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TMC MP Nusrat Jahan instigates violence against BJP and Congress politicians ahead of Panchayat elections this year: Watch what she said

OpIndia Staff
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TMC MP Nusrat Jahan instigates violence against BJP and Congress politicians ahead of Panchayat elections this year: Watch what she said

On May 23, a video of Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) leader Nusrat Jahan went viral on social media in which she said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress workers will be beaten with bamboo sticks if they come to ask for votes in Basirhat. Her instigating statement ahead of the West Bengal panchayat polls has sparked a controversy. In her speech, Nusrat Jahan essentially instigated violence against workers and politicians of the BJP and Congress.

Nusrat was addressing a public meeting in her constituency Basirhat. During her address, she said, “In 2021, they said ‘is bar 200 par’ but they failed and their boat capsized. No matter how big the boats are, all capsize in the tide of Mamata Banerjee. They are planning a bigger conspiracy this time. They have stopped people’s money. They have stopped funds for the 100 days of work (MGNREGA) to the State. It is a conspiracy to stop Mamata Banerjee’s work for the people. “

Claiming people would beat BJP and Congress workers with sticks, she said, “They do not give anything to Bengal. Why will the people of Bengal vote for you? What have you done for the people of Bengal? You will not get a single vote. Whoever comes here during panchayat elections, be it BJP or Congress, will be beaten with bamboo sticks by the people of Basirhat.”

The panchayat elections in West Bengal are likely to be held by the middle of this year.

Sharp reaction from BJP

After the video of the speech by Nusrat Jahan went viral, there were sharp reactions from BJP leaders at the instigation of violence.

“Nusrat Jahan, TMC MP from Basirhat, in a desperate attempt to whip up frenzy, asks people in her constituency to beat up BJP and Congress workers with bamboo sticks and batons, when they come seeking votes in the panchayat elections! This politics of violence and intimidation in West Bengal is Mamata Banerjee’s abiding legacy. Elections in Bengal, local body elections in particular, are a sham”, tweeted Amit Malviya, the co-incharge of BJP for West Bengal.

Calling her a part-time politician, the official handle of BJP Bengal said in a tweet, “Part-time politician Nusrat Jahan, who is hardly found in her constituency & never helped people when in need, suddenly finds a way to garner attention. She asks people to beat BJP with bamboo! This is normal in Mamata’s Democracy. Bengal will soon teach them a lesson!”

In a statement, BJP’s West Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar said, “Beat up BJP workers with bamboo sticks & batons when they come to seek your votes-TMC MP. Nusrat, Our Karyakartas are fighting TMC goons having bombs & guns. We neither fear this, nor bamboo sticks.” Majumdar added that such remarks make the party’s resolve that Bengal must oust TMC stronger.

West Bengal BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal said, “These kinds of elements in our society are not very social. Even if you check her background… her marital status is still not clear. Violence is in their nature that has been proved. She has no time to attend to the constituency. Rather she is busy with two or three marriages. That is also undeclared.”

Post-poll violence in West Bengal

In May 2021, soon after the West Bengal Assembly Election results were announced, the workers of the winning party TMC unleashed a series of horrifying attacks on BJP workers across the state. Party workers and supporters were killed and raped to the point many BJP supporters left the state to save themselves. CBI is investigating the post-poll violence. Detailed coverage of violence in West Bengal can be seen here.

As Congress makes a fuss about Modi inaugurating new parliament building, Hardeep Puri reminds them of the Gandhi family’s legacy

OpIndia Staff
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As Congress makes a fuss about Modi inaugurating new parliament building, Hardeep Puri reminds them of the Gandhi family’s legacy

On May 23, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri gave a befitting reply to the Congress leaders who were creating a fuss about Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building.

In a series of Tweets, Puri said that Congress President and other leaders previously criticised the new Parliament building and questioned its necessity. He added that now they have shifted the goalpost by generously misquoting an article from the Constitution.

Minister Puri further reminded the Congress leaders of their uncharitable comments about President Droupadi Murmu. He said, “After uncharitable comments about Hon’ble President in the past by its leaders, Congress president now makes uncalled for & gratuitous comments on her election! Tragic that Congress claiming to be a national party lacks in any national spirit & sense of pride in India’s progress.”

Puri questioned Congress leaders’ intentions as they consistently indulged in partisan polemics based on falsehoods.

The minister reminded the Congress leaders of two specific dates. The first was October 24, 1975, when then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe and the second was August 15, 1987, when then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of the Parliament Library.

He said, “So, instead of now finding articles to justify their hypocrisy why can’t they just smile & join India on this momentous achievement & her march to greatness!”

