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Dehradun: 21-year-old Hindu youth commits suicide, father accuses his ‘friend’ Alisha and her family of conspiring his death

OpIndia Staff
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Dehradun: 21-year-old Hindu youth commits suicide, father accuses his ‘friend’ Alisha and her family of conspiring his death

The Dehradun police in Uttarakhand have booked a woman named Alisha, her parents Imtiaz and Rishma, and her maternal uncle Nadeem for abetting the suicide of a 21-year-old Hindu youth named Rohit Sharma. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Rohit Sharma’s father who accused his son’s ‘friend’ Alisha and her family members of harassing and mentally torturing which in turn pushed his son to take the drastic step.

The incident occurred in the Patelnagar neighbourhood of Dehradun city. Rohit Sharma, who had reportedly ingested some poisonous substance had passed away while receiving medical treatment at a hospital on November 2.

Rohit’s father, Mahipal Sharma, filed a complaint against Alisha, her parents, Imtiaz and Rishma, and her maternal uncle Nadeem on November 4.

OpIndia has accessed a copy of the FIR filed in the case.

The disturbed father in his complaint, alleged that Alisha, who resided with her family in the same neighbourhood, had trapped his son in a love affair. He asserted that she and her family members had been harassing Rohit. He also said that the accused had resorted to physical violence against his son. He added that Alisha and her family members gave his son so much mental trauma and it led to him taking the drastic step.

“In response to the complaint, a case of abetment of suicide under IPC section 306 has been registered against the four,” said sub-inspector Sanoj Kumar, adding that no arrests have been made as of now.

Notably, the Organiser Weekly on November 16, published a report on the incident. The correspondent of the web portal shared excerpts of the conversation she had with the deceased youth’s father, where he accused Alisha and her family members of killing his son. He revealed that they were unaware of their son’s relationship with Alisha until November 25, when Rohit had consumed the poison.

“On October 25, after consuming something, Rohit was unable to communicate. Upon checking his phone, we discovered a chat between him and Alisha, where she mentioned that her family had discovered their relationship and intended to marry her off to someone else. Rohit hurried to her house, and upon his return, he experienced vomiting and eventually fainted. In his pocket, my wife found a packet of rat poison,” Mahipal Sharma was quoted as saying.

Mahipal Sharma also shared screenshots of WhatsApp chats between his deceased son and Alisha, the screenshot of which was shared in the report published by the Organiser. In the chat, Alisha can be seen telling Rohit about her family members learning about their affair and deciding to marry her to someone else.

Image credit: Organiser

The boy’s father was further quoted as accusing Alisha’s family of being behind the untimely death of his son. “Imtiyaz and his family left the same day Rohit consumed poison, deepening our suspicions about their involvement,” he said.

Organiser also spoke to sub-inspector Sanoj Kumar, who is also the investigating officer in this case, on November 16. He told the portal that the accused are currently on the run and that the police are on the lookout for the accused. He further confirmed that the postmortem examination had been conducted, and the findings from it formed the basis for accepting the FIR in this case.

‘Laal Diary’ contains Gehlot’s ‘Kacha Chitta’, it has calculations of scams worth thousands of crores: Amit Shah in Rajasthan’s Vijay Nagar

ANI
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‘Laal Diary’ contains Gehlot’s ‘Kacha Chitta’, it has calculations of scams worth thousands of crores: Amit Shah in Rajasthan’s Vijay Nagar

In the run-up to the November 25 assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying that the ‘Laal Diary’ contains Gehlot’s ”Kacha Chitta’, pointing to the rough draft of all calculations about the alleged scams that took place in the state under his watch.

“‘Laal Diary’ has Ashok Gehlot’s ‘Kacha Chitta’. It has all calculations of corruption worth thousands of crores,” Amit Shah said while campaigning in Rajasthan’s Bijainagar on Friday.

The Red Diary has become one of the most talked-about political accusations ever since sacked Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha claimed that it contained information about financial transactions involving the Chief Minister.

Taking a jibe at the incumbent Chief Minister, Amit Shah advised some youths present at the public meeting not to wear ‘red’ clothes to Gehlot’s campaign.

“Some youths have come here wearing red shirts and jerseys. It is okay that you have come to my public meeting. But don’t go to Gehlot’s meeting. Just like the bulls run seeing red, Gehlot will also…Do you know why? What is in the ‘Laal Diary’?” Shah asked.

The Union Home Minister said that Ashok Gehlot has indulged in so much corruption in these five years that the total proceeds of those scams, amount to more than those done by all the state governments in Rajasthan since independence.

“Gehlot has indulged in so much corruption in these five years that it amounts to more than those done by all the governments in Rajasthan since Independence,” Shah said.

