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Congress imploding: Sparks fly during RS meeting, questions raised on if party was ‘sabotaged’, rebels support Modi’s NEP

OpIndia Staff
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Congress imploding: Sparks fly during RS meeting, questions raised on if party was ‘sabotaged’, rebels support Modi’s NEP

Reflecting on Congress’ declining fortunes, the veteran leaders of the party have asked for a thorough introspection for the reasons to ascertain the continued losses suffered by the party. A year after the embarrassing poll drubbing in the 2019 General elections, months after its exit in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and the ongoing political imbroglio in Rajasthan, senior Congress leader, Manish Tewari has raised pertinent questions on the role of UPA in sabotaging the Congress party.

Manish Tewari took to Twitter to raise questions on UPA after reports of a heated argument between the party’s veteran politicians and young leaders at a meeting of its Rajya Sabha MPs convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday started doing the rounds on the Internet.

Casting aspersions Congress, Tewari asserted that UPA’s role in the declining fortunes of the Congress party in 2014 must be analysed. He also insinuated if the UPA alliance was sabotaged from within, adding that 2019 General election defeat also needs to be examined.

When one of the journalists explicitly asked if Manish is indicating sabotage, the former Union Minister said that he is indeed doing that, insinuating that someone within the UPA alliance was responsible for setting up Ex C&AG Vinod Rai’s 2G report, one of the reasons for UPA’s undoing in 2014 General elections.

The bold questions from Manish Tewari came following a meeting of the Rajya Sabha MP called by interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi where the young leaders and senior leadership of the Congress party laid into each other for the party’s abysmal performance.

Sparks flew in Rajya Sabha meeting between the Congress veterans and young leaders

While senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal spoke about the need for “introspection” on defeats and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that party should reach out to people to understand their disillusionment with Congress, the newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Satav was rather acerbic in his opinion. He quipped introspection should begin at home.

‘Introspect by all means…. but how did we come to 44…that should also be looked into. We were 200-plus in 2009. What led us to this fall? You all are now stressing the need to introspect. You were all ministers then. In all honesty, it should be looked into where you failed. It is important to introspect from the UPA-II period,” Indian Express quoted an MP who in turn quoted Satav as having said during the virtual conference.

Satav’s sharp remarks came in the presence of key leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, who was presiding the meeting. Besides Gandhi, in attendance were former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ahmed Patel Chidambaram, A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal and Anand Sharma.

According to the sources cited by Indian Express, veteran party leader Shamsher Singh Dullo retaliated to the new leaders, saying that the veterans split their blood and sweat to build the party and not the neophyte politicians. He also added that the senior members of the party are sidelined while the sycophants and hangers-on are being rewarded. Making critical remarks against the deteriorating party culture, Dullo said, “Sycophancy prevails in the party and promotion and posts are being given in the party based on liking and not on merit and seniority.”

Congress leader Khusbu Sundar lauds NEP 2020 against party stand

The new breed of Congress leaders has not shied away from expressing their opinions freely, even if that means going against the party line. Recently, Congress leader Khusbu Sundar expressed her support for the government’s National Education Policy(NEP) 2020 that was released on Thursday, making it clear that her stand on NEP has been different from the party standpoint and is from a citizen’s perspective.

Lauding the sweeping reforms in the Education Sector that were brought almost after a gap of 34 years, Khusbhu tweeted,”#NewEducationPolicy2020 A welcome move.”

She later tweeted, “My stand on #NEP2020 differs from my party and I apologise to @RahulGandhi Ji for that, but I rather speak the fact than be a head-nodding robot or a puppet. Everything is and cannot be about agreeing to your leader, but about being courageous to voice your opinion bravely as a citizen.”

On Wednesday, the much-awaited National Education Policy (NEP) was announced by HRD Minister Ramesh Nishank and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar after the Union Cabinet approved the new policy earlier in the day. The policy aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”.

“I am the bigger don, I know how to easily manipulate smaller goons,” actress Rhea Chakraborty’s video saying she controlled her boyfriend goes viral: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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“I am the bigger don, I know how to easily manipulate smaller goons,” actress Rhea Chakraborty’s video saying she controlled her boyfriend goes viral: Watch

An undated video of Rhea Chakraborty has gone viral on social media in which the Bollywood actress can be heard speaking in a highly condescending manner to describe her relationship with her boyfriend.

