A unique case of Gharwapsi has come to the fore in Karnataka’s Yadgir district. A man whose family converted to Christianity close to 50 years ago is returning to the fold of Hinduism along with his wife and three children.
The incident pertains to one Timothy Hosmani, a 55-year-old labourer who lives in the Kanikal village of Gurmitkal taluk in the district, is all set to return to the Hindu religion along with his wife and children nearly 5 decades after his parents had converted to Christianity.
In his interview with Times of India, Timothy said he is unaware of the circumstances that led his parents to eschew Hinduism and embrace Christianity 50 years back. But now, he is preparing to return to his original religion.
According to Timothy, their family belonged to Scheduled Caste and added that his family—wife Sharadamma, sons Abhishek, Jnanamithra and Neil Armstrong—have been observing Hindu rituals and traditions for the last several years.
Timothy says his elder son is a labourer in Bengaluru while the other two are still completing their studies. As per sources quoted by TOI, Timothy’s parents were against reconversion to Hinduism. His father departed 10 years ago and his mother passed away 6 years ago. The family is now planning to organise a simple ceremony to return to their former religion.
As the family plans to retrace their roots, it is worth noting that there have been several isolated incidents from across Karnataka where those converted from Hinduism are reverting back to their original faith. However, this would be the first such instance in Yadgir in recent years.
Earlier last month, nine members of a Christian household re-converted to Hinduism. At an event at the Rama Bhajan Mandir in Jannapur, VHP and Bajrang Dal members took the initiative to convert them to Hinduism as part of ‘Gharwapsi.’ The development came days after the Karnataka Government passed the Anti-Conversion Bill in the Legislative Assembly that provided for jail terms for those engaging in mass religious conversion.
On Sunday, seven people were detained when police raided a wife-swapping network in Kottayam. The police crackdown occurred when a woman claiming to be the wife of one of the racket’s participants made shocking internet revelations.
The lady, a housewife, also filed a complaint with Karukachal police, alleging that her husband pushed her to have sexual intercourse with someone else. The arrest of the accused, a Karukachal local, led the authorities to unearth a larger network. According to the authorities, around 1,000 couples were involved in the racket.
The detained individuals are from the districts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha. The scam operated on multiple social media sites, including Facebook and Telegram, according to Karukachal police.
According to officers, the sex racket’s participants also comprised some professionals and members of society’s upper echelons. Member couples that meet on a regular basis swap women, and there have been occasions where a lady was shared by three men at the same time. Money was also exchanged in exchange for the provision of their companions.
According to a report in The Times of India, the authorities discovered social media groups where members could engage in wife-swapping, cuckolding, threesomes, and unnatural sex. Some organisations had over 5,000 members. Many professionals, including attorneys and physicians, have joined these forums under false names. Many people, including women, willingly engaged in such sexual practices. However, some women were coerced into such acts by their husbands.
The police suspect that the operations are the result of a well-established scam. The gang communicated using the chat apps Messenger and Telegram. The gang reportedly swapped photos and scheduled meetups on various networks. Some guys involved in the wife-swapping business were claimed to charge money for passing over women to others.
Similar case reported in Gujrat in 2021
In a similar case reported last year, a 34-year-old lady from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad accused her husband of attempting to force her to participate in a wife-swapping agreement with his elder brother. The lady, a mother of two children, also claimed that her husband attacked her when she refused to follow him.
The woman went on to say that her husband’s brother had abused her. She told a few mutual acquaintances about her traumatic situation, and they tried to talk to her husband and his brother. Her spouse is accused of threatening their mutual pals. The woman then decided to go to the police station.
On Thursday, January 6, a video had emerged from Kundikala hamlet in the Sarguja district in Chhattisgarh, showing Hindu locals swearing to boycott Muslims. After the video went viral, OpIndia subsequently reported how the action by the miffed Hindus was deliberated by a scuffle that took place between residents of Aara village and Kundikala village on January 1. The Hindu villagers of Kundikala were reportedly enraged by the bias of the Chhattisgarh police whom they accused of threatening and intimidating Hindu victims while shielding the Muslim accused. Hindu victims had come on camera to reveal how they were assaulted by the Muslim accused. They further narrated how the police instead of providing them assistance, rebuked them and asked to remain silent.
Now, OpIndia has spoken to local Congress MLAs, who, instead of condemning the police apathy towards the Hindu victim family or the assault on them by the Muslims of the adjoining village, denounced the Hindus for swearing to boycott Muslims.
