Home Blog Page 3477

‘BJP will defy the trend of political parties not returning to power in UP’: PM Modi exudes confidence in his party’s victory in assembly polls

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘BJP will defy the trend of political parties not returning to power in UP’: PM Modi exudes confidence in his party’s victory in assembly polls

Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday spoke to ANI on a host of issues concerning the nation, including the upcoming assembly elections in five states, BJP’s prospects in the elections, farm laws, the dominance of dynasty politics, Congress and AAP treachery during the COVID-19 crisis among other things.

In a 70-minute long interview, PM Modi expressed confidence in BJP’s victory in all 5 states in the forthcoming assembly polls. The Prime Minister declared that BJP will be defying the old trend of political parties not retaining power in Uttar Pradesh this year, assuring that his party will win the assembly elections with a thumping majority.

PM Modi exudes confidence on winning polls in all 5 states

In his interview with ANI’s Smita Prakash, PM Modi on Wednesday exuded confidence in winning assembly elections in all 5 poll-bound states. PM Modi said BJP will emerge victorious in elections in all five states—Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur—adding that the party will rack up the majority seats in all the states.

“I have felt a BJP wave in all the states. We will win with an overwhelming majority and people in the 5 states will give us an opportunity to serve them,” Modi said.

Explaining the mantra behind BJP’s poll success, PM Modi said the party learnt from its mistakes and failures, which ultimately guided it towards victory. He said even losses suffered by the party were contemplated upon and treated as opportunities to improve themselves.

“BJP began winning after losing again & again. When we win, we try to connect to grassroots & leave no stone unturned in winning hearts. We look for hope even in loss. For us, polls are like open universities with opportunities for new recruitments & to polish ourselves,” Modi added.

BJP will defy the trend of political parties not retaining power in UP: PM Modi

PM Modi also dispelled the notion of an anti-incumbency setting in states where BJP is in power. He said there is ‘pro-incumbency’ instead of anti-incumbency and people are once again going to elect BJP to power. The Prime Minister cited the example of Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP won in the 2014, 2017 and 2019 elections—both in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.

Alleging that BJP would defy the trend of political parties not retaining power in Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi said, “The people of Uttar Pradesh have junked the old theory of ‘ek bar aao, ek bar jao’ (come to power once and then go). The BJP has itself experienced that it was accepted in 2014, then the people saw our government’s work and we again got elected in 2017, and similarly in 2019 as well. Now in 2022, they will again see our work and again accept us.”

PM Modi said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh prioritised the security of people and brought an end to the mafia and Gunda raj. He averred that women in the state can step out even after dark which symbolises the trust that people have in the Yogi Adityanath government. He further added that goons in today’s Uttar Pradesh are scared of committing crimes and are surrendering to the police.

“When people discuss security in UP, they think of their troubles during previous govts, mafia raj, Gunda raj, the manner in which musclemen had status and shelter in govt. UP saw this from close quarters, women couldn’t step out,” PM Modi added.

PM Modi holds dynastic politics as the biggest threat to democracy

Talking about dynasty politics prevalent in India, PM Modi said it is the biggest threat facing democracy today. In a scathing attack against dynasty politics, PM Modi said it severely compromises the talent coming into politics.

“When a party is run for generations by a family, there’s an only dynasty, not dynamics. Starting from J&K, where there’re two parties run by two separate families, you can see a similar trend in Haryana, Jharkhand, UP and Tamil Nadu. Dynastic politics is the biggest enemy of democracy,” PM Modi said.

In his exclusive interview with ANI, PM Modi explained his “fake Samajwadi” swipe at Samajwadi Party during the Uttar Pradesh assembly campaigning, adding that the party was concerned with nothing but ‘parivarvad’. He further added that he had received a letter in the past that said Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh had 45 people from the family who held various positions.

Congress party compounded COVID crisis by dishing out free tickets, AAP indulged in fearmongering: PM Modi

PM Modi also pulled no punches in attacking the opposition parties for compounding the COVID-19 crisis facing the country during the first lockdown. He accused the Congress party of giving free tickets to people to go home at a time when around the world, health organisations were recommending people to stay put and avoid travelling.

