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‘4.2 million pounds of your tax money, wasted’: Russian Embassy trolls British people with image of a destroyed Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine

OpIndia Staff
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‘4.2 million pounds of your tax money, wasted’: Russian Embassy trolls British people with image of a destroyed Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine

On Monday, 4th September 2023, Russian forces engaged in the southern region of Ukraine claimed to have destroyed a British-supplied Challenger 2 tank. A video showing the tank’s smoldering wreckage went viral on social media. On Tuesday, 5th September 2023, the Russian Embassy in the UK shared a picture of the destroyed tank from its X handle and wrote in the caption “Wasted”.

The picture posted by the Russian Embassy also mentioned that the destruction of the Challenger 2 tank – a heavily armored, highly mobile tank, designed to engage and destroy other tanks, and fitted with a rifled gun – has cost the British taxpayers 4.2 million pounds.

Challenger 2 is a third-generation British Main Battle Tank (MBT). it is currently in service with the armed forces of UK, Oman and Ukraine (supplied by the UK).

With the image of the destroyed tank, believed to be very expensive and advanced, the Russian Embassy tried to remind the British citizens that while they struggle for basic healthcare and energy supplies, their tax money is being spent on a ‘futile’ attempt to fight against Russian forces on foreign soil.

During the ongoing war with Russian forces, a British-supplied tank provided to Ukraine was destroyed. This marks a significant event, likely the first time a Challenger 2 tank has been destroyed due to enemy action. The previous known instance of such a heavily armored battle vehicle being destroyed was believed to have occurred due to a friendly fire in Iraq back in 2003. A video circulating on the internet depicts the charred remains of the tank.

Widely shared footage on social media displays one of the 14 tanks provided by the UK to Kyiv in January, situated at the roadside with thick grey smoke billowing from it and flames erupting. The exact cause of the tank’s destruction was not confirmed by Ukrainian forces, but it is known that the Ukrainian crew within the tank survived the attack. However, there have been different claims about the mode of destruction of this tank.

According to a report by BBC, the British-made and supplied Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine was initially rendered immobile due to a mine explosion. This explosion ignited a fire in the rear fuel tank, prompting the Ukrainian crew of four to safely evacuate the tank. Subsequently, while the now-empty tank remained immobilized, it became a target for a Russian Lancet loitering drone, which ultimately destroyed it.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official overseeing part of the southern Zaporizhzhia region currently under Moscow’s control, posted on Telegram that a Challenger 2 tank had been engulfed in flames during combat near the southeastern village of Robotyne. According to Rogov, this tank was originally intended for deployment to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. However, it was instead destroyed on what he described as the foremost line of Russia’s defence. He posted a video on Telegram depicting a tank seemingly on fire on a roadside, with thick grey smoke billowing from the scene.

In January 2023, the UK provided Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks. These tanks, constructed in the late 1990s, remain among Ukraine’s most contemporary and proficient tank assets, alongside the German-made Leopard 2 tanks. Ukrainian tank crews underwent training to operate them in March. The provision of Challenger 2 tanks constitutes a component of the UK’s £28 million support package, which was announced at the beginning of the year.

So far, the UK has extended military support worth £4.6 billion to Ukraine. Out of this, military aid worth £2.3 billion was provided in 2022. Russia has now reminded the UK taxpayers about the costs born by them because of NATO’s support of Ukraine against Russia.

Malaysia Hindu Sangam condemns Udayanidhi Stalin’s hatred against Sanatana Dharma, writes to the High Commission of India requesting Indian Government to act

OpIndia Staff
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Malaysia Hindu Sangam condemns Udayanidhi Stalin’s hatred against Sanatana Dharma, writes to the High Commission of India requesting Indian Government to act

On 4th September, Malaysia Hindu Sangam wrote a letter of condemnation to the speech of Udayanidhi Stalin where he called Sanatan Dharma dengue, malaria, and corona while calling for its eradication. In the letter addressed to the High Commission of India, Malaysia Hindu Sangam expressed strong disagreement and condemnation of the speech given by Stalin during the Sanathana Prevention Conference.

