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Israel-Hamas War: 12-year-old Israeli autistic Harry Potter fan found dead, JK Rowling had posted her plight on social media after Hamas abducted her

OpIndia Staff
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Israel-Hamas War: 12-year-old Israeli autistic Harry Potter fan found dead, JK Rowling had posted her plight on social media after Hamas abducted her

The Israeli authorities confirmed on Wednesday, 18 October, that the dead bodies of the 12-year-old Israeli girl Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother, who were kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists, have been recovered. According to Israeli news sources, their bodies were found burned near the Israel-Gaza border fence by workers for the ZAKA Search and Rescue organisation.

Noya Dan’s ordeal gained international attention after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling had posted about her abduction. The terrorists reportedly kidnapped Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother during the 7 October attack on civilians in the Jewish state.

The Israeli government verified that the autistic girl was killed alongside her granny Carmela Dan. They expressed gratitude to those “who shared her story to help us bring her home” and added that “our hearts are broken.”

The minor’s photograph, which showcased her in a costume like a character from the popular Harry Potter series was released by the Israeli administration which called her “sensitive, kind and funny.” Following their appeal for international assistance to free her from Hamas’ custody, the renowned author JK Rowling tweeted the story and vehemently denounced the Palestinian terror organisation for targeting kids.

She remarked that her “picture has hit home with me”. She termed the action of abducting kids as “despicable and wholly unjustifiable.” She hoped, “May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families.”

Noya became the face of Israel’s despair after the Harry Potter author commented on the post. However, all the attempts to return her home by the Israeli government were unsuccessful.

Following her death, Noya’s family shared a heart-wrenching video footage where the 12-year-old can be seen singing with her mother. The footage is from just a month before she was killed. 

The background of the gut-wrenching incident

On the fateful day of the assault, Noya, her grandmother and three other family members named Erez Kalderon, Sahar Kalderon and Ofer Kalderon were taken from a Jewish settlement. The elderly matriarch of the Kalderon-Dan family who had been residing in Kibbutz Nir Oz close to the country’s border with Gaza was being visited by Noya Dan. Hamas kidnapped the five people and brought them to Gaza.

Noya Dan with her grandmother. (Source: India Today) 

A video that surfaced showing 11-year-old Erez being dragged away by Hamas infiltrators confirmed that they had been held prisoner, according to Abbey Onn, another member of the family who has been trying to track down her five relatives. When the assailants stormed inside their place, Noya’s mother had shared an agonising farewell conversation with her. “Mummy, I’m scared. There are people in the house, help me.” She begged the woman over the phone and it turned out to be their last chat.

“Carmela is an avid cook, gardener and compassionate caregiver. Together with her late husband, she has dedicated years to selflessly facilitating medical care for Palestinians from Gaza in Israel. With age, she has suffered from heart problems and the onset of dementia. Noya, who loves Harry Potter, is a bright young girl on the autism spectrum, sensitive to noise, light and touch,” Abbey Onn wrote in The Hill on 18 October. Ofer was Carmelia’s son, and Erez and Sahar were her grandchildren. The whereabouts of these three individuals are still not known.

With the intention of using them as negotiating chips to secure the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, Hamas took about 200 Israelis as captives including women, men, babies and the elderly. Tragically, several of them have already passed away while in custody, making this Israel’s largest hostage crisis to date.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suddenly springs to condemn Hamas terror attack after Sharad Pawar criticised PM Modi for standing with Israel

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suddenly springs to condemn Hamas terror attack after Sharad Pawar criticised PM Modi for standing with Israel

Almost two weeks after the horrific terror attack by Hamas on Israel, the Congress party has finally condemned the attack, after initially expressing support for Palestine. On Thursday, 19 October, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi issued an official statement on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas for the first time after two weeks following the gruesome terror attack on the Israelis by Hamas assailants. He while denouncing violence also stated that it is a crime against humanity to kill innocent civilians in Gaza and to cut off their access to food, water and electricity.

Notably, the Congress Party had already announced its support for Palestine. On 9 October, its members declared their sympathies with the Palestinian people, just one day after General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who oversees communications, ‘condemned’ the savage attacks carried out by the terror group against the Jewish state. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) raised worry about the critical situation and called for a truce in a resolution that was passed as well as endorsed the rights of the Palestinian people.

