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It has been a year since Bengal post poll violence, but the scars remain: Victims share their plight with OpIndia, blame Mamata Banerjee

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It has been a year since Bengal post poll violence, but the scars remain: Victims share their plight with OpIndia, blame Mamata Banerjee

Following the Assembly elections in May 2021, the state of West Bengal saw phenomenal anarchy and bloodshed. Several BJP activists were attacked, intimidated, and killed during the Trinamool Congress-sponsored bloodbath. After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha elections, party thugs went mad and attacked BJP members in the state.

OpIndia reached out to some of the victims of the violence and spoke with them about their horrific experiences, which they claim were overtly sponsored by West Bengal’s state apparatus. Listening to the people’s and their families’ anguish, the amount of pain these people went through and are currently going through in West Bengal was evident.

When speaking, all of the victims attributed the entire sequence of occurrences to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, stating that their only fault was that they were affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Throughout the talk, they all said unambiguously that being a BJP voter is a crime and being a BJP Party Worker is a sin in Bengal. It is just by offering one’s life, that one is absolved of one’s sins.

Sangeeta Yadav, wife of Joy Prakash Yadav

The OpIndia team met Sangeeta Yadav, the wife of Joy Prakash Yadav, who was murdered by TMC henchmen on June 6, 2021.

Sangeeta said that she was not at home when the incident occurred because, after the elections, her husband dropped her and the children at the maternal house out of fear. “I took my children to my parents’ house, but my son returned with my spouse. We were terrified for days since we were aware of all the violence against BJP activists in Bengal,” she stated.

BJP Bengal on Twitter: "Violence continues after the elections in West Bengal! TMC miscreants bombed and killed BJP activist Shri Joy Prakash Yadav in Barrackpore. Many false cases have been filed against
Joy Prakash Yadav.

She added that when her husband returned from the salon on June 6, 2021, there were 5-6 individuals waiting outside her house. “As soon as my husband arrived home, they began bickering and taunting him since the BJP had lost the election. They stated that they will bomb the entire family and end the game today. My husband then begged them to go without making noise”, she went on to say, adding that the assailants also admitted to being sent by TMC leaders Lallan Singh and Chandan Singh.

As per Sangeeta, they then threw a bomb on the face of her husband. The attack resulted in the immediate death of her husband in front of their son. Her mother in law also faced injuries and the explosion damaged her both ears.

Sangeeta also mentioned that, strangely, instead of coming to them and assisting them, the police went to the residence of Chandan Singh and Lallan Singh after the incident. The cops arrived at her home after visiting the TMC leaders. Furthermore, the perpetrators were not immediately apprehended but were being treated in a hospital at the cost of the government. “This is Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, where a bereaved family, an unwell mother, and a widow are left to mourn while criminals are treated with public funds,” she remarked, her eyes crimson and filled with tears of profound grief and agony.

Sangeeta Yadav with her daughter.

Sangeeta said that she still gets threats to drop the case otherwise everyone in the family shall be killed. The main accused, Chandan Singh and Lallan Singh have yet not been arrested. She said that after the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, she is hopeful that she will get justice.

Srikanta Khetarpal, brother of Kush Khetarpal

Srikanta Khetrapal is the brother of Kush Khetrapal who was killed by TMC goons in West Bengal. Kush went missing on May 5, 2021, after which his dead body was found a couple of days after.

Srikanta described how her 26-year-old brother Kush Khetrapal was subjected to the horrors of TMC goons as a result of his support for the BJP. Srikanta stated that Kush worked at a hotel and was frequently approached by TMC members Kanan Khetrapal, Sukumar Khetrapal, and Dilip Khetrapal when the former came from work. They had warned Kush of grave repercussions if he did not join TMC.

Srikanta Khetrapal

In response to the threat from the aforementioned TMC employees, the hotel owner stated that Kush was not permitted to work and that if he wanted to work, he should first apologise to the TMC workers. On that day, May 6, as Kush was on his way to the TMC office to apologise, TMC employees and others forcibly abducted him.

Kush’s body was discovered two days later, on May 8, at 5 PM, near the Baishtam pond. There were several minor injuries to the body as well as a significant incision on the skull, with the left ear gone completely.

Also, once the body was discovered, the police took it into custody, and soon after the autopsy, the body was cremated with the assistance of the aforementioned TMC leaders. The police and TMC goons also forcefully took his mother Bandana Khetrapal’s thumb impression on a blank piece of paper and utilised it to their advantage.

