Home Blog Page 1193

Propaganda, narrative & falsehoods packed in fancy words: How left-liberals over-intellectualise to project holier than thou approach against Hindu sentiments

The language of the left-liberal ecosystem is like junk and packaged food. It appears colourful, fluff, fresh and packed with just the right marketing, seeping into your psyche, and having a placebo effect on you till you convince yourself to conclude that the product is healthy.

You know in your heart of hearts that all that junk is unhealthy and will harm you, if not immediately then in the long run. But it is being sold everywhere and keeps luring you, knowing which nerve to pinch until you give in to your weakness.

This decision-making process in a consumer’s mind unfolds within seconds when buying any kind of packaged food. The fact remains that it is not healthy.

Apply this to the language of the pseudo-intellectual left-liberals, the Shashi Tharoors of the English non-political intellectual ecosystem and the Manoj Jhas of the Hindi non-political intellectual ecosystem.

These would include Rajdeep Sardesai, Ravish Kumar, Abhisar Sharma, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Rana Ayyub and the list goes on and on.

Take for example the remarks by the editor of Lallantop and India Today Hindi, Saurabh Dwivedi at the India Today conclave recently. Rahul Kanwal introduced him as someone who travels across the country and speaks to people, the real voters. “How do you see India change over the next five years?” Kanwal asked Dwivedi.

Dwivedi began his answer by crediting the Britishers with the discovery and deciphering of the Brahmi scripts. “When Britishers began digging they found some terracotta plates but they were unable to read them because they were not written in popular Indian scripts. It was later found that the script is in Brahmi and Kharoshthi. And then we learnt that there was a Great (Indian) King named Ashoka,” he said.

Perhaps Dwivedi expected applauses for this point given the pride with which he spoke, but why he thought an introduction was required to answer a simple question and how this particularly flawed and distorted piece of information was linked to his answer is something that one will never comprehend.

But, his point does sound intellectual, even when it is not, because it pretends to refer to history no matter to the left-liberal how distorted it is. For one, in this very introduction, Dwivedi declares, and rather convincingly for the uninitiated, that Ashoka was not known to Indians before Britishers came and told us about him.

He then proceeds to share how the conversation is happening about Indian politics and at the same time the grammar of Indian politics is changing. Dwivedi elaborates with an imaginary situation in a real location in Uttar Pradesh; perhaps he thinks that is enough to make him sound connected to the grassroots voter.

“There is a Pachnada area in Bihad where five rivers meet. You will see that some fishermen have taken ownership of the river and are drying fish there. One of the fishermen’s son is sitting on a dried tree and is either playing pubg or is part of a WhatsApp group. And in this WhatsApp group, he is not only receiving sleazy messages but messages specifically targeting their community are being sent,” Dwivedi said.

He called these WhatsApp groups “micro pressure groups”, making him sound like a political scientist of the Hindi-belt, a title which Ravish Kumar enjoyed before his YouTube venture.

“Messages targeting their community that what is being built in the name of Nishad Raj, which festivals of yours (fishermen) is approaching, did your MLA or corporator or head sent congratulatory messages for the festival or not…several micro pressure groups are being created on an identity-level and cultural-level,” he said.

He further said, “You are watching the debate on TV about Shringar Gauri and at the same time some Vikram Sampath is writing a book on that (Waiting For Shiva), at the same time a Twitter trend is being run that whether so and so editor or journalist will do a book show on this or not. These pressure groups, be it about employment, books, or films, it is such an interesting churning that it is reflecting now.”

This entire speech of Dwivedi was essentially code for the usual ecosystem rant, that, the BJP under Modi govt is running groups right from WhatsApp to literature and academia to journalists to pressurise the people into disseminating information targetting specific communities.

Dwivedi’s over-intellectualisation made the toxic and Hinduphobic rant appear cerebral and proletariat at the same time. Whereas between the lines, the basic message was that the Indian masses have no mind of their own to make their independent observations and are being manipulated by “micro pressure groups”; a concoction of words that willperhaps further be used to feed Hinduphobia in the future.

