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DPS MMS Scandal: India’s first MMS scandal where a video of 2 students was sold online

Anurag
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DPS MMS Scandal: India’s first MMS scandal where a video of 2 students was sold online

The Chandigarh University video leak case has stirred the MMS controversies again. Since 2004, India has witnessed numerous MMS scandals. It is a grim reminder of how the internet can be misused to the extent it can ruin people’s lives.

It was December 9, 2004, when the nation was first introduced to the phrase ‘MMS Scandal.’ A 2-minute 37 seconds long video was being sold on a website of two students of Delhi Public School (DPS) RK Puram. The report was exclusively covered by journalist Anupam Thapa a tabloid named TODAY (owned by India Today). In his report, Thapa alleged that a website named Baazee.com was selling pornographic clips of students from DPS. The report read, “India’s biggest online trading portal baazee.com had listed the said MMS clip under the title ‘DPS girls having fun’ with the member ID of 27877408.”

At that time, Baazee.com was a famous website for selling products online. Though India was still getting in sync with the online world, the reports of MMS clips being sold online went viral instantly. The clip was pixelated and grainy in nature, and it was obvious that the person who recorded the clip used a low-resolution camera phone. It was also evident that the girl who was being recorded was possibly unaware that the boy was recording the sexual act. Both the students were of Class XI at that time.

According to the case details in Avnish Bajaj versus State, the clip was being sold for Rs 125 over the website baazee.com. Avnish Bajaj was the owner of Baazee.com India Private Limited (‘bipl’), which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ebay Inc. USA, and the owner of the website http://www.baazee.com. The company was later renamed eBay India Private Limited (EIPL).

How the clip went viral online and offline

A fourth-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, identified as Ravi Raj, was behind the initial sale of the clip. He had placed it on the auction website on November 27, 2004, at a price of Rs 125 per piece. He was using the name of Alice Electronics with an address of Kharagpur.

To avoid detection by the baazee.com filters, he had placed it under the category Books and Magazines and sub-category ‘e-books.’ Though the words’ sex’ and ‘sexual’ were part of the ‘suspected words’ list, the listing passed the system and went live with the description “Item 27877408 – DPS Girls having fun!!! full video + Baazee points”.

How baazee.com failed to detect the nature of the clip

As per the court documents, there was a system in place that informed the website’s moderators about a new listing. The moderators, who were on the company’s payroll, were supposed to call the user and confirm the listing. However, this was only for the new sellers. The old sellers could list the products without getting a call from the moderators. In the case of old sellers, there was a system in place that would check the information of the item and approve or disapprove based on the meta-data provided by the seller. In this case, Ravi managed to fool the automated system.

On November 27, 2004, Community Watch member Amit Vohra sent an email to baazee.com titled “fraud report about item ID 27877408”. In his email, Vohra informed baazee.com that the product that was listed on the website was a pornographic video which was illegal in India. Also, the persons shown in the video were below the legal age of 18, making it a serious offence. He wrote, “You need to sort this issue, and you should even report it to the legal authorities as this can get your site in trouble.”

The email was marked to BIPL official Namrata on the same day. On the next day, i.e., on November 28, 2004, the email was assigned to Swapna Sawant and was marked to the ‘high alert’ category. On November 29, 2004, baazee.com delisted the video and sent an email to the seller saying, “The listings put up on site by you are either obscene or pornographic in nature.” It was further informed that the listed item was removed as per the User Agreement.

A letter was sent to Amit Vohra as well, thanking him for the email reporting the item in question. However, eight transactions were made so far from cities, including Calcutta, Nellore, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai.

On December 9, 2004, the Crime Branch of Delhi police received credible information about the sale on the auction website and registered FIR in the matter. On the same day, the report in TODAY was published with the title “DPS sex video at baazee.com.” The report read, “India’s biggest online trading portal baazee.com had listed the said MMS clip under the title ‘DPS girls having fun’ with the member ID of 27877408. The Police, upon investigation, learned that one Alice Electronics of Kharagpur West Bengal had since November 27, 2004, sold eight copies of the said MMS clip.”

A Notice under Section 91 CrPC was sent to Sharat Digumarti, the Senior Manager, Trust, and Safety, BIPL, also an accused in the matter, to obtain information about the seller. The information was provided to the Police the next day by baazee.com. Digumarti, in reply to the notice, said that the listing was disabled immediately once they received the information about it.

In the investigation report, the Police said that the three accused, Avnish Bajaj, Ravi Raj, and Sharat Digumarti were aware of the nature of the video and went ahead with the sale. A charge sheet against them was prepared under Sections 292 and 294 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of the IT Act.

The matter is still sub-judice.

Some reports suggest that the two students who were in the video were suspended from the school. The girl was sent to London, and the boy was sent to Australia by his parents. Their whereabouts are unknown. Since the MMS went viral on the internet, the way, the people of India and the law look at pornography changed.

The MMS scandal was also picked up by Bollywood and the TV industry. Movies including Dev D, Love Sex aur Dhoka, Ragini MMS, and I Don’t Luv You are some of the films that have incidents loosely based on the DPS MMS scandal. The crime series ‘Gumrah: End of Innocence’ also featured an episode on the incident.

