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Data of over 3.5 million MobiKwik users up for sale on darknet by hackers: January hack, what OpIndia found and what users can do

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Data of over 3.5 million MobiKwik users up for sale on darknet by hackers: January hack, what OpIndia found and what users can do

On March 29, it was reported by several cybersecurity experts and media agencies that ‘Know Your Customer (KYC) data of millions of users of payment app Mobikwik is up for sale on the dark web.

Notably, the alleged breach was first reported by a security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia on February 26. His claims were earlier denied by Mobikwik. However, several experts say that they were able to access some of the leaked data on the dark web. Several screenshots of the personal data of Mobikwik users has been published on social media network in the last couple of days. According to BGR, the data contains

  • Total 350GB MySQL dumps – > 500 databases
  • 99 million — email ID, phone, passwords, addresses, apps installed, phone manufacturer, IP address, and GPS location
  • 40 million — 10 digit card, month, year, card hash
  • ~7.5 TB of ~3 million Merchant KYC data – passports, Aadhar cards, pan cards, selfie, store picture proof, and more used to get loans on the mobile phone-based payment system.

The breach happened in January 2021 – claimed Rajshekhar

In his tweet thread on February 26, Rajshekhar claimed that information of 11 crores Indian cardholders’ card data, including personal details and KYC (PAN, Aadhaar), is up for sale on the darknet. He further added that the breach happened from the data centre of the company located in India. As per his post, the data comprises 6 TB of KYC data and 350 GB of compressed MySQL dump.

Rajshekhar claimed that the actors behind the alleged breach claimed that they got access to the server in January 2021 and had access for over a month. He also claimed that the company removed a blog post about the 2010 data breach, but when we checked, it was still available.

Screenshot of the old blog post that Rajshekhar claimed was deleted by the company

What is in the leaked data?

As per the reports, the leaked data contains 36,099,759 files spread over 8.2 TB. It contains KYC details, addresses, email IDs, bank account numbers, credit card details, phone numbers and Aadhaar card numbers of MobiKwik customers. The data is up for sale for 1.5 Bitcoin, which converts to approx USD 85,000.

TechNadu said in a post that the email ids, phone numbers, passwords, apps installed, phone manufacturer, IP address, GPS locations, and other details of users were available in the file that is available on the darknet.

The actors behind the attack who go by the name ninja_storm, said in the sale post that they had recovered the data and it is up for sale. He further added in the post that the data could be used to secure small loans just like the USA but in India. “All data deleted on our end after the transfer,” said the hacker towards the end of the post.

Image source: TechNadu

Experts’ views on the breach

Troy Hunt, founder of Have I Been Pwned, a website that checks if someone’s email address or password was compromised, said in a tweet that companies should not behave as Mobikwik did in its March 4 post. “Try Googling ‘Mobikwik data breach’ now…,” he added.

Alon Gal, co-founder and CTO of Hudson Rock, called it a devastating hack. He said, “For each individual, there is just an astounding amount of information, this is really just a devastating hack, and all the data is up for sale by the threat actors.”

Vikash Chaudhary, CEO at HackersEra, said in a post on LinkedIn that his data is also available in the leak. He said, “India should have a strict data privacy law like the EU having GDPR. The saddest part is my data is also there.”

Kiran Jonnalagadda, the founder at HasGeek, said that the leak is real. In the thread posted by him on Twitter, he showed how one could determine if the hack is real. He said that the date in the dump matches an email that he had received by Mobikwik back in 2013 when he created an account on the app. Talking about the credit card details stored in the data dump, he alleged that he did not remember authorizing Mobikwik for saving the details.

While talking about the mismatch in password hash, he said the mismatch is creating some uncertainty. He added, “A password hash match would have made this irrefutable evidence as the password isn’t reused. Sans that, at this point, the evidence is merely compelling.”

Sunny Nehra, Admin at Hacks and Security, said, “The data is real. Anyone can check that by searching their own mobile no. they shared with Mobikwik. Refusal of hacks or leaks by companies have become common nowadays, and that’s costing a lot to their users. One should deny bogus claims, but real claims must be acknowledged.”

