On Wednesday (8th May), the Karnataka BJP lashed out at the state Congress government for appointing a non-Hindu person as a member of the Avimukeshwara Swamy Temple’s Brahmarathotsava Samiti which is located in Hoskote Town Fort in Bengaluru Rural District. Notably, the newly formed committee to oversee events of the temples includes a Muslim man named ‘Nawaz’ which has sparked outrage. The opposition party, BJP, and Hindu devotees have raised questions as to why non-Hindus are being appointed to oversee Hindu mandirs.
As per reports, Hoskote MLA Sarath Bache Gowda, who hails from the Congress party, had requested the government to form a committee for the development of Avimukeshwara Brahmarathotsav in Hoskote town fort in Bengaluru rural district.
Based on his request, the state government through a circular from the Tehsildar’s office has appointed a committee of 12 members. The BJP has expressed outrage stating that a Muslim named Nawaz has also been selected among these 12 people.
Taking to X, the state BJP unit has shared an official memorandum of the office bearers of the temple committee. Slamming the Congress government over the appointment of non-Hindus in temple management, the Karnataka BJP alleged that the Hindu-hating CM Siddaramaiah after attempting to loot Hindu temples, now seeks to control temples and their resources.
The tweet read, “Congress appointed ‘Nawaz’ to oversee the Brahmotsavam event at the Shri Avimukteshwara Swamy Temple in Hoskote. After attempting to loot our temples, the Hindu-hating CM @siddaramaiah now seeks to control temples & their resources by appointing non-Hindus.”
Slamming Rahul Gandhi’s wealth redistribution plan and appeasement politics, the Karnataka BJP further stated, “Congress govt in Karnataka appears to be in a hurry to implementing Rahul Gandhi’s delusional ideas of stripping Hindus of their rights, to favour one particular community. Today it’s just one temple in Karnataka, tomorrow it might be every temple in India. Beware of Congress!”
The appointment of non-Hindus to temple management has stirred widespread outrage among believers with several netizens demanding answers as to how can believers of other faiths organise or oversee events of the Hindu temples.
Mr. Nawaz has been appointed to the committee responsible for overseeing the Brahmotsavam festivities of Shri Avimukteshwara Swamy in Hoskote, located in the Bangalore Rural District.
A lawyer affiliated with VHP, Girish Bharadwaj wrote, “Mr. Nawaz has been appointed to the committee responsible for overseeing the Brahmotsavam festivities of Shri Avimukteshwara Swamy in Hoskote, located in the Bangalore Rural District. I would request Shri @RLR_BTM, Endowments minister to clarify if “Nawaz” is a Hindu name. How can a “Muslim” organise Temple Brahmotsava?”
The issue of the appointment of people of other faiths to the management board of Hindu temples as well as several state governments unaccountably controlling the temple activities have been a cause for concern for Hindu devotees. Additionally, several lawyers have approached top courts in the country to free temples from government control.
Earlier yesterday (May 6), former Somaiya School Principal Parveen Shaikh was handed over a termination letter by Somaiya Vidyavihar, weeks after OpIndia published an expose detailing her controversial social media behaviour, which involved liking pro-Hamas tweets, pro-Zakir Naik posts among other things.
In a statement issued by Somaiya Trust, the prestigious Mumbai-based school said, “Recently, it has come to our attention that the personal social media activities of Ms Parveen Shaikh, who holds a leadership position at The Somaiya School, have been starkly misaligned with the values we cherish.”
“Given the gravity of these concerns, and after careful consideration, the management has discontinued Ms Parveen Shaikh’s association with Somaiya Vidyavihar to ensure that our ethos of unity and inclusivity is not compromised,” the statement released by Somaiya Trust said.
The statement added, “Somaiya Vidyavihar remains dedicated to providing a nurturing educational environment that honours and respects all cultures and beliefs, contributing positively to society and our nation.”
The development came days after the Somaiya management sought an explanation from Parveen Shaikh over a report published by OpIndia on April 24 that tracked the Islamist views of the former principal and her bent towards anti-Indian elements on social media. She frequently liked Hamas pronouncements endorsing their ‘resistance’ against Israel along with those supporting its senior leadership such as terrorist Ismail Haniyeh. From her social media activity, she came across as an ardent advocate of Hamas who rationalised all the atrocities it commits as ‘resistance’ or ‘retaliation.’
