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As Rana Ayyub gets called out by netizens from Saudi Arabia, here is a list of lies, chicanery and biases of the Islamist propagandist

OpIndia Staff
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As Rana Ayyub gets called out by netizens from Saudi Arabia, here is a list of lies, chicanery and biases of the Islamist propagandist

Yesterday, the controversial journalist Rana Ayyub came under attack on Twitter by Saudi Netizens after she posted a Tweet slamming Saudi Arabia for launching a military operation against Yemen. She was accused of peddling fake news and supporting terrorism.

Taking offence to her Tweet, several Saudi Netizens called out the ‘Muslims journalist’, as she was fervently titled by Pakistan for being on common grounds in not only their blind hate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also their hatred for Hindus and India, for spreading brazen lies.

Saudi engineer Gassan called it fake news and said that Saudi Arabia has launched military operations in Yemen as part of a coalition of over ten countries in response to a direct request from the legitimate government of Yemen. “We supporting legitimate and you supporting terrorists”, he added.

One Twitter user Abu Sultan called her a “fu**ing liar”, saying all she “said are bullshit”. The user noted that this why Ayyub has disabled replied to her tweets. Many more similar reactions have filled the Twitter space.

Though the controversial journalist has been receiving a lot of backlash for her recent mendacity, these types of retorts are normal for Rana Ayyub, who is known for spreading outright lies under the cover of journalism. From hiding horrendous crimes committed by Muslim radicals against Hindus, fabricating incidents to create a Muslim victimhood narrative to spreading misinformation to discredit the BJP government in the centre, this Washington Post propagandist has done it all.

Below we have tried to compile a list with a few of the endless lies, chicanery, biases and questionable journalism of Rana Ayyub that has been called out not only by Indians on the right and the centre but also by her own on the far-left of the political spectrum.

FIR filed against Rana Ayyub for spreading fake news in Ghaziabad case

On June 15, 2021, the Ghaziabad Police registered an FIR against Alt News cofounder Muhammed Zubair, The Wire, Rana Ayyub, Twitter and others for trying to stoke communal tension by making false claims that an elderly Muslim man was beaten up and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. 

In the FIR, police noted that these people and organizations spread manipulated video to give a communal twist to a personal fight.

On investigation, it was found that the original video of thrashing had no reference to Jai Shri Ram and the second video of Saifi was shot in Samajwadi Party leader Umed Idris’ house. Even after being called out by the UP police, the fake news peddler had shown no remorse.

When Rana Ayyub lied through her teeth following ‘comedian’ Manuwar Faruqui’s arrest

In January 2021, the Islamist propagandist concocted a fabricated story to sympathise with ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui, after he was sent to jail for mocking Hindu victims of the Godhra riots of 2002 in his shows. In an obvious attempt to vilify the BJP government at the centre and to portray them as intolerant, she tweeted that Munawar Faruqui was arrested only because he cracked a joke on Amit Shah.

Rana Ayyub’s Tweet posted on Jan 3, 2021

Ayyub’s tweet was quoted by a Pakistani journalist, who compared India and Pakistan and insinuated that freedom of expression is suppressed in both countries. Many such similar tweets were made where it was claimed that Faruqui’s arrest was sole because he mocked HM Amit Shah.

Her assertion was obviously completely devoid of facts and was solely intended to criticise the central government. The truth was that Faruqui was arrested for allegedly mocking and insulting Hindu deities. As per the complaint, indecent remarks were passed against Hindu gods and goddesses along with Amit Shah during Faruqui’s show. Ayyub had purposely omitted the bit about ‘Hindu deities’ in her tweet.

Rana Ayyub shares old picture of curfew defaulters being punished as that of migrant labourers

In 2020, when India was grappling with the first bout of the deadly Wuhan Coronavirus, the Islamist masquerading as a journalist attempted to discredit the government and the administration by sharing an image of some men made to squat and hold their ears as punishment. The men were standing on side of a road in a line.

Deleted tweet by Rana Ayyub

In her later Tweet that she deleted, Ayyub claimed that the labourers were being punished for leaving during the lockdown. However, it was proved almost immediately that the image was not of labourers being punished but of those who broke the curfew. A Twitter user @AttomeyBharti had then revealed that the image was from 24th March 2020 from Kanpur leaving the ‘journalist’ red-faced.

Rana Ayyub and her lies surrounding the central govt’s Citizenship Amendment Act

In September 2020, deliberated by her penchant to lie and spread misinformation, Islamist ‘journalist’ and habitual fake news peddler Rana Ayyub had again told the same lies on CAA, in an article about a Shaheen Bagh protestor in Time magazine.

Writing an ode to Bilkis, Rana Ayyub, in her article, has claimed that the 82-year-old ‘protestor’ was the ‘voice of the marginalized’ in India, who would sit at a protest site from morning to midnight.

Continuing her usual antics, Rana Ayyub blatantly lied that Bilkis, the 82-year-old anti-CAA protestor at Shaheen Bagh, was sitting as a mark of protests at Shaheen Bagh ever since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, which “could block Muslims from citizenship in the country”.

