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LeT commander Ilyas Kashmiri exposes Pakistan’s lies, confirms destruction of Markaz Taiba camp in Muridke during Operation Sindoor

OpIndia Staff
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LeT commander Ilyas Kashmiri exposes Pakistan’s lies, confirms destruction of Markaz Taiba camp in Muridke during Operation Sindoor

Months after India’s precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), a viral video of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Qaasim has surfaced, where he admits the massive damage to the Markaz Taiba in Muridke.

The video exposes Islamabad’s denials of the strikes by confirming the destruction of the Markaz Taiba terror camp in Muridke, in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

In the viral video, Qaasim, standing amidst the rubble of the destroyed camp, admitted that the place had trained numerous terrorists, including “Mujahideens and Talaba”, who he claimed went on to achieve “victory” (Faiz), while vowing to rebuild a larger facility there.

“I am standing in front of the Markaz Taiba in Muridke… It was destroyed in the attack [during Operation Sindoor]. We will be rebuilding it and making it even bigger… From here, big names in Mujahideen got trained here and achieved Faiz (victory),” the LeT commander said.

This revelation came days after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, in another viral video, admitted that the strikes on Markaz Subhan Allah at Bahawalpur, JeM’s operation headquarters, during Operation Sindoor had killed the family of JeM Masood Azhar.

Earlier in May, sources told ANI that Mohammad Yusuf Azhar and Hafiz Muhammed Jameel, brothers-in-law of Masood Azhar and Mohammad Hassan Khan, were killed during the strikes. Mohammad Yusuf Azhar, brother-in-law of Maulana Masood Azhar, was wanted for the IC-814 hijacking case. He also used to handle weapons training for JeM and was involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

The eldest brother-in-law of Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Muhammed Jameel, was another target who was in charge of Markaz Subhan Allah in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur. He was actively involved in the radical indoctrination of youth and fundraising for JeM.

“After sacrificing everything, on May 7, the family members of Masood Azhar were torn into pieces in Bahawalpur Kashmiri said at an event in the viral video, validating India’s assertion that the attack hit key terrorist elements. The LeT commander Qaasim, in another viral clip, also brazenly urged youths to join the Daura-e-Suffa training programme at the site, which includes basic combat training and jihadi indoctrination, further exposing the camp’s purpose.

Markaz Taiba, Muridke, established in the year 2000, is the ‘alma mater’ and the most crucial training centre of LeT in Pakistan. The complex holds arms and physical training facilities, as well as dawa’h and radicalisation for terror entities, both from within Pakistan and abroad. Meanwhile, the Markaz Subhan Allah, Bahawalpur, which has been operational since 2015, is the main centre of JeM for training and indoctrination, serving as the operational headquarters of the organisation. It is associated with terrorist planning by JeM, including the Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019.

The strikes on May 7 under Operation Sindoor targeted these key strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT), launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam Islamic terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.

Delhi HC lambasts Patanjali for appealing against order restraining it from using ‘disparaging’ ads against Dabur Chyawanprash, warns of imposing cost

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC lambasts Patanjali for appealing against order restraining it from using ‘disparaging’ ads against Dabur Chyawanprash, warns of imposing cost

The Delhi High Court on Friday warned that costs will be imposed on Patanjali if an appeal filed by against a single judge order is found to be useless. The court made the comments while admitting the Patanjali’s appeal challenging an order restraining it from running advertisements attacking rival Dabur’s Chyawanprash .

The appeal is being heard by a bench of Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla. While taking up the case, the bench said that there was no reason why it should sit in appeal over the single judge order which is discretionary in nature. The court then told Patanjali’s counsel that if the Court finds that the appeal is a luxury litigation and useless, then costs will be imposed on Patanjali Ayurved.

Patanjali has challenged a July 3 order by Delhi High Court from running allegedly disparaging advertisements against Dabur Chyawanprash. Dabur had moved the court alleging that Patanjali Ayurved was running advertisements disparaging its Chyawanprash product. 

In the ad, Baba Ramdev says, “Jinko Ayurved aur Ved ka gyaan nahi, Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari aur Chyawanrishi ke parampara mein ‘original’ Chyawanprash kaise bana payenge?”

The ad urges customers to use its Chyawanprash made of 51 herbs instead ‘ordinary Chyawanprash’ containing 40 herbs. The ad further claims that its rival Chyawanprash is harmful for children.

