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London: Khalistanis announce ‘Kill India’ rally outside Indian High Commission on 8th July, name Indian diplomats as targets

OpIndia Staff
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London: Khalistanis announce ‘Kill India’ rally outside Indian High Commission on 8th July, name Indian diplomats as targets

Pro-Khalistani elements have announced a ‘Kill India’ rally outside India High Commission in London on 8th July. A poster of the event has been circulating on social media platforms including Twitter. The announcement came days after the arson attack on San Francisco Indian Consulate. Several accounts that were created in June 2023 have been seen promoting the said poster.

The poster read, “Khalistan ‘KILL India’ Rallies 8 July to Challenge #Indian Hand in Assassination of Nijjar.” They also tagged several pro-Khalistani high-profile accounts and journalists.

The poster contained photographs of the Indian high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Dr Shashank Vikram, consul-general of India, Birmingham. It falsely labelled them as “the faces of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killers in Vancouver”. The poster referred to Vikram as CG of the “Embassy of India in London” which is false. The poster appeared to be created by Sikhs For Justice.

Reacting to the threats, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom James Cleverly said, “Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable. We have made clear to
Vikram Doraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount.”

Speaking to Times of India Kuldeep Shekhawat, president of the Overseas Friends of BJP UK said, “What will Pannun gain with these kinds of gimmicks? Postering the Indian high commissioner and our CG in Birmingham clearly shows the frustration. There is no Khalistani support from the Indian diaspora and it is a clear story of a misinformation campaign that a handful of misguided Sikhs are trying to do. A true Sikh is for the nation India and will always remain (so).”

Similar posters carrying photographs of Indian diplomats have surfaced in the US, Australia and Canada promoting Khalistani rallies scheduled for the 8th of July outside Indian missions in respective countries. On July 5, India summoned Canadian high commissioner Cameron Mackay to register a protest over the controversial poster.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India will take up the issue of Khalistanis threatening Indian diplomats in posters circulated in Canada with the Trudeau government, and also talk to other partner countries where such issues keep emerging.

Speaking to the media, he added that India has urged its partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. “This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries,” he said. The statement came after Khalistani posters carrying threats to Indian diplomats were circulated in Canada.

Earlier, Khalistani posters targeting Indian High Commissioner and Counsul-General appeared in Australia. Both Indian diplomats have been named as “killers” of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. A march on the Indian Embassy has been announced in the poster which is scheduled for 8th July in Melbourne. Retired senior correspondent Terry Milewski shared the poster on Twitter and wrote, “Khalistani posters targeting Indian diplomats spread to Australia after Canada”.

On 2nd July, Khalistanis carried out an arson attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco city of United States. 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.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination

On 18th July, designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in a Gurdwara in the British Columbia province of Canada. Khalistani elements have accused the Indian security agencies of the assassination. Following the deaths of Avtar Singh Khanda who was Amritpal Singh’s aide, Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar and then Nijjar, several pro-Khalistani elements have gone underground including SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Recent rumours suggested SFJ’s Pannu also died in a road accident in the US. However, the suspense of his being alive or dead is yet to be cleared.

I am NCP president, still effective whether 82 or 92: Sharad Pawar hits back at Ajit Pawar, expels Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and SR Kohli from party

OpIndia Staff
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I am NCP president, still effective whether 82 or 92: Sharad Pawar hits back at Ajit Pawar, expels Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and SR Kohli from party

Day second of the Maharashtra crisis stemming from Ajit Pawar’s mutiny against his uncle Sharad Pawar began on 6 July. In the latest development, Sharad Pawar claimed he is still in charge of the Nationalist Congress Party, which he formed more than twenty years ago after separating from Congress. In addition, he expelled senior party leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and SR Kohli for siding with his nephew at a working committee meeting earlier today in Delhi.

“I am the president of NCP, if someone says otherwise then it is completely false, there’s no truth in it. There’s no importance if someone says something. We will rebuild the party, doesn’t matter if I am 82 or 92,” he stated responding to Ajit Pawar’s age taunt.

He added that his wishes are with Ajit Pawar to become whatever he wants to be. The party veteran declared, “NCP will approach the Election Commission on the issue of the party’s name and symbol. Rebels will have to pay the cost.”

