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Hindu man acquitted in 2020 Delhi riots case: What the court said about the unreliable testimony of the complainant and two police witnesses

Nupur J Sharma
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Hindu man acquitted in 2020 Delhi riots case: What the court said about the unreliable testimony of the complainant and two police witnesses

On the 27th of October, the court acquitted a Hindu man of all charges in a 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots case. The charges against Sandeep Kumar included those of arson, vandalism and loot. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Court said that the prosecution had failed to prove its case and the testimony of the witnesses by the prosecution was unreliable.

While discharging Sandeep Kumar, the court said that the prosecution had proved that the complainants house was vandalised and burnt down, however, they failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the work of a mob and that Sandeep Kumar was a part of the mob which allegedly carried out the arson and loot.

The prosecution had alleged that the house of one Rashid was burnt down by a Hindu mob, of which, Sandeep Kumar was a part. It was alleged that Kumar was a part of an unlawful assembly responsible for the looting of a residence and the ignition of household items and a two-wheeler in the Shiv Vihar locality within Karwal Nagar on February 25, 2020.

In the judgment dated October 27, ASJ Pramachala remarked, “The prosecution, although it successfully presented evidence of vandalism, looting, and the destruction of household items and a motorcycle, could not conclusively demonstrate the mob’s responsibility for these actions or the defendant’s unequivocal involvement in said mob.”

Delivering its verdict, the court said that the testimony of the complainant, Rashid, was not helpful since he was not present when his house was vandalised and burnt down. The court said, “He came back to his house after 3-4 days from 25-02-2020 and at that time he found his motor-cycle in completely burnt condition. He also found his articles on the first floor of the house in vandalized and burnt condition. He also alleged that jewelries of his wife were missing. So, even if it is accepted that his house was vandalized and jewelries were looted, still it is not established from the evidence of PW3 that a mob was behind this incident. In the complaint of PW3, it is mentioned that a mob did this, but apparently such plea was not based on personal knowledge of PW3”.

The court further said the two policemen, who had claimed that they were present at the very spot and witnessed not just the mob but also Sandeep Kumar as a part of the mob, were not reliable in their testimony.

One of the policemen, PW5, did not make any mention of the specific incident of vandalism but had only made a general statement that he had witnessed a mob at Gali No. 11. “He made a general statement that he saw a mob of 30- 40 persons in gali no. 11 at about 7 PM, while indulging in vandalism and arson. He projected himself to be a chance witness, stating that he was going to police station when he saw this mob. On the other hand, PW6 deposed that he reached gali 11 on receiving information from public about assembly of a mob in this gali. According to PW6, this information was received by him at Shiv Vihar Tiraha and at that time no other police official was present there. He stated that he reached gali 11 in about 3 minutes and it was around 7 PM when he was in this gali and when he saw a mob of around 30-40 persons”, the court said.

The court then noted the discrepancies in the statements of the two police officers.

  1. According to PW5, he met PW6 on nala road at about 6-6.30 PM. While PW6 deposed that PW5 met him in gali no. 11, after PW6 reached there.
  2. PW5 deposed that he met PW6 before leaving for police station. That means that PW5 did not meet PW6 in gali no. 11 during ongoing riot in this gali, if any.
  3. It is unlikely that two police officers from the same police station would be present at the site of mob violence but have any confusion about the events that were taking place in that area.
  4. It does not make sense that if both these police officials were there in gali no. 11, when riot was ongoing, then they would take different position there, especially when both of them were working together in same police station.

On the basis of the discrepancies, the court raised doubt that both the police officers were even present at Gali No 11, as they stated.

Additionally, the court noted that while one of the police officials had recorded his statement identifying Kumar on February 29, the other officer claimed to have seen the accused only on August 1, 2020. This inconsistency further undermined the reliability of their testimonies.

Based on this lack of evidence, Sandeep Kumar, who was charged under sections 147/148/427/436/ 380/506/454 IPC read with Section 149 IPC and pled not guilty to all charges, was acquitted.

