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Tamil Nadu: BJP and RSS leaders on target of banned Al-Ummah terrorists, shocking conspiracy hatched in Puzhal prison exposed

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: BJP and RSS leaders on target of banned Al-Ummah terrorists, shocking conspiracy hatched in Puzhal prison exposed

In a shocking news report by Organiser, three terrorists of the banned group Al-Ummah, who were imprisoned in Puzhal prison, plotted to commit terrorist activities while still inside the high-security facility through one of the recently released convicts.

Panna Ismail of Melapalayam, Tirunelveli district, Police Fakrudin and Bilal Malik, both from Nelpettai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, were complicit in the 1998 Coimbatore serial bombings that targeted Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani. They were both members of the now-outlawed Al-Ummah terror group.

On 19 March 2013, a three-person gang killed Murugan K, a 45-year-old former BJP municipal councillor, while he was walking back home from lunch. The victim was also hit by pipe bombs thrown by them and two bombs were found at the scene and neutralised there. Doctor Arvinth Reddy, the former state medical wing secretary of the BJP, was assassinated on 23 October of the same year in front of his clinic in the Kosapet neighbourhood of Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

Hindu Munnani leader S Vellaiyappan (45) was killed on 1 July by an eight-person mob while en route to Vellore’s Ramakrishna Ashram. Ramesh (52) a certified accountant and general secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, was assassinated in front of his Salem office just three weeks later on 19 July. 

Bilal Malik and Panna Ismail who were hiding in a Puttur home on 5 October 2013, were captured after a joint operation that lasted 10 hours and involved gunfire from both sides. Fakrudin, their accomplice, also known as Police Fakrudin, was apprehended the day before in Chennai.

A jail officer was attacked in 2019 within the confines of the Puzhal Central prison’s maximum security area in suburban Chennai. Senthil Kumar, the jail superintendent, was assaulted by two members of Al Ummah, however, the incident didn’t receive sufficient coverage in the Tamil Nadu mainstream media.

They have a comfortable, opulent existence in prison, eating their preferred home- or hotel-made meals, including the biriyani of their choosing. Their opulent lifestyle and frequent participation in riot-like prison situations when they were faced by guards for infractions like keeping weapons, narcotics or cell phones.

They used to threaten the police and prison staff as well as abuse them while being taken out for remand. These situations were manufactured to attract the media’s attention and to alert the public to the alleged harassment they had experienced as a result of political vendetta.

The three are now incarcerated at the Puzhal prison outside of Chennai. The same prison housed Saravanan, who is charged with multiple offences. He had formed tight ties with Fakrudin, Panna and Bilal Ismail, asserted police sources and a Tamil newspaper. It is believed that Saravanan was gradually brainwashed into adopting their ideas and picked up weapons, notably bombs.

Police sources revealed, “While in prison, they taught him terror-related activities and what he should do after his release from the prison. It was a big list. Also, the trio briefed him about the contacts that could help him financially, and technically to aid and support the proposed terror activities.”

When the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner learned about the plan, the police began discreetly putting Saravanan under strict observation once he was released on bail. He was taken into custody by Chromepet Police in relation to money laundering and other offences. When questioned by the authorities, he divulged information that was astonishing and unexpected.

They further disclosed, “They told Saravanan that as per the instruction of Fakurrdin who has been in prison, Hindu leaders were killed in a gruesome way. They revealed it to him when he was speaking to them. Saravanan also told us that by remaining in Puzhal prison, they have been in contact with several persons outside the prison and getting them to carry out terror activities.”

They added, “This includes the liquidation of important BJP, RSS, Hindu Munnani and other Sangh Parivar leaders in the state. They have hatched a plan to kill visiting foreign leaders and VVIPs in India. To carry out these terror activities, the trio needs resources and for that purpose, they have been into money laundering, hawala operations. They could, according to Saravanan, be able to raise the funds needed. Even after coming out on bail, Saravanan has been maintaining his contacts with them and carried out some important assignments given to him.”

It is quite disturbing that terrorists have this much leverage and that they use the prison as a base of operations to plan plots. The inner jail conspiracy is shocking at a time when intelligence agencies have been warning of a regrouping of terrorist and anti-national elements since the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) took office.

