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Syria revokes accreditation of BBC journalists over alleged “subjective and politicised” reports regarding Assad family connection with illegal Captagon trade

Shraddha Pandey
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Syria revokes accreditation of BBC journalists over alleged “subjective and politicised” reports regarding Assad family connection with illegal Captagon trade

On Saturday, July 8, the information ministry of Syria announced the cancellation of the BBC’s accreditation due to “misleading reports”. The accreditations of an unknown BBC correspondent and cameraman have been revoked as a result of “subjective and false information and reports” on Syria, according to a statement on the information ministry’s website. Other BBC reports have been termed as “politicised.”

The BBC Radio correspondent in Syria’s accreditation was also revoked, according to the ministry.

According to the information ministry, the BBC has “from time to time provided subjective and fake information and reports about the reality” in Syria since the conflict began in 2011. More than 500,000 people have been killed, millions have been displaced, and much of the country’s infrastructure and industry have been destroyed during the conflict.

The ministry statement further stated that BBC was cautioned “more than once, however, the British broadcaster continued to air its misleading reports founded on statements from terrorist entities and those hostile to Syria”, the ministry stated further stated.

The statement said that “as a result of the channel’s failure to adhere to professional standards and its insistence on providing politicized and misleading reports to world opinion”, the Ministry of Information decided to revoke the accreditation of the channel’s correspondent and cameraman in Syria, and also to revoke the accreditation of the BBC correspondents in Syria.

Responding to the development, the BBC said it provided impartial, independent journalism. “We speak with people across all political spectrum to get the facts. We will continue to provide unbiased news and information to our Arabic-speaking audiences worldwide,” a BBC spokesperson told Middle East Eye.

Syria’s government and other authorities place strict restrictions on media coverage and require accreditation and permission to report.

Is the Assad family “directly” involved in the Captagon trade?

Last month, the BBC published a report claiming “direct links” between the trade of an amphetamine known as Captagon and President Bashar al-Assad’s family, as well as the Syrian military. Syria has denied any involvement in the Captagon trade.

Notably, the United States, Britain, and the European Union have laid blame on Syria’s government for Captagon’s production and export, mentioning the president’s brother and commander of the army’s Fourth Division, Maher al-Assad as a key figure.

Captagon is a highly addictive amphetamine-type drug that is primarily produced in Syria and extensively smuggled throughout West Asia. Over the years it has been claimed by the media that al-Assad, his associates, and his family have profited from the drug’s sales, which are estimated to be worth several billion dollars per year. The pills have become a lifeline of sorts for them as Syria is faced with an economic crisis ongoing since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

In May this year, the Arab League voted back Syria to its fold after a suspension of over ten years. 

“In July 2022, the headquarters of Raji Falhout, the leader of a regime-allied militia, were overrun by a rival group in the southern Syrian city of Suweida. They found bags of what appeared to be Captagon pills, as well as a machine that could be used to press pills, Falhout’s Syrian military ID card, and an unlocked mobile phone,” a BBC report published on June 27 read.

BBC claimed to have accessed the WhatsApp messages exchanged between Falhout and one Lebanese named Abu Hamza regarding the pill-pressing machine. Abu Hamza was reported to have been identified as Hussein Riad al-Faytrouni linked to Hezbollah. Hezbollah is known to be an ally of the Assad government.  

History of Captagon

Fenethylline hydrochloride, also known as Captagon, is a drug that was first produced in West Germany in the 1960s and is used to treat depression, narcolepsy, and attention deficit disorder. Due to the drug’s addictive properties, it was outlawed in the 1980s, but soon after, counterfeit Captagon pills started to appear in several Middle Eastern nations.

Captagon has been used by ISIS terrorists over the years for enhanced abilities like increased alertness and suppressed appetite during wars. Illegal manufacturing of Captagon probably combines multiple highly addictive stimulants with compounding effects into one harmful little pill, as opposed to just two primary ingredients used in Captogon produced in the 1960s. These illegally produced Captagon has the potential to permanently alter the brain circuitry that controls impulse control and judgement, impairing one’s capacity for reason and rational thought.

