A shocking incident that is eerily similar to The Kerala Story has surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh district of Meerut. Here, a Muslim man named Asif who is a tile mason by profession and a resident of Daurala, has been arrested for abducting a Hindu girl. She is a college student and reportedly met him through a Muslim friend of hers.
Hindu organisations have charged the accused with holding the victim in a madrassa as part of an attempt to convert her to Islam. However, she has now been recovered by the police and further legal action is underway while the matter is being investigated.
This case is associated with Meerut’s Daurala police station neighbourhood. The girl’s father reported the incident to the police on 26 July. He stated that his daughter had left the day before, on 24 July, to attend the Jain Degree College in Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, but she never showed up there.
Her whereabouts were unknown despite his intensive search efforts. The complainant mentioned that she used to receive calls from a boy on her phone. The complainant further charged that her Muslim friend was fully aware of the entire situation.
He feared something untoward might happen to his daughter and demanded action from the police. The latter opened an inquiry into the instance by filing a case under section 366 (Kidnapping, abducting, inducing a woman to compel her to marriage against her will, seduced to illicit intercourse, etc) of the Indian Penal Code. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint.
Hindu groups referred to the occurrence as love jihad when they learnt about the alarming incident. There was a ruckus at the police station during the recounting of the issue. The authorities learned that both the perpetrator and the girl were adults during the course of their probe.
The number provided by the father in the First Information Report was revealed to be that of the offender during the inquiry. He and the girl knew each other for the past year. The girl was planning on getting married somewhere else and therefore, he took her to Chandigarh on 25 July. She had left her phone at home and he purchased her a new one there. Notably, despite numerous conspiracies, the police managed to find him.
According to the available information, both were about to get married soon. Some locals from Khatauli had also been apprehended by the police for questioning. The girl will be presented in court for additional proceedings as revealed by Piyush Singh, Superintendent of Police, City of Meerut. The police will take further action in light of the testimonies submitted in court.
On Friday, July 27, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in the state of Karnataka launched a massive protest against the three women students of a private paramedical college in Udupi for filming fellow students inside a washroom using mobile phones. The BJP members and workers held placards and posters and raised slogans against the Congress government in the state as they protested on the streets of Udupi.
While the BJP Mahila Morcha and other members took the protests to the Udupi streets, the workers of BJP Yuva Morcha staged a protest outside Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara’s residence, demanding action against the accused Muslim women in the case.
On July 18, the three Muslim students recorded a video of their classmate in the Netra Jyoti College, Udupi when she was in the washroom. The incident came to light when the victim Hindu student, told her friends about the incident, who then informed the college management.
Reportedly, the Udupi district police filed FIR in the case on July 26 against the Muslim students who clandestinely recorded private video of Hindu students in the washroom and uploaded it on social media. The college management had earlier taken the cognizance of the event and had conducted an inquiry into the matter. The management had also concluded that the video had been deleted, closing the case.
However, due to public outrage, a suo moto case had been registered at the Malpe Police Station in the Udupi district. A case has been filed against three Muslim students named Alimatul Shaifa, Shabanaz, and Alia, who were responsible for creating the video, as well as against the management board of Netrajyoti College. They have been charged with evidence destruction. The police have registered multiple cases under sections 509, 204, 175, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
Earlier, the BJP had condemned the incident and had criticized the Congress party for showing the ‘soft-corner’ for the accused girls. “Three Muslim girls recorded a Hindu girl secretly when she was in the washroom. They then sent the video to several groups. A detailed probe must be ordered into the incident. The government is showing soft-corner on the three students. There is a big network behind this incident,” BJP state general secretary N Ravi Kumar had said.
Also BJP leader and Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna had demanded legal action against the accused girls. “It is not right to keep cameras in the washroom. This may be a blackmailing tactic. I will urge for suitable action against the three offenders. I will bring this to the notice of the chief minister and home minister… The motive of the Muslim girl students is causing suspicion. I doubt the work of Jihadi organizations behind this act,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Udupi SP Akshay Machhindra claimed that there was no hidden camera in the washroom and no videos were being shot. “There’s a lot of confusion as many people are sharing misinformation on social media. I am here to clarify that the video was not shared with anyone. Many have said that there was a hidden camera inside the restroom and videos were being shot. No such thing has come to our attention,” he was quoted as saying.
