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Tirumala Devasthanam says it will explore Muslim ‘devotee’ participation in Srivari Seva

OpIndia Staff
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Tirumala Devasthanam says it will explore Muslim ‘devotee’ participation in Srivari Seva

On 2nd February, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) said it will soon explore the option for Muslim “devotees” to participate in Srivari Seva or voluntary service for the deity in Tirumala. The statement came in response to a request from a “Muslim devotee” identified as Hussain Bhasha of Naidupeta. During the monthly “dial you EO” program, TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy said there are Muslim devotees of Bhagwan Venkateswara.

Reddy issued a press release in which he expressed his happiness over Muslim devotees’s dedication towards the deity despite the affiliation with different religions. He claimed that devotees from other faiths have donated to the temple. During the ‘dial your EO’ program, he assured Bhasha that he would examine the feasibility of his request.

Srivari Seva was started in 2000. The volunteers provide different services to enhance the services for pilgrims visiting from other parts of the country and worldwide. These volunteers are known as Srivari Sevakulu. They contribute to various sections of TTD, including vigilance, health, garden, medical facilities, annaprasadam, laddu prasadam, temple, kalyanakkatta, transport, book stalls and more.

According to the TTD website, in 1984, a ritual named Ashtadala Pada Padmaaradhana was introduced in the Srivari Temple during the Golden Jubilee Year of TTD. It was started to commemorate the occasion when a Muslim devotee donated 108 Gold Lotuses to the deity. Though there might be Muslim devotees of deity, there has been resistance among Hindu devotees against temple visits by those who belong to other faiths in different temples across the country.

Recently, the Madras High Court banned the entry of non-Hindus in temples across the state. The decision came after a petition was filed against the entry of non-Hindus to the sacred premises of the temple premises.

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court restricted non-Hindus’ entry into Hindu temples across Tamil Nadu. The landmark judgment came in the matter related to the entry of non-Hindus into the Palani Murugan Temple. The ruling specifically stipulated that non-Hindus and those lacking Hindu beliefs are prohibited from proceeding beyond the temple’s ‘kodimaram.’ Additionally, the judgment emphasised the necessity of prominently displaying notices conveying this restriction at various locations within the temple premises.

It all started when a Muslim family argued with the employees at the temple who denied them entry. Muslim family claimed no boards were barring them from entry and expressed a desire to go to the sacred Hill for photographs, deeming the religious Hindu place as if it was a “picnic spot”. In the judgment, the court pointed out that those belonging to other faiths must not be allowed on temple premises.

Delhi Police reaches Atishi Marlena’s house again over ‘BJP poaching AAP MLAs’ claims, hands over notice seeking information to her staff

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Police reaches Atishi Marlena’s house again over ‘BJP poaching AAP MLAs’ claims, hands over notice seeking information to her staff

The Delhi Police crime branch showed up at Delhi minister Atishi Marlena’s Mathura Road home on 4th February to issue her with a notice about the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party tried to poach seven of their legislators. The police waited outside her home as she was not present at her home. But later the police handed over the notice to her staff.

Atishi, who is in charge of significant portfolios of PWD, education, culture and tourism instructed her camp office staff to accept any notice on her behalf. However, the police team didn’t do that initially and insisted on serving the notice to her personally. The police team then came out and waited outside her house.

The Delhi Police again went to her residence after some time and served the notice to her staff as the minister was not available at her residence. The notice asks Atishi Marlena to furnish her reply within 3 days.

Notably, the Delhi Police Crime Branch is seeking information from Atishi and CM Arvind Kejriwal over their allegations that BJP offered Rs 25 crore each to several AAP MLAs to leave the party and join BJP. Citing their social media comments, the notice issued to CM Kejriwal states, “The plain reading of the said tweet indicates that you are privy to certain information regarding the commission of a cognizable offence. Therefore, you are hereby requested to provide answers to the questionnaire attached herewith by 05.02.2024”. Apart from the answers to the questions in the questionnaire, the crime branch also urged them to provide any other information they might have.

