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Dilip Kumar’s old video, where he talks about boldly shutting down Indira Gandhi’s criticism of ‘poor films’ in Bollywood, goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Dilip Kumar’s old video, where he talks about boldly shutting down Indira Gandhi’s criticism of ‘poor films’ in Bollywood, goes viral

A video featuring late Bollywood icon Dilip Kumar is making the rounds on social media these days. In this video, Dilip Kumar is reminiscing about a meeting he had with the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, and his daughter Indira Gandhi.

Recounting the incident, one of the biggest superstars of the Indian film industry said that Indira Gandhi him why the Indian films made in that era were not as good as their western counterparts. After about 10-15 minutes of such complaints by Indira Gandhi, Dilip Kumar said that he told Indira that when nothing else in India is comparable to the west, then how can films be different from the society where they are made?

Remembering the incident, Dilip Kumar said, “Once I was having breakfast with Jawaharlal Nehru. At that time, Indira Gandhi intervened in our discussion and said, I was in Paris, I went to Moscow, I have watched the plays and films, I have listened to a symphonic orchestra too. How beautiful are all of them! Why are your Indian films not like that? Why is the Indian cinema lagging so behind?”

Dilip Kumar said, “In those days we used to do shows to raise funds for various social causes because common people would think of us differently. We had to establish our connection with the people, so we used to do those shows. We developed our socio-civic identity, consciousness, and credibility. We were keen to establish how we are rooted in our culture. So, I felt that the daughter of our then Prime Minister was overstepping her limits by raising such questions on Indian cinema. Total condemnation of a medium in this way is not justified.”

The Bollywood thespian further said, “She (Indira Gandhi) said, what kind of industry is this? And she said that Indian films lack ‘Indianness’. She went on talking like this for 12-15 minutes. At last, I felt that if I reply now, it won’t be an insult.”

Dilip Kumar then described how he responded to Indira Gandhi and told her the reason why she thought the way she did.

Dilip Kumar said, “I told her that you are complaining for the last 15 minutes and it is true to a large extent, but whatever you have said for the last 12-15 minutes, not a single word of that was from an Indian language. You were continuously talking in English. Today, we are developing our roads, irrigation, education, hospitals, and all. We don’t have water to drink in spite of a dedicated man at the helm of affairs, we have poor education. Yes, our films are poor. But we don’t just have a film industry that is poor. We have an educational system that is poor. Our roads are poor. We have an agriculture that is poor. And if I put this to you, ma’am, we have governance that has a lot many things that are poor.”

Dilip Kumar added, “I first thought that Jawaharlal Nehru would be upset with my remarks, but after a few moments of silence, he said that had he been in my place, he would not be so polite.”

Dilip Kumar further emphasized the importance of ‘Indianness’ in Indian literature and said, “We can import engineering technology and other know-how. But we cannot import culture. We cannot import literature. We should develop it from our own soil.”

This speech by the late actor explains why the films made in the first few decades after Indian independence, during the Congress rule, highlighted poverty. The prime reason behind this, as told by Dilip Kumar, is that poverty encompassed every sector of life in India in those days. This stands in sharp contrast to the modern-day “new India” where infrastructure and industries are getting special attention from the government.

Schemes like ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’, ‘Ujjwala scheme’, Swachh Bharat Mission, toilets for everyone, and ‘Jal Jivan Yojana’ are there to ensure every Indian gets the basic necessities in life, something that they were deprived of till now.

The impact of such schemes on an average Indian’s life is absolutely huge, and with Indians enjoying a better quality of life, we can see their impact on Indian cinema as well. The movies made today don’t rely on the 50s and 60s trope of poor villagers against an evil landlord. The hero today can be anyone, filmmakers don’t have to deliberately show him poor to relate to the masses because as the masses have risen, so has the stature of an average Bollywood hero.

As out-on-bail AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair attacks NDTV over Adani, netizens remind him of his own convenient silence

OpIndia Staff
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As out-on-bail AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair attacks NDTV over Adani, netizens remind him of his own convenient silence

On Wednesday (January 25), Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair took potshots at NDTV for supposedly not tweeting about the allegations levelled by US-based investment firm, Hindenburg Research, against India’s Adani Group.

