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While Congress demands guarantee that BJP will not change the constitution, its own manifesto promises at least 6 major changes to the constitution

Raju Das
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While Congress demands guarantee that BJP will not change the constitution, its own manifesto promises at least 6 major changes to the constitution

Ahead of the general elections, the Congress party has been alleging that BJP is attempting to ‘change the constitution’. While the Constitution can be amended by the parliament, and it has been done so over a hundred times, Congress wants to create an impression among the voters that amending the constitution is a crime, and BJP will do something illegal by amending the constitution.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been accusing BJP of attempting to amend the constitution, and has warned the ruling party against it. Rahul Gandhi had said that the ultimate goal of Narendra Modi and BJP is to destroy Baba Saheb’s Constitution. He had assured that his party will not allow the BJP govt to ‘change the constitution’.

Even today, Congress leader Jairam Rames attacked the BJP over comments by some BJP leaders promising constitutional amendments. He said that such comments by BJP leaders paint a worrying picture of what Indian democracy will be like if the BJP returns to power. He asked PM Modi, “Can the Prime Minister make a clear statement that he does not want to change the Constitution?”

However, it seems Jairam Ramesh, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge and other Congress leaders attacking BJP over the issue have not read the election manifesto of his own party. Because, in the manifesto Nyay Patra released today, the Congress party has promised to make several changes to the constitution. The party has promised at least six changes to the constitution, some of which hare very concerning.

In the Equity section of Nyay Patra, the Congress party has promised to change the constitution to remove the 50% cap on reservations. The manifesto says, “The Congress guarantees that it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC.” The party has also promised a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census.

In the section Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ section of the manifesto, the Congress party has promised to amend Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution to expand their scope. It says, “We will expand Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the ground of ‘disability’, ‘impairment’ or ‘sexual orientation’.”

Article 15 deals with the Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, while Article 16 guarantees equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

The Congress party also promises to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure automatic disqualification of MPs and MLAs who leave their parties. The manifesto Nyay Patra states in the ‘defending the constitution‘ section, “We promise to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and make defection (leaving the original party on which the MLA or MP was elected) an automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or Parliament.”

In a big promise, the Congress party has talked about changing the Constitution to split the Supreme Court of India. The party has said that it will amend the Constitution to create two divisions in the Supreme Court, a Constitutional Court and a Court of Appeal. Notably, it has been demanded for some time by various sectors to split the Supreme Court into two sections, a court of appeal to hear appeals against High Court rulings in regular cases, and a Constitutional court to hear only matters relating to the constitution, laws, and matters of national importance.

Talking about another change in the constitution, the Congress party has promised to change the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to include Ladakh. It states, “We will amend the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to include the tribal areas of Ladakh.” This Schedule contains provisions regarding the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

In the sixth promised change to the constitution, Congress has said that it will make changes to the 106th amendment of the constitution brought by the BJP govt, which is the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023 or the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Congress alleges that reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies will begin only beyond 2029, and has promised an amendment to bring the 106th amendment into force immediately. It says that it will enforce the reservation in assembly elections from 2025, and in parliamentary elections from 2029.

There is nothing wrong in amending the constitution as per changing circumstances, and therefore there is nothing wrong in Congress promising amendments to the constitution. But the problem is, the Congress party has been projecting amendments of the constitution as something illegal, and has been accusing BJP of trying to ‘change the constitution. Ironically, on the same day the party demanded guarantee from PM Narendra Modi that BJP will not ‘change the constitution’, its own election manifesto promised at least six changes to the constitution.

Apart from the changes to the constitution, Congress has also promised changes to a large number of laws, like Election laws, laws related to media and information technology, labour laws, etc.

‘Illegal, erroneous and arbitrary’: Tribunal quashes Waqf Board’s order which declared Surat Municipal Corporation’s head office ‘Waqf property’

Krunalsinh Rajput
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‘Illegal, erroneous and arbitrary’: Tribunal quashes Waqf Board’s order which declared Surat Municipal Corporation’s head office ‘Waqf property’

The Waqf Board’s controversial decision to declare the head office of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), known as ‘Muglisara’ (Mughal Sarai), as waqf property, has finally been quashed. In November 2021, the Waqf Board partially approved an application and declared the SMC Headquarters as Waqf property. The municipality then challenged the decision in the Waqf Tribunal in a legal battle. The tribunal finally passed an order on 3rd April 2024, dismissing the waqf board’s claim. The tribunal termed the Waqf Board’s order to declare SMC a Waqf property as illegal, against the established judicial principle of law, erroneous and arbitrary. A copy of the order is available with OpIndia.