He further continued, “Now, whatever we need to say, we will say it before the Election Commission of India. Today’s meeting helped boost our morale.”

Sharad Pawar wrote to the Election Commission regarding Ajit Pawar’s petition laying claim for the NCP symbol. According to NCP leader P C Chacko, the party in New Delhi passed eight motions in the meeting. He alleged that Sharad Pawar is supported by the organisation.

Congress leader and disqualified Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi also arrived at NCP President Sharad Pawar’s Delhi residence to meet him.

However, the faction headed by Ajit Pawar released a statement in which it contended that Sharad Pawar’s national executive meeting was illegitimate and lacked the capacity to have any meetings or make any decisions. It mentioned in a petition submitted to the Election Commission on 5 July that Sharad Pawar was removed as the party supremo and Ajit Pawar was elected in his place during a national executive meeting on 30 June.

In a startling political move, Ajit Pawar and eight other prominent leaders including Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on July 2 which resulted in a major split in the NCP. The former was appointed deputy chief minister while the others were sworn in as ministers in a ceremony conducted at the Raj Bhavan.

‘SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is dead’: claims FPJ citing sources even as a new video of Pannun surfaces a day after rumours of his death

OpIndia Staff
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‘SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is dead’: claims FPJ citing sources even as a new video of Pannun surfaces a day after rumours of his death

A day after it was rumoured that Sikhs for Justice founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun died in a car crash in the USA before it was denied by people close to him, now a report by the Free Press Journal claims that the rumour was actually true. According to Free Press Journal, a high-level source in the Indian security establishment said that Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has indeed died in a road accident. The statement came at a time when social media is abuzz with rumours of his death in a road accident on the United States Highway No 101 that stretches from Los Angeles, California to Tumwater, Washington.

Notably, Lafayette County Fire Department issued a warning about a motor vehicle accident in the area of 600 Block of County Road 101 and asked the commuters to avoid the area, if possible. However, there has been no official word about who were the victims of that accident. OpIndia could not verify the claims independently if Pannu was one of the victims.

The rumours of his death first surfaced on social media on 5th July. One social media user MJ was among the first to post on Twitter that Pannu died in a road accident in the USA. After that, several others started posting the same claim. However, Sukhi Chahal, the founder and editor of Khalsa Times, has denied the rumour, calling it fake news. He tweeted, “Regarding the news about the alleged car accident in my neighborhood in California and the death of SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, I would like to emphasize that the information is FAKE & FALSE. I kindly urge everyone to refrain from spreading this misinformation.”

New video of Pannu threatening Indian diplomats surfaced

Amid these reports, a new video of Pannun surfaced on social media insinuating that he is well and alive. In the video that was dated July 5 and recorded outside United Nations Headquarters in New York, Pannu said, “Today is 5th July and I am standing outside headquarters of the United Nations. This is the place where one day the flag of Khalistan will be hoisted. This is the place where we will bring our case after completing a referendum to separate Punjab from India. Remember, voting will take place on 16th July at Shaheed Bhai Mohinder Singh Kooner Khalsa in Malton, Canada. Next voting will be held on 10th September at Shaheed Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar Voting Center in Vancouver, Canada.”

Targeting Indian diplomats in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and Europe, he added, “This is to retaliate, every Indian diplomat in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and Europe, they are responsible for the assassination of Shaheed Najjar. Every diplomat must remember we are not going to stay back. We are going to hold you accountable. This is the United States. Land of the free and home of the brave. We are not afraid of anyone. If anyone wants to meet and seek answers, they can meet me in New York. This is not your Indian jackals who stay behind cameras of Republic TV and like and call themselves lions. You will face consequences of targeting the Sikh community.”

Towards the end, the video showed an animated clip depicting a missile with the Khalistani flag attacking Red Fort in India.

Khalistani terrorists died under ‘mysterious circumstances’

In the past few months, several Khalistani terrorists have died under mysterious circumstances. SFJ’s Pannu and Khalistani elements have claimed that Indian Intelligence officials were behind the deaths. They urged the authorities in the US and Canada to probe the deaths accordingly. Following the deaths of Avtar Singh Khanda who was Amritpal Singh’s aide, Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, several pro-Khalistani elements have gone underground including SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It is unclear if the video published on social media was recorded after the supposed accident on Highway 101 or before.

