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Opposition parties oppose ‘One Nation One Election’ after union cabinet accepted high level committee report, call it a political stunt, flop policy

OpIndia Staff
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Opposition parties oppose ‘One Nation One Election’ after union cabinet accepted high level committee report, call it a political stunt, flop policy

On Wednesday, 17th September several opposition parties attacked the government over the Union Cabinet’s approval of the One Nation One Election, which aims to hold simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, calling it a “political stunt” and claiming that the move will become a flop.

The One Nation One Election idea received approval after the report of the high-level committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, was presented to the Union Cabinet earlier today and was accepted by the cabinet.

Congress said that it is opposed to the proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and that elections need to be held as and when required for democracy to survive. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said that ‘One Nation, One Election’ cannot work in a democracy.

“We don’t stand with this. One Nation One Election cannot work in a democracy. Elections need to be held as and when required if we want our democracy to survive,” he said. Congress leader KC Venugopal also said that the proposal was not practical. “It is not practical in this country. They want to divert attention from present issues,” he said.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has further fiercely criticized the ‘one nation, one election’ idea approved by the Union Cabinet claiming it undermines federalism and jeopardizes democracy. Responding to the Union Cabinet’s decision, the Hyderabad MP stated that he has long opposed ‘one nation, one election’ since it is a solution in search of a problem.

“It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Multiple elections are not a problem for anyone except Modi and Shah. Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal and local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls,” Asaduddin Owaisi posted on X.

Derek O’Brien, a senior Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, slammed the proposal as a ‘jumla’ (empty promise) by the BJP. “One Nation, One Election is just another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP. Why were Maharashtra elections not announced along with elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir? Here’s why. The Maharashtra government announced the Ladki Bahin scheme in the budget this June. The first tranche reached the bank accounts of women in August and the second tranche will reach beneficiaries in October,” he said.

“You can’t do three states in one go and you talk about One Nation One Election. And also tell us, how many constitutional amendments, including curtailing or extending terms of state assemblies, will be done,” he added. The TMC MP also shared a letter by Mamata Banerjee sent to the center in this matter which read that the policy proposed by the dramatic and sensational.  

Manoj Jha, a Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, and Rajya Sabha MP, stated that simultaneous elections were previously held in India and there was a reason it was stopped. “How will that be changed now? Elections will be held together in Lok Sabha and states… say no government can be formed in a state like Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, will there be a proxy government with governor’s rule or President’s rule till the next election or will a fresh election be called for such states. If there is a fresh election, then the link breaks,” Jha said.

He continued, “Most importantly after the BJP was reduced to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, we thought PM Modi would speak about issues related to employment. This is a diversionary tactic, nothing else.”

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Manoj Yadav further pondered what good ‘One Nation, One Election’ would do. “All of BJP’s policies are brought only to financially strengthen their party leaders and business. They have no intention of doing anything for the common people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the committee headed by former president in preparing the report, saying that his cabinet has accepted the recommendations. PM Modi tweeted, “The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I compliment our former President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for spearheading this effort and consulting a wide range of stakeholders.”

He added that “This is an important step towards making our democracy even more vibrant and participative.”

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. who briefed the media on decisions of the union cabinet, said the opposition might start feeling internal pressure. “The opposition might start feeling internal pressure (about One Nation One Election) as more than 80 percent of respondents who responded during the consultation process have given their positive support, especially the youth, they are very much in favor of this,” Vaishnaw said.

BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi also commented on the issue and said, “We had ‘one nation, one election’ in our manifesto, and talks were held on this earlier also. If you see, elections in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967 were conducted in this ‘one nation, one election’ format only. We also know that many governments have been toppled by exploiting Article 56. Other than that, a lot of money is spent on elections and a lot of government officials are employed in the election duties.”

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “As a citizen, I’m really happy with this decision, which was only possible under PM Modi’s leadership. I’ve also been part of his Cabinet. These regular elections created a hindrance to the country’s development and no party wanted to take long-term decisions and everyone was always busy with elections.”

Several other leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, etc also hailed the move.

The Union Cabinet approved on Wednesday the plan to hold simultaneous elections in the country, as suggested by a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The committee had advised that the government implement a one-time temporary measure that would require the Union government to set a date soon following a Lok Sabha election.

The government said that the Report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023.

