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‘Scope for my editorial views shrinking’ – Malini Parthasarathy resigns from the board of The Hindu Group Publishing

OpIndia Staff
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‘Scope for my editorial views shrinking’ – Malini Parthasarathy resigns from the board of The Hindu Group Publishing

On June 5, journalist Malini Parthasarathy announced that she has stepped down from the board of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited. She said that while her term as Chairperson of the board is over, she has also resigned from the board. In a statement on Twitter, she hinted at having a disagreement with the board.

In a tweet, Malini wrote, “My term as Chairperson of The Hindu Group Publishing ends. However, I have also resigned from the Board of the THGPPL as I find the space and scope for my editorial views shrinking. My entire endeavour as Chairperson and Director, of Editorial Strategy was to ensure that The Hindu Group revives its legacy of fair and unbiased reporting. Also, my efforts were to free our narrative from entrenched ideological bias. Since I find the scope of my efforts has narrowed, I have decided to move on. I thank all my well-wishers and friends who have supported this challenging journey.”

According to The News Minute citing sources, Malini Parthasarathy had proposed the role of Editorial Director after her term as board chairperson ended, but the board rejected this proposal.

‘Sengol’ and other controversies

In recent times, Malini got into a debate with RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy regarding The Hindu fact-checking the ‘Sengol’ controversy. The Hindu claimed in a report that the Union Government’s remarks about ‘Sengol’ being presented to the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as a sign of transfer of power by Lord Mountbatten was false. The newspaper claimed that it was just an ordinary gift by saints to the first PM, and was not seen as a symbol of the transfer of power by Nehru and others. Gurumurthy rebutted The Hindu’s claims to which Malini replied if his claims were found to be true, required amendments would be made to the report by The Hindu.

Her response was criticised and left-liberals accused her of appeasing the BJP-ruled central government. At that time, N Ran came out in support of the reporter who did the alleged “fact-check” for The Hindu over Sengol during a press conference in Chennai that was organised to allegedly “debunk” the Government of India’s story about Sengol.

In the past, differences between Malini and others in the publishing group were exposed in public several times. She has often aired her differences with others over ideological issues, and had several disagreements with N Ram, her cousin and the former Editor-in-Chief.

In January 2023, Malini Parthasarathy rebuffed their journalist S Anandan who took a dig at Hindu god Lord Hanuman while trying to mock External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. Parthasarathy was reacting to Hindu journalist S. Anandan’s tweet where he was mocking Dr Jaishankar’s statement on how he draws foreign policy lessons from Mahabharata, the Hindu epic. To mock this statement by Dr Jaishankar, S. Anandanm asked which batch of IFS were the Hindu gods from. Parthasarathy then said how the disrespectful tweet does not represent the position of The Hindu.

In January 2021, she was slammed by N Ram for meeting PM Modi. N Ram was responding to a Twitter user who had asked why “Hindu’s hard-earned legacy is being squandered away”, referring to the tweet of Malini Parthasarathy. She had posted a photograph of her meeting with PM Modi, informing that she had an “illuminating conversation in which he (the PM) shared his perspective on issues of current public interest.” N Ram said, “What I can assure you is that we will do our very best to prevent The Hindu’s “hard-earned” reputation and legacy of 142+ years “being squandered away”.

Malini did not remain silent over this grave allegation made against her by the former editor-in-chief of the Hindu newspaper. She tweeted that the 142+ years of hard-earned reputation of the publication does not get destroyed by meeting the prime minister, as N Ram thinks. She tweeted, “Our 142+ years of hard-earned reputation was built by reporting that was factual & not driven by political prejudice or bias.”

Malini joined The Hindu as a newsroom leader in 1996. She continued her position till 2004 after which she held the position of Executive Editor. Her most recent tenure as Executive Editor at the publishing house was from 2015 to 2016. In July 2020, she assumed the role of Chairperson of the Board after N Ram stepped down.

