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Iran foils major terror plot by defusing 30 bombs set to explode simultaneously in Tehran, 28 Islamic State-linked terrorists arrested: Iranian Media

OpIndia Staff
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Iran foils major terror plot by defusing 30 bombs set to explode simultaneously in Tehran, 28 Islamic State-linked terrorists arrested: Iranian Media

The Iranian intelligence forces have foiled a major terror plot to carry out a string of simultaneous bombings in Tehran and arrested 28 terrorists linked with the ISIL (Islamic State) (Daesh) terrorist group, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday (24 September). The Iranian media report added that the authorities neutralised 30 bombs that were planted to go off simultaneously in populated areas in Tehran, the country’s capital. 

In a statement, Iran’s intelligence ministry said, “Some of the members are of Islamic State (IS) and the perpetrators have a history of being affiliated with Takfiri groups in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq.” 

According to the Iranian Ministry’s statement, the bombing attacks were planned to ‘undermine Iran’s security, display a false image of instability in Iran, foment disappointment and terror in the society, and provoke chaos.’ The Ministry added that the planned attacks in densely populated areas of the capital were intended to occur on the anniversary of last year’s anti-regime protests, which were triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death over hijab issue.

The explosions “were precisely planned for the anniversary of last year’s riots” and “aimed at breaking the security authority and presenting an unstable image of the country, creating despair and fear in the society and inciting riots and protests,” the Intelligence Ministry said.

In recent days, the ministry noted that the Iranian forces conducted a series of simultaneous operations in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz, and West Azarbaijan. During these operations, they raided the houses of terrorists and arrested 28 members of the terrorist network.

As per the statement by the Iranian ministry, the Iranian forces also seized weapons and equipment from the terrorists in these recent operations. The seized material includes a huge amount of explosives, bombs, a large number of explosive device materials, a package of 100 explosive primers, electronic devices used in time bombs, 17 American handguns and bullets, diverse smart and satellite telecommunication devices, military outfits, suicide vests, modems used in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and foreign currencies, Iranian media Tasnim reported.

Further, it also noted that during one of the operations at a house, the terrorists tried to carry out a suicide attack which could have endangered the lives of nearby residents. 

The intelligence personnel swiftly prevented the suicide explosion, however, two Iranian intelligence personnel were injured in the operation.

According to media reports, the militant group has claimed several attacks in Iran. This includes the deadly twin bombings in 2017. They were targeted at Iran’s parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Last year in October, the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia shrine. The attack took place in the southwestern city of Shiraz in which 15 people had lost their lives. It is notable that ISIS has a history of attacking and persecuting Shia Muslims, and Iran remains their major target as it is a Shia country.

‘It is still a world of double standards’: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar criticises Global North

OpIndia Staff
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‘It is still a world of double standards’: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar criticises Global North

Amid Canada’s allegations against India based on American intelligence reports, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar criticised the Global North on Saturday (23 September) and accused them of exercising “double standards”. He asserted that it is still a world of “double standards” and those countries that are occupying positions of influence have been resisting the pressure to change. He further added that those countries who have institutional or historical influence have actually weaponised a lot of those capabilities. 

Notably, he took a dig at Global North while speaking at a Ministerial Session titled ‘South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions, and Ideas’. The event was hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, United Nations India, and the Reliance Foundation.

In New York, Jaishankar said, “I think more than political will, there is political pressure for change.” He added that there is a growing sentiment in the world and the Global South in a way embodies it. He, however, highlighted that there is political resistance to this growing sentiment.

He said, “Those who are occupying positions of influence, we see this in the UN Security Council most of all, are resisting the pressure to change. Those who are economically dominant today are leveraging their production capabilities and those who have institutional influence or historical influence have actually weaponised a lot of those capabilities as well.” 

Citing the example of COVID-19, he added, “They will all mouth the right things, but the reality is still today, it’s a world very much of double standards.” 

The Minister noted that the Global North includes nations or territories that are very resistant to change. Regarding the reform in the international system, he said, “But I think this whole transition will really be, in a sense, the Global South putting more and more pressure on the international system. And, the Global North is not just the North. There are parts which may not think of themselves in the North, but are very resistant to change.” 

