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Amroha: A day after NIA nabbed terror module members, their kin stage protest on highway

OpIndia Staff
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Amroha: A day after NIA nabbed terror module members, their kin stage protest on highway

In a dangerous turn of events, family members of those arrested by the NIA yesterday for their alleged links to ISIS in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh have resorted to protests and blocked the highway.


Yesterday, NIA had made ten arrests in the terror module case. The welding shop owned by arrested brothers Raees Ahmed and Saeed Ahmed is said to be crucial in the operations of the terror module as NIA allegedly confiscated a number of incriminating objects including crude weapons, a rocket launcher, raw material for explosives and ISIS literature from the shop.

In the video, the father of the arrested brothers Raees and Saeed from Saidapura Imma village in Amroha can be heard asserting that his sons could not have possibly done anything that they are being accused of and demanded their release. The mother of those arrested has also casts aspersions on the raids carried out by the NIA. Apart from the parents, a large crowd can also be seen present at one of the locations where the NIA conducted raids yesterday.

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) in a joint operation with the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad on Wednesday had conducted searches across 17 locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in connection with a new ISIS module named ‘Harkat ul Harb-e-Islam’.

The NIA IG has said that their level of preparedness suggests they wanted to carry out explosions in near future by remote control blasts and fidayeen attacks. A total amount of Rs. 7.5 lakh, 100 mobile phones and 135 sim cards were recovered along with laptops. A country made rocket launcher was also recovered. Reports claimed that the Ahmed brothers had made the rocket launcher and also stored chemicals for explosives, pipe bombs and other material in their shop.

Recently, the NIA had also raided several locations in Delhi, Noida and Mewat in Haryana to bust a terror module supported by Hafiz Saeed’s organisation FIF.

 

Maharashtra to implement 7th pay commission from January 2019; announcement likely today

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra to implement 7th pay commission from January 2019; announcement likely today

The Maharashtra government is all set to implement the 7th pay commission in the state from January 2019 onward. An announcement in this regard is likely to be made today, according to highly placed sources in the finance ministry of the state.

It is expected that the arrears of the seventh pay commission will be given with retrospective effect from January 2016 along with dearness allowance for last 14 months. With nearly 19 lakh government employees, the arrears may cost the exchequer Rs. 40,000 crore.

Minister of State for Finance Deepak Kesarkar announced the implementation in Legislative Council on 30th November during the Question Hour. The government had appointed a committee headed by retired bureaucrat KP Bakshi over the issue but will not wait for the report for its implementation.

Harish Rawat-led Uttarakhand government was reportedly the first government to implement the recommendations of the commission.

Dear journalists, in your hate for Modi and Doval, don’t become terror apologists. Read about IEDs first

OpIndia Staff
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Dear journalists, in your hate for Modi and Doval, don’t become terror apologists. Read about IEDs first

In a major success in combating terrorism, yesterday the National Investigative Agency (NIA) busted a new ISIS module named ‘Harkat ul Harb-e-Islam’. In a joint operation with Uttar Pradesh police, the agency conducted raids at 16 locations in Delhi and UP and arrested 10 suspected terrorists. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during the operations, which included a rocket launcher, 13 pistols, 25 kg of explosive chemicals like Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate, Sulphur etc, 112 alarm clocks to be used as timer device for bombs, 134 mobile phone SIM cards, mobile phone circuits and batteries, pipes, remote control switches, steel containers which are used to pack explosives, and ammunition for firearms. Photographs of seized items were released by the NIA to media.

In the photographs it was seen that other than deadly weapons, there was a packet of sutli bombs, or firecrackers used during Diwali etc. And many people, including journalists, started mocking NIA for this, suggesting such sutli bombs are harmless and it can’t be a terrorist plot. Many people accused NIA of making up a fictitious terror module. They also mocked the recovery of handmade pistols, saying even local level gangs don’t use such weapons nowadays.

There are two problems with this mocking NIA for recovery of sutli bombs. First, those were not the only things recovered during the raids. They also recovered pistols, which may be locally made, but still able to fire and kill, and a huge amount of raw material for making bombs, apart from a rocket launcher. Recovery of more than hundred each of alarm clocks and SIM cards, along with 25 kg of explosive chemical, prove that they were planning to detonate a large number of bombs with timer devices and remote controls. With the entire country coming under mobile phone coverage, now it is possible to detonate a bomb remotely from anywhere in the world if that bomb is rigged with a cell phone.

