Home Blog Page 1428

Some were lured into Christianity, some left Islam saying ‘it’s a baby-making factory’: Read about the 50 cases of Ghar Wapsi that OpIndia covered in 2023

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Some were lured into Christianity, some left Islam saying ‘it’s a baby-making factory’: Read about the 50 cases of Ghar Wapsi that OpIndia covered in 2023

As the year draws to a close, it’s important to reflect on a significant yet often overlooked issue affecting vulnerable segments of the Hindu community. Across various regions in India, there has been a troubling emergence of conversion rackets. These rackets are frequently linked to foreign entities, Islamic groups, and influential Christian missionary organisations. They target economically disadvantaged Hindus and tribal communities, exploiting their vulnerability with offers of monetary assistance, food, clothing, education, healthcare services, and other material benefits. In their desperate attempts to escape poverty, many individuals are swayed by these offers and convert to either Islam or Christianity. However, they soon realise that the relief provided is only temporary and does little to alter their fundamental hardships. They then undergo Ghar Wapsi.

Despite the widespread nature of this issue, only a fraction of these cases gain public attention. This typically happens when vulnerable Hindus who have been misled are rescued, or when individuals, recognise the deceit they were subjected to, and decide to return to their Hindu faith through ‘Ghar Wapsi’.

This article aims to compile and highlight the numerous instances from this year where Hindu families or individuals, coerced into converting to either Islam or Christianity, chose to embrace their Hindu heritage once more. These stories not only shed light on the deceptive tactics used by evangelists and Islamists, who initially entice with financial and material aid but later resort to indoctrination but also underscore the resilience and enduring faith of those who choose to return to Hinduism.

1. Ghar Wapsi in Etah

In Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district, 35 individuals from 10 Christian families re-embraced to Sanatan Dharma. This event took place in the Jaranikalan village in the Shakrauli area, where these families had converted to Christianity in 1995, reportedly due to enticements. The Hindu Ekta Group interacted with these families and discovered that many were keen to return to Hinduism.

Consequently, on 2nd January 2023, a special program was organised at the Pathwari Mata Temple in the village, where these 35 individuals participated in a havan ritual and embraced Sanatan Dharma. According to Shubham, founder of the Hindu Ekta Group, these families were lured and misled into converting to Christianity in 1995 and have been following Christian practices since then. However, several expressed a voluntary desire to revert to Sanatan Dharma and did the Ghar Wapsi.

2. Another Ghar Wapsi in Etah

In another incident, Shabnam from Etah district in Uttar Pradesh converted to Hinduism and changed her name to Neha Pathak on 16th January 2023. She married a Hindu man named Komesh Pathak, and for this, she sought the help of the High Court and district administration. Initially, both families were opposed to their marriage. Shabnam, who is a graduate and originally from Ghazipur, was living in Manesar, Haryana, with her elder sister. Komesh Pathak also resided there, working in a medical company. The couple met in Manesar, and over time, they fell in love.

Shabnam was already loving Hinduism, especially the festival of Diwali. After their marriage, she decided to formally adopt Hinduism and submitted a petition to the Allahabad High Court and the District Magistrate. The District Magistrate of Etah issued a notice inviting objections for 21 days. Upon receiving no objections during this period, the district administration issued her a certificate confirming her conversion to Hinduism.

3. Mega Ghar Wapsi in Chhattisgarh by Prabal Pratap Judev

In the Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, during the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha event held in Basna, approximately 1100 Christians belonging to about 325 families returned to Hinduism on 19th January 2023. BJP leader Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated their Ghar Wapsi (return to Hinduism) by ritually cleansing their feet with the holy water of the Ganga.

Those who underwent Ghar Wapsi expressed that they had gone away from their Dharma and converted to another religion, but after realising their mistake, they decided to come back to Hinduism. Pandit Himanshu Krishna Maharaj administered to these individuals an oath of loyalty to the Sanatan Dharma. Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, a BJP leader from Chhattisgarh, continues to campaign for the return of converted individuals to their original faith.

4. There can be no religion better than Hinduism – Sultana Begum

On Friday, January 21, 2023, in a program of Bageshwar Dham Divya Darbar, a Muslim woman named Sultana Begum adopted Hinduism in the presence of Mahant Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. Sultana, hailing from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, shared her story, saying, “My name is Sultana. My father’s name is Amir Khan and my mother is Sarwari Begum. I practised idol worship, which led to my family disowning me. They say that I am a disgrace to the Muslim community and that I will go to hell when I die.”

She further expressed, “I firmly believe that there can be no religion better than Hinduism. It’s a religion of civilization and values. In Hinduism, there are no marriages between siblings, and women’s lives are not destroyed. Practices like triple talaq do not exist. Here, marriage happens once with the sacred seven rounds around the holy fire, emphasising the significance of sindoor (vermilion), mangal sutra (sacred necklace), and the complete sixteen adornments for a married woman. I also worship Lord Krishna in the form of Laddu Gopal.”

5. Salim Khan became Sukhram Das in Morena of Madhya Pradesh

Salim Khan, a resident of the Ambah region in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, embraced Hinduism on 22nd January 2023, adopting the name Baba Sukhram Das. Salim was influenced by his growing faith in Lord Hanuman, having already been involved in devotional singing and chanting at the temple, eventually leading him to renounce his former religion.

He left his family and sought refuge in the Hanuman temple at Khadiyahar, considering the temple’s priest, Shri Shri 1108 Ram Khilavan Das Maharaj, as his guru. His guru initiated him and gave him the new name, Sukhram Das. Salim revealed that he has forsaken his wife, children, and grandchildren, including his entire family.

A Ghar Wapsi ceremony was held at the Hanuman temple on his ‘homecoming’, attended by many locals. On hearing about Salim’s transformation, his family also arrived at the temple, where his wife expressed that she had no objections to his change of faith.

6. Saba of Bareilly became Soni

In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a young woman named Saba Bi, now known as Soni Deval, converted her religion to marry her Hindu boyfriend, Ankur Deval. The couple had been in a relationship for six years, but Saba’s family was opposed to their union. Saba and Ankur first met in Bisharatganj, Bareilly, where their fathers owned clothing shops. Their friendship gradually blossomed into love, leading to their decision to marry. Facing opposition from her family, who restricted her movements and communication, Saba took the bold step of leaving home to unite with Ankur.

On 1st February 2023, Saba left her home, and the following day, the couple wed at the Agastya Muni Ashram according to Hindu traditions. The ceremony was even attended and blessed by Sadhvi Prachi. Saba formalised her conversion and marriage through an affidavit and informed the collector’s office about her decision. Saba expressed fears for her life from her own family. She mentioned her deep appreciation for Hinduism and her enjoyment of participating in its worship practices. She also appreciated that Hinduism does not practice the ‘triple talaq’ system. Saba declared her intention to remain a Hindu for the rest of her life.

7. ‘No point staying in a religion that persecutes all’ – Yusuf Khan

On 7th February 2023, a Muslim family in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, publicly announced their decision to convert to Hinduism. The head of the family, Yusuf Khan, stated that for the past 30 years, he has been facing hardships from within the Muslim community itself. He claimed that some individuals from his community were conspiring to destroy his ancestral home.

Yusuf also declared his intention to build a temple on his land, expressing that there was no benefit in remaining in a religion where he was facing persecution. He appealed to Hindus for support and mentioned that even if he was offered crores of rupees by members of the Muslim community, he would not sell his land.

8. Ghar Wapsi in Lohrdaga of Jharkhand

In Lohardaga, Jharkhand, a family of 13 members reverted from Christianity to their original faith, Sanatan Dharma, on 1st February 2023. They accused the Christian priests of misleading them and teaching superstitions. This family, which had converted to Christianity in 2012, now considers Sanatan Dharma superior. They performed the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (homecoming) ritual with full traditional procedures.

Rajesh Khalkho and his family faced social isolation due to persistent illness, leading them to seek remedies through false faith healing and eventually converting to Christianity. However, they soon realised that they were misguided and their troubles remained unchanged. Subsequently, they decided to return to Sanatan Dharma.

Rajesh and his family have vowed not to fall prey to any misleading influences in the future and to regard their ancestral Dharma as the best. They admitted that they were trapped in superstitions, which led them to abandon their original faith, but now they are determined not to repeat this mistake.

9. Najish Khan of Chandigarh became Pooja

Nazish Khan, originally from Chandigarh and now known as Pooja after embracing Hinduism, tied the knot with Ajay Kumar on 13th February 2023, at the Arya Samaj Temple in Delhi. Nazish is 30 years old, while Ajay is 32. The couple, deeply in love for a long time, faced opposition from their families. Despite this, they left their homes and started living together in Delhi.

They first met around four years ago during the COVID-19 lockdown. Nazish, in her conversation with OpIndia, mentioned that she has three sisters and one brother, and her father had passed away a long time ago.

Azad Vinod, who runs the Sudarshan Vahini organisation and assisted in the couple’s marriage, informed that Ajay and Nazish initially married on 12th February in a temple in Ghaziabad. They later formalised their marriage on 13th February at the Arya Samaj Temple in Delhi and gave it legal recognition.

10. Mega Ghar Wapsi in Chhatarpur Madhya Pradesh

In Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur, at Bageshwar Dham, under the presence of Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, 220 converted Christians reverted back to Hinduism on 19th February 2023. All 220 individuals were adorned with yellow bands, marking their return to Hinduism. The ‘Hindu Jagran Manch’ played a pivotal role in this program, having brought these people to the event. Residents from several villages of the Bundelkhand region including Taparian, Banapur, Chitora, and Bamhori, whom missionaries had misled, were part of those who returned to Hinduism. During this event, the Bageshwar Dham’s Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri urged these individuals to visit temples daily.

Those who returned to Hinduism shared that they were lured by Christian missionaries with the promise of housing, leading them to abandon Hinduism. However, the promise was not kept, and they did not receive any houses. They stated that their return to Hinduism was a voluntary decision. The returnees included members from 62 families, who arrived at the venue in buses. They mentioned that under the influence of Christians, they had even started visiting churches.

11. Another Ghar Wapsi in Chhattisgarh by Prabal Pratap Singh Judev

Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated the return to Hinduism of 250 individuals who had converted to Christianity, on 21st February 2023. These people, belonging to 36 different families, underwent this Ghar Wapsi (reversion ceremony) at Budhimai Dham in Imalipara (Bagbahar, Jashpur), Chhattisgarh. The event also featured the organization of a Yajna (sacred fire ritual), accompanied by the chanting of Vedic hymns.

