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Instagram algorithms promoting accounts creating and purchasing child-sex content – find a report, Meta says it is working on the issue

OpIndia Staff
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Instagram algorithms promoting accounts creating and purchasing child-sex content – find a report, Meta says it is working on the issue

Instagram is drawing criticism after a recent report revealed that its algorithms are actively pushing networks of paedophiles who commission and sell child sexual abuse content on Meta-owned popular image-sharing app.

In a joint investigation by the Wall Street Journal, Stanford University researchers and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it has been found that Instagram algorithms not only host but also promote a “vast paedophile network” that advertises illegal “child-sex material”. 

“Its algorithms promote them. Instagram connects paedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those who share niche interests,” the joint investigation by WSJ and the academic researchers found.

The report claimed to have found that Instagram allowed users to search for explicit hashtags such as #pedowhore and #preteensex, which led them to profiles that featured menus of content pertaining to child-sex material for sale. Such accounts frequently claim to be controlled by the children themselves and have explicitly sexual handles such as “little sl*t for you.”

Furthermore, it was found by the Stanford Internet Observatory that some accounts allowed buyers to “commission specific acts” such as children harming themselves, and performing sexual acts with animals etc. Such accounts also offered to arrange paid “meet-ups”.

In response to the findings of the investigative report, Meta has acknowledged the problem within its enforcement operations and stated that an internal task force has been set to address the issue. 

“Child exploitation is a horrific crime. We’re continuously investigating ways to actively defend against this behaviour,” Meta said.

Meta stated that in January alone, it removed 490,000 accounts that violated its child safety regulations and that it has removed 27 paedophile networks in the last two years. The company further stated that it has blocked thousands of hashtags connected with child sexualization and removed these terms from search results.

When researchers’ test accounts accessed a single account in the network, they were bombarded with “suggested for you” suggestions of alleged child-sex-content dealers and purchasers, as well as accounts referring to off-platform content trade sites. Following only a few of these recommendations was enough to overwhelm a test account with child-sexualizing content. Upon using child-sex-related hashtags, the researchers found 405 sellers of “self-generated” child sex material. The report further suggested that many such accounts were run by children as young as 12.

Compared to Instagram, the report found that other social media platforms are less tractable to such child abuse networks. 

As per the WSJ, the Stanford investigators identified “128 accounts offering to sell child-sex-abuse material on Twitter, less than a third the number they found on Instagram” despite Twitter having significantly fewer users, and that such content “does not appear to proliferate” on TikTok. According to the investigation, Snapchat did not actively promote such networks since it is primarily used for direct messaging.

The report further noted that Instagram permitted users to search several terms that its algorithms were aware to have a connection with illicit material. On such search terms, a warning popped up which read, “These results may contain images of child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse or viewing sexual imagery of children can lead to imprisonment and other severe personal consequences. This abuse causes extreme harm to children and searching and viewing such materials adds to that harm. To get confidential help or learn how to report any content as inappropriate, visit our Help Center. Get resources. See results anyway”. The “See results anyway” option, however, was removed later without any explanation regarding why it was offered at the first place.

A screenshot taken by the Stanford Internet Observatory Cyber Policy Center shows
the warning and clickthrough option when searching for a pedophilia-related hashtag on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Twitter owner Elon Musk shared the said WSJ report on Twitter and termed it as “Extremely concerning”.

Notably, in January this year, Meta announced that it would offer end-to-end encryption on its platforms. However, the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) comprising 15 law enforcement agencies including the FBI and Interpol had criticised Meta’s decision in April stating that the company’s plans to expand end-to-end encryption on its platforms were “a purposeful design choice that degrades safety systems” adding that increasing end-to-end encryption would blindfold them to child sex abuse.

“The abuse will not stop just because companies decide to stop looking,” the VGT statement said.

Apart from promoting child abuse, Instagram has also been criticised for its other “biases” as OpIndia reported in December last year, that a comment saying that the “genocide of Hindus is not a crime” was not found in violation of Instagram’s Community Guidelines and no action was taken back then.

Uttar Pradesh: Javed traps two Hindu sisters, one of them minor, in love affairs, tries to convert them to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Javed traps two Hindu sisters, one of them minor, in love affairs, tries to convert them to Islam

A unique case of Love JIhad has come to the fore from Aligarh region of Uttar Pradesh in which the accused identified as Javed trapped two Hindu sisters in a love affair and tried to convert them to Islam. The accused is also reported to have assaulted the sisters, one of whom is a minor.

