A Muslim mob attacked a group of Hindus celebrating Holi in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district on Monday, 25th March. It is being said that the mob also included women.
Sharp weapons were used and slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were also raised while the mob hurled abuses Holika Mata.
Two people have been injured in the attack. Police have registered an FIR against 40-50 unidentified attackers along with 34 named persons.
The incident took place in Rakabganj police station area of Agra. A resident named Vishwajit Patra has lodged a complaint with the police.
The complaint states that between 2 and 2:30 pm, some people were playing Holi in the street in front of Idgah SR Hospital in Kutulpur area.
Then a mob from the Muslim community attacked the celebrations. Stones were pelted in the attack. The attackers had sharp weapons and sticks with them. The violent mob also allegedly raising slogans of Pakistan Zindabad.
This sudden attack created panic. Two victims of the mob, Vishwajeet and Mithun, suffered injuries. Their are being treated in the local hospital.
The attackers included Jamil, Salim, Rahees, Shaukat, Bunty, Bhaiya, Ishaad, Chand, Chaman and the women of his house, Shaheen, Shaheed, Haroon and his 2 brothers, Imran, Asin, Pappan, Shikki, Rahmani and his son, the meat seller. Haroon, Imran, Shakeel, Shamim, Aamir, Rihan, Arif, Chand Mohammad, Tarzan, Fatole, Bobby, Guddu and tea seller Sajid etc. have been named. OpIndia has accessed the complaint copy.
Apart from the named accused, 40-50 unknown attackers are also mentioned in the FIR. Police have taken action against all of them under sections 147, 148, 336, 352, 324 and 295-A of IPC.
As soon as information about the incident was received, members of Hindu organizations reached the police station.
They have demanded strict action against all the accused. Hindu organizations allege that the same attackers had attacked Hindus on Diwali also. Bajrang Dal officials allege that Hindus have been beaten by Muslims in separate squads. He called it a well-planned conspiracy.
On Tuesday (26th March), anti-Hindu comedian Munawar Faruqui was detained during a raid at a hookah parlour in Mumbai. Alongside Muanwar Faruqui, thirteen others have also been detained by the police in the late-night action.
Big Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui and 13 others were detained and a case has been registered against them in a hookah bar raid in the Fort area last night. All accused were released after questioning: Mumbai Police
The police said that the hookah parlour in the city’s Fort area was operating illegally. A raid was undertaken, and Rs 4,400 in cash and nine hookah pots worth Rs 13,500 were confiscated. The social service branch of Mumbai Police raided the Sabalan hookah bar in Bora Bazar under the MRA Marg police station area after receiving a tip-off.
“Our team raided the hookah bar on the information that patrons were indulging in tobacco-based hookah use under the guise of herbal hookah. If it’s established they used tobacco hookah, they will be charged under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act,” an official said.
As per an NDTV report, a case has been filed under specific Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act provisions. Another report says Munawar Faruqui has been booked under The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 or COTPA, 2003.
The Hinduphobic comedian was present at the hookah bar during the raids. Later, he was booked since his medical tests came back positive. Senior police authorities stated he was allowed to leave.
Munawar Faruqi and his anti-Hindu remarks
The ‘comedian’ sparked public outrage due to his controversial portrayal and mockery of Hindu deities, as well as his mocking remarks regarding the victims of the Godhra train burning attack. The tragic event occurred when a Muslim mob set fire to the Sabarmati Express near Godhra station, resulting in the death of 59 karsevaks.
In January 2021, Faruqui was arrested for making indecent remarks about Hindu deities during his stand-up performances. Although he was later released, his comments on Hindu genocide and derogatory statements about Hindu Gods led to widespread protests against his shows.
Despite issuing an apology, claiming that he never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments with his jokes, Munawar Faruqui continued to engage in demeaning portrayals of Hindus and their cultural heritage through his ‘comedy’ performances.