Delhi anti-Hindu riots 2020

On the 24th and 25th of February 2020, India’s national capital Delhi saw large-scale anti-Hindu riots which marked the culmination of the hostility, hatred, and anger spread by the anti-CAA protests by the Islamists in Shaheen Bagh and other areas. Shahdara, Maujpur, Bhajanpura, Brahmapuri, and other parts of northeast Delhi witnessed violence perpetrated by the Islamists. 53 people died in these riots while more than 200 people were left injured.

While many people wish to look at the Delhi Riots 2020 in isolation, the sequence of events starting right from the 1st of December 2019 proves otherwise. It proves that the violence was a concerted effort to push India toward anarchy. It proves that the Delhi Riots was no anti-Muslim pogrom, it was indeed, a well-oiled plan against Hindus.

OpIndia had extensively covered the anti-Hindu riots, which were falsely presented by the mainstream media as an anti-Muslim pogrom, and established facts documenting tragic cries of Hindus which would otherwise have gone unheard.

The damage to the property in these riots had been enormous. An Intelligence Bureau Constable was murdered in the riots along with a Head Constable of the Delhi Police. Amidst all of this, one gun-wielding man was spotted brandishing his gun at the Police and firing shots. The rioter was identified as Shahrukh. A Hindu man Dilbar Negi was burnt to death after his hands and legs were chopped off by Jihadis. Delhi was in the grip of communal violence ever since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act. What Delhi saw in these anti-Hindu riots was only the crescendo of a fire that was lit by radicals months ago.

German-Israeli woman, who was paraded naked by Hamas terrorists during 7th October attack, confirmed dead

OpIndia Staff
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German-Israeli woman, who was paraded naked by Hamas terrorists during 7th October attack, confirmed dead

Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German-Israeli woman, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip and paraded naked during Hamas’s 7th October terror attack, was found dead in Gaza, reports quoting the Israeli military said.

On Monday, the members of Louk’s family disclosed that they had received a heartbreaking letter from the Israeli Zaka rescue service, confirming the recovery and identification of a critical bone from the base of her skull, essential for a person’s survival.

“Regrettably, we were informed yesterday that my daughter is no longer with us,” Louk’s mother, Ricarda, conveyed to the German media outlet RTL.

Shani’s sister, Adi, also confirmed Shani’s passing in an Instagram post.

“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of my sister, Shani Nicole (Z.L. – may her memory be a blessing), who tragically lost her life at the party massacre in Re’im on October 7, 2023.”

As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the German Foreign Ministry, and Shani’s remains have not been repatriated from Gaza.

Her mother first raised alarm after identifying Louk from her distinctive tattoos and dreadlocks while horrifying videos surfaced depicting a partially unclothed body being paraded through the streets in a pickup truck by Palestinian gunmen.

The video surfaced in the wake of the massive terror and on-ground assault on Israel, the streets of Sderot and several border towns of the Jewish-majority nation after Hamas terrorists raided the southern Israeli border. Among one such disturbing visual was the naked and battered dead body of an unidentified woman who was being paraded by the Hamas terrorists in a pickup truck. 

The gruesome video showed terrorists shouting the Islamic slogan ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ while the partially naked body of a woman, later identified as Shani Louk, being paraded in a pickup truck. In some videos that surfaced on social media, a murderous crowd of Hamas terrorists could be seen surrounding the vehicle, chanting slogans and spitting on the woman’s body.

‘Da*y*n, wh*re, pa*eet’: After the death of social media influencer Smokingskills, Islamists abuse his friend

OpIndia Staff
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‘Da*y*n, wh*re, pa*eet’: After the death of social media influencer Smokingskills, Islamists abuse his friend

On 29th October, a young social media rightwing influencer who was famous by the handle ‘SmokingSkills07’ on X (formerly Twitter) passed away due to a heart ailment. Yash, the person behind the handle, was not even 30 years old.

The demise of the famous influencer came as a shock to several sane and sensible netizens on X. While many people on social media mourned Yash’s death, Islamists and liberals like RLD leader Prashant Kanojia and out-on-bail fake news paddler Mohammed Zubair of dubious portal Alt News mocked and celebrated the death of this young man. Then there were a few more Islamists who stooped lower still. In their hatred for the young right-wing activist and influencer, these insensitive and rude individuals went so far as to abuse and harass his friend.