Prabal Pratap washed the feet of all those returning to Hinduism with the holy water of the Ganga. Representatives from the Dharm Jagran Samanvay Vibhag (Religious Awakening Coordination Department) and Arya Samaj were also present on this occasion. Later, all the individuals who returned to Hinduism participated in the Havan (sacred fire rituals), conducted with Vedic mantras. Together, they expressed their faith in Hindu deities and resolved to continue practising Hinduism in the future. This homecoming event was part of the Hindu Saint’s March which took place in 2023 in the Bastar division.

12. Tribals in Gujarat who were converted to Christianity came back to Hinduism

Agniveer organisation, dedicated to working for Scheduled Tribes, organised a mass wedding for 61 tribal couples in Nadgadhari village of Dharampur Taluka in Valsad district, Gujarat, on February 25-26, 2023. During this event, 20 Christian families also returned to Hinduism. The main organiser, Mahendra Singh Rajpurohit, informed that this area is influenced by Christian missionaries who often convert the tribal population.

The tribal community practices ‘Phulhaar’, where young boys and girls choose each other at an early age and start living together by exchanging garlands of flowers. They desire to marry but are often unable due to financial constraints, even after having children. Missionaries exploit this practice to convert them. Observing this, Agniveer has taken the responsibility of marrying off these tribal youths.

13. Grand Ghar Wapsi in Assam

On February 27, 2023, in Tiwasong village of Jagiroad in the Morigaon district of Assam, 142 individuals returned to their original faith, embracing Sanatan Dharma after leaving Christianity. This event has been described as the largest Ghar Wapsi to Hinduism in Assam. Following traditional Hindu rituals, including Havan and other religious ceremonies, all these individuals formally adopted Hinduism.

Jursing Bordoloi, the General Secretary of Goba Devaraja Raj Parishad, stated that these 142 members of the tribal community willingly participated in this Ghar Wapsi. Initially, the local Tiwa tribal people had converted to Christianity due to various allurements and reasons. However, they later reached out to the Goba Devaraja Raj Parishad, after which this Ghar Wapsi event was organised.

Mega Ghar Wapsi in Assam. Image Source: India Today

Bordoloi also mentioned that all individuals who returned to Hinduism have pledged to maintain their faith and belief in Hinduism. The Tiwa tribe members, who underwent this Ghar Wapsi ritual, were originally Hindus, but their ancestors had converted to Christianity. Missionaries misled them because of poverty and lack of education. Bordoloi assured that his organisation would support these individuals who have returned to their ancestral faith.

14. Nargis of Agra became Nikki

On February 28, 2023, Nargis from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, embraced Hinduism and married Alok from Mainpuri. They had known each other for a year, having met through social media. After a period of friendship, they decided to get married. Nargis, now happy in her married life, shared that she had always been fond of Sanatan Dharma since her childhood. Sometimes, she would even visit temples, which would upset her father who would scold her. Following a Ghar Wapsi process, Nargis changed her name to Nikki.

Nargis and Nikki married in Mainpuri. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar

Nikki, as a newlywed, revealed that she never liked Islam. According to her, she became friends with Alok on Instagram, and after some days of conversation, they decided to unite in marriage. Nikki expressed her desire to live as a Hindu for the rest of her life. During the wedding ceremony in a temple in Mainpuri, Alok’s family and friends were present, while none of Nikki’s family participated in the wedding event.

15. Ghar Wapsi in Jhabua of Madhya Pradesh

On 28th March 2023, a family in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, who had embraced Christianity nine years ago, reverted to Hinduism. This Ghar Wapsi, involving eight family members, was seen as correcting a past deviation, and they expressed joy at returning to their original faith. The event was warmly received by the officials of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The ceremony of their return took place in a temple devoted to Lord Shiva.

Kailash and his family, who recently returned to Hinduism, shared that nine years ago, several family members were frequently ill. During that period, they encountered a person associated with Christian missionaries. This individual lured the then-Hindu family into converting to Christianity with the false promise of better medical treatment. Kailash admitted that they were enticed by this offer and converted. However, over time, they began to miss their original faith. Reflecting on their cultural roots, the family that returned to Hinduism believed that Sanatan Dharma is the true way of life.

16. Rahmat Ali of Kanpur became Ritik

On 10th April 2023, in a temple in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 25-year-old Rahmat Ali embraced Hinduism amid Vedic chants. He will now be known as Ritik. Originally from Paseni village in Hardoi, Rahmat came to Kanpur for work. He shared that since childhood, he had been inclined towards Hinduism. He always enjoyed watching Ramleela, participating in Ganesh festivals, and taking part in the Kanwar Yatra.

While living in Kanpur, Rahmat often visited the Maa Durga temple in Bakarganj. During one such visit, he met Bajrang Dal activist Pankaj Yadav and expressed his desire to convert to Hinduism. Following this, his ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (homecoming to Hinduism) ceremony was conducted in a temple in the South City area of Kanpur. Rahmat also mentioned that most of his friends are Hindus. His family has no objections to his decision.

17. Sabina of Bareilly became Sonam to marry Sompal

On 17th April 2023, in the Agastya Muni Ashram of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Sabina embraced Hinduism. She married Sompal. Following her conversion, Sabina is now known as Sonam. The couple had known each other for a long time. Sabina is originally from Bisharatganj in Bareilly, while her husband, Sompal, hails from Kundariya Khurd. They had been in love for quite some time. When Sabina discussed this relationship with her family, it was met with significant opposition.

As her family was not agreeable, the couple decided to get married in a temple. Pandit KK Shankhdhar of the Agastya Muni Ashram in Bareilly, after ensuring all legal procedures were followed, agreed to conduct their marriage. He took proof of age from both Sabina and Sompal, confirming they were adults. Finally, Sabina and Som Pal tied the knot.

18. Roshni of Badaun became Riddhi to marry Shivam

In the Agastya Muni Ashram, more than 64 Muslim girls have married Hindu boys. On 21st April 2023, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl, known as Roshni Begum, decided to convert to Hinduism and subsequently took on the name Riddhi Gupta. Her marriage with Shivam Gupta was solemnised at the Agastya Muni Ashram. Hailing from Kaboolpura in Badaun’s Kotwali Nagar, Roshni’s love story with Shivam, a resident of the Ujhani area in Badaun, had blossomed over time.

While Shivam’s family welcomed the union, Roshni faced strong opposition from her family. Despite facing numerous constraints imposed by her family, Roshni remained steadfast. The head priest of Agastya Muni Ashram, Pandit KK Shankhdhar, after verifying all relevant documents and confirming both parties’ adult status, proceeded with the marriage ceremony.

The wedding featured Roshni reciting Vedic chants and performing a ‘havan’ with Shivam. Following the marriage, she was officially known as Riddhi Gupta. In a significant move, Roshni released a video declaring her voluntary decision to marry and affirming her legal adulthood, also requesting her family not to interfere or cause any distress.

19. Prabal Pratap Judev continued the Ghar Wapsi mission in Durg of Chhattisgarh

On 21st April 2023, in Durg, Chhattisgarh, the first ‘Ghar Wapsi’ program of the Durg region was organised. In the ‘Rashtra Raksha Mahasammelan and Ghar Wapsi 2023’, approximately 100 families returned to their original faith. The chief guest of the program was Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, a BJP leader from Chhattisgarh and the head of ‘Akhil Bharatiya Ghar Wapsi’. He welcomed back these 100 families into their faith by washing their feet.

The event was organised under the joint auspices of the Sarvahitkarini Manav Seva Sansthan and various Hindu organisations. During the event, several Hindu saints and members of Hindu organisations were present.

20. Mass Ghar Wapsi in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh

On April 24, 2023, in Banke Bihari Nagar of Baheriya area, Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, an event led by Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham witnessed the reversion of 95 individuals from over 50 families to Hinduism. These people, originating from various villages in the district, claimed they had initially converted to Christianity due to enticements, such as promises of money and better education for their children.

However, after listening to Pandit Dhirendra Shastri’s Dharmik discourse, they felt spiritually awakened and decided to return to Hinduism. They were welcomed back into the Hindu faith with yellow bands and took an oath of adherence to Hinduism under the guidance of Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

21. Ghar Wapsi in Sitapur and Baharaich

In Uttar Pradesh, two Muslim young women married their Hindu partners, despite opposition from their families who were against their relationships and wanted to forcibly arrange their marriages (Nikah) within their community. Both marriages took place on 6th June 2023.

Rubina married Shesh Kumar (left) while Rubiya married Pradeep Yadav (right). Image Source: OpIndia Hindi

The first case is from Sitapur, where Rubia married Pradeep Yadav and has now adopted the name Rajni. In the second instance, Rubina Khan from Bahraich married Shesh Kumar Awasthi in a temple ceremony and has since become Ruby Awasthi.

22. Rani Begum and her son Junaid embraced Hinduism

In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Rani Begum, along with her son, converted to Hinduism. She claimed that her son Junaid’s eyesight was restored after consuming Prasad from a temple. Junaid had lost his eyesight in childhood. He was married in 2019 to a girl from the Bindki area of Kanpur. When the girl’s family learned about Junaid’s faith in Hinduism, they became very angry. After adopting Hinduism, Junaid began receiving death threats from his in-laws.

On June 9, 2023, he filed a complaint with the police. Junaid stated, “Wearing saffron clothes brings us peace. Hindus have always been good to us. We have lived among them for a long time. Lord Ganesha has been very auspicious for us and has been present in our home for the past five years. The only problem is with the in-laws, who are threatening to kill us.”

23. Ghar Wapsi of former Pakistani Social Media Influencer

On 15th June 2023, social media influencer Mohammad Shayan Ali announced his conversion to Hinduism. In a tweet, he spoke about his ‘Ghar Wapsi’ to the faith. Shayan Ali stated that he fell into depression after having to leave his country due to torture by Pakistani agencies. It was during this time that he felt embraced by Lord Krishna. He also mentioned his plans to come to India soon.

