Home Blog Page 1360

Rajasthan: VHP disrupts ‘Changai Sabha’, foils bid to convert 350 people to Christianity in Bharatpur

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Rajasthan: VHP disrupts ‘Changai Sabha’, foils bid to convert 350 people to Christianity in Bharatpur

In Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, an alleged attempt to convert hundreds of people to Christianity in a hotel on 11th February has come to the fore. Following a protest from Hindu organisations, some people were taken into custody and interrogated. These organisations alleged that people linked with Christian missionaries gave Rs 500-500 to the women. In addition, these people were offering to deposit Rs 40-50 thousand in the bank accounts of those converting to Christianity.

According to media reports, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer meeting on Sunday at a hotel along the highway in Bharatpur. When Hindu organisations learned about this, they also went to the hotel. Following this, the two sides clashed. Soon after, the police arrived at the scene and apprehended some persons allegedly linked to Christian missionaries and took control of the situation. Subsequently, Hindu organisations filed a complaint with the Atal Dam police station.

According to the Rajasthan Patrika report, the Bharatpur CO has stated that several people are being probed. If found guilty, action will be taken. According to a Rajasthan Tak report, no one has been arrested yet, but 20 persons have been taken into custody. The police have said that all of the details of the matter will be disclosed once the investigation concludes.

According to Dainik Bhaskar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad District President Lakhan Singh stated that when they arrived, a Christian Changai Sabha was in progress. People linked with Christian missionaries were making disparaging comments about Hindu Gods and Goddesses and claiming that Jesus Christ alone offers the solution to all problems. They claimed that embracing Christianity would solve all of their problems.

He stated that when Hindu activists protested this, many present at the meeting attempted to assault him. Lakhan Singh further stated that women received Rs 500 for attending the event. The missionary workers also promised assistance for family issues such as getting their children married etc. Multiple reports have made varying assertions about the number of attendees at the gathering. The media reports say that around 300-500 people attended the Christian missionary’s conversion event.

Supreme Court takes cognisance, agrees to examine the matter of women prisoners getting pregnant in West Bengal jails

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Supreme Court takes cognisance, agrees to examine the matter of women prisoners getting pregnant in West Bengal jails

The Supreme Court on Monday, February 12, agreed to examine the matter of women inmates getting pregnant in correctional homes and jails across the state of West Bengal. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Ahsanuddin Amanullah has asked senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal to look into the matter and submit a report on the same.

The apex court had reportedly taken cognisance of the issue after it was brought up at the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, February 8 by lawyer Tapas Kumar Bhanja, who was appointed amicus curiae in a 2018 suo motu case on overcrowding in jails.

Bhanja had informed the Calcutta High Court about the fretting issue of women inmates getting pregnant while in custody. This prompted the court to express grave concerns about the condition of female inmates in West Bengal jails. An estimated 196 babies have reportedly been delivered in different jails throughout the state, according to the Amicus Curiae.

As a preventive approach to address the problem, the amicus curiae proposed a ban on male staff members entering enclosures housing female inmates.

Additionally, the amicus curiae offered other recommendations that were detailed in a note dated January 25 to enhance the circumstances and guarantee the well-being of prisoners housed in correctional facilities.

The amicus also recommended that all District Judges, who chair the Board of Visitors, be permitted to tour the correctional facilities under their respective purview to ascertain the number of women inmates who have gotten pregnant during their stay in correctional homes.

Additionally, to prevent sexual exploitation of women inmates, the Chief Judicial Magistrates of each district may be instructed to require all women convicts to undergo pregnancy tests before being sent to correctional facilities. To this end, all West Bengali police stations ought to conduct pregnancy testing.

The Calcutta High Court division bench, presided over by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya, took a serious view of the case and ordered a hearing before a division bench that specialised in criminal cases.

Influx of Bangladeshis, demographic change and business of settling illegal immigrants in India: Bengali author reveals how Sandeshkhali violence is just the tip of the iceberg

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Influx of Bangladeshis, demographic change and business of settling illegal immigrants in India: Bengali author reveals how Sandeshkhali violence is just the tip of the iceberg

Amid the ongoing chaos and tension in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Bengali author Diptasya Jash on Sunday (11th February) revealed how the area had become the hotbed of illegal migration, smuggling and demographic change.

