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Maharashtra MLC elections: BJP-led Mahayuti alliance sweeps polls, wins 9 of 11 seats

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra MLC elections: BJP-led Mahayuti alliance sweeps polls, wins 9 of 11 seats

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and the BJP, put up a spirited show and rebounded from a disappointing general election result by achieving a significant victory in the MLC polls.

The BJP fielded five candidates, all of whom won.

Shinde’s Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP each named two candidates, and all four were victorious.

Meanwhile, the Opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), and NCP (Sharad Pawar), fielded three candidates but managed to secure only one win, with Pradnya Satav of the Congress.

BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis celebrated on X (formerly Twitter) with a brief message, “9/9,” adding a thumbs-up emoji.

Voting took place this morning for a total of 11 seats, with 12 candidates vying for them.

The results were somewhat predictable, given that MLCs are elected indirectly by Assembly lawmakers. A party with 23 MLAs can claim one legislative council seat.

The BJP, with 103 MLAs, was guaranteed four seats and needed 12 additional votes for its fifth candidate. The Shinde Sena, with 37 MLAs, was nine votes short. Ajit Pawar’s NCP, with 39 MLAs, was seven votes short. Collectively, the Mahayuti needed 28 more votes to secure the nine seats it contested.

On the other side, the Congress had 37 MLAs but fielded only one candidate, leaving it with 14 surplus votes intended for its MVA partners. The NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar supported Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, but with only 13 MLAs, it was 10 votes short. Mr. Thackeray’s Sena also fielded one candidate but was eight votes short.

The MVA was four votes short of winning all three seats, assuming the Congress’ extra votes were used for its allies.

The crucial votes were those cast by MLAs outside the two main alliances – two each from Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, one CPIM leader, and an independent.

English-medium school in MP records religion of Hindu students as Christianity, conversions under the garb of fake dispensary exposed in Chhattisgarh

OpIndia Staff
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English-medium school in MP records religion of Hindu students as Christianity, conversions under the garb of fake dispensary exposed in Chhattisgarh

In Madhya Pradesh, an English-medium school has been accused of doing religious conversion of female students on their school transfer certificates (TCs). The parents of the female students have protested to the Madhya Pradesh State Child Rights Protection Commission against the school. Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, the game of religious conversion was being played under the garb of a pharmacy. Hindu organisations have complained about this.

Two Hindu students of the Good Shepherd English Medium School in Damoh have alleged that their transfer certificates read their religion as “Christianity” instead of Hinduism. According to the students, they are having difficulty obtaining admission to a new school due to the school administration’s error. The parents of the students have submitted a written complaint to the State Child Rights Protection Commission regarding the matter.

The commission took cognisance of the matter and sent a letter to the District Magistrate directing them to take action. In a letter to the collector, Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Protection Commission Chairman Dravindra More stated that Ravi Shankar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district, has filed a complaint alleging that the Good Shepherd School incorrectly listed his two daughters’ religion as Christian rather than Hindu on their transfer certificates.

Letter written by the Commission to the Collector (Courtesy: Lalluram)

The letter states that Ravi Shankar’s family is Hindu, and he has also displayed a Scheduled Caste certificate. The Commission has voiced concern that the school may have surreptitiously changed the religion of the two female students on their documents. Upon receiving the Commission’s letter, the Collector has ordered an inquiry.

It is pertinent to recall that this school has earlier faced similar charges. The Good Shepherd School was investigated by the commission and departmental team on the 17th of February and 15 of March this year. Neither the school administration nor the education department were present at this time. During the inspection, several shocking details emerged. Based on this, the commission sent a letter and directed the competent authority to take action. 

Conversion racket operating under the garb of a dispensary

Hindu organisations in Balod, Chhattisgarh, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have claimed that conversions are taking place under the pretence of a bogus dispensary. They claim that this facility is being run without a licence and that a conversion racket is operating from here. CMHO Mahesh Suryavanshi stated that the clinic has been given three days to respond; otherwise, action will be taken.