Amidst this sorrowful circumstance, an Islamist who goes by the handle @Apkabhai009 could not persist in his abusive action and went on to not only mock the death of the young social media rightwing influencer @SmokingSkills07 but also went on to abuse his friend. He shamelessly wished that she too died soon like her friend.

Source: X

In this time of loss, any normal person would send condolence messages to the deceased’s family and loved ones, but instead, these vile Islamists tagged his friend and used extremely crude and abusive slang against her while celebrating the death of the young X user.

@minoritywatch1 superimposed X user Mr Sinha’s tweet announcing Yash’s demise on his post where it shared a picture of a pig. Then, by shamelessly equating the deceased social media influencer to a pig, @minoritywatch1 went on to abuse and wish death upon Yash’s friend.

Source: X
Source: X

Several Islamists and leftists on X mocked Yash’s friend and her Hindu faith by insinuating that she would perform Sati while grieving her friend’s death.

Source: X
Source: X

Islamists shamelessly went on to quote a sarcastic quote by Yash’s friend to poke fun at her on the demise of the right-wing influencer.

Source: X

Earlier, Opindia reported how RLD leader Prashant Kanojia and out-on-bail fake news paddler Mohammed Zubair of dubious portal Alt News mocked the untimely death of their ideological nemesis.

In now-deleted posts, Zubair first quoted a sarcastic tweet of Yash to mock his death and deleted it. Then he quoted another post of Yash where he alleged that Zubair was giving backend support to terrorists and wrote, “RIP smokingskills07”. The second post was deleted as well.

Similarly, in a post in Hindi on X, Kanojia shared some screenshots of Yash’s social media posts and said, “[The] Person who pretended to protect religion has died. Was enjoying the dead bodies of children, today nature enjoyed. My condolences to the family and hope their son goes to hell and his soul continues to wander in Gaza. Happy death to oblivion!”

Several leftists and Islamists exhibited an unparalleled lack of morality today when they descended on X to celebrate the right-wing influencer’s murder, but this group of Islamists did not even spare his friend in this hour of grief. This merely shows that these groups of leftists and Islamists are willing to go to any length to malign people whose ideas differ from theirs or who dare to speak out their lies and hypocrisy.

Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir: UP migrant worker shot dead by terrorists, area cordoned off

OpIndia Staff
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Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir: UP migrant worker shot dead by terrorists, area cordoned off

On 30th October, terrorists opened fire and killed a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh. The labourer, identified as Mahesh, was shot in the Timchi Nowpora area of district Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. He later succumbed to his injuries. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kashmir Zone Police said, “Terrorists fired upon one labourer identified as Mukesh of U.P in Tumchi Nowpora area of Pulwama, who later on succumbed to his injuries. The area cordoned off. Further details shall follow.”

A police spokesperson said in a statement that the area was cordoned off to find the terrorists.

The incident took place a day after terrorists shot and critically injured Inspector Masroor Ahmed at point-blank in Eidgah ground of Srinagar while he was playing cricket.

The attack on Mahesh was the second such attack on migrant workers in 2023. On 13th June, a migrant worker from Bihar was injured after terrorists opened fire at him at the Gagran village of district Sopian in South Kashmir. In 2022, 10 migrants, including a bank manager from Rajasthan and a teacher, were killed, and over a dozen were injured in terrorist attacks in Kashmir. 

‘Drowning!’ 911 dispatch call details from Matthew Perry’s residence released

OpIndia Staff
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‘Drowning!’ 911 dispatch call details from Matthew Perry’s residence released

A day after the tragic demise of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.-fame actor Matthew Perry, the details of the 911 call that was made from his home on the fateful night has been released. In the dispatch audio obtained by TMZ, a man can be heard saying the word “drowning.” In the 15-second clip, a man remarks, “Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning.” However, some words were beeped out.

