Home Blog Page 1729

Bihar: Violence erupts in Muzaffarpur over bursting fireworks after India’s win against Pakistan in ICC World Cup, police denies communal angle

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bihar: Violence erupts in Muzaffarpur over bursting fireworks after India’s win against Pakistan in ICC World Cup, police denies communal angle

On 14th October, India defeated Pakistan in the ICC World Cup match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by 7 wickets. A group of Indian fans celebrated the victory by bursting crackers in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, which irked another group, leading to a violent brawl between them. Following the incident, police force from four police stations was called to alleviate the situation. When the police arrived, both sides ran away from the spot.

The incident took place in the old Gudri Road area. A group clashed with the others who were bursting crackers to celebrate the win. The dispute led to a physical fight, and police were called. Additional forces from Nagar, Mithanpura and Sikandarpur police stations were called to maintain law and order at the scene. Superintendent of Police (SP) Avadhesh Dikshit also arrived at the scene to control the groups who were fighting. The police called peace committee members to ensure no more brawls happened over the humiliating defeat of Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup match.

SP Dikshit urged the groups to reconcile and resolve the matter. Following the fight between the groups, the police patrolled the area to ensure peace. Police said the fight started when a group objected to the firecrackers, claiming it would cause problems to young children and heart patients. The police claimed that the matter was being painted as communal because of the vested interests, though it was a fight between two neighbours.

The group’s young members, who were bursting crackers, did not pay heed to the second group, leading to a physical altercation. No one was seriously injured, but some of the people involved in the fight sustained minor injuries. One of the persons involved in the fight also brought a sword. A young man named Shubham sustained an injury on his arm.SP Dikshit mentioned that the police would maintain a presence in the neighbourhood as a precaution, but the situation was peaceful.

Nethanyahu a devil, involved in tyranny and war crimes: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi goes on a tirade against Israeli PM after terror attack by Hamas

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Nethanyahu a devil, involved in tyranny and war crimes: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi goes on a tirade against Israeli PM after terror attack by Hamas

On Saturday (14th October), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘devil’.

In a statement during a public meeting in Hyderabad, Owaisi said, “I stand firm in my support for Palestine. I offer my utmost respect to the brave individuals in Gaza who persist in their resistance. Netanyahu is a devil who has been subjected to strong criticism as a leader, with allegations of tyranny and war crimes.”

“In our country, a Baba Chief Minister has warned of consequences for even mentioning Palestine. Listen, Baba Chief Minister, I proudly display the Palestinian flag alongside our national tricolour. My solidarity with Palestine remains unwavering,” he stated.

The AIMIM leader was referring to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, who warned Hamas protesters of legal action. Asaduddin Owaisi claimed, “I would like to appeal to the Prime Minister to stop the atrocities being committed against the Palestinians. Palestine is not just a matter for Muslims but a humanitarian issue.”

Earlier, Owaisi accused Israel of being responsible for the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas that left over 1,300 Israelis and foreigners dead. Apart from Owaisi, Congress has also extended its support for the rights of the people of Palestine while condemning Israel’s attacks.

In a statement issued after the Congress Working Committee meeting on 9th October, Congress called for an immediate ceasefire and said the party has a long-standing support “for the rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government and to live with dignity and respect”.

Israel-Hamas War

On 7th October, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through various means, overwhelming the Iron Dome with 5,000 rockets in a few minutes. They also abducted hostages and took them to Gaza.

In a counterattack on Hamas by Israeli forces, more than 1,500 Hamas terrorists have been reportedly killed amid the Israel-Hamas war. While hunting for the Hamas terrorists, IDF said it had been actively looking for the hostages.

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.

Meanwhile, India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel.

X (formerly Twitter) withholds accounts of ‘Indian American Muslim Council’ and ‘Hindus For Human Rights’, known for anti-India propaganda

OpIndia Staff
-
0
X (formerly Twitter) withholds accounts of ‘Indian American Muslim Council’ and ‘Hindus For Human Rights’, known for anti-India propaganda

In a major development, the X (formerly Twitter) handles of anti-India propaganda organisations, namely, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) have been withheld in India.

