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PM Modi inaugurates development projects in Manipur, highlights previous govt’s incompetence

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi inaugurates development projects in Manipur, highlights previous govt’s incompetence

Prime Minister laid down the foundation stone and dedicated multiple development projects to the nation at Imphal, Manipur today.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCDswYuAkJs]

The Prime Minister inaugurated an integrated check post at Moreh, an improved and upgraded water supply for Churachandpur zone, eco-tourism complex at Thangapat in Kangpokpi district, an integrated tourist destination in Noney district and the water supply scheme at JNV, Lambui and its surrounding villages.

Narendra Modi said, “Today, Manipur has received the gift of the Integrated Check Post, built at the cost of Rs. 125 crores. It is not merely a check post but a centre for any other facilities. This check post, situated at the India-Myanmar border, will aid travellers and businessmen. Along with this, facilities such as customs clearance, foreign currency exchange, immigration clearance, ATM, restrooms will also be available.”

The foundation stone for the infrastructure development of Dhanamanjuri University in Imphal West district, flood lighting of hockey stadium and the main stadium at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal East district and AstroTurf laying in Langjing Achouba of Imphal West district were also laid.

Taking a dig at the Congress party, PM Narendra Modi said, “All these development projects inaugurated today not only shows the commitment of our government towards development but also highlights the incompetence of previous governments.”

Prime Minister Modi began his speech at Imphal with a few words in the local language. He paid his tributes to the freedom fighters who made immense sacrifices in India’s freedom movement. He also remembered Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and his activities in Manipur.

Modi stated, “Our friends in the North-East gave immense support to Azad Hind Fauj. There was a saying which was extremely popular in those times, ‘The path to Freedom will open through the East’. And once the path was opened, our enemies could never close it.”

Narendra Modi’s rally at Gurdaspur yesterday marks the beginning of the campaign for the 2019 General Elections. It is reported that he will tour 20 states in the next 100 days to galvanize the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The focus will be to secure gains from areas where it had not performed well the last time around.

Rahul Gandhi delays his visit to Amethi as Smriti Irani kicks up a storm in his home turf

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi delays his visit to Amethi as Smriti Irani kicks up a storm in his home turf

Congress President Rahul Gandhi who was to visit Amethi earlier today delayed his visit to ‘participate in the Rafale debate’ in the Parliament. He is now expected to reach Amethi later in the evening while Union Minister Smriti Irani, has already reached the constituency she fought against Gandhi in 2014 elections. Kicking up a storm in Gandhi family’s home turf, Irani has dared Rahul Gandhi to come clean on the Ayodhya issue and asked why Congress leaders are creating hurdles.

Irani also questioned Gandhi’s silence when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had spoken against the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar migrants working in the state.


Soon after swearing in as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Nath announced that the scheme for providing incentives of investment will be imposed only after 70% of youth from Madhya Pradesh get employment. “People from other states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh come here & local people don’t get jobs,” Nath had said while addressing the media after taking the oath.

Commenting on Amethi and Rae Bareilly being considered Congress strongholds, Irani said it is no more a Congress stronghold since Congress lost almost all assembly seats in last five years.


As per reports, a poster-war is also shaping up in Amethi as posters projecting Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister have come up in Amethi. To that, Irani quipped whether Rahul has permission from Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, who themselves harbour dreams of becoming India’s PM themselves, to put up such posters.

Chief Mentor at Live Law files contempt petition against Sabarimala Tantri for closing the Shrine after entry of women

K Bhattacharjee
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Chief Mentor at Live Law files contempt petition against Sabarimala Tantri for closing the Shrine after entry of women

A contempt petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the Tantri of Sabarimala Temple for performing a Shuddhikaran ceremony after two women desecrated the Shrine. Hearing on the matter has been fixed for January 22.


Advocate PV Dinesh appearing for Indian Young Lawyers Association (IYLA) argued that closure of the Shrine by authorities was in violation of the Supreme Court’s verdict. The IYLA had also filed the original petition against the tradition of Sabarimala.

PV Dinesh has an interesting background. He is the founder and Chief-Mentor at Live Law, the news portal for legal journalism. He has previously filed another contentious petition regarding Sabarimala. In response to the review petition filed by Nair Service Society (NSS) against the Supreme Court verdict, Dinesh’s plea for intervention filed on behalf of the mother of a 14-year-old girl, claimed that the NSS’ review petition where they explained the celibate nature of the Deity was defamatory to Bhagwan Ayyappa.