Ironically, Rana’s ode to Shaheen Bagh daadi had come days after the Delhi Police has submitted in court that the women at Shaheen Bagh were being paid to sit in protest, like daily wage workers.

Despite knowing the fact that Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian parliament has nothing to do with Indian citizens, Muslim or otherwise, as it seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Rana Ayyub has continuously resorted to openly peddling fake news on the Citizenship Amendment Act saying that the legislation “could block Muslims from citizenship in the country”.

Shockingly, the publications like ‘TIME’ which publishes such lies in its list of influential people across the world, failed to check the misinformation peddled by the likes of Rana Ayyub and instead provides a platform to push fake news on Indian laws.

Rana Ayyub outrightly lies that Muslims protested ‘peacefully’ against CAA

Continuing with usual antics to propagate outright lies regarding the anti-CAA riots that have been unleashed by Muslim mobs in the country, the Islamist troll masquerading as a journalist had gone on to make hysterical claims stating that PM Modi has driven Muslims of this country to a wall, to which the Muslims of the country have reacted by breaking their silence.

She then went on to make fake claims by stating that the Muslims who were opposing the Modi government was passive for the last six years, however, with Modi government taking decisive decisions on abrogation of Article 370 and passing of Citizenship Amendment Act have now made Muslims come out on streets to protest “peacefully” against the government.

However, Rana Ayyub’s claims that ‘protest’ march taken out by the Muslim mobs across the country against the CAA were ‘peaceful’ is an outright lie. In fact, the anti-CAA riots in which extreme violence and vandalism were recorded across the country have been instigated mostly by Muslim mobs. OpIndia complied with a list of violence perpetrated by Muslims across the country during the anti-CAA protests.

Likewise, after fanatic Muslims in Bangladesh unleashed hell on Hindus in Bangladesh attacking Durga puja pandals on October 14 last year, the terrorist apologist, instead of condemning the Hindu bloodbath by radical Muslims had used the opportunity to express her admiration for Muslims in India’s almost endless patience. Spewing hatred for Indians and Hindus, Ayyub stated that she had not stopped thinking about the incredible tolerance displayed by India’s 200 million Muslims in the face of daily attacks and humiliation under the Modi regime.

Basically, while Hindus have routinely come under attack by Muslim mobs, Muslim apologists like Rana Ayyub has continued to promote the myth of “Hindus murdering Muslims”. Rana Ayyub, who is an Islamist masquerading as a journalist had also called the Uttar Pradesh “Islamophobes” when they had taken action against the rioting mobs. It was almost as if she was saying that just because the rioters were Muslims, they should be allowed to riot on the streets of Uttar Pradesh.

When CRPF busted Rana Ayyub lies about young boys being tortured in Kashmir

In 2019, the controversial journalist had tried to tarnish the Central government by making baseless claims about the situation in Kashmir. In a tweet, she alleged that the Kashmiri school children are being tortured and that there are 13000 teenagers arrested. She had shared a propaganda piece by UK daily The Telegraph to spread the brazen lies. 

Rana Ayyub’s Sepetember 26, 2019 Tweet

No sooner than she Tweeted, a CRPF officer named Kashyap Kadaguttar termed journalist Rana Ayyub’s allegations of young boys being tortured in Kashmir completely bogus. He slammed Ayyub’s conviction in the slanted reporting of the western media. He described the article provided by Ayyub as “baseless reportage.” He claimed that no one had been tortured in Kashmir and chastised her for refusing to believe Army and government statements.

Yet another lie from Rana Ayyub’s long list

One of Rana Ayyub’s other acts was concocting an imaginary conversation designed to smear a TV channel covering the Hindu suffering of the Delhi riots.

The Uber driver, according to Rana Ayyub, was unaware that she is a Muslim. Rana Ayyub’s long litany of lies now included even another clear falsehood. Every Indian inhabitant knows how Uber works by now. The driver’s name is communicated to the passengers before we board the cab, and the passengers’ names are transmitted to the driver. Every time a passenger enters the cab, the driver verifies the passenger’s identity to verify he is picking up the correct individual. The passenger’s name stays glowing in large letters on the driver’s phone throughout the ride as the driver is driven to the passenger’s location using GPS.

When Rana Ayyub blamed RSS and ‘Hindu terrorists’ for 2015 Ranaghat nun rape

When in 2015, a nun was gang-raped by eight men who plundered a Catholic church in Ranaghat, West Bengal, Rana Ayyub, ecstatic at the prospect of blaming the terrible atrocity on her favourite punching bag, the RSS and “Hindu terrorists,” wrote a comprehensive account of the occurrence for DailyO.

“No, Mohan Bhagwat these terrorists have not infiltrated from neighbouring Bangladesh. They are our very own demons indoctrinated by the hate for the haraamzadas,” she wrote.

All of the accused in this case has turned out to be Bangladeshis, including Salim Sheikh, Khaleda Rahaman Mintoo, and Ohidul Seikh. They were accused of violating IPC sections 120B, 395, 397, 376, 376 D, 212, 216 A, and 109 in 2017.

