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Russia gas station explosion: Death toll now 27, over 100 injured

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The death toll from an explosion at a filling station in Russia’s Makhachkala has gone up to 27, TASS News Agency reported citing Sergey Mekilov, head of the Dagestan Region.

“As of 6:00 a.m. local time (3:00 a.m. GMT) on August 15, the tragedy killed 27 people and left 102 injured,” Melikov’s press service quoted him as saying.

According to the regional head, there were three children among those killed.

The explosion occurred opposite a filling station in Makhachkala on Monday night. Following this, fire erupted in the area which reached 600 square meters. The open fire was extinguished.

Earlier, while Speaking to reporters, Dagestan Head Sergey Melikov said that the explosion occurred opposite the filling station. Melikov said that the “causes and nature” of the explosion are being determined, TASS reported.

As per the news report, two out of eight fuel tanks exploded. More than 70 people and 20 pieces of equipment were involved in containing the fire. Police and city officials were moving people away from the spot as there is a risk of a second explosion.

According to the regional prosecutor’s office, an inspection has been conducted in connection with the fire at the filling station, TASS reported. Senior Dagestani officials reached at the site of the incident while the first deputy head of the Russian Health Ministry Viktor Fisenko arrived in Dagestan.

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

Pakistanis mad, sad and calling Dubai bad: Here is how confusion over Burj Khalifa Independence Day display became a hot topic on social media

On 14th August, a video went viral on social media. It showed hundreds of Pakistanis gathered near the Burj Khalifa waiting to see their flag displayed on the world’s tallest skyscraper.

The video narrator says that it is already past midnight but no Pakistan flag has been displayed. “Pakistanis you have been pranked, people are saying you deserve this”. The Pakistani public was seen rising Pakistan Zindabad slogans, but Burj Khalifa remains blank.

On 15 August, a popular Pakistani YouTube channel Sana Amjad shared a video where Pakistanis were visibly upset that on 14 August Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa did not display the Pakistani flag and wished Pakistan on the occasion of their Independence Day.

The host Sana Amjad shared that a lot of Pakistanis living in Dubai had gathered near Burj Khalifa, whose stylish and vibrant displays in the glass face of the world’s tallest skyscraper are a popular tourist attraction.

However, apparently, Pakistanis were left disappointed. Speaking to Amjad, Pakistanis expressed disappointment and lamented over Pakistan losing its stature. They even stated that on 15th August Burj Khalifa will definitely display vibrant congratulatory wishes for India, for the Indian Independence Day.

The sad and dismayed Pakistanis claimed that UAE’s love for India is because of a strong trade partnership and Pakistan is losing the love it earlier enjoyed because of economic reasons. The host even asserted that not just Independence Day messages, Burj Khalifa regularly displays PM Modi’s image to praise and congratulate him for various reasons. For some reason, the video was made unavailable on Youtube.

In fact, starting from 14th August when Pakistanis started getting upset over the lack of display at the Burj Khalifa, social media was abuzz with speculations and trolling from the Indian side about Pakistan getting snubbed by Burj Khalifa.

The angry reactions by Pakistanis became a topic of discussion in India too.

A video went viral on social media showing dismayed Pakistanis waiting near Burj Khalifa for the display, saying that the display never came. It was grabbed by many meme makers in India to troll Pakistanis.

Finally, the Instagram handle of Burj Khalifa shared a video, where they showed Pakistan’s national flag and an Independence Day message were displayed on the building.

However, there was a problem with the display. The congratulatory message showed ‘Happy 76th Independence Day’ for Pakistan. This triggered another debate on social media on whether the message was just a ‘typo’ or Burj Khalifa just played last year’s video.

However, the last year’s display did not include any 76th, or any number. It just had Pakistan’s flag and played Pakistan’s anthem by Navy Band.

In 2022, Emaar’s official Instagram handle displayed Pakistan’s flag and played Pakistan’s national anthem to congratulate Pakistan on its Independence Day.

Pakistan and India are celebrating 77th Independence Day, not 76th

The display of the 76th Independence Day on Burj Khalifa created another speculation that this was probably a mistake done in haste or a previous year’s video has been played.

Video uploaded by Burj Khalifa showed ’76th Independence Day’

Many Pakistani handles shared the video shared by Burj Khalifa, claiming the display happened and that it was the 76th Independence Day.

