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BJP candidate Madhavi Latha faces hate in Hyderabad, opposition supporters question whether she is a man or a woman

OpIndia Staff
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BJP candidate Madhavi Latha faces hate in Hyderabad, opposition supporters question whether she is a man or a woman

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in 2024, BJP’s Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha is facing severe hatred from the supporters of the opponent AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad. The supporters of AIMIM are criticizing the BJP leader and also doubting her femininity comparing her to the persons from the transgender community.

Several videos of such hate campaigns are making rounds on social media in which the AIMIM leaders or Muslim leaders can be heard saying that they have doubts about whether Latha is a man or a woman. The leaders are also heard saying that the BJP did not find a man or woman to elect elections against Owaisi in Hyderabad.

“BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha is facing one of the vilest hate campaigns from Owaisi’s followers. Owaisi fans are spreading edited videos and running targeted campaigns against her,” posted one of the X users Treeni.

Some of the videos showed the AIMIM supporters making fun of Latha by comparing her to a comedy character ‘Gutthi’ from the famous comedy show ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’. The character of a woman in the show was played by actor Sunil Grover who now appears in a similar character on Netflix in the ‘Kapil Sharma Show’. The opponent supporters by comparing Latha to ‘Gutthi’ claimed that the BJP leader looked like a transgender.

Further in one of the videos, the users indicated that Latha begged for votes in the city just like people beg for money on the streets.

One of the Muslim leaders also openly threatened Latha and said that she would be taught a lesson. The Muslim leader’s video was posted by Advocate Neelam Bhargava. The man in the video could be openly heard saying that he had doubts about whether Latha was a man or a woman. By saying this the Muslim supporters of Owaisi made an attempt to insult Latha as a woman.

On 25th April, Latha who has a degree in political science declared her family assets worth Rs 221 crore in the election affidavit. It is important to note that Latha is contesting against AIMIM’s Asadudding Owaisi who has a degree in Law and has 5 criminal cases booked against him. Meanwhile, Latha has no criminal cases registered against her.

Notably, the Hyderabad Police recently booked Latha for allegedly making ‘objectionable’ gestures at a Masjid. A video of the BJP candidate from Ram Navami rally on 17th April went viral over the internet in which Latha could be seen showcasing the Rambaan gesture by hand. The case was based on a complaint filed by one resident Shaik Imran who claimed that Latha made that gesture pointing towards a Masjid.

Later Latha clarified the incident and said that she was showing the Ramban gesture towards the sky and not the Masjid. “On the occasion of Ram Navami, I was gesturing shooting an (imaginary) arrow towards the sky. I released that arrow toward a building, that’s it. Where did the mosque come from? These people (referring to AIMIM) have always resorted to such hateful speeches to sideline the BJP leaders here and divert people’s attention. They have become experts in inciting the youth. This is a conspiracy against us because we work well with both Hindu and Muslim brothers,” she said.

It is clearly seen in the video that Latha pointed the arrow toward the sky and not in any direction pointing to the Mosque. It is the video shared by Islamists that portrays Latha falsely pointing the gesture at the Masjid.

Hyderabad will go to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13. Latha filed her nomination papers on Wednesday, following a city-wide roadshow. Owaisi had filed on April 19. Along with Latha and Owaisi, the Congress nominated Mohammed Waliullah Sameer from Hyderabad, while the BRS fielded G Srinivas Yadav.

Mastermind of the excise policy scam, tempered evidence, destroyed 170 phones: ED challenges Arvind Kejriwal plea against arrest in Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Mastermind of the excise policy scam, tempered evidence, destroyed 170 phones: ED challenges Arvind Kejriwal plea against arrest in Supreme Court

On 24th April, the Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the petition filed against the arrest and custody of Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a lower court. According to the affidavit, Arvind Kejriwal is the mastermind and conspirator of the excise scam and the High Court has weighed all the factors and rendered a definitive ruling. The agency stated that Kejriwal is charged with money laundering, per the High Court’s ruling which is based on the evidence at its disposal.

Enforcement Directorate opposed Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging the High Court order, and maintained that Aam Aadmi Party, which was the main beneficiary of the proceeds of the scam, had committed the crime through him. ED highlighted that the Delhi High Court considered every fact and there is no merit in the petition opposing the order. The agency requested the Supreme Court to dismiss Kejriwal’s plea.

