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Bangladesh: Islamists grab 8 acres of land belonging to Hindu family, assault and threaten them, police take no action

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Islamists grab 8 acres of land belonging to Hindu family, assault and threaten them, police take no action

A group of Islamists, belonging to the ruling Awami League (AL) party, have grabbed 8 acres of land belonging to a Hindu family in Parulia village in Hatibandha upazila of Bangladesh.

As per a report by The Daily Star, the land grabbers include AL leaders Hafizul Islam, Abul Kalam, Hazrat Ali and Redwan Ahmed. Hafizul and Abul serve as the Patikpara Union Ward No.4 President and General Secretary respectively.

The victims, identified as Rathindra Nath Roy and his wife Sushila Rani, had filed a complaint with the local police but no action has been taken in this regard. They have accused the four land grabbers and their supporters of threatening them with dire consequences if they visited their own land.

Islamists assaulted the victims

He informed The Daily Star that large tracts of his ancestral land were lost due to erosion by the Teesta River about 40-45 years ago. But about 10 years ago, a char land was developed in the same place after a huge landmass emerged from the riverbed.

Following that, Rathindra Nath Roy had been growing crops on the remaining land. On 13th November this year, Hafizul Islam, Abul Kalam, Hazrat Ali and Redwan Ahmed went to the field where the Hindu man and his wife were sowing maize seeds.

They claimed to be the owners of the land and beat up the Hindu couple mercilessly. According to Sushila Rani, the accused men are coercing Rathindra to sign a non-judicial stamp paper, stating change of ownership from him to the 4 Islamists.

Accused men cite ‘conflicting’ land deal, police take no action

When The Daily Star reached out to land grabber Abul Kalam, he claimed to have purchased 8 acres land along with 3 other accused for Tk 80 lakh (~ ₹60.39 lakhs). Another land grabber Hazrat Ali claimed that the land had been bought for Tk 87 (~₹65.67 lakhs).

They claimed that since the land registry was not done in Char areas, they were asking the Hindu family to sign on non-judicial stamp.

While speaking about police inaction to The Daily Star, Officer-in-Charge (Hatibandha Police Station) Shah Alam acknowledged that he had received a complaint from Rathindra Nath Roy but instead asked the local UP Chairman to ‘resolve’ the issue locally.

Hindu families forced to sell their houses in Shailkupa

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, the Hindu community is facing the wrath of political violence. Several Hindu families have been forced to vacate their houses in Shailkupa upazila in the Khulna division of Bangladesh and sell them at giveaway prices to avoid religious persecution.

As per a report by Kalbela News published in November this year, the minority community is facing threats from Islamists and hence many Hindu families are migrating to other parts of the country. For instance, the residence of a deceased Hindu man named Satyendranath Saha was encroached and a 4-storeyed building was constructed in its place.

‘Jubo League’ Chairman (Shailkupa upazila) Shamim Hossain Mollah and his father Sabdar Hossain Mollah were accused of infringing upon the property of the Hindu family. It must be mentioned that the ‘Jubo League’ is the youth wing of the ruling Sheikh Hasina-led-Bangladesh Awami League party.

While speaking about the matter, the daughter-in-law of Satyendranath Saha informed that the ‘Jubo League’ leader had taken their house and a Kali Mandir by force. Despite complaints to the local MP Mohammed Abdul Hyee, no action has been taken against the accused.

Interestingly, Hyee is also a leader of the Bangladesh Awami League party from the Jhenaidah constituency. According to Kalbela News, the case of Satyendranath Saha is one of the countless stories of minority Hindu families who have lost their property to encroachment by local influential Muslim leaders.

Everyone involved in this organised form of ‘land jihad’ are politicians and political workers. In order to intimidate the Hindu residents of Shailkupa into selling their homes, the Islamists have resorted to threats, assault and even vandalism of Hindu temples.

Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda says BJP will win 400 seats if EVMs are not ‘fixed’, refuses to provide proof of ‘hacking’ when questioned

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda says BJP will win 400 seats if EVMs are not ‘fixed’, refuses to provide proof of ‘hacking’ when questioned

On Thursday (28th December), the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda refused to provide proof of ‘hacking’ of EVM machines hours after he said that if EVMs are not fixed, the BJP may win 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In an exclusive interview with the anti-Modi propagandist Ajit Anjum, Pitroda instead asked the Election Commission to prove that the EVMs were tampered with.

