Home Blog Page 713

Confusion in IOA’s agreement with Reliance caused a loss of 24 crores? Know what the CAG report says and what it is missing

Anurag
-
0
Confusion in IOA’s agreement with Reliance caused a loss of 24 crores? Know what the CAG report says and what it is missing

On 12th September, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) released an audit report suggesting that the “faulty” sponsorship agreement between the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) resulted in undue benefits to RIL. The CAG alleged that the agreement led to a loss of Rs 24 crore to the IOA.

However, the amendments that led to the so-called loss were made after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed conditions and withdrew the decision to allow the sponsor’s name to appear with the country house.

CAG alleged a loss of Rs 24 crore

As per the report published in the Hindustan Times, RIL was granted the right to associate with the IOA as the Official Principal Partner of the Asian Games (2022, 2026), Commonwealth Games (2022, 2026), 2024 Paris Olympics, and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in 2022. It also gave RIL the rights to construct and showcase the ‘India House’ during these Games.

Initially, the agreement was for six Games. However, through an amendment on 5th December 2023, additional rights for the Winter Olympic Games (2026, 2030) and Youth Olympic Games (2026, 2030) were also granted to RIL without additional fees.

The report noted, “In view of the above, the IOA did not protect their own interests as there was no change in the consideration amount, i.e. Rs 35 crore, which was set in the Sponsorship Agreement signed on 5th December 2023 after granting the rights to four additional Games to RIL.” It further added, “The IOA should have raised the consideration amount from Rs 35 crore to Rs 59 crore as the consideration amount for the rights to six Games was Rs 35 crore, calculated on an average of Rs 6 crore per Game. Thus, there was a loss of Rs 24 crore to the IOA due to the faulty agreement with RIL and undue favour to RIL. The reason for not increasing the amount to Rs 59 crore should be communicated to the audit.”

IOA treasurer and president of the Weightlifting Federation of India, Sahdev Yadav, claimed that the executive council and the sponsorship committee were not consulted before amending the agreement. He said that RIL benefitted from the amendment, and it was not within the knowledge of the executive board, finance committee, or sponsorship committee. Seeking a response from IOA president PT Usha, he said, “The president should explain why the agreement was changed and who signed it. It has led to a loss of Rs 24 crore to the IOA. This should not have happened.”

Change in IOC conditions led to the addition of four Games to the agreement

Though the CAG has alleged that the IOA faced a loss of Rs 24 crore, a crucial detail must be noted to understand the reason for the amendment to the agreement in December 2023. The executive assistant to IOA president Usha, Ajay Kumar Narang, explained why the agreement was renegotiated in the first place. He said, “When the agreement was signed and naming rights were granted, it was in the name of the sponsor — Reliance India House. In 2022, the International Olympic Committee allowed the sponsor’s name with the country house. But in 2023, the IOC changed the conditions to say that the sponsor cannot use a name, and it will have to be a country-named house.”

Crucial detail missing in CAG’s ‘estimate’

After the IOC changed the conditions, the sponsor, in this case, RIL, told the IOA that it deserved to be compensated as it would not gain any mileage and will lose on advertisement opportunities if their name doesn’t get added. Narang added, “The sponsor came back to us saying they would not gain the mileage, so they had to be compensated. Therefore, additional rights for four events were given. Also, the CAG has calculated the pro-rata per event, which amounts to Rs 6 crore per Game. It is calculated based on the visibility a sponsor gets. In the Winter Olympics and Youth Olympics, India’s participation is much lower compared to the Summer Olympics.”

He said, “In the agreement made in 2022, they should have specified that it would be subject to the naming conditions approved by the IOC. That was the flaw in the agreement and the flaw in the tender itself.”

Additionally, the CAG’s estimation of te potential loss is based on a pro-rata basis, assigning Rs 6 crores per game. But there is an issue because the summer Olympics are much more highlighted, and India sends a much bigger contingent there than the winter Olympics.

Chennai: 4 people die, around 100 hospitalised as stampede like situation erupts due to crowd mismanagement after Air Force Show

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Chennai: 4 people die, around 100 hospitalised as stampede like situation erupts due to crowd mismanagement after Air Force Show

Four people died and over two hundred people were injured after chaos erupted in Chennai after an air show organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Poor crowd management and wrong decisions of the authorities have been blamed for the tragedy. The air show was held at Marina Beach to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the Indian Air Force.

The show attempted to enter the Limca Book of Records with the presence of around 16 lakh people. As per reports, around 13 lakh people arrived at the venue by train, metro, bus, and cars to watch the show. While the show started at 11 AM, people had started to arrive at 7 AM to secure a good spot.