EHP dispensary has been in operation at Sanjay Nagar, Dondilohara, for a long time and is run by a married couple Manoj Sahu and Yamini Sahu. Dondilohara BJP leaders have asked the Dondilohara SDM to file a criminal case against the EHP dispensary.

Hindu organisations claim that unlawful prayer gatherings are organised in every area and that people are being persuaded to convert. After receiving the letter, SDM Shivnath Baghel contacted the CMHO and sought an investigation. Mahesh Suryavanshi stated that if the response is not received within the specified time frame, action will be taken under the Nursing Home Act 2010.

A TV9 Bharatvarsh report says that VHP Dondilohara district president Balram Gupta accused the clinic of operating a conversion racket under the garb of a clinic. He stated that clinic operator Manoj Sahu and his wife Yamini Sahu have already been accused of holding unlawful prayer meetings at their house under the pretence of a clinic. This case is now under investigation by police.

The dehumanisation of the ‘Bahu’, the NOK debate and the family drama vilifying a soldier’s widow

Sanghamitra
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The dehumanisation of the ‘Bahu’, the NOK debate and the family drama vilifying a soldier’s widow

“We didn’t take any dowry”, the father-in-law announces boastfully to the media, as if he did a big favour on the girl’s family by not being a greedy criminal who demands money to approve of his son’s wedding to his girlfriend. “We said ok to his choice of girl”, comes another assumed favour on the son and his girlfriend.

In a rather sad spectacle unfolding in media and social media currently, the widow of a soldier killed in the line of duty is being dragged through the worst of the worst kind of TV serial nightmare. Her inlaws are declaring to the whole world that she is a greedy, conniving, selfish woman who has ‘left’ the house of her in-laws and has ‘taken away all the money.”

The narrative of ‘took away all the money’ spread on Indian media like wildfire. The inlaws stated to one reporter that this is so prevalent and “Bahuyen bhaag jati hain” (the daughters-in-law run away) after the son dies. Everyone following the news got instantly hooked. because why not, there is another woman to be blamed for everything that is wrong with the society.

The NOK rules are clear. The soldiers choose their nominee and in this case, the deceased soldier had chosen his wife as his nominee. There is nothing the government can do here.

Soon after, saner voices pointed out facts. The Bahu hasn’t taken away all the money. She was entitled to the compensation and pension benefits because she was CHOSEN AS THE NOMINEE by the deceased soldier in his will. She has what she is entitled to by the law of the land. The deceased soldier’s parents haven’t been left with nothing. Soon it became clear that they were not dependent on the son and the father is a former soldier himself. The inlaws have got whatever was due to them from the group insurance and have also got a portion of the compensation money that the Yogi government gave after the soldier’s death.

Then came the mudslinging. In another interview with another media channel, the parents went on a full-fledged rant. The father of the soldier described how he displayed his magnanimity by agreeing to his son’s choice to get married to the girl he likes. He even made sure to cleverly drop before the media that he agreed for the wedding despite of their ‘castes’ being different. He then elaborated how he never demanded any dowry, as if demanding dowry was a fundamental right and the in-laws had shown exemplary kindness to humanity by not demanding dowry in the wedding. He elaborated on how his son was very close to his mother, to subtly put forth the point that “do you realise it? He changed after wedding to this girl”.

He then elaborated how, on the thirteenth day of his son’s death, he had very kindly offered the girl’s father that if she wanted he would get his second son married to her. The dehumanisation of the Indian woman comes full circle in the thinking that she is valid only when she is married to somebody, and not even out of love, but a husband should be bestowed upon her by somebody as magnanimous as the father-in-law here.

The grandiosity of the said father-in-law is so convinced it its patriarchal assumption that he actually, honestly thinks the prospect of marrying her husband’s brother should be cherished by the widow, seen as the love and kindness of her in-laws towards her, that too on the thirteenth day of her husband’s death.