Uttar Pradesh: Islamic conversion racket run by doctors and engineers busted by the police in Ghaziabad, read details

Rukma Rathore
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Uttar Pradesh: Islamic conversion racket run by doctors and engineers busted by the police in Ghaziabad, read details

An engineering and medical professional-led Islamic religious conversion gang was discovered by Ghaziabad’s Khoda police station. Neeru Bisht, a resident of Khoda, is one of the six individuals in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) who fell victim to their nefarious agenda. The family noticed her donning the hijab and performing Namaz at home and the entire matter came to light.

The police reportedly tracked down the syndicate on 8 July on the basis of her father’s complaint. They apprehended their leader, Dr Abdullah Ahmed, his associate Mohammad Museer who is an engineer by profession and a call centre employee named Rahil. Interestingly, Rahil and Abdullah who were both Hindus had also undergone religious conversion. The former was previously named Rahul Agarwal whereas the latter was known as Saurabh Khurana.

According to Deputy Commissioner Of Police (Trans Hindo) Vivek Yadav, they brainwashed Neeru as well as five other persons from Delhi to embrace Islam. Ajay Rathore, Amrit Singh and Kapil Anand were converted by Abdullah while Ajay, to whom Museer had formerly imparted mathematical lessons as a tutor, was similarly influenced by the latter.

Even Rahul Agarwal alias Rahil, a resident of Sangam Vihar in Delhi, was converted by Museer and given the Muslim name by him. The former married Neeru after meeting her online and converted her to Islam. He is presently employed by I Energizer, a call centre in Noida’s Sector-58 where she had also worked formerly.

Abdullah, who lives in R New Colony in Palwal, is enrolled in a madrasa in Deoband to study Alim (God in Islam). He completed his BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) at Aligarh Muslim University in 2014 and changed his religion in the same year. Museer, a Sangam Vihar inhabitant in Delhi, has a diploma in civil engineering and is currently pursuing a B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology).

According to the police, the wires of this racket are also connected to Aligarh and Deoband. The accused’s mobile devices contained videos of Maulanas from both of these locations. The material was used for religious conversion. Additionally, clips of controversial religious leader Zakir Naik were also found on them.

Neeru wanted to become a suicide bomber

Rahil approached the girl using his original name Rahul Agarwal. He convinced her that he was madly in love with her and that he could not survive without her. He told her that he wanted to marry her on multiple occasions.

In January of this year, he revealed his true identity to her in the belief that she had grown intense feelings for him. He pretended to be the victim in front of her and complained that his parents were against their union because they were from different religions. She accepted when he pressed her to become a Muslim.

Neeru’s father informed that he had begun to suspect his daughter due to her persistent unusual behaviours. She confessed to learning Sharia, the Islamic code of law, when he questioned her. He revealed that she was brainwashed to the point that she began observing Islamic customs, such as five times performing Namaz and adorning a burqa.

He disclosed that his daughter had grown so radicalised that she wouldn’t even hesitate to kill someone who disagreed with her religious ideology and refused to convert to Islam. He further added that she had become so fervent in her beliefs that she even expressed a desire to carry out a suicide bombing and attain ‘martyrdom’ for the sake of jihad.

In order to stop Rahil aka Rahul Agarwal from continuing on the path of terrorism, the father denounced him to the police. As a result, the Ghaziabad police held the offender and began an investigation.

Converting unsuspecting Hindu girls since 2017

Rahil has been carrying out his evil project to convert Hindu females to the Sharia since 2017. He initially became friends with his prey by assuming the identity of Rahul Agarwal, his Hindu name before he embraced Islam. Afterwards, he used his charisma to seduce the victims and get them involved in a relationship. He later indoctrinated them in the name of Islam after they developed feelings for him. He then indoctrinated the girls before finally manipulating them to convert to Islam.

Conversion through Fortnight

Notably, Ghaziabad police exposed a case of converting children to Islam using the video game “Fortnite.” The police described the nefarious strategy used by Islamists to persuade and coerce impressionable young minds to become Muslims through online games. The authorities verified that four teens who were converted via an online gaming application were instructed to read Quranic passages in order to win.

Following the filing of a First Information Report under the pertinent provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a team was assembled to look into the matter. A Maulavi in Ghaziabad was arrested first, before one Shahnawaz Khan.