Lalu Prasad Yadav hits multiple targets with one arrow, says having a PM without a wife is wrong days after urging Rahul Gandhi to marry soon

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Lalu Prasad Yadav hits multiple targets with one arrow, says having a PM without a wife is wrong days after urging Rahul Gandhi to marry soon

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s accidental humour has made many people wonder. But he cannot claim this limelight all for himself, at least not after the grand Opposition meeting in Patna, for the quota on comical statements, has already been claimed years ago by none other than Lalu Prasad Yadav. It also seems that the former Bihar CM has determined to get Rahul Gandhi married because now he has set the marital status as one of the conditions for the PM candidate. This comes days after he openly urged 53-year-old Gandhi to get married soon.

RJD Chief Lalu Yadav while answering a question about the PM face from the opposition said that only a leader who has a wife should become PM. “Whoever becomes the PM should not be without a wife. Staying at the PM residence without a wife is wrong. This should be done away with,” declared the former Bihar Chief Minister.

Hitting not two but multiple birds with one stone (the Lalu Yadav edition), the former Union Railways minister further said that the PM living in the PM residence without a wife is “very wrong”. “This should be ended,” Lalu lamented.

However, it is difficult to guess who was the main target of Yadav, PM Narendra Modi, or Rahul Gandhi. It seems that Lalu Prasad Yadav has disqualified Rahul Gandhi for the post of PM because the Congress leader does not have a wife. However, there are other PM aspirants as well in the opposition camp without a spouse.

This latest statement is a fine example of Lalu’s exclusive skill of how to critique one’s adversary (PM Modi) and incarcerate one’s rival (Rahul Gandhi) at the same time enough to stay relevant in the media, for reasons better than a scam or two (or three or four). It must be noted that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is a widower and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has never married.

This brings up the very first point that Rahul Gandhi cannot beat Lalu’s talent. For all we know, the man who makes us all wonder is probably wondering himself whether the Opposition meeting on 23rd June was to form a Mahagathbandhan or find him a rishta (wife).

On 23rd June, Lalu Prasad Yadav gave a piece of parental advice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, like all uncles and aunties give to eligible bachelors in any family gathering in India. Addressing a joint press conference of the Opposition at Patna, Lalu urged the 53-year-old Congress leader to get married soon.

“You didn’t listen to my advice. Did not get married. You should have married. It is not too late even today. Get married and we would all participate in your wedding procession,” a paternal Lalu insisted.

Rahul’s response did not let anyone down and he went with the flow to say, “Now, that you have said it, it will happen.”

Whatsoever it may be, Lalu’s latest statement is perhaps the RJD chief’s way of saying that he is here for the alliance (political, not marriage) with Congress and not to endorse Rahul as PM, at least not when he is sans a wife.

But there’s still time before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and all cards are on the table. If Rahul Gandhi does good by his promise and gets married, Lalu Yadav might as well give in and endorse him for PM and then the Opposition might finally have a PM candidate. Well, Rahul Gandhi and the Grand Alliance have their task cut out ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

World’s first malaria vaccine: GAVI to launch 18 million doses in 12 countries, know how India’s Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute are going to play a crucial role

OpIndia Staff
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World’s first malaria vaccine: GAVI to launch 18 million doses in 12 countries, know how India’s Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute are going to play a crucial role

On 5th July Gavi, the vaccine alliance, announced that twelve African countries are set to receive 18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine in the next two years. Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in the African continent and these vaccines will play a critical role in saving lives.

As the vaccine supply will be limited in the beginning, priority has been given to the areas that are in the utmost need where the risk of malaria illness and death among children is the highest.

The Framework implementation group that has designed the process of delivering the vaccine includes representatives from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), UNICEF, WHO, and the Gavi Secretariat along with representatives of civil society and independent advisors.

World’s malaria vaccines: manufactured by Indian companies

By 2026, the annual demand for malaria vaccine will reach 40-60 million doses and by 2030 it will reach 80-100 million doses. Bharat Biotech will be supplying the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine in the future.

In 2021, GSK, the British pharma giant that worked for over 3 decades with nonprofit group PATH, announced that the manufacturing of the protein part of the malaria vaccine RTS, S/AS01 will be transferred to India’s Bharat Biotech.

