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2008 Batla House Encounter: Delhi HC commutes Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan’s death sentence to life term, upholds conviction

OpIndia Staff
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2008 Batla House Encounter: Delhi HC commutes Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan’s death sentence to life term, upholds conviction

The Delhi High Court lowered the Indian Mujahideen terrorist Ariz Khan’s death sentence to life imprisonment in the 2008 Batla House Encounter case on 12 October. Ariz Khan had been found guilty in the high-profile incident in which the esteemed inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the Delhi Police lost his life. A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma delivered the order.

His conviction was affirmed, however, the judges partially granted his appeal by lowering the punishment. The court stated, “In view of the ongoing discussion, Judgement of conviction is upheld. The sentence of death imposed by is however not confirmed. The order dated March 15 is modified to that extent. The appeal is allowed in part.”

According to a March 2021 trial court verdict, the case qualified for the death penalty at the maximum level because it was counted in the rarest of the rare category. The High Court had reserved its decision in August following the hearing from the Delhi Police and the perpetrator’s attorneys.

A team of Delhi Police officers, some without weapons conducted a raid at Batla House on 19 September 2000 in order to apprehend Indian Mujahideen terrorists. The serial blasts that occurred at several locations in Delhi which resulted in at least 30 fatalities a week earlier were carried out by the terrorists.

The prosecution charged that a shootout broke out when the Delhi Police team arrived at Batla House. The cops had no alternative but to use fire as self-defence after ending up confined in the drawing room of the aforementioned house. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and other officers were shot during the operation. The former lost his life and head constable Balwant was injured in the shooting.

Two of the terrorists, including Ariz Khan were able to flee the apartment by the entrance while the other one who was present in the drawing room was wounded by bullets. Furthermore, the police did not open fire on Mohammed Saif who had locked himself inside the washroom and later surrendered before them.

Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid were killed in the face-off while Ariz Khan and three others managed to abscond. Ariz Khan was eventually apprehended in 2018 near the Nepal border after being labelled a proclaimed offender in 2009. He had a reward of 10 lakh rupees from the NIA and 5 lakh from the Delhi Police on any information leading to his arrest. Two other terrorists, Shahzad is serving life imprisonment whereas Junaid who had escaped is still at large.

The trial court determined in its ruling that he was not only a menace to society but also an enemy of the state because of the heinous and savage act of firing on the police party without any provocation. He displayed no indications of change or penitence throughout the inquiry and trial. He was involved in various blast cases including Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Uttar Pradesh which claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people and injured many others.

The court pronounced, “Convict on account of his despicable act has forfeited his right to live. After balancing mitigating circumstances against aggravating circumstances, it is concluded that it is a rarest of the rare case where convict deserves maximum sentence provided under law. It is the level of magnitude, decree of brutality, attitude and mindset of the wrongdoer behind the crime alongwith other factors which make it a rarest of the rare case. Interest of justice will be met if convict is awarded death penalty.”

Ariz Khan was also given a fine of Rs. 11 lakh of which Rs. 10 lakh was to be paid as compensation to the wife of the deceased police officer. The Delhi High Court was then asked to confirm the death penalty in the case. He had submitted an appeal in opposition to the ruling.

He was convicted of killing Mohan Chand Sharma at the encounter at South East Delhi’s Batla House by Delhi’s Saket Court in May 2021. He was deemed culpable by Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav of violating sections 186, 333, 353, 302 and 397 of the Indian Penal Code as well as section 27 of the Arms Act.

Ariz Khan was represented by lawyers MS Khan, Prashant Prakash, Quasar Khan, and Rahul Sahan. Special Counsel Rajesh Mahajan together with advocates Asha Tiwari, Jyoti Babbar, Ranjeeb Kamal Bora, and Kuldeep Chauhan represented the Delhi Police.

Sonia Gandhi shed tears for terrorists and opposition leaders cast aspersions

Salman Khurshid, a veteran Congress leader and former external affairs minister conveyed that Sonia Gandhi, the then-Congress President sobbed uncontrollably when she saw the photos of the terrorists who had been assassinated during one of his rallies during the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

He announced, “When we showed Sonia Gandhi the images of the ‘instance’ she started crying bitterly and with folded hands. She requested us not to show her these pictures and immediately go and speak with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to discuss the matter. I talked to the PM and it was decided that the matter would be further investigated.”