If the use of loudspeakers is harmful during Ganesh Chaturthi, it is harmful for Eid also: Bombay HC clarifies its order on noise level applies to all public festivals

OpIndia Staff
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If the use of loudspeakers is harmful during Ganesh Chaturthi, it is harmful for Eid also: Bombay HC clarifies its order on noise level applies to all public festivals

On Wednesday (18th September 2024), the Bombay High Court observed that if the use of loudspeakers and sound systems beyond permissible sound limits was harmful during the Ganesh festival then it was also harmful during the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi processions. 

A two-judge division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar made these remarks while hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs).

In the PILs, the petitioners had sought a ban on the use of “DJs”, “dance” and “laser lights” during the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi processions. They urged the bench to issue directions to the civic bodies and police so that they stop granting permission to use such high-decibel sound systems. 

The petitioners emphasised that neither the Quran nor the Hadith (holy books) prescribe the use of DJ systems and laser lights for the celebration.

During the proceedings, the bench cited its earlier order passed last month ahead of the Ganesh festival. In its earlier order, the bench emphasised the ban on the use of sound systems and loudspeakers that emit noise levels beyond the permissible limits during festivals. Notably, these permissible limits are specified under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Owais Pechkar requested the court to add Eid as well in its earlier order. 

The bench retorted saying that it was not at all required because the order mentioned “public festivals”.

Disposing of the petitions, the court asserted, “If it is harmful for Ganesh Chaturthi, it is harmful for Eid also.”

Meanwhile, regarding the use of laser lights and its purported harm, the two-judge bench asked the petitioners to submit scientific evidence to back their assertion. They sought research work to establish that such lights have harmful effects on humans.  

Slamming the pleas for lack of proper research, the bench remarked that before filing such petitions, the petitioners should do proper research. The bench said, “Why didn’t you do your research? How do we adjudicate such an issue unless it is proved scientifically that it causes harm to humans?”

The bench emphasised that the petitions should be helping the courts to give effective directions on their pleas, as they don’t have subject matter expertise on all issues. The bench added, “That’s the problem. Before filing a PIL, you must do basic research. You should assist the court in giving effective direction. We are not experts. We do not know the ‘L’ of laser.”

Incidentally, a similar plea was also heard in the Supreme Court yesterday (on 17th September). 

Supreme Court junks the plea

On Tuesday, the apex court refused to entertain a petition that sought directions to regulate the use of light laser beams and loudspeakers in public spaces, gatherings, and events during festivals. The bench comprised CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. 

The petitioners had approached the top court to challenge an order of the Bombay High Court dated 20th April. The Bombay HC had disposed of the PIL against the use of laser beams and sound systems beyond permissible limits during religious processions and other ceremonies. 

Strikingly, the courts have ruled that there is no need to pass substantive directions as it underscored the need for aggrieved persons to file complaints before the authorities. Instead of issuing a blanket ban on sound systems and loudspeakers, the courts maintained that complaints should be filed before the concerned authorities who would then take action as per the established rules on permissible sound limits. 

Modi government approves Venus Orbiter Mission to study the nearest planet, Chandrayaan 4 approved ahead of manned mission to moon

OpIndia Staff
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Modi government approves Venus Orbiter Mission to study the nearest planet, Chandrayaan 4 approved ahead of manned mission to moon

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the development of the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), which will be a significant step towards the government’s vision of exploring and studying the planet Venus and extending India’s space mission beyond the Moon and Mars. In addition to this, the Centre has also approved the Chandrayaan 4 mission following the success of the Chandrayaan 3 mission.

An official release said that Venus, the closest planet to Earth and believed to have formed in conditions similar to Earth, offers a unique opportunity to understand how planetary environments can evolve very differently. The ‘Venus Orbiter Mission’ to be accomplished by the Department of Space is envisaged to orbit a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of planet Venus for a better understanding of the Venusian surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes and influence of the Sun on the Venusian atmosphere.

The study of the underlying causes of transformation of Venus, which is believed to be once habitable and quite similar to Earth would be an invaluable aid in understanding the evolution of the sister planets, both Venus and Earth, the release stated.

ISRO will be responsible for the development and launch of the spacecraft. The Project will be effectively managed and monitored through the established practices prevailing at ISRO. The data generated from the mission would be disseminated to the scientific community through existing mechanisms The mission is expected to be accomplished on the opportunity available during March 2028.