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi’s direct condemnation of Hamas comes after I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Sharad Pawar was widely criticised by the BJP for his comments on the issue, asking the Indian govt to take the side of Palestinians. National Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar asserted India’s unwavering support for Palestine during a speech to party workers in Mumbai on 15 October and claimed that previous Indian prime ministers “stood firmly with Palestine.” He charged Israel as an ‘oppressor’ and responsible for the current state of affairs. The politician alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was wrong to support the victim nation following one of the deadliest terrorist assaults in recent memory which took the lives of over 1,300 innocent Israelis.

He argued, “We want peace in the world. Now, there is a war going on between Israel and Palestine. The entire land is of Palestine and Israel encroached on their land. That place, land and houses, everything was of Palestine and later Israel took over it. Israel is an outsider and the land is originally of Palestine. After encroachment, Israel was formed.”

He further continued, “We want peace in the world. Now, there is a war going on between Israel and Palestine. The entire land is of Palestine and Israel encroached on their land. That place, land and houses, everything was of Palestine and later Israel took over it. Israel is an outsider and the land is originally of Palestine. After encroachment, Israel was formed.”

The NCP chief lamented, “It is very unfortunate that for the first time, our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) stood with Israel, leaving the real issue over there. He neglected the real issue. We should be clear about our stand. The stand of the NCP should be clear. We stand by the people who originally belonged to that land.”

His was slammed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal who referred to his comments as ‘preposterous.’ He posted, “It is very disturbing when a senior leader like Sharad Pawar makes preposterous statements on India’s stand on a terror attack in Israel. The menace of terrorism has to be condemned in all forms, in any part of the world. It is a pity that a person who has been India’s Defence Minister as well as a Chief Minister many times has such a casual view of issues relating to terror.”

On 17 October a number of prominent figures in the Indian Opposition including Congress leader Mani Shankar Iyer, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha, Communist Party of India leader D Raja, Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali along with others lambasted Israel for its action after the terror act perpetrated by Hamas.

“The international community must exert pressure on the state of Israel to abide by International laws and respect the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. We call for intensified diplomatic efforts and multilateral initiatives to ensure a lasting peace in the region,” they claimed in a press resolution.

It further read, “We urge an immediate cessation of all hostilities to prevent further loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. Furthermore, we call for urgent and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”

Importantly, the Indian government firmly sided with Israel in the aftermath of the assault. “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” wrote PM Modi on his official X account.

He had a telephone conversation with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed his support to the people of Israel. He posted, “I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. The people of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

Three Palestinian terrorist leaders Jehad Mheisen, Rafat Abu Hilal and Jamila al-Shanti eliminated in airstrikes by Israel, read details

OpIndia Staff
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Three Palestinian terrorist leaders Jehad Mheisen, Rafat Abu Hilal and Jamila al-Shanti eliminated in airstrikes by Israel, read details

Senior Hamas leader Jehad Mheisen was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday, 19th October, during the ongoing bombing of Hamas sites in Gaza. The attack took place in Gaza’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, eliminating Mheisen as well as several other close aides of the terrorist including some family members.

Palestinian media outlet Jerusalem News Network stated, “Major General Jehad Mheisen, Commander of the Palestinian National Security Forces in the Gaza Strip, and his family were killed by the bombing of his house inside the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood.”

Other Islamic terrorists killed today

The Israeli Defence forces have eliminated many more terrorist leaders from Hamas and other terrorist organisations. Among others reportedly killed on Thursday 19th October are Rafat Abu Hilal and Jamila al-Shanti.

Rafat Abu Hilal was the head of the military wing of Gaza’s Popular Resistance Committees terror group, the third-largest terror faction in the Gaza Strip after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Jamila al-Shanti was the widow of Hamas co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi.

With the killing of Al-Shanti, there are now four members of the political bureau of Hamas who have been shot by Israeli airstrikes since the Hamas assault on 7th October that sparked the conflict.

On 10th October, the terrorist organisation’s internal relations head Zakariya Abu Moammar and financial manager Jawad Abu Shamala were both killed. On 16th October, Osama Mazini, a former member of the Shura Council and minister of education for Hamas, was shot.