Comments by Congress leaders

For the past several days, Congress leaders have been attacking the ruling party BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that they are insulting the President of India by letting PM Modi inaugurate the new Parliament Building.

The Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of using Dalit and Tribal communities for electoral reasons. In a series of tweets, Kharge accused the central government of not inviting then-President Kovind for laying down the foundation of the new Parliament building and President Droupadi Murmu for the inauguration of the same.

Quoting Kharge, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cited Article 60 and Article 111 of the Constitution of India which suggest the President is the head of the Parliament. He said, “It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony & puja when construction began, but incomprehensible (& arguably unconstitutional) for him and not the President to inaugurate the building.”

Congress leader Manish Tiwari cited Article 79 of the Constitution of India which says, “There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the People”.

Parliament documents about events specified by Puri

Several documents talk about the two events Minister Puri mentioned. For instance, a PDF in Lok Sabha documents named Parliament House Estate under the Section Construction of the Building noted that the foundation stone of the Parliament House Annexe was laid down on August 3, 1970, by then President VV Giri. The inauguration of the building was done by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 24, 1975.

Source: Lok Sabha Documents

Furthermore, Section Parliament Library Building talked about Rajiv Gandhi laying down the foundation stone of the building on August 15, 1987. The Bhoomi Poojan was performed by then-Speaker of Lok Sabha Shivraj V Patil on April 17, 1994, again a Congress leader. 

Source: Lok Sabha Documents

West Bengal has become a hub of crude bomb-making, with the involvement of TMC goons: Read how children are paying the heaviest price

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal has become a hub of crude bomb-making, with the involvement of TMC goons: Read how children are paying the heaviest price

The Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal has become the hub for the ‘crude bomb’ cottage industry and children in the poor and marginalised areas of the State are paying the price for it, reported Indian Express.

The newspaper interviewed the families of 24 victims, who had either lost their lives in crude bomb attacks or been gravely injured between 2021 and 2022. The incidents took place across 5 districts of West Bengal, namely, North 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Birbhum, Malda, and South 24 Parganas.

Bomb-making has become a profitable business due to the easy accessibility and procurement of raw materials. Crude bombs, such as the commonly used “Peto” and “Lal Sada,” are priced at an average of just over ₹150 in rural areas, making them a cost-effective choice for criminal activities.

The Case of Mahesh and Nikhil

The Indian Express pointed out the case of an 11-year-old child named Mahesh Shaw, whose left palm was severely injured after mistaking a crude bomb for a toy box.

He was accompanied by a friend, an 8-year-old Nikhil Paswan, who died in the blast. Mahesh was lucky to survive but his left palm had to be amputated. The incident took place in October last year in Kankinara in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

While recounting his ordeal, Mahesh said, “It was a day after Diwali. Nikhil and I went to play in the field near the railway tracks. We found two small metal boxes, both taped, with a cross on top. Nikhil handed one to me. As I tried to open it, there was a blast. My hand was shattered and before I ran, I saw Nikhil fall to the ground.”

The injured hand of 11-year-olf Mahesh Shawm (Photo Credits: Indian Express/ Partha Paul)

“Sometimes it hurts a lot. I can’t go to school or even take a bath on my own,” he said although it has been more than 7 months since the incident. Mahesh’s father works as a ferrywala and his mother at a local hosiery factory. Although the medical bill was initially paid for Trinamool Congress leaders, his family has not received any compensation so far.

“My son’s life is destroyed,” the father of the 11-year-old recounted. A bigger tragedy befell the family of 8-year-old Nikhil Paswan, who died in the blast. The deceased’s mother, Kusum Paswan, refuses to return home to avoid being reminded of the horror of losing her son.

Reportedly, the police later seized 60 crude bombs from the area. They had also arrested 4 people in connection to the case, who were later released on bail.

The death of Sheikh Arboz and Sheikh Nasirul

In Rasikpur, a village in Burdwan, tragedy struck on March 22, 2021, when seven-year-old Sheikh Abroz lost his life. According to the police and his grieving parents, Abroz innocently picked up a jute-wrapped object in a neighbourhood garden, mistaking it for a ball.

The object turned out to be a crude bomb, resulting in a fatal explosion. Abroz’s friend, Sheikh Ibrahim (8), was also injured in the blast. Abroz’s devastated mother, Sania Bibi, expressed her anguish over the loss of her son and criticized the state government for providing a meagre compensation of ₹2 lahks for the life of her child.

While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, she said, “I asked my son to get some soil from the garden to use in our mud house. He went out and I heard a loud noise. A part of his face and his hands were blown away. He was declared dead at Burdwan Hospital. A case has been filed with the police, but no arrests have been made so far in connection to the case.

