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“I am here for climate demonstration, not a political view”: Man slams Greta Thunberg for turning Amsterdam event into pro-Hamas campaign

OpIndia Staff
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“I am here for climate demonstration, not a political view”: Man slams Greta Thunberg for turning Amsterdam event into pro-Hamas campaign

So-called climate activist Greta Thunberg’s recent stint in Amsterdam was anything but about the climate. Thunberg was interrupted by a man for precisely this reason who grabbed the microphone from her hand after she turned the event into a platform for pro-Hamas voices.

A video doing rounds on X, formerly Twitter, shows Thunberg donning a kaffiyeh, a scarf worn in Arab countries, but more commonly adopted by Palestinians as a symbol of their hate for Israel and Jews.

In the video, the ‘student-turned-activist’ can be heard saying, “We have not been listened to, the people in power have not been listening,” when a man in a green jacket comes up to her and takes the mic from her hand. He says, “I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view.” It must be pointed out that at no point did the individual appear violent.

However, Greta appears bullish. Even when the man has been grabbed and is being dragged out with his hands locked, Greta keeps walking up to him and follows him all the while telling him to “calm down”. Throughout, the people in the audience, many waving the Palestinian flag, boo the man.

Once the man in question is out of the scene, Greta returns and joins the audience to chant “No climate justice on occupied land”.

The entire incident unfolded after Thunberg allowed a pro-Hamas Palestinian woman named Sara Rachdan and an Afghan woman activist for Palestinians named Sahar Shirazd, to speak during the climate protest.

Sara Rachdan has shared several video posts on Instagram directly supporting Hamas and calling the terrorist attack on Israel on 7th October an “action by the Palestinian people”.

Meanwhile, making absolutely no sense whatsoever, Greta Thunberg while peddling her leftist agenda, said, “As a climate justice movement, we have to listen to the voices of those who are being oppressed and those who are fighting for freedom and for justice. Otherwise, there can be no climate justice without international solidarity.”

What was projected as a climate event was in reality a propaganda platform for Islamists to be furthered by the left liberal cabal which Thunberg has historically represented.

This is not the first time that Thunberg has been promoting Hamas terrorism globally. In October, she posted an image with three more activists supporting Gaza and a soft toy of a blue Octopus with an angry face in the photo, which is deemed as a sign of anti-semitism. She later deleted the image and replaced it with one without the symbol.

Trinamool Congress comes out in tacit support of cash-for-query scam accused Mahua Moitra, hands her new responsibility

OpIndia Staff
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Trinamool Congress comes out in tacit support of cash-for-query scam accused Mahua Moitra, hands her new responsibility

On 13th November (Monday), Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress gave a new responsibility to its Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra, who has been accused of asking questions in Parliament in exchange for gifts. TMC has appointed its MP from Krishnanagar and cash-for-query scam accused Mahua Moitra as the party’s district president of Krishnanagar (Nadia North), as reported by news agency ANI. 

Moitra will replace the incumbent District President Kallol Khan.

The district falls in Mahua Moitra’s own constituency and the move is seen as silent support from Mamata Banerjee, especially after the Ethics Panel recently sought the expulsion of TMC MP from Lok Sabha after hearing testimonies in connection with the cash-for-query scam case.  

Subsequently, taking to X, Mahua Moitra thanked the party for entrusting her with a new responsibility.  

She wrote, “Thank you, Mamata Banerjee and AITC for appointing me District President of Krishnanagar (Nadia North). Will always work with the party for the people of Krishnanagar.”

However, it is important to note that so far Mamata Banerjee has not said anything openly in support of Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query scam. Nonetheless, the recent decision to hand her new responsibility is being seen as tacit support from the party. On specific media queries, the party officials had refused to take a stand claiming that the concerned MP would respond to them in her own capacity. The repeated denial to comment on the controversy indicated that the party wanted to distance itself from the serious allegations levelled against Moitra, who had been one of their known faces and mouthpiece of the party. 

Meanwhile, on 9th November, Abhishek Banerjee, who is considered second in command in TMC after Mamata Banerjee, had said that Mahua Moitra was fully capable of defending herself when he was asked to respond to the allegations against their party MP. However, he did cast aspersions on the decision of the Ethics Committee and asked, “If they have no evidence, how can they recommend expulsion? This is nothing but politics of vengeance.”

