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Love Jihad in Mathura: Rashid pretends to be Aman to lure Hindu girl into a physical relationship, leaves after impregnating her

OpIndia Staff
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Love Jihad in Mathura: Rashid pretends to be Aman to lure Hindu girl into a physical relationship, leaves after impregnating her

In a ‘Love Jihad’ case from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, a Muslim boy named Rashid is accused of hiding his true identity to deceive a Hindu girl. It is alleged that he falsely impersonated himself as a Hindu boy named Aman to initiate a physical relationship with a Hindu girl. According to reports, the accused Rashid gave her false promises of marriage to gain her trust. By repeatedly misleading her, he had physical relations with her on multiple occasions. However, after impregnating her, he abandoned her and fled.

The incident pertains to the Govardhan area of Mathura where a Hindu girl, a resident of Dausa, Rajasthan used to work in the Indira Rasoi. Rashid is also a resident of Govardhan. According to the victim, Rashid used to work there but he was using the deceitful identity of a Hindu boy named Aman. Over time, the victim fell into his trap as he had lured her promising to marry her. 

The girl stated that on the pretext of marriage, the accused Rashid had physical relations with her on multiple occasions. In the meantime, he also got her pregnant. However, as the girl started pressing him to tie a marital knot, his real intentions got exposed. He not only refused to marry her, the girl came to know about his true identity.   

After getting her impregnated, the accused Rashid fled. When the victim started inquiring about him, she came to know that the man’s true name was Rashid, not Aman. 

Subsequently, she got in touch with Hindu organisations in the area who went ahead with her to file a complaint at the Govardhan police station.

Additionally, members of the Hindu organisations also caught his brother and handed him over to the police. However, the accused is still absconding and the police are searching for him. Inspector Vinod Babu Mishra, in charge of Govardhan police station, said that this matter is being investigated and action is being taken.

Recently, a similar case of Love Jihad came to light from Uttar Pradesh’s Agra where a Muslim boy named Dilshan is accused of befriending a minor Hindu girl by introducing himself as Deepak Kumar. He also developed physical relations with the minor Hindu girl. According to reports, to look Hindu, Dilshan used to tie Kalava on his hand and also apply sandalwood on his forehead. After some time, when the girl learned the truth, she started protesting. However, he started threatening her and continued harassing the minor victim. After repeated harassment, the girl filed a complaint at Trans Yamuna police station.

The accused Dilshan continued to abuse her for almost four years physically. He also made an obscene video of the girl. Meanwhile, the girl’s family fixed her marriage at some other place. She told him about the same and started pressing him to tie a marital knot. He then manipulated her to steal money from her house and run away with him. Dilshan has been arrested in this case.

“You are stuck on 2029 but I am planning for 2047”: PM Modi highlights Namo Drone Didi, Ayushman Arogya Mandir and more, lists out roadmap for next 5 years at India Today Conclave

Paurush Gupta
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“You are stuck on 2029 but I am planning for 2047”: PM Modi highlights Namo Drone Didi, Ayushman Arogya Mandir and more, lists out roadmap for next 5 years at India Today Conclave

Hours after the Election Commission of India announced the Poll schedule for Lok Sabha 2024, the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a address at the India Today Conclave. While highlighting PM Modi’s southern outreach, India Today’s Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie asked PM Modi whether he was preparing for the Lok Sabha 2029 elections through his aggressive campaigning in Southern states where media projects grim poll prospects for the BJP. 

Responding to the query, PM Modi asked him to employ the entire Aaj Tak team to decipher who is Modi. Replying to Purie’s Lok Sabha 2029 election pitch, PM Modi said, “You are stuck at only 2029, I am working for 2047.”

“While the world is stuck in uncertainty, the only certainty is that India will keep progressing at a fast speed. Today, the Mood of the nation speaks of making the country the third-largest economy in the World. Today, the Mood of the nation speaks of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” PM Modi asserted in his address.  

All of you desire to get headlines, but I work with deadlines, PM Modi noted. 

Comparing the lackadaisical approach of opposition parties to Startups, PM Modi stated, “Ten years back, there were very few startups, today more than 1.25 lakh startups have registered. These startups are spread in more than 600 districts with youth from Tier-II and tier-III leading the startups. A political outfit that never talked about startups is now forced to speak about Startups.” 

“Earlier, the youth had to give a guarantee at every nook and cranny but Mudra Yojana gave loan guarantees to those who had nothing to give as a guarantee (mortgage). This is a major revolution. Rs 26 lakh crore bank loans have been granted to these small loan applicants”, PM informed the gathering.  