The Delhi government ministers, AAP leaders, and other individuals conspired with the Delhi Chief Minister to devise and orchestrate the Delhi Excise fraud, per the affidavit. Enforcement Directorate noted that the verdict of the High Court is entirely accurate, as Arvind Kejriwal had a direct hand in creating the Excise Policy 2021–2022. According to the agency, Manish Sisodia, Vijay Nair, and other South Group representatives colluded in the creation of the policy which was designed with the South Group’s interests in mind.

According to ED, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party are responsible for the money laundering crime which is covered under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The investigative agency pointed out that the primary recipient of the criminal earnings from the Delhi Excise fraud is the Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal controls and conducts the major activities of Aam Aadmi Party. He is one of the Aam Aadmi Party’s founding members, as the witness statement makes evident. Kejriwal participated in the party’s policy deliberations as well, as per the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, the investigation agency informed that the Delhi Chief Minister was taken into custody after engaging in “large-scale” evidence tampering which involved the destruction of around 170 cell phones during the ‘scam’ and after the irregularities were exposed. The investigating officer had called the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nine times, but he refused to appear before the agency, based on the affidavit. Furthermore, it clarified that Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest came about as a result of his continuous disregard for summons from the agency and his inability to secure protection from the Delhi High Court.

The Enforcement Directorate told the top court that the accused’s arrest, despite his high profile is based on considerable proof and does not violate the principles of free and fair elections, in response to the Chief Minister’s charge that the arrest was made too soon, particularly with the Lok Sabha elections being underway. The investigation agency further declared that protecting lawmakers facing criminal charges from arrest would compromise the integrity of the democratic process.

It added, “The arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the concept of free and fair elections. If the aforesaid argument is accepted, politicians who are criminals would be granted immunity from arrest on the ground.” The agency underlined that “three different judicial authorities (courts) at three different levels” had reviewed the material that served as the basis for the investigating officer’s decision to arrest him.

The ED argued that Arvind Kejriwal’s “blatant disregard for the law” called for his arrest and added that “even on the date of the search during his interrogation while recording his statement under Section 17 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), he was avoiding answering questions by being evasive and being totally non-co-operative even with respect to simple non-incriminating questions.”

Additionally, ED contended that it possessed “sufficient material” to establish the accused’s guilt of the offence covered by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The ED further stated that his total non-cooperation made his arrest inevitable.

On 21st March, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the investigation team from his official Delhi residence. He is being held at the Tihar jail at the moment. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that the Chief Minister will continue to lead the government from prison and wouldn’t resign from office.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maharashtra cyber department in illegal IPL 2023 streaming case: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Actress Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maharashtra cyber department in illegal IPL 2023 streaming case: Details

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been summoned by the Maharashtra Cyber Department for interrogation regarding the illicit streaming of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on the Fairplay App. This incident apparently resulted in huge financial losses for Viacom, which controls the IPL’s official broadcasting rights. Bhatia will have to appear before the authorities on 29th April.

The Fairplay app is a betting application designed for the Indian market. It is accessible for free for both Android and iOS devices. The said app is said to have caused a loss of crores of rupees to Viacom.

Earlier in the year 2023, the Cyber Cell of Maharashtra Police called rapper Badshah for interrogation in connection with the illegal screening of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament on an online betting app named ‘FairPlay’ he promoted. Subsequently, he appeared at the Maharashtra Cyber office in Mumbai. 

The Fairplay app is a subsidiary app of the Mahadev app, promoters of which have links with Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company and are being probed in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate.

According to reports, the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to stream the IPL 2023 matches were owned by Viacom18. However, Fairplay was screening the cricket competition concurrently from March 2023 to May 2023.

The network had lodged a police complaint against the rapper and 40 other individuals, which included actor Sanjay Dutt. They were accused of endorsing the use of a betting app called Fairplay which was illegally broadcasting the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

Viacom 18 highlighted that it had the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to stream the IPL matches. It pointed out that the matches were illegally streamed on Fairplay and some actors promoted the tournament on the Fairplay app. Viacom 18 also said that the digital piracy by the Fairplay app cost them a loss of Rs 100 crores.