However, the other girls from the college stated that the Muslim women who were making videos of Hindu girls have been doing this for over a year months and have also shared the videos with Muslim boys.
“This incident was happening for the past 1 year. Post capturing in mobile the Muslim girls were exchanging the Mobile with their Muslim Male friends who were waiting in a car outside the college. The exchange of mobile was happening in the afternoon lunch hour. This was highlighted to the college management but they did not take any kind of action. It was on the 18th that the victim went to management and complained, but management did not take it seriously. We got to know on the 20th and immediately we sat on protest,” the girl was quoted as saying.
She also said that the College Administrator, Abdul Khader took cognizance of the event and punished the girls by giving them homework. As per the student, the administrator asked the Hindu girls to not take it seriously since the Muslim girls were filming them in the washroom as a “prank”.
The BJP earlier had also held a press meet in Bengaluru and had condemned the incident further demanding probe in the matter. The BJP Mahila Morcha had also then called for a statewide protest on July 27 demanding action against the three students.
There have been numerous instances in the recent past where Indian security forces have caught Pakistani drug mule drones. Pakistani authorities have long denied India’s allegations that drugs are being smuggled into the country via drones. However, a close aide to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted that drug dealers in Pakistan are using drones to smuggle drugs into India.
Malik Mohammed Ahmad Khan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Special Assistant on Defence, made the admission during an interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in Kasur. It is notable that Kasur borders the state of Punjab in India. Khan represents Kasur in Pakistan’s Provincial Assembly.
As seen in the video tweeted by Hamid Mir on July 17, Mir asked Khan a question regarding the cross-border smuggling of narcotics in Kasur, to which Khan assented.
“Yes, and this smuggling is very scary. Recently, two incidents unfolded in which 10 kg of heroin was tied to each drone and thrown across.” Agencies are working to put an end to this,” Khan said.
Prior to his interaction with MPA Khan, Hamid Mir was spotted conversing with Kasur residents who stated that they do not have access to mobile networks. Mir told Indian Express that people informed him about drone movements and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan to India, as well as liquor smuggling from India into Pakistan.
Big disclosure by PM’s advisor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. Smugglers using drones In the flood affected areas of Kasur near Pakistan-India border to transport Heroin. He demanded a special package for the rehabilitation of the flood victims otherwise victims will join smugglers. pic.twitter.com/HhWNSNuiKp
Notably, Kasur is located across Khemkaran and Ferozepur in Indian Punjab. According to data provided earlier this month by Punjab Police, 795 FIRs were lodged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Ferozepur district alone between July 2022 and July 2023. According to the official data, the majority of the drugs were seized in Punjab regions bordering Pakistan.
Drug menace in Punjab and the role of Pakistan
India has been affected by drug smuggling and abuse as the country is sandwiched between the world’s two greatest opium-producing regions, the Golden Triangle on one side and the Golden Crescent (also called Death Crescent) on the other. Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos form the golden triangle. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are all part of the golden crescent region. Punjab, which is closest to the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran), is heavily impacted by illegal drug smuggling.
In January this year, the Border Security Force (BSF) revealed that in the year 2022, around 22 drones were captured. Along with weapons and ammunition, the BSF also seized 316.988 kilograms of heroin.
Furthermore, according to BSF data, there was a threefold surge in drone sightings along the India-Pakistan border, with 311 occurrences of such Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) until December 2022, as opposed to 104 in 2021.
In 2023 itself numerous Pakistani drug mule drones have been detected, captured or shot down by Indian authorities. In January this year, BSF shot down a six-wing drone along the Indo-Pakistan border and seized 5 kg of heroin. The hybrid drone, probably worth Rs 10 lakh, was assembled with parts made in the United States and China and was outfitted with high-tech features such as a long-lasting battery backup, an infrared-based night vision camera, and GPS.