In May 2023, netizens hit out at Star Sports for getting Faruqui on board for its IPL coverage. In 2022, his shows were cancelled in several cities after Hindu groups were outraged against his derogatory comedy that demonised and maligned the faith.
Satyam Surana, an Indian student, who came to the limelight when he picked up the tricolour from the road, defying the attack at the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom by extremist elements last year, is now alleging hate and smear campaigns against him during the student union elections at the London School of Economics this year.
Satyam has alleged that, just 12 hours before the voting, a very ‘well-planned’ campaign was launched against him, somehow linking him with the Bharatiya Janata Party and calling him a ‘fascist’ to boycott him and his campaign.
#WATCH | An Indian Student at the London School of Economics, Satyam Surana who came to the limelight when he picked up the tricolour from the road, defying the attack at the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom by extremist elements last year, now alleges hate campaigns… pic.twitter.com/aXsVC2PIWD
The Pune born student has also practiced at the Bombay High Court for some months and is pursuing an LLM at the London School of Economics with his course ending later this year.
Elaborating on the whole set of incidents, he said that the LSE elections were declared in February and early March and he filed the nomination for the post of general secretary.
“From 14-15th of March, we noticed that my posters were being ripped off, torn. We complained to the authorities. After we replaced our posters, on 16th, we saw that some posters were defaced. There were crosses on my face, it was written ‘anyone but Satyam’. I was cancelled out,” Satyam told ANI.
“On 17th afternoon, there were messages in all groups of LSE. Indian groups, law school groups. The messages claimed, ‘This Satyam Surana is a BJP supporter, he is a fascist person, an Islamophobe, transphobe’. The messages were so seditious and contentious of the Indian government and the current establishment,” he added.
Satyam alleged that the radical elements also screenshotted his posts on social media handle X, where he had merely praised the BJP government, but his posts were used with a malicious agenda to call him a “fascist.”
He also said that his manifesto had no political points, but merely contained the genuine issues on campus. Even though, he initially got overwhelming support, this hate campaign derailed his chances.
“With my entire team, I went through the entire campus. We were reaching out across departments and explaining our policies. I had a very well written and well-drafted manifesto, which was not at all political. It said how things need improvement at LSE, how there is need of grievance redressal portal, having subsidised food on campus. We were getting support and people were saying that they would vote for me,” Satyam said.
“But, out of the three people, it was only me who was targeted randomly. When these messages started coming, my entire team was shocked, we were in a dilemma, the entire moral conscience of the team was shattered,” he added.
Recalling the episode from the Indian High Commission last year, Satyam said, “Somewhere around early October, I was in the news because I picked up the national flag outside the Indian High Commission among the Khalistani protestors. I was blessed to receive media coverage. I was interviewed by national media channels.”
He further said that he was targeted for calling Khalistanis as ‘terrorists’ in one of his posts.
“See, this is my country. I will always be an advocate for my country. How is Indian politics relevant to the student union elections in the UK. My views, endorsements to my government is entirely my opinion,” Satyam added.
The Indian student said that his photograph with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis — which was clicked when he was invited by Fadnavis during his India visit — was used by the extremist elements to claim that he is linked to the BJP.
He further pointed out that since the whole smear campaign against him was targeting the ‘right-wing’, Satyam believes that the campaign was planned by ‘left-wing’ groups.
“I was called a Neo-Nazi supporter, Right Wing, out of campus. See, when the message heading was circulated as the right wing out of campus, it is very clear that the campaign was dictated and planned by the left wing,” he said.
On being asked if the hate campaign against him was started by an Indian person or a foreigner, Satyam said that the first message he received was from an Indian and most of those involved in this campaign were Indians only.
He added that this was not a random or personal campaign, but a “well-planned hate and toolkit campaign” involving people who are politically motivated against the incumbent BJP government in India.
Satyam even claims that those who targeted him are part of that group which can’t digest the success of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and hence spread such false and malicious propaganda.
