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Derek O’Brien allowed to attend RS after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar changes his decision, had earlier announced his suspension over ‘unruly behaviour’

OpIndia Staff
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Derek O’Brien allowed to attend RS after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar changes his decision, had earlier announced his suspension over ‘unruly behaviour’

On Thursday, a high-octane drama unfolded in the Rajya Sabha over TMC MP Derek O’Brien’s suspension from the Parliament. The RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar first announced that the TMC leader has to withdraw from the House “for unruly behaviour unbecoming of a Member of Rajya Sabha.” Later, however, he said the motion to suspend him was not put to vote and hence, he could continue to attend the proceedings.

According to reports, O’Brien was permitted to attend the Upper House only after Dhankhar said he had made a “far-sighted” decision to forbid voting on the motion to suspend the TMC MP.

The Chairman was persuaded to be forgiving of O’Brien by a number of members, including Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, but Dhankar questioned the reason for the forbearance.

If O’Brien would have been suspended from the House for this session, do you think he would have been allowed to enter the House again? Can he come back again?” the chairman said, adding that for him action against any member is a matter of pain.

“I have ended my own pain, no one has done that. If the motion was passed fully, O’Brien could not have entered the House again,” Dhankar added.

Jagdeep Dhankhar, the chairman, stated that he made a deliberate decision to not take the House’s position on the motion to suspend O’Brien. The TMC MP would not have been able to return to the Rajya Sabha the same day, he asserted, if he had finished the suspension process.

“This is too serious a matter for me to be overruled. After deep, immediate deliberation, I did not take the sense of the House earlier. If I had really fructified the process, Derek O’Brien would have been out of the House. In my wisdom, I thought I must not take it to that conclusion at that point of time,” Mr Dhankhar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

“I am yet to conclude on Mr Derek O’Brien,” he said. 

Notably, the TMC MP’s suspension came after a motion was moved by Union Minister Piyush Goyal against O’Brien “for continuously disrupting the proceedings of the House, disobeying the Chair and continuously and wilfully creating a disturbance in the House.”

During the proceedings earlier in the day, the TMC MP lost his cool even as he stood up to raise the point of order. O’Brien demanded a discussion on Manipur and pointed fingers at the Speaker during his aggressive address. Following this, Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar lambasted the TMC leader and asked O’Brien to take his seat but to no avail. The Speaker then rose from his chair and asked Derek O’Brien to leave the House.

Amid a din, a motion was moved by Minister Piyush Goyal followed by O’Brien’s suspension for the remainder of the Monsoon session, which ends on August 11.

‘She is a minor, I am worried: Father of Dehraduni singer files complaint against Prashant Bhushan after he spread fake news amid Manipur unrest, talks to OpIndia

Siddhi Somani
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‘She is a minor, I am worried: Father of Dehraduni singer files complaint against Prashant Bhushan after he spread fake news amid Manipur unrest, talks to OpIndia

Hours after leftist activist and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan shared a misleading tweet about a Dehraduni singer named Shekinah Mukhiya calling her a resident of Manipur, the father of the celebrity singer filed a complaint to DGP Uttarakhand stating that the tweet by Bhushan was false and that it was misleading.

“He should have researched a little bit before making false claims about my daughter who is a minor. This is not at all okay. As a father now I am worried and concerned given the controversy around Manipur and my daughter’s name attached to it,” said Vikas Mukhiya slamming Prashant Bhushan on August 8.

False tweet posted by Prashant Bhushan

The saga began on August 6 after Prashant Bhushan and other Congressi heads shared a video of a father-daughter duo singing an old Bollywood melody claiming that the two were from Manipur. The heads further claimed that the two were from two different communities, one from Kuki and the other from Meiti who are at the core of the ongoing unrest in Manipur.

The leftist advocate soon got exposed after the celebrity singer wrote a note on Facebook confirming that she was singing with her father in the video that has now gone viral and that they were not from Manipur. “We can confirm that the individuals in the video are Shekinah Mukhiya and her father, Vikash Mukhiya. It is important to note that we are not from Manipur and have no association with the Kuki or Meitei communities,” she said.

