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Ram Mandir case: New bench to begin hearing tomorrow

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir case: New bench to begin hearing tomorrow

A three-judge bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K M Joseph will begin the hearing in the Ayodhya case tomorrow and draw the framework of the future proceedings.

Adv Vishnu Jain, who is a party to the case, said that it is possible that this bench may hear the case on a regular basis or a proper bench may be constituted for that matter.

The Ayodhya case has been pending before the court since 2010 and the hearing in the case has not started yet.

On Sept 27, 2018, a three-judge bench of the then CJI Deepak Mishra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S.K. Abdul Nazir with a 2:1 majority had refused to refer the case to a larger bench. Justice S Abdul Nazeer dissenting with the two judges had said whether a mosque is integral to Islam has to be decided considering religious belief which requires detailed consideration. The order of the court came in response to a challenge by senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan, appearing for the Sunni Waqf Board, to the ruling in Ismail Farokhi case in 1994  wherein the court held that a mosque was not integral to the practice of Islam. He sought that the case be reconsidered by a larger bench before starting final arguments. The court had ordered the constitution of a new bench which will commence hearing from October 29 on a batch of petitions filed by both the sides — Hindu and Muslim stakeholders — challenging the 2010 high court judgement.

In March this year, the Supreme Court had disallowed any new interventions in the case however it admitted the plea of Subramanian Swamy to consider his fundamental right to worship.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls Modi one of his ‘most dependable’ friends

OpIndia Staff
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Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls Modi one of his ‘most dependable’ friends

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of his most “dependable” friends said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while meeting his Indian counterpart as the latter visits Japan on a two-day tour to attend the 13th India-Japan annual summit. He added that together with the Indian leader, he would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Shinzo in his message to the country said India is driving the region and the world’s prosperity as a global power. “Prime Minister Modi is an outstanding leader of his great country,” he said.

Emphasising the need to cooperate and expand broadly in many fields such as security, investment, information technology, agriculture, health, environment and tourism, he added, “I have always believed and stated that the relationship between Japan and India is blessed with the largest potential in the world.”

“We share a big win-win potential in all areas and Japan remains committed to supporting India’s economic growth and Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative through high-speed rail, subways and other infrastructure, mobilising Japan’s world-leading technologies. The day when Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains start running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad through cooperation will mark a shining symbol of Japan-India friendship in the future, he said.

It is worthy to note here how the Congress IT cell had persistently tried to lie about the bullet train MoU signed by our Prime Minister and the lie was further patronized by the Congress mouthpiece National Herald, reporting that Japan has stopped providing funds for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. This lie, however, died its natural death after India and later the Japanese ambassador rubbished the claim.

Before leaving for the trip, Modi described India and Japan as a “winning combination”. Japan is India’s most trusted partner in its economic and technological modernisation, he said. Modi will also address the Indian community in Tokyo and will address a business forum.


This is the 12th instance when PM Modi is meeting the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

Shashi Tharoor says PM Modi is like ‘Scorpion on a Shivling, cannot even hit him with the chappal

OpIndia Staff
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Shashi Tharoor says PM Modi is like ‘Scorpion on a Shivling, cannot even hit him with the chappal

After his recent tirade of claiming that no good Hindu would want to see a Ram temple at the Babri site, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has yet again issued a controversial statement saying comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a ‘Scorpion on a Shivling’ and claimed that PM Modi cannot be even hit with a chappal.

According to the reports, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, while speaking at the Bangalore Lit Fest on his book ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister” on Sunday, he went on to claim that some unnamed RSS leader had expressed to a journalist that Prime Minister is like a ‘Scorpion on a Shivling’ and you can neither remove him with your hand nor hit him with the chappal (footwear). This derogatory statement by the Congress leader has now created a new controversy.


Shashi Tharoor slanderous statements targeting the Prime Minister comes after his recent failed attempt to insinuate and humiliate Hindus after he had claimed that no good Hindu would want to see a Ram temple built by demolishing somebody else’s place of worship.

We had also reported on how Shashi Tharoor went on to use false data and images to peddle fake news against the BJP after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to restore the historical name of Prayagraj.