He doesn’t stop there. He even continues boasting that he is so kind and merciful, that in case she chooses not to marry and just stays in their house as the widowed elder Bahu, he will take the firstborn child of his second son and his future wife, and give it to the elder Bahu to raise. Because why not? How can the Bahu want anything else than to be a wife and raise children?

Not just this Bahu, the father-in-law is already convinced of his absolute rights over the child of the future Bahu who isn’t even in the picture yet. The fact that they chose to give media statements against the young widow of their deceased son soon after her face was flashed in the news during the gallantry award ceremony in itself is a testimony to the amount of toxicity in play here.

Now comes the money. The father-in-law elaborates how the Bahu now ‘controls’ the bank accounts of the deceased son. The fact that the deceased soldier mentioned her as the nominee and she legally inherited those accounts and sim cards associated, is missed somewhere in the melodrama as the reporter nudges the parents on, asking them to elaborate their Bahu’s bad behaviour further.

The claims made by the in-laws are just that, claims. There may be another side of the story. But who cares, blaming the bad Bahu is this country’s favorite hobby.

Why can’t a woman choose to live away from her in-laws? Why can’t she refuse to marry the brother of the man she loved for 8 years? Why can’t she choose to stay away from the people who suggest her to get married to their other son and live in the same house even before she has processed the grief of losing her husband, these are the questions nobody will ask.

Because it is all “normal”. It happens. Bahu should keep living with her in-laws even after her husband passes away. Bahu should relinquish control of the bank accounts and the money her husband left her, and she should hand over control of all the financial benefit she would get from the government of India as a soldier’s widow, because apparently that is what women are expected to do.

There is a fundamental problem in all of this. The Bahu is a human first. She didn’t rob anyone. She didn’t steal anyone’s money. She is holding on to what she was legally entitled to. She is asserting her right over the financial benefits that her deceased husband made sure she gets in case of his demise.

The TV serial mentality hasn’t changed in a thousand years. It will probably never change. Since the media has now smelled blood in a typical family drama masala, they will keep sniffing and scratching this family’s wounds for fresh drops to lick.

Behind all this, there is a woman who lost the love of her life at the age of 26. We saw a glimpse of the iron will behind a pretty face when she stood proud to receive the Keerti Chakra. Maybe she will stay silent and avoid media attention. Maybe she will choose not to stay silent and come forward to face it all. Maybe the same people who are calling her names and criticising her now will hail her and celebrate her then. We do not know.

But one thing is certain. This sordid drama unfolding before our eyes is the ugly reality behind the so-called great Indian family. Women are good only when they serve, obey, toe the lines, know their place, and stick to their assigned roles. Even the mere act of claiming what is lawfully her can get her vilified and cursed. The patriarchal mentality that considers a woman no better than the family cattle, to be owned and tied wherever they choose, will never understand the silent battles that independent women fight every day, every minute, just to stand their ground.

There are no gallantry medals for the women who fight these battles. If they are lucky, they get some love and affection. If they are not, they just learn to make peace with being called a ‘bad woman’ and carry on. For every woman who refuses to give up and stands, there are a thousand others who just have to give in. For centuries, women have sought the relative safety of being married to whatever male relative the inlaws choose, because the prospect of living as a widows was far worse, even dangerous.

Let’s hope this dehumanisation stops someday, or at least stops being mainstreamed.

Inconsistencies in three election affidavits of Siddaramaiah: How ownership of 3.16-acre land is at the heart of the Karnataka MUDA scam

OpIndia Staff
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Inconsistencies in three election affidavits of Siddaramaiah: How ownership of 3.16-acre land is at the heart of the Karnataka MUDA scam

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife B M Parvati have been at the epicentre of the 4000-crore Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam over the ownership of 3.16-acre agricultural land.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Siddarmaiah had submitted 3 contradictory election affidavits during the 2013, 2018 and 2023 Karnataka Vidhan Sabha elections concerning the said land parcel.

