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Hypocrisy of EU: Europe wants India to exercise restraint against cross-border terrorism on its own soil, but wanted India to get involved in Europe’s war in Ukraine

Anurag
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Hypocrisy of EU: Europe wants India to exercise restraint against cross-border terrorism on its own soil, but wanted India to get involved in Europe’s war in Ukraine

On 2nd May, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, expressed concerns over rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Phalgam terror attack. The horrific terror attack claimed the lives of 26 tourists, almost all Hindus, in the religiously motivated attack.

In a post on X, Kallas stated that the tensions between the two nations are alarming and urged both sides to show restraint. She claimed escalation “helps no one” and urged the pursuit of dialogue to ease the situation. Kallas further stated that she had spoken to the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar, and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, to convey the messages.

Dr S Jaishankar also posted about the conversation with Kallas on X. He wrote, “Good to speak with EU HRVP Kaja Kallas this evening. Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Welcome European Union’s strong condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations.”

Kallas’s statement came amidst rising tensions between India and Pakistan after Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorists killed 26 innocent Hindus in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly, when the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack happened, Kallas said in a statement on X that the EU “stands firm against terrorism” while expressing deep condolences to the victims, their families, and the people of India.

Kallas’s call for restraint contradicts her stand on terrorism

Kallas’s statement urging India and Pakistan to show restraint is, however, in contradiction with her stand against terrorism. Kallas, who considered Russia a terrorist state for launching military action against Ukraine, said in October 2022 that there is “no room for negotiation with terrorists”.

Her remarks also sit uneasily with the West’s broader expectations from India on the global stage.

Notably, since the war broke out between Ukraine and Russia, Western countries, including the European Union, have tried to persuade India to sever all ties with Russia. The West wanted India to join the war against Russia, a country that has stood by India through thick and thin, especially when Western nations looked the other way during conflicts between India and Pakistan.

In 2022, the West lectured India over buying cheap oil from Russia. Reports suggested it was Western countries that were actually the biggest buyers, not India. Despite consistent pressure, India stood firm on its stance that Russia is India’s ally. In February 2024, Dr S Jaishankar reaffirmed that India has stable and friendly ties with Russia. He called out Western countries for preferring to supply arms to Pakistan and not India. He categorically stated that Russia has never violated India’s interests, and that the bilateral ties remain “stable and friendly”.

He further stated that the Indian inventory of Russian-origin weaponry has grown, since many Western countries used to supply arms to Pakistan and not India for decades. He added that the trend has, however, changed in the past decade.

Pakistan’s continued role in terror against India

Pakistan, the hostile neighbour of India, has been serving as the launchpad for terrorist organisations targeting India since independence. Despite its clear role in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India, leaders like Kallas, who have been vocal against terrorism, want India, the victim country, to negotiate and engage in dialogue with Pakistan.

The EU’s selective outrage and inconsistent stance on terrorism is troubling, as it reveals a clear double standard. While it demands moral clarity and hardline positions when its own interests are on the line, it expects India to compromise its sovereignty and national security by initiating dialogue with a country that actively sponsors terrorism on Indian soil. If the EU truly wishes to stand firm against terrorism, it must apply the same principles universally, not selectively, that is, “there is no room for negotiations with terrorists”, and avoid choosing the path of political convenience.

Goa: At least 6 dead, over 15 injured in stampede at Lairai Devi temple

ANI
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Goa: At least 6 dead, over 15 injured in stampede at Lairai Devi temple

At least six people died and over 15 were injured in a stampede at the Lairai Devi temple in Shirgaon, police said on Saturday.  

According to North Goa Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshat Kaushal, 6 dead and more than 15 injured in a stampede that occurred at the Lairai Devi temple in Shrigao, Goa. 

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed sadness over the tragedy and said that he is personally monitoring the situation. 

Sawant also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him and took detailed stock of the situation. 

“Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I visited the hospital to meet the injured and have assured all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi  ji spoke with me and took detailed stock of the situation, offering his full support during this difficult time,” the Chief Minister posted on X. 

Further details on the incident are still awaited.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Academic Jihad? IIT Gandhinagar Humanities Dept accused of promoting Islamic theology, Hindu students gagged for condemning Pahalgam attack

Shraddha Pandey
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Academic Jihad? IIT Gandhinagar Humanities Dept accused of promoting Islamic theology, Hindu students gagged for condemning Pahalgam attack

The prestigious IIT Gandhinagar has stirred a massive controversy after allegations of imposition of Islamic theology PhD students in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department (HSS). A social media outrage erupted over what is being called an ideological takeover of the Humanities departments of India’s elite educational institutions, after a social media user revealed PhD thesis topics centred on Islamic studies are being undertaken at the institute’s HSS department.

