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SC rejects plea by deceased UAPA accused Saquib Nachan challenging Govt of India’s declaration of ISIS as a terrorist organisation, claiming ‘Caliphate’ and ‘Jihad’ can’t be associated with terrorism

Aditi
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SC rejects plea by deceased UAPA accused Saquib Nachan challenging Govt of India’s declaration of ISIS as a terrorist organisation, claiming ‘Caliphate’ and ‘Jihad’ can’t be associated with terrorism

The Supreme Court of India, on Tuesday (5th August), dismissed a petition filed by the deceased terror accused, Saquib Nachan, challenging two government notifications declaring ISIS and its related groups as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The plea, which was filed in December 2024 by Nachan, who died of a brain hemorrhage in June this year, came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi on Tuesday.

In his plea, Nachan had alleged that he and his son, Shamil Nachan, were wrongfully arrested for their suspected ISIS links. The top court observed that the allegations could only be addressed through proceedings before a competent criminal court.

Dismissing the petition, the bench said that it was not inclined to entertain a blanket challenge to the notifications issued by the government under Section 35 of the UAPA in February 2015 and June 2018.

Senior Advocate Mukta Gupta was assisting the court as amicus curiae after the death of Nachan. She submitted before the court that the notifications breached the fundamental rights of the petitioners under Article 25 of the Constitution by ‘misterpreting’ terms like “Caliphate” and “Jihad” and equating them with terrorism. Gupta added that the petitioner contended that no procedure similar to that prescribed under Section 3 of the UAPA for “unlawful associations” was followed by the government in making the declaration.

“He says the word ‘caliphate’ is wrongly interpreted. That violates his fundamental right to religion. He has given substantial portions indicating what, according to the Quran, is the meaning of caliphate and jihad,” Gupta said.

The Apex Court disagreed with the reasoning of the petitioner and clarified that the religious terms used in the impugned notifications had to be interpreted in the context of the alleged terrorist activity, not scripture.

“When the notification used the word ‘caliphate’, it was in relation to terrorist activity. So it has to be read in that context,” said Justice Bagchi.

The amicus curiae stated that the question of whether an organisation is unlawful or not is examined by a tribunal, but Section 35 of the UAPA does not lay down any mechanism for declaring an organisation as a terrorist outfit. Besides, she claimed that the term ‘terrorist organisation’ is not defined in the UAPA and therefore the government can only declare an organisation as ‘unlawful association’ under Section 3 of the Act.

Responding to Gupta’s submissions, Justice Kant pointed out that the Act defines the term ‘terrorist act’ and thus any organisation involved in such activities can be declared as a ‘terrorist organisation’. He added that through this petition, the petitioner intended to secure relief in individual criminal proceedings and that the petition did not pose a constitutional challenge to the notifications.

“It seems to us that instead of a challenge to the impugned notifications, the remedy for the petitioner and his son lies in approaching the appropriate forum,” the Court noted.

Justice Kant observed that the petitioner had the option of seeking bail or other relief before the appropriate criminal forum. “He can always avail his remedy before the appropriate forum,” Justice Kant said, disposing the petition.

Saquib Nachan, who converted an entire village into a hub of terrorism

Terrorist Saquib Nachan was accused of orchestrating three deadly bomb blasts in a span of four months (6th December 2002 to 13th March 2003) in the financial hub Mumbai. In the last blast, 11 people were killed while 82 were injured. He targeted busy railway stations and markets to maximise the impact of his terror plots. He was arrested by Mumbai police on April 10, 2003, and served 8 years in jail. He was thereafter released on bail on a bond of ₹1 lakh.

In March 2016, Saquib was convicted in the blast case. However, he spent less than 2 years in jail and was released in November 2017, five months earlier than expected, on account of being ‘disciplined’ in jail. In the meantime, he was arrested on 4th August 2012 in connection with the attempted murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activist Manoj Raicha. He was released on bail in August 2014.

Conviction and imprisonment could not deter Saquib, who continued his terrorist activities after being released. He was arrested by the NIA on 9th December 2023 for running an ISIS module in Maharashtra. Preliminary investigation revealed that Saquib had declared the village of Padgha in rural Thane as a ‘liberated zone’ and ‘Al-Sham’. This nomenclature for referring to areas is reportedly followed in Syria. NIA also revealed that he was at the helm of motivating impressionable Muslim youth to relocate to Padgha from their places of residence to strengthen the Padgha base.

On August 11, 2023, the NIA arrested his son, Shamil Nachan, in connection with Pune ISIS module case. He was sent to judicial custody. The central agency discovered incriminating evidence from his home in Thane. Shamil Nachan, along with five other accused, assembled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a house in Pune. He had also organised a bomb (IED) assembly and training workshop in the same location in 2022.

Donald Trump says ‘I don’t know anything about that’ when Indian journalist asks about USA importing Uranium and chemical fertilisers from Russia

OpIndia Staff
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Donald Trump says ‘I don’t know anything about that’ when Indian journalist asks about USA importing Uranium and chemical fertilisers from Russia

On 5th August (local time), US President Donald Trump said that he didn’t know the United States was still doing business with Russia, even as he criticised India for continuing to import oil from Russia. 

When ANI reporter Reena Bhardwaj asked about the billions of dollars in American imports of Russian goods like uranium and fertiliser, Trump responded, “I don’t know anything about it. We will have to check it out, and we will get back to you.”

His comment was made during a press conference at the White House, which was called to talk about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

When asked about his threat that whether it was fair for the US to threaten India with 100% tariffs over Russian oil, while the US itself continued trading with Russia. Trump didn’t give a clear answer but hinted that more trade penalties could be on the way for countries buying Russian energy.

