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Gujarat police bust ‘Bhagwa love trap’ Whatsapp groups, OpIndia’s undercover investigation exposed similar modus operandi

Dibakar Dutta
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Gujarat police bust ‘Bhagwa love trap’ Whatsapp groups, OpIndia’s undercover investigation exposed similar modus operandi

In a massive crackdown on the menace of doxxing, assault and targeted harassment of Hindu-Muslim couples in the name of combating ‘Bhagwa love trap’, the Gujarat police have apprehended a total of 17 people from Vadodara for using WhatsApp to coordinate the attacks.

While 8 of them were arrested, the remaining 9 accused were kept under detention by the Vadodara police. They were identified as Aquib Ali Mehboob Saiyyed, Mohsin Pathan, Noman Abdul Rashid, Abrar Khan Sindhi, Moin Ibrahim Shaikh, Mustakim Sheikh, Burhan Saiyad and Sahil Sheikh.

Besides, 73 suspects were also questioned by the police. The first breakthrough in the case came on August 28, 2023, three days after a disturbing video of moral policing, harassment and assault on a Muslim woman from Vadodara went viral on social media.

Although it was initially claimed that the video was from Ahmedabad, the Gujarat police determined that the location of the video was Vadodara. The cops were able to ascertain the identity of the three accused, namely, Mustakim Sheikh, Burhan Saiyad and Sahil Sheikh.

During their interrogation, it came to light that the trio operated a WhatsApp group by the name of ‘Hussaini Lashkar.’ It came into existence in February this year and had 500 members. Later, they deleted the group and created a new one by the name of ‘Army of Mahdi.

After having realised that the police were investigating them, the accused created yet another WhatsApp group named Lashkar-E-Adam. It had around 276 members. Police Commissioner Anupamsingh Gahlaut informed, “We found that the accused created and deleted WhatsApp groups to evade law.”

Screengrab of the Whatsapp groups

The arrest of the three masterminds (Mustakim Sheikh, Burhan Saiyad and Sahil Sheikh) of the vigilante surveillance led to 5 more arrests and the detention of 9 other accused.

Through these WhatsApp groups, the members (Muslim men) kept a vigil on the women of their community. They also prevented Muslim women from hanging out with men from other communities (especially the Hindu Faith) through coercion, moral policing and real-life attacks

It has now come to light that more than 50 inter-faith couples have been victimised by the extremists running the WhatsApp group. The network of these Islamists was not just limited to Vadodara but spread across other cities of Gujarat.

As part of their modus operandi, the members of the Whatsapp groups would forge alliances with Muslim street food vendors such as ice-cream sellers and falooda walas. The latter would tip them on spotting Muslim women with men from another religion.

“They would click photographs of the vehicles and use the RTO application of Google Play to identify vehicle owners…pass on information to the next person on the route, who would accost them and assault the person from another religion. Most of their conversations are in audio recordings, urging the other person to arrest the ‘culprit’,” Police Commissioner Anupamsingh Gahlaut told The Indian Express.

The pictures of the Muslim women accompanying Hindu men were also sent to the parents of such women by the Islamists. The modus operandi is documented previously through viral videos. Islamists would often gherao a Muslims woman and force her to let them speak either to her parents or family members if found in the company of a Hindu man.

All accused had specific roles in moral policing

As per a report by DeshGujarat, some of the accused arrested by the Vadodara police had specific roles in the vigilante operation. Aqib Ali Saiyed, for instance, chased the Hindu-Muslim couples and posted audio messages in the group regarding their location.

He would also capture their videos and update other members of the WhatsApp group. Another accused named Mohsin Pathan was a medical representative who would ask members of his group to check I-cards of the couples.

Two other accused Noman Abdul Rashid and Abrar Khan Sindhi used to call Muslim mobs on the spot to harass couples. Abrar would capture the videos of the assault and moral policing. These videos were later circulated on social media with highly provocative messages.

“They would make videos viral and attempt to create communal discord. The videos of assault were shared on groups of other districts too with provocative captions… They also have channels on YouTube and X that the cyber crime cell will probe,” Police Commissioner Anupamsingh Gahlaut said.

OpIndia undercover investigation and revelations

On August 16 this year, OpIndia published an 1800-word report, highlighting how Islamists were actively using WhatsApp to radicalise and provoke their co-religionists to identify and harass inter-faith couples.

With the help of high-placed sources, we were able to infiltrate a Maharashtra-based group named ‘Behen Beti Bachao.’ It was operating in a manner similar to the ‘Hussaini Lashkar’ group, which has now been busted in Vadodara.

The group had four admins, namely, Ilyas Memon, Raees Shaikh, Farhat Shaikh and Husain Khan, and over 150 members (including two Pakistanis, as evident from +92 phone numbers).

Screengrab of the Whatsapp group

Several Islamists, who are part of the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group, regularly shared inciteful, Hinduphobic propaganda content and encouraged their co-religionists to target Hindu men for befriending Muslim women.

