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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces ₹25,000 crore alternate investment fund to revive stalled housing projects

OpIndia Staff
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces ₹25,000 crore alternate investment fund to revive stalled housing projects

Yesterday after raising concerns over the problems faced by the real estate sector, saying that the ailing sector required a lot of attention, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a media brief in Delhi today announced measures the central government has decided to undertake to boost the real estate sector by infusing funds to revive stalled housing projects.

In the press conference, the union minister announced that the cabinet has approved setting up a “Special Window” to provide priority debt for completing stalled affordable and middle-income housing projects. As part of the measure, funds worth ₹25,000 crore will set up, where the government will contribute ₹10,000 crore. The government shall act as the sponsor of the fund which will provide relief to developers with unfinished projects and ensure delivery of homes to buyers, said the minister.


The government will first fund Rs 10,000 crore. The rest amount will come from participation from SBI and LIC. The total funding from the government and SBI and LIC put together is expected to have a starting value at around Rs 25,000 crore. Other than SBI and LIC, sovereign and pension funds will also be able to invest in the fund. The funds will be set up as Category-II Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) registered with SEBI, and the first AIF so set up will be managed by SBICAP Ventures Limited through an escrow account.

Admitting that the realty sector has been left out of the booster measures announced earlier, the Finance minister in the press brief said that the government and Reserve Bank are working in unison to resolve the issues being faced by this sector. She said the sector has a spillover effect on many sectors, especially the core sector.

“The government is very keen and is working very clearly together with the RBI to see how best we can, where necessary, tweak the existing norms to help the people who are affected in the realty sector,” said Sitharaman.

Read: Mega shopping festivals to taxation incentives, FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces comprehensive measures to boost export and housing sector

“Lot of homebuyers have approached us. They are stuck in a situation where they have paid an advance but don’t have their housing units built. Approximately 1,600 projects are stalled, which is around 4.58 lakh housing units”, furthered the FM. These stuck projects are at various stages of completion.

Even if the project is a non-performing asset, or is incomplete, or a project is under the arbitration of NCLT can be covered under this scheme, provided the project has not gone under liquidation already, confirmed Nirmala Sitharaman while briefing media in Delhi today.

The main criteria to be covered under this scheme is that the project’s net worth must be positive. RERA registered incomplete projects will be evaluated for its net worth. The AIF will fund RERA registered incomplete projects which are over 30 per cent complete, said the minister.

Sitharaman confirmed that since August the government has been making various interventions to revive the market and consumer demand. Still, there is a lot of work to be done and “one particular sector which I have not touched, but which has a lot of positive impacts and also can affect an impact for the stock market, is the real estate sector.”

A statement released by Finance Mininstry regarding the move said, “The Special Window would provide funds to stalled housing projects enabling them to complete unfinished projects and consequently ensure delivery of homes to a large number of home-buyers. This will, in due course, help relieve the financial stress faced by a large number of middle class home buyers who have invested their hard earned money. This will also restore trust between buyers and developers and boost the sentiments of the housing sector as a whole and release large amount of funds stuck in these projects for productive use in the economy.

The creation of special window for affordable and middle income housing projects would revive the real estate sector and generate considerable employment. Besides, revival of the sector will also lead to demand of Cement, Iron & Steel Industries giving further impetus to generate more employment. This initiative will have a positive effect in releasing stress in other major sectors of the Indian economy as well.”

Offensive line from Kartik Aaryan’s monologue in film Pati Patni Aur Woh normalising marital rape to be removed after facing severe backlash

OpIndia Staff
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Offensive line from Kartik Aaryan’s monologue in film Pati Patni Aur Woh normalising marital rape to be removed after facing severe backlash

Kartik Aaryan starrer film Pati Patni Aur Woh created quite a flutter on social media after a controversial line from monologue by a character in the movie Abhinav Tyagi (played by Kartik Aaryan) appeared to normalise marital rape. The film and Kartik faced a lot of backlash on social media after the trailer was released online earlier this week.

