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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.

Watch: Delhi man says AAP hired him through outsourced manpower company for attending rally but didn’t pay as he was late

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Delhi man says AAP hired him through outsourced manpower company for attending rally but didn’t pay as he was late

In a bizarre incident ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party was caught not only outsourcing its campaigning to a third party manpower agency but also found forcefully employing job-seeking youths to campaign on behalf of the party for the upcoming elections.

The AAP, through third-party employment agencies, is luring unemployed youths by claiming that they would be given jobs and instead they are forcefully employing them to campaign on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party candidates.

In a video released by Political Kida, it can be seen that a job-seeking man narrates his story on how he was asked to be present at Delhi’s Connaught place by outsourced manpower company TeamLease to campaign on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Narrating his story, the person in the video said he was an unemployed person who was seeking a job and as a result, he had registered his name in Team Lease. According to the person, he was asked to campaign on behalf of Aam Aadmi Party for six days and in return, the company had promised to pay Rs 500 for each day on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party.


Further, the person in the video said that the campaigning team refused him to pay the money after he had arrived at the rally two hours late. The person can be heard narrating his ordeal how it was tough for him to find the address as there was no specific address given to him by the employment agency.

Read- Arvind Kejriwal lies: AAP Supremo had promised 15 lakh CCTV cameras for Delhi more than once during 2015 elections

The unemployed person said two persons, Anmol and Rajat, had asked him to be at the spot at 12 PM but the person could only arrive at the spot two hours later at 2 PM. He further claimed that the employment agency on behalf of AAP is now refusing to pay him the money that was promised.

It is shocking that Aam Aadmi Party is resorting such tricks to forcefully employ unemployed people into campaigning ahead of the Delhi assembly elections. By misleading unemployed person, the AAP has inhumanely treated the helpless job-seeking persons by considering them as a commodity to be used for the party’s political purposes.

LGBTQ members object to pro-Sharjeel Imam slogans chanted at Mumbai Pride parade

OpIndia Staff
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LGBTQ members object to pro-Sharjeel Imam slogans chanted at Mumbai Pride parade

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.

OpIndia has now learned that there are dissenting voices within the group that had helped organize the pride parade. The event was led by Harish Iyer, who had joined the Congress party during the run-up to the General Elections 2019.

LGBT activist Harish Iyer with Congress president Rahul Gandhi
Source: (@hiyer)

Now, questions are being asked of Harish Iyer as to why he didn’t object to the slogans in support of Sharjeel Imam given the dangerous ideology the Radical Muslim advocates. Apart from the Sharjeel slogans, chants of Azadi and placards demanding independence of Kashmir were also raised at the pride parade. OpIndia has learnt that the slogans were raised by two outfits, one from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and another from Thane, and not everyone participated in it.

People are miffed with Harish Iyer because he was compering the event and they believe that if he had intervened in the matter, then the two groups would have stopped chanting those slogans but he did not. They also believe that due to those problematic slogans, the image of the entire pride rally has been tarnished and Harish Iyer is being blamed for allowing these radical individuals to set the agenda. Now, the dissenting voices are demanding that the group come up with an official statement to disassociate themselves from the problematic slogans that were raised. Harish Iyer is being accused of allowing these two groups to set a tone and agenda that has now tarnished the image of entire pride rally.

While Iyer remains deafeningly silent on the pro-Sharjeel and pro-Azadi slogans at the pride parade, Queer Azaadi, one of the organisers of the pride parade have condemned the radical slogans in support of Sharjeel.


Distancing itself from the radical slogans, Queer Azaadi Mumbai has said that those raising pro-Sharjeel slogans were not part of the organising process.

It is notable to mention that the Mumbai Police had earlier denied permission to organise the Queer Azaadi Mumbai Pride March 2020 will be used by anti-CAA dissenters to stoke anarchy in the city. The Mumbai Police while denying the permission claimed that the anti-CAA protesters might co-opt the Queer Azaadi March to fuel their propaganda which may lead to deteriorating law and order situation in the city.

Taher ‘mankind angel’ Shah and Tej Pratap Yadav: Both made big promises but neither fulfilled

Nirwa Mehta
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Taher ‘mankind angel’ Shah and Tej Pratap Yadav: Both made big promises but neither fulfilled

As 2019 came to an end, I decided to take a break from social media to focus on my mental health. Just before I took a break, I saw something which gave me some assurance that 2020 might just get a little better. For a country which exports perhaps the maximum terrorists to our country, it warms the cockles of my heart that it has also given the world Taher Shah.


On 28th December 2019 Taher Shah announced ‘coming soon’. Shah is the one who gave us ‘Mankind Angel’. A grown up man wearing velvet robes with fake glittery angel wings tied behind his back roaming on what looks like a golf course with one random babool tree protruding in middle of it and singing how he is the mankind’s angel.