Atishi’s residence was visited by the officers a day earlier as well, but they had to come back as she was in Chandigarh. A senior officer of the Delhi Police Crime Branch divulged, “The team will go again to serve notice to Atishi. This morning, she was not present at her residence.”

On 3rd February, the officers also went to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s house and served the notice following five hours of political drama. He was directed to respond within three days in response to his allegations that the BJP tried to poach AAP MLAs. “We have served the notice on him. He can give the reply in three days in a written form,” an official revealed. Arvind Kejriwal was also requested by the crime department to divulge the identities of the lawmakers who were allegedly contacted by the BJP.

Over the last two days, the police made multiple trips to his home to serve him with a notice on the charges. The police first went to his residence on the 2nd of February night to deliver him a notice to help with an initial investigation, but they returned because he wasn’t available. A commotion had earlier broken out at his house at Civil Lines when a crime branch team appeared on the next to deliver him with a notice related to the probe.

He posted, “I sympathize with this crime branch police officer. What is their fault? Their job is to stop crime in Delhi. But instead of stopping crime, this kind of drama is being done. That is why crime is increasing so much in Delhi. Their political masters are asking me which MLA of “AAP” was tried to break.”

“But you know more than me. You know everything. Why only Delhi, you know which MLAs from other parties and which governments were toppled in the last few years across the country. Then why this drama,” he further questioned.

On 27th January both he and Atishi stated that the BJP was attempting to oust the AAP administration by paying each MLA Rs 25 crore and a ticket to run in the assembly election of next year. The chief minister was challenged by the BJP to provide evidence to support his statements, deriding the accusations as “false” and “baseless”.

Priests divided people into Varnas, did not allow Shudras and women to study Vedas: Misleading claims about Brahmins removed in rationalised NCERT textbooks

OpIndia Staff
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Priests divided people into Varnas, did not allow Shudras and women to study Vedas: Misleading claims about Brahmins removed in rationalised NCERT textbooks

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which is responsible for preparing textbooks for Indian students, has removed dubious claims about Brahmins from its 6th Standard book.

The development comes a year after RTI activist Vivek Pandey filed a query with the autonomous government organisation, seeking written evidence for sweeping claims about Hindu priests and ‘ill-treatment’ of women and shudras in ancient India.

The NCERT in its reply to the RTI query acknowledged that it had no evidence to support the claim that Hindu priests divided people into varnas and that women and shudras were not allowed to study the Vedas.

NCERT and its disinformation targeting Brahmins

At that time, NCERT had assured that the misleading information would be removed in the subsequent, rationalised version of the textbook. OpIndia can confirm that the 2023-2024 edition of the 6th Standard NCERT textbook ‘History-Our Past I’ reflects the necessary changes.

The contentious material appeared in Chapter 5 titled ‘Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic (Pages 44-45)’ of the textbook. It was claimed that the Hindu priests (Brahmins) divided the people into groups called varnas and told them that varnas were determined by birth.

The NCERT textbook also alleged that women were ‘grouped’ with Shudras and that they were not allowed to study the Vedas. It was also declared that the priests classified some people as ‘untouchables.’

The extract of the misleading text:

“We have many books that were composed in north India, especially in the areas drained by the Ganga and the Yamuna, during this period. These books are often called later Vedic, because they were composed after the Rigveda about which you learnt in Chapter 4. These include the Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, as well as other books. These were composed by priests, and described how rituals were to be performed. They also contained rules about society.

The priests divided people into four groups, called varnas, According to them, each varna had a different set of functions. The first varna was that of the brahmin. Brahmins were expected to study (and teach) the Vedas, perform sacrifices and receive gifts. In the second place were the rulers, also known as kshatriyas. They were expected to fight battles and protect people.

Third were the vish or the vaishyas. They were expected to be farmers, herders, and traders, Both the kshatriyas and the vaishyas could perform sacrifices. Last were the shudras, who had to serve the other three groups and could not perform any rituals. Often, women were also grouped with the shudras. Both women and shudras were not allowed to study the Vedas, The priests also said that these groups were decided on the basis of birth.

