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‘No comments, have nothing to say’: Trinamool Congress maintains distance from ‘cash for query’ allegations against party MP Mahua Moitra

OpIndia Staff
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‘No comments, have nothing to say’: Trinamool Congress maintains distance from ‘cash for query’ allegations against party MP Mahua Moitra

As Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s ‘cash for query’ scam gets exposed more and more every day, her party has maintained a distance from the scandal. On 21st October (Saturday), the TMC declined to comment on the alleged scam involving of its Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra. Speaking to ANI, TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh asserted that the party has nothing to say on the allegations levelled against Moitra. 

Speaking on behalf of the party, he maintained silence on the particular issue. Ghosh said, “..No comments on this particular issue. We have nothing to say on this issue. Regarding this issue, the All India Trinamool Congress will not say a single word. The related person may answer this, not the TMC party.”

Similarly, another senior TMC leader, on the condition of anonymity, told PTI that Trinamool Congress is unwilling to get into a controversy and thus “will be maintaining distance from it.” However, the TMC has not taken action against her or sacked her from the party either. 

Another vocal face of the TMC, Derek O’Brein, who has been active on social media and defends even fake news peddlers like party MP Saket Gokhale, has also maintained an eerie silence on this issue. Rather he has been speaking actively on the queer issues. 

It is important to note that in the past several years, Moitra had been the vocal face of TMC on the national stage but the party has maintained distance from her ever since the cash-for-query allegations were levelled against the TMC leader.

Following the development, BJP leader Rahul Sinha asserted that the TMC can’t shrug off its responsibility by distancing itself from Mahua Moitra. 

He said, “The TMC always tries to shrug off its responsibility whenever its leaders are either arrested or land into trouble. The TMC needs to explain whether it supports Mahua Moitra or not.” 

Meanwhile, TMC Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar, Mahua Moitra has been actively tweeting over the issue claiming innocence in the Mahuagate. In a series of tweets on 21st October, she expressed her frustration over the current allegations against her and made various claims in this regard.

However, she didn’t deny taking luxury gifts in exchange for asking questions in Lok Sabha, and also didn’t deny that billionaire businessman Darshan Hiranandani was using her Parliamentary portal account to post questions targeting Adani directly. 

Instead, she argued that every parliamentarian shares login IDs and passwords with staff, interns and others, asking the National Informatics Centre to disclose the details of the places from where the IDs of all the Members of Parliament were accessed.

It is notable that BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said in an X post that Mahua Moitra’s NIC ID was being accessed from Dubai. In an affidavit filed with the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani acknowledged that the TMC MP provided him with her Parliamentary login credentials which he used to ask questions from the central government on her behalf. Darshan Hiranandani is based in Dubai, and his affidavit was also signed in Dubai and was notarised by the Consulate General of India in Dubai. He also said that he had given luxury gifts and other favours to Mahua Moitra.

Welfare Party of India may be an example of communist stupidity in supporting terror, but they didn’t use the Italy flag to support Palestine: Fact Check

OpIndia Staff
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Welfare Party of India may be an example of communist stupidity in supporting terror, but they didn’t use the Italy flag to support Palestine: Fact Check

As Israel continues its military action against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation to the horrific terror attack on Israel by Hamas, Islamists and leftists worldwide, who are traditionally anti-Israel, are protesting against Israel and in support of Hamas and Palestine. A similar protest march in support of Palestinians was taken out by the Kerala-based Welfare Party of India in Kerala on Friday, 20 October in Palakkad in Kerala.

However, when the photos and videos of the protest started appearing on social media, people started mocking the Welfare Party of India, saying that it was carrying the flag of Italy instead of the flag of Palestine. In the photos, the protestors were seen carrying a large number of flags which looked like the Italian flag.

As both the flags of Italy and Palestine contain the same colours, red, green and white, people assumed that the party mistakenly picked the wrong flag for the protest. The protestors were seen carrying a large banner saying ‘Free Palestine’, apart from the flag with green, white and red vertical bands.

“Socialist stupidity and Jew hatred are once again proven to be a package deal,” tweeted activist and radio talk show host Charlie Kirk.

Many other X users posted similar tweets, mocking the political party for carrying the Italian flag instead of the Palestinian flag.

However, actually it is the people mocking the Welfare Party of India are mistaken, and the party didn’t make any mistake in carrying the flag. This is because they were carrying neither the Italian flag nor the Palestinian flag, they were carrying the flag of their own party.

