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Nepal’s PM Prachand meets PM Modi in Delhi to sign multiple agreements, Nepal amends its Citizenship Act which can make China angry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachand’ convened a bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House in Delhi on 1st June 2023. The two leaders engaged in discussions aimed at elevating the special and distinctive relationship between India and Nepal to new heights, said the Ministry of external affairs.

Both leaders signed various agreements at the meeting. Meanwhile, an amendment to the citizenship law in Nepal has been approved. This is seen as contrary to China’s stance. Prime Minister Modi and Prachand jointly inaugurated the Integrated Checkpost at the India-Nepal border near the village of Kewatlia in Sonauli, India, and Bhairahawa, Nepal on Thursday, June 1, 2023. They also unveiled the e-project for the Kurtha-Bijalpura section of the railway.

Both the leaders jointly inaugurated Phase 2 of the Motihari (East Champaran)-Amlekhganj oil pipeline between India and Nepal. They also flagged off an Indian Railways cargo train from Bathnaha to the Nepal Custom Yard. Additionally, they expressed agreement on resolving border disputes through dialogue.

While addressing the joint press conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “I remember my first Nepal visit just after three months of assuming office (as PM) nine years ago. Back then I gave a ‘HIT’ formula for India-Nepal ties. It was – Highways, I-ways, and Transways. I had said that we will establish such a connection between India and Nepal that our borders should not become barriers between us. Oil should be exported by trains instead of trucks. Bridges should be built on the common rivers. Arrangements should be made to export electricity from Nepal to India. Friends, after nine years, I am happy to say today that our partnership is actually hit.”

PM Modi said, “Over the past 9 years, both countries have been working together on several significant projects, including the construction of bridges over shared rivers and the export of electricity from Nepal to India. The first Integrated Checkpost was established in Birgunj. Efforts have also been made to initiate the first petroleum pipeline, railway line, and transmission along the border. India is importing 450 megawatts of electricity from Nepal.”

Nepal’s PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachand’ said, “Efforts are being made jointly to enhance contact between India and Nepal. The border dispute between the two countries will be resolved through dialogue. India has provided assistance to Nepal in various sectors, including agriculture.”

Nepal amended its citizenship law

Just a few hours before the Nepalese Prime Minister’s visit to India, the President of Nepal, Ramchandra Poudel, approved an amendment to the citizenship law. Under this law, female foreigners marrying Nepali citizens are immediately granted citizenship along with political rights.

The amendment includes a provision in the constitution saying that no Nepali citizen will be deprived of the right to obtain citizenship. Provisions are also made to grant naturalized citizenship and citizenship by descent. It will also give citizenship certificates to children whose parents’ whereabouts were not known. Under the amendment, children born to a Nepali mother but whose father is unknown could get citizenship documents after the mother makes a declaration.

In fact, China has been opposing this law, which is why it had been pending for several years. China has been cautioning Nepal regarding this law. China’s argument is that this law could grant citizenship and property rights to Tibetan refugees and their families. Nepal hosts the largest number of Tibetan refugees after India.

The influence of China was indeed the reason Nepal hesitated to approve this legal amendment. Nepal’s former President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, had rejected this amendment twice in the citizenship law. It was also speculated at that time that she had not given approval due to China’s influence.

The bill was passed by the Nepali parliament last year, but former President Bidya Devi Bhandari refused to authenticate the amendment bill twice and returned it to the parliament for review. After it was returned the first time, both houses of the parliament had passed the bill again without considering the suggestions of the president and sent it to the president for approval. After that, the former president didn’t endorse it within the 15-day deadline. She retired in March without clearing the bill.

The amendment will make way for thousands of children of parents who got citizenship by birth to acquire citizenship by descent. Earlier, the law allowed anyone born in Nepal before April 12, 1990, to acquire citizenship by birth. However, their children didn’t get citizenship as there was no law for granting citizenship by descent.

Nepal’s PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachand’ has a special connection with India

Prime Minister Prachand of Nepal has had a long-standing relationship with India. When he was involved in armed struggles against Nepal’s monarchy, he and several of his Maoist comrades sought refuge in India. During that time, they received support not only from India’s left-wing groups but also from the Indian government. Prachand discreetly arranged the marriages of all three of his daughters in India.

In 1996, Prachand initiated an armed struggle against Nepal’s monarchy. However, as the Maoists started targeting civilians in Nepal, public resentment against them grew. During this period, India engaged in discussions with Prachand and other Maoist leaders.

In November 2006, India and seven Maoist parties of Nepal entered into a significant 12-point agreement. Subsequently, Nepal held general elections, in which the Maoists emerged as winners, leading to Prachand assuming the position of Prime Minister for the first time. Despite occasional scepticism towards India, Prachand fostered closer relations with China. Nonetheless, the approval of the citizenship amendment law signifies a positive step towards strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Illegal Mazar was built after AAP councillor won polls but Hindu temple not allowed at the place where Sahil Khan killed Sakshi: OpIndia Ground Report

On Sunday, May 28, 2023, in the Shahbad Dairy area of Delhi, a young man named Sahil Khan brutally murdered 16-year-old Hindu girl Sakshi. The postmortem report revealed that Sahil had stabbed Sakshi multiple times with a knife, resulting in 16 large cut marks spanning from her neck to her stomach, causing her intestines to protrude. Following the knife attack, Sahil proceeded to repeatedly strike Sakshi’s head with a nearby concrete slab, resulting in severe damage to the head of the deceased girl.