It is impossible to remove something from the internet completely

Since the DPS MMS, several MMS scandals surfaced on the internet, but none of them sensationalized the country the way the DPS matter did. When the MMS was first released, the number of internet users in India was very limited. Those who are aware of the matter know that the clip was sold in CDs for a price ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 250, depending on the locality. Even in remote areas, people were able to get their hands on the clip as the matter had made it to the headlines.

At that time, there were some adult forums that shared the clip widely. Though the Police and law attempted to remove the clip from the majority of the famous porn websites, and it is now hard to find the clip on the “popular” porn websites, experts believe that the clip might still be available on low-ranking porn websites. The DPS case is a classic and sad yet perfect example of the fact that once something gets available on the internet, it remains on the internet forever.

Please note that downloading, sending, selling and purchase of porn in India is illegal and punishable as per the law.

‘Hijab distinguishes Muslim women from others so molesters can spare them’: Lawyer for hijabs in school had cited Quranic verse, old tweet surfaces

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hijab distinguishes Muslim women from others so molesters can spare them’: Lawyer for hijabs in school had cited Quranic verse, old tweet surfaces

Amidst the Supreme Court hearing in the wrangling hijab row, an old tweet posted by Nizam Pasha, one of the advocates arguing for hijabs in state-run schools, has gone viral on the internet. In his tweet, Pasha has cited Quranic verse to say how hijab helps molesters to distinguish Muslim women so they can be spared.

Citing Quran 33:59, Pasha, who had posted the tweet in February 2022, said Muslim women should wear hijabs so that they can be identified as Muslims and not be harassed.

“Holy Quran 33:59 explains why Muslim women should wear a hijab. “So that they can be recognised as Muslim and not be harassed.” The hijab is meant to tell people that this is a strong woman with a strong community standing behind her that you are taking on, so tread with caution,” Pasha had tweeted.

Source: Twitter

Nizam Pasha alleges HC misquoted Quran to uphold hijab ban

Earlier this month, Pasha submitted in the Supreme Court that the Karnataka High Court, which had upheld the hijab ban in government-run educational institutes, had misquoted the Holy Quran to pronounce that wearing hijab is not a mandatory practice in Islam.

Pasha submitted had that the High Court had referred to an unrelated verse, which stated that nobody can be compelled to convert to Islam, to hold that hijab was not mandatory. He further stated that the High Court had referred to the opinion of a translator of the Holy Quran and not the translation of the text itself. He claimed the verses cited in the High Court were concerning “jilbab”, which covers whole body as opposed to “Hijab” which only covered head and chest. He said that the translator had meant that “jilbab” was not mandatory and not hijab.

Earlier yesterday, Dushyant Dave, another advocate arguing in favour of hijab had made a slew of preposterous arguments during the plea(s) hearing challenging the order of Karnataka HC upholding the prohibition on wearing headscarves in Pre-University institutions.

From claiming Brahmins had hijacked India to designating Jains and Buddhists as outsiders to selectively quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, Advocate Dushyant Dave made a bunch of ludicrous arguments while representing the petitioners challenging the hijab ban upheld by the Karnataka High Court.

Karnataka hijab row

A major controversy erupted in Karnataka in January 2022 after a Udupi school prohibited hijab inside classrooms. Some Muslim girl students, supported by PFI had appealed against this in the Karnataka High Court. On February 25, the court reserved its decision on the case. Protests, allegations, and counter-allegations occurred in response to the hijab ban.

The Karnataka High Court declared on March 15 that wearing a headscarf does not constitute an essential Islamic practice as the petitioners failed to provide evidence in that regard. The Karnataka High Court dismissed all petitions contesting the hijab ban in Karnataka schools and decided that the rules for the uniform dress were fair and that students can not object to respective dress codes mandated by educational institutions.

“Irshad used to stuff cow meat in my mouth, tortured me to convert to Islam”: Hindu victim of love Jihad narrates her ordeal

OpIndia Staff
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“Irshad used to stuff cow meat in my mouth, tortured me to convert to Islam”: Hindu victim of love Jihad narrates her ordeal

In a shocking revelation, a victim of love jihad in Delhi has recounted her trauma to the media. The accused, Irshad Ali, according to the victim, met her by identifying himself as Guddu Chaudhary, a Hindu. She said that Irshad had been torturing her since 2015, causing the victim’s father to suffer a heart attack. Irshad was apprehended on September 8 and is now being interrogated by Delhi Police.

According to Aanchal Yadav, a writer with ‘Hindi Khabar’ who reported on the episode, the incident occurred in Delhi’s Karkardooma locality. The victim met Irshad in a court where she went to practice law. Irshad was also practising as an advocate in the same court. The victim stated that the law degree held by Irshad is a fake one and he has received a forgery notice over it.

Irshad Ali slowly led her into his trap, convincing her that he was single, though he was already married and had three children.  While speaking with the journalist, the victim also stated that, in addition to her, Irshad has made 3-4 Hindu females his prey in the same manner, and that he is also facing a rape case somewhere in Delhi.