As a consequence, the makers of the movie have decided to edit out the offensive line from the monologue. According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, the makers ‘got carried away’ when they decided to include a “joke” on marital rape.

“Since Kartik Aaryan’s monologue in Pyaar Ka Punchnaama was a hit they thought of doing another one this time and got carried away. The offensive monologue will be edited out of the film,” the source said.

Incidentally, Kartik Aaryan’s earlier movies Pyaar Ka Punchnaama 1 and 2 both had several monologues which can only be called rants against women. The long tirade against women in these two movies seems to have only one agenda, to bash women who had been generalised in the films as weak, spoilt and constantly requiring attention, whereas portraying the men as “unfortunate” and “trapped” who have nowhere to go but to face the wrath of their woman.

Read: Kartik Aryan starrer film Pati Patni Aur Woh which appears to normalise marital rape is an assault on our sensibilities

Nevertheless, this film, which releases on 6th December, talks about Abhinav Tyagi, who followed his father’s wishes and got married to Vedika Tripathi (Bhumi Pednekar) as per his wishes as well. Except, now he has a colleague, Tapasya Singh (Ananya Panday) and feels like he is ‘jailed’ in his married life.

Abhinav Tyagi dabbles through his wife at home, who he’s perhaps bored of, and this new colleague, who he lusts after. At around 1 minute 10 second into the trailer, Kartik Aryan playing the role of Abhinav Tyagi has another monologue with a few innuendos. It goes something like this:

“Biwi se sex maange toh bhikhari, biwi ko sex na dein to hum atyachari. Aur kisi tarah jugaad laga ke sex haansil kar le na toh balatkari bhi hum hai. Apni khushi apne haath mein hoti hai (makes a fist), Rizvi”. Which translates as ‘If I ask my wife for sex, I am a beggar and if we deny sex to wife, we are cruel. If somehow we manage to have sex despite this, then we are also accused of being rapists. Our happiness is in our own hands, Rizvi.’

Rizvi replies that this ‘happiness in own hands’ (a reference to masturbation) is something that is valid only before one gets married.

While adultery remains one of the safest topics for filmmakers to spin a comic story to woo the audience, this monologue in the film hasn’t gone down too well with people. It has irked many who believe that cracking jokes on marital rape isn’t a cool way to move forward. From questioning Kartik Aaryan’s choice of films to questioning filmmakers’ intent of making such a regressive film, several Twitter users expressed shock and disgust, calling the film and its makers, sexist and insensitive. Facing severe resentment, source from the production team feels the dialogue will have to go.

Patna: Clashes erupt as idol immersion procession passes in front of a Mosque, police personnel including IG injured in stone pelting

OpIndia Staff
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Patna: Clashes erupt as idol immersion procession passes in front of a Mosque, police personnel including IG injured in stone pelting

A violent confrontation broke out between two communities when an idol immersion procession was passing in front of the Dalalji ki Masjid in Alamganj in Patna, leaving over a dozen policemen injured, including IG Sanjay Singh. The incident took place on Monday at around 11 PM. The security in the region was beefed up as the situation continued to remain tense even on Tuesday.

According to media reports, police sources have said that the Hindus have claimed that while the procession was passing in front of Dalalji ki Masjid, the Muslim side pelted the procession with stones. While the stones were being pelted, the idol also got damaged.

The miscreants indulged in blatant vandalism as several police vehicles and a fire tenders were damaged while 2 bikes were torched by them. One of the bikes was set on fire right in front of the mosque. The clashes, which erupted at around 11 PM continued for about 2 hours till 1 AM after which the administration somehow managed to bring it under control.

Several police officers including IG Sanjay Singh who were trapped in the crosshairs of the two battling sides got injured in the clashes as massive stone-pelting took between the two warring sides. Realising that the confrontation may escalate, the entire police force was directed to move towards Alamganj to contain the brawl. Later, Bihar Military Police (BMP) Gorkha Vahini was also deployed at the spot. IG and other injured policemen were later given first aid at the Alamganj police station.

