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BHU Dharma Vigyan students deserve an apology for being labelled as ‘bigots’

Abhishek Banerjee
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BHU Dharma Vigyan students deserve an apology for being labelled as ‘bigots’

A few weeks ago, headlines went viral about protests at BHU against a newly appointed professor of Sanskrit who happened to be Muslim. This was of course immediately sucked into the “intolerance” narrative against BJP ruled India. The global liberal media did not lag behind. After all, these days anything perceived to be wrong with India is big news, even if it is vegetable prices.

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And why not? After all, how can students in a learning environment possibly dictate that their professors should belong to a specific religion? What has the religion of the professor got to do with teaching a language?

So much of the left and the right weighed in on this story, most sensible people inclined to condemn the protesting students for their “bigotry.” Some celebrity journalists went a step further, putting the students on the kangaroo court of cable news though not letting them speak and hammering them on air.

Read: How the BHU students were demonised and the ones who refused to be ‘secularised’ unfairly called ‘bigots’

Slowly, but surely, a second narrative began to emerge. The students insisted that they had absolutely nothing against a Muslim teaching Sanskrit or any other language. It just so turns out that the Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) department to which Feroz Khan had been appointed, is a rather unique institution at BHU, which teaches Hindu Shastras and Hindu rituals.

This obviously has to do with the special history of BHU, conceived by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya as a centre for both secular and religious education. The appointment of a Muslim to teach Hindu Shastras in the Vedic tradition may, therefore, be seen as roughly equivalent to appointing a Muslim to work as a priest at a Hindu temple. It is not unreasonable to protest against this and doing so can hardly be considered a form of bigotry.

Read: BHU: SVDV students finally vindicated, Dr Firoze Khan resigns, will join Arts faculty to teach Sanskrit

But few wanted to listen. The initial burst of viral headlines were simply too powerful.

However, the events of the last few days leave no doubt that the students had a legitimate point, which had nothing to do with religious fundamentalism.

OpIndia headline

Feroz Khan will continue to teach Sanskrit at BHU. He will just be teaching it in the Sanskrit department at the Faculty of Arts, where Sanskrit is taught in a secular fashion like any other language.

And the reaction of the protesting students?

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Even the NDTV reporter gets it now.

No student ever protested against a Muslim teaching Sanskrit at BHU. All they ever demanded was that a non-Hindu should not be teaching Hindu religion.

And yet, the impression was created (deliberately?) across India and across the world that these students were bigots, opposing a professor simply because he happened to be a Muslim.

The protesting BHU students deserve credit for making their point resolutely. For being unfazed before bullies from all over the world. The media elite, sometimes taking advantage of their relatively weak English speaking skills, tried to bury their narrative. But it was not to be.

Read: BHU protests: Students seek ‘Bheeksha’ to raise awareness for their cause, RSS reverses stand, Mahants come out in support

It can now be safely concluded that the BHU story should be a lesson in how not to cover news and why we should not jump to conclusions based on viral headlines. The whole thing was an internal matter of the university, relating to the unique history of the institution. Outsiders getting involved and shooting their mouths off without knowing the full story, did not help anybody.

A liberal may ask here: what about JNU? How come I want BHU protests to be an internal matter, but I had no qualms commenting on JNU? Well, it’s quite simple: JNU protests were about hostel fees, mess charges, etc. Common concerns that we can all understand and relate to. Concerns that are universal in nature. The BHU case simply wasn’t about any such thing. Most universities don’t have the unique history and traditions of BHU. The matter was far too specific to one department at one university.

Read: BHU students organise Rudhrabhishek as part of agitation against the appointment of non-Hindu to the faculty of theology

And now the protesting BHU students and the administration have reconciled all their differences in a manner that is fair to all. Prof. Feroz Khan will continue to teach Sanskrit at BHU and absolutely nobody questions his academic expertise. The students have happily called off their protest and will continue with their Hindu religious education at their department.

Seems everyone is a winner here. Except those of us who rushed to judge without making certain of the facts first.

Indian Union Muslim League represented by Kapil Sibal move SC against Citizenship Amendment Bill, seek to declare it ‘illegal’

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Union Muslim League represented by Kapil Sibal move SC against Citizenship Amendment Bill, seek to declare it ‘illegal’

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Thursday moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, which has been cleared by both Houses of Parliament and is awaiting the President’s assent before it becomes a law.

After the historic bill passed the Lower house on Monday, it also sailed through the Upper House, where the government lacks a majority, on Wednesday.

