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UK PM Boris Johnson to visit India in April, earlier scheduled tour in January was cancelled due to Covid concerns in Britain

OpIndia Staff
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UK PM Boris Johnson to visit India in April, earlier scheduled tour in January was cancelled due to Covid concerns in Britain

The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Boris Johnson is slated to visit India in the month of April this year to boost the relationship between India and the UK. This will be PM Johnson’s first major international visit after the exit of Britain from the European Union (EU) in January last year.

Johnson’s visit scheduled in January was cancelled due to rising Covid cases in the UK

Prime Minister Johnson was invited as a guest by India for the Republic Day celebrations in January this year. His trip to India was expected to speed up trade talks between the two countries. However, he had to cancel his visit due to surging Covid-19 cases in the UK. Ahead of PM Johnson’s expected visit in January this year, his office had reportedly announced that he would travel to India in January 2021 to strengthen a key strategic relationship that supports jobs and investment across the UK.

The visit to India is seen as his first major visit since taking office, and the first since the UK’s exit from the EU. After the trip was cancelled, his office reportedly said that PM Johnson hoped to rearrange his visit to India before hosting the meeting of leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) in June. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is supposed to attend the G7 Summit as a visitor. Britain is hosting the G7 meet this year and Australia and South Korea are the other invitees apart from the member nations.

The UK planning to boost its trade relations with India

“…it would ’tilt’ its focus towards the Indo-Pacific region as part of its Integrated Review of government policy for the coming years, saying the area increasingly represented the geopolitical centre of the world”, PM Johnson’s office said regarding his upcoming visit. Last month, the UK had made a formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an 11-country bloc, to open new ways for trade and influence post-Brexit. Britain has also applied to be a dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “We are pursuing trade deals from Australia to the US and around the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, a huge growth market for the future”, UK’s foreign minister Dominic Raab said in December last year.

‘Parambir Singh toolkit’: Campaign launched by unidentified groups on Twitter to support Mumbai CP after Shiv Sena backs Sachin Vaze in Antilia case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Parambir Singh toolkit’: Campaign launched by unidentified groups on Twitter to support Mumbai CP after Shiv Sena backs Sachin Vaze in Antilia case

Late on Monday, hundreds of tweets poured in to support Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh claiming his innocence in the Antilia bomb scare case.

Tweets in support of Parambir Singh

Most of these tweets claimed that Parambir Singh was ‘illogically dragged’ into the ‘Scorpio car controversy’.

Tweets in support of Parambir Singh

None of these mention how the ‘Scorpio car’ was actually explosive laden and found outside Antilia, Reliance Group’s Mukesh Ambani’s residence.

Tweets in support of Parambir Singh

These tweets claimed Singh was being ‘dragged’ into the controversy for political gains.

Tweets in support of Parambir Singh

This deluge of support for the Mumbai Police Commissioner poured in just a day after the white Innova car, that was found tailing the explosive-laden Scorpio was recovered from the office of Mumbai Police commissionerate. Interestingly, it was Singh who had reinstated Vaze, who is currently being probed in the bomb scare case, after 16 years’ suspension in June 2020. Vaze had reportedly admitted to his involvement and has also named Shiv Sena leaders as being involved in the conspiracy.

The hundreds of messages with similar text appear to be part of a toolkit which have been recently used by professional protestors like Greta Thunberg and others to tweet in support of protesting ‘farmers’ who have been demanding repealing of newly enacted farm laws which aim to increase income of farmers while protecting the environment. Interestingly, the Greta Thunberg toolkit titled ‘Global Farmer Strike First Wave’ listed out various steps which could be taken by protestors.

The proposed measures included, “Call/Email any of your govt representatives and ask them to take action, Sign online Petitions and take action to Divest from monopolists and oligopolists like Adani-Ambani”. Just few weeks after this ‘toolkit’ was inadvertently revealed by Thunberg, the explosive laden car was found outside Ambani residence. And now, a slew of tweets have appeared claiming Mumbai Commissioner of Police’s innocence.