The blazing sun caused a lot of discomfort to the people. Adding to the difficulties, the authorities removed water vendors from the area. Lack of water caused many elderly people to faint due to heat exhaustion, even before the event started.

However, the real trouble began after the show ended at 1 PM, as lakhs of people tried to exit the venue at the same time. Lakhs of people poured onto Kamarajar Salai, the road along the Marina beach, causing a complete standstill. Traffic authorities were helpless as they were not prepared to handle such a large number of crowds.

The massive crowd caused a stampede-like situation and resulted in the death of 4 people due to suffocation, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Over 230 people were injured, and 96 of them required hospitalisation. The News Minute has identified the dead victims as Srinivasan (48), Karthikeyan (34). , John Babu (56), and Dinesh.

People were stranded at various places in the area under the blazing sun, with locals coming to rescue with drinking water. Chaos also erupted at train stations such as the Government Estate metro station, the Chintadripet MRTS station and bus stops such as nearby Anna Square. Some people reportedly managed to escape the rush by entering into the Madras University campus.

Chennai Metro had increased the frequency of trains to cater to the extra crowd, but everyone wanted to leave as soon as the show ended, causing mayhem.

Police had to clear the roads to make way for ambulances. Roads leading from Marina Beach to various places were blocked with traffic for several hours, disrupting traffic in the entire city. The situation returned to normal after around 3 hours, police said.

Officials said that they expected around 10 lakh people, and made arrangements accordingly. But the situation on Sunday showed that the arrangements were not adequate, and then the authorities failed to manage the crowd after the show ended. Instead of a controlled flow of people from the venue after the show was over, they allowed everyone to leave at the same time, causing a stampede-like situation.

No devotee will need to walk over 1 km, AI for security, Kumbh area to double, no waste to reach rivers: CM Yogi Adityanath highlights Mahakumbh 2025 preparations

ANI
-
0
No devotee will need to walk over 1 km, AI for security, Kumbh area to double, no waste to reach rivers: CM Yogi Adityanath highlights Mahakumbh 2025 preparations

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath on Sunday said that the government has set a deadline of December 15 to provide all the facilities to the devotees participating in the Mahakumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj. He also said that the government is using AI tools to ensure safety, focusing on ‘zero plastic usage’ and expanding the area of the fiesta.

Explaining the arrangements and preparations, CM Yogi further said that the government is ensuring that no devotees have to walk for more than 1 km during the festival except for the 6 peak days, which include the festival of Makar Sankranti, Mouni Amawasya, Mahashivratri, Posh Purnima and Maghi Purnima.

CM Yogi emphasised that to facilitate the transport for devotees, the government will provide more than 700 shuttle electric buses.

“We have set a deadline of December 15 to finish all the preparations. We are going to provide all the facilities here. The Kumbh will expand in double area as compared to the Prayagraj Kumbh 2013. Except for all 6 peak days between January 13 to February 26 (Makar Sankranti, Mouni Amawasya, Mahashivratri, Posh Purnima, Maghi Purnima), we will try that no devotee would walk more than one kilometre on all days to take a holy bath. Apart from that, more than 700 shuttle electric buses will be present at the spot to provide services to the devotees,” said CM Yogi while addressing a press conference.

Addressing the major issue of cleanliness, CM Yogi said that it has been ensured that ‘no solid or liquid wastes’ are discharged in either Ganga or Yamuna. Additionally, he highlighted that the sewage will either be discharged or diverted only after the treatment.

CM Yogi asserted, “Although due to the Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj will be seen as grand and divine. We are using the Artificial Intelligence tool for safety measures. We are preparing keeping in mind the target of Zero Plastic Usage. To ensure ‘no discharge of solid or liquid wastes in either Ganga or Yamuna, we are preparing and taking measures. We will either discharge or divert the sewage after cleaning and treatment. We are going to provide all the facilities here. The Kumbh of Prayagraj 2019 had set a standard. We will be successful in establishing a grand and divine Kumbh as a clean, safe and well-organized Kumbh at an even better level… You had a big role in the success of Kumbh in 2019. This time again, with your positive role, you all will have a positive contribution in taking Prayagraj and this grand event to the global stage…”

Recalling the Kumbh Mela of 2019, UP CM said that the preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 are going on at a war footing and there are no obstacles in the preparations.

He further informed that the state government is working with the different central government departments to fasten the preparations.