The organization said that, by comparing Sanatan Dharma to mosquitoes, dengue, malaria and corona and calling for its ‘eradication’, Stalin called for genocide against the followers of the ancient Dharma.

“It was such degrading speech a Minister could utter against a religion which majority people in India practice,” the statement read. The organization reminded Stalin of his duties as a Minister. The statement read, “As a Minister, he should be Non-Aligned to any belief and serve his duty with impartiality and neutral approach though his party’s ideology seems to be otherwise. This has indirectly raised hatred and anger among Hindus around the world.”

The organization said Stalin’s statement might stir disharmony among the Hindu Community and Hindus from different ethnicities in Malaysia. They further urged the Government of India to take stern action against Stalin for the speech.

Udhayanidhi wants to ‘eradicate’ Sanatan Dharma

On 2nd September, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, went on a tirade against Sanatan Dharma on social media.

The development came hours after he courted controversy for comparing the Hindu civilizational, religious philosophy with ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue.’ In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, “Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion.”

“Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality…I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized who suffer from the Sanatan Dharma,” he said.

The son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hailed the likes of Periyar and BR Ambedkar. He claimed that the duo conducted ‘in-depth research’ on the ‘negative impact’ of the religious philosophy on society.

“Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like COVID-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils,” he further emphasized.

As I.N.D.I.A. bloc outrages over speculative reports of ‘renaming’ India as Bharat, here is what their alliance partner Samajwadi Party promised in its manifesto

OpIndia Staff
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As I.N.D.I.A. bloc outrages over speculative reports of ‘renaming’ India as Bharat, here is what their alliance partner Samajwadi Party promised in its manifesto

The speculative report claiming that the Union government could ‘rename’ India as Bharat in the special session of Parliament has left the opposition in a tizzy. 

The majority of the I.N.D.I. alliance partners have lamented over the supposed move and even termed it an act of ‘betrayal’ of the nation. 

Interestingly, AAP, Congress, RJD, and DMK among others have linked the yet-to-be-confirmed move with their alliance name.  

The I.N.D.I.A. bloc, which is ironically yet to decide on a common leader or even a seat-sharing formula, claimed that their supposed ‘unity’ has rattled the incumbent government and the government is drafting laws or making efforts solely after taking their alliance into consideration. 

While their meltdown is out in the open and their ecosystem is shedding copious amounts of tears, one alliance partner has conspicuously maintained an ambiguous stand. In fact, the left-out alliance partner of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc had in the past vowed to change India’s name to Bharat if elected to power. Apparently, the alliance partner in question is the Samajwadi Party on whose shoulders the majority weight of the alliance rests. 

Evidently, the prominent handles of the Samajwadi Party including their IT cell have maintained a distance from this politically significant issue that has stormed their alliance partners. Instead, the entire focus has been diverted to Ghosi by-polls.

Will correct the ‘flaw’ in the constitution: SP manifesto

Remarkably, the Samajwadi Party-led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, the erstwhile party Chief and Father of Former CM and current party Chief Akhilesh Yadav had promised in their 2004 manifesto that if they were voted to power, they would change the name of the country from India to Bharat. 

The manifesto said, “We demand that to protect the dignity and self-esteem of the country, India should become Bharat. Our country has long been known as Bharat. But during the 200 years rule of the British Raj, the name was altered and made India.” 

In its 16-page manifesto published in Hindi, released by Mulayam Singh Yadav in April 2004, SP claimed that calling the country ‘India’ was “a serious flaw” in the Indian Constitution. It promised that if the party comes to power at the centre will rectify this flaw in a speedy manner. 

The Samajwadi Party added, “God knows how the Constitution-makers mentioned India first and kept repeating it. It was only later that it said, ‘India that is Bharat’.”

Stating that the party will amend the constitution for the same, the manifesto further stated, “The party feels that changing the name was wrong and, as soon as we come to power, we will amend the constitution and, after consultations, change the name of India to Bharat.” 

However, it is to be maintained that there is no official confirmation that the reports will actually materialize or not but if things persist, the efforts of SP to bid their time on this issue could lead to another political scuffle between the so-called alliance partners in I.N.D.I.A. bloc.   

