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From ThePrint to Pakistan, Muslim victimhood and false narrative on Delhi anti-Hindu Riots gets fanned by Reuters just in time for Lok Sabha elections

Anurag
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From ThePrint to Pakistan, Muslim victimhood and false narrative on Delhi anti-Hindu Riots gets fanned by Reuters just in time for Lok Sabha elections

Amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, a disturbing trend of biased reporting emerged as major international news outlets like Reuters and news portals like The Print propagated a one-sided, false and misleading narrative of the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of February 2020. News portals from Pakistan and Bangladesh also fuelled the same narrative along the lines of Reuters and others. They blatantly ignored the brutal murders of several Hindus including IB officer Ankit Sharma, head constable Ratan Lal, Dilbar Negi and others, at the hands of Muslim mobs.

On 27th May, The Print and Pakistani paper Dawn published a wire report issued by Reuters that focused solely on the alleged Muslim victims of the riots. The report was a clear attempt to paint a picture of unilateral suffering and victimhood. The report quoted a person named Suhel Mansuri who claimed to have suffered several injuries during the riots. He claimed to have voted for “peace and brotherhood” amidst so-called rising religious tensions.

Source: Dawn Newspaper, a Pakistani Daily.

However, the report omitted the atrocities committed against Hindus during the riots. Not to forget, IB staffer Ankit Sharma’s body was recovered from a drain with multiple stab wounds. The gruesome image of his hand tied to rope while his body was still submerged in the drain still haunts the nation. Head Constable Ratan Lal was brutally murdered by a Muslim mob led by burqa-clad women. Dilbar Negi’s limbs were chopped and he was burnt alive. Negi’s charred body was recovered after the riots from the shop where he used to work.

The report also omitted the fact that Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) then-councillor Tahir Hussain was actively involved in instigating mob against Hindus. He is also an accused in Ankit Sharma’s murder case.

Similarly, a report from Pakistan Today, that was based on the report by Kashmir Media Service, a Pakistan-funded media outlet, described the Delhi Riots of 2020 as an “anti-Muslim pogrom”. The report highlighted the plight of Muslim victims such as Saleem Kassar who claimed to have lost his brother. However, these reports completely ignored the fact that in one of the cases, the court itself observed that the riots were anti-Hindu.

Source: Pakistan Today

A flawed narrative

The dubious reporting by these outlets feeds into a false narrative that Hindus were behind the riots that took place on the 23rd and 24th February of 2020. The selective coverage is no less than a disservice to the truth and to the victims who lost their lives in the violence.

On the contrary, OpIndia’s detailed coverage of the Delhi Riots 2020 provided a stark contrast. We have documented how Muslim mobs brutally murdered several Hindus, destroyed properties in a planned way and attempted to destroy India’s image on international platforms.

It has come to light that several so-called activists, NGOs, and others were actively involved in planning the riots. Leaders like Tahir Hussain, activists like Umar Khalid, and Pinjra Tod, celebrities like Sushant Singh, and others played their role in not only fuelling anti-CAA sentiments but also ensuring there was violence in the national capital when then-President Donald Trump was on a visit to India. In fact, it was revealed during hearing of Umar Khalid’s bail plea that he was actively involved in creating narrative in favour of Delhi Riots accused for months before he got arrested and several activists and celebrities helped him.

Ignored facts and selective reporting

These reports quoted Muslim voters who expressed their dissatisfaction with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused them of inciting hatred against Muslims. However, they either failed to address the concerns of Hindu residents who were victims of the riots or at least watered it down by placing their statements towards the end of the reports.

Political exploitation

On 21st May, The Telegraph wrote a detailed report on the matter and quoted Muslim victim Aish Mohammad, who allegedly lost his house and continued to suffer because of the persistent tension in the area where he lives. The report came days before when the people of Delhi voted in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

The portrayal of the events of the Delhi Riots just before elections by the International media and certain Indian outlets appeared to be driven by an agenda to paint the BJP and Hindus in a negative light while blatantly ignoring the involvement of Muslims and detailed planning by Muslim leaders and political vested interest groups that led to the 2020 violence.

UP: Shopkeeper Wahid Qureshi renames Punjabi Market to “Islamic Market”, prints name on carry bags, arrested after local traders raise alarm

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Shopkeeper Wahid Qureshi renames Punjabi Market to “Islamic Market”, prints name on carry bags, arrested after local traders raise alarm

In the Kosi Kalan area of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh, a shopkeeper named Wahid Qureshi changed the name of Punjabi Market to “Islamic Market” and got the same printed on his garments shop’s carry bag. On Saturday (25th May) an outrage erupted over this and local traders informed the police. As the incident sparked an uproar on social media as well, the police apprehended the “Trends Never Ends” shop’s owner Wahid Qureshi and another worker. The SDM court rejected the bail plea of Wahid Qureshi and sent him to 14-day judicial custody.

On Saturday, local traders at Punjabi Market noticed that accused Wahid Qureshi arbitrarily changed the market’s name to Islamic Market and got it printed on carry bags to publicise the new name. Following this, Vishwa Hindu Parishad city president Shrikant Chaudhary and local traders reached the police station and informed inspector Ajit Kumar about the matter.

Subsequently, a team led by post-in-charge Mohit Rana raided the accused Wahid’s shop and seized 25 kg carry bags with “Islamic Market” printed on them and closed the shop. Reports say that the accused Wahid ran away as police initiated action, however, Wahid along with a worker was caught and brought to the police station. After questioning, the police released the worker but imposed a challan on the accused Wahid Qureshi. Meanwhile, the Municipal Council served a notice to the accused and has sought a response within three days.