PM Modi said that over the years, in my lifetime, I have seen Ameero ki gareebi and Gareebo ki Ameeri. (Rich man’s poor outlook and poor man’s large-hearted gestures). It was my belief to give loans to street vendors without guarantee. Recently, thousands of small street vendors had gathered for an event in Delhi which was largely blackened out from media coverage. Their efforts are praise-worthy as they not only adopted it but they also became the face of India’s digital revolution. 

PM Modi continued, “Whether you want to call it a misuse of your platform, I will highlight the Namo Drone Didi Yojana. Recently, I handed over 1000 drones to women who are earning their living by selling pickles, papad etc.” 

Taking a jibe at media persons, PM Modi said that these drones are not those which you show on Television for coverage of the war, these drones are “fortune makers for these women”. He added that women who may have not ridden a bicycle are now being known as ‘Drone Pilot’. 

PM Modi explained that he could have given drones to young boys, but he wanted to break the mindset that get amazed when they see a female driving tractor. 

Recalling the work he did as Gujarat CM, PM Modi stated that under his leadership Gujarat government gave uniforms to ASHA workers that were even better than those of air hostesses. The situation improved and villagers started thinking that these ASHA workers meant the government. I launched the Namo drone Didi with the same psyche, PM Modi added. 

“You must have heard about the Health care scheme, Ayushman Yojana, now if you go to villages you will see ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’. Our efforts have been to ensure that in each village and block, we have modern healthcare facilities. For the same, we have built over 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandir. Some people will stuck and complain Why Mandir? but it is their problem, not mine. These work are being done regularly but it didn’t get media coverage,” PM Modi continued in his first address post the announcement of election dates.  

PM Modi told the gathering that the government is providing e-telemedicine facilities to villages which is also another manifestation of the digital revolution, apart from UPI. Around 24 crore citizens have taken consultations through E-Sanjeevni. 

PM Modi further stated that his government undertook the development of 100 districts that had been left as laggards as aspirational districts adding that now the government is working in the same spirit at the block level. 

Highlighting his government’s priority to North East, PM Modi said, “North East was given the least priority in the past governments but we prioritised the region. We decided that a minister or a senior official must visit the region every 15 days, visit interior places and spend the night there. Union ministers have visited the North East 680 times after 2014, and I have visited the North East more times than all the previous Prime Ministers combined.” 

Similarly, PM Modi highlighted how the Union government tried to change the mindset of the system by changing the terminology — how the last village was started to be known as the first village. PM Modi emphasised that Ministers of the Modi government visited remote and scarcely populated villages not for elections but to take development to far-flung areas, to reach the last men in the line.  

Taking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said that he means to target Industry 4.0 through Skill development while some are still occupied in fixing tires adding that the time to take screwdriver for them has long passed.

PM Modi also touched on his vision of One Earth, one health which encompasses all, environment and animals alike adding how schemes were enrolled taking them at center be it food and mouth disease or their vaccination. 

“We are building 2 lakh storage godowns under the World’s largest storage scheme. The media’s interest revolves around showing grain wastage in rain which is not wrong at all but what should be its solution. With these godowns, farmers will not be forced to sell their produce, they can sell at the times of their choosing”, PM Modi said. 

He stated that the influential persons used every means at their disposal to get things done while the ordinary men were plundered in their hassle. These ordinary men whom many recognise from RK Laxman’s cartoon, I have lived with them, PM Modi added,  They never understood the ‘Ease of living’ and hardship of the common man. 

Earlier, the average days to get a Passport was around 50 days that too required to make phone calls at right quarters now it has come down to just an average of 5 days. There were just 77 Passport Seva Kendra now there are around 525, PM Modi highlighted how his government worked for the Ease of living of common man. 

Similarly, IT return was around 93 days now it is less than 10 days, toll plaza waiting time which was at around an average of 12 minutes, has now come down to around 30-40 seconds. 

The penal code was done away with. They were framed by the British mindset and it had punishment at its heart rather than Nyay at its core. I had to come for them to depart, PM Modi added. 

Highlighting the sharp reduction in compliances, PM Modi said, “Our government has repealed over 1,500 laws in the last ten years. The government should not interfere in every activity of citizens, if my mission of 2047 is fulfilled I will bring government out of everyone’s life. The government should be absent in every everyday activity of citizens, they should be free to live their life and fulfill their dreams. For ease of living, I have done away with over 40,000 compliances.”

