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TMC goons, including party leader tie woman and thrash her for protesting against forceful takeover of land for road construction in Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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TMC goons, including party leader tie woman and thrash her for protesting against forceful takeover of land for road construction in Bengal

Another brutal attack in Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal has come to light, allegedly by TMC goons. On the 2nd of February 2019, a primary school teacher in Gangrampur of South Dinajpur district was tied with a rope, dragged and beaten up by a group of people. The group of people also included a local TMC leader Amal Sarkar. The teacher who was thrashed has been identified as Smriti Kana Das.


Reportedly, Smriti Kana Das was thrashed by TMC goons because she protested against the TMC’s bid to acquire her land forcibly for the construction of a road.

Post the heinous incident, the primary school teacher who was thrashed resigned and a complaint was filed against the 5 people, including the TMC leader who thrashed her.

Read: West Bengal: Two persons die after TMC goons open fire and hurl bombs at anti-CAA protesters in Murshidabad

Amal Sarkar who was a part of the group who thrashed the primary school teacher was the Panchayat Deputy Pradhant from the ruling TMC party.

“When I raised my voice, TMC workers, including Sarkar, beat me up. They tied my legs with a rope and dragged me for several metres. I have lodged a complaint with the police” the primary teacher who is undergoing treatment at a local hospital said.

Read: West Bengal: Hindu activist murdered in Nadia, ‘killed because he refused to join TMC’, says family

A senior police officer said, “We have received a complaint in this regard and we are looking into it. The investigation is on”.

Reportedly, TMC has suspended Amal Sarkar pending an investigation into the allegations that he was a part of the mob that thrashed the primary school teacher.

BJP has said that Smriti Kana Das is a worker of the party. BJP MP from Balurghat, Sukanta Majumdar, said, “She is our party worker. She was severely beaten up. Only TMC can inflict such horrific attack on our workers. This clearly shows why the law and order situation has worsened in West Bengal.”

Jamia Millia Islamia students claim that two unidentified people fired shots near University, FIR filed: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Jamia Millia Islamia students claim that two unidentified people fired shots near University, FIR filed: Here are the details

At about midnight on 3rd January 2019, an incident of firing was reported from Jamia Millia Islamia University by the students of the University. The Jamia Coordination Committee claimed that the shooting was done by two unidentified bike-bourse assailants near Gate number 5 of the University, though no injuries were reported.

After the shooting, a crowd had almost immediately gathered outside Jamia and had started sloganeering. One can prominently hear ‘Delhi Police Haye Haye’ slogans being raised outside Jamia.


As per the students’ claims, one of the assailants was wearing a red jacket and the number of the scooty from which they allegedly fired was 1532.


Post the incident of the alleged shooting, people had gathered outside the Jamia police station and demanded that an FIR be filed.

At around 1:30 AM, the FIR was filed by the Delhi police.


It is pertinent to note here that as of now, though an FIR has been filed, the claims of shots being fired is only by the students of Jamia. Even the ‘eye-witness’ accounts that have emerged is of the students and nobody else so far.

“Police officers at Jamia Nagar went to the place and searched the area. No empty bullet shells were found there. Also, there were different versions of the vehicle in which the alleged miscreants came. Some said it was a scooter, others said it was a four-wheeler. Many people, including students, have gathered outside the police station. They will be asked to give a complaint. We will conduct a probe,” said senior police officer Kumar Gyanesh.

Read: ‘Rambhakt’ Gulshan shooting in Jamia: A well hatched conspiracy? Here are some questions that need answers

This is the third incident of shooting that has been reported from the Jamia-Shaheen Bagh area in the past few days. These incidents are being seen with some amount of suspicion since there are several questions, primarily of timing, that remain unanswered.

Earlier, a teen named Gulshan (name changed) had fired a shot outside Jamia where one bystander was injured. There were several questions that were raised regarding that incident and suspicions of the incident being staged, ahead of Delhi elections, were raised. Gulshan had posted on his Facebook profile right before the shooting saying that he was doing it to avenge the killing of another teen called Chandan Gupta who was killed during a Tiranga Yatra.

Read: Shaheen Bagh shooting: The second step in a cold and calculated conspiracy?