According to Aanchal, the victim informed her that she had fallen in love with Irshad and that it was only after marriage that she discovered he was a Muslim and was already married. According to the girl, Irshad Ali had left his first wife and children at his wife’s maternal home when she was brought home. In addition, the woman claims Irshad forced her into a physical relationship, filmed it, married her, and then continued raping her while threatening to make her obscene video go public.

Aanchal Yadav posted a video of her interaction with the victim on her Twitter account. In this video, the victim describes how Irshad used to force her to offer Namaz and then make an inappropriate film of her and show it to everyone. The girl went on to say that she was forced to consume cow and buffalo meat at Irshad’s residence and that if she refused, she was severely beaten and the meat was forcibly stuffed in her mouth. The girl further stated that she was made to recite Kalma by hitting her with the butt of a gun and was forced to convert to Islam.

In the video, the girl goes on to say that she has been subjected to torment that she cannot even describe. The girl lamented that she used to puke while forcibly eating her meat and then scream for assistance, but no one helped her. During the torture, the victim also stated that the door used to be locked. The girl said that the accused violently raped her in both natural and unnatural ways.

According to the victim, as she was tormented, Irshad’s first wife would stumble in at times and depart, saying, “Your deeds are worth it.” According to the girl, the accused Irshad Ali is a lawyer, as is his brother. The girl alleges that Irshad’s whole family was complicit not just in the torture but also in the conspiracy hatched before marriage.

Aastha Maa, who is assisting the victim, told OpIndia that Irshad was arrested on September 8, 2022, but the girl is afraid of the situation in case he is freed on bail.

Comedian and AAP leader Shyam Rangeela attacked by AAP supporters for mocking Bhagwant Mann, forced to clarify over ‘drunk’ joke

OpIndia Staff
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Comedian and AAP leader Shyam Rangeela attacked by AAP supporters for mocking Bhagwant Mann, forced to clarify over ‘drunk’ joke

On September 20, comedian and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Shyam Rangeela was attacked by AAP workers on social media after he made a joke about Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the incident where he was deplaned in Germany.

In a tweet, he wrote, “As far as I think Bhagwant Mann Ji not only had liquor but also insisted on flying the plane in ‘Oye aaj plan main chalawanga’ style. This is why he was deplaned.” The tweet was followed by emojis. Rangeela is a well-known comedian who got famous by doing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mimicry. Recently, he joined AAP.

Following his joke, several AAP workers attacked him on social media. Sujeet Sachan said, “I think Shyam Rangeela Ji has submitted his ID to BJP’s office.”

AAP supporter M Suthar said, “Don’t make a joke of CM level respected post without verification of the news. You can criticize, but don’t spread fake narrative.”

Twitter user Sanjay Rathi said, “Have you left AAP, or are you demeaning AAP while staying in the party?”

Twitter user Uzair said, “Have you left the party Rangeela bhai?”

Twitter user Chandra S Joshi said, “Don’t you think it is below the belt joke? I guess that you are not fit for AAP.”

Following the criticism, Rangeela issued a clarification saying he was a comedian first and his ‘joke’ should be taken as a ‘joke.’ He said, “I did not prove in any way that the news is true, I am first of all a comedian, and that’s why I wrote clearly above that ‘I think. Fake News is common with everyone, and people make fun of it. Please take it as a joke. Thank you.”

It is interesting to see AAP workers attacking the AAP leader for a mere joke. Especially since the top leadership of AAP often launches personal attacks on political rivals and their leader Arvind Kejriwal has even had to submit written apologies for baseless allegations against political leaders.

Former Samajwadi Party MLA arrested for threatening to blow up parliament, sent letters to MPs with gelatin sticks concealed in packets

OpIndia Staff
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Former Samajwadi Party MLA arrested for threatening to blow up parliament, sent letters to MPs with gelatin sticks concealed in packets

The Crime Branch Unit of the Delhi Police Monday (September 19) arrested former Samajwadi Party MLA Kishore Samrite from his residence at Palace Arched Colony in Kolar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The former MLA had allegedly threatened to blow up the Parliament House if his demands are not fulfilled by September 30. The police arrested Kishore under sections 286, and 506 of the IPC, 5 and 9B of the Explosives act and Prevention of Insult to National Honours act.

Interestingly, the ex-MLA has been associated with several parties like Congress, BSP, and SP in the past.

According to the police, Samrite allegedly sent a package containing gelatine sticks and a national flag along with the threat letter to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members on Saturday. In the letter, he made 70 demands and threatened to blow up Parliament if those demands were not met by September 30.

According to reports, the court granted transit remand of Samrite to the Delhi Crime Branch, which held him from his house in Kolar after the state police were duly informed about his actions. Samrite was then produced in a local court before being brought to Delhi on transit remand, where he was produced before the court today.

“Delhi Police’s Crime Branch arrested ex-MLA Kishore Samrite from Bhopal. He wrote letters to LS & RS members. Along with the letter, there were gelatin sticks in the packet. He threatened to blow up Parliament on Sep 30 if his demands weren’t fulfilled,” Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav told ANI.

Yadav added, “A case was registered against him. He is a party hopper and has been associated with several parties like NSUI, Congress, BSP & SP. Now he has constituted his own party. Our team went to Bhopal and arrested him. He will be presented to the court today.”

