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‘Neither BHU administration nor police took action’: Leftist students who raised anti-Hindutva slogans still at large, FIR had named 17

राहुल पाण्डेय
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‘Neither BHU administration nor police took action’: Leftist students who raised anti-Hindutva slogans still at large, FIR had named 17

On November 5, 2023, ‘Azadi’ and anti-Hindutva slogans were raised inside Banaras Hindu University (BHU). It was alleged that Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members were attacked when they tried to stop the incendiary sloganeering. Lanka police filed an FIR against 17 named and some unidentified persons reportedly belonging to the left-wing student organisation All India Students Union (AISA). OpIndia obtained details regarding the current state of affairs in the case.

Chief Proctor admits left-wing student bodies did hateful sloganeering

In this regard, BHU Chief Proctor Shiv Prakash Singh issued a statement. He stated that among those protesting were students affiliated with left-wing student bodies NSUI and AISA. Chief Proctor went on to say that the situation had deteriorated following AISA’s burning of the effigy. During the burning of the effigy, security guards attempted to deter the AISA members, who responded by shouting inflammatory slogans and misbehaviour. The ABVP protested against AISA’s actions, and conflict ensued. According to Shiv Prakash Singh, NSUI students staged a dharna in the evening however were persuaded to leave.

Will give the movement an edge after the holidays are over: ABVP

Speaking to OpIndia ABVP Varanasi office bearer Abhay Pratap Singh on this. Abhay Pratap told us that the BHU campus remained mostly closed due to Diwali holidays. Meanwhile, female students belonging to the ABVP who were victims of communist attacks returned to their homes for better care and Chhath Puja. According to Abhay Pratap, the reopening of the campus and the return of the victims will provide a new push for the movement to take action against the accused leftists.

The University administration took no concrete action

ABVP office bearer Abhay Pratap stated that, apart from the police, the university administration has taken no concrete action against the accused students. He told OpIndia that the university administration is well aware that leftists have raised anti-Hindutva slogans on campus, but it is reluctant to take action for reasons best known to them. When Abhay questioned the university administration over their inaction, he was told that a committee would be formed and an investigation would be conducted. However, Abhay is concerned that all of this is being done to pass the time in the name of investigation.

No arrests so far

OpIndia contacted the Station House Officer (SHO) Lanka in Varanasi to inquire about the legal action taken thus far. SHO Lanka informed us that none of the accused persons have been arrested in the case as of yet. ACP Bhelupur Praveen Kumar is investigating a case in which an ABVP Dalit student was thrashed. We attempted to reach ACP Praveen Kumar, but he did not answer the phone. This report will be updated if and when ACP Kumar responds. According to the in-charge of the police station, no one has been arrested in the case yet, and the case is being probed in light of facts and evidence.

Accused persons planning to approach the High Court

ABVP’s Abhay also informed us that he has learned from reliable sources that the accused students are planning to approach the High Court during the holidays and the time available in between. A High Court plea for the cancellation of the FIR can also be submitted. However, SHO Lanka has denied receiving any such information about the accused students approaching the High Court or receiving any notice from the High Court. Abhay said that the majority of the accused students had previously studied at Saraswati Shishu Mandir and were cultured in school days but were later indoctrinated by the leftists and joined them. To back his assertion, Abhay named one Roshan Pandey. Pandey is one of the accused in the case.

Outsiders staying in hostels of left-wing students

Abhay Pratap said that outside elements, as well as leftist students on campus, were involved in BHU campus demonstrations and other fractious actions. He claimed that when the ABVP spoke out against the presence of outsiders, the university administration ordered the inspection of such hostels. According to Abhay, his claims were found to be true during the inspection. Abhay claimed that outsiders were found in the hostel rooms of leftist students. Such students have been temporarily expelled.

Leftist students deem the FIR as ‘bogus’

The leftist students have received support from several people affiliated with their ideology. Some supporters of the students involved in hateful sloganeering are said to have arrived at ACP Bhelupur claiming to be locals. They claimed that the AISA members were innocent and ABVP students were the assailants in the matter. This delegation of roughly seven people urged, in a memorandum, that the FIR filed against the leftist students be dropped and that the students linked with the ABVP be arrested. This letter was uploaded on Facebook by Akanksha Azad, the main accused named in the FIR.