According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened in the Aligarh Kotwali area where one of the victims, a married Hindu girl was working in a factory. She got introduced to Javed at her workplace who trapped her in a love affair and got her divorced from her husband.

The woman then began living with Javed. This happened around 6 years ago. As per the complaint filed by the girl’s mother, Javed then tried to force the woman to convert her religion to Islam. Upon refusal, he then trapped her minor sister and took her away with him.

He expressed his willingness to marry the minor girl and again attempted to convert her religion to Islam. However, the minor girl and her mother refused saying that she was a Hindu and would marry only a Hindu family. The minor was then physically attacked by the accused.

The incident came to the fore only after the mother of the victim girl filed a police complaint after the accused took the girl away with him. He also said that he was ready to leave the elder sister and would stay only with the minor one.

The mother of the victim girl remarked that Javed first kept her elder daughter with him and now he has taken the younger daughter and wants to convert her. “We refused this and said that we are Hindus, we will ensure our daughter gets married in a Hindu family only,” the mother said.

The accused is a resident of Bhujpura. Upon the complaint of the victim’s mother, the police recovered the girl after registering a missing complaint. The victim girl also said that she was assaulted and beaten by Javen for refusing to convert religion to Islam.

One of the local BJP leaders commented on the matter and confirmed that the entire case is of Love Jihad. “A poor girl working in a factory was coaxed and taken with him after divorcing her husband, when she did not agree to change her religion, he left her and her younger sister, whose age is only 14 to 15 years, he took her with him,” the leader was quoted as saying.

“She was assaulted, left behind because she refused to convert to Islam, the entire family suffered, her mother was ill and had to be hospitalised; BJP members assisted her, and the daughter was then able to safely return home”, he added.

The police has launched a manhunt to nab the accused.

Around half of 3.62 lakh crore ₹2000 notes in circulation deposited by people into banks: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das

ANI
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Around half of 3.62 lakh crore ₹2000 notes in circulation deposited by people into banks: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said 50 per cent of the to-be-withdrawn Rs 2,000 notes came back to the system.

“Totally so far about Rs 180,000 crore of Rs 2000 notes have come back. This is roughly about 50 per cent of the Rs 2000 notes which were in circulation on March 31,” RBI Governor Das said at a post-monetary policy meeting press conference. About 85 per cent of those notes, on a provisional basis, have come back as deposits in bank accounts. he added.

“Good thing is that there has been no rush in any of the banks,” Das said, appealing to people not to rush to banks in panic.

He particularly urged people to avoid the last-minute rush at bank branches.

On May 19, RBI decided to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination currency notes from circulation, but said it will continue to remain as legal tender. However, RBI has advised banks to stop issuing Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect.

People can exchange or deposit their Rs 2,000 notes in bank branches and regional branches of RBI. A non-account holder also can exchange Rs 2000 banknotes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch.

September 30 has been decided as the last date for the purpose of completing the exercise in a time-bound manner and to provide adequate time to the public. RBI is likely to revisit the September deadline based on the situation going ahead.

The Rs 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 under Section 24(1) of RBI Act, 1934, primarily to meet the currency requirement of the economy in an expeditious manner after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in circulation at that time.

The objective of introducing Rs 2000 banknotes was met once banknotes in other denominations became available in adequate quantities. Therefore, the printing of Rs 2000 banknotes was stopped in 2018-19.

The total value of these banknotes in circulation had declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore at its peak as on March 31, 2018 (37.3 per cent of Notes in Circulation) to Rs 3.62 lakh crore constituting only 10.8 per cent of Notes in Circulation on March 31, 2023. It was also observed that this denomination is not commonly used for transactions.

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his undying popularity on foreign shores: Decoding the rising graph even at the fag end of his second term

Dharmendra Chhonkar
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his undying popularity on foreign shores: Decoding the rising graph even at the fag end of his second term

From US President Joe Biden asking for his autograph at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, to the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape breaking protocol by welcoming him post sunset and touching his feet in an extraordinary act of reverence, to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling him “The Boss”, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established himself as the biggest leader of the democratic world and beyond.

