A shocking incident has surfaced in the Pandav Nagar neighbourhood of East Delhi, where a 4-year-old girl was raped on 23rd March by a 34-year-old Muslim man named Appu alias Arman. The culprit has been arrested by cops from Mandwali Police Station. He is the brother of the victim’s tuition teacher.
The minor went to her tuition yesterday as usual. However, the accused sexually violated her under the guise of teaching because the tutor wasn’t present at home. Furthermore, he threatened the child not to tell anyone about his abhorrent act. However, she returned home in tears and confided in her parents about everything. Afterwards, a case against was filed at the Mandwali police station based on the family’s complaint and the perpetrator was taken into custody immediately. On the other hand, the girl was referred to the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.
“Yesterday, the Mandawali Police Station received a complaint alleging that a 34-year-old male had sexually assaulted a 4-year-old girl at her tuition location. The individual was taken into custody and we have filed a case. People congregated in the area when a rumour circulated that no action was taken in the matter, and we also learned about a few instances of vandalism. Police reached the spot and now the situation is peaceful. The girl is also safe,” informed Delhi Eastern Range’s Additional Commissioner of Police Sagar Singh Kalsi.
#WATCH | Delhi Eastern Range's Additional CP Sagar Singh Kalsi says, " In Mandawali Police Station, yesterday a complaint was received that a 4-year-old girl was raped by a 34-year-old man at the place where she goes for tuition. We have registered a case and the man was… pic.twitter.com/WlYgwbVBnp
The locals became enraged as soon as they learned of the instance. Heavy police force was deployed in the area and police were dispersing the protestors in Pandav Nagar. According to East Delhi Deputy Commissioner Of Police Apoorva Gupta, a 4-year-old girl was brought to the hospital yesterday after reporting that her tutor had touched her private parts. The presence of swelling in the private area has been verified medically. The culprit has been apprehended. The role of his sister’s involvement in the occurrence is also being probed. People have been pacified at the moment.
The situation had gotten out of control. Locals went to the culprit’s home and committed many acts of vandalism. Several cars were vandalised in the area. His shop was also destroyed by the people who then moved all of his products to the location of Holika Dahan. The police arrived at the scene in considerable numbers after the furious crowd attacked the vehicles and autos in the street.
#WATCH | Delhi: DCP East Apoorva Gupta says, "Rumours are being spread that the girl's health is critical but this isn't true, her condition is normal. All legal proceedings are going on, medical has been done and she is talking well to the counsellor. I appeal to the people to… https://t.co/nnwx7eg4Owpic.twitter.com/gdgnPTT9qb
In the meanwhile, police have said that the girl’s condition is stable, saying that rumurs are being spread that her situation is critical. DCP East Apoorva Gupta said that the girl’s condition is normal and she is talking normally. She added that counsellors are talking to the child. Authorities have asked people of the area to maintain peace.
To control the situation, a heavy police deployment has been made in the area. The accused was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Vinod Kumar, the father of the two minor children who were brutally killed by their accused neighbours Sajid and Javed in Badaun, set a bike on fire and attempted self-immolation on Sunday (24th March). Police and bystanders quickly intervened and prevented him from self-immolation.
Vinod Kumar, the father of the two minor children who were killed by a barber Sajid in their house on March 19, tried to set a bike on fire and immolate himself on Sunday. Vinod Kumar was saved in time by the police. pic.twitter.com/bceKjWUbgf
According to reports, the victim’s father was upset because the motive behind the double murder of his two young sons has not yet been ascertained. In his resentment, he attempted to commit suicide.
Reportedly, Vinod Singh and his family are upset with the police administration and allege that the Police are hiding something. It’s been six days since she lost her grandchildren but the police were yet to come up with a motive behind the cruelty, Vinod’s mother Munni Devi lamented, as per PTI.
Speaking with India Today TV, Munni Devi said that the family feels the police are hiding something which has made her son “very angry”. She added, “Fed up with people saying all kinds of things, today he set his motorcycle on fire and tried to die by suicide.”
Badaun SSP Alok Priyadarshi told India Today TV that Vinod was missing his children, especially on the occasion of Holi. The SSP added, “Seeing his kids’ clothes, shoes, and other festival items, he could not stop himself and expressed his grief and anger by setting his bike on fire.”
Alok Priyadarshi added that Vinod Singh is being questioned and the reasons behind his behaviour are also being probed.