But no sooner did OpIndia publish its first report detailing the problematic behaviour of the former Somaiya School principal, than a bevvy of left-leaning liberals and ultra-leftist propaganda portals, namely Scroll and The Wire, came to the defence of Ms Shaikh, using cliched tropes to downplay allegations against her and paint her as a victim of “online bullying and trolling.”
Reports published by Scroll and The Wire described OpIndia as a ‘Hindutva portal’ in a bid to discredit the serious allegations levelled against Ms Shaikh, an educator who was tasked with the responsibility of managing one of the notable knowledge centres in the country’s finance capital.
These portals then went on to invoke the time-tested formula that leftists often resort to when they are boxed into a corner and find themselves entangled in a situation from which extrication is almost impossible: feign victimhood. These portals claimed Ms Shaikh supported Palestinians against the bloody war inflicted upon them by Israel.
However, as is their wont, they remain economical with the truth and don’t hesitate to peddle lies if it comply with their agenda. They would either not mention the trigger that compelled Israel to mount an unprecedented attack against Gaza or allude to it as a passing reference. Even worse, they would conveniently distort support for Hamas as solidarity for Palestinians and condemnation of Hamas for the October 7 attacks as grounds for rationalising the aggression of “occupying force”, which they use for Israel, depending upon whether they want to protect one of them or peddle propaganda against their opponents.
Since it was to protect Ms Shaikh in this case, several leftwing trolls and portals such as Scroll and The Wire pulled out the victim card, asserting that Ms Shaikh was hounded for merely championing the Palestinian cause, and has now lost her job for expressing solidarity for the Palestinians who are at the receiving end of Israel-Hamas conflict.
This, of course, is a straw man argument since the sacking of Parveen Shaikh is not about any ’cause’ but Islamofascism, a supranational Islamic fundamentalism epitomised by Hamas, whose central aim is to destroy Israel, the Jewish land, and create a Palestinian country in its stead.
Since its inception in December 1987, Hamas has utilised militant interpretations of Islam to lead a Sunni extremist movement dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Hamas distinguished itself from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a longstanding coalition of Palestinian groups with diverse ideologies, by promoting resistance within the religious framework of jihad, or a sacred struggle and martyrdom.
In its initial statement in the late 1980s, Hamas declared, “Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.” Predominantly Shiite Iran has provided support to Hamas since the late 1980s, primarily due to its opposition to Israel and shared Islamic ideology.
Hamas, an Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, has urged adherents of Judaism and Christianity to acknowledge Islamic hegemony in the Middle East. It stated that followers of other religions should refrain from challenging Islamic authority in the region, warning of potential violence, displacement, and terror if they were to assume control. Additionally, Hamas firmly opposed any prospects for peace or coexistence with Israel, dismissing diplomatic efforts as futile endeavours.
This support for Islamic hegemony and intolerance towards adherents of other faiths is evident in the constant attacks it mounts against the Jewish nation. The dastardly October 7 attacks, in which over 1,200 Israelis, including elderly, women, and children, were killed by Hamas terrorists who raided the border villages, were the most recent testament to the Islamist group’s depravity in fulfilling its fantasy of taking control of Israel and subsequently imposing a Sharia rule within its geographical contours.
Manifestly, Hamas is not a benign organisation that is fighting for the rights and safety of Palestinians and whose sole aim of existence is the governance of the Gaza Strip. Its religious and organisational goals go much beyond the borders of Gaza, as the cowardly October 7 attacks demonstrated. It aims to establish an Islamic theocratic nation governed by Sharia rule where non-Muslims are treated as second-class citizens, something which ISIS failed to accomplish in its neighbourhood in Syria and Iraq.
The Islamists and Hamas sympathisers in India wailing over Parveen Shaikh’s termination lament that she was sacked for merely standing in solidarity with Palestine. However, let us not be fooled by these leftist tropes that she was “targeted” for her support of Palestinians. The leftist apparatchiks and its propaganda machinery can cry a sea over it, but that does not change the facts on the ground.