According to reports, senior Congress leader and SC advocate Kapil Sibal will represent the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Supreme Court. IUML, which is an ally of the Congress in the state of Kerala, in its petition pleaded the SC to declare the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 as ‘illegal and void’ as it alleged that the bill violates the fundamental Right to Equality of the Constitution.


According to reports, along with Indian Union Muslim League opposing Citizenship Amednment Bill, four other Members of Parliament, which include, PK Kunhalikutty (Lok Sabha IUML MP representing Kerala), ET Mohammed Basheer (Lok Sabha IUML MP representing Kerala), Abdul Wahab (Rajya Sabha IUML MP from Kerala) and K Navas Kani (Lok Sabha IUML MP from Tamil Nadu), have also filed a petition in the apex court against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, on grounds that it violates the Right to Equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.

Read: Hindu massacres and a demand for Sharia: The story of Rahul Gandhi’s ally IUML, an offshoot of Jinnah’s Muslim league

This development comes merely a day after the bill found a smooth passage in the Rajya Sabha, with 125 voted in favour of the bill in the Upper House, 105 MPs voted against it.

Similarly, the bill, which amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they faced religious persecution there, sailed through in the Lok Sabha on Monday with 311 ayes and 80 nos.

Congress veteran leader Kapil Sibal and out-on-bail leader P Chidambaram, both members of the Upper House, had questioned the Modi government over the legal validity of the Bill during the discussion in Parliament.

The historic Citizenship Amendment Bill, after being passed by Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha both, paves the way for hundreds and thousands of persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries who have been residing in India for the past many years.

Read: Citizenship Amendment Bill – Myths and lies propagated against it, and the facts

The Bill had faced intense opposition from the Congress and like-minded parties who had earlier vouched for the provisions enshrined in the Bill during past regimes before doing a complete U-Turn in 2019. Shiv Sena, a party that claims to be a Hindutva party, after voting in favour of the bill in the Lok Sabha, had taken a complete U-turn and walked out as the voting began in the Rajya Sabha.

‘Activists’ and ‘Intellectuals’ had joined the liberal mob in opposition to the Bill. Numerous bizarre arguments have been made to oppose the Bill. Certain people have deemed it to be anti-Muslim even though the Bill had nothing to do with Indian Muslims.

There was a meltdown among the ‘Liberal’ crowd on social media after the Bill was tabled and eventually passed in the Lok Sabha. Eventually, such baseless opposition to the Bill has been rejected by both Houses of the Parliament and President Kovind will soon sign the historic Bill into law.

Ranchi: Lawyer who represented Richa Bharti against Quran distribution order shot dead, property dispute suspected

OpIndia Staff
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Ranchi: Lawyer who represented Richa Bharti against Quran distribution order shot dead, property dispute suspected

Ram Pravesh Singh, a 47-year-old lawyer in Ranchi was shot dead on Monday night in Ranchi. As per reports, the incident occurred in Road number 5 in Sarvodaya Nagar, under the Kanke police station limits.

In a CCTV footage that has been going viral on social media, Ram Pravesh Singh can be seen standing near his car, in his lawyer’s robes, when the assailant had approached him casually. The assailant was seen slowly and casually walking towards the lawyer and suddenly raising the gun he had kept hidden in his hands behind his back. Ram Pravesh Singh was shot dead from a point-blank range and the bullet had gone through his head, causing instant death.

He was taken to RIMS for treatment but the doctors there had declared him brought dead. The incident happened close to the lawyer’s house. Police have stated that Ram Pravesh Singh had a property dispute going on with a person named Chhotu Lakra regarding a plot of land in Misir Gonda. He had also registered an FIR against Chhotu Lakra on 23 October following a fight. The police have taken Lakra and his relative Ramesh into custody for interrogation.

Reports say the murderer and his associate had conducted a recce of the area around Singh’s residence. The bike-borne associate had helped the murderer escape after shooting Singh.

The lawyers of Ranchi Bar Association have severely condemned the brutal murder of a colleague. Kundan Prakash Singh, the General Secretary of Ranchi District Bar Association has stated that it is a cause of deep concern that a lawyer has been gunned down by criminals so daringly. He added that the crime shows the boldness of criminals and the anarchy. He had also emphasised on security for the lawyers stating that losing clients often consider the lawyer as their enemy.

