Home Blog Page 7003

Church dismisses the nun after she joined the protest demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Church dismisses the nun after she joined the protest demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal

In a shocking disclosure, a nun, belonging to the Syro Malabar Catholic church, who had joined the protest demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, who is accused of raping a nun in May 2014 and exploiting her sexually on several other occasions has been removed from performing church duties related to the church.


The nun who dared to stand up against the church atrocities and spoke in favour of the victim has alleged that the church took revenge for participating in the protest against the Bishop.

While speaking to Times Now, sister Lucy Kalapura revealed that today when she reached the convent the Mother Superior informed her that according to the decision taken by the head priest in the church she had to relieve herself from her duties of holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other church-related duties.

The nun, disturbed by the church’s decision said that this was the price she was being made to pay for standing by the truth. Criticising the church authorities she said that instead of raising voice against the accused who has been involved in such a colossal sin, the authorities are instead, taking action against people who have dared to support to the victim.

For the first time in the history, the nuns had come together to castigate the Bishop for his abhorrent deed. A group of nuns had defied their vows to protest against Church atrocities and the attempts by the police to hush up the incident. However, the nuns’ agitation in Kochi, under the banner of ‘Save Our Sisters Action Council’, was called off on Saturday, a day after Mulakkal was arrested.

Saddened by the church’s decision, sister Lucy said, “I have done no wrong nor said anything against the church. No reason has been given for the decision.” She added that she would be happy if the church clarified where she had erred.

Indulekha Joseph, one of the leaders of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation movement, alleged it was an attempt to silence the voices of protest against any form of unjust activities within the church.

This ‘theory’ about Sonia Gandhi’s Russia visits and Rafale ‘controversy’ is catching attention on Twitter

OpIndia Staff
-
0
This ‘theory’ about Sonia Gandhi’s Russia visits and Rafale ‘controversy’ is catching attention on Twitter

Yesterday, a Twitter user by the handle, @WrongDoc, in a series of tweets raised questions over former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s Russia visits.


He cites an April 2018 article which talks about Sonia Gandhi inaugurating Indira exhibition in Moscow, where she did not interact with political figures of Russia since it was her private visit. As per the report, The organisers of the exhibition were the Federal Archival Agency, the State Archives of the Russian Federation, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and the Embassy of Russia in India.

On visiting Russian Federal State Archives website, one can find how one of the organisers of the exhibition was Congress’ Siddaramaiah-led Government of Karnataka.


One wonders whether the Congress-led state government was used as a cover for Sonia’s visit to Moscow. Right now, when the Indian political discourse is heated up due to the recent Rafale controversy, Sonia Gandhi is again in Russia to participate in Eurasian Women’s Forum, organised by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Here, Sonia Gandhi was debating on ‘The Positive Energy of Young People’.

There are no other details available on the rest of her schedule in Russia. Sonia Gandhi, owing to her health, seldom travels abroad, but has been to Russia twice in six month period with a visit to an undisclosed location (presumed the US) in May for her health check-up. So, as @WrongDoc says, in April, Siddaramaiah helps arrange Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Moscow, loses elections and has to step aside to let Kumaraswamy become chief minister and in between, the mother-son duo, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, mysteriously go away in the middle of political turmoil in Karnataka to an undisclosed location, thereby delaying formation of Karnataka government.

Sonia Gandhi’s mysterious visits to Russia are not new. In 2005, Sonia took a Reliance jet to fly to Moscow. She was a private guest of President Putin, when she was neither the Prime Minister nor President of India, only the President of the ruling political party, Congress. The official information of foreign trips by Sonia and Rahul under the UPA is, interestingly, not available. A Wikileaks cable from the time speculates that ‘she might use the trip to dig up information on UP Chief Minister Yadav’s 1997 Sukhoi deal and also to ease relations between the Congress and its Communist allies.’ Sonia Gandhi never held any official position in the ministry.

These surprise visits to Russia are not new for the Gandhi family. Back in 1985, Rajiv Gandhi made a surprise visit to Moscow to discuss a Kremlin arms control proposal with then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. A now-declassified December 1985 CIA report said that the Soviets pumped in huge amount of cash to influence Indian politicians, including a large number of Congress MPs during Prime Minister Indira Gandhis government, to influence Indian policies. This even continued in Rajiv Gandhi government. “As many as 40 per cent Congress MPs in (Indira) Gandhi’s last government had received Soviet political contributions,” the report had said.

A Telegraph report states that a book, co-authored by Christopher Andrew, professor of contemporary history with KGB defector ‘The Mitrokhin Archive Volume II’, states 10 Indian newspapers were on KGB payroll. KGB was the main security agency for the Soviet Union till the dissolution of Soviet state. The book reportedly says how India in the 1970s was one of the countries most successfully penetrated by Soviet intelligence. The book alleges that the Congress coffers during Indira Gandhi’s regime was filled by KGB and the principal fundraiser, Lalit Narayan Mishra knew he was accepting Soviet money.