Muslim organisations have been putting pressure on the DMK administration to free all Muslim men who have been imprisoned for more than 25 years early for medical reasons. According to information obtained, the state government is thoughtfully considering their request, which is very likely to be made public before the Lok Sabha elections.

Abdul Nasser Madani, the head of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a perpetrator in the Bengaluru bomb case, was given permission by the Indian Supreme Court on 17 July to travel back to Kerala for medical treatment.

The judiciary’s practise of either releasing or acquitting convicts for lack of evidence or granting them more bail while ignoring the risks incurred in their capture by the police, National Investigation Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation and other agencies have also come under fire from the general public.

They highlight a number of recent rulings, including one to grant Teesta Setalvad bail in a case involving evidence fabrication in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots and Manipur violence, as proof that minority appeasement has reached the highest court along with the rest of the judiciary.

‘Lord Krishna and Dhritarashtra also did love jihad’, claims Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah, Himanta Biswa Sarma assures arrest if complaint filed

OpIndia Staff
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‘Lord Krishna and Dhritarashtra also did love jihad’, claims Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah, Himanta Biswa Sarma assures arrest if complaint filed

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah could be arrested if someone files a complaint against him after Borah made highly objectionable comments linking Mahabharat with love jihad. Talking to reporters, Bhupen Borah had said that when Dhritarashtra married Gandhari and Krishna married Rukmini, they had indulged in love jihad.

Bhupen Borah made the comments objecting to Assam CM describing the recent incident of the triple murder in Golaghat as a case of love jihad. In the horrific incident, one Nazibur Rahman Bora killed his Hindu wife and her parents by stabbing them with a knife. The woman Sanghamitra Ghosh had married him ignoring the opposition of her parents, and later marital discords led to the murders. Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the family on Wednesday and said that the case was the result of love jihad.

Responding to the comments, state Congress chief Bhupen Borah said that love jihad is going on for ages, and it took place even during the Mahabharata times. He claimed that Dhritarashtra had married Gandhari against the wishes of her family, and had even got her brothers imprisoned for objecting to the marriage. He also claimed that Gandhari had blindfolded herself so that she does not have to look at Dhritarashtra.  

Bhupen Borah further claimed that Lord Krishna also married Rukmini against the wishes of her family, and thus it was also love jihad. He claimed that Krishna had changed his name to marry Rukmini, and Arjun had posed as a woman while accompanying Krishna.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly reacted to the comments, saying that if someone files a complaint against Bhupen Borah, then the police will be forced to arrest him. He added that the incidents in Mahabharat were love and not love jihad. He clarified that love jihad means forcing someone to change through religion, and neither Gandhari nor Rukmini were forced to change religion. ‘

He added that earlier it was only love, but now love jihad happens and that’s why murders take place. ‘There were love between Krishna and Rukmini, there was no change of religion, there was no Jihad’, he added.

The Assam CM said that Muslim boys should marry Muslim girls, and Hindu boys should marry Hindu girls, and if someone wants to marry from the other religion, they can do so under the special marriage act without forcing a change of religion. If marriage takes place because of love, then it does not involve change of religion, and the word jihad does not appear in such cases, he said.

Just like we should not invoke Jesus Christ or Prophet Muhammad in any controversy, we also should not mention Lord Krishna in any controversy, the CM said.

False claims about Mahabharata by Assam Congress president

It is notable that apart from being highly controversial, the comments made by Bhupen Borah are also factually incorrect. He claimed things not mentioned in Vyasa’s Mahabharata and he mixed-up incidents. For example, the family of Rukmini was not opposed to her marriage to Krishna, only her brother Rukmi had opposed it. And according to the scriptures, Balaram had accompanied Krishna while taking Rukmini, and there is no mention of Arjuna being present. Arjuna had taken the female form Brihanalla during the exile for a year, and there is no mention of him accompanying Krishna in that form when Krishna went to Vidarbha to marry Rukmini in both Mahabharat and Bhagawat Purana.