However, the government of Pakistan, in Pakistan has been officially celebrating the 77th Independence Day, just like India, because it has been exactly 76 years since 1947. So as 14 August (15th August for India) was the 1st Independence Day, 2023 makes the 77th Independence Day.

The official handle of the President of Pakistan has wished fellow citizens on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day, not the 76th, as claimed by the Dubai skyscraper.

It is not clear whether the ’76th’ part was an inadvertent error by some technician or indeed an old video was played.

Burj Khalifa’s I-Day wishes for India have no ambiguity, no confusion, skyscraper lit up to display a vibrant Tricolour for India

No such confusions and controversies were made for India though. The Burj Khalifa did light up in a vibrant display of the colors of the Indian flag, to the joy and cheers of Indians, on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day of India.

The displays at Burj Khalifa are a source of joy for ex-pat Indians and Pakistanis. However, the controversy and confusion over this year’s display seem to have made our neighbors upset.

It is understandable here that at the stroke of midnight on 14th August, there was no display of the Pakistani flag on Burj Khalifa, which understandably made Pakistanis angry, as many of them expect a special friendship from the UAE, for being a ‘Muslim’ country. It is possible that after gauging social media reactions, the Burj Khalifa handle shared the display, albeit with a typo, calling it the 76th Independence Day.

My heart and citizenship are both Indian: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar shares his certificate of Indian citizenship, silences ‘Canada Kumar’ brigade

On the occasion of India’s 77th Independence Day, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar informed his fans that he has finally been granted Indian citizenship.

In a tweet, he said, “My heart and citizenship are both Indian. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind.” Akshay Kumar also shared the certificate of citizenship, which is issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Akshay Kumar applied for Indian citizenship in December 2019 to put an end to his Canadian nationality controversy. While speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the actor said that he indeed was mulling over giving up his Canadian passport and embracing Indian citizenship.

He informed that he wanted to move to Canada with his friend after a series of flop films. By the time he was granted Canadian citizenship, Akshay Kumar’s 15th movie became a super hit.

He thus stayed back in India and continued with his successful career in Bollywood. Akshay Kumar had to brave ‘foreign jibes’ for contributing to Assam flood relief and supporting the Indian army after the Galwan Valley clash.

With the actor getting his Indian citizenship, the vicious ecosystem of left-liberals who would mock his patriotism and call him ‘Canada Jumar’ has been rendered silent.

Let them squirm, let them scream and protest, but Chinese funding of NewsClick must stay in the news: Why we cannot lose this battle

Who would have thunk it? That of all people, New York Times will give BJP and the right-wing ecosystem the biggest talking point in years. Of course, we knew. There was nothing new in the NYT expose. Maybe some minor details, which I am pretty sure the government already knew just not released while investigations were on.

The Facebook and Pegasus saga was a bit too esoteric. Ordinary Indians will scratch their heads reading all those technical jargon and may just move on. The ecosystem could brazen it out. 

But will they be able to brazen this one out too? That too when it involves not just one but so many of them. Signs are that this is exactly what they are trying to do – look at the omerta that hangs heavy like a fog even on a hot summer day. Try finding “fearless independent journalists” tweeting or talking about this. 

Let us see.

Without repeating a lot of stuff that is already out there and boring you, let me instead focus on a few points that I think are worth thinking about. Forgive me if they are sort of random…there is a pattern though. If you can read between the lines.

First things first. I must replug my old article, repeating the suggestion I made then – ALL donations from overseas, by non-Indians, MUST go to a common central fund that will be distributed to states as per population weightage.

We can never “prove” certain things. WhatsApp chats, emails etc are easy to destroy or conceal. Mobiles can be thrown away. How do you prove a sold-out treacherous mindset? Does Kim Jong Un issue daily instructions to his media to sing his tune? Does Xi Jin Ping tell his coolies in India what narratives to peddle? No, they KNOW what to say. A wink and a nod don’t qualify as evidence in courts.

The best way is to stop the money trail. Bomb the supply lines. Then we are left with a few hardcore ideologues, not the battalions of brown noses, bootlickers, and hangers-on that just need to fund their Chianti bottles and London trips. They will move to greener pastures.

The second point worth noticing is the startling similarities between the way the jihadist Islamist cabal operates and the way their “all-weather, sweeter than honey” leftist allies do. 