Congress leader Sam Pitroda reaffirmed his concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on Thursday (28th December), claiming that if EVMs are not fixed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP will win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Sam Pitroda, who recently drew criticism for his remarks about the Ram Mandir, stated a lack of trust in EVMs and even wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) about it.

“I waited for the Election Commission to respond but when it didn’t happen I decided to speak. It has nothing to do with the fact that elections in five states are over and the 2024 election is coming. I feel there is a trust deficit based on this report. And, the Election Commission must respond to rebuild the trust,” he was quoted as saying.

“More power to them if they think they can do it. Great. That is for the country to decide. EVM needs to be fixed before the next election. If EVM is not fixed, 400 may be true. If EVM is fixed, 400 may not be true,” he added.

Further, in the interview with Anjum, he said that the Election Commission should prove and expose that the EVMs are tampered with by the BJP. This is when Anjum referred to the 2017 Election Commission’s EVM Challenge named ‘hackathon’ in which the Commission invited the political parties to present proof regarding the tampering of the EVMs, if any. The Commission then reiterated its claim that voting machines were tamper-proof.

Responding to this, Pitroda, said, “Why are they asking us for proofs? They should prove that EVMs are not tampered with. You prove to me that my vote is counted as cast. You cannot prove that today with an attachment of VVPAT. EVM today is not a standalone machine.”

The issue of EVMs is not new, as opposition parties have repeatedly claimed that the electronic voting machines are rigged in favor of the BJP. All such allegations have been dismissed by the ECI, which has even challenged political parties to prove their claims. The BJP has also targeted opposition parties over the issue, claiming that it is their justification for losing elections. 

Odisha: Bajrang Dal encounters violent confrontation with cattle smugglers from ‘Samuday Vishesh’, 10 members injured

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha: Bajrang Dal encounters violent confrontation with cattle smugglers from ‘Samuday Vishesh’, 10 members injured

At least ten Bajrang Dal members suffered wounds when cattle smugglers who were transporting livestock to West Bengal had a violent dispute with them early on the 28th of December in the Balasore region of Odisha. According to police, the activists from the Salepur neighbourhood of Cuttack pursued at least three vans containing cattle for around 200 km before attempting to halt them in the Fuladi area on the outskirts of Balasore town on National Highway 60.

The vehicle soon came to a stop and a scuffle broke out between the two sides. A police official of Balasore Sadar police station revealed, “As a fight ensued between the Bajrang Dal workers and the men carrying cattle, the latter sought help from local villagers.” He stated that at least ten of the Bajrang Dal members were assaulted when the nearby villagers targeted them with bamboo sticks along with other weapons. Three of them suffered severe injuries including head gashes and fractures. Furthermore, the two automobiles carrying them incurred substantial damage. The Balasore Sadar police station has submitted a case in the matter.

The people of a ‘particular community’ wanted the cows to be transported to West Bengal. Nevertheless, Bajrang Dal workers persisted in preventing the unlawful activity. The two parties then argued about the same and soon the issue escalated into a major fight. The injured were brought to the Baleshwar District General Hospital and immediately referred to the Cuttack General Hospital for treatment given their critical condition.

A substantial police force has been deployed in the region because of the tense environment, however, no arrests have been made so far. Sadar police station in-charge Jayant Behera disclosed that two trucks full of cows have been seized and more than fifty cows have been recovered out of which forty-seven are alive while four are dead. In addition, two further four-wheelers have been apprehended but nobody has been taken into custody.

After a string of similar instances involving hundreds of animals throughout the state, in September an enraged crowd set fire to a vehicle transporting cattle in the Keonjhar region believing that it was being used for cattle smuggling. The same month, when they discovered three vans transporting about 100 animals to West Bengal in three separate vehicles, residents of the Balasore district set fire to three of the vans hauling livestock along the Kamarda-Baliapal route.

The Odisha Crime Investigation Department (CID) informed the Orissa High Court in an affidavit last year that throughout the previous five years, there has been a gradual increase in cases of cow transportation that fall under the category of animal cruelty. According to the document, the number of instances of illicit cow transportation has grown by 217% since 2017.

