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Pakistan: Mufti sexually abuses student, claims he was drugged by the minor

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Mufti sexually abuses student, claims he was drugged by the minor

On Thursday (June 17), the police registered a case against a 70-year-old Islamic cleric for sexually assaulting one of his madrassa students in Lahore in Pakistan.

As per reports, the accused has been identified as Mufti Azizur Rehman. The victim, a minor boy, had taken admission to the Jamia Manzoorul Islamia madrassa in the year 2013. Rehman had accused the boy of ‘cheating’ by allowing a proxy to write exams on his behest. “Over this, I was also banned from giving exams at the Wafaqul Madaris for three years,” the victim narrated.

Despite multiple pleas, the Islamic cleric was firm in his resolute. One day, Rehman told the minor boy that he could do something about the matter only if the victim made him happy ‘sexually.’ Left with no choice, the victim gave into the harrowing sexual abuse. “Mufti Rehman claimed that the ban would be removed and that he would also pass me in the exams. But despite a passage of three years, during which I was assaulted every Friday, he did nothing and started to blackmail me more,” the boy narrated.

The victim had complained to the madrassa administration about the matter. In a disturbing video clip that has surfaced on social media, the Islamic cleric was seen sexually abusing a minor. However, they did not take action and instead accused him of defaming an ‘elder and a pious man’. The boy then started recording videos of abuse and it was only then that the Jamia Manzoorul Islamia madrassa took action against Rehman on June 3. However, since the Islamic cleric was removed, the boy has been at the receiving end of death threats.

FIR registered by Lahore police against accused

The North Cantt police in Lahore has now registered a case against Mufti Rehman under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) Sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation). The accused Islamic cleric is reportedly the vice-ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). The madrassa had removed Rehman on June 3 after several people from the neighborhood showed up at the Islamic institution with the video of the sexual assault. ”My attacker’s sons have threatened to kill me for exposing him [Mufti Aziz]. It is better I die,” the victim said in a video message.

Screengrab of the First Information report filed by North Cantt police against Muft Rehman

Islamic cleric removed from madrassa where he preyed on the victim

In a letter by Jamia Manzoorul Islamia, it said, “A video was produced of you in which you are molesting a student. After consolation the Jamia administration based on the video advised him and his son to leave the campus”. Sara Ahmed, Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, took cognisance of the matter and contacted the victim and his family. While assuring the victim of complete legal cooperation, Ahmed termed the incident as ‘extremely saddening.’

Screengrab of the letter issued to Mufti Rehman by Jamia Manzoorul Islamia

Sexual abuser cleric cries foul, claimed he was drugged

Following his expulsion from the madrassa, the accused Mufti Rehman has posted a 10-minute long video in his defence. He claimed, “This video is fake as you can’t even see me move in it. Where is my accuser? It has been two weeks since he was last seen…I was clearly drugged by this boy.”

While placing his hand on the Quran, he also dubbed it as a conspiracy to get him expelled from Jamia Manzoorul Islamia. As proof, he claimed that he would not have allowed the victim to record the video had he not been drugged.

After denying permission to BJP to hold a core committee meeting, Kerala govt allows Congress to conduct ceremony to induct Congress President

OpIndia Staff
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After denying permission to BJP to hold a core committee meeting, Kerala govt allows Congress to conduct ceremony to induct Congress President

Two weeks after the Kerala government denied permission to the BJP to hold its core committee meeting in Kochi, citing Covid-19 lockdown, the Kerala government allowed the Congress party to hold the coronation ceremony for its new state unit president K Sudhakaran in the presence of thousands of supporters.

According to the reports, more than 1,500 Congress party workers gathered inside the Indira Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to cheer for Congress leader K Sudhakaran as he took charge as the Kerala Congress president. The Congress party workers violated social distance norms and showed little respect for the Covid-19 protocols on Wednesday.

In the below video, one can see how hundreds of Congress party workers had thonged inside the Indira Bhawan in the state capital to participate in the coronation of K Sudhakaran, violating all the Covid-19 norms.

The party members who had gathered at the party headquarters violated the Covid-19 protocols. The attendees did not observe social distancing, and several people removed face masks, reports New Indian Express.

Congress leaders themselves violated protocols

Many leaders, including former CM Oommen Chandy, were seen not wearing masks properly inside the hall. Almost all leaders, including Sudhakaran and former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, removed their masks while addressing the gathering.

Around 500 followers of the 73-year-old Congress leader, who was picked by the party high command to replace Mullappally Ramachandran, entered the 350-seat conference hall. At the same time, thousands gathered outside the Congress headquarters to celebrate the event.

The crowd began to grow in strength outside the gate of Indira Bhavan, which prompted the party leaders to lock the gates. The other Congress workers who were denied entry inside the Congress headquarters stood on the Vellayamabalam-Sasthamangalam road, outside the compound.

