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A murder convict had accused a judge of taking Rs 5 crore to acquit Mukhtar Ansari: read how the mafia politician allegedly influenced the judiciary

राहुल पाण्डेय
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A murder convict had accused a judge of taking Rs 5 crore to acquit Mukhtar Ansari: read how the mafia politician allegedly influenced the judiciary

In April and May, the OpIndia team conducted an investigation tour into the criminal record of Mukhtar Ansari, a notorious mafia who has been leading criminal activities in Uttar Pradesh for many years. During this period, we spoke with several individuals who had been victims of Mukhtar’s atrocities, each sharing their unique experiences. In addition to being implicated in cases involving murder, attempted murder, land grabbing, and extortion, Mukhtar Ansari also faces allegations of tampering with files related to the charges filed against him, causing them to go missing.

During the interaction with OpIndia, certain victims raised allegations regarding the influence and political pressure exerted by Mukhtar Ansari on the judicial system. Additionally, the victims and their legal representative accused the judges of taking leaves prior to delivering a verdict against Mukhtar and further alleged that an unjust decision was reached in cases against him.

Mukhtar Ansari did not appear in court for 4 years

OpIndia spoke with Ashok Singh, the brother of Ajay Singh, also known as Manna, who was allegedly murdered by Mukhtar Ansari in 2009. Ashok Singh stated that following his brother’s murder, another witness in the case named Ram Singh Maurya, along with his government-appointed gunner, were also killed in 2010. Furthermore, Ashok Singh stated that Mukhtar Ansari evaded appearing in the Mau court for a period of four years in connection with this case.

According to Ashok Singh, Mukhtar Ansari managed to obtain his absence in other cases during this time. As a result, four years passed, leading to the year 2014. Ashok revealed that during these four years, Mukhtar did not directly engage in legal battles but attempted to manage or manipulate the judges involved in the case.

The district judge had withdrawn from the case on the day of the verdict


Ashok Singh also revealed that court proceedings started after four years, during which time Mukhtar Ansari deliberately avoided attending his brother’s murder case. He stated, “After four years, in 2014, the court proceedings took place, and the day arrived for Mukhtar Ansari’s sentencing in the court of District Judge Anirudh Singh in Mau. The announcement of the verdict date was made, and in the evening, individuals connected or unrelated to the case gathered in the courtroom. All the accused were present and handcuffs were ordered. It appeared that the judge was prepared to deliver the verdict.”

Ashok Singh mentioned that on the same day, Mukhtar Ansari had filed a petition in the High Court, seeking to have his case transferred from the court of District Judge Anirudh Singh. However, the petition was subsequently rejected. Describing the sequence of events, Ashok shared, “After some time, when the judge went inside, he did not reappear. During this time, the case file was transferred to the Additional District Judge (ADJ). This transfer was allegedly influenced by the pressure exerted by Mukhtar Ansari.” Ashok Singh also mentioned that he had heard that there was significant pressure on Judge Anirudh Singh.

Judge Adil Aftab’s verdict is questionable, says the victim

Following the district judge’s withdrawal from the verdict proceedings in the murder case of Ashok Singh’s brother Manna in 2014, the case was subsequently transferred to Sessions Judge Adil Aftab’s court. Ashok Singh said that the case remained under Adil Aftab’s jurisdiction from 2014 to 2017. However, in 2017, Adil Aftab acquitted Mukhtar Ansari in the murder case of Manna Singh.

Reflecting on the day of the verdict, Ashok Singh recalled, “Our lawyer intended to submit an application to the district judge, urging for a transfer of the case from Adil Aftab’s court. However, on that particular day, neither the accused nor the opposition appeared in court. Surprisingly, despite their absence, Adil Aftab delivered the verdict.”