Speaking at the event, Jaishankar talked about cultural rebalancing and explained that it means recognising and respecting the diversity of the world and giving due respect to other cultures and traditions. He added that respecting others’ heritage, tradition, music, literature, and ways of life, is all part of the change that the Global South would like to see. 

Citing the example of millets, he referred to the G20 Summit in Delhi which was held earlier this month, and noted that the Global South historically ate less wheat and more millets.

He emphasised, “In the name of the market, a lot of things are done, like in the name of freedom, a lot of things are done.” 

Meanwhile, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj,  Reliance Foundation CEO Jagannatha Kumar, and ORF president Samir Saran among others also addressed the event.  

While, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Joao Gomes Cravinho, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith participated in the panel discussion at the event.

Highlighting that India’s G20 Presidency still has a couple of months remaining before Brazil assumes the presidency in December 2023, he said, “We hopefully get something moving on the reform of international financial institutions”.

Responding to ORF President Saran, Jaishankar denied the assertion that he is tough on Europe for making the remark that “Europe’s problems are the world’s problems but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems”. 

He categorically highlighted that the main issues that were troubling the entire world were debt, SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) resourcing, climate action resourcing, digital access, nutrition, and gender. 

He added that partly because of Covid-19 and partly due to the focus on Ukraine, these subjects were driven out of the global conversations.  

He noted that to get actually the G20 to talk about what the world wanted it to talk about — that was a real problem in the G20.

Explaining the reason why India held the Voice of Global South Summit 2023, he asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he said, “First let’s talk to the people who are not going to be on the table, let’s find out what they have to say.” 

He highlighted that hosting the Voice of Global South Summit gave India the credentials, actually the empirical basis really to say that we have spoken to 125 countries and this is really what is troubling them and that is why we need to focus on these issues.

Canadian media questions Justin Trudeau over his allegations against India, asks him to share evidence if he has any

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian media questions Justin Trudeau over his allegations against India, asks him to share evidence if he has any

The issue of the murder of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar has led to intense tension between Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that his assassination was carried out by agents of the Indian government, however, he did not provide any proof to support the same. Interestingly, he has levelled the charge when he is being strongly cornered in his country on internal issues and is consistently trailing his rivals in the polls.

According to accounts in the Canadian media, he reportedly brought up the matter because his popularity is rapidly declining and would be marked for both national and international disgrace if he is not able to substantiate his allegation with tangible proof.

The prime minister acted hastily in an attempt to improve his slipping poll numbers and serve his domestic politics, based on a large section of the country’s media. “It’s important to remember Trudeau’s accusation has yet to be proven. He has so far failed to provide any evidence to Canadians,” Canada’s leading newspaper, the National Post wrote in an editorial which pointed to “his use of vague language and lack of any specific intelligence.”

The piece further read that if it turns out that he sparked this storm without any proof it would be a matter of domestic and global implications. The National Post has cited a recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute in which Justin Trudeau has got only a 33% approval rating while 63% of people dislike him. His government is in power with the support of the New Democratic Party which has twenty-four MPs. The head of this party, Jagmeet Singh is considered a Khalistan supporter.

An article in the Canadian newspaper Toronto Sun stated that India won’t stay quiet regarding the allegations that the Western nation has made against the Indian government. The Modi administration’s sole response that Canadians should anticipate is that India would make an effort to punish Canada for the accusation. Therefore, it is crucial that Justin Trudeau’s government releases whatever evidence it can produce to establish the Indian government’s link to Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death.

The tabloid newspaper highlighted that Hardeep Singh Nijjar was not a saint and the court should have made the determination whether he was a terrorist, as per the assertion of the Indian government. If India is indeed behind his murder and the Trudeau government still stands by its word, then the South Asian country should be held accountable.

It claimed that the Modi government should have presented its evidence in a Canadian court and followed the legal route for the extradition process if it had proof connecting the Sikh radical to criminal acts. The Trudeau administration’s inaction in the face of violent pro-Khalistan elements was also questioned by the newspaper.

Toronto Sun pointed out that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed that he would protect the Sikhs and that the entire community cannot be judged based on the actions of a few people. This is true, but if certain bad actors are encouraging violence or engaging in terrorist activities, including talking about attacking diplomats then the government ought to take action. The prime minister has failed to do anything on this front.

