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Mumbai: Man enters ladies’ compartment of a local train, smokes ganja despite the objection of passengers

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Man enters ladies’ compartment of a local train, smokes ganja despite the objection of passengers

Mumbai local trains have made headlines on several occasions largely owing to massive crowds, wild fights for seats among commuters, breaching of the queue of commuters, and blocking the gates of the trains. This time the commuters witnessed a rather irksome incident.

A video of a drug addict onboard a Mumbai local train has gone viral on social media. The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday evening when a man boarded the ladies’ compartment of the 7.14 pm Mumbai CSMT to Badlapur local at Byculla. The women commuters can be heard objecting to the same.

The man, donning a skullcap, is seen taking out something from his bag. By the time the train arrives at Dadar, he is seen smoking Cannabis (Ganja) even as the women warn him to deboard the train. By then passengers waiting on the platform board the train and the man rushes back inside the compartment. He was removed from the compartment at Kurla station by Women RPF personnel.

It is not known what further action was taken against the man after he was removed from the train. His intentions for boarding the women’s compartment is also not known.

Smoking on local trains is an offence and the sale or consumption of cannabis is illegal in India. However, several such incidents of both, men entering ladies’ compartments and of smoking onboard the Mumbai local train have come to the fore in the past.

22 June 2023: Scuffle erupts after a group of men boards ladies’ compartment

A group of men entered the ladies’ compartment of a train following which a massive brawl erupted between the commuters. The women commuters filed a complaint with the Railway Police Force (RPF).

5 January 2023: Man caught smoking onboard Mumbai local train

A video of a man went viral showing him smoking on a train bound from Thane to Karjat. Moreover, he was traveling in the compartment reserved for disabled persons.

The Railways last year conducted an anti-smoking surprise drive and collected a fine amounting to Rs 1,40,900 in just a week. Cases of sexual assault on Mumbai local trains have also been a common occurrence.

Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew NCP MLA Rohit Pawar invents an ‘EVM angle’ to justify his party breaking up: Here is what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew NCP MLA Rohit Pawar invents an ‘EVM angle’ to justify his party breaking up: Here is what he said

On 5th July 2023, Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew and Nationalist Congress Party MLA from the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency of Maharashtra invented the EVM (electronic voting machine) angle in the recent defection in his party. He implied that the Bharatiya Janata Party orchestrated this rift in the Nationalist Congress Party as it aims to secure more seats from Maharashtra in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which will be preponed by at least 4 months because of the EVM repairing and manufacturing.

He interacted with reporters as he reached the YB Chavhan center for the NCP MLAs meeting called by Jitendra Awhad, whip of the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.

Rohit Pawar said, “Four days ago officials received instructions to begin checking Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or start manufacturing EVMs. This shows that Lok Sabha elections may be held in December 2023. The Maharashtra Assembly election, which is slated for October 2024, may be held alongside the Lok Sabha polls.”

Rohit Pawar added, “The checking reports of EVMS are taken 5-6 months before Lok Sabha or state elections and four days ago some Maharashtra officials were instructed to start repairing and manufacturing EVMs. This indicates that Lok Sabha elections can be conducted in December 2023.”

Rohit Pawar claimed that the main reason behind this move is the loss of the BJP in the Karnataka elections.

“This is happening because of BJP’s loss in the Karnataka elections as the same can happen in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and other states. BJP tried to break NCP and Shiv Sena keeping in mind the forthcoming elections,” Rohit Pawar said.

NCP crisis after break up, each faction calls its own meeting

Meanwhile, the crisis in NCP is escalating with the two factions in Maharashtra calling separate meetings on Wednesday. NCP suffered a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-BJP government along with eight other MLAs.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar has moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra government on Sunday.

‘EVMs can be controlled by towers near polling stations’: Sharad Pawar in 2019

It is notable that Sharad Pawar is known for blaming the Electronic Voting Machines for the electoral defeat of his party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On 9th May 2019, Sharad Pawar raised concerns over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in polls, claiming he himself had once seen during a presentation that a vote cast for his party went in the BJP’s favour.

Taking the fantasies about EVM hacking to a new level, Pawar had claimed that EVMs can be ‘controlled’ and manipulated via ‘towers’ located near polling stations.

