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UK: Home Secretary Suella Braverman to quiz Metropolitan Police chief over his force’s defense of open calls for Jihad in Central London

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Home Secretary Suella Braverman to quiz Metropolitan Police chief over his force’s defense of open calls for Jihad in Central London

On 23rd October (Monday), United Kingdom (UK) Home Secretary Suella Braverman will sit for a meeting with Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley to discuss ways to counter growing anti-semitism in the country and the law and order situation. As per British media, during the scheduled meeting, Braverman will seek answers from Metropolitan Police Chief Rowley regarding the force’s decision not to arrest pro-Palestine protesters calling for “jihad” against Israel. 

A source close to the Home Secretary shared details regarding the scheduled meeting between the two. According to the source, Met Chief is expected to highlight problems in the existing laws that make it difficult – under both public order and terrorism legislation – to prosecute such calls for jihad. 

On her part, Suella Braverman would use the meeting to question the Met Chief regarding his views on his force’s response to Saturday’s incident, UK media reported citing the source. The Home Secretary would also emphasise that there is no place for incitement to hatred and direct the forces to crack down on such violators. 

The source said, “There can be no place for incitement to hatred or violence on Britain’s streets and, as the home secretary has made clear, the police are urged to crack down on anyone breaking the law.”

The Met Police defended the calls for Jihad against Israel saying Jihad has many meanings

Notably, the Metropolitan Police downplayed open calls for jihad which were raised by Hamas supporters in Central London during a protest on 21st October (Saturday). Instead of taking cognisance of the matter, the UK’s Metropolitan Police came out in defence of the Islamists and said that calls for jihad against Israel had nothing to do with terrorism.

In a contentious tweet, the Met Police said, “The word jihad has a number of meanings but we know the public will most commonly associate it with terrorism.” It added that they have specialist counter-terrorism officers who have domain knowledge. These officers assessed the video, filmed at the Hizb ut-Tahrir protest in central London, and did not identify any offences arising from the specific clip. 

The Met Police didn’t identify any offences in banners that referred to Islamic armies. It added that “jihad” has “a number of meanings” while “there are varying interpretations” of what “Muslim armies” can refer to.

Chants of Jihad at such protests amount to incitement to terrorist violence, says UK’s Immigration Minister

Speaking to LBC, UK’s Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick noted that the Met’s conclusion over the chants of “jihad” during a pro-Palestine protest in London was “surprising”. 

Jenrick asserted that the government would speak to the force about the protest led by Hizb ut-Tahrir that took place in Central London on Saturday, in addition to the main pro-Palestine protest, held the same day. 

Speaking to LBC’s Andrew Castle on 22nd October, Jenrick said, “I think a lot of people would find the Metropolitan Police analysis surprising and that’s something we intend to raise with them and to discuss this incident with them.”

He emphasised that the chants of Jihad are totally unacceptable and there can be no place for such slogans. He added that such chants in these protests are “an incitement to terrorist violence”. 

Jenrick further added, “I don’t think that there’s any place for chants of ‘jihad’ on the streets of Britain, I think that’s totally unacceptable. In the context that was said yesterday, from what I’ve seen, that is an incitement to terrorist violence.”

He, however, said that the ultimate decision rests with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service on whether to take action or not. 

On Saturday (21st October), the Metropolitan Police estimated that up to 100,000 people gathered in central London to show solidarity with Palestinian civilians. However, the chants of ‘Jihad’ against Israel were made in a separate protest on the same day. 

During the controversial protest, an Islamist was heard asking in viral videos, “What is the solution to liberate people from the concentration camp called Palestine?” The mob of Hamas supporters cheered in unison, “Jihad, Jihad, Jihad.”

Ex-New York Magazine reporter says he ‘overstated’ that Hamas beheaded Jewish babies, says he should have used ‘headless’ children instead

OpIndia Staff
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Ex-New York Magazine reporter says he ‘overstated’ that Hamas beheaded Jewish babies, says he should have used ‘headless’ children instead

On 22nd October, New York Magazine reporter Eric Levitz said he “overstated” that Hamas beheaded the Jewish babies. He further added that he should have said “found headless” instead.

He quoted a post on X detailing the Forensic Pathology Center’s findings about the Hamas’ atrocities on the people of Israel during the 7th October terrorist attack. The report quoted Dr Chen Kugel, head of the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, who said it was difficult to assert if the Hamas terrorists beheaded the babies or RPG blew off their heads.