For the unversed, the 3.16-acre agricultural land was bought by the Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law B M Mallikarjunaswamy during the 2004-2005 period. Mallikarjunaswamy had gifted the land parcel to his sister and the Karnataka CM’s wife, B M Parvati, in 2010.

No mention of land parcel in 2013 election affidavit of Siddaramaiah

Although it had been 3 years by then, the 2013 election affidavit of Siddaramaiah did not show ownership of any agricultural land by his wife.

“2013: The poll affidavit filed by Siddaramaiah, three years after the land was received as a gift by his wife, indicates no agricultural land ownership by her during the period,” reported The Indian Express.

“The election affidavit of the CM in 2013 does not mention the acquisition of the 3.16 acres. It is a violation of the election code of conduct and violation of Representation of People Act,” remarked BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday (10th July).

Contradictions in the 2018 election affidavit

In 2014, the Karnataka CM and his wife BM Parvati claimed that Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) acquired the 3.16-acre agricultural land without informing them and sought an alternate site in exchange.

But the election affidavit of Siddaramaiah in the 2018 Karnataka election shows otherwise.

The Indian Express reported, “2018: Siddaramaiah’s affidavit mentions his wife’s ownership of the land. “Gift received from my brother B M Mallikarjunaswamy, Dt 20-10-2010,” says the column for agricultural land owned by the CM’s spouse.”

New MUDA scheme and the 2023 election affidavit

In 2020, the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) formulated a 50:50 alternate land allocation scheme.

A year later, the governmental agency allotted 38,284 sq feet of alternate land (0.88 acres) in the Vijayanagar area of Mysuru to Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvati. The land area was equivalent to 14 housing sites (valued at ₹20 crores).

As per The Indian Express, the 2023 election affidavit read, “Shows allotment of 37,190.09 sq ft of land by MUDA in exchange for the Kesare village land in the column for non-agricultural land held by Siddaramaiah’s spouse in April 2023.”

The English daily, however, pointed out that Karnataka’s Record for Rights, Tenancy and Crops still showed BM Parvati as the owner of the 3.16 acres for the 2023-24 period in contravention of the 2023 election affidavit of Siddaramaiah.

Differential pricing of acquired land and MUDA scam

The Opposition BJP and JDS in Karnataka have demanded that Siddaramaiah return the 14 housing sites given to him. The Karnataka CM fired back by putting forth the demand of ₹62 crores for 3.16 acres of agricultural land, gifted to his wife by his brother-in-law.

Interestingly, the value of the said land parcel was mentioned as ₹25 lakhs in the 2018 election affidavit of Siddaramaiah. The glaring difference in the pricing was also highlighted by the Opposition parties in the State.

These allegations and more form the basis of the ‘MUDA scam‘, the raging controversy in the political spheres of Karnataka.

According to activist S Krishna, B M Mallikarjunaswamy lied about buying the 3.16-acre agricultural land from a Dalit farmer in 2004-2005.

He said that the brother-in-law of Siddaramaiah owned the land parcel using fabricated records and that the land was acquired by MUDA in back in 1992.

BJP leader Vishwanath added a new angle to the controversy by highlighting that Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law could not have purchased the land from a Dalit. “The land was denotified in the name of the SC/ST owners and it could not have been bought,” he emphasised.

Such a prohibition on the purchase of lands stems from the 1979 law – The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act.

While Siddaramaiah has refused any wrongdoing, the Opposition is firm in its demand for CBI probe into the matter.

Delhi Excise Policy Scam: Rouse Avenue Court extends judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal till 25 July

ANI
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Delhi Excise Policy Scam: Rouse Avenue Court extends judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal till 25 July

The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the Enforcement Directorate case related to the excise case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal till July 25. He was produced through video conferencing from Tihar Jail. The court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to supply a copy of the supplementary charge sheet to the counsel of Kejriwal and the other accused.

National Secretary Pankaj Gupta and an official representative of the party appeared for the Aam Aadmi Party before the court.