Complaint against Judge Adil Aftab in the High Court

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the verdict delivered by Sessions Judge Adil Aftab, Ashok Singh took action by lodging a written complaint with the Chief Justice and Registrar of the High Court. In his complaint, Ashok Singh urged for a thorough investigation into the judgment issued by Judge Adil Aftab. He emphasized that if Mukhtar Ansari was acquitted by labelling the murderers of his brother, Manna Singh, as hired shooters, it should be revealed who orchestrated their involvement. Ashok Singh questioned why the court did not delve into this matter more deeply during the verdict.

However, Ashok Singh remains unaware of the outcome of the investigation regarding the complaint filed against Judge Adil Aftab. He mentioned that he had submitted the complaint twice, but due to the confidentiality surrounding judicial investigations, he is unaware of any developments or conclusions reached.

During the court proceedings, the judge was accused of bribery

OpIndia interviewed Sunil Singh, an aide and advocate of Ashok Singh at Mau District Court, who shed light on the acquittal of Mukhtar Ansari in the Manna Singh murder case. According to Advocate Sunil Singh, during the pronouncement of the verdict, another convicted individual named Raju Kanojia openly accused Judge Adil Aftab of accepting a bribe in a packed courtroom. Advocate Sunil Singh stated, “When the verdict was announced, Raju Kanojia, who had been sentenced, boldly exclaimed in the presence of approximately 30 to 40 policemen, ‘If five crore rupees were taken to deliver this verdict, why did you punish us?'”

Advocate Sunil Singh asserts that these statements were made by Raju Kanojia in the courtroom, in front of a significant number of police personnel.

Court did not take any cognizance when the witnesses were being killed one after the other

Advocate Sunil Singh represents Harendra Singh, the plaintiff in the Manna Singh murder case. He revealed that after Manna Singh’s murder, the witness in the case, along with his bodyguard, were also killed. But the court failed to take any notice of these incidents.

Both Ashok Singh and his lawyer, Sunil Singh, have filed a challenge in the High Court against Mukhtar Ansari’s acquittal in the Manna Singh murder case. Furthermore, they mentioned that the state government has also approached the High Court to contest this decision. Ashok Singh informed us that both appeals have been accepted by the High Court, and the hearing is currently pending. Click here to know in detail about the Manna Singh murder case.

Mukhtar Ansari used to choose the DM and SP of the district


Prince Yadav, a District Panchayat member from Mau, referred to the period when the Samajwadi Party was in power and expressed how Mukhtar Ansari wielded influence even over judges. He stated, “During the governments of other parties, judges would refrain from delivering verdicts due to fear of Mukhtar Ansari. Whenever a verdict was anticipated, the judge would conveniently take a leave of absence.” Prince Yadav noted the change in the current Yogi government and observed that the same judges now openly rule against Mukhtar Ansari.

Additionally, Prince Yadav mentioned that Mukhtar Ansari would choose District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) as he desired and managed to make their appointments as per his wish. Yadav said, “Those DMs or SPs who received a phone call from him (Mukhtar Ansari), would disregard everyone else’s opinions.” Prince Yadav has called for an investigation into all the DMs and SPs who served during Mukhtar Ansari’s tenure.

Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma fined for flouting rules and riding pillion on bikes without helmets

OpIndia Staff
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Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma fined for flouting rules and riding pillion on bikes without helmets

The Mumbai Police fined two motorbike drivers for failing to wear helmets while providing rides to Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma on city streets.

“Amitabh and Anushka both have been fined through their riders for bike rides without helmets on Mumbai roads,” a senior police official informed. Following social media criticism that the riders had disregarded the law’s requirement that they wear helmets, the penalties were levied in the two separate cases.

In order to reach his shooting location, the Shahenshah of Bollywood uploaded a snapshot of himself riding a pillion on a stranger’s two-wheeler. A day later, Anushka Sharma was also spotted riding a bike after a roadblock.

However, both incidents were slammed by netizens who questioned why the celebrities were not wearing helmets. The Mumbai police responded by posting printouts of the penalties imposed on the drivers of both vehicles.