The postmortem report revealed the brutality
On 19th March 2024, two minor Hindu boys Ayush and Ahaan (Honey) were hacked to death by accused Sajid after slitting their throats in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh. The third brother of the deceased duo also suffered severe injuries on the neck but he managed to run away and alert everyone about the incident. He was discharged after getting treatment from the hospital.
The main accused Sajid was killed in an encounter by the police on 20th March, while the second perpetrator Javed who was absconding and had a reward of Rs 25,000 on him was later nabbed from Bareilly. Javed claimed innocence after getting arrested in Bareilly. The two Muslim accused are siblings.
Meanwhile, OpIndia had accessed the post-mortem report in the Ayush and Ahaan murder case in Badaun which details how the children were slain mercilessly. As per the postmortem report, it is believed that the accused not only cut Ayush’s and Ahaan’s throats but also attacked them a further 23 times.
Days after the horrifying incident, local Muslims in large numbers showed up to give a hero’s farewell to Sajid, who slaughtered two Hindu children in Badaun.
Additionally, when OpIndia visited their hamlet, Sajid and Javed’s family and other locals made every effort to deceive reporters to shield Javed and whitewash the crime of Sajid. Speaking with OpIndia, the villagers of the slain accused Sajid claimed that they were not sure if Sajid or someone else killed Ayush and Ahaan.
When speaking with a Muslim man from Sakhanu, he expressed ambiguity questioning whether Sajid had murdered the Hindu children or someone else had done it. He stated that only Allah can determine whether Sajid killed the children or someone else did.
During its ground report, OpIndia learned that Hindu kids murdered in Badaun had participated in Luv-Kush play in their school. Speaking with OpIndia, their teacher had likened Sajid and Javed to ‘mad dogs’ stating that deserve to be hanged.
our mosques in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh have been covered with tarpaulin to ensure they are not smeared with colours during Holi celebrations.
To maintain peace and order on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colours, four different mosques of Aligarh, located in the city’s most sensitive areas have been covered with tarpaulin.
The work of covering these mosques were carried out throughout the previous night in the presence of police and people associated with the mosque committee so that no colours or dirt are smeared on the structures by the people during the festive celebrations.
The mosques that have been covered include the “Masjid Halwaiyaan” located at Sabzi Mandi, a highly sensitive intersection of Aligarh, the Ansari Wali Mosque located at Kanwari Ganj and others.
Speaking to ANI, Mosque committee member Akil Pehalwan said, “We cover these mosques because of Holi celebrations. The reason for covering is that the place for offering namaz is a clean place. These mosques are covered during Holi from the past 5-6 years. There are about several mosques in the citys that are covered prior to Holi.”
“These mosques include the “Masjid Halwaiyan” located at Sabzi Mandi intersection of Aligarh. Apart from this, there are 4-5 such mosques like the mosque located at Babri Mandi, the mosque located at Delhi Gate intersection, the mosque located at Sasni Gate intersection,” he said.
Adding further, he said that the administration supports us in and in the presence of the administration, we, the mosque committee people and shopkeepers worked together under the leadership of CO City and Inspector and covered the mosques so that there is no problem on Holi.
Aligarh City, Circle Officer, Abhay Kumar Pandey also spoke to ANI and said, “Holi will be celebrated traditionally tomorrow in the Aligarh market. In view of Holi celebrations, mosques are covered by the Mosque Arrangement Committee. 4 mosques have been covered and the rest of the police system is deployed here on alert and drone surveillance has also been done and other security arrangements are being made in view of Holi.”
Holi, a festival celebrated with as much fervour in the country as it is overseas, will be marked on March 25, Monday, this year.
Meanwhile, people thronged markets in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad on Sunday, ahead of Holi, making last-minute purchases of colours or gulals, trendy water guns, and colourful wigs.
This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 24th March, a video of self-proclaimed stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra went viral on social media, where he was seen abusing actor Salman Khan. The original video was published on his channel three weeks ago; however, a clip went viral recently.
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) March 24, 2024
In the video, he said, “I got an offer to visit Ambani’s OTT and take a moral lesson from Salman Khan. Every Saturday, Salman Khan will come and tell you how to become a better person.” He then mocked Salman Khan while mimicking him and said, “If you are a singer and your son is a singer. If you provide good training to your son to become a better singer, will it be called nepotism or father’s love?” He added, “I was like, we will call you chut*ya, sir.”
