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Will never clear Stalin government’s anti-NEET bill, the entrance exams are here to stay: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

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Will never clear Stalin government’s anti-NEET bill, the entrance exams are here to stay: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

On Saturday (12 August), Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi firmly asserted that he will never clear the MK Stalin government’s anti-NEET bill, even as the bill has been awaiting Presidential assent. He argued that the achievements without a competitive exam like NEET were not enough for the future and asserted that the qualifying test is here to stay.

He said, “Look, I will be the last man to give clearance; never, ever. I do not want my children to feel intellectually disabled. I want our children to compete and be the best. They have proved it.” 

Tamil Nadu Governor made his stand clear while interacting with top NEET scorers in UG-2023 at the Raj Bhavan. During the interaction, a student’s parent raised a question that when will he give “clearance to ban NEET”. The parent’s query was in regard to the bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly that seeks an exemption for the students of Tamil Nadu from the ambit of this central examination. 

Governor Ravi said, “I am telling you very frankly, I will never give clearance to NEET (bill), let it be very clear. Anyway it has gone to the President because it is a subject of Concurrent List, it is a subject to which only the President is competent to give clearance to.” 

He categorically asserted that the qualifying test is there to stay and he wants every child to be competitive. 

He added, “Let there not be any confusion, NEET is going to stay in the country. I want my children to be competitive, to be the best in the country.” 

It is important to note that MK Stalin’s government and Governor RN Ravi have been at loggerheads with each other over this issue for more than a year now. 

Last year, the state Assembly again adopted a bill seeking exemption for students from Tamil Nadu from NEET, after the Governor had returned it earlier.

During the interaction at Raj Bhavan, Governor Ravi also cleared the myth that it is not necessary to be enrolled in coaching centers for clearing this medical entrance exam as he claimed that the CBSE syllabus was the “standard” and students could clear using those books only. 

He said, “Whatever is there in the CBSE book, nothing beyond is needed. Many students, I have seen cleared it, cleared it well without going to coaching institutions. The book they have prescribed– the CBSE book, that is a standard. If the standard is lower than that, don’t blame that standard. Try to raise the standard.” 

Delhi Services (Amendment) Act becomes law after President Droupadi Murmu’s assent 

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Delhi Services (Amendment) Act becomes law after President Droupadi Murmu’s assent 

On Friday, the 11th of August, the President of India Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2023, colloquially referred to as Delhi Services Act 2023. According to the gazette notification, issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Act is deemed to have been in effect since the 19th of May, 2023 when an ordinance was promulgated in this regard.

Now, the Act has replaced the existing ordinance by the central government that was brought for the transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government. 

As per the act, a permanent authority named as National Capital Civil Service Authority will be constituted to take decisions with respect to the postings and control of civil servants.

The Delhi Chief Minister will be the ex officio Chairperson of this Authority. It will also include the Chief Secretary of GNCTD as its ex officio Member and the Principal Home Secretary, GNCTD will be the ex officio Member-Secretary to the Authority. 

According to the act, all matters required to be decided by the Authority shall be decided by the majority of votes of the Members present and voting. 

The Authority can make recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor on matters of transfers and postings of all Group ‘A’ officers and officers of DANICS serving in the affairs of the GNCTD. This will exclude officers handling matters related to public order, land, and police. 

Additionally, it can also make recommendations to the LG regarding vigilance and non-vigilance matters. This can be done for the purpose of initiation of disciplinary proceedings and grant of prosecution sanctions in relation to the above officers.
However, the Act has legally conferred the final authority to the LG, that is, in case of any difference of opinion, the LG’s decision will prevail.

Home Minister highlighted the reason for bringing this Law

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tabled the bill in the Parliament on the 1st of August. It was then passed by the Lok Sabha on the 3rd of August by voice vote. Subsequently, it was passed by the Rajya Sabha on the 7th of August after a division of votes. 131 Members of the Upper House cast their votes in favour of this bill while the united opposition bloc could only muster 102 votes against this bill.  