These topics include “Fishing With Faith: Islam, Indigenous Knowledge, and Ecological Sustainability in Lakshadweep”, “Robes of Authority: Sunni Ulama, Sartorial Tradition, and Embodied Piety in Malabar”, “From Gods to Jinn: Ontological Rewriting and the Islamization of Spirits in Kerala”, “Beyond Cultural Brokers: Speech Mediation and Ritual Efficacy in Mosque Speeches in Kozhikode.”

Is IIT Gandhinagar promoting Islamic theology and ethnography?

More than a neutral inquiry into Islamic history or a critical analysis of Islamic theology, these themes come across as endorsement and glorification of dogmas connected with Islamic theology.

Amidst the outrage over India’s government-run premier institute promoting Islamic theology, Nishaant Choksi, who is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, is alleged to have threatened students with disciplinary action against students who violated the ‘honour code’.

A purported email sent by Choksi to the students has surfaced on social media. In the email, Choksi reportedly wrote, ““It has come to our attention that someone has been circulating screenshots of internal HSS emails about MASC thesis topics, including the names of students and supervisors, to individuals who are posting them out of context on social media in a derogatory, offensive, and potentially dangerous manner.”

Calling it a breach of privacy and trust, Choksi added: “This is a breach of our honor code, and any students found engaging in such activities will be reported to SSAC.”

As per the material shared by social media users online, the following is what the thesis topics read:

Title: Robes of Authority: Sunni Ulama, Sartorial Tradition, and Embodied Piety in Malabar
Supervisors: Madhumita Sengupta & Rosa Maria Perez
Summary: This thesis examines how Sunni Islamic scholars (ulama) in Malabar, Kerala, assert religious authority not only through knowledge and teachings but also through their clothing and behavior. It explores how their attire and bodily presentation serve as symbols of moral and religious authority, deeply tied to regional Islamic traditions and cultural continuity.

Title: Fishing With Faith: Islam, Indigenous Knowledge and Ecological Sustainability in Lakshadweep
Supervisor: Rosa Maria PerezSummary: This work explores how Islamic faith practices integrate with traditional ecological knowledge in Lakshadweep. It suggests that religious beliefs influence sustainable fishing practices among the island’s Muslim communities, merging spiritual life with environmental conservation.

Title: From Gods to Jinn: Ontological Rewriting and the Islamization of Spirits in Kerala
Supervisor: Sharada Visweswara
Summary: This thesis investigates how indigenous spiritual beliefs in Kerala are reinterpreted and transformed under Islamic influence. It focuses on how traditional spirit entities are being recast as Islamic jinns, altering local ontologies and spiritual landscapes.

Title: Beyond Cultural Brokers: Speech Mediation and Ritual Efficacy in Mosque Speeches in Kozhikode
Supervisor: Nishaant Choksi
Summary: This research examines how speech acts in mosques in Kozhikode function beyond just translation or communication. It argues that imams and speakers play key roles in shaping ritual experiences and religious meanings, emphasizing their performative and mediating functions in the community.

This essentially comes across more as a forced integration of Islamic theology and ethnography within government-funded institutional research than cultural studies. These masters-level dissertations supported by IIT Gandhinagar professors hint at an alleged systematic attempt at mainstreaming and promoting Islamic theology among students. What makes it even more alarming is the threat of action against students who raised questions over a state-funded educational institution endorsing Islamic themes.

Hindu students purportedly gagged and hounded for condemning Pahalgam terror attack

Screenshots of purported WhatsApp chats of IIT Gandhinagar students suggest Hindu students being threatened against leaking controversial emails and condemning the Pahalgam terror attack

While the outrage over these thesis topics is yet to subside, a screenshot of a purported WhatsApp of a Hindu student at IIT Gandhinagar has raised eyebrows. Alarmingly, the alleged conversation indicates that Hindu students at the institution are not only being deterred from sharing internal emails on social media but also being stopped from speaking on the Pahalgam terror attack, wherein Hindus were singled out and shot dead by Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorists, for simply being Hindus.

