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Pune: Police unearth Rs 4 crore online sharing trading fraud racket in Pimpri Chinchwad, Junaid, Salman, Abdul, Arif and Taufik arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Pune: Police unearth Rs 4 crore online sharing trading fraud racket in Pimpri Chinchwad, Junaid, Salman, Abdul, Arif and Taufik arrested

On 10th April, the Pimpri Chinchwad police cyber cell in the Pune district of Maharashtra announced that they have exposed a Rs 4 crore online share trading scheme that involved the use of fake trading applications, money mule accounts (people who let others use their bank accounts to transfer money for commission), and the USDT cryptocurrency to route money to Hong Kong. Five people have been taken into custody in the past week. They have been identified as Junaid Mukhtar Qureshi (21), Salman Mansur Shaikh (22), Abdul Aziz Ansari (23), Arif Anwar Khan (29) and Taufik Gaffar Shaikh (22).

They functioned as delivery boys during the day while operating the massive racket and managed a network of 120 bank accounts that were utilized by global cybercriminals to siphon off money from victims of online share trading scams. The Pimpri Chinchwad police cyber cell was looking into a case involving a 46-year-old lady from Pashan Sus Road who was defrauded of Rs 35 lakh by cyber criminals who had promised her huge profits if she invested her money in stocks.

On 22nd February, the woman told the police that she had seen a post on share market classes and investment on her Instagram account. The message included an embedded link. Inspector Praveen Swami from the cyber cell disclosed, “on clicking the link, her number was added to a WhatsApp group ‘Schoder Academy VI’. She was then told to submit an institutional demat account form and transfer money to different bank accounts (money mule accounts) to purchase initial public offering (IPO) shares. The woman transferred Rs 31.6 lakh in phases to these accounts and another Rs 4 lakh towards charity donations. Later, the crooks stopped communicating with her.”

The cyber cell team focused their investigation on Junaid Qureshi of Tingare Nagar, who was discovered to be using an account that had money taken from the victim. Through his inquiry, the police were able to track down three other accused Salman Shaikh, Abdul Ansari, and Taufik Shaikh, all from Lohegaon who were running multiple accounts of this type and making substantial cash withdrawals from them.

According to an investigating officer, it was found that these men were providing the money to a fifth individual Arif Anwar Khan of Kondhwa who was buying Tether cryptocurrency, also known as USDT to be deposited into the digital wallets of the racket’s masterminds who are suspected to be based in Hong Kong. He stated, “We have come to know of at least 120 bank accounts in which these suspects were operating. These accounts are in the name of people known to them. The holders were being paid small amounts for their accounts to be used for receiving the money siphoned off from victim’s bank accounts.”

Pimpri Chinchwad’s deputy commissioner of police Sandip Doiphode said, “Junaid Mukhtar Qureshi who was into online share trading, first came in contact with their Hong Kong-based handler, partially identified as ‘Greg’. The latter asked Qureshi to secure mule accounts for him to facilitate their activity.” He further continued, “The money mule accounts were used to transfer money of victims of the fraud in the name of online share trading. Post-transfer, the five suspects would withdraw the cash from these accounts and route the same to their handler in Hong Kong via USDT cryptocurrency. In exchange, they received a commission from their handler.”

The law enforcement officials launched a thorough investigation after receiving complaints from residents of Pimpri Chinchwad city in Pune district who lost a total of Rs 31 lakh to the scammers, according to DCP Sandeep Doiphode from the Crime Branch. The Pune Police were able to track down and capture five men associated with the fraudulent share trading program through the implementation of sophisticated technical analysis.

Pune Police conveyed that Arif used to transmit information about these accounts to the perpetrators in Hong Kong who then employed it to obtain income from the scam. Cash withdrawals by Junaid, Salman, Abdul and Taufik were given to Arif who subsequently bought USDT and transferred it to the wallets of the masterminds in Hong Kong. “Over the last couple of months, these 120 accounts have together seen transactions of close to Rs 15 crores and have been flagged in at least 75 different cyber crime cases,” noted an official.

Authorities stated the culprits were delivery executives for a variety of courier and food delivery firms and they came from poor economic and low-education backgrounds. “These suspects are school and college dropouts and chose to do temporary jobs as delivery boys. We are now probing how they came to be working for the cyber criminals operating from abroad. We believe that operatives who make calls to the victims and do other tasks in these cyber crimes are Indians, as revealed by the probe from the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

“We have recovered from the suspects multiple debit cards, chequebooks of at least 12 banks, multiple cell phones and a cash counting machine, besides Rs 7 lakh cash,” mentioned Inspector Praveen Swami. “Probe revealed that this group worked as first and second-level operatives for the international cyber masterminds, and received up to a five per cent cut of the total transactions that were made through these surrogate accounts. Our probe will continue against such operatives and the higher-ups in the hierarchy,” added Sub-inspector Sagar Poman who is probing the matter.

The official divulged that friends and family of the five guys who were arrested owned the majority of these 80 bank accounts. “They were using these accounts by giving some money to their friends.”

The offenders in Pune were found to have Rs 7 lakh, 12 chequebooks from various banks, 8 debit cards, 7 telephones and a cash counting machine. So far, 120 money mule accounts, 80 of which are in Pune banks have been found by police to have been used in the criminal activity. They were cited in at least 75 applications for complaints that the Pimpri Chinchwad police received.

