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ISIS link to Mangaluru cooker blast: The Congress link and how they had tried to shield the Jihadi by calling it ‘accidental blast’

OpIndia Staff
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ISIS link to Mangaluru cooker blast: The Congress link and how they had tried to shield the Jihadi by calling it ‘accidental blast’

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on 29th November filed the chargesheet in the Islamic State (IS)-linked cooker blast case that took place in Mangaluru, Karnataka, last year. The NIA chargesheet that the terror accused used fake Hindu names and identity cards while carrying out the terror conspiracy. 

In Mangaluru, Karnataka, on November 19, an autorickshaw exploded. The explosion of the cooker bomb inside the vehicle caused burn injuries to the driver, Purshottham, and one passenger, later identified as Mohammed Shariq. It came to light that Mohammed Shariq, 24, was riding in the autorickshaw with a pressure cooker device. He intended to detonate the IED at Kadri Manjunatha Temple in Mangaluru to terrorize the Hindu community, but the low-intensity explosive accidentally detonated en route, according to the NIA chargesheet.

Notably, within 24 hours of the blast, the Director General of Police (DGP) Karnataka tweeted to confirm that this blast was an act of terror and a series of revelations appeared in the subsequent investigations.

“It’s confirmed now,” said the Director General of Police (DGP) in a tweet. “The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies.”

During the probe, it was revealed that Shariq was using a fake Aadhaar card with the Hindu name Premraj. He was already on the radar of the investigating agency for months. Following the incident, a case was registered at Kankanady police station and later on the case was transferred to the NIA.

Congress leader DK Shivakumar gives clean chit to the Mangaluru blast accused who had ISIS connections

While the NIA chargesheet revealed the entire nexus of the ISIS terror plot, it may be mentioned here that the Congress party had, after the incident, given a clean chit to the Mangaluru bomb blast accused Mohammed Shariq. Congress leader DK Shivakumar had raised questions over calling Mohammed Shariq who was carrying the cooker bomb a “terrorist”. 

Completely ignoring the fact that the NIA team investigating the matter had discovered plenty of evidence from the accused’s home that established his close ties to the Islamist terror group ISIS, the Congress leader questioned how someone could be labelled a terrorist without any investigation.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday 15th December 2022, the Congress leader questioned why the DGP tweeted in a ‘hurry’ with regard to the Mangaluru cooker blast case. He said that the Mangaluru bomb blast might have taken place by mistake and also questioned whether it was as big a terrorist attack as the one that happened in Mumbai, Delhi or Kashmir.

The Congress leader had, in fact, even raised fingers at the Karnataka DGP for confirming that the incident was not an accident but an act of terror.

“Why did the Karnataka DGP tweet in a hurry regarding the Mangaluru cooker blast incident? Why did he link it to terrorism? He declared the accused a terrorist without any probe. Was the incident similar to the 26/11 attack in Mumbai?” the Congress state president asked.

Congress accuses BJP of using Mangaluru cooker blast incident to divert attention

The Congress leader had, however, not stopped at this. Along with trying to shield the accused Islamists, he had continued to utilize the horrific terrorist attack for petty political purposes, accusing the Karnataka-based BJP of exploiting the Bangalore cooker bomb blast case for political gain.

“The BJP government has no significant achievement to showcase to voters. By projecting the blast in a big way, the government wants to steal votes… Who do you call a terrorist? What was shown on TV? What was shown in the media….nothing,” DK Shivakumar said.

Congress links with ISIS-sponsored Mangaluru cooker blast case

Interestingly, while the Congress leader was busy giving a clean chit to the Mangaluru bomb blast accused and accusing the BJP of planting the blast case to exploit people’s sentiments for its political gains in the 2023 Assembly elections and hush up lapses in the administration, his party’s links had emerged with the accused.

In January this year, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at five locations in Karnataka in connection with the Mangaluru cooker blast case. Searches were also conducted at the residence of accused Shariq in Shivamogga, who was the prime accused in the blast. The relatives of Shariq were also searched.

ED officials raided a complex in Theerthahalli. ED officials raided a shopping complex in the Soppa Gudda area which belonged to Shariq’s father and in the same complex, Congress rented an office. It emerged that the Congress office was taken on lease from the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case accused Shariq’s family. An agreement was signed between Shariq’s father and Congress leader Kimmane Rathnakar’s niece, Naveen. 

Following the raids, the central agencies established that a deposit of Rs 10 lakh was made by senior Congress leader and former Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar in the bank account of the grandmother of Mohammed Shariq, a terror suspect in the Mangaluru cooker blast case.

Officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate questioned Rathnakar since the agreement for the lease of the building was signed by his close relative.

Rathnakar however denied any connection with Majid, except for the party office rental agreement. “The party has an eight-year rental agreement under which a deposit of Rs 10 lakh and a monthly rent of Rs 1000 is paid to the landlord,” he told the local media.

Apart from this, the counter-terrorist task force, which had already established the connection between the Mangaluru cooker blast case and the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case also confirmed that one of the ISIS operatives, Reshaan Sheikh arrested in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case is the son of Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh.

NIA chargesheet in Mangaluru cooker blast case reveals its connections with the Shivamogga trial blast case

On 15th August 2022, a person named Prem Singh was stabbed to death in Shivamogga. Following the incident, a case was registered at Doddapet police station. Later on, two accused Zabiullah and Nadeem Faisal were arrested in this stabbing case. 