The Indian Venus mission is expected to answer some of the outstanding scientific questions resulting in various scientific outcomes. The realization of the spacecraft and launch vehicle is through various industries and it is envisaged that there would be large employment potential and technology spin-off to other sectors of the economy.

The total fund approved for the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), is ₹1,236 Crore, out of which ₹824.00 Crore will be spent on the spacecraft. The cost includes the development and realization of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for navigation and network as well as the cost of the launch vehicle, it added.

The mission would enable India for future planetary missions with larger payloads, and optimal orbit insertion approaches. There would be a significant involvement of Indian Industry during the development of the spacecraft and launch vehicle. The involvement of various academic institutions and training to students in the pre-launch phase including design, development, testing, test data reduction, calibration etc. is also envisaged. The mission through its unique instruments offers the Indian Science community new and valuable science data thereby providing emerging and novel opportunities.

Centre approves Chandrayaan 4 Mission

In another major development, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved another mission to the moon, named Chandrayaan 4, to develop and demonstrate the technologies to return to Earth after successfully landing on the Moon and also collect moon samples and analyse them on Earth.

Addressing reporters in the national capital today, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Chandrayaan 4 mission has been expanded to add more elements. The next step is to get the manned mission to the Moon. All preparatory steps towards this have been approved. Venus Orbiter Mission, Gaganyaan follow-on and Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Next Generation Launch Vehicle development also given approval.”

The PM Modi-led government has earmarked ₹2,104 crore for the same. Further, a schedule of 36 months has been set for the mission completion. The Chandrayaan 4 mission will achieve the foundational technologies and capabilities eventually for an Indian landing on the moon (planned by the year 2040) and return safely back to Earth.

Major technologies that are required for docking/undocking, landing, safe return to earth and also accomplish lunar sample collection and analysis would be demonstrated.

The Central Government has outlined an expanded vision for the Indian space programme during the Amrit Kaal that envisages an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and an Indian Landing on the Moon by 2040. To realise this vision, a series of Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan follow-on missions are envisaged including the development of associated space transportation and infrastructure capabilities.

The successful demonstration of the safe and smooth landing of the Chandrayaan-3 Lander on the Lunar Surface has developed critical technologies and proven capabilities that only a few nations have. The perfect follow-up to the successful landing mission is the demonstration of the capacity to collect lunar samples and safely return them to Earth. ISRO will be responsible for spacecraft development and launch. The project would be effectively managed and monitored under ISRO’s established practices. The mission is scheduled to be completed within 36 months of approval.

As per the official press release, the total fund requirement for the technology demonstration mission “Chandrayaan 4” is ₹ 2,104.06 Crore. The cost includes spacecraft development and realization, two launch vehicle missions of LVM3, external deep space network support and conducting special tests for design validation, finally leading to the mission of landing on the moon’s surface and safe return to Earth along with the collected lunar sample. The mission would enable India to be self-sufficient in critical foundational technologies for manned missions, lunar sample return and scientific analysis of Lunar samples.

Hindu temple gets attacked and ABC’s Eye Witness News’s idea of reporting it is getting comments from Islamist organisation CAIR-with ties to terrorists

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu temple gets attacked and ABC’s Eye Witness News’s idea of reporting it is getting comments from Islamist organisation CAIR-with ties to terrorists

On 16th September (local time), the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple), located in the hamlet of Melville in New York State, was vandalised by extremists. Visuals of the defaced temple board surfaced on social media. The sacred Hindu temple was desecrated with disturbing slogans such as ‘F*ck Modi’, ‘Modi is a Terrorist’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’.

ABC’s Eyewitness News reported the incident but with an unexpected twist. Instead of speaking to Hindu Temple administration, they decided to interview Hassan Ahmed from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Anti-Bias Council and Afaf Nasher, Esq., Executive Director of CAIR-NY. Notably, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been found to have links to the terrorist organisation Hamas. CAIR-NY is the New York chapter of this organisation.

The report by Eyewitness News on began with the phrase, “The Muslim community and advocacy groups are speaking out after a Hindu temple on Long Island was vandalized.” Throughout the report, there was no mention or statement from the temple authorities, except at the end, where, without naming the priests or administration of the BAPS Temple, the media outlet noted that they expressed concern, stating such vandalism has become “a growing concern at places of worship not just on Long Island, but worldwide.”

