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PDP President Mehbooba Mufti meets with a huge road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, escapes unhurt

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PDP President Mehbooba Mufti meets with a huge road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, escapes unhurt

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti survived a road accident that left the driver of her vehicle injured on Thursday.

The incident took place in J-K’s Anantnag district this afternoon.

Visuals show the front end of the vehicle, towards the driver’s side, severely damaged.

“PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s car met with an accident en route to Anantnag in J-K today. The former CM and her security officers escaped unhurt without any serious injuries,” PDP Media Cell 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)

‘They brought a helicopter to target and kill unarmed devotees in Ayodhya’: Families of karsevaks claim involvement of late MP Munnan Khan in the carnage

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‘They brought a helicopter to target and kill unarmed devotees in Ayodhya’: Families of karsevaks claim involvement of late MP Munnan Khan in the carnage

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s close associate and senior party leader Swami Prasad Maurya made a controversial statement on Wednesday (10th January 2024) in which he defended Mulayam Singh Yadav’s firing order on karsevaks by branding the Ram devotees who travelled to take part in the temple liberation movement in 1990 as troublemakers and miscreants. The statement has been opposed by a wide range of politicians, including some leaders from within the Samajwadi Party.

The OpIndia team spoke with the families of the victims and surviving karsevaks, as well as the locals of Ayodhya, to obtain information about the 1990 atrocity. We learned that during that time, a political leader by the name of Fasih-ur-Rehman Munnan Khan, popularly known as Munnan Khan had participated in the killings. The karsevaks who were far from the disputed structure were also reportedly murdered.  

Who granted MP Munnan Khan permission to commit mass murder?

A former police officer stationed in Ayodhya in 1990 spoke to OpIndia on condition of anonymity. He unveiled that he received information in the year 1990 about the involvement of the then Balrampur MP late Munnan Khan along with his associates in the attacks on the karsevaks. His full name was Fasih-ur-Rehman. According to the ex-official, the local administration and the government were aware of Munnan Khan’s onslaught on the karsevaks. However, his influence in politics was so strong that no one even mentioned him. Some of Rudauli’s surviving karsevaks who witnessed the incident also brought up his name during the interview with OpIndia.

According to them, Munnan Khan was riding in a bus with his aides while dressed as a police officer. He used to tell the karsevaks, “Come sit in the bus. Let us give you the prasad of Ayodhya.” No karsevak knows how Munnan Khan who was posing as a cop was permitted to travel by bus while the karsevaks were being apprehended even while walking.

Sanjay, son of Ram Achal Gupta and Kali Sahay, son of Ram Bahadur Verma the karsevaks who sacrificed their lives for Ram Mandir also conveyed that MP Munnan Khan was directly involved in the slaughter of karsevaks. Some local residents remarked that Munnan Khan and his people not only fired on the karsevaks but also posed as police and abducted the Ram devotees in a bus to a location unknown to this day.

Munnan Khan was an MLA from the Katra assembly constituency under Gonda district from 1985 to 1989 after which he became an MP from Balrampur district from 1989 to 1991. He was considered close to senior Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders. An intersection in Gonda district is also named after him. He died in 2009.

in light of Swami Prasad Maurya’s comments, the family members of the karsevaks who were martyred want to know if Munnan Khan’s actions were legal or allowed by the Samajwadi Party. We’ll soon be sharing with you our second report which will detail Munnan Khan’s criminal past, dark activities and cruel conduct.

Murder of those far away from the Ram Janmabhoomi

Shivdayal Mishra, a karsevak who lives in the Gonda district talked to team OpIndia. He was shot twice in the leg during karseva in 1990. He divulged that he had taken the bullets at the border of the Gonda district which is at a considerable distance away from the ‘hot zone’ that was the Ayodhya town, especially the area around Ram Janmabhoomi site. The doctors who were sitting in the temporary tents at the time on government instructions fled the shelter out of fear of being shot by the police.

Abhishek, the son of deceased karsevak Mahavir Prasad Agarwal expressed that he was deeply hurt by the statement of Mulayam Singh Yadav which followed his father’s death. Abhishek stated that on 2nd November 1990, his father was shot dead near Karsewakpuram which was a long way from the babri structure.

