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‘Trying to instigate more clashes’: FIR filed against the Editor’s Guild of India over its lopsided report on Manipur violence

OpIndia Staff
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‘Trying to instigate more clashes’: FIR filed against the Editor’s Guild of India over its lopsided report on Manipur violence

On 4th September, Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh announced that the state government has filed an FIR against the members of the Editors Guild for “trying to create more clashes in the state”. The FIR has been registered based on a complaint submitted under Sections 153A, 200, 295, 298, 505, 505(1), 499, 120B of the Indian Penal Code and 66A of the IT Act against Seema Guha, Sanjay Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, and the president of Editors’ Guild of India.

In a press conference, he said, “I also give a warning to the members of the Editors Guild, if you want to do something, then do visit the spot, see the ground reality, meet the representatives of all communities and then publish what you found. Otherwise, meeting some sections only and coming to a conclusion is highly condemnable. The State government has filed an FIR against the members of the Editors Guild who are trying to create more clashes in the state of Manipur.”

EGI report and the errors

Three fact-finding team members commissioned by the Editors’ Guild of India to investigate media coverage of an ethnic conflict in Manipur have been accused of submitting a “false, fabricated and sponsored” report. The report, released on Saturday, suggested that the state government had taken sides during the conflict and criticized it for failing to represent the entire state. Imphal-based social worker N Sarat Singh filed a police case against the three journalists – Seema Guha, Sanjay Kapoor, and Bharat Bhushan – alleging that the report contained errors.

On May 3, a large-scale violence broke out in a district located 65 km from Imphal, the state capital of India. The violence resulted from a protest by the Kuki tribes against the Meiteis, who are the majority in the valley, over their demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The Forest Department beat office, which was set on fire by a mob on the same day, was a part of the building that was affected by the violence. An FIR was filed on May 3 evening by a sub-inspector, Jangkholal Kipgen, who stated that many angry crowds had used fire or explosive substances to damage the Forest Department beat office.

The EGI, in its report that was published on X (formerly Twitter), had marked the building as a Kuki house. Later, it accepted the mistake in a post on X. The organization has promised to rectify the mistake and upload an updated report soon. The EGI claimed the error crept in during the photo editing stage.

The Manipur report has accused the EGI government of labelling all Kuki tribes as “illegal immigrants” after 4,000 refugees fleeing the military coup in neighbouring Myanmar crossed into Manipur. The report criticized the state government for taking steps that led to resentment among the Chin-Kukis by facilitating the majority’s anger against the Kukis through several seemingly partisan statements and policy measures.

Regarding the EGI report, a social worker named N Sarat Singh filed an FIR and said that it had not mentioned key facts about large-scale illegal immigration to Manipur that threatens the indigenous people with a demographic change. “The abnormal population growth in Manipur is also evident from the fact that the Census of 2001 has not been finalized for the nine hills subdivision of the state due to the abnormal decadal growth of the population up to 169 per cent,” said N Sarat Singh. The social worker also added that various unaccounted populations exist in Manipur, illegally coming from neighbouring countries, including Myanmar.

The EGI report faulted Imphal Valley-based media as biased toward the Meitei community. The report states that the Meitei media acted collectively, with editors consulting each other and agreeing on a common narrative. However, the downside of such an approach during ethnic violence is that it can easily slip into forging a common ethnic narrative and lead to a collective downslide of journalistic principles by deciding what to report and what to censor, the EGI report said in its concluding remarks.

The Manipur Journalists’ Collective and the Manipur Editors’ Guild objected to the EGI report and accused it of wrong representation of the media in the state. The All Manipur Working Journalists Union and the Editors’ Guild Manipur took strong exception to the “half-baked so-called fact-finding report, which was completed in merely four days.” The EGI team visited Manipur to carry out the report after crowdfunding the exercise. On July 26, the EGI posted on X asking for donations to fund “a fact-finding mission to document media’s coverage of the Manipur ethnic clashes.”

Reports suggest that the Manipur government is also considering investigating the sources of donations of the three-member EGI team.

EGI is yet to comment on the FIR registered against them.

‘Was ready to convert to Islam, deeply ashamed’: UP police recovers suicide note of Pinky Gupta accusing live-in-partner Shakib of her death

OpIndia Staff
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‘Was ready to convert to Islam, deeply ashamed’: UP police recovers suicide note of Pinky Gupta accusing live-in-partner Shakib of her death

The Ghaziabad police in Uttar Pradesh have recovered a suicide note from the residence of Pinky Gupta. The 26-year-old Hindu woman, who was in a live-in relationship with a man named Shakib, died of suicide at her residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad on August 31. Her body was found hanging after which her family members accused her live-in partner Shakib of the crime as well as trapping their daughter in love jihad.