Subsequently, a case of digital piracy was filed by the media network with the possibility that more actors could likely be summoned in the case. 

Chinese citizen, who threatened a person for advocating democracy in China, sentenced to prison in USA

ANI
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Chinese citizen, who threatened a person for advocating democracy in China, sentenced to prison in USA

A Chinese national, Xiaolei Wu, 26, formerly a student at Berkeley College of Music in Boston, has been sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release by a US court, CNN reported.

This verdict follows Wu’s conviction in January on charges of cyberstalking and interstate transmission of threatening communication, as announced by the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

Wu’s actions stemmed from his confrontation with an individual who advocated for democracy in China. He allegedly targeted this individual with threatening messages after the person posted a pro-democracy flier on or near the college campus, according to the CNN report.

According to reports, Wu used WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, to send menacing messages, including one stating, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.”

Furthermore, charging documents revealed that Wu reported the individual to Chinese authorities and implied that their family members would face repercussions.

He allegedly sought assistance from others to locate the individual’s residence and publicly disclosed their email address online, inviting abuse.

Reacting to Wu’s sentencing, Acting United States Attorney Joshua S Levy emphasised the severity of Wu’s conduct, saying, “He harnessed the fear of potential retribution from the PRC (People’s Republic of China) government to harass and threaten an innocent individual who had posted an innocuous, pro-democracy flier on the Berkeley campus,” adding, “Mr. Wu’s violent threats achieved his goal of instilling fear in his effort to silence this brave victim and others who might want to speak out against the PRC government.”

“Our office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate efforts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights. Censorship and repression campaigns will never be tolerated here,” he also said, CNN reported.

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

Judge RK Diwakar, who ordered videographic survey of disputed Gyanvapi structure, gets threats from international phone numbers

OpIndia Staff
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Judge RK Diwakar, who ordered videographic survey of disputed Gyanvapi structure, gets threats from international phone numbers

Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who allowed a videographic survey of the disputed ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’ structure, has expressed concerns about his safety after receiving “malicious calls and death threats from international numbers”. Judge RK Diwakar has also demanded a probe into the threats against him.

Earlier, following a similar threat concern voiced by the judge shortly after the Gyanvapi decision in 2022, the Allahabad High Court ordered Y-category protection for him and his family, which eventually switched to X-category.

In a letter to the SSP, the judge stated last week that he has been receiving malicious calls from international numbers, “which is deeply concerning.” He stated that he also voiced his concerns to Bareilly SSP Sushil Chandrabhan Ghule. Judge Diwakar’s friend told TOI that security is insufficient since the two personnel deployed are not equipped with weapons to combat terrorists who carry automatic guns and advanced weaponry.

Justice Diwakar, who was recently transferred to Bareilly, took suo motu action in the 2010 Bareilly riots case and summoned controversial Maulana Tauqeer Raza for trial as the alleged mastermind. On 5th March this year, Additional Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had said that communal riots in India happen because politicians engage in appeasement of a particular religious community. ADJ Ravi Kumar Diwakar made this statement while summoning radical Islamist cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in the 2010 Bareilly riot case. 

Last year, a Popular Front of India (PFI) agent was apprehended outside the judge’s residence in Lucknow. Shahjahanpur SSP Ashok Kumar Meena then posted a gunner at the residence of Justice Diwakar’s brother, who also serves as an additional district judge. However, the security cover was removed due to the Lok Sabha elections.

Back in 2022, Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had expressed concerns about his safety after he allowed a videographic survey of the disputed Gyanvapi structure. He said that an atmosphere of fear is being created and that he is worried about his family’s safety as well. “The fear is so much that my family is always concerned about my safety and I am concerned about their safety”, he said.

‘Ashok Gehlot was taping phone calls of Sachin Pilot and others, kept Congress high command in the dark’, says his former OSD Lokesh Sharma

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ashok Gehlot was taping phone calls of Sachin Pilot and others, kept Congress high command in the dark’, says his former OSD Lokesh Sharma

Lokesh Sharma, the ex-OSD of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has made some startling revelations in a press conference. Speaking to the media, Sharma has stated the audio messages that went viral in July 2020, regarding conversations of some politicians, were actually given to him by former CM Gehlot himself, and not collected from social media as he had claimed then.