The executive officer of the Municipal Council (Nagar Palika Parishad) Nihal Singh said that only the council has the right to change the name of the market or locality, adding that Wahid Qureshi’s action is against the provisions given in Section 216 (2) of the UP Nagar Palika Act-1916.

Reports say that municipality officials have found that at one or two places, the names have been changed secretly and adding that they will take strict action against people involved. EO Nihal Singh said that an investigation is being conducted and notices will be issued in such matters adding that upon non-compliance, the complaint will be filed against the persons involved in changing the names of markets or localities arbitrarily.

7 questions that Mamata Banerjee govt must answer about the murder of Bangladeshi MP Anwarul Azim Anar in Kolkata

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
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7 questions that Mamata Banerjee govt must answer about the murder of Bangladeshi MP Anwarul Azim Anar in Kolkata

Anwarul Azim Anar, a three-time MP of the ruling Awami League in Bangladesh visited West Bengal in India for “medical treatment” while he was lured to a rented posh flat in New Town area of Kolkata. A woman named Shilasti Rahman was used as bait to carry out grisly murder.

Several Bangladeshi nationals, including a few who illegally entered India took part in this gruesome incident, while the leader of this crime was an individual named Amanullah Aman – a notorious terrorist from Bangladesh who too entered West Bengal by illegally crossing the border.

Dhaka-based Bangla daily Jugantor in its report said, flat number 56 of BU block of Sanjiba Garden, an elite residence in Newtown, Kolkata was rented out by its owner – who is an officer of West Bengal’s excise department for 11 months to Bangladeshi national and mastermind of the murder named – Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman Shahin.

During interrogation, Shilasthi Rahman – the woman who was used for honey-trapping the Bangladeshi lawmaker said, while Anwarul Azim Anar was in the Sanjiba Garden apartment, he was forced to make a call to his friend Gopal Biswas, who hails from North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal asking Indian rupees 420,000 in cash.

But Shilasthi is yet to reveal how this amount was taken or if it was delivered by Gopal Biswas himself. There are dozens of questions in the mind of the investigators – although they do not know most of the answers.

Will Mamata Banerjee speak out

Under such circumstances, as an investigative journalist it is my responsibility to ask several questions with the hope, West Bengal’s chief minister and top boss of Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee shall give replies:

1.The flat number 56 of BU block of Sanjiba Garden, an elite residence in Newtown, Kolkata was rented-out by its owner to a Bangladeshi national, who does not have legal status for hiring any property in India. Defying this law, how this apartment was rented-out?

2.According to media reports, this elite apartment is owned by an officer of West Bengal’s excise department, although his name is still unreported. My question here are – how this government official amassed such property, what is his annual income, does he own more of such assets in West Bengal, and how much tax he pays every year?

3.Media reports said, killers of the MP used a red-color vehicle. Have details of this vehicle, including registration number, name of the owner etcetera been already collected by the investigating agency in Kolkata?

4.As the media report said, MP Anar was forced to make a call to his friend Gopal Biswas, who hails from North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal asking Indian rupees 420,000 in cash, can we ask – whether Gopal Biswas was a cashier of the slain lawmaker? Has he been interrogated by the Kolkata Police to know further details of his actual relations with Anwarul Azim Anar and why Biswas was keeping such a large amount of cash at home? Has it become a common practice in West Bengal of keeping large amounts of cash out of the bank?

5.Back in 2020, one of the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested. Media reports said, the killer named Risaldar Moslem Uddin was arrested from North 24 Parganas in West Bengal after he succeeded in staying in West Bengal for more than 45 years. According to report by Anandabazar Patrika – a Kolkata-based media, Moslem was living in Thakurnagar area of North 24 Parganas. He was running a traditional herbal medicine shop there, identifying himself as Dr Dutta.

I would also like to ask Ms. Banerjee – why her government is allowing wanted terrorists from Bangladesh, along with extortionists, gangsters, contract-killers, smugglers and fugitives in living in West Bengal and by getting hold of Aadhar Card and Indian passport?

6. In my previous article I have stated, several influential leaders of TMC were having business relations with Anar, while a large portion of cash from the infamous SSC scam was sent to him for investing in businesses. Anar was connected to Partha Chatterjee through his nephew Prasanna Kumar Roy’s friend Shipan Kumer Basu. Basu, wanted by Bangladesh Police, has been living in West Bengal for almost two decades.

7. During his early life, Shipan Kumer Basu was an active member of ‘Purbo Bangla Communist Party’, an extremist Marxist-Naxalite group in Bangladesh. During those years, Shipan Kumer Basu has taken part in numerous forms of criminal activities including robbery, rape, extortion and murder. Later, Basu became a member of Anwarul Azim Anar’s transborder smuggling racket. Are Kolkata Police putting emphasis also on this matter?

It may be mentioned here that, according to media reports, there are several organized rackets active in West Bengal which help fugitives and criminals from Bangladesh and other countries, including Rohingyas from Myanmar in obtaining Aadhar Card as well as Indian passport. Later, these criminals, mostly wanted by law enforcement agencies, leave India for Dubai or other Western countries using Indian passports.

West Bengal as ‘safe haven’ for criminals

Earlier it was also reported that another killer of Bangabandhu, Abdul Majed was also arrested from West Bengal after many years. When it was obvious that Awami League would win the national election on June 12, 1996, Majed fled Bangladesh along with Dalim and Rashid. He first went to India at the time, then went on to Pakistan and from there to Libya. He later came back to India, though it is not ascertained when he began residing in India permanently.