They also shared misleading videos and falsely attributed them to the Hindu community. OpIndia reported the antecedents of one such member, named Salman Khan, who was at the forefront of such propaganda.

Khan also shared information about how radical Islamists are training Muslim women to carry out vigilance in Jaipur city of Rajasthan. He urged his fellow co-religionists to create similar women-led groups in other parts of India and continue to propagate the ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’ conspiracy theory.

Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group

Salman Khan encouraged other Islamists in the group to carry out such attacks against Hindu-Muslim couples, wherever possible.

Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group
Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group

He was not alone in posting inciteful content. Another member of the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ Whatsapp group, identified as Sharif Tamboli, had also weaponised fake news and called for vigilante surveillance.

Islamists also use the ‘Behan Beti Bachao’ group to falsely attribute unverified, random videos of gore and violence to Hindus. One member of the Whatsapp group named Iqbal shared a graphic video of a murder and claimed that the victim was a Muslim and that the perpetrator was a Hindu.

This is a part of their larger conspiracy to use such videos as an excuse to orchestrate violence against the Hindu community.

Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group

OpIndia investigation reveals that ‘Behan Beti Bachao’ group of Maharashtra operated in a similar fashion to the ‘Hussaini Lashkar’ group of Vadodara when it came to doxxing of Hindu-Muslim couples. They also sought information on such inter-faith couples and later used it to carry out a witch-hunt.

The contentious content of the group frequently made it to social media for wider dissemination and amplification.

Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group

While quoting our source, OpIndia reported on August 16, “Personal information about Hindu-Muslim couples shared in groups such as Behen Beti Bachao are sent by the admins to their ‘Strike Teams.’ They carry out a recce of the targets, locate their whereabouts and ambush them in a coordinated fashion.”

OpIndia found that the Islamists frequently shared pictures of Muslim women, who were to be married to their Hindu partners, in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group and asked the group members to notify their parents in Jabalpur.

Screengrab of the chat in the ‘Behen Beti Bachao’ group

This was also observed in the case of the ‘Hussain Laskar’ group, wherein pictures were sent to the parents of Muslim women. Thus, the vicious modus operandi was highlighted by OpIndia (in the case of Maharashtra-based Behan Beti Bachao group), 12 days before the Vadodara police acted against a similar group operating in the city.

Rajasthan High Court issues notice to CM Ashok Gehlot over his ‘Corruption rampant in judiciary’ remark

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan High Court issues notice to CM Ashok Gehlot over his ‘Corruption rampant in judiciary’ remark

On Saturday (2 September), the Rajasthan High Court issued a notice to state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his alleged remark accusing that corruption is rampant in the Judiciary. A two-judge bench of Justices Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Ashutosh Kumar of the Jaipur bench of the high court issued a notice to CM Gehlot asking him to respond regarding the controversial remark that has been attributed to him.   

The bench said, “The contents of the statement if made by the respondent, prima facie make out a case that it tends to scandalise the Courts because it does not refer to any particular case or category of cases, but general in nature against the judiciary as a whole.” 

The bench issued the notice in response to a PIL which was filed by a Supreme Court advocate and former Judicial officer Shiv Charan Gupta. Advocate Gupta claimed that the alleged remark made by CM Gehlot amounted to scandalising and lowering the image of the State Judiciary. 

Subsequently, the High Court issued the notice and has given the Chief Minister 3 weeks time to respond. The matter will now be heard on 3 October.  

The petitioner, Advocate Gupta submitted before the court that there is no specific provision contained in the Rajasthan High Court Rules, 1952 that could provide for the manner or procedure through which the court could take suo motu cognizance. He added that for this reason, he has filed a petition to bring the court’s notice over this issue.

Earlier, while speaking to the media on 30th August, Rajasthan CM Gehlot reportedly said, “Aaj to bataiye itna corruption ho raha hai judiciary ke andar. Itna bhayankar corruption hai, kai vakil log toh maine suna hai likh ke le jaate hain judgment aur judgment wohi aata hai.” 

Translation of his purported remarks –  It is frightful that now-a-days corruption is rampant in the judiciary. Corruption is happening at such a large scale that I have heard that many lawyers write the judgment and take it along, and that is the judgment given.

Allegedly, he added, “Kya ho raha hai judiciary ke andar? Chahe lower ho, chahe upper ho, haalat bade gambhir hai.”  

Translation – What is happening in the judiciary? Whether lower court or higher court, the situation is very serious. 

Even back then, his alleged remarks criticising the judiciary drew flakes from the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association and now it has landed him in legal trouble. 

“Some impacts of India’s G20 presidency are close to my heart”: Prime Minister Modi lauds India’s G20 leadership ahead of the grouping’s meeting in New Delhi

OpIndia Staff
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“Some impacts of India’s G20 presidency are close to my heart”: Prime Minister Modi lauds India’s G20 leadership ahead of the grouping’s meeting in New Delhi

Ahead of the historic G20 conference on September 9-10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke out on a wide range of themes concerning India’s future in the global arena and the economy. In an interview with news agency PTI last week, PM Modi said that many positive impacts have emerged under India’s G20 presidency. PM Modi said that some of the impacts are “very close to my heart.”

