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3 persons including 2 BSF jawans injured as Pakistani Rangers start unprovoked firing in Jammu

OpIndia Staff
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3 persons including 2 BSF jawans injured as Pakistani Rangers start unprovoked firing in Jammu

On 26 October evening, Pakistan Rangers opened unprovoked fire from automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling on the Border Security Force posts, which caused them to retaliate in equal measure. This action prompted panic to break out in over a dozen villages along the India-Pakistan international border in the Arnia and RS Pura sectors of the Jammu district.

“On the evening of October 26, 2023, at about 2000 hrs, Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing along the Indo-Pak International Border in Sector Jammu,” read a statement issued by the BSF. The troops responded to the firing right away. However, Pakistan Rangers opened fire on their border outposts which prompted appropriate retribution from Forward Defense Posts in these locations.

Pakistan Rangers targeted civilian neighbourhoods and Border outposts with mortar fire at 9.15 p.m. “At approximately 2115 hrs, Pakistan Rangers started mortar firing targeting Border outposts and civilian areas.” A civilian named Rajni Devi, wife of Arnia resident Balbir Singh, suffered minor injuries when some of the shells fell inside the town of Arnia which is the largest populated town on the India-Pakistan border in the entire Jammu region. Later, they used heavy machine gun fire and targeted Indian positions along the border.

BSF further informed, “Around 2240 hrs, Pakistan Rangers used heavy machine gun fire from Pak and targeted our Posts, which was again retaliated by own troops in a befitting manner. At about 270108 hrs, Pakistan Rangers again fired at and targeted our BOPs, leading to an exchange of fire and adequately retaliated by own troops.” The firing continued till the wee hours of 27 October. “Firing continued until 270245 hours.”

BSF also provided details of the wounded. “During the cross-border fire, CT Basava Raj sustained minor splinter injuries due to shelling in both hands at about 2200 hours. The injured individual was promptly evacuated to PHC (Primary Health Center) Arnia and later admitted to GMCH (Government Medical College and Hospital), Jammu. The individual’s condition is stable.” BSF added, “There is no other loss. Damage to material is still being ascertained.”

The statement declared, “BSF remains vigilant and continues to monitor the developments closely while assessing the situation and remains alert to respond as necessary to ensure the safety and security of the border and its residents.”

The BSF is on high alert along the 198-kilometer international boundary. According to intelligence sources, the Pakistan Rangers struck the BSF’s Vikram station in the Arnia sector at approximately 8 p.m. “Two BSF jawan also suffered injuries in the exchange of fire at Vikram post in Arnia sector,” they unveiled. An official from the BSF revealed that there are four to five posts involved in the fire on both ends.

Rakesh Kumar from Arnia highlighted, “Pakistan Rangers first opened machine gun fire on Vikram post and then targetted Chinaj post as well. They also shot a couple of illumination flares in the sky.” Some migrant farm labourers, including women and children, were observed fleeing to safety shortly after the unwarranted firing. They worked in Aria’s forward regions to make ends meet.

“Announcements were made from a temple loudspeaker asking the villagers to switch off the lights of their houses,” pointed out another local Rohit Choudhary who was attending an event in Arnia town.

Taranjit Singh Tony, a significant Congress leader from the RS Pura sector also reacted to the firing. “Pakistan Rangers are resorting to heavy firing since 8.15 pm at our forward posts and villages in Devigarh, Nikowaland Jora Farm. A Pakistan mortar has exploded near the house of one Sewa Singh Choudhary in Bhulle Chak.” According to him, migrant labourers who travel to the forward hamlets to harvest paddy crops have left because of shelling and gunfire from Pakistan.

Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were injured in firing opened by the Pakistani rangers along the International Border in violation of the ceasefire agreement on October 17 evening. Official sources reported the incident happened between 8 and 8.30 p.m. They disclosed that the two BSF members from the 120 Battalion were hurt by the gunfire in Jammu’s Arnia Sector. The injured were taken to a hospital in Jammu.

“Yesterday the Pakistani Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing towards BSF troops, which was befittingly retaliated by alert BSF troops in the Arnia Sector. Two BSF personnel received bullet injuries and have been immediately provided medical assistance,” informed a BSF spokesperson.

According to accounts, on 21 October, BSF forces fired a few warning shots when a group of individuals escorted by Pakistan Rangers approached the international border near this location. The sources stated that at noon, a BSF jawan fired two warning shots when a group of more than twenty persons entered Indian territory with a herd of bovine animals and three Pakistan Rangers personnel with them. However, they went back to the Pakistani side and there was no reprisal from the other side.

India and Pakistan agreed to a “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors” with effect from midnight on February 24/25 (Wednesday) in the first joint statement released by the two sides in years. The decision was made public following talks on February 22 via the designated hotline between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGsMO). However, Pakistan has now broken the agreement.

Mehdi Hasan, who compared non-Muslims to ‘animals’, enjoys the hospitality of Tata, Shashi Tharoor and Rajdeep Sardesai: Netizens express disgust

OpIndia Staff
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Mehdi Hasan, who compared non-Muslims to ‘animals’, enjoys the hospitality of Tata, Shashi Tharoor and Rajdeep Sardesai: Netizens express disgust

Hinduphobic ‘journalist’ Mehdi Hasan has been invited as a speaker at the 14th edition of ‘Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest’. He is set to participate in two sessions, which are scheduled to be held on Friday (27th October) and Saturday (28th October).