Abdul Majed managed to get an Indian voter ID card in 2012 while in Kolkata. In 2017 he got an Indian passport. He used the name Ahmed Ali in the passport. The passport was valid up till 2027. Majed’s birthplace in the passport was recorded as Howrah, Kolkata. He was actually born in Borhanduddin, Bhola.

Majed got married for the second time while in Kolkata. After he went missing from Kolkata on 22 February, 2020 his wife Zarina Begum filed a general diary (GD) at the Park Street police station. While investigating this matter, the police found a bag in Majed’s house in which there was a passport, ration cards and other documents.

There was a photograph of a woman and three children in the bag too. The police suspect the woman in the photograph was Majed’s wife in Bangladesh, Saleha Begum. Majed’s wife in Park Street told the police that Majed never let anyone touch this bag. Whenever he came home, he would lock the gate from inside. He was known in Park Street as an English teacher Ali Ahmed. The local people thought he had graduated from St Xavier’s College. He would teach English at people’s houses and also was a money-lender. He lived in a rented house in Park Street but had made a Tk 2.5 million down payment on a flat in Taltola.

In February 2022, the West Bengal CID arrested a Bangladeshi terrorist named Noor Nabi Maxon, who was living in Madhyamgram area in 24 Parganas district in West Bengal by using a fake name as Tamal Chowdhury. Maxon – wanted in 17 cases including murder entered West Bengal in 2019. In Kolkata, he was running fish trade at New Market.

Most alarming fact is – Kolkata Police was compelled to arrest Maxon when Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies provided them details of Noor Nabi Maxon and requested to arrest this criminal. In March 2015, another top-terrorist from Bangladesh namely Mollah Masud was arrested by West Bengal police from Barrackpore under the North 24 Parganas district – again following a request from the Bangladesh side.

In May 2007, Kolkata Police arrested absconding Bangladeshi top terrorist Tanvirul Islam Joy. In October 2008, another top-terrorist from Bangladesh named Subrat Bayen – wanted by Interpol was arrested by West Bengal police from Karaya.

These are mere tips of the iceberg. According to law enforcement agency sources, there are at least 45 terrorists from Bangladesh living in West Bengal and continuing criminal and terrorist activities. It said, dozens of the members of Islamist militancy outfits such as Ansar Al Islam – local franchise of Al Qaeda also are using West Bengal as a safe haven.

There also is an allegation that in West Bengal, Bangladeshi gangsters, terrorists, smugglers, money-launderers and fugitives are investing significant amounts of cash in the stock exchange through third-parties.

Several Bangladeshi businessmen, including film producers are operating offices in Kolkata as cover for running money-laundering activities. These people, particularly film producers maintain deeper-links with influential leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) including several male and female members of Tollygunge film industry. Has Kolkata Police or law enforcement agencies in West Bengal ever investigated these matters?

Conclusion

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee owes a response to my questions if she believes – she or any of the leaders and members of her administration, including her Trinamool Congress are not linked to any sort of criminal activities and allegations brought in this article as well as my previous articles are false.

Although it is well-anticipated that Mamata Banerjee or any of the leaders and members of TMC shall not address these questions, as they fear – publication of further investigative reports on these issues actually shall result in opening of the tin filled with worms.

Mamata Banerjee would follow the rogue culture of denial to avoid being branded as godmother of crimes. In this case – I would like to say – her silence will compel me in further exposing much more details and bitterest fact.


Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop lies about reaching out to Nupur Sharma, hides his cowardice with lies and chicanery: Here is the truth

Nupur J Sharma
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Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop lies about reaching out to Nupur Sharma, hides his cowardice with lies and chicanery: Here is the truth

On the 25th of May 2024, Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop spun a sinister web of lies to defend himself against allegations that he was too scared to fact-check what Nupur Sharma said, because of which she has been getting death and rape threats by Jihadis for the past 2 years.

If one cuts through the self-aggrandising and victim-playing, Saurabh Dwivedi makes three specific claims in his video to prove his relentless pursuit of the truth. He cites three specific incidents to claim that he had reached out to Nupur Sharma to offer her the platform to put forth her version and therefore, he should not be blamed for not fact-checking what Nupur Sharma said.

OpIndia reached out to Nupur Sharma to understand when and how Saurabh Dwivedi reached out to Nupur Sharma and if his version of events is true.

Claim 1: He claims that right after the TimesNow debate where Nupur Sharma responded to Tasleem Rehmani insulting the Shivling found at Gyanvapi, he had met her at a BJP event. At that event, he had asked Nupur Sharma to appear on Lallantop to put forth her version.

OpIndia spoke to Nupur Sharma to understand what had happened. The BJP event Saurabh Dwivedi speaks of was the 8-year anniversary press conference of the BJP. The large press conference was held on the 31st of May 2022. This was a week after Mohammad Zubair had selectively tweeted the video of Nupur Sharma at the TimesNow debate and painted a target on her back and in the thick of the death and rape threats that she was getting from across the world.

When OpIndia spoke to Nupur Sharma, she confirmed that she met Saurabh Dwivedi on the 31st of May at the press conference, as she did several other journalists who were present there as well. She does not remember Saurabh asking her for an interview.

While Nupur Sharma doubts that he ever asked her, it is important to note that on the 31st of May, there was no embargo on Nupur from talking to the media. She gave a sound-byte to the media and sat down with OpIndia for a 1-hour interview on the 31st of May. It, therefore, seems counterintuitive for Saurabh to claim that on the 31st of May, Nupur had refused to speak to Lallantop. Let us, for a moment, assume that Saurabh did ask Nupur on the 31st in passing. The event at which they met was a BJP press conference where hundreds were present. Passing references are seldom taken as invitations. If Saurabh really intended to get Nupur on his show, he should have contacted her one-on-one and had that discussion with her. That was never done.