Other than Punjab, states like Rajasthan and Gujarat which share border with Pakistan are also faced with the Pakistani drug smuggling menace. In February this year, the BSF Jawans shot down a Pakistani drone entering India in Sriganganagar carrying five packets of suspected drugs.
Another Pakistani drone was shot down near Amritsar in March, shortly after it infiltrated into Indian territory carrying a load of illicit substances.
In April, BSF personnel found over three kilograms of heroin airdropped by a Pakistani drone near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar’s Mullakot village.
On April 27, the BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying heroin and opium near the village of Dhanoe Kalan in Punjab’s Amritsar. According to the BSF, one iron ring was attached to the cargo, along with a huge packet wrapped in yellow adhesive tape that included two suspected heroin packets and two smaller packets of opium. Two packets of heroin weighed two kilograms, while one packet of opium weighed 170 grams.
Narcotics seized by BSF from a Pakistani drone intercepted in Dhanoe Kalan village in Punjab (Image via ANI)
In May, the BSF once again foiled Pakistan’s nefarious attempt to smuggle illegal drugs in India as it intercepted two drone sorties entering India from Pakistan carrying around 15 kilograms of heroin along the Indo-Pak border in Ramkot and Kakkar village of Amritsar in Punjab.
Another such incident was reported in the month of May wherein the BSF intercepted three Pakistani drones along the international border in Punjab. The BSF jawans seized 2.06 kilograms of heroin from a Pakistani Quadcopter DJI Matrics drone near the Rattan Khurd border outpost area.
On June 10, the BSF jawans shot down a Pakistani drone carrying 5.5 kilograms of heroin in five packets wrapped in yellow adhesive tape along the international border near Rai village in Punjab’s Amritsar.
Narco terrorism and Pakistan
Interestingly, along with Pakistan’s conventional cross-border terrorism, the Pakistani government over the years have have worked in collusion with the terrorist organizations it fosters, along with the ISI.
During an interview in 1994, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that in 1991, Pakistan’s army chief and the head of ISI devised an explicit plan to fund military operations through heroin trafficking. Sharif went on to say that, while he disagreed with the “plan,” he had no way of knowing whether or not the ISI followed his orders.
Where does the Modi government stand?
In October 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lambasted Pakistan for hatching a conspiracy to push drugs into India in a bid to destroy Indian youth.
“When our neighbor could not succeed in its nefarious designs by sending terrorists and weapons, it hatched a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into our country to destroy our youth,” PM Modi said back then while asserting that the menace of drug smuggling needs to be dealt as strictly as India deals with terrorists.
In March this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the need to bolster security in the ocean and said that around 60-70 percent of drug smuggling happens through sea routes. He added most of these illegal drugs are shipped in Pakistan and go via Iran to Sri Lanka, and Africa. He further stressed that state governments along with citizens need to join hands in the fight against drug smuggling to make India drug-free by 2047.
Notably, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in January last year launched an initiative named ‘Operation Samudragupt’ which targets the maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan. In May this year, the NCB seized 2500 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 12,000 crore from a vessel in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kochi in a joint operation with the Indian navy. The authorities had also arrested a Pakistani national.
The Deputy Director of NCB had told that the drug consignment seized made under Operation Samudragupt was linked to Pakistan’s biggest drug smuggler Haji Salim. Moreover, Haji Salim is said to be funded by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.
In December 2022, Home Minister Amit Shah informed the parliament that drug money corroborates terrorism and that all drug traffickers would be apprehended within two years.
India’s anti-drone system countering Pakistani drones
As reported earlier, the Indian Army this year deployed indigenous anti-drone jammers and spoofers in the Jammu and Punjab region to counter terrorist organizations with bases in Pakistan’s drones delivering weapons, bombs, and drugs. Using the stellar system, the Indian Army successfully blocked numerous such drones from flying into India. The army bought 30 jammer and spoofer systems for the Jammu and Punjab sectors.
