On Tuesday (2nd April), a video of ‘stand-up comedian’ Priyansh Kaushik went viral over the internet in which he could be seen issuing an apology that many claimed was insincere for making derogatory remarks about Hindu religion and Gomata (cows).
Kaushik in one of his stand-up gigs had attempted to insult Hindus for worshipping cows. However, on 2nd April, he released a video again mocking the Hindu religion and cows, who are worshiped by Hindus.
The video of his so-called apology was posted by Kreately Media in which Kaushik could be heard saying, “I am extremely sorry for making those comments in one of my YT videos. The comments referred to a cow who is worshipped by Hindus. Many of the Hindus seemed hurt by those comments and I apologize for the same. I never meant to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments.”
However, he blatantly said that if cows were our mothers, bulls had to be called our fathers.
“Mistakes happen. We all are humans. And I didn’t mean to hurt anybody. Then too, if my comments have hurt anybody, I am extremely sorry. I assure you, I won’t pass comments about any religion in the future. Even I am a Hindu. If you worship cows, I do too. And I think we should also consider bull as our father. Gaumata ki jay. Bharat Mata ki Jai,” he added with unmistakable sarcasm, yet again hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus.
The video in which Kaushik happened to make derogatory comments earlier about Hindus and cows is making the rounds on social media. In the gig video made for YouTube, Kaushik could be seen administering an oath in which he said, “If a cow is our mother, bulls at least can be called our uncles. I’ll exploit all those red pants who trouble you.” The video of the gig was also posted by Kreately Media.
Reportedly, Kaushik is said to have made another video mocking cows and the Hindu religion for worshiping cows after some of the Gaurakshaks and Hindu activists barged into the ‘Comedy Club’ studio where Kaushik usually records his stand-up gigs.
Performers at a Stand up comedy club were making derogatory jokes about Hinduism
The Gaurakshaks sought answers from the club owners for publishing such content that hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. The Gaurakshaks also warned Kaushik and the club owners regarding the incident.
However, Kaushik chose to again mock the Hindus and their practice of worshiping cows. Netizens meanwhile, slammed the ‘stand-up comedian’ for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. They highlighted that the ‘comedian’ was again throwing sarcasm while issuing an ‘apparent apology’.
Some said that Kaushik did all this to obtain fame while others said that the comments made by him should have been ignored and that now he has unnecessarily been brought into the limelight by the Hindu activists. Netizens also stated that such ‘comedians’ should never be allowed to perform in their lifetime if they continue to pass such derogatory comments against Hindus.
Well, this is not the first time, that a ‘comedian’ has passed nasty comments about the Hindu religion. Earlier, several individuals who call themselves ‘comedians’ like Kunal Kamra, Munawar Faruqui have faced the irk of Hindu groups and their audiences for insulting Hindu Gods and passing anti-national, anti-Hindu comments as jokes.
In the case of ‘Pakadua Vivah’ in Bihar’s Begusarai, a revenue officer was forcefully married on Wednesday (27th March) after the girl’s father filed a police complaint accusing the revenue officer Rintu Kumar of abducting his daughter Rani Chandraprabha. The girl’s family had earlier proposed to get their daughter married to government employee Rintu Kumar, however, he refused to marry. Following this, the girl’s family reportedly hatched a plot to send the girl to Rintu in the name of giving an exam and then filing a police complaint to trap him in an abduction case and force him to marry their daughter.
बिहार में राजस्व कर्मचारी का पकड़ौआ विवाह, चाय पीने के बहाने घर पर बुलाया; फिल्मी स्टाइल में करा दी शादी pic.twitter.com/5peDIkUtRl
— FirstBiharJharkhand (@firstbiharnews) April 1, 2024
According to reports, Rintu Kumar is a resident of Patla village under the Chhaurahi police station area in Seetamarhi district. Around two months ago, Jageshwar Prasad, a resident of Khadiyahi village in Vibhutinagar police station area in Samastipur had met Rintu Kumar and his family. He brought up a marriage proposal for his daughter Rani Chandrapraba. However, Rintu had refused the proposal.
According to Rintu’s father Shyam Narayan Mahto, one month ago, when Rintu returned to his home for holidays, Chandraprabha also arrived at one of her relative’s houses in Rintu’s village. Reports say that Chandraprabha’s relative called Rintu to their house to have tea. Rintu went there and later returned to his office. Rintu’s father said that by the evening a relative called Rintu Kumar, and said that the son of his acquaintance had to give an exam in Rintu’s village. The relative requested Rintu to let the boy stay in his room and give the exam. Rintu failed to understand the conspiracy and agreed to let the boy come. However, instead of the boy, as discussed on the call, Chandraprabha arrived there.