Now, in the handwritten suicide note recovered by the police, the deceased accused her partner of being the reason behind her death. She wrote in the letter that she was so deeply in love with Shakib that she was even willing to convert to Islam for him, a choice she later regretted. She recounted the accounts of deceit and betrayal she faced from him throughout the course of their four-year relationship.

In the alleged suicide note, Pinky wrote, “I am deeply ashamed of myself. I fought for you, both with you and within myself, but you did not value my love. Everyone tried to open my eyes to my mistake, but I couldn’t see anything else when I looked at you. I even contemplated changing my religion, embracing everything about you, just to make you mine. However, you still did not grasp my feelings. I can no longer bear this… Bye, Sakib.”

According to reports, Pinky Gupta worked as a receptionist at a gym and had been in a four-year relationship with Sakib Khan, who was a trainer there.

Pinky Gupta allegedly exerted pressure on Sakib to marry her, but he consistently declined her requests.

Gupta later found out that Sakib had misled her about his marital status as he was already married to someone else. Unable to bear the deceit the victim took the extreme step on the night of 31 August when the victim was discovered in her Vaishali home swinging from a noose. 

Reportedly injury marks were also found on her head. Her boyfriend and his family members were charged with murder by her family after they learned about the horrifying occurrence.

Police had reportedly also recovered and seized the diary from her room in which she had written about every event of the last four years of her life. Based on the information provided in the dairy, police arrested Shakib Ali.

Her mother stated that Pinki Gupta was living in a live-in relationship with a boy named Shakib, from Ghazipur in Delhi. “He coerced her into a relationship by tricking her. It was at his instigation that she ended her life,” she alleged. When the police arrived at the location, they discovered a diary from the room. Its details have not been made public yet. The accused was absconding but was nabbed by police later.

OpIndia spoke to the complainant, Raju Gupta, the brother of the victim who disclosed that Shakib used to torture and it drove her to commit suicide. She narrated her ordeal to them, he said. He alleged that Shakib not only tortured his sister on a daily basis but also instigated her to commit suicide. Moreover, his father Mustafa Khan also had a hand in harassing her, as he used to tell her to kill herself and leave their son, and she committed suicide because she grew tired of these things, Raju Gupta added.

OpIndia also accessed the FIR filed in the case, which shows that Shakib and his father Mustafa Khan have been booked under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC. 

Agra: Sahil Khan poses as Divyanshu Agarwal to rape and blackmail a 17-year-old Hindu girl; arrested, his mother booked for trying to convert her to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Agra: Sahil Khan poses as Divyanshu Agarwal to rape and blackmail a 17-year-old Hindu girl; arrested, his mother booked for trying to convert her to Islam

A novel case of Love Jihad has come to the fore from the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh. The Agra Police arrested a person identified as Sahil Khan for trapping a rich minor girl in a love affair and then raping and looting her for money. The accused also concealed his identity and introduced himself as a Hindu man named Divyanshu Agarwal. He and his family also attempted to convert the girl to Islam.

Khan reportedly worked in a car garage and befriended the victim student by posting fashionable images on Instagram. He cultivated a friendship with the accused, the daughter of a Hindu businessman, and subsequently lured her into a relationship.

The accused called the girl to a hotel and then raped her. He also recorded the private video of the girl and used it to blackmail her for money. The accused threatened the girl and stole her mother’s jewellery along with around Rs 10 lakhs. When the family learned about this, they filed a complaint against the young man at the police station. The police later arrested him.

The 17-year-old daughter of a businessman in the Chhatta police station area of Agra studies at a reputable school. The girl had an Instagram account through which she came in contact with the Khan who posed as Divyanshu Agarwal. The accused influenced the girl and trapped her in a relationship.

They met several times. However, on December 21, 2020, the accused called the girl to a hotel for a date and forced her to have alcohol. Later, after the girl fell unconscious, he took her to the hotel room and raped her. He also shot several private videos of the girl which he later used to blackmail her.

The accused then kept on sexually assaulting the victim girl for three years. He also threatened her that her derogatory videos would be made viral if she failed to fulfil his demands. He looted the girl for Rs 10 lakh and also asked her to get all the gold jewellery kept at her house.

In the meantime, the girl learned about the real identity of Khan. She also learned that he works at a garage in the city of Agra. The incident came to the fore after the businessman found cash and jewellery missing from his home. He asked his daughter about the same after which she confessed that she had been trapped and subsequently raped and blackmailed by the accused.

The father of the girl sought help from the Bajrang Dal workers who helped the family to register a police complaint. DCP Suraj Kumar Rai confirmed the case and said that the accused has been booked under the relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act.