Strangely, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government allowed the political event to be organised in the state capital amidst the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the Kerala government granted security to the Congress party’s event by deploying Kerala police officials. The permission to the Congress party’s event comes even as Kerala is struggling to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kerala govt denied permission to BJP, grants it to Congress

However, this came just a few weeks back after the Kerala government had denied similar permission to the Kerala BJP to hold its core committee meeting in Kochi.

The BJP meeting that was scheduled to be held on June 6 with just 12 attendees had to be shifted from the venue after the Kerala govt denied permission to the event citing Covid-19 restrictions. In fact, Kerala Police had issued a notice to the hotel in Kochi in which a core committee of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was to be held.

The notice read, “One should not give permission to conduct meetings without maintaining Covid protocol in the wake of lockdown that still exists in Kerala. If any action from you violates Covid protocol, strict actions will be taken.” The notice, addressed to the manager of the hotel, was served by the SHO of the Ernakulam Central Police Station.

As the Kerala government intervened, the BJP leadership was forced to cancel the meeting and shift the meeting to another venue on short notice.

The Kerala government, two weeks later, has chosen to remain silent on the Congress party’s political event that featured hundreds of party workers violating the Covid-19 protocols. Perhaps, the Kerala government enforces different rules for different political parties based on its preferences.

Kerala government registers a complaint against Congress

Meanwhile, following the outrage against the Kerala government for allowing the Congress party to hold a large-scale political event, the Kerala police have registered a case under the Epidemic Diseases Act for violating Covid norms.

The local police claimed that they had issued a notice to the office that the function must be held with strict adherence to Covid protocol. However, the Congress party did not follow, it claimed.

“There were 150-200 people standing by the roadside outside the party office. They were booked for not following Covid protocol,” said Museum station house officer Prajeesh Sasi. 

The six district-level leaders named in the FIR are Manacaud Suresh, Mannamoola Rajesh, Saju Kowdiar, Kallampalli Haridas, Palayam Udayan and Sudarsanan Peroorkada. However, the Kerala police have not named any senior leaders, including K Sudhakaran, in the FIR.

Shiv Sena workers’ attack BJP protestors, Sanjay Raut says ‘we are certified goondas’: All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena workers’ attack BJP protestors, Sanjay Raut says ‘we are certified goondas’: All you need to know

Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Shiv Sena leaders are ‘certified goondas’ after BJP blamed it for hooliganism following a clash between workers of both parties outside Sena Bhavan in Mumbai. The clash had occurred over disapproving remarks in Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana raising questions about a land deal in Ayodhya.

“No one needs to give us a certificate on being goondas, we are certified ones,” Raut smugly told reporters on Thursday. He further added, “When it comes to Marathi pride and Hindutva, we are certified goondas.”

The Shiv Sena spokesperson also likened the Shiv Sena Bhawan in Mumbai to a symbol representing Maharashtra and warned his opponents of casting an evil eye on it. 

Defending his party’s hooliganism, Raut said, “If someone tries to attack the premises, will Marathi ‘manoos’ (person) and Shiv sainik keep quiet?”

“Why is the BJP so riled up by the editorial? It has just sought clarification on the allegations and demanded that if the charges are proved false, those who levelled them should be punished. Is asking for a clarification a crime in this country? The editorial nowhere mentions that the BJP is involved in it,” Sanjay Raut said. 

Brazening out the attack against BJP workers, Raut threatened of dire consequences if it such situation repeats in future. “The matter is over from our end. They have got ‘Shiv prasad’ yesterday. Don’t bring the situation to such a level that we will have to give Shiv Bhojan thali to them,” he said.

Shiv Sena mouthpiece questions Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra over an alleged land deal controversy

The clashes between BJP and Shiv Sena workers took place after the Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should clear the air with regards to the Ayodhya land deal controversy.

In its editorial, Shiv Sena asserted that there has to be transparency in the transactions and the matters related to the temple construction. It asked the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai to come clean on the doubts being raised over the Ayodhya land deal controversy.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar snubs Sanjay Raut, says rowdy behaviour by any party unacceptable

Meanwhile, Raut’s rowdy behaviour was not acceptable to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who issued a clarification after the Shiv Sena leader took pride on belonging to a party of certified goondas (goons). 

“No matter what anyone says, no party will be allowed to behave like goons. Today, the leaders of the state are from Shiv Sena. The Chief Minister is working to run the state in accordance with the law and abiding by the rules. Everyone is expected to follow the law of the land,” Pawar said.

‘Muslims must kill 4-6 persons before dying’: Congress’ new minority cell head Imran Pratapgarhi and his hate-filled ‘shayari’. Details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Muslims must kill 4-6 persons before dying’: Congress’ new minority cell head Imran Pratapgarhi and his hate-filled ‘shayari’. Details

From being the single dominant party in India to its pathetic performance in literally all state and national elections, the Congress party has been on a steady downhill trajectory. Despite chances being bleak, the only election in which Congress hopes to redeem itself in the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. For this, the party has once again decided to go back to playing its favourite minority appeasement card.

