Home Blog Page 1657

Karnataka govt suspends KEONICS MD, accused of demanding bribe in exchange for clearing bills worth Rs 300 crores

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Karnataka govt suspends KEONICS MD, accused of demanding bribe in exchange for clearing bills worth Rs 300 crores

The managing director (MD) of Karnataka Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KEONICS), Sangappa, who has been accused of demanding a bribe in exchange for the release of clearing payments, has reportedly been suspended by the Karnataka government.

The action comes a day after it was reported that the President of KEONICS contractors’ association has charged Sangappa with demanding a 10 to 12 per cent bribe in exchange for clearing bills worth Rs 300 crore.

Vasant Bangera, President of KEONICS contractors’ association alleged that Sangappa justified his demand by claiming that he spent Rs 3-4 crore for the MD post and needed to provide money to officials at the top.

Interestingly, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge occupies the topmost position as the chairman of KEONICS, as is listed on its website too. Republic Kannada quoted Bangera asking why should he pay the bribe when he has committed no wrong.

Sangappa is a 2016 batch IAS officer who was appointed as MD of KEONICS in September this year. On 4th November, contractors staged protests outside KEONICS MD Sangappa’s office due to payments that have been outstanding for the past eight months.

Contractors have reportedly alleged that Rs 150 crore payment is outstanding. These contractors arrived for the protests from different parts of the state demanding that the outstanding payment be released and tenders be resumed.

Moreover, one of the contractors also attempted suicide by consuming poison. The contractor, named Syed, is reportedly awaiting a pending payment of Rs 60 lakh. While Syed was saved, other contractors warned that they would only be left with the option to consume poison if their demand was not met.

Charges of commission have also been levelled against Sangappa. Over 450 contractors are reportedly awaiting payment from KEONICS. Sangappa had said that the pending payment would be released by the 21st of October but the dues reportedly remain outstanding.

The money was supposed to be released on 15th September. The contractors have accused Sangappa of delaying the commission payment by preparing and signing the cheques only to cancel them later.

‘The threat of terrorism needs to be eliminated’: Israel envoy Naor Gilon says terrorists from Iraq, Syria came back to live in Kerala

Siddhi Somani
-
0
‘The threat of terrorism needs to be eliminated’: Israel envoy Naor Gilon says terrorists from Iraq, Syria came back to live in Kerala

On Tuesday (7th November), the Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilan stated that the state of Kerala in India houses terrorists who have escaped from Iraq and Syria. While talking exclusively about the Israel-Hamas war in a Times Now interview, Gilan said that it is important we make sure that the threat from the terrorists is eliminated.

“Americans and their allied forces fought with the terrorists in Iraq and Syria to eliminate them and ended up dispersing them to various countries like Europe, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Kerala in India. They killed many but many came back to their own countries,” he said.

The diplomat also indicated that the number of terrorist deaths in Gaza and the number of persons killed in the attack by Hamas in Israel should not be compared. This is because Israel is fighting the terrorists in Gaza in retaliation while Hamas has attacked and targeted civilians in Israel. “They (Hamas) penetrated into Israel and killed people in beds, raped women, burned babies, killed parents in front of their children, and vice versa. What Israel is doing is killing terrorists in Gaza. The numbers cannot and should not be compared,” he said.

“It’s not about punishment. It’s about making sure that this threat is eliminated. It’s not only about Israel. If there is the perception that the Jihadists are winning especially against Israel which is considered probably the strongest military in the region it will give backwind to many such attacks in different parts of the world,” he was heard saying.

India facing the threat of terrorism

It is important to note that the United Nations in the year 2020 declared that there are significant numbers of ISIS terrorists in the state of Kerala and Karnataka. The report also stated that the state exported terrorists to ISIS and that around 180-200 terrorists had been sent to ISIS from India.

NIA has been investigating cases where radical Islamist organizations have actively targeted non-Muslim women in romantic alliances with Muslim men, converted them, brainwashed them, and sent them to join their terrorist husbands working for ISIS.

India has witnessed terrorism in a variety of forms, with varying goals and locations. ISIS is a one-of-a-kind terrorist organization. It is the first organization to enlist up to 34,000 attackers, roughly two-thirds of whom are not from Iraq or Syria, its primary operating areas. Reportedly, ISIS not only imports fighters from all over the world, but it also exports terror. 