Despite the truth being revealed, the Hindu-hating writer Rana Ayyub, who dragged the RSS through the mud and slandered Hindus as “terrorists” over the nun-rape case displayed no regret, shame, or need to apologise for her hate-filled article.

SC thrashes Ayyub’s book on Gujarat riots

Rana Ayyub, who has a long-standing agenda against Narendra Modi, was also humiliated by the Court when it threw her “investigative” book on the Gujarat riots out of the window. The court had said that her book was based on conjectures and surmises only proving that Ayyub’s relationship with the truth is complicated, to say the least, while her bond with radical Islamism seems all-pervasive.

One of the innuendoes in Ayyub’s book was that then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had planned ex-Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya’s murder who was shot dead on March 26, 2003, in Ahmedabad during a morning walk.

A trial court found 12 Muslim men guilty of Haren Pandya’s murder, including the main accused Asghar Ali. According to the CBI investigation, the murder was carried out on the orders of a Muslim cleric named Mufti Sufiyan in order to avenge the Gujarat riots.

The men were cleared of murder charges by the Gujarat High Court, citing a “botched investigation” by the CBI, but they were nonetheless charged with criminal conspiracy and attempted murder.

CBI had challenged the High Court ruling in Supreme Court, which eventually upheld the original trial court verdict. The apex court trashed the use of Rana Ayyub’s book ‘Gujarat Files – Anatomy of a Cover-up’ by the defence, stating that it was predicated on suppositions, conjectures and surmises.  “The opinion of a person is not in the realm of the evidence,” had held the Supreme Court.

‘Journalist’ lies to draw false equivalence between convicted Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal and Sadhvi Pragya

The proverb ‘old habits die hard’ sits perfectly well with Rana Ayyub, a quintessential troll who masquerades as a journalist and often indulges in Hinduphobia and fake news. In 2019, Ayyub, in her new anti-Hindu propaganda, had attempted to equate convicted Islamic terrorist Yasin Bhatkal and Sadhvi Pragya Thakur the now Lok Sabha MP who was accused and not convicted in the Malegaon blast case of 2008.

Rana Ayyub had posted an image of Indian Express news reports, where one of the reports concerning Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, a victim of severe brutality and also, of Congress’ attempt to concoct fake ‘Hindu terror’ narrative, had been published adjacent to a report on dreaded Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal.

According to Rana Ayyub, a Hinduphobic troll who often masquerades as a journalist, the two reports depicted the ‘story of new India’. She went on to lament that the Indian Express report was on “two alleged terrorists, one with a Muslim name, another a Hindu name” insinuating, that Yasin Bhatkal was treated unfairly because he has a Muslim name or that Sadhvi Pragya is treated with kid gloves because she has a Hindu name.

Based on Ayyub’s theory of equivalence, there exists no difference between a convicted terrorist belonging to Indian Mujahideen and Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, who was accused and not convicted by any courts for her alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon case. In fact, the court had dropped MCOCA charges against Sadhvi and the NIA had given her a clean chit in the case.

When Rana Ayyub was called out by her own people

It is interesting how Rana Ayyub has been chastised by people across the political spectrum because of her proclivity for lying. It’s not just the right who believes Rana Ayyub is not worth being called a journalist, in fact, individuals on her side of the political spectrum also believe the same thing. It may be recalled how in October 2020, a little battle had brewed on Twitter between abusive troll masquerading as a journalist Swati Chaturvedi and conspiracy theorist masquerading as a journalist Rana Ayyub with the former rebuking the latter for plagiarising content.

She even revealed that the sexual harassment accused Tarun Tejpal had also referred to Rana Ayyub as ‘fraud and lazy reporter’. 

Swati then shared an old Facebook post by disgraced cop Sanjiv Bhatt where he had insinuated, without really naming Rana Ayyub, that she had “amorous” relationship with one IPS officer investigating the encounter cases and with an activist-lawyer who was fighting the 2002 riots victims’ case.

Prior to the, in March 2020, the duo came face to face when ‘journalist’ Swati Chaturvedi attacked Islamist Rana Ayyub for her insensitive tweet on the coronavirus outbreak in India. Amusing, Swati had then called Ayyub a ‘vile person’ and a ‘leper journalist’.

Tweet by Rana Ayyub

Since both Swati Chaturvedi and Rana Ayyub have consistently posted biased and misleading news to support their far-left narratives it was difficult to parse those accusations. But the exchange clearly reinforced one thing- it’s not only the right who believes Rana Ayyub isn’t a journalist; individuals on her side of the aisle believe the same thing.

FIR registered against Rana Ayyub alleging money laundering and cheating

While Rana Ayyub has often come under the fire for her malicious and fake reporting, she has also been accused of money laundering and cheating.

In September 2021, an FIR had been registered against controversial journalist Rana Ayyub over money laundering and fraud related to her fundraising campaign. The FIR was filed on 7th September at Indrapuram police station in Ghaziabad in UP in response to a complaint filed by Vikas Sakrityayan of the Hindu IT cell.

The complaint accuses Rana Ayyub of Money Laundering, Cheating, Dishonest Misappropriation of Property, Criminal Breach of Trust by illegally acquiring money from the general public in the name of charity. It says that Rana Ayyub happens to be a journalist by profession and was receiving foreign money without any kind of approval certificate/registration from the government, which is required as per the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010. Hence, she liable is also liable for violating the provisions of FCRA, the complaint had stated.