“I never said a percentage, but we’ll be doing quite a bit of that. We’ll see what happens over the next fairly short period… We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens,” he said.

The US still importing Russian goods

Even three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has not fully cut off its trade ties with Moscow. The US has imported more than $24.5 billion worth of Russian goods since January 2022. This year alone, it bought $1.27 billion worth of fertilisers, $624 million in uranium and plutonium, and nearly $878 million in palladium.

This ongoing trade has not gone unnoticed in India. New Delhi has pointed out this contradiction to counter Washington’s growing pressure to stop buying discounted Russian crude oil. Indian officials say it’s unfair to criticise India while the US continues business with Moscow.

Tariff threats and accusations

This week, Donald Trump again threatened to sharply increase tariffs on Indian goods. Speaking to CNBC, he said that the current 25% tariffs on imports from India could be raised “very substantially” within 24 hours. He didn’t give an exact figure but said the reason was India’s ongoing oil trade with Russia.

“They’re fueling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” he said.

Trump also repeated his long-standing complaint that India’s tariffs on US goods are too high, calling them “among the highest in the world.”

Trade dispute between India and US

The latest developments come shortly after Trump announced on 30th July that the US would be imposing 25% tariffs on Indian goods. These tariffs are expected to take effect from 7th August. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the move was partly due to India’s trade with Russia, including oil and weapons purchases.

He said he considered India a friend but argued that its tariffs were too high and that such trade policies could no longer be tolerated. “But now I’m in charge, and you just can’t do that,” he said.

Source: Truth Social

India, on its part, has said it is working towards a “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” trade deal with the US. Last year, the US had a trade deficit of $45.8 billion with India.

Back in April, Trump had already announced plans to slap tariffs of up to 27% on Indian goods, though that was later paused. Now, with the 1st August deadline passed, pressure is again mounting on both sides to reach an agreement.

HM Amit Shah and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to lay foundation stone of Sita Prakatya Sthal Punaura Dham project in Sitamarhi: All you need to know

शिव
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HM Amit Shah and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to lay foundation stone of Sita Prakatya Sthal Punaura Dham project in Sitamarhi: All you need to know

5 August 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the grand temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya

8 August 2025: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone of a grand temple at Sita Prakatya Sthal Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi.

Islamic invaders demolished the Shri Ram Mandir and erected the Babri structure there, Bharat Mata remained enslaved, and in independent India, the matter reached courts. Hindus, thus, had to wait for five centuries to see Shri Ram Lalla in his rightful abode. While this wait of 500 long years became a constant battle for Hindus, Sita Ma’s home Mithila remained neglected for decades. Now, a grand temple is being planned in Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi, where it is believed that Sita Ma appeared from the Earth. CM Nitish Kumar and Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone of the temple on August 8.

People are being invited with Akshat-Tulsi

At Punaura Dham reparations are going on in full swing to make the foundation stone laying ceremony of Janaki temple and corridor grand. Several big leaders including Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar, saints and common people will participate in this program. It is estimated that lakhs of people will attend this event.

A door-to-door invitation campaign is also being run for this foundation stone laying ceremony, and devotees are being invited with yellow sacred rice grains and Tulsi leaves. Along with this, passersby passing through the city are also being invited to the program.

Notably, this foundation stone laying program will be celebrated as a three-day grand festival and holy water from 11 rivers will be brought for the foundation of the divine temple of Mata Janaki. These include Ganga, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Pindar, Dhauliganga, Lakshmana Ganga, Saraswati, Kamla and Saryu rivers.

The temple management has also decided to organize Deepotsav at the temple on the evening of the foundation stone laying ceremony. For this, people are being appealed to come with a lamp on the day of foundation stone laying. On that day, there is a plan to decorate the temple as well as the Sitakund complex with 51,000 lamps.

Development plan of Punaura Dham

On 1st July 2025, the Bihar Cabinet approved a budget of Rs 882.87 crore for the construction of the temple at Punaura Dham. Out of this amount, Rs 137 crore will be used for the construction of the Janaki temple, Rs 728 crore will be used for the development of tourism-related infrastructure. A provision has been made to spend Rs 16.62 crore on its maintenance for 10 years.

For the development of this shrine, 50 acres of land will be acquired. The development project includes the construction of a huge temple in accordance with traditional architecture, its conservation and beautification. In addition, entrance gate, rest house, Yagyashala, Bhojanalaya, meditation center and discourse hall will also be constructed around the temple complex.

Under the development of tourism facilities, hotels, rest houses, museums, Smriti Dwar and memorial buildings will be constructed in the complex. To maintain greenery in the area around the temple, beautiful reservoirs and fountains will be installed and gardens will also be constructed. Along with this, ‘Sita-Vatika’ and ‘Lav-Kush Vatika’ will also be developed.

For the convenience of the devotees, a bus terminal will be constructed and infrastructure will also be developed for reaching the temple and for staying there. Also, modern parking spaces, wide roads and footpaths with street lights will be built. Apart from this, digital information centers and cameras will be installed in the area for security.

Janaki Janmasthan was neglected for decades, Nitish Kumar discontinues this neglect of the holy place

Much like the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, the birthplace of Maa Sita has also been a victim of neglect and ignorance for years. In Ayodhya, the construction of the temple was postponed for decades on the pretext of controversy and politics. However, there was no controversy or dispute on this sacred place of Mithila, yet this holy place remained immersed in the darkness of neglect. Neither a grand temple was built nor any large-scale development work was done.

