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I am proud Muslim, I am proud Indian: Mohammed Shami slams Pakistani social media handles who tried to create ‘Sajda’ controversy during World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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I am proud Muslim, I am proud Indian: Mohammed Shami slams Pakistani social media handles who tried to create ‘Sajda’ controversy during World Cup

On Wednesday (13th December), Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami attended ‘Agenda Aaj Tak’. During his interview, he slammed the Pakistani social media handles who claimed that Shami stopped short of offering Sajda (prayer) on the ground in a match after taking the fifth wicket during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

The anchor asked Mohammed Shami, “In a match, you took the fifth wicket and sat down on the ground. Then some social media handles from Pakistan claimed that ‘See, Mohammed Shami – an Indian Muslim – wanted to offer Sajda (prayer) but suddenly he was afraid and could not do it’.”

Mohammed Shami said, “If anyone wants to do Sajda, who will stop him? I won’t stop anyone from your religion from praying. You will not stop anyone from my religion from praying. If at all I want to do Sajda, I will do it anyway. What is the problem with it? I am a Muslim and I proudly say so. I am an Indian and I proudly say so.”

Mohammed Shami added, “If at all I had any problem with that, I should not have lived in India in the first place. Had I needed anyone’s permission to offer my prayers in this country, I would not have lived here. People have said a lot of things and even I have seen those things on Instagram. People are saying that I wanted to do a Sajda but I could not. Brother, have I done anything of that sort on the ground ever in my life before? I had taken five wickets before as well. I did not do Sajda at that time.”

Shami further said, “You tell me where I have to pray, and I will go and pray there. I will do it on every Indian platform I get. This is not done. We should change our thinking. These people think only about how to disturb us. They are not with me. Neither they are with you. They are not with anyone except gossiping. They do not love anyone and anything but gossip. All they need is content. They will take any content.”

About the five-wicket haul in that match, Mohammed Shami said, “Do you know how I took those five wickets? It was probably my sixth over. I was bowling with an effort that exhausted my energy limits. I already had three wickets. I was thinking that if I bowl even better in these 3 to 4 remaining overs, I will get five wickets. Because I already had three wickets. All I was thinking about was giving my 100 per cent. And in fact, I was giving my 200 per cent at that time. I was bowling better than my abilities.”

He further said, “I was tired. That batter was not getting out. I could beat him multiple times but he was not getting out. I was tired of this. When I got the fifth wicket I came on my knees. At that time, I lowered my neck. That’s it. People created different meanings out of that. These people are so free in their lives. I think they do not have anything else to do.”

Notably, Mohammed Shami had kneeled down for a few moments after taking five wickets against Sri Lanka, after which many Pakistani social media users started saying that the Indian bowler wanted to offer a Sajda but did not do it due to fear. Shami completed a five-wicket haul by dismissing Kasun Rajitha in the 13th over of the Sri Lankan innings. Shami took 24 wickets in seven matches – the most by any bowler in the tournament.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha for disorderly conduct

OpIndia Staff
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TMC MP Derek O’Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha for disorderly conduct

On 13th December, Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien was suspended from Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of Winter Session. Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Piyush Goyal moved the motion to suspend the TMC leader for misconduct in the house.

In his motion, Union Minister Goyal said, “This house has taken serious note of the misconduct of Mr Derek O’Brien, member, who has entered the well of the house and has been continuously shouting slogans to the Chair. Therefore, disrupting the house’s proceedings in utter disregard to the authority of the Chair and having been named by the Chair, resolved that the above-mentioned member that is Derek O’Brien, be suspended from the service of the Council for the remainder of this Session under Rule 256.”

Following the motion, the Chairman of the house, Jagdeep Dhankhar, called for voting and accepted the motion based on a voice vote to suspend Derek O’Brien for the remaining Winter Session.

What is Rule 256 under Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of the States (Rajya Sabha)?

As per Rule 256 under Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of the States (Rajya Sabha) titled Suspension of the member, the Chairman has the power to name a member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council by persistently and willfully obstructing the business thereof.

The rule states that the member, if named by the Chairman, shall forthwith put the question on a motion being made, no amendment, adjournment or debate being allowed, that the member be suspended from the service of the Council for a period not exceeding the remainder of the Session.