Salman Khurshid, however, recanted his statement in 2019 and argued that it was taken out of context. “I never said that. In fact, I was misquoted. There was a difference between what I had said and what the media projected. I had said that the then Congress President didn’t wish to see visuals of an encounter (as the images are painful in nature).”

An independent probe of the Batla House encounter was called for Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal who put into question the veracity of the matter. “The court has ruled that the youth (killed in the Batla House incident) were terrorists. I had said that even if they were terrorists, it was extremely important to catch them alive to know who their real handlers were. There needs to be an independent investigation to know if it was necessary to kill them. It must also be probed under what circumstances the police officer (Mohan Chand) was killed.” He called the encounter fake and alleged that his party members like Prashant Bhushan have been fighting battles for Muslims trapped in false cases such as Batla House.

Mamata Banerjee, the head of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and West Bengal Chief Minister even threatened to end her political career if her claim that the Batla House encounter was fake turned out to be untrue back in 2008. “The encounter was fake. If it turns out to be false, then I will leave politics.”

Digvijaya Singh, another stalwart leader of the Congress refused to apologise to the Bharatiya Janta Party for his accusation that the Batla House encounter was staged. “I will never apologise. I still maintain that encounter was fake,” he boasted while addressing the media in July 2013 during his visit to Indore. He emphasised once more that anyone dissatisfied with the outcome of the Batla House case can appeal to the Court.

He had been calling for a judicial inquiry into the matter and claimed, “I have not seen the court order, nor am I one of the parties in the case. The parties in the case can accept it or appeal against it. It will be their decision.”

Israel vows to change Gaza forever: 10 videos that show how IDF is bombing Hamas targets with precision strikes

OpIndia Staff
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Israel vows to change Gaza forever: 10 videos that show how IDF is bombing Hamas targets with precision strikes

It has been well over 100 hours since a brutal terrorist attack by Hamas killed over 1300 people in Israel.

In retaliation, Israel declared war with Hamas and has been bombing terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. Israel has vowed to avenge the brutal murder of its citizens by Hamas terrorists on 7th October.

Israel’s retaliatory attack on Hamas in Gaza has reached the 6th day. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in its daily briefing has said that it is attacking the second layer of the Gaza Strip which is the underground tunnels dug by Hamas for the terrorists to travel across Gaza amid Israeli strikes.

Another area heavily targeted by the Israeli Air Force is Al Rimal, which according to the IDF, is full of Hamas infrastructure. The Israeli forces have been targeting specific buildings used by the terrors organization to attack Israel. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Israel Katz has announced halting electricity, water, and fuel to Gaza.

“What we are doing is prioritising striking commanders, senior officials in Hamas from all echelons. Whenever we have intelligence that indicates the whereabouts of a senior Hamas official or military commander, we strike in that location,” the IDF spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus said.

In a video shared by X user Mario Nawfal, Israeli forces targeted Hamas assets and members in overnight strikes across the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces reportedly said they struck and killed Hamas’ naval commander, Abu Shamala.

24 hours ago, the Israeli Defense Forces destroyed the Islamic University which was used by Hamas for its terrorist operations. According to the IDF, “Hamas transformed a university into a training camp for weapons development and military intelligence”. The footage of the attack shows the jihadi infrastructure being reduced to dust.

On 9th October, several channels reported that Raafat Abu Hilal, a senior commander of the Hamas has been killed in IDF strikes.

Another video shared by PTI shows drone strike conducted by IDF on buildings used by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Notably, Hamas has been using and operating from residential areas using civilians as shield.

A footage shared by The Blogsroom on X showing a building hit by Israeli retaliatory airstrike in broad daylight as people can be heard screaming and shouting in horror.

Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul shared a satellite footage on X showing IDF aircraft striking a Hamas operational command center in a mosque and an offensive tunnel entry point that was used by terrorists to invade Israel.

The Israeli Air Force has also posted a compilation of the overnight strikes in the Gaza Strip. This comes ahead of the ground retaliation which is expected to be launched by the Israeli forces.

A video claimed to be filmed by an Israeli reconnaissance UAV by X user GeoPolitics shows a high-rise building in Gaza being struck down.