He also lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for indulging in fearmongering and leaving migrant workers in the lurch. PM Modi said AAP exhorted people to leave Delhi, who left the national capital only to be stranded at the UP border. It was Yogi Adityanath government, PM Modi said, who prepared 10,000 buses to facilitate their journey to their respective native places.

“Congress party offered free tickets to people to go home. It would have taken 1-2 days, the facilities would have been readied. Instead, Yogi Ji had to prepare 10,000 buses. AAP in Delhi spread fear, the videos are there,” PM Modi said.

It is worth noting that PM Modi had similar remarks during his address in Lok Sabha earlier this week. PM Modi had then slammed Congress, AAP for instigating migrant workers from UP, Bihar to flout lockdown norms and head back to their native places amidst a raging coronavirus outbreak.

Farms laws legislated to benefit farmers and withdrawn in the interest of nation: PM Modi

PM Modi also spoke on the farm laws that touched off protests along the Delhi Border for almost a year. He said the agriculture bills were brought for the benefit of farmers and were removed in the interest of the nation.

“I have said this before and I am saying it again—farm laws were brought for the benefit of farmers—and they have now been withdrawn in the interest of the nation. I don’t think this needs to be explained anymore. Future events will make it clear why these steps were necessary,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi also stated that he has always worked for the welfare of the farmers and they have always supported him.

“I am someone who is on a journey to win the hearts of farmers. I understand the pain of farmers with marginal landholdings. I have always tried to win their hearts,” he said. “I have won the hearts of farmers from across the country and they have always supported me,” he added.

Modi slams Rahul Gandhi, says the Congress leader does not listen, nor does he sit in House

In a frontal attack against Rahul Gandhi who had accused the Centre of not giving details of unemployment, Indo-China border dispute and other issues, PM Modi said the detailed answer for the questions were given by respective ministries and he had also spoken on the subjects whenever and wherever it was necessary.

“I have stated facts on every subject and spoken on every subject on the basis of facts. On some subjects, our external affairs ministry and defence ministry have given detailed answers and wherever it was necessary, I had also spoken. How do I reply to a person who does not listen, and does not sit in the House?” PM Modi said.

We believe in taking everyone along and following the mantra of ‘Unity in Diversity’: PM Modi

On being asked about allegations levelled by the opposition leaders that the current government is against diversity, PM Modi said that he believes in taking everyone along and following the mantra of ‘Unity in Diversity’.

“ “I take efforts to take everyone along and I firmly believe it is the only way for the nation to progress. We believe in Unity in Diversity. But unfortunately, some leaders are now using the concept of diversity against each other for vested interests. We want unity among diversity,” PM Modi affirmed.

The statement came in the wake of allegations levelled by opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin and Mehbooba Mufti that the government does not respect the diversity of the country.

Pakistan faces a high risk of genetic disorders caused by inbreeding due to cousin marriages: Report

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan faces a high risk of genetic disorders caused by inbreeding due to cousin marriages: Report

Inbreeding has been creating a series of health problems in children for decades in Pakistan. The problem is not limited to Pakistan as a country, but it is a concern among Pakistanis across the world. In a recent report in DW by S Khan, the author discussed how Pakistan is facing many medical challenges due to the high rate of cousin marriages.

In Pakistan, inbreeding is resulting in an unusually higher number of genetic disorders among children. Despite being aware of the consequences, cousin marriages are still a norm in many communities in the country.

They are aware but still practice cousin marriage

DW talked to one 56-year-old Ghafoor Hussain Shah who works as a teacher and has eight children. A resident of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Shah was married to his maternal cousin in 1987. Out of eight children, three suffer from disorders. One of his son’s brain could not develop to normal size. One of his daughters has hearing problems, while another daughter has a speech disability.

Despite being aware of what inbreeding could lead to, he has to follow the tribal custom and fine spouse for his children within his extended family. His family medical history includes an array of genetic disorders, including deafness, blindness, learning disabilities, blood disorders and more.

There are several cases like Shah in Pakistan. According to a report in Dawn, there is a village named Mian Kalay in Pakistan where inbreeding is a common practice. Mohammad Gul, a resident of Mian Kalay, has a 36-year-old daughter Salma Bibi who was born as a flaccid baby. She cannot walk properly and needs assistance from her family members as she is too weak to control her motor functions. Dr Kashif Ali Khan of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, told Dawn that cases like Salma are hard to be treated as these rare genetic disorders.

