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‘I’m a Shiv Bhakt, will never convert to Islam’: Dalit woman says converted brother is threatening her to become a Muslim as well

राहुल पाण्डेय
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‘I’m a Shiv Bhakt, will never convert to Islam’: Dalit woman says converted brother is threatening her to become a Muslim as well

The Ambedkar Nagar police in Uttar Pradesh had on September 2, 2023, arrested 4 members of a family namely, Mohammad Hussain, Mumtaz Shaikh, Abdul Rehman and Heena Abdul, on charges of forceful conversion and coercion. The arrest was made based on a complaint filed by a Dalit woman named Indravati on August 31, 2023.

Indravati is reportedly the biological sister of Mohammad Hussain aka Shyamlal, who had converted to Islam a few years ago. Now, he and his family were pressuring Indravati to do the same. When Indravati refused to accede to their demand, they threatened to kill her.

Indravati, a resident of Tarakala village under the Malipur police station area, said in her complaint, that her brother Shayamlal had gone to Mumbai in search of work where he met some Muslim clerics who brainwashed him and converted him to Islam. He was given the name Mohammad Hussain and married off to a Muslim woman named Mumtaz Shaikh. Thereafter Shyamlal broke all ties with his family.

She further alleged that when her niece became eligible for marriage, Mohammad Hussain aka Shyamlal brainwashed a Hindu boy from Varanasi named Vicky Tripathi alias Vikas, converted him to Islam and got his daughter Heena Abdul married to him.

Indravati said that for all these years, her brother and his family had been staying in Mumbai and were not in touch with her or any of their family members. Recently, after the demise of their mother Pratapi Devi, Mohammad Hussain came to the village with the family and started pressuring Indravati and her family to convert to Islam.

Indravati further stated that on August 30, Mohammad Hussain and his family members forced their way into her home. At first, they asked her to convert to Islam while promising her land and Rs 2 lakh. When Indravati refused to convert, she was referred to as a “Kaafir” (an infidel) and threatened with death.

On August 31, 2023, the Ambedkar Nagar police registered an FIR against Mohammad Hussain alias Shyamlal, Abdul Rehman alias Vikas Tripathi alias Vicky, Heena Abdul and Mumtaz Shaikh based on Indravati’s complaint. Sections 452, 504, and 506 of the IPC, as well as Section 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Religious Conversion and SC/ST Act, were invoked in the case. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR. The police detained and jailed all four accused on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Indravati scared for her life

OpIndia spoke to Indravati who told us that she was scared for her and her family’s well-being. She disclosed how she had been receiving threats since the time the police has acted on her complaint and arrested her brother and his family members. Lamenting how she was petrified about her children’s safety, she said some people had been threatening her that they would fix her as soon as Mohammad Hassan and his family were out of jail. Indravati was, however, too scared to give out the names of the people who had been threatening her.

Shyamlal who had severed ties with the family had unexpectedly showed up to claim property

The lone son of the family, Indravati’s 61-year-old sibling, allegedly left for Mumbai when he was about 25 years old. When he was about 30 years old, he married a Haji’s daughter and took the name Mohammad Hussain. Indravati added that ever since Shyamlal hasn’t even visited his elderly parents; she was the one who took care of them. Now, after their mother passed away, Shyamlal returned unexpectedly in order to stake a claim on the property, Indravati added.

I am a devotee of Shiva, a Hindu, and will never become a Muslim: Indravati

Indravati further told us that Shyamlal would only associate with the Muslim people on the few occasions he returned to the hamlet in these years. He used to, in fact, abuse and look down upon her and every one belonging to their caste.

Indravati went on to say that she is a devoted Hindu and an adherent of Lord Shiva and Hanuman, and no matter what happens, she will never convert to Islam.

40 per cent of sitting MPs have criminal cases, Kerala tops the list: ADR Report

OpIndia Staff
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40 per cent of sitting MPs have criminal cases, Kerala tops the list: ADR Report

The southern state of Kerala is top among the states with the highest percentage of MPs with criminal cases against them, according to the latest report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW). 

In the list of Members of Parliament who disclosed criminal cases in their self-sworn affidavits, Kerala took the lead with 73%, with Bihar, Maharashtra at 57%, and Telangana at 50% following closely behind.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) state that out of the 763 Members of Parliament (MPs), 306 of them, constituting 40%, have self-declared criminal cases against themselves.