Kush was one of the three brothers in his family. He has a daughter. The family is struggling to meet daily needs as a working person is no more in the family.

Biswajeet Sarkar, brother of Avijit Sarkar

OpIndia interviewed Biswajeet Sarkar, the brother of Avijit Sarkar, who was assassinated by hundreds of TMC goons on May 2, 2021. Avijit Sarkar took to Facebook on Sunday (May 2) to share the horrifying account of brutality he endured at the hands of TMC goons.

The footage was posted just hours before he was lynched by the attackers. Biswajeet said that on the morning of May 2, TMC workers loaded in SUVs rushed to our local party office and surrounded it. “They surrounded the office, the NGO, and the temple after which they started hurling bombs all around. They even broke the gates of the temple and looted the donation box. They broke all the CCTV cameras around and as we rushed to escape, they dragged me and my mother and used the wire of the CCTV camera to suffocate us,” he said.

The NGO of Avijit Sarkar.

He further added that as some of them were torturing them, others dragged his brother and crushed his head with a big stone. “Avijit died at the moment. We saw him die in front of our eyes,” he stated wiping out his tears. “They also took out a pistol to shoot us but we anyhow managed to escape and saved our lives,” he added.

He said that even police were present at the spot and watching the whole incident. When asked about the perpetrators, Biswajeet said, “I gave all names to the police but they did not act. TMC MLA Paresh Pal and local councillor Sapan Samaddar openly said on the day of polling that on the day of the results, they will kill us. Everybody witnessed it. I clearly heard the goons talking to each other that they had an open hand from Paresh Da and Sapan Da to kill them.” He said that they even said that the Officer In charge of the local police station gave them a free hand to kill them.

Also, his mother was deceivingly made to sign 5 blank sheets by the police after Biswajeet was arrested and his brother was killed. “They made her sign papers and lodged a false FIR that 2-3 people came to our house and a scuffle broke down. They registered only one case under section 307 and that too was when my brother was dead,” he said.

Biswajeet alleged that the whole police department was responsible for his death and they even filed cases to deny the death of his brother. However, the actual case was registered through court.

Biswajeet Sarkar

“They are still threatening to kill me. As I speak about the murder of my brother, they threaten my mother saying that there will be ‘Khela Hobe’ with me,” he said adding that he doesn’t fear anyone.

“Mamata Banerjee killed my brother. Everything was happening at her behest,” Biswajeet stated angrily.

Gautam Halder, husband of Chandana Halder

Gautam Halder is the husband of Chandana Halder who was beaten to death by TMC goons on 2 July in West Bengal’s South 24 Parhgana district. They are residents of Ramchandarpur Village which falls under the Satgachhia Vidhan Sabha constituency of West Bengal. Speaking to OpIndia, Gautam said that he and his wife bother were BJP workers.

Gautam stated that on July 2, while his cousin brother Swarup Halder was on his way back home, TMC goons attacked him and beat him with sticks until he lost consciousness. They also warned anybody who could come to his help. “After knowing about Gautam being beaten, I and my wife rushed to see him. We reached there and managed an ambulance to send him to a hospital. As we reached there and sent my brother in the ambulance, the goons came back and attacked us. They beat us mercilessly,” he said.

Gautam said that as they managed to escape, the goons chased them and beat them in the way. “They hit us with everything they got in their hands. We did not understand what to do,” Gautam said. After the goons left, Gautam took his wife to the hospital nearby where she was declared dead.

We also spoke to Swarup Halder. It was visible that Swarup faced problems even when speaking at a low volume. “They broke my both jaws and bother legs. I don’t know what was my mistake. God knows,” Swarup said looking at the ceiling with desperate eyes.

Gautam now lives with his two sons, one 9-year-old and another 16-year-old. While talking about his visit to the national capital, Gautam informed that he had left his two sons in the custody of his sister. He conceded that he is fearful for their safety.

Ranjit Barai, son of Ramprasad Barai

Ramprasad Barai, a more than 70-year-old man, died under mysterious circumstances in January 2021. Ranjit Barai, one of the four sons of Ramprasad, explained the series of incidents to us.

They are residents of the Dinhata sub Division in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. Ranjit said that his father was taken away by the police on the night of December 13, 2020. The reason behind the unlawful detention was entirely unclear as they rushed to their house at the midnight to take away a 72-year-old person.