It emphasised that he has done nothing to deal with the violent extreme sections of the Khalistan movement that go beyond advocating for the motherland. The article concluded that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor his Canadian counterpart is facing any problems due to the dispute, however, it is directly affecting the people of Canada who do business with India as well as those who are trying to arrange visas to visit the Asian nation. It also asked both leaders to stop playing international poker and put their cards on the table.

National Post in another piece reported that India considers Hardeep Singh Nijjar a militant and had declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on him after his name appeared in a conspiracy to kill a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab. He was believed to have planned a blast in Punjab state and trained militants in a small city southeast of Vancouver.

The Canadian daily also conveyed that India has halted visa services citing security concerns amid the tension. This suspension prevents Canadians who do not already possess a visa from visiting India until services are restored. Canadians are among the top travellers to the country. According to India’s Bureau of Immigration, 80,000 Canadian tourists visited India in 2021.

Canadians of Indian descent are concerned about how they are going to travel to India now that visa services have been discontinued, based on a story in the Canadian newspaper Vancouver Sun. It quoted a Canadian of Indian ancestry Anil Kumar who lives in Surrey who voiced, “The suspension of visa services shows what a bad time this is. People are worried about travelling to India. I know some people who were going to India for Diwali. Now, they won’t be able to go and this is very worrying.”

Justin Trudeau’s absurd allegation and its aftermath

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of executing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada on 18 September and the charge was vehemently refuted by India in a statement which urged the Canadian government to take strict action against anti-Indian groups present there. India also summoned Canadian High Commissioner Cameron MacKay and expelled a Canadian diplomat in retaliation.

Furthermore, India has ceased providing visa services to Canadian citizens until further notice. The Ministry of External Affairs of India issued a warning to its residents in Canada on 20 September advising them to use caution in light of the rise in anti-Indian activities and politically sanctioned hate crimes there.

He reportedly implored the allies of Canada, including the United States for weeks to denounce India for the murder but was refused by everyone. They refused to participate in his story of “foreign interference” or to be dragged into it. He was snubbed by them fearing diplomatic backlash from India.

The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar did not even merit a mention during the crucial G-20 Summit, despite private discussions among the Five Eyes nations, an intelligence alliance made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

More importantly, the Indian government has repeatedly affirmed that the Canadian government has not provided any specific proof of Indian involvement in the killing of the Sikh extremist. It seems that Justin Trudeau’s decision to attack India, a fellow democratic nation without showing any evidence was motivated by short-sightedness and petty electoral ambitions which have now snowballed into a serious humiliation and created multiple challenges for his country.

His administration is now seen as siding with a terrorist instead of addressing the grave pro-separatist Sikh movement growing on his country’s soil that poses a serious threat to the lives, temples and properties of Hindu minorities along with the safety of Indian diplomats posted there.

Hardeep Singh Najjar (46) who had been profoundly involved in pro-Khalistan activities was shot dead on 18 June outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

Meta Vs The Wire: Delhi court orders conditional release of electronic devices seized from editors of The Wire in raids last year

OpIndia Staff
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Meta Vs The Wire: Delhi court orders conditional release of electronic devices seized from editors of The Wire in raids last year

A Delhi court has ordered the release of the electronic devices seized from the editors of the leftist propaganda website The Wire. The devices were seized following raids at the residence of The Wire founders Siddharth Varadarajan, MK Venu, and staffer Jahnavi Sen and their office in Delhi in October 2022 after the publication of a series of fake reports by the portal regarding Meta-owned Instagram.

The searches were conducted by the Delhi Police in connection with the FIR filed against the leftist publication for publishing false and malicious Meta reports against BJP leader Amit Malviya.

The court said that there was no reasonable ground for not releasing the devices to the portal’s editors and product-cum-business head Mithun Kidambi. The order was passed by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Siddhartha Malik of Tis Hazari Courts on the applications filed by The Wire editors.

The editors sought the release of the electronic devices which were seized by the investigating officer (IO). The court ordered that the devices be released within 15 days citing that they have been in the IO’s custody for a very long time.

It said that their mirror images are available with the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for any subsequent investigation.