In 2016, a petition was filed seeking to name the SMC’s main building, known as ‘Mughal Sarai’, in Surat as ‘Humayun Sarai’. The petition was filed by a man named Abdullah Jarullah of Surat, who had demanded that the SMC head office building be registered as the property of the Waqf Board, citing Waqf Act section 36. In 2021, the office building was registered as a ‘Waqf property’ partly in favour of the petitioner. At the same time, the order empowered the Gujarat State Wakf Board to administer the building instead of subjecting it to the SMC.

What was the claim in the petition?

The petition claimed that the building was built during Shah Jahan’s reign. It was then given to his daughter Jahanara Begum in the jagir. Shah Jahan’s trusted person Ishaq Baig Yazdi alias Haqeeqat Khan built this building in 1644 for Rs 33,081. At that time it was named ‘Humayun Sarai’ and this building was donated for Haj pilgrims because Surat was a major port and there was a large movement of passengers there.

The petitioner, Abdullah Jarullah, cited Sharia law and demanded that the waqf board should have the right over the property donated for religious purposes based on a Supreme Court judgment (which held that once the waqf had the property, it remained with the waqf). The petitioner also produced 17 different documents claiming that the four-century-old building was used as a pilgrim’s landing till 1867. Then in 1961, the British made it the office of the municipality and later this building became the head office of the SMC.

The Waqf Board declared the SMC Headquarters Building as its property.

The Waqf Board allowed Jarullah’s application and directed that the main building of the SMC office be declared a Waqf property. Surat Municipal Corporation’s law committee chairman and corporator Naresh Rana and municipal officials opposed the decision. Meanwhile, when the documents were examined in this case, some defects were noticed in it. The whole matter was presented before the Wakf Tribunal. Advocate Kaushik Pandya, appearing for the SMC, presented the arguments before the tribunal.

The tribunal’s strong reaction against the Waqf Board

The Wakf Tribunal, while taking note of the SMC’s plea, made important observations. It said, “The building was built out of the port’s tax and revenue money and not from the personal income of Shah Jahan or Ishaq Baig. Therefore, this property does not fall under the definition of self-acquired property of the Mughals. Due to this the property made from the tax and revenue income of the port cannot be done in the name of Waqf.”

The tribunal said that given the history of the construction of the Mughal Sarai, it has been built from the income of the tax and revenue money of the Surat port as well as from the tax money of the state so it cannot be considered the self-acquired property of the Mughal ruler. A Muslim person can waqf his self-acquired property, but a property built from the income of taxes and revenue money of the state’s port cannot be waqf.

It was further said that the petitioner had submitted only a photocopy of the documents before the Board. As per the provisions of the Evidence Act, the photocopy cannot be termed admissible. The tribunal remarked that the fact that the petitioner had wrongly produced certified copies of the documents even though the petitioner had not produced a photocopy was wrongly shown in the order, which is a matter of shame for a board.

There is no building of this name in Surat: Tribunal

The tribunal clearly stated that it was ordered by the board to register the property as ‘Humayun Sarai Waqf Property’ which is illegal. This property has been known as ‘Mughal Sarai’ since its construction and there is no building named ‘Humayun Sarai’ in ward number 11 of Surat city and the property of City Survey No. 1504 was never known as ‘Humayun Sarai’ in the past.

The order further stated that even though the members and officials of the Board are aware of the fact that the property is ‘Mughal Sarai’ and had known this since the 18th century, and the evidence in this regard has been presented by the petitioner, the Board has made an improper and illegal and failed attempt to put the property on the government record by addressing it as ‘Humayun Sarai’ without verifying and legally examining the application in the name of investigation. It is very shocking for the board to do this. Not only this, the tribunal also termed the decision as tarnishing the reputation of the board.

It is also necessary to note here that the inscription which was referred to by the petitioner to declare the building as Waqf was referred to as ‘Waqf Deed’ and there is no mention of any Mutawalli (a kind of trustee) in that inscription. The petitioner had mentioned in his petition that he was the Mutawalli there. Taking note of this serious matter, the Tribunal noted, “While studying the case paper, the petitioner submitted an affidavit that he was the Mutawalli of the disputed property. He was never the Mutawallis of this building, and it is a criminal act for him to do so.”