Listing out the scams done by the Gehlot government, he said, “Whether it is in the Mining department, for giving mining pattas, Udaisagar Jheel, Pratapgarh Limestone mining…Even from their secretariats, in the offices of the secretaries, Rs 2 crore and some kilogrammes of gold were found in their cupboards.”

Continuing his attack against the Gehlot government, Shah said, “For five years, you’ve seen the Congress government. In these five years, if Congress has done anything big, it is corruption.”

Appealing to people to vote for the “double engine” government in the state, Shah said, “When you cast your vote for the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha elections, do not think that you are voting to elect an MLA or BJP. But your vote is for Rajasthan and the country to prosper, to bring about a double-engine government in Rajasthan under the leadership of Narendra Modi.”

Rajasthan is set to undergo assembly polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be done on December 3. The BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 Legislative Assembly elections and formed the government in Rajasthan.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents. 

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

As BRS promises IT clusters for minorities on Waqf land, here’s how temples in Telangana are suffocating under a piling list of land-grabbers

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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As BRS promises IT clusters for minorities on Waqf land, here’s how temples in Telangana are suffocating under a piling list of land-grabbers

Hectic parlays are underway in the poll-bound state of Telangana which will cast the ballot on 30th November. Politics has been at its peak what with the occasional sensational war of words generally launched by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) against the BJP and PM Modi ever since he officially made public his sentiments to become the next Prime Minister of India when he renamed his party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS).

It is perhaps this desperation that has made BRS a party dedicated to the cause of minority appeasement politics while simultaneously hurting Hindu sentiments. It was therefore surprising when in September, the Telangana Finance Minister reportedly asserted that KCR was a genuine Hindu and his efforts to develop temples in the State proved this. But the ground reality tells an entirely different story.

In March this year, the Telangana High Court sought a response from the state government on reasons for encroachment on temple lands by realtors. The petition, filed on the basis of a letter by a resident of Jadcherla, C Anil Kumar, was filed along with local new reports that mentioned that 102.05-acre land belonging to the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Jadcherla was illegally occupied whereas private realtors had taken over 63.03-acre land.

Moreover, the petitioner submitted that land measuring 44-acre belonging to the Anjaneya Swamy temple of Chinna Rajamure area in Devarakadra Mandal was infringed upon. It was also alleged that the realtors were supported by local politicians with the connivance of revenue officials to convert temple land into layouts and plots for sale.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was reportedly filed recently based on a communication addressed to the court by the Chairman of Pragna Bharati, Dr TH Chowdary raising concerns about the management and administration of Hindu temples under state control. The PIL was disposed of by the Telangana High Court in October.

According to Dr Chowdary, Hindu temples controlled by the government in Telangana were headed by converts to Christianity and the several members of the temple boards lacked merit. However, the government filed a counter affidavit claiming that of the 243 temples in Secunderabad, 199 are under the control of the Endowment Department and that none of the temples were headed by non-Hindus.

In July, the Rashtriya Vanara Sena Mission, which works to safeguard temples across the country, reportedly cited government data alleging that more than 23 per cent of temple lands (20,124.03 acres of 87,235.39 acres) is encroached upon. But, they claimed, their review of the audit records showed a much higher area that was encroached upon.

“According to official data, more than 23 per cent (20,124.03 acres out of 87,235.39 acres) of temple lands have been encroached upon. However, upon reviewing the audit records of 19 temples, we discovered that almost 80 per cent (6,343 acres out of 7,976 acres) of these temples have encroached,” said N Ram Reddy, president of Rashtriya Vanara Sena Mission.

It was further alleged that under the orders of CM KCR and his son KT Rama Rao, many temple lands were sold off to repay debts and allocated temple lands for non-Hindu purposes.

Exactly a year ago, in November 2022, a committee formed by the Telangana government found that the Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple land parcel at Devarayamjal village in Shamirpet mandal had concluded that the temple land was encroached upon and illegal sale transactions had also taken place over the years. Times of India quoted sources as saying that of the 1,521 acres of land being claimed by the endowment department, about 1,350 acres was under the grip of alleged land grabbers.

The finding was submitted by the committee which was tasked with probing into the land temple-grabbing case owing to allegations against former minister Eatala Rajender. The ACB and Vigiland officials probing the case confirmed the fraudulent transfer of 100 acres from endowment lands to others through 35 registrations over a period of four years.

The case of Sri Seetha Ramchandra Swamy temple

The size of the land of Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam has been waning for nearly a century now. The land reportedly spanned around 1,250 acres and is situated in Khammam district of Telangana and the remaining in East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Around 910 acres of this land is situated at Purushothapatnam near Bhadrachalam town. This land was donated to the temple by a devotee in October 1978. In 1998, 27.5 acres of this land were sold to some institutions including the tobacco board and finally, the temple was left with 889.50 acres of land.