Another footage from the Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza shows the aftermath of the Israeli retaliatory strikes. Large areas have been destroyed beyond recognition known to have housed Hamas terrorists and sheltered terrorist operations.

IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus has said that about 300,000 reserve forces have been stationed outside of the Gaza Strip. “It is the biggest and the fastest reserve call in Israel’s history,” Conricus said.

Mutilated body, eyes gouged out: 13-year-old girl who had gone to madarsa for studies found dead in a field in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri

OpIndia Staff
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Mutilated body, eyes gouged out: 13-year-old girl who had gone to madarsa for studies found dead in a field in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri

On 9 October, the mutilated body of a 13-year-old girl with her eyes gouged out was found in a sugarcane field in the Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh. Multiple wounds were inflicted on the dead body. The Muslim girl had left for a nearby madarsa on the morning of the previous day, however, failed to come back.

The incident pertained to the Singahi police station area where the infuriated people gathered around the vehicle of the Superintendent of Police Ganesh Prasad Saha and created a ruckus. There is a significant police presence in the village and experts in forensics also rushed to the area.

The family members of the minor are charging that their daughter was raped. According to the report, she went to study at a local madarsa and the family grew concerned when she did not return till evening. They searched for her extensively but were unable to find her and lodged a missing complaint at Tikunia police station at around 12 a.m.

Her corpse was recovered from a sugarcane field at around 1 p.m. near the hamlet. Her clothes were torn and in disarray, her mouth was stuffed with mud, horrifying injury marks covered her face and head, as well as both eyeballs were cut out. Her bag was also spotted near the body. Police reached the spot after receiving information and identified the body. The family members arrived there and recognised their daughter. They also engaged in an altercation with the police. A large group of locals assembled as soon as they learned about the occurrence.

Her mother raised suspicion of sexual assault followed by murder after observing the condition of the deceased. She expressed, “My daughter had gone to study, but she didn’t return. We kept searching for her the whole night and complained to the police.” She claimed that cops did not take the complaint with seriousness. “She would still be alive today if they had looked for the girl at night. Her head had visible wounds. Her eyes were removed. Her mouth was full of mud. Someone had pressed her face into the ground for a long period of time.”

On the night of 9 October when Ganesh Prasad Saha arrived at the crime scene multiple irate villagers encircled his car including the family member of the girl and demanded appropriate action from the authorities. The senior officer assured them of proper inquiry and took the body into their custody following much effort after which it was sent for postmortem. Regional leaders also came to the place of postmortem late in the evening.

The top cop mentioned, “Injury marks were found on the girl’s head and body. Further action would be taken only after the autopsy analysis is conducted. We have formed teams to search for the accused. Squads from nearby police stations have also been dispatched. The perpetrators are going to be caught soon.”

Meanwhile, the postmortem was performed on 10 October by three doctors and the report disclosed that she was strangled to death, but did not provide evidence of rape. The body was handed over to the family who refused to bury it until the culprits were behind bars and asked for compensation.

Ganesh Prasad Saha has formed teams of three police stations under the leadership of Circle Officer Nighasan Rajesh Kumar along with the crime branch and surveillance to probe the gut-wrenching instance. He stressed that the entire episode would be exposed soon.

As Rahul Gandhi promotes caste politics in the country, Chinese commentator expresses confidence that India won’t be able to beat China due to caste conflicts

Anurag
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As Rahul Gandhi promotes caste politics in the country, Chinese commentator expresses confidence that India won’t be able to beat China due to caste conflicts

On 11th October, Chinese commentator Hu Xijin expressed confidence that India would be unable to beat China in the long run due to caste conflicts. Xijin, who was earlier editor in chief of Chinese mouthpiece Global Times, was quoting a report related to the arrest of Chinese company Vivo executives in a money laundering case.

Hu Xijin said, “India’s attitude toward foreign companies is like a rogue state. I assert that India’s rise will not go far if it goes on like this. Extreme nationalism, arrogance, racial & caste conflicts will hinder or even destroy India’s modernisation construction.”

Interestingly, his statement came when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been pushing caste politics in every public meeting in poll-bound states. Notably, India will have Lok Sabha elections next year, and it seems caste politics will remain a hot topic for Congress during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul Gandhi started pushing caste politics on the day when the Woman Reservation Bill was being discussed in the Lok Sabha during the special session. He insinuated that the Indian government is not doing enough for the ‘marginalised’ communities, especially the SC/ST and OBCs, as their representation is minimal in civil services. However, he forgot that reservations in civil services were introduced in 1996, and most of the secretaries in ministries are from earlier batches.