Sharma added that he was called to the CM’s residence then and was given a pen drive. “On 16 July 2020, some audio clips went viral via the media because I shared them with the media using my phone number. In those audios, a conspiracy was being made to topple the government by poaching MLAs. I did what I was told to. His (Gehlot’s) PSO Ramniwas called me up and asked me to come to the CM House as the CM wanted to meet me. As soon as I reached him, he handed over a pen drive and a paper, which I circulated among the people through you.”

Sharma further stated that the paper he gave to the media contained references to the audio messages in the pen drive, saying that the audio was phone conversations between Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Late MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, and Sanjay Jain. He added that he was asked by former CM Gehlot himself to circulate them in the media.

“Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was made to look as the main accused in the whole issue and it was alleged that BJP along with Sachin Pilot and other MLAs are trying to topple the government. They wanted to prove that the BJP was behind all this. Which was not the case”, Sharma added.

Lokesh Sharma further stated that Sachin Pilot kept trying to tell everyone his side of the story but nobody was listening to him. So Sachin Pilot gathered all concerned leaders and tried to talk to the party high command. But as soon as Ashok Gehlot learned of this, he put all their phones on surveillance. All their phones, including Sachin Pilot’s, were being tapped, Sharma added.

Ashok Gehlot used me for his politics: Sharma

Lokesh Sharma also stated that Ashok Gehlot, who is his political mentor, used him for politics. He added that he has been grilled in the phone tapping case and his house has been raided too. He added that there was a discussion in July 2020 at former CM Gehlot’s official residence, on how to spoil the image of Gajendra Shekhawat and Sachin pilot. Lokesh Sharma has further alleged that the Gehlot govt tried to shield the accused in the paper leak case and there has been rampant corruption in the purchasing of equipments during the Covid period. He added that he is willing to share the information with the current government.

Lokesh Sharma had made similar allegations after the election defeat in December 2023

Following the fall of the Congress government in Rajasthan in the 2023 elections, Lokesh Sharma had told the media that ‘it was common knowledge’ that the phones of Sachin Pilot and his supporting leaders were tapped. Gehlot’s OSD, who was refused a ticket to contest in the state assembly elections, had said that Gehlot cheated the party’s high command and prevented accurate feedback from reaching the top.

Rajasthan phone tapping controversy of 2020

In July 2020, the phone tapping controversy had exposed the rift in the Rajasthan Congress, widening the divisions between the Sachin Pilot camp and Gehlot camp. Pilot along with 18 other MLAs had revolted against Gehlot. Soon after, some audio clips went viral in the media, which then the Gehlot camp used to claim that the BJP is trying to break Rajasthan Congress. The BJP had demanded a CBI inquiry in the matter.

In March 2021, the Delhi Police Crime Branch lodged an FIR against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma on Thursday at Tughlak Road police station. The FIR was registered on the complaint of the Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The Gehlot government suffered a massive defeat in the 2023 assembly elections. BJP won a comfortable majority, making a first -time MLA Bhajanlal Sharma the CM of the state.

Wealth re-distribution: Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai asks Rahul Gandhi to distribute his ‘benami assets’ first

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Wealth re-distribution: Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai asks Rahul Gandhi to distribute his ‘benami assets’ first

Former chief minister and BJP candidate from the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency Basavaraj Bommai hit out at the Congress and asked Rahul Gandhi to distribute his ‘benami assets’, before speaking about the re-distribution of the nation’s property.

“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken about the re-distribution of the nation’s property. First, let him distribute his benami assets,” Bommai said.

Addressing a campaign meeting in Gajendragad on Wednesday, he said, “The INDI Alliance didn’t know who is their PM candidate. Mamata Banerjee claims herself as the PM, Arvind Kejriwal in jail said he would become the PM, Sharad Pawar said he was in the race for the PM post and Lalu Prasad Yadav said he was ready to take the responsibility.”