No other world leader commands as much aura, awe and respect every single time he steps out to foreign shores as much as Prime Minister Modi. Mind you, he is at the fag end of his second term, i.e., at the ninth year of his being the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world. But somehow, his popularity seems to be soaring with each passing year. What must have now become a habit, PM Modi has consistently topped the popularity charts of the “most popular world leader” for many years now. This year, as per a survey released by a global decision intelligence firm called ‘Morning Consult’, PM Modi once again emerged as the most popular global leader with an approval rating of 78%, beating the likes of Joe Biden of the US, Rishi Sunak of the UK, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Fumio Kishida of Japan, Emmanuel Macron of France, Da Silva of Brazil, and many more.

What started from an enthralling speech at a packed Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014, Prime Minister Modi re-established his rockstar credentials at the other end of the Pacific in a packed Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney a few days ago. No wonder he has garnered the envy of many, as prominent Australian politician and leader of the opposition Peter Dutton remarked that his country’s politicians are “jealous” of PM Modi, referring to the kind of reception the latter received in a foreign nation.

Perhaps what Mr Dutton wanted to say was that he had never seen or even imagined that a politician could be so revered and celebrated that even a rockstar like Bruce Springsteen would pale in comparison. Given the fact that we are in the twenty-first century and in the age of social media and deeply divided societies across the world in terms of partisan politics, PM Modi’s unwavering popularity has perplexed many. Even so much that it has become the subject of case studies across academic discourses.

So, what explains PM Modi’s sky-rocketing global popularity, even though he has been the Prime Minister of India for nine years and has spent an even bigger time period in public office as the former chief minister of the state of Gujarat?

Ever since he came to power, PM Modi has been the beacon of hope for a new class of aspiring Indians both in India and across the globe. He has single-handedly given rise to a new sense of national consciousness among the hard-working Indians who have already made a name for themselves in the countries they have been living in in the capacity of doctors, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, businessmen, etc.

PM Modi has instilled in them a sense of pride and belonging to their motherland which although not lost, was longing for purpose. Every time PM Modi has stepped out of the country and has spoken to the Indian diaspora be it in the US, Germany, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, and now Australia, he has sought to highlight the positives of India and showcase to the world how the country under his government is shining and marching ahead in various sectors. Be it Covid management, budding startup culture, strong diplomacy, heavy infra push, beneficiary schemes like building toilets and houses for the women, the poor and the marginalized, or even something elitist like the Padma Awards becoming the “People’s Awards”, PM Modi speaks about them all. No wonder Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or even students listening to the Prime Minister of their motherland addressing them on foreign shores about the possibilities and opportunities that await them back home fills them with pride and excitement. 

There will hardly be any Indian, either young or old, who would not want to contribute to the incredible growth story that India is witnessing today. For in front of their very own eyes, they have seen India climb the world GDP rankings from the 10th position in 2014 to the 5th place in 2023. India’s startup ecosystem has today become the third largest in the world. From barely a few hundred startups in 2014, India today boasts of 90000 startups with a total 107 of them valued as unicorns worth US $ 30 billion. 

PM Modi’s vision of Digital India, often mocked and ridiculed by opposition parties, has become the largest digital transformation story in the world powering India towards the path of an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. As per a report by Ernst and Young, the number of digital transactions in India increased from 300 crores in November 2019 to 1052 crores in January 2023. With every foreign visit done by PM Modi, he has showcased “Brand India’ with our unique culture and attracted huge foreign investments. His “Make in India” has attracted foreign investments to the tune of US $ 83.6 billion in 2021-22, recorded as the highest ever. As per reports, in a Modi vs Manmohan (Singh as PM) comparison, India has seen FDI inflows rise by 39.3% since Modi came to power. India has also been consistently improving its rankings each year in the “Ease of Doing Business” Index and has also entered the top ten in the “Business Environment Rankings” for the 2023-27 period. 

Every Indian wants to connect and contribute to the India story and make India a Vishwaguru led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While on the one hand, there are political princelings who deride India at every chance they get on foreign shores, on the other hand, there is a leader who has risen from humble beginnings and who is leading India towards the path of a developed nation. No wonder the popularity charts continue to soar.

(Amlan Dutta is a Junior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. Dharmendra Chhonkar is a Political Analyst.)

Lucknow: Man barges into a house and rapes a minor girl, kills her with a hammer and hangs the body, accused Shahid arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: Man barges into a house and rapes a minor girl, kills her with a hammer and hangs the body, accused Shahid arrested

On Wednesday, 7th June 2023, a shocking incident took place in Lucknow wherein a Muslim youth named Shahid barged into a house in the Indira Nagar area of the city to rape a minor girl. Shahid subsequently killed the 14-year-old girl. A case has been registered in this regard and the police arrested the accused Shahid late in the night.