PM Modi said that India’s vision is seen as a roadmap for the future not just as mere ideas. “In G20, our words and vision are seen as the roadmap of the future and not merely as ideas,” PM Modi said.

It is notable that India officially assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, and since then it has been hosting meetings in cities including Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Indore, Jodhpur, Khajuraho, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Rann of Kutch, Surat, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Udaipur.

PM Modi rejects China and Pakistan’s objection to India hosting G20 meetings in Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir

On the question of China, which is a G20 member and Pakistan which has nothing to do with G20 raising objections to India holding G20 meetings in Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi outrightly rejected the ‘objections’ saying that “it is very natural to hold meetings in every part of the country.”

“Such a question would be valid if we had refrained from conducting meetings in those venues. Ours is such a vast, beautiful and diverse nation. When G20 meetings are happening, isn’t it natural that meetings will be held in every part of our country,” Modi said.

Notably, China has over the years been claiming some regions of Arunachal Pradesh as its own. Recently, China released a ‘standard map’ as well laying claims on Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. China’s bizarre claims, however, were met with criticism from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who in an interview said that “China has a habit of releasing such maps, and told China that merely including other countries’ territories in its map meant nothing, as the territories are very much part of India.” In addition, India also registered against China’s actions through diplomatic channels.

PM Modi highlights the significance of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

PM Modi emphasised that the theme of India’s G20 Summit ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” is not just a slogan but rather a comprehensive philosophy derived from India’s cultural ethos.

Notably, the theme of India’s G20 presidency is taken from the ancient Hindu scripture Maha Upanishad, which mentions the philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam which implies that the world is one family.

PM Modi also said that “Over 1.5 crore Indians involved in year-long G20 programmes or have been touched by some of its aspects.”

PM Modi further added that during the Chief Ministers meeting, he appealed to various states to ensure that each state continues to deepen its ties with the delegates who visited them during the G20 and their countries. This will also provide many chances for people in the future.

PM Modi bats for the ‘third-world’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very vocal about the issues pertaining to the Global South and the so-called ‘third world’ countries. PM Modi asserted that under India’s G20 presidency, the confidence of the ‘third world’ countries has increased.

“India’s G20 Presidency also sowed seeds of confidence in countries of the so-called third world. Africa is a top priority for us in G20; no future plan of earth can succeed without all voices being heard.”

It is worth recalling that in June this year, PM Modi had written to G20 leaders for granting full membership to the African Union in the G20 grouping.

During the third G20 Sherpas conference in Karnataka’s Hampi in July, the proposal was formally included in the draught communique for the summit. At the G20 summit in Delhi, a final decision would be made regarding the proposal.

Even in his historic address to the joint US Congressional session in June, PM Modi had said “Giving a voice to the Global South is the way forward. That is why I firmly believe that the African Union be given full membership of G20,” Modi said.

PM Modi on Inflation

When asked about inflation, Prime Minister Modi described it as a “key issue” that the world is dealing with. “Our G20 presidency led to the recognition that anti-inflation policies in one country do not harm others.”

PM further outlined that the importance of timely and unambiguous communication of policy orientations by central banks was recognised. He opined that such steps can ensure that one country’s actions to control inflation do not have a negative impact on other countries.

The prime minister stressed an emphasis was laid on a similar approach to address the issues associated with food and energy price volatility, especially given the strong relationship between food and energy markets.

International Biofuels alliance

When asked about his plans to propose an international biofuel alliance, PM Modi said that the 20th and the 21st centuries are different and emphasised that today’s world is more interconnected and interdependent. PM Modi pointed out that such bio-fuel alliances would help the developing countries in their energy transitions.

“Such alliances are aimed at creating options for developing countries to advance their energy transitions. Biofuels are also important from the perspective of a circular economy. Markets, trade, technology, and policy – all aspects of international cooperation are crucial in creating such opportunities.

PM Modi added that such alternatives can improve energy security, offer possibilities for the domestic industry, and create green jobs.

Fake news, deep-fakes, cyber terrorism and more

Speaking about cybercrimes, the spread of fake news, online radicalisation, metaverse etc., Prime Minister Modi said that fake news can be used to fuel social unrest adding that “fake news and deep fakes can cause chaos and loss of credibility of news sources.”

PM Modi said that cyber threats not only incur financial losses but also bring social and geopolitical implications.

Prime Minister Modi said that cyberterrorism, online radicalisation, and the use of networked platforms to transfer funds from money laundering to drugs and terrorism are just the tip of the iceberg as Cyberspace has posed an all-new threat. 

PM Modi said, “Terrorist organisations are utilising technology to radicalise their followers, diverting funds from money laundering and drug trafficking into terror funding, and capitalising on developing digital channels such as the dark web, metaverse, and cryptocurrency platforms to achieve their nefarious goals.