Based on this complaint, the FIR has been registered under sections 403, 406, 418, 420 or the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 66D of the IT Act and section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Former Zimbabwe cricketer Brendan Taylor discloses being ‘blackmailed’ by Indian businessmen to ‘spot-fix’ international matches, may face ICC ban

OpIndia Staff
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Former Zimbabwe cricketer Brendan Taylor discloses being ‘blackmailed’ by Indian businessmen to ‘spot-fix’ international matches, may face ICC ban

Former Zimbabwe cricket team captain Brendan Taylor has disclosed in a shocking accusation that he took money purportedly to spot-fix international matches from an anonymous Indian businessman after being blackmailed that a video of him consuming cocaine would be made public.

Taylor said in a comprehensive tweet posted on Twitter that he was asked by a businessman in October 2019 to travel to India to discuss sponsorship arrangements and the prospective introduction of a T20 league in Zimbabwe.

Taylor alleges that he agreed to the person’s request because of not being paid by Zimbabwe Cricket for six months. On the last day of his stay in India, however, he was brought for a celebration meal by the aforementioned businessman and his associates. Taylor claims he was compelled to consume cocaine at the event and that a video of it was later used to harass him. He states that he subsequently returned to Zimbabwe and did not report the episode to the ICC for four months, despite the fact that he “did not get engaged in any form of spot-fixing.”

The statement of Taylor on Twitter Reads “In late October 2019, I was approached by an Indian businessman requesting that I attend India to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe and was advised that I would be paid USD$15 000 to make the journey. I can’t deny I was a little wary. But the timing was such that we hadn’t been paid for 6 months by Zimbabwe cricket and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena. So I made the journey…We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and | foolishly took the bait…”

A part of Page 1 of his statement

“The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the public”, he said.

A portion of page 2 of the statement

Revealing the amount offered by the man he said, “I was handed the USD$15 000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot-fixing and that an additional USD$20 000 would be paid once the “job” was complete. I took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All| knew was I had to get out of there.”

“The ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC. I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and | hoped that if | explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.” Taylor added stating why it took time to report such an incident to the International Cricket Council.

He also explicitly said in his statement that he has “never been involved in any form of match-fixing“.

He stated that the ICC will issue an official announcement soon declaring a ban on Taylor’s cricket career. “That being said, the ICC is taking the decision to impose a multi-year ban on my international cricketing career. I humbly accept this decision and only hope that my story will be used as a means of encouragement for cricketers to report any approaches early,” he added.

Taylor had stated that he will be entering a rehabilitation center soon in order to improve the remainder of his life and get out of this mental turmoil.

Sanjay Raut boasts about Shiv Sena Wave in North India after Babri Demolition. Facts, however, don’t match up

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Raut boasts about Shiv Sena Wave in North India after Babri Demolition. Facts, however, don’t match up

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday lashed out on BJP accusing the party of using ‘Hindutva’ to gain power. While talking to the media, he said, “We took BJP from bottom to top in Maharashtra. After Babri, there was a Shiv Sena wave in Northern India, if we had fought polls at that time, there would have been our (Shiv Sena) PM in the country but we left it for them.”

In his recent statement, he has taken a stand alleging a supposed wave of Shiv Sena in North Indian states, after the demolition of disputed structure often referred to as Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. He also claimed that had his party fought election that time, there would have been a Prime Minister from Shiv Sena leading the country. His claims that it was Shiv Sena which helped BJP gain power in Maharashtra came a day after Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray remarked that Shiv Sena had ‘wasted’ its time with BJP for 25 years.

Yesterday, Uddhav Thackeray, while speaking online at an event to commemorate the birth anniversary of late Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackrey had said, “Shiv Sena Pramukh had told us about Hindutva. We wanted power for Hindutva. What we are seeing now, the Hindutva that is practised by these people (BJP), is only a pretence. Their Hindutva is for power. They are only wearing a fake skin of Hindutva. People ask us whether we have left Hindutva. But we have left BJP and not Hindutva.” He added, “BJP does not mean Hindutva.”

It was in the 1990s during the Ram Mandir Movement that ‘Hindutva’ as a political ideology got acceptance among the masses. In the 1993 assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party securing 177 out of a total of 425 seats. However, Mulayam Singh Yadav was sworn in as a chief minister as the face of his newly formed Samajwadi Party (SP) with an alliance with Mayawati’s BSP and support from Congress.

The strong undercurrents of Hindutva sentiments owing to the Babri demolition helped the BJP with a 33.3% vote share. Contrary to Raut’s claims, Shiv Sena as a regional party did participate in the Uttar Pradesh state elections but could bag only 1,38,919 total votes in the state. While Sena received a total vote share of only 0.28%, its candidates lost deposits from 179 out of 180 seats contested. Netizens were quick to point out the facts after Sanjay Raut’s statements emerged on Twitter.

Shiv Sena has announced to contest 50-100 seats in upcoming UP assembly elections without any alliance as Congress, its ally in Maharashtra, has decided to fight solo.