Earlier, there was a tax on salaried persons whose income was around Rs 2 lakh which has now been increased to Rs 7 lakh slab. This has saved around Rs 2.5 lakh crores of taxpayers’ money. Similarly, the government has extended Rs 4.5 lakh crore discount to its citizens in railway tickets. Rs 30,000 crores have been saved from the Jan Ausdi Kendra, and over Rs 1,000 have been saved on internet data as per GB data cost has come down from Rs 250 per GB to Rs 10 GB data. 

PM Modi emphasised how over 1 crore citizens have applied for PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana which will give Rs 78,000 for citizens under this Solar scheme and 300 units of free electricity. 

“I have come to inscribe a line on stone, not on butter. Earlier, governments had ruined the fortunes of PSUs be it BSNL, MTNL, or HAL, and many have spread fake news and falsehoods about LIC. Now, HAL has the largest helicopter manufacturing facility in the world. Today PSUs net profit has nearly doubled to Rs 2.5 lakh crores from 1.25. In ten years, PSUs net worth has increased from 9.5 crores to 17 lakh crores,” PM Modi said while lashing out at the opposition for carrying falsehoods about PSUs. 

“To curb corruption, probing agencies are independent in taking action, Till 2014, around 1800 cases were registered under PMLA, in 4,700 cases have been registered in the last ten years. Till 2014, Rs 5,000 crore worth of property was attached, while over 1 lakh crore worth of property was attached in the last ten years. ED’s action on several bureaucrats unearthed mountains piles of cash which attracted the nation’s gaze, ” PM Modi noted that when agencies are given free hand, a lot of action gets done to curb corruption. 

He added, “If action is to be undertaken at such fast speed, it is but natural for several people to get indigestion. Hence, they carry out a campaign to abuse Modi. In a reference to the television channel’s popular sketch, PM Modi said that the nation is saying, “So Sorry”, to these people as their ‘Niti niyat, nishta’ is under question”. 

Towards the conclusion of his address, PM Modi talked about upcoming polls. He said, “This is election time, and our opposition friends are busy weaving paper dreams but Modi works beyond dreams, with resolutions. I can say with absolute certainty, upcoming five years will make India the third largest economy, upcoming years will be of a stable, progressing, strengthened India in a world full of uncertainty.”

He concluded by highlighting the roadmap for the next five years. He assured, “The upcoming five years will be of Infrastructure push, revamp in railways, Bullet train, expansion of vande Bharat trains, an unprecedented development in motorways, defense exports scripting new records, a new flight of space sector, Gaganyaan, new sectors coming on the horizon for Indian youths, solar power reaching every household, record rise in EV manufacturing, semiconductor mission, and hydrogen mission getting shape and several strategic decisions. I already started working to fulfill all these Sankalps, because it is a progressive unfoldment, I will come again to the India Today conclave to talk again on these Sankalp”. As the crowd busts into ‘Fir ek bar, ayega to Modi’, this is Mood of the Nation, PM Modi points out with a smile.     

Delhi HC refuses permission to offer prayers at the demolished Akhunji Mosque site in Mehrauli during Ramzan

ANI
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Delhi HC refuses permission to offer prayers at the demolished Akhunji Mosque site in Mehrauli during Ramzan

The Delhi High Court recently refused to grant permission to offer prayers at the site of the demolished 600-year-old Akhunji Mosque in Mehrauli during Ramzan.

The mosque and Madarsa were demolished by DDA on January 30.

Justice Sachin Datta on March 11 dismissed the plea seeking a right to offer prayers. The application was moved by the Muntazmia Committee Madarsa Behrul Ulum and Kabristan.

While rejecting the plea, the bench noted that a plea seeking permission to offer prayer on Shab E Barat at the site of Akhunji Mosque in Mehrauli was rejected by the High Court on February 23.

“The reasoning given in the aforesaid order dated February 23, 2024, squarely applies in the context of the present application as well. In the circumstances, there is no justification for this Court to take a different view. As such, this Court is not inclined to grant the relief/s sought in the present application and the same is consequently dismissed,” the High Court said in the order of March 11.

The said 600-year-old Mosque was demolished by the DDA on January 30 and the site is in the possession of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

At this stage, this court under the facts and circumstances of the case is not inclined to pass any direction. Accordingly, the plea is dismissed, the High Court said on February 23.

During the hearing, it was submitted that the mosque was built during the Delhi Sultanate Period 600-700 years ago.

Advocate Shams Khwaja appeared for the applicant seeking permission to offer prayers.

The Delhi High Court on February 5, directed a status quo on the site after the action by the DDA.