Yesterday, daughter of Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde and MLA Praniti Shinde had referred to the PM as ‘dengue mosquito’ saying that ‘Modi baba is dengue mosquito, everyone is falling sick because of him.

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane ‘dares’ Congress to go to court for Parrikar’s health updates

OpIndia Staff
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Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane ‘dares’ Congress to go to court for Parrikar’s health updates

Days after Congress’ morbid hatred where Congress spokesperson asked BJP to either ‘show Parrikar in person or conduct Shradhh (death ceremony)’, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has disclosed that Parrikar has been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

The statement by the health minister came amid persistent demands from the opposition parties to know whether the Chief Minister was fit enough to govern. The state government had hitherto been eluding relentless queries on Parrikar’s ailment.

Congress spokesperson on Friday had given a four-day ultimatum to the Goa state government to prove that Parrikar was of “sound health and mind” and in a position to govern the state. Responding to the warning, Rene told the media here, “He is the CM of Goa and the fact is that he is not well. He has got pancreatic cancer. There is no hiding of this fact.” He furthered, “Let him be peaceful with his family. That much right he has, after serving the people of Goa, that if he wants to spend some quality time with his family, nobody has the business to ask.”

Parrikar was first diagnosed with the pancreatic ailment in mid-February and since then been admitted several times to hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York, and Delhi. Earlier when the cause of his deteriorating health was not disclosed there were speculations that Parrikar will soon resign from the post of CM, pushing the state into early polls.

Earlier, government dodging all queries, maintained that Parrikar all this while has been admitted to the hospitals for treatment of pancreatic infection.

Rene, irked with Congress politicising the CM ailment lambasted saying, “If Deshprabhu wants to go to the court, then he is free to do so. He is infested with foolishness, but I am not. Congress doesn’t have any issue to take up and as such, they are after Parrikar’s life.

Parrikar has not had a single public appearance since his return from Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 14 and is currently ailing at his private residence, which party sources said has been converted into a sophisticated medical facility, with doctors and para-medical staff on 24-hour duty. His absence has created a leadership vacuum in the state.

Pakistan Supreme Court reinstates ban on Indian TV content

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan Supreme Court reinstates ban on Indian TV content

Supreme Court of Pakistan has reinstated the ban over the broadcast of Indian shows on Pakistani TV channels, overturning the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) earlier decision.

“They are trying to (obstruct the construction) of our dam and we cannot even ban their channels?” said Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. Chief Justice also added that the Pakistani broadcasters must only air “appropriate content”.

The decision came into effect after the United Producers Association filed an appeal against the airing of Indian Television Shows in Pakistan. The United Producers Association had reached Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court’s decision to lift the ban imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in 2017.

The Lahore High Court decision had allowed the cable operators to air 10% of foreign content, putting up a limit of 1 hour 40 minutes on Indian shows. However, the lifting of the ban did not allow the airing of teleplays or Indian movies. The central government had registered no objection over the airing of Indian television content in the country. Hearing to the plea, Lahore High Court focused on the censorship over the anti-Pakistan content on air but did not endorse the complete ban. “The world has become a global village,” Lahore High Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had commented on the unreasonable impositions on-air content.

With the nod of Pakistan Government, PEMRA in 2016 had imposed the ban on Indian television content. It was in the response of the crackdown by Indian Forces on the terrorists in Kashmir valley after the Uri attack.

Modi could be the PM after 2019 elections: Prashant Kishor, former poll strategist and JDU leader

OpIndia Staff
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Modi could be the PM after 2019 elections: Prashant Kishor, former poll strategist and JDU leader

The usually tight-lipped Prashant Kishor who is a former poll strategist and has recently joined Janata Dal United gave an interview recently to Republic TV. In the said interview, for the first time ever, Prashant Kishor opened up about campaigning for the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and for the Nitish-Lalu ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in the 2015 Bihar elections. He also answered a host of questions about his election strategy for the Congress party and Captain Amarinder Singh in the 2017 Punjab elections.