Jammu and Kashmir: 4 government employees including doctor, constable and teacher terminated over terror links

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: 4 government employees including doctor, constable and teacher terminated over terror links

In a firm action against terrorism and its supporters, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir sacked four government employees on 21 November over for their terror links in the Union Territory. The measure has been undertaken according to subclause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Indian Constitution.

The officials have been identified as Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan from Baramulla who is an Assistant Professor (Medicine) at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar, Constable Abdul Majeed Bhat from Kupwara, Abdul Salam Rather from Kulgam who is Laboratory bearer in Higher Education Department and Farooq Ahmad Mir from Kupwara, teacher in Education Department. Farooq Ahmad Mir began his career in the Education Department in 1994 and received a promotion to teacher in 2007. All of them have been removed from their jobs “with immediate effect”

The government stated that the lieutenant governor is “satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the basis of information available” that their actions are sufficient to warrant removal from service in separate orders released by the general administration department. However, the nature of the terror acts in which these people were reportedly involved was not disclosed by the government.

Officials revealed that this is a part of the administration’s fight against the terrorist ecosystem and its major players who were previously secretly brought into the government apparatus by several political regimes in the past. Sources in the government unveiled, “Our policy is clear-zero tolerance towards terrorism. The LG administration is determined to make J&K terror-free. It is a wake-up call to terrorist supporters and their handful of sympathisers that they could be struck regardless of operating covertly under various cover.”

Recently, the Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police (J&K DSP) and brother of Youth Congress leader Aadil Mushtaq was suspended by the home department on 1 October on charges of aiding terrorists, corruption and tempering of evidence. He was arrested on multiple charges on 21st September following a search operation at his residence in Srinagar. He accepted a bribe of Rs 2.7 lakh to “save” Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists Umer Adil Dar and Muzamil Zahoor. 

The Jammu and Kashmir administration terminated the services of three government employees for their involvement with Pakistani terror outfits. Kashmir University PRO Faheem Aslam, Jammu and Kashmir Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker and Revenue Department Officer Murawath Hussain Mir were fired from their services by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in July of this year.

Over 50 employees have been fired by the Union Territory administration in the last three years under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution. They were working behind curtains for the jihadis and receiving salaries from the public coffers. Those individuals were assisting Pakistani terror groups, giving terrorists logistical support, spreading their radical ideology, raising funds for terrorism and advancing secessionist objectives.

UP: Shaan-e-Alam threatens to kill Dalit girl on refusing to do Nikah with him, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Shaan-e-Alam threatens to kill Dalit girl on refusing to do Nikah with him, arrested

A case of alleged love jihad has emerged in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district, in which a Dalit Hindu girl accused a Muslim man named Shaan-e-Alam on November 16 of pressuring her to perform nikah with him and threatening to upload her obscene videos and pictures online if she refused to marry him. The victim is seen wearing the burqa in the viral videos and pictures. It is alleged that the accused hurled casteist slurs against the victim. Meanwhile, the accused has been arrested and imprisoned.

The case pertains to the Dehat police station precinct in Amroha wherein a Dalit girl filed a complaint with the police here on November 16, 2023. The victim, a 19-year-old Jatav woman, stated that she used to work in a private job at a university a year ago. When the victim went to work, a Kakarsarai village resident named Shaan-e-Alam would follow her. According to the complaint, while stalking the victim, the accused used to pressurise her to marry him.

According to the victim, Shaan-e-Alam shot pictures and videos of her against her will while stalking her. When the girl objected to the act, the accused hurled casteist slurs against her before threatening to kill her. As the victim refused to do nikah with him, an enraged Shaan-e-Alam, began making videos and pictures of the victim viral on social media. In her complaint, the victim said that the incident had left her terrified.

