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After Lucknow, women in Delhi demand Rs 1 lakh promised by Rahul Gandhi from INDI leaders, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh’s car gheraoed

OpIndia Staff
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After Lucknow, women in Delhi demand Rs 1 lakh promised by Rahul Gandhi from INDI leaders, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh’s car gheraoed

Women in Delhi seem to have taken a cue from their counterparts in Lucknow after they surrounded INDI alliance leaders Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh flashing the ‘guarantee cards’ of Rs 1 lakh and demanding them to pay the money promised during the poll campaign by the Congress party.

Several women in Delhi surrounded the car of AAP leaders Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, who were on their way to meet Shiv Sena UBT’s Sanjay Raut, demanding that they get their compensation of Rs 1 lakh as promised by the Gandhi scion in a bid to woo women voters.

The development comes after numerous women in Lucknow lined up outside a Congress office to request the ‘guarantee cards’ promised during the campaign.

Before the elections, Congress had distributed ‘guarantee cards’ to many households, pledging Rs 1 lakh annually to the female head of every impoverished family.

Footage revealed a substantial number of Muslim women standing in line outside a Congress office in Lucknow, braving the scorching heat.

Some women demanded ‘guarantee cards,’ while others who had already received them submitted forms to get the promised money deposited into their accounts. Some claimed they received receipts from the Congress office after providing their details.

The Congress launched the ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ program to reach nearly 80 million households with 25 guarantees. Among these was the Mahalakshmi scheme, which promised Rs 8,500 per month directly to the accounts of female heads of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

NIT Srinagar redux: Muslim mob pours onto streets in the name of ‘Blasphemy’ again, leads to suspension of student from medical college in Srinagar

OpIndia Staff
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NIT Srinagar redux: Muslim mob pours onto streets in the name of ‘Blasphemy’ again, leads to suspension of student from medical college in Srinagar

On the 6th of June, the Jammu and Kashmir Police filed an FIR against a student of Government Medical College in Srinagar for allegedly uploading “blasphemous” content about Prophet Mohammad. The post sparked protests on the college campus.

The accused non-local student has been booked under the IPC Sections 153 (promotion of enmity in society), 153A (promoting disharmony on the grounds of religion), 295A (malicious acts to insult religious beliefs), and 505(2) (publishing or circulating any statement or report containing rumour or alarming news).

“The police take cognizance of the incident of posting of sensitive content against religious sentiments of a particular community by a student of GMC, Srinagar. Common public is appealed to desist from spreading rumours/false information. They shouldn’t fall prey to false propaganda of anti-social elements. A legal action shall be taken against those who are found to be involved in provocative act/instigation,” the police said.

The police action came after hundreds of students staged a protest on the GMC campus in Srinagar, alleging that a non-local student posted “blasphemous remarks” on social media. The protestors raised “our prophet out pride” slogans among others.  

Meanwhile, GMC Srinagar issued a statement over the matter and said that the accused non-local student has been suspended. “It is to inform that immediate cognisance of the matter was taken by GMC Srinagar administration. Pending enquiry the concerned individual has been suspended with immediate effect. An enquiry comprising 13 HOD’s/HOU’s (Head of Departments) has been initiated for necessary action under the rules. All concerned are requested to maintain peace and tranquillity on the campus,” GMC Srinagar said.

In the wake of the protests, the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar discontinued undergraduate classes on Thursday until Saturday. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Technology (NIT) also declared a suspension of class work on the 6th of June and stated that undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students residing outside will be permitted to enter the college campus.

It is pertinent to recall that a similar incident of alleged ‘blasphemy’ was reported in November last year, a Hindu student at Srinagar National Institute of Technology (NIT) was booked for alleged blasphemy after he shared a video of the son of the former Hamas chief criticising Prophet Mohammad. The accused NIT student named Prathmesh had shared an already viral video of Mosab Hassan Yousef making critical comments about Islam and the Prophet Mohammad to his Instagram story.

Lok Sabha elections: BJP’s vote share dropped in all constituencies in Uttar Pradesh except two, here is how the party performed in the state compared to 2019

Raju Das
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Lok Sabha elections: BJP’s vote share dropped in all constituencies in Uttar Pradesh except two, here is how the party performed in the state compared to 2019

Although PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government is returning to power for the third term, this will be the first minority govt headed by Modi. Against the expectations and predictions of comfortable victory, BJP won only 240 seats, compared to 303 seats in 2019.

However, BJP has not lost seats across India, in fact, it has gained seats in some states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The party lost most seats in Uttar Pradesh, which came down from 62 seats in 2019 to 33 this year. Last time its ally Apna Dal won 2 seats in the state. This year, Apna Dal won one, while another NDA ally LRD won 2 seats. Therefore, total NDA tally un UP came down from 64 to 36.