“The contention that a 10-year-old girl’s presence will affect the celibacy of Lord Ayyappa is a derogatory and offensive remark not only against Lord Ayyappa but more so on children of such a tender age,” the plea reads. “Millions of Ayyappa devotees are deeply saddened by such aspersions spread in the name of Lord Ayappa,” it asserted.

Dinesh has also appeared for the CPIM previously. The party’s petition against demonetization was filed through Dinesh. “Demonetisation has created a riot-like situation in the country. The government should ensure that common people have immediate access to enough money to pay for their daily needs and health emergencies. The country has virtually come standstill,” the plea had asserted.

Dinesh had also appeared in the Hadiya Love Jihad case for the State Women’s Commission of Kerala. On the matter, he wrote, “Hadiya’s win is definitely a win for herself and a victory of constitutional rights; but the unfortunate aspect is that it is also a victory of “sudapis”, the hundreds of fundamentalists who contributed penny and pound wise, just because she is a neo-convert. Interestingly, it is a win for the sanghis too; they too have grossed political capital by leading ordinary secular Hindus to “Hindutva”; a militant way of life, achieved through ‘religious’ bankruptcy.”

In the Kathua rape case, Dinesh was involved as well. Dinesh was one of several lawyers who had claimed that an advocate appearing for the victim’s family was given threats and prevented from appearing in the Court by advocates of the Jammu Bar Association and Kathua Bar Association.

A Committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI), headed by a former High Court Judge, after thorough investigation had learnt that the media has misreported the entire episode involving the conduct of the Jammu Bar Association and Kathua Bar Association and there was no material evidence to support Deepika Rajawat’s claim that she was threatened. The Committee was formed after the Supreme Court had directed the BCI to set up an investigative team to get to the bottom of the issue. On the BCI’s report, Dinesh had said, “This report is nothing but a whitewash.”

There appears to be a familiar trend with the conduct of Advocate P.V. Dinesh. It appears hardly surprising, given his history, that he has filed a contempt petition against the Tantri for performing the religious rituals of his Deity.

Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Motilal Vora granted bail in AJL case

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Motilal Vora granted bail in AJL case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula on Thursday granted bail to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior Congress leader Moti Lal Vora in the land re-allotment case of Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

Their counsel, Abhishek Rana, confirmed that the two have been granted bail by CBI judge, Jagdeep Singh, on furnishing a bail bond of Rs five lakh each. The next hearing has been fixed for February 6.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on December 1, had charge-sheeted former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and Associated Journals Limited (AJL) in a case pertaining to re-allotment of an institution plot in Panchkula, Haryana, under sections 120B and 420 of the IPC in the court of special Judge Jagdeep Singh.

According to the accusations, a plot of land in Panchkula was illegally re-allotted to AJL, which is controlled by senior members of the Gandhi family, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, through Young India Ltd.

The allegations state that the then Haryana CM BS Hooda utilised his position to re-allot the plot to AJL in 2005 at original rates plus interest. Allotment of the plot at the original rates caused a huge loss to state exchequer and illicit endowment to the company.

The CBI said plot C-17 in Sector 6, Panchkula, was allocated on August 24, 1982, for publication of a Hindi newspaper, Navjivan. In June 2005, the same plot was re-allotted to AJL.

The CBI, on the requests made by the Haryana government, Central government and the complaints received by the Vigilance Commission, had filed an FIR under section 409, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, on April 6, 2017, against Hooda.

CBI booked Hooda for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and misuse of official position by public servants.

Hooda had, however, defended his decision saying that there was no wrongdoing in the re-allotment.

AJL, which also owns National Herald, is controlled by the Indian National Congress leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi among others. Currently, the grand old party’s (Congress) supremos are facing several deadlocks pertaining to their involvement in the ‘National Herald case’.

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

From the Gandhi’s trying to oppose income tax investigation to Congress reportedly threatening tax officials to the eviction orders of the ‘Herald House’, the drama revolving around the Congress ceases to stop.