He posted on his X handle, “After observing my ancestors’ culture and lifestyle for the last 2 years, today I am officially announcing my “Ghar Wapsi.” Thanks to ISKCON for never giving up on me. After I had to leave Pakistan in 2019 because of the torture by Pakistani agencies, I went into depression and was about to give up, but then “Krishna” held my hand, and now it’s time to give it back and make my ancestors proud.   I will very soon be visiting my homeland, India, where my grandparents and all my ancestors were born, and will merge myself into my own “Mitti” and “People” because at the end: “Ghar toh Ghar hota haa”.”

He added, “As a Sanatani, I want to make it very clear that I will not be a part of any hatred against any other religion. I respect your beliefs, and I want you to respect mine because my Gita teaches me to respect every person no matter what his or her religion is!   On this special day, I also want to apologize to anyone whom I have hurt intentionally or unintentionally in my whole life because I don’t want to start this beautiful journey in my life by hurting people. Today, I feel very proud of myself for coming back to my roots, and I hope my ancestors would be feeling the same.”

24. Ayesha of Muzaffarnagar became Asha

A Muslim girl from the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh embraced Hinduism in a ‘Ghar Wapsi’ ceremony. Ayesha married a Hindu man named Ravi on 16th June 2023, in Faridabad. Now known as Asha, she released a video expressing her happiness and stating that the decision was made of her own free will.

Ayesha, originally from the Titawi area in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, travelled to Delhi with Ravi. On June 16, 2023, they applied for marriage at the Arya Samaj Vedic Sanskar Trust in the Tis Hazari area, providing all necessary proof of their legal age. Ayesha mentioned that her relationship with Ravi was eight years old. Their marriage was finally solemnised at the Arya Samaj Temple according to Vedic rituals. Before the wedding, Ayesha converted to Hinduism and was given the new name, Asha.

25. Shehnaz of Bareilly became Aarohi

Shahnaz, from Dhahri village in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, was a devotee of Lord Krishna since her childhood and actively participated in Hindu religious activities. In 2018, she married but faced divorce two months later when her husband pronounced triple talaq upon discovering her Hindu worship practices. Post-divorce, Shahnaz faced hatred from both her in-laws and her own family due to her religious beliefs.

Shehnaz did Ghar Wapsi and became Aarohi to marry Pawan. Image Source: mahanvanitimes.com

Reconnecting with her childhood friend Pawan from the same village, who stood by her during these challenging times, their friendship turned into love. On June 19, 2023, Shahnaz returned to Hinduism at the Agastya Muni Ashram in Bareilly, marrying Pawan and adopting the name Aarohi.

26. Shabana of Kaushambi became Rajni to marry Babloo

On 2nd July 2023, in the village of Alawpur within the Karari Kotwali police station area of Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh, Shabana converted to Hinduism and married a Hindu man, Babloo, in a temple. Upon embracing Hinduism, Shabana changed her name to Rajni and chose Babloo as her life partner. The two had been in a romantic relationship for the past four years. Their families became aware of this relationship six months before the marriage and initially put pressure on them, but Babloo and Shabana remained firm on their decision to marry each other.

Shabana did Ghar Wapsi and became Rajni and married Babloo. Image Source: UP Tak

Shabana is originally from Mahoba, while Babloo hails from Kaushambi. About four years ago, they met while working at a brick kiln in Prayagraj, where their friendship blossomed into love. Shabana adopted Hinduism and took the name Rajni before marrying Babloo in a temple ceremony. Shabana’s brother and sister-in-law also attended the wedding. After the ceremony, they returned to Mahoba.

27. Ghar Wapsi of Ashish who became Sheikh Mohammad for a Bangladeshi girl

On 5th July 2023, a case came to light in Jetpur of Rajkot district in Gujarat, where a Hindu youth named Ashish Goswami converted to Islam, influenced by a Bangladeshi Muslim girl he met on Instagram. He had adopted Islam to marry this girl. However, after persuasion and counselling from Hindu organisations and religious leaders, he returned to his original faith.

Ashish Goswami was in conversation with a Muslim girl from Bangladesh on Instagram. Influenced by her, he started watching videos of Zakir Naik, a fugitive Islamic fundamentalist. About six months prior, he converted to Islam to marry her and changed his name to Sheikh Mohammad Alsami. After his conversion, he left his home and started living in a mosque, becoming a devout Muslim who prayed five times a day.

Two Muslim youths took Aashish to a hospital for circumcision. On receiving information about this, members of Hindu organisations reached the hospital to try and persuade him. Initially, Ashish was not ready to listen to anyone. However, later, activists from the Hindu organisation successfully managed to bring him back to Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism).

28. Shaista became Seema to marry Ram Avtar

In the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman embraced Hinduism and married a Hindu man. Her name is Shaista Ali, and she is now known as Seema after her Ghar Wapsi. Seema chose Ram Avtar as her husband. Originally from Badaun, Ram Avtar currently resides in Noida. Shaista’s family had filed an FIR against Ram Avtar and Shaista.

Both were presented in court, where Shaista, providing proof of being an adult, expressed her desire to live with Ram Avtar. She also informed the court that she had married Ram Avtar and accepted Hinduism. Identifying herself as Seema, she presented evidence of her marriage to the court. Following the court’s order, the police safely sent Ram Avtar and his wife, Shaista (now Seema), to Noida.

29. Shaanam Khatoon of Shamli became Shalini to marry Roopak

In Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Gurjarpur village under the Jhinjhana police station area, Shaanam Khatun from Gurjarpur and Roopak from the nearby village of Machrauli had been in a love affair for about one and a half years. They both wanted to get married. However, the girl’s family was not in agreement. On 24th July 2023, the couple got married in a temple.

Shaanam Khatoon did Ghar Wapsi and became Shalini and married Roopak. Image Source: Amar Ujala

The girl’s family had accused Roopak of kidnapping their daughter. The girl, denying the kidnapping claims, gave statements in favour of the young man. Following this, the police released them. Shaanam stated about her Ghar Wapsi that her ancestors were once Hindus. Therefore, she adopted Hinduism and married Roopak. She also mentioned facing issues with orthodox Muslims, which led her to choose Roopak as her life partner without any pressure. Now, she lives with Roopak.

30. Farzana becomes Saraswati

On 25th July 2023, a Muslim young woman named Farzana from the village of Gahluiya in the Shergarh area of Bareilly district married a Hindu young man, Virendra Kashyap, from the neighbouring village of Madhopur, following Vedic rituals in a temple. The couple had been in a romantic relationship for about three years. Farzana also initiated legal processes to adopt Hinduism and requested the administration for her and her husband’s safety.

The couple tried to convince their families. However, Farzana’s family refused to listen and instead imposed restrictions on their meeting. The couple went ahead and got married in a temple in Bareilly. In the affidavit for the marriage, Farzana declared herself as an adult, stating her age as 23 and attaching her Aadhaar card for proof. She described her marriage to 32-year-old Virendra as free from any pressure or temptation. Farzana has requested to be called Saraswati henceforth.

31. Ghar Wapsi of tribals in Jharkhand

On 28th July 2023, in the Kumhari Jhapatoli village of Basiya block in Gumla district, Jharkhand, 20 individuals from the tribal community who had previously converted to Christianity returned to their original faith of Hinduism. These people had converted to Christianity about two years ago after coming into contact with Christian missionaries. However, they reclaimed their original faith through proper rituals and worship.

The Christian missionaries had initially enticed the simple and unsuspecting tribal people of the village into conversion by promising to cure illnesses. Two years ago, many families in the village had converted to Christianity. The reversion to their original faith – the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ – was facilitated with the help of the Hindu Janjagaran Manch of Jharkhand. The tribal families are reportedly very happy and enthusiastic after returning to their original faith.

32. Nafisa of Bulandshahar became Hindu to marry Kuldeep Thakur

In Noida, Uttar Pradesh, a young Muslim woman named Nafeesa converted to Hinduism to marry her partner, Kuldeep Thakur. Originally from the Kotwali Dehat region in Bulandshahr, Nafeesa left her home on August 8, 2023, to be with her beloved. A case was initially filed by Nafeesa’s brother against an unidentified person. However, in her statement to the police, the 22-year-old woman affirmed that Kuldeep Thakur is her husband and expressed her desire to stay with him.

She provided legal proof of their court marriage. Nafeesa also made it clear that she has severed ties with the Muslim religion. The investigation revealed that Nafeesa, who is 26 years old, and Kuldeep Thakur met through Facebook. Their acquaintance blossomed into love, leading them to the decision to marry.

33. Doctor Alima of Assam converted to Hinduism

In Assam, a woman doctor named Alima Akhtar, who is part of the staff at Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, embraced Hinduism. Alima reported that she has received death threats from her own family. She attributed these threats to two ‘mistakes’ she made. The first was her decision to convert to Hinduism, and the second was her choice not to marry an older Maulana.

Dr Alima also mentioned that her family’s insistence on her marrying the Maulana was motivated by the promise of paradise. She claimed that she did not agree with this notion, which led her to distance herself from her family.

34. Ghar Wapsi in Uttarakhand

On 3rd September 2023, in the Pauri district of Uttarakhand, two Muslim brothers named Armaan and Ismail underwent a Ghar Wapsi ritual. They embraced Hinduism at an Arya Samaj temple amidst Vedic chants. Armaan’s new name is Aryan, and Ismail has been renamed Ankush. Their mother, who is Hindu, stated that she never sent her sons to a mosque. Armaan, aged 20, and Ismail, aged 24, are residents of Sadar Bazaar, near the military area of Lansdowne.

Ghar Wapsi of two brothers in Pauri Uttarakhand. Image Source: Dainik Jagran

Declaring themselves as adults, the brothers applied for their return to the Hindu faith at the Arya Samaj temple on Najibabad Road in Kotdwar. The Arya Samaj temple verified their documents and conducted a purification ritual for them. Following the proper procedures, they also performed a ‘havan’ with Vedic mantras. After the ceremonies, both brothers expressed their happiness in embracing Sanatan Dharma. Their sisters are also married to Hindus.

35. 70 Muslims in Muzaffarnagar came back to Hinduism

On 23rd September 2023, in the Baghra block of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, 70 individuals from 10 families of the Jogi community collectively renounced Islam and returned to Hinduism at the Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram. This group included children, women, young adults, and the elderly. About 10 years ago, they were all converted to Islam, influenced by a cleric and a Muslim leader. The decision for conversion back then was instigated by a maulvi (Islamic cleric) and a local Muslim leader.

Those who returned to Hinduism accused the maulvi of using intimidation, threats, and enticements for conversion. The purification ceremony for all the individuals took place at the Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram. During the event, they performed a ‘havan’ amidst Vedic chants and expressed their immense happiness with the decision.