“After our meeting with 13 Akharas, Acharyabada and Tirthpurohits for Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025 concluded, we did a detailed review of how the work for Mahakumbh is progressing by various departments of the central and state government. 2019 Kumbh Mela was an example that a Kumbh can be safe as well as organised. The team of Uttar Pradesh has experience… Till now under projects worth Rs 5600 crores, we have to make Prayagraj a beautiful place. Preparations for Mahakumbh 2025 are going on at a war footing. In 2019, the whole world was attracted to the auspiciousness of Prayagraj. About 24 crore people took a holy bath in Sangam… Several political leaders from the world also came to Prayagaj to witness the grand Kumbh mela. To push this, the Uttar Pradesh government along with several central governments including NHAI, AAI, etc, is preparing for the same. There is no obstacle in the preparation of Mahakumbh,” UP CM Yogi said.

Earlier today, CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled the logo of Maha Kumbh-2025 in Prayagraj. He also reviewed the preparations for the mega event and met with saints and performed puja during his visit to Prayagraj.

With the Maha Kumbh Mela all set to take place from January 14 to February 26, 2025, tight security arrangements are being made.

The main bathing festival, known as the “Shahi Snan” (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

UP government has announced to provide subsidies for the transformation of dhabas, restaurants, and hotels on the major routes to offer improved facilities to tourists and devotees attending the festival.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Violence erupts in Saharanpur during protests by Muslims over comments of Yati Narasimhanand, stones pelted at police station

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Violence erupts in Saharanpur during protests by Muslims over comments of Yati Narasimhanand, stones pelted at police station

Muslims continue violent protests in several places over alleged blasphemous made by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. After raising Sar Tan Se Juda slogans in several places including outside Dasna temple in Ghaziabad, a mob on Sunday attacked the Saharanpur Police station in Uttar Pradesh and pelted stones.

The incident took place in Sheikhpura village, just adjoining the Saharanpur city, on Sunday afternoon. Notably, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, the mahant of Dasna Devi Temple, has already been detained by Ghaziabad Police over a complaint filed against him.

As per reports, a mob pelted stones at the Sheikhpura police post in the Sadar Bazar police station area in Saharanpur. The violence took place during rally demanding action against Yati Narsinghanand for his comments suggesting to burn the effigy of Muhammad. Thousands of people had joined the procession chanting slogans.

The procession reached the police station to submit a memorandum with their demands. But, some in the procession pelted stones at the police station.

The police personnel in the police post had to abandon it and run away to save their lives. Later a large police force arrived at the spot to control the situation. A case has been registered against the attackers.

A mob also created a ruckus demanding action against the Mahant near Sheikhpura railway gate in Saharanpur.

SP City Abhimanyu Mangalik said, “Today people from the Shekhpura village came to give a complaint at Shekhpura Police Chowki. After giving the complaint, a few people tried to create chaos and pelt stones when police tried to stop them. Police by using mild force have dispersed them. No one has been injured and no property has been damaged. Those who are there in the video, we are working to arrest them after verification”.

He added that the protestors reached the police station to file a complaint against objectionable remarks made by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. He said that the memorandum was already accepted by the police, but during then someone from the crowd instigated people to pelt stones.

SP Abhimanyu Manglik further said that Gram Pradhan and Kisan Union held a peaceful meeting in Sheikhpura village. After that, some villagers tried to cause a disturbance, and the police used mild force to disperse them.

He said, “Although the complaint was filed peacefully, some extremists later caused unrest. The police are investigating, with videos recorded to assist in further action.”

He said that police teams have been formed to catch the miscreants who pelted stones and further action will be taken against them soon. Reportedly, some people have already been detained.

As per police, the protest started from Shekhpura Kadim village of Dehat Kotwali area, and the procession reached Sheikhpura police post.

Saharanpur Police and administration have appealed to the people to maintain peace. Also, the police have increased security arrangements in Saharanpur after the stone pelting incident.

Christians call them remains of Francis Xavier, for Buddhists he is Acharya Rahul Thero: Know why people demand DNA test of dead body kept in Goa church

सुधीर गहलोत
-
0
Christians call them remains of Francis Xavier, for Buddhists he is Acharya Rahul Thero: Know why people demand DNA test of dead body kept in Goa church

Protests have started across Goa after state leader Subhash Velingkar demanded DNA testing of the remains of Christian saint Francis Xavier kept in a Goa Church. In view of the protest, Goa Police on Saturday (5th October 2024) said that Velingkar is absconding and raids are being conducted to find him.

The Christian community of Goa alleges that their religious sentiments have been hurt by Velingkar demanding DNA testing of the remains of Francis Xavier. Along with this, they also say that communal harmony has also been destroyed by Velingkar making such a statement. At least half a dozen complaints have been filed against former RSS leader Velingkar across Goa in this regard.

