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Delhi HC rejects plea filed by Jahangirpuri riot accused Sheikh Ishrafil who claimed harassment by police

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC rejects plea filed by Jahangirpuri riot accused Sheikh Ishrafil who claimed harassment by police

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, June 2, dismissed a petition filed by a Jahangirpuri riot accused, seeking directions to Delhi Police not to harass him and his family in the name of interrogation. The Court opined that the petition was a fraudulent one, filed solely for the purpose of obtaining anticipatory bail.

Accused Sheikh Ishrafil had claimed that the Delhi police were coming to his house under the cover of investigations and subjecting him and his family to harassment. He had also claimed that the police were seeking to allege that he and his family members were involved in the riot.

Sheikh Ishrafil is one of the key conspirators and perpetrators of the April 16, 2022 incident of violence that occurred in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area. His eldest son Md. Ali alias Jasmuddin was one of the arrested 14 persons who allegedly engaged in violence targeting the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.

‘Petition appears to be phishing in nature, filed to seek anticipatory bail’, says Delhi HC Judge while rejecting the plea of Jahangirpuri riot accused

The single-judge bench of Justice Asha Menon, while rejecting Ishrafil’s appeal, observed that the petition appeared to be phishing in nature, seeking anticipatory bail in the guise of directives to the police not to harass him and his family.

The bench further observed, “In the light of the facts and circumstances, as noted hereinabove, this does not appear to be a case in which the police have contacted the petitioner and his family only with ill motives to harass them. The police have to find out who were the perpetrators of the various offences committed on April 16, 2022, and as a citizen of this country, it is only to be expected that while the petitioner seeks enforcement of his Fundamental Rights, he would also do his duties and help the police resolve the crime and apprehend the perpetrators.”

Sheikh Ishrafil had claimed in his plea, that his father died on April 14, 2022, and that his late father’s Teeja (Muslim rites performed on the third day of the death of a person) was being done on April 16, 2022, at the Eidgah C-block, Jahangirpuri, where the riots began. He claimed that his entire family, including his five sons, were involved in the last rites of his father.

On the contrary, the State’s Additional Standing Counsel (ASC) asserted that during investigations, a large number of people were identified rioting, wielding swords, waving and using firearms, pelting stones and glass bottles and that 34 people and three CCLs (child in conflict with law) had been apprehended as of May 12, 2022. Others, including Ishrafil and his son Ashnoor, were absconding, according to him, and non-bailable warrants had been issued against them.

The ASC for State also alleged that Ishrafil was actively involved in exacerbating the situation by pelting stones and bottles, and attacking the Hanuman Jayanti procession with firearms, swords, bricks, bottles, and other weapons, as well as inciting the Muslim mob.

“He also spread the message amongst the residents and his community to accumulate stones, brick pieces, glass bottles, swords, and other arms, to be used at an appropriate time,” State counsel said.

The ASC went on to say that Ishrafil had devised a deep conspiracy to disrupt the country’s communal harmony and that the forensic team discovered and seized bricks, glass, and ceramic fragments on Ishrafil’s terrace, among other places.

The ASC told the court that accused Sheikh Ishrafil was trying to seek anticipatory bail in the grab of the current petition, which ASC maintained, was not permissible.

‘Petition moved to thwart investigation’: Delhi HC

The court took note of the submissions and ordered, “This Court finds no reason to issue any directions in the exercise of its powers under Article 226 given the Status Report filed by the State disclosing that the police were only investigating into the offences committed for which FIR has been registered.”

“In these facts and circumstances, it is evident that the petitioner has moved this petition to thwart investigations. The court cannot allow itself to be used in such a fashion, which may lead to interference with the investigations, and which has been always frowned upon by the courts,” the single bench of Justice Asha Menon, added, dismissing Ishrafil’s plea.

Jahangirpuri violence

It may be recalled how the Jahangirpuri violence saga began on April 16 when the Hanuman Jayanti procession was attacked by Islamists who pelted stones and glass bottles at the procession. Several people got injured as the violence escalated after 6 pm. They (Islamists) also fired gun stots amid the violence and injured Police personnel.

It is important to note that Ansar, the prime accused in the case is suspected to be associated with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. He had actively campaigned for the Party during Delhi Elections. 

The Delhi Police has so far arrested 34 people and apprehended three juveniles in the case. One of the minors has been granted bail. The Police have lodged an FIR against the accused under the provisions 147 (Rioting), 148 (Armed rioting), 186 (Obstructing duty of public servant), 353 (Assault on public servant), 307 (Murder attempt), 427 (property damage), and 436 (Attack by explosives) of the Indian penal code along with section 27 of the Arms Act 1959.