(With inputs from ANI)

Mumbai: Naim Qureshi slaughters cow in Kashigao area ahead of Eid, detained, search underway for two other involved

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Naim Qureshi slaughters cow in Kashigao area ahead of Eid, detained, search underway for two other involved

On Wednesday (10th April), the Kashigao Police station in Maharashtra’s Mumbai region booked an individual identified as Naim Saif Qureshi for his involvement in the activity of cattle slaughter in the Minakshi Nagar Mira Road region of the city. As per the information obtained by OpIndia, the accused along with two of his unidentified associates slaughtered a cattle of cow breed ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid.

The Police have detained Naim and are interrogating him. However, the two other associates who accompanied the accused during the slaughter fled from the spot after seeing the police approaching on the night of 9th April. The FIR in this case has been filed under sections 429 and 32 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sections 5C, 9A, 9B of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, and 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened on the night of 9th April 2024. The police constables from the Kashigaon Police Station were tipped off that an incident of slaughter was taking place in the Minakshi Nagar area of Mumbai.

The Police immediately reached the spot discovering remains of the cattle skin and blood post-slaughter. The police also saw a total of three men surrounding the remains. However, the three tried to flee from the spot after seeing the police constable approaching. While two of them managed to flee, the police caught one of the accused by his collar and identified him as Naim Qureshi.

On interrogation, however, the accused restrained from identifying the other two accused.

The Police also recovered a huge knife-like weapon, a tight rope, and cattle skin from the spot indicating that some slaughter-like activity had taken place on the spot. The police meanwhile also collected blood samples from the spot and sent it for further investigation.

The police complaint has been filed by constable Chaitanya Narale who was on duty at Kashigaon Police Station when it received the tip-off. Further investigations into the case are underway.

Someone with ‘Ram’ in his name asked people to keep quiet when Sanatan Dharma was insulted: Rohan Gupta who left Congress and joined BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Someone with ‘Ram’ in his name asked people to keep quiet when Sanatan Dharma was insulted: Rohan Gupta who left Congress and joined BJP

On Thursday (11th April), former Congress leader Rohan Gupta joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging “constant humiliation” and “character assassination” by a Congress leader connected with the party’s communication department.

Rohan Gupta after joining the BJP also accused Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh of directing the party workers to keep quiet when Sanatan Dharma was being insulted by INDI Alliance leaders and also during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

“How many contradictions can be there? There is a communication in charge who has ‘Ram’ in his name, he told us to keep quiet when Sanatan (Dharma) was being insulted…” Gupta said.

Gupta also took a swipe at the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A., saying that the alliance named after the country consists of ‘antinational elements’.

“An alliance using the country’s name was made but ‘desh virodhi takatein’ (anti-national elements) were included in it,” Gupta said. He also hit out at Congress, asking about its ‘compulsion’ to support the AAP which is led by Arvind Kejriwal, whom the Congress accused of having connection with Khalistanis.

“What is the compulsion that Kejriwal whom the Congress accused of being connected with Khalistanis today is being supported by the same party?” he said. Gupta joined the BJP on Thursday in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. Gupta had resigned from the Congress last month after withdrawing his candidature from the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency.

Taking to X, Gupta shared a picture with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said that he is ready to contribute to PM Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ ambition.

“I am ready to contribute to fulfill the resolve of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, National President of BJP Shri @JPNadda Ji, Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji and the entire @BJP4India family for Vision 2047. Vande Mataram Jai Shri Ram,” Gupta posted.

Notably, Rohan Gupta had resigned from the Congress party last month after withdrawing his candidature from the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency.

In an X post on 22nd March, Gupta expressed his distress over senior Congress leaders linked to its Communication department. He mentioned that his father, who is currently battling serious health conditions, recounted instances of betrayal and sabotage over the past 40 years.

On 19th March, Rohan Gupta withdrew from the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat contest due to his father’s serious medical condition. Gupta, who was the Congress’ national spokesperson, was among the candidates declared by the party on March 12. All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat are scheduled for polling in a single phase on May 7, with vote counting set for 4th June.

Several Congress leaders have joined the BJP in the recent past including Milind Deora, Ashok Chavan, Gourav Vallabh and Naveen Jindal.

(With inputs from ANI)

UK: Over 50 children were sexually abused by paedophile catholic monks on holy Caldey Island for decades, no action taken against the accused

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Over 50 children were sexually abused by paedophile catholic monks on holy Caldey Island for decades, no action taken against the accused

In another incident of mass sexual abuse of children in the UK, over 50 children were sexually abused by ‘paedophile’ catholic monks on a reputed “holy island” off the coast of Wales. The crimes took place over 50 years ago, and now an inquiry has been announced over it.

Unbeknownst to thousands of tourists every year, Caldey, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, has a sordid past of sexual assault against infants as young as three. Many adults who were then children were revealed to have been sexually abused in the exquisite gardens, raped in the historic monastery and threatened with eternal damnation if they spoke to anybody about the same on the mainland.

Fifty people from all around the world, ranging in age from 45 to 65, have unveiled, “It happened to me.” A request for a Public Inquiry was turned down, ostensibly because one of the paedophile monks had passed away and none of the fraternity of Cistercian priests had been found guilty. One of the most notorious monks on Caldey Island, Father Thaddeus Kotik is accused of abusing and molesting a large number of children during the 1970s and 1980s. He would first make friends with the kids and give them candy before violating them.

Many of his victims charged that he would entice them to an altar stone hidden among the island’s ruins, where he would carry out his horrific deeds. The deranged clergyman reached the island in 1947 after serving in the Free Polish Army during World War II. He received his ordination in 1956. He passed away in 1992 without being prosecuted for his crimes on the sacred island. Following a civil court proceeding that revealed Father Thaddeus Kotik had sexually molested six girls between 1972 and 1987, the victims received compensation.