The bill saw intense debate in the Parliament as Home Minister Shah targeted the opposition alliance for not boycotting the Parliament session only in regard to this specific bill. He took a jibe at the opposition claiming that the sole purpose of attending the debate on this bill was to safeguard their alliance. He highlighted that Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party had blackmailed the opposition bloc to stop this bill in the Parliament in order to join the ideologically amorphous alliance.

During the debate, Amit Shah also categorically stated that the ordinance and subsequent bill in this regard were brought to stop the encroachment of power by the AAP government. He alleged that the Kejriwal government had no intention to do welfare of the people instead it only wanted to target the vigilance department. 

Home Minister Shah accused AAP of tampering with evidence to hide their misdeeds that are being currently probed by the vigilance department. He also asserted that the alliance partners will be betrayed once this bill becomes law and now that it has become a law, the political landscape of Delhi is expected to see major developments in the near future. 

The detailed gazette notification of the act can be seen below.

delhi_services_act_gazette_notificationDownload

Haryana: Ayushman Bharat scheme benefits extended to families with annual earnings up to Rs 3 lakhs; portal to open on August 15

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Haryana: Ayushman Bharat scheme benefits extended to families with annual earnings up to Rs 3 lakhs; portal to open on August 15

Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, declared on 12 August that the Ayushman Bharat programme’s benefits would be expanded to families with an annual income between Rs 1,80,000 and Rs 3,00,000 as a part of the government’s aim to put emphasis on the social sector this fiscal year.

He posted, “Today I make another announcement for the people of Haryana. Now, families with an annual income of Rs 1,80,000 to Rs 3,00,000 will also be given the benefit of ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana.’ From next August 15, a portal will be opened to get cards issued under this scheme. 30 lakh families in the state are already taking benefits of the initiative. Now, 8 lacks more families will join the same.”

The announcement was made during his “Jan Samwad” (public outreach programme) in Yamunanagar’s Radaur sub-division. The scheme was only available to those with an annual income of Rs 1.8 lakh, up until now.

He shared, “Today, in village Bakana of district Yamuna Nagar, through the Jan Samwad program, interacted with the people, listened to their problems and encouraged them by observing the stalls of self-help groups presenting a self-reliant image. Our effort is to take care of every necessary comfort and convenience of the people, in the same order today provided wheelchairs to the needy people. Our work of benefiting the common people by ensuring the redressal of their problems will continue continuously.”

The chief minister’s office also informed,’ “Beneficiary families will be able to avail of benefits by depositing Rs 1,500. The portal will be opened for the scheme from August 15. Till now 30 lakh families are taking benefit of the Ayushman Yojana. 8 lakh families after this announcement will be able to avail the benefits of the scheme.”

The government raised the income limit for inclusion in the scheme for Below Poverty Line families from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 1.80 lakh, last year. With access to free medical care up to Rs 5 lakh, Ayushman Bharat, the centre’s flagship programme implemented by the National Health Authority, provides health coverage to all BPL families. Around 715 hospitals in the state are currently enrolled in it.

Notably, over 23 crore beneficiaries have been verified and issued Ayushman cards to date so that they can avail of free treatment under the scheme.

He is set to chair “Jan Samwad” in the Bakana, Damla and Alahar villages of Radaur on 12 August. Later in the day, he is scheduled to have an online “Vishesh Charcha” with the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana which is a credit-linked subsidy scheme by the Government of India to facilitate access to affordable housing for the low and moderate-income residents of the country. 

Gujarat: Vadodara school teacher calls Ramayan fake, apologises after parents lodged complaint; education inspector to probe the issue

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Gujarat: Vadodara school teacher calls Ramayan fake, apologises after parents lodged complaint; education inspector to probe the issue

On Friday, 11th August 2023, an incident emerged in a Vadodara school, where a teacher labelled the Ramayana as ‘fake’ and made contentious remarks about the Lord Hanuman statue in Salangpur. This triggered the involvement of Hindu organisations who intervened in the issue.

