A shocking case of love jihad has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur where a 20-year-old young man named Danish was arrested after he trapped a 14-year-old girl in a relationship by promising her the world on social media under the pretext of a Hindu name. Afterwards, he kidnapped and kept her hostage when she fell into his web, and raped her multiple times.
Furthermore, Danish forced the minor Hindu girl to consume beef and perform namaz. Furthermore, she was beaten if she refused to follow the orders. She was also taken to a Mosque and her name was changed to Muskaan Khan. The accused used to send pictures of bungalows and cars to the minor on Instagram and presented himself as extremely wealthy. However, he lived with his family in a one-room slum built on a drain. He kept the victim hostage there and would sexually assault her as his family slept as well as threatened her if she made any noise.
The matter pertained to the Chakeri police station area of Kanpur where Danish, son of Gulfam, called a 14-year-old girl to meet him on 22nd October 2023 and abducted her as well as took her captive in Maikupurwa after she arrived at the location. He raped her for two months while she made several unsuccessful attempts at escaping during this period. On 30th December the perpetrator planned to convert her to Islam and marry her against her wishes. Meanwhile, Hindu organisations such as Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal learned about the incident and rescued her with the help of locals.
The father disclosed that on that fateful day, he was enjoying himself with his family after returning from the office when his daughter received a call after which she left, leading the family to believe that she had gone to the bathroom. However, when didn’t return for a long time, they looked for her but were unable to locate her and were unaware of her ordeal for the entire time. He reached the police station to lodge a complaint and demanded justice for his child.
The girl’s father, who works in a factory, said that Danish was contacting the girl for three months on social media. He then lured her to go with her and then kept her captive.
A Hindu activist informed, “During Ramnavami or Navratri, an underage girl came in contact with a boy named Danish on Instagram. He used to communicate with her under a Hindu pseudonym. She was pleased by the numerous photos he shared of himself in opulent homes and cars. She went to meet him at his place where the offender and his mother Maksooda invited her to stay with them for a few days before taking her as their prisoner. He started using her phone after they damaged her SIM card. She tried to contact her family numerous times but Maksooda used to lock the youngster inside the house whenever she went outside.”
He added, “She wanted to flee but failed. Meanwhile, they brought her to a Mosque and served her cow and buffalo meat, per the statement of the girl. She was even given the new name Muskaan Khan. We were tipped off about the instance and showed up at the scene along with her family as well as other people of the region and found her but Danish had already absconded from there.” He unveiled that the culprit sexually violated her in the same room he shared with his parents and sister and added, “The minor’s mother has submitted an application and we have asked for a proper legal investigation based on the former’s testimony.”
“Durga Vahini worker living near Maikupurwa informed about the situation after which Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal members went to the spot. The terrified girl initially spoke in support of the culprit before breaking down in tears and narrating the horrifying events,” mentioned Anand Singh who is the District Vice President of Vishva Hindu Parishad while talking to the media.
He charged, “The accused and his family gave her meat to eat and claimed that with this she would become Muslim from Hindu and be married. They made her pray every day and assaulted her if she objected. One day he brought a cleric along with his journalist friend and discussed about marriage on 30th December.” However, she was saved by his team of Hindu activists and others.
According to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP)-East of the Kanpur Commissionerate, Danish has been apprehended and a case has been registered against him under relevant sections while further inquiry is underway.
थाना चकेरी में एक व्यक्ति द्वारा सूचना दी गई कि उसकी पुत्री जो 22 Oct को चली गई थी वो 29.12.23 को वापस आ गई है उसने बताया कि वह किसी लड़के के साथ चली गयी थी,पिता की तहरीर पर अभियोग पंजीकृत करते हुए 01 व्यक्ति को हिरासत में लेकर कार्यवाही की जा रही है। Byte-ADCP East@uppolicepic.twitter.com/RNo0sNRKs5
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) December 29, 2023
In her complaint, the victim stated to Hindu outfits that Danish had shared images of automobiles and houses on Instagram. He liked to capture and send out images while standing around the bungalow. However, he brought her to a shack where he resided with his family. with only a curtain hanging over it.
In a major development ensuring peace in Assam, the pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement with the Union Government and the Assam government in Delhi today, 29th December. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present at the event.
A 16-member delegation of the ULFA led by its chairperson Arabinda Rajkhowa participated in the meeting, who were accompanied by 13 members from civil society. The group’s general secretary Anup Chetia and other top leaders were among the delegate who signed the agreement. Today’s agreement came after almost 12 years of peace talks with the leaders of the pro-talk faction of ULFA.
This is a significant pact as the banned ULFA-Independent has been the only major insurgent outfit in the state after the ULFA pro-talks faction signed the agreement with the Centre and Assam government. ULFA (Independent), the other faction of the group led by Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah remains outside the peace agreement. Except for Baruah, all other founding members of ULFA have left armed struggle.
The agreement covered a wide range of subjects, including politics, land rights, NRC and immigration, employment, economy and skill development, flood control, industries, agriculture, education, culture, sports infrastructure, tourism, demands of ST status, Act East Policy, and settlement of ULFA cadres who have returned to the mainstream.
As per provisions of the agreement, the centre will approve an economic package worth over ₹1.5 lakh crore for Assam. The centre promises more National Highways, Railway lines, industries and infrastructure in Assam in the pact. ₹5,000 crore has been provided for special development projects, which include an IIM in Guwahati, a School of Planning and Architecture, and one Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.
The agreement promises investment in a total of 60 projects, including a coach manufacturing plant by Railways. It states that projects worth ₹5,000 crore will be completed in 5 years.
The Memorandum of Settlement says that measures taken for the protection of the indigenous people of Assam will be taken up as per schedule 6 of the Assam Act. A special legal provision to protect the land rights of indigenous people has been promised. The land records will be digitised, and a land bank will be formed for the landless people. It also assures the protection of farmland.
It was decided that the delimitation of constituencies in the state will take place using the same procedure used in the recently concluded delimitation. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that around 90-95 seats have been ensured for the indigenous people after the recent delimitation, and therefore the same principle will be used for the next delimitation.
Moreover, the NRC that was updated will be reviewed, as there are complaints of large-scale irregularities. CM Sarma said that there is a demand across Assam to redo the Assam. However, as there is already plea before the Supreme Court to revise the updated ULFA, the agreement didn’t make any promise regarding this.
In another major development, it has been decided that voters won’t be able to change constituencies easily, and a stringent procedure will be implemented to prevent the misuse of this provision to change the demography of constituencies.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the time-bound implementation of the agreement after it was signed in the national capital. “This is a new start of a period of peace for the whole Northeast especially Assam. I want to assure ULFA representatives that with the faith you have kept in the Government of India, from the side of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a programme will be made in a time-bound manner to fulfil everything, without you asking for it. Under MHA, a committee will be formed, which will work with the Assam government to fulfil this agreement,” the home minister said.
Posting photos of the event on X, Amit Shah said that the insurgent group has agreed to abjure the path of violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law and uphold the integrity of the country.
A historic day for Assam.
Fulfilling PM @narendramodi Ji's vision for a prosperous, peaceful and developed Northeast, today we have arrived at a landmark resolution to the ULFA insurgency problem of Assam.
Notably, Amit Shah also hinted that the demand of 6 communities in Assam for Scheduled Tribe status will be granted soon. The leadership of the communities – Moran, Matak, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Tea Tribes, and Koch Rajbongshi – were present at the meeting. After signing the agreement, Amit Shah went to them and said, next it is your turn, hinting that their demand will be fulfilled soon.
Assam Chief Minister HImanta Biswa Sarma said that the agreement will bring lasting peace in the state. “This is a historic day for Assam. The process for peace has been on in Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah. We did accord with Bodo, Karbi, and Adivasi insurgent group,” Sarma said while talking to the media in Delhi.
He said that over 8,000 people associated with ULFA will return to the mainstream with this agreement, and will be rehabilitated.
“This agreement will fulfil many of the aspirations of the people of Assam. In general, PM Modi’s outreach towards Assam and other parts of the northeast has made this possible,” the CM added. He assured that the points mentioned in the tripartite agreement will be 100 per cent implemented by the Centre and the State government.
Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that this Agreement draws the curtains on Assam’s oldest armed resistance pursued by ULFA, protects the interests of our people & paves the way for spurring growth in the region. He added, “Those who were once associated with violence will become partners in the nation’s progress”.
HISTORIC DAY: ULFA PEACE ACCORD ?
Guided by the sterling vision and blessings of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji efforts for lasting peace & progress in Assam received a historic impetus today. The Memorandum of Settlement, signed under the guidance of Hon’ble HM Shri… pic.twitter.com/FhKZS3pDWO
The CM further said, “For an entire generation, insurgency had stymied the potential of Assam. The single minded pursuit of inclusive development by Hon’ble PM since 2014 has resulted in today’s transformative achievement which marks a new dawn of harmony & togetherness.”
Addressing a press conference after signing the agreement, the ULFA leadership expressed happiness over it. They said that most of their demands have been agreed upon by the government.
They announced that ULFA will be disbanded in two months, and a two-member committee will be formed to pursue the implementation of the agreement. They also appealed Paresh Baruah to give up arms and talk with the govt. They said that Baruah can extract more for the state by signing another agreement with the govt.
ULFA and the peace talks
The insurgent group ULFA came into being in April 1979 in the aftermath of the agitation against undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) led by All Assam Students Union. The illegal influx in Assam has been on, though with varying degrees, ever since India’s independence. ULFA continued an armed struggle demanding an independent state of Assam for over two decades, marking a violent history in the state.
However, ULFA was split into two factions in 2011 when the pro-talk faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa decided to return to Assam from abroad and participate in peace talks. Anup Chetia, another top ULFA functionary, later joined the pro-talks group. Most of the ULFA leaders were based in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. The other group ULFA (Independent), led by its commander Paresh Barua, opposed any talks unless the ‘sovereignty’ clause was a topic of the discussions, which was not acceptable to the government.
The pro-talk faction gave up violence and agreed to unconditional talks with the government. In 2011, they submitted a 12-point charter of demands to then-home minister P Chidambaram which includes constitutional and political arrangements and reforms, protection of the identity and material resources of the local indigenous population of Assam, which has since been under discussion at various levels.
After over a decade of talks, the Union government in April sent it a draft agreement. A series of talks with officials concerned in the Central government has taken place since the delegation arrived in Delhi before the signing of the peace pact.
The Union government has signed peace deals with rebel Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, and Adivasi outfits in Assam over the last three years. The banned ULFA-Independent led by Paresh Baruah would be the only major insurgent outfit in the state once the deal with the ULFA pro-talks faction is inked.