She also pressed that the claims made in relation to the video were unquestionably ‘false’ and that the viral tweet contains misinformation or disinformation that is circulating on social media.

Screenshot from the singer’s post

Prashant Bhushan should have researched a bit before making false claims: Father of the singer talk to OpIndia

Vikas Mukhiya talked exclusively to OpIndia on the issue and questioned the intention of Bhushan, who he said was the first one to share the tweet with false claims. Though he believes that Bhushan’s intention might be good behind this, he said that Prashant Bhushan is a lawyer himself and has so many followers and that he should have verified the video and details about us before making any false claims on social media.

“My daughter is a minor and she is still rising in her career. Claims like these made by prominent figures cannot at all be accepted. I don’t know why he did that or what his intention behind the same was. But I am worried for my daughter now given her minor age and her name being dragged amid the Manipur unrest,” Mukhiya said who stays in Dehradun, Uttarakhand with his family.

He also added that he was scared now that his daughter’s name was dragged into a controversy revolving around the Manipur issue which is a sensitive issue. “Had it been me the situation would have been different. But it’s my daughter who is just 17 years old at present. I can’t just deny that I am scared at this very moment. I just hope this accidental reach of ours in the public through the viral video makes no harm to anybody, especially to the Manipur issue,” Mukhiya added.

Identity of a minor wrongly used

The father of the 17-year-old singer further said that he didn’t even know who Prashant Bhushan was before the incident. “I googled to check who this person is and then saw he has a credible number of followers. Why did he do that is still a question. This is not expected from a senior professional like him,” Vikas Mukhiya reiterated.

He also said that the identity of his minor daughter was wrongly used. “My daughter has a long way to go in her career. And this video with false claims has gone viral now. Why has my daughter been shown as Manipuri? Why is her identity used in this way?” Mukhiya questioned.

The complaint letter that Vikas Mukhiya happened to submit to DGP Ashok Kumar, Dehradun, Uttarakhand read, “We believe, research should have taken place before using our name for such a sensitive topic as my daughter Shekinah Mukhiya is a minor and we perform and travel all over the country. We are concerned about our safety.”

Complaint filed by father of the girl (copy obtained by OpIndia)

Who is Shekinah Mukhiya?

As reported earlier, Shekinah Mukhiya is a professional singer from Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The girl and her musical skills got attention after she appeared in a popular TV reality show named ‘The Voice India Kids’ 5 years ago. Her enchanting voice got appreciated on the stage which probably helped her become a professional singer today.

Mukhiya also has a YouTube channel that has more than 126k subscribers. As per her YouTube history, the video that is going viral on social media with false claims was posted by her on May 25 this year. The caption of the video confirmed that she was singing with her father, Vikas Mukhiya in the video.

Meanwhile, the tweet with false claims was published first by Prashant Bhushan and it continues to appear on his Twitter wall even after being declared false and misleading by the singer herself.

Nuh Violence: Fresh complaints state devotees were injured, looted and held hostage at Nalhar Temple by Islamist mob, complainants demand action

OpIndia Staff
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Nuh Violence: Fresh complaints state devotees were injured, looted and held hostage at Nalhar Temple by Islamist mob, complainants demand action

On 31st July, an Islamist mob in Nuh of Mewat, Haryana, attacked thousands of Hindu devotees attending the Jalabhishek Yatra on Shravan Somvar. OpIndia is covering the attack extensively since the incident. Our team has accessed fresh complaints in the matter filed by devotees who came to Nuh from different parts of the state. In these complaints, the Hindu devotees explained how they were attacked by the Islamist mob during the Yatra. Notably, the rioters not only injured the devotees but also looted them.

In a complaint by Pradeep Kumar of village Legha Hetwan, it was mentioned that a Muslim mob of rioters attacked them with swords and batons. He said that on 31st July, he was part of the Brijmandal Religious Yatra organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Nuh with other devotees. Around noon, they reached Nalhar Mahadev Mandir on a bus. After doing Jalabhishek and eating Prasad, they went to Firozpur Zirka.