Meanwhile, Amit Goel, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) told TNIE, “He marked the copies of the letter by name to the Security General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He sent such threat for gaining publicity.”

According to police, Samrite, who is the president of the Samyukta Kranti Party, has 17 criminal cases registered against him.

Kishore Samrite was a student leader from the NSUI and later, he joined the Janta Dal. In 2007, he joined the Samajwadi Party and won the by-election from the Lanji constituency of Madhya Pradesh on its ticket. He also submitted a request to the Election Commission seeking registration for his election party “Sanyukta Kranti”.

In the past, the accused has been known to make such bizarre demands. In 2019, he sought the electoral commission to give him 75 lakh or give him permission to sell his kidney to cover election campaign expenditures.

Speaking about the ex-MLA’s past endeavours, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said, “Samrite has threatened leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Raj Thackeray. A special court even awarded him a punishment of five years in a case. He is doing this to gain publicity and has sent packages to the security general of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha… We have taken cognisance of all such incidents.”

Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board now claims historic Chandrashekhar Azad park in Prayagraj: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board now claims historic Chandrashekhar Azad park in Prayagraj: Report

Days after Tamil Nadu Waqf Board claimed ownership of 7 Hindu-majority villages and a 1500-year-old temple in Tiruchirappalli, it has come to light that the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board has now staked its claim on the historic Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Prayagraj.

As per an exclusive report by Times Now, a petition was filed before the Allahabad High Court stating that the Waqf Board backed the illegal construction of mazars and mosques on the premises of the public park.

In its defence, the Islamic body claimed that the mosque has been in existence in the park for about 200 years. A local told Times Now that ‘devotees’ offer prayers, candles and flower petals at the Mazar. “It is an illegal construction. Although part of the Mazar was damaged, they (Muslim devotees) put up a tent to keep it operational,” he said.

In October last year, the Allahabad High Court ordered the immediate removal of the mosque and a Mazar constructed illegally inside the Chandrashekhar Azad Park at Prayagraj. “We want the park free of all encroachments,” the Court said in its order while hearing a petition filed by a petitioner named Jitender Singh.

The petitioner stated that the existence of this park was under threat as some members of the Muslim community had illegally constructed artificial graves and were trying to convert a structure into a mosque. He added that the accused wanted to convert the park into a graveyard and mosque.

While passing the order, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice Piyush Agarwal directed all illegal encroachments on this historic park that came up after 1975 must be removed within a span of two days. 

Later, the Prayagraj Development Authority demolished 3 tombs and 14 graves overnight on Friday from Chandrashekhar Azad Park. The authority acted on the orders of the Allahabad High Court to remove encroachments from the public park.

However, some illegal structures including the mosque continue to remain within the park premises. It must be mentioned that freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad sacrificed his life for the nation on 27 February 1931 at the said park when he was just 24 years old.

Over 150 madarsas and 200 mosques mushroom within 15-kilometre radius, rapid demographical shift in villages along UP-Nepal border: Ground report

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Over 150 madarsas and 200 mosques mushroom within 15-kilometre radius, rapid demographical shift in villages along UP-Nepal border: Ground report

Several recent ground reports by OpIndia have shown that demography is changing rapidly along India’s border with Nepal. The number of mosques and madarsas is rapidly increasing in the area. From August 20 to 27, 2022, an OpIndia team visited several areas in Nepal bordering India to observe the ground situation. What follows here is the seventeenth report of the series of reports documenting the facts noticed by the OpIndia team.

In prior reports, we discussed what locals think about the mosques, Islamic shrines and places of worship spread along the highways leading from Balrampur to Barhni and Jarwa along the open international border running between India and Nepal. We also reported how the authorities have sprung into action after the exclusive reportage by OpIndia along the UP-Nepal border.

In this report, we attempted to determine whether the Muslim population is expanding solely in areas along the border or whether it is also affecting villages further away from the border. We went to the Sadullahnagar police station region of the Balrampur district in pursuit of this. If you follow the shortest route, this market will be roughly 60 kilometres from the Nepal border. We noticed that the majority of the shops in this market are owned by Muslims. However, we sought to identify the demography of settlements in this area.

Several Muslim-dominated settlements within the jurisdiction of the same police station

The OpIndia team acquired information regarding the Hindu-Muslim population in the villages surrounding the Sadullahnagar police station. According to our research, a village in Nevada under the Sadullahnagar police station has a Muslim population of 95%. Also, the Muslim population in two villages, Deoria Adam and Edaha, ranged from 80% to 90%. The Muslim population was estimated to be between 70% and 80% in villages such as Lalpur Bhaluhia, Bholia Madanpur, Reki Badalpur, and Deoria Adampur. The percentage of Muslims in villages like as Kharika, Alauddinpur, Ranipur, and Bhanuwagarh was between 60% and 70%.

Aside from this, the Muslim population ranges from 50% to 60% in four other villages: Achalpur, Deoria Inayat, Rampur Bharana, Bhundamafi, and Chitsupur. Laukia, Hasanpur, Kishunpur, Parshurampur, and a few smaller villages have a Muslim population of 40% to 50%. Apart from that, the Muslim population in dozens of villages such as Mubarakpur and Nayanpur Kuber ranges between 30 and 40 percent. Some additional villages have a Muslim population of 20 to 30%, but their numbers are significantly smaller.