Since Himanta Biswa Sarma became chief minister in May 2021, over 7,000 insurgents from various rebel groups have shelved their guns to join the mainstream. The state government has been running various rehabilitation programs to accommodate these former insurgents to live a respectable life.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has on various occasions since becoming the chief minister appealed to ULFA(I) leader Paresh Baruah to return to the mainstream and join the massive development process that has taken place in the state. He reiterated the appeal to Paresh Baruah today. CM Sarma also emphasised the need to resolve all the outstanding issues through dialogue.
Assam has witnessed decades-long insurgency, necessitating operations from the central paramilitary and Armed forces. The most prominent operations against ULFA were Operation Bajrang and Operation Rhino.
The insurgency in Assam led to the loss of lives of civilians, personnel of armed forces, state police personnel, and of course the members of insurgents. Over the past decades, an estimated 10,000 have died in Assam due to insurgency, the chief minister said today.
Due to the insurgency activities, the Disturbed Areas Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) had to be brought in in Assam in 1980. However, now it is just limited to a few districts in Upper Assam with about 15 per cent land mass. These areas still see sporadic acts like grenade blasts, kidnappings etc by ULFA(I).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed confidence that the BJP will emerge as the “default preference” for the electorate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In an exclusive interview with India Today, he highlighted a widespread consensus among the citizens, asserting that the nation does not require a “mili-juli sarkar” (coalition government), seemingly a jibe at the INDI alliance.
PM Modi emphasised that the BJP achieving a hat-trick in 2024 is not a matter of mere confidence but is rooted in the fact that the people of the country have “witnessed the governance deficiencies during the era of mili-juli governments.”
“There is a consensus among the people, the experts, the opinion makers and friends from the media too, that our country doesn’t need a mili-juli sarkar. We have lost 30 years due to instability resulting from mili-juli sarkars. People have seen the lack of governance, the appeasement politics, corruption in the era of mili-juli sarkars,” PM Modi was quoted as saying in an interview with India Today.
PM Modi additionally expressed that the only aspect within his control is to “dedicate my all to serving the people.”
The Prime Minister underscored that labelling the BJP as a party with limited pan-India appeal would be an oversimplification. He affirmed that the BJP holds the distinction of being the “largest individual party in southern India in terms of Lok Sabha seats.”
He further added that the BJP’s status as the “natural choice” in 2024 stems from the adverse consequences of previous coalition governments, which “led to a decline in optimism and confidence among the people and tarnished India’s global image.”
As of now, the BJP holds 303 seats out of the total 545 in the Lok Sabha. However, following the setback in the Karnataka Assembly election, the party no longer governs any of the five southern states.
“Presently, our party enjoys support across every corner of the country. From local bodies in Kerala to serving as the primary opposition in numerous states, our party is actively engaged in substantial efforts among the people… Just six months ago, we held government in Karnataka. Even now, we are in power in Puducherry. Currently, we govern in 16 states and serve as the principal opposition in eight,” stated PM Modi.
He rejected the labels attributed to the BJP by its critics, such as the “Brahmin-Bania party” and the “party exclusively for the Hindi heartland,” asserting that in successive elections, the party has consistently refuted these categorizations.
“Reflecting on our journey, starting from a humble two Lok Sabha seats in 1984 to reaching 303 seats now, one must acknowledge: Could we have become a significant force in national politics without the support and strength of the people from all corners of the country?” inquired Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Former Congress leader and senior advocate Kapil Sibal has turned interviewer, as he has started a talk show on The Wire titled Central Hall with Kapil Sibal. The first episode streamed on YouTube today, 29th December, where Sibal talked to ‘BJP leader’ Subramanian Swamy on the topic of State of the Economy. While Kapil Sibal tried to attack the Modi government over the economy, he could not as numbers show that the Indian economy is doing well. As a result, Swamy concluded that the Indian economy is doing well on its own, and the current government does not know anything about the economy.
The talk started with Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, with Sibal saying that entire global economy is adopting AI, and asked what will be the challenges for India in the field. Swamy replied that India can face the challenge well, claiming that NASA is researching to use Sanskrit in is AI programs. He claimed NASA is preferring Sanskrit over English to for robots because Sanskrit does not have different pronunciations for the same spellings, like but and put.
It is notable that it is a long-standing internet rumour that NASA is researching Sanskrit for AI and robotics, and it is largely baseless. NASA is a space research organisation, and it is not actively involved in voice recognition systems. And there is no evidence that the US govt agency is researching on use of Sanskrit in AI, it is a widespread rumour
The root of the rumour is a research paper published by a NASA associate scientist in 1985, titled Knowledge Representation in Sanskrit and Artificial Intelligence. It was at best a personal work by the scientist, and there is no evidence that NASA conducted any further study on this subject.
Swamy said that Indians had solved the Y2K problem, and the west will have to depend on India in future too. However, he added that it will depend on the leadership of the country. Swamy said, ‘if you have dumb leadership,…’ and was interrupted by Sibal asking if he is saying that current leadership is dumb. To this, Swamy replied that there are no scholars in today’s leadership.
When Kapil Sibal said that there are highly educated people in the government, Swamy replied, “then they must have the spine to tell the prime minister, who is not highly educated, I don’t know what he is educated in…”, before Sibal asked to move to other topics to avoid a potentially controversial issue.
Kapil Sibal and Subramanian Swamy them moved on to economy, where Swamy said that India is nowhere near achieving the goal of $5 trillion dollar economy.
During this discussion, Swamy had to teach Sibal some basics about economy. Sibal insisted that Indian economy is bad because country’s per capita GDP numbers are low, he cited examples of Brazil and Indonesia, which have higher per capita GDP compared to India, saying that as a result, there is no money to invest. But Swamy explained him that the economy has to be measured in aggregate GDP numbers, not per capita. Swamy further explained that to measure investment, one needs to take the GDP, not the per capita.
However, Swamy continued to attack the Modi govt, claiming that nobody in the current government understands anything about any economics. He claimed that ministers do not know anything, everything is run by bureaucrats, and the ministers only sign files. He said that PMO has one official who did developmental economics in London in 1972, which is not relevant now. Swamy further claimed that the govt had some good economic advisors, but most of them have left, because govt didn’t listen to them.
He also questioned the GDP numbers released by the govt, saying that he is writing about this in The Hindu but nobody reads them. Swamy added that Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh transformed the Indian economy, and such transformation is not taking place now. Swamy also added that Manmohan Singh does not get due credit for his work on Indian economy.
Swamy then said that current govt is only worried about politics, not economy.
After both Sibal and Swamy concluded that Modi govt can’t run economy, they proceeded to recommend each other to be finance ministers. Swamy said that Indian economy is well structured compared to several other major countries including China, and we can turn it around. To it Sibal said, ‘we can if we have people like you’, and Swamy quickly responded, ‘or you’. Swamy claimed that because Sibal knows law, he will be able to transform Indian economy.
They went on to claim that share of states in revenue has come down, because the centre collects all the tax now. Swamy and Sibal claimed that the govt is monopolising tax collection for political reasons.
When Sibal asked what Swamy will do if he gets power in 2024, Swamy replied that he will abolish income tax, and then lower interest rates.
At last, Subramanian Swamy said, ‘you and I should be in the government’. Sibal laughed by saying that it sounds impossible, adding, ‘be that is as may’.
A 42-year-old headmistress of the Government High School, Murugamalla in Chintamani taluk of Chikkaballapur district, has been suspended for allegedly behaving inappropriately with a student during a recent school excursion, the officials said on Friday.
A photo of a head teacher doing a romantic photo shoot with a student during a school trip went viral in the last two days.
In the photos, the student and headmistress are seen posing in various objectionable ways. The student is seen kissing her on the cheeks and pulling her saree. The student is also seen lifting the teacher in his arms.
The headmistress is also seen hugging and behaving romantically with the student in the video.
Following the video of the photo shoot going viral on social media on Thursday, Chintamani District Education Officer Umadevi visited the school and interrogated fellow teachers, students and kitchen staff who had gone on a trip.
Umadevi said the students and staff of the school went on an educational tour to Horanadu, Dharmasthala, Yana and other places from December 22 to 25, and the said incident allegedly took place then.
“The photos that went viral were taken by another student. Barring the two students and the headmistress, no other staffer or student was aware of the incident,” she added.
As per BEO’s recommendation, P. Bailanjanappa, District Deputy Director of the School Education Department, has issued an order suspending her from service pending departmental inquiry.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a tragic incident on Thursday (28th December), a young girl was found dead in the swimming pool of the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment complex in the tech corridor, off Varthur-Gunjur road, Bengaluru. The deceased, identified as Manasa, was a nine-year-old resident of the same complex and a Class 4 student.
According to Bengaluru police and resident reports, the incident occurred around 7.30 pm. The victim’s father, in his complaint, stated, “I suspect that my daughter drowned after she accidentally fell into the swimming pool around 7.30 pm on Thursday.” It is speculated that Manasa might have come into contact with a live wire dangling from a light pole near the pool, leading to suspected electrocution.
Residents have expressed concerns over the safety measures in the complex. A resident, Ritesh Kumar, shared his own experience, saying, “My daughter was a little over a year old then. I had raised the complaint officially, after which, security came and stuck tape on the footlight. I had questioned them why no other protective measures were taken but we got no response.” This sentiment was echoed by other residents, who claimed that minor electric shocks were a recurring issue and that no substantial measures were taken to secure the area.
The situation became more alarming when one resident remarked, “Today, even after such a grave incident, the security guard wasn’t trained/equipped to handle the situation. He didn’t know which power line to disconnect.”
The police, while awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death, have not ruled out the possibility of electrocution. “There have been claims of electrocution. However, there were no visible injury marks on her body,” a senior police officer said, indicating the complexity of the investigation.
Following this incident, residents of the apartment complex staged a protest, demanding accountability and justice. The girl’s father, addressing reporters, emphasised the need for a thorough police investigation, stating, “We want justice for my daughter. We want to know the truth behind her death. We want the police to probe the matter and fix responsibility.”
This tragic event has raised serious questions about the safety standards in residential complexes and the urgent need for effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The police are doing further investigation.
The Congress party is known for regular faux pas. In a recent such incident, the party was found using parts of a speech by BJP leader Smriti Irani in a video it posted on its Instagram account. The party deleted the video after facing a massive embarrassment.
As per video grabs posted by a number of social media users on X, the Congress party had posted a video promoting the upcoming Bharat Nyay Yatra of Rahul Gandhi, the sequel of Bharat Jodi Yatra. The video starts with audio and graphic of a man asking, “Dad… What is Goosebumps?” The dad then replies, “Goosebumps? Come with me”.