Quoting CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, Esq., the report stated, “We condemn this apparently bias-motivated vandalism and urge all community leaders to speak out against the rising bigotry that inevitably results in such attempts at religious intimidation.” She also “urged” all houses of worship (including Hindu temples) to refer to CAIR’s Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety guide, claiming that it contained security advice “applicable to institutions of all faiths.” In short, CAIR wants Hindu temples to follow the instructions provided in CAIR’s document.

Similarly, they quoted Hassan Ahmed, a member of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Anti-Bias Council, who called the Hindu Temple vandalism incident “disgusting.”

CAIR-NY also issued a press release on the same lines. The press note read, “Nasher said Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.”

Nasher clearly mentioned that CAIR that is based out of Washington DC. The organisation has links to terrorist outfits including Hamas which is responsible for terrorist attack on Israel on 7th October 2023 that killed over 1,300 people and forced Israel to start a military operation against the terror outfits involved.

CAIR and its problematic connections to terror outfits

CAIR identifies itself as a Muslim civil rights organisation in the United States that claims to protect ‘civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims’, The fact, however, is that CAIR is an Islamist group that has spoken against India and Hindus on several occasions. The organisation has been vehemently pushing Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu propaganda in India.

In 2022, CAIR released a report titled “Still Suspect: The Impact of Structural Islamophobia”, in which it said that there has been a rise in discrimination against Muslims living in the United States.

In its report, CAIR claimed that it had received 6,720 complaints nationwide last year involving a range of issues, including immigration, travel discrimination, law enforcement, government overreach, hate and bias incidents, custody rights, school incidents, and free speech incidents.

The CAIR claimed that government discrimination and bias continue to have a disproportionate effect on American Muslims and further demonstrate that Islamic communities continue to be viewed with suspicion. The report also listed the impacts of severe structural and interpersonal Islamophobia in the United States.

Ironically, CAIR, which always complains about alleged Islamophobia in the United States, has been aggressively promoting Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu propaganda in India. We are aware of how CAIR had extended support for the extremely Hinduphobic ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva‘ conference.

Not only this, but in December last year, CAIR had reportedly taken offence at the display of the names of the LeT terrorists and scenes from the deadly 26/11 terror attack that were displayed on a mobile billboard truck in New Jersey. While calling the movement of the vehicle ‘deliberate and well co-ordinated’, CAIR criticised the broadcast of 26/11 footage as ‘messages of hate.’ This was despite the fact that the mobile billboard truck did not display anything contentious but the truth.

In January 2022, CAIR launched Hinduphobic propaganda based on a report by alleged journalist Rana Ayyub. In a press release, CAIR demanded the movie theatres not to release Sooryavanshi, a Hindi movie. In the press release, CAIR alleged the movie spreads “disgusting and dangerous” anti-Muslim propaganda inspired by the ‘fascist Hindutva movement.’

The organisation has also called for the release of 49-year-old Pakistani terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently serving 86 years in prison for attacking US Army and FBI personnel in Afghanistan.

It is noteworthy that CAIR has links with the Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist terror organisation Hamas. Hamas has a long history of violating human rights. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries, including The European Union, the United States, Canada, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom etc. 

Attacks on Hindu Mandirs in US

In January this year, the Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward city in California state of the United States was desecrated with pro-Khalistani slogans. The temple was spray-painted with slogans such as ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Modi is terrorist.’ 

On 22nd December 2023, the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark city of California, was defaced with pro-Khalistan, anti-Modi and anti-India slogans. The outer wall of the temple was defaced with slogans such as “Khalistan”, “Shaheed [Martyr] Bhindrawale”, “F$%k Modi Jindabad” and “Modi Is Terrorist”.

Similar attacks have taken place in the past, both in the United States and its neighbouring Canada, wherein Hindu temples have been attacked, vandalised and defaced with derogatory graffiti.

India has already voiced alarm over the increasing activities of Khalistani terrorists and has asked countries to cracked down on groups and people attempting to incite separatism in India.