For example, if one’s father and mother were brahmins one would automatically become a brahmin, and so on. Later, they classified some people as untouchable. These included some crafts persons, hunters and gatherers, as well as people who helped perform burials and cremations. The priests said that contact with these groups was polluting.

Many people did not accept the system of varna laid down by the brahmins. Some kings thought they were superior to the priests. Others felt that birth could not be a basis for deciding which varna people belonged to. Besides, some people felt that there should be no differences amongst people based on occupation. Others felt that everybody should be able to perform rituals. And others condemned the practice of untouchability. Also, there were many areas in the subcontinent, such as the north-east, where social and economic differences were not very sharp, and where the influence of the priests was limited.“

NCERT removes misleading content

In the rationalised version of the textbook (2023-2024 edition), the disinformation peddled against Brahmins was removed.

The misleading text was changed with the following extract:

“There were four social categories, namely Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Brahmins were expected to study (and teach)
the Vedas, perform sacrifices and receive gifts. Kshatriyas were expected to fight battles and protect people. Vaishyas were expected to be farmers, herders, and traders. The Shudras were expected to serve the other three groups.“

It must be mentioned that the NCERT had acknowledged in 2022 that the assertions involving Hindu priests, women and Shudras had no basis.

“Since original draft of manuscript does not provide detailed references, it would be difficult to share the original source of claims,” it replied to the RTI query by Vivek Pandey.

Professor Gouri Srivastava, the Head of Department of Education in Social Sciences (DESS) of NCERT, had assured that the contentious section of the 6th standard textbook would be removed.

“We would like to inform you that taking into consideration the learning loss caused due to Covid 19 pandemic, the Department of Education in Social Sciences, rationalized its syllabi and textbooks in all subjects, for the next year across the stages. As part of this exercise, some content/chapters in history were merged while some other content/chapters were dropped. The statements for which you are seeking evidences will no longer be part of the history textbook for class VI from the next academic session,” she said in the RTI reply.

“Why should we ask for an invitation?”: Akhilesh Yadav says he has not been invited to Rahul Gandhi’s BJN Batra

ANI
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“Why should we ask for an invitation?”: Akhilesh Yadav says he has not been invited to Rahul Gandhi’s BJN Batra

With the Opposition bloc–INDIA–teetering on the brink of collapse amid rising dissidence and differences over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav introduced a fresh sour note claiming that he had not yet been extended an invitation to join the Congress’s ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.

The Yatra, led by Congress MP and former national president Rahul Gandhi, is currently in its Jharkhand leg and will head further west before culminating in Mumbai.

While the Congress is piloting efforts to take the INDIA bloc forward following the return of key ally, the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) to the BJP-led NDA, two key partners–the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)–have already ruled out allying with the grand old party in West Bengal and Punjab in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

On whether he will join the Nyay Yatra when it enters Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party chief, on Saturday, said, “Many big events are organised for which we don’t receive invitations. Why should we ask for an invitation?”

Currently, the Yatra, which has already covered five states, mostly by bus, is anchored in Jharkhand, which is still reeling under the political upheaval brought on by the change of guard at the helm.

Hemant Soren, who had been served multiple ED summonses in connection with an alleged land scam, tendered his resignation as Jharkhand chief minister and was arrested by the central agency, prompting a change of guard.

Seven-time MLA and senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren eventually took oath as CM.

The Yatra is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh on February 14.

Earlier, on Sunday, the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ rolled into Dhanbad in Jharkhand.

Speaking at a public gathering on the sidelines of the ongoing rally, earlier, the Wayanad MP said the Congress’s fight was against the ‘hatred’ in the hearts of ‘the BJP people’.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled out from Manipur’s Thoubal on January 14. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. It will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts.

The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, after 67 days.

A follow-up to the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which saw Rahul Gandhi cover more than 3,000 kilometres on foot–from Kanya Kumari to Srinagar–the Yatra 2.0 is following a hybrid format.