Gandhi’s push for caste politics became intense after Bihar released the caste census, pointing out that SC/ST and OBC make up a large portion of the population in the state. Interestingly, the Congress leader started pushing the idea of “Jitni Aabadi, Utna Haq”, which means the right to the country’s resources should be decided according to the community’s population.

In counter, PM Modi emphasised that for him, the poor are the largest community in the country irrespective of caste, religion or any other factor.

Congress’ idea of distributing resources based on population will only create problems as there is no fixed population of any community in the states. While the SC/ST and OBCs comprise a large section of the population in Bihar, it will be completely different in the case of Punjab, where Sikhs are in the majority. Similarly, in Meghalaya, Christians are in the majority and in Jammu and Kashmir, Muslims are in the majority.

The distribution of the resources must be based on the requirements of the country’s people irrespective of caste, religion, gender or other factors. If someone belongs to the general category and lives below the poverty line, that person or his family must have the right to get support from the government, in the same way a BPL family belonging to an SC/ST or OBC community gets.

Earlier, when in 2006, Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, he famously said that the minority communities have the first right to the resources of the country, and among those, Muslims have the first claim. Though the left-liberals and Congress often try to whitewash his comments, saying then-PM Singh never said so, there is video proof of the same. His exact words were, “We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share the fruits of development equitably. These must have the first claim on resources.”

After almost 17 years, Congress’s stand on who should get the first claim on the resources has shifted to the population of the communities. The poor, however, find no mention in the thought process of the Congress party.

Furthermore, it is notable that dividing the country over caste and religion lines only creates hurdles in development. India’s most fierce competition, China, will prefer to see India facing trouble in reaching its goal of becoming the third largest economy. The statement by the Chinese commentator fits perfectly with the propaganda to divide India on the lines of caste-based population being pushed by Congress. Not to forget, Congress has a memorandum in place with the Chinese government signed in 2009, whose details are still opaque.

It will be interesting to see how well Congress pushes caste-based politics as the Lok Sabha elections approach closer. Furthermore, Chinese mouthpieces and commentators are expected to have their own share to push the propaganda further.

Congress-China MoU

In 2008, during UPA1, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Congress party signed an agreement for the sharing of high-level information and collaboration. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) also gave the two parties the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”. Notably, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation since 2005, while Sonia Gandhi is the foundation’s chairperson.

As Hamas calls on Muslims across the world to commit Jihad, Congress leader tries to instigate Muslim countries against India

OpIndia Staff
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As Hamas calls on Muslims across the world to commit Jihad, Congress leader tries to instigate Muslim countries against India

On 11th October, Congress leader Dr Shama Mohamed tried instigating Muslim countries against India for its stand against terrorist attacks on Israel. In a post on X, she dog whistled the Arab countries against the Modi government amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. She insinuated that if the Modi government did not show any solidarity with the Palestinian cause, it would damage the relationships between India and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran and Egypt.

She wrote, “What Hamas did in Israel is highly condemnable. That being said, Arab countries have noticed the silence of the Modi govt on showing any solidarity with the Palestinian cause. At least 3 diplomats from the Arab countries, including an ambassador, said they were expecting a more balanced and nuanced statement from India. India has deep ties with Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Iran and Egypt, built over decades. The BJP govt now risks damaging them irreparably. Congress leader tries instigating Muslim countries against India for its stand against terrorist attack on Israel.”

Notably, Shama’s statement came at a time when Hamas’ leader called for “global Jihad” on 13th October. Khalid Mashal, leader and founding member of Hamas, urged Muslims worldwide to initiate “Global Jihad”. He also asked for donations donning them as “Financial Jihad” so that Hamas could continue the war against Israel. He urged them to express anger and protest on “the Friday of Al-Aqsa flood” to send a message to Israel and its allies. Mashal called for political pressure from Muslim leaders and nations to stop Israel’s military attack on Gaza. Most significantly, he called for Muslims to engage in physical Jihad, asking them to be willing to fight and potentially give their lives for Al-Aqsa.

