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‘Atishi wants to create communal tensions’: Delhi LG stays demolition drive against two Hindu temples ahead of Ram Navami

OpIndia Staff
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‘Atishi wants to create communal tensions’: Delhi LG stays demolition drive against two Hindu temples ahead of Ram Navami

After the Aam Aadmi Party government attempted to demolish two Hindu temples in West Delhi on 15th April, amidst the Navratri festival, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena stayed the demolition action ahead of Ram Navami. Reports say that the AAP minister Atishi had in February this year ordered the demolition of two temples namely Jai Shiv Bhola Mandir in Tilak Nagar and the Jai Shri Mata Mahakali Mandir at Khyala Road on Monday.

Delhi LG while staying the demolition of these temples reportedly said that AAP leader Atishi wants to fan communal tensions by ordering the removal of Hindu temples during Navratri, particularly when the model code of conduct is in effect, as per a Times Now report.

Notably, the decision to demolish certain religious structures was taken by the Public Works Department on 9th February this year. In the meeting held in February this year, many such structures were discussed for demolition, however, only the said two temples were approved for demolition saying that since these temples were situated on the roadside they caused traffic issues.

The PWD officials, reportedly, sought logistics and police assistance for demolishing these temples first on 21st February and then on 28th March, however, it was said that the demolition had been scheduled specifically for 15th of April.

Although the Delhi LG has put a stay on the demolition action, the local Hindus are enraged over the AAP government’s decision to demolish Hindu temples, especially during the Navratri festival. Locals alleged that the Hindu community is being deliberately targeted by the Delhi government.

Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly objected to the AAP government’s decision. In a press conference on Monday, BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva said, “Navratri festival is being celebrated all over the country at this time. This festival of worship of Mother Bhagwati has special importance in Delhi. Be it the administration or any individual, he especially expects harmony to be maintained during these religious functions. But unfortunately, there is a government in Delhi which works on the policy of pleasing one section.”

Sachdeva also slammed AAP leader Atishi and said that the meeting to discuss demolition action against encroachments was held on 9th February and several other sites from ISBT to Majnu Ka Tila were also discussed, however, Atishi selected only two Hindu temples for demolition that too specifically during Navaratri.

“Public Works Department comes under the Delhi Government. AAP minister Atishi tried to demolish two temples in West Delhi. Navratri is going on, people are fasting. People are doing puja every day. Deliberately targeting temples, especially on the day of Navratri reflects the mindset of the Aam Aadmi Party and its alliance parties. The cabinet meeting of the Delhi government was held on 9 February 2024. Apart from these two, there was discussion about removing the sites from ISBT to Majnu Ka Tila which come under the category of encroachment. But Atishi specifically chose two temples built in densely populated areas on Khayala Road and Ganesh Nagar in Tilak Nagar. After this, orders were given that these temples have to be removed today (15th April) itself,” Sachdeva said adding that the temples marked for demolition were constructed around 35 years ago.

The BJP leader alleged that an attempt was made to incite communal tensions, however, with LG VK Saxena’s intervention, the situation was brought under control. “As soon as the public came to know this morning, a large number of people gathered there. The Lieutenant Governor somehow brought the worsening situation under control. But the Aam Aadmi Party, which is already reeling from its defeat, has now resorted to these small acts and is directly attacking Sanatan,” Sachdeva added.

‘Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram pressured RBI to present rosier growth picture’, ex-RBI Governor D Subbarao makes shocking revelations

OpIndia Staff
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‘Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram pressured RBI to present rosier growth picture’, ex-RBI Governor D Subbarao makes shocking revelations

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor, D Subbarao, has made some shocking assertions in his book about his time at the RBI and his interactions with the then Finance Ministers. Subbarao alleged that the finance ministry, led by Pranab Mukherjee, and P Chidambaram, pressed the RBI to lower interest rates and create a more positive picture of development to boost the confidence of people in the government. 

“Chidambaram typically argued his case like the lawyer that he so eminently is, while Mukherjee was the quintessential politician,” Subbarao wrote.

In the book titled “Just A Mercenary? Notes from My Life and Career,’ Subbarao spoke on the government’s ‘lack of awareness and sensitivity’ to the necessity of central bank autonomy.

“Having been both in the government and in the RBI, I can say with some authority that there is little understanding and sensitivity within the government on the importance of central bank autonomy,” he wrote in the book.

Subbarao was finance secretary from 2007 to 2008 before becoming RBI governor for a five-year tenure beginning September 5, 2008, just days before the Lehman Brothers crisis took place.