The murder of a lawyer in the capital city so close to the assembly elections has created a stir in the region. The lawyers have called for a strike and have boycotted work on Tuesday, taking a silent march in the capital’s streets.

It is notable here that the deceased lawyer Ram Pravesh Singh had represented Ranchi girl Richa Bharti, who had been in news headlines after a Ranchi court had ordered her to distribute copies of the Quran over a complaint against one of her Facebook posts.

Read: Ranchi Bar Association boycotts the judge who had ordered Ranchi girl to distribute Quran as bail condition

Richa Bharti had declined to distribute the Quran copies, saying it violates her rights to free speech and rights to religion. The case had created headlines across the nations, and lawyers of the Ranchi Bar Association, led by Kundan Prakash, had then taken out protests too, demanding the transfer of the judge Manish Kumar Singh, who had issued the order.

Following widespread outrage against such an order, the Ranchi court had finally modified the order. The case had created national headlines and had stirred many people to volunteer to contribute towards Richa’s legal expenses.

Asaduddin Owaisi denies persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Islamic nations in a shameful interview

OpIndia Staff
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Asaduddin Owaisi denies persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Islamic nations in a shameful interview

The Citizenship Amendment Bill being tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has created a political slugfest where several “secular” politicians are fear-mongering and spreading lies about the bill. In a shameful interview to Leftist portal The Logical Indian, AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi made wildly fallacious claims including denying persecution of Hindus and other minority groups in Pakistan and other neighbouring Islamic nations.

In response to a question by the interviewer, Owaisi said, “I asked the ruling government in the Parliament whether they had the numbers or data to prove that there was pervasive persecution of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Sikhs, and Christians. Amit Shah said ‘lakhon-crorodon’ (lakhs and crores) – which is a very tall and unverified claim and not even remotely substantiated. I asked him for the exact number, broken down nation-wise between the three Islamic nations, and there was no answer given”.

In this shameful statement by Owaisi, he has clearly attempted to deny the persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Parsis in neighbouring Islamic countries where there exists ample evidence of the religious persecution faced by these minorities.

Owaisi said he had asked the government for data on the quantum of persecution of minorities in Islamic nations and he has not got those statistics yet. Insinuating that the persecution that is being cited to provide refuge to minorities of neighbouring Islamic nations might be completely concocted or the quantum might not be as much to require refuge.

Read: When 200 Hindu women were raped by Muslims: Read why HM Amit Shah mentioned the Bhola violence in Bangladesh

Owaisi might do well to realise that Islamic nations, as a matter of state policy discriminate against Hindus and other minorities and any communities that are not Muslims. For example, in Pakistan, Islam is the state religion. It also stated that all laws would have to be brought into accordance with the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Quran and Sunnah and that no law repugnant to such injunctions could be enacted. In 2019, Pakistan Assembly rejected a bill that sought to ensure that non-Muslims could too become the Prime Minister or President of Pakistan. The bill was introduced by a Christian legislator. In fact, that it was rejected was hailed by Pakistan saying that no law which does not conform to Islam can be passed. By the very virtue of Islam being the state religion of Pakistan, Bangladesh etc, the state is predisposed to discriminating against minorities.

Besides the basic law that discriminates against minorities, firstly, there is no denying that the tenets of Islam itself discriminate against other religions and we have seen that time and again. Secondly, there are ample reports and even global condemnation that has accrued to Pakistan, Bangladesh etc that point towards widespread persecution of minorities in neighbouring Islamic nations.

There have been thousands of Hindu, Sikh and Christian girls who have been abducted, raped and forced to convert to Islam. In October this year, a young girl named Chandri Kolhi from Noukot, Mirpurkhas was abducted, converted and married to Allah Dino. The family of the girl filed a complaint alleging that she was abducted and forcefully converted to Islam.

Read: By speaking against Rasalullah, you have invited your own doom: When Asaduddin Owaisi had threatened Kamlesh Tiwari

Earlier, following an allegation of blasphemy against a Hindu school principal, Hindu temples, shops and homes of minority Hindus were ransacked by Muslim rioters. However, later it was revealed that the attack on Hindus was a pre-planned event to cover-up a child abduction incident. The school principal had thwarted efforts by giving refuge to one of the Hindu girls, who was abducted by associates of child kidnapper radical Islamist Mian Mithoo.

