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Arvind Kejriwal hails Delhi HC for dismissing the case against Satyendar Jain, Netizens remind him Jain will continue to remain in jail

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal hails Delhi HC for dismissing the case against Satyendar Jain, Netizens remind him Jain will continue to remain in jail

On Monday, October 10, the Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to heap praises on the Delhi High Court for dismissing a case against his loyalist Satyendar Jain. However, he omitted to mention that the dismissed case was an old one brought against Jain under the Benami Act. Satyendar Jain, a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and the Delhi Health Minister, is presently imprisoned in connection with a money-laundering case involving hawala transactions by a Kolkata-based business.

The AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, which translates as “The court dismissed the case against Satyendar Jain. They had forcibly put an honest man in jail for so many months. It would be so much better if these people invested their time in nation-building projects rather than concentrating on fake cases!”

Kejriwal was responding to a tweet from the Indian legal news website Bar & Bench, which said clearly that the Delhi High Court has closed all legal actions against Jain under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act.

“Delhi High Court allows AAP minister Satyendar Jain’s plea challenging proceedings against him under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act. The court has closed all the proceedings against Jain under the Act,” Bar & Bench tweet read.

In his haste to vindicate his loyalist Satyendra Jain, accused in cases related to disproportionate assets and money laundering, Arvind Kejriwal probably forgot to properly read the post shared by Bar and Bench. The post mentioned in plain and simple words that the proceeding against Satyendra Jain that has been dismissed was registered under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act. Whereas the case for which the AAP minister is currently lodged in jail is the one registered against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Taking a cue from their chief, other AAP leaders also rejoiced claiming that the court vindicated Satyendra Jain.

However, several informed Internet users were eager to educate Kejriwal. “This is a different and old case. It was registered under Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act. Currently, he is in jail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and he will continue to be in jail till further order. Still, you can ask your media houses to ignore facts,” tweeted popular Twitter user Befitting Facts.

Another Twitter user @4racs called out Kejriwal for his ignorance. He reminded the Delhi CM that this was the ‘second old case’ in which Satyendar Jain was accused. “If the case for which he is in jail had been dismissed, the thief Satendra Jain would not have come out?” asked the Twitter user mocking Kejriwal.

Rohit Upadhyay, a former journalist and the current head of social media for the BJP in Delhi, claimed that Kejriwal purposefully withheld some information from the public in order to mislead them. He criticised the chief minister of Delhi for frequently using trickery and fraud.

Army veteran Major Surendra Poonia slammed the Delhi CM for lying yet again.

Another Twitter user called out the Delhi CM’s lie. Referring to Kejriwal as ‘Lavanasur’, a moniker awarded to him last year, the social media user Tweeted, “Lavanasur ji! This is the outcome of a petition filed by Satyendra in 2017. He is in Jail for a different case I think, and that is a money laundering case.”

Notably, the case filed against Satyendar Jain under the Benami Act pertains to a complaint to the Lokayukta against Jain in 2017, seeking a probe into alleged Benami transactions by the Delhi minister. Much to the disappointment of the AAP supremo, the case registered against his minister Satyendar Jain by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case connected to the hawala transactions by a Kolkata-based company is very much open and the law would take its own course.

In April, the Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs. 4.81 crores owned by companies named Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the PMLA, 2002. The action was taken in connection with the disproportionate asset and money laundering case registered against AAP minister Satyendra Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others.

It may be recalled that on August 25, 2017, CBI filed an FIR against Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. The ED had registered a criminal case against the AAP leader based on this FIR which was lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which it had been alleged that Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder. The companies have reportedly laundered money to the tune of Rs 16.39 crores from 2010 to 2014.

Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena: Uddhav camp gets ‘mashaal’ as poll symbol, Eknath Shinde faction told to submit fresh options

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena: Uddhav camp gets ‘mashaal’ as poll symbol, Eknath Shinde faction told to submit fresh options

As the battle between current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena and former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s faction continues over the Shiv Sena symbol, Election Commission has given mashaal (flaming torch) as the symbol to Uddhav Thackeray faction. In addition, Uddhav Thackeray’s party name will be Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray whereas Eknath Shinde faction will be called Balasahebchi Shiv Sena.

