buddha, Ashoka, Savitri Bai Phule, and others can also be seen at the top of the poster. 

(Video Courtesy – TV9 Bharatvarsh)

The content on the poster reads, “Temple means the path of mental slavery and school means the path of light in life. When the temple bell rings, it gives us the message that we are moving toward superstition, hypocrisy, stupidity, and ignorance, and when the school bell rings, we get the message that we are moving toward rational knowledge and scientific light. Now you have to decide which direction you should go” attributing the quotation to Savitri Bai Phule.

As per the poster, the party is going to host an event on 7th January in Rohtas to mark the birth anniversary of Savitri Bai Phule. Reportedly, Education Minister Chandrashekhar will inaugurate the program in attendance of Minister Anita Devi, former Union Minister Kanti Singh, and former Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary who will be present as chief guests in the event. 

Reportedly, the poster degrading temple worship has been put up by the RJD MLA from the Dehri Assembly constituency of Rohtas district Fateh Bahadur Singh Kushwaha. He has been unabatedly giving vitriolic remarks on Hindu Goddesses. As per reports, he has a history of making deplorable remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Hindu Gods, and Goddesses. 

A few days back, Fateh said, “It is written in your scripture that Surasati (Saraswati) is the daughter of Brahma and Brahma ji has given birth to his own daughter. The intention went wrong and he (Brahma) married her. You understand for yourself… Who is worshipped, the one with character or the one without character?”

He continued his tirade stating, “I am not saying this about character and characterless, this is what Saint Kabirdas has said. I am saying what he said. He further said that there is no statue of Saraswati ji in schools. Should be installed.” 

Notably, Maa Saraswati is called the goddess of knowledge and in Sanatan Dharma, she is worshiped in every house.

Previously, on 27th October, a video clip of Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh became viral on social media in which he went on a bizarre rant against the Hindu deity Maa Durga. In his contentious remarks, Fateh Bahadur Singh claimed Lord Shiva created Maa Durga and married her, sparking outrage from Hindus who demonstrated against Singh’s derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods. Continuing his bizarre rant, Singh asked where was the goddess when the Britishers were committing atrocities. The incident took place at Rohtas in Bihar.

Back then, he said, “Durga is an imaginary character of an imaginary story.” He also raised questions about the birth of Goddess Durga and the vermilion (Sindur) of Maa Durga. The RJD MLA asked on which ground Durga killed Mahishasura.

He had said, “Manuwadis say that Durga was created by all the gods. So, Durga is the daughter of all the gods. On the other hand, they say that Durga is the wife of Lord Shiva. But Shiva is one of the gods who created Durga. So, Shiva married his daughter Durga. And why Durga was fighting Mahishasur in the night only? Why would she go there at night?”

The opposition has gone on a tirade against the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony set to be held on the 22nd of January 2023. Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda on 26th December said that “too much importance is being given to religion through the Ram Mandir and that democracy is being undermined. His statement came just weeks before the country is due to celebrate the inauguration of and the consecration ceremony at the Ram Mandir at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Sam Pitroda is one of Rahul Gandhi’s most trusted advisors and aides. His statement about Ram Mandir adds to a series of anti-temple jibes he has taken in the past.

Bihar: Cop thrashes Dalit woman in public in viral video, claims traffic jam after two groups clashed over kidnapped girl prompted his action

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Cop thrashes Dalit woman in public in viral video, claims traffic jam after two groups clashed over kidnapped girl prompted his action

On Monday (1st January), a video of a Dalit woman being beaten in public by a police officer in Bihar’s Sitamarhi went viral on social media.

The video showed a police officer in uniform, Raj Kishore Singh, thrashing a woman with a stick multiple times in full public display. The cop reportedly charged at the victim after she and another woman were involved in a public brawl.

However, the footage has not been validated by the police. Sitamarhi SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari told the media that if the officer is proven guilty, suitable action will be taken against him. OpIndia could not independently verify the validity of the footage.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated that civilians in Bihar were being “lathi-charged” while criminals roamed freely.

The event sparked a public outcry, particularly because the cop was in uniform at the time. The Sitamarhi Police have announced an official investigation into the event. Vinod Kumar, the Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) meanwhile claimed that the incident was connected to the kidnapping of a girl.

He added that once the girl was rescued, both parties went to the police station and clashed outside. According to Kumar, the argument caused traffic congestion on the road, causing the police officer to use his baton to disperse the crowd.