Studies show a high rate of consanguineous marriages in Pakistan

In 2013, the University of Leeds, in association with the University of Bradford, published a study titled “Key factors in understanding differences in rates of birth defects identified” [Study] in which they discussed how consanguineous marriages were behind congenital disabilities in children in up to 77 per cent cases.

According to a study titled “Identifying Genes Responsible for Intellectual Disability in Consanguineous Families” [PDF] by Zafar Iqbal, the rate of consanguinity is very high in Pakistan (>60%). It further added 17% to 38% of the consanguineous marriages in Pakistan are between first cousins. The study stated it is one of the main causes of infant mortality in Pakistan. If the child survives, there is a high chance the child either would have a genetic disorder or would develop a health problem in the long run.

Pakistani institutions like Kohat University of Science & Technology maintain the genetic mutation database of Pakistan. It identifies and tracks different types of mutations and disorders caused mainly by inbreeding among Pakistani children. It has over 1,000 mutations on record in 130 different kinds of genetic disorders that are found in different regions, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan, FATA, and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

According to experts, the most common genetic disorder found in children in Pakistan is Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that bars red blood cells from absorbing oxygen.

Religious leaders refuse to support health experts

Health experts in Pakistan have tried to convince clerics to spread awareness about genetic disorders and health issues linked to cousin marriages. However, the clerics bluntly refuse to provide any support. According to these religious leaders, inbreeding is in accordance with Islamic Sharia law and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad. The belief system is strongly in favour of inbreeding. So much so if someday the government decides to ban cousin marriages, it would face resistance from the public.

Cousin marriages beyond borders

The problem of inbreeding is not limited to Pakistanis living in Pakistan alone. Cousin marriages are common in Pakistani communities in other countries as well. According to a 2015 report in The Telegraph, Pakistani communities in Britain have an alarmingly high number of cousin marriages leading to genetic disorders in children. The report suggested such marriages are also common among Arabs and Africans living in the UK.

Another report from 2008 suggested Pakistani community is responsible for 3% of births in the UK. However, due to a high number of cousin marriages, the Pakistani community is responsible for 30% of the children born with recessive genetic disorders. The same report suggested 55% of Pakistanis living in Bradford were married to their first cousin.

Punjab: Converted Dalit Christians face an identity crisis while availing benefits of various schemes as Dalits

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Punjab: Converted Dalit Christians face an identity crisis while availing benefits of various schemes as Dalits

As Punjab gears for the assembly polls, an altogether different topic is occupying the talks among the Dalits in the state. The Dalits in the state, who have converted to Christianity, are facing an identity crisis. Though they have embraced an alien faith, they are availing benefits of various government schemes as Dalits, the identity they carried earlier. So these people are now identifying themselves as Dalits and Christians simultaneously.

According to a report by Indian Express, the Christians who account for about 1.26% of the state’s population as per the 2011 census have no elected representative in the state assembly. The Gurdaspur district has the largest number of Christians in the Punjab state. Major political parties in Punjab seldom allot tickets to Christians. The most popular religion in the state is of course Sikhism. For the last so many years, there has not been a single Christian MLA in the state assembly.

As per the report, the Christians in the state are primarily of three types. Firstly, the ones whose forefathers converted to Christianity in the period of the British Raj. Secondly, the ones who are under the influence of various Deras. They are mostly poor and illiterate people. Then comes the class of Dalits practising Christianity. These people are not formally converted Christians but they practice the religion. There are no pan-state Christian leaders who can influence all the three major types of Christians in the state. Even so, there is no popular Christian face who has the patronage of the Church in the state.

UP’s face of Dalit politics, Mayawati has marked some presence of her party BSP in Punjab. The former general secretary of her party Rohit Khokhar has told Indian Express that 98% of the Christians in the state come from Dalit backgrounds. Now a leader of AAP, Rohit Khokhar has said that he too has become a practising Christian but he is still a part of the caste system. According to him, irrespective of the faith he believes in, either Sikhism or Christianity, the effects of the caste system do not fade away. He also batted for reservations to these sections of society.

