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Several mazars have come up inside Jim Corbett National Park, demographic shift continues to remain a burgeoning issue in Uttarakhand

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Several mazars have come up inside Jim Corbett National Park, demographic shift continues to remain a burgeoning issue in Uttarakhand

The demographic imbalance in Uttarakhand has become a cause of concern for the government and the administration of the state. In just 2 years, almost 400 new madarsas, mosques and religious institutions have mushroomed in the state of Uttarakhand. In May 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced action against the mazars mushrooming everywhere in the state calling them encroachments.

It is a matter of concern that the burgeoning issue of illegal land encroachment is not only pervasive in some places but is slowly enveloping the whole state of Uttarakhand. Recently, OpIndia visited Ramnagar, another part of the same state, to delve into this issue further. To our horror, there were several mazars that have mushroomed up inside Jim Corbett National Park, one of the oldest and one of the most famous forested wildlife sanctuaries set amidst the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

In June 2022, the OpIndia team reached Ramnagar from Delhi via Moradabad. From Ramnagar market, we proceed on Ranikhet road. In between, we saw several wildlife warning signs. After proceeding about 5 kilometres on this road, passing through the forests, the road appeared twisted in one place. On the winding road, we saw a big mazar (tomb), with its roof shaped like a house.

This Mazar had a large poster with the number ‘786’ and ‘Urs of Bhure Shah Sher Ali Zulfkar Dadmiyan’ inscribed on the top of it. The poster also read how more and more people are encouraged to attend the Urs.

We got down and tried to find out who the caretakers of that mazar were, but could spot anyone there.

Mazar constructed on the main road

Mazar located in the restricted area of ​​Jhirna district in Uttarakhand

The following day, the OpIndia team entered Jim Corbett National Park. The park’s entrance gate was closed to visitors. It was only accessible to those who work for the forest department. Amidst the elephants, deers, tigers and other diverse animals, we found one obscure construction in middle of the forest reserve. Just 1 km into the Jhirna area of ​​the National Park, we spotted another mazar. This particular mazar, which was constructed very close to the main road, looked well maintained. It was freshly painted and a ‘chadar’ had also been offered.

Mazar built on No man’s land in Jhirna area, Uttarakhand

Our guide flatly refused to let us get out of the car at this location because it is a “tiger zone,” according to him. In such a situation, the thought occurred to us, Who then lights up this tomb?

When we enquired about the history of this mazar, our guide and driver were unable to provide any information. The two things that caught everyone by a surprise were the perfectly laid stones beneath the tomb and the ‘chadar’ placed on it by someone.

Tomb found deep inside jungles

We continued on our trip for about 45 minutes until we reached deep within the forest, where all that was visible were the towers of the Forest Department’s stations and yet another mazar. According to our guide, this location is thought to house the greatest concentration of tigers. At that location, we noticed some deer. A short distance away, a leopard was also spotted crossing the road. The other people who went on safari with us found it weird that there was a tomb there in such a setting.

Mazar inside deep forest

We questioned the other jeep drivers about this mazar, but they were unable to provide any information. However, owing to the area where this mazar was located, it seemed that fewer people frequented this mazar. Though the mazar and the elevated area surrounding it appeared to be built of solid cement, both appeared worn-out and abandoned, suggesting no one had been maintaining it for a while.

Dear spotted near the area that housed the Mazar

As per the 2011 census, Muslims make up 12.65% of the total population of Uttarakhand’s Nainital district. When questioned, our tour guide told us how, over the last few years, the Muslim community had succeeded in developing a thriving business in the region. He further revealed how maximum cars used for jungle safaris are owned by members of the Muslim community.

Uttrakhand, also known as “the land of the gods” (Devbhoomi) because of its number of Hindu pilgrimage sites, has over the last few years, seen an unprecedented influx of Rohingyas and illegal immigrants that has led to a demographic imbalance in the state.

Swami Darshan Bharati explains how Uttarakhand is witnessing a rapid demographic shift

Recently, while speaking to OpIndia, Swami Darshan Bharti, a veteran saint working against illegal mazars and drug addicts, raised concerns about this radical problem plaguing the state of Uttarakhand.

Swami Darshan Bharati told OpIndia that the biggest boost to Muslim population in Uttarakhand came during the Congress government led by ND Tiwari. He said, “There has been a great sin in the ND Tiwari government. Under his government, the largest mosque in Uttarakhand was built on top of the temple of Naina Devi in Nainital. The mosque has been built on the road by completely encroaching upon it. The temple has also started to look small as compared to the mosque.”