Mobikwik’s March 4 statement irked netizens

On March 4, Mobikwik had denied any data breach. In a tweet thread, they said, “We thoroughly investigated his allegations and did not find any security lapses. Our user and company data is completely safe and secure.”

Mobikwik’s tweet thread denying the breach

The company further added that its legal team is looking into the matter. They said, “our legal team will be pursuing strict action against this so-called researcher who is trying to malign our brand reputation for ulterior motives.”

The month-old tweet thread has been making rounds on the social media platform, and Mobikwik users are not pleased with the denial.

Sanjeev Gupta, Secretary at ISCS, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, said in a Tweet thread that after learning about the breach, he contacted some tech experts who informed him that his information was, in fact, available in the data dump. He shared a screenshot of the reply he got and said, “Mobikwik denied it on March 4. So, I tried URL sent to me on DM by some techies & also available publicly. Got all data including mobile no., email, #ed password, credit cards (fields for apps, CVV2, Expiry too!). I shudder to think for those who did full KVC using Aadhaar.”

He further added that his second mobile number was also in the dump. He urged users not to share all the information with payment solution companies, including Mobikwik, Paytm and Amazon.

Sale of the dump suspended

According to a report published by The Hacker News, the sale of the data dump has been suspended by hackers. They said, “Only sell this to the company after due verification that we are dealing with company,” the hacker said in an update. By the update, it seems like the data dump is going to be used as means to extort money from Mobikwik.

OpIndia’s investigation revealed some truth to the claims

We tried to access the dark web link provided in some of the tweets and found that a lot of information was available. One of our team members was able to find details of a family member’s account.

screenshot

Below the search details, random files from the data dump were published. Here are some copies of such files.

Images of KYC data retrieved from data dump. We have hidden the details for privacy.

What should the users do?

  • First of all, change the password of your account immediately. Go to the link https://www.mobikwik.com/mywallet/settings and then click on Change Password. You can do it from the app too.
  • In the next step, until everything is verified and cleared from the company, it is better to withdraw your money from Mobikwik. You can use the link https://www.mobikwik.com/mywallet/balance.
  • If you have added UPI accounts in the app, please remove them. You can use https://www.mobikwik.com/mywallet/linked-banks for this purpose.
  • If you have added debit or credit cards to the account, it is advised to remove them for a while. Visit https://www.mobikwik.com/mywallet/cards and click on Remove.
  • Please do not authorize any payment link without confirming.
  • Make sure to change the authentication passwords for app and bank accounts.
  • It is better to change your UPI passwords too.
  • In case you notice any unusual activity in your bank account, please contact your nearest police station immediately and inform the concerned banks and authorities.

About MobiKwik

Mobikwik was launched in August 2009 by Bipin Singh and Upasana Taku. Initially, it provided a mobile recharge facility. In 2012, Mobikwik launched an e-wallet system that allowed users to pay bills etc. Now, the company has extended its services to money transfer, loans and insurance as well. RBI authorized its semi-closed e-wallet in 2013. The company is planning to launch its IPO by September this year.

OpIndia has tried to reach out to the founders of MobiKwik. The story will be updated accordingly.

BMC orders private hospitals to keep 80% beds vacant for COVID-19 patients, says Mumbai may face shortage of beds within a week

OpIndia Staff
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BMC orders private hospitals to keep 80% beds vacant for COVID-19 patients, says Mumbai may face shortage of beds within a week

With Mumbai recording 5,888 new Covid cases on Monday, BMC has directed all private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 80% of hospital beds and all ICU beds vacant for Covid-19 patients. No admission by private hospitals will be allowed without BMC’s approval. The move comes after recording a surge in Covid-19 cases which has led to a scarcity of beds once again in the city.

Mumbai has crossed the 4 lakh mark with active cases crossing 46,000. Indicating the gravity of the situation, BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in a meeting with the Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, said Mumbai is likely to touch 10,000 cases a day in the next few days.

In another attempt to free up space for critical Covid-19 patients, the BMC has decided to discharge asymptomatic patients with no comorbidities. “It is instructed to urgently discharge any asymptomatic Covid positive patients,” read a statement issued by BMC to all the hospitals on Monday.

Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said that observing the sharp rise in daily cases, at least 20,000 isolation beds will be required in the city. Currently, there are over 15,000 beds in Mumbai. He added, “We have directed jumbo centres to operationalise all their wards. Until now, half the jumbo centres were unused.”

In an attempt to increase the capacity, the civic body has converted 69 nursing homes into Covid centres to add 2000 beds and 400 ICUs to its tally. This move has reduced capacity for critical non-Covid patients which has raised concerns.

Mumbai to experience shortage of beds

BMC has revealed data which shows that vacancy of beds has dipped from 49 per cent 10 days ago to 26 per cent. There are 4,057 beds available in dedicated Covid hospitals, Covid care centres and dedicated Covid health centres. However, in the last 10 days, Covid-19 patients’ admission in hospitals grew from 6,816 to 11,537. At that rate, the BMC predicts that Mumbai may face shortages of beds in a week’s time.

Uddhav Thackeray threatens lockdown yet again

What seems to be the only solution at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s disposal, he has directed the administration to draw up a roadmap for a second lockdown. The move has been severely opposed by his own alliance party, NCP and BJP too have threatened a public protest if another lockdown is imposed in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena government has yet again given a new date to release a solid plan to tackle the surge in Covid-19 cases as they continue to monitor and review the situation. While there is no consensus among leaders in Shiv Sena, CM has ordered the public health officials to keep a Standard Operating Procedure handy in case another lockdown becomes imperative.

Dr. Shashank Joshi who was a part of the meeting between CM and health officials said, “Lockdown is the last resort, but we have to consider it as the healthcare infrastructure is crumbling.”

The MVA government has been receiving backlash since the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic for its failure to bring the situation under control. In June last year, the government had asked hospitals to use oxygen cylinders to provide immediate relief to critical Covid-19 patients as the state was witnessing a shortage of ventilators.

For now, the MVA government is trying to curb the rise in Covid-19 cases by imposing night curfew and conducting random checks at malls, multiplexes and restaurants.

‘You do not act against those blocking roads for Namaaz’: Video of Delhi Police putting out Holika Dahan with water goes viral, police deny allegation

OpIndia Staff
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‘You do not act against those blocking roads for Namaaz’: Video of Delhi Police putting out Holika Dahan with water goes viral, police deny allegation

A video from Krishna Nagar, Delhi has gone viral on social media where a crowd can be seen alleging that the Delhi Police interrupted a Holika Dahan puja, doused the fire, and arrested two people.

The video was shared by Suresh Chavhanke of Sudharshan News on Twitter. The ladies who had gathered to offer puja seemed visibly upset with the action. A crowd was seen questioning the officers at the location and alleged that the fire was doused by Delhi police officials.

A lady can be heard saying that this is the first time she witnessed the Holika Dahan being doused with a water pipe. Another angry voice can be heard saying that the Police does not take any action against people who sit on roads for Namaaz or Shaheen Bagh protests.

Contesting the claims of Sudarshan TV, DCP Shahdara Delhi issued a clarification on Twitter saying that the police did not douse the Holika and no person was arrested. Calling the allegations false and baseless the Tweet read that they were just following the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Delhi government.

However, within two hours of the clarification issued, Sudarshan TV shared another video where Delhi Police can be seen clearly dousing the Holika with a water pipe and a bucket of water.

OpIndia tried reaching the DCP, Shahdara police station for a clarification but was unsuccessful.

With the sudden surge in new Covid-19 cases, the Centre had asked all the states and union territories to consider imposing restrictions and limit public gathering.

Chief Secretary Vijay Dev had released an order which said, “All authorities concerned will ensure that public celebrations and gatherings, congregations during upcoming festivals like Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Navaratri etc shall not be allowed in public places/public grounds/public parks/markets/religious places etc in NCT of Delhi.”

Meenu Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police (CP), Delhi Police also issued a directive that stated, “For Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Navratri, no gathering allowed at public places. We appeal to the public to follow COVID-19 directives, not drink and drive, and follow traffic rules. There should not be any traffic violations including no riding without a helmet on Holi.”

