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EC announces schedule of Karnataka assembly elections: Polling to take place on May 10, results to be declared on May 13

Gopal Tiwari
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EC announces schedule of Karnataka assembly elections: Polling to take place on May 10, results to be declared on May 13

The election commission has declared the schedule of the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The election commission announced on Wednesday that the 16th Karnataka state assembly election polling would be held on 10th May 2023. The results of the election will be declared on 13th May 2023. The 224-member assembly of the Karnataka state will complete its fifteenth tenure on 24th May 2023 and the election commission now announced the elections for the sixteenth assembly.

The Gazette Notification for the election will be issued on 13 April, and the last date for submitting nominations will be 20 April. Nominations will be scrutinised on 21st April, and they could be withdrawn till 24 April.

Schedule of Karnataka elections

There are 224 seats in the state assembly, out of which 36 are reserved for SCs and 15 for STs.  As per the latest data of the electoral roll, the number of voter in the State of Karnataka is 5,24,11,557, which includes 5,23,63,948 general voters and 47,609 service voters. In the year 2022, 9,58,806 new voters were added to the roll. There will be a total of 58,282 polling stations during this election.

At present, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a total of 119 seats, while the Congress has a total of 75 and its ally JD(S) has a total of 28 seats. There are about 17 thousand voters in the state whose age has crossed 100 years. The facility of voting from home has been started for people above 80 years of age and disabled people. Karnataka has a total of almost 5.22 crore (5,21,73,579) voters. There are 9.17 lakh new voters who will be voting for the first time. Those who are turning 18 on April 1 will also be able to vote. 224 such booths have been set up, in which youth employees will be deployed.

The election commission said that the election process will be completed before May 24. Accordingly, Karnataka will go to polls in a single phase on May 10. The results of the 224-member Assembly will be declared on May 13.

In assembly elections held in 2018, no political party got an absolute majority. At that time, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) formed the government together. JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister in the coalition government. But after about 14 months, many Congress MLAs resigned and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. This led to the fall of the Kumaraswamy government. Senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa served as the chief minister from 26th July 2019 to 28th July 2021. In the remaining term, BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai became the chief minister as BS Yeddyurappa resigned.

Virat Kohli and Shah Rukh Khan fans share memes, insult their heroes as popularity war gets ugly, here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Virat Kohli and Shah Rukh Khan fans share memes, insult their heroes as popularity war gets ugly, here is what happened

An unseemly Twitter feud has broken out between the followers of Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli, and neither group seems willing to back down. With the upcoming IPL season, tensions have escalated between the two fanbases. SRK supporters have been mocking RCB’s past performances in the IPL, while Kohli’s fans have been boasting about the cricketer having more Instagram followers than the actor and mocking the cringeworthy action sequences in the actor’s latest movie, Pathaan.

SRK’s fan base got activated last week after many social media users shared a snippet from Pathaan, released on Prime Video. The users poured scorn over the actor and the movie over a particularly embarrassing action sequence where Pathaan, played by SRK, thwarts an attack by shooting down a fast-approaching missile by throwing his mobile phone at it. 

The sequence attracted contempt and ridicule from several quarters, with many wondering if the movie was a comedy under the guise of an action-thriller. Since then, the SRK fan base has been extremely active on Twitter, fending off criticism levelled at the actor and the movie. As a part of their efforts to defend SRK, his fan base has also been exalting the actor’s contribution to the Indian film industry and hailing him as one of the greatest Indians of all time.

At the same time, as IPL is just days away, loyal fan armies of cricketers have also become quite active on Twitter. Virat Kohli, a prolific Indian batsman, also has an army of faithful supporters who aggrandise him and hail him as the greatest Indian throughout history. 

While it’s impossible to determine who has the greatest legacy- SRK or Virat Kohli – the fan rivalry has turned it into an unsightly spectacle, with insulting remarks, name-calling, foul language, and personal attacks being exchanged between the opposing groups. The entire situation is completely irrational, with fans throwing out arbitrary facts and using them as evidence of their idols’ popularity.

Kohli fans pointed out that his Instagram followers count is much higher than SRK’s count.

SRK supporters responded by saying Ananya Pandey’s IPL legacy is better than Kohli’s, sharing pictures of the actor with an IPL trophy won by SRK-owned IPL team KKR.

A Twitter user said Kohli’s magnificent 82 unbeaten against Pakistan in the World Cup is bigger than what SRK did in his entire 57 years of existence on earth.