In an attempt to garner minority votes in the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has tried to capitalise on the popularity of Uttar Pradesh’s Urdu poet-turned-politician Mohd Imran Khan aka Imran ‘Pratapgarhi’ amongst Muslims. On June 3, Congress president Sonia Gandhi appointed Imran Pratapgarhi as chairman of the party’s minority department. He has replaced Nadeem Javed, another young leader from Uttar Pradesh.

Although believed to be in the good books of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Pratapgarhi’s appointment has reportedly generated unease in the party, with many senior leaders expressing concern. Most were of the opinion that Patrapgarhi’s popularity should rather have been used in campaigning and that an experienced hand was required to head the organisation.

As per a TOI report, president All India Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat and Secretary South Asian Council for Minorities Navaid Hamid also expressed shock at the Congress party’s decision. Hamid opined that Pratapgarhi’s appointment reaffirmed the perception that Congress required a “shayar” to “lure” the Muslims, rather than a mature political leader who could advocate for their rights and express their concerns.

Pratapgarhi had joined the Congress in 2019 and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary elections from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. He had lost the seat to ST Hasan of the Samajwadi Party. He reportedly became a Priyanka Gandhi Vadra favourite once she started paying attention to Uttar Pradesh, Pratapgarhi’s home state.

It is pertinent to note that the Congress’ ‘blue-eyed boy’ has a long list of problematic statements that he has made in the past. Recently, Shehzad Poonawalla, in a series of Tweets shared snippets of old videos where the poet and Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi can be seen provoking Muslims of all ages to wage a war against India.

‘Kill at least 4-6 people to avenge the death of our people’: Imran Pratapgarhi heard inciting Muslims against India

In the video, presumably from 2019, Imran Pratapgarhi can be seen exhorting Muslims to kill at least 4-6 people to avenge the death of their people. He incites his Muslim followers saying that “It is not acceptable to die in a cowardly manner. To avenge lynching, kill at least 4 to 6 people before you die.”

The Congress leader cheers and encourages children to shout Azadi slogans

In another video, he is seen encouraging young children to chant “Jo Hitler ki chaal chalega, woh Hitler ki maut marega”, one of the ‘Azadi’ slogans, which had became a regular feature during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. In the video, presumably shot during anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh, the Congress ‘poet’, unfettered by the vitriol the children’s impressionable minds were being exposed to, goes on to exhort children to loudly repeat the hateful slogans after him.

Imran Pratapgarhi instigates the Kashmiri Muslims

In another video shared in the same thread of Tweets by Shehzad Poonawalla, Imran Pratapgarhi is heard instigating the Kashmiri Muslims by projecting a grim situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Toeing the line of Pakistani propaganda, the now Congress’ minority department head, claims of torture and excessive force is being used by armed forces against Kashmiris. He says “waha zulm isliye kyuki zyada tadad musalmanon ki hai” (Atrocities are inflicted since the majority population in Kashmir are Muslims).

In yet another video, shared in the same thread, the Congress leader, disturbingly, is heard blaming India and the Indian forces for the Islamic terrorists attack in Pulwama. Much in the lines of the Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi, who had insinuated that the Pakistan sponsored attack was an ‘inside’ job to benefit BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the newly appointed chief of the party’s minority department said: “kaatil ghar ke aangan tak aa pahuncha hai. Rakhwale ki saazish bhi ho sakti hai” (the killers reached are homes, might be a political conspiracy by those who are responsible for safeguarding India).

This is the same line adapted by Pakistan to shrug off involvement in the terrorist attack.

Pratapgarhi exhorts Muslims to capture positions in the bureaucracy and civil services to help their community

In September last year, a 2017 video of him exhorting the Muslims to capture positions in the bureaucracy and civil services to help their community, had also gone viral on Twitter. Issuing a clarion call to the Muslims to capture the civil services, Pratapgarhi said: “You can teach your children engineering, you can teach them to become doctors, you can also raise them to become successful businessmen, a billionaire, this would undoubtedly benefit you personally, but if you want to help your generations, there is no other way but by capturing the bureaucracy and the civil services. Take power in your hand,” he said.

Congress leader and his role in the violent anti-CAA demonstrations in Moradabad

For the uninitiated, Pratapgarhi had been involved in the violent protests that had racked Moradabad Idgah in the aftermath of the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. The Moradabad District Administration in February 2020 had sent a notice of fine of Rs 1 crore 4 lakh and 8 thousand to Imran Pratapgarhi for being involved in demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and violating Section 144. 

Imran Pratapgarhi booked for asking ‘why no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad’

Pratapgarhi had also made provocative remarks in Hyderabad last year. He was booked by the police for his remark asking why there was no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad, referring to the enclave that had come up in the national capital to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“I am shocked to see that there is no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad,” Imran Pratapgarhi had reportedly said, which the police claimed was provocative and could have deteriorated the law and order situation in the city.