It has also been reported that the accused had given the looted jewellery to his mother. He also introduced her to the girl. It is said that the mother of the accused tried to convert the girl to Islam. The police have booked the mother of the accused, Ruksana in the case.

The accused used several tactics to impress the girl. He posed as Divyanshu Agarwal, posted impressive photographs on Instagram, and also posed with several local BJP leaders. He wanted the girl to believe that he was rich and that he had a good social network spread out in the city.

However, it was too late by the time the girl knew the real identity of the accused and his hidden ill intentions.

Tamil Nadu: Family of 4 murdered for driving away drunkards from their land, earlier BJP functionary Jegan Pandian was killed in Tirunelveli

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Family of 4 murdered for driving away drunkards from their land, earlier BJP functionary Jegan Pandian was killed in Tirunelveli

On Sunday, September 3, four members of a family were brutally murdered by a group of men in the Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu. The four members including two women were killed for raising objections to some men drinking alcohol in their backyard. The deceased persons have been identified as Senthil Kumar, 47, and his relatives Pushpavathi, Rathinambal, and Mohanraj. 

Initially, it was thought that the crime was the result of an escalating quarrel, but police investigations proved that it was a deliberate act of murder.

According to the reports, Senthil was alerted about some men drinking on his land in its backyard, which led to the incident. When he, Pushpavathi, Rathinambal, and Mohanraj arrived in the backyard, the men attacked them with sharp weapons. Mohanraj, Pushpavathi, and Rathinambal died immediately as a result of the attack. Senthil however was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. 

A preliminary investigation reported by India Today says that Venkatesh, who worked for Senthil and Mohanraj had borrowed money while working for them. Venkatesh had been fired, and Mohanraj was demanding his money back. Venkatesh allegedly recruited a gang to assassinate Senthil and Mohanraj, but the gang also assassinated two of his relatives who attempted to save him.

However, a report by the Commune Mag says that the incident happened as Senthilkumar questioned Venkatesh and two of his friends who were drinking in their backyard. Senthilkumar chased them and drove them away. In a fit of anger, the inebriated attacker wielded a sickle, killing four people: Senthil Kumar, Mohanraj, Pushpavathy, and Rathinambal.

Reports also mention that Venkatesh worked as a driver for Senthil. Venkatesh was drinking with a gang of his friends. When Senthil asked them to vacate the spot, he was attacked with sharp weapons. “Hearing Senthil’s cries for help, his cousin, mother, and another relative rushed to his rescue but were hacked to death,” the police said.

The Police have arrested Chellamuthu from Manaparai, Trichy, a prime suspect in the case, and are searching for two other persons involved in the case.

K Annamalai, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commented on the issue and condemned the apparent breakdown of law and order in Tamil Nadu. He also called for prompt and decisive measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Reportedly, another similar incident of murder was reported from the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu on September 1. A BJP functionary was hacked to death by a gang of unknown assailants after which the police arrested six persons. The deceased person was identified as realtor Jegan Pandian. He was serving as the party’s district youth-wing general secretary.

“One of the main accused Prabhu is absconding and we have formed teams to nab him at the earliest. Six have been arrested. The incident occurred due to previous enmity, the two gangs had been having enmity since 2002, and on Wednesday night, they had attacked Jegan. All the accused belong to Tirunelveli and nearby towns,” the police official was quoted as saying.

The incident is said to have happened on Wednesday, August 30, when Pandian was on his way home. Before heading off, criminals on motorcycles slashed him to death in Moolikulam, near Palayamkottai. Hearing his screams, friends and family raced to the scene and transported him to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. Soon after that, the police arrived.

The next day, the deceased’s relatives and BJP members took to the streets to demand the arrest of the murderers and refused to accept the body. The police arrested some of the protesters as the protesters allegedly caused traffic congestion on the main road. 

BJP MLA Nainar Nagendhiran, who met with the protesters on August 31, claimed that the police were violent with the protesters, especially ladies, yanking their hair and trampling on them.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai also commented on the issue and condemned the incident. He stated that he was informed that Mulikulam Prabhu, a close friend of a DMK politician in the area, has been named in the FIR and is at present on the run.

He also stated that the ruling government was attempting to save the accused. He asked the cops to arrest all of the suspects in the murder and take harsh measures against them. Reports mention that Prabhu, the accused, is the husband of a DMK councilor in the town. 