The ‘son’ then asks, “But where dad?” The video then shows the text ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra Loading’, and after that the date 14th January is shown, the date when the yatra will start. After that, visuals of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is shown, while a woman’s voice recites a fiery patriotic poem in the background.
Congress official page on Instagram shared a reel of Rahul Gandhi with background voice of BJP leader/minister Smriti Irani ??
The voiceover says, ‘Hum jiyenge to is Bharat ke liye, marenge to is Bharat ke liye. Aur Marne ke baad bhi Gangajal me behti hamari asthiyon ko koi kaan lagakar sunega to ek hi awaz ayegi… ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. This roughly translates to, ‘we live for this Bharat, we will die for this Bharat. And after our death if someone puts ear to our bone in Ganga water, only one voice will be heard, Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
However, perhaps the Congress party wasn’t aware of the orator and the author of this lines, if they had, they would have never use the audio in the promo video. Because, the party used the voice of BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani, and the poem was authored by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Smriti Irani had recited the poem in Lok Sabha on 24 February 2016, while replying to a debate on JNU and Rohith Vemula’s death. In the video of her speech embedded below, the poem recited by her can be heard after 43 minutes into the video.
These lines were penned by BJP leader and former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was also a well-known poet. The full text is:
Bharat koi bhumi ka tukda nehi hai, ye jita jagta rashrapurush hai. Yeh vandan ki dharti hai, abhinandan ki dharti hai. Yeh arpan ki bhoomi hai, darpan ki bhoomi hai. Ki nadi nadi humaare liye Ganga hai, iska kankar kankar humaare liye Shankar hai. Hum jiyenge to iss Bharat ke liye, marenge to iss Bharat ke liye. Aur marne ke baad bhi, Gangajal mein behti huee humaare asthiyon ko koi sunega, to ek hi awaz aayegi – Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
While Smriti Irani had recited the full poem, Congress used the last couple of lines in its video. However, when they realised the massive goof-up, they deleted the video.
A promo released by Congress for the Bharat Jodo Yatra had also become a subject of controversy, because the party had used the soundtracks of the movie KGF-Chapter 2 without authorisation. A court had blocked the Twitter handle of Congress after MRT Music sued Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders for illegal use of their copyrighted music.
As the year draws to a close, it’s important to reflect on a significant yet often overlooked issue affecting vulnerable segments of the Hindu community. Across various regions in India, there has been a troubling emergence of conversion rackets. These rackets are frequently linked to foreign entities, Islamic groups, and influential Christian missionary organisations. They target economically disadvantaged Hindus and tribal communities, exploiting their vulnerability with offers of monetary assistance, food, clothing, education, healthcare services, and other material benefits. In their desperate attempts to escape poverty, many individuals are swayed by these offers and convert to either Islam or Christianity. However, they soon realise that the relief provided is only temporary and does little to alter their fundamental hardships. They then undergo Ghar Wapsi.
Despite the widespread nature of this issue, only a fraction of these cases gain public attention. This typically happens when vulnerable Hindus who have been misled are rescued, or when individuals, recognise the deceit they were subjected to, and decide to return to their Hindu faith through ‘Ghar Wapsi’.
This article aims to compile and highlight the numerous instances from this year where Hindu families or individuals, coerced into converting to either Islam or Christianity, chose to embrace their Hindu heritage once more. These stories not only shed light on the deceptive tactics used by evangelists and Islamists, who initially entice with financial and material aid but later resort to indoctrination but also underscore the resilience and enduring faith of those who choose to return to Hinduism.
1. Ghar Wapsi in Etah
In Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district, 35 individuals from 10 Christian families re-embraced to Sanatan Dharma. This event took place in the Jaranikalan village in the Shakrauli area, where these families had converted to Christianity in 1995, reportedly due to enticements. The Hindu Ekta Group interacted with these families and discovered that many were keen to return to Hinduism.
Consequently, on 2nd January 2023, a special program was organised at the Pathwari Mata Temple in the village, where these 35 individuals participated in a havan ritual and embraced Sanatan Dharma. According to Shubham, founder of the Hindu Ekta Group, these families were lured and misled into converting to Christianity in 1995 and have been following Christian practices since then. However, several expressed a voluntary desire to revert to Sanatan Dharma and did the Ghar Wapsi.
2. Another Ghar Wapsi in Etah
In another incident, Shabnam from Etah district in Uttar Pradesh converted to Hinduism and changed her name to Neha Pathak on 16th January 2023. She married a Hindu man named Komesh Pathak, and for this, she sought the help of the High Court and district administration. Initially, both families were opposed to their marriage. Shabnam, who is a graduate and originally from Ghazipur, was living in Manesar, Haryana, with her elder sister. Komesh Pathak also resided there, working in a medical company. The couple met in Manesar, and over time, they fell in love.
Shabnam was already loving Hinduism, especially the festival of Diwali. After their marriage, she decided to formally adopt Hinduism and submitted a petition to the Allahabad High Court and the District Magistrate. The District Magistrate of Etah issued a notice inviting objections for 21 days. Upon receiving no objections during this period, the district administration issued her a certificate confirming her conversion to Hinduism.
3. Mega Ghar Wapsi in Chhattisgarh by Prabal Pratap Judev
In the Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, during the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha event held in Basna, approximately 1100 Christians belonging to about 325 families returned to Hinduism on 19th January 2023. BJP leader Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated their Ghar Wapsi (return to Hinduism) by ritually cleansing their feet with the holy water of the Ganga.
Those who underwent Ghar Wapsi expressed that they had gone away from their Dharma and converted to another religion, but after realising their mistake, they decided to come back to Hinduism. Pandit Himanshu Krishna Maharaj administered to these individuals an oath of loyalty to the Sanatan Dharma. Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, a BJP leader from Chhattisgarh, continues to campaign for the return of converted individuals to their original faith.
4. There can be no religion better than Hinduism – Sultana Begum
On Friday, January 21, 2023, in a program of Bageshwar Dham Divya Darbar, a Muslim woman named Sultana Begum adopted Hinduism in the presence of Mahant Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. Sultana, hailing from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, shared her story, saying, “My name is Sultana. My father’s name is Amir Khan and my mother is Sarwari Begum. I practised idol worship, which led to my family disowning me. They say that I am a disgrace to the Muslim community and that I will go to hell when I die.”
#BREAKING | बागेश्वर दरबार में धीरेंद्र शास्त्री ने कुछ लोगों को हिंदू धर्म में वापसी करवाई
She further expressed, “I firmly believe that there can be no religion better than Hinduism. It’s a religion of civilization and values. In Hinduism, there are no marriages between siblings, and women’s lives are not destroyed. Practices like triple talaq do not exist. Here, marriage happens once with the sacred seven rounds around the holy fire, emphasising the significance of sindoor (vermilion), mangal sutra (sacred necklace), and the complete sixteen adornments for a married woman. I also worship Lord Krishna in the form of Laddu Gopal.”
5. Salim Khan became Sukhram Das in Morena of Madhya Pradesh
Salim Khan, a resident of the Ambah region in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, embraced Hinduism on 22nd January 2023, adopting the name Baba Sukhram Das. Salim was influenced by his growing faith in Lord Hanuman, having already been involved in devotional singing and chanting at the temple, eventually leading him to renounce his former religion.
He left his family and sought refuge in the Hanuman temple at Khadiyahar, considering the temple’s priest, Shri Shri 1108 Ram Khilavan Das Maharaj, as his guru. His guru initiated him and gave him the new name, Sukhram Das. Salim revealed that he has forsaken his wife, children, and grandchildren, including his entire family.
A Ghar Wapsi ceremony was held at the Hanuman temple on his ‘homecoming’, attended by many locals. On hearing about Salim’s transformation, his family also arrived at the temple, where his wife expressed that she had no objections to his change of faith.
6. Saba of Bareilly became Soni
In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a young woman named Saba Bi, now known as Soni Deval, converted her religion to marry her Hindu boyfriend, Ankur Deval. The couple had been in a relationship for six years, but Saba’s family was opposed to their union. Saba and Ankur first met in Bisharatganj, Bareilly, where their fathers owned clothing shops. Their friendship gradually blossomed into love, leading to their decision to marry. Facing opposition from her family, who restricted her movements and communication, Saba took the bold step of leaving home to unite with Ankur.
On 1st February 2023, Saba left her home, and the following day, the couple wed at the Agastya Muni Ashram according to Hindu traditions. The ceremony was even attended and blessed by Sadhvi Prachi. Saba formalised her conversion and marriage through an affidavit and informed the collector’s office about her decision. Saba expressed fears for her life from her own family. She mentioned her deep appreciation for Hinduism and her enjoyment of participating in its worship practices. She also appreciated that Hinduism does not practice the ‘triple talaq’ system. Saba declared her intention to remain a Hindu for the rest of her life.
7. ‘No point staying in a religion that persecutes all’ – Yusuf Khan
On 7th February 2023, a Muslim family in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, publicly announced their decision to convert to Hinduism. The head of the family, Yusuf Khan, stated that for the past 30 years, he has been facing hardships from within the Muslim community itself. He claimed that some individuals from his community were conspiring to destroy his ancestral home.
Yusuf also declared his intention to build a temple on his land, expressing that there was no benefit in remaining in a religion where he was facing persecution. He appealed to Hindus for support and mentioned that even if he was offered crores of rupees by members of the Muslim community, he would not sell his land.
8. Ghar Wapsi in Lohrdaga of Jharkhand
In Lohardaga, Jharkhand, a family of 13 members reverted from Christianity to their original faith, Sanatan Dharma, on 1st February 2023. They accused the Christian priests of misleading them and teaching superstitions. This family, which had converted to Christianity in 2012, now considers Sanatan Dharma superior. They performed the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (homecoming) ritual with full traditional procedures.
लोहरदगा में ईसाई धर्म छोड़कर वापस लौटे 13 लोग, धूमधाम से सरना धर्म में की वापसी pic.twitter.com/PCI3oXIvEb
Rajesh Khalkho and his family faced social isolation due to persistent illness, leading them to seek remedies through false faith healing and eventually converting to Christianity. However, they soon realised that they were misguided and their troubles remained unchanged. Subsequently, they decided to return to Sanatan Dharma.
Rajesh and his family have vowed not to fall prey to any misleading influences in the future and to regard their ancestral Dharma as the best. They admitted that they were trapped in superstitions, which led them to abandon their original faith, but now they are determined not to repeat this mistake.
