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From Land grabbing, vandalization of temples to the abduction of women: Persecution of Hindus increases in Bangladesh during the lockdown

OpIndia Staff
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From Land grabbing, vandalization of temples to the abduction of women: Persecution of Hindus increases in Bangladesh during the lockdown

The World Hindu Federation has alleged that the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, mainly Hindus, has increased during the lockdown in the country. Bangladesh announced a nationwide lockdown after noting a surge in Coronavirus cases in the country on 26 March.

The World Hindu Federation has alleged that there have been a series of incidents conducted by religious fanatics against Hindus in the last month including shops being looted, businessmen being killed, land being grabbed, temples being demolished and idols vandalized, families being forced to leave the country and girls and women being abducted and raped.

The federation said in a statement, “In April, 12 business shops of Hindu owners were looted, 2 Hindu businessmen were killed, 307 acres of Hindu land were occupied by local criminals, 2 temples were demolished and idols vandalized. 21 Hindu families were evicted from their settlements and 14 Hindu families forced to leave the country.”

The federation also claimed that in the last month four Hindu girls were abducted, six other Hindu girls and women were raped, ten were attempted to being raped and three Hindu girls were forced to convert to Islam. It asserted, “The human rights situation is becoming worse day by day in Bangladesh but unfortunately no one has been arrested yet.”

The Federation demanded punishment to the criminals for the atrocities unleashed on the minorities in the country.

The Federation listed out the incidences

The federation also listed a series of incidents of the atrocities unleashed against Hindus. Some of them are:

On April 4, a land grabber occupied the ancestral property of one Narayan Sarkar in Puran Mahipur Union of Mahipur Police Station in Patuakhali district.

Similarly, on April 6 a local land grabber and his two sons grabbed 100 bighas of land belonging to 50 Hindu families in three villages under Chaugachha police station in Jessore district. Minorities are living under constant fear after the Islamic fundamentalists vandalized the idol of a Hindu temple located in Dashmina Upazila of Patuakhali district on April 7. On April 8 Police arrested a school teacher, Indrajith Hazari (35), on the false allegation of posting “abusive” words about a prophet.

Temples and idols vandalized, Lands of Hindu acquired illegally by force

In another incident on April 9, the miscreants vandalized the idols of Sri Sri Radha Gobind and Lakshmi of Shiva temple in Kuki Kalidas village of Shibganj Upazila of Bogra district. On April 10 a man grabbed the 6 bighas of ancestral land of Jobon Mridha in Morelganj of Bagerhat district.

On April 11, a local goon demanded 5 lakh taka from a Hindu businessman Asit Kumar Sarkar, who is a resident of Titukandi village in Alamdanga Upazila in Faridpur district. Later, the goon and 30 of his associates attacked and seriously injured Sarkar. Similarly, on April 12, a man and his sons looted the house of Sudhanshu Das of Nazirpur village in Nasirnagar Upazila of Brahmanbaria district and cut down valuable trees worth more than three lakh taka.

Hindu Women beaten up, abducted and forcibly converted to Islam

More brutal incidences emerged when a helpless widow Basna Rani Das and her son and daughter were brutally beaten up and injured by local criminals who also grabbed her house and other properties on April 13. On April 14 a local goon threatened to kill a retired Hindu teacher, Dipak Kumar Raha when he wanted to return to his house after a long time from Narail district. The goon captured Raha’s house and property and evicted him out of his house.

On April 15, One Dhaneshwar Roy’s daughter Pratima Rani was forcibly taken away and converted to Islam in Dimla Upazila in the Nilphamari district. On April 16 a man and his two sons carried out an attack on a Hindu family in Paschim Sujankathi (Mallikpur) village under the Agailjhara police station in Barisal district. Four Hindus were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.

A minor Ashtami Sarkar (14), daughter of Nimai Sarkar of Rajshahi district, committed suicide in her room as she was regularly harassed by a man and his associates on April 17.

Hindus evicted from their own properties

As another atrocity on minority, Police arrested Paritosh Kumar Sarkar, a Hindu college student, on the false allegation of making objectionable comments on Facebook on April 18. On April 19 Police arrested one Madhu Kundu (32) of Fakirhat in Bagerhat for writing about mass gathering during the performance of last rites of a man at Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria district. On April 21, Thirty Hindu families were attacked in Satkania by a local group of 60 people. 25 Hindus, including children, were seriously injured.