The chats suggest that while talking about the Pahalgam attack, wherein Islamic terrorists killed Hindus, is barred, candle marches are taken to show solidarity with Palestinian Muslims. The purported chats suggest that just seven days after Palestinian Islamic terror group Hamas carried out a terror attack in Israel on 7th October 2023, a Sham-e-Azadi march was held at IIT Gandhinagar to extend support and solidarity to Palestine.

As per these chats, a second year student Mohammed Luqman had proposed AI research topic centred on Islamic theology.

In the purported chat, one of the students alleged: “Our Language Aesthetics professor vo Nishant Choksi, is threatening us with consequences if we even speak about the Islamic AI research paper with anyone outside the class. They’ve already warned us that if we talk about it, they’ll fail Hindus in his paper.”

The student added: “They also told us to not post on the recent attack on Hindus in Kashmir. Bol rahe the Islamophobia hota hai ese openly outrage karne se. Uske liye bhi bola ki results and disciplinary action lenge if code is violated. Palestine ke liye 2023 aur 2024 mein candle march and reading session hua tha. Entrance exam mein haar saal Palestine pe passage aata hai. Lekin Kashmir pe Instagram stories lagana bhi mana kar diya. Ek Adrija hai vo sab toh open Hinduphobes hai.”

The entire episode has sparked outrage and demands are being raised that the IIT Gandhinagar’s director initiate an investigation. Moreover, people are seeking the government’s immediate intervention into the matter.

Three Indians sentenced to death in Indonesia in narcotics case, Delhi HC directs Consulate and MEA to intervene

ANI
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Three Indians sentenced to death in Indonesia in narcotics case, Delhi HC directs Consulate and MEA to intervene

While addressing a plea concerning the death penalty handed down by an Indonesian court to three Indian nationals, the Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take necessary measures to ensure that the convicted individuals receive proper legal representation and appropriate assistance in pursuing appellate remedies.

Additionally, the Consulate has been instructed to facilitate communication between the convicted individuals and their families in India.

Advocate Ashish Dixit, Standing Counsel for the Central Government and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), accepted the notice on behalf of the respondents and requested time to obtain instructions in the matter.

Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over the case, scheduled the next hearing for May 6, 2025, and directed the MEA to engage with the Indonesian government diplomatically to protect the rights of the Indian nationals under applicable international conventions or bilateral agreements, if any.

The case involves a petition filed by the spouses of three Indian nationals–Raju Muthukumaran, Selvadurai Dinakaran, and Govindasamy Vimalkandhan–who were sentenced to death by an Indonesian court for narcotics-related offences.

According to the plea, the three men were employed at a shipyard when they were detained by the Indonesian Narcotics Department for possession of narcotics.

Subsequently, they were convicted and sentenced to death under Indonesian law, as per the judgment of the Tanjung Balai Karimun District Court dated April 25, 2025.

The petitioners, wives of the convicted individuals, contend that their husbands are the sole breadwinners of their families and lack the financial means to pursue the prescribed appellate remedy in Indonesia.

They further highlight that the limitation period for filing an appeal is extremely strict, necessitating urgent legal action following the judgment.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

NCW summons Ullu App CEO Vibhu Agarwal and actor Ajaz Khan over controversial show House Arrest, disputed episodes removed, contestant defends the show saying they are not forced

OpIndia Staff
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NCW summons Ullu App CEO Vibhu Agarwal and actor Ajaz Khan over controversial show House Arrest, disputed episodes removed, contestant defends the show saying they are not forced

Taking suo motu cognisance of the controversial show ‘House Arrest’, which was aired on streaming platform Ullu TV, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued summons to the CEO of Ullu TV, Vibhu Agarwal and the show’s host, Ajaz Khan. They are required to appear before the commission on May 9, 2025. The action of the NCW comes after the show faced major backlash for showing vulgar and obscene content.

 “It disregards the fundamental principles of consent, promotes sexual coercion under the guise of entertainment, and fails to follow any age-appropriate censorship guidelines,” said NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar.

Notably, Ullu App has removed all disputed episodes from its platform and YouTube following backlash.

Female contestants made to remove their clothes, demonstrate sexual positions

The show, aired on the Ullu App and YouTube, sparked outrage after some video clips from the show went viral. In one of the clips, the show’s host, Ajaz Khan, asks contestants to demonstrate various sex positions as per Kamasutra, something that viewers have deemed vulgar and inappropriate.

In another video clip, Khan encourages the female contestants to remove their undergarments and other clothes. The contestants then start removing their clothes, trying to outdo one another.