9. Najish Khan of Chandigarh became Pooja
Nazish Khan, originally from Chandigarh and now known as Pooja after embracing Hinduism, tied the knot with Ajay Kumar on 13th February 2023, at the Arya Samaj Temple in Delhi. Nazish is 30 years old, while Ajay is 32. The couple, deeply in love for a long time, faced opposition from their families. Despite this, they left their homes and started living together in Delhi.
चंडीगढ़ की नाजिश खान ने बदायूं UP के अजय कुमार को दिल्ली के एक आर्य समाज मंदिर में वैदिक मंत्रों के बीच अपना जीवन साथी चुन कर अपनाया हिंदू धर्म.
They first met around four years ago during the COVID-19 lockdown. Nazish, in her conversation with OpIndia, mentioned that she has three sisters and one brother, and her father had passed away a long time ago.
Azad Vinod, who runs the Sudarshan Vahini organisation and assisted in the couple’s marriage, informed that Ajay and Nazish initially married on 12th February in a temple in Ghaziabad. They later formalised their marriage on 13th February at the Arya Samaj Temple in Delhi and gave it legal recognition.
10. Mega Ghar Wapsi in Chhatarpur Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur, at Bageshwar Dham, under the presence of Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, 220 converted Christians reverted back to Hinduism on 19th February 2023. All 220 individuals were adorned with yellow bands, marking their return to Hinduism. The ‘Hindu Jagran Manch’ played a pivotal role in this program, having brought these people to the event. Residents from several villages of the Bundelkhand region including Taparian, Banapur, Chitora, and Bamhori, whom missionaries had misled, were part of those who returned to Hinduism. During this event, the Bageshwar Dham’s Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri urged these individuals to visit temples daily.
Those who returned to Hinduism shared that they were lured by Christian missionaries with the promise of housing, leading them to abandon Hinduism. However, the promise was not kept, and they did not receive any houses. They stated that their return to Hinduism was a voluntary decision. The returnees included members from 62 families, who arrived at the venue in buses. They mentioned that under the influence of Christians, they had even started visiting churches.
11. Another Ghar Wapsi in Chhattisgarh by Prabal Pratap Singh Judev
Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated the return to Hinduism of 250 individuals who had converted to Christianity, on 21st February 2023. These people, belonging to 36 different families, underwent this Ghar Wapsi (reversion ceremony) at Budhimai Dham in Imalipara (Bagbahar, Jashpur), Chhattisgarh. The event also featured the organization of a Yajna (sacred fire ritual), accompanied by the chanting of Vedic hymns.
छत्तीसगढ़ के जशपुर में ईसाई बन चुके 250 लोगों की उनके मूल सनातन धर्म में घर वापसी..
वेद मंत्रों के बीच गंगाजल से चरण पखार कर हुआ स्वागत..
Prabal Pratap washed the feet of all those returning to Hinduism with the holy water of the Ganga. Representatives from the Dharm Jagran Samanvay Vibhag (Religious Awakening Coordination Department) and Arya Samaj were also present on this occasion. Later, all the individuals who returned to Hinduism participated in the Havan (sacred fire rituals), conducted with Vedic mantras. Together, they expressed their faith in Hindu deities and resolved to continue practising Hinduism in the future. This homecoming event was part of the Hindu Saint’s March which took place in 2023 in the Bastar division.
12. Tribals in Gujarat who were converted to Christianity came back to Hinduism
Agniveer organisation, dedicated to working for Scheduled Tribes, organised a mass wedding for 61 tribal couples in Nadgadhari village of Dharampur Taluka in Valsad district, Gujarat, on February 25-26, 2023. During this event, 20 Christian families also returned to Hinduism. The main organiser, Mahendra Singh Rajpurohit, informed that this area is influenced by Christian missionaries who often convert the tribal population.
The tribal community practices ‘Phulhaar’, where young boys and girls choose each other at an early age and start living together by exchanging garlands of flowers. They desire to marry but are often unable due to financial constraints, even after having children. Missionaries exploit this practice to convert them. Observing this, Agniveer has taken the responsibility of marrying off these tribal youths.
13. Grand Ghar Wapsi in Assam
On February 27, 2023, in Tiwasong village of Jagiroad in the Morigaon district of Assam, 142 individuals returned to their original faith, embracing Sanatan Dharma after leaving Christianity. This event has been described as the largest Ghar Wapsi to Hinduism in Assam. Following traditional Hindu rituals, including Havan and other religious ceremonies, all these individuals formally adopted Hinduism.
Jursing Bordoloi, the General Secretary of Goba Devaraja Raj Parishad, stated that these 142 members of the tribal community willingly participated in this Ghar Wapsi. Initially, the local Tiwa tribal people had converted to Christianity due to various allurements and reasons. However, they later reached out to the Goba Devaraja Raj Parishad, after which this Ghar Wapsi event was organised.
Mega Ghar Wapsi in Assam. Image Source: India Today
Bordoloi also mentioned that all individuals who returned to Hinduism have pledged to maintain their faith and belief in Hinduism. The Tiwa tribe members, who underwent this Ghar Wapsi ritual, were originally Hindus, but their ancestors had converted to Christianity. Missionaries misled them because of poverty and lack of education. Bordoloi assured that his organisation would support these individuals who have returned to their ancestral faith.
14. Nargis of Agra became Nikki
On February 28, 2023, Nargis from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, embraced Hinduism and married Alok from Mainpuri. They had known each other for a year, having met through social media. After a period of friendship, they decided to get married. Nargis, now happy in her married life, shared that she had always been fond of Sanatan Dharma since her childhood. Sometimes, she would even visit temples, which would upset her father who would scold her. Following a Ghar Wapsi process, Nargis changed her name to Nikki.
Nargis and Nikki married in Mainpuri. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar
Nikki, as a newlywed, revealed that she never liked Islam. According to her, she became friends with Alok on Instagram, and after some days of conversation, they decided to unite in marriage. Nikki expressed her desire to live as a Hindu for the rest of her life. During the wedding ceremony in a temple in Mainpuri, Alok’s family and friends were present, while none of Nikki’s family participated in the wedding event.
15. Ghar Wapsi in Jhabua of Madhya Pradesh
On 28th March 2023, a family in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, who had embraced Christianity nine years ago, reverted to Hinduism. This Ghar Wapsi, involving eight family members, was seen as correcting a past deviation, and they expressed joy at returning to their original faith. The event was warmly received by the officials of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The ceremony of their return took place in a temple devoted to Lord Shiva.
झाबुआ। गांव धामंदा के एक परिवार के आठ लोगों ने मंगलवार को घर वापसी की। स्वास्थ्य सुविधाओं के प्रलोभन में ये लोग नौ वर्ष पहले ईसाई बन गए थे। संत कमल महाराज व धर्म प्रसार विभाग के राकेश डामोर आदि की प्रेरणा से वापस सनातन धर्म में लौट आए। मतांतरण जिले की यह गंभीर सामाजिक समस्या है।…
Kailash and his family, who recently returned to Hinduism, shared that nine years ago, several family members were frequently ill. During that period, they encountered a person associated with Christian missionaries. This individual lured the then-Hindu family into converting to Christianity with the false promise of better medical treatment. Kailash admitted that they were enticed by this offer and converted. However, over time, they began to miss their original faith. Reflecting on their cultural roots, the family that returned to Hinduism believed that Sanatan Dharma is the true way of life.
16. Rahmat Ali of Kanpur became Ritik
On 10th April 2023, in a temple in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 25-year-old Rahmat Ali embraced Hinduism amid Vedic chants. He will now be known as Ritik. Originally from Paseni village in Hardoi, Rahmat came to Kanpur for work. He shared that since childhood, he had been inclined towards Hinduism. He always enjoyed watching Ramleela, participating in Ganesh festivals, and taking part in the Kanwar Yatra.
While living in Kanpur, Rahmat often visited the Maa Durga temple in Bakarganj. During one such visit, he met Bajrang Dal activist Pankaj Yadav and expressed his desire to convert to Hinduism. Following this, his ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (homecoming to Hinduism) ceremony was conducted in a temple in the South City area of Kanpur. Rahmat also mentioned that most of his friends are Hindus. His family has no objections to his decision.
17. Sabina of Bareilly became Sonam to marry Sompal
On 17th April 2023, in the Agastya Muni Ashram of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Sabina embraced Hinduism. She married Sompal. Following her conversion, Sabina is now known as Sonam. The couple had known each other for a long time. Sabina is originally from Bisharatganj in Bareilly, while her husband, Sompal, hails from Kundariya Khurd. They had been in love for quite some time. When Sabina discussed this relationship with her family, it was met with significant opposition.
As her family was not agreeable, the couple decided to get married in a temple. Pandit KK Shankhdhar of the Agastya Muni Ashram in Bareilly, after ensuring all legal procedures were followed, agreed to conduct their marriage. He took proof of age from both Sabina and Sompal, confirming they were adults. Finally, Sabina and Som Pal tied the knot.
18. Roshni of Badaun became Riddhi to marry Shivam
In the Agastya Muni Ashram, more than 64 Muslim girls have married Hindu boys. On 21st April 2023, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl, known as Roshni Begum, decided to convert to Hinduism and subsequently took on the name Riddhi Gupta. Her marriage with Shivam Gupta was solemnised at the Agastya Muni Ashram. Hailing from Kaboolpura in Badaun’s Kotwali Nagar, Roshni’s love story with Shivam, a resident of the Ujhani area in Badaun, had blossomed over time.
While Shivam’s family welcomed the union, Roshni faced strong opposition from her family. Despite facing numerous constraints imposed by her family, Roshni remained steadfast. The head priest of Agastya Muni Ashram, Pandit KK Shankhdhar, after verifying all relevant documents and confirming both parties’ adult status, proceeded with the marriage ceremony.
The wedding featured Roshni reciting Vedic chants and performing a ‘havan’ with Shivam. Following the marriage, she was officially known as Riddhi Gupta. In a significant move, Roshni released a video declaring her voluntary decision to marry and affirming her legal adulthood, also requesting her family not to interfere or cause any distress.
19. Prabal Pratap Judev continued the Ghar Wapsi mission in Durg of Chhattisgarh
On 21st April 2023, in Durg, Chhattisgarh, the first ‘Ghar Wapsi’ program of the Durg region was organised. In the ‘Rashtra Raksha Mahasammelan and Ghar Wapsi 2023’, approximately 100 families returned to their original faith. The chief guest of the program was Prabal Pratap Singh Judeo, a BJP leader from Chhattisgarh and the head of ‘Akhil Bharatiya Ghar Wapsi’. He welcomed back these 100 families into their faith by washing their feet.
'To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without roots.'