In a series of videos uploaded on X (formerly Twitter), Jash was heard saying, “These are the remote and core areas of Sundarbans. It is spread over both India and Bangladesh and separated by a ‘river border.'” He pointed out that the route is famous for the smuggling of cattle, gold and even women.

He added that due to the complicated nature of the terrain, the Indian government could not fence the area or deploy coast guards. “The Bangladeshi dacoits come to Sundarbans, loot the people and return back. This has been happening for almost 30- 40 years.”

Diptasya Jash said that there is a possibility that the absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan is not an Indian citizen. Citing locals, he added that Shahjahan came to India from Bangladesh with his maternal uncle and occupied land in Sandeshkhali.

“Now, the situation is so grave that these areas are geographically in India, but demographically it has become almost Bangladesh”, the Bengali author informed. He added that the janjathis (tribals) constituted the majority population in the area till the 1980s but land reforms by the Left government facilitated the settlement of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

“So, what did these people who came from Bangladesh do? Either with money or by force, they started occupying the lands of the locals and the then Left regime was in their favour,” he continued. Jash said that before Sheikh Sajahan of the Trinamool Congress, two goons named Issa Lashkar and Mujid Master of the Left ruled Sandeshkhali.

He informed that through a systematic strategy, the leftist goons were able to acquire the area and force the original inhabitants to move to urban areas such as Kolkata in search of jobs.

“Nowadays, in a few blocks of Sundarbans, Hindus are the minority with less than 20 per cent population…When the Muslim population increased, they started occupying the land of Hindus,” Diptasya Jash continued.

While giving the example of Sheikh Sahajahan, the Bengali author stated, “He has occupied their farming land and pond forcefully. They (villagers) cannot go fishing in the river without paying him cut money.” He added how the indigenous people were not paid lease money after Sheikh Shahjahan and his men took their land.

“Another thing that has happened is the torture on the (Hindu) women. People will come and say that tonight you need to send your wife or your daughter to the party office meeting. Now nobody knows what meeting takes place at 10 o’clock or 12 o’clock. The lady has to stay there for the whole night and the next day if they wish they will return or they will take her,” he was heard narrating the plight of sexual violence.

Diptasya Jash informed that in the year 2000, Left Front goon Issa Lashkar had announced in Sonakhali village that no Hindu can perform their rituals without his permission.

“If you wanted to do a puja at home, then you had to get his permission. If you were getting married, first you need to send your wife to Isha Laskar or his men. They would keep her for one day/ week and only then you could take your wife back home,” he recounted.

“They used to come to the houses (of Hindus) and find the number of girls. Later, they would order the family to send their girls. And if they went to the police station, the police would never file a complaint against Isha Laskar,” he added.

Diptasya Jash said that Issa Lashkar burnt down an entire village and wiped out 15 members of a family for observing the Hindu ritual of ‘Jamai Shasti‘. He also narrated how the Left Front goon would take away the cattle of Hindus, slaughter them and destroy the livelihood of the Hindu community.

The Bengali author stated that Issa Lashkar was eventually assassinated for his actions and the Hindus in the village kicked out the illegal Bangladeshis from Sonakhali village.

Diptasya Jash emphasised, “Sheikh Shahjahan is just carrying out the legacy. And the government has just changed from the Left to the TMC. The TMC is systematically changing the demographic of the area,”

He said that once an illegal immigrant comes to West Bengal, the local TMC leader helps the individual get a ration card, voter card, Aadhar card and passport. He stated that only illegal Muslim immigrants get this facility since they serve as the permanent vote bank of the TMC.

The Bengali author pointed out that Sheikh Shahjahan is not evading the Enforcement Directorate summons over the ration card scam but for the illicit money he made by helping illegal immigrants fraudulently obtain Indian ID cards.

“This is why TMC government is not arresting him because then many things will open up if he gets into the hands of the NIA,” he added. Diptasya Jash lamented that Hindus are living in slave in their homeland and are facing similar exodus faced by Pandits in Kashmir Valley in the 1990s.