He mocked his family and said, “But he is living a tough life. He must be whipping Sohail and Arbaaz during Moharram. My NPAs.” He said, “There was a time when comedians used to fear Salman Khan. Then Modi Ji came, and we saw Salman Khan was scared. Why should we be scared of him? If he would call intoxicated, we will have 2-3 drinks and pick it up. [They used to say] don’t make jokes on Salman Khan. He used to slap women, and we were not making jokes about him. Have you ever wondered why ‘chut*yas’ are brought to participate in Bigg Boss from every corner of the country? So that Salman Khan looks normal.”
Kunal Kamra filed case against the Government’s fact-check unit
In April 2023, the Government of India announced a Fact Check Unit to fight fake news on social media. It gave the government the power to take down fake and misleading posts from social media. The platforms would have been directed to label the posts as misleading or remove them. However, Kunal Kamra and others Bombay High Court are seeking a stay on it. In February 2024, the Bombay High Court’s two-judge bench gave a split verdict. A third judge was brought on board to conclude the matter and refused to provide interim relief. The Government of India notified the rules soon after to establish a fact-checking unit on 20th March. However, the Supreme Court stayed the notification on 21st March.
A 12th student in Gujarat’s Amreli was assaulted because his board examination went well and he shouted “Jai Shri Ram” to express his happiness. He shouted the sacred slogan outside his exam center which led to the shocking incident. Atiq Qureshi and Alfaz Qureshi who beat him claimed that the place belonged to Muslims. The school is named SMGK High School and is run by Faiz-e-Muhammadi Educational Welfare and Charitable Trust.
The case pertained to Savarkundla. The accused challenged the student, “Why are you taking the name of Ram here? Don’t you know where you are standing (in the school)?” When the father of the victim called the two to pacify them, they misbehaved with him too and talked about sacrificing their lives for the brothers in their community. Afterwards, the man filed an official complaint against the perpetrators. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
According to the FIR, the student went to SMGK High School in Savarkundla on 20th March to appear for the 12th board examination. He did very well in the test and chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to voice his gratitude to God. However, Mohammad Atiq Qureshi who was also there for his 12th board exam didn’t like it. He grumbled, “Don’t shout, I didn’t perform well in the exam,” and started fighting with the Hindu boy.
Copy of FIR (Source: OpIndia Gujarati)
Alfaz Qureshi, Atiq’s friend also reached there and the two Muslim youngsters thrashed the Hindu boy for reciting Lord Ram’s name. He was saved by other students who intervened between them. Notably, uttered “Jai Shri Ram” to thank God and not to greet or address any person. The student told his father about the entire episode following the occurrence and the latter contacted the offenders who arrived at the store late at night, but rather than owning up to their errors, they threatened the man and proposed to compromise if he was really understanding.
The police began an inquiry after the father complained to the Savarkundla Rural Police Station. They launched a case under sections 323, 506(2) and 114 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mohammad Atiq Qureshi and Alfaz Qureshi.
Copy of FIR (Source: OpIndia Gujarati)
The father spoke with OpIndia. Because his paper was excellent, He revealed that his son took the name of God along with other students because he did well in the exam when a Muslim student approached him from behind and slapped him. He threatened, “Do you know who this school belong to? You cannot speak these speak these words here.” A probe discovered that the Faiz-e-Muhammadi Educational Welfare and Charitable Trust is in charge of this SMGK school located in Savarkundla.
We will sacrifice ourselves for our brothers
The father mentioned, “My son had noted down the scooter numbers of both the Muslim youths, so I got in touch with them through a person who had previously worked in my shop and called the pair to my shop.” He added that when the two sides were talking, Atiq Qureshi threatened to kill the Hindu man and declared, “We will sacrifice ourselves for our brothers,” before leaving. Afterwards, the Hindu student’s father went to the police station and submitted a complaint.
Police confirmed the incident
OpIndia also contacted the police to get information about the police action in the entire case. Assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) YS Vanra, who is inquiring about the issue, verified the instance and highlighted that further legal action has been initiated by registering an FIR on the complaint of the victim’s father. Action will be taken against those responsible as per the rules.
The Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sangrur Hooch tragedy revealed that Methanol contents were found in the spurious liquor that killed 21 people in Punjab’s Sangrur. Methanol is a deadly chemical used in industrial products.