A major part of this land measuring 722 acres came under cultivation by local farmers owing to which a the temple authorities had to fight a legal battle. Consequently, the farmers began paying a nominal lease amount in 2005 but a few years after the formation of Telangana, the situation had come to square one.

“Though the lease amount was very less – around ₹3,300 per acre – we allowed them to continue cultivation, as the lands still belonged to the temple trust board as per the documents. But the land sharks eyed the precious lands, whose value now run into crores of rupees due to proximity to Bhadrachalam town. They are now trying to start real estate ventures in the temple lands. We are struggling to protect them,” Bhadrachalam temple executive officer B Shivaji told Hindustan Times in July 2022.

This is the same temple which, in 2020, was out of funds to organise the traditional ‘Seetha Rama Kalyanam’, the celestial wedding of Mata Sita with Shri Ram Chandra, and had to sell tickets to fund the divine celebration.

Now these are all developments from this year and the year 2022 even when in 2021, reports suggested that the Telangana government is working towards introducing strict laws on endowment lands in order to retrieve encroached temple lands and prevent future encroachments.

But what has happened in the past two years subsequent to the encroachment was nowhere near in line with the KCR government’s assurances. Moreover, Hindus rights and religious sentiments have only been mocked.

In April this year, an FIR reportedly registered against pastor Mr Gandham Arun Kumar and others for conducting Christian prayers inside a Hindu temple in Warangal, Telangana.

The matter pertains to Christians conducting prayers in a Hindu temple constructed by the Kakatiya dynasty in Fort Warangal, a video of which had gone viral on social media, drawing outrage from several quarters on the internet. The temple is reportedly under the control of the Archeological Department and being administered by the Telangana Endowments Department.

The local Hindu community was concerned after learning about the large-scale prayers being held directly in front of Ramalayam and Swayambu Ramalingashwara Swamy temple near Gundu Cheruvu.

The endowment department in September 2022 issued an order to three temples to contribute ₹1 crore each for the construction of three floors of the Warangal endowment office. This order was given by the additional commissioner of endowment, E Srinivas Rao.

The order was issued to the Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal, the Seetharamachandra Swamy Temple in Kazipet Town’s Madikonda village, and the Medaram village in Mulugu district’s Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara organisers.

Nearly 20,124.08 acres of endowment land were under encroachment in the state as of June 2019. The encroachments have happened as the lessees are taking the temple lands at throwaway prices and in turn, they had given them on sub-lease at market prices, which has also resulted in huge revenue loss to the Endowments department.

The Telangana government back then reportedly decided to take action against illegal occupants of large tracts of temple lands. Telangana Endowments Minister, A Indra Karan Reddy, directed the officials to act against encroachers and evict them from the state lands.

Another report from April 2019 claimed that more than 24,000 acres of temple land, constituting 25 per cent of 87,000 acres of endowment land in the state, was encroached. The encroached land was reportedly double the size of Cyberabad.

The report cited data shared by endowments department which stated that the Nalgonda district had lost 3,500 acres to encroachers and about 2,200 acres were lost in Hyderabad and nearly 1,800 acres were with land grabbers in Ranga Reddy district. Of the total encroachments, 16,000 acres were already registered in the names of private persons.

It is more than clear that the matter of temple land grabbing has essentially eaten into the assets that sustain the Hindu culture, tradition and rituals and by extension, the Hindu faith. These are matters waiting to be resolved even as large scale temple land grabbing continues in Telangana. Alas, the government has other land matters to cater to, that of the Waqf land.

Just two days ago, on 15th November, KCR said that his government would develop IT clusters for young men and women from minority communities if voted to power. While addressing the crowd in Nizamabad, the BRS chief said that the state had been thinking about this for some time and would take permission from the Waqf board for the same.

Ironically, in the same speech, KCR urged both Hindus and Muslims to work together for the development of Telangana while he conveniently held discussions about state projects with Waqf. And still, KCR kept appeasing as he pointed out that Telangana is the only state that officially organised EId for Muslims and Christmas for Christians.

In September 2020, the Telangana government was reportedly contemplating on extending judicial powers to Waqf Board. The Minority Welfare Minister Koppula Eshwar said that the issue of granting judicial status to Waqf Board will be soon considered by the Chief Minister.

This promise has been made by KCR to the Muslim community several times and should he decide to stand by his words, the Waqf Board would essentially have the power to evict encroachers from its properties without having to take the legal route.

In July 2020, KCR announced that his government would construct new mosques in place of those demolished by the Hyderabad civic body in the new secretariat premises at government expense after Muslim clerics and AIMIM protested the demolition of two mosques at the old Secretariat complex. The demolition was done to make way for the new secretariat in Telangana.

Issue raised by PM Modi

On 3rd October, PM Modi, while addressing a rally in Telangana’s Nizamabad remarked that the state government had captured the temples and that the temples were being looted through a conspiracy involving governments. He pointed that this was particularly the case in DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu. 