The scandal’s victims assert that kids have never felt safe on the picturesque island. There are ongoing allegations of coercion and sexual assault of women on the island. Grooming culture persists there and the offenders are protected. A crime reference number is provided by the majority of the fifty victims who declared to have been “raped or sexually abused” on Caldey. However, none of the perpetrators was ever thrown behind bars.

The abbey is now under fresh leadership in the form of Father Jan Rossey who is the new superior at Caldey Island Cistercian Abbey. He has supported a full inquiry into the matter. He stated, “In common with many other organisations, Caldey Abbey has, in the past, received disclosures and allegations involving members of the monastic community about their behaviour towards children.”

He added, “We take these allegations very seriously and, in order to uphold our commitment to safeguarding, we have commissioned a leading Independent Safeguarding Consultant, Jan Pickles OBE, to conduct a thorough review. This review is about taking responsibility, learning from the past, and building a safe environment for everyone.”

The inquiry will be led by Jan Pickles, former assistant police and crime commissioner at South Wales Police.

Following the formation of “The Caldey Island Survivors Campaign,” which is pushing for a public investigation of the historical child sex abuse that occurred on the island, the accusations began to circulate. The initiative is reported to have been founded by 61-year-old Kevin O’Connell who was raped and abused by Father Thaddeus Kotik when he was just 10 years old and witnessed the “industrial abuse” of children at the abbey.

He mentioned, “I was fearful that people were still being abused on the island but I had no proof, then a letter arrived a few weeks ago. It was anonymous but the person who wrote it lives on the island and described themselves as a concerned resident. A young girl was subjected to sexual harassment and misogynistic behaviour. According to the concerned resident, there was no investigation and the allegations were dismissed by the Abbot. It shows that nothing has changed, they lie and they lie and they lie.”

Father John Shannon and John Cronin, two more men connected to Caldey, were found guilty of sexual offences against minors. Rebecca, the elder sister of Kevin O’Connell was also sexually assaulted by Father Thaddeus and she died at the age of 49. “It was horrible, the police were told but they didn’t want to know. I believe she died young because of what happened to her. I am her voice, I want justice for Rebecca, more than I want it for me. I was also offered money as compensation. I told them I don’t want money, I want the truth.”

Kevin O’Connell voiced that Cistercian Order monks who resided on the island off the coast of Pembrokeshire had sexually assaulted him during the 1960s and 1970s. He divulged that he was trafficked to Surrey and Sussex where he fell prey to other paedophiles. He joined over twenty survivors who came forward in recent years to talk about the abuse they suffered at the hands of the monks.

The founder of the Caldey Island Survivors’ Campaign group, Kevin O’Connell, has been demanding an investigation since 2019 into claims that he and other victims suffered abuse on the monastic island near Tenby. A man who was taken in by the monks and resided on the island for seven years was charged with having indecent pictures of minors in 2011.

Jan Pickles OBE, a former assistant police and crime commissioner for South Wales and independent safeguarding consultant, has been engaged by the Caldey Abbey estate to oversee a “thorough review” of past allegations of child abuse going back to the 1960s.

‘That’s low, poor marketing taste’: Canadian brand Dbrand faces backlash after posting rude, derogatory comment on an Indian customer’s name

OpIndia Staff
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‘That’s low, poor marketing taste’: Canadian brand Dbrand faces backlash after posting rude, derogatory comment on an Indian customer’s name

Dbrand, a Canadian accessories brand, is attracting backlash after replying in a derogatory manner to an Indian customer’s objection about a MacBook accessory.

On Monday (8th April), Bhuwan Chitransh complained on the social networking site X about the brand’s MacBook skin getting discolored after only two months of purchase. “@dbrand⁩ bought this skin a couple of months back. Couldn’t even remain the same color after just 2 months. What should I do?” Chitransh posted an image of the MacBook skin.

Instead of addressing the customer’s complaint, Dbrand then made an unpleasant remark regarding his surname, “Chitransh”. “Your last name is basically s**t rash, be serious,” it captioned the message.

Dbrand’s statement drew criticism on X, with some pointing out the racial connotations. Despite the criticism, the accessories firm refused to apologize or eliminate the post. The post has received more than 9 million views on X.

“Wait really dbrand? In lieu of any attempt at customer support, you make fun of a customer’s foreign name?” one of the users wrote. The company meanwhile also refused to issue an apology after one of the users demanded the company to keep the same energy while saying sorry as it maintained while making fun of Chitransh. “No,” the company could blatantly be seen responding.

Screenshot from X

The X users meanwhile also criticized the company for adopting a poor marketing strategy against any customer. The company has not yet deleted the post and also has not yet issued any public apology for making derogatory comments about an Indian customer.

However, the company posted that they made fun of Chitransh’s name only after offering customer support and solving his concern. “Correction: we made fun of his name after the customer support,” it wrote.

The company which has 2.3 million followers on X further justified the comments by saying that it had personally apologized to the customer. It also said that it had been making fun of the customers and that it was unintentional.

“Well, that escalated quickly. Yes – we made fun of a guy’s name. It was a huge fumble. We apologized to him directly and offered him $10,000 as a gesture of goodwill. We’ve been poking fun at customers on social media for over a decade now. We’re not going to stop, but maybe next time you’ll be the one who gets $10,000,” the company tweeted on 10th April.

Dbrand claims to be the “global leader” in the creation, manufacture, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) online sale of customized and impact-resistant goods for flagship electronic devices.