Furthermore, PM Modi then emphasised that India convened a G20 Conference on Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, AI, and the Metaverse. During the meeting, participants raised worry over hostile cyber activities that violate established cyberspace norms, principles, and standards, as well as international law.

PM Modi added that coordination of prevention and mitigation strategies was emphasised. The importance of establishing a comprehensive international treaty to combat the exploitation of ICTs for criminal purposes was emphasised.

Populism and political stability

PM Modi emphasised the dual aspects of “stability” and “decisive mandate” stating that governments in the three decades prior to 2014 were unstable and hence unable to get much done. Because of the stability, he noted, various reforms across industries could be implemented in the recent nine years.

“Political stability of 9 years led to several reforms and growth is its natural by-product,” PM Modi said.

As several state elections, as well as the ultimate Lok Sabha battle, is approaching, the Prime Minister revived the debate on the culture of freebies, which he had dubbed “revdi culture” in October last year, saying that “financially irresponsible policies and populism may yield political results in the short term but will exact a high social and economic price in the long term.”

G20 meeting in New Delhi

The New Delhi G20 Summit, which will bring an end to a series of meetings over the course of the year, is going to be held in New Delhi on 9-10 September this year. The 43 Heads of Delegations- the largest ever in G20-will be participating in the final G20 Summit.

The G20 Summit is a forum for international economic cooperation and represents 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade and two-thirds of the global population. The G20 presidency is a very important opportunity for India, as it gives India an opportunity to become a major player on the global stage.

23 countries surveyed had a favourable view of India, most favourable in Israel: Pew Research

OpIndia Staff
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23 countries surveyed had a favourable view of India, most favourable in Israel: Pew Research

New Delhi is all decked up to host one of the most consequential geopolitical groupings – the G20 Summit, scheduled to be held in the Bharat Mandapam at the Pragati Maidan on 9 and 10 September. During this two-day summit, India will have the opportunity to showcase its rich culture, values, warm hospitality, soft power, vibrant atmosphere, delectable cuisines, and more to leaders and delegates from 40 countries, including the 20 member states that share India’s values.

For the next couple of weeks, India will shine brightly on the global stage, drawing attention from around the world. In the midst of this international spotlight, a recent Pew Research has found that most countries surveyed have a favourable view of India’s influence on global issues.

Notably, the Pew Research Centre conducted a survey of 30,861 people in 24 countries, including India, between 20 February to 22 May 2023. 

The research, which surveyed 23 countries outside India, revealed that citizens in these nations hold a more favourable and positive view of India. According to the Pew Research Centre, approximately 46% of the people surveyed said that they have a favourable view of India. While 16% of respondents didn’t share an opinion, 34% of people said they shared an unfavourable view of India. 

Strikingly, in Israel, India enjoys its highest level of favorability, with 71% of the population expressing a positive view of the country. Pertinently, India and Israel have lately formed a compact but effective grouping namely the I2U2 – a partnership among India, Israel, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates. 

Additionally, Israel primarily exports its arms to India, making it the leading destination for Israeli arms exports.

Apart from Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom have a very highly favourable view of India where approximately 60% of the respondents said that they have a favourable view of India. In fact, in Kenya and Nigeria, approximately a quarter of the people surveyed said that they have a very favourable view of India. 

The majority of the respondents across 19 countries expressed that they believe India’s influence has grown substantively on the global stage or has remained somewhat the same. The 19-countries median of the respondents stood at 28% who believed that India is getting stronger in the geopolitical arena with only 13% stating the complete opposite. Nearly half of the respondents (48%) said that India’s influence experienced substantial growth, yet it has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

Positive views about India are complemented by the people’s confidence in the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The survey found that 37% of the respondents said that they have confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can do the right thing regarding world affairs. 

The majority of the respondents in Japan, Kenya, and Nigeria shared that they have confidence in Modi’s personal abilities and leadership. A whopping 60% majority of Kenyans shared that they have confidence in Modi to do the right thing regarding world affairs. 

However, 40% of the respondents seemed to be tilted towards an institutional approach rather than personnel leadership in doing the right things on the global stage.

Further, there was a substantive number of respondents who did not share an opinion, while the respondents in Europe were not asked about the Indian leader.

In many countries, the confidence in PM Narendra Modi has virtually remained the same. For example – in Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea – confidence in Modi has remained largely unchanged since Pew first gathered data in these countries in 2015. 

However, the survey has highlighted that India’s benevolent acts have not done their intended impact and have not generated goodwill as one would have expected considering the special outreach programs like Vaccine Maitri. Seemingly, India’s conscious decision to do good and not brag or promote it has been reflected in the Pew Research survey. For example – the conspicuously lower-than-average numbers in countries of Latin America have brought the overall number. Resultantly, it indicates a contrary picture of the global perspective about confidence in PM Modi’s leadership. 

Additionally, member countries of BRICS – Brazil and South Africa have lowered the 12-country median indicating that there is a need to disseminate the information about our outreach programme more in these countries. 