Rajasthan: Driver Sameer Khan murders former Congress councillor Lakshmi Purohit for refusing to marry him, used to threaten her husband for firing from job

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Driver Sameer Khan murders former Congress councillor Lakshmi Purohit for refusing to marry him, used to threaten her husband for firing from job

On 25th December, a woman from Rajasthan’s Bikaner was brutally murdered by one Sameer Khan. The accused was employed as a driver to the victim who was a former Congress councillor. Khan slit the throat of the woman and later attempted to commit suicide. However, later it was revealed that the accused pretended to commit suicide immediately after the murder to escape from the police action.

This case is of Naya Shahar police station area of ​​Bikaner. Former councillor Lakshmi Purohit owned a beauty parlour near her house. According to media reports, Lakshmi had left the house on Monday (25th December) evening saying that she was going to the temple but did not return. At around 10 pm, the woman’s husband Rajesh Purohit lodged a missing report in the police station.

In the meantime, the body of the woman was discovered on Ganganagar Road. Rajesh Purohit was summoned by police to identify the woman. The body was later identified as that to be of Lakshmi.

Rajesh Purohit, the husband of the deceased woman registered a complaint in the case and mentioned Sameer Khan as a suspect. Purohit stated that Khan used to keep a watch on Lakshmi and that he wanted to marry the woman. 

Police investigation revealed that Sameer Khan already knew 47-year-old Lakshmi, as he had worked as her driver 6 years ago. Rajesh Purohit, Lakshmi’s husband, works for the government in the education department. He purchased a car six years ago and hired Sameer Khan as his driver. At first, everything was fine, but later complaints about his misbehaviour started to emerge, and he started to harass Lakshmi Purohit. As a result, he was fired from the job a few years ago.

However, Sameer Khan then started to harass the family and used to threaten them. He used to visit their house and misbehave with them. He also used to call Rajesh Purohit to threaten that he would abduct his wife.

Rajesh said that on Monday evening, his wife left the house saying that she was going to the temple. But when she didn’t return after an hour, he started to have concerns. When he called her, he found that her phone was switched off. Then he started to look for her in the nearby areas including the temple, and enquired with relatives. When she was not found, he approached the police station to register a complaint.

Rajesh Purohit alleged that Sameer Khan kidnapped his wife, as he was continuously harassing them, and had threatened several times that he would abduct Lakshmi.

During the police probe, it was found that Sameer had called Lakshmi to Urmul Circle, where they had arguments over some issue. After this, he took Lakshmi to a desolate place RCP Colony. It is believed that he committed the murder at the same place and then threw the dead body.

SM Tejashwini Gautam said that Sameer has confessed to several things during the interrogation. He believed that Lakshmi would marry him, and the argument was over this issue. When he found that she had no intention of marrying him, he slit her throat. He assaulted her with such force that the wound was 2 inches deep. The murder took place between 8 to 9 pm, as per police.

Sameer Khan fled the scene after slitting the throat of Lakshmi, and tried to commit suicide. He then reached the PBS hospital with injuries in his hand and head. However, he started a commotion at the hospital due to a delay in treatment. When police reached the hospital as a result, he narrated a false story, claiming that he was hit by a train. But when police didn’t find any report of a train hit, they took him into custody and interrogated him.

Police said that he is still being questioned, and the murder weapon is yet to be recovered.

Lakshmi Purohit and her husband Rajesh Purohit are natives of Nagaur, Rajasthan. According to the report, while living in Nagaur, Lakshmi headed the city council elections on a Congress ticket and won the councillor election. Lakshmi and her husband then moved to Bikaner. Lakshmi’s political career had nearly ended when she arrived in Bikaner from Nagaur.

UP: Fatehpur’s Shabia reverts to Hinduism and becomes Sita, marries a Hindu man despite opposition from her family

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Fatehpur’s Shabia reverts to Hinduism and becomes Sita, marries a Hindu man despite opposition from her family

A 20-year-old Muslim girl named Shabia has reportedly married her 22-year-old Hindu partner Sanjay in the Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, she has converted to Sanatana Dharma and changed her name to Sita. The two tied the knot on 27th December in a temple according to Hindu rituals and traditions despite opposition from her family members. However, the occasion was attended by members of Hindu organisations including Bajrang Dal.

Shabia is a resident of Nartauli village in the Bahua block of the district, while Sanjay is from the neighbouring Sonbarsa village. The couple was in a relationship for three years, but her family was against their union. The pair decided to have a court wedding earlier, but they reached the location and created a ruckus there. Afterwards, the young lovers were married in the Tambeshwar Shiva temple by people associated with Bajrang Dal.