“@IAMCouncil has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand. Learn more,” read a disclaimer on accessing the X account of IAMC from India.

Screengrab of the X profile of IAMC

According to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Indian Americal Muslim Council has links [pdf] with the banned Islamic terror outfit, Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group.

In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom).

IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.

X account of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ withheld in India

The X account (formerly Twitter) of ‘Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR)’ was also withheld in India. On visiting the official handle of the anti-Hindu propaganda organisation, a message stated, “@Hindus4HR has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand. Learn more,”

OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’ had earlier informed that the HfHR was actively promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’.

The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

Screengrab of the X profile of Hindus For Human RIghts

Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019.

Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019.

“We are especially appalled by the most recent nightmare of the Kashmiri people, and the situation of 1.9 million people in India who are rendered stateless due to the imposition of the travesty called the National Register of Citizens”

She is also the co-founder of an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF)/ Open Society Institute (OSI).

Israel-Hamas War: Israel prepares for ground invasion, says Hamas is stopping civilians from leaving

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Israel-Hamas War: Israel prepares for ground invasion, says Hamas is stopping civilians from leaving

On 14th October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it was completing preparations for “significant ground operations” in the Gaza Strip. According to IDF, they are preparing to “expand the offensive” by putting in place a “wide range of offensive operational plans” that would include “joint and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land,” reported Times of Israel.

IDF is currently in the process of finalising the draft of thousands of reservists. The logistics directorate also prepared the equipment the reservists would need for the ground offensive. IDF said, “In recent days, the tools required for combat have been transferred to the assembly areas, and at this stage, the various units of the Technological and Logistics Directorate are working to complete the qualification of the tools and equipping them with advanced combat means, as needed.”

IDF further added, “Battalions and soldiers are deployed all over the country and are prepared to increase readiness for the next stages of the war, with an emphasis on a significant ground operation.”

IDF urged Gaza civilians to evacuate

IDF International Spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht issued a video statement that urged civilians from the Gaza Strip to evacuate immediately. He emphasised that the objective of IDF is to protect the people of Israel from the ongoing attacks of the terrorist organisation Hamas, which had initiated the war with a brutal massacre.

Lt Col Hecht stressed that IDF was not at war with the people of Gaza but with Hamas. He called upon the people of Gaza City to evacuate southwards to ensure their safety. He added that Israel was asking people to evacuate not because it was international law but because of the IDF’s commitment to values and morals.

He noted that the IDF’s warnings aimed to save Gazan civilians, contrasting it with Hamas, which had discouraged and even physically prevented civilians from leaving Gaza City. Lt Col Hecht underlined that Hamas bears responsibility for the people of Gaza, while the IDF is responsible for defending the people of Israel.

Earlier, IDF said Hamas was physically stopping people from leaving Gaza City. In a post on X, IDF said, “Hamas is forcefully preventing their civilians from relocating to southern Gaza for their safety.”

The US confirmed the second carrier to support Israel

Meanwhile, Associate Press reported that the Biden administration has confirmed that it was sending the USS Dwight D Eisenhower carrier strike group to support Israel. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said it was “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.”

The Eisenhower would join the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group already deployed in the Mediterranean. Both ships carry F-19 fighter jets that can provide air assistance to Israel if needed. Furthermore, they have significant capabilities for humanitarian work, including onboard hospitals and a team of doctors.

Israel-Hamas war

On 7th October, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through various means, overwhelming the Iron Dome with 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 Hamas terrorists 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. Two batches of Indians have already been rescued, with over 200 people in each back.