“The argument of the IO that the devices might again be required for some subsequent investigation is speculative in nature based on the presumption of coming to light some new fact at a later stage, which may or may not happen. The devices of the accused persons cannot be kept indefinitely by the IO only on the speculation of an uncertain future event/discovery,” the court said.

The Delhi Police argued that the mirror images of the devices may not be enough for the retrieval of data if some new facts come to light during further probes. The court said that reasonable conditions can be imposed on the editors to ensure that the devices are available to the IO for investigation if required at a later stage.

The court directed the editors to furnish an affidavit before the IO to keep the devices in their own custody. The matter is fixed for filing of compliance report by the IO on 21 October.

The devices are crucial for the investigation because The Wire had published a large number of forged and fabricated documents to frame Amit Malviya and Meta. It is important to know who prepared the fake documents. Although The Wire had claimed that they were conned by Devesh Kumar, one of the contributors of the story, Malviya has named editors of the portal in his complaint.

On 10 October 2022, The Wire published a report with the title ‘If BJP’s Amit Malviya Reports Your Post, Instagram Will Take it Down – No Questions Asked’ authored by Jahnavi Sen, deputy editor, and executive news producer at the portal.

In the report, The Wire claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya has such power in Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, that if he reports any post on the platform, it gets removed by the system, no questions asked.

It further claimed that even if the publisher of the post that was removed from Instagram appeals against the removal, it does not get accepted by the system as “Malviya has privileges of being on the XCheck list.”

However, Meta had denied all the allegations, and alert netizens and experts have found glaring holes in Wire’s claims. The portal proceeded to provide ‘proofs’, including screenshots of emails of Meta officials and videos, all of which were found to be forged and fabricated. For several days The Wire tried to defend its stories, despite the fact that even leftist tech experts exposed their lies. However, when two experts including a Microsoft official cited by the portal said that they never verified the Wire’s claims to be true, as claimed by Wire, the portal had to finally take down the story.

However, instead of admitting that they published a fake story, they blamed Devesh Kumar, who had contributed to the reports, and even filed a complaint against him.The Wire also withdrew its other fake Teg Fog stories, also authored by Devesh Kumar.

Following this, Amit Malviya filed a criminal complaint against The Wire and its editorial team for their Meta reports against him, which were suspended by the portal in an implicit admission that they had erred in the reportage. On 29 October last year, Delhi police registered an FIR against The Wire, its founding editors Siddharth Varadarajan, Sidharth Bhatia and MK Venu, and Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen, on the basis of the complaint. Subsequently, the residences of the accused were raided, and seized their electronic devices for investigation.

Fact Check: TMC leader Kirti Azad passes off old photo of BJP workers as ‘Sanghis protesting against Canada outside Canara Bank’

OpIndia Staff
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Fact Check: TMC leader Kirti Azad passes off old photo of BJP workers as ‘Sanghis protesting against Canada outside Canara Bank’

On Sunday (September 24), Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad courted controversy after he falsely claimed that BJP workers mistook Canara Bank for Canada and had been protesting outsides its premises.

In a tweet (archive), the 64-year-old politician wrote, “BJP Sanghis assumed Canara Bank to be Canada and held demonstrations in front of the bank’s building.” The tweet was accompanied by a picture of a group of people, standing outside Canara Bank with BJP flags in hand.

At the time of writing, the contentious tweet had more than 2000 likes and 500 retweets. The former cricketer-turned-politician sought to exploit the ongoing diplomatic tension between India and Canada to score political brownies.

Screengrab of the tweet by Kirti Azad

The Truth behind the image

A quick ‘reverse Google image search’ of the image led us to a news report, published by Tamil daily ‘Maalai Malar’. The said report was published on August 30, 2020 i.e. 3 years ago.

At the very onset, it became clear that the picture shared by Kirti Azad had nothing to do with the ongoing diplomatic standoff between India and Canada.

The Maalai Malar report stated that BJP workers held demonstrations in Ooty against the city administration for removing a flagpole, which was installed to hoist the party flag. The municipality had alleged that no prior permission was sought from them by the BJP.

‘Screengrab of the news report by Maalai Malar’

Thus, it clearly shows that the BJP workers were not protesting against Canada in any form or manner. It is also interesting to note that the original picture was photoshopped with another image of Canara Bank by Kirti Azad to lend credence to his dubious claims.