The flag of the Welfare Party of India has remarkable similarity with the Italian flag, as both the flags are made of vertical panels of green, white and red. However, there is a difference.

In the Italian flag, all three panels are blank, but in the WPI flag, there are design elements in the white part in the middle. It has the olive leaves symbol in yellow and the words ‘Welfare Party’ written vertically in black inside the white panel.

As the videos shared by the social media users are of low resolution, the yellow leaves symbol is mostly not visible against the white background. But parts of the words ‘Welfare Party’ in black are visible in some of the flags if the videos are observed carefully.

Moreover, in other images and videos of the protest posted by the party and others, it is clearly seen that it is the party flag, not the Italian flag.

In the video posted in the tweet below, which has better resolution, the yellow leaves symbol and black letters saying ‘Welfare Party’ are clearly seen in the flags carried in a pro-Palestine march by the party in Kozhikode.

Therefore, while the Welfare Party’s support for Palestinians is questionable given the horrific terror attack on Israel, the party didn’t make any mistake in picking the flag for the protest. People mocked them because their flag is almost similar to the Italian flag, assuming they were mistaking it for the Palestinian flag which has the same colours with the addition of a black panel.

Tamil Nadu: BJP leader and co-convenor of Annamalai’s En Mann En Makkal yatra arrested over protesting against the removal of a flagpole in Chennai

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: BJP leader and co-convenor of Annamalai’s En Mann En Makkal yatra arrested over protesting against the removal of a flagpole in Chennai

On 21st October (Saturday), the Tambram Police in Tamil Nadu arrested BJP leader Amar Prasad Reddy who is also the co-convenor of En Mann En Makkal yatra (My Land, My People). The leader was arrested for opposing the removal of a flagpole outside Annamalai’s residence.

As per the Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy, the BJP leaders were brutally assaulted outside Annamalai’s residence in Chennai.

“There are thousands of flagpoles in the city. Are all of them with permission? No, but in this case, we have been seeking permission for the last four months. Why it was not given? And what is the necessity for the police to go there in mass and take that (flag pole) out in the wee hours? What is the need? The time and energy of the police force has been wasted,” Thirupathy said.

“Our BJP cadres have been brutally attacked and arrested. More than hundreds of BJP cadres including a lot of women have been detained. What makes you do that? This is vendetta politics. You want to threaten BJP workers, which is not possible,” he further added.

It is alleged that he tried to stop government officials from performing their duty and ‘damaged’ a JCB machine that was brought to remove an illegal flag pole in Chennai.

As per media reports, it is claimed that a flag pole was installed outside Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai’s Chennai residence without taking proper permission. But when officials and workers arrived at the spot to remove the flag pole, around 110 BJP workers staged a protest against it.

A police official said, “Despite repeated requests, they kept arguing with government officials. Subsequently, some of them were arrested and let off on bail.”

The Tambram Police said that no permission was taken from the Greater Chennai Corporation before the installation of a 45-ft flag pole outside the compound wall of Annamalai’s house on Friday evening.

According to the police, the flag pole was dangerously close to high-voltage power lines and was causing inconvenience to the public. They added that the corporation and the police later took the decision to remove the flagpole.

As per the police officials, apart from Reddy’s arrest, they have also registered a police case against six persons. Five of them have been remanded to judicial custody. Amar Prasad Reddy who also holds the post of state president of Tamil Nadu BJP’s sports and skill development wing, was among those arrested.

Following his arrest, BJP leader Kapil Mishra took to X to condemn the arrest and advocated for his release. He also pointed out that Reddy’s arrest underscores the importance of “safeguarding dissent in a democracy”.

A few users also shared the moments when the Tambram Police took BJP leader and co-convenor of En Mann En Makkal yatra into their custody.

His arrest comes in the wake of the success of the En Mann En Makkal yatra which was earlier flagged by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in July, this year. 

Regarding the Yatra, he said, “This Yatra is not only a political Yatra, the En Mann En Makkal Yatra is a Yatra to spread the Tamil language worldwide. It is to free Tamil Nadu from family dynastic politics, and corruption, and to improve the law & order situation in the state. It is a Yatra to end corruption & start development work.”