36. Ghar Wapsi in Ghaziabad

On 29th September 2023, in the Sahibabad area of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, four people, including a child, abandoned Islam and embraced Hinduism at the Bhojpuria Temple. The conversion back to Hinduism was facilitated by an organisation named ‘Hindu Raksha Dal’ through a Vedic ritual involving a ‘yajna-havan’ (fire ritual) at the local temple. Those who returned to Hinduism expressed their happiness at rejoining the Sanatan Dharma.

They stated that their ancestors had converted to Islam under some compulsion, but now, realising the mistake, they have decided to revert to Hinduism. They also vowed not to repeat such a mistake in the future and to continue following the principles of Sanatan Dharma.

37. Another Ghar Wapsi in the Agastya Muni Ashram of Bareilly

On October 1, 2023, in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Uzma embraced Hinduism and underwent a homecoming ritual. She was renamed Urmila. Urmila married a man named Bhagirath following Vedic traditions at the Agatsya Muni Ashram. Both Uzma and Bhagirath are originally from Pilibhit district. Bhagirath hails from Hulkari Dakiya in the Neoria police station area, while Uzma is from the Husainpur area of the same district. They were mutually attracted from their first meeting, and soon their relationship deepened into love, leading them to plan for marriage.

Uzma did Ghar Wapsi and became Urmila to marry Bhagirath. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi

When Uzma informed her father Iqbal about her relationship with Bhagirath, she faced threats to her life. Subsequently, the couple arrived at the Bareilly Agatsya Muni Ashram with all the necessary documents. Here, Pandit KK Shankhdhar verified their documents. After confirming the legality of the papers and Uzma’s adulthood, her re-conversion to Hinduism was facilitated. She was then renamed Urmila, and the couple was married amid Vedic chants at the Ashram. Urmila expressed her deep faith in Hinduism, mentioning that she is a devotee of Lord Shiva.

38. Shabana became Shivani to marry Arvind

On 3rd October 2023, Shabana, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, converted to Hinduism and married her lover Arvind. After leaving Islam, she changed her name to Shivani. Shivani and Arvind got married in a Hindu ceremony at the Agastya Muni Ashram in Madhinath, Bareilly. The wedding was conducted by Pandit KK Shankhdhar following a purification ritual. After marrying Arvind, Shivani spoke openly about Islam. She criticised the religion for its treatment of women, claiming that women are seen as mere child-bearing machines in Islam. She mentioned her mother died giving birth, and she is the only sister among eight brothers.

Shabana did Ghar Wapsi and became Shivani to marry Arvind. Image Source: ABP News

The 21-year-old spoke against practices like triple talaq, polygamy, the burqa, the hijab, and halala, considering these practices negative aspects of Islam. She pointed out that while Muslim women are required to wear hijabs and burqas, Hinduism imposes no such restrictions. Shivani believes that Hinduism offers more respect and honour to women. She shared her devotion to Hinduism, particularly to Lord Shiva, and practised chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra. Shivani is originally from Bhagwantapur in Faridpur. Arvind is from the neighbouring village of Kairua, about one kilometre away.

39. Khushboo Bano undergoes Ghar Wapsi to marry Vikas

On 11th October 2023, in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman, Khushboo Bano, reverted to Hinduism. Now known simply as Khushboo, she married a man named Vishal. Their wedding was held at the Agatsya Muni Ashram and was conducted amidst Vedic chants. Khushboo mentioned that her ancestors had converted to Islam under the duress of Islamic invaders.

Khushboo Bano did Ghar Wapsi and became Hindu to marry Arvind. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar

Khushboo and Vishal first connected on social media around four years ago. After a brief period of communication, they fell in love. When Khushboo’s family objected to the relationship and imposed restrictions on her, Vishal reached out to an organisation named Hindu Sher Sena. This organisation facilitated the couple’s introduction to the Agatsya Muni Ashram. Finally, the couple’s wedding was solemnised by Vedic rituals and chants.

40. Fiza became Chahat to marry Ankit

On 28th October 2023, Fiza Jahan, an 18-year-old Muslim girl from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh embraced Hinduism, adopting the name Chahat Valmiki, and married Ankit, her neighbour and longtime love interest, with whom she had been in a relationship since four years. Their marriage was solemnised at an Arya Samaj temple in the Jewar region of Noida. This event followed Fiza’s decision to undergo a Ghar Wapsi ritual as per Vedic traditions, signifying her commitment to Sanatan Dharma.

Fiza did Ghar Wapsi and married Ankit. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi

The ceremony was conducted with full adherence to Hindu rituals, including the performance of a havan. The couple’s journey to marriage faced challenges, as Fiza’s relationship with Ankit led to restrictions being placed on her by her family. However, they reached the temple in Noida, where their legal age was confirmed by the priest, facilitating their rightful and traditional wedding ceremony.

41. Gulafsha of Delhi became Sneha Rajput

A Muslim girl from Delhi, Gulafsha, converted to Hinduism and is now known as Sneha Rajput. She married a young man named Aakash Rajput from Delhi in July 2023. Their wedding took place in Kota, Rajasthan. The couple had been in love for three years. Sneha, formerly Gulafsha, expressed her happiness in embracing Hinduism.

Additionally, she revealed that her father, Suleman, had inappropriate intentions towards her. Gulafsha further disclosed that her father was involved in an affair with another woman. In times of disputes at her home, it was Aakash who was often called to mediate and resolve the issues.

42. Ghar Wapsi of 310 converted Christians in Jaunpur

On 5th November 2023, in the village of Sarsara in the Barsathi area of Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, 36 families who had converted from Hinduism to Christianity a decade ago returned to Hinduism. A Ghar Wapsi ceremony was conducted for all according to Vedic rituals. The total number of individuals who reverted was 310, including members from 5 families who were previously following Muslim traditions. Most of these families belonged to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category. The event was organised by the ‘Sant Ravidas Dharm Raksha Samiti.’

The group returning to Sanatan Dharma included women, children, and elderly people. They acknowledged that they had left Hinduism due to being misled. During the program, those who returned to Hinduism removed crosses from their necks and discarded Bibles from their homes. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad presented them with holy Gangajal and Hanuman Chalisa, explaining the virtues of Sanatan Dharma. The organisers and the participants collectively engaged in a havan ritual.

43. Muskan Siddiqui of Shahjahanpur married Shishupal Maurya

On November 10, 2023, a 23-year-old woman named Muskan Siddiqui from Katra in Shahjahanpur embraced Hinduism in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. Muskan, who married a Hindu man, Shishupal Maurya, is now known as Muskan Maurya. Shishupal Maurya resides in Maholi Chadiya village, under the jurisdiction of Maholi police station in Sitapur. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, while working at a factory, the two of them grew close to each other. She explained that her decision to return to Hinduism was influenced by witnessing the brutality inflicted on Israeli women by Hamas terrorists.

Muskan did Ghar Wapsi and became Hindu to marry Shishupal Maurya. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi

The wedding process was overseen by Vikas Hindu, the president of the ‘National Hindu Sher Sena’. The marriage ceremony, conducted at the Kali Temple in the Ramkot police station area, was organised by the Arya Samaj. Muskan stated that the cruelty of Hamas towards Israeli women and the obscenity she saw in Islam were key reasons for her conversion to Hinduism.

44. Ghar Wapsi of Asif and Sumaiya in Ghaziabad

On November 26, 2023, in the Bhopura area of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, two members of a Muslim family underwent a Ghar Wapsi ceremony at a temple. A young man named Asif, through this ceremony, has now become Akash Chauhan, while his wife Sumaiya Khatun is now known as Priya. This couple chanted “Jai Shri Ram” amidst the sounds of holy Shankh and Vedic hymns at the temple, and pledged to live their life according to Sanatan Dharma. Asif and Sumaiya performed the havan rituals as well. This Ghar Wapsi program was conducted by an organisation named Hindu Raksha Dal.

Asif, originally from Loni, runs a taxi business. He had been requesting Pinky Chaudhary, the president of Hindu Raksha Dal, to help him convert to Hinduism for quite some time. Asif was married to Sumaiya Khatun five years ago, and they have a son. Sumaiya had been influenced by Hinduism from the beginning. Asif, now Akash Chauhan, said, “I found Sanatan Dharma to be the best and most pure. Islam is not a religion. Their practices of incest marriages are pointless.” Sumaiya, now Priya Chauhan, also expressed her happiness, saying, “Hinduism is the best. There is nothing in Islam. They just give divorce in three words of triple talaq.”

45. Afreen became Nisha to marry Prince Gupta

On 27th November 2023, in the Seuta area of Tambaur in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl underwent a Ghar Wapsi ceremony at the Devi Sonasar Temple. The girl, named Afreen, is now known as Nisha. Nisha married a boy named Prince Gupta in a Hindu ceremony amidst Vedic chants. Apart from Prince’s family, members of Hindu organisations also attended the wedding.

Prince Gupta works for a private company in Haridwar. He met Afreen, who is from the Katra area of Shahjahanpur district. They fell in love and decided to get married. When Afreen’s father learned about her relationship with Prince, he imposed various restrictions on her. Ultimately, with the help of Hindu organisations, both of them got married.

46. Sufiya becomes Anjali to marry Vijay

On 5th December 2023, in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Sufiya embraced Hinduism through a homecoming ceremony. She was renamed ‘Anjali’. Adopting Hinduism, she chose Vijay as her life partner and they married according to Vedic customs at Tikra Temple.

Vijay and Sufiya had known each other for a long time and were in a romantic relationship. The wedding took place in the presence of members of VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) and Bajrang Dal. Sufiya expressed that she feels free in Sanatan Dharma and highlighted that Sanatan Dharma does not impose any restrictions.

47. Nikhat became Neha to marry Himanshu

On December 8, 2023, in the Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Nikhat underwent a Ghar Wapsi ritual. She embraced Hinduism and is now known as Neha. Along with this, Nikhat married a Hindu man named Himanshu. Nikhat was already married to Jamal Mustafa and a mother of one child. Before marrying Himanshu, she divorced her husband. Himanshu hails from the Chhibramau area of Kannauj district. He frequently visited Saiyadbara, located near his village where Nikhat lived with her husband Jamal Mustafa and son Rihan.