The cash-for-query scam came into prominence after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asserting that TMC MP Mahua Moitra sought favours from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions against industrialist Gautam Adani. Later, co-accused Hiranandani accepted that using her parliamentary credentials was an error of judgment on his part and submitted a sworn affidavit reportedly to turn approver in the case. 

“BJP will help you seek darshan of Ram Lalla free of cost if govt formed in Madhya Pradesh”: Amit Shah

ANI
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“BJP will help you seek darshan of Ram Lalla free of cost if govt formed in Madhya Pradesh”: Amit Shah

The Ram Mandir took centre stage in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh in the public rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guna district on Monday with the BJP leader slamming the Congress party for “hindering” the construction of the temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

Addressing a public rally in Guna’s Raghogarh, Amit Shah promised that the BJP would bear the cost for the darshan of Lord Ram Lalla if its government is formed in Madhya Pradesh.

“…You make the government of the BJP on December 3, the BJP Madhya Pradesh government will help you seek the darshan of Lord Ram Lalla free of cost…” Amit Shah said.

The 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly is set to go to polls on November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to retain power in the state.

The union minister further accused the Congress Party of ‘halting’ the construction of the temple and ‘disrespecting’ the Indian culture.

“Congress party always insulted our pilgrimage sites and Indian culture. Narendra Modi built the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, and Baba Mahakal’s Lok and Somnath temples built of gold. The PM revived Badrinath Dham and Kedar Dham too,” he said.

Shah further said that the Ram Lalla was in a “humiliated state” for 550 years.

“The Congress party was stalling, deviating and delaying Ram Mandir for 70 years. Ram Lalla was in a humiliated state for 550 years. You made Modi ji the Prime Minister, he performed Bhoomi Pujan of Ram temple and today Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya,” he added.

Adding further, Amit Shah said that the state is set to celebrate the Diwali festival thrice in the coming months– on the day of Diwali which was on Sunday, on the day of the state poll results, and when the temple is inaugurated in Ayodhya in January 2024.

On Saturday, addressing a public event in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, Shah said: “First Diwali you will celebrate next month. The second time you will celebrate Diwali is when the BJP will form the government in Madhya Pradesh. Third time you will again celebrate Diwali when PM Modi installs the idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.”

Also, hitting out at the Congress Central and state leadership, Shah said, “This time, there are two camps in Madhya Pradesh. One camp has Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, and the other camp has PM Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Narendra Singh Tomar and (Jyotiraditya) Scindia. Between these two camps, you have to choose.”

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

Saudi Arabia turns down resolution to impose restrictions on Israel at Arab-Islamic summit. Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Saudi Arabia turns down resolution to impose restrictions on Israel at Arab-Islamic summit. Here is what happened

On Saturday (11th November), Saudi Arabia turned down a desperate bid by some Muslim countries to economically and militarily isolate Israel during the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.

As per a report by Channel 12, several Islamic nations met in Saudi Arabia’s capital city to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and wanted to impose 5 measures against Israel.

The measures included the prevention of the transfer of military equipment to Israel from US bases in the Middle East, suspension of all economic and diplomatic ties with the Jewish State, cutting down on oil sales to the US over its support to Israel, and stopping Israeli air traffic over Gulf skies.

The resolution also called for sending a joint delegation to Russia, the US and Europe to ensure a ceasefire. Saudi Arabia along with Jordan, Egypt, Mauritania, Djibouti, Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) blocked the controversial resolution.

The OIC nations also turned down Iran’s demand to label the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a ‘terror organisation.’ An Arab-Islamic summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia on Saturday (11th October) to call for the end of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which started after the Islamic terror outfit launched a terror attack on the Jewish State, killing 1400 Israelis in the process.

Initially, only the 22 member nations of the Arab League were scheduled to participate in the event. Later, the summit was expanded to include all 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

When Saudi Arabia called for emergency meeting of OIC

Earlier, Mohammed bin Salman-led-Saudi Arabia called a meeting of the foreign ministers of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 18th October in Jeddah in light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The official notification was released on 14th October.