As per reports, 11 people are still undergoing treatment at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital and six at the Civil Hospital in Sangrur. The incident occurred in Gujran village located in Sunam tehsil in Sangrur district of Punjab.
The matter came to light on Wednesday (20th March) when four people lost their lives after consuming poisonous liquor.
The conspiracy was hatched inside Sangrur Jail: SIT Chief
On Saturday (23rd March), the head of SIT, ADGP Gurinder Dhillon addressed a press conference on the Sangrur spurious liquor case. He said that the accused obtained the chemical from a Noida-based factory.
According to reports, initial investigation has also revealed that the accused mastermind hatched a conspiracy to build a liquor factory from inside Sangrur jail and they reportedly watched YouTube videos for liquor preparation. It was reportedly the first consignment by the accused and they had intended to sell around 4000 bottles with the label ‘Shahi’, a desi liquor brand from Haryana. Instead of naming it after any desi Punjabi brand, the accused used the name of a brand from Haryana to mislead investigation in case of getting caught.
Dhillon said that the accused Harmanpreet used to prepare spurious liquor at his house and sell it in liquor bottles, bearing the brand name “Shahi”, written in Hindi. He added that the accused were targeting labourers to sell the spurious liquor at half price. Both masterminds are history sheeters and came in contact with each other while lodged at Sangrur jail, the SIT Chief said.
8 arrested, Police seize material used for making spurious liquor
The SIT official informed that so far eight out of the 10 accused have been arrested in this case. The arrested accused include two masterminds — Gurlal Singh of Ubhawal village in Sangrur and Harmanpreet Singh of Taipur village in Patiala. The other accused have been identified as Manpreet Singh alias Mani and Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukhi, both residents of Gujjran village in Dirba; Soma Kaur, Rahul alias Sanju, and Pardeep Singh alias Babi, all residents of Chauwas in Cheema; Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh of Rogla village.
According to the Police, the accused persons had procured a total of 300 litres of methanol. Police have also recovered 200 litres of methanol, empty liquor bottles, bottle caps, and other equipment, used for manufacturing and labelling spurious liquor. The accused prepared brand labels using a printer at home and had purchased a bottle cap installation machine from Ludhiana.
The SIT chief added that three FIRs have been registered in this case at at Dirba, Sunam, and Cheema Police stations. Police have added Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to investigate the role of factories from where the methanol was procured.
The ADGP further stated that police have also invoked the stringent section, 61-A of the Excise Act in all three FIRs. Section 61-A is punishable with imprisonment for life/ the death penalty. The ADGP added that the police have papers regarding the procurement of this fatal chemical.
Opposition slams AAP government, demands resignation of Excise Minister
Following the Sangrur Hooch tragedy, the opposition parties including BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) launched a scathing attack against the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state.
Raising questions at the CM Bhagwant Mann, SAD asked why he has not sought the resignation of excise minister Harpal Cheema or ordered the registration of a murder case against the perpetrators yet.
On Saturday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur lambasted Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP for failing to address the issue.
Highlighting that the incident occured in CM’s constituency, Thakur took a dig at the AAP government’s pledge to create a ‘Nasha Mukt’ Punjab. He also emphasised alleged links between AAP and liquor salesmen and middlemen in Delhi, leading to the proliferation of liquor shops across the state.
Thakur asked, “AAP came to power pledging to lead a campaign against narcotic substances. CM Bhagwant Mann lost his own Lok Sabha seat in by-elections. Yesterday, more than 20 people lost their lives due to spurious liquor. Imagine the situation in Punjab if this is the condition in the chief minister’s native place. What is the relationship of AAP with liquor salesmen and middlemen, leading to the proliferation of liquor shops in every area of the state?”
However, the AAP government’s cabinet minister and Sunam MLA Aman Arora courted controversy while trying to absolve the state govt of any responsibility over the Sangrur incident. He said, “If a person had died consuming liquor purchased from a govt-authorised liquor shop, only then govt is responsible.”
Following mounting criticism, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann met with the families of the deceased in Sangrur on Sunday (24th March) to offer his condolences and assure action against the culprits, four days after the incident came to light.
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.
Bangladeshi nationals were heading for Chennai
According to the official, the illegal Bangladeshi nationals were arrested during a routine check before they could board a train to Chennai.