Subsequently, Chandraprabha’s father Jageshwar Prasad filed a complaint at Vibhutinagar Police Station accusing Rintu of kidnapping his daughter to marry her. Following this, the station in-charge called Rintu and asked him to come to the police station along with the girl. Rintu, however, took Chandraprabha to Samastipur police station only to find Vibhutinagar police there. The duo were then taken to Vibhutipur police station.
The father of the revenue employee claims that his son and the girl were married in the Baba Vibhutinath temple at the block headquarters in the presence of the girl’s family members, who came on Vibhutipur police’s instruction. The Rintu’s father said that the Vibhutipur police refused to provide any information and that his son was forced to marry after being trapped in the conspiracy. Reports say that Rintu Kumar’s family and relatives were absent during the wedding rituals. The girl’s family relatives claim there was no compulsion. After marriage, the girl went to her in-laws’ home. Meanwhile, the police have denied any such incident.
The influx of illegal immigrants into India via Bangladesh continues. The illegal immigrants enter India, obtain fake identity documents at times, and also engage in illegal activities. There have been many cases in the past when these illegal immigrants were found involved in human trafficking rackets, illegal drug trade, and other criminal activities involving theft, assault, and other cases.
Despite the Indian government’s efforts and actions, the constant rush of illegal immigrants into India through Bangladesh continues. In the past ten days, several such cases have been reported from various parts of the country where the Bangladeshi happened to illegally enter India. However, the immigrants were identified and immediately nabbed by the Indian administration.
5 illegal immigrants arrested from Navi Mumbai
Recently, on 31st March, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) announced the arrest of five Bangladeshi nationals in Navi Mumbai for illegally entering and staying in India without proper documents. The arrested persons were identified as Aahat Jamal Sheikh (22), Rebul Samad Sheikh (40), Ronney Soriful Khan (25), Julu Billal Sharif (28) and Mohammad Munir Mohammad Siraj Mulla (49).
An ATS official stated that they received a tip-off and that the Vikhroli unit conducted an operation in two sites in Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai. During the operation, five Bangladeshis were detained in Ghansoli’s Janai Compound and Shivaji Talao area.
As per the reports, none had legitimate documents or a permit to live in India, but they worked as masons in Navi Mumbai. The immigrants were arrested under the provisions of the Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Rules of 1950.
Illegal Bangladeshi arrested from Assam, was involved in fake ‘healing’ practices
On the very same day, 31st March, Mankachar police in Assam nabbed an illegal Bangladeshi national who had been living in the area for eight months. The suspect was identified as Osama Bin Hasan Sajib, son of Manzoorul Hasan from Veluya village in Sherpur district, Bangladesh, and was found hiding at Khalilur Miah’s home in Jhanjhani village, Mankachar.
According to reports, Sajib crossed the border into Mankachar from Mahendraganj, Meghalaya, some eight months ago. During his stay, he practiced ‘faith healing’ in Mankasar and other areas in Meghalaya.
Sajib arrested by Assam Police (Image- India Today NE)
The Mankachar Police also conducted a raid based on information provided by the local Village Defence Party (VDP), after which Osama Bin Hasan Sajib, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested. Khalilur Miah, who had harbored the illegal immigrant, was subsequently arrested.
A more worrisome revelation surfaced when police discovered a scheme devised by Khalilur Miah and his son, Mofidul Islam, to aid the illegal acquisition of an Indian identity card for Bangladeshi national Osama Bin Hasan Sajib. Mofidul Islam is currently fleeing arrest.
7 illegal Bangladeshi arrested in Tripura
On Saturday (23rd March), the Railway Police at Agartala Station arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals, including two women and a ten-month-old baby, for illegally entering India. The Officer-in-Charge of Government Railway Police at Badharghat, Tapas Das revealed that two of the detainees had dressed themselves as women, presumably to conceal their identities.
During interrogation, the illegal infiltrators confessed that all of them were Bangladeshi citizens. According to Das, these arrests bring the total number of Bangladeshi nationals apprehended from Agartala Railway Station to over 20.
Image- EastMojo
According to the official, the illegal Bangladeshi nationals were arrested during a routine check before they could board a train to Chennai. A few smartphones and other devices were recovered from these arrested individuals. The official after the arrest noted that the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have been attempting to use the Northeastern state as a transit to reach metropolitan cities like Kolkata and Chennai.
Three illegal Bangladeshis and Indian Nationals involved in illegal activities arrested by Tripura BSF
On 29th March, in a crucial development ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the 43rd Battalion of Border Security Force seized three Bangladeshi nationals and one Indian citizen for alleged involvement in smuggling activities. On a tip-off late that night, BSF jawans stationed at Samarendranagar, under Rajnagar PR Bari police station in the South district, increased their surveillance efforts along the Indo-Bangla border.