BJP’s vote share in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 was around 50%, and in the 2024 elections the same was over 41.4%, which means the vote share shrunk 8.6%. Therefore, BJP’ vote share in UP fell by 17.3%. Notably, of the all seats in UP where BJP fielded candidates, the party lost vote share in all seats except two. The party’s vote share went up in only two constituencies, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Kaushambi, where the vote share went up from 59.64% to 59.69% and from 39.28% to 40.21% respectively.

Despite an increase of vote share from 39% to 40% in Kaushambi, BJP actually lost the seat to SP. Of the 75 seats that BJP contested in Uttar Pradesh, its vote share decreased in all the remaining 73 seats by various extents. This means even though the party has won 33 seats, its vote share has decreased in 32 of those seats.

5 seats were allotted to alliance partners, Apna Dal, RLD and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, of which Apna Dal won one and RLD won two seats.

Interestingly, the BJP won the constituency where its vote share decreased the most, Fatehpur Sikri. BJP’s vote share reduced from 64% to 43%, marking a decrease of 33%, but BJP’s Rajkumar Chahar managed to retain the seat. The second highest drop in margin was in Banda, 46% to 32%, where the party lost the seat to Samajwadi Party.

The most talked about constituency where BJP lost is Faizabad, which includes the Ayodhya assembly constituency. BJP received 4,99,722 votes this time against 5,29,021 in 2019, and the vote share went down from 49% to 44%. The vote share went by almost 10% in the constituency. Faizabad has 5 Assembly segments, Ayodhya, Bikapur, Dariyabad, Milkipur and Rudauli. The assembly constituency-wise voting pattern is not known yet, as the same will be published later when ECI publishes the detailed statistical reports of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2019 elections, BJP was ahead in 4 assembly segments, except Milkipur where it was behind SP.

BJP’s vote share dropped by over 10% in as many as 53 seats, however, the party won 21 of those seats. The rest 32 were won by INDI Alliance partners SP and Congress. Apart from Fatehpur Sikri and Banda where its vote share reduced by 30%, the same went down by between 20%-30% in seven constituencies. BJP won only two of those seats, Marajganj and Aligarh.

In Amethi, Smriti Irani’s vote share went down from 50% to 38%, reducing by 24%, where Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal secured a surprise win. On the other hand, in Rae Bareli, the same went down by 25% from 38% to 29%, ensuring the win of Rahul Gandhi. BJP lost the Allahabad constituency to Congress with its vote share coming down by 23% from 56% to 43%.

In as many as 44 constituencies, BJP’s vote share went down by from 10% to 20%. Among these, BJP won 18 seats, while SP won 24 and Congress won the rest 2. This includes PM Modi’s Varanasi, where his vote share went down from 64% to 54%. PM Modi polled 6,12,940 votes this time against 6,74,664 votes last time.

In the balance 20 constituencies, the vote share of the BJP decreased by less than 10%, and it won 11 of those seats.

Please note that the vote share reductions mentioned here are percentage decreases in vote shares, not the difference of vote shares in 2019 and 2024. For example, in Fatehpur Sikri, BJP’s vote share went down from 64% to 43%, which means although the difference is 21%, the percentage of vote share actually went down by 33%. This is arrived at by using the following formula:

The analysis of vote share of BJP in 2019 and 2024 has shown that the party has lost vote share in the entire state and in all constituencies where it contested, apart from 2 exceptions. This resulted in a massive drop in the party’s number from the UP, which contributed to the party not crossing the majority mark alone.

The reason for such bad performance of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh will be analysed extensively in the coming weeks and months. However, it is notable that in the 2019 elections, SP and Congress were not allies, they contested elections separately. This time they were part of the INDI Alliance, and the opposition alliance has been most successful in the state, which resulted in the alliance almost reaching the majority mark.

Kashmir: Anantnag administration refutes reports of Muslim neighbours stopping Hindu family from building house, clarifies it was dispute over construction on govt land

OpIndia Staff
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Kashmir: Anantnag administration refutes reports of Muslim neighbours stopping Hindu family from building house, clarifies it was dispute over construction on govt land

The District Administration of Anantnag in Kashmir has denied reports that a Kashmiri Hindu family that returned to the state was prevented from constructing a house on their land. As per the administration, the viral video on the issue was showing argument between two families over building a wall on govt land.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that a Kashmiri Hindu family was targeted by the radical Muslims in the valley. As per reports, the family was trying to return to their roots and settle in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir when they were attacked by their neighbours. Media reports stated that the family was building a house but it didn’t go down well with the locals who prevented them from doing further construction and even destroyed their belongings. They also threatened the Kashmiri Pandits to leave from there.

According to a Navbharat Times report, a Kashmiri Pandit named Sanjay Wali in the Verinag area of ​​Anantnag had mustered up the courage to rebuild his house after the 1990 anti-Hindu massacre there. He returned to his hometown, leaving the brutal past behind and started the construction on his land. Notably, just like the rest of Kashmir, this neighbourhood is also surrounded by Muslim households.