“The people of international community are not aware of what is going on in India. Every international person is looking up to India and looking up to the current Prime Minister as stalwart legendary politician. Our Prime Minister has the highest approval rating in the entire world, we have shown what we can do during Covid, we are emerging as the third largest economy. But, sadly these groups who can’t digest this fact are spreading not misinformation, but disinformation,” Satyam said.
However, Satyam was not able to go past the finish line despite gathering support in the initial phase of the campaign. He believes that the way his campaign was targeted and hampered it hurt his goodwill.
He further said that this campaign did have a huge impact on him and his life at the campus, even after the elections were over. But, he also acknowledged that he did get support from many people who stood by him in this hour.
Satyam stated that the point in the episode that hurts him the most is the fact that the majority of people who carried out the hate campaign against him were actually Indians only.
“The only thing that hurts is that these were our fellow Indian students who circulated these messages and questioned the sovereignty of India…how shameless can people be to forward these messages. I can’t believe Indian students forwarding the messages and hampering the sovereignty and integrity of our country,” he added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
An FIR for gang rape has been filed against a total of 8 people, including a Maulana and a Hajji, in the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh on March 21, 2024. The victim, who converted to Hinduism after returning home X years ago, has alleged that four of the rapists are related to her as uncles. In this, a complaint about illegal activities taking place inside a mosque has been made to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
This letter was penned on March 12, 2024, detailing grave accusations of rape against girls occurring after Friday prayers within the mosque. The incident took place in the Shahjahan Nagar area of Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh. The victim, who resides in this area, has addressed a letter to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh regarding a mosque situated in the Begum Bagh area of Rampur city.
According to information in a complaint obtained by OpIndia, the accusation is that the victim’s mother was subjected to gang rape in that mosque for 5 years starting in 1992. The victim asserts that as a result of the repeated rapes in the mosque, her mother is now compelled to use sanitary pads. Furthermore, the victim alleges that her mother was provided with food only once every 24 hours. The Imam of this mosque goes by the name Raees.
The victim accused Imtiyaz Hussain, Maulana Latif from the Barelvi sect, Wahid Raza, Laik, Tahira, Armana, Irfan Haji, Asrar Hussain, Raees Maulana, and Irfan Maulana of making her mother a captive and raping her. The victim further stated that they are a gang that also traffics girls. She alleges that after Friday prayers, a very large party takes place inside the mosque.
The victim also stated in her complaint that in this party, small girls are given drugs and raped. Imtiyaz, Maulana Raees, and their entire gang also indoctrinate girls into jihad in Jamia Madrasas in Rampur, Bareilly, and Aligarh. The complaint letter also mentions the trafficking of some girls. Allegations of supplying drugs, opium, and illegal weapons have been made against this gang.
The complainant Bakaul not only alleges that her mother was repeatedly raped in the mosque, but also that the accused raped her sister and later made her disappear. Her sister has still not been found. At the end of the complaint, the victim demanded a high-level investigation of the mosques and madrasas from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and stated that weapons are kept in boxes there.
Madrassas, the hub of illegal activities
The complainant also provided a video statement to OpIndia. In it, she questions how numerous girls managed to get there if women were barred from entering the mosque. Allegations include disrespect to the Quran within this mosque, which she claims to have evidence of in another video. This footage also raises the question of whether sex with any girl inside the mosque is considered acceptable.
The complainant, Bakul, has accused the perpetrators of having a criminal history, alleging that they have committed several murders of Hindus in the past. Describing herself as a rape victim as well, the girl stated that the organization of the accused is active up to Nainital. The allegation is that after the last prayer of the night in the mosque, the movement of girls begins, who are removed even before the morning prayer.
In her video statement, the complainant alleged that the maulanas have kept the madrasas open just to cover their tracks. Additionally, the girl has also said that due to all these revelations, her life is in danger. She has expressed concern about the possibility of being killed at any time. The complainant has expressed hope for justice from CM Yogi and PM Modi.