Based on the complaint of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Cruz Silva, an FIR was registered at Bicholim police station in North Goa on Friday (4th October) night. Velingkar has been booked under Section 299 (malicious act with intent to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS).

According to the FIR, Velingkar made a derogatory speech against St. Francis Xavier with malicious intent, which hurt religious sentiments. Sources say that a police team went to Velingkar’s house on Friday (4th October) night, but he was not found there. Notably, Velingkar was expelled from the organization by the RSS in the year 2016.

Protests were held in many areas of the state on Friday (October 4, 2024) demanding the arrest of Velingkar. More than 300 people gathered outside the police station in Margao. Many leaders of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party were also among the protesters. Police had to lathicharge to disperse the protesters.

On Saturday (October 5, 2024), protesters blocked roads in Margao, Anjuna, and Old Goa. The protesters warned the Goa Police that if the accused Velingkar was not arrested soon, they would block the Zuari bridge. In view of the protest, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant appealed to the people to maintain peace and not block the roads.

Pramod Sawant said, “Whatever action was taken against Father Bolmax, similar action will be taken against Velingkar as well.” Father Bolmax Pereira, priest of St Francis Xavier Church in Chicalim, South Goa, was booked last year for hurting religious sentiments by making derogatory remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Parshuram, not Francis Xavier, is the saviour of Goa: Subhash Velingkar

Earlier this week, Subhash Velingkar had demanded a DNA test of the remains of St. Francis Xavier, who is called the patron of Goa. Velingkar said that St. Xavier cannot be called ‘Goencho Saib’ (patron of Goa). Earlier in the year 2022, he had made a similar statement. At that time, too, his statement was opposed.

In the year 2022, Velingkar had said that St. Francis Xavier cannot be called ‘Goencho Saib’. He had said that a campaign called ‘The Goa Files’ should be launched to create awareness. Subhash Velingkar says that Goencho Saib is not St. Francis Xavier, but Parshuram is ‘Goencho Saib’.

St. Francis Xavier was a Spanish Jesuit missionary. He reached Goa in 1542. At that time, Goa was a colony of Portugal. He died in the year 1552 on Shangchuan Island located off the coast of Guangdong province of China. His remains are kept in the ‘Basilica of Bom Jesus’ in Old Goa. An exhibition of his remains will be held in Goa from 21st November, 2024, to 5th January, 2025.

Velingkar has also lodged a complaint in the police station

Velingkar filed a complaint against some activist groups at the Old Goa Police Station on Thursday (3rd October 2024). In his complaint, he said, “I recently made a statement about the Goa Inquisition, which is an unfortunate chapter in Goa’s history. It happened during Portuguese rule, while history speaks of St Francis Xavier’s contribution to the spread of Christianity.”

He further added, “It is important to understand that the Goa Inquisition created a reign of terror among many non-Christians. I draw a comparison between the actions of the Inquisition that spread hatred and terror and the true spirit of sainthood. I believe it is time to revisit history, examine the actions of the pas,t and consider the true meaning of sainthood.”

Velingkar further added, “Actions that promoted hatred or persecution during the Inquisition or in any other historical period cannot be considered sacred. This statement is not made to denigrate any religion but to highlight historical events that have shaped the experiences of countless Goans.”

Subhash Velingkar also cited the demands of the people of the Buddhist community as the reason behind his statement. He said, “My statements speak of written history, not my personal views. The demand for a DNA test to verify the identity of the remains of St. Francis Xavier is gaining momentum among Buddhists in Sri Lanka and around the world.”

What is the demand of the people of the Buddhist community

Buddhists across the world, including Sri Lanka, have been demanding an investigation into the remains of St. Francis Xavier in Goa. They say that the remains claimed to be those of Francis Xavier are in fact those of Buddhist monk Rahula Thero. In 2014, an open letter was written by Sri Lankan activist group Rahula Thero to the Government of India and the then President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In their petition in December 2014, the Buddhist community said, “We the signatories, as concerned and right-thinking citizens of India and Sri Lanka and the rest of the world, request you to kindly intervene in resolving the long-standing dispute regarding the true identity of the remains of a body kept in a glass coffin in a church in Goa, India.”

It said, “There is a widespread belief in Sri Lanka, particularly among Buddhists, that the body in question is that of a highly respected literary giant and learned monk of Sri Lanka, Acharya Ven. The remains belong to Sri Rahula Thero (1409-91), while Catholics have been led to believe that it is the body of Francis Xavier, a controversial Christian Jesuit missionary who was accused of committing crimes against humanity by starting the infamous Goa Inquisition.”

