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Yogi Adityanath govt to restore and conserve Maharishi Valmiki Ashram, Raja Sitaram Mahal of Mathura and Rasik Bihari Temple of Fatehpur

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Yogi Adityanath govt to restore and conserve Maharishi Valmiki Ashram, Raja Sitaram Mahal of Mathura and Rasik Bihari Temple of Fatehpur

As part of its ongoing efforts to preserve and restore significant cultural, historical, and spiritual heritage sites, the Uttar Pradesh government has prepared a detailed plan for various significant sites in Kanpur, Mathura, and Fatehpur. 

As per a release, the government is soon going to start the process of restoration and conservation of Maharishi Valmiki Ashram located in Bithoor, Kanpur, Raja Sitaram Mahal of Mathura and Rasik Bihari Temple located in Shivrajpur, Fatehpur. 

The Uttar Pradesh Department of Archaeology has already invited applications from interested agencies through the e-tendering process to carry out the renovation and preservation work on these sites. 

The Yogi government is planning to allocate Rs 1.52 crore for the restoration and preservation of Maharishi Valmiki’s ashram in Bithoor, where it is believed that Mata Janaki took refuge when Lord Shri Ram sent her to the forest and where their two sons Luv and Kush were born. The agency applying for this work will have to deposit an EMD of Rs 3.12 lakh. 

The renovation and conservation of Raja Sitaram Mahal of Mathura will cost Rs 1.29 crore and the EMD amount has been fixed at Rs 2.66 lakh. Likewise, Rs 1.97 crore will be spent by the Yogi government on the restoration and preservation of Rasik Bihari Temple in Shivrajpur, Fatehpur, and the EMD amount for this work has been fixed at Rs 4.04 lakh. 

All three projects will be executed through the tendering process by the selected agencies under the supervision of the Uttar Pradesh Department of Archaeology. All project allocations and necessary procedures will follow the guidelines of the Uttar Pradesh government. 

Separate tenders have been issued for all three sites on the e-tender portal. These tenders will be allocated in two phases. The first phase will involve a technical assessment, followed by a financial assessment. Agencies will be assigned the work only after passing both assessments. 

It is noteworthy that the application process for these tenders started on October 23, 2023, and the deadline for submission of applications is November 1, 2023. It will be followed by the technical assessment process, which will commence on November 3. Subsequently, a financial assessment will be made. 

Notably, agencies applying for these projects will have to provide quotations for both the technical and financial assessments in their initial application. After the assessment process is complete, the selected agencies will be provided with the projects, and they will have a maximum of 120 days to complete the work.

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

NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakraborty remanded to police custody till 2nd November

OpIndia Staff
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NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakraborty remanded to police custody till 2nd November

NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakraborty have been remanded to Delhi police’s custody for nine days in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case against them. The duo is at the centre of an investigation into the case of illegal foreign funding for peddling pro-China propaganda.

The accused will be produced before the Patiala House Court on 2nd November. The duo was arrested on 3rd October and remanded to seven days police custody initially. They have been in judicial custody ever since 10th October. They were produced in court today upon the completion of their judicial custody.

On 13th October, the Delhi High Court dismissed the pleas challenging the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakraborty.

Following raids at 40 residences of journalists linked to NewsClick and their office in Delhi, the Delhi police’s special cell registered an FIR against the portal on 17th August under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22 of the UAPA and Sections 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Delhi Police had registered a fresh case under UAPA, other than the ED case, as per reports. UAPA is related to charges under terrorist activities and terror funding. The NewsClick office was sealed by the police.

Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yetchury, Sanjay Rajoura, and others were among those who faced action by the Delhi Police.

The case exploded following an investigative report by The New York Times which revealed that NewsClick was among a bunch of portals which was receiving funds from a Communist billionaire Neville Roy Singham in the US in exchange for running pro-China content in India.

According to the remand report, NewsClick received funds in crores of rupees since April 2018 through illegal means in a span of just five years from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, USA and others.