Out of 306, 194 of them have declared serious cases against themselves, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc. 

Bihar leads with the highest proportion of MPs facing serious criminal cases at 50%, followed by Telangana at 9%, Kerala at 10%, Maharashtra at 34%, and Uttar Pradesh at 37%.

When assessing party-specific statistics, it is revealed that 139 (36%) of the 385 MPs representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 43 (53%) out of the 81 MPs from the Congress, 14 (39%) of the 36 MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), 5 (83%) of the 6 MPs representing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 6 (75%) out of the 8 MPs from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), 3 (27%) out of the 11 MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 13 (42%) out of the 31 MPs from YSRCP, and 3 (38%) out of the 8 MPs from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have disclosed criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

As per the submitted affidavits, 32 Members of Parliament (MPs) have disclosed cases related to ‘attempt to murder’ (IPC Section 307). Among the current sitting MPs, 21 have declared cases linked to crimes against women, with 4 of them declaring cases specifically related to rape (IPC Section 376).

The average assets held by Members of Parliament (MPs) from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha amount to ₹38.33 crore. MPs who have declared criminal cases, on average, possess ₹50.03 crore in assets, whereas MPs with no criminal cases have an average asset value of ₹30.50 crore.

Telangana, represented by 24 MPs, boasts the highest average assets among its parliamentarians, with an average asset value of ₹262.26 crore. Following closely behind, Andhra Pradesh, with 36 MPs, reports an average asset worth of ₹150.76 crore, while Punjab, represented by 20 MPs, holds an average asset value of ₹88.94 crore.

Currently, there are four vacant seats in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir remain undefined. The affidavits of one Lok Sabha MP and three Rajya Sabha MPs could not be analyzed as their affidavits were unavailable.

Libya declares emergency as flash floods kill over 2000, around 10,000 reported missing

OpIndia Staff
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Libya declares emergency as flash floods kill over 2000, around 10,000 reported missing

Thousands of people are believed to have died after a severe storm caused disastrous flooding in the country of Libya. According to reports, the number of deaths has crossed 2,000, and around 10,000 a still missing.

Prime Minister of Libya, Ossama Hamad, confirmed the number to al-Masar television station and said that around 2000 are feared dead in the eastern city of Derna, one of the Libyan cities majorly devastated by floods. He stated that the floods had washed away entire communities in Derna, which has been declared a disaster zone after the country got hit by the Mediterranean storm Daniel.

Derna, which has been worst affected, has become inaccessible, according to local media, and the situation there is horrific, with no electricity or communications. Libyans shared footage on social media over the weekend showing flooded houses and highways in various locations of eastern Libya. They begged for assistance as floodwaters swamped individuals inside their homes and vehicles.

The east Libyan government’s prime minister, Osama Hamad, has declared Derna a disaster zone after torrential rains and floods damaged parts of the city. In addition, the government has announced a state of emergency and discontinued schools as a precaution ahead of a storm. 

The prime minister on Monday, September 12, declared a three-day national mourning period and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast across the country. Notably, seven Libyan army members have gone missing while rescue efforts continue, and officials in the east have enforced a curfew. Along with the schools, businesses and services have been instructed to remain closed.

The eastern cities of Benghazi, Sousse, Derna, and Al-Marj have been particularly hard hit. At least 150 homes have been damaged, according to the Libyan Red Cross. Meanwhile, two dams in Derna, a town of around 100,000 people, are said to have collapsed flooding much of the region and force drowning some citizens. Along with places in the east, the western city of Misrata has also been impacted by the flooding.

Unverified storm videos circulated online, with one depicting torrents of floodwater washing a man away. Drivers could be seen caught on their car roofs in another clip. In addition to schools and businesses, four major oil ports have also been forced to close due to the storm.

While the administration in Benghazi has been dealing with issues in the country’s east, the competing, internationally acknowledged government in Tripoli has also been active.

On Sunday, its Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Dbeiba, said he had directed all state agencies to “immediately deal” with the damage and floods, while the United Nations in Libya said it was closely monitoring the storm and would “provide urgent relief assistance in support of response efforts at the local and national levels.”

Since 2014, Libya has been divided between two opposing administrations, following the assassination of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Following Storm Daniel, both governments have announced three days of mourning. The Internet services and other communication services continue to remain hampered. 