“In the south, especially in Tamil Nadu, the state government has control of temples. The state government has captured temples. The temples are being looted through a conspiracy involving governments. Temples are being looted. Temples are being captured. But they will not touch the worship places of minorities. They don’t bring them under government control,” he was quoted as saying.

Moreover, with the BRS making promises to the likes of Waqf and the Congress allying with IUML, its existing partner in Kerala, PM Modi’s statement on the state of temples in Telangana and Tamil Nadu has given the subject much-needed attention this election season.

Wajihuddin Ali Khan arrested: Meet the ‘Amir’ of ISIS in India, with links to terror modules in Pune, Aligarh, and Delhi; was also connected to the Delhi riots

Gopal Tiwari
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Wajihuddin Ali Khan arrested: Meet the ‘Amir’ of ISIS in India, with links to terror modules in Pune, Aligarh, and Delhi; was also connected to the Delhi riots

In India, the infamous terrorist outfit Islamic State (ISIS) has faced a significant setback. Wajihuddin Ali Khan, the self-declared caliph of the Islamic State, is now in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP ATS). He is currently being interrogated, and the UP ATS has secured a 10-day remand for him through legal proceedings.

The UP ATS is delving into his complete profile and is also probing extensively into the backgrounds of those associated with him. The action taken by the UP ATS has thus proved true the report by OpIndia, which revealed that Wajihuddin Ali Khan holds the position of the chief of ISIS in India, referred to as ‘Amir’ by members of the organisation.

According to a report by Bhaskar, the UP ATS said that Wajihuddin is identified as the ‘Indian Amir’ of ISIS. Working in tandem with foreign handlers, he was involved in a conspiracy to orchestrate several attacks in collaboration with the Pune and Delhi modules. Under his directives, his associates had identified notable ‘targets,’ including Yati Narsinhanand Saraswati in Ghaziabad.

Beyond this, he had initiated training sessions for explosive attacks, collaborating with Shahnawaz, a member of the Pune module of ISIS. Wajihuddin was actively involved in preparing an ‘Islamic Army’ against India for ‘Jihad’ through different contacts, stretching from Rampur, Sambhal, and Aligarh to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, OpIndia detailed how Wajihuddin, employing the pretext of ‘Haya’, manipulated the minds of young people, steering them towards fanatic Islamic extremism and violence. Methodically establishing an anti-India atmosphere through ‘Haya’ programs in schools, colleges, and various institutions, he spurred over-excited youths to take up arms against India.

From an overground worker to an Amir

OpIndia also highlighted in its report how Wajihuddin was revered like an ‘Amir’ or leader for individuals associated with different organisations spanning from ISIS to SAMU in the Aligarh Muslim University and from Delhi to Prayagraj. His followers praised him on social media, addressing him as ‘Amir.’ In Muslim countries, the term ‘Amir’ signifies a ruler or supreme leader.

Wajihuddin Ali Khan initially started working for ISIS as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) and later established himself as an ‘Amir’ in organisations like SAMU (Students of AMU). Through the ‘Haya’ program, he regularly held formal gatherings and delivered Islamic speeches.

In these gatherings, he sought support by quoting the rhetoric of arrested Islamists like Sharjeel Imam, attempting to validate Sharia governance by speaking against democracy. Through these assemblies, he prepared individual goons like Abdullah Arshlan and Maj bin Tarik to join ISIS.

Wajihuddin was wanted for a long time

Wajihuddin had been on the radar of security agencies for quite some time. He was so cunning and sharp that he left very few traces against himself. This time, after the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Shahnavaz, Arshad Warsi, and Rizwan from Delhi, Muradabad, and Aligarh, respectively, the UP ATS had to launch a dedicated operation to apprehend Wajihuddin.

After the arrest of Abdullah and Maj, Wajihuddin was apprehended by the UP ATS in Durg, Chhattisgarh. According to information provided by the UP ATS, they received intelligence that individuals in Aligarh, inspired by the ideology of ISIS, were influencing others in the region.

The UP ATS also disclosed that the individuals arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with terrorism had ties to the student organisation “Students of Aligarh Muslim University” (SAMU). These individuals are influenced by the ideology of ISIS. In light of this, the ATS expanded its investigation, gathered evidence, and took appropriate action.

Wajihuddin hails from Durg, Chhattisgarh, and besides obtaining his PhD at AMU, he was engaged in educating junior students in social sciences, encompassing subjects like history, geography, and political science. Notably, his students comprised individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Hindu students.