EV charging facilities at railway stations across country will help it become net-zero carbon emitters by 2030, says NITI Aayog

OpIndia Staff
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EV charging facilities at railway stations across country will help it become net-zero carbon emitters by 2030, says NITI Aayog

The NITI Aayog is in talks with the Indian Railways to set up Electronic Vehicle (EV) charging facilities across major railway stations in the country. The draft policy, with a view to promoting electronic vehicles among the masses, has been submitted to the Railways by the NITI Aayog.

The primary policy drafted by the NITI Aayog recommends putting up EV charging infrastructure powered by renewable energy resources with the aim of Indian Railways to become net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, while talking about the policy has said that the facility can be immediately started at 123 newly redeveloped railway stations as a pilot project. The railways can thence scale up the policy across Railway stations in the country by 2030. “Railway stations are landmark locations and they play a unique role in the entire transport sector, which make them strategic locations for providing public charging solutions for EVs,” he added.

The decision is in recognition of the Central Government’s FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) scheme which aims to foster quick adoption of EVs as a sustainable boost to the transport sector. Under the scheme, the central government aims to support 7,000 e-buses, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric four-wheeler passenger cars and one million electric two-wheelers through subsidy. With a view to establishing a critical and accessible EV charging infrastructure network across the country, railway stations can provide secure and accessible charging infrastructure to city residents, NITI Aayog officials said. Responding to this move, Rajeev Jain, additional DG, PR, railway ministry, said, “We have very recently received the communication. We are working on it.”

Last week, The Central Ministry of Power had given nod to allow charging of EVs using existing electrical connections at homes, offices while issuing guidelines and standards. The new guidelines also enable individuals to set up public charging stations without the requirement of a license. Steps for laying out a critical EV charging network have come after India witnessed a 132% growth in the sale of electric two-wheelers in 2021.

R Nagaswamy, the distinguished archaeologist who produced vital evidence in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, dies at age of 91, PM Modi expresses condolence

OpIndia Staff
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R Nagaswamy, the distinguished archaeologist who produced vital evidence in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, dies at age of 91, PM Modi expresses condolence

R Nagaswamy, the first director of the Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Archaeology, passed on Sunday. He was a renowned archaeologist, art historian, and Padma Bhushan awardee. He was 91 years old. His son-in-law Baskar Kailasam informed PTI that he died at 2.30 p.m. at his Chennai home after expressing unease.

Nagaswamy was a prolific writer who published a number of intellectual works as well as a strong proponent for cultural enlightenment. He established the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department and was its director for 22 years before retiring.

Following his death, several people expressed their condolences, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. PM Modi tweeted on Sunday that future generations will remember Nagaswamy’s efforts to popularise Tamil Nadu’s vibrant culture.

A Guru for generations of archaeologists

Nagaswamy was fluent in both Tamil and Sanskrit. He graduated from the University of Madras with a master’s degree in Sanskrit. Pune University awarded him a Ph.D. in Indian Arts. Nagaswamy, who received the Padma Bhushan in 2018, is widely recognized as a mentor to a generation of Tamil Nadu archaeologists.

He also received a number of additional honours, including the ‘Kalaimamani’ Award from the Tamil Nadu government. He was a well-known academic, researcher, and art historian. He wrote over 40 books in English, Tamil and Sanskrit including “Masterpieces of Early South Indian Bronzes.” Nagaswamy’s articles have been translated into 23 languages and published in the journal of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

He was instrumental in the restoration of various archaeological monuments. In the 1980s, he was invited as an expert witness before the London High Court in the Nataraja case, based on his extensive knowledge and experience excavating temple towns in search of rare bronzes. His role in bringing back the Pathur Nataraja idol was hailed as a triumph. He was regarded by the court as an “unequaled expert in Chola bronzes.”

His contribution to the Ram Janambhoomi Case

He provided expert advice to the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench, which heard the Ayodhya title suits. According to Nagaswamy, the earliest construction for which evidence was discovered dates back to the 3rd century BC. He stressed that artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations at the disputed site in Ayodhya proved that it was a sacred site rather than merely a human habitation.

While the ASI was excavating on the HC’s instructions in 2003, Nagaswamy delivered a report to the court that detailed the artifacts discovered by the ASI. “The artifacts demonstrated that they belonged to a sacred site, not just any human settlement.” “The existence of a shrine was one of the most important pieces of evidence presented to the judges,” Nagaswamy explained.

Nagaswamy made significant contributions to subjects such as architecture, paleography, numismatics, temple rites and philosophy, ancient law and society, music, dance, and South Asian art, in addition to archaeology and epigraphy.

China intrudes into air defence zone of Taiwan with 39 aircraft, largest incursion since October 2021

OpIndia Staff
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China intrudes into air defence zone of Taiwan with 39 aircraft, largest incursion since October 2021

In yet another glaring example of Chinese aggression, 39 aircraft belonging to its airforce breached the air defence zone of Taiwan on Sunday (January 23), reported Reuters. The incident has been described as the largest Chinese incursion in Taiwanese territory since October 2021.