Sachin Vaze’s arrest and Shiv Sena’s support

Sachin Vaze, who had joined the Shiv Sena a few years back, has been receiving support from the ruling government. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut had hailed Vaze as ‘honest’ and ‘capable’. Shiv Sena, through its mouthpiece also came out in support of Mumbai Police, which is embroiled in controversy, and attacked the central investigative agencies. Vaze is currently arrested by the NIA and is in custody till 25th March, 2021.

Drinking water a ruse for theft and harassing Hindu women: Temple pandit on thrashing of Asif, reveals why ‘no entry’ board was put up

OpIndia Staff
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Drinking water a ruse for theft and harassing Hindu women: Temple pandit on thrashing of Asif, reveals why ‘no entry’ board was put up

A couple of days ago, a video of a man in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad thrashing a Muslim boy for allegedly drinking water at a temple had gone viral on the internet. The video sparked outrage, with left-leaning liberals falling over themselves to paint Muslims as victims and Hindus as oppressors. Now an interview with one of the locals in the region, who is also a pandit at the temple, has brought to fore the other side of the story.

In an interview with a media outlet, one of the locals alleged that the criminal activities of the Muslim men are being encouraged by downplaying them as innocent boys and not men. He added that Asif, whose video of being thrashed in the temple had gone viral, was wrongfully depicted as an innocent boy. The pandit said Asif was not in the temple compound to drink water but to harass the Hindu girls and steal artefacts and other things.

“There are two government taps right outside the temple building. There is another tap for drinking water right after the entrance of the temple and yet he (Asif) was found at the far end of the temple compound. He was not here for drinking water. These people routinely enter the temple compound for harassing the Hindu girls, defiling the temples and Hindu deities or stealing things. Why would anyone enter the temple compound and walk 500 meters for drinking water when the water is available right outside the temple compound?” the pandit said.

Asif beaten because he was caught stealing something: Local

The man rubbished the reports claiming that Asif was thrashed for being a Muslim. He contended that he was beaten because people have been caught indulging in antisocial activities at the temple compound.

“This has been a pattern for a few years now. These people (Muslims) are often caught making indecent remarks on Hindu Gods. They are also caught stealing steel pipes and other things from the compound. He (Asif) was also found stealing something. The story that he was in the temple for drinking water is simply hogwash. He is not the only one. There are, at least 50 Muslims like him, who enter the temple compound with the aim of stealing valuables. When they are caught, they claim innocence by claiming they were in the compound for drinking water,” he said.

The pandit contended that men from the other community in the region enter temple premises during day hours for recce purposes and later in the night carry out robberies. He cited 4 instances of dacoities when valuables in the temple compound were stolen.

Board preventing entries to Muslim was put up after some Muslims were found urinating and spitting on Shivling: Local resident

The man also pointed towards the board outside the temple compound which read that Muslims are not allowed to enter inside. He said the board is not a recent development and is in place for the last 8-10 years. He also said that the board was put up when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

Elaborating when the hoarding barring the entry of Muslims in the temple compound was put up, the Hindu priest said, “There were routine conflicts between the Hindus and the Muslims in the region. The Muslim men and boys used to enter the temple compound and defile the deities and temples. They urinated, spat on the Shivling at the entrance, after which it was decided that a board preventing the entry of Muslims will be mounted on the main gate of the temple compound.”

The man further explained that only Muslims who indulge in stealing things, desecrating Hindu temples and idols, and harassing girls are stopped from entering. Well-intentioned Muslims are not stopped from entering the compound. He said that Muslims in the area routinely bath in the pond located inside the temple compound and is known for healing skin diseases.

“This board will never be taken down. This board has been put up to protect the honour of our mothers, sisters and daughters. We have not put it up to bring it down,” the pandit emphatically said when asked if the board preventing entries to Muslims will ever be taken down.

Vatican says Catholic Church cannot bless homosexual unions as ‘God cannot bless sin’, says same sex union not part of God’s plan: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Vatican says Catholic Church cannot bless homosexual unions as ‘God cannot bless sin’, says same sex union not part of God’s plan: Details

The Vatican on Monday decreed that the Catholic Church cannot bless homosexual unions since God “cannot bless sin”, the Associated Press has reported. The Vatican’s Orthodoxy Office made the statement while responding to a question regarding the same on Monday.