‘It is the sound of a cow’: Mohua Moitra on Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Humba Humba’; blames BJP IT cell for TMC chief’s gibberish

OpIndia Staff
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‘It is the sound of a cow’: Mohua Moitra on Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Humba Humba’; blames BJP IT cell for TMC chief’s gibberish

On Tuesday, September 5, Mahua Moitra, Lok Sabha MP of Trinamool Congress attempted to explain West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s well-known and strange oddities that sound like gibberish- “Humba humba ramba ramba kamba kamba.” Moitra said that those odd words uttered by Banerjee resembled the sound of a cow. She also slammed the BJP for targeting the West Bengal CM on several occasions.

When asked what exactly “Humba humba ramba ramba,” means, Moitra in an exclusive interview with ‘The Lallantop’ said, “Humba Humba is a sound of a cow. In what context was it? Mamata Didi is an emotional speaker and the BJP IT cell targets her by releasing such videos.”

Moitra meanwhile also indicated that Mamata Banerjee speaks on the spot and that she does not use the teleprompter while delivering her speeches. “We narrate stories, and jokes, and use them to put up our point. This is how we develop connections with several people who stay in the villages,” she said.

She also targeted the Prime Minister of India and said that he uses a teleprompter to deliver his speeches. She reiterated that Mamata Banerjee speaks from her heart and that she is a natural, intuitive speaker. “I don’t know in what context she said it. But it must have been some story that contained the sound of cow and only that much has been made viral,” the TMC MP added. (Time Stamp: around 15:12 minutes)

Notably, the video that is being talked about in the exclusive interview by Lallantop dates back to February 2021. Banerjee was seen uttering gibberish, “Humba humba ramba ramba kamba kamba,” in one of the rallies ahead of the 2022 West Bengal assembly elections. “Humba humba ramba ramba kamba kamba dumba dumba bumba bumba bamba bamba” is what Mamata seemed to have said in one of the election rallies whose video had massively gone viral over the internet.

It was reported that the West Bengal CM had used these words back then to describe the former Trinamool leaders who had left the party to join the BJP. The TMC supremo was heard saying that such former TMC leaders were ‘naughty cows’, and they mooed making several different sounds, not just the familiar ones.

The full context of the viral gibberish was noted by OpIndia. Mamata Banerjee then said, “A few naughty cows left the party to join BJP like Mir Jafar did in the Battle of Plassey. They are now making a lot of noise — hamba hamba, ramba ramba, kamba kamba, dumba dumba, bumba bumba, bamba bamba. There are some others too. The sooner they leave the party, the better. An empty cowshed is better than having bad cows. Good riddance. I do not sell the party for money.”

Notably, this is not the only instance when Mamata Banerjee seemed to have evoked laughter among social media users with her gibberish remarks. During one of her rants against the CAA, she had taken to unconventional sloganeering in opposition to the CAA. The most prominent among which went something like “Caa Caa Chi Chi, Chi Chi Chi Chi.”

She also had mocked Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda in 2020, hours after Nadda and the party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s convoy was attacked by alleged TMC party workers in West Bengal. She said that as BJP leaders have no other work, sometimes their chief ministers visit West Bengal, sometimes it is home minister Amit Shah who visits the state, and sometimes some ‘Chadda Madda Fadda Bhadda Nadda’ is here.

The videos of these incidents have also gone viral over social media.

Interestingly, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has been awarded the first Bangla Academy award for her ‘relentless literary pursuit’. The award was introduced in the year 2022 and CM Mamata was given the first award for her book ‘Kabita Bitan’.

The award to Mamata Banerjee was presented at the ‘Kavi Pranam’ event organized by the West Bengal government’s Information and Culture Department on May 10, 2022, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore.

It was claimed that Mamata’s name was chosen for the award by a panel of some of the best writers in the state.

Her book ‘Kabita Bitan’ was launched at the Kolkata Book Fair in the year 2020. The book contains 946 poems written by the chief minister herself.

