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Karnataka: Hindu activists arrested for declaring protest against Muslim vendors setting up shops near Temples, MLA says religion-based restriction not possible

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Hindu activists arrested for declaring protest against Muslim vendors setting up shops near Temples, MLA says religion-based restriction not possible

On November 29, Tuesday, a Muslim trader who had set up his shop near Harihara Subramanya Temple in Ponnampet in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, was stopped from conducting business near the Hindu temple.

In a video doing rounds on social media, Ambika, a college professor and the district coordinator of the Durga Vahini, said that the Muslim trader could have come here with his real identity card. “Despite being told that non-Hindus will not be allowed to do business here, they are doing so using fake ID cards such as Aadhaar cards with Hindu names.”

In Bengaluru’s VV Puram locality, Hindu rights groups called for a boycott of Muslim traders during the religious fair at the Subramanya Swami temple. On November 29, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal submitted a memorandum to Tushar Giri, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner and South Bengaluru DCP P Krishnakant, seeking a ban on Muslim traders near Hindu temples. 

Notably, three Hindu activists were taken into preventive custody on Tuesday, after they warned to stage a protest against the decision to allow Muslim vendors to do business near the Hindu temple.

Uday Garudachar, BJP MLA for Chikpet, stated that Hindu traders could conduct business near dargahs and mosques. “The Hindu community does not bother others; a few individuals cause problems and raise objections,” he explained.

He clarified that no new rules would be imposed as a result of the Hindu activists’ demands. People of all faiths were granted permission.

“The old rituals will be followed. Giving opportunities only to Hindu traders is not feasible. If anyone attempts to cause problems in the fair, legal action will be taken against them,” he said.

The Federation of Street Vendors Union in Bengaluru hitting out at the state government said that “banning of vendors from a particular religion is unconstitutional and the government’s silence reflects that their stance is anti-constitutional.”

Notably, the Hindu activists were opposed to the decision of allowing Muslim traders near Hindu temples. They argued that when Muslims do not allow Hindu traders to conduct business near Mosques and Dargahs, then why should such rules be imposed on Hindu fairs? Hindu activists also challenged the Chikpet MLA Garudachar to allow Hindu vendors near Mosques, to which the MLA responded saying that Hindu traders will be allowed to open shops in his constituency in surrounding areas of Mosques. He also assured legal action against those who bar Hindu traders from doing business.

Speaking about the boycott calls, Hindu Jagran Vedike leader, Shrikanth told the media that the group demands a ban on non-Hindu traders from doing business near Hindu temples including Anjanadri Hills.

Shrikanth while referring to the recent arrests in terror accused cases said that “Hindu temples are on target of anti-national elements.”

Notably, On November 19, an auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal town. The accused terrorist Mohammed Shariq was carrying a pressure cooker, and police found that there was an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the cooker which exploded. Recently, an Islamist terrorist outfit Islamic Resistance Council (IRC) claimed responsibility for the blast and also stated in a note that went viral on social media that the “Hindutva temple” in Kadri, Dakshina Kannada district was the target of the blast. The Karnataka DGP had called the blast as an “act of terror”.

Police in AAP-led Punjab lathi charges farmers: Here are their demands and how Arvind Kejriwal had supported farmers’ protest against farm laws

OpIndia Staff
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Police in AAP-led Punjab lathi charges farmers: Here are their demands and how Arvind Kejriwal had supported farmers’ protest against farm laws

On Wednesday, the Punjab Police officials imposed a lathi charge on the farmers and labour union workers who staged massive protests outside the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur. The farmers and workers held silent protests under the banner of Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, a joint front of eight labour unions on the highway in the city over various demands when the baton charge took place.

What are the demands of the protesting farmers

According to the reports, farmers protested seeking a minimum pay increase of Rs 700 under ‘The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’ (MGNREGA), 33 per cent participation for Dalits in local cooperative organizations, and improvements to land acquisition relief.

Farmers also sought compensation for the deaths of their livestock as a result of lumpy skin disease, as well as payment for damaged crops and the cancellation of FIRs for burning agricultural residues. Many of the protesting farmers were also detained by the Police who imposed a lathi charge to disperse the crowd from outside the residence of Mann.