Out of the 3 options submitted by the Uddhav camp, Election Commission rejected ‘trishul’ as an option due to its religious connotation, while rising sun was rejected due to its similarities with DMK’s symbol. Earlier, the Election Commission of India froze the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow symbol as both factions of the party continue to contest it.

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde camp had submitted trumpet, blunt mace and sword as its options for the election symbol but all three options were rejected and they were asked to submit three fresh options to the Election Commission. The two factions were trying to finalise their symbols ahead of the Andheri East bypoll, a seat that fell vacant after the demise of Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Latke in May 2022.

Shinde had revolted against Uddhav Thackeray for forming an “unnatural alliance” with Congress and NCP. Thackeray was forced to step down as Maharashtra Chief Minister after more than 40 of the Shiv Sena’s 55 MLAs supported Shinde. Shinde, who later claimed to be the leader of the original Shiv Sena, received backing from 12 of the Shiv Sena’s 18 Lok Sabha members.

The elections are going to be held on the 3rd of November later this year.

Exclusive: Islamists in Mominpore wanted local Hindu Dalits to stop Lakshmi Puja, remove pandals of Durga Puja

OpIndia Staff
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Exclusive: Islamists in Mominpore wanted local Hindu Dalits to stop Lakshmi Puja, remove pandals of Durga Puja

The Hindu community in the Mominpore locality of Kolkata in West Bengal was attacked by Islamists on Sunday (October 9), coinciding with the Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations.

Opindia has now learnt that the Hindus were targeted by Islamists for refusing to dismantle the Durga Puja pandals, ahead of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.

A Kolkata-based journalist, who is privy to the incident, informed, “Mominpore is a Muslim-dominated area. There are small pockets where Hindus live.” He stated that a Durga Puja pandal, located close to the Jnan Chandra Ghosh Polytechnic college, was the primary target of the Islamists.

According to the journalist, who chose to stay anonymous to avoid backlash from the Mamata Banerjee government, the Durga Puja conducted by the Harijan Durgosave Committee (comprising of Hindu Dalits) were intimidated by the local Muslims.

“Muslims in the area have been pressuring them to remove the pandal and stop the conduct of Lakshmi Puja,” he informed. “In West Bengal, wherever Durga Puja is celebrated, it is mandatory to worship Goddess Lakshmi at the same site,” the journalist added.

While the Hindu Dalits were being coerced into submission since the time of Durga Puja, they refused to relent. In their defence, the Harijan Durgosave Committee informed that the Durga pandal could only be removed after the conduct of Lakshmi Puja.

This however did not sit well with the local Muslims, who came in droves to vandalise the pandal, pelt stones and damage vehicles on Sunday (October 9).

“They coerced the Ekbalpur police station to register a case against Hindus, who are associated with the Puja committee. They also carried out targeted attacks on Hindu homes and looted shops belonging to the Hindu community,” the Kolkata-based journalist added.

He pointed out that the Islamists, who attacked the Hindus, are still at large. “Their target was to force a demography change and remove Hindus from these pockets,” a member of a Hindu rights organisation said.

On being asked about police absence when Islamists ambushed the Ekbalpur police station, the Hindu activist said, “The police seemed completely helpless. Such an attack is not possible without some degree of political backing.”

“After the imposition of Section 144, things are a bit of control,” he emphasised about the ongoing situation in Mominpore.

Mominpore anti-Hindu riots: Here is what we know so far

Opindia had earlier reported how Islamists vandalised bikes and shops belonging to Hindus at Maila Depot in Mominpore. According to West Bengal BJP Chief Sukanta Majumdar, the Hindu community has been forced to flee after their houses came under attack in Mayurbhanj in the Kolkata port area.

BJP leader Pritam Sur also shared scary visuals where miscreants were seen unleashing mayhem on the streets. He tweeted, “Bombs and bricks are being hurled at us. Even the police are forced to flee. The situation is so grim that the face of democracy is blackened on the occasion of Lakshmi Puja.”

Under the allegation that an Islamic flag was desecrated, the accused also ambushed the Ekbalpur police station and forced the cops to flee. They were also seen waving Islamic flags.