The statement read, “At the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which chairs the current session of the Islamic Summit and the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organisation’s Executive Committee is convening an urgent open-ended extraordinary meeting at the ministerial level to address the escalating military situation in Gaza and its environs as well as the deteriorating conditions that endanger the lives of civilians and the overall security and stability of the region.”

It further added, “The extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the OIC will take place on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at the General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah Governorate.”

Gujarat: Kalakunj bridge controversy in Surat highlights how AAP, propaganda portals, and media manipulated things to spin baseless allegations

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Kalakunj bridge controversy in Surat highlights how AAP, propaganda portals, and media manipulated things to spin baseless allegations

Earlier this week, on 8th November, a video from Surat city started circulating online. The viral footage showed an State Transport bus going in reverse on an overbridge. It was claimed that the incident occurred on the Kalakunj overbridge in Surat City’s suburb, Varachha, which had supposedly opened for traffic on the same day (Wednesday). It was further claimed that a construction defect in the bridge forced the bus to drive in reverse as it couldn’t make a turn.

Subsequently, Vipul Suhagiya, AAP’s corporator in Surat Municipal Corporation, previously arrested for assaulting a hospital employee, shared the video of the incident. He wrote in Gujarati, “This is the view of our illiterate leaders, on the new Kalakunj Chikuwadi Bridge which was opened today. S.T. Bus could not take a turn, had to take it in reverse, these illiterate leaders have ruined the country, even though the people pay taxes and taxes, Kamalam (BJP Headquarter) becomes a luxury..”

(Translated version of the tweet)

Quoting his tweet, AAP’s regional president Isudan Gadhvi took a jibe at 156 MLAs of BJP in the state. He sarcastically stated that even though everything is running on Ram bharose, people should salute their art of taking votes by fooling the people. 

(Translated version of the tweet)

Later, Gopal Italia, former state president of AAP called BJP leaders ‘illiterate’. He tweeted, “Today this new flyover was inaugurated in Surat at the hands of an illiterate BJP minister. The illiterate BJP people of the fourth pass leader have built such a huge bridge that buses/big SUVs cannot take a turn to get down. These BJP people are so uneducated that they don’t care about anything anymore.”

Taking a cue from AAP’s claims, some YouTube channels also peddled similar claims. A channel named ‘Jamawat’, notorious for carrying misleading news, posted the same video on its X handle. It wrote ‘Har shaakh pe ullu baitha hai’ adding ‘New bridge inaugurated in Surat, but from where would the bus take turn ?’

Regional daily, Gujarat Samachar also jumped in later and posted a video questioning the planning of the municipality. 

However, it turned out that the claims were nothing more than propaganda and malicious twisting of things, which was soon busted by netizens. Netizens highlighted the fact that the overbridge, where the bus got stuck, was not the part of the main bridge but it was the extension bridge that had not been designed for large vehicles. 

In fact, a signboard installed there notes that the bridge is open only for smaller vehicular traffic. It read, “Entry prohibited for vehicles exceeding 7.5 meters in length.” Many netizens shared pictures of these signboards in response to the baseless allegations made by the AAP leaders and some media outlets. 

Clearing the air on AAP’s claims, the Municipal Corporation clarified that there is a ban on the entry of vehicles exceeding the length of more than 7.5 meters on this bridge and boards have also been installed there.

Interestingly, Gujarat Samachar, which had raised the question by sharing the video the day before, also covered the incident in the print edition the following day. The report mentioned that despite the ban on long vehicles, two buses still reached the spot, prompting the errant drivers to drive the buses in reverse. 

Simply put, there was no fault or negligence in the construction of the Kalakunj bridge in Surat’s Varachha suburb. The extension bridge has been built to ease small vehicular traffic, while the large vehicles would have to use the main bridge only. Since the bridge was inaugurated just a few hours earlier, the bus drivers did not notice the sign boards and drove on that route, however later on, they realised their mistake and drove their buses in reverse.  

Nonetheless, without verifying the matter or knowing the facts of the incident, the AAP leaders and media portals, who claim to champion the cause of journalism, started running allegations that the construction of the newly inaugurated bridge was flawed blaming the Municipality for misdeed. However, netizens exposed the propaganda in time by laying bare the truth of their claims.  