The reference to SRK was enough to trigger his fan base, who went on a tweet spree mocking and ridiculing Virat Kohli. 

An SRK supporter shared the iconic scene from Swades where the actor sees a child vending water in an earthen pot for twenty-five paise. Upon finally taking a sip from the earthen pot and tasting the water from his homeland, everything changes for him. He decides to prolong his stay in the village and initiates a path towards development. The Twitter user said the single scene is bigger than Virat Kohli’s entire career. 

And since then the fan bases of the two celebrities are engaged in a bitter spat on Twitter.

The fight has taken an ugly turn, with some of the meanest memes being exchanged between the fighting sides.

There seems no end to the ongoing spat between Kohli and SRK supporters, with each side using personal, insulting, churlish, and mean remarks to mock their opponents and assert the supremacy of their respective idols.

We still are slight clueless as why it is SRK and Kohli because one is an actor and other is a cricketer and a fight between their fanbases would be a fight between apples and oranges. Maybe with cricket world cup coming up soon and Salman Khan’s film Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan slated to be released soon, one hopes more fanbases get active.

Team OpIndia

Lok Sabha Secretariat revokes disqualification of Lakshadweep MP Md Faizal after HC stayed his conviction in an attempt to murder case

OpIndia Staff
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Lok Sabha Secretariat revokes disqualification of Lakshadweep MP Md Faizal after HC stayed his conviction in an attempt to murder case

On Wednesday, March 29, the Lok Sabha membership of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal was restored. This comes only hours before the Supreme Court is set to hear his argument that the Lok Sabha secretariat failed to reinstate his membership despite the HC’s decision to stay his conviction. It is notable that the Kerala High Court suspended Faizal’s conviction on January 25. 

According to the notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Wednesday, the disqualification of the NCP MP ‘ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements.

“In view of the order dated 25.01.2023 of the High Court of Kerala, the disqualification of Shri Mohammed Faizal P. P., notified vide Gazette Notification no. 21/4(1)/2023/TO(B) dated 13 January 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)c) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements”, the Lok Sabha Secretariat’s notification stated.

Official letter by LS Secretariat

Notably, Mohammed Faizal was convicted by the sessions court in Kavaratti on January 11, 2023. The NCP MP was sentenced 10-year jail term. Following this, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification announcing MP Faizal’s disqualification.

The decision to disqualify the MP from the Lok Sabha was taken under the provisions of Article 102 (l) (e) of the Constitution, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. As per the law, the Parliament membership stands invalid from the day of conviction if an MP is convicted for a jail term of 2 or more years, as it happened recently in the case of Rahul Gandhi.

P.P Mohammed Faizal’s conviction, however, was stayed by the High Court on January 25. Following this, Faizal filed a petition before the Supreme Court through his lawyer KR Sasiprabhu the Lok Sabha Secretariat failed to withdraw the notification even after his conviction was stayed by the High Court on January 25. The matter is listed before a bench comprising Justice KM Joseph and Justice BV Nagarathna today (March 29).

It is pertinent to note that the Nationalist Congress Party MP along with three others was convicted for attempting to murder Mohammed Salih, the son-in-law of former Union Minister and Indian National Congress leader, PM Sayeed. The others convicted in the case are Sayed Mohammed Noorul Ameen and Faizal’s brothers Mohammed Hussain and Mohammed Basheer Thangal. Besides awarding a 10-year jail term, the court also fined the convicts Rs 1 lakh each for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of late Congress leader and former Union Minister PM Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

‘You were recruited for 2 jobs, you are doing only 1, when will you love me?’: Teacher files molestation charge against school director Afroz Akhtar in Bihar

OpIndia Staff
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‘You were recruited for 2 jobs, you are doing only 1, when will you love me?’: Teacher files molestation charge against school director Afroz Akhtar in Bihar

In the Bettiah district of Bihar, a woman from Bengal has accused a school director named Afroz Akhtar of molesting and harassing her. The complainant is in charge of the management at the Central School, a private school, in Narkatiaganj, which comes under the Shikarpur police precinct. In her complaint to Bettiah SP, the woman claims that Afroz repeatedly attempts to misbehave with her. 

The Central School teacher who filed the complaint is a resident of Rangali Rangaliat village in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, and she is working at the school at Hardiya Chowk of Narkatiaganj for the last seven months. According to her complaint, the school’s director, Afroz, allegedly called her to Bettiah and promised to pay her Rs 25,000 per month in salary and an additional Rs 10,000 for food and other expenses. She had been employed by the school for seven months where she has been performing managerial duties, however,  the complainant claimed that she has only received 65,000 rupees in total so far.