In the book, Subbarao noted that government pressure was not limited to the Reserve Bank’s interest rate policy. On occasion, this pressure extended to pressing the RBI to produce more positive growth and inflation estimates, which deviated from the RBI’s objective judgment, he said.

Subbarao described his discussions with Chidambaram and Mukherjee, highlighting their differing approaches but common desire for softer monetary policy. He recalled moments when Chidambaram publicly disagreed with the RBI’s stance on interest rates.

“Mukherjee let his view be known and left it to his officers to argue his case”, he stated, adding that “the net result was an uncomfortable relationship”.

Subbarao stated that suggestions were made that the RBI project a higher growth rate and a lower inflation rate to share responsibility with the government for ‘shoring up confidence’. He admitted that there was a moment when he was consistently dissatisfied and annoyed by the demand that the RBI become a cheerleader for the government.

The previous RBI governor stated that he used to hold the firm belief that the Reserve Bank could not deviate from its best professional judgment just to manipulate popular emotion.

Duvvuri Subbarao began his career as a sub-collector for the Parvathipuram sub-division in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh in 1974. In 2013, he was appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of India during a severe exchange rate crisis. Subbarao is now an associate at the Yale Jackson School in the United States.

His most recent novel, ‘Just a Mercenary? Notes from My Life and Career’ describes his 74-year journey. The book contains numerous stories of his hopes and sorrow, accomplishments and defeats, mistakes and transgressions, and the lessons he learned along the road, all told with unusual candor and honesty.

HfHR, which had hosted Rahul Gandhi, targets resolution in US asking to condemn attacks on temples, Hinduphobia: What the resolution is, anti-Hindu HfHR and links to Soros

OpIndia Staff
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HfHR, which had hosted Rahul Gandhi, targets resolution in US asking to condemn attacks on temples, Hinduphobia: What the resolution is, anti-Hindu HfHR and links to Soros

Two days after a Hindu politician Shri Thanedar submitted a resolution in the US House of Representatives condemning anti-Hindu bigotry, a controversial outfit named ‘Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)’, with ties to George Soros, on Friday (12th April) dubbed it as an exercise in ‘Hindu supremacy’.

Amidst rising cases of attacks on Hindu places of worship, Shri Thanedar floated a resolution in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (10th April) to celebrate the contribution of Hindu Americans and condemn Hinduphobia.

The resolution (H.Res.1131), which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, read [pdf] –

  1. The House of Representatives celebrates the contributions of Hindus and Hinduism to the United States of America;
  2. The House of Representatives declares the United States as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans;
  3. The House of Representatives condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and hate, and intolerance; and
  4. The House of Representatives makes appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.

Shri Thanedar also underlined that Hindu Americans continue to face stereotypes, Hinduphobia, discrimination, bias-motivated crimes, and hate speech. The community is also subjected to bullying in schools and colleges.

Citing the FBI’s Hate Crimes Statistics Report, the resolution added that anti-Hindu hate crimes are on the rise in the US annually. Despite no controversial or malicious proposals, the anti-Hindu outfit ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ opposed the resolution submitted by Shri Thanedar on Friday (12th April).

In a press release, the outfit backed by far-left activist George Soros alleged, “Instead, it reflects a longstanding effort by the Hindu supremacist movement in the United States to divide South Asian communities, undermine hard-won efforts to advance the civil rights of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh Americans after 9/11, and construct a politically motivated narrative of rampant ‘Hinduphobia’ to silence and censor anyone who criticizes Hindutva or speaks out against the violence of Hindu supremacy and caste oppression.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Hindus for Human Rights

“The term ‘Hinduphobia’ is designed to falsely equate anti-Hindu prejudice with Islamophobia and antisemitism, obscuring the fact that unlike Muslim and Jewish Americans, Hindu Americans do not face any such systemic discrimination or oppression. In many cases, instances of anti-Indian sentiment, general xenophobia, or even mistaken Islamophobia are misleadingly labelled as ‘Hinduphobic’ regardless of whether or not there is any evidence to support claims of religious motivation,” HfHR further alleged.

The controversial organisation left no stone unturned to negate the phenomenon of Hinduphobia. “Even worse, claims of ‘Hinduphobia’ have routinely been weaponized to smear anyone—including self-identifying Hindus—who criticizes the current Indian government or the Hindu supremacist movement,” Hindus for Human Rights brazened out.