Notably, the rule also states that the Council may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such Suspension be terminated. Furthermore, a member suspended under this rule shall forthwith quit the precincts of the Council.

Lok Sabha Secretariat suspends eight security personnel in Parliament Security Breach case

ANI
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Lok Sabha Secretariat suspends eight security personnel in Parliament Security Breach case

Lok Sabha secretariat suspended eight security personnel on Thursday over security lapses that led to a major security breach in Parliament on Wednesday.

The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people–Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D–jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2pm amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs over Wednesday’s security breach incident. The opposition MPs also demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the incident.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said “all of us are concerned” about what happened in the House yesterday. The security of the House is the responsibility of Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, “It is an intelligence failure and we hope for a fair investigation of the matter… Home Minister Amit Shah must answer, as the Delhi Police and all security agencies report to him. He cannot run away from this responsibility… BJP MP Mr. Simha provided passes to these culprits, there is a very deep conspiracy behind this and he must not be left unpunished.”

Meanwhile, a drastic security change was witnessed in the Parliament on Thursday with security personnel deputed on the entrance of the outer gates insisting to remove even shoes despite doing minute frisking of those entering the premises of the campus.

The new security set-up looks similar to that of the airport where shoes, especially long boots or a few made of leather, are asked to open during security check. Only MPs are being allowed to enter the Parliament building from Makar Dwar, and all persons entering the building are being checked thoroughly.

The move was adopted a day after Manoranjan and Sagar Sharma were arrested for breaking into the Lok Sabha and jumping from the visitors’ gallery and opening smoke cans that were hide by them in their shoes.

The security personnel have applied restriction for media to stand nearly 50-60 metre away from ‘Makar Dwar’ of the New Parliament building– one of the six entry gates from where majority of legislators enter.

Four people were arrested on Wednesday over the security breach in the Parliament under charges of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, the enquiry committee will investigate into the reasons for breach in security of Parliament, identify lapses and recommend further action. “The Committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest,” the MHA had said. (ANI)

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

China: Loan defaults hit record high, over 8.5 million people blacklisted

ANI
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China: Loan defaults hit record high, over 8.5 million people blacklisted

 Amid China’s economy struggles to recover and unemployment remains high, the country’s indebted population is growing at a rapid rate, Voice Of America reported.

VOA quoting a report from the Financial Times said that defaults by Chinese borrowers have surged to a record high since the pandemic, with authorities blacklisting 8.54 million people from economic activities ranging from using toll roads to purchasing airline tickets and using payment applications.

According to the report, the number is up from 5.7 million defaulters in early 2020 and amounts to about 1% of working-age Chinese adults.

After online payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat replaced cash as the most used payment method in China, many stores refused cash payments, and some defaulters said it had become difficult for them to even buy food.

Those blacklisted by authorities for debt have difficulty obtaining other loans and, in some cases, are even banned from working as civil servants.

A Changsha businessman, Zhang Congzhi started borrowing money two or three years ago when online loans were easy to get. Now, the he has no money to repay those loans.

“I’m in debt for more than 100,000 yuan [approximately $13,700],” Zhang told VOA Mandarin. “Nobody can help me. The only solution I can think of is to delay repayment.”

Zhang is one of the millions of Chinese people who are in debt from loans they took out to get by during the economic disruption caused by the COVID pandemic and China’s strict lockdowns.

VOA reported quoting a banker, Lu Xiaojuan that China’s general public does not borrow money directly from the banks because they do not have collateral like a house or car.

The general public does not borrow money directly from banks because they do not have collateral like a house or car, said Lu Xiaojuan, a banker in Jinan, Shandong province, in a phone interview with VOA Mandarin.

“It’s the rich people who come to borrow money. Ordinary people don’t dare to come borrow money for fear of not being able to pay it back,” she said.

But Lu said it’s easy for them to get credit cards as long as they have an ID and do not have a bad credit record.

The Bank of China reported on September 1 that overdue unpaid credit in the first half of 2023 totaled RMB 89.646 billion yuan (approximately $12.3 billion), an increase of 3.54% compared to last year, VOA reported.

Li Zhaobo, an honorary research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, believes another reason for high debt is that many mainland Chinese people, whose consumption has grown faster than their salaries, do not understand the risks and costs of borrowing.