After a patient wait, observant border guards apprehended three people illegally crossing the Indo-Bangla border at Samarendranagar. Subsequent examinations uncovered anomalies in their documentation, raising the possibility of fraudulent activities. In addition, an Indian individual reportedly involved in smuggling was captured by the Bangladeshi nationals.
Following their arrest, the BSF’s 43rd battalion swiftly handed the individuals over to the Rajnagar PR Bari Police Station. The police, in turn, acted quickly, detaining three Bangladeshi nationals on allegations of illegal entry. Simultaneously, the Indian citizen participating in the smuggling operation was also arrested.
Five illegal Bangladeshi’s arrested from Agra, UP
On 21st March, the Uttar Pradesh Police apprehended five Bangladeshi nationals, including two women, during an aggressive search in the city of Agra. The five illegal immigrants lived in Thana Tajganj and had been in the nation for the past three years.
It was revealed that an individual named Azizul Ghazi brought them to India, and after being detained, Ghazi and his wife Jannat assumed the entire liability for transporting them across the border in exchange for money.
Arrested illegal immigrants (India Today)
They were found in possession of fake Aadhaar cards, mobile phones, railway tickets, and more. Jannat Begum’s passport has also been retrieved. The action by Agra Police was taken after being instructed to search by the Commissioner of Police Preetinder Singh.
2 Bangladeshis held for operating visa racket in New Delhi
This specific incident happened on 10th March but it is important to highlight this given its severity. Two Bangladeshi nationals, one of whom worked as an agent for two embassies, were arrested on 10th March for allegedly participating in a visa scheme. Mohammad Akidul Islam (20) was accused of converting a medical visa to India into a tourist visa to obtain a Romanian visa. The incident came to the fore after one of the Romanian Embassy officials filed a complaint against someone who applied for a visa using fraudulent documents.
The accused entered India on a medical visa on 19th January, and then reportedly had his passport forged to make it appear he had a tourist visa. Then he applied for a Romanian visa, submitting a photocopy of his passport, an Indian tourist visa, and other appropriate documents, according to police.
Officials from the Romanian Embassy discovered that the tourist visa he provided was fraudulent. Police discovered that Mokarram Hossain (38), an agent working at two embassies, was engaged in the forgery. Hossain was apprehended at IGI Airport on 29th February while attempting to enter India, according to authorities.
Conclusion
Bangladeshi individuals illegally entering India have always been a problem. Illegal immigrants obtain fake ID cards and settle in the country which already is one of the most populated territories. The immigrants engage in illegal activities like drug sales, human trafficking, and other criminal activities causing problems for the Indian civilians and administration. And alarmingly, several of the left-leaning individuals or anti-social elements happen to extend support and help to these immigrants.
In the year 2023, the Supreme Court also noted that the “unlimited influx” of illegal migrants from Bangladesh not only changed demographics but also posed a burden on resources meant for Indian citizens.
“On one hand, we do not have an open border through which anybody from Bangladesh can come and settle anywhere in India. At the same time, if we do not take action to curb illegal migration, then it causes all these problems in India… The feeling in India that infrastructure is limited, education is limited, public hospitals are limited… We cannot allow an unlimited influx,” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was quoted as saying.
Apart from this, illegal immigrants also contribute to the destruction of the local cultural identity within the country which is an equally serious concern. India evidently needs to have a policy or a law to completely stop the influx of illegal immigrants.
On Friday (29th March), five Indian-origin lawmakers in the United States wrote to the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, seeking status information on the investigation into attacks on Hindu temples in the country.
The letter was written by House Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and signed by four other Indian-origin Congress members namely Shri Thanedar, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera.
The Hindu advocacy group ‘Hindu American Foundation (HAF)’ shared a copy of the letter on social media. “We have observed an alarming increase in incidents of vandalism at houses of worship across the country including at Hindu mandirs (“temples”),” the letter read.
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) April 2, 2024
“We, the undersigned Members of Congress of South Asian descent, write to request a briefing from the Department of Justice on the status of investigations concerning these crimes to better understand existing law enforcement coordination between local agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Civil Rights Division,” it emphasised.
“Attacks at mandirs from New York to California have contributed to increased collective anxiety among Hindu Americans. Leaders from these impacted communities have expressed there are unfortunately “no leads” on suspects, leaving many to continue to live in fear and intimidation,” the Indian-origin lawmakers added.