“They broke 3 doors of my house and took away my ailing father with them. There was no case. They registered a case on January 1, 2021. All these days, the police illegally detained my father and did not even let us meet him. We did not even know if he was alive or dead,” stated Ranjit.

On January 13, the police forcefully took Ramprasad to the hospital on January 12, 2021. “They took him to the hospital on January 12. On January 13, they called and said that he is no more alive and we should go and take his dead body. I don’t know what happened. My father was a Shiva Bhakt his whole life,” Ranjit recalled.

Ramprasad Barai

“We don’t even know what happened to him,” said Ranjit angrily. He said that the condition of the Cooch Behar district is very bad.

Rituals being performed by sons of Ramprasad Barai.

Ranjit alleged that behind the death of his father, it was the Sitai constituency MLA Jagadish Chandra Barma. “The MLA threatened us to not say anything to the police. Police and the MLA were with each other. We still get death threats from them. You should know that Police went to my home 5 times to inquire where I am now,” said Ranjit.

The post mortem report of Ramchandra Barai.

Ranjit expressed his despondency, adding that he spends his nights in the woods because he is afraid of being killed. “If the police or TMC goons discover me at home in the middle of the night, they will kill me. They will surely kill me. This is why I go to the jungle every night since my father was killed and stay there till the sunrise,” concluded Ranjit.

Political violence in West Bengal by TMC henchmen is nothing new. TMC goons attacked BJP workers and leaders on a daily basis not just after the results of the 2021 assembly election, but also before and throughout the run-up to the 2019 national elections. Under TMC’s leadership, throwing petrol bombs, assaulting people, and even killings have become the norm in West Bengal. A year after the post-election violence, several BJP workers are still waiting for a safe atmosphere to return to their homes.

The Indo-Argentinian film based on the life of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore ‘Thinking of Him’ is all set for a release

OpIndia Staff
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The Indo-Argentinian film based on the life of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore ‘Thinking of Him’ is all set for a release

An Indo-Argentinian film based on the life of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore – ‘Thinking of Him’ is set to release in theatres across India on May 6, 2022. 

The film, directed by Argentinian film director Pablo Cesar and co-produced by award-winning Indian filmmaker Suraj Kumar, explores Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s relationship with the Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo.  

Victoria Ocampo, who had idolized Tagore after reading the French translation of ‘Gitanjali’, is said to have taken care of him when he fell ill during his Bueno Aires visit in 1924. The film is based on the events connected to Tagore and Ocampo during his stay in Argentina.

The movie ‘Thinking of Him’ stars Indian actor Victor Banerjee in the role of Tagore and the Argentine actress Eleonora Wexler playing Victoria. The film also stars the noted Bengali actress Raima Sen and Hector Bordoni in pivotal roles.

The story revolves around the relationship between Tagore and Ocampo. On November 6, 1924, Tagore had to stop in Buenos Aires for medical rest while he was going to Peru to attend the centenary celebrations of the country’s independence. Victoria came to know about Tagore’s visit and offered to take care of him. She had rented a beautiful mansion in a suburb of Buenos Aires and put up Tagore there. Tagore left Buenos Aires on January 3, 1925, after fully recovering from his illness.

The 34-year-old Ocampo had taken care of Tagore during his 58 days stay, which rejuvenated Tagore. She got a spiritual awakening and literary inspiration from the great Indian philosopher-poet.

Speaking about his shooting experience in India, director Pablo Cesar said, ‘It was a unique experience to shoot in India. I have known India since 1994, although it is difficult to know all of India. But over the years, I have understood many things about the idiosyncrasies and behavior of people from many places in India, a country that I personally admire.”

Victor Banerjee said that the film is about what Victoria Ocampo thought of Tagore, and it is not about what somebody else thought of Tagore.

Gorakhnath Temple Attack accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi was in contact with ISIS, had taken its oath, reveal UP Police

OpIndia Staff
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Gorakhnath Temple Attack accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi was in contact with ISIS, had taken its oath, reveal UP Police

Investigations of the Gorakhnath Temple attack case made a big revelation against the accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi. Many facts about the case have been unearthed by the investigation agencies so far. It has been revealed that Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi was in touch with ISIS and he had also bought a foreign SIM card.

Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, who carried out a murderous attack on security personnel outside Gorakhpur’s Gorakhnath temple, is extremely vicious. The Uttar Pradesh ATS team is interrogating him strictly. Abbasi had bought a foreign SIM card. Through this, he came in contact with dangerous terrorist organizations like ISIS.

Uttar Pradesh’s ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, “On 3rd April 2022, accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi attacked security personnel who was deployed for the security of Shri Gorakshnath Temple Complex in Gorakhpur with a sharp weapon. A case was registered in this regard and relevant sections were imposed on him. Later, sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act were also added in the same case. Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) took over the investigations of the case on 5th April 2022. Uttar Pradesh ATS thoroughly investigated the accused. The data recovered from the electronic devices of the accused was analyzed. Various social media accounts of the accused were analyzed. These accounts include Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Accused Murtaza’s various bank accounts, e-Wallets, and financial transactions were also analyzed. The investigations and various technical analyses so far by the Uttar Pradesh ATS have brought to light various facts about accused Murtaza.”

About the ISIS connection of the accused, he said, “Accused Murtaza was in touch with the ISIS terrorists and ISIS sympathizers through various social media handles like Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, etc. The said accused, through his social media accounts, was also in touch with an ISIS propaganda activist Mehandi Masood Vishwas who was arrested by the Bangalore police in 2014. The accused was completely under the influence of radical preachers of various terrorist outfits, Jihadis, and their audio and videos supporting the terrorist ideology of ISIS. On a social media platform in the year 2013, the accused took a vow of Ansar-ul-Tawhid in front of terrorist propaganda activists. Later this terrorist group was merged into ISIS in 2014. In 2020, the accused again took a vow to the terrorist organization ISIS. From the bank accounts of the accused, 8.5 lakh Indian rupees were sent to different countries in Europe and America to help the terrorist activities of ISIS that it carries out through its supporters. With an intent to execute terrorist activities, the accused used to read the online articles and watch the videos on the internet related to weapons like the AK-47 rifle, M4 Carbine, and missile technology. This sequence continued as the accused practiced how to operate an air rifle and a pistol so that his main purposes could be accomplished after getting actual weapons.”

He concluded by saying, “While attacking the security personnel deployed on the southern gate of the Shri Gorakshnath Temple complex, the accused followed the lone wolf attack style that he learned from the terrorist outfit ISIS and its ideology. In this attempt, he attacked them with a sharpened weapon and tried to snatch the rifle of the security personnel. The main intention of the accused behind this attack was to execute some bigger incident using the snatched weapon of the security personnel.”

Police have so far conducted raids in Saharanpur, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajnagar in connection with Murtaza’s contact. A Maulana has been detained from Saharanpur. Abbasi’s call details and call location are also being traced to catch those who have contacted him.

Earlier, police had found that Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi sent lakhs of rupees to Syria via Nepal several times. It started between 2012 and 2015. During the last one and a half years, he sent about eight lakh rupees to Syria through Nepalese banks. It was during his B. Tech. studies in Mumbai that Murtaza came in contact with terror outfits. He is also influenced by Anwar Nasir al-Awlaki, the American Imam of Yemen origin.

Captain Dhoni is back: With Chennai Super Kings in a must-win situation, Jadeja hands CSK captaincy back to Dhoni

OpIndia Staff
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Captain Dhoni is back: With Chennai Super Kings in a must-win situation, Jadeja hands CSK captaincy back to Dhoni

Before the start of this season of the IPL, Mahendra Singh Dhoni handed over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captaincy over to Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. However, that didn’t work out well with Chennai winning just 2 off their first 8 games in the tournament to be in 9th place in the table, far away from the playoff spots.

CSK won the previous edition of the IPL under MS Dhoni’s captaincy but this season has gone terribly for them so far. Not just the team’s performance, but Jadeja’s individual performances also seemed to be suffering due to the pressure of captaincy. Jadeja even dropped some catches on the field, his strongest suit where he is considered the best in the world among active players by most observers.

Now with Chennai needing to win all their remaining games to make a claim for the playoff spots, Jadeja has relinquished the captaincy and asked Dhoni to lead the team once again, an offer Dhoni has accepted. This decision was announced by Chennai Super Kings through their Twitter account.

CSK further said that Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish captaincy to focus and concentrate more on his game & has requested MS Dhoni to lead CSK. MS Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest & to allow Jadeja to focus on his game.