“Helping secure the long-term future of the only vaccine available by working with an established leader like Bharat Biotech is vital for the continued fight against this devastating disease,” GSK’s Thomas Breuer had said then. Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech is currently the sole supplier of the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine and is expected to remain so till 2029.

GSK had committed to donate 10 million doses of the vaccine to WHO’s pilot program.

A second vaccine named R21/Matrix-M that has been developed by Oxford University will be manufactured and supplied by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and could also be prequalified by WHO soon, GAVI stated.

In April this year, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine for malaria, developed by Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, got regulatory approval for usage by the government of Ghana. SII has already established manufacturing capabilities for 200 million doses annually. R21/Matrix-M is a low-dose vaccine that is given to children between 5 to 36 months. It has been consistently meeting the WHO standards of 75% efficacy.

It is notable here that India is the world’s largest manufacturer of low-cost vaccines. Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech both played a crucial role in India’s fight against Covid.

Malaria vaccine program in African countries

Malaria vaccines are being delivered in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi via WHO and funded by Gavi, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and United. Since 2019, 1.7 million children in these countries have received RTS, S/AS01 vaccine and it has shown notable results and a substantial reduction in severe malaria. The number of deaths among children due to malaria has come down as well. So far, 28 countries have shown interest in getting their hands on the malaria vaccine.

With the proposed supply of 18 million doses of the vaccine, nine more countries will get the vaccine that includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The vaccine will be introduced to the routine immunization programs in these countries for the first time.

The first round of allocation is being done to Gavi via UNICEF and the first doses of the vaccine will reach these countries between October and December 2023. The vaccine rollout will begin in early 2024.

Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi Thabani Maphosa said, “This vaccine has the potential to be very impactful in the fight against malaria, and when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, it can prevent tens of thousands of future deaths every year. While we work with manufacturers to help ramp up supply, we need to make sure the doses that we do have are used as effectively as possible, which means applying all the learnings from our pilot programmes as we broaden out to a new total of 12 countries.”

Malaria takes away the lives of millions of African children under the age of 5 every year

Every year, around a million children die under the age of 5 due to malaria in Africa making it one of the deadliest diseases. These deaths accounted for 95% of the global malaria cases and 95% of the malaria deaths in 2023. UNICEF Associate Director of Immunization Ephrem T Lemango said, “Nearly every minute, a child under 5 years old dies of malaria. For a long time, these deaths have been preventable and treatable; but the roll-out of this vaccine will give children, especially in Africa, an even better chance at surviving. As supply increases, we hope even more children can benefit from this life-saving advancement.”

WHO Director of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals said, “The malaria vaccine is a breakthrough to improve child health and child survival; and families and communities, rightly, want this vaccine for their children. This first allocation of malaria vaccine doses is prioritized for children at the highest risk of dying of malaria. The high demand for the vaccine and the strong reach of childhood immunization will increase equity in access to malaria prevention and save many young lives. We will work tirelessly to increase supply until all children at risk have access.”

Delhi Excise Policy Scam: Manish Sisodia moves Supreme Court challenging Delhi High Court order denying him bail

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Excise Policy Scam: Manish Sisodia moves Supreme Court challenging Delhi High Court order denying him bail

Manish Sisodia, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi, 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. CBI stated, “He (Sisodia) gave evasive replies and did not cooperate in the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary.”

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.

“We have evidence that Sisodia had planted emails. These have been received not only in the official email account of the excise department but even in Sisodia’s personal email account. This is another proof of conspiracy, the content of the email was given by Sisodia which suited his agenda,” ED attorney Zoheb Hossain revealed.

He asserted that the new policy was framed to gain incentives. “Policy making does not happen telepathically. A policy, which is touted to be transparent, and fair, is introduced without any deliberation. An illegal ecosystem was created to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels in lieu of kickbacks,” he added.

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: Saddam and Rizwan arrested under UAPA for supporting terrorism, wanted Sharia rule in India and were willing to sacrifice lives for jihad

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Saddam and Rizwan arrested under UAPA for supporting terrorism, wanted Sharia rule in India and were willing to sacrifice lives for jihad

Two middle-aged men from Bengaluru and Kashmir were detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for supporting terrorism on social media. These individuals desired to join terrorist organisations and rule India according to Sharia law. They were prepared to give their lives in retaliation for the Jihad.