7th October terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel

On 7th October, Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack on Israel from sea, land, and air. At least 5,000 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, and tunnels were used to breach the Israeli territory and butcher Israeli civilians, particularly in the border villages. A music festival hosting more than 200 people was turned into a slaughter ground with many women raped, mutilated and abducted to Gaza. At least 1,300 people, including some foreign nationals, babies, women and senior citizens, were killed in the attacks. More than 200 were abducted and taken to Gaza. Following the attack, Israel launched a counterattack to eliminate Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war is soon to complete a year.

Congress declares to oppose ‘One Nation One Election’, Ashwini Vaishnaw says they must be feeling internal pressure

OpIndia Staff
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Congress declares to oppose ‘One Nation One Election’, Ashwini Vaishnaw says they must be feeling internal pressure

Congress on Wednesday said that it is opposed to the proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and elections need to be held as and when required for democracy to survive.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that ‘One Nation, One Election’ cannot work in a democracy.

He was responding to queries on the decision of the Union Cabinet to accept recommendations of the high-level committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’.

“We don’t stand with this. One Nation One Election cannot work in a democracy. Elections need to be held as and when required if we want our democracy to survive,” he said.

Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the proposal is not practical.

“It is not practical in this country. They want to divert attention from present issues,” he said.

Responding to a query on Kharge’s remarks, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. who briefed the media on decisions of the union cabinet, said the opposition might start feeling internal pressure.

“The opposition might start feeling internal pressure (about One Nation One Election) as more than 80 per cent of respondents who responded during the consultation process have given their positive support, especially the youth, they are very much in favour of this,” Vaishnaw said.

The High level Committee on Simultaneous Elections constituted under the Chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu earlier this year.

The government said that the Report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since its constitution on September 2, 2023.


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

Gujarat: Muslim mob tries to attack Ganesh Visarjan Yatra in Vaso, Kheda for playing DJ while passing through a mosque, 11 arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Muslim mob tries to attack Ganesh Visarjan Yatra in Vaso, Kheda for playing DJ while passing through a mosque, 11 arrested

On Tuesday, 17th September, massive chaos erupted in Kheda, Gujarat after a Ganesha Visharan procession was almost attacked by a Muslim mob of around 150-200 Muslims. The Hindu participants of the procession were confronted with sticks and pipes as the procession passed by the mosque. As per the local reports, an argument initially erupted over the DJ music played in the procession. The Muslim mob happened to protest against the DJ sound before confronting the participants over the issue.

The Police arrived at the spot and immediately took control of the situation. 11 people have been arrested in the case and several others have been booked. Notably, all the accused persons are believed to be belonging to the Muslim community. 

According to the information received, the Ganesh Visharan procession took place on Tuesday, September 17th in the villages of the Kheda district. The Hindu participants played a DJ system. A little further away, when a DJ arrived near the Jama Masjid in the bazaar, some fanatical Muslims became agitated and started clamouring for a DJ to be played near the mosque. After this, the accused Muslims launched an attack on the procession using pipes and sticks.

Vaso police and senior officials responded swiftly after the crime was reported. The district police head and DySP also hurried to the scene. Before the incident escalated into a fight, the cops intervened. However, a considerable crowd had assembled at the spot. MLA Kalpesh Parmar also hurried to the scene as soon as the incident was reported.

11 Muslim accused arrested

Regarding this incident, an officer at the Vaso police station told OpIndia that there was a dispute over the DJ playing near the mosque. However, the police took control of the situation before any fights or assaults took place. But there was some friction, as per the police. He further said that a case has been registered against the accused under various sections of BNS (Indian Judicial Code) and 11 accused have also been arrested. He also said that all these accused belong to the Muslim community and they rushed to the spot with smoking pipes. Police have said that further investigation is going on in this matter.

Kheda district police chief Rajesh Garhia also spoke to the media that there was a clash over a DJ playing near the mosque in Vaso. But the police presence was also there and more police teams had also arrived, so the matter was settled on both sides. He further said that a case has been registered against 10-12 accused by the organizer of Ganesh Mandal whose procession was attacked on Tuesday. Among them, 11 Muslim accused have been arrested.

Uttar Pradesh: Mohammad Aftab arrested for raping a 15-year-old Hindu girl, his accomplice Sagir absconding

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Mohammad Aftab arrested for raping a 15-year-old Hindu girl, his accomplice Sagir absconding

A case of rape of a minor Hindu girl has come to light from Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. The Police have arrested an accused named Mohammad Aftab on charges of raping a 15-year-old Hindu girl. His accomplice Sagir is currently absconding. An investigation is currently underway and the Police have launched a search operation to nab the absconding accused.