CSK have failed to make the playoffs only once, in 2020, except during the two years when they were suspended from the competition over the betting activities of their owners. However, this season, they are in real danger of missing out on the playoffs unless they win all their remaining games. Whether Dhoni can use his Midas touch to turn around the fortunes of the team, we will wait and see.

Manish Sisodia’s close aide Nisha Singh sentenced to 7 years in prison: Here’s a list of apologists who whitewashed her criminal conduct

OpIndia Staff
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Manish Sisodia’s close aide Nisha Singh sentenced to 7 years in prison: Here’s a list of apologists who whitewashed her criminal conduct

Earlier today, former AAP Councillor Nisha Singh was held guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison for inciting violence against the HUDA anti-encroachment drive in 2015.

“There is no doubt that this is a serious lapse on the part of the accused to injure public officers, but there is no reason to believe that they cannot be reformed or rehabilitated and that they are likely to continue the criminal acts of violence as would constitute a continuing threat to society,” the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mona Singh observed on Thursday while convicting Singh and 17 others for inflaming a mob against the HUDA anti-encroachment team.

However, the scathing observations made by the court were a far cry from what left-leaning propagandists tried to peddle after Singh was accused of instigating violence against government officers. A bevvy of ‘eminent intellectuals’ and AAP functionaries had then proceeded to paint Singh as a victim of political vendetta and whitewashed her criminal antecedents.

Apologists sympathetic to AAP join forces to whitewash Nisha Singh’s criminal behaviour

Ankit Lal, SM and IT head of AAP, had posted a tweet on 17 May 2015 that downplayed the criminal behaviour of the former AAP Councillor. Lal’s tweet stated that Singh was arrested and assaulted by police for filming the demolition drive.

Madhavan Narayanan, who claims to be a ‘journalist’ but often doubles on social media as an apologist of the Aam Aadmi Party, too, had taken to Twitter to announce a protest organised by AAP against the arrest of then councillor Nisha Singh.

Source: Twitter

Similarly, Prasanto Kumar Roy, a left-leaning propagandist, went to the extent of promoting a petition on Twitter demanding the release of Nisha Singh, who was arrested by Gurgaon Police for inciting violence against the HUDA anti-encroachment team. Besides, he was also deeply invested in the effort to project that the charges against Singh were trumped-up. Taking a swipe at the police officials, Prasanto posted a sarcastic tweet alleging that Singh was murdering the cops at the sight with her mobile phone.

Janta Ka Reporter, a leftist rag that doubles as AAP mouthpiece, ran a sob story highlighting how Singh had been “languishing” in the jail for protesting against the demolition drive. The report conveniently missed mentioning that Singh had charges of inciting violence against the anti-encroachment team levelled against her.

Source: Twitter

Nisha Singh was also active on Twitter and followed a bunch of left-leaning ideologues, ‘journalists’, and organisations, including the likes of AAP, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, AAP regional units, and journalists belonging to the left persuasion such as those from NDTV, Newslaundry, Indian Express, among others. Those who followed her included various AAP functionaries, including Ankit Lal, Akshay Marathe, Naresh Balyan, Aarti, Jarnail Singh and many others.

However, their propaganda attempts to prop up Nisha Singh and build a case around her innocence came crashing down when the Court on Thursday announced that the former AAP councillor was guilty of inciting violence against the HUDA anti-encroachment team.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on all ten women accused, while the other seven convicts have to pay a fine of Rs 20,000. In case of default, imprisonment will be increased by two to three years. The 17 accused were convicted under Sections IPC sections – 148, 149, 186, 325, 332, 333, 353, 436, 427 and 435.

Singh had attacked officers, threw stones and petrol bombs

On May 15, 2015, an anti-encroachment team of the Haryana Urban Development Authority was removing debris after a demolition drive at Jhimar Basti, Sector 47 in Gurgaon.

The former AAP councillor Nisha Singh, advocate Khajan Singh and Pradeep Zaildar had instigated the crowd to attack the officers. The mob also allegedly threw petrol bombs and LPG cylinders at the police teams. A duty magistrate and 15 other policemen were injured in this incident.

The Haryana police have charged 19 accused in the case. Two accused, Ramesh and Ratanlal, died during the trial.