Hasan will share the stage with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for an event titled ‘For the love of the Word- The Anil Dharker Session: Inauguration of Tata Literature Live! 2023 followed by in praise of the phrase.’

He will participate in another session titled ‘Turn the Tide’ with ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai. The event will be held at ‘The Tata Theatre’, which is located inside the ‘The National Centre for the Performing Arts’ (NCPA) premises in South Mumbai.

The website of ‘Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest’ describes the Hinduphobic ‘journalist’ as “the British-American host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and Peacock.”

“He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking. He is a former anchor for Al Jazeera English and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, among other publications,” it further reads.

The event is sponsored by Tata Steel, Tata Motors and is powered by the likes of Godrej and Kotak. The event has been hosted in association with ‘The National Centre for the Performing Arts’ (NCPA) .

Mehdi Hasan and his radical mindset

Hasan is infamous for his 2009 video where he was heard equating non-Muslims with ‘cattle’ and homosexuals with ‘paedophiles.’

He was heard saying, “Once we lose the moral high ground we are no different from the rest, of the non-Muslims, from the rest of those human beings who live their lives as animals, bending any rule to fulfill any desire.”

It must be mentioned that Mehdi Hasan is of Indian descent but was raised in England since childhood. Although he apologised for his remarks in 2019, it becomes clear that his upbringing in a diverse, multicultural society could not rid him of his disdain for non-Muslims.

In April 2022, the MSNBC anchor went on a tirade against PM Modi and cast aspersions on India’s secularism.

“Putin. Orban. Le Pen. We talk a lot in the West about the rise of far-right authoritarians and yet we never mention India’s Narendra Modi and his BJP. I did a deep-dive into India under Modi & new warnings of an anti-Muslim genocide,” Hasan claimed.

In the video, he equated Hindu Nationalism in India (a nation that was divided on religious lines) with white Supremacy in the West, which is an ideology based on race. His sinister agenda was to equate Hindutva with Anti-Semitism.

Mehdi Hasan had also been involved in gaslighting Hindus by suggesting that he differentiates between the good and bad ones – a classical troupe used by Hinduphobes who claim ‘Hinduism’ and ‘Hindutva’ are different. In reality, they do not make any such distinction.

Screengrab of the tweet by Mehdi Hasan

His specific targeting of Hindu world leaders such as Narendra Modi and Tulsi Gabbard was criticised by HAF founder Shuag A Shukla, who called out his Hinduphobic antecedents in 2019.

“Whenever @narendramodi comes to town, Hindus like @tulsigabbard and Hindu orgs come under attack by activists trying to connect them to Hindu nationalism. @mehdihasan takes it further by connecting them to a mass murderer. This is wrong. This is tiring. This is Hinduphobia,” she said in a tweet.

Mehdi Hasan was seen resorting to money balancing after Islamists unleashed mayhem in Leicester in England’s East Midlands region in 2022. Instead of calling out the extremists who attacked the Hindu community, the MSNBC anchor put out a ‘shallow’ tweet appealing for peace.

In 2021, he also provided a platform to George-Soros-funded, anti-India activist Sunita Vishwanath to unleash her propaganda.

Netizens express disgust at Tata’s invite to Mehdi Hasan

Social media users were aghast at the decision of ‘Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Fest’ organisers to invite Hinduphobic ‘journalist’ Mehdi Hasan to the coveted event. Activist Arshia Malik wrote, “What on earth…!Who’s next? Ismail Haniya (referring to Hamas chief)?”

“The ‘god of philanthropy,’ Tata, has invited a hardcore Islamist, Mehdi Hasan, who in turn will engage in a conversation with an author of ‘Why I am a Hindu.’ We’re living on borrowed time. Our annihilation is certain,” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user.

“Mehdi Hasan who routinely engages in anti India, anti Hindu,anti-Semitism globally is TATA brand’s guest of honor.When are you inviting Hafiz Sayeed
@TataCompanies @RNTata2000 on lecturing the nation after killing Indians?” tweeted one user.

“Take back Mehdi Hasan from Tata literature programme,” wrote another user.

Despite his anti-India and anti-Hindu antecedents, Mehdi Hasan has been invited as a speaker for two sessions at the ‘Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest’ event.

AAP says there is no data to identify the prime source of pollution in Delhi after blaming stubble burning in Punjab for years

OpIndia Staff
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AAP says there is no data to identify the prime source of pollution in Delhi after blaming stubble burning in Punjab for years

On Wednesday (25th October), Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi said that there was no official data available that could tell the different sources contributing to the pollution in Delhi. Notably, many times in the past, AAP leaders including Atishi and Arvind Kejriwal have blamed the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana for the pollution in Delhi.

Now, the AAP government in Delhi is saying that it is clueless about which source contributes how much to the pollution in the national capital. Atishi cited the lack of this data as an impediment to drafting the anti-pollution policy of the Delhi government.

What did the AAP leader Atishi say?

Atishi said, “Pollution in Delhi is a serious concern in winter months. The Delhi government has been working for the last 8 years to reduce this ever-increasing pollution level. Many independent organisations have made several reports. These reports say that the pollution levels in Delhi have gone down in the past few years.”