He complained that the Muslims are creating problems for him as he tries to build a house for his family. They are mentally harassing him. His family is also being subjected to abuse as his neighbours are not happy with his decision to settle among them. He highlighted that his family was assaulted after the Lok Sabha election result was declared on 4th June. Some people arrived there and misbehaved with his family as well as thrashed them. All the material he brought to build his house was thrown away and taken by other individuals.

Sanjay Wali was threatened to depart from the area and not erect a house there. The footage of the incident has been going viral on social media in which some people including are seen fighting with another female. The Kashmiri Pandit family is now scared for their safety. He is afraid that something similar to the 1990 violence might occur to him. Concerns have been raised about the security arrangements as the occurrence transpired within 24 hours of the election results.

Clarification from district administration

After the video and reports went viral on social media, the Anantnag Administration issued a statement refuting the claims. They said that the video was blown out of proportion, and issued the clarification to avoid any misunderstanding and misinformation.

As per the statement, the dispute was over approximately 3 Marlas of state land, which was being used as a parking place by the parties involved in the incident. One party in the dispute attempted to construct a boundary wall on the state land, which was objected to by the other party, and this led to the argument, which was seen in the viral video.

The statement reads:

It has come to our attention that a video is being circulated on social media platforms with the caption suggesting that a family is being prevented from building a house on their own land. We wish to clarify the actual situation to avoid any misunderstanding and misinformation. The incident in the video is being blown out of proportion. The issue is not about a family being barred from constructing their house on their private property. Instead, the situation arose from a minor dispute between two neighbors over the use of approximately 3 Marlas of state land. This portion of land was being used for private parking by the parties involved. The conflict emerged when one party attempted to erect a boundary wall on this state land, which the other party objected to, leading to a heated exchange. Upon being informed, the civil and police administration promptly reached the spot, mediated between the parties, and resolved the matter amicably on the spot. We urge the public to verify information before sharing it on social media to prevent the spread of inaccurate narratives that can lead to unnecessary concern.

Claims of land dispute on social media

Many social media posts have used the name Sunil Wali instead of Sanjay Wali and claimed to settle the issue. Ravinder Pandita of an organization named “Sharda Committee” working in the valley has given an update on the matter and informed, “We the Verinag Committee promptly intervened in the matter and talked to the district administration about the conflict that happened with the Pandit family at Verinag. The administration assured us there was nothing to worry about, and the culprits involved had been booked under the law.”

He further alleged that Sanjay/Sunil Wali’s family had cleared up the issue with the attackers and both parties have come to an understanding to prevent future conflict. However, the administration has not offered any statement on the instance.

On 4th June, Mian Altaf Ahmed became victorious in the Anantnag area where Sanjay Wali’s family was targeted. He is a National Conference candidate who triumphed over Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti.

It is important to remember that Kashmiri Pandits were massacred in the Kashmir Valley in 1990 when Pakistan-backed terrorism was at its peak in the region. They were driven out of their houses and lands. Their properties were occupied. The jihadi slogan “Raliv, Tsaliv ya Galiv” (convert, flee or die) echoed in every nook and corner of Kashmir. A large number of Kashmiri Pandits were killed and their women were raped by Islamists as the helpless Hindus were forced to flee Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits since then have been forced to relocate to different parts of India and the world.

Note: This report has been updated with the clarification from the administration

NEET UG controversy: What went wrong, why are students upset and why are authorities saying there was no paper leak

Shraddha Pandey
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NEET UG controversy: What went wrong, why are students upset and why are authorities saying there was no paper leak

The NEET UG 2024 results have sparked widespread controversy and debate, with suspicions of inflated marks and other anomalies. Following the release of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) results on 4th June, which announced that as many as 67 students received a perfect score of 720/720 marks to share the All-India Rank (AIR) 1, a large number of medical aspirants and their parents raised numerous concerns about glitches, alleged malpractices, ambiguous implementation of grace marks, above all an alleged paper leak. It is notable that 23,33,297 candidates from all over India appeared for the prestigious exam this year.

Why are candidates dissatisfied with the NEET UG 2024 results

Many candidates are concerned that the mark inflation in the NEET UG 2024 results will make it more difficult to get into medical school this year. Several students have taken to social media to demand that the results be cancelled and a re-examination be held.

It has been reported that 44 of the 67 students achieved a perfect 720/720 score with the highest score being 99.997129 percentile. Questions have also been raised over multiple candidates from one exam centre of the same series roll codes getting AIR 1 and consecutive ranks.

The scorecards of two students achieving 718 and 719 are being posted on social media, with parents and many educators claiming that getting such a score in the NEET exam is impossible since each NEET question carries four marks, with one mark for negative marking.

The perceived lack of transparency in the scoring process and the final results has further fuelled dissatisfaction among students.