— Prabal Pratap Singh Judev (@prabaljudevBJP) April 24, 2023
The event was organised under the joint auspices of the Sarvahitkarini Manav Seva Sansthan and various Hindu organisations. During the event, several Hindu saints and members of Hindu organisations were present.
20. Mass Ghar Wapsi in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
On April 24, 2023, in Banke Bihari Nagar of Baheriya area, Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, an event led by Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham witnessed the reversion of 95 individuals from over 50 families to Hinduism. These people, originating from various villages in the district, claimed they had initially converted to Christianity due to enticements, such as promises of money and better education for their children.
However, after listening to Pandit Dhirendra Shastri’s Dharmik discourse, they felt spiritually awakened and decided to return to Hinduism. They were welcomed back into the Hindu faith with yellow bands and took an oath of adherence to Hinduism under the guidance of Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.
21. Ghar Wapsi in Sitapur and Baharaich
In Uttar Pradesh, two Muslim young women married their Hindu partners, despite opposition from their families who were against their relationships and wanted to forcibly arrange their marriages (Nikah) within their community. Both marriages took place on 6th June 2023.
Rubina married Shesh Kumar (left) while Rubiya married Pradeep Yadav (right). Image Source: OpIndia Hindi
The first case is from Sitapur, where Rubia married Pradeep Yadav and has now adopted the name Rajni. In the second instance, Rubina Khan from Bahraich married Shesh Kumar Awasthi in a temple ceremony and has since become Ruby Awasthi.
22. Rani Begum and her son Junaid embraced Hinduism
In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Rani Begum, along with her son, converted to Hinduism. She claimed that her son Junaid’s eyesight was restored after consuming Prasad from a temple. Junaid had lost his eyesight in childhood. He was married in 2019 to a girl from the Bindki area of Kanpur. When the girl’s family learned about Junaid’s faith in Hinduism, they became very angry. After adopting Hinduism, Junaid began receiving death threats from his in-laws.
#सनातन_धर्म_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_है#Junaid@UPGovt कानपुर बाबूपुरवा मुस्लिम युवक के भगवा चोला पहन गणेश मूर्ति लिए बना चर्चा का विषय, अपनी मर्ज़ी से सनातन धर्म अपनाना चाहता है जुनैद, जुनैद को जान का खतरा, थाने में प्रार्थना पत्र देकर सुरक्षा की गुहार! pic.twitter.com/bV6aZvwxL9
On June 9, 2023, he filed a complaint with the police. Junaid stated, “Wearing saffron clothes brings us peace. Hindus have always been good to us. We have lived among them for a long time. Lord Ganesha has been very auspicious for us and has been present in our home for the past five years. The only problem is with the in-laws, who are threatening to kill us.”
23. Ghar Wapsi of former Pakistani Social Media Influencer
On 15th June 2023, social media influencer Mohammad Shayan Ali announced his conversion to Hinduism. In a tweet, he spoke about his ‘Ghar Wapsi’ to the faith. Shayan Ali stated that he fell into depression after having to leave his country due to torture by Pakistani agencies. It was during this time that he felt embraced by Lord Krishna. He also mentioned his plans to come to India soon.
He posted on his X handle, “After observing my ancestors’ culture and lifestyle for the last 2 years, today I am officially announcing my “Ghar Wapsi.” Thanks to ISKCON for never giving up on me. After I had to leave Pakistan in 2019 because of the torture by Pakistani agencies, I went into depression and was about to give up, but then “Krishna” held my hand, and now it’s time to give it back and make my ancestors proud. I will very soon be visiting my homeland, India, where my grandparents and all my ancestors were born, and will merge myself into my own “Mitti” and “People” because at the end: “Ghar toh Ghar hota haa”.”
After observing my ancestors culture and lifestyle for the last 2 years, today I am officially announcing my "Ghar Wapsi.” ?♥️
Thanks to ISKCON for never giving up on me ?
After I had to leave Pakistan in 2019 because of the torture of Pakistani agencies, I went into… pic.twitter.com/e1QVftsHHO
He added, “As a Sanatani, I want to make it very clear that I will not be a part of any hatred against any other religion. I respect your beliefs, and I want you to respect mine because my Gita teaches me to respect every person no matter what his or her religion is! On this special day, I also want to apologize to anyone whom I have hurt intentionally or unintentionally in my whole life because I don’t want to start this beautiful journey in my life by hurting people. Today, I feel very proud of myself for coming back to my roots, and I hope my ancestors would be feeling the same.”
24. Ayesha of Muzaffarnagar became Asha
A Muslim girl from the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh embraced Hinduism in a ‘Ghar Wapsi’ ceremony. Ayesha married a Hindu man named Ravi on 16th June 2023, in Faridabad. Now known as Asha, she released a video expressing her happiness and stating that the decision was made of her own free will.
Ayesha, originally from the Titawi area in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, travelled to Delhi with Ravi. On June 16, 2023, they applied for marriage at the Arya Samaj Vedic Sanskar Trust in the Tis Hazari area, providing all necessary proof of their legal age. Ayesha mentioned that her relationship with Ravi was eight years old. Their marriage was finally solemnised at the Arya Samaj Temple according to Vedic rituals. Before the wedding, Ayesha converted to Hinduism and was given the new name, Asha.
25. Shehnaz of Bareilly became Aarohi
Shahnaz, from Dhahri village in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, was a devotee of Lord Krishna since her childhood and actively participated in Hindu religious activities. In 2018, she married but faced divorce two months later when her husband pronounced triple talaq upon discovering her Hindu worship practices. Post-divorce, Shahnaz faced hatred from both her in-laws and her own family due to her religious beliefs.
Shehnaz did Ghar Wapsi and became Aarohi to marry Pawan. Image Source: mahanvanitimes.com
Reconnecting with her childhood friend Pawan from the same village, who stood by her during these challenging times, their friendship turned into love. On June 19, 2023, Shahnaz returned to Hinduism at the Agastya Muni Ashram in Bareilly, marrying Pawan and adopting the name Aarohi.
26. Shabana of Kaushambi became Rajni to marry Babloo
On 2nd July 2023, in the village of Alawpur within the Karari Kotwali police station area of Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh, Shabana converted to Hinduism and married a Hindu man, Babloo, in a temple. Upon embracing Hinduism, Shabana changed her name to Rajni and chose Babloo as her life partner. The two had been in a romantic relationship for the past four years. Their families became aware of this relationship six months before the marriage and initially put pressure on them, but Babloo and Shabana remained firm on their decision to marry each other.
Shabana did Ghar Wapsi and became Rajni and married Babloo. Image Source: UP Tak
Shabana is originally from Mahoba, while Babloo hails from Kaushambi. About four years ago, they met while working at a brick kiln in Prayagraj, where their friendship blossomed into love. Shabana adopted Hinduism and took the name Rajni before marrying Babloo in a temple ceremony. Shabana’s brother and sister-in-law also attended the wedding. After the ceremony, they returned to Mahoba.
27. Ghar Wapsi of Ashish who became Sheikh Mohammad for a Bangladeshi girl
On 5th July 2023, a case came to light in Jetpur of Rajkot district in Gujarat, where a Hindu youth named Ashish Goswami converted to Islam, influenced by a Bangladeshi Muslim girl he met on Instagram. He had adopted Islam to marry this girl. However, after persuasion and counselling from Hindu organisations and religious leaders, he returned to his original faith.
Ashish Goswami was in conversation with a Muslim girl from Bangladesh on Instagram. Influenced by her, he started watching videos of Zakir Naik, a fugitive Islamic fundamentalist. About six months prior, he converted to Islam to marry her and changed his name to Sheikh Mohammad Alsami. After his conversion, he left his home and started living in a mosque, becoming a devout Muslim who prayed five times a day.
इंस्टाग्राम पर बांग्लादेशी युवती से निकाह की लालच में और यूट्यूब पर ज़ाकिर नाइक के वीडियो देखकर गुजरात के जेतपुर का हिंदु युवक बन गया था मुस्लिम।
Two Muslim youths took Aashish to a hospital for circumcision. On receiving information about this, members of Hindu organisations reached the hospital to try and persuade him. Initially, Ashish was not ready to listen to anyone. However, later, activists from the Hindu organisation successfully managed to bring him back to Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism).
28. Shaista became Seema to marry Ram Avtar
In the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman embraced Hinduism and married a Hindu man. Her name is Shaista Ali, and she is now known as Seema after her Ghar Wapsi. Seema chose Ram Avtar as her husband. Originally from Badaun, Ram Avtar currently resides in Noida. Shaista’s family had filed an FIR against Ram Avtar and Shaista.
Both were presented in court, where Shaista, providing proof of being an adult, expressed her desire to live with Ram Avtar. She also informed the court that she had married Ram Avtar and accepted Hinduism. Identifying herself as Seema, she presented evidence of her marriage to the court. Following the court’s order, the police safely sent Ram Avtar and his wife, Shaista (now Seema), to Noida.
29. Shaanam Khatoon of Shamli became Shalini to marry Roopak
In Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Gurjarpur village under the Jhinjhana police station area, Shaanam Khatun from Gurjarpur and Roopak from the nearby village of Machrauli had been in a love affair for about one and a half years. They both wanted to get married. However, the girl’s family was not in agreement. On 24th July 2023, the couple got married in a temple.
Shaanam Khatoon did Ghar Wapsi and became Shalini and married Roopak. Image Source: Amar Ujala
The girl’s family had accused Roopak of kidnapping their daughter. The girl, denying the kidnapping claims, gave statements in favour of the young man. Following this, the police released them. Shaanam stated about her Ghar Wapsi that her ancestors were once Hindus. Therefore, she adopted Hinduism and married Roopak. She also mentioned facing issues with orthodox Muslims, which led her to choose Roopak as her life partner without any pressure. Now, she lives with Roopak.
30. Farzana becomes Saraswati
On 25th July 2023, a Muslim young woman named Farzana from the village of Gahluiya in the Shergarh area of Bareilly district married a Hindu young man, Virendra Kashyap, from the neighbouring village of Madhopur, following Vedic rituals in a temple. The couple had been in a romantic relationship for about three years. Farzana also initiated legal processes to adopt Hinduism and requested the administration for her and her husband’s safety.
The couple tried to convince their families. However, Farzana’s family refused to listen and instead imposed restrictions on their meeting. The couple went ahead and got married in a temple in Bareilly. In the affidavit for the marriage, Farzana declared herself as an adult, stating her age as 23 and attaching her Aadhaar card for proof. She described her marriage to 32-year-old Virendra as free from any pressure or temptation. Farzana has requested to be called Saraswati henceforth.
