The BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday alleged a close link between TMC leader Tapas Roy and the accused mastermind of the Parliament security breach, identified as Lalit Jha.
Taking to his official handle on social media platform X, the BJP state chief shared a photograph in which the TMC leader is purportedly seen alongside the absconding mastermind.
The BJP leader also called for an investigation into the alleged links of the TMC leader with the accused.
“Lalit Jha, the mastermind of the attack on our Temple of Democracy, had been in close association with TMC’s Tapas Roy for a long time… Isn’t this proof enough for an investigation into the connivance of the leader?” Majumdar posted from his X handle.
While Opposition members raised a ruckus in both Houses of Parliament over the massive security breach on Wednesday, Delhi Police claimed a “well-planned conspiracy” behind the incident on Thursday.
While Delhi Police moved the Patiala House Court, seeking a 15-day remand for the four accused persons in the security breach case, the latter granted a remand of 7 days to the Special Cell.
Labelling the security breach as a fallout of a “well-planned conspiracy”, Delhi Police said it was an “attack on the Parliament of India”.The four accused persons — Neelam, Amol, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan — were produced before the Patiala House Court while Delhi Police filed a remand plea.
Sharing details of the incident, in which two unidentified men jumped into the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour from the visitors’ gallery and set off smoke cans that they hid in their shoes.
Delhi Police stated in an official release, “All accused yesterday entered the Parliament using visitor passes and jumped from the gallery, which resulted in the hindrance during the Parliament proceedings.”
“They used smoke canisters which they carried into the parliament veiled in their shoes,” the police added.
Police sources on Thursday said the four persons arrested in connection with the security breach in Parliament have taken common responsibility for the incident, adding that they were giving “rote answers” to the investigation team of the Delhi Police Special Cell in the matter.
Earlier, the absconding accused in the Parliament Security breach case, Lalit Jha, was alleged to be the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy.
Police said they will be able to throw more light on the conspiracy once Lalit Jha is apprehended.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended eight security personnel on Thursday over security lapses leading to the major security breach in the new Parliament building on Wednesday.
The security breach happened on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 terror attack on the Parliament.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The consecration of the grand and divine Ram temple being built in Ayodhya is to take place on January 22, 2024. Amid this it has come to the fore from the media reports that Mohit Pandey, a resident of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has been selected as the chief priest of the Ram temple. Several media outlets reported that applications from 3000 priests were accepted, from which 50 were chosen, Mohit Pandey’s name was among them, and he was chosen as the chief priest. He has been a student of Dudheshwar Ved Vidyapeeth.
However, Kameshwar Chaupal, a member of ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ Trust, has termed these reports as wrong through a Facebook post. He said that no chief priest had been appointed for the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. He also requested that people not pay attention to false news. Kameshwar Chaupal told OpIndia that Satyendra Das is the priest of the Ram temple and that no new priest has been appointed.
He stated that no chief priest had been named. According to Kameshwar Chaupal, 21 people were chosen following the interview. They have yet to receive 6 months of training. Following that, the decision will be made on the basis of merit. Satyendra Das, according to Kameshwar Chaupal, is indeed elderly, but he is currently performing the duties of chief priest, and no one has been named as his successor.
Champat Rai, General Secretary of the ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ Trust, also spoke to OpIndia about Mohit Pandey’s appointment as chief priest. He stated that why believe in social media reports that continue to operate under any name and can use anyone’s name? He said that whoever wants to can use his name.
It is notable that Satyendra Das has served as the chief priest of the Ram temple for the past 32 years. He has been worshipping Ram lalla in the makeshift temple. He was appointed nine months before the Babri structure was demolished in December 1992. He had said that while worshiping, he felt that one day a temple of Ram Lalla would be built. Notably, Ram Lalla will remain in the tent where he has been for years until the consecration. Satyendra Das was initially paid Rs 100 per month, but this was later increased to Rs 13,000 per month.
Satyendra Das has been a teacher by profession and he continued to run the household through this job. His name was decided by former BJP MP Vinay Katiyar and former VHP chief Ashok Singhal. He had good relations with Hindu leaders. He was also included among the Bairagis who had installed the statue of Ram Lalla in Ram Janmabhoomi in 1949. He left home in 1958, took the degree of Acharya in 1975 and the very next year he became a Sanskrit teacher. Even at the time of Babri demolition, he was with Ram Lalla and had taken the idol safe away from the then situation.