In the video posted by social media users, Rhea Chakraborty, who is now accused of abetting Sushant Singh Rajput to suicide, can be heard using words such as ‘hafta vasooli’ (extortion), gunda, etc to describe her relationship with boyfriend. In the video, the actress does not take the name of actor Sushant Singh Rajput though.

In the undated video, Rhea can be heard allegedly calling her boyfriend a ‘goon’. “I can easily control him,” Rhea says in the viral video.

“I am the bigger don, I know how to manipulate these smaller goons. My boyfriend also thinks that he is a gangster, but he does not know that I am the actual don,” says Rhea Chakraborty in the viral video claiming herself to be a ‘goonda’.

Further, she can be heard saying, “I belong to a different class than these smaller goons. I do not get my hands dirty, I make others do the task”.

She even speaks about collecting ‘hafta’ (extortion money) from the producers in the video. “For instance, I can even ask them (smaller goons) to go to a producer to collect ‘hafta’. They think they are the don, but in reality they are working for one,” allegedly Rhea says in the video.

Ironically, in the video, Rhea asks the cameraman not to record the video. It is not clear regarding the details of the video or in what context the actress was making such statements in the video. It is also not yet clear when was the video shot.

A longer video, from which the above clip has been taken, can be viewed below.

Complaint filed against Rhea Chakraborty

Rhea Chakraborty has been accused by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s father of ‘abetment to suicide’, among other charges. The FIR registered in Patna against Rhea Chakraborty, actor and ex-girlfriend of Sushant Singh Rajput, has some serious allegations against her.

The Bihar Police are investigating into the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput after Rajput’s father KK Singh had filed a complaint against Rhea Chakraborty.

The FIR had alleged that Rhea took money from Sushant Singh Rajput and forced him to take the drastic step that resulted in him committing suicide. The father of the deceased actor had filed asked to probe the transaction that had occurred between Sushant and his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty’s brother.

Meanwhile, Bollywood entertainer Rhea Chakraborty has hired one of the most expensive lawyers of the country, Satish Maneshinde, to defend her in the case filed by Sushant Singh Rajput’s father accusing her of abetment to suicide. 

Lord Shiva idol all set to be returned to India, was smuggled to UK in 2003 years after being stolen from Ghateswar Temple: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Lord Shiva idol all set to be returned to India, was smuggled to UK in 2003 years after being stolen from Ghateswar Temple: Here are the details

An ancient four-feet-tall idol of Lord Shiva, which was smuggled to the United Kingdom in 2003, will reportedly be returned to the Archaeological Survey of India. The Nataraj idol, which is made up of stone, highlights a rare depiction of Lord Shiva in Chatura pose.

As per reports, the Shiva idol was stolen in February 1998 from Ghateswar Temple in Baroli in Rajasthan. It was smuggled to the United Kingdom in 2003. When the British authorities were informed, they pursued the private collector who had bought the idol of Lord Shiva, bearing Trinetra, and Jatamukta.

Interestingly, the man had voluntarily returned the idol to the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom in 2005. After the return of the idol in 2005, it is now, only in 2020, that the idol is set to be returned to India.

ASI verifies the smuggled idol of Lord Shiva

Reportedly, a team of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India had visited the India House in London in 2017 to investigate the idol of Lord Shiva depicted in the Prathihara style. The ASI confirmed that it was the same idol that was stolen in 1998 from Rajasthan. As per reports, the Indian government and central law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing the restitution of stolen artefacts in a bid to preserve the lost cultural heritage of the country. Antiques have been successfully restituted from various countries including Australia, the US, France, and Germany.

HCI actively pursuing stolen artifacts

According to the High Commission of India (HCI) in London, it is working with law enforcement agencies to track and retrieve stolen or smuggled items. In a statement, HCI emphasised, “We are confident that in the coming days, in partnership with the ASI, Government of India, state and central authorities as well as UK law enforcement agencies and independent experts, we will be successful in returning more items of our cultural heritage to India.”

India demands restitution of 15th-Century murti

In February, India had formally demanded the return of a 15th-century Bronze murti, which was believed to have been stolen from Tamil Nadu, from the United Kingdom. The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford acquired the figurine of Saint Tirumankai Alvar from Sotheby’s auction house in 1967 from the collection of a collector named J R Belmont. “It was informed to the Ashmolean Museum that the bronze is similar to the number of bronzes in collections in Europe and the United States identified by the aforesaid researcher through the IFP-EFEO archive,” the statement read.