Nikhat did Ghar Wapsi and became Neha to marry Himanshu. Image Source: Sudarshan News

About two years ago, Himanshu and Nikhat started talking and soon fell in love. They decided to marry and live together. Despite divorcing her husband Jamal Mustafa, Nikhat’s family was not ready for her marriage to Himanshu. Eventually, Nikhat and her son Rihan reached the Maa Durga Temple in Vidhuna Bazaar, Kannauj. Here, after a Ghar Wapsi ceremony, Nikhat adopted Hinduism and married Himanshu.

48. Shabiya became Sita to marry Sanjay

On 27th December 2023, in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Shabiya married her Hindu boyfriend, Sanjay, despite opposition from her family. After her Ghar Wapsi, Shabiya was renamed Sita. The wedding, attended by members of Bajrang Dal and other Hindu nationalist organisations, took place at Tambeshwar Shiv Temple. 20-year-old Shabiya is from Naratoli village in the Bahua block of Fatehpur, while 22-year-old Sanjay hails from the neighbouring village of Sonbarsa.

Shabiya did Ghar Wapsi and became Sita to marry Sanjay. Image Source: ETV Bharat

The couple had been in a relationship for three years, facing resistance from Shabiya’s family. Initially, they planned a court marriage, but disruptions by Shabiya’s relatives led to the ceremony being conducted at the temple with the involvement of Bajrang Dal associates. Bajrang Dal activists also extended legal and financial help to them.

49. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev administers Ghar Wapsi of 101 converted families

On 24th December 2023, in Korba, Chhattisgarh, the ‘Dharma Sena’ successfully facilitated the return of 101 families to Hinduism through proper rituals. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev honoured those who reverted, washing their feet with holy Gangajal, greeting them with folded hands, and congratulating them on their Ghar Wapsi.

In Katghora, Chhattisgarh, a grand ceremony was held by Dharma Sena, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Arya Samaj, and various social organisations. This event was marked by the respect shown to community leaders in the presence of Sanatan devotees. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev has so far administered the Ghar Wapsi of hundreds of people in Chhattisgarh.

50. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev brings 8 more families to Sanatan Dharma

On 29th December 2023, Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated Ghar Wapsi of 8 families at Pathalgaon in Chhattisgarh. The program was held at the holy land of Kilkileshwar Dham. This was the second Ghar Wapsi program he administered in a week

Prabal Pratap Singh Judev shared from his X handle, “Religious conversion is the root of changing the national character. With the immense compassion of His Holiness 1008 Kilkileshwar Baba, members of 8 families returned to Hinduism in a ceremony held at the holy land of Kilkileshwar Dham, Pathalgaon (Chhattisgarh) to give a befitting reply to the anti-national-forces. I am determined to continue Ghar Wapsi to protect Sanatan throughout my life. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Dharma Jagran, Arya Samaj, and Kilkileshwar Dham Trust.

Ravish Kumar launches unhinged rant again, whines about Indian media’s focus on Ram Mandir instead of anti-Modi propaganda in foreign papers

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
-
0
Ravish Kumar launches unhinged rant again, whines about Indian media’s focus on Ram Mandir instead of anti-Modi propaganda in foreign papers

A confused video title on YouTube, relying on a rhetorical source for news, and venting frustrations in the name of commentary, Ravish Kumar’s sense of journalism itself has taken a big hit more than his career after leaving NDTV.

Ravish Kumar is amongst the most hurted individuals from the the anti-Hindu and anti-national ecosystem. The former NDTV anchor has published a video on his YouTube channel titled ‘iPhone, Adani aur Ayodhya. Kya hai aapas mein connection? (iPhone, Adani aur Ayodhya. What is their connection?)’

In the video, Ravish is whining and ranting against the Ram Mandir and the coverage given to it by the Indian, mostly Hindi, media. He tried to create a news angle based on a report published by the Washington Post which accused the Indian government of targeting Apple for the security alerts it issued to some individuals including Opposition leaders.

Ravish said that Indian newspapers assume silence whenever Adani’s name arises and that as soon as Ayodhya is mentioned, they start chanting Ram Ram. He then says that the report in Washington Post shows that not everything is alright in Ram’s country (India).

Ravish implies that by not heeding to a foreign media’s motivated and manipulated news against the Modi government, Indian news media is breathing its last breaths of freedom to speak. Ravish and his ilk have often followed this process themselves.

That is the process of relying on leftist global media, Chinese media and Islamist media for news to manipulate Indians against India. Given just how hurt Ravish Kumar appears that the Indian media has not picked up on WaPo’s allegations against the Indian government, it becomes clearer why Ravish and the section of journalists he represents have been called Indian agents of anti-India and anti-Hindu foreign enterprises.

He then highlights the feature image of WaPo’s report which shows a cut out of PM Modi giving a thumbs up and the thumb has been placed on an image of iPhone coloured in saffron. The caption below the iPhone reads, “Alert! State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone.”

The image basically implies that the iPhone has been hacked by the Modi government, with the saffron representing his party, the BJP. From the looks of it, to Ravish, this image probably seems like the epitome of ideal journalism. But, it is really just a well-edited image to form a narrative using optics.

It is surprising how Ravish’s journalism relies to a large extent on what the foreign media reports. His 21 minute 39 second long rant has taken WaPo’s word as gospel. On what grounds? No one knows.

Then again, Ravish Kumar has never required grounds or basis to weave his narratives. As long as the information is against PM Modi, BJP and Hindus at large, that does it for him.

But what has pinched Ravish Kumar this time more than others is that Ram Mandir has been getting significant coverage, something that he does not approve of as against coverage to foreign media’s allegations against India, something that he does approve of.

Ravish’s unapologetic allegiance to foreign media runs so deep that he has ended up disapproving of the attention that Ram Mandir is being given. In his video, he then shows cutouts of various Hindi newspapers with headlines on Ram Mandir.

He goes on to dissect the news about the consecration on 22nd January 2024 and points out in a sour tone how the event is to be organised. Ravish admits in clear terms his objection to PM Modi’s presence at the upcoming event. He does not shy away from expressing his apparent frustration that the Prime Minister is likely to receive more media coverage than WaPo’s targeting of the Indian government.

Ravish admittedly has a problem with the fact that Prime Minister Modi will be in the sanctum sanctorum at the backside to the left when Ram ji’s eyes will be uncovered. He spends over a minute to narrate how problematic the specifications of PM’s position in the Ram Mandir is during the event.

For someone who has criticised Hindus, Hinduism, Hindu symbols, Ravish Kumar might seem like he is concerned about the Ram Mandir so much that he ends up criticising the temple itself. But further into the video one realises that it is actually the coverage that PM Modi is garnering that is bothering Ravish Kumar.

Ravish moves on to another report which credits RSS in the headline on Pran Pratishtha. He calls it politicisation. RSS is a Hindu organisation albeit not actively a political entity.

There comes a point in the video, at exactly 10 minute, when Ravish objects to the use of the word ‘sambodhan’ (address) in a headline of a Hindi newspaper. He finds it objectionable that the word ‘sambodhan’ has been used instead of ‘bhaashan’ (lecture). At this point, Ravish is not even subtle in his criticism.

His use of the word ‘bhaashan’ when the headline says ‘sambodhan’ is actually a taunt at PM Modi’s speech. Hiding under this taunt is the want to silence Modi because to the ecosystem, every word Modi speaks is ‘bhaashan’.

Ravish moves on to full-flegedly criticise Hindi news media. He points out how, as per him, urdu words have been replaced with Hindi words after 2014. He says that this change has come about not with the people’s recommendations but has rather been imposed by the newspapers on the people.

It must be admitted that it is not easy to put up with the entire video published by the former NDTV anchor, or the former journalist so to speak. As he gets closer to driving his point home, Ravish suggests that the various programmes and campaigns being organised across the country for Ram Mandir are being used to inject a political agenda into Indian villages.

The video then talks about Rahul Gandhi. The abrupt cut from Modi and Ram Mandir bashing to Gandhi-Congress scion makes it seem that Ravish himself has never done any production work while being in TV news. He is not fooling anyone but pre-existing haters.

Ravish implies in the video that the Bharat Nyay Yatra is being organised because Rahul Gandhi has understood that the Ram Mandir coverage will take away all attention from him and hence he will have to reach out to the people by traveling, in buses, for 2 months, across 14 states and 85 districts. Makes sense.

For all we know, Ravish Kumar is giving Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Yatra the media coverage which it did not receive as expected. Painting a larger-than-life picture, Ravish says that on one hand, the people will be taken to Ayodhya in thousands of trains (mocking the 1000 trains organised for devotees to travel to Ayodhya for inauguration) while Rahul Gandhi will be marching alone amongst the people.

Ravish thinks this is representative of the fragmentation of Indian politics and will go down in history. Ravish vents out saying that the ‘result’ and ‘impact’ of Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Nyay Yatra have no place for discussion in the media because those places “will be filled with Ram naam”.

Ravish uses defaming terms like “rajniti ki Ayodhya” (the Ayodhya of politics). He rants about how the upcoming 2024 elections will be easiest for Modi to win because, he thinks, they are not being fought on key issues.

Surprising attempt at insulting Ayodhya city by a former senior anchor who five years ago was criticising PM Modi in his primetime debate for not tweeting about the Yogi government’s decision to rename Faizabad to Ayodhya.

Like a morose Congress, Ravish too is crying foul over Ram Mandir celebrations. He specifically named Dainik Jagran, Bhaskar, Hindustan and Amar Ujala, for their coverage of Ram Mandir.

His resentment knew no bounds. He says that while Jagran and Ujala can be read for news about Ayodhya but one will have to read WaPo for news on Adani. “Ho sakta ki hai ki ab jahaaz pakadkar Amrica hi jana pad jaaye (It could be that one would have to go to America itself),” he says.

It is appalling how Ravish, who has anchored primetime debates on NDTV in Hindi, has openly attacked Hindi newspapers and holds WaPo as the yardstrick by which true journalism must be measured. Who would have thought that Ravish Kumar, who has projected himself as a self-made man from Bihar with a poor background, would have hints of elitism in him.

Ravish Kumar creates suspicion that the Modi government is trying to drive out Apple from the Indian market. He then casts aspersion that Apple might also be made to settle with the government. This is to suggest that if the matter does get resolved amicably then the only reason for it would be that the government made Apple to collude with it.

