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Cracks in I.N.D.I bloc: Akhilesh Yadav warns about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with SP in MP polls

OpIndia Staff
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Cracks in I.N.D.I bloc: Akhilesh Yadav warns about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with SP in MP polls

The Congress has humiliated Samajwadi Party President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, an important leader in the I.N.D.I Alliance. His party has been completely ignored in the upcoming assembly election in Madhya Pradesh which is scheduled to take place next month. Never mind the six seats that were promised, not a single seat was assigned to the Samajwadi Party which has left him belittled and furious. 

Following the development, he declared that he would not have attended any meetings if he had known that there was no state-level alliance. Notably, he had shared his party’s performance statistics with the former Congress Chief Minister (Kamal Nath) in the state. After discussing with other Samajwadi party leaders until one in the morning, senior Congressmen declared that they were prepared to offer six seats to the former in the state polls.

According to Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress fielded candidates for every seat and left no room for the Samajwadi Party even after this arrangement was established. He mentioned that the matters pertaining to the general election would be seen later and stressed that he would not have attended any meeting or shared any list with the grand old party if he had been aware that there was no cooperation in the states.

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.”

He highlighted, “If I had known on the first day that there is no alliance of I.N.D.I bloc at the assembly level then I would never have met with Congress. Our party leader wouldn’t have met or shared the list with their leaders. We would take into account if the coalition is only going to transpire in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha election.”

Furthermore, the Samajwadi Party announced to contest the elections on its own and has fielded its candidates in as many as 31 seats. The state in charge of the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh Vyaji Gond remarked that the party is working to nominate candidates for each of the 230 seats. The names of thirty-one candidates have been made public till now.

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.

He added that his party is preparing to contest all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 which infuriated Akhilesh Yadav who cautioned the Congress against permitting its minor leaders to talk about his party. “The state chief has no authority. He was not there in the meeting held at Patna, Mumbai. What does he know about the INDIA alliance,” the SP supremo asked.

He observed “These people from Congress are involved with the BJP. If I had known that the alliance is not on the state level then I would not have sent SP leaders to Digvijaya Singh. I would not have trusted them if I had known that people from Congress would betray us. Congress should not get statements made by their small-time leaders about our party.”

On 17 October he emphasised that Congress needs to make clear where it stands on the alliance between the partners in the bloc and whether the sharing of seats would be applicable at the state or the national level.

Interestingly, since the announcement of the I.N.D.I Alliance the rift in the opposition parties has become quite apparent. The Congress party and Aam Aadmi Party are at loggerheads both in Delhi and Punjab. Their leaders regularly attack each other on multiple issues. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress are at odds in West Bengal while in Kerala the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which is presently in government there is part of the bloc along with the opposition in the state. Now, the alliance does not appear to be doing well in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Namo Bharat Train: All you need to know about the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor inaugurated by PM Modi today

OpIndia Staff
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Namo Bharat Train: All you need to know about the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor inaugurated by PM Modi today

On Friday (20th October), Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the priority phase of the 82-kilometer-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The project is being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore. The Prime Minister flagged off the first RAPIDX train from Sahibabad station in Uttar Pradesh, the video of which has been going viral on the social media platform.

He boarded the train and interacted with the RRTS staff members. He also addressed the masses on the occasion and said that the Namo Bharat Train is defining the new journey and new resolutions of the New India.

“Today is a historic moment for the entire country. Today India’s first rapid rail service ‘Namo Bharat Train’ has been dedicated to the nation. Its Meerut part will be completed after 1-1.5 years, at that time also I will be present at your service,” PM Modi added.

The priority segment is 17 kilometres long and comprises five stations: Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot. It will connect Sahibabad to ‘Duhai Depot’ with stations at Ghaziabad, Guldhar, and Duhai on the way. The foundation stone was laid for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor on March 8, 2019, by the Prime Minister. 

The RAPIDX passenger train service is said to begin on Saturday (21st October) at 6 a.m. What exactly is RRTS? What will it mean to the commuters? Let us look into more details

RRTS explained

RAPIDX, or Regional Rapid Transit System, is India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service. The entire Rs 32,724-crore corridor in Uttar Pradesh, covering Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut, is projected to be finished by June 2025.

As per the reports, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture between the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, is in charge of the RRTS project. The airconditioned RAPIX trains, billed as India’s fastest inter-state transit system, will travel at a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

The RAPIDX trains’ average speed of 100 kmph distinguishes them from Metro and Indian Railways trains. These RRTS trains have been given the name ‘Namo Bharat’. 

Structure of the RAPIDX train

Each RAPIDX train will consist of six coaches, including a luxury class, with seats arranged in a 2 by 2 layout. The coach next to the premium coach has especially been reserved for ladies.