Chhattisgarh Congress slam Hindus instead of denouncing police apathy
Congress MLA from Ambikapur Chintamani Maharaj told OpIndia, “The manner in which an entire group of people took the oath will not send a positive message to society. This was a bad decision that should be opposed”.
Meanwhile, local Congress MLA Dr Pritam Ram accused the BJP and RSS members of giving the incident a communal colour by encouraging Hindus to vow to ban Muslim sellers, boycott any commercial transactions with members of the Muslim community and prohibit the sale or lease of any land to a Muslim.
The Congress MLA opined that every victim family obviously wants that the accused is given the strictest of punishment, but actions are always taken only under legal provisions. “I’ve contacted all of the administrative officers and requested that they take the necessary steps. In the interim, some members of the BJP and RSS attempted to turn the debate into a Hindu-Muslim one, with a video of an oath being shown in the midst. The villagers are wise and will not be fooled by their deception,” said Dr Pritam Ram.
When OpIndia asked him why the Chhattisgarh police did not invoke the SC/ST act against the Muslim perpetrators as the victims in the case were Adivasis, the Congress MLA said, “I’ve also had a conversation with the Sarpanch (Mukhiya/Pradhan).” On the basis of the facts acquired by the police on the site, action has been taken. In this case, the locals have spoken the truth. The minor also failed to file a written complaint regarding molestation or other violations, which would have prompted the police to take action under the POCSO Act and other provisions. I’m keeping a close eye on the situation.”
In this regard, OpIndia also spoke with Ambikapur’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Vivek Shukla. He stated that the FIR was filed earlier in the incident, which occurred on January 1, New Year’s Day. That FIR’s inquiry was still ongoing. Appearing to be defending the prime accused, in the case- Ilyas Paksh, Shukla added that Ilyas, enraged by the same incident, committed an act of violence in Kundikala village.
Hindu victim family recalls the horrific attack by Muslims
“The Yadav family filed a police report about the event. We have acted in accordance with the rules. The incident has thus far resulted in the identification of 13 suspects. They were apprehended and taken to court. We’re still looking for the rest. The case is still under investigation,”, added Ambikapur’s Additional Superintendent of Police.
The victim’s family member and village secretary Virendra Yadav also spoke to OpIndia. He informed that the accused initially had an issue with the sons of the Sarpanch of Kundikala village. For a few days, everything was quiet, but then the Muslim side launched an attack on Kundikala village. The Muslims intended target was the sarpanch’s family, but as they passed by the village secretary’s house, Virendra Yadav, he was also attacked and blamed for the brawl.
He stated that six perpetrators were previously apprehended in this case, but that they were all freed on the same day. After that, seven more suspects were arrested, and all of them were freed on the same day. There isn’t a single one of the 13 attackers in jail, Yadav lamented.
Yadav said that the Gagar river flows next to their village. There’s a dam near the river area, which attracts a lot of visitors, said Yadav. “Some claim that the conflict between the two sides began there, while others claim that it began with the market. Our village is comprised of Dalit people. The assailants had come to kill the family members of the Sarpanch’s family, as their initial dispute was with the Sarpanch’s son but instead, they targeted mine.
Yadav added that the accused had previously also lodged a complaint against the village Sarpanch’s family.
Recalling the horrific incident, Yadav further told OpIndia that he knew Ilyas from before still the latter assaulted him and his family. Ilyas and his aides have always been involved infelonious activities, said the village secretary, adding that Half of the people of Ilyas’ Aara village, which is around 4-5 kilometres away from his Kundikala hamlet, are Muslim and half are Hindu.
Meanwhile, the members of the Yuva Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party have visited the victim’s relatives and assured them assistance.
Members of the Yuva Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party visit the Hindu victim’s relatives
They openly threatened to kill all the Hindus and burn down the entire village: Victim family laments
It may be recalled that in our report, we had revealed how the Hindu victim had informed that the main accused Ilyas, who is a Block Development Council (BDC) member, had not only threatened to kill all the Hindus but also burn down the entire village.
In what transpired, a Muslim family from the Aara village, which falls in neighbouring Balrampur district, had travelled to Kundikala village on January 1 to celebrate the New Year. On that day, the Muslim visitors allegedly got into a tussle with a local Hindu resident and thrashed him up. The victim alleged that the six Muslim visitors barged into his house and beat him up and two family members, including his niece.