Reportedly, in one of the pictures made viral by the accused, the victim is seen in a burqa. Shaan-e-Alam can be seen standing behind her. The victim has sought stern action against accused Shaan-e-Alam in her complaint. The police have filed a FIR against the accused based on this complaint under sections 354 (d) and 504 of the IPC, as well as sections 67 of the IT Act and the SC/ST Act. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint. Meanwhile, Shaan-e-Alam has been arrested and incarcerated. According to police, an investigation into the matter is underway. 

3 including a minor nabbed after 16-year-old girl gang-raped in Rajasthan’s Didwana, car used by accused had Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar’s poster

OpIndia Staff
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3 including a minor nabbed after 16-year-old girl gang-raped in Rajasthan’s Didwana, car used by accused had Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar’s poster

The Rajasthan police have arrested two youths and detained a minor for allegedly gang-raping a minor in Rajasthan’s Didwana district. According to reports, the car in which the minor was gang-raped had the poster of Congress candidate Mukesh Bhakar. The three youths allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped the 16-year-old girl after taking her to a deserted area in the Ladun police station area of Nagaur district on Sunday night.

On 20th November, the victim along with her father went to the Ladaun police station and got a complaint filed. As per the victim’s account, on the night of 19th November, three people kidnapped the girl and took her with them. The accused took the girl to a deserted place and gang-raped her. They then threw the unconscious minor outside her house from a car and fled from the scene.

After finding that the girl was missing, the family and their neighbours were already on the road looking for her. When the car dropped her and fled, the locals tried to chase it, but the accused drove away. After the girl regained consciousness, the victim revealed that one Bhura from the neighbourhood had called her outside, and then two others joined and forced her into the car. They took per to a field and raped her there.

Police investigation revealed that the crime was committed in a car which was involved in the campaign of Congress candidate Mukesh Bhakar from Ladnun. Of the three persons nabbed, one accused is a minor.

ASP Didwana, Yogendra Faujdar, stated, “Around 11 am, a minor girl and her father filed a complaint against three accused. Subsequently, all three, including one minor, were detained by the police.”

In the complaint filed, the girl’s father wrote, “Yesterday, on November 19 at 11:30pm, we were asleep when I heard a noise outside. I woke up and noticed that the gate of the house was open, and my minor daughter was not inside. I went out, but found no one. Then, I informed the people in the locality. The locals began looking for my daughter. Around 1 am, a car entered our street and threw out my daughter. The locals chased the vehicle, but it managed to escape. My daughter was extremely distressed. When I questioned her, she told me that Bhura, from our neighbourhood, called her outside. When she went there two others joined, and the three forced her into a car. They subjected her to sexual assault in a field. As she began feeling unwell, she implored them to take her back home. “

The medical examination of the victim has been conducted and the police are still collecting her version. Meanwhile, angry locals reportedly raised slogans against the police and the Gehlot government.

Ladun SHO, Rajendra Bhurdak said that out of the three accused, two adults arrested are Mahaveer and Jasaram, apart from a 16-year-old minor. They all are from the nearby localities. Talking about the car having posters of the local Congress MLA, the police officer said that the matter is under investigation, and details about the vehicle used can only be revealed after the accused are interrogated. 

Bihar: Christian missionaries adopting love jihad tactics to lure Hindu girls for conversion, 60 per cent of population reportedly converted in some places

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Christian missionaries adopting love jihad tactics to lure Hindu girls for conversion, 60 per cent of population reportedly converted in some places

In Bihar, daughters of Hindu families are being lured into the love trap of Christians and then forced to marry them. These girls are later forced to convert to Christianity. There have been multiple such cases of this Christian love jihad in the state.

Sunita is one such victim of this Christian love jihad. She is the youngest in a family of two brothers and a sister. By the time Sunita attained the age of 17, her neighbour John trapped her in his love trap in a way that she could never recover from. She was brainwashed in such a way that she left her home and John’s family converted her to Christianity 30 days later.

A Hindu girl named Maya has the same story of Christian love jihad. A Christian boy lured her into the love trap and married her. Then he converted her to Christianity. He left her after having two children.