To investigate or not to investigate: How Rajdeep Sardesai exposed his hypocrisy in Sushant Singh Rajput’s case after taking a completely different stand in Justice Loya case

OpIndia Staff
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To investigate or not to investigate: How Rajdeep Sardesai exposed his hypocrisy in Sushant Singh Rajput’s case after taking a completely different stand in Justice Loya case

The suicide case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh has taken several twists and turns with more theories are emerging out alleging a conspiracy behind the death of 34-year-old actor, who committed suicide in his Mumbai residence in June.

The death of Sushant Singh Rajput has now opened a can of worms as many insiders in the Bollywood not only openly alleged that it was nepotism and favouritism in the movie industry that pushed the actor to end his life but also shared their own stories of how certain Bollywood bigwigs, filmmakers suppressed them in the industry.

Ever since fingers were pointed at certain powerful bigwigs in the movie industry, there has been concerted campaign from within the industry, along a section of ‘truth-seeking’ media to malign the character of deceased actor. There have also been attempts to deflect the ongoing investigation into his death even as more damning evidence are emerging linking his death to nepotism in the industry.

With the help of few media outlets, these bigwigs are now trying to set a narrative, asking the family and the followers of the actor to ‘move on’ from the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Attempts are being made to push a narrative that the death of the actor was due to his personal issues and are declaring that there is no conspiracy behind his death.

Continuing the same, ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai on Thursday took to Twitter to hogwash the Bihar Police’s investigation into the case. The Bihar Police are investigating into the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput after Rajput’s father KK Singh had filed a complaint against Rhea Chakraborty.

The FIR had alleged that Rhea took money from Sushant Singh Rajput and forced him to take the drastic step that resulted in him committing suicide. The father of the deceased actor had filed asked to probe the transaction that had occurred between Sushant and his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty’s brother.

It is pertinent to note that Rhea Chakraborty has a close connection with controversial filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, whose role in the actor’s death is also being probed currently. Mahesh Bhatt is a known member of the ‘liberal-secular’ ecosystem to which Rajdeep Sardesai is also part of.

Image Source: Rajdeep Sardesai

With Bihar Police is set to investigate the possible role of Rhea Chakraborty’s in Sushant Singh Rajput, the veteran ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai who is often excited about seeking truth, has now shockingly objected to Bihar police investigation into the matter. Calling the investigation a ‘circus’, Rajdeep Sardesai advised Bihar Police to stop their probe and continue to do other ‘better things’.

It is rather intriguing to know why Rajdeep Sardesai does not want a fair investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who is now asking people to ‘move on’ despite the fact that the family of Sushant Singh Rajput are suspecting a foul-play into the actor’s death.

While Rajdeep Sardesai gets Sushant’s CA to say that there was no financial mishandling, Sushant’s bank statement accessed by media houses tells a different story. The bank statement shows that large amounts of money from Sushant’s account was spent by Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty, for their hotel stay, shopping, travelling etc.

Surprisingly, Rajdeep Sardesai, who now wants people to ‘move on’, had once stubbornly demanded an independent investigation into the death of Justice Loya, even after doctors, his colleagues present with him at the time of his death and their family had openly confirmed that he had died a ‘natural death’ and there was no conspiracy behind his death.

Judge Loya was the judge who was presiding over the Sohrabuddin murder trial in which BJP President Amit Shah was the main accused. He passed away in December 2014. The ‘liberal-secular’ media had come out with a conspiracy theory to target Amit Shah. However, the family of Justice Loya had themselves denied any foul-play to his death and clarified that he had died a natural death. 

As Justice Loya’s death had possible political implications, the likes of Rajdeep Sardesai and other members of the Congress ecosystem wanted to pursue the investigation. Even Rajdeep Sardesai had claimed that he was ‘stubborn about finding the truth’, despite his family had themselves denied any conspiracy behind the judge’s death.

Ironically, Rajdeep Sardesai, who proclaims him to be a ‘truth-seeker’ truth, now wants an end to the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and also want people to ‘move on’ as names of some of the members of the ‘left-liberal’ ecosystem began to emerge in the case.

The sheer hypocrisy of Rajdeep Sardesai is such that he continues to oppose a fair investigation into the death of the actor even as his family wants a fair investigation, which is exactly contrary to the stand taken by him during Justice Loya’s case where he had demanded an independent inquiry even after it was concluded that there was no conspiracy.