After this point, Ravish furthers his imaginery journalistic interrogation saying that if Apple does reach a settlement with the government to resolve the issue then what will it do about its promise to its consumers that its iPhone is the most secure.

Ravish Kumar’s hatred towards Ram Mandir goes back years. A cursory search will show you old videos of him from his NDTV days wherein he describes Ram as imaginary and separate from the truth.

In October, Ravish blamed the Modi government for the war in Gaza saying that India is not attempting to bring peace in the region. It is to the effect of all the above points that netizens identify the former NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar as a ‘YouTuber’ who at a loss for news and is limited to outraging.

Rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sues propagandist YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh for defamation

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sues propagandist YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh for defamation

YouTuber and former journalist Shyam Meera Singh is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by the leader of the spiritual organisation ‘Dera Sacha Sauda.’ He received a legal notice on 29th December on a plea by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan which was filed in response to a video dubbed “How Gurmeet Ram Rahim Fooled his Bhakts”.

The thumbnail of the YouTube video read “Ram Rahim’s real truth”. It was uploaded Shyam Meera Singh on his official YouTube channel on 17th December. The plaintiff has demanded financial recompense for the alleged slander in addition to pursuing that the controversial footage be taken down.

The video’s description alleged, “Curious case of Gurmeet Ram Rahim: Explore the shocking revelations surrounding Gurmeet Ram Rahim as we delve into the intriguing story of how he cunningly deceived his devoted followers. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan known also as MSG, has been the head of the Indian social group Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) since 1990. He is a religious leader, social worker, actor, singer, writer, songwriter, director, and composer. In addition to a 2017 rape conviction, He was also convicted of being involved in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. In this video, We will uncover the manipulative tactics employed by the controversial spiritual leader that led his bhakts astray.”

YouTube was also delivered a notice after Justice Shalinder Kaur heard the case. The court stated that notice must be sent by WhatsApp and email. The case was then scheduled for another hearing the following day. Attorney Rajat Aneja represented Ram Rahim and alleged that Shyam Meera Singh was a repeat offender who failed to remove the video even after receiving a legal notice. He cited a post on 24th December on X (Twitter) in which the journalist admitted receiving a notification but declared he would not remove the video and would instead take the matter to court. The counsel contended that the video was slanderous and insulting.

The lawyer argued, “He used to be a journalist with Aaj Tak but he was fired for insulting the Prime Minister. An FIR has also been filed against him in Uttar Pradesh for insulting the state’s Chief minister.” After reviewing the matter, the court announced that it would give notice and hold proceedings for the next day. Shyam Meera Singh was not represented in court during the hearing. Advocate Shriya Chanda filed the lawsuit on behalf of the client and Rajat Aneja presented the case.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for the rape of two disciples. Furthermore, he is serving a life sentence for his role in the 2002 killings of Dera Manager Ranjit Singh and Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Recently, Ram Rahim Singh’s attorney sent a legal notification to the journalist regarding the matter. Shyam Meera Singh posted, “Congratulations to my YouTube followers, a third legal notice has been sent in just over a month. Baba Ram Rahim is the one who has issued me this legal notification. I am required to take down the video on Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Supporters of Ram Rahim have been leaving mass comments on my video for the past few days. I realised something was going on.”

Shyam Meera Singh further mentioned, “His attorney has finally presented me with a legal notice today to take down the footage,” and alleged that journalist Chhatrapati from Sirsa was murdered by the spiritual leader and he was found culpable of the crime. He added, “I gladly accept the crime of telling that journalist’s story. I would like to fight the case but will not remove the video.”

Notably, Shyam Meera Singh was employed at the popular Hindi news channel Aaj Tak before he was dismissed in 2021 for his derogatory comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The media outlet stated in the termination letter that he had continued to express his opinions on social media platforms in violation of their social media policy, even after receiving two formal warnings in the past.

“You should marry Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Your thoughts are similar, your hearts will likewise connect and you won’t even need to change your surname. As they say, changing your name will not change your game,” the journalist wrote in August of this year which resulted in a First Information Report (FIR) against him in Ghaziabad. However, the tweet was later deleted. He made the remark in reference to a clip featuring model and actress Sherlyn Chopra in which she stated that she is prepared to wed former Congress president Rahul Gandhi but she would not alter her last name after the marriage in response to a question by the media. 

In September 2023, he attacked the faith of a Republic TV journalist named Shweta Singh on social media and mocked Hinduism by commenting that Lord Krishna had 16 thousand wives and Draupadi had five husbands. “Which type of Hindu are you,” he questioned while taking a jab at her and insinuating that she must have been in a polygamous relationship by virtue of her religion. This provided an opportunity for Islamists like Radio Jockey (RJ) Sayema who reacted to the tweet with laughing emoticons.

Sonia Gandhi ‘might’ attend Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, a final decision later; here’s how Congress mocked Ram Mandir in the past, claiming ‘Ram does not exist’

Siddhi Somani
-
0
Sonia Gandhi ‘might’ attend Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, a final decision later; here’s how Congress mocked Ram Mandir in the past, claiming ‘Ram does not exist’

As the day of the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya draws closer, it is widely anticipated that Congress’ Sonia Gandhi might attend the event scheduled to take place on 22nd January. The information was obtained by Congress sources quoted by NDTV.  

“The decision will be taken and communicated at the appropriate time,” said Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh.

As per the reports, Gandhi, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and the party’s Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had been invited to the event, which has become the focal point of the country’s political discourse in the run-up to a general election in less than four months.

The Congress’ Digvijaya Singh had previously stated that either Gandhi – who he described as “very positive on this” – or a delegation would attend the ceremony, which will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress party is said to have made its decision on this politically sensitive issue after extensive discussions with its allies, including those in the I.N.D.I. Alliance opposition bloc, especially the Indian Union Muslim League.

The Congress is said to have justified its choice as a necessary tightrope walk ahead of the election. The Congress believed that not attending the Ram Temple event would give the BJP a lethal weapon that could be used to attack Gandhi’s party and, by extension, its I.N.D.I Alliance ally before the election.

The Congress party has also distanced itself from the comments of Sam Pitroda, who had said that too much importance is being given to religion through the Ram Mandir and that democracy is being undermined. Jairam Ramesh said that Sam Pitroda’s statement is not an official statement of Congress, he doesn’t speak on behalf of the Congress party.

Opposition parties turning down invitation to consecration ceremony

Earlier, several opposition political parties have turned down the invitation to attend the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony at Ayodhya. On 27th December, NCP chief Sharad Pawar stated that he was not invited to the inauguration ceremony but would not go even if he were invited to the event.

The CPIM and CPI also made their positions clear; earlier this week, Brinda Karat stated that her party would not participate in what she described as “using religion as a political weapon.” “No, we will not go. We respect the religious beliefs… but they are connecting a religious program with politics… it is not right,” she said.

Also, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated that she would not attend the inauguration ceremony. “There is no question of Mamata Banerjee or any other representative of the TMC attending the Ram Mandir inauguration at Ayodhya next month. We don’t believe in mixing politics with religion,” a senior party leader was quoted as saying.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury further turned down an invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) called the ceremony a private event by BJP and said that would visit the Ram Mandir after the BJP’s event is over.

“This is all politics, who wants to attend an event by the BJP? This is not a national event. This is BJP’s program, this is BJP’s rally. ‘Usme pavitrata kahan hai?’…We will visit (Ayodhya) after BJP’s program is over,” Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut said.

Congress leaders mocked Ram Mandir, insulted Lord Rama

It is to be recalled how Congress leaders and its allies have refused to believe in the existence of Lord Rama and mocked the construction of the Ram temple. Recently, DMK leader TKS Elangovan described Lord Rama’s birth as ‘mythology’ and alleged that the BJP was trying to replace history with mythology.

“They have demolished history and replaced it with mythology. Any country should be proud of its history, it should know the history. Ram’s birth is mythology, it is a story from Ramayana. It is literature. They want to replace history with mythology. That is what the BJP is trying to do. With these people in power, what can we expect?… He wants to make use of it as a political tool. He is not interested in Ram. BJP does not consider Ram as an important thing but their political gain becomes important so they are making use of Ram for their political gains,” the leader was quoted as saying.

Also, in June 2023, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘mentor’ Sam Pitroda mocked the Hindu deities while accusing the BJP of focusing only on religious matters. “We have a problem with unemployment, inflation, education, health. No one talks about these things. But everyone talks about Ram, Hanuman, mandir,” he had said during an event hosted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The video of the incident had massively gone viral over the internet then.

Further, Kapil Sibal who was earlier a member of Congress had appeared for the Sunni Waqf Board and Babri Masjid Action Committee in the Supreme Court to term the case as a ‘trap’ laid by the BJP. “This judgment is going to have huge political ramifications. A party is pushing its manifesto. The court should not fall into a trap. This is nothing but a trap,” he had said in the year 2017. Sibal was then slammed by the netizens for the choice of his clients and the stance taken by him.

Sibal had been accusing the BJP of using the Ram Mandir issue for its political gains. He recently reiterated his stance saying that ‘no one becomes Ram by building Ram Mandir. People must learn to walk on the path of Ram.”

In the year 2018, Congress leader P Chidambaram mocked the idea of a Ram temple in Ayodhya and said that BJP was only focusing on building temples and giant statues. “At the beginning of five years, the promise is for Development, Jobs, and Money in every citizen’s bank account. Nothing was achieved, but at the end of five years, the new promise was for grand temples, giant statues, and doles,” he was quoted as saying. The BJP then slammed the leader for playing with the sentiments of Hindus.

As if denying the reality of Lord Ram wasn’t enough, the grand old party of India in 2022 came up with fresh ways to ridicule Hinduism. The leaders compared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to Lord Rama as the former embarked on his political stunt called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole in a statement compared Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi to the Hindu Lord Ram saying that it is a coincidence that the names of both begin with “R”. “Even Lord Sri Ram walked (PadaYatra) from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and even Shankaracharya walked the same way, and so is Rahul Gandhi doing in the form of padayatra,” Patole added.

Nana Patole’s remark came after Rajasthan Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that Rahul Gandhi walked more than Lord Ram walked from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka. “Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra will be historic. Lord Ram too had gone from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka on foot. Rahul Gandhi is walking even more than that, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir,” Meena had said.