FT refers to India as the ‘weakest link’ in the Quad. How their quoted expert denies conclusion and how they got it massively wrong

Shashank Bharadwaj
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FT refers to India as the ‘weakest link’ in the Quad. How their quoted expert denies conclusion and how they got it massively wrong

Throughout the Covid pandemic, the Western media publications have never missed a chance to defame, discredit India and its efforts to handle it. The latest to indulge in yet another anti-India diatribe is the UK-based news outlet Financial Times, which has now termed India as the “weakest link” in the Quad alliance.

In its latest piece, the Financial Times has declared India as the “weakest link” in the Quad alliance, an informal strategic alliance of four democracies – United States, India, Australia and Japan to take on China. According to the controversial publication, India’s second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic not only battered its ambitions to become the “pharmacy of the world” but has also undermined the US plan for New Delhi to play a leading role in countering Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The piece written by Amy Kazmin and  Demetri Sevastopulo claims that the coronavirus crisis that stuck India this year and the subsequent vaccine export ban imposed by the Indian government in response to the pandemic has overshadowed Quad’s intentions to be an alternative to China in the region. Instead, India’s failure has created an opportunity that China is exploiting, claims the report.

For the uninitiated, Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) is an informal strategic alliance between four major democracies – India, United States, Japan and Australia in response to aggressive rise of Communist China.

Quoting a few dubious experts and self-proclaimed foreign policy experts, FT declared that India was the weakest link of the informal alliance as it had failed to provide necessary vaccines to the nations as it had agreed to in the Quad summit that held in March.

“The pandemic is a reality check — there is no way around it — and it has laid bare the structural deficiencies of the Indian state in the crudest way we have ever seen,” FT quoted an ‘expert’ named Constantino Xavier to shame India on the global platform. Similarly, another ‘expert’ Avinash Paliwal, said the crisis had exposed “the differential between the idea of India as a rising power” and its ability to deliver on commitments.

“India’s image has been running ahead of itself. But the world is coming to realise the limits of India as a rising power. Even Indians misread their own capabilities,” the so-called expert said.

FT claims India did not deliver on its promise of providing vaccines

As per FT, Prime Minister Modi had agreed to deliver vaccines to different countries in the region on behalf of the Quad. However, with India facing a major crisis with the advent of the second wave, the country had to deviate its resources to save lives back home and slowed down on the international commitments it had made.

The Indian government’s focus to save more lives within the country is now being looked at as the country’s inability to fulfil its commitments to the Quad alliance. The FT article claims that India’s international standing as a reliable vaccine supplier and a regional foil to China is in tatters after the Modi government allegedly failed to secure enough vaccines for its own people.

The Financial Times falsely claims that New Delhi failed to provide vaccines to its smaller neighbours such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, where New Delhi is vying with China for influence.

Quoting another ‘expert’, Ashley Tellis at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the FT wrote, “The hype outran the reality” .

Interestingly, FT also quoted Lisa Curtis, another strategic affairs expert, who said, “Right now, there won’t be a great deal of focus on what the Quad will do on tech or security because India will be distracted. It is just a hiccup that we have to attribute to the unpredictable nature of the coronavirus.”

Based on a few misleading assertions by self-proclaimed experts, The Financial Times declared that the Quad idea is not going anywhere, and doubts linger about India’s potential as a regional powerhouse. The FT, raising questions on India’s ability, asked whether India can deliver on its promise.

As FT cited experts to push its usual anti-India agenda, it turns out that one of the experts who was quoted by the publication disagreed with the views. Lisa Curtis, who FT quoted as discrediting India for not delivering on the promises on vaccines, has denied making any such assertions and accused Financial Times of wrongly attributing statements to her.

In fact, Curtis had stated that the pandemic was just an aberration and a ‘hiccup’ in the alliance. However, FT twisted her statements to project that India’s was a weak link in the Quad.

Taking to Twitter, Lisa Curtis clarified that she was misquoted by the Financial Times in their latest publication targeting India. She said she completely disagreed with the premise that Covid-19 showed India’s inability to be the strong strategic partner for the United States. She called the FT piece a “wrongheaded assertion”.

So why is Financial Times desperate to put all the blame on India and discredit India’s commitment to the Quad initiative?

Financial Times inability to digest India’s rise as a global power

The answer lies in the fact that the publication such as Financial Times seems to have not yet accepted that India is a global power today and part of a high table responsible for managing global affairs. The British media outlet seems to be still in a colonial hangover and perhaps thinks that they can run down India just like they did in the past.

Well, it is not easy as they think. Let’s analyse India’s contribution to the world during the pandemic and compare it with the rest of the Quad members to see whether India is a fragile link in the alliance.

As they say, alliances are made based on shared values and shared commitments. Similarly, there are no leaders or weak links in an alliance as every nation is deemed equal in global alliances, especially in small but significant collectives such as Quad. The alliances are made up of collective interests and each partner has a definitive role to play in it.