We have dog-rearing, whisky-sipping Generals in Pakistan earning millions of dollars in various corrupt ways and living luxurious lives, telling poor Muslim boys that they must wear suicide jackets and go die for Islam. And many boys, mostly from poor families and lower social ranks, do.

And then we have these Chianti-sipping urban upper caste charlatans live like Princes, tweet from Paris cafes or London pubs, wear Rs.15 lakh Nirav Modi necklaces, that collect “salaries” in lakhs (the amounts floating around in the net are mind-boggling) from shady sources, fly to Europe at drop of hat – telling poor lower caste village Maoist boys, to become cannon fodder because theirs is a “just struggle”.

I have written about this too. Poor Muslims believe these frauds too and get incited by their incendiary propaganda, supposedly in their interest. The chaos, riots and violence that result mean more donations for these frauds to spend on themselves. It is time they open their eyes. 

Making ordinary Indians understand the motives, agendas, methods, and chicanery of these urban Naxals is a HUGE challenge for BJP as well as all right-thinking Indians. 

How many Indians know that what is being sold to them as fearless independent journalism is Chinese propaganda by a Stalinist Maoist ideology that has only resulted in rapist savagery and mass murders on a horrendous scale in India and globally? How to explain the alliance of convenience between these forces and fascist looter families? 

We cannot afford to lose this battle. 

Ease of doing business!

I read that Gautam Navlakha and Prabir Purkayastha incorporated a company to receive funds! Assuming that is true, that must be thanks to Modi’s reforms. We are blessed to live in an India where revolutionaries start incorporating companies and not blast railway tracks. No wonder India’s rank is up in these ease of business rankings. A welcome change indeed. But I am just curious were shares issues with the poor proletariats that fight in the jungles? Are they given dividends out of YouTube earnings and “export of services” earnings? I guess not. 

Now back to my favourite topic of babudom. 

There are many ways to fund these scams. Outright donation is a problem because it can be taxed. Unless you float NGO, get tax exemption. But “fascist” Modi tightened that screw. Plus a news magazine cannot be an NGO. 

One other trick is to issue shares to foreign “investors” at a huge premium. For a newly floated private company that has no revenue, and no listing plans or products, a Rs10 share will be sold for, say, Rs.11,000. That is supposed to be capital receipt not income – so not taxed. 

Out of that money, payoffs will be made to whoever the boss from abroad says needs to be paid – that will be shown as a loss in the books. Or reduce income – so there is tax savings there too. 

To be fair, the UPA regime was aware of this. They faced the Church-funded anti-Kudankulam protests and several other attempts to sabotage vital infrastructure projects. P Chidambaram brought in the dreaded tax terror law of treating such dubious receipts as income. But then this affected lots and lots of genuine startups who were forced to pay tax on what was a genuine share sale. To catch the 1% and fail even in that, we harassed 99%. Some were even forced to close shop because ITOs froze their bank accounts. 

Sadly, both AJ and NS have not only NOT removed this but made it worse.

There are significant legal and regulatory challenges that confront the government – be it CONgress or BJP. How do you catch them? Today as we read about Newsclick, it may seem these nonsensical laws are needed but we can do better. But our babus must be told to come up with better suggestions. If not get rid of them and get private talent. They will know how to leave the 99% alone but get the 1% – not the other way around as it is now. That is how Singapore does it. We can too if we try.

Avoid heavy handed action

As I mentioned, taking them on with evidence is a challenge. Any government action must ultimately end up in courts where hard evidence matters and where sympathies are entirely with the leftist cabal, as we have repeatedly seen. Ordinary Indians languish in jails for decades for petty crimes even without a hearing, but these people get midnight hearings on priority.

What can be done?

In my honest opinion, any ham-handed action will only give these frauds license to play the martyr. NYT will flip on a dime and disown the entire story – and blame Modi for attacking free media. Editors Guild, which has been remarkably silent on this saga, will join the chorus tune. UN, Rihanna, Biden admin, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and Trudeau will all be summoned to come to the aid of the party.

The ecosystem is too big. 

Modi sarkar must take the case direct to people of the country.

In my simple mind, I can think of simple actions GOI can do. Lay out and make public evidence on the money trail. With a clear indisputable paper trail. How much was paid, and by who to who? There do not even have to be associations of guilt with such payments. Just show proof of payments. 