PM Modi inaugurates Groundbreaking Ceremony of third Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit, investments worth over ₹80,000 finalised

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi inaugurates Groundbreaking Ceremony of third Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit, investments worth over ₹80,000 finalised

The Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Third Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow on Friday 3rd June 2022. During his speech, PM Modi announced that investment of more than ₹80,000 crores in the state have been finalised in the event.

“Today agreements of investment of more than Rs 80,000 crore have been done here. This record investment will create thousands of employment opportunities. I congratulate the youth of UP for it as they will be most benefitted from it,” the PM said. He thanked the investors for their faith in the state, and asked them to plan for the next 25 years.

Talking about the potential of the state, the PM said that Uttar Pradesh will be a big driving force for India in the next 10 years. “I believe that it is Uttar Pradesh that will give momentum to India’s growth story in the 21st century,” he said.

“Today the world is seeing India’s potential and appreciating India’s performance. We are growing the fastest among the G20 economies. India is at number two in the Global Retail Index,” PM Narendra Modi said. He added that his govt has worked to strengthen India as a nation with reforms. One Nation-One Tax GST, One Nation-One Grid, One Nation-One Mobility Card, One Nation-One Ration Card. All these efforts are a reflection of our solid and clear policies, the PM said. He added that India progressed on mantra of ‘reform, perform, and transform’ in last 8 years.

The Prime Minister also gave a brief account of work done by his government in the last years in various sectors like telecommunications and internet connectivity, digital transactions etc. He mentioned how the digital revolution brought by the govt has helped to grow various businesses in different sectors. He assured that the industrialists will be benefited from the digital infrastructure.

The Prime Minister further promised that for the development of UP and for making of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, any reform that is required in any sector will be continuously undertaken by his govt.

Concluding the speech, PM Modi said that his govt is backing development with Niti, Nirnay, Niyat and Swabhav (policy, decision, intention and nature).

PM Modi also laid foundation stone for 1,406 projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore at the event. These projects are in various sectors including agriculture, IT and Electronics, MSME, manufacturing, renewable energy, pharma, tourism, defence and aerospace, handloom and textile.

The first Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit was held on July 29, 2018, and the second one took place on July 28 in 2019.

During the third summit, investments are being made in various sectors including data centre, Agri and allied, IT and electronics, infrastructure, manufacturing, handloom and textiles, renewable energy, MSME, housing and commercial, healthcare, warehousing and logistics, defense and aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, education, dairy etc.

In order to project the state as an attractive investment destination among industrialists and investors, the government made grand preparations ahead of the event. CM Yogi Adityanath gave dinner to the distinguished guests and industrialists attending the ceremony at his official residence at 7:00 pm on Thursday 2nd June 2022. Of the 250 guests attending the dinner, 170 were eminent industrialists. Various ministers and government officials of the state government as well as representatives of industry associations of 75 districts of the state were also present.

Guests who arrived for the Groundbreaking Ceremony were welcomed by traditional artists at the Amausi airport. The state’s industries department had asked all the five-star and three-star hotels to keep 40 percent of their rooms vacant for these guests.

Guests coming to this grand event are also being given specific gifts of local products, which will encourage the ‘One District, One Product Scheme’. Through these gifts, the government will brand the handicraft industry of the state. These gifts include excellent products of Meenakari, glass Ganesha idol of Firozabad, the stones of Lakhnawi Chikankari, brass lamps of Aligarh, ceramic mugs, and decorative handicrafts of Black Pottery of Azamgarh.

It is notable that after the formation of the BJP government in the state under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath in 2017, the first Investor Summit was held in Lucknow in 2018. Industrial houses from across the country were invited to the event in which an investment of five lakh crore rupees was announced. Setting up new units under the ‘One District, One Product Scheme’ was encouraged.

Recently, PM Modi’s government in the center completed its eight years. While talking about the same in a press conference on Wednesday 1st June 2022, CM Yogi Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh has benefited the most from the government schemes under the leadership of the Prime Minister and this will help in taking the state’s economy to new heights.

He said, “The welfare schemes implemented for the service, good governance, development and the poor in the last 8 years are unprecedented. During this time, schemes like Digital India, Startup India, Standup India, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao brought a revolution to the country. Corruption in the government schemes was stopped and during the world’s biggest epidemic Corona, the benefits of government schemes were passed on to every citizen.”