Claim 2: Saurabh Dwivedi claims that he met Nupur Sharma at a party hosted by an IAS couple and there, he asked Nupur to come on his show – a request that she declined.

This party was tentatively held in April of 2023. It was a private party by the IAS couple, who are family friends of Nupur Sharma. Sharma tells us that she was actually surprised to see Saurabh Dwivedi and his wife present at this party and therefore, it was she who approached him. They had a conversation where Nupur told him how difficult it was for her to live her life in silence, given her active career before Zubair painted a target on her back. Nupur recalls Dwivedi having no reaction, per se. She does not remember if a passing reference was made by Dwivedi about getting her on her show since it was a long time ago.

Again, let us assume for a moment that Dwivedi did, in fact, make a passing reference about getting Nupur Sharma on his show. This was a private affair where actually, it was Nupur Sharma who had approached Dwivedi for a conversation. The claim that HE approached Nupur to get her on his show is a lie ab initio. It is evident by this that Saurabh had no intention of setting the record straight because if he did, he would have approached Nupur Sharma directly, as journalists do when they invite guests to their show.

Claim 3: Saurabh Dwivedi claims that after Dr Ranganathan’s video, he approached Nupur Sharma yet again to appear on his show

This claim is an outright lie, as confirmed to OpIndia. Nupur Sharma told OpIndia that in the past month after the video by Dr Ranganathan went viral, Saurabh Dwivedi or his Lallantop team have not contacted her for a show at all.

For the uninitiated, a month ago, Dr Anand Ranganathan appeared in a podcast on RJ Raunac’s YouTube show. During the podcast interview, Dr Ranganathan questioned Lallantop about their conduct during the Nupur Sharma controversy. Dr Ranganathan questioned why Lallantop and Saurabh Dwivedi were more than happy to get Drishti IAS coaching founder, Vikas Divyakirti, on his show to present his side of the story after he received backlash for insulting the Ramayana, but did not have the courage to do the same when it came to Nupur Sharma.

Dr Ranganathan was essentially saying that Lallantop was not to ‘fact-check’ what Divyakirti said since he knows he would not receive any threats from the Hindu community, however, he was terrified to ‘fact-check’ what Nupur Sharma had said because if he were to say that what Sharma said was in accordance with Islamic doctrine, he would surely get death threats from Islamists.

Dr Anand Ranganathan too responded to the lies and chicanery by Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop, a month after his video calling them out went viral.

“Surreal. Instead of apologising to Nupur, the cowards at @TheLallantop are claiming they didn’t fact-check her because she declined to come on their platform. Even Modi declines to come on their platform – does it stop them from factchecking him?”, Dr Ranganathan tweeted.

Beyond the lies – the ridiculous chicanery by Saurabh Dwivedi of Lallantop

Saurabh Dwivedi is clearly lying to justify his cowardice. He has not contacted Nupur Sharma personally even once in 2 years to get her version on record. He has tried hard to pass off casual interactions as formal requests for an interview – casual interactions in which Nupur Sharma does not even remember Dwivedi extending the offer.

However, the chicanery goes beyond just the lies. Saurabh Dwivedi and Lallantop have never needed people to appear on their show to fact-check claims they want to fact-check. For example, Lallantop indulged in a sleight of hand to ‘fact-check’ what former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said with regards to Muslims having the first right to India’s resources. The merit of their ‘fact-check’ apart, it is true that Lallantop did not need Manmohan Singh to appear on their show in order for them to fact-check claims being made about his statements.

Lallantop has also done several ‘fact-checks’ where they claim to present the truth about what PM Modi or BJP has said in several statements and speeches. They again, did not need PM Modi to appear on their show to present these ‘fact-checks’ – merits of their ‘fact-checks’ apart.

One has to wonder why Saurabh Dwivedi insists that Nupur Sharma should have appeared on their show for them to fact-check claims being made about her statement. Why could they not simply present a fact-check discussing is what Nupur Sharma said was factually correct according to Islamic scriptures or not? Why could they not open the Hadiths and ‘fact-check’ Islamic trolls like Mohammad Zubair who claimed that Nupur Sharma was ‘insulting Islam’? Why could Dwivedi not do a show independently, showing to their audience, that Nupur Sharma’s statement was not a lie but a repetition of what the Zakir Naik too has said in the past and therefore, branding her a hate monger was incorrect?

In truth, this video explanation by Saurabh Dwivedi seems to be a last-ditch effort to justify their cowardice after having failed to stand up for a woman being hounded and targeted by the global Islamic ecosystem.

Kolhapur: Villagers and Hindu organisations protest against Waqf Board’s land grab around Mahadev Temple

OpIndia Staff
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Kolhapur: Villagers and Hindu organisations protest against Waqf Board’s land grab around Mahadev Temple

On 24th May, the entire village of Wadanage in Kolhapur, Maharashtra observed a bandh to protest against the land grab by the Waqf Board around Mahadev Temple. Reports suggest that villagers have submitted a statement to Collector Amol Yedge on behalf of the Hindu community. Several Hindu organisations and locals participated in the Bandh.

The villagers have accused the Gram Panchayat of failing to present its case during ongoing hearings related to the land. Though the District Collector assured the delegation of villagers and Hindu organisations that he would look into the matter and appeal to higher authorities, he asked them to first approach the Zila Parishad administration and seek action in the matter.

