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62 villages in Western UP ban entry of Congress and TMC for insulting Vice President, decision taken in Dhankhar Khap Panchayat

OpIndia Staff
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62 villages in Western UP ban entry of Congress and TMC for insulting Vice President, decision taken in Dhankhar Khap Panchayat

In a significant move, the Jat community, particularly those belonging to the Dhankhar gotra, have banned the entry of Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in 62 villages across western Uttar Pradesh. In this regard, a panchayat of the community took place in Baghpat district on Friday (22nd December). This decision comes in the wake of the recent mimicry and insult of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Parliament premises on 19th December.

This panchayat meeting was convened on 22nd December in Faizpur Ninana village, Baghpat, where community leaders and residents expressed strong displeasure over the incident. The panchayat, representing the collective voice of the community, resolved to implement several measures in response to the insult to the Vice President of India.

It was unanimously decided that leaders from the Congress and TMC would not be permitted to enter 62 villages in western UP, a region with a significant Dhankhar gotra population. The community has also demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi, who recorded the episode of mimicry.

The panchayat also decided to stage protests, including a potential encirclement (gherao) of the Parliament, if the politicians insulting the Vice President do not apologise. The attendees agreed to boycott and oppose those who were part of the insulting act or who supported it.

Harendra Singh, former Pradhan of Faizpur Ninana Village said, “This panchayat was organised in protest against the insult of Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji in Parliament. We will always oppose those who have done this. This decision has been taken in the panchayat. We will not support such a party or someone who insults our community. There is deep resentment in the society. The insult of the Dhankhar gotra, the entire OBC, and farmer brothers will not be tolerated.”

He added, “People of Dhankhar Gotra are in Haryana and Rajasthan as well. These people will not tolerate insult at any cost. A meeting was also held there three to four days ago. There was also a demonstration. If they do not apologise, we will protest.”

Netrapal Singh, a local who attended the panchayat, said, “The Vice President was insulted in Parliament. We will hold a panchayat and go to Parliament House. Rahul Gandhi should apologise. If he doesn’t apologise, we will stage a protest and gherao Parliament. Everyone is unhappy about this. The Jat community will also oppose those who remain on Congress-TMC’s side and do not oppose it.”

During the winter session of Parliament, a massive ruckus led to the suspension of 141 MPs due to their disruptive behaviour. Amidst these tensions, on 19th December, opposition MPs staged protests outside the Parliament House. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee engaged in mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Compounding the controversy, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was seen recording a video of this demeaning act. Describing the incident as shameful, the Vice President said that it was ridiculous and unacceptable that one MP was making fun of him and another MP was making a video of the incident underscoring the lack of decorum in the situation.

Indian engineer Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan, who spent 5.5 years behind bars over accusations of ‘blasphemy’, finally released from Saudi jail

OpIndia Staff
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Indian engineer Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan, who spent 5.5 years behind bars over accusations of ‘blasphemy’, finally released from Saudi jail

On Tuesday (19th December), the father of Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan took to social media to inform that his son who spent the past 5 and half years in a Saudi jail has been released.

An engineer by profession, Radhakrishnan became the first Indian to be tried under the draconian blasphemy laws of Saudi Arabia. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the grounds of ‘misusing social media’ and hurting the religious and national sentiments of the Gulf nation (for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad).

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), the father of the victim wrote, “At last my son is saved with the help of Nouf Marwaai and advocate Samar Sufiani. I am thankful to these ladies of Saudi and the authorities of Saudi Govt. All these couldn’t have been possible without the help of my friend.”

“All this happened due to the effort of @duryodan_ who introduced me to @NoufMarwaai and through her the contract was signed with the Advocate”, he further added.

In another tweet, the father of the victim claimed that Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan was never ill-treated by Saudi jail authorities and that they facilitated his early release.

The story of Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan

On the fateful day of June 7, 2018, Vishnu Dev Radhakrishnan was arrested by the police in Saudi Arabia on charges of blasphemy. Vishnu Dev, a native of Alappuzha in Kerala, had been residing in the Gulf nation for 6 years then.

He was working at Saudi Aramco’s subsidiary, Nasser S Al-Hajri Corporation, as an engineer. In 2018, Vishnu Dev had befriended a Muslim girl on the micro-blogging platform on Twitter. She was a resident of London in the United Kingdom.