The parents alleged that a teacher of ‘New Era School’ in Makarpura, Vadodara, made controversial remarks about Hindu deities and texts in front of students in class 7. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists reached the school and protested.

According to Krishna Udesinh, convener of Bajrang Dal Tarsali Prakhand, a class 7 student did not attend school. So the next day the teacher asked why that student had taken leave. So the student said that he had gone to visit Salangpur. It is alleged that the teacher then made comments about the statue of Hanumanji at Salangpur and the Ramayana.

According to reports, the teacher said that there is just a statue in Salangpur and it has been erected to earn money. She also termed the Hindu epic Ramayana as fake. When the activists of the Hindu organisations confronted the teacher and asked the student, she admitted to making those remarks. The school management then assured to take action in the matter.

The parents said that their son, who is studying in Class VII in this school, came home and told them that his teacher in the class calls the Ramayana fake and says that in Salangpur, there is just a statue raised to earn money. One of the parents said, “When I came to the school and asked the other students in the class, they also told me that the teacher had said such things. So I complained.”

Based on the complaint of the parents, the school management sought a reply from the teacher in which she apologised. The parents were also satisfied as she wrote an apology letter and asked the school not to take any further action against that teacher.

After the controversy, the principal of the school said, “When the teacher was asked, she said that the intention of her saying was that the idol of God is made of stone and if we work hard, we can move forward and you can’t just stand in front of an idol. This seems to have had an adverse effect on the minds of the students. The school board will decide whatever it deems appropriate.”

The district education officer’s office has also taken cognizance of the matter. The education inspector of the office said that the matter has been discussed over the phone with the principal of the school and it is learnt that a compromise has been reached with the parents. However, the principal has been directed to submit a written report by Monday. On the other hand, the DEO said that the education inspector will also visit the school and action will be taken if the complaint is found to be true.

Lakhimpur Kheri: Junaid, Chhotu, Arif, and Karumuddun convicted in 2022 rape and murder case of two Dalit sisters

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Lakhimpur Kheri: Junaid, Chhotu, Arif, and Karumuddun convicted in 2022 rape and murder case of two Dalit sisters


On Friday, August 11, a dedicated court established in the Lakhimpur Kheri district for handling POCSO cases found four individuals guilty of the rape and murder of 2022 murder case of two Dalit sisters in Uttar Pradesh. The four individuals convicted by the court were Junaid, Chhotu, Arif, and Karumuddun.

The sentencing for this case is scheduled for August 14. The tragic incident took place within the jurisdiction of the Nighasan police station on September 14, 2022. In response, the district police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough probe. The case was registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, along with pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Junaid and Sunil, also known as Chhotu, were found culpable by the court for offences delineated in Sections 302 (pertaining to murder), 363 (relating to the abduction of minors), 376-D (concerning the gangrape of a woman under 16 years of age), 201 (involving the concealment of evidence connected to a crime), and Section 34 for jointly committing crimes with a shared intention, as stipulated in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), in addition to their violations under the SC/ST Act.

Meanwhile, the two other accused, Arif and Karimuddun, were convicted under Section 201 (in connection with the concealment of evidence related to the crime) and the SC/ST Act.

Rape and murder of two Dalit girls in Lakhimpur Kheri

Earlier last year, the horrifying rape and murder of two Dalit sisters sent tremors throughout the country. The Uttar Pradesh Police later arrested six persons named Junaid, Sohail, Arif, Hafiz, Karimuddin and Chhotu (Gautam) for sexually assaulting two minor Dalit girls and brutally murdering them in the Lakhimpur Kheri area of Uttar Pradesh. The police officer investigating the case said that the accused Junaid was shot in his leg when he tried to run away during his arrest.