Ms Shaikh was fired not because of any run-of-the-mill ’cause’ that her supporters would have us believe; she was sacked because she appeared to endorse the Islamofascism championed by Hamas, and was quite unapologetic about it. After all, no flourishing secular and democratic nation can afford to bestow the power of influencing and informing the worldview of the nation’s future—the young and impressionable children—in the hands of Hamas simpers.
According to Military Intelligence, over 50,000 infiltrators from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are lodging in Kerala with fictitious Aadhaar cards, reported Onmanorama. The report unveiled that the Aadhaar centres in Madhupur and Nagaon in Assam, Kalimpong, Nadia and Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal and Perumbavoor in Kerala were all compromised to create the phoney cards. Furthermore, it mentioned that Indian nationals who are being prosecuted for crimes are also creating fake Aadhaar cards to abscond from the country.
The Border Security Force (BSF) increased monitoring in the border states in response to the military wing’s findings. Additionally, the Indian Coast Guard increased the scope of its monitoring in Kerala and other coastal states. Interestingly, central intelligence services had also reported a year prior that foreigners were using fraudulent Aadhaar cards to infiltrate Kerala.
Fifty Aadhaar cards were created, based on the central intelligence agency, after hackers gained access to an internet system at an Akshaya Kendra in Triprangode, Malappuram. West Bengal and Jharkhand internet protocol addresses were employed to access the system. Moreover, it was discovered that faux Aadhaar centres in Perumbavoor’s “bhai markets,” which are areas frequented by temporary labourers, produced counterfeit cards using identical pictures but with different names and addresses.
The anti-terrorism unit of the Kerala police found several bogus Aadhaar cards the other day. The Aadhaar Act of 2016 penalizes forging or misusing Aadhaar cards. It would result in a fine of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh along with a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Earlier reports have disclosed that illegal Rohingya infiltrators were using the identity of the deceased individuals in India and entering from the Bangladesh border. National Investigation Agency looked into this matter as well. Some people were arrested in this case in Tamil Nadu.
On 31st January, the agency submitted two charge sheets against three citizens of Bangladesh in a case involving the entry of Rohingya and Bangladeshi individuals into India as a component of a large-scale trafficking network. Shahabuddin Hossain, Munna also known as Noor Karim, and Muhammad Soriful, alias Babu Mian were the people named in the charge sheets. According to the NIA, the accused in the “Tamil Nadu Human Trafficking” case were deliberately involved in the falsification of Indian documents to conceal their true identities.
On 20th August 2013, Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who called himself a ‘rationalist’, was murdered on Pune Omkareshwar Bridge. Dabholkar was an atheist and anti-superstition ‘activist’. He spent most of his life advocating a ban on religious practices which he believed were “irrational religious” practices. His murder case is most likely concluding on 10th May 2024. Information in this report is extracted from author Amit Thadani’s book ‘The Rationalist Murders: Diary of a Ruined Investigation’.
Dabholkar and anti-superstition bill
Dr Narendra Dabholkar was a medical doctor by profession who transitioned to activism. He founded the organisation named Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) which campaigned against practices that they believed were harmful and superstitious. Because of his activism, he was often at odds with religious groups, especially Hindu groups as most of his campaigns were against Hindu religious practices. In 2003, he proposed an anti-superstition bill in the Maharashtra Assembly aimed at criminalising acts of black magic, sacrifices and other practices termed as religious rituals.
Notably, the bill talked about animal sacrifices in front of the idols but left out animal sacrifices on the Islamic festival Eid as they were not slaughtered in front of an idol. Several provisions directly targeted Hindu practices resulting in criticism and opposition by several Hindu groups that argued that the bill targeted their religious practices.
Religious sentiments of millions of Hindus were hurt because of the criminalised provisions against the wari (yatra) where lakhs of devotees walk barefoot, Karnavedha (a Hindu tradition of piercing ears), and homas / havans.
Because of the opposition faced by the religious groups, the then-Congress-led Government of Maharashtra removed 17 out of 28 original provisions to alleviate the protests. However, the bill remained a point of contention and was often seen as an attack on Hindu traditions. The aim of the bill should have been to protect the public from exploitation but Dabholkar, his organisation and the state government failed to take religious groups into confidence mostly due to targeted attacks on Hindu practices.