The complainant alleged that accused Afroz would molest her whenever she would ask for her salary. Afroz allegedly threatened the victim if she resists his acts while holding her hand inside the school. Afroz often tells her that “You always focus on school…. When will you love me?” On asking for the payment of her salary, Afroz says, “First give a kiss and then I will give the salary.” The accused school director even retorted that she have been called for two ‘works’ but she have been doing only one.

The woman also said that Afroz has the protection of local leaders, and he said that she can’t do anything to her by going to the police.

According to Bettiah SP Upendra Nath Verma, the Shikarpur police station has initiated an investigation after receiving the victim’s complaint. He added that action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the investigation. On the other hand, the allegations that the woman undertaking managerial duties have been dismissed by the school’s director as baseless. According to Afroz, the complainant left the school 15 days prior adding that her salary has also been paid. The accused claimed that within a week, the remaining 11,000 rupees will also be given to her.

Gujarat govt warns against illegal constructions along 1600 km coastline after encroachment including ‘Mazars’ were demolished by state admin

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat govt warns against illegal constructions along 1600 km coastline after encroachment including ‘Mazars’ were demolished by state admin

On Tuesday, Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel declared that his administration would not put up with any illegal activity along the state’s 1,600 kilometres of coastline. He also vowed to keep up the demolition of illegal structures so that everyone in line could receive the benefits of government programmes without delay. He stated, “The government has undertaken this drive to ensure that benefits of government schemes reach the last person easily and without any barriers.”

He was speaking during his visit to Bet Dwarka island and Gandhvi village in Devbhumi Dwarka district, where the government had recently demolished unauthorised structures, terming them a threat to coastal security.

He remarked, “If someone believes that unlawful actions can be carried out along this coast, they should be mindful that the authorities will not permit it. The government will continue its campaign against such activities along the entire 1600 km coast, and the illegal practices won’t be permitted to take place.”

“A meeting with the Police, District Collector, and officials of the Forest Department was held yesterday in this regard and they were asked to take action in the respected land under their jurisdiction,” he informed while responding to a query about current illegal constructions at Dwarka coast.

Harsh Sanghavi, the Minister of State for Home, and Vikas Sahay, the Director General of Police (DGP), accompanied the CM as he took a boat to travel to the island of Bet Dwarka, which is located off the coast of Okha. He also checked on the progress of the bridge being built between Okha and Bet Dwarka.

Earlier this month several buildings, including ‘Mazars,’ were ordered to be demolished by the Dwarka administration in Gujarat’s Harshad village of Kalyanpur Tehsil. This followed an instruction from the state government to remove any unauthorised construction that would endanger the maritime security of India. 50 businesses and around 210 homes were removed by the local government during the operation, which was carried out with a significant police presence.

Lakhs of square meters of land in the Dwarka district were freed of illegal encroachments through bulldozer action. However, after the action, thousands of fishermen broke the law and illegally trespassed into the Mul Dwarka port of the Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat. Over 200 boats and more than 1,000 people illegally invaded coastal villages, causing inhabitants to fear for the safety of the community.

Notably, the authorities initiated bulldozer action and razed down religious and private commercial constructions in the area, last October. The massive operation was jointly carried out by various departments including revenue, panchayat, maritime, police, and power supply department.

The officials received the input that the banned radical outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) connections had links in the area and that criminal operations were being forcefully carried out by seizing government land in the name of religion.

Incidentally, the western state shares border with Pakistan, including maritime. Hence, the coastline is a security concern for both the centre and the state governments due to the risk of frequent trespassing by our hostile neighbour.

Amritpal Singh returns to Punjab? Police circle Hoshiarpur after a tip-off on separatist leader, what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Amritpal Singh returns to Punjab? Police circle Hoshiarpur after a tip-off on separatist leader, what we know so far

On March 28, Punjab Police increased its presence in district Hoshiarpur after a tip-off on Amritpal Singh. It is unclear from where Police got the information about Singh’s presence in Hoshiarpur. Earlier, CCTV footage appeared in media claiming he was seen in Delhi without Turban wearing a mask and sunglasses. In the video, a person with a long hand with a mask on his face was seen with an associate walking behind him carrying a bag. It was not yet confirmed whether the person was the fugitive Khalistani leader

After the tip-off, Punjab Police deployed additional force on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. Reports suggest that Singh was seen in an Innova car in Hoshiarpur. The police tried to nab him, but he managed to escape once again. The vehicle in which Singh allegedly travelled was found abandoned on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur highway near the village of Marniya Kalan.