He explained, “Earlier, the cumulative number of Muslims in Uttarakhand was roughly 1.5 to 2%. The local Muslims spoke Garhwali and were sensitive to the indigenous culture. When Uttarakhand annexed the district of Haridwar, the entire Muslim population rose to 5 to 6%. Furthermore, when Yogi Adityanath took over the charge in Uttar Pradesh, many Muslims abandoned the state and settled in Uttarakhand. Among the settlers are a number of well-known Muslim leaders and entrepreneurs. Muslims now constitute around 14% of the population of Uttarakhand. Infiltrators from Bangladesh and Rohingyas living in the riverside slums are adding to this population. These illegal infiltrators and Rohingyas have also arranged all the necessary government documents over these years”, said the Hindu saint.

Swami Darshan Bharati told OpIndia that the biggest boost to the Muslim population in Uttarakhand was in the Congress government. He stated that it was not the BJP government, but the previous Congress regime that helped illegal Roginyas settle here by preparing their official documents.

Notably, the Muslim population of Uttarakhand was only 1.5 per cent when the state was constituted in November 2000. It jumped to 13.95 per cent in the 2011 census. After this, no official data is available regarding the increase in the population of Muslims in the area.

On May 22, 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state has been carrying out an extensive identification drive to expel illegal Rohingyas migrants from the state. Along with illegal mazars mushrooming up in various parts, he had also raised concerns over the demographic imbalance in Uttarakhand which in many parts of the country has historically led to communal tension leading to Hindus fleeing the land for their safety.

The CM had assured that several Rohingya Muslims without proper documentation had been identified by the state authorities and will be driven out of the state after the identification drive.

The above article was originally published on Hindi website. You can read it here.

Prateek Pawar attack: 8 more Islamists, including a minor, arrested for attacking Hindu man for supporting Nupur Sharma, had said, ‘we won’t leave a Kafir alive’

OpIndia Staff
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Prateek Pawar attack: 8 more Islamists, including a minor, arrested for attacking Hindu man for supporting Nupur Sharma, had said, ‘we won’t leave a Kafir alive’

Eight more Muslim men have been arrested for the attack against Maharashtra youth Prateek Pawar, for his social media post supporting Nupur Sharma. Earlier, 6 others were arrested. Amongst those arrested, there is also a minor boy who has been arrested by the Karjat police.

Karjat police have asserted that those arrested would be produced in court on Monday. All of them are residents of Karjat, Ahmadnagar. It was on Saturday that the police arrested 5 men and detained 1 juvenile in connection with the attack on Prateek Pawar, taking the total arrested tally to 14.

The complaint against the attackers was filed by Amit Mane. Mane was with Pawar when the Islamists had attacked him brutally with swords. Reportedly, Mane said that while attacking him, the Islamists kept referring to a social media post where Prateek had extended his support to ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

According to the complaint by Prateek Pawar and his friend Amit Mane, the groups of Islamists attacked 23-year-old Prateek Pawar on August 4. Mane said that on August 4 Pawar was going towards Karjat in Ahmednagar and had stopped on the road near Akkabai chowk waiting for a friend. But suddenly around 12 to 14 people arrived in a white Swift car, and three two-wheelers – a black Bullet, a red Pulsar and a white scooter – and surrounded him. They told Pawar, ‘You have so much proud in Hindutva’. They further told him, ‘You are regularly posting posts and statuses on social media supporting Nupur Sharma and Kanhaiya Lal, due to which more people have started to support them, we think we should do a Umesh Kolhe with you also’. They were referring to the murder of Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra for supporting Nupur Sharma.

After that, one Islamist named Shahrukh Pathan assaulted Prateek Pawar with a sword with the intention to kill him while chanting loud slogans. Pawar tried to protect himself and in the process, the sword hit his hand. After this, Nihal Khan Pathan and Sohail Khan Pathan attacked Sunny on the head from behind. The gravely injured Hindu youth fell to the ground and started bleeding, but the Islamist group continued to hit him with swords, sticks, hockey sticks etc saying that they will not let a Kafir remain alive. After a blow on the head with a sword, Prateek fainted and the attackers fled from the scene.