Speaking to the media, local villager Piraji Sankpal said, “The land, ‘Agricultural Survey No. 89’ at Wadanage, belongs to the Gram Panchayat. The Waqf Board claimed this land 25 years ago, and the hearing has been ongoing since then. Due to the Gram Panchayat administration’s inability to present its side effectively, this land has been transferred to the Waqf Board. In protest, all the Hindus of the village observed a bandh. This situation has arisen because the Gram Panchayat administration’s role in the case has been suspicious.”

In a post on X about the matter, Legal Rights Observatory alleged that a few years ago the temple committee allotted shops to Muslims around the temple as they submitted exorbitant bids during the auction process.

Several local Hindus warned the temple committee that it would create problems in the future and the temple might lose land. However, the management allegedly did not pay heed to the warning and overruled the objection.

What is Waqf

The very literal meaning of Waqf is detention or confinement and prohibition. As per Islam, it is the property that is now available only for religious or charitable purposes, and any other use or sale of the property is prohibited. As per Sharia law, once Waqf is established, and the property is dedicated to Waqf, it remains as Waqf property forever.

Waqf means that the ownership of the property is now taken away from the person making Waqf and transferred and detained by Allah. As per Sharia, this property is now permanently dedicated to Allah, making Waqf irrevocable in nature.

‘Waqif’ is a person who creates a waqf for the beneficiary. As Waqf properties are bestowed upon Allah, in the absence of a physically tangible entity, a ‘mutawalli’ is appointed by the waqif, or by a competent authority, to manage or administer a Waqf. 

The Waqf Act 1995

The Waqf Act, 1995 was enacted and implemented on November 22, 1995. This act provides for the power and functions of the Waqf Council, the State Waqf Boards, and the Chief Executive Officer, and also the duties of mutawalli.

This Act also describes the power and restrictions of a Waqf Tribunal that acts in lieu of a civil court under its jurisdiction. The Waqf Tribunals are deemed to be a civil court and required to exercise all the powers and functions exercised by a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The decision of a Tribunal shall be final and binding on the parties. No suit or legal proceedings shall lie under any civil court which this act requires to be determined by a Tribunal. Thus, making the Waqf Tribunal decisions above any civil court.

Once a Waqf Board property, always a Waqf property

Since the ownership of the property is transferred to Allah from the waqif in the case of Waqf, and property can not be taken back from Allah, once a property becomes Waqf, it will always stay Waqf.

‘Plot to carve out separate Christian state out of Bangladesh & Myanmar’: Sheikh Hasina says ‘foreign country’ offered her election victory if she agrees for an airbase

ANI
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‘Plot to carve out separate Christian state out of Bangladesh & Myanmar’: Sheikh Hasina says ‘foreign country’ offered her election victory if she agrees for an airbase

 Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that a plot is being hatched to carve out “a Christian state like East Timor,” from parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar and asserted that she “won’t let this happen,” as reported by The Daily Star.

Hasina has further claimed that she was offered a hassle-free re-election in the January 7 polls if she allowed a foreign country to build an airbase inside Bangladeshi territory.

She, however, did not name the country that had made the offer to her.

Hasina, the Awami League president made the remarks while delivering her introductory speech at the 14-party meeting at the Gono Bhaban on Sunday. It was the 14-party’s first meeting with the Awami League president after the country held polls, The Daily Star reported.

The Bangladesh PM stressed that she faces challenges both at home and abroad and that a “conspiracy is afoot”, according to a report in the local media, United News of Bangladesh.

“Like East Timor…they will carve out a Christian country, taking parts of Bangladesh (Chattogram) and Myanmar with a base in the Bay of Bengal,” Hasina said in her address.

She noted that business activities have been going through the Bay and the Indian Ocean since ancient times.

“Many have their eyes on this place. There is no controversy here, no conflict. I won’t let that happen. This is also one of my crimes (in their eyes),” she said.

About the proposal for an airbase, the premier said, “The offer came from a white man.”

“It may appear that it is aimed at only one country, but it is not. I know where else they intend to go,” she said, adding that this is why the Awami League government is always in trouble.

“There will be more trouble. But don’t worry about it,” she added, according to The Daily Star.

“If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, then I would have had no problem.”

Moreover, PM Hasina alleged that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had conspired to prevent the elections.

She further said, “If inflation can be reduced now, people would be relieved. Production is sufficient. There is no shortage.”

Hasina emphasised that the foreign exchange reserves of many countries are decreasing, including Bangladesh.

“There is no need to worry about the reserves if there is food stock in times of emergency,” she said.

Following the introductory speech, Hasina held a closed-door meeting with the partners of the 14-party alliance.

She said that conspiracies were being hatched to topple the government and she might have to face the same consequences her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had faced, The Daily Star reported, citing sources.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1975 along with most of his family members except for his two daughters, inclduing Sheikh Hasina who had been staying abroad at that time.

Meanwhile, Hasina said that conspiracies did not bother her and she would never bow down to pressure.

Additionally, she emphasised that Bangladesh will not purchase anything from countries that impos

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

As pro-Islamist groups try to whitewash Hinduphobia in the US, read how a hotline in California reported 23% of total calls about anti-Hindu hate crimes

OpIndia Staff
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As pro-Islamist groups try to whitewash Hinduphobia in the US, read how a hotline in California reported 23% of total calls about anti-Hindu hate crimes

Amid attempts to label Hinduphobia in the US as a ‘Hindu nationalist construct’, the Civil Rights Department of the State of California has revealed that over 23% of reported religiously motivated incidents of hate were directed towards the Hindu community.

The revelations were made on 20th May based on data collected from a state-wide multilingual hotline named ‘CA Vs Hate.’ A total of 1,020 hate crimes were reported to the hotline within a span of 1 year.