Reuters reported that the latest incursion involved 34 fighter jets, along with 1 bomber and 4 electronic warfare aircraft and was carried out in the northeastern zone of Pratas Islands. As per the Taiwanese Defence Ministry, missile systems were used to track the movement of the Chinese jets and combat aircraft were dispatched to fend off the enemy’s aircraft.

Although China has not yet commented on the development, the Communist regime had earlier justified its misadventures in the island nation as ‘drills meant to protect its sovereignty.’ Taiwan has repeatedly questioned air missions, conducted by China, in its Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) near Pratas Islands.

The democratically ruled island nation has pointed out how China carried out military activities in the ‘grey zone’ to test the response of Taiwan and wear out its forces. The latest Chinese incursion comes at a time when the United States and Japan have been conducting naval exercises in the Philippine Sea.

Earlier in October last year, Taiwan informed that 148 Chinese aircraft entered the country’s air defence zone in the Southern and southwestern sectors. The island nation had emphasised that about its resolve for peace but cautioned that it would defend in case of attacks.

‘PRC has infiltrated almost all military ranks in Taiwan’

In December 2021, a retired Taiwanese Lt Commander Lu Li-shih had stated that China had infiltrated almost all ranks and levels in the Taiwanese military, including top-level generals. The officer stated that Chinese intelligence first approached the targeted officers with lavish gifts and meals, and offered handsome payment for information. After the first few exchanges, they started blackmailing the corrupt officers for more information, with smaller payments.

In July last year, even Taiwan’s former deputy defence minister was interrogated in a national security probe. Xie Xezhang, who had introduced himself as a Hong Kong-based businessman to Taiwanese military officers, actually reported to an office that functions directly under the PRC’s intelligence apparatus and served as a front for China’s Central Military Commission.

Gorakhpur is not a political move, Yogi Adityanath is contesting from Gorakhpur because he loves the people

Pallav
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Gorakhpur is not a political move, Yogi Adityanath is contesting from Gorakhpur because he loves the people

The decision of Yogi Adityanath to contest in the next assembly elections from Gorakhpur is not the result of a choice taken by a couple of party leaders, but rather of the local populace’s demand and Yogi’s determination to the development of the once-underdeveloped region of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. His concern for the upliftment of the downtrodden and his unwavering devotion to public service can be traced back to the late 1990s.

When Yogi Adityanath was elected from Gorakhpur in 1998, he was the youngest member of the 12th Lok Sabha, at the age of 26. He has been the Member of Parliament for the same constituency for five consecutive terms till 2017 when he was appointed Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. This silences those who are calling his contestation from Gorakhpur as a safe bet, as the decision owes to the goodwill of the people of Gorakhpur and the neighbouring districts, whose lives have flourished since Yogi Adityanath entered active politics.

No one is unaware of how UP was perceived several years ago. A state situated along the Ganga basin and rich in natural resources had the worst infrastructure and a dreadful state of public services a few years ago. And this awful state of affairs was the product of years of negligent leadership and vote-bank-oriented policies, rather than any “Act of God.” Eastern Uttar Pradesh was long regarded as an area prone to flooding during the monsoon season and rife with extremely contagious illnesses that spread on a regular basis.

When Yogi Adityanath took over as Chief Minister, he inherited a state that was falling behind in every category, whether it was road connectivity or health infrastructure. The community did not even anticipate electricity to be available on a regular basis. People were accustomed to power outages. The situation in the western half of the state was better due to people’s prosperity, which was also a result of previous governments’ leaders putting more emphasis on that region. Everyone around the country can discern the transformation Yogi Adityanath has brought to Uttar Pradesh since gaining power.

Since the Yogi Government came to office, UP has scored substantially higher in all areas, including highway construction and ease of doing business. In the Leads ranking, Uttar Pradesh is ahead of states like Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. This is essentially due to increasing investment opportunities in the state as a result of better law and order as well as commercial ease. The announcement of a number of Medical Colleges to be built in the coming years demonstrates the state’s vision to upgrade its health infrastructure. The work of the incumbent government has thoroughly satisfied the people of Uttar Pradesh. People who are attempting to incite unrest among the public are those who have lost their bread as a consequence of stringent anti-corruption policies introduced by the Yogi government.

Also, portraying Muslim displeasure as a result of so-called “populist policies” is a deception used by anti-development forces and opposition parties to divert attention away from the development agenda and instigate communal division to their advantage. For example, when the Yogi government came down hard on those creating violence during the anti-CAA riots, the opposition and the left ecosystem was quick to claim that Yogi Adityanath was being “communal”. It was almost as if they wanted him to not take action against violent forces and restore law and order because the chaos benefitted the opposition and therefore if the perpetrators were from the Muslim community, the trope of communalism would help the chaos continue.

Surprisingly, the Muslim population of Gorakhpur and its neighbouring districts, such as Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, and Maharajganj, is delighted that Yogi was elected CM of UP because, despite the opposition’s instigated apprehension about their treatment after the formation of the BJP government, they are in far better condition than they expected to be under previous governments. While it is true that the Muslim community will perhaps never vote for BJP en masse, it is true that the Yogi government itself has ensured that it works for the development of the entire state.