Sanjay met Shabia in her hamlet which he visited often. They intended to make their relationship official after filing their statement with the court, but her family caused quite a stir and derailed their plans. Individuals from Hindu groups then arrived at the scene as soon as they received the information about the development. The duo were then taken to the temple where they took seven rounds around the sacred fire and married per Hindu customs amid the chants of the Vedic mantras.

“I have been having an affair with Sanjay since I was 17 years old. It has nothing to do with religion. Now I am 20 years old. I am an adult and I have full right to decide my life,” Shabia declared after her wedding ceremony. The members of the Hindu organisations also gifted a cheque of Rs 10 thousand to the newlyweds to ensure they had no trouble starting afresh. The couple departed for Delhi following their marriage.

‘Islamic law allows multiple wives, but all wives must be treated equally’: Madras High Court cites Sharia to annul Muslim marriage

OpIndia Staff
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On December 22, 2023, the Madra High Court upheld the annulment of a marriage, holding that while Islamic Law allows polygamy, equal treatment of all wives is essential and failing to do so amounts to cruelty.

The bench comprising Justices Rmt. Teekaa Raman and Justice PB Balaji dismissed an appeal filed by the Husband against the Family Court’s judgement and order dissolving the marriage between the parties under Section 2(ii)(iv)(viii)(a)(d) of the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 (Act). The Court stated that the wife convincingly demonstrated that the husband treated her unfairly in comparison to his second wife, refused to provide care and support, and neglected marital commitments after their separation while she lived with her parents.

“Thereby, he has not treated the first wife and the second wife equally as required under the provisions of Islamic Law. Under Islamic Law, the husband is entitled for Polygamous marriage, however, he has to treat all the wife equally,” the court observed.

Advocate K. Abiya appeared for the Appellant Mukmuthu Sha and Advocate C. Jeya Indira Patel appeared for the Respondent Afrin Banu.

The first wife described harassment from her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, alleging neglect during pregnancy, food allergies, and cruelty following a miscarriage.

“Without considering that the plaintiff is pregnant, the mother of the husband/defendant scolded her for not properly draping the saree, and the husband also took photos of the plaintiff and the defendant while they were intimate position.” A child was born to the parties when the plaintiff/wife went to Chennai to live with her husband in September 2016. However, the child died the following day. On that score, the husband’s sister “abused the wife by stating that she could solemnise another marriage of the defendant/husband since the plaintiff/wife has no child,” the wife alleged.

She went on to accuse her spouse of unfair comparisons and emotional abuse, prompting her to leave the matrimonial home.

While the husband denied these allegations, the court’s examination of the evidence proved his cruelty and neglect towards his first wife and failure to fulfil marital obligations to her. The ruling emphasised his lack of effort to support her while she was with her parents, which contributed to the dissolution ruling.

The High Court upheld the Tirunelveli Family Court’s verdict, concluding that the husband’s unequal treatment and failure to support his first wife justified the couple’s separation. The Bench, thus, dismissed the husband’s appeal, upholding the initial decision.

Karnataka: School teacher makes male student hug and kiss her in ‘romantic photoshoot’ during educational tour, parents demand strict action

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: School teacher makes male student hug and kiss her in ‘romantic photoshoot’ during educational tour, parents demand strict action

The headmistress of a government high school in Murugamalla village, Chintamani taluk of Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur has come under severe criticism for doing a photoshoot with her male student during an ‘educational study tour’. The incident caused disgust among parents, prompting calls for the teacher to be fired immediately.

During the tour, Pushpalatha, the head teacher of the school, displayed inappropriate behavior with a minor boy studying at SSLC, documenting intimate photographs with him on her mobile phone. The photos, which have gone viral on social media, show the headmistress in romantic poses with a teenage male student. The images show the student attired in a kurta and jeans, kissing, grasping, and also tugging at the teacher’s saree. In one photo he is lifting the teacher in his arms.

After learning of the incident, the parents of the impacted student confronted Pushpalatha at the school, horrified. Outraged by the incident, they filed a complaint with the Block Education Officer (BEO) and demanded that the headmistress’s behavior be thoroughly investigated.

Parents are calling for immediate action against Pushpalatha, emphasizing the importance of accountability in the educational system. The case has also raised concerns about students’ safety and well-being while on educational trips.