The victim was immediately rushed to a hospital, and police launched a probe into the case. The accused have been booked under sections 307, 143, 147, 148, 149, 323, and 504 of the IPC on the basis of the complaint filed by Amit Mane. Several persons including Sharukh Khan Pathan, Sohel Pathan, Nihal Khan Pathan, Ilail Sheikh, Tipu Pathan, Arbaz Kasam Pathan, Arshan Pathan, and Aqeeb Syed have been named in the case.

Rajasthan: Three die, and several injured in a stampede at Shri Khatushyam Mandir in Sikar

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Three die, and several injured in a stampede at Shri Khatushyam Mandir in Sikar

On August 8, at least three women died, and several other devotees were injured in a stampede that happened in Shri Khatushyam Mandir at Sikar, Rajasthan. The incident took place at around 5 AM at the entrance door of the temple.

Reports suggest thousands of devotees visited the temple for the monthly Ekadashi fair. They had been standing outside the temple since last night. As soon as the gates were opened, a stampede-like situation took place, resulting in the death of three women. Out of the injured devotees, the condition of three is reportedly serious. All the injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

One of the devotees who lost her life has been identified as Shanti Devi. The other two deceased were yet to be identified. Among the injured, 40-year-old Manohar was referred to Jaipur Hospital owing to serious injuries. One more injured was referred to Jaipur while the remaining were being treated in Sikar hospitals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet, “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at the Khatu Shyamji Temple complex in Sikar, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest.”

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, “The death of three women devotees due to stampede in Khatushyam ji’s temple in Sikar is very sad and unfortunate. My deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family. May God give them strength to bear this loss, and may the departed soul rest in peace.”

He further wished for speedy recovery of the injured.

Bangladesh: Hindu temple attacked, idols vandalised, three madarsa students arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Hindu temple attacked, idols vandalised, three madarsa students arrested

Mongla Police in Bangladesh detained three madarsa students for allegedly vandalising idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Kainmari Temple. The incident took place on the night of August 6 (Saturday). As per reports, the attack on the temple took place after the temple administration asked a few Muslim boys from madarsa not to play football on the field adjoining the temple.

According to a report on Ekushey TV, the residents said on Saturday evening, there was an altercation between the people from the temple and those who came to play football in Kainmari Temple, which is located in the Kainmari area of district Chandpai. The Temple committee had prohibited the boys from playing on the temple ground. Following the altercation, the boys left but only after threatening the temple authorities with consequences that were retaliated as well.

Later on Saturday night, unknown miscreants came and vandalised idols of Maa Kali and Bhagwan Ganesh in the temple. The Police have initiated a probe into the matter. Upazila Puja Utsav Parishad’s President Piyush Majumdar said, “I heard about the altercation between the temple authorities and the boys who came to play football. It is unclear if the vandalisation happened as a result of the altercation or because of some other reason. This is the first incident of such kind in the area.”

Mongla Police Station, in-charge of Mohammad Monirul Islam, said that they visited the site on Sunday morning. Three people involved in the altercation were detained for questioning. Further probe is underway.

Temple attacks in Bangladesh

There have been many incidents of attacks on temples in Bangladesh. In recent times, such attacks have made headlines more frequently than before. On July 16, it was reported that a Muslim mob attacked a temple, a grocery store and several houses of Hindus over a Facebook post in the Sahapara area of Lohagara, Narail.

In March 2022, the ISKCON Temple on Lalmohan Saha Street in Wari in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh was attacked. The dastardly attack was orchestrated by one 62-year-old Haji Shafiullah. Under his direction, an Islamist mob of 150-200 people laid siege on the ISKCON temple. They desecrated the murtis (idol), vandalised the temple premises, and looted money and other valuable items.

Yet another golden day for India at the Commonwealth Games, but it will still fall well short of its tally from the last edition: Here is why

OpIndia Staff
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Yet another golden day for India at the Commonwealth Games, but it will still fall well short of its tally from the last edition: Here is why

It was another golden day for India at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as the country won 3 gold medals in Boxing along with a historic gold in the triple jump. India is now placed 5th in the medal tally with 17 golds, 13 silvers, and 19 bronze medals. However, despite the stupendous performance by Indian athletes in Birmingham, India is still going to fall well short of its tally from the last commonwealth games.