‘Intestine protruding, skull ruptured, 70 broken bones’: autopsy report of Sakshi reveals the brutality inflicted on her by ‘friend’ Sahil

OpIndia Staff
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The post-mortem report of Sakshi, the victim of Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy murder case, has revealed the barbaric nature of the crime perpetrated on her by her ‘friend’ Sahil Sarfaraz.

The 16-17 page chargesheet received from the hospital by the Delhi police revealed that the 16-year-old girl’s internal organs, including the intestine, were left hanging out of her stomach after being brutally stabbed 16 times by the accused.

The autopsy report further said that the attack on her was so severe that it left as many as 70 bones completely smashed. The preliminary findings of the post-mortem report also said that the girl suffered a ruptured skull during the attack. Her left lung was punctured and the intestine protruded out.

“A total of 11 wounds were detected on her vital organs and that caused her death. Her left lung was punctured due to stabbing and her intestines were protruding from the body. There was a deep wound below the abdomen,” the report read.

It further said that the maximum wounds were present from the shoulder to the hip region. Many of Sakshi’s internal organs had stopped working due to accused Sahil’s brutal attacks.

This post-mortem report has been included in the investigation by Delhi Police. Additionally, a team has been formed under the direction of Inspector Rajeev Ranjan, who is quickly compiling the charge sheet by including all the scattered evidence, including the CCTV grab of the incident showing Sahil stabbing the girl multiple times with a knife. This police team’s top primary objective is to get the accused punished for the grisly murder he committed in full public view on Sunday (May 28, 2023).

It is expected that the police would take Sahil to the location to re-create the crime scene.

Meanwhile, the knife and shoes recovered by the police from the crime spot, have been sent to the forensic lab for scientific investigation. Here, the experts would try matching the DNA of the deceased’s parents with the blood splatter found on the knife.

The police have also taken 8 mobile phones into their possession, which they are investigating for further evidence. The police further said that it has come to the fore that Sahil was also associated with a gang of local goons and he was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the brutal murder.

It may be recalled that the Delhi Police had earlier said that the murder could have been premeditated as Sahil, the 20-year-old accused, had purchased the knife used in the murder a fortnight ago. 

“During questioning, Sahil said that he had bought the knife used in the murder about 15 days ago from a weekly market,” police sources said. The accused has not, however, disclosed the location from which he bought the knife and police are investigating, the sources said.

The police had also said that Sahil fled the city after the murder and switched off his phone. Police said that technical surveillance was put on him after the accused had called his father. He reached Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh after changing two buses where he was ultimately arrested.

Following his arrest, pictures emerged showing Sahil with a Kalava (Hindu religious thread) tied to his hand. Police had said that the matter will also be investigated from the angle of ‘Love Jihad’.

The CCTV visuals also appeared where the accused can be seen stabbing the girl multiple times and then hitting her head with a boulder. Several locals can be seen present there but no one intervened in the matter.  The police had registered FIR in the matter under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Shahbad Dairy Police Station. 

As per the police, the accused was in a relationship with the victim girl, but they had a quarrel on Sunday night after which he killed her with multiple assaults. 

Kerala HC quashes case against Rehana Fathima, who had tried to desecrate Sabarimala, over publishing video of her children painting on her topless body

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala HC quashes case against Rehana Fathima, who had tried to desecrate Sabarimala, over publishing video of her children painting on her topless body

On June 5, the Kerala High Court quashed the case against controversial ‘activist’ Rehana Fathima that was being heard in the lower court in the matter related to publishing a video of her children painting on her half-nude body. Fathima was booked under Sections 13, 14 and 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), Section 67B (d) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 after she uploaded the video of her children painting on her breasts. Her two minor children (a boy and a girl) were 14 and 8 years old at the time of publishing the video.

Her counsel argued that the video was made to impart sex education to her children and get rid of the stigma about nudity. Earlier, the High Court had dismissed her plea seeking anticipatory bail in the matter. The court had observed that she was free to give sex education to her children in the way she wanted within the four walls of her house. However, by publishing the video, prima facie she attracted offences relating to the obscene representation of the children.