Now coming to firecrackers, at first glance it may look amusing to see it among other deadly weapons, but in bad hands, even firecrackers can be deadly. The term that we most often see with weapons used by terrorists is IED or improvised explosive device. This means that whatever material is available is improvised to make an explosive weapon, as opposed to a conventional military bomb.

As traditional explosives like RDX and TNT are not easy to obtain, terrorists often ‘improvise’ using other materials to obtain the chemical compounds needed to make a bomb. Several compounds of Nitrogen are used to make IEDs, and most of them are obtained from fertilizers and firecrackers. Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer is favourite with terrorists, due to its easy availability in large quantities.

The common firecracker or sutli bombs used during festivals and ceremonies are made of black powder, flash powder etc. These powders contain explosive compounds like potassium nitrate, sulphur, aluminium powder and several other chemicals. Such chemicals found in firecrackers are often used to make improvised bombs by terrorists. When enough powder from firecrackers is packed with shrapnel and connected with a detonator, it makes a deadly bomb.

The kind and amount of material recovered during the raids clearly indicate that the terrorists were planning to make dozens of bombs, which could be detonated either remotely or using timer devices. By mocking NIA, the journalists are essentially defending the terrorists by suggesting their bombs were not dangerous. The hatred for the Modi government and Ajit Doval is so much among these people that they chose to ignore the several incriminating items recovered and focus just on one item.

Several cases of bombs made using firecrackers have been reported in the past, including in India. In October this year, two persons were injured when a bomb they were making using black powder obtained from firecrackers exploded, they had added glass pieces and nails as shrapnel. In 2016, a pressure cooker bomb was detected on a railway track at Ghorasan in Bihar, which was made of material from firecrackers.

In the famous Times Square bomb scare in New York in 2010, the bomb found in a parked car was made using consumer-grade firecrackers, urea, petrol, propane gas, and alarm clocks, all commonly available items. The bombs ignition source had malfunctioned, hence it didn’t explode, else it would have cause causalities.

It is important to note that, anything can be a deadly weapon in the hands of motivated terrorists. Even vehicles have been used as weapons to kill people. The four planes in 9/11 attacks were hijacked by the terrorists using nothing more than box cutters. Therefore, it is important that such terrorists are apprehended, no matter what weapons they were planning to use to kill people.

NIA may have used the pack of firecrackers as a representative sample, but 25 kilograms of explosive chemicals is a huge amount. By mocking NIA for this, the journalists are exposing their ignorance and their hatred for the government.

The statement issued by NIA, which gives detail of material recovered in the raids, has been attached below:

Expelled Sikh Congress leader cleans Rajiv Gandhi statue with his turban to show allegiance to the party, faces outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Expelled Sikh Congress leader cleans Rajiv Gandhi statue with his turban to show allegiance to the party, faces outrage

After two Youth Akali Dal members had blackened the Rajiv Gandhi statue on 25th December with black spray paint, some Congress leaders later cleaned the statue with milk in order to purify it. Going a step ahead to show allegiance to the Congress party, an expelled Sikh Congress leader Gursimran Singh Mand took off his dastar (turban) and cleaned the statue with it.

Mand got the whole act of cleaning the statue with his turban recorded in a video and posted it on social media seemingly in an attempt to win the praises from the party. But instead of bringing him praises the video sparked huge outrage on social media. The dastaar also called pugg is considered a very important part of Sikhism since the time of first Sikh Guru. Guru Nanak Dev had honoured Guru Amar Das with a special dastaar when he was declared as the next Guru.

Mand was expelled from Congress party in 2014 from the primary membership of the party including five others for alleged anti-party activities. As per the release of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Mand had levelled wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the party president Pratap Singh Bajwa and the senior Congress leadership managing the State affairs. He along with others had launched a movement to oust the PPCC President who was appointed by Sonia Gandhi, the then Congress President and the mother of Present Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

In February this year, some pictures of Mand with local Congress MP Ravneet Bittu and MLA Bharat Ashu had surfaced based on which Mand was claiming that he had rejoined the Party. After the party workers protested, the District Congress President Gurpreet Gogi issued a statement clarifying that Mand was not re-inducted into the party. It appears that out of his desperation to rejoin the Congress party, Mand went to the extent of cleaning the statue of Rajiv Gandhi with his turban to please the top Congress leadership.