Condoms and aphrodisiac drugs in the room
The complainant’s lawyer has provided OpIndia with several videos. In these videos, the girl provides information about the incident involving her and her mother. Some of these videos are also from inside the mosque. In these videos, many weapons and cartridges can be seen on the imam’s bed. Some obscene books are also scattered on the bed.
In another video, a girl was asking the mosque’s imam, Raees, to open a polythene bag. At that moment, condoms fell out of the polythene bag. In the background voice, it is being said that the imam’s polythene bag also contains aphrodisiac drugs. The visuals made by the girl also claim the existence of rooms where girls are sexually exploited.
All 22 crew members aboard the container ship ‘Dali’, which crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge earlier in the day, are Indians, the charter management entity said. The company added that all of them are safe and secure.
Owners and managers of the Singapore-flagged container ship “DALI” (IMO 9697428) said that the vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore whilst under pilotage with two pilots onboard, at approximately 0130 local time on 26th March. All crew members are Indian and 22 in total number. They have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.
Owners and managers of the Singapore-flagged container ship “DALI” (IMO 9697428) report that the vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore whilst under pilotage with two pilots onboard, at approximately 0130 local time on 26th March. All… https://t.co/G6oPKuzkOw
In a statement, the ship management company, Synergy Marine Group said, “All crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries. There has also been no pollution.”
In the early hours of Tuesday (26th March), Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed moments after a container ship collided with one of its pillars while it was under pilotage. Following the incident, several cars fell into the river. Shocking visuals of the collision and bridge collapse show an explosive fire on board the container ship as the bridge above shakes, breaks into pieces, and falls into the water taking the night traffic with it.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship; a Mass Casualty Incident has been Declared with over a Dozen Cars and many Individuals said to… pic.twitter.com/SsPMU8Mjph
As per reports, a construction crew was fixing potholes on the bridge and around eight people fell into the river.
As per the latest information, the local authorities have so far rescued two people adding that a “large area” needs to be searched. The authorities have intensified that search as they fear that six others are still missing after the incident.
One of the person rescued is said to be unharmed while the other one is critically injured. Speaking with Reuters, the Police said that out of the rescued individuals, one is said to be in “very serious condition”.
The exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, but the ship, ‘DALI’, has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident Response service, as per reports.
The registered owner of the Singapore-flagged ship is Grace Ocean Pte Ltd. The ship’s movement was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge has a total length of 2632 metres and the water usually lies at a 56 metre depth. The main span of around 366 metres of the bridge is the longest continuous truss span in the world, as per reports. The four-lane steel bridge leads to the Port of Baltimore. It crosses the Patapsco River. This port is the busiest in the US for car shipments.
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. On Sunday (24th March), the BJP announced Rekha Patra, a victim of TMC’s atrocities in Sandeshkhali, as the party candidate from the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.
The Trinamool Congress party, which had been trying to downplay the unrest in Sandeshkhali as a ‘minor incident‘ soon found itself on the back foot.
Soon after the candidature of Rekha Patra was announced, TMC leaders began to dismiss her as a ‘lightweight candidate’. Thereafter, they started sharing videos of some women in Sandeshkhali who were unhappy with the BJP candidate. “We will not accept Rekha Patra as our candidate,” the women were heard saying.
“রেখা পাত্র কে প্রার্থী, মানছি না, মানবো না”
Tremendous Anger among the women of Sandeshkhali, against @BJP4Bengal Candidate of Basirhat – Rekha Patra.
Rekha Patra is a resident of “Patra Para” locality of Sandeshkhali. However, after her name was announced by BJP, the women of… pic.twitter.com/sdjo5hvslP
On Monday (25th March), TMC hopped on the opportunity to claim that there was no acceptance for Rekha Patra in the Basirhat constituency (which includes the Sandeshkhali village).