Other coaches have allocated seats for women, those with disabilities, and senior persons. As per the official information, the ordinary coach has 72 seats while the premium coach has 62 seats.

Image- The Firstpost

A single quick rail can supposedly carry 1,700 passengers both seated and standing. As per the reports, the seating capacity of the rail is 400 while other thousand passengers can travel standing. On the priority portion of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, ordinary coaches cost Rs 30-50, while premium coaches cost Rs 60-100.

Fare chart (Image- News18.com)

What will be inside the RAPIDX train?

On the priority portion of the RRTS corridor, a one-way ticket from Sahibabad station to Duhai Depot station costs Rs 50 for regular coaches and Rs 100 for premium classes.

Each seat will feature a charging station for a laptop or mobile device. The coaches also have luggage racks, CCTV cameras, emergency talkback buttons, information panels for passengers, and Wi-Fi.

According to officials, the CCTV system would monitor the RAPIDX stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will issue alarms for any unauthorized access, unclaimed luggage, or overcrowding. The premium coach is only accessible via the platform’s premium lounge.

Wheelchairs and stretchers will be accommodated on the train’s final coach. All RAPIDX stops will have a first-aid station, as well as additional facilities such as drinking water and restrooms.

About the premium coach

The first coach going from Delhi towards Meerut and the last coach coming from Meerut towards Delhi will be the premium coach. It will be separated from the adjacent coach by a sliding door. Along with this, the colour code of the seats in the premium coach will be different from the colour of other coaches.

Along with this, the luxury coaches have a variety of passenger-friendly features such as comfy padded reclining seats, coat hooks, magazine holders, and footrests. A premium coach seat will also offer more leg space as mentioned in a report.

Further, this coach can only be boarded through the premium lounge. There are also plans to build a vending machine in the near future. So that snacks and beverages can be purchased inside the coach.

How will the tickets be issued?

One need not stand in a queue to purchase tickets for the Rapid X train because a digital QR code-based ticketing system has been devised in this case. ‘RAPIDX Connect’ is a smartphone app that can be used to quickly purchase tickets.

Travel tickets based on paper QR codes may additionally be purchased. These can be purchased at ticket vending machines (TVMs) or station ticket counters.

In addition to cash payment mechanisms, TVM cards are equipped with credit/debit/prepaid card readers compliant with RuPay/Master/Visa standards. NCRTC has built four TVMs in Sahibabad and Ghaziabad, as well as two TVMs in Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai depots. RAPIDX also accepts the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) or any card that is compatible with the NCMC.

Image- DD News

These cards can be purchased at the station ticket counter for the Rapid X train. This card can be refilled for as little as Rs 100 and as much as Rs 2000. The NCMC is an open-loop card developed as an element of the ‘One Nation, One Card’ concept. As a result, this card is valid in all of the country’s transport networks.

Why travel using RAPIDX?

Once completed, the 82-kilometer segment will reduce travel time from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan station to Meerut’s Modipuram to less than an hour. A mail express train takes one and a half hours to travel between Meerut and Delhi, whereas a local train takes two hours.

The RAPIDX trains are meant to provide a comfortable alternative to driving and to relieve congestion on Delhi’s roadways. Initially, these trains will run every 15 minutes along the 17-kilometer priority corridor. The distance between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot will also be covered in 15 minutes. According to Puneet Vats, Chief Public Relations Officer, NCRTC, once fully operational, the RRTS project might remove one lakh passenger vehicles from the road. According to Vats, RRTS will not only relieve congestion on Delhi’s roadways but also on the city itself. “People will be able to rent or own properties in low population density areas and commute to work to Delhi, without having to compromise on the kind of space they want to inhabit,” he said. 

Image- Hindustan Times

As per ANI inputs, RRTS is a cutting-edge regional mobility solution that is equivalent to the best in the world. It will provide the country with safe, dependable, and contemporary intercity transportation solutions. The RRTS network will include substantial multi-modal integration with railway stations, metro stations, bus services, and so on, in accordance with PM GatiShakti’s National Master Plan.

Such transformative regional transportation solutions will promote regional economic activity, improve access to jobs, education, and healthcare opportunities, and significantly reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the city. 

Mahua Moitra’s lawyer abandons her case after Advocate Jai Anant objects to his appearance, matter adjourned to October 31

OpIndia Staff
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Mahua Moitra’s lawyer abandons her case after Advocate Jai Anant objects to his appearance, matter adjourned to October 31

The troubles seem never-ending for TMC MP Mahua Moitra who is embroiled in a cash-for-queries scam. A day after businessman Darshan Hiranandani turned approver and admitted to paying her cash and luxury gifts in exchange for specific questions in the Lok Sabha, the MP’s lawyer seems to have abandoned her.

Mahua Moitra had approached the Delhi High Court to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, and various media organizations from posting, circulating or publishing any fake or defamatory content against her. The lawsuit was due for hearing today on 20th October.