Family of Sheikh Nasirul, image via Indian Express/ Partha Paul

In Birbhum, a district in West Bengal, Sheikh Nasirul (11) tragically lost his life on May 27, 2021, when he stumbled upon a shiny metal box while walking with his grandfather along a canal.

Without realising the danger, Nasirul picked up the box, which exploded instantly, resulting in his death. His grandfather, Sheikh Jamir, expressed his grief and regret, stating that he wished he had been the one to pick up the object instead. The family did not file a complaint due to fears of harassment by the local police.

Other cases of crude bomb injuries and fatalities

In an incident dated December 7, 2022, two children namely Muhammed Afroz (8) and Muhammed Wasif(15) were injured in the Karbalay area after they mistakenly threw a crude bomb lying around into a makeshift bonfire.

“It was cold and we lit a small fire. From a garbage dump, we found a round object and threw it in the flames. There was an explosion. I got hurt in my legs, and my friend (Afroz) also got hurt badly,” Wasif told The Indian Express. Five people were arrested but were soon released on bail.

Similar incidents have occurred in different districts of West Bengal, leaving a trail of grief and fear. In Atghora village, Narendrapur, five children under the age of 14 were injured when two unidentified men lobbed crude bombs on October 28 last year.

Children who died for mistaking crude bombs for toys, image via Indian Express/ Partha Paul

Laltu Adhya (12), one of the injured children, described the horrifying experience of hearing two loud explosions while playing in a field. Shuvajit Saha (9), Mithun Saha (11), Polu Saha (6), Bikram Saha (11), and Raihan Sheikh (10) suffered splinter injuries in a crude bomb blast that occurred in Gopalnagar on November 25, 2022.

Shuvajit’s mother, Mukti Saha, expressed her disappointment, stating that despite the considerable expenses incurred for her son’s treatment, they have not received any financial support.

Involvement of Trinamool Congress workers and supporters

In another case, a 10-year-old girl named Sohana Khatun died after picking up a crude bomb that she found on the terrace of her uncle’s home in Bakchora village. Her friend, Rahima Pravin was gravely injured during the incident.

Interestingly, the uncle of the deceased was identified as a Trinamool Congress worker named Abu Hossain Gayen. While speaking about the matter, panchayat Up-pradhan Abdul Hamid said, “It was a very unfortunate incident. Some of our party workers are engaged in such anti-social things.”

In August 2020, Opindia reported how a TMC worker named Humayun Kabir died while making crude bombs on the roof of his house in the Shamshergunj area in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

In another case from the same year, the Bhagwanpur police recovered 153 crude bombs from the backyard of one Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporter named Sheikh Kasemuddin in Lalpur village of East Midnapore District in West Bengal. Four people were arrested in connection with the case.

There have also been reports about two factions of TMC workers, hurling bombs at each other, in Balundi village in Arambagh municipality in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

Political Reaction to the crude bomb menace in West Bengal

While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Jayprakash Majumdar claimed that the crude bomb related-injuries and fatalities in West Bengal were a ‘heinous and morbid conspiracy’ to somehow tarnish the image of the State.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh informed, “Bombs are being stockpiled here and there and children are being killed or injured while playing. What’s more unfortunate is that the administration has no qualms about it. Earlier, arms were coming to West Bengal from Bihar’s Munger, but now they are being manufactured here itself.”

Sujan Chakraborty, the leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), remarked, “(TMC is) giving a free hand to criminals so they can grab political power and loot people’s money. In this situation, it is obvious such a thing is happening”.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo stated, “The response of the state towards such incidents has been very irresponsible — they are unapproachable and try to manipulate facts.”

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has cried foul and rejected the accusations levelled against them. In its editorial, The Indian Express noted that the rot began during the four decades of Communist rule in West Bengal.

“This was accompanied by violence becoming the everyday currency of exchange between the cadres of the ruling and opposition parties. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, instead of charting out a different path, has become part of the problem,” it noted.

Another exit at NDTV: Sarah Jacob leaves the organisation after working there for 22 years

OpIndia Staff
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Another exit at NDTV: Sarah Jacob leaves the organisation after working there for 22 years

Senior editor Sarah Jacob has become the latest high-profile exit from NDTV, where she has been working for over 20 years. Sarah used to host the talk show We The People, one of the more popular shows on NDTV even when the viewership for the channel continues to spiral downwards.

Announcing her decision to leave the organisation, Sarah Jacob said, “Last night, I resigned from NDTV. To Dr (Prannoy) Roy and Radhika Roy, Thank you for building what was one of India’s great media institutions.” Sarah, in an internal communication to the NDTV team, reportedly described the organization as an “amazing newsroom filled with the most creative and driven reporters”. 