Kerala’s ISIS story

It has been observed that the Islamists in Kerala also convert non-Muslims to Islam for Jihad. As reported earlier, NIA has long been investigating the connection between Lov Jihad, terrorist recruitment, and radicalization in Kerala. Kerala has the most number of radical Muslims working for ISIS in war-trodden countries. 

The NIA recently arrested several Islamists and terrorists from the state of Kerala while it conducted raids against the Islamist terrorist organization named the Popular Front of India (PFI). Several incriminating documents were also recovered from the terrorist hubs.

The Islamic State has long sought to establish a “Khorasan Caliphate” in India. The terrorist organization first came to the attention of Indian intelligence agencies in 2013, when reports from Syria suggested that there were some Indians among the ranks of the IS attackers, who were then making military and territorial gains in Syria.

Since then, several Indians have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State, and approximately 100 of them have been apprehended by the agencies either on their way back from Syria or while preparing to join the terrorists there. Many people have also been arrested for planning an attack in India after being inspired by the IS.

In a written reply to Parliament in 2019, then-Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy stated that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police forces had filed cases against ISIS operatives and sympathizers, and had arrested 155 accused from across the country.

The Indian security establishment has taken a cautious approach to the issue of IS influence on Indians. Hundreds of IS recruits or potential recruits have been counseled, compelled to take part in the deradicalization program, and then released with a warning.

According to a 2019 report by the Observer Research Foundation, “India was thought to be fertile ground for the recruitment of foreign fighters for the Islamic State (IS) by analysts.” Further according to a US State Department’s report titled “Country Reports on Terrorism 2020: India,” there were 66 identified Indian-origin attackers affiliated with ISIS as of November 2020.

The intelligence agencies have revealed that individuals from southern India make up roughly 90% of this small number of Indian recruits. According to the ORF report, the majority of India’s IS recruits came from Kerala, which accounted for “40 of the 180 to 200 cases” across the country. The majority of Kerala recruits who joined the IS either had jobs in the Gulf or had returned from there with an affinity for the IS’s extreme ideology.

The state of Kerala is deeply ingrained with radical Islam. The sheer number of radicalization, conversion, and recruitment centers in operation is still far from making national headlines or attracting mainstream media attention. However, there is no denying that it has been a ticking time bomb.

The recently released movie named ‘The Kerala Story’ rightly exposes how the Muslims in the state of Kerala are radicalized and how they further trap non-Muslims while on the path of jihad. Both the central and state governments must take it seriously and devise effective solutions to combat the problem.

Forced conversion, chief a professor at Owaisi’s university, aim of turning India Islamic and more: Modi govt may ban pro Hamas Hizb-ut-Tahrir

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Forced conversion, chief a professor at Owaisi’s university, aim of turning India Islamic and more: Modi govt may ban pro Hamas Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Months after the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) busted the terror module of the Islamic terrorist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) and the NIA named it under UAPA, 1967, the Central government is examining a proposal to ban HuT.

It is worth noting that HuT members recently raised ‘Jihad, Jihad’ slogans during a pro-Palestine street protest in London. During the protest, some people screamed ‘Jihad-Jihad’ in support of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and its attacks in Israel. This incident has sparked calls for an international ban on HuT.

The Metropolitan police, however, issued a statement on October 21 which said that after assessing the video of the Hizb ut-Tahrir’s protests “no signs or banners were identified that were unlawful.”

Notably, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) earlier this year busted a HuT module that had been operating across the state. The case was then handed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which recently indicted 17 people linked with Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

As reported earlier, MP ATS had apprehended 16 people from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana revealing that as many as 8 of these terrorists had converted to Islam. There are three arrested from Bhopal who married Hindu girls and later forced them to convert to Islam.

After the HuT’s MP module was busted, it was found that its chief Mohammad Salim aka Saurabh Rajvaidya was a professor at Asaduddin Owaisi-owned Deccan Medical College in Hyderabad, who was among the arrested.

Madhya Pradesh police had said that Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s objective is to topple the democratic system in India and replace it with a Sharia regime.