Former AMU student Fahad Zuberi, who had apologised to a Muslim mob after receiving death threats for ‘blasphemy’, now demonises Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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Former AMU student Fahad Zuberi, who had apologised to a Muslim mob after receiving death threats for ‘blasphemy’, now demonises Hindus

Former Aligarh Muslim University student Fahad Zuberi, on whom the university imposed a lifetime ban, has now turned to denigrating Hindus for expressing their religious conviction. AMU imposed a lifetime ban on Fahad along with 3 others for offending Islamic religious sentiments in 2018. Fahad had also apologised for the same.

In a new move, Fahad has now resorted to vilifying Hindus for exercising their religious convictions and fighting for their cultural values. In an interaction with left-leaning portal Newslaundry, Fahad has remarked that Hindus have been divisive and that this attitude is going to persist even in the future.

Fahad has stated with reference to the Kashi and the Mathura dispute that the issue has been an outcome of Hindu intentions and that this is not going to change. He said, “It’s not just about Mathura or Kashi or Ayodhya, you look at what is happening at Muslim spaces in Indian cities in general. We also saw what happened in Gurgaon, the Namaz row. Then we also saw attacks over putting loudspeakers in Mosques.”

Stressing that cities offer an urban space to people and implying that the Namaz in Gurgaon was justified, Fahad said, “These are the places which constitute an Urban space where people express their identity. We are seeing a new sort of violence in such places where certain people go and shout in front of a mosque. So this is not going to stop just with Kashi or Mathura. Assuming that would be wrong.”

In the conversation, Fahad along with other participants stressed that the issue is because Hindus have taken things into their hands and they are not going to stop. They asserted that the responsibility for this chaos lies with the Hindus and the Hindutva ideology as they are the ones who are attempting to change the status quo.

Who is Fahad Zuberi?

Fahad Zuberi is a former Aligarh Muslim University student and scholar who was banned for life by the university for uploading a ‘blasphemous’ photo on Facebook during the month of Ramzan in 2018. Nashra Ahmad, Fahad Zuberi, Omar Gazi, and Sushant Tank went on a trip on June 6 and posted a photo on Facebook. The image depicted the boys holding beer bottles and was captioned: “Iftari with musical stalwarts of Aligarh Muslim University. By Allah’s grace made three lapsed Sunni’s have Madira tonight (sic)… “

Following this, there was an outrage in the university with many students and activists demanding to behead them. Former vice-president of the Aligarh Muslim University Students Union (AMUSU), Nadeem Ansari, filed a case against them under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code for hurting religious sensibilities and harming the religion via hate speech. It was then Fahad and others apologised for their deeds and requested to quash the FIR.

Yogi Adityanath’s ban on meat around Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura meets Shahi Idgah issue: TOI peddles sob stories, readying the next cycle of outrage

Nupur J Sharma
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Yogi Adityanath’s ban on meat around Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura meets Shahi Idgah issue: TOI peddles sob stories, readying the next cycle of outrage

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has shut down as many as 37 shops selling alcohol and cannabis in areas surrounding Sri Krishna Janmasthan Mandir in Mathura. The government has also cancelled the licences of several liquor shop owners operating within a 10 km radius of the Krishna Mandir in Mathura.

The action was taken after the excise department received a government order asking it to stop the sale of narcotics and liquor falling within a 10 km radius of the temple. The government said that the order should come into immediate effect from June 1, 2022, Wednesday.

The officials said that the Yogi government has once again reiterated that a 10 square km area with the Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura at its centre is a religious pilgrimage site and therefore the sale of alcohol and meat here would be completely banned. Following the order, the official sprung into action on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, and shut the 37 shops selling liquor and cannabis within a radius of 10 km of the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple. 

As the Yogi Government respects Hindu sentiments and starts to shut meat and alcohol shops in a 10 km radius of Shri Krishna Janmasthan Temple, the media has now started peddling sob stories to craft the next cycle of outrage, not just insulting Yogi Adityanath but also Hindus at large.

TimesNow published a report on June 1st 2022 where it detailed a sob story about a Muslim owner of a restaurant who supposedly had to fire his Muslim staff and hire Hindus to keep up with the “changing times”.

Article headline by TimesNow

The impression one gets from the headline is that Hindus are refusing to go to the restaurant perhaps because the “bigoted Hindus” were refusing to engage with Muslim employees. However, a deep delve into the article shows how the narrative has been twisted to demonise Hindus.

The article starts with blaming the calls to “remove Shahi Idgah Mosque” and how it has created communal tension in Mathura.

TOI krishna janmasthan

The article says that Mohammad Zameel has fired his Muslim employees because living as a Muslim has become difficult in Mathura and he is viewed his suspicion. The article goes on to claim that he has changed the name of his restaurant from ‘Taj Hotel’ which was named in 1974 to ‘Royal Family Restaurant’ in December 2021.