Within minutes of launching of Ayushman Bharat, patients in Assam get cashless treatment

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Within minutes of launching of Ayushman Bharat, patients in Assam get cashless treatment

Within less than a day of launching the Ayushman Bharat- the mega flagship programme of the Narendra Modi government, the first eligible beneficiaries have already been admitted and availing the benefits of the health scheme in the different hospital across the country.

Himanta Biswa Sharma, Minister of PWD and Health, Assam has tweeted that the within minutes of the launch of the prestigious scheme of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the patients have been admitted in different hospitals in Assam for cashless treatment.


According to his tweet, five patients Renu Barman, Lakhi Rani, Prem Limbu, Asha Sahu, Bhadra Konwar has been admitted in hospitals of Assam for various treatments. The intended beneficiaries will be eligible for cashless insurance treatment in various hospitals across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated the Centre’s flagship Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), which is set to benefit 10 crore families. PM Modi said that the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) is a big step towards providing good quality and accessible health care to the poor of India.

Ayushman Bharat will be the world’s largest state-sponsored welfare scheme in the world, with aims to provide health insurance coverage to more than 10 crore poor families in the country. As per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, 8.03 crore rural households and another 2.33 crore urban households will be covered under this scheme.

The flagship scheme has received accolades across the world, as recently the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ayushman Bharat and called it a “great commitment”.

Activists and intellectuals plan to meet PM Modi with a charter of demands for Hindus, here are the salient points

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Activists and intellectuals plan to meet PM Modi with a charter of demands for Hindus, here are the salient points

On 22nd September, a remarkable event was held in Delhi that marks a tectonic shift in the discourse around how Hindus mobilise themselves and assert their political will. A group of about 100 prominent activists and intellectuals, which included spiritual gurus, journalists, industrialists, writers etc got together to brainstorm and decide on a “Charter of Hindu Demands”. A list of demands that the Hindu community has. This list if to ultimately be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the hopes of the PM taking note.

As per the press release, during the deliberations, it was decided that “as the inheritor, custodian and trustee of the Indic civilization based on the ethos of Sanatana Dharma the Indian State has bounden civilizational responsibility to protect, preserve and promote the Indic civilization”.

The first demand of the Charter was “End of legal and institutionalised discrimination against Hindus by the Indian State, which is against the spirit of the equality of citizens irrespective of religious identity. To this effect, the group demands that Dr Satyapal Singh’s Private Member’s Bill No. 226 of 2016 pending in Lok Sabha for amending Articles 26 to 30 of the Constitution should be passed forthwith in the forthcoming Parliament Session, to ensure equal rights to Hindus on par with others”.

These equal rights were demanded in matters of running educational institutions, removal of government control of Hindu temples and restoring their management to the Hindu society and promoting and preserving Hindu heritage and culture.

The group further urged the Central Government to completely ban all sorts of foreign contributions except those by OCIs in their personal capacity (in recognition of their emotional connect with India) by repealing the existing FCRA and enacting a new Foreign Contributions (Prohibition) Act immediately.

Another demand which was included in the charter was the enactment of the Freedom of Religion Act by the Central Government so the traditional practices of Hinduism, its culture and symbols can be protected from unwarranted interference.

To avoid the genocide of Hindus like that of Kashmiri Pandits, the charter demands the central government the tripartite division of J&K into 3 States of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu. The charter also demands the abrogation of article 370 along with the repeal of the Constitution (Application to J&K) Order, 1954.

The 100 prominent Hindus who got together also demanded, “The immediate complete ban on export of all types of meat/beef to lower its prices by increasing its availability in the domestic market while reducing the adverse impact on the environment and eliminating social friction and law & order issues”.

The charter, while reminding the Indian State of its civilisational responsibility, urged the Central Govt to immediately establish a Central Public Sector Undertaking to be styled as Haindava Samskruti Jeernoddhaarana Nigam (Hindu Culture Restoration Corporation) with an initial seed capital of not less than Rs. 10,000 crores and an annual grant of a similar amount for undertaking reconstruction and restoration of all damaged, desecrated, abandoned and dilapidated Hindu temples and sacred places; revival, nurturing, patronising and promotion of Veda Pathasalas, various traditional and folk art forms, dance, music, sculpture, architecture, painting etc.

The group urged expediency in granting citizenship to people of Indic faiths who have been persecuted in other countries and flee to India. They demanded

  1. Withdrawal of the pending Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016;
  2. (b)  Amendment of the Constitution by inserting an enabling Article 11-A in the Constitution;
  3. (c) Thereafter amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 by introducing a new Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in the forthcoming session of the current Parliament itself.

Finally, the Charter of Hindu Demands urged the central government to create an equal opportunity environment for all Indic languages, thereby ending the institutionalised discrimination that exists today.

