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‘He will be killed like Samuel Paty’: Father of UK school teacher fears after Muslim groups protest over Muhammad cartoons shown in class

OpIndia Staff
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‘He will be killed like Samuel Paty’: Father of UK school teacher fears after Muslim groups protest over Muhammad cartoons shown in class

After the brutal killing of a French teacher Samuel Paty by a radical Islamist terrorist, now a UK religious education teacher is fearing for his life after he showed the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of prophet Mohammad in his class.

Protests erupted despite the teacher being suspended and the principal apologising

A religious education teacher at Batley Grammar School in the United Kingdom had reportedly shown a satirical caricature of Prophet Muhammad from French magazine Charlie Hebdo. This triggered a wave of protests outside the school on Thursday. The teacher whose identity has not been disclosed has been suspended. This was followed by an apology by the Principal of the school Gary Kibble who said that the use of the image by the teacher in the class was ‘completely inappropriate. However, the teacher, who had gone into hiding last week fearing for his life, has left Batley.

The teacher is scared for himself and his family and has left Batley

The father of the teacher who is said to be in his 20s is afraid that his son would not be able to return to his job and might even be murdered. “My son keeps breaking down crying and says it’s all over for him”, the teacher’s father was quoted as saying. The teacher is reportedly scared that even his family would not be spared. “He is worried that he and his family are all to be killed. He knows that he’s not going to be able to work or live in Batley. It’s just going to be too dangerous for him and his family”, the father said.

Eventually, they will get my son: father of the teacher

Referring to the murder of French teacher Samuel Paty who was killed for showing the Prophet Muhammad caricature in a class, the Batley teacher’s father is said that his son would be killed eventually. “Look what happened to the teacher in France who was killed for doing the same thing. Eventually, they will get my son and he knows this. His whole world has been turned upside down. He’s devastated and crushed”, said his father. “When he starts speaking, he just breaks down and cries. He’s become an emotional wreck. He feels that everything is broken and to be honest, it’s hard to console him at the moment because that is the truth”, added the father.

The father is blaming the school for the handling of the matter. He told that the school had approved displaying the picture as part of the school curriculum. “The school has thrown my son under a bus. The lesson that he delivered in which the picture of the Prophet Muhammad was shown was part of curriculum, it had been approved by the school. Other teachers have have done exactly the same thing”, the father said. “So why is my son being victimised like this? The school should have come out fighting for him and made it clear to the protestors that if offence was caused, then it was not my son’s fault. It was the school’s policy to show this picture, it wasn’t a individual decision made by him”, the father added.

The father told that CCTV cameras have been installed at his son’s house as groups of men went to his house looking for him. CCTV cameras are reportedly being installed at the father’s house as well considering their safety. Police officers have been visiting the family and giving them advice on how to stay safe. The father said that both the school and his son have tendered full apologies and that the matter should end there.

Last year, French teacher Samuel Paty was killed for allegedly showing Prophet Muhammad cartoon

Last year in October a French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded after a Muslim girl in his class accused him of showing the caricature of Prophet Muhammad. However, it was revealed after an investigation that the teenage girl has cooked up the whole story to hide her suspension from the class from her father. The girl told her father that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the classroom saying that he was going to show a caricature of Prophet Muhammad from Charlie Hebdo. Soon after she narrated the cooked up story to her father, he took to social media to launch a campaign against Paty and demanded his sacking. This triggered global outrage and death threat to Paty and 10 days later he was beheaded by an Islamist terrorist.

From sexual harassment to breaking their own head with a brick: Here are 6 cases in 5 weeks where SC/ST Act was falsely used

Jhankar Mohta
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From sexual harassment to breaking their own head with a brick: Here are 6 cases in 5 weeks where SC/ST Act was falsely used

The anti-atrocities law was initially enacted with the laudable purpose of protecting persons hailing from the SC and ST community from any abuse or harassment over notions of caste supremacy. Over the years, The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 has been misused extensively for vengeance, blackmail and personal vendetta. False cases are rampantly registered under the Act against the members of other communities to settle personal scores.

Recently, Rajasthan police declared that over 40% of the cases filed in 2020 under The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 were found to be fake.

Last year, people in a village in the Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh fled the village due to fake cases registered against them under the SC/ST Act. According to reports, residents of Gothua village had sold their homes and moved to other places due to harassment of fake cases. Villagers have written on the outside walls and doors of their houses that they will be sold.