Further, Sarah said, “From being a reporter to having my own show has been rewarding and I am forever grateful for all that NDTV gave me and continues to offer.”

Sarah also thanked her viewers, supporters, and critics as she signed off from NDTV.

This is the latest in the spate of resignations after the Adani Group acquired the network from Prannoy and Radhika Roy. Ravish Kumar left NDTV soon after and in January, NDTV’s group president Suparna Singh, chief strategy officer Arijit Chatterjee and chief technology and product officer Kawaljit Singh Bedi also stepped down.

Soon after Sreenivasan Jain and Nidhi Razdan also announced the end of their stint with the channel. Notably, Nidhi Razdan had earlier left NDTV to take up a teaching job at Harvard University before realising that there was no such job offered to her.

Three Bangladeshi women arrested from Maharashtra, had been staying illegally in Sangli for the past 3 years, fake Aadhaar cards seized

OpIndia Staff
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Three Bangladeshi women arrested from Maharashtra, had been staying illegally in Sangli for the past 3 years, fake Aadhaar cards seized

On Monday, 22nd May, Maharashtra Police arrested three Bangladesh women who were illegally staying in Sangli part of the state on the basis of forged identity documents. The three women have been identified as Roopa Sameer Sheikh, Rina Kalam Sheikh and Neha Sunil Yadav.

According to reports, the three had been residing in the Gokulnagari region of Sangli, Maharashtra and were arrested by the state police from their residences. The police investigated the case from February 17 to May 21 and filed complaints against the women on May 22.

As per the preliminary information, the women were lured with employment and brought to Sangli. They further worked as prostitutes. The women were provided with new, fake Aadhaar cards by their landlords in the city. The incident is said to have come to the fore after a Pune-based NGO informed the police about the women.

The state police then raided the Gokulnagari area and found the women with fake Aadhaar cards. The police meanwhile have also arrested one person from Miraj who made the fake Aadhaar cards.

The arrested women confessed to the police that they had been staying in the city for the past three years and were brought to India without any passport, visa and identity documents. The women also confessed to having made fake school transfer certificates.

Earlier in the day, eight Bangladeshi nationals who were illegally living in a chawl in the Kamothe Sector-22 area of Mumbai were also arrested by the police. Investigation revealed that all these Bangladeshi nationals, four men and four women were living as laborers at construction sites and also doing household work.

The arrested individuals had been identified as  Irshad Tohit Mulli (40), Reshma Irshad Tohit Mulli (22), Junual Malik Islam (48), Pinky Junual Malik Islam (36), Kokan Manik Sheikh (32), Shobhabegum Kokan Manik Sheikh (30), Anikul Alam Samsul, Alam (34) and Kavita Khatun Jiyaju Shaikh (28).

The police have seized all the fake documents and arrested the three women. The women have been booked under the Passports Act, of 1950 and Foreign Persons Act. Assistant Inspector Pallavi Yadav is investigating the case further.

Attacks against dhaba owners to Juice cart vendors: multiple videos from the past month where migrants from UP, Bihar were attacked in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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Attacks against dhaba owners to Juice cart vendors: multiple videos from the past month where migrants from UP, Bihar were attacked in Punjab

On Monday, May 22, a video from the village Samadh Bhai in the district of Moga, Punjab, went viral on social media in which a few men were seen threatening a migrant food cart owner in Punjabi. Looking at the details of the video, it appeared that the person speaking in the video accused the migrant cart owner of touching a Sikh youth’s Turban during an altercation. The exact date of the incident is unknown. OpIndia tried contacting the concerned police station but could not connect.

Going by the details of the video, there was an alleged altercation between a Sikh youth and a migrant food cart owner. During the altercation, the migrant may have accidentally touched the turban of the Sikh youth. For those who are unaware, Turban is considered an auspicious and religious symbol in Sikhism. It is considered disrespectful if someone touches or tries to remove a Sikh’s turban.

Following the altercation, a group of Punjabis approached the migrant food cart owner and confronted him. The person who is threatening the migrant said, “There have been incidents in our village where miscreants of your [migrant] community removed Turbans of our Sikhs. If I come across one more instance like that, I will take away your food cart.” He further threatened that if any migrant was found indulging in any crime, his group would deal with them on a personal level and then hand them over to the police.

When the migrant defended himself saying he was not involved in any such case previously, the aggressor said, “Those are from your community only. You all are the same. Give them my message.” The details of the video including the date, exact location, and persons involved could not be verified independently by OpIndia.