This is however not the first time that Kirti Azad has resorted to peddling fake news on social media. Earlier in February 2022, he falsely claimed that BJP leaders were being thrashed by the common people during the second phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh. 

In reality, the video is not from Uttar Pradesh but from the State of West Bengal. The victim in the incident was BJP leader Anirban Ganguly, who informed that he was attacked by Trinamool Congress-sponsored Jihadis.

In October 2022, Kirti Azad shared a fake quote attributed to RSS leader MS Golwalkar on Twitter, which claimed that he was willing to tolerate British subjugation but not a government in the nation that granted Muslims and Dalits equal status.

Pakistani cricketers threaten to not wear sponsor logos, boycott promotional events at World Cup over non-payment of match fees

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani cricketers threaten to not wear sponsor logos, boycott promotional events at World Cup over non-payment of match fees

After the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) failed to approve the payments of the cricketers, the players from Pakistan have threatened to withdraw from sponsorship promotions and not wear logos of sponsors on their World Cup jerseys.

According to a report by Cricket Pakistan, the players have not received their match fees for the last four months. As a result of this, with the World Cup approaching, players are refusing to wear corporate logos on their shirts. The younger players, in particular, are struggling financially as a result of the board’s inability to settle the payments.

The board’s consideration of players’ central contracts has yet to yield favourable results. With no payments for the last four months, there appears to be a big issue ahead of an event like the World Cup.

“We are willing to represent Pakistan for free, but our question is why we should promote sponsors’ logos that are affiliated with the board. Similarly, we may decline to participate in promotional activities and other events. During the World Cup, we won’t engage in ICC’s commercial promotions and activities either,” a Pakistan cricketer was quoted as saying on the condition of anonymity.

As per the reports, the suggested contract structure provided top cricketers across all three forms with a monthly retainer amount of PKR 4.5 million. However, after tax deductions, the players only receive 2.2 to 2.3 million, which is why they are requesting a payout increase.

The players have asked the board to split the PCB’s money from the ICC and sponsors. Their case is predicated on the revenue-sharing mechanism that the PCB receives from the ICC, which amounts to around 9.8 billion rupees through PSL contracts, sponsorship deals, and bilateral series.

Meanwhile, the money distributed to the players is one billion rupees short, or 10% less than what the board receives through ICC revenue sharing. The PCB claims to be offering a fair deal, yet the players’ managers or agents influence the arrangement by their indulgence.

Pakistan’s players are likely to depart for India on Wednesday for the ICC World Cup 2023 in Hyderabad. On October 6, they will play their opening game against the Netherlands.

“Conspicuous silence on Karima Baloch’s death, impassioned speeches on Nijjar”: Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada calls out Trudeau’s double standards

OpIndia Staff
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“Conspicuous silence on Karima Baloch’s death, impassioned speeches on Nijjar”: Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada calls out Trudeau’s double standards

On Saturday (local time), the Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada (BHRC-Canada) wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking why no action has been taken against Pakistan for the murder of Karima Baloch. They questioned his silence in Karima Baloch’s case in contrast to the “impassioned speeches” in the case of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Copy of the letter written by BHRC-Canada to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

In his letter to Trudeau, the President of BHRC-Canada, Dr Zaffar Jawaid, wrote, “Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau’s conspicuous silence regarding the high-profile, unexplained death of Ms. Karima Baloch – a prominent Balochistan human rights defender – stands in stark contrast to his impassioned speeches in the House of Commons and extensive international media coverage concerning the shooting death of Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.”

The BHRC-Canada raised concerns about the Canadian government’s consistency and fairness, particularly with regard to its handling of Balochistan’s ongoing human rights violations by the Pakistan Army.

The organisation further hit out at the Trudeau government, implying it is looking to secure political brownie points. “BHRC-Canada believes that the Canadian Government’s apparent reluctance to address Ms. Baloch’s death impartially may be linked to electoral considerations. The Baloch community in Canada is relatively small and lacks the electoral influence to significantly impact the selection of representatives in Parliament,” BHRC-Canada said.

It appealed to the Canadian government to “treat all individuals equally, without regard to race, creed, or political contributions, adding that its “past correspondence and appeals over the past two years appear to have gone unnoticed, possibly due to electoral considerations”.