Suvendu Adhikari wrote to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and sought urgent deployment of central forces in the region to protect the Hindu community that came under attack from the Islamists.

According to Twitter user Syed Ishtiyaque Alam, Mominpore anti-Hindu violence was the handiwork of Ghulam Asraf (Phoenix group owner), Rehan Khan (son-in-law of a TMC councillor), and Shahbaz Alam (a close aide of TMC leader Firhad Hakim).

Delhi Commission for Women writes to I&B Minister seeking MeToo accused Sajid Khan’s removal from Bigg Boss

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Commission for Women writes to I&B Minister seeking MeToo accused Sajid Khan’s removal from Bigg Boss

The head of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, has written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, requesting that MeToo-accused Bollywood filmmaker Sajid Khan be removed from the forthcoming season of the reality show Bigg Boss.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal wrote in a letter addressed on Monday that the minister should take action and that under no circumstances should a person like Sajid Khan be permitted to participate in television reality shows.

Sharing the letter on Twitter, Swati Maliwal wrote, “Sajid Khan was accused of sexual harassment by 10 women during the #MeToo movement. All these complaints show the disgusting mentality of Sajid. Now such a person has been given a place in Bigg Boss which is completely wrong. I have written a letter to @ianuragthakur Ji to get Sajid Khan removed from this show!”

Mentioning the names of the victims who accused Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct at the office place and otherwise, Swati wrote, “As the complaints against him reveal, it appears that Sajid Khan has acted as a sexual predator for a long time. Clearly, it is inappropriate for an alleged sexual offender such as Sajid Khan to be included in a primetime show which is watched by adults and children alike. This apparently gives him an undue opportunity to ‘whitewash’ his wrongs and be re-launched amongst Indian audiences.

“His inclusion in the show underlines the precedence that men who enjoy clout in the entertainment industry easily get away with abusive acts without facing any consequences. It also disrespects and invalidates those women who spoke out against his inappropriate sexual advance. They are upcoming celebrities in Hollywood and risked their career to come forward and complain against abuse by an authority figure,” the letter further reads.

Sajid Khan, a Bollywood filmmaker who was sidelined in the profession after sexual harassment allegations were levelled against him, is making a comeback on the reality show Bigg Boss. Following the news of Sajid’s participation in Bigg Boss, there has been much outrage, especially on social media and everywhere else.

During the 2018 MeToo movement, which saw women speak out about sexual harassment, Rachel White, Saloni Chopra, Sherlyn Chopra, Aahana Kumra, and Mandana Karimi, among others, made claims. Sherlyn Chopra disclosed distressing information about filmmaker Sajid Khan, such as being forced to touch his private parts.

Fake, orchestrated incidents of blasphemy an excuse to target the Hindu community? What Hindu victims after Kolkata violence point towards a pattern

Amit Kelkar
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Fake, orchestrated incidents of blasphemy an excuse to target the Hindu community? What Hindu victims after Kolkata violence point towards a pattern

Earlier yesterday, violence erupted in the Mominpore area, a Muslim-majority neighbourhood in Kolkata, after Islamists attacked Hindus and vandalised vehicles owned by Hindus and their commercial establishments. Several media organisations cited the tearing of a religious flag as a trigger that prompted the ensuing anti-Hindu rage.

However, eyewitnesses and residents revealed how false rumours and communally sensitive misinformation were spread to touch off an attack against Hindus. Speaking to News 24, a woman dressed in yellow and a resident of Mominpur exposed the Islamist machinations that intended to incite riots and brutalise the Hindus living in their midst. The lady said, “There was a flag stuck to a pole. They (Islamists) took it down and tore it up. Hindus were not involved in the act but were blamed for it.”

Another saree-clad woman said, “Rumours were spread that their flag was torn, thrown on the ground and kicked (by the Hindus). Nothing of this sort happened.”

“I was standing outside my house when I was hit on the head by a brick. I was about to bring my children home. When I sought help from the police, they abandoned me and fled from the area. Till now, I have not received treatment for my injury,” another man said while pointing out his injury.

As per residents, not Hindus but one of the Islamists removed and tore the Islamic flag to instigate their brethren against Hindus on the pretext of blasphemy against Islam. And they succeeded in fomenting anger and resentment among their co-religionists as Hindus in Kolkata’s Mominpore came under yet another bout of targeted attacks.