Areas with low literacy rates are on target of Christian Love Jihad

Hundreds of girls in Bihar’s Seemanchal area have become victims of this new love jihad of Christians. This has been revealed in a sting of Dainik Bhaskar. It is also worth noting here that between 1999 and 2005, the number of churches in the Seemanchal region of Bihar increased. Primarily, villages have been chosen to build churches except for cities.

There is also a strong conspiracy behind this Christian love jihad; because districts like Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Madhepura and Begusarai lag behind in literacy rate. Clearly, it is easy to brainwash the people there. This work is handled from Chennai.

In different zones of Bihar, people engaged in schools and health centres gradually lure the residents there to convert to Christianity. As the number of Christians in that area increased, the church was also built in that area.

60 per cent of Christians in Madhepura

Madhepura is a district where the Christian population has reached 40 to 60 per cent in many villages. Tinkonwa village of Murliganj block in this district is an example of this. This village of 1400 households, situated 260 kilometres away from Patna, is very backward in terms of education.

The population here is 60 thousand, but the number of churches here is quite surprising. There is a school run by missionaries for classes up to 8th. They also run a hospital. R Hambram and his wife Lalita preach Christianity here.

According to Lalita, many boys here fell in love with Hindu girls and these girls became Christians for marriage. She also said that she too was a Hindu and loved Christian R Hambram and that she converted to his religion and married him. Lalita also revealed that through prayer meetings and music, they preach to people to convert to Christianity.

Sarita is one such woman from Jharkhand. She, along with her husband, used to inspire people in Saharsa to embrace Christianity. Now she is doing the same work in Madhepura. Sarita admitted that cases of ‘religious conversion after love marriage’ are on the rise.

On the 32nd day after marriage in the church, a Hindu girl is converted to Christianity. Earlier, from 6 months to one year, the girl is systematically told the details of Christianity and various rituals associated with the religion. Investigation has revealed that in just two years, 30 to 50 houses have converted to Christianity.

Influential families in the area also converted to Christianity

Manoj’s family in the village has become Christian. Manoj has now become Manoj Hambram. Manoj has two sons. Both of them lured Hindu girls into love traps and then converted them to Christianity before getting married.

Now the families of these girls have also converted to Christianity. There is a similar story of Roshan Hambram of the village church. According to him, if a Hindu girl loves a Christian boy, then she has to convert to Christianity before marriage. Otherwise, they can’t get married.

He believes that most of the girls who converted to Christianity are Hindus. However, he also says that Hindu girls are influenced by the ideas of Christianity. This is so because they are taught the lesson of Christianity since childhood.

In Tikonwa village from Purnia, Thakur Soren was lured with land and then converted to Christianity. His daughter also became a victim of this love jihad. In her case, the Christian boy left her after marriage.

Every Sunday, 150 Christians gather at the church in Tikonwa village, all of whom have converted from Hinduism to Christianity. Among these converts is the family of Chintu, who embraced Christianity in 2015, leaving behind their Hindu faith. After Chintu’s 32nd day, they neither mention the names of Hindu gods and goddesses nor go to temples and eat prasad. They say that Jesus is happy when a Hindu is converted to Christianity.

Vivek Kumar of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that the cases of Hindu girls becoming Christians have increased here. However, he said that 2500 people have returned to their original faith within 3 years.

Jawahar Jha, senior vice-president of the International Hindu Parishad Bihar, said that converting Hindus to Christianity is like a silent killer for the country because they do not make headlines. They specifically target economically backward Hindu families.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to start production of crude oil at its deep-water project in Krishna Godavari Basin next week

OpIndia Staff
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Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to start production of crude oil at its deep-water project in Krishna Godavari Basin next week

In a significant development in the indigenous production of petroleum, the public sector company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is expected to start crude oil production at its ONGC’s deep-water project in the Krishna Godavari (KG) Basin. The production at the site is scheduled to start next week, reported NDTV. 

India which imports around half of its natural gas demand and 85% of its crude oil requirements is reported to save around Rs 11,000 crore annually owing to the output. Furthermore, ONGC intends to invest Rs 1 lakh crore in capital projects related to petrochemicals by 2028–2030 in two distinct ventures.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MPNG) view the movement in the KG Basin as quite significant. The production from its highly publicised deep sea asset is anticipated to give the explorer a boost and assist in reversing the poor productions that are causing concern for the state-owned petroleum giant.