Even before a controversy erupted over marks and 67 candidates getting AIR 1, NEET UG candidates were outraged over an alleged paper leak. Last month, Bihar Police arrested 14 solvers posing as candidates, for cheating and alleged paper leaks. 14 people were arrested, including eight from Katihar, four from Purnia, two from Vaishali, and one each from Gopalganj and Patna, for allegedly taking the tests instead of registered candidates. It was reported that separate FIRs were filed against the accused solvers. It was alleged that the gang members paid solvers Rs 5-10 lakh each to appear on behalf of genuine candidates at many exam centres. 

Police in Patna nabbed two examinees at an examination centre as they were solving question papers with seized answer sheets. On 5th May, Patna Police arrested Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand.

Later, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) took over the investigation, which revealed that the brokers received between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh from several aspirants in exchange for providing them with NEET UG 2024 question papers. EOU later searched accused Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand’s flats and confiscated several documents including roll numbers of candidates, bank cheques, etc.

In fact, around 35 arrested aspirants, during interrogation confessed that the question paper in the exam was similar to the one they got from the broker a day before the exam. EOU Deputy DIG Manavjit Singh Dhillon revealed that accused Amit Anand ran a educational consultancy firm claiming to help students in NEET-like competitive exams. The accused used to connect with aspirants and their parents over messaging apps. Notably, the police had also arrested a broker named Sikander Yadavendu who was in touch with Amit Anand. Yadavendu, a junior engineer had burnt the question papers at his Ram Krishna Nagar rented flat.

Officer Dhillon even said that the purported NEET paper leak was akin to the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and Teacher Recruitment Exam paper leak.

Other than Bihar, three persons Tushar Bhatt, Parshuram Roy and Arif Vora were arrested and booked in Godhra district of Gujarat for allegedly receiving money for helping some candidates get good marks in the NEET exam. Tushar Bhatt, a school teacher and deputy centre superintendent confessed that he along with accused Parshuram and Airf struck a deal for Rs 10 lakh. The Police seized 7 lakh rupees from Bhatt’s possession. The police said that Bhatt received 7 lakh rupees in advance and it was decided that he would fill those OMR sheets before sealing them. The 6 candidates involved in the scam were asked to attempt only those questions they surely knew the correct answer of and leave others for Bhatt. Evidence on Bhatt’s mobile phone was found during an investigation by a team that included the district additional collector and the district education officer. The retrieved list of 16 candidates, in addition to their details, was given to Bhatt’s WhatsApp by co-accused Roy.

Moreover, in New Delhi, the police arrested a coaching centre owner and two medical students for running an alleged NEET-paper-solving racket. The two medical students were allegedly caught with mismatched biometric data at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Mehta Vidyalaya on the exam day (5th May). The arrested students told the police during interrogation about their handlers Prabhat Kumar and Kishor Lal. These handlers identified brilliant students and offered them money to influence the admission process. The Police said that the accused handlers charged Rs 25 to 30 lakh for arranging proxy test takers.

Although the National Testing Agency (NTA) initially denied these allegations, subsequent evidence and arrests have confirmed some of these incidents, leading to further unrest. Multiple arrests made in Bihar and Gujarat alarmed the NEET aspirants who alleged that such paper leaks and cheating undermine the credibility of the exam and the fairness of the results.

National Testing Agency issues clarification over inflation of marks and cut-offs, refutes paper leak claims

As the outrage over NEET UG 2024 results mounted, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a statement addressing the issue. In response to a question about how the grace marks were provided and to how many candidates, the NTA clarified that the agency granted grace marks to students based on the loss of examination time as determined using CCTV footage, and such candidates were compensated with marks based on their answering efficiency and loss of exam time. The circular also said that 1,563 candidates had been compensated, and their revised marks ranged from -20 to 720. Due to compensatory marks, the two candidates received scores of 718 and 719, respectively.

“The Committee considered the grievances/representations on the basis of factual reports of the functionaries and CCTV footages from concerned exam Centres. The loss of examination time was ascertained and such candidates were compensated with marks based on their answering efficiency and time lost, as per the mechanism/ formula established by the Hon’ble Apex Court, vide its judgment dated 13.06.2018 in W.P. 551 of 2018. 1563 candidates were compensated for the loss of time and the revised marks of such candidates vary from -20 to 720 marks. Amongst these, the score of the two candidates also happens to be 718 and 719 marks respectively due to compensatory marks. On the analysis of the CCTV footage, it was ascertained that the integrity of the examination was not compromised at these Centres,” the NTA said in its statement. However, there was no clarification on how many grace marks were given to such candidates.

Notably, the decision to grant grace marks came after several aspirants moved High Courts of Punjab and Haryana, Delhi and Chhattisgarh over loss of time at exam centres.