OpIndia conducted an on-site investigation to assess and gather information on various aspects surrounding the tragic incident. Our primary focus was understanding the motive behind the murder, evaluating the current situation, and collecting relevant information from the local community members impacted by the incident. Notably, a deeply distressing video of this murder had gone viral on social media.

During our interactions with the residents, we initially planned to visit the location where Sakshi was brutally murdered. However, before reaching the site, we noticed a gathering of media personnel with cameras in one area. Upon inquiry, we discovered that it was the office of the Aam Aadmi Party MLA. Interestingly, unlike typical MLA offices, there was no noticeable signboard or banner indicating the presence of a political leader. The intriguing backstory behind this peculiar situation was later unveiled.

The location where Sakshi was tragically murdered seemed relatively calm, with only a couple of YouTubers capturing footage. The mainstream media, on the other hand, was positioned at a considerable distance. Notably, the crime scene and the office of the Aam Aadmi Party MLA were situated a mere 200 meters apart, with a park separating the two locations. This so-called park lacked vegetation and greenery, and adjacent to it we saw a sizable Mazar. It was during the exploration that we encountered a resident named Dalip Kumar in the vicinity of the Mazar.

OpIndia has spoken to Dalip Kumar about Sakshi’s murder. In this conversation, we questioned him about a park located about 50 meters away from the murder site and the Mazar adjacent to it. To this, Dalip said, “There was no tomb in the park before. About 10-15 years ago, there were some bricks kept over there in the name of Mazar. After this, 5-7 years ago, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Jai Bhagwan Upkar (who is now an MLA) first got the roof of the Mazar installed after winning from here. When Hindus protested, the police reprimanded the Hindus instead of banning Muslims from building the Mazar.”

According to Dalip Kumar, the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal promote this kind of politics. In such politics, Muslim interests are served, and Hindus are ignored. If Hindus protest, they are systematically threatened.

Dalip Kumar further told, “Adjacent to the park, along the roadside, there stood an idol of a goddess sheltered beneath a peepal tree. This sacred spot was frequented by local Hindus for worship. However, after the construction of the nearby Mazar, when the Hindu community attempted to erect a temple in place of the idol, the construction work was abruptly halted. As a result, the idol of the goddess remains within the unfinished temple structure, while the temple construction and completion are not allowed by the administration.”

Why the board was removed from the AAP MLA’s office?

In close proximity, a mere 200 meters from the location of Sakshi’s tragic murder, lies the office of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jai Bhagwan Upkar. During our conversation with Dalip Kumar, the local resident, he expressed his disappointment with the MLA, highlighting his absence during Sakshi’s funeral. Additionally, Dalip Kumar shared a shocking revelation regarding the removal of the board and banner from the MLA’s office, shedding light on the reasons behind this unexpected decision.

He said, “Prior to the murder incident, signboards were installed outside the MLA’s office. However, the following morning, these boards were unexpectedly taken down. This action was undertaken with the intention of avoiding any perception that a murder had occurred in close proximity to the MLA’s office, so as not to negatively impact public sentiment about the leader.”

On Sunday, May 28, 2023, while en route to attend her friend Neetu’s son’s birthday celebration, Sakshi encountered Sahil, who intercepted her. In a horrifying turn of events, Sahil mercilessly thrust a knife into Sakshi’s abdomen, inflicting severe injuries. Despite her grievous condition and collapse to the ground, Sahil callously continued his assault. He then proceeded to wield a concrete slab found nearby, relentlessly striking Sakshi’s head. Tragically, Sakshi succumbed to the multiple stab wounds to her stomach and the brutal blows inflicted upon her head.

Sakshi’s murder did not unfold as a spontaneous act; rather, it was the result of Sahil’s premeditated scheme that had been brewing for several days. His sinister plan extended beyond Sakshi alone, as he had plotted to eliminate a total of five individuals. This conspiracy aimed to target both Sakshi and her male friends during their regular journeys along specific routes. For this, he had done recce of the roads. He had also consumed marijuana and alcohol prior to carrying out his heinous act.

Kerala nun rape case accused Franco Mulakkal steps down as Jalandhar Bishop after informing the Pope, Vatican says not a punitive action

Franco Mulakkal, who was booked in a case involving the rape of a nun in Kerala back in 2018, has reportedly resigned as the Jalandhar bishop. He confirmed that Pope Francis has accepted his resignation on Thursday. He was cleared of all charges in the rape case by the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Kottayam last year.

The Vatican allegedly sought his resignation not as a punitive action against him but rather for the sake of the Jalandhar diocese, which requires a new bishop. According to a release by the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to India, the representative body of the Vatican in India, Mulakkal’s resignation was a ‘pro bono Ecclesiae’, especially for the good of the diocese which needs a new bishop.

He will now serve as Bishop Emeritus (retired) of Jalandhar. He is between 57 to 59-years-old and traditionally, Bishops usually step down when they turn 75.

