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It could have injured my eye: Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan reveals he was hit with an iron nail by the crowd in Peshawar in 2006

OpIndia Staff
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It could have injured my eye: Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan reveals he was hit with an iron nail by the crowd in Peshawar in 2006

On Friday (19th October), former Indian cricketer turned Commentator and Cricket Analyst Irfan Pathan revealed that he was attacked with an iron nail by a Pakistani fan in Pakistan’s Peshawar. He revealed this while commenting on the India-Bangladesh World Cup match today. He said that years ago when the Indian Cricket team had been to Peshawar, one of the Pakistani fans threw an iron nail at him which could have damaged his eyes.

Irfan made these revelations amid the ongoing India-Bangladesh Asia World Cup match in Pune. This is after his co-commentator asked him about his opinion about the off-field controversy that Pakistan Cricket team’s management has raked after the recent India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad.

“Does off-field controversy impact team performance or their morale?” the co-commentator asked to which Irfan replied saying that he was in a Peshawar match where he was performing well, and Team India was performing well. Then one Pakistani fan threw a keel (iron nail) at him and it hit his face.

He said, “Peshawar me ham khelne gaye the, tab ek Pakistani fan ne meri aankh k niche keel mardi thi. Lekin hamne iss baat ka batangad ni banaya. Dus minute game ruki, sab aye, aur uske baad hum sabne decide kiya ki achcha tour chal raha hai, chalne dete hai.” (We were playing a game in Peshawar, when a fan threw a nail at me, which struck me under my eye. I could have gotten seriously injured. The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it as we were playing good cricket).

Irfan Pathan said, “The attack barely missed my eye and it could have damaged my eye. The match was discontinued for almost 10 minutes but the Indian team management didn’t escalate it. We yet praised their hospitality. I never talked about it. We thought it was important to maintain peace and then why pay so much attention to what one of the fans has done. I could have lost my eye. But I never discussed it,” Pathan could be heard saying.

He then added that Pakistan should stop making issues of crowd behaviour in India.

This comes days after some Pakistani social media trolls said that Ahmedabad was unfit to host an ICC World Cup match because the spectators did not exhibit sportsmanlike qualities and ‘criticized’ a few Pakistani players during the match with their chants and gestures. That being said, the image trolls on social media have created is not at all accurate.

Irfan Khan was talking about the India-Pakistan match in Peshawar in Pakistan on 6 February 2006. India had scored 328 runs in 49.4 overs, but when Pakistan was batting, the match was cut short by 3 overs due to bad light. Pakistan won the match by scoring 311 runs as per the Duckworth-Lewis method. During the Pakistani innings, the match was interrupted by unruly behaviour by the crowd. A record of the match by ESPNCricInfo shows that when Pakistan was at 179/1 after 30 over, there was a crowd interruption.

Sachin Tendulkar had scored 100 in the match, while Salman Butt had scored 101. Batting at 3rd, Irfan Pathan had made 65 runs after the early exit of Virender Sehwag. While Pathan didn’t take any wicket in his 10 overs of bowling, he had given just 52 runs in the high-scoring match.

Apart from the crowd interruption which included the attack on Irfan Pathan disclosed now, the match had also become controversial because Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was declared out for ‘obstructing the field’, a provision rarely used. As he was declared out after the Indian team had appealed, Inzy had criticised the Rahul Dravid-led Indian team, saying the appeal was ‘unsportsmanlike’.

Fake videos were shared to establish anti-India agenda

On 14th October, India defeated Pakistan in the ICC World Cup match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by 7 wickets. The match in Ahmedabad not only witnessed Pakistan’s batting breakdown and India’s all-around splendor, but it also ignited a debate about the crowd’s conduct at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

At the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam is said to have received a boo as he prepared to offer his appraisal of the toss and pitch conditions. Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s team director, then made an unusual statement during the post-match press conference following Pakistan’s defeat by India. He mentioned the lack of Pakistani fans and said that the match felt more like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event than an ICC (International Cricket Council) one.

Also, a few days after the match some fake, edited videos appeared on social media which claimed that the crowd at the Ahmedabad stadium raised slogans like, “Jab Mulle Kaate Jayenge, Ram Ram Chillayenge”.

As reported earlier, the videos were being shared to spread violence among communities. BJP leader Tajinder Pall Singh Bagga took cognizance of the videos and demanded strict action against those who posted these videos. The video was later taken down from the social media platform.

Notably, a lot of ‘secular liberal’ Indian elites were upset after the crowd at Ahmedabad Narendra Modi stadium was seen providing overwhelming support to the Indian team. While support for local players is common, Indian ‘secular liberals’ were particularly upset because some fans were chanting Jai Shri Ram in the vicinity of Pakistani player Md Rizwan.

However, though slogans of Jai Shri Ram were raised in the stadium, the particular slogan “Mulle Kaate Jayenge” was never raised. The videos regarding the same have been deliberately shared on social media to create controversy and incite people against India.

