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Former UP DGP reveals how politicians in power protected Atiq Ahmed, asked him not to arrest the gangster in 1989-90 when Mulayam Yadav was CM

OpIndia Staff
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Former UP DGP reveals how politicians in power protected Atiq Ahmed, asked him not to arrest the gangster in 1989-90 when Mulayam Yadav was CM

OP Singh, the former DGP of UP Police has made shocking claims amid the controversy around the murder of Umesh Pal, a key eyewitness in the 2005 murder of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal who was shot dead on February 24, 2023, and gangster Atiq Ahmed’s involvement in it. The former DGP said that he could have ended the terror of gangster mafia Atiq Ahmed long back, however, he could not do so due the political pressure.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, The former DGP claimed that he and a team of police officers raided Atiq’s den in 1989–1990 in response to an FIR filed against him while he was serving as the SP City of Allahabad (now Prayagraj).

At that point, the police team was encircled by thousands of Atiq Ahmed’s supporters who were set to shoot them.

‘Wanted to arrest Atiq Ahmed but could not do so due to political pressure’, the former DGP claims

Singh stated that the entire police party may have been shot down by the mafia’s men if he hadn’t informed Atiq that if his supporters fired even one shot at the police party, both Atiq and his supporters would be shot down by the police.

OP Singh also said that he wanted to arrest Atiq Ahmed and his gang right there, but political pressure compelled his team to return without making any arrests. He claimed that if Atiq had been detained or killed following an encounter with the police, the situation would not have become such a mess.

Moreover, Singh said that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and the people of Allahabad had praised his work at the time, but the mafia’s backing for the ruling party had caused him to become one of UP’s most feared gangsters. 

It is pertinent to note that during the time period mentioned by the former UP Police DGP, Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The former DGP has not taken Mulayam Yadav’s name directly. The leader who later formed the Samajwadi Party was then a leader of the Janata Dal. In the 1989 state assembly elections Janata Dal won 208 seats and Mulayam Singh Yadav became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Umesh Pal murder

Umesh Pal, a key eyewitness in the 2005 murder of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead at his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on February 24. Umesh Pal was taken to a hospital immediately, but he passed away while receiving treatment.

On the complaint launched by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, police booked Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, his wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam, and nine others. It is notable that Atiq and Ashraf are the prime accused in the Raju Pal murder case.

The accused have been booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

Notably, about 10 of Atiq’s gang members have been tracked by police. The police are currently searching for others in neighboring states as well as in different cities within UP.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath accuses Samajwadi Party of patronising criminals like Atiq Ahmed

The Umesh Pal murder case triggered a heated debate between BJP and SP in the Uttar Pradesh assembly in February after CM Yogi Adityanath said that SP was harbouring criminals and mafia in the state. As the key accused in the Raju Pal murder case are SP leaders, CM Yogi Adityanath accused the party of patronising criminals, evoking a strong reaction from Akhilesh Yadav in the house. Talking about the Umesh Pal murder, the CM asked, ‘these criminals and these mafias, after all, who harboured them? Is it not true that the mafia against whom the FIR was filed by the victim’s family was made MP by Samajwadi Party?’

Atiq Ahmed is a five-time MLA from Allahabad, he won as an independent in 1989, 1991 and 1993. He won the assembly seat from an SP ticket in 1996 and then won in 2002 from Apna Dal. In 2004, he won the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat from SP. He was expelled by SP in the year 2008, and he contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Apna Dal, which is lost. He contested the polls from Prayagraj after he was arrested in the Raju Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmed contested the 2012 assembly polls from jail and lost to Raju Pal’s widow Puja Pal. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he was again inducted into SP and contested the polls from the Shrawasti seat, which he lost to BJP. Apart from the Raju Pal murder case, Atiq Ahmed is also facing several other criminal cases including cases of assault, kidnapping, torture, etc.

Kashmir: Nine year old girl sexually harassed by her teacher Abdul Wahid

OpIndia Staff
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Kashmir: Nine year old girl sexually harassed by her teacher Abdul Wahid

The Srinagar police on Friday arrested a tuition teacher accused of sexually harassing and inappropriately touching a 9-year-old female student in Srinagar. The man has been identified as Abdul Wahid Bhat S/o Abdul Rehman Bhat, a resident of Khan colony Chanapora.