“After the 2019 election, this Sheikh Shahjahan killed seven people. Five bodies could not be found to date. One person, Pradeep Mandal, Sheikh Sajahan’s people shot him in his eyes at point-blank range. He died. No investigation has been done by the TMC government. No investigation. Sheikh Sajahan or any of his associates were never arrested. No action was taken against them. Media, they put it under the carpet very efficiently,” he was heard saying.

While seeking support for the protestors of Sandeshkhali, the Bengali author concluded, “So we need to stand with them. We need to give them backup. We need to be with them. We need to raise our voices in support of them. So it is a plea to all of you, please stand with the Hindus of Sandeshkhali.”

Violence in Sandeshkhali

Hundreds of women residents of Sandeshkhali took to the streets on Thursday (8th February) with brooms, sticks, and farming tools, and blocked the roads. They demanded the immediate arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

The women had accused the trio of making their lives miserable for quite some time. The tension intensified on Friday (9th February) after angry villagers, led by women, in and around the Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas, attacked the properties of Sheikh Shahjahan including a poultry farm owned by Shahjahan’s close confidant and Trinamool Congress leader Shibu Hazra.

The locals said that the poultry farm was set up on a plot of land that the Trinamool Congress leader had forcefully usurped. They also said that the poultry farm had developed into a centre for several illicit operations.

Locals also stated several other instances where Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides had forcefully grabbed lands from poor villagers.

On Saturday (10th February), the local police imposed Section 144 in various areas in Sandeshkhali and also banned the use of the internet in 16 panchayats scattered over the two blocks of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Archana Majumdar has said that TMC members and the local police “jointly raided” the houses of protesting women and BJP workers. Majumdar said that the police even arrested and tortured them.

In a bid to pacify the angry villagers of Sandeshkhali, the TMC leadership suspended Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently arrested in the Sandeshkhali police station area.

In the meantime, the Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government arrested a former CPI(M) MLA named Nirpada Sardar in connection to the case on Sunday (11th February).

The Communist party leader was taken from his residence in Tollygunge to the Babsdroni police station. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Basirhat police station in North 24 Parganas district.

Nirpada Sarkar was arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120 B, 147, 148, 149, 379, 427,435, and 436. The family of the CPIM MLA, who won from the Sandeshkhali constituency in 2011, said that the arrest of Nirapada Sardar was made without any prior notice.

Uttarakhand govt to build a police station on the land Islamists had encroached, CM Dhami announces in Haridwar that no rioter will be spared

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttarakhand govt to build a police station on the land Islamists had encroached, CM Dhami announces in Haridwar that no rioter will be spared

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that his government will not only make sure that the encroached land in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura is freed but a police station is built at Malik Ka Bagicha. In this spot, an Islamist mob attacked, assaulted, and tried to burn policemen alive.

Several women personnel of the Uttarakhand Police were attacked too.

Speaking at a public event in Haridwar, CM Dhami stated, “The spot where our police personnel, especially women personnel and journalists were brutally attacked and assaulted by an unruly mob for doing their duty, we will build a police station. On the place of the same ‘Malik ka Bageecha’, we will build a police station. It is my clear message to rioters and anti-social elements. We will not spare anyone who tried to disturb the peace in Devbhumi Uttarakhand.”

The Nainital Police have arrested 30 rioters and seized pistols, guns, and other ammunition from them. Speaking to ANI, SSP Nainital said that police have recovered 99 of the police ammunition looted by the rioters when they attacked Banbhoolpura police station on 8th February. He added that efforts are on to arrest the main accused Abdul Malik.

On 8th February, the civic authorities in Haldwani went to demolish an illegal madrasa built on government land in Banbhoolpura when they were attacked by a Muslim mob. It resulted in a wave of violence across Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, leaving at least six people dead and over 300 police personnel injured. Superintendent of Police Harbans Singh confirmed the same on 9th February. Uttarakhand authorities have registered three First Information Reports (FIR) against 5000 unnamed, and 19 known individuals.