The accused, Vinod Chauhan, was also produced before the court.

Another accused, Ashish Mathur, was granted bail on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. He was charged sheeted without arrest by the ED.

On July 9, the court took cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet filed against Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. The court had also taken cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet filed against Vinod Chauhan and Ashish Mathur.

The court had taken cognizance of the charge sheets and had issued production warrants for Arvind Kejriwal, Vinod Chauhan and AAP. Summons through the Investigating Officer (IO) were issued to Ashish Mathur. These are the seventh and eighth supplementary charge sheets in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise policy.

Enforcement Directorate had filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on May 17. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. Another supplementary prosecution complaint was filed by the ED against Vinod Chauhan and Ashish Mathur on July 1.

In this money laundering case, ED arrested Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K Kavitha, Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal and others including businessmen.

Opposing the bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal, ASG SV Raju had submitted that there is evidence that Kejriwal demanded a bribe of Rs. 100 crores, which went to the AAP for Goa election campaign.

It was also argued that Rs 45 crore was sent by Vinod Chauhan to Chanpreet Singh through hawala dealers. Chanpreet Singh was looking after the AAP Goa election campaign.

The ED while seeking remand, had submitted that the arrestee (Kejriwal) was shown evidence of Hawala transfers to the tune of Rs 45 crore approx, which is corroborated with CDR locations, call records, IT seized data of Hawala firm in Goa, proof of payments being done in part cash and part bill and WhatsApp showing this arrangement. He was also shown multiple statements of witnesses who worked on the AAP campaign in Goa who received cash from one Chanpreet Singh who was working for the AAP campaign in Goa.

While opposing the bail application, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju submitted that “bribe money” was sent for the Goa election by Hawala transactions, and Arvind Kejriwal was in touch with Angadiya (Hawala dealers). The bribe money was sent by Vinod Chauhan and it was received by Chanpreet Singh Rayat, who was handling the election of AAP in Goa.

ASG had also referred to the statement of Sagar Patel. As per the statement, three people received cash, including Chanpreet Singh.

ASG submitted that the instructions were given by Vinod Chauhan to make payments to Chanpreet at Goa and others. The photo of the matching note (used for Hawala transactions) has been found on the phone of Vinod Chauhan.

ASG SV Raju also submitted that Arvind Kejriwal was in touch with Vinod Chauhan through chats. Acknowledgement by Arvind Kejriwal to chats shows proximity with Vinod Chauhan. It was also submitted that Rs One crore has been recovered from Vinod Chauhan. It was also submitted that Section 70 of PMLA directly applies to Kejriwal as he is the incharge of AAP, which is a company in terms of Section 70 of PMLA, ASG contended.

Kejriwal is national convenor of AAP and in charge of the affairs of the party, ASG had said.

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

Modi government declares 25th June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to remind people what happened when the Constitution was trampled over during the emergency

OpIndia Staff
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Modi government declares 25th June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to remind people what happened when the Constitution was trampled over during the emergency

The Narendra Modi-led union government of India has declared 26th June as the Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, which translates to ‘Constitution Murder Day’, to pay tribute to the victims of the emergency. The Union Home Ministry on 11 July issued a gazette notification saying that the Government of India has declared 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas”.

The notification states that a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the Government of the day and the people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities. It adds that the people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India’s resilient democracy.

The gazette notification states “Therefore, Government of India declares 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (संविधान हत्या दिवस)” to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on ? that observing 25 June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. He said, “It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history.”

Posting the notification on ?, Home Minister Amit Shah said that “on June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced.”

He added, “The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.’ This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency.”

The union home minister further tweeted that the decision of the govt is intended to honour the spirit of millions who struggled to revive democracy despite facing inexplicable persecution at the hands of an oppressive government. “The observance of ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defence of our democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing dictatorial forces like the Congress from repeating those horrors,” he added, using the hashtag #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas.