Given that the Indian conglomerate acquired a majority stake in the news channel in December last year, the dubious fact checker tried to suggest that NDTV would not provide coverage to criticism directed at Gautam Adani.

In a tweet, Mohammed Zubair wrote, “Not a single tweet from @NDTVProfit @ndtv, @ndtvvideos, @ndtvindia @ndtvfeed on Hindenburg Research.” While it is true that NDTV did not tweet about the report initially, it covered the news story on Friday (January 27).

Screengrab of the tweet by Mohammed Zubair

While pointing out his hypocrisy, a Twitter user (@Vasooli_) reminded Mohammed Zubair how he never tweeted about a dubious report by Time Magazine about him and his Alt News founder Pratik Sinha being in the race for Noble Peace Prize.

It is notable here that the so-called fact-checker was inundated with congratulatory messages after a media report suggested that he has been ‘shortlisted’ for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, he never ‘fact-checked’ those claims and messages. In reality, Zubair and Pratik Sinha were never ‘nominated’.

OpIndia had already dismissed the claim, pointing out how there is no such thing as an official list from which the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, and that the names cited by TIME Magazine were simply speculations made by a media organisation whose ideology is anchored in the global left.

“How many tweets by you to protest beheadings, killings, STSJ threats, hate speech and violence by your fellow faithful? Guess you don’t because if you start condemning you’ll have time for nothing else!” inquired another user.

Popular Twitter user, Maithun, pointed out how he never tweeted about the sexual harassment allegations against Alt News founder Pratik Sinha.

“All are not a fraud like you, ” wrote one Nirmal Kumar Senapati.

Another user (@SanketikGandhi) wrote, “The fact checker cannot even differentiate between accusations and solid proofs. Especially the tactics in Global Business to malign another’s business to get those projects for his own company. Oh! I get it, Zoobear is like those false accusations.”

It must be mentioned that the dubious fact checker has been out on bail since July last year, after former NDTV journalist and his ‘close friend’ Sreenivasan Jain posted a surety bond of ₹50000.

The Hindenberg Research report controversy surrounding the Adani Group

On January 24 this year, the US-based investment research firm published a 32,000-word report, accusing the Adani Group of stock manipulation and use of tax havens.

The Adani Group trashed the Hindenburg Research report as a “malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations”.

So far, the Indian conglomerate suffered a loss of $66 billion in stock markets. Gautam Adani also slided down to the 9th position in the list of the world’s richest individuals. The Adani Group also came under attack from the Indian National Congress, which accused the Indian conglomerate of crony capitalism.

On Sunday (January 29), it slammed Hindenburg Research with a 413-page report, dismissing allegations levelled by the latter. The Adani group pointed out how the US-based investment research firm sought to benefit from its damning report.

“This is rife with conflict of interest and intended only to create a false market in securities to enable Hindenburg, an admitted short seller, to book massive financial gain through wrongful means at the cost of countless investors,” it emphasised.

Hindenburg Research, in the meanwhile, issued a statement saying, “Fraud cannot be obfuscated by nationalism or a bloated response that ignores every key allegation we raised.”

Shadow unit of UK army secretly spied on citizens who criticised Govt’s Covid lockdown policies: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Shadow unit of UK army secretly spied on citizens who criticised Govt’s Covid lockdown policies: Report

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence extensively monitored the social media accounts of prominent personalities who were critical of the government’s Covid-19 measures, a source told the Daily Mail newspaper on Saturday. The claim contradicts the government’s repeated denials of any such surveillance.

Documents, substantiating the claims made by the source in the 77th Brigade, obtained and shared exclusively with the media outlet by the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, disclosed the work of “government’s 5 anti-fake news”. It included the work of the Counter Disinformation Unit, based in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, and the Rapid Response Unit, based in the Cabinet Office.

“The investigation is based on scores of Freedom of Information requests, and the co-operation of dozens of people in public life who submitted Subject Access Requests to the government to demand copies of their data held by the so-called disinformation units,” the civil liberties group tweeted sharing details of the findings.

According to a source who worked for the military’s covert 77th Brigade during the pandemic, the unit compiled dossiers on individuals with a substantial social media following who questioned the Covid lockdowns and mandates issued by the British government. The dossier featured names like ex-Minister David Davis, who questioned the modeling behind alarming death toll predictions, as well as journalists Peter Hitchens and Toby Young. Their dissenting opinions were subsequently conveyed to 10 Downing Street.