The matter was heard by Justice Sachin Datta. Moitra has also sought a public apology from Dubey and Dehradrai in three English, Hindi and Bengali newspapers each, as per Live Law.

Today, the matter in the Delhi High Court was adjourned after Mahua Moitra’s lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan announced that he is withdrawing from the case and would no longer represent Mahua. The matter will be next heard on October 31, as per reports.

Speaking to the media, Gopal Sankaranarayanan stated, “I have absolutely no comments except to say, because Jai (Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai) instructed me in a case, I had reached out to him yesterday and had asked him is there any way of exploring a settlement. Jai had said that he will get back to me, but he didn’t. Today when I appeared, Jai personally said to me he had an objection to me appearing. I immediately withdrew and said that I don’t want to do this case.”

Gopal Sankaranarayanan has indicated that since he knows Advocate Jai Anant and they share a good relationship, Advocate Jai Anant objected to him appearing for Mahua and he has accepted it.

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai reportedly appeared in court and informed that the advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan had approached him last night and asked him to withdraw his CBI complaint against Mahua Moitra if he wants his dog Henry back.

Following Dehadrai’s objections, Gopal Sankaranarayanan stated that he had only reached out because they were known to each other from a past case.

Live Law report

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had shared earlier that Mahua Moitra had kidnapped his beloved pet dog Henry and has been keeping him away from his dog. Mahua and Jai Anant were in a relationship earlier. Mahua has claimed that the allegations against her are a jilted ex’s response to the break-up.

On 19th October, businessman Darshan Hiranandani, in a 3-page affidavit, admitted to paying Mahua Moitra with expensive gifts, cash, and spending huge amounts of money for her house renovation, travels, and other luxuries in exchange for specific questions in the Lok Sabha. He also admitted that Moitra had shared his Lok Sabha login credentials with him to pose questions that targeted the business interests of his rival Adani Group.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly fumbles, dodges question about evidence sharing with India over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly fumbles, dodges question about evidence sharing with India over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing

On Thursday (19th October), Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly courted controversy after she failed to answer a direct question on whether her country shared evidence with the Indian government about the latter’s supposed involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

During a press briefing, a reporter asked Melaine Joly, “Can you clarify (whether) have you shown them the evidence you are basing your claim on and have you walked them on how Canada reached this conclusion?”

The Canadian Foreign Minister initially fumbled but later said, “We had numerous conversations with India before Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) went in front of the House and made his declaration. This was not a surprise to the Government of India. “

On being pressed about the ‘evidence’, she dodged the question and said that India was made aware of ‘credible allegations’ through ‘conversations.’

“And so based on that, India has decided to take their own decisions which are precedent-setting and revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats is not only unprecedented but also contrary to international law. So in that sense, this is unprecedented and would put so many countries, and different diplomats around the world in danger. We decide not to reciprocate,” Melaine Joly went on a tirade.

The reporter pointed out that the Canadian Foreign Minister did not answer the question about ‘evidence’ being shared with the Indian authorities. In her defence, Melaine Joly said that there were meetings and ‘information’ was shared.

It must be mentioned that the Canadian government has so far not provided any specific proof, which could remotely point fingers at India’s role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In fact, British Columbia Premier David Eby has gone on record to say that briefings provided to him by CSIS (Canadian Intelligence Agency) about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar were ‘open source’ and based on material available on the internet.

The Background of the Controversy

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the head of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib and a wanted Khalistani terrorist in India, was shot dead in Surrey by two unidentified assailants on June 18, 2023. He was a wanted terrorist by the Indian Government. The 46-year-old hailed from the village Bhar Singhpura of Jalandhar.

On September 19, the Canadian government expelled one Indian diplomat after PM Justin Trudeau blamed India for the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The development came after Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly informed in a presser that the allegations of India’s involvement are being investigated. She termed the killing an attack on Canada’s sovereignty and informed that as a consequence, Canada has expelled one top Indian diplomat.

In a swift response, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that any allegation of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing is ‘absurd and motivated’. It has also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in response to Canada’s hostile behaviour towards India, and open support to anti-India terrorists.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared on X, “The High Commissioner of Canada was summoned today and informed about India’s decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. The Concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India in the next five days.”

Thereafter, Canada issued travel warnings to Indian citizens in the country, stopped the issuance of new visas and even directed the country to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.

In fact, Justin Trudeau is now facing the heat from Canadian media, which has been insisting the government to share evidence in the public domain.