The show was removed from the Ullu App following the controversy.

Contestant defends the show

One of the female contestants on the controversial show has come forward in defence of the show. The contestant named Gehena Vashishtha claimed that all the participants in the show were adults and they did everything of their own will. She added that the show’s host, Ajaz Khan, did not compel any contestant to do anything against their wishes. She alleged that the show was being unnecessarily targeted.

Supreme Court issues notice to the Central government

The controversy erupted a day after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre in response to a petition seeking a directive to take appropriate steps to stop the streaming of sexually explicit content on OTT platforms. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih also issued notices to the Centre, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Ullu, ALTT, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and others. The Court urged Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to take action on the concerns raised in the petition.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared on behalf of the petitioners, demanded a check and ban on obscene and indecent content floating on social media and OTT and social media platforms.

“We have demanded that there should be a check and ban on obscene and indecent content floating on social media and OTTs. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, who appeared today, said that this is a serious concern and the government has brought some regulations. The court has issued a notice to the Centre and 9 OTTs and social media platforms which are showing such content…The court observed that this is a serious issue,” said Advocate Jain.

UK: ECB confirms that biological men will not play at any level of women’s cricket, decision after Supreme Court order saying transwomen are not women

ANI
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UK: ECB confirms that biological men will not play at any level of women’s cricket, decision after Supreme Court order saying transwomen are not women

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday announced that transgender women will no longer take part in women’s and girls’ cricket at any level in England and Wales following a change to its regulations regarding eligibility.

ECB released a statement to announce its decision which read, “The ECB is today announcing a change to its regulations regarding eligibility for transgender players in women’s and girls’ cricket. This is based on the updated legal position following the recent Supreme Court ruling.”

“With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches. Transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket,” the statement added.

The decision from the ECB comes in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law. Earlier, the ECB, had banned transgender women from elite competitions to bring its eligibility policy into line with that adopted by the International Cricket Council in 2023.

“Our regulations for recreational cricket have always aimed at ensuring that cricket remains as inclusive a sport as possible. These included measures to manage disparities, irrespective of someone’s gender, and safeguard the enjoyment of all players. However, given the new advice received about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, we believe the changes announced today are necessary,” the statement continued.

The governing body acknowledged that the decision will have a “significant” impact on transgender women and girls. However, the governing body vowed to “support” people who this change has impacted.

“We acknowledge that this decision will have a significant impact on transgender women and girls. We will work with Recreational Cricket Boards to support people impacted by this change in our regulations,” the statement added.

“We await updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and will study this carefully. We maintain that abuse or discrimination has no place in our sport and are committed to ensuring that cricket is played in a spirit of respect and inclusivity,” the statement concluded.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Russia-Ukraine war rages on 100 days after Trump’s promise to end it: Putin gives no indication of saying yes to White House unlike EU and Zelenskyy

Shraddha Pandey
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Russia-Ukraine war rages on 100 days after Trump’s promise to end it: Putin gives no indication of saying yes to White House unlike EU and Zelenskyy

Over a hundred days after US President Donald Trump promised to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the war rages on with no resolution in sight. While the United States and Ukraine have entered a much-awaited minerals deal, people on the Russian and Ukrainian sides continue to die.

On Thursday, Moscow-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said that a Ukrainian drone strike killed 7 citizens while injuring 20 at a busy market in Oleshky town in the Kherson region. Russia condemned the attack as a war crime, alleging that among those targeted were rescuers.

“At the time of the attack, there were many people in the market. After the first wave of strikes, Ukraine sent further drones to “finish off” any survivors,” Saldo wrote on Telegram.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike killed two people in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. This attack came just hours after the US-Ukraine minerals deal was locked, granting the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. In this attack, 15 people were reported injured.

Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that the barrage struck apartment buildings, private homes, a supermarket and a school. As per Kharkiv city’s Mayor Ihor Therekov, a drone struck and ignited fire at a petrol station.

In response to the Russian strikes, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said that Russia has eluded the US’s proposal of an unconditional and complete ceasefire for over 50 days.

“There were also our proposals — at the very least, to refrain from striking civilian infrastructure and to establish lasting silence in the sky, at sea, and on land. Russia has responded to all this with new shelling and new assaults,” Zelensky said.