On April 22, the religious fanatics vandalized a temple and attacked several Hindu houses at Akkelpur municipal area of Joypurhat district for obstructing gambling at the Parghati temple. On April 23, the miscreants killed a Hindu man Subrata Mandal (30) at Dakop Upazila in Khulna district.

And the atrocities going on!!

On April 24, the goons attacked a Hindu family at Mongla in Bagerhat district with the intention of evicting them from their homes. Six members of the family, including a pregnant woman, were injured. On April 25, a local group attacked and vandalized the house of Rabidas and grabbed property at Sariyakandi in Bogra district.

Again on April 26, the miscreants vandalized idols and set fire to two temples in Laxmipur municipal town. On April 27, a local and his two sons beat up and injured Narendra Moktar to grab his properties at Begumganj Upazila in the Noakhali district. On April 28, the miscreants attacked a Durga temple and its adjoining Bankali temple at Maheshail Bazar under Ishania Union No. 2 of Bochaganj Upazila in Dinajpur and vandalized the Shiva and Kali idols of the two temples. On April 29 Bikash Chandra Ghosh in Satkhira district was attacked by 35-40 people with the intention of grabbing his five bighas of land.

‘Had converted to Islam during rule of Aurangzeb’: 250 Muslims from 40 families convert to Hinduism in Haryana

OpIndia Staff
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‘Had converted to Islam during rule of Aurangzeb’: 250 Muslims from 40 families convert to Hinduism in Haryana

On Friday, 250 Muslims from 40 families converted to Hinduism in Bidhmira village in Hisar district of Haryana, reported The Times of India. The people in the village reportedly lead a Hindu way of life but follow the Islamic custom of burying the dead only during the last rites of a deceased. The families lived at Danoda Kalan village before Independence.

A local resident Satbir who had recently converted to Hinduism to cremate his 80 year-old mother Phooli Devi,as per Hindu customs, has conceded that he belonged to the Doom cate whose families had converted to Islam during the rule of Aurangzeb. He also denied any foul play or efforts at forced conversion.

A villager named Majid, however, said, “It is only when we bury our dead, that the villagers looked at us differently. Therefore, looking at the future of children, we decided to convert.” He conceded that people now know about their past due to education.

Harfool Khan Bhatti, Haryana State President of Muslims Welfare Organisation has claimed that the mass religious conversion from Islam to Hinduism was the ‘greed behind availing caste-based reservations’. As per Bhatti, Muslims and Christians cannot get Doom caste quota due to a 1951 notification.

25,000 Muslims and Christians converted to Hinduism in 2018

In November last year, A Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader informed that the Hindu cultural organisation has managed to reconvert 25,000 Muslims and Christians back to Hinduism in 2018. Speaking to media, VHP’s secretary-general stated that the organisation had conducted drives for reconversion across the country. Such events are called ‘Ghar-Wapsi’, meaning coming back to the original faith.

Home Minister Amit Shah dismisses rumours surrounding his health, says busy with coronavirus crisis

OpIndia Staff
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Home Minister Amit Shah dismisses rumours surrounding his health, says busy with coronavirus crisis

Days after several rumours began to spread regarding the health status of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he took to Twitter on Saturday to dismiss the conspiracy theories being floated regarding his ill-health. Home Minister Amit Shah informed people and BJP workers that all theories surrounding his health were just rumours.

In a tweet, the Home Minister said that several social media users have used the platforms to spread baseless rumours about his health and pointed out certain people even wished for his death.

“The country is currently fighting a global epidemic like corona and as I keep busy being the home minister of the country, I did not pay attention to all of this. When this came to my notice late at night, I thought that all these people should enjoy their imaginary thoughts. So I did not give any clarification,” the Home Minister said in his tweet.

Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned that millions of his party workers and his well-wishers have expressed a lot of concern since the last two days regarding his health due to the rumours.

“I cannot ignore their concern. So I want to clarify today that I am perfectly healthy and I do not have any disease,” said Shah.