“Rahul Gandhi didn’t want to become the PM. What should be understood if a son who has attained the age of marriage, refuses to get married? For how many more years, did the Congress party want to cheat people? That party was born out of lies. The Congress party would be finished if Narendra Modi becomes the PM for the third time,” he added.

The former CM said that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge has been signing these guarantee cards, is he the Prime Minister or President? The guarantee given by him has no value. People must tear and throw the cards.

He said out of the total 543 seats, they required 272 seats for the simple majority but the Congress was contesting only 230 seats. So, it would not get majority. In total, the Congress wouldn’t win even 40 seats. The incumbent state government has cheated Dalits and farmers and has no moral right to rule the state.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi works 18 hours a day and he hailed from a poor family and understands poverty. He has lifted 25 crore people from the BPL category,” Bommai added.

He said the Prime Minister has provided vaccines to everyone during the COVID pandemic. Even the Congress leaders have taken the vaccine. To repay the favour of saving lives, we must vote for Modi.

“To repay Modi, who has provided water to every household, we must vote for the BJP. Modi, who provides 5 kg of rice to every family, must be voted for by the BJP. Every vote should be for making Modi the Prime Minister again,” the BJP leader said.

Bommai said that the Congress government has stopped the irrigation projects of North Karnataka such as Jaalawadagi, Singatalur and Koppal Lift irrigation projects. If the Congress has guts, it must release funds and complete them.

The 28 seats of Karnataka are going to polls in two phases — April 26 and May 7. The counting is scheduled for June 4. BJP registered a strong performance in the state in the 2019 general elections as it won 25 out of 28 seats.

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

Haryana: Around 400-year-old idols of Vishnu and Lakshmi unearthed during house construction, ASI rejects demands to place them in a temple

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: Around 400-year-old idols of Vishnu and Lakshmi unearthed during house construction, ASI rejects demands to place them in a temple

On Wednesday (24th April), Police informed that three metal idols, estimated to be about 400 years old, were unearthed during excavation for a house construction project in Manesar’s Mohammadpur Baghanki village. 

As per reports, the idols are of Hindu deities – Lord Vishnu and Mata Lakshmi. The idol of Lord Vishnu is approximately 1.5 feet tall and it is in a standing position. The Lakshmi idol is slightly smaller at 1 foot and it is in a seated pose. Both the idols have intricate carvings and designs. The third idol depicts Vishnu and Lakshmi sitting together. 

The Police added that the antique idols have been taken into possession and the owner of the site has been told to stall construction work. They stated that the Archeology Department will dig further into the site to check if there are more idols.

The police stated that the idols were found during the excavation for a new house foundation, and construction work was underway using a JCB machine. Initially, the plot owner tried to conceal the discovery and even offered money to the JCB driver to keep the information hidden. However, the driver informed the Bilaspur police two days later and a police team reached the spot, they said.

Subsequently, the Bilaspur Police handed over the idols to the Deputy Director of the Archeology Department Banani Bhattacharya, and Dr. Kush Dhebar.

The villagers consider the discovery as a sign of divine blessing. The Police stated that they wanted the idols to be handed over to the panchayat as they wanted to build a temple on the plot. But the officials of the Archeology Department refused their demand. 

Bhattacharya said, “These idols are the property of the government and no one can have personal rights on these. These will be kept in the museum of the Archeology Department after study in our laboratory.”

He added that the idols were found at a depth of around 15 feet and were made of bronze.

Speaking with the Times of India, Bhattacharya said, “The idols have been transported to our laboratory for further study. The archaeology department plans to use scientific methods to determine the exact age of the statues. According to a preliminary examination, they seem to be around 400 years old. It appears someone buried them long ago. The Manesar area doesn’t have any previous findings, but we will examine the matter.” 

Officials stated that they would look for inscriptions or markings that could provide clues about the statues’ origins. They also issued an appeal to the public asking them to cooperate and not disturb the site or the artifacts. 

Meanwhile, according to a News 18 report, police said that Prabhu Dayal, the owner of the plot, also found a gold vessel and a cache of coins, but these have not been recovered.

Pertinent to note that the discovery of antique idols is common in Haryana, a state rich in cultural and historical heritage. It is home to several important archaeological sites, including the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization at Rakhigarhi and stone carvings in Aravalis of Faridabad.