Franco Mulakkal’s current status as Bishop Emeritus of Jalandhar apparently does not mean that he has canonical limitations on his ministry. He had his first encounter with the Pope on February 8 of this year after being exonerated in the rape case by the local Kerala court. During this meeting, he had informed the Pope about his decision to resign from the post.

After he was questioned by the Kerala police on charges of rape made by a nun, Pope Francis temporarily suspended the bishop of his duties for the diocese in September 2018.

He was not granted any new duties in the church notwithstanding his acquittal. However, the Vatican had previously acknowledged the court’s judgement clearing him of all allegations.

He thanked everyone who helped him through a difficult time in his life as he announced his resignation in a video message. “I resigned from the post for the sake of the Jalandhar diocese and appointment of a new bishop,” he claimed.

The Kerala nun rape case

A Kerala nun accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her repeatedly while visiting her convent in Kottayam between 2014 and 2016 and launched a lawsuit against him in 2018. She is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, a congregation under the diocese.

He was then taken into custody and placed under arrest. Pope Francis also temporarily stripped him of his duties in the diocese during this time.

He was cleared of all counts of sexual assault in January 2022, by the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kottayam, Kerala. However, he received no further duties inside the church. The victim and the Kerala government have filed appeals with the Kerala High Court against the trial court order absolving him of all charges. The High Court admitted the appeal in April 2022.

His charge sheet had 84 eyewitness statements including priests, bishops and nuns. In 2018 five nuns even sat on a hunger strike and accused that Franco Mulakkal who is a very powerful figure in the clergy was being protected.

Furthermore, a nun who testified in the trial revealed in 2020 that he hugged her and forcibly kissed her on the forehead at the convent in April 2017.

‘When we lose interest we chop Hindu girls’: ‘Constable Wasim’ accused of threatening Hindu girl with Shraddha-like fate when she refused to convert to Islam

In yet another case of grooming jihad, a Hindu woman hailing from the Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh has accused a man named Wasim of intimidation, rape and forced conversion. The accused is said to be a Delhi Police Constable. She alleged that Wasim ensnared her in his ‘love’ trap and sexually exploited her for 11 years. He got her raped by his brother, forced her to convert to Islam, and when she protested he threatened to chop her into pieces like Shraddha Walker.

According to media reports, the Hapur victim alleged that she came to Delhi in the year 2011 to pursue her education. She lived with her family in a flat in Lajpat Nagar. Delhi Police Constable Wasim and his family also lived in the same building. Wasim’s mother Jamila used to talk to her in a very loving manner and frequently shared stories praising Islam.

The victim alleged that Wasim’s mother Jameela once invited her to her home. Jamila offered her some food which was spiked. The victim fell unconscious after she ate it. Taking advantage of the situation, Wasim raped her. When she regained consciousness, Jamila started pressuring her to get married to Wasim.

The victim further said that when she refused to marry Wasim citing their religious differences, Wasim and Jameela began to threaten her. They threatened to kill the victim’s brother if she resented. After that day, Wasim kept sexually exploiting the victim. He also got her raped by his brother. On December 28, 2012, she was forcibly married to Wasim.

The victim further said in the complaint, that after learning about her marriage, her family, out of concern for their reputations, left their Lajpat Nagar residence and started living elsewhere. Wasim and his family members, meanwhile, forced the victim to sign various documents and changed her name to Iqra Ahmed.

Following this, the torture and abuse of the victim got progressively worse. The accused and his family started mentally and physically tormenting her on a daily basis. In April 2015, she gave birth to Wasim’s child. Even after that, the atrocities continued. Wasim force-fed her drugs and had unnatural sex with her. The victim alleged that Wasim’s brother Arif also started raping her at his whim. When she protested, she was mercilessly beaten up.

When our boys lose interest, they chop off Hindu girls. My son will marry many more Hindu girls in the future: Wasim’s mother to the Hindu woman

Wasim allegedly took pride in telling her stories of how he has trapped many Hindu women in the past. Whenever she protested, Wasim threatened her with a Shraddha Walker-like fate. She said that Waseem often told her that committing murders or killing someone was something they are used to doing. It was not unusual for them. Wasim’s mother also often told the victim, “When our boys lose interest, they chop off Hindu girls. My son will marry many more Hindu girls in the future.”

According to the victim, Wasim and his family tortured her for 11 years. On May 11, Waseem severely beat her and attempted to choke her with the service revolver’s string. On May 12, 2023, she managed to escape and came to her grandfather’s house in Hapur, where she filed a complaint against Wasim and his family.

The Hapur police took cognisance of the complaint and filed an FIR on Monday, May 29, 2023. The police named Waseem, his mother Jamila, his father Kayum Ali, and brothers Imran, Arif, Azharuddin, and Shahid as the accused based on the victim’s complaint. No arrest has been made so far in the case.

Rise in cases where Hindu women were threatened with Shraddha Walker-like fate by their Muslim partners

Since the Shraddha Walkar murder case came to light in November 2022, where her live-in partner Aaftab Ameen Poonawalla killed and chopped her body into 35 pieces, there has been a spate of incidents where Hindu women have alleged similar threats by their Muslim partners.

