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UP: Md Afzaal injured in a police encounter after a minor Hindu girl attempted to commit suicide after being harassed by him during Ganesh Visarjan

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Md Afzaal injured in a police encounter after a minor Hindu girl attempted to commit suicide after being harassed by him during Ganesh Visarjan

In the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, accused Mohammad Afzaal who harassed a Hindu girl returning from Ganpati Visarjan was injured in an encounter with the police. The victim who had attempted to kill herself by hanging currently undergoing treatment at a district hospital.

Reportedly, the matter pertains to the Pihani police statin precinct in Hardoi wherein accused Mohammad Afzaal harassed the minor girl while she was heading to her home from a Ganesh Visarjan event on September 25, 2023. Later, the police arrested accused Afzaal who during the court hearing tried to flee. He was, however, the police shot at his leg, leaving the accused injured. The accused is a resident of Bhatan Tola locality in Pihani.

The harassment incident left the victim in trauma. Following the incident, the 14-year-old victim attempted suicide by hanging herself, however, was rescued by her family members in a serious state and rushed to the hospital. The victim was then referred to Lucknow for better medical care. As of now, the victim is reported to be in stable condition. Meanwhile, the victim’s family has demanded that stringent action be taken against accused Mohammad Afzaal.

On Monday, when the accused harassed the minor Hindu girl, the locals gathered and thrashed Mohammad Afzaal. The accused was later handed over to the police. Subsequently, the police were taking the accused to produce him before the Magistrate in Shahabad Tehsil on Tuesday (September 26). As several animals blocked the way of the police vehicle in Ahemihaat village, accused Afzaal tried to take advantage of the slow speed of the vehicle and tried to escape. Meanwhile, he also snatched the service pistol of a police constable. During his escape attempt, the police shot at his leg who then fell to the ground. The injured accused was taken to a hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the police are conducting further investigation into the matter.

‘Reports biased, ideological agenda’: EAM Jaishankar’s befitting response to The Caravan contributor on India’s position on democracy indices

OpIndia Staff
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‘Reports biased, ideological agenda’: EAM Jaishankar’s befitting response to The Caravan contributor on India’s position on democracy indices

On Tuesday, September 26, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave a befitting response to Daniel Block, senior editor at Foreign Affairs, a US-based magazine after the latter tried to trap the former on his statement regarding India’s democracy index.

During a conversation at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an America-based think-tank, moderated by former US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, Block quoted a journalist in India who had asked Jaishankar about India’s downgrading in Freedom House, V-Dem and other democracy scores.

“I want to follow up with something you said at that time. You were asked about India’s downgrading in Freedom House, V-Dem, and other democracy scores, and the journalist asked you ‘How do you see it played out in terms of how India is being perceived by the world’. To this you said it is hypocrisy,” Block said.

EAM Jaishankar then interjected and asked the journalist to come to the point. “I thought you had a question,” he could be heard saying.

To this Block, who is a contributor to the Indian rag The Caravan, continued saying, “Yes, I am coming to that. You said ‘It is hypocrisy, we have self-appointed custodians of the world who find it difficult to stomach that someone in India is not looking for their approval, is not willing to play the game they want to play’. That does not actually answer the journalist’s question. So I am asking you again. Are you concerned that perceived democratic backsliding in India is going to undermine its efforts to become a rising power in the world?”

EAM Jaishankar then slammed the journalist and said that it was nothing difficult to understand. “I think it answers the question if you would be objective enough to understand it. I think it says very clearly that the people who are writing these reports have a strong bias, often they distort facts. Many of these reports are riddled,” Jaishankar said.

In the year 2021, according to the ‘renowned’ think tank Freedom House in Washington, India’s freedom score had been downgraded from “free” to “partly free,” with the organization citing attacks on Muslims, the use of the sedition law, and the government’s response to the coronavirus, which included the lockdown, as reasons why rights and civil liberties “have been eroding since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014”.

Days after the international organization criticized India over freedom and democracy Jaishankar slammed them for their “hypocrisy” and called them “self-appointed custodians of the world who find it very difficult to stomach that somebody in India is not looking for their approval”.