He added, “I want to tell the Congress party and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin that changing the name does nothing. As soon as you go in public, people remember the commonwealth scam, 2G scam, coal scam, choppers scam, submarine scam, ISRO scam and many more…”

Gujarat: Pakistan-origin man arrested for spying in India 17 years after getting citizenship, allegedly sent malware to defence personnel

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Pakistan-origin man arrested for spying in India 17 years after getting citizenship, allegedly sent malware to defence personnel

On 20th October (Friday), the Gujarat anti-terror squad (ATS) arrested a 53-year-old man named Labhshankar Duryodhan Maheshwari on charges of helping Pakistani agents to get sensitive information about Indian soldiers. Originally from Pakistan, Maheshwari was allegedly spying for Islamabad. According to the police officials, he was infecting the phones of Indian defence personnel with malware forwarded on WhatsApp.

As per the officials, Maheshwari was a Pakistani native and in 1999 he came to Gujarat’s Tarapur town in Anand district. He arrived in Gujarat with his wife for “fertility treatment”. However, he stayed in India and established himself as a successful businessman. Later in 2005, he was granted Indian citizenship. However, his extended family still remained in Pakistan. 

ATS superintendent of police Om Prakash Jat said, “Labhshankar Maheshwari, who was living in Tarapur town of Anand district, has been arrested on accusations that he circulated malware through WhatsApp among defence personnel, which was used by Pakistani intelligence agencies to get information from their phones.” 

The ATS SP Jat added that Maheshwari has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate a design to wage war against the government) and 121-A (conspiracy to wage war against the government) and under relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act. 

According to the ATS officials, the investigation revealed that Maheshwari agreed to participate in this conspiracy because he wanted to expedite the visa process for himself, his wife, and two other family members who wished to visit Pakistan to meet their relatives. 

Sharing the details of the case, Jat added, “The Indian Military Intelligence recently learnt that either the Pakistan Army or Pakistan’s intelligence agency had somehow acquired an Indian SIM card, which was being used for spying on Indian defence personnel by sending them malware through WhatsApp. Based on the information, we apprehended Maheshwari from Tarapur in Anand, where he runs a grocery shop.” 

According to the ATS, Maheshwari helped Pakistani agents access an Indian SIM card, which they used to hack the phones of Indian defence personnel’s wards in Army schools. 

As per the ATS investigation, the SIM Card was issued under the name Muhammad Saklain Thaim from Jamnagar. It was then activated on the mobile belonging to Azgar Hajibhai. After activation, the SIM card was delivered in Anand, Tarapur to a person named Labhshankar Maheshwari on the instructions of a person associated with the Pakistan Embassy. 

As instructed, Maheshwari, posing as an employee of an Army school, started sending messages to defence personnel. He used to urge them to download an ‘apk’ file and upload information about their children on the official website of the school, the ATS official added.

Jat added, “In reality, that ‘apk’ file was a Remote Access Trojan, a type of malware that extracts all the information from a mobile phone, such as contacts, location and videos, and sends the data to a command and control centre outside India. As of now, we found that the mobile phone of a soldier stationed at Kargil was compromised with that malware. We are yet to ascertain how many more persons were targeted.” 

As per sources privy to the matter, in 2022, Maheshwari visited his parents in Pakistan. It is believed that the Pakistani agents “cultivated” him during the processing of his Pakistani visa. During his six-week stay with his parents, he is believed to have been in touch with a Pakistani intelligence agency, sources asserted.

The investigation findings revealed that at one point, Maheshwari posed as an employee of an army school. He then persuaded parents to download a file claiming that it was necessary to record some information. 

In another instance, he falsely claimed that the apk file was linked to the government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. On the basis of the false claim, he convinced many army personnel to install the application. Apart from encouraging recipients to install the app, he used to ask them to upload a photo of their child with the national flag, however, it is alleged that the trojan malware was helping gather sensitive information.  

While further investigation is ongoing, the officials added that other accused in the case are now on the run and are believed to have left the country.

Pakistan: Close associate of JeM chief Mohammad Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Jabbar founder Dawood Malik killed by unidentified men

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Close associate of JeM chief Mohammad Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Jabbar founder Dawood Malik killed by unidentified men

One more terrorist involved in anti-India activities has been assassinated by unidentified gunmen on foreign soil. A major development transpired when Dawood Malik was shot dead in North Waziristan, Pakistan in the wee hours of 20th October. He was the founder of Lashkar-e-Jabbar and a close acquaintance of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) Mohammad Masood Azhar, who is one of India’s most wanted Islamic terrorists.