Soon after the ghastly murder of Shraddha Walker, a woman from the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh (UP), filed a case against a man named Mohammed Muzammil for threatening to chop her into pieces like Shraddha. The case was filed at Pallavpuram Police Station.

In another case, the Kanpur police of UP arrested a man named Mohammed Faiz on a complaint by a family that he was stalking their minor daughter and threatening her with a Shraddha-like fate if she turned him down. 

In yet another case, this time from Maharashtra, a 24-year-old woman filed a case against her husband Arshad Malik for trapping her in a relationship with a false Hindu identity, and later mistreating her. Adding the dreadful details to the case, the complainant had then said, “I gave birth to my second child in August this year. But I was not getting proper healthcare. Instead, my father-in-law and my husband continued to rape me together. My mother-in-law also tortured me mentally.” She said that after the Shraddha Walkar murder case happened, Arshad and his father would issue her threats saying that “Aftab cut Shraddha into 35 pieces but we would cut you into 70 pieces.”

On November 11, 2022, the Delhi Police arrested Aaftab Poonawala for murdering live-in partner Shraddha Walker. Aaftab had killed Shraddha in a premeditated murder on May 18, 2022, by strangling her, in the Mehrauli area of the capital city. To dispose of the body, he bought a large refrigerator, chopped Shraddha’s body into 35 pieces and stored them in plastic bags. Over the next two weeks, he threw away the pieces in the nearby jungle at night. 

Islamists attempt to whitewash Purola minor girl abduction case, paint Muslims as victims by making false allegations, police refute the claims

On Thursday, Islamists and Leftists yet again made an attempt to whitewash a love jihad case that was reported from the Purola region of Uttarkashi and instead painted the Muslims as victims.

The case comes from the Purola region of Uttarkashi where a minor girl was reported to be abducted by two youths, one of whom was from the Muslim community. The two accused have been identified as Uved Khan and Jitendra Saini. One of the accused owns a cycle repairing shop and the other one is engaged in making handmade blankets in the main market area of Purola.

One of them named Uved Khan is believed to have trapped a Hindu girl studying in class 9, who is the daughter of one of the local shopkeepers in the market. He promised her marriage and then abducted her with the help of the other accused to the Vikasnagar region of the state. The duo were caught and have been taken into custody by the police.

After the incident, locals launched a massive protest and demanded the shutdown of the shops owned by outsiders, the majority of whom are from the minority community. The locals also demanded police verification of the outsiders.

Whitewashing the grave incident, Mohammed Asif Khan, who usually spreads hate against the Hindu community from his Twitter handle, claimed on May 30 that after the incident, around 42 Muslim shopkeepers were ‘forced to leave the city’. He also claimed that the Muslim boy had eloped with a Hindu girl when in fact the minor girl was kidnapped by the two accused, one of whom was Uved Khan, a Muslim.

Khan’s tweet was further shared by several Islamists who claimed that Hindus were terrorists and that they were furthering their agenda in the name of Santan Dharma.

Another one also defamed the protesters for targeting the ‘Muslim shopkeepers’ and said that instead of helping the girl’s family, Hindus were busy ‘harassing’ the minority community shopkeepers.

Locals demand police verification of ‘outsiders’

Notably, massive protests erupted in the city of Purola on Monday after the incident was reported and people enraged by the incident are said to have demanded the shutdown of shops owned by specific communities and outsiders in the main market. They also demanded verification of non-local businessmen who run their businesses in rented premises in Purola.

One of the local VHP leaders also said that outsiders, people from the minority community migrate to Purola as shopkeepers and daily wage earners but engage in their religious propaganda. “These individuals quietly brainwash locals, particularly young ladies. There is insufficient police verification of these persons who eye on Hindu community women. While we do not oppose any one belief, this is unacceptable. Before things worsen, police and the administration should act decisively to put an end to such actions,” the leader added.

Police clarify saying, ‘nobody has left the town’

However, it was reported earlier that the Police have denied several media reports claiming that members of the minority communities have left the city. “Nobody has left the town as it is not that easy to just leave businesses and homes behind in one night. The situation is completely under control. The accused, who were arrested, were produced before the local court which later sent them to jail,” V Murugesan, additional director general of police (law & order) was quoted as saying.

This is after several media reports like Times of India, Zee News, News 18, etc claimed that around 40-42 minority shopkeeper owners had fled from the city after the case of a minor Hindu girl’s abduction was reported. But this seems untrue as 40 shops in the hill town of Purola in Uttarkashi, 145 km from Dehradun, remained only shut and nobody has fled as noted by the Police.

The locals have declared that no shops owned or rented by non-local people will be allowed to open until police verification of these outsiders is executed.

The Uttarkashi Police took cognizance of the incident and released a statement confirming the minor Hindu girl was kinapped by the two and didn’t elope as claimed by the Islamists. “The two accused were identified and have been arrested. After the medical examination of the girl, sections of POCSO have also been added to the case. Further investigations in the case are underway,” said SP Uttarkashi Arpan Yaduvanshi.