The rise in domestic production would lessen the amount of valuable foreign cash that is lost when importing crude oil. This output alone would save Rs 29 crore every day (at Rs 83.29 to $1) or an astounding Rs 10,600 crore per year at the current price of Brent crude, which is $77.4. The original proposal planned for the basin’s oil production to begin in November 2021, however, there were multiple delays in this timeline. This is going to be ONGC’s first substantial East Coast oil-producing asset.

Many of the conclusions that were made in the KG-DWN-98/2 block have been grouped together. It is located in the Bay of Bengal, 35 kilometres off the coast of Andhra Pradesh where the sea is up to 3,200 meters deep. The block’s revelations have been organised into three groups, Clusters 1 through 3 and production commences with Cluster 2.

Gas production estimated to be between 7 and 8 million metric standard cubic meters per day would begin in mid-2024 in addition to crude oil extraction. According to trustworthy sources, the gigantic oil company plans to put up to 75 rigs into service. The first stage of production which might yield 8,000–9,000 barrels per day is planned by ONGC to begin from three to four wells. The corporation has increased the number of oil wells it plans to drill from 461 in the previous fiscal year to 541 in FY24.

India’s internal production would increase due to the KG-DWN-98/2 block’s output, partially reducing the country’s reliance on imports. At the moment, India produces about 600,000 barrels of oil each day and the cluster-2 project would provide 7% of India’s output at its peak.

Senior MPNG official informed, “This is the start. Peak oil production of 45,000 barrels per day is expected sometime in FY 24-25. At the peak output of 45,000 barrels per day, this will be the third most prolific offshore asset for ONGC after Mumbai High and Bassein & Satellite fields, both on the West Coast.”

The oil production of the ONGC group is reported to surpass 25 million tonnes in FY25 up from 21.5 million tonnes in FY23 due to a mix of increased recoveries and new output. With most of its assets becoming older and a natural decline setting in, ONGC has experienced a decrease in its output of crude oil. The start of flow from new assets like the KG block is bound to buck the trend of declining output even as the firm continues to put money into technologies for better and increased oil recovery.

ONGC had declared that by the 2026–2027 fiscal year, it would introduce an equity partner to ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL). ONGC then declared that it wanted to establish OPaL as a joint venture and invest Rs 18,365 crore in it. ONGC, GAIL (India) and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited (GSPC) have partnered to form OPaL.

Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI days after being sacked, new board members inducted

Paurush Gupta
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Sam Altman to return as CEO of OpenAI days after being sacked, new board members inducted

In the early hours of 22nd November (Wednesday), OpenAI, the startup firm that runs ChatGPT announced that its Former CEO Sam Altman who was sacked from his role earlier this week, will return for the job.

Taking to X, OpenAI informed the public that they had reached an in-principle agreement with Altman. As per the initial details shared by the AI giant, a newly formed three-member board will assist him. Bret Taylor will chair the new board while Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo will be the other members of the board. The fine details of the agreement are yet to be finalised, OpenAI noted. 

The post read, “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.”

In an affirmative response to the announcement, Sam Altman confirmed that he is returning to OpenAI along with building a strong partnership with Microsoft. Notably, he had joined the Software behemoth in the midst of his ouster row with OpenAI. 

Sam Altman tweeted, “I love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft (Microsoft) on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft.”

Following the development, the co-founder of OpenAI, Greg Brockman also confirmed that he too will return to OpenAI. Strikingly, in protest of Altman’s sacking, he resigned from his post of President and jumped ship to Microsoft alongside his close ally Altman. 

Greg Brockman announced, “Returning to OpenAI & getting back to coding tonight.”

Reacting to the fast-paced development, the recently appointed Interim CEO of OpenAI, Emmett Shear, expressed that he was pleased with Altman’s return. Shear, who is currently the Interim CEO, would seemingly make way for Altman for the CEO role, as per the agreement. 