The court today noted that by using the term 40 herbs, the Patanjali ad was clearing targeting Dabur’s Chyawanprash. The bench said, “You have said, ‘Why settle for ordinary chyawanprash made with 40 herbs?’ So, when you have used the word 40 herbs, it is an obvious reference to the respondent.”

The bench added that the single judge has treated the advertisement as disparaging, and there is no reason why the division bench should sit over the discretionary order in this regard.

The bench further said, “You have painted in black everyone else who is making chyawanprash, that they don’t know what chyawanprash is and how it is made, so how will they make chyawanprash. This is a generic disparagement case. The interim order is purely discretionary. Why should we interfere with this interim order? Tell us.”

The bench then said, “If we find now that it is a useless appeal, we will impose costs. If we find it is a luxury litigation, we will impose a cost. We have made our minds clear to you. Where is your irreparable loss? We are not going to allow ‘aaltu faaltu’ appeals for everything. It is not that this order is going to hurt you. You have lots of money, so you can file an appeal in every case”.

On this, Patanjali’s lawyer urged the court to grant him time discuss the matter with his client, and the court listed the matter for next hearing on 23 September.

USTM owned by Mahbubul Hoque that caused flash floods in Guwahati is illegally built on forest land, SC’s probe finds: Read why Assam CM called it ‘flood Jihad’

Sanghamitra
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USTM owned by Mahbubul Hoque that caused flash floods in Guwahati is illegally built on forest land, SC’s probe finds: Read why Assam CM called it ‘flood Jihad’

On August 5, 2024 flash floods struck the city of Guwahati, the capital of Assam. Following heavy rainfalls, a deluge from surrounding hilly areas hit low lying areas like Jorabat and Maligaon, disrupting traffic, submerging roads, and causing heavy damage.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had named and blamed the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), accusing them of ‘flood Jihad’ against the city of Guwahati. There was outrage then against the CM’s statement. USTM chancellor Mahbubul Hoque claimed his institution was legal and had all the permissions needed from the Meghalaya government. He also blamed Guwahati’s poor drainage system for the flash floods.

But now, a year later, an investigation by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has found serious flaws and deliberate irregularities in the planning and construction of the USTM campus, including blatant and large-scale land encroachment combined with environmental devastation that was one of the major reasons behind the flash floods in Guwahati’s low-lying areas.

The University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), a private institution established in 2008 by the Education Research and Development Foundation and located in the 9th Mile area of Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya, has long been at the centre of a transboundary environmental dispute, with Assam repeatedly raising concerns over blatant forest destruction and hill cutting by the USTM authorities.

USTM is situated just across the Assam-Meghalaya border near Jorabat, which is an entry point to Guwahati. A resident of Assam had filed a case in the Supreme Court highlighting environmental degradation in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills districts and its downstream impact on Assam. In May 2025, the Assam govt under Sarma requested the SC’s CEC to monitor and probe the environmental damage caused by the USTM.

What the CEC probe into USTM found

USTM’s campus spans over 100 acres on hilly terrain, with expansions including academic buildings, a medical college (PA Sangma Memorial Medical College), and infrastructure like a large auditorium.

As per reports, since 2011, the university flattened at least 5 hills to create level ground for construction, primarily cutting slopes facing toward Guwahati rather than inward toward Meghalaya.

Rampant excavation of natural barriers like hills that previously slowed rainwater runoff created steep, unstable gradients, allowing monsoon water to channel directly downslope into the Umkhrah and Basistha rivers, which flow into Guwahati. The protection that the heavily forested hills provided to low lying areas were removed. 

Rampant deforestation and excavation also loosened the soil and caused massive erosion, creating situations for heavy silting of rivers and landslides in the area. Moreover, the land on which these excavations and hill cuttings were carried was on a “deemed forest” area under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, where natural runoff regulation is critical.

The CEC notes that not just CM Sarma, but former CM Tarun Gogoi had also highlighted the Jorabat area as a chronic flood source and raised the cross-border deforestration issue multiple times. 

Rampant irregularities and environmental damage caused by USTM 

The CEC probe highlights that the USTM encroached on 25 hectares of deemed forest land without Forest Conservation Act clearance. Of the 15.71 hectares constructed, 13.62 hectares (87%) is forest land. Of the 12.13 hectares earmarked for the PA Sangma Memorial Medical College, around 7.64 hectares (63%) have been broken up. The remaining parcel was still identified as forest land as recently as 2021, it has also been encroached by the USTM violating the 1973 Meghalaya Forest Regulation.