The question asked whether the Catholic clergy have the authority to bless same-sex marriages. The answer, which was approved by Pope Francis, was in the negative.

“The presence in such relationships of positive elements, which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated, cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing, since the positive elements exist within the context of a union not ordered to the Creator’s plan,” the Vatican said in its response.

God “does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him,” the response said.

The Vatican stated that “since blessings on persons are in relationship with the sacraments, the blessing of homosexual unions cannot be considered licit. This is because they would constitute a certain imitation or analogue of the nuptial blessing invoked on the man and woman united in the sacrament of Matrimony, while in fact “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family”.”

“The declaration of the unlawfulness of blessings of unions between persons of the same sex is not therefore, and is not intended to be, a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite and of the very nature of the sacramentals, as the Church understands them,” the statement added.

The statement goes on to state that “the blessing would manifest not the intention to entrust such individual persons to the protection and help of God, in the sense mentioned above, but to approve and encourage a choice and a way of life that cannot be recognized as objectively ordered to the revealed plans of God.”

The response has disheartened some within the Catholic Church. Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, predicted that the teaching would be ignored, including by some within the Church.

“Catholic people recognize the holiness of the love between committed same-sex couples and recognize this love as divinely inspired and divinely supported and thus meets the standard to be blessed,” he is reported to have said in a statement.

Denmark bans foreign countries from funding mosques in the country, seen as important step in curbing ‘Islamist extremism’

OpIndia Staff
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Denmark bans foreign countries from funding mosques in the country, seen as important step in curbing ‘Islamist extremism’

Joining the long list of European countries to have taken varied measures to fight Islamist Extremism, the Parliament of Denmark has approved a new law that bans foreign countries from funding and financing mosques in the country. This step comes after reports of Muslim countries like Algeria, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and UAE disbursing hundreds of millions of Euros to spread Islam in Europe.

The new law garnered support from all major political parties of Denmark. The country’s Social Democrat Immigration and Integration Minister Mattias Tesfaye labeled the law as an important step to curb ‘Islamist extremism’.

The law, bypassing naming the religion, states, “The purpose of the Act is to prevent natural and legal persons, including foreign state authorities and state-run organizations and companies, from working against or undermining democracy and fundamental freedoms and human rights by making donations.”

“Anyone who receives one or more donations that individually or together exceed DKK 10,000 (€1,350; $1,600) within 12 consecutive calendar months, from a natural or legal person who is included on the public ban list … is punishable by a fine.”

Denmark is the second European country to restrict foreign donations to mosque. The government got into action after a news report in January 2020 revealed that Taiba Mosque, located in Nørrebro district of Denmark had received 4.9 million Danish kroner from Saudi Arabia.

Taiba Mosque is said to be the base for number of Islamists convicted of terrorist charges. On the other hand, Turkey has said to have supplied donations to construct 27 mosques in Denmark including in the cities of Aarhus, Ringsted and Roskilde and in the towns of Fredericia, Hedehusene and Holbæk.

It is interesting to note the demographic change in Denmark. According to a report released in 2020, Denmark has a population of 2,50,000 Muslims which is 4.4% of the population whereas the population was a mere 0.6% in 1980.

Man hails Mahmud Ghaznavi for bringing ‘glory to Islam’ by desecrating and looting Somnath Temple, video recorded nearby goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Man hails Mahmud Ghaznavi for bringing ‘glory to Islam’ by desecrating and looting Somnath Temple, video recorded nearby goes viral

A video of a Muslim man glorifying Mahmud of Ghazni, the infamous Islamist marauder, who attacked and plundered Somnath Temple repeatedly, is going viral on the internet. The video was shot by the man himself, at the beach adjacent to the historic temple.

In the video, the man hails Islamist invaders, including Mahmud Ghaznavi, for attacking and looting the Temple. The man also urges fellow Muslims to read about their “glorious history” and make others read about it as well.

The man continues saying that though the present history brands Mahmud Ghaznavi and Mohammad Bin Qasim as thieves and dacoits, they should be remembered for bringing “glory to Islam”.