31. Ghar Wapsi of tribals in Jharkhand
On 28th July 2023, in the Kumhari Jhapatoli village of Basiya block in Gumla district, Jharkhand, 20 individuals from the tribal community who had previously converted to Christianity returned to their original faith of Hinduism. These people had converted to Christianity about two years ago after coming into contact with Christian missionaries. However, they reclaimed their original faith through proper rituals and worship.
गुमला में 20 ईसाई परिवार ने सरना धर्म में की वापसी, हिंदू जागरण मंच की पहल पर हुई घर वापसी। pic.twitter.com/zQDdAftyg8
The Christian missionaries had initially enticed the simple and unsuspecting tribal people of the village into conversion by promising to cure illnesses. Two years ago, many families in the village had converted to Christianity. The reversion to their original faith – the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ – was facilitated with the help of the Hindu Janjagaran Manch of Jharkhand. The tribal families are reportedly very happy and enthusiastic after returning to their original faith.
32. Nafisa of Bulandshahar became Hindu to marry Kuldeep Thakur
In Noida, Uttar Pradesh, a young Muslim woman named Nafeesa converted to Hinduism to marry her partner, Kuldeep Thakur. Originally from the Kotwali Dehat region in Bulandshahr, Nafeesa left her home on August 8, 2023, to be with her beloved. A case was initially filed by Nafeesa’s brother against an unidentified person. However, in her statement to the police, the 22-year-old woman affirmed that Kuldeep Thakur is her husband and expressed her desire to stay with him.
She provided legal proof of their court marriage. Nafeesa also made it clear that she has severed ties with the Muslim religion. The investigation revealed that Nafeesa, who is 26 years old, and Kuldeep Thakur met through Facebook. Their acquaintance blossomed into love, leading them to the decision to marry.
33. Doctor Alima of Assam converted to Hinduism
In Assam, a woman doctor named Alima Akhtar, who is part of the staff at Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, embraced Hinduism. Alima reported that she has received death threats from her own family. She attributed these threats to two ‘mistakes’ she made. The first was her decision to convert to Hinduism, and the second was her choice not to marry an older Maulana.
Dr Alima also mentioned that her family’s insistence on her marrying the Maulana was motivated by the promise of paradise. She claimed that she did not agree with this notion, which led her to distance herself from her family.
34. Ghar Wapsi in Uttarakhand
On 3rd September 2023, in the Pauri district of Uttarakhand, two Muslim brothers named Armaan and Ismail underwent a Ghar Wapsi ritual. They embraced Hinduism at an Arya Samaj temple amidst Vedic chants. Armaan’s new name is Aryan, and Ismail has been renamed Ankush. Their mother, who is Hindu, stated that she never sent her sons to a mosque. Armaan, aged 20, and Ismail, aged 24, are residents of Sadar Bazaar, near the military area of Lansdowne.
Ghar Wapsi of two brothers in Pauri Uttarakhand. Image Source: Dainik Jagran
Declaring themselves as adults, the brothers applied for their return to the Hindu faith at the Arya Samaj temple on Najibabad Road in Kotdwar. The Arya Samaj temple verified their documents and conducted a purification ritual for them. Following the proper procedures, they also performed a ‘havan’ with Vedic mantras. After the ceremonies, both brothers expressed their happiness in embracing Sanatan Dharma. Their sisters are also married to Hindus.
35. 70 Muslims in Muzaffarnagar came back to Hinduism
On 23rd September 2023, in the Baghra block of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, 70 individuals from 10 families of the Jogi community collectively renounced Islam and returned to Hinduism at the Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram. This group included children, women, young adults, and the elderly. About 10 years ago, they were all converted to Islam, influenced by a cleric and a Muslim leader. The decision for conversion back then was instigated by a maulvi (Islamic cleric) and a local Muslim leader.
Those who returned to Hinduism accused the maulvi of using intimidation, threats, and enticements for conversion. The purification ceremony for all the individuals took place at the Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram. During the event, they performed a ‘havan’ amidst Vedic chants and expressed their immense happiness with the decision.
36. Ghar Wapsi in Ghaziabad
On 29th September 2023, in the Sahibabad area of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, four people, including a child, abandoned Islam and embraced Hinduism at the Bhojpuria Temple. The conversion back to Hinduism was facilitated by an organisation named ‘Hindu Raksha Dal’ through a Vedic ritual involving a ‘yajna-havan’ (fire ritual) at the local temple. Those who returned to Hinduism expressed their happiness at rejoining the Sanatan Dharma.
They stated that their ancestors had converted to Islam under some compulsion, but now, realising the mistake, they have decided to revert to Hinduism. They also vowed not to repeat such a mistake in the future and to continue following the principles of Sanatan Dharma.
37. Another Ghar Wapsi in the Agastya Muni Ashram of Bareilly
On October 1, 2023, in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Uzma embraced Hinduism and underwent a homecoming ritual. She was renamed Urmila. Urmila married a man named Bhagirath following Vedic traditions at the Agatsya Muni Ashram. Both Uzma and Bhagirath are originally from Pilibhit district. Bhagirath hails from Hulkari Dakiya in the Neoria police station area, while Uzma is from the Husainpur area of the same district. They were mutually attracted from their first meeting, and soon their relationship deepened into love, leading them to plan for marriage.
Uzma did Ghar Wapsi and became Urmila to marry Bhagirath. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi
When Uzma informed her father Iqbal about her relationship with Bhagirath, she faced threats to her life. Subsequently, the couple arrived at the Bareilly Agatsya Muni Ashram with all the necessary documents. Here, Pandit KK Shankhdhar verified their documents. After confirming the legality of the papers and Uzma’s adulthood, her re-conversion to Hinduism was facilitated. She was then renamed Urmila, and the couple was married amid Vedic chants at the Ashram. Urmila expressed her deep faith in Hinduism, mentioning that she is a devotee of Lord Shiva.
38. Shabana became Shivani to marry Arvind
On 3rd October 2023, Shabana, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, converted to Hinduism and married her lover Arvind. After leaving Islam, she changed her name to Shivani. Shivani and Arvind got married in a Hindu ceremony at the Agastya Muni Ashram in Madhinath, Bareilly. The wedding was conducted by Pandit KK Shankhdhar following a purification ritual. After marrying Arvind, Shivani spoke openly about Islam. She criticised the religion for its treatment of women, claiming that women are seen as mere child-bearing machines in Islam. She mentioned her mother died giving birth, and she is the only sister among eight brothers.
Shabana did Ghar Wapsi and became Shivani to marry Arvind. Image Source: ABP News
The 21-year-old spoke against practices like triple talaq, polygamy, the burqa, the hijab, and halala, considering these practices negative aspects of Islam. She pointed out that while Muslim women are required to wear hijabs and burqas, Hinduism imposes no such restrictions. Shivani believes that Hinduism offers more respect and honour to women. She shared her devotion to Hinduism, particularly to Lord Shiva, and practised chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra. Shivani is originally from Bhagwantapur in Faridpur. Arvind is from the neighbouring village of Kairua, about one kilometre away.
39. Khushboo Bano undergoes Ghar Wapsi to marry Vikas
On 11th October 2023, in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman, Khushboo Bano, reverted to Hinduism. Now known simply as Khushboo, she married a man named Vishal. Their wedding was held at the Agatsya Muni Ashram and was conducted amidst Vedic chants. Khushboo mentioned that her ancestors had converted to Islam under the duress of Islamic invaders.
Khushboo Bano did Ghar Wapsi and became Hindu to marry Arvind. Image Source: Dainik Bhaskar
Khushboo and Vishal first connected on social media around four years ago. After a brief period of communication, they fell in love. When Khushboo’s family objected to the relationship and imposed restrictions on her, Vishal reached out to an organisation named Hindu Sher Sena. This organisation facilitated the couple’s introduction to the Agatsya Muni Ashram. Finally, the couple’s wedding was solemnised by Vedic rituals and chants.
40. Fiza became Chahat to marry Ankit
On 28th October 2023, Fiza Jahan, an 18-year-old Muslim girl from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh embraced Hinduism, adopting the name Chahat Valmiki, and married Ankit, her neighbour and longtime love interest, with whom she had been in a relationship since four years. Their marriage was solemnised at an Arya Samaj temple in the Jewar region of Noida. This event followed Fiza’s decision to undergo a Ghar Wapsi ritual as per Vedic traditions, signifying her commitment to Sanatan Dharma.
Fiza did Ghar Wapsi and married Ankit. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi
The ceremony was conducted with full adherence to Hindu rituals, including the performance of a havan. The couple’s journey to marriage faced challenges, as Fiza’s relationship with Ankit led to restrictions being placed on her by her family. However, they reached the temple in Noida, where their legal age was confirmed by the priest, facilitating their rightful and traditional wedding ceremony.
41. Gulafsha of Delhi became Sneha Rajput
A Muslim girl from Delhi, Gulafsha, converted to Hinduism and is now known as Sneha Rajput. She married a young man named Aakash Rajput from Delhi in July 2023. Their wedding took place in Kota, Rajasthan. The couple had been in love for three years. Sneha, formerly Gulafsha, expressed her happiness in embracing Hinduism.
Additionally, she revealed that her father, Suleman, had inappropriate intentions towards her. Gulafsha further disclosed that her father was involved in an affair with another woman. In times of disputes at her home, it was Aakash who was often called to mediate and resolve the issues.
42. Ghar Wapsi of 310 converted Christians in Jaunpur
On 5th November 2023, in the village of Sarsara in the Barsathi area of Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, 36 families who had converted from Hinduism to Christianity a decade ago returned to Hinduism. A Ghar Wapsi ceremony was conducted for all according to Vedic rituals. The total number of individuals who reverted was 310, including members from 5 families who were previously following Muslim traditions. Most of these families belonged to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category. The event was organised by the ‘Sant Ravidas Dharm Raksha Samiti.’
यूपी के जौनपुर में 36 परिवारो की हिन्दू धर्म मे हुई वापसी हनुमान चालीसा व रक्षा सूत्र बांधकर बताया और सनातन धर्म के बारे में किया जागरूक 10 वर्षों से अपना चुके थे ईसाई धर्म पांच परिवार मुस्लिम धर्म की भी मान रहे थे परंपरा बरसठी थाना क्षेत्र के सरसरा गांव का मामला#SanatanaDharmapic.twitter.com/rJ7Xpu3UFz
The group returning to Sanatan Dharma included women, children, and elderly people. They acknowledged that they had left Hinduism due to being misled. During the program, those who returned to Hinduism removed crosses from their necks and discarded Bibles from their homes. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad presented them with holy Gangajal and Hanuman Chalisa, explaining the virtues of Sanatan Dharma. The organisers and the participants collectively engaged in a havan ritual.