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, riding a two-wheeler without a helmet is a crime, and the pillion rider has to wear a helmet as well. The actor was fined Rs. 1,000 for not wearing a helmet, while the actress and his PA (the rider) received an e-challan for Rs. 10,500 for breaking many traffic regulations.

The Mumbai Traffic Police issued 12 lakh challans to bikers last year for failing to wear helmets. On Tuesday night, they announced via Twitter that e-challans had been sent to both vehicles and that both actors had promptly paid their dues.

A senior officer said, “Almost 600 crore dues are pending to this day because of motorists not paying their e-challan fines. Influential personalities like Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma paying their compounding amount for challan should set an example for citizens to not violate traffic rules and if they do, they have to pay their challan amount.”

“Drivers who don’t pay their e-challan penalties have left about 600 crores in unpaid debts as of this writing. Influential individuals, such as Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma, paying their challan compounding amounts should serve as an example for residents”, a senior traffic officer said, reminding them that they must pay their challan amounts if they breach traffic laws.

In accordance with convention, when drivers don’t pay their fines, traffic officials deliver legal notice before the case is heard in court.

Starbucks India’s woke agenda is not only hurting them here but hurting them in their largest market USA as it leads to boycott calls

OpIndia Staff
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Starbucks India’s woke agenda is not only hurting them here but hurting them in their largest market USA as it leads to boycott calls

On May 10, Starbucks India released an advertisement under the ‘It Starts With Your Name’ campaign promoting transgenderism. In a tweet, while sharing the advertisement, Starbucks India wrote, “Our name defines who you are – whether it’s Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being yourself means everything to us. #ItStartsWithYourName.”

The advertisement revolves around a family where the child meets the parents after a long time. A woman named Arpita enters the cafe and sits down with her parents. Coffee was ordered by the father, who asked the servers to write the name Arpita. It was depicted that Arpita is a transgender who was Arpit, the couple’s son, but later changed gender and became their daughter. The father was apparently not pleased with the decision, and for some time, they did not come to terms, and the issue has been resolved now.

While transgenders in India are considered the third gender, the ad is not about that community at all. It depicts the woke idea of transgenderism from the West, where anyone can identify themselves as transgender and undergo medical procedures and therapies to change their sex. While the concept is slowly entering India and making its presence in different sectors despite facing strong opposition, it has sparked outrage to a whole different level in the West.

Starbuck’s attempt to promote transgenderism in India has resulted in a backlash against the Tata-owned Indian branch of the beverage company. Daily Wire editor and author Ben Shapiro wrote, “Good news: we now have an excuse for you to stop drinking coffee that tastes like burnt cardboard.”

In an article called “fresh garbage from Starbucks”, Not The Bee said it is yet another reason never to visit Starbucks. They added that Starbucks is pushing trans agenda on Indian culture just like they did in the West. “So awkward. I guess I can continue not drinking Starbucks coffee then,” Not The Bee staff member who wrote the article added.

Author John Hawkins wrote, “Forty years ago, every nation on the planet would have benefitted from copying our culture. Today, we have one of the planet’s most warped, degenerate cultures. If you want a healthy, happy culture, the last thing you should do is copy what’s going on in America right now.”

The ad’s disclaimer read, “This content is not intended to offend or cause distress to any group of people.” If their intention was not to hurt anyone, why make the ad in the first place?

Bud Light faced backlash for hiring Dylan Mulvaney

Transgenderism and woke culture is still new concept in India, and it will take time before they can cause some notable damage as it has done in the West. The new ad by Starbucks has given the conservatives in the West to target the company in the US, and Starbucks is not the first to feel the heat.

Recently, beer brand Bud Light (owned by Anheuser Busch, which also owns the famous beer brand Budweiser) decided to hire controversial “transgender” influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its products. The campaign resulted in a backlash, and the sales dropped drastically. So much so the latest figures suggest that the sales last week were down by 24 percent. While Bud Light distanced itself from Mulvaney, the customers have not returned.

