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Conflict of interest, allegations of campaign against The Kashmir Files and more: What Vivek Agnihotri said exposing Anupama Chopra

OpIndia Staff
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Conflict of interest, allegations of campaign against The Kashmir Files and more: What Vivek Agnihotri said exposing Anupama Chopra

A day after national-award-winning director Vivek Agnihotri alleged that the Anupama Chopra was trying to ‘sabotage’ his recent movie – The Kashmir Files, he released a Youtube exposing the self-proclaimed movie critic’s inherent prejudice against his films.

On Thursday, Vivek Agnihotri released a video on Youtube accusing that there is a concerted campaign being carried out against his movies by movie critic Anupama Chopra and her organisation – “Film Companion”.

In his video, the national-award-winning director said that the bigwigs of the Bollywood industry control the media establishment, and it is not easy today just to rely on social media platforms to promote creative movies.

Naming certain production houses and producers, including Anupama Chopra’s husband Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Vivek Agnihotri pointed out that these entities have become the establishments of the Bollywood that set the rules and decide on the success of the individuals who enter the industry.

“Only those people who bend before this establishment will survive in the industry. Vivek Agnihotri never bows down to this establishment, never will do. Hence, I have been made to pay a price,” said the director in his video.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vivek Agnihotri had tweeted that Film Companion head Anupama Chopra was playing ‘dirty tricks’ in the background to target his movie. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri announced that he would soon expose the tricks of the trade used by Anupama and her team.

In a tweet, Vivek Agnihotri asked Anupama, calling her Shoorpankha, “If you have any guts, sabotage ‘The Kashmir Files’ openly. Please stop playing dirty tricks from the background. Your only qualification is that you are married to a Producer who, despite being a KP (Kashmiri Pandit), stabbed KPs in their back.”

In his latest expose, the Bollywood director said that micro-blogging site Twitter recommended him one of the tweets of Film Companion that promoted Deepika Padukone-starrer movie Gehraiyaan. According to Vivek, Anupama Chopra’s organisation has aggressively marketed the movie even after the movie flopped at the box office. The Karan Johar-produced movie has been rejected by the viewers and has also been declared a massive flop.

On the contrary, Vivek Agnihotri noted that Film Companion has not reviewed or tweeted the trailer of his upcoming movie ‘The Kashmir Files’. Instead, Agnihotri pointed out that Film Companion has tried to carry out negative propaganda against his film by referring to his last movie, ‘The Tashkent Files’.

In the video, Agnihotri also showed how Anupama Chopra’s Film Companion had called his last movie ‘The Tashkent Files’ as a “second-hand history lesson in a third rate politics”. Film Companion has not even written a single review on the upcoming movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, Vivek Agnihotri noted in the video.

“Such an act can be done by an insane person, a sold-out, or a devil-minded person,” the national-award-winning director lambasted Anupama Chopra for her deep hatred for his films.

Vivek Agnihotri also remembered how the movie ‘Shikara’, produced by Anupama Chopra’s husband Vidhu Vinod Chopra, received a low rating on IMDB. He said that Shikara had got just 3.9 ratings on IMDB, while his movie The Taskent Files had secured 7.9 ratings on the review platform, more than two times of Chopra’s movie.

Shikara, a propaganda movie on Kashmiri Pandits produced by Chopra, had received backlash for whitewashing the crimes of Islamists in Kashmir, who had carried out the genocide of Hindus residing in the valley.

It is important to note that several Kashmiri Hindus had vociferously alleged that the movie did not do justice to the Kashmiri Hindu cause and watered down the genocide of the Hindus to appease the Islamic agenda. Kashmiri Pandit had disowned the film entirely as they had felt it was fabricated and devoid of facts.

The director also exposed Anupama Chopra, stating that she promoted her husband’s movie despite a conflict of interest. He also questioned the integrity of Anupama Chopra by challenging her to watch and review his upcoming film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ has stormed the Internet after its trailer dropped on Monday. The film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar and Mrinal Kulkarni in lead roles and is set to release in the cinemas on March 11, 2021.