Medical degrees from Pakistan not valid in India for jobs and higher studies, says NMC after similar warnings by UGC and AICTE

OpIndia Staff
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Medical degrees from Pakistan not valid in India for jobs and higher studies, says NMC after similar warnings by UGC and AICTE

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has advised Indian students not to get admitted to medical colleges in Pakistan. The public notice issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) came in the wake of a joint suggestion by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) that Indian students should not enrol themselves in any college or educational institution in Pakistan and students doing so would not be eligible to find a job in India or pursue higher education.

NMC has said that students obtaining a MBBS or BDS degree in Pakistan will not be able to get employed in India, and will not be able to appear for the test that students with foreign medical degrees are required to pass before practising medicine in India.

A statement issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) said, “All concerned are advised not to travel to Pakistan for medical education. Any Indian national/Overseas Citizen of India who intends to take admission in MBBS/BDS or equivalent medical course in any medical college of Pakistan shall not be eligible for appearing in FMGE or seeking employment in India.” FMGE or Foreign Medical Graduate Examination is a mandatory exam that allows doctors who have received their UG medical degree in a foreign country to practice in India. 

Earlier, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had also warned Indian students. Both the regulators had said that Indian students should not turn to Pakistan for higher education as the degree there is not valid in India. In a joint statement, they said, “All concerned are advised not to travel to Pakistan for pursuing Higher Education. Any Indian national/Overseas Citizen of India who intends to take admission in any degree college/educational institution of Pakistan shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India on the basis of such educational qualifications (in any subject) acquired in Pakistan.”

However, both the regulators had also given relief to refugees from Pakistan. The regulators had said that the higher education degrees of such refugees who have got Indian citizenship can be considered eligible for jobs in India after the approval of the Home Ministry. Not only this, those enrolled for such degrees before December 2018 have also been given concessions.

In a related development, the Supreme Court has asked the NMC to frame a scheme for Indian medical students in foreign countries who could not complete their courses due to Covid-19 pandemic. The apex court has directed the NMC for device a one-time scheme within 2 months for those students who not completed clinical training in their foreign medical colleges to allow them to complete such training in Indian institutes.

The Supreme Court said that NMC can test the students to find if they are eligible to be registered for completion of internship.

IPL: Gujarat Titans pull off another spectacular chase as Royal Challengers Bangalore slump to 3rd defeat in a row

OpIndia Staff
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IPL: Gujarat Titans pull off another spectacular chase as Royal Challengers Bangalore slump to 3rd defeat in a row

The new addition to the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, Gujarat Titans has made a habit of pulling improbable chases this year through their middle order of David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan. Two of them, Miller and Tewatia delivered the goods once again for the team as their 79 runs partnership off just 40 balls delivered another win for Gujarat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The win means Gujarat Titans have now had the best start to an IPL in its history winning 8 out of their first 9 games, while RCB has slumped to their 3rd successive loss, making it a real challenge for them to make the playoffs having collected 10 points after their 10 games.

Having won the toss and choosing to bat first, RCB didn’t get off to the best of starts losing their skipper Faf du Plessis without scoring. However, in good news for them, Virat Kohli was back among the runs as he put on a 99 runs partnership with the very impressive Rajat Patidar. Patidar scored a rapid 32 balls 52 before being dismissed by Pradeep Sangwan, who was playing his first IPL game in a long time.

Virat Kohli returned to form for RCB as he got his first half-century of the season (Image source: Financial Express)

Virat Kohli was eventually dismissed for 58 off 53 deliveries. Quick cameos later from Australian star Glenn Maxwell and Mahipal Lormor pushed RCB to 170 in their 20 overs, which looked like a very challenging score on the pitch. For Gujarat, Sangwan was the best bowler on the show as he finished with 2 for 19 off his 4 overs.

In response, Gujarat got off to a solid start through veteran Indian keeper Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill. However, RCB bowlers didn’t allow Gujarat to get away and reduced them to 95 for 4 in the 13th over. However, one thing this IPL season has taught us is that we can never write off the Gujarat Titans team.

Rahul Tewatia joined David Miller in the middle and the duo pushed Gujarat to yet another win while chasing to maintain their position on the top of the table. Tewatia, developing into a specialist finisher in the IPL, ended up with 43 off 25 balls while the seasoned Miller was unbeaten on 39 off 24.

Gujarat’s next encounter is against struggling Punjab Kings on Tuesday, while RCB will next face Chennai SUper Kings on Wednesday.