India had Inheritance Tax for over 3 decades, it was abolished by Rajiv Gandhi govt just a month before transfer of Indira Gandhi’s estate to her grandchildren

OpIndia Staff
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India had Inheritance Tax for over 3 decades, it was abolished by Rajiv Gandhi govt just a month before transfer of Indira Gandhi’s estate to her grandchildren

The Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s advisor Sam Pitroda stroked a political firestorm after he suggested a US-like inheritance tax in India as a way to redistribute wealth. As per the Congress leader, under this tax regime, more than half of the Wealth of a citizen will be grabbed by the government once a person dies leaving only the remaining portion with their bereaved family. 

Hitting back at the controversial suggestion, PM Modi charged Congress with over-burdening Indians with taxes and rampant loot. He added that Congress’ motto is – Congress ki loot, Zindagi ke sath bhi, Zindagi ke bad bhi. Consequently, the widespread criticism and condemnation of the Inheritance tax plan forced Congress and Pitroda to distance themselves from the controversial idea. 

Notably, this is not the first time the Congress has come up with the idea of inheritance tax. The tax was in place in the country for over three decades. Under the Estate Duty Act of 1953, inheritance of property attracted tax, which could go upto 85% of the value of the inherited property. The tax system had slabs, just like current income tax slabs, with higher tax rate for higher values. For properties values above ₹20 lakh, the tax rate was 85%, which means almost all of the property was grabbed by the government after the death of the owner.

However, the Estate Duty Act didn’t work as intended. There were concerns about double taxation as assets were subject to taxation twice: first, through wealth tax during the property owner’s lifetime (which was abolished by the Modi government in FY 2016 and onwards), and then through estate duty upon their demise. Additionally, estate duty collections were drastically less than the Congress government expected due to issues such as asset concealment and ownership of benami properties.

The act was abolished in 1985 by the Rajiv Gandhi government. Now, the timing of the repealing the act is very interesting, because, it was repealed just weeks before the will of former PM Indira Gandhi transferring her properties to her grandchildren was executed.

The Estate Duty Act, 1953 was abolished in the very first budget of Rajiv Gandhi govt, when VP Singh was the finance minister. The act was abolished from the date of 1 April 1984. Just a month later, on 2 May 1984, Indira Gandhi’s Will was published, as per which her estate worth about $175,000, over ₹21.50 lakh, was handed over to her three grandchildren, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi. The current value of this estate will be over ₹4.2 crore.

As per a report by United Press International (UPI) from 2 May 1985, in the will signed in 1981, Indira Gandhi had appointed her son Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi as executors of the will, but didn’t give anything to them. She also didn’t leave anything for her estranged daughter-in-law, Menaka Gandhi. The will was published after Rajiv Gandhi presented it at a court to certify it.

As per the Will, bulk of Indira Gandhi’s estate was a farm and a farmhouse under construction in Mehrauli, worth $98,000, which was to be divided equally among the three grandchildren. They were also given cash, stocks and bonds amounting to around $75,000, along with copyrights to books written by Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Indira Gandhi’s antique articles and personal jewellery worth around $2,500 was left to Priyanka Gandhi alone.

All three recipients were minors at that time, therefore Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were given the responsibility of handling the property till they became adults.

While India had inheritance tax for over three decades, the Gandhi grandchildren didn’t have to pay any tax on this inheritance because the tax regime was abolished just a month ago before the Will was executed.

The Will was published on 2 May 1985 and then executed after Rajiv Gandhi govt abolished the Estate Duty Act in his first budget. The UPI report from 2 May 1985 said, “Under a finance bill that took effect April 1, all death duties in India have been abolished and no inheritance tax will be assessed on the Gandhi estate.”

‘Why did you fill the water before us, you Ch*m*r’: Muslim women assault Dalits in Nuh, threaten to kill them if they don’t leave the town

राहुल पाण्डेय
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‘Why did you fill the water before us, you Ch*m*r’: Muslim women assault Dalits in Nuh, threaten to kill them if they don’t leave the town

In the Nuh district of Haryana, a case of assault by a Muslim mob on a Dalit family has come to light. It is alleged that when Dalit women were filling water from the tubewell, Muslim women started assaulting them and said that this place was meant for them to fill water. Shortly thereafter, men from the Muslim family also joined in the anti-Dalit violence.