“While Hong Kong people know that they can choose low-interest loans, mainlanders are not familiar with the idea,” he told VOA Mandarin by phone interview. “So once they have cash flow difficulties, they can’t pay off their debts with interest.”

A Beijing-based economist, who asked not to be named because he has been warned by authorities not to talk to media, told VOA Mandarin in a phone interview that the ongoing problems in China’s real estate sector have also cut off cash flows, VOA reported.

“China has relied on the real estate industry to drive its economy for the past 30 years,” he said. “Now the industry has collapsed, and even Evergrande and Country Garden [two of China’s biggest property developers] have gone bankrupt and had their licenses suspended. With the property cash flow cut off, many people’s wealth has shrunk,” said the economist, “and they can’t afford their high mortgage payments.”

He added that private enterprises in China used to be able to borrow from each other, so they didn’t have to rely on banks alone, but that too has dried up, VOA reported.

“Things were OK in the past, but the three years of the COVID pandemic and the U.S.-China trade war have led to a significant reduction in businesses,” he said. “Many enterprises are cut off from cash flows, leading to a rising debt crisis.”

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

Plotting on Facebook, conspiracy hatched in January, recce during Budget Session: How the intruders planned parliament security breach

OpIndia Staff
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Plotting on Facebook, conspiracy hatched in January, recce during Budget Session: How the intruders planned parliament security breach

According to Delhi Police investigators, the four men and a woman behind the security breach in Parliament on 13th December, first connected with each other via a Facebook group for a long time. The Facebook group, named after Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, was where the accused communicated with one another.

According to a police officer, so far, they have identified over 40 people from that Facebook group, who were allegedly in regular touch with the accused.

Manoranjan D, one of the accused, reportedly even conducted a reconnaissance of the Lok Sabha premises during the Budget session.

The police sources revealed that the five individuals, who stayed in Gurugram before the attack arrived in Delhi three days ago from their different places. The accused are identified as 26-year-old Sagar Sharma, 34-year-old Manoranjan D, 25-year-old Amol Shinde and 42-year-old Neelam Singh. While a fifth accused, 44-year-old Vishal Sharma, also known as Vicky, was later apprehended from his Gurgaon home, another accused named Lalit Jha remains at large.

Authorities stated that Lalit Jha had brought Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Neelam Singh, and Amol Shinde to the house of his friend Vicky in Gurgaon. They arrived in two groups in the capital over the last few days, per police sources. Lalit Jha took to Instagram to livestream the entire incident.

The perpetrators reportedly began preparing for the security breach in January, and even investigated the premises while on a visit to the Parliament complex during the Monsoon Session. An official said, “Three people, including Manoranjan and Shinde, had visited Parliament as a part of the recce for this protest. They were aware of the height of the visitors’ gallery from the parliamentarians’ seats and knew that they could jump below without hurting themselves.”

The name of the legislator who had signed their passes earlier was not yet known, even though they were signed in by Pratap Simha, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mysuru on 13th December. Police mentioned that Manoranjan D’s family knew the MP. Amol Shinde reportedly confirmed that he was in the city on 10th August, the penultimate day of the Monsoon session by sharing a picture of himself on Kartavya Path on social media.

Following the surveillance, they began formulating their strategy after realising they could get past the three security checks that any visitor to Parliament is required to go through.

Sources said, “A few days ago, Manoranjan coordinated with the personal staff of Member of Parliament Pratap Simha, who is his local MP, and sought a visitor’s pass for December 14. The official staff called him on Tuesday, asking him to pick up his pass which was made for December 13 instead. This morning, the accused left Vicky’s house in a radio taxi and reached Parliament.”

Lalit Jha, Neelam Singh and Amol Shinde remained outside Parliament, while Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma entered the premises. The suspects were brought to the Parliament Street police station and interrogated by Delhi Police and intelligence agency personnel. They added that before filing a formal complaint against them, legal counsel was consulted.

Sagar Sharma is from Lucknow, Manoranjan D is from Mysuru, Neelam Singh is from Jind, and Amol Shinde is from Latur. They arrived in Delhi three days ago via various trains from their homes. The officer said, “They met at a place near Connaught Place, from where they went to Gurugram and stayed with one Vicky Sharma there.”