This over-intellectualisation makes its way across topics addressed by the ecosystem. Ravish Kumar’s overintellectual virtue-signalling right from his NDTV days to Rajdeep Sardesai’s overintellectual “analysis” of electoral politics to Poonam Agarwal’s overintellectualised insinuations in her report on electoral bonds which has now been proven fake, are only some examples of many.

Decades of this over-intellectualisation has been used to manufacture a class of left-liberals which feeds on alien ideologies and slyly tells the honest and grounded Hindu that they are intellectually illiterate so any sense of pride about their identity is a result of ‘bhagwakaran’ or BJP IT cell.

They’d have Hindus believe that Hindus don’t know who they are and that what they do know is wrong and targeted information manufactured by the “fringe elements”. At the same time, these over-intellectuals will have Hindus believe that anything foreign to the Hindu and Indian identity is more learned and knows more about them than themselves.

One wonders if these people are the ingredients that come together to produce the final product like Rahul Gandhi. But, the left-liberal cabal’s arrogance is catching up with them. Even if they prepare a fancy speech to appear intelligent and close to the grassroots in order to lend credibility to their narrative, they are failing to drive their point home making complete Rahul Gandhi out of themselves.

How to ask for votes when we could do nothing: Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh refuses to contest Lok Sabha elections

On Wednesday (20th March) Himachal Pradesh‘s state Congress president Pratibha Singh has categorically ruled out contesting from the Mandi parliamentary constituency. She was announced as a candidate from Mandi, however, she has refused to contest elections. In a media interaction, Pratibha Singh said, “How to ask for votes when we have done nothing.” On the other hand, a senior leader of the state unit of the Congress party, Ram Lal Thakur said that the state party Chief Pratibha Singh is the only candidate who can win the Mandi parliamentary seat.

Elections will be held in the seventh and last phase in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh has refused to contest from the Mandi parliamentary constituency. The Himachal Congress president said, “We could not do anything for the workers while being in government. Why will workers work for us during the elections?”

Pratibha Singh said, “As far as the rest of the tickets are concerned, we still have time. Himachal Pradesh goes to polls on June 1. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also said in the meeting that we have time now. In a few days, we will decide the tickets for Lok Sabha elections and Assembly by-elections.”

She said, “We have a new challenge in front of us in the form of six MLAs who have been suspended from the party. By-elections are going to be held on these six seats and we must win on all, and it is my responsibility to make them win. This is why I withdrew my candidature from Mandi… The situation was very different earlier. Winning the Lok Sabha elections was the priority of the party for which, I have visited Mandi multiple times and I am well aware of all nooks and corners of my constituency… I have suggested the name of Kaul Singh Thakur for Mandi as he is well known in the area and also has a good understanding of the ground…”

The incumbent Mandi MP added, “I have decided not to contest the Lok Sabha elections as the ground situation is not good. I have extensively toured every region of the state and found that no worker is active and it is difficult to get success in such a situation. I have refused to contest the election because I am not in a position to fight it. You cannot win elections just by distributing MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) funds. If party workers who worked hard for the party’s victory in the assembly elections were given responsibilities and importance, they would have been active at the grassroots level.”

On the other hand, Ram Lal Thakur – a senior Congress leader in the state – has said that no one except Pratibha Singh can win the Lok Sabha seat from Mandi. His statement came after Pratibha Singh refused to contest the elections.

Thakur said, “The Congress state Chief is an MP and she will have to contest. We have the same situation as it was earlier in the state. The people of the state will vote in favour of the Congress against the BJP. We shall win the majority of seats in the Assembly and also in Parliament. Pratibha Ji, the wife of Virbhadra Singh, is the only candidate who can win the Mandi parliamentary seat.”

When questioned about his own candidacy against Anurag Thakur, Ram Lal Thakur asserted that the Congress boasts a Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other proficient leaders capable of steering the party to success.

Thakur added, “You are asking if I will contest elections from Hamirpur Parliament, it is not possible to contest the elections without money. We have a Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister from Hamirpur, but we shall also keep in mind that Anurag Thakur and JP Nadda are there against us. They have huge money power, RSS is with them. The Congress needs to come together and we shall contest against them.”