The tribunal quashed the order

Taking note of all the facts and information, the Tribunal held that the order of the Gujarat State Waqf Board on 25th November 2021 to register the property of Ward No. 11, City Survey No. 11, 1504 of Surat City as ‘Humayun Sarai’ Waqf property was illegal, against the prevailing judicial principle of law, erroneous and arbitrary and in the interest of justice, it is void and arbitrary.

The tribunal, while allowing the application of the Surat Municipal Corporation, quashed the waqf’s illegal order and held that the disputed property should be known as ‘Mughal Sarai’.

SMC’s hard work paid off

The Gandhinagar Waqf Tribunal exempted the SMC headquarters building from the possession of waqf. In this regard, OpIndia contacted Naresh Rana. He is the chairman of the law committee of Surat Municipal Corporation and a local corporator. He said, “When I was appointed as chairman 6-7 months ago, this whole thing came to our notice. After closely examining the documents related to it, the claim of the Waqf Board was found to be unconstitutional. That is why we, senior advocate Kaushik Pandya and the team of SMC’s Law Committee fought this case and the SMC has won. Everyone’s hard work has paid off.”

Telangana: Hoard of Ikshvaku period lead coins unearthed during excavations at the historic Phanigiri site in Suryapet

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Hoard of Ikshvaku period lead coins unearthed during excavations at the historic Phanigiri site in Suryapet

On 29th March, a treasure of lead coins was discovered by Department of Archaeology and Museums officials at the Phanigiri Buddhist monument in the Suryapet district of Telangana, Hyderabad. The coins are from the Ikshvaku period, which took place between the third and fourth centuries of the Common Era, according to the archaeologists. At a depth of two feet, the team led by co-excavator B. Mallu and excavation director N. Sagar discovered an earthen pot measuring 16.7 cm in diameter and 15 cm in height. The team discovered 3,730 lead coins with the Ujjain and elephant symbols on opposite sides of the pot.

In addition to the coins, the researchers also found stone beads, glass beads, shell bangle fragments, stucco motifs, broken limestone sculptures, a wheel of a toy cart, nails and pottery. On 4th April, the historic site situated in Telangana was examined by Principal Secretary of the State Archeology Department Shailaja Ramayar, Suryapet Additional Collector BS Latha, and Director of the State History and Heritage Department Bharthi Holikeri.

Shailaja Ramayar mentioned, “We have found that the lead coins belong to the Ikshvakus period. This is the first time in the country that so many coins have been found at a single site. It is like achieving a great milestone in uncovering Buddhist history. With this development, the village of Phanigiri has climbed onto the world map.” She added, “The mouth of the pot was covered with a shallow pot on the outside and a broken base of a bowl on the inside. After opening the pot it came to know that the pot was filled with lead coins. All the coins were taken out from the pot and counted, the coins are three thousand seven hundred thirty (3730) in number and the average weight of each coin is 2.3 grams.”

They noticed that all of the coins were composed of lead and were similar in nature. According to Bharthi Holikeri, historical sites from the Nizam era have been located, and Phanigiri has already drawn interest from travellers worldwide. She noted, “The coins have an elephant symbol on the obverse and the Ujjain symbol on the reverse. With strata graphical and typological studies we can come to the conclusion that these coins belong to the Ikshvaku period.”

She conveyed, “Excavations have also been conducted in the past at Vardhamanukota, Gajula Banda, Tirumalagiri, Nagaram, Singaram, Aravapalli, Ayyavaripallim Arlagaddagudem and Yeleswaram, in addition to Phanigiri.”

The village of Phanigiri is situated in Nagaram Mandal, Suryapet district, on the left side of the Bikkeru rivulet, a tributary of the river Musi. This hamlet is situated 110 kilometres from Hyderabad, the Telangana state capital, and 35 km from Suryapet, the district headquarters. The Department of Heritage, Telangana, conducted excavations during the field season of 2023–24 as a continuation of earlier excavations to gain an understanding of the site’s history and overall condition.