“Perhaps most horrifyingly, dominant-caste Hindu supremacists deploy the term ‘Hinduphobia’ to describe legislation and policies that would end caste discrimination, including against fellow Hindu Americans. By explicitly invoking the rhetoric of ‘Hinduphobia,’ this resolution plays directly into the hands of Hindu supremacist groups, who have already seized upon its introduction as a victory for their cause,” it continued with its unsubstantiated claims.

Attacks on Hindu Mandirs in the US

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

In a statement, the temple administration said, “Jai Mata Di Bhakto’s. With deep regret, we would like to inform you (that) the Temple has been vandalized last week. We have informed the police and they have classified it as a hate crime.

“A few other Hindu Temple’s in the area have also been vandalized (most likely by the same culprits). We pray for those who wish harm and hatred on others that Mata Rani cleans their souls and gives them happiness and eradicates hate from their hearts,” it added.

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

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

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

Controversies surrounding ‘Hindus for Human Rights’

According to the popular OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been 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.

“We are especially appalled by the most recent nightmare of the Kashmiri people, and the situation of 1.9 million people in India who are rendered stateless due to the imposition of the travesty called the National Register of Citizens”

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 June last year, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting alongside Sunita Vishwanath during an event hosted by the Hudson Institute

In October 2023, the X (formerly Twitter) account of HfHR was withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

RJD is the biggest face of ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar, opposition demeaning Sanatan Dharma: PM Modi in Gaya

OpIndia Staff
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RJD is the biggest face of ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar, opposition demeaning Sanatan Dharma: PM Modi in Gaya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a rally in Gaya, Bihar, on Tuesday, 16th April, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In his address, the Prime Minister stated that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, was the most visible face of the ‘jungle raj’ in the state. He also accused the RJD of attempting to claim credit for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s work and efforts.

“RJD has ruled Bihar for several years but they don’t have the guts to discuss the work done by their government. RJD is the biggest face of jungle raj in Bihar…RJD has given only two things to Bihar – jungle raj aur bhrashtachar,” he said. 

“Ghamandia Gathbandhan has no vision or trust. When they go on asking for votes, then do so on the work done by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Entire Bihar knows why they try and take credit for the work done by Nitish ji and the central govt,” PM Modi added.

The PM also slammed the Congress and the opposition for demeaning Sanatan Dharma and terming it ‘dengue’, and ‘malaria’. “A group has gathered where various kinds of their companions label Sanatan Dharma as dengue and malaria,” he said. Modi was pointing at Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark that he made last year that sparked huge controversy.

Prime Minister Modi also announced updates to his ‘guarantee card’, including three crore houses for the poor, free ration for the poor, free treatment for the over 70s, and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. “For the next five years, Modi’s ‘guarantee card’ has been updated. Three crore houses will be made for the poor, the poor will get free ration for the next five years, those above 70 years of age will receive free treatment up to Rs 5 lakhs, PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi will be continued. All these are Modi’s guarantees,” he said.

As per the Prime Minister, the BJP manifesto provides a roadmap for society. “Over the last decade, 10 crore women have joined self-help groups in India, with the NDA government providing over Rs 40,000 crore to these groups, transforming their fortunes,” he added.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will also address public meetings in Bihar’s Purnea district. This is Prime Minister Modi’s third visit to Bihar in just two weeks. Gaya votes in the first phase on the 19th of April, while Purnea votes in the second phase on the 26th of April.

The Prime Minister will also address rallies in Balurghat and Raiganj, both in West Bengal. Both seats will vote in the second phase of the general election on April 26. Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats will take place in seven phases. Vote counting will be held on the 4th of June.

Jai Anant Dehadrai reveals message by Karan Thapar, says he tried to protect Shashi Tharoor after alleged molestation incident: Here is what the message said

OpIndia Staff
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Jai Anant Dehadrai reveals message by Karan Thapar, says he tried to protect Shashi Tharoor after alleged molestation incident: Here is what the message said

On 16th April, former Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s ex, Jai Anant Dehadrai, shared a message allegedly from The Wire’s Karan Thapar where he tried to protect Shashi Tharoor after an alleged molestation incident in 2022. In his post on X, Dehadrai wrote, “Karan Thapar is a twisted and corrupt monster – the suave and articulate exterior is a scam. Went out of his way to protect dirty Shashi from me, in the hotel molestation incident of 11th October 2022 – rather than supporting the victim. Lutyens filth is astounding.”