The senior BJP leader expressed gratitude towards his well-wishers and the party who had inquired about his health.

Vested interests behind rumours

At a time when the country is fighting the major crisis of coronavirus pandemic, rumours regarding the health of Home Minister was spread on social media by vested interests. Controversial journalist Shahid Siddiqui had posted a tweet which suggested that all is not well with Shah. He claimed that something very unusual or serious has taken place, and demanded that govt should come out and tell the nation where he is.

Before Siddiqui, known fake news peddler Rana Ayyub had also claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah has not been seen in recent times. Many other anti-BJP handles also added fuel to the propaganda, spreading the rumour that Amit Shah is unwell and that’s why he is not attending office.

Death wish against Home Minister Amit Shah

As soon as rumours spread regarding the ill-health of Amit Shah, Islamists and anti-India brigade took to Facebook to wish death upon Home Minister Amit Shah. AAP supporter and NRI ‘journalist’ Vijayalakshmi Nadar, the Bureau Chief of ‘The India Observer’, which claims to be a US-based e-paper that caters to the NRI community, was seen wishing death to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a Facebook post, Nadar stated that the lipoma surgery undergone by Shah has transformed into a “full-blower cancer.” She further hoped that the alleged ‘prediction by astrologers’ that his ill health condition will continue till October ‘ends conclusively’.

Soon, another ‘journalist’ Lekha Menon was seen wishing the that HM Shah dies of “COVID, cancer or both”. As per her Facebook profile, Lekha Menon was previously associated with media houses like Times of India, DNA and Mumbai Mirror, currently working as the editor for a Dubai based publication, Masala! Magazine, ITP Media Group.

Maharana Pratap Jayanti: What Asaf Khan told Mughal forces at the Battle of Haldighati

Abhishek Banerjee
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Maharana Pratap Jayanti: What Asaf Khan told Mughal forces at the Battle of Haldighati

Today, on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti, let me tell you a story. We all know about the Maharana’s legendary battle in 1576 against Mughal forces on the fields of Halidghati, a small village located near Udaipur in present-day Rajasthan.

This story may or may not have parallels with life today. You be the judge of that. I’ll just go ahead and tell the story. It’s really short anyway.

At the Battle of Haldighati, the Mughal forces were commanded by Raja Man Singh. As your middle school textbook would definitely have highlighted, the secular-minded emperor Akbar asked a Hindu nobleman to lead the charge against the Maharana.

However, your middle school textbook might have been slightly less forthcoming about one Asaf Khan. For the all important battle, Akbar had also appointed  a “joint commander.” That was Asaf Khan, one of Akbar’s trusted governors.

No harm in that. So far, so good. Everything going well, as per Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb.

But the Mughal forces had a problem. There were many Rajput soldiers fighting on the Mughal side as well. In the heat of battle, how would they tell friend from foe? What if they ended up fighting people on their own side?

This question was posed by Badauni to Asaf Khan. I’m sure you have heard of the great Badauni. Your middle school history textbook must have emphasized how he translated the Ramayana and Mahabharata to Persian. More Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb.

Okay, so what did Asaf Khan say in reply to Badauni’s question? Let me quote from Volume 5 of the Cambridge History of India.

Untitled

Asaf Khan replied :

“They will hear the whiz of the arrows, be they who they may, and on whichever side they fall the gain is Islam’s.”

I really doubt whether your middle school history textbook told you this.

That was a short story. Feel free to remember it and draw any relevant lessons from it that you may find. But only if you want.

Mumbai: Dean of the Sion hospital removed after video of dead bodies next to coronavirus patients went viral

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Dean of the Sion hospital removed after video of dead bodies next to coronavirus patients went viral

Days after a shocking video showing coronavirus patients surrounded by dead bodies at the LTMG Sion Hospital, the dean of the hospital Pramod Ingle has removed from his post. Reportedly, he has been replaced by Ramesh Bharmal, former Dean of BYL Nair Hospital, who will be taking charge on Saturday. Dr Ingale has been shunted back to his previous post as the head of the biochemistry department at Sion hospital.

The action against Ingale was taken based on the recommendation of an inquiry committee formed to investigate the reasons behind the incident when around half-a-dozen bodies were shown lying on beds around coronavirus patients in the Sion Hospital three days ago.