Perhaps, the Financial Times, which is busy doing propaganda rather than serious journalism, does not comprehend how alliances and diplomacy work. Even though this is not the first time that the global publications have questioned India’s commitment to alliances such as Quad, however, this is the first time that any publication is questioning India’s capacity to deliver on the promises made.

If one does an honest analysis of the recent activities and commitments fulfilled by all the four nations in the Quad, one can safely assume that India is not the weakest link, if not at least the leader of the pack. It is worth mentioning that ever since the Wuhan virus pandemic hit the world, it was India that came to the world’s rescue by supplying essential drugs, PPE kits, masks etc., to the world, while the rest of the world sat silently.

The USA, the apparent “strongest link” in the Quad, was the severely hit country globally as more than 600,000 people died due to the Wuhan virus. It is a known fact today that the USA, the leader of the free world, closed its doors for the rest of the world and hoarded all the medical supplies even as the rest of the world suffered. Perhaps, FT seems to have forgotten the fact that it was India that supplied essential drugs to the US when it needed the most.

The idea of Quad, an informal strategic alliance to take on China, only came to fruition in March this year, when all the four countries collectively in a 2021 joint statement announced that they shared vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” and a “rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. During the meeting, the Quad pledged to expand the global vaccine supply by enhancing the vaccination capacity of India, which was already delivering vaccines to most of the world under its ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative.

However, the advent of the second wave of the pandemic altered the plans, with India focussing more inwards to vaccinate its own population, which was one of the most affected in the world during the latest onslaught of the Chinese pandemic. India imposed a ban on the export of vaccines to cater to the Indian population but promised to deliver on the promise of vaccine exports soon.

Based on India’s decision to stop exporting vaccines to the world during the last few months, the Financial Times declares that India is a “weak link” in the entire alliance as it does not have the capability to supply such vaccines. As Financial Times blames India for its failure to keep its promise, it does not talk about the commitments of three other partners in the alliance – Australia, the US and Japan.

India – the strongest link in the Quad

Well, it is not an unknown fact that the United States of America has utterly failed to stand up for the rest of the world, both in terms of tackling the pandemic in the first place and its response to shape the post-Covid world. When India stood up to supply 664 million doses of vaccines to over 95 countries under its Vaccine Maitri initiative, the United States of America hoarded all the vaccines for itself.

Not just it, it even banned the export of vaccine raw materials to India when the vaccine manufacturers in the country needed it the most. It is important to note that Quad members had agreed to create a vaccine coalition and supply vaccine raw materials to India to step up the production of 1 billion vaccine doses by the end of the year. It looks like the US completely failed on its promise. However, the Financial Times does not have the courage to call the United States the weak link.

Further, when it comes to the other two partners Australia and Japan, their efforts and commitments to the ongoing global war against the Wuhan virus is almost negligible. However, western media has no temerity to call out the inability of Japan and Australia to step up on behalf of the Quad, as these countries are considered as the first-world countries, while India is depicted as poor, third-world country by the western press.

The fact is, India is the only member nation in the Quad that has been pushing vocally for enhanced international cooperation and global effort to fight the pandemic. India is the only country in the Quad that has sent vaccines, medical supplies and other help to dozens of small countries struggling in the pandemic. India has not only helped its sown neighbours, like Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but it has also stood resolute beside struggling small nations all over the world, even in the Caribbean, the USA’ own neighbourhood.

The Quad needs India, not vice-versa

The western media that jumps every time to depict India in a poor light should understand that it is the world and the Quad that needs India to tackle China and not the other way around.

In fact, India is the only nation in the Quad that is engaged in a direct military conflict with China in recent years. Moreover, even as the Western media delivers myopic judgements, India has thousands of soldiers standing in an eye-ball to eye-ball situation with China’s PLA in Eastern Ladakh. India is also the only Quad nation that shares a border, a very large border at that, with China. Any assumptions thath India is “not doing enough”, is therefore foolish.

In fact, the fundamental idea behind any anti-China coalition, including Quad is weaved keeping India as the focal point as it is the only democratic global power in the region that shares a maritime and land border with China. There is no power in the world that can face China eye-to-eye other than India, and the world clearly understands it because India has been doing it for decades.

Someday, the West has to accept the eternal truth, which it is reluctant to do: With or without Quad, India can and has taken the fight to China. India does not need any favour from the free world to stand up against the Chinese belligerence.

Man who slapped Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee in 2015 found dead, family says murder: What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Man who slapped Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee in 2015 found dead, family says murder: What we know so far

Ever since the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) retained power in West Bengal, a macabre wave of violence has swept the state, with deaths of dissidents and opponents becoming a routine affair. Now, Devasish Acharya, the man who slapped TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in 2015, has been found dead under mysterious circumstances in West Bengal. 

On Thursday morning, that is, on June 17, Acharya was left at the Tamluk district hospital in Midnapore in a grievously injured condition. According to hospital records, Acharya was brought to the hospital in the wee hours of Thursday by some unknown men, who left soon after. 