‘Withdraw from WTO and trade agreements, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to farmers’: Demands made by Political ‘farmers’ while marching to Delhi

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Withdraw from WTO and trade agreements, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to farmers’: Demands made by Political ‘farmers’ while marching to Delhi

Ahead of the farmers’ ‘Chalo Dilli’ march call given for 13th February, Haryana and Rajasthan Police have sealed borders with Punjab to stop the large influx of protesting farmers from the state. Notably, more than 200 farmers’ unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have announced a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march scheduled for 13th February (Tuesday) demanding legal guarantee for MSP and other demands.

Section 144 imposed in Delhi, parts of Rajasthan and Haryana

In the wake of the upcoming Farmers Protest 2.0, the Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 in the national capital for a month, till 12th March. However, certain activities like weddings, funeral processions, and religious rallies are allowed after getting permission from the authorities concerned. Additionally, using amplifiers or loudspeakers on any private vehicle or in a public area is prohibited unless specifically allowed.

Apart from Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan have also taken similar measures in a few districts. While the borders are being sealed, the Haryana government has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in 15 out of 22 districts. Rajasthan has imposed Section 144 in the Sri Ganganagar district which borders Punjab’s Fazilka, Muktsar, and Bathinda districts.

Demands of the protesting farmers

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha-Non Political (SKM-NP) have raised several demands before the Union government, here is a list of the prominent demands of the Farmer Unions. 

  1. A Law to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops. 
  2. Introduce a pension scheme specifically designed for farmers and agricultural labourers to ensure they have financial security in their later years. Farmers demand Rs 10000 monthly pension when a farmer turns 60 years of age. 

Speaking with ANI, General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarvan Singh Pandher said, “We will start from Beas & stay at Fatehgarh Sahib. Our demands are the same- MSP guarantee law, Sugar cane should be joined with C200…When a farmer turns 60 years old he should be given Rs 10,000 a month..”

  1. Implement Swaminathan Commission Report MSP on C2 + 50% formula.
  2. Quit the World Trade Organisation and suspend all free trade agreements to protect domestic agriculture.
  3. Withdraw all cases filed across the country against agitators during the 2020-21 farmers’ protest.
  4. Implementation of a comprehensive debt relief program. This also includes a complete waiver of the loans for the entire farming and labourer community nationwide.
  5. Repeal Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2023
  6. Reinstate the nationwide implementation of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, requiring written consent from farmers and ensuring compensation at four times the collector rate.
  7. Action on those responsible for the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and ensure Justice.
  8. Provide compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the Delhi agitation, along with offering employment opportunities to one member of each affected family.
  9.  Increase the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to give 200 days of employment annually and a daily wage of Rs 700. Also to integrate it with agricultural activities.
  10.  Impose severe penalties on companies engaged in the production of counterfeit seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, alongside enhancing seed quality standards.
  11. Set up a national commission specifically for spices like chili, turmeric, and other aromatic crops to encourage and bolster their cultivation.
  12. End reducing import duty on agricultural goods

As per media reports citing sources, the government has presented to farmers that they have already fulfilled several of their demands. Around 3077 cases out of 3300 cases have been withdrawn. While 98 cases are pending in court and 53 cases are pending withdrawal which amounts to only two percent.

Further, while compensation has been provided in many cases, challenges arise regarding the identification of next of kin, particularly when immediate family ties are unclear.

Union Ministers further guaranteed farmers that they would be exempted from the provisions of the Electricity Act. Additionally, they reiterated the government’s alignment in addressing issues related to counterfeit seeds and pesticides.

As per one assessment, approximately 20,000 farmers from Punjab and 1500 from Haryana are marching towards Delhi to be part of the protests. The police have installed barricading to stop a large influx of farmers and modified tractors from Punjab, however, agitating farmers have been breaking the barricades to continuously move towards Delhi.

Meanwhile, Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will be used as temporary jails to keep detained farmers. A senior officer told India Today that CAPF has been deployed in Haryana. He added, “While agitating is part of democracy, threatening to block Delhi with tractors and to cause inconvenience is not good.”

Government is hopeful of resolving the issue

Earlier, three union ministers including Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai met the leaders of farmer organisations in Chandigarh to allay their fears. The Union Ministers flew down to Chandigarh to reach out to farmer leaders.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij assured that the government is in talks with the farmers and the issues will be resolved. He said, “… Three ministers of the Central government have come to Chandigarh and talks of the first round have been done. The second round of talks will be done soon. I am hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon… To protect the people of Haryana and to maintain peace and harmony in the state, we will do whatever is required.”