Other Islamic terrorists eliminated by Israel so far in this war

On 17th October (Tuesday), the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on a home that reportedly belonged to the family of Hamas Chairman Ismail Haniyeh, who currently lives in Qatar. 14 members of his family were eliminated in the strike. On the same day, an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip eliminated the head of Hamas’s Central Gaza Brigade, Ayman Nofal

The head of Hamas’s Air Force Murad Abu Murad was killed in the Israeli airstrike on 14th October. On the same day, the Israeli Air Force eliminated a top Hamas terrorist named Ali Qadi, who led the mass killing of Israeli civilians during the terror attack on 7th October.

Islamic terrorists’ anti-Israel propaganda regarding an explosion at a hospital busted

Amidst the ongoing violence, reports of a devastating explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip emerged. Palestinians and several Arab countries, including Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, were quick to point fingers at Israel, accusing them of deliberately targeting the medical facility.

Media houses like Al Jazeera, the Iranian channel Press TV, and the likes of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair ran propaganda being pushed by Hamas, claiming it was an Israeli rocket. Later, multiple proofs appeared making it clear that Israel did not attack the hospital. It was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by an Iran-backed terrorist organisation, Islamic Jihad, that operates from Gaza.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, now in its 13th day, has taken a heavy toll on the region. The death toll has climbed to nearly 5,000 people, with many more injured on both sides. On 7th October, Hamas terrorists entered Israel using motor gliders, boats, and trucks, targeting civilians and Israeli soldiers.

Since then, Hamas has taken over 300 people hostage. In response, Israel has launched counterattacks on the Islamic terrorists, vowing to dismantle their infrastructure.

Hamas used North Korean rocket launchers during the terror attack on Israel: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Hamas used North Korean rocket launchers during the terror attack on Israel: Report

Even though North Korea earlier denied that it sold arms to terrorist organisations like Hamas, it has come to light that Hamas might have used North Korean weapons during its brutal attack on Israel on 7th October.

The F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon employed by Hamas against armoured vehicles, is one of the weapons at the forefront of the war against Israel. Two specialists on North Korean armaments and South Korean military intelligence confirmed a video of Hamas terrorists using the F-7 rocket launcher. The Associated Press also investigated weaponry found on the battlefield.

According to an AP report, these rocket launchers shoot a single warhead and can be swiftly reloaded, making them useful weapons for minuscule militias and guerrilla forces battling heavy vehicles.

“It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas,” said Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who wrote a guide to North Korea’s light weapons.

Apart from the F-7 rocket launcher, Hamas propaganda videos and images show its terrorists armed with North Korea’s Bulsae guided anti-tank missile.

According to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services, Hamas also deployed North Korea’s Type 58 self-loading rifle, a derivative of the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

“North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies,” Jenzen-Jones said.

The Associated Press report states that they analysed a Hamas video that showed one terrorist holding the F-7 with a visible red stripe. The red stripe and other aesthetic aspects resembling the F-7 were also present in weapons recovered by the Israeli military and exhibited to journalists.

During a press conference Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically mentioned the F-7 as one of the North Korean weapons they suspect Hamas utilised in the attack.

The Israeli military refused to identify the source and maker of the rocket-propelled grenades, citing the continuing conflict with Hamas. According to Jenzen-Jones, the F-7 has been photographed in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip.

Notably, Pyongyang last week rejected claims that it was supplying Hamas with weaponry as a “groundless and false rumour” spread by the US.

“It is nothing but a bid to shift the blame for the Middle East crisis caused by (the United States’) wrong hegemonic policy onto a third country and thus evade the international criticism focused on the empire of evil,” North Korea said.

It could have injured my eye: Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan reveals he was hit with an iron nail by the crowd in Peshawar in 2006

OpIndia Staff
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It could have injured my eye: Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan reveals he was hit with an iron nail by the crowd in Peshawar in 2006

On Friday (19th October), former Indian cricketer turned Commentator and Cricket Analyst Irfan Pathan revealed that he was attacked with an iron nail by a Pakistani fan in Pakistan’s Peshawar. He revealed this while commenting on the India-Bangladesh World Cup match today. He said that years ago when the Indian Cricket team had been to Peshawar, one of the Pakistani fans threw an iron nail at him which could have damaged his eyes.

Irfan made these revelations amid the ongoing India-Bangladesh Asia World Cup match in Pune. This is after his co-commentator asked him about his opinion about the off-field controversy that Pakistan Cricket team’s management has raked after the recent India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad.