For years, not only the local people but also devotees from far-off places have been waiting for a grand temple here, but now Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the responsibility of changing these circumstances. After his efforts, the grand temple of Mata Janaki is going to take shape of reality. This grand temple will not only become the centre of faith of the devotees, but will also be a symbol of religious-cultural pride of Bihar.

After the construction of Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Maa Sita has also got a new lease of life. CM Nitish Kumar says that the construction of a grand temple here will boost tourism and a large number of devotees will come here to worship Mother Janaki. Also, he says that the arrival of tourists will also create employment.

Nitish Kumar is continuously visiting Punaura Dham and reviewing the preparations. On 26th July, CM Nitish and Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary reached Punaura Dham and apart from performing puja there, they also reviewed the preparations. Recently, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai also visited this holy place.

CM Nitish Kumar inspecting the preparations at Punaura Dham

How will the temple of Mata Janaki be?

The company which was appointed for the master planning and architectural services of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, has been appointed as the design consultant for the development of this pilgrimage site in Punaura Dham. On 22nd June, CM Nitish Kumar shared the design of the temple and other structures.

Ashish Sompura, who was the architect of Ram Mandir, is also the architect of this temple. He says that every effort will be made to ensure that the architecture of Maa Janaki’s temple is as grand as that of Ram Mandir. Special preparations have been made to ensure that this temple of Maa Janaki remains strong for centuries.

This temple will be constructed using red sandstone from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan due to which the entire temple will have a unique appearance. This stone strengthens the structure for centuries without breaking or getting damaged. The height of this temple will be 151 feet.

Historical significance of Sitamarhi

As per the Hindu scriptures and beliefs, King Janak found Sita in a golden pot while plowing the land. Because she appeared from the Earth, Mother Sita is also called Bhumiputri or Bhusuta. According to mythology, after a severe famine in Maharaja Janak’s kingdom Janakpur, a sage advised him to perform a yagya and plow the barren land.

According to the official website of the district, King Janak was ploughing somewhere near Sitamarhi to persuade Lord Indra to bring rain. It is said that King Janak dug a tank at the spot where Sita appeared and installed stone idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to mark the spot after the Ram-Sita wedding.

This pond is now known as Janaki Kund and is located south of the Janaki temple. According to the website, over time the place turned into a forest and about 500 years ago a Hindu ascetic named Birbal Das was divinely inspired to discover the place.

When he came from Ayodhya, he cleared the forest and found the idols installed by King Janak and built a temple there and started worshiping Mata Janaki. The existing temple at this place is believed to be about 100 years old.

‘It is Indo-Pacific now, not Asia Pacific’, says President Marcos of Philippines. Read how culture, BrahMos, and maritime cooperation are bringing India, Philippines together

Shriti Sagar
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‘It is Indo-Pacific now, not Asia Pacific’, says President Marcos of Philippines. Read how culture, BrahMos, and maritime cooperation are bringing India, Philippines together

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, 5th August. President of Philippines is on the five-day state visit to India. The visit, which aligns with the 75th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries, is being viewed as a step in strengthening their strategic and economic cooperation.

In his address to the media following the welcome ceremony, President Marcos initially discussed the changing character of the Indo-Pacific region. He said, This is a reaffirmation of the alliance and the partnership that we are strengthening. What used to be referred to as the Asia Pacific Region, we now refer to it as the Indo-Pacific Region, which is, I think, the correct evolution of that understanding because of the global nature of all of politics, all of trade and all of economy. To build upon what we already have and to certainly explore the many opportunities that have arisen in the past few years because of the new technologies and the changing state of the global economy and the geopolitics around us now.

He added that there are numerous new things for both nations to discover, particularly with the emergence of new technologies and the changing state of global economy and geopolitics. “This visit is about consolidating what we already have,” Marcos emphasized.

Marcos highlights India’s growth and his family connection

While talking about about India, Marcos expressed his delight to be in India and he also praised India’s development in recent years. He remembered his father, and said late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr, was the first Philippine President to travel to India in 1976.

It is a big honor to be in India as I am following the footsteps of four of my predecessors.  “I extend my compliments on India’s remarkable achievements under your guiding hand. Landing in Delhi, the evidence of rapid transformation and the energy of the world’s fourth-largest economy are readily palpable”, he said. 

President Marcos also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the hospitality and support, such as the recent granting of the Philippines’ exemption from India’s export ban on non-basmati rice. “Cooperation between us has greatly expanded in recent years,” he averred. “I am thrilled that we are now taking this friendship to a full-fledged strategic partnership.”

Philippines is visa free country for Indians: President Marcos

President Marcos also delivered a speech on actions to enhance people-to-people relations. He introduced a visa-free entry privileges and extended the invitation for more Indian tourists to visit the Philippines. 

He also his gratitude to PM Modi for the introduction of a scheme to grant visa-free of charge to Philippines tourists travelling to India. 

He further said, “We welcome the resumption of direct flights from October this year and renewed our commitment to sustaining and expanding such direct air connectivity”.  

Defence and maritime cooperation in focus

A major aspect of the two leaders’ conversation was defence and sea cooperation. President Marcos thanked the Prime Minister for cooperation in the area of defence industry, the export of defence platforms to India, including the BrahMos. He also called for greater cooperation in the area of the defence industry.

As part of our broader defence cooperation, we were talking about capacity building, joint exercises,  joint cooperative maritime activities, exchange of training programs between our officials and all standard elements that we talk about when it comes to defence cooperation.