Series of threats and anti-migrant sentiments

This is not the first time a video from Punjab against migrants from UP and Bihar surfaced on social media. On May 20, a video of India News went viral on social media in which an elderly Sikh was seen dousing a sugarcane juice cart owned by a migrant woman with diesel. The incident allegedly took place in Sunny Enclave, Kharar, near Chandigarh.

The text on the video that was written in Punjabi read, “The owner of the Prime Hospital doused the sugarcane juice cart with diesel. As the man who was accompanying the migrant woman started making a video of the person throwing diesel on the cart, he went away without setting it on fire. It is unclear what led to such an altercation.”

OpIndia tried contacting the police for further details. Kharar police confirmed that they were aware of the incident but no official complaint was filed in the matter by any party.

Attack on migrant dhaba owner

On May 17, Ashu, a resident of Loko Shed, came back to his food joint Mitran Da Dhaba located at Satiyawala Railway Crossing, after buying vegetables from the market. Within minutes, three men came on a bike at around 5:30 PM. Ashu asked them how can he serve them. They did not answer and instead attacked him unprovoked. They tried to assault Ashu’s wife Renu Devi too but she managed to escape. The attackers left after ransacking the dhaba. As nothing was stolen, Ashu said it was not about the robbery.

The incident was captured on CCTV. Ashu said he had no enemies and did not have any altercations with anyone. Notably, there have been three incidents of robbery at the food joint earlier. OpIndia tried connecting to the concerned police station for details but could not connect.

Campaign against migrant chaat seller

A few days back, a campaign was launched by social media users from Punjab to support a Sikh food cart owner who sells chaat. Though it could have been a simple request to encourage people to visit him and try his food, the social media users made it a matter of “Punjabiyat”. A photograph was published online where a migrant food cart owner selling chaat was full but the food cart owned by Sikh next to it had no customers.

The person who published the photograph urged his followers and fellow Punjabis to visit the Sikh food cart owner. The photograph was shared by many with a demand to stop giving business to migrant food cart owners. The campaign worked and more and more videos and photographs were made viral on social media. In those videos, the Sikh food cart owner had a lot of customers but the migrant had none.

While both of them could have enjoyed the business, the social media users made it a community issue and snatched bread and butter from a migrant working in Punjab.

Delhi-based woman, who has hand-holding photos with AAP’s Atishi Marlena, insults Hindu Gods, says ‘why devotees make Gods eat but not defecate’

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi-based woman, who has hand-holding photos with AAP’s Atishi Marlena, insults Hindu Gods, says ‘why devotees make Gods eat but not defecate’

Demeaning Hindu culture, and defaming Hindu Gods and Goddesses has become a calling card for the left-liberal cabal who leave no chance to further the anti-Hindu, anti-India narrative. One such novel face that has emerged recently is that of Geeta Ruchika who indicatively portrays herself as a ‘feminist’ and ‘atheist’ and takes to Facebook to use derogatory words for Hindu Gods and Goddesses and the Hindu culture.

In one of her recent posts dated May 20, the woman who is a resident of Delhi used abusive language for Hindu Gods. “I have just one question. Why do devotees only feed Hindu Gods and Goddesses? Why don’t they clean their poops? Devotees also don’t help their Gods in shaving their face and genitals. They don’t pay attention to the well-being of their Gods,” Geeta wrote on Facebook.

Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall

She also continued in the comment section saying, “Why don’t Gods use condoms and how must they be cleaning their lower body parts after defecation- using water or tissue paper?” In one of her other posts, she also said that there is no need for a Hindu nation or an Islamic nation. Instead, there ought to be separate nations for men and women.

Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall

Using derogatory language for Lord Rama

Further, in a separate Facebook post, the women used derogatory language for Lord Rama and said, “It’s really difficult to digest that Lord Rama had 5 fathers.” She said this by posting the image of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also known as Bageshwar Dham Maharaj.

Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall

Delhi Police tagged, strict action demanded

The said posts posted by the women went viral on social media platforms with several Hindus tagging the Delhi Police for action. “This woman, Geeta Ruchika, a resident of Delhi, is absurdly abusing Hindu gods in her Facebook post. Delhi Police, requesting you to take the needful action,” said one of the Twitter users named BALA.

Also, AKTK (Aaj Ki Taza Khabar), a YouTuber posted a tweet saying that the woman proudly posted pictures with Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi Marlena. “Does Atishi support these comments by Geeta Ruchika? Geeta proudly shares picture with atishi. There were lakhs of people on the streets of India chanting sar tan se juda after a factual statement from hadees by a girl from Delhi,” he said recalling the Nupur Sharma incident.