The SP further added that several rumours were being spread by the media organizations in this case. He appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and tranquillity. “Protests will be granted permission only until they are peaceful. Any person who tries to take law in his hand will not be spared. Please do not believe in rumours,” he appealed.

VHP President from Purola confirms ‘love jihad’ angle in the case

While the left liberals and also several media houses have doubts about the ‘love jihad’ angle in the case, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) President from Purola, Virendra Singh Rawat confirmed that the minor Hindu girl was abducted by the Muslim boy, Uved Khan and that the other accused, Jitendra Saini hardly had any role to play in the entire incident. “Saini happened to introduce Uved to the girl. He also influenced the girl in favor of Uved and helped the boy abduct the girl. The girl was actually trapped in a love affair by the Muslim accused who later also promised her of marriage. He then abducted her with the help of the other accused,” Rawat said.

Rawat meanwhile also stated that the activities of Hindu boy can’t be justified but this is simple case of love jihad. “Outsiders most of whom are from the minority communities migrate to Purola and set up small businesses like puncture, vehicle repairs, etc and then execute their agenda. They eye on Hindu girls and try to convert them to other religion. Several cases like these have happened in the past. This case is also one of those. Its simple love jihad,” he added.

He also alleged that the police is trying to conceal the matter by hiding the ‘Love Jihad’ angle as the girl belongs to the Dalit community and the accused to the Muslim community. On asking about the claims of 42 minority shopkeepers fleeing from Purola after the incident, he said that no such event has happened. However, he confirmed that the shops in the markets are closed.

Islamist whitewashing crimes involving minority community accused

This is not the first time when the Islamists have attempted to whitewash a crime involving a minority community accused. Recently in Parbhani, Maharashtra, three minor Sikh boys were beaten by one Akram Patel and 4-5 others. The accused assaulted the boys assuming that they were thieves. One of the minors died on the spot while other two are at the hospital.

Despite of the fact that the police identified accused Akram Patel and arrested total 7 in the case, the left-liberal Islamist community attempted to whitewash the incident and made insidious claims about the victims denying them their religious identity. Mohammed Akhef, a Times of India journalist and several other Islamists and Leftists claimed that the victims were not Sikhs and that they belonged to the other community. The Islamists also justified the murder saying that victims were ‘Sikkalkari’, a tribal community and not Sikhs. However, the false claims furthered by Islamists in the case were debunked by OpIndia.

Islamists Promoting Love Jihad and religious conversion

Islamists and left liberal community have time and again refused to believe in the incidents of love jihad, given the negative involvement of the minority community in India. But several cases have been reported in the past and several incidents continue to come to fore exposing the brutal mindset of Muslim men towards the Hindu women. Muslim men, in many parts of the country, continue to trap Hindu women in a love affair and then torture them, rape them and ultimately force them to convert their religion to Islam.

The given case is also a case of ‘love jihad’ as though the minor was abducted by the two accused, it is clear that she was trapped in a love affair and was promised of marriage by the one named Uved Khan, as informed to OpIndia by VHP President from Purola.

This mentality of Islamists was exposed when the Central Government banned the Islamist terrorist outfit named the Popular Front of India. It was reported that the NIA during the raids from several PFI outlets from across the 17 states recovered incriminating documents including the ‘India vision 2047’ paper, devices containing a video of ISIS, a video of Gajwa-e-Hind, a video of a provocative speech, and a few video clips from the Islamic States.

The investigating agencies also had revealed that the PFI activists were deliberately encouraging the Islamists to trap Hindu women in love affairs and produce more children to ultimately expand the Muslim community. As per the reports, the PFI asked its cadres and other Muslims to force the Hindu women to convert their religion to Islam. At every PFI gathering, the activist would influence Muslims to run the agenda of love jihad and religious conversion. The organization had also declared a financial reward of Rs 2 lakh, a shop, and a house to anyone who would convert a Hindu girl to Islam. Reports mention that several Islamic organizations from several Islamic countries provided funds to the PFI for this purpose.

It the current Purola Hindu minor abduction case, several minority community shops remain closed but none of them have left the towns as is being claimed by the Islamists. The locals have demanded police verification of the outsiders who operate their businesses in either their own or rented premises in the Purola market. They have said that no shops owned or rented by non-local people will be allowed to open until police verification of these outsiders is executed.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes summons Jamia Millia Islamia VC for denying reservation to SC/ST community

On May 18, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Government of India, summoned Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Professor Najma Akhtar to participate in an investigation initiated based on a complaint pertaining to the arbitrary scrapping of SC/ST reservation in recruitment to the teaching and non-teaching positions and promotions.

The complaint was filed by Bhupendra Pal Singh Chamar, International President, World Dalit Counsel, and State President, Akhil Bhartiya Chamar Mahar Jatav Mahasabha on May 11. Akhtar was asked to submit the facts and action taken on the allegations within seven days of the receipt of the notice.

Jamia VC was summoned by National Commission for Scheduled Castes

The commission added that in case Akhtar failed to reply in the stipulated time, the matter will be taken by the commission by exercising the power of the Civil Court conferred on it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India and issuing summons for her appearance in person.

