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Former Pakistan cricketer Khalid Latif sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for offering money to kill Dutch leader Geert Wilders

OpIndia Staff
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Former Pakistan cricketer Khalid Latif sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for offering money to kill Dutch leader Geert Wilders

On Monday (11 September), a Dutch court sentenced a former Pakistani cricketer to 12 years in prison for urging people to murder Dutch leader Geert Wilders. The court announced the sentence in his absence as Latif lives in Pakistan and has neither attended any stage of the trial nor been detained in the Netherlands.

According to the Dutch court, the remarks made by 37-year-old Khalid Latif should be regarded as incitement to murder, sedition, and threat. The court stated that the prosecutors had proved that the Pakistani cricketer posted a video in 2018, in which he offered a 3 million rupee (around 21,000 euros at the time) reward for the murder of Greet Wilders. 

The Hague district court said, “The words used by the suspect are explicit: he promises to pay a considerable sum of money to anyone who engages in a specific act, namely the killing of Mr Wilders.” 

The court was informed about protests where Dutch flags were burned and other protestors also called for the killing of Wilders.

Regarding this, the court added, “It is very likely that someone – anywhere in the world – would feel compelled to act on this call.” 

However, the prosecutor told the court that The Netherlands and Pakistan have no treaties in place in matters of judicial cooperation or extradition. The prosecution also highlighted that earlier cooperation requests in this case didn’t receive any response from the Pakistani side. 

Notably, the video where Latif gave the call for violence and killing the Dutch leader came after Wilders announced that he had planned to hold a contest for cartoons depicting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. However, the competition was later cancelled. In Islam, images of the Prophet Mohammad are forbidden and are considered a form of idolatry. Additionally, most Muslims regard caricatures as highly offensive.

Meanwhile, no immediate response could be received from the former Pakistan Cricketer Khalid Latif who once captained the Pakistan side in the 2010 Asian Games. But in 2017, he received a five-year ban from cricket in 2017 over a spot-fixing scandal. 

Earlier, the prosecution demanded that Khalid Latif should be served 12 years of jail term for issuing a bounty against the Dutch leader. 

During the trial, Wilders also asserted that a conviction would send a “powerful signal to all others who issue threats: we won’t accept it.” 

He also added that he would not stop by these threats and said, “As long as I’m living and breathing, you won’t stop me. Your call to kill me and pay money for it is abject and will not silence me.”

Geert Wilders (60) is one of Europe’s most prominent leaders who has been shaping the immigration debate in the Netherlands over the past two decades, despite never being in government. 

His Freedom Party (PVV) is the third-largest in the Dutch parliament and is the main opposition party. Since 2004, he has been living under constant police protection. 

‘Godhra-like incident can take place after Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir inauguration’: Uddhav Thackeray

OpIndia Staff
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‘Godhra-like incident can take place after Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir inauguration’: Uddhav Thackeray

At a time when the entire country is waiting for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh with bated breath, Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray has gone on to utilize the much-awaited occasion to spread rumours and instil fear among devotees.

On Sunday, September 10, addressing an event in Jalgaon, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav camp) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister claimed that a “Godhra-like” incident could occur during the “return journey” of the large number of devotees expected to converge in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for the inauguration of the Ram Temple.

The Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will in all probability be inaugurated in January 2024 and tens of thousands of Hindus from throughout the country are expected to attend the grand ceremony.

“It is a possibility that the government could invite a large number of people for the Ram Temple inauguration in buses and trucks, and on their return journey, an incident similar to that in Godhra may occur,” Thackeray asserted.

BJP slams Uddhav Thackeray for fear-mongering about the Ram Mandir inauguration event

Former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Uddhav Thackeray for his reckless remark. He said that Balasaheb Thackeray – Mr Thackeray’s late father – may feel “… what happened to my child?” “With whose blessings he became a big leader… will he speak like this? The Ram Janmbhoomi movement which Balasaheb blessed? This alliance against PM Modi can go to any limits for votes,” he declared.

“I would like to pray to Lord Ram to give them (the I.N.D.I. Alliance) some wisdom,” he added

When pressed to comment, Union minister Anurag Thakur said some people have forgotten their party ideology for the greed of the power. “I don’t know what Balasaheb (late Shiv Sena founder and Uddhav Thackeray’s father) would have thought today and what Uddhav ji is doing today for the greed of power,” Anurag Thakur said as he was asked to comment on Uddhav’s statement.

“I don’t know what Balasaheb (late Shiv Sena founder and Mr Thackeray’s father) would have thought… what is Uddhavji doing for greed of power?” he asked, “Rahulji, Uddhavji didn’t say a word when things were said about Sanatan Dharma.”

Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said that Uddhav Thackeray is trying to create a sense of fear in the minds of the people. “Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut have been giving statements on this for days. This is a baseless statement. Does he want clashes in society? He’s creating a sense of fear amongst people, senselessly. I doubt if he has to plan something similar. Police should pay attention to him,” he said.

When leftist liberals and opposition leaders like Uddhav Thackeray use the Godhra carnage to demonize the central government, they conveniently forget about the 59 innocent people who were burned alive in the train for literally no fault of theirs.

The truth about the 2002 Godhra train carnage

On 27 February 2002, the Sabarmati Express was scheduled to reach Godhra station at about 3:30 a.m. On that day, the train was running four hours late. As such, it arrived at Godhra by 7:40 a.m. Eight minutes later, a mob of 2000 Islamists set 59 Hindus, including 25 women and 15 children, in the coach S6 of the train on fire in Godhra’s predominantly Muslim area – Signal Falia.

