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Congress wants Caste Census but says Caste is needless when their alliance MPs are caught insulting the Vice President

OpIndia Staff
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Congress wants Caste Census but says Caste is needless when their alliance MPs are caught insulting the Vice President

On Tuesday (19th December), Opposition members of Parliaments (MPs) were seen mocking Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Expressing his anguish and pain over these shameful happenings in the Parliament, the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said he was feeling personally hurt by the targeting of his farmer and Jat background. Reacting to this, the Congress president Malikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that caste should not be dragged into every issue and used to incite people. Notably, the Congress party has batted for caste census for its political gains, and now targeting the Vice President as he expressed his disappointment over the insult.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “One should not talk like this. One should avoid provoking people. Chairman said the insult that happened was caste-based and that farmers were also insulted, but my caste is also always attacked and I don’t say anything.”

The entire I.N.D.I. alliance, in partnership with Congress and Rahul Gandhi, is advocating for a caste-based census and the concept of ‘proportional representation based on population.’ The unveiled caste census data in Bihar has set the stage, and against this backdrop, Rahul Gandhi consistently emphasised that a Congress government will conduct a comprehensive nationwide caste census, urging the Modi government to reveal its results.

Rahul Gandhi claims that caste-related statistics were recorded during the 2010-11 census. The Congress government remained in power until 2014. However, the census data was released in 2011. Now, the question arises: did Congress refrain from releasing the caste census data because they feared losing their vote bank? If not, then why were these figures not disclosed until 2014? The sudden recall of this census by Congress raises political questions.

The recent love and affection of Congress for OBCs is politically motivated. Rahul Gandhi’s assertion regarding Congress advocating for the welfare of the OBC community is contradicted by historical facts. The Congress has consistently opposed the interests of the OBC community, particularly evident in their stance on reservations, often citing the Mandal Commission. Notably, the commission was established during Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government in 1979, with its report published in 1980.

Despite this, during Indira Gandhi’s tenure from 1980 to 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi’s term from 1984 to 1989, the Mandal Commission recommendations were not implemented. It was only in 1990, under the Janata Dal government, with support from the BJP, that the Mandal Commission recommendations were finally put into effect. Thus, Rahul Gandhi’s claim is once again found to be inaccurate in light of historical events.

Even in the recently concluded assembly elections, Congress made the caste census their main issue. Now, Rahul Gandhi has recorded the mimicry of India’s Vice President done by TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee. While ignoring the gross disrespect shown towards the post of the Vice President, Mallikarjun Kharge is trying to insist that caste should not be brought into the discussion.

‘I will make you a SHO if you sleep with me’: DSP Faiz Ahmed Khan suspended over sexual harassment of a female inspector in Bihar

OpIndia Staff
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‘I will make you a SHO if you sleep with me’: DSP Faiz Ahmed Khan suspended over sexual harassment of a female inspector in Bihar

On 18th December, Faiz Ahmed Khan, the Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Kaimur district of Bihar, was placed under suspension for sexually harassing a female inspector. He is accused of offering to have a physical relationship with her to advance her career and be promoted to the rank of Station House Officer (SHO).

The accused was assigned to Mohania as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), according to reports. Senior officials received a complaint against him from the victim stationed in the Kaimur area which stated that Faiz Ahmed Khan was sending her lewd messages on WhatsApp regularly in which he enticed her and promised a promotion in exchange for sex. She was transferred after some time, however, he continued to harass her to engage in illicit relations with him.

The female police officer also produced evidence in addition to her charges against the perpetrator. Lalit Mohan Sharma, the superintendent of police for Kaimur District established an inquiry committee to look into the allegations. The Internal Monitoring Committee comprised the chairperson, female police station in-charge Poonam Kumari, Senior Deputy Collector Savita Kumari, Sub Inspector Shraddha Suman, Sub Inspector Shubhangi, Constable Sandhya Kumari and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) College Professor Seema Patel.

The panel reviewed the evidence and took statements from both parties. The culprit used to erase the WhatsApp conversations and messages to avoid being caught. Nevertheless, the assertions were confirmed to be true in the final investigative report.