Order to enter Gaza to wipe out Hamas will be issued soon, says Israeli defence minister, IDF says it will be “difficult, long and intense” operation

OpIndia Staff
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Order to enter Gaza to wipe out Hamas will be issued soon, says Israeli defence minister, IDF says it will be “difficult, long and intense” operation

After two weeks of air strikes in retaliation to the Hamas terror attack on 7 October, Israel’s ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip will start soon. Talking to troops waiting near the Gaza border, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that the orders to enter the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave will come “soon.”

“You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside,” Gallant told troops of the Givati Brigade, as per a report by Times of Israel. “The order will come,” he added. “We will be precise and deadly and we will continue until we complete the mission,” he further said.

Gallant also took responsibility for the failure to prevent the Hamas terror attack on Southern Israel two weeks ago. “I am responsible for the defence establishment. I was responsible for it in the last two weeks, even in the difficult incidents, and I am responsible for bringing it to victory in the battle,” Gallant said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid a visit to the frontlines, rallying a group of Golani soldiers near the Gaza border and telling them Israel was on its way to a major victory. “We are going to win with all our might. All of Israel is behind you, and we are going to strike our enemies so that we can achieve victory,” the PM said addressing the soldiers.

Talking about the anticipated ground invasion, senior officials of the Israeli government have said that it will be a large-scale operation, with the objective of wiping out Hamas from Gaza. Visiting the border area where there is a large Israeli military build-up including thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles, officials told the soldiers that the fight would be “difficult, long and intense.” They assured that Israel would ultimately win the war.

The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, said the expected ground offensive would be “long and intense.” Talking to the troops at the border, he said, “This war was forced on us, with a cruel enemy that harmed us greatly. But we stopped them… we are striking them heavily.”

Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman said, “Now, the manoeuvre is going to move the fighting to their territory. We are going to beat them in their territory,” adding that “It’s going to be difficult, long and intense.”

Israel has been preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza, especially Gaza City, for a week, and has been warning the civilians in the northern part of the Strip to move to the south. On 13 October the Israel Defence Force asked the 1.1 million people living in Gaza City to move to the south of Wadi Gaza. While many civilians have evacuated, Hamas is continuously preventing the Palestinians from evacuating. Israel alleges that Hamas is not allowing the civilians to leave as they want to use them as shields.

Surat: Mohd Rehan poses as a Hindu to trap Hindu girls on the pretext of offering modelling work, blackmails them using nude pictures; arrested

Krunalsinh Rajput
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Surat: Mohd Rehan poses as a Hindu to trap Hindu girls on the pretext of offering modelling work, blackmails them using nude pictures; arrested

In the Surat district of Gujarat, a Muslim man named Mohammad Rehan was arrested on Wednesday (18th October) for pretending to be a Hindu and blackmailing Hindu girls to send their nude pictures by promising to get them modelling assignments. After the matter came to light, Adajan Police registered a case against the accused and arrested him.

Reportedly, accused Mohammad Rehan, a Surat resident, used to send messages like “Want work?” to modelling aspirant women over WhatsApp offering them Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh for modelling opportunities in exchange for their nude videos and pictures. Accused Mohammad Rehan had created multiple social media profiles posing as a Hindu to trap Hindu girls especially those belonging to financially needy families. The accused used to upload nude pictures of his victims on illegal websites and earn money.

One of the women contacted by the accused grew suspicious of Mohammad Rehan’s activities and soon learned the truth. The woman informed her family about this and was rescued.

Speaking to OpIndia, Rander Division coordinator of Bajrangdal, Ravi Gupta said “This entire conspiracy was brought to our attention four weeks ago. One of the victims, frustrated by accused Mohammad Rehan’s blackmailing, informed her family, who subsequently approached us for help. After learning about the incident, our team laid a trap. We called accused Mohammad Rehan, and caught him red-handed.”

Ravi Gupta went on to describe how that perpetrator was captured. According to the Bajrang Dal member, during the questioning by the Hindu activists, they searched accused Rehan’s phone and found eight different social media profiles, all with Hindu names. They also found Rehan’s chats with his victims, which included messages blackmailing them into sending their nude pictures. The Hindu activists eventually handed over the accused to the police.

“We nabbed the perpetrator as soon as he arrived at the scene. We began talking to him and questioning him. His phone had eight distinct social media profiles. All of these accounts were created in the name of Hindus, and many of them were used to send messages to Hindu girls. Apart from this, we questioned him about some nude photos of girls we found on his phone. But soon he got infuriated, and to avert any untoward situation, we called the police and handed the accused to them.”

The accused used to take nude pictures of the Hindu girls in such a manner that their faces would not be visible. He used to upload these nude pictures on websites banned in India and those operated from the US and Canada. Accused Mohammad Rehan used to blackmail and threaten to defame Hindu girls after uploading their nude pictures on such illegal websites.

The Hindu organisations have demanded stringent action against the accused. Meanwhile, police are interrogating the accused and will be sending his confiscated mobile phone for forensic lab testing.