Subsequently, the victim family lodged a complaint against the Muslim assaulters. Based on the complaint the Chhattisgarh police arrested six people under sections 147, 294, 323, 506, 452 of the IPC, but all of them got bail from a local court the same day.
The Hindu villagers of Kundikala were enraged by the bias of the police. They accused police of shielding the accused by invoking trivial sections of the IPC in the case instead of the SC/ST Act. As the accused burst firecrackers and celebrated their bail, the miffed Hindus gheraoed the Lundra police station, in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, on 5 January (Wednesday), claiming that the complaint should have been filed under SC/ST act as the victims were Adivasis. Accusing the police of being biased, the villagers gave the police a 10-day ultimatum, asking them to either take strict action against the accused or be prepared for a bigger protest.
The January 5 video appears to be a fallout of this brawl between residents of the two villages on January 1.
Meanwhile, another video has emerged from the day of the incident where, Dilbagh Singh, in charge of the local police station, was seen harassing a journalist who went to the victim’s village to cover the incident.
The YouTube channel Bharat Samman, which visited Kundikala village in Chhattisgarh to cover the news, also interviewed a girl who is seen in the above video with a bandage on her head. The girl in the video, who appears to be a minor, claimed that she was pulled out of her house, beaten up by the accused who also attempted to drag her into a car.
The Chhattisgarh police apathy
The mother of the minor had also revealed how the police had rebuked them when they sought to express their distress to the authorities.
Meanwhile, many other villagers present there demanded in unison that the accused be charged with molestation and attempted murder. They criticised the police for being sympathetic towards the accused rather than helping the victims.
OpIndia had also learnt that the local police station in-charge Dilbagh Singh, who is suspected of protecting the accused, is already under investigation since villagers had accused him of faking cases and threatening to murder them when he was stationed in Shankargarh district in Balrampur in 2020.
Aneesh Jasy, from Coimbatore who describes himself as an ‘ex-Muslim rationalist’, has been arrested by Tamil Nadu Police on December 29th, for posting supposedly anti-Islamic posts on Facebook. What can be known from Aneesh’s friend is that his arrest was done without a warrant while he was taken to the Police station asking for his presence concerning an inquiry about his colleague.
On December 29th, Aneesh who is a popular ‘rationalist’ among atheist groups in Tamil Nadu was arrested and taken to the Kuniyamuthur Police station. However, Aneesh’s friend has alleged that an FIR was made only after his arrest. At night, he was taken to the police station with a Police subjugate citing requirement of Aneesh’s statement concerning an inquiry about his colleague.
Sub-Inspector V Ganesh Kumar has stated that he was made aware of the ‘anti-Islamic’ posts by Aneesh insulting Islam, the Prophet and the Holy Quran. He confirmed that he has gone through the Facebook posts and copies of them have been attached in the FIR. According to a report by The News Minute, one of the posts included in the FIR is a meme saying ”people cry crocodile tears over a book that they insist is holy.” Featuring an ex-Muslim the meme says “he is ashamed when he reads the Hadith.” Another post on Aneesh’s profile can be seen him comparing prophet Mohammad to a self-styled Godwoman.
After assessing the posts, The rationalist has been charged under 295(a) [deliberate and malicious acts meant to outrage religious feelings], 153A(1)(c) [promoting enmity between different groups of religion, race place of birth etc.] and 505(2) [statement conducing to public mischief] by the Kuniyamuthur Police station.
Aneesh’s (unnamed) friend has raised serious questions over the intent and sequence of his enquiry followed by the arrest. He suspects the actions of conservative Muslims behind the arrest. It is important to note here that Aneesh has always been on the end of getting threatening criticism from orthodox Muslim handles over his social media accounts. “I don’t believe that the police themselves went looking for his posts and took it upon themselves to file a complaint. What Aneesh was doing was nothing new. People from various religious backgrounds have become atheists and written about the flaws of their previous faiths. Since Periyar’s time, this has been happening here. He was only criticising hypocrisy within the religion he had left.” He stated.
Aneesh, who now remains in the Coimbatore Central Jail was initially sent to the Perundurai sub-jail. A bail plea submitted by his friend was rejected on January, 05.
Note: Some identifiable details in this report are changed to respect privacy of the individuals in the case.
Surat is about 270 kms away from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Like Vadodara, it is one of those cosmopolitan places where a lot of non-Gujaratis have come to call it their home. Its proximity to Mumbai and it being textile and diamond hub has also brought in people from other states.
