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‘Aditya Thackeray was planning to replace Uddhav Thackeray as CM when Uddhav was undergoing treatment,’ claims BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

On Saturday, April 29, BJP MLA from Kankavli constituency, Nitesh Rane made a sensational claim about former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray. Rane has claimed that Aditya Thackeray was plotting to take to usurp the CM’s chair by replacing his father. 

Nitesh Rane claimed that when Uddhav Thackeray was undergoing cervical spine surgery, Aditya was planning to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. 

Rane claimed to possess CCTV footage of a meeting that took place at the Jaslok Hospital. It was allegedly stated at the time that Uddhav Thackeray might not fully recover. Nevertheless, Aditya was unable to carry out his plans since the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, were against it.

Nitesh Rane went on to claim that when Uddhav Thackeray was admitted to the hospital, “Aditya was busy enjoying in Davos with his friend Varun Sardesai.” He also said that Sanjay Raut should speak up and clarify whether this information is true or not.

Taking a jibe at Sanjay Raut, Rane said that “Raut should write about Aditya Thackeray’s marriage plans instead of making comments about others. He (Raut) should write about who and when Aditya will marry, who will do “Who will marry meow-meow (mimicking Aditya Thackeray’s voice).”

Notably, editorials written by Saamana newspaper’s executive editor Sanjay Raut regularly criticize the BJP and the BJP-backed Eknath Shinde government. Nitesh Rane responded to Raut’s criticism, through his recent remarks.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction, on the other hand, stated in response to Nitesh Rane’s accusations that his party and its leaders do not take Nitesh Rane seriously. Therefore, there is no point in responding to what he said.

Goa: NCB busts a drug cartel, Russian Olympic medallist among arrested with illegal drugs

On Saturday, 29th April 2023, the Narcotics Control Bureau informed that it has busted an international drug cartel in Goa. The agency arrested an Indian national along with an Olympic medal-winning woman Russian swimmer and a former policeman. A large quantity of drugs has been recovered from them.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted an international drug cartel in Goa and arrested two Russians. One of them is a 1980 Olympic silver medallist woman swimmer and the other is a former policeman. Along with this, an Indian has also been caught with drugs. The operation was carried out by the Goa unit of the NCB in the last two weeks, an NCB official said on Saturday.

Based on a tip-off that a Russian drug cartel was actively operating in Arambol and its adjoining areas in Goa, an operation was launched. According to intelligence inputs, a Russian woman named S Verganova was found involved in the supply of drugs. During the investigation, NCB also got information that a local person named Akash is also involved.

On April 14, Varganova was intercepted at Arambol, leading to the recovery of 2.5g of charas, 2g of methamphetamine and 0.3g of MDMA. During the investigation, the NCB said, it was learnt that a local named Akash was working on the direction of a Russian leader of the cartel.

On April 28, Akash was arrested at Arambol with 9 LSD blots, 30g of hashish, 1 MDMA tablet and Rs 28,000. During further investigation, it was revealed that Akash was part of a larger network and was acting on the instructions of a Russian person, who operated as the kingpin of the cartel. Surveillance was mounted around the Manderem area on the same day and a Russian national named Andre was arrested with 20 LSD blots.

According to NCB, during interrogation on the spot, Akash revealed that he was growing hydroponic weed at his local residence. Pots of hydroponic weed plants were recovered from his house. During the entire operation, 88 LSD blots, 8.8 grams of cocaine, 242.5 grams of charas, 1.440 kg of hydroponic weed, 16.49 grams of hash oil, 410 grams of hash cakes and various other narcotics were seized. Along with this, the NCB also recovered foreign currencies, fake documents, IDs and materials.

The arrested Russian woman S Verganova is a 1980 Olympic silver medallist in swimming, while Andre is a former Russian policeman. The latter has been operating a drug cartel in Goa for a long time. He had visited several cities to spread his network and was managing a well-spread network of street peddlers. Along with the Russian nationals, Indian citizen Akash has also been arrested and further investigation is underway.

‘Routine enquiry under FEMA, we have been completely transparent with the authorities’, says Byju’s after ED searches

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The recent visit by officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was related to a routine inquiry under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), according to Byju’s legal team spokesperson.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) earlier today said it has conducted searches and seizure action at three premises in Bengaluru in the case of Raveendaran Byju and his company ‘Think & Learn Private Limited’ under the provisions of FEMA. Of the three premises, ED said two are Business and one residential. The company runs a popular online education portal under the name of Byju’s.