UK: Indian-origin employee wins a landmark case, receives Rs 24 crore as compensation from Royal Mail over workplace bullying

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Indian-origin employee wins a landmark case, receives Rs 24 crore as compensation from Royal Mail over workplace bullying

In a significant victory against workplace harassment, a Royal Mail employee of Indian origin has been awarded over £2.3 million (approximately Rs 24 crore) in compensation after her claims of bullying were substantiated by an employment tribunal. Kam Jhuti, who had lodged her complaint nearly eight years ago, alleged that she faced intimidation and harassment from her superior when she raised concerns about a colleague receiving an illegitimate bonus.

According to reports, the tribunal determined that her boss’s treatment had a profoundly detrimental impact on Jhuti, describing it as “catastrophic”. In a recent remedy decision appended to the protracted case, the tribunal stated, “The total award by the respondent to the claimant amounts to GBP 2,365,614.13.” However, payment of the award is temporarily suspended pending the outcome of Royal Mail’s appeal against the tribunal’s initial judgment on remedies, which was communicated to the involved parties on October 3, 2022. Both parties have the option to request the suspension be lifted.

The decision further specified that Royal Mail must immediately pay Jhuti £250,000 gross as part of the total compensation award, as agreed upon by both parties. This payment is not subject to suspension and must be made within 14 days of the hearing’s date.

Earlier, the tribunal had concluded that the postal service had acted in a “high-handed, malicious, insulting, and oppressive” manner during the course of the case.

During a Supreme Court hearing in 2019, it was revealed that Jhuti had joined Royal Mail’s MarketReach unit in London as a media specialist, earning £50,000 per year, in September 2013. In October of the same year, while observing a colleague, she began to suspect that they were not adhering to Ofcom’s guidelines and were violating the company’s policy on Tailor-Made Incentives (TMIs) for bonuses. Jhuti alleged that the colleague had manipulated performance targets to secure a bonus for themselves, essentially defrauding the company.

Later that month, a TMI expert within the organization confirmed Jhuti’s suspicions by acknowledging that media specialists were inappropriately offering TMIs.

As the investigation progressed, Jhuti experienced stress and raised concerns about her boss’s behaviour. Although she was assigned a new line manager, her progress was deemed insufficient, and in March 2014, she was signed off with work-related stress, anxiety, and depression. She never returned to work.

Following an initial employment tribunal in 2015, Jhuti’s claims of unfair dismissal were upheld after the Supreme Court ruled in her favour. Since an appeal is pending, the Royal Mail is currently obligated to pay only £250,000 from the overall compensation amount.

Yemen: Islamist group ‘Houthis’ ban imports from Sweden after man burns Quran outside masjid on Eid

OpIndia Staff
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Yemen: Islamist group ‘Houthis’ ban imports from Sweden after man burns Quran outside masjid on Eid

Days after an Iraqi refugee named Salwan Momika stomped on a copy of the Quran and set another on fire outside a mosque in Stockholm on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha, the Houthi movement in Yemen has banned imports from Sweden.

Houthi-run TV channel Al Masirah quoted the trade Minister as saying, “Yemen is the first Islamic country to ban imports of Swedish goods after its violations and desecration of Muslims’ holiest.”

He called upon other Islamic nations to ban imports from the Scandinavian country. The Houthi trade Minister also said that imports from Sweden were limited and that the ban had a symbolic value. He also said that it was the least thing that they could do to protest against the burning of Quran.

Who are the Houthis

The Houthi movement (also called Ansar Allah) is an Islamist movement comprising Zaydi Shiites from the Houthi tribe. Iran has been accused of providing military support to Houthis and using them as its proxy for shared geopolitical interests.

They control the Northern part of Yemen, including the cities of Sa’dah and Sana’a, and fight the coalition of Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia.

Interestingly, the radical Islamist Houthi movement was designated as a terrorist group by Donald Trump prior to leaving the Oval Office. The decision was, however, reversed after Joe Biden became the US President.

The Quran burning incident in Sweden

Prior to Eid-Al-Adha, on June 28, the Swedish Police gave one Salwan Momika permission to burn the Quran at a demonstration outside the largest mosque in Stockholm after a Swedish court struck down the police’s ban on Quran-burning demonstrations.

Two other requests, one by a private citizen and the other by an organisation, for similar activities that include Quran burning were turned down by police in February outside the Turkish and Iraqi embassies in Stockholm. 

The appeals court concluded in June that the protests should have been permitted. It ruled, “The order and security problems that the police had cited had not been clearly connected to the planned event or its immediate vicinity.”