On November 5, the NIA issued a statement and said that the terrorists of Hizb-ut-Tahrir were clandestinely recruiting and building their cadres in Madhya Pradesh. The probe agency said that it has also been proved that the accused were influenced by the HuT’s extremist ideology, which sought to establish a Shariat-based Islamic nation in India by violent means.

“As an organisation, they kept their activities secret to avoid being caught, recruited like-minded people in their group and organised Training Camps clandestinely. Their plans and tactics extended to attacks on Police personnel and targeting individuals of different communities. This dangerous intent was aimed to threaten the unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty of India, with the explicit goal of striking terror among the people, ” the NIA statement said.

The accused individuals named in the charge sheet include Mohammad Alam, Misbah ul Hasan, Mehraj Ali, Khalid, Hussain, Syed Sami Rizvi, Yasir Khan, Salman Ansari, Syed Danish Ali, Mohammad Shahrukh, Mohammad, Wasim, Mohammad Kareem, Mohammad Abbas Ali, Mohammad Hameed, Mohammad Saleem, Abdur Rahman, Sheikh Junaid, and Mohammad Salman.

Notably, the Union Home Ministry has banned 44 terrorist organizations under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Among these prohibited organisations are Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the Islamic State (IS), the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and others.

Hizb ut-Tahrir

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist political organization whose stated aim is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate to unite the Muslim community and implement sharia globally. The group aims to unify all Muslim countries to form an Islamic state or caliphate. After establishing the Islamic State, they plan to expand the caliphate into non-Muslim areas, through “invitation” and through military jihad.

HuT has managed to extend its doctrine and support base to at least 50 nations. The outfit has been training its cadres in chemical and biological warfare while evading international inspection. The group is banned in 16 countries.

YouTube’s biggest cricket archive Robelinda2 terminated, fans hack website responsible for copyright strike

OpIndia Staff
-
0
YouTube’s biggest cricket archive Robelinda2 terminated, fans hack website responsible for copyright strike

The website of Marhaba Cricket India Ltd has been hacked in response to the termination of the YouTube channel of Australian cricket enthusiast and content creator Robelinda2.

The channel by the name Robelinda2 was one of the most-loved channels and had been active for the past 14 years. It is reportedly deemed the biggest archive of cricket on the internet.

Owner Rob Moody took to X, formerly Twitter, on 5th November to announce that his YouTube channel was officially terminated. “Robelinda2 YouTube channel has been officially terminated. 14 years of fun it was! Thanks for watching!”

Rob Moody had alleged that he was receiving threats from an account named @MarhabaCricketIndia, which warned him of the copyright strikes for using their “legitimate and exclusive digital rights” in Bangladesh.

Following backlash from Robelinda2 fans, Marhaba Cricket India issued a statement. “We respect the passion and dedication of the cricket community, and it is never our intention to disrupt the enjoyment of the sport. However, protecting our intellectual property rights is a responsibility we cannot neglect,” it stated.

It further added, “For those who disagree with our actions, we reiterate that counter-notification process is available and is the appropriate channel for contesting our claims.”

Marhaba Cricket stated, “We have encountered issues with content from a specific 1-2 tours. Despite our efforts to resolve these issues amicably, we have been met with challenges. We needed the cooperation of content holders and other uploaders in that case especially robelinda2 to remove specific videos that infringed on the rights we hold, particularly from Bangladesh vs Australia 2006 series 2-5 videos from 2700+ uploads.”

However, shortly after the termination of Robelinda2 YouTube channel, the website of Marhaba Cricket got hacked demanding that the body retract copyright strike against Robelinda2. The text on the website reads, “Karma? Retract copyright strike M* Marhaba Cricket India Ltd!!!”

The message on the hacked website further reads, “Hello beautiful, The real horror day is you guys getting Robelinda2 killed! You are going to face consequences because of this! We will find you, then locate you and then destroy you and finally make you to restore robelinda2! but you have 72 hours, remove copyright strike!”

Meanwhile, Rob Moody shared on his X account the YouTube termination email. Responding to one of his fans, Moody said that he was never told which videos he had to remove. “They never told me which ones, I thought there was 3 maybe, but I received no warning at all, just termination. I’ve always had good communication with copyright holders when they specify which videos, usually they send a link, and I act on it. A general threat is useless.”