On Tuesday, September 26, Jaishankar reiterated that “people who are writing these reports have a strong bias, often they distort facts. Many of these reports are riddled”. According to the Twitter profile of Daniel Block, he works as a senior editor at Foreign Affairs, a US-based magazine. He has formerly worked with many publications like the Washington Monthly, the Caravan India, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

‘I am not the son of a fodder thief, I will not bow down’: Another case registered against Manish Kashyap, Bihar govt suspends 5 policemen

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‘I am not the son of a fodder thief, I will not bow down’: Another case registered against Manish Kashyap, Bihar govt suspends 5 policemen

Manish Kashyap, the founder of the YouTube channel ‘Sach Tak News’ was brought to a court in Patna by the Bihar Police on 22 September during which he talked to some reporters. Now, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra has confirmed that the administration has suspended 5 policemen and sought clarification from the team that escorted the YouTuber from Beur jail to the court. He added that the matter is under investigation.

Furthermore, a fresh case has been registered against him. The senior official informed, “A case has also been registered against Manish Kashyap in this regard at Pirbahore police station in Patna. A letter has been written to the Beur Jail Superintendent to make arrangements to present him in the court through video conference during the hearing,” the media on 26 September.

The police headquarters has taken cognizance of the matter. Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Nayyar Hasnain Khan of ‘Economic Offenses Wing’ stated that the Patna SSP Rajeev Mishra had been tasked with looking into what Manish Kashyap had uttered while in judicial custody.

What did Manish Kashyap Voiced

Manish Kashyap slammed Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav who is the incumbent deputy chief minister of the state. He addressed the media outside Patna Court and asserted, “I am the son of a soldier, not a fodder thief. I will die, but I will not bow down before these people.”

He lambasted Tejashwi Yadav and noted that although the RJD leader publicly disparages other communities and supports the Yadav caste, he always keeps his mouth shut when members of the same community are victims of caste-based violence in Bihar. He announced that after being released from prison, he would manage the government and demonstrate how it is run.

He showed his handcuffs and remarked that this time they were in the hands of an honest man. He conveyed that he had not said anything for six months and came to the court quietly and left. He declared that he would not be afraid. He mentioned that his grandfather had fought against China and his father went to war against Pakistan. He questioned whether the Bihar Police would have the guts to bring a case against those responsible for beating up Bihari labourers in Tamil Nadu.

Manish Kashyap expressed that his mother was crying when they met and promised to wipe the tears of other mothers when he comes out of incarceration. He charged, “I have been silent for so many days. I will speak today. I am not afraid of the NSA (National Security Act). I campaign against drug addiction, but police officers deliver smack, ganja, cigarettes etc., to the jail.”

He disclosed that 60-65 prisoners are put inside a single vehicle. They smoke ganja and exhale the smoke on his face and he is kept with those individuals. He had also predicted that a case was going to be brought against him for unveiling this. However, he vowed, “I will always keep my voice loud and try to ensure that the public hears us. I am the son of a solider. I am not scared.”

“Not constables, but those with stars. There, cigarettes and marijuana are consumed and smoke is blasted in my face. I get headaches. The court does not have any security measures in place. Nitish Kumar who talks about the freedom of journalists should arrange an inspection of the prison. Two grams of smack can land you in jail for years, however, a lot of it ends up in jail and nothing happens,” he further accused.

The majority of constables, he claimed, were upright and conveniently suspended in contrast to the majority of officers who were dishonest and frequently got away with crimes. Manish Kashyap was arrested in March of this year and handed over to Tamil Nadu Police for making videos of alleged attacks on Bihari labourers in the southern state where he spent months behind bars before he was lodged in judicial custody in Beur jail of Patna. The YouTuber was also slapped with the stringent NSA. His mother recently met the affected workers and also provided them with financial assistance.

Tovino Thomas starrer Malayalam film ‘2018 – Everyone Is A Hero’ to be India’s official entry to Oscars 2024

OpIndia Staff
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Tovino Thomas starrer Malayalam film ‘2018 – Everyone Is A Hero’ to be India’s official entry to Oscars 2024

On Wednesday (27 September), the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced that the Malayalam film titled “2018- Everyone is a Hero” will be India’s official entry to the Academy Awards (Oscars) 2024. Renowned Kannada filmmaker and chairman of the selection committee, Girish Kasaravalli made this announcement while addressing a press conference today, PTI reported. 