Before this, Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burnt a copy of the Quran next to the Turkish embassy in the country’s capital prompting Turkey to halt discussions with Sweden about its NATO membership in January this year.

As Congress tries to attack Modi govt on inflation, data shows BJP govts keep inflation in check while it balloons during Congress rule

OpIndia Staff
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As Congress tries to attack Modi govt on inflation, data shows BJP govts keep inflation in check while it balloons during Congress rule

On 7th July, several pro-Congress social media handles attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on inflation with the hashtag ‘ModiFlation’. They claimed that the prices of daily-use products skyrocketed and increased 2-3 times over the past ten years since PM Modi took charge in 2014. Comparing the prices from 2013, Congress and its followers attacked the Government of India, claiming the present government has been unable to control the prices.

The trigger point, it appears, was the price of seasonal vegetable tomatoes that are selling anywhere between Rs 120 to Rs 150 per KG. Notably, perishable vegetables’ price increases yearly during monsoon owing to limited supply. The prices often come down within a couple of months to normal. However, political parties habitually used this period to attack the government, claiming it failed to control inflation.

Data shows BJP kept inflation under check

Coming to the allegations of “uncontrolled” inflation in the past ten years, the data shows a whole different story. OpIndia studied the data from World Bank since 1991 to find out how different political parties or alliances performed while being in power at the centre. As per the data from 1991 to 1995, when Congress was in power, the inflation stayed between 13.90 per cent in 1991 to 6.33 per cent in 1993, which was the only month inflation was under 10 per cent. In 1992, it was 11.80 per cent, and in 1994 & 1995, it was 10.20 per cent.

In 1996, Janata Dal came to power, and there was a slight drop in the inflation rate. In 1996, the inflation rate was 8.98 per cent, while in 1997, it was 7.16 per cent.

In March 1998, BJP took power from Janata Dal. For the first year, which was 1998, inflation was 13.20 per cent. However, inflation was under strict control in the following years and did not cross 5 per cent even once. In 1999, it fell to 4.67 per cent, followed by 4.01 per cent in 2000, 3.78 per cent in 2001, 4.30 per cent in 2002, 3.81 per cent in 2003 and 3.77 per cent in 2004.

Inflation was kept under check whenever BJP was at the centre. Source: World Bank

After one year of Congress rule, the inflation rose slightly to 4.25 per cent in 2005. That was the only year under UPA rule when inflation was under 5 per cent. It was 5.8 per cent in 2006. 6.37 per cent in 2007 8.35 per cent in 2008, 10.90 per cent in 2009, 12 per cent in 2010, 8.91 per cent in 2011, 9.48 per cent in 2012 and 10 per cent in 2013.

Within months BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014, inflation dropped to 6.67 per cent from 10 per cent. In 2015, it went below 5 per cent at 4.91 per cent, followed by 4.95 per cent in 2016, 3.33 per cent in 2017, 3.94 per cent in 2018 and 3.73 in 2019.

In 2020, the Covid pandemic hit India hard, adversely affecting the economy. The production and supply chain was affected by the pandemic. However, the inflation rate was kept under check. It ballooned up to 6.62 per cent in 2020, followed by 5.13 per cent in 2021, 6.70 per cent in 2022, and RBI has forecasted it will be 5.1 per cent in 2023.

Data shows that the inflation under the BJP-led NDA government has mostly stayed under 5 per cent per year. On the other hand, UPA managed to keep inflation under 5 per cent only in the first year of its rule after NDA lost the Lok Sabha election in 2014. Otherwise, under Congress-led UPA, inflation always remained over 5 per cent, with seven instances where inflation went beyond 10 per cent per year.

Digvijaya Singh tweets false and fabricated ‘quotes’ from MS Golwalkar, FIR registered for defamation

OpIndia Staff
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Digvijaya Singh tweets false and fabricated ‘quotes’ from MS Golwalkar, FIR registered for defamation

On Saturday, 8th July 2023, an FIR was lodged in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, against former Chief Minister and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for his contentious tweet about MS Golwalkar, the former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief. Golwalkar, popularly known as Guruji, is revered as a staunch patriot and a guiding light for patriots in India. Singh’s tweet has sparked controversy and led to legal action being taken against him.