Two years on, scars of Delhi riots remain fresh for the family of Ratan Lal, children decorate house with father’s sketches to fill the void

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Two years on, scars of Delhi riots remain fresh for the family of Ratan Lal, children decorate house with father’s sketches to fill the void

From the 24th through the 26th of February, Delhi was engulfed in massive communal riots, where Islamic mobs targeted Hindu businesses and homes. Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal was one of the first victims. Ratan Lal was mercilessly lynched by a crazed Islamist mob while he was trying to do his duty on main Wazirabad Road, Chand Bagh. The 42-year-old police officer lived with his family in Amrit Vihar, Burari, Delhi.

Ratan Lal’s family still resides in the same Amrit Vihar house today. Construction work was going on outside the house when the OpIndia team arrived at Amrit Vihar two years later to meet the bereaved family. The road leading to the humble household was dug up. Passing through a bumpy road, when we entered that two-room house, its walls were adorned with sketches of the police constable who was shot while he tried to calm down the riotous mob along with his seniors. We were told that the children made these in memory of their late father.

The walls of the house of late Ratan Lal adorned with his sketches

CM Arvind Kejriwal did not fulfil his promise to provide me with a job: Wife of deceased Constable Ratan Lal laments

“I don’t want to remember those old days,” Poonam, wife of the late policeman, told OpIndia. I’m attempting to recuperate from the memories of those events with tremendous difficulty. I’ve managed to take care of myself in order to provide for my children. Many of the government’s pledges have not yet been delivered. The Delhi government gave us one crore rupees in two instalments. Many others had made promises at the time that had not been kept. It was sought that a gate is built in his (Ratan Lal) name in Burari, but this request was also ignored. We had also urged CM Arvind Kejriwal to provide me with a job based on my educational qualification, but that request, too, has been ignored, rued Poonam.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Delhi Police provides assistance to the family

“Delhi Police has been quite helpful,” Poonam continued. Sanjay Singh, the new DCP, has also been of great assistance to me. DCP sahib (Deputy Commissioner of Police) had also issued a medal in his (Ratan Lal) name on August 15. This medal had also been approved by CP Sahib (Police Commissioner Delhi). In Delhi, police officers will now be awarded medals in his memory. This is good to know.

His name has gained a great deal of esteem in recent years. However, the so-called “martyr” certificate has yet to arrive. On the 15th of August, a gallantry award was presented, but no benefits were obtained. It is still awaiting approval. My family is somehow sustaining. When a family member leaves, you know what happens,” rued Poonam, deceased Ratan Lal’s wife.

Will insure my son joins the Delhi police department: Poonam Ratan Lal

“His (Ratan Lal’s) pension is covering the household expenses,” Poonam continued. I’m not working anywhere. For me, staying at home and caring for my children is the most important thing. A job has been offered to us by the Delhi Police, which has been set aside for my son. When he reaches the age of 18, he will take up the job and serve the department. The son is eleven years old now and currently studying in class five. My older daughter is in 9th grade, and my younger daughter is in 7th grade,” said Poonam.

The moustache

A report by Times Now had said that a year before he was killed, Lal had once enthusiastically spoken about the resemblance between his moustache and national hero Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. When asked about the resemblance between Ratan Lal and Wing Commander Abhinandan’s impressive style of moustache, the former’s wife said, “His (Ratan Lal’s) moustache was from before Abhinandan. Since 2007, he’s had a moustache. It did take him quite some time to grow the unique moustache. I am sure Abhinandan had adopted Ratan Lal’s style”, opined Poonam.

“It was only on February 24, 2020, that it was learnt from the GTB Hospital, where he was rushed in an injured state, that he (Ratan Lal) had been shot,” said Poonam, adding that all news outlets have previously reported on this. Ratan Lal was brutally attacked and killed by an Islamic mob, who had also attacked DCP Anuj Kumar on that day.

Demand that the government fulfils all delayed promises

Poonam used OpIndia as a platform to make an appeal to the government to fulfil all the long-standing promises it had made after the death of her husband, Ratan Lal. I am thankful to JP Nadda, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, for sending me a citation. However, he is yet to deliver on his promises. Regarding my demands, I met with Amit Shah on December 16, 2021. After that, he told me that my demands would be met, but, so far, no documented martyr status certificate has been issued to us. The central government had also assured to give us compensation of Rs 1 crore which we have not received yet,” added Poonam.