It’s my way or highway for Rahul Gandhi, they tarnish journalists who are not pliant: Says Zee News Editor

OpIndia Staff
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It’s my way or highway for Rahul Gandhi, they tarnish journalists who are not pliant: Says Zee News Editor

An interview with PM Narendra Modi which marked the beginning of the election year was as anticipated, not received well by his opponents. The so-called pseudo-journalists and intellectuals, including the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who have, on indefinite occasions divulged in concerns over ‘freedom of the press’ were the ones to get most flustered as PM Modi spoke at length answering the questions in his interview with ANI Editor Smita Prakash.

Rahul was thrown off balance as the interviewer asked rational questions instead of projecting ‘Modi hate’, which cynics like him expect everyone under the blue sky to indulge in.

Gandhi in the Parliament on Wednesday called the interview a ‘fixed match’. Outside the house, while speaking at the AICC headquarters, he went on to refer the ANI editor as a ‘pliable journalist’, stimulating others who have also been targeted by the Congress in the past.

The Zee News editor,-in-chief, Sudhir Chaudhary, used this opportunity to point out how this kind of unnecessary provocation to the media, who do not adhere to their way of journalism, is habitual with the Congress. Sudhir shared a letter he wrote to Rahul Gandhi in October 2018, on Twitter, asking him to refrain from targeting and tarnishing those who aren’t pliant.


Sudhir Chaudhary, in his Tweet, lambasted at the Congress President saying that targeting journalists is something which is not new for Gandhi and his party. In October, last year, Zee News had protested against the blatant attacks made at them by Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sudhir had then written to the Congress President, pointing out this behavior, as well as beseeching him to prevent it from happening again. “It’s no surprise that the Congress chief is targeting a journalist. Their approach has always been – my way or the highway. They target & tarnish those who aren’t pliant”, Sudhir Tweeted on Thursday.

In his letter, which he claimed, was never replied to by the Congress prince, he flayed the Congress’ “hit and run approach”, which he said was “unacceptable” and “certainly unsustainable”.

He castigated the Congress for calling them a “mouthpiece” and firmly asked the party’s spokesperson to refrain from “routinely indulging in a baseless commentary in self-defense”.

Surprisingly, the Editors Guild had also issued a statement noting concern over words used by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his criticism of ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash. Though the statement was seen as a monkey-balancing act, the objections and criticism by many media personalities coming in just after Rahul’s unrefined remark may serve as a reminder to the party head who otherwise tries to pretend to be a believer in ‘freedom of expression’, patronising with the ‘freedom of the press’.

Here are 10 questions that Rahul Gandhi should answer as he meets Rajasthan farmers on January 9th

Nirwa Mehta
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Here are 10 questions that Rahul Gandhi should answer as he meets Rajasthan farmers on January 9th

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is addressing Rajasthan farmers in a rally on 9th January. The grand old party has been promising farmer loan waivers if they get voted to power and while Madhya Pradesh was quick to implement, Rajasthan farmers are still waiting for the go-ahead. Considering the Gandhi scion these days is quite fond of asking questions, we have a bunch of our own to ask him.

  1. What is the difference between a loan waiver and loan write-off? Considering you keep referring to corporate loan write-off as ‘waive off’, I would like to know whether your basics are at least sorted in the beautiful mind of yours.
  2. Despite your promise of waiving off farm loans within 10 days of assuming power, why has Rajasthan not yet implemented farm loan waiver?
  3. Despite the implementation of farm loan waiver in Congress-ruled states, why are farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka committing suicides?
  4. Why the ‘terms and conditions‘ in loan waiver? Why were these not included in your list of promises or in the manifesto? Farmers, taking your promises on face value had stopped repaying their loans, with a drop of 10% in loan repayment. What about those farmers left high and dry because of your populist promise? Also, who will bear the brunt of those unpaid loans by those farmers who could afford to pay but didn’t because of your promises? I hope you are ashamed.
  5. In Karnataka, despite your loan waiver promises, ‘defaulting’ farmers’ face arrest. Private banks have started filing criminal cases against defaulting farmers. What is going on?
  6. In Rajasthan, while Ashok Gehlot has ‘announced’ Rs. 2 lakh farm loan waiver, banks have reportedly denied loans for Kharif crop since the process of loan waiving has not started. What exactly is your plan?
  7. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, all three states where Congress formed the government last month, have ‘low fiscal space’ to implement the loan waiver, says a report.

    F for Fiscal Space: Financial well-being and flexibility of the government.