Further, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran also ridiculed Bhagwan Sri Ram, Sri Lakshman, and Sita Mata by distorting Ramayana. He stated in a recent video interview with The New Indian Express (TNIE) that while returning from Lanka on the Pushpaka Vimanam, after defeating Ravana, Lakshman briefly entertained the thought of pushing his brother, Lord Ram, into the sea and go away with his wife Sita.

K Sudhakaran made these bizarre comments while stating that there are significant distinctions between lawmakers from Kerala’s northern and southern regions.

Congress denied the existence of Lord Rama

In 2020, ahead of Ayodhya Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan on August 5, Zee News conducted a discussion on Ayodhya and Ram Mandir. In a shocking display of ignorance, Congress leader Kumar Ketkar denied the historical existence of Shri Ram and cast aspersions about the Hindu God being a creation of literature.

In September 2007, the Central government run by Congress-led UPA 1 had said that there is no historical proof of Lord Ram’s existence.

An affidavit filed by the Congress-led government read, “Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas admittedly form an important part of ancient Indian literature, but these cannot be said to be historical records to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters and occurrences of events depicted therein.” The affidavit was filed to register the UPA government’s opposition to the demand to scrap the Sethusamudram project as it would damage the Ram Setu.

Recently, Sam Pitroda, Indian Overseas Chairman of Congress again made controversial remarks against Hinduism and Lord Rama. He said that too much importance was being given to religion through the Ram Mandir and that democracy was being undermined.

Sam Pitroda added, “So there are signals I’m getting which says we are in the wrong direction. When a nation is involved in Ram Temple, that bothers me. To me, religion is a personal thing. Don’t confuse it with the national agenda. The national agenda should focus on education, employment, growth, economy, inflation, health, environment, and pollution. Nobody talks about that.”

It is important to note that the Congress party has not taken any firm decision on attending the event given its earlier ‘disbelief’ in the existence of Lord Rama. The party has time and again raised questions over the construction of Ram Mandir and is now probably thinking of attending the event to allegedly please the Hindu voters ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The party has anyway stated that the final decision will be taken at the appropriate time.

Preparations for Ram Mandir’s inauguration

Extensive preparations are in place in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony which is expected to draw 8,000 people. Speakers at the event include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.

A significant number of people involved in the construction of the temple, including S N Subrahmanyan of the L&T Group and Natarajan Chandrasekaran of the Tata Group have also been invited by the trust. Despite the extensive preparations for the VVIP guests, Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Trust has been recommending pilgrims to pray at the closest temple rather than in Ayodhya on 22nd January in order to avoid overcrowding.

Attendees include the spiritual leaders of important temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, as well as representatives of constitutional and religious organizations. Actors like Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Dipika Chikhlia and Arun Govil, film directors like Madhur Bhandarkar, and businesspeople like Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, along with renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director Nilesh Desai are also invited.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad also reached out to veteran Bharatiya Janta Party leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi for the event.

I thank PM Modi for generous help: Papua New Guinea PM thanks Indian govt for swiftly sending relief aid after volcanic eruption

OpIndia Staff
-
0
I thank PM Modi for generous help: Papua New Guinea PM thanks Indian govt for swiftly sending relief aid after volcanic eruption

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape has thanked the Narendra Modi-led-Indian government for swiftly sending humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption of Mount Ulawun in West New Britain.

In a statement, James Marape said, “I thank Prime Minister Modi for the generous help, within a short period of time, as soon as he received my request for assistance.”

“This reflects India’s commitment to supporting relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts in West New Britain, and echoes the sentiments of friendship and partnership,” he added.

The development took place after the Indian government sent approximately 11 tonnes of disaster relief material and 6 tonnes of medical aid, worth $1 million. The relief aid was handed over by the First Secretary of the High Commissioner of India, Ravindra Nath, to the Papua New Guinea government.

The disaster relief material comprised of tents, sleeping mats, hygiene kits, meals ready to eat, and water storage tanks, whereas medical aid includes essential medicines, surgical items, and sanitary pads.

A major volcanic eruption on Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea erupted on November 20 and forced the evacuation of over 26,000 people and created urgent humanitarian needs.

India has firmly stood by Papua New Guinea during times of crisis and devastation caused by natural disasters, as it did in the wake of the earthquake that jolted the region in 2018 and the volcanic eruption in 2019.

On 21st May this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Papua New Guinea after attending the G7 meeting in Japan. While receiving him at the airport, Papua New Guinea’s prime minister James Marape displayed a surprising gesture by touching his feet.

This was followed by a hug between the two counterparts, after which PM Modi was introduced to other officials. Prime Minister Modi received a very warm welcome in the island country as he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the nation.

Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda’s comments on Ram Mandir, says decision on Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge attending consecration ceremony will be announced later

ANI
-
0
Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda’s comments on Ram Mandir, says decision on Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge attending consecration ceremony will be announced later

After the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust sent invitations to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple scheduled to be held on January 22 in Ayodhya, Party’s General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said that the decision will be taken and communicated at the appropriate time.

While speaking on recent controversy stoked over his Party’s senior leader, Sam Pitroda’s remark on Ram Mandir, Ramesh distanced himself from Pitroda saying his statement is not an official statement of the Congress Party.

Earlier this week, Pitroda while speaking to ANI targeted the Central government asking if Ram Mandir is the real issue or unemployment is.

However, Congress has not welcomed Pitroda’s statements but rather distanced itself on the matter.

“Sam Pitroda’s statement is not an official statement of Congress, he doesn’t speak on behalf of the Congress party,” Jairam Ramesh said while speaking to ANI.

“Chairperson Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge have received invitation for January 22, decision will be taken and communicated at appropriate time,” he added.

Speaking on the upcoming consecration ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, Pitroda said, “I have no problem with any religion. It is okay to go visit the temple once in a while, but you can’t make that the main platform.”

“He is everybody’s Prime Minister and not a party’s Prime Minister and that’s the message the people of India want him to have. Talk about employment, talk about inflation, talk about science and technology and challenges. They (people) have to decide what are the real issues- is Ram Mandir the real issue? Or unemployment is a real issue. Is Ram Mandir the real issue or Inflation is a real issue?” he added.

The statement garnered criticism from the BJP with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior leaders Sushil Modi and Kailash Vijayvargiya among others targeting the Congress.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the Congress and said that Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha is “creating a sense of loss, gloom and dread in the Indian National Congress.”

The Union Minister claimed that Sam Pitroda’s heartburn over Ram Mandir and the celebrations associated with it are reflective of the Congress Party’s chronic allergy to Lord Ram and Hindus.

Sushil Modi hit out at Pitroda stating that “people like him” have no connection with the country.

“People like Sam Pitroda have no connection with India. He questioned EVM and also Ram Temple. He may not have a belief in God. Lord Ram and our customs are as important as unemployment. People like Sam Pitroda have no knowledge about our culture,” Sushil Modi said.

Anurag Thakur alleged that leaders of alliance keep making shallow statements one after the other and abusing Sanatan Dharma

“All their leader of alliance partners kept abusing Sanatam Dharma and making one after another shallow statements. On the other hand Modi government has only one agenda welfare of poorer and development of the nation and PM Modi’s government has set new standards of good governance,” Thakur said.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “Congress, which is being run by people like Sam Pitroda or NGOs, can never win the hearts of the people of this country.”

The consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22 will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple. It is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trust has also invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony.

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

Ramotsav in Ayodhya: Week-long celebrations to mark Pran Pratishtha at Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Read details of rituals planned

ANI
-
0
Ramotsav in Ayodhya: Week-long celebrations to mark Pran Pratishtha at Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Read details of rituals planned

As the preparations for the consecration ceremony of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram Temple are going on at a fast pace, the ritual process will continue on a large scale for seven days in Ayodhya, which will start from January 16.

The deity of Shri Ram Lalla (Lord Ram in his childlike form) will be consecrated on 22nd January. On January 22, Shri Ram will be seated in his divinely grand temple in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The seven-day schedule released by the Temple trust has the following event:

January 16: Atonement by the host appointed by the temple trust, Dashavid bath on the banks of river Saryu, Vishnu worship and Godan.

January 17: Procession will visit Ayodhya with the idol of Ramlala, devotees will reach the temple carrying Saryu water in Mangal Kalash.

January 18: Formal rituals will start with Ganesh Ambika Puja, Varun Puja, Matrika Puja, Brahmin Varan, Vastu Puja etc.

January 19: Agni Sthapana, Navagraha Sthapana and Havan.

January 20: After washing the sanctum sanctorum of the temple with the holy water of Saryu, there will be Vaastu Shanti and Annadhivas.

January 21: After a divine bath with 125 urns, Shayadhivas will be done.

January 22: After morning worship, the idol of Ram Lalla will be consecrated in Mrigashira Nakshatra in the afternoon.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on December 30, the city is to come under a blanket of heightened security, police said on Friday.

PM Modi during his visit to Ayodhya will inaugurate various projects worth Rs 15,000 crore.

UP Minister Jaiveer Singh who is among the group of State Ministers overseeing preparation says that Saturday will be a big day for Sanatan Dharma.

“Tomorrow is going to be a big day not just for the people of Uttar Pradesh but also for all the believers of Sanatana Dharma… Ayodhya airport is being named after Maharshi Valmiki, who personified Lord Ram and gave new dimensions to our culture…Ayodhya Dham railway station will also be inaugurated tomorrow after renovation in which many trains will be flagged off… Projects worth thousands of crores will be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Modi and we heartily welcome him to our state” Jaiveer Singh.

Piyush Mordia, Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow Zone said that high-level arrangements meeting the recruitments of PM’s security have been made ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to the district adding that Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and National Security Guards (NSG) among other security forces have been deployed.

He said that a rehearsal of PM Modi’s roadshow will be done today to oversee the arrangements.

“We are monitoring all areas with drones. To improve the traffic system, a traffic diversion plan has also been made,” the ADG said.

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

‘Lagbhag mana kar diya’: After Mamata Banerjee, UBT Sena expresses unwillingness to compromise on seat-sharing of INDI alliance

ANI
-
0
‘Lagbhag mana kar diya’: After Mamata Banerjee, UBT Sena expresses unwillingness to compromise on seat-sharing of INDI alliance

The buzz over the seat-sharing formula of the opposition’s INDIA bloc hit a crescendo on Friday after a few partners within the alliance hinted at going all ‘alone’ in next year’s Lok Sabha elections or not willing to ‘compromise’ in their respective states.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has asserted that their party is the biggest in Maharashtra, hinting at no compromise over seat-sharing talks.