The accused lured the minor victim going to a coaching class

The incident took place on Monday (16th September 2024) in the Fatehpur Kotwali area of Barabanki district. The minor victim is a 15-year-old Hindu girl who is currently studying in 11th class. 

On the day of the incident, the victim left her home for coaching. When she was on her way to coaching class, accused Sftab approached her and somehow convinced her to go to the house of his friend Sagir. His house was in a secluded area where Aftab locked the house from outside and held the minor victim captive. Afterward, he raped her.  

As per reports, the other accused Sagir was keeping a watch from outside. 

Passersby rushed to her rescue hearing her screams

When the incident was unfolding, people who were passing the neighbourhood, heard screams from the house which was locked from outside. When they started inquiring from Sagir, he fled from there. Hearing the victim’s cry for help, they broke the lock, barged into the house, and rescued the minor girl. They also nabbed the accused Aftab and alerted the Police about the incident. When the Police reached the spot, they took Aftab into custody. 

The Police investigated the crime scene and initiated actions based on the statement of the victim. 

Kotwali Inspector DK Singh said that on the complaint of the victim’s father, a case has been registered against the accused Aftab under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

Statement of the family and Actions taken by the Police

The victim’s father stated that his daughter was going to coaching as usual when the accused Aftab stopped her and took her to his friend’s house, and locked her up. 

Police said that the victim has been sent for medical examination and her condition is stable. Additionally, Police is conducting raids to nab the absconding accused Sagir.

The case has triggered massive outrage in the area. Residents have expressed concerns about such incidents and have demanded swift Justice in this case. 

The police have assured them that the absconding accused will be arrested soon and the case will be investigated swiftly.

Bhopal: ‘IT expert’ Qasim Rehman booked for raping a 3-year-old girl at school, incident came to light after the victim’s mother found injury marks on private parts

OpIndia Staff
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Bhopal: ‘IT expert’ Qasim Rehman booked for raping a 3-year-old girl at school, incident came to light after the victim’s mother found injury marks on private parts

A 3-year-old girl was reportedly sexually assaulted by Qasim Rehman, an IT expert, inside the school premises. The incident came to the fore after the victim’s mother found several injury marks on the minor girl’s private parts. The mother filed a complaint with the school administration after the discovery of injury marks.

The school principal, however, refuted any complaints made to the administration. In a conversation with Times Now, the principal said, “We had no information about the rape case. We came to know through the police that an FIR has been filed against one of our school workers Qasim Rehman, who looks IT department.”

The accused, Qasim Rehman, has been arrested, and the case has been filed under the POSCO Act.

School Education Minister Udai Pratap Singh condemned the incident, stating, “This is concerning, and there is an urgent need to launch a campaign to raise awareness against such incidents.”

“The law is taking strict action in this case, and firm measures will be taken,” he added. Singh emphasized that the department is taking the incident in a Bhopal school very seriously.

“As the Education Minister, I am fully aware of the situation,” he said. Bhopal Police Commissioner Hari Narayan Chari confirmed the incident involving a 3-year-old girl and an IT expert at the school.

The investigation is ongoing.

‘Not a place for cutting cakes’: Kerala HC bans videography in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple after Muslim vlogger shares cake-cutting video from temple premises

OpIndia Staff
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‘Not a place for cutting cakes’: Kerala HC bans videography in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple after Muslim vlogger shares cake-cutting video from temple premises

The Kerala High Court has directed the administration of Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple to ban vloggers from recording videos in the temple premises including Nadapanthal (temple’s outer courtyard). The court, however, gave exceptions that videos can be recorded for marriage functions and other religious rites. 

The division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar issued the directive while hearing a plea filed by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan. The devotees submitted a video of a Muslim vlogger, Jasna Salim, creating a ruckus and quarrelling with devotees waiting for darshan in the temple courtyard. According to the order, she was seen “celebrating her birthday by cutting a cake in the Nadapanthal”. 

The devotees submitted that her act violated the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act and Rules of 1965. Consequently, they urged the court to ban the entry of non-Hindus in the Guruvayur temple and its premises.