Pakistan: Christian priest injured in shooting at Jaranwala, where Churches were vandalised and set ablaze weeks ago

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Christian priest injured in shooting at Jaranwala, where Churches were vandalised and set ablaze weeks ago

In another act of persecution of minorities in Pakistan, a Christian priest was shot at and injured by an unidentified suspect in Fai­sal­abad on Sunday night (3 September), Dawn news reported. 

Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu was discharged from the hospital on Monday afternoon and he had a dressing on his hand, the report added, citing sources. Sidhu is said to be the priest at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil.  

Following the Jaranwala shooting, an FIR was filed under Sections 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. 

According to the FIR, Father Sidhu stated that he was leading prayers in the church on the 28th of August when someone wrote objectionable religious slogans against him on the outer wall of the church. He added that these objectionable slogans were later whitewashed by police on his complaint. 

The complaint added that a few days ago when he went to drop his son off at school, a few bearded people threatened him. They reportedly said, “As our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of the church, soon you will also be deleted”. 

Narrating the incident, Father Sidhu stated that he was returning home from the church on Sunday evening (3 September) when an unidentified bearded man shot and injured him. Consequently, he was admitted to the Faisalabad DHQ Hospital from where he was discharged the next day. 

A spokesperson for Faisalabad police said that they are currently conducting an investigation into the case. 

As per media reports, the incident reportedly took place near Sem Nullah at Adda Khanoana, in Faisalabad tehsil while the Myong-Sang Naserth church is located in Reh­mat Town in Jaranwala tehsil. 

It is important to note that the Jaranwala area rose to the limelight a few weeks ago when coordinated attacks were launched on the Christian community living in this area. 

Evidently, in mid-August, the Islamists targeted the Christians in Jaranwala of the Faisalabad district in Pakistan, over blasphemy charges. The majority Muslim community attacked the minority Christian community and their churches. They reportedly vandalised and torched several Churches that were located in the neighbourhood. 

The mob carried out violent attacks on Churches allegedly after a Christian citizen, Saleem Masih, was accused of committing blasphemy against the Quran.  

Speaking on the horrific attack, Azad Marshall who is the President Bishop of Pakistan 

expressed his fear and helplessness over the predicament of Christians in Pakistan on the social media platform X. 

“Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests, and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message,” he tweeted.

He further added, “Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harassed having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran. We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom.” 

Notably, Pakistan’s treatment of its minorities, particularly Hindus, is already under the scanner and has been severely criticised multiple times in different international reports. The extremists in Pakistan are also notorious for using spurious charges and unfounded allegations to whip up communal passions in the name of blasphemy and for targeting minorities, including Hindus and Christians.

Continuation of Senthil Balaji as Minister without portfolio does not augur well with purity of administration and constitutional ethos: Madras High Court

OpIndia Staff
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Continuation of Senthil Balaji as Minister without portfolio does not augur well with purity of administration and constitutional ethos: Madras High Court

On Tuesday (5 September), the Madras High Court expressed its dissatisfaction over the continuation of arrested DMK leader V Senthil Balaji as Minister without portfolio in the Tamil Nadu government. The court observed that his continuance as a Minister without a portfolio in the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu cabinet serves no purpose, PTI reported. 

The court added that this does not augur well with the principles of good governance, purity in administration, and constitutional ethos.

However, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and Justice P D Audikesavalu left it to the Tamil Nadu CM to decide on the continuance of V Senthil Balaji in ministry. The bench stated that this decision falls within the prerogative of the Chief Minister. Subsequently, the court dismissed the petitions filed by two advocates and former AIADMK MP Dr J Jayavardhan.

Earlier, the petitioners, through their quo warranto petitions, questioned under what authority Balaji was holding the post of a Minister without portfolio. 

According to the petitioners, the high court, under Article 226 of the Constitution, has the power to declare a person unfit to hold a post. 

The petitioners said, “When a person becomes a disgrace to a post, the court can very well declare him unfit to the post. While the chief minister was right in removing Senthil Balaji’s portfolios after his arrest, he erred in allowing him to continue as a minister.” 