31 Islamists were found guilty of the Godhra massacre on February 22, 2011, by the trial court (with only 11 receiving the death penalty and 20 receiving life in prison), and all 31 convictions were affirmed by the Gujarat High Court in October 2017, resulting in everyone receiving a life sentence. Prior to that, based on the testimony of witnesses and survivors, it was obvious to anybody with even a modicum of intellectual integrity that Muslims had set the train on fire.

In February 2003, an accused person made a judicial confession in which he acknowledged that Godhra was a well-planned attack and that he had personally participated in it. A judicial confession is conclusive evidence. This proves that the Godhra carnage was a preplanned attack on the innocent Karsevaks.

Uddhav Thackeray claimed riots may erupt after Ram Mandir’s inauguration

However, this is not the first time Uddhav Thackeray has resorted to using the Ram Mandir inauguration event to instil fear amongst the Hindu devotees. In August this year, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav camp) chief, who once projected himself as a Hindutva icon, had claimed that riots may erupt after Ram Mandir’s inauguration.

While claiming that the Pulwama attack was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP to win elections, Thackeray said, “Another possibility is being spoken about and all the Hindus in the country should pay close attention to it. Now it has been exposed that the attack by Pakistan was a false thing. They may also promise a house on the moon. What more can be done then? It is more dangerous. Look at the Ram Mandir being built in which they have played no role. I say no role because, they did not demolish Babri mosque, they did not give an order of building the Ram Mandir – it was given by the court, and money was given by the people and the government exchequer. But they will hold a program of inaugurating the Ram Mandir on 1st January 2024. At that time, as told by Satyapal Malik and Mahua Moitra, they will call thousands and lakhs of Hindus to Ayodhya from all over the country. They will bring them to Ayodhya by bus and train. And when after the program, these trains and buses will go back to their respective places, they will orchestrate attacks on these buses and trains while they pass from the Muslim settlements so that riots can be initiated throughout the country. This is not my opinion. It is the opinion of these two leaders. I am just telling it to you.”

Tamil Nadu creating disputes “unnecessarily”: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Cauvery water row

ANI
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Tamil Nadu creating disputes “unnecessarily”: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Cauvery water row

Amid the Cauvery-water sharing dispute, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the central government has not given permission for the Mekedatu Project and the Tamil Nadu people are creating disputes unnecessarily. 

In a series of tweets on X, Karnataka CM said “The BJP government at the centre has not given permission to the Mekedatu project and Tamil Nadu has no right to bring on dispute this project. 177.25 TMC water allocated to the state should be released to Tamil Nadu in normal years. It is said that in the time of hardship, the Sutra of hardship should be followed. But the people of Tamil Nadu are creating disputes unnecessarily.”

Siddaramaiah further said that Tamil Nadu BJP leaders should appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority to give permission to the Mekedatu project as it is under the central government. 

“The state BJP leaders should appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority to give permission to the Mekedatu project as it is under the government at the centre @BJP4India. The state BJP said in the all-party meeting that they will cooperate with the state government on the Cauvery issue, and outside they are doing politics on the same issue,” Siddaramaiah added.

Karnataka CM also mentioned that the PM has not replied to a meeting of all parties so BJP MPs should get the meeting fixed with the PM.

“Providing drinking water to the people of Mysore and Bangalore districts is the first priority as per the water policy. In the meantime, the interests of the farmers should be protected. Tamil Nadu has filed a case in the Supreme Court and the government will make the state’s stand clear. No one should politicize the welfare of the farmers of the state for any reason. In this matter, the Prime Minister’s time has been requested for the meeting of the all-party delegation, but no reply has been received from him, so let the state BJP MPs fix the time for the meeting with the Prime Minister,” Siddaramaiah said.

Earlier former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said that the Karnataka government needs to be firm in its stand and should stop sharing water with Tamil Nadu.

“There is hardly water in the backwaters of Cauvery. I think the govt has to be very firm, stop the water and see that they convince the Supreme Court and explain the pathetic condition of Karnataka and the excess use of water by Tamil Nadu,” Bommai said.

Earlier the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily per day from the reservoirs in Karnataka. Karnataka government also filed an affidavit opposing Tamil Nadu’s application saying that the application is based on an assumption that this year is the normal rainwater year.

The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and they have been locked in battle over the sharing of water from the Cauvery river, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region.

The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities.

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

Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair pulls off another Nupur Sharma saga, unleashes mob against Venkatesh Prasad’s media manager

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair pulls off another Nupur Sharma saga, unleashes mob against Venkatesh Prasad’s media manager

On Sunday (September 10), Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair unleashed his troll army on digital strategist and consultant Amritanshu Gupta for ‘managing’ the Twitter handle of ex-Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad.

The dubious ‘fact checker’ insinuated that the tweets by Prasad, lambasting him for being a hate monger, were posted by Gupta. Zubair was miffed to learn that he admired the work of PM Modi, interviewed BJP leader Smriti Irani and did not hold Rahul Gandhi in high esteem.

While taking to X, he wrote, “The guy who had himself tweeted about contacting/DM him for ‘Twitter endorsement from Celebrities’, the guy who made fun of opposition leaders, the guy loves PM and his 56 inches.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Mohammed Zubair

He also shared a video of Gaurav Kapoor’s 2017 interview with Ashish Nehra and suggested that Amritanshu Gupta must have approached the former cricketer for paid tweets.

Zubair also shared an article from Outlook magazine and said, “Celebs hire ‘professionals’ who write under their name to manage their social media accounts.”

