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US: 14 Indian-origin business owners charged in a $53 million COVID relief program-related fraud

OpIndia Staff
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US: 14 Indian-origin business owners charged in a $53 million COVID relief program-related fraud

In Texas, United States, fourteen people have been charged in a $53 million fraud scheme involving a COVID-19 pandemic relief program. The accused persons are mostly business owners of Indian origin. 

In a press release issued on June 28, Leigha Simonton, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas said that this case is the largest to be investigated by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force to date.

On June 27 and 28, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Treasury Department’s Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) arrested the accused persons in Texas, California, and Oklahoma.

“Defrauding the government is an affront to American taxpayers. Defrauding the government during a pandemic, when millions of hardworking entrepreneurs were struggling to make payroll and rent,” US Attorney Leigha Simonton said.

Many of the charged accused allegedly operated an assortment of affiliated recycling companies, including Mammoth Metal Recycling, Elephant Recycling, Gulf Coast Scrap, 4G Metals, 4G Plastics, 5G Metals, Level Eight, Sunshine Recycling, L.K. Industries, NTC Industries, West Texas Equipment, and West Texas Scrap, according to a series of indictments unsealed on June 28.

They are accused of submitting at least 29 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications that fraudulently inflated payroll expenses by altering bank statements and Internal Revenue Service tax forms to falsely reflect business income. Subsequently, the accused routed PPP loan funds through a series of bank accounts to generate fake documents of payroll expenses. 

The press release stated that about two of the defendants are also accused of submitting false applications to financial institutions on behalf of their alleged recycling companies in order to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in business loan proceeds. One of the defendants, Bhavesh Patel alias Bobby Patel allegedly lied to the FDIC by claiming that he did not know several of his other alleged accomplices.

According to the said press release, Mihir Patel, Chief Financial Officer of Sunshine Recycling and owner of Mammoth Group, R.A. Industries, and L.K. Industries, is among those charged in the sixteen-count indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Kinjal Patel, Controller at Sunshine Recycling, was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud with aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Prateek Desai, owner of West Texas Scrap, has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting.

Wajahat Khan, aka Ray Khan, President and Owner of Gulf Coast Scrap, has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud with aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Imran Khan, alias Ron Khan, Operations Director and owner of 4G Metals and West Texas Equipment, was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting.

Chirag Gandhi, aka Chris Gandhi, Controller of NTC Industries and President and Owner of 5G Metals and Sunshine Recycling, has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting.

Bhavesh Patel, alias Bobby Patel, Sunshine Recycling’s Chief Business Development Officer and owner of Level Eight, was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting and making a false statement to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Elephant Recycling Co-President and Co-Owner Dharmesh Patel, alias Danny Patel, has been charged with conspiring to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting. Mitra Bhattarai, co-president and co-owner of Elephant Recycling has been charged with conspiring to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aiding and abetting. NTC Industries employee Bhargav Bhatt, aka Brad Bhatt, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Mrunal Desai, bank fraud and aiding and abetting; Chintak Desai, President of Nanosoft Technologies, bank fraud and aiding and abetting; Ambreen Khan, wire fraud; and Usha Chapain, aka Usha Sharma, bank fraud, are among those charged in separate indictments.

If found guilty, those charged may have to spend 30 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aiding and abetting bank fraud and making a false statement to the FDIC, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.

Paycheck Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program, established by the CARES Act, is administered by the Small Business Administration with assistance from the Treasury Department.  This programme provides funds to small businesses to cover up to 8 weeks of payroll costs, including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay mortgage, rent, and utility interest.

Take firm action against Khalistani terrorists: Ajit Doval to UK NSA

OpIndia Staff
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Take firm action against Khalistani terrorists: Ajit Doval to UK NSA

In a high-level meeting held on July 7, 2023, between National Security Advisers Ajit Doval of India and Tim Barrow of the United Kingdom, India raised concerns over Khalistani terrorist elements threatening officials of the Indian High Commission in the UK. India called upon the British government to take decisive action against the Khalistani terrorists, including deportation or legal prosecution, to safeguard the diplomatic staff. The meeting, part of the ‘India-UK Strategic Dialogue,’ aimed to strengthen cooperation in addressing violent extremism and radicalism.

During the meeting, India emphasised that extremism and radicalisation have no place in a democratic society, and both nations agreed to work closely on counter-terrorism, counter-terror financing, internet misuse for terrorist activities, counter-radicalisation, and illicit drug trafficking. The cooperation also extends to collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, promoting mutually beneficial ties.