The violence against Hindus in Pakistan’s Ghotki came months after a series of abductions and forceful conversions of minority Hindu and Sikh girls. In March, two underage Hindu girls Raveena (13) and Reena (15) were abducted from the Ghotki in Pakistan’s Sindh on the eve of Holi. The girls were later forcefully converted and married off to older Muslim men.

Earlier, Jagjit Kaur, a Sikh girl was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam in Nankana Sahib which had caused a huge uproar. In another horrific incident, a 13-year-old Pooja Sotahar Kumari, daughter of Fatan Rathore, resident of village Bakhsho Laghari in Hyderabad district’s Hosri Taluka, was kidnapped, forcefully converted and subsequently married off to a man identified as Syed Irshad Shah.

Recently, a Christian girl was abducted and forcefully converted to Islam before being married off to her abductor.

Read: Pakistani parliament rocked by one Hindu lawmaker exposing the brutalities heaped against Hindus in the Islamic state

Many instances of Pakistani Christian women being married to Chinese men and then being forced into prostitution have emerged in several areas in Pakistan. In a recent case, a 27-year-old woman named Rimsha had reached out to her family members in Lahore via a messaging app, claiming that her Chinese husband has been physically abusing her and forcing her into prostitution.

Rimsha was married to a Chinese man who had promised that she will have a comfortable life in China. Rimsha’s family, like many Pakistani Christians, live a life of abject poverty and marginalisation. When the Chinese suitor had promised a comfortable life for Rimsha and also good jobs for her brothers, the family had delightfully agreed to get her married. However, soon after her wedding, Rimsha was reportedly subjected to physical and mental abuse. She was reportedly forced into prostitution by her husband.

The Associated Press had reported that as the Faisalabad racket targetting Christian women revealed an extended network of trafficking, the police were ordered to remain quiet over the issue for the fear of hurting economic ties with Beijing. The report also stated that Chinese Christian pastors and brokers inside Pakistan target and pursue poor Christian girls aggressively to trap them in fake marriages and subsequent trafficking and prostitution.

As for Bangladesh, one recalls the Bhola rape and violence incident which occurred in 2001, just after the Bangladesh National Party under Begum Khalida Zia came to power. After the election victory, the BNP and Jamat-e-Islami goons had wreaked havoc over Hindus in Bangladesh.

Read: Leader from Bangladesh opposition party confesses to leading arson attacks against Hindus in 2017

In October 2001, in Bhola districts, Lalmohan region, Hindus were attacked by Muslims. The attackers rushed into Hindu homes, looted their belongings, cut down their trees, destroyed their crops. In Bhola’s Char Fasson, BNP supported Muslims had attacked and raped over 200 Hindu women. The youngest victim was 8. The eldest was a 70-year-old woman.

Years later, a Judicial Commission inquiry in Bangladesh had concluded that over 25,000 leaders and local party workers of the then ruling BNP and Jamat-e-Islami were involved in the attack against Hindus and other minorities that had led to hundreds of deaths, injuries and had forced the Hindus in Bangladesh to flee into India.

In addition to all of this, there are hundreds and thousands of temples that are desecrated regularly in Islamic nations. One even recalls the images of caged Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh as an example.

The fact remains that if one had to write a comprehensive report on the persecution that minorities face in neighbouring Islamic nations, merely an article would not be sufficient. That Owaisi is now questioning the very persecution that minorities face in Islamic nations points towards his deep-seated Hinduphobia. It merely proves beyond doubt that Owaisi is an Islamist who would even deny long-established facts to ensure the persecuted Hindus, Sikh, Buddhists etc don’t find shelter and refuge in India.

It is also interesting that a portal would publish this genocide denial without any counter questions posed to Owaisi. It shows the utter lack of honesty and ethics prevalent in the media and the fact that they are more than happy to provide a platform to radical Islamists who choose to spread their propaganda and are confident that it would go unchallenged by the concerned news agency.

Prime Minister Modi vows to safeguard Clause 6 of Assam Accord: Read its significance amidst CAB debate

OpIndia Staff
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Prime Minister Modi vows to safeguard Clause 6 of Assam Accord: Read its significance amidst CAB debate

As the Union government successfully passed the historic Citizenship Amendment Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah had stated in the Rajya Sabha that the government is committed to honouring the clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

Amit Shah had slammed the Congress for not implementing the same, despite signing the Accord back in 1985.

The Assam Accord was signed back in 1985 by the then Rajiv Gandhi government and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) to put a stop to the protests and unrest continuing in the state from 1979.