Qatar is accused of funding Hamas

It is interesting to note that Shama mentioned Qatar, a country on the net, for potentially funding and/or aiding Hamas from time to time. Qatar, a U.S. ally, has been accused of supporting Hamas, a designated Palestinian terror organisation, in an attempt to help establish peace between Israel and Palestine. This support has raised concerns due to Qatar’s past of providing financial assistance to different extremist groups.

Khaled Meeshal, the former leader of Hamas, resided in Qatar for a long time and held press conferences on behalf of terror organisations there. In May 2021, Qatar pledged $500 million to rebuild the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip during heightened tensions between Palestine and Israel, once again drawing attention to Qatar’s financial support for Hamas and other international terrorist organisations. Qatar’s involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict is part of its broader geopolitical strategy in the Middle East.

Egypt has normalised its relationship with Israel

While Shama mentioned Egypt, she conveniently missed that Egypt has normalised relationships with Israel since 1980 under a peace treaty. The country has been a mediator between Israel and Hamas several times to ensure peace in the region. Reacting to the terror attack by Hamas and counter-attack by Israel, Egypt called for exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger”. Egypt currently fears an influx of refugees from Palestine, which would be bad for its economy and has closed the Rafah crossing to avoid exodus.

UAE avoided direct criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza

Among the list of countries, Shama mentioned UAE, a country that has called for peace and revival of a normalised relationship between Arab countries and Israel. The United Arab Emirates expressed a deep concern about the recent escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine and called for an immediate end to the conflict to safeguard civilians. The UAE has extended condolences to all the victims of the conflict and urged the international Quartet to work towards promoting peace between Arab and Israeli communities. They have also urged the global community to achieve a comprehensive and fair peace agreement and prevent further violence and instability in the region.

In addition, the UAE condemned Hamas’ attack, considering it a serious escalation, and expressed dismay towards the reports of Israeli civilians being taken as hostages. They emphasised protecting Israeli and Palestinian civilians under international humanitarian law. The UAE maintained a balanced approach by expressing its concerns while avoiding direct criticism towards Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Though Saudi Arabia and Iran have sided more with Palestine in the matter, it is important to note that in most of the cases where countries go head-on with each other, India prefers to form a neutral stand. However, in the case of the Israel-Hamas war, the matter is complicated. While India has supported the Palestinian cause in the past and vouched for the two-nation theory to ensure peace in the region, this time, no word has been spoken on the Palestinian cause. India has unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Israel while not naming Palestine.

Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organisation, killed over 1,200 Israelis, including 150+ soldiers, women, elderly and children on a Jewish holiday. Several foreign nationals were killed or abducted by Hamas terrorists. Israeli forces are still discovering bodies, some of them were charred to death. Burnt houses, dead families and ruined villages show how horrendous the attack was. Expecting India to side with Palestine at such a time for some brownie points from the Arab countries is not what India stands for. In fact, India’s reaction has been similar to what most of the powerful world leaders were for the attack on Israel.

Canada: New anti-India hoarding comes up at Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Gurdwara in Surrey saying ‘Wanted Modi, Jaishankar, Ambassador Sanjay Verma’

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: New anti-India hoarding comes up at Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Gurdwara in Surrey saying ‘Wanted Modi, Jaishankar, Ambassador Sanjay Verma’

There seems to be no end to pro-Khalistan activities in Canada as a fresh hoarding labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar and India’s high commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma as ‘Wanted’ has been installed outside Gurdwara Nanak Dev in Surrey where terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated in June of this year, per a report by CNN-News18. This comes less than a month after similar hoardings were removed from the Gurudwara and then put up again just two days later, which had called for the assassination of three Indian diplomats in Canada, one high commissioner and two consul generals.

Source: CNN-News18

The new hoarding features pictures of Narendra Modi, J Jaishankar and Sanjay Kumar Verma with ‘Enemies of Canada’ written on top and ‘wanted’ written on the bottom. it also has the image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar who is referred to as a ‘martyr’ with the words ‘Khalistan Referendum’. Extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s separatist organisation Sikhs For Justice is behind the incident and police are reportedly aware of the same, however, no action has been taken to apprehend the offenders.