Earlier, while announcing the protests of November 30, Zora Singh Nasrali, president of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) which is a part of Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha had said, “We had a few meetings with CM Bhagwant Mann, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and bureaucrats in the past but our last meeting with Mann was scheduled for October 3 but it was called off. And after that, no date for the meeting was announced. Officials gave us assurance but not in writing. Hence, we have no other choice but to protest outside the CM’s house.”

Political reactions to Punjab Police lathicharging farmers

Shiromani Akali Dal’s Maheshinder Singh Grewal took cognizance of the incident and condemned the police action on the protesting farmers. “This lathi-charge is unfortunate. It is the hypocrisy of AAP,” he said. BJP’s Manjnder Singh Sirsa also chastised the AAP government and accused Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of using money from Punjab in the Gujarat Assembly elections.

“Kejriwal showed his true form by lathi-charging Punjab farmers sitting on dharna outside CM Bhagwant Mann’s house. Instead of giving the farmers their rights, Kejriwal is weakening Punjab by investing all the money of Punjab in promoting Gujarat. Punjabis will give a befitting reply to this injustice of Kejriwal,” he said.

The incident is said to have happened when Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann are engaged in campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly Elections. Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has denied the claims that they had imposed a lathi charge upon the protesting farmers. “No lathicharge was done, and the protest is going on peacefully. An aggressive faction of protesters indulged in a scuffle, which was later controlled by the police. We have taken cognizance of their demands,” SSP Sangrur said on December 1.

It’s important to note that the Aam Aadmi Party and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal had extended support to the farmers who had staged a severe protest against the three farm laws introduced by the Centre in the year 2020. “Till these three dark laws are not rolled back, the farmers will continue their protest, and the AAP stands in support with them,” the party’s Punjab in-charge and Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh had said.

Also, Kejriwal had congratulated and supported the farmers from Punjab who had led the agitation. “It was the longest non-violent movement. The ruling party (BJP) did everything to instigate them. They faced abuses and were termed as terrorists, Khalistani, and agents of China and Pakistan. Water cannon was used, and nails were used to stop them but they overcome it all. This movement enhanced the confidence of people in a democracy that was shaken recently,” he had said after PM Modi announced that the laws would be repealed on November 26, 2021.

Recently in March this year, the Kejriwal Government approved the dismissal of 17 cases filed by the Delhi Police against farmers during last year’s anti-farm law demonstrations, including one involving violence at the Red Fort on Republic Day.

In the current case, the farmers who led the protest seeking a minimum pay increase of Rs 700 under MGNREGA, 33 percent participation for Dalits in local cooperative organizations, improvements to land acquisition relief, compensation for the deaths of their livestock as a result of lumpy skin disease and the cancellation of FIRs for burning agricultural residues, were lathi-charged by the Punjab Police. The Punjab Police denied the claims and said that no lathi charge was imposed and that the Police were attempting to control the crowd.

Korean vlogger harassed in Mumbai by Mobeen Chand and Mohammad Naqeeb during a live stream, both arrested after social media outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Korean vlogger harassed in Mumbai by Mobeen Chand and Mohammad Naqeeb during a live stream, both arrested after social media outrage

On December 1, Mumbai Police arrested Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari for harassing a Korean woman vlogger in Khar. In a statement, the police said, “Two youths – Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari – arrested for allegedly molesting a Korean woman YouTuber during a live streaming. Khar Police registered an FIR u/s 354 IPC and arrested both of them.”

On November 29, Korean Twitch streamer Hyojeong, who goes by the handle ‘Mhyochi’ on the streaming platform and social media, was harassed in Khar, Mumbai, by two young men who have been identified as Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari. Mhyochi is currently on a trip to India and regularly streaming her journey on her Twitch channel.

The clip of the incident was shared by a Twitter user, Beaver_R6 (Aditya), who said, “A streamer from Korea was harassed by these boys in Khar last night while she was live streaming in front of 1000+ people. This is disgusting, and some action needs to be taken against them. This cannot go unpunished.”