Utraula Bazar is also predominantly Muslim

Apart from the aforementioned villages, the Muslim population of Utraula Bazar also greatly outnumbers the Hindu populace found there. In the nearby village of Gaindas Bujurg, the Hindu population is much lower than the Muslim population. Shivraj, a Dalit local living in a nearby slum, told OpIndia that his neighbour Naeem used to fight with him every day to acquire his piece of land. “After the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP administration took power in Uttar Pradesh, a police officer named KK resolved this long-standing issue, and we now feel safe and secure,” said Shivraj.

Notably, in August 2020, a resident of this Utraula market named Abu Yusuf was detained by the Delhi Police Special Cell. It was then established that Abu Yusuf had ties to Afghanistan and adhered to the jihadist ISIS ideology.

More than 100 Mosques and Madarsas within a 15-kilometre radius of Nepal border

The OpIndia team attempted to assess the number of mosques and madarsas within a 15-kilometre radius on the Indian side of the border, using Nepal’s border as the centre. According to our estimations and information acquired from locals, there are approximately 150 madarsas operating within 15 kilometres of the border in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district alone.

Aside from that, there are about 200 mosques in a radius of 15 kilometres on the Nepal side of the border area.

Besides, there are roughly ten places where madarsas are operating within the mosque itself.

This figure, however, does not include the Mazars/Karbalas, the number of which is estimated to be in the hundreds. Notably, OpIndia collected this data through their own efforts and sources. The overall number of shrines and madarsas may, however, differ slightly from the figure mentioned here.

A creeping Islamisation of Nepal and its border areas appears to be underway, with Islamists steadily establishing their foothold in distant villages, including those on the Indian border. In the first four parts of this series, OpIndia documented the demography change ongoing in Nepal, as well as the worrying surge in the number of mosques and madarsas in the Himalayan nation’s border villages. Additionally, we also spoke about the rising incidents of love jihad in Nepal, as well as its Delhi connection and smuggling, and various other notorious activities that are going on along India’s border with Nepal.

The first report in this series can be read here in Hindi: कभी था हिंदू बहुल गाँव, अब स्वस्तिक चिह्न वाले घर पर 786 का निशान: भारत के उस पार भी डेमोग्राफी चेंज, नेपाल में घुसते ही मस्जिद, मदरसा और इस्लाम – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Demographic change hits other side of the border too, Mosques and Madarasas mushroom in former Hindu dominated areas in Nepal: Ground report

The second report in this series can be read here in Hindi:  घरों पर चाँद-तारे वाले हरे झंडे, मस्जिद-मदरसे, कारोबार में भी दखल: मुस्लिम आबादी बढ़ने के साथ ही नेपाल में कपिलवस्तु के ‘कृष्णा नगर’ पर गाढ़ा हुआ इस्लामी रंग – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Islamic flags flying atop houses and mosques, madarsas influencing businesses: The creeping Islamisation of Nepal’s Krishnanagar

The third report in this series can be read here in Hindi:  नेपाल में लव जिहाद: बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी और नेपाली लड़कियों से निकाह के खेल में ‘दिल्ली कनेक्शन’, तस्कर-गिरोह भारतीय सीमा पर खतरा – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising cases of love jihad in Nepal and its Delhi connection, smuggling plaguing India’s border with Nepal: Ground report

The fourth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध आस्था के केंद्र हों या तालाब… हर जगह मजार: श्रावस्ती में घरों की छत पर लहरा रहे इस्लामी झंडे, OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Steady rise in mazars and madarsas adjoining Buddhist places of worship in UP’s Shravasti near Indo-Nepal border: Ground report

The fifth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: महाराणा प्रताप के साथ लड़ी थारू जनजाति बहुल गाँव में 3 मस्जिद, 1 मदरसा: भारत-नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी का ये है ‘पैटर्न’ – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising number of mosques, madarsa along Indo-Nepal border: Ground report on Islamisation of village of Tharu tribe that fought along Maharana Pratap

The sixth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध-जैन मंदिरों के बीच दरगाह बनाई, जिस मजार को पुलिस ने किया ध्वस्त… वो फिर चकमकाई: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Dargah and mazar built around Buddhist and Jain temple premises, illegal mazar once demolished surfaces again: UP’s Shravasti near Nepal border

The seventh report in this series can be read here in Hindi: हनुमान गढ़ी की जमीन पर कब्जा, झारखंडी मंदिर सरोवर में ताजिया: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी, असर UP के बलरामपुर में – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Muslim encroachment of temple land, Karbala built in temple compound, and more: Ground report on Islamisation underway along the UP-Nepal border

The eight report in this series can he read here in Hindi: पुरातत्व विभाग से संरक्षित जो जगह, वहाँ वक्फ की दरगाह-मजार: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी, मुसीबत में बौद्ध धर्मस्थल – OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Mazars built at places protected by Archaeological Department along India-Nepal border, Buddhist shrines in trouble- OpIndia Ground Report