“This is Maharashtra, and Shiv Sena is the biggest party here. Congress is a national party. Uddhav Thackeray is having positive discussions with the decision-making leaders of Congress including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and KC Venugopal. We have always said that Shiv Sena has always been fighting on 23 seats in the Lok Sabha elections including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and that will be firm,” Raut had said.

Before Shiv Sena (UBT), Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her desire to test Bengal waters alone in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“INDIA alliance will be there across the country. In Bengal, the TMC will fight and defeat the BJP. Remember, in Bengal, only TMC can teach a lesson to the BJP and not any other party,” Mamata said while she was speaking at a gathering in North 24 Parganas.

However, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that the INDI alliance will contest all seats across the country.

Meanwhile, Congress has said that talks on the agreement with all the parties will be held with an ‘open mind’.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said, “Khule mann aur band muh se hi hum seat sharing pe baat aage challenge (We will carry forward seat-sharing talks with an open mind and refraining from public statements).”

The Congress leader added that different states would pose different challenges about advancing seat-sharing talks and the discussions, hence, be held, considering all aspects.

“The seat-sharing talks are ongoing and will continue. We will do what needs to be done. There are different conditions and challenges in different states. We will be having discussions on seat sharing, keeping in mind the different (political) realities there,” Ramesh said.

While the INDIA partners came together for their fourth meeting in the national capital recently, the potentially thorny issue of seat-sharing was left unaddressed.

The opposition parties have forged forces to put up a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance umbrella.

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

Mohammed Zubair and ‘fact-checking’ website Alt News partially fact-check viral rape video: Fail to highlight the Muslim identity of perpetrators

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mohammed Zubair and ‘fact-checking’ website Alt News partially fact-check viral rape video: Fail to highlight the Muslim identity of perpetrators

‘Fact-checking’ website AltNews and its out-on-bail co-founder Mohammed Zubair are back at what they do best- serving as the propaganda wing of Islamists by lying outright, misleading its audience and whitewashing their crimes.

This time, Zubair—the ‘poster boy’ of ‘fact-checking’, according to left-leaning liberals—and his website once again showed their unwavering allegiance to Islamists by partially ‘fact-checking’ a 4-year-old rape video that went viral recently on social media. They fact-checked that the crime did not happen in Bihar but in Uttar Pradesh, and that the crime happened 4 years ago. The ‘fact-check’ by Alt News, which often serves as a surrogate for leftwing political parties and apologists for Islamists, clarified that the victim was not a Muslim but a Dalit girl but it failed to highlight that the perpetrators were Muslims.

On December 28, AltNews published an article on its Hindi website where it ‘fact-checked’ a 4-year-old viral rape video which was originally from Uttar Pradesh. It’s Hindi article’s headline read- “UP में दलित लड़की के साथ 2019 में हुआ था गैंगरेप, वीडियो बिहार का बताकर वायरल” which translates to ‘Dalit girl was gang raped in UP in 2019, video went viral saying it was from Bihar’.

SS of the AltNews report published on December 28, 2023

Mohammed Zubair also took to X to share the ‘fact-check’ done by his website. Tagging the AltNews journalist who authored the partial ‘fact-check,’ Zubair wrote in Hindi which translates to, “A horrifying video from Bihar has gone viral in which some boys are brutalizing a girl. The claim is that these are Hindu boys who are carrying out the incident by kidnapping a Muslim girl. This is not true. The video is from UP and is 4 years old.”

However, both the AltNews ‘fact-check’ report and Zubair’s post only presented half the truth. Though the AltNews report mentioned the name of the perpetrators towards the end of the report, it smartly framed the headlines of its report to mention how the crime happened 4 years ago in Uttar Pradesh and not Bihar but what it did not do was mention the names of the perpetrators who were Muslims in this case.

Zubair too, cleverly mentioned that the incident happened in Uttar Pradesh and not in Bihar as being circulated in the viral claim. He also mentioned that the claim that Hindu boys were carrying out the incident by kidnapping a Muslim girl was untrue. However, he avoided explicitly stating that it was Muslim youths who had carried out the heinous crime against the Dalit girl. What he essentially tried to do was meticulously word his post to provide enough room for speculation regarding the perpetrator’s religion while ‘fact-checking’ the footage.

If the circumstances had been reversed and Hindus would have been the perpetrators, this obviously would not have happened, but one would not expect any better from someone like Zubair, who has consistently put forth a lot of effort to spread the myth that Muslims are being persecuted because of their faith.

In 2020, during the peak of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak, the Tablighi Jamaat had emerged as the main virus vector. Then, Zubair and his “fact-checking” website AltNews played a leading role in defending the Islamic Missionary organization against all legitimate criticism. They misrepresented Tablighi Jamaat’s awful conduct, twisted facts, and lied to their audience to give the misleading impression that Muslims are being persecuted because of their faith.  

Zubair does not even hesitate to politicise a matter as serious as rape if he could derive some political mileage from it. During the heinous Kathua Rape Case, OpIndia pointed out flaws in the claims being made by the Police and raised valid questions regarding the allegations being made against Vishal Jangotra. For merely asking questions, the Altnews cofounder had insinuated that Opindia was acting as an apologist for rapists. Ultimately, Vishal Jangotra was acquitted by the Court of all crimes.

Neither Zubair nor his website bothers to correct details even after being fact-checked

On December 29, popular X user @BefittingFacts quickly brought attention to the inherent bias of Md Zubair and his ‘fact-checking’ website Alt News towards radical factions of the Muslim community, which led them to engage in such selective ‘fact-checking.’

While sharing screenshots of Zubair’s post and the AltNews report, the X user wrote, “How @altnews does fact-checking. Claim1- Rape Video is from Bihar. Claim 2- Hindu boys are raping a Muslim girl. Altnews- This video is not from Bihar but from Uttar Pradesh and it is four years old. neither Altnews’ headline nor @zoo_bear mentioned that the boys were not Hindu but Muslims named Mohammed Nazim, Mohammed Aqib and Mohammed Chhotka. This is how Altnews Partially factcheck to protect muslims and takes donations from Hindus.”

However, even until this report was published, neither did Zubair rectify his post nor did his website modify its report’s headline to mention that the perpetrators were not Hindus but Muslims named Mohammed Nazim, Mohammed Aqib and Mohammed Chhotka. Selective and partial fact-checking has been Alt News’ forte, muddling the readers with fact-checks of inconsequential aspects of news and focusing only on those facets that help them bolster their propaganda.

Bangladesh: Islamists grab 8 acres of land belonging to Hindu family, assault and threaten them, police take no action

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bangladesh: Islamists grab 8 acres of land belonging to Hindu family, assault and threaten them, police take no action

A group of Islamists, belonging to the ruling Awami League (AL) party, have grabbed 8 acres of land belonging to a Hindu family in Parulia village in Hatibandha upazila of Bangladesh.

As per a report by The Daily Star, the land grabbers include AL leaders Hafizul Islam, Abul Kalam, Hazrat Ali and Redwan Ahmed. Hafizul and Abul serve as the Patikpara Union Ward No.4 President and General Secretary respectively.

The victims, identified as Rathindra Nath Roy and his wife Sushila Rani, had filed a complaint with the local police but no action has been taken in this regard. They have accused the four land grabbers and their supporters of threatening them with dire consequences if they visited their own land.

Islamists assaulted the victims

He informed The Daily Star that large tracts of his ancestral land were lost due to erosion by the Teesta River about 40-45 years ago. But about 10 years ago, a char land was developed in the same place after a huge landmass emerged from the riverbed.

Following that, Rathindra Nath Roy had been growing crops on the remaining land. On 13th November this year, Hafizul Islam, Abul Kalam, Hazrat Ali and Redwan Ahmed went to the field where the Hindu man and his wife were sowing maize seeds.

They claimed to be the owners of the land and beat up the Hindu couple mercilessly. According to Sushila Rani, the accused men are coercing Rathindra to sign a non-judicial stamp paper, stating change of ownership from him to the 4 Islamists.

Accused men cite ‘conflicting’ land deal, police take no action

When The Daily Star reached out to land grabber Abul Kalam, he claimed to have purchased 8 acres land along with 3 other accused for Tk 80 lakh (~ ₹60.39 lakhs). Another land grabber Hazrat Ali claimed that the land had been bought for Tk 87 (~₹65.67 lakhs).

They claimed that since the land registry was not done in Char areas, they were asking the Hindu family to sign on non-judicial stamp.

While speaking about police inaction to The Daily Star, Officer-in-Charge (Hatibandha Police Station) Shah Alam acknowledged that he had received a complaint from Rathindra Nath Roy but instead asked the local UP Chairman to ‘resolve’ the issue locally.

Hindu families forced to sell their houses in Shailkupa

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, the Hindu community is facing the wrath of political violence. Several Hindu families have been forced to vacate their houses in Shailkupa upazila in the Khulna division of Bangladesh and sell them at giveaway prices to avoid religious persecution.

As per a report by Kalbela News published in November this year, the minority community is facing threats from Islamists and hence many Hindu families are migrating to other parts of the country. For instance, the residence of a deceased Hindu man named Satyendranath Saha was encroached and a 4-storeyed building was constructed in its place.

‘Jubo League’ Chairman (Shailkupa upazila) Shamim Hossain Mollah and his father Sabdar Hossain Mollah were accused of infringing upon the property of the Hindu family. It must be mentioned that the ‘Jubo League’ is the youth wing of the ruling Sheikh Hasina-led-Bangladesh Awami League party.

While speaking about the matter, the daughter-in-law of Satyendranath Saha informed that the ‘Jubo League’ leader had taken their house and a Kali Mandir by force. Despite complaints to the local MP Mohammed Abdul Hyee, no action has been taken against the accused.

Interestingly, Hyee is also a leader of the Bangladesh Awami League party from the Jhenaidah constituency. According to Kalbela News, the case of Satyendranath Saha is one of the countless stories of minority Hindu families who have lost their property to encroachment by local influential Muslim leaders.

Everyone involved in this organised form of ‘land jihad’ are politicians and political workers. In order to intimidate the Hindu residents of Shailkupa into selling their homes, the Islamists have resorted to threats, assault and even vandalism of Hindu temples.

1...1,4271,4281,429...7,578Page 1,428 of 7,578