After NIA busts ISIS module, ‘Liberals’ cast aspersions on the raids

K Bhattacharjee
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After NIA busts ISIS module, ‘Liberals’ cast aspersions on the raids

As we have reported earlier, the NIA has busted another ISIS module in the country during raids at over 15 locations. A Maulvi, a civil engineering student from Amity University in Noida, third year BA student, an auto-rickshaw driver, welding shop owner and a garments business owner are among those arrested. A woman believed to be linked to the module was detained as well and is being interrogated.

The remarkable frequency at which Muslims across the country are joining ISIS should concern us all. We have constantly reported on the staggering numbers of ISIS recruits in the country. However, it appears certain people believe that the exemplary work carried out by the NIA is rather a political gimmick and instance of rising Islamophobia. Others believe that the entire thing was a sham.


It appears that Piyush Rai conveniently forgot to mention the country made rocket launcher that was recovered by the NIA as well. And as for Rohini Singh, whose exemplary work during the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is quite well known, that she thinks the NIA has embarrassed itself during Narendra Modi’s reign as Prime Minister is no surprise at all.


Scroll published an article that can only be described as a cleverly veiled accusation of Islamophobia against the NIA. Throughout the article, the outlet constantly casts aspersions on the NIA raids and attempts to paint the arrested accused in a sympathetic light.

The article quoted relatives of the accused vehemently denying that they have anything to do with any terrorist module. One of them said, “He has always been a peaceful person and that is why he chose to be a teacher in the first place.” The article also reports, “Relatives of all six men arrested in Jaffrabad claimed that the accusations were untrue. At least four of the men sported beards, they said. These identity markers, the relatives claimed, were used by the security agencies to target their relatives.”

The claims made by the relatives are dubious, to say the least. If we look at the conduct of relatives of terrorists who have carried out deadly attacks in the past in various parts of the world, we could see that they all claim they had no idea what their kin was up to. And we can be pretty sure that had these people accused to be ISIS terrorists succeeded in carrying out an attack, the same people would have come forward and said that they had no knowledge of the activities of the perpetrators. It’s extremely unfortunate that relatives of those arrested are conjuring up mythical claims of Islamophobia against the NIA. From the material that has been recovered during the raids, it certainly appears that the accused were up to no good.

We have reached a point where liberals see political gimmicks behind NIA raids that “claim” to have busted an ISIS module. It is a shame that even national security is a matter of politics for them. But then, it has always been that way. None of them saw politics when the narrative of Saffron Terrorism was conjured out of thin air by the Congress party. In fact, they have swallowed that narrative completely and devote much of their time to prove the existence of ‘Hindu terrorism’.

Instead of appreciating the NIA for the stellar work it has been doing during the past few years, attempts are being made to tarnish their reputation by casting aspersions on their intentions. It’s fair to question government agencies, there have been many occasions when they have disgraced themselves in the past, but ISIS is not a matter of politicking. At a time when Islamic terrorism has ravaged the West and much of the world, India has remained largely untouched by any form of terrorism outside of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East.

The fact of the matter is, the raids by NIA haven’t come out of the blue. ISIS has been targeting India for recruitment and in recent times, there have been plenty of Muslims from India who have been joining the terrorist outfit. If liberals see Islamophobia or doubt the motives of the intelligence agencies without any apparent reason, then there is much need for introspection. It is one thing to oppose someone politically but inadvertently furthering the Islamist narrative after NIA raids due to political inclinations is a step too far which could have very terrible consequences.

Following ban order on namaz in parks, authorities stop ‘unauthorised’ Bhagwat Katha in Greater Noida

OpIndia Staff
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Following ban order on namaz in parks, authorities stop ‘unauthorised’ Bhagwat Katha in Greater Noida

The Greater Noida authorities on Wednesday have stopped organising of a Hindu religious event scheduled on its property. Days after the police authorities in Noida sector-58 asked private companies to direct its employees to adhere to district magistrate orders and not offer namaz in public, the police authorities related to Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority have stopped ‘Bhagwat Katha’ event in Greater Noida citing lack of requisite permission.

On Wednesday, the tents placed on the government land of the Authority in Sector-37 were removed. When the tents were being removed, women were carrying out the Kalash Yatra at the place. Women organisers vehemently opposed the authority’s proceedings. Last week On Thursday, organizers hinted towards organizing the event on the open ground without tents. However, on Tuesday evening, tents were erected in Greater Noida Sector-37 for organising ‘Bhagwat Katha’ for nine days without seeking necessary approvals. Music system and mic were also installed on the spot.