During their conversation on Twitter, the Muslim girl made objectionable remarks against Lord Shiva. An enraged Vishnu Dev then tweeted against Prophet Muhammad. He also asked as to why schools in Yemen were bombed if Allah was merciful.

Given that bombings in Yemen were conducted on the behest of the Saudi regime, the government clamped down on him hard. Vishnu Dev’s father recounted, “The tweets went through Aramco’s server. Vishnu told me that the officials at Aramco might have taken the screenshots of his conversation with the woman and given it to the police.”

About 15 days before his arrest, the Indian man was quizzed by the security officials at Aramco. The company officials had detained him at the office for 15 days and said that he would be deported back to India. Instead of letting him contact the Indian embassy, Vishnu Dev was handed over to the police.

On June 7, 2018, he was arrested by the police on the grounds of ‘misusing social media’ and for hurting the religious and national sentiments of the Gulf nation (for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad).

On September 13 that year, he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in Khobar jail and penalised a sum of 1,50,000 Riyal (₹29.12 lacs). Later on January 24, 2019, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and an additional penalty.

While speaking about his case, a Malayali social organisation Navayugam informed that Vishnu Dev was fortunate to escape beheading and other draconian forms of punishment due to his nationality.

According to Radhakrishnan, some Indian Muslims took screenshots of Vishnu Dev’s tweets and complained about him to the Saudi authorities. Interestingly, he informed that prisoners from Kerala lodged in the same jail had tried to proselytise and convert him to Islam. 

Influencer Vivek Bindra booked for allegedly abusing and assaulting wife hours after wedding, FIR says Yankita hospitalised with severe injuries and hearing loss

OpIndia Staff
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Influencer Vivek Bindra booked for allegedly abusing and assaulting wife hours after wedding, FIR says Yankita hospitalised with severe injuries and hearing loss

Well-known motivational speaker Vivek Bindra has been booked in a domestic violence case for allegedly assaulting his wife just a hours after the marriage. Bindra tied the knot with Yanika on December 6, 2023, and just 8 days later, a case was filed against him alleging that he assaulted his newlywed wife. He allegedly assaulted her a few hours after midnight on 7th December when Yankita tried to mediate an argument between Bindra and his mother.

The case was filed by Yanika’s brother Vaibhav on 14 December at the Noida Sector 126 police station. The YouTuber has been booked under various sections of the IPC including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult), 427 (Mischief causing damage) and 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt).

In the complaint, Vaibhav alleged that Vivek Bindra locked his sister in a room, hurled abuses and physically assaulted her severely, resulting in injuries all over her body. The incident took place at around 2.30-3.00 AM on 7th December, hours after the wedding on 6th, as per the FIR.

The FIR states that the assault was the result of an argument between Vivek Bindra and his mother. When Yanika tried to intervene in the matter, he dragged her into a room, locked her in, and assaulted her causing severe injuries.

The complaint adds that Yanika is unable to hear properly due to the assault on her ears. Yanika has injuries all over the body, and her hairs were pulled out. Her phone was also smashed by Vivek Bindra. She is currently admitted to Delhi’s Kailash Deepak Hospital for medical treatment.

This is the latest in the controversies surrounding Vivek Bindra. He is currently involved in a feud with popular YouTuber Sandeep Maheshwari, who has alleged that Bindra’s entrepreneurship courses are nothing but a scam, and it is a Pyramid Scheme.

Maheshwari posted a video in which several students of Bindra’s programs alleged that after enrolling into the programs by paying hefty fees, they were asked to further sell the program to others, and no entrepreneurship was being taught to them. The youths alleged that they were duped by Bada Business Private Limited, a company owned by Vivek Bindra, and they could recover the money only if they can dupe others.

However, Bindra has refuted the allegations, saying that Maheswari should have talked to him before making the allegations public.

Apart from this, an old video of Vivek Bindra making casteist comments against Shudras has also surfaced. In that video, he had said Shudras are an assistant class of society, they can assist well, but they can’t become leaders. If Shudras are made leaders, the nation will collapse, he had claimed.