The narrative of the upcoming movie “72 Hoorian,” which delves deeply into the world of terrorists and their ideologies, is remarkably similar to the tales of these men. In the movie, terrorists are drawn into Jihad by false promises made by Jannat and Hoor. The two accused who have been identified as Saddam Sheikh and Rizwan Khan also were waiting to sacrifice their lives for Jihad. 

Both of these men frequently shared and uploaded videos on social media that encouraged terrorism and the Jihad. They expressed respect to terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Zakir Musa, Sameer Tiger, and to terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba. Saddam Sheikh wanted India to be governed as per Sharia law. 

Saddam, the 38-year-old son of Munshi Miya, was a driver for the NTC firm and a resident of Bengaluru’s Dhabsapet area. He caught ATS’s attention because of his offensive social media posts. He had his accounts withheld several times as a result of his contentious posts.

The ATS obtained an investigative warrant and summoned Saddam to their office after the initial monitoring. Saddam acknowledged during the initial investigations that Al-Oaeda, Ansar-Gazwat-ul Hind, and Hizb-ul were influential on him. Saddam said that he had the same ideals as terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Zakir Musa, Riyaz Nayaku, Naved Jat, and Sameer Tiger. He also had a cell phone that the ATS used to recover questionable information on these terrorists.

Press release by UP ATS (Image- Organizer)

Saddam used to post videos and talks of these terrorists and terror organisations to influence other users since he wanted to be a mujahid. He intended to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling over the Babri Mosque because he was upset with it. He made a number of social media accounts that were restricted or withheld by Facebook for their controversial content.

According to a report, one of the motives behind Saddam’s social media postings was his desire for these extreme organisations to get in touch with them and attain training. Saddam planned to assemble an army by enlisting all Muslims who were in precarious situations or harboured resentments towards the Indian political system.

He wanted India to make the transition to Islam and adopt Sharia as its primary legal system. Saddam was in contact with Pakistani terrorist organisations using IMO, and his profile image featured posters for ISIS, Al-Badr, and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

After conducting an investigation, the ATS arrested Saddam on July 1 and filed a FIR (number-04/2023) against him at the ATS police station in Lucknow. Saddam has been charged with violating UAPA sections 13/18/38 and 121-A.

On the other hand Rizwan stated that he wanted to sacrifice his life for Islam. The ATS personnel were alerted by intelligence that a man from Kashmir who is connected to terrorism is residing in several areas of Uttar Pradesh. After some research, the ATS discovered abusive posts and videos from Rizwan’s handle that aroused suspicion.

Press release issued by UP ATS (Organizer)

Rizwan was charged with using social media to spread hate speech and recruit followers for the same by spreading contentious remarks. He briefly stayed in Unnao and was employed as a security guard at the Indango Food Private Limited meat plant. Rizwan was being held in custody while residing in Farbis Ganj, Bihar, and working as a security guard for Marhaba Frozen Food Private Limited.

Rizwan was summoned to the headquarters by the ATS as part of a procedure using an investigation warrant, where he admitted to sharing radical content on social media. Rizwan was motivated by militants and weaponry because he aspired to join the Mujahideen in the future.

The ATS discovered images from his profile of anti-national music, weaponry, and terrorist training camps. Rizwan confessed that he aspired to be a terrorist like Burhan Wani (Hizb-ul-Mujaheeddin and Mujahid) and terrorists Zakir Musa (who led the Tanjim Group and Ansar-Gazwat-ul-Hind).

Rizwan Khan said, “Jihad ki raah par fida hone ke liye, lnshah Allah mai apni baari ka intezar kar raha tha”(I was waiting for my turn to sacrifice my life for Jihad). Following the interrogations, the ATS detained Rizwan and registered an FIR (number-05/2023) against him at the ATS police station, Lucknow. He also has been booked under IPC sections 121-A and 123 with sections 13/18/38 of the UAPA.