Shashi Tharoor’s nephew develops a game where you have to solve a ‘suspicious death’: Netizens remember a certain Leela Palace case

OpIndia Staff
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Shashi Tharoor’s nephew develops a game where you have to solve a ‘suspicious death’: Netizens remember a certain Leela Palace case

Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday announced that his nephew Nihal Tharoor has invented a game with his colleague that has turned out to be a sensation in the gaming world. Shashi Tharoor said that a player has to “solve the mystery of a suspicious death in London by looking through clues on the victim’s mobile”.

The announcement attracted mockery from people on social media due to the fact that the senior Congress leader’s wife died under suspicious circumstances as well and he is an accused in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Shashi Tharoor is charged with abetting the suicide of his wife.

People asked Tharoor on social media if he saw the irony of the comment.

Others said that they could clearly see the source of Nihal’s inspiration.

There were others who were more explicit in their comments, saying that there was now some hope for the Sunanda Pushkar death case.

Netizens took plenty of jibes at Shashi Tharoor over the tweet promoting his nephew’s game.

Sunanda Pushkar death case

Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor was found dead under mysterious conditions in her suite at Delhi’s Leela Hotel on January 17, 2014.

On January 16, 2014, Sunanda Pushkar had a spat on Twitter with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar after rumours of the latter having affair with Shashi Tharoor went abuzz. Sunanda also accused Mehr of being an ISI agent and of stalking her, however, Mehr refuted these allegations, calling them ‘absurd’. Hours later these tweets were deleted from Sunanda Pushkar’s timeline. The following day, Pushkar was found dead in suite number 345 of Delhi’s Leela Palace Hotel.

Bombay High Court: Justice Shinde calls PIL seeking probe into allegations against Anil Deshmukh as ‘cheap publicity stunt’

OpIndia Staff
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Bombay High Court: Justice Shinde calls PIL seeking probe into allegations against Anil Deshmukh as ‘cheap publicity stunt’

On Tuesday, Justice SS Shinde of the Bombay High Court (BHC) rebuked a lawyer named Dr Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil for seeking a CBI probe into the allegations of extortion levelled by former Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The petitioner had also sought an investigation into the role played by Singh during his tenure as the Mumbai CP.

Such petitions are filed for ‘cheap publicity’, says Justice Shinde

The writ petition was filed a week ago and came up for hearing before a 2-Judge Bench of Justice Shinde and Minish Pitale. While rebuking the petitioner Dr Patil, Justice Shinde said, “You say you are a doctorate in law but please show us a single paragraph by you. Your entire petition is based on extracting paragraphs. What is your contribution? What is your locus?”

Furthermore, he told the petitioner that such petitions, seeking an investigation into allegations of misconduct, are filed for ‘cheap publicity.’ Justice Shinde emphasised, “Prima facie, we are of the opinion such petitions are filed for cheap publicity.”

FIR not registered against Anil Deshmukh, petitioner cites reasons

It must be mentioned that the petitioner had earlier lodged a complaint with the Malabar Hill Police Station in Mumbai in connection to the case. According to Dr Patil, the police failed to register a First Information Report (FIR) due to ‘influence’, ‘muscle power’, ‘money power’ and ‘political power’ of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

On being asked about the status of the FIR, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni claimed, “The complaint is pending. But it’s a very shoddily drafted petition. Even font size is different.” Justice Shinde then directed the Advocate General to club similar petitions to avoid ‘inconsistent orders’. The matter will be taken up for hearing on April 1.

PIL by Param Bir Singh to be heard tomorrow

On Wednesday (March 31), the Bombay High Court will hear a petition filed by Param Bir Singh seeking a CBI probe into the ‘actions’ of Anil Deshmukh. He has pleaded in his prayer that the Court issue ‘appropriate directions’ to ensure’ that transfer of police officials are not done to benefit any politician. Singh had also sought immediate custody of CCTV footage of Deshmukh’s residence by the CBI to prevent its destruction.

Dalits, Tribals In Naxal area demand probe against Justice Shinde

Earlier, Dalits and Tribals of the Naxal-affected region had written a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India seeking an interrogation of Justice Shinde, one of the Justices who had granted bail to accused Varavara Rao in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case.

The letter was written by the ‘Communist Hinsa Pidit Adivasi Dalit Sangharsh Committee’, a group based out of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. In the letter, the committee has asserted that the decision to grant bail to Varavara Rao has angered the Dalit and Tribal victims of Naxal violence. It had asked Justice Shinde and his family members to come and live in the Naxal-affected areas and witness the atrocities committed by them.