“Today I realise how lucky we are as Indians”, Shehla Rashid credits PM Modi for peace and safety in Kashmir after prosecution sanction granted against her

OpIndia Staff
-
0
“Today I realise how lucky we are as Indians”, Shehla Rashid credits PM Modi for peace and safety in Kashmir after prosecution sanction granted against her

On 14th October (Saturday), JNU alumna and Kashmir-based ‘activist’ Shehla Rashid took to X to heap praise on PM Modi, the administration in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Indian Army in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Reacting to the fast-paced developments in the Middle East, she asserted that these developments have made her realise how lucky we are as Indians.  

In her post, she wrote, “Looking at the events in the Middle East, today I realise how lucky we are as Indians. The Indian Army and security forces have sacrificed their everything for our safety. Credit where it’s due.”

She also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, the Indian Army, and the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army for bringing peace to Jammu and Kashmir.

Former JNU alumna Shehla Rashid also noted that peace can’t be ensured without security and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East stamps it further. She added that the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army, along with the brave soldiers of the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police, have made tremendous sacrifices to ensure long-term peace and security in Kashmir.

Though Shehla Rashid has turned off replies to these tweets, many people have lauded her for speaking the truth about the changed reality of Kashmir particularly after the abrogation of Article 370. 

However, in the past, she had an illustrious career in peddling fake news and spreading anti-India rhetoric in Kashmir. Notably, she has previously served as the former vice-president of the JNU student union and did politics on behalf of AISA, the student organisation of left parties. Back then, she made regular statements against BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even resorted to fake news peddling on many instances to show a false narrative of Muslims being victimised in Jammu and Kashmir by the ‘oppressive’ Indian Armed forces.   

In one instance, she even went to peddle fake news to implicate the Indian army in a bad light and toed the line of Pakistani propaganda against the security forces which was exposed by the Indian Army. In a series of tweets, Rashid alleged that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is grim and that the armed forces are using excessive force on the Kashmiris. 

It is notable that Shehla Rashid’s change of heart in the matter comes just days after the Delhi LG granted sanction for a case against her over her comments spreading fake news. Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava had filed a criminal complaint against Shehla Rashid for her comments, seeking her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against the Indian Army and the government. 

The complaint stated that she had prima facie committed an offence of sedition under Section 124-A of IPC. It added that Rashid has further committed offences of ‘promoting enmity between the classes’ under Sections 153, 153-A, 504, and 505 of IPC.

In connection to her baseless tweets against the Indian army, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena on 10th January, this year granted prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid. It allowed the prosecution to charge her under section 196 of CrPC, 1973, for her tweets against the Indian Army. 

For the last few days, the Former JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid has spent time in Kashmir, and post the prosecution sanction against her in connection to the fake news against the Indian Army, she has been retracting some of her earlier stances. For example, she had once approached the Supreme Court against the decision to abrogate Article 370. However, she recently withdrew her petition over this issue. 

Similarly, earlier this year, on the occasion of Independence Day, she responded positively to the news of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Javed’s brother Raees Mattoo hoisting the Indian national flag. Reflecting on that, she had also asserted that the situation has improved in the state followed by recent tweets where she has underscored the changed reality of Kashmir and praised PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for peace and safety in Kashmir.

Watch: Crowd at Ahmedabad stadium chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans as Muhammad Rizwan makes his way to the pavilion

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Watch: Crowd at Ahmedabad stadium chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans as Muhammad Rizwan makes his way to the pavilion

As India registered a thumping victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, a video of Indian fans at the Narendra Modi stadium greeting Pakistani wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans has gone viral on the internet.

In the video, as Rizwan walks through the isle towards the pavilion after getting bowled on a peach of a delivery of Indian ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the crowds of Indian supporters lining up the stairway chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans.

It is worth noting that Rizwan had created quite a flutter with his recent tweet, dedicating the victory against Sri Lanka to Gaza residents after the Hamas terror attacks killed more than 1,300 Israelis.

Muhammad Rizwan, who managed to score a century in the match against Sri Lanka, dedicated his country’s win to “brothers and sisters in Gaza.” He also thanked the Indian audience and added, “Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.”