Ratan Lal was a resident of Rajasthan

Lal belonged to Fathepur Tihwali village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. Lal is survived by his wife and three children. The Sikar resident had joined the Delhi Police on the post of constable in 1998. He married a Jaipur resident in 2004. Ratan Lal was posted at Gokulpuri Police Station. He used to live with his family in a house in Delhi’s Burari area.

A mob attacked police officers stationed in Maujpur, Delhi’s North-East area, on February 24, 2020. Ratan Lal died from a bullet wound, according to the autopsy report. A video had surfaced in March 2020 where a violent mob of rioters can be seen attacking the Delhi Police officers with stones and sticks. She stated that there were videos on YouTube showing how her husband was shot but they were later taken down. She thinks she should have saved those videos.

The Special Investigation Team of Delhi Police had in June 2020 filed a 1,100-page charge-sheet in the case of the murder of Ratan Lal and deadly attacks by rioters on IPS Amit Sharma and IPS Anuj Kumar. At least 17 accused had been named in the charge-sheet. There are about 4 to 5 key conspirators in this whole case, which included Salim Khan, Salim Munna and Shadab. The police stated that the riots were engineered in Delhi through a conspiracy to malign the image of the country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed in Parliament on 12 March 2020 that all the accused in the Ratan Lal case have been arrested by Delhi Police.

In September this year, 5 of the accused persons in Ratan Lal’s murder were granted bail by the Delhi High Court.

137 dead after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky laments being ‘left all alone’: Details

OpIndia Staff
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137 dead after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky laments being ‘left all alone’: Details

A day after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the President of the Eastern European country, Volodymyr Zelensky, informed on Friday (February 25) that a total of 137 people (including civilians) were killed in Russian military strikes.

In an emotional address to the nation, Zelensky said, “Sadly, today we lost 137 heroes, our citizens. Ten of them were officers. 316 people have been wounded. Defending the Zmiinyi Island, all our border guards died a heroic death. But they have not surrendered. They will all be awarded posthumously by the title of the Hero of Ukraine.”

“Let those who gave their lives for Ukraine be remembered forever. I remain in the capital, my family is also in Ukraine, my children are in Ukraine. My family are not traitors, they are citizens of Ukraine. Where exactly they are, I have no right to say,” he added.

The Ukrainian President further emphasised, “According to the information received, the enemy has marked me as target No.1, my family as target No.2. They want to damage Ukraine politically by destroying the head of State.”

He lamented how the world had deserted Ukraine at such a crucial time. President Zelensky said, “We have been left alone to defend our state. Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid.”

Russia launches ‘military operations’ against Ukraine

On Thursday (February 24), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow did not plan on occupying Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.

The Russian troops allegedly launched attacks on border units, border patrols, and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment, and small arms. Earlier in the day, large explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Several cities, airports, roads are hit by the rockets as Russian troops take control of East Ukrainian cities.

During his address declaring military action against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had urged the Ukrainian soldiers to lay down arms. He said those who followed his demand would be allowed to leave the battle zone and return to their families.

Russia-Ukraine war: Hours after Imran Khan meets Putin, US Federal Reserve imposes $55 million fine on National Bank of Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Russia-Ukraine war: Hours after Imran Khan meets Putin, US Federal Reserve imposes $55 million fine on National Bank of Pakistan

Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kremlin on Thursday amidst the ongoing “special military operation” by the Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, two US authorities imposed fines worth $55 million on the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and its New York branch. 

According to reports, the US Federal Reserve, the central bank of the country, and Superintendent of Financial Services of the state of New York imposed fines on the central bank of Pakistan over deficiencies and non-compliance with the federal laws.

The Federal Reserve has imposed a $20.4 million fine, and the New York State Department of Financial Services has asked NBP to pay $35 million after the authorities found “significant deficiencies” in the NBP branch’s “risk management and compliance with federal laws, rules, and regulations”. 

As per the US Federal Reserve’s order, the deficiencies were related to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) of the US.

The order, issued based on the investigation carried out on March 4, 2021, noted that NBP had entered into a written agreement with the authorities on March 16, 2016, to correct the “deficiencies”. However, the recent investigation has found that NBP had failed to “achieve full compliance with each and every provision of the written agreement”.

The order also noted that as Pakistan’s NBP failed to comply with the US laws, the central bank of Pakistan and the Federal Reserve had “mutually agreed to enter into this Cease and Desist Order and Order of Assessment of a Civil Money Penalty.”