The CEC also noted that there has been “massive and indiscriminate” tree felling and site disturbance since 2017. No compensatory afforestation, despite Union Environment Ministry directives, has been made by the USTM authorities. 

A staggering 93% of the university is on damaged, broken, blatantly exploited and excavated forest land, an unmitigated environmental disaster. 

The CEC also found extensive earth-cutting on slopes facing Assam, creating artificial channels for water flow. No environmental impact assessment (EIA) was ever submitted before destroying the hills covered with trees.

Additionally, to worsen the matters, as if the USTM’s forest destruction was not enough, rampant illegal mining has been happening in the Ri-Bhoi district. Overall, CEC has found that deforestation and hill cutting across 100+ hectares in the watershed amplified and worsened the 2024 floods in Guwahati, turning even 7 km distance areas into submerged zones.

CEC imposes heavy penalties on USTM

The CEC has imposed a cumulative fine of ₹150.35 crore on USTM, calculated for forest diversion, tree-cutting charges, environmental compensation, and restoration costs, backdated to 2017, based on violation timelines.

The CEC has also ordered full restoration of the 25 hectare site to natural forest within one year, including removal of all illegal structures. Compensatory afforestation on equivalent non-forest land has also been ordered.

The CEC has recommended an immediate suspension of all mining, quarrying, and crushing in Ri-Bhoi district until a comprehensive review has been done.

The Supreme Court will hear the matter soon. 

Assam CM Sarma has long been highlighting the illegal activities undertaken by the USTM and its founder Mahbubul Hoque.

Mahbubul Hoque, the Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), was arrested by Assam Police on February 22, 2025, from his residence in Guwahati in connection with alleged irregularities and malpractices during Class XII CBSE physics examinations conducted at an exam centre in Sribhumi district. Congress and other ‘Liberal’ lobbies had condemned the arrest and called it targeted harassment. He was later granted bail. 

US authorities close investigation against BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham after finding no merit in caste discrimination and forced labour allegations: Here’s what happened

Shraddha Pandey
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US authorities close investigation against BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham after finding no merit in caste discrimination and forced labour allegations: Here’s what happened

On Thursday (18th September), the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) informed that the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has closed their investigation of BAPS and the creation of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham.

Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, welcomed this decision by the US authorities and said that the allegations levelled against BAPS were false and that now their faith in justice is restored.

Swami Brahmaviharidas said some people with “vested interest” had levied the false accusations and added that this decision restores faith in justice. “Satyamev Jayate! We build a temple with love, faith, devotion and a spirit of volunteerism… Some people with little vested interest file false accusations regarding when the temple was built, craftsmanship,” Swami Brahmaviharidas said.

“The US government carried out an investigation into the temple for 4 years and finally closed it, saying no charges were ever filed and no charges were ever true. This restores faith in justice,” he added.

Earlier, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the United States welcomed the decision.

“The United States Government’s decision to end this investigation sends a clear and powerful message in support of what our organization has maintained from the outset: that BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham–a place of peace, service, and devotion–was built through the love, dedication, and volunteer service of thousands of devotees from all walks of life”, an official statement by BAPS Sanstha noted on Thursday.

“The United States Government’s decision to end this investigation sends a clear and powerful message in support of what our organization has maintained from the outset: that BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham–a place of peace, service, and devotion–was built through the love, dedication, and volunteer service of thousands of devotees from all walks of life”, the statement said.

BAPS noted in the official statement how its spiritual teachings have long emphasised that in the face of adversity, one must maintain faith and respond with cooperation, humility, and a commitment to truth and understanding.

“As our scriptures have guided us for thousands of years, “Satyameva Jayate” or “truth will always prevail.” “This period has been challenging for our fellowship, but with the grace of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the blessings of our spiritual leader, Mahant Swami Maharaj, we emerge with renewed strength and deepened faith–in God and in the enduring spirit of this nation,” it said.  

Allegations of human trafficking against BAPS temple

In May 2021, a group of Indian artisans in the US filed a lawsuit alleging human trafficking and forced labour and claimed they were confined and forced to work for as low as USD 1 on the construction of the Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey’s Robbinsville. BAPS was accused of luring labourers from India to work on temples near Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, along with New Jersey, while paying only USD 450 a month.

Back then, BAPS denied the claims and said worship through seva is an integral part of Bhakti in the sect, and volunteers from around the world contribute to the same. The volunteers who take part in such construction activities of the temple regularly interact with people who come to visit. The Hindu organisation had also said the volunteers were regularly in touch with their family members back home.