Then the martyrs become the defendants. They must say why they were paid so much and for what. The ordinary public will stop believing them. More importantly, other coolies of the same ecosystem, that lick for much less, will start demanding more. There will be catfights. One such fight broke out when a prominent Islamist fake NGO fundraiser was disowned by a few other fellow frauds. Because ultimately it is about money.  They may start leaking juicy details.

It will be fun to watch. 

Another variation of the “bedha” tactic is to carefully observe the tension within the left cabal and make use of it. The very fact that NYT chose to publish this and not bury tells us many things. Their key priority is to get Biden or a woke re-elected. A few brown coolies thrown under the bus hardly matter. It also means woke left in the USA unlike the Beijing serfs of the Indian left, sees China as a national security threat. Again I’ve written about this. 

Indian Stalinist left ‘activists’ know this and have carefully camouflaged themselves, removing all overt symbols and adopting woke lingo. Some even started declaring pronouns to get a lick of Soros orifices and the funding that can flow.

I think this must be done at the higher levels of government. While Modi sarkar is working lock step with West and Biden Admin, be it arms procurement and joint manufacturing, QUAD or ending China’s stranglehold on medicine APIs, tech manufacturing, it cannot allow the efforts to be sabotaged cheaply by China. 

Highlighting and convincing the American woke left about Indian leftists’ obedience to Beijing – a birth defect that can’t be fixed – and it’s agendas and narratives, a lot of evangelist and even leftist woke funding routes will dry up. Hope this plan is being worked on. I don’t see much evidence of that though.

And if clear evidence is found by which we can draw a thick line from Beijing to the bank accounts, come down like a ton of bricks. Show no sympathy. Treat them as Mao or Stalin would have treated them for such offences.

More importantly, DON’T let this get out of the news. Control over the media/academia ecosystem, Wikipedia etc., gives leftists enormous ability to erase news and facts from our conscience. My suggestion to BJP spokies is simple – EVERY TIME they are called to discuss ANYTHING on TV, by the GOXI media (thanks Karthikeya Tanna), mention this saga. At least until May 2024. Point out their hypocrisy and omerta.

Let them squirm. Let them protest. Let them shout. But it will stay in the news. 

Love Jihad in Assam: Gulzar Ahmed, a father of three children, marries Hindu girl by faking identity, beats her up brutally for refusing to eat beef

A case of love jihad has come to the fore from the Lakhimpur district of Assam. Here a married man and a father of three children- Gulzar Ahmed, trapped a Hindu girl by pretending to be a Hindu. He married her in 2016 after which the atrocities on the victim began. The accused continuously pressurised her to consume beef and assaulted her when she refused to consume it.

The victim, not being able to endure the repeated torture, has now lodged a complaint with the local police and appealed for help. On August 12, @SouleFacts took to the microblogging site X, formally Twitter to share a video of the victim. Speaking to the media, the Hindu woman burst into tears as she recounted the seven years of abuse and brutality she endured at the hands of Gulzar Ahmed and his family. The victim pleaded with the authorities to render her justice.

On August 13, the National Commission for Women took cognisance of the incident. The women’s body took to X to write, “Troubling incident came to light: Allegations state a Muslim man posed as Hindu, marrying a Hindu girl who faced a violent attack for refusing beef. Urgent steps required. National Commission for Women has directed DGP Assam for a comprehensive investigation in a time-bound manner.”

Like in most such cases, Gulzar Ahmed introduced himself to the victim as a Hindu. He convinced the victim to marry him pretending to be madly in love with her. The duo tied the knot in 2016, after which hell broke loose at the Hindu girl.

Gulzar Ahmed took her home after marriage, where the victim came to know about his true identity. She also realised that Gulzar was not only married previously but was also a father of three children.

The Hindu girl’s problems saw no end after she learned of Gulzar Ahmed’s deceit. The accused and his family started torturing her. She was forced to eat beef, and when she refused to consume the beef, Gulzar Ahmed physically beat her.

The torture continued. In the interim, a son was born to the victim, however, after the birth of the boy, the torture further increased on her. The victim recalled how every year, Gulzar Ahmed forced her to eat beef on the day after Eid. But when she resisted, Gulzar Ahmed viciously beat her up with plastic pipes.

The woman said that she was so fed up with the atrocities that once, she went to the Khelmati outpost and lodged a complaint against Gulzar Ahmed and his family. Later, however, Gulzar Ahmed reached the police station and brought her back. He promised in front of the police officials not to torture her in future, however, Gulzar Ahmed resumed hitting the victim as soon as they got home. The victim recalled Gulzar beating her up mercilessly with a helmet for going to the police.