While rejecting her bail plea, Justice PV Kunhikrishnan observed, “The petitioner feels that she should teach sex education to her children. For that purpose, she asks her children to paint on her naked body and then upload the same on social media. I am not in a position to agree with the petitioner that she should teach sex education to her children in this manner.”

However, now the High Court has quashed proceedings against Rehana Fathima. In the recent judgment, the court raised concerns about the unequal treatment of naked and semi-naked male and female bodies in society. The court observed that nudity should not be automatically equated to sexuality without considering the proper context. It was argued that the mere sight of the bare upper body of a woman should not be assumed to be sexual, obscene or indecent in nature. The court pointed out the sculptures of nude women in temples that are considered art and sacred.

The court said while men walk with bare chests during festivals and rituals in Kerala which is acceptable when it comes to women their bodies are often seen as sexual objects. The court further added that women’s autonomy is frequently questioned and restricted leading to discrimination.

Interestingly, the court repeated the fictional story of Nangali and the ‘breast tax’ to counter the prosecution’s argument that “the naked upper body of the petitioner is exposed in the video, and hence it is obscene and indecent”. The court said, “This is a State where women of certain lower castes had once fought for the right to cover their breasts.”

Despite the fact that the story of Nangali has been debunked repeatedly, it has been used multiple times by the “experts”. So much so, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud referred to the fictional story during a lecture in December 2022. Referring to the story of Nangeli, a lower caste woman who, as per the story, cut off her breast to oppose the breast tax, he said, “It was a cry of anguish against social stratification. When Dr BR Ambedkar dressed in a three-piece suit, he reclaimed his community’s status in society.”

According to several arguments made by historians, the story of Nangeli is a fiction based on folklore that had no names whatsoever. In 2018, OpIndia published a detailed report on the origin of the story of Nangeli. Detailed reports on the story of Nangeli and ‘breast tax’ can be read here.

Train collisions and fatalities reduced by three times since 2014: Some steps for Railway safety taken by Modi Govt

Jhankar Mohta
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Train collisions and fatalities reduced by three times since 2014: Some steps for Railway safety taken by Modi Govt

The opposition parties have acted quickly to capitalise on the devastating Odisha triple train accident, which claimed 270 lives and injured over 800 people. On June 4, disqualified MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over ‘moral grounds.’ West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had also echoed similar sentiments asking the Union Railway Minister to step down from the post.

Amid opposition parties’ growing clamour for the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the Odisha train accident, it is pertinent to note that the Modi government inherited a network that needed a lot of reforms and professionalism.

Despite this, the frequency of train derailments, along with a corresponding fall in collisions, level-crossing accidents, fire events, and the incidence of train accidents per million kilometres, have reduced by three times under the BJP government in the last nine years as compared to the previous decade under the UPA government.

How have past railway ministers performed?

According to the Fact Sheet of the Indian Railways’ “Safety Performance” (2019), there were 84 train collisions, 867 derailments, and 1,711 accidents overall under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) administration. Under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, meanwhile, there have been 29 train collisions, 426 derailments, and a total of 638 accidents, amounting to only one-fourth of the total accidents during the UPA government’s tenure.

In contrast to the 2,453 deaths reported by the UPA administration during its ten-year rule, just 781 people have died in train accidents since 2014. Notably, the figures show that there has been a dramatic decrease in fatalities and accidents starting in 2017.

Additionally, around 2000, the Indian Railways used to witness an annual casualty of about 300. This figure has drastically decreased, and in 2020, India recorded a two-year phase of zero reported railway-related casualties.

In fact, data shows that the number of train accidents and the number of people dead in such accidents shows that mishaps have reduced significantly under the Modi government. The maximum number of people who died or got injured before the Balasore incident was in the year 95-96, 97-2000, 2001-2003 and 2011-2012. In 1995, the PM of the country of PV Narasimha Rao, from 97-2000, the PMs were HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujaral and marginally in 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and in 2011-2012, it was PM Manmohan Singh.