‘Trying to sow poison of religious bigotry in harmonious society’: BJP slams Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah over decision to reverse hijab ban in colleges

OpIndia Staff
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‘Trying to sow poison of religious bigotry in harmonious society’: BJP slams Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah over decision to reverse hijab ban in colleges

The BJP has slammed the Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah after he announced that his government will reverse the state government’s hijab ban in the state.

In a notable development, CM Siddaramaiah on Friday said his government would overturn the directive prohibiting the wearing of hijabs in classrooms. This directive was enacted by the preceding BJP government and subsequently triggered a legal dispute.

“We will take back that decision, there is no Hijab ban now. Women can go out wearing hijab. I have told the officials to take back the order (previous govt order),” Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said at a programme in Nanjangud in Mysuru district.

“Dressing and eating food is our choice, why should I object? Wear whatever dress you want, eat whatever you want, why should I care? We should not do politics to get votes, we don’t do that,” Siddaramaiah said over the 2022 controversy which eventually found its way into the Karnataka High Court, which upheld the state’s decision to ban religious attires in educational institutes.

Swiftly responding, the BJP, through its social media platform, accused the Chief Minister of attempting to foster religious discord in a previously harmonious society. The party contended that a uniform policy promotes equality among students, accusing the Chief Minister of fostering divisions.

The former BJP government had implemented a ban on wearing hijabs in educational institutions. The Department of Primary and Secondary Education had circulated a directive prohibiting the use of hijabs in schools and PU colleges, sparking a political uproar. This decision led to both supportive and opposing protests throughout the state, beginning with a college in Udupi.

In 2022, petitions challenging the order were submitted to the Karnataka High Court. The court ruled in support of the state’s circular, emphasising that students in educational institutions should adhere to prescribed uniforms. In cases where no specific dress code was prescribed, students were advised to wear attire promoting equality, and integrity, and not disrupting public order. The court determined that wearing the hijab was not deemed an essential religious practice. Subsequently, the Supreme Court issued a divided verdict on the matter later in the year, and the case is currently awaiting further consideration by a larger Bench.

Uttarakhand Cabinet approves decisions taken by the Uniform Civil Code draft committee so far

ANI
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Uttarakhand Cabinet approves decisions taken by the Uniform Civil Code draft committee so far

The Uttarakhand Cabinet has approved the decisions taken so far by the five-member panel formed to prepare a draft for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.

The cabinet approved the decision in a meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.

However, the committee has yet to submit its detailed report to the government.

The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, who currently heads the Delimitation Commission of India. Other members of the committee include retired Delhi High Court judge Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, ex-chief secretary and IAS officer Shatrughan Singh, and Doon University Vice-Chancellor Surekha Dangwal.

The UCC was promised to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls in Uttarakhand.

Article 44 of the Constitution of India says that the State shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India. The UCC proposes a common set of laws dealing with marriage, inheritance, adoption, and other matters.

The UCC, which had been a hot topic that had polarised opinions over the last 4 years, hit the forefront yet again after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong case for the implementation of uniform legislation in an address in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal.

PM Modi said the country cannot run on two laws and that the Uniform Civil Code was in keeping with the founding principles and ideals of the Constitution. 

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

ED summons Arvind Kejriwal for third time in liquor policy probe after he went for Vipassana skipping questioning, asks him to appear on January 3

ANI
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ED summons Arvind Kejriwal for third time in liquor policy probe after he went for Vipassana skipping questioning, asks him to appear on January 3

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued a summon to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy case and has asked him to appear before the central agency on January 3.

This is the third summon that has been issued to the Delhi Chief Minister by the central agency.

Kejriwal was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with an excise policy case on December 18, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21.

The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was “vague, motivated and unsustainable in law.”

“The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which is, to say the least, vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law,” Kejriwal had stated in his letter to Jogendar, Assistant Director, ED.

He further alleged that the said summons appears to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.

Arvind Kejriwal was again summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on December 18.

However, the Delhi Chief Minister chose to skip appearing before the central agency, stating that it was just to create sensational news in the final months of the parliamentary elections in 2024.

Questioning the timing of the summons, Kejriwal said, “The timing of your summons leaves much to desire and strengthens my belief that the summons being sent to me are not based upon any objective or rational yardstick but purely as propaganda as well as to create sensational news in the final few months of much-awaited parliamentary elections in the country.”