NSA Ajit Doval and his UK counterpart, Tim Barrow, engaged in restricted discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They reviewed the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries and explored opportunities for future technology collaborations. The visit highlighted the ongoing high-level dialogue between the NSAs, reinforcing the robust bilateral, regional, and global agenda.

The meeting follows multiple recent incidents where pro-Khalistani terrorist groups have incited violence against Indian diplomats through posters in several countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. Ahead of a scheduled rally by these groups on July 8, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed its concern and urged partner countries not to provide space to Khalistani terrorist elements that advocate violence.

On Thursday, 6th July 2023, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have taken up this latest issue of threats against our diplomats with the UK authorities. We have noted comments by the UK foreign secretary but we would naturally judge them by what happens on the ground.”

Notably, on 6th July 2023, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in response to the recent threats against Indian diplomats, emphasised the paramount importance of staff safety at the Indian High Commission in London. He further stated that the UK would not tolerate direct attacks on the commission.

On March 19, 2023, pro-Khalistani individuals trespassed into the Indian High Commission in London, removing the Indian flag while waving the Khalistani flag. The Indian government strongly condemned the incident and demanded an explanation from the British authorities for their apparent failure to ensure the security of the diplomatic premises and personnel.

India has consistently raised its concerns regarding Khalistani extremism with partner countries. In June 2023, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar warned that giving space to Khalistani elements would impact bilateral relations and affirmed India’s intention to raise the issue with the governments of Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia.

The recent meeting between the NSAs of India and the UK demonstrates the commitment of both nations to combat terrorism, enhancing security linkages, and fostering deeper cooperation in critical areas. It highlights the shared determination to address the menace of Khalistani terrorism and ensure the safety of diplomatic missions and personnel.

After 11 years of struggle, the movie 72 Hoorain released today. Read what challenges the makers had to face and if the audience reception would get them the rewards

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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After 11 years of struggle, the movie 72 Hoorain released today. Read what challenges the makers had to face and if the audience reception would get them the rewards

The film ‘72 Hoorain‘, made on the problem of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, was released today. Produced by Gulab Singh Tanwar and directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, the movie actually premiered in 2019, at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa under the Indian Panorama section, where the movie won the ICFT-UNESCO GANDHI MEDAL Special Mention. After that, director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan won the Swarna Kamal award for best direction for the movie 72 Hoorain, also known as Bahattar Horain, at the 2021 National Film Awards.

Despite such critical acclaim, the makers of the film had to go through many rounds of struggles in the 11 years since they started making it. Now the film has reached the theatres today and it is getting good reviews as well as love from the audience. OpIndia spoke to ’72 Hoorain’ director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan on the issues and challenges he faced while making the film.

Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan is a film director as well as a screenwriter. He is known for the 2010 film ‘Lahore’, for which he won the National Award for Best Debut Film Director. He won the Best Adapted Story award at IIFA for the film ’83’ in 2022, which was made on India’s cricket World Cup victory in 1983. He has also been a member of the jury of national awards and IFFI.

Here is the transcript of the interview with Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan.

Question 1: The film ’72 Hoorain’ took 11 years to be made and released. After all, what is the reason for this? For more than a decade, you had to go through a period of struggle.

Answer: We have been working on it for a long time – from the idea to the writing of the story, the process took a long time. It often happens that when we do some non-conventional work, there is a problem with funds. Our producers were working on something like this for the first time. Gulab Singh was producing this film, and then Ashoke Pandit came and joined it.

Gulab Singh was funding this film. During this time, the work stopped for some reason or other. At times, actors would also back down because they feared that they would be opposed, they would face problems because, after all, they will be the face of the film. It happened a couple of times.

We thought of completing it quickly, but it took time even in that hurry. After this, we went to actor Pawan Malhotra. He was busy with other things at that time. He said that he wants to work in this film, but will have to wait a bit. It must have been around 2014-15. Pawan Malhotra was busy with films he had already confirmed.

The film’s shooting could not be completed in time, we will shoot some parts, then some problem will appear. But, more than shooting, the main problem appeared in post-production. The film was ready. There were a lot of challenges. It took a long time to deal with them.

Gulab Singh was making the film with his own money, there was no backing of any studio etc. The big production houses do not put their hands on this kind of hard-hitting content. We were running the business by outsourcing various jobs to different people.