According to a complaint filed by the victim girl’s father, the accused Shahid entered the house of the victim in the Takrohi area which comes under the Indira Nagar police station at around 1 pm on Wednesday. Shahid raped the 14-year-old minor girl who was alone at that time in the house. After committing the rape, Shahid hit the girl’s head with a hammer to kill her. Shahid then hung the dead body of the minor girl to the ceiling of the house. She was a class 10 student.

The girl’s family said that the accused was harassing their daughter for several days. She was alone at home. In the meantime, he barged into the house and raped the teenager and then killed her with a hammer. The girl’s mother said that when she returned from work in the afternoon, the accused was seen running away from her house.

She also tried to catch him but failed. When she went inside the house, the body of the daughter was found hanging. She alleged that the accused hanged the daughter’s body to make the murder appear like a suicide.

As the victim’s father informed the police, the police visited the spot and recovered the dead body of the victim. It was sent for the post-mortem. The father of the victim accused Shahid of rape and murder and lodged a complaint against him. The police registered a case of rape and murder based on this complaint and launched a search operation for the absconding accused Shahid who was apprehended late in the night.

Reportedly, Shahid has denied the allegations. He told the police that he was with the girl at her house when her family members arrived and caught them in a compromising position. He claimed that he ran away after that, and does not what happened after that. Based on the complaint of the victim’s family, the police are treating it as a murder case.

DCP North Lucknow Kasim Abdi said, “An FIR of rape and murder has been registered on the complaint of the girl’s family. The exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem report comes. Late at night, the police took the accused teenager into custody. The accused says that the deceased girl has hanged herself.”

This incident in the Takrohi area of Lucknow has sparked significant unrest. The local community is gripped by fear and anxiety following the tragic incident involving the rape and brutal murder of this minor girl in her own home.

You can opt out of our calls, but then don’t come back to us for our products and solutions: Watch what Bajaj Finserv chairman and MD Sanjiv Bajaj said

OpIndia Staff
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You can opt out of our calls, but then don’t come back to us for our products and solutions: Watch what Bajaj Finserv chairman and MD Sanjiv Bajaj said

Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv, Sanjiv Bajaj has said that the company will soon give people an option to opt out of its spam calls, but those who choose to do so should not approach the company again for its services. 

“You will see in three months’ time on our website and our web app, an option, you click it, and we will never bother you again. You have the right to be forgotten by us. But then make sure you never come back to us for our products and solutions,” he informed at an event.  

“Because for the few thousand who do get bothered and I can understand that because they get so many calls and unfortunately a lot of those calls are not us. But if you ask me, ‘Can you tell me 100% sure’ I also can’t because there are so many numbers that they come from. But we want to give people the right to be forgotten by us as well,” he added.

However, the announcement didn’t go down well with the netizens who registered their displeasure on Twitter. One person remarked that he has never asked the company for a loan and never use Bajaj’s services again if they just stopped calling.

Swathi Bellam stated that the company is giving loans and not alms to the people. She further continued that people don’t have to show “gratitude to your company for the pestering calls offering loans.”

Malini wondered why people had to wait for three months to stop getting calls from Bajaj Finance, and why the company wasn’t being penalized for its spam calls.

One user commented that “loans are not freebies” and he shouldn’t make it sound like “charity.”

Another user wrote that Sanjiv Bajaj is “clueless” and vowed never to use Bajaj Finance in the future.

Cogito equated Sanjiv Bajaj with Rahul Gandhi.

An individual labelled the statement as “overconfidence and arrogance” and claimed that the company will go down in future.

Sanjiv Bajaj acknowledged that the present system might be problematic at times but emphasised the significance of outreach.”We issue 3 million loans a month and we get 1,500 complaints a quarter. No doubt, we have 1,500 people we have to solve for, to understand why they are getting bombarded, without 3 million people losing out on the opportunity to be financially included”, he said.

According to him, the lender presently receives 15% of its business as a result of telemarketing calls. This is a considerable sum, especially given that Bajaj Finance offers several small-ticket loans.

Loans marketed via phone calls are anticipated to account for less than 10% of Bajaj Finance’s total revenue. The company eventually hopes to reach a point where it will stop calling consumers to inquire about loans.