A day later, several women from Sandeshkhali came forward and said that they were brainwashed into opposing the candidature of the BJP leader.
“We apologise to Rekha didi for making distasteful remarks about you. Members of one party had instigated us against you,” a woman was heard saying.
TMC downplayed unrest in Sandeshkhali village
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.
“An incident has happened or rather made to happen. First, they sent the ED, and then its friend BJP came entered the scene. After that, some media houses capitalised on the incident. Made a hue and cry out of a minor incident (Til ke Taal)”, Mamata Banerjee said on 18th February this year.
After trivialising the seriousness of the matter, she ‘promised’ to send officers to Sandeshkhali to listen to the grievances of the villagers. This was despite the fact that the victims had accused the police of being mute spectators.
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.
“I did not know that he liked to eat pie (referring to the sexual exploitation of women) at 12 o’clock in the night. I knew that desire for such mischiefs happen early or late in the night,” he had claimed.
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.’
While illegal land grabbing by the Trinamool Congress was one of the concerns of the villagers, it wasn’t the crux of the issue. Sagarika Ghose shrewdly dismissed key concerns of women’s safety and threats of gang rape received by the victims from her party leaders.
#WATCH | After interacting with the locals of Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Minister Partha Bhowmick says, "We have interacted with the locals today… Lands will be given back to those from whom it was snatched. The DM has also set up camps in several districts… No woman has… pic.twitter.com/bhLsNJtpVR
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.
“How do we know that those who are claiming to be victims are actually victims? I will have to first go and verify those (testimonies) and find whether such incidents (referring to sexual violence against Sandeshkhali women by TMC goons) have actually taken place,” she had said.
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.”
Rigged elections in Sandeshkhali
In February this year, at least 7 women from Sandeshkhali spoke on camera against the election fraud carried out by TMC workers in cahoots with polling officers and the police.
During an interview with TV9 Bangla, one woman recounted, “Before I go to the polling station, they tell me that my vote has been cast.” “If we go to the polling station, the polling officers put ink on our fingers and say that our vote has already been cast…”, another woman informed.
She added, “Men in the village cannot stay here at least 6 months (during to intimidation) before elections…Men dressed in police uniform have even threatened to destroy our homes if we cast votes.”
“They do not allow us to cast our votes,” one victim lamented. Another woman narrated, “Casting votes here is same as not casting your votes.”
Aarati Patra, who had filed nomination papers from the BJP, informed TV9 Bangla, “They warned me that if I contest elections, then, they will beat me with sticks and spades. There are 3 primary goons (Sheikh Shahjahan, Uttam Sardar, Shibu Hazra) but they have a lot of followers.”
“There is no voting here. They would threaten people and forcibly take them to the polling station and put ink on their fingers,” she added.
One woman informed, “Even if police are present at the polling station, they do not tell them (TMC goons) anything. They instead work as cadres of the party,”
Another woman said that her family members were sent ‘funeral essentials’ after deciding to contest the Panchayat elections. “One of my uncles contested in the election. On the same evening, they (TMC goons) sent us flower beads, a white saree, and sweets,” she narrated her ordeal.
Importance of central forces
During her telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (26th March), Rekha Patra highlighted the menace of large-scale election rigging in Sandeshkhali.
“A big tragedy happened with us. Not just women of Sandeshkhali, the women of entire Basirhat suffered. We demand action against the accused. We haven’t been able to vote since 2011 and we hope to vote this time,” she added.
Voicing his concerns about the suffering that Mamata’s West Bengal government has caused over time and the fact that the people of Bashirhat haven’t been allowed to vote since 2011, PM Modi assured her the Election Commission of India’s cooperation as well as appropriate security measures.
Even before the 2024 elections are set to begin, the TMC has unleashed its ‘Khela’ of violence. OpIndia has reported at least 9 incidents of attacks on BJP workers since the Election Commission announced the dates for the upcoming polls.