Security agencies are using a variety of counter-UAV equipment at the border. These include systems capable of detecting, identifying, and neutralizing various forms of drones, such as Small Hybrid UAVs, Micro UAV/Multirotors, and Nano UAVs. A typical anti-drone system includes components such as radar for drone detection and tracking.
A day and night camera with laser range is used to detect and track a drone target. System for detecting and blocking communication channels (soft kill) and system for GPS jamming/spoofing (soft kill). In addition, the system of laser-directed energy weapons (hard kill).
The BSF is also collaborating with local police. In Punjab, the state police have deployed 300 patrol officers and set up permanent and temporary checkpoints to track suspicious movements. Police officers are also engaging with local communities to raise awareness of the threat presented by drones and promote the reporting of potentially dangerous drone activities.
On Thursday (July 27), the Karnataka government decided to hike milk prices in the state by Rs 3 per litre effective August 1, following demands from milk producers’ unions.
A week after granting initial approval in a meeting with representatives from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), the Cabinet provided post-facto approval for the hike. The decision came after KMF explained that the lower procurement resulted from private players offering higher prices to farmers.
Later, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the move saying they wanted to “help farmers” by hiking the milk prices by Rs 3 per litre.
“We have to give money to the farmers. Throughout the country, the milk price is Rs 50-56, and in our state, the price is very low. So, we want to help the farmers by increasing Rs 3,” DK Shivakumar said.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: "We have to give money to the farmers. Entire country, the price of milk is Rs 50-56, and in our state, the price is very less. So, we want to help the farmers by increasing Rs 3", says Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar on hike of milk price in the state pic.twitter.com/tVs4CXqgEe
Pertinently, the move comes months after Congress and the opposition parties stoked the Amul vs Nandini row in the run-up to the state assembly elections in Karnataka, lashing out at the BJP government for allowing Amul to sell fresh milk and curd in Bengaluru, asserting that it would hurt the business of the local brand Nandini, owned by Karnataka Milk Federation.
However, the milk price hike has not been taken kindly by the people of Karnataka, many of whom have taken to social media to express their displeasure over the rate increase in the essential commodity. Criticising the government, they claim charging extra for milk is how they are going to fund their freebie promises made during the election campaign.
It is worth noting that Congress has been outraging over the ‘rising inflation’ in the country, even though it was at a 25-month low in May 2023. With the hike in milk prices, the cost of other essential commodities in Karnataka is bound to go up in the days to come.
DK Shivakumar says Karnataka govt has ‘no money for development’ this year as priority is to fulfil election promises
Earlier this week, DK Shivakumar admitted that the Karnataka government was suffering from a paucity of funds to bankroll development projects this year as they had budgeted Rs 40,000 crores for implementing the five election guarantees.
Shivakumar made these comments in response to inquiries regarding the discontent expressed by certain Congress MLAs who have requested funds for the development of their respective constituencies. The Congress legislature party (CLP) has scheduled a meeting this evening to address the concerns of these MLAs who are disappointed that their constituencies have not received adequate development funds.
Following DK Shivakumar’s comments on the lack of funds, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Congress party was driven by a thirst for power and lacked the necessary funds to fulfil its promises and support development initiatives. He pointed out that the Deputy Chief Minister’s admission highlights the government’s lack of vision and responsibility.
A priest of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple has demanded the deletion of scenes from the upcoming film ‘Oh My God 2’ that were filmed at the shrine.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the film for release earlier, with an ‘A certificate’. Speaking to ANI, Mahesh Sharma, a priest of the Mahakaleshwar temple, said, “The censor board has given ‘A’ certificate to the film ‘Oh My God 2’. This certification is reserved for films that have adult content. We demand that some scenes, which were filmed at the Mahakal temple, be removed as they might offend the religious sentiments of viewers.”
“If our demand isn’t met, we will launch protests across the country,” Sharma added.
Actor Akshay Kumar, who leads the film’s cast, had shot for the film at the Mahakal temple.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
An explosion in a district to the south of Damascus in Syria resulted in at least six fatalities and 46 injuries on 27 July. A device concealed in a motorbike that was close to a taxicab was remotely detonated on al-Sudan Street in the neighbourhood of al-Sayeda Zainab mausoleum.