NCERT proposes replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in books, also seeks to teach ‘classical history’ instead of ‘ancient history’

OpIndia Staff
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NCERT proposes replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in books, also seeks to teach ‘classical history’ instead of ‘ancient history’

On Wednesday (25th October), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) proposed to change its books to replace the word ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’. The recommendation was made by a panel of NCERT constituted for social sciences, the committee’s chairperson CI Isaac said.

According to Isaac, the call for it was made uncontested by the seven-member high-level committee, and it was also mentioned in the panel’s final position document on social sciences.

“The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757. On the other hand, the use of the term India dates back more than 5,000 years. Against this backdrop, all the seven-panel members decided to recommend the use of Bharat in textbooks for students in all classes,” Issac was quoted as saying.

Notably, the Indian Constitution defines India as Bharat as it notes that “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” Bharat is an age-old name. The use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old, Issac noted.

The announcement comes just days after the Centre was seen promoting the usage of the name Bharat, with invitations to the G20 presidential dinner in September stating that the event would be hosted by the “President of Bharat.” The nameplate in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Heads of State summit later included the word Bharat as opposed to India.

Isaac further stated that the panel has proposed the inclusion of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in all subject educational materials, as well as the inclusion of ‘classical history’ in history texts rather than ‘ancient history’.

“In the colonial British rule, Indian history was divided into three phases – ancient, medieval, and modern. This inaccurately showed the ancient Indian history as a period of darkness and lack of scientific awareness,” Issac said.

“Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools along with medieval and modern periods,” he added.

Israel stops issuing visas to UN officials after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried to contextualise Hamas terror attack, demands his resignation

OpIndia Staff
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Israel stops issuing visas to UN officials after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried to contextualise Hamas terror attack, demands his resignation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has come under fire from the Israeli government after he implied that the Jewish state’s continued control over Palestinian territories was what led to the devastating Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October. As a result, Israel has started to refuse visas to UN officials and has demanded the resignation of Antonio Guterres.

During a UN Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas war, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried to contextualise the Hamas terror attack by saying, “it is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” generating angry reaction from Israel. Gilad Erdan, the country’s representative to the organisation called the statements “shocking” and insisted that the secretary general step down. A meeting between Guterres and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who is visiting the US, was also called off and former Minister of Defence Benny Gantz called the UN chief a “terror apologist.”

According to Israel’s UN envoy Gilad Erdan, the remarks were “horrible” and “completely disconnected from the reality in our region.” He expressed, “It’s sad that a person with such views is the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust. It’s really unfathomable.”

Israel has now refused to grant visas to UN officials in light of the development. Erdan said that the time has come to teach them a lesson, adding that one UN top official was already denied visa to visit Israel as a retaliation to the comments of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson,” highlighted the UN Ambassador.

The foreign minister announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he was postponing a scheduled meeting with Antonio Guterres. He had flown to New York to participate in the meetings regarding the present dispute. “There is no place for an even-handed approach. Hamas needs to be wiped off the face of the earth,” he wrote after the horrific events of 7 October.

Retired army general Benny Gantz who joined the administration lately and is part of the small war cabinet that is in charge of managing the military effort took to social media to express his anger. “Dark are the days when the United Nations Secretary-General condones terror.” He stressed that “absolutely nothing” can excuse the killing of innocent persons.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen addressed the United Nations Security Council amid the war with Hamas and pointed out, “This massacre will go down in history as more brutal than ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Hamas are the new Nazis. Just as the civilised world united to defeat Nazis and ISIS, they have to stand behind Israel to defeat Hamas. Let us not be mistaken about their intention. I am sure the Secretary-General can read it. Their charter calls for the destruction and elimination of the state of Israel. This will never happen.”

The minister mentioned the ages and names of some of the Israeli children who were murdered by Hamas. “There are just a few of the many children and babies who have not seen evil. They have not caused evil, but they are victims of evil. These kids witnessed horror that cannot be described by words. Mr Secretary-General in what world do you live,” he asked in a sharp dig posed at the UN official and added, “Definitely, this is not our world.”