The Indian team was heckled twice in the past

Beyond the confines of the game, India and Pakistan’s rivalry in cricket reflects political and historical tensions between the two bordering nations. Millions of supporters from both sides avidly watch and support their teams as they battle it out on the cricket pitch, turning the match into more than just a sporting event. That being said, nothing the Ahmedabad crowd did qualifies as heckling.

There are two events when the crowd is believed to be heckling. The first is when a cricket player is physically assaulted by fans and the second one is when the team has to face racial and derogatory screams in an already tough atmosphere during away matches.

There had in fact been a few other incidents of this like involving Indian players on the receiving end. During India’s 1989 tour to Pakistan, one such unfortunate event had an angry fan attacking and ripping the then-Indian captain Kris Srikkanth’s t-shirt. The security measures implemented by the Pakistani authorities then sparked a number of concerns regarding the safety of Indian players in Pakistan.

Also, during the 2021 Sydney Test, the Indian team was subjected to racist taunts. On the fourth and final day of the exciting encounter, Mohammed Siraj, a fast bowler, complained to the on-field umpires, causing play to be suspended for a few minutes. On Day 3, the same thing happened, and after an investigation by Cricket Australia and the police, the perpetrators were taken into custody.

Today, Irfan Pathan’s revelation about the nail attack on him by a Pakistani fan becomes the third of its kind incident when the Indian cricketers have been attacked by the fans in away matches.

‘Mahua Moitra stole my Henry’: Adv Dehadrai writes emotional letter to Delhi commissioner urging him to help him reunite with his pet dog

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mahua Moitra stole my Henry’: Adv Dehadrai writes emotional letter to Delhi commissioner urging him to help him reunite with his pet dog

The feud between TMC MP Mahua Moitra and her ‘jilted ex’ advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has gotten murkier with the duo fighting over the custody of a dog. Three days after the TMC MP sent a legal notice to her former personal friend accusing him of stealing her dog, Dehadrai has now written to the Delhi police commissioner accusing Mahua Moitra of stealing and hiding his pet dog Henry.

In an emotional letter penned to the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on October 19 (Thursday), Jai Anant Dehadrai alleged that Moitra deliberately kidnapped and hid his Rottweiler dog, Henry, with the intention to harass and blackmail him to avenge the complaint he had filed against her with the CBI, accusing Moitra of taking cash and gifts to ask specific questions in the Parliament.

In his written complaint, the emotional dog parent Jai Dehadrai provided documents to prove his legal ownership of Henry, which he purchased in January 2021 from a private shop in Delhi’s Janakpuri area. Dehadrai also included proof of purchase documentation for the Rottweiler breed dog. These documents comprised a payment receipt, a litter’s registration certificate, and details on the litter’s microchip.

His letter to Delhi CP read, “This is with reference to the theft and illegal retention of my three-year-old pet dog named Henry (Rottweiler breed) by Ms. Mahua Moitra, M.P., Lok Sabha, Resident of 9-B, Telegraph Lane, New Delhi – 110001,” under the subject line — “Complaint against Ms. Mahua Moitra, M.P., for Theft and Illegal Retention of my pet dog named Henry.”

Image source: The New Indian

Dehadrai also wrote, “My bond with my dog Henry is that of a parent and a child. I have looked after him since he was 40 days old, and I understand his every need and concern.”

Accusing Moitra of hiding his pet in retribution for his CBI complaint, Dehadrai added “Ms. Moitra has deliberately kidnapped and hidden Henry away from me since 10.10.2023, with the intent to harass, and blackmail me in response to the CBI Complaint dated 14.10.2023, which I have filed against her,” he wrote.

He then asked the police to safeguard his life and freedom as well as reunite him and his dog, Henry, “I would request you with folded hands and all humility that this dog Henry belongs with his rightful owner-parent. Time is of the essence, and I would beseech you to please reunite me with Henry at the earliest. Under such circumstances, I anticipate tremendous fear and threats to my life. I request you to please protect my life and liberty and help me get my dog Henry back,” he wrote in the letter.

Mahua Moitra accuses ‘jilted-ex’ advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai of stealing her dog

On October 16, OpIndia reported that the TMC MP had sent a legal notice to the BJP Lok Sabha MP and advocate and her formal personal friend Jai Anant Dehadrai and a host of media organisations for allegedly ‘defaming’ her.

The notice to the advocate and her former personal friend Jai Anant Dehadrai stated that they were once close friends but after a falling out, Dehadrai allegedly repeatedly threatened Moitra with several vile, malicious and vulgar messages, trespassed on her official residence, and stole personal belongings, including Moitra’s dog.

The legal notice was sent in response to the formal complaint submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla by Nishikant Dubey, seeking an inquiry against Mahua Moitra.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accuses Mahua Moitra of taking bribes in exchange for asking questions in Parliament

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 in the Parliament. Dubey raised the allegations based on a letter written to him by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai and submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.

OpIndia accessed a copy of the complaint filed by Adv Dehadrai that contained a list of items that Moitra allegedly got in exchange for asking questions in the Parliament. OpIndia documented what it found about the products and their costs.