As per the officials, illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have been attempting to use the Northeastern state as a transit to reach metropolitan cities like Kolkata and Chennai.
The official said they have seized a few smartphones from them and the devices are being checked to ascertain if they have any connection with any international groups.
Confirming that the arrested individuals are Bangladeshi nationals, Das said, “The sleuths managed to detain the seven Bangladeshi nationals based on their suspicious activities. They have confessed during interrogation that all of them are Bangladeshi citizens.”
Speaking with EastMojo, Das pointed out, “Most illegal infiltrators enter Tripura to use the state as a corridor to reach metropolitan cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and other major states in search of work. Those arrested today revealed they intended to board the Kanchanjunga Express to leave Tripura. They aimed to reach Chennai to explore livelihood opportunities.”
According to reports, all of them hail from the Bagerhat district of Bangladesh. They have been identified as Easin Hawlader (44), Mohammad Hasan (20), Sukur Ali Hawlader (19), Farjana Akhtar (20), Rumi Begam (21) accompanied by her daughter Mariam (10 months), Nayan Hossain (25), and Md Matiur Mandal (26).
7 Bangladeshi nationals held at Agartala station for illegally entering India.
Two among them dressed up as women.
Their names are as follows: Easin Hawlader (44), Mohammad Hasan (20), Sukur Ali Hawlader (19), Farjana Akhtar (20), Rumi Begam (21) accompanied by her daughter… pic.twitter.com/dk4DqkHCg6
According to reports, two of the arrested individuals dressed as women. Initially, the officials assumed them to be transgenders but they later admitted that they disguised themselves as women while leaving the state.
Illegal infiltration from Bangladesh through porous borders
However, the official added that the Bangladeshi nationals couldn’t exactly tell which part of Tripura they used to cross the international border but revealed that it took them an hour or so to reach the railway station from the border. The official said, “We are assuming they used Comilla or adjoining areas to cross into Indian soil.”
After their arrest, all individuals have been brought before the court for subsequent legal proceedings.
A day earlier on Friday, two persons were arrested at the same railway station because of their suspicious movements. One of them was later revealed to be a Bangladeshi girl, while the other was recognised as an Indian facilitator who aided others in illegally crossing into India.
Similarly, in November last year, the Tripura Police arrested 14 Bangladeshi nationals in Sabroom in the South Tripura district bordering Bangladesh, for illegally entering India.
According to reports, before the arrest, the 14 arrested had taken shelter at the residence of a local individual identified as Kraisu Mog in the Baishnabpur area. Two more locals identified as Athubai Mog and Khoka Tripura were also arrested for acting as middlemen and facilitating the entry of Bangladeshi nationals illegally into India.
Tripura is bordered by Bangladesh on three sides and shares an international boundary spanning 856 kilometers. Some sections of this border remain unfenced due to local disputes regarding land ownership and demarcation issues.
On the 23rd of March 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) decided to target the son of Piyush Goyal, Dhruv Goyal, with a ‘manipulated video’. Sharing a 30 second video, the Shiv Sena (UBT) accused BJP of “strangling democracy” and “confiscating the ID cards” of students of Thakur College, in an attempt to force their attendance to a program where Dhruv Goyal was interacting with first time voters.
देशात लोकशाहीचा गळा घोटू पाहणाऱ्या भाजपचा बुरखा ठाकूर कॉलेजच्या विद्यार्थ्यांनी टराटरा फाडला. विद्यार्थ्यांची ओळखपत्रे जप्त करुन परीक्षेच्या आदल्या दिवशी त्यांना हजेरीची सक्ती करणाऱ्या या पक्षाच्या हाती देशाचे भवितव्य कसे सुरक्षित असेल? pic.twitter.com/QvMU6TblNb
The post by Shiv Sena (UBT) handle was soon picked up by other MPs and leaders of the party, targeting Dhruv Goyal and the BJP.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, the party MP, tweeted the video saying, “Students of Thakur College in Mumbai were forced to attend Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal session. The students say their ids were confiscated to ensure that they are compulsorily present when he speaks. What a shame!”.
Aditya Thackeray, who is one of the poster boys of “parivar-vaad” in politics tweeted, “The regime is sending out a message to the world on a daily basis, that they don’t wish the country to be a democracy anymore. Here, the IDs of the students were confiscated to force them to attend a talk by the son of a bjp candidate in North Mumbai… a day before their exams. Because obviously even on passing, under this govt, where are the jobs? Rather waste their time on lectures taken by sons of candidates… Will the principal be suspended for such a horrible act? Do watch the video!”.