The letter pointed out, “Our communities remain concerned about law enforcement coordination regarding these bias-motivated crimes, and they are left wondering if there is appropriate federal oversight to ensure equal protection under the law. The number of incidents and the closeness of the timing of incidents raise troubling questions about linkages and the intent behind them.”
Indian-origin US politicians demand briefing from Justice Dept
“It takes relatively few coordinated acts of hate to create fear nationally within a community that has often been marginalized or neglected, and we must work collaboratively to combat hate against all religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural minorities in America,” the Indian-origin politicians said.
“We therefore request that you provide us with an understanding of what the Department’s strategy is specifically concerning hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States,” they stated.
“Given the urgency of the situation, we ask that you provide us with a briefing no later than Thursday (April 18th),” the letter concluded.
Attacks on Hindu Mandirs in US
In January this year, the Vijay’s Sherawali Temple in Hayward city in California state of the United States was desecrated with pro-Khalistani slogans. The temple was spray-painted with slogans such as ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Modi is terrorist.’
In a statement, the temple administration said, “Jai Mata Di Bhakto’s. With deep regret, we would like to inform you (that) the Temple has been vandalized last week. We have informed the police and they have classified it as a hate crime.”
“A few other Hindu Temple’s in the area have also been vandalized (most likely by the same culprits). We pray for those who wish harm and hatred on others that Mata Rani cleans their souls and gives them happiness and eradicates hate from their hearts,” it added.
On 22nd December 2023, the Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark city of California, was defaced with pro-Khalistan, anti-Modi and anti-India slogans. The outer wall of the temple was defaced with slogans such as “Khalistan”, “Shaheed [Martyr] Bhindrawale”, “F$%k Modi Jindabad” and “Modi Is Terrorist”.
#Breaking: Swaminarayan Mandir Vasana Sanstha in Newark, California was defaced with pro-#Khalistan slogans.@NewarkCA_Police and @CivilRights have been informed and full investigation will follow.
Similar attacks have taken place in the past, both in the United States and its neighbouring Canada, wherein Hindu temples have been attacked, vandalised and defaced with derogatory graffiti.
India has already voiced alarm over the increasing activities of Khalistani terrorists and has asked countries to cracked down on groups and people attempting to incite separatism in India.
On Monday (1st April), suspected Israeli warplanes bombed a building adjacent to the embassy of Iran in Syria, leaving seven of Iran’s military advisers, including three senior commanders dead. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was reportedly killed in the Israeli airstrike in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) April 1, 2024
At the time of the strike, Zahedi was meeting with leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Damascus, The Jerusalem Postreported, citing the Iranian press. However, these reports could not be verified immediately.
The top Iranian commander, Zahedi, who is now reportedly dead, commanded the Quds Force’s Unit 18000. Among other things, he was responsible for smuggling ammunition and precision weapons into Lebanon, according to The Jerusalem Post report.
In the past, he had also commanded the IRGC’s Air Force and Imam Hussein Division.
Search and rescue teams in Damascus are still looking for bodies after 10 hours of the Israeli airstrike in the building adjacent to the Iranian embassy where leaders of IRGC were staying. Two high generals confirmed dead. pic.twitter.com/ClKmx0s6MZ
According to Israel’s Army Radio, Zahedi coordinated all Iranian terrorist operations against Israel from Syria, Lebanon, and “the Palestinian sphere.”
His death marked the key assassination of an IRGC leader since the US assassinated Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020.
Israel’s strike on Monday came just hours after a drone launched by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq hit an Israeli Navy station in Eilat, causing damage to a hangar, Times of Israel reported.
Israeli officials confirm the target of the airstrike in Damascus today was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard headquarters. Video of the site shows total destruction of the facility, but minimal damage to the adjacent Iranian embassy, indicating a highly precise strike.
The Iranian Embassy in Lebanon expressed anger over the alleged airstrike. It said, “This barbaric Israeli aggression is a flagrant violation of international laws, diplomatic norms, and the requirements of the Vienna Convention, the report said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later issued a statement confirming the killing of its top military commanders. According to a statement from IRGC, the Israeli attack left its two senior commanders Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi dead along with five other officers.
The attack, which rocked the Syrian capital, has left Iran reeling and vowing a robust response.
According to an official statement from the IRGC, the slain commanders were among those who perished in the assault. Haji Rahimi, described as a coordinator for the Quds Force, was identified as the second commander killed in the attack on Iran’s consulate building in Damascus.
The other officials named in the statement include Hossein Aman Elahi, Mehdi Jalalati, Mohsen Sedaghat, Ali Aghababaee, and Ali Salehi Roozbahani.