Yogi Adityanath had in 2020 described his state of mind and manner of functioning adequately when he said that as a Hindu, he will not enter a mosque, but as a Chief Minister, he does not discriminate against the people he governs. For the ‘liberals’, this sentiment is one that is beyond their realm of understanding. While the Chief Minister works for the populace without fear or favour, the Yogi is free to follow his religious identity and wear it proudly.

In fact, not only eastern UP has benefitted from the policies of the incumbent government but the western region has also benefitted extensively. Whether it be the announcement of a world-class film city or making Noida into a global level manufacturing hub, policies by the Yogi government are strongly committed to the development of the state as a whole. Frequent visits of CM Yogi to Noida has bolstered the confidence of the companies planning to invest in the region.

Parvez Ansari, a local shopkeeper from Deoria said “It is this government which has provided us excellent facilities. There was a two-lane road from Deoria to Gorakhpur and now it is made four-lane by Yogiji. We were referred to BRD medical college for any serious health issue but now medical college is being built in Deoria. We get electricity 24 hours and all the roads in the city and adjoining towns have street lights. We are happy that Yogiji became CM. We will vote for him again. He will surely win.”

Speaking on Yogi’s contestation from Gorakhpur, Sanjay Singh, BJP District Vice President from Deoria said “This is the love of people of Gorakhpur which is manifesting in his candidature from Gorakhpur. He has an emotional connection with the people of Gorakhpur and Deoria. Yogiji keeps visiting the Gorakhnath Mandir frequently and keeps connecting with people. And not only a particular section is happy about him contesting from Gorakhpur but every single community including Muslims are committed to voting with ‘Gaurav’ in the upcoming elections. This time Yogiji’s win will be historic.”

Given the fervour with which people are rallying behind their favourite leader, it is logical to think that Yogi Adityanath has emerged as a mass leader and that his campaign from Gorakhpur is motivated by a dedication to the people he considers his family. Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh is poised to play a key part in PM Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India. Uttar Pradesh’s growth will be accelerated thanks to the state’s dual-engine government.

Anushka Sharma claims was ‘caught off guard’ after daughter Vamika’s pictures are captured in a stadium full of cameras on Team India’s ex-captain

OpIndia Staff
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Anushka Sharma claims was ‘caught off guard’ after daughter Vamika’s pictures are captured in a stadium full of cameras on Team India’s ex-captain

On January 24, actress Anushka Sharma requested everyone to not share Virat and Anushka’s daughter Vamika’s photograph anywhere on social media. She said they were caught off-guard and did not know the camera was on them at the time when the photograph was clicked. Anushka was watching the Indian cricket team play against South Africa in Cape Town. As the match was going on, it was full of cameras. The official broadcaster panned the camera towards Anushka holding Vamika cheering for team India during the game.

Anushka and Virat shared the same story requesting everyone not to share Vamika’s photo. Source: Instagram

In the statement, she said, “Hi guys! We realise that our daughter images were captured at the stadium yesterday and widely shared after that. We want to inform everyone that we were caught off guard and didn’t know that the camera was on us. Our stance and request on the matter stays the same. We would really appreciate it if Vamika’s images were not clicked/published for reasons we have explained earlier. Thank you!”

The story was also published by Virat on his Instagram account.

Virat and Anushka had explained the rationale behind not sharing Vamika’s photos

In May 2021, during an Instagram stories Q and A session, Virat Kohli had replied to a fan explaining the rationale behind not sharing Vamika’s photographs or videos on social media. He had said, “We have decided as a couple to not expose our child to social media before she has an understanding of what social media is and can make her own choice.”

In December 2021, a video had turned up on social media where Kohli was seen asking paparazzi not to take Vamika’s photos, and his request was obliged by the photographers. Later, Anushka had said, “We seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older, we cannot restrict her movement, and hence your support is needed, so kindly practice (retrain) in the matter. A special thank you to fan clubs and people of the internet for going out of your way to not post images. It was kind and highly mature of you.”

Anushka gave birth to Vamika in January 2021. The couple had decided to keep her daughter away from social media till she was mature enough to make her own decisions about her presence on social media.

Rana Ayyub plays the victim card, blames PM Modi after netizens from UAE also call her out for attacking Saudis

OpIndia Staff
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Rana Ayyub plays the victim card, blames PM Modi after netizens from UAE also call her out for attacking Saudis

Rana Ayyub, the controversial journalist, has been getting called out from all sides for her Houthis-supporting tweet in which she had called Saudis especially the leadership “bloodthirsty”. Netizens from Saudi Arabia expressed their displeasure over the misleading tweet posted by Ayyub. Irked by the backlash, Ayyub blamed PM Modi for the attack she might not have expected to receive from Saudi netizens. In a tweet, she wrote, “Saudi trolls are being cheered on by Modi supporters in India. You missed nothing.”

Ayyub blamed PM Modi for her own blunder.