In the last edition of the games held in Gold Coast in Australia, India finished in 3rd place on the table with 26 golds, 20 silvers, and 20 bronze medals. With just one more day of competition left, even if India wins Golds through its remaining competitors in Badminton and Table Tennis, the haul from Birmingham will be quite a few medals short than the one from Gold Coast.

One of the major reasons for the shortfall is the absence of shooting as an event from the Birmingham games. Shooting has always been one of India’s best events at these sporting competitions and it doesn’t feature in this edition of the commonwealth games.

During the last edition, India won as many as 7 gold medals in shooting, along with 4 silvers and 5 bronze medals. Nearly 25% of the medals India won in Australia came only from this one discipline. In fact, prior to the Birmingham games, India had won more than 1/3rd of its gold medals at the commonwealth games in this one discipline alone. So the absence of shooting from this edition has drastically reduced Indian medal prospects.

Why was shooting excluded from the commonwealth games

Shoting was part of the commonwealth games since the 1974 edition held in Christchurch, New Zealand except the 1986 edition. However, it was excluded from the Birmingham games due to ‘logistical reasons’, which basically means that there was no proper venue to conduct the event at the games.

Shooting is not part of the mandatory list of sports for the commonwealth games, and it comes down to the host and the Commonwealth Games Federation to decide whether they want to include it or not.

Indian Olympic Association even threatened to boycott the event in July 2019 in protest following shooting’s commission but following a visit by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Louise Martin and CEO David Grevemberg in November that year, it withdrew its warning during the annual general body meeting in December.

CGF had even decided that commonwealth archery and shooting competitions will be held in Chandigarh in January 2022, and medals from there will be added to every country’s tally after the games in Birmingham. However, due to cornavirus restrictions, the games couldn’t be held in Chandigarh and the shooters were left disappointed.

Nirbhaya’s mother slams Ashok Gehlot who continues to blame capital punishment for the increase in rape and murder of minors

OpIndia Staff
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Nirbhaya’s mother slams Ashok Gehlot who continues to blame capital punishment for the increase in rape and murder of minors

The mother of the victim (Nirbhaya) of the Delhi rape case of 2012 has slammed Rajasthan’s chief minister Ashok Gehlot for blaming the fear of capital punishment for the increase in incidents of murder of rape victims. She also said that justice was done in the Nirbhaya case because of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government in the centre. While criticizing the mentality of Ashok Gehlot, she said that had there been a Congress government in the centre, she would not get justice.

While speaking to the Republic World, Nirbhaya’s mother said, “This is a very shameful statement. And it is a very sad thing that he is the chief minister of a state and making such statements at this age. I don’t know how these people become a minister. All I would say is that he should free all the rapists at least in his state and include them in his party and build a vote bank out of them. Because there are so many girls and women in the country who are struggling and are not getting any justice. Minor girls are raped and killed. And at that time he is saying that capital punishment causes an increase in the number of murder incidents. What does it mean? Does he mean that let the girls be raped and killed? And what about the culprits? They should be spared? I think he wants to say that, a rapist should be set free.”

She further said, “I consider myself lucky that the current government helped us. I thank this government from the bottom of my heart because we got justice in their tenure. Looking at the statement given by this leader, I don’t think we would get any justice had there been a Congress government in the centre. He should apologize to all the women in the country.”

On the other hand, Ashok Gehlot has continued to be firm on what he has said. He reiterated his statement on 7th August 2022 that capital punishment for rape is the reason for increasing crimes of rape with murder. He said, “I only said the truth. Whenever a rapist rapes a child, they then kill them for the fear of being identified & then taking action against them. So many deaths have never happened before.”

On Friday (August 5), Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot courted controversy after he blamed the Centre for increased murders following rapes in the country. He made the contentious remarks during a press conference. The Congress leader claimed that the Union government had passed a law, making it mandatory to award the death penalty to all rape convicts after the Nirbhaya case.

However, there is no law that makes the death penalty mandatory for all convicts of rape. Following the Kathua and Unnao rape case, the Modi government passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2018 [pdf]. The Centre had then amended the Indian Penal Code of 1860 and the Prevention of Child Sexual Offences Act of 2012 to introduce harsher punishments for the rape convicts. One of the major highlights of the legislation was the increase of minimum punishment for rape from 7 years to 10 years. The law was made even stricter for the rape and gang rape of minor children. For instance, the punishment for rape of a girl below the age of 16 years is punishable by a minimum sentence of 20 years or a life sentence.