Vicky Sharma resided with his wife and their 15-year-old daughter, according to a second Delhi Police official who added that the the daughter informed the police that Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D had previously visited them. A third police officer stated that Lalit Jha had the four culprits’ cell phones in his possession. “He had all the mobile phones with him because phones are not allowed inside Parliament; we are yet to verify why Singh and Shinde (who were outside the House) did not keep their phones with them.”

The Delhi Police has lodged a case against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A police team reached the house in Gurugram earlier in the day, where all four accused reportedly stayed briefly before the incident. The officials said the case has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) sections 16 and 18 at the Parliament Street police station.

‘Parliament me toh apne hi log gaye hain’: Leftist journalist Anil Sinha supports the accused in parliament security breach case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Parliament me toh apne hi log gaye hain’: Leftist journalist Anil Sinha supports the accused in parliament security breach case

On Wednesday (13th December), the leftist-liberal YouTube channel Satya Hindi discussed the BJP’s landslide victory in three states and the change of generation in the leadership of the BJP in the states. During this discussion, leftist journalist Anil Sinha supported the accused in the recent episode of a security breach in the parliament wherein two youths jumped into the house from the visitor’s gallery and released a yellow gas from the canisters.

Anil Sinha said, “We don’t have any IT cell to give reactions on this. Had the names of people from minority communities come up in the recent incident (of parliament security breach), they would have sat with a panel to discuss it by now. They (BJP and its supporters) would have taken a march from Vijay Chowk saying that it is an attack on constitution and democracy. But now they are sitting quietly and presenting it differently. Had Congress defeated them, why would we sit here to discuss and debate? On the Doklam issue, Vishnu Som of NDTV has reported along with satellite pictures. He showed how China has settled colonies there. He expressed doubt that China may manipulate Bhutan against us. But they are saying that Bhutan is with us only. Even the situation in Laddakh and Arunachal Pradesh is the same. There is no debate on China’s infiltration. But you see one on the parliament security breach.”

Anil Sinha said, “Parliament me toh apne hi log gaye hain (Those who intruded into the parliament are our men only.) It is just that they entered the parliament in a wrong way. That is their only mistake. But they had gone there to register the protest. They did not harm anybody. Did they? And they raised the same issues (as us). And outside the parliament, they just released the gas. But, how did they reach there in the first place? Even I have covered parliament. How did they enter there crossing layers of security? This just exposes the security system of the new parliament.”

That part can be heard after 52 minutes in the above video.

By calling the parliament intruders ‘Apne Hi Log’, Anil Sinha essentially meant that they belonged to the same ideology as him. He also lauded them for raising the same issues in the parliament which he claimed he was discussing in the debates.

Security breach in parliament

On the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, a major security breach occurred when two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor gallery during Zero Hour. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered an inquiry into a Parliament security breach incident. Six accused have been arrested in this case so far.

On Thursday, police sources said that the main conspirator in Wednesday’s Parliament security breach is someone else, as per the initial investigation. The accused had conducted a recce outside the parliament beforehand. Police sources mentioned that all accused were associated with a social media page ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club.’ 

“Scenes in Parliament remind me of Bhagat Singh,” says boxer & Congress leader Vijender Singh after security breach put Indian MPs at risk

OpIndia Staff
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“Scenes in Parliament remind me of Bhagat Singh,” says boxer & Congress leader Vijender Singh after security breach put Indian MPs at risk

Even as investigation is underway in the Parliament attack case, the discourse around the issue since Wednesday (13th December) has been controversial to say the least.

Joining the discourse was Boxer Vijender Singh who in a controversial post wrote that seeing the scenes in Parliament, he remembered freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

On 13th December, two accused breached inside the Parliament and jumped into the Lok Sabha hall from the visitor’s gallery releasing a yellow smoke canister.

The accused, identified as Manoranjan and Sagar Sharma, were nabbed by the members of Parliament. Two more accused outside the Parliament released smoke canisters and chanted slogans in protest.

Vijender Singh through his post has likened the attack to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s attack in the British-ruled Central Assembly in Delhi in 1929.

The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) headed by Chandrasekhar Azad decided to rock the British Raj by hurling two bombs in the Central Assembly and throwing in pamphlets explaining their motive.

However, what Bhagat Singh and his associates did was revolutionary in that it was in protest of an external tyrannical force ruling the India that was the British Empire.