One such family that has made Surat their home for the past 15 years is Pooja (name changed). Her family lives in the industrial area of Sachin, on the outskirts of Surat. Back in 2015, when she was 17 years old, she would often accompany her sister to her workplace, in an apparel manufacturing factory. There she got acquainted with one Dilshad.
Pooja explains that she met Dilshad where she used to work with her sister and mother. He used to sit next to her while working and got acquainted. One day, during tea break, Dilshad took her phone and obtained her phone number. A few days later, two days before Shivratri, he called her. “I got a call from an unknown number and I answered and that is when he told me that his name was Dilshad,” she said.
Dilshad told Pooja, who was a minor at that time, that he loves her and wants to meet her. She turned down the advances saying that her father is home and she cannot meet him. She also told him that she does not like him and hence nothing will happen between them. She said that despite that he would continue to call her. When she blocked the number, he would call from other numbers.
One day, he asked her to meet him. “If you meet me once, I will not call or message you again,” he told her. That day she was on a leave and she went to meet him near her place. “That is where they took me,” she said.
Pooja was kidnapped and taken to a village in Katihar, Bihar
After having turned down his advances a number of times, Pooja finally decided to go meet him to tell him that she does not have feelings for him the way he had for her. However, a shock was in store for her when she went to meet him.
Pooja then revealed that there were 2-3 people who took her away. She was first taken to a place called Sainath near Sachin where she was kept for a few days. Later, her parents and sister got suspicious and tried to get in touch with Dilshad but he never let her speak to her family. From Sainath, she was taken to Mumbai.
In Mumbai, there was one of his family member and his friend where they kept her for one day. From Mumbai, she was taken to Bihar.
“I cried, but they still took me,” she says.
“I want to marry you”
Dilshad then took her to Bihar where he said he wanted to marry her. Pooja said how her family members raised concerns that the girl he has brought to marry is not ready to marry. But then he gave money to get the marriage registered. She then said that he called a maulana for the nikah.
“My family members would keep calling him but he kept threatening me. One of his relatives worked in the same company where I worked. He would tell me that if I do anything, he will harm my family. Out of fear, I had to marry him. Those who came for the nikah also knew the marriage was not consensual. Even the person who facilitated court marriage knew this. But they all took money for the marriage,” she said.
Pooja then reveals that after the ‘nikah’, her name was changed there. Her hair was cut and she was asked to wear a burqa and she was not allowed to go out. “I thought that if I stay properly and follow what they ask me to do, they may let me speak to my family. He used to also beat me up,” she said.
She says how Dilshad’s mother would come in the night when she would be sleeping and spread something where she would sleep. She stayed at Dilshad’s place for 15-20 days. She further revealed that she heard Dilshad speak to the maulvi who had come for nikah that they get money for bringing Hindu girl for marriage. “He was marrying me for this money only,” she said.
Dilshad’s mother used to make her read the namaz and force her to wear burqa.
The return
Pooja pleaded to Dilshad to let her speak to her parents because she was so well behaved. One day, he let her speak to her father where he informed her that her mother is seriously ill. “My father didn’t know where I was,” she said. Pooja then requested Dilshad to let her go and see her mother once. But Dilshad refused. He even threatened her with death threats to her father should he come to the village to rescue her with police.
Pooja revealed that her brother then reached out to someone about how his sister was abducted and taken away. She then got in touch with one Girish Ahir in Sachin, who is the secretary of Hindu Jagran Manch of Surat Mahanagar. Meanwhile, one day when Dilshad was away, she managed to get access to the phone and she called up her father and informed her about her whereabouts.
Somehow Dilshad got to know that her father was on his way to Katihar and so he beat her up. She then called up her father and asked her father to not go there with her father. That is when he told her that he is only going because her mother is ill. Even then Dilshad refused to let her go and gave her death threats.
“I then tried to convince them that I will return. I stayed there nicely so that they have faith that I will return. I had to do it and stayed for a few days,” She said. When her father came to ‘meet’ her, Dilshad first sent some people to check on him if he is alone or has police with him and only then he was allowed to meet her.
“My father cried a lot on seeing me,” she said. Pooja then asked for a copy of the ‘marriage certificate’ to take it along with her but neither Dilshad nor his mother allowed it. She said that while leaving she still managed to take a copy of the certificate. Her father finally managed to bring her home.