Even after the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were declared, Sharad Pawar continued to blame EVMs in June 2019.  Instead of humbly accepting the public mandate, Sharad Pawar resorted to scaremongering, taking the beaten-to-dust argument of ‘EVM issues’, claiming that the seemingly calm population may soon take the law into their hands if they realise that their votes are not going to the candidate of their choice.

In a bid to avoid accountability for his party’s poor performance, Pawar raised a new theory to disparage the mandate the country has given. Pawar alleged that EVM and VVPATs had no problem but the machines with the electoral officers that is last counted had problems. Pawar further added that he is going to the depth of the issue, discussing with the technicians and experts and the opposition members.

Sharad Pawar is also known for appealing to the voters to attempt double voting and bogus voting. On 23rd March 2023, while addressing a meeting of Mathadi workers in New Mumbai, he asked the Mathadi workers to wipe off the voting ink on their fingers, go to their hometowns and vote again there. Sharad Pawar said this in an attempt to appeal to his supporters to take advantage of the multiple phases of voting and commit double voting or bogus voting in favor of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Now, Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew Rohit Pawar has come ahead to invent the EVM angle in the recent defection in his party. Rohit Pawar is the son of Sharad Pawar’s nephew Rajendra Pawar. Rajendra Pawar is the son of Sharad Pawar’s brother Appasaheb Pawar. Ajit Pawar is another nephew of Sharad Pawar. He is the son of Sharad Pawar’s other brother Anantrao Pawar. Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar is also active in politics and he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Maval constituency of Maharashtra.

Enraged netizens demand phone ban in Kedarnath Dham after a proposal video goes viral, temple committee warns social media influencers

OpIndia Staff
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Enraged netizens demand phone ban in Kedarnath Dham after a proposal video goes viral, temple committee warns social media influencers

On Monday, July 3, the Badrinath Kedarnath Trust issued a notification indicating that mobile phones will soon be banned in the Kedarnath temple area which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The letter raised objections over the Instagram and YouTube reels being created by the ‘devotees’.

“The Social media influencers make YouTube and Instagram reels inside the Kedarnath temple premises which are hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus residing all over the world. People are reacting and demanding action in such cases. Therefore, strict action shall be taken against those who make reels in the temple premises. Also the influencers need to be watched,” the letter by Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee read.

Letter issued by Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee

This is days after a video went viral over the Instagram App in which a woman could be seen proposing her boyfriend right in front of the Kedarnath Temple. The woman identified as Vishakha Fulsunge who is an influencer with more than 8 lakh followers on Instagram, sat down on her knees and proposed to her boyfriend in the temple premises.

The video of the incident went viral over the internet and was also criticized by many who indicated that Kedarnath temple was not a picnic spot. The place needed to be respected as it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

Netizens criticizng the video

“This is not the place to make reels,” said one of the users while the others demanded a ban on electronic gadgets at such holy places. Ajendra Ajay, president of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee had also commented on the issue and said that religious places have dignity, beliefs, and traditions and devotees should behave accordingly.

Netizens criticizing the video

There are many reels that have been going viral recently over the internet from the Kedarnath temple. Electronic gadgets are banned inside many Hindu temples and there have been a steady demand to ban mobile phones in the premises.

The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee has therefore on Monday said that strict action would be taken against the influencers so that they don’t end up hurting the religious feelings of the Hindus. The letter also indicated that phones and other electronic gadgets can soon be banned on the temple premises.

Congress supporters, Live Hindustan and others attribute misleading quote on Manipur to Sunil Chhetri: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Congress supporters, Live Hindustan and others attribute misleading quote on Manipur to Sunil Chhetri: Details

On 4th July, Congress supporter Roshan Kumar Rai attributed a misleading quote on Manipur to the Captain of the Indian Football Team, Sunil Chhetri. The quote was later picked by Live Hindustan and made its way to the print edition on 5th July.

Live Hindustan carried a misleading quote to Sunil Chhetri. Source: Liev Hindustan epaper

In the now-deleted-tweet, Rai wrote, “Sunil Chhetri, Indian captain after winning #SAFFChampionship2023: This win is dedicated to my people in Manipur, Manipur loves football, and it pains me to see what’s happening there; I hope Manipur unitedly celebrates this win. What a champ, what a player, what a citizen.”