The petition further said, “We believe that DNA testing or blood sample testing of the descendants of both the families will satisfactorily put an end to the centuries-old debates and theories. We demand that the body lying in Goa be returned to France and the controversial remains should no longer be kept in Goa as neither Goa nor India is a colony of foreign countries.”

The petition states that Goa was liberated by India in 1961. In fact, the descendants of the Konkani Christian victims of the Goa Inquisition (first proposed by Francis Xavier) have launched a nationwide campaign and have also appealed to the Indian government. There is sufficient evidence in this regard based on historical data and factual reasoning. Therefore, it should be investigated.

Sri Lankan journalist W TJS Kaviratne also wrote an article in February 2014 regarding the body of Francis Xavier. In this article, he claimed that Buddhist monks and a section of Sri Lankan devotees say that the remains of St. Francis Xavier belong to the 15th century Buddhist monk Sri Rahula Thero. However, he said that DNA testing is necessary to confirm these beliefs of people.

Christians had protested against the exhibition of Xavier’s remains

In 2014, for the first time, the Christian community of Goa protested against the public display of the remains of Francis Xavier. Xavier is said to be a saint and a miracle worker. This public exhibition was going to be the first such exhibition in the last 500 years. The time for this was proposed from 22nd November 2014 to 4th January 2015 in Goa.

At that time, a section of the Christian community had formed a group called Konkani Christian Victims of Francis Xavier’s Atrocities. They had warned of agitation against this exhibition saying that they are descendants of the victims of Xavier’s atrocities. Their demand was that Xavier’s body be sent back to his home country. They had also started a nationwide signature campaign for this demand.

People claiming to be descendants of the victims said that it has been 53 years since Portuguese rule ended in Goa. Therefore, preserving Xavier’s body in India is an insult to India and it should be sent to Portugal as soon as possible. The victims also planned to petition the Goa government and the central government.

Buddhist organizations of India are also in favor of DNA testing

Regarding the controversy that has arisen over the remains of Francis Xavier and Buddhist enlightener Rahul Thero, people and organizations of the Buddhist community of India are also in favor of DNA testing. They say that whatever is controversial, finding a solution to it by testing it scientifically is in favor of peace.

Dhamma Dhiru alias Prema Phante, a member of the management committee of Mahabodhi Temple, one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of Buddhism located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, spoke to OpIndia in this regard. He said that people of the Buddhist community of India also want that the remains of Francis Xavier, allegedly preserved in Goa, be tested.

Prema Phante said that Rahul Thero was a great Buddhist saint and if there is a demand for an investigation regarding his remains, then it should be done. He said that there will be a discussion on this among the organizations of the Buddhist community of the country and if needed, a memorandum will also be submitted to Prime Minister Modi and the President in this regard.

Who is the famous Buddhist saint Rahul Thero

Sri Rahula Thero was a literary giant in the Sri Lankan literary world. He wrote famous literary works such as Buddhagajjaya, Vurthamaala Sandesaya, Paravi Sandesaya, Selahini Sandesaya, Kavyasekaraya, Panchika Pradeepaya, Buddhipasdiniya, Gira Sandesaya, Sakasakada and Mavulu Sandesaya in the time period from 1430 to 1440.

Rahula Thero was born on 9th June 1409 during the reign of King Parakramabahu VI. He became a monk in 1429. Thereafter he was known as Vacchishvara. Rahula Thero was fluent in 6 languages ​​and was a reputed author, experienced astrologer, and proficient in Ayurvedic medicine. He has written many famous books in all these three fields as well as spirituality.

He became the first bhikkhu to be conferred the rank of Sangaraja by King Parakramabahu. He was also the chief incumbent and principal of Vijayaba Pirivena, an internationally acclaimed educational institution established by King Vijayabahu I. Both Vijayaba Pirivena and Rathapatha Viharaya were destroyed by Thom De Souza in 1580 AD. Only a few granite pillars survived. The temple was rebuilt in 1765 by Pallattara Thero.

Sri Rahula Thero died on 27th September 1491 at the age of 82. After his death, the villagers reached Vijayaba Pirivena and placed his body (with growing hair and nails) in the Ambana Indurugiri cave near Elpitiya for safety. It is said that Rahula Thero consumed a medicine (Sidhaloka Rasa) which will keep his body unchanged till the year 4230.

This unchangeability of his body was engraved in a verse on a copper sheet before his death. When the Portuguese reached Sri Lanka, they took possession of his body and sent it to Goa. It is said that the task of taking Rahul Thero’s body to Goa was entrusted to Christian missionary Francis Xavier. During the journey, Francis Xavier died at sea and Rahul Thero’s body was passed off as Francis Xavier’s.