A Mahastupa, apsidal Chaitya Grihas, Votive stupas, pillared congregation halls, Viharas, platforms with staircases at various levels, octagonal stupa chaitya, a 24 pillared mandapa, a circular chaitya and cultural material including terracotta beads, semi-precious beads, iron objects, shell bangle pieces, coins, stucco figures, Brahmi label inscriptions and holy relic casket were recovered during earlier excavations at Phanigiri. Every piece of cultural evidence could be traced back to the first century BCE and the fourth century CE.

According to etymology, the name Phanigiri appears to have come from the shape of a hilltop that juts out on the village’s northern boundary and resembles a snake hood. Phani means snake and Giri means hilltop in Sanskrit. Prehistoric or protohistoric, early historic, early medieval, and Asaf Jahi period populations lived in this settlement. Life in this community was lively from 1000 BCE until the late 18th century CE.

This region contains more sites than Phanigiri. Vardhamanukota, Gajula Banda, Tirumalagiri, Nagaram, Singaram, Aravapalli, Ayyavaripalli, Arlagaddagudem, and Yeleswaram are a few of the nearby Buddhist sites. Excavations were conducted at this location throughout seven field seasons, 2001–2002, 2002–2003, 2004–2005, 2006–2007, 2010–2011, 2013–2014, and 2018–2019.

Nupur Sharma redux: ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised against a Hindu boy in Nashik after he responds to a derogatory post made by an Islamist on Lord Ram

Siddhi Somani
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Nupur Sharma redux: ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised against a Hindu boy in Nashik after he responds to a derogatory post made by an Islamist on Lord Ram

On Thursday (4th April), the city of Nashik in Maharashtra saw massive tension rising after thousands of Muslims gathered in the Jai Bhavani locality and vandalized public properties. The Muslims targeted the city link buses and also attacked private vehicles belonging to Hindus. This is after they alleged that a Hindu boy identified as Sanket Saudagar posted derogatory comments about Islamic Prophet Mohammed Paiganber’s daughter, Fatima al-Zahra.

The Muslims from the city during the month of Ramzan gathered and demanded death punishment for the alleged Hindu person. They also shared several posts on social media platforms saying that Saudagar had committed a grave crime by commenting against Fatima al-Zahra and that he deserved ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment. The images and videos of the posts have been obtained by OpIndia.

Posts being spread against Sanket Saudagar on social media

However, it is interesting to note that the quarrel as usual is said to have been initiated by the Muslim community. As per the information exclusively obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened in the last week. The Hindu community in Nashik has been making preparations for the upcoming Ram Navami festival (17th April). During the preparations, the Hindu community people, including Saudagar began posting elements of preparation on Instagram. But, this could not be tolerated by the Muslim community persons.

As per one of the Hindu local activists who provided information to OpIndia on the condition of anonymity, the Muslim locals, including one boy who specifically identified himself as ‘Khwaja’, posted derogatory comments on Lord Rama on Instagram. He along with the other Muslims demeaned the preparations for the upcoming Hindu festival of Ram Navami and used abusive language for Lord Rama on Instagram.

Public bus vandalized by Muslims

“The initial fight was between the two individuals only. Saudagar could not tolerate the insult of Lord Rama. He also then gave them answers in their own words. He made some remarks about the Islamic Prophet Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima al-Zahra. His acts cannot be justified by then this is what the Muslims wanted. They triggered the fight by commenting ill about Lord Rama and forced the Hindu boy to take this unjustifiable step. The screenshots of this post were then shared by Muslims in their groups which led them to gather to demand the death of Saudagar,” Vipin (named changed) said.

He added that after the violence was triggered, the Muslims deleted all the comments they made against Lord Rama and took screenshots of posts posted by Saudargar to specifically target him and the community.

The Muslims gathered in thousands and created chaos in the city of Nashik on 4th April. They raised the slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ and also insulted Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad took cognizance of the event and wrote to the city police demanding strict action against the Muslim community persons.

letter copy obtained by OpIndia

“Some individuals posted derogatory comments against Hindu Gods and Goddesses on social media. After that, they dismantled the Kamaan which was established for the Goddess Tuljabhavani temple ceremony. They pelted stones at the temple kamaan and insulted Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Further, they blocked roads vandalized vehicles, and public buses. The current environment in the city of Nashik is concerning. We demand strict action against the miscreants,” the letter by Vishwa Hindu Parishad read.