Saying that the number of candidates who appeared in 2023 was 20,38,596, while the number of candidates who appeared in 2024 increased to 23,33,297, the NTA said that the increase in candidates “naturally led to an increase in high scorers due to a larger pool of candidates.” However, an increase of 3 lakh candidates does not appear to be that high a number that such an inflation in ranks can be justified.

Other than compensatory marks for loss of time at examination centres, the NTA said that changes in the NCERT textbooks also caused and an increase in marks of 44 candidates out of 67 candidates who received the perfect score. NTA said that as there were differences in old and new editions of NCERT textbooks, Physics subject experts decided that two options for that particular question be deemed correct instead of one option. It is pertinent to note that aspirants heavily rely on NCERT books for their NEET UG exam preparations.

NTA informed that it received 13,373 challenges to the provisional answer key of one question in Physics. “Due to the differences in the old and new editions of the NCERT textbook, the Subject Expert(s) held that two options be taken as correct in place of one option for this Question. Out of the 67 candidates who got 720/720 marks, 44 are on account of the revision in one Answer Key of Physics and 06 are on account of compensatory marks for loss of time,” the NTA said.

Addressing concerns raised over increased cut-offs, the Agency said that the increase in cut-offs “reflects the competitive nature of the examination and the high standards achieved by the candidates this year.”

Notably, the cut-offs for NEET UG 2024 for the unreserved category this year went up to 164, while last year it was 137, in 2022, it was 117, in 2021, it was 138 and in the year 2020, it was 147.

It is pertinent to mention here that although the NTA clarified that the increase in marks and numerous students securing perfect scores due to grace marks for the above-mentioned reasons, several students and educators are not satisfied. Many such people have argued that NTA should have compensated for the loss of time with time instead of grace marks. Questions are also being raised over why the NTA announced NEET UG 2024 results 10 days prior to the scheduled date.

The 2018 Supreme Court judgment based on which NTA gave grace marks

Many people have argued that the last-minute awarding of grace marks was “unfair” and also questioned which 2018 apex court order was the NTA talking about. Moreover, reports say that several parents have also questioned why the policy of grace marks was not clarified beforehand in the NEET UG 2024 information brochure.

In its statement, the National Test Agency mentioned that it gave compensatory marks to some candidates on grounds of loss of time based on the supreme court judgment dated 13.06.2018 in W.P. 551. It should be noted here that writ petition (w.p.) NTA mentioned pertains to the 2018 Disha Panchal versus Union of India case.

On the 13th of June 2018, the Supreme Court bench comprising justices UU Lalit and Deepak Gupta ordered NUALS to award compensatory marks to candidates who lost time during the 2018 Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) due to technical glitches. The formula suggested by V. Giri, Senior Advocate for Respondents 2&3, NUALS, and core committee CLAT 2018, will be applied. Qualified students will be included in the second round of counselling. Compensatory marks are awarded based on the total number of correct and incorrect answers provided by the candidate during the online test.

It is pertinent to note that the NUALS advocate V Giri had informed the court about the formula used to compensate affected students saying that the number of questions attempted by an aggrieved candidate in the allotted time of 120 minutes is used to compute how many questions such a candidate would have attempted if malfunctions had not occurred. It was also determined how many of the attempted questions were right. The final score is derived by multiplying the pro rata ratio of correctly answered and incorrectly answered questions by the number of questions granted for the lost time.

Notably, while the NTA’s statement explains why it gave grace marks to some candidates, some aspirants in online forums have highlighted that the same sequence of roll numbers for some of the high-scoring candidates on the NTA’s declared merit list suggests that they all took the test at the same exam centre. How come candidates with the same sequence roll number scored the same marks? This seems unusual and raises concerns.  The NTA should come up with a clarification on this.

Although the NTA noted that some cases have been registered against impersonators by the Agency and state police, and the outcome of the investigation in such cases is awaited, the Agency “categorically denied any case of paper leak and that the “integrity of the examination was not compromised”.

What next?

The NTA should come up with a more detailed explanation on how come 67 candidates got AIR 1, just because over 3 lakh more aspirants appeared for the exam this year than last year. Also, it should clarify why students should not suspect scams when the same sequence of roll codes of some of the high-scoring candidates from the NTA suggests that they appeared for the test from the same centre. This pattern raises questions. As some students are calling for a re-examination to ensure that everyone is assessed on an equal footing, NTA should seriously look into the allegations of malpractice and paper leaks. The future of a significant number of students is at stake and thus greater transparency in the entire examination and result declaration process including evaluation criteria and handling of discrepancies should be ensured.

Bihar: Police arrest Chinese man travelling illegally in India, finds map of China in his possession

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Police arrest Chinese man travelling illegally in India, finds map of China in his possession

On Thursday (6th June), the police apprehended a Chinese man, who was not travelling with valid documents, in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.

As per reports, the accused was identified as Li Jiaqi. He claimed to be a resident of Shandong province in China. The police recovered a mobile phone, a map of China and 3 small stone statues.