Quoting Aditya, Mhyochi said, “Last night on stream, there was a guy who harassed me. I tried my best not to escalate the situation and leave because he was with his friend. And some people said that it was initiated by me being too friendly and engaging in the conversation. Makes me think again about streaming.”

The incident and the clips of the woman being harassed went viral on social media and triggered outrage from Indians who demanded action against the culprits.

Mhyochi harassed by Mobeen Chand and Mohammad Naqeeb in Khar

In an over six and a half hours long streaming video from November 29 on Mhyochi’s channel, the incident happened at 6 hours 20 minutes timestamp onwards. Mhyochi was walking along on a fairly busy street at night when two men on a bike approached her. Being polite and cheerful, she replied to a man wearing a black shirt who called her.

He said, “Hi… how are you… I love you.” It appeared Mhyochi saw it as a harmless interaction and replied, “Aww, you love me? I love you too,” and started walking away. The man again approached her. Mhyochi explained that she was making a video. When the man noticed the camera, he looked into it, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tried to kiss her.

Shocked by the incident, the first reaction from Mhyochi was to ask how old he was. The man grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards his bike. He said, “Come with me and sit on my bike.” She asked, “Where are we going?” The man did not answer and kept pulling her. She repeatedly said no and said, “I am dressed”, giving the impression that she couldn’t sit in the dress she was wearing.

The man again wrapped his arm around her and tried to kiss her for the second time. Mhyochi realised she had to leave the location immediately and tried to avoid any confrontation. She started walking away immediately. A few seconds later, she said, “Time to go home”, it was not over yet. The man and his friend started following her and again asked her to sit with them on the bike. He then asked her for her phone number. It looked like she gave a fake number to get out of the situation as soon as possible.

A few moments another man came into the frame, which appeared to be known to Mhyochi. He said he was watching her live when he noticed what was happening and came. She said, “I think I should stay here for a couple of minutes so that he can leave.” The two men who harassed her again followed them on the bike. The bearded man approached them and asked, “Why are you doing this?”. There was some conversation between him and the two men, after which they left the place. He walked with Mhyochi for some time and then left.

Later, she again spotted those two men, who appeared to be with a group. Mhyochi decided it was best to run away. She reached the hotel safely, and while taking a breath, she chatted with some of the followers who were watching her live stream. Sadly, some of them blamed her for being over-friendly. Mhyochi said, “One thing I was afraid of was that I could beat him if he was alone, but if he was with a friend group waiting there, that’s pretty scary.”  “Please don’t tell me if I have done something wrong. Did I? Maybe I should stop smiling at strangers. That’s right? Not being nice to other people. Is that what you are saying? Don’t tell me that I have done something wrong. Every time this thing happens, even in Egypt, there are always people saying that I have done something wrong.” She then asked the person blaming her for what had happened to leave the stream and unfollow her.

In a story on her Instagram account she said, “Last night on stream, there was a guy who harassed me. I tried my best not to escalate the situation and leave because he was with his friend. And some people said that it was initiated by me being too friendly and engaging the conversation. Or I am just being too naive and shouldn’t walk alone or drink at a bar alone. I am tired of people who are saying about me as if they know me well.”

Source: Mhyochi/Instagram

Mumbai Police has replied to her tweet seeking information about the incident. OpIndia has messaged Mhyochi for more details on the matter.

ISIS caliph Hashimi al-Qurayshi dead, Islamic State announces Abu al-Husseini al-Qurayshi as his successor

OpIndia Staff
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ISIS caliph Hashimi al-Qurayshi dead, Islamic State announces Abu al-Husseini al-Qurayshi as his successor

On Wednesday, November 30, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) confirmed that its supreme leader Abu Hasan-al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had been killed in a clash. The Islamic terrorist group also announced the successor of Hashimi-al-Qurashi.

In an audio message on Telegram, a spokesperson of the terrorist organisation Abu Omar al-Muhajir said Hashimi was killed “in combat with enemies of Allah.” However, the audio did not reveal the date and circumstances of Hashimi’s death. According to the ISIS spokesperson, Abu-al-Husseini-al-Qurashi has been selected as the new leader of the terrorist outfit.