She added, “However, we have identified a major impediment in reducing pollution in Delhi. The problem is that there is no official data to know what are the different sources of air pollution in Delhi and how much pollution comes from which sources in Delhi. Unless the government knows exactly how much a source contributes to this pollution, the government cannot make any policy to control this pollution.”

What was the press conference about?

In October 2022, the Delhi cabinet inked an MoU with IIT-Kanpur to conduct a real-time pollution source apportionment study in the national capital. Valued at over Rs 12 crore, the project received Rs 10 crore from the Delhi government for the acquisition of necessary equipment and the establishment of a centralised data collection supersite.

However, the AAP government in Delhi is accusing DPCC Chairman Ashwani Kumar of arbitrarily halting the study by stopping the remaining payment of Rs 2 Cr. At a press conference held to blame him for the failure of the Delhi government, Atishi highlighted the lack of data on the sources contributing to Delhi’s pollution. This comes in stark contrast to her earlier citation of ICAR data three years ago, which blamed stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab for the problem.

Previously, AAP blamed stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana for the Delhi pollution

Notably, the AAP government in Delhi and many AAP leaders have blamed the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana for the pollution in Delhi multiple times in the past. In an old post on X (formerly Twitter), Atishi said, “Data clearly shows that Delhi pollution is directly correlated with stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab. The criminal negligence of the CMs in not solving this problem has caused a public health emergency in Delhi. Strongest action should be taken against them!” This post was shared on 18th November 2020. Atishi had cited the ICAR data to back her claims.

Atishi had blamed Punjab and Haryana for Delhi pollution in 2020. Image Source: India Today

On 17 October 2021, Delhi’s chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said, “For the past month, I have been tweeting data of air quality in Delhi. Pollution has increased in the last 3-4 days and it is due to stubble burning in neighbouring states. Farmers in neighbouring states are compelled to burn stubble as their governments are doing nothing for them (towards stopping stubble burning).”

In 2018, Arvind Kejriwal held a press conference to show satellite pictures of Punjab and Haryana as proof of stubble burning causing pollution in Delhi. Going into the minute details of the stubble burning, Kejriwal even gave a partial clean chit to Haryana. He said, “Very little area in north Haryana had stubble fires, large parts of Punjab could be seen as affected. If you see honestly, then there are just a few places of Haryana in it. In Punjab, stubble is being burnt in the entire area, especially Bathinda and Amritsar.”

Flagging the satellite images from Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I heard a statement of Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman saying that stubble was not being burnt in the state and that the air quality index of the state was good. These pictures show stubble being burnt. Where is all this smoke going? Is it disappearing and directly going to Pakistan?”

On 24 November 2020, Atishi said, “The Air Quality Commission formed by the central government is responsible for controlling the pollution in Delhi and NCR. Today, we had a meeting with the commission, because we all know that it is difficult to breathe in Delhi in the months of October and November. Our agenda has two main points. Firstly, the commission should order the governments of Haryana and Punjab to implement the solution devised by the AAP government in Delhi to reduce the stubble-burning pollution in those states. Secondly, we have told the commission that just ordering these governments is not enough.”

She added, “The chief ministers of those states should be held responsible if any incident of stubble burning is noticed in those states. They should get strict punishment if they fail to ensure this. The commission has the power to take this action. It can file the FIR. It can send any person to jail for five years for causing pollution in Delhi and NCR. Therefore, we have urged the commission that the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana should be held liable and strict action should be taken against them.”

Atishi in her recent press conference has said that there is no official data to ascertain the proportional contribution of various factors to Delhi pollution. In a press conference held by Atishi on 15 March 2021, she quoted a report by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and said that 60 per cent of pollution in Delhi is caused by factors outside Delhi. In the same press conference, Atishi blamed the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana for the air pollution in Delhi.

In 2022, Bhagwant Mann of Aam Aadmi Party became the chief minister of Punjab. Since then, the attacks and accusations by AAP on Punjab and Haryana over stubble burning and the pollution in Delhi have suddenly disappeared. Now, AAP leader Atishi has said that there is no official data to encertain which source of pollution contributes how much to the Delhi pollution.

AAP played with Hindu sentiments in the guise of addressing the pollution issue

AAP has government in both Delhi and Punjab. The AAP government in Delhi is saying that they cannot formulate a policy to reduce pollution because they do not have any specific data on the sources of pollution and their contribution into the problem. However, the AAP government in Punjab can take as many steps to prohibit the incidents of stubble burning and providing alternative ways of disposing the agro wastes to the farmers.

But, AAP government in Punjab is not taking concrete steps to address the stubble burning issue in a way like what Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana has done in the past few years. Instead, the AAP government in Delhi had banned firecrackers in Delhi on the occasion of Hindu festival Diwali and had played with sentiments of Hindus in Delhi.

India will witness an unprecedented era of connectivity with OneWeb satellite service from next month: Sunil Mittal at India Mobile Congress 2023

ANI
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India will witness an unprecedented era of connectivity with OneWeb satellite service from next month: Sunil Mittal at India Mobile Congress 2023

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and founder of Bharti Airtel revealed a significant technological leap for India during his address at the 7th edition of the India Mobile Congress.

Speaking to a captivated audience, Mittal declared, “A new technology is now available for our country. Satellite communication is here to serve every inch of our country and of course the globe.”