Who was St. Francis Xavier

Christian missionary preacher St. Francis Xavier came to India in 1542 with a Portuguese convoy. He spread Christianity after reaching India. He was associated with the ‘Society of Jesus’. These people from Society of Jesus are called Jesuits.

After the arrival of St. Francis Xavier, by 1559, more than 350 Hindu temples were shut down in Goa. During this time, idol worshipping by Hindus was also banned. All efforts were made to make them leave Hinduism and adopt Christianity. Even after this, St. Xavier saw that his efforts to forcibly convert Hindus were not completely successful.

With time, he became convinced that the faith of Sanatan Dharma is intact. If he destroys temples, then people build temples in their homes. He saw that even after cutting people with sharp weapons, slitting their hands and necks and giving them immense torture, between Pheni (cheap liquor) and Sanatan Dharma, people chose Sanatan Dharma and embraced death.

Frustrated, Xavier wrote a letter to the King of Rome in which he described Hindus as an impure race and called them liars and deceivers. He said that their idols were black, ugly and scary as well as smeared with the smell of oil. After this, the worst period of torture on Hindus started. Francis Xavier completely took over Goa.

Religious policies were made to suppress Hindus and ‘non-believers’ who did not believe in the alleged power of Jesus were punished. Historians who wrote about this incident were also subjected to severe torture. They were either burnt by putting them in hot oil or sent to jail. Some such writers include Filippo Sasseti, Charles Delone, Claudius Buchanan etc.

For the first time in history, Hindus were forced to flee and migrate on a large scale. St. Francis Xavier went to preach Christianity not only in India but also in the Malay Peninsula, Sri Lanka, Japan, and China. It is said that he converted at least 30,000 people to Christianity in his lifetime.

The Society of Jesus or Jesuits, of which St. Francis Xavier was a part, enslaved people on a large scale. The Jesuits enslaved local tribes in America. They had more than 20,000 slaves at one time and they were employed in farms and other works. Keeping slaves and torturing them was justified many times. It was not considered against Christianity.

Bhopal: Gujarat ATS, NCB seize drugs worth more than ₹1800 crore from a factory, arrest key conspirators

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bhopal: Gujarat ATS, NCB seize drugs worth more than ₹1800 crore from a factory, arrest key conspirators

On Sunday, 6th October, Gujarat State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi announced that authorities had seized MD (mephedrone) drugs and their raw materials worth ₹1,814 crore from a factory in Bhopal.

The drug bust was jointly conducted by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Key conspirators have also been arrested

Praising Gujarat ATS and NCB for the drug bust, Sanghavi wrote on X, “Kudos to Gujarat ATS and NCB (Ops), Delhi, for a massive win in the fight against drugs! Recently, they raided a factory in Bhopal and seized MD and materials used to manufacture MD, with a staggering total value of ₹1,814 crores”

“This achievement showcases the tireless efforts of our law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking and abuse. Their collaborative efforts are crucial in safeguarding the health and security of our society. The dedication of our law enforcement agencies is truly commendable. Let’s continue to support them in their mission to make India a safer and healthier nation!” he emphasised.

The development came just days after Delhi Police seized over 500 kg of cocaine, reported to be worth around ₹2,000 crores, in a raid in South Delhi.

The drug bust is said to be the biggest ever in Delhi’s jurisdiction. Four persons were arrested in the operation.

The police have said that an international syndicate may have been involved too. The drugs seized included 562 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of marijuana.

Delhi police bust illegal weapons factory in Meerut, arrest owner Mashook Ali and supplier Ikram

ANI
-
0
Delhi police bust illegal weapons factory in Meerut, arrest owner Mashook Ali and supplier Ikram

Delhi Police on Sunday arrested two persons for running an interstate illegal arms supply cartel in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut.

The arrested persons are a supplier and owner of the illegal weapons factory and were identified as Ikram and Mashook Ali, residents of Uttar Pradesh’ Meerut.

According to the police, 4 country-made pistols, 41 Barrels and 8 manufacturing tools of country-made pistols were recovered from a house in Meerut.

Delhi Police after receiving the information about Ikram coming to Delhi to supply illegal arms to some criminals, carried out an operation headed by Inspector Gaurav Choudhary and arrested Ikram.

Police recovered two country-made pistols and six live cartridges from Ikram’s possession.

A case under the Arms Act was registered against him.

Following interrogation, Ikram disclosed that he procured weapons from Mashook Ali, said police.

Based on technical surveillance and at the inputs by accused Ikram, the team succeeded in arresting Mashook Ali, from Meerut City, informed the police.