There were 5 notable railways accidents from 2010 to 2012 – Jnaneswari Express in 2010, Uttar Banga Express and Vananchal Express in 2010, Chhapra-Mathura Express in 2011, Hubli-Banglore Hampi Express in 2012 and Tamil Nadu Express in 2012. All of these took place under the Congress government at the centre. In fact, during UPA-I and UPA-II over 1300 train accidents had taken place.

Another set of data revealed that Mamata Banerjee, who served as the Railway Minister under both Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, oversaw 54 collisions, 839 derailments, and 1,451 deaths.

Under Nitish Kumar’s tenure, there were 79 collisions, 1,000 derailments, and 1,527 deaths.

Similarly, 51 train collisions, 550 derailments, and 1,159 fatalities were witnessed by Lalu Prasad Yadav, who also served as Manmohan Singh’s railway minister.

Reforms and measures for train safety undertaken by Modi Government

The above data only go on to prove that the Modi government has done exceptionally well as far as train safety is concerned. This happened as a result of Indian Railways’ continuous efforts to improve safety performance in all respects. To enhance safety, the national transporter had, until 2020, implemented a number of significant safety precautions, some of which are listed below:

  • In comparison to the 631 Manned Level Crossings removed in the year 2018–19, Indian Railways abolished as many as 1274 in the following year, 2019–20. Thus, Indian Railways has now eliminated the greatest number of level crossings ever.
  • To increase safety on the Indian Railways network, a total of 1309 ROBs/RUBs were constructed in 2019–20.
  • A total of 1367 bridges were renovated in 2019–20, up from 1013 in 2018–19.
  • Compared to 4,265 Track km (TKM) in the previous year, Indian Railways had the highest-ever renewal of rails in the current fiscal year (5,181 TKM).
  • The number of rails supplied by SAIL during the 2019–20 fiscal year (13.8 lakh tonnes) was at an all-time high. With the provision of 6.4 Lakh tonne long rails, the field welding scope was greatly reduced, improving asset reliability.
  • A total of 285 level crossings have been interlocked by signals in 2019–20; there are 11,639 total level crossings that have been interlocked.
  • In order to increase safety, electrical and electronic signalling have been installed in 84 railway stations during 2019–20.
  • The government has done a comparatively excellent job in ensuring greater construction of foot overbridges. During the first four years of the NDA government, 74-foot overbridges were constructed against 23 constructed by previous UPA, registering a 221 per cent increase in the rate.
  • UPA government in its 10 years of rule, from 2004 to 2014, produced/manufactured 233 LHB coaches. Modi-led NDA government in its tenure has produced 6 times more LHB coaches per year with a total rate standing at 1,387 coaches per year. The government has constantly increased the production year-by-year in its tenure competing efficaciously with itself every year.
  • In 2013/14, the previous UPA government electrified a total of 610 Km of route whereas in 2017/18, BJP led NDA, ensuring a 570% increase, carried out electrification of 4,087 Km of railway tracks.
  • Railways laid 7,666 Km of tracks during 2014-17 of NDA tenure, which is 794 Km more than the UPA-2’s initial three years from 2009-12. 

A comparison of the train development projects the Modi government has undertaken with those carried out during the UPA administration paints a splendid picture of the Modi government’s accomplishments.

Balasore Train Accident

On June 2, a massive train accident involving one goods train and two passenger trains took place in Balasore, Odisha claiming the lives of over 275 people and leaving over 900 people injured.

Notably, yesterday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the cause of the Balasore accident and the people responsible for the same has been identified. While he said that the matter is being investigated by the Commissioner of Railway Safety and it will not be proper for him to comment on it, he added that the accident took place due to a change in electronic interlocking.

Vaishnaw also said that the accident has nothing to do with the absence of the Kavach anti-collision system, adding that things like electronic interlocking, point machines etc were involved in the matter.

(This report included information that 98% of Indian tracks were laid between 1870 and 1930 based on a Times of India report. Indian Railways has now clarified that the information was not accurate. This report has been updated with the latest information)

TMC leader and Mamata nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife stopped from boarding Dubai-bound flight, summoned by ED for questioning

ANI
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TMC leader and Mamata nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife stopped from boarding Dubai-bound flight, summoned by ED for questioning

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee was stopped by the immigration department at Kolkata Airport from boarding a Dubai-bound flight and has been summoned to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 8. 