While the Lok Sabha was in session on 13 December, there was a serious security breach in Parliament when six people planned the assault. Two of them, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D were able to get into the Lok Sabha building while Neelam Singh and Amol Shinde remained outside the premises.
According to sources, the police investigation into the issue has shown that four of the accused individuals attempted to break Parliament security during the last session as well, reported India Today. Amol Shinde, a 25-year-old Maharashtrian Dalit man admitted to authorities that they had intended to assault Parliament security and cause chaos in the previous session. He was one of the two protesters who carried cans that released yellow smoke outside the Parliament building. Neelam Azad was the other individual nabbed outside parliament.
Sources claimed that Anmol Shinde stated that they were unable to proceed with the previous plan since visitor passes could not be acquired at that time. One of the accused, Sagar Sharma obtained visitor credentials for access during the Winter Session of Parliament from Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pratap Simha.
When the lawmaker met House Speaker Om Birla on 13 December, he informed him that the Manoranjan D’s father lived in his Mysuru constituency and had asked for a pass to see the new Parliament building. He further told Om Birla that other than this, he did not have any more information.
Lalit Jha, the sixth accused in the case was the brains behind the conspiracy. They all met through the “Bhagat Singh Fan Club” social media page. The Delhi Police, however, think that the case involves more than six individuals. There is an ongoing investigation into the matter. Police have already apprehended the four people along with Vishal Sharma alias Vicky and his spouse Vrinda Sharma who kept them in their house in Gurugram while Lalit Jha is on the run.
Shahrukh Pathan, who pointed a gun at a policeman during the anti-Hindu riots in North-East Delhi in 2020, was refused regular bail by a Delhi court on 14th December. The court stated it observed no need to grant him bail and Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat of Karkardooma Court noted, “Considering the conduct of the accused Shahrukh Pathan in jail during his judicial custody, his conduct prior to his being arrested, conduct during court proceedings and most importantly, the allegations against the accused which are being supported by the eyewitnesses and also the video footage, on any of the counts on which bail can be considered, the court sees nothing to set him enlarged on bail.”
The judge highlighted that Shahrukh Pathan was seen firing at the head constable at the location in a video that was captured by a journalist during the rioting and went viral on social media. “The video and the deposition of the witnesses also shows the entire conduct and the manner in which accused Shahrukh Pathan attacked and fired at HC Deepak Dahiya.”
The court proclaimed, “In all the footage shown, the accused Shahrukh Pathan can be seen constantly arguing with the Jail Staff.” This came about when the perpetrator filed an application claiming that jail staff had physically and verbally abused him. It mentioned, “In fact, to add to the conduct of the accused, Tihar Jail Authorities had also pointed out that earlier while being in judicial custody, a mobile phone was recovered from his possession inside the jail for which a punishment ticket was handed to him.”
The court also revealed that the accused behaved aggressively while incarcerated and even committed acts of violence. It remarked, “Another instance of 10.02.2023 was highlighted by the Jail Authority and CCTV footage was shown by Law Officer Abhijeet Shankaran and was played in open court to allege that the accused Shahrukh Pathan with another co-inmate was again found outside his ward where he was mingling with 3 other hardened prisoners/criminals but was supposed to be in high-Risk Ward and from the shadow, he could be seen intentionally thrashing and beating up a UTP Bunty and then bandaging him. The said Bunty, thereafter on the next day made a complaint to the Jail Inspecting Judge that he and Shahrukh Pathan had been badly beaten, tortured and harassed by the Tihar Jail Superintendent and it was only on the production of this CCTV footage in the court, that the said application was not pursued.” OpIndia has a copy of the judgement.
Shahrukh Pathan faces charges for several offences, including inciting unrest and encouraging animosity between various groups through unlawful assembly. The instance resulted in an FIR filed in 2020 at the Jafrabad Police Station. The case concerns an occurrence during the riots in which he was seen aiming a revolver towards a police officer.
It was submitted under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion etc), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (Disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) 307 (Attempt to murder), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 120B (Criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code along with Section 27 (Punishment for using arms, etc) of Arms Act. Proceedings under sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 188, 153A, 283, 353, 332, 323, and 307 of the India Penal Code were pressed against him in December 2021.