Mittal credited this achievement to the successful collaboration with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), stating, “With your intervention, we were able to get two rockets GSLV Mk 3 from ISRO to launch 72 satellites last year.”

He went on to unveil the ground-breaking OneWeb constellation, in which Bharti holds the largest stake, now poised to serve both the nation and the entire world.

Starting next month, India will witness an unprecedented era of connectivity, as Mittal proudly announced, “Anybody anywhere in the country, however remote or far or in difficult areas, can be connected from our Satellite ground station that has been set up in Mehsana, Gujarat.”

This technological advancement in satellite communication promises to bridge the digital divide in India, connecting even the most isolated regions, fostering development, and transforming the way the nation communicates.

Mittal’s announcement marks a pivotal moment for India’s technological landscape, opening up a world of possibilities for connectivity, communication, and progress.

The Chairman of Bharti Enterprises also spoke about how India’s digital infrastructure can accelerate the World economy.

“Two pillars are very important for IMC 2023…First was Digital India…You raised the slogan of JAM Trinity which was based on Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile is being discussed across the world. Whether it is the World Bank, UN, WTO, African Union, European Nation, G20, OECD Countries, or BRICS, there is only one slogan, the Digital Infrastructure that India has built can accelerate the world economy, especially in those countries which have a lack of infrastructure…The second most important one is Make in India” Sunil Bharti Mittal said.

The India Mobile Congress serves as a platform to showcase India’s technological advancements and innovations while facilitating discussions on the nation’s digital future.

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

Ireland: Iraqi-Kurdish man Yousef Palani sentenced to life for brutally murdering two gay men, police say he was ‘not radicalised’

OpIndia Staff
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Ireland: Iraqi-Kurdish man Yousef Palani sentenced to life for brutally murdering two gay men, police say he was ‘not radicalised’

A 23-year-old Iraqi-Kurdish man has been sentenced to life for murdering two gay men in Ireland last year. Homophobic killer Yousef Palani brutally murdered two gay men last year, decapitating one of them, and assaulted a third man during a four-day killing spree in Sligo town.

Palani admitted to the offences at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 23rd October and pleaded guilty to the murders of Adian Moffitt at Cartron Heights on 10th April 2022 and Michael Snee at City View on 12th April 2022.

The accused also pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Anthony Burke, a local man who survived Palani’s attack and assisted in the police investigation.

Justice Mary Ellen Ring while delivering the sentence, said that Palani had committed “unspeakable violence” against three innocent men. Palani reportedly targeted gay Irish men who lived alone.

He used a gay dating app to find his victims. He then tied them up before stabbing them to death and mutilating their bodies in their homes. Palani decapitated Adrian Moffitt, placed his head on a bed and his body was on the floor. Moffitt had 42 stab wounds, and his hands were tied behind his back.

A yellow bottle of bleach was left beside his head, while a knife with a serrated blade had been placed into Mr Moffitt’s right hand after he was murdered.

Michael Snee was also found tied up on the floor of his own bedroom, while a hunting knife and a black coloured knife had been laid on the bed to make the shape of a cross.

There were 38 sharp force injuries to Snee’s body, and he had been stabbed 25 times mainly to the head, neck and chest, said the garda witness.

Survivor Anthony Burke recalled Palani “shoving” a knife in his eye and said he was suffering insomnia, heightened anxiety, and mood deterioration since the attack. Burke lost sight in one eye.

The gardai (police) said that Palani would have continued to kill gay men if he had not been arrested on 13th April. Palani reportedly told the police that he wasn’t gay because he was a Muslim despite forensic evidence showing that he engaged in sexual activity with at least one victim.

Detective Conor Jordan said that there is no evidence that Palani was radicalised “despite some suggestions to the contrary”.

Detective Jordan said that there is no evidence to support Palani’s claim of mental health issues. Palani had initially denied any involvement but later made full admissions claiming that he heard voices which told him to carry out the attacks.

However, according to the detective, there is no evidence to support Palani’s claim of mental health issues and believes that his account of hearing voices may be exaggerated or fabricated entirely.

Yousef Palani is originally from Iraq and had migrated to Ireland with his family when he was six years old under a UN protection programme. The family was provided with accommodation by the State in Sligo.

Reports suggest that Palani and the family had strained ties with the neighbours. According to a report by Jihad Watch, a neighbour said, “It’s not that they were causing trouble all the time, but they would intimidate us subtly.”

Another report by Irish Examiner claimed that when Palani played football with local children at 10-11 years of age, he would kick the children and not the football. This resulted in brawls between parents and reportedly “set the tone for future interactions”.

The residents were quoted by the Irish Examiner saying, “We’re not racist. We just want the people to come and live here peacefully.”

The report also claimed that Palani’s father was often seen doing karate moves in the middle of the entrance to the estate. He would run bare-chested around Cairns Hills every day – often backwards – even in winter and his wife would run after him with her niqab on.

The father of the accused has reportedly not been seen publicly since his son’s arrest last year. No family member was seen at any of his court appearances at the Sligo District Court.

Palani is known to be one to invite trouble even during his time in school. One of the locals said, “That guy Yousef was trouble from day one. And that’s a fact.” One of his teachers called him “extremely intellectually challenged”.

Some neighbours also insist that Palani was known to the police. One of the neighbours reportedly witnessed him being arrested and taken out of the house in handcuffs over criminal damage allegations in the town.