Wajihuddin was also connected to anti-CAA protests and Delhi anti-Hindu riots conspiracy

Wajihuddin Ali Khan and Arshad Warsi were close for several years, at least since 2018. They have both been arrested for being ISIS terrorists. It is also pertinent to note that Arshad Warsi and Wajihuddin were closely involved in the anti-CAA protests that were taking place in Jamia and AMU at the time.

Arshad Warsi was intimately in touch with Sharjeel Imam during the early phases of the Delhi violence. Arshad Warsi shared a video of Wajihuddin Ali Khan on the 6th of December 2019. It was the anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. This is when the conspiracy of the Delhi violence had already taken seed and Arshad Warsi was intimately in touch with Sharjeel Imam. From Arshad Warsi’s various social media posts, it is evident that he was not merely praising Wajihuddin but was also connected with him on a personal level.

Wajihuddin sent to 10-day custody

On Thursday, the UP ATS brought Wajihuddin before Special Judge Dinesh Kumar Mishra in the NIA ATS court. Designating him as the key figure of ISIS, the UP ATS sought a 10-day remand, a request granted by the court. Presently, the UP Police is conducting a thorough investigation into all of Wajihuddin’s connections, endeavouring to determine the extent of radicalisation he has influenced among individuals.

Uttarakhand: Rickshaw driver Shavez rapes a five-year-old girl in Udham Singh Nagar, accused and his family absconding

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Rickshaw driver Shavez rapes a five-year-old girl in Udham Singh Nagar, accused and his family absconding

On 14th November, an e-rickshaw driver named Shavez raped a five-year-old Hindu girl in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. The accused lured the girl to go along with her to a sugarcane field in Kichha Tehsil and raped her. As the minor victim screamed, several villagers arrived at the spot, however, the accused managed to escape on his rickshaw. The victim is reported to be a neighbour of the accused.

Following the incident, the victim’s mother lodged a complaint at the Pulbhatta police station and demanded strict action against the accused Shavez. The police have registered a case against the accused under the POCSO Act and are searching for the absconding accused. Meanwhile, it has been reported that accused Shavez’s family members are also missing.

In her complaint, the victim’s mother who works as a labourer said that on the day incident unfolded, she had gone to work while accused Shavez came and took the five-year-old girl to a sugarcane field on his rickshaw and raped her. After the accused fled the spot, the local villagers rushed the victim to a nearby government hospital. The victim’s condition is reported to be stable now.

The complainant said that the horrific crime has left her minor daughter traumatised and the family shocked. The locals are infuriated after the incident and the police have been deployed to ensure law and order. Pulbhatta station in charge Kamlesh Bhatt arrived at the crime scene and seized the accused person’s rickshaw. The police are also analysing CCTV footage to find the accused, however, the accused Shavez is still at large.

Meanwhile, SP Manoj Katyal said that the accused has been booked under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act on the complaint submitted by the victim’s mother and the efforts are on to arrest him.

MP Assembly polls: Over 70 pc voter turnout recorded till 5 PM

ANI
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MP Assembly polls: Over 70 pc voter turnout recorded till 5 PM

Madhya Pradesh, where elections for its 230 assembly constituencies are currently underway, recorded a total of 71.16 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm on Friday, the Election Commission of India said.

As per the poll body, Agar Walwa saw 82 per cent of voter turnout, while Anuppur recorded 74.85 per cent.

The capital city- Bhopal, recorded 59.19 per cent of voter turnout, while Chhindwara recorded 78.85 per cent, Damoh at 73.83 per cent, Dhar at 72.35 per cent, Dindori at 78.30 per cent, Datia at 69.66 per cent, Indore at 64.95 per cent and Jhabua at 73.10 per cent. 75.54 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Khargone, 78.07 per cent in Mandsour and Neemuch recorded 81. 19 per cent till 5 pm.

Till 3 pm, the MP saw a voter turnout of 60.52 per cent.

“The percentage of voting till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh stands at 60.52 per cent. Maximum voting has taken place in Shajapur followed by Agar-Malwa and Neemuch. Districts like Bhopal, Alirajpur, and Gwalior have recorded the lowest voting percentage so far,” said Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan, giving details of the elections after 3 pm.

Voting for 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh began at 7 am on Friday. Madhya Pradesh is proving to be a tough fight for the BJP, with the fatigue factor associated with sitting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has been in power for close to two decades.

Webcasting has also been made available at about 42,000 polling stations.

Nearly 700 companies of the central forces and two lakh police personnel of the state have been deployed for security during the poll. The election will decide the electoral fates of over 2,500 candidates.

Nearly 5.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. It includes 2.87 crore male and 2.71 crore women voters. There are over 5,000 booths run by women and 183 polling stations run by the disabled, officials said. The polls, coming nearly six months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, are crucial for both the BJP and Congress for various reasons.

The counting of votes for the five states including Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will be done on December 3.