We talk about more opportunities for  India to export our defence platforms. I think we have indeed exported a number of defence hardware platforms to many, many countries. 

The Philippines certainly showed interest in working with us to explore opportunities for more defence platforms. We’re also talking about ship visits, cooperation as part of multilateral formats.

So basically aimed at sharing best practices, enhancing maritime domain awareness on both sides,  talking about enhancing interoperability, working together to enhance our disaster response readiness in the coming years and so on. 

“We highlighted our capabilities in space and the cost-effectiveness of our space program.  President Marcos said he had indeed studied how cost-effective our space program is and they wanted to try and use some of our space technology, space capabilities to effect social transformation in terms of helping predict weather events, helping with agriculture, helping with disaster relief”, he said. 

India-Philippines defence relations: The BrahMos agreement

India and the Philippines have already made significant moves in the defence industry. In April 2024, India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.

The missiles were transported by the Indian Air Force on its C-17 Globemaster aircraft, which was India’s first significant defense export to the Southeast Asian nation.

As Assam CM Sarma carries out land reclamation against illegal encroachments, Gaurav Gogoi claims ‘illegally owned’ land will be redistributed if Congress comes to power

Rukma Rathore
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As Assam CM Sarma carries out land reclamation against illegal encroachments, Gaurav Gogoi claims ‘illegally owned’ land will be redistributed if Congress comes to power

Bharatiya Janta Party-led Assam government and the opposition headed by the Congress are consistently at loggerheads concerning the eviction campaign by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, which seeks to recover encroached land from unlawful occupants, especially those who have intruded from Bangladesh.

Gaurav Gogoi, the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee initiated a new attack on the chief minister on 3rd August and announced that land “illegally” held by the latter as well as his cabinet will be allocated to the underprivileged people if the opposition party secures power in the state in the next year assembly elections.

He asserted that the people have grown tired of the present government, in a press conference following the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s Extended Executive Meeting.

“Land illegally held by the chief minister and his ministers acquired under the pretense of safeguarding land rights, will be redistributed to the poor through a decision in the very first cabinet meeting of the new Congress government,” the Jorhat Lok Sabha MP stated. He also outlined that his party would introduce significant changes to both land and economic policy in order to help the populace.

Gogoi charged that under the pretence of development, the administration was discriminating against Bodos, Tiwas, Karbis, Rabhas, Misings and other communities as well as accused it of treating linguistic and religious minorities in an unfair manner. Additionally, he alleged that these evictions were conducted against court orders.

The Congressman added, “Unlike the loot and injustice under the Himanta Biswa Sarma regime, Congress is preparing to bring a new government based on progressive land policies and economic development.” He even emphasised that it is his responsibility to carry out Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s promise that Assamese would witness Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in prison.

The Gandhi scion, currently on bail in the National Herald corruption case alongside his mother Sonia Gandhi, was met with a strong retort from Sarma who asked, “What is the guarantee that Rahul Gandhi will not be jailed before I am.” He also ridiculed the statement with a dismisssive “thenga” gesture and added that it was inappropriate for a national leader to make such outrageous claims.

The truth of the eviction drive

The Congress is evidently displeased with the actions taken regarding encroachment drives in Assam, labeling it a breach of court orders. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the Gauhati High Court instructed Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram to establish a high-level committee aimed at addressing encroachments in forest regions along the inter-state borders of these four northeastern states.

A report by Union environment ministry to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) highlighted that the state’s total forest area under encroachment as of March 2024 was 3,620.9 square kilometres (3,62,090 hectares) second only to Madhya Pradesh in the country.

After the petitions brought attention to the detrimental effects of encroachment on wildlife and forest conservation, the Gauhati high court specifically ordered the Assam government to remove encroachments from protected forest areas. Notably, the state’s decades-long unchecked forest land encroachment has had the greatest effect on wildlife habitats, triggering a high rate of human-animal conflict specifically involving elephants.

Elephant pathways and habitats are disrupted by encroachment into forest regions, resulting in frequent and occasionally fatal encounters between humans and wildlife. Assam in particular districts like Goalpara has some of the highest incidences of human-elephant conflict in India. Furthermore, the high court has regularly issued orders over the past few years to clear the forest land of encroachers.

However, it appears that the Congress party and its leaders are more concerned with a lawfully orchestrated operation than with the illegal occupants who have been abusing the state’s resources and land. They are negatively impacting its biodiversity and infringing on the rights of the state’s legitimate citizens and even its animals.

The Congress exhibits such a profound desire to appease a particular community, irrespective of their nationality, that they are currently aligning with encroachment for the sake of minor political benefits. More importantly, Sarma already accused the grand old party of provoking the intruders in Sonapur’s Kosutoli locality, last year.

“Congress and other fundamentalist forces instigated the encroachers. They attacked the police. The slogan that was being used in Bangladesh, they are using the same slogan here now. After the action of Assam Police, the area has become peaceful again and the eviction work is going on,” he mentioned.

Similarly, violence transpired during the government’s action in the Goalpara district after which Sarma accused that the Rae Bareli MP urged “encroachers” and “land jehadis” to unlawfully occupy government land during a state-level Congress meeting with party workers in Chaygaon.

“He said they would be rehabilitated on the same forest land and given houses, but he doesn’t realise you cannot settle people on forest land,” the chief minsiter added after the protestors hurled stones and used weapons which injured 21 cops.

Sarma’s grave allegations against Gogoi

While a scorned Gaurav Gogoi spares no opportunity to attack Sarma, the latter has already levelled serious allegations against him, including links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency. His British wife, Elizabeth Coulburn had been found to have links with a Pakistani person.