Firstly, “Taj Hotel” hardly has any Islamic connotations and therefore, to connect this to the supposed fear that Zameel feels is the result of weaving facts to suit a narrative. Secondly, while the Shahi Idgah controversy has been ongoing for a while, given that in December 2021 a petition was filed to stop Namaz at the disputed structure, the claim that “calls to remove Shahi Idgah” led to communal tension, leading to Zameel changing the name of his restaurant does not seem to make too much sense. The current petition for the removal of Shahi Idgah was filed only in 2022.

Zameel further told TOI that the restaurant has been his family’s source of income for decades. “Before me, my parents used to run the restaurant and it’s painful for me to change my family’s legacy. We have been living in times of uncertainty and constantly fear the unknown. We have no option but to hide our identities to earn our livelihood,” said Zameel.

After half the article dedicated the Zameel’s sob story about “changing the character of his restaurant” because he is being looked upon with suspicion, leading to the firing of 8 of his Muslim staff members, the real motives behind this move is revealed.

Zameel tells TOI that after the meat ban in Mathura, near the Krishna Janmasthaan, he has had to replace his menu to include vegetarian items.

TOI krishna janmasthan

There are two revelations by Mohammad Zameel here:

  1. The demand for meat has gone down after the liquor and meat ban near the Krishna Janmasthaan. Now, it is interesting to note that the Times of India refuses to fact check that firstly, liquor etc is not banned in the entire city of Mathura but only in a 10 KM radius of Krishna Janmasthaan. Secondly, if the demand has gone down and it is because of that Zameel changed his menu, he can’t possibly blame Hindus overall for it. People are not bound to consume meat just so Mohammad Zameel can maintain the original character of his restaurant.
  2. He says that he replaced his Muslim staff because Hindus cook vegetarian food better.

Interestingly, none of these reasons seems to have anything to do with the Shahi Idgah petition filed in the court.

To give weight to the “Dara Hua Musalman” narrative, the Times of India quotes Zameel as saying that he has stopped sitting at the cash counter so that his appearance does not keep the clients away. Craftily, the article adds an “allegedly” in the sentence because it is evident that they have also not been able to confirm this claim by Zameel.

Interestingly, after making these tall claims, Zameel comes back to the real reason the “character of his restaurant” has been altered.

TOI krishna janmasthan

While the article started by claiming that there is communal tension in the city due to the Shahi Idgah petition, Zameel seems to be only lamenting how people are not eating enough non-vegetarian food for his business to do well.

Plea submitted in District Court to secure Shahi Idgah Masjid after the discovery of Shivling in Gyanvapi premises

The Times of India’s article publishing a sob story about a struggling Muslim businessman came in the wake of a plea filed in a Mathura court, requesting that the Shahi Idgah Masjid be sealed and that security be deployed to protect Hindu sacred artefacts from being vandalised. The petition was filed after a Shivling was discovered at the disputed site in the Gyanvapi compound.

In his appeal, advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh argued that there are remnants of Lotus, Sheshnag, Om, Swastik, and other Hindu religious symbols in the actual sanctum sanctorum. He added that some of them have already been destroyed, and the defendants are currently attempting to vandalise the others.

The court has also agreed to hear a plea seeking videography of the disputed Shahi Idgah mosque. Manish Yadav, Mahendra Pratap Singh, and Dinesh Sharma are among the petitioners who have called for the appointment of an attorney commissioner to conduct the video survey in the Shahi Idgah mosque grounds in Mathura.

TOI conflates the meat ban around Krishna Janmasthan with the Shahi Idgah issue to perpetuate the ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ trope

Zameel, in the article published in TOI, bemoans that people are not eating enough non-vegetarian food and therefore, he has to replace his Muslim staff with Hindus good at cooking vegetarian food. Now, it begs the question as to why the Times of India deemed it fit to allege communal disharmony due to a court petition when the reality, as mentioned in their article itself, is quite different.

The answer to this question is the media’s predilection for perpetuating the ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ trope so that they can continue to keep Hindus guilt-tripped and subdue their growing assertiveness. The Hindu claims of a temple underneath the disputed structure in the Gyanvapi compound got a tremendous shot in the arm when the survey team found Shivling inside the wuzukhana of the mosque and Hindu motifs engraved on the walls of its basement.

The media, after failing to create a sympathetic narrative in the Gyanvapi case, is leaving no stone unturned to weaken the Hindu side’s claim on Shahi Idgah. It is to this end that they are deviously conflating two disparate issues of the meat ban around the Shri Krishna Janmasthan and the Shahi Idgah petition so that they can reinforce their narrative of Muslim victimhood and usher the country into the next outrage cycle, with the ulterior aim of undermining the claims by the Hindu side and deprive them of their right to reclaim their places of worship.