Kamaan destroyed by Muslims

Notably, Saudagar got trapped after the Muslims deleted all the derogatory comments they had passed against Lord Ram on Instagram. They, however, managed to take screenshots of the post posted by Saudagar and circulated the same in the Muslim community now demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment to Saudagar.

As per the latest updates, the Police have filed an FIR against Saudagar for allegedly passing derogatory comments about one’s religion. The police have also arrested Sanket Saudagar in the case and are investigating the matter. However, the Muslim person who made derogatory remarks against Lord Ram is believed to be absconding.

Police could not be reached for comment during the writing of this report. Further updates will be reported once the FIR copy and police comment in this case are obtained.

Nupur Sharma was targeted by Islamists, egged on by Mohammed Zubair, for responding to barbs on Lord Shiva

In 2022, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Islamists, egged on by the likes of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, issued multiple threats against her and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam. 

Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery. Islamists have claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain. Across social media platforms, detractors have been repeating ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises is a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God.

In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which was evident even during the Times Now debate where some of the fellow panellists referred to the Shivling as a fountain, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

When Taslim Rehmani repeatedly used derogatory references to Lord Shiva on the Times Now debate, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma spoke about Prophet Muhammad and his marriage with Ayesha and other scriptural claims made in Islamic Hadiths, an edited video of which was later shared by Zubair to dog whistle Islamists against her, resulting in ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests across the country. 

Several Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur, Umesh Kolhe from Amravati, and many others, were hacked to death by Islamists for merely expressing solidarity with Nupur Sharma.

Rohith Vemula Act, caste census, more than 50% reservation: Congress manifesto eyes to divide India further along caste lines

Dibakar Dutta
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Rohith Vemula Act, caste census, more than 50% reservation: Congress manifesto eyes to divide India further along caste lines

On Friday (5th April), the Congress party stirred the hornet’s nest for trying to divide the country along caste lines in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The grand-old party has vowed to conduct a pan-India caste census and determine the socio-economic conditions of sub-castes as well. It has also promised to include fishing communities in the caste census.

At a time when the BJP is talking about taking the country forward as a nation, the Congress is eyeing to reduce the citizens to their caste identities alone.

Page 6 of the manifesto says, “Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economicand Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.”

The grand-old party has also announced to increase the cap on reservations from the existing 50%, as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. It also promised to give more public works contracts to those belonging to the SC/ ST community.

Congress also assured enactment of a legislation that will introduce reservations for SC/ ST and OBCs in private educational institutions.

While taking a cue from US politics, the grand-old party even vowed to establish ‘Diversity Commission’ to promote diversity in education, and public and private employment.

However, nothing comes close to its sinister agenda of enacting the Rohith Vemula Act. Page 7 of the Congress manifesto reads, “We will enact the Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination faced by students belonging to the backward and oppressed communities in educational institutions.”

It is interesting to note that the Congress party has been politicising the death of Rohith Vemula, a former PhD student at the University of Hyderabad, since 2016.

The left-liberal ecosystem also threw its weight behind this particular case, calling his suicide a consequence of ‘caste discrimination’.

Later, it came to light that Vemula was not a Dalit as claimed by Congress and the left-liberal ecosystem on social media. It was also unearthed that his untimely death had nothing to do with caste and that he was frustrated with ‘worldly affairs.’

The Andhra Pradesh government had also decided to cancel the ‘SC certificate’, which was fraudulently obtained by Rohith Vemula and his mother.

Despite being well aware of the findings in the case, the Congress party has decided to keep the pot boiling and drag Vemula’s suicide into its manifesto for the 2024 elections.

Congress resorts to Muslim appeasement

The Congress party also announced several schemes in its election manifesto to appease the Muslim community ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The grand-old party has vowed to send Muslim students abroad and increase their scholarships.

Interestingly, Congress has hinted at repealing the triple talaq act, allowing personal laws to supersede uniformity and entertain the wearing of non-essential religious clothing in educational institutes under the garb of the Right to Freedom of Religion.

All of these happen to be the talking points of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has previously opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. 

The Congress promised to appoint more judges, belonging to the Muslim community, to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. It has assured to strengthen the ‘autonomy’ of the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC.

Congress has also assured to provide collateral-free education loans up to 7.5 lakhs. The grand-old party has also suggested implementing the draconian Communal Violence Bill, which is aimed at disproportionately targeting the Hindu community.