She works at the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in Delhi as a project manager and Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Pakistani, is its Regional Director for Asia. He has a track record of disseminating false information about India, particularly through his X account. He even voiced his support for Gogoi regarding the discussion of the Delhi riots in Parliament.

The chief minsiter in February had accused, “Serious questions need to be answered regarding allegations of ISI links, leading young individuals to the Pakistan Embassy for brainwashing and radicalization. and the refusal to take Indian citizenship for the past 12 years. Additionally, participation in a conversion cartel and receiving funds from external sources, including George Soros, to destabilize national security are grave concerns that cannot be ignored.”

The same was recently brought up by Home Minister Amit Shah when he pointed out, “You have been to Pakistan many times but have you ever gone via the border Gogoi, do you understand the conditions our soldiers face,” while addressing Gogoi, the deputy leader of Congress in the lower house, amid discussion on “Operation Sindoor.”

Moreover, the Assam government took action and demolished multiple madrasas as it discovered that radical religious training was taking place in the name of religious education. It was even uncovered that many madrasa administrators were connected to terrorist groups in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Predictably, these demolitions were vehemently opposed by radical religious leaders who aimed to incite societal unrest. Interestingly, when Gogoi was elected chief of Assam Congress, he had a planned itinerary in the Barak Valley to meet extremist Maulana Ahmed Sayeed Govindpuri and went to madrasas. He followed the program during the night, away from the public eye and under the pretext of visiting flood-affected regions.

Assam’s relentless anti-encroachment action

Notwithstanding all the objections from the opposition or fundamentalists, the Sarma government is unwavering in its pursuit of action against individuals who have unlawfully occupied the land that justly belongs to the state of Assam.

The administration cleared approximately 8,900 bighas of land and demolished more than 4,000 unlawful structures from the Renga Reserve forest in the Golaghat district in the last five days.

An official statement read, “Over the course of five days, vast stretches of encroached forest land have been reclaimed, with illegal structures dismantled across key high-density zones including Bidyapur, Pithaghat, Sonaribeel, Doyalpur, Dolonipathar, Kherbari, Anandapur and Madhupur.” 

Another 205 homes in the Negheribil neighbourhood under Merapani of the Doyang Reserve Forest in the Golaghat district have also received notices to vacate before the action commences on 8th August.

The chief minister reported that “Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens” are reportedly occupying about 29 lakh bighas or roughly 10 lakh acres of land in Assam. He delivered the startling revelations on 21st July at a celebration of the Multipurpose Agricultural Project’s fourth anniversary in the Darang district’s Garukhuti. 77,420 bighas of land (25,500 acres) have been cleansed of encroachments since the project’s inception in 2021.

“After the successful execution of the (eviction) campaign in the Darang district, the initiative was also extended to Borsola, Lumding, Burhapahar, Pabha, Batadrava, Chapar and Paikan. In the last four years, we have reclaimed 1.29 lakh bigha (around 43,000 acres) of occupied land. A considerable portion of it is now being allocated for forest development and the citizens of the state,” he informed.

“The Assam government has reclaimed 182 square kilometers of land from encroachers. Now these same infiltrators are demanding a separate ‘Miya Land’ state. Their dream will surely come true, not in India but in Bangladesh or Afghanistan. I will definitely assist them in reaching there,” the chief minister conveyed on 31st July after encroached land was cleared.

Even revered Hindu locations are vulnerable to encorachers as 15,288.52 bighas of Satra (Vaishnavite monasteries) territory is also illegally encroached upon. However, the government began a vigorous campaign to free the lands from unlawful invasion after Sarma vowed to rectify the problem.

According to the chief minister, all Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to seek out and remove encroachers from forest regions. They are told to ensure that the Forest Rights Act’s protections for indigenous and tribal communities, who are acknowledged as the original inhabitants, are upheld.

Additionally, he emphasized the massive scale of encroachment and noted that it will require a minimum of ten years to complete the drive. It is due to the significant number of illegal immigrants who have occupied forest property in various districts.

Conclusion

The Congress party is preoccupied with attacking Sarma and his ministers while the Assam government is working to recover the land from illegal encroachments for the benefit of the state and its residents.

It is unexpected for the Congress to not cater to its Muslim supporters, however, it has blurred the boundaries between Indian and Bangladeshi Muslims in its persistent quest of vote-bank politics.

Clearly, the eviction drive is being performed in a lawful manner and in accordance with the order of the Gauhati High Court. However, the opposition appears to be unconcerned with the facts and is focused solely on turning this critical issue into a political tool for short-term electoral gain.

Targeting Hindu girls, rave parties, and rape: Yasin Machli and family’s 55-year criminal empire exposed; Congress leader’s son also held in Bhopal drugs case

OpIndia Staff
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Targeting Hindu girls, rave parties, and rape: Yasin Machli and family’s 55-year criminal empire exposed; Congress leader’s son also held in Bhopal drugs case

A multitude of revelations has surfaced concerning Yasin Machli who was recently arrested in the drug smuggling case in Bhopal. He reportedly targeted Hindu girls specifically and used them for the purpose of drug delivery. He trapped his victims in relationships, assaulted them and then blackmailed them. The police also discovered numerous videos associated with rave parties.

He was responsible for organizing these parties on the city’s outskirts. The entry fee for these events was between Rs 10,000 and 25,000 alongside a separate charge was imposed for drugs at the party. Yasin Machli and his family were implicated in this entire illicit enterprise.