While the Hindus have said that the clashes started after people from the Mosque started pelting stones, but the Muslim side has claimed that the Hindus were drunk and started a spat amongst themselves but they blamed the Muslims for it. The claim is that the procession moved forward but then later the youth came back and started a fight.

Following the news of the violent clashes, senior police officials rushed to the spot to ensure law and order is maintained. Patna DM Kumar Ravi and SSP Garima Malik camped at the spot till early morning. SP West Jitendra Kumar, SP Central Vinay Tiwary and several other sub-divisional police officers and station house officers remained deployed at the scene.

With conflicting versions of the events, an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the clash. No arrests or detentions have been made by the police so far in the case.

#MeToo: Stand up comedian accuses Viacom18’s production unit members of sexual harassment

OpIndia Staff
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#MeToo: Stand up comedian accuses Viacom18’s production unit members of sexual harassment

In yet another MeToo incident, Snigdha Jain, a stand-up comedian and participant in a reality show named Comedy Project produced by Viacom 18 Media in association with Sterling Reserve Project, has alleged sexual harassment by the members of her production unit.

Snigdha Jain took to Twitter to share her ordeal and accused the senior supervising producer of Viacom18, Shelraj Patel and the creative director of the show, Nishchint Sohal of misbehaviour. In her post, Snigdha has also written a detailed account of turn of events where she was allegedly subjected to mental and physical harassment by the crew members of the show.


She pens down two incidents which took place during a party, which was organised after the shooting of the show was over. Snigdha recalls how the occasion turned into an uncomfortable space of her, where she felt harassed emotionally and physically.

In the first instance, Snigdha claims that when the party had begun guests were making themselves comfortable and chatting with each other when the creative director of the show, Nishchint Sohal went up to her and casually sat on her lap. Jain writes that she became numb at that moment and tried to shrug off the exploitation, making herself believe that she might be over-reacting. But, one of Snigdha’s friend and co-contestant, Anny, took note of her awkwardness and asked Sohal to get up from her lap, in a manner which didn’t sound offensive.

Read: Another #MeToo scandal rocks academia as playwright Sudipto Chatterjee is accused of raping a student during rehearsals

After this incident, Snigdha said she was traumatized and wanted to leave the place as quickly as she could. She, along with her boyfriend were walking out of the door when she bumped into Shelraj Patel, the senior supervising producer of Viacom18, who she alleges, passed indecent comments and made obscene hand gestures at them.

She alleged that Patel asked her “Tum log sex karne jaa rahe hona? arre baad mein kar lena yaar” (asking whether the two were going to have sexual intercourse) while “using his hands to mimic his understanding of coitus in a perverted action”, alleged the aspiring comedian.

Ending her MeToo post, Snigdha Jain alleged that Patel kept repeating the inappropriate actions and lewd comments in a loop for over five minutes until Snigdha decided to leave the house.


In her tweet, she urged Viacom18 and Comedy Central to take note of the sexual harassment she went through and take appropriate action against the alleged perpetrators. She has also via Twitter informed that she would not be able to make it to the final shoot as long as these men were associated with the project.

Bhima Koregaon violence: No relief for ‘Urban Naxals’ as Pune court rejects bail application of all 9 accused

OpIndia Staff
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Bhima Koregaon violence: No relief for ‘Urban Naxals’ as Pune court rejects bail application of all 9 accused

The Pune Sessions Court has rejected bail application of all the nine alleged ‘Urban Naxals’ namely, Surendra Gadling, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bhardwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson, accused of instigating the Bhima-Koregaon violence that took place on 1st January 2018 in Pune.


Meanwhile, another alleged Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha, who is accused of having links with Maoists, Kashmiri separatists, Pakistan’s ISI and banned terror organisation Hizbul, has on Tuesday moved a special court in Pune seeking anticipatory bail in the case, a day after the Bombay High Court directed him to do so. The court will hear arguments from both sides on Thursday.