Back home, Pooja was taken to temple
Pooja then said that when she saw her mother so unwell and in ICU, she did not feel good. “My family members told me that when I would be sleeping, I would keep reciting the namaz. I did not know that,” she said. She said that one day she was feeling low. She did not want to stay back. Her father told her to stay back but she was not feeling right as everyone in the neighbourhood knew of her ordeal and she had to face a lot of societal pressure.
“I did not like hearing the comments of everyone about how I was taken away and what happened to me,” she said, pushing back her tears. Pooja then decided to go back to Katihar with Dilshad and left the house.
Her sister then again reached out to Girish Ahir, who had earlier helped her family to bring Pooja back. Girish Ahir and his team managed to spot Pooja on a train at Sachin station and got her off the train. Later, she was taken to meet one Deepika Bhavsar, who works extensively with women like Pooja, to counsel them, make them feel safe. Pooja said that Bhavsar got her to read about Hindu texts and regular prayers and that helped her feel better.
Fighting back her tears, Pooja says that had it not been for the ones who rescued her, she would not have been able to walk so confidently. “Had it not been for these people, I would have not been alive,” she said. She said that they helped her file cases and take the legal route. Pooja reveals that when she would offer namaz, she was taken to a temple. There a Pandit told her that when she was taken to Dargah, they had allegedly done some black magic because of which she has started reciting namaz.
Speaking to OpIndia, Girish Ahir said that Pooja’s case has been one of the most successful cases. While a police complaint was filed and police did try to catch the culprit, but nothing quite came out of it. It has been over 6 years now and the girl has also become an adult and the family is looking to get her married.
Ahir spoke about another case from 2016 of one girl Sheetal (name changed) who was a student in class nine. A Muslim man had eloped with her. Subsequently, an FIR was registered and he was given life imprisonment. The girl has since been married to a Hindu boy as per Hindu rituals.
First case of ‘Love Jihad’ in Gujarat was in Surat
The first case of ‘love jihad’ under the new anti-conversion law in Gujarat was filed in Surat’s Dindoli area. A 50-year-old Muslim man was accused of luring and impregnating a young Hindu girl using a false identity. He was also accused of trying to convert her to Islam. In 2018, 50-year-old accused Mohammad Akhtar Sheikh met a 22-year-old Hindu girl and introduced himself as Mukesh Mahavir Gupta. He slowly developed a friendship with the girl and claimed he was employed by the Indian Railways.
He had claimed he was unmarried and a year later in 2019 proposed marriage to the girl. The two got married as per Hindu rituals. The marriage was solemnised at the Hanuman temple, which is located in the Kadodara area of Surat. The accused soon impregnated the girl and the duo had a son together. He also began staying at her house. He also took Rs 12 lakh from the girl’s family members under the pretext of getting her a job.
However, it was only in 2021 she discovered the truth about him. She found his Aadhaar card and discovered that he was not Mukesh Mahavir Gupta but Mohammad Akhtar Sheikh. Not only that, he was already married and also had five children with his first wife.
The women then alleged that upon discovery of his true identity, Sheikh forced her to read namaz and also tried to force her to convert to Islam.
Constitution vs Muslim Personal Law
Kavita Dubey, a social activist, while speaking to OpIndia said that one of the major issues with such grooming jihad cases is the legal loopholes. In a lot of cases, the culprits get the girls’ confidence by telling them that they will get married under the Special Marriage Act and hence the girl will not need to change her religion. But soon after, they get her converted and have a nikah as per Islamic rituals.
Once the girl converts, the Muslim Personal Law Board is applicable and if she then is abandoned or the man gets another wife, she has very little legal recourse, Dubey said.
“It is the responsibility of parents to make sure the girls don’t fall into such traps. If the girl does not get love, comfort and warmth at home, she tends to fall on such wrong paths and then it gets difficult to bring these girls back,” she said. “In 90% cases, if a Hindu girl has eloped with a Muslim boy, she will not return despite realisation of mistake because of society. So society also needs to be more accepting of girls who come back. They need counselling, not our taunts,” she said.
However, what is unfortunate here is that in a major chunk of cases, victims are Hindu Dalit girls and other girls from lower income bracket who are easily lured.
SheThePeople is an Indian digital media website purporting itself to be a champion of women empowerment. On its website, the organisation says that it is India’s first women’s channel inspired by real stories and seeks to change the discourse on, about and for women. It provides a platform to women from various walks of life who shatter the glass ceiling in every sphere of life.