“They went from house to house, slaughtering entire families and individuals in their beads, on the streets, on the way to the synagogue. Raping women, burning them alive, dancing and chanting on people’s bodies. You have not been there. You have not seen the horror or smelled it,” voiced the minister of foreign affairs. The families of several of the people held hostage in Gaza were present at the Security Council meeting along with him.

Speaking at the forum, the minister forewarned that Gaza is headed for its “darkest hour” under Antonio Guterres’s leadership if the UN does not support the effort to eradicate Hamas.

Controversial statements by Antonio Guterres

Israel has been outraged by pro-Hamas comments made by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who alleged, “It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” at a UN Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas war. The terror outfit massacred almost 1,400 people, the great majority of whom were civilians as it tore through Israeli border villages which triggered the war.

However, he put accountability for the ghastly assault on the Jewish state and claimed, “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence. Their economy was stifled, their people were displaced and their homes were demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”

“The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he added alluding to Israel’s ongoing bombardment in the Gaza Strip which thousands of people have reportedly died from, according to Hamas officials.

He alleged to be “deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear, no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.” He proclaimed, “The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties, and the wholesale destruction of neighbourhoods continue to mount and are deeply alarming.”

He demanded that all of the captives get humane treatment and be “released immediately and without conditions,” and noted that he already “condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented acts of terror by Hamas.”

Israel has enforced a near-total embargo on Gaza in addition to its military campaign, however, in recent days, a compromise mediated by the US has allowed some humanitarian aid to pass through Egypt. He remarked, “But that is a drop of aid in an ocean of need,” and issued a warning that Gaza will experience a “disaster” if its gasoline runs out.

He sought “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and cautioned that the violence “risks spiralling throughout the region.” He additionally recommended the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as part of a two-state solution.

Leading diplomats attended the Security Council meeting, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has previously rejected requests for a truce on the grounds that it would merely give Hamas time to recover. Meanwhile, the UN on 24 October advocated for better coordination amongst humanitarian organisations to guarantee that the supplies of relief now entering the Strip comprised only the necessities.

Hamas attacks Israel

On October 7, thousands of missiles fired by Hamas rapidly descended into Israel as more than 2,500 assistants broke through the border into the country. They slaughtered everyone they came across during their savage rampage through the southern regions. They end the lives of entire families in some towns.

260 people died in the massacre at one outdoor music festival. Numerous infants passed away. More than 220 persons of various ages were kidnapped and taken as prisoners back to Gaza before the Israel Defence Forces could stop the incursion and only four of them have been released so far.

Israel has launched heavy attacks in Gaza and vowed to eliminate the terror organisation in retaliation and informed that terror targets are being hit while attempting to prevent civilian losses. More than a million people in Gaza have been ordered to leave the northern portion of the Strip in anticipation of an anticipated ground invasion.

Over 5,700 Palestinians have died as a result of the strikes, per the Health Ministry, which is under Hamas control. These numbers which are believed to involve civilians killed by Palestinian missile misfires as well as members of Hamas itself, cannot be independently confirmed.

Notably, in accordance with the 2005 Disengagement, Israel vacated the Gaza Strip of all settlements and armed forces. Both Egypt and Israel have kept a strict blockade of the region in place since Hamas seized power in 2007. Jerusalem argued that this is necessary to prevent the terror group from amassing weapons for future assaults. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu constantly asserting that the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority is not a partner for peace and having previously turned down multiple offers, settlements in the West Bank have grown under successive administrations.

Rajasthan minister claims he had almost solved the electricity issue in the state, but the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted it; video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan minister claims he had almost solved the electricity issue in the state, but the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted it; video goes viral

A Rajasthan minister asserts that he was on the verge of resolving the state’s electricity problem, only to have his plans disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A video of his statement has gone viral.