Whereas what happened on Wednesday, 13th December, was an attack on the Indian Parliament against the representatives of the people and the Indian democracy at large. The name of the freedom fighter has also been used by the accused for their criminal activity. Police sources mentioned that all accused were associated with a social media page ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club.’ 

The Olympic-medallist is drawing ire all over social media platform X for drawing parallels between a revered nationalist and a set of criminals.

A netizen corrected the boxer saying, “did you write Bhagat Singh in place of Afzal Guru?” Afzal Guru was the mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament attack resulting in the death of 9 people.

Another used asked, “Really? You are comparing Bhagat Singh with these terrorists?”

Vijender Singh had joined the Congress party and contested Lok Sabha elections in 2019 from South Delhi constituency, which he lost to BJP MP’s Ramesh Bhiduri.

Vijender had also participated extensively in the farmers’ protest in 2020 and joined demonstrations at Singhu border against farm laws. He had threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sporting honour.

In June 2022, the boxer defended secessionist lyrics of Sidhu Moosewala’s song “SYL” which was released after the latter’s demise. In January this tear, he also joined Rahul Gandhi on his ‘Bharat Jodo’ yatra march.

Parliament security breach: Six arrested so far, UAPA slapped after MHA orders probe, accused used a social media group called ‘Bhagat Singh fan club’

OpIndia Staff
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Parliament security breach: Six arrested so far, UAPA slapped after MHA orders probe, accused used a social media group called ‘Bhagat Singh fan club’

After a major security breach in Parliament on Wednesday (December 13), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had ordered an investigation.

MHA has posted on X, “On request from Lok Sabha Secretariat, MHA has ordered an inquiry of parliament security breach incident. An Enquiry Committee has been set up under Anish Dayal Singh, DG, CRPF, with members from other security agencies and experts. The Enquiry Committee will investigate the reasons for the breach in the security of Parliament, identify lapses, and recommend further action. The Committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest.”

Following this, the Delhi Police registered a case against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A police team reached the house in Gurugram earlier in the day, where all four accused reportedly stayed briefly before the incident. The officials said the case has been registered under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and UAPA sections 16 and 18 at the Parliament Street police station.

Speaking on the arrests of the suspects in connection with the Parliament security breach, Varun Dahiya, Gurugram Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), said, “The suspects have been detained and taken for further questioning. The police and agencies in Delhi are investigating the matter because it is related to the national capital. Gurugram police will provide all help and assistance to the Delhi police for the case and stringent action will be taken against the accused in the matter,” said the official.

Last night, the Delhi Police detained a husband and wife, Vishal Sharma alias Vicky and Vrinda Sharma in connection with the case. Reports say that all the accused persons used to meet at Vishal’s house in Gurugram to hatch the conspiracy.

“Delhi Police have detained Vicky and his wife. They are investigating it. We are in touch with Delhi Police and if they ask for any information, we will share the details with them,” added the ACP.

Based on the initial investigation, the police said that the main conspirator of the security breach was someone else. Police added that the accused had conducted the recce of the parliament beforehand.

Police sources mentioned that all accused were associated with a social media page ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club.’ “Everyone met in Mysore about one and a half years ago. Sagar came from Lucknow in July but could not enter the Parliament House. On December 10, one by one, everyone reached Delhi from their respective states. They gathered near India Gate, where coloured crackers were distributed to everyone,” sources stated.

Notably, Delhi Police’s Special Cell has nabbed the fifth suspect in the case. Reportedly, there are seven accused in the case with six arrested and one identified as Lalit Jha is absconding.

The names of the arrested persons so far are as follows: Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan Deverajegowda, Neelam Singh, Amol Shinde, Vishal Sharma alias Vicky and his wife Vrinda. Another accused Lalit Jha reportedly took the phones of all others and managed to flee.

The suspects met in Chandigarh, where they devised the plan both inside and outside the Parliament House, News18 reported citing a Special Cell source. They met at a Chandigarh protest over the Bhagat Singh Airport problem, and they then started getting together frequently at Vishal’s Gurugram home. Late last night, Vishal and his spouse, Vrinda Sharma, were detained.  Meanwhile, the Special Cell team is searching for the absconding accused Lalit Jha.

Jha uploaded a video of the protest outside Parliament, with Neelam and Shinde releasing colored smoke from the canisters, after the security breach.