The SP then forwarded the report to Shahabad range Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Naveen Chandra Jha. The latter recommended the offender’s suspension and mentioned that departmental action be initiated against him as well as he should be transferred out of Mohania. Afterwards, the government intervened and suspended Faiz Ahmed Khan. A notification in this regard has also been released by the Government of Bihar’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

Notably, a woman constable accused Inspector Rajkumar of sexual harassment in the Bhabhua district of Kaimur in September of this year. The charges led to his suspension.

Man who harassed South Korean vlogger in Pune arrested after video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Man who harassed South Korean vlogger in Pune arrested after video goes viral

On Tuesday (19th December), the Pimpri-Chinchwad City Police arrested the man who was caught on camera harassing a South Korean vlogger in Maharashtra’s Pune. The accused identified as Bharat Unchale, originally from Bidar in Karnataka, was seen inappropriately hugging South Korean vlogger Kelly in a market on the outskirts of Pune in the video shared by the Youtuber. The video went viral on social media sparking public outrage with netizens demanding strict legal actions against the accused.  

Confirming the arrest, ACP Satish Mane said that the arrest was made after the video was widely shared on online platforms. The accused was arrested on Tuesday after the Pimpri Chinchwad police’s crime branch tracked him down in the Ravet area. 

Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey confirmed that the incident occurred in Ravet, on the city’s outskirts. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 2), Kakasaheb Dole, stated, “An offence is being registered against this person based on a suo motu complaint. Once the FIR is registered, we can share more details.”

Notably, in the video that soon went viral, Kelly could be seen interacting with locals and greeting them with ‘Namaste’. In the video, an unidentified intruder can be seen forcefully grabbing and wrapping his arm around her neck. 

Subsequently, he is joined by another man, as caught in the video. Interacting with each other, one man is seen instructing the other to stay closer. The alleged harasser could be heard saying, “Don’t stand so far. Hold her like this.” 

Even as Kelly tries to keep her distance, the man persists, visibly making her uncomfortable. The vlogger notes, “I have to run from here… They really like to hug.”

However following her ordeal, Kelly urged his viewers not to judge Indians based on the acts of a few bad individuals. She stressed, “Wherever you travel, you can meet bad people. This is everywhere. So, I wanna say, please don’t judge every Indian. In my experience, India is such a good place to trip.”

Extending their support to the South Korean vlogger, several social media users expressed regret and apologised in the comment sections on YouTube. One user wrote, “As an Indian citizen I apologise to you Kelly for that rascal, who behaved with you in that way.” The second, expressing concern for her safety, advised, “Kelly, ensure strangers do not touch or hug you. Stay healthy and safe.”

With a subscriber base of around 1.69 lahks, Kelly has gained popularity as a solo female traveller, documenting and sharing her experiences on the video-sharing platform.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a Russian tourist was recently harassed by a petrol pump employee in Jaipur, as reported by NDTV on 19th December. As per reports, the Russian tourist was travelling with her Indian friend who is a Delhi-based travel vlogger known as ‘On Road Indian’ on YouTube. 

The entire incident caught on camera by the YouTuber reportedly took place when the worker was filling petrol in their two-wheeler. The Indian vlogger began filming as soon as he realised there was misbehaviour towards his Russian friend who was sitting behind him.

The report further added that the Russian tourist named Viktoriia then proposed filing a police complaint. After a while, the police arrived, and the Indian vlogger narrated the entire situation. The police officer instructed the man to apologise, after which the petrol pump employee complied. Additionally, she asked the officer to note down the man’s name for future reference in case of any similar incidents.

Meanwhile, several similar incidents have been reported in the past in which several accused have been arrested for harassing foreign vloggers. 

In October 2023, A Russian YouTuber was harassed while filming in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar. After the Russian girl talked to the youth while shopping for sarees, he continued to follow her and then asked for her friendship, saying he was ‘bored’ with Indian friends and he found her ‘sexy’.

Delhi Police caught three people, including a juvenile, concerning the molestation and abuse of a 22-year-old Japanese girl on the day of Holi in March this year. The unfortunate instance took place in the National Capital’s Paharganj region. The accused also belonged to the same area. They were captured touching her and smearing colour on her face as one of them cracked an egg on her head and shouted “Holi Hai, Holi Hai.”