While speaking to Indian Express, Rohit Khokhar said that these people don’t even want to convert officially because they get the benefits of reservation while sticking to the original faith at least on paper. He further added “If there is some issue of religious persecution, a person would vote as a Christian. If there is some Dalit rights issue, they may vote as Dalit.”

Roshan Joseph used to be the Gurdaspur district Congress president until as recently as two months before. He has now joined the Akali Dal. According to him, the community is gradually going away from the congress party. He said “As chief minister, (Akali Dal veteran) Parkash Singh Badal started celebrating Christmas as a state-level function in 1997. The party had gone a long way in gathering the community’s support.”

Anwar Masih is close to Akali Dal’s veteran leader and minister Bikram Singh Majithia. In 2014, he was appointed to the Subordinate Service Selection Board, which does recruitment for the government. Rohit Khokhar has claimed that the Christian community is feeling betrayed by Akalis after the case filed against Anwar Masih in 2020. It is notable that Masih was booked over recovery of 197 kg heroin from a residential building he owned.

Rohit Khokhar has also claimed that there is an AAP wave in the state. The wave also encompasses the Dalits in the state. But as the Congress party has made a Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi its face, this may dent AAP’s performance in Punjab. According to him, with Channi being the CM candidate, a group of Dalits who are determined to vote in favor of AAP can give their vote to Congress.

Many Christian leaders in the state are contesting the upcoming elections as independent candidates. Dominik Mattu is one of them. He is contesting from Dera Baba Nanak. He has been denied a ticket by the Punjab Lok Congress of the former CM Captain Amarinder Singh. Another independent candidate Sonu Jaffer is contesting the elections from Ajnala. He was also denied the ticket. He said “There are around 42,000 Christian votes in Ajnala out of a total of 1.5 lakh. I had claimed a ticket from AAP this time. I expected a ticket from Congress in 2017. It is discrimination against the community that no party gives them a ticket.”

This way, Punjab is witnessing a new type of leaders in the state who on the one hand complain of being denied the ticket and hence the representation being a Christian; while on the other hand claim that the Christians in the state are entitled to get the benefits of reservations and other government schemes as they are originally Dalits.

‘Construction of Statue of Equality predates Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy responds to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘China-Nirbhar’ barb

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Construction of Statue of Equality predates Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy responds to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘China-Nirbhar’ barb

The attempt by Rahul Gandhi to politicise the Prime Minister’s recent event in Hyderabad where he unveiled the Statue of Equality of Saint Sri Ramanujacharya seems to have backfired as he was firmly rebutted by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North-Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy

Earlier in the day, the Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Wayanad, Kerala had tweeted, “Statue of Equality is Made in China. ‘New India’ is China-nirbhar?” This came after media reports saying that the Statue of Equality was made in China.

The Minister of Culture, Tourism and DoNER, G Kishan Reddy responded stating that the Statue of Equality was commissioned more than 8 years ago when the Congress was in Government both at the Centre and in the state of Telangana. Reddy also pointed out that as it was a private spiritual entity that had built the statue and that the government did not have any say in where they chose to source the material from or where they built it.

The Minister tweeted “1. Statue of Equality is a project of a private spiritual entity conceived 8+ years ago. 2. At that time Congress was in power in both centre & state. 3. 100% funds were raised privately & GoI provided NO financial support. 4. The statue preceded PM’s call for Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

It is notable that My Home Group of Industries, a private company, had signed a contract with a Chinese firm for the construction of the statue. The company had also donated the land where the statue has been installed, and the entire cost of the project, around ₹1000 crore, has been met with donations from the public.

The Government had provided no funding as the entire amount was raised privately. The Minister also pointed out the chronology as the Prime Minister had announced the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan (Self-reliant India campaign) in 2020 and the statue of EQuality preceded this campaign. It may be worth noting that it was on 12 May 2020 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised a call to the nation giving a kick start to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. On that day he announced the Special economic and comprehensive package of INR 20 lakh crores – equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP – to fight COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also said that this trigger-happy tweeting only exposes Rahul Gandhi’s own ignorance and shallowness. The Minister also stated that these continued statements by Rahul Gandhi without knowing facts continues to sink himself and reduce his party to dust. The Minister also alluded to the Memorandum of Understanding that the Congress party had signed with the Communist Party of China, saying “It’s also quite ironical coming from a party that signed an MoU with the CPC”.