Taking the report into consideration, Levitz wrote, “Last night, I asserted that this report indicated that babies were beheaded. This was an overstatement. I should have said that the report established that babies were found headless, a fact that lends plausibility to claims of beheading but which does not prove them.”

His statement blew up on social media as people saw it as an attempt to water down Hamas’ atrocities. Levitz then wrote a thread on X explaining what he “actually meant”. He claimed that his post was misunderstood as an apology for Hamas. He said it was not an apology for Hamas, but he tried highlighting the terrorist group’s violent actions. He expressed his so-called moral repulsion towards those who support Hamas within leftist circles.

He also addressed a controversy about whether Hamas beheaded infants, arguing that the method of killing was irrelevant as all such acts were morally reprehensible. He suggested a forensic report confirming beheadings but later corrected this, stating the report couldn’t determine this conclusively.

He claimed that his goal was to ensure accurate reporting and prevent misinformation that might downplay the severity of certain attacks. They stress that it’s essential to focus on the tragic loss of innocent lives and represent the forensic findings accurately.

However, in an attempt to explain himself, he further tied a knot around his narrative as it appeared as if he was emphasising that Hamas did not behead the babies during a terrorist attack in Israel. It was a fact that dead bodies, including babies, were found decapitated, mutilated, tied and burnt across the region where Hamas terrorists attacked. In the forensic findings report, the doctors categorically said they could not assert the reason behind the decapitation. However, in the end, the babies’ heads were separated from the torso, irrespective of how it happened.

Israel Hamas war

On 7th October, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through various means, overwhelming the Iron Dome with over 5,000 rockets in a matter of few minutes. They also abducted hostages and took them to Gaza. In a counterattack on Hamas by Israeli forces, thousands have been reportedly killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas attack has now surpassed 1,400, with over 3,300 injured, primarily civilians. Israel launched a major offensive against Hamas in Gaza, restricting power and water supply and blocking essential goods from entering the region. Over 400,000 Gaza residents were evacuated. India has launched its own Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel during this conflict.

Lawlessness in Bengaluru: Two-bike borne thieves smash the window of a parked BMW car, steal around 14 lakhs cash and flee; CCTV footage surfaces

OpIndia Staff
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Lawlessness in Bengaluru: Two-bike borne thieves smash the window of a parked BMW car, steal around 14 lakhs cash and flee; CCTV footage surfaces

On Monday, October 23, a video went viral on social media showing a broad daylight theft in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In an incident that happened on Friday, October 20, two bike-borne thieves smashed the window of a parked BMW car and stole Rs 13.75 lakh from inside the car.

The theft that happened in broad daylight, depicting the lack of fear of law and order in the Congress-ruled state, was captured by a surveillance camera, which has now gone viral on social media.

In the video, a man in a brown checked shirt and jeans is seen smashing the window of a BMW X5 car and gaining access while his accomplice, who appears in a white shirt, waits on a motorcycle. The miscreant who broke the window then slips into the car and takes out two bags containing the money. He then gets on the motorcycle and the duo then flee the scene with the money.

From the video, it appears as if the miscreants were aware of the cash lying in the car.

Surprisingly, on the other side of the car, you can see some locals standing only a few meters away from the car, waiting for public transport, but still nobody notices the robbery happening.

According to the Times Now, the incident reportedly took place near the sub-registrar’s office in Sompura, Sarjapur. The car belonged to Babu, a resident of Anekal Taluk in Bengaluru.

After the video of the incident went viral, a case was filed at the Sarjapur Police Station and the police are on the lookout for the accused.

BBC, which recently shared fake news about Gaza hospital attack, publishes a primer on how to spot disinformation on Israel-Hamas war

OpIndia Staff
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BBC, which recently shared fake news about Gaza hospital attack, publishes a primer on how to spot disinformation on Israel-Hamas war

On Sunday (22nd October), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is very well known for spreading disinformation, published a video sharing basic facts about how to spot disinformation on social media. The video said that after the terrorist organisation Hamas from Palestine attacked the Jewish state, several videos could be seen on social media that attempted to spread disinformation regarding the attack.

“The conflict between Israel and Gaza has been full of claims and counterclaims from both sides about what is happening on the ground. Those claims have been turbocharged by social media, which has been flooded with pictures and videos. There’s lots of misleading and false information, and conspiracy theories too,” said Marianna Spring who claims to be the disinformation and social media correspondent at BBC.