Before this new hoarding appeared, several hoardings and posters were put up at the gurdwara earlier calling for the assassination of Indian diplomats. The recent hoardings which were removed in the last week of September were installed after the killing of Nijjar, and it called for the assassination of heads of three Indian missions in Canada – Ottawa-based Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, Consul General of India in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava, and Consul General of India Vancouver Manish. 

The poster had the words ‘Assassination wanted’ with the names and photos of the diplomats, and it glorified Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Talwinder Singh Parmar, Babbar Khalsa founder and the mastermind of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing that killed 329 people. Apart from this, the Gurudwara regularly puts up hoardings and posters on the so-called ‘Khalistan referendum’.

After the collapse of diplomatic relations between India and Canada after PM Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, there were lots of outrage against the hoardings outside the Gurudwara. As a result, they were taken down, apparently on the orders of local administration. However, the hoardings had come back just two days later. Now new hoardings have appeared with new names of targets.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attributed the murder of the pro-Khalistan radical to the Indian government on the basis of “credible allegations” without providing any evidence. India responded firmly and refuted the unfounded accusations which heightened the existing acute tensions between the two countries.

After Canada dismissed India’s diplomat the Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay was summoned and a senior Canadian diplomat was informed to leave the country in addition to suspending visas to the country’s nationals in retaliation. New Delhi last month told Ottawa to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country by 10 October and warned that diplomats who stayed beyond the deadline would lose diplomatic immunity. The Maple Country began the process to do so, however, negotiations about the same are presently underway between the two nations.

Canada has gradually turned into a sanctuary for pro-separatist elements who frequently indulge in anti-India and Hinduphobic activities including vandalisation of Indian high commission, desecration of temples and threatening Hindus living in the western country.

‘Cringe, shameful, needless’: Netizens fume as Pakistan cricket team receives an extravagant special welcome in Ahmedabad hotel

OpIndia Staff
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‘Cringe, shameful, needless’: Netizens fume as Pakistan cricket team receives an extravagant special welcome in Ahmedabad hotel

On 12th October, the Pakistan cricket team arrived in Ahmedabad ahead of their match with India in the ongoing ICC World Cup. A video of the Pakistani team being welcomed by dancing Gujarati girls, popular Bollywood songs and some ‘extra’ flourish of balloons and flowers all around went viral on social media.

The visuals of a rousing, extravagant welcome to the Pakistani team did not go down well with most social media users.

“This is disgusting! Girls dancing and performing to welcome Pakistan team! As if giving them visa to come here to play because of an ICC event excuse was not enough, they are now trying to make a spectacle out of it. All for what, BCCI? Hype? Money?” posted one user.

Another user Roshan Rai shared that while all other teams were welcomed with just bouquets and a clap, Pakistan team has been given a special welcome because the BCCI is looking forward to hype the match for monetary gains.

Another popular user Mr Sinha wrote that while Pakistan indulges in murder of Indian soldiers and civilians on a regular basis, the BCCI is shamefully rolling down red carpets and going the extra mile to provide ‘special’ treatment to their team.

“Just a few weeks ago Pakistani terrorists killed our 3 soldiers & have killed thousands of soldiers-civilians till date, always dream to break India into pieces & we are giving Pakistani cricketers a grand welcome? Garba, Aarti n all, that too in Gujarat”, he said.

“Next time when someone gives you the argument like “but soldiers are fighting on border,” show them this video of BCCI under Jay Shah welcoming the Pakistan cricket team in India”, posted another user.

Another X user asked what is the point of not having a bilateral series with Pakistan if the BCCI is so invested on providing special welcomes to the Pakistani team anyway.

The reactions to the dancing welcome come amid the reports that just for the India-Pakistan match in the Narendra Modi stadium, the organisers have planned a special event where Bollywood stars will perform. This kind of ‘special event’ has not been there for any other match. And the BCCI did not even have an opening ceremony ahead of the ICC World Cup.

This VIP treatment to the Pakistani team and special arrangements for just one match have irked many fans.

“It is insulting to every other team. When you’re the host, every team is equal for you. The Netherlands is also as important as Pakistan”, Hardik Rajgor posted.

The India-Pakistan match is scheduled on Saturday, 14th October in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium.

It is notable here that there is no confirmation as to who had organized the welcome event, the BCCI or the hotel where the Pakistani team are staying. The team is staying at the Hyatt Regency and the welcome event occurred at the hotel when the team walked in.