Why Singh returned to Punjab when he left the state is unclear. Some reports suggest he might surrender. Notably, his uncle and driver had already surrendered. Both of them were with Singh when the crackdown began on March 18. Later, they surrendered to the Police. An audio of Singh talking to his uncle surfaced on social media. His uncle Harjit Singh told him that they at least he should surrender to avoid any negative publicity in case the police nab them.

A day before Singh was allegedly seen in Punjab, the Nepalese authorities noted that the Government of India sought their help in catching him. Reports suggest that the Indian Government sent an official request to the Nepalese Government not to let Amritpal Singh escape using an Indian passport to any third country. It was rumoured he managed to travel to Nepal after deceiving police and agencies for days.

Kathmandu Post published a report suggesting Singh was in Nepal. It is unclear if the letter was sent as a precaution or if there were some inputs that Singh might have been hiding in Nepal. On March 25, LiveMint reported that there were inputs Singh might attempt to enter Nepal.

Sashastra Seema Bal commandant was quoted by the paper saying, “Based on inputs from intelligence agencies that Amritpal can enter Nepal, we have issued an alert on the border. Posters with their pictures have also been put up on the border in Rupaidiha. We are closely monitoring the movement of people along the border.”

Crackdown on Amritpal Singh and pro-Khalistani activities on foreign land

On March 18, Punjab Police, with support from Central Agencies, launched a massive crackdown on Amritpal Singh. The pro-Khalistani separatist leader came under the radar after taking over the late actor-turned-activist’s organisation Waris Punjab De. Singh’s pro-Khalistan ideology is parallel to what Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had propagated during the insurgency. His rise to fame also coincided with Bhindranwale’s methodology in the late 1980s.

After the crackdown, over 150 associates and youth linked to Singh were nabbed by the police. While close associates remained in custody, those who were not involved in his anti-India activities were released by the police. Furthermore, it was reported Singh was raising a private militia under the guise of drug de-addiction centres. Many pro-Khalistani groups have been protesting on foreign land, including in Australia, the UK, the US, Canada and other locations. Official Indian government establishments in these countries were also attacked during these protests.

Queer student at TISS told to follow dress code for an event, goes into trauma for two days

OpIndia Staff
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Queer student at TISS told to follow dress code for an event, goes into trauma for two days

A queer student named Pratik Permey was allegedly barred from an event at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Permey, who hails from the northeast of India was elected as the student union leader at TISS in November last year. 

Pratik Permey, a second-year master’s student at the Centre for Health and Mental Health, was invited to attend the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture to represent the student union and sit on the dais panel.

Permey claimed that the event scheduled for 6 pm on March 25, started an hour late, and minutes before the event started, a faculty member told the student union leader that “for an event like this, you cannot wear something like that.”

Jeremy A Rinker, an associate professor from the University of North Carolina, US was to speak on ‘Ambedkar Nationalism, And the Need for Contemporary Collaborative Activism’ at the said event held on March 25.

Speaking to the Times of India Permey stated that after the incident they felt humiliated and left the venue. Following the incident Permey claimed to have not been in a mental state to talk about the incident for two days. 

In a series of tweets, Pratik Permey detailed the matter and claimed that it was a Professor who made some comments about the dress Permey was wearing. 

“Jai Bhim to all the Ambedkarites, The incident was quite shocking to me and the fact that it happened in our institution was all the more surprising. It was actually a professor who made the comment. I would not blame the whole of TISS,” Permey tweeted.

Permey added that it was a group of PhD scholars who were discussing the clothes and expressions of the TISS student union leader. 

“Many professors have stood in solidarity and expressed their concerns and support for me. And from the recent conversations and revelations, apparently, a group of PhD students were involved in the discussion of my clothes and expression,” Permey wrote in another tweet.

Pratik Permey who hails from Gogamukh in Assam demanded ‘justice of some kind in some way’. A believer of the ideology of Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai, Dr Ambedkar, and Periyar, Permey wants this ‘humiliating incident’ to never happen to anyone again in the future.

“I am still not sure who to blame and who not to. I just want justice of some kind in some way. I really believe in the ideologies of Ambedkar, Jyotiba, Savitribai, and Periyar. I don’t want this humiliating incident to ever happen with anyone ever again,” Permey tweeted.