Moreover, India’s global outreach program particularly for countries of the Global South doesn’t seem to have gone down well in certain quarters of Europe leading to some withering in positive views about India over the years, yet it has remained in an overall positive spectrum. The Pew Research numbers showing a noticeable dip in positive views about India seem to underscore the same. 

On the domestic front, the Pew Research survey found that the majority of Indians believe that the country’s stature and influence are increasing on the global stage. The survey found that around 68% of the people said that India’s influence is getting stronger with only 13% expressing the complete opposite views. 

Around 79% of Indian respondents said that they have favourable views of PM Narendra Modi. 

Uttar Pradesh: Abu Aamir Ansari pretends to be Amit to lure a Hindu girl into marriage and convert her

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Abu Aamir Ansari pretends to be Amit to lure a Hindu girl into marriage and convert her

A sensational case of love jihad has come to light from Uttar Pradesh. A girl from Lucknow has said that Abu Aamir Ansari entrapped her in love jihad. He first pretended to be a Hindu boy named Amit, after which he brainwashed, married and forced her to embrace Islam.

Ansari is originally a resident of Aligarh and lives in Bareilly with his family members. His father Abu Hurayra also pressured the girl to marry him and become his wife. She charged that she had been beaten by her in-laws on August 26 and filed a complaint about it the following day at the Baradari police station, Bareilly.

The complainant disclosed that she met the accused in Lucknow when he had come there in the year 2006 for studies. He identified himself as Amit. After some time, he introduced his brother Abu Saeed and sister Rani Umm-e-Habiba as Hindus as well. He moved to Delhi in 2010 but continued to have conversations with her.

She conveyed that she eventually came to know about the perpetrator’s real identity, however, he had already succeeded in indoctrinating by that time. He managed to put off the issue of marriage for a long time by using his sister’s Nikah as an excuse. The couple finally got married on 14 June 2020 at the Gausia Masjid (Mosque) in the vicinity of the Aligarh Quarsi police station.

The woman revealed that she was converted to Islam and given a Muslim name during the ceremony. She claimed that she didn’t listen to her parents because her mind was corrupted at that point. Afterwards, her family cut all ties with her.

She was reportedly promised liberty to follow Hinduism after marriage by the offender but her in-laws started harassing her. She lodged a complaint regarding this with the Aligarh Police in October 2020.

A First Information Report of domestic violence under section 498A of the Indian Penal Code was submitted against her father-in-law Abu Hurayra, mother-in-law Saeeda Khatoon, brothers-in-law Abu Saeed and Abu Sufiyan Ansari, sister-in-law Farhat Huma, sisters-in-law (husband’s sisters) Rani Umm-e-Habiba and Umm-e-Rabiba.

Additionally, she initiated a lawsuit in court and claimed ownership of her in-laws’ residence. She accused that even though she won the case, the police were unable to grant her possession of the property despite the court’s directives. Later, the in-laws locked the house and moved to Bareilly and she also reached there in search of them. 

Furthermore, her father-in-law tried to force her to become his wife and her husband also gave consent to it. The former also tried to sexually violate her. She voiced that they want her to end her life under stress. The victim clarified to her in-laws that she doesn’t adhere to the practice of four wives and was beaten by them. The victim said that the story of the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ is absolutely correct and she is a living example of it.

Inspector Baradari police station, Himanshu Nigam proclaimed, “The girl from Lucknow married a Muslim guy from Aligarh. A case is also filed there which is currently pending in the court. A complaint has been submitted here alleging assault. The incident is being probed.”

Nigeria: Terrorists open fire in mosque during night prayers in Kaduna’s Saya-Saya, nine persons killed

OpIndia Staff
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Nigeria: Terrorists open fire in mosque during night prayers in Kaduna’s Saya-Saya, nine persons killed

On Friday, September 1, 2023, an attack by suspected terrorists in the Saya-Saya locality within Nigeria’s Kaduna State’s Ikara Local Government resulted in the tragic deaths of at least nine worshippers. Alhassan Muhammed, the representative of Ikara local government in the state’s House of Assembly, revealed that the assailants targeted two communities. While 7 persons were killed inside a mosque during night prayer, two others were killed in the neighbourhood.

Responding to the incident, a joint force comprising military and other security personnel has initiated operations to locate the terrorists, who had posed as members of the Ikara community. During the assault, seven Muslim worshippers lost their lives in a mosque, while two others were killed on the way as the attackers attempted to flee the scene.

Alhassan Muhammed said, “The sad incident happened on Friday after night prayers, the gunmen invaded the Saya-Saya town on a motorcycle with sophisticated weapons. They started shooting inside and outside the mosque during the night prayer, killing seven people inside the mosque and two others in the neighbourhood. The Kaduna State government, the local government councils and other stakeholders are on top of the situation to prevent the recurrence of the ugly incident.”

According to a witness named Dan-Asabe Ikara, two additional individuals fell victim to the same assailants in Tashin Dauda, a nearby village, as they attempted to escape from the initial attack scene. This took the total toll of deaths to nine.