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: India considers sending second batch of weapons to Armenia in the face of rising tensions

OpIndia Staff
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Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: India considers sending second batch of weapons to Armenia in the face of rising tensions

Amid the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, India is considering sending more military assistance to Armenia, its vital ally in the Caucasus, reports the Economic Times. This comes after India successfully delivered the first batch of weapons to Armenia over the past year.

The article reported that India intends to send additional supplies some of which could consist of military hardware meant to strengthen Armenia’s deterrent might. The development came to light in the backdrop of serious tensions between Armenia and the Islamic country Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey and Pakistan.

A top Armenian official recently was in Delhi to hold negotiations about the same, as per sources with knowledge of the situation. They asserted that India has emerged as a reliable source of weapons which is in line with their demand.

However, specifics of the new shipments are undisclosed at this time and analysts in Armenia who want to remain anonymous stated that the cargo might comprise tools that could act as a deterrent amid the hostile environment with Azerbaijan.

India sends first batch of weapons to Armenia

India’s previous consignment to Armenia included Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, rockets, and ammunition. The weapons were reportedly delivered through Iran, a country with historical ties to Armenia. Iran, which has historical ties to Armenia had reportedly facilitated the delivery. The supplies had prompted protests from Azerbaijan.

India, Iran and Armenia established a trilateral earlier this year to explore a transit corridor. The three nations underlined the potential for strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties as well as trilateral collaboration in several areas during a meeting in Yerevan in April. They further spoke about economic initiatives and regional communication channels. The decision was made to “continue consultations” in the format at that point. The usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a regional connectivity network was addressed as well at the summit.

Armenia has been acquiring Pinaka systems mostly because of Azerbaijan’s drone utilisation, as the system’s “shoot and scoot” functionality allows it to avoid counter-battery fire. It is also an excellent armament system for the country due to its affordability and ease of application. Due to their familiarity with the Russian-made GRAD system, the Armenian army could quickly become proficient with the technique. 

The head of Armenia’s parliamentary committee on defence and security affairs, Andranik Kocharyan recently declared without mentioning India that the new arsenal supplied to the country is now being tested by their military, with “very satisfactory” results.

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023.

The small nation of Armenia is nestled between Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Azeris share Turkish culture and religion since they are ethnic Turks. The Ottoman Empire colonized the predominantly Christian Armenians for a very long period. Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia were the three Soviet republics that split apart from Armenia after the Soviet Union annexed the country in the 1920s.

Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence in the 1990s with the fall of the Soviet Union. However, a small area that was home to ethnic Armenians continued to be a part of Azerbaijan. The name of this area is Nagorno-Karabakh. In the 1990s, tensions rose, leading this region to announce independence with Armenia’s assistance. The impasse lasted for over thirty years until Azerbaijan unilaterally breached the truce in 2020, backed by Turkey.

The dispute saw a significant escalation after this. Six weeks of intense combat were reported to have claimed thousands of lives.

Azerbaijan took over large swaths of land, and by the time both sides agreed to sign a peace deal negotiated by Russia in November 2020, it had grabbed all of the regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh controlled by Armenia since 1994. The terms of the deal obliged Armenian troops to leave these territories and they have since been limited to a smaller part of the region.

The violence was momentarily stopped by the arrival of Russian soldiers, however, tensions had been building for months between the two nations.

In September this year, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia once again escalated as the Turkey-backed Azerbaijani forces launched a military offensive in the region. The onslaught that lasted for 24 hours claimed the lives of as many as 10 innocent civilians and left several injured.

The following day, a cease-fire deal mediated by Russia was struck. The agreement stated that the military forces of Karabakh would be entirely disarmed and abolished.

On September 20, the prime minister stated that Armenia was not a party to the deal, accusing Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan of attempting to draw Armenia into a confrontation. 

Amidst all this, over 1,20,000 ethnic Armenians living in the region started fleeing Muslim-majority Azerbaijan fearing persecution and ethnic cleansing by the Azeri authorities. 

Jamiat Ulema i Hind and Ayodhya case Muslim litigant insist on PM Modi inaugurating mosque after Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha for the sake of secularism

OpIndia Staff
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Jamiat Ulema i Hind and Ayodhya case Muslim litigant insist on PM Modi inaugurating mosque after Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha for the sake of secularism

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the pran pratishtha of the murti of Lord Ram in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January next year, several Muslim leaders have now requested PM Modi to lay the foundation of the mosque in Dhannipur village when he visits Ayodhya on 22nd January 2024.

Jamiat-i-Ulama Hind president at Ayodhya, Mufti Hisbullah Badshah Khan said that PM Modi is the prime minister of not just Hindus but also of the Muslim community in India. He asserted that when the prime minister is coming to inaugurate the temple of Hindus then he should also lay the foundation stone of the mosque.

“Modi is India’s PM. He is for Hindus and Muslims both. If he is coming to inaugurate the ‘ibadatgaah’ (place of worship) of Hindu brothers, then he should also lay the foundation for the masjid,” Mufti Hisbullah said.

Meanwhile, Athar Husain, the secretary of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation, the Ayodhya Masjid Trust said that the trust would welcome PM Modi if comes to lay the foundation stone of the mosque in Dhannipur village in Sohawal block nearly 20-25 km away from the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple.