Founded in November 2011, the company is based in Ontario, Canada. Adam Ijaz is the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Dbrand has established a reputation for its outspoken and snarky social media presence, openly participating in conversations with both competitors and its client base.

Wikipedia distorts history: Claims Pakistan’s first law minister JN Mandal returned to India for his son’s illness, does not mention his concerns about anti-Hindu riots

Raju Das
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Wikipedia distorts history: Claims Pakistan’s first law minister JN Mandal returned to India for his son’s illness, does not mention his concerns about anti-Hindu riots

Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia is known to be a den of leftists, and most of its articles are written to favour leftist-Islamist views, and are highly critical of conservative ideologies. Therefore, lots of distortions in facts are seen in many Wikipedia articles. As part of its pro-Islamist biased, the website also tends to be anti-Hindu in narrative. Another example of such bias has been noticed, in the Wikipedia page of Jogendra Nath Mandal, the first law and labour minister of Pakistan.

Jogendra Nath Mandal resigned from the position and returned to India in 1950 due to anti-Hindu riots and policies, and the anti-Dalit bias in Muslim majority administration in Pakistan. The reason for Mandal’s return to India is fairly well known, as he had written a long resignation letter on 9th October 1950, giving detailed reasons of his disillusion with Pakistan due to its anti-Hindu and anti-Dalit policies.

However, now Wikipedia has attempted to distort this well-known history, it claims that Jogendra Nath Mandal returned to India to visit his ill son in Calcutta. It states, “In 1950, Jogendranath Mandal found himself compelled to repatriate to India. It is commonly assumed it is because of a decision precipitated by an outstanding arrest warrant against him in Pakistan. However, it was because his only son Jagadishchandra Mandal, who was studying in Kolkata at the time, had fallen sick and he had comeback to attend him.”

This claim was added on 27 January this year by a Wikipedia editor with the username Achintya2023.

The matter was raised on ? by Kausik Gangopadhyay, economist and professor at IIM Kozhikode. He posted a note on 11 April by Dr. Mohit Ray, an Indian environmental and human rights activist based in Kolkata, which illustrated how the Wikipedia article distorts history.

The post titled “How Wikipedia Lies to Appease Islamists and Secularist Liberals: A Case Study” quotes from the resignation letter of Mandal, which said, “After anxious and prolonged struggle I have come to the conclusion that Pakistan is no place for Hindus to live in and that their future is darkened by the ominous shadow of conversion or liquidation. The bulk of the upper class Hindus and politically conscious scheduled castes have left East Bengal. Those Hindus who will continue to stay accursed in Pakistan will, I am afraid, by gradual stages and in a planned manner be either converted to Islam or completely exterminated.”

However, the Wikipedia edit by Achintya2023 completely downplays these details and claims that Mandal returned to India to attend to his sick son Jagadishchandra Mandal. Moreover, while the Wikipedia article does mention of Madal’s concerns for Dalits or Scheduled Castes in Pakistan, it does not mention the genocide of Hindus mentioned by Mandal in his letter.

Kausik Gangopadhyay said that such dishonesty is even more profound in the Bengali Wikipedia. He wrote, “The dishonesty goes further down in the Bengali Wikipedia which has whitewashed the genocide and pogrom against Hindus in Pakistan but mentions sanitized half-truth of social injustice and biased attitude.”

While adding the claim of the son’s sickness, the Wikipedia editor cited a book titled The Decline of the Caste Question: Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of Dalit Politics in Bengal. The book is authored by Dwaipayan Sen, a historian and professor.

OpIndia accessed the book, and found that the book has been incorrectly credited to make the claim. While it does mention that Jogendra Nath Mandal came to Calcutta to see his son who was studying in the city at that time, it does not claim that was the reason for his return to India. The book tells that he used this only as an excuse to come to India, as he was concerned that he would be attacked if he announced his intention to return to India.

After returning to India, Mandal claimed he fell ill himself and wrote to Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan asking to allocate his portfolios to someone else. Later, Mandal sent his long resignation letter to Khan, confirming the reason for leaving India, which was the genocide of Hindus and not fulfilling the promised benefits for the Dalits in Pakistan.

The book gives a detailed account of Mandal’s days in Karachi before moving to India. He had become frustrated with the betrayal of the Pakistan govt, as they never fulfilled the promises made for the welfare of Dalits. While Ambedkar had called for all Dalits in Pakistan to move to India during the partition, Mandal had opposed it, hoping for a Muslim-Dalit unity. He had appealed to the Hindus to remain in Pakistan, even during Karachi anti-Hindu riots in 1948.

However, he continued to oppose the mass violence against Hindus including Dalits in Pakistan, but his views were ignored by his government. Seeing the massive communal riots in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), he had great doubts about Dalits in the province. He was in a great dilemma, because, as a law minister he could not ask Dalits to leave Pakistan, but he could not ensure their safety in Pakistan either.

His resignation letter makes it clear that he resigned due to anti-Hindu riots and policies, the bleak future of Dalits in Pakistan, and his inability to make any changes to the situation despite being a minister. Therefore, he was contemplating resignation and return to India, but this was not easy. He suspected that his resignation might not be accepted. And if he resigned going against the will of the prime minister, he might face violence, and may not be able to even stay safely in his home.

Therefore, Mandal travelled to Calcutta citing his son’s illness and then sent his resignation letter to PM Khan. This is clear that he used his son’s illness to safely exit Pakistan without creating doubts about his intentions, and he left the Pakistan govt and the country due to anti-Hindu riots and policies.