Shale Mohammad, Cabinet Minister of Minority Affairs and Waqf of Rajasthan, claimed that he was close to solving the chronic electricity crisis in the state but the Russia-Ukraine war threw spanners in the works over his plans. An undated video of the minister making the claims has gone viral on the internet.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the video of the Rajasthan Minister claiming that he had almost solved the electricity issue, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted it.

In various regions of Rajasthan, power outages have become a common occurrence at night, affecting both industrial operations and the daily lives of residents in municipalities, district headquarters, and rural areas. The surge in electricity demand can be attributed to the prolonged absence of monsoon rains, a report published in Business Standard in August 2023 said.

Bhaskar A Sawant, the principal secretary of the state’s energy department, disclosed that the daily peak electricity demand has reached approximately 16,000 megawatts (Mw), creating a deficit of around 2,000 Mw. He assured that divisional headquarters and essential emergency services have been exempted from these power interruptions.

Sawant had also mentioned that two units, equivalent to 910 Mw, of the Chabbra thermal plant under the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam were presently inactive, undergoing routine annual maintenance work.

Furthermore, a 250 Mw unit at the Kota thermal plant, two units totalling 910 Mw at the Suratgarh thermal plant, and one 250 Mw unit at the Chhabra Thermal plant were temporarily shut down due to unforeseen technical issues. These units were expected to be operational again in September 2023.

In addition to these challenges, there was a substantial 38% reduction in wind energy generation. The heightened demand for electricity, coupled with the closure of these power units, had necessitated enforced power cuts lasting for at least one to one and a half hours during nighttime in August 2023, mainly resulting from the decreased rainfall.

Haryana govt to provide incentive to farmers promoting crop diversification under Mera Pani Meri Virasat scheme, plans to conserve 42,480 cr litre water

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana govt to provide incentive to farmers promoting crop diversification under Mera Pani Meri Virasat scheme, plans to conserve 42,480 cr litre water

In an effort to promote crop diversification, the CM Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government will provide assistance to farmers in the state. The government also aims to conserve water by facilitating crop diversification measures to be taken by farmers. Under the “Mera Pani Meri Virasat” scheme, the government plans to conserve 42,480 crore litres of water in the year 2023-24. It is notable that the scheme was launched in the year 2020.

The Haryana government is providing Rs 7000 to farmers growing alternate crops which require less water to grow. Such crops include pulses, maize, oilseeds, and fodder crops. In 2020, more than 41,000 farmers in the state have benefited from this scheme. The state government then provided farmers with incentives totalling more than Rs 45 crore. With the state government’s efforts, Haryana conserved around 22,000 crore litres of water.

This time, the government intends to diversify crops on 1.2 lakh acres of land in the state. Notably, the ‘Mera Paani Meri Virasat’ initiative, has a budget of around Rs 84 crore. It is worth noting that the groundwater level of agricultural land in Haryana and Punjab is constantly declining due to over-cultivation of crops such as paddy. This issue is also present in western Uttar Pradesh. To address this, the Haryana government has planned to diversify crop production.

According to the government, farmers in Haryana are also growing direct-seeded rice (DSR) which also requires less water. It is worth noting that DSR is a method of growing a rice crop from seeds sowed in the field instead of transplanting seedlings from a nursery.

According to a report, the condition of groundwater in 60% of Haryana’s villages is serious. On an annual basis, more water is consumed for irrigation than is refilled in the ground by rain. This could lead to a major water crisis in the future. This will have a significant influence not only on agriculture but also on employment opportunities. Reportedly,  groundwater has been withdrawn in excess of what is required from 61% of Haryana’s water sources. The state administration is now relying on these schemes to combat all of the abovementioned challenges.