Read: Demystifying Civil Society: Organization linked to ‘Urban Naxals’ wants schools to teach ‘Human Rights Education’

Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Navlakha who had appealed against an earlier Bombay HC order refusing to quash his FIR.

Bharadwaj, Gonsalves and Ferreira had been locked in Pune’s Yerawada Jail for almost 14 months. They had moved to the Bombay HC after a special judge in Pune had rejected their bail petitions last year.

On October 15, the Bombay HC had also rejected the bail pleas of alleged Urban Naxals Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The bail plea was moved in the month of August and the court had begun hearing on August 27. The court had reserved the judgement on October 7. The three were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act by the Maharashtra police after it began raids in the Bhima Koregaon violence case.

Read: PM Modi calls out ‘Urban Maoists’, the ‘liberal’ media has a meltdown on Twitter

The five suspected ‘Urban Naxals’, identified as Delhi based activist Rona Wilson, advocate Surendra Gadling, professor Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut from Nagpur and Mumbai’s Sudhir Dhavle were arrested by the Pune police on 6 June 2018, over charges of organising the Elgaar Parishad held at Pune’s Shaniwarwada on 31 December 2017, which is believed to have instigated the Bhima-Koregaon violence a day later.

The Pune police had filed a 5,000-page charge sheet, which had names of 10 persons, including Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers. Addition to these five, absconding underground Maoists Milind Teltumbde, Prakash alias Ritupam Goswami, Prashant Bose alias Kishan da, Manglu and Deepu have also been named in the charge sheet.

Apart from these ten alleged ‘Urban Naxals’, in a nation-wide crackdown, the police had arrested activist P Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, ‘human rights activist’ and ‘journalist’ Gautam Navlakha in Delhi, ‘activists Vernon Gonzalves and Arun Pereira in Mumbai, ‘civil rights’ lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Delhi, civil rights ‘activist’ Anand Teltumbde in Goa and ‘activist’ Stan Swamy in Ranchi in relation with Elgar Parishad violence and plot to kill the Prime Minister Modi.

Rajaraja Chola I: Conqueror, temple builder and one of the greatest emperors of India

OpIndia Staff
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Rajaraja Chola I: Conqueror, temple builder and one of the greatest emperors of India

On Wednesday, the southern state of Tamil Nadu is celebrating the 1,034th Sathaya Vizha marking the birth anniversary of one of the greatest emperors of the country – King Rajaraja Chola.

Rajaraja Chola-I, who was born as Arulmozhi Varman, is also known as Arunmozhi Udayar and respectfully as Periya Udayar. Rajaraja Chola is credited for ending the 30 year period of the stalemate of the Chola dynasty. As an able king, Rajaraja Chola ruled for the period of next 20 years, achieving so many victories that when he died in 1014 AD, he was beyond dispute the lord paramount of Southern India.

The territory of Rajaraja Chola- I included modern day’s Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Sri Lanka and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

The conquests of Rajaraja Chola

In the first 8 years of his reign, Rajaraja Chola-I consolidated and augmented his army. Since ages, the Pandyas, Cheras and Sinhala were against the Cholas. The first attack was on Chera King Bhaskara Ravi Varman Thiruvadi and in this campaign in Kerala, Rajaraja I destroyed a fleet in the port of Kandalur. However, some history records say that the port was under Pandyas. This conquest led him to assume the title “Mummudi Chola” which meant the wearer of three crowns Chera, Chola and Pandya.

In 991 AD, a king named Mahinda V of Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon) mutinied against him and fled to take refuge in the Southern region of the Island. Rajaraja I, who was waiting for such an opportunity to attack Sri Lanka, raided the island in 993 AD. The army of Rajraja I crossed the ocean by ships, burnt Sri Lanka and destroyed Anuradhapura, the capital of the Sinhala kings of Sri Lanka. Rajaraja could win half of the northern island of Sri Lanka and his son Rajendra Chola-I won rest of the territories in the island.