Mandal’s resignation letter mentions Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946 announced by the Muslim League, the Noakhali riots in October 1946, the anti-Hindu policy of Pakistan, anti-Hindu riots in Dhaka on 10 February 1950 that resulted in around 10,000 deaths, the govt’s plan to squeezing Hindus out of East Pakistan, dismal future of Hindus in the country, forced conversions of Hindus, laws eliminating civile liberty etc as the reasons of quitting the govt and leaving the country.

JN Mandal also said in his resignation letter that PM Khand had forced him to make false statements, saying “I can no longer afford to carry this load of false pretensions and untruth on my conscience and I have decided to offer my resignation as your Minister”.

Therefore, the Wikipedia article on Mandal with the recent edit completely distorts the reason for his resignation from the Pakistani govt and return to India. He might have travelled to India to see his sick son, but that just the occasion, it was not the reason of his decision. He has clearly written that he left Pakistan and the Pakistani govt due to its anti-Hindu policies and non-fulfilment of promises made for Dalits, and the Wikipedia article is completely silent on his concerns about Hindus in Pakistan.

Patanjali Ayurved in deep trouble: What transpired, why is the Supreme Court acting so firmly and why are Netizens divided on the case?

Anurag
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Patanjali Ayurved in deep trouble: What transpired, why is the Supreme Court acting so firmly and why are Netizens divided on the case?

On 10th April, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director Balkrishna, faced a severe backlash from the Supreme Court of India as the apex court rejected their unconditional apologies regarding the publication of misleading ads. The court deemed their apology as insincere and highlighted that the two apologised only after the matter was brought to light.

What happened in the case recently?

On 9th April, Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna tendered an unconditional apology. The affidavit read, “I hereby tender my unconditional apology regarding the issue of advertisements which occurred after the statement of counsel of respondent no. 5 (Patanjali) which was recorded in the order dated November 21, 2023, which I am informed has the force of an injunction.”

Furthermore, Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna apologised for the November 2023 press conference. It read, “I sincerely regret this lapse and I wish to assure the court that the same will not be repeated,” he said, adding, “I hereby tender an unconditional and unqualified apology for the breach of the statement recorded in para 3 of the order of this court dated November 21, 2023.”

However, the apex court was not convinced and rejected it on 10th April. The court called it insufficient and hinted Patanjali must face consequences for their actions. The bench expressed surprise over the fact that the affidavit was sent to the media before it was uploaded for the court. The bench said. “Tendering apology is not enough. You should suffer the consequences for violating the court’s order. We do not want to be generous in this case. Till the matter hit the Court, the contemnors did not find it fit to send us the (fresh apology) affidavits. They sent it to the media first. Till 7:30 pm yesterday it was not uploaded for us. They believe in publicity clearly…You are defrauding the affidavit. Who drafted it, I am surprised.”

Origin of the case

In August 2022, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed a plea in the Supreme Court against Patanjali. It was prompted by an ad titled ‘Misconceptions Spread By Allopathy: Save Yourself And The Country From The Misconceptions Spread By Pharma And Medical Industry’. Here is the ad:

Source: News18

The advertisement, along with several other instances, including the remarks by Baba Ramdev against allopathy sparked controversy in the country. Notably, Baba Ramdev also attributed COVID-19 deaths to allopathic medicine. In its plea, the IMA accused Patanjali Ayurved of contributing to vaccine hesitancy. The association further accused Patanjali of spreading misinformation about the efficacy of its products in curing various diseases.

Notably, Patanjali Ayurved is an umbrella company that produces Ayurvedic medicines as well as FMGC products.

Legal proceedings

In November 2023, Justice Amanullah cautioned Patanjali against making claims that its medicines can completely cure various diseases. He also warned that the court would impose hefty fines for such claims. The legal representatives of the company ensure compliance with advertising laws. They further assured that the company would not make any statements against any medical system in the future.

Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya said, “There shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form.”

Relevant laws

Two specific laws penalising the dissemination of misleading advertisements and false claims about product efficacy are the Drugs & Other Magical Remedies Act, of 1954 (DOMA) and the Consumer Protection Act, of 2019 (CPA). Furthermore, the Ministry of AYUSH and the Advertising Standards Council of India had signed an MoU to curb misleading ads. The MoU was mentioned by IMA in its plea.

Case developments after anonymous complaint against Patanjali Ayurved

On 15th January 2024, the Supreme Court of India received an anonymous letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India and Justice Anamullah stating that the false advertising by Patanjali continued despite the court’s orders. Subsequently, a contempt notice was issued to Balkrishna and Patanjali on 27th February.

The court took immediate action against Patanjali and put a blanket ban on the advertisements of the medicinal products. The court also criticised the government for inaction and said, “The entire country has been taken for a ride! For two years you wait when the Drugs Act says this is prohibited?”

Despite the ban on ads by the court, Patanjali Ayurved failed to fully comply with the orders. On 19th March, the court was informed that a reply to the contempt notice was not filed by the company. The court ordered the personal appearance of Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna.

Uttarakhand government was also made a party in the matter. On 21st March, Balkrishna issued an unqualified apology. On 2nd April, the court criticised Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna for their inadequate apology calling it “lip service”.

Furthermore, the court demanded a comprehensive explanation for their actions and pointed out the severity of the violations.

Netizens divided over Patanjali Ayurved matter

As the Supreme Court is moving towards strict action against Patanjali Ayurved, netizens are divided over the matter. While some are questioning why other companies are not being targeted for the misleading ads, the other side says that Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved deserve the treatment by the apex court.