It was reported that two accused, including Junaid, had dragged the two Dalit girls aged 15 and 17 to a nearby sugarcane field and brutally raped them. The girls were later murdered by three men and hanged on a tree with their dupattas after they forced the boys to marry them.

The police had earlier stated that after the three men murdered the girls, they called two more men, Karimuddin and Arif. Now the five men, in a bid to destroy evidence, hanged the girls.

Five accused except Chhotu hailed from Lalpur village while Chhotu was the neighbour of the two girls. Accused booked u/s IPC 302, 376 & POCSO Act.

Bosnia: Man kills ex-wife on Instagram live, commits suicide after killing two others and injuring three in a shooting spree in Gradacac city

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Bosnia: Man kills ex-wife on Instagram live, commits suicide after killing two others and injuring three in a shooting spree in Gradacac city

On Friday, August 11, a man shot his ex-wife dead during an Instagram live session in Bosnia. The accused then killed two other people and injured three before taking his own life. The assailant has been identified as a bodybuilder named Nermin Sulejmanović, who is linked to a violent drug cartel.

According to the Tuzla City police, the attack transpired in the northern Bosnian town of Gradacac, where the attacker injured three persons before committing suicide “after he was located and before being apprehended.”

According to prosecutors, after killing her, the man went into Gradacac’s streets with a revolver and shot and murdered a man and his son, identified as Džengiz Onder and Džengiz Denis. He also injured a police officer, another male, and a woman in different parts of town.

The police said that Sulejmanović killed three people—the woman in the video and two other men, reported to be a father and son named Dengiz Onder and Dengiz Denis. He also injured three people, including a police officer, before being cornered by police and Bosnian special forces personnel. Sulejmanovi committed suicide after a brief skirmish with police.  

“I have no words to describe what happened today in Gradacac,” said Bosnian Federation Prime Minister Nermin Niksic. “In the end, the murderer took his own life, but no one can bring the victims’ lives back.”

Sulejmanovi, a bodybuilder and fitness coach associated with a notorious Bosnian drug cartel based in Tuzla, was identified in local media as often the target of police probes, with multiple arrests and convictions for violence and drug dealing prior to the killings on Friday.

On Friday morning, the man posted a video to Instagram, promising viewers that they will witness a murder live. The video then shows him drawing a rifle and shooting a bullet into a woman’s forehead while a child’s wail can be heard somewhere close. The video was eventually taken down from Instagram.

Sulejmanovic removes the gun from the table and declares, “Hey guys, you’re going to see something you’ve never seen before — a live murder.” It’s a massacre. Look, when you’re dealing with a w**** who calls the cops on you.”

According to Bosnian media reports, the accused asked his ex-wife why she reported him to the police, and she said that she was scared for herself and the child.

People who left encouraging words while clicking on the man’s Instagram posts on Friday would be questioned and could face legal consequences, according to police.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Macdonald, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Bosnia expressed dismay over the horrific incident.

“The United Nations is horrified by the fact that the murder of a female victim was live-streamed via a social network,” Macdonald said. “This is the latest in a string of femicide and severe cases of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Bosnian media reported that Sulejmanović had been arrested multiple times for large-scale drug trafficking as well as multiple arrests for assault or use of a weapon and had served at least two years in prison.

Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader Sana Khan murdered by her husband, body discarded in river

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Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader Sana Khan murdered by her husband, body discarded in river

On Saturday, Jabalpur law enforcement disclosed that Sana Khan, the leader of BJP’s Minority Wing in Maharashtra, who had been unaccounted for over the last week, was killed by her spouse. Following a collaborative effort with Nagpur Police, they successfully apprehended the suspect, Amit (also known as Pappu Sahu), from the Gorabazar vicinity in Jabalpur.

The suspected individual, known as Amit (also called Pappu Sahu), aged 37, was captured in a collaborative effort between Jabalpur police and Nagpur Police on Friday. He was apprehended from the Gorabazar region in Jabalpur.