“We wanted to build a free cancer hospital, a mosque, a community kitchen and a research centre dedicated to Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah Faizabadi, the hero of the 1857 freedom struggle. The PM’s presence can serve our goal. We will welcome him,” Husain said.

“Modi is not the PM of any particular community,” former Ayodhya litigant Iqbal Ansari stated. “He is doing everything for the temple; he should do the same for the masjid.”

Ansari also expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the mosque’s construction, stating that while Lord Ram’s idol is scheduled to be installed in the temple in January, the mosque’s foundation stone has yet to be laid. He further asserted that the trustees of the Ayodhya Masjid Trust should be replaced.

Mohammad Ismail Ansari, President of the Indian Muslim League expressed his “heartfelt wish” to inaugurate the Dhannipur Mosque also.

Essentially, the Muslim side’s insistance that PM Modi inaugurate a mosque after the Pran Pratishtha as well seems to stem out of their insistance that the Prime Minister has to prove his ‘secular’ credentials by inaugurating a mosque as well.

Notably, on 25th October, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the inauguration of Ram Mandir. The temple trust also announced that the consecration of the Shri Vigraha of Lord Shri Ramlala Sarkar at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya will be done by PM Modi on January 22 next year.

As reported earlier, the Mandir trust has decided to commence the consecration of Ram Lalla after Makar Sankranti on January 14, and it will be followed by the 10-day ritual of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (blessing) of Ram Lalla. According to the Chief Priest of Ram Mandir, Acharya Satyendra Das Ji Maharaj, the rituals will be held from January 15 to January 24.

‘Fair investigation killed before it began’: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi accuses DMK govt of not taking action in Raj Bhavan petrol bomb incident

OpIndia Staff
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‘Fair investigation killed before it began’: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi accuses DMK govt of not taking action in Raj Bhavan petrol bomb incident

A war of words has ensued in Tamil Nadu over a petrol bomb being hurled outside the Raj Bhavan in Chennai on 25th October. The Raj Bhavan in a press statement released on Thursday, October 26, stated that the police did not register Raj Bhavan’s complaint on the attack.

“Police did not register Raj Bhavan’s complaint on the attack. Suo Moto diluted the attack as an act of simple vandalism and in a hurry got arrested accused remanded to jail at midnight waking up the magistrate and preventing detailed interrogation which could expose those behind the attack. Fair investigation is killed before it begins,” the statement from Raj Bhavan read.

The statement was posted on X, formerly Twitter, tagging the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and Home Minister’s Office (HMO).

This statement came following a detailed press release by the official residence of Governor RN Ravi on 25 October, hours after the attack. It stated that “some miscreants armed with petrol bombs tried to barge into through the main gate no. 1 of the Raj Bhavan”.

“Even when security personnel of Raj Bhavan attempted to subdue the attacker, another petrol bomb was hurled, which resulted in severe damage to the main entrance to Raj Bhavan. Somehow, one of the assailants was overpowered by the Security,” the statement read.

The Raj Bhavan stated that a police complaint was filed to the Commission of Police, Greater Chennai Police, by the Deputy Secretary to the Governor and Comptroller requesting to register a case under section 124 IPC and other relevant provisions of the law.

Detailed press release by TN Raj Bhavan shared on X

It alleged that there have been threat attempts previously, too, “intended to overawe the Governor and restrain him from discharging his Constitutional duties. However, complaints lodged with the police have been inconsequential due to police inaction”.

Recalling an incident on 18th April 2022, the Raj Bhavan alleged in the statement that the Governor was physically attacked with sticks and stones while he was on his way to attend a scheduled function at the Dharmapuram Adhinam. “The complaint was lodged by Raj Bhavan, but the FIR was not registered and no action was taken against the assailants.”

In the complaint letter to the police which was attached with the press release, the Raj Bhavan stated that verbal attacks and threats to the Governor have been made mostly by leaders and workers of the DMK and its allies in their public meetings and through their social media.

Countering the charges, the Tamil Nadu DGP said that “Raj Bhavan’s statement that the petrol bomb exploded and that the petrol bombs were hurled by more than one person is totally contrary to the truth”.

“Also, a statement by the governor’s office that the governor’s convoy was attacked in Mayiladuthirai and the complaint given by the governor’s office and it’s not filed, are also against the truth. Actually, the governor’s convoy was not attacked but his follow-up vehicle was and a case was filed in that incident and 73 persons were arrested,” DGP Shankar Jiwal said.

Jiwal said that a fair and complete investigation will be conducted regarding the incident and that all footage from CCTV has been retrieved. The DGP, however, also said that the complaint that more than one person was involved was untrue.

On 25th October, a man reportedly hurled a petrol bomb outside the main gate of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai. Initial reports had said that two petrol bombs were hurled, which was later dismissed by the state police.

The police had filed a case against the accused, who was reportedly interrogated to determine the motive behind the attack. The accused was identified as a history sheeter named K Vinoth who was involved in an attack on Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters.

A case was reportedly registered against him under sections 436, 353, 506(ii) IPC, Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 4 of the TNPDL Act.

The controversy comes at a time when the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi have been at loggerheads over several administrative issues including MK Stalin government’s anti-NEET bill and appointments to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) in recent days.

