Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji broke down while being taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for questioning in connection to an alleged money laundering case in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The investigating agency took the DMK leader for questioning, after raiding his premises on Tuesday. Soon after this, ED brought Balaji to Omandurar government hospital in Chennai for medical examination amid tight security in the wee hours of Wednesday.
High drama was witnessed outside the hospital as the DMK leader was brought there. He could be seen crying in pain while lying in a car as his supporters gathered there to protest against the ED action.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji breaks down as ED officials took him into custody in connection with a money laundering case and brought him to Omandurar Government in Chennai for medical examination pic.twitter.com/aATSM9DQpu
DMK MP and lawyer NR Elango said that he has been shifted to ICU and ED has officially not confirmed Balaji’s arrest.
“I saw him (Senthil Balaji) when he was shifted to ICU. Doctors are evaluating his health condition. It is a procedure when a person says he has been assaulted the doctor needs to note down all the injuries and will know after seeing the report. Officially we have not been informed (by ED) that he has been arrested,” Elango said.
DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Senthil Balaji is undergoing treatment.”
“We will deal with it legally. We are not afraid of the threatening politics of the BJP-led central government,” he added.
DMK leaders alleged that Balaji complained of chest pain while being taken into custody by the ED officials. They also alleged that Senthil Balaji didn’t seem conscious when he was taken to the hospital by ED.
Meanwhile, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Udhyanithi Stalin, Health Minister M Subramaniyan, Public Works and Highways Minister EV Velu, HR and CE Minister Sekar Babu and various DMK supporters arrived at the hospital to meet Senthil Balaji.
Raids were carried out at Balaji’s Karur residence and his office at the state secretariat by the ED sleuths in connection to an alleged money laundering case on Tuesday. In addition to this, the premises of his brother and a close aide in Karur were also raided.
V Senthil Balaji, is Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise in the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh filed an FIR against six, including a media portal, for attempting to defame the organisation by spreading fake news against it.
OpIndia has exclusively accessed the FIR which names the six accused.
The FIR has been filed against Facebook user Piyush Ahir, web portal Encounter News, an Apoorva Bharadwaj, Facebook group Janvichar Samvad admin Saurabh Jain, and two Twitter handles namely Bhavika Kapoor and Anuj Yadav.
A video was made viral by Piyush Ahir on social media making false allegations that the office bearers of the Sangh were running a spa centre in Indore as a front to conduct “sexual activities”.
The FIR has been filed against Facebook user Piyush Ahir, web portal Encounter News, Apoorva Bharadwaj, Facebook group Janvichar Samvad admin Saurabh Jain, and two Twitter handles namely Bhavika Kapoor and Anuj Yadav.
Web portal News Nasha also published the fake news with a sensationalised headline. The article, which has now been deleted from the website, can be seen in a quoted retweet by a Twitter user.
#RSS के बड़े कार्यकर्ता चलाते हैं सेक्स रैकेट, मचा हड़कंप!
The fake news, along with the video, was first shared by a Facebook user by the name of Piyush Ahir. It is clear from the caption in the following embedded Facebook post that there was an attempt to defame senior RSS leaders.
Named in the FIR is another Twitter user Bhavika Kapoor who has on several occasions used derogatory and accusatory language against RSS. She identifies as a Congress supporter as per her profile.
Hindutva is basically a mask to cover terror activities of sanghis. Eventually it will destroy hindu families, hindu children and hindu culture.
Another accused Anuj Yadav is a self-proclaimed ‘social worker’ from Bihar according to his Twitter profile. While the original tweet on his Twitter thread has been deleted, the thread in itself exposes his vulgar, hateful agenda.
The Jan vichar Samvad group on Facebook seems to have been specifically created to target Hindus, especially RSS and BJP-supporting Hindus. Random pornographic videos and images are free-flowing in this group. So much for “jan vichar.”
Fake News spread about RSS in the past
An FIR was filed by the Indore police in May against 10 unidentified persons for distributing objectionable pamphlets against RSS. In April, Jihadists on social media falsely alleged that RSS is plotting to ‘entrap’ Muslim women in India. The fake news was promoted by Hindu haters extensively on Twitter with the hashtag ‘Bhagwa Love Trap.’
A shocking case has come to light in Surat where a delivery boy identified as Manish Prahaldbhai Chaudhari was threatened with death for writing ‘Kattar Hindu’ (staunch Hindu) on his bike. The boy was threatened by the father of a Muslim girl when he went to the girl’s house to deliver a parcel.
Enraged by the two words written on his bike, the girl’s father ran after the Hindu youth, threatening to kill him if he ever came back to his house or went to any other Muslim household in the neighbourhood to deliver any parcel. The victim somehow managed to escape from the spot, after which he filed a police complaint.