However, Acharya could not fight his worsening condition and he soon died in the afternoon. His family was shocked to know about the condition of Acharya and alleged that he had been murdered. 

The BJP leadership in the state has questioned the circumstances that led to the death of Devasish. It is worth noting that Acharya had joined the saffron party in 2020. 

Police in its preliminary investigation said that Acharya had gone out with two of his friends on June 16 evening. The three men rode motorbikes when they stopped at a tea stall near the Sonapetya Toll Plaza. 

Devasish reportedly received a phone call when he left his friends at the tea stall. Police are now probing where Devasish went from the tea stall and whom did he meet. 

Devasish Acharya had slapped Abhishek Banerjee at a political meeting in January 2015

Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee was slapped and punched by Devasish at a public meeting in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district in January 2015.

With minutes of hitting Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool leaders and supporters on the dais indulged in a free-for-all attack against Devasish. He was severely injured in the assault and was later admitted at a district hospital in East Midnapore.

The TMC had then justified the assault against Acharya saying that the youth was “still alive”. 

“The thrashing was a reaction to the condemnable incident (slapping) and could have been worse. Not everyone comes to politics from Bharat Sevasram Sangha or Ramakrishna Mission. Nothing big happened and the youth is alive. What happened is nothing”, said Subrata Mukherjee, vice president of Trinamool Congress and state panchayat minister.

The normalisation of using violence against political opponents in West Bengal

Devasish’s death reflects the normalisation of using violence by TMC goons against their political opponents. Post-poll violence has become a leitmotif of news emerging out of Bengal following the declaration of results. Umpteen number of violence against political opponents have been reported from the state. 

In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims have been BJP supporters and workers while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. More than 24 BJP workers lost their lives in just one month of the new government in West Bengal. It has also been reported that women belonging to the opposition camp has been subjected to sexual violence in West Bengal. 

The violence unleashed against them forced hundreds of BJP party workers and supporters to flee their villages along with their families. They crossed over to Assam where they were provided temporary shelter under supervision by minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. It is not just the BJP but even CPI(M) which has accused the TMC of killing its workers. Reports of attacks on BSF jawans have also emerged in the media.

Brand new drama? Now AAP corporator blames BJP for her divorce, says she ‘chose voters over her husband’: What happened

OpIndia Staff
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Brand new drama? Now AAP corporator blames BJP for her divorce, says she ‘chose voters over her husband’: What happened

The Aam Aadmi Party is synonymous with drama. From Kejriwal’s press conference where he claimed to expose a “scam” related to demonetisation in 2016 right up to his theatrics of being put under ‘house arrest’ by the Modi government, the AAP chief has never failed to entertain the public. And now, the penchant of the party supremo seems to be rubbing on the members of his party as well.

In a brand-new drama episode, AAP corporator of Surat has pinned the blame for her divorce on BJP. Carefully trying to use her divorce to garner the sympathy of her voters, the MLA claimed of choosing her voters over her husband.

Ruta Dudhgara, Surat’s Municipal Corporation’s ward number 3 corporator, has claimed that BJP’s Kamrej MLA V D Jhalawadia, gave her husband a hefty sum to persuade her to swap sides, further sabotaging her already fragile marriage and resulting to divorce.

According to reports, Ruta Dudhgara has claimed that she was offered Rs 3 crore by BJP’s Kamrej MLA V D Jhalawadia to switch sides. When she declined, the BJP MLA approached her husband and asked him to persuade her to change her mind. He was lured with a similar offer which led to disputes between them. Later, she claimed, her husband accepted Rs 25 lakh from the MLA, which led to a terrible fight between the two, ultimately culminating in a divorce.

“I was also thrashed by Chirag in April in this dispute after which I decided to get separated”, the AAP MLA was quoted by TOI as saying.

Ruta claimed, “I chose my voters over my husband and took divorce three weeks ago.”

“I will never join the BJP. My voters have put faith in me and I will never ever betray them,” Ruta added.

Jhalawadia, however, refuted the allegation. He said AAP was maligning him and he had neither offered any money to the councillor nor had he approached her husband.

UP: Woman alleges harassment, obscene messages by police officer in Sultanpur, SP orders investigation. Details of the case

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Woman alleges harassment, obscene messages by police officer in Sultanpur, SP orders investigation. Details of the case

In UP an incident of alleged harassment of a young woman in the hands of a police inspector had come to light in Sultanpur. As per reports, a 25-year-old woman has accused a police officer of harassing her and forcing her to ‘become his girlfriend’.

The woman had stated that the said police officer, who is identified as Nirala Nagar chowki in-charge Vikas Kumar, has been sending her lewd messages and has been calling her repeatedly, with the intention of pressurising her into a physical relationship.

Kumar is posted at Nirala Nagar police station in Sultanpur. As per the complaint filed by the victim to Sultanpur SP, he had been following her for the last two months. He also got hold of her phone number and tried contacting her using different numbers.