Interestingly, the BBC has been notorious for sharing fake information and fake news. In the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, BBC had spread misinformation by claiming that Israeli airstrike was responsible for the rocket attack at the Gaza hospital in which the initial reports claimed that around 500 people had died.

The BBC later admitted that one of its live air correspondents incorrectly suspected that the rocket attack on a Gaza hospital was the result of an Israeli airstrike.

“We accept that even in this fast-moving situation it was wrong to speculate in this way, although he did not at any point report that it was an Israeli strike,” the corporation wrote on its page amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

During early live reporting from Israel on what was reported to be a deadly explosion, BBC correspondent Jon Donnison speculated that Israel’s forces were to blame. He reported, “It’s hard to see what else this could be really, given the size of the explosion, other than an Israeli airstrike or several airstrikes.”

An independent evaluation has since established that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and struck the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. 

On 17th October, a rocket fell on a hospital in Gaza, resulting in immediate worldwide outrage. Hamas claimed an Israeli rocket fell on the hospital, killing 500 Palestinians. However, officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were quick to point out that this was not an Israeli airstrike but rather a misfired rocket from within Gaza. They revealed that Hamas was aware of the misfire, which occurred at around 6:59 PM local time on the same day as the attack on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza. Despite this knowledge, Hamas still launched a media campaign blaming Israel for the incident.

The IDF presented aerial photographs as evidence during a press briefing, showing that the damage was primarily concentrated outside the hospital, specifically in the parking lot. They also showcased pictures of the hospital’s scorched parking lot and explained that this damage was caused by the rocket’s impact and the large amount of rocket fuel present in the projectile when it fell short of its intended target.

The BBC has already been under fire for refusing to name Hamas as a terrorist organisation, despite the fact that it is marked as such by the UK, the US, the EU, and Israel. Earlier, the BBC had defended its stand on not calling Hamas a terrorist organisation saying that calling someone a terrorist would mean taking sides.

Since Hamas terrorists unleashed a wave of strikes along Israel’s border with Gaza on 7th October, thousands have been killed in Israel. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the BBC in London on October 16th evening, demanding that the corporation name Hamas as terrorists.

“Holocaust denial-like phenomenon”: Israel to screen footage retrieved from body cams of Hamas terrorists to combat 7th October attack denial

OpIndia Staff
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“Holocaust denial-like phenomenon”: Israel to screen footage retrieved from body cams of Hamas terrorists to combat 7th October attack denial

7th October denial is the new Holocaust denial, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy announced in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Levy said that the world is witnessing a Holocaust denial-like phenomenon unfolding in real time.

In view of the same, Israel has begun to screen raw and unedited footage of Hamas’ terrorist attack which was obtained from the body cams of the terrorists who were eliminated by the Israeli forces following the attack. The footage is being released in a bid to counter the 7th October attack denial and will be shared with foreign media.

He said, “Since the October 7th massacre the IDF has been collecting footage from body cams taken by the Hamas death squads as they rampaged through the communities in southern Israel butchering everyone in sight. Now, unfortunately, and I can’t believe I am saying this and I can’t believe that we as a country are having to do this as we work to defeat the terror organisation that brutalised our people, we are witnessing a Holocaust denial-like phenomenon evolving in real-time, as people are casting doubt on the magnitude of the atrocities that Hamas committed against our people and, in fact, recorded in order to glorify that violence.”

“Therefore tomorrow, the Government Press Office will screen for foreign media gruesome and as yet unseen footage of the barbarities perpetrated against our people on October 7th. This is footage that has not been made public. It will screen a compilation of raw and unedited footage from the October 7th massacre for journalists who can stomach the horrific truth and want to report on what they saw,” the Israeli government spokesperson said.

Levy was quoted by The Telegraph as saying, “People are casting doubt on the magnitude of the atrocities that Hamas committed against our people and, in fact, recorded in order to glorify that violence.”

The decision by the Israeli government to screen the raw footage of the massacre by Hamas comes in the wake of several prominent personalities as well as global organisations putting the onus of a ceasefire on Israel even as it lost more than 1,400 of its people to the 7th October carnage; more than 200 people are still missing.

So-called climate activist Greta Thunberg has called on Israel to ceasefire and has declared her solidarity with Gaza and Palestine. In a counter to the same, a video was released by Eylon Levy showing footage from the brutal attacks on Israeli homes and families by Hamas with a voiceover of Thunberg’s famous “How dare you?” speech.