Israeli sociologists write letter in response to 1700 sociologists contextualising Hamas violence, urges signatories to withdraw the one-sided statement

OpIndia Staff
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Israeli sociologists write letter in response to 1700 sociologists contextualising Hamas violence, urges signatories to withdraw the one-sided statement

On 24 October, the Israeli sociological community and academics from around the world wrote a letter in response to the open letter from around 1,700 sociologists on the conflict in Israel and Gaza. In the letter, they voiced their disappointment with the letter written in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. It is pertinent to note that the letter also contextualised the brutality which was unleashed by Hamas terrorists against Israel. They said the lack of recognition for a tragic event and one-sided perspective was presented in the open letter.

They raised particular concerns about the failure of the open letter’s signatories to acknowledge the 7th October terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli soil. They pointed out that on a per capita basis, the attack was akin to killing 50,000 Americans in cold blood and taking around 7,500 hostages. 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed in the attack, and around 200 were taken hostages, of which only a fraction have been released by Hamas terrorists.

The letter read, “On that bloody day, Hamas terrorists indiscriminately murdered Israeli Jews, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and foreign nationals. The massacre of hundreds, the rapes, brutalisation, mutilation of bodies, torture of children, the wiping out of entire families, and the killing of medical workers cannot be framed as anything less than a crime against humanity. In addition, over 200 people were kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza, most of whom were civilians, including babies, children (including three-year-old Abigail, whose parents were murdered before her eyes), and old and sick people. The sociologists’ letter completely ignores them, nor does it condemn their murder. On a per capita basis, the attack is akin to killing 50,000 Americans in cold blood and taking some 7,500 hostages.”

They added that while they also call for ending violence and support Palestinian liberation and end of the “occupation” that they have done for years, a “humanistic stance cannot ignore the horrible massacre on 7th October”. The letter added, “Acknowledging the massacre does not legitimise killing uninvolved civilians in Gaza. However, not condemning or even acknowledging the massacre legitimises Hamas’ crime against humanity.’

Source: X/Google Forms

It further added, “The Hamas massacre reminds us to avoid simplistic divisions between oppressor and oppressed. The commitment to social justice should never forget to respect all humans – of all sides. Critical Sociology is built upon thinking empirically, morally, and politically, against the grain, against the taken for granted, and against unjust use of power and violence – while unconditionally respecting all humans and treating them with dignity.”

The group further urged the signatories to withdraw support from the “one-sided statement”. It urged them to join the counter letter in “digging deeper into our sociological toolkit to engage in studies that offer a more nuanced understanding of the conflict in the Middle East”. They added, “Such understanding may contribute to a long-term solution rather than to the legitimisation of horrendous violence.”

Full text of the letter can be checked here. List of signatories can be checked here.

The letter by 1,700 sociologists

The letter responded to the open letter by around 1,700 odd sociology “professors” who supported Gaza and Palestinians. The letter, a typical rant of the left, calls to “contextualise” the Hamas terror attack that killed over 1400 innocent Israelis and displaced over 2 lakh civilians in Israel.

The excerpt reads, “As educators, it is our duty to stand by the principles of critical inquiry and learning, to hold the university as a space for conversation that foregrounds historical truths, and that contextualises this past week’s violence in the context of 75 years of settler colonial occupation and European empire.”

The letter has been signed by professors from Ivy League institutes including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Brown, Berkeley, “intellectuals” of Indian origin and others.

Among those Indians who have signed the letter are The Wire founder Siddharth Varadarajan and his wife, Nandini Sundar. The Indian signatories to the letter also include students from IIT Bombay, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), OP Jindal, Ashoka University, JNU, Jamia Milia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and Delhi University (DU).

‘I killed 10 Jews with my own hands’: Hamas terrorist brags to gleeful parents on a call from the phone of a Jewish woman he murdered 

OpIndia Staff
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‘I killed 10 Jews with my own hands’: Hamas terrorist brags to gleeful parents on a call from the phone of a Jewish woman he murdered 

An alarming phone recording released by Israel shows a terrorist affiliated with Hamas boasting to his parents about slaughtering Jews. The terrorist claimed to have personally killed ten Jews in the terrifying interaction that has now been made public. Furthermore, he sent pictures of the massacre to them.