According to the police he has confessed to his crime. A case has been registered at Srinagar’s Chanapora Police Station. The offender is held under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Last month, police arrested a government teacher Mohammad Taj Nayazi, of Middle School Dhargaloon, in Balakote area of the Mendhar subdistrict of Poonch, J&K, after allegations of sexual misconduct with two female students at the school.

A private school principal in the Pulwama area of south Kashmir was arrested in September of last year for raping two of his female students who were sisters. Both were minor and from the Kakapora vicinity in the Pulwama district.

A court in Shopian, Kashmir, convicted a teacher named Mohammad Maqbool Ganie, a resident of D. K. Pora Shopian, to 20 years in prison and a fine of Rs. 10 lakhs in October 2022 for sexually assaulting a minor girl in the district of south Kashmir seven years earlier.

‘Nothing wrong’: Sam Pitroda defends Rahul Gandhi badmouthing India on foreign soil after claiming he was ‘misunderstood’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Nothing wrong’: Sam Pitroda defends Rahul Gandhi badmouthing India on foreign soil after claiming he was ‘misunderstood’

On March 15, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda defended Rahul Gandhi’s ranting against India on foreign soil during an interview with journalist Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today. Earlier, in a series of tweets, Pitroda had claimed that Gandhi has been misunderstood and he was not badmouthing India.

During the interview, when Sardesai confronted him about how Rahul Gandhi badmouthed India on foreign soil, Pitroda said, “What’s the problem, though? I mean, what is this idea that you can’t say anything against your country or your foreign soil? Who came up with this concept? The world is everybody’s. So this whole idea that you can’t go to a foreign country and say something you can say whatever you want to say, what’s the problem? I just don’t get it. Where is the problem.”

At the beginning of the interview, Sardesai asked him about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demand that Gandhi apologise. Pitroda defended Gandhi, saying he did not say anything wrong and said what he strongly felt about. He further claimed that Gandhi is “misunderstood all the time”. He said, “Rahul Gandhi did not say anything that requires any kind of apology in a democracy like ours. If someone feels very strongly about something, he has all the right to say it. The fact is that what he said has been listed as lies being propagated, misinformation is in main demand, and this has become a way of life in India. Unfortunately, it happens most of the time with Rahul Gandhi.”

Pitroda bluntly denied Gandhi sought western countries’ intervention in India’s matters. Pitroda said, “This is our challenge, and we will deal with it”, is what Gandhi had said. When Sardesai asked about his comment that countries like the US and the UK are not doing anything about the situation of democracy in India, Pitroda claimed that India’s democracy is not just a matter of India but of the whole world. “It is not about Hindustan but Manavta”, he added.

‘It is okay to comment Sikhs have become second-class citizens’

On Gandhi’s comments that Sikhs have become second-class citizens in India, Pitroda said, “What is the problem? If one feels that way, it’s perfectly normal. You could disagree with him, that’s okay.”

Rahul Gandhi is also a human being. Give him space – Pitroda demanded

Irked by the media constantly discussing Rahul Gandhi’s statements abroad, Pitroda remarked, “poor guy can’t even scratch. If you scratch, you will ask why did you scratch in foreign countries. I mean, let’s be reasonable. Let’s be civilised. Let’s give him some space. Poor fellow has no space. Why is everyone so obsessed with what he says? How did he say? Every word of it, every sentence of it, every tone of it. He is also a human being. He should have the same freedom you and I have. Of course, he is a leader of a party, one of the key leaders in the country. We all respect that. But at the end of the day, we are all human beings.”

Rahul Gandhi can criticise the PM, but when the PM criticises him, Pitroda finds it concerning.”

Interestingly, when asked about the constant attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda claimed that being the PM of the country, he should have broad shoulders to accept all the “criticism”. However, he found it concerning when PM Modi hits back at Rahul Gandhi for the statements he makes.

Pitroda said, “Prime minister is a prime minister of a country. Every citizen has a right to criticise the prime minister nothing wrong with it because he is, at the end of the day, the prime minister of everybody and not a group of people. He needs to represent the entire country, and if somebody criticises him prime minister should be big enough to take criticism. I worry when the prime minister talks on public media the way he talks sometimes. To me, that’s not a dignified way for a prime minister to attack somebody. Others can attack the prime minister. Remember that. But the prime minister of my country is a prime minister of everybody, and it’s okay for me to criticise him. He has to have broad shoulders to take a lot of criticism and not go into ‘Tu-Tu Main-Main’. When the prime minister does that, it bothers me.”