However, the cricketer received a lot of flak for interjecting politics into the game. A raft of social media users took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to flay the Pakistani cricketer for using the platform of the World Cup to promote his political and religious ideology.

Notably, Muhammad Rizwan is infamous for fusing politics, religion and sports much like several of his countrymen. He recently caught the attention of many when he started offering Namaz on the cricket field during the second half of the match against the Netherlands while his teammates awaited drinks during the break. He received condemnation for doing the same just in front of Indians.

‘Shaheen Afridi is no Wasim Akram…no need to raise him to high pedestal’: Ravi Shastri slams the hype around Pakistani bowler

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Shaheen Afridi is no Wasim Akram…no need to raise him to high pedestal’: Ravi Shastri slams the hype around Pakistani bowler

As the Indian batting line-up, most notably the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, blunted the famed Pakistani bowling, hitting sixes and boundaries at will, former Indian cricketer and ace commentator Ravi Shastri dismissed unwarranted hype around frontline Pakistan bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. 

“Shaheen Shah Afridi koi Wasim Akram nahin hai…usko itna upar nahin chadhana chahiye…thik thak bowler hai…vaisa boliye (Shaheen Shah Afridi is no Wasim Akram. He is good with the new ball, but apart from that, there’s nothing special. He’s no big deal. You have to accept the truth),” Shastri said while commentating alongside Irfan Pathan abd Jatin Sapru. 

India coasted to victory in their encounter with arch-rivals Pakistan, extending their unbeaten streak in the World Cups to 8-0. India’s emphatic victory was powered by an impactful all-round bowling performance and imperious batting by captain Rohit Sharma, who hit six sixes in his 86 before getting out on the short mid-wicket. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul finished things off in style, surpassing Pakistan’s 191 in 31st over.

In a one-sided affair, India once again proved to be a better side pulling a convincing victory against a formidable but unpredictable Pakistani side. With this 7-wicket victory, India has improved its net run rate and thrown open the doors of qualification which now seems to be an inevitable outcome.

The next stage is coming, we are ready: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during his first visit to scenes of Hamas onslaught near Gaza border

ANI
-
0
The next stage is coming, we are ready: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during his first visit to scenes of Hamas onslaught near Gaza border

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is ready with its fighters in the Gaza Strip at the front line.

“With our fighters in the Gaza Strip, on the front line. We are all ready,” Netanyahu wrote on ‘X’ on Saturday.

Netanyahu on Saturday toured Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Azza, two of the worst hit Gaza border communities in last week’s Hamas onslaught, his office announced, The Times of Israel reported.

As per a statement, Netanyahu “walked between the ruins of the houses where these terrible massacres took place.”

The prime minister was briefed by the IDF officers there, including the head of the paratrooper battalion.

The visit comes as Netanyahu’s first visit to the scene, more than a week after the attack that saw more than 1,300 Israelis killed, most of them civilians, as waves of Hamas terrorists breached the border.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has said that upon receiving the report of wounded following the infiltration of terrorists in Zikim, the soldiers of Unit 669 were rushed to the field.

“The forces worked to rescue the wounded under fire and mortar fire. Since the beginning of the fighting, Unit 669 rescued about 200 wounded in about 45 rescues,” the IAF wrote on ‘X’.

In the wake of Israel Hamas war in the Gaza Strip which claimed the loss of thousands of lives on both sides including civilians, an agreement has been reached under which Israel will allow foreigners to leave the war-torn Gaza, Times of Israel reported on Saturday.

Egypt, Israel and the United States have agreed to allow foreigners residing in Gaza to pass through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, under which Israel agreed to refrain from striking areas the foreigners would pass through on their way out of the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli publication added that Qatar was involved in the negotiations and the participants received approval from the Palestinian terror groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Moreover, the agreement does not involve anything about the release of hostages being held by Hamas.

A second official at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing point says they received “instructions” to reopen it on Saturday afternoon for foreigners coming from Gaza.