‘Who forced your Durga to dance naked’: As Khalistanis unleash violence in Patiala, watch how a Nihang Sikh insulted Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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‘Who forced your Durga to dance naked’: As Khalistanis unleash violence in Patiala, watch how a Nihang Sikh insulted Hindus

Hours after a frenzied mob of Khalistani supporters attacked a Kali temple on Friday, April 29, a Nihang Sikh was heard making derogatory remarks about Hindu Goddess Durga. The unidentified man made the objectionable remarks following the violence that ensued in Patiala.

In an interview with ‘Pro Punjab TV’, the man stated, “They should think (before speaking) about the Hindu religion. Khalsa Panth, which was established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is the master of all religions. Show these people of Haridwar Hemkunth Parbat (mountain) in Sarbloh Granth.”

“Who were those bad guys on Hemkunth Parbat? Who forced your Durga to dance naked? Who saved her? Ask them. When rakshas looted Indra Dev’s house and made Durga dance naked, who saved her?” the man was caught saying.


“Ask the administration and Nanak singh. Either find those, who fired shots from the temple, or take your guns and leave the path of Sikhs. We will see where their Kali Mata will go to hide,” the Nihang said threatening Hindus with violence.

The original clip of the video was uploaded by ‘Pro Punjab Tv’ on their Facebook channel. Later, they deleted the contentious part and reuploaded the clip on their channel. However, by then, the controversial segment of the clip began doing the rounds on the internet.

Violence in Patiala

The violence occurred on Friday (April 29) during Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray’s ‘Khalistan Murdabad‘ march when Khalistan supporters attacked the march with stones and swords. The clashes allegedly erupted as Khalistan supporters chanted slogans in favour of Khalistan while hitting participants in the march.

The pro-Khalistan rally organized in opposition to the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march attacked the Kali Mata Temple after Hindus had taken shelter inside the temple premises.

A video had also gone viral on social media, wherein the Khalistani supporters could be seen performing Bhangra as the Police officers fired in the air to control the crowd. 

AAP leader Raghav Chadha, meanwhile, tried to water down the seriousness of the incident by blaming it on ‘political parties’. Interestingly. Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) leader Harish Singla was arrested and eventually expelled from his party following the violence.

‘What’s wrong with chanting Jai Shri Ram? Do we stay in Pakistan?: Suresh Sarkar who created chariot for Jahangirpuri procession and was detained

राहुल पाण्डेय
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‘What’s wrong with chanting Jai Shri Ram? Do we stay in Pakistan?: Suresh Sarkar who created chariot for Jahangirpuri procession and was detained

The Delhi Police, after the Jahangirpuri violence that erupted on April 16, arrested around 28 people from both the communities and apprehended two juveniles in the case. On Friday, the Police released one of the Hindus named Suresh Sarkar who had played a key role in organizing the Hanuman Jayanti procession earlier this month.

After interrogating Suresh for more than 30 hours the Police approved his bail and released him. Team Opindia on Friday met Suresh to know the exact details of the day when the Hanuman Jayanti procession was attacked by the Islamists on April 16. The Islamists pelted stones at the procession and attacked the participants of the Hindu procession.

On April 29, when team Opindia met Suresh, he was busy applying for the bail of his other family members. The Delhi Police on April 17 arrested 5 members of the Sarkar family who had created the chariot of the procession. One of the members detained was a minor. Suresh showed the broken pieces of the chariot at Block G of the Jahangirpuri area and said that the miscreants had attacked the idol of Lord Hanuman as well but they fixed the idol and placed it back in the temple.

The idol of Lord Hanuman that was attacked during the procession on April 16

Suresh while talking exclusively to Opindia said that the Hindus were not at all at fault but were the victims instead. “Police detained us for no reason. All the male members of my family have been detained. I don’t understand, do we stay in Pakistan? We are Indians, Hindus. What’s wrong with chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’? I want Hindus to understand the plight. Earlier TV showed stone-pelting incidents from Kashmir only but now such incidents are happening in the capital city”, he stated.

He added that only two members of his family including him had been released by the Police and he was trying to get the third member named Neeraj Sarkar out of jail. “I have risked my auto-rickshaw to release my family members. I don’t have money. One of the other members released is a minor. Now Neeraj needs to come out on interim bail at least as he has to appear for his exams. My elder brother and his son are still in the jail”, he said.

Suresh also said that the Police had kept him in custody for more than 30 hours and had taken signatures on several papers. The Police have also asked the Sarkars to stay in the city and appear for questioning whenever they’ll be called. “The Station House Officer has warned me. I cannot leave the place without permission. What is our crime? That we chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’?”, he asked.