‘Navratri fasting is about religious belief, don’t need crash course on diet from random nutritionist’: How IPS Arun Bothra responded to ‘gyan’ on fasting

OpIndia Staff
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‘Navratri fasting is about religious belief, don’t need crash course on diet from random nutritionist’: How IPS Arun Bothra responded to ‘gyan’ on fasting

The religious festival of Navratri is here and people who believe in Goddess Durga and also in the religiosity of the festival celebrate it by fasting for nine continuous days. Hindus fast during Navratri and they see it as an opportunity to connect with the divine, cleanse the body and mind, and practice gratitude and devotion.

During the Navratri fasting, many believers follow a strict routine and consume only limited food items, refraining from grains, onions, and garlic. However, as it goes for many Hindu festivals, Navratri is also the time where random nutritionists, media portals, and ‘experts’ dish out nonstop advise, on how and what to eat, and what not to do.

One such incident recently happened where a Mumbai-based ‘nutritionist’ was called out by IPS Arun Bothra from Odisha for criticizing the food that is consumed during the Navratri fasts.

On October 20, Bothra slammed Mumbai-based ‘nutritionist’ Sangeetha Aiyer after she meddled in the ongoing conversation between Bothra and IdiGo airlines calling the food that is eaten during the fasts as junk. “Navratri fasting is not a 9-day crash course for weight loss, dolled out on social media by some random nutritionist. For you, fasting is just about the body. For many, it’s about soul cleansing,” Bothra tweeted.

The saga began on 18th October when IPS Bothra took to Twitter to laud the services of IndiGo Airlines staff during the fasting season of Navratri. In his tweet, he thanked one of the crew members for serving him with the food eaten during the fast. He said that he avoided taking snacks on the flight as he was fasting and was specially served snacks that he could have during the fast by one of the crew members.

“Mother Divine takes care of you in different forms. Today she came as Purvi, an IndiGo crew member. As I didn’t take snacks due to Navratri fasting she returned with Sabudana Chips, Til Chikki, and tea. When I asked how much to pay, she said- No money sir. I am also fasting,” he tweeted.

‘Nutritionist’ S Aiyer seemed to mock the food and the festive ritual by calling the food ‘crap’. She quoted the original tweet by Bothra and said, “The gesture is great. The food is crap. You are better off drinking water and trying fasting the way it’s done. Just water.” She suggested that people fasting during the festival of Navratri should only have water and nothing else.

To this Bothra schooled the ‘nutritionist’ by saying that during Navratri, people fasting can have ‘falahari’ food and that she need not judge people based on their religious practices. “During Prayushan, we Jains take only boiled water, and that too during day time. During Ramzan, Muslims have food and water only after sunset. Hindu fasting on Ekadashi is with fruits. Sometimes the fast is Nirjala, without water. During Navratri falahari food is allowed. There is no point in judging people or religious practices. To each his own,” he said.

Aiyer however, didn’t seem to agree. She argued saying that the food that was being served in the name of fasts was junk and that it was unhealthy. “Everyone has morphed fast into a very unhealthy practice eating practice from a physiological standpoint. Muslims, Jains, and Hindus are all alike. The human body knows no religion. My comment was not on a religious practice but on how modern-day fasts have become absolutely unhealthy,” she argued.

Responding to the nutritionist’s rant, Bothra pointed it out that while some people who don’t believe in the religion look at fasts just as some event of weight loss, fasts during Navratri are practiced for soul cleansing. He asserted that Navratri fastings are a religious ritual and believers do not need to follow unwanted advice from self-proclaimed nutritionists and dieticians.

“Navratri fasting is not a 9-day crash course for weight loss, dolled out on social media by some random nutritionist. For you, fasting is just about the body. For many, it’s about soul cleansing. You don’t like to be taught about religious practices and rightly so. Similarly, many of us don’t like to be coached about our beliefs and the way we should or should not celebrate our religious festivals,” he said.

Bothra is a 1996-batch IPS officer who is currently serving as the Additional Director General of Police of the Criminal Investigation Department – Crime Branch (CID-CB) and Transport Commissioner. He also has served as SP and DIG in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Govt of India from 2009 to 2014 in New Delhi and Kolkata.

Navratri has a special significance across the country, especially in the state of Gujarat. The worshippers of Goddess Durga observe a nine-day fast and play Garba during the nights. Many try to give scientific reasons behind fasting and consider it as a mode to keep the body healthy. While scientific opinions on nutrition and nutritional requirements may vary, fastings have more to do with religion and devotion, and as Bothra pointed out, Navratri is not about a crash course on weight loss.

Fasting and abstinence is an essential part of many religious practices around the world because of their significance in teaching humans about discipline and self-control while working on their spiritual quest.