US-Ukraine mineral deal: Economic interests take precedence amidst the bloodshed

On Wednesday, Ukraine and the United States signed the minerals deal under which the US will gain access to the war-torn nation’s rare earth deposits, including oil and gas. The deal comes days after Trump publicly rebuked Zelensky during the latter’s US visit. Initially, Trump sought $500 billion in compensation for the massive military and financial aid extended to Ukraine by his predecessor, Joe Biden, since February 2022. This amount is reported to be four times higher than the actual amount. Unsurprisingly, Zelensky rejected this deal, arguing it would push ten generations of Ukraine into paying this amount off.

After assuming office, Trump has significantly reduced aid to Ukraine, thus compelling the war-torn country to ink a deal to secure long-term US investment.

Interestingly, the Trump administration has been pushing for a swift end to the war, possibly at the cost of some of Ukraine’s long-term strategic goals, most importantly, NATO membership. Not to forget, Ukraine’s desperate attempts at joining NATO were one of the major reasons behind the escalation of tensions with Russia. This remains a bone of contention with Russia emphasising that it cannot allow Ukraine to join NATO since this poses a direct threat to Russia’s sovereignty.

The US-Ukraine mineral deal established a Reconstruction Investment Fund to jointly develop Ukraine’s critical minerals, including titanium, lithium and graphite. The revenues would be split 50-50 between the two signatories.

Pertinently, the deal finalised after tense negotiations does not include any explicit US security guarantee, even though this was Ukraine’s major concern. This joint fund, overseen by the US Treasury and Ukraine’s Department of Finance and Economy, is meant to attract global investment for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

While the US gains access to minerals crucial for defence and technology to curb reliance on China, Ukraine benefits from securing an economic partnership and possible post-war growth.

The deal’s impact on peace, however, remains uncertain with a change in Trump’s tune. While initially it seemed like Moscow and Washington were ditching the continued tradition of never agreeing on anything, to finding some common ground, last week, President Trump threatened to impose fresh sanctions against Russia.

Trump had even raised questions over his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin’s, willingness to end the war for good. After meeting Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral in the Vatican, Donald Trump also slammed Russia for its missile strikes in Ukraine.

In a post shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, as he was heading back to the US from Rome, Trump hinted at imposing sanctions against Moscow after Russia’s latest missile attack on Ukraine and questioned whether Putin wants to stop the war. Donald Trump even criticised former US President Barack Obama and suggested that he “made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired.

Interestingly, Trump has also backtracked from his statement in which he committed to bringing the Ukraine-Russia war ongoing for the last three years to an end.

“Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point. Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that [the war] will be ended,” Trump said.

US State Secretary Marco Rubio who earlier this year had a very positive meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, also changed tunes as he said, “There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”

On one hand, Ukraine and the US have signed a lucrative deal, although the lack of security guarantees would disappoint Ukraine; on the other, the attacks by Russia and Ukraine against each other continue to claim lives. While the mineral deal gives the US a financial stake, the deal touted as an agreement that would open doors to peace does not seem to serve that purpose. Neither Ukraine nor Russia have deterred from attacking each other, indicating that there is hardly any possibility of immediate de-escalation, let alone an end to the war.

Additionally, Trump’s and largely USA’s positioning that they hold the key to the war and the war can linger or come to an end at their behest seems hollow too. Unlike Ukraine, which is completely dependent upon military and financial aid from the USA and European nations, Russia is in no mood to take orders from the White House.

Bilawal Bhutto, out of power and media focus for over a year, begs for some attention, threatens war with India over Indus water

Aditi
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Bilawal Bhutto, out of power and media focus for over a year, begs for some attention, threatens war with India over Indus water

Continuing with his rant against India regarding the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, once again threatened India by posting a comment on X. Claiming that Pakistan wants peace, Bhutto, who appears to have undergone some sudden and drastic weight loss, warned India not to “touch” the Sindhu (river Indus) or face the consequence.

“Touch our Sindhu, and history will remember your mistake. India calls itself a democracy, we will expose it as a deception. We want peace, but if war is imposed, then we shall fight, not for glory, not for revenge, but because no power on earth can break the will of the people. We don’t beat the drums of war, but if provoked, the roar of a united Pakistan will be deafening,” a rattled Bhutto wrote in his post on 1st May.