“We have been completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics,” Byju’s legal team spokesperson in a statement to ANI said.

The spokesperson added the company will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and added it is confident that the matter will be “resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner”.

“We want to emphasize that it is business as usual at BYJU’S. We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world,” the spokesperson said, adding that it remains focused on its mission to transform the way students learn.

Earlier, ED in a release said searches on Byju’s also revealed that the company has received foreign direct investment to the tune of Rs 28,000 crore (approximately) during the period from 2011 to 2023.

Further, ED said the company has also remitted Rs 9,754 crore (approximately) to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment. 

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

Twitter restores ANI account after blocking it for ‘being under 13 years of age’, the other account ANI_News remains suspended

In a strange development on Saturday, 29th April 2023, a Twitter handle of the news agency ANI (Asian News International) was suspended and another was blocked. Twitter has cited the reason for blocking one account @ANI as being below 13 years of age in a mail. ANI’s Smita Prakash tweeted a screenshot of this mail from her Twitter handle.

In her tweet, Smita Prakash wrote, “So those who follow, there is bad news. Twitter has locked out India’s largest news agency which has 7.6 million followers and sent this mail – under 13 years of age! Our gold tick was taken away, substituted with a blue tick and now locked out.” Smita Prakash also tagged Elon Musk in her tweet.

When searching the account of ANI_News, the result shows the account is suspended.

And while searching for the account @ANI showed that it does not exist, which means it has been blocked by Twitter. While @ANI was removed for allegedly being underaged according to Twitter, the reason for suspending the other account @ANI_News is not known.

However, other Twitter handles of ANI like ANI Hindi, ANI Digital, ANI MP-Rajasthan, ANI UP-Uttarakhand etc. were running properly. More than five decades have passed since the establishment of ANI. ANI, which claims to be the ‘leading multimedia news agency of South Asia’, has more than 100 bureaus worldwide.

It is notable that according to Twitter’s policy, a Twitter user should be at least 13 years old when opening up a Twitter account. This is in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, which requires parental consent for online services to collect personal information from children under the age of 13.

Twitter doesn’t have a specific norm for news organizations to open accounts, but the platform encourages organizations to use verified accounts to distinguish themselves from fake accounts and impersonators. To obtain a verified account, news organizations must meet certain eligibility criteria, including providing a confirmed email address, phone number, and website URL. They also need to provide proof of identity and a clear explanation of their brand or organization’s mission.

Additionally, as with individual users, news organizations must comply with Twitter’s terms of service, which prohibit the spread of false or misleading information and other forms of abusive behaviour. Twitter also has specific guidelines for media organizations, which include providing transparency in reporting and avoiding the use of manipulated media or other deceptive tactics.

After Elon Musk took over as the CEO of Twitter, the verified Twitter handle that is a blue tick has been made a paid feature. Since Elon Musk took control of the social media company and reduced staff, users have reported a number of problems with Twitter, raising questions about the service’s viability with fewer engineers.

Update: Later in the day, the Twitter handle @ANI was restored, and it became available on the platform with its follower count intact. “ANI’s Twitter account appears to be functioning now. Inconvenience regretted for the temporary outage,” the official handle of ANI tweeted after the account was restored.

However, the other Twitter account ANI_News remains suspended.

‘Guddu Muslim was Ayush Chaudhary’: Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi Mahant Raju Das says Atiq Ahmed converted his aides to Islam

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On Friday, April 28, the chief priest of Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi Temple said that Umesh Pal murder accused ‘Bumbaaz’ Guddu Muslim was originally a Hindu named Ayush Chaudhary and was converted to Islam by slain mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. Mahant Raju Das also said that Atiq Ahmed used to convert Hindu youths to Islam and then incite them to carry out criminal activities at his command.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Mahant Raju Das said, “People in the administration have admitted and taken note that 12 people were converted by Atiq Ahmed. Guddu’s name was Ayush Chaudhary, and Usmani was Vijay, so it is confirmed by the administration that Atiq used to convert people who worked for him. Guddu Muslim inclined towards such criminal activities and somehow came in contact with Atiq, who in turn gave him work such as smuggling of counterfeit currency, murder, you see how he was hurling the bomb.”

He also claimed that Guddu Muslim’s original residence is in the Gosainganj area of Sultanpur in UP.

Moreover, Mahant Raju Das talked about a video of Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed, who was killed in an encounter in Jhansi earlier this month, wherein he was seen brutally thrashing a naked man. It is notable that Asad Ahmed was one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Mahant Raju Das said, along with smuggling weapons in collusion with Pakistan’s ISI, smuggling counterfeit currency, loot, murder, and rape, Atiq Ahmed used to play the game of religious conversion as well.