Shear reacted, “I am deeply pleased by this result, after ~72 very intense hours of work. Coming into OpenAI, I wasn’t sure what the right path would be. This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved. I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.” 

It is important to note that on Friday in a shocking development, the OpenAI board expressed no-confidence in the leadership of Sam Altman and sacked him. Subsequently, the AI startup firm faced a slew of desertion and upheaval as the then President and co-founder Greg Brockman also resigned in protest. 

While Altman received widespread support and in the meantime joined Microsoft along with a host of other OpenAI staff, the board that sacked Altman faced massive backlash. Now, as per the new agreement, it seems that the chaotic development has ended with the dissolution of the earlier board and Sam Altman returning as the CEO, as was reported in the media considering investors’ row.

UP: Hafiz Irfan who raped an 8-year-old in a madrasa sentenced to life imprisonment by a special POCSO court, verdict in 40 days of crime

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Hafiz Irfan who raped an 8-year-old in a madrasa sentenced to life imprisonment by a special POCSO court, verdict in 40 days of crime

A special POCSO court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a rape accused to life in jail along with a fine of Rs 50,000 which will be given as compensation to the 8-year-old victim.

On 23rd September, a case came to light about a madrasa teacher in Buldhana, identified as Hafiz Irfan, raping a minor girl who used to take classes there.

Hafiz Irfan took the victim to another room on the pretext of cleaning it when she arrived at the madrasa. The accused raped the minor girl until she fell unconscious. Subsequently, he fled the spot assuming that the girl had died.

After regaining consciousness, the victim somehow went back to her home in a bloodied state and narrated her ordeal to her sister and other family members.

The matter pertains to the Bhasana village under the Budhana police station where the minor girl studied at the Noorjahan Masjid madrasa in the Safipur Patti area.

After the victim informed her family about the heinous deed of Hafiz Irfan, the minor victim’s family members reached the police station and lodged a complaint against the accused. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the accused madrasa teacher under section 376 of the IPC and POCSO Act. The police had filed the chargesheet in the case in just 13 days.

40 days on, the allegations against the accused were proven on 20th November. The court had taken cognisance of the matter on 11th October. The judge while pronouncing the judgment said that if such a crime is committed against a student in an academic institution, then society will never be able to send girls to such institutions for education.

The court also mentioned that such incidents spark distrust against teachers among the masses. The court said that any lenient attitude towards such incidents will send the wrong message and sentenced Hafiz Irfan to life imprisonment.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the Muzaffarnagar police said that the judgment was pronounced by the court based on the evidence provided by the police. “The accused who raped a minor girl was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine – The Honorable Court awarded the punishment after Muzaffarnagar Police collected evidence and did a quality investigation and under the guidance of the prosecution.”

‘You support terrorism, killing 4,000 kids was not enough’: Ex-Obama advisor’s anti-Hamas comments go viral, lobbying firm snaps ties

OpIndia Staff
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‘You support terrorism, killing 4,000 kids was not enough’: Ex-Obama advisor’s anti-Hamas comments go viral, lobbying firm snaps ties

On Wednesday (22nd November), lobbying firm Gotham Government Relations broke ties with Stuart Seldowitz, a former White House security advisor who served under President Obama, over a viral video where he made comments on Israel’s war on Hamas. In the video, the former diplomat was seen arguing with a Muslim food vendor in New York City, justifying the Israeli retaliation to the brutal October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas.

Stuart Seldowitz engaged in this heated discussion with this non-English-speaking Muslim food vendor in the Upper East Side area of New York City. He accused the food vendor of supporting Hamas and also called him a terrorist. He referred to the Egyptian intelligence agency Mukhabarat while talking to this food vendor, who has purportedly migrated to the USA from a Middle Eastern country. The food vendor claimed in this video that he has US citizenship.

Clicking a photograph of this vendor, Stuart Seldowitz asked him if he knew Mukhabarat and that the agency wanted his picture. He also said that the Mukhabarat will get the vendor’s parents in Egypt. He repeatedly lamented the food vendor for his poor knowledge of English. When asked to leave the place, Stuart Seldowitz claimed that he was standing in a free country.