The ‘Possibility Lab’ of the University of California Berkley analysed the data [pdf] and found that 23.3% of reports related to religious targeting constituted anti-Hindu hate.

Screengrab of the ‘CA Vs Hate’ data by UC Berkley

“Anti-Jewish (36.9%), anti Hindu (23.3%) and antiMuslim (14.6%) were the most cited reasons for reports related to religious targeting,” it stated.

Interestingly, reports alleging anti-Muslim hate were 8.7% less than the reports of anti-Hindu hate received on the hotline of ‘CA Vs Hate.’

It must be mentioned that the hotline can be used to report any form of non-emergency hate crime or incident between 9 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday. Victims can report in over 200 different languages and in a completely anonymous form.

Attacks on Hindus in US

The development comes amid a surge in attacks on Hindu temples in the United States. Earlier in March this year, five Indian-origin lawmakers in the United States wrote to the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, seeking status information on the investigation into attacks on Hindu temples in the country.

The letter was written by House Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and signed by four other Indian-origin Congress members namely Shri Thanedar, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera.

They emphasised, “Attacks at mandirs from New York to California have contributed to increased collective anxiety among Hindu Americans. “

Attempts to whitewash Hinduphobia

Despite facts to the contrary, anti-Hindus and pro-Islamist outfits have left no stone unturned to brush Hinduphonbia under the carpet

Pro-Islamist outfit, Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) had even claimed that the term Hinduphobia was somehow coined to draw false equivalence to Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

According to the popular OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 and was at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019.

Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019.

She is also the co-founder of an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF)/ Open Society Institute (OSI).

In 2021, ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ also endorsed the anti-Hindu event ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. It also came up with a “special toolkit” to propagate against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his State visit to the US in June 2023.

In October last year, the X (formerly Twitter) account of HfHR was withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

The likes of historical distortionists such as Audrey Truschke had previously opposed US House Resolution 1131, which was introduced to officially acknowledge the violence faced by Hindus in America.

Pune Porsche case: 2 Doctors from Sasson Hospital arrested by Crime Branch for changing accused boy’s blood sample before alcohol test

ANI
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Pune Porsche case: 2 Doctors from Sasson Hospital arrested by Crime Branch for changing accused boy’s blood sample before alcohol test

 The Pune police Crime Branch has arrested two doctors from Sasson Hospital in the luxury car accident case where two motorcycle-borne persons were killed earlier this week in Pune city.

As per the police, the doctors have been arrested on the charge of manipulating blood samples.

The minor accused was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up on the day of the accident on May 19.

The arrest came after it was discovered that the minor’s blood report was changed with those of another person who had not consumed alcohol.

Earlier, the Crime Branch unit on May 25 morning arrested the grandfather of the minor accused in the case.

The commissioner of Pune city police, Amitesh Kumar said that the grandfather of the accused was arrested and a separate FIR has been registered against him under IPC sections 365 and 368.

The driver Gangadhar had complained to police alleging that he was taken to the accused grandfather’s home against his will on the night of May 19 when Gangadhar was leaving the Yerawada Police Station.

The accused grandfather and his father allegedly threatened Gangadhar, snatched his phone and forcibly kept him confined in their bungalow in an attempt to force him to take responsibility for the crime instead of his minor grandson.

The minor ploughed his swanky Porsche into the two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, killing them on the spot.

Two young IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, identified as Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia, were killed in the accident on the night of May 19.

The accused has been detained at an observation home on the order of the Juvenile Justice Board. He was earlier granted bail in the case but was later sent to the observation home for 14 days till June 5.

The accused teenager’s father, who was arrested earlier, is lodged in Yerawada Central Prison after he was granted judicial custody for 14 days.

Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of victims who died in the Pune accident also held a protest in front of PMC on Sunday demanding justice for them. 

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

China using extreme pressure and threats to force Tibetan villagers abandon their homeland, coercive ‘resettlement’ eroding cultural identity of locals: Report

Paurush Gupta
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China using extreme pressure and threats to force Tibetan villagers abandon their homeland, coercive ‘resettlement’ eroding cultural identity of locals: Report

China has accelerated the mass exodus of Rural Tibetans – villagers, nomads and herders – on the pretext of “poverty alleviation” and environmental protection since 2016, a recently published report by Human Rights Watch has revealed. While the Chinese authorities claim that these “relocations” are voluntary, the report claims otherwise. It highlights how China has been using extreme pressures to force Rural Tibetans to give “consent” to these relocation measures. 

The HRW has released a 71-page report after analysing over 1,000 Chinese state media reports, government publications and corroborations by Tibetans. It also includes three case studies including video footage. It details how Chinese officials use various ‘methods’ and ‘arguments’ to obtain the “consent” of residents to relocate their villages. The HRW report, titled, “Educate the Masses to Change Their Minds –China’s Forced Relocation of Rural Tibetans” was released this week on 21st May. 

According to China’s official data, more than 930,000 Tibetans in rural areas have been relocated since 2000. An alarming 76% of these relocations occurred after 2016. Since 2016, officials in the Tibet Autonomous Region have relocated or are currently relocating 500 villages with over 140,000 residents to new locations, often hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from their homes. 

The Chinese authorities call this “whole-village relocation” program. The report highlights that it amounts to forced eviction (forced mass exodus) and is in violation of international law. While the Chinese government claims that relocation is ‘voluntary’, Tibetans are barred from returning to their former homes. According to the report, officials put pressure and threaten rural Tibetans not just to relocate but also to demolish their current homes within a year of relocating. 

According to the report, this makes rural, unskilled Tibetans who were dependent on agriculture and allied activities, and who lived a nomadic lifestyle, become economically indebted to Chinese authorities and forced to do labour to earn a living after ‘voluntary relocation.’