Gujarat: Hindu organizations demand bulldozer action against Mohammad Wali who murdered a Hindu after a fight over firecrackers

Krunalsinh Rajput
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Gujarat: Hindu organizations demand bulldozer action against Mohammad Wali who murdered a Hindu after a fight over firecrackers

A Muslim man named Mohammad Wali Jam killed a Hindu youth in Morbi, Gujarat recently after a fight over bursting firecrackers. The Morbi region was deeply affected by the murder. The incident has also caused outrage in the local Hindu community and organizations.

Hindu organizations have now presented a petition with the Collector, requesting that the accused be given harsh punishment for murdering an individual over a minor issue. Additionally, it is demanded in this petition that the accused be punished for occupying government land and undertaking construction illegally.

The accused person has been identified as Muhammad Wali Jam and the deceased individual has been identified as Rajesh Gadvi. Based on the information obtained, on November 7, 2023, a resident of Morbi’s Labhnagar area named Muhammad Wali Jam was outside a Hindu family’s home bursting firecrackers. Mohammed was bursting firecrackers outside Lakha Gadhvi’s house, but his wife asked him to stop because she was not feeling well. The booming noise of firecrackers caused Mohammed and Lakha Gadvi to argue. When nearby resident Rajesh Gadvi stepped in to offer a compromise in the interim, Mohammad Vali grew more and more irate.

Taking out his knife, Mohammad then stabbed Rajesh Gadhvi in the chest. Following that, Gadhvi was initially taken to a nearby hospital in Morbi in a critical condition. With his more serious condition, the on-call doctors sent Rajesh to Rajkot for additional treatment. Rajesh’s condition however didn’t get better even after they arrived in Rajkot, and ultimately, he passed away while receiving treatment.

The Police took cognizance of the event and arrested the accused for murdering Gadhvi. Also, considering the sensitivity of the incident, the police deployed some security staff in Labhnagar to avoid any untoward incidents further. Outraged by the incident, local Hindu members meanwhile met the Collector and submitted a petition demanding strict punishment against the accused under GUJCTOC (Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime).

Several criminal cases already filed against the accused

OpIndia contacted Kamlesh Ahir, a prominent member of the local Hindu organization, to get detailed information on the matter. He told OpIndia, “The accused is involved in serious criminal activities. He has a reputation as a brawler in the locals in the area are scared of him. Crimes including assault have been registered against him before. Hindu organizations have written a petition to the District Collector to take action under GUJCTOC against a person with such a mindset as a threat to the society.” Apart from this, Kamlesh Ahir also said that earlier the accused had also attacked a Hindu temple.

Govt land illegally occupied by the accused

Further details about the case were provided by Kamlesh, who told OpIndia that the accused had occupied government land in the Samakantha area illegally. “Organisations like Hindu Yuva Vahini and Bajrang Dal filed a complaint to the Collector regarding this issue. We asserted in this letter that the accused is residing illegally on poorly maintained government land. Additionally, he has illegally built religious buildings on public property. We want decisive action,” he added.

Kamlesh Ahir claims that there have been multiple previous attempts to make representations against the accused, but these attempts were ignored. According to Kamlesh, Rajesh would not have been killed if the accused had faced harsh punishment for his previous crimes. The accused is now being dealt with by Morbi police in accordance with protocol. OpIndia has copies of both of the petitions that the Hindu organizations have filed.

This article was originally written in Gujarati by Krunalsinh Rajput. The link to the original article his here.

Oscar-winner AR Rahman, who once criticised remix culture, receives flak for his rendition of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ in Pippa

OpIndia Staff
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Oscar-winner AR Rahman, who once criticised remix culture, receives flak for his rendition of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ in Pippa

Music composer AR Rahman is receiving flak for his rendition of a popular patriotic song ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ by renowned Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. AR Rahman has recreated his own version of the song for the movie Pippa.

The patriotic song against the British Raj was written by Kazi Nazrul in June 1922 at the request of freedom fighter Chittaranjan Das’s wife. The original tune is like a marching song whereas Rahman’s version sounds instrumental, melodious and playful.

The grandson of Kazi Nazrul, Anirban Kazi called it “an insult to the good faith with which the recreation licence was given to the production house”. He said that he wants his family’s name to be removed from the film’s credit.