Sam Pitroda had earlier claimed Rahul Gandhi did not say anything wrong

Earlier, in a series of Tweets, Pitroda claimed that Rahul Gandhi did not say anything wrong in his addresses in the UK. He justified it by “decoding” what Gandhi had said. He asked those commenting on what Gandhi said whether they saw the complete video before saying anything or if they understood the context in which he said what he said.

Quoting Gandhi, he said, “For clarification, please, note that Rahul Gandhi basically said the following: 1. Indian democracy is global public good. 2. The state of democracy in India is of concern. 3. It is an Indian problem, and we will deal with it.”

He further claimed Gandhi never asked for foreign intervention and expressed concerns over the attack he was facing in the media. He claimed people ganged up to attack Rahul Gandhi, and instead of talking about him, they should talk about the “problems India is facing”.

BJP reacted to Pitroda

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit back at Sam Pitroda and called his interview with Sardesai another “Hua To Hua” movement. He said, “Another “Hua to Hua” moment! Rahul Gandhi’s UNCLE SAM PITRODA justifies Bharat Bashing & intervention on foreign soil. Says nothing wrong with speaking against India & demanding foreign intervention in India on foreign soil. By the way: Rahul has been a serial offender – he demanded intervention from US earlier too with Nicholas Burns & Mani Aiyyar demanded Pakistani intervention.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gave a befitting reply to Gandhi. He said that no force in the world can harm the democratic traditions of India. PM Modi said, “India is not only the largest democracy, but it is the mother of democracy. It is unfortunate that questions are being raised in London on India’s democracy.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Piyush Goyal, among others, have expressed their dismay at what Gandhi has said about India on foreign land. Rajnath Singh and Piyush Goyal were among the leaders who recently criticised Gandhi in the Parliament for his remarks about India in the UK.

Abduction, forced religious conversion of Hindu girls continues unabated in Pakistan

ANI
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Abduction, forced religious conversion of Hindu girls continues unabated in Pakistan

The abduction and forced conversion of Hindu girls continues in Pakistan. 

A resident of Malhi village of Sindh’s Tharparkar district, Ishwar Bheel, said that his 20-year-old daughter Guddi Bheel was kidnapped by Sikhander Bajeer of Tando Adam Naukot of Mirpur-Khason on March 8 while returning from the hospital where she had gone to collect fever medicines for her brother. He said that she had been pressured to embrace Islam and forced to sign and submit a sworn affidavit addressed to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mirpur Khas, claiming that she converted to Islam on her free will and was not pressurized or forced to do so. 

In another incident of a Hindu minor girl being kidnapped and police refusing to register a case, Veero Kolhia resident of Talho Malho village of Umerkot said that his minor daughter was abducted by influential people of his village by giving her some soft drinks laced with intoxicants. 

He further said that despite repeated pleas, police refused to register a missing case. 

Three other cases of kidnapping and forced conversions of minor Hindu girls were reported in March 2023. 

While Meena Butt (14) was kidnapped from near her home in Mavomehhwar, Mirpurkhas and married to kidnapper Abdur after conversion at Barchundi Sharif Dargah (Gotki), Sangita Kumari (16) of Karachi was married to her kidnapper after being forced to embrace Islam at Karachi’s Sufi Darbar. Krishna Bheel (13) was abducted from Mirpurkhas while returning from school. The Mirpur Khas police refused to register the missing complaint saying that she must have eloped with her boyfriend, said her father Dasram Bheel. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, more than 100 social activists from different districts of Pakistan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces protested against the kidnapping and forced conversions of minor girls from minority, especially Hindu communities, in an event titled “Aurat” organized in Karachi. 

Several activists during the event talked about atrocities against women and the apathy shown by the government authorities towards such incidents. 

The speakers claimed that while police authorities refuse to file FIRs in kidnapping cases, medical and legal authorities connive to declare underage girls as major and eligible for marriage. 

Karachi-based activist Birma Jeswani said that such incidents of kidnapping of minors, declaring them as major and then forced conversion have been rampant in Sindh for more than a decade and called for an immediate end to such incidents.