Anand Ranganathan’s new book ‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’: A grim reality check for Hindus and their relegated status in the Hindu-majority nation

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Anand Ranganathan’s new book ‘Hindus in Hindu Rashtra’: A grim reality check for Hindus and their relegated status in the Hindu-majority nation

What do you do when truth and justice are themselves one-sided and biased? Do you still speak the truth and seek justice or do you rather appropriate them for the sake of “balance”, “critique”, and “inclusivity”? These questions stared at me as I began to gather my thoughts to review Anand Ranganathan’s recently-released book titled “Hindus in Hindu Rashtra”.

My answer, to begin with, is that this book review is neither an unbiased take on nor a critique of the book. It is a simple review talking about how and why “Hindus in Hindu Rashtra” is a Magnum Opus and why it must be read by all Hindus.

One of the favourite placard quotes of the Left-Liberal ecosystem in India is “murder of democracy”. This Hindu-hating ecosystem has made much hue and cry over their want of dissent as if they have even a minuscule shred of democratic values in them. The ecosystem is so high on the Opium of Hindu hate that their character does not even remotely qualify as democratic for them to even know what dissent means.

In the times of a so-called pro-Hindu political dispensation, Anand Ranganathan, who identifies with his Hindu roots, shows through his impeccable writing what dissent truly means. Divided into eight chapters are the eight ailments that the author has diagnosed the Hindu society with. These eight ailments, he argues, have made Hindus eighth-class citizens in their own country and victims of state-sanctioned apartheid.

In an excerpt from Chapter 4, The RTE ACT, the author boldly writes, “If there is only one thing more cruel than not allowing Hindu temples to run their own educational institutions without fear of State intervention and control, it is not allowing Hindus to run their own educational institutions without fear of State intervention and control. And if there is only one thing more cruel than the fact that both these cruelties are being subjected on the Hindus, it is that they are being subjected by the Hindus. Belonging to a Hindu government. In a Hindu Rashtra.”

Notably, the author himself is a “Darwinian atheist” but clearly displays that difference in beliefs is no ground to deter the fight for justice, truth, and what is right. Right from underlining the laws that are explicitly against Hindus to highlighting the bruises borne by the community owing to anti-Hindu judgments, the book with its no-holds-barred argument implores Hindus to introspect. And then the book speaks what is almost never spoken to and for the Hindus; words of acknowledgment of our sacrifices, words of recognition.

“That’s why I say, in the matter of Ayodhya or Kashi or Mathura, the Hindus must be thanked for pleading before the court to seek justice. If the holiest shrine of some other religion was demolished and people of other faiths washed their dirty feet all around the sacred relic, this country would have witnessed a civil war. This atheist owes a debt of gratitude to a billion Hindus who are writing their history with the grammar of justice, not anarchy,” the author writes.

The book maintains a flawless momentum and there is an evident manifestation of dedicated passion right from the first page to the last. With a foreword by Supreme Court Advocate J Sai Deepak, and an afterword by Historian Dr Vikram Sampath, the roughly 135-page Hindus in Hindu Rashtra is the case in point as to how Hindus have been made victims in their native land all the while being painted as “fascists” and “bigots” by the ecosystem for turning India into what the propagandists now deem “Hindu Rashtra”. The state of Hindus described in the book compels the reader to ask, “Is this what I get in my Hindu Rashtra?”

Moreover, the author gets right to the point thereby making the book a short read. On that note, those who consume content largely through videos or those who are looking to return to reading will most definitely find refuge in the book. At a time when information is the only potent weapon for Hindus, and concerns the generations to come, accessibility of such information is just as much important as the information itself. Hindus in Hindu Rashtra definitely check out this one too.

Personally, I do not think it is easy to pen down the bitter truth knowing that that truth will unsettle, for their own good, the very people one is writing for. It is even more challenging to speak the bitter truth when it calls into question the insufficient action of the dispensation that is popularly known to be pro-Hindu but has practised restraint in protecting its own, for example, Nupur Sharma’s case and the handling of anti-Hindu violence in Nuh to name a few.

In such turbulent times, it has become all the more important to read and comprehend what Anand wants to convey in his latest book, and what Hindus should do to combat the Left’s McCarthyism and salvage the only country in the world which they can call their home.

Sanatan is not Dharma, perpetuates patriarchy and inequality: After Udhayanidhi Stalin, CPI leader goes on vitriolic rant against Hinduism

OpIndia Staff
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Sanatan is not Dharma, perpetuates patriarchy and inequality: After Udhayanidhi Stalin, CPI leader goes on vitriolic rant against Hinduism

On Monday (September 4), Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja stirred the hornet’s nest for refusing to acknowledge Sanatan Dharma as a religious philosophy and blaming it for propagating inequality and patriarchy.

While speaking to The New Indian, the CPI General Secretary claimed, “First, we should understand, Sanatan is not Dharma…Dharma is something else…Yes, he (Udhayanidhi Stalin) said something…We are all opposed to Sanatan.”