Finally, in 2019, our film was ready and was to be screened at the Indian Panorama Film Festival as well. We were ready by July 2019, but unfortunately, when we were ready, the Covid-19 pandemic engulfed the world. We had to go to many film festivals around the world. During and even after Covid-19, people were so upset for some time that they were not ready for such a hard-hitting film.

Then when theatres reopened and the number of moviegoers began to grow, we started looking for distributors and exhibitors. But we did not find any. Then we decided to distribute it on a small scale ourselves. That’s when Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the producer of ‘The Kerala Story’, came forward and took the lead in distribution. His company and his office got involved in it. They want such films to reach the audience.

After this, Ashok Pandit also joined us, who helped us a lot in taking the post-production forward. They used their contacts. Since the beginning of this year, we have been thinking of releasing it, but experts are consulted on when to release a film. All this took so much time.

Question 2: You said that many actors backed out of this film. Who are the so-called A-lister actors of Bollywood, or whether sometimes the script is written keeping special actors in mind? What these challenges were like?

Answer: One thing was clear, those who are called the top actors of the film industry will not do such films. They have their own thinking and they do a certain kind of cinema, commercial films. They have an image, according to which they choose projects. Then comes the better actors, who play the character in a great way and leave an impression on the people, but many of them were not ready to do this film, because they felt the threat to their careers. Some of those who even got ready backed out at the end minute. They started saying that they are not comfortable doing this film, their family not comfortable, etc. They said that if some untoward incidents happen, they will start getting threats.

Question 3: The government changed in the country after 2014. Did you feel any difference between the two periods while making your film? Has the atmosphere changed?

Answer: We started work on ’72 Hoorain’ long ago, much before 2014. But, it took us time. Our struggle continued unabated, lasting more than a decade. After 2014, there has been a slight difference, which benefited ‘The Kashmir Files’ or ‘The Kerala Story’. It also made a difference that people showed enthusiasm, people started going to see such a film. Conventional production houses or studios do not back such films by calling them non-commercial, nor do they want to make films on these issues. However, people said that if you show the truth, we will come to see your film. This has given us distributors and they also have confidence that people will come to see this film.

Question 4: The discussion about the film ’72 Hoorain’ will continue, but during this time people will also want to know when you started making this film and during the struggle of 11 years so far, did the family received threats etc. or did someone in the family express some fear?

Answer: I live with my wife in Mumbai, my parents have passed away. At first, no one knew what was happening in this film. As soon as it came to be released, the threats started. My wife didn’t know much about the film in detail. Now when threats are coming, it is natural to have trouble, there is always concern.

Question 5: What is the reason for keeping the film black and white? This does not seem to be an ordinary thing, it seems that there must have been some intellectual discussion behind it. We would like to know more about this.

Answer: This is the way to tell the story or narrative of the film. 2 souls, 2 dead people who don’t have a body… To see the world and colour, the eyes and the body are needed. You need skin to feel rain or something like that. But, when you do not have a biological body and you are moving around without it, then you are not able to see anything. Colours are gone from your life, feelings are gone. Because this world is very beautiful and you know it when you open your eyes, paradise is here, not when you close your eyes.

For those who don’t have a body, Black and White tries to say it from their perspective to those who have no colour left in their lives.

Question 6: There have been many such films about Hinduism, in which different types of messages are given. Reformist films are made and good and bad things are told about religion. The special thing is that most Hindu producers and directors have made such films. But why doesn’t a Muslim producer or director try to make a film on the evils in Islam? That too when many Muslim directors are at the top in Bollywood.

Answer: I also had a discussion with Ashoke Pandit and Gulab Singh on this. Both of them also said that when evils happen in society, over time, films are made, discussions are held, and people talk about them. If this is the problem in my country, of terrorism, why can’t I talk about it? How can you stop me from doing this? Our own filmmakers have spoken about a lot of things from child marriage to sati and caste system.

But, what kind of a different law have you made that it cannot be talked about? It is repeated time and again that terrorism has no religion, and then suddenly they start talking about targeting religion. We are clear from the beginning that we are only talking about terrorism, you watch the film and react to it. We are not experts in your affairs. You get 32, you get 72, you get 94, we have no objection. But this method is wrong for what you are doing. This is what has been shown in this film, humanity has been talked about. This film is about the country’s interests. There is a national problem, it has been talked about.

Question 7: The spread of radicalisation among the youth is a major problem. The trailer of the film ’72 Hoorain’ also shows that this problem has been touched upon in it. What do you think is the cause and diagnosis of the problem of radicalisation of youth? You have done a lot of research while making the film, so we would like to know your experience.