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

A lesson for Rahul Gandhi: Here is how BJD leader Sasmit Patra spoke about India on foreign soil

OpIndia Staff
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A lesson for Rahul Gandhi: Here is how BJD leader Sasmit Patra spoke about India on foreign soil

A controversy and political war of words erupted after Congress scion Rahul Gandhi ranted against India and its democracy during his visit to Cambridge. From insinuating that the Indian democracy is ‘under attack’ to claiming that he along with several politicians opposed to the ruling BJP is under surveillance, Rahul Gandhi invited severe backlash at home for his ‘India-bashing’ on foreign soil.

The Congress leader, however, can take a lesson from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Member of Parliament Sasmit Patra who represented the Indian Parliament at the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly to be held at Manama, Bahrain from 11th to 15th March 2023.

BJD MP Sasmit Patra’s speech at the IPU in Bahrain

On Wednesday, March 15, the Rajya Sabha MP in his speech highlighted India’s role in providing Covid vaccines to 99 countries and to UN entities by pursuing the principle of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka ka Prayas.’

“India believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means ‘The World Is One Family.’ With this belief in inclusive societies and peaceful coexistence, India has provided more than 291 million doses of ‘Made-in-India’ COVID vaccines to 99 nations and UN entities, including more than 14 million doses as grants to 50 nations and UN peacekeepers providing assistance to a total of 150 nations,” Sasmit Patra said.

Patra continued by saying that the mantra of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka ka Prayas,” which means ‘companionship for all, progress for all, trust of all, efforts of all,’ the all-inclusive, peaceful coexistence mantra,” is being pursued by India today.

Despite being politically opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJD MP did not attack the Indian government or democracy on foreign soil rather the leader took the opportunity to highlight India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam and humanitarian assistance to over 99 countries at the time when the world was hit by the Covid pandemic.

The BJD is the ruling party in Odisha and the BJP is the main opposition party, which means the leaders of BJD and BJP are often in a political rivalry and do not miss chances to take potshots at each other.

Representing India at the IPU, Patra also asserted that India has been recognized globally for “promoting peaceful, quintessential and inclusive societies.”

Rahul Gandhi spoke blatant lies and tried to defame his country

It is notable that Rahul Gandhi While delivering a presentation at Cambridge University on March 3, claimed that the intelligence officers had forewarned him that his phone conversations were being taped. He made a series of false claims and tried to present himself as a political fugitive seeking foreign intervention to get to power in India.

“I myself had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians had Pegasus on their phones. I have been called by intelligence officers who told me, ‘Please be careful about what you are saying on the phone because we are sort of recording the stuff’. So this is the constant pressure that we feel. Cases are registered on the Opposition. I have got a number of criminal liable cases for things that should under no circumstances be criminal liable cases. That’s what we are trying to defend,” the Congress leader said in his address.

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that there were ‘restrictions’ on the courts, press, and Parliament in India. “Everybody knows and it’s been in the news a lot that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack. I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space. The institutional framework which is required for a democracy — Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilization, moving around — all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy,” the Congress MP claimed.

Rahul Gandhi even urged the US and Europe to intervene to “restore” democracy in India. Rahul claimed that Europe and the US are not doing enough to restore democracy in India as they are getting trade and money from the country.

PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi 

On March 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress leader for his remarks in the UK and asserted that “no force in the world can harm the democratic traditions of India.

Addressing a public meeting at Dharwad in Karnataka, PM Modi said, “I am fortunate to have inaugurated the statue of Bhagwan Basaveshwar in London. That Bhagwan Basaveshwar whose Anubhav Mandapam is the unique experience of democracy. I am blessed to have inaugurated his statue on the soil of London. But it is unfortunate that in the same London, questions were raised about India’s democracy. The roots of the Indian democracy are nourished by the centuries-old history we have. No force in the world can harm the democratic traditions of India. Despite this fact, there are some people who are continuously questioning Indian democracy. They are insulting Bhagwan Basaveshwar. They are insulting the people of Karnataka, the democratic traditions of India, and the 130 crore aware people of India. The people of Karnataka should be alert to these people.”

‘India already a Hindu nation, state and nation are two different things’; RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale asserts

OpIndia Staff
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‘India already a Hindu nation, state and nation are two different things’; RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale asserts

On 14th March 2023, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh’s General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale addressed a press conference in Samalkha near Panipat, Haryana after the three-day meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha – the most important body of the RSS – concluded. In this press conference, while answering a question regarding Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Nation) Dattatreya Hosabale said that India is already a Hindu nation. He also asserted that ‘state’ and ‘nation’ are two different things.