‘Masjid can’t be built on donated land. Build a school or hospital instead’: Hindu saint tells Sunni Waqf Board

OpIndia Staff
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‘Masjid can’t be built on donated land. Build a school or hospital instead’: Hindu saint tells Sunni Waqf Board

In an interesting development, the Mahant of Tapasvi Chavni in Ayodhya has reportedly suggested the Sunni Central Waqf Board to construct a school or hospital, instead of a mosque, on the government allotted 5-acre land in Dhanipur village in Raunahi, Ayodhya. With regard to the construction of a Masjid, the Hindu saints in Ayodhya have raised no objection but have suggested an alternative.

Masjid cannot be built on a donated land

Paramhans Das, the Mahant of Tapasvi Chavni, said, “There is no mosque in the country that has been built in the name of Babur. Masjid can’t be built on donated land. Prayers will not be accepted if such a thing is done.” He argued that since the land was given over to the Sunni Central Wakf Board by the government in the absence of any financial transaction, it will be deemed as ‘charity/donation’. Paramhans Das recommended building a school or hospital at the allotted site and vowed to donate ₹1.15 lac for the cause. He also said that the trust will receive the co-operation of other Hindu saints for the noble cause.

Mosque built in the name of Babur will be opposed

According to the Head priest of Ram Janmabhoomi, Acharya Satyendra Das, the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation can build anything of their choice on the 5-acre land. However, he cautioned that a Mosque cannot be built yet again in the name of Babur. He said that doing so will invite fierce opposition from others.

Sunni Waqf Board constitutes a trust for Masjid

On 29th July, Zufar Ahmed Farooqui, chairman Sunni Waqf board announced the formation of a trust to build a mosque on the land outside Ayodhya allotted to them as per the orders of the Supreme Court. He said that they would build a Mosque, Indo-Islamic research centre hospital, and a library on the land provided by the state government. The name of the trust is “Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation.” The government had allotted 5-acre land to Sunni Waqf board in Raunahi, Dhanipur Village, Ayodhya as per the Novemver 2019 verdict by the Supreme Court.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s party was attended by a politician’s son a night before his alleged suicide, they had a heated argument: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Sushant Singh Rajput’s party was attended by a politician’s son a night before his alleged suicide, they had a heated argument: Reports

The alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput took a completely new turn after his father, KK Singh, filed an FIR against actor Rhea Chakraborty and five others, including three of her family members, for abetment of suicide. Now, a report by Times Now claims that an eminent personality was possibly present at the party, a night before Sushant Singh’s demise, alleging that the Mumbai Police report can be compromised.

According to TimesNow, a politician’s son was present at the late actor’s apartment at the party. As per Times Now report, there was a heated argument between the person and Sushant Singh Rajput post which the late actor left the place. Curiously, the CCTV has been dysfunctional since then. Sources claim the police officials are trying to conceal the identity of this person. People close to Sushant Singh Rajput have revealed that there was a party at his apartment and the aforesaid personality was also present there along with others.

Father of Sushant Singh Rajput files FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and others in the case of his suicide

The last few days have seen major developments in the probe of the alleged suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput after his father KK Singh filed an FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and others, under the charges of Abetment of Suicide (IPC Section 306), Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (IPC Section 420), Punishment for wrongful restraint (IPC Section 341), Punishment for wrongful confinement (IPC Section 342), Theft in dwelling house (IPC Section 380) and Punishment for criminal breach of trust (IPC Section 406).

Besides, another shocking revelation that has come to fore is regarding Rhea Chakraborty’s involvement in activities related to black magic. According to Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister, Mitu, in her statement to the Patna police, claimed that she was informed about the same by one of his domestic helps a few months back.

For the uninitiated, the Kai Po Che actor was found dead at his apartment on June 14. The actor’s tragic death caused a furore in the country, sparking off a debate on the functioning of the Bollywood industry, and the existence of pervasive nepotism and mafia that allegedly push the newcomers and talented young actors such as Sushant over the brink.

July 30: When 15,000 Indian ‘liberals’ paid tribute to a terrorist

Abhishek Banerjee
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July 30: When 15,000 Indian ‘liberals’ paid tribute to a terrorist

“He finally came back to Mumbai after eight years, but not to give his daughter the promised hug.”

What is this? Perhaps the beginning of an account of the life journey of a tragic hero? Perhaps a quintessential Indian novel that will take us down the little known side lanes of India’s Maximum City. A good book is like balm for the soul.

I know you want to read more.

“….the sky remained overcast, mirroring the sombre mood of many thousand who would soon gather there to pay their last respects.“

Such evocative writing. See how masterfully the author weaves together the scene with the emotions of the mourners. This could win a Booker Prize, folks.