Besides, the committee has also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the bail order granted by Justice Shinde to the accused ‘Urban Naxal’ Varavara Rao. It has also asked the apex court to direct the Income Tax Department to investigate Shinde for allegedly possessing illicit assets. Furthermore, the committee has also urged the top court to appoint a committee of Supreme Court judges to investigate the cases presided over by Justice Shinde so far.

What IMA President thinks: Using hospitals to convert to Christianity, contempt for Hinduism, seeing COVID as a ‘silver lining’ because of conversions and more

Jinit Jain
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What IMA President thinks: Using hospitals to convert to Christianity, contempt for Hinduism, seeing COVID as a ‘silver lining’ because of conversions and more

In December last year, there was a change of guard at the helm of affairs at the prestigious Indian Medical Association, the country’s largest professional council of healthcare personnel. Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal was appointed as the new national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for the year 2020-2021 at its 95th annual national conference held in December 2020.

However, if Dr JA Jayalal’s utterances are to be believed, he harbours missionary zeal to convert the weak and the vulnerable to Christianity in “secular organisations” that he serves and nurses contempt for Hindu Nationalism and the Government of India.

In an interview recently published on Haggai International, the current president of the IMA said, “The Hindu Nationalist Government wants to destroy modern medicine saying it is ‘western medicine.’ Please keep this in your international prayers. If everything goes their way, we will not have pure modern medicine courses in India by 2030.”

Dr Jayalal wants his professional qualifications and recently acquired position as the head of the Indian Medical Association to be used to further Christian evangelism that is carried out by Christian missionaries. In fact, for Dr Jayalal, the coronavirus outbreak is an opportunity that can be leveraged to convert medical students, patients and fellow doctors into Christianity.

Dr Jayalal wants secular organisations and medical institutes to be used for conversion

Dr Jayalal regards the platform of the Indian Medical Association as a springboard for him to share the “love of Jesus Christ” and be a “living witness to God and encourage young medical students and doctors to receive Jesus as their personal saviour”.

According to Dr Jayalal, it was “Christian compassion” and Christian doctors and churches who relieved the world from lethal maladies such as leprosy, cholera and other pandemics in the past. He believes the coronavirus pandemic has provided “the urgent need of the proclamation of the Gospel to people who are suffering from the virus has allowed us to share the Gospel even in secular institutions”.

Dr Jayalal proclamation of being a devout Christian and his reverence for controversial figure Mother Teresa

In his presidential address after being anointed as the chief of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Jayalal did not flinch from expressing his Christian evangelism and hailing controversial characters such as Mother Teresa, regarded by many as a predatory Christian proselytiser responsible for industrial-scale conversions of the indigenous people to Christianity.

“…I firmly believe what I am today is the Gift of my almighty God Jesus Christ and what I become tomorrow will be my gift to God. With gratitude, I salute you for giving me this opportunity unanimously. I affirm the statement of Mother Teresa once “You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do but together we can do great things.” Shall be my modus operandi,” Dr Jayalal said.

COVID-19’s silver lining is that Christianity is growing: Dr JA Jayalal

In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Dr Jayalal saw a silver lining in an otherwise dreary and bleak coronavirus outbreak. According to him, despite the hardships, difficulties and restrictions that came in the wake of the pandemic, Christianity was growing.

“I am able to see, even amid persecution, even amid difficulties, even amid the control by the government, even among the restrictions we face in openly proclaiming the message, by various means and ways, Christianity is growing,” he told CT.

According to Dr Jayalal, it was only because of the unwavering faith of people in Jesus Christ, a crisis as grave as the coronavirus pandemic had been averted. “It’s only the grace of God Almighty that helps us to get over the crisis and stay safe, and it was his grace that protected us. Through night-time prayers, family prayers, Christians began shifting from the materialistic things to the blessings in heaven. They began to concentrate more on that,” he said.

For the president of the country’s most prestigious medical council, efforts by the medical community, the restrictions enforced by the government and the general caution observed by the public were secondary and not as consequential in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak as their faith in Jesus Christ.