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale was asked by a journalist that as there is a debate about ‘Hindu Rashtra’ all over the country, so what is the view of RSS on it? Questions about population control and Rahul Gandhi’s recent anti-India remarks in London were also asked in this press conference. Dattatreya Hosabale answered these questions.

India is Hindu Rashtra

About the Hindu Rashtra issue, Dattatreya Hosabale said, “The RSS has said long before about the Hindu Rashtra issue, that India is a Hindu nation. This is a cultural concept. This is not a theocratic concept. We are saying for the last 100 years that this is a Hindu nation. We don’t need to make it a Hindu nation. It is one.”

Dattatreya Hosabale further asserted, “‘State’ and ‘Nation’ are two different things. ‘State’ is established by the constitution. ‘State’ is a certain power. ‘Nation’ is a cultural concept. Therefore, India’s ‘Nation’ is a Hindu Nation. This means that the cultural concepts of this land whether you call it Hindu, Indic or Sanatan – there are a hundred names – but it is a Hindu Rashtra. The ‘State’ is not theocratic.”

It is notable that on 11th March 2023, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, national president of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, claimed that if the rhetoric of those who desire ‘Hindu Rahstra’ is acceptable, then so is the call for Khalistan or a separate Muslim country. “What if our Muslim youth start to demand a separate Muslim state tomorrow,” he asked. An FIR was also lodged in Moradabad regarding his statements.

Demographic imbalance is dangerous for a country’s development

On the issue of population control, Dattatreya Hosabale remarked that the RSS has been talking about demographic imbalance rather than population control. He said, “We have not remarked about population control but we have said a lot about the demographic imbalance. We passed resolutions about it even in the past meetings. We stand by that. Many issues arise due to demographic imbalance. Supreme Court has also said this. When TN Sheshan was the election commissioner, he also remarked on it. Mahatma Gandhi also talked about it. Hundreds of such people in India who are not from RSS have said about the issue of a demographic imbalance.”

Dattatreya Hosabale added, “Experts on demographic studies and economists have also put their opinions on this issue. And people should see all these things. Sangh is not raising some new issues about demographic imbalance. This has been said by many people. Former governor Rajeshwar Ji also talked about this. Demographic imbalance is dangerous for the country’s development. There is a lot more to say on this.”

Rahul Gandhi should express responsibly

When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s recent anti-India remarks in London, Dattatreya Hosabale said, “He acts as per his political agenda. We are not in any kind of political competition with him. All I have to say is that his predecessors from Congress have also said many things about RSS in the past. People in the country and around the world are looking at Sangh as per their experience with Sangh and they are learning from it. All of them know the reality. Maybe he also knows it. All I want to tell is that being a prime leader of a major political party, he should express responsibly and see the reality.”

On 2nd March 2023, Rahul Gandhi launched one of his usual attacks on the Modi government and said that it was undermining the democracy of India. While delivering a presentation at Cambridge University, Rahul Gandhi said that the Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to monitor his phone.

Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha

The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) is the highest decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The ABPS is composed of more than 1400 representatives from various state units of the RSS, and it meets annually to discuss and decide the organization’s policies, programs, and strategies. The ABPS is responsible for electing the RSS’s highest executive body, the Sarkaryavah (General Secretary), as well as other key office bearers. The ABPS also reviews the organization’s activities and provides guidance to its various affiliated organizations. Its annual meeting was organized in Haryana from 12th March to 14th March 2023. BJP President J P Nadda and General Secretary (Organization) B L Santhosh also participated in the meeting.

‘Sundar Das Park’ to ‘Zaman Park’: A look into glorious history of Hindus who once lived in the area where Imran Khan supporters are clashing with police

OpIndia Staff
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‘Sundar Das Park’ to ‘Zaman Park’: A look into glorious history of Hindus who once lived in the area where Imran Khan supporters are clashing with police

Zaman Park in Lahore, where Imran Khan lives, has been in the news for a while, due to the standoff between the former prime minister of Pakistan and the country’s law enforcement attempting to arrest him. Imran Khan has alleged that Pakistan rangers are trying to kidnap and kill him after the cops fired on his supporters after using tear gas shells and water cannons. However, contrary to the current unrest in the area, the suburb is one of Lahore’s most affluent, tranquil, and pleasant residential neighbourhoods.