Today, PM Narendra Modi again asserted that his government is committed to safeguarding the guidelines under clause 6 of the treaty.

 What is Clause 6 of the Assam Accord

The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord reads, “Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”.

Clause 6 was meant to act as a safeguard against the effect of migration between 1951 and 1971 on Assam’s demography and the state’s culture.

Committee to oversee implementation of Clause 6

Despite ruling Assam for decades, the Congress party had not constructed a committee to implement the guidelines under Clause 6. It was the Modi government that had constructed the committee in January this year.

Read: Union government forms High-Level Committee for implementation of clause 6 of Assam Accord

Amit Shah stated, “In 1985, the Assam accord happened. There is a provision in clause 6 to protect the indigenous culture of the state. From 1985 to 2014, the committee was not constituted for Clause 6. I want to assure that NDA Government through committee to supervise clause 6 will protect rights of Assam. We have constituted the Committee and All Assam Students’ Union is part of the committee. I want them to send a report of the Committee quickly.”

The Assam government’s website lists several projects undertaken and funds sanctioned under the committee. Among those are the establishment of The Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra Society, The Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio Scheme, The Modernisation of the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio Phase III, and special grant of funds for the protection of historical monuments in the state, among many others.

Opposition to CAB in Assam

Many political leaders, including the former leaders of AASU, who were a part of the Assam Accord, are opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, claiming that the CAB will undo the Clause 6.

MP Bezbaruah, the first appointed Chairman of the high-level committee formed in January had quit in July when protests against the CAB broke out in Assam. Prafulla Mahanta, former CM of Assam and a leader of the Asom Gana Parishad, an NDA ally and BJP’s alliance partner in the state, stated that the CAB is extending the cut-off year from 1971 to 2014, thereby undoing whatever was promised under Clause 6.

The Assam Accord and the accompanying amendment in the Citizenship Act say that any person who entered the state before 25th March 1972 will be granted citizenship.

The protesting groups in Assam have been raising an objection to grant of citizenship rights to Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, regardless of their religious affiliation. The threat to demography and resources posed by Bangladeshi immigrants is profound in Assam and the people are seeing the CAB as a means that will enable lakhs of illegal immigrants and refugees in the state to become legal citizens.

BJP says CAB is needed in Assam to protect demography

Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP’s key leader in the North East and Assam minister, has been asserting that the CAB will no way harm the ethnic residents of Assam, and instead, it is necessary to protect the state’s demographics.

Sarma had stated that without Citizenship Amendment Bill, many assembly seats in Assam will go to Muslims, and in future Hindus will lose their right to appoint their own CM.

“I strongly believe that if this bill is not passed, Assamese Hindus will become the minority in just the next five years. That will be advantageous for those elements who want Assam to be another Kashmir” He had earlier said.

He had also added that it is a hard fact even acknowledged by the Supreme Court, who had called influx of Bangladeshi Muslims post-1971 ‘external aggression’, and emphasised on the need of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.

Tihar starts preparing to hang Nirbhaya rapists, specials ropes ordered from Bihar’s jail, dummy execution done: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Tihar starts preparing to hang Nirbhaya rapists, specials ropes ordered from Bihar’s jail, dummy execution done: Read details

The arrangements of execution of the four rapists convicted in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case have already begun at Tihar Jail in Delhi, the officials confirmed.

According to reports, officers in Tihar, the largest prison in Asia, said special ropes for the execution are being brought from jail in Bihar’s Buxar, which also sent ropes for the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013. The authorities have also written to other states for services of hangmen and have begun inspections of the courtyard as well as the equipment that will be used to carry out the execution.

“We have ordered 10 new ropes from the Buxar jail. We are making preparations so that when the time comes, everything is in place. The ropes are made in Buxar jail by prisoners. They have to be of a particular type and should not break during the hanging or cut the throat. We had some old ropes but we did not want to take a chance,” said a Tihar officer speaking to Hindustan Times.

Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh are on death row for the gang rape and murder of the 23-year-old woman who was tortured on a bus that she and a friend boarded in south Delhi’s Munirka. A fifth adult suspect in the case, Ram Singh committed suicide in prison before the trial ended and another accused was a juvenile at the time of the crime.

Read: Delhi pollution is killing us anyway: Death row convict in Nirbhaya case mocks supreme court with the bizarre argument in the review petition

Reportedly, a dummy execution has also been carried out to test the gallows. The convicts are all in different cells and being monitored through CCTV. Arrangements for the hanging are being made in Jail Number 3, where executions are scheduled to be taking place.