Iran has pointed fingers at Israel, alleging that the attack was carried out by Israeli forces using F-35 warplanes. Hossein Akbari, the Iranian ambassador in Damascus, condemned the assault as a violation of international laws and vowed that Iran would respond decisively.
“This is perhaps the first time that the Zionist regime allows itself to attack an official building of the Islamic Republic of Iran embassy, which had the flag of the Islamic Republic raised on top of it,” Akbari asserted.
In response to the accusations, Israel has refrained from commenting directly on the Damascus strike. However, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesperson, disputed Iran’s characterization of the targeted building, claiming it was not a consulate or embassy but rather a military structure of the Quds forces disguised as a civilian facility in Damascus.
As tensions escalate between the two regional adversaries, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, affirmed that Iran reserves the right to retaliate and will determine the nature of its response to the aggression, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, AP has reported that in addition to the Iranian military officials, a Hezbollah terrorist, Hossein Yousef was also killed in the Israeli strike.
A Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has claimed that two Syrians were killed and two police officers guarding the Iranian consulate in Damascus were injured in the attack.
On 2nd April, a day after Arvind Kejriwal threw Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj under the bus, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi claimed in her so-called “big expose” that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to poach her through her close associate.
She claimed if she refused to do so, the Enforcement Directorate would raid her’ and her relatives’ houses in the next month. She further claimed ED would arrest her in the next month if she refused to join the BJP. She also claimed that the BJP gave her a lollipop of a better political career if she joined the party.
She said, “My close associate told me that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP have decided to crush AAP and all its leaders. First, they arrested the top leadership of the party. First, Satyendra Jain was arrested, then Manish Sisodia was arrested, then Sanjay Singh was arrested, and now the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, got arrested. Now, the BJP has decided to arrest four more leaders of AAP in the coming two months before the results of the Lok Sabha Elections. They will arrest me, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha.”
She added, “BJP hoped AAP would get destroyed after the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal as the senior leadership of the party is in jail. But after the Ram Leela Maidan rally on Sunday, where supporters came from Delhi and across the country, and after AAP’s struggle on the road, the BJP now believes that arresting the top four leaders of AAP was not enough. In coming days, the next top four leaders will be arrested.”
“I was told, in the coming days, ED will raid my residence and the houses of my relatives. After that, they will send us a summons and arrest us soon. I want to tell the BJP that we are not scared of your threats. We are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We are ‘chelas’ of Bhagat Singh. We will fight to save this country under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal till our last breath,” Atishi Marlena said.
Arvind Kejriwal threw Atishi Marlena and Saurabh under the bus in Delhi Excise Policy Scam case
On 1st April, Arvind Kejriwal reportedly named her in the Delhi Liquor policy scam. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for ED, quoted Kejriwal stating that the controversial middleman Vijay Nair reported to Atishi Marlena, not him.
Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody till 15th April. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had asked for fifteen days of judicial custody of custody of Kejriwal, citing his ‘non-cooperative behaviour’. The CM was produced in Rouse Avenue Court as his custody ended on Monday.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on 21st March by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. The trial court remanded Kejriwal to ED detention until 28th March.
Raghav Chadha went to London before Kejriwal’s arrest, citing eye operation
Days before Kejriwal’s arrest, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Raghav Chadha, left India for London, citing an eye operation. On 16th March, it was reported that he would undergo a vitrectomy surgery in the United Kingdom to prevent the eye’s retinal detachment. As Atishi has taken his name during the so-called expose, it will be interesting to see if he returns to India or applies for anticipatory bail before flying to India.
On Sunday (31st March), a large religious conversion racket was busted in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. As per reports, around 110 men and women from the Hindu faith were being ferried in two buses to a church in Unnao for religious conversion. The accused were luring them to convert to Christianity promising them good marriage proposals, job offers, better medical facilities, and financial aid of Rs 50,000.
After getting intel about the racket, the Kanpur Police reportedly arrested two accused for running the conversion syndicate. The accused have been identified as Williams (a church priest) and Deepak Morris. They have been charged under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2021.
According to the FIR, the 110 men and women were asked to remove the statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses from their places after conversion.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Coloneganj) Mahesh Kumar said the accused promised Rs 50,000 each to residents of slums in Kanpur’s Nawabganj, Armapur, Kohna, and some other places if they converted to Christianity. The ACP added, “Apart from cash, they were assured jobs. The unmarried people in the group were promised help in finding partners.”
As per reports, Bajrang Dal workers came to know about the religious conversion racket and that several Hindu men and women were being ferried for conversion. They stopped two buses near the Boat Club of Nawabganj police station in Kanpur and started inquisitively asking questions from them. During this time, some people told them that they were being lured and taken to Unnao for religious conversion. Subsequently, they alerted the police about the same.