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asks netizens to be responsible about sharing news after she was caught sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack

OpIndia Staff
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US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asks netizens to be responsible about sharing news after she was caught sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack

On 18th October (local time), US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asked netizens to be responsible for sharing news, apparently referring to various contradicting reports of the Israel-Hamas war. Her statement came after she was caught red-handed sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “It is a reminder that information is often unreliable and disputed in the fog of war (especially on Twitter where misinformation is rampant). We all have a responsibility to ensure the information we are sharing is from credible sources and to acknowledge as new reports come in.”

Source: X

The post was in response to her earlier post, where she had accused the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of bombing a hospital in Gaza. In her post, she tagged the President of the United States, Joe Biden and asked him to push for an immediate ceasefire in the area. Ilhan Omar wrote, “Bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes. The IDF reportedly blowing up one of the few places the injured and wounded can seek medical treatment and shelter during a war is horrific. @POTUS needs to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter.”

Source: X

She was quoting a post by The Associated Press that contained the Gaza Health Ministry’s misleading statement that 500 people were killed in an explosion at a hospital. The ministry had accused Israel of the bombing.

Both Associated Press and Omar’s posts were fact-checked by the Community Notes users on X. The note read, “The US has collected “high confidence” intelligence showing that the explosion at a hospital compound in Gaza was caused by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not an Israeli strike”, with a link to Wall Street Journal’s report. The tagged report of WSJ mentioned that the preliminary evidence surrounding a fatal explosion at a hospital compound in Gaza suggested that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PJI), the second largest terrorist organisation in Gaza, could be responsible.

It debunked the Palestinian claims that the explosion was an Israeli airstrike. Independent analysts who examined available images and videos of the incident found that the damage did not match typical Israeli weaponry, and the death toll seems inconsistent with the Palestinian Health Ministry’s claims. Now it has been generally accepted that it was a rocket fired from Gaza that malfunctioned and fell on the hospital instead of heading towards Israel. There are videos suggesting that the explosive rocket separated from the launcher very early inside the Gaza Strip, damaging the hospital.

The United States reportedly gathered intelligence suggesting that Palestinian Islamic Jihad had fired the failed rocket, which supported Israel’s allegations against the terror group. During his visit to Israel, President Biden said that he found Israel’s account more credible, based on information from the Defense Department.

Omar, who was caught sharing fake news, apparently tried to put the blame on the social media users for her mistake. She is known for her support of the Palestinian cause, and it appeared to have clouded her “judgment” to check the facts before jumping to accuse Israel of attacking a hospital in Gaza.

Rocket attack on hospital in Gaza

On 17th October, a rocket fell on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza. The local media working in Gaza ran reports based on Hamas’ claims that it was an Israeli rocket and around 500 people died in it. International mainstream media followed suit and blamed Israel for the rocket attack. However, as more information came to light, it was clear that the hospital’s parking lot took the hit, and the hospital building was mostly intact. Furthermore, it was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by PIJ.

Israel Hamas war

On 19th October, the Israel-Hamas war entered its 12th day. The war started on 7th October after hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through various means, overwhelming the Iron Dome with over 5,000 rockets in a matter of few minutes. They also abducted hostages and took them to Gaza. In a counterattack on Hamas by Israeli forces, more than 1,500 have been reportedly killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas attack has now surpassed 1,300, with over 3,300 injured, primarily civilians. Israel launched a major offensive against Hamas in Gaza, restricting power and water supply and blocking essential goods from entering the region. Over 400,000 Gaza residents have been evacuated so far. Meanwhile, India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel.

Karnataka HC refuses to entertain plea of Congress leader DK Shivakumar to quash CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka HC refuses to entertain plea of Congress leader DK Shivakumar to quash CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him

In another setback for Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka High Court Thursday (October 19), dismissed his petition seeking quashing of the CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him.

While dismissing the Congress leader’s plea, the court Thursday opinioned opined that Shivakumar had filed the plea after an inordinate delay. The Court further observed that most of the CBI’s investigation has been concluded. The High Court also lifted the temporary halt on the CBI’s inquiry and ordered the agency to complete the investigation and submit its final report within 3 months.

Reacting to the Karnataka HC decision, the Congress leader told the media, “I will cooperate with whatever the process is… I know that I have not done anything wrong. It is a political vendetta which the BJP tried using.”

Notably, this is the second time the Karnataka Congress chief’s plea has been dismissed by the same single-judge bench led by Justice Natarajan, who had previously dismissed DK Shivakumar’s petition in April 2023.

The disproportionate assets case against Congress leader and Karnataka DY CM DK Shivakumar

In 2019, the BS Yeddyurappa government sanctioned an investigation against DK Shivakumar. At that time, the CBI registered an FIR with the permission of the state government. Karnataka Congress chief Shivakumar, who had questioned the then BJP government’s move, had filed an application saying that the order for the CBI probe was wrong. Hearing the arguments of both sides, the single-judge bench led by Justice Natarajan dismissed the petition.

The case against Shivakumar was registered in October 2020 and alleged that there had been a disproportionate increase in his assets between 2013 and 2018. It had stated that during this time, Shivakumar’s assets increased by about five times, from 34 crore to 163 crore.