The officials of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority team removed the tents on Wednesday morning. The women organisers created a ruckus at the location on the removal of the tents. Reportedly, attempts were made to pressurise the officials by citing names of central and state ministers.

The Authority’s Officer on Special Duty Sachin Singh told PTI, “They have not been granted requisite approvals for the programme. If they still carry it out, it would be illegal.” The locals in the area have claimed that two small concrete structures have also come up on the government land where many religious events have held in the past.

More than 50 people were present on the scene opposing the authority’s action. Looking at the opposition, a squad of the authority remained on the spot till late evening. In this regard, the Greater Noida Authority’s CEO Narendra Bhushan asserted that the authority will not allow any ‘unauthorised’ event on their property.

The Greater Noida Police have stated that they have nothing to do with the action initiated by the Authority. Greater Noida (1st) Circle Officer Nishank Sharma said, “The action was carried out by authority officials and the police personnel who are assigned to the authority. No officials of the district police or from local Kasna police station were there.”

Recently, Noida police had issued an advisory notice to the sector-58 companies in Noida ordering them to ask their employees to refrain from gathering in a public park for ‘any religious activities’ including namaz. This sparked reactions from people across the country, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his ire at the UP Government after the Noida police announced banning namaz at public places.

Ajit Kumar Doval: The man, the legend and India’s security

Nupur J Sharma
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Ajit Kumar Doval: The man, the legend and India’s security

“An intelligence officer must grow up to the level of Michelangelo,” he said…”He has to have in his brain an encyclopedia. He cannot today be a very narrow specialist. To get information, very, very delicate information. This is the task of an intelligence officer. – Former Russian spymaster, Vyacheslav Trubnikov

The best spymasters in the country are made of legends. The stories that surround them, part real, part myth, is perhaps an intelligence officer’s greatest asset. One just never knows where he has been, or, where he is going next. The 73-year-old Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser is like the quintessential light-footed feline who has several lives and uncountable feats to his name. The most recent being one of India’s notorious Islamic State terror module being dismantled brick by brick.

Yesterday, the NIA along with UP anti-terror squad and Delhi Police’s special conducted raids in 17 locations across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Several people connected to ‘Harkat ul Harb-e-Islam’ were arrested.

The items seized included 25 kg of explosive material, such as Potassium Nitrate, Ammonium Nitrate, Sulphur, Sugar material paste, 12 pistols, 150 rounds of live ammunition, 1 country- made rocket launcher, 112 alarm clocks, mobile phone circuits, batteries, 51 pipes, remote control car triggering switch, wireless digital doorbell for remote switch, steel containers, electric wires, 91mobilephones, 134 SIM cards, 3 laptops, knife, sword, ISIS-related literature and a cash amount of Rs. 7.5 lacs approximately.

According to NIA, those arrested were planning to conduct several terrorist attacks in an around Delhi.

While the raids were conducted by NIA predominantly with assistance from local authorities, it is safe to assume that dismantling a looming threat as large as ISIS would have the footprints of Ajit Doval.

A retired IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, Doval is the Prime Minister’s adviser on issues of internal and external security. The stories surrounding Doval jump out at you like tales from a fiction novel. He lived in Pakistan for 7 long years, disguised as a Muslim. Narrating a story, he once said that while living in Pakistan, a Pakistani man with a long white beard had once recognised him as a Hindu because he had a piercing in his ear. After he was directed into a small room, the man said that he recognised him as a Hindu because he himself was one, disguised as a Muslim, living in Pakistan after his entire family was murdered.

Another tale that follows Doval is that of Operation Dawood. This story has never been confirmed, and perhaps, never will be confirmed. In 2005, Dawood’s daughter Mahrukh was to marry Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad’s son Junaid in Mecca while the reception was to be held at Grand Hyatt Dubai. According to folklore, several men of the Chhota Rajan gang (a disenchanted faction after the 2003 bomb blasts) were trained in a secret locale. While the mission was being planned and Doval was pouring over the blueprints of the Hyatt, Dubai, because of a Dawood mole in the police (which was denied by the police), the locale was raided where sharpshooters Farid Tanasha and Vicky Malhotra were also present. DCP Dhananjay Kamalakar of the Mumbai crime branch stormed in with his weapon drawn. Doval is said to have screamed, but the plan, terribly compromised, had to be aborted. Some say that Doval coloured outside the lines and had no sanction from the Congress government to carry this operation out. Others say, that the Home Ministry had no option but to distance itself from an intelligence operation gone awry. Either way, Doval swore to finish Dawood – one way or another.