Update on the explosion in Damascus:
An explosive device that was placed in a taxi exploded in the Sayeda Zeinab area.
Sayeda Zeinab was the granddaughter of Prophet Mohammed and the daughter of Imam Ali, a founding figure of Shia Islam. It is the country’s most visited Shia shrine also known as the Shiite pilgrimage site.
The deadly blast came ahead of the annual commemoration of Ashura, when Shia Muslims remember the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, in the seventh-century battle of Karbala.
Syrian Health Minister Hassan Al-Ghabbash informed that 20 of the injured were treated on the spot for minor wounds while the others were transferred to hospitals. He further mentioned that 11 ambulances arrived at the scene shortly after the blast.
Shia Muslims, primarily from Iran, frequently travel to the predominately Shia area in Syria to make pilgrimages to revered Shia shrines. There is also a presence of the Hezbollah organisation from Lebanon in the region. The explosive device reportedly detonated close to a military station operated by rebels with support from Iran, according to the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A source at the nearby Al-Sadr hospital stated that 10 wounded individuals had been transported there following a car bombing close to the site. State television disclosed that the explosion was caused by a bomb placed in a taxi by unidentified people.
A 39-year-old civil servant Ibrahim said, “We heard a huge blast and people began to run. Then ambulances arrived and security forces cordoned off the area. The explosion took place near a security building around 600 metres (yards) from the mausoleum of Sayeda Zeinab.”
For the 10-day Ashura celebration, which is the most significant in Shia Islam, the authorities have strengthened security measures surrounding the mausoleum. However, it was the second attack this week at the shrine. A booby-trapped motorcycle blast wounded two people on 25 July. It is high season for the shrine as Shia Muslims flock there to mark the mourning period of Ashura.
Sunni Muslim terrorists of the Islamic State routinely attack Shia shrines, not just in the country but also in adjacent Iraq. Multiple devastating explosions targeted the Sayeda Zeinab tomb when a civil war broke out in 2011 in Syria. Shia militiamen, largely from Lebanon and Iraq, as well as the army have since been defending the mosque complex.
Attacks have decreased recently despite some security measures being dropped. A double suicide assault that took place in February 2016 about 400 metres from the mausoleum and resulted in the deaths of 134 individuals, including more than 90 civilians, was owned by the IS.
The extremist outfit had also taken responsibility for a triple blast that occurred a few weeks earlier close to the sanctuary and claimed at least 70 victims.
Damascus has remained comparatively calm ever since the Army drove the rebel group out of the Eastern Ghouta area in May 2018. However, intermittent explosions that seem to target random places still occur.
On Wednesday (July 26), a Chinese woman travelled to Pakistan to meet her lover, whom she befriended on social media.
As per reports, the woman was identified as 21-year-old Gao Feng. She arrived in Islamabad from China by road via Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Later, the woman travelled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to meet her 18-year-old lover Javed.
Javed is a resident of the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Feng befriended him on Snapchat and has now come to Pakistan on a three-month visa.
Reportedly, Javed took his Chinese lover to Samarbagh tehsil in the Lower District of Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, keeping in mind the volatile security situation in his hometown.
The duo had known each other for the past 3 years. According to the district police officer (Lower Dir) Ziauddin, Gao Feng has been provided security cover but her movement is restricted due to Muharram and other security concerns.
He added that the Chinese woman is yet to perform ‘Nikkah’ with Javed, adding that her travel documents are in order. The travel documents of the woman are in order, police said, adding that she has not yet performed the ‘nikah’ with Javed.
Married Indian woman travels to Pakistan to be with her ‘lover’ Nasrullah
On 24th July, a case similar to Seema Haider, a woman from Pakistan who came to India with her four kids to meet her lover, came to the fore but with a twist. In this case, the woman is from India and has gone to Pakistan to meet her lover.