“This is the Somnath Temple, which was conquered by Mahmud Ghaznavi and Mohammad Bin Qasim. It is important that Muslims read about their glorious history…how Mohammad Bin Qasim crossed the sea to conquer India and subsequently how Mahmud Ghaznavi came and attacked the Somnath Temple,” the man says.

“Although in today’s history they are branded as thieves and dacoits, it is important to remember that they were loyal followers of Allah and brought glory to Islam,” the man says while referring to the numerous attacks the Somnath Temple endured from the Mughal invaders.

Towards the end of the video, the Muslim man shockingly admits that he has been to the Somnath Temple a short while ago and exhorts Muslims to not forget their “illustrious history”.

”Truth be told, those who disregard their history often end up being forgotten in the history,” the man says.

Mahmud of Ghazni and Somnath temple

Mahmud of Ghazni was the 10th-century Muslim invader of Turkic dynasty of Ghaznavids who looted and plundered the temple in Gujarat. He also broke the Jyotirlinga and also believed to have killed thousands of devotees who were trying to protect the temple.

Attracted by India’s wealth, he is believed to have attacked and looted India 17 times. Other than the Somnath temple, he is believed to have destroyed temples at Kangra, Mathura and Jwalamukhi. Because of this, he had earned himself the nickname ‘idol breaker’.

Watch: BJP supporters raise slogans at Kolkata’s iconic Coffee House after they were stopped from putting up posters

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: BJP supporters raise slogans at Kolkata’s iconic Coffee House after they were stopped from putting up posters

Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party entered the iconic Coffee House at College Street in Kolkata on Monday and raised slogans after they were prevented from pasting BJP posters ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections.

The BJP supporters alleged that ‘No Vote to BJP’ posters were allowed inside but they were stopped from pasting theirs. The other end of the political spectrum claimed that “outsiders” are “creating a ruckus in Coffee house and destroying our posters.”

The place in Kolkata, renowned for its ‘addas’, is one of the most famous places in the City of Joy. It almost has a hallowed presence in the folklore surrounding the city.

Songs have been composed revolving around it. Legendary Bengali musician Manna Dey composed his famous song “Coffee Houser Sei Addata Aaj Aar Nei” which is still widely popular.

The Coffee House is frequented by artists and intellectuals and students from the Presidency University in Kolkata and other institutions in College Street. Over the years, it has had famous patrons and visitors such as Satyajit Ray, Amartya Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Narayan Gangopadhyay and others.

Elections in West Bengal are set to begin on the 27th of March and will take place over 8 phases. The BJP has given a cry for ‘Poriborton’ while Mamata Banerjee is struggling to hold on to her seat.

Man offers Namaz at Blue Flag beach in Udupi, brazens it out after people raise objections

OpIndia Staff
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Man offers Namaz at Blue Flag beach in Udupi, brazens it out after people raise objections

An incident pertaining to Padubidri, a blue flag beach in Udupi, Karnataka came to light on social media where a person was seen offering Namaz at the beach. Shruti Thumbri was the first to share the video on Twitter capturing the event.

Videos circulating on social media suggest that when the security guard and civil society members present at the Padubidri beach objected to the Muslim groups’ action and urged them to move outside public premises, they brazenly it out saying, ‘What have I done wrong? Should I not do Namaaz? We will do it since it’s a public property, who are you?’ They even asked the members to show a board where such rule was written.

The ‘blue flag’ is an international certification offered by an eminent jury that comprises of members from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Kappad (Kerala), Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) are the eight beaches in India that have been awarded the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ certification.

A 42 page document details 33 criterions to be followed to award a beach a blue flag certificate. Non-compliance of a single criteria could result in the flag being withdrawn temporarily or permanently. It is critical to note that India is the only nation to have been awarded 8 flags in a single attempt.

The Blue Flag comprises of a long list of criteria and regular checks are conducted to ensure the beach deserves the award. Not all rules can be written on boards and this is where we as citizens need to showcase civic sense.