Surprisingly, this is not a rare occurrence. Similar cases of inappropriate behavior by teachers have been reported in the past. In 2022, a video of a teacher dancing in the classroom to a Bhojpuri song went viral, drawing criticism from social media users.

The video showed a teacher in a saree dancing to the song ‘Patli Kamariya Mori,’ with students waving and jumping in the background, further fueling the debate about the ongoing challenges related to professional conduct in the education sector.

Fake rent agreement, house of a dead woman and police oversight: Cops bust racket in Maharashtra which helped over 70 Bangladeshis secure Indian passports

OpIndia Staff
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Fake rent agreement, house of a dead woman and police oversight: Cops bust racket in Maharashtra which helped over 70 Bangladeshis secure Indian passports

A case of illegal immigration has emerged from Pune in Maharashtra, where the local passport office issued passports to multiple Bangladeshi nationals who had unlawfully entered India. These individuals secured the passports using counterfeit rent agreements from a slum area.

This revelation has caused a significant stir within the Pune passport office. About 6 individuals had furnished a rent agreement with a dead woman to produce address proof for the passport. The Pune Police Commissioner has declared that appropriate actions will be taken against any staff or officials of the passport department found to be complicit in this matter.

The issuance of passports to six Bangladeshi nationals at a slum address in Pune came to light following their arrest by the Mumbai Police. Investigations revealed that these individuals had obtained passports using rental agreements in the name of a slum house located in Yashwant Nagar, Yerawada, Pune.

The slum house, as per police reports, was associated with a woman named Suman Tujare, who has already passed away. These fraudulent documents were used to secure the passports. Four other passports were similarly issued for an address in the Hadapsar area of Pune. The total number of passports issued to illegal Bangladeshis using such fake documents in the last few months is estimated to be 70.

The investigations revealed that these illegal Bangladeshis wanted to travel to Gulf countries using Indian passports. Following preliminary investigations that uncovered significant fraud, the police have announced their intention to take disciplinary action against those involved in the passport section. Further police inquiries have confirmed that all the suspects are Bangladeshi citizens who had unlawfully entered India.

Pune police commissioner Retesh Kumaar said on Wednesday, “An inquiry has been conducted and action is being taken against five police personnel from the passport section for lapses in verification.”

The dead woman’s family says they never rented the house

According to a report by The India Express, a family member of the deceased woman Suman Tujare said, “We never rented the house to anybody. It was shocking to know that multiple passports were issued to our address using fake rent agreements. We have given Suman Tujare’s death certificate to the Mumbai police team that visited us for investigation.”

Serious lapses in the police verification process before issuing the passport were also noted in the investigation. The Pune police issued a verification report endorsing the passport applicants without conducting an on-site visit to Tujare’s residence to verify their actual residence at the stated address. Investigations disclosed that the passport office, relying on this police verification report, subsequently issued Indian passports to the Bangladeshi migrants.

The probe initiated in Mumbai

Over the past two and a half months, a team from the Borivali police in Mumbai, led by Sub Inspector Pramod Nimbalkar from the Anti Terrorist Cell (ATC) and Senior Inspector Ninad Sawant, apprehended 20 Bangladeshi migrants and two Indian nationals involved in a racket that provided passports, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and other documents to undocumented individuals.

The police reported the seizure of 10 Indian passports, all issued from Pune, along with counterfeit rent agreements, falsified Indian birth certificates, Aadhaar and PAN cards, Indian voter ID cards, Bangladeshi currency, and additional items. These were recovered from those arrested in Mumbai and Pune.

According to Sub Inspector Pramod Nimbalkar from the Anti Terrorist Cell (ATC), two individuals, Rahul Singh, also known as Shahrukh Khan, and Salman Ayub Khan, aged 34, both originally from Bangladesh, are accused of facilitating the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals into India by crossing the international border unlawfully. Rahul, who had been living in Pune, is now believed to have escaped to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Salman has been apprehended.

Sub Inspector Pramod Nimbalkar said, “On reaching West Bengal, the racketeers in India provided fake Indian birth certificates to the Bangladeshi migrants. Then they were sent to Mumbai and Pune, where they got Aadhaar cards and PAN cards using the birth certificate. The suspects then applied for Indian passports, by submitting details of Pune addresses. The agents provided fake rent agreements from Pune as address proof, even though the Bangladeshi migrants never stayed at these places. Some lawyers in Pune prepared these notarised rent agreements without verifying facts.”