So what is this? Well, it is a newspaper report on those who showed up at the burial of Yakub Memon.

Article by Times of India on Yakub Memon funeral
Article by Times of India on Yakub Memon funeral

You remember Yakub Memon. He and his friends carried out the 1993 serial blasts, in which 257 people were killed. In successive years, many other terrorists have tried to shatter his record. At Zaveri Bazaar, at Ghatkopar, at Mulund. At the 2006 local train bombings. At the Taj, Oberoi, CST Station and other places on 26/11. But all of them fell short of the benchmark set by Yakub Memon.

No wonder Indian liberals came out in full force to say goodbye to their favorite son.

A crowd of several thousand ‘liberals’ in India’s biggest metropolis, out to pay tributes to a convicted terrorist. But who am I to question their patriotism? I cannot question their commitment to ‘peace.’ That would not be secular at all. After all, we know terrorism has no ….

Well, you know the rest.

Meanwhile, think of the various things we have been asked to feel ashamed of over the last several years. Saying Vande Mataram or Bharat Mata ki Jai. Wearing Hanuman shirts or putting Hanuman stickers on cars. Saffron flag on the vegetable cart. Another liberal saw a Hindu conspiracy behind the lighting of diyas at lit fests. Then, there are international newspapers that cried foul over women wearing sarees. Another international outlet found that the word Bharat is “exclusionary” and potentially comparable to Nazism.

And let’s not even get into our festivals. Holi, Diwali, Rakhi, anything and everything is wrapped in guilt. Environmental degradation, patriarchy, sexual harassment: there is so much shame to go around that it is hard to breathe without giving offence.

Did I say breathe? The shame does not stop even when we are done with breathing. A top liberal outlet recently asked if Hindus whose ancestors were cremated have less claim to the land than those whose ancestors were buried in it. The question was echoed by a prominent Congress leader, who has served as Minister of State for Human Resource Development.

We come into this world, we breathe the oxygen, we pollute the air, the water and then we selfishly burn our bodies after death. Horrifying.

Don’t ask if anyone is ashamed of the 15,000 ‘liberals’ who paid tribute to Yakub Memon. As a Hindu, ask yourself what are all the shameful, patriarchal and selfish things you have done today.

And then there is the greatest shame of all: CAA. You want to bring more Hindus to this land? Don’t we have enough selfish Hindus here already?

No wonder a counter movement has started. Young liberals just won’t take it any more. They are out on the streets. They are heroes and sheroes ready to mount police barricades.

“Hindutva” ki kabar khudegi, they say. For now.

The Facebook timelines of these young heroes and sheroes flow with reverence for Yakub Memon and Afzal Guru. They call for Bharat ke tukde. They hold massive rallies describing how to tear India apart, starting with the North East. In between visits to the library, they find the time to throw stones … err, wallets.

On one side is the Indian state. On the other side, there is a crowd of Yakub Memon fans. Who is the Nazi here? Well, it is the Indian state of course.

One moment, these revolutionaries are throwing stones … err, wallets for their cause. The next moment, they remember all the homework they have. So they rush to the library and open their books. They are juggling so much, studying for a degree at public expense, family life, pregnancy, regular tributes to Yakub Memon and saving Indian democracy.

No wonder that media in India and abroad carry their images and their stories. Pulitzer prizes are handed out as a reward. One of the world’s top universities hires a BA degree holder as a professor. Because if there is one thing that her PhD students will need to know, it is about the inspiring struggle of Yakub Memon fans in India.

Other liberals take notice of this opportunity for career advancement through Twitter. One of them tweets out that “white lives don’t matter.” Wrong number! Twitter swoops down, deletes the tweet and it all ends with egg on her face. She tries again, this time by saying that lives of certain Hindus don’t matter. Bingo! Promoted to full professor.

The message is simple. Stay ashamed. Stay so busy apologizing for Holi, Diwali, sarees, rasam and Hanuman stickers that you never ask why 15,000 ‘liberals’ paid tribute to a convicted terrorist.

So why did 15,000 ‘liberals’ pay tribute to a convicted terrorist who killed 257 people? Well, for the same reasons as they paid tribute to the mothers and dadis of Shaheen Bagh who sat publicly, eating kudrati biryani as they dragged the life out of a four month old baby.

The ‘liberals’ who paid tribute to the convicted terrorist were never ashamed. The media is just covering for them until it is too late for the rest of us. Some years ago, an over-enthusiastic liberal leader had asked to remove police for just 15 minutes. But more mature liberals in media know that 15 minutes would not be enough.