“Though not required to intimate, still to express her bonafide, Rujira Banerjee, wife of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee informed ED through email of her upcoming visit to Dubai from June 5 to June 13 with her children. There was no response/communication from ED objecting to such a visit which they could not have in view of the orders of the Supreme Court,” said Rujira Banerjee’s lawyer. “Today in gross violation of the Supreme Court’s orders, she was stopped at immigration along with her minor kids and informed that she cannot travel abroad. She was also handed over a copy of summon directing her to appear before the ED office in Kolkata on June 8. We will be moving to court as it has been a violation of SC order,” the lawyer added. 

The ED lodged a case under the provisions of the PMLA based on a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. 

Local coal operative Anup Majee is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case. The ED had claimed that the TMC MP was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. Banerjee has denied all charges. 

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

Indian pacer Yash Dayal attacked on social media by Islamists, including Pakistanis, for calling out Love Jihad, deletes post and apologises: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Indian pacer Yash Dayal attacked on social media by Islamists, including Pakistanis, for calling out Love Jihad, deletes post and apologises: Details

On June 5, an Indian pacer who played for Gujarat Titans (GT) in Indian Premium League faced an attack on social media after he called out Love Jihad in one of his Instagram stories. Following the attack, Dayal deleted the story and posted an apology instead. In his story, Dayal wrote, “Guys apologies for the story. It was just posted by mistake. Please don’t spread hate. Thank you. I have respect for each and every community and society.”

Now-deleted story by Dayal (left). Apology posted by Dayal (Right). Source: iz_naaah/Twitter/Yash Dayal/Instagram)

Controversy erupted for calling out Love Jihad

In the wee hours, Dayal shared a post about Love Jihad. It was a cartoon of a Muslim man sitting on his knees holding the hand of a blindfolded Hindu woman. The man is holding a knife in his other hand hidden behind his back. On the side of the couple, there are a lot of graves and a dead body. All the names written on the tombstones are of Hindu girls who were killed after falling for an Islamist who posed as a Hindu.

The dead body lying in the middle of the graves is of Sakshi, one of the latest victims who was killed brutally murdered by Sahil in Delhi. In the cartoon, the Muslim man is saying “There is no love jihad. This is all propaganda. I really love you!” to which the girl replies “I know Abdul tum alag ho. I trust you blindly. (I know Abdul you are different).”

The post shared by Dayal was created originally by Bratati Maity.

After the story went viral, he faced backlash on social media. ‘Journalist’ Abhishek Baxi wrote, “A @BCCI Uttar Pradesh and @gujarat_titans player, Yash Dayal, posted this on Instagram. He has since deleted it. No action against him? Hasn’t he let down his Muslim teammates? How does team management work out with a bigoted individual in a team sport?”

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair is best known for spreading misinformation and instigating attacks on social media in the guise of fact-checking retweeted a post of Aakar Patel, former chief of the now-shut India chapter of Amnesty International.

Source: Twitter

Ahmed Khabeer, who is a ‘journalist’ regularly spreading fake news, and used to be a ‘cat-fish’ account pretending to be a woman, termed it as “Islamophobic”.

Several Islamists, even Pakistanis, started to direct hate against the cricketer.

Love Jihad or Grooming Jihad cases have been reported almost on a daily basis across the country. OpIndia has covered hundreds of cases in the last few years where Hindu girls were lured into a relationship by Muslim men posing as Hindu men. Many of them were brutally murdered after they refused to convert or did not respond to their advances. OpIndia’s complete coverage of Grooming Jihad cases can be seen here.

Mukhtar Ansari gets life imprisonment in the 1991 case of the murder of Congress leader Awadhesh Rai

ANI
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Mukhtar Ansari gets life imprisonment in the 1991 case of the murder of Congress leader Awadhesh Rai

A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi awarded life imprisonment to jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in the 1991 Awadhesh Rai murder case. 