While it is interesting that Aditya Thackeray, who is in politics only because he has successfully used his grandfather and father’s family-run party emphasised that Dhruv Goyal was the “son of a BJP candidate”, it is also important to understand the genesis of the controversy and the truth.
The controversy was started when Free Press Journal shared the clipped video from their Twitter handle on the 23rd of March 2024. The tweet by the media outlet now stands deleted, even as Shiv Sena (UBT) politicians continue to spread fake news.
Further, Thakur College has categorically stated that the complain of the student is under investigation by the college. They have also come on record to state that Priyanka Chaturvedi and other politicians have used a manipulated video to gain political mileage from the event.
An official press release from the institution stated, “Thakur College recently hosted an event aimed at encouraging our students, particularly first-time voters, to actively participate in the upcoming general elections. As part of this initiative. We were honoured to welcome Mr Dhruv Goyal for a meaningful dialogue with these first-time voters.”
It further noted, “We have been made aware of a situation involving Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi, who has disseminated a manipulated video pertaining to this interaction, seemingly with political motivations. This has led to an unwarranted controversy, overshadowing what was an otherwise successful and well-received event. The engagement and dialogue with Mr Dhruv Goyal were positively received by our students, and it is regrettable that Ms Chaturvedi’s actions have introduced unnecessary discord into our college environment, unfairly involving our students in a dispute that was uncalled for.”
The letter added, “Furthermore, we wish to clarify that during the post-event interaction, a query was raised by a student on a topic that Mr. Dhruv Goyal was not previously acquainted with. This matter is currently under review by our institution. It is our belief that educational settings should remain apolitical, focused on the enrichment and empowerment of our students rather than becoming arenas for political contention.” It was signed by the college’s principal CT Chakraborty.
Responding to the controversy created by Shiv Sena (UBT), Piyush Goyal said that this was the parties tactic to deal with their dwindling popularity among the people.
He further said that Dhruv Goyal was there as a speaker and he categorically said that he was not there canvassing for votes for any party, but that first time voters should go out to vote. Further, Goyal said that Dhruv responded humbly to the complaint raised by the student, saying that he will tell the college to investigate. “He even apologised, though he had nothing to do with it. He did not need to be tutored to do it unlike others”, Goyal said talking about dynasts like Rahul Gandhi and Aditya Thackeray.
What the real footage of the event shows about the response of Dhruv Goyal
OpIndia got a hold of a longer video which shows the humility displayed by Dhruv Goyal and the cheer that his response received from the students of Thakur College, contrary to the perception being created by Shiv Sena (UBT) politicians.
In the video, a student can be heard asking, “Sir, first of all, all the best to you for the upcoming election. Sir my question was do you think this system is democratic enough where the Thakur College administration has confiscated the IDs of students and made them visit here compulsorily,” amidst loud cheer and clapping. He added, “If this system exists and they can abuse us, then anyone can abuse us on national and international level.
After the complain was raised by the student, Dhruv Goyal responded by first congratulating the student for displaying the courage to ask the question. “I am actually disheartened by hearing that…” said Dhruv Goyal, upon hearing the alleged complaint from a student of Thakur College of Science and Commerce at an event on Saturday. Further, taking cognisance, he said, “I promise that it will not happen again, if it does, come and tell me.”
This humble response by Dhruv Goyal was met with loud claps and cheers by the students who were present there.
The response by Dhruv Goyal, which only goes to show his commitment towards engaging with first time voters in good faith, was cropped by FPJ. Politicians like Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aditya Thackeray and others have been replying on a tweet and article by FPJ which now stands withdrawn, given the response of the college which rightly points out that the video was manipulated.
With Lok Sabha elections upcoming, political attacks are usually par for the course. However, the tactics employed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) in this case seems to be transparently malicious. First and foremost, Dhruv Goyal is not a politician himself and has no say in the elections per se. This was an interaction merely meant to encourage first time voters to take part in the democratic process of the country. Secondly, for politicians like Aditya Thackeray, whose only claim to fame is his family lineage, to attack Dhruv Goyal for being the son of Piyush Goyal reeks of double standards.