“Does off-field controversy impact team performance or their morale?” the co-commentator asked to which Irfan replied saying that he was in a Peshawar match where he was performing well, and Team India was performing well. Then one Pakistani fan threw a keel (iron nail) at him and it hit his face.

He said, “Peshawar me ham khelne gaye the, tab ek Pakistani fan ne meri aankh k niche keel mardi thi. Lekin hamne iss baat ka batangad ni banaya. Dus minute game ruki, sab aye, aur uske baad hum sabne decide kiya ki achcha tour chal raha hai, chalne dete hai.” (We were playing a game in Peshawar, when a fan threw a nail at me, which struck me under my eye. I could have gotten seriously injured. The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it as we were playing good cricket).

Irfan Pathan said, “The attack barely missed my eye and it could have damaged my eye. The match was discontinued for almost 10 minutes but the Indian team management didn’t escalate it. We yet praised their hospitality. I never talked about it. We thought it was important to maintain peace and then why pay so much attention to what one of the fans has done. I could have lost my eye. But I never discussed it,” Pathan could be heard saying.

He then added that Pakistan should stop making issues of crowd behaviour in India.

This comes days after some Pakistani social media trolls said that Ahmedabad was unfit to host an ICC World Cup match because the spectators did not exhibit sportsmanlike qualities and ‘criticized’ a few Pakistani players during the match with their chants and gestures. That being said, the image trolls on social media have created is not at all accurate.

Irfan Khan was talking about the India-Pakistan match in Peshawar in Pakistan on 6 February 2006. India had scored 328 runs in 49.4 overs, but when Pakistan was batting, the match was cut short by 3 overs due to bad light. Pakistan won the match by scoring 311 runs as per the Duckworth-Lewis method. During the Pakistani innings, the match was interrupted by unruly behaviour by the crowd. A record of the match by ESPNCricInfo shows that when Pakistan was at 179/1 after 30 over, there was a crowd interruption.

Sachin Tendulkar had scored 100 in the match, while Salman Butt had scored 101. Batting at 3rd, Irfan Pathan had made 65 runs after the early exit of Virender Sehwag. While Pathan didn’t take any wicket in his 10 overs of bowling, he had given just 52 runs in the high-scoring match.

Apart from the crowd interruption which included the attack on Irfan Pathan disclosed now, the match had also become controversial because Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was declared out for ‘obstructing the field’, a provision rarely used. As he was declared out after the Indian team had appealed, Inzy had criticised the Rahul Dravid-led Indian team, saying the appeal was ‘unsportsmanlike’.

Fake videos were shared to establish anti-India agenda

On 14th October, India defeated Pakistan in the ICC World Cup match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by 7 wickets. The match in Ahmedabad not only witnessed Pakistan’s batting breakdown and India’s all-around splendor, but it also ignited a debate about the crowd’s conduct at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

At the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam is said to have received a boo as he prepared to offer his appraisal of the toss and pitch conditions. Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s team director, then made an unusual statement during the post-match press conference following Pakistan’s defeat by India. He mentioned the lack of Pakistani fans and said that the match felt more like a BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) event than an ICC (International Cricket Council) one.

Also, a few days after the match some fake, edited videos appeared on social media which claimed that the crowd at the Ahmedabad stadium raised slogans like, “Jab Mulle Kaate Jayenge, Ram Ram Chillayenge”.

As reported earlier, the videos were being shared to spread violence among communities. BJP leader Tajinder Pall Singh Bagga took cognizance of the videos and demanded strict action against those who posted these videos. The video was later taken down from the social media platform.

Notably, a lot of ‘secular liberal’ Indian elites were upset after the crowd at Ahmedabad Narendra Modi stadium was seen providing overwhelming support to the Indian team. While support for local players is common, Indian ‘secular liberals’ were particularly upset because some fans were chanting Jai Shri Ram in the vicinity of Pakistani player Md Rizwan.

However, though slogans of Jai Shri Ram were raised in the stadium, the particular slogan “Mulle Kaate Jayenge” was never raised. The videos regarding the same have been deliberately shared on social media to create controversy and incite people against India.

The Indian team was heckled twice in the past

Beyond the confines of the game, India and Pakistan’s rivalry in cricket reflects political and historical tensions between the two bordering nations. Millions of supporters from both sides avidly watch and support their teams as they battle it out on the cricket pitch, turning the match into more than just a sporting event. That being said, nothing the Ahmedabad crowd did qualifies as heckling.