However, the Tamil Nadu government opposed the plea. It argued that a person could not be disqualified from holding the post for the sake of registration of an FIR. It added that unless a person was convicted of an offence, he or she was not disqualified from holding the post of a minister.

Senthil Balaji, who serves as a minister in the DMK government, was detained on June 14 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a cash-for-jobs scheme. Currently, he is in judicial custody at Puzhal Central Prison Hospital. 

Meanwhile, on August 13, ED arrested his brother RV Ashok in connection with the money laundering case from Kerala’s Kochi. Reportedly, Ashok had skipped several summons sent by the central probing agency prompting his arrest.

Ashok was arrested by the same ED team, which has been probing the minister’s case. Before his arrest, ED officials filed a 3000-page chargesheet against Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji. 

If they say Pakistan Murdabad, I will say Pakistan Zindabad: Meet Mohammad Akbar Lone, whom Kapil Sibal is representing in the Article 370 abrogation case

Dibakar Dutta
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If they say Pakistan Murdabad, I will say Pakistan Zindabad: Meet Mohammad Akbar Lone, whom Kapil Sibal is representing in the Article 370 abrogation case

A 5-judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court is hearing petitions, challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 of the Indian Constitution. One of the petitioners in the case is a National Conference (NC) leader named Mohammad Akbar Lone.

Lone, represented in court by veteran advocate and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal, is under fire for his pro-Pakistani stance. On Monday (September 5), Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud pulled up Sibal for the pro-Pakistani remarks of Lone.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Government of India, pointed out that the NC leader had raised pro-Pakistan slogans in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2018.

“He (Lone) should file an affidavit that I owe allegiance to the constitution of India. Because I am before the highest court of the country. And he must say that I strongly oppose terrorism and secessionism in J&K. He must come on record. He is the petitioner in the lead petition,” he suggested.

“We got your point. We will put it to Mr. Counsel during the rejoinder,” the Chief Justice of India noted. As expected, Kapil Sibal was reluctant to address the comments made by his client.

He claimed, “I am not concerned with that. If he has said it, in what circumstances, is it recorded, you ask him for an affidavit. I am not standing for him or what he said, if he said it.”

Sibal comes to the defence of Mohammad Akbar Lone

Kapil Sibal alleged that raising the issue of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ sloganeering by his client, Mohammad Akbar Lone, would lead to unnecessary media coverage.

“What has happened, it will only lead to media coverage. Let us not go that route. We are arguing a pure constitutional issue. There was a speaker of the BJP who was present there when this allegedly happened. There are some people who asked him to say something he didn’t say,” the ex-Congress leader was heard saying.

He further added, “It is not part of the record, it is withdrawn, it’s deleted. BJP speaker was there. He was asked to say something which people ask other people to say on the streets of this country. Why do we need to go into this?’”

Later, Sibal claimed “He (Lone) has sworn an oath as a Member to the Constitution of India. He is a citizen of India… How can he say otherwise.”

CJI Chandrachud then directed his client to file an affidavit before the court, stating his allegiance to the Indian constitution. He directed, “We want it from him that he unconditionally accepts that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and he abides and owes allegiance to the Constitution.”

NC leader files affidavit, avoids mention of Jammu and Kashmir

On Tuesday (September 5), the National Conference leader Akbar Lone filed his affidavit before the apex court. Far from condemning secessionism and terrorism, he even avoided mentioning that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

“That I am a responsible and dutiful citizen of the Union of India. I have exercised my right to approach this Hon’ble Court through Article 32 of the Constitution…That I reiterate the oath taken while being sworn in as Member of Parliament to preserve and uphold the provisions of the Constitution of India and to protect the territorial integrity of the Nation,” the affidavit read.

Interestingly, Kapil Sibal objected to the affidavit being read out in the court as the proceedings were being televised.

Solicitor General Tushar General did not mince any words and said, “India is referred to as if it is a foreign country. His affidavit must say that I withdraw these statements. I do not support terrorism, I do not support any separatist activity and no citizen in this country can logically say that.’”