“We could not fathom an artist, like Rahman, can be so insensitive and murder the song this way. As a protest, I don’t want our family’s name in ‘special thanks’ in the film’s credit line. That was one of the clauses in our agreement with the production house. I have shared my reservations with the production house,” he said.

Nazrul’s granddaughter Anindita Kazi reportedly called the version a “distortion”. She said, “As members of his family and lovers of his creations, we cannot accept this distortion. We want it to be immediately omitted from the film and removed from the public domain”.

Netizens across platforms including X and YouTube from both Bengal and Bangladesh have hit out at the Oscar-winning music composer. Some prominent personalities have also joined in the criticism.

X users go all guns blazing on AR Rahman

An X user named Aparup Saha demanded the withdrawal of the version made by Rahman. He wrote that the original ‘Karar Oi Louho Kopat’ is a patriotic song. He asked Rahman to learn about poet Kazi Nazrul Islam who dedicated the song to freedom fighter Chittaranjan Das.

Another X user named Swati Bardhan said that AR Rahman did not handle the revolutionary song properly. She said, “No one has the right to tamper the poetic expressions of the poet and that needs the huge understanding of the language.”

Another user, while expressing her disappointment with the new version, shared a link to another rendition of the song. “Karar Oi Louho Kopat isn’t a melodic folk song, it’s a song of rebellion. Besides changing the tune, #Rahman has changed the mood of the song, it’s very essence. Sorry, this is not creative freedom, it’s plain ignorance,” X user Tanushree Sengupta said.

A user named Subrata Sinha called for the boycott of the movie Pippa “for tampering” with the song.

Prominent voices join in the online protest

Chandra K Bose, Grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose called the “distortion of the revolutionary song an act of sacrilege”. Bose took to X and said, “This kind of distortion of a revolutionary song which inspired many freedom fighters including the ‘Bose Brothers- Sarat & Subhas’, is an act of sacrilege. Strong condemnation on behalf of Boses.”

Author Taslima Nasreen also pointed out that AR Rahman changed the music of the “Bengali legendary poet”. She wrote, “AR Rahman changed the music of Bengali legendary poet, lyricist, composer Kazi Nazrul Islam’s famous 1921 anti-British song ‘Karar Oi Lauho kapat’. Bengalis are furious. They demand for stopping Rahman’s remake and keeping the original music of the song.”

Anandbazar Online in its report quoted Bengali music director Devjyoti Mishra, reportedly a friend of AR Rahman, who called the reworked song a “nightmare”. “I feel like I’m seeing a nightmare! I felt like I would wake up and see that nothing like this happened,” Devjyoti said.

Moreover, many in Bangladesh also protested against Rahman’s rendition. The Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha organized a press conference at the Kabi Nazrul Institute in Dhanmondi to lodge their protest.

Bengalis outrage on YouTube

Responding to the music shared by AR Rahman on the streaming website, a user named Bipul Krishna said that the melody of the song comes from the rebellious feelings of the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and it cannot be excluded.

A Bangladeshi fan of the composer, named Afroza Rahmat said that the rendition has left everyone thunderstruck and speechless.

She said, “I am from Bangladesh. I am one of your biggest fans. But sir, this time the rendition you have done to our National poet’s song has left all of us thunderstruck and speechless. Kazi Nazrul Islam is our national poet. Karar oi louho kopat is one of our major patriotic songs. The way you have changed the entire tune and music of this song is extremely painful for me, for all of us.”

She demanded that the song be removed.

“I am very careful of taking someone else’s work,” said AR Rahman in 2022

In an interview in 2022, AR Rahman said about remixes and re-made songs, “The more I see, the more it is distorted. The intention of the composer gets distorted. People say, ‘I am reimagining.’ Who are you to re-imagine? I am also very careful of taking someone else’s work. You have to be respectful and I think it is a grey area, we need to sort it out.”

Rishi Sunak sacks Suella Braverman over her stand on pro-Palestinian protests, James Cleverly appointed new British Home Secretary

ANI
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Rishi Sunak sacks Suella Braverman over her stand on pro-Palestinian protests, James Cleverly appointed new British Home Secretary

 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sacked his home secretary Suella Braverman over her sharp criticism of Police amid the ongoing Pro-Palestine rallies in the United Kingdom reported Reuters.