‘Greed does not accept age bar’: Punjab and Haryana High Court refuses anticipatory bail to 95-year-old accused of cheating and fraud

OpIndia Staff
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‘Greed does not accept age bar’: Punjab and Haryana High Court refuses anticipatory bail to 95-year-old accused of cheating and fraud

On March 8, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application of a 95-year-old, citing that ‘advanced age’ is not a bar for criminal activities, reported Bar and Bench.

The 95-year-old petitioner, Piara Singh, was accused of defrauding the complainant Kuldip Singh to the tune of ₹6.5 lacs along with his accomplices Manjit Singh Maruti and Sucha Singh. He along with the 2 others cheated the complainant by not fulfilling the promise of facilitating his migration to the United States. Piara Singh was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating).

The matter came up for hearing before the Bench of Justice HS Madaan. The petitioner had cited his old age to claim that the accusations against him are false. However, Justice HS Madaan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected his anticipatory bail as the evidence prima-facie ‘pointed to a case against him’. The Bench noted that while the elderly ought to be treated with respect, the old age of the petitioner is not a valid reason for anticipatory bail. It added that human greed did not accept bar of sex, age or race.

Custodial interrogation necessary for effective investigation, says court

The Court held that the interrogation of the 95-year-old petitioner was necessary for conducting the probe effectively. Justice HS Madaan pointed out that only through complete and effective investigation can the planning of the crime and mode of execution be unearthed.

In his order, he emphasised that custodial interrogation can bring out details of the case such as the role played by the three accused in the crime. While rejecting his bail application, the Court concluded that pre-arrest bail is meant to save innocent people from harassment and not to shield culprits from custodial interrogation and arrest.

95-year-old petitioner has ‘criminal bent’ of mind: Court rejects anticipatory bail

The Court further noted that Piara Singh had issued two cheques of ₹2 lacs each (total of ₹4 lacs) to Kuldip Singh and thus “corroborated the allegations levelled by the complainant in the FIR.” It added, “If the accused had not received any money from the complainant, then where was the occasion to issue such cheques by him to the complainant.” Justice HS Madaan said, “Those cheques when presented to the banker of the petitioner/accused, had been dishonoured.”

The Court also noted that the 95-year-old petitioner was involved in another case, where he was charged under IPC Sections Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 365 (kidnapping). In its order, Justice HS Madaan emphasised, “That goes to show that he has got criminal bent of mind and his credentials are not that clear, which he is projecting as a saintly figure of old age.”

Pakistan: In a rare judgement, Peshawar cleric gets death sentence for raping a minor girl inside mosque

Akshita Bhadauria
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Pakistan: In a rare judgement, Peshawar cleric gets death sentence for raping a minor girl inside mosque

Why should a death sentence for raping a minor be labeled as a rare judgement? As per multiple reports released in the past decade, it has been observed that Islamic schools and mosques in Pakistan have been infested with crimes of sexual abuse of minors. However, seldom has a judgement been given to punish the perpetrator and it is even rare to find formal complaints of sexual abuse in these institutions.

In this one off case, Judge Wadeeya Mustaq Malik ruled that Qari Saeed based in Peshawar who holds a master’s degree in Islamiyat and leads Friday prayers in his mosque, was found guilty of rape of a minor and was convicted under Section 376(3) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The father of the girl had filed a complaint basis which a FIR was registered on the March 14, 2019; exactly two years back. The complainant stated that the girl returned from outside crying and claimed Qari Saeed called her to the mosque on the pretext of giving her an amulet (a good luck charm) but sexually assaulted her in a room there. The convict of course did not accept the charges levied against him and instead blamed the Ahmadi community of plotting against him as he had been openly opposing them.

The girl aged eight, suffered mental and physical anguish and hence the convict has been asked to pay a fine of Rs.3,00,000 in the form of savings which the girl can withdraw at the age of 18.

However, thousands of minors are waiting for justice to be served. A chilling account reported by Associated Press of the rape of a 9-year old boy by a religious cleric in Kahror Pakka of Pakistan is harrowing to say the least. The report suggests that in 2004, a Pakistani official disclosed more than 500 complaints of sexual assaults against young boys in madrassas. Despite scores of reports, very few have resulted in the conviction of a cleric as religious clerics are a powerful group in Pakistan.

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