Charges against him and the other culprits in the FIR were framed by the trial court in December 2021. Additionally, it found a man guilty of harbouring Shahrukh Pathan in violation of Section 216 of the IPC even though he had freely entered a guilty plea to the allegation brought against him.
On 7th October, he was released on bail in a case involving injuries to multiple police officers and a gunshot wound to Rohit Shukla amid the conflict between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) demonstrators. Nevertheless, he stayed in jail since he had not requested bail in the case brought against him for pointing a gun at a cop.
The judicial underlined that Shakrukh Pathan had given a co-accused a note including a phone number during a judicial procedure. It added that he had once vanished from the jail and that he had been seen fighting and clashing with both guards and other prisoners as well as possessing a cell phone. The Court refused his request for bail due to these factors, the gravity of the accusations made against him and the existence of a recording showing him pointing a gun at a police officer.
On Thursday, the Adani Group announced a significant commitment to amplify its investments in Bihar, aiming to increase the conglomerate’s financial commitment to the state tenfold. Pranav Adani, Managing Director (Agro, Oil and Gas) of Adani Enterprises, shared during the Bihar Business Connect 2023 event that the group plans to boost its current investment in the state from Rs 850 crore to a substantial Rs 8700 crore.
Additionally, Adani expressed the group’s intention to venture into new sectors where they currently lack a presence in the eastern state. Pranav Adani said at this event, “We will invest in three additional areas and generate 10000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.”
According to a report by ANI, the Adani Group aims to raise its godown storage capacity from 1 lakh square feet to 65 lakh square feet, with an investment of Rs 1200 crore. Two large-size godowns will come up in the state, one of which will be set up in the capital city of Patna. Moreover, the Adani Group aims to enhance its storage capacity in Purnea, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Kishanganj, and Araria through a substantial investment of Rs 900 crore.
Continuing his speech, Pranav Adani emphasised the group’s plans to extend its city gas network into Gaya and Nalanda, earmarking an approximate investment of Rs 200 crore. Additionally, Adani Wilmar, the FMCG arm of the conglomerate, is set to establish its presence in the state. He said, “Initially, we will start with the wheat processing unit, a solvent extractor unit, and a co-generation power unit.”
The group has outlined its commitment to allocate Rs 800 crore for the establishment of paddy processing plants in Sasaram and Rohtas. Moreover, the Adani Group representative disclosed during the event that an investment of Rs 2500 crore is earmarked for the construction of cement manufacturing plants in Warisaliganj and Mahabal. He said, “Our target is to produce 10 million tonnes of cement annually, and our investments are expected to generate about 3000 jobs.”
The third area in which the conglomerate wishes to enter is smart meter manufacturing. He said, “Now Bihar is shifting towards smart meters. We will install more than 28 lakh smart meters across Siwan, Saran, Gopalganj, Vaishali, and Samastipur to bring in automation in the power sector.” The investments in smart meter manufacturing would be about Rs 3100 crore.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has criticised Adani in the past
Notably, the Bihar government of Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav has criticised the Adani Group in the past and now it is welcoming the investments by the businessman in the state. In July 2016, Tejashwi Yadav said, “Vijay Mallya has run away after looting white money from the country. Adani’s nephew has also done the same.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is at the forefront of attacking Gautam Adani.
In March 2023, the Enforcement Directorate claimed that it seized one crore rupees in “unaccounted cash” and detected proceeds of crime worth ₹600 crore after raids against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family in a money laundering case. Rejecting the assertions as ‘baseless propaganda,’ Tejashwi Yadav stated that investigative agencies are pursuing him as if he were the “real Adani,” referring to the businessman Gautam Adani. He essentially implied that Gautam Adani is the one who commits fraud and the agencies are probing him.
Now, in the Bihar Business Connect 2023 event, his government is accepting the declared investment of the Adani Group in the state. This is not the first time that opposition parties have attacked the businessman claiming that PM Modi and the BJP government in the centre favour him in different ways, and then the same opposition parties welcomed the Adani Group in the states ruled by them.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also a vocal critic of Gautam Adani and his business. but when it came to bringing investments in her state, she welcomed the same business group. Now, Bihar ruled by RJD and JDU has joined the same league.