The Background of the Controversy

On Saturday (September 9), Mohammed Zubair targeted Venkatesh Prasad over a deleted tweet on the mismanagement of World Cup 2023 ticket sales by the BCCI. The former cricket lambasted the fake news peddler for hatemongering on social media.

“Haha…Says a serial hate-monger, who has put so many lives in danger for his agenda. You disguising as a fact-checker is like Terrorists talking about peace. Now post that you need money to survive and ask for donation for your website, no shame in living off by fooling people,” he tweeted.

Prasad was soon targeted by the close-knit and vicious ecosystem of Congress leaders, leftists and Islamists on X (formerly Twitter). The ex-cricketer held his ground and refused to bow down to the bullying by the coterie.

“There are enough instances of this guy peddling his agenda, editing videos conveniently, working selectively and biasedly against a political party to make money. He is anything but a fact-checker. One doesn’t have to be blind to not see the reality in this. Regards,” he responded to one of the supporters of Zubair.

The dubious ‘fact checker’ was also left red-faced when Venkatesh Prasad reposted the deleted tweet, which was used by him to target the Indian cricketer.

With no comeback left, Zubair found the media manager of Venkatesh Prasad i.e. Amritanshu Gupta and unleashed his troll army on the latter. This is in line with his past antics, where he had led his online lynch mob after people for virtue of their different political ideology.

Zubair and his targeting of Nupur Sharma

A classic case of his dog whistling and brazen propaganda was the Nupur Sharma controversy of May 2022.

The ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Islamists, egged on by the likes of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, issued multiple threats against her and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam. 

Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery.

Islamists had claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain. Across social media platforms, detractors had repeated ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises was a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God.

In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

Zubair shared an incomplete video of the debate, touching off Sar Tan Se Juda protests all over the country. While Islamists went on a rampage on the streets in many cities across the country, it was essentially Mohammed Zubair who was responsible for kindling a fire that had gone on to assume uncontrollable proportions.

It was Zubair’s dog-whistling that made a mountain out of a molehill and painted a target behind the back of Nupur Sharma and anyone and everyone who came out in her support.

The ominous hounding of Nupur Sharma prompted many to extend their support to her. Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur, Umesh Kolhe in Amravati, and many others extended their solidarity with the beleaguered leader, voicing their support for her amid the death threats from Islamists. 

And so, Lal was a marked man the moment he came out in support of Nupur Sharma. Islamists, provoked by Mohammed Zubair, dished out death threats to him for what they considered an unpardonable sin committed against Prophet.

And days later, the Hindu man was killed for something as trivial as just sharing a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma.

A similar fate befell Umesh Kolhe, a chemist living in Maharashtra’s Amravati, who was murdered by four Muslim assailants while he was returning from his pharmacy on the night of June 22, 2022. Kolhe, too, was murdered for his social media post supporting Nupur Sharma.

Opindia had reported in details cases of murders and assaults faced by the Hindu community for extending their support to the former BJP spokesperson.

This makes Mohammed Zubair guilty of ‘stochastic terrorism’, a concept defined as the public demonisation of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted.

It was Mohammed Zubair who spearheaded a campaign against Nupur Sharma, accusing her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad and letting loose an army of Islamists against her that ultimately snuffed out the life of Lal, Kolhe, and many others.

Justin Trudeau embarrasses Canada at G20: Canadian media, commentators call out their PM, how he was ‘ignored’ and ‘scolded’. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Justin Trudeau embarrasses Canada at G20: Canadian media, commentators call out their PM, how he was ‘ignored’ and ‘scolded’. Read details

There are doers and there are talkers, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s character qualifies as that of a talker reading his own eulogy. This much is clear from the global media coverage, including Canadian media, of Trudeau’s G20 participation which was a disaster in itself.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Canadian counterpart Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a pull-aside talk on the sidelines of the G20 Summit which was taking place in Delhi, India.

During this pull-aside meeting, the Indian PM conveyed strong concerns of India over the continuous anti-India activities by Khalistanis in Canada. PM Modi pointed out the use of Canadian soil for anti-India and Hinduphobic activities by pro-Khalistan elements.

The issue has been brought up several times in the past but the Canadian government has turned a blind eye to India’s concerns.

While the Prime Minister met all the heads of state with the G20 backdrop, the meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister did not have a G20 backdrop in the post shared by PM Modi on his official Twitter handle.

Moreover, the caption for all the meetings tweeted by the Prime Minister on X, former Twitter, read “G20 Summit” whereas it read “sidelines of G20 Summit” on the post about meeting with Trudeau.

Trudeau’s requests for a bilateral meeting were denied by the Modi administration. Moreover, his absence from the Global Biofuels Alliance did not go unnoticed either even as major world powers were party to the same.

The treatment Justin Trudeau received was embarrassing for Canada. Meanwhile, Trudeau was delivering a holier-than-thou media address on day 2 of the Summit, while Khalistani terrorists were holding a so-called “referendum” in Canada.

Not only did Trudeau get snubbed by the world leaders who were being hosted and led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but he has also been receiving flak on his home turf. Global coverage of the G20 Summit shows Trudeau in a bad light at a time when the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) leader is desperately attempting to keep his minority government in power.

A scathing coverage of Trudeau failing to get the limelight in New Delhi has got the Twitterati talking. An image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi showing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau the way has been headlined, “This Way Out” by the Canadian daily Toronto Sun.

The subheader for the report reads, “Trudeau finds he has few friends at G20 Summit in India”. Another article on the Toronto Sun website talks about how Trudeau’s rival and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was being celebrated back at home while the LPC leader barely managed a “pull-aside” meeting with the Indian Prime Minister.