As Rahul Gandhi bas been accusing the BJP of trying to change the constitution, the Modi government is using emergency to counterattack him. The emergency was mentioned by the president in her address to the parliament, and the Lok Sabha speaker moved a resolution condemning the same.

The emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi govt lasted for 21 months, during which rights of the citizens were suspended in the country. The proclamation of emergency issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution gave the prime minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be cancelled and civil liberties to be suspended.

During the emergency, most of political opponents of Indira Gandhi were jailed, and the press was censored. The govt said that the emergency was imposed due to prevailing “internal disturbance”, but it was the result of Allahabad High Court declaring Indira Gandhi’s election null and void after finding her guilty of using state machinery in election campaigning.

When the Supreme Court upheld the High Court verdict but allowed Indira Gandhi as PM pending her appeal, this led to massive protests by Indira Gandhi’s supporters and the opposition. After that, Indira Gandhi asked President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to proclaim a state of emergency, without consulting the cabinet.

The Emergency ended on 21 March 1977 and Indira Gandhi called fresh elections, which she lost and Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.

Libya-based ISIS terrorist among two charge-sheeted by NIA in Aurangabad terror conspiracy case

ANI
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Libya-based ISIS terrorist among two charge-sheeted by NIA in Aurangabad terror conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday charge-sheeted two persons, including a Libya-based terrorist in the ISIS terror conspiracy case connected with the global terror network’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra, linked module.

The anti-terror agency filed the chargesheet against Libya-based Mohammed Shoeb Khan and Mohammed Zoheb Khan in the conspiracy to promote the ISIS’ anti-India agenda, said the National Investigation Agency.

Zoheb was earlier arrested by the probe agency in February of this year following searches across multiple locations.

Both Shoeb and Zoheb had conspired to “recruit vulnerable youth to carry out terror attacks at sensitive installations across India”. The NIA named the two terrorists as “key conspirators in the case” and charged them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in Mumbai.

The NIA, in the chargesheet, has exposed international linkages in the conspiracy with the involvement of foreign-based handlers of ISIS.

“Investigations in the case earlier by the anti-terror agency had revealed a web of anti-India activities involving the two accused,” said the agency.

The NIA, which has been working relentlessly to dismantle the ISIS network of modules in India, had found that the two men had taken ‘bayath’ (pledge of allegiance) towards the self-proclaimed Khalifa of ISIS.

“The accused, who had planned to flee to Afghanistan or Turkey after executing a series of terror attacks in India as part of the conspiracy, were also found to be actively involved in developing a website for the promotion of extremist and violent ideology of ISIS. They planned to attract youth from across the world into the ISIS fold through the website,” said the NIA.

Investigations further revealed that Zoheb, who was recruited by Shoeb, had created a WhatsApp group. “Zoheb had added more than 50 youth from Aurangabad area to the group with an intent to radicalise and recruit them for furthering the nefarious activities of ISIS in India.”

“The accused had been sharing videos related to the manufacturing of explosives and the fabrication of IEDs. They had also prepared a detailed plan of action, which included planning, preparation and execution of terror attacks at multiple places in India and actions to be taken after the execution of attacks. The accused persons had conspired to endanger the safety and security of India, its secular ethos and culture, and the democratic systems of governance,” reveals the NIA investigation.

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

Tamil Nadu: Unlicensed shelter home for people with mental illnesses sealed after police discovered 20 bodies buried inside the premises

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Unlicensed shelter home for people with mental illnesses sealed after police discovered 20 bodies buried inside the premises

An illegal facility for those suffering from mental diseases and intellectual disabilities was shut down in Pandalur, Nilgiris district by the Tamil Nadu Revenue Department. Authorities reported discovering a cemetery on the property of the residence, where about twenty bodies, possibly those of deceased inmates, were interred.