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

UP: ISI agent arrested by Anti-Terrorism Squad from Meerut, was working at Indian Embassy in Moscow

OpIndia Staff
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UP: ISI agent arrested by Anti-Terrorism Squad from Meerut, was working at Indian Embassy in Moscow

On 4th February (Sunday), the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Satyendra Siwal, an employee of the Ministry of External Affairs from Meerut. Siwal, who was working as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) at the Ministry, is accused of working as an ISI agent. 

As per official information shared by UP ATS, the accused Satyendra was posted at the Indian Embassy in Moscow. He is originally a resident of Hapur.

In its official press release, the UP ATS stated that it was receiving intelligence from various confidential sources about Pakistani Intelligence agency ISI’s plan. It added that it had intel that ISI was luring the employees of the MEA and the Indian government. Individuals with pseudo-names were luring them with money to obtain information related to India’s strategic and confidential information related to the Indian Army. This posed a huge threat to India’s internal and external security. 

The UP ATS added that it developed its intelligence and collected evidence through electronic and physical surveillance. Through this intel, it was found that a person named Satyendra Siwal is involved in anti-India activities by being involved in the network of ISI handlers and the Embassy of India. Important confidential information regarding the strategic activities of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, and Indian military establishments was being made available to the handlers of ISI in lieu of money. 

As per the security agency, Siwal is the son of Jaiveer Singh and a resident of village Shahmahiuddinpur, police station – Hapur Dehat, district Hapur. He was appointed to the post of MTS (Multi-Tasking, Staff) in the Ministry of External Affairs and was currently working in the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Russia.

The ATS added that Satyendra Siwal was called to ATS Field Unit Meerut and interrogated as per rules and when questioned about the information sent by him, Satyendra could not give a satisfactory answer. When an intensive interrogation was done, he confessed to his crime.

From 2021 onwards, Satyendra had been working as the IBSA (India Based Security Assistant) in the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Russia.

In connection with the case, FIR No. 02/2024 has been registered at Police Station-ATS, Lucknow under Section 121A IPC, and on Section 3/5/9 of the Official Secrets Act-1923. Additionally, the accused Satyendra Siwal has also been arrested.

The UP ATS also recovered 2 Mobile phones, 1 Aadhar card, 1 PAN card, 1 identity card, and Rs 600 in cash.

They said the event was for de-addiction: Gujarat Police on “karbala ka akhiri maidan” hate speech by Mufti Salman Azhari in Junagarh, 2 organisers arrested

OpIndia Staff
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They said the event was for de-addiction: Gujarat Police on “karbala ka akhiri maidan” hate speech by Mufti Salman Azhari in Junagarh, 2 organisers arrested

Recently an FIR (First Information Report) was registered against two organisers Muhammad Yusuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara as well as the speaker Mufti Salman Azhari for making an inflammatory speech at a Muslim community event in Gujarat’s Junagadh. Afterwards, the organisers were arrested while authorities were searching for Azhari, according to the local police.

On 3rd February, District Police Chief Harshad Mehta informed about this matter. He stated that following the filing of a formal complaint, two of the program’s organisers were taken into custody while the Mufti, who is a resident of Mumbai, is still being hunted. Police stated, “We have arrested Malek and Habib and efforts are on to arrest Azhari. The organisers took permission from the police claiming that the gathering was being arranged for de-addiction and Mufti would deliver an address about the Azhari Madhhab (school of thought). However, he gave a provocative speech.”

The Junagadh B Division Police Station has filed a case against the three accused under sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. The speech was recorded at the occasion which took place on 31st January at Narasimha Vidyamandir in Junagadh, and it rapidly became viral on social media.

The Muslim cleric could be heard declaring, “Abhi to karbala ka akhiri maidan baqi hai. Kuch der ki khamoshi hai, fir shore ayega. Aaj kutton ka wakt hai, kal hamara daur ayega.” (The final battle of Karbala is yet to come. A moment of silence, then there will be noise again. Today is the time of the dogs, tomorrow will be our era).” He proceeded to shout “Labbaik Ya Rasulullah” (we insist on being obedient to the Prophet of Islam) and the crowd also repeated it.  