The unit was entrusted with combating “disinformation” and “harmful narratives… from purported experts,” using artificial intelligence to scan social media for keywords like ‘ventilators’ that would have been of interest. Unwanted narratives were suppressed or eliminated, while government narratives were propagated.

The information was subsequently used to orchestrate the government’s responses to criticisms of policies such as the stay-at-home order when police were given the power to impose fines on people stepping out of their homes.

It also enabled Ministers to pressure social media platforms to remove posts disagreeing with the government’s stance and promote Government-approved content.

In response to the allegations, a government spokesman said, “Online disinformation is a serious threat to the UK, which is why during the pandemic we brought together expertise from across Government to monitor disinformation about Covid.”

“These units used publicly available data, including material shared on social media platforms, to assess UK disinformation trends and narratives. They did not target individuals or take any action that could impact anyone’s ability to discuss and debate issues freely”, the source said.

Silkie Carlo, the director of Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties advocacy group, meanwhile, told the Mail on Sunday, “Contrary to their stated aims, these Government truth units are secretive and harmful to our democracy. The Counter Disinformation Unit should be suspended immediately and subject to a full investigation.”

UP police books OBC Mahasabha members and Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya for burning copies of Ramcharitmanas in Lucknow

OpIndia Staff
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UP police books OBC Mahasabha members and Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya for burning copies of Ramcharitmanas in Lucknow

The Lucknow police in Uttar Pradesh has booked Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya and members of Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha. The police have invoked sections 120-B, 142, 143, 153-A, 295, 295-A, 298, 504, 505(2) and 506 of the IPC against 10 known and several unidentified people for “promoting enmity” after they allegedly burnt photocopies of the pages of Ramcharitmanas in the Vrindavan area of the city on January 29. 

The FIR has been filed at the PGI police station in Lucknow. The police said that the FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Satnam Singh Lavi. Based on the complaint, Yashpal Singh Lodhi, Devendra Yadav, Mahendra Pratap Yadav, Naresh Singh, SS Yadav, Sujit, Santosh Verma, and Salim have been booked, said SHO Rajesh Rana.

The action was taken after Akhil Bharatiya OBC Mahasabha, on January 29, burnt the copies of the holy Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas in the Vrindavan Yojana of the PGI Kotwali area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The OBC Mahasabha members announced their support to Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya who recently stirred controversy by saying that the Ramcharitmanas should be banned.

In the viral video, the protesting OBC Mahasabha members alleged that the holy Hindu scripture contains several Chaupai (verses) against women and the Shudras. The video has since gone viral on social media.

This comes after Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya claimed that certain portions of the Ramcharitmanas “insult” a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded that these be “banned”.

On January 22, Maurya, while speaking to a news channel, said that Ramcharitamanas, written by Goswami Tulsidas in the 17th century, promoted social discrimination and spread hatred.

On January 24, an FIR under sections 153A, 295A, 298, 504, 505(2) of the IPC was registered against Swami Prasad Maurya in connection with his remarks on Ramcharitramanas. 

Congress leaders skip the all-party meeting ahead of the Budget Session

ANI
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Congress leaders skip the all-party meeting ahead of the Budget Session

An all-party meeting called by the government ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament commenced on Monday morning. Deputy Leader of the House, Rajnath Singh, Parliament Affairs minister, Pralhad Joshi, Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, MoS, Parliamentary Affairs, Arjuna, Ram Meghwal, and V Muraleedharan was among those present for the meeting held at the Parliament House Complex.

All top leaders from the opposition parties including DMK leader, TR, Balu, TMC leaders, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, TRS leaders K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageswara Rao were in attendance.

Other party leaders who were present include Vijayasai Reddy from YSR Congress, Farooq Abdullah from the National Conference, Professor Manoj Jha from the RJD and Ram Nath Thakur of JDU. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) was represented by Priyanka Chaturvedi.

Congress leaders were absent in the meeting, however, according to government sources both Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were held up due to the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra that culminated in Srinagar today.