It has long been alleged that BJP had dumped Prashant Kishor after the resounding 2014 victory. Kishor denied these allegations and blamed his impatience for dissociating from the party. He attributed his exit from the party to BJP delaying the implementation of the lateral entry scheme where young professionals like him were to join the party.

While Kishor credits Modi for the huge victory in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he surprisingly blames himself for the disgraceful defeat of the Congress party in 2017 UP Assembly elections.

According to Kishor, Congress failed to implement the 14 modules of the campaign which were designed by him. He said that out of the 14 modules designed, Congress implemented only a few.

Interestingly, he said that Congress dropped the idea of contesting on its own and decided to form an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) only after the surgical strike that was conducted by the Indian Army. This surgical strike was in fact widely criticised by the Congress party and several functionaries of the party had even asked the BJP and the Indian Army to provide proof that such a strike had taken place.

Kishore also hinted at Rahul Gandhi being one of the reasons for Congress’ resounding loss. He asserted that had Priyanka Gandhi Vadra been allowed to be the face of the campaign in the 2017 UP Assembly elections, Congress would definitely have won more seats. He further revealed that projecting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the campaign was discussed at the highest level but it was not approved by the top leadership of the Congress.

When asked whether he would support Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections he said that he does not want to continue as a freelance strategist but he can support him as a JDU leader. When questioned about the probability of Modi becoming the Prime Minister for another term after the coming Lok Sabha elections, he replied that if elections were to held today, Modi is in a better position to win.

He also said that 100 seats for Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is a ‘big ask’.

Times of India, Indian Express pull down story on Donald Trump ‘declining’ Republic Day invite

OpIndia Staff
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Times of India, Indian Express pull down story on Donald Trump ‘declining’ Republic Day invite

Times of India has pulled down the story where it had claimed that the United States of America President Donald Trump has turned down India’s invite for the Republic Day celebration.

Times of India story on Donald Trump ‘turning down’ R-Day celebrations

The Times of India report had claimed that the same was conveyed to NSA Ajit Doval by the US authorities that Trump would not be able to attend the Republic Day celebrations due to his domestic commitment, particularly his State of the Union (SOTU) address around that time.

However, twelve hours after publishing the report, the Times of India has pulled down the story citing inadequate information as the reason.

TOI story removed

Later, the Indian Express wrote a story stating that their sources said the invitation to Trump was never sent.

Indian Express story on Trump

However, the same was deleted before Google could cache it.

Indian Express story deleted

While many media houses have covered the above story, most have either credited Times of India as the source or didn’t quote any source. As of now, there has been no official communication from the United States on Trump visiting India for Republic Day.

Communal tension in UP’s Gonda after criminals kill a man who protested his daughter being molested

OpIndia Staff
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Communal tension in UP’s Gonda after criminals kill a man who protested his daughter being molested

Communal tensions has been reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda after a 50-year-old man died at district hospital on Friday after three local Muslim youths brutally assaulted him for questioning them after his minor daughter was allegedly molested. The incident has happened in a village under Katra Bazaar police station.

According to the reports, the three youths named Shah Mohammed, Dost Mohammed and Yaar Mohammad had allegedly molested a minor Hindu girl near Katra Bazaar area while she was going to the toilet. The minor girl then went on to inform her father about the incident happened to her. The police officials said that the father of the girl went to the house of the accused and complained the parents about the incident. But the accused along with his other two brothers assaulted him brutally, resulting in serious injuries.

The girl’s father was then taken to the local Community Health Centre of the village for an treatment but he later died on Friday night after suffering from severe injuries. The death of the person led to a tense situation in the Katra Bazaar area and after which the District administration deployed a large number of police officials in the village.

The wife of the deceased person had lodged a complaint against the three youths saying that her daughter was molested last Monday. In her complaint, she has accused the three Muslim youths of killing her husband after he went to their residence to protest against the molestation of her minor girl child.

“After primary treatment on Monday, he went home but had to admitted back to the Community Health Centre after his condition deteriorated. He was dead upon his arrival”, said Deputy SP KC Singh. The police have booked the three youth in relation to the murder but they are yet to be arrested.