Meanwhile, the vice president of marketing for Bud Light, Alissa Heinerscheid, and marketing head for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, Daniel Blake, was sent on leave by the company. The brand requested its customers to return but to no avail.

Arjun Ram Meghwal, the new law minister, had introduced a private member bill against a Delhi High Court judgment decriminalising homosexuality

OpIndia Staff
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Arjun Ram Meghwal, the new law minister, had introduced a private member bill against a Delhi High Court judgment decriminalising homosexuality

In a major union cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture And Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju as the Law Minster. Kiren Rijiju has been assigned the portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

In 2012, the new Union Law Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bikaner MP Arjun Ram Meghwal had presented a private member bill titled Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2012 in the Lok Sabha against the Delhi High Court judgment of 2009 which termed section 377 of the Indian Penal Code unconstitutional and decriminalised gay sex. However, the bill was not discussed until next year in the lower house.

The Delhi High Court in the Naz Foundation vs Government Of NCT Of Delhi had ruled that provision of criminalising consensual sexual acts of adults in private under Section 377 of the IPC violative Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

However, the Supreme Court upheld Section 377 and set aside the high court order in 2013. The Supreme Court held that homosexuality or unnatural sex between two consenting adults under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is illegal and will continue to be an offence. A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadaya set aside the Delhi High Court’s verdict decriminalising homosexuality and added that this provision did not suffer from any constitutional infirmity.

In light of the judgement, the BJP leader brought Lok Sabha’s attention to his proposed legislation. He also held discussions across his constituency over the issue and maintained people were unanimously opposed to de-criminalising gay sex. “The main point of my bill is that the honourable Delhi High Court’s decision is not in accordance with Indian culture,” he asserted.

Notably, he qualified Rajasthan Public Service Commission Administrative Services Exam in 1982 and was promoted to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1999 batch in the Rajasthan cadre and worked in many significant administrative positions including District Collector and District Magistrate.

In 2018, the Supreme Court of India decriminalised consensual gay sex under section 377 of the IPC.

Arjun Ram Meghwal took voluntary retirement from IAS in order to join politics. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 representing the Bikaner constituency and got re-elected from there in 2014 and 2019.

During his 2nd term as a member of the parliament, he was Chief Whip of the BJP in Lok Sabha. The speaker of Lok Sabha also nominated him as the Chairman of the House Committee, in the lower house. In May 2019, Meghwal became Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Govinda’s wife Sunita Ahuja carries bag inside sanctum sanctorum of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple despite ban, authorities assure action

OpIndia Staff
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Govinda’s wife Sunita Ahuja carries bag inside sanctum sanctorum of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple despite ban, authorities assure action

Bollywood actor Govinda’s wife Sunita Ahuja has come under fire for flouting rules during her visit to Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple on Monday, May 15. The star’s wife had reportedly carried a handbag to the temple’s garbha-griha (sanctum sanctorum). Reportedly, it is prohibited to carry a bag inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahakal temple.

The matter caused a massive stir after Sunita Ahuja shared pictures from her visit to the temple on Instagram. She captioned her post, “Had a wonderful darshan at Mahakal Ujjain.” 

In one other picture that emerged online, Sunita Ahuja could be seen with a bag hanging from her shoulder whilst posing for a photo with the priest.

Source: India Today

The pictures that went viral left Netizens wondering how Sunita carried her handbag inside the sanctum sanctorum despite the ban. The social media users were quick to call out the temple’s security system and wondered how she could get past the guards with her bag when it is strictly not allowed.

When the matter was flagged to the temple authorities, the temple administrator Sandeep Soni assured that action will be taken after watching the footage regarding how the bag was allowed to be taken inside.

Mahakaleshwar temple administrator Sandeep Soni mentioned that the security team was engaged at the gate during that time. It was their responsibility to make sure whether bags and purses were taken inside or not. He also said that action has been taken against the officials who were at fault.

He further added that action will be taken against Sunita Ahuja as well after checking the CCTV footage.