Further, the affidavit filed by Shivakumar while submitting his nomination papers for the 2019 Assembly polls revealed that the wealth of Congress’s Karnataka chief had increased by 68 per cent as compared to 2018. In the affidavit submitted by Shivakumar for the Assembly polls, Shivakumar pegged his total assets and those of his family members at a combined value of Rs 1414 crores.

In his affidavit for the 2013 Assembly polls, the assets held by the Congress leader’s family were valued at Rs 251 crores while, in the 2018 affidavit, the combined value of the property held by his kin was pegged at Rs 840 crores. Shivakumar also declared his annual income at Rs 14.24 crores whereas his wife’s annual income is Rs 1.9 crores.

The case had also been investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department. The ED had arrested Shivakumar in connection with a money laundering case in 2019, the Delhi High Court, however, granted him bail a month later.

Forced to convert, eat beef: US-based Pakistani Hindu girl tells the tale of hatred and harassment for minorities in Pakistan, video goes viral

Rukma Rathore
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Forced to convert, eat beef: US-based Pakistani Hindu girl tells the tale of hatred and harassment for minorities in Pakistan, video goes viral

Heinous crime against minorities and their repeated oppression is a regular occurrence in Pakistan. Despite being called out multiple times by national and international human rights groups and urged to take substantial measures to safeguard the lives and rights of its minorities, the Islamic Republic along with its judiciary, executive and media continue to further dehumanise and marginalise the already dwindling numbers of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians among others.

Numerous reports of similar offences frequently come out of the country. A Hindu girl from Pakistan, who is currently residing in the United States of America, has now exposed their bigotry in a video and narrated the story of her religious persecution and intimidation, including being forced to eat beef and bullied to become a Muslim against her will by her classmates. 

The young girl stated that she was a Pakistani Hindu and wanted to share her experience with her Muslim and Hindu friends. “When I was little, in elementary and middle school, I was told every single day to convert to Islam. I can put my hands on Lord Shiv (and swear on him) I was told to convert. My brother was bullied, he was hit and forced to eat beef. They tried to put beef in my food too but I was too smart for that.”

She didn’t tell anyone about her ordeal just like every other minority in the country who is compelled to endure the humiliation and anguish in silence out of fear of severe retaliation from the majority Muslim community. “I didn’t say anything at that time because I was really scared. We are a minority. You are a minority religion (in Pakistan), you are not going to say anything, right?”

She expressed that she was referred to as a kafir (infidel), a term often used by Muslims to denigrate and harass non-Muslims, especially Hindus. “I did learn another thing from that experience that people will use religion to hate on communities because I was also called a kafir. I don’t care. Yes, I am a kafir. I don’t follow your religion. Do you think I don’t know what a kafir means? I was born in Pakistan.”

She noted that non-Muslims are pressured to read the Quran and Islam has been prominently incorporated into the curriculum which leaves them with no choice but to study the religion. “Here’s one more thing I want to address because people are so stupid. You know I am a Pakistani Hindu. So, I know about (Islam) and I have read the Quran. I know about the Islamic teachings. I was in a catholic school, a Hindu and I was forced to learn the Quran. And you know why? Because they said I was not going to pass the 10th grade or 11th grade or get into the board exams. I would have to take the board exams for Islamic teachings. I was forced to learn it.”

She disclosed that even her relocation to the United States of America did not shield her from Muslim radicals, because now Muslims in the USA also hound her to embrace Islam. She said, “So, when you guys tell me at this age in America, by the way, I am still being asked to convert in America. When you are telling me to convert, to a Pakistani Hindu to convert, do you think I do not know your religion? I know your religion. I know the fundamental aspects of it.”

She asserted that she was not going to renounce her faith and added, “I respect that you follow it. But let me make it very clear that I will never ever follow your religion. That is with utmost respect that I will never follow your religion because I do not believe in anything that is taught there and that’s fine. People can have different beliefs, right? Religion is not about compulsion. That is one of the things in there. Compulsion is what I felt in that country. So no, I don’t believe in the fundamental aspects of it.”

A Hindu girl named Reeta Meghwar who recently managed to escape from the evil clutches of her abductors in Sindh’s Badin was put in the custody of Dar-al Aman, which is a refuge for females. She begged the judges to allow her to return to her parents after she was brought to court, but to no avail. Her plight was only exacerbated when her desperate pleas were brazenly ignored by those sitting in the position of authority. Ashiq Ahmadani had kidnapped her two months earlier and authorities were unable to find her during the time.

Another such event transpired in June of this year when Sohana Sharma Kumari, a 14-year-old girl, was kidnapped from her house in the Sindh province’s Benazirabad area. She was compelled to convert to Islam and then forced into marriage with a Muslim man. She was kidnapped at gunpoint in front of her mother by her tutor and his companions.

Dilip Kumar Sharma, her father, informed the authorities of the horrific incident. Five days after the instance she was located by the authorities in a house in the district following a huge social media outcry. Her wish to go back to her family was first denied by court but eventually, the request was granted.