The ninth report in this series can he read here in Hindi: 2 मीनारों वाली मस्जिदें लोकल, 1 मीनार वाली अरबी पैसे से… लगभग हर गाँव में मदरसे: नेपाल बॉर्डर के मौलाना ने बताया इसमें कमीशन का खेल – OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read in English here: Mosque with two minarets funded locally, another one funded by Saudi Arabia, Maulana at Nepal border speaks about construction mafia, foreign fundings and more

The tenth report in this series can he read here in Hindi: SSB बेस कैंप हो या सड़क, गाँव हो या खेत-सुनसान… हर जगह मस्जिद-मदरसे-मजार: UP के बलरामपुर से नेपाल के जरवा बॉर्डर तक OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read in English here: From SSB base camp to deserted fields, Madarsas and Mazars cropping up everywhere between UP’s Balrampur and Jarwa border in Nepal: Ground Report

The eleventh report in this series can be read here in Hindi: हिंदू बच्चों का खतना, मंदिर में शादी के बाद लव जिहाद और आबादी असंतुलन के साथ बढ़ते पॉक्सो मामले: नेपाल बॉर्डर पर बलरामपुर जिले में OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Circumcision of Hindu children, love jihad, increased POCSO cases and more: Ground report from UP’s Balrampur district along Indo-Nepal border

The twelfth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: गाँवों में अरबी-उर्दू लिखे हुए नल, UAE के नाम की मुहर: ज्यादा दाम देकर जमीनें खरीद रहे नेपाली मुस्लिम – OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Muslims buying Hindu land at higher price, building ‘Saudi-style’ mosques, installations with details inscribed in Urdu and Arabic- Ground report from UP-Nepal border areas

The thirteenth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: नए बने ओवरब्रिज के नीचे मज़ार-कर्बला, सड़क किनारे मस्जिद-मदरसे-दरगाह: नेपाल के बढ़नी बॉर्डर हाइवे पर ‘हरा रंग’ हावी – OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Mazar-Karbala emerge under newly constructed overbridges, ‘green’ colour pervasive throughout Barhni highway along Indo-Nepal border: Ground report

The fourteenth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: ‘4 और 14 वाली नीति से एकतरफा बढ़ रही आबादी… उस गाँव में मस्जिद बनाने की कोशिश, जहाँ नहीं एक भी मुस्लिम’ : UP-नेपाल बॉर्डर से OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: ‘Saudi-returned Muslims of the new generation do not want to live in harmony with Hindus’: Ground report from Indo-Nepal border

The fifteenth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: फ़ारसी में ‘गरीब नवाज स्कूल’ का बोर्ड, उस पर बने चाँद-तारे… घरों-दुकानों में लहरा रहे इस्लामी झंडे, सड़क से सटी हुई मजारें: UP-नेपाल बॉर्डर से OpIndia Ground Report

The same can be read here in English: Signboards on Mazar in Persian, Islamic flags and symbols on almost every house, shop, and commercial establishment: Ground report from UP-Nepal border

The sixteenth report in this series can be read here: ’10 km में 20 गाँव मुस्लिम बहुल, हिन्दू दब कर मनाते हैं अपने त्योहार’: नेपाल सीमा के ग्राम प्रधान ने बताया – गरीब दिखने वाले मुस्लिमों के पास भी बहुत पैसे: UP-नेपाल बॉर्डर से OpIndia Ground Report

Rahul Gandhi ropes in a minor girl in hijab in his ‘Bharat Jodo’ container yatra amid intensifying global protests against the veil

Amit Kelkar
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Rahul Gandhi ropes in a minor girl in hijab in his ‘Bharat Jodo’ container yatra amid intensifying global protests against the veil

The Congress Party’s 3,570-kilometer march dubbed the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” began on September 7 in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu. The march will take five months and will pass through twelve states before ending in Srinagar. As the Congress party fights for its survival, the presently revered supreme figure of the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi, is attempting to appease sections of society that are seemingly disgruntled with Congress and garner support to revive his moribund political fortunes.

In a similar attempt, Rahul Gandhi roped in a minor girl wearing a hijab while walking in the Yatra in Kerala, indicating support for the hijab when the whole world is opposing the oppressive practice of repressing women. The image of Rahul Gandhi with a minor girl in burkha was shared on the Twitter handle of Congress, implying how Rahul Gandhi was acceptable of the attire that has been used as an instrument of repression by the Muslim fundamentalists.

The controversy around the hijab in India started in Karnataka where a bunch of school-going girls insisted on wearing the Islamic outfit inside educational institutions. As the High Court rejected their plea to be allowed to wear hijab/burqa in educational institutions, the matter is sub judice before the supreme court of India. In such a situation, posing with a girl wearing a hijab tells a lot about the mentality of the Congress party and its leaders.

Global protests against intensifies after the death of an Iranian woman in custody

This move from Congress comes at a time when thousands of women across the world are protesting against the repressive practice of hijab. Women in Iran are publicly discarding their hijab in protest of the imposition of the hijab. Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died after being imprisoned by Iranian officials for not covering her hair. Amini was held by Iran’s ‘Morality Police’ for wearing the Hijab in an ‘improper manner,’ since she had not completely covered her hair. The ‘Morality Police’ detained her and tortured her in the police van as she was transported to a detention centre for a “re-education lesson.” However, given the heritage of the Congress party, it won’t be difficult to accept what Rahul Gandhi is promoting, viz repression.