Source: Haryana Police

Around 1:30 PM, after walking for around 2 KM, rioters started pelting stones at them from buildings. Then they saw a mob of Islamists charging towards them while raising slogans of Allah-Hu-Akbar. The rioters attacked them with swords and with the aim to kill. Rajkumar and others got injured in the attack. He said the rioters snatched his 35-gram gold chain, mobile phone and Rs 60,000 cash.

The devotees rushed back to the temple to save themselves. Pradeep pointed out that at the temple, the rioters opened fire at them from the mountains in which two Karyakartas got injured. He said that they were held hostage at the temple.

Rajkumar from Bhiwani, another devotee, said the rioters snatched Rs 10,000, a mobile charger and earphones from him. The rioters threatened the devotees not to return to Nuh or else they will be killed.

Source: Haryana Police

Complainant Jagroop Singh of village Legha Hetwan, Bhiwani, said rioters snatched 25-gram gold chain and Rs 40,700 from him. He was also threatened not to return to Nuh.

Source: Haryana Police

In another complaint accessed by OpIndia, Shishan Kumar of village Legha Hetwan said the rioters snatched a gold ring, a 10-gram chain and Rs 25,000 from him.

Source: Haryana Police

Nuh Shobhayatra attack

On 31st July, a mob of hundreds of Islamist rioters attacked Hindu devotees participating in the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, Mewat of Haryana. At least six people were killed as a result of the riots. During the investigation into the riots, OpIndia accessed over 25 FIRs and complaints that provided a clearer picture of what happened during the violence. Based on information available via FIRs, complaints and witnesses, it appeared that the attack was pre-planned. OpIndia came across several videos that were posted before the Jalabhishek Yatra instigating Muslims against Hindus.

Muslims have claimed the riots happened because of Bajrang Dal activist and Gau Rakshak Monu Manesar. Old videos of Manesar were circulated to instigate Muslims saying he was coming to Nuh that day. The video that was circulated the most was from October 2022. Detailed reports can be checked here.

Furthermore, a cyber crime police station was attacked in Nuh. Police officials were injured. Home guards were killed. One of the Bajrang Dal activists Abhishek was first shot by the rioters, then his throat was slit and his head was crushed leading to his death.

OpIndia’s exhaustive coverage of the Mewat Shobha Yatra Attack can be checked here.

Prabir Purkayastha and NewsClick team were introduced to Chinese handlers by Neville Roy Singham for defending China’s handling of COVID-19: Details

Jinit Jain
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Prabir Purkayastha and NewsClick team were introduced to Chinese handlers by Neville Roy Singham for defending China’s handling of COVID-19: Details

The recent emergence of purported email correspondence between NewsClick Editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and ThoughtWorks founder Neville Roy Singham reveals that the two were in discussions to show China in a positive light as regards its handling of the coronavirus crisis vis-a-vis India and the United States.

The email exchanges dated March 30, 2020, on China’s handling of COVID-19 between Prabir and Singham were shared by Zee News journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, days after New York Times investigation said that Singham was using its network of nonprofits and media organisations spread across the world to propagate Chinese propaganda.

In the email exchanges shared by Sudhir Chaudhary, Roy is seen introducing the NewsClick team to the Chinese handlers based out of China to provide information that would help them in showing China in a positive light in handling the coronavirus outbreak.

Among Indians introduced by Neville Roy Singham to his larger team, who worked with Tricontinental, one of the nonprofits that the New York Times said was involved in pushing Chinese talking points, were Prabir Purkayastha, Srujana, Prasanth, and Vijay Prashad.

Apparently, Vijay Prashad is the same man who is one of the contributors at People’s Dispatch and the Executive Director at Neville Roy Singham’s Tricontinental. Prashad also has close ties with Urban Naxal P Sainath, whose propaganda portal PARI recently removed references to Singham after his connection with the Chinese propaganda arm had come to the arm. Prashad is nephew of CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, wife of Prakash Karat.