Answer: I feel that when you mislead someone, deceive someone, by making excuses for any situation in society, some people use a conspiracy to fulfil their intentions, and manipulate them. Before an AK-47 comes into anyone’s hands, an idea is put in his mind. The concepts of Jannat and Shahadat are planted in them. There have been many people who have been Kasabs or other terrorists, during interrogation it is revealed that many terrorists mentioned ’72 Hoors’. They are given special training, in which they are told what they will get after death. They themselves have told about this in the interrogations.

Question 8: The trailer of the film ’72 Hoorain’ had a lot of trouble in getting a certificate from the Censor Board and during this time some scenes of the film were asked to be removed. What would you like to say about this controversy?

Answer: In fact, the film was passed by the Censor Board in 2019 and we got an A certificate. After making some changes and trimming the film, everything was done under a certain process. We had to go to film festivals, that’s why we got it passed by the censor. I think the job was over. At that time, we were not ready for release, so the trailer was not made.

Now that the release was planned, work on the trailer started. We made a good trailer. Then we applied to pass it in the Censor Board in Delhi on June 18, 2023, because the film was also censored from Delhi. Then we were told that the film has been screened. Trailers are usually released a month before the release of the film, 10 days is very short. That’s why, we had to change the release date of the trailer.

It was to be released in PVR on June 26, but then it was decided to do it on June 28. This news also appeared in the media. That afternoon, the censor board sent us a letter saying we will pass it on to you, but you have to cut off these scenes (like a scene with a corpse’s foot and the Quranic words). Our argument was that the trailer has the same scenes which have already been passed in the film by the censor board. Then why we were asked to remove them?

Secondly, when the trailer was ready for release, why we were told this at the last minute, could have been told earlier also. We already had less time. If you say 1 day in advance, then how can it be edited and submitted in a day? There are many processes involved. In order to complete these, the release date of the film would have been missed. So, we released the trailer on digital and we couldn’t take it to theatres. This shows that some things should be done in such a way that it causes the least trouble for the people. There is already a lot of struggles in making a film, if the problems are increased above it, then it is not right.

Question 9: What project will you work on after the film ’72 Hoorain’? What’s the next project on your mind, what preparations are on?

Answer: I am working on a few things, but I have not yet finalised which project will be taken ahead. As soon as something is finalised, I will talk about it myself.

In the trailer of the film ’72 Hoorain’, it was shown how a Maulana is saying that ‘you have chosen the path of righteousness and jihad, it will lead you to paradise’. As the film’s director Sanjay Puran Singh told, the film talks about the problem of terrorism. It is not new that in many speeches, maulanas have often provoked people and said that if they adopt the path of ‘jihad’ for Islam, they will get ’72 Hoors’. Many are lured by revealing the characteristics of these Hoors, or Houris, the mythical women who live in the paradise as per Islam.

Delhi Excise Policy Scam: ED attaches assets worth Rs 52 crore of Manish Sisodia, his wife and others, total attachment now at Rs 129 crore

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Excise Policy Scam: ED attaches assets worth Rs 52 crore of Manish Sisodia, his wife and others, total attachment now at Rs 129 crore

The Enforcement Directorate said on Friday, July 7, that it has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 52.24 crore belonging to jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia, his wife Seema Sisodia and others in the case of Delhi Liquor Policy linked money laundering case. The attachment included both movable and immovable properties. With this, the total attachment/seizure is Rs 128.78 crore in this case.

According to reports, the seized immovable properties, worth Rs 7.29 crore, comprise two assets of former Delhi deputy chief minister Sisodia and his wife, land/flat of another accused Rajesh Joshi (director of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd.) and land/flat of Gautam Malhotra.

The movable assets, worth Rs 44.29 crore including bank balances of Sisodia worth Rs 11.49 lakh, Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd. (amount of Rs 16.45 crore), and others, the agency said in a statement.

The development comes a day after Manish Sisodia filed a petition with the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn a decision by the Delhi High Court that had refused him bail. Sisodia is facing charges framed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to Delhi’s new excise policy.

Sisodia had earlier sought bail from court citing his wife’s ill health and his son being abroad. Earlier, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court ordered the Delhi police to physically produce him on the upcoming hearing date in connection with the case.

Sisodia is accused in cases that concern irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. He was arrested on 26 February on allegations of corruption in connection with the formulation and implementation of Delhi’s 2021–22 excise policy.