The distressing turn of events follows Sana’s earlier disappearance, during which her family launched a search operation. Pappu, the accused, has reportedly admitted to the crime, disclosing that he killed Sana and discarded her body in the Hiran River.

Accompanied by the authorities, the accused was brought to the crime scene by the police. Nevertheless, the motive behind the BJP leader’s murder remains unclear. As of now, Sana’s body has yet to be located, prompting an ongoing and intensive investigation by the police. Hailing from the Mankapur region in Nagpur, Sana Khan had tied the knot with Pappu alias Amit, a Dhaba operator residing in Bilhari, just six months ago.

Sana Khan left for Jabalpur on 1st August 2023. She had informed her mother before leaving. On 2nd August 2023, Sana called up her relative Imran and informed him about her arrival in Jabalpur. On the same evening, Sana spoke to Imran on the phone and told him about being assaulted by her husband. At the same time, Imran had given information about this matter to his mother.

CSP Tushar Singh said, “Sana married dhaba operator Amit alias Pappu Sahu six months ago. She had left Nagpur for Jabalpur on August 1 after informing her mother. On August 2, she informed her relative Imran over the phone about her reaching Jabalpur and after some time Pappu Sahu assaulted her. Sana went missing after this phone call. Her mobile phone was also switched off.”

He added, “Sana’s family had complained about the incident to Nagpur police, after which a police team from Nagpur reached Jabalpur for investigation but Sana could not be traced. Her family members accused Pappu Sahu of killing Sana. Both Sana and Pappu, 35, are already married. Sana has a child, leaving whom she came to Jabalpur to live with Pappu.”

Upon learning of Pappu’s growing proximity to Sana, conflicts arose between Pappu and his wife, ultimately leading to their separation. Sana’s family indicate that she had adorned herself with valuable gold jewellery worth lakhs of rupees prior to her departure from Nagpur to Jabalpur. CSP Singh conveyed that diligent attempts to retrieve Sana’s remains are underway through interrogating Pappu.

Goons are given contracts to capture polling booths in West Bengal: PM Modi launches a scathing attack on TMC in Howrah

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Goons are given contracts to capture polling booths in West Bengal: PM Modi launches a scathing attack on TMC in Howrah

On the 12th of August, PM Modi participated in the party’s Panchayati Raj Parishad in Howrah through video conference. During his address, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee for creating an atmosphere of terror among the opposition candidates and voters.

He targeted the TMC government for unabated violence in the recently conducted Panchayat elections in the state. PM Modi blamed Mamata Banerjee’s TMC of threatening BJP candidates and capturing polling booths and ballot boxes during the panchayat elections.

PM Modi asserted that the entire nation witnessed how TMC played blood-soaked politics during the panchayat elections. Addressing the party workers, PM Modi explained TMC’s modus operandi and conduct during elections. He claimed that TMC doesn’t give ample time for candidates to file nominations. Then they do everything possible to stop BJP candidates from filing their nomination papers. Even if, a BJP candidate somehow manages to file nomination papers, TMC goons threaten them and they don’t let others do the campaigning. 

PM Modi added that TMC creates trouble for relatives of BJP members and candidates, and ostracises them. Accusing TMC of casting en-mass fake voters, PM Modi stated that the TMC’s army of tolabaaz (henchmen) becomes an army of thappabaz (stampers who cast en-mass fake votes). PM Modi alleged that in TMC’s regime, all the goons are given contracts as to who will capture how many polling booths.

PM Modi said, “They do anything required to ensure that no BJP candidate can file nomination. They not only threaten the BJP workers but also the voters. Goons are given contracts to capture booths. This is their way of doing politics in the state.”

PM Modi added that TMC has been using violence as a means to threaten the opposition. PM lauded party leaders for working to bring the lost glory of Bengal and congratulated all those who won the recent panchayat polls in Bengal despite threats and large-scale violence. 