Accusations against Narendra Dabhokar’s organisation
It has to be noted that though Urban Naxal is a relatively new term, in 2011, the MANS’s (or ANiS) name appeared as the 50th number in the list of 62 organisations that support the Naxal movement. Notably, the report came out when Congress was in power in Maharashtra. The organisations and people who found their place in that list are often called “Urban Naxals” in modern terminology.
Furthermore, ANiS was also accused of accepting massive foreign funding. There were financial irregularities leading to the cancellation of their FCRA licence by the Modi government. Also, the Assistant Charity Commissioner, District Satara sent his proposal for the conduct of a special audit of Anis to the Joint Charity Commissioner for a final decision, since two of the subordinate officers had pointed out financial irregularities and the Joint Charity Commissioner has called for an explanation from the trust as to why special audit should not be conducted and administrator not be appointed. The issue is still pending before the Joint Charity Commissioner, Pune.
Surprisingly, the statements issued by Dr Narendra Dabholkar (before his death), and those issued by the trustees were contradictory. Even though it was suspicious, the agencies investigating the Dr Dabholkar murder case have not investigated this discrepancy and its connection with the case.
Murder of Narendra Dabholkar
On the morning of 20th August 2013, Dabholkar was on his regular morning walk. Two assailants came on a motorcycle and fatally shot him from behind. It was an execution-style killing that led to the belief that it was a premeditated attack. The assailants managed to escape despite the presence of a police nakabandi and chowki nearby indicating there was a possible lapse in security or surveillance in the area.
Accusations against Hindu groups and targeting Sanatan Sanstha
Almost immediately after the murder, Sanatan Sanstha became the prime target of the media trial. Sanatan Sanstha had vehemently opposed the anti-superstition bill and was previously linked to other violent acts. However, the accusations against the Hindu organisation were based primarily on ideological conflicts rather than concrete evidence. It led to widespread criticism of the investigating agencies and experts believed there was bias in the investigative approach.
Investigation and its discontents
Initially, the investigation was handled by the Pune Police. Before UPA went out of power, the investigation was handed over the to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 9th May 2014 on the directions of Bombay High Court.
The first two arrests made in the case were of Vikas Khandelwal and Manish Nagori based on ballistic evidence that linked the two to the murder weapon. The Murder weapon was found in their custody. However, the link was later deemed inconclusive. Furthermore, the witnesses present at the scene of the crime failed to identify the two leading to their release.
On 1st June 2016, CBI raided Sanatan Ashram and Dr Virendrasingh Tawade’s house in Panvel and Mr Sarang Akolkar’s locked house in Pune. Virendra Singh Tawade was summoned for ten days between 1st June 2016 to 10th June 2016 by the investigating agency for questioning. He was arrested on the last day.
As per CBI, one of the witnesses Sanjay Sadwilkar claimed Virendrasingh approached him to make a pistol. When he showed reluctance, he asked him to procure bullets. All this, according to Sadwilkar, happened between April 2013 and June 2013.
Notably, Sadwilkar, a silversmith from Kolhapur, was named in a corruption case exposed by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and other Hindu Organizations in 2015. In March 2016, he came forward as a witness in the case. He confessed before the court that he harboured animosity towards the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Initially, he claimed there was a heated argument between Narendra Dabholkar and Tawade during an event however later he confessed nothing like that happened.
During the investigation and trial, it was evident that his statements, at best, remained a personal opinion due to his suspicion and bias.
Over the years, CBI shifted its focus among several suspects including Dr Virendrasingh Tawade and two individuals who were linked to Madgoan Blast Case and were said to be absconding i.e. Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar. It was claimed that this two persons shot Dabholkar dead. Each time the shift of the investigation was more of a reactive one rather than based on thorough investigation.
The eyewitnesses also remained inconsistent in their testimonies and failed to reliably identify the suspects. The credibility of witnesses like Kiran Kamble and Vinay Kelkar was among those that came under scrutiny.
How killers and masterminds changed over time
In 2014, Pune Police released Vikas Khandelwal and Manish Nagori. CBI SP and investigation officer SR Singh faced questions during cross-examination on why no investigation was conducted on this aspect and it was only thereafter that a closure report was filed in 2023 providing clean chit to both of them without rational explanation.
In 2016, CBI claimed Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar were the shooters since Kamble and Kelkar allegedly identified them and Tawade was the mastermind.