What is not to love? The man refers to himself as an angel who is soft like a rose and then changes into a turquoise gown. There is a woman also in the video who wears white robe and is also a self-declared angel, perhaps.

Whenever I feel low, I watch his videos. He has another one, for those uninitiated.

In his superhit ‘Eye to Eye’, Taher Shah blinks his eyes and perhaps sings to himself about his eyes while looking showing multiple mosaics of eyes. He even sings about his “sensational eyes” to himself while looking at VFX version of himself looking into his eyes.

Isn’t that amazing? Pakistan must treasure him and put him safely away from the evil eyes (pun intended).

Tej Pratap Yadav

While we are speaking of hope of a better tomorrow, we can hardly keep our own homegrown gems away. While there are many who restore my faith in innocence, Tej Pratap Yadav, older son of fodder scam convict and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, is ahead by many, many counts.

Tej Pratap Yadav’s antics are full of innocence. No matter how powerful your father might be, Tej Pratap shows that absolutely nothing can stop you from just being yourself.

Tej Pratap Yadav’s tweet announcing launch of his website

On 12th January, he tweeted announcement of launch of his new personal website. Just look at this image. It has two Tej Pratap Yadavs emerging from one Tej Pratap Yadav who is wearing a Captain America beanie. Tej Pratap protruding from right side of Tej Pratap is wearing a bandana and it seems like he is leading a concert. At first glance, Tej Pratap on the left side of Tej Pratap does not half of his head. On closer inspection one can see that it is just bad Photoshop. Tej Pratap’s white cap has vanished and merged with the golden sky because of digital effects.

I immediately went to his website only to see it had a counter which showed 6 hours remaining. It was to be launched at 1 AM. Since it was way past my bed time, I slept off in hopes that I’ll be able to devour the website as soon as I wake up.

Except, when I woke up, the counter had been reset and it was now showing one day and few hours. I went back again after two days to see that the counter has again been reset. Until one fateful day…

Tej Pratap Yadav website

The countdown has now stopped. It has broken. Along with it, my heart is broken. Is the website launched delayed indefinitely? Is it cancelled? If it is neither, why did the countdown just stop the updates? I was looking forward to all fancy dress pictures at one place.


Something so pure about this.


Earlier he had declared himself Lord Krishna to his younger brother Tejashwi who he had announced as Arjun and had said the detractors will be slayed with a ‘Sudarshan Chakra’. Days later, he himself posed as Arjun. Earlier he was seen dressed as Lord as Lord Shiva blowing a conch shell (Shankh) before leaving for the Kanwar yatra. He had also appeared as Lord Shiva on another occasion.

And now that his website launch seems far away, we seem to be stuck with Rahul Gandhi fans to keep ourselves entertained.

Rahul Gandhi fans keeping us entertained

Panjab University student injured after left-wing goons attack him for a social media post criticising leftist student organisation

OpIndia Staff
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Panjab University student injured after left-wing goons attack him for a social media post criticising leftist student organisation

In a shocking incident, an ABVP member was injured after he was attacked by members of left-wing student organisation Students For Society (SFS) at the boys’ hostel number 3 in Panjab University.

Reportedly, the SFS students had attacked ABVP students following an alleged fallout between two groups. The attack on ABVP member Divyansh Sharma happened after he had allegedly made an indecent comment on social media against SFS.

As SFS members attacked the ABVP student Sharma, he got injured and was immediately rushed to the GMSH in Sector 16, where he was administered stitches.

Parvinder Singh Katora, convener, ABVP, Chandigarh, said, “Divyansh Sharma received a call from an unknown number at 8:26 pm, asking about his whereabouts. A resident of boys’ hostel number 4, he had gone to meet his friend at hostel number three. As soon as he came out of the hostel, some 11-12 persons started beating him up. He recognised four of the attackers, who were from the SFS.”

However, SFS president Varinder claimed, “I was not there at the incident. I had reacted to an abusive comment posted by Divyansh Sharma and demanded an apology from him. I was told by a friend, who was going to have dinner at hostel number 3 that Divyansh was being hit by someone.”

Harman of the SFS said, “I am attending a wedding in Patiala. I wonder how my name cropped up.”

A senior security official at the university said that the Chandigarh police and the PU chief security officer arrived at the spot as soon as they came to know about the fight. The injured students have been rushed to the hospital, said the officer.

Following the incident, about 50 supporters of ABVP assembled outside the DSW’s residence and demanded a ban on SFS. The police have recorded Divyansh’s statement. No case has been registered as the police did not get any complaint in connection with the incident.

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