This situation, however, is not only exclusive to the state of Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh. Below we have listed six such cases that transpired in the last 5 weeks.

BJP leader who was killed over a petty dispute was falsely implicated under the SC/ST Act

On March 28, a 52-year-old booth president of the Bharatiya Janata Party was found brutally killed in Pithapur Malak village in the Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. The body of the BJP leader Dhirendra Bahadur Singh was found by the roadside on Saturday. It was alleged that the murder was a fallout of a dispute between two parties over sugarcane.

Late on Friday night, two people started cutting sugarcane from the field of a farmer, Rajan Singh, without his permission, which led to an altercation between them. Dhirendra, who lived close by, reached the spot and tried to intervene in the dispute. He snatched the bike keys from the two men. The issue was soon resolved and Rajan and his father Nagendra left for their home.

According to reports, Dhirendra went missing after the incident and his body, bearing multiple injury marks, was found on the road the following day.

The locals alleged that Dhirendra was beaten to death by two brothers, Ranjeet and Vipin Saroj, of the nearby Hatsara Mangapur village after he tried to intervene in their fight.

After reports about the purported murder surfaced, media outlet Falana Dikhana reported how the two accused Ranjeet and Vipin Saroj, who had brutally killed the BJP leader in cold blood had previously tried to implicate Singh in a false SC/ST case. The news report said that locals alleged that the accused often misused the Act to threaten the people of the village.

Woman abused and molested, threatened with fake case under the Act when she resisted

In another such case that came to the fore on March 23 2021, a teacher belonging to the SC/ST community was accused of threatening a woman with a fake case under the Act if she resisted molestation. The incident happened in Samaspur Salwara village falling under the Manikpur police station area of ​​Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.

According to Falana Dhikana, one Dalit teacher Narendra Kumar Nirmal, who taught primary classes used casteist remarks against a vulnerable woman residing in the village. He tried to physically assault her and when she resisted, he threatened of implicating her in a fake case under the stringent SC/ST Act. The video of the incident had then gone viral on social media.

Maratha girl falsely booked under the SC/ST act for opposing the vandalism of a Hindu temple

In a gruesome incident that was reported from Maharashtra recently, a young Maratha girl was molested, brutally beaten up and booked under the SC/ST act for opposing the vandalism of a Hindu temple. On March 20 we reported how a mob of 15-20 people had reportedly attacked her genitals and other sensitive body parts with stones. The incident happened on March 12, in the Kingaon Kopra village of the Latur district of Maharashtra.

The family members of the victim have alleged that some Dalit locals in the village tried to demolish their Hindu temple, in a bid to build an Ambedkarite temple. The family has even alleged that village sarpanch, upsarpanch, and gram sevak all hail from the Dalit community and had come out in support of the goons.

In what transpired, the accused had reportedly gathered around the Mata Bhavani temple in the village to demolish it. However, the goons faced stiff resistance from the girl, who opposed when they were razing down the temple. The irked goons, along with sarpanch and upsarpanch not only began beating her, flogging her brutally and mutilating her genitals, they also booked her under the SC/ST act for opposing the act.

Brahmin youth sexually exploited, blackmailed and implicated in a fake case under the Act costing him his job

In yet another case a Brahmin man from Patna, Bihar is said to have been sexually exploited and blackmailed by another youth for the last 10 years. Over the years, the accused threatened the victim several times with fake SC/ST cases to force him to establish a physical relationship with him. Every time, the accused recorded the act and used it to blackmail the victim. Once, when the victim resisted, the accused filed a fake case under the anti-atrocities law and sent the former to jail for six months, according to Falana Dhikana.

The matter came to light when the victim, fed up by the act of brutality, took to social media to share his ordeal and plead for justice. He accused one Dalit man named Rajan of raping him and recording the act to use it to blackmail him further. He confessed to being sexually exploited by the Dalit youth since the year 2011.

Narrating his ordeal, the victim said that he met the accused at a friend’s party in 2011. The Dalit accused, at first, made friends with him. He then spiked the victim’s drink. Thereafter, taking advantage of the victim’s inebriated state, the accused filmed inappropriate videos of him. He then began using these videos to blackmail the victim.

Threatening to make the videos viral, Rajan continued to rape him daily for 4 years. The victim alleged that Rajan made at least 200 to 250 videos of his in these four years.

After some time, the victim found a job with the railways. Rajan then started demanding money from him. Fed up, the victim told the accused that he would lodge a complaint against him with the police. It is then that Rajan implicated the victim and his entire family in a fake case under the SC/ST Act and sent him to jail for six months. This case cost the victim his job.