He further claimed that the administration during its investigation has found that Atiq Ahmed had converted 12 people to Islam. “Guddu Muslim once used to be Chaudhary, similarly Vijay, today known as Usmani was once Vijay. Atiq Ahmed changed the religion of whoever worked with him or for him. Had he (Atiq Ahmed) been alive, many more cases against him would have come to the fore and several white-collar people would also have been exposed,” the Hanumangarhi Temple Mahant said.

Notably, it was earlier reported that Usman, who fired the first shot in the murder case of Umesh Pal and was later killed in a police encounter, was originally a Hindu man named Vijay Kumar. He was reportedly rechristened as Usman when he joined Atiq Ahmed’s gang. The UP Police is investigating the religious conversion angle in the matter. 

‘Fight if you can, or just die…’: When a DM said these words out of the fear of mafia Mukhtar Ansari and refused to send police to control Mau riots

Mafias used to be so powerful in Uttar Pradesh that even the collectors were reluctant to take action. One such mafia that had a reign of terror in the state was Mukhtar Ansari. The ruling party often exerted pressure on the officials due to its vote bank politics. The officials were helpless and the public used to remain silent out of fear.

During the 1990s, jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari, a resident of Yusufpur Muhammadabad in Ghazipur district turned Mau into his base, from where he used to carry out his illegal activities. During this time, Ansari joined Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and became an MLA in 1996. In 2005—three years after Ansari was reelected as MLA in 2002, the infamous Mau Riots erupted. 

It is said that Mau remained on fire during this riot for close to a month. Many Hindus were killed, countless homes were burned down, and shops were vandalized. Homes and lands were grabbed illegally. The government remained a mute spectator as the city continued to burn. This riot’s fire was so intense that the railway’s operation from Mau was suspended for the first time ever. Mukhtar Ansari, who made his criminal debut in 1988, when his name emerged in the Sacchidanand Rai murder case, is said to be the mastermind of the Mau riots.

A social activist from Mau named Chhote Lal Gandhi detailed the atrocities of the 2005 Mau riots in a conversation with OpIndia. Speaking to OpIndia, he said “Mukhtar Ansari meticulously planned the riots in October 2005. These Muslims used to claim that they would have made chutney out of Hindus if they got a free hand for three days.

Speaking on Mukhtar Ansari’s role in the riots, Chhotelal Gandhi said, “It was around 9:30 when Ansari was roaming in an open jeep. There was firing and arson happening when he arrived close to the Talha Bagh turn. Ansari ran with a pistol in his hand and a man was killed on the spot. The brother of the Yadav man killed there was subsequently taken to Lucknow by Mukhtar and his brother Afzal Ansari. A man who was seated next to Mulayam Singh there claimed that Mukhtar Ansari, like a peace ambassador, was pleading with everyone to uphold peace in Mau.

Chhotelal further asserted that “without Mukhtar Ansari, there would have been no riots, he wanted to stir up a riot in Mau even bigger than the Godhra riots.” He also said that during those days a ‘Khan’ was in-charge of the Mau police station, who under the pretext of Jummah, left the firearms locked inside the police station. It was an army soldier who stepped out for an outing with family, had asked the police to stop the rioters, however, the police personnel told him that “they are 5000 in number, they will loot everything. After this, the soldier snatched a gun and shot a rioter dead and injured another, following this Mau could be saved from a riot.”

When Muslims were setting Hindu homes on fire, Chhote Lal told OpIndia that he spoke to Amar Yadav, the district magistrate at the time, several times. “I told the DM many times that there was a riot going on here and used to reply, “Fight if you are fit to fight, otherwise just die. What should we do (Ladna hai to lado warna marr jao saalon…hum kya karein)?,” Chhotelal adds. The DM would say “Where all will we deploy the police”. In front of Mukhtar Ansari and his terror, the DM was absolutely inept and powerless.

Chhote Lal claims that during the riots, Mukhtar set fire to Hindu-owned shops worth roughly Rs 2 crore in Mau Bazaar. He desired that there be no Hindus in the market, only Muslim shopkeepers should be there. He added that Mukhtar Ansari at that time had the backing of Mulayam Singh Yadav and due to this, even the police were reluctant to take any action against him.