In April 2023,  the Rajasthan Police arrested a mentally ill person Deepak Jalani for harassing a Korea-based blogger in the city of Jodhpur. The accused allegedly flashed genitals at her on camera when she was shooting a blog of herself and capturing the beauty of the city.

Last year in December, Mumbai Police arrested Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari for harassing a Korean woman vlogger in Khar. During the vlogger’s live stream from the roads in Khar, she was repeatedly groped and molested by the two accused. 

‘Congress is demanding funds from us, they don’t even have money for samosas’: JDU MP Sunil Kumar Pintu calls INDI meeting a complete failure

OpIndia Staff
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‘Congress is demanding funds from us, they don’t even have money for samosas’: JDU MP Sunil Kumar Pintu calls INDI meeting a complete failure

Sunil Kumar Pintu, a Member of Parliament from Janata Dal-United (JDU), the party of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has declared the meeting of the INDIA alliance inconclusive and utter failure. He stated on Wednesday that no decision was reached in the opposition parties’ meeting that was held in Delhi.

“All the opposition leaders at the INDI meeting anticipated a tangible outcome, but this gathering also ended without substantial results. In the past, these meetings used to include tea and samosas. But yesterday, the Congress party said they were facing financial constraints and requested everyone to contribute either Rs 138, Rs 1380, or Rs 13,800 to support them. Consequently, yesterday’s meeting was limited to just tea and biscuits, and the samosas didn’t make the cut,” Pintu said.

Sunil Kumar Pintu serves as a JDU MP from the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat.

The statement by JDU MP came days after Congress launched an online crowdsourcing campaign, ‘Donate for Desh’, asking its supporters to donate money to the grand old party. However, the campaign provided yet another instance of the Congress party’s famed incompetence, for they forgot to book the domain before launching the campaign. The BJP booked one of the domains while the other one was acquired by OpIndia, clicking on which took one to their respective donation pages.

Earlier yesterday, several opposition leaders assembled in New Delhi for the INDI Alliance meeting to discuss the future strategy to take on the BJP in the upcoming general elections in 2024. The focus of the meeting was to zero in on the PM candidate for the alliance and to fast-track the seat-sharing discussion for the Lok Sabha elections. 

Initially set for December 6, the meeting was rescheduled due to the unavailability of key leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Bihar, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was proposed by alliance members, most notably by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the INDI Alliance. Kharge, however, has refused to be the alliance’s PM face, stating that the opposition should first focus on winning the election and wait for the results before arriving at their PM nominee. 

As per reports, the Trinamool Congress Party and several other alliance partners set December 31 as the deadline for the seat-sharing talks, which has been an Achilles heel from the start, given the competing interests among the opposition parties to be a part of an alliance with other opposition parties but simultaneously expand their political sphere of influence beyond their respective regions.

‘India-US partnership strong, extremist groups operating on foreign soil a matter of concern’: PM Modi over bilateral relations and claims of Pannun assassination plot

OpIndia Staff
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‘India-US partnership strong, extremist groups operating on foreign soil a matter of concern’: PM Modi over bilateral relations and claims of Pannun assassination plot

On 20th December (Wednesday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over extremist activities by foreign-based banned outfits in the guise of Freedom of expression. In an Interview with UK-based Financial Times, PM Modi said, “India was deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas. These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence.” 

PM Modi made these remarks while giving his first response to the claims made by the US of an Indian link to an alleged foiled assassination plot against terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Stating that he will “look into” any evidence, PM Modi alluded to the fact that US and Canada who have leveled allegations against India has not so far provided any evidence to back their charges against India.  

However, PM Modi added that “few incidents” would not affect US-India ties. “If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it,” PM Modi said in an interview with the UK-based newspaper Financial Times.

“If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law,” the Prime Minister said.

Notably, PM Modi dropped a hint for ‘foreign partners’ that they should not politically condone anti-India activities, a charge that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs raised over the Canadian govt’s policy following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Additionally, the Prime Minister insinuated that the foreign governments should curb anti-India activities taking place in the guise of Freedom of expression and the possible extradition of fugitives as per Indian law. 