In his email, Singham clearly highlights how he intends to leverage his network to push a positive image of China in dealing with COVID-19.

“We are working together on a three-part series of articles on China and the handling of the coronavirus They will be originally syndicated by Globetrotter. Then all three will be assembled into a TriContinental publication. The first is almost done (final editing by Globetrotter),” Singham wrote in an email addressed to his team based out of China, the United States and the NewsClick team in India.

Like a loyal footsoldier, the Editor-in-chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, seeks more information, including the number of tests conducted and the number of people who turned positive, to help Singham and Tricontinental in their attempt to propagate narrative that favoured China and to draw a contrast with countries like the United States and India, which he claimed were unable to ramp up kit production and equipment procurement despite having a larger lead time.

NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha discussed how to report the India-China dispute with Neville Roy Singham, purported email exchanges reveal

Earlier, it was reported that Purkayastha was also in touch with Neville Roy Singham to discuss how to report the India-China border dispute.

Reportedly, on the 6th of January, 2021 at 5:09 PM, Singham sent an email to many individuals in which Newsclick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha was one among those many receivers.

One of the purported emails read, “I think we missed the dotted line between India and China to the (left of Bhutan)”, while seemingly discussing issues about the India-China border dispute. It adds, “Clearly China and India will have to have two maps inside their countries.”

Along with an attached controversial map that peddles the Chinese agenda, the email goes on to say, “Here is a map from Diplomat where China claims Arunachal Pradesh.”

The purported email exchanges were seemingly a part of Chinese dictation to leftist media portals in the likes of Newsclick to parrot the Chinese line, irrespective of the fact that it violates and impinges on national interest or goes against our stated sovereign boundaries. 

The allegation against Newsclick of peddling a Chinese narrative at the behest of US millionaire Neville Roy Singham stems from the fact that there is a transactional history between Newsclick and several organisations linked with Singham. It is alleged that Newsclick clandestinely received huge tranches of money from Singham who is doing the bidding for CCP throughout the world in lieu of money from the Xi Jinping regime.

Enforcement Directorate says NewsClick received funds from US-based companies worth crores

The investigation conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) unveiled that an overseas fund amounting to Rs. 38.05 crores was deceitfully injected into NewsClick over a span of three years.

The received funds purportedly found their way to numerous contentious journalists, among them Gautam Navlakha and individuals associated with Teesta Setalvad.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a thorough search at the premises of PPK Newsclick Studio, its affiliated entities, as well as the directors and shareholders (consisting of ten entities) situated in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).

Throughout the course of the search, foreign currency, documents indicating wrongdoing, and digital proof were confiscated.

Upon meticulous examination of the gathered evidence, it was uncovered that there were dubious transactions involving foreign inward remittances. Specifically, Rs. 9.59 crore was introduced through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and an additional Rs. 28.46 crore was purportedly generated through the export of services.

The ED Investigation brought to light that Prabir Purkayastha, the Director of Newsclick, had been acquainted with Neville Roy Singham of Worldwide Media Holdings LLC (Limited Liability Company) since 2017.

During the questioning, Prabir allegedly stated that he had no knowledge about Navielle’s company.

Based on the digital evidence seized, it was revealed that Prabir, in collaboration with Neville Roy Singham, who is reportedly linked to the Communist Party of China (CPC), had orchestrated a complex scheme.

To elaborate, the allegations suggest that Prabir Purkayastha and his associates, in an effort to secure a fund of Rs. 9.59 crores from a Chinese entity with significant emphasis, established a legal façade of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Furthermore, it is claimed that Neville Roy Singham had earlier transferred funds to Prabir under the pretext of consultancy fees, ostensibly to propagate a “leftist ideology”.

Both Prabir Purkayastha and the personnel at Newsclick Studio have been unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the receipt of Rs. 28.46 crore from foreign sources.