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Yasin Machli and his uncle Shahwar Machhli, who were nabbed in the drug trafficking case made several disclosures during the interrogation. Additional DCP Shailendra Singh Chauhan of the crime branch stated that prior to attending the rave party, all individuals would gather at a pub at Yasin’s behest and would depart for the designated location of the party from there.

During these parties, the youth were encouraged to indulge in dancing, loud music and drug consumption. Despite the continuous loud music throughout the night, no complaints were filed as the farmhouses selected for these events were situated far from the bustling areas of the city.

The crime branch has sent notices to every pub, club and lounge in the city that were visited by Yasin and his associates. Authorities believe that the proprietors or employees of these establishments might also be implicated in the gang’s activities.

Yasin is accused of raping a girl

A case of rape has been filed against Yasin Machli at the MP Nagar police station in Bhopal. He is reported to have raped a 29-year-old young woman. According to Sub-inspector Archana Tiwari, the victim who is employed at a private firm, lodged a complaint regarding the incident. She mentioned that the two met at a pub approximately one year ago, in her statement.

Yasin developed a friendship with her and their conversations became more frequent. He subsequently invited her to a five-star hotel under the guise of marriage where he violated her.

Yasin’s family built an “empire” through illegal activities for 55 years

Yasin saw his family build a empire via illegal business in a span of 55 years. His family resided in Budhwara and engaged in fish brokerage. They moved to Hathaikheda and secured a contract for fish farming in that location. They had gained control of the area with assistance from political factions by 1980. With this political backing, a Muslim colony was formed and illegal mining commenced in stone quarries.

They began to earn the trust of Hindus by gathering donations for Durga Pandal and hosting Devi Jagran, in 2000. Afterward, several engineering and pharmacy colleges were constructed around Hathaikheda, between 2005 and 2010. The family hosted freshers parties, formed cricket teams and organised tournaments for the students of these institutions.

After 2015, they started drug trafficking at these parties and made the studnets dependent on drugs. The Machli family was heavily involved in the illegal arms trade and the drug business. During this time, the occurrences of rape and blackmailing of girls also commenced.

Yasin’s henchman Anshul Singh turned out to be the son of a Congress leader

Yasin’s aid, Anshul Singh also known as Bhuri was apprehended by the authorities on 31 July. On 4th August the latter’s remand was prolonged until 7th August, following his court appearance. During the interrogation, Anshul revealed that he is the son of a Congress leader.

He has over 20 criminal cases against him, including attempts to murder, assault, violations of the Arms Act, liquor offenses and smuggling which are recorded at various police stations throughout the city. He has been classified as a history-sheeter at the TT Nagar police station.

The police caught 32-year-old Taufiq Nizami, based on his testimony. A pistol and cartridges were confiscated from him as he had provided the illegal firearm to Anshul.

Cops capture Shahwar Machli

On 18th July, Saifuddin and Ashu alias Shahrukh were apprehended in Govindpura, Bhopal. A sum of Rs 3 lakh and a significant quantity of drugs were seized from them. The crime branch detained drug trafficking kingpin Shahwar Machli along with his nephew Yasin Machli on their information. 3 grams of MD drug and a locally manufactured pistol were seized from the pair.

The probe uncovered that Yasin and Shahwar were involved in the drug smuggling trade. They imported hashish and other narcotics from Mumbai, Rajasthan and Punjab. They distributed these substances at parties held in pubs, lounges and clubs throughout the city.

Hindu girls were exploited for drug delivery purposes. They would lure them into addiction by hosting rave parties for the youth. Both were known to physically abuse Hindu girls and exert pressure on them for religious conversion.

Devastation in Dharali: Cloudburst triggers flash floods, sweeps away lives and homes in Uttarakhand; several feared dead

OpIndia Staff
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Devastation in Dharali: Cloudburst triggers flash floods, sweeps away lives and homes in Uttarakhand; several feared dead

In the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, a massive cloudburst triggered a landslide on 5th August. The cloudburst occurred in the catchment area of the Kheer Ganga river, resulting in flood which swept the Dharali village.

Reports say that around 20-25 hotels and homestays may have been washed away in the devastating floods. In the cloudburst incident, at least four people are reported dead.

Meanwhile, the NDRF, SDRF and the Indian Army personnel have been deployed for rescue operation.

The Indian Army’s Central Command stated that Troops of the Ibex Brigade were immediately mobilised and have reached the affected site to assess the situation and undertake rescue operations.

“Extent of damage is being ascertained and updates will follow as relief operations unfold”, the Army’s Central Command said in a statement.

Taking stock of the situation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed deep sadness over the damage that was the result of the cloudburst CM Dhami further informed that the administration, including SDRF and NDRF, are engaged in the rescue operation, and the situation is being closely monitored.

In a post on X, CM Dhami said, “The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing. SDRF, NDRF, district administration, and other related teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war footing. In this regard, I am in constant contact with senior officials, and the situation is being closely monitored. I pray to God for everyone’s safety.”

The cloudburst has led to flash floods in the high-altitude villages of Dharali. Several houses were reported to have been swept away.

Additionally, Uttarkashi Police said, “In Uttarkashi, due to the rising water level of Kheer Gadh in the Harsil area, reports of damage in Dharali have prompted police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), army, and other disaster response teams to engage in relief and rescue operations at the site.”

Responding to the incident, SDRF IG informed that battalions with specialised equipment have been dispatched to the spot and are on rescue operation is being done in a coordinated manner.