Scores of Islamists egged on by false rumours and aggrieved by the notion of blasphemy committed against Islam took to the streets and went on a rampage against their Hindu counterparts. They attacked Hindu residents living in Mominpore and vandalised commercial establishments and shops owned by Hindus for what they thought would avenge the perceived insult meted out on the Islamic flag by Hindus.

From Pakistan to Bangladesh to West Bengal, how Islamists lean on fake allegations of blasphemy to attack Hindus

In neighbouring Bangladesh, Islamists fuel fake news and rumours to attack the already victimised Hindu minority. In the 2021 case, Islamists in Bangladesh attacked the Durga Puja pandals after a madrasa worker deliberately placed a Quran copy near one of the pandals to trigger ‘blasphemy’ allegations.

Several Durga pandals were vandalized, close to 150 families were attacked and at least three Hindus were reportedly killed in the violent clash after a Facebook post claiming ‘insult to Quran’ at a pandal went viral on social media on Wednesday. 

The Islamic extremists immediately took to the streets and vandalized temples in Chandpur’s Hajiganj, Chattogram’s Banshkhali, Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj and Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua and brutally attacked the Hindu devotees. 

Similarly, in Pakistan, too, Islamists have weaponised blasphemy to target and pressure minorities into doing their bidding. Hindus and Christians are routinely targeted by Islamic zealots under false charges of blasphemy, often aimed at settling personal scores and sending a message to others from the minorities to either fall in line or risk facing the wrath of a mob that would stop at nothing less than death as blasphemy is punishable by death as per Islamic scriptures.

Therefore, revelations made by Hindu victims in the wake of communal violence that gripped Kolkata’s Mominpore hold particular significance. They point towards a sinister pattern, which involves the use of blasphemy as a tool to whip up a communal frenzy and marshal support to attack non-Muslims, especially Hindus. Be it Bangladesh, Pakistan, or West Bengal, Islamists operating in these disparate geographies are not only united by their slant to conservative orthodoxies but also by leaning on false rumours and misinformation about blasphemy to rally support and provoke attacks against non-Muslims. The Kolkata incident is yet another example of how Islamists continue to orchestrate fake incidents of blasphemy to attack and target the Hindu community.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi social media convener mocks Jain monk Tarun Sagar, miffed Jain community seeks apology from the leader

OpIndia Staff
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Bharat Rashtra Samithi social media convener mocks Jain monk Tarun Sagar, miffed Jain community seeks apology from the leader

Y Satish Reddy, the social media convener of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), the ruling party of Telangana, garnered significant criticism on Monday, October 10 for his Tweet disparaging the most revered Jain monk Tarun Sagar. Numerous religious leaders and Jain community members strongly objected to Reddy’s social media post, which the TRS leader quietly deleted following the backlash.

Members of the Jain community have sought an apology from Reddy and his party for offending the Jain community’s religious sentiments by insulting Jain monk Tarun Sagar.

Tarun Sagar was a Jain monk of the Digambar community who has a huge following in the Jain community. These monks do not wear clothes. He had passed away in the year 2018 after a prolonged illness.

The fury erupted after the BRS leader tweeted an old picture of the Digambar Jain monk blessing PM Narendra Modi with his sacred Chamara or ceremonial fly-whisk. The BRS leader had captioned the Tweet, “Idiots working under him are now talking about black cats, tantriks, etc,” thereby implying that Tarun Sagar was doing “black magic” on PM Modi.

Screenshot of TRS social media convener Y Satish Reddy now-deleted Tweet

TRS social media convener Y Satish Reddy’s Tweet had come in response to a Tweet by Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao wherein he ridiculed BJP State president Bandi Sanjay for his claim that the state CM K Chandrashekar Rao resorted to the name change of his party TRS to BRS on the advice of a ‘Tantrik.’

“Black cats, Tantriks. This is what you have to rely on When you have a Big ZERO to show in terms of what NDA Govt has delivered to Telangana,” KTR had tweeted.