Additional force, including two platoons of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), were reportedly deployed in the village to ensure law and order.

Six days after being released on bail, Ayyappa devotee and activist Rahul Easwar taken into custody

OpIndia Staff
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Six days after being released on bail, Ayyappa devotee and activist Rahul Easwar taken into custody

President of Ayyappa Dharma Sena, Rahul Easwar, has been taken into custody under section 153 of the IPC on Sunday. Easwar had asserted that people were ready to spill blood inside the Temple to force it to close down. He was released on bail by a local court only on the 22nd of this month.


Only yesterday, Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister of Kerala, had slammed Easwar on social media.

Easwar took to Twitter to express that the police has not allowed him to have breakfast and making calls.

Easwar being taken into custody appears to be consistent with the larger crackdown on devotees of Lord Ayyappa by the communist government in Kerala. Even the Kerala High Court took cognizance of the arrests, which number over 2000, and warned that the government will have to pay “heavy price” if any innocents are arrested.

Taking cue from fugitive Vijay Mallya, ‘social activist’ Sudha Bharadwaj seeks spruced jail facilities

OpIndia Staff
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Taking cue from fugitive Vijay Mallya, ‘social activist’ Sudha Bharadwaj seeks spruced jail facilities

A special court sent activists Sudha Bharadwaj, one of the five accused in relation to the Bhima Koregaon violence, into the custody of Pune police till November 6. Soon after, Bharadwaj’s lawyer in her submission before the court demanded that Sudha Bharadwaj is given the same facilities in the court which the government had promised to provide to fugitive Vijay Mallya, the liquor baron wanted in a Rs 9,000 crores loan default case.

Intimating the court about her illnesses, the lawyer sought proper food, medication and other care for Bharadwaj. The lawyer claimed that Bharadwaj should be provided with “conditions of incarceration, bathing and toilet facilities which are on par with those that have been promised to be provided to Vijay Mallya by the state and central government”.

Fugitive Vijay Mallya, currently in London, has been resisting extradition and possible lodging in the Arthur Road jail citing poor conditions of prisons in the country. The CBI resolute in bringing back Vijay Mallya to India, and predisposed to make any acclimations in the process, had made a submission before the London court, giving details of the facilities that were available to prisoners in India.

Bharadwaj was arrested from Gurgaon and brought to the city on Friday evening after the city court had rejected her bail application on Friday. Earlier in the day, the two other activists, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, arrested along with Bharadwaj, were also sent to police custody for the same period. The two had been arrested on Friday, from Mumbai and Thane respectively, within hours of the Pune court rejecting their bail applications.

Bharadwaj argued in court that being an elderly lady and a diabetic patient she needed timely medication and a controlled diet. She urged the court to provide her with proper sanitary ware, fresh clothing, and complete privacy for changing clothes, and that, at no point of time should she be kept alone with a male police officer. She also sought bedding and chair in lock up.

The government lawyer told the court that the Faraskhana lock-up of Pune city police, where Sudha Bharadwaj would be kept was in good hygienic condition and all essential facilities would be provided to the accused. Special Judge K D Vadane, hearing the plea, allowed Bharadwaj’s requests for all medical facilities.

Ferreira and Gonsalves, the other two accused who were arrested at the same time were taken to the lock-up at Lashkar police station.

The Pune Police had conducted raids and arrested the five accused ‘Urban Naxals’ at the end of August. The arrests were in relation to the Bhima Koregaon violence alleging the accused to have links with Maoist networks.

The Supreme Court had put them under house arrest till Friday, October 26, and asked them to seek regular judicial remedy from the appropriate courts. Bharadwaj, Ferreira and Gonsalves had then moved the Pune court for bail, which was rejected on Friday. Navalakha and Varavara Rao have managed to get temporary relief from different courts.

A Hyderabad court had, on Wednesday, given Rao protection from arrest for three weeks. The high court had, however, granted protection against arrest until November 1 to activist, Gautam Navlakha, who had sought to invalidate the FIR against him by Pune police.

Earlier, the Pune police had arrested Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Sudhir Dhavle in the case.

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