This time the torture went past the tolerable limit and the victim was physically and emotionally at the end of her tether. She left for her parent’s house and is currently staying there. The victim is now hoping that the women’s commission would take action in her case and render her justice.

10 years of PM Modi addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day: Here are some highlights of his speeches through the years

With the country geared up for the 77th Independence Day celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the celebrations on Tuesday from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. 

Around 1,800 people from different walks of life and from all across the country have been invited as special guests to the main celebratory event in the national capital. 

India completed 75 years of independence last year and entered the ‘Amrit Kaal’, a period of 25 years for making the country a developed nation by 2047. 

PM Modi’s address from the ramparts will be his 10th Independence Day speech. The speeches over the years have reflected the goals and progress made by the country in various spheres. 

A look at PM Modi’s Independence Day speeches. 

2014: 

In his first-ever Independence Day address weeks after he was sworn in as the Prime Minister, PM Modi described himself as the “pradhan sevak” of the country. 
Stressing collective efforts, he urged people to move one step forward which will mean the country collectively moving many steps forward.“ We have to proceed along with the participation of the people,” he had said. 

Among the key announcements in his maiden Red Fort address was the ‘Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana’, which was aimed at the financial inclusion of citizens and banking the unbanked. 

The zero-balance Jan Dhan bank account holder was given a debit card and guaranteed insurance of Rs 1 lakh rupees to deal with any contingency.PM Modi laid thrust on domestic manufacturing for checking the country’s export-import imbalance. 

He appealed to people all over the world to “come, Make in India”.”Come, manufacture in India…Sell in any country of the world but manufacture here. We have got skill, talent, discipline, and determination to do something. We want to give the world a favourable opportunity, ” PM Modi said. 

He also announced that a ‘clean India’ campaign would be launched on Gandhi Jayanti later that year. The Prime Minister laid thrust on all schools in the country to have toilets with separate toilets for girls so that they are not compelled to leave schools midway. 

He also set a deadline and said that by the next Independence Day, the country should be in a position to announce that there is no school in India without separate toilets for boys and girls. 

2015: 

PM Modi spoke about the non-availability of electricity in some areas and said it will be made available to the remaining 18,500 villages in the next 1000 days. 
“I took the meeting of government officials and enquired from them about the timeline. Someone promised to complete the task till 2019, and someone assured to complete it till 2022. Some were hesitant due to dense forests or snowy hills, and some had apprehension due to the inaccessibility of certain areas. But, it is now the solemn pledge of the ‘Team India’ of 1.25 billion countrymen that the target of providing electric polls, electric wires and electricity to these 18,500 villages would be achieved within the next 1000 days,” he had said. 

In a move that had touched the lives of millions of job-seekers, PM Modi called upon the state governments and the central government departments to discontinue interviews for junior-level posts and suggested such jobs should be given just on the basis of merit. 

PM Modi also announced that the government had, in principle, accepted the ‘One Rank One Pension’ demand of armed forces personnel. He also announced the ambitious Housing for All programme. 

2016: 

PM Modi announced the government had decided to raise pensions for freedom fighters by 20 per cent. For Below Poverty Line families, PM Modi announced the government will bear expenditures up to Rs 1 lakh per year so that their healthcare needs can be taken care of. 

PM Modi had also taken a veiled dig at Pakistan over its support of cross-border terrorism. 

“I say to our neighbours, Let’s fight poverty, by fighting our own people we will destroy ourselves, only by fighting poverty together will we prosper,” he said. The Prime Minister said India’s scientists have created 131 types of high-yielding variety seeds so that output can be maximised. 

“I congratulate them. The shortage of fertiliser is like something out of a bad dream of the past. That shortage is history,” he had said. 

2017: 

PM Modi spoke about steps for the welfare of farmers and doubling their income.“Together we will build such an India where the farmers can sleep without worry. They will earn double by 2022 what they are earning today,” he said. 

He touched upon growing digital transactions across the country and gave a clarion call to the citizens to move towards a “less-cash economy”. Noting the development pace of India was not uniform, PM Modi laid thrust on the rapid development of eastern parts of the country. 

2018: 

PM Modi announced India’s “Gaganyaan” plan, a manned space mission. India’s human space flight mission is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. 

PM Modi announced the date of the launch of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan — September 25, which is the anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. 

