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A new headmaster’s son is born? How mid-day wrote a sob story to whitewash the crimes of Umar Khalid, accused in Delhi anti-Hindu riots

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A new headmaster’s son is born? How mid-day wrote a sob story to whitewash the crimes of Umar Khalid, accused in Delhi anti-Hindu riots

Looking at whitewashing as an art, one would find the left-liberal cabal as the best artists around. Following on similar lines, a fresh attempt is being made, with a concealer brush dipped in calcimine, to whitewash the grave offences of former JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) student Umar Khalid, who is imprisoned on charges of instigating riots.

In a mid-day opinion piece, author Ajaz Ashraf has attempted to downplay the culpability of Umar Khalid under the guise of his girlfriend’s sorrow. Stating the grief, that Banojyotsana Lahiri, the girlfriend of Umar Khalid said she is going through, Ajaz has tried to portray Umar as a mistaken pickpocketer who is missing the normal life inside the jail.

Ajaz Ashraf has based his article on his conversation with Banojyotsana where she says that she misses Umar and that she “cannot survive without being strong.” Ajaz has written about Umar’s love for meat and how he misses his fondness for meat in Tihar because the authorities there only serve vegetarian meals. He also claimed that Banojyotsana feels guilty when she eats mutton or chicken because her lover cannot.

Writing more on his obsession with meat, Ajaz has mentioned that in late August 2020, when he was summoned for interrogation, Umar was so sure he would be arrested that he decided to order “chicken pasta with white sauce” as his last meal in freedom.

More is said about how they converse on the phone during the day and how she buys her a fresh set of books whenever she sees him in Tihar. Throughout the sob tale, Ajaz has ignored all of the severe accusations and charges levelled against Umar and focused on the couple’s struggle to celebrate their romance.

One can imagine how important it would be that rioting accused is unable to consume meat while on trial and have a romance with his girlfriend.

This is not unique since it is the tactic used by leftists and Islamists to whitewash the dirty deeds of severe crime offenders. The same thing happened to Burhan Wani, who was killed by Indian security personnel in 2016 on terrorism charges. He was hailed as a hero and a martyr by politicians and citizens across the length and the breadth of this nation.

Wani was lauded as the son of a headmaster, a liberation warrior, a mass leader, and whatnot. Similarly, in an article by The Quint, terrorist Osama Bin Laden was portrayed as magnanimous.

The objective here is not to equate Umar Khalid to Burhan Wani or Osama Bin Laden, but to question why a narrative is being pushed to make the offender’s conduct appear minor. If Burhan Wani and Osama Bin Laden were terrorists then they were terrorists only. There can be no alternative to their image because they have committed a crime and their identity is of a criminal.

Umar Khalid is in the same boat. If he has been charged with rioting and is on trial for it, bringing his girlfriend’s version of his love affair with her will not lessen the severity of the offence.

One thing to note is that this exercise in whitewashing is exceedingly exclusive. The cabal strongly opposes the presentation of any story that is not in accordance with the liberal and Islamist agendas. The same kind of preferential treatment was not extended to Surinder, Nitin and Shiva—whose predicament, in all likelihood, is not known to a majority of the people. More than 2 years after the Delhi Riots roiled the national capital, a court on Monday this week acquitted Surinder, Nitin and Shiva, who were accused of attacking one Azim Ansari, stating that there was no conclusive evidence to prove the allegations against them.

This interview with Umar’s girlfriend will be acknowledged and discussed widely, but the stories of injustice meted out to Surinder, Nitin and Shiva and many others were neither told nor, in all probability, the Left will bother to speak about them. Their stories won’t invite any sympathy since they are Hindus and thus, treated as fair game in the Left’s ideological battle against a resurgent Hindutva.

UP police books Samajwadi Party MLA Shazil Islam after his video in which he was seen issuing threats to BJP and CM Yogi Adityanath goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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UP police books Samajwadi Party MLA Shazil Islam after his video in which he was seen issuing threats to BJP and CM Yogi Adityanath goes viral

On Monday, April 4, Uttar Pradesh police booked Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Shazil Islam, party’s district unit vice president Sanjeev Kumar Saxena and some other party leaders for threatening Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and making provocative statements against him. The action against the SP leaders was taken based on a complaint filed by Anuj Verma, the district in charge of Hindu Yuva Vahini.