Speaking about the motive of perpetrators, the police said, “During questioning, they claimed that they were not happy with the working style of the current government and wanted to send a message to the country related to Manipur, the farmers’ protest and inflation. They claimed that they wanted to send a message just like their idol, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and decided to go to Parliament.”

Indian Express reported citing a Special Cell source that accused Manoranjan recently coordinated with his local Member of Parliament, Pratap Simha, and his personal staff to obtain a visitor’s pass for December 14. On Tuesday, he received a call from the official staff asking him to pick up his pass, which was scheduled for December 13 instead. They arrived at Parliament on Wednesday morning after leaving accused Vicky’s home in a radio cab. Manoranjan and Sharma arrived at Parliament and entered, while Jha, Neelam, and Shinde waited outside.

As reported earlier, on December 13th, in a major security breach in the Parliament, two men jumped into the Lok Sabha well from the visitors’ gallery while the proceedings were ongoing. A video from the Lok Sabha shows the members of Parliament assaulting one of the two perpetrators who burst into the chamber during proceedings and tossed canisters emitting yellow smoke. The MPs can be seen plucking the hairs of the intruder, hurling shoes at him, and landing punches at him before encircling him.

‘Planning to kill Hindu leaders from BJP, RSS cannot be called a terrorist act’: Madras HC grants bail to UAPA accused Asif Mustahin

OpIndia Staff
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‘Planning to kill Hindu leaders from BJP, RSS cannot be called a terrorist act’: Madras HC grants bail to UAPA accused Asif Mustahin

On Wednesday (13th December), the Madras High Court opined that the targeted killing of Hindu leaders cannot be termed an act of terrorism under section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court said this while granting bail to a man arrested under the act.

A division bench of Justices S S Sundar and Sunder Mohan said on Wednesday, “The evidence discloses that the conspiracy was to attack certain religious leaders. The authorities have not spelt out how that would amount to a terrorist act, as defined under section 15 of the UAPA.”

These comments were issued regarding the appeal for bail made by Asif Mustahin. Asif was taken into custody on 26th July 2022, under the UAPA by the National Investigation Agency for his alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The court added, “To bring an act under section 15 of the UAPA, the act must be done with an intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security or sovereignty of India, or with an intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or any foreign country.”

The accused had filed bail applications which were rejected by the trial court, the high court, and the Supreme Court. He remained in custody for the last 17 months. As per the prosecution’s argument, the accused expressed a desire to join IS and established a connection with the second accused, affiliated with the global terror organization. Additionally, it was claimed that the duo conspired to kill Hindu religious leaders associated with the BJP and RSS.

Disagreeing with the prosecution, the bench asserted that the evidence did not suggest at any point that the accused had joined IS or that the second accused was a member of the terror group. The court said, “Even assuming that the materials collected by the prosecution might ultimately lead to a conviction, the detention pending trial could not be indefinite.”

The bench provided the accused with conditional bail, instructing him to reside in Erode and attend the trial court daily at 10:30 am until further notice.

Assam: 1281 madrasas converted to regular schools with immediate effect by the education department

OpIndia Staff
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Assam: 1281 madrasas converted to regular schools with immediate effect by the education department

On Wednesday (13th December), the Department of School Education in Assam announced that 1281 Madrasa Education (ME) units in the state will no longer be madrasas and will be converted to regular Schools. SEBA (Board of Secondary Education Assam) has undertaken the task of transforming government and provincialised madrasas into conventional schools.

The Education Minister of Assam, Ranoj Pegu, posted a list of the concerned institutes from his X handle. He wrote in his post, “Consequent to the conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa into general schools under SEBA, the Department of School Education in Assam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME Schools by a notification today. Here is the link for the list of schools.”

A notification in this regard was published by the department on 13th December. According to this notification, the names of these institutes will be changed. The notification read, “As per the approval of the government on 4th December 2023, the nomenclature of the listed upper primary schools “M.E. Madrasa” under the Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam shall be known as “M.E. Schools” with immediate effect.”

This decision by the Himanta Biswa Sarma government in Assam is aimed at bringing uniformity and inclusivity within the education system of the state. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly said that madrasas in the state need to be modified into regular schools to bring the students in Madrasas to mainstream education.

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