When asked about the rebel disqualified Congress legislators, Ram Lal Thakur said, “BJP will not take the rebels and there is no scope for them in the Congress. People have voted them as MLA in the name of the Congress party and they have deceived the people.”

“The Congress party is the one which has built the state. The BJP needs to find candidates; we have scores of such candidates available. To do cross-voting is a suicidal attempt by the six rebel-disqualified Congress MLAs. I don’t think that the BJP has their own candidates and people will not follow them,” he said.

Lost father in Naxalite attack at age 4, lost mother later, shortly after she was forcibly converted: Umesh Chandra Ajmeera, ABVP’s Presidential candidate for JNU

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the stronghold of left-wing student unions, has frequently been in the headlines for its controversies, including the infamous ‘Tukde Tukde’ incident. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has set its eyes on defeating left-wing Student Unions in their stronghold. ABVP is now actively campaigning for the upcoming elections for the Students Union in JNU. For these elections, it has recently announced Umesh Chandra Ajmeera as its Presidential candidate for the Students Union as well as its Central Council.    

Umesh Chandra Ajmeera is a resident of Warangal, Telangana. He was only four years old when Naxalites gunned down his father, Sitaraman Nayak Ajmeera, in 1997. After his father’s demise, Umesh’s mother Sammakka Ajmeera was forcibly converted. Distressed by her husband’s murder and forced religious conversion, his mother passed away shortly after his father’s demise. 

Despite these hardships and hailing from a Naxal-infected village, Umesh completed his primary education at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in United States Studies at JNU. Umesh has also received the JRF Award in Political Science. He came in contact with ABVP when he joined JNU for higher education. 

Umesh belongs to the tribal Banjara (ST) community.  He has the surname ‘Ajmeera’ as his ancestors’ roots trace to Ajmer, Rajasthan. 

Umesh’s father, a farmer, was considered a leader by the people of their native Gajampalli village. Because of this, his family had faced several attacks by the Naxalites. After the Naxalites killed his father, Umesh’s mother pleaded with them to spare her son’s life. He said that this is the reason why he is very vocal against Naxalism.

ABVP’s Presidential candidate, Umesh Chandra Ajmeera said, “My father was a victim of the Naxalite attacks when I was still a child and my mother was forced to abandon her religion. She died within a few days unable to cope with the trauma. I came in contact with ABVP when I joined JNU for higher education. They welcomed me and made me their own.” 

Umesh added, “Moreover, when the JNU Students’ Union election notification arrived, they announced me as their Presidential candidate in their Central Panel. I strive to meet the expectations of ABVP in all the ways possible and am taking forward ABVP’s positive work to every single student of the institution.”

It is pertinent to note that ABVP has been working to ensure justice for the victims of Naxal violence. They want to bring their fight to the forefront by nominating Umesh Chandra Ajmeera, a victim of Naxal violence, as their Presidential candidate for the JNUSU elections.

Dangerous to overlook his glorification of EVR: Carnatic musicians Ranjani and Gayatri withdraw from Music Academy Conference under TM Krishna’s presidency

Renowned Indian classical musicians Ranjani and Gayatri have announced their decision to withdraw from the Music Academy’s Conference 2024 and said that their participation in this year’s conference under TM Krishna’s presidency would constitute a “moral violation.”

They accused Krishna of causing “immense damage” to the Carnatic music world.

Taking to social media platform X, Ranjani and Gayatri said, “We have communicated our decision to withdraw from participating in the Music Academy’s conference 2024 & from presenting our concert on 25 Dec. We made this decision as the conference would be presided over by TM Krishna.”

“He has caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world, wilfully and happily stomped over the sentiments of this community and insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi,” they added.

The musicians further alleged that Krishna’s actions have “tried to spread a sense of shame in being a carnatic musician” and has been exhibited through his “consistent denigration of spirituality in music.”

They also accused him of vilifying the Carnatic music fraternity that has collectively contributed millions of hours of artistry, hard work and literature.

“It’s dangerous to overlook Mr TM Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR who 1. Openly proposed a genocide of ‘brahmins’ 2. Repeatedly called/abused every woman of this community with vile profanity 3. Relentlessly worked to normalize filthy language in social discourse,” they posted on X.