OpIndia accessed the complaint filed against Jamia. In his complaint filed on May 11, Bhupendra said that his organisation came across the matter of abrogating the constitutionally mandated government of India scheme of Reservation for SC/ST community in a publicly funded, Central University i.e. Jamia Millia Islamia. Bhupendra said that the SC/ST community has been deprived of the rights in the University without any intervention from the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission, or Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India.

He pointed out an advertisement published by the university on April 29, 2023, of non-teaching posts that violated the reservation roster of SC/ST. He further added that the university wilfully violated the UGC guidelines issued in October 2021 regarding the reservation roster.

The complaint read, “Evidently, the university did not follow the reservation roster on its flimsy, factious and self-assumed and executed status of Minority Status under Article 30 (1) of the Indian Constitution, charged up with the verdict of the National Commission of Minority Educational Institution in 2011. This verdict/order cannot be enforced as long as the JMI Act remains unamended. The claim of the university is bogus, misleading, and extremely atrocious towards the SC/ST community of the country.”

He pointed out that being a central university by an Act of Parliament, it is funded by the consolidated funds of India. He added that the SC and ST candidates were getting 15 percent and 7.5 percent reservations in the university till 2014 when the “Executive Council of the University unilaterally altered the substantive provisions of its parent statutes and abolished these reservation benefits without following the due process of law”.

He further pointed out that the National Council of Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) declared JMI a minority institute under Article 30(I) in 2011 even though it was not being administered or run by a minority community. Since then, the reservation for SC/ST community was done away with in admissions and it was scrapped in recruitment and promotions in 2014.

Notably, in the complaint Bhupendra mentioned that the University has shut SC/ST Cell as well and there is no representative of the member of SC/ST in the promotion/selection committee. He said the steps taken by the university are affecting around 35,000 to 40,000 students of the SC/ST community.

The matter related to SC/ST reservation is sub-judice

In 2022, Jamia VC was summoned by the commission over a similar matter based on a complaint submitted by one Harender Kumar. In his complaint, Kumar, who belonged to Scheduled Caste, alleged that he had faced discrimination by the University authorities. Kumar was appointed as a guest computer teacher in a school run by the University. He alleged that he was illegally terminated from the University from his job following a conspiracy hatched against him by the top officials of the University.

Kumar said that a fabricated complaint was filed against him through a female teacher by the Principal of the school. It was alleged that Kumar was asked to do menial work such as making tea and washing the utensils for the Principal. He said, “The genesis of the complaint was deeply embedded in caste and religion-based discrimination.” When Kumar resisted doing such work as it was a public denigration of his identity, a conspiracy was allegedly hatched against him, and he was falsely accused of harassing a female employee of the school.

The case of abolishing reservation for SC/ST in appointment and promotion

Jamia Millia Islamia, which is a Central Government-funded University, is under the scanner for doing away with the reservation for SC/ST in appointments and promotions based on the complaint by Kumar. Notably, Jamia Millia Islamia has been avoiding appointments and promotions of candidates from the SC/ST community despite being a Centre-funded university.

There is a pending case in the Delhi High Court challenging National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) order that granted Religious Minority Institute status to the University in 2011. The NCMEI had said in its order, “Jamia was founded by the Muslims for the benefit of Muslims, and it never lost its identity as a Muslim minority educational institution”. It added the University was thus, “covered under Article 30(1), read with Section 2(g) of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act”.

The order was challenged in the Delhi High Court soon after the orders were passed. Despite the pending case, the University scrapped SC/ST reservations and approved religion-based appointments and reservations in 2014, citing the NCMEI order of 2011.

The Centre had opposed the NCMEI order granting Jamia minority status

In 2018, the Government of India submitted a fresh affidavit in the Delhi High Court against the affidavit submitted by the previous government and opposed the minority status given to Jamia Millia Islamia University by NCMEI. As per reports, in the fresh affidavit, the GoI cited the Supreme Court’s decision in the Azeez Basha Vs Union of India case of 1968. The Centre said that the first affidavit submitted by the previous government did not consider the said judgment. In the 1968 judgment, the apex court had said that a university incorporated under an Act of Parliament could not claim the status of a minority institute. 

Udaipur: Hindu woman forced to convert to Islam, wear burqa by one Md Asif, threatened to murder like Delhi cases for refusing

On Thursday, a new case of forceful conversion has come to the fore from the Udaipur district of Rajasthan where a Hindu woman has registered a complaint against a Mulsim man for forcing her to convert her religion to Islam. The accused identified as Mohammed Asif is also said to have issued death threats to the woman.

According to a report by Zee Rajasthan, the Hindu woman stated in the complaint that she knew the accused and was friends with him. She said that she was threatened by the accused that she would be killed like just like the way Hindu girls were recently killed in Delhi.

The accused who is a resident of the Ayad locality in Udaipur developed a friendship with a Hindu woman. However, the woman later attempted to stay away from him and also tried to break his friendship with him. It is then when the accused issued her death threats and forced her to convert her religion to Islam. He also asked her to wear burqa and threatened to murder her like the one that happened in Delhi.

Recently, two dreadful murder cases were reported in Delhi. One is the Shraddha Walkar murder case and the other one was recently reported from the Shahbad Dairy area of the city.