The Canadian daily blamed Trudeau for being alienated from the world leaders just like from Canadian voters. It read, “It’s understandable that relations with Beijing would be strained given the last several years but that Canada is alienated from both of the largest countries in the region with growing economies is completely on Trudeau. Like he has done with Canadian voters, Trudeau has alienated himself from many world leaders. They likely are looking forward to a change in Ottawa as much as the convention goers in Quebec City were this weekend.”

Unreasonable frustrations of the Prime Minister of Canada became apparent when he paused trade talks with India before leaving for the Summit. According to a report, he did not offer an explanation for the decision. “We know the negotiations around free trade are long and complex and I won’t say any more,” Trudeau told reporters traveling with him.

Canadian Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday (11th September) took to X to hit out at Trudeau saying that the Canadian prime minister has been “repeatedly humiliated and trampled upon by the rest of the world”.

What’s worse is a continuous decline in Trudeau’s ratings in Canada. CPC leader Poilievre is reportedly leading the opinion polls in Canada. Should the country head to the ballot today, Poilievre is reportedly likely to trump Trudeau. Meanwhile Trudeau’s Liberal party is hanging by a thread that too only with an alliance with the New Democratic Party (NDP) which has agreed to keep Trudeau in power until 2025.

Trudeau has also come under severe attack by the Canadian opposition and policymakers for his “woke agenda” on issues around gender and freedom of speech.

Speaking at the Conservative Party convention in Quebec City, retired lieutenant general in the Canadian Army Michel Maisonneuve slammed Trudeau for his “woke agenda”. “Our country has been led by a government that has been focused on virtue signaling,” Maisonneuve told the crowd in Quebec City.

A Canadian political commentator on X named Concerned Canadian said that Trudeau’s role at the G20 Summit was marginal at best. “Modi clearly chastised Trudeau for his interference. He ensured that Trudeau’s role at the G20 was marginal at best. Trudeau embarrassed Canada & denigrated our global respect & influence! Liberals how can you continue to support him??”

In another such post, the X user blamed Trudeau for embarrassing Canada on the international stage. “Trudeau again embarrassed Canada on the international stage! He & his cabinet have no comprehension of the negative impact of what they are saying to our economic partners!”

Another columnist for the Toronto Sun, Brian Lilley pointed out the awkward nature of the Canadian Prime Minister’s visit to India. “Justin Trudeau pulled his hand away from Modi in an awkward moment, then he skipped the leaders’ dinner, faced several questions on his strained relationship with India and now….His plane is stuck there. He’ll never go back again,” the political commentator posted on X.

In the videos shared of the G20 Summit, Canadian twitterati pointed out that Trudeau was nowhere to be seen. “A second video from the G20 and not one piece of footage showing Trudeau was even there. This is definitely on purpose,” said X user Ryan Gerritsen.

Moreover, Trudeau’s own X account was like a barren land despite him being part of such a global event. Besides a few shutterbug images with “trying hard” captions, nothing production resulted from the Canadian Prime Minister’s visit.

While Trudeau continues to harbour Khalistani terrorists and host anti-India referendums, these among others also seem to be attempts to divert attention from the skeletons in his closet.

Justin Trudeau carries the weight of his father’s dirty legacy with reports now emerging that former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau spied on members of the Quebec independence movement. The then Prime Minister’s Office in the 1970s reportedly created the spy group to monitor Quebec sovereigntists and sought intel on them.

The Trudeau administration has launched a public inquiry into the suspected foreign interference in the Canadian elections in 2019 and 2021. Notably, Trudeau won by minority votes in both elections, a development that Trudeau does not seem to have digested.

The inquiry primarily included China and Russia but was expanded to include Iran and India too. This has exposed the Trudeau administration’s deceitful attitude as despite glaring evidence of Khalistani terrorism emanating from the Canadian soil, the only response the Canadian Prime Minister has given is that of “freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful protests.”

‘Expenses made towards permanent asset creation’: Govt debunks Saket Gokhale and others claiming it spent 300 per cent more on G20 than allocated funds

OpIndia Staff
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‘Expenses made towards permanent asset creation’: Govt debunks Saket Gokhale and others claiming it spent 300 per cent more on G20 than allocated funds

On Monday, September 11, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) took to X, formally Twitter to debunk the reports and social media accounts that claimed that the Indian government spent 300 per cent more on the G20 event than the funds that were previously allocated for the event in the budget. “This claim is misleading,” the official handle of the PIB fact check stated.

Several so-called liberals and leftists targeted the central government amid the G20 summit in Delhi claiming that the government had spent Rs 4,100 crore for the two-day event. TMC MP Saket Gokhale also said that the amount allocated in the budget for the event was Rs 990 crore and that the centre had spent Rs 4,100 for the two-day event.

Screenshot from Twitter

He also targeted the BJP and said, “Why shouldn’t BJP be made to pay this extra Rs 3110 cr since it was clearly non-essential spending purely for Modi’s self-advertisement and personal PR for 2024 elections?”

Also, Congress MP KC Venugopal criticized the government for allegedly spending a massive amount for a day event. This govt that cannot ensure cheap LPG or petrol/diesel refuses to compensate farmers who faced crop destruction does not release adequate funds for the restoration of flood-devastated Himachal Pradesh, has overshot the budget for this image-building exercise by 10x,” he said.

Screenshot from Twitter

“No number of beautification drives can hide the economic mess this government has spread across the country. We don’t need to look any further than the flooded Bharat Mandapam to know how public money has gone down the drain,” he added.