The woman, identified as 35-year-old Anju from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, had left last Sunday on the pretext of visiting Jaipur. However, her husband Arvind learned the shocking reality that her wife had gone to Pakistan when their son got sick, and he called Anju to ask when she would be back.
Anju informed him that she was in Pakistan and would be back soon. As per reports, Anju is originally from Kailor, Uttar Pradesh. As per reports, Anju claimed she was going to Jaipur to meet a friend. However, on Sunday, she called and informed her husband that she was in Lahore.
Arvind was unaware why she went to Lahore and how she got a visa. Arvind claimed the matter differed from Seema Haider’s as Anju had valid documents, and his wife told him she would be back in 2-3 days; hence he did not file a complaint with the police.
Arvind is in utter shock and has left it to his children whether they want to live with Anju. According to him, this is the first time Anju has gone somewhere without informing her family. Arvind feels Anju has cheated him. He wants to have a family meeting with Anju’s parents to decide the next course of action.
Arvind has requested from the authorities that if Anju has all the valid documents, she should be allowed to come back. He told BBC Hindi that they got married in 2007 and have a 15-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. “I never checked her phone as I trusted her,” said Arvind.
On Sunday, 23rd July 2023, the Darbhanga district in Bihar was gripped by communal clashes after some members of the Muslim community created a ruckus and stopped the last rites of a Hindu villager named Shrikant Paswan. The incident occurred in the Hariharpur tola- Malpatti village under Kamtaul police station limits on Sunday evening.
Madhubani MP Ashok Yadav spoke to OpIndia about the ruckus created by Muslims at the funeral of veteran Mahadalit person Shrikant Paswan. The incident took place in Dharampur-Malpatti village under the Kamtaul police station area of Darbhanga district. But this area falls under Ashok Yadav’s parliamentary constituency. Darbhanga district has witnessed several communal incidents in recent days.
MP Ashok Yadav told OpIndia, “Be it Madhubani or Darbhanga, Kishanganj or Araria, in any area of Mithila region where the population of Muslims is high, Hindus have become a minority, they are not even allowed to worship. The Katha of Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan is not allowed. Muslims oppose the drums played in a Hindu wedding ceremony. They do not allow the procession to pass by a mosque.”
On July 21, there was a dispute over the installation of the Moharram flag in the Birol police station area. Then on July 23, tension arose at Shivdhara Chowk in the Mabbi police station area late at night. On July 23, there was an incident of stone-pelting and arson during the cremation of Shrikant Paswan. On July 24, there was an incident in Bariaul village under the Kamtaul police station area where a loud DJ was playing in a Muharram procession. On July 25, the incident took place in Ijarhata village under the Manigachhi police station area. On July 26, there was a dispute over the Moharram flag in Banoli village under the Simri police station area. On July 27, there was a controversy over the installation of the Muharram flag but it was thwarted because of the active response by the Bhawanipur Bhapura administration and local public representatives of the Singhwara police station area.
Darbhanga police are presenting these controversies as if these are everyday incidents. In this effort, social media sites have now been closed in Darbhanga district. In a statement issued to the press, the Deputy Director of Public Relations has said that due to law and order, social networking services will be closed from the evening of July 27 to the evening of July 30, 2023.
It said that some anti-social elements are trying to disturb communal harmony in Darbhanga through social media. In view of this, it has been decided to suspend these services on the instructions of the State Home Department. This restriction is applicable to all social networking services including uploading videos on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
Despite the Darbhanga administration justifying the ban as a measure to maintain communal harmony and curb anti-social elements, recent events in the district shed light on the underlying issues that led to this decision and the people responsible for this situation. Regrettably, these incidents have not received significant coverage in the national media. Of even greater concern are allegations against the local police and administration for acting unilaterally, putting pressure on the victims, and subjecting even those who intervened to torture.
Darbhanga administration issued a statement in the media regarding the ban on social media sites.