Protests by terrorist sympathisers across several countries have normalised anti-semitic hatred and demonstrations including in the West. Parallely, several media groups and international institutions including the UN that have been calling for a ceasefire have encouraged critics of Israel to downplay the 7th October attacks on Israel.

Social media and mainstream media channels are raging with debates about the proportion of civilians killed in Gaza in Israel’s retaliation to Hamas. In doing so, the terrorist group is getting a free pass while it uses civilians as human shields and continues to use residential infrastructure to attack Israel.

Despite getting snubbed by Congress, SP continues to build castles in the air: puts up posters showing Akhilesh as I.N.D.I. Alliance’s PM face

OpIndia Staff
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Despite getting snubbed by Congress, SP continues to build castles in the air: puts up posters showing Akhilesh as I.N.D.I. Alliance’s PM face

Even after being openly humiliated by the Congress party, the Samajwadi Party is still optimistic that the I.N.D.I. bloc will agree to choose Akhilesh Yadav to represent them as their candidate for prime minister for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. This was evident by the numerous posters that have emerged in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow showing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the future prime minister of India.

The posters were put up outside the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow by the party workers.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand said that while Akhilesh Yadav’s birthday is on July 1, party workers celebrate his birthday multiple times to express their love and respect. “Today, some party leaders and workers are celebrating his birthday and are praying that Akhilesh Yadav becomes the PM of the country and serves the people…” he added.

The BJP, meanwhile, retorted to the development by asserting that everyone has the right to dream. “There is a saying, ‘Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne’. Nobody can stop anyone from daydreaming. But one should dream as per one’s capability. Under PM Modi’s leadership, our country is going ahead on the path of development. People of the country trust PM Modi and the country will definitely elect PM Modi as the PM for the third time,” said BJP leader and Minister in the UP Government Danish Azad Ansari.

Akhilesh Yadav warns about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with SP in MP polls

The posters have come at a time when the rift between the Congress party and Samajwadi Party, the two most important members of the I.N.D.I. bloc, an unholy nexus of 28 political parties formed solely with the aim to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, is at its peak, with Akhilesh Yadav warning about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with them in Madhya Pradesh polls.

Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party and a key figure in the I.N.D.I. alliance, recently said that he would not have gone to any meetings if he had known that there was no state-level cooperation between his party and the Congress. The rage surfaced after his party was utterly disregarded in the impending Madhya Pradesh assembly election, which is set to take place next month. Never mind the promised six seats, the Samajwadi Party was not even assigned a single seat, leaving Akhilesh Yadav belittled and infuriated.

He noted, “A former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh asked us about our performance in the state. We told him how many seats we had won and when as well as in which seats we stood at number two. We had a comprehensive discussion. They woke up Samajwadi Party leaders even at 1 a.m. They assured us six seats. However, when the lists were announced, there were zero seats for the Samajwadi Party.”

Angered by the betrayal by the Congress party, the Samajwadi Party announced to contest the elections on its own and has fielded its candidates in as many as 31 seats.

The two parties have been in strife for the past few days, particularly since Ajay Rai, the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress requested the Samajwadi Party to withdraw from Madhya Pradesh as it “did not have a base” there. He claimed that the battle had always been between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. He added insult to injury and pointed out that the party won only one seat in 2018 and that its sole MLA in the state assembly had later switched to the latter.

Rift within I.N.D.I. Alliance

Not only Congress and Samajwadi Party but several other members of the I.N.D.I. alliance have been at loggerheads since they forged a united front with the sole aim of defeating BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Both in Delhi and Punjab, the Congress Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are at odds with one another. Their leaders frequently engage in personal attacks on one another.

In West Bengal, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress are at odds, with WB CM Mamata Banerjee, a significant alliance proponent, accusing the Bengal Congress of being too lenient towards the BJP. 

Nitish Kumar, another key player in the alliance, also seems unhappy with the arrangement, as he reportedly feels that he has not been given a significant role.

Another setback for the I.N.D.I alliance came when the CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri emphatically dismissed any coalition with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The left parties declared their intention to take on both the TMC and the BJP. This emphasized the bitter ideological struggle and ongoing conflict between the left and TMC in Bengal, making any potential alliance implausible.

Given the level of hostility and animosity the so-called allies have for one another, it is improbable that the I.N.D.I Alliance can come up with a viable challenge to the current ruling dispensation.