Nuh Violence: FIR reveals Hindu businessman’s shop looted, burnt to ashes by Muslim mob, complainant demands action

OpIndia Staff
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Nuh Violence: FIR reveals Hindu businessman’s shop looted, burnt to ashes by Muslim mob, complainant demands action

On 31st July, a Muslim mob in Nuh of Mewat, Haryana, attacked thousands of Hindu devotees attending the Jalabhishek Yatra on Shravan Somvar. OpIndia accessed several FIRs registered in the case. One of the FIRs based on the complaint of Omkesh Kumar of village Maalab was registered under Sections 148, 149, 395 and 436 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Details of the FIR

In his complaint, Kumar said he runs a cloth shop that took on rent. The shop is located in Jumma Bazaar, opposite Shamshan Ghat Mandir on Old Delhi-Alway Road. When the incident took place, there was around Rs 9 lakh to 10 lakh worth of cloth in the shop.

Source: Haryana Police

In his complaint, Kumar said that on 31st July, at around 3 PM, miscreants who belong to the Muslim community broke the lock of his shop and looted it. After looting the shop, they set it on fire. Everything in the shop was turned to ashes. There were cameras on both sides of his shop. Kumar requested the police to identify the rioters using the CCTV footage and take strict action against them.

Nuh Shobhayatra attack

On 31st August, a mob of hundreds of Muslim rioters attacked Hindu devotees participating in the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, Mewat of Haryana. At least six people were killed as a result of the riots.
During the investigation into the riots, OpIndia accessed over 25 FIRs and complaints that provided a clearer picture of what happened during the violence. Based on information available via FIRs, complaints and witnesses, it appeared that the attack was pre-planned. OpIndia came across several videos that were posted two days prior to the Jalabhishek Yatra instigating Muslims against Hindus.

Muslims have claimed the riots happened because of Bajrang Dal activist and Gau Rakshak Monu Manesar. Old videos of Manesar were circulated to instigate Muslims saying he was going to Nuh on that day. The video that was mostly circulated was from October 2022. Detailed reports can be checked here.

Furthermore, a cyber crime police station was attacked in Nuh. Police officials were injured. Home guards were killed. One of the Bajrang Dal activists Abhishek was first shot by the rioters, then his throat was slit and his head was crushed leading to his death.

OpIndia’s complete coverage of the Mewat Shobha Yatra Attack can be checked here.

Punjab: 13 including Rohingya refugees arrested for cattle smuggling, prime accused Imran Qureshi absconding, wore tilak and saffron gamchas to hide identities

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: 13 including Rohingya refugees arrested for cattle smuggling, prime accused Imran Qureshi absconding, wore tilak and saffron gamchas to hide identities

On Sunday, August 6, the Jalandhar (Rural) police raided the premises of a factory in Dhogri and arrested 13 persons involved in illegal cattle smuggling and trade. Twenty-five quintals of beef were also recovered from the factory during the raid.

Imran Qureshi, the prime accused in the case is still at large. According to reports, out of the 13 arrested accused, 12 are purportedly illegal Rohingya refugees who came here from West Bengal and one accused is from Bihar.

SP Mukhwinder Bhullar said, “Thirteen people were arrested from the factory and as per their IDs, they are residents of West Bengal.”

Reportedly, when the accused travelled in their vehicles to transport the cow meat, they wore Tilaks on their foreheads and draped saffron-coloured Gamchhas (scarves) around their necks so that in case they were caught they would come across as Hindus.

Reports further suggest that when the raid was carried out by the police, the watchman of the factory ran away from the spot by closing the gate. When the gate did not open for a long time, the police entered the factory by jumping over the wall. Thirteen people were caught on the spot while some people fled as soon as they got the information about the raid.

The accused were apprehended following a complaint by Satish Kumar, president, All-India Gau Dal. The complainant had alleged that packaging and smuggling of beef was taking place on the factory premises.

Based on the complaint, the police registered an FIR against 16 persons including factory owner Imran Qureshi, Parvesh Qureshi, Azam Qureshi, Muzaffar Islam and 12 others at the Adampur police station in Jalandhar. The accused have been booked under Sections 295-A, 153-A and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 5 and 8 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.