Keeping these circumstances in mind, the deployment of central forces is thus important. It will help prevent mass casualties in the name of politics, avert sexual violence against vulnerable women and ensure free and fair elections in all 42 constituencies of West Bengal.
On Tuesday, February 26, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for her sexist social media post against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
A BJP delegation, led by General Secretaries Vinod Tawde and Om Pathak, met the Election Commission and lodged a formal complaint with the Commission.
BJP has come out strongly in defense of the new entrant to politics, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut, after she faced sexist slurs and attacks from Congress leaders and their supporters on Social Media. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said BJP would even examine legally, the derogatory remarks made by Congress leaders against Kangana Ranaut.
Condemning Congress leader’s remark, Leader of Opposition in state Thakur, in a statement, said she has made a “big mistake” as people come to Mandi, known as “choti Kashi” and an abode for over 300 temples, with faith.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chief Rekha Sharma has urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to “take action” against two of its leaders for using “derogatory” language against another woman.
Reacting to the offensive social media attacks, Kangana Ranaut said, “Every woman deserves dignity, no matter what profession she is in. The most I am hurt by is the ‘Mandi’ thing, which is known as Chota Kashi and has been the land of several Rishi’s.”
Earlier, on Monday, Actor Kangana Ranaut was at the receiving end of a particularly nasty online attack after Congress leaders and supporters targeted her with sexual innuendos and abuses following the announcement of her candidature from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh.
In a post on Instagram which has now been deleted, Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asked, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rate system in Mandi is?)” with a particularly racy picture of Kangana Ranaut.
Congress functionary HS Ahir abused actor Kangana Ranaut by referring to her candidature from Mandi as, “Mandi se R*ndi.”
After facing massive backlash for the reprehensible post from her verified social media handles, Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate later issued a clarification to defend herself. In her clarification video, she claimed that ‘someone who had access to her account’ posted it, adding that the person responsible for making the post will be held accountable.
After enduring 21 days of fasting, Sonam Wangchuk, a climate activist and advocate for education reform, has decided to conclude his hunger strike aimed at advocating for Ladakh’s statehood and the preservation of the delicate Himalayan ecosystem. Despite ending his fast, Wangchuk emphasised that his battle would persist.
“I will persist in my efforts for constitutional protections for Ladakh and the political rights of its people,” stated Mr. Wangchuk as he brought his hunger strike to a close. Thousands gathered across different regions of the Union Territory as the fast ended, with women’s groups now preparing to initiate a hunger strike with similar demands.
Commencing his fast on March 6, the reformer—whose life inspired the character of Phsukh Wangdu in the 2009 film ‘3 Idiots’—initially announced his intention to continue for 21 days, with the possibility of extension “until death.”
Earlier this week, Wangchuk urged the Union government to “demonstrate integrity” and fulfil the demands of Ladakh’s people. In a video shared on X, he gestured towards a frozen glass of water, highlighting that 350 individuals had joined him in fasting, enduring temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius.
“We are striving to stir the consciousness of our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Mr Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile Himalayan mountain ecosystem in Ladakh and the distinct indigenous tribal cultures that flourish here,” expressed the activist in the video.
“We do not wish to view PM Modi and Amit Shah merely as politicians, but rather as statesmen; however, for that, they must exhibit integrity and foresight,” he added.
Following the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, comprising the Leh and Kargil districts, was established as a separate Union Territory on August 5, 2019.
After this development, significant protests and hunger strikes arose earlier this year within the Union Territory. Leaders from the Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil joined forces under the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, advocating for statehood and the protection of the rights of the predominantly tribal population under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
A case of the rape of a minor from the Dalit community has come to light in the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The accused persons, in this case, have been identified as Junaid, Arif, and Jamiruddin. Junaid is said to have held a minor hostage and raped her for hours. The other two accused persons tried to threaten the family of the girl and offered them Rs 2-4 lac to cover up the incident. The police have started the investigation by registering an FIR against all three accused persons.