Robelinda2 was one of the most-viewed cricket channels on YouTube and viewership on most videos ran into millions. Fans on social media have been seething with rage and many have been left disappointed.

In this Rajasthan constituency, Congress candidate, a Muslim preacher’s son, is set to face off against a Hindu seer – the BJP candidate: How Pokaran voted in past

OpIndia Staff
-
0
In this Rajasthan constituency, Congress candidate, a Muslim preacher’s son, is set to face off against a Hindu seer – the BJP candidate: How Pokaran voted in past

The voting for Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2023 is scheduled for 25th November. The results will be announced on 3rd December with four other states, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. For Rajasthan, the assembly constituency Pokaran is expected to be a closely contested battle.

In the 2018 Assembly Elections, incumbent Congress MLA Saleh Mohammad won the seat with a thin margin of 872 seats. Mohammed, who is a Muslim preacher’s son, will face Swami Pratap Puri, a Hindu seer and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate. As both candidates have strong religious affiliations, experts believe it will be a close battle in Pokaran.

Mohammad serves as Minority Affairs Minister in the Congress-led Gehlot government in Rajasthan. He claimed that the development work done by the state government would move the voters away from religious considerations. He further claimed that the achievements of the current government in the region are substantial and urged the voters to choose development over religion.

On the other hand, Puri, who represents the dominating Rajput community in the state, countered Mohammad’s claims, stating the development work he talked about was merely pre-election promises. He asserted that the performance of the Congress government in the state has no comparison to the BJP-led central government’s performance at the centre. “Congress government starts work, but there is no guarantee that it will complete the work,” he said.

Pokaran has a diverse voter base. It primarily consists of Muslims and Rajputs. The local issues and the personal connection of the candidates to the voters play an essential role in the outcome of the elections. The residents of the region believe that religion plays a crucial role in voting decisions. The Hindus lean towards the BJP, while the Muslims lean towards the Congress. They also emphasise the importance of dealing with community issues and connecting to the people on the ground level.

Analysis of historic voting pattern in the Pokaran region

The historic voting pattern shows voters consider local issues in Assembly Elections and national issues in the Lok Sabha elections. While the assembly elections in 2018 ended in a close battle, the Lok Sabha election results in 2019 were a definitive win for the BJP.

If we look at the voting patterns from the past, in the 2018 Assembly Elections, there were a total of 1,95,607 electorals in the assembly. 1,72,068 cast their votes in the elections, standing at 87.97 per cent. Mohammad secured 82,964 votes, and Puri secured 82,092 votes. There was a marginal difference between the two.

In the 2013 Assembly elections, BJP’s Shaitan Singh secured 85,010 votes, while Mohammad secured 50,566 votes. Data shows that Congress’s vote share increased exponentially from the 2013 and 2018 Assembly elections while BJP’s vote share decreased.

Pokaran falls in Jaisalmer district under the Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency. According to ECI data, in the 2019 General Elections, BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat secured 81,591 votes out of 2,01,102 total valid votes. On the other hand, Congress’s Vaibhav Gehlot secured 61,780 votes.

Similarly, in the 2014 General Elections, BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat secured 72,440 votes out of 1,70,003 total valid votes. On the other hand, Congress’s Chandresh Kumari secured 34,664 votes.

While local politics for Assembly Election witness a wide range of deviations including religion and local issues, it is evident that in the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi’s face value play a vital role in Rajasthan’s political arena.

‘Yes, I did it on purpose’: Arab Muslim woman says after ramming car into what she believed was a Jewish school in Indianapolis, USA

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Yes, I did it on purpose’: Arab Muslim woman says after ramming car into what she believed was a Jewish school in Indianapolis, USA

A 34-year-old Arab Muslim woman named Ruba Almaghtheh from Indiana was arrested by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and designated as a “terrorist” after she intentionally crashed her vehicle into what she believed was a Jewish school on 3rd November.

She rammed her car into the building utilized by the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge which is a Black Hebrew Israelite sect that the Anti-Defamation League termed as “anti-Israel, extreme and antisemitic” and the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group.

According to Indianapolis police, the collision happened at around 11:30 p.m. After the cops reached the location, the accused made reference to the Palestinians and called them “her people back in Palestine” and claimed that “she had been watching the news and “couldn’t breathe anymore.”