Mohammad Shariq who was also involved in the stabbing case went absconding. After absconding from Shivamogga, he went to Ulaibettu in Mangaluru where he stayed with Ansar, who was with him in jail in an earlier case.  

Both of them were earlier arrested in the Mangaluru “Lashkar Zindabad” case. While staying in Mangaluru, Shariq got in touch with Syed Yasin. 

Incidentally, both Mohammad Shariq and Syed Yasin had been charge-sheeted by NIA in both the terror cases – the Shivamogga trial blast case and the Mangaluru cooker blast case. 

ISIS operative arrested by NIA in connection with Shivamogga trial blast case turns out to be Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh’s son

Later, on January 5, 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two ISIS operatives, Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh of Udupi District and Huzair Farhan Baig of Shivamogga District. NIA conducted a search operation at six locations across Karnataka in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case that led to the arrest of two ISIS Operatives.

The task force confirmed that the arrested Reshann Shekih is the son of Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh.

Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh and Huzair Farhan Baig acquired funding through Cryto-wallets from ISIS handlers to promote terror activity in India.

Click here to read the NIA chargesheet in the Shivamogga trial blast case. The accused charge-sheeted in the case include Mohamed Shariq (25), Maaz Muneer Ahmed (23), Syed Yasin (22), Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh (22), Huzair Farhan Baig (22), Mazin Abdul Rahman (22), Nadeem Ahmed K A (22), Zabiulla (32) and Nadeem Faizal N (27).

Interestingly, a day after Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh was taken into custody by the NIA, social media was rife with pictures of his father with several congress leaders. Thajuddin Sheikh, who is the general secretary of the Brahamvar Block Congress in Udupi reportedly is closely associated with former Chief Minister of Karnataka and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, and UT Khader.

HC rejects India Today’s plea against govt order asking them to run apology scroll for showing liquor ads: Details

OpIndia Staff
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HC rejects India Today’s plea against govt order asking them to run apology scroll for showing liquor ads: Details

The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by TV Today Network (which runs news channels Aaj Tak and India Today among others) challenging a Central Government order asking the media network to run apologies scrolls for broadcasting liquor commercials on its news channels.

Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed the petition, stating that TV Today had broken Rule 7 (Advertising Code) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, by displaying the ‘100 Pipers’ logo while advertising 100 Pipers Music CDs.

“The display of the logo of ‘100 Pipers’ would thus appear to be in contravention of that Rule. Since the provisions of Rule 7 have not been complied with, the contention of the learned Counsel for the Petitioner that they had proceeded in good faith based on the CBFC [Central Board of Film Certification] certificate which was submitted by the advertiser cannot be accepted as the Rules do not permit the broadcaster to independently ascertain the veracity of the clip that is provided by the advertiser,” the Court observed.

As per Rule 7(1)(2)(viii)(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, “Advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of the country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers.” Further, the law does not allow any advertisement that promotes directly or indirectly the production, sale, or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor, or other intoxicants (subject to conditions).

Concerning the running of the ‘All Seasons Club Soda’ advertisement, the Court determined that it was not even certified by the CBFC. The order was issued after TV Today filed a petition with the High Court challenging a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) order dated 14th June 2022.

The MIB ordered TV Today to run an apology scroll at the bottom of the monitor four times a day between 9 AM and 9 PM for three straight days for broadcasting advertisements for 100 Pipers Music CDs and All Seasons Club Soda on its news channels.

TV Today maintained that, in the case of the ‘100 Pipers’ broadcast, the clip was aired based on the CBFC certificate, which was provided by the advertiser.

Regarding the ‘All Seasons Club Soda’ broadcast, it was stated that the brand name ‘All Seasons’ is commonly used by a variety of products other than a liquor brand.

The counsel maintained that the MIB orders should be overturned because the channel was not supposed to compare the clips provided by the advertiser with those certified by the CBFC before airing them. The media outlet had acted in good faith, the court was informed. 

Justice Prasad, however, rejected these arguments. “On a perusal of the clip and the screenshots that were produced, it is clearly evident that what was broadcast would not satisfy the well-recognized attributes of surrogate advertising. This clip admittedly was also not certified by CBFC. A visual examination of that clip would lead one to the irresistible conclusion that what was in fact being directly advertised was a prohibited product. The petitioner has thus clearly failed to act with prudence and care insofar as the broadcast of that particular clip is concerned,” the order dated 19th December read.

“In view of the above, this Court is not inclined to interfere with the Orders dated 14.06.2022, passed by the Competent Authority, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,” the High Court concluded.

OMR manipulation, candidates jumping ranks, direct jobs without recommendation letters: West Bengal SSC admits ‘scam’ in recruitment of 8611 employees in 2016 alone

OpIndia Staff
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OMR manipulation, candidates jumping ranks, direct jobs without recommendation letters: West Bengal SSC admits ‘scam’ in recruitment of 8611 employees in 2016 alone

In an affidavit filed in the Calcutta High Court on Friday (22nd December), the West Bengal State Service Commission (WBSSC) has admitted ‘irregularities’ in the recruitment of 8611 employees in State-run schools.

It conceded that rules were violated in three exams that were conducted in 2016 for the recruitment of teachers for Std 9-10, appointment of Group C employees and appointment of Group D employees.