While the Dawood plan was unsuccessful, to the chagrin of Doval, operation Rajapaksha recently, which had the bearings of the legendary sleuth was not. Ajit Doval was said to have played a role in the ouster and destabilising of Rajapaksha in the recent elections. Mahinda Rajapaksha was an unfriendly element and his election would not have boded well for India. Rajapaksa had allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Sri Lanka without warning India as he should have under a standing agreement, and it did not sit well with Doval.

It was reported that Sri Lanka expelled the Colombo station chief of RAW accusing him of helping the opposition’s Maithripala Sirisena to oust Rajapaksha. Of course, Rajapaksha lost in the subsequent Presidential elections. It was widely believed that Maithripala Sirisena was asked to quit the Rajapaksha cabinet at the insistence of Ajit Doval. When one looks back, one realises that seemingly unrelated events had a pattern. After the Chinese submarines were allowed to dock, Ajit Doval travelled to Sri Lanka to meet Rajapaksha. On the face of it, it was a simple meeting, presumably, to persuade him to bear India’s interests in mind. However, the folklore suggests that Doval had actually travelled to Sri Lanka to meet Sirisena through meetings with him and his backers former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremensinghe. He also met leaders of the main Tamil party TNA. He allegedly persuaded the Tamil Party to not boycott the elections. It is said that Doval convinced Wickremensinghe to not contest against Rajapaksha and asked Kumaratunga to convince Sirisena to contest and defeat Rajapaksha.

While detractors questioned the Prime Minister’s ability to ‘control’ Sri Lanka and lost the narrative to China, Doval, his trusted lieutenant, worked in silence and perhaps, in the still of the night to turn the country around and gain the upper hand over China.

In 2014, 46 nurses were stranded in Tikrit and 39 men in Mosul. Both cities had fallen to Islamic State and their fate was not encouraging. The opposition huffed and puffed. There were left-leaning portals which were more than happy to clobber Ajit Doval and PM Modi with hammer and sickle for “failing to bring our brethren back”. However, after a high-level meeting, Doval travelled to Iraq himself. What transpired in Iraq is unknown. All we do know is that Intelligence Bureau Director Asif Ibrahim was also sent to Riyadh to negotiate the release. These visits, both by Doval and Ibrahim took place on 25th and 26th June. By 6th July, the Kerala nurses landed at Kochi Nedumbasseri airport from Iraq.

With a focus on West Asia, Ajit Doval is also said to have made secret trips to Iran and Israel. It is famed that Doval discussed sensitive matters of Iran. Like that of a long-term base for the Indian Navy. This discussion was independent of the progress on Chabahar port. However, the details were never made public. In Israel, the folklore says that Doval discussed Nuclear co-operation. Officials deny.

In Operation Black Thunder, Doval is said to have entered the Golden Temple with nonchalance. Thought of as an ISI officer, he worked with Surjit Singh Penta, the Khalistan terror commander to lace the temple with explosives. The “ISI officer” was in actuality, Ajit Kumar Doval who was gathering intelligence. Doval helped Penta lay bombs which were duds and what followed, was the Khalistani terrorists surrendered after a siege that lasted hours.

The stories and folklores are many. For example, when Ajit Doval met U.S. Defence Secretary-General (Retd) James Mattis, Secretary of Homeland Security General (retd.) John Kelly and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. HR McMaster in 2017, greater intelligence co-operation was discussed. With real-time intelligence exchange, Doval has managed a rare feat of no major terror attack being carried out on Indian soil in the past 4.5 years.

While the left has routinely demonised Doval and even asked for his resignation on occasion, Ajit Doval has proved time and again, that securing a nation has to be done with skin in the game. From covert trips to Iraq to turning Sri Lanka into an ally and sidelining China, Doval has managed to be an indispensable cog in the Prime Minister’s ‘surging India’ vision.

In the past few months, Ajit Doval has turned his attention to ISIS in India. A threat that has been discussed for years in the hushed corners of power corridors and yet, authorities have been muted in admitting the looming threat. Several plots have been foiled, arrests made, modules busted and threats neutralised. With an added focus on dismantling the Pakistan ISI spy-ring in India, Doval is to be credited with strengthening the internal and external security apparatus of the country. Besides, when the red corridors demand the sacking of a man of Doval’s accomplishments, one knows that power corridors are on the right path.