‘Our five leaders in jail are our heroes, we are very proud of them’: Arvind Kejriwal asks party workers to be ready to go to jail

OpIndia Staff
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‘Our five leaders in jail are our heroes, we are very proud of them’: Arvind Kejriwal asks party workers to be ready to go to jail

On 31st December (Sunday), AAP National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked his party workers to be ready to go to jail arguing that the good work they are doing land people behind bars. He told party workers that five AAP leaders are in jail in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam asserting that they are heroes and the party is proud of them. 

Notably, Kejriwal returned from Anandgarh village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district on 30th December after completing the 10-day Vipassana course.

On his return, he chaired the party’s 12th National Executive and National Council meeting where Punjab’s CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP’s National General Secretary Organisation Sandeep Pathak were also present.

Addressing party leaders virtually, Kejriwal said, “I think we are facing a struggle, but there’s no need for us to be saddened. Our five leaders who are in jail today are our heroes. We are very proud of all of them.” 

At the party meeting, the AAP Supremo asked party workers to be ready to go to jail as the path they have chosen will take them to jail. According to the AAP Supremo, leaders who are on the path to do welfare of the people, give education to children, and provide free treatment to the poor, will have to go to jail. 

He said, “We have chosen paths for the welfare of the people; hence we will have to go to jail. If you give good education to children, you will have to go to jail; if you provide free treatment to the poor, you will have to go to jail. Therefore, all of us need to decide whether we want to go to jail or not. If you are prepared to go to jail, then continue on the path of providing good education to children and free treatment to the poor.”

He added, “If we were not successful and did not do anything good, then none of our party leaders would have gone to jail and everyone would have been happy with their families today.” 

It is important to note that AAP has been alleging foul play and a political witch hunt in the incarceration of its leaders arguing that senior party leaders and Former Ministers Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, and Sanjay Singh have been framed for working for the welfare of the people. However, the courts, on numerous occasions, have declined the bail pleas of the jailed AAP leaders in the Delhi Liquor policy scam case. Further, the Supreme Court during a bail hearing in the case noted that a money trail of Rs 338 crore has been tentatively established in the case. 

Additionally, Kejriwal’s appeal to party workers “to be ready to go to jail” comes at a time when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned him for the third time on 3rd January in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. 

On 22nd December, ED issued the third summons to Kejriwal asking him to appear before the agency on 3rd January. He had skipped the previous two summonses citing his personal commitments as a party campaigner in state assembly elections and “pre-scheduled” Vipassana programme along with extending self-certification of innocence in the case. 

Ranvir Shorey has a change of heart on Ram Mandir, leftists-Islamists abuse him but cry victim when the Bollywood actor gives befitting reply

OpIndia Staff
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Ranvir Shorey has a change of heart on Ram Mandir, leftists-Islamists abuse him but cry victim when the Bollywood actor gives befitting reply

On Saturday (30th December), Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey took to X (formerly Twitter) to narrate his change in perspective about the construction of the majestic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

He expressed his disgust over his willingness to let go of Ram Mandir in exchange for a hospital at the Ram Janmabhoomi. “I was one of the many Hindus who were willing to sacrifice the temple at #Ayodhya, and have a monument or hospital in its place, just so we can end this long standing conflict between the communities,” conceded Ranvir Shorey.

“Today I feel ashamed that I was willing to sacrifice righteousness at the altar of peace. Ashamed that I didn’t stand up for Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram and his values. My heartfelt congratulations and felicitations to everyone who fought this long and hard battle for truth and justice,” he sought repentence.

The Bollywood actor concluded, “I pray to Lord Ram for forgiveness and satbuddhi for the future. I pray that Dharma prevails in this great land of ours for eternity, and brings with it a lasting peace and prosperity for all the people of #India. Jai Shri Ram.”

His heartfelt note resonated with many Hindus who have witnessed a similar change of perspective about the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Ranvir Shorey’s tweet was shared over 12000 times and liked by 55000 X (formerly Twitter) users.

Leftists, liberals and Islamists also descended on the X timeline of Ranvir Shorey and abused him for endorsing Ram Mandir’s construction at Ram Janmabhoomi.

Ranvir Shorey gives befitting replies after being targeted

Some dubbed his post as ‘marketing gimmick for an upcoming movie’ while others rejoiced at the idea of his divorce from actress Kankan Sen Sharma. One Altaf wrote, “Ok so this is for his upcoming new movie.”

While it is true that Shorey is an actor in the upcoming movie‘ Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra’, it is scheduled to be released well after the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir.