According to reports, the tribal leader was killed by masked gunmen in the Mirali area of North Waziristan. He was reportedly ambushed by anonymous assailants at a private clinic who opened fire at him before absconding from there. The occurrence has raised doubts about the possibility of a conflict between the terrorist groups active in Pakistan.

The security agents had been closely monitoring him because of his crucial involvement in Lashkar-e-Jabbar, a radical group that is notorious for endorsing extreme views. His removal dealt a serious blow to the larger network of extremists he was affiliated with as well as to his own outfit. The number of anti-India terrorist killings in Pakistan and other nations is climbing.

This most recent instance signifies an important setback in the group’s operations and adds to the already daunting problems they encounter. The incident which happened in broad daylight is the latest in a string of premeditated executions in the country targeted at terrorists who indulge in anti-India operations regularly.

This incident came after Mufti Qaiser Farooq, a close friend of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was recently murdered in the centre of Karachi. A Dera Ismail Khan native, he had a close relationship with the internationally designated JeM terrorist and his death dealt a serious blow to the terror outfit. He was walking with a group of his madrasa students when he was ambushed mercilessly. The event was captured on CCTV footage that is in the custody of Pakistani security forces. Two people riding motorcycles swiftly opened fire and ended his life in an instant.

The death of Mufti Qaiser Farooq is the sixteenth anti-India terrorist to be eliminated in the Pakistan-Canada region in the last nineteen months by attackers who remain unidentified. The episode was eerily similar to the killing of Maulana Ziaur Rahman, a prominent LeT terrorist which unfolded on 12 September in Karachi.

The death of JeM member Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim also known as Zahid Akhoond who was a hijacker of the IC-814 flight marked the start of a ruthless series of planned murders of anti-India terrorists and activists abroad. He was shot twice in the head at close range by unidentified perpetrators. Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) and law enforcement officials are deeply perturbed by these bold executions.

On 18 June pro-Khalisatn terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by two assailants within the premises of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sahib in Canada’s Surrey four days after another Khalsitani terrorist and supremo of banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) died in a London hospital.

The terrorist Ripudaman Singh Malik a Khalistani was subsequently killed on 15 July 2022 in Surrey. He was the target of a premeditated operation. He was connected to multiple terror assaults including the bombing of Air India flight Kanishka on 23 April 1985, which claimed the lives of 329 innocent persons.

These intentional murders have sent a warning that has rippled through Pakistan’s military corridors and forced the ISI to promptly relocate twelve of its most important ‘assets’ to safe havens. The deaths of two more LeT members, Abu Qasim Kashmiri in Rawalkot and Qari Khurram Shehzad in Nazimabad earlier this year made the implementation of this preventive measure necessary.

A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiaz Alam was killed in an aggressive attack which took place inside the perimeter of ISI Headquarters and the military garrison town. The situation left the agency and Pakistan’s law enforcement authorities in a state of turmoil.

Even in their zealous search for solutions, Pakistan’s security forces have been quick to blame India’s external intelligence agency and brushed aside information that indicated that local individuals were involved. The assailants were familiar with the neighbourhoods around their victims and they orchestrated their attack with unnerving accuracy. Complicity also made it easier for them to flee and blend in with the local population.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeu’s Canadian government also accused India of the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on the basis of ‘credible allegations’ which led to a major diplomatic row between the two countries and their relations continued to deteriorate.

The reality of these occurrences highlights the complex network of terror and treachery that still permeates the region. These attackers who were familiar with the surroundings of their victims plotted their schemes with alarming accuracy with the help of accomplices who enabled them to escape easily.

‘Hamas is not a terror outfit, they are fighting for Muslims’: SP leader Sumaiya Rana justifies Hamas terror attacks against Israel

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hamas is not a terror outfit, they are fighting for Muslims’: SP leader Sumaiya Rana justifies Hamas terror attacks against Israel

On Friday (20th October), the national spokesperson of Samajwadi Party and poet Munawar Rana’s daughter Sumaiya Rana justified Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s attacks on Israel which resulted in the death of over 1300 civilians. While speaking to News18, Rana claimed that Hamas is not a terrorist group, rather they are fighting to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque. She asserted that there is a conspiracy against Muslims and Islam in calling Hamas a terror organisation.

“Everyone can see Hamas’s attack on Israel but no one is noticing the internal damage inflicted on Palestine,” Sumaiya Rana said while justifying Hamas’s onslaught. She added that lakhs of Palestinians have been killed over the last ten years by Israel.