Turkey has been funding anti-India activities, Erdogan vying to become the leader of Islamic nations: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Turkey has been funding anti-India activities, Erdogan vying to become the leader of Islamic nations: Reports

Following a recent security assessment, it has been found that Turkey has been funding and supporting extremist Islamic organisations in Kerala and Kashmir, reported Hindustan Times.

Turkey, led by Islamist leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has reportedly emerged as the epicentre of anti-India activities. As per the report, the expansionist Turkish government, seeking to establish its dominance in the Islamic world through its conservatism and ‘Ottoman traditions’ is now exerting its influence on South Asian Muslims. According to officials familiar with the security assessment, an extensive review was carried out to unearth the escalated anti-India activities that are perpetrated by Turkey in coordination with the deep state in Pakistan.

Erdogan sponsoring religious seminars in India

Reportedly, Erdogan is now funding religious seminars in India to radicalise Muslims and taking them on a full-expense covered trip to Turkey for further indoctrination. “We are also aware of some people from this group travelling to Qatar to meet some people from Turkey to seek funding for their activities. That amounts as high as Rs 40 lakh is being offered to preach radical Islam in Kerala,” a government official was quoted as saying.

Turkish officials funded Anti-CAA protests, Zakir Naik

According to the report, Pakistani and Turkish officials had also funded hate preacher Zakir Naik, who has been accused of inciting and radicalising Indian Muslims, with the help of Qatar. Besides criticising India over the humanitarian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the subsequent riots, the Turkish government had reportedly pumped in funds to prolong the protests. Reportedly, the government in Turkey have been funding separatist leader in Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, for several years. As per the report, the Turkish government has also disbursed funds to a radical Islamist organisation in Kerala from time to time.

Turkey is now ‘Dubai’ for ISI

According to officials quoted in the HT report, Turkey has now become ‘Pakistan’s Dubai’, a safe haven for the intelligence agency ISI between 2000 and 2010. Reportedly, ISI had been successful in radicalising Indian Muslims in UAE, including the founders of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen. However, due to improved bilateral relations between India and UAE since 2014, the Gulf country is no longer the hub for anti-India activities.

Congress opened office in Turkey?

Last year, the Turkish media had reported that Congress’ Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has issued a press statement about opening an office in Istanbul. One Muhammad Yusuf Khan was reported to be heading this office in Turkey. The reports of Congress opening an office there had come just days after Erdogan mirrored Pakistan’s stand over Kashmir in open defiance to India’s interests in the UN.

Turkey criticised India over Kashmir

In 2019, during an address at the United Nations post the abrogation of Article 370, Erdogan was seen supporting the stance of Pakistan on Kashmir. During a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Turkish President compared the so-called “struggle” of the Kashmiris to that of the fight of the Turks against foreign occupation during the First World War. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs warned Erdogan to not interfere in India’s internal affairs. The spokesperson of the MEA, Raveesh Kumar, had stated, “India rejects all references to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India”

The saga of Wikipedia bias continues: ‘Jai Shri Ram is a war cry’

OpIndia Staff
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The saga of Wikipedia bias continues: ‘Jai Shri Ram is a war cry’

For many, Wikipedia is a constant source of information. Wikipedia has continued to claim that it is an unbiased, people-driven, free encyclopaedia where ‘editors’, who are average folk, can edit the information available after building ‘consensus’ among other editors, to ensure that the page for any subject is unbiased and authentic. However, the Left bias of Wikipedia has been long known with several such cases documented. With the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan approaching and the constant vilification of Hinduism in the past few years, the page of the sacred Hindu chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has been distorted to project a severely anti-Hindu picture.

According to Wikipedia, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is used as a ‘war cry’ against Muslims

The introduction of the chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the Wikipedia page itself is severely problematic.

Wikipedia page of 'Jai Shri Ram'
Wikipedia page of ‘Jai Shri Ram’

The introductory para says that the “Hindu expression” of Jai Shri Ram has been used “in the recent past” for the projection of “varied faith-centred emotions by Hindus”. Further, qualifying that statement, Wikipedia says that the “expression” was used by the Hindu Nationalist Party BJP, which embraced the slogan in the late 20th century as a tool of increasing the visibility of Hinduism in public spaces”.

What comes next is perhaps most problematic and deeply anti-Hindu.

The Wikipedia page in the introductory para says that “(BJP) went on to use it as a war cry, for perpetration of communal atrocities against the people of other faiths”.