Deve Gowda sick of Congress’ dominance, threatens to contest alone unless Congress behaves

OpIndia Staff
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Deve Gowda sick of Congress’ dominance, threatens to contest alone unless Congress behaves

JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda has thrown an open warning to Congress party, that his party can go alone in Karanatak Lok Sabha elections, and fight all 28 seats. This warning can be another blow to the Congress aspirations of forming a Mahagatbandhan, to take on BJP in upcoming elections. As per reports, JDS chief Devegowda has hinted that the party may go solo in the upcoming general elections.

The disgruntlement between the two coalitions emanated from the dispute over portfolio allocation to party leaders. JD(S) has also alleged Congress encroaching on portfolios handled by its ministries and unilaterally announcing appointments to state-run boards and corporations, even in the areas that are under JDS ministers.

The discontent regarding the allocation of portfolios has also fulled rebellion in Congress’ own MLAs. Former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, the MLA from Belagavi has gone incognito after he was dropped during the rejig of portfolios. Party leaders are unable to contact Jarkiholi, who is speculated to be in contact with BJP.

Former MLC and JD(S) spokesperson Ramesh Babu asserted that the party’s local leadership is unhappy with the attitude of Congress. He cited meeting of workers with Deve Gowda in districts and complaints about Congress’ ‘Big Brother’ attitude, undertaken by the national party after victory in three assembly elections.  Though the two parties had announced a pre-poll alliance for 2019 after they came together to form the government in Karnataka, reports state that there is disagreement between seat sharing.

“Workers feel that it is better to contest in all 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka in the coming election,” Babu said. He also added that fight in Lok Sabha elections will be done in a friendly way, without indulging in allegations and counter-allegations. According to reports, JD(S) wanted around 12 seats for Lok Sabha out of 28, but Congress has so far not agreed.

If JD(S) part ways with Congress and fight against it, in a friendly or unfriendly manner, can deliver a big blow to aspirations of Mahagatbandhan. JD(S) is the second in line after Mayawati’s BSP, who has openly expressed unwillingness to fight along Congress. BSP has declared that it will fight Madhya Pradesh Lok Sabha elections on its own. In Uttar Pradesh too, where SP and BSP are engineering an alliance, Congress has been kept at bay with two seats of Rae Bareli and Amethi to fight. Both SP and BSP leaders have also thrown a hint of joining the Federal Front, speculated after TRS chief KCR met Navin Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee recently.

Several political watchers had predicted after Karnataka government formation that a united opposition will be the only way to prevent the BJP juggernaut. But there seems to be a battle of aspirations for the PM candidature apart from power struggles, which can be a major obstacle for Congress. Several regional party leaders with a considerable number of MPs have declared that they do not accept Rahul Gandhi as the de-facto PM candidate.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has already expressed scepticism over the Federal Front. CM Naidu alleged that the Front is only to split Mahagatbandhan votes and favour. K Chandrasekhar Rao meeting and discussing the Federal Front with Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik and West Bengal Chief Minister has also irritated Congress party. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged KC Rao of doing politics of division, by putting efforts to materialise the Third Front and expressed a veiled concern like Naidu that this front will only help BJP.

JD(S) and Congress forged an alliance in Karnataka, after BJP despite winning the most number of seats, fell short of the majority. There have been numerous speculations of rift and dissatisfaction in the alliance. CM HD Kumaraswamy had also declared that he cannot take any decision without the express permission of Congress high command.

Namaz in parks: How can Muslims be entitled to public property if Hindu temples are not allowed even private property?

Abhishek Banerjee
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Namaz in parks: How can Muslims be entitled to public property if Hindu temples are not allowed even private property?

Right now, in two different parts of India, members of two different communities, Hindus in Kerala and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, are protesting against their respective state governments.

Both groups feel that they have been wronged by their state governments. That their freedom to practice their religion has been infringed upon. But if you look at the two groups, their respective demands and the way the issues are being portrayed in the media, you will discover the fundamental injustice done to Hindus under Indian secularism.

Indian secularism gives Muslim community the rights to public property but does not allow the Hindu community to even have private property!

Let’s examine the Muslim demand first. The Uttar Pradesh government has passed an order that prohibits Muslims from carrying out Friday prayers in certain public areas of Noida.