Advocate Rajesh Joshi filed the FIR at Tukoganj police station in Indore, citing that Digvijaya Singh shared a picture of Golwalkar Guruji accompanied by comments describing him as anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit. RSS workers have strongly objected to this post, stating that the information shared is false and unnecessary. Consequently, Singh has been booked under sections 153A, 469, 500, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, with the crime FIR number 311/23.

Singh’s tweet focused on certain statements made by Golwalkar, with Singh claiming that these statements showed Golwalkar’s opposition to equal rights for Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims. The RSS promptly responded, asserting that Singh was distorting the statements. The RSS accused Singh of misrepresenting Golwalkar’s views through a cropped image with the intention of creating social disharmony.

Digvijaya Singh tweeted a photograph with several controversial comments, purportedly quoting Golwalkar. The comments attributed to Golwalkar in the tweet included statements expressing a preference for British rule over granting equal rights to Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims. Golwalkar has also been held responsible for other contentious remarks in this image.

Digvijaya Singh wrote in his tweet, “What was Guru Golwalkar ji’s view on Dalits, OBCs and Muslims and national rights over water, forest, and land?” Along with this, a picture was shared in it and some controversial text was written on it. The image claims that the quotes are taken from Golwalkar’s book ‘We and Our Nationhood Identified’.

According to the text written on the picture, Golwalkar has written in his book, “Whenever power comes to hand, first hand over the government’s wealth, state land and forest to your two-three trusted rich people. Make 95% of the people beggars, after that power will not go out of hand for seven lives.”

The image further claims that in 1940, Golwalkar had said, “I am ready to serve the British all my life, but I don’t want the freedom that gives equal rights to Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims. “

Advocate Rajesh Joshi, in Indore, claimed that a false and inappropriate post with a picture of former RSS chief late Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar, popularly known as MS Golwalkar, was circulating on social media, with the aim of tarnishing the image of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Consequently, an FIR has been lodged against Digvijaya Singh.

PM Modi in France: India likely to sign deal to procure Rafale Marine fighter jets during the visit

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi in France: India likely to sign deal to procure Rafale Marine fighter jets during the visit

Following the signing of significant defence deals with the United States during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit there, India is expected to sign a deal with France now to purchase the naval/marine version of the Rafale fighter jets. The final decision is likely to be made at the defence acquisition council meeting before Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for France next week. PM Modi will be in France on July 13-14 as the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss a broad range of issues, including joint production of military platforms, the prospective purchase of Rafale-Marine (Rafale M) fighter jets for the Indian Navy’s indigenously-made INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, nuclear reactors, and deeper cooperation in space, among others. 

After trials at the navy’s shore-based test facility (STBF) in Goa last year, the Indian Navy reportedly picked the twin-engine, canard delta-wing multirole Rafale-M over Boeing’s F/A-18 Block III ‘Super Hornet’. Although there is little information about the price, media reports suggest that Rafale-M will be cheaper than the version bought by the Indian Air Force earlier.

The fighter planes are likely to be acquired through a government-to-government deal rather than through an open tender process to facilitate the process and save time as well.

As a short-term solution, the Indian Navy has been looking into options to replace its ageing MiG-29K. As a long-term solution to its need for carrier-based fighters, India continues to be working on developing its own Twin-Engine Deck-Based fighters (TEDBF). However, because it will be some time before the aircraft is developed in-house, the Navy is reportedly opting to move ahead with the acquisition to meet its aviation requirements.

Rafale and Rafale-M: The benefit of commonality

By the end of 2022, France had delivered all 36 Rafale fighter jets to India. The two Rafale fighter jet variants—Rafale and Rafale-M—share more than 80% of their components. Reports suggest that this would contribute to commonality in repairs and maintenance for Rafale fighter jets with the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Furthermore, the Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafale fighter jets from two bases in India. Rafale pilot training for the two services can also be common to an extent. 

PM Modi’s France visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in Paris on July 13. He will be welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

On the first day, PM Modi is expected to address a diaspora event at La Seine Musicale, a performing arts centre located on IIe Seguin island in the scenic Seine River in the western suburbs of Paris. The La Siene Musicale is at present hosting the “Namaste France” Festival, which is organised by the Indian Embassy in France and the Ministry of Culture.

Later, President Macron will be hosting PM Modi for a private dinner at his official residence, the Elysee Palace.