The second incident came days ago where one individual fired shots near Shaheen Bagh, carefully in the air. When being arrested, he claimed that ‘In this country, only what Hindus say would be considered’. The incident appeared staged since the man fired only in the air and even gave willing sound bytes to the media, trying excessively hard to prove that he was a ‘nationalist’.

Indian buffalo enters Bangladesh, kills one woman and injures several others near Tripura border

OpIndia Staff
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Indian buffalo enters Bangladesh, kills one woman and injures several others near Tripura border

In an unfortunate stray incident, an Indian buffalo entered Bangladesh and went on a rampage, killing one woman and injuring several persons. The incident happened in Gourangola village under Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria near the Bangladesh border with Tripura.

According to reports, a wild buffalo from India crossed the international border near Putia on Sunday morning, crossed the Putia village, and reached Gourangola village. After that, the animal started attacking villagers in Gourangola, Haripur and other nearby villages. The buffalo hit a 65-year old woman named Safia Begum with its horns at the backyard of her home. She was immediately rushed to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital after few hours today. Officer-in-charge of Kasba Police Station Md Lukman Hossain confirmed the incident.

He also said that eight other persons were injured in this animal attack, including Santosh Saha from Haripur. All of them have been admitted at various hospitals in Cumilla. Apart from the death and injuries, the buffalo also damaged crop and trees in farmlands in the area. Two BSF soldiers from India were also injured after they were hit by the buffalo.

Another injured Habibur Rahman said that when the buffalo charged at his mother, he tried to save her by holding its horns and stopping the animal. He was injured on his left arm as a result, which needed stitches.

According to BSF sources, there is a thick jungle on the Indian side of the border, from which the buffalo had entered Bangladesh.

Read- NDTV changes Cow to a Buffalo to finally an Ox in its news reports, here is the truth

Later the buffalo was caught by hundreds of people gathered from the area near the border, and the captured buffalo was slaughtered by the angry villagers. After a meeting with BSF (Border Security Force) and BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh), the villagers have decided to give away the meat of the animal to the affected families.

A local official in Bangladesh said that they had sought tranquiliser to neutralise the wild buffalo, but as no such device was found in Cumilla and Brahmanbaria, the animal was caught and slaughtered by the villagers.

As no victim lodged any complaint, the Bangladesh police have not registered any case for the death and injuries. But appropriate steps will be taken as per wildlife protection laws into the incident. The local administration has decided to provide financial assistance to the family of the deceased.

DMK hires ‘North Indian Brahmin’ Prashant Kishor to prepare for 2021 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu

OpIndia Staff
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DMK hires ‘North Indian Brahmin’ Prashant Kishor to prepare for 2021 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu

M. K. Stalin, President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), confirmed on Sunday that Prashant Kishor, who was expelled from JDU recently by Nitish Kumar, is indeed working for the party ahead of the 2021 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu. It was earlier reported that DMK was in talks with Kishor when he was working for Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.


Indian PAC or I-PAC is the political consultancy firm headed by Prashant Kishor. Interestingly enough, for all the normative anti-Hindi and anti-Brahmin sentiments that dominate Dravidianist politics in Tamil Nadu, the DMK has chosen to hire a North Indian Brahmin for the job. Dravidianist politics (Lemurianism as it is called in internet circles) employs rhetoric that is extremely disparaging towards North Indians and Brahmins more specifically.

“It will be interesting how leaders and cadres in DMK would react if the party engages the Bihari Brahmin Kishor. The DMK is certainly not a pro-Brahmin. With DMK’s anti-Hindi stance, it will be interesting to see a person from the Hindi land charting its political strategy,” political analyst Raveendhran Dhuraiswamy had told IANS as far back as in November 2019.

Read- Prashant Kishor: Here is why this one man has India’s political class enslaved

In Dravidianist circles, Brahmins are labeled as “Aryan colonialists” and very often assaulted. The central theme of Dravidianism, in their eyes, was atheism and Dravidian culture was the backbone of the entire movement. There is also Nazi-like anti-Brahmin propaganda that is rife in Dravidianist circles. The seriousness of the matter can be gauged by the fact that anti-Brahmin literature has also been produced by the founder of the DMK and former CM of Tamil Nadu, C.N. Annadurai.