Perhaps Aditya Thackeray should recall the time in 2023 when his own close aide accused him of arrogance while quitting the party. In June 2023, Rahul Kanal, Yuva Sena leader and close aide of Aaditya Thackeray, had been expelled from Shiv Sena (UBT) and he had accused Aditya Thackeray of arrogance.
In fact, the very Free Press Journal that he is now quoting to attack Dhruv Goyal had reported that several Yuva Sena members had quit at that time because they were unhappy with internal differences, while Kanal had indicated that those internal differences were because of the arrogance of Aditya Thackeray.
In this instance, while Aditya Thackeray is attacking Goyal, it becomes apparent that Goyal has no arrogance about being the son of Piyush Goyal and handled the complaint of the students sensitively.
Anitha Radhakrishnan, a minister in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government of Tamil Nadu, has drawn heavy criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for disparaging Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a foul word. “A nauseating act” was how the party described the use of a highly objectionable phrase for PM Modi. The state unit of BJP took to social media to slam the politician as well as called out the pseudo-feminism of Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi who didn’t protest and sat through the vile episode. The party will also bring the issue before the Election Commission.
The state minister for fisheries and animal husbandry, Anitha Radhakrishnan claimed during an election campaign rally that the prime minister launched initiatives to honour prominent politicians like Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Kamarajar only to receive a dismal number of votes. “You erected Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s statue to seek Patel community votes. Such disgusting tactics are used by Prime Minister Modi.”
The leader of the DMK also offered commentary on PM Modi’s speech last week in Salem, Tamil Nadu, stating that the latter mentioned freedom fighter Kamarajar “as though they embraced him and brought him to the front.” He then went on to use abusive words for PM Modi, saying, “I am asking that while speaking in Salem he (PM Modi) spoke about Kamarajar as if Kamarajar hugged and embraced him and as if he happily accepted. M*****f****r we know what you did. You guys tried to kill him when he was in Delhi.”
The party wrote, “Strong Condemnation! DMK Minister Thiru @ARROffice has spoken disgustingly about our beloved Prime Minister Thiru @narendramodi avl who hails from a humble background and has dedicated his entire life for the people of India, and DMK MP Tmt. @KanimozhiDMK has stood witness to this nauseating act! But, this is not surprising! In fact, this is the vile, vulgar political culture that is in the very DNA of the DMK! What’s worse? Without condemning this obscene talk, Tmt @KanimozhiDMK enjoys the speech on stage, exposing her pseudo-feminism! People will teach the DMK and I.N.D.I. Alliance a fitting lesson! The law will also do its duty! This time the “Rising Sun” will go down the horizon!”
Strong Condemnation!
DMK Minister Thiru @ARROffice has spoken disgustingly about our beloved Prime Minister Thiru @narendramodi avl who hails from a humble background and has dedicated his entire life for the people of India, and DMK MP Tmt. @KanimozhiDMK has stood witness to… pic.twitter.com/woD298TNn3
BJP state unit president K. Annamalai stated that the matter will be taken to the Election Commission and Tamil Nadu Director General of Police to demand stringent measures against the accused. He informed, “DMK leaders have reached a new low in their uncouth behaviour by passing vile comments & unpardonable public discourse against our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl. When they have nothing to criticise, this is the level DMK leaders have stooped. DMK MP Smt Kanimozhi avl was on the stage and did not bother to stop her colleague. @BJP4TamilNadu is taking up this matter with the Election Commission & the DGP of TN State police today, seeking the strictest & immediate action against DMK Minister Thiru Anita Radhakrishnan.”
DMK leaders have reached a new low in their uncouth behaviour by passing vile comments & unpardonable public discourse against our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl.
When they have nothing to criticise, this is the level DMK leaders have stooped. DMK MP Smt Kanimozhi avl was on… pic.twitter.com/sTdQSNjkir
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) March 24, 2024
Karthik Gopinath, another BJP leader from the southern state denounced the shameful utterances of the DMK politician and commented, “The minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, Anitha Radhakrishnan abuses the Prime Minister and this state police @tnpoliceoffl is a mute spectator. This habitual offender should be kicked out of his ministerial position by the CM @mkstalin. @AmitShah @blsanthosh @nsitharaman.”