The victim alleged that the Dalit youth did this because of his hate for Brahmins.

While reporting the incident, Falana Dhikana claimed that it had got in touch with the accused’s family which confessed to implicating the victim in a false case under the SC/ST Act.

According to Falana Dhikana, after the incident gained steam, the accused’s family is ready for settlement. However, the victim fears that Rajan might use his videos to blackmail him in future.

Brahmin man wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years on false charges of rape and SC/ST Act 

Last month, the case of one Brahmin man named Vishnu Tiwari was widely reported. We too reported, how after spending 20 years in jail on false charges of rape and the SC/ST Act, the Allahabad High Court has set aside the conviction of the Brahmin man.

The Court’s acquittal was based on the medical examination report which said that no sperm or injuries were found on the prosecutrix, who was five months pregnant at the time. Her testimony also indicated that she was not a ‘stellar witness’.

Tiwari, a resident of Lalitpur village, was booked on charges of rape, sexual exploitation, criminal intimidation of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act when a woman from Silawan village which is 30 km away from his place accused him of raping her. He was held guilty by a trial court and sentenced to life at the age of 23 in the year 2000. In the 20 years he spent in jail, Tiwari lost all his family members.

Taking cognisance of the case, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India had demanded action against the public servants responsible for the injustice to the man.

Dalit man implicates 4 Brahmins in SC/ST Act over self inflicted wounds

In Bihar’s Arariya, a Dalit man named Vinod Rajak had threatened and harassed members of a Brahmin family. In this case, 4 members of the Brahmin family were booked under the SC/ST Act for attacking the Dalit man, molesting the women of his family and other offences. The two families had got into a verbal dispute, after which, the Dalit man named Vinod had hit his own head with a brick and had treated that he will have the Brahmin family implicated under SC/ST Act.

The Brahmin family had stated that despite furnishing video evidence that the Dalit man had hurt himself and threatened them with false cases, the police is harassing the Brahmin family. The same man had filed a similar case three years prior too. In the video, the Dalit man is seen hitting himself and rushing to the police station to file a case against the Brahmin family.

The Brahmin family, constantly harassed by the Dalit family and facing multiple such fake cases under SC/ST Act, has been living in fear and trying to leave the village.

Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, also known as the SC/ST Act, was enacted to protect the marginalized communities against discrimination and atrocities.

The law lists various offences relating to various patterns or behaviours inflicting criminal offences and breaking the self-respect and esteem of the scheduled castes and tribes community, which includes denial of economic, democratic, and social rights, discrimination, exploitation, and abuse of the legal process.

Under Section 18 of the act, provision for anticipatory bail is not available to the offenders. Any public servant, who deliberately neglects his duties under this act, is liable to punishment with imprisonment for up to 6 months. An amendment was added to the original act in 2015 to make the act more stringent by adding more instances of “atrocities” as crimes against SCs and STs.

The controversial law has fuelled a major debate in the country pertaining to the cases of rampant misuse by the SC/ST communities by falsely registering cases against the members of other communities. Taking this to cognizance, the Supreme Court, in its 2018 judgment had diluted the stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

However, the Union government brought another amendment act to nullify the Supreme Court’s 2018 order pertaining to the SC/ST atrocities act. Subsequently, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018.

Father of woman who accused former Karnataka minister of sexual exploitation points fingers at DK Sivakumar, says Congress leader ‘pressurising her’

OpIndia Staff
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Father of woman who accused former Karnataka minister of sexual exploitation points fingers at DK Sivakumar, says Congress leader ‘pressurising her’

The father of the woman who accused former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi of sexual harassment held a press conference in Belagavi on Monday to give out details about his daughter’s whereabouts. Pinning the blame on Congress leader DK Shivakumar, the woman’s father alleged that she is under the leader’s custody and is being pressurized into giving statements, reported New Indian Express.

Lambasting the Congress leader, he said, “DK Shivakumar has sent our daughter to Goa by giving her some money. She is under his custody and speaking whatever she has been taught by him.”

Informing the reporters that his daughter has been held against her will, he requested the government to get her released and give them her custody.

The woman’s father is also not in favour of her daughter directly appearing before the court to record her statements. While speaking to the media, he said, “My daughter should not be made to appear before a judge now. Bring her home just for four days after she arrives in Bengaluru. Otherwise, the court should give her a four-day break before her statement is recorded. There are possibilities that she may not give the correct statement since she is under huge pressure now. She may talk as instructed by DK Shivakumar in the court.”