DMK’s changing course has been apparent in recent times. For instance, after superstar Rajnikanth said that Periyar had denigrated Shri Rama and Sita Mata, instead of lionizing Periyar’s actions, Stalin had urged Rajnikanth to think and speak.

Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha leader shot dead today was fond of cycling, was associated with the Samajwadi Party

OpIndia Staff
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Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha leader shot dead today was fond of cycling, was associated with the Samajwadi Party

Uttar Pradesh President of Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha Ranjeet Bachchan was shot dead in Lucknow by unknown assailants. The incident took place at Globe Park in Hazratganj area when Bachchan had gone for a morning walk. A total of eight teams have now been constituted to investigate the murder. It may be noted that Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha is a different organisation and should not be confused with more well-known Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, which is oftened shortened to Hindu Mahasabha.

Ranjeet was also very fond of cycling. In February 2002, Ranjeet and Nirmal had started off on a cycle yatra. After India, they travelled to the border areas of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar. They covered more than one lakh kilometres in their tour of all the then 28 states of India along with the Union Territories.

Ranjeet Bachchan is from Gorakhpur but has been living in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area for a while. He has been associated with the Samajwadi Party in the past. Later, he founded the Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha and became its head. In 2013, Ranjeet and Kalindi Nirmal Sharma had campaigned for the Samajwadi Party for six months. The two of them had been awarded a sum of Rs. 5 lakh each. The then Samajwadi Party government had allotted a government house for him as well. Ranjeet had also organized various cultural programs for Samajwadi Party.

Ranjeet Sharma with Akhilesh Yadav in the background

As per reports, Ranjeet had married thrice. The first was arranged by his family a long time ago. He has a child from his wife as well. Later, between 2002 and 2009 during the cycle yatra, he had married Kalindi Nirmal Sharma. His third wife is one Nirmala Srivastava. It is said that there was a lot of strife initially between the two women but later on, the dispute was resolved and they had started living together. Ranjeet’s first wife Smriti is from Gorakhpur. It is reported that recently, he had gone to meet her there.

Ranjeet Bachchan with Akhilesh Yadav

There is also a case of rape registered against Ranjeet Bachchan by the sister of Kalini. The case was registered in 2015 at Shahpur police station and is currently pending before the Court. There is another case registered against him in Gorakhpur in the matter of domestic violence. It is being said that he had been making a concerted attempt to establish himself as a ‘Hindu leader’. Recently, he had said that those protesting against CAA should consider moving to Pakistan.

The Police have not ruled out any aspect thus far and are investigating all angles. They are going through the CCTV footage for clues into the crime. They are also looking into the past disputes he might have had that could have possibly resulted in his death.

Congress Manifesto for Delhi election: CAA to be challenged in SC; NPR, NRC not to be implemented in current form

OpIndia Staff
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Congress Manifesto for Delhi election: CAA to be challenged in SC; NPR, NRC not to be implemented in current form

The Congress manifesto was released for the upcoming Delhi elections on Sunday. The Delhi Congress chief, Subhash Chopra and leaders such as Anand Sharma and Ajay Maken were present at the event.

In its manifesto, the party promised to not implement the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in its present form. The grand old party also vowed to challenge the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the apex court.


Competing with Arvind Kejriwal on freebies, the Congress announced that it will provide free electricity up to 300 units per month. Moreover, the party in its manifesto has also promised to hand out unemployment allowance of ₹ 5,000 to graduates ₹ 7,500 to post-graduates every month.


The Congress party also promised to spend 25% of its state budget on fighting pollution and improving transportation. It also vowed to provide ₹15 meals in its Indira canteens. The Congress Manifesto also talked about free education for girls in government schools and free bus rides to senior citizens.

NPR is a part of the census and was earlier prepared in 2010-2011 along with the 2011 Census during the Congress-led UPA government. CAA aims to fast-track the citizenship of minorities from three neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have migrated to India illegally, owing to religious persecution. As for a nationwide NRC, no draft has been laid down by the government. The exercise to update the NRC in Assam was initiated during the Congress government in the state, while by the time it was completed BJP had come to power.

Hard-hitting facts, however, have not stopped the Congress party from casting aspersions about CAA-NRC-NPR in its poll manifesto.