White House turns down question about Hunter Biden’s ‘Unacknowledged’ love child with ex-stripper Luden Alexis Roberts

OpIndia Staff
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White House turns down question about Hunter Biden’s ‘Unacknowledged’ love child with ex-stripper Luden Alexis Roberts

The White House has declined to answer yet again a question about Navy Joan Roberts, the estranged granddaughter of US President Joe Biden. Navy Joan Roberts is Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s 4-year-old child with Luden Alexis Roberts, a former stripper at the Mpire Gentlemen’s Club in Washington, D.C.

Referring to a report published by the New York Times on July 1, 2023, a reporter, during the daily White House press briefing, asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “There was a story in the New York Times over the weekend about Hunter Biden’s daughter in Arkansas. Does the President acknowledge this little girl as his granddaughter?”

Jean-Pierre replied saying, “I don’t have anything to share from here.”

On 1st July, the NYT published a report titled “Hunter Biden’s Daughter and a Tale of Two Families”. The report talked about the battle between Lunden Alexis Roberts and Hunter Biden over child support for 4-year-old Navy Joan Roberts.

Report published by NYT on July 1

The battle ended on 29th June after both parties agreed that Hunter Biden, now a painter by profession, would hand over some of his paintings to the toddler. He will also be providing a monthly support payment to Navy Joan Roberts and in turn, Luden Alexis Roberts agreed to withdraw her counterclaim to change their child’s last name to “Biden.”

The Biden’s have resisted a lengthy fight over getting Lunden Alexis Roberts to drop her request seeking the Biden surname for her daughter. She reportedly said the decision to drop the request was mutual.

“We both want what is best for our daughter, and that is our only focus,” she said.

Joe Biden refuses to acknowledge his seventh grandchild

In the past too, the White House has refused questions about the case. It has reportedly been emphasized in several meetings in recent years that the Bidens have six grandchildren and not seven.

President Joe Biden too has publicly declared in April this year at the White House’s “Take Your Child to Work Day” that he has six grandchildren.

According to a report, Biden spoke to his staffers’ children and said that he speaks to six grandkids daily and that he is crazy about them.

The “six” grandchildren include Naomi, 29, Finnegan, 22, and Maisy, 21, Hunter’s daughters with ex-wife Kathleen Buhle; Natalie, 18, and Robert, 16, the children of his late son Beau Biden and wife Hallie; and 3-year-old Beau, Hunter’s son with current wife Melissa Cohen.

Who is Lunden Alexis Roberts?

Lunden Alexis Roberts is the mother of Hunter Biden’s 4-year-old daughter Navy Joan Roberts. She was working as a stripper at the Mpire Club in Washington DC under the stage name “Dallas”.

Hunter Biden was reportedly a regular visitor at the club. Roberts had a brief affair with Hunter Biden about five years ago that resulted in a pregnancy, not long after he ended a torrid affair with Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother, Beau Biden.

Lunden gave birth to Navy in August 2018. A paternity test had confirmed that Navy was in fact Hunter Biden’s daughter.

A paternity suit was filed in May 2019 — the same month Hunter Biden married his second wife, Melissa Cohen, with whom he now shares a young son named Beau after his late brother, who died in 2015 from brain cancer.

Hunter Biden’s obsession with prostitution and pornography

Several pictures were recovered by the forensic agency from the second laptop of Hunter Biden that was seized by federal agents. In one photo, he was seen pulling a woman by her hair while she bent on her knees in a sexually suggestive position. Joe Biden’s son also had a profile (username RHEast) on the pornography website, Pornhub. His account had 66 award badges, and a badge for having over 50 subscribers, watching 500 videos and watching porn in HD.

The hard drive of the laptop also contained explicit videos of him starring in porn films. He primarily used his laptop webcam to shoot videos and also took footage using his iPad and cell phone. He would leave the webcam on after filming sex scenes and re-watched the footage on his computer.

First IIT campus outside India to be set up be in Zanzibar in Tanzania, two governments and IIT Madras sign MoU

ANI
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First IIT campus outside India to be set up be in Zanzibar in Tanzania, two governments and IIT Madras sign MoU

 The first IIT campus outside India will be set up in Tanzania’s Zanzibar. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar was signed between the Ministry of Education, Government of India, IIT Madras, and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) Zanzibar on Wednesday.