While India continues to do well on the football field, media report suggests an astrologer helps coach Igor Stimac pick the playing XI

OpIndia Staff
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While India continues to do well on the football field, media report suggests an astrologer helps coach Igor Stimac pick the playing XI

Indian football is currently going through a resurgent phase having won the SAFF Championship recently and punching above their weight in the recently concluded King’s Cup.

Now amid all this, a report in The Indian Express has claimed that Igor Stimac, the coach of the Indian football team was in constant touch with an astrologer to finalise the playing XI for some crucial games. The coach reportedly shared information like the injury status of players and substitution strategies with a Delhi-NCR-based astrologer named Bhupesh Sharma. 

In one purported conversation between the two, Stimac reportedly wrote, “Hi dear Bhupesh, it was a pleasure meeting you and discussing future work! I would kindly ask you to provide an opinion on the following players.” 

After this purported message, Stimac shared the date, time, and place of birth of four players. Out of them, three players had represented India at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

As per the Indian Express report, on June 9, 2022, Igor Stimac sent a message to Sharma. The coach reportedly sent this message hours before the Indian side was scheduled to face Afghanistan in a crucial Asian Cup qualifier in Kolkata. 

In the purported message, the coach said, “Hi dear friend, you can check charts for each player from the list for 11 June. Kick-off time is at 20.30.”

As per the report, the list referred to in the message pertains to the names of the probable 11 for the crucial game. It was a must-win game in order for the Indian side to remain in contention for the prestigious continental championship.

In response, the astrologer replied with specific remarks against each player like –“Good”; “can do very well. Needs to avoid overconfidence”; “a below-average day”; “a very good day for him but might get over aggressive”, and “not recommended for the day”. 

Subsequently, one hour prior to the kick-off on June 11, the Indian playing lineup didn’t include two established names whose stars were allegedly “unfavourable”, as per Sharma. 

Going further, the Indian Express report claims that this was not a one-off incident, rather the duo exchanged close to 100 messages between May and June 2022. During this time frame, the Indian side played four matches. These included a friendly match against Jordan followed by three Asian Cup qualifiers against Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. 

As per the report, before each game, the former West Ham and Croatia player Stimac allegedly sought suggestions from the astrologer to finalise the team.  

The report added that a top All India Football Federation (AIFF) official introduced coach Stimac to astrologer Sharma. Speaking to The Indian Express, the then secretary-general of AIFF, Kushal Das, admitted that he introduced Stimac to Sharma in May 2022. 

He claimed that he met astrologer Sharma at a meeting and prior to that, Sharma had worked for a lot of telecom companies and Bollywood personalities. He added that as per their claims, it was said that his astrological timings could help people to make the right decisions. 

The resurgent Indian football side under Igor Stimac

Under Croatian coach Igor Stimac (who represented his country when they finished 3rd in the 1998 France World Cup), the Indian Men’s team lifted the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Cup in short succession. The Blue Tigers have been improving their overall ranking (99th) and recently entered under 100.

On the home soil, the Indian men’s side was unbeaten for 15 matches straight. Similarly, the women’s team defeated Kyrgyzstan over two legs to win their first round of Olympic qualifiers in April. On the back of a brilliant run by the main squads, the Sports Ministry gave exemptions to Under-23 teams to participate in the Asian Games in China. 

Fact Check: Did Telegraph put out a Simpsons cartoon, showing ass to TMC govt, to protest the arrest of its journalist

OpIndia Staff
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Fact Check: Did Telegraph put out a Simpsons cartoon, showing ass to TMC govt, to protest the arrest of its journalist

On Tuesday (September 12), a purported screenshot attributed to The Telegraph went viral on social media. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the front page of the Indian English daily and mocked the Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government for arresting Debmalya Bagchi.

“Our Group Journalist has been arrested by West Bengal police for reporting illegal business of Hooch Wine,” the alleged copy of The Telegraph read in bold.

The subheading of the purported newspaper stated, “Here is our editor’s message to the WB Govt – Jahapanah Tusi great ho, Tofah Kabool karo (Emperor, you are great. Please accept our gift). It is a popular dialogue from the highly acclaimed movie ‘3 idiots.’

Screengrab of the purported copy of The Telegraph

The message was accompanied with a cartoon of Homer Jay Simpson, showing his posterior, to the West Bengal government. Homer is the main protagonist of the US-based animated sitcom, The Simpsons. The graphic is popularly called ‘Kiss my yellow butt.’