It must be recalled that the BAPS Temple in New Jersey was also targeted by left liberal newspaper The New York Times. In a propaganda piece published in October 2023, NYT claimed, “Federal law enforcement agents raided the temple construction site in 2021 after workers accused the builders, a prominent Hindu sect with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and his ruling party, of forced labour, low wages and poor working conditions.”

“Their lawyers said workers who were Dalit, the lowest rung in India’s caste system, were specifically targeted. A federal criminal investigation is ongoing, as is a wage claim lawsuit,” the leftist newspaper further alleged.

This came even as it had been 2 years since the raid on the construction site of Akshardham Mahamandir in 2021 and no charges could be established.

The timing of the caste discrimination allegations against BAPS came at a time when, caste propaganda and villainization of Brahmins was at peak in the US. The Anti-Hindu lobby in the US was spearheading this sinister campaign to push caste discrimination narrative. Many universities even  added caste to its non-discrimination policy. In 2023, California State Senate in the US passed legislation (SB-403) that banned caste-based discrimination in the State, although it later vetoed.

Just as it has happened in the BAPS New Jersey case, the 2019 CISCO caste discrimination case also was dismissed after no wrongdoing was found.

In July 2023, over a dozen artisans, who were part of a lawsuit against BAPS temple in New Jersey, withdrew their names from the case. At that time, Rajasthan High Court Advocate Aaditya SB Soni issued a press release on behalf of the artisans under the banner of Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh and Patthar Gadhai Sangh stating the artisans were threatened to be part of the deep-rooted conspiracy to stall the construction of the grand Hindu Temple.

The volunteer stone carving artisans stated that they were made accomplices in the conspiracy but have rebelled against it. They have decided to withdraw from the civil complaint filed in an American court against the Hindu temple. “These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.

Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath to launch projects worth ₹5 lakh crores, directs regular monitoring of each investment and timely action

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath to launch projects worth ₹5 lakh crores, directs regular monitoring of each investment and timely action

Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, will launch projects worth ₹5 lakh crores in November this year. The private investment projects will be unveiled on the occasion of the 5th Ground-breaking Ceremony (GBC).

It must be mentioned that projects worth ₹15 lakh crores have been implemented in the past 8.5 years during the course of the last 4 GBCs. It has created jobs for a whopping 60 lakh people.

While chairing a meeting of the Industrial Development Department, Yogi Adityanath directed regular monitoring of every investment proposal and timely action.

He highlighted that the land for private industrial units should be acquired with the consensus of the local population.

“Everyone has an emotional bond with their land; it is their lifelong capital. If land has to be acquired in the interest of the state, they must receive fair compensation. There should not be a single complaint of exploitation. With dialogue and coordination, this task can be easily achieved,” Yogi Adityanath stated.

“All industrial development authorities should consider increasing the current compensation rates for land acquisition as per the needs of their region. This is the need of the hour and in the farmers’ best interest,” he further added.

Yogi Adityanath also pointed out that land allotments to industries will be cancelled if they remain under-utilised for a period of 3 years. Such lands will then be re-allocated to other investors.

Rajdeep Sardesai suffers meltdown after skipper Surya Kumar Yadav dedicates India’s victory against Pakistan to Pahalgam terror attack victims

OpIndia Staff
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Rajdeep Sardesai suffers meltdown after skipper Surya Kumar Yadav dedicates India’s victory against Pakistan to Pahalgam terror attack victims

On Thursday (18th September), controversial ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai had a prolonged meltdown after the Indian skipper Surya Kumar Yadav dedicated the team’s victory over Pakistan to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian armed forces.

For the unversed, India defeated Pakistan during a match held in the UAE as part of the the ongoing Asia Cup tournament on Sunday (14th September). Besides winning by 7 wickets, the Indian cricket team refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team. It also dedicated the dominating win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian armed forces.

During an episode of ‘Democratic Newsroom’ aired on India Today on Thursday, Rajdeep Sardesai was seen whining uncontrollably over the supposed linking of ‘sports’ and ‘politics’ by the Indian cricket team.

Journalist Vikrant Gupta had pointed out that shaking hands is not a law in cricket but a convention, the adherence to which is thus not mandatory.