The screenshot of the message that he shared was from 15th October 2022. A few sections of the message were redacted. The message read, “Jai since you won’t talk to me I thought I’d text to say if you go public you’ll harm and perhaps even ruin XXX reputation and political career but it really won’t affect Shashi coz he’s going to lose the election and you’ve told me he’s behaved like this many times before so I presume people know he does it. You XXX insanely then why do something that could ruin her? Think carefully about this. At least discuss it with her before you go public. You don’t want to endanger XXX with her over Shashi. Please pause and think again.” (XXX in the text is the redacted part).

Dehadrai alleged he saw Shashi Tharoor molesting a woman

In December 2023, Dehadrai had posted on X that Shashi Tharoor should be in “Jail not in parliament”. The post came after now-deleted post where he shared that he had witnessed Congress MP Shashi Tharoor molesting a woman and former TMC MP Mahua Moitra chose to keep quiet about it.

In a X post on 6th December, Jai Anant Dehadrai had shared, “Mahua’s remarks on misogyny are laughable and expose her for the raging hypocrite she is. She and I witnessed Shashi Tharoor molest a lady on 11th October 2022 at the Taj Chambers Delhi. She prevented me from reporting Shashi’s sickening behaviour. I am sure she can explain why.” Dehadrai soon deleted the post after sharing. However, screenshots of the deleted post created quite a buzz on social media.

Who is Jai Anant Dehadrai and his links to Mahua Moitra’s expullsion from Lok Sabha

Jai Anant Dehadrai is a Supreme Court advocate in Delhi. He is the ex-boyfriend of former Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. In October 2023, Jai Anant Dehadrai filed a complaint against Moitra alleging she took money to ask questions in Parliament. It also came to light that Moitra took away Dehadrai’s beloved pet dog and he was trying to take back the pet’s custody.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint against Moitra based on Dehardrai’s allegations. It came to light that Moitra not only took cash from Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani but also took expensive gifts, foreign trips and made him pay for the house renovations.

An inquiry was initiated against Moitra and later based on the Ethics Committee’s recommendations, Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha.

It is notable here that no further details of this alleged molestation incident have come to light, neither has the alleged victim come forward with a complaint. It is important that Jai comes out with all the details about the alleged molestation incident and the role of journalists like Thapar in covering the alleged incident up

Pro-Hamas ‘activist’ Riddhi Patel who is facing terror charges in the USA gets fired by CRPE

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-Hamas ‘activist’ Riddhi Patel who is facing terror charges in the USA gets fired by CRPE

On 15th April (local time), the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE) fired anti-Hindu ‘activist’ Riddhi Patel from her job five days after she got arrested for giving death threats to Bakersfield Mayor and city council members. In a post on X, CRPE said that they condemn any threats of violence or unethical behaviour. “As a result of this incident, we have made the decision to terminate Riddhi Patel,” CRPE said.

The statement read, “The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) became aware of an incident involving our former employee, Riddhi Patel, at the Bakersfield City Council meeting on April 10, 2024.

We unequivocally condemn any threats of violence or unethical behaviour. CRPE has been committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and respect in all our work and interactions for the past 35 years.

As a result of this incident, we made the decision to terminate Riddhi Patel. We recognize this is a difficult situation, and we are dedicated to handling it with the utmost care and sensitivity.

Going forward, CRPE will continue to focus on our mission of advancing environmental justice and civil rights in the communities we serve. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a culture of non-violence, inclusivity, and respect.“

Who is Riddhi Patel?

Riddhi Patel is a 28-year-old anti-Hindu, Hamas supporter of Indian origin who was recently arrested for giving death threats to city council members in Bakersfield in the California state of the United States. A video of Patel went viral on social media where she was seen threatening to kill Bakersfield council members, including Republic Mayor Karen Goh for not passing an anti-Israeli resolution and stepping up building security in the light of pro-Hamas protests in the city.

She was heard saying, “You guys are all horrible human beings and Jesus probably would have killed you himself…You guys don’t care about anything happening in Palestine or any other country where oppression occurs.”

Soon after she completed her “speech” full of threats, Karen Goh named her and informed her that what she said was a threat. The police escorted her out of the hall and arrested her on eight felony counts for threatening with intent to terrorise and eight counts for threatening the Mayor and Bakersfield city council members. She was sent to Lerdo jail and her bail bond was fixed at USD 2 million. Another video of Patel surfaced on social media where she was seen crying in court.

Patel has a history of anti-Hindu, anti-India and anti-Modi rants. In January 2021, she wrote, “Man fuck Modi. Fuck the BJP. Fuck Nikki Haley. Fuck Dinesh. Fuck Bobby Jindal. Fuck Hindu Fascism,” in a Facebook post. She was also involved in the presidential campaign of far-left American politician Bernie Sanders.