Twitter user Ankur Singh shared a screenshot of the tweet. OpIndia has contacted Chhetri’s management team to get an official statement on the controversy, as we could not find any authentic source of the quote that was attributed to him. Once we receive a reply from them, the story will be updated.

The tweet, though deleted by Rai, was published at 10:36 PM. When we searched the text on Twitter, we found that the oldest tweet with the same still available text was published at 10:43 PM by an AAP supporter named Gurbinder Singh.

The Meitei Heritage Society and a troll Twitter account Niiravmodi also published it.

The controversy around Jaekson Singh Thounaojam

Though Chhetri was apparently misattributed to the quote, a statement on Manipur was given by another football player Jaekson Singh Thounaojam who hails from Manipur. After winning the game, Jaekson was seen wearing the Meitei flag, which resulted in an uproar over social media. The flag worn by him was the Flag of Kangleipak or Salai Taret Flag, which represents the seven clan dynasties of the Meitei ethnicity of Ancient Manipur. Twitter user Lian Guite said, “the flag hoisted by Indian football players and fans over the Indian National Flag raises serious concerns and calls for immediate action” as it “sends a wrong message about the unity and patriotism of the individuals involved”.

Speaking to ESPN’s Shyam Vasudevan, Jeakson said, “It’s my Manipur flag. I just wanted to… what’s happening in Manipur…I just wanted to tell everyone in India and Manipur to stay in peace and not fight. I want peace. It’s been 2 months now, and still, fighting is going on. I don’t want that kind of thing to happen more, and I just want to bring the government’s and other people’s attention to get peace, you know. My family is safe, but there are a lot of families who have suffered and lost their home and all. Yeah, it’s difficult now…even for me, it’s difficult to go back home now with the situation…even I don’t know what’s going to happen. I hope things get well soon.”

Following the uproar, Jaekson took on Instagram and apologised for it and said he only wanted to bring attention towards what was happening in his home state. He added there was no intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments. “

He wrote, “By celebrating in the flag, I did not want to hurt the sentiments of anyone. I intended to bring notice to the issues that my home state, Manipur, is currently facing. This win tonight is dedicated to all the Indians. I hope that peace returns to my home state of Manipur. Thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting the team tonight!

On July 4, the Indian Football team led by Sunil Chhetri defeated Kuwait in a penalty shootout to win the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship for the 9th time.

Manipur: One man killed after a mob tries to loot weapons from a security force camp in Thoubal, one Assam Rifles jawan shot at

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: One man killed after a mob tries to loot weapons from a security force camp in Thoubal, one Assam Rifles jawan shot at

An Assam Rifles jawan was shot at and a 27-year-old man was killed after a mob tried to loot firearms from an Indian Reserved Battalion (IRB) camp which resulted in a confrontation with the security forces in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Tuesday.

According to the officials, the mob attempted to raid the third IRB battalion’s camp in the Khangabok region in order to steal weapons and ammunition following which a swift struggle with the troops ensued. The security forces initially used rubber bullets and tear gas rounds to try to control the situation. However, the armed crowd started to shoot, forcing them to retaliate.

The mob barricaded numerous roads leading to the camp in an effort to impede reinforcements from getting there, however, the soldiers managed to get through. An Assam Rifles unit that was travelling to the camp was also attacked by them. They opened fire on the Assam Rifles unit and shot one soldier in the leg as well as set fire to their vehicle.

A man named Ronaldo was shot during the altercations. He was initially transferred to the Thoubal district hospital, but because of his serious condition, he was later sent to an Imphal hospital. Officials informed that he passed away en route to the state capital. They further disclosed that ten additional individuals were hurt in the skirmishes.

Nevertheless, extra columns of the Assam Rifles and the Rapid Action Force were able to be added, and together with the security forces, the situation was brought under control.

Background of the Manipur violence

The ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state has already resulted in more than 100 fatalities and thousands of displaced residents. The first clashes occurred on May 3 following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Tensions rose in April as a result of a Manipur High Court decision ordering the state administration to make a decision regarding the Scheduled Tribe status issue. The Indian Army had already sent out about 10,000 soldiers and paramilitary units to quell the rioting and restore order.

The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of the northeastern state’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill districts.