One of the Congress supporters on Twitter claimed that the BJP was just promoting itself ahead of the 2024 elections. “G20 was an advertisement and no use to anyone,” he said. He also claimed that a massive amount of public money was wasted by the government amid the G20 event.

Screenshot from Twitter

Apart from the liberals and opposition leaders, several media houses like Business Today, India Times, Deccan Herald, WION news, etc. also furthered similar information. A report by India Times said that the amount spent by the government for the G20 event in Delhi is four times the amount designated in the budget.

It also said that several countries like Indonesia, Japan, Argentina, China, etc. had spent much less than India on hosting international summits.

Report by India Times
Report by Business Today

Expense toward permanent asset creation: PIB fact checks misleading claims on G20 Summit

However, the PIB fact check called out all the reports and said that misleading information was being spread by some media houses and political leaders. “A tweet claims the government spent 300% more on G20 than funds allocated in the budget. This claim is misleading. The quoted expenditure is majorly towards permanent asset creation by ITPO & other infrastructure development which is not limited to hosting G20 Summit alone,” the PIB Fact Check said quoting TMC MP Saket Gokhale’s tweet.

Group of Twenty or G20 is a group of 20 nations including the EU which was established in 1999, to facilitate discussions and cooperation on global economic and financial issues. India holds the presidency for the year 2023- which is done in rotation. A geopolitical event of this magnitude has a far-reaching direct as well as a notional impact on India which can benefit the country in the coming several years, maybe decades.

UP registers zero cases of Japanese Encephalitis in 2023 so far: From endemic to a healthcare success story, how Yogi Govt achieved the unthinkable

Jhankar Mohta
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UP registers zero cases of Japanese Encephalitis in 2023 so far: From endemic to a healthcare success story, how Yogi Govt achieved the unthinkable

Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has achieved remarkable feet. From 1st January to 7th September this year, no death has been recorded in the state caused by Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya and Malaria.

In fact, UP CM Yogi Adityanath himself took to X (formerly Twitter) on September 9 to announce the same. The CM wrote, “In the regions of north Uttar Pradesh, thousands of children used to die due to Encephalitis. In 2017, the UP Government formed an inter-department committee to control Japanese Encephalitis.”

He added, “As a result, in the current year between 1st January and 7th September, no one has died due to Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya and Malaria. The disease caused havoc in the state for four decades and the state government controlled it within five years. Our next target is its eradication.”

As per the data available with the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control, Directorate General of Health Services that comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, a total of 17 cases of JE were reported in Uttar Pradesh between 1st January 2023 and 31st July 2023. No death occurred due to the disease during that period.

While this is cause for celebration for the people of not only Uttar Pradesh but the entire country, we must also take a moment to praise the Yogi government for doing what was unthinkable until a few years ago. But, before we delve further into the stringent measures taken by the Yogi government in recent years to halt the endemic, we should understand what this dreadful disease that has claimed thousands of lives is.

What is Japanese Encephalitis?

Encephalitis is a life-threatening disease causing acute inflammation of the brain. A person afflicted with encephalitis requires serious medical attention. This disease can occur in people of any age group but children and the elderly are more likely to be afflicted with the disease. It is caused due to bacterial infection, or parasites or may be prompted by other infectious diseases. Encephalitis is a non-communicable disease.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the JE virus. It is transmitted from animals, birds, and pigs, particularly the birds belonging to the family Ardeidae, for example, Cattle egrets, pond herons etc. to humans. The disease may result in febrile illness of variable severity. It affects the central nervous system causing severe complications, seizures and even death. The disease has a high fatality rate and those who survive have chances of various degrees of neurological complications.

For the past four decades, the state of Uttar Pradesh has been devastated by Japanese Encephalitis. With the onset of the monsoon season every year, 1000s of people especially children used to start falling prey to this deadly disease.

Previous regimes’ incompetence in handling the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis menace in UP

With regard to the previous regimes in Uttar Pradesh putting in the effort to eradicate Encephalitis, it has been woefully inadequate. In 2014, there were 5850 fatalities reported in the state due to the Japanese Encephalitis. This figure went up to 6917 in 2015, and 6121 in 2016.

In the name of working towards tackling the menace, the Akhilesh Yadav government started a few extra ambulances and added a few extra beds in the BRD hospital. He announced a separate hospital in Gorakhpur in 2012 for JEV but it is still far away from completion.

During his tenure, there were very few Encephalitis vaccine efforts, but none of them made any major progress since they were not carefully monitored. Instead of achieving his vow to eradicate Encephalitis, Akhilesh Yadav promised Rs 50,000 rupee compensation for parents who lost their children to this lethal disease. He further announced that a lakh would be provided to survivors who are permanently crippled. However, even these promises were a complete failure, as only 8 people received compensation in 2016 which amounts to less than 1% of patients receiving compensation. Equally grim was the situation in 2014 and 2015.

Yogi govt’s war against Encephalitis

CM Yogi Adityanath, since he was a young MP in the Lok Sabha, has been constantly raising this issue, asking for better awareness programs and better preparedness by the government to tackle the deadly disease that has been claiming thousands of lives every year, mostly little children.

After he became the CM of the state in 2017, Yogi Adityanath launched a multi-pronged, organized, and well-managed approach to tackle the disease in the state. With widespread immunization initiatives, awareness campaigns that go door-to-door, cleanliness drives, and better-equipped healthcare facilities, the state of Uttar Pradesh has finally achieved what was unthinkable just a few years back.