Simultaneously, Suresh, son of victim Ramesh Pandey informed OpIndia that his father had been shot close to Shaheed Gali. Numerous Lord Ram worshipers were killed there. Hanumangarhi is situated between this area and the contested structure which is located far distant.

Karsevak Ram Achal Gupta’s son Sanjay disclosed to OpIndia that his father was shot on 2nd November 1990 in front of the Ayodhya police station which is not far from the earlier controversial structure. Ramtej, his brother, was performing karseva at the time. He is a living eyewitness to the tragedy in 1990. According to Ramtej, all of the karsevaks were gathered around and chanting Ram Bhajans (devotional songs of Lord Ram) as the bullets were fired at them. 

Helicopters also shot bullets at unarmed karsevaks

Ayodhya’s local elders also told OpIndia that karsevaks had arrived unarmed in 1990. According to karsevak Raghuwar Singh of Rudauli locality in the Ayodhya district, shots were fired on 2nd November 1990 as everyone assembled to visit Janmbhoomi. A helicopter was hovering a few kilometres away from the disputed structure.

Seema Gupta, the daughter of martyr karsevak Vasudev Gupta stated in an interview with OpIndia that her father and other Ram devotees were killed with the help of a helicopter. A helicopter with green lights was circling over Ayodhya in the sky then. The cops would open fire at the exact moment when the chopper would fly down and its lights would turn red.

The son of another martyr karsevak Ram Sevak Verma, Kali Sahay Verma informed us that not only the cops on the ground but some armed personnel aboard the helicopters were also firing. He highlighted that the pellets penetrated his father’s body at an oblique angle and suspects that his father was shot from above.

‘Muhammad Usman and JS Bhullar were the leaders of the firing team‘

All the elders and karsevaks who reside in Ayodhya still remember the names of JS Bhullar and Muhammad Usman. They were both paramilitary officers. JS Bhullar along with his team used to camp at Maharaja Inter College in Ayodhya. The location of Maharaja Inter College where he used to bathe is also remembered by the locals due to the cruelty displayed in 1990.

An incident involving Bhullar was recounted by a local citizen who requested to remain unnamed. According to the witness, on 30th October 1990, a chopper came from Lucknow with orders to fire following which scared the local cops. They didn’t want to shoot at the karsevaks and were firing bullets into the air.

The source added that after JS Bhullar noticed gunfire in the air, he approached these police officers and reprimanded them. He aimed and fired at a Ram devotee who was walking by. The moment the bullet struck, the person went down and instantly passed away. JS Bhullar then chuckled and commented, “This is how you shoot.”

The other squad led by Muhammad Usman was raining bullets at the same time. He reportedly held the position of Deputy Commandant within the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It is believed that he and his unit were present when the karsevaks were killed in large numbers close to Shaheed Gali and Digambar Akhara. All of them shot the Ram devotees in the head and chest, instead of aiming for the legs as security personnel are supposed to, as per locals.

Ayodhya’s elders often say that the locals cops were not involved in the shooting, but it was the paramilitary central forces. A battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also mentioned in this context.

According to the ex-officer, external forces were summoned to initiate gunfire. After the Ayodhya slaughter, a poem gained popularity in the local areas which bore the lyrics, “The earth trembled and the sky cried when bullets were fired in Ayodhya.” It further reads, “When Uttar Pradesh police refused, cops were called from Tibet.

Karnataka: Six Muslim men barged into hotel room and assaulted an interfaith couple, allegedly abducted and gang-raped the Muslim woman, 3 arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Six Muslim men barged into hotel room and assaulted an interfaith couple, allegedly abducted and gang-raped the Muslim woman, 3 arrested

In a shocking case of moral policing, an interfaith couple was attacked by a mob of six Muslim men in a hotel room in Karnataka’s Haveri district. They barged into a room in the hotel in Hanagal Taluk of Haveri District where a Hindu man and a Muslim woman were staying, abused and thrashed them, while video recording the attack. The video clip of the attack went viral prompting the police to take action against the assaulters. The attack took place on January 7. The woman later said that she was gang-raped by the attackers after they took her away from the hotel.

In the video recorded by the attackers, it can be seen that the six men knocked on the door of the hotel room and wait. When a man opens the door, they barge in start assaulting and abusing them. One of them charges towards the woman, who tries to cover her face with a burqa. The man slaps her so hard that she falls to the floor.