Shraddha Walkar murder case

On November 14, the Delhi Police solved the six-month-old murder case of Shraddha Walkar and arrested Aftab Poonawala for murdering her, and then chopping her into 35 small pieces. Aftab executed the murder on May 18 and stored her body parts in the refrigerator. He then disposed of the body pieces in Delhi’s Mehrauli forest during the next 18 days.

The accused was arrested based on the complaint filed by Shraddha’s father on November 10. He stated in the complaint that the accused and the deceased had rented an apartment in Delhi and were staying in an unhealthy live-in relationship. He said that he had always opposed their relationship as Aftab used to physically assault Shraddha.

Shahbad Dairy murder case

On May 28, Mohammed Sahil stabbed a minor girl named Sakshi over 20 times and brutally murdered her. He also crushed her face with a large stone. He was seen wearing a Kalava (a sacred Hindu thread) on his wrist. Sakshi and Sahil were reportedly in a relationship and had an ugly fight a day before the murder. The victim was on her way to attend a birthday party of her friend’s son when Sahil stopped her and started attacking her with a knife. In the brutal attack, Sahil kept stabbing the victim repeatedly and later picked up a concrete block to crush her head.

Sakshi’s friend later revealed that Sakshi believed Sahil was a Hindu. A local journalist also disclosed the possibility that the girl was murdered after she knew that Sahil was a Muslim and not a Hindu. The Police arrested Sahil from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, 24 hours after the murder. Now, after a crucial revelation by Sakshi’s friend, the police have stated that they will investigate the Love Jihad angle in the case.

Bihar: Saba Khatoon leaves her husband’s home just days after marriage because he stopped her from posting photos on Instagram

A peculiar case has come to the fore from Hajipur in Bihar wherein a woman named Saba Khatoon, who is addicted to social media, left her husband’s house just days after their marriage, as her husband Illyas used to stop her from using social media. According to Saba Khatoon, she used to have frequent arguments with her husband and in-laws as she was always busy on her phone. Following a dramatic turn of events, the matter reached the Lalganj police station. 

Reportedly, around 14 days ago, Illyas, a Lalganj police station area resident had a nikah with Hajipur resident Saba Khatoon. After coming to her in-law’s house Saba used to stay busy with her phone and used social media applications like Instagram, Facebook etc. Illyas and his family were upset over Saba’s social media addiction as she would not pay attention to them and they started objecting to Saba’s behaviour. 

It is being said that after getting fed up with the repeated objections by her husband and in-laws, Saba called her maternal family there. Upon seeing tears in his sister’s eyes, Saba’s brother even pointed a gun at Illyas. The police reached the spot, confiscated the firearm, and arrested Saba Khatoon’s brother. Following this, Saba, instead of giving up her mobile and social media addiction, happily went back to her parents. 

Meanwhile, Illyas’s mother claimed that her son just asked Saba not to carry her phone with her all the time. However, their daughter-in-law was adamant about using her phone. Illyas’s mother further claimed that Saba’s family members arrived at her home and created a ruckus. 

On the other hand, Saba’s mother has claimed that for the last two or three days, her daughter’s phone was switched off. She then called Illyas, however, he also did not let Saba talk to her. When she called Saba’s mother-in-law, she said, “’You have no one of yours here. Everyone has died.” 

Moreover, Saba’s mother added that after Saba called and said, “Ammi take me away from here”.

According to the police, a case of a domestic dispute was reported at Lalganj police station, and a person was arrested for pointing a gun at his sister’s husband. It has been found that the couple was recently married. The girl is addicted to Instagram and frequently uploaded pictures on social media. Being a Muslim family, they were of a conservative mindset and forbade the girl from uploading pictures on Instagram. This led to an intense argument between the couple and then the girl called up her parents and brother. 

‘I am a Muslim, you know what I can do’: Hussain Sheikh rapes and threatens Hindu woman with acid attack, forces her to convert to Islam, arrested

Navapura police in Vadodara, Gujarat have arrested one Muhammad Hussain Sheikh on charges of rape and intimidation. The victim, a married Hindu woman who lived in Hussain’s neighbourhood, alleged that the accused threatened her with her and her son’s life. He also threatened her with an acid attack and attempted to convert her to Islam.

The police have booked Muhammad Hussain Sheikh under IPC sections 376, 354(A)(D), 323, 506(2), 406 and 452, based on a complaint filed by the Hindu married woman.

The victim said in her complaint that Hussain repeatedly threatened to kill her child in order to coerce her into speaking to him. He raped her and also threatened her with an acid attack if she reported him to the police or her family. All her jewellery was also taken away by the accused, which he later sold.

The Hindu woman alleged that Hussain took her to a Dargah around 20 days after he sexually assaulted her, where she was offered sweets and rosewater and forced to wear a Tabiz (amulet) around her neck and black strings were tied to her legs. The victim said that this was an attempt to convert her to Islam.

According to the victim, Mohammed Hussain used to threaten her by saying, “I am a Muslim and you know what I can do. I’ll fix you and your child.” 