Once a promising athlete, her descent into far-left politics seems to have begun after she joined the Center on Race, Poverty & The Environment (CRPE) in 2020.

‘BJP wants one Bhashan, one Bhojan in country, they will make you eat Gobar and drink Gaumutra’: Mamata Banerjee’s derogatory rant at Cooch Behar

OpIndia Staff
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‘BJP wants one Bhashan, one Bhojan in country, they will make you eat Gobar and drink Gaumutra’: Mamata Banerjee’s derogatory rant at Cooch Behar

On Monday (15th April), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee courted another controversy for making ‘Gaumutra’ and ‘Gobar’ jibes while targeting rival party, BJP. Notably, the TMC Supremo alleged that if the BJP comes to power it will be threat to democracy. She claimed that it was necessary to oust the BJP from power to save democracy. 

Addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, Banerjee alleged that the BJP (after coming to power) will dictate people’s eating and sleeping habits in a bid to cast the BJP government as a threat to the freedom of individuals. 

She said, “If you want to protect the country’s independence, then remove the BJP (from power), only then the country will remain independent. If this party wins the upcoming elections, there will be no elections in the country in future. This is an autocratic government. They want one leader, one nation, one ‘Bhashan’, one ‘bhojan’ in the country.”

Making hinduphobic jibes, she brazened it out saying, “They (BJP) will decide what you will eat. They will ask you to drink ‘gaumutra’ (cow urine) with morning tea and eat ‘gobar’ (cow dung) for lunch. They aim to control every aspect of your life, from what you eat to how you sleep.” 

(Video Courtesy – India Today)

Her remarks comes amid an ongoing row over fish-eating video shared by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav during Navratri. Noting that legally they are free to eat whatever they want to eat, senior BJP leaders including PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slammed the opposition leader for making a show out of it. They charged Tejashwi Yadav of hurting the sentiments of Hindus during Navratri for “appeasement politics”. 

Addressing a rally in Bihar’s Jamui on 14th April, he launched a scathing attack against Tejashwi for his fish-eating video. 

He said, “You are eating fish during Navratri. What message do you want to send? You eat whatever you want, fish, pig, pigeon, elephant or horse. What is the need to show? This is only for votes, for appeasement politics. They think people of a particular religion will vote for them because of this. Lalu ji, I request you to handle such people.” He reiterated the same in his election rally in Banka. 

Hinduphobic Gaumutra and Gobar jibes

Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Moitra had also spoken the language of Islamists and mocked the BJP government by making the ‘gaumutra’ remark before addressing the Parliament in February 2022.

It is worth noting that the ‘Gaumutra’ jibe has been used by Islamists and their apologists as a racist, derogatory slur against Hindus. The Pulwama terrorist Adil Ahmed Dar had also said that he killed the CRPF soldiers to kill those who ‘drink cow urine’, to mock Indians, especially Hindus. 

In 2019, a Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist in a suicide attack had killed as many as 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama. Following the attack, a video was released in which the terrorist Ahmed Dhar could be heard saying he wanted to punish and kill the ‘cow urine drinkers’ in the name of Allah.

However, this is not the first time that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has made headlines for making Hinduphobic jibes. Earlier, on the day when nation marked celebrations of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, she made kafir (infidel) jibe. 

In her address at Circus Maidan during ‘Sarv Dharm Sambhav’ rally, she said, “Jo Kafir hain, woh darte hain, Jo ladte hain, woh jeet te hain.” She also threatened voters and BJP supporters to part ways with it and said, “I am swearing on Allah if you assist the BJP, nobody will forgive you”. 

Needless to say, Kafir is a pejorative jibe used by Islamists to refer to anyone who doesn’t believe in Islam.

TMC Supremo fearmongers about “riots” on Ram Navami to be marked on 17th April

Meanwhile, in her today’s rally in Cooch Behar, she fearmongered about “impending riots” alleging that the blame will be on BJP for the same. She went further to claim that 17th April will be the date of rioting alleging that the BJP would try to incite violence and riots on the occasion of Ram Navami. 

The TMC Supremo said, “They have infiltrated our law enforcement agencies with their saffron ideology. Their agenda is to perpetuate conflict and chaos. I urge everyone to maintain peace and unity. Let us not play into their hands. Instead, let us observe the day as a symbol of harmony and solidarity.” 

She also blamed the Election Commission for transferring West Bengal police officer indicating that this could trigger violence and riots in the state. 