Continuing to mutter expletives, three of the attackers catch the man who tries to escape and thrash him. The woman in the meantime gets up and sits on the floor, when one assaulter corners her near the bed, while another one hits her and drags her to the floor. After that, the attackers dragged the couple out of the hotel room. The victims were pleading to let them go, but they didn’t listen.

In another video taken after the attack in the room, the woman is with the attackers outside the hotel. She tries to cover her face, but the men lift her hijab and film her.

Anshu Kumar, superintendent of police, Haveri, said that after the assault in the hotel, the attackers took the woman alone to a place and assaulted her and later dropped her on the road.

The couple filed a complaint at the Hanagal police station after the incident, and three out of the six men have been arrested. A staff member of the lodge also lodged a complaint in the matter. The arrested attackers are identified as Afatb Maqbool Ahmed Chandankatti (24), Samaiullah Lalanavar (23) and Mohammed Isaaq Mandakki (23). SP Anshu Kumar added that the search for the other accused is on.

Gang rape allegation

Later on Thursday, a video emerged where the woman claimed that she was gang-raped when she was taken away by the attackers from the hotel. She claimed that she was raped by seven men in a jungle before she was dumped near a bus stand.

The woman said that after attacking her in the hotel room, she was taken to a jungle and raped by seven men at different places before she was abandoned near a bus stop. She said that she was taken to the jungle on a bike, and she was raped at three different locations in the jungle by the attackers.

She added that after some time, three of the seven men took her in a car and threw her near a bus stop, asking her to take a bus to Sirsi.

Cops said that the rape charge was not made in the original complaint, and they are investigating this claim. Haveri SP Anshu Kumar said that the rape charge was not made earlier and the police learned about it later after the video of the woman emerged. He said, “We weren’t told about rape earlier. We came to know about this only through media report about the video by the woman. We have booked a case under the appropriate section, investigation is ongoing.”

Police said that the accused were not affiliated to any organisation, but were previously booked in a similar case.

As per police, the 26-year-old Muslim married woman from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district was in a consensual relationship with a Hindu man from Shivamogga district, and they were assaulted soon after they checked into the hotel on 7 January. The accused saw the woman in a burqa entering the hotel with a Hindu man, followed them and barged into the room to assault them.

The accused men are booked under IPC sections 354 (b) (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly with common intention), 448 (house trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).

This is the second incident in a week in Karnataka. On 6th January, a Hindu boy and his Muslim cousin-sister were attacked by a Muslim mob assuming them be an interfaith couple. The incident took place in Belagavi, Karnataka, when the cousins were waiting in a park for a nearby govt office to reopen after lunch break. The attackers, armed with pipes and rods, beat the siblings mercilessly for hours, causing severe injuries.

Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai questioned why CM Siddaramaiah was silent over the highly condemnable incident of moral policing.

Bommai tweeted, “The assault on a couple in a lodge in Hangal of Haveri district by some miscreants in the name of moral policing is highly condemnable. The police must arrest all those who were involved in the moral policing and punish for their act. After manhandling the girl, she had been taken to the secluded place and reportedly sexually assaulted her. This incident of the moral policing by the miscreants has given the feeling whether the state government existed or not?”

He then asked CM Siddaramaiah to clarify his stand on this issue. “Why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who talks a lot about moral policing, is silent on this particular incident. Is it because the miscreants belonged to the Minority community? Mr @siddaramaiah, clarify your stand on this incident,” added Bommai.

BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi criticises Congress declining ‘Pran Pratishtha’ invitation, cites earlier boycotts

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BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi criticises Congress declining ‘Pran Pratishtha’ invitation, cites earlier boycotts

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the Congress party for declining the invitation to attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, scheduled later this month.

Trivedi asserted, “Congress boycotted the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building, the G20 Summit, Kargil Vijay Diwas from 2004 to 2009, and even the Bharat Ratna ceremony of former President Pranab Mukherjee, who belonged to their party.”

Trivedi highlighted a pattern of historical boycotts by the Congress, including instances such as the boycott of GST, the President’s address, and the exile of Pranab Mukherjee from India.

He claimed that the public is increasingly distancing itself from the Congress party due to such decisions.

He went on to criticise the Congress’s historical approach, mentioning incidents during Indira Gandhi’s era and Rajiv Gandhi’s era.