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

Aaj no curfew-no danga, UP mein sab changa: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on improved law and order situation in the state

ANI
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Aaj no curfew-no danga, UP mein sab changa: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on improved law and order situation in the state

Drawing a stark comparison between the previous governments and the present government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized on Saturday that Uttar Pradesh witnessed curfews and riots before 2017.

However, he declared, “Aaj no curfew-no danga, UP mein sab changa” (Today there is no curfew, no riot here, because everything is fine in UP).

Addressing a public meeting at Mahatma Gandhi Stadium (Physical Ground) in Rampur, the CM said, “All festivals are being celebrated peacefully. Whether it’s Guru Purab, Holi, Eid, Diwali, or Christmas, all are celebrated joyously. Everyone has the freedom to celebrate festivals in their own way. There is security and prosperity here. Today, no one can endanger the security of daughters and businessmen. If anyone tries, he will face consequences.”

He further emphasized that the government is committed to providing security and facilities.

“The government is fulfilling its responsibilities. With such governance, the country is witnessing unprecedented development,” he asserted.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 84 development projects worth Rs 610 crore in Rampur. A short film showcasing the development works in Rampur was screened during the event. The CM also honoured the beneficiaries of various schemes.

The Chief Minister highlighted that previously, farmers lacked access to electricity. However, this year, Rs 2600 crore has been allocated in the budget for free tube well irrigation, ensuring better agricultural practices.

“The government is diligently working towards ensuring timely payment of sugarcane prices to our ‘Annadata’ farmers and providing them with higher prices for their produce. Additionally, efforts are underway to create employment opportunities for the youth,” the Chief Minister said.

“On February 19, with the blessings of the Prime Minister, investment proposals of Rs. 10.5 lakh crore have been implemented in the state, which will provide employment to 35 lakh youth. The youth, who previously sought jobs in other parts of the country and abroad, are now finding employment opportunities within the state,” he added.

The Chief Minister highlighted the positive outcomes of the collective efforts of public representatives, stating that Rampur is now forging a new identity of development. He reassured the public, saying, “Don’t worry, we are committed to both development and preserving our heritage. Please continue to bless us. Every effort will be made to foster development here.”

He mentioned that with the advent of prosperity, occurrences of activities such as pickpocketing and thefts will decrease.

“We will ensure employment opportunities for everyone. The melodious strains of violins will once again fill the air in Rampur. The Rampur Gharana will regain its prominence as a distinguished musical institution,” he said.

CM said that we have constructed the Circuit House, which will be named after Saint Shiromani Ravidas Ji. Furthermore, the CM affirmed that in today’s India, whether it’s education, healthcare, employment opportunities, or the safety of daughters and businessmen, all are ensured.

“PM Modi has tirelessly worked for 10 years with the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ To achieve a developed India, we need a developed Uttar Pradesh, and for a developed UP, we need a developed Rampur. Projects such as the construction of a ring road, an airport, the rehabilitation of a sugar mill, the development of roads, polytechnics, IITs, and malls are all underway to contribute to the development of Rampur,” he said.

The CM said that the foundation stone of a new university has been laid today for Mirzapur and this division.

He criticized the previous government for hindering university construction, stating, “Earlier, universities were not allowed to be built. People attempted to grab land and claim it as their own. Today, no one can unlawfully take land from the poor. If we need land, we negotiate and provide four times the compensation; we do not grab land by force.”

He urged the public to vote in support of Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi.

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

Pakistan: 2 officers among 7 soldiers killed in an attack by unnamed gunmen on army post in North Waziristan, 6 terrorists neutralised 

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: 2 officers among 7 soldiers killed in an attack by unnamed gunmen on army post in North Waziristan, 6 terrorists neutralised 

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, a terrorist attack on a security forces post in North Waziristan province resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers, including two officers. The subsequent clearance operation also resulted in the elimination of six terrorists. The media affairs branch of the military claimed that early on 16th March six terrorists attacked a security force position in the Mir Ali neighbourhood of the North Waziristan district.

ISPR mentioned, “As own troops foiled the initial attempt of intrusion, the terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the post, followed by multiple suicide bombing attacks, which led to the collapse of a portion of a building, resulting into shahadat (martyrdom) of five brave sons of the soil.” The military didn’t name the insurgent group responsible for the attack.

It added, “During the conduct of the ensuing clearance operation, own troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Kashif, effectively engaged and killed all six terrorists. However, during the intense exchange of fire, leading his troops from the front, Lieutenant Colonel Syed Kashif Ali (age:39 years, resident of Karachi) and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar (age:23 years, resident of District Talagang), having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat.”