“Sanatan perpetuates the caste system, Sanatan perpetuates patriarchy, Sanatan perpetuates inequality…Let them say no,” he brazened it out. D Raja targeted Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for pointing out how Petiyar and Marxists created division in Indian society and destroyed social values.

“We do not agree with Amit Shah…We do not agree with the Central government…Sanatan is Sanatan. Let them go and read Ambedkar’s riddles of Hinduism and then we will debate,” the CPI leader concluded.

The development came two days after DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin stirred the hornet’s nest by comparing the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy with ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue.’

Udhayanidhi Stalin and his objectionable remarks against Sanatan Dharma

On Saturday (September 2), the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu said, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely.”

“The same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it. So, my appreciation to you all for giving an apt title to the meeting,” he stated. 

Later, he went on a tirade against the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy on social media. While taking to X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, “Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion.”

“Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality…I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma,” he reiterated his sinister plan.

Tamil Nadu Congress leaders support DMK, abuse Sanatan Dharma

Tamil Nadu Congress leader Karti Chidambaram also extended his support to Stalin on Saturday (September 2).

“Sanatan Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India,” he went on a vitriolic rant against the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy.

On Sunday (September 3) morning, he posted another tweet defending DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin. “There was no call for “Genocide” against anyone, this is a mischievous spin,” Karti Chidambaram claimed.

Tamil Nadu Congress spokesperson and General Secretary Lakshmi Ramachandran also courted controversy for equating Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) with hate-mongering.

In a tweet, she wrote, “Sanathanam is another name for the hate-mongering, casteist Hindutva which has its origins in the North.” The Congress leader then claimed that ‘Hinduism’ in the South was different from the North.

With the inauguration of Ram Mandir on the agenda, UP CM Yogi Adityanath to meet PM Modi tomorrow

OpIndia Staff
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With the inauguration of Ram Mandir on the agenda, UP CM Yogi Adityanath to meet PM Modi tomorrow

The countdown for the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has begun and preparations are in full swing. In view of the inauguration of Ram Mandir, UP CM Yogi Adityanath will reportedly meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow i.e. Tuesday (5 September) at his residence.

As per media reports, Ram Mandir will be on the agenda during the meeting between the two senior leaders. Additionally, several other prominent UP leaders may also accompany the Chief Minister to the meeting. 

Subsequently, UP CM Yogi Adityanath is expected to invite PM Modi to the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir. It is pertinent to note that the tentative inaugural dates have been kept around 21-23 January and these dates have been reportedly conveyed to the Prime Minister. 

The trust’s General Secretary Champat Rai said, “The consecration ceremony of Ram Janmabhoomi will take place in the third week of January next year. Three dates, 21, 22, and 23 of January have been fixed for the consecration ceremony. We will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony which will also be attended by prominent sadhus and other dignitaries.”  

He stated that the main event would be completely non-political and political leaders would be invited assuming they have the intention to come. 

He added, “The main event would be kept non-political. Guests from different political parties will also be invited, provided they have the intention to come. There will be no stage in the program nor any public meeting.” 

Rai further stated that the Temple Trust is planning to invite over 25,000 Hindu religious leaders of 136 Sanatan traditions for the ceremony who will be accommodated in the big monasteries of Ayodhya. A list of such saints is being prepared by the temple trust. Afterward, an invitation letter will be sent to them with the signature of trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, he added. 

Notably, these 25,000 saints are said to be different from the 10,000 “special guests” who will attend the consecration ceremony inside the premises of Ram Janmabhoomi. 

The trust intends to offer free food to devotees attending the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya for approximately one month. As per Rai, the trust is prepared to provide meals for 75,000 to 100,000 people every day for the whole of January.

A temple trust member Anil Misra said, “The sanctum sanctorum of Ramlala is nearing completion. Now in the month of January the preparation for the grand event of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ is in full swing.” 

In the last week of January 2024, ‘Ramlalla Pran Pratishta Mahotsav‘ will take place in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Ramlalla will be placed in the temple on the ground floor, which is expected to be ready by the end of this year. Around 5 lakh devotees are expected to visit Ayodhya for the festivities. 

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is reportedly getting ready to welcome the devotees for the festival and arranging for stay and food. The trust is marking 375 families to host the devotees in the festival. As per the report, every family will host 2-3 devotees.

Additionally, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is making separate plans regarding the inauguration of the Ramlala temple. VHP functionaries believe that all those people who gave financial assistance to the temple should be included in one way or the other. However since a limited number of people could be allowed to go there on the first day, they are planning to livestream the inauguration of Ramlala temple in major temples across the country so that everyone can participate in this mega program. 