Trivedi questioned the Congress party’s opposition to the Ram Temple, stating, “Babri’s supporters are also coming to the Pran Pratisthan of Ram Lalla, but why is Congress opposing it?”

“In your fight against PM Modi, you went to an extent of standing against India, but now fighting against PM Modi, you’re even fighting against God,” he added.

Trivedi further emphasized that the program in Ayodhya is organized by the Trust of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and questioned the Congress party’s decision to oppose it.

“This is Nehru’s Congress, this is not Gandhi’s Congress. Mahatma Gandhi used to sing ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ and today Congress is not attending the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony. This shows Congress is against Hindu religion and Hindutva,” he added.

Calling the Ram Temple inauguration an event of the BJP and RSS, earlier on Wednesday, Congress turned down the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla, scheduled later this month in Ayodhya.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday voiced support for the senior party leaders– Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury – abstaining from the programme in Ayodhya.

Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sangh Parivar leaders of disrespecting Lord Ram and the nation’s 140 crore people by politicising a religious event.

He emphasised the Congress party’s consistent support for the construction of Ram Mandir, respecting the court’s verdict while criticising the BJP, RSS, and VHP for alleged hypocrisy in accepting the court’s decision.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also joined in the criticism of the Union Government alleging politicisation of a religious event.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stated in a post on X, “Much to think about as the nation braces itself for the Jan 22 inauguration by a political leader of an incomplete temple, with priests relegated to supporting roles in a pre-election political spectacle.”

While Karnataka BJP leader CT Ravi alleged that the grand old party has always been against Hindutva.

“Congress has always been against Hindutva. Somnath Temple was reconstructed by Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Babu Rajendra Prasad, and KM Munshi. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister during that time. He didn’t visit Somanth. So how can the present leadership of Congress go to Ayodhya?,” he said.

“First, they were crying that they did not receive an invitation, and when they did, they refused to accept,” Ravi added.

Escalating the attack against Congress’ decision to skip the programme, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav alleged that the grand old party was against the Ram Janmabhoomi from the beginning.

Labelling the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav who also declined the invitation as “Anti-Hindu forces”, Yadav asserted that such forces are gaining strength in the country.

“Congress opposed Ram Janmabhoomi right from the beginning. It left no stone unturned in overcoming all the obstacles that it could. They had an opportunity to atone for all their sins and crimes but they lost that opportunity. Citizens of this country are standing with Lord Ram. People whose spirits live somewhere else are against Lord Ram,” the BJP MP said.

“It is not just Congress alone. Akhilesh Yadav refused to even accept the invitation letter. He too had the opportunity to atone for what his father did but he too lost the opportunity.”

“Anti-Ram and anti-Krishna forces are gaining strength in the country. All these are anti-Hindutva forces,” Yadav added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22. As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held for seven days starting on January 16. Preparations are underway in full swing for the Ram Temple ‘Pran Pratishtha’ on January 22, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav from January 14 to January 22. (ANI)

Karsevak Mahavir Agrawal was shot twice in chest, was alive when tossed into a vehicle full of corpses: His widow raised their two sons by stitching clothes

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Karsevak Mahavir Agrawal was shot twice in chest, was alive when tossed into a vehicle full of corpses: His widow raised their two sons by stitching clothes

The construction of a grand temple at the birthplace of Lord Rama, adored by Hindus all over the world is in progress. On 22nd January 2024, the deity will be enshrined in his rightful place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, people are remembering all those individuals who laid down their lives for Lord Ram in the struggle that lasted for around five centuries. Mahavir Prasad Agrawal is one of those selfless karsevaks who sacrificed themselves for the liberation of the Ram Janmbhoomi. His family presently lives in Ayodhya. OpIndia reached their home and spoke to them to find out about their current situation.

Mahavir Prasad Agrawal used to make incense sticks and sell them in Gonda and Ayodhya. His old house is in the Wazirganj Japti area of Ayodhya city (called as Faizabad earlier) in a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood. His sons have now constructed a new home close to the Devkali Bypass. OpIndia’s crew found the younger son, Abhishek Agarwal at the residence.

Mahavir Prasad Agrawal’s widow raised the family by stitching clothes

Abhishek told OpIndia that when he was just 9 years old, his father sacrificed himself while participating in the Ram Mandir movement in Ayodhya on 2nd November 1990. Mahavir Prasad left behind his wife and two sons. Sharda Devi Agrawal, his widow raised the children following his demise. She began sewing at home to cover the costs of their education and other expenses. When the two boys grew up they began lending a hand to their mother doing small jobs.