As per the media wing of the military, the purpose of the sanitization operation is to eradicate any potential terrorists from the area, “as security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.” The residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan’s Waziristan, a district bordering Afghanistan conveyed that an explosion during the attack rattled doors and broke windows.

The volatile Dera Ismail Khan province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) witnessed a fierce assault in early February that resulted in the death of at least 10 policemen, including members of an elite group. Officials reported that scores of terrorists used sniper rifles to attack the Chaudhwan police station, which is situated in the Daraban tehsil of the district. Reuters stated that the attack began at about three in the morning.

“More than 30 terrorists launched the attack from three directions. There was an exchange of fire for over two-and-a-half hours,” KP provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat Gandapur told AFP. Later, the assailants broke into the building and opened fire with hand grenades and automatic firearms, killing ten police officers and injuring at least six more. The station house officer (SHO) of the Chaudhwan police station, however, remained uninjured.

Attacks have increased recently, according to Pakistani government and security sources. Many of the incidents have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and originated in Afghanistan. This has strained ties between Pakistan and the Taliban, who control Afghanistan but deny allowing extremists to use their country.

Pakistan experienced 1,524 violence-related deaths and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror incidents and counter-terror operations in 2023, a record six-year high, according to an annual security report published by the Centre for Research and Security Studies. The two provinces that accounted for the majority of the violence, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, accounted for nearly 90% of all deaths and 84% of attacks, including acts of terrorism and security forces operations.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to be held after Lok Sabha polls 2024: CEC Rajiv Kumar explains why simultaneous polls were not possible

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to be held after Lok Sabha polls 2024: CEC Rajiv Kumar explains why simultaneous polls were not possible

On Saturday (16th March), the Chief Election Commission (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced that the assembly elections for the Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Lok Sabha elections. He pointed out that holding simultaneous elections in Jammu and Kashmir is not viable from a security point of view, as each candidate will have to be provided security as and when elections are held in the Union Territory.    

The Lok Sabha elections for a total of 543 seats will be held in seven phases beginning on 19th April and the results will be announced on 4th June. The polls for 5 Parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir UT will go for voting in five phases. In each phase, voting will be underway only in 1 Lok Sabha constituency and the dates for the same are as follows –

  • Phase 1, 19 April – Udhampur
  • Phase 2, 26 April – Jammu
  • Phase 3, 7 May – Anantnag-Rajouri
  • Phase 4, 13 May – Srinagar
  • Phase 5, 20 May – Baramulla

Regarding the delay in assembly polls, the CEC explained that forces have to be provided to every candidate in the Union Territory, which is not possible at a time when elections are being held across the country.

The CEC added that their clock for holding elections in J&K UT started in December 2023 as holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir was not possible because the Reorganisation Act and the delimitation process were out of sync. 

Kumar said, “The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed in 2019. There was a provision for 107 seats, 24 of which were in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Then the delimitation commission came and there was a change in the seats…. The reorganisation Act and delimitation were not in sync. That happened in December 2023. So our meter started running from December 2023.” 

Notably, the poll body pointed out that while all political parties wanted the assembly elections to be held simultaneously, the administrative machinery stated that it couldn’t be done because of the need to provide adequate security to each candidate.  

The CEC added, “All parties in Jammu and Kashmir said the Assembly election should be held with the parliamentary polls, but the entire administrative machinery said it cannot be done simultaneously. Every Assembly segment would have 10-12 candidates, which would mean more than 1,000 candidates. Every candidate has to be provided with forces. It was not possible at this time.” 

He reiterated that the Election Commission is committed to holding elections in J&K as soon as these elections are over. He assured, “But we stand committed that as soon as these elections are over, we will hold elections there.”

For those unversed, while the threat of terrorism is perennial in the valley, Pakistan along with its proxies, predominantly Jihadis ramps up efforts to malign the democratic setup and paint a horrifying picture of Jammu and Kashmir through bloodshed and chaos.

Salman Khan, sisters Arpita and Alvira were reportedly miffed with Arbaaz and Sshura’s marriage; Arbaaz denies claims

OpIndia Staff
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Salman Khan, sisters Arpita and Alvira were reportedly miffed with Arbaaz and Sshura’s marriage; Arbaaz denies claims

Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s younger brother, Arbaaz Khan, and make-up artist Sshura Khan married in December 2023. Their marriage is in discussion after a gap of three months. Reports suggest that when Arbaaz informed his family about his marriage to Sshura Khan, he was advised to reconsider his decision. Furthermore, it is claimed that both of Arbaaz’s sisters were not fond of Sshura.