It seems Rahul Gandhi was quite serious when he stated that he was fighting the Indian state and not any political party. After patronizing a controversial Catholic priest with a lengthy history of making provocative statements on Hindus and Indian heritage and culture, Rahul Gandhi has now resorted to defending the hijab, a practice that is grossly repressive, and also detrimental to the social fabric of the country. Well, it would not be too difficult a chore for Rahul Gandhi to spend nights in luxurious containers equipped with Air Conditioners and other facilities while ingratiating himself and his party with patriarchal Islamists who seek to deprive women of their agency and condition them into wearing hijabs.

With support for the hijab, Congress seeks to gain support among Muslim fundamentalists while sacrificing the rights of Muslim women

Across the world, Muslim women have been protesting against hijabs, which Islamic fundamentalists regard as sine qua non in their public life. Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan and imposed the hijab obligation on women, Afghan women have been protesting against the diktat they assert robs them of their agency and is a symbol of Islamic misogyny. For a long time, wearing a hijab in public has been a sensitive topic. Several Muslim women from varied socioeconomic levels have spoken out against the compulsion to wear the hijab. It is, nevertheless, normal for Congress to use a divisive subject in order to acquire votes and, hence, power.

Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has already openly admitted that his party is targeting India’s whole infrastructure, claiming that the Centre has taken control of all democratic institutions in the country. He has declared several times that he is challenging the Indian system rather than any political party. Such actions, in which Rahul Gandhi supports a regressive practice like the hijab, substantiate his remarks about subverting the Indian system.

The messaging comes at a crucial time when the matter is being heard in the Supreme Court. When Muslim women across the globe are openly demonstrating against the hijab mandate without the fear of repercussions, the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are sending a message that no matter what, they’d continue to stand with the Muslim fundamentalists as they always did. Be it the Shah Bano case in the 1980s or the hijab row in 2022, despite the intervening decades, the Congress party have made it clear that it would continue with its policy of sacrificing the interests of Muslim women at the altar of hardline fundamentalists.

Muslim Council of Britain calls for action against the Hindu community of Leicester, calling them ‘far-right extremists’ for chanting Jai Shri Ram

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim Council of Britain calls for action against the Hindu community of Leicester, calling them ‘far-right extremists’ for chanting Jai Shri Ram

On September 19, the Muslim Council of Britain issued a press statement calling for action against the Hindu community over the anti-Hindu attacks in Leicester. In the statement signed by Secretary-General of the council Zara Mohammed, a Scottish faith leader of Pakistani origin, the MCB called Hindus’ far-right extremists’ for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram. This, while Hindus of Leicester were attacked repeatedly amidst chants of Allahu Akbar.

MCB expressed concerns over the ‘rise of violent right-wing Hindutva extremism’ in the locality while completely ignoring the fact that Hindus, their houses, and businesses were repeatedly attacked since it all started. The statement read, “In the past few days, there has been a heightening of tensions among the diverse communities of Leicester, as concerns grow about the rise of violent right-wing Hindutva extremism taking root locally.”

While insinuating that Hindus attacked not only Muslims but also Sikhs in the area, the council said, “On Saturday, September 17, groups of balaclava-clad men led a march, chanting slogans rooted in Hindutva nationalist supremacism, along Green Lane Road – a predominantly Muslim and Sikh populated area.”

It blamed Hindus for ‘provoking’ Muslims by ‘chanting outside Mosques’ and said, “This follows a series of provocations, including chanting outside Mosques, targeted mob attacks on Muslims, and vandalism to homes and businesses over recent months. Groups of young people from both communities have subsequently come out on the streets to protest, resulting in physical altercations and running battles.”

It is important to note here that what the Muslim Council of Britain called “Hindutva chant” was simply “Jai Shree Ram”, which means Glory to Lord Ram. This religious chant of Hindus has been branded as a “war cry” without any basis, simply to demonise Hindus. Besides, they deemed the mere presence of Hindus and their religious chant as “provocation” because their protest march passed a mosque, almost echoing the sentiment that any area where Muslims exist is a no-go zone for non-Muslims because that itself would be considered a provocation for violence. This, while the Muslim community demands that their chant, Allahu Akbar, which is often used during terror attacks, is one that must be normalised by all non-Muslims.

Zara Mohammad added to the statement claiming Hindus wanted to propagate the “Hindutva agenda” in the region. She said, “Communities have expressed their deep concerns to me around the propaganda perpetuated by far-right groups in India and their Hindutva agenda, which we are now seeing expressed on British streets. These provocations have targeted Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities and, as a result, instigated hostilities between local communities in Leicester.”

Attack on Hindus by using ‘Hindutva’ as a proxy for Hindus

In recent times, there has been an increase in incidents where Hindus, as a community, have been attacked by propagandists by using ‘Hindutva’ as a proxy for Hindus. Hindutva which merely espouses political unity of Hindus is being used as a term to demonize Hindus across the world. While the Hinduphobic attacks are on the rise not only in India but across several nations, many have tried to showcase that the Hindus, as a community, are not under any threat. However, the reality is far from what is being propagated. The incident of Leicester is one of the finest examples of how a peace-loving community is being shown in a bad light.