Imran Qureshi and his aides hid their identity by sporting Tilaks and carrying saffron scarfs

In his complaint to the police, Satish Kumar alleged that the factory called Neha Toka, which had been closed earlier, had been rented to Imran Qureshi, a resident of Meerut a few months ago.

Kumar alleged that cows were being brought from other parts of the country to the factory and slaughtered elsewhere. Here, the cow meat was packed and stored in big freezers.

After packing, Imran and his aides loaded the beef in trucks and covered it with vegetables. They then supplied it to various places in and around Punjab, including Delhi. The meat was also exported to Gulf countries. According to reports, the accused have so far exported 200 quintals of cow meat to various Gulf countries.

The accused, reportedly sported Tilaks and carried saffron-coloured Gamchhas (scarfs) around their necks when they travelled in their vehicles to consummate the crime, in order to hide their real identity.

The police investigating the case said that Imran Qureshi had rented the factory which has been shut for a long time and hired illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from West Bengal to carry out the task.

According to the authorities, Imran Qureshi’s father Bablu Qureshi was a cattle smuggler who operated illegally in Bihar. In fact, on August 7, 2022, the Bihar police filed an FIR against was filed against him and his two sons, Imran and Azam Qureshi, for cow slaughter and illicit trade of cattle in Bihar. Before their crime was exposed, the father and sons had been operating their illicit business out of a factory they had rented in Gaya, Bihar, for two years. When their factory in Bihar was shut down, they came to Punjab and started their illegal business here.

Meanwhile, after the news of the illegal cow smuggling factory in the Dhogri district in Jalandhar, Punjab surfaced, several enraged members of Hindu organizations led by Gau Sewa Mission Adhyaksh (president) Swami Krishnanand blocked the Pathankot highway demanding strict action against the perpetrators. They protested against the Punjab government for doing nothing to stop the rising cases of indiscriminate cow slaughter in the area. 

DSP of Adampur reached the spot after getting information about the protest. He spoke to the Hindus and assured them of prompt and strict action against the culprits only after which the protestors dispersed.

A number of BJP leaders also criticised the AAP-led Punjab government, saying it is a matter of great shame that the administration was not even aware that cows were being slaughtered in the Toka factory and that cow meat was being illegally transported to various states in India and exported to Gulf nations.

Should I tell everyone what PM Modi said inside your Office: Gaurav Gogoi insinuates ‘secret talks’ between PM Modi and Om Birla, Amit Shah challenges Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Should I tell everyone what PM Modi said inside your Office: Gaurav Gogoi insinuates ‘secret talks’ between PM Modi and Om Birla, Amit Shah challenges Congress

On Tuesday (August 8), Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi courted controversy after he claimed to be aware of ‘secret conversations’ between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

While addressing the Chair, he insinuated that Om Birla somehow leaked private conversations/ requests made by the Congress MPs to the rest of the Parliament. “You are the guardian of the Lok Sabha,” Gogoi said, threatening to reveal secret talks between PM Modi and Om Birla.

“Should I tell everyone what PM Modi has said inside your Office? But I do not want to do that,” he claimed. At that point, Union Home Minister Amit Shah objected to his remarks and challenged him to reveal the supposed ‘secret conversation’ between PM Modi and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

“Yes, tell us…These are serious allegations, Mr Speaker…” emphasised Amit Shah. Another BJP MP, Pralhad Joshi, pointed out that Gaurav Gogoi cannot make nonsensical remarks about the Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha Chair.

Gaurav Gogoi told Om Birla, “We try to keep our private conversations with you, private.” The Congress leader suggested that the Lok Sabha Speaker has somehow leaked their private chats to the BJP MPs.

Om Birla intervened into the matter and stated, “We should never make remarks, which are not rooted in facts and truth.” Gogoi made the contentious remarks after BJP leader Pralhad Joshi mocked Rahul Gandhi for opting to not open the no-confidence motion against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha.

“We got information that Rahul Gandhi will talk in place of Gaurav Gogoi. What happened Sir!? We were excited to hear him. Why is he not here??”, Joshi had said. Gaurav Gogoi was quick to assume that Om Birla passed on the information to him.