According to a report by Zoom TV, Khan’s family was opposed to his marriage with Sshura because of her 8-year-old daughter from her previous marriage. The report suggests that following her separation from her husband, Sshura retained custody of her daughter and refrained from allowing her to meet her father.

In such a situation, when Arpita and Alvira came to know about it, they found it all very strange. They initially did not like Arbaaz’s choice. Salman Khan even asked his brother to think again before marriage. However, Arbaaz had already decided about this.

When Arbaaz Khan remained steadfast in his decision, the marriage ceremony was held at Arpita Khan’s residence. Arbaaz Khan and Sshura Khan followed the Nikah rituals under Islamic customs. Interestingly, during this occasion, the son of the separated couple, Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaaz Khan, was also present.

The report by Zoom TV also mentions that the actor has strongly refuted the speculations surrounding himself and Sshura Khan, labelling them as entirely fake and fabricated. He asserted that none of his family members objected to his marriage with Sshura. Expressing disappointment, he emphasised that the media reports are baseless. Furthermore, he clarified that the sources providing this information have no affiliation with his family.

While Arbaaz Khan has called this news false, his elder brother Salman Khan’s expression on the TV show Bigg Boss is also in discussion. When it came to advising Arbaaz in the finale, at that time, Salman Khan said- “No he does not listen to me, if he would have listened to me…” After this, Salman Khan became silent and everyone started laughing.

Arbaaz Khan and Sshura Khan tied the knot on 24th December 2023, with the presence of all their family members at the wedding ceremony. The 41-year-old Sshura first encountered the 56-year-old actor on the set of ‘Patna Shukla’, a film featuring Raveena Tandon in the lead role, where Sshura worked as a makeup artist. As their interactions progressed, they began dating.

Will be on the road by 6 am on polling days, act as mobile Raj Bhavan for people: West Bengal Governor

ANI
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Will be on the road by 6 am on polling days, act as mobile Raj Bhavan for people: West Bengal Governor

Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said that his priorities are to combat violence and corruption during polling.

Elections in West Bengal will be conducted in seven phases on 42 seats according to the poll schedule announced today by the Election Commission of India for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The elections will be held from April 19 to June 1 with counting of votes to be held on June 4.

Speaking to reporters here before the dates of the election were announced, the Governor said that he intends to be in the field from day one during the elections.

“My two priorities will be to see that violence is ended, corruption is ended during elections, that I will do to the best of my ability. I will be on the road by 6 am before others wake up.”

“I will be acting as part of the Jan Raj Bhavan, as a mobile Raj Bhavan and be available to the people,” Bose said.

Referring to his statement during the violence that took place during the Panchayat polls in the state last year, Bose said, “Political Holi with human blood will not be allowed in Bengal anymore.”

Amid tensions over the Sandeshkhali incident last month, Bose said that the Governor’s job is to see when the elected government takes action within the rule of law. If that is not done, then the governor will intervene.

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

Lok Sabha elections are being held in 543 seats, but the total of seats in all the phases is 544, here is why

OpIndia Staff
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Lok Sabha elections are being held in 543 seats, but the total of seats in all the phases is 544, here is why

The Election Commission of India announced the dates for the general elections today, 16th March. The seven-phase elections will start on 19th April, and the last phase polls will be held on 1st June. The results of the elections will be counted on 4th June. Elections to 543 Lok Sabha constituencies in 37 states and union territories will be held in these seven phases.

However, if one adds the number of seats going to polls in each phase, the total comes out to be 544. It is found both in the slide presented during the press conference, and the detailed schedule published by ECI on its website. The number of seats where polls will be held in each are 102, 89, 94, 96, 49, 57 and 57, totalling 544, which is 1 more than the total number of Lok Sabha seats.

This is not an error, and the reason for this discrepancy is that for one Lok Sabha constituency, the elections are to be held in two phases. That constituency is Outer Manipur in Manipur, where elections will be held on two dates, 19th April and 26th April, first and second phases. Poll for the Inner Manipur constituency will be held in 1st Phase, along with parts of Outer Manipur.

Map of two Lok Sabha constituencies in Manipur

There are two parliamentary constituencies in Manipur, Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur. Inner Manipur largely consists of the Imphal valley at the middle of the state, while the Outer Manipur seat is made up of the surrounding hills, which is geographically much larger.