Pro-Pakistan antecedents of Mohammad Akbar Lone

In February 2018, the National Conference leader raised slogans in favour of Pakistan in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the BJP criticised Pakistan over a terror attack on the Sunjuwan military camp. “Pakistan Zindabad,” he yelled in the midst of chaos in the Assembly.

Mohammad later defended his contentious remarks and claimed, “Mein Kashmiri hoon, Hindustani hoon ya Pakistani… jo bhi hoon, mein pehley to Musalmaan hoon (Whether I am Kashmiri, Indian or Pakistani, I am first a Muslim). My sentiments got hurt and I said Pakistan zindabad.” 

“Pakistan zindabad kehney se kya hota hai. Woh kahengey Pakistan murdabad, mein kahunga Pakistan zindabad. Iss se kya hota hai (What happens if I say Pakistan zindabad? If they say Pakistan murdabad, I will say Pakistan zindabad),” he brazened it out.

A year later in March 2019, the National Conference leader reiterated his pro-Pakistan stance and said that he would abuse whoever dared to abuse Pakistan.

“The other side of this is a Muslim country, it should remain prosperous and successful. Our friendship with them should intensify. India and Pakistan should have a friendship with each other and I am an admirer of this friendship. If anyone will abuse them once, I will abuse him ten times from here,” he was quoted as saying.

Conclusion

As such, Kapil Sibal representing Mohammad Akbar Lone in the apex court and opposing abrogation of Article 370 is problematic. Lone has not shied away from openly expressing his admiration for Pakistan, which has been occupying a portion of India’s Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan is opposed to the fact that J&K is an integral part of India. Lone has displayed his opposition to the same by opposing the aborgation of Article 370 and showcasing his allegiance to Muslim-majority Pakistan.

For Sibal, who has served several decades in Congress, to represent a secessionist politician such as Lone is a travesty. To add salt to the wound, the veteran politician and advocate also tried to contextualise the ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans raised by the National Conference politician.

He was also not concerned about the fact that Lone did not explicitly mention that J&K is an integral part of India. Sibal was concerned that it was being televised to the rest of the country.

Congress shares the Preamble to the Constitution to oppose replacing India with Bharat, deletes it after netizens point out glaring spelling mistakes

OpIndia Staff
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Congress shares the Preamble to the Constitution to oppose replacing India with Bharat, deletes it after netizens point out glaring spelling mistakes

Amid speculations that the Indian government would soon move a resolution to adopt Bharat as the country’s official name, the principal opposition party had a faux pas moment when it tried to oppose the move by sharing a picture of the Preamble of the country. The copy of the Preamble shared by Congress was rife with spelling errors.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the official account of Congress shared a picture of the Preamble to the Constitution of India. The party tweeted that it is impossible to erase India.

However, the Congress party’s pontification was shortlived as social media users ridiculed the party for numerous spelling errors in the document shared by it.

Spellings of ‘solemnly’ and ‘Republic’ were written as ‘solemny’ and ‘Repubic’ respectively while ‘opportunity’, ‘belief’, and ‘this’ were spelt as ‘oppertunity’, ‘brief’, and ‘thus’.

JP Nadda, the national president of the BJP, lambasted the Congress for disrespecting the Constitution and its chief architect Dr BR Ambedkar, after it shared a picture of the Preamble brimming with spelling mistakes.

Social media users also hauled Congress over the coals for treating the Preamble with frivolity and not checking it for typos before pontificating over it. 

One user sharply commented Congress is fully fake, adding that first it was fake Gandhis and now fake Preamble of the Constitution.

Yet another X user remarked that under the leadership of Supriya Shrinate, the social media team of Congress shared a copy of the Preamble with several typos.

Many others too joined in to criticise the Congress party.

Before long, after facing backlash for sharing a typo-laden Preamble, the official X account of Congress removed its tweet.

The party then shared a corrected version of the Preamble of the Constitution.

Earlier today, unconfirmed and speculative reports of the Indian government mulling to adopt the constitutionally sanctioned ‘Bharat’ name over India sent the opposition parties into a tizzy, with several prominent politicians proffering absurd logical and tedious explanations to claim that the Centre cannot grant ‘Bharat’ preeminence over India.