On Thursday (December 14), Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Jammu and Kashmir said that there is such a government now at the Center that now terrorists cannot sit with the Prime Minister adding that now terrorists sit on the floor even in front of a junior National Investigation Agency (NIA) official.
L-G Sinha made these strong remarks on Agenda AajTak program when asked about the significant changes in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. “The changes brought about following the repeal of Article 370 instilled a sense of pride among the population of nearly 11 million people. They have begun to believe that the government in Delhi today is willing to respect and protect their rights. Now, no terrorist can come to Delhi and sit and chat with the Prime Minister; he sits on the ground, even in front of a junior NIA officer. The country is understanding this difference,” Sinha said.
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Article 370, Manoj Sinha stated that the entire country has welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict. He added that the average citizen has complete faith in the integrity of our judiciary. When asked about the opinions of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, the LG stated that they want a complete integration with India, they want to join India. When asked about the conspiracies of neighbouring Pakistan, LG Sinha stated that there are no roads or electricity there.
The LG Further said, “When a terrorist is neutralised in Jammu and Kashmir, his funeral procession is no longer allowed to be taken around the city amidst sloganeering, instead, arrangements are made to bury him nearby.” When asked about this, the LG stated that the approval of the deceased’s relatives is also obtained during the process. LG Sinha also emphasised that the glamourisation has been stopped.
During the conversation with anchor Sudhir Chaudhary, LG Manoj Sinha was asked if the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also want to join India, to which he replied that the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for such issues adding that those matters should be left to them. When asked what else has changed in the valley since Article 370 was repealed, he stated that for many years, the Gorkha people who lived there had no right to vote or own land, but now they do.
Sinha’s remarks came just days after the Supreme Court on 11th December upheld the abrogation of Article 370, which granted a special and separate Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 and Article 35A of the Indian Constitution gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir thereby giving it a separate identity from the rest of India, which was scrapped by Indian Parliament in 2019.
As the date for grand opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya approaches, various updates about the temple are being reported by the media. However, misleading and fake news are also being published by some media houses regarding the Ram Mandir. One such false information was provided by News24, which claimed that the idol of Ram Lalla to be installed in the temple is being made by a Muslim sculptor and his son.
On 14th December, News24 posted a tweet on X, claiming that Muhammad Jamaluddin from West Bengal and his son Bittu are sculpting the idol of Ram Lalla, which will take its place in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The tweet in Hindi said, “Ramlalla is ready to sit in the Ram temple of Ayodhya in January.” After that, the media houses added four bullet points, the first of which said, “The idols were made by Mohammad Jamaluddin of Bengal and his son Bittu.”
News24 then said in the post that father-son duo has been crafting idols for a long time. The post then added remarks by Jamaluddin, who said, ‘Religion is a personal thing. People following many religions live in our country. The culture of brotherhood is my message as an artiste.’
By saying that Jamaluddin and his son are making the idol of Ram Lall to be placed in Ram Mandir, News24 implied that the Muslim duo is making the main idol to placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. But this is completely fake and misleading claim, and no Muslim is making the main idol of Ram Lalla.
In fact, other media reports on Jamaluddin make it clear that he is making a decorating idol using fibre for the opening ceremony of Ram Mandir. As per a report by India Today, Mohammed Jamaluddin and his son Bittu have been engaged in creating some statues that will adorn the temple complex. The report stated that he is making life-size fibre statues.
Other reports make it clear that the fibre statutes of Lord Ram and other Gods will be used to decorate the temple complex and the Ayodhya City during the inauguration ceremony. TV9 reported that statues of Lord Ram will be placed in major intersections in Ayodhya, and some of these idols are being made by Jamaluddin and his son.
After several social media users pointed out the misleading claim made by News24, the media house later deleted the tweet.
Fibre idols are generally used for decorative purposes, and they are not used as the main deity in temples. Most deities in Hindu temples are made from various types of stones, while temporary idols made for annual festivals are made using clay. Fibre idols last longer than clay, but are much easier to make compared to carving stone. Fibre idols are generally made for export, as they are lighter and easy to transport with the risk of damage.
Notably, not one but three idols of Ram Lalla are being made in Ayodhya by three separate artists, and one of them will be picked by a committee to be placed in Sanctum Santorum, after which the pran pratistha rituals will be conducted by priests.
Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, had earlier informed that the three different idols are being made by three sculptors – Ganesh Bhatt and Arun Yogiraj from Karnataka and Satyanarayan Pandey from Jaipur. Two of the idols are being made using two stones from Karnataka and one from Rajasthan. Earlier, a stone was brought from Nepal, and later stones were also brought from Odisha and Maharashtra to carve the idol, but those were found not suitable.
Ganesh Bhatt of Karnataka is carving out the idol from Nellikaru rock or black stones which is also known as Shyam shila or Krishna shila. Famous sculptor Arun Yogiraj of Mysore, who sculpted the 12-ft statue of Adi Shankaracharya unveiled by PM Modi in Kedarnath, is sculpting another idol using another rock from Karnataka. Satya Narayan Pandey of Rajasthan is carving the Ram Lalla idol from white Makrana marble stones. All three artists are chiselling the idols based on a sketch by renowned artist Vasudeo Kamath from Mumbai.
The 51-inch-tall Ram Lalla depicts the child form of Lord Ram, same as the current smaller idol that was placed in the makeshift temple for over half a century. The idol will depict five-year-old Ram Lalla sitting on a lotus, carrying a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. Many other symbols related to Lord Ram will carved on the statue.
While one idol will be selected to be permanently placed in the sanctum sanctorum, the other two idols will be placed in prominent places inside the temple premises.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha tried to be a pollster to his own detriment. His analysis of the recently-concluded assembly elections in five states has prompted satirical response from netizens.
During an interview with a news channel at their annual event, Raghav Chadha explained his logic to claim that the BJP despite winning in three states did not get the maximum votes but Congress, which won in one state, did.
A clip from the interview is going viral where Raghav Chadha says that of the 11 crore people who cast their votes in the four states, 4 crore 80 lakh votes were with BJP and 4 crore 90 lakh votes were with Congress. He claimed that this means that Congress secured 10 lakh more votes than the BJP.
Explaining the same, he said, “The five election states in total have 84 seats in the Lok Sabha of which BJP has 65 seats. But if you extrapolate the votes in the assembly election to Lok Sabha seats, if the BJP gets the same number of votes in 2024 as it did in the assembly polls, then its Lok Sabha seats will drop from 65 to 50.”
On 3rd December, the results of the elections in the states Telangana, Rajastha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were released and on 4th December the results for Mizoram were declared.
BJP won in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Chhattisgarh whereas Congress won in Telangana. In Mizoram, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) party stood victorious.
When asked about the INDI Alliance and whether AAP and Congress will come together in Delhi and Punjab especially after the latter lost to the BJP in three states, the AAP MP said the alliance will take positive lessons from the assembly elections and move towards 2024.
Again, using a futile logic, Chadha compared the 2019 Lok Sabha election results to the 2023 assembly elections to say that the voteshare of the INDI Alliance parties has increased in the assembly polls as compared to in 2019.
“In 2019, Congress had 6 seats in 5 states. If the voteshare which they got in these assembly elections is repeated in 2024, they will rise by 22 seats and touch 28 seats,” he said. Anchor Rahul Kanwal appeared visibly annoyed at the same.
Netizens are having a field day with Chadha’s replies. X user @theskindoctor wrote, If you defeat @raghav_chadha 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 in a friendly tennis match, instead of accepting the defeat, Raghav will start claiming the victory by stating that he won more games (4+6+5 = 15) than you (6+1+7 = 14) in all three sets combined, and that’s why he’ll take the cup home.”
If you defeat @raghav_chadha 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 in a friendly tennis match, instead of accepting the defeat, Raghav will start claiming the victory by stating that he won more games (4+6+5 = 15) than you (6+1+7 = 14) in all three sets combined, and that's why he'll take the cup home. pic.twitter.com/WoyooPSkmr
In another clip from the same interview, the AAP MP said that if Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain agree to join the BJP , they will all come out of jail and become Union ministers and might get Bharat Ratna too.
Today if Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Satyendra Jain agree to join the BJP, they all will come out of jail and become central ministers and might even get Bharat Ratna too: Raghav Chadha
In recent times, the insidious use of AI tools for image and video editing has reached alarming levels. The problems posed by the use of the Artificial Technology with ill intent are very concerning these days. The malicious creation and dissemination of deepfake content, often including pornographic material, have become a potent weapon for blackmail and character defamation. A poignant incident in India involving actress Rashmika Mandana highlights the severity of the issue, that prompted the Indian government to take stringent measures to combat this growing threat.