While speaking about the matter on Friday, SSP Rakesh Kumar informed, “The Chinese man was arrested for not carrying valid travel documents, including visa. A case has been registered against him under the relevant sections of the Foreigners Act.”

The cops are now interrogating the Chinese man to determine the actual purpose of his visit to India. According to Muzaffarpur Now, the accused entered India without a valid visa and passport through the Nepal border.

In Maharashtra, Muslims mobilized specifically to defeat BJP, with AIMPLB, mosques leading the charge: Here’s how it all happened

Siddhi Somani
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In Maharashtra, Muslims mobilized specifically to defeat BJP, with AIMPLB, mosques leading the charge: Here’s how it all happened

The results of the current Lok Sabha Elections were wild in the state of Maharashtra with the Muslims extending support to parties other than BJP. The ruling party could not cross the majority mark in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on its own due to massive losses in some states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In a surprise outcome in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde secured 7 seats, and BJP won 9 seats, whereas parties like NCP (Sharad Pawar), Indian National Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) who garnered Muslim and Communist support secured 8, 13 and 9 seats respectively. It is clearly evident by this that the Muslims in the state of Maharashtra chose to vote for any party standing against the BJP and its allies.

Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis immediately offered to resign after the results taking responsibility for the massive loss. “Whatever loss we suffered in the LS polls in Maharashtra, I take full responsibility for it. Therefore, I urge the top leadership to relieve me of my ministerial duties for I need to work for the party and contribute my time to the preparations of the state assembly polls,” Fadnavis said.

“Farmers’ issues played a dominant role in some seats. Also, the false propaganda that the constitution would be altered impacted some voters. The votes of the Muslims and the Maratha community also had an impact,” he added. He meanwhile also indicated that Muslims extended support to INC, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leading to unfavourable results for the BJP.

‘Fatwas helped Shiv Sena (UBT) win seats in Mumbai’: Deepak Kesarkar

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar, a loyalist of chief minister Eknath Shinde also stated on June 6th that it was because of ‘fatwas’ issued by Muslims against BJP that Shiv Sena (UBT) and INC, NCP (Sharad Pawar) could secure majority of the seats, even from Mumbai, Sangli, Baramati, Shirur and Dindori.

He claimed Muslim voters were convinced that Uddhav Thackeray had forsaken the Hindutva ideology. “The fatwas helped Shiv Sena (UBT) win seats in Mumbai. If you deduct that, every Shiv Sena candidate would have been defeated by over 1-1.5 lakh votes,” Kesarkar was quoted as saying.

He further asserted that Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena had gained the votes of Mumbaikars and Marathi voters. He claimed that a scheme was hatched in Pakistan to discredit Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Two ministers in Pakistan advocated for Modi’s defeat and, regrettably, some individuals here paid heed to their calls,” he claimed.

Kesarkar further stated that the Opposition misled the Dalit communities with their false claim that the Constitution would be changed if Narendra Modi came to power again. Given this, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Muslims actually stood to support the parties standing against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Fatwas issued in Pune against BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar)

On 7th May it was reported that Islamists in the Pune region issued fatwas against the BJP and asked the Muslim voters to vote only for the candidates representing Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from the Pune, Shirur, Baramati and Mawal constituencies respectively. The declaration by the Islamist leaders was made at the ‘Taqreer By Hazrat Maulana Sajjad Nomani’ event organized by Kul Jamati Tanzeem Pune in the Kondwa region on 2nd May.

The video of the same had gone viral over the internet, and one of the organizers of the event could be seen announcing its unwavering support to the Congress and NCP Sharad Pawar faction. “Kul Jamati Tanzeem has decided to extend support to Ravindra Dhangekar from Pune representing Congress, Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe from Baramati and Shirur representing NCP Sharad Pawar faction, and Sanjay Waghere from Maval representing Shiv Sena (UBT). We support these four candidates and appeal to you all community members to please get them elected to power. Also, ask your family members and friends to vote for them,” the organizer could be heard saying in the video.

The declaration was made at an event which was hosted in honor of Maulana Sajjad Nomani who spoke on the topic ‘Maujuda Halat Aur Hamari Zimmedari’ (the current situation and our responsibility). During his speech, Nomani stated that every Muslim who is a voter today should exercise his right in favor of the community. He also instilled fear in the minds of the Muslims saying that if Modi came to power, all the Mazars and Madarsas would be razed to the ground.

“If you don’t exercise your right in the correct direction, your nation is such that it will forget the Rohingyas. The leader of this country has a plan to put an end to the Waqf system in this country. It is you who will save our Madarsas and Masjids and Mazars. This one plan of Modi is going to cause danger to the entire Muslim community,” Nomani could be seen instigating the Muslims against the government.