The terrorist who is referred to as Mahmoud in the conversation used a phone he stole from a Jewish woman he had killed along with her husband at Mefalsim, a kibbutz close to the Gaza border. He boasted, “Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!” He emphasised, “I killed 10 with my own hands! Dad, 10 with my own hands!”

Shockingly, the parents appeared to support his actions. He sounded elated and directed them to his WhatsApp messages in an eagerness to showcase his heinous acts to his equally ecstatic family who conveyed their desire to be with him. He claimed, “I am the first to enter under the protection and help of Allah. Hold your head up father.” They asked him to come back but he asserted that he was brought on this earth by his mother for Islam and he can not return to them.

His father continued to respond with, “Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest).” He remarked, “Oh my son, God bless you!” while his mother wished for his safe return. Meanwhile, he declared himself a “hero” and replied defiantly, “There is no going back. It’s either death or victory,” and repeatedly urged his parents to check WhatsApp to view the images of his victims.

This recording was presented to the United Nations Security Council by the Israel Defense Forces.

The conflict escalated on 7 October following an unprecedented onslaught on southern Israel by Palestinian Hamas terrorists stationed in the Gaza Strip. Israel declared war on Hamas as a result of the attack and bombed the area in retaliation. Thousands of civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis have lost their lives as well as become wounded since the onset of this conflict.

Over 5,000 people have died in Gaza with women and children making up more than 60% of the dead, according to UN statistics while at least 1,300 were murdered in Israel. In addition, more than 15,000 people have been hurt and 212 of them are being held captive by Hamas.

Rajasthan: Man brutally crushed to death by tractor over land dispute, video goes viral, BJP slams Gehlot govt over deteriorating law and order

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Rajasthan: Man brutally crushed to death by tractor over land dispute, video goes viral, BJP slams Gehlot govt over deteriorating law and order

On Wednesday (25th October), an individual from Bayana town in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur District was crushed to death by a tractor over a land dispute. The incident was captured on video, and the recording has since gone viral on social media. The footage shows a man being mowed down and being run over by a tractor many times leading to his death. 

The deceased person has been identified as Nirpat Gurjar, 35, and the accused person who fled from the spot after murdering the victim has been identified as Bahadur Gurjar. Reports mention that a land dispute has been going on for a long time between Bahadur Gurjar and Atar Singh Gurjar who is the father of the deceased named Nirpat.

Both parties came across face to face on the morning of 25th October, following which an altercation erupted and the situation worsened. Both parties then began hitting each other with stones and sticks. Amid the altercation, Atar Singh Gurjar happened to accuse Bahadur of grabbing the land which irked him leading to the brutal murder of Nirpat Gurjat.

The family members of the deceased, including women, can be seen in the video pleading with the accused not to run over the man. They were observed imploring and crying in front of the killer, but he did not listen and crushed the man with the tractor. Onlookers meanwhile continued to record the incident on video, but no one stepped forward to help or save the deceased from the tractor. 

BJP’s National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took cognizance of the event and questioned the Congress government and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi over the incident. He addressed the issue of law and order deterioration in the state, noting that such instances are occurring on a regular basis in the state.

“Law & Order in Rajasthan- one more shocker. In Bayana, a man has been brutally crushed to death by a tractor. Will Priyanka Vadra utter anything on this? Say something about Priyanka! In just the last 48 -72 hours- A journalist was attacked in Dausa, Sadhu was killed in Dausa, Youth was stabbed brutally in the neck in Kekdi, a Udaipur minor was raped & kept hostage for 20 days, a Dalit woman gang-raped in Deedwana, Several such instances of murders and women atrocities!! Journalists, monks, women, girls, youth – everyone was attacked,” he tweeted.

It has come to the fore that the accused and the father of the victim had been having issues with land in Adda village of Bharatpur district. The duo also had filed police complaints against each other. However, they came face to face on 25th October and engaged in an altercation leading to the murder of Nirpat Gurjar.