Y Satish Reddy’s Tweet, however, did not sit well with the social media users and the Jain community members who called out the Telangana leader for hurting the religious sentiments of the Jain community by unnecessarily dragging their respected monk Tarun Sagar in the discussion.

BJP leader Amit Malviya took to Twitter to share the screenshot of YSR’s now-deleted Tweet and a short video byte wherein Jain monk Gurudev Shri Naypadmasagarji Maharaj Saheb is heard condemning the disparaging Tweet by the Telangana politician. He called it an insult to the entire Jain society.

BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao and popular social media user Ankit Jain also shared snippets wherein other Jain monks can be heard condemning YSR’s deplorable remark.

Another Twitter user strongly condemned the BRS leader for his ‘indecent tweet, which she believed was an insult to the entire Jain society.’

‘I have not violated any party rules’: Raja Singh responds to BJP’s disciplinary notice, says he was only imitating Faruqui

OpIndia Staff
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‘I have not violated any party rules’: Raja Singh responds to BJP’s disciplinary notice, says he was only imitating Faruqui

Telangana MLA T Raja Singh, who has been arrested by the TRS government and has been suspended by the BJP over his alleged statements against Muslim sentiments, has responded to the party’s decision to suspend him. In a letter, Raja Singh stated that he has not violated any party rules and has been implicated in false cases filed by the TRS government.

The Goshamahal MLA has written, in response to BJP’s disciplinary committee notice issued to him on August 23, that he has been representing the Muslim-majority Goshamhal constituency since 2014. He mentions that he was the only BJP MLA elected in Telangana in the 2018 elections and is currently one of the 3 MLAs the party has in the state. Raja Singh has added that for years, he has been fighting for the rights of Hindus who have been made a minority in the Goshamahal constituency and have been suffering due to the appeasement politics of various parties.

Raja Singh has added that Owaisi, who is the MP of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, of which Goshamahal is a part, has been an MP for 30 years and has been winning by practising communal politics. The AIMIM, with the help of the TRS government, has been trying to carry out all developmental works keeping the Majority Muslims in its mind, Singh says in his letter.

He has added that he has been targeted and harassed by AIMIM and TRS because he has been raising his voice against the discriminatory work done by the above parties and has been trying to address the concerns of Hindus in the area. Raja Singh has also added that he has been facing over 100 false cases and atrocities of the TRS government for the last 8 years.

He has added that the AIMIM and TRS workers have been disrupting Hindu festivities in his constituency for years. He has added that since the AIMIM has the word ‘Muslim’ in its name, it has been falsely claiming that whenever he (Raja Singh) criticises their party, he is criticising the entire Muslim community.

Raja Singh has added that he had decided to oppose the show of Munawar Faruqui by requesting the TRS government because there have been allegations against Faruqui that the hurls insults at Hindu Gods and his show could have caused communal tensions in the area. However, the TRS government ignored his request and allowed Faruqui’s show to proceed.

Raja Singh has further added that after the show, to make people understand how Faruqui performs his ‘comedy’, he made a video in imitation of Faruqui. He has asserted that he has neither insulted any religion, belittled any community in his video, nor used any derogatory, abusive language against any Gods. He added that he had never named any individual in his video. He adds that over 500 BJP workers and supporters were there protesting with him.

Raja Singh has written, “Even though the honourable court dismissed the case against me, the TRS government has invoked the PD act to keep me in jail. In the video, I only imitated Faruqui, based on information available on Google. I did not criticise any religion.”

At last, Singh has asserted that he has not violated Rule XXV 10 (a) of the BJP’s constitution mentioned in the disciplinary notice. He has requested the party to allow him to serve Bharat Mata, the people of India and the BJP. He has promised that he will never bring respect to the party and will continue to work within the party’s ideological principles.

Bengal: Complaint filed against Ghulam Ashraf, Shabaz Alam, Firhad Hakim, and others over anti-Hindu riots in Mayurbhanj Maila Depot

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal: Complaint filed against Ghulam Ashraf, Shabaz Alam, Firhad Hakim, and others over anti-Hindu riots in Mayurbhanj Maila Depot

On the intervening night of October 10 and October 11, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and President of Singha Bahini Devdutt Maji filed a complaint against Ghulam Ashraf, Shabaz Alam, Nezamuddin Shams, Firhad Hakim (Boby) and others for rioting against Hindus of Mayurbhanj Maila Dipo.