Similarly, according to Vyasa’s Mahabharata, Gandhari didn’t object to her marriage with Dhritarashtra, and she blindfolded herself only because the Kuru prince was also blind, not because she hated him. The story of the Kuru kingdom imprisoning 100 brothers of Gandhari along with Shakuni is also not mentioned in Vyasa’s Mahabharata, and it is a recent narrative peddled by the likes of Devdutt Pattanaik, known for spreading fake narratives of Hindu scriptures.

Karnataka: Bus driver prevents Muslim school girls from boarding for not wearing burqas, even girls with hijab de-boarded

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Bus driver prevents Muslim school girls from boarding for not wearing burqas, even girls with hijab de-boarded

In the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, a bus driver allegedly forbade school girls from boarding unless they were wearing burqas, which incited controversy. The terrible event happened as the children were making their daily commute from Okali village in Kamalapur taluk to Basavakalyan. 

Witnesses indicate that the bus driver who drives on the Basavakalyan-Kalaburagi route insisted that all Muslim female students put on burqas before boarding the vehicle. The driver said that only burqas were appropriate for Muslim pupils, so even those wearing hijabs (headscarves) were turned away. 

“If you’re a Muslim, wear a burqa, not a hijab. Only then will we allow you to board the bus,” the driver said.

One student, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the situation, saying that the driver demanded that they wear a burqa and questioned their religious affiliation. The student was abused verbally and prevented from boarding the bus after they refused to comply and withheld their name. 

“They asked me if I’m a Muslim, and further asked my name which I refused to disclose. They told me that I’m a Muslim and I should wear a burqa. Further shouted that I cannot board the bus.” said a student whom the driver didn’t allow to enter the bus.

The driver meanwhile defended himself by saying that the bus (KA 38 F1074) was not in functioning order and that the students were becoming a nuisance when other commuters approached him about his behaviour.

‘Not prepared to listen to the national interests of India, what kind of I.N.D.I.A. are you?’, S Jaishankar lashes out as opposition creates ruckus during his statement

OpIndia Staff
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‘Not prepared to listen to the national interests of India, what kind of I.N.D.I.A. are you?’, S Jaishankar lashes out as opposition creates ruckus during his statement

On Thursday, 27th July 2023, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar strongly criticised the Opposition Alliance, which has been named I.N.D.I.A., for causing disruptions in the Rajya Sabha while he was delivering a suo moto statement on the country’s foreign policy. During his statement in the Upper House of Parliament, chaos erupted as members in the Treasury benches chanted “Modi, Modi,” while those in the Opposition raised slogans of “India, India.”

Dr S Jaishankar’s statement in Rajya Sabha faded amid the chaos.

In a media interaction outside the parliament, Dr S Jaishankar said, “I gave a suo moto statement today in Rajya Sabha. Because we felt that in the last few months, there has been an enormous achievement in foreign policy. And some of the achievements, you know, if I were to spell out for example, you know, for the past forty years, we were trying to get GE aircraft engines from the USA. Thanks to the Prime Minister’s visit we succeeded in doing so. You all know today how important semiconductor is. You know, we are putting in a big effort, big energy into a semiconductor mission because that is what will make India strong for the future. Now, three very important American companies made commitments to invest in centres in India during Prime Minister’s visit. And we saw that Google for example decided that its global fintech centre would be in India. Now I can give you many other examples in different countries.”

He added, “So our effort was today to say look, the country has progressed. Our foreign policy is delivering for the people of India, the national good of India. So we thought at least for this issue the opposition would put its political differences aside and would listen to it with an open mind and would put national interest first. If you claim to be I.N.D.I.A. and you are not prepared to listen to the national interests of India, what kind of I.N.D.I.A. are you? I mean you an I.N.D.I.A. which is prepared to sacrifice national interests. That is not an I.N.D.I.A. to be.”

Dr S Jaishankar further said, “I feel very unfortunate today. Foreign policy has long been an issue where different political parties have come together. They may disagree with each other on other things. It is one area where by and large there has been a national consensus, national unity. There should be appreciation if the Prime Minister today is honoured across the world. and I spelt it out that he got the highest-ever award France gives. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to get that. Take the case of Papua New Guinea or Fiji.”