ACP Colonelganj Mahesh Kumar stated that Bajrang Dal informed the police at around 1 am on Saturday Night (30 March 2024) that more than 110 people were being taken to a church in Unnao from Nawabganj in 2 buses for conversion. The police started checking by putting barricades on the Ganga barrage. These two buses were stopped by the police during checking.
He added that on interrogating the people onboard the bus, it was found that they had been brought from Nawabganj, Armapur, Kohna of Kanpur. They were being ferried to a church in Unnao. Late at night, a conversion ceremony was slated to be organised in a church in Unnao. He further stated that all these people belong to the weaker section.
Later, one of the “rescued” persons, Sanjay Valmiki filed a complaint against Williams and Morris. As per reports, he is a resident of Armapur. According to the official, Sunil stated that his wife was the first one to be lured into agreeing to convert.
Sanjay said, “I am a resident of Bilsi Badaun. Noel Williams and Deepak Morris told me and my family that if you become a Christian and worship our Lord, all your problems will go away. These people had lured my wife and influenced her. Now she doesn’t want to live with me.”
Sanjay added, “These people had been pressurising me that my wife and children will come to live with me only if I convert to Christianity.”
They told him, “You will have to remove the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses. The church will give you 40 to 50 thousand rupees as soon as you convert to our religion. Not only this, they will also give you money for a job and medical treatment. Holy water will be given to you by the priest of the church. If you apply it in your eyes, then the blessings of Jesus will rain upon you.”
While Police assured that more people involved in forceful conversion were on their radar, Bajrang Dal worker Krishna Tiwari said that Nawabganj police released the accused from the police station.
According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, people from the Christian community had created a ruckus at the police station late in the night. After the uproar, the police of Nawabganj police station released both of them from the police station after giving them a notice under section 41 of IPC.
On Monday (1st April), a video of a Hindu woman went viral on social media wherein she accused local goons of destroying her temple and forcibly occupying her land in cahoots with the local police.
The victim was identified as Durga Roy, a resident of Shantineketan in Bolpur town in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. While speaking to reporters, she said, “They vandalised my temple and thrashed me in front of police. Later, the police arrested me.:
“I was recording the incident but they took away my phone and deleted all the evidence. The cops then put me in jail,” she informed.
Anti hindu TMC
"Trinamool councilors have demolished Hindu temples with the help of police "
My temple was vandalized by Trinamool councilor with the help of police and when I recorded the video, the police took me to the station and beat me up and deleted my videos. This is… pic.twitter.com/sFNnX6XSYj
“When I was released from jail in the evening, I found out that the temple had been destroyed. They had also begun illegal construction in a manner that the foundation of my boundary wall would collapse,” Durga Roy narrated.
She has accused one Sheikh Hasan and local TMC councillor Chandan Mondal of aiding in the temple demolition.
“TMC councillor of Ward No.2 Chandan Mondal is also on it. They are conspiring to occupy my temple land. I have filed complaints with the SP, and Women’s Commission but nothing has happened so far,” the victim informed.
Police thrashed Durga Roy, victim living in fear
“The one who was roped in to destroy my temple is Sheikh Hasan. I told them that the matter is sub-judice but they did not listen to me. Instead, I was rounded up in jail and beaten mercilessly,” the woman said.
“The cops at Shantineketan police station abused me with the choicest of expletives. I am living in a state of constant fear. Unknown people are frequently visiting the area and calling me names,” she further added.
Durga Roy continued, “I am now restricted to the house and cannot step outside. I want justice. I will accept the verdict of the Judiciary. Why should the police beat me? I am a single mother raising my two kids.”
Cops aiding local influential man to encroach upon my property: Durga Roy
“The cops could have talked to me about it if there was any illegal encroachment. I would have agreed to them. But there was no notice. The police were not even ready to listen to me,” she was heard saying.
As per a report by ETV Bangla, Durga Roy has complained to the police superintendent that a local influential man named Debabrata Chowdhury is trying to occupy her land by flouting the orders of the court.
In her complaint, she reportedly said that the police were aiding Chowdhury to encroach upon her property. In his defence, Debabrata Chowdhury told ETV Bangla, “I have taken possession of my land. I have not taken even an inch of anyone’s land. All allegations against me are false.”
Turmoil in Sandeshkhali
The unrest in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal brought into focus the atrocities committed against women by former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
Multiple women have come forward to narrate instances of land grabbing, and sexual violence perpetrated against them by the trio. Forced by circumstances, they took matters into their own hands and gheraoed the police station.