In 2018, after a series of arrests in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, the CBI claimed Sachin Andhure and Sharad Kalaskar were shooters in the Narendra Dabholkar Murder case while Tawade remained the mastermind. Interestingly, their photographs were identified by the same witnesses who named other accused as shooters in 2016.
In 2019, CBI arrested advocate Sanjiv Punalekar claiming he advised Sharad Kalaskar to throw away the pistol used in the crime. Sharad was also later arrested in accused the Gauri Lankesh murder case. CBI also claimed he confessed before police commissioner Abhinav Khare but he was never presented before the Pune Court. Later, Punalekar was released on bail.
Throughout the investigation, there were multiple procedural lapses including improper handling of evidence and failure of the investigation agency to conduct the necessary identification parades as per the CBI manual.
Media trials and public perception
It has to be noted that the entire case was heavily influenced by the media coverage. It was more over sensationalism than ethical journalism. Notably, there was a planchette session organised by a journalist where it was claimed that they invoked the spirit of Dr Dabholkar’s spirit to identify his killers. . A sting operation was organised by then-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashish Khetan. Reportedly, he carried out a “sting operation” where Dabholkar’s ghost was seen claiming via a planchette medium that Sanatan Sanstha was behind his murder. The video was shared with the public.
Source: Wire/IndianExpress/IndiaToday
It was an irony that they organised such a session to find the killers of someone who spent his whole life opposing such paranormal sessions. It was widely criticised for undermining the seriousness of the investigation and illustrated a widely accepted trial-by-media phenomenon.
Source: Scroll/Quint/Mmumbai Mirror
Unresolved questions and judicial oversight
There have been several unresolved questions throughout the investigation. Several leads and pieces of evidence were mishandled or ignored by the investigating agencies. The question about the handling of ballistic evidence, the mysterious presence of foreign materials at the crime scene and the ultimate disposal of the murder weapon never found a proper investigative conclusion. It highlighted that there were significant gaps in the investigative process and suggested that either there was incompetence or deliberate obstruction.
Indian Overseas Congress President Sam Pitroda has decided to step down from his post after his racist remarks about Indians from various regions, and the backlash that followed it. The resignation has been accepted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
श्री सैम पित्रोदा ने अपनी मर्ज़ी से इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफ़ा देने का फ़ैसला किया है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने उनका इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार कर लिया है।
Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…
The resignation comes after Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, popularly known as Sam Pitroda, claimed that Indians native to the Eastern side of the country resemble Chinese people, those living in the West appear middle eastern while North Indians look like ‘white people’ and the ones in the South are similar in appearance to the people of ‘Africa’.
Sam Pitroda stated, “We could hold a country together as diverse as India where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like maybe White and people in the South look like Africa. Doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters. We all respect different languages. We all respect different religions, different looks, different customs. different food and as a Gujarati, I love dosa, I love idli. That’s my food. That’s no longer South Indian food. Okay, that’s the India I believe in where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit.”
Pitroda’s earlier comment on inheritance tax
Sam Pitroda was in the news last month for doubling down on ‘inheritance tax’. Amidst outrage over the Congress party’s ‘wealth redistribution’ poll promise, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s advisor Sam Pitroda has suggested that a US-like inheritance tax should be brought in India. Pitroda while explaining the inheritance tax claimed that in the US, 55% of the wealth is grabbed by the government when a person dies and the rest goes to the family, suggesting that Congress can bring a similar policy under its wealth redistribution promise.
Popular psephologist Pradeep Bhandari on Wednesday (May 8) took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce he has resigned from Zee News.
“I have resigned from Zee News. I will not be hosting your favourite shows Taal Thok Ke at 5 PM, Aapka Sawal at 8 PM, & 24 Ki Sarkar at 10 pm, or present Exit Poll on Zee this election season,” Bhandari tweeted.
Dear Friends,
I have resigned from Zee News. I will not be hosting your favourite shows Taal Thok Ke at 5 PM, Aapka Sawal at 8 PM, & 24 Ki Sarkar at 10 pm, or present Exit Poll on Zee this election season.
Gratitude for your love. ??
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)?? (@pradip103) May 8, 2024
Notably, Bhandari’s resignation came days after Zee Media Corporation terminated the services of former chief executive officer (CEO) Abhay Ojha. Ojha was terminated on May 4, 2024. The company, however, did not elaborate on the reasons for his termination.