The US Federal Reserve has ordered NBP to carry out reforms on Corporate Governance and Management Oversight; Bank Secrecy Act, and AML Compliance Programme, Customer Due Diligence; Suspicious Activity Monitoring and Reporting; Transaction Monitoring System.

The reserve has demanded the NBP implement its recommendations within 60 days of the order. It has also asked NBP to designate an officer within ten days who will be “responsible for coordinating and submitting” to the Reserve Bank its written plans.

Meanwhile, the NYDFS Superintendent Adrienne A Harris announced that NBP and its NY branch had agreed to pay the penalty.

“The NBP allowed serious compliance deficiencies in its NY branch to persist for years despite repeated regulatory warnings,” a press release quoted Harris as saying.

The press release further said that the continued failures revealed that the branch’s senior management was unwilling or unable to promote a culture of compliance, adequate resources were not provided for compliance programmes, and the bank failed to adequately supervise the branch by allowing problems to worsen year after year.

Interestingly, the penalty against Pakistan’s NBP came just after Prime Minister Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kremlin on Thursday. His meeting with Putin came at a time when Russia has launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine.

Imran Khan arrived in Russia on Wednesday on a two-day visit. However, just hours after he arrived in Moscow, the Russian President ordered a special military operation in eastern Ukraine, leaving the Pakistan establishment confused. Later, Vladimir Putin held a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Khan in the Kremlin.

Russia takes control of Ukraine

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.

The Russian troops allegedly launched attacks on border units, border patrols, and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment, and small arms.

Earlier in the day, large explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Several cities, airports, roads are hit by the rockets as Russian troops take control of East Ukrainian cities.

During his address declaring military action against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had urged the Ukrainian soldiers to lay down arms. He said those who followed his demand would be allowed to leave the battle zone and return to their families.

Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine warns off another ecological disaster

OpIndia Staff
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Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine warns off another ecological disaster

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have captured the nuclear power plant site at Chernobyl, the site of the Nuclear disaster in 1986. It was confirmed by an official of the Ukrainian president. An advisor to the President’s office said, “It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians.” The advisor Mykhailo Podolyak further added, “This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,” reported Reuters.

Ukraine PM Denys Shmyhal also confirmed the development, saying that Russian forces have seized control of the abandoned nuclear power plant at Chernobyl after clashes with Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, the President of Ukraine had said that Russian soldiers have entered the area surrounding Chernobyl and are trying to seize the abandoned nuclear power plant. In his tweet, he had posted, “Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to the Swedish PM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also said that any Russian action in Chernobyl can lead to another ecological disaster. “In 1986, the world saw the biggest technological disaster in Chornobyl. Russia’s attack on Ukraine may cause another ecological disaster moving its military forces to Chornobyl. If Russia continues the war, Chornobyl can happen again in 2022,” the ministry tweeted.

The Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986 and it is considered the worst nuclear accident in history. Since this mishap, the reactor situated at around 130 KM north of Ukrainian capital Kyiv has been covered by a protective shelter to prevent radiation leak and the entire plant has been decommissioned. The entire town has been abandoned due to health risks as the site still contains a huge amount of highly radioactive nuclear material. And any damage to the structures during the clashes can lead to leakage of hazardous radiation.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced limited “military operations” against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared for the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

The day after President Zelensky introduced a nationwide state of emergency, airports are closed and long queues of cars were seen on motorways as Ukrainians attempted to flee their homes.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin given the special ties between the two countries.

Modi-Putin phone call: PM Modi appeals for immediate cessation of violence, expresses concern for safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine

OpIndia Staff
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Modi-Putin phone call: PM Modi appeals for immediate cessation of violence, expresses concern for safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine

Hours after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin today evening over the ongoing crisis. In his conversation, PM Modi expressed concerns over the safety of Indians living in Ukraine, especially the students. He also appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

The official press release from PMO reads, “President Putin briefed Prime Minister about the recent developments regarding Ukraine. Prime Minister reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

Prime Minister appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

Source: PIB

Prime Minister also sensitised the Russian President about India’s concerns regarding the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine, especially students, and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return to India.