The Loveshore Charitable Trust has been operating in Pandalur taluk’s Kunthaladi village for the previous 25 years, according to officials. Revenue Divisional Officer (Gudalur), A. Senthil Kumar stated that although the institution had been registered as a charitable trust, it lacked name boards and approval to admit individuals with mental illnesses. A charitable organization must get licenses from the Institute of Mental Health, Chennai, and the Commissionerate of Differently-abled Persons, respectively, to admit individuals with mental diseases or intellectual disabilities.

The disturbing revelation surfaced as a result of a complaint brought up at last week’s meeting, which was presided over by the district governor of Nilgiris. As a result, the shelter was inspected by the Gudalur Revenue Commissioner and the Dewala Deputy Superintendent of Police. The facility was found to be operating without a license on 8th July 2024, after a comprehensive inspection by authorities. They observed that the people with mental disabilities were living in appalling conditions and without even the most basic utilities.

Furthermore, more than 20 dead bodies had been buried on the land without the knowledge or approval of government officials. The illegal burials prompted Shanmugam, the village administrative officer, to complain to the Nelakottai police station. This complaint led to the registration of a case and the start of an inquiry by the police into the identity of the deceased. Additionally, suspicions exist that there might have been attempts to sell the deceased’s body parts and the cops are looking into it.

“Loveshore” was run by a trust and its managing director was Augustin from Calicut. The house in Kunthaladi Bekki was not far from Augustin’s residence. Augustin, however, was conspicuously missing from the scene when revenue officers arrived to seal the premises. Ten people, including the shelter’s owner, have been asked by the Nilgiris district authorities to appear for probe. The summons comes after thirteen mentally challenged people were rescued from the institution. Saravanan, the Deputy Superintendent of Police from Dewala, is in charge of the investigation. The 10 people who were called will be questioned to learn more about the shelter’s unlawful activities and the condition of its residents.

A. Senthil Kumar added, “We conducted an inspection on Monday, July 8, and found 13 people staying at the home. The people running the facility do not have any permissions to run it, and also do not have any records of their patients, about where they are from or any of their families.” He added that although there was a police complaint against the trust, there did not appear to be any indications of abuse having been inflicted on the inmates. The Revenue Department sealed the property after the inspection. On 9th July, a team made up of representatives from the Revenue, Health and Police departments went to the institution and rescued all 13 residents. They were brought to a licensed Coimbatore establishment.

This is not the first time a specific shelter has been the subject of such inquiry. The old and impoverished St. Joseph’s Charity Home in Vellore was the subject of an investigation into allegations of resident abuse and harvesting bones of dead inmates, in October 2022. 69 elderly people were saved and given medical attention in government hospitals as a result. Four people connected to Anbu Jothi Ashramam, a Christian institution for the impoverished, were nabbed in February 2023 at Vizhuppuram on several charges, including rape. Reports of sexual assault, physical abuse and torture came to the fore after which 142 residents were saved. The unregistered establishment attracted impoverished people with false promises of food and jobs since it opened in 2005.

Viral video of large crowd at venue of a job interview: How Congress spread false claims of ‘too many unemployed youth in Gujarat’

OpIndia Staff
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Viral video of large crowd at venue of a job interview: How Congress spread false claims of ‘too many unemployed youth in Gujarat’

A video went viral on social media and Gujarati media on July 11 claiming that a large crowd of educated but unemployed youth gathered at a private company at Ankleshwar. Visuals showed a large number of men struggling to stand in a small space and eventually, the railing collapses due to the crowd pushing and shoving each other.

The interview and the rush is true, however, the video has been shared with misleading claims. It is being claimed that this demonstrates the high number of qualified yet unemployed individuals in the state. The Congress party and the Gujarati media started their usual propaganda with inaccurate information.

The official X handle of Congress used the video of crowd for political attack against Modi. According to the post headlined “Narendra Modi’s Gujarat model,” the Modi administration is allegedly causing an increase in unemployment nationwide. It added, “Many jobless individuals congregated at a hotel in Bharuch, Gujarat, hoping to find work. The hotel’s railing collapsed as a result of the situation, exposing the Gujarat model. This is the model of unemployment that Narendra Modi is imposing on the nation.” Furthermore, hundreds of Congress supporters reposted the clip with the same description and questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party administration.