Bareilly’s Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan informed that the FIR has been filed at the Baradari police station in Bareilly under sections 504 (disturbing peace), 506 (threatening), and 153A (making provocative statements with the intent to incite riots).

In his complaint, Anuj Verma accused Shazil Islam of targeting Chief Minister Adityanath at a function organised by Sanjeev Kumar Saxena to honour SP MLAs at Akash Puram in Bareilly.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Shazil Islam issues threats to BJP, Yogi Adityanath

According to reports, Anuj Verma lodged the complaint against SP MLA and others on the basis of a video clip of Islam’s statement that went viral on social media in which he was seen issuing threats to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In this video, he said that as there are more SP MLAs in the assembly than earlier, they will now fire a bullet for every word said by Yogi Adityanath.

Shazil Islam is an MLA from the Bhojipura assembly seat in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. His video had rapidly gone viral on social media after which Anuj Verma, the district in charge of Hindu Yuva Vahini filed the above complaint.

Girlfriend of Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid threatens legal action after rumours of her pregnancy go viral, Khalid has been in jail for over 500 days

OpIndia Staff
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Girlfriend of Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid threatens legal action after rumours of her pregnancy go viral, Khalid has been in jail for over 500 days

Banojyotsna Lahiri, the girlfriend of Delhi anti-Hindu riot accused Umar Khalid has taken to Twitter to warn legal action against social media users who have been spreading her pregnancy rumours. Notably, Umar Khalid, one of the prime accused of the Delhi anti-Hindu riots 2020, was apprehended by the Delhi police on September 13, 2020, and charged on November 22, 2020, under several provisions of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code. Khalid has been since then lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

Banojyotsna Lahiri posted two Tweets on April 5. In the first Tweet, she threatened social media user @mahimax03, who was apparently the first one to tweet about Lahiri’s pregnancy, with legal action.

Her next Tweet was aimed at another social media user going by the Twitter handle @BrishtiSengupta6, for furthering the rumours.

In both her Tweets, Banojyotsna Lahiri tagged the Delhi police and wrote, “Dear @DelhiPolice, this woman is spreading deliberate misinformation against me, slandering and assasinating my character! This tantamounts to defamation and targeted harassment! I have initiated legal action against her already, but please take note!”

Lahiri’s response was deliberated by a Tweet first posted by Twitter user @mahimax03. In the Tweet which has now been deleted, @mahimax03 had shared the screenshot of a report published by the Bengali newspaper Anandbazar Patrika. She captioned her Tweet, “Umar Khalid girlfriend is pregnant and she is sad that her kid won’t be able to see father because Umar Khalid is in jail for two years.

The ss of the deleted Tweet posted by @mahimax03

Evidently, the Twitter user @mahimax03’s speculation about Banojyotsna Lahiri’s pregnancy was not based on reality. Anandbazar Patrika’s report, published on April 4, nowhere talks about Lahiri’s pregnancy. The Bengali media house had, in fact, picked up a report published by news agency Mid-Day on April 4. The entire Anandbazar Patrika report is based on the information provided in the Mid-Day report with due credit to the latter.

Report published by Anadbazar Patrika on April 4, 2022

The Mid-Day report, which Anadbazar Patrika curated was also published on April 4. The report was titled, “And she waits for Umar Khalid”. The Mid-Day report is based on an interview with Umar Khalid’s girlfriend Banojyotsna Lahiri, in which the writer Ajaz Ashraf expresses deep sympathy for the riot accused’s girlfriend for being separated from him since the “night of September 13, 2020, when Umar Khalid, the student leader and her soulmate, was arrested.”

Report by Mid-Day

The report talks in length about the Banojyotsna’s and Umar Khalid’s melancholy and predicaments but at no point does it talk about Banojyotsna Lahiri’s pregnancy.

Since the report does not mention the pregnancy and Banojyotsna Lahiri herself has refuted the claims, it is safe to assume that the social media user had made a false claim.

Umar Khalid was booked under UAPA

The Delhi Police apprehended Umar Khalid on September 13, 2020, and charged him on November 22, 2020, under several provisions of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code. In July 2021, Khalid filed a bail application.