This is not the first time Sunita Ahuja has attracted public attention. In fact, Bollywood actor Govinda and his wife Sunita Ahuja are frequently making headlines for their alleged fallout with nephew Krushna Abhishek.

Land for Railway jobs scam: Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi appears before Enforcement Directorate for questioning

OpIndia Staff
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Land for Railway jobs scam: Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi appears before Enforcement Directorate for questioning

On Thursday, May 18, former chief minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the money laundering case pertaining to the alleged land-for-jobs scam. Rabri Devi, the wife of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, is recording her statement in this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Prior to this, Rabri Devi was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March at her residence in Patna as part of its probe into the alleged land-for-jobs scam. The alleged scam occurred while Lalu Prasad was the railways minister in the UPA-I government between 2004 and 2009.

The federal agency questioned Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and his sister MP Misa Bharti in March of this year.

The CBI searched nine premises belonging to RJD Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta, party MLA Kiran Devi, and her husband Arun Yadav in connection with the land-for-jobs scam on Tuesday, May 16.

Land for Jobs scam

The CBI in the first chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railway, violating the laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment.

As a quid-pro-quo, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives/family members, sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav (then Union Railway Minister) at highly discounted rates up to 1/4th to 1/5th of the prevailing market rates, stated CBI.

The investigations revealed that Lalu Prasad Yadav during the period 2007-08, when he was Union Minister of Railways, with the intent to acquire the land parcels situated in Vill- Mahuabagh, Patna and Vill-Kunjwa, Patna which were situated adjacent to the land parcels already owned by his family members; entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharati, Officers of Central Railways namely Sowmya Raghvan the then General Manager, Kamal Deep Mainrai, the then Chief Personnel Officer, and residents of Vill-Mahjabagh, Patna and Vill-Bindaul, Bihta, Patna and Patna City namely Raj Kumar Singh, Mithlesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Ravindra Ray, Kiran Devi, Akhileshwar Singh, Ramashish Singh.

According to the CBI, all the candidates after their engagement as substitutes were subsequently regularized.

In lieu of getting them appointed in Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got the lands transferred owned by candidates and their family members in the names of his wife Rabri Devi and Misha Bharti for sale consideration which was much lesser than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates.

Maharashtra: Hindu wedding attacked with stones for playing songs of Lord Ram, slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ raised by the attackers

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Hindu wedding attacked with stones for playing songs of Lord Ram, slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ raised by the attackers

On Wednesday, a group of people from a specific community pelted stones at a Hindu wedding procession in Chikhli religion of Buldhana district in Maharashtra, objecting to a song played on the DJ system during the procession. The massive stone pelting began as the people from the community heard songs of Lord Ram being played on the DJ system. They also are said to have raised the slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ before pelting stones at the procession.

The mob first objected to the music and then asked the people from the procession to stop playing the songs of Lord Ram. The mob also asked the participants to stop dancing to the said music. The incident is said to have happened while the procession was passing through the Sailani Nagar area of ​​Chikhli city in Buldhana district.

The police were informed as soon as the stone pelting began in the area injuring a total of 13 people who participated in the procession. The state police had to resort to lathi-charge as the situation worsened and people from both communities engaged in a brawl. The 13 injured persons meanwhile have been shifted to the hospital for treatment.

The police took cognizance of the event and booked around 30 persons in a rioting case. The police also have arrested 15 persons and are conducting investigations in the case. Reports mention that BJP MLA from Chikhli Shweta Mahale, member of the Shinde faction Sanjay Gaikwad and Buldhanae MP Prataparao Jadhav visited the spot of violence and appealed to the citizens for peace.

MLA Sanjay Gaikwad (Shinde faction) while talking to the local media confirmed that slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised by the people from the specific community before pelting stones at the procession. “The DJ was vandalized and people from the Hindu Mali community were pelted stones at. We have also been informed that slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were raised. If this is true, we won’t spare these people supporting and lauding Pakistan while they are staying in India,” Gaikwad said.