Home Minister Amit Shah visited the northeastern state on May 29 for a period of four days during which he held meetings with Chief Minister N Biren Singh, leaders of all political parties, civil society, women groups, tribal groups, and security personnel. He announced the formation of a peace committee and a judicial commission under the chairmanship of a retired Chief Justice of a High Court to investigate Manipur violence.

Odisha Conversion Case: NCPCR seeks a detailed inquiry report after 11 Hindu minor children were being converted to Christianity by a ‘Canadian’

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha Conversion Case: NCPCR seeks a detailed inquiry report after 11 Hindu minor children were being converted to Christianity by a ‘Canadian’

Days after OpIndia reported about a Christian conversion case from Katesingpur village of the Jagatsingpur region, Odisha, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognizance of the event and has written to the Jagatsinghpur administration to initiate immediate action against the accused persons.

In a letter to IAS Parul Patwari, Collector and District Magistrate, Jagatsingpur, the NCPCR stated that around 11 Hindu minor children were being illegally converted in an event that was organized by a Canadian national named Eapan Mohan Kidangalil along with two other missionaries from Tirtol.

“The commission requests the good offices to conduct a thorough inquiry of the events and take necessary action to ensure the safety and security of those children. It is also requested to register an FIR against the perpetrators. Details of the children and other relevant documents be submitted to the commission within 3 days of the receipt of this letter,” the letter by NCPCR read.

On June 24, the Odisha Police filed an FIR against a Canadian citizen identified as Eapen Mohan Kidangalil for luring the poor tribal children under the pretext of ‘Prarthana Sabha’ and attempting to convert them to Christianity. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad members came to know about the event and caught the accused after which the police filed an FIR in the case.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the accused person had been booked under section 4 of the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967. Reportedly, members of two other Christian missionaries from Tirtol were also present at the spot probably assisting the accused.

The Police are said to have filed a case under the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, and have also seized a Bible, tourist visa, cash, and some medicines from the accused. “Medicines which may/could be used to drug minor kids were also seized from Eipen Mohan Kidangalil of Canada,” the Kalinga Rights Forum, a local legal activist group added.

Bajrang Dal members confirmed to OpIndia that the accused used a non-registered white Bolero car to ferry around 40 tribal people including 11 minors to the ‘Prarthana Sabha’. One of the local tribal women who was being converted was questioned by the Bajrang Dal members. The woman said that she earlier used to worship Lord Jagannath but now would stop worshipping him as she was converted on the occasion.

Futher, SHO Shubranshu Parida confirmed to OpIndia that the accused Canadian citizen and the Christian Missionary members were released after they were issued a notice under section 41 (which provides for arrest by police on receiving a reasonable complaint/information or has reasonable suspicion of a cognizable offence having been committed) of the CrPC Act.

On asking about the conversion attempt, the Police said that no such evidence had been found yet. “The case has been booked but no such evidence regarding the conversion activity has been attained yet. The local tribal people are also being interrogated in the case. As soon as we find any evidence, the accused persons will be arrested and further action will be taken. At present, the accused persons have been released and sec 41 CrPC has been issued to them,” the SHO confirmed.

The NCPCR had taken cognizance of the event and had assured that strict action in the case would be taken. The NCPCR on July 4 therefore sought a detailed inquiry report on the issue from the Collector and District Magistrate, Jagatsingpur. Further investigations are underway.

Amid a tussle over control of NCP, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar call separate meetings of MLAs by issuing whips, Ajit Pawar support of over 40 MLAs

OpIndia Staff
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Amid a tussle over control of NCP, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar call separate meetings of MLAs by issuing whips, Ajit Pawar support of over 40 MLAs

On 5th July 2023, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar separately called the meetings of the NCP MLAs by issuing whips. The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party has claimed that a majority of the elected representatives of the party in the Maharashtra state legislative assembly are with Ajit Pawar who along with over 30 MLAs defected from the party on 2nd July 2023 to join the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ajit Pawar and 8 other leaders of the NCP also took oath as ministers in the state government. Ajit Pawar has now become the deputy chief minister of the state once again.

On 5th July 2023, both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar called separate meetings and issued whips to MLAs. However, the exact count of MPs and MLAs supporting either Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar still remains uncertain.