Ruba Almaghtheh confessed to the police, “Yes, I did it on purpose,” and they revealed that she had passed the institution multiple times and described it as the “Israel school.” People including adults and children were inside the building at the time, however, no injuries were reported. She disclosed to the cops that she was angered by the “Hebrew Israelite” symbol on the front of the building and decided to launch an assault after seeing news reports about the Israel-Hamas conflict on television.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis announced in a statement on the night of 5 November that Safe Indiana, a Jewish community security program, was alerted of the situation right away. Law enforcement and Safe Indiana are collaborating to look into the incident.

“Safety and security for our community is of the utmost importance, and we are more secure and prepared than ever before. Although a Jewish facility was not targeted, solely due to ironic misidentification, this is yet another reminder to maintain security protocols, remain vigilant of suspicious activity and to (report promptly) to the appropriate authorities,” the press release read.

When the culprit was questioned by authorities, she acknowledged perpetrating the “hate crime” while talking to a family member on a courteous phone call. On 8 November, she is anticipated to be brought before the court. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was notified about the occurrence by the police who arrested the offender on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness. The FBI proclaimed that they are “aware of the incident” and that they have joined forces with the Indianapolis police to resolve the issue.

It is notable here that anti-semitic attacks have been on the rise in the USA after the Israel-Hamas war commenced.

Kerala honour killing: Abees Muhammed kills minor daughter by force-feeding her herbicide, because she had a boyfriend in school

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kerala honour killing: Abees Muhammed kills minor daughter by force-feeding her herbicide, because she had a boyfriend in school

On Tuesday (7th November), a minor Muslim girl who was beaten and force-fed herbicide by her father Abees Muhammed for having a relationship with a boy of another religious community died at a private hospital in Kerala’s Kochi. The accused has been arrested by Aluva West Police.

In the shocking case of honour killing, the 14-year-old girl’s father Abees Muhammed hit his daughter with an iron rod and forcibly fed her herbicide on October 29. According to the FIR, accused Abees Muhammed tried to kill his daughter after he saw her talking to her boyfriend, a class 12th student, over the phone.

Irked by the girl’s attempt to talk to her non-Muslim boyfriend despite repeated warnings not to do so, accused Abees killed his 14-year-old daughter. The victim’s mother tried to stop the accused from forcibly pouring herbicide down the girl’s throat. However, her efforts went in vain. The victim’s mother later took the victim to the hospital.

As the victim was made to consume a significant quantity of herbicide, her internal organs were severely damaged and stopped working, resulting in the minor girl’s tragic death.

Reportedly, the victim and her father had a heated argument and accused Abees Muhammed threatened the girl to either consume the herbicide or he would.

The police said that accused Abees was opposed to his daughter’s relationship with a non-Muslim youth and had warned her to distance herself from her boyfriend. Earlier, when accused Abees had caught his daughter talking to her boyfriend, he snatched the mobile phone and destroyed it. However, the class 9th student girl continued to talk to the boy and was found using another phone. Both the girl and her boyfriend reportedly studied at the same school.

The 43-year-old accused, a native of Karumalloor, is an engineer with Vallarpadam container transhipment terminal in Kochi. Following the incident, the magistrate arrived at the hospital in Ernakulam and recorded the statements of the victim and her mother. Subsequently, accused Abees was arrested and since then he has been in judicial custody.

Initially, accused Abees Muhammed claimed that his daughter consumed herbicide on her own to commit suicide, however, the victim and her mother said in their statement that Abees forced-fed the herbicide to kill her for having a non-Muslim boyfriend.

At the time, police had booked Abees under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 324 (hurting using a dangerous weapon), 326-A (causing serious injury), and 307 (murder attempt) of the IPC, as well as section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Meanwhile, the police have said that after the victim has died, relevant sections will be slapped against the accused.

Kerala Police said that the victim’s body will sent to Kalamassery Medical College for postmortem examination. The police added that they will soon be filing a chargesheet in the case.