Many others, who welcomed the move, added that by identifying India as Bharat, the Modi government is reclaiming its civilisational identity, long smothered by multiple waves of Islamic invasions followed by two centuries of British colonialism and subsequently over seven decades of suppression by successive Congress governments.

Delhi Court hands over the death penalty to Akram, Shahid and Ali in 2015 case, had raped and killed ‘sister’ with a screwdriver, murder her 2 minor kids

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Court hands over the death penalty to Akram, Shahid and Ali in 2015 case, had raped and killed ‘sister’ with a screwdriver, murder her 2 minor kids

On Tuesday, September 5, the Tis Hazari Court in the national capital awarded a death sentence to three individuals named Shahid, Akram, and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali in a 2015 case that pertained to robbery, criminal conspiracy, rape and triple murder. This matter pertains to the area of Khyala police station in West Delhi.

While the death penalty was awarded for their involvement in the heinous crimes of murder and criminal conspiracy, the court also handed over life imprisonment for their roles in the gang rape and robbery. Each of the convicts was also fined Rs 35,000.

According to reports, the convicts had first killed the woman with a screwdriver and then strangulated her. Notably, one of the convicts Mohammad Akram used to refer to the deceased woman as his sister. After killing the woman, they reportedly killed her two children aged 7 and 6 and then robbed the house.

The court while announcing the quantum of punishment, said that the convicts were aware that the woman’s husband had gone to Jaipur and they executed the dastardly conspiracy by breaching the woman’s trust.

The police had registered an FIR against the convicts in 2015 based on a complaint filed by the husband of the deceased. He said in his complaint that when he returned home he discovered his wife and two children dead on the second floor of their house in Raghubir Nagar, Delhi. The door had been latched from the outside, and his wife’s neck was tied with a dupatta, while his daughter’s neck was tied with a handkerchief. The complaint reportedly mentioned missing jewellery and money.

Four persons, namely Shahid, Akram, and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali and a minor (juvenile), were initially booked on the charges of criminal conspiracy and murder. Based on the post-mortem report of the deceased woman, the police added Section 376 (rape) of IPC in the FIR filed against the trio.

The probe first led to the arrest of the accused, Shahid and Akram on October 4, 2015, from a park near Raghuveer Nagar. They were found with incriminating evidence in their possession, including mobile phones and SIM cards. During interrogation, Shahid and Akram confessed to raping and killing the woman and killing her two children. They also named Rafat Ali as their accomplice, after which the police nabbed Ali and the juvenile involved in the case from Aligarh.

On August 22, 2023, the three accused were convicted based on the strong chain of evidence the police found linking them to the gruesome incident.

The judge stated, “There is a constant chain of evidence when the three accused were seen going upstairs to the place of the incident, and thereafter, the heinous crime of three murders, one rape, and robbery came to light.”

The court emphasised that the accused had conspired in the case, and this was substantiated by call records and the recoveries made following disclosure statements. According to the records, the accused were in contact before, during, and after the crime was committed, confirming their close involvement.

“Therefore, though no content of the calls is on record, their call records are showing very unusual conduct, indicating intensely their involvement in the commission of the offence of three murders, rape, and robbery,” the judge said.

Today, the court announced the quantum of punishment for the three convicts. Special Fast Track Court Judge Aanchal of Tis Hazari Court awarded the death sentence to Shahid, Akram and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali for the offence under section 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). 

As Hinduphobic US professor Audrey Truschke steps up to support Udhayanidhi Stalin’s speech on eradicating Sanatan Dharma, her old anti-Hindu tweets surface

OpIndia Staff
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As Hinduphobic US professor Audrey Truschke steps up to support Udhayanidhi Stalin’s speech on eradicating Sanatan Dharma, her old anti-Hindu tweets surface

Since udhayanidhi Stalin called Sanatan Dharma dengue, mosquitoes, malaria and corona while urging to eradicate them, many people came out in his support. Amid the controversy, old posts on X (formerly Twitter) of the so-called professor on an anti-Hindu crusade, Audrey Truschke, have surfaced where she claimed that the term ‘Sanatan Dharma’ was coined in the 19th century during British Rule in India.