Further, the Prime Minister also stressed that India-US ties enjoy partisan support and the partnership also has the component of security and counter-terrorism co-operation. It is important to note that India has been warning various nations not to overlook terror threats with the prism of domestic political compulsions or as a leverage point. 

He told FT, “There is strong bipartisan support for the strengthening of this relationship, which is a clear indicator of a mature and stable partnership. Security and counter-terrorism co-operation has been a key component of our partnership. I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries.” 

Significantly, the US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited a fellow Indian identified as Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate Pannun, who is a dual-citizen of the US and Canada.

It added that the alleged plot was foiled by the US authorities. The Justice Department claimed that Gupta, an associate of CC-1 (an unidentified person who directed the alleged plot), described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1. Pannun, had recently threatened to attack India’s Parliament.

On this, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi had said, “We do take threats seriously. We are caught in a bind here. I don’t want to amplify too much credence to search for extremists who make threats and get a lot of coverage. “We have taken up this matter with the US and Canadian authorities. Extremists and terrorists have the tendency to want media coverage on an issue,” he said.

“He is wanted by our agencies for violation of the law and there is a process under which we seek assistance and that they are prosecuted, depending on whether the crime is committed. In our case, I think requests have gone through detailing the kind of crimes that he is responsible for, in India…We have also flagged concerns to our partners regarding any threats made by extremists or terrorists against India or Indian diplomats,” Bagchi added.

(With Inputs from ANI)

‘Saket Gokhale spreading vicious lies with obvious malafide intent’: Union Minister Piyush Goyal slams the TMC MP for narrating fictitious conversation over suspension of MPs

OpIndia Staff
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‘Saket Gokhale spreading vicious lies with obvious malafide intent’: Union Minister Piyush Goyal slams the TMC MP for narrating fictitious conversation over suspension of MPs

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday (20 December) accused TMC MP Saket Gokhale of spreading a false, mischievous piece of fake news. Rajya Sabha member Gokhale is a known faker news peddler, and this time he shared a fictious conversation with minister Goyal on X (Twitter).

The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, tweeted that spreading fake news has become “the standard operating manual of the Congress led Ghamandia Gatbandhan.” He added that the falsehood by Gokhale comes after an “unprecedented insult of the Hon’ble Vice President of India by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee.”

Goyal wrote, “Hardly surprising that Saket Gokhale is spreading vicious lies with obvious malafide intent. Such brazen falsehoods show the depths to which frustrated Congress and Trinamool can stoop.”

Piyush Goyal’s tweet came after Saket Gokhale claimed that he had a talk with the minister regarding the suspension of 141 opposition MPs in the parliament for unruly behaviour. Gokhale claimed he asked Goyal why rest of opposition MPs are not suspended.

Gokhale tweeted, “I asked @PiyushGoyal why the small bunch of us remaining INDIA MPs weren’t being suspended in the Rajya Sabha despite protesting in the well. Because 46 of our INDIA colleagues got instantly suspended for the same thing a day earlier.” The TMC MP then claimed that Goyal said, “Because if there’s zero Opposition MPs left, it looks bad for us.”

Saket Gokhale further claimed that the minister said, “Don’t worry, you’ll all be suspended before @AmitShah ji comes to Rajya Sabha to table the criminal law Bills”.

It is evident that a minister will not say such a thing. Now Piyush Goyal has confirmed that he didn’t say what Gokhale is alleging, and has accused Gokhale of spreading fake news.

Saket Gokhale was notorious for spreading fake news when he was an ‘RTI activist’. That has not changed after he joined Trinamool Congress and was elected to the Rajya Sabha. In August he made false claim that govt was buying 50 bulletproof Audi cars costing over Rs 400 crore for the G20 Summit, and he was fact-checked by PIB.

Before that he made misleading claims about newly introduced 20% TCS on credit cards, despite clarification by the finance minister. This claim was also fact-checked by PIB. In December last year, he cited fake RTI reply and a fake Gujarati news report to claim that PM Modi’s visit to Gujarat’s Morbi cost Rs 30 crore. Saket Gokhale was arrested by Gujarat Police last year for this fake claim.