In his complaint, Maji said, “As you are well aware of the situation since the evening of October 8, 2022, till the present moment. The jihadi mob attacked Hindus and their properties in the Mayurbhanj Maila Depot area. Many Hindus were injured in the violence, and their properties were torched, destroyed, and looted. Muslim rioters even abused Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Many Jihadis numbering over a thousand brutally attacked innocent Hindus.”

Maji accused Muhammad Ghulam Ashraf, Shabaz Alam, Nezamuddin Shams, Firhad Hakim (Boby), and other influential TMC leaders of planning and executing riots against Hindus. He added, “Just moments before, Jihadis even thronged Ekbalpore police station and the police looked helpless.”

Speaking to OpIndia, Maji said, “As you know, riots against the Hindu community in the region have been taking place for the last two days. At around 12:45 AM on the intervening night of October 10 and October 11, I reached Ekbalpore Police station to submit my complaint in the matter. I wrote a complaint, but the police officers refused to accept it after they noticed the name of Firhad Hakim.”

In his complaint sent via email, Maji said that the officers available at the police station categorically said that both officers in charge and the Additional OC instructed them not to receive any complaints against the accused named in the complaint.

Maji further told OpIndia, “When they refused to accept the complaint, I decided to send the complaint by email. They can refuse a handwritten complaint, but how are they going to refuse to accept an online complaint.”

Speaking about the accused Firhad Hakim, a key aide to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maji recalled that in the year 2016, he took a journalist from The Dawn newspaper, Maleeha Hamid Sidiqqui, from Pakistan to show Garden Reach and described it as “Mini Pakistan”.

The mention of the constituency as Mini Pakistan became viral on social media after The Dawn published a report titled “Canvassing in ‘Mini Pakistan’ of Kolkata”. His statement stirred a huge controversy at that time. Following the backlash, Hakim justified his “Mini Pakistan” comment and said, “If Modi goes to Pakistan, it’s fine, and if I say something, it becomes an issue.” He further added that he was being targeted for being a Muslim.

Hindus attacked in Mayurbhanj in West Bengal

On Sunday (October 9), the Hindu community in the Mominpore locality of Kolkata in West Bengal came under attack as they geared up to celebrate the annual Lakshmi Puja. Sukanta Majumdar, BJP Chief of West Bengal, informed that bikes and shops belonging to Hindus were vandalised by Islamists at Maila Depot in Mominpore. In a video shared by him, bikes and nearby shops could be spotted in a damaged condition. Sukanta Majumdar further added that the Hindu community has been forced to flee after their houses came under attack in Mayurbhanj. “Police is silently watching. There is no law and order. The situation is serious but CM ⁦Mamata Banerjee is watching Hindus suffer,” he emphasised.

Makers of Adipurush served legal notice over the ‘Islamisation of Ramayana’, asked to stop movie promotion and rectify mistakes

OpIndia Staff
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Makers of Adipurush served legal notice over the ‘Islamisation of Ramayana’, asked to stop movie promotion and rectify mistakes

Recently, the National Cine Workers Union served a legal notice for criminal prosecution against the creators and performers of Adipurush, including director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, and others. According to the notification submitted to the Adipurush team, the creators have disrespected the Hindu faith and its values.

The notice also outlines the purpose of portraying authentic Ramayana characters as Islamisation, and the filthy expressions offered by them as a contentious act. It further states that Adipurush filmmakers and artists have harmed the cultural significance of the original characters in the Hindu epic Ramayana. The trailer for the film Adipurush, which features authentic Ramayana characters, has received widespread criticism.

The notice was issued by lawyer Ashish Rai. Ashish Rai told Times Now that the manner the producer and artist of the Adipurush film mocked Indian Hindu civilization is clearly morally objectionable. “Scriptures like Ramayana have a special focus on Hinduism. The manner in which the characters of the Hindu religion Ramayana have been tampered with in the movie Adipurush is objectionable,” he said.