‘Will behead you in one month’, BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao Patel receives threats for saying there is a Shivling inside Gyanvapi, FIR registered

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will behead you in one month’, BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao Patel receives threats for saying there is a Shivling inside Gyanvapi, FIR registered

On Thursday, Supreme Court advocate and BJP Spokesperson Prashant Umrao Patel lodged an FIR against an unidentified person who has threatened to behead him. In the FIR filed at Echotech-3 Police station, Prashant mentioned that he received death threats via a phone call at around 12:57 pm on Thursday from a mobile number (9477298804).

According to the reports, Prashant Umrao received death threats after he participated in one of the TV debates on the issue of Gyanvapi Masjid. “The person who called stated that the Shivling discovered in the disputed structure on the Gyanvapi Masjid was actually a fountain. He threatened me and accused me of speaking against the Prophet. He further threatened me for saying that there was no fountain in the Gyanvapi Masjid and the recent discovery is that of a Shivling”, a complaint filed by the BJP leader read.

“The person said that he will track my residential address and had plans to slit my throat within a month. He said that they are ready to kill and die and that now I have no chance to save myself”, Prashant said in the complaint adding that the person also abused him several times during the conversation.

When the BJP leader asked the name of the person on phone, he refused to respond and reiterated the death threats to the leader.

Prashant has also received a death threat on the social media platform Instagram following the news debate on the presence of Shivling inside the disputed Gyanvapi structure. The threat read, “Hamara Majhab yeh bilkul nahi sikhata ke kisi dusre majhab par baat uchaali jaaye. Inshaah Allah, jald hi tera sar tan se juda hai. (our religion does not teach us to demean any other religion. Insha’Allah your head will be separated from your body soon)”.

The incident came to light when Prashant posted the screenshot of the death threat he received on Instagram on Twitter. The Uttar Pradesh Police took cognizance of the tweet and said that a report has been registered now at the Echotech-3 Police Station in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh and that the matter is under investigation.

The BJP Spokesperson also mentioned in the FIR that these kind of threats and crimes were dangerous and many people in the past have been targeted in a similar manner. “I need to stay out of my home most of the time and death threats like these should be immediately looked into by the authorities”, he added in the FIR demanding strict legal action against the person who made the phone call. The Instagram account from which the death threats were issued to the BJP leader has since been deleted.

This is not the first time that a BJP leader has received death threats for participating in a TV debate on the issue of the Shivling discovered inside the Gyanwapi structure. Last week, Nupur Sharma, the national spokeswoman of BJP and a leader of the party’s Delhi unit received similar death threats, including the threat to behead her and her family. 

The Islamists and many other political parties were outraged and protested against Sharma following the debate. While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra protested against Sharma, a local Hyderabad-based party AIMIM (Inquilab) announced a reward of Rs 1 crore to any Muslim who would murder the BJP leader.

A Pakistani Twitter handle named ‘Labbaikians TV’ which claims to share ‘The Latest Speeches and interviews of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)’ had also announced a cash reward of Pakistani Rupees 5 million (Around Rs 19.5 lakhs) to anyone who would behead Nupur for allegedly committing ‘blasphemy’.

Gyanvapi is a matter of faith for Hindus, issue should be settled amicably, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat but advises against opening battles in every mosque

OpIndia Staff
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Gyanvapi is a matter of faith for Hindus, issue should be settled amicably, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat but advises against opening battles in every mosque

In his first remark on the ongoing disputed Gyanvapi mosque row, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday, June 2, that the disputed structure of the Gyanvapi mosque has a history that cannot be disputed. Several temples were desecrated by Islamic invaders, and Hindu society just intends to recover them. “It’s simply a matter of faith. Hindus are not opposed to Muslims. Issues have only been raised over places in which Hindus have special devotion,” said the RSS chief while speaking in Nagpur during the concluding ceremony of an RSS training programme.

The RSS chief further said, “We cannot change history. Neither today’s Hindus nor Muslims created it. It happened at that time. Islam was brought into India from outside by the Islamic invaders. In the attacks, hundreds of Devasthans (temples) were demolished to crush the morale of those who wanted independence. The Hindu society places a special emphasis on them, special reverence is about them.”

The RSS chief added that Hindus are not against Muslims. The ancestors of today’s Muslims were Hindus too,” said Bhagwat. “Hindus have no animosity for Muslims. At the period, the ancestors of today’s Muslims were also Hindus. The desecration was done to crush their morale and spirt and rob them of their independence for all time, thus Hindus believe it should be restored.”