“Dear Altaf, the movie you and many others are accusing me of promoting by sharing my feelings on the #AyodhyaRamTemple is expected to release after more than 3 months! In film marketing terms that’d be like promoting it 500 years too early,” stated Ranvir Shorey.

A similar comment was made by a user ‘Tweet Shark’, only to receive a befitting response from the actor.

One leftist mocked, “Ranvir Shorey is the best example of why you should be weary (sic) of men who get divorced by intelligent women.” The Bollywood actor lamented that a supposedly woman intelligent woman did not the spelling of the word ‘wary.’

“That would be more fake history. I have a 12 year old that says she didn’t dodge it,” he gave a witty response to a user who tried to shame him over his divorce.

On being told that his ex-wife dodged a bullet by divorcing him, Ranvir Shorey responded, “You sound like you have one stuck inside your skull, Nidhi. Go see a doctor.”

“Konkana does not know the name of your father as well,” he shut down another troll.

Ranvir Shorey also slammed controversial radio jockey Sayema, who was virtue signalling about ‘inclusivity’ and ‘secularism’ at his expense. “Sorry to break it you, sis, but we can tell you are using your “voice” to obfuscate, manipulate and subvert the idea and identity of India. Jai Hind,” he wrote.

When ‘film writer’ Darab Farooqui claimed that Ranvir Shorey is ‘radicalised’, the Bollywood actor pointed out that Farooqui could not even muster the courage to keep his replies section open to the public.

“Replies are off again. This guy wants to only be heard, but not listen. A writer who doesn’t want to read. No wonder he thinks his problems are “minority” problems, while they are “stupidity” problems!” emphasised Ranviry Shorey.

He also shut down one X (formerly Twitter) user who was hoping for the death of his parents. “No need for that, rakshas (demon). They are already with Bhagwan Ram,” the Bollywood actor said.

He also shut down another troll who was making insinuations about his political affiliations before 2014.

Ranveer Shorey also slammed a ‘journalist’ named Neeraj Jha for siding with Darab Farooqui.

“Sometimes you say something from the heart, and it touches so many other hearts.. But it hurts a few butts too. As they say: “With the rice comes the chaff,” the Bollywood actor concluded.

Ranvir Shorey has been unapologetic about his stance on Ram Mandir and no social media mud-slinging campaign has so far been able to intimidate him into silence.

ISIS handler Farhatullah Ghori, suspected chief of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir backed by Pakistan ISI, was raising ‘Maal-e-Ghanimat’ to build a ‘home-grown’ terror network: Report

OpIndia Staff
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ISIS handler Farhatullah Ghori, suspected chief of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir backed by Pakistan ISI, was raising ‘Maal-e-Ghanimat’ to build a ‘home-grown’ terror network: Report

Abu Sultan, Abu Suleman, Mohammad@Bhai, Abu, Abu Sufiyan, Sardar Saheb, and Faru. These are some of the aliases which the NIA suspects were donned by absconding terrorist Farhatullah Ghori, who is a key accused in the ISIS terror module case.

According to an exclusive report by the Free Press Journal (FPJ), the National Investigating Agency (NIA) suspects that Ghori was operating as a handler pulling strings for ISIS operations in Delhi, Maharashtra and Kerala under these aliases.

Moreover, it is suspected that arrested terrorist Saquib Nachan, the mastermind of the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case, was linked with ISIS handlers Abu Suleman and Abu Sultan.

Ghori is reportedly perceived as the ISIS handler by all those arrested accused who had taken ‘Bayath’ (oath) through Ghori’s associates. Saquib Nachan was one such associate who used to record the ‘Bayath’ process with a mobile camera.

He then used to send the video through VPN (virtual private network) with several email ids, Telegram, Snapchat, and several third-party apps to Abu Sultan and Abu Suleman.

The NIA is reportedly awaiting data retrieval from Nachan’s phone and other digital devices, along with the VPN recovered from him at the Forensic Science Laboratories, to confirm their suspicions.

In the Pune ISIS terror module case, the mastermind Imran Khan was in touch with Mohammad@Bhai. It is alleged in the NIA charge sheet that Imran briefed Mohammad@Bhai about their terrorist mission, training, IED testing, reconnaissance and other activities.

NIA suspects Mohammad@Bhai too, like Abu Sultan and Abu Suleman, is none other than Ghori.

The India-focused ISIS module was created by Pakistan’s ISI by using Pakistan-based Ghori and his son-in-law Shahid Faisal, according to the probe by Delhi special cell and NIA in the Delhi terror module case.