After the ghastly terrorist attack in Pahalgam in J&K on 22nd April, in which 26 Hindu tourists were gunned down in cold blood by Islamic terrorists linked with Pakistan, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty as a retaliatory measure. Bilawal Bhutto, who is popularly known as ‘Pakistani Pappu’ among netizens in India, went bonkers after India’s retribution. Screaming in his signature weird rhythmic style in a public rally on 26th April, Bhutto said that if India blocked Pakistan’s water, the blood of Indians would flow in the river Indus. “The Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either our water will flow through it, or their blood will,” Bhutto shouted.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been struggling for its political existence in Pakistan for years. Therefore, Bilawal Bhutto, who has become obsolete in his own country’s political landscape, is desperately trying to gain some political relevance through his anti-India howling. In a country which is perpetually in shambles, anti-India ranting has been an old trick in the book of Pakistani politicians to impress a largely fanatic populace.

Bilawal Bhutto calls Pakistan a victim of terrorism

Pakistan’s connection with terrorism has been an open secret, which the country has denied blatantly. In an interview given to Sky News on 1st May, Bhutto played the victim card by claiming that Pakistan has “suffered” extremism. “I don’t think that it is a secret that Pakistan has a past as far as the extremist forces are concerned. As a result, we have suffered, Pakistan has suffered. We have gone through wave after wave of extremism. But as a result of what we suffered, we also learned our lessons. We have gone through internal reforms to address this problem, “claimed Bhutto.

Bilawal Bhutto’s remarks about Pakistan’s past came after Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khwaja Asif, confessed that the country had been “doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades” and “the West, including Britain”.

This is not the first time that Bilawal Bhutto has tried to gain attention by ranting against India. On his visit to India in April 2023, when he was serving as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bhutto raked up the Kashmir issue during a press conference with the Pakistani media in Goa. However, he was met with an apt response by the Indian Foreign Minister, who reminded him that Pakistan had nothing to do with Kashmir.

‘Rape as many Hindu girls as possible, this is a virtuous act’: Bhopal grooming gang’s main accused Farhan says they have no regrets and this is a matter of pride

OpIndia Staff
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‘Rape as many Hindu girls as possible, this is a virtuous act’: Bhopal grooming gang’s main accused Farhan says they have no regrets and this is a matter of pride

The Muslim gang that targeted and raped Hindu girls in Bhopal was doing this while considering this a virtuous act. The Muslim gang considered this act to be good from the point of view of Islam. They were targeting as many Hindu girls as possible. The gang tortured the girls by making their obscene videos. All these revelations have been made by the leader of the Muslim gang, Farhan. Bhopal Police is constantly unearthing new information in this case. The police has also arrested 11 accused in the case.

Rape of a Hindu girl is ‘sawab’

According to a report by Naiduniya, the leader of the Muslim gang Farhan told the police during interrogation that he has no regrets about raping Hindu girls, trapping them, and threatening them using their videos. He told the police that this is a virtuous act according to Islam.

Farhan also told the police that he wanted to ruin the lives of Hindu girls and considered this act as Jihad, so he targeted them. Farhan told the police that he is proud of trapping and raping Hindu girls. He has made several other revelations during police interrogation.

Farhan told the police that he had prepared a Muslim gang only for this purpose. Farhan and the other Muslim boys kept Hindu names and hid their identities. They also owned expensive cars and targeted girls who lived away from their families.

The gang made videos of each other while raping the girls

Farhan and the other accused used to make videos of each other while raping Hindu girls. This was revealed by a victim. She said that Farhan, along with Ali, gang-raped her in the same room. While Farhan was raping, Ali was recording it.

In return, Farhan recorded a video while Ali was raping the girl. The victim said that she met Farhan through a friend and he introduced her to Ali. One day, on the pretext of having dinner, Ali made the victim smoke a cigarette filled with marijuana. After this, the victim was raped and she was further blackmailed after Ali recorded a video.

11 arrested, Nabeel was caught from Bhopal itself

In the case of rape of Hindu girls by Muslim gang, 11 arrests have been made in 20 days. Apart from Farhan, Ali, Saad, Sahil and Nabeel were arrested. Nabeel was caught from Bhopal on May 1, 2025.

The search for Abrar is still on. Farhan and his gang used to bring girls to Abrar’s room and rape them. Police has also found out a lot of information about co-accused Sahil in this case. Sahil used to run a dance class where his Muslim friends used to send poor Hindu girls.

The police have received information about 30 girls attending Sahil’s dance class. The police is now going to question them to find out if any of them was sexually abused. The police is trying to contact all of them.