According to a report by ABP Ananda, OMR (optical mark reader) sheets were manipulated for the appointment of 2823 employees in the Group D category. About 170 people were given jobs directly without issuing recommendation letters.

Around 3800 employees were recruited in the Group C Category through fraudulent OMR sheets while 77 were given jobs directly without issuing recommendation letters.

At the same time, 907 people were appointed as teachers for Std 11 and 12 through OMR manipulation while 39 got jobs by jumping ranks. About 183 people jumped ranks and were appointed as teachers for Std 9 and Std 10. Around 972 candidates got jobs as teachers through OMR fraud.

All you need to know about the SSC scam

The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016.

The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) announced in 2014 that teachers would be hired at state-run schools in West Bengal through the State Level Selection Test (SLST), which is when the alleged scam first surfaced.

In 2016, the hiring process got underway. At that time, Partha Chatterjee was the Minister-in-Charge of the West Bengal Department of Higher Education and School Education. Nevertheless, a number of complaints were submitted to the Calcutta High Court citing irregularities in the hiring procedure.

The petitioners alleged that many examinees who got lesser marks ranked high on the merit list. Several claims also surfaced regarding the receipt of appointment letters by some applicants who weren’t even on the merit list.

In a separate, but related instance, the Bengal government had in 2016 sent the School Service Commission (SSC) notification for the hiring of 13,000 Group D staff in government-run or aided schools.

Interestingly, the tenure of the panel responsible for said recruitment expired in 2019, but several petitioners alleged that recruitment had taken place despite the expiry of the panel’s tenure and as many as 25 persons were allegedly appointed by the WBBSE.

However, when the case came up for hearing, the petitioners alleged that not 25 but over 500 people were appointed after the SSC panel’s expiration and were now receiving salaries from the state government.

Soon a CBI probe was launched in the case following an order by the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The court ordered the agency to interrogate the former chairman of the SSC advisory committee, SP Sinha, and other former members of the panel.

The court had asked the CBI to file a report after interrogating the former members. In April 2022, the CBI also registered an FIR against West Bengal Directorate of School Education former deputy director Alok Kumar Sarkar and unidentified officials of the SSC.

In May 2022, the Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) filed an FIR against West Bengal Education Minister Paresh Adhikari and his daughter Ankita Adhikari. The case was registered after the father-daughter duo skipped the CBI summon deadline that was set by the Calcutta High Court. Adhikari was summoned for illegally recruiting teachers in government-aided schools and also for allotting a job to his daughter despite her absence from the merit list.

As a part of the inquiry into the money laundering aspect of the SSC recruiting scandal, ED, in July last year, raided Partha Chatterjee’s premises and arrested him for swindling money worth crores in the form of bribes taken during his tenure as the state education minister. Several TMC ministers have since then been arrested for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam.

Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair spreads fake claims that Anju Bobby George joined BJP, yet to delete after multiple fact-checks

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair spreads fake claims that Anju Bobby George joined BJP, yet to delete after multiple fact-checks

On 25th December, Alt News’ co-founder out-on-bail Mohammed Zubair targetted former athlete Anju Bobby George for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a social media post, he claimed that mainstream media reports mentioned that she praised PM Modi but did not mention that she joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019. In the post, he wrote, “ANI forgot to mention that BJP member Anju George joined the party in 2019” and shared two screenshots from ANI. One from 23rd December, where ANI shared a video of Anju praising PM Modi, and the second from July 2019, where ANI mistakenly claimed Anju joined the BJP.

Zubair, who claims to be the ‘messiah’ of fact-checking, failed to fact-check if Anju joined the BJP. On 6th July, Anju Bobby George attended an event where BJP Karnataka President BS Yeddyurappa was present. In a post on X (then-Twitter), ANI wrote, “Anju Bobby George, India’s first athletics medallist at the World Championship, joins BJP in the presence of Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa.”

Zubair’s post on X

However, the report was incorrect, and Anju refuted the claims that she had no political aspirations. Speaking to the media, she said, “I had gone there just to meet the minister (V Muraleedharan), a family friend. When the BJP leaders saw me standing near the stage, they called me on stage and greeted me with the flag. They did not even know that I was present at the function. Sports is my party, and I have no intention of joining any party.”

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Murlaeedharan also refuted the claims that Anju joined the BJP. Speaking to the Indian Express, he said he has had a long association with Anju and her husband, Robert Bobby George. When he went to a party programme in Bengaluru, Anju called and asked to meet, to which he agreed. “When she came to the programme where I was taking part, the event was about to begin. So I invited her to the dais, as she is an internationally acclaimed athlete.”

Notably, a statement by Karnataka BJP media convener S Shantaram also created confusion in the matter as he slammed her for saying that she did not join the party. He had said, “She came on stage, took the party flag & our state President announced she joined the BJP. Don’t know why she changed stand. Doesn’t she know the meaning of taking the flag on stage from the president?” Later, he told BOOM there was some miscommunication as she came to the dias and accepted the flag. However, when BOOM contacted Anju, she categorically refuted the claims that she had joined the BJP and clarified that she only went to meet the minister.

Zubair refused to delete the post even after multiple fact-checks

Interestingly, Zubair, according to the left liberals, who is the “poster boy” of fact-checking, did not correct his fake post even after multiple fact-checks. Replying to Zubair, Ankur Singh wrote, “Why are you spreading Fake News even after four years? She never joined the BJP. Anju and BJP both clarified on the same day. There were several fact checks too. But why will you show the truth?”