Ajit Pawar called a meeting of NCP MLAs at 11 am today. On the other hand, Sharad Pawar has also organized a meeting of NCP MLAs at 1 pm. Ajit Pawar has called the meeting at MET College in Bandra, for which Anil Patil has issued a whip. Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at Yashvantrao Chavhan Centre. A whip has been issued by Jitendra Awhad for the same.

In the midst of these developments, Anil Patil, an NCP leader and whip of the Ajit Pawar faction, asserts that Ajit Pawar claimed the support of over 40 MLAs.

Anil Patil said, “We have issued whips to all MLAs. More than 40 MLAs are with us.” According to reports, another senior leader from the Ajit Pawar faction said that the government doesn’t want to prove any majority, so the numbers don’t matter here. He added that Ajit Pawar has the support of 95 per cent of the party MLAs. He said, “We are the NCP, our whip applies to all MLAs. If necessary, we will also face a court battle. Affidavits of 40 MLAs are with Ajit Pawar.”

Pathologist conducts postmortem exam of a dead whale in Canary Islands, finds ‘Treasure’ worth $500,000 inside it

OpIndia Staff
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Pathologist conducts postmortem exam of a dead whale in Canary Islands, finds ‘Treasure’ worth $500,000 inside it

Scientists discovered a valuable treasure concealed in the entrails of a dead sperm whale that was discovered on Nogales Beach in La Palma, Canary Islands, last month. The aquatic animal may have been a staggering worth $500,000.

Antonio Fernández Rodrguez, director of the University of Las Palmas’ Institute of animal health and food security, was keen to ascertain the cause of the whale’s death despite the challenging conditions for conducting a postmortem due to rough seas and a rising tide.

He revealed that the whale’s suspected digestive ailment brought its demise while performing an autopsy on the enormous species. He detected a hard object stuck inside its colon, which later turned out to be the reason behind the loss of its life.

He informed, ‘What I took out was a stone about 50-60cm in diameter weighing 9.5kg. The waves were washing over the whale. Everyone was watching when I returned to the beach but they didn’t know that what I had in my hands was ambergris.” The lump he held in his hand was worth over $500,000 million, with some reports mentioning $540,000.

According to assessments, fewer than 1% of sperm whales have the ability to secrete ambergris. The substance is often expelled, but occasionally, as in the case of the whale in La Palma, it grows too large and ruptures the intestine, resulting in a fatality.

He concluded following the autopsy that the whale’s sepsis was brought on by the ambergris. Notably, he has conducted autopsies on more than 1,000 whales. The institution is presently seeking a buyer for the ambergris, and the proceeds from its sale would go towards helping individuals who might be impacted by the eruption of the La Palma volcano in 2021.

“The law is different in every country. In our case, I hope the money will go to the island of La Palma, where the whale ran aground and died,” the scientist hoped.

What is ambergris?

The holy grail of perfumers for generations, ambergris is a rare material that is frequently referred to as floating gold. It is commonly called whale vomit and is made up of the old French terms ‘amber’ and ‘gris,’ which roughly translates to ‘grey amber.’ The solid waxy vomit that whales spew is frequently seen floating in the sea by fishermen.

Squid and cuttlefish are typically the main sources of food for whales. The majority of it, meanwhile, cannot be ingested and is vomited out. However, some still remain and over time combine to make ambergris in the whale’s intestines. A portion of it is excreted and over time combines with other substances and therefore it is regularly spotted drifting in the sea.

However, at times like in the instance of the whale in La Palma, it becomes excessively big and ruptures the gut, killing the whale. Approximately one in 100 sperm whales generate ambergris, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century, when commercial whaling started, that its origins came to light.

Since ambergris contains ambrein, an odourless alcohol that can fix and prolong the duration of scents, it is popular among perfumers and possesses a sandalwood-like scent.

The trade in ambergris has been outlawed in the US, Australia, and India along with the poaching and exploitation of whales. Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, also made a mention of ambergris in one of his many asides.

He devoted an entire chapter to it and characterised it as “soft, waxy, and so highly fragrant and spicy, that it is largely used in perfumery. Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale! Yet so it is!”