Notably, veteran Hollywood actor Matthew Perry aka Chandler Bing died at the age of 54 on 29th October. At around 4 PM, he was found dead in his Los Angeles residence, in a jacuzzi. According to initial media reports, he died due to drowning. No drugs were found at the location and no foul play was suspected in connection with his demise, media reported. 

A Sokesperson of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated that officers responded to a call at Perry’s residence regarding the death of a male who was in his 50s, however, they didn’t confirm the identity of the deceased at that time.

According to media reports, he died shortly after returning to his Los Angeles home after a two-hour pickleball game. He had sent his assistant on an errand, and when they returned approximately two hours later, they discovered him unresponsive in the jacuzzi. They immediately called police for emergency assistance, as per TMZ. 

Autopsy report of Matthew Perry ‘Inconclusive’

The cause of Matthew Perry’s death still remains unknown after an inconclusive autopsy report. Regarding this, the Medical Examiner Office of the Los Angeles County said that toxicology tests are still pending to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

In their first response to his tragic demise, Perry’s family told news outlet PEOPLE that they are “heartbroken” by his “tragic” death.

They said, “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.” 

After his demise, the producer of hit sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Warner Bros. TV, released a statement remembering Matthew Perry as a dear friend. 

It said, “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”

Throughout his life, Perry battled addiction, and he later shared his path to recovery. In October 2022, he disclosed that his increasing drug addiction had nearly claimed his life at the age of 49, as he spent two weeks in a coma, fighting for survival. Subsequently, he endured a five-month hospital stay and relied on a colostomy bag for a year after his colon suffered damage due to opioid overuse.

Dominic Martin, who took responsibility for Kerala blast, accuses Jehova’s Witness’ of having ‘anti-national beliefs’ which incidentally match radical Islam

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Dominic Martin, who took responsibility for Kerala blast, accuses Jehova’s Witness’ of having ‘anti-national beliefs’ which incidentally match radical Islam

The death toll rose to three in the Kerala blasts that rocked the prayer convention of Jehova’s Witnesses in Kochi, Kerala on 29th October after a 12-year-old girl succumbed to burn injuries during treatment.

The girl, a resident of Ernakulam district, had suffered 95 per cent burns and was on ventilator support. Two other women, Leona (55), and Kumari (53) are among the deceased. More than 50 people have been injured in the blasts at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery.

Hours after the blasts, a man named Dominic Martin surrendered to the police claiming responsibility for the explosions. Before his arrest, Martin, a former member of Jehova’s Witness, appeared live on a social media platform and said that he believed that its teachings were “anti-national and seditious”.

“Their teaching is not right. They are teaching anti-national things. I told them that they should change their ways. Staying in a…but cursing and addressing people in that country in the worst…derogatory form is they do. They are telling a 4-year-old child that if somebody from another community gives you candy, you shouldn’t have it. From an early age, they are feeding such poison into the child,” the accused reportedly alleged.

He further said, “I took this decision because I understood that this organisation is bad for the country. Political parties won’t take action because everyone is scared of religion. You should open your eyes.”

The Indian Express quoted Martin saying that Jehova’s Witnesses ask the children not to sing the national anthem or join the defence services. “They reach that all people of the world will perish and only they will live. What should we do with the people who long for the ruin of the entire people in the world? I could not find a solution,” Martin said.

Jehova’s Witnesses, according to information available on their website jw.org, “strive to adhere to the form of Christianity that Jesus taught and that is apostles practised”. They consider Jehova as the one true and Almighty God, the Creator, who is the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

According to information on jw.org, Jehova’s Witnesses do not participate in nationalistic ceremonies. “Jehova’s Witnesses choose not to participate in such ceremonies because we believe that these conflict with Bible teachings. We appreciate receiving the same respect for our beliefs as we show to others who make a different choice,” the official website of Jehova’s Witnesses reads. The group claims to remain “strictly neutral” in political affairs and “avoid affiliation with other religions”. Interestingly, a lot of these beliefs bear a resemblance to Islam in more than one way primarily owing to their Abrahamic origins.