Under Yogi Adityanath’s guidance and due to his relentless efforts the Japanese Encephalitis cases in the state started to drastically decline after he assumed office in 2017. As per data from the National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control, cases of JE reduced by 82% and deaths by 95.6% between 2017 and 2022.

In 2018, 323 cases were reported resulting in 25 deaths. In 2019, the number of cases came down to 235 and the number of deaths recorded was 21. Following that year, in 2020, 100 cases were reported resulting in 9 deaths. During Covid time, in 2021, 153 cases were reported resulting in 5 deaths and in the following year 2022, 124 cases were reported resulting in 4 deaths. In 2023, till 31st July, only 9 cases have been reported resulting in zero deaths in the state.

The steps taken by the Yogi government to tackle Encephalitis

After Yogi Adityanath became the CM, he started the ‘Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome’. A large-scale immunisation programme that included a door-to-door awareness campaign, named ‘Dastak’ was launched. 15 Block-level Encephalitis treatment centres and mini-pediatric care centres were opened in rural areas. Block-level hospitals were given the facility of at least 3 ventilators. Moreover, over 3.5 lakh officers and employees were provided with training to equip them to respond to and deal with AES prevention and treatment.

As per the latest data, Gorakhpur district, the worst AES affected district in all these decades, has registered a massive fall in the number of deaths due to AES and JE. In 2016 and 2017, there were 127 and 114 AES deaths respectively. In 2018, the deaths came down to just 41, in 2019, just 15 AES deaths were recorded and in 2020, up to the month of July, just 5 AES deaths have been recorded in the district.

Similarly, the cases of JE have reduced from 51 in 2017 to just 6 cases in 2020 so far. only 1 death due to JE in Gorakhpur has been recorded in 2010 up to now.

Dastak program was praised by UNICEF

The UP government launched the Dastak programme in February 2018, with the aim to immunise every child under 15 years of age and carry out widespread sanitation and awareness programmes. The campaign was planned as a holistic programme to educate and provide facilities to the families, not only for vaccination but also for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

With regards to the drive, Yogi Adityanath had stated that for the 38 districts of UP affected by the disease, the state health department would be made the nodal agency and other departments like urban development, Panchayati Raj, Women, and Child Welfare, Rural Development, Medical Education, Animal Husbandry and basic education departments would work under them.

The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) praised the Uttar Pradesh government led by CM Yogi Adityanath for successfully immunizing all children of the state against Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.

The statistics presented above attest to Yogi Adityanath’s government’s tireless efforts to eradicate the endemic, which no previous government was able to do. It is a monumental task to adequately limit a devastating disease like this in only 8 years, especially given that UP is the most populous state and has been endemic for this disease for the last 4 decades. The enthusiasm and determination with which the state’s BJP government worked to wipe out the deadly disease surely deserve special recognition.

Liberals and opposition leaders who are silent now had left no stone unturned to use the 2017 Gorakhpur tragedy to attack Yogi Govt

Despite this remarkable achievement, there hasn’t been a word of appreciation from the assorted bunch of liberals, their friendly media or the opposition leaders in the state like Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati who had, in their efforts to attack the Yogi government, left no stone unturned in politicizing the 2017 Gorakhpur tragedy.

In 2017, when a mind-numbing tragedy hit the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College hospital where 70 children died in a span of only five days, the SP chief used the opportunity to castigate Yogi Adityanath by accusing his government of hiding facts on the matter.

“Government is not revealing the truth. Therefore, a delegation from Samajwadi Party will visit BRD Medical College to take a stock of the situation and inform the government and party,” he told reporters.

Adding that the government is trying to run away from its responsibilities, Yadav said, “Government is not doing their job. They are busy in hounding Samajwadi Party workers. See what has happened in Bareilly and Ballia,” he said. “Government is trying to run away from responsibilities and hence accusing the opposition of politicising the situation,” he said.

BSP supremo Mayawati also criticised the state government and said her party would send a team to take stock of the situation.

In fact, in 2022, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in unison with several leftist media outlets had gone as far as making a hero of Dr Kafeel Khan, the main accused in the deaths of several kids due to a lack of oxygen cylinders at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in 2017, where he worked as a paediatrician.

For the uninitiated, Dr Khan was suspended from his job over medical negligence charges levelled against him in 2017 after 72 infants had died in BRD medical college in Gorakhpur due to lack of oxygen supply. In January 2020, he was arrested for his speech at Aligarh Muslim University on December 10, 2019, during anti-CAA protests.

Khan had made some inflammatory remarks in his speech delivered during the anti-CAA protests in Aligarh Muslim University. He had reportedly remarked against Home Minister Amit Shah that he was a murderer whose clothes were foul with blood.

Despite all this, the SP party had in 2022, named the controversial doctor as the party’s candidate from the Deoria-Kushinagar legislative council seat for the upcoming MLC elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress trolls share old video claiming US Prez Biden mocked PM Modi about how to toast with a non-alcoholic beverage: Here is the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Congress trolls share old video claiming US Prez Biden mocked PM Modi about how to toast with a non-alcoholic beverage: Here is the truth

As the G20 Summit wrapped up successfully with pomp and ceremony, earning accolades for India’s leadership role some usual Congress supporters and anti-Modi trolls were busy trying to spread misinformation around the G20 hype.

Handle @Cryptic_Mind shared a short video clip of an event claiming that PM Modi was laughing without understanding what US President Joe Biden was trying to say. He insinuated that PM Modi is often seen ‘hysterically’ laughing with world leaders because he does not understand what they are saying.