She warned, “Even today, just based on BJP’s instructions, the DIG of Murshidabad was changed. Now, if there are riots in Murshidabad and Malda, the responsibility will lie with the Election Commission. The BJP wanted to change the police officers to trigger riots and violence. If there is even one riot, the ECI will be responsible as they are looking after law and order here.” 

The Trinamool Supremo added that she would conduct a hunger strike outside the EC office for 55 days if needed.

Earlier on 7th April, she had alleged the same fear of ‘rioting” alleging that BJP will “riot” two days before the first phase of Lok Sabha voting on 19th April in the state. She had further alleged that the BJP would “riot” by sending the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Meanwhile, voting will be underway for 42 seats of West Bengal in all seven phases from 19th April to 1st June in the wake of large scale political violence that had marred previous elections in the state.    

The Irish Times peddles anti-Modi propaganda in the garb of ‘editorial’, Indian ambassador to Ireland gives befitting reply

OpIndia Staff
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The Irish Times peddles anti-Modi propaganda in the garb of ‘editorial’, Indian ambassador to Ireland gives befitting reply

On Monday (15th April), the Indian Ambassador to Ireland gave a befitting reply to The Irish Times, four days after it did a political hit job on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Irish newspaper published an editorial titled,’ The Irish Times view on the Indian election: Modi tightens his grip’ on Thursday (11th April) wherein it alleged that India has somehow fallen prey to ‘intolerant Hindu-first majoritarianism.’

“India’s democratic credentials have been severely tarnished,” The Irish Times claimed while trying to build a case for Arvind Kejriwal, who is an accused in the high-profile Delhi liquor scam.

Screengrab of the editorial published by The Irish Times

The newspaper also compared the Indian Prime Minister with Turkish Islamist leader Recep Erdogan and claimed, “Modi’s embrace of Hindu nationalism in this 80 per cent Hindu nation has stoked anti-Muslim tensions and violence and seriously eroded the traditional Nehru-inspired secularism of its politics.”

“An intolerant Hindu-first majoritarianism is the order of the day, sustained by a BJP populist welfarism that has a strong appeal among the country’s poor,” it further brazened out.

On Monday (15th April), the Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra responded to the allegations levelled at PM Modi by The Irish Times in its propaganda-laden editorial.

He wrote, “Indian prime minister Narendra Modi enjoys unprecedented popularity and profile not only in India but globally because of his impeccable personal character and integrity and thought-leadership on innovative, inclusive governance and sustainable development.”

“As he does not belong to any elite political family, his personal life inspires millions of ordinary people in India and other developing countries,” the Indian diplomat emphasised, adding how the Modi government has empowered the youth, women and the poor.

Akhilesh Mishra stated that the decision of the Modi government to crack down on the ecosystem of corruption has led to the popularity of the Indian Prime Minister.

“The people of India are excited to witness the vibrancy of democracy in action on the ground…There is huge sense of relief at the grass-root level to witness action being taken and recoveries made from the rich and powerful elites who operated with a sense of entitlement of impunity,” he pointed out.

Akhilesh Mishra slams The Irish Times

While dismissing allegations of political vendetta, the Indian diplomat said, “All cases of corruption are pursued strictly as per the established procedure, with availability of usual judicial remedies to the affected parties.”

Akhilesh Mishra also slammed The Irish Times for its description of India as an intolerant, Hindu majoritarian nation. “A stereotypical description of India as “80 per cent Hindu majority” nation is quite misleading because Hinduism is inherently inclusive and fundamentally pluralistic, since centuries preceding the birth of Buddha or Christ,” he emphasised.

The Indian diplomat continued, “Numerically, Hindus of India outnumber the entire population of European Union and the North America, and obviously do not represent a monolithic vote bank. Hindus of India possess incredible diversity of thought, ways of life and political beliefs, covering the entire spectrum from extreme left to extreme right.”

“They regularly vote to power non-“Hindu nationalists”. Even now Mr Modi’s BJP rules only in 12 out of 28 states of India. This can happen only in “Hindu majority” India,” he concluded.

‘Electoral Bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding’: PM Modi in the ANI interview

OpIndia Staff
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‘Electoral Bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding’: PM Modi in the ANI interview

In his exclusive interview with ANI, PM Modi reiterated that the electoral bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding and ensured that political parties stopped receiving through unaccounted cash transactions.

Noting that he had never said that a decision taken cannot have a shortcoming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the opposition parties of “spreading lies” over the electoral bonds scheme, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court, and said, “everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection”.