How greed for an alleged ‘magic coin’ made an employee murder 2 businessmen in Bulandshahr: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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How greed for an alleged ‘magic coin’ made an employee murder 2 businessmen in Bulandshahr: Read details

The Uttar Pradesh police have solved a double murder case in Bulandshahr on Thursday (4th April). According to the police, this murder took place in connection with an alleged ‘magic coin’. The deceased uncle and nephew duo had an ‘ancient’ coin that they claimed to be ‘magical’. To get the coin, their servant Rishabh along with his partner murdered both of them.

Before the killers could find foreign buyers for the coin, the police apprehended them.

Recently, the bodies of Sudhir Agarwal and Rajiv Garg, who were uncle and nephew, were discovered on the canal bank in Bulandshahr. After a three-day search, on 4th April, the police apprehended Rishabh and his accomplices, uncovering the murder case. According to the police, Rishabh and his friend brutally murdered Rajiv Garg and his uncle Sudhir Agarwal to obtain an alleged miracle coin.

SSP Shlok Kumar said in a media interaction that on 31st March, Rajiv Garg (resident of Brahmpuri police station Kotwali Nagar) along with his uncle Sudhir Agarwal (resident of DCM lane Gandhi Chowk) left for some work at the public service centre located near the ARTO office. But they did not reach home. On 1st April, the dead bodies of Rajiv Garg and Sudhir Agarwal were found near the Adauli canal under the Kotwali Dehat police station area.

A case was registered on the complaint of Sanjeev Garg, the family of the deceased. Utilizing technical evidence and footage from 200 CCTV cameras, the identities of Rishabh and his friend Tanu were revealed. They were subsequently apprehended by the SWOT team and the police station Kotwali Dehat police team.

As indicated by the arrested accused, the police teams recovered the knife used for the murders, the scooty of the deceased, and their mobile phones. During interrogation, it was found that the accused Rishabh used to work at the public service center run by the deceased Rajiv Garg. The deceased Rajiv owed Rs 80,000 to Rishabh who had not received his salary for a few months. About a month and a half ago, there was an argument between the two about this matter. Rishabh was very angry about this.

Additionally, Rishabh knew that Rajiv had a ‘magic coin’, which he had heard about from Rajiv Garg himself. To get this coin he killed Rajiv and his uncle Sudhir Agarwal. The killers reportedly believed the superstition that the magic coin possessed the power to alter the weather, induce rainfall, convert one metal into the other, and fulfil wishes. Rishabh also knew from the talks between Rajiv and Sudhir that there are only 26 such coins in the world and one of them is with the uncle-nephew duo. They were also trying to sell this coin to someone in Nepal for a high price. Driven by greed, Rishabh and his friend Tanu conspired in a plan to murder Rajiv Garg.

Rishabh escorted Rajiv to the Adauli canal, with his accomplice Tanu already stationed there on a scooter. Along the journey, they ambushed Rajiv from behind, causing the scooter to veer uncontrollably. Subsequently, they fatally attacked Rajiv by slashing his throat. Rishabh then proceeded to the shop using the deceased’s scooter. He convinced Rajiv’s uncle, Sudhir Agarwal, to accompany him under the pretext that Rajiv met with an accident. Subsequently, Rishabh and Tanu also murdered Sudhir Agarwal.

The police have also recovered the alleged ‘magic coin’ from the possession of the murder accused.

After promising Old Pension Scheme before assembly polls, Congress ignores it in Lok Sabha election manifesto, says ‘it’s in our minds’

OpIndia Staff
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After promising Old Pension Scheme before assembly polls, Congress ignores it in Lok Sabha election manifesto, says ‘it’s in our minds’

On 5th April, the Congress party released its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’ for the coming Lok Sabha elections. After strongly campaigning for reverting to Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in state assembly elections, the party has now backtracked and made no mention of OPS in its manifesto for the general elections.

When asked by the media about why the OPS has been missing from the party manifesto, Congress leader P Chidambaram said, “It’s not missing as such, it is very much in our minds. The party has not included the issue in the manifesto as the government has recently formed a committee to look into the provisions of the New Pension Scheme (NPS). We will review the situation after the committee outcome and move ahead according to that.”

While Congress is giving the excuse of the government’s committee on NPS, it is being said that the party leaders have realised that OPS is more of a burden on the government and is financially unsustainable.