Plaques of ‘those who believe in God are idiots’, EVR statues to be removed from outside Temples in TN, HR&CE to go: Annamalai’s powerful election pitch

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Plaques of ‘those who believe in God are idiots’, EVR statues to be removed from outside Temples in TN, HR&CE to go: Annamalai’s powerful election pitch

In a direct dare to Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu, firebrand President of Tamil Nadu BJP K Annamalai has said that the statue of EV Ramasamy Naicker (EVR), also known by the epithet ‘Periyar’, outside the Srirangam Ranganathar Temple and all other temples would be removed once the BJP comes to power in the state.

While addressing a huge crowd in Srirangam on 7th November during his En Mann En Makkal yatra in Srirangam, Annamalai said, “Outside this (Ranganathar) temple, once the DMK came to power in 1967, they kept a plaque. What does that plaque say? ‘Those who believe in God are idiots, cheats. Don’t believe in God.’ As if they’ve achieved something big, they’ve installed such a plaque with a flag. We Hindus are people who live peacefully following the path of dharma.”

He said that the first task of the BJP after assuming power in the state would be to remove the plaque outside the temple.

“Today, from this land of Srirangam, the BJP is taking a vow. Once the BJP comes to power in Tamil Nadu, the first task would be to remove that plaque and flagpole outside the temple. Statues of Azhwars and Nayanmars would be installed. Statues of Tamil scholars would be erected. Tamil scholar Thiruvalluvar’s statue will be installed. Those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom movement, their statues would be installed and worshipped. Not the statue which says ‘Those who believe in God are idiots’. As soon as the BJP comes to power, the BJP government would remove all such statues placed outside all temples.”

The 12-foot-high EVR statue was installed outside the Ranganathar Temple by K Veeramani. K Veeramani is the head of the anti-Hindu organisation Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) founded by EVR in December 2006. The statue was installed by DK despite strong protests by Hindu organisations.

Hindu groups protested claiming that placing the statue of an atheist and promoting atheist slogans could offend the religious sentiments of Hindus. Violence had ensued reportedly in several parts of the state after activists from the Indhu Makkal Katchi (IMK) on 7th December 2006 damaged a cement statue of EVR.

Who is EVR or Periyar?

Known as the “Father of the Dravidian movement” which survives on brick-batting Hindus and the Hindu faith, EVR or Periyar is known for spreading vitriol among the masses in Tamil Nadu against Hinduism.

In 1953, Periyar organized agitations for the desecration of Ganesha idols. Thousands of Ganesha idols were broken on the day of the agitation. In 1956, Periyar led his followers to the Marina to burn pictures of Shri Rama.

In 1974, a year after Periyar’s death, his followers organised “Ravana Leela” at the headquarters of the Dravida Kazhagam under the leadership of Maniyammai, Periyar’s wife who was about four decades younger to him.

Over the years, Periyar has spread numerous canards about the Ramayana. All his lies were directed towards slandering the Maryada Purshottam. His lies ranged from accusing Shri Rama of being casteist to claiming that he killed and mutilated women

Annamalai makes a big announcement: HR&CE Department to go once BJP comes to power

Annamalai has launched scathing attacks on the DMK for hurting Hindu sentiments and the Hindu faith by destroying religious Hindu symbols and replacing them with Periyarite symbols.

He recounted how several attempts were made to destroy the Srirangam Temple by Mughal rulers and that now Udhayanidhi says that he will destroy Sanatana Dharma.

Hitting out at the state’s Hindu Religious Charities Department, Annamalai said that the body tried to select a person to be elected to the post of Srirangam Ranganarayana Jeer 51st Degree using the same procedures as for some ordinary office work.

“Srirangam Ranganathar temple east gate, entrance tower gate has collapsed. This is the aim of the Charity Department to protect the temples,” the TN BJP Chief said.

Addressing the crowd from a stage erected between the Raja Gopuram of the famous Vaishnavite temple and the statue of Periyar in Srirangam, Annamalai said that the day the BJP assumed power would be the last day for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department, according to a Deccan Chronicle report.

He added, “To show how much the DMK government is afraid of the BJP, they have destroyed the lotus statue in the Srirangam temple. Lotus is not only a symbol of BJP. Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati are also seated on a lotus flower. Lotus is the national flower of our country. The DMK’s fear of the BJP is evident as it removes BJP flags on one side and destroys the lotus flower on the other.”