It is said that VHP has identified about one thousand major temples in the country where live streaming will be done during the inauguration ceremony. 

Remarkably, more than 15 crore people participated directly or indirectly in the Ram Mandir movement. Similarly, more than 60 crore people donated according to their devotion under the Ram Mandir Samarpan Nidhi Abhiyan. 

Article 370 hearing: SC asks Akbar Lone who raised ‘Pak Zindabad’ slogans in J&K assembly to file affidavit affirming allegiance to India’s Constitution

OpIndia Staff
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Article 370 hearing: SC asks Akbar Lone who raised ‘Pak Zindabad’ slogans in J&K assembly to file affidavit affirming allegiance to India’s Constitution

The Supreme Court of India is holding a continued hearing to give the final verdict on Article 370 of the constitution of India. On the 15th-day hearing session that is being held today (Monday, September 4), the Supreme Court has asked National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone, the lead petitioner in the Article 370 case, to file an affidavit affirming that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that he owed allegiance to the Constitution of India.

The National Conference leader has been given time until tomorrow (Tuesday, September 5).

The assertion was made while the apex court was hearing the petition filed by Lone and others challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution. Notably, National Conference MP Mohammad Akbar Lone is the key petitioner in petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the constitution. Lone is being represented by veteran lawyer and ex-Congres leader Kapil Sibal in the Supreme Court.

Notably, the SC remark came after the central government demanded that National Conference MP Mohammad Akbar Lone file an affidavit stating that he “owes allegiance to the Constitution of India” and that he “oppose and object to terrorism…by Pakistan”.

Today morning, a Kashmiri Pandits’ organisation named “Roots in Kashmir” submitted before the Constitution Bench that Lone had raised slogans supporting Pakistan in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Appearing on behalf of the Central Government in the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta took strong exceptions that Akbar Lone, who had raised pro-Pakistan slogans in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly, has neither apologised for it nor has any remorse.

The 5-judge bench was continuing to hear the petition against the abrogation of Article 370 on the 15th day on Monday, September 4 when SG Tushar Mehta pointed out, “Lead petitioner in these batch of petitions saying “PAKISTAN ZINDABAD” on the floor of the house has its own seriousness…Your lordships may look at who is contesting the claims of continuing 370…” 

Mehta further asserted that allowing such a person to do nothing even after Lone’s openly pro-Pak stance has come to light before the highest court would encourage other secessionists and terrorist activities.

“Despite this being brought to the court’s attention, if he does nothing, it might encourage others..the efforts of the nation to bring in normalcy, which is substantially successful, might be affected.. and such statements from responsible leaders, it has its own context and its own seriousness..,” SG Tushar Mehta said.

SG Tushar Mehta added, “Akbar Lone must say that he opposes and objects against terrorism and any secessionist activities by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere…It must come on record..”

The CJI-led bench said that it took note of this since Roots in Kashmir, an organization of Kashmiri Pandits, had filed an affidavit objecting to Lone’s credentials to appear before the Supreme Court in response to a constitutional challenge like this.

Notably, ‘Roots in Kashmir’ has filed an intervention application in the apex court questioning the credentials of National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone claiming he was a supporter of secessionist forces. The organisation asserted that Lone had openly raised pro-Pakistan slogans in Jammu and Kashmir’s former Assembly and also had refused to apologise before media persons.

The intervention application filed by ‘Root in Kashmir,’ while referring to several media reports, alleged that Mohammad Akbar Lone was known as “a supporter of secessionist forces operating in J&K which support Pakistan.”

“The petitioner No. 1…(Mohd Akbar Lone), was a member of the legislative assembly from 2002 to 2018 and has shouted slogans like Pakistan zindabad on the floor of the J&K Assembly,” the intervention application read.

“The said fact was widely reported by media houses. Thereafter, he not only admitted raising the slogan but refused to tender an apology when asked by journalists. Mr Lone, also while addressing the media, hesitated to identify himself as an Indian. Similarly in his rallies also he is known for spreading pro-Pakistan sentiments,” it said.

National Conference MLA Akbar Lone shouts ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ inside J&K assembly, chief Omar Abdullah refuses to apologize

In 2018, Mohammad Akbar Lone, an MLA of the National Conference led by Omar Abdullah shouted Pakistan Zindabad in the J&K assembly. When asked about the incident, Akbar Lone had told the media that it was his personal view and no one should have any problem with it. Akbar Lone was a cabinet minister holding the higher education portfolio when Omar Abdullah was chief minister.

“I am a Muslim first. My sentiments were hurt when they (BJP MLAs) were shouting “Pakistan Murdabad” slogans. I couldn’t control my emotions and raised Pakistan Zindabad slogans,” the MLA had said then in his defence.