In a post, X user Mr Sinha fact-checked Zubair and wrote, “Anju Bobby George never joined BJP, it was cleared in 2019 itself and yet this guy who calls every other person fake news peddler & himself a fact checker sharing fake news…”

The most interesting thing is that one of Zubair’s favourite media houses, Maktoob Media, also fact-checked whether Anju joined the BJP or not 2019 and came to the conclusion that the reports were false. In a way, Maktoob Media’s 2019 fact-check fact-checked Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair in 2023.

‘Weak opposition is a problem, Court can’t act as opposition to confront the govt’: Justice SK Kaul

OpIndia Staff
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‘Weak opposition is a problem, Court can’t act as opposition to confront the govt’: Justice SK Kaul

Supreme Court Judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who was part of many key verdicts, including the 2017 privacy ruling, same-sex marriage case, and Article 370, retired on 25th December. 22nd December (Friday) was his last working day at the apex court. Post-retirement, in an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, Justice Kaul talked about a range of issues including politics, judiciary, oppositions, and also his post-retirement plan in Kashmir.

During the interview on 26th December, Justice Kaul stated that there were times when his personal opinions differed from the judicial ones but believed that there is a natural flow of the task that the judiciary has to perform. “I may not agree with all judgments. I was a party to the Rafale verdict and my own thinking is that we are not to sit in judgment over contracts. There are very limited parameters on which you examine these issues. My views on bail are perceived to be fairly liberal and very different from those of the government. Even on judicial appointments, I’ve held a different view. All of them will always be a little tough and that is part of the job. They don’t like anybody to interfere and the judiciary’s job is to check and balance. So it is the natural flow of the task that the judiciary has to perform,” he said.

He also commented on the government’s working system when asked whether the current government was more aggressive and whether the judiciary gave the benefit of the doubt to the government. He said that Congress when in power was socialist in character but now has become a weak opposition. He asserted that in the absence of weak opposition, the Court cannot act as an opposition.

“A weak opposition is also a problem. The absence of legislators from the opposition of the Parliament is an important factor. Maybe in public perception, it is their inability to politically handle the government. Now, the court cannot be placed to politically handle the government… The court cannot be the opposition,” Justice Kaul was quoted as saying.

“The judiciary is a check and balance but to say, look, the government is doing this wrong and now, you have to do something about it — is wrong. Sometimes we forget the past. When there is a strong executive, there will be a little pushback for the judiciary. From 1990 onwards we have had coalition governments. So the judiciary was able to advance its cause, sometimes even transgress into some areas, I feel,” he added. 

The interviewer meanwhile also highlighted the allegations often leveled at the Centre regarding legislation allegedly being passed without debate in a rushed manner. Justice Kaul then opined that the judiciary’s task is different from the task of the government and that how much pre-consultation should there be is the Parliament’s task. “Now, this government has a system by which apparently – consultation takes place in a different manner… not so much in the public domain but behind closed doors,” he said.

According to Justice Kaul, before a law is brought into force, there should be a legal impact study. “We are a very divided society in some ways. That is, because, politically, either people are with the government or very anti-government. There are many things that the government does, which are good, but maybe things which we may disagree with… traversing that middle path has become more difficult,” he said.

Sharing his post-retirement plans, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul stated that he now wants to spend more time in Kashmir where he has his old property. He intends to rebuild the property and spend most of his time in the Union territory where his house was burnt down. He says that he has attained permission to rebuild the house and will soon begin the process.

He also stated that he has no plans to join politics or in the post-retirement roles offered to the judges by the government. “I have done this for almost 40 years as a lawyer and a judge. Then there is Governorship and, the way I see it, it compromises my standing. That means I did things because I wanted something from the government. By God’s grace, I’m not in need of money, so I will work only to keep my mind occupied. If there are arbitrations or opinions that come my way, I will do that at a pace that I can control but, otherwise, I want to spend time with my grandchildren,” he said.

Justice Kaul was appointed to the Delhi High Court in 2001. Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, he served as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. 

Tribals in Ranchi stage protest as demand for delisting of converted tribals from Scheduled Tribes rises, mega rally to be held in Delhi in February

OpIndia Staff
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Tribals in Ranchi stage protest as demand for delisting of converted tribals from Scheduled Tribes rises, mega rally to be held in Delhi in February

Large-scale Tribal protest is reportedly being planned to be organised in Delhi in February to demand that tribals who converted be removed from the Scheduled Tribes’ list.

On Sunday, 24th December, the tribal communities in Jharkhand’s Ranchi staged a protest demanding the “delisting” of converted tribals from the Scheduled Tribals (ST) list. Around 5,000 tribals reportedly participated in the event.

The mega protest was organised under the banner of Janjantiya Suraksha Manch (JSM), an affiliate of the RSS-backed Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, which has been leading the movement.

The JSM has been demanding that all the tribals who were converted to Christianity or Islam, be stripped off their ST status so that the additional benefits do not reach their doorsteps.

The JSM says that tribals who have converted to Christianity get help from the Church and missionary institutions in education and financially too. This gives them social and financial benefits as against the non-converted tribals.

Converted tribals get foreigns funds through churches, reservation benefits under ST status and government benefits for being a religious minority thereby putting the real ST communty at a disadvantage.