Read: Findings at Keeladi site trace back to 6th century BCE, graffiti symbols found bear resemblance to Indus Valley Civilisation

In 998-999 AD, Rajaraja Chola captured parts of modern Karnataka from the Ganga Kings. By the turn of the millennium, the Western Chalukyan dynasty had risen to prominent power in North of Cholas. Rajaraja I was victorious against the Western Chalukyan King Satyasraya. When the war with the Western Chalukyas concluded the Tungabhadra river became the northern frontier of the Chola Kingdom. He conquered Vengi and subsequently Kalinga. Raja Raja Chola is also said to have captured the Laccadive Islands and Maldives Islands.

Raja Raja Chola – A champion of Art and Culture

In 1010, Raja Raja built the grand Brihadisvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram temple, in Thanjavur dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple and the capital acted as a centre of both religious and economic activity. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period. The temple turned 1000 years old in 2010. It is also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil.

The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Great Living Chola Temples”, with the other two being the Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple.

The temple was built by him on a command given by Lord Shiva in his dream. The temple is a testimony to the Chola power and wealth at the time of Rajaraja Chola I. The stories of Rajaraja Chola’s conquest have been engraved on the walls of this temple.

Rajaraja Chola embarked on a mission to recover the hymns after hearing short excerpts of Thevaram in his court. He sought the help of Nambiyandar Nambi. Rajaraja thus became to be known as ‘Tirumurai Kanda Cholan’ meaning one who saved the Tirumurai. Till Rajaraja Chola, Shiva temples only had images of god forms, but after the advent of Rajaraja, the images of the Nayanar saints were also placed inside the temple.

Rajaraja through Nambi arranged the hymns written by three saint poets Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar and ensured that these were sung in all the temples and provided for the upkeep of this service, a tradition which is continued till date. This is perhaps the greatest service to Hinduism and Tamil by Rajaraja Chola-I.

Rajaraja Chola is also credited for being a great temple builder. He also built Tiruvalisvaram temple at Brahmadesam in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakailash at Tiruvadi, Vaidyanath temple at Tirumalavadi, Tamil Nadu.

Though Rajaraja was an ardent devotee of Shiva, he remained a truly secular king. He and his family donated lavishly to build Vinnagarams – Vishnu temples. When the Srivijaya king of present Indonesia approached Rajaraja to help him in constructing a Buddha Vihara, he had donated an entire village, Anaimangalam near Nagappattinam for the purpose and for the upkeep of the Chudamani Vihara in Nagappattinam.

References: 1. Indian History, Cholas by Krishna Reddy

2. Tamil Nadu School Board textbooks

Alert issued as 7 terrorists reportedly entered Uttar Pradesh via Nepal just before the Ayodhya verdict

OpIndia Staff
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Alert issued as 7 terrorists reportedly entered Uttar Pradesh via Nepal just before the Ayodhya verdict

According to intelligence inputs, seven Pakistani terrorists have infiltrated into Uttar Pradesh via Nepal. A red alert has been issued by the security agencies in this regard. The infiltration of terrorists is being linked to the impending judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ayodhya dispute.

It is speculated that the terrorists plan to disrupt the peace in the country just before the apex court pronounces its verdict on Babri-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.

Security agencies claim that the terrorists may be hiding in Ayodhya, Faizabad and Gorakhpur. The agencies have reportedly identified 5 of the 7 terrorists who have sneaked in Uttar Pradesh from Nepal. They are- Mohammed Yakub, Abu Hamza, Mohammed Shahbaz, Nisar Ahmed and Mohammed Qaumi Choudhry.

It is noteworthy to mention that Pakistan has ratcheted up its agenda of infiltrating terrorists in India. Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that some Khalistani terrorists supported by Pakistan have infiltrated into Punjab through the international border. This is just before the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. It is conjectured that terrorists have infiltrated Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab. Security agencies have issued an alert regarding this. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already cautioned that Pakistan might use Kartarpur Corridor as a decoy to revive Khalistani terrorism.