As per Western media reports, the US military has stated that Abu Hasan-al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had died in October itself, at the hands of anti-government rebels in Southern Syria.

Notably, Hashimi al-Qurayshi was an Iraqi terrorist and the Islamic State’s third “caliph.” He was named caliph on March 10, 2022, a month after former IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi blew himself up by detonating his suicide vest to avert capture by US soldiers in Idlib province of Northern Syria. Abu Ibrahim was named as the IS leader after the death of his predecessor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Baghdadi died during a US raid in Idlib province in October 2019.

It is notable here that the names of all ISIS ‘caliphs’ are nom de guerre, rather than their original names.

Baghdadi had claimed to belong to the Quraysh tribe and hence a descendant of Prophet Mohammed. However, there was no evidence to back his claim. Baghdadi’s death was announced via audio released by ISIS’ media arm, the al-Furqan Foundation. ISIS also confirmed the death of Abu Hassan al-Mujahir, the ISIS spokesperson since 2016 and Baghdadi’s close aide. Al-Mujahir was killed in Northern Syria in a joint operation between US troops and Kurdish forces, just hours after al-Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest.

Following an uprise in Iraq and Syria in 2014, during which it conquered vast stretches of territory, ISIS saw its self-proclaimed “caliphate” crumble under a wave of military operations.

ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but the Sunni Muslim extremist group’s sleeper cells continue to carry out attacks in both countries and claim attacks elsewhere around the world.

No more Twitter vs Apple: Elon Musk says Tim Cook had never considered removing Twitter from the Apple store, posts video of HQ visit

OpIndia Staff
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No more Twitter vs Apple: Elon Musk says Tim Cook had never considered removing Twitter from the Apple store, posts video of HQ visit

On November 30 (local time), billionaire and Twitter’s new chief Elon Musk said in a tweet that the issue between Apple and Twitter had been resolved. He published a video of his visit to Apple headquarters. While thanking Apple’s CEO Tim Cook for showing him around the HQ, Musk said they had a good conversation and resolved the misunderstanding about possibly removing Twitter from the App Store.

Elon Musk added that Tim Cook told him Apple never considered taking any such step.

He said, “Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.”

The feud between Twitter and Apple

On November 28, Musk lashed out at Apple for the App Store policies and tax rules. Musk accused the iPhone maker of blocking ads on Twitter without specifying why. Furthermore, Musk added that the company was pressuring Twitter over demands related to content moderation. He asked Apple if the company was against “free speech” in America. He tagged Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, and asked what was happening. Though Musk said the reason behind the alleged steps being taken by Apple was unknown, his tweets pointed toward the social media platform’s new moderation policy leaning towards “safeguarding free speech” could be the reason behind it.

Musk also targeted Apple for the hefty fees they charge for in-app purchases. In a tweet, Musk said, “Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store.” Notably, Twitter is working on a worldwide rollout of Twitter subscriptions at $8. Apple would take a 30 per cent cut from all such subscriptions every month.

No official statement from Apple has been issued so far in the matter.

A senseless comment of one individual cannot change relations between 2 nations: OpIndia talks to The Kashmir Files producer over comments of Israeli filmmaker

OpIndia Staff
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A senseless comment of one individual cannot change relations between 2 nations: OpIndia talks to The Kashmir Files producer over comments of Israeli filmmaker

Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, which has become the second-highest-grosser Hindi movie of the year, was involved in a recent controversy after Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid made unwarranted comments about the movie. Heading the jury of the recently concluded International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa, Lapid called The Kashmir Files a propaganda and vulgar film.

Lapid had said that he was “shocked” and “disturbed” by its inclusion in the competitive section, adding that it was inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. Nadav Lapid’s comments attracted strong criticism, both from Indians and Israelis.

Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon wrote an open letter to Lapid, saying that Lapid should be ashamed of himself. He said that calling Kashmir Files was equivalent to doubting Schindler’s List, the Holocaust and worse. Gilon also apologised to Indians for the comments of the filmmaker. Israel’s Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani said that he told Lapid that he made a big mistake and these remarks were not appropriate. He also met Anupam Kher to apologise for Nadav Lapid’s comments.