OpIndia released an exclusive story after the 22-second clip gained traction online as the netizens also demanded strict punishment for the perpetrators. The local police then took quick action and submitted an FIR.

We later obtained a video of the entire speech and confirmed that it contained other offensive remarks including, “Mosques don’t turn into temples merely because idols are placed there,” “Dogs rule mosques if they are left empty,” “Don’t panic Muslims, the glory of Allah remains, Islam is still alive and Quran continues to exist. What do these tyrant infidels think as they fight us? The last battle of Karbala is yet to descend upon us” and “Islam won’t end with our deaths,” among other things as communal slogans are raised intermittently.

Azhari began his speech by recounting the history of Junagadh, but his speech soon took an inflammatory tone as he started to urge the Muslim community not to succumb to external influences.

Ban ‘Urs’ of Shah Jahan at Taj Mahal – Hindu organisation ABHM appeals to Agra Court

OpIndia Staff
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Ban ‘Urs’ of Shah Jahan at Taj Mahal – Hindu organisation ABHM appeals to Agra Court

On 2nd February, Agra District Court heard a plea filed by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) for a prohibitory injunction on the observance of the ‘Urs’ or the death anniversary of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan at the Taj Mahal. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on 31st March.

Advocate Anil Tiwari appeared for the Hindu organisation. They have also appealed against free entry of the people on the occasion. Urs is scheduled for 6th February to 8th February. It is dedicated to commemorate the death of Shah Jahan. It is believed that Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal when it was built in 1653 on the banks of the Yamuna River. During the three-day event, various rituals include Chadar Posh, Sandal, Gusul and Kil etc take place.

Speaking to PTI, advocate Tiwari said, “They have sought a permanent prohibitory injunction against the committee celebrating the Urs. The petitioner has also objected to having free entry for the Urs at the Taj Mahal.”

The Hindu organisation said in their plea that Celebration Committee Tajgang (CCT) planned the event at the historic monument without the government’s permission or the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Furthermore, it has been contested that the president of CCT has no relation to the Taj Mahal as he is neither an employee nor does not have any concerns about the ASI-protected monument.

In a statement, ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jat said that neither the Mughals nor the British allowed such events inside the Taj Mahal compound. He said, “The petition has been filed based on an RTI filed by a Raj Kishore Raje, a historian of Agra city. In the RTI, he asked ASI who permitted the ‘Urs’ celebration and ‘Namaz’ on the Taj Mahal premises. The ASI replied that neither the Mughals nor the British government nor the Government of India have allowed ‘Urs’ celebration in the Taj Mahal.”

He added, “So, on that basis, we have filed a petition seeking the prohibitory injunction, stopping the organisers of Shah Jahan ‘Urs’ Celebration Committee, headed by Syed Ibrahim Zaidi, from celebrating the ‘Urs’ at the Taj Mahal.”

Hindu Mahasabha divisional president Meena Diwakar and district president Saurabh Sharma spoke to India Today and said religious programs are not allowed inside ASI-controlled monument; thus, celebrating ‘Urs’ is illegal. Sharma added that Hindu Mahasabha is also planning a petition to survey the Taj Mahal on the lines of Gyanvapi and Krishna Janmbhoomi.

On the other hand, CCT’s chairman, Syed Ibrahim Zaidi, claimed that every year, they get permission from ASI to celebrate Urs, and this year, too, the permission has been granted. He added that the Urs has been held at the Taj Mahal for centuries, and the claims in the petition were bogus.

‘Parody of historical figures, legends wrong, condemnable’: Savitribai Phule Pune University on play by its students mocking Lord Ram and Goddess Sita

OpIndia Staff
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‘Parody of historical figures, legends wrong, condemnable’: Savitribai Phule Pune University on play by its students mocking Lord Ram and Goddess Sita

On Saturday (February 3), the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) issued a statement condemning the mockery of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita by the varsity students in a play.

“Some of the content/speech in the presentation of the said drama is seen to be objectionable. It is understood that there was a verbal argument between the students regarding this. After this, the security personnel intervened and the police were called and a complaint was filed. Legal action is being taken by the police administration. It is the role of the university to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands. Parody of any person, legend or historical figure is completely wrong and prohibited,” SPPU stated in its press release.