According to Abhishek, Sharda Devi was psychologically broken after the death of her spouse but managed to survive for her kids. She never failed her two sons, despite all the difficulties. Sharda Devi got the two married after their studies were over and eventually passed away in 2012 after an illness. Abhishek Agarwal works as a property dealer. Akhilesh Agarwal, his older brother runs a hotel in Lucknow. Hindu organisations continued to honour the family of Mahavir Prasad Agarwal on several occasions during this time.

Mahaveer Prasad Agarwal’s family is commemorated by Hindu outfits. (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

Killed by a bullet while singing Ram Bhajan

Abhishek Agrawal recalls the 2nd November 1990 incident vividly. He told us that it was Friday. Mulayam Singh gave the order for police to encircle Ayodhya from all directions. Hence, Mahavir Prasad Agrawal along with his companions swam across the river Saryu and succeeded in reaching Karsewakpuram in Ayodhya. Abhished informed that his father and other karsevaks were unarmed. They gathered at a place near Karsewakpuram and started chanting Ram Bhajan (devotional Lord Ram songs). Meanwhile, the devotees were surrounded from all sides and bullets were fired.

Preparations were made to throw the dead body into the river

Abhishek revealed that his father was shot twice in the chest during the unexpected shooting incident after which he fell to the ground and began to flail. Other karsevaks were lathi-charged for attempting to rescue him which resulted in a stampede. However, some Lord Ram devotees pulled Mahavir Prasad away from the throng and put his body up on a platform. He was reportedly breathing then. Afterward, a police truck came and started filling it with the dead bodies of the karsevaks who died in the firing.

Abhishek disclosed that he learned from the surviving karsevaks that dozens of their fellow karsevaks were killed in the assault. The police also carried numerous injured karsevaks onto vehicles and tossed them alive into the Saryu River during the process of collecting dead bodies. Abhishek mentioned that his critically injured father was also loaded into the truck which had multiple corpses. Mahavir Prasad’s life ended in the automobile after suffering greatly. His wife reached the spot with some of her relatives when the instance was reported.

After wandering around searching for her husband, she finally found his body in a police car with the bodies of several other karsevaks. Sharda Devi was mistreated by the cops present there when she tried to take the body. However, it was handed over to her after much pleading. According to Abhishek Agarwal, his father’s body would have been thrown into the Saryu River along with many other living or dead karsevaks if his family had arrived just a little later.

Mahavir Prasad Agarwal’s body was found in this condition. (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

Abhishek recounted the occurrence and declared that the blood of Lord Ram worshipers had turned Saryu’s water scarlet on that day. In the end, Mahavir’s family attended his final rituals at Ayodhya’s Saryu coast in the presence of cops. 

Proud of father’s sacrifice

Abhishek Agrawal termed the construction of the Ram temple as a good fortune for Hindus including himself and stated that his father Mahavir’s sacrifice will always be remembered in this sacred mission. He conveyed that before his father’s martyrdom, his ancestors were all followers of Lord Ram and the current descendants also worship him and will continue to do so. Abhishek Agarwal frequently visits Ram Janmbhoomi to serve Ram devotees from around the world. The pooja room of his home has a Ram Darbar (court of Lord Ram). Similar to the families of other martyrs, he too wished for the construction a memorial in Ayodhya in his father’s name.

Abhishek Agarwal (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

‘Mulayam could do anything for Muslim appeasement‘

Mulayam Singh Yadav is directly held accountable by Abhishek Agrawal for his father’s death. He remarked that Mulayam’s “would have killed more karsevaks if necessary” comment affected them all and reopened old wounds. Abhishek also believed that Mulayam Singh Yadav killed the Karsevaks in order to please the Muslims since he would stop at nothing to win their favour. Abhishek appealed not to invite any avowed anti-Ram person to the temple’s consecration ceremony.

Himachal Pradesh Congress minister Vikramaditya Singh to attend Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, calls it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

OpIndia Staff
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Himachal Pradesh Congress minister Vikramaditya Singh to attend Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, calls it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

After the Congress party denied an invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on 22nd January, citing it as a BJP-RSS event, a minister in the Congress government of Himachal Pradesh indicated that he would attend the Pran Pratishtha event and fulfil his ‘putra Dharam’. 