Interestingly, the woman has shared several friendly images with Delhi’s education minister and seems to have good relations with her. She also has posted pictures with one of the women wrestlers who recently staged a protest in Delhi against BJP’s Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Geeta Ruchika with Atishi

Geeta says, ‘Women not safe in Sanatan Dharma, should not wear Sindoor and Mangalsutra as they are symbols of ‘cowardice’

The social media page of Geeta Ruchika is entirely filled with abuses and derogatory language for Hindu culture and Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Bearing the flag of ‘feminism’, the woman also says in one of her social media posts that women in Sanatan Dharma are not respected and that there should be a separate nation for women. She indicated that women should not wear sindoor and mangalsutra as they are symbols of ‘cowardice’.

She also said that women in the patriarchal society are not safe and that they are meant to be abused and beaten. She also asserted that a woman has to choose marriage if she wants to stay alive. She also hosts a YouTube channel which has been terminated catering to multiple third-party claims of copyright infringement regarding material the user posted.

YouTube channel terminated

Several people at present have raised the matter on social media and asked the Delhi Police to take cognizance of the account. The netizens have also demanded strict punishment for consistently hurting religious sentiments. At the time of publishing this report, Atishi Marlena has not commented on her pictures with Geeta Ruchika.

“India is in such wonderful hands…”: US Ambassador to India Garcetti praises PM Modi’s leadership

ANI
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“India is in such wonderful hands…”: US Ambassador to India Garcetti praises PM Modi’s leadership

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and “transformative policies” initiated by his government and said the two countries are increasing their collaboration around critical emerging technologies.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the US-India 5G and Next Generation Networks Workshop, Garcetti said 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems. 

“India is in such wonderful hands. With your leadership, with the transformative policies that you and this administration are implementing together with the public sector and private sector and with that community aspect that defines everything that is part of India’s rise right now. This is the most exciting nexus in the world, The US-India relationship is where it is at,” he said.

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is hosting the workshop. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Department of Telecommunications Secretary K Rajaraman kicked off the workshop with over 150 senior Indian and US government and private sector participants.

The event is being attended by leading industry experts and officials to exchange information on approaches, solutions and applications of 5G and next-generation networks in India and highlight new opportunities for US-India technical and commercial cooperation in the sector and expand strategic technology partnership, an important element of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).

Garcetti said 5G is an important part of the United States’ and India’s shared efforts to build a resilient economy for now and for the future.

“To foster an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, we must ensure that our shared values fuel our shared decisions. Events like today’s workshop allow us to build mutual trust and confidence, allowing us to turn ideas into action”, Garcetti said.

Sharing his recent experience at Select USA Summit, he talked about the growing US-India relations as it had the largest Indian delegation.

“The biggest number one delegation, first time in history came from right here in India. Over 240 different business delegations, some of whom are here today, who made the trip, who travelled from all parts of India in everything from steel and precious metals to looking at real estate, investments, technology, telecoms, agriculture, we saw a profound desire for our people to come together even more closely. And that’s really what we’re talking about here today,” he said.

Speaking on the upcoming visit of PM Modi to the US, he talked about technology cooperation between the two countries and said, “Our National Security Advisor is in preparation for the visit of the Prime Minister for a State visit next month to Washington,DC – collaborating intensely around critical emerging technologies…It’s technology that connects, protects and detects. We know that the backbone of this is 5G.”

PM Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the US on June 22. During his visit, PM Modi will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner at the White House.

In a tweet later, Garcetti said 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop would advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET)

“I am so excited to attend the U.S.-India 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop to advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET)! 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems. Looking forward to #USIndia technical and commercial cooperation in this transformative sector,” he said.

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

How media has been creating a conspiracy theory where none exists for past 4 months: Read about attempt to bring down Bageshwar Dham Sarkar

OpIndia Staff
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How media has been creating a conspiracy theory where none exists for past 4 months: Read about attempt to bring down Bageshwar Dham Sarkar

Bageshwar Dham and its Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri have come under the scrutiny of the Liberal and Islamist cabal. Recently, the Bihar government tried its best to skirt his Katha in Patna and an advocate reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court to stop his event in the state, claiming that it hurt the religious sentiments of tribals and promoted Hindutva. His petition was, of course, thrown out after he was warned of a contempt of court proceeding against him.

In Bihar for example, the Education Minister who had said the Ramcharitmanas is full of garbage, had threatened Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri with jail. Tej Pratap Yadav, the minister for the environment, forests, and climate change, called Dhirendra Shastri a coward and a traitor. He claimed that the former’s followers visit him daily to offer their apologies. He had pledged to go to the airport to stop the religious leader and promised not to allow him to organise his event in the northern state and the Bihar govt had given permission only after severe backlash.