Dan-Asabe Ikara said, “I was there when the incident happened, we were praying. I was at the mosque premises, and two of the attackers covered their faces and approached the mosque before they started firing. One of them (attackers) blew a whistle, and one other said ‘We have arrived’ before they started firing indiscriminately at the worshippers. They killed six people inside the mosque, and the seventh victim died at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, in Kano State, before being attended (to) by a medical doctor.”

State police authorities have attributed blame to the members of the Ikara community for not promptly notifying security personnel about the presence of unfamiliar individuals within their community. These strangers were reportedly observed in the market and various other locations by the Ikara residents before the attack occurred.

The police spokesman in Kaduna state of Nigeria, Mansir Hassan said, “We are calling on the public to report any suspicious movement or the presence of strange faces within their vicinities for prompt response by the force. The bandits were spotted in the village on surveillance earlier in the day but none of the villagers could alert the appropriate security agency before the hoodlums struck in the night. The Command is not happy with the situation. The bandits went to the village around 4 p.m., buying things from the villagers. Seeing strange faces, the villagers were supposed to communicate with the police in the area.”

He said, “Bandits, about nine of them on motorcycles, arrived and attacked the people in the Mosque. At about 8:00 p.m. on Friday, we received information from Saya-Saya village that six persons were killed while performing the last prayer of the day in a Mosque. At the spot, they shot six persons while praying in a mosque in the village. The bandits took away four motorcycles. So far no arrest was made at the scenes of the incident but five empty shells of AK49 rifle were recovered.”

Such terrorist attacks are not new to Nigeria; heavily armed unknown groups have wreaked havoc in northern Nigeria for the past three years. They have kidnapped thousands and killed hundreds of people. In some areas, they have made road travel unsafe.

The Wire spreads fake news about martyred BSF jawan’s family not receiving compensation, gets fact-checked by PIB

OpIndia Staff
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The Wire spreads fake news about martyred BSF jawan’s family not receiving compensation, gets fact-checked by PIB

On Sunday (September 3), the fact-checking arm of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunked fake news peddled by The Wire regarding the compensation provided to a BSF Jawan, who was killed in action in Manipur.

PIB informed that the family of the said BSF personnel, Ranjit Yadav, had already received the ₹16 lakh compensation, which was guaranteed under the ‘Golden Jubilee Seema Prahari Kalyan Kavach Yojana.’

“The Wire has claimed that martyred BSF Jawan Ranjit Yadav’s family has not received any compensation. #PIBFactCheck. This claim is #Fake. Family of late BSF Jawan received the entitled compensation from Golden Jubilee Seema Prahari Kalyan Kavach Yojana of ₹ 16 lakh,” it emphasised.

On Friday (September 1), the leftist propaganda outlet published a contentious report (archive) wherein it claimed, “Border Security Forces jawan Ranjit Yadav’s family still awaits any compensation from the Union and state governments.”

The article, written by one Yaqut Ali, further alleged, “Kaushalya had approached the Manipur government twice for compensation. But says that she hasn’t received any money, from either the state government or the Union government, yet.”

Screengrab of the news report by The Wire

Last year, The Wire published a series of fake stories related to Tek Fog (a non-existent app that the leftist propaganda outlet claimed was used by the BJP to spread disinformation).

Later, it was forced to withhold the stories and formally retract them after it came to light that they were based on fabricated evidence. The Wire management blamed the fallout of their propaganda on one of their scribes named Devesh Kumar.

‘No plans to advance or delay elections’: Union minister Anurag Thakur dismisses such reports as “media conjecture”

OpIndia Staff
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‘No plans to advance or delay elections’: Union minister Anurag Thakur dismisses such reports as “media conjecture”

On Sunday (September 3), Union Minister Anurag Thakur publicly refuted claims that the Union government is planning to call snap Lok Sabha elections in the country. He asserted that the Union government has no plans to call early elections, India Today reported. Dismissing such reports as ‘media conjecture’, the Minister stated that PM Modi would like to serve the country till the last day of his term. 

Speaking to India Today, Thakur said that the government has no plans to delay the upcoming assembly elections so as to hold them later along with the general elections. He dismissed all the reports that claimed that the government could advance or delay the polls and termed such reports as “media conjecture”.

He said, “The government has set up a committee on One Nation, One Election, and the committee will do an extensive round of deliberations with stakeholders before norms are finalised for One Nation, One Election.” 

He stressed that the government would like Congress leader and leader of the single largest party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary to be a part of the eight-member high-level committee formed for deliberating the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in the country. 

He added, “Including the voice of the opposition shows the large-heartedness of the Modi government.” 

Though the Union Minister highlighted that the Union government has major plans for the 5-day special session of Parliament which would commence on 18 September, he did not divulge the agenda of the special session. 

He said, “The agenda of the special session will be revealed at the appropriate time by the Parliamentary affairs minister.” 