In order to ascertain the truth, Opindia checked the e-paper of The Telegraph and all its editions (Kolkata, North Bengal and South Bengal) for September 12, 2023. We found no such cartoon of Homer Simpson ‘gifting’ his ass to the West Bengal government.

Moreover, there was no mention of the arrest of Anandabazar Patrika (ABP group that publishes The Telegraph) correspondent, Debmalya Bagchi, on the front page. Instead, the English daily pointed out the case of journalists being ‘slapped with FIR’ in Manipur.

Screengrab of The Telegraph

Nonetheless, Manipur remained the featured story of the West Bengal-based paper. The arrest of its own journalist by the Trinamool Congress government found no mention in its main headlines.

Opindia also cross-verified The Telegraph e-paper for Monday (September 11) but found no such message or cartoon from the Editor of the newspaper. We thus concluded that the purported screenshot attributed to The Telegraph was fake.

Arrest of journalist in West Bengal

On September 6 this year, the 33-year-old Debmalya Bagchi was arrested by the West Bengal police. The development came days after he wrote critical articles about hooch traders operating in the TMC-controlled Sanjoal area in Kharagpur Municipality.

He was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354B (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe), 509 (uttering any word or making any gesture intended to insult modesty of a woman), provisions of SC/ST Act.

A police complaint was filed against Bagchi by his Dalit neighbour on August 27, 2023, for allegedly hurling casteist remarks and assaulting her outside her residence.

It must be mentioned that the Anandabazar Patrika correspondent had written about the laxity of the local administration towards hooch trade and the harassment of the informants by those involved in the production of bootleg liquor.

‘No such proposal under consideration’: Nitin Gadkari refutes media reports claiming govt planning to propose 10% additional GST on diesel vehicles

OpIndia Staff
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‘No such proposal under consideration’: Nitin Gadkari refutes media reports claiming govt planning to propose 10% additional GST on diesel vehicles

On Tuesday, September 12, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways dismissed media reports claiming that he is planning to propose a 10 per cent additional GST on diesel vehicle purchases.

“There is an urgent need to clarify media reports suggesting an additional 10 per cent GST on the sale of diesel vehicles. It is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government,” Gadkari wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“In line with our commitments to achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2070 and to reduce air pollution levels caused by hazardous fuels like diesel, as well as the rapid growth in automobile sales, it is imperative to actively embrace cleaner and greener alternative fuels. These fuels should be import substitutes, cost-effective, indigenous, and pollution-free,” he added.

Several media reports like the Times of India, Times Now, CNBC, Money Control, etc. reported that the minister was ready to propose an additional 10 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the purchase of diesel cars in India. They also claimed that the Minister cautioned automakers about the possibility of further increased levies if they continue to sell highly polluting vehicles.

screenshot of reports by The Economic Times and The Times of India

“Say bye to diesel soon, otherwise we will increase so much tax that it will become difficult for you to sell these vehicles … we have to leave petrol and diesel soon and walk on the new path of being pollution free,” Gadkari was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Report by Money Control

The report by Times Now meanwhile claimed that the aim of the Minister behind proposing additional GST was to discourage the automobile industries from manufacturing vehicles running on the ‘most polluting’ fuel.

Screenshot of report by Times Now

Further, a report by CNBC claimed that shares of automakers like the Ashok Leyland, and Tata Motors had slipped by 2.5 percent after Gadkari’s decision, which he later stated that he never made.

Screenshot of report by CNBC TV18

According to reports, Gadkari made these so-called remarks during a meeting in New Delhi attended by executives from Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and foreign automakers such as Mercedes and Volkswagen.

Gadkari, according to these reports stated that he would approach Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for an “additional 10 per cent” GST goods and services tax on diesel automobiles due to growing pollution.

Currently, the government levies a 28 per cent tax on diesel vehicles, with an additional cess assessed based on engine capacity.

Media baron BJD VP removed from post after criticism of CM Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary acting as ‘proxy CM’: How a storm is brewing in Odisha

OpIndia Staff
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Media baron BJD VP removed from post after criticism of CM Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary acting as ‘proxy CM’: How a storm is brewing in Odisha

As the 2024 election draws closer, a cyclonic storm is developing in the otherwise ‘calm’ and non-controversial political environment of Odisha politics. On 12th September, Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Pattnaik was removed from the post of vice president of the ruling BJD.

Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who is a former MP and the owner of the media conglomerate Sambada Group, has recently been very vocal against the 5T Secretary VK Pandian and his role as the alleged ‘proxy CM’ in Odisha.

VK Pandian, a serving IAS officer, has long been regarded as CM Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday. He has been CM Patnaik’s private secretary for over 12 years. Though his role in state politics has been mostly ‘behind the scenes’ all these years, in recent months, the IAS officer has been very visible. He even travels in helicopters and supervises numerous development and governance projects, openly declaring that he is doing it on the orders of the CM.

In June this year, several political leaders wrote a letter to the Union government’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) regarding the ‘controversial’ role of Pandian. The DoPT had issued a notice to the state government in this regard.

Of late, it has been seen that many elected MPs and MLAs, even powerful ministers of the ruling BJD have been ‘following orders’ from VK Pandian, and extending the same amount of reverence to him as they would to the CM himself. Pandian is being increasingly presented as a proxy CM before the people of the state, where he is greeted with flowers, rituals, and garlands, and his ‘tours’ are promoted by the state machinery through government channels.

Souma Patnaik’s media conglomerate is Odisha’s largest media company. With the newspaper Sambada, news channel Kanak TV, and numerous other entertainment and news platforms, the media house has a reach to almost every household in Odisha.

On 11th September, Soumya Patnaik stated that just because he was critical of the BJD government’s work, the BJD government stopped giving advertisements to his channels and newspapers.

Soumy Patnaik himself is the editor-in-chief of Sambada newspaper and recently, he penned a strong editorial against the Navin Patnaik government, especially raising questions on the issue of a serving IAS officer playing the role of a proxy CM in the state.

Kanak News has reported that the letter notifying Soumya Patnaik of his removal from the party VP post has been sudden and there was no ‘show cause’ notice served to him.

BJD letter removing Soumya Patnaik from the post of BJD VP

Speaking through his media channels, Soumya Patnaik had stated recently that ‘BJD is nobody’s paternal property’. He added that the party belongs to the people of Odisha and all party leaders and workers would decide how it should be run. “The government has stopped giving us advertisements because some people are upset with the valid criticisms I raised. But they should remember that a media house does not run on anyone’s government’s mercy. It is run by love and support from the readers”, he said.

In a strong editorial published in Sambada newspaper weeks ago, Soumya Patnaik had raised questions on the BJD government’s work in the state and had specifically targeted the issue that IAS officer VK Pandian has been ‘touring’ the state in a helicopter and spending hundreds of crores of tax payer’s money. He had also objected to the ‘unconstitutional’ practice of a serving IAS officer ‘ruling’ over elected public representatives.

After the said editorial, on numerous occasions, Soumya Patnaik has used various platforms to criticize the functioning of the Odisha government. He has also raised the issue of corrupt bureaucrats, lack of employment opportunities in the state, and government policies.

Soumya Patnaik was a Congress leader, and an elected MP for several years before joining the BJD in 2018. He was then nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In the 2019 assembly elections, he won as an MLA from Khandapada seat on a BJD ticket. He is married to Sudatta Patnaik, the daughter of deceased Congress leader and former Odisha CM Janaki Ballabh Patnaik. Soumya Patnaik’s brother Niranjan Patnaik was the Odisha Congress chief for several years till his removal in 2022.

US soldiers in Kabul airport were ordered to clean the excreta of thousands of Afghans just after bomb blast killed 13 of their colleagues

OpIndia Staff
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US soldiers in Kabul airport were ordered to clean the excreta of thousands of Afghans just after bomb blast killed 13 of their colleagues

On Sunday, Septemer 10, reports surfaced detailing the humiliation the US soldiers had to endure before they were allowed to leave Kabul in August 2021 when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. According to the reports, before being permitted to depart Kabul, US Marines were told to clean up human feces and other repulsive trash at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in order to leave it spotless for the Taliban.

The story of the humiliation faced by US soldiers has been chronicled in a newly published book titled, “Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End.”

New book, Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End , details the humiliation faced by the US soldiers (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

According to media reports, the incident occurred after two blasts caused by ISIS suicide bombers between the Abbey gate of the Kabul airport and the Barron Hotel on August 26, 2021, cost the USA the lives of 13 soldiers.