Hundreds of such cases in which Hindu girls including minors are abducted, raped, forced into marriage and converted come to light while the law appears to be on the side of the Muslim criminals who molest, sexually violate and torture Hindu females with great impunity.

‘Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others’: K Kavitha responds to Priyanka Vadra’s dynasty politics allegation

OpIndia Staff
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‘Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others’: K Kavitha responds to Priyanka Vadra’s dynasty politics allegation

On Thursday (18th October) Senior BRS leader K Kavitha responded sharply to Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks indicating the former’s family influence in the Telangana Government. In a caustic response directed towards the Congress general secretary, K Kavitha said, “Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others.” 

BRS leader K Kavitha is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. She was responding to Vadra’s statement which hinted that the chief minister’s family is connected to three of Telangana’s ministers.

Taking a jibe at Vadra, the BRS leader said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra herself belongs to a family of politicians. “Priyanka Gandhi, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Motilal Nehru, great-granddaughter of Jawahar Lal Nehru, granddaughter of Indira Gandhi, and daughter of Rajiv Gandhi is talking about family politics,” she said.

“This is the funniest thing I have heard in the election campaign. They should not be sitting in glass houses and throwing stones at others,” she added.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are campaigning in Telangana. During a protest on Wednesday (17th October), Vadra stated that although the people of Telangana had hopes for social justice, three of the state’s ministers had connections to the chief minister. She went on to say that only three ministers in the state government were from the backward classes, despite the fact that these groups made up half of the population.

Further, taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, K Kavitha said, “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is visiting Telangana. He has accused the Telangana government of corruption of Rs 1 lakh crore in a couple of projects. The scriptwriters are misguiding him. Rahul Gandhi does not need to worry about the people of Telangana. We know how to run our state by ourselves. We are the number one state in the country, in terms of per capita income, in terms of paddy production and irrigation projects,” she said.

This is after Rahul Gandhi also commented on the family of the BRS leader. “The whole control of Telangana state is in the hands of one family and corruption is highest in the state in the country,” Gandhi was quoted as saying in a rally in Telangana’s Bhupalpally. Meanwhile, Vadra said that the KCR government in Telangana was being run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a remote control.

MLC and former Nizamabad MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha is at the parliamentary constituency to commemorate Bathukamma amongst the locals. Voting in Telangana is scheduled for 30th November. The votes will be counted on 3rd December. 

Pakistani actress Sehar Shinwari offers fish dinner date with Bengali boy in Dhaka if Bangladesh defeats India in cricket world cup

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani actress Sehar Shinwari offers fish dinner date with Bengali boy in Dhaka if Bangladesh defeats India in cricket world cup

Sehar Shinwari, an actress from Pakistan, has made an offer to the Bangladesh cricket team to avenge Pakistan’s loss against India in the Cricket World Cup. According to her offer, if Bangladesh wins, Sehar Shinwari will have a fish dinner date in Dhaka with a Bengali boy.

Sehar Shinwari posted on X, “Insha’Allah, my Bengali brothers will take our revenge in the next match. If their team succeeds in defeating India, I will go to Dhaka and have a fish dinner date with a Bengali boy.” India and Bangladesh are playing against each other in the Cricket World Cup today.

Before this, on 14th October, Pakistan had to face a defeat at the hands of India. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team had thrashed Pakistan by 7 wickets. In the World Cup, Pakistan has only lost one out of three matches so far. However, the way the team is performing is raising questions about its capabilities.

Sehar Shinwari keeps posting like this. In 2022, when the T20 World Cup was going on, she was in the limelight for her posts about her marriage. She posted, “I will marry the boy from Zimbabwe if their team defeats India in the next match in an exciting manner.” Even after that, while tweeting in the same manner, she had written, “If Sri Lanka wins today, I will marry a Sri Lankan boy.”

Her repeated proposals for marriage to players from other countries had also become a subject of ridicule on social media. Shinwari continues to display her animosity towards India, the BJP, and Prime Minister Modi as well.

On 19th October 2023, in a similar post, she said, “According to my astrological knowledge, Kashmir will get freedom from Indian occupation by the end of 2025. Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi will hold a plebiscite there under the supervision of the United Nations and eventually, a 100% vote will be in favour of independence from India. The Islamic Republic of Kashmir will become the 59th Muslim state on the map of the World and OIC.”

Sehar Shinwari was born in the city of Hyderabad, Pakistan, and has her roots in the Shinwari community of Kohat. Despite opposition from her family regarding an acting career, she entered the profession in 2014. Her first comedy series was ‘Sher Sawa Sher’. In the language of the internet, what Shinwari is doing is referred to as ‘click baiting’ and ‘provocation’. Such tweets are often made to gain fame, increase the number of followers, or elicit a reaction from someone. It’s a common tactic to go ‘viral’ on social media.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed a formal complaint against the International Cricket Council (ICC). PCB posted on X, “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged another formal protest with the ICC over delays in visas for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans for the ongoing World Cup 2023. The PCB has also filed a complaint regarding inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad during the India vs Pakistan match held on 14 October 2023.”