In Chhattisgarh from where sweepers and ragpickers were invited for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Rahul Gandhi says only bigshots like Amitabh and Adani were called

OpIndia Staff
-
0
In Chhattisgarh from where sweepers and ragpickers were invited for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Rahul Gandhi says only bigshots like Amitabh and Adani were called

As the general elections draw near, Rahul Gandhi is busy doing what he does best—spreading lies about Prime Minister Modi and his administration. In a video going viral on social media, the Congress prince is overheard telling the locals in Korba, Chhattisgarh that the Modi government invited high-profile industrialists like the Ambanis and Adanis, as well as celebrities like Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan to the Pran Pratishtha event, but failed to invite the country’s impoverished and unemployed citizens for the ceremony.

The Gandhi scion resumed his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Chhattisgarh after a two-day hiatus, which he started with the overly ambitious aim of reviving his party’s fortunes before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“During Ram Temple’s inauguration, I saw Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Adani, Ambani, and all businessmen attending the event but I didn’t notice any poor, farmer, labourer, unemployed, or ‘chai wala’ among them,” he said.

Although criticizing Prime Minister Modi and his administration is his favourite past time, even if it means lying blatantly, had the Gandhi scion done some homework, he would have known that people from all walks of life were invited to the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event.

On one side where several dignitaries and celebrities were invited, many people from humble backgrounds, including family members of several karsevaks, sadhus, labourers, sanitisation workers etc were also invited for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event.

In fact, what’s even more interesting is that Bidula Bai, an 85-year-old ragpicker, and Santosh Devi, a health worker, who were amongst those invited to the Ram Mandir’s Pran Pratishtha event, are from Chhattisgarh, the place which Rahul Gandhi chose to disseminate this lie.

Bidula Bai Dewaar, 85, is a ragpicker from Chattisgarh’s Gariaband district. She had also received a formal invitation to the Ram Mandir’s inaugural ceremony.

In 2021, Dewaar contributed Rs 20 from her savings for the construction of Ram Temple. The day she made this contribution, she made Rs 40 by selling garbage and donated half of it to the temple fund.

Acknowledging her exceptional gesture, the VHP extended a special invitation for her to have the darshan of Ram Lalla. VHP state president Chandrashekhar Verma had personally visited her and offered the invitation. However, owing to health concerns, Dewar could not make it to the ceremony.

One such other person who was on the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha guest list was Santoshi Durga, a 36-year-old sweeper working in the health department, Santoshi Durga is a resident of Naharpur village of Kanker in Chhattisgarh. Ratan Singh Sindoor, her late father, was employed at the community health centre’s post-mortem house. She had helped her father in around 700 cases of postmortem.

Recognising her significant contributions to social work, Durga had been chosen for the divine darshan of Ram Lalla by the district executive of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Overjoyed to have received the invitation for the darshan of Ram Lalla, Durga said, “Even in my whole life, I never thought that I would be called from Ayodhya, but Lord Ram has called me by sending an invitation letter.”

Notably, Bidula Bai Dewaar and Santoshi Durga were among the many other ordinary people who had been invited to Ram Lalla’s homecoming. Dilip Valmiki, a retired sanitation supervisor of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, and his wife Manju, a former Bank of Baroda employee, were also extended the invitation to the ceremony.

The couple committed themselves to social work after retirement, concentrating on the Valmiki community through awareness initiatives. Their dedication was acknowledged by higher authorities, which led to their nomination as “yajmans” for Lord Ram’s consecration ceremony.

Expressing his gratitude Dilip Valmiki said, “After a few hours of online formalities, I received an entry pass and my name was announced as a “yajman”. The overwhelming feeling that I have is hard to describe.”

“I am on cloud nine as God has answered all my prayers. Nothing can be bigger than attending such a historic event as a “yajman”. It’s a larger-than-life experience for me,” he added. 

Even though numerous media outlets wrote in-depth articles about the aforementioned invitees and many more ordinary citizens who received invitations to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony Rahul Gandhi persisted in spreading false information in his attempts to poison voters’ minds against the incumbent BJP government before the Lok Sabha elections. Nonetheless, anyone who is familiar with Congress’s previous shenanigans would not be surprised by the Congress MP’s current attempt to capitalize on the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony for the sake of disparaging the Modi administration.