The leaders agreed that their officials and diplomatic teams would continue to maintain regular contacts on issues of topical interest.

It may be noted that after Russia launched an attack on military bases in Ukraine earlier today, Ukraine had urged PM Modi to talk to Putin to stop the invasion. Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Igor Polikha had urged PM Modi to intervene in the matter and hold talks with Putin, given the special ties between the two countries. He had said that India has a special relationship with Russia, and New Delhi can play a more active role in managing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.

“We urge PM Narendra Modi to immediately contact Russian President Vladimir Putin and our President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the Ukrainian ambassador had said.

Taiwan says 9 Chinese Air Force planes entered its air zone amidst Chinese media talking about requiring Russian support on Taiwan issue

OpIndia Staff
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Taiwan says 9 Chinese Air Force planes entered its air zone amidst Chinese media talking about requiring Russian support on Taiwan issue

While the world grapples with the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence has reported that at least nine Chinese aircraft have flown into its airspace. This came after Chinese news media was seen issuing instructions on social platforms about their coverage on Ukraine while highlighting a note on China’s ‘need for Russian support’ regarding Taiwan. 

The Defence Ministry of Taiwan posted on its website the details of recent Chinese aggression in the Taiwanese Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday. Reportedly, a command of 8 J-16s and 1 Yun-8 technical reconnaissance aircraft (RECCE) crossed the Taiwanese air defence space on Thursday. While Chinese escalation over Taiwanese airspace has become a normal happening, the timing of this crisis when China’s longstanding ally Russia has come dubious.

This came after a Fox News report saying that a Chinese media outlet had accidentally posted guidelines on ‘what should’ and ‘should not be published’ on the Russia-Ukraine tussle. A blog emphasized how critical is Russia’s support in solving the question of Taiwan against America’s wishes. Xinhua News Agency’s Ming Jinwei in his WeChat blog talked in length about how his agency should maintain a fine line while reporting on its Ukraine coverage.” China has to back Russia up with emotional and moral support while refraining from treading on the toes of the United States and European Union,” his blog said.

While taking a pro-Russia stand he added, “In the future, China will also need Russia’s understanding and support when wrestling with America to solve the Taiwan issue once and for all.” This comes at a time when critics have already started comparing Russia’s designs of Ukraine invasion with China’s ambition to grab Taiwan.

Indian government trying to rescue every Indian in Ukraine after issuing multiple advisories to leave the country in the lead up to the war

OpIndia Staff
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Indian government trying to rescue every Indian in Ukraine after issuing multiple advisories to leave the country in the lead up to the war

As Russia started an invasion of Ukraine today morning, the question of securing the Indians in Ukraine has suddenly become one of the top priorities. Prior to the invasion when Russia had started a massive military buildup on the border, the government of India had issued multiple advisories to the Indians in Ukraine to leave the country well before the war began. After the invasion has begun, now the government is trying to rescue every Indian trapped in war-hit Ukraine. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said on Thursday, 24th February 2022, that it is taking measures to bring back around 18,000 Indians from Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday. This has left more than 18000 Indians stranded in Ukraine. The number includes students as well as professionals.

Ministry of External Affairs taking firm steps to ensure safe return of the Indians

According to a report by the Republic World, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has informed, “The MEA is taking steps to bring back about 18,000 Indians including students from Ukraine. As the air space in Ukraine is closed, alternative arrangements are being made for the evacuation of Indian nationals. The central government will ensure the safety of all Indians.”

He further added, “I spoke to Malayali students in Ukraine on phone. Indian students in the southern areas of Ukraine have told us that they are getting food, water, and power. Students and parents should not panic. Our government has brought back Indians even from places like Iraq.”

Advise for the Indians in Ukraine amidst war situations

Partha Satpathy is the Indian envoy to Ukraine. He has told all Indians in Ukraine to stay wherever they are as the situation is highly tensed and that the air space is closed, railway schedules are in flux, and roads are crammed. Till now, two flights full of Indians have come from Ukraine to India.

Earlier advisories by the government of India to the Indians in Ukraine

It is notable that Ukraine is not attacked by Russia all of a sudden. The possibilities of this war were expressed well in advance when Ukraine had received the first shipment of US military aid against Russia on 22nd January 2022. Following every new development on this front, the government of India had advised the Indians in Ukraine time and again to return to India.