However, the reality is in stark contrast to what the organisation would want to have us believe. On the surface, it does appear to promote the cause of women, but that affirmation appears to be rather symbolic and selective, something which got exposed after actor Siddharth was found making crass sexual innuendos at Saina Nehwal following his disagreement with the Badminton champion.
For years now, SheThePeople hailed actor Siddharth as someone who is passionately working towards empowering women and fighting decades-old prejudices against them. He was listed by the media website among the list of Bollywood icons who are “true feminist icons” for the year 2019. It has also routinely engaged with the actor on issues plaguing women, including on how cinema has played a part in glorifying incidents of stalking.
This is a tweet of appreciation for @SheThePeople. It truly takes conviction & courage to promote someone as a feminist icon & then do an ostrich when he turns out to be anything but. pic.twitter.com/1mmc6nqCNU
It cited sporadic instances when Siddharth castigated the film industry for their brazen glorification of stalking and when he slammed advertisements that objectified women for declaring him as a “feminist icon”, fighting the social evils faced by women on a daily basis.
Actor Siddharth hurls crass sexual comments at Badminton champion Saina Nehwal
But, actor Siddharth turns out to be anything but a “feminist icon”, especially in the light of the recent remarks made by him against ace Badmintonist Saina Nehwal. On January 6, Tamil actor Siddharth attacked ace Badminton player Saina Nehwal with a crass, sexually derogatory comment. He said, “Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna.”
In her tweet, Saina had condemned the security lapse in Punjab during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur.
‘Cock’ is a slang used for the male sexual organ. By twisting the badminton term ‘shuttlecock’, Siddharth was trying to insult Saina in a crass, sexual manner.
The crass sexual comment against one of India’s most prominent and successful women came soon after the same actor pretended to be concerned about issues of women safety and posed as a conscientious feminist.
As outrage over his comment swelled and NCW was asked to take cognisance of his tweets, Siddharth brazened out his remarks, stating that his “cock” reference was not meant to disrespect anyone and there was no insinuation in it.
“Cock and bull,” he said. “That’s the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading,” he tweeted.
Apparently, this is not the first time that Siddharth has been in news for his cheap antics. Earlier in October 2021, Siddharth shared a veiled tweet targeted at actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Samantha’s divorce from Naga Chaitanya was on the news and the actor, who was once rumoured to be dating the actress, had shared a tweet saying “cheaters never prosper.”
The tweet received wide criticism, not just from Samantha’s fans but many others, who reminded the actor that it is not in good taste. He had later clarified that his tweet was not about Samantha, but rather a general comment.
The hypocrisy of SheThePeople in turning a blind eye to Siddharth’s sexist remarks
Nevertheless, SheThePeople did not issue any comment or distanced themselves from the actor. Now, the actor is found making sexual innuendos against the Badminton superstar and yet the media website that fashions itself as a crusader fighting for the empowerment of women, did not bother to condemn the actor for his remarks. Instead, they have ignored the controversy, pretending that Siddharth did not make those comments and that the outrage surrounding his remarks would die a natural death over the course of time.
This, in a nutshell, is how the liberal ecosystem operates. While they sermonise others on having strong moral principles and preen themselves on following higher standards of ideals, their own when one of their own is caught violating those principles and indulging in deplorable behaviour, they pretend as if nothing happened and that they are not obligated to issue either clarification or condemnation.
Unfazed by the severe criticisms he has been receiving from various quarters for attacking ace Badminton player Saina Nehwal with a crass, sexually derogatory comment, Tamil actor Siddharth posted another Tweet defending his remarks on Twitter.
The Rang De Basanti actor brazened out his crass sexual tweet against the Padma Bhushan awardee badminton player by Tweeting: “COCK & BULL” That’s the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading! Nothing disrespectful was intended, said or insinuated. Period,” wrote the actor, followed by a folded hands emoji.
"COCK & BULL"
That's the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading!
Nothing disrespectful was intended, said or insinuated. Period. ??
The actor Tweeted this in response to his January 6 Tweet wherein he had attacked ace Badminton player Saina Nehwal with a derogatory tweet.
Actor Siddharth’s crass sexual comments on Saina Nehwal
It is appalling that instead of apologising or deleting his crass and Tweet, the actor posted another Tweet where he defended it. Siddharth’s today Tweet, by far, is one of the most ridiculous defences for a nasty and offensive remark he made against Nehwal on January 6.