Dr Jayalal accuses the central government of advancing Hindutva through promoting Ayurveda and Sanskrit language

Dr Jayalal not only promoted Christianity in his capacity as the President of the Indian Medical Association, but he also criticised the ancient Indian traditions and Ayurvedic medicine. Elaborating on his critique that “the Hindu Nationalist government wants to destroy modern medicine saying it is ‘western medicine’,” Dr Jayalal said that the government has faith in Ayurveda because of their cultural value and traditional belief in the Hindutva.

“The government of India, because of their cultural value and traditional belief in the Hindutva, believes in a system called Ayurveda. For the last three or four years, they have tried to replace modern medicine with this. Now, starting in 2030, you will have to study this alongside Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, homoeopathy, yoga, and naturopathy,” Dr Jayalal said.

Dr Jayalal’s opposition to Ayurveda and Vedic methods of medical treatment stems from the fact that most of it have been catalogued in the traditional Indian language Sanskrit, which according to him is the language of Hindutva. Dr Jayalal contends the renewed focus on the Sanskrit language is a way through which the government wants to introduce the language of Hindutva into the minds of the people.

“This (Ayurveda, Unani, homoeopathy, yoga etc.) is also based on the Sanskrit language, which is always traditionally based on the Hindu principles. This is an indirect way for the government to introduce the language of Sanskrit and the language of Hindutva into the minds of the people,” Dr Jayalal had said in an interview with Christianity Today.

Dr Jayalal, a devout Christian and ostensibly a supporter of Christian missionaries, claimed in his interview that he has opposed these measures by the government and organised various demonstrations and protests. Doctors across the country observed fasting as a mark to oppose the government support to Ayurveda and Sanskrit. The fasting was based on the Christian concept of suffering. While organising these protests, Dr Jayalal claims he is “seeking the wisdom and guidance of God Almighty about what he will do in this difficult time”.

‘God Almighty has given us the holistic way of healing people’: Dr Jayalal on being a “Christian Doctor”

While he dismissed Ayurveda and other Vedic medical treatments as “quackery”, Dr Jayalal was unabashed enough to claim that Christian doctors are blessed with a special ability to provide “holistic healing”, which includes spiritual, mental and social healing.

“Normally in the medical profession, we talk about the physical curing. But as a Christian, I believe we are not just here to physically cure, but God Almighty has called us to give holistic healing, which includes the spiritual healing, the mental healing, and the social healing,” he said.

What Dr Jayalal is implying here is that by the virtue of their faith, Christian Doctors are gifted with a paranormal ability to effect just not physical curing but mental and spiritual healing as well. He then goes on to say more Christian doctors are required to work more in secular institutions, mission institutions, and medical colleges, who can impart “Christian healing” to the patients.

These proclamations by Dr Jayalal are in line with his previously declared desire of using secular hospitals and medical colleges to convert doctors, patients and students into the fold of Christianity.

Hindus in India should accept Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad as one of their Gods because Hinduism is based on polytheism: Dr JA Jayalal

When asked what is Christian community’s relationship with Hindu nationalists, Dr Jayalal suggested that Hindus should accept Jesus and Muhammad as their Gods because their religion is based on polytheism. Since Hindus believe in multiple Gods, Dr Jayalal believes it is not difficult for them to exhibit tolerance and internalise Christian and Islamic practices.

“One of the things we must always remember is that Hinduism or Hindutva is different from other religions because of polytheism. They accept different gods. They have no difficulty in accepting or proclaiming that Jesus is one of the gods or Muhammad is one of the gods. So religious restrictions are less when comparing them with systems of other countries. I personally feel that it is not that difficult in India,” Dr Jayalal said.

Dr Jayalal’s idea of being a serious Christian

According to the Indian Medical Association President, being a serious Christian does not require one to be a pastor or a minister or in a Church.

“You can be a Christian police officer or work in the revenue department. The place does not decide how you are going to be a Christian. It is your relationship with God Almighty. When we have a relationship with the Father above, we know who we are and who is our master,” he said.

“The opportunity in front of every Christian is splendid. It is not solely the responsibility of the pastor; it is that every Christian who is born again and who has experienced the love and affection of God Almighty will respond to the calling to go and preach the gospel. I am able to see, even amid persecution, even amid difficulties, even amid the control by the government, even among the restrictions we face in openly proclaiming the message, by various means and ways, Christianity is growing,” he added.