The introductory part on Wikipedia is so bizarre, that one is left finding words to quantify just how many things are wrong with it. ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a chant that has always been deeply sacred to Hindus. Lord Ram, the God Kind in Hinduism has been a deity who has been revered across the pantheon of Hinduism for ages. To essentially reduce the chant of Hindu reverence of Shri Ram to one that was “used by BJP during elections” is the ultimate insult to the faith of Hindus and is also deeply politically motivated.

Further, the Wikipedia page also claims that the sacred chant of Jai Shri Ram is a ‘war cry’ that has been used to target Muslims in India. The Wikipedia page nowhere mentions that most of the cases where it was claimed by the media that Muslims were brutalised while Hindus chanted Jai Shri Ram turned out to be fake. Further, the brand a sacred chant for one community a ‘war cry’ is nothing but blatant Hinduphobia which is displayed by the Left.

‘Origins of Jai Shree Ram’ – A television series and Babri Demolition, according to Wikipedia

The massacre of the truth doesn’t just stop with calling the chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as a war cry. Wikipedia, in the section where they attempt to explain the ‘origin’ of the chant, goes a step further.

Wikipedia page of 'Jai Shri Ram'
Wikipedia page of ‘Jai Shri Ram’

According to Wikipedia, the Jai Shri Ram chant was popularised only after the 1980s television series by Ramanand Sagar which depicted The Hindu epic of Ramayana. What is far more troubling, is that according to Wikipedia, it was a chant “used by Hanuman and the monkey army as a war cry when they fought the demon army of Ravan in order to free Sita”.

Further, they say that the chant was used in the demolition of the illegal structure that was constructed in the Mughal era by invaders atop the ruins of Ram Mandir, which used to be called Babri Masjid.

The aim of Wikipedia here is rather simple –

  1. Draw an equivalence in terms of how it is a “war cry”. Essentially saying that it was one when Lord Hanuman fought Ravan and it is a ‘war cry’ not also when Hindus are targeting Muslims apparently.
  2. Secondly, the aim here is to tarnish the image of Hindus with respect to the illegal structure that was called the Babri Masjid without giving the proper historical context of the demolition.

Both of this is done with the aim of painting Hindus is terrible light and painting Muslims as the eternal victims at the hands of Hindus in India.

‘Usage in violent incidents’

The Wikipedia page further talks about how the chant of Jai Shri Ram was supposedly used in violence incidents.

Wikipedia page of 'Jai Shri Ram'
Wikipedia page of ‘Jai Shri Ram’

Babri Masjid makes a re-appearance in this section along with several other instances.

One of the incidents mentioned in the ‘usage’ section is that of the Gargi College Molestation case. In this, it was alleged that people belonging to BJP and those who believed in the Hindutva ideology had entered the college, chanted Jai Shri Ram and molested the girl students. It was also alleged that those participating in the pro-CAA rally had barged into the college holding Bhagwa flags and molested the girls.

The allegations were made by a handle that later deleted the tweet and subsequently, even after the tweet was deleted, it was lapped up by the media. It is pertinent to note that the police at the time had said that CCTV footage obtained by them showed no evidence of anyone holding saffron flags.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South, Atul Thakur had at the time said that investigations have not revealed that the accused are affiliated to any political party. “They all are either college students or their friends,” he had added rejecting allegations that the alleged attackers were from BJP and RSS.

Interestingly, many women who had alleged molestation had also refused to come forward to record their statements. As of today, many have even withdrawn their cases. 17 have been arrested so far with no evidence of any political angle so far.

In another case cited, the Wikipedia page said that Jai Shri Ram was chanted to kill Muslims during the Delhi Anti-Hindu riots. However, in the entire narration, they fail to mention how the Delhi Riots were coordinated against Hindus. They even fail to mention how Hindus were murdered after chants of Allah ho Akbar and Naara e Taqbeer were raised.

The bias of Wikipedia

Wikipedia has long shown their Left bias when it comes to important issues.

The Wikipedia article titled North East Delhi riots was created on 25th February by a senior Wikipedia editor that goes by the username DBigXray. When one visits the page, the first image one sees is the photo of BJP leader Kapil Mishra, not an image of the riots. Kapil Mishra gets a separate section titled ‘incitement’ in the article, where he has been blamed for starting the riots.