Delhi Chief Minister was also summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April this year, in connection with the case.

However, Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17, last year. In February 2023, Arvind Kejriwal’s Deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition.

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

Commission for Air Quality Management re-imposes GRAP Stage-3 restrictions in Delhi as air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ category

ANI
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Commission for Air Quality Management re-imposes GRAP Stage-3 restrictions in Delhi as air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ category

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body on Friday issued orders to impose a ban on non-essential construction work and the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR due to the deteriorating air quality in the region.

“NCR State governments/GNCTD to impose strict restrictions on plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (4-wheelers) in Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. State governments in NCR and GNCTD may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes in an online mode’,” the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated.

Delhi’s overall AQI has been steadily rising since this morning. It stood at 397 at 12 pm and 405 at 3:05 pm.

The CAQM Sub-Committee for Operationalization of actions under GRAP decided to re-invoke an 8-point action plan as per Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region.

“This is in addition to the restrictive actions under Stage-I and Stage-II of GRAP already in force in NCR. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions under Stage-III of GRAP in addition to actions under Stage-I and Stage-II of GRAP during this period,” the Ministry stated.

However, certain exemptions are granted for construction work related to national security or defence, projects of national importance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, sanitation, and water supply.

Further, CAQM appeals to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in the effective implementation of GRAP measures aimed towards sustaining and improving the overall air quality in the region. 

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

Favouritism, allowing harassment of women at the workplace, exploitation: How Left ecosystem shielded author of the book on Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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Favouritism, allowing harassment of women at the workplace, exploitation: How Left ecosystem shielded author of the book on Rahul Gandhi

On 22nd November 2023, Dayashankar Mishra resigned from News18. He claimed in his X post that he was forced to resign because he wrote a book on Congress scion Rahul Gandhi. However, after his resignation, many reports citing employees in News18 have accused him of favouritism, casteism, harassment of women at the workplace, unprofessional behaviour and other allegations.

Reports on Bhadas4Media have covered many such accounts of these former colleagues of Dayashankar Mishra. Mishra is also accused of compiling his book using multiple reports from various news media outlets. The News18 has also refuted his claims terming them false and misleading.

In his X post, Dayashankar Mishra wrote, “I had no idea how difficult it would be to write the truth on Rahul Gandhi. At a time when there is a competition for writing stories and mythology in the ruling class, I thought why would it bother anyone to compile and present the thinking, vision and perseverance of a public thinker? But I was proved wrong. It is our job to write and express. But due to this, suddenly the company’s beats increased. I had the option of getting the book back. Keep working. Shut up. But I chose the book. We chose what is our basic task. Chose to tell the truth. Therefore, first the resignation, then the book.”

After this post of Dayashankar Mishra, ‘News18 India’ also shared a post on X. In this post, News18 described Dayashankar Mishra’s post as misleading and baseless. In its post, News18 India said that as per the rules of the company, before writing any book or making any kind of contribution outside the organisation, employees have to get permission. This is how it is in all reputed media institutions. But Dayashankar Mishra, as editor of the Hindi website of News18, did not get permission from the organisation to write this book.

After Dayashankar Mishra resigned from News18 Hindi, many of his former colleagues came ahead to share their experiences with the journalist, who for all practical purposes had become a political activist singing an ode to Rahul Gandhi. According to reports in the media, Mishra is accused of unprofessional behaviour, harassment of women at the workplace, favouritism, casteism, and cheating on the employer. They have also accused him of plagiarism in his book ‘Rahul Gandhi: Historic Struggle against Communalism, Disinformation and Dictatorship’.

The book is seen as an attempt by the journalist to make inroads to the Congress party rather than his commitment to be a voice of opposition as he claims. He strategically launched the book on 22nd November when the elections were happening in 5 states. However, the book had no impact on the results as the BJP triumphed in the Hindi-speaking states where the former journalist from News18 Hindi was trying to make grounds for Congress.