Vikramaditya Singh, minister of public works in the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government, stated that attending the consecration event is his moral obligation. Vikramaditya Singh hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for inviting him to the ceremony, saying it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I am blessed to be one of the few people in Himachal who have received an invitation for ‘Pran Pratishtha’. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I want to thank Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad for giving me and my family a chance to be a part of the historic moment in Ayodhya,” said Vikramaditya Singh.

Vikramaditya Singh stated that he will be attending the ‘Pran Prathistha’ event at Ram Mandir not as a politician, but as the late Virbhadra Singh’s son, calling his father a “devout follower of Lord Ram”. “It is my moral responsibility as his son to attend. How can I refuse this putra-dharam (son’s duty)?” questioned Vikramaditya.

However, while exclusively talking to the Indian Express, he said that he is a dedicated Congress worker who is loyal to its ideology. “I want to clarify, that I oppose the RSS-VHP, BJP’s ideology of Hindu Rashtra, and their polarization policies. I am a dedicated Congress worker loyal to its ideology,” he was quoted as saying.

The Congress party has publicly denied an invitation to Ram Mandir’s pran prathistha function, referring to it as a BJP-RSS event. The Ram Mandir Trust has invited Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and other opposition leaders.

“Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” read a statement from senior party leader Jairam Ramesh.

“While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honoring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event,” he added.

Zee Studios apologises for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in their film ‘Annapoorani’, Netflix removes the anti-Hindu propaganda film

OpIndia Staff
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Zee Studios apologises for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in their film ‘Annapoorani’, Netflix removes the anti-Hindu propaganda film

On January 11, Thursday, a letter went viral on social media wherein Zee Studios issued an apology to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for hurting Hindu religious sentiments of the Hindu community in their film ‘Annapoorani’. The letter dated January 9, is written on Zee Studio’s letterhead and addressed to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

The letter stated that Zee has urged the film’s co-producers, M/s Trident Arts, to take appropriate action against the problematic parts in the film, as well as Netflix to remove the movie from its OTT platform till the film is not altered. Zee apologized for offending the religious sentiments of the Hindu and Brahmin communities.

As on January 11, Thursday, Netflix pulled down the movie from the OTT platform.

Annapoorani film taken down from the Netfilx OTT platform

Notably, until yesterday, the film was streaming on Netflix with a description, “The daughter of a temple cook goes against her family’s wishes to make non-vegetarian food in order to prove she’s a talented chef in her own right.”

‘Annapoorani’ was released on Netflix on 28th December last year and is the 75th film of Tamil actress Nayanthara. The movie is produced by Trident Arts, Zee Studios and Naad Studios.

Recently, the film garnered a lot of criticism on social media for its anti-Hindu content. The film was accused of promoting conversion to Islam, misrepresenting the revered Hindu deity Bhagwan Ram and offending the religious sentiments of Hindus.

On Saturday, January 6,  former Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki filed a police complaint against the makers of the film ‘Annapoorani’. Solanki, the founder of Hindu IT Cell, wrote to the Chief Inspector of the Lokmanya Tilak police station, seeking action against the anti-Hindu nature of the feature film.

According to the Hindu activist, the movie ‘Annapoorani’ featured several objectionable scenes. Those include the offering of Namaz (Islamic prayer) by the daughter of a Hindu Brahmin temple priest, glorification of love jihad, and falsehoods about Lord Ram and Maa Sita devouring meat in Ramayana.

The controversy surrounding the film started gaining momentum on social media, with several individuals and groups expressing their discontent.

On January 10, another FIR (First Information Report) was registered against the film’s makers and actors in Madhya Pradesh by the Hindu Seva Parishad.

The Hindu Seva Parishad filed a criminal action alleging that Annapoorani contained sequences with derogatory comments about Lord Rama, which hurt Hindu sensibilities. Furthermore, the organization stated that the film promoted Love Jihad.

The FIR was filed against the director, producer, actors, and four others associated with the anti-Hindu propaganda film. 

The spokesperson for the Hindu Seva Parishad expounded on the film’s content, claiming that it contains scenes with insulting remarks against Hindu deities, particularly Lord Rama. The spokesperson also voiced concern about the film’s supposed depiction of Lord Rama murdering animals and eating meat during His exile, calling it false propaganda that has profoundly harmed the sentiments of Hindus.