Bhandari’s resignation coincides with rumours of a purported blackout imposed by Zee News on live coverage of PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Yogi Adityanath. While Zee News has not responded to the rumours, several social media users claim that Zee News has allegedly placed a ban on the speeches of PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath, and Amit Shah.
On Wednesday (8th May) Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh informed that the government has identified 5457 illegal immigrants in the state.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CM Singh stated that his government has identified a total of 5457 illegal immigrants in Kamjong district, Manipur, as of the 7th of May 2024.
“???? ??????? ?????????? ????????, ????????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??????????. The Government has detected a total of 5457 illegal immigrants in Kamjong District, Manipur as on May 7th, 2024. Out of the total, the biometric data of 5173 such illegal immigrants have been collected so far. Deportation process is underway,” the Manipur CM wrote.
CM Singh further stated that the government is providing humanitarian aid to the illegal immigrants adding that despite the alarming situation, the government is handling the matter with sensitivity.
The Government has detected a total of 5457 illegal immigrants in Kamjong District, Manipur as on May 7th, 2024. Out of…
— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) May 8, 2024
“We have been giving humanitarian aides to all the illegal immigrants who were detected so far. Despite being an alarming situation, we have been handling it with utmost sensitivity,” Singh added.
Last week, 38 illegal immigrants were deported to Myanmar from Manipur, bringing the total number of illegal Myanmarese migrants deported to 77 since 8th March.
Without any discrimination, we have completed the first phase of deportation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar with 38 more… pic.twitter.com/KSXZtZeGVV
— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) May 2, 2024
Informing about the action on 2nd May, CM Singh wrote: “…Without any discrimination, we have completed the first phase of deportation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar with 38 more immigrants leaving Manipur, India today through Moreh. A total of 77 illegal immigrants have been deported in the first phase. One Indian national was also brought back from Myanmar during the handover ceremony. The State Government is continuing the identification of illegal immigrants and at the same time biometric data are being recorded. Let’s keep our borders and country secure.”
Delhi High Court on Wednesday, May 8, came down heavily on advocate Shrikant Prasad, who filed a PIL in court, seeking directions to restrain media channels from reporting against Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, currently lodged in Tihar jail for his alleged involvement in the Delhi Liquor scam. Dismissing the PIL seeking the media gag, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner.
Notably, the PIL was filed by advocate Shrikant Prasad. He had submitted before the court that the media was creating “pressure and airing sensational headlines” regarding Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation and imposition of presidential rule in Delhi. He urged the court to restrain the media from reporting on Kejriwal.
The PIL also asked the court to issue orders to give Kejriwal proper facilities in Tihar jail so he could interact with members of the legislative assembly and his cabinet colleagues and ensure the smooth operation of the Delhi government.
“The conduct of Media as of today in this particular issue is very much prejudiced to the citizens and public of Delhi and making interference in the democratic process and a Chief Minister appointed by a setback majority of 62 seats in Delhi assembly elections of 2020,” the plea argued.
Advocate Shrikant Prasad in his PIL, further urged the court to refrain Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva from “making any undue pressure by protest or statement by illegal means for resignation of current Chief Minister of Delhi”.
Shrikant Prasad contended that the initiatives of the Delhi government have benefited the citizens of Delhi and have received recognition from several other reputable institutions as well as the international media.
The court, however, remarked sternly while dismissing the plea. “You keep a bank draft of ₹1 lakh ready. This is not public interest… what have we been reduced to? What do we do? Do we impose emergency or martial law? How do we gag the press or political rivals? Your prayer is… Do we say no one will speak against Mr A or Mr B,” the Court questioned while rejecting the plea.
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested on 21st March this year after having skipped 9 summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is being held at the Tihar jail at the moment.
On Tuesday (7th May), the Supreme Court of India denied interim bail to incumbent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection to the liquor policy scam case. Kejriwal has not been granted any relief by the Delhi High Court or the Supreme Court since his arrest in March this year.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that the Chief Minister will continue to lead the government from prison and wouldn’t resign from office.
On Tuesday (7th May) morning, the Jain community, led by Muni Sunil Sagar, marched barefoot to the 12th-century mosque Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district. They stated that it has been their custom for centuries to perform prayers at the ASI-protected site.