The setting up of the IIT campus in Zanzibar demonstrates the longstanding friendship between India and Tanzania, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, Professor Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, and Khalid Masoud Wazir, Acting Principal Secretary, MoEVT Zanzibar, signed the MoU on behalf of Ministry of Education, Government of India, IIT Madras and Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Zanzibar, respectively.

“This campus is reflective of the longstanding friendship between India and Tanzania and a reminder of the focus India places on building people-to-people ties across Africa and the Global South,” the MEA said in a press release.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi witnessed the signing of the agreement on setting up of IIT Madras campus in Zanzibar. Jaishankar tweeted, “Witnessed the signing of the agreement on setting up of @iitmadras Zanzibar campus. Appreciate President @DrHmwinyi gracing the occasion, as also the presence of his Ministers. This historic step reflects India’s commitment to the Global South.”

According to MEA, the setting up of the IIT Campus shall also enhance India’s reputation across the world and its diplomatic relationships and expand the international footprint of IIT Madras. It will also likely enhance the quality of IIT Madras education and research further due to student and faculty diversity from the international campus. It will further serve to deepen research collaborations with other top-ranked academic institutions worldwide.

“IIT campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania is envisioned as a world-class higher education and research institution with a broader mission to develop competencies in response to emerging global requirements, deepen ties between the nations, and support research and innovation in the region. It will serve as an example to the world, of the aspirational qualities of Indian higher education and innovation,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The MEA noted that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 focuses on Internationalization and recommends that “high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries.”

It stated that this unique partnership will bring the top-ranked educational expertise of IITM to a prime destination in Africa and serve the current imperative needs of the region.

“Recognizing the strategic partnership between Tanzania and India, the relationship of educational partnership has been formalized by signing the document which provides the framework for the Parties to detail out the setting up of the proposed campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar- Tanzania, with plans to launch programs in Oct 2023,” the MEA said in the press release.

According to MEA, the academic programs, curricula, student selection aspects and pedagogical details will be by IIT Madras. The capital and operating expenditure will be met by the government of Zanzibar-Tanzania.

IIT Madras degrees will be awarded to the students enrolled in the campus that will be set up in Tanzania, the MEA said. The interdisciplinary degrees are expected to attract a diverse cohort and will include students from Africa and other countries as well. Indian students are also eligible to apply to these programs. 

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

Maharashtra: NCP (Sharad Pawar) concedes to Congress claim over leader of opposition, Chhagan Bhujbal says all legal aspects studied before Ajit Pawar faction joined govt

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: NCP (Sharad Pawar) concedes to Congress claim over leader of opposition, Chhagan Bhujbal says all legal aspects studied before Ajit Pawar faction joined govt

Days after Congress objected to the decision of the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to select NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad as the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) has now taken a step back and said that whoever has the majority has the right to claim or has the prerogative to choose the leader of the opposition. NCP leader from the Sharad Pawar faction Clyde Crasto made this statement on 6th July 2023 in an interaction with the media.

Clyde Crasto said, “Congress has all the right to discuss the LoP. We have also made it very clear, our party president Sharad Pawar had also made it very clear that whoever has the majority has the right to claim or has the prerogative to choose the leader. So, if the Congress is even thinking of that, there is nothing wrong in it.”

After around 40 NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar defected and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) government in the state on Sunday, July 2, 2023, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad was named the leader of the opposition in the state assembly by the Sharad Pawar faction. But Congress then came ahead with its objection to the new leader of the opposition, as the Congress party became the largest opposition party in the house now. Congress questioned how NCP can appoint LoP when it has been reduced to just 13 MLAs. The NCP has now backtracked and said that discussions will be held and the parties will then arrive at some conclusion.

Ramdas Athawale meets Ajit Pawar

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of India (Athawale Group) leader Ramdas Athawale met Ajit Pawar in Mumbai. In a media interaction after the meeting, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said, “I met Ajit Pawar today. We welcomed him and congratulated him on behalf of the RPI. Ajitdada has showcased great courage. Ajitdada has taken the correct decision. I have been with him and Sharad Pawar for many years in the past. But later I joined the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena. One must change his thoughts with time. It is not right to keep ranting about the casteist issues every now and then.”