The day a BJP worker’s wife is raped by TMC in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee says she is contesting from there to ‘pay respect to sisters and mothers’

OpIndia Staff
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The day a BJP worker’s wife is raped by TMC in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee says she is contesting from there to ‘pay respect to sisters and mothers’

Nandigram assumes huge importance for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee who is engaged in a straight showdown with BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, her once-trusted loyalist, in the constituency. For this reason, the TMC supremo is going all out to do whatever it takes to woo her voters. Speaking at a rally at Sona Chura, Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee said: “I could have contested from any other constituency but I have chosen Nandigram to pay my respect to the mothers and sisters of this place”.

Ironically, Mamata Banerjee’s statement came in hours after it was reported how the wife of a BJP worker was reportedly raped in the Tentul Bari area in Nandigram Block No.2 in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, by her own party goons.

The incident took place ahead of the upcoming polls in the Nandigram Vidhan Sabha constituency on April 1.

As per reports, the victim’s husband is an active worker of the BJP. He was threatened by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons on several occasions in the past. According to him, he was busy participating in the election rally of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday. On returning home in the evening, he found that his wife had been missing.

Later, the BJP worker discovered that his wife had been lying in an injured and unconscious state, behind his house in a canal. With the help of the locals, he was able to rescue his wife. Her mouth, hands, and legs were tied and her saree was tightly knotted around her neck. The BJP worker said that his wife’s body had multiple bruises and was evidence of rape.

The State unit of the BJP has accused the incumbent Trinamool-Congress party members of rape and attempt to murder. 

West Bengal has become a hotbed for political violence. Since the time the Bharatiya Janata Party has made successful inroads into the state, TMC goons have resorted to uncontrolled hooliganism and unleashed severe atrocities on innocent people of the state with divergent political opinions. Today’s incident also is hardly surprising. But what is shocking is Mamata Banerjee’s double standards where she talks about fighting for women while her partymen allegedly raped a woman who was the wife of a BJP worker.

He will teach girls to bend: Here is why Communist leader from Kerala wants girls to stay away from ‘unmarried’ Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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He will teach girls to bend: Here is why Communist leader from Kerala wants girls to stay away from ‘unmarried’ Rahul Gandhi

Former Left-backed Kerala MP, Joyce George, has caused a controversy following his comments on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. George says that girls should be careful of Rahul Gandhi as the latter is yet to marry. He made the comments on Tuesday while addressing a rally in support of CPI(M) leader and minister MM Mani.

Joyce George said, “Rahul Gandhi’s programme is such that he will only visit women colleges. He will go there and teach girls to bend. My dear children, please don’t bend and stand in front of him…he is not married.” Mani, present on the stage, was spotted laughing.

The Congress party has issued a statement condemning the statement made by the Left leader.

The LDF and the UDF is locked in a tight battle in the state with the BJP investing significant time and resources as well. The elections are scheduled to occur on the 6th of April with results to be declared on the 2nd of May.

Another plot twist to Sachin Vaze case: Number plate retrieved from Mithi river traced to Aurangabad official who claims his car was stolen

OpIndia Staff
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Another plot twist to Sachin Vaze case: Number plate retrieved from Mithi river traced to Aurangabad official who claims his car was stolen

Vehicles and fake number plates have had critical roles to play in the Antilia bomb scare case. Two days earlier, API Riyaz Kazi, the close aide of Mumbai tainted cop Sachin Vaze, was caught on CCTV entering a number plate shop in Vikhroli. Kazi allegedly went there with an intention to destroy evidence. Additionally, the explosive-laden Scorpio car, Vaze’s personal Mercedes car and the white Innova, which was suspected to be used in addition to the Scorpio, all these vehicles recovered by the NIA so far have been found with fake number plates.

Now in another fresh twist in the Sachin Vaze case, it has been learnt that two more vehicle registration plates, with the same number, were recovered from the Mithi river, where NIA had sent professional divers on March 28, in a bid to recover crucial evidence from the river bed.  