‘In 2019, BJP will again win all 7 seats in Delhi’ BJP President Amit Shah sounds the poll bugle

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘In 2019, BJP will again win all 7 seats in Delhi’ BJP President Amit Shah sounds the poll bugle

Sounding the poll bugle for the upcoming 2019 general elections, BJP President Amit Shah today while addressing a gathering of Purvanchalis said, “I would like to take this opportunity to let Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal know that in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP will again win all seven seats in Delhi.”

In a scathing attack on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Amit Shah said that Kejriwal has only one mantra: to lie, lie loudly, lie publicly and lie repeatedly.

BJP President Amit Shah even asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to clear their stand on infiltrators. He accused Kejriwal of readying to shelter illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, while addressing the gathering, said how while the entire country is welcoming the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Delhi is deprived of it because Kejriwal government is afraid that if such a scheme is implemented, poor people of Delhi will be benefited and he does not want that. We had earlier reported how Kejriwal led AAP government in Delhi put Ayushman Bharat in jeopardy over the demand to add party name to the scheme.

West Bengal minister opposes Triple Talaq ordinance, says ‘Quran will prevail over the Constitution’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
West Bengal minister opposes Triple Talaq ordinance, says ‘Quran will prevail over the Constitution’

Amplifying the misplaced outrage against the Triple Talaq ordinance which was approved by the Cabinet, making triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat void and illegal, a Minister in West Bengal government who is also the state president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Siddiqullah Chowdhury said that the Constitution is subservient to the Quran.

Siddiqullah Chowdhury, the Minister of Mass Education and Library in the government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pronounced that the Quran will prevail over the Constitution if any constitutional provision or law contradicts the Quran. “For us, our holy scripture, the Quran Sharif, is supreme and if any constitutional provision or any law contradicts the Quran, then our scripture will prevail and not the law or Constitution,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

He went on to blame the BJP government for playing the ‘religion card’ and the ‘constitution’ and reiterated that the ordinance will have no effect on the Muslims.

“Whatever tricks BJP may play, they will not be able to influence Hindus or Muslims. In 2019, they are on their way out. The ordinance is just a way of winning Hindu votes, which they will not succeed. Hindus and Muslims will throw them out of power,” the state minister added.

This is not the first time that the controversial minister has lashed out against the triple talaq. In August 2017, the minister has also called the Supreme Court verdict outlawing triple talaq as ‘unconstitutional’.

We had also reported how the little-known TV actor, Ajaz Khan had reiterated the similar belief in January this year, that he will choose Quran over Indian Constitution ‘any day any time’. His controversial statement had got approval from the Aam Admi Party’s Ved Prakash, Congress’ recent ally Hardik Patel and none other less- Pakistan.

The cabinet approving an ordinance which makes triple talaq illegal and a punishable offence though comes as a significant development in ending the regressive practice of instant triple talaq prevalent among the Muslim community in India, it has not been well received by a number of Muslim organisations in the state who are planning protests against the same.

The all India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi too had protested the passing of the Ordinance calling it “unconstitutional”.

Vizag: Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Vizag: Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals

In a shocking event, the left wing Naxal terrorists have killed the TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao today at Araku valley in Visakhapatnam District.


According to ANI, Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former Araku MLA Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals in Dumbriguda Mandal.

Recently, Sarveswara Rao had defected leader from YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to TDP. He was looking for a ministerial berth in the Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu cabinet.

Araku Valley is a tribal region in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh that shares a border with Odisha. It is believed that the area is known as the operational base of Maoist leader Akkiraju Haragopal, alias RK.

India vs Pakistan (Part 2): Soft middle order remains a concern for Pakistan

Sandeep Singh
-
0
India vs Pakistan (Part 2): Soft middle order remains a concern for Pakistan

After recording contrasting victories in their previous games, arch rivals India and Pakistan are set to face off for the second time in the Asia Cup on Sunday. While India cruised to a victory against Bangladesh without exerting themselves too much, Pakistan had to rely on late heroics from Shoaib Malik to get the better of a spirited Afghanistan side.

India will be brimming with confidence ahead of the encounter having recorded comfortable victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh after a bit of a scare against Hong Kong, while Pakistan will be hoping for a quick reversal in their form. A comprehensive beating by India in the Group Stages has been followed by a narrow victory over Afghanistan and they really need to improve their game if they want to defeat a well settled Indian team.

The biggest headache for Pakistan will be their middle order which has failed to deliver so far in this tournament. Against India, they collapsed from 85/2 to 121/7 after the partnership between Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam was broken, and against Afghanistan, they made heavy weather of the chase from a very good platform of 154/1.