“It’s not a rule. It’s a convention. You know, cricket runs on two things. One is the laws of the game. The other is the spirit of the game. These are the MCC playing conditions. So there is the spirit of the game. You may shake hands. You may not.”

A visibly frustrated Rajdeep Sardesai claimed, “Yes, he is right. Shaking hands is a convention. It’s the spirit of MCC cricket. It’s up to each individual. I don’t want to shake your hand. It’s your look out. But when you go and make a political statement…You may approve of the statement as Indians. We may want Surya Kumar Yadav to make that statement, but it goes against the rules of the ICC.”

The controversial ‘journalist’ then compared Indian skipper Surya Kumar Yadav’s gesture with that of cricketers Moeen Ali and Usman Khawaja, who wore a black armband in support of Gaza and Palestine.

“Dhoni put a soldier’s insignia in a match against South Africa. ICC acted. Why have you not acted now? Look, ICC has to decide. Are you Indian Cricket Council or International Cricket Council? They have to decide that,” he brazened out.

While lending credence to Pakistani rhetoric, Rajdeep Sardesai went on to claim that the cricket match between India and Pakistan was somehow a ‘proxy war’. He alleged that the tribute paid by skipper Surya Kumar Yadav to the Pahalgam terror victims in the post-match presentation was aimed at managing headlines for domestic consumption.

Journalist Vikrant Gupta then exposed the lies of Rajdeep Sardesai and pointed out that there was nothing ‘political’ about the statement of the Indian captain.

“Surya said, I dedicate this victory to the families of the Pahalgam victims. Pahalgam is in India. There was a terror incident in India. As an Indian, he can, right? Secondly, he said, and to the armed forces, the field of play is the post-match presentation,” he stated.

“Why are we not criticising and why are we not picking instances when Sachin Tendulkar, just 15 days after the 26-11 attack, when we won the Chennai Test match against England, said the same thing. He said- We dedicate this win to the families of the victims of 26/11,” Gupta emphasised.

Did Qatar’s Ambassador organise Rahul Gandhi’s Hudson seminar, also attended by Hinduphobic Sunita Viswanath of HfHR? New revelations deepen suspicions about his 2023 US visit

Jinit Jain
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Did Qatar’s Ambassador organise Rahul Gandhi’s Hudson seminar, also attended by Hinduphobic Sunita Viswanath of HfHR? New revelations deepen suspicions about his 2023 US visit

In the labyrinthine world of international diplomacy and political intrigue, few revelations stir the pot quite like a casual conversation between two commentators that peels back layers of secrecy. A recent clip from a discussion between Professor Muqtedar Khan, an Indian-American academic known for his insights on Islam and global affairs, and Dr. Qamar Cheema, a Pakistani “strategic analyst”, has thrust a spotlight on an underreported facet of Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 US visit. 

Speaking with Pakistani commentator Qamar Cheema, Khan recalled arriving at the think tank only to find the gates locked. The reason? A seminar by Rahul Gandhi was underway.

In a recent exchange which is going viral on social media and rightfully ringing alarm bells in the Indian diplomatic circles, Khan could be casually hurling metaphoric grenades as he revealed that the seminar featuring Gandhi at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC, during his 2023 visit was organized by none other than Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad Al-Thani. 

Khan recalls about his meet with Al-Thani at the Hudson Institute. As he waited, a limousine pulled up. Out stepped a man who also sought entry. The two were allowed in together. Inside, the man revealed his identity: he was none other than the Qatar Ambassador to the United States. More strikingly, he told Khan that he had organised Rahul Gandhi’s seminar at the Hudson Institute.

For those piecing together the puzzle of Gandhi’s 10-day tour in June 2023, a trip that preceded PM Modi’s high-profile state visit, these words are figuratively dynamite.

Rahul Gandhi in Hudson Institute alongside Hinduphobic Sunita Vishwanath

The Hudson event, whose pictures shared on X later showed Gandhi sitting alongside Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of the controversial Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), already raised eyebrows for its alignment with anti-India narratives. Viswanath’s organization, backed by George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and intertwined with Islamist advocacy groups like the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an entity with alleged ties to terror-linked outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami, painted a picture of a platform hostile to India’s nationalist trajectory. 

Sunita Viswanath’s Hinduphobia exposed

Rahul Gandhi’s presence alongside Sunita Viswanath was not incidental. Her record of Hinduphobic activism and pro-Islamism is well established. Last year, The Wire had published her op-ed on Janmashtami, in which she grotesquely compared the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to the trials of Krishna and the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, even likening Israel to Kansa. By twisting Hindu epics to justify sympathy for Hamas, a terrorist outfit responsible for massacring Israeli civilians, Sunita insulted Sanatan Dharma and whitewashed jihadist violence.