As Indira Canteens is marred with fresh allegations of bribery, here are details of the controversies surrounding Karnataka Congress’ pet project

OpIndia Staff
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As Indira Canteens is marred with fresh allegations of bribery, here are details of the controversies surrounding Karnataka Congress’ pet project

The Karnataka Congress’ flagship Indira Canteen programme, a subsidized food venture scheme opened in 2017, is once again under the scanner over alleged bribery allegations. According to a report by Republic TV, Congress’ Siddaramaiah pet project is marred with a fresh controversy as it is alleged that the commissioners of the scheme have been demanding bribes to clear bills of the contractors. At the heart of the controversy are three canteens situated in Karnataka’s Haveri, Hirekerur and Ranebennur districts.

According to the report, the officials overseeing the Haveri and Ranebennur municipal corporation and Hirekerur panchayat were demanding bribes from canteen operators to clear their pending bills. Despite repeated requests to clear the bills, the government officials refused to release the payments which had exceeded Rs 35 lakhs over the last one-year period.

The shocking allegation that they have been under constant pressure to pay commissions in exchange for remittance of their bills has been made by Vishwanath Reddy Darshanapura, the secretary of Nirmaladevi Mahila Mandal, located in Shahapur, Yadgir district, which runs these three Indira canteens in question on a contractual basis. The contractor has filed a complaint to the DC.

Meanwhile, speaking to Republic TV, Mamata Hosagud, an officer of the District Urban Development Cell of Haveri refuted the allegations. “The bribe being demanded by commissioners is false. These are baseless allegations. If he has any proof let him give it. I will investigate the matter. I will issue notices to both the commissioners of Haveri and Ranebennur. I will also ask them to appear for questioning that an enquiry will be held. Notice will be served to City municipal commissioners. This will be sorted out within a week,” she said.

Karnataka Congress’s Indira Canteen scheme and other controversies surrounding it

Taking a cue from Amma Canteen in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the then Congress government led by Siddaramaiah started the Indira Canteens in Bengaluru on August 15, 2018, ahead of the 2018 assembly polls. These canteens offered breakfast at Rs 5 and meals twice a day at Rs 10 per plate in the afternoon and night.

The Karnataka government’s Ministry of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs runs the Indira Canteen program runs the Karnataka Indira Canteen programme and it is overseen by the municipal corporations or panchayats in the respective areas and districts. The contract to run the Indira Canteen is handed over to different operators, who, in turn, provide food to the public on subsidised food. The government of the state allocates funds for these subsidized canteens. 

Only a few months after the scheme was launched, Karnataka’s Congress’ pet project landed in trouble after allegations of discrepancies in subsidies issued to the canteen contractors surfaced. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had awarded the contract of running 174 Indira Canteens and 15 mobile canteens to two companies – Cheftalk Food & Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd and Rewards. According to a letter written to the Chief Secretary by the then Chief Minister, the state government was paying the two contractors Rs 6,82,82,373 in the form of subsidies.

The government officials suspected the two companies had overstated the number of customers. Reportedly, the irregularities arose when Cheftalk and Rewards began billing the same amount every month.

In addition, sources in the government said that the state government mulled over changing the contractors for the canteens. The 2019-2020 budget had not allocated any funds for the Indira Canteens and the previous government led by HD Kumaraswamy had instructed BBMP to bear the costs.

Additionally, in 2018, when the programme kickstarted, former BJP corporator N R Ramesh alleged that CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who was also CM at that time, and K J George, who is currently serving as Cabinet Minister of Energy in the Government of Karnataka, were involved in a scam during the construction of Indira Canteens across the city.

As the project involved the construction of a canteen in each ward, Ramesh alleged that the government has shown bills worth Rs 19 lakh for the construction of each canteen, while the actual cost was just Rs 9 lakh. Ramesh also filed a complaint against Siddaramaiah and George before the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Later, however, Karnataka Lokayukta dropped the names of Siddaramaiah and K J George, from the complaint about irregularities in Indira Canteens received by it. The names were dropped due to the lack of proof and evidence.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza Strip: Ideology, activities, and role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Anurag
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Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza Strip: Ideology, activities, and role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami al-Filastini, which is better known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) or the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, is the second-largest terrorist organisation operating in the Palestinian territories. It primarily operates in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. PIJ came into existence in 1981. It represents a later generation of Palestinian terrorist groups. Founded in the Gaza Strip, the primary goal of PIJ was to “liberate historical Palestine” using armed struggle and by “appealing to the Islamic heritage of the region”.

Ideology and methodology that separates PIJ from reformist Islamic groups

PIJ separates itself from the other earlier generations of Palestinian Islamist groups, such as Fatah and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as it is mainly influenced by the Islamist ideology of armed liberation rather than internal reform. The founders of PIJ, particularly Fathi-al-Shiqaqi, were linked to the infamous Muslim Brotherhood. Shiqaqi and others believed reviving Islamic rule over the Holy Land of Jerusalem was essential. Other Islamist groups mainly focused on internal reform rather than the so-called armed liberation. Shiqaqi was assassinated in 1995.