The NIA found traces of Ghori working as an ISIS handler in terror modules in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

The NIA found that Ghori held the title of ‘Ameer’ and engaged radicalised youth in terror plans. Moreover, he never affiliated himself with any jihadist group and leveraged personal connections and networks to link operatives to al-Qaeda and ISIS.

He was backed by Pakistan’s ISI and aimed to raise funds through criminal activities (Maal-e-Ghanimat). As per the FPJ report, Ghori’s objective is to represent it as a “home-grown” and “self-radicalised” network.

His focus was largely on Delhi, Pune and other areas in Maharashtra. Before the Delhi terror modules was busted by the special cell, central agencies received input that Ghori shared shared updates about his operation to radicalised groups saying that he is very close to complete his operation.

Ghori also mentioned that his cadre had reached their designated targets to execute such operations. According to sources his plan was linked to Sahahnaz, arrested in the Delhi ISIS terror module case.

FPJ anonymously quoted a senior officer who shared that Ghori was attempting to motivae and radicalise several aggressive youths for lone-wolf attacks.

He shared speeches and literature by radicals. Ghori was trying to incite Indian Muslims by asking them to eulogise Aurangzeb and Ahmed Shah Abdali as their heroes.

He circulated videos of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) on his chat platform on the dark web. He intended to indoctrinate and radicalise the youth to create communal tension and potential riots.

Ghori and his network laced with sleeper cells are currently using gaming apps for communication. Some of their chats have been tracked revealing conversation about “love jihad”-related operations and planning terror activities. He has been using the chat groups to evade security agencies.

The Central Intelligence Agency recently received inputs that Ghori was allegedly inciting motivated and radicalised youth and advising such individuals that they should not surrender if they are apprehended by authorities.

He instructed them to instead launch fidayeen attacks on the police, law enforcement agencies and the government.

As per sources quoted by the FPJ, Ghori is a key member of Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-E-Mohammad. He leads the global Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organisation Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HUT).

In July and August 2023, the NIA apprehended HUT affiliates in Hyderabad. A total of 16 youths linked to the HUT were arrested in operations across locations including Bhopal, Chhindwara, and Hyderabad.

All accused are reportedly educated professionals working corporate companies, holding designated positions. Some were software engineers and others were associated with international consultancy firms and some were students.

Ghori had resurfaced in 2022 with a series of audio-visual messages and on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Facebook and Telegram alarming the Indian security agencies.

Ghori along with two of his associates namely Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu from Hyderabad and wanted in several cases are now settled in Pakistan.

The three absconding terrorists executed a blast near Sai Baba Temple, Dilsukhnagar in 2002, a bus blast at Ghatkopar in Mumbai, and a Task Force office blast at Begumpet in 2005. They also attempted to cause blasts near Ganesh Temple Secunderabad in 2004. Ghori was investigated by the Gujarat Police in Akshardham Temple terror attack (2002) case. He was declared an individual terrorist by the MHA in 2022.

625 arrests including 65 ISIS terrorists, 1040 raids, 513 chargesheets, 74 convictions: How NIA battled terrorists and achieved 94.7% conviction rate in 2023

OpIndia Staff
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625 arrests including 65 ISIS terrorists, 1040 raids, 513 chargesheets, 74 convictions: How NIA battled terrorists and achieved 94.7% conviction rate in 2023

In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached assets valued at approximately Rs 56 crores and achieved an astounding conviction rate of 94.70 percent in its battle against terrorism.

The overall number of arrests made by the NIA this year was 625, representing a roughly 28% increase over the 490 suspects apprehended in 2022. These include 114 accused of jihadi terror, 45 accused of human trafficking, 28 accused of terrorism and organized crime, 76 accused of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), and 65 accused of ISIS crimes.

In 2023, the anti-terror organization reported 68 cases in total, encompassing a variety of terror-related occurrences.

These include 18 cases of Jihadi terror throughout several states, 3 cases from Jammu and Kashmir, 12 cases of LWE, 7 cases with terrorist and organized crime connections in Punjab, 5 cases from the Northeast, and 2 cases with Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN).

The number of persons chargesheeted and convicted stood at 513 and 74, respectively, as against 459 and 79 in 2022. The 74 defendants found guilty in 2023 received punishments including varying terms of “rigorous imprisonment” and “fines.”