An official in Tihar had recently said that they were in search for a hangman. “We don’t have a hangman. We will get one from some other state when needed,” ANI had quoted an unnamed Tihar Jail official as saying.

Anand Kumar, Director General (DG) of UP prisons administration and reform services, said that they have received a request letter from the Tihar prison through fax on December 9 (Monday) seeking services of the two hangmen of UP.

Read: Tihar Jail executioner crisis: Ravi Kumar from Shimla writes to President Kovind to appoint him to hang convicts in Nirbhaya case

Another Tihar officer has also confirmed that the department has written to not just Uttar Pradesh but to several states for the services of a hangman for the execution of Nirbhaya rapists.

“If we do not get a hangman, it can be done by any jail official. We have to follow the manual and the process. Before Afzal’s hanging, we used the services of a hangman from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh,” this officer said.

Last week, the Delhi government and the Centre had rejected the mercy petitions of one of the convicts – Vinay Sharma – and sent it back urging President Ram Nath Kovind to turn it down, clearing the way for the execution of the four convicts.

Read: Nirbhaya gangrape victim’s friend demanded money for appearing on interviews, claims journalist

Another convict, Akshay Kumar Singh, has also filed a review petition now. Akshay Singh, in a bizarre argument, has asked Supreme Court to spare him the death penalty since life in Delhi is anyway getting ‘short’ due to air and water pollution. The court has already rejected similar petitions from Vinay Kumar, Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta.

Delhi student Nirbhaya was brutally raped in the most barbaric manner inside a moving bus and was left to die on the road on December 16, 2012. She was later sent for treatment to Singapore but had succumbed to her injuries. The case had generated widespread public outrage both nationally and internationally and has made a huge impact in the psyche of the nation.

Maharashtra: Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway to be renamed after Balasaheb Thackeray, was earlier to be named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway to be renamed after Balasaheb Thackeray, was earlier to be named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway, started by the previous BJP-led government, will be named after Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, party leader and Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde said on Wednesday.

According to the reports, Shinde said that the Rs 46,000-crore project will be named after the late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray and the renaming proposal has the approval of all ministers in the cabinet, which included those from the Congress and the NCP.

Reportedly, the previous government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, had planned to name the expressway after late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and had even submitted the proposal for the same to then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Read: Devendra Fadnavis reveals that Ajit Pawar had said Sharad Pawar knew of the alliance, lashes out at development projects being cancelled

The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 55,335 crore and the road construction will be completed within the next three years, Minister Eknath Shinde said after the cabinet meeting.

The Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway, also known as Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is an under-construction 701 km long, eight-lane corridor connecting the two key cities of Maharashtra. Nagpur, located in eastern Maharashtra, is the second capital of the state and biggest city of the Vidarbha region.

Read: Shiv Sena wants no voting rights for Hindus taking citizenship of India after facing persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan

The project was conceived by former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s government in which the Sena was an ally. The expressway once completed will run through 10 districts, 26 tehsils and 390 villages. It is expected to cut travel time between the two cities to just 8 hours from 15-16 hours now.

The project is expected to cost Rs 46,000 crore and requires the acquisition of 8,603 hectares of land. The Maharashtra government will be financing Rs 27,335 crore for the project and remaining funds will be coming from the Union government.

Report claims US State Department had reprimanded Pakistan for F16 use against India: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Report claims US State Department had reprimanded Pakistan for F16 use against India: Read details

A top American diplomat had reportedly sent a letter to the chief of Pakistan’s Air Force, accusing of misusing the F16 fighter jets, supplied by the USA, against India in February 2019.

As per a report published by USNews.com, the documents obtained by them, the top US diplomat had accused Pakistan of jeopardising the security of both nations. As per the report, the letter was written by Andrea Thompson, the then-undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs in August this year. The letter reportedly states that it is a direct response to the concerns of the US regarding the use of F16s in air combat with India in February, though it does not specify the incident.

It is notable here that Pakistan is bound by terms of the contract with the US over the use of the F16s. The usage of US-supplied F16s in a potentially escalating conflict between two nuclear-powered nations was reportedly seen as a fundamental violation of the terms under which Pakistan had obtained those jets.

When Pakistan acquired F16s from the USA, it came with an end-use monitoring agreement that said that Pakistan could use the F16s to defend itself and its war, albeit a fictitious one, against terror. However, Pakistan could not use the F16s to escalate or for any form of aggression against a sovereign nation.