The SPPU administration said that a fact-finding committee has been formed to probe the matter and that further action will be taken based on the committee’s findings.

“We have received letters from various organisations mentioning that due to the incident religious sentiments were hurt. A truth-finding committee under a retired district judge has been appointed. After a detailed report of the committee, the university will take necessary administrative actions in the case,” SPPU stated.

As reported earlier, a professor and 5 students were arrested for mocking Lord Ram and Goddess Sita with abusive dialogues in a play titled ‘Jab We Met’ staged by the Lalit Kala Kendra, a centre for performing arts affiliated with Pune University. The professor, Dr Pravin Bhole, and five students were accused of offending religious sentiments through objectionable dialogues and scenes in the play based on ‘Ramleela’.

The offensive portrayal of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita was strongly objected to by the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and students from Lalit Kala Kendra. The play centred around the backstage banter of actors in ‘Ramleela’, depicted a male artist portraying Sita smoking a cigarette and using abusive language.

Following a complaint by ABVP functionary Harshvardhan Harpude, a case was registered under section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious feelings. The arrested individuals include Dr Pravin Bhole and students Bhavesh Patil, Jay Pednekar, Prathamesh Sawant, Rishikesh Dalvi, and Yash Chikhle.

The six accused persons were brought before a court in Pune on Saturday. The court remanded them to the magistrate’s custody. The accused later applied for bail.

Harpude’s counsel, Shivam Potdar, argued that the accused’s bail should be rejected, noting the possibility of inciting violence by hurting sensibilities through the offensive play. However, the judge granted bail to the accused, Indian Express reported. Advocate Potdar said the accused persons have been asked to report to the police station twice a week.

Harshwardhan Harpude, a Pune ABVP leader, filed a complaint at the Chaturshringi Police Station on Friday night, objecting to Lord Ram and Sita’s depiction in the play Jab We Met. Several ABVP workers, including Harpude, allegedly disrupted the play performance on Friday night. The FIR states that Harpude and others were allegedly manhandled by several Lalit Kala Kendra students and the actors of the play when they raised objections over the mockery of Hindu Gods.

Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura was destroyed by Aurangzeb: ASI shares historical record from 1920 in response to RTI

OpIndia Staff
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Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura was destroyed by Aurangzeb: ASI shares historical record from 1920 in response to RTI

On Saturday (3rd February), the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) provided information based on historical records from 1920 about the demolition of Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura by Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb.

A Right to Information (RTI) query was filed by one Ajay Pratap Singh, a resident of Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, with the Superintending Archaeologist of ASI.

He had sought specific information about Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura wherein the temple of Keshadeva was destroyed to build Shahi Idgah in 1670 CE. Singh had asked the ASI to provide details from its survey conducted in November 1920.

RTI query filed by Ajay Pratap Singh

“Please provide the complete notification details of the monument name- Portions of Katra Mound which are not in the position of Nazul tenants on which formerly stood a temple of Kehsavadeva which was dismantled and the site utilized for the mosque of Aurangzeb which is located in the locality and District Mathura had preliminary and final notification numbers and dates- UP 1465/1133 M: 25-11-1920 and UP 1669-M/113:27 -12-1920,” the RTI query read.

In its response, the Archaeological Survey of India attached its survey details from 1920. The Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex was listed at number 37 among a group of 39 monuments.

“No. 1669M./118SM-IN exercise of the powers conferred by section 3, sub-section (3) of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (VII of 1904) His Honour the Lieutenant. Governor is hereby pleased to confirm this department notification no. 1465/1133M., dated the 25th November, 1920, published at pages 1911 1924 of the United Provinces Gazette, dated the 27th November, 1920, relating to the undermentioned monuments,” it stated.

Screengrab of the RTI response by the Archaeological Survey of India

“The portions of Katra Mound which are not in the position of Nazul tenants on which formerly stood a temple of Kehsavadeva which was dismantled and the site utilized for the mosque of Aurangzeb,” ASI confirmed the location as Mathura.