Rahul Gandhi returns from a ‘mysterious trip’ to Uzbekistan: List of his secret ‘foreign trips’, meetings with anti-India elements and calls for foreign interference

Dibakar Dutta
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Rahul Gandhi returns from a ‘mysterious trip’ to Uzbekistan: List of his secret ‘foreign trips’, meetings with anti-India elements and calls for foreign interference

On Friday (27th October) morning, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi returned to India from yet another ‘secret trip’ abroad. The development comes just months ahead of crucial Vidhan Sabha elections in several States.

As per a report by ANI, Rahul Gandhi reached the Delhi International Airport from Uzbekistan on Friday morning. In a video shared by the news agency, the Congress MP could be seen exiting the airport and sitting in his convoy.

It is notable here that Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits are always shrouded in mystery. Besides political speculations, there is often little to no news about his foreign travels.

The Congress scion has a history of going on vacations without informing the public during election season or at times when his party needs him the most.

Rahul Gandhi and his secret trips

In April 2022, after poll strategist Prashant Kishor had rejected Congress’ offer to join the party, Rahul Gandhi became untraceable again. Reports mentioned that Gandhi went missing for over 10 days and had gone unreachable, leaving the party to act alone in action during the crisis.

Earlier in December 2021, the Wayanad MP had gone for a personal trip to Italy ahead of the campaigns and rallies for then-upcoming Assembly elections in five states scheduled for 2022. He had forced the party to postpone his already scheduled rally in Punjab and had flown to Italy for a ‘personal visit’.

Just before Diwali 2021, Rahul Gandhi vanished again, reportedly to London. On November 5 of that year, it was reported that Gandhi was on a ‘long vacation’.

He returned after almost a month, just before the winter session commenced in the Parliament. At that time, the BJP took a dig at Gandhi and questioned his trip to London.

In September 2021, while the Congress party in Punjab was facing a crisis with Amarinder Singh’s resignation, the Gandhi family was vacationing in Shimla.

In December 2020, he left for Italy on the 136th foundation day of his party. His party leaders could not settle on one explanation and further made themselves a target of media questions. 

In October 2019, fifteen days before the assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Gandhi had left, reportedly for Bangkok. In June of that year, before the counting of votes of the parliamentary elections, Rahul Gandhi skipped an important meeting held by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and flew to London for a holiday.

Congress scion left SPG cover behind for his ‘mysterious’ foreign trips

In November 2019, BJP leader Rajnath Singh quizzed Rahul Gandhi about his decision to not take Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel along with him on his foreign trips.

“In the last two years, Rahul Gandhi was out for 72 days on six foreign trips, but didn’t take SPG cover. Why didn’t he take SPG cover? We want to know what Rahul Gandhi is trying to hide by not taking SPG along on foreign tours when he is a SPG protectee,” he had inquired.

Such a deliberate move is reportedly a violation of the SPG Act. In light of repeated violations of security rules both in India and abroad, his SPG protection was revoked in 2019 and was provided Z+ CRPF security cover.

Rahul Gandhi and his meetings with anti-India elements abroad

Rahul Gandhi was on a 10-day USA tour, where he spoke at the National Press Club, Stanford University and also, to ‘think tanks’, allegedly discussing relations between India and USA.

The Hudson Institute tweeted images of Rahul Gandhi in deep conversation with these “think tanks”. Sunita Vishwanath was seated alongside Rahul Gandhi at this event at Hudson Institute. Sunita Vishwanath is the co-founder of HrHR, which has also signed this letter against Narendra Modi alongside IAMC.

Investigating Info-warfare and Psy-war OSINT Disinfo Lab had conducted an investigation revealing that the ‘Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)’ had been promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ event. 

As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by two Islamist advocacy groups named Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA).

As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019. 

According to Disinfo Lab, the co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, Sunita Vishwanath, also runs an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by the Soros Open Society Foundation. Earlier, OpIndia reported in detail how George Soros had been fuelling a dangerous anti-India narrative through media and ‘civil society.’

In September this year, Rahul Gandhi was seen with anti-India Italian leftist politician Fabio Massimo Castaldo. Fabio Massimo Castaldo is the person in a red tie seen on the extreme right in the second photograph of the X post by the Congress party’s official X handle.

Fabio Massimo Castaldo’s association with Pervaiz Iqbal Losar – an ISI asset in Europe – puts Rahul Gandhi’s intent to visit the European Parliament under suspicion. It is, therefore, necessary to know more about Fabio Massimo Castaldo and his alleged ISI friend Parvaiz Iqbal Losar.

Fabio Massimo Castaldo is a former member of the European Parliament. The Italian leftist politician is friends with Pervaiz Iqbal Loser who is a Europe asset of the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Fabio Castaldo with Rahul Gandhi

Loser has been working to peddle anti-India propaganda on the Kashmir issue and lobbying against India’s interests in Europe. One of the old X posts by Fabio Massimo Castaldo is a testimony to this. Rahul Gandhi also met MEP Pierre Larrouturou during his September trip.

MEP Pierre Larrouturou was one of the key figures behind the anti-India resolution passed in the EU parliament in July over the Manipur issue. In a long social media rant, Pierre Larrouturou even made it clear that the EU resolution was specifically timed to target PM Modi’s France visit.

Pierre Larrouturou, representing the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, took the lead in proposing the resolution titled ‘India, the situation in Manipur’.