The agitation led by women eventually led to the arrest of the 3 TMC goons. OpIndia had previously reported how the Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have left no stone unturned to trivialise the sexual violence committed against women in Sandeshkhali.
Besides Mamata Banerjee, TMC MLA Udayan Guha also attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali as ‘eating pie (Pitha khaowa)’ and ‘mischief (Dushtami)’ on 29th February.
TMC spokesperson Jui Biswas also sought to deny sexual violence in Sandeshkhali by demanding ‘video footage of rapes’ as proof. Journalist’ Sagarika Ghose, who was recently rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat by the TMC, also trivialised the raging unrest in Sandeshkhali village as a ‘local land dispute.’
TMC Minister Partha Bhowmick had earlier tried to dismiss accusations of sexual violence by women of Sandeshkhali village as ‘fake.’ On 10th March, the actress turned TMC candidate from Hooghly, Rachna Banerjee, was seen casting aspersions on the sexual violence faced by women in Sandeshkhali.
Recently, a video of Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool Congress MLA Firham Hakim doing whataboutery on the plight of women of Sandeshkhali village had surfaced on social media. While mocking the ordeal of women, he said, “Now, you know that one ‘khali’ is grabbing all headlines. What ‘Khali’? Ah, Sandeshkhali. It is everywhere.”
On 1st April, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Qatari-funded Al Jazeera will no longer be allowed to broadcast from Israel.
In a post on X in Hebrew, Netanyahu wrote, “Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against IDF soldiers. It is time to remove the shofar of Hamas from our country. The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel. I intend to act immediately by the new law to stop the channel’s activity. I welcome the law promoted by Communications Minister Shlomo Karai with the support of coalition members led by coalition chairman Ofir Katz.” Al Jazeera is accused of publishing pro-Hamas reports.
Source: X.
The channel will be shut down for 45 days, and the ban can be renewed. The ban is expected to stay in force at least till the end of July or until the major military operation against Hamas in Gaza ends.
Reacting to the ban, Al Jazeera, called it an “escalation” and claimed it “comes as part of a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera.”
According to The Times of Israel, the House of representatives in Israel, Knesset, passed a law on 1st April that gave the government temporary powers to prevent foreign news networks from operating in Israel. The government can ban the channel if it believes its presence in the country harms national security. The law was passed 71 to 10 in its second and third readings.
Following the general vote, Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi said the channel would be closed soon. He assured that “Hamas mouthpieces in Israel” will not have “freedom of expression” in the country.
He said, “We have brought to fruition an effective and swift tool against those who use freedom of the press to harm Israel’s security and IDF soldiers and who incite terrorism during a time of war.”
Following the law’s passage, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concerns during a press briefing. She said, “We believe in the freedom of the press. It is critically important. The United States supports the critically important work journalists around the world do, and that includes those who are reporting on the conflict in Gaza. If those reports are true, it is concerning to us.”
Notably, there is a process that has to be followed to ban a media house from operating in the country on a temporary basis. The Security Services must present a professional position paper to the Prime Minister and the Communication Minister for approval. The paper will contain the factual foundations of the allegations against the channel. Though the Communication Minister can ban the channel, he can only do it after getting final approval from the Prime Minister and the Security Cabinet.
If a channel is ordered to shut down its operations, it has to shut the offices, and the government can confiscate the channel’s equipment. Furthermore, the channel’s website will be down if it has a local server. Otherwise, the channel’s website will be blocked in the country.
7th October terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel
On 7th October, Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack on Israel from sea, land, and air. At least 5,000 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, and tunnels were used to breach the Israeli territory and butcher Israeli civilians, particularly in the border villages. A music festival hosting more than 200 people was turned into a slaughter ground with many women raped, mutilated and abducted to Gaza. At least 1,300 people, including some foreign nationals, babies, women and senior citizens, died in the attacks. More than 200 were abducted and taken to Gaza. Following the attack, Israel launched a counterattack to eliminate Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war entered its 178th day on 2nd April 2024.
In very eloquent language, editors of the English print media would often write on the need to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958, known as AFSPA. This act was termed draconian because of the powers it gives to our Armed Forces (Kill anyone, arrest anyone etc) in areas where it is implemented.
The 1958 Act begins by saying “Violence became the way of life in north-eastern States of India”.
The Act was supposed to be implemented in 2 states. And then the successive Congress governments have increased the scope of this act to all 7 states in the Northeast, and then Punjab and then Jammu & Kashmir! Instead of taking the Congress governments to task for worsening law & order, our English media made it sound like we have no other option. Until 2014.