On August 3, 1991, Congress leader and brother of former MLA Ajay Rai, Awadhesh Rai, was shot dead outside Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi. “Ansari was presented before the court through video conference where the court convicted him under Sections 145 and 302m,” said Advocate Vikash Singh. 

Reacting to the court’s judgement Ajay Rai said, “Today, we have won after a 32-year-long battle. We welcome the verdict of the court…If anything happens to me the responsibility will lie on the BJP government.

Earlier while waiting for the court to pronounce the quantum of sentence, Rai had said, “We have faith in the judicial system. We hope he gets the maximum possible punishment. Mafia Mukhtar Ansari tried to tamper with the evidence several times.” 

The Special Court which concluded the hearing after arguments on May 19, reserved its order, and fixed June 5 as the date to deliver it. In the case of the killing of Awadhesh Rai, Ajay Rai had named Mukhtar Ansari, Bhim Singh and former MLA Abdul Kalim, in the FIR. 

On May 17, a Ghazipur MP-MLA Court acquitted Mukhtar Ansari accused in a case of conspiracy of a murder attempt in Uttar Pradesh’s Mohammadabad area in the district. 

In 2009, Mir Hasan filed a case of attempt to murder against Ansari under 120B. A case under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur.

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

Rahul Gandhi seeks Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation, claims Congress’s Railway Ministers resigned after accidents: Here are some facts for him

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi seeks Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation, claims Congress’s Railway Ministers resigned after accidents: Here are some facts for him

On June 4 (local time) disqualified MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over ‘moral grounds’. He claimed that he remembered how the then-Congress Railway Minister took responsibility for the train accident and resigned from the post. During his address to the Indian diaspora in New York, he said, “I remember a train accident when the Congress party was in power. Congress did not get up and say that the train crashed because of the fault of the British. Congress minister said, “It’s my responsibility the train has crashed and I’m resigning”. So this is the problem we have back home we make excuses and not accepting the reality we are faced with.” He somehow connected it to “unemployment” among the youth.

Looking back at the history of train accidents and how then-railway ministers reacted to them, Rahul Gandhi appeared to be grossly uninformed. The only Congress minister who resigned after a train accident was then-Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri who resigned from the post in November 1956 following the Ariyalur train accident in Tamil Nadu that claimed 142 lives.

In August 1999, then-Railway Minister Nitish Kumar resigned from the post following the Gaisal train accident in Assam that claimed at least 290 lives. In 2000, then-Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee resigned from the post following two train accidents in one year. However, then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rejected her resignation. It is pertinent to note, however, that Mamata Banerjee had not resigned because of the railway accidents. She had resigned purely for political reasons. Mamata Banerjee had, in 2000, tendered her resignation 2 times in 2 months, 1 for rising oil prices and once supposedly taking moral responsibility for train mishaps. Given her previous resignation, it may be theorised that she wanted to quit the cabinet for political reasons and the train mishaps were merely an excuse to do so.

In August 2017, then-Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu offered his resignation after two back-to-back derailments in just four days. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to wait. Prabhu stepped down from the post the next month.

All three resignations came during the time when NDA was in power. Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee were Railway Ministers during then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and at the time of Suresh Prabhu’s resignation, Narendra Modi was the Prime Minister.

Facts about train mishaps and Congress’ legacy

The Modi government has interestingly done exceptionally well as far as train safety is concerned. A consolidated picture of the number of train accidents and the number of people dead in such accidents shows that mishaps have reduced significantly under the Modi government.

Consolidated table of train accidents through the years

As one can see, the track record under the Modi government has only increased. The maximum number of people who died or got injured before the Balasore incident was in the year 95-96, 97-2000, 2001-2003, 2011-2012. In 1995, the PM of the country of PV Narasimha Rao, from 97-2000, the PMs were HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujaral and marginally in 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and in 2011-2012, it was PM Manmohan Singh.

There were 5 notable railways accidents from 2010 to 2012 – Jnaneswari Express in 2010, Uttar Banga Express and Vananchal Express in 2010, Chhapra-Mathura Express in 2011, Hubli-Banglore Hampi Express in 2012 and Tamil Nadu Express in 2012. All of these took place under the Congress government at the centre and no railways minister resigned for them.