“The percentage of tribals who have embraced Christianity in Jharkhand will be around 15-20% but if we look at the government jobs and class I officers including the IAS, 80-90% are those who are converts,” said former deputy speaker of Lok Sabha and BJP leader, Karia Munda.

Meanwhile, the date for the February rally is not yet decided. Tribals from across cities are likely to participate. “In similar meetings in Nagpur, Nasik and Mumbai, several thousand tribals gathered to stage protest,” Munda said.

JSM national co-convener Rajkishore Hansda reportedly said the architects of Indian Constitution had made best efforts to protect the rights of tribals and ethnic group of India but these benefits went to a handful of “well-meaning tribals” backed by the Church.

On Sunday, the protesters donned their traditional attires, carrying weapons like bows, arrows, swords and sickles.

“The main objective of the rally was to demand the delisting of tribals who have converted to other religions. They should be deprived of reservation benefits accorded to Scheduled Tribes. They have no right to take the benefits from those who are real tribals,” BJP Lok Sabha MP Sudarshan Bhagat said.

Rajya Sabha member Samir Oraon said, “It is unfortunate that some have abandoned their culture, faith and tradition and become Christians or Muslims. They will be merely 20 per cent of the population but are snatching 80 per cent of the benefits from the original tribals.”

Other senior leaders who participated in the rally includes former Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and National Protector of Tribal Security Forum Kadia Munda, former Minister of Chhattisgarh Ganesh Ram Bhagat Uravan, Prakash Singh of Madhya Pradesh.

The demand for the delisting of converted tribals is not new. In May this year, a rally was organised by the community in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad led by the Gujarat Janjati Suraksha Manch.

The conspiracy to convert tribals by scaring, luring or tricking them has been going on for decades. However, many converts have not changed their religion on paper and have remained Hindus which provides them other benefits including reservation.

On 14th December, the Maharashtra Government announced that a committee will be formed on the issue of converted tribals who are receiving dual benefits in the state.

Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha stated in the legislative council that a committee would be constituted to examine the advantages enjoyed by members of scheduled tribes (ST) community in Maharashtra who have converted to Christianity or Islam and left Hinduism.

The panel would be presided over by the vice-chancellor of a university and would consist of members from all political parties who would look into cases of tribal (Janjati/Vanvasi) conversion.

On 21st December, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao stated in an exclusive interview with News18 that the conversion of the tribal population to Christianity by missionaries operating throughout the state needs to be addressed with appropriate government action.

Sao said that conversion of tribals has to be stopped. “We have to stop the conversion of tribal population in the state. It is a crucial issue that has to be addressed. We will take whatever measures are possible in the legal framework to stop this,” he said.

Delhi HC dismisses Waqf Board petition against demolition of Sunehri Bagh Mosque, NDMC issues notice seeking suggestions and objections

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC dismisses Waqf Board petition against demolition of Sunehri Bagh Mosque, NDMC issues notice seeking suggestions and objections

In a recent public notice on 24th December, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) sought a public response to the proposed removal of the Sunehri Mosque. The Department of Architecture and Environment issued the information seeking suggestions and objections from the public by 1st January 2024 under Clause 1.3(ii) of the bye-law.

Source: X/Zafarul-Islam Khan

Imam of the mosque, Abdul Aziz, spoke to Times of India and said, “The mosque is not at all hampering traffic movement. Citing the same reason, the civic body had earlier demolished a dargah located near the mosque some time ago.” He added, “The mosque caters to a large number of worshippers; around 200 people visit it every day and nearly 500 every Friday. Many people working in nearby offices come to offer namaz here and nobody parks their vehicles on roads or outside the complex.”

Notably, the Delhi High Court has recently dismissed a plea submitted by the Delhi Waqf Board against the proposal to remove the mosque to widen the road. The then-Delhi government designated the mosque a grade-III heritage building via a notification in October 2009.

In the public notice, NDMC said, “The civic body had received reference from the Delhi Traffic Police regarding a traffic engineering proposal for sustainable mobility in the vicinity of the roundabout of Sunehri Bagh. After that, NDMC applied to the Heritage Conservation Committee to remove Sunehri Masjid under Annexure II, Clause 1.16 of the Unified Building Bye Laws 2016.”

The Muslim community has started a campaign on social media urging people to submit objections to the proposal. Former Delhi Minorities Commission Chief Zafarul-Islam Khan published a post on X and said, “A mosque in Delhi is slated to be demolished for the sake of smooth traffic. Pl file your objection.”

Source: X

Similar posts were made by several other social media users.

Source: X
Source: X

Notably, the plea against the demolition was submitted by Amanatullah Khan, chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, via standing counsel of the board, Wajeeh Shafiq. On 18th December, the court dismissed the plea as both parties concluded that though removing the mosque for smooth traffic flow was essential, NDMC would proceed as per the law and would not take any criminal action. As per the court documents, NDMC issued an order on 26th June 2023 to inspect the mosque for proposed removal to widen the road. However, the Delhi Waqf Court approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the proposal.

On 28th June, the Delhi High Court sent a notice to NDMC and traffic police to join the hearing. The court ordered a joint inspection on 12th July, and both parties were asked to maintain the status quo in the matter.

In its reply to the court, NDMC said that it was essential to remove the mosque to widen the road to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Subsequently, following the inspection, the parties agreed that the mosque would be shifted somewhere else, and the court dismissed the petition. Meanwhile, the matter was sent to the Religious Committee for consideration.