Death sentence has been introduced only for rape of minors below the age of 12 years, and for repeat offenders. But it is not the only punishment in such cases, death penalty has been prescribed jail sentence up to life imprisonment, and the courts decide the extent of punishment in such cases.

Petrol price hike in Bangladesh triggers chaos as China woos the nation, reignites fears that Sri Lanka crisis could repeat in India’s neighborhood

OpIndia Staff
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Petrol price hike in Bangladesh triggers chaos as China woos the nation, reignites fears that Sri Lanka crisis could repeat in India’s neighborhood

Days after hinting at an impending economic crisis, the Bangladeshi government on Friday (August 5) increased the price of petrol by 51.7% and diesel by 45.2%.

While speaking about the matter, Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, “Some adjustments have to be made in view of the global situation. If the situation normalises, the fuel prices will be revised accordingly….The new prices will not seem tolerable to everyone. But we had no other choice. People have to be patient.”

The country is already reeling under high inflation. Reportedly, the inflation rate in Bangladesh has been over 6% for the past 9 months, with the annual inflation rate in July reaching a high of 7.48%.

This has put the middle class and the poor people under immense financial stress. The Russia-Ukraine war had also made things worse for Bangladesh, with the State-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation incurring a loss of over $85 million between February to July this year.

Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Bangladesh has witnessed a sharp dip in its foreign exchange reserves. As of August 3, 2022, it has around $39.67 billion dollars in foreign reserves, which can sustain only 5 months of imports.

The drastic hike in fuel prices has sparked off protests, led to long queues at fuel stations, and even violent demonstrations. The earlier rise in fuel price in November last year by 23% had resulted in a 30% increase in transport costs. Bangladeshis are now anticipating similar aftermath after the government’s decision.

The high inflation has also landed a severe blow on the country’s garment industry as people are forced to prioritise essential commodities. This has also affected its exports. There has also been a dip in foreign remittances, which happens to be the 2nd largest contributor of foreign exchange reserves for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh seeks money from IMF, Asian Development Bank

Last month, Bangladesh sought $4.5 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tide over its immediate economic woes, caused due to high imports.

While speaking about the matter, Finance Minister Mustafa Kamal said, “If the IMF conditions are in favour of the country and compatible with our development policy, we’ll go for it, otherwise not. Seeking a loan from the IMF does not mean Bangladesh’s economy is in bad shape.”

He further claimed that the macroeconomic condition of the country was firm. The IMF confirmed that Bangladesh has expressed interest in its ‘Resilience and Sustainability Facility.

In a statement, it said, “The IMF stands ready to support Bangladesh, and the staff will engage with the authorities on program design as per the established policies and procedures of the Fund. The amount of support will be part of the program design discussions.”

Reportedly, the IMF can extend a maximum of $1 billion in financial support. Bangladesh has also sought $1 billion from Asian Development Bank.

China is eyeing to exploit the economic woes of Bangladesh

With an eye to exploit the ongoing economic woes of another Indian neighbour, China is thinking of expanding duty-free access to 99% Bangladeshi goods and services. The move is likely to benefit the exporters of garments and woven products in Bangladesh.

While speaking about the development, Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said, “It’s good news for Bangladesh as we have a thriving economy based on exports. We already had duty-free access for 98 percent of items exported to China.”

He added, ”The remaining 2 percent, like any other bilateral trade, has been important and sensitive. Now, they have offered duty-free access to 1 percent more from September 1.”

The matter was taken up for discussion during a bilateral meeting between Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday (August 7). China is also eyeing setting up factories and providing technological support in Anowara upazila in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh.

The two countries are also likely to sign an MoU regarding Public-private cooperation, and chalk out plans for increasing aerial connectivity, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). China has reportedly promised to help resolve the Rohingya crisis and the internal challenges in Myanmar as well.

Earlier, four state-owned Chinese companies had expressed interest in building a ‘Smart City’ and a metro rail network in Chittagong. China is known to push developing countries under debt by lending money for building infrastructure projects with marginal or no economic returns.

While Bangladesh is relatively safe for now, things may spiral out of control if the Sheikh Hasina government fails to keep inflation and the associated unrest in check. It will then be an uphill task for India to support both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the same time.

The Sri Lankan crisis

Sri Lanka is experiencing its greatest economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, with inflation hitting a record high of 54.6% in July 2022 as compared to the previous year.