After interrogating Mashook, police raided an isolated Flat in Meerut’s Kashi Ram Colony, where a factory was set up for manufacturing illegal weapons.

He also confessed that he manufactured more than 80 country-made pistols, said police.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal slams comedian Kunal Kamra for targeting the company, offers him job promising higher pay than his ‘failed comedy career’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal slams comedian Kunal Kamra for targeting the company, offers him job promising higher pay than his ‘failed comedy career’

On Sunday, 6th October, Ola Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bhavish Aggarwal got into an online spat with alleged comedian Kunal Kamra when the latter attempted to target his company’s customer care service. In one of the posts, Bhavish questioned Kamra’s not-so-successful career as a comedian and pointed out that he was trying to behave as if he had some authoritative role. He said, “Comedian ban na sake, chaudhary banne chale.”

Bhavish Aggarwal, who is co-founder of Ola and founder of Ola Electric and OlaKrutrim, also offered Kamra a job Ola if cared about customer service so much, saying that he would pay more than what Kamra is earning from comedy.

It all started with a post by Kamra, where he questioned the possible backlog of pending service requests for Ola Electric Scooters outside an Ola showroom. In his post, Kamra wrote, “Do Indian consumers have a voice? Do they deserve this? Two-wheelers are the lifeline for many daily wage workers…” He tagged Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and the Department of Consumer Affairs, and asked if this was “how Indians will get to using EVs?” He also urged people to post their stories about Ola Electric under his post. He had quoted Bhavish’s post where he had shared Ola’s Giga Factory’s photograph.

Quoting Kamra, Bhavish sarcastically offered Kamra a “job” to help Ola out and said he would pay Kamra more than he earned from the post or from his ‘failed comedy career’, suggesting that Kamra’s post targeting Ola could be a paid social media post. He said, “Since you care so much, Kunal Kamra, come and help us out! I’ll even pay you more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career. Or else, sit quietly and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers. We’re expanding the service network fast, and backlogs will be cleared soon.”

Replying to Bhavish’s sarcastic post about his “failed” comedy career, Kamra tried to portray himself as successful and shared how the audience reacted when he “surprised” them during a show by another alleged comedian, Grover (possibly Varun Grover). He wrote, “On my failed comedy career, here’s a clip from last year when I surprised an audience & opened for Grover… Anything else, you arrogant, substandard prick, Bhavish?”

Bhavish again quoted him and questioned whether he had hurt Kamra’s ego. He wrote, “Chot lagi? Dard hua? Aaja service centre. Bahut kaam hai. I will pay better than your flop shows pay you. Show your audience how much you truly care and whether you’re only full of gas and BS,” and once again invited Kamra to work for him, promising better pay.

Kamra again targeted Bhavish and asked him to refund money to his customers who had bought Ola Scooters in the last four months and wanted to return them. He wrote, “Instead, can you give a full refund to anyone who wants to return their OLA EV and who has purchased it in the last four months? I don’t need your money—people not being able to get to their workplace need your accountability. Show your customers that you truly care.”

Bhavish quoted him and pointed out that there are programs in place to deal with delays and again urged Kamra to come and do some real work with Ola. He said, “We have enough programs for our customers if they face service delays. If you were a genuine one, you would have known. Again, don’t try and back out of this. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism.”

Bhavish Aggarwal and Kunal Kamra’s online spat continued as Kamra again poked him and gave him other options if Bhavish could not offer refunds including 85% refund for 1-2 months, 75% refund for three months and so on. To his post, Bhavish used a sarcastic punchline and said, “Comedian ban na sake, chaudhary banne chale. Do your research better next time. And the offer to come and help us out in our service center remains open. Take up the challenge. Maybe you’ll learn some real skills for a change.”

Ola’s CEO Bhavish has made headlines several times in the past for his comments on different topics. In May this year, he slammed woke culture and spoke out about schools brainwashing kids. In a post on X, he talked about LinkedIn’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) bot and its reference to him with pronouns such as ‘they/ their.’ Bhavish Aggarwal then raised alarm about multinational companies indoctrinating unsuspecting Indians with ‘pronoun illness.’

He wrote, “Hoping that this “pronoun illness” doesn’t reach India. Many “big city schools” in India are now teaching it to kids. Also see many CVs with pronouns these days. Need to know where to draw the line in following the west blindly!” He further emphasised, “Most of us in India have no clue about politics of this pronouns illness. People do it because it’s become expected in our corporate culture, especially MNCs.”

“Better to send this illness back where it came from. Our culture has always had respect for all. No need for new pronouns,” Bhavish Aggarwal concluded.