Pinarayi Vijayan-led Communist government to create a microsite on ‘Islam in Kerala’ to attract tourists

OpIndia Staff
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Pinarayi Vijayan-led Communist government to create a microsite on ‘Islam in Kerala’ to attract tourists

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Communist government in Kerala will soon create a microsite on ‘Islam in Kerala’ to promote tourism in the state, as reported by The Hindu on 21st October (Saturday). The microsite will be a promotional digital production that will trace the roots of Islam in Kerala.

To showcase the socio-cultural evolution of Islam in Kerala, the Minister for Public Works & Tourism Kerala, P. A. Mohammed Riyas has sanctioned Rs 93.8 lakh for this digital production.

A senior officer with Kerala Tourism stated that Islam boasts a rich history, culture, and tradition in Kerala which dates back to the 7th century. The digital production will shed light on the early years of Islam in Kerala. It will cover subjects like mosques, architecture, lifestyle, culture, art forms, and festivals.

According to the officer, as part of state tourism promotion, they will gather all information about the Islamic influence that shaped Kerala in one place. This will attract religious scholars and historians to the state. 

The officer further said, “There is a need to bring together all the information on Islam, which played an important role in shaping Kerala, under one roof, as part of tourism promotion. This will help tourists and play a major role in bringing religious scholars, historians, students, and pilgrims to Kerala.” 

Microsite to cover the saga of Islam in six chapters

The microsite ‘Islam in Kerala’ will shed light on Islam in the state through six chapters. The aim of the microsite is to showcase it to international and domestic tourists.  

As per the details of the project, the first chapter will cover the ‘History of Islam in Kerala’. It will have details regarding how Islam entrenched its roots in Kerala through traders and their first settlement along the Malabar coast. 

In Chapter Two, the microsite will cover the Islamic pilgrimage centres in the state, spanning from Beemapally in Thiruvananthapuram to Juma Masjid in Kasaragod.

It will feature a range of ancient mosques that are pilgrim centres in the state. These include the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur, Jama-at Mosque in Malappuram, Mishkal Mosque in Kozhikode, Odathil Palli in Thalassery, Palayam Mosque in Thiruvananthapuram, Ponnani Juma Masjid, Pazhayangadi Mosque in Kondotty and Vavar Mosque in Erumely.

The microsite’s Chapter Three will cover the culinary skills of Muslims. This will include the Mappila cuisine, a blend of traditional Kerala, Persian, Yemeni, and Arabian food cultures. 

The fourth chapter will focus on the community’s lifestyle, highlighting the costumes worn during weddings, pre-wedding, and post-wedding ceremonies, which could attract tourists.

In Chapter Five focused on architecture, the communist government wants to showcase the ‘blend’ of the Arabian tradition with the indigenous construction techniques in Kerala.

The sixth and final chapter will deal with art forms and festivals of Muslims in Kerala. This will reportedly include the influence of Mappila songs which are popular folklore that emerged in the 16th century. 

As per the Hindu report, Kerala Tourism earlier created similar microsites on Christianity, Judaism, and temples in Kerala.

Kerala Tourist Minister accused of reinforcing myth as history

However, the Kerala Tourist Minister Mohammed Riyas is being accused of trying to establish several myths as history in the garb of this microsite on Islam.

Following the reports on the microsite, Islam in Kerala, Author J Nandakumar who is currently the National Convenor of Prajna Pravah, launched a scathing attack on the Tourist minister accusing him of fabricating history.  

Taking to X, Nandakumar wrote, “They claim the Islamic history of Kerala dates back to the 7th century, a myth fabricated around a Masjid which was actually built in the 14th century.” 

He added, “The proposed govt project (microsite on Islam) seems to be aimed at establishing 3 myths as history: First – Conversion of Cheraman Perumal. Second – Cheraman (Juma) Masjid as the 7th-century structure. Third – Islam in Kerala is as old as Arabian Islam.” 

Notably, Prajna Pravah is an intellectual movement rooted in Bharatiya ethos and traditions and is a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated organisation. 

Based on architectural style and many historical records, Scholars claim Cheraman Masjid could have been constructed in the 14th Century

According to several myths, it is claimed that the Cheraman Masjid was built in the 7th Century. However, many scholars have disputed this and have dated the structure to the 14th-15th century based on the architectural style.

As per the Cheramanmosque website, Cheraman Perumal, the reigning King of Kerala,  (Kodungallur as its capital) converted to Islam in the later phase of his life. 