Vice President’s mimicry is not the first unparliamentary display by the Opposition: Here’s a look at their track record of misconduct

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Vice President’s mimicry is not the first unparliamentary display by the Opposition: Here’s a look at their track record of misconduct

Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s insulting mimicry of the Vice President (VP) and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar is drawing widespread criticism for a second day.

On Tuesday (19th December), when a group of Opposition MPs were staging protests in the Parliament premises, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was seen mimicking the VP while his colleagues laughed along.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi too appeared amused and was seen videographing the distasteful act.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (20th December) dialled the Vice President, who informed about the call in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The VP said that PM Modi “expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some Honourable MPs and that too in the sacred Parliament complex yesterday”.

“He told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President of India and that too in the Parliament was unfortunate,” the VP wrote on X.

President Droupadi Murmu also expressed displeasure at the Opposition MPs for mocking the Vice President of India.

“I was dismayed to see the manner in which our respected Vice President was humiliated in the Parliament complex. Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy. That has been the Parliamentary tradition we are proud of, and the People of India expect them to uphold it,” she wrote on X.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed against TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee by Advocate Gautam at the Defence Colony Police Station.

This is not the first such unparliamentary display and use of objectionable language has been made by a member of Parliament in the Opposition. Here is the track record of misconduct by Opposition MPs.

December 2023

At least 141 MPs from the Opposition have been suspended for misconduct in the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament for disrupting House proceedings. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been disrupted amid Opposition din and uproar over the incident of security breach in the Parliament on 13th December.

Despite ongoing investigation in the case, the Oppositon has held the House hostage over the same demanding response from the Prime Minister himself.

7th December 2023

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed “pain and anguish” over a video clip of him that went viral on social media. The video, shared widely by several Opposition leaders on X, showing the Rajya Sabha Chairman greet Prime Minister Modi with joined hands, which is a traditional Hindu greeting.

Several Congress leaders also sharing the video trying to imply that the Vice President was bowing down to the Prime Minister. Dhankhar while addressing the House, said, “I want to say that bowing and greeting namaskar (with folded hands) is my nature. I don;t see who is in front.”

“It is sometimes very painful at the level to which some may stoop. I can only express my pain and my anguish if this uploading is done by an institution which has a high office in the country’s politics,” he said in a veiled reference to the Congress.

5th December 2023

On the second day of the Winter Session of Lok Sabha, Senthil Kumar, the DMK MP from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India.

While addressing the Parliament on ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023’, the DMK leader referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”.

Addressing the Lok Sabha members, he said, “The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call as the ‘Gaumutra states’.”

7th November 2023

Breaching the very basic principals of decorum and dignity, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing the assembly used derogatory language against women while explaining the role of education and women in population control.

He said, “Agar ladki padh legi… aur jab shaadi hoga ladka-ladki mein… aur woh jo purush hai, roz raat mein jab shaadiya hota hai, uske saath karta hai na… to usi mein aur paida ho jata hai… aur ladki padh leti hai… ki humko maloom tha ki woh karega theek hai… lekin ant mein usko bheetar mat ghusao… usko bahar kar do… aur karta to hai… to usi mein… aap samajh lijiye ki sankhya ghat rahi hai”, as reported by Jansatta Hindi.(If a girl receives an education… and when the marriage happens between a boy and a girl… and the man, every night after marriage, engages in that activity with her, right? So, in that, further births occur… and if the girl gets an education… she will know that he would do it, alright… but in the end, don’t let it inside… pull it out… and if it happens… in that… you understand that the numbers are decreasing).”

The Bihar CM was lambasted left, right and centre for the use of such unparliamentary language even as his allies were seen laughing at the matter. PM Modi too while addressing a rally called out Nitish’s vulgar remarks.

2nd November 2023

The Parliament Ethics Committee which probed the cash-for-query charges against former TMC MP Mahua Moitra had alleged that she used unparliamentary language for the panel’s Chairperson.

Moitra had shared her Parliamentary log-in credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani who used her account to target Adani in the Parliament. The entire saga eventually led to Moitra’s disqualification as member of Parliament.