Kunal Kamra, on the other hand, has made headlines for his strange behaviour. In 2020, he made headlines for hackling Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami on an airplane resulting in him getting banned from several airlines. Later, in February 2023, he came out in support of alleged comedian Tanmay Bhat after Kotak withdrew its ad campaign featuring the latter over his old child rape tweets. He even praised Cred for keeping Bhat’s campaign alive but later deleted that post.

Ola Electric, India’s largest electric scooter manufacturer, has seen impressive growth since its launch. But in recent times, it has faced a large number of complaints regarding the quality of the vehicles and quality of service. One of the most common complaints from Ola Electric owners is the long wait time for repairs and services. Many people have complaints of having to wait for over a month to get their scooters repaired. Shortage of spare parts is another issue faced by customers.

As Ola operates on a direct-to-consumer model, it does not have dealers and franchise service centres, the company manages everything. While this was supposed to help the company control every aspect of the two-wheelers, the company has struggled to meet the demand for servicing and repairs.

Police arrest Bangladeshi infiltrator Nawab while trying to get Indian passport, had been living illegally in Bihar for 3 years

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Police arrest Bangladeshi infiltrator Nawab while trying to get Indian passport, had been living illegally in Bihar for 3 years

On Saturday (5th October), a Bangladeshi national named Nawab, who was illegally staying in India since 2021, was apprehended from Rampur Kudarkatti village in Araria district of Bihar.

According to reports, Nawab hails from Chapainawabganj in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. He paid money to agents who helped him cross the Nagar river and infiltrate into the Indian territory.

The illegal immigrant initially stayed at his aunt’s house in Bihar’s Katihar before shifting to Araria. He got married about 1.5 years ago to a woman named Rangeela Khatun. Nawab also has a daughter by the name of Nusrat Khatoon.

He was exposed while trying to apply for an Indian passport. It must be mentioned that until then Nawab had successfully procured an Indian voter ID card by paying money to a Booth Level Officer(BLO).

The Bangladeshi infiltrator, who was living in Ward No 11 of Rampurkodkatti Panchayat, visited the Nagar police station to get his documents verified. He was asked to first get his documents verified by the Panchayat Head.

Accordingly, Nawab met Rampurkodkatti Panchayat President Pammi Devi. She grew suspicious and informed her husband Rajesh Singh, who was alarmed to see the name of Nawab’s wife on his voter ID card instead of his father’s name.

Singh also found the name of a villager in place of the father’s name on Nawab’s Aadhar card. On quizzing him about the matter, Nawab accepted that he was a Bangladeshi national who entered India illegally three years ago. Rajesh Singh then alerted the Nagar police station.

Nawab was thereafter arrested and put in custody. He is now being interrogated by the cops. A probe has been launched into the matter. Immigration and Intelligence officials have also been roped in by the police to aid in the investigation.

Last month, four illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were nabbed by the police at the Dharmanagar railway station in the Northeastern state of Tripura.

Recently, Maharashtra police arrested a porn actress named Riya Barde for illegally staying in India. She was operating using different names such as Arohi Barde, and Banna Sheikh. She was found to be a Bangladeshi infiltrator, who was staying in India using forged documents.

RG Kar Hospital: Doctors, interns, and house staff expelled for sexual misconduct, threat culture, and forceful collection of money

OpIndia Staff
-
0
RG Kar Hospital: Doctors, interns, and house staff expelled for sexual misconduct, threat culture, and forceful collection of money

RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. After the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the hospital, severe protests broke out all across India, and particularly in Bengal. Now the Hospital is engulfed in another controversy as it expelled 10 people, including Doctors, interns, and house staff.

Notably, these people were expelled for sexual misconduct in the hospital, encouraging ‘threat culture, and also for forceful collection of money. Reportedly, Among those expelled, there were people close to the previous RG Kar Principal Sandeep Ghosh, on whose watch the brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor took place.

As per reports, the expelled individuals were allegedly threatening others to fail examinations or get them ousted from the hostel, forcing other juniors to join a particular political party, involved in sexual harassment and misconduct, forceful collection of money, lodging of false FIRs against students and even physical violence.

Among those expelled is Ashish Pandey, a house staff member close to former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with financial irregularities and corruption.

According to reports, the expelled individuals have also been accused of coercing juniors into purchasing drugs and alcohol during late-night hours and forcing them to perform obscene acts in the boys’ common room. Apart from that, the accusations include physical violence against students residing in the Hostel.

Following the enquiry conducted by the  Institutional Enquiry Committee, the institute decided to expel these individuals. Not only that, among these, the ones accused of “substantial evidence of sexual harassment against women” have been referred to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for further investigation and action.

1...712713714...7,607Page 713 of 7,607