In an interview with ANI, PM Modi said the electoral bonds scheme was aimed at curbing black money in elections and said the opposition wants to run away after making allegations.   

He said of the 16 companies who gave donations when action was taken by probe agencies, only 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to the BJP.

The Prime Minister said the country has been pushed towards “black money” in elections and everyone will regret it.   

In his first detailed reaction to the electoral bonds scheme, PM Modi, who has been on a hectic campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, said the scheme should also be viewed as a success story as it has allowed the trail to show who had made contributions to political parties through the scheme. He also said there is a lot scope of for improvement in the scheme.  

“There has been a discussion in our country for a long time that (through) black money a dangerous game is there in elections. The play of black money in the country’s elections ends, this discussion has been going on for a long time. Money is spent in elections; no one can deny this. My party also spends, all parties, and candidates spend and money has to be taken from people. I wanted we try something, how can our elections be free from this black money, how can there be transparency? There was a pure thought in my mind. We were looking for a way. We found a small way, we never claimed that this was the absolute way,” he said.

He said there was debate in Parliament on the electoral bonds scheme when the relevant bill was passed and some of those who are now commenting on it had supported it.

He referred to the government’s decision to disband Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 denomination currency notes as part of its efforts to tackle black money. “These notes were moved in large quantities during the elections. We took the step so that black money ends,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said political parties were earlier allowed cash donations up to Rs 20,000 and he changed it to Rs 2500 as he did not want “this cash business” to go on.

He said BJP had earlier decided to take all political donations by cheques but business people came and said they could not pay through this mode as the government would get to know how much they had contributed to a political party and would “trouble them”. He said the businessmen conveyed that they are ready to give donations but not through cheques.

“I remember in the nineties, BJP faced a lot of problems; there was no money as we had this rule. Those wanting to give did not dare to do so…I was aware of all this…. now see if there was no electoral bond, which system has the power to find out how the money came and where it went,” he said. 

“This is the success story of electoral bonds, there were electoral bonds, so you are getting a trail which company gave, how it gave, where it gave. Whether what happened in the process was good or bad can be an issue of debate.… I never say that there is no shortcoming in decision-making. We learn after discussing and improving. There is a lot of scope for improvement in this also. But today we have completely pushed the country towards black money, hence I say everyone will regret it. When they will think honestly, everyone will regret it,” he said.

PM Modi also attacked the opposition for spreading lies over electoral bonds and said of the 3,000 companies that gave donations through the scheme, 26 faced action by probe agencies such as ED.

He said of these 26 companies, there were 16 who took electoral bonds when they faced action.

“Of these (16 companies) 37 per cent of the amount went to BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to BJP.

“There is an ED raid… the work of donating to the opposition, will BJP do this? This means 63 per cent of this amount went to the opposition and you are making allegations against us. Their goal is to keep skirting around and run away,” he said.  

The Supreme Court in February this year struck down the electoral bonds scheme and said it was unconstitutional.

INDIA Bloc parties have been targeting the BJP-led government over the electoral bonds scheme in their election campaign.

In its decision, the Supreme Court asked the SBI to stop issuing electoral bonds.

In compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) uploaded data on electoral bonds on its official website. The data was provided by the State Bank of India (SBI) on the directions of the apex court.

(With inputs from ANI)

‘Opposing Ram Mandir a political weapon for Congress’: PM Modi slams opposition over Ram Mandir, eradicating Sanatana Dharma remark and more

OpIndia Staff
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‘Opposing Ram Mandir a political weapon for Congress’: PM Modi slams opposition over Ram Mandir, eradicating Sanatana Dharma remark and more

On Monday (15th April), Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat for an exclusive interview with news agency ANI and shared his views on a range of issues including Ram Mandir, upcoming elections, the opposition’s allegation of misuse of agencies, and “jailing opposition leaders”, Electoral Bonds, etc. This comes days ahead of the first phase of voting which begins on 19th April. 

In the exclusive interview with ANI’s Smrita Prakash, PM Modi launched a scathing attack against the Congress party for declining the invitation of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha and crying foul alleging that BJP has “politicised Ram Mandir”.

For Congress and allies opposing Ram Mandir a “political weapon”: PM Modi

He slammed the I.N.D.I. alliance for standing in the way of Ram Mandir, pre and post-Ram Janmabhoomi verdict by the Supreme Court. He charged Congress and its allies for using the Ram Mandir issue as “a political weapon”.