Union Minister Anurag Thakur’s remarks hold significance as it comes at a time when Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar shared their apprehensions that PM Modi may call early Lok Sabha elections in December this year. 

Additionally, there have been speculations that the Union government could introduce the One Nation, One Election bill in the special session, however, the possibility of it seems highly unlikely.  

Stating that One Nation, One Election is a constitutional reform that will benefit the country, the government has denied all these allegations raised by the opposition parties. 

While the official gazette notification didn’t specify the timeline, India Today reported that the One Nation, One Election committee is expected to submit its report within six months. Afterwards, the Union government will take a call on whether to implement the recommendations of the committee or not. 

While some have welcomed the proposal, others have expressed their apprehensions highlighting the complexities of its execution. However, the government has maintained that it will hold wide consultations on the One Nation, One Election proposal before taking any final decision.

Draft bill to ban polygamy will be ready in 45 days with provisions to address love jihad, 98% of responses support the bill: Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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Draft bill to ban polygamy will be ready in 45 days with provisions to address love jihad, 98% of responses support the bill: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on 2 September that the draft of a law to ban polygamy in the state will be ready within the next 45 days. It is expected to be introduced in the state assembly in December. Adding that the initial process has been completed, the CM said, “We will now proceed to the next stage of the process, which is to complete the final drafting of the bill in next 45 days.”

According to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state government has received as many as 149 proposals in response to a public notice that asked for input on the proposed law that would prohibit the practice of being married to more than one person at a time.

Out of these, 146 recommendations are in favour of the legislation which demonstrated a substantial amount of support from the people. Three organisations, however, responded that they opposed it. This shows that almost 98% of the responses support the move, while only 2% oppose it.

Meanwhile, after addressing a meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party ally parties in Tinsukia on the same day, the chief minister stated, “A legal committee was formed to analyse whether the state government can ban polygamy or not, and we have received positive thoughts.”

He mentioned, “We also sought public opinions and suggestions on the proposed bill for banning polygamy. We have received a total of 149 suggestions in response to our public notice. Out of these, 146 suggestions are in favour of the bill and they support to ban on polygamy. However, three suggestions have expressed their opposition to banning polygamy. Our next phase is to draft the bill.”

Himanta Biswa Sarma further added, “We will now proceed to the next phase of the process, which is to complete the final drafting of the bill. In that law, some more points will be added through which we will try to tackle the issue of love jihad. days. The draft will be ready in the next 45 days, and I think we will be able to introduce the bill in the assembly in December this year.” 

The state administration published a notice on 21 August and sought feedback on whether polygamy should be banned. The notification invited people to email or share their opinions by 30 August. Quoting the report submitted by the expert committee on the matter, the public notice said: “The Indian Constitution grants the Union and the States the authority to enact legislation on certain subjects. “Marriage” falls under the Concurrent List, enabling both the Centre and the States to pass laws on it. The Doctrine of Repugnancy (Article 254) stipulates that it a state legislation contradicts a central legislation, the state law will be overridden unless it received the prior assent of the President of India.”

The notice added that while Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution provide freedom of conscience and the right to practice religion, these rights are not absolute and are subject to public order, morality, health and legislative provisions for social welfare and freedom.

The notice said that laws favouring monogamy do not violate Article 25. “With respect to Islam, the courts have held that having more than one wife is not an essential part of the religion. Legislation limiting the number of wives does not interfere with the right to practice religion and is within the scope of social welfare and reform,” it added.

The state government formed an expert committee on 12 May to study the legislative competence of the assembly to enact a law to ban polygamy. It was led by Justice (Retd.) Smt. Rumi Kumari Phukan as Chairperson, included esteemed members such as Shri Devajit Saikia, Advocate General of Assam, Shri Nalin Kohli, Senior Additional Advocate General of Assam and Shri Nekibur Zaman, Senior Advocate of Gauhati High Court.

The panel submitted its report on 6 August which affirmed that the state legislature has the authority to implement such a law. The administration had earlier requested suggestions and viewpoints on the proposed law from all stakeholders.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has also unveiled a comprehensive plan to combat child marriage in the state. He promised that every six months there would be a strict campaign as well as expressed his confidence in the police and predicted that the September campaign would result in some noteworthy arrests.

He asserted, “Every six months, our campaign against child marriage is set to take place. In September, the campaign will be taking place. Police are doing their job and you would get to see a big arrest during September.”

The CM also spoke on the issue of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. “We will have to take the decision on whether the AFSPA is to be withdrawn or not. It is a view of the state government and the the Union government will take the final view. I will discuss it with the union government this month and towards the end of this month, a concrete decision will be taken.”

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. The Disturbed Areas Act of 1976 mandated that an area that has been designated as “disturbed” must retain the status quo for at least three months.

Bihar: Teacher suspended for criticising the government for reducing the number of festival holidays in the state

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Teacher suspended for criticising the government for reducing the number of festival holidays in the state

On 1st of September 2023, a teacher in Khagaria, Bihar, was suspended due to his comments criticising the state education department officials for reducing the number of school holidays during significant festivals, including Rakshabandhan. His comments were in opposition to a notification issued by the Bihar government’s education department on August 29, which resulted in a reduction of holidays in schools during festivals.