Several netizens have shared their favourite Patanjali products on social media. For instance, Sunanda Roy said, “Thanks to Baba Ramdev for making Patanjali Dant Kanti toothpaste. It’s my favourite toothpaste.”

On the other hand, filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said nobody should have the power to misinform and mislead innocent people, especially by invoking religious sentiments. He said, “I personally follow Rishi Patanjali’s “Yoga Sutra” philosophy, but it doesn’t mean anything with the brand name Patanjali should be acceptable as a legacy, even if it’s making false claims. Many people are against the Supreme Court’s decision, which I find is correct, courageous and a landmark judgement. Nobody should have the power to misinform and mislead innocent people, especially by invoking religious sentiments. Also, disobeying the Supreme Court should not be acceptable at all. Please don’t make the mistake of defending the indefensible. If you defend now and tomorrow someone in your family suffers because of crooks and their misinformation, you will have no place to go.”

Author Ratan Sharda questioned the interests behind the plea filed against Patanjali and pointed out that IMA’s chairman was Dr Jiyalal, a practising Christian, who openly supported religious conversion.

Founder of Garuda Prakashan said, “The chairman of the Indian Medical Association feels it is necessary to attack Patanjali and Ayurveda because its original texts are in Sanskrit and they are an obstacle to his mission—to spread Christianity. Very scientific.”

The next hearing of the matter will take place on 16th April, 2024.

‘Duniya Main Rahenge Toh Ghaziyon Ki Tarah’: Read what Ghazi means in Islamic texts. Is Asaduddin Owaisi asking Muslims to kill infidels?

OpIndia Staff
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‘Duniya Main Rahenge Toh Ghaziyon Ki Tarah’: Read what Ghazi means in Islamic texts. Is Asaduddin Owaisi asking Muslims to kill infidels?

On Sunday (7th April), the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) posted a short video clip of the party’s chief Asaduddin Owaisi. In this video clip, he is seen addressing his followers wherein he mentions that he prefers to live or die as a ‘Ghazi’. He also appealed to his fellow Muslims to do the same. Notably, according to Islamic scriptures, Ghazi means an Islamic fighter walking on the path shown by the Allah. A Ghazi fights against infidels (meaning non-believers of Islam). He either kills infidels and polytheists or gets killed in the fight. A question therefore arises what exactly Asaduddin Owaisi is asking Muslims in India to do?

In this video, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “You want to kill us? Kill us, oh beloved. Who is stopping you? Allah has written my fate when I was inside my mother’s womb. My insults and my rewards everything is written by Allah. What would you snatch from me? Remember, if at all we live in this world, we will live like Ghazis. If death comes to us, we would prefer martyrdom. We would not let our parents feel embarrassed, Inshallah!”

What is meant by Ghazi?

Now, let’s first understand what is meant by Ghazi. The word finds its roots in the Arabic language wherein Ghazw means a fight. A Ghazi means one who fights, a fighter, or a warrior. In the Islamic context, the word Ghazi acquires a more specific meaning. A Ghazi in Islam means someone who fights in jihad for the sake of Islam and its teachings. Jihad essentially means a fight against infidels, kafirs, and apostates. It is a fight against everyone and everything who does not believe in Islam. A Ghazi thus essentially means a Jihadi who is willing to fight against non-Muslims. In this war, he is ready either to get killed or kill others.

According to Sunan an-Nasai 2625 (Book 24, Hadith 7), a Ghazi is among the three most loved guests of Allah. The explanation of this Hadith on a website of Islamic scriptures says, “According to the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of Allah mentioned three types of people who are considered as the guests of Allah. These include a ghazi, a hajj pilgrim and a mu’tamir. A ghazi is someone who fights in jihad for the sake of Islam and its teachings. A hajj pilgrim is someone who performs a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they have enough resources to do so. Lastly, a mu’tamir is someone who travels for any purpose such as trade or education to seek knowledge or gain rewards from God Almighty. All these three types are considered as guests by God Almighty and will be rewarded accordingly for their efforts and intentions behind them.”

Helping a Ghazi is also equivalent to becoming a Ghazi

In Islamic scriptures, it is not only the Ghazi who is revered. Those who support a Ghazi, those who prepare a Muslim to become a Ghazi and those who take care of the family members of Ghazi are also revered. Sahih al-Bukhari 2843 (Book 56, Hadith 59) explains this phenomenon. It speaks about the reward for those who prepare and look after the dependents of a Ghazi. According to this Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said, “He who prepares a Ghazi going in Allah’s Cause is given a reward equal to that of) a Ghazi; and he who looks after properly the dependents of a Ghazi going in Allah’s Cause is (given a reward equal to that of) Ghazi.”

Further, according to Riyad as-Salihin (Book 11 Hadith 22), the Prophet Muhammad had said, “He who equips a Ghazi (fighter) in the way of Allah is as if he has taken part in the fighting himself; and he who looks after the dependents of a Ghazi in his absence, is as if he has taken part in the fighting himself.”

Asaduddin Owaisi said ‘We will live like Ghazis’

Asaduddin Owaisi said that ‘we (himself and other Muslims whom he claims he represents) will live like Ghazis’. The questions naturally arising after this speech by the AIMIM chief are not easy to manipulate given the clear meaning and context of this word in the Islamic scripture itself. Does Owaisi mean that he and the Muslims in India he claims to lead are at war against non-Muslims in the country? Does he mean that by becoming a Ghazi he and his fellows are willing to kill or dominate over non-Muslims, infidels, non-believers, kafirs, apostates and whatnot?