However, the problem is more critical in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, where deepfake videos of women, including female leaders, have emerged as a grave concern. In these societies, proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes exacerbates the challenges faced by women in these conservative environments.
In Bangladesh, as the country approaches a critical election, deepfake videos targeting female opposition politicians, Rumin Farhana and Nipun Roy, have surfaced. These manipulative videos, including one featuring a politician in a bikini and another in a swimming pool, raise serious questions about the integrity and privacy of women in the political arena.
The situation is equally dire in Pakistan, where an 18-year-old woman fell victim to an alleged honour killing. Her father and uncle reportedly killed her after a doctored photograph of her with a man went viral. This tragic incident underscores the dangerous consequences of deepfake content created using AI technology, as manipulated images can lead to real-world violence.
In addition to politicians, vulnerable communities like LGBTQ individuals, exemplified by Shahzadi Rai, a transgender member of Pakistan’s Karachi Municipal Council, facing targeted abuses through deepfake images. The implications are severe, risking not only personal safety but also undermining careers and discouraging women from participating in politics and online spaces.
As disinformation campaigns gain momentum, the threat to women’s privacy and safety intensifies. The pervasive use of deepfakes in harassment, scams, and sextortion creates an increasingly unsafe online environment for women in these conservative societies. With the spectre of elections looming, urgent action is required to address the deepfake menace and protect the integrity of women in both public and private spheres.
India, led by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, is at the forefront of addressing the deepfake crisis. The government is drafting new rules, demanding social media platforms to swiftly remove deepfake images and videos within 36 hours of notification. Failure to comply may result in the loss of safe-harbour status for these platforms, exposing them to liability for third-party content. Furthermore, the Indian government is contemplating compelling providers and platforms to disclose the identities of deepfake creators.
In a shocking case that has come to the fore from the Kondhwa region of Maharashtra’s Pune district, government land that had been earlier allotted for the construction of a playground is now being converted into a Muslim burial ground. This is after the former NCP MLA Chetan Tupe and BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar submitted a letter to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) suggesting that the amenity space around some of the Hindu societies in Kondhwa could be the perfect location to build a burial ground (Qabristan) for the Muslim community.
BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar later backtracked from the suggestion, reportedly after realising the problems of the locals and after he was informed about the issues in the area.
The letter claimed that the Kondhwa region in Pune has a large Muslim population and that it would be favorable for the community to have a burial ground nearby.
Several Hindu societies around the said amenity space (survey no. 44) have complained to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) objecting to the construction of a burial ground for the Muslim community. “The societies around the plot are Hindu societies and several thousand Hindu families reside in this location. Several Hindu temples are also located in the area and building a burial ground for the Muslim community here might cause religious harm to the residents,” the letter by Raviraj Colorado Co-op Housing Society read. The complaint dated 23rd October has been exclusively obtained by OpIndia upon which no action has been taken by the PMC yet.
Complaint letter submitted by Raviraj Colorado Co-op Housing Society
Similar complaint letters have been submitted by Achalnagar Sahakari Gruharachana Society Ltd and Shree Vardhaman Nagar Co-op Housing Society Ltd to the PMC highlighting that around 12000 to 15000 Hindu families reside in the locality and that it would be wrong to allow amenity space that was supposed to be a playground for a Muslim burial ground. The complaint letters obtained by OpIndia have been signed by all the society members who are Hindus.
Letter copy obtained by OpIndia
Amenity space is a portion of a building that adds convenience for all occupants of a building and that is not used exclusively by any one occupant. In the current case, the amenity space is just a wall close to societies that have registered complaints and the space is authoritatively looked after by the PMC.
NCP MLA Chetan Tupe Patil and local Muslim Nagarsevaks claim survey no. 44 space surrounded by the Muslim population
The controversy has been long-standing since the year 2021 when NCP MLA Chetan Tupe Patil submitted a letter to the PMC suggesting that the amenity space on survey no. 44 plot should be made a Muslim burial ground given that the Kondhwa region in Pune houses a large Muslim population. However, in between these years, it was later advised by the PMC’s Amenity Space Committee that a Muslim burial ground would be constructed in the amenity space on surveys no. 18 and 19 and that a playground would be constructed on survey no. 44 space.