The police were informed by the locals who after arriving at the spot took the dead body into custody. The body has been sent for post-mortem and the investigations in the case are underway. The police meanwhile confirmed that the accused had also fired in the air to disperse the crowd from the spot before crushing the deceased. However, the people who witnessed the incident managed to call the police and record the evidence.

The accused is absconding at present. Investigations are underway.

‘Mela’ director says Aamir Khan insisted on doing a vulgar scene in the movie, reveals why Kajol had refused to star opposite the actor

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mela’ director says Aamir Khan insisted on doing a vulgar scene in the movie, reveals why Kajol had refused to star opposite the actor

Filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan who gained prominence in the 1990s and 2000s for his work on projects like Dhadkan and Raja Hindustani has shared personal anecdotes from his experience during the making of his movies. Speaking about one of the experiences, the director revealed how Aamir Khan pushed him to shoot a “vulgar scene” and made him weep on the sets of the movie ‘Mela’.

Darshan mentioned that when he initially collaborated with Aamir Khan, the actor was viewed as more “elitist” and hadn’t achieved the same level of success in the Hindi mainstream as some of his fellow actors. However, Aamir strove for sequences that contradicted his persona during the production of Mela. The director divulged that after watching the Hollywood movie ‘Dumb and Dumber’, Aamir urged him to replicate a distasteful scene from it.

(Source: Pinterest)

He stated, “You wouldn’t believe this, but there’s that urine therapy sequence (in the film) with Johnny Lever. For the first time in my life, I wept on set. I said who will believe this is an Aamir Khan sequence.” However, the Aamir actor told Darshan “not to be pretentious.” The director said that the scene was obscene, but he performed it despite his reservations because he had committed to the assignment.

Here’s the scene from the movie:-

Darshan said that the actor wasn’t as dedicated to the movie’s quality as he generally would have been because he was too preoccupied with bringing his brother Faisal Khan’s career back to life. “I didn’t want to do Mela, but Aamir had to correct Faisal’s career. First I said no to him.” Darshan had similar things to say about his venture ‘Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya’ which he said he worked on for emotional reasons and not because he wanted to. However, he consented to direct Mela only at his mother’s persuasion.

He added, “Oddly, Aamir didn’t submit so much in Mela. His mind started working more because he was concerned about Faisal. He had become so big after Raja Hindustani, and he doesn’t have that commercial instinct. It became a hodgepodge, but I saved it at the end of the day economically. But I got so much flak for it.”

Furthermore, the director disclosed that Kajol was initially considered for the lead for ‘Mela’, which was eventually played by Twinkle Khanna. Darshan revealed that Kajol had refused to star in the film because of Aamir’s reputation for several takes whereas she was a one-take actor.

“All my friends had worked with her, but I worked with Lolo (Karisma Kapoor). Kajol was supposed to be in Mela, but there was some discomfort from her side. She was not sure about Aamir at that point, though later on they did Fanaa. She’s a one-take actor, and he takes many takes. So, she had those reservations, that her spontaneity (would be affected). But she was very gracious, she came to my house and explained it to me. Kajol was not known to do these things,” Darshan said.

The part was then played by Twinkle Khanna, who has often publicly mocked the film and her own performance during interviews. It was her final film before she tied the knot with Akshay Kumar and decided to quit acting altogether. Mela turned out to be a major box-office disappointment and continues to be one of the most detested films in Aamir Khan’s career.

It essentially put an end to Faisal Khan’s Bollywood hopes while Aamir recovered from the failure the very next year with back-to-back hits like Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai. Dharmesh Darshan went on to direct movies such as Dhadkan, Bewafaa, Haan Maine bhi Pyaar Kiya and Aap ki Khatir in the ensuing years.

Watch the entire interview below:

Notably, Aamir Khan made headlines in 2021 when it was revealed that the actor used to spit on the hands of his female stars like Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawala in the name of pranks. However, he defended it by claiming, “Whoever actress I spat in the palm of became number one.”

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