In various reports published on Bhadas4Media, it is claimed that Dayashankar Mishra favoured people from his caste and his relatives while recruiting new candidates in the News18 Hindi’s digital newsroom. Some of them have claimed that he would favour a certain few. Others have claimed that his book is not an original work and hardly any part is written by himself. They claim that he either used old reports from anti-Modi portals like Newslaundry and Alt News as it is or he deployed some of his juniors for this work. While doing so, Dayashankar Mishra also communicated to his seniors in News18 that these junior colleagues were working on some secret project. Therefore, he is also accused of cheating his employer.

Besides, the reports also claimed that he would often ask his junior employees to do his household work and never pay serious attention to female colleagues requesting him to constitute a committee to probe their allegations against others under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace rules. Some of them even accused him of harassment at the workplace.

As it completes a month to Dayashankar Mishra’s resignation from Network18, it should be noted that despite repeated allegations against him by his former colleagues, no one from the ecosystem of leftist liberal journalists and mainstream media houses has shown the courage to confront him on these issues and ask clarification from him on these allegations.

Instead, his book was promoted on various platforms as he was invited to speak about this book on various web portals and their YouTube channels. This should be seen as a systematic attempt to shield a once powerful boss in the newsroom who continuously threatened his colleagues that they might lose their jobs if they went against him. Dayashankar Mishra’s whole episode should therefore be seen as an eye-opener exposing the dark side of the Left ecosystem that turns a blind eye to serious allegations of misconduct against one of their own while blowing trumpet and resorting to exaggeration against their ideological opponents.

This will be a game changer for the payments industry: Payments Council of India welcomes RBI allowing tokenisation of cards through banks

ANI
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This will be a game changer for the payments industry: Payments Council of India welcomes RBI allowing tokenisation of cards through banks

The Payments Council of India (PCI), a representative body of the non-banking payment industry in India, welcomed the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) move to enable the issuing of tokens for cards via internet and commercial banks.

This RBI decision, announced through a recent circular, will empower cardholders by offering them an additional option to tokenize their cards for multiple merchant sites through a streamlined and unified process.

Card-on-File Tokens (CoFT) for a card can now be enabled through mobile banking and internet banking channels, providing a convenient and efficient means for users to secure their transactions across various platforms.

With over 56 crore tokens already created, CoFT has demonstrably improved transaction security and approval rates. PCI had submitted representations to the RBI, outlining the industry’s readiness and preparedness for tokenization, along with suggestions to fast-track the process. The industry members remain committed to a smooth and successful implementation of tokenization.

Welcoming the RBI move, Chairperson of Card Networks Committee under PCI, and Group County Manager of Visa, Sandeep Ghosh, said, “We welcome this circular of RBI for enabling tokenization through card issuing banks. This will be a game changer for the payments industry and will also enhance convenience for card holders.”

Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer at National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and Co-Chairperson, the Payment Council of India, remarked, “This move will provide consumers with greater autonomy in managing card tokens, making it easier to modify and control them. This circular reflects the ongoing enhancement of security in the digital payment ecosystem every day. I am confident that this step will boost consumer trust.”

Rai further said that this strategic initiative reflects the RBI’s commitment to enhancing the security and flexibility of digital transactions, further aligning with evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements in the financial landscape.

The RBI’s Card-on-File (CoF) token facility allows cardholders to create tokens and link them to their accounts with various e-commerce applications.

Tokenization replaces a card’s 16-digit number with a unique token that is specific to the user’s card and merchant. The token hides the card’s details, so that if there is a data leak from the merchant website, hackers cannot misuse the card.

Payments Council of India (PCI) works with all its members to promote payments industry growth and to support our national goals of ‘Cash to Less Cash Society’ and ‘Growth of Financial Inclusion’ which is also the Vision Shared by the RBI and the Government of India.

PCI works closely with the regulators i.e. Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Finance Ministry, and any similar government, departments, bodies or Institutions to make ‘India a less cash society. 

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

After ‘private video’ controversy, Kulhad Pizza couple face the heat of Nihang Sikhs over an Instagram reel, latter threatens to burn their shop

Jhankar Mohta
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After ‘private video’ controversy, Kulhad Pizza couple face the heat of Nihang Sikhs over an Instagram reel, latter threatens to burn their shop

After the ‘private video’ controversy, the famous Kulhad Pizza couple from Jalandhar is back in the news, and this time again, not for the right reasons. This time, they managed to anger some Nihang Sikhs with one of their Instagram reels which went viral on social media. The Nihang Sikhs, who accused Kulhad Pizza owner Sehaj Arora and his wife Gurpreet Kaur of bringing a bad name to the Sikh community by posting the real on social media, threatened to burn down Kulhad Pizza restaurants if the couple did not issue a public apology and take down their Instagram reel.