For the past many decades, Zaman Park has housed a significant number of Pathans who migrated from Jalandhar (Punjab, India) during the partition. It has also served as a nursery for breeding Cricket and Hockey stars for the country.

Zaman Park is named after Khan Bahadur Muhammad Zaman Khan. He held the position of Post Master General of Punjab in British India from 1933 to 1943 and afterwards moved on to construct a seven-bedroom mansion there in 1940.

The history of the region, however, paints a very different picture. According to archival research, the term ‘Zaman Park’ was not featured on the Lahore map from 1935. Zaman Park was not constructed on any of the area depicted on the first map of Lahore following the events of 1857 (the first war of Indian independence).

In fact, the land behind the prestigious Aitchison College and to the south of Mayo Gardens, currently known as Zaman Park, was identified as the Punjab Light Horse (PLH) Parade Field, which was a component of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army.

During the British era, the PLH, which was founded in Lahore in 1867, responded to emergencies in Lahore, Amritsar, and other cities of the then-undivided Punjab. The colony’s original name was changed to ‘Sunder Das Park’ in 1936.

The 1934 plans included the circular cricket field that is located in the middle of this colony. Six residences, which belonged to the same Hindu family and were all related to one another, came up by 1942. The head of the illustrious ‘Suri’ family was Rai Bahadur Sunder Das Suri. He served as the Chief Inspector of Schools for Punjab and was instrumental in determining the educational requirements for pupils of Punjabi descent.

He played a major role in the development of Aitchison College, which had taken up the space that was the original and first PLH Parade Ground. He also delivered a number of academic papers at conferences for educators. His main accomplishment was to establish the Lyallpur school and college, which later developed into an agricultural university, as well as the Central Model School of Lahore. He took the initiative in securing grants for these educational institutes.

Later, he would collaborate with Lala Lajpat Rai and Ruchi Ram Sahni, a renowned professor at Government College in Lahore.

As per the 1935 map, the entire tract of land between Jail Road, Lahore Canal, Ferozepur Road, and its intersection at Mozang Chungi was home to a large collection of government-owned hospitals, prisons, and offices. The Lahore Central Prison, the Women’s Hospital, the Women’s Jail, the Borstal Institution and the Meteorological Observatory were all located on this vast land area. The Baba Shah Jamal shrine was also situated within the complex.

‘Zaman Park’ was also a significant cantonment under Sikh rule for Soba Singh’s army, one of the three Sikhs that ruled Lahore before Maharajah Ranjit Singh’s accession to power in 1799. There were several brick kilns constructed in this area to produce bricks for this enormous complex.

By the time of the 1947 Partition, the wealthy Hindu families of Lahore had constructed 15 magnificent palace homes throughout Zaman Park. Lt. General Wajid Ali Burki relocated the elite Jalandhar Pathans to this exclusive park after 1947. These families, who were originally from Waziristan, moved to Jalandhar in the later Mughal era, and settled in Lahore to reside in the renamed ‘Zaman Park’. The name Zaman was that of a senior member of this Jalandhar Pathan family.

Iqbal Bano, Naima Khanum, and Shaukat Khanum, the mothers of Javed Burki, Majid Khan, and Imran Khan, respectively, were sisters of Khan Bahadur Zaman Khan. They were all the offsprings of Ahmad Hassan Khan, whose another child Lieutenant-General Ahmed Raza Khan, played first-class cricket.

Zaman Khan’s sons, Humayun Zaman, Javed Zaman and Fawad Zaman also played first-class cricket, along with cousins Ijaz Khan and Sajid Khan. 

In the years that followed, Javed Burki, Majid, and Imran led the Pakistan cricket team. Lt. General Wajid Ali Burki, an Army surgeon, served as General Ayub Khan’s military government’s health minister as well. He is the father of Javed Burki. The Pathan families of this area have produced numerous cricketers, army officers, and physicians for Pakistan.

Despite all the developments since 1947, it is indisputable that the true history of ‘Zaman Park’ is intertwined with its Hindu and Sikh roots.

Jiang Yanyong: Doctor who exposed China’s SARS cover-up dies at 91

OpIndia Staff
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Jiang Yanyong: Doctor who exposed China’s SARS cover-up dies at 91

Dr Jiang Yanyong, the doctor who exposed China’s cover-up of SARS in 2003 has died of pneumonia. Dr Jiang was a military surgeon and he was one of the first to sound an alarm on the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Unlike Li Wenliang, the doctor who was punished for circulating an early warning about the spread of Covid-19 before his death from the disease in 2020, Dr Jiang wasn’t punished for drawing attention to the effect of SARS in 2003.