On the 5th of February, the Prime Minister was in Hyderabad to inaugurate the 216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality’ that commemorates the 11th-century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya. The Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrashekhar Rao had skipped welcoming the Prime Minister at the airport and chose to send Mr. Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Minister of Fisheries as the Minister-in-Waiting to receive the Prime Minister. The Chief Minister and his son were conspicuously absent from the inauguration event.

There is enough evidence to state that the Statue of Equality was conceived when the Congress Party was in power at both the Centre and the state. The website of the Statue of Equality states that “HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji laid the foundation stone for 216 Feet “Statue of Equality – Samatha Murthi”  in the sprawling new 45 acre area in JIVA Campus in Sri Ramanagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad on 2014 May 2nd Akshaya Thruthiya Day – One of the most auspicious days in a year, the day on which any good program started will meet with great success.”

The Lok Sabha results were announced only on 16th May 2014 which brought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government at the Centre with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. Moreover, as the foundation stone was laid on 2nd May, it means the statue was planned much ahead. The Twitter account of the state of equality also shows that it was created in March 2014 showing that a significant amount of planning was already done.

It is notable that the construction of large metal statues is a highly specialised job, with very limited orders in a year. Therefore, there are only a few Chinese companies with expertise in this field. The website of the Statue of Equality states that initially, they had approached Chinese firm Aerosun Corporation Art Statue Sub-Company, as this company is most prominent in the field. However, later few more Chinese companies, and an Indian company had also joined the bid. After considering all the proposals, the contract with signed with Aerosun for the construction of the statue. The MoU with the company was signed on 14th August 2015.

During the construction of the Statue of Unity also, the world’s tallest statue, it was claimed by the Congress party that it was made in China. However, that was a fake claim, as most of the work for the statue was done by Indian firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in India. However, the outer bronze layer of the statute was made by a Chinese firm, for same reason as stated above, only a few Chinese firms have the expertise needed for that job. It was found that none of the 15 major bronze foundries in India was capable of building the outer cladding, after which L&T had initiated global tenders.

Petition filed in Madras HC seeking directions against Tamil Nadu govt’s discriminatory demolition policy towards temples

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Petition filed in Madras HC seeking directions against Tamil Nadu govt’s discriminatory demolition policy towards temples

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking the court to give directions to the Tamil Nadu government for the regularisation and relocation of temples constructed on poramboke lands (government lands) and water bodies.

The Madras High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy heard a PIL filed by T Elango, leader of Hindu Munnani in Tamil Nadu, who sought directions against the DMK-led state government. The petitioner said that the ongoing temple demolition drive by the state government was motivated and not based on any transparent policy. The petitioner also sought a stay on the demolition drive by the state.

Senior Advocate Sai Deepak, appearing for T. Elango, urged the High Court to intervene and direct the state government to submit the guidelines it follows to carry out the demolition of unauthorised religious structures.

The counsel referred to previous Supreme Court judgements that directed the states and union territories not to entertain illegal religious constructions on public streets, public parks or other public places. Advocate Sai Deepak argued that the concerned High Courts should supervise the implementation of this order.

According to the petitioners, more than two dozen temples have been demolished in the last two months. Recently, the Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu had also destroyed a 40-year-old temple structure by claiming that it was situated near a waterbody. Similarly, the government authorities bulldozed a 1000-year-old temple in Thanjavur.

The petitioners argued that there were two issues pertaining to the demolition drive. First is compliance with the apex court order about framing the policy for dealing with illegal religious structures—secondly, the discriminatory nature of the ongoing demolition drive that targets temples alone.

The petitioners also stated that the current demolition drive targeted the temples alone. They pointed out an instance of a mosque illegally constructed in public land, however, the government did not take discriminatory actions fearing political backlash, the counsel argued.

Advocate Sai Deepak also contended that the temples constructed at the site are not responsible for floods in the region. However, the court disagreed by claiming that any unauthorised construction will have detrimental effects.

Hearing the petitioner, High Court asked the petitioner to file a detailed affidavit on how the current demolition drive for removing encroachments has been religiously discriminatory.