Her organisation Hindus for Human Rights has repeatedly used Hindu symbols to delegitimise Hindu identity. In February 2024, HfHR hosted an event at UC Berkeley titled “Zionism and Hindu Supremacy: Partners Against Pluralism,”equating Hindu identity with “supremacy” and pairing it with far-left demonisation of Zionism. Speakers included members of Jewish Voice for Peace, a Soros-funded group notorious for anti-Israel boycotts. This was not an exception, HfHR has endorsed the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference, spread disinformation on CAA and NRC that fueled the 2020 Delhi riots, and even released a “toolkit” to malign India during PM Modi’s 2023 US visit.

According to OSINT group DisinfoLab, HfHR was created in 2019 by IAMC and OFMI, Islamist advocacy groups with ties to Jamaat-e-Islami networks. Sunita herself co-founded Women for Afghan Women, funded by Soros’s Open Society Foundations. In India, HfHR’s official account has already been withheld by X (Twitter) for violating laws with its anti-Hindu propaganda. Simply put, Viswanath has built her career on attacking Hinduism, smearing India, and aligning with Islamist and Soros-backed lobbies. For Rahul Gandhi to sit beside her and echo her talking points at Hudson Institute was not coincidence; it was complicity.

IAMC and the Islamist nexus, and Qatar’s alarming role

IAMC, for instance, has lobbied aggressively against India at forums like the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, peddling tales of minority persecution that echo Gandhi’s own rhetoric on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

But the Qatari ambassador’s involvement? That elevates the speculation from eyebrow-raising to outright alarming. Qatar, a diminutive Gulf powerhouse with outsized influence, is no stranger to controversy. It hosts the political office of Hamas, a designated terrorist group by several nations, and has been accused of funneling funds to Islamist causes worldwide. Ambassador Al-Thani, a seasoned diplomat from the ruling Al-Thani family, assumed his post in Washington in 2016 amid a regional blockade by Saudi Arabia and allies over Qatar’s alleged support for extremism. Yet, here he is, reportedly orchestrating an event for India’s opposition leader. Why? What strings were pulled behind the scenes, and what whispers exchanged in closed doors might have shaped the discourse?

Familiar tropes, Foreign agendas

This nugget only deepens the long-held suspicions about the intent of Gandhi’s 2023 US odyssey. Ostensibly a speaking tour to engage the diaspora and “think tanks,” it veered into territory that now reeks of subversion. Gandhi’s addresses at venues like the National Press Club, Stanford University, and the Hudson Institute were laced with familiar tropes: demonising Hindutva, whitewashing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an offshoot of Jinnah’s partition-pushing Muslim League, as “secular,” and decrying the BJP as communal while positioning Congress as the beacon of peace. 

These weren’t just slips; they dovetailed neatly with the agendas of his hosts. At Hudson, flanked by Viswanath, Gandhi amplified narratives that HfHR and IAMC have pushed for years, differentiating “Hinduism” from “Hindutva” to demonize the latter, stoking fears over NRC and CAA that fueled the 2020 Delhi riots, and aligning with Soros-funded campaigns against India’s economic pillars like the Adani Group.

The secret White House visit?

The secret White House visit, as reported by Seema Sirohi in The Economic Times, adds another layer of opacity. Tucked amid effusive praise for Gandhi’s “maturity” on foreign policy, the article revealed a covert trip that bypassed India’s Ministry of External Affairs and government protocols. For an opposition figure to slip into the Biden administration’s lair without fanfare raises red flags: Who did he meet? What assurances or agendas were brokered? 

Commentators like those from HinduACTion pointed out the event’s ties to “Pakistan proxies,” including Khalistani and Kashmiri Islamist elements, while journalists like Sunanda Vashisht lamented the lack of details on his White House interlocutors. Entrepreneurs in the US diaspora even speculated about election meddling in India’s 2024 polls, evoking regime-change whispers.

A pattern of seeking foreign intervention

Gandhi’s track record only fuels the fire. His pleas for Western intervention aren’t new. In a 2023 Cambridge speech, he peddled misinformation to beg Europe and the US to “restore democracy” in India, ignoring robust electoral processes. Back in 2021, during a Harvard Kennedy School interaction, he prodded Ambassador Nicholas Burns for American commentary on India’s “internal matters,” leaving the host stunned. 