43. Muskan Siddiqui of Shahjahanpur married Shishupal Maurya
On November 10, 2023, a 23-year-old woman named Muskan Siddiqui from Katra in Shahjahanpur embraced Hinduism in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. Muskan, who married a Hindu man, Shishupal Maurya, is now known as Muskan Maurya. Shishupal Maurya resides in Maholi Chadiya village, under the jurisdiction of Maholi police station in Sitapur. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, while working at a factory, the two of them grew close to each other. She explained that her decision to return to Hinduism was influenced by witnessing the brutality inflicted on Israeli women by Hamas terrorists.
Muskan did Ghar Wapsi and became Hindu to marry Shishupal Maurya. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi
The wedding process was overseen by Vikas Hindu, the president of the ‘National Hindu Sher Sena’. The marriage ceremony, conducted at the Kali Temple in the Ramkot police station area, was organised by the Arya Samaj. Muskan stated that the cruelty of Hamas towards Israeli women and the obscenity she saw in Islam were key reasons for her conversion to Hinduism.
44. Ghar Wapsi of Asif and Sumaiya in Ghaziabad
On November 26, 2023, in the Bhopura area of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, two members of a Muslim family underwent a Ghar Wapsi ceremony at a temple. A young man named Asif, through this ceremony, has now become Akash Chauhan, while his wife Sumaiya Khatun is now known as Priya. This couple chanted “Jai Shri Ram” amidst the sounds of holy Shankh and Vedic hymns at the temple, and pledged to live their life according to Sanatan Dharma. Asif and Sumaiya performed the havan rituals as well. This Ghar Wapsi program was conducted by an organisation named Hindu Raksha Dal.
Asif, originally from Loni, runs a taxi business. He had been requesting Pinky Chaudhary, the president of Hindu Raksha Dal, to help him convert to Hinduism for quite some time. Asif was married to Sumaiya Khatun five years ago, and they have a son. Sumaiya had been influenced by Hinduism from the beginning. Asif, now Akash Chauhan, said, “I found Sanatan Dharma to be the best and most pure. Islam is not a religion. Their practices of incest marriages are pointless.” Sumaiya, now Priya Chauhan, also expressed her happiness, saying, “Hinduism is the best. There is nothing in Islam. They just give divorce in three words of triple talaq.”
45. Afreen became Nisha to marry Prince Gupta
On 27th November 2023, in the Seuta area of Tambaur in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl underwent a Ghar Wapsi ceremony at the Devi Sonasar Temple. The girl, named Afreen, is now known as Nisha. Nisha married a boy named Prince Gupta in a Hindu ceremony amidst Vedic chants. Apart from Prince’s family, members of Hindu organisations also attended the wedding.
Prince Gupta works for a private company in Haridwar. He met Afreen, who is from the Katra area of Shahjahanpur district. They fell in love and decided to get married. When Afreen’s father learned about her relationship with Prince, he imposed various restrictions on her. Ultimately, with the help of Hindu organisations, both of them got married.
46. Sufiya becomes Anjali to marry Vijay
On 5th December 2023, in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Sufiya embraced Hinduism through a homecoming ceremony. She was renamed ‘Anjali’. Adopting Hinduism, she chose Vijay as her life partner and they married according to Vedic customs at Tikra Temple.
'हलाला' और 'तीन तलाक' से मुक्ति के लिए 'मुस्लिम' युवतियों को भाया ' सनातन धर्म'
हिंदू युवकों को जीवनसाथी बनाकर घर वापसी कर रहीं मुस्लिम युवतियां , बदले में मिल रहा सात जन्म तक साथ निभाने का वचन
यूपी के सीतापुर के बिसवां में 'सूफिया' ने अंजली बनकर लिए हिंदू युवक के साथ सात… pic.twitter.com/zqgerkZd2y
Vijay and Sufiya had known each other for a long time and were in a romantic relationship. The wedding took place in the presence of members of VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) and Bajrang Dal. Sufiya expressed that she feels free in Sanatan Dharma and highlighted that Sanatan Dharma does not impose any restrictions.
47. Nikhat became Neha to marry Himanshu
On December 8, 2023, in the Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman named Nikhat underwent a Ghar Wapsi ritual. She embraced Hinduism and is now known as Neha. Along with this, Nikhat married a Hindu man named Himanshu. Nikhat was already married to Jamal Mustafa and a mother of one child. Before marrying Himanshu, she divorced her husband. Himanshu hails from the Chhibramau area of Kannauj district. He frequently visited Saiyadbara, located near his village where Nikhat lived with her husband Jamal Mustafa and son Rihan.
Nikhat did Ghar Wapsi and became Neha to marry Himanshu. Image Source: Sudarshan News
About two years ago, Himanshu and Nikhat started talking and soon fell in love. They decided to marry and live together. Despite divorcing her husband Jamal Mustafa, Nikhat’s family was not ready for her marriage to Himanshu. Eventually, Nikhat and her son Rihan reached the Maa Durga Temple in Vidhuna Bazaar, Kannauj. Here, after a Ghar Wapsi ceremony, Nikhat adopted Hinduism and married Himanshu.
48. Shabiya became Sita to marry Sanjay
On 27th December 2023, in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim girl named Shabiya married her Hindu boyfriend, Sanjay, despite opposition from her family. After her Ghar Wapsi, Shabiya was renamed Sita. The wedding, attended by members of Bajrang Dal and other Hindu nationalist organisations, took place at Tambeshwar Shiv Temple. 20-year-old Shabiya is from Naratoli village in the Bahua block of Fatehpur, while 22-year-old Sanjay hails from the neighbouring village of Sonbarsa.
Shabiya did Ghar Wapsi and became Sita to marry Sanjay. Image Source: ETV Bharat
The couple had been in a relationship for three years, facing resistance from Shabiya’s family. Initially, they planned a court marriage, but disruptions by Shabiya’s relatives led to the ceremony being conducted at the temple with the involvement of Bajrang Dal associates. Bajrang Dal activists also extended legal and financial help to them.
On 24th December 2023, in Korba, Chhattisgarh, the ‘Dharma Sena’ successfully facilitated the return of 101 families to Hinduism through proper rituals. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev honoured those who reverted, washing their feet with holy Gangajal, greeting them with folded hands, and congratulating them on their Ghar Wapsi.
धर्मान्तरण रूपी वायरस की दवा है "घरवापसी"। यह लाईलाज बीमारी नहीं हैं हिंदू समाज के जगते ही यह छू मंतर हो जायेगी। :=प्रबल प्रताप सिंह जूदेव
धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः 101 धर्मांतरित परिवारों की पाँव पखार कर "घर वापसी" करने का मुझे सौभाग्य मिला। छत्तीसगढ़ के कटघोरा मे धर्म सेना, विश्व… pic.twitter.com/dFatIL5wnt
In Katghora, Chhattisgarh, a grand ceremony was held by Dharma Sena, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Arya Samaj, and various social organisations. This event was marked by the respect shown to community leaders in the presence of Sanatan devotees. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev has so far administered the Ghar Wapsi of hundreds of people in Chhattisgarh.
50. Prabal Pratap Singh Judev brings 8 more families to Sanatan Dharma
On 29th December 2023, Prabal Pratap Singh Judev facilitated Ghar Wapsi of 8 families at Pathalgaon in Chhattisgarh. The program was held at the holy land of Kilkileshwar Dham. This was the second Ghar Wapsi program he administered in a week
"धर्मांतरण राष्ट्रांतरण का मूल है" – प्रबल प्रताप सिंह जूदेव
परमपूज्य 1008 किकिलेश्वर बाबा की असीम अनुकम्पा से राष्ट्रविरोधी ताकतों को मुँहतोड़ जवाब देने के लिए किलकिलेश्वर धाम, पत्थलगांव (छत्तीसगढ़) की पावन धरा में 8 परिवार के सदस्यों की "घर वापसी" हुई। मैं संकल्पित हूं… pic.twitter.com/ZSJG5Bmvbu
Prabal Pratap Singh Judev shared from his X handle, “Religious conversion is the root of changing the national character. With the immense compassion of His Holiness 1008 Kilkileshwar Baba, members of 8 families returned to Hinduism in a ceremony held at the holy land of Kilkileshwar Dham, Pathalgaon (Chhattisgarh) to give a befitting reply to the anti-national-forces. I am determined to continue Ghar Wapsi to protect Sanatan throughout my life. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Dharma Jagran, Arya Samaj, and Kilkileshwar Dham Trust.
A confused video title on YouTube, relying on a rhetorical source for news, and venting frustrations in the name of commentary, Ravish Kumar’s sense of journalism itself has taken a big hit more than his career after leaving NDTV.
Ravish Kumar is amongst the most hurted individuals from the the anti-Hindu and anti-national ecosystem. The former NDTV anchor has published a video on his YouTube channel titled ‘iPhone, Adani aur Ayodhya. Kya hai aapas mein connection? (iPhone, Adani aur Ayodhya. What is their connection?)’
In the video, Ravish is whining and ranting against the Ram Mandir and the coverage given to it by the Indian, mostly Hindi, media. He tried to create a news angle based on a report published by the Washington Post which accused the Indian government of targeting Apple for the security alerts it issued to some individuals including Opposition leaders.
Ravish said that Indian newspapers assume silence whenever Adani’s name arises and that as soon as Ayodhya is mentioned, they start chanting Ram Ram. He then says that the report in Washington Post shows that not everything is alright in Ram’s country (India).
Ravish implies that by not heeding to a foreign media’s motivated and manipulated news against the Modi government, Indian news media is breathing its last breaths of freedom to speak. Ravish and his ilk have often followed this process themselves.
That is the process of relying on leftist global media, Chinese media and Islamist media for news to manipulate Indians against India. Given just how hurt Ravish Kumar appears that the Indian media has not picked up on WaPo’s allegations against the Indian government, it becomes clearer why Ravish and the section of journalists he represents have been called Indian agents of anti-India and anti-Hindu foreign enterprises.
He then highlights the feature image of WaPo’s report which shows a cut out of PM Modi giving a thumbs up and the thumb has been placed on an image of iPhone coloured in saffron. The caption below the iPhone reads, “Alert! State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone.”
The image basically implies that the iPhone has been hacked by the Modi government, with the saffron representing his party, the BJP. From the looks of it, to Ravish, this image probably seems like the epitome of ideal journalism. But, it is really just a well-edited image to form a narrative using optics.
It is surprising how Ravish’s journalism relies to a large extent on what the foreign media reports. His 21 minute 39 second long rant has taken WaPo’s word as gospel. On what grounds? No one knows.