It may be noted that Khalid’s bail plea has been rejected thrice since his arrest in September 2020. Most recently, the Delhi Court had refused bail to so-called activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid on 24th March in connection with a case pertaining to the bigger conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots, involving offences under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). The order was issued today by Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat.

The FIR filed against Khalid includes serious allegations such as Sections 13, 16, 17, 18 of the UAPA, Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act of 1984. He is also charged with a number of offences listed in the Indian Penal Code of 1860.

The bail application of Umar Khalid, represented by Trideep Pais, Ld. Senior Advocate, filed under Section 437 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) read with Section 43­D(5) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 6th September 2021.

News Nation sacks journalist Wajid Ali over hateful post abusing Hindu Gods

OpIndia Staff
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News Nation sacks journalist Wajid Ali over hateful post abusing Hindu Gods

A certain section of mainstream media journalists has started openly displaying their Hinduphobia. In a recent development, a controversy has erupted over an alleged Facebook post of News Nation journalist Wajid Ali. While Ali was seen posting objectionable and hateful comments against Hindu deities, he has now been reportedly sacked by his employer ‘News Nation’ after his controversial comments made their way on social media.

It all started when Sagar Kumar, a journalist who works with Sudarshan News flagged Wajid Ali’s obscene and abusive remarks against Hindu Gods and Goddesses. In the concerned Facebook comment, Ali looks to have abused a host of Hindu deities including Bramha, Rama, Hanuman, Ganesha and Goddess Kali.

He asked a user, “Tell me whether Ram was a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian? Why did Bramha f*ck his mother? You accepted what is said in my Book (Quran) because you think there might be a logic to it when 160 crore (global Muslim population) people believe in this. Soon, 200 crore people will start believing (in the book). What you asked me is not written in the book. There’s a difference between the Quran and Hadis,” he remarked in the post.

Wajid Ali further added, “We have logic for everything. You tell me, how did Hanuman gulp the sun who was born in a cave? How did an elephant’s trunk fit on a man? How does Kali have 12 hands just like they have among demons? There are many such questions, you only tell me whether Rama was a vegetarian or not.”

After being flagged by Sagar Kumar on Twitter, Wajid Ali’s hateful remarks triggered wide reactions. Ali’s Hinduphobic targeting of his fellow Facebook user drew ire upon his conduct as an employee of ‘News Nation’. People started questing the channel over Ali’s abusive exchange and inciteful remarks on Hindu deities. Soon after the screenshot of his comment went viral, Ali claimed in a Facebook post that his account was compromised.

He wrote, “Earlier, money used to be demanded by hacking an ID or making another ID, or blackmailing was done by making obscene videos. But, now an attempt is being made to defame any community by making hate comments in my name. This should be avoided. I have lodged a complaint.”

Wajid Ali’s clarification in a Facebook Post

News Nation was tagged and questioned by Twitter users for employing Hinduphobic individuals in their team. Soon, News Nation anchor Shubham Tripathi tweeted, “There’s no space for such Jihadis here. Such people are a blot in the name of journalism.”

When OpIndia spoke to Wajid Ali, he told that the channel has informed him about his removal in an e-mail. He claimed that he has not made these comments. He added, “I respect every religion. I go to the temple and also visit Dargah. I report stories from everywhere. When I checked, those comments were not found anywhere on my profile. I have lodged an online complaint with the cyber cell. I am suffering because of being named Wajid, obviously, no one will believe me. I grew up among Hindu brothers. Have eaten Gujiya on Holi and sweets on Diwali. We used to watch Ramlila together. Our Hindu brothers also eat Kheer on Eid,” in his defence.

Reportedly, Wajid Ali had reported about the Chaitra Navratri celebration at Delhi’s Zandewalan Mandir last week. In his report, he elaborated on how Goddess Durga takes the form of ‘Chandraghanta’ during Navratri to kill the demons.

How meat has been used as a political tool to hurt religious sentiments of Hindus during festivals

OpIndia Staff
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How meat has been used as a political tool to hurt religious sentiments of Hindus during festivals

On Monday (April 4), the South Delhi Municipal Corporation announced that all meat shops located within the vicinity of a temple will remain closed between April 2-April 11, in light of Navaratri celebrations.