Asaduddin Owaisi also mentioned about becoming a martyr and preferring death. He also switched from ‘I’ to ‘We’ as he started talking about being a Ghazi. This implies that he was instigating other Muslims to become a Ghazi. Historically, Islamist tyrants like Muhammad Bin Qasim, Mahmood of Ghazni, Muhammad Ghori, Alauddin Khilji, Babur, Aurangzeb etc. all of them are identified as Ghazis in the Islamic terminology. This is because they attacked India – a land of polytheists and non-Muslims. They looted and killed the people living here because they were non-Muslims. Thus they qualified to be known as Ghazis. By calling himself and his fellows Ghazis, Asaduddin Owaisi essentially associates him and his followers with the cult of these invaders.

Is there a hidden message in the timing of posting this clip?

AIMIM posted this video clip on 7th April – just two days before the Hindu New Year that commenced with the Chaitra Navaratri and Gudhi Padwa on 9th April. On 17th April, the country will celebrate Ram Navami – the birth festival of the Hindu deity Lord Ram. This will be the first Ram Navami after an idol of the deity was consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the grand temple made at his birthplace in Ayodhya.

Ram Navami processions and Shobha Yatras were attacked in various parts of the country in the last few years. Especially, in 2022 and 2023, Islamists in India almost made it a norm to pelt stones at these peaceful processions and later cry victim when the law enforcement and administration would bulldoze the illegal constructions of these rioters. Notably, Owaisi’s appeal to Muslims inspiring them to become Ghazi came just a few days before this occasion.

Moreover, the Ram Navami celebrations of 2024 are on 17th April which is the last day of campaigning for the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. People in 102 constituencies in 21 states of India will vote for this round. This is the first and the biggest round of voting. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has a clear edge over its opponents in the campaigning so far. BJP candidate Madhavi Latha is challenging Asaduddin Owaisi in his home ground – the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. With a formidable Modi-led BJP and the NDA on one side and a desperate opposition having no clue about how to topple the Modi government amid a strong pro-incumbency, Owaisi’s resolve to make Ghazis out of Muslims should therefore be taken seriously against this backdrop.

“India to stop importing urea by end of 2025”: Here’s how the Modi govt boosted urea production & agricultural infrastructure to reduce dependency on its import

OpIndia Staff
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“India to stop importing urea by end of 2025”: Here’s how the Modi govt boosted urea production & agricultural infrastructure to reduce dependency on its import

Recently, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told news agency PTI that India will stop importing urea by the end of 2025 as a massive push for domestic manufacturing has helped bridge the gap between supply and demand.

The Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister said that the Modi government is making efforts to promote alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid di-ammonium phosphate (DAP).

He said that the Modi government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to end dependency on urea imports. Mandaviya highlighted that four closed urea plants have been revived and another factory is also being revived.

Noting that India needs around 350 lakh tonnes of urea per year to meet domestic demand, the Union Minister said that the installed domestic production capacities have been increased to around 310 lakh tonne from 225 lakh tonne in 2014-15.

“At present, the gap between the annual domestic production and demand is around 40 lakh tonne,” he said adding that the annual domestic production capacity of urea would reach around 325 lakh tonnes after the fifth plant is commissioned.

“Our agenda is very clear. By the end of 2025, Modiji will end the country’s import dependency on urea,” he said. Mandaviya said that the import bill of urea would become zero.

Where does India stand currently on urea imports?

According to data, urea imports fell to 75.8 lakh tonne in 2022-23 from 91.36 lakh tonne in 2021-22. In 2020-21, India imported 98.28 lakh tonne urea, 91.23 lakh tonne in 2019-20 and 74.81 lakh tonne in 2018-19.

In 2013-14, India imported 7.08 million tonne urea. Recently, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant, developed at a cost of more than Rs 8900 crores.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in 2023 also approved the continuation of Urea Subsidy Scheme; Rs. 3,68,676.7 Crore committed for urea subsidy for 3 years (2022-23 to 2024-25).

The government has also introduced Sulphur coated Urea (Urea Gold) to address Sulphur deficiency in soil and save input costs for farmers.

Last month, Mandaviya announced that India will replace the consumption of 2.5 million tonnes of conventional urea with nano urea in FY24.

“In the past two years, the use of conventional urea has been lower in 344 districts, and 74 districts have started using more nano urea,” he said.

How the Modi government got to work to boost urea production immediately after coming to power

Merely a year after coming to power, the Modi government in 2015 revived three urea plants based in southern states. The government also made 100% neem coating mandatory for urea, both domestic and imported, in a bid to stop illegal diversion of highly subsidized fertilizer and reduce their wastage.

The UPA government had announced the closure of three urea plants namely Madras Fertilizers Ltd (MFL)in Manali, Mangalore Chemical and Fertilizers Ltd (MCFL) in Mangalore and Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation (SPIC) in Tuticorin.

The same was reversed by the Modi government in order to ensure smooth supply of urea in the region. “The decision to continue production of the three plants will go in favour of farmers, thousands of employees working at these facilities and to minimize our import demand,” a ministry official had said in 2015.

Had these three plants been kept shut, the entire requirement of the south would have to be imported, according to a government release from 2015.

The first decision taken by the Modi government after coming to power was to reform India’s urea policy in 2014. The decision to coat urea with neem resulted in the complete removal of urea shortage from the country.

As a result, Indian farmers got an adequate supply of urea which was a first in India. After providing adequate urea at subsidized rates to the farmers, the government recognized the need to educate farmers about their soil and its nutrients.