It may be recalled how prior to the ceremony, the Congress claimed that all four Shankaracharyas – Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Badrikashram Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand, Shankaracharya Swami Shri Nischalananda Saraswati of Purvaamnaya Govardhanmath in Puri, Shankaracharya Swami Shri Bharati Teerth Ji of Sringeri Mutt and Shankaracharya Shri Swami Sadanand Saraswati of Paschimannaya Dwarka Shardapeeth – are opposed to the way the ceremony is being held, and they will not attend the same. OpIndia then dispelled this lie by writing a detailed report on what the experts had to say about this.

Later, top spiritual leaders of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Dwarka SharadaPeetham and Sringeri Math also issued statements addressed to Lord Ram devotees regarding the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on 22nd January. They denounced the fallacies disseminated in social media by vested interests and extended their firm support and belief in the temple. They had reacted to claims by Congress leaders and others that four Shankaracharyas in India including the Shankaracharya of Dwarka and Sringeri math have opposed the pran pratishtha ceremony and that they are not attending the event.

Another Major blow to Congress: Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan quits Congress, likely to join BJP

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Another Major blow to Congress: Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan quits Congress, likely to join BJP

In another major setback for Congress, Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior party leader Ashok Chavan resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party on 12th February (Monday). He submitted a one-line resignation letter to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole. He met Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar in Mumbai on Monday and has given his resignation as MLA to the speaker.

In the resignation letter, Chavan wrote, “I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from noon on 12/02/2024”.

Taking to X, he wrote, “Today i.e. on Monday, February 12, 2024, I have tendered my resignation as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 85-Bhokar Assembly Constituency to the Assembly Speaker Rahulji Narvekar.” 

This is the third major exit from the Congress party in Maharashtra in recent times. Apart from Chavan, senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora had ended their decade-long association with the grand old party. While Baba Siddique joined the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, Deora joined the Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde. Back then, Milind Deora had lambasted Congress in a letter explaining the reason behind his decision to quit Congress. He blamed Congress for branding Business houses as anti-national, fostering caste divisions, and creating a North-South divide among other things. 

However, as per media reports, Ashok Chavan could likely join BJP in the coming days. Amid the buzz of his next move, BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked media persons to wait and watch adding that several senior level leaders from Congress are in touch with BJP.  

He said, “I heard about Ashok Chavan from the media. But the only thing I can say now is that several good leaders from Congress are in touch with the BJP. Those leaders who are connected with the masses are feeling suffocated in Congress. I am confident that some big faces will join Congress. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya, (wait and watch what will happen in the days to come).” 

Ashok Chavan served as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister from December 2008 to November 2010. He was considered one of Congress’s most influential leaders in the state. He is the son of the former Chief Minister, Shankarrao Chavan, and has held various posts within the party, including the role of General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Bihar: NDA proves majority; RJD MLA, who was seen playing cricket with Tejashvi Yadav yesterday inside his house, votes for JDU

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bihar: NDA proves majority; RJD MLA, who was seen playing cricket with Tejashvi Yadav yesterday inside his house, votes for JDU

On 12th February, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) proved to be the majority in the Bihar Assembly, clearing the path for the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) to form government in the state. Interestingly, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Chetan Anand was seen playing cricket with Tejashvi Yadav yesterday inside his house and voted for JDU.

Chetan Anand’s family had pressed the panic button yesterday and called the police, asserting that the MLA was under house arrest at Tejashwi Yadav’s residence. The heavy police force was deployed to raid the residence of the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. Meanwhile, a video of Anand playing cricket at Tejashwi’s residence went viral on social media.

Notably, RJD MLAs and Left allies stayed at Yadav’s residence before the floor test scheduled for 12th February. Anand’s younger brother Anshuman and his son Anand Mohan lodged a police complaint as they could not contact MLA. Reportedly, when police reached Tejashwi’s house, Anand claimed he had gone there alone.

Signficantly, RJD MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi and Prahlad Yadav were sitting on the government side in the Bihar Assembly in Patna.