Gadar 2: SGPC demands action after video of a romantic scene shot in Gurdwara goes viral, director issues apology

OpIndia Staff
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Gadar 2: SGPC demands action after video of a romantic scene shot in Gurdwara goes viral, director issues apology

Bollywood and controversy have been synonyms for many years. Now, Anil Sharma’s magnum opus, Gadar 2: The Katha Continues, the sequel of the iconic cult classic “Gadar”, starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel is embroiled in a fresh controversy.

On June 7, Wednesday, a video of a romantic scene from the movie leaked online in which the two actors can be seen gazing at each other while standing arm in arm in a Gurdwara at Chandigarh while the dhol is playing in the background. Some youths dressed as Nihang Sikhs are also seen performing the traditional Gatka (Sikh martial art).

As the clip went viral on the internet, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) slammed the filmmakers and Sunny Deol for filming a romantic scene inside a religious place. They have also objected to the use of the traditional Gatka in the video.

“A video is going viral in which the Hindi film actor and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sunny Deol is there. It is being told that the footage is from Gadar 2 and they have used Gurdwara as a venue for shooting the love sequence which cannot be filmed inside a Gurdwara. Flowers are being showered and Singhs are doing Gatka around them,” SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal protested in a video released by the organisation and tagged both the actor and BJP’s Twitter handle.

“The film’s director and Sunny Deol should understand that Gurdwara is not a place to shoot movies. Gurdwara is a place of reverence and boundaries. We strongly object to the scene and the gatka performed by the Singhs. The Sikh community feels humiliated by such depictions. Sunny Deol has to be held directly responsible for this,” he added.

According to reports, the scene which is has been slammed by the SGPC is the scene of the climax of the film, in which Sunny Deol meets the film’s lead Ameesha Patel inside the gurudwara after returning from Pakistan.

Gadar 2 director issues apology

After SGPC’s disapproval, the movie’s director Anil Sharma released a clarification on the issue and “sincerely” apologised for hurting or offending anyone unintentionally. “The shooting in Chandigarh gurdwara has led to a little confusion in the hearts of some friends. I have been taught ‘All religions are true, all religions are equal,’ and this is the mantra of Gadar 2’s unit,” he wrote on Twitter. However, Sunny Deol is yet to offer a statement on the matter.

Gadar 2 is a highly anticipated sequel to the 2001 blockbuster Gadar which was also directed by Anil Sharma and featured Sunny Deol as Tara Singh and Ameesha Patel as Sakeena Ali. It is expected to release in August but the filmmakers have not yet announced a release date.

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande booked for violating prohibitory orders in Mumbai, had assembled to burn effigy of Aurangzeb a day after Kolhapur violence

OpIndia Staff
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MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande booked for violating prohibitory orders in Mumbai, had assembled to burn effigy of Aurangzeb a day after Kolhapur violence

In the aftermath of the Kolhapur violence which erupted after some people posted objectionable WhatsApp statuses praising Aurangzeb and Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan, the Mumbai police booked Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande for burning an effigy of Aurangzeb in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. Along with Deshpande, 8 others have been booked by the Mumbai Police under sections 135 and 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

Notably, a sizable demonstration broke out in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on Wednesday in opposition to a social media post that honoured the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb while demeaning a Maratha national icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

A day after this incident, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande in Mumbai’s Shijavi Park is said to have burnt the effigy of Aurangzeb. “FIR registered against MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande and 8 others under Maharashtra police act 37, 135, for burning an effigy of Aurangzeb in the aftermath of Kolhapur protests,” informed the Mumbai Police.

It is notable that Mumbai Police had issued prohibitory orders in the city following violence in Kolhapur under sections 135 and 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act. According to the provisions of Section 37 of the act, the display of effigies is not allowed, among other restrictions like carrying arms, stones etc, when prohibitory orders are issued by a magistrate under this section. Section 135 lists the punishment applicable for violation of Section 37.

Meanwhile, 36 people have been arrested by the Kolhapur Police post massive violence in the city yesterday. As per the Police, 3 of the arrested persons are juveniles. Kolhapur Suprindent of Police (SP) Mahendra Pandit confirmed the development and added that the security in the city has been tightened though the situation has returned to normalcy.

“The situation of Kolhapur city and district has become normal since yesterday afternoon. 4 SRPF company, 300 Police constables and 60 officers deployed. Additional police arrangements have been made in the city to keep vigilance… 2 SRPF platoons from Pune, senior officers and a team of 100 jawans have come from Sangli and additional 1500 jawans have been deployed in the region,” the SP said.