Islamic flags raised at Mumbai rally hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT)

Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray a couple of years ago refused to hold on to the Hindutva ideology established by his father and old Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, breaking the ties with Eknath Shinde and his faction who formed a new Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) siding BJP. Since then, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and his party have been eyeing their support from the Muslim community. The party leaders have been keeping mum or ‘handling well’ the issues raged against the Muslim community, a few instances being the 2020 Palghar mob lynching incident or MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s threat of reciting Hanuman Chalisa if the relaying of azaan on loudspeakers was not stopped.

Some such incidents are believed to have worked in favor of Uddhav Thackeray who secured 9 seats even after contesting without the traditional symbol of Shiv Sena viz a bow and an arrow. Notably, on 14th May OpIndia reported how Islamic flags were raised by the Islamists at the rally which was hosted by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The video of the flag made rounds on social media. The green-colored flag with a crescent moon and a five-point star at the center was raised during the UBT Sena rally. As seen in the video, the Muslim supporters and presumably the Shiv Sena (UBT) party workers burst firecrackers and cheered the masses as the Islamic flag was being raised and waved up high in the air.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Nitesh Rane had slammed the Shiv Sena (UBT) party and had indicated that former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray had no right to call himself the son of Hindu leader Balasaheb Thackeray. He claimed that the Pakistani flag was raised at the rally. However, later it was confirmed that the flag raised in the rally was an Islamic flag and not a Pakistani one.

Communist Red Flags raised in UBT’s rally

Also, in April 2024, several red flags representing communist support were raised at one of the rallies that was organized by Uddhav Thackeray and his faction. The image of the same had gone viral over the internet with netizens slamming Thackeray for disrespecting Hindutva ideology.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had meanwhile also announced that he would never again merge with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying they were “treacherous” and would lose the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Thackeray’s assertion reportedly had come days after the PM asked Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) to join hands with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde.

Conclusion

Muslims in Mumbai are working for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena with a zeal that has not been seen since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept them aside. At the time, a panicked Congress, aware of the Muslims’ dissatisfaction with it, invoked the specter of Gujarat 2002 to scare them into not dividing their votes. The plan worked; however, Muslim youth, delighted by a party that recognized them not as a vote bank but as equal citizens, pushed themselves into the campaigns of the 48 AAP candidates in Maharashtra.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) coalition received Maharashtra’s Muslim vote by default, despite the fact that it was not in the minds of Muslims. By then, lynchings and the ruling party’s facilitation of lynch mobs had become common. There was no choice but to vote for the party that stood up against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), even if its presence on the ground appeared to be non-existent, such as the Congress in Maharashtra. The party won one seat in the state it ruled for the past 15 years.

This time, however, the I.N.D.I.A. alliance has become the obvious alternative not only for Muslims but for all those opposed to the BJP. As if the Muslims and the anti-BJP individuals had some particular theme to follow, ‘Candidate toh majboori hai, India Alliance zaruri hai.’

Muslim voters overwhelmingly supported parties like as INC, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (UBT), despite the lack of a single Muslim I.N.D.I.A. bloc candidate.The I.N.D.I Alliance even failed to launch campaigns jointly, not only in Maharashtra but across the country, yet voters who believed in ‘secularism’ supported the I.N.D.I. Alliance due to their strong opposition to the BJP and PM Modi. In the coming years, people, particularly non-Muslims, who tend to support the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), and INC who obtained positions based on Muslim votes would understand what a mistake they made in an endeavor to simply wrestle against the BJP.

Kangana Ranaut assault: CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur’s brother brazens out assault of MP-elect, defends his sister saying the actor should have ‘controlled’ herself

OpIndia Staff
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Kangana Ranaut assault: CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur’s brother brazens out assault of MP-elect, defends his sister saying the actor should have ‘controlled’ herself

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable who slapped Bollywood actor turned Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh Airport on 6th June was identified as Kulwinder Kaur. Now, another interesting fact about her has come to light. She is the sister of a prominent farmer whose group participated in the demonstrations against the three farm laws that have since been abolished by the Modi government.

Kulwinder Kaur joined the CISF in 2009 and has been stationed at the Chandigarh airport since 2021 with the force’s aviation security group. The 35-year-old mother of two children is from Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab. She has spent the last two years working at the Chandigarh Airport. Her spouse works with the CISF as well. Her brother Sher Singh Mahiwal leads a group of farmers and serves as the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee’s organizational secretary. She has not yet faced any vigilance inquiries or punishments from the force, and her spouse is also assigned to the same airport.

Following the incident, Kaur’s brother released a video, extending support to his sister and defending the assault on Kangana Ranaut, stating that the actor is used to making loose comments about farmers. His brother also said that he is not afraid of any investigation and said the actor should have ‘controlled’ herself over her comments against farmers.

An irate Kulwinder was seen speaking with people in a video in circulation on social media. In the video, the constable says, “Kangana made a statement saying farmers were protesting in Delhi for Rs 100 to Rs 200. At the time, my mother was one of the protesters.”