Reports with similar allegations were also published by a few prominent media houses in Gujarat and elsewhere. Media outlets such as Gujarat Samachar and Divya Bhaskar also alleged that unemployed youth in Gujarat struggled to get jobs and a railing was broken. The X handle of “Jamawat” a channel that has earlier spread fake news, also posted the footage and claimed that “a crowd of unemployed people had assembled.”

The truth behind the viral video

Notably, as soon as the video surfaced, the advertisement clip of the company conducting the interview also went viral and the disinformation was exposed. It was uploaded by the official handle of BJP Gujarat too. The advert was not for fresher candidates. The claims of ‘high number of qualified but jobless youth’ would have been logical if the jobs on offer in the interview were fresher level jobs. But the company advert clearly stated that the interview is for candidates with years of experience in chemical factory.

The job was offered by a chemical company and it was mentioned that they were setting up a new plant at Zaghadia GIDC and wanted “experienced” persons. The job posting makes it quite obvious that candidates with three to ten years of experience are to apply. Candidates with 6 to 10 years of experience for the position of a shift in charge, 3 to 8 years as a plant operator, 3 to 8 years as a mechanical fitter, 4 to 7 years as a DSC supervisor and 4 to 7 years for ETP executives are being sought after by the company.

All of these young individuals might be working somewhere else currently and appeared for the interview in hopes of finding better opportunities. That the venue was unequipped to handle a large number of applicants maybe a management issue. But claiming that there are a large number of qualified young men in Gujarat without any job opportunities is a misleading statement.

‘People want development but there is no money’: Financial advisor to CM Siddaramaiah exposes how Congress is ruining Karnataka with freebies

OpIndia Staff
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‘People want development but there is no money’: Financial advisor to CM Siddaramaiah exposes how Congress is ruining Karnataka with freebies

On 11th July, Basavaraj Rayareddy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s financial advisor said that the state lacks funds for development projects due to guarantee schemes. The crisis arose as enormous amounts of funds had to be set aside for Congress’ freebies.

Speaking at an event at Mangaluru village in Yelburga taluk in Koppal district, Rayareddy said: “Many MLAs are demanding funds for development works in their constituencies, however, there is no money with the government. We are spending approximately Rs 65,000 crore on guarantee schemes. Since I am the financial advisor, I somehow manage to get the grant for lake development project.”

“People want development. But believe me, there is absolutely no money. Since I am the financial advisor, I managed to get funds for the lake development project here,” he emphasised.

Karnataka MLAs have found it practically impossible to acquire funding for projects in their constituencies. “Internally, I know the financial stress,” stated the Yelburga MLA.

Two days ago, BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi informed that the Congress government in Karnataka is taking up development projects in Bengaluru alone since it has no money left in the state exchequer. Due to this, the rest of Karnataka is being neglected.

“The main reason is that the State government has no money for such development works. It is only concentrating on Bengaluru using the little money it has. It is nothing but grave injustice,” Jarkiholi said.

The BJP MLA also alleged that the Congress government is deliberately neglecting the implementation of development schemes launched by the prior BJP government.

For example, as Irrigation Minister, I started work on the Basaveshwar and Ammajeshwari irrigation schemes in Athani. But now there is no work going on under these projects. Athani MLA Laxman Savadi joined the Congress after making great claims about developing his constituency under the Congress government,” the BJP MLA said.

Notably, the Congress government in Karnataka has been squandering freebies under its five guarantee schemes. These include Griha Jyothi, Griha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti Yojana, and Yuva Nidhi.

Despite these extensive promises, there has been criticism from within the Congress party regarding the effectiveness of these guarantees. Some Congress leaders have argued that the guarantees did not yield the expected electoral support, leading to calls for a reassessment of these schemes​. While launching populist schemes is easy, sustaining them is a mammoth task.

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