Shamsuddin kidnapped a minor girl from Dehradun and took her to Ludhiana where he raped her for three months

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Shamsuddin kidnapped a minor girl from Dehradun and took her to Ludhiana where he raped her for three months

Another incident of kidnapping and raping of a minor girl has taken place in Uttarakhand. A youth named Shamsuddin had kidnapped a 16-year old minor girl from Dehradun. He had taken her to many places and was finally found in Ludhiana where he was arrested.

According to a report by Jagran, Shamsuddin is a native of Piran Kaliyar of Haridwar. He was living in Dehradun as he worked there as a mason. Shamsuddin had kidnapped the 16-year old victim in October 2021. On 28th October 2021, the victim’s father had registered a complaint in the Vasant Vihar police station. The station in-charge Naresh Rathaud has informed that a case was registered after this complaint and investigations were started. The police could not locate the accused. The accused had turned his phone off.

As the police followed the case for the next three months, they received the information that the accused is in Ludhiana of Punjab. On Sunday, 6th February 2022, a team of Dehradun police arrested him from Ludhiana in Punjab. During interrogations, the accused has informed that he kept the kidnapped minor girl at various places and raped her for three months. The police station in-charge has informed that charges of rape have been framed against the accused and POCSO will also be applied. Medical check-ups of the accused and the victim are being done.

The number of incidents of Muslim youth kidnapping and raping minor girls, particularly Hindu girls, has been increasing in Uttarakhand. In another similar incident that has happened in the Vaani Vihar area, the accused Muslim youth Sohail has reportedly kidnapped a 14-year old girl and fled away. The Vaani Vihar police station in-charge Amarjeet Singh has informed that the victim’s father has registered a complaint in this case and further investigations are being done.

Congress propaganda on the burqa row gets support from Pakistan again, Shah Mahmood amplifies the misinformation spread by Priyanka Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress propaganda on the burqa row gets support from Pakistan again, Shah Mahmood amplifies the misinformation spread by Priyanka Gandhi

Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has supported Congress’s propaganda over the Karnataka hijab row. Qureshi on 9th February 2022 through his tweet has amplified the misinformation spread by Priyanka Gandhi.

Priyanka Gandhi had earlier conflated the Karnataka hijab row with women’s rights issues, falsely insinuating that the hijab-clad girls are being denied their ‘constitutional rights’. The reality is that the college administration in Udupi has been trying for weeks to convince the girls to follow the dress code and start attending classes.

It is not the first time that Pakistan has comfortable picked up the Congress party’s line to attack India. In the same fashion, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has taken a thread ahead from Priyanka Gandhi’s tweet.

Qureshi has tweeted, “Depriving Muslim girls of education is a grave violation of fundamental human rights. To deny anyone this fundamental right & terrorize them for wearing a hijab is absolutely oppressive. The world must realize this is part of Indian state plan of ghettoization of Muslims.”

Shah Mahmood Qureshi has peddled an absolute lie saying that Muslim girls in India are being denied their right to education, the same lie that was earlier peddled by Malala too.

No Muslim girl in India is denied education. On the contrary, India has a law for free and compulsory primary education for all children irrespective of their gender, religion, and faith. In the current Karnatak hijab row, the Muslim girls themselves are prioritizing hijab over education.

The issue has emerged only because the Muslim girls are not following the dress codes as prescribed by their respective educational institutions. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, however, has extended the false narrative peddled by the Congress general secretary.

A day before this, a Pakistani journalist was seen propagating similar lies on communal lines. This lie too had been fueled by the Congress party’s leader DK Shivakumar. DK Shivakumar had alleged in his tweet that a boy removed India’s national flag from a flag post and replaced it with a saffron flag. Pakistani handles picked it up soon. However, the claim was a false one. The flag pole was empty and there was no Tricolour on it.

Shiv Sena, RPI and MNS leaders oppose BJP leader Ram Kadam’s demand for Lata Mangeshkar Memorial at Shivaji Park

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Shiv Sena, RPI and MNS leaders oppose BJP leader Ram Kadam’s demand for Lata Mangeshkar Memorial at Shivaji Park

A day after the death of the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on February 06, Maharashtra BJP Leader Ram Kadam demanded a memorial be made for the singer at Shivaji Park. However, Kadam’s request sparked a controversy among the political circles in Maharashtra, quite unreasonably, with many parties opposing his demand to have a memorial dedicated to the late singer.