Sunak had been under pressure to get rid of Braverman after her article in the Times UK criticized the Metropolitan Police for allegedly going soft on ceratin radical elements in Pro-Palestine rallies.

As per the latest reports, conservative leader James Cleverly has been appointed as the new secretary of state of the Home Department.

According to Reuters, the UK Home Secretary accused the police of applying a “double standard” to rallies, particularly pro-Palestinian marches, in an opinion piece published before a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday.

Braverman, a likely contender for the Conservative Party’s future leader, had consistently denounced the tens of thousands of demonstrators who have assembled in London since Hamas’s attack on Israel last month. The rallies have been dubbed “hate marches” and “mobs” by Braverman.

Braverman has been long known to make controversial statements for national security, or police, according to Reuters.

On October 10, Braverman issued a warning to police chiefs for displaying Palestinian flags on the streets of the UK. She stated that waving the flag “may not be legitimate” if it is viewed as a show of support for terrorism, according to Anadolu Agency report.

Suella Braverman even provided examples of protest actions that she believed could potentially be considered violations of public order, including targeting Jewish neighbourhoods, waving pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas symbols, and chanting slogans that could be interpreted as anti-Israeli.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched in London and across the UK, calling for an end to Israel’s attacks on Hamas. Notably, Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas after the latter launched an attack on the former on October 7.

On November 11, London saw one of the largest Pro-Palestine marches since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Thousands of protestors marched from Marble Arch in Hyde Park through the capital down the Vauxhall Bridge Road, and crossed the River Thames en route to the US Embassy on Nine Elms Lane. The march ws in opposition to US President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for the Israeli military’s ground operation in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis and took 200 hostages.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the demonstration had witnessed pro-Hamas slogans and anti-Jewish chants, antisemitic banners.

(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.N.D.I. Alliance leader Swami Prasad Maurya mocks Maa Lakshmi on Diwali, gets criticised by netizens

OpIndia Staff
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I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Swami Prasad Maurya mocks Maa Lakshmi on Diwali, gets criticised by netizens

On Sunday (12th November), Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya stirred a controversy by insulting Goddess Lakshmi on the festival of Diwali. Criticizing Sanatan Dharma for worshipping Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali, Maurya argued on Twitter (X) saying that Goddess Lakshmi can never have four hands. He refused to worship Goddess Lakshmi and worshipped his wife on the occasion of Diwali instead.

“If all children born in the world have two hands, two feet, two ears, and two eyes, how can Goddess Lakshmi have four hands? On the occasion of the festival of lights, while worshipping and honouring my wife, I want to emphasize that every child born in the world, regardless of religion, caste, race, colour, or country, is born with two hands, two feet, two ears, two eyes, a nose with two nostrils, and one head, stomach, and back,” he tweeted.

“A child with four hands, eight hands, ten hands, twenty hands, or a thousand hands has never been born. So how can a four-handed Lakshmi be born? If you truly want to worship Goddess Lakshmi, honour and worship the women in your households who are the true embodiment of the goddess. They faithfully fulfil the responsibilities of nurturing and caring for the family’s well-being, prosperity, sustenance, and overall welfare,” he added.

The Samajwadi Party leader who is known for making contentious remarks about Lord Rama, the Ramcharitmanas, and Brahmins, was massively criticized by the netizens for insulting Goddess Lakshmi and worshipping his wife instead.

One user commented, “Before worshipping your wife, you should worship your mother. However, as soon as someone abandons Hinduism, they forget their values, neglect their upbringing, and even forget their parents.”

Meanwhile, other users slammed Maurya for applying Sindoor to his wife while worshipping her like a Goddess. “Sindoor is part of Sanatan Dharma which you keep on insulting now and then. Also, why haven’t you posted a picture of you touching her feet out of respect? Where did you get this double standard from,” the user said on X.

Screenshot from Twitter (X)

Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam also commented on Maurya’s statement and said, “Swami Prasad Maurya has got piles in his mouth. He needs treatment. I will ask Yogi Adityanath to put a ban on Maurya speaking.”