On 12 April, the ED opposed his bail and informed the Delhi Court that the AAP stalwart was responsible for manufacturing emails indicating widespread support for the policy.

The federal investigating agency disclosed that Sisodia altered the excise policy in response to the desires of the “South Group” in exchange for an upfront advance kickback of Rs 100 crore in its remand notice, which was placed before the court on March 10.

The money was allegedly handed over to Vijay Nair, the communicator in charge of the Aam Aadmi Party, at a South Delhi hotel by representatives of the latter. According to the Enforcement Department, he took home Rs 2.2 crores through the scandal.

UP: Roshan Ali pretended to quit Islam and embrace Hinduism to marry Hindu woman, later forces her to convert to Islam and performs Nikah

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Roshan Ali pretended to quit Islam and embrace Hinduism to marry Hindu woman, later forces her to convert to Islam and performs Nikah

A unique case of love jihad has come to the fore from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. A youth named Roshan Ali, originally a resident of Hardoi in UP, pretended to quit Islam and embrace Hinduism to trap a Hindu woman. He married her as per Hindu rituals in a Hindu Temple and then forced her to convert to Islam and perform Nikah.

The police said that Roshan Ali, the son of Naseeruddin and a resident of the Rampur district in the Sursa police station area of Hardoi, was living in Delhi and selling flowers for a living. In Delhi, he met the Hindu woman, a resident of the Vishnu Garden area in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar. Roshan Ali introduced himself as Roshan Lal to the girl’s family members. Gradually, the duo fell in love and decided to get married. When the family came to know that he actually belonged to the Muslim community, they disapproved of the marriage.

Roshan Ali, at this point, volunteered to quit Islam and embrace Hinduism to marry the Hindu woman. Roshan Ali went to the Arya Samaj Mandir in Delhi and converted to Hinduism from Islam and identified himself as Roshan Lal. With the consent of the girl’s family members, he then tied a knot with the Hindu woman in a same Arya Samaj Mandir in Delhi.

After two months, on Wednesday (July 5), Roshan Ali aka Roshan Lal took the Hindu woman to his village in Hardoi. There he converted her to Islam and married her again as per Islamic rituals.

As the news of the incident spread, local villagers complained about it to some members of the Bajrang Dal, who in turn approached the Hardoi police and lodged a complaint against the youth. The members of the Hindu organisation accused Roshan Ali of forcefully converting the Hindu woman into Islam without informing her family members. The Bajrang Dal members demanded that the culprit be taken into custody and given severe punishment for defrauding the Hindu family.

Based on the complaint, the Hardoi police brought the couple to the police station and informed the woman’s family members. 

When questioned, the woman expressed her desire to continue living with Roshan Ali. Roshan Ali, meanwhile, confessed that he had first embraced Hinduism to trick the woman into marrying him and later he came back to his village and performed Nikah after converting the woman to Islam. The Hindu woman was converted and named Roshni, he confessed, adding that he did so to keep both families happy.

BJP accelerates election preparations, appoints union ministers and senior leaders as in-charges for assembly elections in 4 states

OpIndia Staff
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BJP accelerates election preparations, appoints union ministers and senior leaders as in-charges for assembly elections in 4 states

The Bharatiya Janata Party has sounded the election bugle for the upcoming state assembly elections and announced in-charges for the elections in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh on 7 July.

Pralhad Joshi, the minister for Union Parliamentary Affairs is appointed in charge of Rajasthan with Nitin Patel, ex-deputy chief minister of Gujarat and Kuldeep Bishnoi, former two-term member of the Lok Sabha from Haryana, serving as co-in charge.

Veteran BJP politician from Rajasthan Om Prakash Mathur is set to lead the party’s election campaign in Chhattisgarh alongside Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who has been named as co-incharge.

Elections in Madhya Pradesh, where Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has held office four times since 2005, are scheduled to be overseen by Union Environment and Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, with Union Railway and Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw acting as the co-incharge.

Former minister of information and broadcasting Prakash Javadekar will take charge of the BJP’s electoral efforts in Telangana, aided by co-incharge Sunil Bansal, the national general secretary. The notification announcing the in-charges for the state elections was issued by the National General Secretary and Head Quarters Incharge Arun Singh.

The party wants to topple the Congress-led government of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, where it is customary to switch governments every five years.

It also seeks to oust the anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh, take on the incumbent Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who heads the Congress government in Chhattisgarh and try to win as many votes against the ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana.