On 15th February 2022, an advisory was issued by a mission urging Indian nationals to leave Ukraine. In this advisory, the Indian embassy in Kyiv had said, “All Indian students should leave Ukraine in view of the escalating military tension with Russia. In view of the uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, Indian nationals in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not essential may consider leaving temporarily.” The Embassy also urged Indian nationals to keep the mission informed about their location so that they could be contacted in case of emergency.

In fact, the Embassy of India in Kyiv had been contacting Indian citizens based in Ukraine and collecting information of those who would require evacuation in case a conflict flares up between Russia and Ukraine. This process was initiated more than three weeks before the advisory of 15th February 2022 was issued.

On 16th February 2022, the Indian government removed the restrictions on the number of flights and therefore the number of passengers to be moved between Ukraine and India. The civil aviation ministry had removed the restriction on the number of flights that can be operated between India and Ukraine under the bilateral air bubble arrangement to facilitate the travel of Indians from the eastern European nation.

On 18th February 2022, Air India announced that it will operate three flights between India and Ukraine on 22nd, 24th, and 26th February 2022. However, there was no takers for tickets in these flights. As a result on 20th February 2022, Air India was thinking to reschedule or postpone the flights owing to no bookings from Ukraine.

On 20th February 2022, the mission had issued a second advisory to Indians in Ukraine urging them strongly to leave Ukraine and come back to India. The embassy said, “In view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stays are not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily.”

On 22nd February 2022, a third advisory regarding the additional flights was issued. Among about 20000 Indians in Ukraine, more than 18000 are students. Even after the repeated advisories were issued, many students were not ensuring that they leave Ukraine. Instead, they were worried about their academics. Therefore the embassy advised them to move back to India immediately rather than waiting for some confirmation from their universities. The embassy had also assured that it will talk about this issue with the respective authorities in order to cause no harm to the academics irrespective of the conditions.

On 22nd February 2022 itself, the students were also advised about the online classes by Ukrainian Universities as many students were not willing to leave in absence of online classes. Two Russian-speaking officers were also sent to Kyiv to help with the return of Indian nationals. Finally, as the war started, a fifth advisory was issued on 24th February 2022.

After the Russian invasion started, the airspace in Ukraine was closed, so evacuation of Indians stuck there at present is not possible. Therefore the guidelines for Indians in the country have been changed in the advisory issued today. In this advisory, the Indians in Ukraine are advised to return to their respective cities temporarily and not to leave homes and hostels considering martial law imposition. They are also informed of the closing of airspace and alternative arrangements for evacuation. The Indians in Ukraine were advised to relocate to western areas, and were informed the number of helplines has been increased.

In the meanwhile, Indian embassies in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries have started efforts to help Indians who are able to exit the country through land routes. The spokesperson MEA has informed that the MEA officials from Indian embassies in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania are moving to the adjoining land borders with Ukraine.

The MEA also posted names and contact information of officials who can be approached by Indians after crossing the Ukrainian border with the respective countries. As flights have been suspended, entering these countries through land route by crossing the border remains the best option for Indians who want to leave Ukraine now.

One school was used to launch petrol bombs using a grand catapult, another was ruined: The state of two schools two years after Delhi riots

OpIndia Staff
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One school was used to launch petrol bombs using a grand catapult, another was ruined: The state of two schools two years after Delhi riots

It has been two years since the anti-CAA Delhi riots. Northeast parts of Delhi were severely hit by these anti-Hindu riots. Two schools in northeast Delhi had become the centres of discussions in those days. One of them was the Rajdhani School and the other one was DRP School. Both the schools are situated in Shiv Vihar. It is notable that Chaandbaag and Shiv Vihar were among the areas worst affected by the Delhi riots.

The terrace of the Rajdhani school owned by Faisal Farukh housed the grand catapult that pelted the petrol bombs aimed at the Hindu properties in the surroundings. Yatendra Sharma’s DRP school is not much away from here. This school was vandalized in the Delhi riots. After two years, both these schools are running normally as before.

But the Delhi riots have traumatized the local people so much that even today they hesitate to talk anything about it on camera. The DRP school has undergone a revamp and is smoothly running now. People associated with the school are hesitant to talk about the riots now. They said, “You make a video from outside. We have to run the school among these people only.” Even the people living in the nearby locality have said the same thing. “Children of Hindus and Muslims study in this school and right now there is no danger here.”