She further expressed her apprehension that the Israel-Hamas war may transition into a third-world war since several countries are getting involved in it.

When asked about Hamas’s decision to attack innocent Israeli civilians, Sumaiya Rana asserted that Hamas’s attacks on Israeli people are due to the ongoing conflict pertaining to the land as well as ‘atrocities’ on Palestinians over the last decade. The Samajwadi Party leader went on to say that Hamas’s ‘reaction’ “is still not up to the level” and that Hamas will not back off.

“They [Hamas terrorists] have understood that they have been given this life only to defend Al-Aqsa mosque and that is why they have dedicated their lives for this only,” Rana said.

She further demonised the Israeli people labelling them as the most “cruel” community. The Hamas sympathiser went on to claim that Palestine is paying the price of giving refuge to the Jews. Sumaiya Rana added that the animosity between Jews and Muslims has been ongoing since the times of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

“They [Israelis] are inflicting atrocities on the followers of Islam and this conflict will never be resolved with dialogue. It will be resolved only when one of the sides dominates the other,” Rana asserted.

She further pushed Hamas’s narrative that Israel had attacked the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza which allegedly killed over 500 people. This comes even as multiple evidence suggest that Israel was not behind the attack.

Despite being repeatedly questioned about Hamas’s killing of innocent Israelis in a brutal attack launched on 7th October, Rana downplayed Hamas’s offensive claiming that Israel has already been attacking Palestine.

“He has maintained high journalistic standards”: NYT defends rehiring Hitler-praising and pro-Hamas ‘journalist’ from Gaza for Israel-Hamas war

Paurush Gupta
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“He has maintained high journalistic standards”: NYT defends rehiring Hitler-praising and pro-Hamas ‘journalist’ from Gaza for Israel-Hamas war

On 20th October, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan lambasted The New York Times for rehiring a reporter from Gaza, Soliman Hijjy. Hijjy has a notorious track record of praising Hitler and taking a pro-Hamas stand. As per his author profile, he has resumed contributing to the New York Times after a gap of two years to ‘cover’ the Israel-Hamas war.  

‘Maintains high standards of Journalism’, NYT defends its decision to rehire Hitler-fanboy and pro-Hamas ‘journalist’

Responding to the criticism, NYT issued a statement defending its decision to rehire Soliman Hijjy. It claimed that after a review of his “problematic” social media posts which came to light in 2022, they took various actions following which Hijjy adhered to their standards of journalism. 

In its statement, the New York Times said, “We reviewed problematic social media posts by Mr Hijjy when they first came to light in 2022 and took a variety of actions to ensure he understood our concerns and could adhere to our standards if he wished to do freelance work for us in the future.” 

It further claimed that he maintains ‘high standards of journalism’ and has delivered impartial work for them even by putting his own life at risk in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

The statement added, “Mr. Hijjy followed those steps and has maintained high journalistic standards. He has delivered important and impartial work at great personal risk in Gaza during this conflict.” 

Earlier, the Israeli Envoy Erdan slammed NYT for rehiring a Nazi. He highlighted that as soon as Soliman Hijjy started contributing to the news portal, NYT immediately ran Hamas propaganda. He asserted that it carried out Hamas propaganda regarding the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza and falsely accused Israel of the attack. He also noted that Hijjy had a contribution in NYT’s reportage on the Hospital attack which later turned out to be false. However, despite facts coming to the fore on the al-Alhi hospital attack, NYT has not retracted its fabricated report, Erdan noted. 

It is important to note that on 17th October, a rocket attack took place on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza after a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and hit the parking space of the Hospital killing several civilians.

Initially, NYT promoted Hamas propaganda without verifying the details. Titled “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinian Officials Say,” the article laid the blame for the hospital attack on Israel. Later, when the lies were busted, it changed the title to “Hundreds Dead in Blast at Gaza Hospital, Palestinians Say.”

Regarding NYT’s decision to rehire Hijjy, the Israeli Envoy tweeted, “The New York Times has just rehired a NAZI. Let that sink in. Soliman Hijjy praises Hitler, and the NYT rehired him. We all saw how the NYT immediately parroted Hamas’ lies regarding the al-Ahli hospital (which Hijjy contributed to) and still refuses to retract these fabrications. Spreading Hamas propaganda and rehiring a Holocaust-praising terror supporter, actively stokes anti-Semitism.”