The decision was taken keeping in view the sentiments of the public during Navratri when a strict vegetarian diet is followed by the devotees during the nine days of the festival. South Delhi Mayor, Mukkesh Suryaan, had noted that many often restrict the use of onion and garlic in their diets during Navaratri.

“The sight of meat being sold in open or near temples makes them (the people) uncomfortable. Their religious belief and sentiments are also affected when they come across meat shops or when they have to bear with the foul smell of the meat on their way to offer their daily prayers to the Goddess,” he had remarked.

Meat ‘ban’ sparks outrage

Along with Delhi’s SDMC, many parts of North India have prohibited sale of meat during the nine days of Navaratri. This has outraged a lot of people on social media.

Siddharth Vardarajan, the founder of The Wire, wrote, “Why should meat shops be shut during Navaratri in Ghaziabad or any other place? Those fasting or those who are vegetarian are free to do their own thing but why are their food habits being foisted on all Indians and hurting the business of meat vendors?”

Shekhar Gupta, the founder of The Print, claimed that it is impossible to find a city or a region in India where 99% of people are vegetarian. “Even if they were, it’s a free country & no majority can force its choices on people. And if indeed they could, vegetarians beware. A very wide majority of us Indians are meat-eaters, ” he had tweeted.

“I can’t buy meat because you don’t eat onion and garlic? Strange religion,” wrote ‘journalist’ Aditya Menon.

It must be mentioned that many in the Northern States of India refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during the 9 days of Navaratri. Some even fast on all 9 days. Having said that, Hinduism is diverse, pluralistic and festivities are influenced by local cultures. During the same period when North Indians abstain from consuming meat and non-vegetarian products, Bengalis consume fish and mutton and even offer them to Goddess Durga.

Meat and its politicisation

While sale of meat should be banned or not is a debate for another day, in recent times, meat has been politicised and used specifically to hurt religious sentiments of Hindus as well as Jains. Various ‘meat festivals’ including ‘beef festivals’ have been organised by certain section of society specifically to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and Jains.

In June 2019, a beef festival that was supposed to be organised in Kolkata was cancelled after the organisers allegedly received threats from people. The organisers had conceded that they could not ensure the safety of the attendees. In a Facebook post, the Accidental Note said, “If any one person is harmed, we would feel personally responsible, and we can not accept that.”

The menu for the ‘Kolkata Beef Festival’, which was eventually changed to ‘Kolkata Beep Festival’ after protests on social media, included some pork dishes as well. As per information received by OpIndia.com from sources, the menu initially did not include pork when the event was first announced, and it was added later on after Hindus registered their disagreement on social media.

In August 2018, a group of hackers named ‘Team Kerala Cyber Warriors’ had hacked the website of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and posted the recipe for traditional Kerala beef curry. It was in retaliation to the comments of Swami Chakrapani who alleged that the Kerala floods were a consequence of eating beef and disrespecting cows.

Prior to that in May 2017, Youth Congress workers in Kerala carried out public slaughter of cow. They also organised beef festivals. Hindus consider cows holy and for many Hindus consumption of beef is forbidden. The cow was slaughtered publicly by Youth Congress workers to specifically hurt the religious sentiments of those who hold the cow holy. As have been other ‘beef festivals’.

In September 2015, Shiv Sena had tried to cook chicken outside Jain temple in Mumbai. This was done during the time of Paryushan, the Jain festival where many Jains even abstain from consuming food and water. Jains are predominantly vegetarian community where some even hold fast to mourn the slaughter of goats on Bakri Eid celebrated by Muslims. Similarly, Shiv Sena, too, tried to sell meat on street during Paryushan, with an aim to irk the Jain community.

It is one thing to oppose ban on sale of meat, another thing to cook, sell meat right across temples of Jains with specific intention to hurt their sentiments.

Bumper tourist season in Kashmir, for the first time in a decade over 1.8 Lakh tourists in March

OpIndia Staff
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Bumper tourist season in Kashmir, for the first time in a decade over 1.8 Lakh tourists in March

As the rising mercury levels in the rest of the country leave Indians sweating, it is bringing great joy to Kashmir and its tourism industry. For the first time in a decade, Kashmir witnessed as many as 1.8 Lakh tourists in the month of March in 2022, as per Tourism Director GN Itoo.