Historial significance of Ambergris

Ambergris has long been a component of both cuisine and beverage. King Charles II of England supposedly enjoyed a meal of eggs and ambergris. A cocktail from The English and Australian Cookery Book from the middle of the 19th century called for the addition of a thread of ambergris to rum, almonds, cloves, cassia, and the peel of oranges.

In 18th-century Europe, it was employed as a flavouring ingredient in hot chocolate and Turkish coffee. The substance is considered an aphrodisiac in some cultures. Ambergris was used as incense by the ancient Egyptians, and it is still utilised today in modern Egypt to flavour cigarettes.

The component was termed “dragon’s spittle fragrance” in ancient Chinese. People believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could shield them from the plague during the Black Death in Europe. This was due to the fragrance masking the air’s odour, which was thought to be the source of the epidemic. Europeans treated headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other conditions with ambergris during the Middle Ages.

Madhya Pradesh: Ganesh and John insult Hindu Gods, lure Hindu woman to convert to Christianity, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Ganesh and John insult Hindu Gods, lure Hindu woman to convert to Christianity, arrested

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Tuesday, July 5, arrested two persons for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and luring them to convert their religion to Christianity. The duo, identified as Ganesh Rajunkar and Johny, were booked under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code and have been sent to jail.

According to a Dainik Bhasker report, the duo from Indore was charged under the law after one of the women staying in the neighbourhood of the accused complained to the police that she and her family were lured and forced to convert her religion to Christianity.

The woman identified as Ramdevi Kurmi said that she was told that all her monetary liabilities would be paid off if she converted her and her family’s religion to Christianity. She was also told by the accused that she would get money for her children’s education and their wedding in future.

“We all are neighbours. Ganesh one day came home while I was performing puja of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He insulted the deities and said that there was no benefit in worshipping ‘stones’ and that I should worship Jesus. I yelled at him at and drove him off my house,” the complainant said.

Later, as per the complaint, the accused Ganesh and his wife again arrived at Kurmi’s home and lured her for money. The duo said that all the monetary liabilities of the women would be paid off. Also, she was told that her children’s education and wedding expenses would be taken care of. Kurmi then called other people from her community for help and then informed the police about the incident.

On June 30, Kurmi said that accused Johny and his wife had invited her for a ‘prayer meet’ to which she had refused to join. However, the duo then insulted the Hindu deities and used derogatory language for the Hindu culture. Ramdevi Kurmi and her husband Manoj Kurmi also sought help from the Hindu organizations who helped the couple to file a police complaint.

As per the reports, one of the accused, Ganesh, used to work in a snack-making factory but was expelled after the workers complained against him. The workers complained that the accused lured them for money and forced them to convert their religion to Christianity. Later Ganesh joined somewhere as a domestic help.

Kurmi and her husband stated that Ganesh and his wife conducted weekly prayer meetings and invited wage and factory workers to them. He used to impose loud volume speakers and conduct prayer meetings, in which he also used to offer money to the attendees.

Notably, Ganesh and Johny are said to be good friends and Ganesh was born as a Hindu. He had recently converted his religion to Christianity. Kurmi said the chaos was also reported from Ganesh’s house in 2020 when his wife passed away during the Covid period. “He had told his children that their mother had gone to Jesus. Then he and his mother engaged in a wordy fight over the cremation of the deceased woman. Ganesh wanted his wife to be cremated the Christian way however his mother wanted him to follow the Hindu process of cremation. Eventually, the woman was cremated as per Hindu rituals,” Kurmi was quoted as saying.

The accused Ganesh Rajunkar and Johny have been booked under section 295A of the IPC and also they have been sent to jail. The police are said to have recovered a photo of Jesus and some Christian reference material from Ganesh’s home. Further investigations into the case are underway.

23 years of Naveen Patnaik rule: Odisha BJP highlights dismal performance in law and order, jobs, and more

Shraddha Pandey
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23 years of Naveen Patnaik rule: Odisha BJP highlights dismal performance in law and order, jobs, and more

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been at the helm of power in Odisha for an uninterrupted 23 years. Naveen Patnaik has been the chief minister of Odisha for over two decades.

On July 3, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the state’s CM Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, releasing disturbing data on the state’s economy, crime, education, and employment. 

Taking to Twitter, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal posted a video of him showing some placards with statistics about Odisha indicating where the state stands with 23 years of the BJD in power.