The Bageshwar Dham Temple is situated in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is devoted to Lord Hanuman. 26-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Shastri originally was Dhirendra Krishna Garg. Shastri is the Mahant (head priest) of the temple and is popularly called ‘Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’. According to the information available on the website of Bageshwar Dham, Shastri is the successor of his grandfather Dada Guruji Maharaj who was a ‘Siddh’ saint. In recent years, Dhirendra Shastri gained popularity among devotees and on social media. A court or Darbaar is held at the Bageshar Dham every Tuesday and Saturday, wherein Dhirendra Shastri demonstrates his ‘miracles’ to solve the problems of the devotees of Lord Hanuman. Shastri has, however, always claimed that it is the power and miracle of Lord Hanuman that blesses the devotees and that he is only a medium and holds no supernatural powers. 

The liberals have Islamists who are particularly targeting Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for several reasons. First and foremost, Shastri talks about gharwapasi and Sanatan Dharma unabashedly.

“Ever since I have raised the issue of Gharwapsi for Sanatan Dharma, they are conspiring against us, we don’t have to stop and fear anyone, we have to be cautious. I want to ask the committee convenor in the Nagpur issue, have you ever raised your voice against the priests and people of other religions who convert Hindus? Is praying to your deity superstition (Jaadu-Tona)? I urge all the followers of Sanatan Dharma to stand united I again request you to raise your finger against the superstitions of other religions also”, Shastri had once said.

Secondly and far more notably, Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri holds several of these events in tribal areas which are dens of religious conversions by Christian missionaries and Islamists. With these Kathas, Shastri aims to ensure that religious conversion by missionaries and Islamists is reduced significantly. He also conducts mass weddings for several underprivileged Hindu girls and talks extensively about the protection of Hindus, the menace of Love Jihad and the onslaught against the Hindu faith, traditions and civilisation by Abrahamics.

Apart from the tropes of ‘superstition’, another trope recently being used to attack Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is that there are several people who have “mysteriously” disappeared after they came to his Katha. The insinuation by the media is very simple – that Bageshwar Dham is not a spiritual destination and Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is not a spiritual guru – but a fraud who is indulging in criminality. There is, of course, no proof to claim this, however, the media and its liberal foot soldiers have a way of making these insinuations to dent the credibility of an incredibly popular Hindu guru.

On May 10th, Newstrack published a report claiming that 21 people had gone missing from Bageshwar Dham since January 2023. In the headline itself, the insinuation was pretty clear.

Headline by Newstrack

There are a few elements in the headline. First, Newstrack says that in 4 months, 21 people have gone missing from Bageshwar Dham. Then, they say that the police has been unsuccessful in tracing them. Then, they go a step further and add “Kahi kuch aisa khel to nahi” insinuating that there is a malicious conspiracy behind the disappearances and that the police has been completely unsuccessful in tracing all the 21 people who went missing.

In their report, after providing no evidence of any conspiracy, Newstrack adds this paragraph.

Report from Newstrack

Without an iota of proof, Newstrack adds that several other ashrams – like that of Asaram Bapu and Ram Rahim (convicted by courts) have seen people going missing. They say that when the police investigated, several terrible crimes came to light. They essentially insinuate that there is criminality is also an element in the 21 people going missing in Bageshwar Dham.

There have been some cases since January that have been sensationalised and presented by the media.

For example, there was a case of a 10 year old who had died while she was there at Bageshwar Dham along with her mother and maternal aunt. According to a report in Times of India, she had epilepsy. On Saturday night, she had apparently not slept and then on Sunday, when she closed her eyes, she never woke up. The mother had rushed the child to the hospital where she was declared dead. Before that, a woman suffering from kidney problems had come to Bageshwar Dham to meet Shastri. She collapsed and died while standing in the queue.

There are no reports which indicate any wrong doing on the part of Bageshwar Dham, however, media reports have since earlier this year made it their mission to offer up these incidents as sensationally as possible, pointing towards criminality.

On 16th February, Sakshi Joshi, a self-proclaimed journalist who was terribly enthusiastic once about how Mamata Banerjee takes her toilet breaks while on political campaigns, posted a video which weaved a dangerous conspiracy theory.

In the entire video, Sakshi insinuated that there was negligence and worse, criminality in Bageshwar Dham and that there is substantial suspicion on the Dham. She questioned the media for supporting Bageshwar Dham and propping up a superstitious baba by “Godi media”. She says that unless Bageshwar Dham is held answerable for the disappearances, they will keep getting embroiled in suspicion.