There are two events when the crowd is believed to be heckling. The first is when a cricket player is physically assaulted by fans and the second one is when the team has to face racial and derogatory screams in an already tough atmosphere during away matches.

There had in fact been a few other incidents of this like involving Indian players on the receiving end. During India’s 1989 tour to Pakistan, one such unfortunate event had an angry fan attacking and ripping the then-Indian captain Kris Srikkanth’s t-shirt. The security measures implemented by the Pakistani authorities then sparked a number of concerns regarding the safety of Indian players in Pakistan.

Also, during the 2021 Sydney Test, the Indian team was subjected to racist taunts. On the fourth and final day of the exciting encounter, Mohammed Siraj, a fast bowler, complained to the on-field umpires, causing play to be suspended for a few minutes. On Day 3, the same thing happened, and after an investigation by Cricket Australia and the police, the perpetrators were taken into custody.

Today, Irfan Pathan’s revelation about the nail attack on him by a Pakistani fan becomes the third of its kind incident when the Indian cricketers have been attacked by the fans in away matches.

‘Mahua Moitra stole my Henry’: Adv Dehadrai writes emotional letter to Delhi commissioner urging him to help him reunite with his pet dog

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mahua Moitra stole my Henry’: Adv Dehadrai writes emotional letter to Delhi commissioner urging him to help him reunite with his pet dog

The feud between TMC MP Mahua Moitra and her ‘jilted ex’ advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has gotten murkier with the duo fighting over the custody of a dog. Three days after the TMC MP sent a legal notice to her former personal friend accusing him of stealing her dog, Dehadrai has now written to the Delhi police commissioner accusing Mahua Moitra of stealing and hiding his pet dog Henry.

In an emotional letter penned to the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on October 19 (Thursday), Jai Anant Dehadrai alleged that Moitra deliberately kidnapped and hid his Rottweiler dog, Henry, with the intention to harass and blackmail him to avenge the complaint he had filed against her with the CBI, accusing Moitra of taking cash and gifts to ask specific questions in the Parliament.

In his written complaint, the emotional dog parent Jai Dehadrai provided documents to prove his legal ownership of Henry, which he purchased in January 2021 from a private shop in Delhi’s Janakpuri area. Dehadrai also included proof of purchase documentation for the Rottweiler breed dog. These documents comprised a payment receipt, a litter’s registration certificate, and details on the litter’s microchip.

His letter to Delhi CP read, “This is with reference to the theft and illegal retention of my three-year-old pet dog named Henry (Rottweiler breed) by Ms. Mahua Moitra, M.P., Lok Sabha, Resident of 9-B, Telegraph Lane, New Delhi – 110001,” under the subject line — “Complaint against Ms. Mahua Moitra, M.P., for Theft and Illegal Retention of my pet dog named Henry.”

Image source: The New Indian

Dehadrai also wrote, “My bond with my dog Henry is that of a parent and a child. I have looked after him since he was 40 days old, and I understand his every need and concern.”

Accusing Moitra of hiding his pet in retribution for his CBI complaint, Dehadrai added “Ms. Moitra has deliberately kidnapped and hidden Henry away from me since 10.10.2023, with the intent to harass, and blackmail me in response to the CBI Complaint dated 14.10.2023, which I have filed against her,” he wrote.

He then asked the police to safeguard his life and freedom as well as reunite him and his dog, Henry, “I would request you with folded hands and all humility that this dog Henry belongs with his rightful owner-parent. Time is of the essence, and I would beseech you to please reunite me with Henry at the earliest. Under such circumstances, I anticipate tremendous fear and threats to my life. I request you to please protect my life and liberty and help me get my dog Henry back,” he wrote in the letter.

Mahua Moitra accuses ‘jilted-ex’ advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai of stealing her dog

On October 16, OpIndia reported that the TMC MP had sent a legal notice to the BJP Lok Sabha MP and advocate and her formal personal friend Jai Anant Dehadrai and a host of media organisations for allegedly ‘defaming’ her.

The notice to the advocate and her former personal friend Jai Anant Dehadrai stated that they were once close friends but after a falling out, Dehadrai allegedly repeatedly threatened Moitra with several vile, malicious and vulgar messages, trespassed on her official residence, and stole personal belongings, including Moitra’s dog.