MP Ashok Yadav mentions Hindu houses set on fire and clashes over ownership of cremation ground
Referring to the incident during Shrikant Paswan’s cremation, MP Ashok Yadav told OpIndia, “Hindus have been performing cremation on the cremation ground which was opposed by people of the Muslim community, who claim ownership on the land. Due to the grounds of the crematorium remaining at a lower level, water logging issues surfaced there. Soil filling and leveling works were done at that place with MNREGA.”
He said, “The body was treated indecently and inhumanly. Such an incident has never happened before. The corpse was thrown away. It was attacked with sticks and other inhuman treatment. Hindu houses were burnt. The local village chief’s motorcycle was set on fire. The violence was carried out by cutting electricity from the transformer.”
According to the MP, the entire incident happened in front of the police administration. Police personnel were also injured. The police should have taken action against the culprits. But the administration dragged village chief Ajay Jha, who went to the spot to intervene, in this case. He was sent to jail. He was humiliated by bringing him to the police station. Derogatory words were used for him.
He further told OpIndia, “The Bihar government should immediately mark the land boundaries of the crematorium and hand it over to the Hindus. The Bihar government should take action against the culprits so that such an incident does not happen in the future. If the administration does not take action against the culprits, then such an incident can happen again.”
What happened with Shrikant Paswan’s dead body?
The death of 62-year-old Shrikant Paswan from Dharampur village, who was battling cancer, led to funeral proceedings at the adjacent crematorium just outside of the Malpatti village on 23rd July 2023. However, the Muslims residing in Malpatti village protested the cremation, asserting their claim over the cremation land. The situation escalated, with reported incidents of stone-pelting and attacks on houses. Some media reports even mentioned disturbing actions, including throwing away a burning cremation pyre and urinating on the dead body. Nevertheless, the Bihar Police refuted these claims, stating that it was a dispute between two communities over the funeral arrangements.
The Station House Officer of Kamtaul told OpIndia that the claims of inhumanly treating the dead body are false. When the police reached the spot after getting information about the dispute, the dead body was kept on the pyre by digging a pit. The last rites were performed in the presence of the administration. The victim’s family has also not mentioned any indecency with the dead body in their complaint, he added. He also added that three policemen were injured during the disturbances.
According to the locals, after getting information about the dispute, village chief Ajay Jha reached the spot along with the police administration. But later, under pressure from Muslims, he was also implicated in this case and arrested. An organization called All India Muslim Bedari Karwaan had written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 24 in this regard. Accusing Ajay Kumar Jha of conspiring, the letter said that Ajay Jha’s men and the police entered more than two dozen houses of Muslims in Malpatti and beat them up.
‘Bihar also needs UP’s bulldozer model’
Similarly, in other recent incidents, the police are being accused of working under pressure from Muslims and also implicating Hindus in these cases. MP Ashok Yadav calls it the result of appeasement of the Bihar government. He said, “Lalu Prasad Yadav had nothing to do with development right from the beginning. He has been doing politics of appeasement and the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) equation. Nitish Kumar has also had this policy. When the BJP was in alliance with Nitish Kumar, he could not openly appease. But now after joining hands with Lalu Yadav, he is also openly engaged in appeasement and creating a vote bank. This is why Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists in Bihar also feel safe. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has shown how this problem can be treated. If such an incident had happened in UP, the bulldozer would have gone to demolish by now. Now there is a need for a similar government in Bihar.”
Interestingly, the appeasement at the government and administrative level that Ashok Yadav is talking about is also visible on the Twitter handle of Darbhanga Police. The police have not revealed the names of those who created a ruckus over the funeral of Mahadalit Shrikant Paswan. The protesters have been identified on social media as “particular communities”. But the same police have released the name, address, and picture of Manish Kumar Singh, accused of raping a Dalit girl in the Bahera police station area, on social media.
In one case, the name and address of the accused are all mentioned, but in the other case, only “other communities” is mentioned.
There are speculations about whether the decision to ban social networking sites is an attempt to conceal the appeasement in recent events. However, the Darbhanga police and administration, despite being asked, have not provided a satisfactory response to address these concerns.
On Friday, July 27, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Borah sought forgiveness from the people of Assam for brazenly equating Lord Krishna and Rukmini’s relationship as Love Jihad, saying that his ancestors reprimanded him in his dreams.