“We believe in a value system that respects art and artists, vaggeyakaras, rasikas, institutions, our roots and culture. We will be in moral violation if we were to bury these values and join this year’s conference,” the musicians 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)

“Niyat Sahi to Kam Sahi”: PM Modi says the next 5 years will be of unprecedented transformation and prosperity at News18 Rising Bharat Summit

On Wednesday (20th March), Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the News18 Rising Bharat Summit where he asserted that the next five years will be of unprecedented transformation, expansion, and prosperity adding that it is a ‘Modi ki guarantee’. 

Referring to the Balakot airstrike and its secrecy, PM Modi recalled how, five years ago, he attended the News18 summit with a calm temperament because of his prior commitment despite being mentally engaged in major planning (to hit terrorists’ safe haven). He added that the world only came to know about what he was planning, a day later when it became a major headline. 

He urged the media persons to analyse the same noting that the date was 26th February 2019, adding that “ek wo din tha, ek aaj ka din hai”. 

For those unversed, it was the night when the Indian Air Force conducted an Airstrike in Pakistan in retaliation for the Pulwama terrorist attack.  

PM Modi said, “From terror-sponsoring nations to nations seeking development and peace, every nation has experienced Rising Bharat. Naya Bharat doesn’t tolerate the wounds of terrorism rather it teaches a tough lesson to those who inflict terrorism against Indians. Those who unleashed terrorism against India, the nation, and the world are witnessing what their current status is”.

A secure nation is the foundation stone of a developed nation, this is India’s identity, and this is Rising Bharat, PM Modi added.  

Regarding election fervour, PM Modi said that they are making plans for the next 25 years as well as for the next 100 days for the third term of the Modi government. 

He added, “While our opponents are also scripting new records. Today they have abused me for the 104th time, I have been called ‘Aurangzeb’ and an announcement has been made to shoot Modi in his head.” 

Today, the world maintains that the 21st century is of India. Major rating agencies and economists are assured of a Rising Bharat, with no ifs or buts. The world has witnessed how major changes have been brought about in the last ten years. 

The system, and work culture that took shape after the Independence have undergone a transformation which wasn’t easy but we Indians have demonstrated it. A different confidence level is reflected in every Indian. Now, we are talking about Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Prime Minister said.

In just ten years, over 25 crore Indians have been uplifted from poverty, India jumped from 11th rank to become the 5th largest economy in the world, India’s Forex Reserve has risen over $700 billion and India’s exports have crossed over $700 billion. These achievements didn’t happen on their own, PM Modi asserted while highlighting major achievements of the Modi government. He added that we have to achieve far greater and much more. 

During his address, PM Modi laid special emphasis on the intention of working for the development of the country with a ‘Nation First’ approach stating that, “Niyat Sahi to Kam Sahi.”  

He stressed that the rampant corruption under the previous government had badly affected India’s reputation. He added that the UPA govt resorted to lies to defend its scams while the Modi government is taking firm action to curb corruption. He added that the corrupt people are now propagating falsehoods and are running in defensive mode. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that earlier people used to question why the CBI and the ED did not act against powerful people. He stressed that the tables have turned as those powerful and corrupt people are now asking why the agencies are acting against them. This change has been brought in ten years, PM Modi said, “Niyat sahi to kam sahi.”

Strong thrust on anti-corruption drive, commits to continue action against corrupt

PM Modi emphasised that it is his commitment to take firm action against Corruption. Contrasting the UPA and NDA governments, PM Modi stated that earlier government offices had become power centre rather than working as service centre. Today, the government makes its most procurements through the GEM portal and online tenders, the Prime Minister added. 

PM Modi continued to highlight the Modi government’s tough stance against corruption stating that the Centre is “dealing with corrupt people with technology. Today, hiding the money trail is getting more difficult. That is why cash is being recovered from houses of TMC and Congress leaders and this is the reason they are so frustrated.”

He highlighted how they stopped the leakage in government welfare schemes through the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, and Mobile) trinity. We have transferred Rs 34 lakh crores to the bank accounts of beneficiaries. If it had been the previous system where 85 cents (out of Re 1) got leaked, around Rs 27-28 lakh crores would have never reached the common beneficiaries, PM Modi pointed out. 