Sakshi mentioned 3 cases to insinuate criminality against Bageshwar Dham. One, where a woman with kidney ailments died while waiting in a queue. Another Bihar man disappeared after reaching Bageshwar Dham. Reports indicate that he was suffering from mental ailments and his brother had announced a Rs 1,00,000 award for anyone who finds him. The third case was of a woman, Neeraj Maurya, who disappeared from the Bageshwar Dham when she had come with her family for an exorcism. It can safely be assumed that this woman, who disappeared, was also not mentally sound, which could be one of the reasons for her unfortunate disappearance.

What is the truth of disappearances from Bageshwar Dham

An India Today report dated 11th May 2023 elucidated what the police is saying about these disappearances. According to the report, Chattarpur superintendent of police Amit Sanghi told India Today that 21 ‘missing person’ reports had been registered at the Bamitha police station since January this year. Nine missing people had been found and reunited with their families.

The report further said that the people who had gone missing from Bageshwar Dham were because of the high footfall at the Dham. According to the India Today report, the police said that a vast majority of those who go missing are mentally challenged. They are brought to Bageshwar Dham to seek Shastri’s blessings. “Most of the people going missing are mentally disturbed, and appear to get separated from the family members bringing them [to the dham],” said Sanghi. 

The India Today report also talks about the high footfall that the Dham sees on a regular basis. 60,000 to 100,000 people visit Bageshwar Dham on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the two days when Shastri meets devotees. On other days, when Shastri is at the dham but not meeting the public, a minimum of 30,000 people turn up. These numbers are also on the lower side. It is pertinent to note that in Patna, for example, when Shastri held his Katha, over 10 lakh people turned up.

These facts that are elucidated by the SP of the area clearly point towards no evidence of criminality on the part of Bageshwar Dham or Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. It is clear that several individual with mental ailments end up disappearing because they get separated from their family. Interestingly, no media report, which insinuate a conspiracy, mention in their headline that 9 out of 21 people who went missing have been found.

In fact, if one looks at the missing persons’ data by NCRB and the footfall at Bageshwar Dham, it becomes evident that these disappearances, while unfortunate, are not high or shocking. According to NCRB, 3.42 lakh people are still missing in India. According to 2021 data, for example, about 52% people who go missing were tracked. Given that according to the police, in a span of 4 months, 9 out of 21 were traced is a fairly decent track record according the the national average. Further, in Madhya Pradesh, the average missing persons traced were 50%.

It is therefore evident that stray incidents are being taken by the media to create a conspiracy around Bageshwar Dham in order to bring it down and mire it in suspicion and this is being done without an iota of proof.

“By the year-end, we want to see Assam free from AFSPA”: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

ANI
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“By the year-end, we want to see Assam free from AFSPA”: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday reiterated his aim of making Assam free from the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and said that the state government is working towards it.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Assam CM said, “We are working towards that. Our idea is that by the year-end we want to see that Assam is completely free from AFSPA.” 

“However, whether I will be 100 per cent successful or only 90 per cent successful will depend on whether the police force strengthens itself. I addressed that in the Commandant conference. Basically, I am requesting the police to create a situation in Assam so that we don’t have to have AFSPA. But if the police are not 100 per cent successful then AFSPA will continue in five districts. If the police are successful, then we will withdraw it. That was a deliberation between the Home Minister and Police force,” he said.

Earlier on Monday too, the Assam CM had said that the state is aiming to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, (AFSPA) completely from the state by the end of this year.

“We will also rope in ex-military personnel to train our police force,” CM Sarma tweeted.

As part of the sequel undertaken to bring about police modernization in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday attended the first-ever conference of the commandants at the Police Training Centre in Dergaon.

“AFSPA will be lifted from the entire state by November. This will facilitate the replacement of CAPFs by Assam Police Battalions. However, the presence of CAPFs as required by law shall be in place,” one of the highlights from his speech made at the conference stated.

The Assam Chief Minister on Sunday chaired Police Battalions Commandants Conference held at Lachit Barphukan Police Training Academy, Dergaon.

“We are aiming at withdrawing AFSPA completely from Assam by the end of 2023. We will also rope in ex-military personnel to train our police force,” CM Sarma said.

While the Disturbed Areas notification under AFSPA was removed by the Centre from the entire state of Assam last year, it was still in force in about nine districts and one sub-division of another district.

However, starting April 1, 2023, the notification was lifted from one more district in the state, which meant that AFSPA was restricted to only eight districts of Assam.

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. According to the Disturbed Areas Act, 1976 once declared ‘disturbed’, the area has to maintain the status quo for a minimum of three months.

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

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