Kasaravalli noted that the Malayalam movie has been picked for its very relevant theme on climate change and the travails of people vis-a-vis what has been understood as development in society. The FFI President Ravi Kottarakara said that a 16-member selection committee was led by Kasaravalli and it screened several films to represent India at the 96th edition of the Oscars to be held in March next year.

Notably, Tovino Thomas starrer Malayalam film ‘2018 – Everyone is a Hero’ is a survival drama film based on real-life happenings. The film was centered around the 2018 floods that devastated parts of Kerala. It was a commercial success and went on to become the second biggest Malayalam film of 2023, after ‘Romancham’.

In this calamity-based movie, Tovino Thomas plays the role of a young man who leaves the Indian Army with a fake medical certificate, however, he redeems himself during the floods and saves the lives of many people stuck in inundated houses or collapsed buildings. The film also features stars like Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Kunchacko Boban, and Aparna Balamurali among others in key roles. 

The film was directed by Jude Anthany Joseph who was also its writer alongside Akhil P. Dharmajan. 

Earlier this year, India scripted history at the Oscars 2023 and lifted two Academy Award (Oscars) trophies. The hit sensation ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the blockbuster Indian film RRR won the Best Original Song award at the Oscars 2023 on March 12, 2023. Music composer MM Keeravaani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award. 

The song was performed live at the Dobly Theatre for the Oscars by the singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava.

Additionally, the Indian short documentary film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won the ‘Best Documentary Short’ category at the 95th edition of the Oscars. Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain, the documentary scripted history by being the first-ever recipient of the Academy Award for an Indian production in the category.

India’s previous submissions to the Oscars include films like Chhello Show (2022), Koozhangal (2021), Jallikattu (2020), Gully Boy (2019), Village Rockstars (2018), Newton (2017), and Visaranani (2016). However, they could not make it to the Oscar shortlist. Notably, only three Indian films—Mother India, Salaam Bombay, and Lagaan—have received Oscar nominations to date.

The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and will be hosted in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Saket Gokhale asks for details on Urban Naxals: Here’s how he should inquire about it to TMC ally and INDI alliance partner Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Saket Gokhale asks for details on Urban Naxals: Here’s how he should inquire about it to TMC ally and INDI alliance partner Congress

On 25 September 2023, PM Narendra Modi said in a program in Madhya Pradesh that the Congress party is now run by a few urban Naxals. On 27th September 2023, TMC MP Saket Gokhale wrote to the special secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs to ask about the details of the term ‘urban Naxals’.

Saket Gokhale wrote in his letter, “In his speech, the Hon’ble PM made a startling allegation that the party Indian National Congress is being run by a group called ‘urban Naxals’. This is also not the 1st time the PM has used this term in public speeches. On several occasions, opposition parties, as well as some journalists, activists, & NGOs, have been labelled as ‘urban Naxals’ by the PM. This is a matter of grave concern with regard to internal security as a person no less than the Hon’ble Prime Minister has indicated the existence of a group called ‘urban Naxals’.”

Saket Gokhale further asked, “In this regard, you’re required to furnish the undersigned MP with the following information. Has the Ministry of Home Affairs identified a category called “urban naxals”? If yes, please state the details of this category of persons including their activities and the basis on which they’re identified.”

Image Source: X handle of Rahul Shivshankar

Saket Gokhale also inquired about the action taken by the Union home ministry in this regard. He asked in his letter, “How many prosecutions have been conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs or central investigation agencies into various ‘urban Naxals’ that the PM claims are allegedly operating in political parties, news organizations, & NGOS in India? Please state the standard SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs along with any communication extended to all state governments regarding the topic of ‘urban Naxals’.”

‘Urban Naxals’ first used in 2013, when Congress-led UPA was in power

Saket Gokhale accused the Prime Minister of labelling opposition parties, as well as some journalists, activists, & NGOs as ‘Urban Naxals’. However, it is not after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 that this term has been introduced. In fact, it was in 2013, during the regime of Congress-led UPA that this term was first used by the government.

According to a report by the Times of India, the UPA government had in a counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in November 2013 said that academicians and activists in urban centres had come to control “mass organisations” organically linked to Maoists under the cover of human rights.

The counter-affidavit in the ‘Kishore Samrite vs. Union of India & Others’ case elaborated on how Urban Naxal warfare constitutes a strategy employed by the CPI (Maoist) to garner public support through organisations associated with the party structure while maintaining distinct identities to evade legal responsibility.