According to the reports further, the police have filed 5 cases against persons who uploaded objectionable social media posts. The police are also said to have detained the persons and are interrogating them to know who influenced or allegedly forced them to post such controversial social media stories.

What happened in Kolhapur yesterday

Massive tensions erupted in the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Wednesday, June 7, amid peaceful protest by Hindu organisations against people who posted social media stories praising Aurangzeb and Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan on the glorious day when the state celebrated the 350th Rajyabhishek Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas shells after the peaceful protest organised by several Hindu organisations was attacked by miscreants who pelted stones at the protesters. According to the local reports, the fight between the two groups happened after the Hindus were attacked by the miscreants.

Earlier, similar incidents were reported in Ahmednagar and Yavatmal districts of Maharashtra. In Ahmednagar, four persons had flaunted posters of Aurangzeb during a procession on Sunday in the Mukundnagar area. The police have filed a case against four people in total and have arrested two of them.

Further, in Yavatmal on May 17, Maharashtra Police filed an FIR against one person identified as Sheikh Aftaab Shiekh Mannan for uploading an Islamist propaganda social media story on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The accused person had posted a video in which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was seen bowing down before Aurangzeb. “Aurangzeb Hindustan ka Baap,” the video captioned.

Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign alone took 4.6 million Hindu lives

In the 17th century, Aurangzeb was seen as most ruthless Muslim king whose reign saw a scale of religious violence in India that is listed as 23rd in 100 deadliest episodes of atrocities in human history. Having imprisoned his father and killed his brothers for the throne, Aurangzeb unleashed one of the strongest campaigns of religious violence in the Mughal Empire’s history. Aurangzeb re-introduced the jizya tax, led a number of campaigns against non-Muslims, destroyed Hindu temples, and arrested and executed the ninth Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur.

He not only destroyed temples but also built mosques on the foundations of destroyed temples. Idols were smashed and briefly Mathura became known as Islamabad in local official documents, while the major Hindu pilgrimage sites in Varanasi and Somnath were destroyed. Such was the scale of the carnage that entire town and even provinces became depopulated from religious violence. Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign alone took 4.6 million Hindu lives, almost as much as in the Holocaust! During the Mughal-Maratha wars, about 2 million civilians died in war-torn lands due to famine, drought and plague.

In the current case, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande and 8 others have been booked by the Mumbai Police under sections 135 and 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar underlines the advantages of PM Modi’s foreign policy in the last 9 years, laments Rahul Gandhi for taking domestic politics abroad

OpIndia Staff
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EAM Dr S Jaishankar underlines the advantages of PM Modi’s foreign policy in the last 9 years, laments Rahul Gandhi for taking domestic politics abroad

On 8th June 2023, the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar addressed a special press conference on 9 years of the Modi government. In this conference, he underlined the achievements of the foreign policy adopted by the Modi government in the last 9 years and explained how the world has changed its view of looking towards India because of this policy. Dr S Jaishankar also lamented Rahul Gandhi for taking domestic politics abroad and seeking futile support from outside to achieve his desired political results in India.

Dr S Jaishankar said, “As we mark the completion of the nine years of the Modi government, I don’t feel anybody would dispute that the foreign policy is among many areas where there has been a significant transformation. It is reflected in the country’s highest standing, greater influence, bigger footprints, new concepts and stronger delivery.”

Dr S Jaishankar further said, “The world, especially the Global South, is looking at India as a development partner – as a reliable, effective development partner. The world is now looking at India not only as a collaborator but also as an economic partner. India is now becoming the fastest-growing economy in the world. In the last nine years, the country has been developing all-round.”

Dr S Jaishankar underlined how India’s growth story and foreign policy have made the world celebrate Indian culture. He said, “Today people want to listen to India and they feel that working with India will also increase their influence. Our tradition is being celebrated by the impact we are having on the world today.”

While answering a question about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi making comments about national politics in his international tours, Dr S Jaishankar said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) has a habit that when he goes out he criticizes the country, comments about our politics. The question is about what effect does it have on other countries. See, now the world is watching us. And what is the world seeing in us? The world is watching that elections are held in this country and sometimes one party wins in the elections, sometimes the other party. If there is no democracy in the country, then such a change should not come. Every election should have the same result. By the way, we know very well what will be the result of the 2024 elections.”