Ramdas Athawale added, “PM Narendra Modi is taking everyone together. Be it a Hindu, Muslim or a Dalit, PM Modi enjoys the support of everyone. For the first time, a person from the OBC class has become the Prime Minister of the country. The BJP is elected to power because it gets votes from every section of society. The BJP got 303 seats in 2019. In the upcoming 2024 elections too, Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister and I am sure that we will get 325 to 350 seats.”

Ramdas Athawale said, “Ajit Pawar told me that he had this thought in mind for quite some time. He said that he respects Sharad Pawar. He is our senior leader. 2-3 meetings within NCP were also done to come together with the BJP but no conclusion was drawn.”

Chhagan Bhujbal asserts the legal accuracy of the Ajit Pawar faction

On the other hand, Chhagan Bhujbal – a senior NCP leader in the Ajit Pawar faction has clarified that Ajit Pawar took this decision only after carefully checking the legal aspects involved. Chhagan Bhujbal said, “When we decided to join the government under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, we took a decision only after discussing what legal matters we would have to face. All the legal experts told us that if we go this way, there will be no disqualification decision against the MLAs with us. After discussing with two to four legal experts, we were convinced, only after which we have taken steps to join the government.”

Bhujbal further said, “We have sent documents to the Election Commission well before joining the government. We have recognised Ajit Pawar as the national president. We have also mentioned that Ajit Pawar is the head of the party and will continue to be so. This arrangement has been made according to the constitution of the party, and the rules of the Election Commission regarding the prevailing political parties. Ajit Pawar will be the national president of the party.”

Clarifying more about Sharad Pawar’s resignation in May 2023 and backtracking from his decision to resign Chhagan Bhujbal said, “We tried to convince Sharad Pawar. Supriya Sule was also there. We also spoke to Jayant Patil a month ago. Ajit Pawar revealed many things in his speech on Wednesday. We tried to find a way till the end, but Sharad Pawar did not listen to us.”

Regarding Sharad Pawar’s repeated attempts to join hands with the BJP and change the decisions at the last moment every time, he said, “Sharad Pawar has repeatedly talked to the BJP and twisted the word. If you start running the party only with the advice of two to four people, other members find a way. That’s what’s happened in the Nationalist Congress Party.”

Rohit Pawar criticises defected NCP leaders

In a tweet this morning, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who is with Sharad Pawar, took a dig at Dilip Valse-Patil who went with Ajit Pawar. He mentioned that Sharad Pawar gave various responsibilities and portfolios to Dilip Walse-Patil which includes personal assistant to Sharad Pawar, seven-time MLA, higher and technical education minister, energy minister, medical education minister, finance and planning minister, assembly speaker, labour and state excise minister, home minister.

Rohit Pawar tweeted, “What more do you need? Maharashtra knows you as a leader nurtured by Sharad Pawar like his own son. You were among the ones that Saheb trusted the most. After reading all this, people will say that such injustice should be done to us too. Maharashtra wants to know what a sudden crisis happened that you had to bury your loyalty and give up your ideology. Such a rebellion was not expected from a senior leader like you just for the sake of power.”

Rohit Pawar added, “We have the power to overcome every crisis. The whole of Maharashtra is standing on the side of Sahyadri and this Sahyadri will stand with new vigour and new strength. But Valse-Patil Saheb, can you forgive yourself for your actions?”

Rohit Pawar also criticised Praful Patel for joining the Ajit Pawar faction. He enlisted the political achievements of Praful Patel and wrote in the tweet, “Mr Praful Patel by Pawar Saheb’s grace you rarely needed to go to people. Your ‘aeroplane’ was more in the air than on the ground and most of the time your work was only to sign forms. That’s why you never knew the value of votes and the paternal love of Saheb.”

Since Sunday, the political landscape of Maharashtra has been in turmoil following the unexpected swearing-in of senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar as the state’s deputy chief minister. In a significant move, Ajit Pawar, accompanied by eight other MLAs, joined the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde, asserting his claim over the Nationalist Congress Party, and its election symbol. He is believed to have the support of over 30 MLAs from the party.

The split is real – Prithviraj Chavan

Maharashtra’s former chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said, “This shows the bitterness that was setting in for years. Maybe there were a few faults in Pawar Saheb’s management of the party. Maybe he sidelined people to push forward his daughter, but this family dispute is affecting the state’s politics. So, I said that the split is real and there is bitterness.”

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