On Monday, a day after the NIA officials recovered two CPUs, a laptop, two digital video recorders (DVRs), and two vehicle registration plates from the Mithi river, a government official based in Aurangabad has claimed that the number plates retrieved from the Mithi river belonged to him.

“I am really worried. I don’t know how my stolen car’s number plate reached the river”, said Vijay Madhukar Nade while speaking to the media. He added that he has registered an FIR in Aurangabad regarding the same and the city police are probing the case.

Nade has claimed that his car was stolen from Aurangabad’s Uddhavrao Patil Chowk on November 16, 2020, and he had filed an FIR regarding the same. “My car – with the number MH-20-FP-1539 – was stolen on 16 November 2020 and an FIR was filed. I have a copy of the same. For three months, there was no information but yesterday, I was informed about it,” said Nade.

The NIA is now reportedly probing why Vaze used that particular registration number.

The central agency had reached the spot on Sunday at around 3:15 PM. Reports suggest that a group of 10 divers conducted the search for three hours and recovered crucial evidence. An NIA official said around seven NIA officials took Sachin Vaze to the spot from where he had discarded the evidence after damaging it with a hammer. Investigators believe that the recovered evidence is by far one of the most important recoveries made in the investigation. The search continued till 6 PM.

Sachin Vaze tried to destroy the evidence with a hammer

NIA has reportedly said, “During the interrogation of accused Sachin Vaze, he disclosed willingly to show the place where he threw the material used in the crime and destroyed the evidence. Accordingly, two independent witnesses were called, and his voluntary statement was recorded. Further, the accused showed the place as Mithi River, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai.”

According to the reports, assistant police inspector Riyazuddin Kazi had revealed that the evidence was thrown in the Mithi River during the interrogation.

A year after becoming a coronavirus hotspot, Nizamuddin Markaz opens again just as COVID cases begin to rise

OpIndia Staff
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A year after becoming a coronavirus hotspot, Nizamuddin Markaz opens again just as COVID cases begin to rise

On Sunday, the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi was reopened for prayers on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, a year after it was shut down for violating Coronavirus protocols.

As per reports, around 50 Muslims offered prayers on Shab-e-Barat at the 6-storeyed building, amidst tight security. The Waqf Board, represented by Ramesh Gupta and advocate Wajeeh Shafiq, had urged the Court to allow ‘some Muslims’ to pray at the mosque inside the Markaz. They also asked the Court to decide the matter before April 13 as many Muslims want to offer prayers during Ramazan. On March 24, the Union government told the Delhi High Court that 50 people chosen by the Waqf Board can offer prayers inside the Markaz.

The names of the individuals were provided to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area. They were allowed entry after a policeman verified their names with the list of the 50 people. Markaz volunteer Saif Ahmed claimed that all social distancing guidelines were followed. He said, “Fifty people have been allowed as of now… Government guidelines are being strictly followed. We hope that just like other places, be it a masjid, mandir or a gurdwara, where visitors have been allowed, people are allowed here too.”

Delhi Police close down markets to prevent large gatherings

When the prayers began at the mosque inside the Markaz, the cops ordered the closure of shops in the market to prevent overcrowding. A police official emphasised, “This is festival time and Covid is spreading fast. We cannot allow many people to gather.” The recent congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz comes amidst the recent guidelines of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority banning large gatherings for festivals.

Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin Markaz and Coronavirus super-spreader

The Tablighi Jamaat congregation, which took place in Nizamuddin Markaz in the first half of March last year, became a mega-spreader of coronavirus in India, with members hiding from authorities and carrying the infection to almost all states in India. The persons who had attended the event, and their family members and those who came into contact with them tested positive regularly, contributing to the increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.

The Tablighi jamaat event in Delhi wreaked havoc in the country. The Markaz event was not only attended by Indian Muslims but also foreign nationals, some of whom were found covid positive.

The alarm bells should have started ringing when seven Indonesian nationals associated with the organization tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus in Telangana after travelling from Delhi to Karimnagar for an Ijtema. However, it was only later that the full scope of the Tablighi Jamaat’s contribution to the spreading of the virus became prominent when nearly 300 Jamaatis in Delhi’s Banglewali Masjid had to be taken to hospital for suspected coronavirus symptoms, many testing positive eventually.

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