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

Pro-Hamas activist Huwaida Arraf, who funded Congresswoman censured for anti-Israel views, had visited India and met prominent Muslim leaders

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-Hamas activist Huwaida Arraf, who funded Congresswoman censured for anti-Israel views, had visited India and met prominent Muslim leaders

Amid growing antisemitism and massive pro-Palestine protests in several cities and university campuses in the USA, recently it was revealed that Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was funded by several pro-Hamas Palestinian activists. One such activist who has been advocating in support of Hamas, Huwaida Arraf, had visited India and met several activists and politicians.

According to an expose by activist research group Canary Mission, Democrat politician Rashida Tlaib was funded by 6 Hamas-linked activists during her 2018 Congressional campaign, Mwafaq Jbara, Sheikh Muhammad Qatanani, Huwaida Arraf, Salah Sarsour, Rafeeq Jaber and Abdelbaset Hamayel.

Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American activist and lawyer who co-founded the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led organization fighting for the Palestinian cause in the USA. She is allied with several Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas.

She was also the co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement, which sent ships carrying activists to fight Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. FGM had sent several ships on this mission, and Arraf herself went there onboard such ships. Huwaida Arraf participated in seven Free Gaza Movement flotillas to Gaza between August 2008 and May 2010.

It is notable that the Naval blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt was approved by the United Nations as a security measure to stop Hamas from acquiring sophisticated rockets. Voyages arranged by Huwaida Arraf’s Free Gaza Movement attempted to breach the blockade, and one of them had had a violent confrontation with Israeli forces.

This pro-Hamas activist visited India in the year 2009 when she met former MP Syed Shahabuddin. Huwaida Arraf visited the office of All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat on 28 September 2009. During this visit, she met Majlis president Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan and several other prominent Muslim leaders including Feroz Mothiborewala, Mujtaba Farooq, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Abdul Wahab Khilji, Dr. Taslim Rahmani, M. Wadood Sajid, Ahmad Kazmi and others, as per a report by Milli Gazette.

It is notable that Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas is the father of Umar Khalid, one of the chief instigators and conspirators of the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots.

Huwaida Arraf’s International Solidarity Movement is considered one of the top 10 anti-Israel organizations in the USA. ISM was probed by the FBI as part of a terrorism investigation between 2004 and 2006, however, no charges were filed.

Rashida Tlaib censured by Congress for pro-Hamas views

Rashida Tlaib, who was funded by Arraf and other pro-Hamas activists, is the only Palestinian American in the US Lower House. She was censured by the US Congress earlier this month following her openly anti-Israel rhetoric following the 7 October Hamas terror attack on Israel and Israel’s retaliatory military action in Gaza.

Tlaib had shared a video showing Palestinian protestors chanting the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a highly controversial slogan that calls for the elimination of the Israeli state. This slogan calls for the entire land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea to be brought under Palestinian control, essentially abolishing Israel. While her democrat colleagues had supported her initially, later several party leaders, including Jews, voted against her to censure her in Congress.

Recently it has also been revealed that Rashida Tlaib is part of a hidden Facebook group that glorifies Hamas. Members of the group Palestinian-American Congress were seen mocking the Israeli civilians kidnapped and kept hostage by Hamas terrorists. The group has posted news of the death of Israeli soldiers in the fight against Hamas as “achievements” of the “resistance in Northern occupied Palestine.”

Americans call for ban on TikTok after thousands of youths share Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ supporting his views

OpIndia Staff
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Americans call for ban on TikTok after thousands of youths share Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ supporting his views

On Friday (17th November), Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for a ban on the Chinese video app named TikTok. This is days after terrorist Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ in which he explained why Al Qaeda executed the attacks of 9/11 in America went viral over social media.

The South Carolina Governor said that several social media users were siding with Laden and his stand on waging Jihad against America due to TikTok. “Thousands of TikTok users are siding with Osama bin Laden who murdered 3,000 Americans. This is a prime example of how our foreign enemies poison social media to advance their evil agenda. Ban Tik Tok. Stop giving the Chinese Communist Party the ability to influence Americans,” she said.

Apart from Haley, several other influential Americans and other social media users called for a ban on TikTok. American TV personality and former Chairman of advertising firm Deutsch Inc, Donny Deutsch said that around 51 percent of the young Americans sided with Laden for attacking the Twin tower. “This is majorly because of the TikTok app run by China. What is happening to people’s minds? I am really worried,” he could be heard saying.

Meanwhile, the Israel War Room Twitter handle also commented on the issue and said, “TikTok is a Chinese Communist Party propaganda app that is doing incalculable damage to the mental health of young people in America. Apart from the one-sided and dishonest content it broadcasts about Israel, there are myriad reasons to Ban TikTok,” it read.