Sucheta Dalal denies knowing Mahua Moitra and two others after Hiranandani’s bombshell revelations, has been vocal against Adani for months

OpIndia Staff
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Sucheta Dalal denies knowing Mahua Moitra and two others after Hiranandani’s bombshell revelations, has been vocal against Adani for months

On Thursday (19th October), ‘journalist’ Sucheta Dalal denied knowing Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and helping her in targeting the Adani Group with unverified information.

The development came hours after Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of Hiranandani Group, turned approver in the ‘cash for query’ scandal (also called ‘MahuaGate’) and accused Dalal of aiding Moitra in defaming the Adani Group.

In a tweet, the ‘journalist claimed, “The very fact that he has named me makes this whole letter and his ‘solemn’ statements a farce — I don’t know
Mahua Moitra and I think she can confirm it. The question of helping her simply does not arise, NOR did she EVER reach out and ask for any help either!”

It must be mentioned that Darshan Hiranandani accused Sucheta Dalal of working in cahoots with Mahua Moitra to tarnish the reputation of Gautam Adani.

In a signed affidavit, he informed, “Ms Moitra, in her endeavour, was getting help from other people like Sucheta Dalal, Shardul Shroff and Pallavi Shroff, who were also in touch with her, and who were feeding her with all kinds of unverified information relating to Sh. Gautam Adani and his companies. Clearly, there were others who were also assisting her in this targeted attack.“

OSINT handle ‘The Hawk Eye’ pointed out that ‘MoneyLife’ portal, a supposed news outlet co-founded by Sucheta Dalal, had published more than 50 articles targeting businessman Gautam Adani and the Indian conglomerate ‘Adani Group.’

The primary accusation against the Indian ‘journalist’ is that she helped Mahua Moitra with unverified information against the Adani Group. Interestingly, her portal ‘Money Life’ has a section dedicated to the Indian conglomerate.

‘The HawkEye’ pointed out a disturbing pattern in the headlines of articles published by the news portal against Gautam Adani. ‘MoneyLife’ frequently relies on unsubstantiated questions raised by the Congress party to target the Adani group.

While Sucheta Dalal did not respond to the allegations about ‘MoneyLife’ targeting the Adani group or propagating the narrative of the Congress party, the ‘journalist’ claimed to have no ties with Mahua Moitra, Pallavi Shroff and Shardul Shroff. All three individuals were named by Hiranandani in his signed affidavit.

“This is completely stupefying — I do not know Mahua Moitra personally at all – I may have retweeted some of her stuff. I don’t know Pallavi Shroff and I used to know Shardul Shroff long ago. I dare anyone to find any links between me and them,” Dalal tweeted.

“Requesting IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to help me get to the bottom of it. Ashwini Vaishnaw also please help. This is one time the govt ought to help prevent this kind of slander by some crooks!!” she sought government intervention against the likes of OSINT handles such as ‘The Hawk Eye.’

Several netizens pointed out that Sucheta Dalal, who claimed to not know Mahua Moitra personally, had sent information to the Trinamool Congress MP with respect to Essar Group. They shared screenshot of the interaction between the ‘journalist’ and the politician, who is now under fire over ‘cash for query’ scandal.

Screengrab of the exchange between Dalal and Moitra on X (formerly Twitter)

Sucheta Dalal however claimed that the Twitter interaction was no proof of her personal camaraderie with Mahua Moitra.

“This tweet exchange is being bandied as proof I know Mahua Moitra. Some facts. 1) I did not send any information 2) this is about #Essar among the largest wilful defaulters who had filed a criminal case against me when I wrote for Indian Express,” the ‘journalist’ remarked.

“3) The common factor between #Essar then and #Adani now is Ravi Muthreja who heads communications for both groups! He has been badgering me and holding out veiled threats. The mystery of why my name was dragged in seems solved. Question is- is he still moonlighting?” she alleged

The controversy surrounding TMC MP Mahua Moitra

On 15th October this year, 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. MP Dubey has submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.

In his letter, he raised alarming allegations of corruption and misconduct against Moitra. He pointed out alleged bribery between Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani, where cash and gifts were purportedly exchanged for asking questions in Parliament that favoured Hiranandani’s business interests. Dubey raised the allegations based on a letter written to him by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

He added that 50 out of 61 questions raised by Moitra were allegedly aimed to protect and promote Hiranandani’s company that, often focused on rival business conglomerates like the Adani Group. He contended that the alleged conspiracy went unnoticed as Moitra, an opposition leader, openly criticised the government, linking it to business houses while covertly serving her agenda.

He added that the alleged misconduct of Moitra in the Parliament was similar to the infamous “cash for query” episode of December 2005. He further contended the alleged actions of Moitra were to be considered a breach of privilege, contempt of the House and a violation of Section 120-A of the Indian Penal Code.