The legal notice was sent in response to the formal complaint submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla by Nishikant Dubey, seeking an inquiry against Mahua Moitra.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accuses Mahua Moitra of taking bribes in exchange for asking questions in Parliament

On 15th October, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha (MP) Nishikant Dubey levelled serious allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, saying she took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask specific questions in the Parliament. Dubey raised the allegations based on a letter written to him by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai and submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.

OpIndia accessed a copy of the complaint filed by Adv Dehadrai that contained a list of items that Moitra allegedly got in exchange for asking questions in the Parliament. OpIndia documented what it found about the products and their costs.

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asks netizens to be responsible about sharing news after she was caught sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack

OpIndia Staff
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US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asks netizens to be responsible about sharing news after she was caught sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack

On 18th October (local time), US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asked netizens to be responsible for sharing news, apparently referring to various contradicting reports of the Israel-Hamas war. Her statement came after she was caught red-handed sharing fake news about the Gaza hospital attack. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “It is a reminder that information is often unreliable and disputed in the fog of war (especially on Twitter where misinformation is rampant). We all have a responsibility to ensure the information we are sharing is from credible sources and to acknowledge as new reports come in.”

Source: X

The post was in response to her earlier post, where she had accused the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of bombing a hospital in Gaza. In her post, she tagged the President of the United States, Joe Biden and asked him to push for an immediate ceasefire in the area. Ilhan Omar wrote, “Bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes. The IDF reportedly blowing up one of the few places the injured and wounded can seek medical treatment and shelter during a war is horrific. @POTUS needs to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter.”

Source: X

She was quoting a post by The Associated Press that contained the Gaza Health Ministry’s misleading statement that 500 people were killed in an explosion at a hospital. The ministry had accused Israel of the bombing.

Both Associated Press and Omar’s posts were fact-checked by the Community Notes users on X. The note read, “The US has collected “high confidence” intelligence showing that the explosion at a hospital compound in Gaza was caused by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not an Israeli strike”, with a link to Wall Street Journal’s report. The tagged report of WSJ mentioned that the preliminary evidence surrounding a fatal explosion at a hospital compound in Gaza suggested that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PJI), the second largest terrorist organisation in Gaza, could be responsible.

It debunked the Palestinian claims that the explosion was an Israeli airstrike. Independent analysts who examined available images and videos of the incident found that the damage did not match typical Israeli weaponry, and the death toll seems inconsistent with the Palestinian Health Ministry’s claims. Now it has been generally accepted that it was a rocket fired from Gaza that malfunctioned and fell on the hospital instead of heading towards Israel. There are videos suggesting that the explosive rocket separated from the launcher very early inside the Gaza Strip, damaging the hospital.

The United States reportedly gathered intelligence suggesting that Palestinian Islamic Jihad had fired the failed rocket, which supported Israel’s allegations against the terror group. During his visit to Israel, President Biden said that he found Israel’s account more credible, based on information from the Defense Department.

Omar, who was caught sharing fake news, apparently tried to put the blame on the social media users for her mistake. She is known for her support of the Palestinian cause, and it appeared to have clouded her “judgment” to check the facts before jumping to accuse Israel of attacking a hospital in Gaza.

Rocket attack on hospital in Gaza

On 17th October, a rocket fell on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza. The local media working in Gaza ran reports based on Hamas’ claims that it was an Israeli rocket and around 500 people died in it. International mainstream media followed suit and blamed Israel for the rocket attack. However, as more information came to light, it was clear that the hospital’s parking lot took the hit, and the hospital building was mostly intact. Furthermore, it was revealed that the rocket that fell on the hospital was not shot by Israel but by PIJ.

Israel Hamas war

On 19th October, the Israel-Hamas war entered its 12th day. The war started on 7th October after 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, more than 1,500 have been reportedly killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas attack has now surpassed 1,300, 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 have been evacuated so far. Meanwhile, India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel.

Karnataka HC refuses to entertain plea of Congress leader DK Shivakumar to quash CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka HC refuses to entertain plea of Congress leader DK Shivakumar to quash CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him

In another setback for Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka High Court Thursday (October 19), dismissed his petition seeking quashing of the CBI’s disproportionate assets case against him.