PM Modi slammed opposition on the Manipur issue

During his address, PM Modi also slammed the Opposition for doing politics over the Manipur violence. He asserted that the BJP-led NDA government gave a befitting reply, in the no-confidence motion, to those spreading negativity in the entire nation. He claimed that the opposition was scared of voting during the no-confidence motion and hence stormed out of the Parliament.

He said, “We defeated the opposition’s no-confidence motion in Parliament and gave a befitting reply to those spreading negativity in the entire nation. The members of the opposition left Parliament mid-way. The truth is that they were scared of voting on the no-confidence motion.” 

UP: Mantasha Kazmi films hostel inmates and sends them to her senior Md Amir who uses it for blackmailing, police say no evidence found

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UP: Mantasha Kazmi films hostel inmates and sends them to her senior Md Amir who uses it for blackmailing, police say no evidence found

On August 11, a case similar to the Udupi bathroom video case came to the fore from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, wherein Mantasha Kazmi, a first-year student of the Government Homeopathic Medical College situated in the Rauza area of the district, has been accused of secretly taking objectionable photos and videos of her hostel inmates and sending them to her senior student Mohammad Amir. Mohammad Amir in turn used the intimate photos and videos of the girls to blackmail them.

The Ghazipur police took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform about the case. They said that prima facie no evidence has been found related to the matter. Under the direction of the Additional Superintendent of Police, a complete investigation is being conducted and following the investigation, the appropriate legal action will be taken.

College found the allegations to be true

According to reports, the victims are first-year students of the college, living in private hostels. When accused Mantasha Kazmi and Mohammad Amir started blackmailing them with their private pictures, the victims approached the college administration to complain about the same. The college authorities, in turn, launched a probe and found the allegations to be true.

Speaking about the incident, the Principal in charge of the state BHMS college Dr BN Sahni was first quoted by the media as saying that owing to the seriousness of the matter the college conducted an internal probe and found the accusations levelled at Mantasha Kazmi and Mohammad Amir to be true.

Reports suggest that the police were called to the campus and the accused were made to delete the objectionable pictures and videos from their respective mobile phones in front of the police. Taking note of the serious nature of the matter, the accused were suspended from the college for 6 months.

Hindi daily Jagran, however, quoted the principal as saying that the girls had initially complained against the accused, saying that they were blackmailing them with their private pictures and photos but later they withdrew the complaint calling it a misunderstanding.

The victims had reportedly written a letter to the college authorities on August 7, 2023, informing them about what transpired with them. In the letter, the victims said that Mantasha Kazmi, who was sharing a hostel room with a few of the victims, used to secretly film them and share the videos and pictures with their senior Mohammad Amir. The duo then used those videos and pictures to blackmail the victims.

The matter came to light when one day, the accused disclosed this to their class friends. The information spread like wildfire and within a short time, the entire college was talking about it. The victims also came to know about it. All the girl students in the college were infuriated by what transpired. Worried about their safety, they approached the college administration.

At first, the college authorities tried to settle the matter by persuasion, but the aggrieved girl students were not satisfied and dozens of them reached the Rajdepur police station in Kotwali city to lodge a formal complaint.

After this, Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh summoned the college’s in-charge principal, Dr BN Sahni, and set up a team under the direction of ASP City to look into the issue.

Udupi bathroom video case

On 21st July, a Karnataka-based organisation, All College Student Power (ACSP), wrote the Superintendent of Police, district Udupi, about this crime at Netra Jyoti College where three female students of the Muslim community secretly made a video of Hindu female students and shared the mobile phone. As per the letter sent by ACSP, students at Netra Jyoti College learned about it on the 20th of July and protested against it.

The college took up the matter, and three students responsible for recording the videos were suspended effective immediately, pending internal investigation. Though the victim(s) did not wish to file an official complaint in the matter, the college went ahead and informed the police keeping in mind the sensitivity of the matter.