Shocking video of dead bodies around coronavirus patients

Maharashtra BJP legislator Nitesh N. Rane on Wednesday had posted a video purportedly showing coronavirus patients sleeping among the dead in a Mumbai hospital.

In the chilling video of the Sion hospital, it was clearly seen that corpses were kept in the ward in which the patients of coronavirus were admitted. The dead bodies of coronavirus patients were kept next to the patients under treatment in a Hospital of Mumbai in the Sion area.

In a viral video recorded at the Sion hospital, bodies are seen wrapped in black plastic bags kept right next to coronavirus patients undergoing treatment. The incident is raising serious questions regarding the management of the hospital and the state authorities.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) had called for a probe into the matter.

Another video from Sion hospital

A day after the horrific incident was reported, another video had surfaced in which a man with coronavirus infection tried to escape the hospital by jumping out of a window.

In the video, a man is seen running towards the window and jumped out of it, where hospital staff in PPE suits and attendants of patients were sitting near the window. The incident took place on last Sunday at 9:25 pm. But the man was not able to escape from the hospital, as security guards were able to nab him before he was able to leave the campus of the hospital.

The hospital sources had later confirmed that the man is a coronavirus patient, and he was admitted at the coronavirus center at the ward number 5 on the ground floor of the hospital. He was on his bed, but suddenly got up and ran towards the window. Reportedly he was mentally stressed after getting admitted at the hospital. He was caught by the guards near the gate of the hospital.

Enforcement Directorate attaches National Herald’s building worth Rs 16.38 crore in Mumbai’s Bandra under PMLA

OpIndia Staff
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Enforcement Directorate attaches National Herald’s building worth Rs 16.38 crore in Mumbai’s Bandra under PMLA

In a major setback for the Gandhi family, the Enforcement Directorate today attached one of the most prime properties in Mumbai’s Bandra under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The said property, with market value to the tunes of hundreds of crores of rupees, was illegally allotted to Associated Journals Limited (AJL),

The Bandra plot came under the spotlight after Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were dragged to court in Delhi after Subramaniam Swamy filed a case accusing them of misappropriating the National Herald’s properties. The aforesaid property in Bandra was provided to National Herald in 1983 at concessional rates to publish the newspaper.

Separately, it is alleged by journalist J Gopikrishnan that the National Herald’s property in Panchkula was pegged at Rs 120 crores to take loan from Delhi’s Syndicate Bank branch in ITO to build 11 floors in the Bandra East-Mumbai property.

AJL’s Panchkula property seized in 2019

Continuing its action in the National Herald case, the Enforcement Directorate had in 2019 attached a Gurugram property worth Rs 64.93 crores under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA).

According to ED investigation, the plot number C-17, sector 6, Panchkula was allotted to the AJL in the year 1982 as per the request of the company to start the Nav-Jivan newspaper. However, the AJL did not abide by the terms and conditions of the allotment, the estate officer, HUDA, Panchkula vide order dated 30.10.1992 ordered to take back the plot on the ground that the allottee i.e. AJL violated the necessary terms and conditions of the allotment letter by not starting the construction and completing the same within the specified time period.

Similarly, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier in December 2018 attached property worth Rs 30 crores in Mohali allotted by former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the case of Associated Journals & National Herald Case. The Supreme Court in 2918 upheld the Income Tax Department’s decision to re-open their tax assessment for the financial year 2011-2012 in connection with the National Herald Case.

National Herald Scam

National Herald scam is one of the most notable legal cases in Indian history, as the Gandhis are directly accused. The Mother-Son duo of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia, along with their aides – Oscar Fernandez, Motilal Vohra and Sam Pithroda are alleged to have involved in massive ‘cheating and breach of trust’ in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL), as assets worth crores of rupees had been allegedly transferred for purposes other than originally intended for a paltry sum. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got unconditional bail in December 2015.