Raising suspicion as to why he wants his daughter to be home before appearing in court, he reiterated that he would not try to influence her daughter’s thoughts and it is only for her safety.

He clarified, “She needs to relax for some days. We, as parents, will counsel her to not speak anything under pressure. All the statements she made till now seem spoken under pressure. Therefore, the court should direct the police to go for parental counselling. The court may even instruct the cops to allow her to visit home for some days as she has been away for the past 20 days.”

“I am a retired soldier and I am capable of taking care of her. The political leaders are using my daughter as their puppet”, he added.

The family’s statement came after the reports of their daughter appearing before a judge to record her statement surfaced in media. The woman’s lawyer has moved an application of requisition before a magistrate court.

The woman’s inconsolable mother urged that she just wants her daughter back. She informed the media that her daughter was promised a job. “She told me four months ago that someone related to Shivakumar will get her the job”, she said.

After the woman’s alleged scandal clips started making rounds in media on March 2nd, she informed her mother over the phone that the videos were morphed and edited. Since then, she has not been in touch with the family as her phone has been taken away, the mother alleged.

The woman’s brother also alleged that his sister is acting as per DK Shivakumar’s order and being pressurized to issue statements. He said the video statements that have been released so far were all made under pressure.

The family said they had full faith in the police and judiciary system and that their daughter should be freed from the pressure and torture.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar rubbished all the allegations by the woman’s family and claimed he has nothing to do with the case. He demanded that the family should produce proof of the allegations made and give it to the police officers for investigation.

The woman in question had filed an FIR against former BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi at the Cubbon Park police station in Bengaluru in the sex CD scandal. She had filed a two-page complaint at the commissioner’s office through her advocate KM Jagadish alleging that she feared for her safety.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was Water Resources Minister in the Yediyurappa cabinet, resigned on March 3, a day after news channels aired videos of the alleged sex scandal. While Jarkiholi has repeatedly claimed his innocence and that the video was “fake”, the woman had accused him of sexually “using” her, cheating and threatening her after promising a government job.

In Nanded, A sword-wielding mob from Gurudwara attacks police after they were denied permission for Hola Mohalla: Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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In Nanded, A sword-wielding mob from Gurudwara attacks police after they were denied permission for Hola Mohalla: Here is what happened

On March 29, a mob of sword-wielding men attacked policemen at a Gurudwara in Nanded after they were refused permission for a religious procession on the day of Hola Mohalla amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has to be noted that there were restrictions imposed by the Maharashtra government on Holi, Rang Panchmi and other festivals amidst a rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state. In its orders, the state government had said, “The festival should be celebrated in a simple manner, observing social distancing norms and without coming together in any way given the increasing spread of COVID-19. Rang Panchami too should be celebrated in a simple manner.”

While Holi, a festival sacred to Hindus, passed quietly amidst the restrictions, Sikhs of Nanded wreaked havoc with swords.

A video is making rounds on the social media platforms in which mob could be seen at the Gurudwara raising slogans of “Jo Bole Sau Nihal”, breaking barricades and attacking the police officers present at the scene. At least 10 policemen, including the bodyguard of SP, Nanded, were injured.

Gurudwara Committee had promised to abide by directions, says Police

Superintendent of Police, Nanded, said that there was no permission to hold any procession due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He said, “Permission for Hola Mohalla wasn’t granted due to COVID-19. Reportedly, the Gurudwara committee was informed, and they said that they would do it inside the Gurudwara premises itself. But around 4 PM, when Nishan Sahib was brought to the gate, they started arguing, and 300-400 youth broke the gate and marched outside. Police personnel suffered injuries, and vehicles got damaged.”

Nanded Range DIG Nisar Tamboli said in a statement that one of the injured constables was in serious condition.

The violent mob also damaged several vehicles. Police have registered an FIR in the case against at least 200 people under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntary causing hurt with dangerous weapons), 188 (Disobeying the order of public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and for rioting. The probe is underway, and DIG said that those who are responsible would be arrested soon.

About Hola Mohalla and Nishan Sahib

Hola Mohalla is a Sikh festival that falls around the Hindu festival of Holi. It takes place on the second day of the Lunar Month of Chett. The festival dates back to the 17th century when Guru Gobind Singh Ji added the element of military charge in the festival of Phalgun. The word ‘Hola’ is derived from ‘Halla’, which means military charge. The word ‘Mohalla’ means an army column. On the last day of the three-day festival, Sikh warriors, mainly Nihang Sikhs, showcase their martial capabilities. It is considered to be one of the most sacred festivals of the Sikh community.