He further stated that they have removed 10 crore fake beneficiaries who were never even born adding that those who earlier used to benefit from it and are now deprived of it, wo kya Modi ki jai karenge kya? (will they hail PM Modi).  

PM Modi added that they have weeded out 4 crore fake ration cards and launched the One Nation One Ration Card to benefit the poor.

Jisko kisi ne nahi pucha, usko Modi ne Puja: PM Modi at the Summit

In an indifferent swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for posing with the poor, PM Modi said, “I have lived through the hardships of the common people, neither I have to read about it through books nor I have to take out a camera and shoot it to understand it.”

He said that the poor and 80% of the farmers who had less than 2 acres of farmland were left to their own fate. PM Modi said, “Our flagship schemes cater to the poor. Jisko kisine nahi pucha, usko Modi ne puja hai“. (The ones who weren’t cared for by anyone, are the ones who are worshipped by Modi)

PIB Fact Check notified as the authorised fact check unit of the Central Government under IT rules

The Government of India on 20 March notified the Fact Check Unit (FCU) under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as the fact check unit of the Central Government.

In a Gazette notification issued today, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the PIB FCU as the govt’s official fact-check unit under the provisions of the sub-clause (v) of sub-rule (1) of rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. MIB and MeitY have been working closely on the subject to address the challenge of fake news, especially on social media.

The Fact Check Unit under PIB was established in November 2019 with the stated objective of acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation. It also provides people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.

The FCU is mandated to counter misinformation on Government policies, initiatives and schemes either suo motu or under a reference via complaints. The FCU actively monitors, detects, and counters disinformation campaigns, ensuring that false information about the Government is promptly exposed and corrected.

Citizens can reach out to the PIB Fact Check Unit through various modes, including through WhatsApp (+918799711259), email ([email protected]), Twitter (@PIBFactCheck) and PIB’s website. The Fact Check Unit’s WhatsApp Hotline Number is a handy tool for such people where one only has to forward a suspicious message, a statement issued by the ministry said.

‘Fighting against Shakti’: Here are 6 instances when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had denigrated Hinduism

On 17th March, Congress MP from Wayanad constituency, Rahul Gandhi kicked off a political storm by revealing that he is “fighting against Shakti” while himself admitting that it finds reference in Hinduism. He made the controversial remark while addressing a rally in Shiva Ji Park in Mumbai to mark the culmination of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. Later, when it prompted the BJP to charge him of fanning anti-Hindu sentiments and misogyny, he issued a clarification alleging that PM Modi “twisted” his words. 

While he had invoked Hinduism before making the controversial ‘fighting against Shakti’ remark in his speech, he tried to give ‘Shakti’—the word that means Divine Feminine or revered energy in Hinduism—a non-Hinduism-centric spin in his clarification.

In his clarification, he projected Shakti as unchecked/evil power or lust for power, based on context, as the English translation falls short of capturing the essence of the Hindi word.

Amid a raging criticism against the Congress leader over the Shakti remark, here are at least half a dozen other instances when the Gandhi scion denigrated, lampooned, or attacked Hinduism or played an active part in the furtherance of Hindumisia.  

1. “Shakti is not a real God, Jesus is”: Janeu Dhari Rahul Gandhi patronises Hinduphobic Catholic priest George Ponnaiah

Earlier in September 2022, Rahul Gandhi let away a Catholic pastor George Ponnaiah denigrating the revered Hindu feminine ‘Shakti’ as anything but “real God”, a definition which seemingly influenced the Gandhi scion as reflected in his clarification post on ‘Shakti’ remark.   

Evidently, during this Bharat Jodo Yatra, he met the controversial Catholic pastor Ponnaiah in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. A video went viral in which Rahul Gandhi was seen inquisitively asking him, “Jesus Christ is a form of God? Is that right?” To this, Ponnaiah answered, “He is the real God. God reveals him(self) as a man, a real person…not like Shakti…so we see a human person.”

Video Courtesy – OpIndia YouTube channel

2. ‘Chant Jai Shri Ram and die of hunger

Earlier this month, on 5th March 2024, Rahul Gandhi courted controversy while trying to target the Modi government. 