Israel-Hamas war: Pregnant woman from UP with her IITian husband and daughter stuck in the Negev Desert in Southern Israel

OpIndia Staff
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Israel-Hamas war: Pregnant woman from UP with her IITian husband and daughter stuck in the Negev Desert in Southern Israel

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war following the horrific terror attack by Hamas on 7 October, a large number of foreigners are stranded in Israel. Among them is a family from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, including a couple and their child, who are presently stuck in Israel amidst ongoing conflict, according to a report in The Times of India. The family includes thirty-year-old Jaideep Kaur, who is six months pregnant, her thirty-year-old spouse Mohit Randhawa who is an IITian (Indian Institutes of Technology) from Roorkee, and their three-year-old daughter.

The couple said that had never heard such an incessant clamour of sirens since arriving in the country after their wedding in 2020. Jaideep Kaur had a FaceTime interview from Tel Aviv in which she stated, “On October 7, around 6:30 am, the shrieking sound jolted us out of slumber. Within no time we were made to vacate our accommodations and move to a nearby shelter on the university campus (of Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research.”

She explained that when the pair evacuated they could only bring a few snacks and the essential necessities. “Later, we got to know the heavy concrete dwelling was impenetrable for the bombs and rockets raining on us. It kept us safe. In all, we were 50 in that bunker.”

The family is stranded in Sde Boker which is 74 kilometres from Gaza. She was expected to fly to India on 12 October to give birth at her parents’ house in Uttar Pradesh. “But the attack jeopardised all our plans. Let’s see what happens.” 

She conveyed, “Thankfully, we had Wi-Fi inside the shelter and could see videos and news of the horrific attack. My husband took away the phone and later allowed me to watch only web series but no news in order to prevent me from anxiety considering my pregnancy. We pray everything becomes normal and we get to meet our family in India soon. We cannot talk to them on the phone or WhatsApp, FaceTime is the only option available as of now.”

Her family was worried because they were unable to reach her for three days. Her 55-year-old father Surendra Singh Dhillon informed, “On Tuesday morning, around 11 am, I managed to connect with her after numerous failed attempts and was relieved to hear that my daughter, son-in-law and their kid are safe for now. I request the Indian government to safely evacuate those stuck in the war zone.”

Mohit Randhawa has ties with The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Midreshet Ben-Gurion, near Sder Boker.

It is notable that while the Times of India said that the family is stuck in Tel Aviv, actually Sde Boker is over 170 km away from the Israeli capital. It is located in the heart of the Negev Desert in Southern Israel. Moreover, there is no report of any Hamas bombing in the town. Hamas attacked Israeli areas close to the border, and most of its rockets are short-range.

While Hamas does have long-range rockets that can strike at a distance of up to 250 km, they are not guided, and they are used to strike heavily populated areas and cities in central and northern Israel. It is unlikely the terror organisation will fire a long-range rocket towards Sde Boker, a small town of around 1 square kilometre area with less than 500 population in the middle of a massive desert, as the probability of an unguided rocket hitting the kibbutz is extremely low. However, sirens did go off in Sde Boker and other areas far from the Gaza border on 7 October as a precautionary measure.

Israelis heard sirens just before dawn on 7 October as they were winding up the seven-day Jewish festival of Sukkot and they soon realised it wasn’t a false alarm. A massive surprise attack was being carried out by hordes of Hamas terrorists from the air, the sea and the ground which resulted in the gruesome murder of at least 1200 people including women children and the elderly as well as wounded thousands of others. Hundreds of them were abducted and taken hostage by the assailants who also raped women.

Many victims were left in the streets of cities and buildings were completely destroyed as thousands of missiles fired from Gaza flew through the sky and started raining down on random targets in the Jewish country. Simultaneously, hundreds of armed terrorists, many of whom were riding motorbikes stormed into communities as bulldozers breached the border between Israel and Gaza, catching Israeli soldiers off guard and opening fire on civilians.

Responding to the horrifying assault the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on 7 October launched Operation ‘Iron Swords’ and began targeting Hamas targets in Gaza. All of the terrorists who sneaked into the country and targeted both civilians and Israeli security troops were taken into account in the operation.