The departure of Jyotiraditya Scindia, a key member of the Madhya Pradesh Congress at the time, from the party helped the BJP in Madhya Pradesh form the government under Shivraj Singh Chouhan in March 2020. The former had 22 rebel MLAs when he joined the party.

He was given a position in government in July 2021 when there was only one cabinet reshuffle under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term. He is presently the minister of civil aviation.

With 114 votes, the Congress formed the government in Madhya Pradesh in 2018 with the assistance of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and several Independents. However, in 2020,  Jyotiraditya Scindia-led defections caused the government to become unstable.

Notably, Mizoram is also expected to hold elections this year.

 

Balasore Train Accident: CBI arrests 3 Railway employees under charges of culpable homicide and destruction of evidence

OpIndia Staff
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Balasore Train Accident: CBI arrests 3 Railway employees under charges of culpable homicide and destruction of evidence

On Friday, July 7, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) arrested three Railway employees in connection to the Balasore train accident. The arrested persons have been identified as senior Section engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, section engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and technician Pappu Kumar.

As per the initial reports, the three have been booked under sections 304 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide and destruction of evidence. These three are accused of homicide that does not constitute murder because their conduct caused the accident and “they had knowledge” that they would do so.

This is almost a week after an investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) found faults from the signalling and telecommunication department (S&T) for the grave tragedy.

The accident involving Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast, and an iron-ore good train claimed 292 lives and injured over 1,200 passengers in Bahanaga Bazar station near Balasore in Odisha.

The accident took place after the Coromandel Express entered the loop line at the station instead of going straight on the main line, hit the goods train parked there at full speed, and its derailed coaches hit the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast which was just passing the station. It was evident the signalling was wrongly set for the train at the station.

The CSR report stated that the errors led to incorrect signalling for Train No. 12841, which traversed on the UP loop line and eventually rear-ended the Goods train (No. N/DDIP) that was waiting there. The UP Home Signal had indicated Green aspect for run-through movement on the UP main line of the station, but the crossover connecting the Up main line to the Up loop line (crossover 17A/B) was set to the UP loop line.

According to the research, an identical incident occurred on May 16, 2022 at Bankranayabaz station on South Eastern Railway’s Khargpur Division as a result of incorrect wiring and cable problems.

According to the investigation, incorrect labelling of wires within the level-crossing position box went years unnoticed before it resulted in a mix-up during maintenance work. As per the authorities, the tragedy could have been avoided if prior warning signs had not been disregarded.

The CRS then suggested that an effort be started to update the completion signalling wiring diagrams, other papers, and labelling of signalling circuits on site. It also recommended that a different team be sent out to inspect and test the modified signalling circuits and functions before the work was restored and reconnected.

Another setback for Uddhav Thackeray: Legislative Council Dy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe quits party and joins Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena

ANI
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Another setback for Uddhav Thackeray: Legislative Council Dy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe quits party and joins Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena

In yet another setback to the Shiv Sena (UBT), party leader and Deputy Chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC member joined the rival faction in the presence of state Chief Minister Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. Interestingly, in Maharashtra Legislative Council’s Business Advisory Committee today, the BJP MLC Pravin Darekar proposed to take back the no-confidence motion against Gorhe, brought during the previous session of the Council, for the post of Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council.

Darekar’s proposal was seconded by party MLC Prasad Lad.

Speaking at the official induction meeting here, Gorhe said, “Shiv Sena is heading in the right direction under the able leadership of Eknath Shinde.”

While speaking on the occasion, Shinde said it is a historic moment and it is a testament to how strong the BJP-Shiv Sena unity is.

“Everyone is seeing the work we do, and this is why our Sena is getting stronger and people keep joining. Neelam Gorhe will be able to work freely with all her heart for women. She is not defecting anywhere but is joining the original Sena,” he said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the nation to be a superpower. “We believe we should have a role to play as a state,” he added.

Deputy CM Fadnavis said Sena-BJP follows the same thought process.