The victim’s complaint to SP, image via Radhe Shyam Shukla on Twitter

As per reports, the victim woman had met Sultanpur SP on May 31 and had submitted a written application detailing the alleged harassment by the accused police officer. She had also submitted evidence of the repeated video calls and an audio recording to the SP. A screenshot, allegedly that of Vikas Kumar’s repeated video call attempts to the victim on WhatsApp, has been going viral on social media.

Screenshot shared by the victim. Source: NeoPolitics

As per reports, the victim is a resident of Amethi and lives in Sultanpur where she works in a beauty salon. She has alleged that she passes by the Nirala Nagar police chowki on her way to work and Inspector Vikas Kumar has been harassing her on her way to work by making lewd gestures. He had then got hold of her phone number and has been sending obscene messages and calling her repeatedly, the victim has complained.

Some media reports had also stated that the inspector, who is reportedly a Dalit, had even threatened the victim that he would entrap her in false cases if she doesn’t give in to his demands.

After the victim met the SP on May 31, SP Vipin Mishra had assigned CO city Raghavendra Chaturvedi to look into the allegations against the police officer and conduct an investigation.

Sultanpur Brahmin Sabha laments police inaction

Sandeep Pandey, District Head, Rashtriya Brahman Yuvjan Sabha, Sultanpur has stated that the victim of harassment is getting no help from the police in this case. The organization has been trying to help the victim to get justice.

He said, “The inaction of the Police is disheartening. The girl has been trying to get help from the Police, but they keep repeating that an internal enquiry is underway.” The organization has sent a letter to Chief Minister’s office about the incident as well. In the letter, the organization detailed how SI Vikas Kumar has been harassing the girl, but the Police is delaying taking any action against him.

The organisation’s letter to the CM states that the woman, who works in a beauty parlour and has to pass by the police station en route to her workplace, has been facing harassment and threats from the police officer. The letter also says that the woman has been receiving threatening and obscene messages and videos from the inspector and their attempts to get her help have failed.

The letter stated that the victim is currently in a state of fear due to the threats. The letter also says that some media organisations have run the fake story of the victim getting implicated in false cases which have further traumatised her.

Source: aakhirisach

Speaking to OpIndia, Sandeep Pandey, District Head, Rashtriya Brahman Yuvjan Sabha, Sultanpur, had stated that his organisation has been in touch with the victim and they are trying to get her justice. He had also stated that the victim has been scared and traumatised by the fear that she may be entrapped in false cases for trying to take on a police officer.

Inspector removed from Nirala Nagar chowki: Sultanpur Police

As the issue trended on social media and many users highlighted the incident with a hashtag #Arrest_SI_Vikas_Kumar, the Sultanpur Police, responding to a tweet by a user named Radhe Shyam Shukla, has informed that taking cognisance of the matter, SI Vikas Kumar has been ordered away from the Nirala Nagar chowki to report at the police lines. Another accused involved, a constable named Aamir Sohail has been suspended and the CO has initiated an investigation into the issue.

SP had tried to shame victim: Report

As per a report in Aaj Tak, the victim had stated that she was shamed by the SP when she had tried to narrate the incident. The senior police officer had reportedly told her that she should not focus on “these things” and should instead focus on her work. He had also allegedly chastised her for using a smartphone, saying, “Why do you need an Android phone and WhatsAPP, can you not use a normal phone? How can an inspector get hold of your phone number?”

SP says there is a honeytrap gang working

Speaking to Aaj Tak, SP Mishra has stated that the CO has been asked to conduct an investigation. “Next steps will be taken after his investigation report is filed. There is a honeytrap gang working too. Another constable is also involved in the case. We will see what action can be taken against the inspector. After all the details are available, I will suspend that constable and will also initiate legal action against this girl,” the SP has reportedly said.

Farmer org releases unclear video to claim man committed suicide at Tikri border, clearer video shows man accusing ‘farmer’ of setting him on fire

OpIndia Staff
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Farmer org releases unclear video to claim man committed suicide at Tikri border, clearer video shows man accusing ‘farmer’ of setting him on fire

In the wee hours of Thursday, a man was burnt alive and later, succumbed to his injuries after visiting the Tikri border where farmers and middlemen are protesting against the farm laws by the central government. The 42-year-old person from Kasar village has been identified as Mukesh. Reportedly, casteist slurs were hurled at him before the farmers set him on fire. In fact, villagers say that this was a conspiracy to make him appear a ‘martyr’ against the farm laws.

After coming under severe criticism for the spate of rapes, molestations and now, a man being burnt alive, Kisan Ekta Morcha, the organisation spearheading the violent protests at Tikri border released a video claiming that Mukesh had set himself on fire. They claimed that any version to the contrary is “BJP propaganda”.

In the video, Mukesh is seen in a charred state, sitting in pitch darkness. While being burnt fatally, a farmer is heard interrogating him about who set him on fire. After prodding, Mukesh, in that state of pain and trauma, says that he set himself on fire because was tired of his family issues.