Before dying, he wrote letters to local rulers of Malabar and gave them to his friends. Later, when Malik Bin Dinar and his companions reached Kodungallur, they handed over the letters to the ruling chieftains. 

Subsequently, they were given permission to construct mosques in different places. The first mosque in India was thus constructed at Kodungallur and Malik Bin Dinar himself was the first Ghazi of this “Cheraman Masjid”.

According to the mosque’s website, the early history of Kerala is a bundle of myths and legends. The intense dynastic struggle that existed then, culminated in the election of a ruler called Perumals. The political scene in Kerala is clearer only after the abdication of the last of the Perumals, Cheraman Perumal.

On the behest of letters of Cheraman Perumal (reigning King of Kerala who converted to Islam), this mosque at Kodungallur is the first to be established. 

The website adds that Kerala Vyasan Kunhikuttan Thampuran (1864-1913) is of the opinion that a defunct Buddha vihar was handed over to the nascent Muslims to establish a mosque there. It is believed that the mosque was first renovated or reconstructed sometime in the 11th Century AD and later again 300 years ago, the website added. The last renovation was done in 1974. 

For all these regions, several scholars have asserted that it is a myth that Cheraman Masjid could be a 7th-century structure which is being alleged that the Kerala Tourist Minister is doing in the garb of microsite, ‘Islam in Kerala’. 

Former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, who was part of India’s spin quartet, passes away at 77

OpIndia Staff
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Former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, who was part of India’s spin quartet, passes away at 77

Former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, who captained the Indian side in 20 Test matches, passed away on Monday (23rd October) at the age of 77.

Born on September 25, 1946, in Amritsar, he went to play 67 Tests for India during a 12-year-stint between 1967 and 1979. He took 266 wickets in Test matches. Bedi also took a whopping 1560 wickets in 370 First Class matches.

Bedi also played 10 ODI matches and took 7 wickets. He was part of India’s spin quartet along with Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar and S. Venkataraghavan.

Congress – a divided house: Congress workers protest in front of Kamal Nath’s residence demanding some candidates be changed for upcoming MP elections

ANI
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Congress – a divided house: Congress workers protest in front of Kamal Nath’s residence demanding some candidates be changed for upcoming MP elections

Rebellion in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress continues with several ticket hopefuls protesting against the ticket allotment by the party. 

Congress workers on Monday protested outside the residence of former CM and party’s State chief Kamal Nath in Bhopal demanding the candidates declared for Narmadapuram, Seoni Malwa and Rampur Baghelan assembly seats be changed. 

The workers also claimed that if the candidates were not changed then Congress would have to face a big defeat in the upcoming polls. 

A party worker Omkar Chaudhary told ANI, “Don’t consider this a protest. We are all the workers of Congress and belong to Congress ideology. Going by the manner in which tickets have been distributed, they have chosen the wrong candidates. The party has given a ticket to Girja Shankar Sharma from Narmadapuram seat and the entire district is protesting it as it is being seen from the point of view of familism.” 

Girja Shankar Sharma’s brother Sitasaran Sharam is contesting from the same seat on Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ticket. Both brothers are contesting against each other and the people of the entire constituency are against their (Sharma) family. No one is in support of them. Girja Shankar himself recently joined Congress after leaving the BJP, Chaudhary said. 

“The senior leaders of the Congress party have visited the assembly and at that time it was said that the survey for the ticket will be conducted in view of the ground leader. If the section was to be done on the basis of survey then we think that the name of Chandra Gopal Malaiya should be in it because he has dedicated his entire life for the party. Now, we demand that the candidate should be changed,” he added. 
On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez reacted to the protest and said that the party was ready to hear the objections of the workers and leaders. 

“The ticket distribution has been done on the basis of a survey and with complete transparency. Those who have been liked by the public and workers have been given tickets. If any worker or leader has any objection to the ticket distribution, then in such circumstances the party is always ready to listen to their objections,” Hafeez added. 

Madhya Pradesh will go to the assembly polls on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

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

The Hindu continues to peddle the North-South divide based on lies peddled by Communist Party leader and JNU prof: 15th Finance Commission report and the truth

S. Sudhir Kumar
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The Hindu continues to peddle the North-South divide based on lies peddled by Communist Party leader and JNU prof: 15th Finance Commission report and the truth

Just about 15 days back, The Hindu published an article on an imaginary North-South divide and we had given a detailed rebuttal to it. In the conclusion of that article, we had written that “It is tiresome to listen to their repeated lies but then it is also important to repeatedly counter their lies too.”