Bihar: Two minor Dalit girls gang-raped in Patna, one found murdered and the other in critical condition, police didn’t take action when missing report was filed

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Two minor Dalit girls gang-raped in Patna, one found murdered and the other in critical condition, police didn’t take action when missing report was filed

The Bihar police are yet to make any significant progress on the horrific crime which transpired in Patna involving the gang rape of two minor Dalit girls and the subsequent murder of one of them. The deceased is around 8-10 years of age while the survivor who is in critical condition is 12 years old. More importantly, the identity of the accused in this horrible incident remains a mystery to the authorities. This recklessness happened amid a major protest by the angry villagers who blocked the Patna Ara highway for 6 hours on 10th January.

Protests broke out in Patna’s Phulwari Sharif following the kidnapping and sexual assault of two underage girls in the state capital’s Hinduni Badhar neighbourhood. One of them was discovered dead, reportedly murdered by the perpetrators, according to officials. The second girl suffered severe injuries and is currently fighting for her life at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna. She is still unconscious and receiving medical treatment.

The two girls were abducted on 8th January when they left the house to collect cow dung cakes. Their family members became worried when the duo didn’t return till late evening. The former tried to search for them but to no avail. They also notified Phulwari Sharif police station but no action was taken. On 9th January, the lifeless body of one of the girls was uncovered lying next to the unconscious body of the other in a field by the villagers. They had both been gang-raped by miscreants and their bodies were covered in blood.

The family of the girls also received the shocking news and they rushed to the scene. The cops were called by the locals right away and they reached the spot with a contingent, took control of the body and sent it for a post-mortem whereas the wounded girl was transported to the hospital. Police also recovered some clothes of the victim.

Additional Superintendent of Police Phulwari Sharif Vikram Sihag stated that the body of one of the girls was found on the second day after the disappearance of the two. The other is under treatment at AIIMS, Patna after suffering severe injuries. Special teams consisting Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit and the dog squad are being deployed for the probe. The guilty will soon be taken into custody. The police are awaiting the medical report. He added that blood traces came to light at the locations that the police had marked as evidence with the assistance of search dogs. They have collected various evidence from there.

The official said that a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Indian Penal Code sections 302 (prescribes the punishment for murder), 376AB (whoever commits rape on a woman under twelve years of age shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years) 307 (prescribes punishment for attempt to murder) and 120B (Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, or imprisonment for a term of 2 years or upwards) had been filed against the unidentified offenders based on the statement of the mother of the girls.

He informed that the autopsy and medical examination reports haven’t been received yet. Further details about the instance will become accessible after the unconscious girl wakes up. However, people’s rage is growing since the culprits are roaming free. Locals staged a protest to voice their outrage over the gutwrenching occurrence and to demand that the accused who have not yet been identified or apprehended be given the death penalty. They attempted to surround the Phulwari Sharif police station and obstructed traffic in the vicinity by setting fire to tires. They also accused the local police of being “lax.”

The mother of one of the victims revealed that she visited the cops on the fateful day to ask them for assistance in finding the missing girls but the officials had told her to look around the locality for them. She asserted that the barbarity could have been averted and the girls had been saved if the police had responded sooner. The two girls were reportedly friends.

Jeffrey Epstein’s victim says she had sex with a “second prince” in France

OpIndia Staff
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Jeffrey Epstein’s victim says she had sex with a “second prince” in France

One after another, shocking revelations are emerging in the Jeffrey Epstein case. According to newly released court documents, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, had sexual relations with a second “prince” in France.

According to a 2016 deposition in a lawsuit, Giuffre said she was pimped out to disgraced royal Andrew but also claimed she had sex with another prince on Epstein’s direction.

Giuffre revealed that she met this prince in 2001, when she was 17, at a lavish party in the south of France. She could not recognise the prince but said he spoke a “foreign language” and English fluently. Giuffre testified that she met “the Prince” alone on the directives of Epstein and his former companion Ghislaine Maxwell, who were well aware that she was being sex-trafficked to this royal.

“They were present before the sexual activity and then I went to have sexual activity with him alone … on the instruction of Epstein and Ghislaine,” Giuffre went on to say. The newly revealed court documents also include testimony from Maxwell, who strongly refuted Giuffre’s claims and asserted she was lying.