While the “farmers” are using this to conveniently exonerate themselves, there is another, clearer video where Mukesh is giving his dying declaration while being treated in the hospital.

In this video that has been accessed by OpIndia, Mukesh is heard clearly identifying his assailants saying that the farmers present at the Tikri border set him on fire.

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In this video, Mukesh clearly says that that the farmers at the Tikri border, specifically a man in white kurta, set him on fire. The police official asks him specifically if he set himself on fire or it was the farmers who set himself on fire. To this, he clearly says that it was the farmer and he did not set fire to himself.

According to the events that transpired, Mukesh was burnt alive at 3:00 AM in the morning. If we go by the video that the Kisan Ekta Morcha has put up, it stands to reason that right after he was set on fire, presumably the very people that perpetuated the crime were interrogating him while he was in excruciating pain.

Logic dictates that Mukesh was delirious owing to the pain and was also scared, since those who burnt him, or at least those who were shielding the people who burnt him, were interrogating him. One would imagine that the only thing on his mind was surviving with whatever little life he had left and making it out of there alive.

The second video accessed by OpIndia clearly shows that before he succumbed to his injuries, Mukesh declared that he was burnt by the farmer present at the Tikri border.

Man burnt alive at Tikri border: Details of the case

The incident took place at Kasar village near Bahardurgarh in Haryana. During wee hours on Thursday at 3 AM, some protesting ‘farmers’ at the border splashed fuel on Mukesh and set him on fire. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to the burn injuries. 

As per a police complaint by one Madan Lal, on Wednesday at around 5 PM, Mukesh had gone out and reached the protesting farmers’ site. Madan Lal later got to know that Mukesh was set on fire. He reached the site along with Sarpanch Toni Kumar and saw Mukesh being badly burnt.

Farmer protest site has turned into a crime hot spot

This is not the first time that such crime incidents are being reported from the ‘farmer’ protests site along the borders surrounding the national capital. The ‘farmer’ protests site has lately turned out to be a crime hotspot as several allegations of rape, murder have surfaced from the site in the last few months. 

In April, a 26-year-old anti-farm law protestor was murdered by a fellow farmer protestor near Kasar village near the Tikri border in Delhi. The victim has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, who was protesting against farm laws at the Tikri border. Singh was murdered by a fellow protestor Ranbir Singh alias Satta Singh over a monetary dispute. 

Similarly, on March 25, a 60-year-old farmer named Hakam Singh was found dead with a slit throat. According to the police, Singh was murdered using a ‘sharp-edged weapon’. His dead body was discovered by other anti-farm law protestors in a field behind the new bus stand at the Tikri border. Incidents of rape have also been reported.

Update: The video of Mukesh, where he says that farmers burnt him alive in his dying declaration, accessed by OpIndia, was uploaded on YouTube earlier. To suppress the truth, it was mass reported and the video was taken down by YouTube eventually. We have now uploaded it elsewhere so the truth is not suppressed.

Darbhanga: Parcel registered in the name of one Md Sufiyan explodes at railway station, investigation on

OpIndia Staff
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Darbhanga: Parcel registered in the name of one Md Sufiyan explodes at railway station, investigation on

On Thursday (June 17), an explosion took place at Darbhanga Junction Railway station in Darbhanga district of Bihar. A registered package had reportedly exploded. The said parcel was sent to Darbhanga from Secunderabad in Telangana.

As per reports, the blast took place at 3:25 pm near the escalator of the Government Railway Police (GRP) station on platform number 1. The parcel immediately caught fire, creating a situation of panic and fear. On hearing a loud thud, a team led by GRP station-in-charge Harun Rashid and Railway Protection Force (RPF) Inspector Brajesh Kumar reached the spot. The cops doused the fire and began a probe in the case.

According to the preliminary investigation, the parcel contained clothes and a sealed vial that is now believed to have carried explosives. It was also revealed that the parcel was booked in the name of one Mohammed Sufiyan on June 15. The Superintendent of Police (Darbhanga Railway) was also informed about the case. Meanwhile, Government Railway Police DSP Navin Kumar reached the site of the blast. A team would be constituted to further probe the case.

No casualties or damage to property was reported after the incident. Meanwhile, a forensic team has begun working to determine the cause of the explosion. News 18 reported that the parcel did not contain the name and details of the sender or the address of the receiver Mohammed Sufiyan. The police have been treating Sufiyan as a suspect in the case, given that he did not show up to collect the parcel.

Massive explosion took place last year in one Nazir’s house in Darbhanga

On June 5 last year, an explosion took place in the house of a 50-year-old man named Mohammed Nazir in the Azamnagar Durga Temple area of Darbhanga in Bihar. The area, which falls under the jurisdiction of University Thana, was shaken with a loud bang that could be heard as far as 1 kilometre away. The blast was so massive that the walls and roof of Nazir’s house had collapsed completely.

Several members of the family had been injured. Though initial reports claimed that the explosion was due to firecrackers, locals had stated that it had taken place due to illegal bomb manufacturing.

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