The Muslim community members then happened to press that a burial ground on survey no. 44 space would be better given the closer distance and that the supposed burial ground in Survey no 18 and 19 space would cause commuting problems for the community. Several letters to PMC pressing their demand for survey no 44 space were sent by the Nagarsevak, Adv Abdul Gafar Pathan, Parveen Haji Firoz Sheikh, and former NCP MLA Chetan Tupe Patil. The letters erroneously claimed that most of the population residing around the survey no. 44 plots were Muslims and it would be a feasible space for Muslim burial ground.
A similar letter advocating for a Qabristan on survey no. 44 land was submitted by the BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar on 8th May 2023 to the PMC. The letter stated that survey no. 18 and 19 spaces were too far from the Muslim locality residing in Kondhwa and that making a burial ground on survey no. 44 space would be feasible instead. The PMC on 16th May then approved the proposal based on the letter submitted by Tilekar.
PMC document approving survey no 44 plot for conduction of Muslim burial ground.
BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar says he was misinformed, now assures no Muslim burial ground will be made on the said land
However, it has come to the fore that Tilekar submitted the letter after the local Muslim community members sought his help regarding the land issue. The Muslim community representatives informed Tilekar that a maximum of the Muslim population resides around survey no. 44 amenity space and that it should be converted into a Muslim burial ground.
OpIndia talked to BJP MLA Yogesh Tilekar confirming the incident. He exclusively informed OpIndia that he was misinformed about the survey no. 44 spaces and the ongoing project of playground construction on the land. “I didn’t know the land was already allotted by the PMC for a playground construction. Neither did the local Muslim representatives tell me nor the PMC. The letter I sent in May 2023 pressed for a burial ground on survey no. 44 space. However, after I learned that the maximum of population residing around the survey no. 44 space is Hindu, I sent another letter demanding the cancellation of the allotment of the land for a Muslim burial ground,” Tilekar said while talking to OpIndia.
The letter of cancellation that Tilekar sent to the PMC on 23rd October 2023 clearly states that the survey no. 44 amenity space is located in a crowded area and most of the population that resides in the societies around the space is Hindu. “I first thought that the area housed a large Muslim population but I was misinformed. Most of the population residing in the locality is Hindu,” the letter reads.
Letter exclusively obtained by OpIndia
Rs 49 lakhs already spent for construction of playground, space still vacant
The entire incident was exposed after an RTI activist Dr Paritosh Zaware Patil residing in the Raviraj Colorado Co-op Housing Society (next to survey no 44 amenity space) filed an RTI demanding details of the location. It came to the fore that the PMC had already allotted the land for the construction of a playground and that the government had already spent Rs 43 lakhs for construction. Surprisingly, the land still is vacant and is under controversy over the Muslim burial ground construction.
The land was allotted for the construction of the playground in the year 2017 and in 2019 grant of Rs 43 lakhs for the purpose was also obtained. The project of construction of the playground was given to some Salim Construction in the year 2019 and Rs 49 lakhs had been spent for the purpose. “The land is still vacant and no playground has been constructed here. Instead, they want to make a Muslim burial ground here. This is a crowded locality and we don’t want our children to see anything that would not be good for their age,” Dr Patil confirmed.
Letter exclusively obtained by OpIndia
‘Nothing against the Muslim community, it is about burial ground in crowded residential area,’ resident RTI activist
Dr. Paristosh Patil while talking to OpIndia confirmed that survey no 18 and 19 are in the East part of the Kondhwa region and that it still stands vacant. “Some people had demanded that a vegetable market should be developed there. However, in the Amenity space committee meeting, the PMC denied the permission. That land can easily be converted into a Muslim burial ground. No problem at all. But the Muslim community members want survey no 44 amenity space only which is located in the crowded Hindu locality. They say that it is a closer option for them.”
Surveys no 18 and 19 spaces stand vacant
Patil added that he or the other society members have nothing to do with the community. “We are not against the Muslim community. Our problem is the burial ground. How can it be constructed in a densely crowded residential locality? All our society’s flat doors face the ground and families stay with us. What if our children ask tomorrow about the burials? Like what it is and why does this happen? Many children residing in the society are too young to see this. Even if there was a demand for Hindu cremation ground, we would have opposed it,” he added.