    As per a CARE Rating report, while the cumulative farmer loan waiver amounts to Rs 62,000 crore, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh each have additional fiscal space of Rs 3,120 crore, Rs 3,095 crore and Rs 1,195 crore. How do you plan to keep your promise?

  8. Economists, including former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, have expressed their concerns over farmer loan waiver promises. They believe it will spoil the credit culture and have even appealed against making such populist promises. So what is your next step after waiving off loans?
  9. You had promised potato chips factories and tomato ketchup factories near the relevant farms. Have you finally realised that was a silly, hollow promise?
  10. You, Rahul Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi are out on bail. If you are indicted, you might go to jail. If you do go to jail, what is the value of any promise that you have made to the farmers?

Sabarimala protests: SDPI men arrested for stabbing BJP workers in Thrissur

OpIndia Staff
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Sabarimala protests: SDPI men arrested for stabbing BJP workers in Thrissur

Kerala police have arrested three SDPI activists for attacking and stabbing BJP workers yesterday in Vadanappally, Thrissur yesterday. As per reports, 4 BJP workers were stabbed yesterday in the clashes.


Yesterday, 4 BJP workers were brutally injured in the attacks after a clash ensued in Thrissur when the BJP workers were trying to ensure the day-long bandh called by Hindu outfits in the state.

The Sabarimala Karma Samithi had called for a day-long bandh yesterday to protest against the desecration of the Sabarimala temple after the communist government had escorted two women CPI-ML activists of the restricted age group inside the temple. As protests spread in the state after the incident, many Hindu outfits in the state had called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh and the BJP had extended support.

In Thrissur, as per reports, a clashed had ensued between BJP workers supporting the bandh and SDPI activists opposing them. Four BJP workers were reportedly stabbed by SDPI men in the clash.


The SDPI is the political wing of the Popular Front of India, a radical Islamist outfit facing probe for involvement in love jihad and ISIS recruitment cases.

In another incident, a 55-year old man died yesterday after being attacked by communist workers who pelted stones at him near their party office in Pandalam.

Widespread violence and protests had gripped the state yesterday after thousands of people stormed into streets protesting against the communist government’s repeated attacks against their faith. It is notable here that the Hindu devotees of the temple have been peacefully protesting against the Supreme Court’s decision and the Kerala government’s brutal attempts to interfere in the traditional rituals of the Sabarimala shrine. But the Wednesday’s incident of enforcing the entry of two woman activists inside the temple has stirred widespread outrage in the state.

Congress deceit on Sabarimala: Sonia Gandhi allows ‘local politics’ but stops MPs from protesting in Parliament

Shashank Bharadwaj
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Congress deceit on Sabarimala: Sonia Gandhi allows ‘local politics’ but stops MPs from protesting in Parliament

As protests against Kerala Communist government has been gaining momentum across the country after it allowed communist party workers to enter the shrine to violate age-old customs, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has now asked Congress MPs to not to protest in the parliament, reported Indian Express.

Reportedly, Congress MPs were protesting at the parliament against the Pinarayi Vijayan led Communist government by wearing black armbands in Lok Sabha in a support of ‘Black Day’ but only to be stopped by Sonia Gandhi.

On Wednesday afternoon, hours after reports of two women of menstruating age entered into the Sabarimala shrine surfaces, Congress MPs brought the armbands with them to the Lok Sabha chamber to mark their protest at the national level. But, soon Sonia Gandhi spotted it and ordered them to stop protests claiming that the Congress stands for “gender equality and women’s rights”.

According to Indian Express, Sonia Gandhi has asked the Congress MPs to continue their protests in Kerala as part of their local politics and not to protest at the national level as it would go against Congress idea of gender equality and women rights.

Congress has seven MPs from Kerala in the Lok Sabha and has been trying very hard to strike a political balance on the issue ever since the Supreme Court delivered its controversial judgement.

Kerala Congress chief and Lok Sabha MP Mullappally Ramachandran has alleged that the entry of the two women in the shrine was “an operation meticulously planned and executed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan” whom he accused of “trying to “divide the Hindu vote bank by sending the upper castes to the BJP fold.”

In a shocking incident on Thursday, two left-wing women aided by the Kerala communist government had entered the Sabarimala shrine violating the age-old Hindu customs of not allowing women to enter inside the shrine. The Kerala government with their police force has now become successful in deliberately violating the age-old customs protected for thousand years.