He pointed out, “When we were not even born when our party was not even born. At that time, this matter (Ram Janmabhoomi case) could have been dealt with in court. There could have been a solution to the problem. When India was divided, then during the time of partition, they could have decided to do so and so. That was not done. Why? Because this is like a weapon in their hands, a weapon for vote bank politics.” 

PM Modi stressed that they tried to delay the judgement in the case and fearmongered about the ramifications of the development. 

PM lambasted the Congress and its I.N.D.I. alliance partners for turning down the invitation of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha. He took a dig at them stating that the opposition should be thankful that those who struggled and built the Ram Mandir forget their sins. 

Highlighting several instances, PM Modi highlighted that the opposition always tries to mock and ridicule others and expressed surprise at their hateful behaviour. 

During the interview, PM Modi recalled his spiritual journey when he had accepted to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He also recollected the struggle encountered during the entire Ram Janambhoomi/Mandir movement.

PM Modi takes Congress to cleaners for standing with DMK which was “born out of hatred for Sanatan Dharma”

PM Modi lambasted Congress and DMK over their “anti-Sanatana stance”. In a scathing attack on DMK, PM Modi said that the birth of DMK must have been in this “hatred” (hatred for Sanatan Dharma). He slammed Congress asking what was the compulsion for the grand old party to form an alliance with DMK which spewed “hatred” and “venom” against the Sanatana Dharma, as quoted by ANI.

The Prime Minister added that there is immense anger against the DMK adding that this is being transferred directly to the BJP, in a positive way. He added that this is why the people are moving towards the BJP. 

When asked about the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and other ministers’ remark that the South is a separate unit and the North is a separate unit, the Prime Minister asserted that India is a country of “full diversity” adding that “diversity is our strength.”

Regarding the query about BJP’s Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai, PM Modi heaped praises at him and described him as a “very good leader”. 

PM Modi also dismissed the allegations that BJP will try to impose ‘one language, one religion’ if it wins 400 seats. He added that they worship and celebrate diversity.

Opposition’s allegation of “no level playing field” is excuses for impending defeat: PM Modi

PM Modi vehemently denied the opposition’s allegations that there is a lack of level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections. He stressed that the laws were formed before his tenure and his government made efforts to strengthen institutions. He categorically rubbished these allegations as an “excuse” by the opposition for their “impending defeat”. 

PM Modi emphasised that earlier people close to the Congress party became Election Commissioners, who were later given Rajya Sabha tickets and ministries.

Using the Hindi idiom, Naach na jaane aangan tera, PM Modi said. “That’s why sometimes they come up with excuses over EVM. Basically, they have already started setting a reason for their impending defeat, so the loss does not come on their side.”

Regarding the allegations that they are jailing opposition leaders, PM Modi asked, “How many opposition leaders are in jail? Can someone tell me? And are these opposition leaders only running their government? There is fear of paap (sin). What fear does an honest person have? They had put my Home Minister (Amit Shah) in Jail…when I was Chief Minister.”

Meanwhile, without taking the name of Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi pointed out that videos of one politician are doing rounds which feature him while taking a hypocritically opposite stance than what he once preached.

PM Modi slams Congress for its dismal election manifesto

PM Modi slammed the Congress party charging that its manifesto fails the aspirations of the young voters and the Indian economy. 

The Prime Minister added, “This manifesto completely fails the economy. In a way, the manifesto of the opposition destroys the aspiration of the first-time voter of the country. If you do the complete analysis, then the biggest loss is for the people who are less than 25 years old. This manifesto will destroy their future. I want to make their lives better. I want to give strength to innovation in the country.” 

PM Modi also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that he would eradicate poverty with a single stroke. He said videos of one Netaji are doing rounds in which he claims to reduce poverty within no time. He added what kind of claim is this,  alluding to the economic recklessness and financial unfeasibility of it. He also recalled how the Congress party has been making the same claim – the eradication of poverty – for decades.

‘Will regret it’: PM Modi slams opposition over electoral bonds scheme

PM Modi charged the opposition with spreading lies about the electoral bonds scheme and asserted that they would regret it as the country would be pushed towards black money.

He said that around 3,000 companies gave donations through the scheme and out of them only 26 faced action by probe agencies such as ED.

In a factual counter to allegations of ‘extorting money by misuse of agencies’, PM Modi highlighted that out of these 16 companies, only 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to the BJP.

PM Modi also asserted that the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is the “commitment” of his government. During the interview, he added that he had already prepared the roadmap for the first 100 days once the Modi 3.0 assumes power. 

(With Inputs from ANI)

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