Read: Intelligence reports say Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar planning large-scale terror attacks in winter

A five-judge Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi heard the Ayodhya case on a day-to-day basis for 40 days and reserved its verdict on October 16. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on a dispute over the possession of 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya district in Uttar Pradesh before November 17, when CJI Gogoi retires.

The Hindu parties have laid claim to the entire 2.77 acres of land claiming that it is Lord Ram’s birthplace and the Muslims came here only after 1528 when a mosque was forcibly built on the ruins of the erstwhile Ram temple.

Catholic Church launches an investigation after two nuns found pregnant on their return from missionary work

OpIndia Staff
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Catholic Church launches an investigation after two nuns found pregnant on their return from missionary work

The Catholic Church ordered an investigation after two nuns were found pregnant accusing them of violating the sacred vow of chastity. The two nuns, belonging to separate religious orders in Sicily, were found pregnant after they returned from the missionary work in their home continent Africa.

Ordering an investigation into the matter, the Catholic Church is of the opinion that the nuns have had sexual encounters while they were commissioned to carry out missionary work in their home continent.

One of them, a mother superior of an institute for the elderly at Ragusa, found she was several weeks pregnant following her visit to her home country Madagascar. The pregnancy of the other woman, a nun, reportedly based at a convent in Sicily’s Nebrodi mountains, came to light when she went to a hospital with a stomach ache. She has moved to Palermo, and is reportedly preparing to give birth to her child and is believed to be contemplating on giving up her monastic life.

Read: UK man waives off anonymity, talks about how he was raped, abused and threatened by Catholic nun

Nuns and Bishops are ordained to abide by the pledge of celibacy and are forbidden to have sexual relations. As per reports, a church source in Rome said that this news has distressed the Church. An investigation into the same has been initiated as both nuns have infringed strict rules of chastity. However, the welfare of their children is paramount. The most probable result would be that both might leave the religious service.

Recently, the Catholic Church has been in the midst of a turmoil, with many nuns coming out to recount their ordeal involving sexual exploitation at the hands of Bishops and priests. In India too, several nuns have slapped serious charge of rape against Bishop Franco. of Reacting to the grave allegations levelled by many nuns, Pope Francis had admitted earlier this year that some nuns had been sexually abused by clerics.

UP police file separate chargesheets against Swami Chinmayanand in rape case and against the victim law student in extortion case

OpIndia Staff
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UP police file separate chargesheets against Swami Chinmayanand in rape case and against the victim law student in extortion case

A special investigation team of Uttar Pradesh Police probing the accusations against Swami Chinmayanand and the accusations against the victim and her associates, have completed the investigation and filed two separate charge sheets in the court. One against the jailed former Union Minister Swami Chinmayanand in the alleged rape case and the other against the 23-year-old law student and her associates who are under arrest in a purported extortion case.

The probe team in the charge sheets said that all the analysed evidence against Chinmayanand and the student prove the charges against them and it is now up to the court to take cognizance. If it does, then a trial will start in both cases, confirmed the SIT of UP Police.

“We managed to file charge sheets in less than two months. In both investigations, we questioned 105 people, recovered 20 pieces of evidence and also a lot of digital evidence and Call Data Records. We recovered 55 paper trails and are submitting case diaries and charge sheets running into 4,700 pages,” aid Mr Naveen Arora, the head of the special investigation team (SIT).

While Swami Chinmayanand has been charged in a rape case, the law student who had accused Swami Chinmayanand and her associates who had been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court in Shahjahanpur have been charged with extortion, criminal intimidation and “disappearance of evidence”.

Recently, the SIT which has been in relentlessly probing the sexual assault case against Swami Chinmayanand recovered a pen drive and a laptop believed to contain video evidence of the incident from a local BJP leader, DPS Rathore, whom the SIT had been questioning for a marathon 12 hours.