Incidentally, there are already court precedences in this regard. In January 2024, Madras HC restricted the entry of non-Hindus into Temples to protect the sanctity of the place of worship and prevent them from turning it into tourist spots as the arguments involved the entry of burqa-clad visitors. The landmark judgment came in the matter related to the entry of non-Hindus into the Palani Murugan Temple. The ruling specifically stipulated that non-Hindus and those lacking Hindu beliefs are prohibited from proceeding beyond the temple’s ‘Kodimaram.’ 


Nonetheless, in the present case, the Kerala High Court has prohibited vloggers from doing videography in the temple premises stressing that the temple is a special security zone and “not a place for cutting cakes”. Furthermore, the bench has also issued a notice to Jasna Salim, the Muslim woman involved in the incident. It has listed the matter for further hearing on 18th October.

The court order and observations

The two-judge bench ruled that videography by vloggers, particularly while following celebrities, is not allowed in the nadapanthal or other interior areas of the temple. It noted that such activities could disturb devotees, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

The bench ordered, “We direct the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee and the Administrator to ensure that videography, other than that related to marriage functions and religious ceremonies, is prohibited in the Nadapanthal of the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple. The temple is a Special Security Zone under the Kerala Police Act.” 

“The videography of the interior places of the temple, especially through the eastern ‘Deepastambham’ cannot be permitted, ” the bench added.

Additionally, the court has assured the temple’s administrator that they can seek police assistance if necessary to enforce the ban.

The court further stated, “No person can be permitted to pick quarrels with devotees in the nadapanthal, and the courtyard is certainly not a place for cutting birthday cakes.”

It emphasised that the temple’s managing committee must ensure proper conduct within the temple, as mandated by the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978. It added that the managing committee is obligated to adhere to temple customs and provide facilities for the proper performance of worship.

Exploding pagers injure 2,700+ Hezbollah cadre in Lebanon, world watches in shock and awe at next level warfare: What exactly happened

Anurag
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Exploding pagers injure 2,700+ Hezbollah cadre in Lebanon, world watches in shock and awe at next level warfare: What exactly happened

On 17th September, a large number of pagers used by the Hezbollah terror group exploded across Lebanon. The exploding pagers killed at least eight Hezbollah members. At least 2,750 were reported injured in the incident, 200 of them are critical as per available updates.

The majority of the pagers exploded in regions where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Hezbollah, the Shiite terrorist organisation, which also has political presence, is backed by Iran. Several CCTV videos of the blasts were shared online, pointing towards a sophisticated and well-planned attack on the terrorist organisation, possibly by Israel.

Notably, since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7th October 2023, tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have heightened. On the same day, Hezbollah also fired rockets at Israel. Israel has been actively neutralising Hezbollah terrorists and destroying its locations amid ongoing tensions.

According to reports, the incident took place in areas covering Lebanon and Syria. Though it is unclear which agency or group was behind the attack on Hezbollah, it is generally believed that the Israeli agency Mossad could have initiated the attack. There are several theories floating around about how the attack was orchestrated. Before diving into the theories, it is essential to understand the chain of events that happened on 17th September and its aftermath that shook the core of the terror outfit.

What happened on September 17?

As per reports, all the pagers that were targeted received a message shortly before the blast. There was a gap of a few seconds between the message and the blast, which can be seen in several CCTV footages circulating on social media.

In one of the footages, a man can be seen standing near a counter in the market. He receives a message, which he checks by removing the pager from the belt holder. He checks the message and places the pager on the counter. Within seconds, the blast occurs and the man falls to the floor. While this particular person had removed the pager and kept it slightly away from his body, not everyone else was that “lucky”. Another blast happened at a vegetable market.

Several videos showed Hezbollah operatives on the floor with severe injuries around their waist and groin area, pointing to the fact that the pagers exploded in their pockets. It appears the idea behind the attack was that the receiver checks the message by pulling the pager close, causing the blast to cause critical physical damage. However, these are just theories.

According to news agency Reuters, locals said explosions were still taking place even 30 minutes after the initial blasts. These multiple explosions have triggered panic and chaos in Lebanon, especially throughout the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, which is a Hezbollah stronghold.