Religion before Nation

Islam and Jehova’s Witness, both propagate religion above nationalism making religious identity the unifying aspect of the community and not the country. This has been reflected in some incidents pertaining to the same.

In 1986, three children belonging to the Jehova’s Witness sect refused to sing the National Anthem in their school in Kerala citing their beliefs. The children – Bijoe Emmanuel, Binu, and Bindu – were expelled from the Nair Service Society High School.

However, the Supreme Court later held that forcing them to sing the National Anthem was a violation of their fundamental right to religion under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

Similarly, a Muslim cleric forbade the students of a madrasa in UP’s Maharajganj from singing the national anthem on Independence Day in 2018. In a video that went viral on social media, the cleric was heard telling the students to avoid singing the national anthem because it is not “jayaz” (permissible) in Islam.

The Uttar Pradesh government derecognised the madrasa and the UP Madrasa Board released immediate orders to suspend its licence and registration.

According to al-islam.org, “the Quran has explicitly rejected the basis of nationalism”. It says, “To nationalism what matters the most is loyalty and attachment to the homeland, whereas to Islam, it is God and religion. Islam wishes all nations to regard the Quran as their Book, and the Ka’aba as their Qibla, and true leaders of Islam as their leaders.”

The same is reflected in historical events like India’s partition in 1947, which was based on religious grounds to form a purely “Islamic nation”. The idea of the Muslim Brotherhood, which emanated from the Middle East, and has been the foundation of several terrorist organisations in the region also is a key example.

Joining the armed forces of one’s homeland is also prohibited in both religions. Jehova’s Witnesses believe that “God alone deserves our worship”. Pledging allegiance to any symbol of nationalism is prohibited. “Jehovah’s Witnesses likewise feel that saluting the flag amounts to an act of worship, or idolatry, which the Bible prohibits,” the Jehova’s Witnesses state.

Last year, a 24-year-old former Muslim cleric from Kerala revealed that Indian Muslims are taught to not join the Indian Army. During a press conference, Askar Ali said, “We were taught to hate other communities and not to join the Indian army as we will have to kill our own community members which is against our religious principles.”

Conversion practices

Jehova’s Witnesses, who consider themselves of the Christian faith, are also known to indulge in conversion practices, a practice vehemently followed in Islam, too. “People may face new problems or situations that they must deal with, moving them to take an interest in the Bible’s message. So we endeavour to talk to people on more than one occasion,” a statement on the website of Jehova’s Witnesses reads.

Islam too openly preaches and practices conversion, stemming from Islamic concepts like Dar-ul-Islam. Several criminal incidents have taken place with the accused often attempting to convert the victim. This includes several recurring cases of love jihad or grooming jihad.

No other religion

Both Islam and Jehova’s Witnesses propagate that their respective gods do not approve of any other god and by extension, any other religion.

Jehova’s Witness website says, “No, all religions are not the same. The Bible contains many examples of religions that displease God. These fall into two basic categories. Category 1: Worshipping false gods. Category 2: Worshipping the true God in a way he does not approve.”

In fact, one of the reasons that they do not celebrate Christmas is because they believe it is “rooted in pagan traditions and rites”.

Islam too fundamentally believes that there is no other god but Allah and that those who follow any other god than Allah and any other religion than Islam are “kafirs”.

“Kafirs” means those who indulge in “kufr”. According to New Age Islam, an Islamic reformist organization, “The word Kufr means to reject faith in God, God’s signs, the prophets, the Holy Scriptures and the Day of Judgment. One who does not have faith in the unity of God and does not have faith also in other sacred signs of God is a Kafir, according to the Quran. One who rejects faith in God or does not have faith in God is called a Kafir. A Kafir may also be an idolater who worships gods and goddesses. According to the Quran, they are those who have gone astray. There are about 350 verses about Kufr and Kafir.”

It adds, “In the majority of the verses, Kufr is non-belief in one God and prophets of God and in Holy Scriptures. Kufr is also worship of idols and gods and goddesses other than God. In some of the verses, the word Kufr and its variations are used to mean ingratitude for the favours of God. It is natural that if someone does not recognize God or does not have faith in God, he will also not acknowledge God’s favours but will attribute the favours to his gods and goddesses.”