Targeting the NYT for being a mouthpiece of the Palestinian terror outfit, the Israeli Ambassador urged every Jew to stop reading or giving advertisements to the mouthpieces of Hamas. He added, “Every Jew must understand that not reading or advertising in Hamas mouthpieces is an integral part of our right to self-defence. And we must defend ourselves!!!” 

Hitler-praiser and pro-Hamas ‘journalist’ Soliman Hijjy

As per Hijjy’s byline (archived) on the news website, he began contributing ‘greatly’ to the NYT on 12th October this year after a long hiatus of two years. Interestingly, the majority of his work with the Times has been centred around the Al-Ahli hospital attack which was exploited by Hamas to falsely blame Israel for the attack. 

Prior to giving ‘contribution’ to the hospital attack in Gaza, Hijjy had last reported for NYT way back in July 2021, as per his byline on the news portal. 

In August 2022, HonestReporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, revealed the controversial past of Hijjy whose work had been featured by the New York Times between 2018 and 2021.  

(Image Source – New York Post)

HonestReporting highlighted that in 2012, Hijjy shared a Facebook post praising Adolf Hitler. In his 2012 FB post, Hijjy wrote, “How great you are, Hitler” in Arabic. In the post, he also attached a photoshopped image of Hitler seemingly taking a selfie. 

The Israeli outlet also highlighted that the Palestinian filmmaker Soliman Hijjy hailed the Nazi leader as recently as 2018. In a 2018 post, he shared a photo of himself with a caption that translated to either “I’m in tune like Hitler during the holocaust” or “in a state of harmony as Hitler was during the Holocaust”, as reported by Fox News. 

(Image Source – New York Post)

In a separate post, Hijjy referred to the terrorist group Hamas’ rocket fire toward Israel as “the resistance.”

In 2018, the same year when he had praised Hitler and the Holocaust, Hijjy was hired by the Times as a freelance journalist. Afterwards, he worked on a slew of “visual investigations” published by the organisation through 2021. 

However, after his anti-Semitic posts praising Hitler came to the fore, his work didn’t appear in the Times anymore. Meanwhile, he also took down his controversial pro-Hitler posts. But he was recently rehired by the Times following the 7th October terrorist attack on Israel and his first work appeared around the same time when reports of purported attacks on Hospitals started coming to the fore from Gaza. Out of which, it was later revealed that the Al-Ahli attack occurred because a PIJ’s rocket misfired and hit the parking area of the hospital.

Mahua Moitra goes on a rant on X, says PAs and interns of all MPs use their parliamentary IDs, accuses Adani of offering her deal to ‘shut up’

OpIndia Staff
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Mahua Moitra goes on a rant on X, says PAs and interns of all MPs use their parliamentary IDs, accuses Adani of offering her deal to ‘shut up’

As the noose around Mahua Moitra tightens over the cash-for-questions scam, the TMC MP Moitra went on a rant from her X handle on Saturday (21st October). In a series of posts, she expressed her frustration over the current allegations against her and made various claims in this regard.

However, she didn’t deny taking luxury gifts in exchange for asking questions in Lok Sabha, and also didn’t deny that billionaire businessman Darshan Hiranandani was using her Parliamentary portal account to post questions targeting Adani directly. Instead, Mahua Moitra claimed that every parliamentarian shares login IDs and passwords with staff, interns and others, asking the National Informatics Centre to disclose the details of the places from where the IDs of all the Members of Parliament were accessed.

Mahua Moitra wrote in her first post, “Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW.”

It is notable that BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said in an X post that Mahua Moitra’s NIC ID was being accessed from Dubai. Notably, in an affidavit filed with the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani acknowledged that the TMC MP provided him with her Parliamentary login credentials which he used to ask questions from the central government on her behalf. Darshan Hiranandani is based in Dubai, and his affidavit was also signed in Dubai and was notarised by the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

Darshan Hiranandani purportedly operated Moitra’s Lok Sabha account from Dubai and he would input questions against Gautam Adani on behalf of the TMC MP. In exchange, Mahua Moitra received heavy favours from the builder in cash and kind.

Now, Mahua Moitra has pointed out that Personal Assistants (PAs), interns, researchers, and staff members of all the MPs access the IDs of the MP. She is using it as a defence by claiming that sharing the ID Password with Darshan Hiranandani does not violate any norms.