“Biden, while toasting, asked to raise the left hand instead of the right if there’s no alcohol in the glass. ( It’s actually a norm- An unwritten rule ). Narendra Modi, of course, had no idea what Biden was proposing so he did what he does best. Acted as if he got the joke ( It was no joke ) and started laughing before Biden could even finish his sentence. 

Biden felt offended and said, “ You think I’m kidding !!” And moved on. 

The whole branding of Modi’s image might have costed millions but if there’s no substance this is what it looks like.”

Another handle @mrs_roh08 had shared the same video, insinuating that PM Modi had laughed without understanding what the US President was saying.

Congress supporter handle Spirit of Congress also shared the short clip, with the text “Stupidest PM ever, Modi… Look at him cluelessly laughing when Biden was schooling him about how to hold a Glass“

The clip was edited from a June 2023 video

The video clip that the Congress supporters and anti-Modi trolls shared was from the State Dinner hosted in PM Modi’s honor by the US President during the PM’s visit in June this year.

On June 22, PM Modi and US President Biden had shared some lighthearted moments during the customary ‘toast’ at the State Dinner.

It is notable here that both PM Modi and Joe Biden are teetotalers, that is they do not drink alcohol. President Biden had shared a joke about his Irish grandfather, on how he used to joke about people who do not drink. The US President had shared that his Irish grandfather Mr Ambrose Finnigan used to say, “If you give a toast and you don’t have any alcohol in the glass, you must do it with your left hand.”

As PM Modi laughed, and the audience laughed, the US President further added, “You all think I am kidding? I am not.”

A longer video of the event was then shared by ANI from the State Dinner event in June 2023. There, as PM Modi and the guests present laugh over President Biden’s anecdote, the translator says in Hindi, “Mr. PM, as Mr. President said when they do not have alcohol, they are expected to raise the toast with their left hand. Earlier we were under the impression that there were going to be no glasses. But now we have been informed that the glasses contain ginger ale.”

To this PM Modi smiles again. As obvious from the video, it was a lighthearted joke shared by the US President. Both the PM and President Biden are seen later raising their glasses to each other with their right hands and taking a sip of the non-alcoholic drink.

The trolls were also fact-checked by X users with the longer video clip from the event.

Also, PM Modi shares a great chemistry with many world leaders and to suggest that he does not ‘understand’ what was being said is a rather stupid statement. Even if there are any such drinking customs among Irish people, the PM of India does not need to obey them.

Also, PM Modi’s confident stance, easy bonhomie, and visibly comfortable attitude among world leaders have been a sharp contrast to the earlier Prime Minister, that is Dr Manmohan Singh’s rather silent and reluctant persona at international events. This has been a constant trigger for outrage among Congress supporters because they do not like what they see now. They expected the ‘chaiwalla’ to be mocked and ignored by world leaders. But when PM Modi is hailed as a great friend by world leaders Congress and its supporters get rattled.

Lt Governor of Ladakh refutes false claims made by Rahul Gandhi, says not even a square inch of Indian land is occupied by China

OpIndia Staff
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Lt Governor of Ladakh refutes false claims made by Rahul Gandhi, says not even a square inch of Indian land is occupied by China

On Monday, September 11, Lt Governor of Ladakh, Retired Brig. (Dr.) BD Mishra lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his claims about a huge portion of Ladakh being occupied by China. Rahul Gandhi has time and again tried to peddle lies about the Indian-China dispute to claim that China has occupied a massive portion of the Indian territory.

Lt Governor of Ladakh Brig. (Dr.) BD Mishra (Retd.) refuted the claims and said that not even a square inch of Indian land has been occupied by China.

“I wouldn’t comment on anybody’s statement but I will say what is fact because I have seen myself. There is not even one square inch of land which the Chinese have occupied…The statement of fact is that our armed forces are prepared for any eventuality and God forbid if the balloon goes up, people will get a bloody nose from us,” he said while talking to the media today.

Congress’ Rahul Gandhi has always issued misleading statements on the India-China dispute and has claimed that Prime Minister Modi has ‘surrendered the Indian territory to the Chinese aggression.’ In June 2020, he also said that the Galwan Valley territory in Ladakh was grabbed by the Chinese.

PM Modi then stated that no part of Indian territory was taken over by the Chinese. “No one entered Indian territory, nor were Indian posts taken over. 20 jawans did die, but they taught a lesson to those who had cast their evil eyes on Bharat Mata (India),” the PM was quoted as saying.

Also in July 2020, Gandhi launched a baseless attack on the PM repeating his lies and claiming that the PM was lying on the border issue. He refused to believe that Indian soldiers had evicted Chinese soldiers from their unauthorized positions along the LAC and that there was no Chinese incursion inside the LAC. He also posted testimonials from people of Ladakh who claimed that the Chinese had occupied the Indian territory.

OpIndia had exposed how Congress had published a fake video claiming that the people speaking in the said video were not from Ladakh. They belonged to groups and political parties associated with the Congress.

Recently in June this year, Gandhi again peddled lies while he was in the United States. While addressing the press at the National Press Club, Washington DC in the United States, Gandhi spoke about the Indian-China dispute to claim that China had occupied Indian territory.

When asked about India’s relationship with China and about the Indian government’s statement saying ‘not an inch of Indian land has been occupied by China’, Rahul Gandhi claimed that China has occupied 1500 sq km of land and it’s a fact.

“The fact of the matter is that China is occupying our territory. It’s an accepted fact. I think 1500 sq km of land, land of the size of Delhi is occupied by China and I think that is absolutely unacceptable. Prime Minister seems to believe otherwise. I don’t know, maybe he knows something we don’t know,” Gandhi could be heard saying in the video.