While Nadav Lapid said that his views were shared by all members of the jury, some jury members have already distanced themselves from the controversy. They have said that these were Lapid’s personal views and they don’t agree with him.

Amid this backdrop, OpIndia talked to Abhishek Agarwal, one of the producers of The Kashmir Files. He said that although it was slightly painful to see someone put down their work and the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus so easily on such a huge event, overall it seemed a petty issue to the makers of the film. He also called it a senseless comment of one individual, saying it can’t have any impact on Indo-Israel relations.

Here is the full transcript of the interview:

1) How would you like to respond to Nadav Lapid’s statement calling ‘The Kashmir Files’ vulgar and propaganda?

Firstly, it was very unprofessional of a jury member to criticise one specific movie at such a prestigious event. Nadav Lapid, being an outsider, would have had no idea about what our country has gone through or about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. So calling the movie ‘propaganda and vulgar’ is not acceptable.

2) Various leaders and diplomats of Israel have slammed Nadav Lapid for his statement. What are your views on Jews & Israel? Do you think this will affect Hindu-Jews or India-Israel relations?

A senseless comment of one individual cannot change the relations between two nations. Mr. Kobbi Shoshani, the Counsel General of Israel to India in fact publicly condemned the comments made by Nadav Lapid. Mr. Kobbi shares a friendship with Shri Anupam Kher Ji and met him at Anupam Ji’s school to explain how the comment pained him. Every race and country has its own set of challenges and to overcome it by unity should be our goal. Be it the Jews or Hindus, we need to find strength in unity.

3) IFFI is organised by Goa govt & central IB Ministry. Do you think they made a mistake in selecting Nadav Lapid as jury head? What would you like to demand of Pramod Sawant & Anurag Thakur?

In hindsight, we could talk and argue about a lot of things. But the jury was selected based on particular criteria and the selection committee cannot be blamed now that one individual has gone rogue. What a person speaks or does on stage is uncontrollable in such events and the same is the case here. But to call a movie which shows the plight of our Kashmiri brothers as propaganda is a hard pill to swallow for every Indian and the comment is right being ambushed.

4) You too visited Goa during IFFI. What were the people there saying about Kashmir Files. Can you please recall?

It has been almost 10 months since The Kashmir Files released and has received great applause and appreciation wherever it was played and featured. The same is the case at the IFFI in Goa. People felt the pain and empathised with our Kashmiri Hindus while watching the movie. Our motive of making the movie was to tell the truth to the maximum number of people and we are proud that we achieved it.

5) Do the team have any apprehensions that Delhi Files and Vaccine would also be targeted like that. Will you do some special preparations this time? How will you deal with the liberal gang on the next two projects?

Absolutely not! Our job is to make movies and tell great stories. The Delhi Files and The Vaccine War are great stories which need to be told. Honest filmmaking is what we believe in and we would again deliver movies which would be loved far and wide. Coming to the so-called liberal gang, Indians would deal with them by making our movies blockbusters.

6) Can you please tell the people what Megastar Chiranjeevi & Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja said about Kashmir Files? Since they don’t speak publicly on every matter, people would love to know their view on the movie from you.

Both Megastar Chiranjeevi & Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja appreciated the movie. Appreciation from such huge stars always means a lot. Being such senior heroes, they understood the kind of film we have made and had nice things to say about it.

7) Is there any appeal from you to the central govt regarding selection of jury in such film festivals? Do you think some people in the bureaucracy are working deliberately to target movies like TKF? Being an eminent producer, you can give some suggestions through us.

There are eminent people in the central government who are doing a great job when it comes to promoting our film industry or thinking about the welfare of our industry. The only suggestion I’d like to give is that in such prestigious events with high stakes, people in charge should be chosen carefully. India is a diverse country and so is Indian cinema. So, people who are aware about the social, political and historical landscapes of our great country can always do a better job.

8) Did you talk to Vivek Agnihotri & Anupam Kher after Nadav Lapid’s statement. What was the discussion like? What did they say? Were they hurt or somewhere they feared that this could come.

We discussed it briefly but it seemed a petty matter for us. All of us believe that we should embrace the people who love us and love our cinema instead of giving heed to people who criticise and spread hatred. It slightly pained to see someone put down our work and the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus so easily on such a huge event. We told a story which needed to be told and we are extremely proud of ourselves.