In May 2021, a petition was filed before the Madras High Court seeking protection for Hindu processions which were dubbed as “sins” by some local Muslims in the Perambalur district in Tamil Nadu. Several such Hindu processions have come under attack by Islamists with the most recent one being in Nuh in Haryana’s Mewat where at least five Hindus were butchered and several others injured.

Human error likely again in the Vizianagaram train tragedy as it was in Balasore, here is what is known so far

OpIndia Staff
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Human error likely again in the Vizianagaram train tragedy as it was in Balasore, here is what is known so far

On 29th October, two passenger trains collided in the district Vizianagaram of Andhra Pradesh, leading to the death of at least 13 passengers. Several passengers were reported injured in the accident. The Vizianagaram train accident, which reminded me of the tragic accident of Balasore in June 2023, possibly happened due to human error.

Though the Ministry of Railways has released no official statement over the cause of the accident, a report in Times of India suggested that ‘human error’ could be the reason behind the tragedy. The paper cited sources in the Indian Railway saying the accident appeared to have been caused by an overshooting of the signal by the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train.

According to a report in The Hindu, the accident took place when the Visakhapatnam-Palasa was running on the middle line and it had stopped as an overhead cable broke. The Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Express was coming from behind on the same line and rammed into the stationary train, resulting in the derailing of two coaches.

Therefore, going by how the accident occurred, it was the result of human error, as the loco pilot of the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada train ignored the signal and continued to run on the track, hitting the other train on its rear end.

According to senior government official Nagalakshmi S, there were 90 people in the two coaches that were derailed.

India needs quicker implementation of Kavach

India is implementing an anti-collision system for the Indian Railways to avoid accidents. The Kavach system uses high-frequency radio signals to communicate with nearby trains and tracks. It is a set of electronic devices and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices installed in locomotives, in the signalling system and in the tracks.

Apart from preventing head-on and rear-end collisions between trains on the same train, it can also slow down over-speeding trains, alert and apply brakes when a train crosses the signal, automatically whistle at level crossings, etc. The devices in the system connect to each other to control the brakes of the trains and alert the drivers based on the logic programmed into the system.

It is important to understand that Kavach can work in both cases where there is a possible head-on collision or a collision from the rear end. The system works when both the trains are running, or when a train is stationary on a track and another train runs towards it on the same track.

While under development for a decade, work on it started in 2012, but the system is yet to be installed on the entire network. It is a vast system, which needs to be installed on every train, every railway station, and every signalling point.

The indigenously developed anti-collision system has been implemented in the railway network only recently. The trial of the Kavach system took place just a year ago, where two trains, one with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, were driven towards each other on the same track, and the system successfully applied brakes to stop the trains in May last year. After that, the railways started installing the safety system in a phased manner.

According to a statement by the ministry issued in December 2022, Kavach has been deployed for 1,455 Route Kms on the South Central Railway with 77 locomotives. The length of the railway routes across the country is 68,000km. This means that nearly 99% of the routes are still to be covered under the system.

It is being installed on around 3000 km of track on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah corridors. The Railways has informed that Kavach works have been sanctioned on 36,545 km routes. Apart from the Delhi-Mumbai & Delhi–Howrah corridors, work is also going on in train routes in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

There are criticisms that the Railways is taking only small sections for Kavach implementation each year, and budget allocation is less. It is expected the Railway Board will accelerate the process following two back-to-back accidents involving the collision of two passenger trains.

Congress had spread misinformation about the diversion of funds

After the tragic Balasore accident, the Congress Party targeted the Modi government for allegedly misusing funds designated for railway safety. Citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Congress pointed out that the money was spent on items like foot massagers, crockery, and furniture from the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK). For the unaware, RRSK is a dedicated fund for railway safety. However, Congress had misrepresented the CAG report.