“I personally wanted to remain present for the induction and welcome her into the alliance. She has taken a rational decision,” he said.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

As Gujarat Samachar copies OpIndia report except for the exclusive identity of Muslim culprit, know how mainstream media shields Islamists and crimes committed by Muslims

Gopal Tiwari
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As Gujarat Samachar copies OpIndia report except for the exclusive identity of Muslim culprit, know how mainstream media shields Islamists and crimes committed by Muslims

Ashish Goswami, a resident of Jetpur in the Rajkot district of Gujarat who embraced Islam after establishing contact with a Muslim girl from Bangladesh through the social media platform Instagram, was brought back to Hinduism by Kanhaiyanand Maharaj, the revered leader of the local Hindu Dharma Sena and the Mahant of the Narasimha temple in Jetpur on 5th July 2023. OpIndia’s Gujarati team contacted the Hindu seer and covered an exclusive ground report of this Ghar Wapasi. Gujarat Samachar, a leading newspaper in Gujarat copied the details of the incident from the OpIndia and published the news, but they did so by hiding the religious identity of the perpetrators and other details related to religion.

OpIndia published the report on 6th July 2023 at around 4:20 PM in Gujarati. Gujarat Samachar, a leading newspaper of Gujarat, copied the OpIndia report word by word and published it on 7th July 2023. However, the Gujarat Samachar deleted the terms ‘Muslim’ and ‘Islam’ from its report. Instead, Gujarat Samachar called it a ‘particular community’.

In the OpIndia ground report, it was clearly mentioned that the victim youth was influenced by fugitive Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik. It was also mentioned that he was accompanied by two Muslim youths when he went to a government hospital to get circumcised because he wanted to convert to Islam. It was also mentioned that the Bangladeshi girl who lured him into marriage and asked him to convert was a Muslim. Gujarat Samachar did not mention the word Muslim or Islam anywhere in this regard. It rather hid the identity of the community the perpetrators belonged to.

Besides, the victim youth Ashish Goswami had grown a beard like a Muslim religious person and he shaved the beard when he was brought back to Hinduism by the Hindu saint who visited his house and invested 2 hours to discuss with him and guide him to come back to his original faith. The Gujarat Samachar mentioned the 2-hour-long efforts but cleverly hid that the youth shaved the Muslim-like beard and rejected the Islamic symbol of identity.

The Gujarat Samachar however did not forget to mention that the members of Hindu organisations gathered outside the house of the victim youth late in the night and chanted Hanuman Chalisa and raised slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Mentioning this, without context or mention of the faith of the youths who brainwashed Ashish Goswami may lead a reader to an anti-Hindu perception through such news.

This is not the first time that the mainstream media has shielded the wrongdoings of Islamists and crimes committed by Muslims. A popular way to achieve this is by writing ‘particular community’ or ‘minority community’ instead of Muslims or Islam. While this method is employed in every small case where the accused Muslim is practically a nobody or as common as the victim. If the accused is a known face, the media switches to humanising the culprit.

An incident from Bihar that took place in 2019 is a classic example of how the media not only conceals the identity of a Muslim culprit but imposes a Hindu identity on him. In this incident, several media organisations attributed the death of a 10-year-old boy because of the rituals performed by a Muslim healer to a “Tantrik”. While the death of the child occurred due to a Muslim healer, the PTI report gave an obvious Hindu slant to the headline and calls the Muslim healer a ‘Tantrik’. This headline was then carried by many media houses such as NDTV, India Today, and The Tribune verbatim without changes.

On the other hand, when a culprit is Hindu, or particularly an upper caste Hindu, or the victim is a lower caste Hindu the identity of the person is screamed through the headlines even in cases as insignificant as a minor road accident. When the culprit in some incident is a known face from the Muslim community or a brazened Islamic terrorist the mainstream media tends to humanise him however inhuman his crime.

The media and their Islamist-Leftist counterparts have frequently employed a powerful tactic of humanising terrorists or Muslim criminals which can be easily dismissed as mere shenanigans. However, this approach effectively distorts the perception of the public, making it challenging for them to accept the facts presented against these terrorists. By portraying them as likeable and relatable individuals, the common reader becomes inclined to disregard the evidence against them.

Times of India published an article talking about how much Umar Khalid’s girlfriend misses him, how much she loves him, how they met and started dating, how they meet in jail, and so on and so forth.

The Indian Express, Huffington Post, and The Wire published articles that sought to humanise Riyaz Naikoo, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, by emphasising his background as the “son of a tailor” and a former math teacher, while also referring to him as the operational chief of the terrorist organization. The Wire, in particular, went a step further by avoiding any mention of the term “jihadi” in their article.

Despite Naikoo’s active involvement in the valley and his responsibility for numerous abductions and recruitment activities for the Hizbul Mujahideen over the years, propagandists mourned his death and presented misleading narratives suggesting that he was driven towards “extremism” due to actions by the Indian state. This deliberate manipulation served to whitewash his terrorist activities and glorify him as a “martyr.”