Dubey stated that Mahua Moitra‘s quid pro quo arrangement with a businessman, which was recently disclosed, revealed her public image of morality to be a deceptive facade. He described it as a “Machiavellian Camouflage” that she used to conceal her criminal activities while projecting the persona of a “firebrand Member of Parliament.”

Retaliating to the allegations, Moitra said she would welcome ED and CBI for enquiry into her alleged money laundering “right after they finish investigating Adani’s offshore money trail, over invoicing, benami accounts”. She urged ED to first file FIR against Adani and raised allegations of coal scam against Adani group.

Darshan Hiranandani is the CEO of real estate giant Hiranandani Group based in Mumbai. The group has diversified into health, education, energy, hospitality, and data centres, and has recently started a technology-led consumer services business under Tez Platforms.

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. Click here to know more about the allegations, products, and their costs.

Mahua Moitra doesn’t deny taking gifts or sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials, claims Darshan Hiranandani is being threatened by PMO to blame her

OpIndia Staff
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Mahua Moitra doesn’t deny taking gifts or sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials, claims Darshan Hiranandani is being threatened by PMO to blame her

On Thursday (19th October), Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra issued a two-page ‘statement’ soon after Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of Hiranandani Group submitted an affidavit before the Ethics Committee of Parliament. Moitra called the letter a ‘joke’ and alleged that “a gun was put to Hiranandani’s head” to ‘force’ him to sign a white piece of paper with no letterhead.

She questioned that since Hiranandani has not been summoned by the Ethics Committee of Parliament or any investigative agency, then to whom has he submitted his approver affidavit to.

“The affidavit is on white paper and not on official letterhead or notarized. Why would one of India’s most respected/ educated businessmen sign a letter like this on white paper unless a gun was put to his head to do it?” Moitra’s statement reads.

The TMC MP went on to blame the ruling BJP and businessman Gautam Adani for Darshan Hiranandani’s letter claiming that it was drafted by someone in the Primer Minister’s Office (PMO). She claimed that some “half-wit” in the PMO who “doubles up as a creative writer at the BJP’s IT cell” has linked the names of all the opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani in her alleged corruption.

As reported earlier, Darshan Hiranandani in his affidavit mentioned that the anti-Modi brigade of journalists like Sucheta Dalal, Shardul Shroff and Pallavi Shroff, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor; and foreign media outlets like The NewYork Times and BBC fed her with ‘unverified information’ which she, in turn, shared with Hiranandani who used the Lok Sabha MP’s Parliamentary login to ask questions from the central government.

In response to this, the TMC MP claimed that it is the Modi government that is deliberately targeting people who are staunch opponents of the government as she names journalist Sucheta Dalal and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor.

Mahua Moitra’s ‘statement’ is no less than an Indian daily soap script with mentions of words like, “Samdhi” and “jilted-ex”.

“Shardul Shroff is the brother of Cyril Shroff who has had a bitter separation of business from him. Cyril Shroff is Gautam Adani’s “samdhi” and was on the SEBI’s committee in total conflict of interest. Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor are both people the government targets relentlessly. Sucheta Dalal is an investigative journalist who is always exposing the government. Clearly someone said “Sabh ka naam ghusaa do, aisa mauka phir nahi ayega!” Moitra claimed in her statement.

Mahua Moitra goes on to give an ‘example’ to substantiate her assertion that the affidavit was drafted by the PMO and not Darshan Hiranandani. She claimed that somehow Darshan Hiranandani was compelled by the BJP government to sign the affidavit and was threatened that his government businesses would be stopped. Moitra mentions about Hiranandani Group’s recent projects in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Interestingly, while the TMC MP asserted that there is no way a wealthy businessman like Darshan Hiranandani who has access to PMO and ministers would be compelled by a first-time MP like her, she did not deny taking gifts from the businessman. Moreover, she did not refute the most controversial accusation pertaining to the alleged “cash-for-query” scam, which is sharing her parliament login credentials with Hiranandani to target Gautam Adani.

“For example, Paragraph 12 claims Darshan gave in to my demands because he was fearful of displeasing me. Darshan and his father run one of India’s largest business groups and their recent projects in UP and Gujarat have been inaugurated by the CM of Uttar Pradesh and by the Prime Minister. Darshan accompanied the PM abroad as part of his business delegation very recently. Why would such a wealthy successful businessman who enjoys direct access to every Minister and the PMO be coerced by a first-time Opposition MP into giving her gifts and giving into her demands? It is totally illogical and only cements the truth that this letter was drafted by the PMO and not Darshan,” Moitra said.

Mahua Moitra claimed that the BJP has been looking for an opportunity to shut her up on the Adani issue. She further raised questions over her “jilted-ex” Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai forwarding the letter to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against whom she has filed pending privilege motions.