PIJ stresses the importance of bringing the Islamic front together to “liberate Palestine” and bring Islamic rule back in the region. It generally rejects the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and refuses to participate in the elections held by the PA. Going against the PA’s efforts, PIJ emphasised bringing the Islamic community together while acknowledging the diversity among the Islamic movements, including Sunni, Shi’a, Salafi, and Sufi. While the world leaders have extended support to Palestine via a two-state solution, PIJ has categorically rejected it and insisted the entire historic region of Palestine should be brought back under Islamic Rule.

Growth of PIJ in the 21st Century

PIJ started to expand its presence in the early 2000s. During 2000-2005, there was a period of heightened unrest between Israel and the Palestinian movement. PIJ established its significant presence in the West Bank in those years with hubs in Jenin and the Gaza Strip. During that time, PIJ became the second most potent terrorist organisation operating in Gaza after Hamas.

After Hamas’s takeover and Israel’s blockade, PIJ pushed Hamas to engage in military activities to resist the blockade placed in Gaza. The pressure imposed by PIJ on Hamas was reportedly so intense that Hamas followed suit and indulged in armed conflict with Israeli forces. PIJ proved its importance in the area and managed to have an indirect influence on the public policy of Gaza under the de facto ruler, which was Hamas.

In the early 2010s, PIJ expanded its presence into “social services” in Gaza. The aim was to offer an alternative for Hamas to the people of Palestine. PIJ kept running its propaganda under the curtain of becoming the voice of the Palestinians and increased its visibility, challenging the dominance of Hamas in the region. While PIJ and Hamas were sort of rivals for dominance in the region, as time passed by, they formed an unwritten modus vivendi or an agreement of existing together in the region. This was the period when Israel started to notice the increasing dominance of PIJ and attacked it directly.

The Relationship with Hamas

Israel and the United States both consider Hamas and PIJ terrorist organisations. They both share a common ground when it comes to acting against Israel. There is ample evidence that the two terrorist organisations have collaborated and launched joint operations to coordinate military activities in Gaza. However, there have been reports that they often lock horns, especially when there are calls for de-escalation in conflict with Israel.

International Designation as a Terrorist Organization

The United States and Israel have designated PIJ as a terrorist organisation due to its violent tactics and objectives in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These designations have implications for regional cooperation.

International Support and Funding

PIJ is mainly backed by Iran, which has provided significant funding and weapons to the terrorist organisation, making it an instrument of Iranian policy in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The financial support from Iran has fluctuated over the years, influenced by the PIJ’s willingness to align with Iran’s broader regional interests. Apart from Iran, it also gets support from Syria and the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hezbollah.

Tensions and Escalations

Tensions between PIJ and Israel have escalated from time to time over the years. There have been several rocket attacks and airstrikes, leading to violent cycles and casualties on both sides. PIJ’s emphasis on military confrontations and its association with Iran have contributed to its clashes with Israel.

The Impact on Civilians

Palestinian terrorist groups, including PIJ, have been known to launch rocket attacks that sometimes result in harm to civilians and property. Such incidents underscore the challenges and complexities of asymmetric conflicts where innocent civilians are often caught in the crossfire. It is in sync with the latest incident where a malfunctioned rocket fell on a hospital in Gaza.

The Recent Developments

In recent times, Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7th October 2023 brought both terrorist organisations on their toes as Israel retaliated with full might. Notably, while Hamas led the multifaceted assault on Israel, which included land, sea, and air components, PIJ took an active part in the assault, taking dozens of Israelis hostage. The coordination between the two terrorist organisations showed the evolving dynamics of their military aspects and ability to launch attacks inside Israeli territory. Israel and Hamas war entered the 12th day on 19th October.

On 17th October, a rocket fell on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza. The local media working in Gaza ran reports based on Hamas’ claims that it was an Israeli rocket and around 500 people died in it. However, as more information came to light, it was clear that the hospital’s parking lot took the hit, and the hospital building was mostly intact. Furthermore, it was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by PIJ, putting the terrorist organisation in the spotlight across mainstream media.

Maharashtra: Five deaths in a family in twenty days in Gadchiroli, two women members arrested for slowly poisoning them

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Five deaths in a family in twenty days in Gadchiroli, two women members arrested for slowly poisoning them

Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district witnessed the death of five family members under strange circumstances in the course of twenty days. Two women from the same family in Mahagaon village, who were arrested on 18th October, were involved in a complex murder plot, per investigations. According to the authorities, the two accused are Sanghamitra Kumbhare and Rosa Ramteke were involved in the plot.

36-year-old Rosa Ramteke was dissatisfied because of a property dispute while 22-year-old Sanghamitra Kumbhare was unhappy with her husband and in-laws.

Over the course of two months, the two painstakingly prepared and carried out their plan between mid-September and 15th October. The family members were poisoned by using arsenic, a colourless, odourless and tasteless heavy metal. Weary of family property disputes and domestic abuse, the duo banded together and looked up ways to kill people online after which they procured a slow poison called thallium from Telangana.