The island nation’s citizens are facing severe food and cooking gas scarcity. Power outages are common, and huge lines for fuel may be seen throughout the National Capital.

The crisis was exacerbated following the coronavirus epidemic when the country began to struggle with tourism, the island nation’s main contributor to the economy, left severely damaged. Since the government lacked sufficient foreign reserves, many imports were prohibited.

This resulted in extended power outages and blackouts. In April, the Sri Lankan government declared a default on USD 51 billion in foreign debt. In the midst of Sri Lanka’s economic turmoil, India has offered assistance to the island nation.

India has provided a credit line of $1.5 billion for the purchase of 40,000 tonnes of diesel. Additionally, Sri Lanka requested an extra $1 billion credit line for necessary imports.

Jamia engineering student Mohsin Ahmed turns out to be ISIS terrorist who raised and sent funds to Syria, NIA arrests him in Batla House

OpIndia Staff
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Jamia engineering student Mohsin Ahmed turns out to be ISIS terrorist who raised and sent funds to Syria, NIA arrests him in Batla House

On 7th August 2022, the NIA (National Investigation Agency) arrested a student named Mohsin Ahmed Khan from Johabai Extension in Delhi’s Batla House. The NIA has found that he was collecting funds for the dreaded terror outfit ISIS. He was also an active member of the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or simply the Islamic State.

The NIA conducted searches at the Batla House hideout of Mohsin Khan, originally from Patna, the capital of Bihar. He was arrested for running on-ground and online campaigns for ISIS.

The central agency itself took cognizance and registered a case in this regard. The agency called Mohsin Ahmed to be a fundamentalist. Along with India, he was collecting funds from those associated with ISIS from abroad as well. After collection, he would transfer this fund to Syria and other countries through cryptocurrencies to carry out the activities of the terrorist organization. Further investigation in this regard is currently underway. The NIA is currently looking for who else was in contact with him, who else is involved in these activities, and how much money was sent to him and to Syria so far.

Earlier on July 31, the NIA had also raided 13 locations in six states. Mohsin Ahmed is an engineering student and studies in the first year of the engineering course. His family says the allegations against him are false. The family has said that they challenge the NIA’s claims in court. Mohsin Ahmed has three sisters and his father works in the Indian Railways. One of the sisters said that he himself was asking her for Rs 4000 a few days ago, so he would not have that much money and he would not be collecting funds.

His relatives portrayed him as a savior, claiming that he used to distribute food grains to the impoverished. The family refers to him as a ‘kid’ who would have no idea what he was doing. He studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University. He was arrested on Sunday, August 7, 2022. Numerous questionable objects were discovered in his home during the NIA raid. It was his classmates who provided details about him. He was in contact with 35 ISIS commanders in Syria.

‘Fact-checker’ Mohammed Zubair of Alt News tries to question PM Awaas Yojana, ends up inadvertently promoting the scheme: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Fact-checker’ Mohammed Zubair of Alt News tries to question PM Awaas Yojana, ends up inadvertently promoting the scheme: Read details

On August 7, alleged fact-checker and co-founder of propaganda website Alt News, Muhammad Zubair posted a tweet with a 2018 video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which PM Modi had promised houses for all under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) by 2022. Sharing the video, he wrote, “Few days left to get this promise fulfilled.”

In 2018, addressing a rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi promised housing for all by the time India completes 75 years of Independence. He had said, “I have taken an oath. Every family in India will have a ‘pucca’ house. I have taken an oath that by the time India completes 75 years of Independence, there will no family in India that will not have a house of its own.”

Tweet by Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair. Source: Twitter.

The aim of sharing the video was to depict that the government or PM Modi failed to fulfil the promise he made in 2018. While it is true that there are many families that still do not have the ‘pucca’ houses, Zubair and his ilk may want to check the status of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana for both urban and rural sectors. Something a fact-checker should have checked and mentioned before sharing the video.

In fact, Zubair’s tweet did make many people check the status of the progress under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana and how Crores of people have got pucca houses under the scheme.

OpIndia checked dashboards of both Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). Here is what we found out about the status of the projects.

Status of projects under PMAY-U

First, let’s talk about PMAY-U, which is managed by the Ministry of Urban Development. As per the information provided by the dashboard of PMAY-U, by August 1, there was an overall demand of 112.24 lakhs houses across the country. The government went above and beyond, and the total sanctioned houses are at 122.69 lakhs. So far, 61.77 lakh houses have been completed and delivered under the scheme. Sixteen lakh houses out of them were built using new technologies.