The items mentioned in the report were purchased for Running Rooms. These rooms provide essential rest facilities for train crews between shifts. It has to be pointed out that Loco pilots and train managers need proper rest to ensure safety, as fatigue can lead to human errors, which have caused past accidents. The funds allocated for these items were minimal compared to the overall RRSK fund, and they were within the guidelines for staff welfare and passenger amenities under RRSK.

However, two accidents in just a span of six months showed that there is a need for better-trained loco pilots and train managers to take quick measures to avoid accidents.

Balasore Train Accident

On 2nd June 2023, 296 people died, and over 1,200 were injured in the tragic accident at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, Odisha. On the day of the accidents, the Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary freight train. As a result of the Balasore Train Accident, some of the derailed coaches fell onto the adjacent tracks. A few minutes later, the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express train came on those tracks and collided with the derailed coaches.

Left-liberals and Islamists, including Mohammed Zubair, celebrate the sudden demise of a Hindu social media user, wish his soul to ‘go to hell’

OpIndia Staff
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Left-liberals and Islamists, including Mohammed Zubair, celebrate the sudden demise of a Hindu social media user, wish his soul to ‘go to hell’

On 29th October, a young social media rightwing influencer who was famous by the handle ‘SmokingSkills07’ on X (formerly Twitter) passed away due to a heart ailment. Yash, the person behind the handle, was not even 30 years old. The demise of the famous influencer came as a shock to the netizens. Union Minister Smriti Irani prayed for the departed soul in a post on X.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala expressed his condolences and pointed out how Yash’s death “once again exposed the true face of rabid radicalism”. He wrote, “Deeply saddened by the passing away of SmokingSkills07. But his untimely death has once again exposed the true face of rabid radicalism.”

While it was a sombre occasion for sane and sensible people on X, with feelings of shock and condolences pouring in on social media platforms, Islamists and left-liberals found it amusing that a rightwing activist and influencer they despised deeply because of his ability to call out their hypocrisy had died young.

The Islamists and leftists always had a weak sense of morality. But their utter lack of moral foundation was on display on Sunday when they mocked and celebrated the death of a social media user whose views did not align with the Left’s outlook and who had been at the vanguard in exposing the propaganda peddled by Islamists and left-liberals. 

Frontrunners of the abusers included RLD leader Prashant Kanojia and out-on-bail fake news paddler Mohammed Zubair of dubious portal Alt News, who mocked the untimely death of their ideological nemesis.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kanojia shared some screenshots of Yash’s social media posts and said, “[The] Person who pretended to protect religion has died. Was enjoying the dead bodies of children, today nature enjoyed. My condolences to the family and hope their son goes to hell and his soul continues to wander in Gaza. Happy death to oblivion!”

Source: X

In now-deleted posts, Zubair first quoted a sarcastic tweet of Yash to mock his death and deleted it. Then he quoted another post of Yash where he alleged that Zubair was giving backend support to terrorists and wrote, “RIP smokingskills07”. The second post was deleted as well.

He then wrote, “I’ve deleted my tweets highlighting his older tweets. But the way he continuously mocked and celebrated the death of young Palestinian kids….”.

Source: X

Several Islamists quoted X user Mr Sinha’s tweet announcing Yash’s demise. Samiullah Khan wrote, “The ‘Extremist bigot’ who ruthlessly mocked & enjoyed the suffering of Palestinian children ‘@Smokingskills07’ is OFF, he is gone to the Creator’s Court for interrogiotion & judgment!”

Dr Syyeda wrote, “Not shedding tears. May he NOT rest in peace. He was the Rohit Sardana of Twitter.”

Mohammed Zubair has a history of mocking the death of right-wing activists and influencers. He often puts a target behind their backs, unleashing the army of Sar Tan Se Juda fanatics, who go on a rampage causing law and order problems.

Not to forget, he was the one who shared an edited video of a debate where former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had quoted Islamic text in retaliation to Islamist panellist Taslim Rehmani during a debate on Times Now. His actions led to riots across the country and the death of Hindus, including a tailor from Udaipur and Umesh Kohle from Amrawati, as they had posted in support of Sharma.