With the rising temperatures elsewhere, more and more tourists are expected to head to Kashmir during this season. Tourism numbers will also be bolstered by the resumption of the Amarnath Yatra. The holy pilgrimage was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to Coronavirus. The yatra will begin on 30th June and continue for 43 days.

“This is a record number and we are expecting a further increase in it. The credit for the record number of tourist arrivals goes to collective efforts of all the stakeholders including travel agents, tour operators, houseboat owners, and even pony wallas”, Director Itoo said.

Secretary Tourism and Culture Jammu & Kashmir, Sarmad Hafeez said that credited a series of roadshows and promotion campaigns in various cities of India for the bumper tourist season. Promotion of tourist attractions like Tulip Garden, Mughal Gardens has also paid dividends as per Hafeez.

He also mentioned that majority of the hotels and houseboats have already received the advance payment against their bookings so they expect a good tourist season to continue in the coming months.

This is the first full tourist season in Kashmir after the removal of article 370 in 2019. During the past 2 years, the tourism sector in the Union Territory suffered terribly due to Coronavirus and the resulting restrictions on travel.

Gorakhnath Temple Attack: Doctor who treated attacker Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi refutes reports of him being mentally unstable

OpIndia Staff
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Gorakhnath Temple Attack: Doctor who treated attacker Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi refutes reports of him being mentally unstable

The doctor who treated Gorakhnath temple attacker Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi refuted the claims that he was mentally unstable. Speaking to Times Now, Superintendent in Chief of Gorakhpur District Hospital JSP Singh said the accused was talking coherently during the medical examination. He was responding to the queries of the Police and the doctors. He further added Abbasi did not display any signs of being violent, which made the doctors believe he was not mentally unstable.

JSP Singh said though he was not available when Abbasi’s medical examination was done, the doctor who briefed him about the case did not mention that Abbasi was calm and composed while replying to the queries. When asked if he was answering the doctors, Singh said, “The doctor who treated him could not talk to him as Police had circled around them. He was cooperating in the treatment. During the treatment, the Police were questioning him, to which he was replying calmly.”

Murtaza’s name was on the list of suspects sent by the intelligence

News Nation, in a report, claimed that on March 31, intelligence agencies had sent a list of 16 suspects to UP Police. Ahmad Murtaza’s name was on the list. Earlier, it was reported that Murtaza was under ATS’s scanner. Furthermore, the investigation agencies have sealed Murtaza’s house for further investigation.

Gorakhnath Temple Attack

On April 3, a man identified as Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi attacked Police personnel outside Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur. The incident took place a day before CM Yogi Adityanath was scheduled to visit the temple. Abbasi severely injured two Police personnel with a sharp weapon. Reports suggest he was with another man who escaped when Abbasi was overpowered by the Police personnel. During the investigation, the security agencies found he was influenced by banned Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and might have ISIS links.

Maharashtra: ED attaches Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s properties worth Rs 11.5 crore in the 1034 crore land scam case

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: ED attaches Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s properties worth Rs 11.5 crore in the 1034 crore land scam case

On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached properties worth Rs 11.5 crores owned by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and his family members in connection with its probe into the Rs 1034 crore floor space index (FSI) fraud at Patra Chawl in Goregaon. The properties seized include eight land parcels in Alibaug and one flat at Dadar in Mumbai.

Sanjay Raut responding to the seizure said that he will expose the BJP led government and that he will not stay quiet. “I’m not one to get scared, seize my property, shoot me, or send me to jail, Sanjay Raut is Balasaheb Thackeray’s follower and a Shiv Sainik, he’ll fight & expose everyone. I’m not one to stay quiet, let them dance. The truth will prevail”, he added.

This is months after the ED arrested Maharashtra-based businessman Pravin Raut in this case and later filed a charge sheet too. The attachment is linked to a money-laundering probe linked to a Rs 1,034 crore worth scam related to the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai. The ED had also questioned Sujit Patkar, a business associate of the daughters of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Purvashi and Vidhita in the case.

On February 3, the ED initiated an investigation under the provisions of PMLA on the basis of the FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing. The agency informed that Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd had entered into a tripartite agreement with the tenants and MHADA to redevelop Patra Chawl. The Patra Chawl at Goregaon has 672 tenants in tenements on 47 acres of land belonging to the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA).

Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary company of Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), which is already accused of a Rs 4,300 crore fraud at the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank. According to the reports, Parvin Raut illegally sold FSI to various builders for Rs 1,034 crore with the help of Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan, Directors of Guru Ashish Constructions Pvt Ltd. This was done without constructing the rehab flats and flats to be handed over to MHADA, which was the pre-requisite. The trio also obtained a bank loan in addition to Rs 1,034 crore received from various builders.

The investigation by the ED had also revealed that Pravin Raut being Director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd played an active role in the redevelopment project and the Wadhwans managed to divert the proceeds of crime of more than Rs 1,000 crore by harming the interest of 672 tenants and buyers.

The ED back then had also questioned Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut in connection with the PMC Bank case and her purported links with Pravin Raut’s wife. It had been found that Praveen Raut had transferred around Rs 1.6 crore to his wife who is a business partner of Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut. Of this Rs 1.6 crore, an amount of Rs 55 lakhs was allegedly transferred to Varsha Raut’s account as an interest-free loan. This money was then allegedly invested by Varsha in buying a flat at Dadar.

The ED on April 4 has seized the flat at Dadar owned by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and is investigating his role in the Rs 1,034 crore re-development land scam.

Delhi Jal Board announces 2-hour leave for Muslim employees during Ramzan, no concession for Hindus observing Navratri

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Jal Board announces 2-hour leave for Muslim employees during Ramzan, no concession for Hindus observing Navratri

On Monday (April 4), the Delhi Jal Board announced that Muslim employees would be granted a daily leave of 2 hours during the month of Ramzan. Delhi Jal Board is an agency under the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Delhi government that supplies water to most of the National Capital Territory region.

In a circular, the Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Jal Board Virender Singh stated, “The Competent Authority has accorded approval to allow short leave (approx. two hours a day) by the concerned DDO/Controlling Officer to the Muslim employees during the days /f R28 i.e. from 03/04/2022 to 02/05/2022.”

It added that the provision of the 2-hour leave might be extended in case of a delay in the declaration of Eid-ul-Fitr. The notification stated that the Muslim employees are expected to complete their work within the remaining office hours to avail this leave.

Screengrab of the circular by the Delhi government

Meanwhile, none of the Delhi government departments have extended any such concession to the Hindus fasting during Navratri. The 9 days Navratri fast, which started on the 2nd of April, will continue till the 10th of April 2022. However, nearly half way through Navratri, the devotees observing the fast don’t seem to be getting any such special treatment to help them during their fast.

Delhi joins Telangana and Rajasthan in making special concessions during Ramzan

On April 1 this year, the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana government announced that all Muslim employees would be allowed to leave offices an hour early during the Islamic month of Ramzan. The notification was issued by the Chief Secretary of the state Somesh Kumar.

The notification added that all Muslim government employees could leave at 4 pm between April 3 and May 2 this year to perform necessary rituals, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services during the same period.

On the same day, the Rajasthan government-led-Jodhpur electricity distribution company promised an uninterrupted power supply to Muslim-dominated areas. Also known as Jodhpur Discom, it has issued directives that there would not be any power cuts in any of the Muslim areas for the entire month of Ramzan.

Opindia had reached out to KG Agarwal, the PA to the Managing Director of Jodhpur Discom, who informed us that the order was issued in response to a motion introduced in the State Assembly by Congress MLA Zahida Khan.

Elderly Indian Sikh man assaulted while on his way to Gurudwara in New York, police call the unprovoked assault a case of hate crime: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Elderly Indian Sikh man assaulted while on his way to Gurudwara in New York, police call the unprovoked assault a case of hate crime: Details

On April 3, Sunday, a 75-year-old Indian Sikh was attacked while he was on his way to Gurudwara Sahib in Queens, New York to offer his obeisance. The victim, identified as Nirmal Singh, suffered a broken nose and bruising to his face. The New York police said that the attack that took place on 95th Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard at around 6:45 am was unprovoked since no words were exchanged prior to the assault.