Nishan Sahib is a triangular saffron-coloured flag that can be seen on every Gurudwara across the globe. It is hoisted on a steel pole covered with saffron-cloth. There is a Sikh symbol known as Khanda in the middle of the flag that is made out of a sword and a chakra.

The arrest of Khalistani supporter Sarabjeet Singh Kirat in Nanded

On February 9, 2021, a Khalistani supporter identified as Sarabjeet Singh Kirat was arrested by Maharashtra Police in a joint operation with Punjab CIB in Nanded.  An FIR was registered under Section 154 of CrPC against him. Punjab Police also arrested another accused, identified as Gurpinder Singh, with the help of Nanded Police. He was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Rising number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra

Notably, the number of coronavirus cases is rapidly increasing in Maharashtra, and reports suggest that it may lead to a complete lockdown. CM Uddhav Thackeray had recently asked officials to prepare for a possible lockdown. On Monday, Maharashtra reported 31,643 new Covid-19 cases. 102 people lost their lives due to Covid related complications raising the tally of deaths to 54,283 in the state. A total of 27,45,518 cases have been reported so far in Maharashtra, with 3,36,584 active cases.

Liberals oppose Manipur order to control influx of illegals from Myanmar: How they’re itching to watch India go the US way and repeat past mistakes

K Bhattacharjee
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Liberals oppose Manipur order to control influx of illegals from Myanmar: How they’re itching to watch India go the US way and repeat past mistakes

The Manipur Government has issued an order to control the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar into the state. The order includes directions that district administrations should not set up camps to provide food and shelter.

Simultaneously, the order also directs that civil society organisations should not be permitted to open camps for food and shelter. The order says that should people enter the country to take refuge, they should be politely turned away.

The order, ostensibly directed to prevent illegal immigration into India, has earned the criticism of liberals. Steps taken to ensure that illegal immigration does not become an issue in Manipur as well is being maligned.

There has been an influx of illegal immigrants into Manipur following the coup in Myanmar which has seen the use of force by the Burmese military to curb protests.

Congress supporter Saket Gokhale commented on the matter saying that “Shamelessness is an understatement”.

Liberals appear to have forgotten that illegal immigration has been a grave issue in North East India. In order to ensure stability within the country and fend off demographic instability, the Indian State has to adopt a hardline posture against the same.

While liberals brand it ‘inhumane’, the consequences of illegal immigration should the Indian Government not take effective measure will be even worse. Intriguingly, the same people oppose the CAA in Assam, a humanitarian law that seeks to fulfill India’s obligation towards Hindus in three neighbouring Islamic states.

Such people support the protests in Assam against the CAA citing illegal immigration but at the same time, they are supporting illegal immigration into Manipur from Myanmar. It is quite evident that logical consistency is not their forte.

The consequences of not adopting a hardline stance against illegal immigration is nowhere more evident than it is in the United States of America under the Biden administration. The Biden administration, for all means and purposes, has adopted a stance that amounts to an ‘Open Borders’ policy.

Consequently, the USA is faced with a situation where illegal immigrants are coming in numbers that the US system is not equipped to handle. Migrants, including children, have been kept under inhumane conditions, locked in extremely close proximity in detention centers.

Photographs that have emerged of the detention centers show crowded facilities with children being kept in cramped conditions. The lack of social distancing also raise concerns about the facilities providing convenient circumstances for greater transmission of the novel Coronavirus.

It is accepted that the border crisis has been facilitated by Joe Biden’s political posturing during the campaign. He promised to undo all Trump era policies geared towards curbing illegal immigration. In the White House, Biden has largely followed through on that promise. Now, people, who would have otherwise not ventured into the United States, are entering the country in droves.

Needless to say, no country can survive without borders and border security. Liberals may choose to delude themselves with fantasies but fact remains that a country has a limited amount of resources which it can allot to its citizens. Given India’s past struggles with illegal immigration, a fate much worse than USA awaits us if India does not act tough on the same.

There is a saying that goes ‘A stitch in time saves nine’. The Manipur order ought to be seen in that light. Failure to do the same in Assam has led to vast demographic shift in the state which has fueled great concerns for law and order.