The landmark scheme provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. 

In another key move, PM Modi announced that women officers of the Short Service Commission in the Indian Armed Forces would be eligible for permanent commission. 

2019: 

In line with his ‘clean India’ initiative, PM Modi said the country will become open defecation free. 

“I had flagged the issue of Swachhata from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2014 and a few weeks from now on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, India will become an open defecation-free nation,” he had said. 

As part of reforms in defence forces, PM Modi announced India will have a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, in Tamil Nadu, was the country’s first CDS. 

2020: 

PM Modi announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission. Through the mission, every Indian will be given a Health ID. This Health ID will work like a Health Account for every Indian. 

“The National Digital Health Mission will eliminate all these difficulties related to an appointment with a doctor, depositing money, making a slip in the hospital, etc. We are devising a system which will help each and every citizen to make a better and informed decision,” he asserted. 

PM Modi said his government had decided that within 1000 days, it will complete the work of connecting villages with optical fibre. 

Prime Minister announced a major push to the infrastructure sector. He said the government is prioritizing infrastructure for faster development with the help of the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) project. Over Rs.110 lakh crore would be invested in the NIP. 

He talked about the growing speed and scale of online digital transactions. 

2021: 

Faced with supply disruptions during the pandemic, PM Modi called for a greater need for adopting a holistic and integrated approach to infrastructure construction. Against that backdrop, PM Modi announced will soon launch the National Master Plan or ‘Gati Shakti’. 

“This scheme of more than 100 lakh crores rupees will result in new employment opportunities for lakhs of youth.” 

In the fight against malnutrition and to provide better nutrition to the poor, PM Modi decided that the government will distribute fortified rice. 

He announced the National Hydrogen Mission aimed at making India a global hub for Green Hydrogen production and export. 

He lauded scientists and said India was able to develop two Make in India COVID Vaccines and carry out the world’s Largest Vaccine Drive. 

2022: 

PM Modi said that Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is being celebrated with the campaign to build 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district. “People from every village are joining the campaign and offering their services. With their own efforts, the people are running a massive campaign for water conservation in their respective villages,” he said. 

The Prime Minister said people must focus their attention on the “Panch Pran” for the coming 25 years. 

He spelt out Panch Pran of Amrit Kaal- “the goal of developed India, to remove any trace of the colonial mindset, taking pride in our roots, unity and sense of duty among citizens”. 

He remembered Lal Bahadur Shastri for his clarion call of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan meaning “Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer. 

“Later Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji added a new link of Jai Vigyan which meant “hail science” and we gave it utmost importance. But in this new phase Amritkal now it is imperative to add jai Anusandhaan that is “hail innovation”. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhaan,” the Prime Minister said.

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

‘Not last, they are the first villages of India’: Read what are ‘Vibrant Villages’ and how the Modi govt is including them to strengthen border infra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today during his address from the Red Fort on the occasion of 77th Independence Day said that the villages that were known as the ‘last village of India’ are in fact the ‘first villages of India’ under the BJP government. PM Modi dedicated a significant part of his address to the Vibrant Villages Programme highlighting the role of rural India in the nation’s development.

The Prime Minister said, “We started the Vibrant Border Village program. And Vibrant Border Villages were known as the country’s last village but we changed that mindset. The village you see on the border is my country’s first village. When the sun rises, the first ray falls on the first village on this side (east), and when the sun sets, the last ray falls on the first village on that side (west). These are my first villages.”

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the 600 pradhans (heads) of Vibrant Villages who were invited as guests for the I-day celebrations.

The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) was announced in the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech in 2022. The program envisages coverage of border villages on India’s frontiers having sparse populations, limited connectivity, and infrastructure, which often get left out of the development gains. It covers the border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh.

On 10th April this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched VVP at Kibithoo – a border village in Arunachal Pradesh. He announced that the program will be implemented in three phases in a bid to promote tourism and provide urban facilities in the villages and stop migration from the areas.

Shah also inaugurated 9 micro hydel projects of the Arunachal Government and 14 infrastructure projects for Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) worth Rs.120 crore. The first phase of the program aims to cover a population of about 1.42 Lakh in 662 villages in 46 blocks. Under this scheme, Rs. 4800 crore will be spent from 2022 to 2026 and 11 districts, 28 blocks, and 1451 villages have been included in the first phase.