Then again, Ravish Kumar has never required grounds or basis to weave his narratives. As long as the information is against PM Modi, BJP and Hindus at large, that does it for him.
But what has pinched Ravish Kumar this time more than others is that Ram Mandir has been getting significant coverage, something that he does not approve of as against coverage to foreign media’s allegations against India, something that he does approve of.
Ravish’s unapologetic allegiance to foreign media runs so deep that he has ended up disapproving of the attention that Ram Mandir is being given. In his video, he then shows cutouts of various Hindi newspapers with headlines on Ram Mandir.
He goes on to dissect the news about the consecration on 22nd January 2024 and points out in a sour tone how the event is to be organised. Ravish admits in clear terms his objection to PM Modi’s presence at the upcoming event. He does not shy away from expressing his apparent frustration that the Prime Minister is likely to receive more media coverage than WaPo’s targeting of the Indian government.
Ravish admittedly has a problem with the fact that Prime Minister Modi will be in the sanctum sanctorum at the backside to the left when Ram ji’s eyes will be uncovered. He spends over a minute to narrate how problematic the specifications of PM’s position in the Ram Mandir is during the event.
For someone who has criticised Hindus, Hinduism, Hindu symbols, Ravish Kumar might seem like he is concerned about the Ram Mandir so much that he ends up criticising the temple itself. But further into the video one realises that it is actually the coverage that PM Modi is garnering that is bothering Ravish Kumar.
Ravish moves on to another report which credits RSS in the headline on Pran Pratishtha. He calls it politicisation. RSS is a Hindu organisation albeit not actively a political entity.
There comes a point in the video, at exactly 10 minute, when Ravish objects to the use of the word ‘sambodhan’ (address) in a headline of a Hindi newspaper. He finds it objectionable that the word ‘sambodhan’ has been used instead of ‘bhaashan’ (lecture). At this point, Ravish is not even subtle in his criticism.
His use of the word ‘bhaashan’ when the headline says ‘sambodhan’ is actually a taunt at PM Modi’s speech. Hiding under this taunt is the want to silence Modi because to the ecosystem, every word Modi speaks is ‘bhaashan’.
Ravish moves on to full-flegedly criticise Hindi news media. He points out how, as per him, urdu words have been replaced with Hindi words after 2014. He says that this change has come about not with the people’s recommendations but has rather been imposed by the newspapers on the people.
It must be admitted that it is not easy to put up with the entire video published by the former NDTV anchor, or the former journalist so to speak. As he gets closer to driving his point home, Ravish suggests that the various programmes and campaigns being organised across the country for Ram Mandir are being used to inject a political agenda into Indian villages.
This is so funny!
Enjoy Ravish Kumar crying that entire Ayodhya has been covered in Hindu themes
If he is crying so much already, imagine how much fun we will have on Jan 22! pic.twitter.com/4yF4yUCLGa
The video then talks about Rahul Gandhi. The abrupt cut from Modi and Ram Mandir bashing to Gandhi-Congress scion makes it seem that Ravish himself has never done any production work while being in TV news. He is not fooling anyone but pre-existing haters.
Ravish implies in the video that the Bharat Nyay Yatra is being organised because Rahul Gandhi has understood that the Ram Mandir coverage will take away all attention from him and hence he will have to reach out to the people by traveling, in buses, for 2 months, across 14 states and 85 districts. Makes sense.
For all we know, Ravish Kumar is giving Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Yatra the media coverage which it did not receive as expected. Painting a larger-than-life picture, Ravish says that on one hand, the people will be taken to Ayodhya in thousands of trains (mocking the 1000 trains organised for devotees to travel to Ayodhya for inauguration) while Rahul Gandhi will be marching alone amongst the people.
Ravish thinks this is representative of the fragmentation of Indian politics and will go down in history. Ravish vents out saying that the ‘result’ and ‘impact’ of Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Nyay Yatra have no place for discussion in the media because those places “will be filled with Ram naam”.
Ravish uses defaming terms like “rajniti ki Ayodhya” (the Ayodhya of politics). He rants about how the upcoming 2024 elections will be easiest for Modi to win because, he thinks, they are not being fought on key issues.
Surprising attempt at insulting Ayodhya city by a former senior anchor who five years ago was criticising PM Modi in his primetime debate for not tweeting about the Yogi government’s decision to rename Faizabad to Ayodhya.
Like a morose Congress, Ravish too is crying foul over Ram Mandir celebrations. He specifically named Dainik Jagran, Bhaskar, Hindustan and Amar Ujala, for their coverage of Ram Mandir.
His resentment knew no bounds. He says that while Jagran and Ujala can be read for news about Ayodhya but one will have to read WaPo for news on Adani. “Ho sakta ki hai ki ab jahaaz pakadkar Amrica hi jana pad jaaye (It could be that one would have to go to America itself),” he says.
It is appalling how Ravish, who has anchored primetime debates on NDTV in Hindi, has openly attacked Hindi newspapers and holds WaPo as the yardstrick by which true journalism must be measured. Who would have thought that Ravish Kumar, who has projected himself as a self-made man from Bihar with a poor background, would have hints of elitism in him.
Ravish Kumar creates suspicion that the Modi government is trying to drive out Apple from the Indian market. He then casts aspersion that Apple might also be made to settle with the government. This is to suggest that if the matter does get resolved amicably then the only reason for it would be that the government made Apple to collude with it.
After this point, Ravish furthers his imaginery journalistic interrogation saying that if Apple does reach a settlement with the government to resolve the issue then what will it do about its promise to its consumers that its iPhone is the most secure.
Ravish Kumar’s hatred towards Ram Mandir goes back years. A cursory search will show you old videos of him from his NDTV days wherein he describes Ram as imaginary and separate from the truth.
YouTuber Ravish Kumar blames Modi Govt for war in Gaza, says India is not using its leverage & better repo with both sides to make peace… in middle east pic.twitter.com/Vr4lVxOQqF
In October, Ravish blamed the Modi government for the war in Gaza saying that India is not attempting to bring peace in the region. It is to the effect of all the above points that netizens identify the former NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar as a ‘YouTuber’ who at a loss for news and is limited to outraging.
YouTuber and former journalist Shyam Meera Singh is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by the leader of the spiritual organisation ‘Dera Sacha Sauda.’ He received a legal notice on 29th December on a plea by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan which was filed in response to a video dubbed “How Gurmeet Ram Rahim Fooled his Bhakts”.
The thumbnail of the YouTube video read “Ram Rahim’s real truth”. It was uploaded Shyam Meera Singh on his official YouTube channel on 17th December. The plaintiff has demanded financial recompense for the alleged slander in addition to pursuing that the controversial footage be taken down.
The video’s description alleged, “Curious case of Gurmeet Ram Rahim: Explore the shocking revelations surrounding Gurmeet Ram Rahim as we delve into the intriguing story of how he cunningly deceived his devoted followers. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan known also as MSG, has been the head of the Indian social group Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) since 1990. He is a religious leader, social worker, actor, singer, writer, songwriter, director, and composer. In addition to a 2017 rape conviction, He was also convicted of being involved in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. In this video, We will uncover the manipulative tactics employed by the controversial spiritual leader that led his bhakts astray.”
YouTube was also delivered a notice after Justice Shalinder Kaur heard the case. The court stated that notice must be sent by WhatsApp and email. The case was then scheduled for another hearing the following day. Attorney Rajat Aneja represented Ram Rahim and alleged that Shyam Meera Singh was a repeat offender who failed to remove the video even after receiving a legal notice. He cited a post on 24th December on X (Twitter) in which the journalist admitted receiving a notification but declared he would not remove the video and would instead take the matter to court. The counsel contended that the video was slanderous and insulting.
The lawyer argued, “He used to be a journalist with Aaj Tak but he was fired for insulting the Prime Minister. An FIR has also been filed against him in Uttar Pradesh for insulting the state’s Chief minister.” After reviewing the matter, the court announced that it would give notice and hold proceedings for the next day. Shyam Meera Singh was not represented in court during the hearing. Advocate Shriya Chanda filed the lawsuit on behalf of the client and Rajat Aneja presented the case.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for the rape of two disciples. Furthermore, he is serving a life sentence for his role in the 2002 killings of Dera Manager Ranjit Singh and Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
Recently, Ram Rahim Singh’s attorney sent a legal notification to the journalist regarding the matter. Shyam Meera Singh posted, “Congratulations to my YouTube followers, a third legal notice has been sent in just over a month. Baba Ram Rahim is the one who has issued me this legal notification. I am required to take down the video on Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Supporters of Ram Rahim have been leaving mass comments on my video for the past few days. I realised something was going on.”
Shyam Meera Singh further mentioned, “His attorney has finally presented me with a legal notice today to take down the footage,” and alleged that journalist Chhatrapati from Sirsa was murdered by the spiritual leader and he was found culpable of the crime. He added, “I gladly accept the crime of telling that journalist’s story. I would like to fight the case but will not remove the video.”
मेरे YouTube फ़ॉलोवर्स के लिए बधाई, सिर्फ़ एक महीने के भीतर तीसरा लीगल नोटिस भेजा गया है। ये लीगल नोटिस- बाबा राम रहीम की तरफ़ से भेजा गया है। बाबा गुरमीत राम रहीम की माँग है कि मैं वीडियो हटा दूँ। मेरी वीडियो पर पिछले कई दिन से राम रहीम समर्थकों की तरफ़ से मास कमेंट्स आ रहे थे।… pic.twitter.com/E0RrvJyIaA
Notably, Shyam Meera Singh was employed at the popular Hindi news channel Aaj Tak before he was dismissed in 2021 for his derogatory comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The media outlet stated in the termination letter that he had continued to express his opinions on social media platforms in violation of their social media policy, even after receiving two formal warnings in the past.
“You should marry Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Your thoughts are similar, your hearts will likewise connect and you won’t even need to change your surname. As they say, changing your name will not change your game,” the journalist wrote in August of this year which resulted in a First Information Report (FIR) against him in Ghaziabad. However, the tweet was later deleted. He made the remark in reference to a clip featuring model and actress Sherlyn Chopra in which she stated that she is prepared to wed former Congress president Rahul Gandhi but she would not alter her last name after the marriage in response to a question by the media.
In September 2023, he attacked the faith of a Republic TV journalist named Shweta Singh on social media and mocked Hinduism by commenting that Lord Krishna had 16 thousand wives and Draupadi had five husbands. “Which type of Hindu are you,” he questioned while taking a jab at her and insinuating that she must have been in a polygamous relationship by virtue of her religion. This provided an opportunity for Islamists like Radio Jockey (RJ) Sayema who reacted to the tweet with laughing emoticons.