The former chief minister of J&K and the party head Omar Abdullah had not only refused to apologise for his MLA’s behaviour but had also blamed the government for failing to maintain security in Jammu.

Some key takeaways of the Article 370 hearing

Notably, prior to this SG Mehta quoted certain remarks by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and exposed Nehru’s stance. Petitioner lawyer Kapil Sibal objected to it and created disturbances in the hearing. However, the CJI interjected and instructed Sibal not to impede in the middle of the government’s argument. 

Prior to that, the Constitutional bench came down heavily and rebuked Manish Tewari for raising ‘apprehensions’ that Article 371 may be abrogated. During the course of the Article 370 hearing, the bench dismissed his plea.

Congress President’s son Priyank Kharge comes out in support of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments about eradicating Sanatan Dharma

OpIndia Staff
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Congress President’s son Priyank Kharge comes out in support of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments about eradicating Sanatan Dharma

Just a couple of days after Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin stroked controversy by equating Sanatan Dharma with diseases, the son of Congress president and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has come out in support of Stalin. Responding to the controversy, Congress leader Kharge defended his alliance partner from DMK.

Speaking to the media personnel, the Congress leader said, “Any religion that does not promote equality or does not ensure you have the dignity of being human is not religion, according to me. Any religion that does not give equal rights or does not treat you like humans is as good as disease.”

Earlier in the day, the Congress party came out in support of their alliance partner DMK. Addressing a press briefing, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that Congress believes in the ideology of “Sarva Dharma Samabhava”. However, he added that “every political party has the freedom to tell their views” and Congress party respects everybody’s beliefs.

Notably, the controversy erupted when DMK youth wing chief and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin equated Sanatan Dharma with diseases and called out for its complete eradication. Addressing the ‘Eradicate Sanatan Conference’, the DMK Minister said, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. The same is the case with Sanatan.”  

Following his controversial remarks comparing Sanatan Dharma to diseases and calling for its eradication, Udhayanidhi Stalin was called out for giving a call for the ‘genocide’ of followers of Sanatan Dharma. When the controversy escalated, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin said that he would stand by every word he said in connection with Sanatan Dharma and further called for uprooting it completely. 

Meanwhile, the DMK leader garnered support from Congress leader Karti Chidambaram who claimed that Sanatan Dharma is nothing but a code for ‘caste hierarchical society’. 

In a post, he said, “Sanatan Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India.”

Udhaynidhi Stalin should be declared the leadership face of the I.N.D.I. alliance, at least he is clear and honest about his priorities

Sanghamitra
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Udhaynidhi Stalin should be declared the leadership face of the I.N.D.I. alliance, at least he is clear and honest about his priorities

Hate is the easiest, laziest tool in politics. It serves the immediate political purpose without requiring the politician to go through the rigors of reform and change, infrastructure development, economic upheaval, and whatnot. Be it at local levels or in grander, bigger elections, hate provides results. It provides the hatemonger with all the required media attention, and public adulation, and keeps them under the limelight until they achieve their objectives.

When the targeted audience is sufficiently fed on a diet of sustained hate, nourished over the years to ignore actual issues and engineered to hail the dynasty-centric group of politicians over the course of several generations, hate is often just enough, ‘Sasta, Sundar, and Tikau’ method to achieve short term goals.

In politics, particularly Indian politics, hate is the ‘entertainment’ equivalent of item songs featuring bikini-clad actresses in Bollywood. It pulls the audience to theatres, the number tops the charts, gets played in weddings and large gatherings, and keeps the movie in the news for just enough time for the makers to break even, get a decent return on their investment, and fulfill immediate objectives.

Bleak scenario ahead for I.N.D.I.A. group, at least Udhay Stalin came up with some proper drama

Tamil Nadu minister Udhay Stalin has literally dropped a “Chikni Chameli” level attention grabber in the otherwise bland, bleak, and morbid political landscape of India’s opposition parties, particularly the so-called I.N.D.I. alliance. Nobody cared when the alliance met for their first, second, or third meetings, apart from some media houses that are duty-bound to report political developments. Almost all expert predictions have stated clearly that there is no contest against Modi in the 2024 general elections.

Rahul Gandhi is being “launched” for the umpteenth time but apart from the Darbari Congress stooges, almost everyone in the country knows how that goes. We have watched Rahul Gandhi “launch” more times than Rahul Gandhi’s age. Congress party should actually consider shifting their headquarters to Sriharikota and compete with ISRO for the maximum number of “launches” in a 5-year period.