Under VVP, the Centre intends to provide improved facilities to every person living in the villages and provide the benefits of various schemes to the people. Promoting financial inclusion and economic opportunities is also the aim to bolster the rural economy at the border areas. Shah said that these villages will be developed while preserving and promoting tourism, local culture, and language.

Amit Shah at the Vibrant Village of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh

Another goal of VVP is to stop migration from border villages for which employment-generating opportunities are being generated. The HM had said that a five-year target has been set to bring back the normal situation in the villages affected by migration.

Rs Rs.4800 crore for the FY 2022-23 to 2025-26 including Rs.2500 crore specifically for road connectivity have been allotted by the Centre for the Vibrant Village Programme. 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts along the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been identified for comprehensive development under the programme.

The government aims to ensure the participation and responsibility of the Panchayat and Gram Sabha in the administration at the Central, State, District, and Block-levels. The Vibrand Villages Programme along the Chinese border is also aimed at boosting border security infrastructure.

Power of street veto: Hindu man Akbar Ram arrested in Pakistan after a complaint over ‘blasphemy’, police says arrest ‘saved his life’

A Hindu man, Akbar Ram, hailing from the Punjab province in Pakistan has been arrested by the police after an allegation of ‘blasphemy‘ was made against him. The police said that the timely intervention by the police and his subsequent arrest ‘saved his life’ as he has been shifted to jail to protect him from an enraged mob.

Akbar Ram, from West of Rahim Yar Khan district, some 400 km from the provincial capital Lahore, was arrested by the police after a complaint was filed by Faisal Munir, a person from Ram’s area itself. He reportedly produced two witnesses before the police to substantiate his allegation. Faisal, who is a motor mechanic, claimed that Akbar Ram came to his shop and made “insulting” remarks against the holy places of Muslims and also Islam. Ram has reportedly been booked under Pakistan’s Blasphemy law and Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

Inspector Safdar Hussain of Kotsamaba Police Station Rahim Yar Khan told PTI on Monday that police arrested suspect Akbar Ram under blasphemy charges on August 11 and immediately shifted him to jail on judicial remand fearing a law-and-order situation in the village.

“Had we kept the blasphemy suspect in the police station it might have triggered a law-and-order situation in the area as he was accused of hurting the sentiments of Muslims,” Hussain said. “Police reached the village after learning that a Hindu man had committed blasphemy and the people were gathering near his house. Police controlled the situation and took Akbar Ram into custody as the mob was demanding that he should be handed over to them,” he said to PTI.

According to reports, the family of Akbar Ram have fled the village to save their lives from the angry mob.

The power of street veto

It is evident from the statement of the police that far more than the alleged statements of the accused, the police was concerned about saving the life of the Hindu man after a mere complaint of comments allegedly made by him. The police categorically said that the mob was demanding that he be handed over to them and therefore, his arrest saved his life.

Further, the police also said that he was shifted to jail and not kept in the police station because they feared a law and order situation. The fact that Akbar Ram’s family has also fled the village, only goes to show the power of Islamic street veto and how it is wielded to ensure Hindus in Muslim majority areas are punished.

For now, there is no evidence that Akbar Ram insulted Islam or Islamic places of worship. However, on the basis of a mere complaint and threat of mob justice, the family had to flee the village to save their lives.

This pattern has been seen several times in such cases where a mere allegation leads to an Islamic mob threatening violence, leading to action against the accused simply to assuage the mob that is known to take to the streets, commit violence and dispense mob justice.

In India as well, such cases of street veto have been seen, especially in cases where an alleged comment against Islam has been made. Kamlesh Tiwari was brutally murdered in India in 2019 after he was accused of insulting Islam by an irate mob.

Kamlesh Tiwari was stabbed 15 times, and then was shot using a pistol by Islamists on 18 October 2019 at his house in Lucknow. His life was in danger from the radical Islamists since 2015, when he had made allegedly blasphemous comments while responding to derogatory comments on RSS by SP leader Azam Khan. Azam Khan had said that RSS is the organisation of homosexuals, because its leaders don’t marry. Responding to this, Kamlesh Tiwari had said that Prophet Muhammad was the first homosexual in the world.

This triggered massive protests by Muslims in various parts of the country, demanding the death penalty for Tiwari. Such a protest in Malda in West Bengal had turned violent in 2016, when the Islamists burnt down a police station, several vehicles, and assaulted people. Kamlesh Tiwari was arrested by SP led UP govt, and was charged under the National Security Act and other sections of the IPC. He had spent several months in the jail. While later he was out the jail, he was killed in 2019.