“Due to this, Hindu civilization and religious Ramayana are being insulted. Therefore, keeping these important points in mind, a legal notice has been sent by NCWU to stop the promotion of the Adipurush movie immediately. If this mistake is not rectified in future, appropriate concrete criminal legal action will be taken against the producer and cast of Adipurush,” he further added.

Adipurush received a notice earlier from the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha demanding its director, Om Raut, to remove controversial scenes from the movie within seven days or risk legal repercussions. The notice was sent by Advocate Kamlesh Sharma on behalf of Pt. Suresh Mishra, the national president of the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha.

“The depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses is being done in a wrong way in this film. In this film, Hindu Gods and Goddesses are shown in a very distorted form, wearing leather clothes and they are being seen speaking in an indecent manner…Ramayana is our history and our spirit, however, in Adipurush, Lord Hanuman is shown as a Mughal,” the notice reads.

On January 12, 2023, Adipurush is scheduled for release in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Saif Ali Khan plays Raavan, also known as Lankesh, while Prabhas plays Lord Ram. Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh play Sita and Lakshman, respectively.

When farmers instigated by ‘activists’ protested against Suzuki plant, read how the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi turned tide in his favour

Anurag
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When farmers instigated by ‘activists’ protested against Suzuki plant, read how the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi turned tide in his favour

On October 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down the foundation stone and dedicated various projects worth over Rs 3,900 crores to the nation in Modhera, Mehsana in Gujarat. He also declared Modhera village the first 24×7 solar-powered village in India.

During his address at the event, PM Modi recalled when he was Chief Minister of the state, he had faced protests led by activists and NGOs in Gandhinagar against the Suzuki plant in Hansalpur. At that time, PM Modi called the agitating farmers to talk.

He said, “When we decided to bring Suzuki, then the farmers in Hansalpur started protesting. The land was such that it was difficult to grow even millet. There was a complete drought, and the agitated farmers came to Gandhinagar. They were raising slogans and burnt effigies of Modi.”

“I asked to call everyone inside. I met with them and asked them to tell me their complaints. They said they did not want the plant and did not want to give up their land. I told them it was their wish and that I would take the plant elsewhere. Around 5-7 people intelligently stood up and asked not to take away the plant. Those farmers showed intelligence, and the protests ended. Now, the SIR is famous among the industrial areas. The entire Mehsana is being developed.”

The TATA plant, a project that laid the foundation of the manufacturing hub in Gujarat

Between 2006 and 2008, Tata Motors attempted to start a manufacturing plant in West Bengal. The state government had acquired the land for the project, but the controversy over land acquisition delayed the project. At that time, CM Mamata Banerjee was the leader of the opposition. It was alleged that the state government had forcefully acquired multi-crop land from the landowners at an inadequate price.

Banerjee became the frontrunner of the protests and started a movement called “Save Farmland”. Soon, high-profile professional protestors like Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy and Anuradha Talwar joined the protests to drive away Tata Motors from the state. Following the uproar, Tata Motors finally decided to cancel the project in West Bengal in September 2008. This was the time the then-CM of Gujarat offered Ratan Tata to build the plant in Gujarat’s Sanand.

As the story goes, when Ratan Tata announced in a press conference in Kolkata that Tata Group was leaving West Bengal, then-CM Modi sent an SMS to Ratan Tata and said, “Welcome to Gujarat” in the message.

Following the message, then-CM Modi not only assured Tata motors the land to build a massive, state-of-the-art manufacturing factory, but the Gujarat government also made sure that the plant got built and started production as soon as possible. Initially, the plant manufactured the Nano model, but later it started producing Tiago and Tigor models.

In a statement, Ratan Tata said, “I’ll never forget the way he [Modi] found solutions for companies that were looking for a home.”

During an interview with CNBC, Tata said the deal materialised only in three days. After the announcement by Tata group that they would establish the plant in Gujarat, then CM Modi said that merely a Re one SMS saying “Welcome to Gujarat” got the state the Rs 2,000 crore investment from the Tata Group.

Tata said in the interview, “What I have said publicly is [that] he invited me to move the factory to Gujarat, and I said we’d come if we had a home. He [Modi] said I’ll get you the land you want in three days. And then he delivered that on the third morning. He said, ‘Ratanji, here’s the land that I promised.” Praising PM Modi for fulfilling the promise of delivering land in just three days, Tata added, “That does not happen in India.”