9.) Can you please give data on ‘The Kashmir Files’ watch hours on ZEE5? Is there any spike in the number of people watching this movie after Nadav Lapid’s statement?

I do not have the exact data to give you but since our movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ started streaming on Zee5, there has been great viewership for the movie till date. I’m pretty sure that the viewership will continue to flourish as more and more people are now interested in watching the movie.

10) Are you expecting The Kashmir Files to rule in the next national awards? Do you think Filmfare will give nominations-awards to the movie?

We started and made the movie with one aim – to tell the plight of Kashmiri Hindus in the most honest way possible. The movie was released and became a blockbuster. We are not running behind awards but it is great to see our honest attempt getting accolades and appreciation. Awards are great but to have the support of the people of India and to have people advocate our movie is the greatest achievement.

Ravish Kumar resigns from NDTV India after Adani group acquired over 29% stake in NDTV Ltd

OpIndia Staff
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Ravish Kumar resigns from NDTV India after Adani group acquired over 29% stake in NDTV Ltd

On Wednesday, 30th November 2022, veteran TV journalist Ravish Kumar resigned from NDTV India. Ravish Kumar was working as Senior Executive Editor of NDTV India, the Hindi News channel of NDTV group. His move comes after the Adani Group acquired over 29% stake in NDTV by acquiring 99.5% in RRPR, the promoter firm through which promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy held 29.18% in NDTV Ltd.

Reportedly, Ravish Kumar’s resignation was disclosed in an internal email addressed to NDTV employees by Suparna Singh, president of NDTV Group. She said in the email, “Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV and the Company has agreed to his request for his resignation to be effective immediately.”

She added, “Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish. This reflects in the immense feedback about him; in the crowds, he draws everywhere; in the prestigious awards and recognition, he has received, within India and internationally; and in his daily reports, which champion the rights and needs of those who are under-served.”

“Ravish has been an integral part of NDTV for decades: his contribution has been immense, and we know he will be successful as he embarks on a new beginning,” the mail further said.

Ravish Kumar has been working with NDTV for over 15 years, and currently hosts the prime-time show on weekdays. Ravish Kumar hosted many shows on this channel including the channel’s flagship weekday show Hum Log, Ravish ki Report, Des Ki Baat, and Prime Time.

Kumar’s resignation comes a day after Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from the board of directors of RRPR Holding Private Limited. They had resigned a day after 99.5% of the equity of RRPR Holding was transferred to Vishvapradhan Commercial Vishvapradhan Commercial private limited (VCPL) owned by the Adani group.

Ravish Kumar, who is active on social media, has not made comments on his resignation so far. It will be interesting to see whether Ravish Kumar joins a different news channel in the coming days or starts his online venture, like several former NDTV journalists have done.

In August this year, Adani Group announced that it had acquired 29.18% stake in NDTV indirectly. The transaction involved Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd, owned by Adani Group, converting warrants of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPR) into equity. VCPL held warrants of RRPR shares against an unsecured loan given to the Roys, and as they could not repay the loan, the company decided to execute the warrants, which gave them 99.5% stake in RRPR. As RRPR owns 29.18% stake in NDTV, now these shares have gone to VCPL, which is owned by Adani Group company AMG Media Network Ltd (AMNL).

After acquiring the stake in NDTV, VCPL has now made an open offer to purchase a further 26% shares of NDTV from shareholders, as mandated by rules. It is notable that even after selling the 29.18% stake in NDTV through RRPR, Prannoy Roy still holds 32% NDTV shares in a personal capacity. VCPL has made the open offer at Rs 294 per share, well below the current market price, which closed at Rs 446 today.

Maharashtra: Aman Sheikh poses as Amrut Khairnar to entrap and abduct a minor Dalit girl from Shrirampur; Hindu groups, BJP demand police action

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Aman Sheikh poses as Amrut Khairnar to entrap and abduct a minor Dalit girl from Shrirampur; Hindu groups, BJP demand police action

In Maharashtra, a Dalit minor girl (17) was allegedly kidnapped by a person named Aman Sheikh (24) who posed himself as Amrut Ram Khairnar. The girl and the accused both belong to the Srirampur area of the Ahmednagar district. However, the girl was kidnapped by the accused from Shirdi where she had gone with her family to visit the Sai Baba temple.