The Police have so far booked 30 people in a rioting case and have arrested 15 persons for creating violence. Further investigations into the case are underway.

The British censor board had to give in before the public pressure: The Kerala Story producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah after the movie gets clearance in the UK

OpIndia Staff
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The British censor board had to give in before the public pressure: The Kerala Story producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah after the movie gets clearance in the UK

In positive news for the filmmakers of The Kerala Story and overseas audiences, the film which was unexpectedly pulled from theatres in the United Kingdom before its scheduled premiere on May 12, was given the green light to screen by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Now, it will be screened from  19 May in the country.

In a statement to the media on Wednesday, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah said that the audience’s support is the solution to the alleged discrediting propaganda.

“Britain’s censor certification agency had to give the certificate yesterday. There was a lot of public pressure there. Some political elements were trying to stop the film illegally. Whatever was happening was political. The British censor board had to give in before the public pressure. The film is being screened in the UK today,” he stated.

“We have met thousands of girls ourselves, so there is no point in 32,000 vs. 3 conversions. We have based our film around three girls; that is why the number 3 is being said, and it has nothing to do with what is happening in Kerala. Through these 3 girls, we have brought you the stories of thousands of girls,” the producer responded on the veracity of the statistics.

He remarked, “And we were disappointed when some media people supported them and tried to discredit our film. So many girls’ lives are ruined, but instead of supporting them, they tried to defame the film and prove it wrong.”

“They said 7,000, and very soon we will come up with more statistics and expose everything, including 32,000 girls. We want to request that you please help these girls get justice,” he urged.

He praised the appreciation that the audience had shown for The Kerala Story and asserted that the support is confirmation that the movie is not, as some have claimed, ‘propaganda.’

The press conference of The Kerala Story in Mumbai was attended by the director Sudipto Sen and the lead cast of the movie, Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani.

“The way the journey started and the point it reached, it’s a long one. But the journey is still not over. The audience watched the movie, and I feel they have given answers to all those tags labelled against the movie. Our commitment didn’t end with the making of the movie. We are also committed to the girls, who were trapped in this vicious net,” he noted.

Director Sudipto Sen tweeted ‘You won. Terrorism lost’ after the movie was cleared to screen in the UK.

Last week, all of the scheduled screenings of The Kerala Story were cancelled because the BBFC had not assigned the movie an age rating. However, it has now rated the movie as ’18.’ It has also given detailed content advice to viewers watching the film.

Notably, under the ‘Discrimination’ rating, the BBFC has written, “The film presents a partial and unbalanced view of Islam which focuses on radical Islamist characters and motivations to the exclusion of more moderate and mainstream forms of the faith. There are regular scenes of discrimination on the basis of religion and gender. A woman spits on her dying father for not sharing her faith.”

Amidst all the controversy and objections The Kerala Story has performed phenomenally well at the box office. It has made more than 165 crores in its second week, exceeding all forecasts and will shortly surpass the 200-crore threshold.

Watch the entire press conference below:

It is notable that the topic of the movie The Kerala Story, which is the story of women who ended up becoming ISIS terrorists or wives of ISIS terrorists, is very much relevant to the UK. Several British women went on to become ‘ISIS brides’ in Syria when the terror group ISIS had captured the country, and the UK government has refused their appeal to return to the country. The UK has revoked the citizenship of Shamima Begum, one of the most famous ISIS brides, who is currently staying at the Al-Hawl refugee camp in Northern Syria, and higher court of UK has rejected her appeal against the govt decision.

Supreme Court agrees to hear Muslim Side’s petition against determining age of Gyanvapi Shivling

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court agrees to hear Muslim Side’s petition against determining age of Gyanvapi Shivling

Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition filed by the Gyanvapi mosque Management Committee opposing the Allahabad HC order that directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey of the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to determine its age. The plea will be heard on Friday, May 19.