The vacant land in question close to residential buildings
The letter submitted by the societies around survey no 44 amenity space states that there are around 12000-15000 Hindu families residing in the locality and hardly any Muslim people stay in the societies. “There are also several temples in the area and converting the space into a Muslim burial ground might harm our religious sentiments,” the letter reads.
The complaint also says that constructing a Muslim burial ground might create health hazards. “Water used for the process might seep into the society pipes causing health hazards. The societies and the survey no 44 amenity space are just a wall away from each other,” Dr Patil confirmed.
Hindu society members say they are being threatened, some leaving their flats
Team OpIndia also talked to some of the other society residents to know about the Muslim burial ground being constructed on the nearby premises. One of the Raviraj Colorado society residents stated that several unknown persons are calling the society residents after the complaint to the PMC saying the Muslim burial ground will be built on survey no. 44 land come what may. “People are threatening us and saying that the inauguration of the burial ground will be executed in January next year. We all are scared and don’t want to see people getting buried there,” said Neelam Shah, one of the residents (name changed for security reasons).
She further added that several Hindu organizations and concerned legal committees are looking into the case and people here are even ready to protest. “The roadway to the ground is really narrow as the locality is already crowded. Single lanes lead to the ground in question. School buses also pass through the same routes. Imagine now if someone dies from their community (God forbid) and they get the body to the ground for burial and then there’s also a bus passing through the same route.. our children will be forced to see what they should not at this age? Moreover, the traffic issues might also increase. The Muslim burial ground here is a bad idea,” she pressed.
Narrow roads in the locality
Neelam further added that the amenity space which is vacant at present is used by some of the miscreants to carry out immoral and illegal activities. On asking about the ‘immoral activities’, Shah said that people use the site for drinking and all wrong purposes after the evening hours. “This also should stop,” she demanded.
The resident also added that some of the people living in the societies are leaving their properties and selling at a loss due to the increasing influence of the Muslim community. “The Muslim burial ground is making people leave their hard-earned homes. This is not done,” she adds.
Another resident Jyotsna Patil (name changed for security reasons) also confirmed that most of the population staying here in the Kondhwa region is Hindu. “The burial ground can result in severe health hazards. Not instantly but in the coming 4-5 years people will notice changes in the environment here and their health to be specific. This is hazardous. Also, this is a Hindu community crowded space. Religiously, it would be incorrect to have another community burial ground here. Strict action should be taken in this case,” Patil said.
The PMC is said to have taken action based on the letter submitted by BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar. However, Tilekar stated that he was misinformed about the location and that no he is ready to do anything to stop the ‘playground’ being converted into a Muslim burial ground. Reportedly, the Amenity Space Committee of Pune Municipal Corporation has taken no action on the cancellation request submitted by the BJP MLA. The decision shall be taken in the upcoming meeting of the body.
At present, the amenity space contains a jogging track and a few rest places. The remaining portion of the land stands vacant.
Kondhwa region in Pune has been the hub of Pune ISIS module
It is important to note that Pune’s Kondhwa region has been in the news for some time. In July this year, the National Investigation Agency arrested a doctor from the Kondhwa region for sheltering ISIS members. Also, three residents from the Mithanagar area of Kondhwa had been arrested by NIA for promoting terrorist activities at the behest of the global terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS).
Later, in August, it had come to the fore that the accused ISIS operatives organized and participated in bomb-making workshops in Pune’s Kondhwa area in 2022. The central investigation agency received credible intelligence that these accused and their associates were recruiting youth and training them to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and weapons. They also shared Do It Yourself (DIY) kits and other relevant materials among themselves for creating IEDs and manufacturing small weapons, pistols, and more.
Notably, the accused were also involved in creating content for the pro-ISIS magazine ‘Voice of Hind’. The online magazine led to several raids by the NIA in October 2021 in Kashmir.
On 5th August, the accused were sent to ATS custody by a Pune court. ATS informed the court they found incriminating material from the accused, including an Indian map with several cities marked, laptops containing material to study the modus operandi of terror attacks, and more. The initial probe revealed they have links to the Al Sufa module. However, a later investigation revealed they all were part of ISIS.