The all-party meeting is a customary meeting that takes place ahead, of the start of every session of Parliament. During the meeting the Government will seek cooperation from all political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses of Parliament during the Session.

The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on January 31 with the address by the President of India to a Joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall of Parliament.

The Economic Survey will also be tabled in both Houses on the first day of the Session.

The Union Budget 2023-24 will be presented on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha. Later the Budget will be tabled in Rajya Sabha.

From Thursday onwards, both Houses will have a discussion on the “Motion Of Thanks to the President Address” after which PM Narendra Modi will reply in both Lok and Rajya Sabha.

This part of the Budget Session will continue till February 13. The second part of the Budget Session will after a recess commence on March 13 and go on till April 6. A discussion will take place on the Demand For Grants for various ministries and the Union Budget will be passed. Other legislative business will also be taken up by the government during this period.

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

Islamists take out a protest march in Lahore over the burning of Quran in Sweden while fellow citizens fight over food

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists take out a protest march in Lahore over the burning of Quran in Sweden while fellow citizens fight over food

Pakistan’s economic situation is precarious. It has reached a critical juncture as the Islamic country grapples with expanding debt, rising energy import costs, depleted foreign reserves, global inflation, political instability, and a protracted decline in GDP growth. Furthermore, the country’s severe flour shortage and electricity cuts are exacerbating the situation.

Some citizens, however, have interesting priorities. While hundreds of fellow citizens have been rioting over food shortages, some have taken to the streets in Lahore to protest the burning of a copy of the Quran by anti-immigrant politician Rasmus Paludan in Stockholm, Sweden.

Journalist Abhijit Majumder shared a snippet on Twitter on January 30, wherein several Pakistanis were seen taking out a rally in Lahore to denounce the recent desecration of the religious Islamic text. As seen in the video, many people are perched atop a large trailer while hundreds more can be seen on foot. Huge speakers are mounted on the truck, through which chants of ‘Al Jihad’ can be heard. A large police contingent is also seen forming a human chain to protect the protestors.

These Islamists, according to media reports, belonged to the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). In his statement to the demonstrators on Friday (January 27), TLP leader Saad Rizvi urged the government to lodge a strong protest with Sweden and the Netherlands to ensure that such occurrences are not repeated again.

Other videos showing members of the radical Islamist organisation protesting in Lahore over the burning of the Quran in Sweden also emerged on social media.

Similar rallies were also held in other parts of Pakistan including the southern city of Karachi and in the northwest.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik, the once-banned Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan

Notably, the Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik has been involved in various violent protests in the recent past. In fact, last year, the Pakistani radical organization had made plans to kill former BJP leader Nupur Sharma for making ‘derogatory’ statements about Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic organisation had in 2021, organised violent protests in France and elsewhere around the world in response to cartoons of Prophet Mohammad published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The outfit had then demanded the expulsion of France’s ambassador and the release of their leader. While protesting against the Charlie Hebdo cartoon in Lahore, the members of TLP opened fire on the cops leaving at least four Pakistani policemen dead.

This particular radical outfit was banned until November 2021, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan succumbed to the pressure of radical Islamists and gave his permission to lift the ban on the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). As a result, the organization was withdrawn from the Fourth Schedule which is the official terrorist watch list of Pakistan.

Notably, the TTP has now established itself as an indisputable power in Pakistan’s political scene. The extremist organisation even formed a parallel government in the country earlier this month.

Food crisis in Pakistan

While members of the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have been creating havoc in Lahore over the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden, it may be recalled how hundreds of Pakistanis have been baying for each other’s blood amid a severe food crisis in the country. While on one hand, the government supply of subsidised wheat has nearly stopped altogether, the prices of other essentials have skyrocketed on the other. Stores and grocery shops have run out of kitchen staples. The shortage of wheat flour has led to an increase in the prices of bread and bakery items too. 

The situation in several cities of Pakistan is so grave that flour is being rationed and guarded by armed guards. Prices of flour and wheat have witnessed a dramatic surge. 

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan are among the worst sufferers as tens of thousands spend hours daily to get the subsidized bags of flour that are already short in supply in the market.