The victims allege that they were subjected to caste-based slurs during this time. The attackers threatened them to leave the village or face death. Half a dozen Dalits injured in the violence have been admitted to the hospital. The incident took place on April 17, 2024. Meanwhile, the police have initiated an investigation by registering an FIR on Monday (April 22, 2024). A total of 18 assailants have been named in the FIR.

This incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Taavdu police station. Dalit woman Rajni, residing in the Sahseelapatti village, filed a complaint with the police on April 22. In her complaint, Rajni explained that around 8 p.m. on April 17, she went to fill government tubewell water with some other women from her family. Some Muslim women were also filling the water there.

Rajni stated that during this time, Asmina, Rahmati, and Maksudan began throwing utensils belonging to Dalit women when they saw them. When Rajni questioned the Muslim women about it, they said, “You belong to Ch*m*r (low caste), how can you fill water before us?” When Rajni opposed the casteist insults, all three Muslim women attacked her and beat her up.

The victims say that they managed to escape somehow to save their lives. Meanwhile, the Muslim women reached home and gathered people. Shortly after, a Muslim mob ran towards the Dalit houses. The attackers, carrying sticks, rods, and axes, barged into the houses of all the victims. There, they hurled casteist abuses at the families along with physical assault. According to the complaint, the attackers said, “You low-borns, today we will kill you. Today, we will teach you a lesson.”

Anyone who came to intervene during the Muslim mob’s attack on Rajni and other Dalit women was brutally beaten. During the assault, the women sustained injuries on their noses, hands, eyes, shoulders, legs, chests, and faces. After nearly half a dozen victims were injured, the accused began vandalizing their homes. In this rampage, fans, utensils, and tin roofs were destroyed. Even the autos parked outside the houses were damaged. The attackers spared no animals either; they pelted stones at the tied cows and buffaloes outside the victims’ houses.

Stones pelted at victim’s house

Upon hearing the commotion, some other villagers gathered, which saved the lives of the victims. Some of the attackers, who returned from the scene of the incident, also threatened the victims in the returning crowd. They said, “Today we spared you, you low-borns and wretches. If you ever dare to fill water before us again or even look at us the wrong way, we will kill you.”

Continuing their threats, they further said, “If you want to live in our village, know your place. What right do you have in front of us?” If this incident is reported anywhere or brought before any official, they won’t allow you to stay in the village. They will chase you away from here and ensure you never enter the village again.”

After the attackers left, the victims began arranging medical treatment for the injured. Some of the injured were admitted to Nalhar Medical College. Ramveer, who was seriously injured, has been referred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. In the complaint filed with the police, Rajni also mentioned that they had been insulted with casteist slurs before.

Describing the attackers as thugs and ruffians, the victims expressed fear for their lives and belongings. The delay in filing the FIR was attributed to the victims being occupied with the serious injuries of their family members. A copy of the primary complaint filed by Rajni is available with OpIndia.

The police have initiated an investigation by registering an FIR against the assailants, including Alisher, Sohel, Farukh, Sali Muhammad, Aslum, Aslam, Shaharoon, Mahboob, Mufid, Sharukh, Usman, Sheru, Ikram, Sahoon, Ramzan, Asmina, Rahmati, and Maksudan. Action has been taken under sections 148, 149, 323, 452, and 506 of the IPC and the SC/ST Act. The police are actively investigating the case.

No Hindu temple in the village

OpIndia spoke with Charanjeet, who was injured in the incident. Charanjeet informed us that there are about 14-15 households of Hindus in his village, who belong to the Dalit community. Apart from this, there are about 400 households of the Muslim community in the village. According to Charanjeet, the people of the Scheduled Caste in the village are devotees of Lord Mahadev and Mother Durga, but out of fear, they have not built any temples in the village.

Charanjeet mentioned that during the last Navratri, he observed fast with his family, but they were forced to worship at home without drums and cymbals. Similarly, victim Rajni also mentioned that she and other Dalits in the village are regularly subjected to verbal abuse and threats by members of the Muslim community.

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