Shankar Kumbhare and his spouse Vijaya displayed signs of food poisoning on 20th September. Their condition quickly deteroriated and caused the pair to first experience physical discomfort and then heart problems as a result of gradual poisoning. They were initially transferred to a local hospital in Aheri. They were then taken to Chandrapur and shifted to a private hospital in Nagpur from there.

On 26th September, Shankar passed away and his wife also lost the battle to stay alive a day later. Their son Roshan Kumbhare and daughters Komal Dahagaokar, and Ananda were also hospitalised while the family was still in mourning. Their condition deteriorated with each passing day and eventually, Komal died on 8th October, Ananda on 14th October and Roshan lost his life the following day.

The unexplained deaths of five family members in a month raised suspicions which led to the discovery of the poisoning. Furthermore, apart from the deceased, two family members and a driver were also hospitalised due to the same symptoms. According to the medical officer, the three were in a stable state.

Sagar Kumbhare, the eldest son of Shankar Kumbhare, hurried from Delhi to Chandrapur as soon as he learned of the tragedy, however, fell sick when he reached home. Rakesh Madavi, the driver for the Kumbhares, who took Shankar and Vijaya to Chandrapur for treatment, was also admitted to the hospital when his health deteriorated. A relative who was helping the family by visiting Chandrapur and Nagpur also became ill and required medical attention.

Background of the poisoning incident

Sanghamitra, an Akola native, wed Roshan Kumbhare in December 2022. A police officer informed, “Her parents were against the relationship and she eventually eloped with Roshan and moved into their house at Mahagaon in Gadchiroli.”

She stayed there along with Roshan, his sister Komal, and his parents Shankar and Vijaya. All four, along with Varsha Urade, the latter’s sister, were victims of the scheme carried out by Sanghamitra and Vijaya’s sister-in-law, Rosa. Sanghamitra’s marriage did not work out as planned and her spouse is accused of abusing her based on the police. She was mistreated by other family members as well.

She claimed that Roshan and his parents forbade her from returning home to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with her family. A family argument erupted as she persisted and charged him with assault. “While Sanghamitra sat crying outside the house, her aunt-in-law Rosa Ramteke saw her and consoled her. Sanghamitra confided in her and told that she feels like killing them,” said an official.

Sensing an opportunity, Rosa, who was at odds with Roshan’s family over ancestral land, began influencing her further against them. A senior cop mentioned, “Vijaya had three sisters and a brother, Rosa Ramteke is her sister-in-law. Vijaya’s father had a four-acre land and she was pushing for equal distribution of the property among the five siblings. However, Ramteke felt that the property should only go to her husband (the only son in the family).”

The officer pointed out that Rosa gave Sanghamitra her word that she would assist her in killing the family members. The two had since started searching for ways to kill people on Google. They had originally ordered a toxic flower online to add to their food, but they eventually abandoned the idea out of fear of being discovered.

Subsequently, they learnt that thallium is a slow killer and they could add it to the meals of the family members without leaving any evidence. The two then began incorporating thallium into food of family members after obtaining it from Telangana in mid-September. The police still don’t know how they obtained the poison.

According to Sanghamitra’s police confession, she combined thallium with a non-vegetarian dish for Shankar, Vijaya and Komal, and with lentils for Roshan. Rosa took the responsibility of administering Thallium to Varsha Urade. On 20th Septembe,r Shankar and Vijaya complained of a heavy tongue, darkened lips and tingling in their limbs. They also reported having terrible lower back discomfort and headaches. They died before the physicians could determine the cause of the disease.

An investigator said, “While their children were recovering from the loss, the health of Komal, Urade and Roshan also deteriorated. They were also admitted to hospital and died on October 8, 14, and 15 respectively.” However, the medical officer believed they were all poisoned because of the symptoms they shared. In light of this, the Gadchiroli police opened an investigation and brought Sanghamitra to the station to be questioned.

An investigator added, “We got suspicious of her role as she was the only person in that house who did not develop any symptoms. However, when she saw Roshan in the hospital, she started feeling guilty and asked the doctors to check whether there was any poison inside him.” 

The woman admitted to the crime during inquiry and she also divulged the identity of her accomplice. Rosa was hauled to the police station as well where she admitted to mixing the poison into Urade’s food. Three more people, including their driver, were similarly poisoned, per the police and they are presently recovering in various hospitals. Immediately, four teams were set up to execute probes in different areas of Telangana and Maharashtra.

Superintendent of Police Neelotpal stated, “During the investigation, we kept a close eye on Sanghamitra, who was Shankar Kumbhare’s daughter-in-law and Roshan Kumbhare’s wife. Sanghamitra had married Roshan against her parents’ wishes. A few months back, her father died by suicide and since then, she has been upset. Further, her husband and her in-laws subjected her to frequent taunts and this was the reason she wanted to get rid of them.”

He added, “Rosa Ramteke was Vijaya Kumbhare’s sister-in-law. She stayed in a house nearby. She had disagreements over the sharing of the ancestral property of her husband’s parents with Shankar Kumbhare’s wife and her sisters. The two women were produced before the court and remanded in police custody for 10 days. We suspect that more people are involved in the crime. We are trying to identify them.”

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