The Narendra Modi government showed unparalleled focus in bringing peace to the North East. A gradual withdrawal of this Act was facilitated with some real hard work behind the scenes to improve the situation in the North East. The net result is that today, only a handful of districts in the entire 7 states still have the AFSPA. Meghalaya and Tripura are completely out of AFSPA.
Many of us grew up reading about the dreaded ULFA from Assam. ULFA was responsible for many deadly militant attacks. It was only in the year 2023 that a final peace settlement was reached. Today, the North East has become a beacon of development. The peace and infrastructure development over the past 10 years has opened up hitherto unknown prosperous opportunities for the people of this region. Violence is no more the “way of life in the North-Eastern States of India”. Is it therefore any wonder that the North East will overwhelming press the Lotus button on the EVM?
The term “Red Corridor” was coined to highlight the massive influence the violent Naxalite movement was having in our country. Nearly 180 districts in 10 states were part of this “red corridor”. The dreaded Naxal problem was born because of the Congress rule. The dreaded Naxal problem peaked during the Congress rule. In 2006, Manmohan Singh termed the Naxal problem as the “single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country”.
In addition to the violent attacks on our police forces and fellow citizens, Naxal ideologues also occupied prime space in our print and TV media, making us believe that this violence is totally justified. Despite calling it the most serious security problem, UPA really didn’t do anything to solve it. Just in the year 2010, we lost 1005 police + civilian people lost their lives. Contrast that to the 98 lives lost in the year 2022 and ask for yourselves, if our country is now a safer place to live or not!
We still haven’t forgotten those miserable UPA years when many cities used to get attacked by terrorists. From 2004 to 2014, almost every state of India was attacked by terrorists and nearly 1200 innocent civilians of our country lost their lives in Ayodhya, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Pune, Malegaon, Dimapur, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Jaipur, Guwahati, Agartala, Imphal, Srinagar, Patna and more.
Ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the number of terrorist attacks outside of the problematic areas of Jammu & Kashmir was near 0. The number of civilian deaths is perhaps in the single digits. During the UPA days, we were made to believe that terror attacks would happen despite good security and that the people of this country should just accept this as a way of life. The then Home Minister P. Chidambaram even told us something to the effect that “terrorists only have to succeed once. Police have to succeed always”. In a total reversal of the situation, the Narendra Modi government’s exemplary focus on intelligence gathering and prevention of attacks certainly saved 100s of lives in India.
Law and Order is perhaps the most difficult ministry of all. Despite such great focus, we still had to witness Naxal attacks on our police force, unrest in Manipur and violence in J&K. The abrogation of Article 370 has certainly made Kashmir a safer place than before. If statistics are of any indication, then it is clear that it is only the Narendra Modi government that will make this a much safer place in the years to come.
India’s 3 biggest problems – terrorism, insurgency and naxalism – have all seen a great decline in just the 10 years of the Narendra Modi government. It’s also not just about working on the three biggest problems. A robust approach on areas such as drugs for example – A record 72,00,000 kgs of drugs were destroyed by this government! Is it, therefore, any wonder that citizens who feel much safer now, will overwhelmingly press the Lotus button on the EVM?
Our movies made IPC section 302 and IPC section 420 very popular. While many moviegoers would have been aware that IPC stands for Indian Penal Code, they would not have been aware that IPC was first enacted in the year 1860! That’s right – up until 2023, we just used the law drafted 163 years ago! Yes of course it was amended from time to time, but the basic structure remained outdated; many laws in the code became obsolete and modern times demanded a modern law in tune with not just the times but with our country too!
In the year 2023, the Narendra Modi government replaced the IPC(1860), with a new act – the Bharitya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. The government also replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872 (!) with the Bharitya Sakshya Adhiniyam and the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 1974 (first enacted in 1898!) with the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023!
Many articles have been written about how many outdated provisions were removed and many new crimes were added to the law. The removal of sedition; the decriminalisation of gay sex; the introduction of many safety provisions for women in particular; the abolition of Triple Talaq; the defining of new crimes – these and many more law-making reforms should in fact satisfy the woke crowd too!
From law-making to ensuring great peace, the Narendra Modi government has certainly made India a safer place compared to above. Is it, therefore, any wonder that crores of citizens will press the button on the lotus on the EVM, come election day?
This is the 6th article in the series Decoding How PM Modi Hacks EVMs (an allegation the opposition often throws at him). Part-1 speaks about the focus on small-scale entrepreneurs; Part-2 speaks about the revolutions in the labour/employment sector; Part-3 speaks about the focus on both prevention and cure in health; Part-4 speaks about how the lives of women were made better at home, school and work. Part-5 speaks about the Focus on financial systems, along with Big Bang Reforms and simultaneous benefits to middle-class, economically weaker sections.