These aren’t isolated; recall his 2018 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, where he later admitted to secret meetings with Chinese ministers post-Doklam standoff, or his post-event chats with Chinese envoys. Such patterns suggest a willingness to court foreign powers at India’s expense, all in service of domestic political gains.

The coordinated push: Qatar, Soros, and Islamist lobbies

Now, layer in Qatar’s role. As a key US ally, hosting the Al Udeid Air Base and mediating in Afghanistan, Qatar wields soft power through energy ties and Al Jazeera’s global reach. Its funding of Islamist networks, from the Muslim Brotherhood to Hamas, positions it as a counterweight to India’s Gulf partnerships. Why would its ambassador facilitate Gandhi’s platform, especially alongside Soros proxies and IAMC figures like those linked to Minhaj Khan? The Javits Centre event in New York, promoted via registration forms tied to radical mosques and ICNA affiliates (with terror glorification histories), underscores the Islamist undercurrents.

Speculatively, this points to a coordinated push: Qatar providing the diplomatic grease, Soros the financial muscle, and US-based lobbies the amplification. Behind closed doors at Hudson or the White House, discussions might have ranged from undermining Modi’s foreign policy, perhaps on Kashmir or CAA, to laying groundwork for post-2024 scenarios. Gandhi’s alignment with these actors mirrors Congress’s broader dalliances, like Salil Shetty of Soros’s Open Society Foundations joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022, or endorsing anti-CAA protests that spiraled into violence.

A symposium of anti-India influences

In a nation rising as a global counterweight to China, such foreign entanglements aren’t just suspicious; they’re a potential breach of sovereignty. The Khan-Cheema clip, circulating virally on X, revives these ghosts two years later, reminding us that Gandhi’s US trip wasn’t a harmless jaunt. It was a symposium of influences, with Qatar’s ambassador as a pivotal host.

Until transparency pierces the veil, the doubts will fester: Was this diplomacy, or something far more insidious?

Election Commission clarifies Rahul Gandhi’s ‘6,018 votes deleted’ claim, says FIR already filed for 5,994 incorrect and rejected applications

OpIndia Staff
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Election Commission clarifies Rahul Gandhi’s ‘6,018 votes deleted’ claim, says FIR already filed for 5,994 incorrect and rejected applications

The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka has issued a detailed clarification on Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that 6,018 ‘Congress votes’ were deleted in the Aland constituency in Karnataka in 2023. The Congress leader had claimed that 6,018 applications were filed impersonating voters and these applications were filed automatically using mobile numbers from outside Karnataka.

Responding to this, the CEO of Karnataka said that while 6018 applications were indeed received for deletion of voters, only 24 of them were found to be genuine.  The rest 5,994 incorrect applications were rejected and not deleted, and an FIR was filed against the fraudulent applications.

The CEO stated 6,018 applications in Form 7 were submitted online using various apps such as NVSP, VHA, GARUDA apps during December 2022. Suspecting the genuineness of such a large number of applications submitted online for deletion of elector names in Aland assembly constituency, verification of each application was conducted.

After the verification, only 24 applications were found to be genuine and the rest 5,994 were found to be incorrect, which were rejected and the names were not removed from voter list.

Moreover, based on the inquiry findings by respective BLOs, an FIR was lodged with the Inspector of Police, Aland Police Station, Kalaburagi district on 21 February 2023.

The statement added that based on the instructions given by ECI, the CEO, Kanataka has handed over all the available information with ECI to Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi for completing the investigation. This information includes details of the objectors who filed the deletion requests, including Form Reference Number, name of the Objector, his EPIC number and mobile number used for log-in and mobile number provided by the Objector for processing, software application medium, IP address, applicant place, Form submission date and time, and user creation date.

After providing the requested information, meetings were also conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka with the Investigating Officer and Cyber Security experts of the Police to review the progress of the investigation. The probe is still going on and election officials have been providing any other assistance/information/documents required by investigators.

Earlier in the day, the ECI had already debunked Rahul Gandhi’s claims, clarifying that nobody can delete any voter from voter list online.

Form 7

The Form 7 is used to delete a voter’s name from voter list of a constituency, or to object to inclusion of a voter in the voter list of a constituency. Voters can file Form 7 themselves for deletion of their name from voter list, when they shift constituencies, so that their names can be added to the new constituency.