“Jai Dehadrai is not some “Supreme Court lawyer” who has done painstaking research on me. He is a jilted ex with an acrimonious personal history with me who wanted to somehow get back at me. If indeed he was witness to all of my corruption why was he with me during the time and why did he wait till now to make it public? Also if he wrote to CBI and the LS Speaker, why out of 543 MPs would he forward the letters to Nishikant Dubey, a man whom I have repeatedly exposed in Parliament and outside, and against whom I have filed pending privilege motions? Why were the contents of Jai’s unverified letter leaked by Nishikant immediately to PTI and the contents used to create a media circus before any investigation was done?” Moitra said.

She went on to claim that the PMO “held a proverbial gun to Darshan and his father’s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this letter sent to them.” She alleged that the PMO threatened the Hiranandanis to give in to their demands or the “CBI would raid them and all government business would stop and all PSU bank financing would be stopped immediately.”

The TMC MP asserted that Darshan Hiranandani signed the affidavit to save his family businesses and employees. She concludes her statement by saying that despite the efforts to isolate her, she would continue to raise questions regarding the alleged corruption of Gautam Adani.

In his affidavit, Darshan Hiranandani had claimed that Mahua Moitra bonded extremely well with leaders of the Opposition like Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor and Pinaki Mishra and he too thought he could use her clout to get support from opposition leaders, which is why he gave her expensive gifts and fulfilled all her exorbitant demands ranging from gifting her expensive luxury items, providing support on the renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses, holidays, etc, apart from providing secretarial and logistical help for her travels within India and to different parts of the world.

The controversy surrounding TMC MP Mahua Moitra

On 15th October, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha (MP) Nishikant Dubey leveled serious allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, saying she took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask specific questions in the Parliament. MP Dubey has submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.

Canada removes 41 diplomats and their family members from India after New Delhi’s deadline, FM Melanie Joly informs

ANI
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Canada removes 41 diplomats and their family members from India after New Delhi’s deadline, FM Melanie Joly informs

Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced on Thursday (local time) that Canada has removed 41 diplomats and their 42 family members, from India over the ongoing row between the two countries. 

“As of now, I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20. This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date. And this would put their personal safety at risk,” Joly said, as she confirmed the departure of Canadian diplomats. 

This comes after India suspended visa operations to Canada and called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India, calling for ‘parity’, owing to the ongoing diplomatic row between the two nations. 

Canadian Foreign Minister said, “…we have facilitated their safe departure from India. This means that our diplomats and their families have now left diplomatic immunities. Keep diplomats safe, no matter where they’re from and where they’re sent to. Immunities allow diplomats to do their work without fear of reprisal or arrests from the country they’re in.” 

“They are a fundamental principle of diplomacy and this is a two-way street. They only work if every country abides by the rules. A unilateral revocation of diplomatic privilege and immunities is contrary to international law. It is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory. If we allow the norm of diplomatic immunity to be broken no diplomats anywhere on the planet would be safe,” she said, adding that Canada “will not reciprocate,” she said, according to CTV news.

Along with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller, the minister made the announcement about the development “on the situation with India” and how it will affect the level of service delivery Canada can offer following the withdrawal of diplomats. 

She said, “There’s no question that India’s decision will impact the levels of services to citizens in both countries. Unfortunately, we have to put a pause on all in-person services in our consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and in Bangalore.” 

“Canadians who need consular assistance can still visit our High Commission in Delhi. And you can still also do that in person by phone and by email,” she added. 

This comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was questioned on Thursday about the situation with the Indian government’s deadline of October 10 for Ottawa to considerably reduce its diplomatic presence. 

Joly would have more to say later, Trudeau said, declining to directly respond to the query, according to CTV News. 

“We have been continually engaged in diplomacy and in dialogue with the Indian government,” Trudeau said, adding “This is a serious matter that we are taking extremely seriously,” CTV News reported. 

Stating that India’s focus is achieving ‘parity’ in terms of diplomatic presence, the Ministry of External Affairs had called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India citing their continued “interference” in New Delhi’s “internal matters”. 

Addressing the press briefing earlier, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Given the much higher presence of diplomats or diplomatic presence here…and their continued interference in our internal matters, we have sought parity in our respective diplomatic presence. Discussions are ongoing on the modalities of achieving this”. 

“Given that Canadian diplomatic presence is higher, we would assume that there would be a reduction,” he added. 

On being asked if the reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats could see a decrease in the number of visas issued by the Canadian High Commission in India, Bagchi said, “It’s up to the Canadian side, who they choose to staff the High Commission with…our concerns are related to ensuring parity in diplomatic presence”. 

He further added that India’s primary focus is on two things; having an atmosphere in Canada, where Indian diplomats can work properly and in achieving parity in terms of diplomatic strength. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Nijjar. 

Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. 

However, India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’. Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. 

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

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