The venomous and crass commentsthat followed the death of the social media user, nevertheless, reflects not only the moral bankruptcy of the Left, but it also reveals their lack of humanity and macabre fascination to celebrate their opponent’s death and wish ill on the departed soul.

No, Ratan Tata did not pay ₹10 crores to Rashid Khan for waving Indian flag and incurring ‘fine’ of ₹55 lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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No, Ratan Tata did not pay ₹10 crores to Rashid Khan for waving Indian flag and incurring ‘fine’ of ₹55 lakhs

On Monday (30th October), Ratan Tata took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that he has not monetarily rewarded any cricket player for being fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

He tweeted, “I have made no suggestions to the ICC or any cricket faculty about any cricket member regarding a fine or reward to any players. I have no connection to cricket whatsoever.”

“Please do not believe WhatsApp forwards and videos of such nature unless they come from my official platforms,” the 85-year-old industrialist said.

The development comes days after social media was rife with misinformation about Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan being fined to the tune of ₹55 lakhs by the ICC for waving the Indian flag.

Screengrab of the fake claims made by a Youtube channel named ‘Global Cricket’

It was falsely claimed that Ratan Tata rewarded Khan with ₹10 crores for his act, which helped him pay off the fine of ₹55 lakhs. In reality, ICC has not imposed any such penalty on the Afghan cricket player.

A YouTube channel by the name of ‘Global Cricket’ peddled the fake news on 25th October this year, two days after Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets during the ongoing 2023 World Cup.

Screengrab of the misleading tweets

The misinformation then made it to X (formerly Twitter), where several handles amplified the fake story about Rashid Khan being fined and Ratan Tata coming to his rescue

8 lakh industry workers in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi staring at unemployment due to ban on firecrackers by Delhi and other govts

OpIndia Staff
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8 lakh industry workers in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi staring at unemployment due to ban on firecrackers by Delhi and other govts

Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi city is known as the “fireworks capital” of India. The 90-year-old firecracker industry in this small town remains the producer of 90 per cent of India’s firecrackers. Sivakasi has 8,000 firecracker factories which employ around 8 lakh people.

These eight lakh workers in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, who rely on the industry and its affiliated sectors, face a gloomy future this year since Delhi has imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers until January 1. Similarly, the government’s refusal to award sales licenses in Karnataka and limitations in the Noida region is harming the business of firecracker manufacturers in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi town.

According to industry players, the blanket ban on firecrackers imposed by the Delhi government has alone led to a 20 per cent demand shortage for Sivakasi manufacturers.

“We are now only producing green firecrackers without using barium nitrate. The ban in Delhi itself has led to a 20 per cent demand shortage for Sivakasi manufacturers,” T Kannan, general secretary of The Indian Fireworks Manufacturers Association (TIFMA) said.

SC refuses to interfere with Delhi govt’s decision to ban firecrackers ahead of Diwali

It may be recalled that on September 13, the Supreme Court declared that it wouldn’t interfere in the ban on the production, sale, storage, and utilization of all types of firecrackers in Delhi during this Diwali season. The ban has been re-imposed by the Delhi government.

A bench comprised of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh indicated that some different ways to celebrate Deiwali should be adopted. This is after BJP Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari stated before the court that the ban had been re-imposed despite the court allowing the bursting of green firecrackers.

“There are many states imposing complete ban despite the orders of this court,” counsel representing Tiwari argued. The court responded to this by saying, “Locally if there is a ban, there is a ban. We will not interfere. You can find other ways to celebrate.”

The SC decision came after the Delhi government, on September 11, declared a full ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital to tackle high pollution levels during the winter months.

During the previous two years, a similar blanket restriction had been imposed by the Delhi government.

The issue of a ban on firecrackers appears every year ahead of Diwali, blaming the Hindu festival for the grave air pollution faced by Delhi and neighbouring areas during the fall season. Every year Diwali is targeted despite studies showing that the festival’s contribution to air pollution is negligible and temporary, while the major causes are stubble burning by farmers in nearby states, vehicles and construction activities, weather patterns, and the geographical location of the area.

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