In the case of Li Wenliang, instead of being commended for his vigilance, Dr Li was reprimanded by the Chinese authorities for “spreading rumours” and “disrupting public order.” He was forced to sign a statement admitting to “making false comments” and was warned that he could face severe punishment if he continued to speak out.

Dr Li’s warnings were tragically prescient, as Covid-19 quickly spread throughout Wuhan and eventually the world. Dr Li became a symbol of the dangers of government censorship and the importance of free speech in the face of a public health crisis.

Both doctors were finally hailed as heroes in state media.

However, Dr Jiang’s funeral has been censored on the internet in China. If you try searching for his name on WeChat or Weibo, the search yielded no results, saying the topic violated “relevant laws, regulations and policies.”

Dr Jiang was also a longtime advocate for families of victims of the violent 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on democratic protesters.

Amidst the 2003 SARS outbreak, Dr Jiang wrote an email to State Television claiming that the total number of SARS cases in China was many times that of the reported numbers.

After his death, tributes have poured in from around the world, with many people expressing their gratitude for Dr Jiang’s bravery and sacrifice, with many taking to social media to express their condolences and to call for greater transparency and accountability from the government.

The death of Dr Jiang is a reminder of the toll that pandemics can take on the world and the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity. Dr Jiang’s legacy will live on, inspiring others to fight for truth and justice in the face of public health crises.

Surat-based businessman ready to do household work for Congress spokesperson if she shares degrees of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, will challenge be accepted?

Jinit Jain
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Surat-based businessman ready to do household work for Congress spokesperson if she shares degrees of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, will challenge be accepted?

Congress leaders, spokespersons, and supporters often resort to discrediting their political opponents not by criticising their work but by calling into question the authenticity of their educational qualifications and academic credentials.

Congress party’s current bete noire, PM Modi, has also been subjected to similar attacks, with the party leaders and supportive trolls routinely raising aspersions on the genuineness of his educational degrees.

Therefore, when a popular Twitter user Rishi Bagree shared an article establishing the authenticity of PM Modi’s BA and MA degrees and challenged the Congress party to furnish Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s educational degrees, several people echoed the demand and tagged Congress loyalists to take up the gauntlet.

Surat-based businessman Raushan Sinha, popularly known as Mr Sinha on Twitter, also took to the microblogging website to challenge Ms Supriya Shrinate, a Congress spokesperson known for exhibiting boorish demeanour and peevish disposition on news debates, to reproduce Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s degrees.

Mr Sinha, who owns a plastic manufacturing company, a courier service & a gym in Surat, along with running a social media consultancy company, dared Ms Shrinate that if she posts the educational degrees of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he will leave Twitter for good and start working as a househelp just like she does at 10 Janpath, the residence of the Gandhi family.

“Hello @SupriyaShrinate, if you post Sonia Gandhi’s degrees, I’ll leave Twitter & will start doing household works at your home same like you do at 10JP…” tweeted Mr Sinha, quoting Bagree’s tweet.

Although Mr Sinha suggested in his tweet that Ms Shrinate does household work at 10, Janpath, which is the official residence of Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, OpIndia doesn’t vouch for the authenticity of the claim.

In all probability, Mr Sinha was making a rhetorical point while throwing the challenge and did not literally mean that Shrinate worked as a house-help for Sonia Gandhi. She was earlier a TV journalist and is known to have much higher skills than undertaking a low-skilled job as a house-help.

The many discrepancies in Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi’s educational details

Nevertheless, Mr Sinha’s challenge has underscored the hazy ambiguity over Gandhi’s educational credentials and the Congress party’s reticence in coming clean on it. Moreover, it has also spotlighted the many discrepancies in the academic details of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi filed in their election affidavits.

Studying the various nominations submitted by Rahul Gandhi in various elections, a notable difference in his educational qualification can be observed. In his affidavit, Rahul Gandhi mentioned that he cleared the senior secondary exam in 1989, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1994 and after that did M.Phil in development studies from Trinity College, Cambridge University in 1995. He had mentioned these educational qualifications in his election affidavits of 2009 and 2014 too.