Big win for nationalists: In a first, organisers of pride parade disassociate themselves from radical Islamist slogans in rally

OpIndia Staff
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Big win for nationalists: In a first, organisers of pride parade disassociate themselves from radical Islamist slogans in rally

Queer Azaadi Mumbai (QAM) has been forced to disassociate itself from the slogans that were raised in support of Sharjeel Imam at the recent Queer Parade in Mumbai. This is the first time that the organizers of a pride rally have officially distanced themselves from the radical slogans and placards that are regularly spotted at pride rallies. The said pride parade is said to have been led by Harish Iyer, who had joined the Congress party during the run-up to the Lok Sabha Elections in 2019.

Source: @queer_azaadi on Twitter

The statement by QAM said, “We completely disassociate from and strongly condemn the abrupt radical slogans in support of Sharjeel and/or any other slogans against the integrity of India at the gathering.” QAM also clarified that these slogans were raised without the consent of the organizers and that the QAM was not informed in any manner regarding the intent or content of the sloganeering.

The statement said, “It was irresponsible and potentially detrimental and none of the individuals raising these slogans were part of the organizing process or permissions process with us.” QAM also said that permission for the rally was secured on express conditions and “irresponsible sloganeering under the garb of dissent not just affects the safety of individuals who signed the permission but QAM as an entity.”

Read: This day in 2018: Malaysia saw a lesbian couple caned publicly for the first time in its history

QAM reiterated its commitment towards the integrity of the Indian nation and asserted that they will “cooperate with legal processes that may be required by law enforcement systems in this matter.” We had reported earlier dissenting voices within the organization were demanding an official statement from QAM disassociating itself from the slogans that were raised.

Slogans in support of Radical Islamist Sharjeel Imam were raised at the Queer Parade in Mumbai. “Sharjeel tere sapno ko manzil tak pahunchayenge (Sharjeel we will make your dreams come true),” was amongst the many problematic slogans that were raised in the parade. Just to be clear, as per reports, the mastermind of the Shaheen Bagh protests wants to convert India into an Islamic state and is in prison currently for urging Muslims to cut off North East India from the rest of the country.

This is the first time that the organizers of a pride parade have disassociated themselves and condemned the problematic slogans that are invariably spotted at such events. Hinduphobic posters and slogans of ‘Kashmir Mangey Azadi‘ have also been heard at such events. However, until now, the organizers of such events have never bothered to disassociate themselves from the hate that is often observed towards Hinduism or the slogans against the integrity of the Indian Union.

One reason for QAM’s statement could be the fact that the slogans in support of Sharjeel Imam were a vow to fulfill his dreams and unfortunately enough, Sharjeel Imam’s dream is to convert India into an Islamic State. Moreover, the possibility of homosexuals and transgenders being caned in public or thrown off rooftops will increase exponentially if India is converted into an Islamic State. Therefore, a significant section of the LGBT community is naturally not comfortable with that and hence QAM’s condemnation.

Brexit: UK finally leaves EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation

OpIndia Staff
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Brexit: UK finally leaves EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union (EU) at 11:00 pm (23:00 GMT) on Friday. The much-anticipated moment came 3 years after the process of Brexit had started. The UK which has been a member of the EU for close to 5 decades celebrated the night with symbolic gestures such as illumination of 10 Downing Street and the release of a commemorative 50p coin.

Johnson’s address to the Nation

In an address to the nation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “For many people, this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. ”


Johnson argued that Brexit Referendum held in 2016 was a moment of national renewal and change. He promised to use the “recaptured sovereignty of Britain” to control immigration, do free trade and liberate the fishing industry. Johnson envisioned that it would be an era of friendly cooperation between the EU and Britain.

He reiterated that it was his job to bring the country together and take it forward. The British PM also added, “When I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashed, I know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning success”.

Immediate Changes

The UK will now enter a transition period during which it has to abide by the rules of the European Union. As many as 73 MEPs from the United Kingdom will lose their seats in the European Parliament. The British officials will not attend any EU summits.

The British passports will change to its original blue and gold design from the existing burgundy design. The Department for Exiting the European Union that was established by former PM Theresa May will also be closed down.