As per the ECI notification on the election schedule, Heirok, Wangjing Tentha, Khangabok, Wabgai, Kakching, Hiyanglam, Sugnoo, Chandel (ST), Saikul (ST), Kangpokpi, Saitu (ST), Henglep (ST), Churachandpur (ST), Saikot (ST) and Singhat (ST) assembly segments in Outer Manipur will vote on 19 April. For the for remaining assembly segments of Jiribam, Tengnoupal(ST), Phungyar(ST), Ukhrul(ST), Chingai(ST), Karong(ST), Mao(ST), Tadubi(ST), Tamei(ST), Tamenglong(ST), Nungba(ST), Tipaimukh(ST) and Thanlon(ST), the date of election is 26th April.

Map of two Lok Sabha constituencies in Manipur with dates of polls

Going by the map of these two constituencies and their elections dates, it is clear that Elections for Inner Manipur and the adjoining assembly segments of Outer Manipur will take place on 19 April, including Churachandpur, the epicentre of the violence last year. On the next phase, elections will be held in the remaining assembly segments in Outer Manipur, which are sparsely populated areas on the hills along the borders of the states.

As usual suspects rant against electoral bonds, an old video of Arun Jaitley explaining how bonds would clean political financing goes viral

Paurush Gupta
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As usual suspects rant against electoral bonds, an old video of Arun Jaitley explaining how bonds would clean political financing goes viral

Following the disclosure of Electoral Bonds data by the Election Commission, the opposition and its friendly ecosystem went into a frenzy to churn canards and fake news in their perpetual smear campaign against the incumbent Modi government. 

Conspicuously, the usual suspects suffered a massive setback in their original attempt to anyhow implicate Adanis and Ambanis in their conspiracy theories. Allegations of their corrupt nexus with PM Modi fell flat when their names were conspicuously absent from the list of donors who contributed money to political parties through the now-defunct Electoral Bond scheme. 

Notably, spearheaded by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the coterie has been alleging that all policies of the Modi government are to benefit select business persons like Adanis and Ambanis. Despite failing in their planned scheme of things, the ecosystem led by Congress, however, went ahead to display its selective amnesia alleging that the ‘Electoral Bonds scheme is the biggest scam (extortion) in the history of Independent India’.  

Islamist propagandist Rana Ayyub ranted, “Astounding data from the Electoral Bonds to prove the deeply entrenched crony capitalism aided and enabled by Central agencies meant to contain corruption, led by a man who famously said ‘Na khaunga, Na khaane doonga’.”

The Islamo-leftist coterie also alleged that the Modi government used coercion like using probing agencies ED, and CBI to solicit donations from scam-ridden firms. As usual, the coterie, however, applied their own conspiracy theory partially and selectively against their perennial adversary, Modi and the BJP. While they have alleged scams in the donation scheme and coercion by agencies, they granted immunity to opposition-ruled states and opposition parties for being the benefactors of this very scheme. 

Incidentally, Santiago Martin of Future Gaming has come out to be the largest buyer of electoral bonds and has links to opposition parties in the likes of CPIM, DMK, Congress, and TMC. 

Apart from baseless allegations, surmises, and conjectures that the corruption-strained firms donated to the Bhartiya Janata Party and not to the opposition parties, the cabal also retorted to using fake news. Notably, OpIndia had earlier busted how the Congress and DMK supporters were spreading fake news and lies about a ‘Pakistani company’ donating money to the BJP through electoral bonds. Click here, to read the truth.

It is pertinent to note that contrary to the cabal’s calibrated whining and grinning, several regional parties have garnered a substantive, in several cases, a disproportionate amount of donations through the Electoral bonds. For example, TMC which is at the helm only in one state, received Rs 1609 crores surpassing the national political party, Congress (Rs 1,422 crore). 

Amidst the usual rhetorical tirade against the Modi government and canards around the Electoral Bond scheme, old videos of BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley defending and explaining the need for Electoral Bond schemes have surfaced on social media.

Electoral Bond brought to curb black money for electoral funding

The electoral bond scheme was announced by the then finance minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech for 2017-18. He pitched it as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency to political funding.

He had said that there was a need to “cleanse the system of political funding in India”. Subsequently, he also went on to limit the cash donations to Rs 2,000 from one entity and proposed the electoral bond scheme.

Speaking about the electoral bond scheme that he had placed before Parliament, he said, “It envisages total clean money and substantial transparency coming into the system of political funding. A donor can purchase electoral bonds from a specified bank only by a banking instrument. He would have to disclose in his accounts the amount of political bonds that he has purchased.”