In an indication of how governments, regardless of political affiliations, perceive ‘Urban Naxals’ as a threat, the UPA affidavit mentioned that these fronts are ‘organically linked to CPI (Maoist)’ and emphasised that these operatives are ‘in many ways more dangerous than cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’ (PLGA).

It is notable that PLGA is the armed division of the CPI(Maoist). According to the reports, since 2001, the Maoists of this outfit have been responsible for the deaths of 5,969 civilians, and 2,147 security personnel, and the theft of 3,567 firearms from different police and central paramilitary forces.

Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde was the Union home minister when this affidavit was filed in the Supreme Court. In this sworn statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs acknowledged that commencing legal actions against these “ideologues, including academicians and activists,” frequently led to unfavourable publicity for law enforcement agencies, owing to the efficacy of the Maoist propaganda apparatus.

The affidavit said, “These ‘mass organisations’ are generally manned by ideologues, who include academicians and activists, fully committed to the party line. Such organisations ostensibly pursue human rights-related issues and are also adept at using the legal processes of the Indian State to undermine and emasculate enforcement action by the security forces and also attempt to malign the state institutions through propaganda and disinformation to further the cause of their ‘revolution’.”

It is evident from this that the term ‘urban Naxals’ was not coined during the tenure of the Modi government. In fact, it was explained in detail in an affidavit submitted by the Union home ministry in the apex court in the regime of Congress-led UPA. The accusations on the Prime Minister of linking various activists, NGOs, self-styled intellectuals and academicians with this term are also baseless because the affidavit filed by the Congress government itself says that persons from the said clouts are actively engaged in furthering the Maoist violent ideology. Saket Gokhale thus needs to first inquire this to the leaders of Congress which is one of the allies of TMC in the I.N.D.I. Alliance, rather than asking the home ministry about the details of the term ‘urban Naxals’.

Khalistani terrorist Pannun issues threats through recorded call, says cricket world cup will be ‘world terror cup’, ‘advises’ to shut down embassy in Canada

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani terrorist Pannun issues threats through recorded call, says cricket world cup will be ‘world terror cup’, ‘advises’ to shut down embassy in Canada

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has threatened the ICC Cricket World Cup, especially the match to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat on October 5. He said that there will be no World Cricket Cup on October 5, it will be the start of the World Terror Cup.

Many people in India received a call from a UK phone number +44 7418 343648 wherein a prerecorded audio message by the terrorist was played. In the newly issued threat message, Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said, “On Shaheed Nijjar’s assassination, we are going to use ballot against your bullet. We are going to use the vote against your violence. This October, it will not be the World Cricket Cup. It will be the beginning of the World Terror Cup. The message is from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the SFJ general council.”

The SFI leader also issued threats to Indian diplomats in Canada, especially Sanjay Verma, High Commissioner of India to Canada. The Khalistani terror group ‘advised’ India to shut down its mission in Ottawa and recall the envoy posted there.

The threat message added, “India and the Modi regime have insulted Prime Minister Trudeau. Modi regime, it is advisable that you shut down your embassy in Ottawa and bring back your ambassador Verma. This advice is from the Canadians and this advice is from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the SFJ general council. We are going to hold Modi and Ambassador Verma accountable for disrespecting Prime Minister Trudeau. It’s very wise to bring back Verma and shut down the Ottawa embassy.”

Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul was one of the persons who have received the pre-recorded call, which seems to have been made using an IP-Calling facility.

It is notable that since the death of Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada, Khalistani groups have been accusing India, a claim now supported by the Canadian govt. The Khallistanis have put up posters in Canada calling for the assassination of heads of Indian missions in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Recently, such posters put up in front of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey were removed.

On September 23, National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in Sector 15 C Chandigarh. As per reports, the investigation agency has issued a new dossier on the Khalistani terrorist that will be shared with the investigation agencies in other countries. As per the new dossier, Pannun wants to create Khalistan and divide India into multiple parts. There are 16 cases registered against him in different states.

As per the NIA dossier, there are 16 cases registered against him in different states, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand. The dossier noted that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was born in February 1967. His family had migrated from Pakistan to Amritsar in Khankot village in 1947. He is an attorney at law in the US and runs a firm. His organisation, Sikhs For Justice, is a secessionist group that supports the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan. He was declared a terrorist under UAPA in July 2020.