The order by the Manipur government is only geared towards ensuring that illegal immigrants do not see circumstances in India that encourages more to follow suit. Offering food and shelter would be interpreted by most as an incentive for more illegal immigrants to follow suit. And given India’s situation, that is something we cannot afford.

As SC prepares to hear case against ex Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar, Saradha scam accused goes on 21 day leave: Details

Jhankar Mohta
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As SC prepares to hear case against ex Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar, Saradha scam accused goes on 21 day leave: Details

Apprehensive as the Supreme Court is likely to start hearing CBI’s custodial interrogation plea against ex-Kolkata top cop, Rajeev Kumar, any time soon, Mamata Banerjee’s close aide has gone on a 21 day earned leave, reports Times of India. For those unaware, Rajeev Kumar is the same cop for whom the TMC chief had broken all convention and sat on a dharna to shield him in February 2019.

Paid leave or earned leave is the time allowed away from work for holiday, illness, etc. during which you receive your normal salary.

According to the report by Times Now, Rajeev Kumar’s 21 earned leave began from March 16th, 2021. Kumar was the principal secretary, IT and electronics division of the state government when he proceeded to go on leave.

The CBI wants custodial interrogation of Rajeev Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam case. In 2019, the CBI had issued a lookout notice against Mamata’s close aide, Rajeev Kumar, for his connection with the Saradha chit fund scam case to prevent him from leaving the country. The Saradha scam broke out into the open in 2013 when a Ponzi scheme run by the Saradha Group, a consortium of over 200 private companies, collapsed after collecting hundreds of crores from over 15 lakh investors.

In January 2019, the CBI had accused the West Bengal government of obstructing investigations into the scam, claiming that the government machinery has damaged all the evidence. The then Police Commissioner and head of the SIT investigating case, Rajeev Kumar was also accused of destroying the evidence of the Saradha scam.

Next month, in February, a CBI team had reached his residence for interrogation following which they were detained by the Kolkata police. Mamata Banerjee had come out in support of Rajeev Kumar alleging that the CBI is acting at the behest of Prime Minister Modi. Defying all decorum, she even held a dharna that had lasted for almost 72 hours in support of the cop who was being probed for destroying evidence.

Following this, the Supreme Court had ordered the investigation of Rajeev Kumar to be carried on outside the state. He was interrogated for days in Meghalaya’s Shillong along with some other accused in the case.

Mamata’s vehement refusal to let the CBI interrogate Rajeev Kumar and her subsequent theatrics only helped fan the speculations that the government machinery and police top brass were indeed hands in gloves in the numerous chit fund scams that have plagued the state in recent years.

After Cardi B was slammed for Grammy performance, rapper Lil Nas X criticised for Satan lap dance in music video, to sell shoes with blood drop

OpIndia Staff
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After Cardi B was slammed for Grammy performance, rapper Lil Nas X criticised for Satan lap dance in music video, to sell shoes with blood drop

Rapper Lil Nas X, famous for his international hit song “Old Town Road”, is being subject to an online firestorm in the wake of his “Montero” music video release on Friday. In the video, Lil Nas X is seen giving a raunchy lap dance to a CGI Satan (Shaitaan). On top of this, Lil Nas X is also selling sneakers titled “Satan Shoes” containing 60ccs of red ink, with a drop of genuine blood. Both of these instances have made the rapper a ripe target for criticism.

The “Montero” music video has gone viral, amassing more than 30 million views on YouTube since Friday. The video has been heavily criticized for its overt depictions of Satanism and sexual undertones. Lil Nas X himself has acknowledged these criticisms, choosing to fire back against them.

Critics of Lil Nas X focus on the fact that the rapper’s fanbase primarily consists of kids, due to the fact Lil Nas X’s viral hit “Old Town Road” was especially popular amongst kids. One particular critic posted a 2019 video of Lil Nas X performing Old Town Road for an audience of children, accusing “the system” of targeting kids. In response, Lil Nas X justified his music video, writing, “I am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. that is your job.”

However, the comment by the rapper is at odds with his beliefs just over two months ago where, in a January 2021 interview with NPR, the rapper admitted that children were his core audience at the time and he was okay with that. The rapper is also selling a book targeted at children titled “C is for Country.” Lil Nas X has also made an appearance on The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, a spinoff of the kid’s television show Sesame Street.