One of the viral videos pertains to April 2019 when the late Arun Jaitley, the then finance minister, defended the electoral bond scheme. He asserted that it was aimed at curbing the use of black money for funding elections, which the UPA-II regime sought to achieve through electoral trusts. 

Jaitley had highlighted that both the electoral trusts – proposed by the then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2010 — and electoral bonds brought by the Modi government assured total white money and improved transparency while masking the identity of the link between the donor and the party. Defending the anonymity clause for donors, the BJP stalwart emphasised, “If you ask people to disclose that (identity of a donor) also, then I am afraid the cash system will be back.” 

He also highlighted that Pranab Mukherjee, the Finance Minister under the UPA II era also had made provisions for the anonymity of donors. According to Jaitley, Mukherjee had “masked” the identity by creating a pass-through electoral trust in 2010. A donor could donate to a registered electoral trust which in turn would donate to a political party.

Further, Jaitley also highlighted that people who are finding fault with the scheme were not coming up with any alternative to curb the use of black money in the electoral process.

On 7th January 2018, Arun Jaitley had also issued an official statement explaining the necessity of electoral bonds.

He had said that despite strengthening various institutions in the last seven decades, India had not been able to evolve a transparent political funding system.

(Excerpt from Arun Jaitley’s article titled – ‘Why Electoral Bonds are Necessary, Source – PIB)

He further said, “I do believe that donations made online or through cheques remain an ideal method of donating to political parties. However, these have not become very popular in India since they involve disclosure of donor’s identity.” 

In fact, as part of political funding reforms, Arun Jaitley when he was the Law Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, he had moved a Bill legitimising donations by cheque. However, the bill had a mandatory disclosure clause that the donor had to declare the same to Income-tax and the Election Commission.

Proponents of the anonymity clause have pointed out that in its absence, the donors would be susceptible to retributive and coercive measures by political parties that didn’t receive funding from them or for funding their rival party. 

Return to cash donations would breed corruption: Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Recently, in an interaction with India Today’s Rahul Kanwal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also strongly batted for the Electoral bonds. However, he noted that while he is ready to debate with anyone over the Electoral bond issue, he respects the Supreme Court’s ruling in the matter. He highlighted that the Electoral Bond scheme was brought to end the use of black money in the Electoral process. He also added that return to cash transactions for donations would result in corruption.

“Do you think the large corporate houses never donated to political parties until now? Where’s the data? Because of electoral bonds, those who donated, their names are out. We brought electoral bonds to end black money in politics. What secrecy are these people (opposition) talking about? They took thousands of crores in donations, did corruption to the tune of Rs 12 lakh crores, and are now demanding an explanation from us?” said Shah, hitting out at the allegations of corruption against the central government over electoral bonds.

Shah added, “I want to ask the people of the country. Before bonds were introduced, where did the political parties get money for elections? Was it black money or white money? The money donated through electoral bonds is white. Companies show in their balance sheets that they have donated money for elections. It is accounted for, unlike cash.” 

Explaining the secrecy of the electoral bonds, the Home Minister stressed, “It was kept secret so that donors are assured that no one can harass them for donating to a particular political party. The electoral bonds are reflected on the party’s P&L sheet. It is also reflected in the company’s balance sheet. There is no secrecy about it. It was the earlier cash system where secrecy was needed and caused massive corruption.” 

Conclusion

Contrary to the opposition’s shrill rhetoric, which relies on conjectures, surmises, and half-baked conspiracy theories, the Supreme Court struck down the Electoral Bond scheme citing a ‘lack of transparency.’ However, this does not necessarily imply that the scheme was a scam. In a nuanced debate between the need for secrecy (legally provided sanctity) to protect donors from witch hunts by rival parties following the disclosure of such data and the right of voters to have information about electoral funding for better judgment, the latter prevailed. This has sparked a possible redux of the Kesavananda Bharati judgment and a debate regarding the superiority of one fundamental right over another or Article 14 versus Article 368.

The usual suspects have used every possible permutation and combination to make preposterous allegations against the Modi government. From the Rafale deal to Adani and Ambani jibes, Agniveer, etc., desperately hoping that some of them will stick and deter the public from voting for the BJP. However, with no tangible evidence to pin the Modi government down, the usual suspects and their ecosystem is now grasping at the straws, relying on a combination of sensationalism, fear-mongering, and exaggeration to malign the Modi government. The outrage against electoral bonds is one such sordid attempt at undermining a democratically elected government, and it certainly won’t be last as Modi appears poised to return to power with an even greater majority.

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