Also, United States Senator Marco Rubio condemned TikTok for negatively influencing the minds of young Americans. He shared a video of youngsters in which the latter could be seen supporting terrorism against America. “Now trending on social media (especially TikTok) people saying that after reading Bin Laden’s “Letter to America,” they now understand terrorism is a legitimate method of resistance against “oppression” and America deserved to be attacked on 9/11,” he said.

Several other respected Americans have posted on Twitter calling for a ban on TikTok given the dreadful spread of misinformation. As per the social media videos, youngsters in America are seen extending support to Palestine and Hamas terrorists. This has raised concerns regarding the increasing spread of misinformation.

“I support Palestine even though I don’t know where it is on the map,” the girl in the video could be heard saying.

Further, several videos on TikTok this week were posted by young Americans expressing sympathy with Osama bin Laden, the terrorist who orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. They also sided with the two-decade-old letter he wrote critiquing the United States, including its government and support of Israel.

What had Laden written in the letter that is going viral on TikTok today

In the letter, Osama Bin Laden rationalized Islamic terrorism by asserting that it is nothing but Jihad as ordered and permitted by the holy book ‘Quran’. He wrote in his letter, “It is commanded by our religion and intellect that the oppressed have a right to return the aggression. Do not await anything from us but Jihad, resistance, and revenge. Is it in any way rational to expect that after America has attacked us for more than half a century, we will then leave her to live in security and peace?”

Holding American citizens equally responsible for all the problems inflicted upon the Islamic countries by the USA, Osama Bin Laden said in his letter that the American people have willfully chosen to uphold their so-called concepts of freedom and they have elected the governments in their countries executing the anti-Islamic policies. He argued that because these ‘attacks on Islam’ are done using the tax money and other resources of the American people, they are not innocent at all and they should also pay the price for the same.

“Some American writers have published articles under the title ‘On what basis are we fighting?’ These articles have generated a number of responses, some of which adhered to the truth and were based on Islamic Law, and others which have not. Here we wanted to outline the truth – as an explanation and warning – hoping for Allah’s reward, seeking success and support from him. While seeking Allah’s help, we form our reply based on two questions directed at the Americans: (Q1) Why are we fighting and opposing you? (Q2)What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?”

Answering these questions in detail, the terrorist – who was slain in 2011 – said in his letter, “As for the first question: Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple: (1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us. a) You attacked us in Palestine: Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation. The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals. And of course, there is no need to explain and prove the degree of American support for Israel. The creation of Israel is a crime which must be erased. Each and every person whose hands have become polluted in the contribution towards this crime must pay its price, and pay for it heavily.”

He added, “(b) You attacked us in Somalia; you supported the Russian atrocities against us in Chechnya, the Indian oppression against us in Kashmir, and the Jewish aggression against us in Lebanon. (c) Under your supervision, consent and orders, the governments of our countries which act as your agents, attack us on a daily basis; These governments prevent our people from establishing the Islamic Shariah, using violence and lies to do so. These governments surrendered to the Jews and handed them most of Palestine. And our fight against these governments is not separate from our fight against you.”

Osama Bin Laden, in his letter, also accused the USA of ‘stealing the Arab wealth and oil at paltry prices using their international influence’, ‘occupying Muslim countries by spreading military bases throughout those countries’, ‘starving the Muslims of Iraq’, and ‘supporting the idea that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jews’

The Guardian removed the letter from its website

Reportedly, ‘The Guardian’ removed Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ from its website, 21 years after it was published. The English translation of the original Arabic letter by the Islamic terrorist was published in ‘Observer’ of ‘The Guardian’ on 24th November 2002. 

After the letter went viral on social media, ‘The Guardian’ in a notification informed about the removal of this letter. The notification said, “This page previously displayed a document containing, in translation, the full text of Osama bin Laden’s “letter to the American people”, as reported in the Observer on Sunday 24 November 2002. The document, which was published here on the same day, was removed on 15 November 2023.”

How popular is TikTok among the American users?

According to a KFF survey, TikTok is extremely popular among young Americans, with the majority of Americans under 30 using the app at least once a week. A lot of users of TikTok were born after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and rural Pennsylvania, when 19 terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes, intentionally exploded the planes, and murdered nearly 3,000 people. Bin Laden, the former leader of the al Qaeda terrorist organization who was killed in a US special forces raid in 2011, masterminded the attack.

The design of TikTok makes it tough to precisely measure how popular or widespread sentiment is on the platform, but an initial CNN examination discovered a few dozen videos openly praising or sympathizing with the sentiments expressed in the letter, titled “Letter to America.”

Many of the videos were tagged with #lettertoamerica. By Thursday, the views on those videos had surpassed 14 million, but some were from users who were frustrated and disgusted with the letter and how it was being praised by others on the platform.

In one video, which is no longer accessible on the platform but has been seen over 1.6 million times, a New York-based lifestyle influencer urged others to read the letter and said, “if you have read it, let me know if you are also going through an existential crisis in this very moment, because in the last 20 minutes, my entire viewpoint on the entire life I have believed, and I have lived, has changed.”