After social media outrage, the police filed an FIR against the 3 Muslim women who were indulging in the criminal activity and the college administration for not only destroying evidence but also for not providing information and documents during the course of the investigation.

Gujarat: 3 Muslim youths consume phenyl alleging harassment for questioning ‘Muslims must not sing national anthem, salute national flag’ sermon of a cleric

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Gujarat: 3 Muslim youths consume phenyl alleging harassment for questioning ‘Muslims must not sing national anthem, salute national flag’ sermon of a cleric

Three Muslim individuals in Porbandar reportedly attempted suicide by consuming phenyl after a cleric threatened to “ostracise” them from Islam. The youths recorded a video on Instagram in which they charged that seven to eight of their co-religionists harassed, slandered and tried to throw them out of the community for questioning a dictate by the cleric saying that Muslims must not salute the national flag and sing the national anthem.

A police official said that the three youths Shakeel Yunus Qadri (25), Imtiyaz Harun Sipahi (31) and Sohil Ibrahim Parmar (26), who live near Porbandar’s Lakdi port and work as labourers, drank phenyl to end their lives, and announced their intention to end their lives on an Instagram video. However, when their family members spotted their Instagram video, they rushed to the place and admitted them to a hospital.

The youths posted the video on Instagram on 10th August, saying that a false case was registered against them for opposing the fatwa. The incident was triggered by a cleric named Maulana Hafiz Vasif Raza of Porbandar’s Nagina Masjid, who had recently said that Muslims should not sing the National Anthem and that Muslims can hoist the Indian flag but must not salute it.

Two audio clips of the cleric went viral on social media, in one he had said Muslims should not sing the national anthem, and in the other Muslims should not salute the Tiranga. After this, six Muslim youths approached him and asked about the same. According to them, the cleric acknowledged that the recording was authentic and that he had, in fact, issued the statement.

Furthermore, he stood by his sermon and reaffirmed it when the youths countered that Prophet Muhammed had preached the message that Muslims should be loyal to their country and that such an assertion was invalid. Infuriated by the arguments of the youths, the cleric threatened to throw them out of Islam. He and his aides then pushed the youths using sticks, and they also slapped one of the youths. When some supporters of the clerics pulled out swords, the youths fled from the scene.

But after the argument, a complaint was filed against the six Muslim youths by the trustees of Nagina Masjid Porbandar and Darul Ulum Gaushe Azam Trust, accusing them of verbal abuse, physical assault, issuing death threats, and hurting religious sentiments over the audio clip. It was alleged in the complaint that the youths berated the cleric and his followers and thrashed one Sajid Ami Gigani. It was also alleged that the youths issued death threats and hurt religious sentiments, and an audio message with warnings was sent.

However, the youths denied the charges terming them false, after which three of them tried to end their lives by consuming phenyl. In the Instagram video, Shakeel Yunus Qadri, Imtiyaz Harun Sipahi and Sohil Ibrahim Parmar alleged that members of the Muslim community intimidated, maligned and attempted to drive them out of the community after which they ingested phenyl.

In the meanwhile, Darul Ulum Gaoshe Azam Trust’s Trustee, Yusuf Muhammad Punjani, denied the authenticity of the circulating clip and claimed that Maulana Raza have not delivered such a speech. He also alleged that the youths had previous criminal records. Yusuf Muhammad Punjani together with other leaders held a news conference in which they alleged that the cleric had not delivered the speech heard in the clip that was being circulated.

The audio file would be sent for forensic examination before moving forward in this case, said Bhagirathsinh Jadeja, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Porbandar district.

The three youths are being treated at the hospital. It is notable that earlier also they had complained to the home minister and the police that Mauliv Wasif Raza was opposing the National Anthem and the National Flag in Porbandar, teaching that Muslims should not sing the National Anthem and should not salute the National Flag. They allege that the cleric wants to disturb the communal peace in Porbandar. 

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