The incident is said to have taken place in the Hafizpur police station area of Hapur. On 22nd March (Friday), the father of the 14-year-old Dalit girl lodged a complaint with the police. In the complaint, he said that on 21st March 2024, at around 3:30 pm, his daughter had gone to hang the dry clothes. Meanwhile, Junaid, son of Imam Khan from the same village, reached there. He covered the girl’s mouth, grabbed her, and took her with him to the basement of Jamiruddin’s dairy. He then kept the victim hostage and raped her.
उक्त प्रकरण के संबंध में थाना हाफिजपुर पर अभियोग पंजीकृत है, अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
During this time, some children playing nearby heard the screams of the victim. Junaid ran away from the spot after the children reached to see what was happening. The victim reached home and told her family about the incident. Later, her father decided to report the matter to the police and left for the police station the next day. On the way, he met Jamiruddin and Arif from the village. They stopped the victim’s father and put pressure on him to cover up the matter, calling it a minor incident.
The accused offered Rs 2-4 lakh to the victim’s father to keep his mouth shut. When the complainant refused to compromise, Jamiruddin and Arif abused him by using caste-related slurs. Not only this, both of them also threatened to eliminate the entire family of the victim. The accused Arif and Jamiruddin said, “Anyway Dalit girls are meant for this only.”
The victim’s father, extremely scared, reached the police station, and demanded strict action against the accused. Based on the complaint filed by the victim, the police have registered an FIR against Junaid, Jamiruddin, and Arif. Apart from sections 376, 452, 342, and 506 of IPC, they are all booked under SC/ST and POCSO Act.
OpIndia has the complaint copy. OpIndia spoke to the father of the victim girl. He said that the Muslim population in the village where he lives is about 92%. He also said that his family members are now facing problems after the crime against them. The victim’s uncle said that the main accused Junaid is about 42 years old, and that he earns money through illegitimate means.
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Online, established in 2017, announced its support to the INDI Alliance. ‘RSS Online’ Chief Janardan Moon and associate Abdul Pasha held a press conference on 25th March and declared that it was necessary to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections so they would want to extend their support to the Congress and the INDI Alliance.
“The BJP has been looking after the country for the past ten years but has been disrespecting the Indian constitution. All its decisions in some way have disrespected the Constitution. This is not how a country is run. They deliberately target the opposition party leaders and call them corrupt. They make use of the central agencies to arrest the opposition leaders. Are only opposition leaders corrupt? No BJP personnel is corrupt?” Janardan Moon pondered.
He also urged the voters to vote for INDI Alliance candidates if they wish to save the Indian Constitution. He also said that the RSS online organisation would extend support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in the state of Maharastra. He called the BJP leaders corrupt and said that the country needs to be saved from the party.
Meanwhile, Abdul Gafur, the Dy Chief of RSS Online claimed that RSS Online was the only RSS in the country and that no other RSS held equal importance to that of their organisation. “Ours is the only authentic RSS. No other RSS is important. If you have to argue on this, get the registration papers,” Gafur could be heard saying before he extended his unwavering support to the INDI Alliance.
The press conference is said to have happened in the Nagpur city of the Maharashtra state. However, the said event is being confused to have been organised by the original RSS, a Hindu organisation supporting the BJP-led government.
The Awaz TV India YouTube channel published the conference live on its channel and claimed that RSS had extended its support to the Congress party resulting in massive chaos in the political scenario in the country. However, the description mentions that the press meeting was organised by RSS Online and not by the original RSS whose Sarsanghchalak is Dr Mohan Bhagwat.
The traditional and original RSS has always supported the development caused in the country due to the efforts taken by the BJP-led central government. It has always hailed PM Modi and his government for working in favour of national development.