“Last night, I had a vision in my sleep. My ancestors came to me in my dream and made me realise my mistake over the comments. They told me to visit a Namghar and pray,” the Congress leader told reporters here in Guwahati.
The apology came soon after Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tore into the Congress leader for passing the highly objectionable remark. The Assam CM lambasted Congress by saying that there will come a time when Congress leaders will not be able to find a place to stay other than a mosque or madarsa. He pledged that the government would take legal action against Borah if a complaint was filed against him.
Explaining what the phenomena of love jihad is, the Assam CM said, “It is not proper to justify Love Jihad. Congress leaders will see a time when except Mosque or Madrassa they won’t find a place to stay. If they remain cut off from Hindus in this way their only address will be a mosque or Madarsa, where at times All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) will come and chase them out. I ask the Congress not to be anti-Hindu.”
He added that the incidents in Mahabharat were love and not love jihad. He clarified that love jihad means forcing someone to change through religion, and neither Gandhari nor Rukmini was forced to change religion.
He added that earlier it was only love, but now love jihad happens and that’s why murders take place. “There was love between Krishna and Rukmini, there was no change of religion, there was no Jihad,” he added.
‘Lord Krishna and Dhritarashtra also did love jihad’, claims Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah
Talking to reporters, the Congress state president Bhupen Borah had said on Thursday, July 28, that when Dhritarashtra married Gandhari and Krishna married Rukmini, they had indulged in love jihad.
Bhupen Borah made the comments objecting to Assam CM describing the recent incident of the triple murder in Golaghat as a case of love jihad. In the horrific incident, one Nazibur Rahman Bora killed his Hindu wife and her parents by stabbing them with a knife. The woman Sanghamitra Ghosh had married him ignoring the opposition of her parents, and later marital discords led to the murders. Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the family on Wednesday and said that the case was the result of love jihad.
Responding to the comments, state Congress chief Bhupen Borah said that love jihad is going on for ages, and it took place even during the Mahabharata times. He claimed that Dhritarashtra had married Gandhari against the wishes of her family, and had even got her brothers imprisoned for objecting to the marriage. He also claimed that Gandhari had blindfolded herself so that she does not have to look at Dhritarashtra.
Bhupen Borah further claimed that Lord Krishna also married Rukmini against the wishes of her family, and thus it was also love jihad. He claimed that Krishna had changed his name to marry Rukmini, and Arjun had posed as a woman while accompanying Krishna.
Hitting out at the opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. alliance, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that parties “who used to hate each other” are now coming together “like a family.”
“Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is touching new heights of development. The ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party is based on Jan Seva (service of people), Jan Kalyan (upliftment of people), and Gareeb Kalyan (upliftment of the poor). Opposition is upset and that’s why those parties who used to hate each other and couldn’t face each other, are now coming together like a family,” he said while speaking to reporters here on Thursday.
He said the people of the country have faith in PM Modi and the BJP. “I am surprised that the ideology which was rejected by the people of India several times is being touted again and again by the opposition”, said Scidia hitting out at the opposition.
Further, the Union Minister said, “I am confident that the country will elect the BJP again” in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The statement came following the I.N.D.I.A. alliance’s protest in the parliament on Thursday. Opposition MPs of the alliance arrived at the Parliament wearing black clothes as a mark of protest against the Manipur violence. They have been insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on Manipur violence.
However, the Government has accused the Opposition of disrupting the proceedings of both houses of the Parliament and reiterated that it is ready to hold a discussion on the issue. Meanwhile, the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “disrespecting” the Parliament with his absence from the House and instead making political speeches in poll-bound Rajasthan.
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Kharge said, “The House is functioning. We are demanding that the Prime Minister come there (Parliament) and make a statement. But he is giving political speeches and campaigning in Rajasthan. When he can go there, can’t he come to the House for half an hour and make a statement?”. Notably, PM Modi on Thursday inaugurated various development projects worth crores in poll-bound Rajasthan.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