He added, “If you see, this narrative was first created here in our country. When it did not get any good response in the country, they took it abroad. Now he expects that the support gathered outside will work in the country. But the common man in the country does not connect with it. We have a democracy. You have your opinions, I have mine. You have a certain political view, we have our own. I don’t object to anything happening within the democracy of this country. But I don’t think that taking domestic politics abroad is in the best interests of the nation. Also, I don’t think that he will be able to build any credibility by doing so.”

Arvind Kejriwal’s speech at inauguration of Indraprastha University campus interrupted twice with sloganeering by AAP & BJP supporters

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal’s speech at inauguration of Indraprastha University campus interrupted twice with sloganeering by AAP & BJP supporters

Today Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and LG- VK Saxena jointly inaugurated a new campus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in East Delhi. However, his speech at the event was marked by multiple interruptions and sloganeering by supporters of both the Aam Adami Paty and Bharatiya Janata Party. Some audience present at the event objected to claims made by the AAP supremo while others hailed him, resulting in interruptions, after which Kejriwal appealed to them to listen to him first.

The first interruption took place after 4 minutes of the Delhi CM’s speech. He was claiming that the Delhi government has improved the government schools a lot, and the results were also visible. To this, someone in the audience objected. Arvind Kejriwal paused his speech, and asked him to raise any objections later. With folded hands, he requested to be allowed to continue. To this, AAP supporters started chanting ‘Arvind Kejriwal Zindabad’ slogans, interrupting the speech of their own leader.

In response, others in the audience, apparently BJP supporters, started chanting ‘Modi Zinadabad’ slogans, resulting a commutation at the event. After the noise came down, Arvind Kejriwal said, ‘had education system improved by such slogans, lots would have been done in 70 years’.

‘I requested you with folded hands, people from both parties, please listen to me for 5 minutes. If you don’t like my comments than you can chant slogans later also,’ Kejriwal begged the audience to keep calm and listen to his speech.

He said that he will speak for just 5 minutes, and if they don’t like what he says, they can leave. He asked them to sit down, and continued with his speech, generating claps from AAP supporters.

But another interruption took place after around 11 mins of the speech, when he was talking about the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum scheme of the Delhi govt. It was announced in 2021 that under this scheme, Rs 2000 will be given to students of class 11 and 12 in seed money for developing business ideas. Talking about the scheme, Kejriwal said that Rs 2000 may seem like a small amount, but if 154 students come together, there will be Rs 30,000 in total, and with that money they can start a viable business.

However, someone from the audience interrupted by making some comments. After that, several members of the audience started doing a lot of noise. Arvind Kejriwal was visibly angry at this time, and he blasted a female official, questioning why he was invited if nobody is willing to listen to him. When the official said that AAP supporters are also making noises, Kejriwal said that they are doing it in response to the interruptions by the other section of the audience.

He again appealed the people to listen to him for 5 minutes, asking them to protest after his speech is over if they don’t like it. After that, he finished his speech without any further interruptions.

Interestingly, even before the speech, the inauguration of the campus by Kejwal already attracted controversy, as BJP had claimed that AAP was claiming credit for a project funded by the central govt. AAP had posted photographs of the campus, saying that it has been built by the Arvind Kejriwal govt.

However, BJP leaders and supporters countered the claim by showing that the foundation stone for the East Delhi campus of the university was actually laid by Smriti Irani in 2014, who was union HR minister at that time. Many also claimed that the campus construction was funded by the central govt.

Moreover, when Delhi govt announced that it will be inaugurated by the CM, the L-G’s office objected to the same, saying that the office of L-G V K Saxena had already been decided that the inauguration would be done by the L-G. A note from the L-G office said that it had already been decided that the launch would be done by Saxena and that the CM was aware of this. It said Kejriwal was supposed to be invited as the guest of honour and Atishi as a special guest.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj objected to this, saying the L-G can inaugurate police stations and Delhi Development Authority sports complexes if he wants, but education and higher education are state subjects. Finally, both the L-G and the CM jointly inaugurated the campus.

During his speech, VK Saxena addressed the claims of AAP, saying that foundation stone for the same was laid by former Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani in 2014. He further said that out of the total cost of Rs 378 crore spent in the new campus, Rs 346 crore was spent by the university from its own funds. He added that Delhi govt had approved approximately Rs 41 crore for the project.

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