Recalling the communal violence that erupted on April 16, Suresh said that the miscreants had attacked his family members and also had harmed his vehicle. “They attacked Hindus but nobody came to rescue us. We had injuries on our legs and our head but people like Owaisi stood behind them (Muslims). Noone has supported us since that day. We don’t need money or food. But when people like Owaisi stand with the miscreants, the oppositions think that we are weak and they are strong”, he said.

He also added that one of the lawyers named ‘Mukesh’ who is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party is helping him in the case. “I want to pay him but I haven’t yet as I am short of money”, he stated.

Suresh meanwhile also recalled the dreadful violence that took place in Delhi during the anti-CAA protests in the year 2020. He said that Hindus have a habit of forgetting the pain. “I have met the victim families of the 2020 riots. They say that nobody has helped them as well. Earlier people went to them and showed concern but after two years, nobody is paying attention to them. If Hindus don’t want miscreants to attack them in the future, they’ll have to unite and stand together against them”, he stated.

During the interview, team Opindia could hear Islamic songs being played at full volume in the area. When asked about the sound, Suresh said, “This is common here. They play Muslim songs in full volume and they don’t care about their civic responsibilities. The place houses more Islamic people who are supported by rich, powerful people”. After talking to our team, Suresh returned to his place and started worshipping and serving the cows.

The Delhi Police has so far arrested 28 people including prime accused Mohd Ansar, Jaffar, and Babbuding, and apprehended two juveniles in the case. One of the juveniles has however been granted bail. The Police have lodged FIR against the accused under provisions 147 (Rioting), 148 (Armed rioting), 186 (Obstructing duty of public servant), 353 (Assault on public servant), 307 (Murder attempt), 427 (damage to property), and 436 (Attack by explosives) of the Indian penal code along with section 27 of the Arms Act 1959.

Khalistani mob vandalise shops inside Kali temple in Patiala, attack Hindus with swords: Video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani mob vandalise shops inside Kali temple in Patiala, attack Hindus with swords: Video goes viral

A day after a sword-wielding Khalistani mob attacked the Kali temple in Patiala, more videos of the violence surfaced on social media platforms.

In a video, it is seen that the armed Nihang Sikhs, part of the pro-Khalistani mob that attacked the Kali temple, also stormed into the shops to assault innocent Hindu shopkeepers. The Sikh mob was seen entering the temple premises to attack shops in the presence of the police officials.

The pro-Khalistani mob not only attacked the shops with stones but also allegedly looted the shops inside the premises. The police officials can be seen trying to stop the attackers, but the mob overpower them and continue to attack them.

The Sikhs also brutally beat up the Hindu shop owners on the temple premises. One Sikh attacked Hindu shopkeeper with swords.

The police have registered an FIR against the attackers who pelted stones at the temple and shops inside the premises. However, no arrests have been made yet.

Attack a pre-planned conspiracy against Hindus

Rajesh Kehar, the President of Hindu Raksha Samiti, told OpIndia that the attacks on the temple were a well-planned conspiracy as all the attackers were called from outside. He added that more than 90 per cent of the attackers were not from Patiala.

Kehar also explained the series of events that resulted in the attacks on the temple. He said the protest march was taken out by Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) from Arya Samaj, however, the attack took place on Kali Mata temple, which is far away from where the anti-Khalistani march took place.

Rajesh Kehar has also registered an FIR against the attacks in the Patiala police station. In his complaint, Kehar has said that the pro-Khalistani mob had assembled outside around noon on Friday, and a group of 40-50 attackers started raising slogans of Khalistan Zindabad outside the temple and pelted stones.

Attack on Hindu temple in Patiala

The violence occurred during Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray’s ‘Khalistan Murdabad‘ march when Khalistan supporters attacked the march with stones and swords. The clashes allegedly erupted as Khalistan supporters chanted shouts supporting Khalistan while hitting participants in the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march.

The armed Sikh mob, a part of the pro-Khalistan rally, attacked the Kali Mata Temple after Hindus took shelter inside the temple premises.

Speaking to OpIndia, Harish Sangla, the Punjab working head of Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray, had said that the clashes that erupted between Khalistan supporters and Hindus during a ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march. The march was organised by his party to protest against a small section of Khalistan supporters harbouring secessionist mentality.

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