— karthik gopinath(மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@karthikgnath) March 23, 2024
Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur also addressed the media on the issue and noted, “We strongly oppose the statements made by the Tamil Nadu Minister in front of the female MP for his party against the prime minister of the country’s 140 crore people. Such language has no place in a democracy. This is abhorrent and deplorable and the I.N.D.I. Alliance as a whole should issue an apology.”
He also brought up the earlier incidents in which the opposition party leaders disrespected the prime minister. He added that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge didn’t respond at all on the matter. “I want to ask you, are you protecting such people,” he asked.
On 23rd March, Assam Police detained IIT Guwahati student Tauseef Ali Farooqui for pledging allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) and declaring his intent to join the terror group via an open letter on the social media platform LinkedIn. When the letter was spotted, he was not found on the IIT campus and was arrested from Hajo later in the evening with the help of some locals. Now, it has come to light that Hindu Jagran Manch’s Kamrup district activists Tanke Deka and others caught him in Damdama, Hajo.
A video of the activists questioning Farooqui has gone viral on social media. The activists immediately handed over Farooqui to the police. The Hindu Jagran Manch workers and other locals spotted Farooqui because he was roaming in the area with an ISIS flag in hand.
Incredible bravery! Yesterday evening, Hindu Jagran Manch Kamrup district's Tanke Deka and his friends caught an #ISIS terrorist in Damdama, Hajo. They immediately handed him over to Hajo police. Salute to these heroes!
In the video, the activists asked him if he supported ISIS. He said, “I believe only Allah has the right to rule. The government that we Hindus and Muslims have created here is wrong.” He then said he supports ISIS because they want to establish the rule of Allah.
When asked whether he supports ISIS terrorists attacking people with guns, he said that he supports it because ISIS wants to establish the rule of Allah while the police want to establish their own rule.
It can be seen that Tauseef was confronted inside a market complex in Damdama near Hajo, around 30 km from Guwahati.
Posting the video of the confrontation, RSS worker Gautam Chakrabarty urged the union govt and Assam govt to honour the Hindu Jagran Manch workers for their courage. “Their alertness and prompt action deserve recognition,” he said.
Tanke Deka also posted about the development on Facebook yesterday. He wrote, “IIT Guwahati student Tauseef Ali Farooqui is a member of ISIS. Today, with the help of the people in Hajo Dumdama, we am handed him over to Hajo police station. At first he called himself a resident of Delhi. What a terrible educated Muslim.”
Talking to the media about how they spotted Tauseef, Tanke Deka said that Tauseef was going towards Nalbari from Guwahati via Nalbari, and he had a blag Islamic flag in his hand. At Damdama chowk, he raised some Islamic slogans. As a result, the locals immediately confronted him, and he told them that he supports ISIS. Hearing this, some of the locals started assaulting him. Deka was nearby who reached the spot and rescued him from a probable lynching.
Talking about his conversion with Tauseef, Tanke Deka said that Tauseef is an educated Jihadi who is completely brainwashed by Islamist jihadi propaganda. Tauseef was also carrying two knives. Deka said that Tauseef definitely has links with ISIS and he is an educated jihadi terrorist. After giving him a few slaps, they handed him over to police, Deka added.
Tauseef Ali Farooqui arrested for pleading allegiance to ISIS
On 23rd March, Assam Police detained Tauseef Ali Farooqui, a youth who pledged allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) via an open letter on the social media platform LinkedIn. Farooqui is a final-year biotechnology student at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G).
In the open letter on LinkedIn, Farooqui claimed that he had disassociated himself from the “Indian-Construct that includes the so-called Indian Constitution, its institutions and so on”. The letter read, “My first step after my repentance is to make Hijrat (emigration) toward Muslimeen (Muslims) to a region known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province to pledge my allegiance to the Muslim-Leadership (Islamic State)…It is a fight between Muslimeen (those who have surrendered to Allah) and Kafireen (infidels)…”. He also sent the letter via mail to some people.
When the letter was spotted, it was found that Tauseef Ali Farooqui was missing from the IIT Guwahati campus. His phone was also switched off. The police issued a lookout notice against him, and a search was made at the airport.
However, later, he was located at Hajo, a town around 25 km from North Guwahati where IIT Guwahati is located, on Saturday evening. Farooqui hails from Okhla in New Delhi. His room in the hostel was searched, where some objectionable items have been found, including a back ISIS flag. When reporters asked Tauseef about the black flag in his room, he claimed it was a religious one.