Incidents of clashes and stampedes have been reported in markets in many areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan. The situation is so dire that flour-loaded mini trucks and vans are escorted by armed guards to avoid clashes. As these vehicles reach the markets, people gather around these vehicles and start fighting with each other and snatching sacks of flour and wheat from the authorities and each other.

Prices of wheat and flour have surged dramatically in recent months. Flour in Karachi is being sold from Rs 140 per kilogram to Rs 160 per kilogram. In Islamabad and Peshawar, a 10 kg bag of flour is being sold at Rs 1,500 per kilogram while a 20-kilogram bag of flour is being sold at Rs 2,800. Mill owners in Punjab province have increased the price of flour to Rs 160 per kilogram. 

Bangladesh: Hindu teacher suspended after being accused of blasphemy by Muslim students. Here is what we know so far

Dibakar Dutta
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Bangladesh: Hindu teacher suspended after being accused of blasphemy by Muslim students. Here is what we know so far

A Hindu school teacher by the name of Newton Sarkar was suspended after being accused of insulting Islam by his Muslim students in Abhaynagar in Jessore district in the Khulna Division of Bangladesh. As per a report by BDNews24, Sarkar is a resident of Bahadurpur village of Jessore.

He worked as a biology teacher at the Deyapara Model Secondary School. On January 25 this year, he was accused of making ‘offensive remarks’ against Islam and Prophet Muhammad while teaching science to 8th-standard students.

The Muslim students in his class lodged a complaint with the school principal, accusing the Hindu teacher of committing blasphemy. The Principal told the agitated students to go home and that he would take necessary action in this regard.

Given that the school was closed between January 26-28 on the occasion of Saraswati Puja, the hullabaloo over the matter had taken a back seat. But on Sunday (January 29), a large mob of ‘angry’ students, parents and Islamic clerics stormed into the school.

The administration gave in to their demands and temporarily suspended the Hindu teacher in a bid to pacify the situation. The development was confirmed by the Abhaynagar upazila secondary education officer, Shahidul Islam.

Meanwhile, a 3-member committee has been formed by the school administration to look into the matter and submit a report on it in 3 working days. While speaking about the matter, Newton Sarkar dismissed the allegations levelled at him by his Muslim students.

“I only talked about science in class. I even told students to honour all deities with respect. They quoted me out of context. I cannot understand why did they do it to me,” he told BDNews24.

Muslim mob destroys houses of Hindus over blasphemy allegations

On January 15 evening, a mob of Islamists vandalised the residence of a Hindu family in Uttar Kandi village in Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj district in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh.

As per reports, the violent mob accused a Hindu youth of committing blasphemy and ‘hurting’ the religious sentiments of the local Muslims over a Facebook post.

Soon after Islamists descended on the residence of his extended family and destroyed the property. According to Dhaka Tribune, no casualties were reported after the targeted attack.

As per a report by The Daily Star, a total of 8 shops and 4 houses belonging to the Hindu community were attacked. In a bid to pacify the situation, a large contingent of police has been deployed in the Uttar Kandi village.

The Hindu boy, now accused of blasphemy by radical Islamists, has reportedly been living in India for the past 7 years. Moreover, his other family members including his mother and sister had also moved to India about 3 months ago.

Mumbai: Man arrested for stealing silver and gold articles from a temple disguising himself as a Jain devotee

ANI
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Mumbai: Man arrested for stealing silver and gold articles from a temple disguising himself as a Jain devotee

A 53-year-old man was arrested on Sunday from the Dindoshi area here for stealing gold and silver articles from Jain temples after disguising himself as a Jain worshipper, police said.

A gold plate, a gold rod weighing 160 grams, and a scooter were seized from the accused. The total value of the recovered material is approximately Rs 5 lakh and 30 thousand, police said. The accused used to gamble with the money received after selling the stolen temple articles, a senior police officer said.

“The accused used to steal gold and silver plates from Jain temples. The accused has confessed to taking inspiration from a Crime Patrol episode. To save himself, the accused used to dress and disguise himself as a member of the Jain community, wear a mask, did recce on the pretext of worshipping at the temple and steal precious articles. Later he used to gamble with the money received from selling the gold and silver articles to a shopkeeper,” Dindoshi police officer Dhananjay Kawade said.

The arrested man has been identified as Bharat Sukhraj Doshi, a resident of Ramchandra Lane, Malad West, the officer said.