The battery blast theory

Initially, there was a theory floating around the exploding pagers attack that the simultaneous blasts could have occurred due to explosions in the lithium-ion batteries. In the aftermath of the blasts, a few photographs were published on social media that showed crumbled back panels of the pagers. In some of these photographs, model number AR-9 with GOLD written on them was visible. It matches the back of the AR-924 pager model that is produced by Gold Apollo Co. These pagers use lithium batteries.

These batteries are smaller in size compared to AA batteries. Though they are comparatively safer, there is always a chance of them exploding and causing severe damage to the person or the objects in close proximity. Notably, fires caused by lithium batteries are hard to extinguish, making them a fire safety hazard if not handled or manufactured properly. They can explode if they get overheated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or come into contact with metal.

Speaking to media house Haaretz, an expert claimed that it was “purely a cyberattack”. He added that 50-gram of lithium battery has the potential to generate heat equivalent to the explosion of seven grams of TNT. “If you short-circuit a lithium battery, it heats up extremely fast, within seconds,” he claimed.

However, according to a Washington Post report, experts suggest that it is highly unlikely that the cause of the serial pager blasts were lithium batteries.

Principal expert with Meier Fire Investigation, Richard Meier, said that devices are generally designed to vent the heat produced by lithium batteries. If they fail to do so, the device would explode. In some cases, batteries rely on the device’s software to regulate their use and temperature. In theory, they can be hacked and triggered to heat to the point that they explode.

However, when lithium batteries overheat, they tend to catch fire first and then explode. In the videos available on social media, the devices instantaneously exploded, leading experts to believe that the batteries could not be the reason behind the blast.

Reacting to the exploding pagers attack, Gold Apollo issued a statement that it authorised its brand on the AR-924 pagers used by the terrorist outfit. However, the devices were produced and sold by a company named BAC.

Mossad, pagers and PETN: A highly sophisticated ambush

Another theory that has been floating around is that the Israeli agency Mossad is behind the attack. In February 2024, Hezbollah commanders ordered members of the terrorist organisation to stop using mobile phones, as they believed that Israel could be tracking them using GPS locations. The terror outfit decided to shift to a considerably low-tech device, namely pagers. The idea was to “blind” Israel’s surveillance.

According to a report in the New York Times, Hezbollah ordered over 3,000 pagers from Gold Apollo Company located in Taiwan. These pagers were tampered with before Hezbollah received them. Apart from the AR924 Gold model, three other models of pagers were also included in the shipment.

It has been theorised that the Israeli agency intercepted the devices somewhere in the supply chain, possibly in Europe. They implanted explosive material as little as a few grams next to the battery in each pager. A switch was also embedded to trigger the detonation remotely.

The report suggested that the devices were programmed to beep for several seconds before exploding. The beeping sound, according to a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was to force the owner of the pager to hold it close to eyes and face to read the message. The beeping sound continued for 10 seconds and then the pagers exploded.

Mikko Hypponen, a research specialist at WithSecure software company and a cybercrime advisor to Europol, said, “These pagers were likely modified in some way to cause these types of explosions — the size and strength of the explosion indicates it was not just the battery.”

Israeli cybersecurity analyst and researcher at Tel Aviv University, Keren Elazari, said that the exploding pagers attack hit Hezbollah where they were most vulnerable. She said, “This attack hit them in their Achilles’ heel because they took out a central means of communication. We have seen these types of devices, pagers, targeted before but not in an attack this sophisticated.”

PETN could have been used

The exploding pagers attack possibly utilised a highly explosive chemical known as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a nitrate ester of pentaerythritol. PETN is infamous for its explosive properties and is a key component of the plastic explosive Semtex, making it one of the most powerful explosives ever discovered. When combined with a plasticiser, PETN forms a plastic explosive capable of causing devastating damage. Interestingly, PETN is also approved by the FDA for medical use as a coronary vasodilator in treating heart conditions like angina, similar to glyceryl trinitrate but with a longer duration of action. However, in this context, its primary use is not medicinal but as a potent explosive weapon.

‘Throw the pagers away’ – Hezbollah commanders issued directive

Following the attack, a voice message was circulated to Hezbollah terrorists to throw away the new pager devices. Though Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attack, Israeli agencies or the government issued no statement taking or denying responsibility for the attack.

The UN Security Management System has advised its personnel in Lebanon to switch off their VHF devices and remove all batteries until further notice. The agency’s radio network was temporarily suspended as well.

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