On August 28, two days after the 13 American service members were killed during Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, more than 120,000 Afghans had camped at the Kabul airport for a week, “defecating and leaving trash, bags, clothes, and other unspeakable things.” The US Marines were then ordered to clean the human excreta of these thousands of Afghans before they could go back to the USA.

“The Marines of 2/1 were certain that the order had come from higher headquarters because their battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Brad Whited, joined them in the cleanup effort and was as visibly displeased as they were,” the book read.

The authors Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson quoted a junion Marine as telling them that the order to clean “came with a threat that we would not leave at all if it was not completed,” one junior Marine told authors Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson.

“It was degrading and ridiculous. We took a lot of casualties and put a lot of effort into that mission and to close it out that way was wrong. Morale was really down at that point, and it was an extremely pointless effort,” the US soldier added.

The remaining Marines finally left the country on August 29, a few minutes after midnight, after clearing away heaps of garbage, dung, and partially consumed food in order to make way for the Taliban.

Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

In August 2021, Taliban’s tookover of Afghanistan, two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition. The Taliban offensive in Afghanistan had resulted in a massive humanitarian disaster with many Afghans fleeing the country to escape the Taliban’s rule.

During the 2021 Taliban offensive, the United States of America had come under severe criticism with several blaming the US troop pullout for the instability that was caused in Afghanistan.

The US military withdrawal and evacuation of US and allied officials, citizens and Afghans at risk of Taliban retribution saw crowds of desperate Afghans trying to enter Kabul airport and men clinging to aircraft as they taxied down runways. An ISIS suicide bomber killed 13 US service members and more than 150 Afghans outside an airport gate.

Some 125,000 people, including nearly 6,000 Americans, were flown out of Kabul before the last US soldiers departed on 30 August 2021, as the Taliban consolidated their grip on Kabul after the US-backed government fled.

The colossal failure: US Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021

It is important to note that a recent US State Department report held both Trump and Biden administrations responsible for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, back in 2021. 

The report criticised the handling of the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan by both the Biden and Trump administrations. It noted that the troop withdrawal had “serious consequences for the viability” and security of the former U.S.-backed Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan.

Without explicitly mentioning his name, the report also reflected adversely on the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. 

The report read, “Naming a 7th-floor principal … would have improved coordination across different lines of effort.” 

It is important to note here that the seven floor has offices of the State Department including that of Blinken and other senior diplomats have offices.

‘I.N.D.I.A. bloc is formed to fight the Sanatan Dharma’: DMK Minister K Ponmudy

OpIndia Staff
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‘I.N.D.I.A. bloc is formed to fight the Sanatan Dharma’: DMK Minister K Ponmudy

Following Udhayanidhi Stalin’s hate speech, another DMK Minister has reportedly made controversial remarks against Sanatan Dharma. As per media reports, DMK Minister K Ponmudy has claimed that there is no disagreement in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc with respect to eradicating Sanatan Dharma. The Minister further claimed that all 26 parties in the opposition alliance are united to fight Sanatan Dharma and the opposition bloc was formed solely for this purpose. 

Evidently, a purported video clip of the Higher Education Minister in the DMK government is doing rounds on the internet, which is said to be from the same conference where Udhayanidhi Stalin made vitriolic statements against Sanatan Dharma – ‘Eradicate Sanatan Conference’.

In the viral video, the DMK Minister can be heard saying, “I.N.D.I.A. has been formed to fight against the principles of Santan Dharma, we may have differences but the 26 parties in the alliance are united in the fight against Sanatan Dharma.”

Ponmudy added, “We all agree on one point when it comes to abolishing the Sanatan Dharma. We all want the same thing, equality, social justice, protection for minorities, and gender equality. You and I can only speak on this, but only when we win in politics, we can make sure we can make changes.” 

Following the controversy, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai lambasted the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and claimed that the Minister’s remark against Sanatan Dharma exposed the true face of the opposition alliance. 

Prior to this, several leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc had made disparaging remarks against Sanatan Dharma and threw their weight behind Udhayanidhi Stalin over his vow to eradicate Sanatan Dharma’, a faith which has over 100 crore believers the world over. 

Taking a cue from Udhayanidhi Stalin, who compared Sanatan Dharma to diseases like Malaria and Corona and called for its eradication, DMK Minister A Raja claimed that his colleague’s remarks on Sanatan Dharma were soft. A Raja, who was accused in the 2G scam, argued that Sanatan Dharma should have been compared with stigmatising ailments such as HIV or leprosy.