‘SC should not waste its time on issues like same sex marriage’s: Jain Muni writes to President

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The number of people speaking out against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in India, an issue being heard by the Supreme Court, is only on the rise. After a group of 120 eminent citizens, Jain Acharya Shiv Muni has also written to President Draupadi Murmu raising strong objections against the attempts to legalise same-sex marriages in India.

He stated that such a discussion is unnecessary at a time when India is dealing with numerous other issues. The primary issues, according to him, are poverty alleviation, equitable access to education, a clean environment, and population management. He added that the Supreme Court has been slow to address such issues.

Further, describing India as a country of various religions, castes, and sub-castes, he wrote that marriage between a biological man and biological woman has been recognised for centuries and that in such a situation, the institution of marriage is not only the union of two opposite sexes but also advancement for mankind. The Jain guru said that legal sanction to same-sex marriage will go against the ethos of India’s ancient values-based society.

He stated that homosexual rights had already been safeguarded in previous Supreme Court decisions. He stated that since same-sex marriage is a statutory right and not a fundamental right, it can only be safeguarded by Parliament enacting legislation.

Strongly objecting to giving legal sanction to same-sex marriage, he said that if it is included in the Special Marriage Act, there would be a need to redefine it completely, as existing it is exclusively for only men and women.

“Marriage is a social/legal institution,” he stated in the letter. It cannot be destroyed or transformed into a new form. Marriage is a remarkable institution in India that has weathered the test of time and has civilizational significance. Efforts are being made to impose Western practices in independent India. The Supreme Court’s time is being wasted on a fictional matter rather than completing outstanding cases. It is unjust,” Acharya Shiv Muni said, lambasting at attempts of legalisation of same-sex unions.

Notably, a group of 120 eminent citizens have also written to President Draupadi Murmu, objecting to attempts to legalise same-sex marriages in India. The highly accomplished individuals, ranging from ex-bureaucrats to retired high court judges dubbed the exercise as ‘unnatural’, ‘irrational’ and ‘highly objectionable’ in the letter written on Thursday (April 27). They were aghast over the onslaught against the cultural traditions and religious tenets of India and urged the apex court to refrain from demolishing the institution of marriage, which falls under the purview of the Legislature.

They requested President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and protect the Indian traditions, values and social fabric from being destroyed by ‘elitist progressiveness.’

Earlier, the Bar Council of India passed a resolution opposing the recognition of same-sex marriage, saying it is against the culture and socio-religious structure of the country.

Andhra Pradesh: 10 students from 11th and 12th standard die by suicide in 2 days after declaration of intermediate exam results

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In Andhra Pradesh, 10 students have committed suicide in the last 48 hours for performing poorly in intermediate exams. Two other students also tried to commit suicide but survived. On Wednesday, 26th April 2023, the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (APBIE) declared the results of the Class 11 and Class 12 board exams. These students have committed suicide due to low scores and failure in the exam.

According to the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education, 10 lakh students appeared in the intermediate examination this year. In class 11, 61 per cent of students cleared the exam and in class 12, 72 per cent of students cleared the exam.

According to reports,  17-year-old intermediate first-year student Jagannatham Vani committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan in her hostel room in Vijayawada on Friday after her college principal and lecturers allegedly reprimanded her in front of her classmates for a backlog. While her parents had visited her to console her and assured her that she can clear it in the supplementary exams to be held in May, she decided to end her life.

In another such incident, B Tarun Dandu (age 17) committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train near Tekkali in Srikakulam district. Tarun Dandu was a resident of Gopalapuram village. The intermediate first-year student was said to be depressed after failing most of the papers. A 16-year-old girl committed suicide at her home in Trinadpuram under Malakapuram police station limits. She hails from Visakhapatnam district.

In another case, Akhilshree who was in the intermediate first year which is the 11th standard, committed suicide in Visakhapatnam. She was upset after failing some subjects. 18-year-old B Jagadeesh hanged himself at his house in the Kancharpalam area of Visakhapatnam. He was a 12th-standard student and had failed in one subject. Another 17-year-old student Tulaso Tharun ended his life by hanging in Visakhapatnam.

A 17-year-old girl named Anusha committed suicide by jumping into a lake in Chittoor district. She was nervous after failing the exam. A 17-year-old student Babu from Chittoor district committed suicide by consuming pesticides. He was also depressed after failing the exam. Another 17-year-old student T Kiran committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Anakapalli. He was under stress due to low marks in the inter first-year exams.

Similarly, 17-year-old Mahesh in Hanakanahal of Anantapur district and 16-year-old Shaik Jaan Saida of Nandigama died by suicide by hanging. Another boy from Chillakallu of NTR district also committed suicide by hanging after failing the exams.