Mohan Bhagwat said that mosques are also places of worship and nobody opposes them in general. “Islam came from the outside, but the Muslims who have accepted Islam are not outsiders and they must understand this. We don’t mind if their prayer comes from outside (this country) and they want to continue with it,” he stated, adding, “We are not opposed to any kind of religion or worship.”

The RSS chief further stated that the RSS is not in the favour of any sort of agitation or launching any kind of movement for reclaiming temples. “On November 6, we took part in the Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan because circumstances were such. Although it was against our nature, we agreed to participate for historical reasons and to accommodate the existing crisis. We also accomplished what people want. But, now, we don’t want to call for anymore agitation,” he said.

‘We have devotion towards Gyanpavi but no point opening up battles in every mosque’: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

While the RSS chief supported the move to reclaim the original Kashi Vishwanath temple from the Gyanvapi mosque site, he said that it should not be repeated with each and every mosque in the country. “We shouldn’t bring out a new matter daily. Why should we escalate the dispute? We have devotion towards Gyanvapi and we are doing something as per that, it is alright. But why look for a Shivling in every masjid?” asked the RSS chief, implying that while it is undeniable that there are numerous Muslim structures in the form of Mazar, mosques, dargah, forts, eidgahs, and others that were built on temple sites and/or used temple materials, it is pointless to raise the issue for each of them because it will only lead to disputes and open up battles in every mosque, which he advised is pointless.

“If there are issues in mind, it rises. It is not against anyone. It should not be considered like that. Muslims should not consider it like that and Hindus too should not do that either. There is something like that, find out a path through mutual agreement,” Bhagwat said.

The RSS chief further said that whenever people approach the court then they must be ready to accept the court’s judgement. “We must follow the decisions of our judicial system by considering it sacred and supreme and not question them,” he added.

The disputed structure of the Gyanvapi Mosque, built on the premises of the Kashi Viswanath Temple in Varanasi, is currently embroiled in a legal battle. Five Hindu women devotees have petitioned a Varanasi court for permission to perform daily puja of Gods and Goddesses on the walls of the mosques.

Earlier this month, a Shivling was reported to have been found inside the disputed structure at Gyanvapi mosque’s wuzukhana, the place where Muslims wash their hands and legs, and gargle before offering namaz.

The reports came in the aftermath of a three-day videography survey of the disputed structure carried out by the authorities.

Recently, new videos and photos surfaced online showing Shivling inside the wuzukhana of the mosque, along with the motifs of Swastika, Trishul, Lotus and Hindu deities engraved on the walls of the basement.

Supreme Court dismisses pleas against Puri Jagannath Temple Parikrama project, fines petitioners with Rs 1 lakh each

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court dismisses pleas against Puri Jagannath Temple Parikrama project, fines petitioners with Rs 1 lakh each

The Supreme Court of India has today dismissed the pleas challenging the Odisha High Court order that had refused to stay the construction work of the Odisha government under the ‘Parikrama Prakalpa’ or the redevelopment work around the Meghanada wall of the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri.

As per reports, the Supreme Court has told in its verdict that there is no merit in the PILs filed, and such filing such petitions are a waste of judicial time. It added that such frivolous PILs need to be ‘nipped in the bud’ so that development work is not stopped. The petitioners have been fined by the SC with a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each.

The SC has mentioned that the petitioners’ plea is against the interests of the millions of devotees who would benefit from the project. It also mentioned that by intentionally hindering and stopping the project, the petitioners were only seeking personal glorification.

Tweets by Lawbeat

The SC also expressed displeasure over the manner the petitioners had sought early listing of the matter, saying that the petitioners had made a huge hue and cry as if ‘heavens will fall if the case is not heard on priority’.

The Odisha government’s construction work around the 12th century Jagannath Temple’s Meghanad wall, to develop facilities for devotees and overall beautification of the premises, can therefore continue unabated.

A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Gavai held that the Odisha government cannot be stopped from carrying out excavation and construction activities around the temple. It also observed that the current project work is as per the directions issued by the apex court in the 2019 verdict of Mrinalini Padhi Vs Union of India and also in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act 1958.

The apex court asserted that it is in the larger interests of the millions of devotees visiting the Jagannath Temple to construct toilets, pavements and other facilities around the outside area temple.

The petitioners had accused that the state government had not obtained all necessary clearances before carrying out the excavation works. The state government had mentioned that all necessary permissions and clearances have been obtained.

It is notable here that Senior Advocate Pinaki Mishra who appeared for the Odisha government in the case in the SC is also the sitting MP of Puri. He has hailed the verdict as ‘Lord Jagannath’s will’ and has stated that Naveen Patnaik has been vindicated.