Actually, in his January 6th Tweet the actor had shamelessly twisted the badminton term ‘shuttlecock’ to insult Saina in a crass, sexual manner. “Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna,” the actor had Tweeted after Saina condemned the security lapse in Punjab during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur.
Siddharth’s tweet against Saina
Actor gets called out for his sexual innuendo against Saina
The Tamil actor’s obscene remark drew the wrath of a number of social media users, including politicians and celebrities, who chastised him for using such demeaning language to criticise Saina, one of India’s most accomplished and successful women.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, “Absolutely unacceptable and unbecoming language to use for anyone. Whatever the disagreement, there has to be civility in discourse,” Tweeted the Shiv Sena leader, in response to Siddharth’s Tweet posted on January 6.
Saina Nehwal is our country’s sporting pride, she has as much right to a political opinion as rest of the nation. You disagree-you debate, you don’t ever demean even if you strongly opposed to her thoughts and ideas. This illiberal approach to ‘liberal discourse’ is damaging.
In her subsequent Tweet, the SS leader wrote: “Saina Nehwal is our country’s sporting pride, she has as much right to a political opinion as rest of the nation. You disagree-you debate, you don’t ever demean even if you are strongly opposed to her thoughts and ideas. This illiberal approach to ‘liberal discourse’ is damaging”.
Meanwhile, Saina Nehwal’s husband and ace badminton player Parupalli Kashyap also condemned the actor for using “not so cool” words to express his opinion. Using hashtags like #notcool and #disgraceful, Parupalli Kashyap slammed the actor for his sexist remark.
“This is upsetting for us … express ur opinion but choose better words man. I guess u thought it was cool to say it this way. #notcool #disgraceful @Actor_Siddharth,” wrote Parupalli Kashyap.
This is upsetting for us … express ur opinion but choose better words man . I guess u thought it was cool to say it this way . #notcool#disgraceful@Actor_Siddharth
Others who criticised the actor for the tweet include BJP leader Khushbu Sundar, who said, “Sid you are a friend but definitely wasn’t expecting this from you. It’s very crass. I am sure uncle and aunty wouldn’t be proud of you. Don’t get carried with your hatred towards an individual.”
Sid you are a friend but definitely wasn't expecting this from you. It's very crass. I am sure Uncle n Aunty wouldn't be proud of you. Don't get carried with your hatred towards an individual. https://t.co/0NjR4NWMuZ
NCW takes note of the “misogynist and outrageous” Tweet against the badminton player
Taking serious note of the offence, NCW has written to DGP Maharashtra to investigate the matter and demanded an FIR to be registered against the actor.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday wrote to the Resident Grievance Officer, Twitter India to immediately block the actor’s account and take appropriate action against him for posting a “misogynist and outrageous” Tweet against the badminton player, “thereby, outraging her modesty and insulting her right to live with dignity.”
National Commission for Women chairperson writes to Twitter India "to immediately block actor Siddharth's tweet on shuttler Saina Nehwal, calls it "misogynist and outrageous."
The actor later said, "Nothing disrespectful was intended, reading otherwise is unfair." pic.twitter.com/ln6SCBs9fG
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also sent the actor a notice over the tweet.
Meanwhile, responding to the actor’s sexual innuendos against her, Nehwal reportedly told Republic TV: “Ya I’m not sure what he meant, I used to like him as an actor but this was not nice. He can express himself with better words but I guess it’s Twitter and you get noticed with such words and comments. If the security of the PM of India is an issue then I’m not sure what is secure in the country.”
Deposits in bank accounts opened under the Modi government’s Jan Dhan initiative, which was introduced roughly seven and a half years ago, have surpassed Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The total balance in approximately 44.23 million Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts was Rs 1,50,939.36 crore at the end of December 2021, according to the latest finance ministry statistics.
In August of last year, PMJDY, the National Mission for Financial Inclusion, had completed seven years of implementation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2014.
Deposits in bank accounts opened under the scheme had crossed the ₹1 trillion mark in August 2019.
According to statistics from the finance ministry, 34.9 crore accounts were with public sector banks, 8.05 crore with regional rural banks, and the remaining 1.28 crore with private sector banks. In addition, RuPay debit cards were provided to 31.28 crores PMJDY beneficiaries. It’s worth noting that the number of RuPay cards available and their use has grown over time.