Even surveys conducted by official scholars at relocation sites in Tibet found that many relocated individuals “cannot find suitable jobs to support their families” and that “satisfaction with relocation is low.” A 2014 review of an earlier relocation program in eastern Tibet revealed that even after 10 years, 69% of relocatees were still facing financial difficulties, and 49% wished they could return to their original homes on the grasslands.

China claims there is mass popular wish to relocate, report list extreme pressures that Chinese officials are using to coerce Tibetans

The Chinese government documents claim that there is a “mass, popular wish” to relocate because of unsustainable ecological conditions in a particular location. They make misleading claims that these relocations, done under coercion by authorities, will “improve people’s livelihood” and “protect the ecological environment.”

The 2018 White Paper on Poverty-Alleviation Relocation claimed that in all cases, “the poor have a strong desire to relocate, but are unable to relocate due to their own abilities and income levels.” It concluded by stating that in these programs “the Chinese government complies with the people’s desire for a better life.”

The acting China director at Human Rights Watch, Maya Wang said, “The Chinese government says that the relocation of Tibetan villages is voluntary, but official media reports contradict this claim. Those reports make clear that when a whole village is targeted for relocation, it is practically impossible for the residents to refuse to move without facing serious repercussions.”

Wang added, “The mass relocations of rural Tibetan villages are severely eroding Tibetan culture and ways of life.” 

According to the report, as per the Chinese government policy in Tibet, every household in every village that is targeted has to give consent to relocation. The Human Rights Watch found multiple references in Chinese media that showed Tibetan villagers were initially reluctant to relocate. 

In one instance, 200 out of 262 households in a village in Nagchu Municipality initially resisted relocating to a site nearly 1,000 kilometers away. However, the government asserted that everyone eventually agreed to move “voluntarily.” According to the Chinese officials, they get success in getting total consent because of “publicity work” and “door-to-door ideological work” carried out by their officials. 

(A Chinese Communist Party deputy secretary of Gonjo county visits households to pressurise them to give consent to proposed relocation program in Sa-ngen, Tibet Autonomous Region, March 2024, Image Source – Human Rights Watch)

According to the report, higher-level authorities routinely characterize the relocation program as a “non-negotiable”, “politically critical policy” coming straight from the national capital, Beijing, or from Lhasa, the regional capital. Following the dictates from Chinese higher officials, the local officials exhibit no flexibility in implementation at the local level and use every means possible to obtain 100% agreement from rural Tibetans to relocate.

(A Tibetan villager giving consent to be relocated to Sinpori, a mass resettlement site 60 kilometers southwest of Lhasa. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)
(Google Earth image showing Sinpori mass resettlement site, December 25, 2020. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)

For this, Chinese government officials are systematically using extreme forms of pressure to coerce rural Tibetans into relocating from their long-established villages. These methods include persistent assurances of economic benefits, intrusive home visits, denigrating their intellectual ability and capacity to make decisions different from those of the officials, denigrating Tibetan culture and beliefs, and implicit threats of cutting essential services like water and electricity.

It also includes intrusive home visits and after each time, officials of increasing seniority visit families repeatedly at their homes putting pressure on them to give their “consent”.  They openly threaten villagers who don’t give consent. They accuse them of “spreading rumors” and direct officials to crack down on such actions “swiftly and resolutely” which means initiation of administrative and criminal penalties against such residents. 

Additionally, they lure villagers to relocate by claiming economic betterment, but each targeted village has to reach a ‘consensus decision.’ Therefore, if some individual Tibetan households are hesitant to opt-out, additional peer pressure is imposed on them. 

(Official ceremony in August 2023, celebrating the mass relocations of 6,000 herders to Xiangheyuan. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)

The Chinese government’s efforts to assimilate Tibetan education, culture, and religion, along with relocating rural communities, severely damage Tibetan culture and lifestyle. These programs move farmers and pastoralists to areas where they can’t continue their traditional work, forcing them to become wage laborers in other industries.

Furthermore, in 2016 China’s 13th Five-Year Plan began and since then, Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas have been carrying out five main relocation programs, four of which take place in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). 

Another relocation program is known as “individual household relocation”. Under this program, Chinese officials force ‘poorer households’ to relocate to sites which according to them are more suitable for income generation. Since 2016, it has forcibly relocated 567,000 people under this program in the occupied territories of Tibet.

Apart from relocation, the Chinese government is also subjugating the Tibetan population to adopt Sedentarization – The process by which a nomadic group transitions to a lifestyle of living in one place. Since 2000, 3.36 million rural Tibetans have been affected by other government programs which have forced them to rebuild their houses and adopt a sedentary way of life if they were nomads.

(Google Earth images from March 2009 to December 2022 show extent of urbanisation of the Sangmo village area in Tolung Dechen District as China is trampling nomadic lifestyle of Tibetans and economically subjugating them. Image Source – Human Rights Watch)

Under another relocation program called “Extremely High Altitude Relocation”, the Chinese governments have forced even Rich Tibetans to relocate.  

The Human Rights Watch had earlier also highlighted the concerns of Rural Tibetans and how China has been taking steps to accelerate mass exodus of Tibetans. Earlier in 2007, HRW published a report titled, “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse”. Likewise, in 2013, it released a second report which was titled, “They Say We Should Be Grateful” which highlighted the increasing evidence of settlement and sedentarization of Tibetan herders.

Between 2017 and 2021, the Chinese officials also ran another relocation program, “Construction of Well-off Villages in the Border Areas of the TAR”. It relocated Tibetans and other local ethnic groups to newly built or reconstructed villages along Tibet’s borders to protect China from “infiltration” by “anti-China forces” in neighbouring Himalayan countries. Official media reports state that 241,835 people were “involved” in the program, but they do not specify how many were actually relocated.