Who facilitated to getting of the fake documents?

Sainath Yeilwad, currently evading capture, allegedly supplied counterfeit rent agreements using the address of the late Suman Tujare to six illegal Bangladeshis. Nimbalkar added, “It is being probed how and why Tujare’s address was chosen for the scam. Also, four illegal migrants got fake rent agreements on a Hadapsar address through an agent identified as Kusum Gaikwad. We have arrested her. She was booked in four cases of cheating in the past. She prepared fake rent agreements in the name of her former driver.”

Detailing the Gulf plans of these illegal Bangladeshis, he said, “There seems to be a big racket where Bangladeshi citizens were brought to India illegally and then sent to Gulf countries as Indian citizens for employment by accepting amounts to the tune of Rs 7 lakhs from the migrants. We found a website that is being used for such rackets.”

70 Bangladeshis got Indian passports through such fake documents

Sub Inspector Pramod Nimbalkar said, “Our probe revealed about 70 Bangladeshi intruders were sent to Gulf countries using Indian passports in the last few years. Even those whom we arrested were found with Indian passports and had the same plans. It seems the Bangladeshi nationals believed it was easy and cost-effective for Indian citizens to get a job in the Gulf. Hence they came to India illegally, instead of trying for jobs in the Gulf from Bangladesh.”

“Consider Mohammad Zubair involved should there be an attack against me or my family”: Bittu Bajrangi files plaint against fake news peddler who dismissed attack on his brother

OpIndia Staff
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“Consider Mohammad Zubair involved should there be an attack against me or my family”: Bittu Bajrangi files plaint against fake news peddler who dismissed attack on his brother

A police complaint has been filed against Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair for spreading fake news about the case of life-threatening attack on Hindu activist Bittu Bajrangi’s brother.

The complaint has been filed by the chief of ‘Gauraksha Bajrang Force’ Bittu Bajrangi. The activist has complained to the Faridabad Police about the fake news factory run by Mohammad Zubair.

In the complaint, Bajrangi said that Zubair has spread rumors about him in the past as well. Zubair spread the fake news at a time when Bajrangi’s brother is hanging between life and death.

On 13th December, Bittu Bajrangi’s brother Mahesh Panchal was attack outside his shop in Faridabad. The accused poured thinner on him and set him on fire. Mahesh is injured seriously with 60% burns and is undergoing treatment.

On Thursday (28th December), Bittu Bajrangi filed a complaint against Zubair, a copy of which has been accessed by OpIndia. In the complaint, Bajrangi has described Zubair as a fundamentalist and a radical communalist.

Bittu alleged, “Hiding under the guise of a fact checker, a fundamentalist and radical communalist named Mohammad Zubair, who is infamous not only in the entire country but also in Israel and Arab countries for spreading fake news, has now started spreading falsehoods about my brother. The misleading news in this matter has gone viral. My brother Mahesh was burnt under suspicious circumstances on 13th December in Saran police station area NIT Faridabad. An Arman is named in this case. I have been trusting the administration and been cooperating with the law silently.”

The complaint further reads, “Taking illegitimate advantage of my silence, without recording the police version, a left-leaning female journalist of a news organization named ‘Hindustan Times’ published a baseless news report on 13-12-3023. This news was said to be based on police sources. By casting aspersions, the news report gave a clean chit to the accused Arman. After this, Mohammad Zubair started making this news viral without recording any response from the police. Zubair also asked other media organizations to be part of the rumor.”

“However, his claim was refuted by ACP Aman Yadav, who is leading the SIT team, while speaking to another media organization on 25th December. I will file a complaint against HT Media with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but due to the rumor spread by Mohammad Zubair, my family has suffered a lot of socially. This is a well-planned conspiracy not only to save the accused but also to kill the victim by putting him through mental agony,” the complaint reads.

The complaint further reads, “There is also apprehension that Zubair may also be a part of the syndicate that attacked my brother, because during the Nuh violence, he had continuously shared misleading news against me. Therefore, investigating this also seems necessary. Mohammad Zubair is a vicious criminal, against whom several cases have been previously registered in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.”

Referring to Nupur Sharma’s case, the complaint says, “On the basis of this rumor, violence took place across the country against Nupur Sharma and her supporters. Zubair’s rumor had also played a negative role in the Kamlesh Tiwari murder case. Even during the Israel-Hamas war, Zubair went against the policy of the Indian government and stood in support of the terrorists. Zubair was even stopped by Israeli officials for this act.”