UP: Two boys, aged 8 and 10, gangrape 5-year-old girl in Gonda after watching porn films

OpIndia Staff
-
0
UP: Two boys, aged 8 and 10, gangrape 5-year-old girl in Gonda after watching porn films

In the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh, two minor boys gang-raped a girl after watching a porn video The youngsters who perpetrated the crime are only eight and ten years old. The incident took place at a private school where these students studied. Instead of studying, the two minor boys started watching pornographic films on their mobile devices. During lunch break, the two boys sexually assaulted a girl. Meanwhile, the police have registered an FIR in the matter. Reports say that the victim is just five years old.

According to the local SP, when the girl returned home, she told her family what had transpired. When the family took her to school, the administration did not listen and turned them away. The school management claimed that false accusations were being levelled to defame the school. Following this, the family approached the police station and filed a complaint. The police then registered an FIR based on the complaint. On Saturday (10th February), the medical examination of the victim was conducted.

The police have apprehended both the accused minors. The accused duo will be sent to a juvenile home. According to police, both of them confessed to the crime. The youngsters stated that they did this after seeing porn films. The accused boys said that they perpetrated the crime by taking the girl behind the school. After the incident, both of them returned home. The victim has identified both of them. There was swelling in the girl’s private parts, which the mother noticed while changing the victim’s clothes.

Both minors were brought before the Juvenile Court before they were sent to the juvenile home. A similar incident was reported from Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, in which a minor boy sexually assaulted his sister and then killed the girl out of fear of getting caught. Nowadays many such incidents have come to the fore, where children raped minor girls after watching porn films. 

Muslim man died of his own bullet, eyewitness of Haldwani violence tells OpIndia: His brother was part of a Muslim mob that assaulted a lone Hindu man

राहुल पाण्डेय
-
0
Muslim man died of his own bullet, eyewitness of Haldwani violence tells OpIndia: His brother was part of a Muslim mob that assaulted a lone Hindu man

OpIndia has accessed the exclusive video of the Haldwani violence that rocked the state of Uttarakhand on 8th February 2024. In the visuals, the Muslim mob can be seen assaulting a lone Hindu man before the gruesome violence erupted in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area. A man wearing a green T-shirt is seen in the mob. It is being claimed that his brother Faheem Qureshi (26) also died in the firing that took place during the Haldwani violence. While some people are carrying out smear campaigns against the Police, eyewitnesses have shared the details of the incident which reveal otherwise.

In the video accessed by OpIndia, Faheem Qureshi can be seen waving at the police. His brother was part of the mob that assaulted the Hindu youth. During our ground report, an eyewitness shared details about the incident. A youth from the Dalit community in Gandhi Nagar said, “Anyone’s bullet did not kill the one who died. What happened was that when he was firing, he got hit by his own bullet.”

Attached is the video of the eyewitness, here is what he has revealed about the incident.   

In addition to the eyewitness statement, OpIndia has obtained the video of Faheem Qureshi mentioned by the eyewitness. The footage shows a man in a yellow shirt initially standing in the middle of the road with the mob, later moving to the side. As the police pass by, he can be seen waving at them and making challenging gestures. Subsequently, the rest of the crowd turns their attention towards the police.

Haldwani violence

On 8th February, the civic authorities in Haldwani went to demolish an illegal madrasa built on government land in Banbhoolpura when a Muslim mob attacked them. It resulted in a wave of violence across Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, leaving at least six people dead and over 300 police personnel injured. Superintendent of Police Harbans Singh confirmed the same on 9th February. Uttarakhand authorities have registered three First Information Reports (FIR) against 5000 unnamed, and 19 known individuals. As the administration is taking action against the mobsters, intellectuals and left-liberals have come out in support of the encroachers-turned-rioters who attacked the police personnel on an eventful day.

It is pertinent to note that the action by the police municipal corporation authorities against the illegal construction on government land was taken after the Uttarakhand High Court on 8th February, did not grant relief to the petitioners Safia Malik and others seeking a stay on the demolition exercise.

After controlling the rioting crowd, the police started taking action and 30 accused have been arrested so far in this case. 

1...1,3591,3601,361...7,656Page 1,360 of 7,656