During his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur, Gandhi said, “Narendra Modi wants people to sit on their phone the entire day and chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. And while you do this, you die of hunger.”

He perpetuated Marxist propaganda that denigrates various facets of Hinduism and regards the Bhakti and chanting of religious slogans as an exercise in futility, falsely drawing an unwarranted comparison between them and basic needs like hunger. The utterance came on the same day when the Congress leader had planned to offer prayers at Mahakaleshwar Temple.

3. Idols (Vigraha) in Mandir are powerless

In September 2023, while attacking the Modi government on the Women’s Reservation Bill, Rahul Gandhi went on to insult Hindus and their faith arguing that Murthis in Mandir are powerless

Demanding a caste census, Rahul Gandhi said that Lok Sabha is called the temple of democracy. Then he went on to say whether any BJP MP take any decision, do they make any law or participate in making a law? 

He continued, “Not at all. Neither Congress MP, BJP MP, nor any other MP. MPs have been turned into murtis in temples. OBC MPs have been filled like murtis (in the Parliament) but they don’t have any power. There is no contribution in (sic) running the country. This is a question I have raised.”  

Click here to read why his comment “Murthis are powerless” is deeply Hinduphobic. 

4. People who go to temples molest women

In 2014, while speaking about women’s safety, Rahul Gandhi had ranted that people who go to the temple and worship the Goddess, and call women mothers and sisters, but the truth is they are the very people who molest women on a bus.

Video Courtesy – ABP News

5. Crafting an artificial and ingenious Tapasvis vs Pujaris divide

In January 2023, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi went on an unhinged rant against Pooja (Hindu form of worship) while trying to promote himself in an avatar of Tapasvi (ascetic).

Rahul Gandhi made the contentious remarks during the Haryana leg of his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on 8th January. While speaking to the media in Samana near Kurukshetra, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP is a party of ‘Pooja’ while Congress is a party of ‘Tapasya.‘ The Gandhi scion went on a tirade ranting that India is not a country of Pujaris.

During the same press conference, Rahul Gandhi went on to compare his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to Swayamvar of Draupadi. Rahul Gandhi was heard as saying, “When Arjuna was hitting the eye of the fish (during the Swayamvara of Draupadi), did he announce his future course of action to everyone?” 

In fact, the Congress leader has been negatively invoking Hindu scriptures, Hindu deities particularly Mahabharat, and Pandavs at the drop of a hat be it “Pandavas never imposed GST” or uncomprehending theology about Lord Shiv and Lord Vishnu, etc.

6. Emboldened Cow slaughterer Rakul Makkuty in Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Kerala leg

On 26th September 2022, Rahul Gandhi courted yet another controversy after he met the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader, who slaughtered a cow in broad daylight in 2017 to mock Hindu sentiments.

Rijil Chandran Makkutty, the said IYC leader, had posted about the development on his official Facebook page. The meeting took place in Pattambi town in the Palakkad district of Kerala as part of Rahul Gandhi’s ambitious program, ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’

In 2017, in defiance of the centre’s move to enforce a ban on cow slaughter, Rijil Makkutty, along with his aides, dragged a calf and brutally slaughtered it. The cow is considered a sacred animal by Hindus and the act of publically slaughtering a calf was meant to send a strong signal to Hindus and a pro-Hindu government at the centre.

However, Rahul Gandhi was then forced to undo the damage. “What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric& completely unacceptable to me & the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident,” he had tweeted.

Later, Rijil was purportedly ‘suspended’ but it seemed more of an eyewash as Makkutty continued to remain involved in party activities. The fact that Rahul had allowed Makkutty to continue to work for the Kerala State Congress unit asserted that he had no compunction in associating himself with someone who had wantonly hurt the Hindu sentiments by butchering a calf. The pictures of Rijil along with Rahul and Priyanka, in the runup to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, are a testimony to it.

Meanwhile, on several instances, the Congress leader had lost his cool over the utterance of Jai Shri Ram slogans prompting him to write off that there was and is a palpable cultural wave of Ram Bhakti. The Congress leader had argued that there was no Ram leher

In the fear psychosis of the word ‘wave/leher’ because of getting politically routed in 2014 and 2019, Rahul Gandhi replied, “There is no such thing that there is a wave (leher)”, to a query about Congress’ plan on Ram leher. 