As per the law, the NDMC has now sought submissions from the public about the proposed shifting of the mosque. However, the social media posts regarding the demolition skipped the part where it was decided to shift the mosque.

Hindu man posts video about converting to Islam, family says he was forcefully converted by girlfriend Shabana Khan, police refutes

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu man posts video about converting to Islam, family says he was forcefully converted by girlfriend Shabana Khan, police refutes

On Monday (25th December), a Hindu woman named Lakshmi alleged that her 24-year-old husband, identified as Akash Maurya, had been deceitfully converted to Islam. The incident took place in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh.

The matter came to light after a 15-second video of Akash Maurya went viral on social media wherein he was seen sporting a skull cap. The video contained a background song titled ‘Mera Dil toh Mohammed‘ and a caption that read – ‘Today, I have become a Muslim.’

Soon after, the wife of Akash Maurya along with other family members filed a complaint with the Subhash Nagar police and accused a Muslim woman named Shabana Khan of tricking the Hindu man into a love trap.

Lakshmi informed the cops that Akash Maurya had not returned home since 21st December 2023. She said the Hindu man took gold and silver coins and ₹23,000 cash while leaving home.

Akash Maurya worked as a delivery boy in a courier company. According to Lakshmi, he met the 21-year-old Shabana Khan while doing deliveries in Math Lakshmipur, which falls under the jurisdiction of Izzatnagar police station.

The Hindu man had reportedly been talking to the woman over the phone for the past 4 months. As per Lakshmi, Shabana Khan has tricked him into her love trap. The family received a shocker after the video of Akash Maurya, pledging allegiance to Islam, surfaced on social media.

Screengrab of the complaint copy

Shabana Khan reportedly reached out to Lakshmi via video call and informed her that Akash Maurya had converted to Islam. She also threatened to hurt the Hindu man if his wife tried to contact him. Akash Maurya’s mother Sapna said that he infrequently visited home after coming in contact with Shabana Khan.

She added that Akash was coerced into converting to Islam and that she heard him crying in the background when Shabana called his wife Lakshmi. Forced by circumstances, the family filed a complaint with the police.

While speaking about the matter, Superintendent of Police Rahul Bhati informed that Akash Maurya visited the Subash Nagar police station and recorded his statement dismissing accusations of converting to Islam. He also refuted allegations of religious conversion.

While speaking to Opindia about the matter on Tuesday (26th December), the father of Akash Maurya informed that he has returned home. On being asked about the claims surrounding religious conversion, he emphasised that the allegations are true.

Swami Prasad Maurya brazens it out after calling Hindu Dharma a ‘Dhokha’ and claiming it is a business to fool people

ANI
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Swami Prasad Maurya brazens it out after calling Hindu Dharma a ‘Dhokha’ and claiming it is a business to fool people

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who is infamous for his controversial statements, explained his “Hindu ek dhoka hai” remark, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had said the same thing.

“In 1955, the Supreme Court said in its order that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. It is a conglomeration of more than 200 religions. Even Mohan Bhagwat had said, not once but twice, that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that Hindu is not a religion. Even Gadkari had said the same thing in a media conclave,” Maurya said while speaking at National Buddhist and Bahujan Rights Conference in New Delhi on Monday.

The Samajwadi Party leader questioned why no one’s sentiments get hurt when they say the same thing on Hinduism that he had said.

“But when they say these, no one’s sentiments get hurt but when Swami Prasad Maurya says that Hindu is not a religion but a betrayal and what we refer to as Hindu religion is a business for some people, the whole country gets into a storm,” Maurya said.
“When the Supreme Court said the same thing in 1955, no one took offence. But when Swami Prasad Maurya says it, FIRs are registered throughout the country. I am saying the same thing that the Indian Constituion is saying,” he added.

The Samajwadi Party leader said that the Hindu upper classes make use of the Bahujan vote bank to come into power, but after doing so they cancel reservations for them.

“Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas together make up 8% of the population. These 8% cannot form a government on their own. They have expolited the backward classes and formed the government in the name of Hindu. For the purpose of votes, we are Hindus. But after forming the government, we are no longer Hindus. If it had been the case, they would have never canceled reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes or backward castes,” Maurya said.

The Samajwadi Party MLC said that those sitting at the top echelons of power are weakening democracy by doing away with reservations.

“Those who swear by the Constitution, the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers, those who are at the helm of power are prioritizing Manuvaad. The Constitution is being made ineffective…Reservations are being done away with. Even democracy is being weakened. Almost 150 MPs were disqualified from Parliament. Is it not a conspiracy against democracy? Is the government not imposing its say on its people?” Maurya said.

Swami Prasad Maurya, who came to limelight after stoking a major controversy with his ‘Ramcharitmanas’ comments had earlier said in August the Hinduism is a “betrayal”.

In a video posted on ‘X’ Maurya was heard saying, “The roots of Brahminism are very deep and the reason for all the disparity is also Brahminism. There is no religion called Hindu, Hinduism is just a hoax. There is a conspiracy to trap the Dalits, tribals and backward people of this country by calling the same Brahmin religion as Hindu religion.”