18th March 2023

BJP filed a complaint against Congress leader Pawan Khera for using unparliamentary language against PM Modi and allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct during a TV debate.

Khera had allegedly likened PM Modi’s name with terrorists during a TV show on 16th March.

23rd February 2023

Pawan Khera and other Congress leaders raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying “Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi”. This happened after Khera was stopped from boarding a plane by the Assam police.

20th February 2023

In a blatant insult to PM Modi and his father, Pawan Khera, while accusing the PM of favoring businessman Gautam Adani, had called him Narendra ‘Gautamdas’ Modi. He further said that his full name is Narendra Damodardas Modi but his actions are like Gautamdas (literally meaning a servant of Gautam).

7th February 2023

In a viral video, nwo disqualified TMC MP Mahua Moitra was seen and heard using the abusive word ‘hara*i’ while another lawmaker, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu of the Telugu Desham Party was speaking.

As per the uncorrected discussion text available on Lok Sabha’s website, Mahua said, “Kitne [word removed] bante hain… Kitne mahaan… aapko to pata hoga…”Several members of the Parliament objected to the language and demanded an apology from her.

3rd February 2022

Now disqualified TMC MP Mahua Moitra had in a post on X, formerly Twitter, mocked the BJP government with the “gaumutra” remark before addressing the Parliament in 2022.

“Am speaking this evening in Lok Sabha on President’s address. Just wanted to give early heads up to @BJP to get heckler team ready and read up on imaginary points of order. Drink some gaumutra shots too,” she had written.

30th September 2021

A Congress spokesperson ended up insulting PM Modi’s mother during a TV debate show. Mudit Agarwal, when asked by his BJP counterpart what Sonia Gandhi has done in her life for Congress to question the Prime Minister, said, “He (PM) has never sold tea. He was lying. He is the kind of person who sells his mother on television.”

4th February 2020

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury used a derogatory slang against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing session of the Lok Sabha, calling all of its leaders “Ravan ki aulad”.

While reacting to Karnataka BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde who was criticising the Congress for colluding with the British in the past, Chowdhury said, “Those who call Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha to be a drama are ‘Ravan Ki Aulad’ (Ravan’s child). They are abusing a worshipper of Lord Ram.”

15th April 2019

During an election rally in the run-up to the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi had mocked an entire community by saying, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi… how come they all have Modi as a common surname? How come all thieves have Modi as a common surname?”

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Surat Purnesh Modi had filed a complaint against the Congress leader for defaming the entire Modi community. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was booked under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with criminal defamation.

He was convicted in March 2023 following which he was disqualified from Lok Sabha. His MP status was later restored by the Supreme Court in August this year.

Married 6-7 girls under false identities: Security agencies suspect Kashmiri fraudster arrested from Odisha of ‘love jihad’, ISI terror links

OpIndia Staff
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Married 6-7 girls under false identities: Security agencies suspect Kashmiri fraudster arrested from Odisha of ‘love jihad’, ISI terror links

The Odisha Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) is currently conducting an extensive investigation into the case of Kashmiri fraudster Sayed Ishaan Bukhari, who was recently apprehended in the Jajpur district of Odisha. With Bukhari’s suspected terror links under investigation, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) team arrived in Bhubaneswar on 19th December to conduct an investigation.

According to reports, the IB team might question Bukhari, who was placed on remand by the Odisha STF on Tuesday (19th December) for further investigation. Apart from that, the STF appears to have discovered some evidence concerning Bukhari’s motivation for marrying multiple girls in various parts of the country as part of the ‘Love Jihad’ conspiracy.

Previously, it had been reported that Bukhari had married at least six to seven girls while posing as an Army Doctor, a PMO officer, and a close associate of some high-ranking NIA officials. According to the reports, Bukhari married one girl in Lucknow as part of the Love Jihad. Concerning this, reports said that the STF has requested further information from Lucknow Police. Last week on 17th December, the STF arrested Bukhari from the Jajpur district.

The IB officers who are investigating the case are also verifying his suspected links with ISI. “IB officers along with our personnel questioned Bukhari. Though he denied links with any terror group, we are verifying his antecedents,” an STF officer was quoted as saying by TOI. The accused was brought to Bhubaneswar on 19th December on a 5-day police remand.