Dr S Jaishankar said, “It is one thing to have politics. I am also in politics. I think on some times and certain issues people should put politics aside and think about the country. They should be prepared to listen to where we have made progress. This is good for the country. It is not just an achievement of a government, It is an achievement of a country. The President was given the highest award in Surinam. If you cannot respect the President, you cannot respect the Vice-President, and you cannot respect the Prime Minister, you will not allow the foreign minister to make a statement in the house then I think it is a very sorry state of affairs and it is really very very unfortunate how strongly and how wrongly partisan politics is pursued.”

Shortly after Jaishankar’s statement, amid the Opposition’s sloganeering, the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were adjourned.

Madhya Pradesh: Students scolded for chanting Gayatri Mantra during school assembly, video viral, SDM takes cognizance. Here is what the teacher said

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Students scolded for chanting Gayatri Mantra during school assembly, video viral, SDM takes cognizance. Here is what the teacher said

In a bizarre incident that has come to the fore from the Biaora city of Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district, school students in the CM Rise School were scolded and stopped from chanting the Gayatri Mantra.

The video of the incident went viral over social media in which the school teacher identified as Dushyant Rana could be seen yelling at the students as they chanted Gayatri Mantra during the school assembly. “Stop. Stop. Who told you to chant Gayatri Mantra? Why are you chanting this,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the lady teachers could be seen asking someone about the video. According to one of the social media users the lady teacher has been identified as Mazida.

The video of the incident was recorded by one of the teachers who also posted it on social media. The Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) then happened to take cognizance of the event and inquired the school about the incident. Teacher Dushyant Rana stated to this that he had no intention to stop the Mantra chants.

“As per the schedule, the mantra is to be chanted only one day a week. It was just a part of maintaining the discipline,” he said. After this, the SDM sought a written reply and issued orders to chant the Gayatri Mantra daily at the school.

Also, the local Hindu organizations took cognizance of the event and demanded strict action against the school. The teacher Rana meanwhile reiterated that he had no intention to hurt the Hindu sentiments. The ABVP and the Hindu organizations have said that they would protest against the event if no action is taken against the teachers and the school.

Earlier, a similar incident was reported from the Indore city of Madhya Pradesh where some of the students from a private school, the Bal Vigyan Shishu Vihar Higher Secondary School located on Dhara Road were slapped for sporting a tilak on the forehead. The students were also threatened to be removed and issued TC if they continue to sport tilak on the school premises.

Banks recovered more than Rs 10 lakh crores from bad loans in the last nine years: Finance Ministry tells Lok Sabha

OpIndia Staff
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Banks recovered more than Rs 10 lakh crores from bad loans in the last nine years: Finance Ministry tells Lok Sabha

In a major success for the Narendra Modi government, during the last nine fiscal years, scheduled commercial banks have recovered approximately Rs 10 lakh crore, as per the government’s information to the Lok Sabha.

In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday (July 24), Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad stated that according to the Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) data, the amount owed by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) to corporate company borrowers who are classified as non-performing assets (NPA) and have an outstanding amount of Rs 1,000 crore or more was Rs 1,03,975 crore as of March 31, 2023.

Minister Karad shared the numbers in response to an unstarred question by MP Gnanthiraviam S and MP Vijaykumar alias Vijay Vasanth. The MPs queried about the “measures taken by the Union government to recover the bad loans and NPA amount from corporate companies owing debts to the tune of Rs 1000 crore or more.”

Furthermore, the MPs inquired about the total outstanding loan from such consumers, as well as the total loan amount recovered over the last nine years, as well as the efforts undertaken to recover bad loans and reduce NPA.

“Comprehensive measures have been taken by the Government and RBI to recover and to reduce NPAs, including those pertaining to corporate companies, which has enabled an aggregate recovery of Rs. 10,16,617 crore (RBI provisional data for FY 2022-23) by SCBs during the last nine financial years,” the written reply stated. 

Measures taken by the Union government to recover and reduce NPAs

Minister Karad further listed the measures taken b the government to recover and reduce Non-Performing Assets. 

  • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) substantially changed the creditor-borrower relationship, stripping control of the defaulting company away from promoters/owners, and banning wilful defaulters from the resolution process.
  • Minister Bhagwat Karad further explained that the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, has been amended in order to render it more effective and that public sector banks have established Stressed Asset Management Verticals for “stringent recovery, segregated pre- and post-sanction follow-up roles for clean and effective monitoring, and engaged specialised monitoring agencies for large-value accounts.”
  • “Under the PSB Reforms Agenda, comprehensive and automated Early Warning Systems (EWS) were instituted in PSBs, with 80 EWS triggers and the use of third-party data for time-bound remedial actions in borrowing accounts,” Karad stated. 
  • In addition to the measures undertaken by PSBs, wilful defaulters are not sanctioned with any additional amenities by banks or financial institutions, and their unit is restricted from launching new ventures for five years.
  • Furthermore, wilful defaulters and companies with wilful defaulters as promoters/directors have been forbidden from raising funds in capital markets. The RBI established the Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets in 2019 to provide a framework for early recognition, reporting, and time-bound resolution of stressed assets, with a built-in incentive for lenders to implement a resolution plan early.
A written reply by Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad to a Lok Sabha question regarding recovery of bad loans (Image via sansad.in)

2,438 borrowers with an outstanding sum of Rs 2.66 lakh crore: Central government tells Rajya Sabha

It is notable that the Central government told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 25) that there were about 2,438 borrowers with an outstanding sum of Rs 2.66 lakh crore who defaulted, with an outstanding amount larger than Rs 20 crore, up till March 2023.

A written reply by Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad to a Rajya Sabha question regarding bank defaulters (Image via sansad.in)

According to Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad, the Directorate of Enforcement has registered 490 bank fraud cases involving NPAs of Rs 20 crore or more in the last five years under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Additionally, assets worth Rs 15,113.02 crore were seized and returned to public sector banks.

Assam: One Zakir Hussain Laskar arrested for marrying 12-year-old girl in Hailakandi, minor girl and infant child rescued

OpIndia Staff
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Assam: One Zakir Hussain Laskar arrested for marrying 12-year-old girl in Hailakandi, minor girl and infant child rescued

Hailakandi police in Assam arrested a man on 27 July in a child marriage case which resulted in the liberation of a 15-year-old girl and an infant who is reported to be their son. The accused is identified as Zakir Hussain Laskar.

A squad of police personnel executed an operation and captured the 21-year-old man at his home in Vichingcha hamlet after acting on intelligence reports. Police said they arrested Zakir Hussain Laskar based on a complaint from the family member of the minor girl who accused him of torture.

After investigating the matter, it was found that Laskar had married the girl when she was just 12 years old, and then impregnated her. They now have a 16-month-old girl, the police said.

Police said that they have registered a suo moto case under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) act against Zakir, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Police teams are also interrogating members of both families. Moreover, the police are also looking for the cleric who conducted the marriage.

“He was arrested from his house and we rescued the girl and the child. They have been sent to a shelter home while the members of both families are being interrogated. We are also trying to find the Kazi who was involved in the marriage,” a police officer said.

The arrest comes amid the ongoing crackdown on child marriages launched by the Assam government, which has resulted in over 3000 arrests, and has reduced the number of new child marriages significantly.

Assam government’s crackdown on child marriages

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reaffirmed his government’s commitment to eradicate child marriage by 2026, which has been a troubling issue in the state. “Our government has taken a series of measures to end the menace. By 2026, child marriage must be ended in Assam. Our government will take strong action to end child marriage,” the chief minister reiterated during a session at the state assembly earlier this year.

He proclaimed, “We will launch an operation against the menace in the state and arrest people every 2-3 months. We will open a helpline number. We have so far charge sheeted 900 cases. We have acted as per law.”

On January 23 of this year, the cabinet passed legislation to outlaw child marriages in the state. The chief minister announced that his administration would launch a statewide drive against child marriage under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

He asserted, “Marrying a minor girl is not only against the law, but it also breaches the fundamental rights of a girl child and is quite dangerous to her health.” A crackdown against child marriage was implemented in early February, and by the end of the second week, 3,015 people had been arrested.