The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister pointed out that the matter was already in public domain and that it was not a privileged conversation. The Congress MP shrewdly avoided responding to the challenge of Amit Shah and went on to open the discussion on the non-confidence motion.

Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple priests send legal notice to makers of OMG-2, ask for deletion of scenes trivialising Lord Shiva in the movie

OpIndia Staff
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Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple priests send legal notice to makers of OMG-2, ask for deletion of scenes trivialising Lord Shiva in the movie

On Monday, August 7, the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple priests sent a legal notice to the filmmakers of the controversial movie ‘Oh My God-2’ starring Akshay Kumar. They have said that Lord Shiva has been wrongfully depicted and trivialised in the movie. According to them, in one scene Lord Shiva is seen purchasing Kachori from a shop and this hurt the sentiments of devotees of Lord Shiva.

The Mahakal Temple priests have served legal notices to film director Amit Rai, producers Vipul Shah and Chandraprakash Dwivedi, and actor Akshay Kumar. Additionally, they have also sent a legal notice to Censor Board Chairman Prasoon Kumar Joshi. 

According to the information, High Court lawyer Abhilash Vyas sent these legal notices on behalf of the All India Pujari Mahasangh on the 7th of August.

Through the legal notice, they have asked the filmmakers to remove the offending scenes from the movie and have also demanded a public apology. As per the legal notice, they have given an ultimatum of 24 hours after receiving the letter to remove derogatory scenes from their film OMG-2 and render a public apology. 

The All India Pujari Mahasangh has asserted that if the filmmakers fail to do so, they would start making appeals to cancel the certificate of the film. Additionally, in that eventuality, they would file a case for hurting religious sentiments and demand a ban on the film’s release in Ujjain. 

Pt Mahesh Sharma stated that the incorrect portrayal of Lord Shiva in this film (OMG 2) will hurt the sentiments of devotees of Lord Shiva.

Earlier, a priest from Ujjain’s Mahakal temple had highlighted that Akshay Kumar shot some portion of his film in the Mahakaleshwar temple and added that all OMG-2 scenes shot in this highly revered Hindu temple should be deleted.

Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, and Yami Gautam starrer ‘Oh My God-2 (OMG 2) is slated to get a theatrical release on the 11th of August. It is a sequel to the 2012 release Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar starrer film OMG.

After asking to make as many as 27 cuts or modifications, the Censor Board gave the film an ‘A’ certificate. One of the major changes the Censor Board has asked the filmmakers is the alteration of the character played by Akshay Kumar from Lord Shiva to a messenger and a devotee of the Hindu God.

Bug-infested room, open toilet, C-class facilities: Imran Khan’s lawyer shares the detail of former Pakistan PM’s jail cell

OpIndia Staff
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Bug-infested room, open toilet, C-class facilities: Imran Khan’s lawyer shares the detail of former Pakistan PM’s jail cell

After his conviction and detention in a corruption case, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been held in a small bug-infested cell with an open lavatory at the high-security Attock jail in Punjab province.

According to Khan’s attorney, Naeem Haider Panjotha, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman has been given ‘C-class’ treatment at the Punjab province jail. He claimed that the detention cell where the former captain of the country’s world champion cricket team is being detained is filled with flies and cockroaches.

Panjotha asserted after meeting Khan in prison on Monday that he is in a small room with an open toilet. “The PTI chairman says he is prepared to spend his entire life in jail,” the lawyer was quoted as saying. Panjotha added that Khan told him that while they were at his Lahore home, police did not present him with a warrant for arrest and attempted to smash the door of his wife’s room.

The lawyer met Khan for an hour and 45 minutes in the presence of a jail official to obtain his signatures on legal paper in preparation for filing appeals against Khan’s conviction. According to the lawyer, Khan informed him that he was being held in a dark room with an open toilet, which was frequented by flies during the day and ants at night.