In an effort to sway voters in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the Congress promoted the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) as a key promise. Despite providing enhanced pensions to government employees, the party was defeated in these states. Notably, the party’s sole victory in Telangana came without this poll promise.

The Congress party reintroduced the OPS in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after it won in 2018, as well as in Himachal Pradesh last year, at the very first Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu.

Congress’s decision to restore the Old Pension Scheme has taken a heavy toll on the state’s economy. In November last year, it was reported that the state government had to raise a loan of Rs 800 crore to pay salaries, dearness allowances and pensions of government employees. A report says that there are over 1.36 lakh beneficiaries of the OPS in Himachal Pradesh. In this Congress-ruled state, the debt burden has crossed Rs 80,000 crore.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for the fiscal year 2022-23 said that the state government raised around Rs 13,055 crore as loan, taking the state’s total debt to Rs 86, 589 crore in 2022-23.

Interestingly, despite seeing the Old Pension Scheme as a vote-catching poll promise, Congress during its plenary session in Raipur last year had also ignored the government-funded scheme in the economic resolution it passed.

“Well, we felt the issue of OPS should be left to the state governments and the state Congress units and, therefore, there was no need to specifically mention the issue in the plenary resolutions which are more about national policies,” Congress said back then.

Notably, the OPS provides a set pension equivalent to 50% of a government employee’s last pay without needing any contribution from them. In contrast, the NPS, implemented in 2004 by the then-BJP government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, requires employees to contribute 10% of their base salary, with the government providing the remaining 14%. The future pension amount is determined by the market returns of the funds that were invested.

It is obvious that many of those in government service will want the OPS to return because they receive guaranteed money on a monthly basis for the rest of their lives. Although reverting to OPS may win the support of government employees, it is an unwise move for the states since they may go bankrupt as it will take a heavy toll on the state exchequer.

Samina calls Sachin to meet and kills him by slitting his throat: ‘Khan Saab’ conspired murder over suspicion of an extramarital affair with his wife

OpIndia Staff
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Samina calls Sachin to meet and kills him by slitting his throat: ‘Khan Saab’ conspired murder over suspicion of an extramarital affair with his wife

A shocking case of betrayal and murder has come to light in Delhi where 31-year-old Habib (or Hashib) Khan and his 29-year-old wife Samina (or Sameena) Begum murdered 22-year-old Sachin Kumar on 31st March, and his naked body was thrown in Uttar Pradesh’s Hindon river. Habib murdered Sachin after suspecting him of having an extramarital affair with Samina. The pair has been taken into custody.

The victim was a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and was employed as a cook at a restaurant in Connaught Place a few days ago. He previously worked at Hashib Khan’s T-shirt manufacturing unit in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. Habib believed Sachin had a relationship with his spouse, which often led to arguments between the couple. The conflict even escalated to divorce. Habib sacked Sachin in February, but he doubted that he was still in contact with Samina and they talked regularly. Sachin had also taken a loan of Rs 2 lakh from the accused.

He then decided to end the youngster’s life who was working at the famous “Jain Chawal Wale.” Habib continued to search for Sachin and told his wife to call him on the fateful day, and she directed him to come to an isolated area where he was made to sit in a car. The couple afterwards killed him with a knife before tossing the corpse into the Hindon River and then washing the vehicle.

According to some reports, he was called to the couple’s residence where he was killed and then discarded in a jungle area in Dasna in Uttar Pradesh, while others claimed that Habib murdered Sachin with the help of a relative. The three men first drank alcohol, after which Sachin was stabbed to death in a moving automobile by the other two, and his body was recovered from Dasana after the duo dumped it there. After the arrest of Habib and Samina, the hunt is on to arrest the third culprit.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), Devesh Kumar Mahla, the police filed a kidnapping case based on the complaint of the young man’s family after he went missing from Connaught Place. When he did not return until late at night and had turned off his phone, his family approached the Delhi Police.

The authorities reported that to track Sachin, they took out the call details, which provided them with a lead and pinpointed Habib Khan after they showed that he was last seen near Sangam Vihar, following which the perpetrators were apprehended and confessed to killing him during the questioning. Habib also disclosed the reason for the crime, which was based on his belief that Sachin and Samina were having an illicit affair.