‘Ontario very permissive of organised crime, violence and extremism’: EAM Jaishankar slams Canada, takes a dig at Five Eyes nations and FBI

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‘Ontario very permissive of organised crime, violence and extremism’: EAM Jaishankar slams Canada, takes a dig at Five Eyes nations and FBI

Amid the ongoing India-Canada row, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the “organised crime, related to secessionist forces, violence and extremism” in Canada, raising concerns over them being “very permissive” due to political reasons.

Speaking at the ‘Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations’ in New York, Jaishankar said, “In the last few years, Canada actually has seen a lot of organized crime, relating to the secessionist forces, organized crime, violence and extremism. They’re all very, very deeply mixed up. So in fact, we have been talking about specifics and information.”

He further stressed that the Indian government has provided the Canadian side with a lot of information about the crime, and there has been a large number of extradition requests.

“We have given them a lot of information about organized crime and leadership, which operates out of Canada. There are a large number of extradition requests. There are terrorist leaders, who have been identified,” he added.

The EAM raised concern over these incidents of threats to Indian diplomats and attacks on Indian consulates, stating that these are “very permissive” because of political reasons.

“Our concern is that it’s really been very permissive, because of political reasons. So we have a situation where our diplomats are threatened, our consulates have been attacked…A lot of this is often justified, as saying that’s how democracies work. If somebody gives me something specific, it doesn’t have to be restricted to Canada. But if there’s any incident which is an issue and somebody gives me something specific, as a government, I would look at it,” Jaishankar further said.

Regarding PM Trudeau’s allegations, Jaishankar assured that the Indian side will take action if the Canadian side provides specific information in connection with Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar’s killing.

“We told the Canadians that this is not the government of India’s policy. Secondly, we said if you have something specific and if you have something relevant, let us know. We are open to looking at it…The picture is not complete without the context in a way,” he said.

Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Early last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement accusing the Indian government of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – a claim that India has outrightly rejected, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

India has suspended its visa services in Canada, following Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing.

Amid strained ties, India issued an advisory for its citizens and those who are travelling to Canada to exercise “utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” in the country.

Jaishankar takes a dig at Five Eyes alliance over Nijjar’s killing

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (local time) said that he is not a part of the intelligence group when asked for comment on the reported sharing of intelligence between Five Eyes countries on Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. 

He was asked about the reports citing the role of the Five Eyes group regarding the intelligence behind the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and reports of the FBI warning US Sikh leaders about “credible threats” to them.

Responding to the question during the ‘Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations’ in New York, Jaishankar said, “I am not part of The Five Eyes, I am certainly not part of the FBI. So I think you are asking the wrong person”.

The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.

Earlier, David Cohen, the US Ambassador to Canada, said that it was “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” that led the Trudeau administration to make the claim of a potential link between “agents” of the Indian government and the killing of separatist Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

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

Eradicate Sanatana Dharma comment: Supreme Court refuses to issue notice to Udhayanidhi Stalin and others on fresh PIL, tags it with existing cases

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Eradicate Sanatana Dharma comment: Supreme Court refuses to issue notice to Udhayanidhi Stalin and others on fresh PIL, tags it with existing cases

On Wednesday (27 September), the Supreme Court refused to issue notice for the registration of an FIR against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and others in response to a fresh plea in connection to their hate speeches against Sanatan Dharma. The bench noted that a similar plea had been filed before the apex court in this matter. Subsequently, it ruled to tag it with the existing plea in this case. 

The two-judge bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi was hearing the matter. Delhi-based lawyer Vineet Jindal had moved the Public Interest Litigation (PLI) urging the Supreme Court to treat this case of hate speech against Sanatan Dharma at par with cases that pertain to hate speech against Muslims. 

Tamil Nadu’s Additional Advocate General (AAG) Amit Anand Tiwari representing the DMK-led state government, argued against the filing of another PIL claiming that it makes the job of state governments difficult. 

Arguing before the court, he said, “These are public interest litigation in the nature of ‘publicity interest litigation’. What is the need for another petition?” He lamented, “There are 40 writ petitions filed across the country in different high courts. It makes it incredibly difficult for the State.” 