“23 years of uninterrupted rule of Naveen Patnaik as Chief Minister of Odisha. Where stands #Odisha? What is the ground reality of Odisha and what is narrated in national media?” Biswal tweeted.

Biswal claimed that despite Naveen Patnaik’s 23-year uninterrupted rule as Chief Minister, Odisha now has the “third lowest” per capita income and lowest farmers’ income in the country. 

According to a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey conducted in 2019, Odisha ranked second from the bottom in the country in terms of farmer income.

According to the NSO report, each farmer’s family in Odisha earns Rs 5,112 per month, compared to Rs 4,895 in Jharkhand, which ranked lowest among all states and union territories in the country.

“Odisha highest in serious crimes against women”, claims BJP

In terms of crime against women, BJP’s Anil Biswal claimed that Odisha has the highest number of serious crimes against women. To back his assertion, Biswal shared a media report on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) findings in ‘Crime In India 2021’ which indicated that Odisha witnessed a surge of 23% in crimes against women in the year 2021. According to the 2021 NCRB report, the state saw a surge in rape crimes and cases of domestic violence. Moreover, the state recorded the highest number of cybercrimes against women with 565 cases. 

‘Conviction rate at a record low in Odisha‘

Biswal further stated that while Odisha has the highest number of serious crimes against women, the conviction rate is only 5.7%, the lowest in the country. The BJP leader relied on his claims in a 2022 report regarding the NCRB data about the conviction rate.

According to NCRB data, the conviction rate dropped to 5.7% for offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 3.8% for offenses under Special and Local Laws (SLL). However, Odisha’s conviction rate is slightly ahead of Assam’s (5.6%).

‘Highest disproportionate assets cases in Odisha’ 

The BJP leader pointed out that the state of Odisha witnessed the highest disproportionate assets incidents in the recent past. 

Interestingly, in December last year, it was reported that in the year 2022, the Odisha Vigilance Department arrested nearly 200 government officials and filed 285 criminal cases.

According to the department’s data, Vigilance registered 84 disproportionate assets (DA) cases and 118 trap cases out of these 285 cases. In 2022, Odisha Vigilance recorded the highest number of DA cases in the country.

According to Vigilance Director YK Jethwa, the department uncovered disproportionate assets worth Rs 174 crore and accomplished the highest cash seizures with the top four recoveries totaling Rs 7 crore in 2022.

‘No state government-run university in the top 100 ranking’ 

The recently released National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings have exposed the truth beyond the Naveen Patnaik-led government’s lofty claim of providing quality education at government-run institutions. BJP’s Anil Biswal displayed a placard highlighting the poor performance of state-run universities in Odisha.

The NIRF rankings, released by the Ministry of Education in June of this year, revealed a downward trend in the state’s educational standards. In terms of overall performance, no state-run educational institution from Odisha has been able to rank among the top 100 in the country although two private universities from Odisha did make it to the top 100 list.

In the year 2022 as well, none of the state-run universities could manage to make it to the list of the top 100 universities in India. 

‘Liquor sales’ 

Biswal also attacked the BJD government over Odisha’s liquor sales. Biswal demonstrated the figures, claiming that while the state collected Rs 220 crore from liquor sales in 2000, the figure had risen to Rs 7740 crore by 2023.

According to reports, the state government collected Rs 7,628 crore in the fiscal year 2021-22, including Rs 5,528 crore in excise and Rs 2,100 crore in VAT on liquor. Meanwhile, the state collected Rs 6,186.36 crore in excise and Rs 2,585 crore in VAT on liquor, bringing the total excise revenue for 2022-23 to Rs 8,767.36 crore, the highest ever.

Job creation 

A 2016 report in Times of India had stated that the number of migrant laborers coming from Odisha seeking work in other states has risen 3 fold in the 10 years between 2006 and 2016. 2021 reports stated that the unemployment rate in the 15-29 age group in Odisha has been at a staggering 32.8%.

Additionally, the BJP has been highlighting the high unemployment rate among educated young people in Odisha. In April this year, the party cited the government’s own data that said there are approximately 8.98 lakh educated young persons in the state who are unemployed.

Biswal stated that there are over 30 lakh Odias who are working in other states as laborers because they are unable to find jobs in the state.

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