Both leaders will discuss pertinent bilateral issues and those of global concern during this private dinner, and formal delegation-level talks are scheduled after the Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees in the presence of President Macron on July 14.

On the ground, a 269-man contingent of the Indian Army from the Punjab Regiment and Rajputana Rifles will take part in the parade, while one Indian Air Force Rafale fighter will be the star of the show, with three others joining it for a formation.

The Indian Navy will also be represented at the event by INS Chennai, an indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer. The ship’s crew will be present at the Bastille Day celebrations in Brest.

Khalistanis, threatening Indian diplomats, gather outside Indian consulates in UK, Canada, and Australia: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistanis, threatening Indian diplomats, gather outside Indian consulates in UK, Canada, and Australia: Details

On Saturday (July 8), pro-khalistani elements gathered outside the Indian High Commission building in London in the United Kingdom to protest against the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

As per reports, about 40-50 of them demonstrated outside the Indian High Commission with flags and banners between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on Saturday. They also carried posters which incited violence against Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and the Consul General of India in Birmingham, Dr Shashank Vikram.

The development came days after posters surfaced on social media wherein Khalistanis were seen threatening Indian diplomats. After India demanded protection for its diplomats, security was increased in the area to avert any untoward incident. According to journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, the Khalistani event was a ‘major flop’ and only a handful of people participated in the protests.

Similar protests were carried out by Khalistanis outside the Indian consulate in Melbourne on Saturday (July 8). They also threatened the High Commissioner of India in Australia, Manpreet Vohra, and the Consulate General of India in Melbourne, Dr Sushil Kumar.

These extremists also floated posters reading ‘Kill India’ and ‘Faces of Shaheed Nijjar’s killers in Australia’. They also assaulted journalist Jai Bhardwaj of The Australia Today while he was covering the Khalistani demonstration.

Bhardwaj had to call the police, who have now initiated a probe into the case. “Indian Authorities are taking this very seriously and are in touch with relevant Australian officials,” an Indian official told the news outfit about the Khalistani rally outside the Indian consulate building in Melbourne.

“We all should condemn this terror, Melbourne is the third best city to live in, and here the democratic values and harmony of the community are being destroyed by few,” the official added.

On Saturday (July 8), hundreds of Khalistanis gathered outside the Indian consulate building in Toronto and accused the Indian government of killing terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Earlier, they had announced to surround the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.

The Khalistanis were challenged by Indian patriots in Toronto, who greeted them with Indian flags and slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’ In the meantime, a poster targeting India’s high commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, also surfaced outside a Hindu temple in Greater Toronto Area.

Khalistanis also incited violence against Apoorva Srivastava, the consul general of India in Toronto, and Manish, the consul general of India in Vancouver.

“They have a poster here calling to kill Indian diplomats. We are concerned because these groups have committed terrorist acts in the past, and politicians are not taking action,” a patriot Indian in Canada told AFP. Opindia had earlier reported how the Bharat Mata Mandir in Brampton was defaced with anti-India posters.

Meanwhile, security was tightened outside the Indian embassy in Washington, DC, on Saturday (July 8). It must be mentioned that Khalistanis carried out an arson attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco city of United States, on July 2, 2023.

As per reports, the extremists set the building on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Sunday. However, the damage was limited, and the staffers escaped unharmed. The fire was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department.

The local, State and federal authorities were also notified about the incident. A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media.

‘I slaughtered a cow, send me to jail’: Akbar Ali surrenders at a police station in Ayodhya

OpIndia Staff
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‘I slaughtered a cow, send me to jail’: Akbar Ali surrenders at a police station in Ayodhya

On Saturday, 8th July 2023, an interesting incident unfolded in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, where a man named Akbar Ali voluntarily surrendered himself in front of the police for slaughtering a cow. The accused, who had been on the run for a year and a half, arrived at the Rudauli Kotwali police station wearing a placard on his chest, urging the authorities to arrest him and send him to jail.

This incident took place during the Conflict Resolution Day event organised at the Kotwali police station, where individuals were presenting their grievances to the police. The man, identified as Akbar Ali, approached Circle Officer Satyendra Bhushan Tiwari and confessed to his crime, expressing his faith in the police and vowing not to engage in criminal activities again.