According to local sources, the incident is said to have happened in the second week of November this year. The accused Aman Sheikh abducted the minor girl from Shirdi. He trapped her in a love affair and lured her. He also forged documents, including a fake Aadhaar Card, to convince the victim girl that he was a Hindu, reports said. The victim is a resident of the Sanjay Nagar area of Shrirampur while the accused stayed in ward number two of the same city.

The parents of the girl confirmed to Sudarshan news that Aman Sheikh trapped the victim girl in a love affair and later abducted her from Shirdi. “Aman Sheikh stays in the ward number two area of the city. His mother owns a beauty parlour and we have been asking her about our daughter since she disappeared. Even Aman is not seen around in the city and at his home”, the father of the girl said.

Meanwhile, her mother said that they have lodged a police complaint and had been asking the police to launch an investigation into the case. “We daily go to the police station to demand action but no action is taken. We are just told that an investigation is underway. It’s been more than 15 days and we want our daughter back,” she said.

The members of several Hindu organisations including the Rashtriya Shriram Sangha and Hindu Dharmarakshak Sena took cognizance of the incident and submitted a memorandum on November 26 to the Upper District Magistrate. They demanded immediate police action in the case and said that they would launch severe protests if the police fails to find the victim and take action against the accused. (Time Stamp 01:52)

The Bharatiya Janata Party members have also taken cognizance of the event and have demanded strict action against the accused. BJP’s Bhatke Vimukta Yuva Aghadi’s district president Dattabhau Khemnar and BJP SC Morcha city president Sagar Shinde, Manoj Yadav, and Tilak Sonar also met the Additional SP along with the girl’s parents and demanded immediate action in the case. The BJP workers said that they would stage a protest if the police fails to take action against the accused.

Local sources informed OpIndia that the victim is a minor girl and will be 18 on December 6 this year. Her school leaving certificate obtained by OpIndia also reveals that the victim girl was born on December 6, 2004. On the other hand, the fake Aadhaar card created by the accused shows his birth date as July 6, 1998. The girl is still missing and police investigations are underway.

The school leaving certificate of the victim girl was obtained by OpIndia.

Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Malegaon, Nashik where a minor tribal girl was abducted by a person named Imran Sheikh. The girl had disappeared from her home while she was alone. The family of the girl and several Adivasi and Hindu organisations then alleged that the police were not taking the case seriously as the victim girl belonged to the tribal community.

Nadav Lapid calls controversy over his comments on ‘The Kashmir Files’ a cheap political manipulation, accuses Naor Gilon and others of politicising it

OpIndia Staff
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Nadav Lapid calls controversy over his comments on ‘The Kashmir Files’ a cheap political manipulation, accuses Naor Gilon and others of politicising it

On Wednesday 30th November 2022, leftist Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid came forward to shamelessly back his comments on Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files’. Nadav Lapid said that his opinions were shared by the other jury members in the IFFI as well. Besides, he called the stir created by his remarks in Indian society as well as the apologetic stance of the Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon towards India a ‘cheap political manipulation’ of the issue.

Nadav Lapid had sparked a controversy by calling filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir files ‘vulgar’ and ‘propaganda’ during his concluding remarks at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that was held in Goa. Lapid was the chairperson of the jury of the International Film Festival of India held in Goa.

However, now Lapid has admitted that many people think that the movie is brilliant. He added that he merely did his duty by expressing his views on it. He also said that he has not denied what had happened in Kashmir, but was only criticising the movie. However, he maintained that the movie is propaganda, adding that nobody can define what propaganda is.

In an interview with India Today, Nadav Lapid presented his next round of explanation, citing subjectivity this time, as leftists usually do when it gets difficult to defend their views. He said, “I had a feeling exactly because we are talking about such a tragic topic. These events oblige us to make serious movies. And this movie for me was exactly the opposite. It was a basic cheap cinematic manipulation.”