“I have been kept in a dark room with no television or newspaper available. Nobody is allowed to meet me as if I am a terrorist,” Panjotha quoted Khan as saying. Khan was arrested from his Lahore residence, just after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana corruption case and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Despite a court ruling directing authorities to send him to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, he was transferred to Attock jail in Punjab province. Khan’s political career has been jeopardised as a result of the court verdict, reports state. The decision comes as Pakistan prepares for general elections later this year, with the current National Assembly slated to finish its term on August 12.

The politician-turned-cricketer is accused of illegally selling state gifts for a profit of USD 497,500. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he purchased the items legitimately from Toshakhana, a government-owned treasure house. Khan has been detained for the second time in three months.

Previously, on May 9, he was arrested in Islamabad from the high court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, provoking violent protests from his followers. Imran Khan is also charged with terrorism, violence, blasphemy, corruption, and murder in over 140 incidents across the country.

AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had authorised midnight raid in dept, stripped of Services and Vigilance portfolios after Delhi Services Bill passed in RS

OpIndia Staff
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AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had authorised midnight raid in dept, stripped of Services and Vigilance portfolios after Delhi Services Bill passed in RS

On the 8th of August, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a file to LG Vinai Kumar Saxena asking him to remove Saurabh Bharadwaj from the Services and Vigilance department. In this hurried Cabinet reshuffle, Delhi CM has transferred these portfolios to Atishi Marlena, who already had the most number of portfolios under her name. Along with Finance, Education, and PWD, Atishi is now responsible for a total 14 number of portfolios.

The move comes a day after the Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi Services Bill 2023 which off late had become a matter of prestige and a make-or-break kind of issue for the opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A.   

While responding to the Parliamentary debate on the Delhi Services Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah repeatedly raked up the issue that on the behest of then Services and Vigilance Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, crucial files linked with corruption cases against the Delhi government and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party were tampered with, stolen or transferred in a midnight ‘heist’. 

Stating the reasons why AAP is adamant to oppose the bill, Shah claimed that the Kejriwal government had a peculiar interest in the transfer postings in the vigilance department, not any other department. He added that the Kejriwal government transferred specific officers to the vigilance department as it had files related to the liquor scam that had surfaced in the Union Territory. 

Additionally, the vigilance department has also been probing various scams including the renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence, colloquially referred to as ‘SheeshMahal’ and the file related to the illegal gathering of information through intelligence apparatus like Feedback Unit (FBU) among other cases of irregularities. 

Home Minister pointed out that the concerned Minister Bhardwaj asked officers not to report to Special Secretary (Vigilance). 

Shah also highlighted that Services Secretary was transferred within a few hours after the Supreme Court had given an in-principle verdict in favour of the Government of Delhi, however, the apex court had asked the regular bench to further hear the case and announce the verdict. Interestingly, the AAP started exercising the rights of transfer posting even before the verdict could have come into force, and the vigilance department was the first casualty.

A bombshell letter, reinforcing the allegations of foul play with files at the Vigilance department

Earlier, in May, soon after the SC decision, Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar was divested of his duties by Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. Following the move, he wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch, and the L-G office. 

The letter stated that in the wee hours of the night, his office was broken into, and sensitive files related to the excise policy probe, renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, and those referred to central investigation agencies were photocopied. 

The letter added that Room no. 403, Special Secretary (Vigilance) at Delhi Sectt, was broken into on the intervening night of 15th and 16th May at 3:00 AM. 

In the letter, the officer also expressed apprehensions that his office might have been bugged. Rajashekhar stated that his letter was in continuation of his previous report which highlighted how the Minister (Vigilance), Saurabh Bharadwaj, had instructed Assistant Directors not to submit the files related to the corruption cases to the vigilance officer.

To read more about the content of the letter and details about the specific files in question, click here.  

The Vigilance officer pointed out that it is not the norm to transfer files to the Minister under any circumstances due to the ‘principle of arm’s length’, so the Minister maintains a distance from the investigation by the vigilance officer. However, this principle seems to have been clearly breached.

While no official reason has been given for stripping these portfolios from Saurabh Bhardwaj, the aforementioned reasons are seen in conjunction with his ouster.

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