While speaking to ANI, SDRF IG, Arun Mohan Joshi said, “As soon as we got the information, our nearest SDRF team has reached the spot. Two other units are about to reach. Rescue work is being done in a coordinated manner. The nearby NDRF, Army teams are also reaching the spot. Specialised equipment in our SDRF battalion headquarters, which can be used in this disaster, is also being sent… Whether it is the Army, ITBP, or NDRF, all the teams are reaching the spot, and rescue is being done in a coordinated manner.”

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand’s Sukhi Top area has also experienced a cloudburst, hours after the Dharali area experienced huge losses due to a previous cloudburst. Taking to X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said:”Spoke with the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand regarding the flash flood incident in Dharali (Uttarkashi) Uttarakhand, and took stock of the situation. Three nearby teams of the ITBP have been sent to the location, and four teams of the NDRF have also been dispatched to the site. They will reach soon and begin the rescue operations.”

The Home Ministry is closely monitoring the developments, and efforts are underway to ensure timely rescue and relief for those affected by the natural calamity.

Meanwhile, the roads in Gasku, Malghat area on the Dharchula- Gunji route have been closed, with NDRF successfully transporting travellers stranded due to falling rocks. Police officials have urged people not to travel on the route till it is cleared.

The Chamoli police have also informed that the JyotirmathMalari motor road has been washed out near Saldhar. “Travellers and local residents are requested to avoid unnecessary travel and follow the guidelines and information issued by the Chamoli Police,” the police said in a post on X.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences to the affected people in Dharali.

“I express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. Along with this, I pray for the well-being of all the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami ji and obtained information about the situation. Under the supervision of the state government, relief and rescue teams are engaged in every possible effort. No stone is being left unturned in providing assistance to the people,” PM Modi posted.

Freebies over salaries in Congress-ruled Karnataka? KSRTC employees go on indefinite strike over long-overdue arrears, leave thousands stranded

OpIndia Staff
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Freebies over salaries in Congress-ruled Karnataka? KSRTC employees go on indefinite strike over long-overdue arrears, leave thousands stranded

Employees of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) began their indefinite strike on Tuesday (5th August) over the unfulfilled demands of salary revision and arrears. The strike, announced by the Joint Action Committee of Transport Employees of Karnataka, was launched in defiance of the Karnataka High Court’s interim order postponing the strike for a day.

A division bench of Justices K. S. Mudagal and Justice M. G. S. Kamal passed the stay order on Monday (4th August). When the stay order was passed by the High Court, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was in a meeting with the advocates representing the transport corporations and the leaders of transport employees. Therefore, the High Court ordered the postponement of the strike for a day. However, the Court expressed concern over delayed wages and questioned the state over the handling of the issue. As no agreement could be reached between the state government and the transport employees in the meeting, the employees launched the strike.

The public suffers as transport employees demand their rights

The strike left thousands of commuters stranded across the state. With the commuters looking for an alternative, the Namma Metro in Bengaluru experienced a heavy rush of passengers. Several parts of the states, including Hubballi, Davanagere, Hoskote, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara saw the impact of the halt of the public transport services. There was a complete halt of bus services in some areas, while other areas witnessed a partial halt.

Taking precautionary measures in anticipation of the strike, the Principal Secretary of the Transport Department wrote to the Department of Information Technology on 2nd August, requesting it to direct all private IT companies in the state to allow employees to work from home during the strike period.

What the transport employees are demanding

The meeting between CM Siddaramaiah and the transport unions reached a deadlock as the unions demanded a 25% salary hike over the current base pay of ₹1,124 and pending arrears of 38 months, amounting to ₹1,800 crore. The Chief Minister said that the government could only clear the arrears of 14 months, which the unions did not accept. The unions said that the transport employees had worked for all 38 months; therefore, the demand was fair. However, CM Siddaramaiah termed their demand as excessive.

The Congress government in Karnataka has been facing criticism for introducing freebie schemes like the Shakti, which allowed free bus travel to all women in all state-owned buses, while the four state transport corporations have been facing a severe financial crunch. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) have consolidated liabilities worth Rs 6,330.25 crore.

The Shakti scheme was implemented by all four SRTCs. Despite the humungous financial burden on the SRTCs, the state government has continued with the freebie scheme. The state government reportedly owed Rs 1,600 crore to SRTCs for the implementation of the Shakti scheme for the fiscal year 2023-24 and 2024-25 (till October) – with Rs 6,83.21 crore to KSRTC, Rs 280.82 crore to BMTC, Rs 394.7 crore to NWKRTC and Rs 335.67 crore to KKRTC.

Maharashtra: Fall in cases of rabies in stray dogs, but violent attacks by stray dogs on humans increasing, surge in dog bite incidents in Pune

Anurag
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Maharashtra: Fall in cases of rabies in stray dogs, but violent attacks by stray dogs on humans increasing, surge in dog bite incidents in Pune

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) recently claimed that there has been a significant drop in rabies cases among stray dogs in the city. PMC claimed that the drop in rabies cases is due to improved vaccination and sterilisation efforts.

However, in July this year, while replying to a Right to Information application submitted by activist Vihar Durve, PMC revealed that there has been a sharp rise in dog bite incidents across the city, telling a different story about the effectiveness of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023. The rise in dog bite cases raises serious concerns about public safety and the limits of a rabies-only approach to the stray dog crisis.

PMC’s health department data show that suspected rabies cases among stray dogs have dropped from 373 in 2018 to just 19 so far in 2025. The number of confirmed cases of rabies has fallen from 220 to just 3 during the same period. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sarika Funde-Bhosale attributed the drop in numbers to mass vaccination, awareness drives, and better coordination in executing the ABC programme. Since 2021, PMC has administered 1.91 lakh vaccinations and the rabies positivity rate has declined to 15% in 2025.