Horror at Leicester: Targeted attacks on Hindus and Misinformation campaigns

Leicester City in England’s East Midlands region has witnessed a sharp increase in targeted attacks against the Hindu community. The orgy of violence by Islamists began soon after India clinched victory against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup on August 28.

According to a Hindu organisation (@INSIGHTUK2), a casual banter between Indian fans and Pakistani supporters turned serious when the latter snatched and disrespected the Indian tricolour. It was later revealed that the person who snatched and desecrated the Indian flag was a Sikh man. Hindus had later assuaged the situation by tending to him in a cafe. Soon after, the police took cognisance of the matter but added to the raging misinformation by Islamists that religious slurs were hurled in Hindi.

India and Pakistan again met at the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup. After Pakistan succeeded in settling scores on the field, its supporters attacked a Hindu home celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.

The accused men also received overwhelming support from their co-religionists on social media. Homes, cars, and properties belonging to the Hindu community, which were easily identifiable with sacred symbols, were damaged. In order to control the situation, Chief Superintendent Adam Slonecki granted dispersal and stop search powers to the police.

Recently, a Hindu temple came under attack by Islamists in Leicester. In a viral video, one extremist was seen uprooting a saffron flag affixed to the temple structure. On September 16, the police informed that a total of 27 people were arrested in connection with the violence.

Meanwhile, the Islamists resorted to making outlandish claims to deviate public discourse from the targeted attacks on Hindus. While speaking to Opindia, research scholar Sarah L Gates said, “This was a planned clean out aka religious cleansing. They want to purge Hindus.”

Hindus in Leicester are now at the mercy of the police for their safety. With motivated news publications and Islamist groups portraying them as the perpetrators, they are left to fend for themselves.

Uttar Pradesh: Talib and Shahjan, looters who had murdered cricketer Suresh Raina’s uncle in 2020 arrested by police

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Talib and Shahjan, looters who had murdered cricketer Suresh Raina’s uncle in 2020 arrested by police

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested two persons for their involvement in the loot and murders at the house of cricketer Suresh Raina’s aunt. The two arrested persons have been identified as Talib and Shahjan who had committed a robbery at Raina’s aunt’s house two years ago in Punjab’s Pathankot district.

The two had also murdered three persons including Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar and his cousin.

According to the reports, the Police arrested the duo, the members of the Chaymaar gang on Monday evening from Muzzafarnagar after a short scuffle. The duo fired at the police and tried to flee from the spot. However, the Police launched a late night encounter to trap the duo and fired bullets at their legs. The accused Talib and Shahjan have been reported injured and are undergoing treatment at a district hospital. The Police have also recovered 2 pistols, 5 live cartridges, 3 shells, and a bike from the accused.

The police were in search of the members of this gang for two years after they committed a robbery at Raina’s aunt’s house and murdered his uncle, brother, and one more person. SSP Vineet Jaiswal confirmed the incident and said that the police had gotten a tip that the miscreants were roaming in the Kidwainagar area of Muzzafarnagar on Monday with intentions of executing some criminal incident. “Based on the tip, the Police and SOG raided the area on September 19 and arrested the two”, Jaiswal stated.

He added that the duo was spotted behind the police post in Kidwai Nagar. The officers asked them to stop as the duo fired at the Police team and tried to flee from the spot. However, the police launched an encounter operation and fired bullets at the legs of the miscreants to arrest them. “Both the miscreants were injured and were taken to the district hospital. Two pistols and 5 live cartridges, 3 shells, and a bike have been recovered from their possession”, Jaiswal reiterated.

Reports mention that the duo was involved in the robbery and murder at the house of the relatives of cricketer Suresh Raina in Punjab’s Pathankot district. On August 19, 2020, in Tharyal village of Pathankot district, the Chhaymar gang members had entered the house of Suresh Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar while he was deep asleep at his home. The robbers attacked Kumar and his son named Kaushal during the robbery. While Ashok Kumar who was a government contractor died on the spot, his son Kaushal succumbed to his injuries on August 31, 2020.

Reportedly, one more person had died during the incident and Raina’s aunt, Ashok’s wife Asha Rani was seriously injured. After the incident, the then Chief Minister of Punjab formed an SIT under the leadership of IGP Border Range (Amritsar) to investigate the matter. In this case, the SIT also arrested three suspects on 15 September 2020.

SSP Vineet Jaiswal interrogated the duo arrested on Tuesday who confirmed to have played a crucial role in the incident that happened in the year 2020 in Punjab’s Pathankot. Shahjan alias Golu alias Kaka is resident of a slum village in Saharanpur and Talib alias Faizan alias Asim is resident of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.

In July 2021, one Chajju Chaimar, the mastermind of the crime, was arrested by the police. The criminals were from the nomadic Chaimar tribe.

During interrogation, Shahjan confirmed that he was involved in the murder of Raina’s uncle in Pathankot in 2020 and the robbery that took place in his house. The miscreant was on the run since then. According to the reports, the now arrested miscreants were also wanted in several other cases of robbery, dacoity, and murder. The Police arrested the duo from Muzzafarnagar on Monday and are investigating the matter.

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