Virginia Giuffre also claimed to have seen Bill Clinton twice on Epstein’s Caribbean island. Another renowned face she mentioned was former presidential candidate Al Gore and his wife Tipper. Giuffre clarified that she saw them having private discussions during dinner but did not accuse them of anything.

Lawyers questioned Giuffre in a 2015 deposition about the precise incident in 2001 in which she reported spending time with Prince Andrew. “Were you paid $10,000 – $15,000 by or on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein for having sex with Prince Andrew?” she was asked, to which she replied, “Yes, I was paid $15,000.I don’t know what equivalent that is to pounds. I received it in US dollars.”

The late Queen Elizabeth II stripped Prince Andrew of his military and royal titles, and he paid a $12 million lawsuit launched by Giuffre. He has, however, always denied any involvement, claiming he never met Giuffre.

Notably, the unsealed court documents in the Epstein scandal have brought to light serious allegations that disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein filmed sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Sir Richard Branson. The documents are part of a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015. The matter was settled in 2017. However, Miami Herald’s legal battle ensured that the documents were released, revealing high-profile names and a shocking series of events on Epstein’s Island.

As Sonia Gandhi declines the invitation for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, her old message celebrating the canonisation of Mother Teresa goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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As Sonia Gandhi declines the invitation for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, her old message celebrating the canonisation of Mother Teresa goes viral

On 10th January, the Congress officially declined the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The main issue the party cited for their top leadership not attending the significant event was that ‘faith is a personal matter’. Soon after the official statement by Congress, the August 2016 letter of then-Congress President Sonia Gandhi went viral on social media, where she wrote to Pope Francis on the Canonisation Ceremony of Mother Teresa.

In her letter, Gandhi claimed that all citizens of India, including nearly 20 million Catholics, took pride and joy in recognising “Mother Teresa’s profound nobility of soul, purity of purpose, and service to God through service to humanity” by the Pope and the Catholic Church.

Congress letters regarding the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa

She further claimed that the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa was an occasion for all Indians to thank her for the time she spent in India “serving the poorest and the neediest in our land”. She further pointed out that Teresa spent her life in selfless service, and everyone should draw inspiration from that and learn from her how to “practice compassion and loving kindness in our everyday lives”.

She further claimed that Teresa eased the pain of thousands in their last hours on earth and added that “the ground she walked on became hallowed ground”. Margaret Alva and Louzinho Faleiro represented the Congress Party at the ceremony. Gandhi did not attend the ceremony as she was unwell at that time.

Now, comparing the delightful letter written by Gandhi to the Pope, it is essential to see what Congress has written as a “refusal” to the invitation to Bhagwan Ram’s temple. In its statement, Congress claimed that “religion is a personal matter”. They further accused the BJP and the RSS of making Ram Mandir a political project. They might have forgotten that the BJP always had the Ram Mandir as their manifesto agenda. It was always part of their political ideology, and it happened to be when the BJP was in power, and the Supreme Court favoured the Hindu side in its judgment.

Looking at the Congress’s history, it is noteworthy that Congress called Bhagwan Ram a “myth” in an affidavit in court. Congress has a habit of doing temple politics just before the elections. There have been several occasions when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders went on a “Temple Run” to lure Hindus to vote for them. Furthermore, it is hard to forget that the first Prime Minister of India and Congress leader, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, was against then-President Dr Rajendra Prasad attending the opening ceremony of Somnath Temple in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, It has to be noted that in a documentary by Sky Documentaries on ‘Mother’ Teresa, the dark side of her life and the NGO ‘Missionaries of Charity’ that she set up in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal was revealed. The documentary named ‘Mother Teresa: For the Love of God’ shows stories coming directly from her close aides and her enemies and allows the audiences to know the evangelical zeal that she possessed under the veils of love and care.

For years, ‘Mother’ Teresa has been accused of being a fraud. Her problematic history of following primitive health practices and her evangelical zeal to convert the weak and the vulnerable into the Christian fold were long cited by her critics to call out the unwarranted adulation that was showered on her. The latest documentary aims to catalogue and reinforce the dark side of ‘Mother’ Teresa’s ‘sainthood’ and assess the veracity of allegations levelled against the contentious evangelist. The dark side of Mother Teresa can be explored here.

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