Bittu Bajrangi further wrote, “Strict action should be taken against Mohammad Zubair for spreading fake rumors against the family of the applicant in the name of the police and putting the entire family in trouble and obstructing the police action. Also, if there is any deadly attack against me or my family in the future, then Mohammad Zubair should also be considered involved in it.”

On 24th December, Bittu Bajrangi released a video accusing fake news peddler Muhammad Zubair and ‘Hindustan Times’ of spreading false news about the attack on his brother.

It was the same HT report which Zubair had shared on social media as the truth. In this report, it was claimed quoting Haryana Police that Bittu Bajrangi’s brother had fabricated the story of attack on himself.

However, when OpIndia spoke to the police for their response to the claims made in the HT report, police officials investigating the case denied the report and said that the matter is still under investigation.

A case was registered with the Faridabad Police against the attack on Bajrangi’s brother. It is being investigated by the SIT of Haryana Police. In this matter, a journalist named Leena Dhankhar had published the report in ‘Hindutan Times’ on 22nd December.

In this news published in HT, it was written that Faridabad Police has said that Bittu Bajrangi’s brother got burnt after falling in the bonfire and there is no evidence of an attempt to murder him.

Quoting senior police officers, it was claimed that a fake complaint was lodged with the police in the case of burning of Bittu Bajrangi’s brother Mahesh Panchal and a cow smuggler was implicated in it.

However, while talking to OpIndia, the police had denied this news of ‘Hindustan Times’. When informed about this news, the ACP of Faridabad asked who in the police declared this case fake? He said that it is true that no evidence has been found against the accused in this case, but it does not mean that the case is said to be fake. He had confirmed that Bittu Bajrangi’s brother was burnt.

Ram Mandir becomes a flash point in Kerala politics: How IUML is threatening Congress to toe Islamist line while hailing Communists for their stand

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir becomes a flash point in Kerala politics: How IUML is threatening Congress to toe Islamist line while hailing Communists for their stand

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year, both Congress and the communists seem to be competing to woo the Islamic extremist outfit, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), in Kerala. IUML, an off-shoot of Jinnah’s Muslim League, has significant influence in several seats in Kerala and both CPI(M) and Congress are competing with each other to ensure that IUML supports them in 2024. The IUML, on its part, is now using its position to ensure that both parties take more hardline Islamist positions in exchange for their support in elections.

With the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony scheduled for 22nd January, IUML is now threatening Congress to toe its line entirely in exchange for their support. Muslim outfit Samastha, closely associated with IUML, has now slammed Congress for its ‘non-commital’ stand on attending the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Suprabhaatham, the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (SAMASTHA) said: “The Congress stand that the party can attend the ceremony is only meant to prevent depletion of Hindu votes in North India. It is the soft Hindutva approach of the Congress that has taken the party, which ruled the country for 36 years, to the present situation.’’ Asking Congress to review its stand, Samastha threatened Congress saying that if they remain non-committed, BJP would win Lok Sabha in 2024 – essentially saying that if Congress does not explicitly state that they will not attend the Pran Pratishtha like CPI(M), they would alienate their Muslim vote bank in Kerala.

Samastha, it is to be noted, is seen as the backbone of IUML and is an influential Muslim body in Kerala with several prominent clerics and Imams being a part of it. While Samastha has threatened Congress, IUML has come out against the party as well.

IUML state general secretary P M A Salam said: “Before every election, it has been the practice of BJP to whip up communal sentiments. In the past, there has been communal violence. Even now, exploiting communal agenda is the BJP’s strategy. None should fall into that trap. It is our stand,” he said.

The Muslim body in its editorial also hailed CPI(M) for toeing their line and refusing to attend the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. “Leaders like CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury have the wisdom to understand that the January 22 ceremony is a litmus test to convert India into a Hindu Rashtra. Hence, Yechury has shown the courage to openly state that he would not take part in the event. The secular democratic people of the country expect that courage and tenacity from Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi,’’ the editorial said.

The editorial, while hailing CPI(M) and slamming Congress, also screeched about Congress attempting to take a “soft Hindutva” approach and failing miserably in front of BJP’s “hard Hindutva”. It pointed out that while in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath had sent silver bricks for the building of Ram Mandir and promising the building of a Hanuman temple – something that did not help Congress retain power in the state.