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

Mangaluru cooker blast case: NIA chargesheet reveals connection to Shivamogga blast case, Isha Foundation and other religious places were on ISIS target

OpIndia Staff
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Mangaluru cooker blast case: NIA chargesheet reveals connection to Shivamogga blast case, Isha Foundation and other religious places were on ISIS target

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on 29th November filed the chargesheet in the Islamic State (IS)-sponspored cooker blast case that took place in Mangaluru, Karnataka, last year. The NIA chargesheet has revealed that several prominent religious places including Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev-led Isha Foundation were on ISIS target, as pointed out by Republic TV. The terror accused used fake Hindu names and identity cards while carrying out the terror conspiracy, as per the NIA chargesheet.  

On 19th November, an auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru, Karnataka. The auto driver, Purshottham, and one passenger later identified as Mohammed Shariq suffered burn injuries due to the explosion of the cooker bomb in the vehicle. It was revealed that the 24-year-old Mohammed Shariq was carrying a pressure cooker bomb in the auto-rickshaw. The NIA chargesheet reveals that he had planned to deploy the IED at Kadri Manjunatha Temple, Mangaluru, with the aim to create terror among the Hindu community but the low intensify bomb accidentally exploded on the way.

Shariq was using a fake Aadhaar card with the Hindu name Premraj. He was already on the radar of the investigating agency for months. Following the incident, a case was registered at Kankanady police station and later on the case was transferred to the NIA.

The NIA chargesheet in this case details the connections of the Mangaluru terror plot with the Shivamogga trial blast in which the Shivamogga rural police department filed the initial complaint on 19th September 2022. Incidentally, both Mohammad Shariq and Syed Yasin have been chargesheeted by NIA in both the terror cases – Shivamogga trial blast case and Mangaluru cooker blast case.    

According to a report in Republic TV, several religious places and tourist spots were on the radar of Mohammed Shariq who is the accused in Mangaluru cooker blast case. For this, he had conducted recce in Karnataka and across South India. 

The ongoing NIA investigation in the Mangaluru cooker blast case has revealed that Shariq conducted reccee in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka to select a target. As per the findings of the investigation, from 31st August to 2nd September, he did recce in Nilgiris. During those three days, he stayed at a lodge in Gudalur. 

He had conducted a reccee in the Nilgiris hills, Ooty, Packer Waterfalls, Needle Rock View point and the Saint Sebastian church. Using the identity of a Hindu man named Arun Gouli, Shariq later shifted to Tamil Nadu. 

On 2nd September, he left Gudalur to Metupalyam where he booked a lodge in the name of Arun Kumar Gouli. There he conducted reccee for two days. The investigation revealed that he went completely off the radar and had also switched off his mobile phone.

ISIS had a target on the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore

Afterward, the Manguluru cooker blast accused Shariq reached Coimbatore where he stayed in a dormitory near the bus stand. While staying there, he conducted reccee till 7th September. For four days, he was at the Isha Foundation where he took several pictures with the statue of Adiyogi. 

In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Shariq had uploaded an image from the Isha Foundation with the statue of Adiyogi in the background on his WhatsApp profile. Later, he discarded his old SIM card and purchased a new SIM from a private service provider.

From Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to Kerala, Shariq did recee of various religious places as well as tourist spots

As per the NIA chargesheet, on 7th September, Shariq left Coimbatore and reached Nagercoil via Madurai a day later. After conducting recee there, he reached Kanyakumari via Madurai where he assumed a new identity of a Hindu man named Prem Kumar. 

As per the agency, the terror accused Shariq rented a room in a lodge near the bus stand. From 8th September to 13th September, he conducted reccee at Kanyakumari Beach, Kanika Parameshwari Temple, Vivekananda Statue, and Sunset View Point. He also went to Manakudi Beach View Point and a private Mart.

On the 13th of September, Shariq left for Kerala and reached Aluva where he booked a room at a lodge in Ernakulam. Under the identity of Prem Raj, he stayed there for the next 6 days til 18th September. 

Based on the NIA chargesheet, Republic TV reported that in Kerala, Shariq conducted reccee of densely populated spots like bus stands, malls and theatres. He also took photographs and videos of the Kochi airport, railway station, Lulu mall, marine drive, Wellington and major beaches. As per the agency, he send all the digital data to his handler. 

Afterwards on 17th September, he purchased a railway ticket to travel to Maharashtra’s Sholapur via Pune express. However, he canceled his journey at the last moment and didn’t board the train. After cancelling his journey, he stayed back in Kerala and searched for a house in Karnataka via online platforms.

NIA chargesheet in Mangaluru cooker blast case reveals its connections with the Shivamogga trial blast case

On 15th August 2022, a person named Prem Singh was stabbed to death in Shivamogga. Following the incident, a case was registered at Doddapet police station. Later on, two accused Zabiullah and Nadeem Faisal were arrested in this stabbing case. 

Mohammad Shariq who was also involved in the stabbing case went absconding. After abscounding from Shivamogga, he went to Ulaibettu in Mangaluru where he stayed with Ansar, who was with him in jail in an earlier case.  

Both of them were earlier arrested in the Mangaluru “Lashkar Zindabad” case. While staying in Mangaluru, Shariq got in touch with Syed Yasin. 

Incidentally, both Mohammad Shariq and Syed Yasin have been chargesheeted by NIA in both the terror cases – Shivamogga trial blast case and Mangaluru cooker blast case. 