BJP promises train to Ayodhya for Hindus in Tamil Nadu

Annamalai announced that after the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, TN BJP will send pilgrims in train to Ayodhya free of cost to worship Lord Ram. After 22nd January, TN people can go on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya.

Punjab AG argues to stop paddy MSP as ‘one-day solution’ for stubble burning, but this is how AAP has been playing politics on it over the years

Anurag
-
0
Punjab AG argues to stop paddy MSP as ‘one-day solution’ for stubble burning, but this is how AAP has been playing politics on it over the years

On 7th November, the Supreme Court of India questioned the Punjab government if phasing out paddy MSP was an option to consider controlling pollution. The apex court called for serious consideration of a proposal to phase out paddy cultivation in the state to encourage farmers to shift to traditional crops, including millets. The two-judge bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was hearing petitions related to stubble burning in Punjab and pollution created by the practice.

Replying to the court, advocate general of Punjab Gurminder Singh highlighted the need to phase out paddy cultivation and agreed that removing MSP from paddy could be an “absolute one-day solution”. He said, “Then it will be an absolute one-day solution… Farmers will shift to other crops like millet and bajra. We need to diversify our crops. Provide for MSP on these alternate crops to incentivise farmers… There is no point in arresting marginal farmers for burning paddy stubble in Punjab… And we do not want to pass the buck for pollution to other States, but we want to be part of a progressive solution.”

While agreeing to Singh’s submissions that MSP was required on alternate crops, the court noted that paddy cultivation in the state had contributed extensively to the declining water table. It has resulted in a serious loss of valuable groundwater resources. Notably, paddy is not a staple crop of Punjab, and it was introduced in the state under the Food Security Act to support public distribution schemes. Heavy incentives were given to the farmers, making paddy a lucrative option.

Justice Kaul pointed out that MSP on paddy led to smuggling of the crop from neighbouring states. He said, “Paddy grown in adjacent States is illegally brought to Punjab to claim MSP.”

The AG represents the Mann government in court, but interestingly, AAP’s politics on paddy MSPs has been totally contradictory over the years.

Interestingly, during the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned why Punjab was not using the biochemicals to change stubble to fertiliser that was being promoted by the Chief Minister of Delhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for years. He questioned if Kejriwal’s counterpart in Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann, was open to adopting the suggestions coming from the “highest authority in Delhi”.

On 7th November, OpIndia reported how, over the years, Arvind Kejriwal had spent crores promoting a solution developed by IARI, Pusa that reportedly converts stubble to fertiliser and had urged Punjab and other states to adopt it as an option. However, as soon as the AAP-led government came to power in Punjab, the emphasis on the solution virtually vanished from the discussion.

Following the hearing, AAP’s spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang demanded that Centre and Haryana should set up funds to tackle stubble burning. AAP also demanded MSP for alternate crops. Accusing the central government of rejecting the proposal to set up a fund to tackle the problem, he said, “Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal have asked the Haryana government and the Modi government to set up a fund to tackle this problem, but the Centre has rejected the proposal. Now the Supreme Court has directed all governments, including the central government, to take measures to stop stubble burning and curb the pollution in Delhi.”

Notably, the proposal he was talking about was to pressure the central government to pay Rs 1,500 of the Rs 2,500 per acre proposed by AAP to pay to farmers as compensation for not burning stubble, while Punjab and Delhi would have paid Rs 500 to pay farmers not to burn stubble.

Interestingly, while the Supreme Court slammed Punjab for not doing “enough” to control stubble burning, followed by AAP’s demands to introduce MSP on alternate crops, AAP leaders had earlier given a clean chit to Punjab, saying the stubble burning in the AAP-led state was not affecting the air quality of the national capital. They had blamed stubble burning in Haryana for the pollution in Delhi. However, the satellite data showed stubble burning in Haryana in the last ten days was minuscule compared to Punjab.

AAP played MSP politics on paddy for years

For years, Aam Aadmi Party leaders have played MSP politics to gain brownie points from all directions. In June 2017, AAP’s Odisha Unit observed a state-wide protest pressuring the Central government to increase MSP. The party leaders claimed the hike in MSP was not enough to cover the farmers’ cost.