Farhan was going to sell the video on a porn site

Earlier, the police had come to know that Farhan was in contact with a porn site and was going to sell the pornographic videos of the victim students on those sites. A link to sell the video on a porn site and evidence of searching for porn was found in his mobile phone, in which the accused Abrar and Nabeel were helping him. Both of them had asked Farhan to sell the videos.

The idea of ​​selling the video was given to Farhan by his friends and fellow accused Abrar and Nabeel. Actually, the student living in Indore had started ignoring him continuously. Farhan was forcibly pressuring her to meet him. To teach the student a lesson, Farhan along with his friends made a plan to sell her video on a porn site.

One by one the victims came forward

This case of ‘Muslim gang’ targeting Hindu girls in Bhopal came to light on 18th April 2025. 5 FIRs have been registered in this case. It was revealed that Farhan and other Muslim boys used to trap Hindu girls first and later sexually exploited them.

They used to take the girls to their rooms, hotels and restaurants, and rape them and also make videos of it. After this, they used to blackmail them.

Police is investigating this matter and trying to trace all the victims and accused. 11 accused have been arrested so far in this case. An SIT has also been formed to investigate this matter. State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has also said that strict legal action will be taken against those doing such work.

Caste Census: Sources deny media claims that Pasmanda Muslims will get reservations under OBC quota, clarify that caste of Muslims will be recorded

OpIndia Staff
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Caste Census: Sources deny media claims that Pasmanda Muslims will get reservations under OBC quota, clarify that caste of Muslims will be recorded

The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category might include Pasmanda Muslims list in the caste census, according to a report in The Indian Express. This was reportedly confirmed by the leaders of the OBC Morcha and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minority Morcha. Muslims have been listed as a distinct, singular bloc in every official census to date, including the last one in 2011. According to the Sachar Committee’s report, 40% of Muslims in India are OBC or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (all India 2004-05).

However, Pasmanda activists and scholars claim that 80–85% of India’s Muslim population is Pasmanda. This roughly corresponds with the 1871 Census, which found that 81% of Muslims in India belonged to lower castes and only 19% belonged to upper castes. National enumeration cannot be as random as the Telangana caste survey, according to K Laxman, national president of the BJP’s OBC Morcha, who distinguished between the surveys carried out in Telangana and Bihar.

On the other hand, the impending caste census will cover the caste of Muslims as well, sources stated on 2nd May, reported India Today, however, they explained that since religiously motivated reservations are illegal, the demand for Muslim reservations will not be granted. Nonetheless, everyone will have access to a caste column in addition to the religion column. This procedure will document several castes within the Muslim community.

It is anticipated that the census process will start in the following two to three months. Soon, the official appointment deputation process will begin. Within 15 days after all the necessary preparations have been concluded, the actual census will take place. Furthermore, Aadhaar, biometric information and artificial intelligence will all be used in this digital census. The whole report will be released following the data analysis, which might take a year or two.

The government intends to implement women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2029. The delimitation procedure will start after the census is completed next year. A commission will be established and will travel to each state to prepare the report. The current 27% quota cap in government positions and educational institutions could be reviewed in light of the growing number of OBCs.

“What is the point of just enumerating Pasmanda Muslims in a separate category? Some state lists of OBCs already do this. The central government should ideally look for socio-economic upliftment of Pasmanda Muslims, by including Dalit Muslims in the Scheduled Caste list, for example. They are not ready to do this,” Pasmanda Muslim leader Ali Anwar Ansari stated.

The inclusion of Pasmanda Muslims among OBCs, according to Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran, would be another attempt to create “some sort of a division within the community.” He asked, “When the Supreme Court itself has said that Muslims as a group are backward, what is the rationale for subdividing them without giving any inkling of uplifting the community?”

Meanwhile, the Justice Rohini Commission’s report on subcategorisation inside reservations has not yet been addressed. The matter might be brought up again after the census. According to others, the approach would jeopardize the current protections for the OBC, SC, and ST populations. The procedures for the caste census might be discussed with representatives of all political parties. Internal conflicts within the I.N.D.I. Alliance over the census and delimitation could lead to a debate between the North and the South.

Reservation requests in the private sector, meanwhile, have been deemed unfounded. The private sector resisted these demands, even though they were made during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s administration as well. Private educational institutions are already covered under Article 15(5). It enables the state to enact special laws that explicitly address the admission of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to educational institutions, as well as the advancement of socially and educationally disadvantaged segments of citizens. With the exception of minority educational institutions, both state-aided and unaided private educational institutions are covered by this clause.

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