Brexit
Left: UK’s passport under EU, Right: UK’s original passport

During the said transition that will last till December 31, the UK nationals will pay its share to the EU’s budget. The UK nationals can travel hassle-free across the EU’s member countries. Driving licences, pet passports and European Health Insurance Cards issued in the UK will stay valid across the EU States during the transition period.

Future Implications

The formal separation of the UK from the EU will have its ramifications on world politics. The United Kingdom will try to strike a deal with the European Union on a free trade agreement, security cooperation, new fishing arrangements and so on.

The UK will also start holding formal trade negotiations with other countries, something that it has been barred from while it was a member of the EU. Boris Johnson has to become the new power broker between the US and the EU. Favouring any side will strain the relationship with the other.

Boris Johnson had recently allowed Huwaei to build UK’s 5G network, thereby drawing the ire of the White House. A new demand for Scottish independence has been raised at the backdrop of Uk’s separation from the EU. Besides trade and diplomatic relations, the United Kingdom now faces major challenges to maintain its territorial integrity.

Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese and foreigners residing in China

Following widespread Coronavirus outbreak in China, India on Sunday temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China. According to Embassy of India in China, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect due to certain current developments.


“Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect,” the Indian Embassy announced here.

The Indian embassy further added that e-visa restrictions are applicable to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China. Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid, the announcement said.

“All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, as well as the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities,” it said.

Read: Coronavirus: Pakistan President first cites Prophet justifying not evacuating its citizens from China, then contradicts himself

These preventive measures are being taken after two Indians from Kerala were reportedly found carrying Coronavirus. The two people from Kerala had recently visited China, from where they are suspected to have carried the deadly virus.

The Indian government has been extremely proactive in handling the ongoing Coronavirus crisis and has taken effective steps to evacuate Indian citizens who were trapped in China following the global crisis.

The Indian government had sent Air India jumbo B747 to China to evacuate citizens. The Air India flight made two flights to Wuhan city – the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic. In the first flight on early Saturday, 324 Indians were evacuated and on Sunday another 323 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens were flown back.

Meanwhile, death toll in China because of coronavirus epidemic has risen to 304 and about 14,380 people have reportedly been infected with this virus in mainland China while 160 have reportedly been infected in rest of the world. As of now almost 20,000 suspected coronavirus cases have been reported from China.

Delhi: Counter-protests organized at Shaheen Bagh against road blockade by anti-CAA protesters

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Counter-protests organized at Shaheen Bagh against road blockade by anti-CAA protesters

On Sunday morning, a group of people hit the streets against the 24/7 sit-in protest against CAA in Shaheen Bagh that is going on for the past 50 days. They raised demands to open the road that has been blocked by the protestors after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed by the Parliament. They have asked the protestors to vacate the road and shift to Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar instead.


These people have now sat on a protest against the Shaheen Bagh protestors, just 300 metres away from them. They have warned that they will not move until the road is vacated. Amidst chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, “Jai Shree Ram”, “Vande Matram” and “Khali Karao Shaheen Bagh wallo ko”, a protestor said that people are facing inconveniences because of the road blockade.

Another protestor contended, “They are stopping ambulances from passing by. If it is their right to block roads, then, we can too block this road. We will see what happens to Delhi then.”


Another protestor complained that children are unable to reach school on time and people are being fired from jobs because of the delay caused due to the road blockade.

However, they made it clear that they are not against the demonstration being carried out by the anti-CAA protestors but want them to relocate to some other place, preferably Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar.

Read- Late night drama at Shaheen Bagh: To speak to the media, or not to speak

They were also joined by several people from adjoining areas of Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, Bagpat, Ballabgarh etc. As per reports, these people are associated with various organizations such as Bajrang Dal, Gau Raksha Samiti and Bajrang Akhara Samiti.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Friday had alleged that the BJP was planning “something big” on February 2 at Shaheen Bagh. He had also assured that he had evidence to corroborate his claims.

The senior police officials tried to pacify the crowd but it was in vain. The security provisions have now been stepped up, keeping in mind the new developments. On Saturday, a gunman by the name of Kapil Gujjar had fired three shots in the air after being frustrated with long traffic hauls at Shaheen Bagh. Another man named Mohammad Luqman, allegedly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, was seen brandishing a gun as well.

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