Notably, RSS and RSS Online are two different organisations, and one of them which is the new one ie RSS Online is led by Janardan Moon. In its X introduction, Moon has called himself Chief of RSS. However, he fails to mention that he is the chief of RSS Online which is a new organisation, a separate entity from the Sangh or the original RSS..
तीसरी बात, जनार्दन मून का RSS से इसलिए कोई लेना-देना नहीं है क्योंकि RSS की कार्यप्रणाली में "संस्थापक अध्यक्ष" शब्द का उपयोग नहीं होता है। pic.twitter.com/PramtZT60Y
Not only the ideologies but many slight differences, like the organisation logo, their hierarchical designations, etc clarify that the members of the new RSS or the RSS online have nothing to do with the original, old, traditional Hindu organisation RSS.
OpIndia spoke to Rakesh Pandey, the media head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who rubbished the claims of the old organisation being unregistered. “RSS is a 90+ years old organisation and is working for the betterment and development of the country. How can any organisation that has been working for these many years be unauthentic? RSS is the original organisation working since the year 1925 and the claims that are being made against the authenticity of the original RSS are false,” he said.
RSS के नाम से कुछ लोग फर्जी संगठन बनाकर खुद को और अपने वामपंथी सहयोगियों को धोखा दे सकते है समाज को नहीं।
संघ 1925 से देश और फिर दुनिया भर में कार्य कर रहा है। इनका दावा खोखला और राजनीतिक षड्यंत्र से प्रेरित है, जनार्दन मून और उसके गिरोह राष्ट्र विरोधी और मोदी विरोधियो के इशारे… pic.twitter.com/TicBRuN4Ik
As per the exclusive information furthered by the Pamphlet, Moon had in the year 2017 demanded police protection from Nagpur Police claiming that the original RSS workers were threatening him after he attempted to register his new RSS. Meanwhile, Dr Rajendra Gundalwar of the original RSS then confirmed that he had registered the RSS as an NGO, but in Chandrapur and not Nagpur district of Maharashtra.
Dr. Gundalwar then also asked Moon to stop misusing the name of RSS as it is a prestigious Hindu organisation working selflessly for the betterment of the country. “RSS is a very prestigious organisation which works selflessly without taking any kind of donation from anyone and lakhs of volunteers all over the world are working for the same RSS,” he was quoted as saying in a Pamphlet.
गुंडलवार ने RSS द्वारा पंजीकृत आरएसएस का कानूनी विवरण देने के बाद (MH-08/D0018394, कोड 94910 धार्मिक संगठन के रूप में पंजीकृत) जनार्दन मून को अपने एनजीओ के आरएसएस के रूप में पंजीकरण के लिए आवेदन करने के लिए फटकार भी लगाई थी। उन्होंने तब भी स्पष्ट किया था कि जनार्दन मून के "ऐसा…
Gundalwar also chastised Janardan Moon for applying to register his NGO as RSS (registered as a religious organization MH-08/D0018394, code 94910) after providing the legal description of RSS. He further stated that Janardan Moon’s “intentions behind doing this are dubious, and he wants to create confusion by doing this, which may incite religious riots in the future.”
Janardhan Moon then played the victim card, claiming that Gundalwar was causing a threat to his life.
Notably these claims have been made by the Pamphlet and no official source could confirm the same during the time of writing this report. The report will be updated once the confirmations are obtained.
Further, the Court in the year 2019 dismissed the plea filed by Moon, who had staked a claim on the name ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ or RSS. He had applied to register an NGO of the name. The HC noted that there is already a society that exists by the same name. Moon had contented that the RSS was not registered with the charity commissioner and had requested allotment of the name to his society.
Later, the SC also rejected the petition filed regarding the formation and registration of a new organisation in the name of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “Does the petitioner want to spread confusion in the society by forming another organisation in the name of Sangh?” Justice Chandrachud was quoted as saying by the Pamphlet. Rejecting the petition, the court said that such a new organisation cannot be registered in the name of an already existing organization.