A bench comprising of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala took note of senior attorney Huzefa Ahmadi’s remarks on behalf of the Gyanvapi mosque management committee and consented to list the petition for hearing on Friday.

“The Allahabad High Court has passed an order pending the appeal,” the senior lawyer said.

Notably, the Allahabad Court had on Friday, May 12 issued the order while hearing a revision petition filed by four women Hindu worshippers challenging the Varanasi Court’s October 14 order, that rejected a plea for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure found in May 2022 during a court-mandated survey of the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

This came after the ASI submitted its report as ordered by the High Court, which rebuked the ASI in April this year for its laxity in submitting its report on the feasibility of carbon dating the Shivling found inside the mosque. 

Shivling found in wuzukhana of the disputed structure at Gyanvapi

The Gyanvapi dispute dates back decades but in August 2021, five women filed a petition in a local court demanding the right of unhindered worship at the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal, located inside the complex that houses idols of Hindu Gods. In April 2022, the local court ordered a survey of the complex.

During the survey, a Shivling was found submerged in the wuzukhana, the place where people who offer namaz, the Islamic prayer, clean their hands and feet and gargle water as a cleansing ritual, inside the complex where the disputed structure called ‘Gyanvapi mosque’ is located. The mosque was allegedly constructed after destroying the Hindu temple of Kashi Vishwanath. The centuries-old Nandi inside the new complex right next to the disputed structure also points towards the place where the Shivling was found in the wuzukhana.

Upon discovery of the Shivling, the judge ordered the sealing of the complex and forbade those offering prayer in the masjid from cleaning their feet and hands where the Shivling has been found. However, after the Shivling was found, Islamists and many ‘liberals’ mocked the idol as a ‘fountain’ and other innuendos which have hurt the religious feelings of Hindus.

Uttar Pradesh: Hanuman Temple in Aligarh bans entry to Muslims, issues dress code for Hindu devotees

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Hanuman Temple in Aligarh bans entry to Muslims, issues dress code for Hindu devotees

An ancient Hanuman Temple in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh has implemented a new policy that restricts entry for Muslim men and women. Additionally, a dress code has been established for both Hindu male and female devotees. The Shri Gilharaj Temple in Aligarh now prohibits individuals from entering while wearing short clothes or torn jeans.

The temple’s priest has issued guidelines emphasizing that Hindu devotees should not worship in the temple while wearing torn jeans or inappropriate attire. The purpose of these guidelines is to prevent any distractions caused by indecent clothing that may divert the attention of worshippers. Pamphlets have also been displayed outside the temple to inform people about these new guidelines.

The priest of the temple, Mahant Yogi Kaushalnath, announced that a decision has been made by the temple committee to prohibit non-Hindus from entering the temple for worship. He also said that this decision was prompted by an incident where a few Muslims reportedly entered the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik on 13th May 2023. According to him, the reason behind this decision is that Muslims do not visit the temple solely for the purpose of worship, and the investigating agency will determine the intentions behind such visits. He told that the intention behind banning Muslims from entering the temple in Aligarh is to prevent any similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Upon noticing the pamphlets outside the temple, the worshipers expressed their appreciation for the decision made by the temple’s priest. They believe that it is commendable to wear only appropriate attire during worship to ensure the devotee’s focus remains undisturbed.

The devotees further stated that they support the decision to prohibit the entry of Muslims, as they perceive no connection between Muslims and the temple. According to them, these individuals visit the temple solely with the intention of theft. Thus, they warmly welcomed the priest’s decision.

Situated near the Achal Talab in Aligarh, in the vicinity of Gandhi Park Police Station, lies this centuries-old sacred temple of Lord Hanuman. This historically significant temple reveres Lord Hanuman in the form of a squirrel. Devotees from various regions across the country travel to this temple to offer their prayers to the Hindu deity. It is widely believed that any wishes made by the devotees in this temple are granted, adding to its spiritual significance.

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