Interestingly, some people had reference to AAP leader Amanatullah Khan for his provocative speeches during anti-CAA riots earlier in Delhi and UP. But this was also removed by the moderators, claiming that although cases have been filed against Khan, those are not related to the North East Delhi riots. On the 24th, one anti-CAA protester had brandished a pistol and fired 8 shots towards pro-CAA protesters, who was identified as Mohammad Shahrukh. The Wiki page merely mentions him as a shooter and does not even mention that he is from an anti-CAA mob.

After the image of Shahrukh, the firing had gone viral, anti-CAA activists had claimed he is pro-CAA, despite journalists on the ground who had posted videos and images saying he was anti-CAA. Later, high-resolution images had shown he was part of a mob that had several persons in skull caps. When other users wanted to include this information in the Wikipedia article, they were shot down by the moderator. The senior editor, who is supposed to be politically neutral while editing and moderating content on Wikipedia, commented that if the man was a Hindu, media would not have focused on him, and there is no need to include more detail on the incident.

The article mentions the attack on a mosque in Ashok Nagar and shouting of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hinduon ka Hindustan” slogans by the mobs, but have absolutely no reference to any attack by Muslims and anti-CAA mobs. On the other hand, while there are videos showing mob shouting “Nara e Taqbeer” and “Allahu Akbar”, they find no place on the page.

Although Wikipedia articles can be edited by anybody, the online encyclopedia has provisions for locking down specific articles to check vandalism, etc. The article on North East Delhi riots has been made semi-protected, which means only confirmed registered users can make edits to it. As a result, ordinary users are having to request user DBigXray for making changes, and user DBigXray, who has special privileges as a Master Editor III, decides what information is included and what is not on the page.

OpIndia detailed investigation about the bias of Wikipedia after the Delhi Riots can be read here and here.

There are several other cases where it was evident just how vulnerable Wikipedia is to peddling absolute lies which can be severely detrimental in the long run. An Islamist user had vandalised the RSS page to call it a terrorist organisation. The user who did so had a long history of anti-Hindu edits. Wikipedia had also deleted the article on Tablighi Jamaat after the spread of Coronavirus citing that it was “Islamophobic”. Further, though the edits were reverted later, an “editor” of Wikipedia had also replaced Hindus with Muslims to show that it was actually the Muslims who suffered at the hands of Hindus during the Naokhali Riots and not the other way around.

The bias of Wikipedia is further evidenced by the fact the the co-founder of Wikipedia, Larry Senger, had quit Wikipedia citing that the Left bias of the platform is too strong to overcome and that the platform had lost its way.

Sleight of hand: Here is how Moneycontrol tried to mislead people on NEP, changed headline after being called out

OpIndia Staff
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Sleight of hand: Here is how Moneycontrol tried to mislead people on NEP, changed headline after being called out

The National Education Policy-2020 (NEP) that was announced by the Modi government recently is all set to bring in major reforms in the Indian education system by moving away from the existing archaic structure. The new policy to overhaul the country’s education system has received considerably a good response from the public.

However, there have been serious attempts to not only discredit the new reform initiative taken by the Modi government by certain sections but also efforts are being made to mislead people of the country on the issue of National Education Policy-2020.

In a similar attempt, the Moneycontrol tried to misinform its readers about the new education reform by putting out a misleading headline to its report to insinuate that the experts had few apprehensions about the new education policy. However, the experts’ views published by Moneycontrol in their report contradicted their own headline.

The writer of the report interviewed various stakeholders from the education industry to know their opinion on the NEP-2020. Moneycontrol interviewed nine major players in the education industry to seek their opinion on the new education reform. Interestingly, most of the major players interviewed by the Moneycontrol team have expressed a positive view of the new policy.

No negative reviews from the industry experts

Not even one of them has expressed their apprehensions over the National Education Policy-2020 but welcomed the government’s decision to come up with such a reform.

However, the Moneycontrol attempted to deceive the public with a misleading headline to the report stating, “National Education Policy: Mixed Reactions from industry experts’, to claim that there have been some criticism over the new educational policy.

Image Source: Strategic Spaminder Bharti/@attomeybharti/Twitter

As social media users pointed out the inconsistency in the Moneycontrol report on education industry experts’ view on NEP-2020, they were quick to spot the error and changed their headline that is consistent to the views expressed by the education experts in their own report. Some of them had emphasised upon effective implementation.

Image Source: Strategic Spaminder Bharti/@attomeybharti/Twitter

The edited headline read, “National Education Policy: industry experts weigh in on salient features, implementation and more”, which depicted more or less a nuanced view of the article published.

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