On Tuesday, Pratik Permey who identifies as a gender-fluid person posted a video on Instagram wherein the Queer activist spoke against the alleged discrimination and asserted that “my queerness was not allowed to be represented.” However, the TISS student union leader somehow dragged the so-called ‘Brahminical patriarchy’ into the issue.

“I do not abide by the Brahminical Patriarchal understanding of curbing the agency of a person. Forcing them to follow the same set of ideas revolving around purity and pollution,” Pratik Permey added in a long caption of the said Instagram post.

According to Permey, a complaint regarding the discrimination would be forwarded to the institute’s Women and Gender Development Cell.

It is notable that in 2018, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai became the first campus in the country to have a gender-neutral hostel.

Karnataka: Congress’ DK Shivakumar throws Rs 500 currency notes at people during a rally ahead of elections

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress’ DK Shivakumar throws Rs 500 currency notes at people during a rally ahead of elections

Ahead of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, Congress president DK Shivakumar threw currency notes on people during a rally on Tuesday. The party had organized the ‘Praja Dhwani Yatra’ in Srirangapatna ahead of the elections. The Congress president was seen throwing Rs 500 currency notes on the artists near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Yatra.

According to the reports, Shivakumar is a candidate for the chief minister position if Congress wins the next election. The Congress leader participated in a chariot procession and climbed atop a bus to grab currency notes before throwing them on people as a part of the procession.

The video of the incident went viral over the internet in which the leader could be seen throwing cash and waving at the people near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Yatra. The other party leaders meanwhile could be seen waving the party flags at the rally.

Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, has already requested support from the Vokkaliga community, which is a significant voting group in the ancient Mysuru or southern Karnataka area. Mandya is a JD(S) stronghold, and the local party gained all seven seats in the district in the 2018 Assembly elections.

If the Congress party wins the next elections in May, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar both are the main aspirants for the chief ministerial post. The two now compete for political superiority as a result of this.

Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka before May 2023 to elect all 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Election Commission is likely to announce dates for the 2023 Karnataka assembly election at 11.30 am today.

Activist group demands to demolish the ‘dargah’ that suddenly came up near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport

Anurag
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Activist group demands to demolish the ‘dargah’ that suddenly came up near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has written to CIDCO seeking action against illegal dargah on the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) land near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. In its letter to CIDCO, HJS termed the illegal structure as a threat to national security. A delegation would meet CIDCO officials on March 29 to demand immediate action against such illegal structures in the city.

While congratulating the Maharashtra government on taking swift action on an illegal mazar near Mahim, National Spokesperson of HJS Ramesh Shinde pointed out that it was not the only illegal structure of that kind in the city. The letter read, “are similar kinds of illegal structures mushrooming as Dargah, Mazars on Govt land.”

Talking about the encroachment upon the hill at Pargaon village, Panvel, Shinde mentioned that the encroachment on government land started around 15 years ago. It has taken the shape of a dargah that poses “a national security threat as this “illegal” structure is adjacent to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport,” he added.

The illegal structure covers around one acre of land. It has five-six rooms with tin shed roofs. He wrote, “Knowing the strategic importance of Mumbai, the economic capital of India, it poses a high-security threat. Many organisations have written to the police and CIDCO to act immediately against the illegal shrine. “The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has acquired land adjoining the airport”, as per information published in newspapers, the planning agency CIDCO had already served notice to remove the illegal structure. But still there is no actual action taken by any authorities.”

He further informed CIDCO about a possible plan to “gift” the encroached land with an illegal structure to the Waqf Board that would deem it Waqf property. As per the law laid down during the creation of the Waqf Board, once a property is declared Waqf Property, it will always be a Waqf Property despite the legalities. Not to forget, it took the central government over many years to take back 123 properties in New Delhi from Waqf Board that were “gifted” handed over by the UPA government.

Speaking to OpIndia, Shinde said, “It has become a norm to build an illegal structure at locations that have strategic importance. This illegal structure is on the government land close to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and thus poses a threat to National Security. If you remember, there were claims about Mahim’s recently demolished illegal structure that it was a 600-year-old dargah. Interestingly, it was not there in the 2018 satellite photographs. How can a “600-year-old dargah” popup after 2018 at such a location?”