According to reports, IB and STF officers questioned Bukhari’s relationship with suspected ISI agent Mufti Tariq Masood. The STF discovered Bukhari’s frequent chats and calls with Masood after seizing his phone on Saturday (16th December).

STF agents also seized a DVD containing an audio recording of Bukhari’s conversation with some terror suspects in Kerala. According to STF sources, Bukhari is heard saying that he would recruit young men to be deputed in foreign countries. Four phones and two broken phones seized from Bukhari were sent to a cyber forensic laboratory for analysis.

While this is going on, Paro Bibi, one of the wives of the accused, disputes that her husband Sayed Ishaan Bukhari was involved in anti-national activities. They married in 2017 and have a daughter who is six years old. Paro works as a teacher in Jajpur. Bukhari has married at least six other women in various locations. The news of his arrest, which was broadcast on numerous television channels, has shocked the villagers.

Earlier, it was reported that the STF during the raids at locations linked to Bukhari found several incriminating materials. “During the raid, many incriminating materials including more than 100 documents were seized,” the release stated.

Numerous forged documents like medical degree certificates issued by the Cornel University of USA, Canadian Health Services Institute, Christian Medical College Vellore, etc. were seized. Some blank signed documents/ affidavits/ Bonds, numerous Identity cards, ATM cards, blank Cheques, Aadhar cards, visiting cards, etc. were also seized, it added.

The 37-year-old accused hails from Kupwada district in Jammu and Kashmir and is suspected to have anti-national links. Further probe is underway.

‘Nobody is forced to go’: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar responds to criticism of govt’s decision to recruit 10,000 workers to be sent to Israel

OpIndia Staff
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‘Nobody is forced to go’: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar responds to criticism of govt’s decision to recruit 10,000 workers to be sent to Israel

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar backed his government’s decision to release an advertisement calling for recruiting 10,000 construction workers who will be sent to Israel and said, “Nobody is being forced to go,” and it’s up to their choice whether they want to go or not.

Notably, the Haryana government has released an advertisement recruiting 10,000 construction workers who will be sent to Israel, a country that has been locked in a war with Hamas for over two months and faces an acute shortage of labourers.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar says, “…We are ready to supply manpower where there is a need in different countries. Israel asked us for 1000 manpower…We released an advertisement that those who are skilled should apply…There are a lot of countries where there is a need for manpower…The youth should be sent systematically and take all legal procedures into consideration.”

“Nobody is being forced to go and It’s not that no one lives in Israel. Earlier people from different nations used to come now our people will go, we have provided a legal channel to them,” said Khattar.

Earlier, Israel’s construction sector has said that it asked the government to allow companies to hire up to 100,000 workers from India to replace 90,000 Palestinians who lost their work permits since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Voice of America (VOA) reported.

The Israeli construction sector is currently facing a labour shortage. This can be attributed to the cancellation of work permits for Palestinian workers after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. The vice president of the Israel Builders Association, Haim Feiglin, was quoted by VOA as saying: “Right now we are negotiating with India. We are waiting for [the] decision of the Israeli government to approve that. And, we hope to engage 50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to be able to run the whole sector and bring it back to normal.”

“We are at war and the Palestinian workers, which are about 25 per cent of our human resources in the sector, are not coming, are not permitted to work in Israel,” he said.

In response to the government’s decision Former CM of Haryana Deepender Singh Hooda, while conducting a press conference on Tuesday, said, “This government does not have jobs and it’s a non-performing government and the most corrupt one.”

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

Guwahati police rescue 252 cows being taken to Meghalaya before Christmas, nab 14 cattle smugglers operating near the Assam-Meghalaya border

OpIndia Staff
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Guwahati police rescue 252 cows being taken to Meghalaya before Christmas, nab 14 cattle smugglers operating near the Assam-Meghalaya border

Guwahati city police effectively blocked numerous attempts by cattle traffickers to bring livestock to Meghalaya before Christmas as part of a proactive crackdown on cow smuggling activities, according to Organiser. As a result of the vigilant actions, 14 cow smugglers operating close to the border between Assam and Meghalaya were apprehended and 252 animals were saved.