While dismissing the Congress leader’s plea, the court Thursday opinioned opined that Shivakumar had filed the plea after an inordinate delay. The Court further observed that most of the CBI’s investigation has been concluded. The High Court also lifted the temporary halt on the CBI’s inquiry and ordered the agency to complete the investigation and submit its final report within 3 months.

Reacting to the Karnataka HC decision, the Congress leader told the media, “I will cooperate with whatever the process is… I know that I have not done anything wrong. It is a political vendetta which the BJP tried using.”

Notably, this is the second time the Karnataka Congress chief’s plea has been dismissed by the same single-judge bench led by Justice Natarajan, who had previously dismissed DK Shivakumar’s petition in April 2023.

The disproportionate assets case against Congress leader and Karnataka DY CM DK Shivakumar

In 2019, the BS Yeddyurappa government sanctioned an investigation against DK Shivakumar. At that time, the CBI registered an FIR with the permission of the state government. Karnataka Congress chief Shivakumar, who had questioned the then BJP government’s move, had filed an application saying that the order for the CBI probe was wrong. Hearing the arguments of both sides, the single-judge bench led by Justice Natarajan dismissed the petition.

The case against Shivakumar was registered in October 2020 and alleged that there had been a disproportionate increase in his assets between 2013 and 2018. It had stated that during this time, Shivakumar’s assets increased by about five times, from 34 crore to 163 crore.

Further, the affidavit filed by Shivakumar while submitting his nomination papers for the 2019 Assembly polls revealed that the wealth of Congress’s Karnataka chief had increased by 68 per cent as compared to 2018. In the affidavit submitted by Shivakumar for the Assembly polls, Shivakumar pegged his total assets and those of his family members at a combined value of Rs 1414 crores.

In his affidavit for the 2013 Assembly polls, the assets held by the Congress leader’s family were valued at Rs 251 crores while, in the 2018 affidavit, the combined value of the property held by his kin was pegged at Rs 840 crores. Shivakumar also declared his annual income at Rs 14.24 crores whereas his wife’s annual income is Rs 1.9 crores.

The case had also been investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department. The ED had arrested Shivakumar in connection with a money laundering case in 2019, the Delhi High Court, however, granted him bail a month later.

Forced to convert, eat beef: US-based Pakistani Hindu girl tells the tale of hatred and harassment for minorities in Pakistan, video goes viral

Rukma Rathore
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Forced to convert, eat beef: US-based Pakistani Hindu girl tells the tale of hatred and harassment for minorities in Pakistan, video goes viral

Heinous crime against minorities and their repeated oppression is a regular occurrence in Pakistan. Despite being called out multiple times by national and international human rights groups and urged to take substantial measures to safeguard the lives and rights of its minorities, the Islamic Republic along with its judiciary, executive and media continue to further dehumanise and marginalise the already dwindling numbers of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians among others.

Numerous reports of similar offences frequently come out of the country. A Hindu girl from Pakistan, who is currently residing in the United States of America, has now exposed their bigotry in a video and narrated the story of her religious persecution and intimidation, including being forced to eat beef and bullied to become a Muslim against her will by her classmates. 

The young girl stated that she was a Pakistani Hindu and wanted to share her experience with her Muslim and Hindu friends. “When I was little, in elementary and middle school, I was told every single day to convert to Islam. I can put my hands on Lord Shiv (and swear on him) I was told to convert. My brother was bullied, he was hit and forced to eat beef. They tried to put beef in my food too but I was too smart for that.”

She didn’t tell anyone about her ordeal just like every other minority in the country who is compelled to endure the humiliation and anguish in silence out of fear of severe retaliation from the majority Muslim community. “I didn’t say anything at that time because I was really scared. We are a minority. You are a minority religion (in Pakistan), you are not going to say anything, right?”

She expressed that she was referred to as a kafir (infidel), a term often used by Muslims to denigrate and harass non-Muslims, especially Hindus. “I did learn another thing from that experience that people will use religion to hate on communities because I was also called a kafir. I don’t care. Yes, I am a kafir. I don’t follow your religion. Do you think I don’t know what a kafir means? I was born in Pakistan.”

She noted that non-Muslims are pressured to read the Quran and Islam has been prominently incorporated into the curriculum which leaves them with no choice but to study the religion. “Here’s one more thing I want to address because people are so stupid. You know I am a Pakistani Hindu. So, I know about (Islam) and I have read the Quran. I know about the Islamic teachings. I was in a catholic school, a Hindu and I was forced to learn the Quran. And you know why? Because they said I was not going to pass the 10th grade or 11th grade or get into the board exams. I would have to take the board exams for Islamic teachings. I was forced to learn it.”