Number 5 is clearly a position too high for Sarfaraz but that is where he is likely to come out again as Haris Sohail looks set to be dropped for the return of Shadab. His loss of form hasn’t helped matters either, since his Champions Trophy rescue act against Sri Lanka, Sarfaraz is averaging less than 15 with 1 half century in that time.

Coming after him is the rookie Asif Ali, who showed in Zimbabwe that he can be very destructive, but hasn’t been allowed to get away so far in this tournament. Shoaib Malik, who looks remarkably calm in the middle these days, rescued them against Afghanistan but he will need more support from these two if they have to win on Sunday.

With India set to unleash 3 world class spinners in the middle overs, how the Pakistani batsmen negotiate them can prove to be the difference in the end. Jadeja has slotted in nicely to fill the gap left due to Hardik Pandya’s injury and will keep his place alongside Chahal and Kuldeep. Sarfaraz and Malik are both excellent players of spin and Pakistan will need them to bring their A game to negotiate the different challenges thrown by the Indian spinners.

With the added incentive of virtually booking a spot in the final with a win, this game is expected to have a little more intensity than the game on Wednesday and hopefully, we will get to see one of those thrilling India-Pakistan clashes we all crave for.

Surat: Ganesh idols broken after Tazia procession passes through the area, five arrested

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Surat: Ganesh idols broken after Tazia procession passes through the area, five arrested

At least five people have been booked for creating a ruckus at a Ganesh pandal which resulted in damaging of the Ganesh idol. According to the reports, five people returning after they had taken part in a Tazia procession on Moharram and created chaos near the pandal.

According to the reports, some people were returning to Salabatpura Momnawad area with a Tazia procession and came across the Begampura, where a Ganesh pandal had been set up at Trambaknath Mahadev Temple street. It is reported that people from both the communities started shouting slogans and this led to an argument between the two groups. Meanwhile, people participating in the Tazia procession entered the Ganesh pandal and allegedly broke the hand of the Ganesh idol which created a tense situation in the area.

According to police, the incident took place around 1 am on Friday after an argument between two groups. The group, after vandalising the idol, allegedly escaped when local residents started gathering at the pandal after the incident. The police soon arrived at the spot and paramilitary forces were deployed at the pandal.

The police then called a meeting of leaders of both the communities to sort out the issue. The leaders of the Muslim community then went on to apologise with folded hands on behalf of the group for damaging the idol. The residents registered a complaint and demanded the strict action against the people who desecrated the Ganesh idol.

Reportedly, the police have lodged a complaint against 20 people for allegedly damaging idols under IPC sections of 295(a), 143,153(a), 427, 504, 506(2). Police identified Imran alias Salman, Mohammad Yasin Shethwala, Aslam Shethwala, Farooq Rajbra and Yusuf Jeeva Shethwala for their involvement in the incident.

 

Pakistan’s Hizbul militants issued threats to 24 policemen, asks them to ‘quit or die’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan’s Hizbul militants issued threats to 24 policemen, asks them to ‘quit or die’

A day after three policemen were abducted and killed in Shopian district of South Kashmir, the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists issued threats to another 24 policemen including two officers posted in the militancy-infested South Kashmir, asking them to quit.

According to reports, the Hizbul Mujahideen released pictures of these personnel on the social media asking them to quit or endure dire consequences.

While issuing threats to 24 policemen, the militants posted a picture of one particular officer saying that he will not be spared, “There is no warning for you, will send you to hell.” In another post, the Hizbul asked women constables and SPOs to resign too.

According to the officers posted in Jammu and Kashmir, the militants, with an aim to demoralise the force, are resorting to ‘psychological warfare’.

Hizbul Mujahideen had recently issued threats to policemen and special police officers (SPOs) to quit their jobs or they would be targeted.

A group of armed militants on Friday abducted three cops- Nisar Ahmad Dhobi (38), Firdous Ahmad (28) and Kulwant Singh (35), from Kaprin and Batagund towns in Sopian district. A relative of a cop was also abducted. While the relative was later set free, the militants brutally shot the three cops. The bodies were recovered from an orchard in Wangam area, more than a kilometre from the village the policemen were abducted from.

Intercepted communication between Pakistan-based handlers and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir asking latter to kill the abducted SPOs while freeing a civilian prompted Modi government to immediately call off proposed talks between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Sources in the Indian intelligence agencies told The Times of India, that the reason behind this sudden decision was intercepted messages from Pakistan giving pinpointed instructions to the terrorists to kill the police officers who had been abducted. The messages were chillingly specific identifying the victims by their names. The militants were also specifically instructed to release the civilian they had held hostage along with the police officers.

The Modi government taking serious note of the brutal killing of security personnel and the recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by the neighbour “glorifying a terrorist and terrorism”, promptly cancelled the proposed talk with Pakistan foreign minister, which would have anyways not gone anything beyond an exchange of diplomatic courtesies, sources said.

1...7,0027,0037,004...7,677Page 7,003 of 7,677