Read: UP girl who was traced in Rajasthan admits in SC she left on her own will, ruling out abduction charges against Swami Chinmayanand

Rathore is the younger brother of Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president JPS Rathore. Both the leaders have been named in the chargesheet filed by the SIT, taking the number of those accused of trying to extort money from Chinmayanad to six. The other four accused are the law student, who had charged Chinmayanand with sexual harassment, Sanjay, Vikram and Sachin. All of them are in jail.

“These leaders had snatched the pen drive from the law student in Dausa, Rajasthan, and had viewed the contents on their laptop. They had later deleted the pictures and demanded Rs.1.25 crore from Chinmayanand to help ensure disposal of the matter. Both have been found guilty on this count,” Arora confirmed.

Chinmayanand was accused of rape by a law student in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur. She had accused him of raping and sexually exploiting her after secretly filming her private videos.

After a huge controversy, Swami Chinmayanand, who was arrested on September 20 from his Mumuksha Ashram in Shahjahanpur, had admitted to almost every allegation levelled against him and had said that he was ashamed of his deeds.

The law student and her associates have also been arrested later on extortion charges.

After the controversy erupted, no BJP leader has come forward to extend any kind of support to Swami Chinmayanand, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest on September 20.

The Bharatiya Janta Party’ Uttar Pradesh unit had in September distanced itself from Swami Chinmayanand. The former BJP leader who was arrested by the SIT following charges of rape and physically exploitation on September 20 had been expelled from the party. “Chinmayanand isn’t a BJP member anymore,” confirmed UP BJP spokesperson Harish Chandra Srivastava.

Karnataka HC bats for celebrating a tyrant, tells Government to reconsider its decision to not celebrate Tipu Jayanti

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka HC bats for celebrating a tyrant, tells Government to reconsider its decision to not celebrate Tipu Jayanti

In a shocking observation, Karnataka High Court (HC) has asked the state BJP government led by BS Yeddyurappa to ‘reconsider its decision’ to not celebrate the Islamic tyrant, Tipu Sultan on his birthday. The BJP government had decided to stop celebrating Tipu Jayanti as the Congress had in the past and Karnataka HC has taken exception to that. The government decision was challenged in court through a Public Interest Litigation.

Read: The legacy of Tipu Sultan: Here is why Mandyam Iyengars of Karnataka observe Diwali as a day of mourning

The BJP government had told the Karnataka High Court (HC) that it will not stop any individual from celebrating Tipu Jayanti but the government itself will not be celebrating like the Congress governments used to in the past. To this, the Karnataka High Court has asked the BJP government to reconsider its decision to abandon the celebration of the Islamic tyrant.

The Karnataka High Court has given the Karnataka government two months to take a decision keeping ‘all aspects’ in mind. The case has now been adjourned to January 2020.

Read: Karnataka: Yeddyurappa led BJP govt overturns previous govt order, cancels Tipu Jayanti celebrations

Yesterday, hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Bilal Ali, a resident of Lucknow, Tipu National Service Association and Tipu Sultan United Forum, the bench led by Chief Justice of Karnataka High court A S Oka questioned State Government the reason behind cancelling the event which was being celebrated from previous four years.

In the PIL the litigant had challenged the government’s move to cancel Tipu Jayanti and had also claimed it to be a violation of Article 14 and 15 of Indian Constitution.

Read: The proper way forward is teaching students accurate history about Tipu Sultan, not removing the Jihadist tyrant from textbooks

Interestingly, in 2016, Karnataka High Court had questioned the rationale behind celebrating Tipu Jayanti. In 2016, Congress was in power and Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister of Karnataka. It had observed that Tipu was a Monarch and not a freedom fighter and hence, had questioned the government over their rationale of celebrating him.

“What is the logic behind celebrating Tipu Jayanti? Tipu was not a freedom fighter, but a monarch who fought the opponents to safeguard his interests,” Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, presiding over the division bench had observed. Justice Mukherjee had also questioned the logic behind celebrating Tipu Jayanti amid fears of communal tension escalating in Kodagu district and other parts of the state.

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