As per the complaint filed in the court of the Metropolitan Magistrate, Associated Journal Limited (AJL) took an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crores from Indian National Congress. It is alleged that the loan was not repaid. A closely held company, the Young Indian Company, which was incorporated in November 2010 with a capital of Rs 50 lakh had acquired almost all the shareholding of AJL and all its properties (alleged to be worth Rs 5,000 crores). BJP’s Subramanian Swamy, who had filed the case, alleged criminal misappropriation by both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Indian Express story based on imagination, reporter did not talk to any ‘sources’: Delhi police trashes story claiming Maulana Saad video ‘doctored’

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Express story based on imagination, reporter did not talk to any ‘sources’: Delhi police trashes story claiming Maulana Saad video ‘doctored’

A report published in the Indian Express today claimed that the Delhi police suspects that the video where the Markaz Nizamuddin head Maulana Saad Kandhalvi of the Tablighi Jamaat was heard asking Muslims not to follow social distancing norms amidst the Coronavirus pandemic may be ‘doctored’. However, the claims cited in the report did not add up and OpIndia had done an extensive fact-check writing how the story in probably fake, in order to shield the Tablighi Jamaat and Maulana Saad.

Now, the Delhi Police has issued a statement on Twitter calling the report in the Indian Express imaginary and fake news. The Delhi Police said that it does not stand by the story and the reporter, Mahender Manral has essentially imagined the details of the investigation.

The Delhi Police said, “The Indian Express report dated 9.5.20 with an article captioned: Tablighi FIR: Police probe indicates Saad audio clip was doctored – Written by Mahender Manral, is not only factually incorrect but seems to be based on wholly unverified sources and purely conjectural imagination”.

Further, the Delhi Police tweeted “He (Reporter Mahendra Manral) claims made by the reporter regarding the investigation are totally baseless. The Delhi Police does not in any way stand by the story of the reporter, nor has he spoken to any official sources claimed in his report”.

The statement published by Delhi Police only vindicates the fact-check done by OpIndia earlier in the day.

We had said that firstly, most videos on any platform are often edited from the raw data to ensure that the final product is ready for viewership. We had also said that since the video was uploaded on the official Delhi Markaz page and it was a stretch of imagination to claim that the Tablighi Jamaat member himself edited the video maliciously to implicate Maulana Saad and the Delhi Markaz page allowed the video to be published. Further, we had also speculated that it does not add up for Maulana Saad to abscond if the video was, in fact, maliciously edited.

The Markaz, Nizamuddin in Delhi is at the heart of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak in the country. Hundreds of potential infections have occurred during a religious event organized at the place earlier this month. Moreover, around 2500 people were housed at the Masjid as late as the 22nd of March and after 1,500 of them left on the 23rd, around a thousand people were still holed up inside.

The whole episode escalated when 163 people who were present at the Markaz, Nizamuddin were admitted to the Lok Nayak Hospital after showing symptoms of the Wuhan Coronavirus. At least eight people who attended the event have died of the virus thus far. The Delhi Police on Monday announced that it will request the Delhi Police to register an FIR against the Maulana of Markaz, Nizamuddin. Since then, an FIR has been registered against the Maulana and others under Section 3 of The Epidemic Diseases Act (1897) for organizing the Islamic event at Markz, Nizamuddin amidst the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.

Ever since the Tablighi Jamaat event exploded, spreading the Coronavirus in the country, a concerted attempt has been underway to shield Tablighi Jamaat members, the Markaz and even Maulana Saad. Anyone who questioned the conduct of the Jamaatis was branded Islamophobic and ostracised for assigning religion to the pandemic, completely ignoring the fact that it was indeed the Jamaatis who wilfully spread the virus in the country. 

It seems the latest fake news by Indian Express is just another attempt by the media to shield the Tablighi Jamaat and the radical Islamists who have deliberately spread the Coronavirus amongst the unsuspecting population of India.

Styrene gas leak: NGT imposes Rs 50 crore fine on LG Polymer for not complying with rules, constitutes committee to probe the gas leak

OpIndia Staff
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Styrene gas leak: NGT imposes Rs 50 crore fine on LG Polymer for not complying with rules, constitutes committee to probe the gas leak

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday imposed an interim fine of Rs 50 crore on the LG Polymer – the South Korean company which owns the chemical factory in Visakhapatnam, where a gas leak accident occurred killing at least 11 people and 1,000 exposed, reports Times of India. Styrene monomer stored in a tank in the polystyrene manufacturing plant had evaporated and escaped out of the tank after the refrigeration unit attached to had failed during the lockdown period.