In another video that has received over 100,000 views, a TikTok user who frequently criticizes the US government said, “If we’re going to call Osama bin Laden a terrorist, so is the American government.”

Notably, India imposed a ban on the Chinese app TikTok and 28 other Chinese apps in the year 2021. The action was initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY), Government of India, under Section 69A of the IT Act, stating that these apps are engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of state and public order.

‘I saw a video in which I was doing garba’: PM Modi addresses threat of deep fake in India, stresses the need to educate people about AI’s negative effect

ANI
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‘I saw a video in which I was doing garba’: PM Modi addresses threat of deep fake in India, stresses the need to educate people about AI’s negative effect

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the threats of deep fakes in new-age digital media content and said that it was important to understand how Artificial Intelligence (AI) works since they could be used to purposefully spread false information or have malicious intent behind their use.

Addressing the gathering at the Diwali Milan program at the BJP Headquarters on Friday, Prime Minister Modi spoke to the journalists about the dangers of deep fakes in digital media.

The prime minister urged the media persons to educate the people about the negative effects of using artificial intelligence to spread harmful content such as misrepresentation of individuals in deep fakes.

“I recently saw a video in which I was seen singing a Garba song. There are many other such videos online,” said PM Modi adding that the looming threat of Deepfake has become a great concern and can create a lot of problems for all of us.

Deepfakes are used to purposefully spread false information or they may have a malicious intent behind their use. They can be designed to harass, intimidate, demean and undermine people. Deepfakes can also create misinformation and confusion about important issues.

The Centre has said that creation and circulation of Deepfakes carry strong penalty – Rs 1 lakh in fine and three years in jail.

Misrepresentation of individuals in Deepfakes has led to the generation of blackmail materials to falsely incriminate people. As these videos and audio recordings can be difficult to verify, the negative impact on reputation can be difficult to recover from, even when verified as a Deepfake.

The Prime Minister further said that the ‘Vocal for local’ campaign has found people’s support and that the idea of a fully developed India was not just mere words but had touched ground reality.

The PM further said that local businesses had blossomed under the vocal for local campaigns and stated that we all must prioritise our local products.

“We now have a strong position on a global level, the world now acknowledges our achievements,” added the prime minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the BJP leadership arrived for the ‘Diwali Milan’ program at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central office in the national capital. Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have also arrived at the event that has been organised by the ruling party.

Additionally, journalists from the Indian media were invited by BJP party chief JP Nadda to attend the program.

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

‘I feel embarrassed’: Wasim Akram slams Sikandar Bakht over his comments on Rohit Sharma’s style of tossing the coin

OpIndia Staff
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‘I feel embarrassed’: Wasim Akram slams Sikandar Bakht over his comments on Rohit Sharma’s style of tossing the coin

On Thursday (November 16) former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram blasted former test cricketer Sikandar Bakht for claiming that India’s captain Rohit Sharma deliberately throws the coin far away during the toss to dupe the opposition captain. Akram wondered who can decide where the coin lands after it is tossed adding that such conspiracy theories make him feel embarrassed.

Speaking on a Pakistani sports news program Wasim Akram said, “Who decides where the coin should land? It is just for sponsorship! I feel embarrassed. I can’t even… I don’t even want to comment on it.”

Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan opined that Sikander Bakht is just trying to create a fuss adding that every captain has their own way of tossing the coin.

“He is mistaken, just creating a fuss. Every captain has a different way of tossing the coin,” Khan added.

This comes after former Pakistani Test cricketer Sikandar Bakht said during a Pakistani TV show that India’s captain Rohit Sharma deliberately throws the coin far away during the toss to dupe the opposition captain. Taking to social media, several Pakistani cricket fans also peddled this conspiracy theory.

“I want to ask a question. If we can show all the tosses so far. Whenever Rohit Sharma tosses the coin, he throws it far away. The captain of the other team does not go to the coin and check if the toss call is correctly assessed or not,” Bakht said. After this remark, the Pakistani TV channel showed a video clip of all the tosses wherein Rohit Sharma is seen tossing the coin.

This controversy arose just days after former cricketer Hasan Raza, while appearing on a Pakistani news channel, had said that ICC or BCCI is providing some special kind of balls only to Indian bowlers due to which Indian bowlers like Shami and Siraj are getting swings even on batting pitches. Hasan Raza also asserted that there should be an ‘inspection’ of balls provided by the ICC. He also alleged that decisions are being made in favour of India in the matter of DRS. Reacting to Hasan Raza’s baseless and senseless assertion, former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram lambasted Hasan Raza saying that he too wants to try the same drugs these people (Hasan Raza) are smoking.

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