Alviina Alametsa, who Rahul Gandhi met in Brussels, was also one of the MEPs who were behind the resolution. Alametsa has been a vocal anti-India campaigner in Europe.

In January this year, she participated in a discussion with Prashant Bhushan and Shahrukh Alam, hosted by The London Story, an organization that has been linked to ISI.

In July 2023, speaking in the EU plenary, Alametsa stated that external observers must be allowed into Manipur to ‘monitor’ the situation and bring a peaceful resolution. She claimed that the status of human rights and press freedom is deteriorating in India and called for interference in India’s internal affairs.

Alviina Alametsa has been relentless in her campaigning against India, writing columns, lobbying, and campaigning against Indian interests in the EU. In January 2021, she wrote an article in the EU Observer calling for EU’s support for interfering in the ‘human rights’ situation in India.

In her India-centric interactions and narrative, Alametsa has been using platforms to promote or support all anti-India voices, from Teesta Setalvad to Sanjiv Bhat, and Stan Swamy.

Congress scion called for ‘foreign interference in India’ during his trips abroad

The instances of Rahul Gandhi seeking ‘foreign help’ for his political gain in India are numerous. After losing election after election, failing to win the trust of the Indian people democratically, he has started declaring to global Leftists that India is a country deep in chaos, where democracy is declining and only he can restore it.

In April 2021, speaking at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, Gandhi insisted that the US government establishment should ‘say more’ about ‘what is happening in India.

In 2022, at the ‘Ideas for India’ conference in the United Kingdom, Rahul Gandhi had sought foreign intervention again. During his controversial address, Rahul Gandhi signaled his desire for foreign intervention two times.

The first one is during the mention of the Russia-Ukraine issue, and the second one is when he criticized Indian diplomats for being unwilling to take orders from Europeans. In the same conference, he had even compared Ladakh to Ukraine, insinuating that it needs a US intervention.

Gandhi has also spoken at the Cambridge University. The Open Society Foundations (OSF) of Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has been a member of the University of Cambridge’s Guild of Benefactors since 2013.

The same George Soros pledged USD 1 Billion to change the regime in India. His foundation provides post-graduate scholarships in “programmes that represent a long-term response to ongoing social and political transformations in the countries served.”

Soros has recently openly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani Group. Congress is also playing up the Adani controversy and their leaders, making people wonder if Congress is working in tandem with foreigners interested in regime change, with the 2024 general elections right around the corner.

As EC issues notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma over ‘communal’ statements against Congress leader, Biswa says Congress withheld material info from EC: What happened

OpIndia Staff
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As EC issues notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma over ‘communal’ statements against Congress leader, Biswa says Congress withheld material info from EC: What happened

On Friday (27th October) Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Congress party was deliberately withholding “material information” from the Election Commission. He also announced that legal action would be taken against Congress. This comes after the Election Commission issued a notice to Sarma on Thursday for allegedly making ‘communally charged’ statements and making unverified and distorted statements against a Congress leader in Chhattisgarh.

Taking to X, CM Sarma said that Congress did not inform the Election Commission that their candidate from Kawardha is a Muslim named Mohammed Akbar. He asserted that legitimate criticism of political opponents does not amount to communal politics.

“Congress has withheld the material information from the Hon’ble Election Commission that Mohammed Akbar is their candidate from Kawardha Constituency. Therefore, legitimate criticism of a candidate does not amount to communal politics. Cong will have to face the legal consequence of not revealing this crucial fact in their representation. I have full faith in the collection wisdom of the Hon’ble Election Commission,” Sarma posted.

The Assam CM made these comments in response to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who shared the Election Commission’s notice to CM Sarma in his X post and called him a “serial offender” accusing him of making “obnoxious hate speech” on 18th October in Chattisgarh.

“Yesterday, the Congress party brought to the attention of the Election Commission of India serious electoral malpractices by senior leaders of the party in power. The ECI has observed prima facie the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the Assam CM for his obnoxious hate speech on the 18th of October in Chhattisgarh. He is actually a serial offender,” Jairam Ramesh posted on Thursday.

“We hope that the ECI will follow through and take this case to its logical conclusion. Politicians, especially those holding Constitutional positions, cannot and should not be allowed to get away with such blatant violations of the Model Code of Conduct. It is the only way to stop the poisoning of our public discourse and protect the sanctity of our elections and democracy itself,” the Congress leader continued.

During a public rally on 18th October in poll-bound Chattisgarh’s Kawardha assembly constituency, BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “When one Akbar comes, he brings a hundred Akbars along with him. Don’t forget that. This is why you should say goodbye to such people otherwise they will malign the land of Maa Kaushalya.”

The Assam CM further lambasted the Congress party over the issues of love jihad and religious conversions. “Today the tribals of Chattisgarh are provoked and encouraged for religious conversion. And when you raise your voice against this, Bhupesh Baghel says we are secular.

“Love Jihad started during the Congress rule in the country. Tribals in Assam and Chhattisgarh are encouraged daily to get converted (to Christianity). When people raise voices against the act (in Chhattisgarh), Bhupesh Baghel says he is secular,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

“Is killing Hindus your concept of secularism? This country belongs to Hindus and it will continue to be of Hindus. Do not teach us the language of secularism. Building a masjid for Babar after demolishing the Ram temple is not called secularism” Sarma said, blasting the Congress party for its appeasement policies,” Sarma added.

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