Looks like someone at The Hindu took this conclusion seriously and wanted to test if we would really repeatedly counter their repeated lies! And so, on the exact same topic, they publish yet another tripe on October 20th.  This time, they interview two known suspects – one is a former Finance minister from the Communist party (Thomas Issac) and another is a former professor from JNU (Balveer Arora). 

Thomas Issafc, who sadly was a Finance Minister once, opens his argument with an outright lie – that there are only two criteria defined by the Finance Commission on how to devolve funds to the States. 

We have repeatedly busted this lie but there just seems to be no end to the freedom that The Hindu and their ilk provide to these serial liars. The 15th Finance Commission has the following 6 criteria on which it decides how best to devolve the funds to the states in India. 

Income Distance and Population from the 2011 census are just 2 of those criteria. States that have done well on Forest and Ecology, Demographic performance and Tax Effort actually get rewarded better by the 15th Finance Commission – which is basically the key demand of these folks! It is intriguing to see this ilk assume that the people of this country will not have access to such basic information, and therefore they can simply publish lies and get away with it. 

The opening argument of the other interviewee, Balveer Aurora, is even more hilarious. In his infinite wisdom, he says – “if the population basis is being shifted from 1971 to a new figure, the weightage of the population can be adjusted. It is not written in stone that it has to remain the same”. 

Guess what – the weightage to the population in the 13th FC report was 25%. That report used the 1971 census as a reference (Yes, even for the period 2010 to 2015, we used the 1971 census as a reference!). The weightage to the population in the 15th FC report was 15%. That report used the 2011 census as a reference (Finally, the much-needed correction was made). So, when the population basis was shifted from 1971 to 2011, the weightage given only to the population had already been adjusted from 25% to 15%. How does the former Professor from a reputed university like JNU miss such basic information before making such banal arguments? 

After years of providing a platform for such hate mongers, The Hindu decides for the first time that they will ask a factual question on this subject – and hence pose the question to Thomas Issac:

Thomas Issac goes on a verbal tirade that doesn’t answer the question. He continues to claim that “Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu” are at a loss. This argument that states are at a “loss” has been made by politicians from other states too. KCR’s son, KTR, for example, claims that while Telangana paid 3.68 lakh crores to the central government, it only got back 1.68 lakh crores in return. He went to the extent of calling everyone who countered this fallacious argument “ignoramuses”. 

This set me thinking. In this particular example, the INR 3.68 lakh crores is the amount that people of India, specifically residing in Telangana, have paid as Tax directly to the Government of India. From this amount, a total of 1.78 lakh crore rupees have been transferred to the Government of Telangana, by the Government of India. KTR makes it sound like 3.68 lakh crores is the tax paid by the government of Telangana to the government of India. Thomas Issac also sounds similar in his arguments.

Let’s for a moment just buy this argument. If Telangana paid 3.68 lakh crores to the Government of India, how come only 1.78 lakh crores have come back to the government? Because this amount does not include the 1.08 lakh crore spent directly by GoI on roads in Telangana alone. It does not include the 1.58 lakh crore spent directly by GoI on procuring Paddy and Cotton from Telangana alone. It does not include the nearly 1 lakh crore spent on Infrastructure such as railways, power, energy, irrigation etc for Telangana alone. It does not include thousands of crores spent on welfare scheme beneficiaries in Telangana alone. A rough calculation pegs this amount to about 8.3 lakh crores! 

Am sure such similar numbers exist for Kerala too. The reason so many numbers for Telangana are known is that Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy released a detailed 320 slide presentation with all these numbers to counter the baseless arguments of KCR and his family. The moot point is that these divisive politicians and media are framing the debate in terms of a balance sheet of money alone. And in the garb of making an argument, they are simply falling back on the same lies again and again. 

The Hindu has been at the forefront of spreading these lies. Pompous editorials and Op-Eds questioning even the “constitutional propriety” of the 15th FC began back in 2018. In fact, this particular article even made the argument that the terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission could have been silent on which population census to use. The Wire started this lie. The Business Standard picked it up. Not to be left behind, Shekhar Gupta called North India a tax burden on South India. The Hindu has been running it ever since. Divisive politicians have been using these lies to propagate their own agenda. How many more times will The Hindu continue to publish the same lies? 

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