A committed squad from the Sonapur police station stopped a Tata Ultra (AS01 QC 0994) close to Digaru point on 19th December and intercepted the smuggling of 19 live cattle. Two individuals from the Morigaon district, 26-year-old Md Iftikar Hussain and 50-year-old Md Suruj Ali were taken into custody due to the prompt action by police.

The smuggling of 28 live cattle was stopped when the Guwahati city police, operating out of the Khetri police station, seized a truck (NL01 AD 1142) close to Dimoria College. Smugglers 26-year-old Ajgarh Ali and 30-year-old Altap Ali from Abhayapuri were caught which was an important development in curtailing the illicit activity.

A team from the Sonapur police station blocked a truck (AS26 C 8927) on 18th December, near Digaru to prohibit 24 live cattle from being smuggled from Silapathar to Meghalaya. The arrests of 28-year-old Ikramul Ali of Khetri, and 26-year-old Karim Ali of Sonapur demonstrated the city police’s determination to prosecute individuals engaged in the illegal trade.

On 17th December near Jorabat, two lorries (AS01QC6486 & AS31 C 1082) trying to smuggle 61 live cattle to Meghalaya were thwarted by a police force. The action is a component of a larger plan to break up major cow smuggling networks, even if authorities have not revealed the identity of the smugglers they have nabbed.

The same day a crew from the Khetri police station stopped a truck (NL01 AC 2765) that was transporting thirty cattle that were destined for Meghalaya in the Kahikuchi area. 23-year-old Abdul Karim and 20-year-old Babu Hussain were arrested which illustrated the city police’s steadfast commitment to putting an end to unlawful activity.

A container truck (AS01 QC 6216) was halted by the police earlier on 9th December at Jorabat Link Road to prevent the smuggling of 20 cattle to Meghalaya. A 19-year-old Jagiroad, Morigaon district resident Firoz Ahmed was taken into custody in relation to the attempt.

The same day, two lorries (AS01FC4531 & NL01AB3849) that were trying to smuggle 70 live cattle to Meghalaya were detained by the police during another operation at the Jorabat crossing. The police are nevertheless dedicated to continuing their attempts to stop these illegal acts, even though the smugglers were able to flee.

Cattle smuggling networks repeatedly witnessed a spike in activity at the start of November. From 1st November to 3rd December 2023 Guwahati police caught up to 17 cow smugglers and freed 266 cows from their hold according to the data. 

There was a shooting incident involving a group of Karimganj police and Border Security Force (BSF) officers and cattle smugglers from Bangladesh, reported India Today North East. The incident happened at Karimganj’s Ballia border.

A bunch of livestock traffickers from Bangladesh tried to cross the border into India, which led to the altercation. The BSF staff at the border took action in response to the circumstances. The squad got into a confrontation with the cattle smugglers in an attempt to drive them away, which resulted in several apprehensive moments. Witnesses claimed to have heard gunfire while the BSF dealt with the infiltrators. One of the cattle smugglers was able to escape the scene as a result of the gunfight.

The Border Security Force (BSF) effectively stopped a cross-border smuggling attempt in a recent operation near the international border in Meghalaya, saving 37 cows that were on their way to Bangladesh, per a report in The Sentinel. The operation began as a result of intelligence reports indicating a possible smuggling attempt.

Based on intelligence gathered, BSF personnel began a targeted operation in a densely forested area along the Jowai road, according to credible sources. Cattle smugglers have started to prefer this route because of its proximity to extensive woodland cover, which offers a perfect cover for their illicit activities.

After a thorough search of the wooded area, the squad found a gang of smugglers who were moving a large number of cows across the border. The animals were left behind as the accused hurriedly left the location after coming under fire from the BSF personnel. About 37 bovines were saved as a result of the successful operation which also stopped their unauthorised movement to Bangladesh.

According to sources, cattle smugglers frequently take advantage of the darkness to stealthily transport their load across the border. An ongoing difficulty for border security authorities is the strategic use of the Jowai route which travels through densely forested areas and creates an environment favourable for such criminal activities.

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