Mandal Becharaji Special Investment Region (MBSIR) and its importance

Following Tata’s investment in Gujarat, several other companies showed interest in the state. One of the most notable investments came from Suzuki, which currently has four manufacturing units in the state of Gujarat in Hansalpur Becharaji village of Mandal Taluka in Ahmedabad District.

Notably, Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Limited (SMGPL) is the only Suzuki automobile manufacturing plant in India that is wholly owned by Suzuki as a foreign company. All other plants are owned by Maruti Suzuki, a company formed in collaboration between Maruti and Suzuki.

Plant A, which started production in 2017, has the capacity to produce 250,000 units of Suzuki Baleno every year. Plant B, which started production in 2019, has the capacity to produce 250,000 units of Suzuki Swift every year. Plant C, which started production in 2021, has the capacity to produce 250,000 units of Suzuki Dzire every year. Finally, the fourth plant, the Powertrain plant, has the capacity to produce 500,000 K12 petrol engine family units and 500,000 units of 5MT and AGS transmissions every year.

All these plants are located in the Mandal Becharaji Special Investment Region (MBSIR). Mandal Becharaji region lacked industrial development prior to 2013 when the Gujarat Government proposed the development of MBSIR in the area. It is notable that the region was drought-prone, and even after water came via the Narmada project and efforts by the state government to revive the groundwater, the situation in terms of agriculture and animal husbandry did not change to the extent that it could flourish without a proper industry.

It was the efforts of the state government under the leadership of then-CM Narendra Modi that the region was chosen by Suzuki for its first-ever Suzuki-owned plant in India. Suzuki not only gave a boost of over 60,000 direct and over 1,50,000 indirect jobs in the region but also showed a route to the rivals and other industries in Gujarat state. At present, apart from Tata and Suzuki, manufacturing plants of Honda, Ford, Chinese SAIC and others are flourishing in the region.

In a 2013 report of Desh Gujarat, it was pointed out that though the Suzuki plant was just announced that year, the scale of the proposed investment started drawing the attention of other investors towards the region. It is also noteworthy that the state government did not leave the region completely in the hands of the industries but took it upon itself to develop it as a sustainable city. Otherwise, it might have ended up being like the cluttered regions like Gurugram. The vision statement of Mandal Becharaji SIR stated, “To develop a Smart Industrial City with concepts of Recycle, Reuse and Eddicient Transport Network”,

There were, as usual, protests against the Suzuki plant and the proposed MBSIR. In June 2013, a rally of villagers led by left-leaning NGOs marched to Gandhinagar to protest against MBSIR. The NGOs behind the protests included Azad Vikas Sangathan, Maldhari Rural Action Group, Kevadita Vistar Vikas Satta Mandal Virodh Manch and many others. These foreign-funded NGOs propagated that the government was planning to acquire land at a cheaper rate, an allegation dismissed by the government during a meeting with the representatives of the farmers of 44 villages. However, the protests continued, and several villages later decided to exit MBSIR, a demand that the government obliged.

This was the time when then-CM Modi told the protesters if they did not want the plant to be established in the region, he would take it somewhere else, the incident that he talked about during his address on October 9, 2022. As per a report in Desh Gujarat, PM Modi had told the representatives that the aim of MBSIR to develop the region as it lacked development in both the Agriculture and Industrial sectors. He had promised that no decision would be taken without the consent of the villagers.

Notably, in August 2019, seven of the villages that exited MBSIR in 2013, named Odhavpura, Odhav, Sadhana, Zanzerwa, Kachrol, Anandpura and Sinaj, approached the government of Gujarat and requested to reinstate the villages in the project. The government then asked the villages to pass a resolution in their gram sabhas to ensure the majority of villagers wanted to be part of the SIR. Though it was never revealed what encouraged the villagers to join MBSIR, it is believed that the villagers finally understood the benefit of the SIR and wanted the villages to flourish with industrial development in the region.

At present, the region is being developed by the state government at a fast pace. The MBSIR continues to attract investments adding new achievements to the state government’s cap.

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