On the basis of the woman’s complaint, Navapura police arrested the accused Mohammed Hussain and sent him to jail. Although the Hindu woman also alleged that the accused compelled her to convert to Islam, the police denied the conversion allegation and did not invoke any sections of the anti-conversion law in the case. The police, meanwhile, recovered the jewellery of the victim which the accused sold.

Further investigation into the case is ongoing, said the police.

“Will hang myself if proven guilty…still stand by my statement”: Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh

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Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh on Thursday alleged that the protesting wrestlers are changing their “demands and language” continuously and added that he still stands by his statement that he will hang himself if even one of the allegation against him is proven to be true.

Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest.

 “First they (protesting wrestlers) had some other demand and later they demanded something else. They are changing their demands and language continuously. I had said that if even one case against me gets proven, I will hang myself…I stand by my statement”, said Brij Bhushan to media in Gonda.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal on Wednesday issued a summon to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi in a case pertaining to the wrestlers-WFI case where an identity of a minor wrestler who has accused Brij Bhushan of harassing her was revealed on social media.

In the letter to DCP, New Delhi, DCP Chairperson Maliwal wrote, “Now, a video is being circulated on social media wherein a person claiming to be the uncle of the minor survivor has revealed the identity of the survivor which is a criminal offence as per the POCSO Act.”

She further stated that the accused Brij Bhushan is highly influential and has not been arrested to date.

“The accused in the matter is highly influential and has not been arrested to date. The Hon’ble Supreme Court, considering the sensitivity of the case, and the direct threat to the survivors, especially the minor one, had directed the police to provide them security,” summon read.

The summon further pointed out that in such a scenario, the act of revealing the minor survivor’s identity has to be dealt with seriously.

In this regard, DCW chief Swati Maliwal has issued a summon to the Deputy Commissioner of Police of New Delhi District seeking registration of an FIR in the matter. The Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR along with details of the accused arrested in the matter.

The Commission has also asked Delhi Police to inform the reasons for not arresting the main accused Brij Bhushan Singh to date. Further, the Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the enquiry report investigating whether the accused Brij Bhushan Singh is in any way linked to the act of revealing the identity of a minor survivor.

DCW Chief has asked DCP, New Delhi to appear before the Commission on June 2 along with an action taken report on the matter.

Wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India’s president Brij Bhushan Singh should wait for the investigation to be completed, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday, asking the grapplers to trust the Delhi Police and the Supreme Court of India.

Union Minister also said that while the investigation is being done, wrestlers should not do anything which harms the sport and its players.

“The wrestlers should wait for Delhi Police to conclude their investigation and not take any steps that may cause harm to the sport or aspiring wrestlers. They should trust the police, SC and the ministry while the investigation is being carried out. We all are in favour of the sport and sportspersons and want the impartial investigation to be done and action to be taken against the ones found guilty,” said the minister.

Notably, the Leftist student organisations, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI), the students’ wing of the CPI(M), have jointly declared a nationwide protest from June 4 in support of the wrestlers’ protest.

“DYFI and SFI demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan and to withdraw all false cases against the wrestlers immediately. Through this protest, we demand that the Prime minister should apologize for the police violence unleashed upon wrestlers,” said AA Rahim, national president of DYFI, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

On Tuesday, Olympic medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik alongwith Vinesh Phogat reached Uttarakhand’s Haridwar to immerse their all medals including Olympic ones in the river Ganga, as a mark of their protest. But farmer leader Naresh Tikait intervened and stopped protesting wrestlers from immersing their medals in the Ganga and said that there would be a Khap meeting over the issue.

The wrestlers later issued a five-day ultimatum to the authorities to act against the WFI chief.

On Sunday, India’s Olympic medallist wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia along with Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstration. FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act, said Delhi Police.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Police sources said that till now no supportive evidence has been found to arrest the WFI president in connection with the allegations levelled by wrestlers against him.

According to top sources, Delhi police will be filing its final report on the matter within 15 days. “Within 15 days we will be filing our report in the court. It could be in the form of a charge sheet or final report,” they said.

“Neither he (WFI Chief) is influencing the witness nor he is destroying the evidence,” they added.

Amid the continuing protest against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the United World Wrestling (UWW) on Tuesday issued a statement condemning the detention of the wrestlers on Sunday.

UWW has also expressed “disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations” against the WFI chief and threatened to suspend the federation if WFI elections are not held within 45 days.

“UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations,” the world wrestling body said in a statement.

“UWW will request further information about the next elective general assembly from the IOA and the Ad-hoc Committee of the WFI. The 45-day deadline that was initially set to hold this elective assembly shall be respected. Failing to do so may lead UWW to suspend the federation, thereby forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag. It is reminded that UWW already took a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year,” it added.

Earlier, on April 24, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will form an ad hoc committee to conduct the elections to the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) within 45 days of its formation, to manage day-to-day affairs of the body, including the selection of athletes and making entries for the participation of players in international events. 

This committee will be functioning for an interim period till a new Executive Committee takes charge.

After prominent wrestlers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI chief, earlier this year, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced the formation of an oversight committee to probe allegations charges against him and some coaches.

Wrestling Federation of India assistant secretary Vinod Tomar is also named as an accused in the FIR filed in the matter.

The movement has gained traction, with leading Opposition leaders also supporting the grapplers.

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