BJP leader Ram Kadam on February 07 wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asking him to erect a memorial for Lata Mangeshkar at the spot where she was cremated. Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole was also seen supporting Kadam over the proposal of a memorial for the Bharat Ratna. However, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut considered it a ripe occasion to take a swipe at his party’s political opponents. Taking an indirect jibe at Kadam’s demand, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut commented, “Some people are demanding a memorial for Lata Didi, there’s no need to involve politics into this.” He further added that a memorial for Lata Mangeshkar was a national issue, asking the Centre to take the initiative to build a memorial to her.

Meanwhile, Ram Kadam wrote separate letters to deputy CM Ajit Pawar and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar asking them to urge Thackeray to agree to his demand. He took on Twitter to ask “Will Maharashtra Govt. respect at least Sharad Pawar’s sentiments if he demands the same too?”

Maharashtra leaders opposing the move

Even as Ram Kadam demanded a memorial to Lata Mangeshkar, several leaders from the Shivsena, Republican Party of India and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navanirman Sena criticised his demand, calling it politicisation of the issue at a time when the nation was in the mourning on the demise of her beloved singer. Shivsena Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the demand for the memorial cannot be made when the nation is mourning the singer’s death. “(In this regard), we will do whatever we can, but there is no such plan as of now,” she added. She said, “People like Ram Kadam are making an unnecessary demand when the whole nation is ridden in sadness.”

While arguing that there is no place for a memorial at Shivaji park which is primarily a space for sports activities, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande turned down the idea for the memorial to Lata Mangeshkar altogether. “Balasaheb (Thackeray) and Lata Didi being cricket lovers would also have wanted Shivaji Park to be dedicated only for sports activities. Earlier, there have been many attempts at encroaching this park in Dadar. Don’t threaten the fate of this park by your politics” he requested.

RPI Leader made a bizarre statement on the issue, stating that Shivaji Park should not be turned into a crematorium.

Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial at Shivaji Park

It is to be noted here that a small-scale memorial for late Balasaheb Thackeray already exists in a part of the ground which is built at the spot where he was cremated. While an elaborate memorial for him is being built at the Mayor’s House, many political leaders visit Shivaji Park every year, to pay their respects to Balasaheb Thackeray on his Birth and Death anniversaries.

Present Day memorial for Shivsena supremo Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai

As of now, the demand to build a similar memorial dedicated to Lata Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park has heated the politics in Maharashtra. From the Shivaji statue at the Arabian Sea to Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at the Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai, the war over keeping legacies of the bygone greats is to continue in the rough and tumble of Maharastra politics.

Kerala Catholic Bishop and five priests arrested for illegal sand mining in Tamil Nadu

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala Catholic Bishop and five priests arrested for illegal sand mining in Tamil Nadu

A Catholic Bishop from Kerala and five priests were arrested in connection with illegal sand mining in Ambasamudram in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli on Tuesday.

According to the reports, Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and priests George Samuel, Shaji Thomas, Jijo James, Jose Chamakala and Jose Kalaviyal of the Syro-Malankara Diocese of Pathanamthitta were arrested in connection with illegal sand quarrying near the river Thamrabarani.

The smugglers had acquired thousands of tons of sand from these lands and sold them illegally. An FIR was lodged against Manuel George, the owner of the leased land and a Catholic priest in the Guntur Chetty Road area of ​​Kottayam, Kerala, who were involved in this illegal sand smuggling.

In July 2021, the Madurai bench of Madras high court had transferred the case to CB-CID after observing that Manuel George, a resident of Kerala, did not have any land or quarry, however, they obtained permission from the authorities for a stockyard for storing the minerals in Therku Kallidaikurichi village.

Reportedly, the illegal sand quarrying was facilitated by several officials from revenue, mines, police and agriculture departments in the Tirunelveli district. Sabitha, the then Assistant Director of Minerals, has been accused of permitting the sand robbery. Her husband Mohammad Sameer was arrested in Chennai on January 23 in connection with the scam.

The police officials said that Manuel obtained a licence for storing, processing and consuming rough stone, gravel, crusher dust and M-sand in a 300-acre plot of land adjacent to a check dam in South Kallidaikurichi village in Tirunelveli for five years starting November 29, 2019.