The police had arrested him after registering a case on the complaint made by a Jain priest.

The accused, dressed as a Jain worshipper, used to leave on a scooter from his home, and after committing the theft, he chose such routes where CCTV cameras were not installed, the Dindoshi police officer said.

Dindoshi Police received a complaint on January 23 from a Jain priest, Dhiraj Lal Shah, who mentioned that a 160-gram gold plate he had taken to the temple for worship had gone missing.

Due to the disguise adopted by the accused, the police had to search more than 93 CCTVs footage and the sequence of events came to the fore, the officer added.

The temple people had not filed a complaint earlier, considering petty thefts, the police informed.

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

Delhi police arrests two over pro-Khalistan graffiti painted on walls around the national capital, probe underway

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi police arrests two over pro-Khalistan graffiti painted on walls around the national capital, probe underway

On January 29, Delhi police arrested two pro-Khalistani men for the Khalistani slogans painted on a wall in Paschim Vihar. Graffiti included slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Referendum 2020’. Similar graffiti was also found in other parts of the national capital, including Janakpuri, Vikaspuri, Peeragarhi, and other places. The authorities immediately cleaned up the walls displaying these Khalistani slogans, and a probe was initiated into the matter.

A case was registered under Sections 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy ) of the Indian Penal Code. As per reports, the two persons detained by the police were working at the behest of the banned Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice, and its boss Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. They had allegedly received funding from abroad to initiate anti-India activities.

Notably, SFJ had released a video threatening to attack Red Fort and hoisting the Khalistani flag on it before Republic Day. Soon after, pro-Khalistani posters and slogans were painted across Delhi. A special Cell of Delhi Police started a probe into the matter and CCTV footage of the areas was also checked to identify the culprits.

Reports suggest that the arrested persons were promised a larger amount for a bigger task.

Sikhs For Justice is a Khalistani terrorist organisation run by terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. The Government of India banned the organisation under UAPA in 2019. The organisation has been linked to several incidents in India, including graffiti on government buildings, hoisting the alien flag on Red Fort on Republic Day 2021, and more. SFJ is also running a so-called Referendum 2020, seeking votes from pro-Khalistani elements worldwide for a separate Sikh nation.

West Bengal: TMC goons assault BJP workers returning after listening to PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat, MLA names Rezaul, Abdul and Judail

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC goons assault BJP workers returning after listening to PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat, MLA names Rezaul, Abdul and Judail

On Sunday (January 29), goons associated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) reportedly assaulted BJP workers while they were en route to their homes after listening to the 97th edition of PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat programme.

The incident took place in the Kisorimohanpur area in Kultali Block in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, which falls under the jurisdiction of Maipith Coastal Police Station.

As per reports, BJP workers attended a digital screening of the Prime Minister’s monthly radio broadcast at the house of one Paresh Das on Sunday. On their way back homes, they were gheraoed and assaulted by hooligans associated with the Trinamool Congress at the Panchmatha junction.

According to BJP MLA (Asansol South) Agnimitra Paul, TMC goons led by Rezaul Gazi, Abdul Dhali and Judail Molla attacked the BJP workers with iron rods and sticks.

In a video shared by her, two BJP workers could be seen lying injured on the road. One of them was identified as Bahadur Das. A man in the background could be heard asking for help and seeking water to be fed to the injured workers.

Another man was heard saying that after the police came to the spot, they took money from the TMC goons and allowed the accused to go scot-free. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has accused the BJP of beating up two of their party workers in retaliation.

While speaking about the ordeal, BJP (Jayanagar District Secretary) Bikas Sardar lamented, “The police have sold out their souls to the Trinamool Congress. There is no rule of law here.”

Following the deteriorating law and order situation, a large contingent of police was deployed in the area. Baruipur SDPO Atish Biswas said that an investigation has been initiated into the matter.

Earlier this month, local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shivam Roy was caught on camera slapping a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mandal President. West Bengal Food Minister Rathin Ghosh was present at the scene when the incident happened.

As per reports, Ghosh was speaking to the villagers to take stock of the grievances when BJP’s Sagar Biswas came as a common villager and expressed his grievances to the minister. For unreported reasons, Roy slapped Biswas.

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