On the other hand, people associated with the Rajdhani school avoided making any comment. All they told was that the police are doing their job in this matter. It is notable that Faisal Farukh, the owner of this school, has been set free on bail since 2020 itself. The video attached here shows the current situation of these two schools.

It is notable that the first charge sheet filed in the anti-Hindu Delhi riots was about the violent acts that took place on 24th and 25th February 2020, especially in the Rajdhani School. Yatendra Sharma, owner of the DRP school had lodged a complaint in this regard. Rioters had gathered on the terrace of the Rajdhani school and they caused major damage to the DRP school. Most of the calls received by the police control room on that day were made by the security guard of the DRP school. The statement of this security guard is also recorded in the charge sheet filed by the police.

A square in the Shiv Vihar area falls under three different police stations viz. Karaval Nagar, Dayalpur and Gokulpuri. There are three roads. One road goes towards Mustafabad which is an area with a major Muslim population. Second road heads to the Shiv Vihar and Babu Nagar area that houses a joint population of Hindus and Muslims. Even in the areas with a major Hindu population, there are some Muslim houses and properties.

The violence that emerged at the Shiv Vihar square was very dreadful for the Hindus. It is the same place where Dilbar Negi was killed and his dead body was recovered, many small huts were burnt, two garages were set on fire and hundreds of vehicles were burnt to ashes. Many people were injured in the firing while Dinesh Kumar Khatik and Alok Tiwari had died on the spot.

Rioters entered the DRP school from the Rajdhani public school with the help of an iron chain. These rioters set the DRP school on fire. From computers to ceiling fans, the rioters had looted everything in the school. The attached video explains very well how did the school look like after it was looted and burnt by the rioters.

After the arrest of Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil says more ED probes coming in the next 2-3 days

OpIndia Staff
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After the arrest of Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil says more ED probes coming in the next 2-3 days

A day after the Enforcement Directorate took custody of Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik over a case involving money laundering, Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrakant Patil has claimed that more enquiries from the central agency will be taking place in the coming days. Patil was speaking at a protest held by state BJP leaders demanding the resignation of Malik from the cabinet.

After the arrest of Malik, Mumbai saw protests from both sides of the political spectrum in Maharashtra on Thursday. Leaders from the Shivsena-NCP-Congress alliance which runs The Maha Vikas Aghadi government protested in front of the Mantralay building (secretariat) against the arrest of Nawab Malik alleging that the move was politically motivated. On the other hand, senior BJP leaders including State President Chandrakant (Dada) Patil, Kirit Somaiya and others took out a protest near Dadar East Railway station demanding the sacking of Malik from the ministry.

While speaking to the media during the demonstration, Patil hinted that more enquiries from the ED are yet to come in the next 2 to 3 days. While stating that Nawab Malik’s case has proven to be a threat to national security, he demanded the arrest of the Minister.

At the same time, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya released a list of probable leaders from the MVA upon whom ED enquiries could take place. The list includes 12 leaders from Shivsena, Congress and the NCP who have been recently caught in controversies relating to corruption, land grabbing and money laundering. Terming the list as ‘MVA’s dirty dozen’ Somaiyahas called out Anil Parab, Sanjay Raut, Sujeet Patkar, Bhavna Gavali, Anand Adsul, Ajit Pawar, Hasan Mushrif, Pratap Sarnaik, Ravindra Waikar and Jitendra Awhad.

The other two are Nawab Malik – who was taken in ED custody yesterday and Anil Deshmukh – the ex-home minister who was arrested in November last year for violating the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The BJP leaders during the protest reiterated their stand that Nawab Malik cannot retain his chair as a minister when serious enquiries are taking place against him.

Allegations against MVA leaders

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has always been on the front to ‘expose’ scams related to deals, properties held by leaders from the ruling alliance. Earlier this month, Somaiya alleged that Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has links with Sujeet Patkar’s company which is allegedly complicit in a 100-crore Covid Centre scam. The ED had already summoned transport minister Anil Parab in the Rs 100 crore extortion case in September 2021. The revenue department had already found the leader’s resort in Dapoli to be illegal and the documents submitted were forged.

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