The smugglers had obtained permission to mine sand around 300 acres of leased land in the Pottal area on the river banks in Tirunelveli district, as M Sand Quarry. The land is owned by the bishop and the Pathanamthitta diocese, who had given it to Manuel on lease. It is alleged that Manuel George did large-scale mining of river sand near a check dam for the last few years.

In September 2020, the then Ambasamudram Sub Collector had inspected the site and assessed that 27,774 cubic metres of sand had been mined and transported for commercial purposes. The officer had imposed a penalty of Rs. 9.57 crore on the landowners under the Tamil Nadu Mines and Minerals Concession Rules, 1959.

Meanwhile, the 69-year-old Bishop Irenios and 69-year-old Father Jose Chamakala were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital as they claimed to have suffered health problems following their arrest. The others were later produced before a local court.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra loses her cool, intimidates a journalist for asking why is she promoting bikini in schools

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra loses her cool, intimidates a journalist for asking why is she promoting bikini in schools

On February 9, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lost her cool when Abhishek Upadhyay, a journalist with TV9 Bharatvarsh, questioned her why she was promoting bikini in schools. The incident took place when Gandhi was addressing the media after launching Congress’s manifesto for Uttar Pradesh. A journalist questioned her about the tweet that she posted in the morning over the hijab controversy in educational institutions. Gandhi was visibly angry with the question and tried to intimidate the journalist. She also tried to make it an issue ‘choice of women’ and while the actual issue is uniform in educational institutions.

During the press conference, Upadhyay asked, “You are saying the elections should be fought on the topic of development, but the tweet you posted in the morning changed the topic from development to hijab in School.” The journalist’s argument did not go well with Gandhi. She said, “Did I start the discussion on hijab? It is the right of every woman. She can wear a bikini, hijab, ghoonghat, saree or jeans. There is no politics in that,” reiterating what she had tweeted earlier in the day.

As Priyanka Gandhi tried to suggest it is a general issue of what women can wear and not uniform in schools and colleges, Upadhyay questioned her back, “But how bikini is relevant to school? It was about the educational institutions.”

Caught red-handed diverting the topic Gandhi tried to intimidate the journalist and said, “You can twist it the way you like. No one has the right to tell a woman what she can wear and what she can’t. I am telling you to remove the scarf. Remove the scarf.” The journalist said he was not in an educational institution but in a press conference, to which Gandhi said, “It does not matter where you are. Do I have the right to tell you what to wear?”

After that, she ended the discussion and moved to the next question.

Priyanka Gandhi’s tweet on hijab controversy

On Wednesday morning, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi posted a tweet in which she said women have the right to wear whatever she wants. The tweet was linked to the hijab controversy that has been happening in Karnataka, where a few Muslim girls demanded they should be allowed to wear hijab in classrooms.

Gandhi said in her tweet, “Whether it is a bikini, a ghoonghat, a pair of jeans or a hijab, it is a woman’s right to decide what she wants to wear. This right is GUARANTEED by the Indian constitution. Stop harassing women.”

Tweet by Priyanka Gandhi. Source: Twitter

There were two major problems with the tweet. The first problem is the inclusion of bikini as the controversy was about an educational institute and not with the dresses that women can wear in general. Secondly, she forgot to consider the fact that the majority of the educational institutions in India, especially schools, have a specific dress code that every student has to follow.

The Karnataka hijab row

A couple of weeks back, a few Muslim girl students from Udupi, Karnataka, started wearing hijab to school. When the administration asked them to remove the hijab, they demanded as it was part of their religious practices, it should be allowed. To mark their protest, Hindu students came to school wearing saffron scarves.

The Education Ministry of the state intervened and issued an order that all students must follow the dress code. The Muslim students filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the order. Meanwhile, the situation got violent, and there were reports of stone pelting on Tuesday. The state government shut down schools and colleges for three days and asked everyone to maintain peace.

The controversy is being minted by the left-liberal section and fundamentalists who are provoking the Muslim girls not only in the college where controversy erupted but also in other educational institutes to demand permission to attend classes while donning the hijab.

1...3,4763,4773,478...7,584Page 3,477 of 7,584