The chief minister had declared, “More than one lakh underage girls were married off and many of them became child mothers in the recent years including a girl who was just nine years old when she delivered a baby. Action will also be taken against the parents as well as priests or Qazis who performed these illegal marriages.”

The state government also set aside a budget of Rs 200 crore to handle the sensitive issue and enabled the appointment of a special attorney for each case involving child marriage with the goal of prosecuting the criminals.

‘Frauds change their names to erase their sins’: PM Modi ups his attack on Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. name stunt

OpIndia Staff
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‘Frauds change their names to erase their sins’: PM Modi ups his attack on Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. name stunt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, July 27 slammed the opposition coalition of 26 parties that have named themselves as the ‘I.N.D.I.A’ alliance and said that the opposition parties were attempting to cover up their old deeds by coming together and forming a new alliance. He added that the parties have never cared about India.

“With the label of INDIA, they want to cover up their old deeds, the deeds of UPA. Had they really cared about India, would they have asked foreigners to interfere in India? They had once given the slogan ‘Indira is India, India is Indira.’ At that time, they were uprooted by the people. These people of arrogance have done this again. They say ‘UPA is India. India is UPA’. People will treat them the same once again,” said PM Modi while addressing the masses at Sikar, Rajasthan.

He also specifically said that Congress had now become a directionless party and that its allies had changed their names just like the earlier fraud companies did. “They have changed their name so that they can remove the stain of capitulating in front of terrorism. Their ways are similar to that of the country’s enemy. The name INDIA is not to show their patriotism but create another front to rob the country,” he added.

PM Modi said that these opposition parties actually do not believe in the capabilities of the countrymen and continuously keep on targeting the Indian Army and the Navy persons. “They doubted the air strike, the surgical strike. They blatantly asked for proof. Why can’t they trust the capabilities of Indian Army?” he said. Further PM Modi also said that the Indian Army personnel during the UPA rule were not even provided with One Rank One Pension despite long-standing demands.

The PM also stated that the opposition only knew to cry in front of the international media and defame the country. “They go and meet the foreign delegates and appease the voters here. They care about the votebank more than they do about the nation as a whole. These are all liars and people with massive egos. We need to give the slogan which was once given by Mahatma Gandhi- Quit I.N.D.I.A. Today’s mantra should be ‘Bhrashtachar (corruption) Quit India’, ‘Parivarvaad (dynasty) Quit India’, ‘Tushtikaran (appeasement) Quit India,” the PM added.

PM slams Rajasthan CM over ‘Lal Diary’

Meanwhile, he also launched an attack on the ‘Lal Diary’ controversy and said, “Congress means ‘loot ki dukaan and jhoot ka bazaar.’ Their latest product is the red diary. It’s said that all their corruption is mentioned in the diary. Top Congress leaders are silenced by the red diary.”

He also indicated that the future of women and youngsters in the state of Rajasthan is in danger. “The central government is working for the development of youth. But what is happening in Rajasthan? Youth’s future is being played with in Rajasthan. A paper leak program is being run in the state. The youth of the state are capable but the government here is ruining their future. Rajasthan will not tolerate atrocities again women,” he added.

‘I.N.D.I.A is a directionless alliance’, says the PM

Earlier, PM Modi had called out the opposition as a directionless party and had said that people cannot be misled merely by the use of the country’s name. He took the names of several organizations with the name of ‘India’ to make the point that merely having such a term in their nomenclature does not change anything.

“East India Company, PFI, Indian Mujaheddin also using India in their name ..Chehre par chehre laga lete hai log (these people have false faces),” the PM was quoted as saying.

26 parties in the I.N.D.I.A alliance

26 opposition parties, including two national and 24 regional parties, have managed to form a coalition to compete against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the general elections of 2024 after high-stakes negotiations that began in April and two crucial meetings in Patna and Bengaluru. The coalition, known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has 142 Lok Sabha MPs including the parties of the chief ministers of seven different States.

The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress (INC) and includes parties like Trinamool Congress (TMC), which governs the state of West Bengal, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules the Tamil Nadu state; and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has power in the states of Delhi and Punjab.