Stuart Seldowitz called out the vendor for supporting the terrorist organisation Hamas. He also called the vendor a terrorist and said that he would put a poster in front of the shop so that people knew he was a Hamas-sympathiser. Adding to this, he said that killing over 4,000 children in Palestine was not enough and more needs to be done.

Stuart Seldowitz then alluded to the Islamic scriptures, including the Quran, and allegedly made comments about Prophet Muhammad and his wife’s age. He also ridiculed the vendor for following the Prophet Muhammad.

As of November 2022, he assumed the role of foreign affairs chair at Gotham Government Relations. But the organisation distanced itself from the ex-diplomat after the video went viral. Gotham Government Relations said in its tweet, “Gotham Government Relations has ended all affiliation with Stuart Seldowitz, an individual who hasn’t contributed to our work in years. The video of his actions is vile, racist, and beneath the dignity of the standards we practice at our firm.”

According to reports, Stuart Seldowitz played significant roles within the U.S. government, including serving as the acting director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate during the Obama administration. He also held the position of deputy director/senior political officer in the State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003.

‘Sudhar Jao Yaar’: Mohammed Shami responds to bizarre claims made by Pakistanis about India’s World Cup performance

Gopal Tiwari
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‘Sudhar Jao Yaar’: Mohammed Shami responds to bizarre claims made by Pakistanis about India’s World Cup performance

On Tuesday (21st November), Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami gave a befitting reply to the controversies started by Pakistani cricketers to question the impeccable performance of the Indian cricket team in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Mohammed Shami ridiculed Pakistani cricketers speculating about Indian bowlers getting a special kind of ball to get more wickets. He asked them to ‘Get well soon’. The pace bowler made these remarks in an interview in the Puma Podcasts.

While the Indian cricket team had a dream run at the recently concluded World Cup, they lost to Australia in the finals last Sunday. Indian pacers had shown spectacular performance in the earlier matches, prompting some Pakistanis to make the bizarre claim that they were being given special balls.

It’s all about hard work

Mohammed Shami told in detail how he went on to become the leading wicket-taker of the recent edition of the World Cup despite not playing in the initial few matches. He said, “I always try to execute my skills and abilities. You call it an output of patience, hard work, luck, or anything else. But, to be in a frame, to focus, to do hard work, and then to execute is very simple to talk about. When a person goes to that, he gets to know what it is. So many players are playing in the World Cup. Everyone is trying to do that.”

Mohammed Shami added, “The other day, I saw reels in which even some cricketers are wondering how the ball disappears suddenly, and how it swings out of nowhere. I would say it is because of the hard work, patience, passion. It is because we are going and doing hard work there, which is the proper way. If you execute at better places, you will get results.”

Don’t be jealous, work hard

He further said, “This does not mean that you throw the bowl anywhere just because you are a bowler. If you throw it to the backside or outside, how will you get results? You may get a wicket or two with this approach. But the main thing which matters is whether are you exactly focussing on your target or not. If you are not targeting the aim properly, how will you get the results?”

Lamenting the Pakistani cricket players showcasing their jealousy for the performance of the Indian cricketers, Mohammed Shami said, “I am not saying that people are bowling incorrectly. But the targets I am focussing on and the way I think is happening there and the results are in front of you. I am not blaming anyone. I wish ten more such people would come ahead and do this. I am never jealous of anyone. You will become a much better player if you learn to enjoy the success of other players. I do not do anything different. God is the giver.”

Dismissing the controversies

Mohammed Shami dismissed all the controversies started by Pakistani cricketers and Pakistani cricket fans with detailed explanations. He said, “Actually, I have been listening to this for so long, especially after the World Cup started. I was not playing in the initial matches. When I played, I took five wickets. In the next match, I took four wickets. Then I took five wickets again. Some players from Pakistan could not digest it. What can I do about this? They have it in their minds that ‘we are the best’. In fact, only that player is best who performs on time.”