The tribunal also sought response from the Centre and state authorities while noting that the incident appeared to be a result of “failure to comply” with rules and other statutory provisions.

Imposing the fine, Justice Goel said, “Having regard to the prima facie material regarding the extent of damage to life, public health and environment, we direct LG Polymers India Pvt. Limited to forthwith deposit an initial amount of Rs 50 crore, with the District Magistrate, Vishakhapatnam, which will abide by further orders of this Tribunal. The amount is being fixed having regard to the financial worth of the company and the extent of the damage caused.”

NGT constitutes a five-member committee to probe gas leak incident

Taking up the matter suo-motu, a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, set up a five-member committee to probe Thursday’s gas leak incident in the chemical factory.

The five-member committee set up under former Andhra Pradesh High Court judge, Justice B Seshasayana Reddy will assess causes of failure and identify persons and authorities responsible for it and fix liability by examining the extent of damage to life, public health and environment – including, water, soil, air. The Committee is asked to submit its report before hearing on the matter on May 18.

The bench noted that the leakage of hazardous gas at such a scale adversely affecting public health and environment, clearly attracts the principle of ‘Strict Liability’ against the enterprise engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry.

The committee is also asked to submit its report on steps to be taken for compensation of victims and restitution of damaged property and environment, and remedial measures to prevent such a disaster.

The members of the committee include V Rama Chandra Murthy, former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Pulipati King, Head of Chemical Engineering Department of the Andhra University, CPCB Member Secretary, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Director, and head of NEERI in Vizag.

The district magistrate, Vishakhapatnam, and the regional office of the Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board have been directed by the Tribunal on Friday to provide logistic support to the Committee to enable its fact-finding and reporting.

LG Polymers’ plant violated green rules: Environment Ministry

After conducting a preliminary investigation in Thursday’s gas leak, the environment ministry on Friday said that the LG Polymers’ plant in Vishakhapatnam violated green rules as far as its functioning under expanded capacity is concerned.

“The company had applied for post-facto approval of its operation under expanded capacity. Since the clearance is pending, the operation of the plant is certainly a violation,” said a senior ministry official. The application was forwarded to the ministry by the Andhra Pradesh Environment Impact Assessment Authority on March 17.

According to the ministry, the LG Polymers India had applied for permission to expand its capacity from 415 tonnes per day (TPD) to 655 TPD on its existing site of 213 acres.

Meanwhile, the ministry is finalising guidelines for all industrial units in the country to ensure safety while resuming operations during lockdown 3.0 or post-lockdown period. Since many companies resumed their operations after May 3, such guidelines would help them in a smooth transition.

LG Polymers gas leak incident

A major chemical leak from a polymer plant near Visakhapatnam impacted villages in a five-km radius, leaving many people dead and several other citizens suffering from breathlessness and other problems. The leak was noticed by company staff who were reportedly inspecting machines to restart the factory and raised an alarm.

Hours after the styrene gas leak around 2:30 am on Thursday from the multinational LG Polymers Plant at RR Venkatapuram village, people were seen lying unconscious on sidewalks, near ditches and on the road, raising fears of a major industrial disaster. Eleven people have lost their lives and more than 200 have been admitted to the hospitals following the leak of styrene gas from the facility.

26 US Congressmen urge Mike Pompeo to relocate minorities of Afghanistan including Sikhs and Hindus who are under imminent danger of Islamic state terror

OpIndia Staff
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26 US Congressmen urge Mike Pompeo to relocate minorities of Afghanistan including Sikhs and Hindus who are under imminent danger of Islamic state terror

26 US Congressmen has expressed concern for the safety of minorities in Afghanistan who are living under imminent danger of Islamic State terror. The US Senators have urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a plea to ensure ‘safe and expeditious relocation of Sikhs and Hindus’ who are stranded in war-torn in Afghanistan.

In a letter dated 4 May, Congressman John Garamendi, the co-chair of American Sikh caucus and 25 other senators has stated that the members of the minority communities are under constant danger from the ISIS militants there.