Further on August 30, Gandhi claimed to have talked to the locals of Ladakh who ‘confirmed’ to him that the Chinese had taken over the Indian land. He also said that PM Modi had lied about China’s acquisition of the Indian territory.

“I spent a week in Ladakh. I went to Pangong Lake right in front of where the Chinese were. I had detailed discussions, probably the most detailed discussions that any politician outside Ladakh has had with the people of Ladakh. They categorically told me that the Chinese had taken Indian land. They categorically told me that the PM is lying about the fact that the Chinese have not taken Indian land,” Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Army have time and again stated that not an inch of Indian land belongs to China.

In January this year, the External Affairs Minister slammed the Congress party for deliberately spreading misinformation regarding India-China relations. This is after Rahul Gandhi claimed last September that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given 100 square kilometers of Indian territory to China without a fight.

Jaishankar then slammed saying that “some people deliberately spread wrong news about the China issue knowing it is not true for politics and by talking about some land, which was taken by China in 1962, they give the impression this happened recently.”

He also pressed that some people in the opposition were deliberately trying to spread wrong news or information about China on purpose. “Sometimes, they talk about some land, which was taken by China in 1962. But they will not tell you the truth. They will give you the impression that this thing happened yesterday,” he had reiterated.

It is notable that China occupied large chunks of Indian territory in 1962, and continues to illegally occupy these areas. But the Congress party and some media houses keep claiming from time to time that those are recent developments, which is completely false. Although regular skirmishes take place between Indian and Chinese forces, and the Chinese military often enters Indian territory, the Line of Actual Control largely remains unchanged.

Left-liberals maintain silence on President Biden attending a Christian ceremony before G20 Summit Delhi: Is criticism only meant for Hinduism?

Anurag
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Left-liberals maintain silence on President Biden attending a Christian ceremony before G20 Summit Delhi: Is criticism only meant for Hinduism?

The G20 New Delhi Summit was a success, with several top world leaders visiting India for the event, including United States President Joe Biden. Interestingly, before going to the G20 Summit, President Biden participated in a private Christian ceremony in Delhi held by Father Nicholas Dias from the Delhi Archdiocese. What is baffling is that the left-liberals who scream their lungs out when leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath perform Puja as per Hindu rituals were utterly silent.

There have been countless instances when the left-liberals criticized PM Modi, CM Yogi, and other leaders from the Hindu religion who participated in or performed rituals. Let it be the establishment of Sengol in the new Parliament Building, Bhoomi Pujan of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishwanath corridor in UP or Mahakal corridor in Madhya Pradesh, or any other event where PM Modi performed Puja as per Hindu rituals, the left-liberal gang came out outraging over ‘secular’ ethos, questioning the rituals and indirectly sharing hatred on Hinduism.

Christian prayer event for President Biden at Delhi

As per reports, the US Embassy in New Delhi organized Holy Communion Service at the request of President Joe Biden. Father Nicholas Dias was contacted a week before President Biden’s arrival, and everything was arranged accordingly.

Father Dias is a resident of Benolim, Goa. He has been organizing Christian events for over three decades. The event occurred in ITC Maurya, where the ceremony lasted 30 minutes. A small group of US representatives was also present at the event.

Father Dias said to Indian Express, “President Biden was clear that he wanted to begin his two-day G20 engagements at Bharat Mandapam with the Holy Eucharist and a prayer. Together, we prayed for the participants as well as for the success of the Summit and for the global issues that were to be discussed”.

The hypocrisy of left-liberals

The President of one of the world’s most powerful nations stuck to his Christian roots even in a foreign land where he came to attend an international event. Not even a single person from the left-liberal section criticized him. It appears they do not see anything contradicting democracy if President Biden participated in such an event. However, they do not leave a chance to criticize PM Modi and other leaders who follow Hindu dharma when participating in religious events.

The main issue, it appears, is not with performing religious rituals but with Hindu Dharma or Sanatan Dharma. Recent comments by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, where he called to eradicate Sanatan Dharma while comparing it to dengue, corona and malaria, or D Raja‘s derogatory remarks where he compared Sanatan Dharma to HIV and leprosy, are examples of the hate these people have for Sanatan Dharma. IIT professor Divya Dwivedi called for wiping out Hinduism but claimed a threat to India’s democracy and secular ethos with that.

No one uttered a word when MPs, PMs, Presidents, and CMs organized Iftaar parties at their residents using public money. However, when PM Modi, then-President Ramnath Kovind, CM Yogi, and other leaders stopped it, there was a lot of hue and cry. No one utters a word if a leader wears an Islamic cap while attending meetings in Muslim-majority areas or Iftar parties. Still, if PM Modi wears clothes depicting his devotion to Sanatan Dharma, it becomes a problem. No one from the left-liberal section criticized then-PM Manmohan Singh when he said Muslims have the first right to resources of the country. However, it becomes a problem if CM Yogi Adityanath uses the name that he got after Diksha or wears Saffron clothes.

How can someone forget that liberals whitewashed Taslim Ahmed Rehmani‘s derogatory comments on Bhagwan Shiva, but when former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma retaliated by quoting Islamic texts, she was thrown under the bus by the left-liberals and Islamists? In the recent case of Nuh violence, there have been consistent attempts to paint it as a communal clash. At the same time, it was an apparent attack on unarmed Hindu devotees by Islamists with stones, batons, sticks, and illegal weapons.

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