In a video lasting approximately three minutes, the teacher, identified as Sunil Kumar, was recorded delivering a strongly worded criticism directed towards the additional chief secretary of the Bihar education department, K K Pathak. This video was recorded while Sunil Kumar’s sister tied a rakhi on his wrist within the school premises, as he did not receive a holiday on the festival as per the new rule. Sunil Kumar even issued a warning to Pathak, suggesting that he would face repercussions within a span of six months.

As per a suspension order issued on September 1, 2023, Sunil Kumar has been suspended from his duties and is subject to departmental action due to his use of indecent and objectionable language directed towards higher-ranking officials. The suspension notice additionally specifies that Kumar’s salary payments will be withheld with immediate effect.

The order emphasised that the Bihar Elementary School Service (Appointment, Promotion, Transfer, Disciplinary Action, and Service Conditions) Rules of 2020 unequivocally forbid such behaviour and demand that all employees uphold a code of conduct while fulfilling their roles within the education sector.

The Bihar Shikshak Manch shared his video on X and wrote in the caption, “After the cancellation of the Raksha Bandhan leave of the employed teachers in Bihar, a teacher’s sister reached Mathurapur school in Khagaria from Bhagalpur crying and tied a rakhi to her brother who expressed his anger.”

In this video, the teacher Sunil Kumar said, “I am speaking from the school in Mathurapur in the Khagaria district. I want to tell to Mr. KK Pathak that he does not have the guts to break the bond of love and care between a brother and a sister. My sister came here to the school all the way from Bhagalpur to celebrate Raksha Bandhan. She wishes for a long life for me. Mr. KK Pathak, see this. I think you have cataracts in your eyes. Remove your glasses and see. All the sisters in Bihar will protest against you. There is still time for you to wake up. It seems that you are a man who does not have anyone in his family. You don’t have any mother, father, wife, brother, or sister. Had there been any relatives in your family, you would not have dared to draw this circular.”

The teacher further said, “You condemned the unbreakable bond of love between brother and sister (by cancelling the holiday of Raksha Bandhan). You brought shame to this relation all over Bihar. I think you know nothing. You say that there should be 220 working days of teaching. The fact is that we teach 253 days in school. Are your eyes this weak that you cannot see this? You see the school premises. Not a single student is here, and all the teachers have come to the school. Is this your knowledge? Is this what you have learnt? Who made you the chief secretary of the Bihar education department? You should be ashamed. You should die of shame. You brought shame to the whole society.”

He added, “If you still don’t wake up, you will face punishment within 6 months and we will tell this government how strong teachers are. Our sisters observe fasts and celebrate festivals. Aren’t they doing this with a pious feeling towards the nation? Don’t they wish any betterment of the country when they celebrate festivals? If you have guts, come to Khagaria Mr. KK Pathak. It is the same Khagaria that has opposed the chief minister in the past. Who are you?”

The decision by the Bihar education department to reduce the number of school holidays during significant festivals in the last five months of the year has sparked a political dispute. The BJP has called the government anti-Hindu in response to this move. Teachers’ associations and BJP leaders have united in their call for the revocation of the holiday policy and the removal of K K Pathak, the additional chief secretary of the education department.

The notice issued on 29th August 2023 by the state education department explained that this decision to reduce festival holidays was taken to standardise the number of working days in schools across various districts within the state. Government schools cancelled leaves for festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Teej, and Jiutia, and reduced the overall number of non-working days due to holidays. The notice specified that the count of festive holidays was reduced from 23 to 11 between September and December.

As per the notice issued by the state education department, a revised holiday schedule has been established for schools. Notable changes include Chehlum on September 6, Anant Chaturdashi and Prophet Mohammed’s birthday on September 28, and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on October 2, which will be observed as one-day school holidays. Durga Pooja will lead to a three-day school closure from October 22-24, while Diwali will result in a one-day school holiday on November 12. Additionally, Chitragupta Puja and Bhaiya Dooj festival on November 15 will provide schools with a day off. Chhath, one of Bihar’s significant festivals, will be celebrated with a two-day school holiday on November 19-20. Finally, Christmas will see schools closed on December 25.

The education department, in its announcement, referenced the Right to Education Act of 2009 to emphasise the statutory requirement of a minimum of 200 teaching days in a year for primary schools and 220 days for middle schools (comprising classes 6-8). In line with these provisions, the department subsequently revised the holiday calendar for the remaining five months of the year, effectively reducing the number of holidays from 22 days to just eight days, starting from September onwards.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, however, expressed support for this decision. He said, “After all, everyone wants education in schools. If the officials of the education department are doing that, what is wrong? If anyone has anything to say, they should tell me. I am here to listen to all. He (KK Pathak) is doing a good job. I want all children to study.”

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