A few hours later, netizens from the United Arab Emirates also called out Ayyub and questioned her support for Houthis Terrorists. Hassan Sajwani, an Emirati businessman, said, “The likes of Rana Ayyub are the biggest culprits. Under the smokescreen of “Humanitarian Voice”, they constantly back Houthis, Hamas, and Muslim Brotherhood aligned groups. Ms. Rana forgot that Houthis killed two innocent Indians (her countrymen) last week in Abu Dhabi. Shame!”

He further mentioned how Ayyub conveniently ignored the war crimes committed by Houthis and called Saudis bloodthirsty. He said, “She ignores the atrocities and war crimes committed by the Houthis but calls Saudis “bloodthirsty”. These white label Islamists are even more dangerous than the terrorists themselves! Shame!”

She was also called out by other people such as lawyers based out of New York who accused her of spreading propaganda.

Many Muslims also called her out for supporting Iran-backed terrorists.

Many from Saudi continued to call her out. Some even accused her of not being a good Muslim for not covering her head.

Ayyub had posted a tweet against Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen that also destroyed a prison run by a Houthi rebel group. The strikes were in response to a deadly drone attack in UAE by Houthis, a member of the Saudi-led alliance. The group has been launching missile and drone attacks in Saudi Arabia.

Notably, Houthis control a large territory in northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition is supporting the internationally-recognized Yemen government to fight the group. As the coalition supports the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi government in Yemen, the netizens from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were shocked to see an Indian journalist supporting Houthis.

The Indian netizens also criticized Ayyub for her misleading tweet on Saudis.

US authorizes departure of govt employees from Ukraine amid escalating tensions, says it won’t be able to evacuate American citizens if Russia attacks Ukraine

OpIndia Staff
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US authorizes departure of govt employees from Ukraine amid escalating tensions, says it won’t be able to evacuate American citizens if Russia attacks Ukraine

On January 24 (local time), the United States government authorized the departure of the US government employees and ordered that thefamily members of US government employees at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine leave the country amid escalating tensions. The authorized departure gives the govt employees an option to leave the country if they want to, however, their family members must leave Ukraine.

In the official statement issued by the Department of State, it was mentioned the decision was taken due to the “continued Russian efforts to destabilize the country and undermine the security of Ukrainian citizens and others visiting or residing in Ukraine.” It further added the US State Department had elevated travel advisory for Ukraine to level four, which means the US citizens must not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of significant Russian military action. Earlier, the advisory was at Level 4 due to Covid-19.

The US Embassy in Ukraine would continue to function, and Kristina Kvien, in charge at the embassy, would remain in Ukraine. The department further added it was working on finding a diplomatic solution to Russia’s “troubling build-up of forces in and around Ukraine.”

Notably, the US had delivered the first of several shipments of $200 million security assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces that was approved by President Biden in December. The statement added, “While the United States continues to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, if Russia chooses escalation and massive consequences due to significant military action against Ukraine, the current unpredictable security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine could deteriorate with little notice.”

‘US govt will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens’ – President Biden

One of the significant portions of the statement was the fact that the US government clearly told its citizens that in case Russia moves ahead with the military action against Ukraine, it would not be in a position to evacuate American citizens. It said, “As President Biden has said, military action by Russia could come at any time, and the United States government will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so US citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly, including by availing themselves of commercial options should they choose to leave the country.”

Russia completed military build-up at Ukraine border

On January 19, it was reported that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time as it had completed military build-up at the Ukrainian border. Russia also has started reducing the number of people in ints embassy in Ukraine, giving a possible hint of invasion. Reportedly, families of Russian diplomats left Ukraine on buses in the past few days, and the diplomats are told to be prepared to leave when instructed.

The Ukrainian military report further has revealed that the Russian troops have made their permanent camps in the Central and Eastern part of the country and that it supports around 35,000 rebels in eastern Ukraine. However, Russia denied the claims and agreed to set up additional radio and satellite traffic units near the Ukrainian border and tripled the reconnaissance flights.

Russia-Ukraine conflict

Since 2014, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, has been facing a conflict with Russian-backed separatists. These separatists are holding control of several territories in Ukraine with the help of Moscow.

In 2013, then-President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, decided to reject a deal for greater economic integration with European Union. His decision led to a series of protests and conflicts that led to a violent crackdown by the security forces. However, the administration’s decision to forcefully stop the protesters backfired and the number of protesters increased exponentially on the streets. As a result, President Yanukovych had to flee the country in February 2014.

In March 2014, Russian troops took control of the Crimean region in Ukraine. Crimea is located in the south of the Ukrainian region of Kherson. After Russia took control over the Crimean region, a local referendum was done where the Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation. After the referendum, it was formally annexed in Russia.

In July 2014, the situation in Ukraine took the shape of an international crisis when a Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian airspace. There were 298 people on board, including the staff and pilot. No one survived the incident. The incident caused tension between Russia and its western counterparts, including the United States and the European Union.

Since the conflict started, it has been alleged that Russia has been targeting Ukraine with cyber attacks. In December 2015, it was reported that around 225,000 people lost power due to a cyber attack. In December 2016, another blackout happened in Kyiv due to an alleged cyber attack.

According to United Nations, till April 2021, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has claimed over 13,000 lives since 2014. Around 24,000 people have been injured in the conflicts.

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