Mahim illegal structure demolition

On March 23, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the illegal construction around the Mazar that has illegally come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. Several of the BMC officers gathered at the spot this morning and surveyed the area. The corporation has also deployed bulldozers to pull down the illegal construction around the Mazar. The action was taken after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray threatened to build a Ganesh temple next to the illegal structure if immediate action was not taken. After the demolition, MNS launched a full-fledged campaign against such illegal structures.

The case of 123 properties in Delhi

In February 2023, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs posted notices outside 123 properties in Delhi, stating that they are no longer considered properties of the Delhi Waqf Board.

The said properties include mosques, dargahs, and a cemetery. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, these properties were given to the Delhi Waqf Board by the Congress-led UPA government. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad raised concerns about the prominent locations of these properties and approached the court.

Two committees were formed to hear from the affected parties, including a 1-member committee and a 2-member committee comprising a former judge of the Delhi High Court and a retired SDM.

The 2-member committee’s report stated that the Delhi Waqf Board had been given the opportunity to present its case but had not done so within the prescribed time. As a result, the Board was absolved of all matters relating to the 123 properties.

In 2014, the Central government exercised its powers under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 to denotify 123 properties from the land acquisition process. The said properties were to be handed over to the Delhi Waqf Board.

OpIndia’s detailed reports on the matter can be seen here.

Richard Dawkins interview by Piers Morgan: Watch how a globally acclaimed atheist thinker chooses silence over criticising Islamic terrorism

OpIndia Staff
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Richard Dawkins interview by Piers Morgan: Watch how a globally acclaimed atheist thinker chooses silence over criticising Islamic terrorism

A video clip from Richard Dawkin’s recent interview with Piers Morgan has been going viral. In that clip, Dawkins is asked to comment about Islamic terrorism and he simply refuses to. The interview was aired on March 21.

The specific discussion happens from 31 minutes onwards in the video above.

PM: You have been accused of being an Islamophobe. Are you an Islamophobe?

RD: I am not an Islamophobe. What I am phobic of is clitoridectomy (female genital mutilation), of throwing gay people off buildings, banning dance and music and fun in general. That’s different from being an Islamophobe. Muslims are the biggest victim of Islamism.

PM: Yes they are. Recently there has been a big debate about allowing this ISIS bride Shamima Begum to come back into our country. Do you have a view on that?

RD: I would rather not say.

PM: You would rather not speak about it?

RD: I haven’t studied enough.

PM: Well, she was married to an ISIS fighter. She was young, 15 years old when she went out there. The debate is about whether she was groomed to be a part of a terror group when she was in Syria, and as such, we should show mercy and allow her back in the country.

RD: I am not gonna say about that.

PM: Are you worried about it (Islamic terrorism)? Do you get threats because of the positions you have taken?

RD: No.

PM: You saw what happened to Salman Rushdie. Didn’t send a shudder for you?

RD: *Shakes head*, mumbles “no”

PM: You said no, you don’t want to talk about it?

RD: Yes.

PM: That’s interesting in itself. So there are areas you would rather not talk about.

RD: Yes. I should have said that before we started.

PM: I think it is sad that you can’t. I don’t think there should be anything that should be off-limits to people like you. The whole point of the world’s smartest thinkers is to be able to have a free and open debate. I don’t think you do. Because people used murderous retribution to threaten free speech.

RD: I am a passionate believer in free speech.

PM: Should there ever be a limit to free speech?

RD: Inside the limit of violence.

After Dawkin’s refusal to speak about Islamic terrorism and its threats against free speech, Piers Morgan then changes the topic to free speech, free thinkers and Oxford University, leading to a discussion about Dawkin’s personal favourite thinkers.

Dawkins is generally regarded as one of the most fearless and open thinkers of our time. His books on evolutionary biology and humanity’s quest to find answers for our existence are extremely popular. He is one of the ‘Four Horsemen’ of Neo-atheism, along with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. They are termed so because of their views towards the ‘pointlessness’ of religion.

Dawkin’s sudden choice to rather be silent than speak about Islamic terrorism has shocked many on social media.

People termed Dawkin’s silence as an example of how Islamic terrorism operates because it manages to threaten even the wisest minds to shut up to ensure one’s own safety.

One social media user commented that Dawkins silence is what de facto blasphemy laws lead to.

Another user said Dawkins’ behaviour is similar to a witness being silenced with threats of violence.

“If the UK government were more committed to defending free speech by protecting public intellectuals, grammar school teachers, or autistic teenage boys from violence….then maybe this wouldn’t be our fate”, tweeted Yasmine Mohammad, an anti-hijab activist and author from the UK.

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