To which, Justice Bose noted that he has an appropriate remedy under the Constitution. 

However, the Tamil Nadu government’s counsel continued and lamented that writ petitions are being filed before the high courts to get publicity. 

He said, “Everyone filing PILs for publicity, they will go to the media and circulate these.”

However, the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Raj Kishor Choudhary objected to his statement. He asserted that a genocidal call was made by the leaders of the Tamil Nadu government.  

Responding to his assertion, AAG replied, “Scurrilous remarks. It’s very unfortunate.” 

Afterwards, Justice Bose ordered to tag the current plea with another similar plea ongoing in this case.  Justice Bose said, “We have not issued notice. Let it be tagged. We will see on that day.” 

It is important to note that last week, the Supreme Court issued a notice in another similar plea against Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over his hate speech against Sanatan Dharma.

On Saturday (2 September), the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Stalin Jr. equated Sanatan Dharma with diseases like Malaria and Corona and blatantly asserted that it should not be opposed but rather should be eradicated. 

The DMK leader said, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. The same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it,” from the dias of “Eradicate Sanatan Conference”.

Many other leaders of DMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, have also given anti-Sanatan remarks. Evidently, in the long list of such leaders, DMK leader A Raja argued that Sanatan Dharma should have been compared with HIV, leprosy and Udayanidhi Stalin was soft in comparing it with dengue or malaria.

Ilhan Omar, with links to terrorists, supports Canada’s baseless allegation against India, asks US govt to answer if India has killed Khalistanis in the USA too

OpIndia Staff
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Ilhan Omar, with links to terrorists, supports Canada’s baseless allegation against India, asks US govt to answer if India has killed Khalistanis in the USA too

On 27th September 2023, US lawmaker Ilhan Omar took to social media platform X to support Canada’s baseless allegation that Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Niijar was assassinated by the Indian government. She also asked the US government to investigate if India has performed any similar operations there and eliminated a few in the USA too.

Ilhan Omar posted, “The allegations that Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Niijar was assassinated by the Indian government are deeply concerning. The US must fully support the Canadian investigation. We are also requesting a briefing on whether there are similar operations in the United States.”

Who is Ilhan Omar?

Ilhan Omar, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Minnesota on a Democrat ticket, has achieved celebrity status in the Muslim world. Outside the global Muslim brotherhood or the Ummah, Omar is seen as someone running errands for the powerful Islamist lobbies, whose only aim is to push radical Islam in modern societies.

In fact, the origins of Omar, who hails from Somalia, have also been controversial. Omar arrived in the US at the age of 12 in 1995 as a refugee fleeing Somalia’s civil war. She became a citizen five years later, at the age of 17. In November 2016, she won the election to become the first Somali-American in the US Congress.

There are allegations that Omar married her biological brother to bypass the US immigration process. Former President Donald Trump had asked the Justice Department to investigate Ilhan Omar’s marriage to her brother and her subsequent migration to the US illegally.

Ilhan Omar’s history of bias against Hindus, a known anti-India propagandist

A representative of Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, has several times in the past parroted the same lies peddled by the radical Islamists. For years now, Omar has indulged in propagating anti-India narratives, especially targeting the Narendra Modi government, and has sought the Biden Administration’s official help to further her propaganda war.

With support from other ‘left-liberal’ circles, both in India and the West, Ilhan Omar has been at the forefront of raking up the issue of Kashmir in the US House of Representatives with a pro-Pakistan stand demanding US agencies to intervene in the matter. Omar has also peddled lies about the alleged attacks on minorities, issues of human rights, and freedom of speech in India, claiming that Muslims in the country are facing atrocities at the hands of Hindus.

In June 2023, when PM Narendra Modi was on his state visit to the USA, Minnesota 5th District Congresswoman Ilhan Omar accused PM Modi’s government of “repressing minorities, emboldening violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeting journalists/human rights advocates with impunity.” Now, she has come ahead to support Canada’s baseless allegations against India that the agents of the Indian government killed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

A report by The Washington Post has claimed that at least six men and two vehicles were involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey on 18 June 2022. Another report has further claimed that the two killers who shot Nijjar were Sikhs.

The current diplomatic situation between India and Canada

Tensions rose between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Canada expelled an Indian diplomat after the allegations, but other allied countries refused to issue a joint statement against India.