However, Hiranandani is a businessman and he is not one of the Personal Assistants (PAs), interns, researchers, and staff members employed by Mahua Moitra. Mahua Moitra has not yet denied that she shared the login credentials with the real estate tycoon. If he has accessed it, it is still a violation of the rules unless Darshan Hiranandani is one of the staff members of the TMC MP.

Mahua Moitra brazenly asserted that sharing login credentials of an MP’s ID with a member who is not from her staff is not a threat to national security. To back her argument, she targeted Gautam Adani without any support for her claims against the businessman as usual. She then repeated lies and unverified allegations against Adani. She said Adani has bought Mumbai airport, which is incorrect as the business group has only won a tender to operate the airport.

She posted on X, “Unknown FPIs own Adani shares whose origin SEBI cannot find & Adani gets MHA clearance to buy Mumbai airport. This is the real question of National security. Not email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will.”

Mahua Moitra did not stop here. She also implied in her next post on X that she is getting an offer from Gautam Adani to settle the matter. She alleged that she is getting an offer to shut up for six months in return for “peace” and another one to attack him but not the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mahua Moitra wrote, “Sorry Mr. Adani. I am not taking your deal to shut up for six months in return for “peace”. And nor am I taking the second deal where I am allowed to attack you but not the PM. Adani used to CASH TO NOT QUESTION. Now he is forced to create a fake CASH FOR QUESTIONS.”

She also said in another X post that she is getting threats of a CBI raid at her residence. She wrote, “Also got a message about impending CBI raid. I am busy with Durga Puja. I invite CBI to come home & count my pairs of shoes. But first please file FiR into ₹13,000 crore coal money Adani stole from Indians.”

The controversy surrounding TMC MP Mahua Moitra

On 15th October, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha (MP) Nishikant Dubey levelled serious allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, saying she took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask specific questions against Gauta Adani in the Parliament. MP Dubey has submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.

Nishikant Dupey’s allegations were based on information provided to him by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, former partner of Mohua Moitra, who has been described as a ‘jilted ex’ by the MP. After that, the statement by Dehadrai appeared in public, giving detailed accounts of the allegations against Moitra. He said that Mahua Moitra received expensive gifts and other benefits from business tycoon Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for asking questions in parliament targeting Gautam Adani, Hiranandani’s business rival in several sectors.

While the TMC MP had denied the charges, things exploded on 19 October, when Darshan Hiranandani himself filed an affidavit, confirming the allegations. He confirmed that he was given Mahua Moitra’s Parliament login and password to post questions. Hiranandani also confirmed that he had given luxury gifts to Moitra, paid for her holidays and travels, helped her in renovating her house etc.

The real estate tycoon said that Mohua Moitra chose to target Gautam Adani to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as there was nothing to target the PM directly. Adding to the allegations, Darshan Hiranandani alleged that Mahua Moitra was getting unverified information from several people to target Adani. He specifically mentioned three names, journalist Sucheta Dalal, and lawyer couple Shardul Shroff and Pallavi Shroff. Notably, Shardul Shroff was in a bitter fight with brother Cyril Shroff over the control of their law firm, before it was split between them. Cyril Shroff’s daughter is married to Gautam Adani’s son.

Kerala: Garment company in Kannur says it will not take fresh orders for uniforms of Israel Police, repeats Hamas lies on Gaza hospital bombing

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Garment company in Kannur says it will not take fresh orders for uniforms of Israel Police, repeats Hamas lies on Gaza hospital bombing

A Kerala-based clothing firm that provides the Israeli police with uniforms has announced it would not take orders from Israel until peace is restored. This decision of the apparel company came amid the ongoing Israeli military operations against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation to the horrific terror attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. The owner of the business has cited moral grounds for his decision, accusing Israel of atrocities on Palestinians in Gaza. This company is situated in Kannur district of Kerala.

The Maryan Apparel Pvt Limited’s Thomas Olickal stated the company has decided not to accept any fresh orders from the Israel police force until the conflict in Gaza is resolved. The classy light blue uniform shirts for the Israel police force are produced by Maryan Apparel Pvt Limited in Kerala’s Kannur district.

Thomas Olickal said, “We have been making uniforms for the Israeli police since 2015. The Hamas attack, killing civilians cannot be accepted. Similarly, the revenge by Israel also cannot be accepted. Denying food and water to over 25 lakh people, bombing hospitals, killing innocent women and children and all cannot be accepted at all. We want the war to end and the peace to prevail.”