In July 2018, AAP categorically rejected the raise in Paddy MSP, claiming it was not on par with the promise made by the central government. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), AAP’s MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the MSP was nowhere close to the fixed 50 percent over and above the cost of inputs.

In January 2019, Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced an MSP increase for wheat and paddy crops. Notably, the announcement came months before the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The raise was expected to benefit 20,000 farmer families in the national capital. The announced MSP was Rs 776 per quintal higher for wheat and Rs 897 for paddy.

Coming to Punjab in 2022, AAP announced MSP on moong and maize apart from wheat, paddy and cotton provided by the central government. The aim was to introduce diversification in the crops. AAP used the announcement as a political promise in the Gujarat elections. AAP’s chief, Arvind Kejriwal, said the same MSP would be provided in Gujarat if the party came to power. However, soon after the announcement, the farmer organisations and opposition parties in Punjab slammed the AAP leaders for misleading the people of Gujarat.

They said that while the central government provides MSP on wheat, paddy and cotton, the Punjab Government had announced MSP on moong and maize. However, MSP on Maize was not given, and in the case of moong, the farmers had to sell the crop at a much lower price than MSP.

In 2023, BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal targeted AAP for low procurement of moong and maize by the state government. By the end of June 2023, the opposition leaders alleged that the procurement stood at only 2,280 quintals of moong compared to 9,902 quintals purchased in 2022. Notably, farmers had shifted to moong on CM Mann’s “request” to introduce diversification as he promised to buy the crop at MSP.

Then-Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma accused AAP of running away from buying maize and moong at MSP and said the farmers were forced to sell the crops at low prices.

In the case of maize, the MSP was set at Rs 2,090 by the state government. However, the farmers had to sell it at Rs 1,900 per quintal as the state government failed to procure the crop.

Assam Congress MLA Aftabuddin Mollah arrested for hate speech against Hindus saints, had said, ‘Wherever there is rape, a Sadhu is involved’: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Assam Congress MLA Aftabuddin Mollah arrested for hate speech against Hindus saints, had said, ‘Wherever there is rape, a Sadhu is involved’: Details

The Assam Police on Wednesday (8th November) arrested Congress MLA Aftabuddin Mollah for disparaging priests, namgharias, and saints. DGP GP Singh confirmed that a case has been registered at Dispur police station under sections 295(a), 153A(1)(b), and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. 

On November 4, 2023, at a public meeting in Goalpara district, Aftab Uddin Mollah made a highly offensive remark about priests, namgharias, and saints in his speech.

“Wherever there is a rape, always a Sadhu (Hindu Priest) or Namghoria (caretaker of Vaisnav Prayer House) is involved. They blame Muslims to hide the sins committed by Hindu Priests,” Mollah reportedly could be heard saying in the meeting, the video of which is making rounds on social media.

The FIR in the case was registered based on a complaint filed by a resident of Guwahati’s Bhetapara identified as Deepak Kumar Das. He said that the Goalpara MLA made highly offensive remarks about Priests and Saints.

“The MLA has deliberately maliciously made this speech and the same has hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Further, on account of this speech the MLA has promoted enmity between Hindus and Muslims and his acts are prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between Hindus and Muslims,” the FIR filed in the case read.

Notably, on 7th November, the Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah also issued a show-cause notice to its Goalpara MLA Aftab Uddin Mollah for delivering a highly obnoxious comment against the Priests, Namgharias and Saints.

“On the 4th November 2023, at a public meeting held in Goalpara district, you delivered a highly obnoxious comment in your speech about the Priests, Namgharias, and Saints which has been strongly reacted by the people of Assam. Being a secular Democratic Political Party, the Indian National Congress is totally against the works of spreading hatred and religious and communal poisonous comments. Rather, Indian National Congress has been persistently working to spread the message of unity, integrity, and social harmonious consciousness amongst the people of the Country amidst diversity,” the notice read.

Furthermore, the state unit pointed out that the Indian National Congress has never been against Saints, Priests, Peers, Maulanas, or Namgharias, and that the Congress has always shown due respect to them.

“I am extremely unhappy and ask you to withdraw your statement and seek a public apology in front of the Media immediately,” Bhupen Borah was quoted as stating.

1...1,6561,6571,658...7,651Page 1,657 of 7,651