The ASI has declared the property as a protected monument. Locals argued that monks could not enter the mosque without wearing clothes. The monks contended that it was their right as Jain faith followers to visit government buildings.
The Jain monks were joined by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists. They said that the site was once a Sanskrit school before being converted into a mosque in the 12th century.
The Jain monks and their adherents did not enter the mosque’s central area during their visit. Muni Sunil Sagar spoke for ten minutes on a stone platform at the site. “The structure should be under the control of its rightful owners. If it has been our tradition to offer prayers here, so it should be done. It should not lead to the intention of the right of upmanship. We should be careful. When we assert our rights over another’s property without acknowledging the facts, it fosters enmity. We must strive for harmony and move forward)”
Speaking to TOI, Muni Sunil Sagar said: “Today, I visited Adhai Din Ka Jhopra and discovered that it is not a mere shanty (jhonpra) but a palace. I observed many symbols from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. I even found broken statues from the Hindu faith, yet ironically, it is called a mosque.”
“We must acknowledge rightful ownership over possessions. We also have the right to worship, and no one holds a monopoly over such rights. History evolves, and so do circumstances. Religion teaches us kindness, love, and non-violence,” the Jain monk added.
History of Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
Originally a magnificent Sanskrit College (Saraswati Kanthabharan Mahavidyalay) with a temple dedicated to Mata Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom, the building was commissioned by Maharaja Vigraharaja IV. He was a king of the Shakambhari Chahamana or Chauhan dynasty.
As per several documents, the original building was square-shaped. It had a tower at each corner. There was a temple of Mata Saraswati on the western side of the building. In the 19th century, a tablet was found at the site that dated back to 1153 CE. Experts believe that based on the tablet, it can be inferred that the original building was constructed sometime around 1153.
Some local Jain legends, however, state that the building was commissioned by Seth Viramdeva Kala in 660 CE. It was constructed as a Jain Shrine and celebrated Panch Kalyanaka. It is noteworthy that the site has elements of both Jain and Hindu architecture of that time. A detailed OpIndia report on the history of Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra can be read here.
On Saturday (4th May), Mumbai Police in Maharashtra booked an individual identified as Ibrahim Khan for brutally raping a 14-year-old Hindu girl and threatening her to death. The accused first trapped the minor girl into a ‘love’ affair and then forcefully established sexual relations with her.
The police have filed an FIR under sections 376 and 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 4 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012. Also sections 3(1)(w)(i) and 3(1)(w)(ii) of the SC/ST Act, 1989 have been imposed against the accused.
As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened in the Kashigaon area of Mumbai in November 2023. The victim had recently shifted to the locality with her sister after her parents died. Accused Ibrahim Khan stayed in the neighborhood of the victim and used to watch the victim daily.
On 8th November, the accused approached the victim and told her that he liked her and that he wanted to spend his life with her. He also proposed to the girl for marriage. The girl took some time to respond. Meanwhile, on 11th November, he barged into her home when she was all alone and harassed her.
Later he forced himself upon the girl saying that he intended to marry her. Though the girl refused, he forcefully established sexual relations with the girl. “He told me that he did not want to stay with his parents and that he liked me. He also said that he would take a room on rent and would keep me there happily. I refused. But later he forced himself upon me and told me that nothing was wrong,” the girl was quoted as saying in the FIR.
As per the complaint, the accused is also said to have sexually assaulted the girl in December 2023. He also abused the girl and threatened her saying that if she failed to fulfill all his desires, he would kill her. He also once took the girl to a nearby Masjid and asked her to observe Roja (fast as per Islamic ritual) and follow Islamic traditions. The girl, as per the FIR, had a suspicion that she was being trapped in ‘love jihad’ so she would stay away from the accused.
The threats continued in the meantime. However, the complaint was filed by the victim on 3rd May 2024 only after the accused again barged into the home of the victim, abused and threatened to kill her.
The police have filed an FIR under sections 376 and 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and sections 4 and 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012. Also sections 3(1)(w)(i) and 3(1)(w)(ii) of the SC/ST Act, 1989 have been imposed against the accused.
Further investigations are underway. FIR copy of the case has been obtained by OpIndia.