During the current round of smear campaigns and attacks against Sanatan Dharma, several senior functionaries of Tamil Nadu Congress and its party leaders like Karti Chidambaram, son of Former Home Minister P Chidambaram and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge who is the son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge too added fuel to the fire.

Conspicuously, leaders from Congress, DMK, VCK, RJD, CPI(M), and Samajwadi Party among others have made controversial and hateful remarks against Sanatan Dharma, giving an impression that they all are on the same page as far as their opinions on Hinduism are concerned.

Generally, following any controversy, the first line of defence for any political party or alliance is to distance itself from hate speech or inflammatory remarks and brush it as an off-the-cuff personal remark of the controversial leader. However, things are getting murkier in the brazen Sanatan Eradication call by the leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. 

The repeated attacks against Sanatan Dharma seemingly indicate that it could be a deliberate political ploy of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance parties to cultivate a minority vote bank by lashing out at Hinduism. But more worryingly, it points to the rampant dehumanisation and desensitisation of Hindus underway by the I.N.D.I. bloc leaders.

US: Biden administration to release $6 BN frozen Iranian funds in prisoner-swap deal

OpIndia Staff
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US: Biden administration to release $6 BN frozen Iranian funds in prisoner-swap deal

The Biden administration is receiving flak at home for signing a prisoner-swap deal with Iran and releasing $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds. According to the deal, Iran will release five United States citizens detained in Iran and the US in turn will release the frozen funds.

Interestingly, the deal, which was signed last week by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was announced when the US was marking the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The prisoners will be swapped anytime in the next two weeks after the $6 billion is wired to banks in Qatar, which has reportedly brokered the deal. The money will reportedly not be wired to Iran directly thereby ensuring that the US sanctions imposed on the Islamic country are not violated.

The funds will be transferred from South Korea to restricted accounts held by financial institutions in Qatar. Doha has reportedly brokered at least eight rounds of talks between Iranian and US negotiators sitting in separate hotels via shuttle diplomacy on the nuclear issue and on prisoner releases.

Earlier, Iran wanted direct access to the money but later agreed to receive it via Qatar. The United States classifies Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Former US President Donald Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to target Joe Biden over the deal. He said that the money being wired to Iran “will be used for terrorism all over the Middle East and the World.”

“Can you believe that Crooked Joe Biden is giving $6 billion to the terrorist regime in Iran? That money be used for terrorism all over the Middle East, and, indeed, the World. This incompetent FOOL is absolutely destroying America. He had the audacity to announce this terrible deal today, September 11th. To pay for hostages will lead to kidnapping, ransom, and blackmail against Americans across the globe. I freed many dozens of our people from various unfriendly countries and never paid a dime”, Trump lambasted Biden on Truth Social.

US Senator (Republican) for the state of Arkansas Tom Cotton hit out at Biden saying that “first Joe Biden used 9/11 as an excuse to flee Afghanistan. Now he desecrates this day by paying ransom to the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism. Shameful.”

Former advisor to the State Department on Iran, Gabriel Noronha took to X to call out the Biden administration for announcing the deal when the country was marking 9/11 remembrance. “9/11 is one hell of a day to notify Congress you’re transferring $6 billion to the regime harbouring Saif al-Adel and the rest of Al-Qaeda’s leadership.”

Americans all over social media have slammed Joe Biden and his administration for making a mockery out of the 22nd 9/11 anniversary. Not only was the deal announced but Biden was also heard joking while addressing the media and lying about his whereabouts a day after the deadly attack.

US President Joe Biden, during his speech in Alaska, claimed that he was at ground zero in New York City a day after 9/11, but records reportedly show that he was in Washington, D.C.

Biden said, “Ground Zero in New York — I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of Hell, it looked so devastating because the way you could — from where you could stand.”

However, he was reportedly in Washington, D.C. giving a speech on the floor of the Senate. Biden has come under heavy firing for giving the 9/11 ceremony in New York City a miss and heading to Alaska instead.

Biden also began his remarks with a joke. Taking to the stage for his address on account of the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Biden said, “Governor Dunleavy, it’s good to see you. The governor and I have something in common: we’re both from Scranton, Pennsylvania. I wish I had him playing on my high school ball club when I was playing. I could’ve been an All-American having you in front of me.”

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