She disclosed that even her relocation to the United States of America did not shield her from Muslim radicals, because now Muslims in the USA also hound her to embrace Islam. She said, “So, when you guys tell me at this age in America, by the way, I am still being asked to convert in America. When you are telling me to convert, to a Pakistani Hindu to convert, do you think I do not know your religion? I know your religion. I know the fundamental aspects of it.”

She asserted that she was not going to renounce her faith and added, “I respect that you follow it. But let me make it very clear that I will never ever follow your religion. That is with utmost respect that I will never follow your religion because I do not believe in anything that is taught there and that’s fine. People can have different beliefs, right? Religion is not about compulsion. That is one of the things in there. Compulsion is what I felt in that country. So no, I don’t believe in the fundamental aspects of it.”

A Hindu girl named Reeta Meghwar who recently managed to escape from the evil clutches of her abductors in Sindh’s Badin was put in the custody of Dar-al Aman, which is a refuge for females. She begged the judges to allow her to return to her parents after she was brought to court, but to no avail. Her plight was only exacerbated when her desperate pleas were brazenly ignored by those sitting in the position of authority. Ashiq Ahmadani had kidnapped her two months earlier and authorities were unable to find her during the time.

Another such event transpired in June of this year when Sohana Sharma Kumari, a 14-year-old girl, was kidnapped from her house in the Sindh province’s Benazirabad area. She was compelled to convert to Islam and then forced into marriage with a Muslim man. She was kidnapped at gunpoint in front of her mother by her tutor and his companions.

Dilip Kumar Sharma, her father, informed the authorities of the horrific incident. Five days after the instance she was located by the authorities in a house in the district following a huge social media outcry. Her wish to go back to her family was first denied by court but eventually, the request was granted.

Hundreds of such cases in which Hindu girls including minors are abducted, raped, forced into marriage and converted come to light while the law appears to be on the side of the Muslim criminals who molest, sexually violate and torture Hindu females with great impunity.

‘Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others’: K Kavitha responds to Priyanka Vadra’s dynasty politics allegation

OpIndia Staff
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‘Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others’: K Kavitha responds to Priyanka Vadra’s dynasty politics allegation

On Thursday (18th October) Senior BRS leader K Kavitha responded sharply to Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks indicating the former’s family influence in the Telangana Government. In a caustic response directed towards the Congress general secretary, K Kavitha said, “Those sitting in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones at others.” 

BRS leader K Kavitha is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. She was responding to Vadra’s statement which hinted that the chief minister’s family is connected to three of Telangana’s ministers.

Taking a jibe at Vadra, the BRS leader said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra herself belongs to a family of politicians. “Priyanka Gandhi, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Motilal Nehru, great-granddaughter of Jawahar Lal Nehru, granddaughter of Indira Gandhi, and daughter of Rajiv Gandhi is talking about family politics,” she said.

“This is the funniest thing I have heard in the election campaign. They should not be sitting in glass houses and throwing stones at others,” she added.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are campaigning in Telangana. During a protest on Wednesday (17th October), Vadra stated that although the people of Telangana had hopes for social justice, three of the state’s ministers had connections to the chief minister. She went on to say that only three ministers in the state government were from the backward classes, despite the fact that these groups made up half of the population.

Further, taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, K Kavitha said, “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is visiting Telangana. He has accused the Telangana government of corruption of Rs 1 lakh crore in a couple of projects. The scriptwriters are misguiding him. Rahul Gandhi does not need to worry about the people of Telangana. We know how to run our state by ourselves. We are the number one state in the country, in terms of per capita income, in terms of paddy production and irrigation projects,” she said.

This is after Rahul Gandhi also commented on the family of the BRS leader. “The whole control of Telangana state is in the hands of one family and corruption is highest in the state in the country,” Gandhi was quoted as saying in a rally in Telangana’s Bhupalpally. Meanwhile, Vadra said that the KCR government in Telangana was being run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a remote control.

MLC and former Nizamabad MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha is at the parliamentary constituency to commemorate Bathukamma amongst the locals. Voting in Telangana is scheduled for 30th November. The votes will be counted on 3rd December. 

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