Tibet has been under the illegal occupation of China for over 60 years and it has refused to negotiate with Tibetan leaders since 2010. The Chinese government describes Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lamai as a “separatist” seeking independence for Tibet, a claim denied by the Dalai Lama. 

Nepal: Hindu organisations say infiltrators hatched a conspiracy to grab land of an ancient temple, first built a slum and set it on fire, now demanding permanent houses

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Nepal: Hindu organisations say infiltrators hatched a conspiracy to grab land of an ancient temple, first built a slum and set it on fire, now demanding permanent houses

A case of land jihad has come to light from Nepal’s Mahottari district. Several Hindu organisations have stated that Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and illegal Muslim immigrants from other countries have hatched a conspiracy to grab the land of an ancient temple. Notably, the land belongs to the ancient temple of Laxminarayan Math, which locals refer to as Mathihani Math. This temple is said to be the largest monastery in Nepal and is hundreds of years old.

It is alleged that illegal Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and Muslim immigrants from India have been trying to grab the land of this ancient temple for a long time. For this, they hatched a conspiracy and initially established a temporary slum on the temple land and later set it on fire. After the mysterious fire incident, they started building permanent structures here. Subsequently, several Islamic organisations both in Nepal and abroad started donating money to construct these permanent structures. However, after several Hindu organisations registered strong protests, the Nepali administration prohibited any kind of construction on this land. 

OpIndia spoke to Rajesh Yadav, President of the Hindu Samrat Sena Nepal, regarding this matter. Yadav stated that Mathihani Math is the main center of faith for Hindus not only in Mahottari but also in the entire border districts of Nepal and India. This temple complex spans thousands of square meters and houses a Gurukul where hundreds of students from around the world receive education in Sanskrit and the Sanatan way of life. It is believed that the first Gurukul in Nepal was established within this monastery. Additionally, there is a Gaushala on the premises. Every year, millions of Hindus participate in the parikrama (circumambulation) and festivities held here.

Rajesh informed OpIndia that around 20% of the population in the Mathihani Municipality of Mahottari is Muslim. This population has been increasing gradually due to the influx of Rohingyas, and Muslims from Bangladesh and India. About 2 years ago, temporary structures were erected by Muslim infiltrators on the vacant land of the temple. Initially, a few Muslim families started living here by setting up tents, and within just 2 years, around 80 Muslim families had settled in this area. There are 7-8 Hindu families living in this Muslim ghetto. However, local Hindu organisations consider this as a shield to disguise the conspiracy hatched by infiltrators.

(Names of Muslim ‘victims’ whose houses were burnt in the fire incident)

After some time, these illegal immigrants replaced tents with makeshift huts and declared the same place as their settlement. They started activities like scrap work, which later extended to setting up vegetable and fruit shops. About a year ago, the temple administration issued notices to these illegal immigrants to vacate the land but it did not affect them. It is alleged that some political parties have also provided protection to these infiltrators. Additionally, incidents like theft and robbery have also increased in this area.

Speaking with OpIndia, Rajesh Yadav further stated that in April 2024, a suspicious fire broke out in the slum area. All 80 huts were engulfed in flames, reducing to ashes. There were no casualties reported. It was reported that the fire, which started in the house of a Muslim family boiling an egg, quickly spread across the entire settlement. However, various Hindu organisations, including the Hindu Samrat Sena, say that the incident was a conspiracy. Following the incident, all Muslims started saying in unison that their identification documents and government papers were burnt in the fire. 

It is alleged that this is a conspiracy to prove Rohingya, Bangladeshi, and other Muslim infiltrators as Nepali citizens. Soon after the incident, Muslim organizations from Nepal and other countries began rallying behind this settlement. On social media, the Muslim settlers were portrayed as helpless and vulnerable, and appeals were issued to help them. The first demand for this aid was to provide permanent homes for over 80 families. Some Nepali parties initiated efforts to convey this demand to the government, with leftist parties taking a lead role.

We were told that within a few days, crores of rupees were also collected. Crowds started gathering for donations on the temple land as well. Clothes, rations, and other essentials were the main items in this donation. Many Muslim groups in Nepal started organizing rallies from village to village. In this rally, the banner demanding permanent homes for all Muslims affected by the fire on the temple land was at the forefront. Upon seeing the signs of permanent construction, the temple management issued appeals to the Nepali administration to save their land. However, their appeal had no effect on the Nepali administration.

Finally, Hindu organisations intervened in this matter. Since May 2024, several groups, including the Hindu Samrat Sena, launched grassroots campaigns against this encroachment in villages and cities. People were also alerted about the possible conspiracy on social media. The Nepali government and local administration were also warned through memorandums that if the temple land was encroached upon, there would be protests. Seeing the increasing tension on both sides, the administration became vigilant.

It is said that in the first week of May, the Nepali administration initiated an investigation into this dispute. Until the investigation report is released, all types of construction, temporary or permanent, have been halted. Police patrols on the temple land have been increased. Despite administrative strictness, the Muslim side is not willing to vacate the land of the monastery. Still, some individuals from the Muslim community are clandestinely carrying out temporary constructions on that land. The Muslim community is being led by Kaleem Ansari who is the President of Ward Number 6 of Mathihani Municipality. 

The list of those affected by the fire includes 7-8 houses of Hindus as well. Rajesh Yadav told OpIndia that this handful of Hindu families are themselves being victimised by the Muslims. Additionally, they are willing to cooperate with the Nepali administration in every way.

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