Nadav Lapid cleverly ducked the question “if ‘Schindler’s List was a propaganda film according to him”. He went on to preach about the subjectivity of considering something propaganda. He said, “No one has a key to distinguish between a propaganda and a non-propaganda film. I make movies that are very often controversial. They gained awards all over the world in the most prestigious places including Cannes and Berlin and Goa. There are people who accept criticism in the very harshest of words. Don’t make me analyze Schindler’s List or any other movies. Even the most terrible things that happened might give birth to propaganda and manipulated movies.” However, he did not specify what exactly in the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ was manipulated.

When asked about other jury members coming out saying that they do not agree with the views of Lapid on the movie, he accused them of lying and changing their position. He claimed that all the jury members had agreed on his views about the movie, but now they are changing their positions for fear or anxiety, or under pressure.

He said, “My statements and opinions were shared by all the jury members. All of us were sitting in the screening room and had the same feelings after the screening. Everyone was aware of what was going to be said. I have emails and WhatsApp to prove it. ”

To this answer, he was countered by the anchor citing the statement by an Indian on the jury panel, Nadav Lapid said, “I understand that under pressure or fear or anxiety, people can suddenly change their statements.” He refuted the claims of the Indian member that the issue was not even discussed. He also asked Rahul Kanwal to call other non-Indian members to verify his claims.

On widespread backlash by Indians and the Israeli ambassador to India apologizing to Indians and the Indian government, Nadav Lapid said, “I think that politicians have their way of making profits out of cases like this. The Israeli politicians and the ambassadors did abuse in an ugly disgusting and manipulative way in this case. I am a private person. I have the right to say what I think. I don’t need to get authorization for this. Neither from the Israeli ambassador nor from anyone else. I am not their property. I don’t need to get advice from them about what I say and what I don’t say. I was talking as an artist and as a filmmaker and as a jury invited to give my opinion about the films there.”

He added, “The Israeli ambassador is doing the same manipulation. I will say this if I have to say it another one thousand times. I was never ever speaking about the Kashmir tragedy. I am not at all taking back what I said. But I am sorry if people are hurt by this. I was talking about the movie. The Israeli ambassador is claiming that he is not a film expert but he thinks that The Kashmir Files s not a propaganda film. It is his right to say so. I don’t know to which extent he was saying this and what exactly it means. But this is a cheap manipulation, about what I was saying done, by the Israeli people and also certain people in India.”

When asked about his claim regarding other jury members being already aware of his comments well before, he said,

The Kashmir Files, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studio fared remarkably well at the box office, grossing over 330 crores.

Five cars rented by US President’s secret service burst into flames after his Nantucket vacation: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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Five cars rented by US President’s secret service burst into flames after his Nantucket vacation: Watch

A day after returning from his Nantucket vacation, President Joe Biden’s hired Secret Service cars caught fire in a parking lot. Last week, Biden and his family celebrated Thanksgiving on the luxurious Massachusetts island. The video of the incident went viral over social media which showed cars burst into flames.

According to the reports, the Secret Service hired five cars from Hertz to drive the president and his family, and all 5 of them burst into flames in the parking lot. Firefighters in the viral video are seen dousing the burning remains of an engine block of one car with water. A Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX80, Ford Expedition, and a Jeep Gladiator comprised the five vehicles which caught fire. 

The fire apparently only reached 40 feet from the jet fuel tanks at the Nantucket airport, where the cars were parked. Currently, it is uncertain what started the fire. The airport authority commented on the issue and said, “At approximately 5:22 am Airport shift staff observed an active fire in the rental car overflow area through the Airport’s Closed Circuit Television System. Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department”.

“Combined fire resources responded and contained the fire. Several vehicles were damaged. The Airport is currently coordinating with rental car agencies and agency partners to ensure scene safety, There is no longer an active fire at this time: the Airport is open, and aeronautical operations are not affected,” the statement read.

Biden celebrated the holiday with his family over the Nantucket island. He and his family resided in a seaside home near Nantucket Harbor. Ashley and Hunter Biden were among the family members who accompanied Biden on the vacation. Reports mention that the family has been celebrating Thanksgiving on the island for over 40 years.

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