Apart from these half-a-dozen instances, there are a plethora of occurrences when he gave or shared the platform with rabid Hinduphobes including with those who were actively part of the ‘Dismantling Hindutva’ event. 

Further, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi seems to have an uncanny ability to connect every ill of the society to the Hindu community and shield every ill of other communities. 

PM Narendra Modi wishes speedy recovery to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev after emergency brain surgery in Delhi

0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who underwent emergency brain surgery and wished him good health and a speedy recovery.

“Spoke to @SadhguruJV Ji and wished him good health and a speedy recovery,” the PM said in a post on X.

Earlier today, Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation announced that the 66-year-old leader has “recently undergone a life-threatening medical situation” and added that “he is currently recovering well”.

The surgery was carried out on March 17 at the Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

In a video posted by the Isha Foundation, Dr Vinit Suri, a senior consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospital who examined Sadhguru, said that the spiritual leader had been suffering from severe headaches for the last four weeks.

“Despite the severity of the pain, he continued with his normal daily schedule and social activities and even conducted the Maha Shivaratri function on March 8. He ignored all the pain and continued with all meetings,” Dr Suri said.

However, Sadhguru’s headache worsened on March 15 when he consulted Dr Suri over the phone. “We knew immediately that there was something sinister happening the way the pain was worsened,” the senior consultant neurologist said.

“He called me around 4 pm and I insisted him to get an urgent MRI done. But he wanted to attend a meeting he had scheduled at 6 pm. Somehow we managed to persuade him to get the MRI done and it showed that massive bleeding in the brain. There was evidence of a chronic bleed of three to four weeks duration as well as fresh bleeding that had occurred within a duration of 24 to 48 hours,” Dr Suri said.

However, on March 17, the 66-year-old spiritual leader developed a decline in his level of consciousness with drowsiness and weakness in the left leg. He was then rushed to the medical facility.

The surgery was performed successfully and Sadhguru is now off the ventilator, the doctor said.

“Sadhguru is recovering very well, and the team of doctors who performed the surgery say his condition is improving beyond expectations,” the Isha Foundation said.


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

RBI asks all agency banks dealing with govt transactions to remain open on 31 March Sunday on the union govt’s request

The Reserve Bank of India on 20 March advised all banks dealing with government transactions to open their branches on 31st March, Sunday. The central bank issued the advisory to the agency banks at the request of the union government.

The Government of India requested all agency banks to keep their branches dealing with government receipts and payments open for transactions on March 31that is Sunday, in a move aimed at facilitating seamless government transactions. According to Reserve bank of India, this decision comes with the objective of ensuring that all government transactions related to receipts and payments for the fiscal year 2023-24 are accounted for within the financial year itself.

A notification issued by RBI said, “The Government of India has made a request to keep all branches of the banks dealing with Government receipts and payments open for transactions on March 31, 2024 (Sunday) so as to account for all the Government transactions relating to receipts and payments in the FY 2023-24 itself. Accordingly, Agency Banks are advised to keep all their branches dealing with government business open on March 31, 2024 (Sunday).”

This measure aims to streamline the processing of government transactions and maintain the efficiency of financial operations as the fiscal year draws to a close.

Furthermore, RBI also instructed the banks to undertake appropriate measures to publicise the availability of banking services on 31st March, ensuring that the public is informed about the opportunity to conduct government banking transactions on Sunday.

The decision underscores the government’s commitment to facilitating smooth financial transactions and adhering to regulatory timelines. By keeping agency banks open on Sunday, the government aims to facilitate the timely processing of government receipts and payments within this financial year, contributing to the efficient management of public finances.

What are Agency Banks

Notably, Agency banks are those banks which are authorised to conduct government transactions. Therefore, not all banks will remain open on 31 March, and only the agency banks are required to do so. There are 12 public sector banks and 13 scheduled private sector banks and one foreign bank designated as agency banks.

The public sector agency banks are Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, and Union Bank of India.