Rahul Gandhi’s 2019 affidavit
Rahul Gandhi’s 2014 affidavit

But his affidavit for the 2004 Lok Sabha election tells a different story, as it only mentions his senior secondary exam from CBSE and MPhil Trinity, and has no mention of any bachelor’s degree. If we go by the 2004 affidavit of Rahul Gandhi, he did his MPhil after completing secondary school.

Rahul Gandhi’s 2009 affidavit
Rahul Gandhi’s 2004 affidavit

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi’s election affidavits also came under scrutiny for discrepancies in education details. In her 2004 affidavit, she mentioned that she had obtained a certificate in English from Lemox Cook School under Cambridge University. But later it was found that Cambridge has no such school under its affiliation. Subsequently, Sonia Gandhi mentioned it as Lemox Cook School, Cambridge in her 2009 affidavit, which means that it’s a school located in Cambridge city and not a school under the well-known university.

How Congress leaders and supporters continue to attack PM Modi over his authentic educational degrees

Devoid of any legitimate reason to corner the Centre, the Congress party keeps attacking PM Modi and his ministers by raising doubts over their academic qualifications and educational proficiency. Congress has for long attacked PM Modi and continuously demanded degree certificates from him, even though his academic documents are already in the public domain.

Tarun Das, the Delhi University Registrar, had in 2015 declared that PM Modi’s degrees shared by the BJP are authentic and that the university has all the records related to his graduation.

Congress and its sympathetic trolls have often mocked the BJP and questioned the authenticity of PM Modi’s educational degree based on the name of the course he completed: Entire Political Science. However, Gujarat University provided an explanation to the query, saying that ‘Entire Political Science’ means that the candidate has completed the whole course of M.A. (2 years) with 8 papers of Political Science subject only and not with any other allied or related subjects. 

“We have checked our records and it has been authenticated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree is authentic. He cleared the examination in 1978 and was awarded the degree in 1979,” Mr Das had said. 

AAP leaders attend meeting with Congress president a day after Arvind Kejriwal said that Congress and BJP are partners

OpIndia Staff
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AAP leaders attend meeting with Congress president a day after Arvind Kejriwal said that Congress and BJP are partners

On 13th March 2023, Aam Aadmi Party’s convenor and Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed in Jaipur that Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party are the same. However, on 14th March 2023, Aam Aadmi Party’s MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh attended a meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. This meeting was called to unite the opposition to raise the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate the Adani Group’s issue.

On 13th March 2023, Arvind Kejriwal attended Tiranga Yatra in Jaipur. Punjab’s chief minister Bhagwant Mann also participated in this program. While speaking at this program, Arvind Kejriwal claimed, “I have heard that Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot share a strong bond of friendship. When Gehlot faces a crisis, Vasundhara makes the entire party stand by him. Similarly, when the BJP was taking action against Raje, Gehlot made Congress stand by her. So, these two are not two different parties anymore. They are one and the same.”

Arvind Kejriwal added, “There is a mutual setting between the Congress and the BJP. They accuse each other of scams during elections. After the elections, no action is taken against a single person. Our setting is for the public. We will expose the scams of both.” It is notable that Arvind Kejriwal made these remarks about scams days after Delhi’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was first arrested by CBI and then remanded to Enforcement Directorate in Delhi’s Liquor Policy Scam case.

A day after Arvind Kejriwal claimed that Congress and BJP are the same, AAP MPs attended a meeting in Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber to raise the opposition’s demand of forming a JPC to probe the Adani Group issue. On 14th March 2023, the Congress party tweeted from its official Twitter handle, “A meeting of opposition parties was held today in the chamber of Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji on Adani mega scam. The joint opposition demands that a JPC be formed to investigate the Adani mega scam.”

AAP MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh were seen in this meeting as the Congress party’s Twitter handle also shared a video in its tweet. It is notable that the opposition is making a demand to probe the alleged scam in the Adani Group. In the ongoing budget session of parliament, members of the opposition parties stormed into the Well of the House, raising placards and slogans, demanding a JPC probe into the Adani matter on 15th March 2023. The parliament was adjourned due to the ruckus created by the members of opposition parties.

After this, leaders of 18 opposition parties including Congress took a march to Enforcement Directorate’s office demanding a probe in the Adani-Hindenburg row. But the MPs were stopped by Delhi police after which they returned to the parliament. The Adani Group came in the middle of a controversy when US-based Hindenburg Research published a report which claimed that the Adani group was engaged in brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

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