Essentially, the editorial in the IUML mouthpiece alluded to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya being built after the demolition of the illegal structure called Babri and threatened Congress, that if they don’t take the hardline Islamist approach, they will fail to not only get their support, but also not have any hopes of coming back to power.

Interstingly, Congress has been speaking against the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, however, those statements have not assuaged the insecurity of IUML. Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda had said that “too much importance is being given to religion through the Ram Mandir and that democracy is being undermined”.

Sam Pitroda added, “So there are signals I’m getting which says we are in the wrong direction. When a nation is involved in Ram Temple, that bothers me. To me, religion is a personal thing. Don’t confuse it with the national agenda. The national agenda should focus on education, employment, growth, economy, inflation, health, environment, and pollution. Nobody talks about that.”

In a direct attack on the people of India, Pitroda added, “Everyone is talking about a Hindu temple. Everyone talks about Lord Ram. This is not how you build a modern nation.”

Even after such statements, it is evident that IUML and the Muslim bodies from Kerala want the party to take a far more hardline stand. The message to Congress by the IUML and its ally Samastha was simple – Hindus are consolidating to vote for BJP and if Congress has any hopes to come back to power, they need to pander, unabashedly, to the Muslim sentiment and toe their hardline approach.

Interestingly, earlier in November as well, the battle for IUML’s attention had come to the fore. E. P. Jayarajan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had slammed Congress’ position on the Israel-Palestine conflict. “When Aryadan Shoukath held a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram, the Congress opposed it. The Congress stance has generated a dissent within the IUML.”, the leader had said.

The ties between Congress and the Muslim League

Rahul Gandhi during his visit to the United States this year made an astounding statement by calling the Indian Union Muslim League “completely secular.” He claimed, “Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League. I think the person has not studied the Muslim League,” in response to a question about his party’s alliance with IUML in Kerala.

The Congress has received “unconditional support” from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for the upcoming Telangana assembly elections. IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty wrote to the Wayanad MP and asserted that the party would work closely with Congress to build a new government against the governing “fascists.”

The Congress and the IUML allied to run in the Kerala general elections of 2019. There were thousands of Muslim League flags flying during Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow in Wayanad. Their inclusion in the Nehru-Gandhi Parivar road show takes on additional significance because it was reported that the Congress party strictly instructed its ally not to deploy the flags for fear that it would damage their chances of winning elections in North India. Rahul Gandhi was allegedly at Wayanad with radical Muslims, per the CPI(M).

Muslim League – Indian branch of Jinnah’s party

The All India Muslim League (AIML) founded by Pakistani ideologue and founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah is the parent organisation of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) which claimed to have emerged upon Indian independence in 1948. The Muslim League in Pakistan and the Indian Union Muslim League in India succeeded the All India Muslim League. IUML states that secularism and communal harmony are its two guiding principles on its website, yet it has frequently engaged in overtly pursuing goals that run counter to these statements.

Pakistan successfully prompted the British Empire to divide British India in 1947, despite the Muslim League’s vigorous advocacy for the creation of a distinct nation-state with a majority of Muslims. The goal to preserve the spirit of the All India Muslim League led to the founding of IUML in December 1947.

M. Muhammad Ismail was a strong advocate for Pakistan’s creation and actively participated in the country’s partition process. He served as the founder and first President of the Indian Union Muslim League following the league’s separation from Jinnah’s Muslim League. Importantly, he contended that the IUML was a secular group, however, it had in fact backed the Constituent Assembly’s decision to uphold Sharia law for Indian Muslims upon India’s independence.

He launched the first Muslim political party in the newly formed state of India and even negotiated with Congress to “recognize the League as the sole representative of Muslims.” This is comparable to the policies of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who had consistently maintained that he and his party, the AIML, were the only delegates of Muslims in undivided India.

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru teamed up with the IUML in Kerala after independence.  Jinnah had proposed a coalition government with the Muslim League in 1937, however, it was refused by the Congress. Political Islamists like the IUML were further pushed to turn to greater communal politics under the pretext of defending the rights of Muslims in the nation by the opportunistic policies of Congress.

UML was allegedly founded on his guidance immediately before Jinnah departed the nation after the split of the country. He had infamously declared, “There must be a Muslim league in Hindustan.” The AIML had also noted that Pakistan’s might affected India’s ability to defend its minorities and had pledged that it “would do all to protect them.”

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