Also Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which together govern the state of Bihar in the east and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which rules over the state of Jharkhand are part of the coalition.

Further, the National Congress Party (NCP-Sharad Pawar), the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the National Conference (NC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Communist Party of India- Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML Liberation), the Forward Bloc, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Kerala Congress (Joseph), the Kerala Congress (Mani), the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) are the other members of the 26-party alliance.

Udupi bathroom video case: Student tells media that accused women shared videos of Hindu women with Muslim men for the past 1 year, administrator trivialized it earlier

OpIndia Staff
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Udupi bathroom video case: Student tells media that accused women shared videos of Hindu women with Muslim men for the past 1 year, administrator trivialized it earlier

In the Udupi bathroom video case, a shocking revelation has been made by the students of the college. In an interview with TV9 Kannada, a student from the same college said that the Muslim women who were making videos of Hindu girls have been doing this for over a year months and have also shared the videos with Muslim boys.

In the video, the student of the college tells TV9 Kannada, “This incident was happening for the past 1 year. Post capturing in mobile the Muslim girls were exchanging the Mobile with their Muslim Male friends who were waiting in a car outside the college. The exchange of mobile was happening in the afternoon lunch hour. This was highlighted to the college management but they did not take any kind of action. It was on the 18th that the victim went to management and complained, but management did not take it seriously. We got to know on the 20th and immediately we sat on protest. About the viral thing, the mobiles were being exchanged by the 3 Muslim girls with Muslim guys who were coming from Ucchila. They were coming on Pulsar bikes and Cars. The 3 Muslim Girls were Shafa, Alfiya, Shabnaz”.

The student further said, “In our College Management, our Administrator is Mr Abdul Khader. He saw these 3 Muslim girls Shafa, Alfiya, and Shabnaz standing and came to us and said, “I have given a beautiful action to the 3 Muslim girls, I have asked them to write 5 times that they will not repeat this”.

The student further says, “He said that the 3 Muslim girls did that as a joke and that we should not take it seriously. What we like to ask is, if someone does the same thing of keeping a mobile phone in his house restroom and shoots his family’s women, will he say the same thing that he will let them off by giving a homework? This happened 6 months earlier also but management closed it without any enquiry. The videos were being shared with Muslim men from Ucchila”.

The student essentially made several revelations in her interview with the news channel. Firstly, she said that this has been happening for over a year and that the videos were shared by Muslim Girls with Muslim men. She further talks about how the administrator allegedly trivialised the issue when it happened earlier by telling Hindu girls that he had punished the Muslim girls by asking them to write they won’t repeat this mistake again multiple times.

The student also says that the administrator, whose name is Abdul Khader, asked the Hindu girls to not take it seriously since the Muslim girls were filming them in the washroom as a “prank”.

The student has essentially said exactly what the Police in the Congress-ruled state and the media have been harping on the downplay this crime. The police had come on record to say that they had investigated the case and found that there was no criminal intent behind the actions of the Muslim girls. They had also said that there was no communal angle to the case and that they were certain that the videos were not shared by the Muslim Girls to any Muslim men.

In fact, this trope by the police and the administration of the college was then used by elements like AltNews’ Mohammad Zubair and TheNewsMinute to downplay the case and whitewash the crime. They had harped on the fact that the police had said the videos were not shared with Muslim men and anyone claiming so, despite media reports, was spreading fake news.

Based on this trope, an FIR had been filed against human rights activist Rashmi Samant after the dog-whistling by AltNews’ Mohammad Zubair as well.

The Udupi bathroom video case

On 21st July, a Karnataka-based organisation, All College Student Power (ACSP), wrote the Superintendent of Police, district Udupi, about this crime at Netra Jyoti College where three female students of the Muslim community secretly made a video of Hindu female students and shared the mobile phone. As per the letter sent by ACSP, students at Netra Jyoti College learned about it on the 20th of July and protested against it.

The college took up the matter, and three students responsible for recording the videos were suspended effective immediately, pending internal investigation. Though the victim(s) did not wish to file an official complaint in the matter, the college went ahead and informed the police keeping in mind the sensitivity of the matter.