What is the Shrimandira Parikrama Project?

The Shrimandira Parikrama Prakalpa or the Puri Jagannath Temple heritage corridor project was inaugurated by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in November 2021. Gajapati Maharaj of Puri, the erstwhile ‘king of Odisha’ had performed the Shilanyas rituals for the project in a grand ceremony.

Under the heritage corridor project, a 75-metre area surrounding the temple was first cleared of all illegal encroachments, and was paved and widened for the grand Ratha Yatra festival. The project includes the development of multiple facilities in order to protect the 12th-century temple wall and provide devotees with a clean, and safe space while visiting the temple.

In August 2019, the Odisha government announced that all structures around a 75-metre radius of the Jagannath Temple’s Meghanada wall will be removed to ensure the safety and integrity of the 12th-century shrine. The structures identified under the clearing plan were shoe stands, government facilities like electricity supply buildings, information centres, police outposts and shops and stalls that had come up over the years.

The decision was taken to implement the first phase of the recommendations made by the justice BP Das Commission.

The anti-encroachment drive of the government was met with widescale protests from various groups. CM Naveen Patnaik has stated that his vision is to transform Puri into a world-class heritage city.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann faces protests as he meets the family of deceased singer Sidhu Moosewala: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann faces protests as he meets the family of deceased singer Sidhu Moosewala: Details

On Friday (June 3), Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met the father of deceased singer Sidhu Moosewala amidst protests by residents of his native village in the Manasa district of Punjab.

As per reports, a heavy security arrangement was made outside Moosewala’s house to avert any law and order situation. In visuals shared by news agency ANI, the locals were seen demonstrating against the visit of CM Bhagwant Mann.

They complained about the blockade set up around the deceased singer’s house and accused the cops of preventing the relatives from entering his house.

Protests erupted outside Sidhu Moosewala’s house on Friday morning against the police and the state government. Locals were angered by the blockade done around the house. The police were accused of stopping the relatives from entering the home.

AAP MLA Gurpreet Banawali had reached the village before Mann but was stopped by an angry mob. Even though the AAP legislator apologised on behalf of the police, he was reportedly denied entry into Moosewala’s house.

Amidst tight security, Mann reached the residence of Sidhu Moosewala and consoled his grieving father, Balkaur Singh.

Citing sources, Republic TV had earlier reported that Bhagwant Mann’s plan to visit the Moosa village was postponed in light of the protests by the local resident. “Sources revealed that Mann put his plan on hold after the people of Moosa village strongly opposed his entry,” the report stated.

An official had informed, “The situation is peaceful. The situation is under control. The situation is sensitive as people are emotional. We have to respect everyone’s emotions. I am not authorized for this”. Reportedly, officials and police had tried to pacify the angry villagers and the singer’s family.

Demands made by the father of Sidhu Moosewala

Earlier, his father Balkaur Singh had written to CM Bhagwant Mann demanding justice in the murder case. He blamed the government for his son’s death and demanded an inquiry done by a sitting judge of the High Court.

He had said, “Because of the failures of your government, my son Shubhdeep Singh has left us forever. Shubhdeep’s mother keeps asking me where is her son and when will he be back home. What should I tell her? I request you to do justice to my family.“

“The inquiry, in this case, should be done under a sitting judge of the Honourable High Court. The Government of Punjab should get support from CBI and NIA in the inquiry. Secondly, those officers should be held answerable who reviewed my son’s security and gave the order to withdraw it,” he added.

He concluded, “My son promoted Punjab across the world with his talent, but DGP connected his murder to a gang war. DGP Punjab should apologise for his statement.”

On May 29 this year, Sidhu Moosewala was killed in an attack in the Mansa village of Punjab. Unidentified attackers opened fire on Moosewala and his two companions. He was carried to the hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead.

The feared gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whose gang has claimed responsibility for the murder of Moosewala,had approached the Patiala court fearing a ‘fake encounter’ by the Punjab Police in the matter. 

Uttar Pradesh: Waseem Ansari had become Ravi Sharma, booked for sexually exploiting and blackmailing minor girl

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Waseem Ansari had become Ravi Sharma, booked for sexually exploiting and blackmailing minor girl

In another recent case of Grooming Jihad, a 21-year-old woman from the Baradari area of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh was sexually assaulted by one Waseem Ansari who had allegedly posed himself as ‘Ravi Sharma’ to lure the victim.

According to the reports, the accused has been sexually exploiting the victim under a false identity for 5 years. The victim was 16-year-old in the year 2017 when the accused first called her for some reason, as per her complaint. He identified himself as Ravi Sharma and told the victim that he belonged to the Brahmin community.