According to reports, on Thursday, December 21, Ludhiana’s Nihang Ramandeep Singh Mangu and his aides created a ruckus outside the Kulhad Pizza couple’s restaurant. Mangu became enraged after seeing the couple’s Instagram reel and claimed that by performing the song, which has some disparaging lyrics about the entire world, the couple had brought shame to the Sikh community. He demanded that he wanted to meet Kulhad Pizza owners Sehaj Arora and Gurpreet Kaur in person. Speaking to the media, Mangu said that he learned after reaching the restaurant that the couple were not in town. He said that they would wait there and only return once they meet them in person.

Expressing dismay over the viral video, the Nihang Sikh said that the couple had brought shame to the Sikh community and they were only indulging in such cheap acts to make it to the reality show Bigg Boss. According to Mangu, Sahaj’s mobile phone is currently switched off and a message has been sent to him asking him to apologise soon.

Notably, in the Instagram reel to which the Nihangs have taken offence, the Kulhad Pizaa couple is seen singing and dancing to a song whose lyrics go like “yeh duniya badi beh*nch*d beh*ch*d…”.

Notably, the duo performed “Haye Ri Duniya,” a song that was originally sung by Rashmeet Kaur, Ikka, Rusha, and Blizza. The song portion that the Kulhad couple performed begins at 1.19 seconds into the song.

The owner of Kulhad Pizza Sehaj Arora responded to the incident by releasing a video statement on Facebook that clarified his position on the issue. He explained how the song on which he and his wife are seen performing in the Instagram reel is not their own. He explained that it was a paid promotion and he was approached by the producers of the song to promote the video. Showing a message he received on his phone, Arora further explained how he was given a time stamp by the producers and he was expected to perform strictly on that particular portion of the song.

He added that the words of the song he is seen performing on is not his and he was simply promoting the song as per the requirements of the producers for which he would be paid. Yet, Arora said that he was willing to apologise if he had unknowingly hurt anyone’s sentiments.

Sehaj Arora further alleged in the video statement that Nihang Ramandeep Singh Mangu’s aide had blackmailed him and demanded Rs 50,000 to resolve the issue. She shared a small snippet from a video to back his claim.

Kulhad Pizza owner breaks silence after ‘private video’ goes viral, alleges they fell prey to a sextortion racket

This is not the first time the Kulhad Pizza couple have been embroiled in a controversy. In September 2023, the couple were in the news after an alleged ‘private video’ of them went viral. On September 22, Kulhad Pizza owner Sehaj Arora took to Instagram to release his second video message, wherein he broke down while narrating the mental trauma he and his family have been facing due to these leaked videos. The victim wept as he begged people to stop sharing the videos on social media.

Notably, the sex tape, which quickly went viral contained explicit content. It showed intimate moments between a couple. In the video, the man’s face was fully visible while the woman’s face was partially visible. Moreover, the woman in the video had the same tattoo as Gurpreet Kaur. Additionally, the woman in the video was seen wearing red bangles, which are traditionally worn by ladies after their wedding, indicating that the video was taken after the couple’s wedding. In several of Kulhad Pizza couple’s earlier videos, Gurpreet Kaur is also seen wearing the traditional red ‘chooda’ bangles.

After the video started doing rounds on social media, Sehaj Arora on Thursday, September 21, broke his silence on the controversy. In his first video message shared on Instagram, the owner of Kulhad Pizza alleged that the video was fake and that AI was used to morph the visuals. He also spoke about the trauma he and his family have been going through ever since the tapes have gone viral.

Hinting at falling prey to a sextortion racket, Arora said that the video had been leaked 15 days prior, along with a blackmail message on Instagram. Instead of yielding to the blackmailer’s pressure, the couple decided to pursue justice through the legal route, following which Sehaj said that they filed an FIR at Jalandhar’s Thana Number 4.

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