The first official said negotiations were still underway to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the crossing point.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Israel has ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from the northern Gaza Strip.

Additionally, US State Secretary Antony Blinken during his visit to Qatar on Saturday said that they are working on setting humanitarian corridors to save the lives of civilians suffering due to the war.

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

PM Modi confirms that India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, says no stone will be left unturned to ensure it

OpIndia Staff
-
0
PM Modi confirms that India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, says no stone will be left unturned to ensure it

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will leave no stone unturned in the efforts to host the Olympics in 2036. Addressing the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai, PM Modi said, “India is eager to organise Olympics in the country, there will be no deficiency in the efforts to ensure that Olympics are organised in India in 2036”.

“This is a years old dream of 140 crore Indians, it is their desire, and we want to fulfil this dream with the cooperation of all of you,” the Prime Minister said addressing the IOC members.

This is an important confirmation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympics.

The 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session is being held at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, which was inaugurated by PM Modi. The sessions are scheduled from Sunday (15 October) to Tuesday (17 October), where important decisions regarding the future of Olympic games will be discussed and taken.

India is hosting the IOC session for the second time and after a gap of about 40 years, as the IOC’s 86th session was held in New Delhi in 1983.

Earlier Union sports minister Anurag Thakur had said that India is ready to bid for 2036 Olympics. He had said that a roadmap would be presented before the full members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the IOC session in Mumbai.

Responding to India’s bid, which is yet to be officially submitted, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach had said there is a strong case for India to be awarded the 2036 games. He had said, “there is a strong case for the reasons I am giving and seeing how India is flourishing and developing and how India now is embracing Olympic sports. So, there is great potential for both. India can play a much more important role in the Olympic movement and for the Olympic movement to have such a growth potential as with India. It’s of course very welcome.”

We are brothers and sisters forever. Suit gifted by Modi ji has touched my heart and brought us closer: Mexican Senate President Ana Lilia Rivera

ANI
-
0
We are brothers and sisters forever. Suit gifted by Modi ji has touched my heart and brought us closer: Mexican Senate President Ana Lilia Rivera

Mexican Senate President Ana Lilia Rivera has said the suit gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touched her heart and brought them closer.

“We are brothers and sisters forever. This gift given by Modi ji has touched my heart. It has brought us closer, and it is, a part of me that I’m taking back to Mexico,” the Mexican Senate President said.

Ana Lilia Rivera on Friday tied a Rakhi on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hand at the P20 Summit in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, India-Mexico relations have consistently been friendly, warm and cordial, characterised by mutual understanding and growing bilateral trade and all-round cooperation.

Both countries are large emerging economies, with similar socio-economic development priorities and constraints, and have democratic, secular, and pluralistic systems, as well as convergent worldviews, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The two-day P20 Summit in New Delhi concluded successfully on Saturday, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla thanking all the dignitaries for their contribution to the success of the event in India.

There were all together four high-level sessions that were held during the P20 Summit — Accelerating SDGs, Sustainable Energy Transition, Women-led Development, and Transformation in People’s Lives through Public Digital Platforms.

On the first day of the summit itself, the joint declaration for the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) was adopted with consensus to engage in parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue in relevant fora as a catalyst for promoting international peace.

The concluding part of the declaration mentioned, that the members reaffirmed their commitment to continue “joint work to make an effective and meaningful parliamentary contribution to the G20 process, as appreciated by the G20 Leaders.”

“I am confident the discussions that were held on SDGs, green energy, women-led development and digital public infrastructure and your valuable views and inputs will further strengthen the G20 process for human-centred development,” Om Birla said in valedictory session.

“The discussions held over the past two days have clearly underlined the importance of the parliamentary dimension of the G20 and have also established how our Parliaments can work together to achieve the collective goals of One Earth, One Family and One Future,” Birla said.

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

1...1,7281,7291,730...7,649Page 1,729 of 7,649