The police suspect that more people may have been involved in the murder and are trying to trace them through interrogation. The police have handed over the body to his family members after the post-mortem. A First Information Report has also been registered. According to his brother Mohit, who lives in Aligarh, Sachin had been employed at Habib Khan’s Sangam Vihar plant for more than a year before quitting due to a financial disagreement. They used to threaten him over the phone for more money, he added, even though he had repaid one lakh.


Congress party promises to slow down India’s GDP growth in its manifesto Nyay Patra

OpIndia Staff
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Congress party promises to slow down India’s GDP growth in its manifesto Nyay Patra

The Congress party on Saturday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections, titled Nyay Patra. In the economy section of the manifesto, the party had accused the BJP government of not achieving desired economic growth, and said that it is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth.

In the Nyay Patra, the Congress party has said that it will double India’s GDP in the next 10 years. It says, “We have set a target of doubling the GDP in the next 10 years.” Doubling GDP in 10 years sounds impressive, the authors of the manifesto must have thought. But the fact is, this target means that Congress is expecting a much slower GDP growth if it comes to power.

Screenshot from Nyay Patra

The current size of India’s GDP is over $3.7 trillion, and as per all estimates, it will grow by 7%-8% for the next several years. The Modi government has estimated that India’s GDP will reach $7 trillion by 2030. Which means, the GDP will more than double in the next 6 years, but the Congress party is promising to achieve the same feat in 10 years.

The country’s GDP is expected to reach $5 trillion in the next 3 years itself, becoming the 3rd largest economy. India is well set to reach $7 trillion GDP by 2030. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in January this year said that India can aspire to become a $7 trillion economy by 2030. She also added that the Modi government has set a higher goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

A report titled “The Indian Economy: A Review” written by V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the government, has also said that India can aspire to become a $7 trillion economy by 2030. The finance ministry expects the size of GDP to reach $7.3 trillion by the end of the decade.

It is not that only government of India is targeting $7 trillion economy by 2030, many other organisations have also made similar predictions. James Sullivan, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Equity Research at JPMorgan, said last year that the size of Indian economy will double to $7 trillion by 2030. -S&P Global Ratings also made similar projections, and have said that India will remain the fastest-growing major economy for at least the next three years.

Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) also said in January this year that India is expected to grow into a $7 trillion economy by the year 2030, establishing itself as the second-largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region and the third-largest globally.

Therefore, while the Indian economy is set to double by 2030, the Congress party in its manifesto targets to achieve this in 10 years. In effect, the party is promising to slow down the growth of economy from its current rate.

The Congress manifesto Nyay Patra has also promises to write off all due amounts in student loans, including interests. The party has promised that the banks will be compensated by the government for writing off student loans.

Massive Covid scam in Italy to swindle EU recovery grant: 22 persons arrested for siphoning over 650 million USD for luxury cars, and villas

ANI
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Massive Covid scam in Italy to swindle EU recovery grant: 22 persons arrested for siphoning over 650 million USD for luxury cars, and villas

Italian financial police on Thursday said that it has arrested 22 people and seized assets worth more than 600 million Euros (USD 650 million) in connection with alleged fraud linked to the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund, CNN reported on Friday.

Following the arrests from Italy, Austria, Romania and Slovakia and an investigation by the EU prosecutor, eight people were detained, 14 were placed under house arrest and two others were barred from practicing their profession.

The assets that were seized during dozens of raids on homes and offices included Lamborghinis, Porsches, Rolexes, Cartier jewelry, cryptocurrencies, luxury villas, and other items.

The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s 800-billion euro recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy. Italy was the largest beneficiary of the fund, with grants of more than 194 billion euros.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said a criminal organization is suspected of running a fraud scheme between 2021 and 2023 to swindle Italy’s recovery packages.

In 2021, the group applied to receive non-repayable grants, the EPPO said, ostensibly to support small- and medium-sized companies, but later cooked up false balance sheets “to show that the companies were active and profitable, whereas in fact they were non-active, fictitious companies.”

After getting hold of some 600 million Euros in funds from the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the group then transferred the funds to their bank accounts in Austria, Romania, and Slovakia, the EPPO said, CNN reported.

The prosecutor’s office claimed the group used cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and offshore cloud servers to carry out and conceal the fraud.

The United States has also attempted to crack down on alleged fraud involving Covid-19 relief resources. A federal watchdog warned in June that the Small Business Administration distributed more than USD 200 billion in potentially fraudulent post-pandemic funds.

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

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