At least 22 Americans killed in terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, US looking for details about hostages

OpIndia Staff
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At least 22 Americans killed in terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, US looking for details about hostages

At least 22 Americans have been killed in the 7th October terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. The information was released by National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby at a news conference on 11th October.

Kirby couldn’t confirm details like where and how the Americans were killed as the “individual circumstances are not exactly clear”. More than 1,200 people have died in the Hamas attacks on Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to reach Israel on Thursday and will meet senior officials.

“The Secretary will reiterate his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attacks against Israel and condemn those attacks in the strongest terms,” the US Embassy in Israel said in a statement.

Blinken, during his visit to Israel, will be discussing “measures to bolster Israel’s security” and underscore the United States’ “unwavering support” for Israel.

The Biden administration is reportedly searching for details about the condition of the US citizens believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. CNN quoted a US official as saying that US is working to determine how many are being held captive in Gaza or if they are currently being held in one place.

On Wednesday (11th October), US President Joe Biden said he had seen pictures of “terrorists beheading children” confirming reports that Hamas had beheaded babies in the course of its onslaught on Israel. “I never really thought that I would see…have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children,” Biden said.

However, the Biden administration later clarified that neither the President nor the administration had seen such pictures or confirmed such reports. The White House clarified that Biden had seen reports claiming that children were beheaded.

The US has increased military assistance to Israel including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome. “We are going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens,” the US President said.

Harvard University: Truck displaying names of signatories of pro-Hamas statement circles the campus

OpIndia Staff
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Harvard University: Truck displaying names of signatories of pro-Hamas statement circles the campus

Even as the Harvard students who signed a student union coalition statement blaming Israel for Hamas terrorist attack have backtracked from supporting the Palestinian terrorist group, a ‘doxxing truck’ was seen on Wednesday (11th October) moving around the streets of Harvard University campus. The electronic billboard displayed the names and pictures of the signatories of the controversial statement under the banner “Harvard’s Leading Anti-semites.”

The display also featured a website named “Harvard Hates Jews” that revealed the identities of students affiliated with groups that have signed on to the Palestine Solidarity Committee’s statement placing the sole blame for the ongoing violence on Israel.

The website asserted that the Hamas terrorists killed hundreds of men, women, and children in Israel. Among the dead were Jews, Christians, Israelis, Europeans, and Americans. It added that the Hamas strike was “not just against Israel but against the Western civilisation.” It further stated that it was shocking that the radical ‘scholars’ at Harvard issued a statement supporting the terrorists and blaming the victim.

Moreover, the website offered the visitors to send a message to Harvard’s board of trustees “to take action against the despicable, hateful students.”

Prior to this, at least four websites had published the personal information of students associated with groups that had signed onto the statement, including complete names, class years, previous employment, social media profiles, photographs, and hometowns. However, it is reported that two of those sites had been taken down for violating the terms of service laid down by Google.

Notably, the doxxing truck was deployed by Accuracy In Media(AIM), a US-based conservative media watchdog. Taking to X, Adam Guillette, the AIM’s President took responsibility for the doxxing billboard. He also stated that the AIM team is removing names of the students who withdrew support to the pro-Palestine statement but also adding new names every hour.

“Want to know who the leading antisemites at @Harvard are? Click on the link below. @AccuracyInMedia is removing the names of students from groups that withdrew but is also adding new names every hour. And yes, that’s our billboard on their campus,” Guillette posted.

According to the information published on AIM’s website, so far only five Harvard student groups have withdrawn their signatures from the outrageous PSC statement. These student groups are Harvard College Act on a Dream, Amnesty International at Harvard, the Harvard Islamic Society, Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo, and the Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association.

This comes after a student union coalition at Harvard University issued a statement on 7th October blaming Israel for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The letter issued by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups was co-signed by 33 student groups.

“The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings, Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden,” the letter reads.

Israel Hamas War

The terrorist organisation Hamas launched a devastating terror strike on Israeli soil on 7th October. Over 900 people were killed in the attack. Paragliders and vehicle-borne Hamas terrorists brandishing automatic weapons stormed the border fences, attacking civilians, residential communities, and even a music festival in Southern Israel. In retaliation to the brutal terrorist attack,  Israel declared war on Hamas and has been bombarding the Gaza Strip with bombs for three days. Hundreds of Israelis and other nationals have been reported to have been kidnapped by Hamas. 

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