The Kerala Communist government who had earlier attempted several times to allow activists and non-Hindus to enter the Sabarimala shrine, even by escorting them. Pinarayi Vijayan led Kerala government in their attempt to aid their communist colleagues to enter the Sabarimala have defamed the Hindus and their long-held traditions.

With Phoolka and Maken resigning, speculations strengthen about a Congress-AAP alliance in 2019

OpIndia Staff
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With Phoolka and Maken resigning, speculations strengthen about a Congress-AAP alliance in 2019

Months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Ajay Maken has resigned from the post of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president raising suspicions that the Congress party might be clearing the decks for an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party for the upcoming general elections.

According to reports, The 54-year-old Maken had taken the reigns of Delhi Congress four years ago, after the party’s humiliating loss in state elections after ruling Delhi for fifteen years. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly accepted Maken’s resignation.

Ajay Maken today tweeted, “I would like to thank the Delhi Congress workers, the media who provided coverage to the party and our party president Rahul Gandhi for their love and support ever since I took charge of the state unit after the Assembly elections in 2015.”


However, the resignation of Ajay Maken has fuelled the speculation that now, the decks are clear for a Congress and AAP alliance before 2019. Ajay Maken was unhappy with any sort of alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party and had said that there was no question of any alliance with the AAP in Delhi. The resignation of Ajay Maken at this juncture has given rise to speculations that everything is not going well within the Delhi Congress with regards to an alliance with AAP.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit had recently said that she is open to campaigning for her arch-rival and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal if her party high command wants her to do so.

Interestingly, HS Phoolka, a senior leader of Aam Aadmi Party who was very much against the idea of his party joining hands with Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has also resigned from the AAP. Both Maken and Phoolka were said to be strongly against any alliance between their respective parties for the upcoming general elections and resignations of both leaders is a hint that AAP and Congress are clearing the decks for an alliance in Delhi to fight the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

It is notable here that HS Phoolka was one of the main petitioners in the 1984 Sikh massacre case seeking justice for Sikh victims. The case has recently seen the conviction of senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. Last year, he had even declared that he will quit the AAP if it allies with Congress.

Several people speculated that these resignations were perhaps clearing the deck for the alliance.


Both AAP and Congress are reportedly working on the feasibility of a “broader alliance” in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana for the Lok Sabha elections. AAP leader Sanjay Singh has been reportedly given the responsibility of leading negotiations on behalf of AAP, while former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit is heading talks on behalf of the Congress.

Muslim man pretends to be a Hindu to marry the girl, tries to sell her off in Saudi Arabia

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim man pretends to be a Hindu to marry the girl, tries to sell her off in Saudi Arabia

In Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man pretending to be a Hindu befriended a Hindu girl over Facebook, married her and then tried to sell her off in Saudi Arabia for Rs 3 lakh. As per reports, the man first befriended the woman on social networking site Facebook and then pretended to be in love with her and made objectionable videos with her. He used to then allegedly blackmail her and married her. The woman has now accused him of trying to sell her off in Saudi Arabia.

The police have initiated an investigation in the matter. The woman, who reportedly hails from Prayagraj, claims that the man, Nishad, lured her by using the ID ‘Bindas Ashiq’ where they promised undying love for each other.

Under the pretext of an accident, he called her to Delhi. In Delhi, he allegedly mixed something in his drinks and raped her and video recorded it. Using the clip to blackmail her, he got her to marry him. After marriage, she got to know that the man she loved was actually a Muslim. However, the man allegedly started exploiting her. He allegedly physically assaulted her and tried to sell her off for Rs. 3 lakh.

Fortunately, before the ‘deal’ could fall through, she got to know the truth and escaped.

Not the first time

This is not the first time Muslim men have hidden their religious identity and posed as a Hindu to make Hindu girls fall in love with them and exploit them. In West Bengal, a Muslim man killed the Hindu girl after she cancelled the wedding on finding out his religious identity which he had hidden. Prior to that, a Muslim man had sexually exploited a girl while pretending to be a Hindu and when she insisted on marriage, he asked her to convert and eat beef. In another incident, a Muslim man posed as ‘Sahil Sharma’ and sexually and financially exploited a woman.

In December 2017, a Meerut girl had alleged rape by a Muslim man after befriending her under a Hindu identity. There are also several instances where Muslim men use Hindu names and Hindu religious symbols to dupe girls and later forced them to convert to Islam.

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