The rapper has also performed a virtual concert of the online game platform Roblox, drawing over 30 million visits to the online concert, According to Roblox itself, over half of its users are under the age of 13. Therefore, the criticism against him is not just limited to the supposed “outrageousness” of the music video he released but also consists of exposing his extremely young audience to mature themes like Satanism and LGBT sexuality. It is to be noted that Lil Nas X is an openly gay music artist.

Lil Nas X is also facing criticism for collaborating with a company named MSCHF in order to sell “Satan Shoes”. Producing exactly 666 pair of sneakers to sell, in line with “The Number of the Beast” according to the Christian Bible, the shoes also consists of a vial containing 60ccs of red ink, including a single drop of genuine blood. The shoe company Nike has already clarified that it is neither involved with designing the shoes nor endorses them.

Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem lashed out against the sneakers in the form of a tweet. In her tweet, Noem wrote, “Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it’s “exclusive.” But do you know what’s more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul. We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win.”

In response, he wrote, “ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do ur job!”

Recently, rapper Cardi B had come under severe criticism for a sexually explicit Grammy performance of her famous song ‘WAP’. Conservative activist Candace Owens called her a ‘cancel cell to culture’ which led to a huge online spat.

Cardi B subsequently deleted her tweets after she was accused of slander. They were also slapped with FCC complaints following the performance.

As Netizens trend #NoPropagandaHoli, here are 7 examples of when brands made the Hindu festival an excuse to peddle the liberal agenda

Akshita Bhadauria
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As Netizens trend #NoPropagandaHoli, here are 7 examples of when brands made the Hindu festival an excuse to peddle the liberal agenda

Every Hindu festival acts as fodder for brands to get creative and start negative portrayals with their so-called “awareness campaigns”. From wanting to appear as a responsible brand to spreading defamatory propaganda, Hindu festivals are conveniently used to get quick fame for advertising agencies, brands and celebrities.

Of late, these brands seem to suddenly become hyper-aware of their moral and societal responsibilities only around Hindu festivals like Holi and Diwali. TV campaigns, social media campaigns, influencer campaigns- the brands fly in from your television screens, social media platforms, and newspapers to remind you to be a ‘good citizen’. How thoughtful!

However, this festive season, social media users have strongly opposed the virtue signaling by brands and ‘influencers’ centered around Holi.

Trending #NoPropagandaHoli

Twitter users started trending #NoPropagandaHoli just before the arrival of the festival.

So let us look at all the selective virtue signalling against Holi by different brands in the past that have people fed up and start trending #NoPropagandaHoli.

01. Surf Excel #RangLaayeSang

A TVC released by Surf Excel showed a young girl taking all the water balloon attacks in the colony till her friends run out of them. She then shields her Muslim friend to reach a mosque safely, without being attacked by the colors. The objective clearly was to paint Hindus as oppressors and Muslims as persecuted.

02. FBB #BuraNaKhelo

In an online video campaign, FBB in collaboration with digital sensation Mithila Palkar preached how one should stand against harassment. What starts as a jovial video, soon turns dark when Mithila says while hinting at eve-teasing on Holi, “par saath hi hogi thodi zor zabardasti, thodi ched chad, thodi manmaani”.

The video talks about standing up against harassment done in the garb of ‘Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai’. A simple message could have been done without portraying Holi as a festival that encourages eve-teasing.

03. Viviana Mall #NoHooliganism

Last Holi, Viviana Mall reminded us to be responsible and say no to hooliganism. The campaign poster shared on Instagram is supported with the caption, “The festival, which brings a wave of zest and zeal, has seen a rise of hooliganism that jeopardizes the safety of others. This year, let us pledge to celebrate Holi joyously, but responsibly.” A thoughtful campaign that should run not just on one single day but all around the year.

04. Reliance General Insurance #HoliNotHooliganism

Reliance General Insurance too through its campaign emphasized on harassment faced by women on Holi. In a social media campaign, the brand uploaded a series of posters about eve-teasing Holi with the caption, “Behind the joyous colors of holi lies an unfortunate reality. Press and hold to find out what it is. And pledge to ensure this year’s celebrations are truly happy and safe for us all. Happy Holi! #HoliNotHooliganism“.

05. Finolex Pipes

The brand in its digital campaign promoted a 10-second video that said, “Every drop you save, adds color to someone else’s life”.

06. Livpure #BinaPaniHoliManani

The fascinating tagline is supported with a video campaign where a few kids are seen stealing balloons from a shop. When confronted by the shopkeeper, they lecture the owner by saying they have done a good deed by stealing these balloons as it will prevent others from wasting water on Holi.