Prominent Baloch activist Karima Baloch’s body was discovered by the Toronto Police near Lake Ontario on Toronto Island on December 21, 2020, under mysterious circumstances. The BHRC-Canada has expressed deep concerns regarding the Canadian government’s perceived inconsistencies in its response to the activist’s death.

It took less than 48 hours for the Canadian Police to term Karima’s death as “non-criminal”. The BHRC-Canada has said, “Karima Baloch’s untimely death, shrouded in suspicion, was swiftly and definitively concluded by the Toronto police within forty-eight hours of the discovery, with an announcement that “no foul play was suspected.”

This happened despite the Canadian government and the Toronto Police being well-informed about the grave death threats that Ms. Baloch had received from the ISI, yet they maintained silence on this matter, the BHRC-Canada has said.

Karima Baloch actively campaigned for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan. Karima’s family and friends believed and had stated on record multiple times, that there was foul play behind her murder, which pointed at Pakistan. And yet, Canada brushed the whole matter under the carpet.

In a cryptic message issued by the Toronto Police a day after discovering Karima’s body, it said, “It is currently being investigated as a non-criminal death and there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

Baloch was a vocal critic of the Pakistani Army and the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani government on Baloch citizens. She was one of the most prominent women leaders from Balochistan and also raised the issue of Pakistan’s atricities at the United Nations.

She had accused the Justin Trudeau government in Canada of facilitating Pakistani army officials by giving them refuge.

“I belong to student organisation in Balochistan. I have seen bodies of so many of my friends whose bodies can also not be identified. These bodies were returned by this (Pakistani) army which believes in brutality. They had poured acid over the bodies. Now the same army is taking asylum in Canada. The army that entered our house and killed us, raped us, took away our children, the same army is given refuge and facilities. So that they become more equipped to kill us,” she had said calling out the Canadian government.

According to reports, though she was later allowed to take refugee, the Canadian authorities had initially rejected her asylum request, which she made after she escaped from Pakistan in 2016 with the help of a few friends and Baloch activists, fearing for her life due to threats from the Pakistan army and intelligence agencies.

It has been 3 years since Karima Baloch’s murder. But an eerie silence continues to loom in the political corridors of Canada, which has gone out on a limb to investigate the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, even accusing India with no evidence whatsoever.

The two cases have exposed Canada’s hypocrisy as it maintains pin-drop silence in the case of the murder of the Baloch activist and harbours ISI men. While in the other case, it has derailed diplomatic ties with India to defend a Khalistani terrorist.

Left liberals on social media attack Sachin Tendulkar, call him ‘spineless’ for attending foundation stone laying of Varanasi cricket stadium by PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Left liberals on social media attack Sachin Tendulkar, call him ‘spineless’ for attending foundation stone laying of Varanasi cricket stadium by PM Modi

On 23rd September 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the international cricket stadium to be built in Varanasi. This program was attended by many eminent sportspersons including former Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. After images of Sachin Tendulkar attending the event emerged on media, liberal social media users started attacking him and called him spineless.

Roshan Lal wrote on his X handle, “This is Sachin Tendulkar, Former Cricketer. He never spoke for farmers. He never spoke for wrestlers. He never spoke for Manipur. He never speaks for issues. He hardly ever visited the parliament when he was a Rajya Sabha MP. But today, came running from Mumbai to Varanasi for Modi’s PR on just one call. Legend on the field, a Sarkari coward off the field.”

Dr. Nimo Yadav wrote on his X handle, “He is Sachin Tendulkar, former ICT player. During the UPA rule, he used to raise his voice against inflation and increasing petrol prices. For this UPA nominated him as RS MP so that he could raise his voice in parliament but his attendance in parliament was just .06%. In 2014, the BJP gave him Bharat Ratna for Playing in two WC finals and making 22 runs in them. Since then he has become a BJP puppet and he does whatever Modi says. He might have suffered from Tennis Elbow because of cricket, but it is Modi who made him Spineless.”

Another X user Rofl Bhaiyya Ji wrote, “The person who was God of our childhood has now become the DD News of the government by partying at Ambani’s house and posting selfies on the social media. The God of Cricket does not take any stand on any issue.”

Another X user Sohel wrote, “Spineless.”