The private sector agency banks are Axis Bank Ltd., City Union Bank Ltd., DCB Bank Ltd, Federal Bank Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., IDBI Bank Ltd., IDFC FIRST Bank Ltd, IndusInd Bank Ltd, Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd., Karnataka Bank Ltd., Karur Vysya Bank Ltd., Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., RBL Bank Ltd, South Indian Bank Ltd., Yes Bank Ltd., Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd., Bandhan Bank Ltd., CSB Bank Ltd. and Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd..

DBS Bank India Limited is the only Foreign Agency Bank.

Hindu kids murdered in Badaun had participated in Luv-Kush play in their school, their teacher likens Sajid and Javed to ‘mad dogs’ that deserve to be hanged

The UP district of Badaun on Tuesday was in the throes of tensions after two Hindu children were brutally hacked to death by Sajid. A third child also suffered severe injuries on the neck and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Sajid, who was gunned down in an encounter with the police later, was accompanied by his brother Javed.

Hours after the horrifying incident, OpIndia spoke to the locals, including a man who was a teacher to the deceased and lived in the vicinity of the place where the murder took place.

Mr Dineshkumar Sharma, a teacher by profession, spoke to us about the two deceased children, how they fared in academics and extracurriculars, and the unfortunate fate that befell them on Tuesday, March 19.

“For over 5 years I have been teaching in our school. They were brilliant academically. They also participated in extracurricular activities. Recently, they had participated in the Luv-Kush play at our school,” Mr Sharma recounted. 

Ayush during Luv-Kush play in school

By all accounts, the children had a bright future ahead of them if it were not for the savagery of Sajid and Javed, who operated a salon a stone’s throw away from the victim’s home. A local asserted that the two children were killed through a well-thought-out conspiracy, citing the sharp-edged weapon Sajid had brought with him.

At around 7 PM on Tuesday, Sajid arrived outside their house on a bike with his brother Javed, the FIR in the case reveals. After that, Sajid went inside their house and requested a loan of Rs 5,000 from the mother of the deceased children. With acquaintance between Sajid, Javed, and the mother of the children long established, she agreed to lend them the amount and went inside to get the cash. Meanwhile, Sajid sent the third son, Piyush Pratap, outside to fetch gutka.

After a while, Sajid told Sangita that he was not feeling well and wanted to go to the terrace to breathe fresh air. Sajid called Javed inside and took his sons with him to the rooftop. The FIR mentions that when Sangita, the victims’ mother, came with the money, she saw Sajid and Javed coming down the stairs with a blood-stained knife in Sajid’s hand.

Describing last evening’s incident, Mr Sharma says he learned about the spine-chilling murders of the two children while returning from the neighbourhood temple after concluding the aarti.

“I heard wails of people while returning from the temple along with my children. When I came here, I learned what had happened. Nobody in the locality could imagine such an incident would take place here,” he said.

On being asked if he knew about the motivation for the murders, Mr Sharma said, no one knows why these two men killed the children with such brutality. “There was no animosity between them. The children’s mother was willing to loan an amount to them, and yet they killed them. This a Hindu-majority area, there was no issue at all. Everyone is shocked about the incident,” he added.

“These people are not worth trusting. They cannot be relied upon. A family trusted them and they ended up killing two of their children. They paid the price for trusting beyond reason,” said Mr Sharma, calling the perpetrators “demons” who deserve to be killed. 

Soon after killing the children, Sajid and Javed took advantage of the ensuing commotion and escaped from the place. He was, however, pursued by the police and subsequently neutralised after he fired at the law enforcement officials. Javed, on the other hand, is still on the run. As per case details, after being shot at by the police, Sajid said, “Aye Khuda aaj bacha le (Oh Khuda [Allah], save me today)”, and then fell to the ground.

Police recovered one country-made 315-bore pistol, 4 spent cartridges of 315 bore and 4 live cartridges of 315 bore during an encounter on the 19th of March. Moreover, another accused has been arrested under Section 307 IPC and the 3/25/27 Arms Act.

“It is good that one of them was killed in an encounter. That’s how you treat such people. These devils who are against society, are like mad dogs, and just like people kill mad dogs, these people should be tied upside down and killed,” Mr Sharma said.