Source: PMAY-U website

Coming to the cost of the project, the government committed Rs 2.03 lakh crores (approx) for the projects under PMAY-U. So far, Rs 1.20 lakh crores have been released, out of which Rs 1.13 lakh crores have already been spent under the scheme.

Furthermore, the government has also provided Interest Subsidy under the CLSS scheme. So far, the government has contributed Rs 55,095 crores to the scheme to help economically weaker section (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG) to avail loans for housing at an affordable rate.

Status of projects under PMAY-G

PMAY-G is managed by the Ministry of Rural Development. As per the information provided by the PMAY-G dashboard, the ministry had set a target of 2,71,92,795 houses. Total 2,69,85,216 registrations were done and 2,44,64,041 houses were sanctioned under the scheme. So far, 1,93,01,073 houses have been completed and delivered. The government has spent Rs 2.57 lakh crores on the Rural housing project so far.

Source: PMAY-G website.

If we check the year-wise progress of the scheme, approx 42 lakh houses were built in 2016-17. Next year, in 2017-18, approx 31 lakh houses were built, followed by 25 lakh houses in 2018-19, approx 58 lakh houses in 2019-20, approx 43 lakh houses in 2020-21 (Covid pandemic slowed down the progress) and approx 71 lakh in 2021-22. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and countless hurdles related to land registrations, documentation etc., the central government has built almost two crore houses in the past five years in the Rural sector.

In total, under PMAY for both Urban and Rural, the central government has delivered close to 2.54 crore houses which is definitely not a small number. Even if we consider that each household has only four members, the total number of Indian citizens who got a ‘pucca’ house under this scheme stands at around 10.16 crores. These 2.54 crore families were either living in the open or had a ‘kaccha’ house. Now, because of the housing scheme, they not only have a stable roof on their heads, but the government has also provided them with electricity connection, LPG connection, and other facilities under different schemes.

Telangana: Farmer harassed by local Sarpanch consumes pesticide to commit suicide, devastated mother also kills herself by consuming remaining poison

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Farmer harassed by local Sarpanch consumes pesticide to commit suicide, devastated mother also kills herself by consuming remaining poison

A shocking incident of double suicide of a farmer and his mother has come to light from the Telangana state. Jink Srisailam, a farmer from the Devlapally village of the Kowdapally taluka of the Medak district in Telangana committed suicide as he was allegedly harassed by the Sarpanch of the village and the forest officer of that area.

Srisailam was allegedly being pressurised for handing over his land to make a ‘Nature Park’. When Srisailam’s mother went to the farm and saw his son lying dead after consuming pesticide, she was shocked. Unable to bear the pain of the death of her son, she consumed the remaining pesticide in that bottle and both of them died within hours.

The incident is reported to have taken place on Saturday 6th August 2022. Srisailam shot a selfie video before committing suicide. In this video, he alleged that he was being harassed by the Sarpanch of the village and the forest officer to give his land for the “Nature Park’ project. He said that he had invested Rs 50000 to grow the chili crop on his five-acre farm.

Before Srisailam could come to his farm, the JCB machines destroyed his crop. Image Source: ETV Bharat Telugu

The Sarpanch and forest officer allegedly destroyed his crop with earth-moving equipment when he was not present on the farm. According to a report by ETV Bharat Telugu, Srisailam had a heated debate with those people when he saw the JCB machine has destroyed his crop. He said in the video that he expects justice to be done to his daughter and son after his death. He said that he was deliberately being harassed by the Sarpanch and the forest officer who wanted to set up a nature park on his farmland. At the end of the video, he is seen consuming pesticides.

When his mother visited the farm, she was devastated to see her son lying down dead. She consumed the remaining pesticide in the bottle and later died. Telangana unit president of Bharatiya Janata Party Bandi Sanjay Kumar tweeted about this incident along with the video Srisailam shot before committing suicide. Bandi Sanjay Kumar wrote, “Extremely painful incident! Medak farmer Srisailam recorded a video & ended his life as Sarpanch & forest officials pressurized him to set up Prakruthi Vanam in his field. In his absence, they dug up his field & destroyed the Mirchi crop. His mother ended life unable to bear her son’s death.

The response from the Telangana government over this unfortunate incident is awaited.

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