Akbar Ali told Satyendra Bhushan that he was involved in the cow slaughter case, which led to his prolonged evasion of the law. He disclosed that his wife was already imprisoned in connection with the same case, and his house had been destroyed. Seeking redemption, he willingly surrendered, believing in the police force.

The incident dates back to 2022 when a cow was slaughtered by a group of individuals near Athar village, falling under the jurisdiction of the Sujaganj outpost in Rudauli Kotwali. A case was registered against six people for the act of cow slaughter, and while five of them had already been sent to jail, Akbar was on the run until now.

Circle Officer Rudauli, Satyendra Bhushan Tiwari, confirmed that the accused individual, responsible for the cow’s killing, surrendered during the Conflict Resolution Day event. He said that Akbar Ali has been taken into custody, and further legal proceedings will be initiated in the case. The surrender of Akbar Ali marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the cow slaughter incident, providing closure to a long-standing pursuit of justice.

BBC presenter accused of paying over £ 35,000 to a teen for sexually explicit images – Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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BBC presenter accused of paying over £ 35,000 to a teen for sexually explicit images – Here is what we know so far

On July 8th (local time), The Sun published a shocking story of an unnamed BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teen 35,000 Euros over a period of three years for sexually explicit images. The mother of the victim has levelled the allegations at the BBC presenter. Following the reports, BBC has initiated a probe into the conduct of the “famous” presenter, who has been taken off-air following the report published in The Sun.

The family complained to the BBC on 19th May, and an investigation by the corporation was launched headed by a cyber-crime expert. However, the presenter stayed on air and was allegedly sending money until the family approached The Sun. The young person’s mother told The Sun, “All I want is for this man to stop paying my child for sexual pictures and stop him funding my child’s drug habit.”

As per the Sun’s report, when the mother found out about the alleged exchange of money for sexually explicit images, she begged BBC to make the famous presented stop sending cash to her child. She further added that the young victim used the money to feed his “spiralling” crack cocaine habit. She said, “I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life — taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.”

BBC presenter kept paying for weeks after the initial complaint

The BBC presenter allegedly sent 1,000 Pounds to her child’s account in June via PayPal. The mother said, “My child said they had run out of money and then suddenly had this cash. It’s obvious to me the BBC hadn’t spoken to this man between our complaint on 19th May and in June as they thought he was too important. We never wanted an investigation. We just wanted the BBC to tell him to stop. Initially, the security boss gave us a number that didn’t exist.”

Narrating one of the encounters between her child and the BBC presenter, she said, “Earlier this year, I heard him on the phone saying to my child, ‘I told you not to f***ing ring me’. It was shocking as I’d see how he would act on the telly, and then he would say stuff like that.”

According to the mother, the exchange of photographs started in 2020 when the young person was only 17 years old. Shockingly, the BBC presenter never tried to hide his identity and often sent pictures of himself at work. After the family confronted the young person, they were shown an account statement containing several deposits from the BBC presenter, out of which one was 5,000 Pounds. “One time, he had sent £5,000 in one lump. The money had been exchanged for sexually explicit photographs of my child,” she added.

The mother said her child was happy-go-lucky but changed to a ghost-like crack addict after the money started pouring in.

The mother saw a picture of the presenter having a video chat preparing for a “show” while in his underwear. She said, “I loved watching him on the TV. So I was shocked to see a picture of him sitting in his underwear on a sofa in his house. I immediately recognised him. He was leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him. My child told me, ‘I have shown things’, and this was a picture from some kind of video call.”

The BBC presenter, drawing a 6-figure salary, was suspended pending investigation. Several BBC presenters came forward to claim it was not them.

BBC said an internal probe is underway

In a statement, BBC said, “We treat any allegations very seriously, and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them. As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will take steps to do this. That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation. If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact, that can limit our ability to progress things, but it does not mean our enquiries stop. If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided – including via newspapers – this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes.”

Police yet to get involved

The internal probe by BBC into the matter is underway. In a statement, former Chief Crown Prosecutor Nazir Afzal, who led the prosecution in the Rochdale grooming gang case, said, “The police should have been engaged as soon as they worked out whether the complaint was genuine. Where are we now — the middle of July? Six, seven weeks on. They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago. There’s no justification for the police not becoming involved as early as possible.” The police are yet to get involved in a full-fledged probe into the matter.

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