Click here to read the NIA chargesheet in the Shivamogga trial blast case. The accused charge-sheeted in the case include Mohamed Shariq (25), Maaz Muneer Ahmed (23), Syed Yasin (22), Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh (22), Huzair Farhan Baig (22), Mazin Abdul Rahman (22), Nadeem Ahmed K A (22), Zabiulla (32) and Nadeem Faizal N (27).

Based on NIA chargesheet, Republic TV reported that Shariq was in constant touch with his handler, a person who goes by the contact name ‘Colonel’, and they were talking through Vicker Me, Signal and a wire app.

From 15th-19th August, Shariq stayed in Mangaluru and on 20th August morning, he returned to Theerthahalli. Subsequently, he began gathering matchsticks to amass phosphorus and instructed Syed Yasin to do a similar task for the Shivamogga trial blast and Mangaluru cooker blast.

Meanwhile, the police intensified their search for the accused involved in the Prem Singh stabbing case in Shivamogga. On examining Zabiullah and Nadeem Faisal’s mobile phones, they found links to the Islamic State (ISIS) on Zabiullah’s device.

On 28th August, Shariq came to know about these developments and immediately informed Colonel and left the town on his instruction. However, before that, Shariq had met Syed Yasin near the Nadti river bridge in Theerthahalli. He also handed over the phosphorus powder to Yasin who gave him a time relay circuit, which had been assembled for the trial blast. Afterward, Shariq left for Bengaluru, as reported by Republic TV based on NIA chargesheet.

After getting instructions from Shariq and online handler Colonel, Syed Yasin conducted the trial blast on the banks of the Tunga river in Shivamogga using an improvised explosive device or IED.

The accused conducted the trial blast for several reasons including – 

1) To check if the IED functioned well without any problems and to see the intensity of the explosions. 

2) The accused wanted to instil confidence in youth who were being radicalised by the outfit by posting videos of the trial explosion on social media.

3) The accused were getting ready for future attacks, like a Wolf attack (attacking VIPs and VVIPs), or using heavy vehicles to attack places, similar to a suicide attack.

As per the agency’s chargesheet, ‘Colonel’ instructed Shariq to carry out the trial blasts, with Shariq supplying the raw materials. Syed Yasin, arrested in connection with the trial blast, assembled the bomb and prepared a timer. Following Syed Yasin’s arrest, Shariq went into hiding. In the last week of August, Shariq went missing after visiting Mysuru, where he spent a few days staying at a lodge. While in Mysuru, Shariq adopted a new identity and presented a fake Aadhaar card of a Hindu man named Arun Kumar Gouli.

Meanwhile, during the investigation, Syed Yasin revealed details about the entire nexus and operation. He also spoke about the ISIS ideologies and its aim to establish an Islamic Caliphate by 2047.

Terror financing and funding through Dark web and cryptocurrency

The NIA chargesheet submitted before the court revealed that Shariq and ISIS terror modules down south were funding terror activities through the dark web and cryptocurrency while using fake identities. The investigation findings have revealed that the Mangaluru cooker blast accuse Shariq had been getting online payments via regular transactions in cryptocurrency to the account.

As per the probing agency, an account in the name of fictitious Saral Devi was being used to deposit money for terror activities. The handler ‘Colonel’ had dispatched an ATM card under the name of Saral Devi. Shariq obtained the ATM card through Maaz Muneer Ahmed, a co-accused in the Shivamogga trial blast case. It is only after the Shivamogga trial blast case that Shariq started using this ATM card.

Funds were being directed to Shariq through a FINO Payments Bank Rupay Debit/ATM Card and associated mobile number that had been fraudulently acquired. Mohamed Shariq received the said bank debit card and SIM card through his associate Maaz Muneer Ahmed.

While doing reccee in Mangaluru, Mohamed Shariq lost his mobile phone. His online handler ‘Colonel’ then arranged him another FINO Bank ATM card along with a linked SIM card of mobile number via DTDC courier on 25.10.2022 which were also obtained fraudulently. The card was in the name of Pinki Bai Ahirwar, a resident of Madhya Pradesh.  

Further, Mohamed Shariq registered the said mobile number on the MEXC Crypto platform. Through this platform, he received funds from the online handler ‘Colonel’ with the intention of advancing the terror activities of the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) within India, as per the NIA investigation.

After receiving funds in Crypto currency, Shariq converted into fiat money and Indian Rupee (INR) with the help of Crypto traders on Telegram. He used to transfer cryptocurrency to the accounts of these traders, who reciprocated by transferring INR to the accounts managed by Mohamed Shariq. Funds were also directed to the accounts of point-of-sale (POS) agents in Mysuru, with their UPI details provided to cryptocurrency traders by Mohamed Shariq.

After paying commission to these POS agents, Shariq used to receive cash. As per the agency, on 18th November 2022, a day before the blast, Shariq converted Crypto currency worth Rs.41,680/- which he withdrew from the POS agents by paying commission. The purpose of this withdrawal was to use the funds during the absconding period after deploying the IED.

On 12th December 2022, the agency conducted searches at the residence of witness Akshay Raj @Royal Sonu. He was a member of Telegram Groups “Bitcoin Mall”, “BTCEmpire”, “BTC World” and “Supermarket BTC Mall that converted Crypto currencies into Indian Rupees for Shariq. During the search, the agency seized his digital gadgets.

The investigation also unveiled that Shariq and co-accused Syed Yasin used Binance and WazirX cryptocurrency exchanges. The analysis of the data gathered from Binance and WazirX revealed the financial transactions between them.

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