This has immediately been fed into the narrative of “Muslims under attack”. Questions have been raised: why can’t Muslims use public space to pray? Doesn’t the Indian Constitution give every person the right to practice their religion? Let them pray. They are not bothering anybody.

Well, except for the inconvenience when thousands of people take over a public space such as a road or a park and nobody else can use it. Anyway, let’s not worry about those minor inconveniences and focus on the main issue at hand. It’s not like somebody was wearing a Hanuman T-shirt or anything…

Some articles even appeared in print and digital media explaining the importance of Namaz in Islam and why we all need to make space for it.

The main argument comes down to this: Muslims have a right to practice their faith. And this means Muslims are entitled to go outside and use public property any way they want.

Now, let us come to the demand of lakhs of Hindus of Kerala. The Sabarimala temple is of great significance to them and they want to worship Ayyappa inside the temple as per the customs and rituals they hold dear.

But the State says NO! What happens inside the temple is subject to dictates of the State. In fact, the State essentially owns the temple through the government appointed Devaswom Board and can micromanage anything that happens inside it. The State will decide who gets to worship and how inside the temple. Hindus must obey.

In fact, the State can give orders at any moment to seize any temple and bring it under government control. Here you see the police force surrounding and seizing the Parthasarathy Temple in Kerala’s Guruvayur in November 2017.

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What applies to Hindu temples also applies to Hindu run educational institutions. Anything owned by Hindu communities is automatically treated as public property under the law.

Apparently, the so-called religious freedom in India does not give Hindus the slightest right to control what happens inside their private spaces!

But Muslims of course, control not only what happens inside their private spaces, but are also entitled to go outside and control what happens to public spaces!

This is the contradiction that Indian secularism is built upon. It is almost heartbreaking to see Hindus of Kerala hold marches and vigils pleading to be left alone with their form of worship in their temples. Meanwhile, the idea of India brigade throws its full intellectual might behind a triumphant takeover of public space by Muslims for the practice of their religion.

Indian Railways to bring Ram Setu on railway map, new bridge to replace 104-year-old Pamban Bridge

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Railways to bring Ram Setu on railway map, new bridge to replace 104-year-old Pamban Bridge

In an initiative to promote Indian culture and heritage, the Narendra Modi government has decided to bring the historic ‘Ram Setu’, also known as Adam’s Bridge on Indian Railway’s map. The Union government has given approval to the extension of Rameshwaram railway line till Ram Setu.

According to reports, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has given his approval to build a broad gauge line from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi, which is the starting point of the Ram Setu. The 17-kilometre new railway line will be built at the cost of Rs 208 crore. Dhanushkodi was part of the railway network earlier but the railway station was destroyed during a cyclone that hit the region in 1964. Later, the railway station was abandoned leaving the city unattended.

No governments since have taken any steps to revive the anandoned railway station and develop the ghost town that is an important destination for Hindu pilgrims.


Reportedly, Indian Railways is intended to start the work on the project very soon. The construction of Rameshwaram-Dhanushkodi line will be a boost for lakhs of pilgrims who plan to visit the historic Ram Setu as the pilgrimage to Rameshwaram only ends after taking a holy dip at Dhanushkodi. Interestingly, the Indian Railways has also planned to restore a rail-cum-sea route to Sri Lanka.

The Narendra Modi government has also reportedly approved the construction of a new bridge on the Pamban channel to replace the 104-year-old Pamban Bridge, which connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The bridge will be constructed at a cost of Rs 250 crore, which is set to have an automatic vertical lift setup, a first in the country, to enable the passage of ships. Currently the Pamban bridge has a manual lifting setup.

Augmenting the construction of the new railway networks to preserve and promote heritage tourist and pilgrimage circuits, the Union government has also introduced ‘Sri Ramayana Express‘ earlier this year, a dedicated train service that will cover all the major locations mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana. The special Ramayana Express will take 16 days to cover the Ramayana circuit with making its first stop at Ram’s birthplace Ayodhya, the train will cover major locations like Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Varanasi, Prayag, Chitrakoot, Shringaverpur, Nasik, Hampi and finally Rameshwaram.

The Ramayana Express was flagged off from New Delhi on November 14. The IRCTC is to introduce options for pilgrims to fly to colombo to visit the important destinations connected to Ramayana located in Sri Lanka.

The Indian Railways is also taking unprecedented measures to prepare itself for the upcoming Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.

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