Hinduphobic antecedents of Swami Prasad Maurya

It is important to note that Swami Prasad Maurya had previously made controversial statements about Lord Rama and the Ramcharitmanas, causing a significant uproar. In January 2023, Maurya sparked a controversy after he demanded the deletion of “insulting comments and sarcasm” targeted at particular castes and sects in Ramcharitmanas, a poem based on the epic Ramayana. Maurya further claimed that in the Ramcharitmanas, which was composed by Tulsidas, words are hurting the sentiments of the Dalit community.

Further, in August 2023, Maurya insulted the Hindu religion by saying that Hinduism is not a religion at all. The SP leader branded Hinduism as a hoax, one that is ‘trapping’ tribals, Dalits, and backward communities.

Swami Prasad Maurya is a member of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in addition to being a member of the Samajwadi Party. Maurya, who was born in Pratapgarh on January 2, 1954, has tied the knot to Shiva Maurya. The couple is parents to two kids. Sanghmitra, the daughter of Maurya, is a BJP member of parliament for Badaun. Maurya is a member of the Other Backward Class (OBC). He obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Arts degrees from Allahabad University (LLB).

Salman Khan fans burst firecrackers during the screening of ‘Tiger 3’ inside a cinema hall in Malegaon, causing a stampede-like situation

OpIndia Staff
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Salman Khan fans burst firecrackers during the screening of ‘Tiger 3’ inside a cinema hall in Malegaon, causing a stampede-like situation

On 12th November (Sunday), Salman Khan-starrer Tiger-3 hit the theatres to encash the Diwali festival season. Soon videos started doing rounds on the internet in which a group of Salman Khan’s fans could be seen endangering the lives of other moviegoers by bursting crackers inside a cinema hall.

In the viral videos, a section of his fans are seen creating chaos in a packed cinema hall by recklessly bursting firecrackers, causing a stampede-like situation. 

Several viral videos of the incident show that a group of miscreants started bursting crackers as Salman Khan made an entry on the silver screen. The viral videos suggest that the firecrackers were burst inside Mohan Cinema in Malegaon, Nashik, in Maharashtra. According to the visuals, the packed cinema hall gets filled with sparks flowing all around while the majority of the theatre audience rushes toward the exit trying to avoid getting hurt or inflicting burn injuries by the sparks. This turned their relaxed theatre experience into a massive disaster and a stampede-like situation.

According to the viral clips, it appears that this was done in several different sections of the theatre and seated areas. Additionally, as per media reports, his fans also set off firecrackers in many other theatres across the country.

The police have started an investigation after a case was registered against Mohan Theater under Section 112 in Chavani police station, India Today reported. It added that two people have also been taken into custody for the incident.

When the videos went viral, several netizens slammed Salman Khan’s fans for endangering the lives of kids, women, and other moviegoers seated in those rows by their reckless act and triggering a stampede-like situation and risk of starting a fire. Many users also highlighted that this is not a one-off incident as reportedly there has been a trend of recklessly bursting firecrackers in this cinema theatre and demanded that swift action should be taken in this matter.    

Regarding this, an X user wrote, “As Usual (firework emoji) Salman Khan Fanclub Malegaon continues the TREND of Bursting Crackers in Theatres on Salman Khan’s Entry, Though It is not advised but Fans ka emotion kon Samjhe.”

A netizen wrote, “How do they even let them carry those inside the theatre??! We aren’t even allowed to carry our snacks.” Another user wrote, “How it is allowed? So risky and dangerous… Person’s involved should be punished.” 

Strikingly, when similar incidents were reported in 2021, the actor issued a public appeal to his fans not to indulge in such acts as it could be a huge fire hazard and endanger their own safety as well as those of others. 

Back in 2021, during the release of Antim: The Final Truth, similar acts of hooliganism by his fans were attempted in theatres, and videos of the same also went viral. 

Following the incident, Salman Khan said, “Request all my fans not to take firecrackers inside the auditorium as it could prove to be a huge fire hazard thereby endangering your lives and also others. My request to theatre owners is not to allow firecrackers to be taken inside the cinema and security should stop them from doing so at the entry point. Enjoy the film by all means but please please avoid this is my request to all my fans .. thank u.”

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