07. Bisleri Save Water

Bisleri in collaboration with Mumbai Dabbawalas crafted a campaign to spread awareness on playing waterless Holi. The dabbawalas were given Bisleri bottles with eco-friendly colors to deliver with the tiffin boxes that the Dabbawalas deliver across Mumbai. Bisleri representatives also gathered at different toll nakas to give away colors promoting waterless Holi.

Bisleri’s campaign with Mumbai dabbawala’s. Image source: Brand Equity

As if these awareness campaigns were not enough, the brands have taken it a step further to sexualize Hindu festivals as per their convenience.

While no untoward act targeted at women should go neglected, or natural resources should be used with utmost care and responsibility, using the agenda to malign a Hindu festival is worthy of condemnation.

Sanjay Raut takes a U-turn on Sachin Vaze after showering praises on him: Here is what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Raut takes a U-turn on Sachin Vaze after showering praises on him: Here is what he said

Two weeks after hailing tainted cop Sachin Vaze as ‘honest and capable officer’, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed that he had expressed his apprehensions about Vaze to party leaders during his reinstatement to the Maharashtra police force.

During a TV interview on Monday (March 29), the Shiv Sena leader said, “When there was plan to reinstate Sachin Waze into the Maharashtra police force, I had informed some leaders that he could create problems for us. His behaviour and style of working could lead to some troubles for the government.” He further added that he cannot name the party leaders but they are ‘well aware’ of the conversation.

Sanjay Raut said that he knew Sachin Waze as he had been a journalist for a long time. The Shiv Sena leader emphasised, “This whole incident of Waze’s activities and controversies thereafter taught a lesson to the MVA government. It was good in a way that it happened and taught us some lessons.” On being asked about Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray backing Sachin Vaze, Raut claimed that he was not aware of the tainted cop’s activities.

Sanjay Raut bats for Sachin Vaze

Earlier on March 14, Raut claimed that Sachin Vaze was a very honest and capable officer. “He has been arrested in connection with gelatin sticks that were found. One suspicious death also occurred. It’s Mumbai Police’s responsibility to investigate the matter. No central team was needed,” he claimed.

His statement on March 14 contradicts his current stance that he had informed party leaders of the potential trouble that Sachin Vaze could cause to the Maharashtra government. It must be mentioned that Sachin Vaze was reinstated at 4 a.m on June 6, 2020, after 16 years of suspension in a custodial death case. Sachin Vaze was arrested by the NIA on March 13 for his alleged role in planting the explosives-laden car outside Ambani’s house. He has been accused of planning Hiren Mansukh’s murder as well.

BBC, with history of anti-Hindu bias, attempts to take Hinduism out of Holi and Islamise the festival of colours: Details

OpIndia Staff
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BBC, with history of anti-Hindu bias, attempts to take Hinduism out of Holi and Islamise the festival of colours: Details

The “secular-liberal” media establishment, having attempted to ‘secularise’ every aspect of Hindu culture and traditions, are now trying not only trying to downplay the Hindu roots of ‘Holi’ but also have taken a step ahead to give an Islamic touch to the Hindu festival. At the forefront of it this time around is the BBC.

The British public broadcaster BBC took to social media to Islamise the Hindu festival. BBC Hindi shared an Islamic couplet by Baba Bullehshah to undermine the Hindu roots of the festival of colours.

The British broadcaster, however, did not stop there. BBC Hindu shared the lines of the poem ‘Aaj Rang Hai’ written by Amir Khusrau, a 12th-century Islamic court poet.

BBC Hindi also shared an article that questioned the Hindu roots of the festival. The article written by self-proclaimed historian Rana Safvi, titled, “Who said Holi is just a Hindu festival?” declared that Holi was not just a Hindu festival but also a tradition followed in the Mughal era.

A concerted attempt appears to be underway to Islamise all aspects of Hindu celebrations and appropriate Hindu festivals to downplay their cultural and religious linkage. After Diwali, the secular propagandists have now come for another Hindu festival – Holi.

BBC anti-Hindu bias

BBC has a long history of anti-India and anti-Hindu bias. Their coverage of the Delhi Riots garnered great condemnation from people across the board. Their coverage of Kashmir has also been extremely one sided against India in the past.

Only recently, BBC provided platform to a British writer to fuel the Sikh-Hindu divide. On another instance, a caller on one of its radio shows abused PM Modi and his mother in extremely foul language.

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