The government of India has categorically denied any involvement in Nijjar’s murder, adding that the Canadians have not shared any evidence in that regard and have just been making unsubstantial allegations.

In retaliation, India denied the allegations and expelled a Canadian diplomat. The dispute led to India stopping visa issuance to Canadian citizens and halting trade talks between the two countries. India had previously expressed concerns about increasing Khalistani activities in Canada, including speeches by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun during a so-called Khalistan referendum. It was also revealed that Nijjar was on the US No Fly list, leading to questions about why Canada was providing a haven for designated terrorists and organized crime, as noted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

200 vehicles set ablaze, 700 booked: Violence erupts during ‘Gurjar Mahakumbh’ in Gwalior, SP MLA and BSP MP booked for instigating mob

OpIndia Staff
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200 vehicles set ablaze, 700 booked: Violence erupts during ‘Gurjar Mahakumbh’ in Gwalior, SP MLA and BSP MP booked for instigating mob

Violence erupted during the Gurjar Mahakumbh was held on Monday, September 25 at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, where a large number of vehicles were set ablaze. Reportedly, a BSP MP and an SP MLA instigated the riots during the event, which was attended by several politicians. The mob attacked police personnel and pelted stones, vehicles were set ablaze, and other public properties were also vandalized.

Gurjars from numerous states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana, attended the Gurjar Mahakumbh to voice their demands. The primary request made by the Gurjars during the Mahakumbh was the demolition of the tin shed surrounding Emperor Mihirbhoj’s statue. The Gurjars also demanded tickets from the BJP and Congress in proportion to the population.

According to the reports, after provocative speeches by BSP MP Maluk Nagar from Bijnor in UP and SP MLA Atul Pradhan from Sardhana in UP’s Meerut, the crowd got agitated, and some miscreants created a ruckus which soon expanded. At around 1:30 pm on Monday, September 25, around 2000 youngsters arrived at the Phoolbagh crossroads and caused an extensive ruckus following the incendiary speech by the politicians at the Gurjar Mahakumbh held at the Phoolbagh ground.

Following this, at around 4:30 p.m., young Gurjar people created an uproar while marching towards the Collectorate to submit a memorandum. However, the gate of the office was closed, and police officers present there asked them to submit the memorandum at the gate itself. But the crowd was adamant on entering the office. Following an argument over the issue, some in the crowd suddenly created a ruckus and demolished the barricades. They also pelted stones at police vehicles and broke the glasses of the collectorate office. The police tried to control them but were unable to do so, and the violence soon expanded.

The mob started vandalising vehicles and assaulted pedestrians in the area. About 200 vehicles were reportedly destroyed by Gurjars, and the majority of the damaged cars were set on fire. The mob also pelted stones at police and several cops were injured in this attack. Houses in the area were also targeted by the mob. The aggressive Gurjars were later lathi-charged and tear-gassed by the police to control the violence.

Additional SP M Shiyaz said that when the police detained some suspected miscreants, the mob blocked Jhansi Road and Sikaroda intersection, stopped many vehicles and vandalized them. Not only this, these people also beat up the passersby. When the situation did not come under control for several hours, the police released tear gas shells and dispersed the crowd by lathi-charge. Police had to fire around 200 tear gas shells.

5 FIRs have been filed in the case. According to reports, 23 people connected to the violence have been detained thus far. The police also confiscated around 200 two-wheelers parked in front of the Collectorate and around a nearby petrol pump. In addition to the 20–25 identifiable individuals, 700 unidentified people have been added to 5 FIRs. These include Maluk Nagar, a BSP MP from Bijnor, and Atul Pradhan, an SP MLA from Sardhana in Meerut, close to Delhi.

According to media reports, these individuals delivered aggressive speeches and incited violence. FIR has now been filed in their name. The noteworthy thing is that both these leaders are from near Delhi and belong to opposition parties. These people had instigated their accompanying supporters to violence. It is being told that cases have been registered against them for rioting and obstructing government work.

The violence in Gurjar Mahakumbh is also being linked to electoral politics since seats for Gurjars in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were also requested from political parties during the Mahakumbh. Additionally, this Mahakumbh was meant to demonstrate the Gurjars’ political clout. The entry of BSP and SP leaders in such a situation and the increase in violence in the state that the BJP controls are indicators of electoral politics.

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