He added, “I respect only those players who do hard work, who perform, and who stand strong for their team. But you keep creating controversies about that and keep talking about it again and again. For example – ‘you are getting a ball of different colour’, ‘you are getting a ball from some different company’, ‘ICC has given you something different’. Hey brother, ‘Sudhar Jaao Yaar’. (Get well my friend).”

Mohammed Shami recalled how former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram ridiculed such controversies. He said, “Even Wasim Bhai (Wasim Akram) has explained the same thing to these people in one of his interviews. He detailed how the ball comes in a box, how it is chosen, which team is consulted first, etc. Even after that, you (Pakistani Cricketers) create such controversies? I can understand the feelings if you are not a cricketer and you have not played the game at this level. You are an ex-player. If you keep talking like this, I don’t think people will react in any way other than laughing at you. I know that I sound harsh when I speak. But these issues must be addressed. I am sorry if anyone is getting hurt by this But this is the truth.”

Mohammed Shami explained his skills of seam-bowling

Mohammed Shami then spoke about how he earned the skill he has. He said, “I hold the ball like all normal people and bowl it. The output is manifested from the area where I pitch it. That is how I claim a wicket. Now, everyone has different abilities and choices. Someone pitches it short, someone else pitches it at a length, and some bowlers are yorker specialists. I think it is okay if I am a mixture of all these things.”

It is not just a gift of God

Mohammed Shami said, “Experts say that I bowl on the seam. I like it when experts say ‘see how it is pitched on seam, see how it is delivered’. But after a couple of minutes, I get angry when someone says that it is a gift of God. My heightened happiness suddenly comes down. Then I reply to those people.”

He added, “I have said this in some other interviews as well. Let us assume that there is a thing like the gift of God. Then you are also a gift of God. The same Almighty has created you as well. I came to this world naked. You came to this world naked. You also have the same brain as me. You have the same four limbs as me. Why didn’t you do it if everything is the same? You should have done it then. You too could have taken it to the seam of the ball. The person got angry and asked ‘How are you saying this’? I replied ‘Am I telling lies’? You did not work on it so you did not get it.”

Reiterating the importance of hard work, he said, “I got it because I worked hard on it. I think anyone who works hard on it, will get the results. People do not want to do hard work but they want results just like that. It is not that easy. I can call everything a gift of God. Belittling one’s credibility and success by calling it a gift of God is sheer jealousy. Then I can also say that you can talk is a gift of God. Keep blabbering.”

Conspiracy theories peddled by former Pakistani cricketers

Many conspiracy theories were invented by Pakistani cricket enthusiasts and former cricket players to set a narrative that things in the current edition of the Cricket World Cup are fixed or set in order to benefit the Indian cricket team.

Former cricketer Hasan Raza, while appearing on a Pakistani news channel, had said that ICC or BCCI is providing some special kind of balls only to Indian bowlers due to which Indian bowlers like Shami and Siraj are getting swings even on batting pitches. Hasan Raza also asserted that there should be an ‘inspection’ of balls provided by the ICC. He also alleged that decisions are being made in favour of India in the matter of DRS. Reacting to Hasan Raza’s baseless and senseless assertion, former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram lambasted Hasan Raza saying that he too wants to try the same drugs these people (Hasan Raza) are smoking.

 Former Pakistani Test cricketer Sikandar Bakht said during a Pakistani TV show that India’s captain Rohit Sharma deliberately threw the coin far away during the toss to dupe the opposition captain. The TV channel also showed the tosses between captains of other cricket teams to assert that these players do not throw the coin as far away as Rohit Sharma and that the result of the toss call is easily verifiable to the opposition captain standing nearby. This was deliberately done to discredit the impressive performance of the Indian cricket team in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Indian cricket team emerged as the runners-up in the World Cup

The final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 was played between India and Australia on 19th November 2023 at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. Australia defeated India by 6 wickets while chasing the target of 241 runs. Indian batter Virat Kohli scored 765 runs in this tournament which is the most by any batter in any edition of the tournament so far. Indian bowler Mohammed Shami claimed 24 wickets to claim the fifth spot on the list of highest wicket-takers in the ICC Cricket World Cups so far.

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