Third parties also can register objection to a voter already registered in the voter roll, or can file objection to the proposed inclusion of an entry in the electoral roll of the constituency, if they suspect that person to be an illegal voter in that constituency.

Filing of such third-party deletion request does not result in automatic removal of the name from the voter list. The Election Commission hears the affected the voter first, and takes any action only after that.

SEBI dismisses Hindenburg Research allegations against Adani group, says flagged transactions were legal under laws of that time

OpIndia Staff
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SEBI dismisses Hindenburg Research allegations against Adani group, says flagged transactions were legal under laws of that time

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday dismissed allegations of stock manipulation against Gautam Adani and his group of companies made by U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research. In its conclusion, SEBI said that there is no violation of listing agreement or SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR). It added that the impugned transactions do not qualify as “related party transactions”.

The SEBI said that reading of Listing Agreement and SEBI (LODR) Regulations reveals that transactions between a listed company with unrelated party is not covered within the definition of “related party transactions” as it existed during the time when impugned transactions took place. However, it was included specifically after a 2021 amendment.

Hindenburg had alleged that Adani entities used Milestone and Rehvar as conduits to funnel money, avoiding disclosure as related party loans. SEBI found that while funds were indeed rotated via Milestone and Rehvar, all loans were genuine, interest-bearing, and repaid. At the time, the LODR definition of RPTs did not cover such indirect transactions. While an amendment in 2021 included such transactions, it was prospective, not retrospective.

SEBI added that the Supreme Court had rejected the plea of the petitioner and held that procedure followed in arriving at the current shape of regulations is not tainted with any illegality. The Supreme Court had also said that no valid grounds have been raised to direct SEBI to revoke its amendments to the SEBI(LODR) Regulations.

SEBI said that there is no violation of Section 12A of the SEBI Act and SEBI-Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices relating to Securities Market) (PFUTP) Regulations as alleged. It concluded that no fraud, misrepresentation, or siphoning of funds was proven and all funds were returned with interest. Therefore, the allegations in Show cause Notice were not established.

SEBI concluded that no liability or penalties were imposed on Adani Group entities or individuals and the proceedings were disposed of without directions. Allegations against Gautam Adani, Rajesh Adani, and CFO Jugeshinder Singh were not sustained, as there was no evidence of deliberate concealment or fraud.

In January 2023, Hindenburg published a report accusing the Adani Group of financial irregularities, leading to a significant drop in the company’s stock price. After that, SEBI had launched a probe on Adani group companies, including Adani Ports, Adani Power and Adani Enterprises.

After the SEBI report, Gautam Adani posted on X: “After an exhaustive investigation, SEBI has reaffirmed what we have always maintained, that the Hindenburg claims were baseless. Transparency and integrity have always defined the Adani Group.”

He added, “We deeply feel the pain of the investors who lost money because of this fraudulent and motivated report. Those who spread false narratives owe the nation an apology.”

The Adani group has repeatedly denied all the accusations in the Hindenburg Research report.  

SC bench under CJI Gavai suspends jail sentence of Christian pastor Edwin Pigarez convicted of raping minor girl, grants bail saying he has already spent 10 years in jail

OpIndia Staff
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SC bench under CJI Gavai suspends jail sentence of Christian pastor Edwin Pigarez convicted of raping minor girl, grants bail saying he has already spent 10 years in jail

On Thursday (17th September), the Supreme Court bench comprising CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chauhan suspended the jail sentence of a Christian pastor Father Edwin Pigarez, who was convicted of raping a minor girl.

The apex court grant bail to Edwin Pigarez even as his appeals against the High Court’s conviction ruling are still pending. The court said that the appellant has already undergone imprisonment for almost 10 years. 

“…even if this Court accepts the sentence of 20 imposed by the High Court, the applicant/appellant has still undergone half of the sentence,” the court said.

Considering that the convict had served 10 years in jail, the court suspended his sentence and granted him bail till the time his pending appeals in the High Court are not heard.

“We are inclined to suspend the sentence of the applicant/appellant, during the pendency of the appeal(s). The appellant is directed to be released on bail in connection with Sessions Case No.`203 of 2016, on such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Trial Court,” the court said.

Notably, in February last year, the Kerala High Court upheld Pigarez’s conviction. Edwin Pigarez was convicted for repeated rape and sexual assault of a minor girl in his parish. The court, however, reduced the sentence imposed upon him by the Special Court from life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life to rigorous imprisonment of twenty years without remission.

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