According to reports, two other students also tried to commit suicide, though they survived.

The pass percentage for the first-year intermediate examination was 61, while for the second year, it was 72. The news comes amid a series of student suicide cases being reported from India’s premium institutes like IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. 

Uttar Pradesh: BSP MP Afzal Ansari set to be disqualified after Ghazipur court sentences him to 4 years in prison

On Saturday (April 29), a Ghazipur MP/MLA Court sentenced Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Afzal Ansari to 4 years in prison in connection to a case related to the Gangster Act.

A case was registered against Afzal and his gangster brother Mukhtar Ansari under the Gangster Act for abducting a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member Nandkishore Rungta in 1996 and murdering BJP MLA Krishnanand Raj in 2005.

Besides being sentenced to 4 years in jail, the court has also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the BSP leader. Given that Afzal has been sentenced for more than 2 years, his Lok Sabha membership stands disqualified as per the Representation of People Act of 1951.

It must be mentioned that Afzal Ansari won from the Ghazipur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 by defeating incumbent Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Earlier today, a large contingent of security personnel were deployed in Ghazipur, ahead of the verdict, to prevent any law and order situation.

On Saturday (April 29), the MP/MLA court of Ghazipur sentenced gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison. He was asked to pay a fine of ₹5 lakhs. 

Arvind Kejriwal residence renovation row: Delhi LG orders inquiry into irregularities, seeks report in 15 days

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked for a report on the alleged misuse of public funds to the tune of Rs 45 crore for the remodeling of Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence.

The development came in the aftermath of Public Works Department (PWD) documents that surfaced earlier this week and revealed that Rs 45 crore was spent during the Covid-19 outbreak to restore and renovate the Delhi CM’s official Civil Lines house.

The communication regarding the gross irregularities committed, while carrying out the renovation of No. 6 Flag Staff House by the PWD, stated that the Governor while taking note of these media reports and keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, has desired that all relevant records in this matter be immediately secured and taken into protective custody.

“Delhi LG took cognisance of media reports (on alleged gross irregularities committed during the renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence) and keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, directed the Chief Secretary to immediately secure and take all records relating to the matter into protective custody,” the LG’s office informed.

Further, it was mentioned that the chief secretary would be required to submit a factual report on the situation within 15 days after these records are examined.

The LG instructed the Chief Secretary to locate all the documentation connected to the refurbishment of the Chief Minister’s house on a priority basis, according to sources in the Delhi administration.

“Earlier in some cases, including excise policy matters, a few files went missing and the evidence was allegedly wiped out. Based on the files, the Chief Secretary will look into the roles of different officers in the PWD department and even the roles of ministers,” sources said.

Furthermore, they added that it will be investigated to determine if any financial regulations were also altered to make it easier to obtain permissions for renovations.

“On the basis of all the above, the Chief Secretary will file a detailed factual report in 15 days, which will also define the responsibilities of all those involved,” sources further unveiled.

Harish Khurana, a spokesman for the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party, welcomed the decision and encouraged the Aam Aadmi Party chief to stand up and offer an apology while there was still time, branding the Rs 45 crore expense as the tip of the iceberg.

“The misappropriation of funds will go up to Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore soon enough, given the fact that there is a large-scale expansion of the CM’s estate which is ongoing,” Khurana charged.

“What you spent on personal luxury was the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. CM Kejriwal, you have to answer to the people. You should step up to take responsibility and come clean on how much you have spent. You will have to apologise,” he added.

The BJP has stepped up its criticism of the AAP administration over the issue, despite the latter accusing the party of being behind the document leak in an effort to avoid addressing the “serious issues facing the country.”

In accordance with documents, the addition/alteration of Arvind Kejriwal’s government home cost a total of Rs 44.78 crores as opposed to the sanctioned price of Rs 43.70 crores. The money was invested in six tranches between September 9, 2020, and June 20, 2022.

The total cost was reported to be Rs. 11.30 crore for interior decoration, Rs. 6.02 crore for stone and marble flooring, Rs. 1 crore for interior consulting, Rs. 2.58 crore for electrical fittings and appliances, Rs. 2.85 crore for a fire safety system, Rs. 1.41 crores for wardrobe and accessory fitting, and Rs. 1.1 crores for kitchen appliances. 

An additional sum of Rs 8.11 crore out of the authorised amount of Rs 9.99 crore was spent on the camp office at the official property.