In fact, during UPA-I and UPA-II over 1300 train accidents took place but none of the Congress’s leaders serving as Railway Ministers or leaders of their ally parties serving as Railway Ministers offered resignation.

Therefore, Rahul Gandhi is factually inaccurate when he says that Railways Ministers resigned during the Congress government.

Ashwini Vaishnaw qualified and did his job

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is highly qualified for the job and he has done exceptionally well in the time of distress. Within hours of the accident, Vaishnaw was at the accident site and he has not left the site since then. Having the minister in charge at the site worked in favour of getting tracks functioning quickly.

Vaishnaw is updating the progress as it comes on social media to ensure all the stakeholders and the general public are aware of the progress. The investigation into the matter is underway and the cause of the accident has already been determined.

Seeking resignation only serves the political desires of the opposition. A minister under which the tragedy has happened and who is qualified to the job should not resign. It is his duty and moral obligation towards the people of the country that he finds the reason behind the mishap and fixes it. A responsible minister or leader will never run from his or her duties and should not step down without fixing the problem behind the mishap that occurred during his or her tenure. In the case of the Odisha Train Accident, Vaishnaw has clearly taken responsibility and taken matters into his hands to get things back on track.

Rahul Gandhi must do what he preaches

In another statement, Rahul Gandhi has insinuated that the Congress party does not look at the past and concentrates on the job. As preached, Gandhi should not go back to the 50s and use the resignation of then-Railway Minister Shastri to play politics in 2023. At the time of a tragedy, all leaders should have come on the same platform and worked together to provide relief to the victims. Making accusations and creating hurdles in the government’s work only adds to the misery of the victims and satisfy the political desires of the opposition.

Balasore Train Accident

On June 2, a massive train accident involving one goods train and two passenger trains took place in Balasore, Odisha claiming the lives of over 275 people and leaving over 900 people injured.

Saudi Arabia set to participate in the 2nd Mt Everest International Yoga Championship, nation team in Nepal, coaching under head coach Vijay Yadav

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Saudi Arabia set to participate in the 2nd Mt Everest International Yoga Championship, nation team in Nepal, coaching under head coach Vijay Yadav

Saudi Arabia’s national team is all set to take part in their first-ever international contest, the 2nd Mt Everest International Yoga Championship scheduled to be held in Nepal’s Kathmandu from June 8 to 10, Saudi Arabia-based Arab News reported. 

Saudi Arabia’s team arrived in the capital on June 1, where they are undergoing special training under the supervision of head coach Vijay Yadav. As per the news report, Vijay Yadav during his career has won more than 50 medals, including five gold. Nouf Al-Marwaai, Saudi Yoga Committee President, said she was proud of the team. She further said that she expressed confidence that the team will outperform many other nations, as per the Arab News report. Nouf Al Marwaai further stated that the team includes Ahmed Shilati, Samaher Al-Malki, Jouda Sharaf, Joud Abed and Bader Al-Ghamdi. 

While addressing a press conference before their departure, Al-Malki, who is also a yoga instructor, said that the team was ready for their first international championship, Arab News reported. 

“We are ready to participate in the yoga championship in Nepal to raise the flag of Saudi Arabia. And the spread of yoga has become (important) for us. It is always better to start from a young age to practice this sport,” Arab News quoted Al-Malki as saying. 

Bader Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Arabia’s youngest athlete aged 8 years, said he was looking forward to representing Saudi Arabia in the junior category. He said that he hopes to win a medal at the championship. Al-Ghamdi stated that he loves yoga as it teaches him “how to breathe, how to exercise and how to balance” and added that his dream is to become a professional yoga player. 

While speaking at the press conference, Ahmed Al-Saadi, Saudi Yoga Committee’s executive director, said he was confident that the team will do well in the international contest, as per the news report. He further said, “The Saudi team has distinguished players and can help any coach in achieving good results because they have quality and intelligence.” 