This was important to ensure that they selected the crop that was fit for production on their soil which would be instrumental to improve the yield of their crop along with their income.

In 2023, the government approved the urea subsidy scheme to ensure constant availability of urea to the farmers at the same price of Rs 242/45 kg bag excluding taxes and neam coating charges.

Out of the package, Rs. 3,68,676.7 crore were committed for urea subsidy for three years (2022-23 to 2024-25).

Black marketing of urea thrived under the Congress government

Speaking in Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh on 9th April, Prime Minister Modi said that until 10 years ago, there used to be black marketing of urea, farmers had to face baton charges.

“Today, urea is adequate and consistently available. The cost of urea per bag is Rs 3000 in the global market. Our government is providing urea to farmers for less than Rs 300 per bag,” Modi said.

Mansukh Mandaviya in his book titled “Fertilizing the Future” also highlighted how the Modi government had to make amends in the illicit system left behind by the UPA government.

Shortage of urea in MP and Rajasthan during the previous Congress government and black marketing by private traders was rampant.

The fertiliser, and by extension, the farm and agriculture sector had become a source of kickbacks for the UPA government across both its terms, particularly from 2007 to 2014.

The scam also involves Ratul Puri, nephew of senior Congress leader and former MP CM Kamal Nath – who is also an accused in the AgustaWestland chopper scam and Moser Baer scam.

A fertilizer scam in Rajasthan involved Agrasain Gehlot, the brother of Ashok Gehlot. Agrasain Gehlot was allegedly involved in a corruption scandal between 2007 and 2009 that involved the diversion of a crucial ingredient used for making fertilizers – all of which were meant for farmers in distress.

Essentially, government concessions available to pass benefits to the farmers were allegedly misused to create benefits for oneself and private companies.

According to the documents available, this scam largely took place when Ashok Gehlot was leading the state government in Rajasthan and Manmohan Singh was leading the central government at Delhi.

In 2018, farmers were up in arms just days after the Congress governments took charge in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after the respective governments created a crisis by mismanaging the supply of urea.

According to reports, Rajasthan farmers are unable to procure urea which has led them to stand in long queues outside distribution centres.

Farmers protesting against the Congress government were lathicharged. The Congress governments allocated 50% urea to private traders as against 20%.

It was found that private traders have been hoarding urea and have been selling it in the black market. A 45 Kg bag of urea that used to be sold at Rs. 250 is being sold at Rs. 450 to the farmer without a bill.

‘Shirk, Kafir’: Islamists abuse former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan as he shares photos of Gudhi Padwa celebrations on social media

OpIndia Staff
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‘Shirk, Kafir’: Islamists abuse former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan as he shares photos of Gudhi Padwa celebrations on social media

On Tuesday (9th April), former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan once again came under attack from Islamists after he took to social media to share pictures of himself and his wife-actress Sagarika Ghatge celebrating the Hindu New Year Gudhi Padwa.

As soon as Zaheer Khan shared pictures of the celebrations at his home, Islamists on social media started posting hateful comments about the inter-faith couple. Most of the comments were addressed to Zaheer Khan sermonising him about what is actual Islam and how he is going against the religion.

In an Instagram post, Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge shared photos of the Hindu New Year celebrations and wrote in the caption, “Happy Gudi Padwa from us to you. Fun interview as always with Renuka Vyavahare this time with a whole lot of puran polis and sheer khurma. Thank you Prathamesh Bandekar for capturing it so beautifully and thank you for the lovely pictures.”

Immediately after this post, Islamists on social media came into the comments section of this post with their hateful abuses. One Abdul Qadir wrote, “Zaheer Khan’s faith in the religion is so weak that he could not convert his Hindu wife.”

Another user named Rahil Khan wrote, “Losing one idiot Muslim does not make any difference to Islam. Islam does not need such a Muslim. Islam was, is, and will be the fastest-growing religion in the world. Celebrities more popular in the world than him are accepting Islam. Alhamdulillah!”

Muzaffar Khan wrote, “Brother, you too are a blind Bhakt of the top order. What do you get by worshipping the stones and participating in these crimes?”

Another Instagram handle named @haseeb5364 wrote, “May Allah give guidance to them. Somebody tell him that Allah does not forgive Shirk (equating any other deity with Allah). You still have time. Regret your Shirk.”

Screenshot of the comments dropped on Zaheer Khan’s Instagram post

Another Islamist Emraan Mulla wrote, “This Kafir will go to Dojakh (hell) Inshallah.”

Nadeem wrote, “You son of a moron have some shame. People indeed forget everything after they earn money.”

Yousuf Hussain commented, “Brother, you are a Muslim. We don’t do this all in Islam. Don’t you know the meaning of Islam? Don’t do this all. Brother, we are answerable to Allah. Still, there is time brother. Beg pardon to Allah. Allah is a forgiver. Inshallah he forgives you.”

This is not the first time that Zaheer Khan has received hateful comments from Islamists for celebrating Hindu festivals. On 24th October 2022, he shared a similar photograph with his wife Sagarika Ghatge as the couple celebrated Diwali. Islamists on social media had similarly attacked him. Now, as they shared the pictures of Gudhi Padwa, Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge have received these hateful comments once again.

The First day of the month of Chaitra is celebrated as the Hindu New Year in many states in India. In Maharashtra, it is celebrated as Gudi Padwa while for Telugu and Kannadiga people, it is celebrated as Ugadi. Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra is celebrated with much fanfare and every year, the festival brings glimpses of the rich traditions and proud Maratha heritage.

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