It is notable that now it has been proven that it was a failed rocket fired into Israel from Gaza that fell on a Gaza hospital, but the owner of the garment company is still blaming Israel for the same. Initially, Hamas had claimed that the hospital was hit by an Israeli air strike and over 500 people died. But later it was found that a rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad had failed and hit the parking lot of the hospital, and the actual number of casualties was much less.

Thomas Olickal added, “We request everyone to stop the war. The Israel force will not be short of uniforms because of our decision. But this is a moral decision. The bombing of the hospitals cannot be accepted. We have decided not to take further orders temporarily.”

He further stated that his company will respect current contracts by international agreements, but will not accept new orders until the conflict is over. He said, “In a year we make up to one lakh shirts for Israeli policemen. We also make shirts and jackets for the Israeli Jail Police. About 30,000 to 50,000 shirts and jackets are sent for the jail police in a year.” He also said that last week after the war broke out, the company was informed by Israel that an extra supply of uniforms would be needed.

Maryan Apparel Pvt Limited, which was founded in 2006 in the Kerala state-run Kinfra Park here, specialises in the uniforms of army troops, police officials, security officers, and health care professionals from all over the world. It also provides school uniforms, supermarket employee outfits, physicians’ jackets, coveralls, business attire, and other items.

Israel Hamas War

On 7th October, Hamas terrorists entered Israel using motor gliders, boats, and trucks, targeting civilians and Israeli soldiers. Since then, Hamas has taken over 300 people hostage. In response, Israel has launched counterattacks on the Islamic terrorists, vowing to dismantle their infrastructure.

The truth of the alleged attack on a hospital in Gaza

Amidst the ongoing violence, reports of a devastating explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip emerged. Palestinians and several Arab countries, including Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, were quick to point fingers at Israel, accusing them of deliberately targeting the medical facility.

The Kerala-based company has also cited the attack on the hospital as the reason to break the clothing supply chain of Israeli forces. Media houses like Al Jazeera, the Iranian channel Press TV, and the likes of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair ran propaganda being pushed by Hamas, claiming it was an Israeli rocket.

Later, multiple proofs appeared making it clear that Israel did not attack the hospital. It was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by an Iran-backed terrorist organisation, Islamic Jihad, that operates from Gaza.

‘Art, music, culture rise above nationalities’: Bombay High Court rejects plea seeking ban on Pakistani artists in India

OpIndia Staff
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‘Art, music, culture rise above nationalities’: Bombay High Court rejects plea seeking ban on Pakistani artists in India

On Tuesday (17th October) the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking an absolute ban on Pakistani artists in India. The petition was filed by a person named Faaiz Anwar Qureshi, who claims to be a cine worker and artist.

A division bench comprising Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla rejected the plea saying that the petition is a backward step in propagating cultural harmony and unity, adding that the plea holds no merit.

The court observed that arts, music, culture sports etc are beyond nationalities and bring peace and unity between different countries.

“The petition is a retrograde step in promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace, and has no merit in it. A person who is good at heart would welcome in his country any activity which promotes peace, harmony, and tranquility within the country and across the borders. Arts, music, sports, culture, dance and so on are the activities which rise above nationalities, cultures and nations and truly bring about peace, tranquility, unity and harmony in nation and between nations”, the bench noted.

The petition filed by Qureshi sought that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs issue relevant notifications barring the issuing of visas to Pakistani artists.

In his petition, the petitioner cited a resolution passed by the All-India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) following the Pulwama terror attack. He also mentioned similar resolutions passed by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) and the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE), which prohibited Pakistani artists from working in the Indian film industry. The MNS Cinema Wing also warned producers not to hire Pakistani artists, according to the plea.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Vibhav Krishna, said that permitting Pakistani artists to work in the Indian entertainment industry could lead to discrimination against Indian artists because the beneficial atmosphere given to Pakistani artists in India is not available to Indian artists in Pakistan. He stated that the prohibition is vital to prevent Pakistani artists from using financial opportunities in India, which may potentially deprive Indian artists of similar opportunities.

The court, however, rejected the petitioner’s viewpoint, emphasising the importance of cultural unity and international peace. The court emphasised that patriotism should foster togetherness and cultural exchanges rather than encourage hatred.

“One must understand that in order to be a patriot, one need not be inimical to those from abroad especially, from the neighbouring country. A true patriot is a person who is selfless, who is devoted to the cause of his country, which he cannot be unless he is a person who is good at heart”, the bench stated.

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