Prior to her arriving in Kathmandu, Al-Marwaai represented Saudi Arabia in the working group for civil society C20 under the auspices of the G20 Summit set to be held this year in India, Arab News reported. C20 provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) around the world to bring forth a non-government and non-business voice to G20, according to the statement on the G20 website. 

Al-Marwaai called it an “honour” to be part of the International Yoga Program in India under the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future Through Yoga,’ as per the Arab News report. She even expressed gratitude to the Indian government and organizers for their “warm reception and exceptional hospitality” and wished all the success to India’s G20 Presidency. 

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

Mukhtar Ansari convicted in Congress leader Awadhesh Rai murder case: Know what the case was

OpIndia Staff
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Mukhtar Ansari convicted in Congress leader Awadhesh Rai murder case: Know what the case was

An MP/MLA court in Varanasi, on Monday, June 5 found former Mau MLA and dreaded mafia Mukhtar Ansari guilty and convicted the jailed mafia in the 30 years old Awadhesh Rai murder case. The quantum of the sentence will be announced at 2 pm today. The gangster-turned-politician is the prime accused in the case. 

Speaking about the court’s decision, Awadhesh Rai’s brother Ajay Rai told the media, “We have faith in the judicial system. We hope he (Mukhtar Ansari) gets the maximum possible punishment. Mafia Mukhtar Ansari tried to tamper with the evidence several times.”

Ajay Rai’s lawyer, meanwhile, told the media, “It was a brutal murder in broad daylight and there were two eyewitnesses who gave their statements without being afraid of Mukhtar Ansari.”

The case dates back to the year 1991. Awadhesh Rai was a Congress leader and brother of former MLA Ajay Rai. On August 3, 1991, Awadhesh Rai was shot dead outside his brother Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi. It is believed that the Congress leader was shot as he had started to gain political prominence.

According to reports, at the time of the murder, Congress leader Ajay Rai along with his brother Awadhesh Rai was standing in front of his house in the Lahurabir area in Varanasi, when some miscreants arrived in the van and started firing at them. The miscreants had reportedly made Awadhesh Rai their target. They shot Awadhesh Rai till he died.

Following his brother’s murder, Ajay Singh filed an FIR at Chetganj police station of Varanasi in which he named mafia Mukhtar Ansari. MLAs Abdul Kalam, Bhim Singh, Kamlesh Singh and Rakesh Srivastava alias Rakesh Justice were also named as accused in the case.

At present, Mukhtar Ansari and Bhim Singh are lodged in jail. Whereas former MLAs Abdul Kalam and Kamlesh Singh have died.

It is believed that Mukhtar Ansari while lamenting in jail, used his clout and influence to get the original case diary to disappear from the court. In fact, the Varanasi police had also registered an FIR against Mukhtar Ansari for the same.

It may be recalled that in December last year, Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a court in Ghazipur. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him. Mukhtar Ansari and Bhim Singh were convicted under the Gangster Act.

The court pronounced its verdict in the 1996 gangster case against MLA Mukhtar Ansari.

In 1996, this Gangster Act case was registered against Mukhtar Ansari. The action was taken against Mukhtar on the basis of five cases under the Gangster Act. Congress leader Ajay Rai’s elder brother Awadhesh Rai’s murder case and the fatal attack on additional SP were also included in these five cases.

In this case, the court had sentenced after 26 years. This was the first time Mukhtar Ansari had been convicted in any case. The gangster act was invoked simultaneously in connection with the murder of Awadhesh Rai, the murder of Constable Rajendra Singh, the murder of Constable Raghuvansh Singh, the attack on an additional SP, and the attack on policemen in Ghazipur.

Notably, in Ansari’s 44-year of criminal history, he has so far been exonerated in 18 cases. He was once accused of breaking the NSA Act, but the DM exonerated him in that case too. After that, he was cleared by the police in 8 other cases.

In addition to all this, records of four cases filed against him went missing from the police station. Three cases filed against him were withdrawn. 21 cases are still pending in court, out of which, the court hasn’t even accepted the charge sheet in 2 cases.

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