The said letter was reportedly sent to the head of the Pakistani air force, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, and mentioned State Department’s confirmation that Pakistan had moved the F16s and accompanying American-made missiles to unapproved forward operating bases in defiance of its agreement with the US. Thompson has since left the US government.

Thompson’s letter had reportedly warned Pakistan that their behaviour risked allowing these weapons to fall into the hands of malign actors and “could undermine the shared security platforms and infrastructure.”

Thompson, as per the report, had admonished Pakistan for having “relocated, maintained and operated” the American made F-16s and the AMRAAM missiles they use from forward operating bases not approved under the original terms of the sale.

It is notable here that the Indian Air Force had presented the remains of an AMRAAM missile which was used to attack Indian military installations in a press conference in February after the dogfight. These missiles are only carried on F16 jets. These parts were recovered east of Rajouri.

Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s Mig 21 Bison had shot down an F16. India had highlighted the usage of Pakistan’s US-supplied F16s and AMRAAM missiles against India in air combat. Following the incident, the US had also sought a report from Pakistan over the use of F16s against India.

Evidence provided by Indian Armed Forces of Pakistan using F16 to attack Indian military assets

Pakistan had categorically denied using F16s. The Indian Air Force displayed pieces of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that was used to target Indian military installations. The pieces of this missile were found next to Rajouri, in Indian territory. The air to air missile is an American made missile which can be carried only on the American made F16.

Read: Three evidences that Pakistan used F-16 jets to attack India, and one of them was shot down

The Pakistani jets had ventured into Indian airspace following the airstrike by Indian Air Force on the JeM terrorist camps in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan’s territory. After the usage of US-supplied F16 against India in violation of the terms were exposed, Pakistan had desperately tried to save face by claiming that the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile was purchased from Taiwan.

The Taiwan Air Force had denied ever selling the said missile to Pakistan, saying that the US-made missiles were for the usage of their military and not for sale.

IPS officer, who was accused of favouring Muslim candidates, resigns to protest against Govt favouring non-Muslims in CAB

OpIndia Staff
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IPS officer, who was accused of favouring Muslim candidates, resigns to protest against Govt favouring non-Muslims in CAB

As both houses of Parliament passes the historic Citizenship Amendment Bill to grant citizens to persecuted religious minorities in the three neighbouring countries, a concerted campaign to discredit the legislation has already begun by certain individuals who are now resorting to pushing half-truths to discredit the bill. After few intellectuals and activists indulged in fear-mongering, in a similar act, a Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Abdur Rahman has also joined this bandwagon claiming that he has decided to resign from the service as a protest against the “blatantly communal and unconstitutional” Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, IPS officer Abdur Rahman, posted as special IGP in Mumbai, issued a statement stating that he will not attend office from Thursday in “civil disobedience” against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, which according to him went “against the basic feature of the Constitution.” Rahman on Wednesday sent his resignation letter to Chairman Maharashtra Human Rights Commission.


“This bill (Citizenship Amendment Bill) is against the religious pluralism of India. I request all justice-loving people to oppose the bill in a democratic manner. It runs against the very basic feature of the Constitution,” IPS officer Rehman said.

“The bill is against the basic feature of the Constitution. I condemn this bill. In civil disobedience, I have decided not to attend office from tomorrow. I am finally quitting the service,” Rahman said in the statement.

It is pertinent to note that Abdur Rahman, who is currently Special IGP, States Human Rights Commission of Maharashtra had already applied for a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in August citing ‘personal reasons’. However, his application was not accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in October this year.

Read: After getting endorsement from Congress leader P Chidambaram, IAS-turned-politician Shah Faesal threatens ‘revenge’ against India

Interestingly, the officer had also filed an application in the Central Administrative Tribunal in November 2019 against MHA for rejecting his VRS application.

In his letter to Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary, Abdur Rahman has stated that his resignation had been rejected “in haste, by not applying the mind, with clear prejudice, unfairly and abusing power of authority and discretion” as there was no pending departmental inquiry against him.

He claimed that he said that he had applied for VRS “owing to my personal reasons”, he would not be able to attend office on and from December 12.


With his VRS application already being rejected by the Home Ministry, the IPS officer has now chosen to ‘resign’ from the post for the second time from his post in the last five months after he claimed that he will not be attending the office from Thursday. It is interesting to note here that Abdur Rehman was already planning to retire since August. How this resignation is now being touted as a move against CAB simply to get mileage is rather baffling.