In one of the posts in the thread, she wrote, “The term “Sanatan dharma” was coined in the 19th century, during British colonialism. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Most terms for Hindu traditions or strands thereof — including Hinduism and Brahmanism –were coined during the British colonial period.”

Source: X

She further added that the more specific context of “Sanatana Dharma” was the Hindu Reform movements, “a group of organisations and individuals, overwhelmingly upper caste, who sought to significantly alter Hindu traditions.”

In a recent tweet, she quoted a paper on Hinduism she had written in January this year and said, “Sanatana dharma” is in the news. This phrase has a history, perhaps a bit more recent than many realize.”

Source: X

Going through her paper, we find the mention of Sanatan Dharma with her claims that it was coined in the 19th century. Interestingly, she provided no substantial proof that it was an old or comparatively new term. She wrote, “Their self-description of “Sanatana dharma” dates to the nineteenth-century Hindu reform movements. In this sense, it is useful to consider “Sanatana dharma” alongside other terms coined in the colonial era, such as “Hinduism” and “Brahminism.”

Excerpt from Audrey’s paper.

There was no citation, no mention of the Hindu scriptures like Ramayana, Mahabharata or Manusmriti. There is a meme going around these days for people like Audrey who do not explain the source of their information. If asked, Audrey might behave like the meme and say, “Trust Me Bro”!

Image Source: Trust me bro!!!!

The argument that Sanatan Dharma was coined in the 19th century is not limited to Audrey. In a recent article in the Indian Express, author Adhrija Roychowdhury drew lines in the parallel. “It is only more recently, particularly since the late 19th century, that Sanatan Dharma has been used to signify Hinduism as a distinct religion. It is used to evoke a certain homogeneity in Hinduism, without specifying how exactly that homogeneity is constituted.”

She quoted, ‘Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices’ (1994) by Julius J Lipner, a professor of Hinduism at the University of Cambridge. Interestingly, he mentioned that Arjuna used Santana Dharma as a term in Gita during his conversation with Krishna on the battlefield. But the point is that these Western authors claimed that Sanatan Dharma was never used in scarcity before the 19th century can be a well-established way to discredit the religion Hindus followed in India before invaders came 1,000 years ago.”

While Western historians themselves agree that Sanatan Dharma, as a term, has been used several times in Hindu text that is older than the other religions of the world, Christianity and Islam, the likes of Audrey emphasise the notion that the term “Sanatana Dharma” only came into existence in the 19th century. Imagine being under the rule of invaders for over 700 years and seeing the essence of your Dharma or religion burning to ashes; how would it have been possible to talk about Dharma at that time? Obviously, many common terminologies would have vanished from the history books.

During a debate on Times Now, one of the prominent speakers on Sanatan Dharma, Dushyant Sridhar, dismantled the notion that Sanatan Dharma is a comparatively new term. During his argument in the debate, he mentioned how Sanatan Dharma was used in Ramayana, Mahabharata and other Hindu scriptures.

He pointed out that Bhagwan Ram used the word Sanatan Dharma during his conversation with Bali, where he told him that it was against Sanatan Dharma to try to have a physical relationship with his brother’s wife. Sanatan Dharma was used by Krishna while telling Arjuna about the Eternal truth.

The 25th Shloka of Baal Kaand in Valmiki Ramayana reads, “राज्यभारनियुक्तानामेष धर्मस्सनातन:, translating to, “Those who have the responsibility of maintaining the state, it is their Sanatan Dharma.

Shloka 12 of 162 chapter of 12th Parv in Mahabharata reads, “सत्यं सत्सु सदा धर्मः सत्यं धर्मः सनातनः । सत्यमेव नमस्येत सत्यं हि परमा गतिः ॥ ४ , translating to “For truthful people, truth is Sanatan Dharma. Bow down in front of the truth because truth is eternal salvation.”

Countless mentions of Sanatan Dharma in Hindu texts date back thousands of years. The notion presented by Audrey in her tweet has no base.

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