Another X user Sumit Nayak Bharat posted, “This video of Sachin Tendulkar who is called the God of the cricket world, is for the public who gave him the title of God. Even after watching this video, does the public feel that it is questioning the government for the public interest regarding the problems of Manipur, farmer movement, wrestlers, common people like inflation, unemployment, corruption, schools, hospitals, education and health? do? I say we won’t because he doesn’t have the straightness of his spine like Neeraj Chopra. His spine is bent.”

On Saturday (September 23), PM Modi arrived in his Parliamentary constituency Varanasi to launch a slew of development projects including laying the foundation stone of an International cricket stadium in Ganjari, Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accompanied by cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, as well as officials from BCCI including President Roger Binny, Vice President Rajiv Shukla and Secretary Jay Shah, also joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the foundation stone laying ceremony.

The cricketing legends also offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The design of the stadium draws inspiration from Lord Shiva. Evidently, the roof covers in the newly constructed stadium will be crescent-shaped, its floodlights will resemble the shape of a trident, it will have ghat steps-based seating, and Bilvipatra-shaped metallic sheets on the facade. Moreover, one of the structures will be shaped like a ‘damru’.

Ghaziabad: Man commits suicide after sharing video saying he was harassed by former BSP MLA Wahab Chaudhary and others

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad: Man commits suicide after sharing video saying he was harassed by former BSP MLA Wahab Chaudhary and others

A 50-year-old man committed suicide in Ghaziabad on Saturday, 23 September, alleging harassment by former BSP MLA Wahab Chaudhary and an officer of the Muradnagar municipality.

The police reportedly said that deceased Shahir Husain shot a video before the alleged suicide accusing former BSP MLA Wahab Chaudhary, executive officer of Muradnagar municipality Abhishek Kumar, two advocates Mumtaz and Imran, and another person named Dharmi of harassment.

After Husain attempted suicide, his wife Walisa rescued him and rushed him to a private hospital where he died during treatment. A complaint was then made by Walisa against the persons mentioned by her husband in the video, which has now gone viral on social media.

Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar Mishra reportedly said that based on a complaint by Husain’s wife, an FIR has been registered against the accused under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

One of the accused Wahab Chaudhary represented the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as an MLA from the Muradnagar constituency from 2012 to 2017. He is the husband of the current chairperson of the Muradnagar municipality.

Notably, Wahab Chaudhary was earlier arrested in 2021 in the murder case of an 18-year-old man in Ghaziabad. The former BSP MLA, along with one of his nephews and one other, was arrested for allegedly killing the man.

Nitish Kumar will be PM candidate of I.N.D.I. Alliance, no one more capable than him: JDU leader Maheshwar Hazari

OpIndia Staff
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Nitish Kumar will be PM candidate of I.N.D.I. Alliance, no one more capable than him: JDU leader Maheshwar Hazari

Maheshwar Hazari, a prominent Janata Dal (United) leader and the deputy speaker of the Bihar Assembly, has said that the opposition I.N.D.I. Alliance members will present Nitish Kumar as the coalition’s prime ministerial face. Hazari added that a statement to this effect is set to be issued shortly by the alliance. He was responding to queries on the preparations of the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has all the qualities needed for the PM. Whenever the I.N.D.I. Alliance would announce the name for the Prime Minister candidate, it is going to be Nitish Kumar’s name”, Bihar’s deputy speaker said.

The three meetings convened by the opposition alliance this year did not result in the announcement of the Prime Minister candidate for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to take place next year.

“The country’s tallest socialist leader after Rammanohar Lohiya, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is Nitish Kumar”, Hazari added trying to use incumbent PM Modi to prop up Nitish Kumar’s claim. The JD(U) supremo has been the chief minister of Bihar for 18 years and has served five times as a minister in the central government, per the lawmaker.

However, Nitish Kumar has said multiple times that he has no desire to become prime minister and would instead lead the opposition’s campaign in the upcoming general election. “I have said this before and I will repeat it again. I have no ambition for myself. All I want is for Opposition leaders to unite and forge ahead. This will be to the benefit of the entire country”, the Bihar CM said.

The I.N.D.I. Alliance is a political alliance of 28 parties including Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) among others and is led by the Indian National Congress. The alliance has come together in an attempt to defeat PM Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA alliance.

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