The letter read, “We write to express our deep concern about the safety of the vulnerable Sikh religious minority in Afghanistan, which continues to be under grave threat from Islamic State terrorist attacks directed at Sikhs. Once a thriving community of nearly 250,000 people, the Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan has endured years of discrimination and violence from extremists, and the community is now estimated to comprise fewer than 100 families across the country.”

The plea said, “the situation is extremely grave.”

The Written plea also stated, “As such, we urge you (Pompeo) to take all available steps to facilitate the safe and expeditious relocation of members of the Sikh and Hindu religious minorities in Afghanistan.”

“We understand that such referrals to the USRAP are generally used in small numbers and situations of extreme danger, but we believe this situation is extremely grave and urge you to expand the use of this measure to save Afghan Sikhs and Hindus”, the plea further stated.

The congressmen of Sikh caucus appelled Mike Pompeo to consider referring the people from the minority communities in Afghanistan to the USRAP (United States Refugee Admissions Program) through priority 1 embassy referrals.

Admission of refugees restricted in US due to pandemic

Senators also urged Mike Pompeo to seek support from the other member nation in the International Religious freedom Alliance to safeguard and protect the minority communities of Afghanistan. While the admission of refugees in the United States has been suspended due to the grave health crisis of Wuhan Coronavirus, the Congressmen stated that it is an urgent need to protect them.

The Senators wrote they will continue to flag the matter as it was urgent for Afghan Sikh and Hindus.

Wuhan coronavirus outbreak: Stranded Chinese nationals in Nepal resort to stone-pelting while demanding return flights to go home

OpIndia Staff
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Wuhan coronavirus outbreak: Stranded Chinese nationals in Nepal resort to stone-pelting while demanding return flights to go home

As countries across the world are struggling to tackle the menace of Wuhan coronavirus, obstreperous Chinese nationals stranded in Nepal seem to have taken a leaf out of their communist government’s book by bullying officials from other countries.

A group of Chinese nationals marooned in Nepal due to the ongoing travel restrictions following the coronavirus outbreak came to blows with the Nepal police in a bid to reach Prime Minister’s office in Kathmandu. The unruly group resorted to stone-pelting against the officials after which 47 of them were taken into custody.

As can be seen in the video, the belligerence exhibited by foreign diplomats of the Communist Party of China has seemingly rubbed off on its citizens as well who are running riot on the streets of Kathmandu and attacking the Nepal police. When the police officials stop the Chinese in front of Nepal’s administrative headquarter, many amongst the group berate the security personnel before launching into a violent attack against them. The police officials baton-charge some of them to disperse the crowd but the Chinese citizens continue to pound blows to the police officers.

Four police personnel have sustained injuries in the clashes. “Four police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Haribahadur Basnet, were injured in the skirmish when the protestors entered a prohibited zone,” Superintendent of Nepal Police, Somendra Singh Rathore.

Police claim that their efforts to influence the Chinese nationals to stop their protests and not violate the restrictive orders did not persuade them to leave the region. Some of the protesters wielded placards that said: “I want to go home”. However, the protest turned violent when the police officers prevented the demonstrators from entering a prohibited zone of Singha Darbar that also encloses the Prime Minister’s office.

According to the reports, the Chinese citizens were stranded in Nepal because of the flight restrictions enforced by the Himalayan nation on March 22 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus. The restive Chinese nationals had reportedly run out of money and had no means to stay in the country any longer. Their embassy was unable to help them, reports said.

Chinese embassy calls upon Nepal to protect legitimate rights of Chinese nationals

The Chinese embassy has urged its citizens to abide by the lockdown measures instituted by the Nepali government and has asked the Himalayan nation of safeguarding the legitimate rights of the stranded Chinese nationals.

“Due to the large number of the Chinese citizens stranded in Nepal, the Chinese side has coordinated and arranged temporary flights to take about 340 persons with difficulties back to China,” said the embassy.

The embassy claimed that due to the limited seat capacity in the flights, some Chinese were still stuck in Nepal, especially after Nepal announced suspension of regular international flights till May 31.

Out of the 47 Chinese citizens who were arrested for clashing out with the police, 43 of them were released on Friday evening while the remaining four are facing indecent behaviour charges for attacking security personnel.

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