As the duo began to frequently talk on the phone, Ansari took a step ahead and proposed to the victim for marriage. Influencing her with his false identity and the promise of marriage, Ansari had allegedly sexually exploited the girl for years.

It was only in the year 2019 when the victim learned through Facebook that Ravi was in fact Waseem Ansari from the Izzatnagar area who worked as a tile worker.

The victim protested and reported the entire incident to the Police and said that she was cheated by the accused. But accused Ansari sought forgiveness and continued to harass the victim. He began to blackmail her saying that he would upload all her private pictures on social media. Reportedly, he entered the house of the victim in February 2022 and abused her in a drunk state.

Also, on April 24, Ansari forcefully entered the victim’s residence with plans to abduct her this time. However, the accused could not execute the plan following strong protest from the victim, her family and people in her neighbourhood. Taking the cognizance of events and complaints received from the victim, the Izzatnagar Police registered an FIR against the accused.

Recent cases of Grooming Jihad in Uttar Pradesh-

It is important to note that this is not the first time that such a case of Grooming Jihad has been reported from the state of Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in December 2021, the Etah city police in Uttar Pradesh had arrested a youth named Shoaib Irshad for allegedly trapping a Hindu girl by posing as a Hindu boy and later abducting and forcing her to convert to Islam.

Also, in January 2022, a 15-year-old girl studying in class 10 was kidnapped by a Muslim in Amanpur locality of Kasganj, after which the girl’s family members had lodged a complaint against him at the police station. The Muslim man posed as a Hindu boy named Raju to trick the girl and had abducted her while she was on her way to the school. The accused was later arrested.

Recently, in April 2022, a minor girl was raped, blackmailed and exploited by a man named Kasim who had posed himself as Rahul. As per reports, the victim, a minor girl who is a student of higher secondary, was approached and lured by the accused into a relationship online. He belonged to the same neighborhood as the victim and had gradually gained her confidence, eventually raping her and making obscene video clips to blackmail her further. He was arrested by the Bareilly Police and was sent to jail.

Besides this, there are several similar cases of Love Jihad, where Muslim men have been accused of lying about their religious identity to trap non-Muslim women to sexually exploit, eventually, forcefully marry and convert to Islam. OpIndia has documented several such cases over the last few years. In the recent case, an official complaint has been registered against accused Waseem Ansari. Investigations are underway.

‘No coercive steps’: Punjab, Haryana HC stays FIR against Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan, and Bharti Singh for ‘hurting sentiments’ of Christians

OpIndia Staff
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‘No coercive steps’: Punjab, Haryana HC stays FIR against Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan, and Bharti Singh for ‘hurting sentiments’ of Christians

In connection with an FIR lodged against them for allegedly hurting the religious sensitivities of the Christian community, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered on Wednesday that no punitive measures should be taken against Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon, filmmaker Farah Khan, and comedian Bharti Singh. The Batala police station in Gurdaspur filed an FIR on December 30, 2019, on accusations of hurting religious feelings.

In the case to dismiss the FIR filed against the group for statements made during a web show in 2019, Justice Karamjit Singh issued a notice to the State of Punjab. “Learned counsel for the petitioners is directed to supply a complete set of the paper book to the learned State counsel during the course of the day. Till then, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioners,” the court ordered.

Screenwriter Abbas Ajij Dalal and a company called Frames Production Company Private Limited were also named as accused in the case. They had all sought the quashing of the FIR filed at the Batala police station against them for allegedly infringing on religious emotions during a Flipkart online programme named “Backbenchers.”

According to Abhinav Sood, their counsel, none of the components of the claimed offence of hurting religious emotions under Section 295-A is proven, and there was no intentional and malicious intent by anyone to outrage the religious sensibilities of a class. The charges are “unjustified, false, and incorrect,” he said.

Farah Khan presented Backbenchers, a show by Flipkart in which she welcomed celebrities and assessed their basic understanding. The complainants took issue with statements made during an episode aired on November 30, 2019. The petitioners were accused of offending the Christian community’s religious sensitivities by linking “Hallelujah” with a profane term and degrading it.

The petitioners claimed that nothing in the program showed that it was intended to hurt the religious sensibilities of Christians. They further argued that the allegations were vague, with the intention of holding them criminally accountable. Following the hearing of these arguments, the Court scheduled a hearing on the case for December 5.

It is notable that in March 2020, The Punjab & Haryana High Court stayed an FIR against Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan, and Bharti Singh in a similar case resulting from the same occurrence. The celebrities had asked for the FIRs to be dismissed and the Punjab Police probe to be halted in their appeal. The petitioners apologised shortly after the controversy surfaced in December.

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