Addition to this, the integrity and conduct of IPS officer Abdur Rahman has been questioned several times in the past including allegations against him for supporting his community i.e Muslims over others.

In relation to the same, a criminal offence under various sections of IPC and Mumbai Police Act was registered in 2011 against Abdur Rahman casting aspersion over his moral turpitude and integrity. Attached to the complaint, the complainant had placed findings of the inquiry officer against Rahman’s inclination to his community. What that would essentially mean is that Rehman favoured candidates who were Muslim over other communities.

Read: Citizenship Amendment Bill – Myths and lies propagated against it, and the facts

Reportedly, Rahman has also committed irregularities in the police constable conducted in Yavatmal during his tenure to ensure special privilege and benefit to Muslim community candidates.

While questions are being raised against the official conduct of Abdur Rahman in the past, it is also important to note that how can he resign from a post for which he had already sought voluntary retirement. The officer whose VRS application was rejected by MHA has now chosen to call it his last day at work citing “civil disobedience” and CAB as a reason.

Further, it also raises questions on the conduct of the IPS officer who chose to indulge in propaganda against the historic Citizenship Amendment Bill by posturing that he had resigned from the post as a matter of ‘dissent’ despite the fact that he has already applied for the VRS scheme earlier.

It is also shocking to observe that the senior IPS officer with questionable morality is using such a sensitive time to push his ‘agenda’ by fear-mongering among the public, especially Muslims of the country by peddling half-truths regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

After a long and heated debate, both the houses of Parliament has passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill. On Monday, the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha has passed the CAB with 125 votes in favour and 105 against. The Bill will now be law once the President signs on it.

The historic Citizenship Amendment Bill, after being passed by Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha both, paves the way for hundreds and thousands of persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries who have been residing in India for the past many years.

Citizenship Amendment Bill: Amit Shah lashes out at Congress, accuses it of singing the same tune as Pakistan PM Imran Khan

OpIndia Staff
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Citizenship Amendment Bill: Amit Shah lashes out at Congress, accuses it of singing the same tune as Pakistan PM Imran Khan

In a blistering riposte, Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress party for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019. Shah said that the Congress party echoed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in questioning CAB while adding that the party also opposed the Enemy Property Bill that enabled and regulated the appropriation of property in India owned by Pakistani nationals.


Allaying the anti-Muslim misgivings stoked by the Congress party, Shah assured the Muslim population of the country that nobody can snatch their citizenship away from them. “Kapil Sibal said that Muslims don’t fear me. They should not. Neither should you be worried about them. Nobody is stripping Indian Muslims of their citizenship. This Bill is about granting of citizenship, not about the cancellation of it,” Shah thundered in the Rajya Sabha.


Shah also rubbished the claims made by the Congress party that the BJP government has institutionally ostracised the Indian Muslims by pursuing anti-Muslim policies. “Neither CAB is anti-Muslim, nor abrogation of Article 370 is anti-Muslim, Triple Talaq Bill is not anti-Muslim either. Triple Talaq Bill empowers crores of Muslim women in the country,” Shah said.

Read: The historic Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha with 125 Ayes and 105 Noes

Regarding the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority state, Shah said that the invalidation of the archaic Article affects the non-Muslim minorities in Kashmir in the same manner as the majority-Muslims and the opposition claim that it was anti-Muslim is completely baseless.

Exposing the Congress party on its charade of secularism, Shah said why weren’t questions raised when the Rajasthan government wrote to the then HM P Chidambaram about the outstanding issue of 13000 Pakistani refugees from Hindu and Sikh communities during the UPA tenure. The Union Home Minister said that while during the Congress regime only two communities benefitted while the bill proposed by them stands to benefit 6 persecuted communities.


On the question of why Rohingyas were not included in the list of communities who can seek asylum in India through CAB, Shah responded that Rohingyas did not enter India directly but they infiltrated via Bangladesh and therefore they were excluded from the bill.

Read: Citizenship Amendment Bill – Myths and lies propagated against it, and the facts

Amit Shah did not shy away from questioning his erstwhile alliance partner-Shiv Sena on its flip-flop on the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Insinuating that Shiv Sena was taking orders from their new alliance partners, Shah asked the Uddhav Thackeray’s party to explain what transpired in a single night that after unequivocally supporting the CAB bill in the Lok Sabha, they have reversed their stand in Rajya Sabha.

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