Nearly 1 lakh dog bite cases since 2022

Though the number of rabies cases among dogs has declined sharply, that does not mean stray dogs do not cause harm to humans in other ways. The RTI reply has revealed that the broader threat from stray dogs remains unresolved. Over 1 lakh dog bite cases have been treated within PMC limits in government hospitals since 2022. In 2022, there were 21,000 dog bite cases. In 2024, the number went up to 37,000, and in 2025, there were 16,000 cases reported in the first five months.

PMC claimed that increased awareness and the reporting of minor scratches have inflated the figures. However, it has to be noted that even a minor scratch or a lick by a rabies-infected dog is deadly. Taking the matter leniently or saying minor cases inflated the numbers should not be the approach PMC adopts.

Speaking to Times of India, Durve questioned the explanation, pointing to a contradiction. He said, “If the stray dog population has indeed dropped from 3.15 lakh in 2018 to 1.79 lakh in 2023, why are dog bite cases steadily rising? Either the sterilisation is ineffective, or the population claims are flawed.”

Focus must go beyond rabies

The focus of PMC should not be limited to rabies, as it masks the wider failure of the ABC programme, which is, in fact, supposed to control the dog population. If there is an increase in the number of dog bites, it is safe to assume that the dog population has significantly increased in the city. The civic body has claimed that they have doubled the sterilisation surgeries in five years, from 11,000 in 2018–19 to 27,000 in 2022–23. However, the threat to citizens, especially children and the elderly, continues unabated.

Durve added, “In case of pet dog attacks, owners are held responsible. Why should the PMC not be held liable for stray dog attacks? Compensation should not be goodwill, but a matter of accountability.”

Interestingly, a 2023 report claimed that the number of dogs in Pune decreased by 42%, but the number of dog bite cases saw hardly any change, raising questions about the dog census conducted by the local authorities. Here, it is essential to point out that the Government of India has clearly stated that the livestock census at the central level, which includes the census of stray dogs, is done only once every five years. However, local authorities can conduct the census periodically on their own.

It is time authorities start to look at the broader implications of stray dogs instead of just concentrating on the number of rabies cases in dogs or humans.

OpIndia is doing a series on Stray Dog Menace in India that can be checked here.

Bengal: ECI suspends 4 officers after reports of massive lapses and violation in voter registration database, says login credentials were shared with outsiders

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal: ECI suspends 4 officers after reports of massive lapses and violation in voter registration database, says login credentials were shared with outsiders

In a strong move, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (5th August) suspended four election officials in West Bengal, who reportedly allowed fake voter applications to be registered by misusing their authority. Their actions were exposed during a sample checking of voter application forms (Form 6) for routine updates to the electoral roll by the West Bengal Election Commission.

Two Electoral Registration Offices (EROs), namely Debottam Dutta Choudhary and Biplab Sarkar and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), namely Tathagata Mondal and Sudipta Das, have been suspended by the ECI with immediate effect ECI has also ordered disciplinary proceedings against the officers without delay.

The Commission said that the actions of the officers amount to criminal misconduct and, therefore, also ordered the filing of FIRs against all four officials. Besides, the ECI also directed an FIR to be lodged against the casual Data Entry Operator, Surojit Haldar.

“The Commission has taken sserious naote of the grave lapses committed by the officers,” the ECI said in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, West Bengal. “…FIRs be lodged against the above mentioned erring EROs and AEROs for their action, which potentially amount to criminal misconduct. Furthermore, FIR shall also be lodged against the Data Entry Operator Surojit Haldar,” the ECI said. The ECI said that the conduct of the four election officers invites a penalty under Section 32(1) of the Representation of People Act, 1950.

EROs admitted to sharing login credentials before the CEO of West Bengal

The names of the four officers came up during an inspection of voter application data in West Bengal. The Chief Election Officer (CEO) of West Bengal found that several fake voter names were added to the voter list. Consequently, the officers were summoned by the commission. During questioning, they admitted that they shared their login credentials to the ERO.net portal with unauthorised persons.

The officials did not follow proper procedure for the registration of voter application forms by dispensing with the requirement of BLOs’ verification of the forms. As a result, the CEO of West Bengal ordered an urgent investigation into the matter and directed the District Election Officer (DEO) to form a team of senior officials and conduct a sample check of all the voter application forms disposed of during the last year, and submit a report by August 14, 2025.

Mamata Banerjee opposed electoral revision in her state

There are reports of the Election Commission conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal ahead of the assembly elections next year. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has clearly stated that she would not allow an electoral revision, which is a routine exercise to update the voter list, in her state. One might wonder what could be the rationale behind a Chief Minister stopping the updation of the electoral roll in her state, which the Election Commission is mandated to do by law.

Concerns regarding fake voters being added to the electoral roll in West Bengal have been consistently raised by the BJP. Last year in February,  a 6-member delegation of the BJP led by Suvendu Adhikari submitted a memorandum to the CEO of West Bengal alleging that there were 16 lakh fake or duplicate votes in the state.

In 2022, a video of TMC leader and Bardhaman Dakshin MLA Khokan Das had gone viral, in which he was seen urging his party workers to make sure that Bangladeshi immigrants who support the ruling TMC in West Bengal would be placed on the voters’ list. There have been suspicions of voter count increasing sharply in some Muslim-dominated areas in the state.

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