India saw several other “blasphemy” killings after an irate mob took to the streets chanting ‘Sar Tan Se Juda”. Kanhaiya Lal was recently beheaded by two Islamists after he had extended support to Nupur Sharma.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge skips Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort, designated chair remains vacant

On Tuesday, August 15, India is celebrating its 77th Independence Day. The traditional ceremony to celebrate the day was held at the Red Fort in Delhi with PM Narendra Modi unfurling the Indian flag. Several dignitaries graced the event, including many union ministers and the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. However, one chair was conspicuously vacant at the event, the one reserved for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress is the largest opposition party in the Parliament.

The veteran leader, elected Congress President in October 2022, decided to skip the event. This was the first Independence Day ceremony since Mr Kharge became the Congress chief. The chair remained vacant sparking speculations online over the possible reasons behind the Congress president’s decision to give the ceremony a miss.

Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi unfurled the Indian flag for the 10th time at the Red Fort, and the last tine before he faces Lok Sabha election again in 2024.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and three service chiefs.

As soon as the national flag was hoisted by the Prime Minister, flower petals were showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there is a tremendous opportunity before the country due to the trinity of democracy, demography and diversity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced the launch of the Vishwakarma Yojana with an initial spending of Rs 13,000-Rs 15,000 crore in the next month for those with traditional skills.

At the start of the speech, PM Modi also addressed the recent violence in Manipur and reassured the people of the state that the entire country is with them.

At the time of writing this report, Congress hadn’t issued any official statement explaining the reasons behind the decision, the report will be updated once they issue the same.

ISIS-linked Al Sufa terrorist Shahnawaz Alam still at large, Mumbai on alert ahead of Independence Day, security measures enhanced: Report

All the police stations across Maharashtra and security agencies have been asked to stay on high alert on Independence Day. This development comes after multiple intelligence inputs have alarmed the agencies that ISIS-linked terrorists along with some local terror outfits have been planning to strike the sensitive and prominent establishments in the state.

According to a Times Now report citing sources, security forces in Mumbai and nearby areas have been asked to stay on high alert following multiple intelligence inputs pointing towards a possible terror attack during the celebrations of the 77th Independence Day, on 15 August. 

According to reports, a terrorist named Shahnawaz Alam is still at large. He is believed to be hatching a plan to attack prominent places in the state. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been probing the Islamic State (ISIS) module working out of India. In connection to this case, the Central agency had arrested 10 terror suspects, however, one accused named Shahnawaz Alam is still absconding. It is claimed that he is a trained bomb-making expert and has been carrying out his blast trials in the forested areas of Maharashtra. 

DCP Mumbai Police Vishal Thakur stated that intelligence inputs, shared with security agencies, reveal that terror groups, including the ISIS module in India and a local terror outfit named Al-Sufa, were planning attacks in crowded areas on August 15, possibly using “unclaimed vehicles”. 

The Mumbai Police DCP also urged residents to remain vigilant and be attentive to any unusual individuals or activities. 

Earlier, on the 18th of July, the Pune city police arrested Mohammed Imran Mohammed Yusuf Khan (23) and Mohammed Yunus Mohammed Yakub Saki (24). Both of them are graphic artists and residents of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. They were arrested for attempting to steal a motorcycle, but later during the probe, it was found that they were involved in the terror group Al-Sufa.

The incident came to light at around 2.45 a.m. when a patrolling team from the Kothrud police station noticed that three men were trying to steal a two-wheeler. After a chase, the cops arrested them.

However, the police could not arrest their accomplice, Mohammed Shahnawaz Shafiurrehman Alam (31) who managed to flee while being taken for a house search. Alam is said to be a resident of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

During a search operation at their Pune residence, Police teams found a number of suspicious items, including a box containing “drone material,” a pistol pouch, a live cartridge, some “white coloured pills,” fake Aadhaar cards, and various other documents. 

Click here, to know further details about the arrests and seizures in regard to this terror module. 

Earlier, they had fled Ratlam when their name had surfaced in the investigation into the terror case in which some suspected Al-Sufa members had been arrested by Rajasthan police in Ratlam. During interrogation, they revealed that they had planned to execute bomb blasts in crowded places in Jaipur and Pune by placing explosives in motorbikes.