NIA’s fight against absconders

As far as the absconders are concerned, the NIA found and apprehended 47 suspects in 2023, which was 14 higher than the previous year. The arrest of major absconding accused in the Attari border heroin seizure case, which involved transporting over 102 kg of the drugs from Afghanistan via the India-Pak border—was one of the largest developments in this respect.

Furthermore, arrests made in connection with extradition and deportation demonstrate NIA’s dedication to pursuing criminals outside its borders. Vikram Brar was detained upon expulsion from the United Arab Emirates, while Amritpal Singh alias Ammy, Amrik Singh, Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, and Mandeep Singh were deported from the Philippines.

The number of NIA searches and raids increased from 957 in 2022 to 1,040 in 2023, a notable rise over the previous year. The agency had attached 37 properties totalling Rs 10.53 crore in 2022; by 2023, that number increased to 240 (including 156 bank accounts) with a total value of Rs 55.90 crore. These properties belonged to the suspects and accused in high-profile cases involving explosives, LWE, terrorism, and other matters. The attachments, made under the UA(P)A provisions, include 12 properties (four of which were bank accounts) valued at Rs 1.5 crore belonging to six “Individual Terrorists”.  

Multiple ISIS cells dismantled through widespread searches and raids

The NIA further achieved a great deal in 2023 as a result of the crackdowns on violent jihad throughout India, as multiple ISIS cells were dismantled through widespread searches and raids.

Following raids at 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka, which also resulted in the seizure of massive amounts of evidence, a total of 15 accused were taken into custody in December. Eight members of the ISIS Ballari module were apprehended on December 18 as a result of a similar operation, which allowed the NIA to thwart the plans of the outlawed international terrorist groups to carry out several terror attacks, including IED explosions, throughout the nation. Jabalpur and Bhopal separately saw crackdowns against such radicalized ISIS and HUT modules in September. 

Another top focus of the NIA’s investigations has been breaking the link between terrorists and gangsters. In 2023, the NIA filed two cases, charged 55 people, carried out 253 raids, detained 27 people, and attached 18 assets as part of its campaign against this network.

Additionally, constant cooperation with foreign authorities has led to the Syndicate’s foreign nodes being targeted for action. One of the most important successes of the NIA’s campaign against terrorist-gangster syndicates has been the arrest of Deepak Ranga, the main suspect in the RPG attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters.

Ranga was the chief executioner of the terrorist activities of Lakhbir Singh Landa, based in Canada, and Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, based in Pakistan. Both are designated “Individual Terrorists” and members of the banned terrorist organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Ranga was wanted in multiple cases of terrorism and criminal acts.

Action against human trafficking

The NIA also sharply increased its focus on human trafficking at the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2023, involving citizens of Bangladesh and Myanmar. After conducting nationwide raids on transnational Human Trafficking Syndicates implicated in the case, the NIA detained 29 key operatives in November. The arrest of four more accused from Tripura in December was a significant victory for the agency.

6 new terrorists identified, 4 terrorist organizations outlawed

Six people—Mohammed Amin Khubaiab alias Abu Khubalab alias Pinna alias Muhammed Amin Butt, Arbaz Ahmad Mir, Or Asif Maqbool Dar, Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, and Lakhbir Singh Landa were named “Individual Terrorists” by the Indian government during the year, marking yet another significant victory for the NIA.

Furthermore, in reaction to the NIA’s recommendation, four terrorist organizations namely, The Resistance Force (TRF), People’s Anti-Fascists Front (PAFF), Jammu and Kashmir Ghanzavi Force (JKGF), and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) were outlawed. The agency is vigorously pursuing the appropriate actions against these identified individuals and terrorist groups to effectively counter their operations.

Action against anti-India activities abroad

Throughout the year, the NIA conducted over 50 raids and searches in an attempt to uncover the conspiracy behind the attacks on Indian Missions abroad. These operations were focused on offences against Indian interests abroad, with particular attention paid to the attacks on the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, USA, and the High Commissions of India in Ottawa and London.

Vandalism, illegal trespass, destruction of public property, and attempts to harm Indian officials and inflict arson damage to the Consulate building were all part of the attacks.

In the process of looking into the bigger conspiracy of attacks against Indian Missions, the NIA has employed several cutting-edge investigative techniques, such as crowd-sourcing information, which has led to the identification of 43 individuals. In recent months, the NIA has also intensified its probe into these cases and questioned around 80 Indian citizens who may have been involved in the assault plot.

Overall, compared to the previous year, the NIA increased the scope of its operations throughout India significantly this year.

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