Hindustan Times portrayed Yasin Malik, who is responsible for the killing of Indian Air Force personnel and collaborated closely with Pakistan, as someone with a “long history of struggle.”

Yasin Malik actively engaged in attacking Indian individuals in Kashmir, aiming to separate the valley from India. However, the Indian state has taken measures to isolate him from Kashmir, leading to his imprisonment where he remains today.

In her article, The Quint’s Legal writer, Mekhala Saran, made a defensive case for Sharjeel Imam, who was accused in the Jamia violence case. Rather than providing a legal news analysis, she attempted to school the justice system, as if it needed her validation.

For decades, the mainstream media has adhered to a consistent trend that went unquestioned. The sympathies of India’s mainstream media towards Jihadis and Islamists are not unique but rather mimic the support seen in Western media. Recently, Gujarat Samachar replicated a ground report from OpIndia while conveniently omitting the religious identity of the Muslims involved in the brainwashing of Ashish Goswami for his conversion to Islam.

Manoj Muntashir removed as judge from India’s Got Talent on Sony after Adipurush controversy, claims journalist

OpIndia Staff
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Manoj Muntashir removed as judge from India’s Got Talent on Sony after Adipurush controversy, claims journalist

Amidst criticism and backlash over cheap dialogue in the controversial movie Adipurush, its dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir has reportedly been removed as a judge on Sony TV’s show India’s Got Talent. Earlier it was reported that Muntashir will be on the show as a judge alongside actresses Shilpa Shetty, Kirron Kher and singer Badshah. Taking to Twitter, journalist Deepak Chaurasia claimed that Manoj Muntashir who was a part of the previous season of India’s Got Talent, will not be seen this time. 

In his tweet, Chaurasia stated that Sony Entertainment Television has decided to distance itself from Muntashir following the Adipurush controversy. “Manoj Muntashir will not be the judge this time on Sony channel’s popular show ‘India’s Got Talent’. The channel distanced itself from Manoj Muntashir due to the ruckus about Adipurush. Manoj hoped that he would be kept as a judge again in this show,” Chaurasia tweeted.

Chaurasia further said that before being ousted from Sony TV’s show, several departments of the Central and Uttar Pradesh government have removed Manoj Muntashir’s name from many projects. He also claimed that Muntashir was removed from UP government projects at the behest of CM Yogi Adityanath. 

The Zee News Consulting Editor went on to say that in Kalyug, people get the fruits of their actions served right away. Manoj Muntashir, according to Chaurasia, still has his chance to apologise to the immortal Lord Hanuman.

“In Kaliyug, one gets the fruits of one’s actions immediately. I’ll say it again: there’s still a chance to apologise to God, Manoj, as Bajrangbali is still Chiranjeevi. May Shriram bestow wisdom on you,” he said.

India’s Got Talent, a part of the Got Talent franchise by British television personality Simon Cowell, originally aired on Colors TV. However, from Season 9 in 2022, the show is airing on Sony TV, and Manoj Muntashir was brought in as a judge after the show was acquired by Sony. Now, if Deepak Chaurasia is to be believed, he has been removed from the show after just one season. Kiron Kher has been the judge of the show since the being, while other judges keep changing. Karan Johar and Malaika Arora judged 4 seasons, from 4th to 8th.

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir received a lot of criticism and condemnation over the uncouth dialogues in the Adipurush movie based on the Hindu epic Ramayana which was released on the 16th of June this year.  

Muntashir had not only admitted that cheap, tapori-level dialogues were deliberately for the film but also defended it. Muntashir had tried to defend the dialogues, saying the movie was not exactly Ramayana but an adaptation, and the dialogues were written keeping in mind the modern young audience. However, his excuses fail to placate the public, and thousands of social media posts condemned the dialogues, especially those attributed to Lord Hanuman.

Adding fuel to the fire Muntashir later claimed that Lord Hanuman is no god adding that he is only a Bhakt (devotee). “Hanuman ji is not God, he is a devotee. We have made him God later because his devotion had such power,” Muntashir said. 

Manoj Muntashir was defending the film Adipurush from the beginning. Even when the film’s trailer was released, people questioned Ravana’s appearance. Muntashir said at the time, “Every era’s evil has its own face.” For me, Ravana is the face of evil, and Alauddin Khilji is the face of evil in this era, and even if it is similar, we did not do it on purpose, and even if it is discovered, there is nothing wrong with it.”

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