Udhay Stalin has his priorities sorted, and defined, unlike any other opposition leader currently

While the political discussion was heating up around the borderline genocidal statement given by Udhay Stalin, I sat down thinking, “Actually, that is a leader who knows what he wants”. There is no ambiguity about his goals. He wants to eradicate ‘Sanatan Dharma’. He has decided what problems it causes, according to him. He has decided that solving those so-called problems is his priority and has set himself a clear goal. This is something that none, none of the other leaders in the I.N.D.I.A. group have done.

Rahul Gandhi is a chef today, a philosopher tomorrow, a Forrest Gump one day, and a bike rider the next day. In the last few months, he has tried to become the human form of the famous song by Lenka that became the catch tune for Microsoft’s Windows 8. “Everything at once”.

As sly as a fox

As strong as an ox …… you get the drift.

So, the bottom line is, Rahul Gandhi can swim in the sea, kickbox, cook, walk, philosophize the sh*t out of non-coherent ideas, and ride a fancy bike to Ladakh. But we might as well elect the next winner of MTV Roadies as the PM of the country, no? The things that Rahul Gandhi wants everyone to know he can do, can be done by every 30-something guy with a decent amount of money facing an early midlife crisis. Not as impressive as Congress believes it to be. This liftoff is again going to fail, not NAARMAL at all.

Mamata, Nitish, Lalu, none of them can be a suitable rival to Modi

Mamata Banerjee can be a formidable politician on her home turf, but there is simply no reason why any other state will accept her as a PM face. Nothing in her political behavior so far suggests she has a clear national vision. Nobody takes Nitish Kumar seriously at the national level and NCP has yet to sort its domestic affairs. The patriarch himself seems to be divided over whether to accept the inevitable accent of the nephew or still try to back his daughter and create further rifts within the party.

I.N.D.I.A. bloc faces a very weird dilemma. Everyone knows that Congress will try and project only Rahul Gandhi, they are hotwired to do so. They cannot help it no matter how much they try. Everyone knows that Mamata Banerjee has been trying for years and years to become the leader of a united alliance. She tried to do that before the 2019 general elections too, without success and she is trying again.

There have been multiple visits to Delhi, Mumbai, and even Bhubaneswar. But her attempts to get another strong regional leader to support her openly has not yielded much.

So far, there seems to be a strange reluctance, even aversion, if one observes carefully, among her own so-called “allies” to back her candidature as the leader of the united opposition front against Modi.

A lot of media attention is being diverted to Lalu Prasad Yadav, highlighting his (questionable) ability to crack jokes that used to be funny for old uncles in the 1980s. But let’s face the reality, Lalu Yadav is not happening. 2023 Indians are not going to fall for THAT. Asking ‘laadla betas’ why they are not married yet is not funny and it definitely is not going to get votes. Such jokes don’t even get likes on Instagram these days.

So amid all the dreariness comes Udhay Stalin, with a proper hero’s entry like a Tamil movie, setting the headlines rolling, social media abuzz, and debates blaring, about how he thinks the 65% of the nation’s population, or as per slightly more politically correct words, their belief system and way of life, is equivalent to “dengue and malaria”.

Udhay Stalin has defined clear, sharp goals. In corporate language, he has highlighted achievables with proper bullet points. “Sanatan Dharma is a disease, it needs to be uprooted, and eradicated, like any disease has to be.” He has also said in very clear terms that uprooting the Sanatan Dharma is the humane thing to do, because, as per him, it perpetuates the suffering and oppression of the marginalized. Jinnah would have been proud, as far as clear goals are concerned.

Another sharp contrast Udhay has displayed in comparison to other Opposition leaders is that despite hue and cry over his remarks, he has stood firm, unperturbed, and has claimed that he is going to stand by his statement. There is no “ka ka chhii chhii,” no “Chandrayaan took people to the Moon” level nonsense, no stammering and neverending explanations after a verbal faux pass that is so common for all the above-discussed leaders.

In Udhay Stalin, there will be a sharp distinction, a clarity, an X or Y choice for Indian voters to choose from. Whether they want Sanatan Dharma eradicated and stand under ‘One God, One Clan’, or they want Modi 3.0. Clear, no obfuscation, and no dishonesty. Clarity is severely lacking in the political scenario today and Udhay comes with a clear set of goals.

After several meetings and several million gigabytes of wasted internet data, all the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has managed so far is a lazy acronym and a committee that includes Priyanka Chaturvedi. At this rate, they won’t be able to sort their chai samosa bills till May 2024 and the BJP might as well again walk with a thumping majority.

Hence, they should be working fervently to elect a leader and hurry to rally behind him. Building the ‘face’ is slow work and will take months of campaign. Udhay Stalin has already done half the work for them, They just need to declare him as the King In The South and follow his banners.

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