According to the data, rural and semi-urban bank branches maintained 29.54 crore Jan Dhan accounts. Women made up around 24.61 crore account holders as of December 29, 2021. During the scheme’s first year, 17.90 crore PMJDY accounts were created.
There is no necessity to maintain a minimum amount in Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) accounts, including Jan Dhan accounts, according to RBI guidelines. The amount in any Jan Dhan account might fluctuate from day to day, and may even become zero on a given day, depending on the activities carried out by the account user.
The government notified Parliament last month that the overall number of zero balance accounts as of December 8, 2021, was 3.65 crore, accounting for nearly 8.3% of all Jan Dhan accounts.
The government’s flagship scheme’s goals include offering affordable access to financial goods and services. Through Direct Benefit Transfer, benefits like scholarships, subsidies, pensions, and COVID relief monies are credited to bank accounts, including Jan Dhan Accounts (DBT).
Hours after it was reported that Supreme Court lawyers were getting threatening calls from Khalistani terror group Sikhs for Justice, a transcript of the threat call has emerged. A social media user Priyang Pandey tweeted the details of a number registered in the UK, from which many lawyers got threat calls from the SFJ earlier in the day.
Many Journalists & SC AoRs got a call from a UK number of an organisation ‘Sikhs for Justice’ taking responsibility of blocking @PMOIndia in Punjab
From what can be heard, it is a pre-recorded message of a man saying, “You were quiet at call given for the death of the Sikh farmers. If you help Modi today, this will be the most disgraceful act that would be committed by you. The message is from Sikhs for Justice General Council from the USA and we take the responsibility for blocking Modi in Punjab”. Lawyers had said they were threatened with such calls from the SFJ with a warning to lawyers against attending the SC hearing.
Sikhs for Justice a Khalistani Terror Organisation, which is banned in India had earlier taken responsibility for the Republic Day riots which took place on the Red Fort on 26th January 2021. The SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had also earlier shared a video where he was seen boasting about stopping PM Modi’s convoy and ‘forcing him to go back’ in Punjab.
During the hearing of the Prime Minister’s Security breach case on Monday, some lawyers said that they got calls from the Khalistani Organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) threatening them with consequences if they appeared before the court. The Khalistani organisation SFJ, which is banned in India, threatened Supreme Court lawyers over pre-recorded messages on calls claiming responsibility for blocking the PM’s convoy on January 4th.
While speaking to Times Now, Lawyer Nishant Kanteshwar said he received a pre-recorded call on Monday morning, with Sikhs for Justice claiming responsibility for blocking the PM’s convoy and making him wait on the fly-over. Secondly, the caller threatened the Supreme Court not to investigate the matter of PM’s security breach. According to the Lawyer, the caller confessed that the call was from SFJ based in the United Kingdom.
I received two calls. It said that we take the responsibility for blocking the PM’s cavalcade. It was a pre-recorded message of 47 seconds: Advocate Vishnu Jain, lawyer who has been threatened.
Another lawyer Vishnu Jain, who received two similar pre-recorded calls at 10:38 AM and 12:30 PM respectively, was asked not to hear the plea in the Supreme court. The call reminded the lawyer of the Supreme Court’s alleged inaction to provide justice to the victims in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. According to Jain, many lawyers involved in the case have received such calls before or after the hearing.
“I received a call from a UK number which said that they would take responsibility for the blockade the motorcade of the PM. The caller said that SC should not be hearing the matter when they did not find a single culprit responsible for the killing of Sikhs in 1984,” one of the lawyers who received the call told Times Now.
“I received two calls. It said that we take the responsibility for blocking the PM’s cavalcade. It was a pre-recorded message of 47 seconds,” said Advocate Vishnu Jain. If established and proved, the claims may point towards a possible and orchestrated conspiracy behind the blockade of the PM’s convoy, as against the existing claims that it was a mere ‘lapse’ of security.
VP of SCAORA (Supreme Court Advocates On Record Association), Manoj Mishra while talking to the Republic said, “It is unfortunate that many members of my organisation are informing about the threat calls they are receiving.” “While I was in the midst of my argument, I too received such call” he added. With Many advocates receiving threat calls from the banned terror organisation, attempts have been revealed to scuttle the investigation involving the grave security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the Monday Hearing, the Supreme court has decided to set up a committee headed by a retired SC judge to investigate the probe. The independent investigations by the Punjab State Government and The MHA will now be suspended.