According to reports, Nirmal Singh was taking a morning walk when he was attacked from behind. The miscreants punched his face, causing him to fall to the ground, leaving him severely bleeding. Some local residents witnessed Singh sitting with bloodstains on his clothes and face on a bench on the street and clicked his photographs and posted them online.

The attacker did not say a word and fled after the assault, the police said, confirming that the incident was being investigated as a hate crime. 

Please note: The below post contains graphic images that may be disturbing to viewers.

Singh had come to New York City for the first time, two weeks ago. The area where he was attacked is roughly a block away from the Sikh Cultural Society, where Singh had been staying.

Harpreet Singh Toor, chairman of the Sikh Cultural Society, told CBS New York media in New York, “He was just walking and a man came from behind and hit him in the face.”

“Any attack just because you look different is an attack against everybody, not just that person (who has been attacked) and it has to stop,” Toor added.

Following the incident, the South Asian community in New York are outraged. Many have come forward to condemn the act and express their concern for the safety of the Indian diaspora in the area.

Japneet Singh, a community activist, contended that the attack on Nirmal Singh was racially motivated. “People approach us in a certain way because of the way we look,” he lambasted, adding that, within the South Asian community, Sikh men are the most vulnerable to hate crimes due to the turban they wear.

Meanwhile, the USA-based Sikh Coalition also tweeted about the attack. In a thread of Tweets, the Sikh organisation not only condemned the attack on the 75-year-old Sikh but also provided updates on the developments that have taken place post the assault. The organisation said that “Nirmal Singh, the elderly Sikh man who was attacked in Queens, NY on Sunday, has retained the Sikh Coalition to provide him with free legal aid moving forward.”

It also said that “with the assistance of local community leaders, the @sikh_coalition has made indirect contact with the community member who was assaulted in Queens, NY on Sunday morning.”

Responding to the Tweet posted by Sikh Coalition, Queens Borough president Donovan Richards’ Tweeted on April 4, “My office is also aware of this incident in #RichmondHill earlier today, and we are contacting the @NYPDnews to learn more details about this reported attack. Our thoughts are with him and we wish for nothing less than a full recovery.”

Adrienne Adams, speaker of the New York City Council also Tweeted about the violent attack on the Indian Sikh.

Meanwhile, Nirmal Singh’s son, Manjit Singh Kalley, who lives in Abbotsford, responded to the incident by saying, “Dad is feeling really bad.” It was the first time he went there and this happened.” 

“Whatever happened needs justice. Why did it happen? Every time, why do people attack my community? This shouldn’t happen to just my community but any community. No one should go through this,” Kalley said.

Kalley said his father lives in India but recently got a visa to travel to the United States and Canada. He planned to go to the U.S. first for a few weeks, despite his family discouraging him from going to NYC alone. Kalley said he hopes to fly to New York to be with his father this week.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has, meanwhile, launched an investigation into the case. NYPD Lt. Thomas Antonetti was quoted by local media as saying that the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident. However, as of Monday, the New York police had not been able to identify any suspects nor make any arrests in the case.

In a similar racist attack, on September 11, 2021, a 44-year-old Hindu man and his family were performing a small religious ceremony in the Streetsville park in Mississauga city, Canada at around 5:30 PM when two male teens approached them and started abusing them. They also assaulted the man and threw rocks at him. The man was able to flee from the park with his family in the car. The accused kept throwing rocks at them while they were leaving the park resulting in damaging the car.

Last year, Canadian-Indians who had organised a rally to celebrate India-Canada ties were attacked by pro-Khalistani elements who not only hurled abuses at them and ask them to ‘go drink urine’, but also insulted the Indian National Flag.  

Likewise in October 2019, Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, was asked to ‘cut his turban off’ by a stranger in the streets of Montreal’s Atwater Market. Singh had later taken to Twitter to talk about the incident and said, “do not change who you are”.

In fact, data released by Vancouver police last year had revealed an increasing trend of anti-Asian hate crimes in Canada. The data had suggested that the number of incidents had increased from 142 in 2019 to 280 in 2020, an increase of 97 per cent. There had also been an increase in hate crimes, particularly those against people of Asian descent. The Vancouver police data said that anti-Asian hate crimes rose from 12 cases in 2019 to 142 such incidents in 2020, a 717 per cent increase.

 

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