The constable was subsequently detained and suspended and the CISF filed a formal complaint against her and directed a court of inquiry into the matter.

Terming the incident a serious matter, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma called for serious action and informed the panel had taken up the matter with the CISF and submitted a letter to the Director General CISF. NCW also condemned the alarming incident and demanded strict measures against the constable if the charges were proven.

“When I completed the security check and was waiting to pass the woman security officer, she came towards me, hit me, and started abusing me. When I asked why she did it, she said she supports the farmers,” Kangana Ranaut had disclosed in a video. She also mentioned, “I am safe but I am concerned about the terrorism and extremism that is increasing in Punjab.” The Bollywood star won the recently concluded Lok Sabha poll by defeating Himachal Pradesh minister and Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh from Mandi.

‘Are EVMs alive or dead?’ PM Modi takes a swipe at opposition after 2024 Lok Sabha election results

OpIndia Staff
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‘Are EVMs alive or dead?’ PM Modi takes a swipe at opposition after 2024 Lok Sabha election results

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at opposition parties for their recurring accusations of EVM tampering, noting that they all fell silent on the evening of June 4.

During an NDA parliamentary meeting in New Delhi, PM Modi remarked: “When the results were being announced on June 4, I was engrossed in work. Later, I started receiving phone calls. I asked someone if the numbers were acceptable and jokingly inquired whether the EVM was still ‘alive.’ I anticipated the opposition might declare the ‘death’ of the EVM this time.”

PM Modi indicated that the opposition had even prepared a comprehensive strategy to question the EVMs before the counting began.

“These people (the Opposition) had resolved to undermine public confidence in India’s democracy and electoral process. They continuously criticized the EVMs. I expected they would hold a ‘funeral procession’ for the EVM. However, by the evening of June 4, they were silenced. The EVMs shut them up,” he stated.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that the EVMs would not be doubted for at least the next five years.

He was referring to the opposition’s quietness regarding EVMs after the INDIA bloc parties performed better in the Lok Sabha elections than many pollsters had anticipated.

PM Modi also suggested that by 2029, the opposition might once again raise concerns about the EVMs.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA secured 292 seats, while the opposition bloc INDIA obtained 234 seats.

‘Ali Baba and the forty thieves’: Emirati foreign minister calls Palestinian leadership “useless”, asks why the UAE should assist the authority without reforms

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ali Baba and the forty thieves’: Emirati foreign minister calls Palestinian leadership “useless”, asks why the UAE should assist the authority without reforms

A shouting match broke out between the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates and senior Palestinian officials during a meeting in Riyadh in late April between the United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a group of Arab counterparts. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on 29th April. The Palestinian minister Hussein al-Sheikh, the closest deputy to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was present along with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting’s objective was to talk about a coordinated post-war plan for Gaza.

According to the reports, during the meeting, al-Sheikh stated that while the Palestinian Authority is implementing reforms and establishing a new government in response to requests from the United States and Arab nations, it isn’t receiving enough financial and political assistance. As the meeting came to a conclusion, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, pushed back and said he had not witnessed any meaningful reform within the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian leadership was then referred to as “Ali Baba and the forty thieves” by the minister, who also declared that senior PA officials were “useless” and that “replacing them with one another will only lead to the same result.” He even questioned, “Why would the UAE give assistance to the Palestinian Authority without real reforms?”

Responding to this, Al-Sheikh yelled back at the UAE foreign minister and announced that no one would tell the Palestinian Authority how to carry out its reforms.

In an attempt to defuse the heated discussion, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud commented that improvements need time. However, the discussion had already spiralled out of hand, with the Emirati minister storming out of the room in a fit of rage and both sides raging at each other. The foreign minister of Jordan, Ayman al-Safadi, left the meeting and returned a few minutes later with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, who apologized to Antony Blinken for having to see the internal argument.

“His Highness added that if the Palestinian Authority paid as much attention to its own people as it does to security coordination with Israel the Palestinians will be in much better shape,” An Emirati official confirmed the statements voiced by the UAE’s FM.

The PA and the UAE have had a tumultuous history, especially since Abu Dhabi restored diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020. PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammed bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates, don’t get along well. However, reports claimed that the UAE is not the only country upset with the PA and Abbas, as most of the other attendees including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar are also growing more impatient with Ramallah.

Many participants at the meeting believed that Abbas was unwilling to implement the kind of major reforms required to turn the PA into an entity that would allow it to take back control of Gaza and move toward a two-state solution. Qatar, which expected Abbas to name a prime minister who would have backing from all segments of Palestinian society, including the Islamist ones, is equally frustrated with Abbas. The emir of Qatar conveyed this message to him when he visited the nation in February. Nevertheless, Abbas turned down the request and chose Mohammed Mustafa, a close confidant with little popular appeal.

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