After social media outrage, the police filed an FIR against the 3 Muslim women who were indulging in the criminal activity and the college administration for not only destroying evidence but also for not providing information and documents during the course of the investigation.

“Continuous drum-beating is impermissible”: Calcutta HC directs West Bengal govt to regulate noise pollution and other public nuisances during Muharram

OpIndia Staff
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“Continuous drum-beating is impermissible”: Calcutta HC directs West Bengal govt to regulate noise pollution and other public nuisances during Muharram

The Calcutta High Court on 27th July pulled up the West Bengal state administration over a petition filed by a citizen against continuous drum beating till late at night by “local political goons” on account of Muharram celebrations.

Directions were issued by a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya to the West Bengal Police and the State Pollution Control Board to regulate the instances of public nuisance caused by incidents like non-stop drum beating and open-air kitchens in residential areas.

The petition had alleged that there was continuous beating of drums till late at night by local ‘goons’ on the pretext of the Muharram festival. The petitioner had also said that whenever she approached police, she was turned away, advising her to put cotton on ears and come with a court order.

While delivering the order, the High Court cited the Church of God (Full Gospel) India case. It said that the practice of religion under Article 25(1) of the Constitution was not an absolute right. It further stated that provisions of Article 25 are subject to 19(1). “On proper construction, it cannot be said that a citizen should be coerced to hear something he doesn’t like or require”, the bench observed.

The High Court said that the unabated beating of drums is impermissible in light of the rules and directions of the SC. “It is the duty of the WB PCB to issue public notices prior to any religious festival or rally to sensitize the citizens about rules which prohibit indiscriminate noise pollution”, the court said.

Referring to the petitioner’s complaints, the court rendered continuous drum-beating as illegal and contrary to relevant rules. It directed the police to immediately issue public notice regulating the timing for the beating of drums.

The court further said that the beating of drums may be part of the festival on 29th July, but it can’t go on continuously for days, and violates rules and the directions of the Supreme Court.

The court also issued directions to the TMC govt to immediately issue a notice stating that organized groups which want to perform prayers, including drum beating, must obtain the necessary permission. “Such permission to be granted fit identified group and the location should also be fixed. Apart from that the time limit has to be mentioned.”

While reprimanding the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, the HC said that despite there being powerful pollution laws, there is no implementation. The high court made a significant observation saying that if the officials try to use their powers and implement the laws, they will be assaulted by mobs. “Your officer cannot implement…he will be beaten if he goes there (amidst the crowd),” the bench said.

The Calcutta HC on 21st July had allowed the restoration of a plea challenging the activities of drum-beating and public slaughtering of animals during Muharram. The petitioner told the court that the Park Street Police Station in Kolkata had ignored the complaints of noise pollution allegedly telling the complainants to “put cotton in your ears”.

The petitioner further submitted that while requesting the Lalbazar control room to put a stop to the drum beating, she was told to bring the court order to complain as there is “no specific order for drumming”. She also informed the court that open-air cooking was also happening in her area in Kolkata every day.

Pulling up the state police over the same, the court said, “It is not clear why the police have permitted open-air kitchens, especially when petitioner alleges nuisance to her family and neighbourhood. This also has to be regulated by the police.”

During the course of the hearing, the government submitted that in a meeting earlier this month, it was decided to allow drum beating from 6 am to 10 pm. The bench directed that the timings be regulated and drum-beating not be permitted before 8 am. “There will be school-going children, exams are there, old and ill people”, the HC observed. The HC said that the drum-beating shouldn’t happen after 7 pm.

Citing the Supreme Court’s observations from the case of Church of God (Full Gospel) India, the court said that SC held that no religion prescribes that prayer should be performed by disturbing the peace of others.

“SC further pointed out that in civilized society, in the name of religion activities which disturb children or elderly people, or others, cannot be permitted. SC has pointed out that it cannot be said that religious leaders had desires amplifiers and loudspeakers as a means of propagating religion”, the court observed.

The HC towards the conclusion of its order said that no religious tenet permits such activities.

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