Following the revelations made by the central agency in its RTI response, advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh has informed that he will present the key piece of evidence before the High Court and then the Supreme Court. Singh is the President of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas.

Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex

It must be mentioned that the Keshavdeva temple of Mathura was built about 5000 years ago. Lord Krishna was born at that site. Shri Krishna’s great-grandsons Vraj and Vrajnabha had built the Keshadeva temple in Mathura with the help of King Parikshit.

Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb issued a decree in 1670 CE to demolish the temple of Keshavdeva in Mathura. Following that, a Shahi Idgah Mosque was built there. It is believed that Aurangzeb himself offered namaz at the mosque built after destroying the Hindu temple.

This dispute in Mathura concerns the ownership rights of 13.37 acres of land. Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi owns 10.9 acres of land, while Shahi Idgah Mosque owns two and a half acres of land. The entire land belongs to the Hindu side.

Amid strained India-Canada diplomatic ties, Canadian intelligence report claims India is a ‘foreign interference threat’

OpIndia Staff
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Amid strained India-Canada diplomatic ties, Canadian intelligence report claims India is a ‘foreign interference threat’

On 31st January, it was revealed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s unclassified document to the Canadian government marked India as a “foreign interference (FI)” threat. As per the report, India “could potentially” meddle with Canadian elections. The report mainly highlighted China’s role in interfering with Canada’s general elections and has around three pages on India. The report was published in February 2023 and has been declassified recently.

The report mentions, “India engages in Foreign Interference activities.” Interestingly, most of the parts of the three pages were redacted. Canadian media house Global News accessed the declassified documents where a single sentence claimed India engaged in FI activities. Furthermore, it talked about the need for “clearly articulated strategies” and pointed out that awareness and briefing of the officials was the most important part of those “strategies.

This is the first time Canada has accused India of meddling with elections. Apart from China, Russia is also being seen as a significant threat to democratic elections in Canada.

The declassified document was released on 24th February 2023. It was titled ” Briefing to the Minister of Democratic Institutions on Foreign Interference” and named China” by far the most significant threat.” The report was unclassified as a response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s orders to initiate an inquiry into foreign interference as an attempt to influence the results of Canadian elections after media reports flagged possible Chinese interference. The report advised the Canadian government to “do more to protect Canada’s robust democratic institutions and processes.”

The report stated about China, “We know that the People’s Republic of China sought to clandestinely and deceptively influence the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.”

Citing the report, Global News said that FI is different from traditional diplomatic relations between the two countries as the former used secrecy and deception to influence the narrative among the voters and policymakers.

A committee inquiring into foreign interference in Canadian elections has already stated that it will investigate India’s role in meddling with elections. It requested information and documents related to the alleged FI in elections.

Canada-India diplomatic ties have soured in recent months

The diplomatic relations between India and Canada have been sour for a long time. Canada threw the possibilities of improving the ties into the trashbin when it accused India of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in June 2023. PM Justin Trudeau accused India while stating in Canadian parliament. Soon after, Canada expelled India’s top diplomat in response to the allegations raised by the PM.

India reacted quickly and stated that the Indian government was not involved in any murder on Canadian soil and expelled the top Canadian diplomats from India. India ordered multiple Canadian diplomats to leave the country in the coming weeks. Furthermore, visa services were terminated for some time and trade between the two nations was also affected. Interestingly, India has been asking Canada to provide concrete evidence of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s murder, but Canada has failed to do so. On the other hand, Canada has been a haven for Khalistani terrorists, gangsters and criminals. India has requested the tradition of multiple such criminals from Canada on several occasions, but no response came from Canada.

Such actions and statements by Canada are only putting deeper dents on India-Canada diplomatic relations. Interestingly, Canada has a habit of interfering in India’s affairs, which were prominently visible during farmers’ protests. When India expelled multiple diplomats of Canada in October last month, it was explicitly mentioned that Canadian diplomats often cause nuisance and interfere in India’s affairs.

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