According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened in the Muslim area near Farooqui Masjid near Walak Patia within the Sarthana Police Station area of Surat. The victim, 22-year-old Manish Prahaldbhai Chaudhari, originally from Maharashtra and currently residing in Surat, has been working as a delivery boy in a private company for the past month.
Manish has been a fervent believer in Sanatan Dharma since he was a child. His daily rituals include puja, mantra recitation, and applying tilak to his forehead. Manish has an old Splendour motorbike that bears the sticker “Kattar Hindu” with a saffron flag on it. He had no idea that his belief in Hinduism would result in him receiving death threats.
After this incident came to light, OpIndia contacted the Hindu victim, Manish, who narrated the entire incident to our team through a telephone conversation. According to Manish, he has been working as a parcel delivery boy for the past month. Yesterday (June 12, Monday) he turned up at work at his usual reporting time and left for delivery with around 70 parcels.
One of the parcels belonged to a girl named Alvira who lived near Valak Patiya Faruqi Masjid on Sarthana Road in Surat. Manish called the number mentioned on the parcel and a female answered the call. The girl asked him to meet near the masjid where she would collect her parcel.
Speaking of what transpired after he reached the area to deliver the parcel, Manish further said, “When I reached the given address with a parcel in the name of Alvira, a Muslim girl came from the house and took the packet. The girl’s father came out of the house to pay Rs 1160 for the parcel. Then he saw the sticker written on my bike saying ‘Kattar Hindu’. In the meantime, don’t know what happened, the Muslim girl’s father suddenly got angry with me.”
“He asked me in a threatening tone, ‘Ae kayun likha hai’ (why is this written)? As I had to deliver parcels to other places on time too, I calmly replied that I just wrote the same. At which he got even angrier and started yelling, ‘Don’t you deliver parcels to the houses of the Mohammedans? Does this all sound good?’ to which I said that this is my personal right, I have written about my religion. Where do I say anything objectionable about any other religion.” Manish said.
According to Manish, the Muslim man then became more agitated and started arguing with him. Not only this, but the enraged person also resorted to beating up the victimized Hindu youth.
Manish called his manager and narrated the whole incident to calm down the agitated person. According to Manish, even while talking to the manager on the phone, the Muslim man abused him and used expletives against his mother and sister.
Manish Choudhary said that he could never imagine that his love for Hinduism would hurt someone to this extent. Recalling the grisly murder of Kishan Bharwad by some fanatical Islamists on 25th January 2022, Manish told our team, “It all happened so suddenly that I didn’t know what to do, I thought that the agitated Muslim man would let me go after talking to my manager. But on the contrary, he got more agitated after this call and hung up the phone saying ‘Tereko kisne bola phone karneko, mere gharke saamne dikha to jaanse maar dunga’ (who asked you to make the call, if I ever see you lurking around my house I will kill you) and started abusing me again,” Manish recounted.
“He did not stop at this but also rushed to hit me. For once I thought to myself that if I cannot manage to escape from here, I am sure to meet Kishan Bharwad’s fate,” he added.
Expressing his concern for his safety, Manish said, “He told me ‘Jaan se maar dunga’ (I will kill you),” adding that he was petrified after the incident. “I travel alone most of the time due to work. What will happen to my family if someone accosts me on the way and does something? Today it was this person, tomorrow another 10 Muslims will do the same after getting inspired by him. If someone surrounds me, it will take some time for help to arrive, won’t it?” Manish lamented recalling the harrowing experience.
From being orphaned at all but 20 years of age to 13 years of struggle behind bars, the eldest of the Savarkar siblings lived not for himself but for Bharat Mata. Tuesday, June 13 marks the birth anniversary of the revered freedom fighter Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, the spark which ignited the fire named Veer Savarkar.
Known as Babarao in his home state Maharashtra, GD Savarkar is a prominent name in the Indian freedom struggle. He founded Abhinav Bharat in 1904 along with his younger brother Vinayak Damodar ‘Veer’ Savarkar. He was and is known for his revolutionary thinking and writing, exceptional political conscience, and indomitable devotion to freeing Bharat Mata from the clutches of the colonial powers.
Babarao was born in Bhagur, Maharashtra. The responsibility of the upbringing of his siblings fell on his young shoulders following the death of their mother Radhabai and later the death of their father Damodarpant. Taking the challenge head-on, Babarao sacrificed his education for the upbringing of his siblings.
How Babarao fanned the flames of the Indian freedom struggle
In 1899, Vinayak aka Tatyarao, started a secret revolutionary group called ‘Rashtrabhakta Samooh’. Babarao soon became a member of this group. In 1902, he took charge of ‘Mitramela’ after VD Savarkar left for Pune for higher studies.
Babarao had devoted himself to serving his motherland as a means of attaining moksha; his pursuit was just as spiritual as it was physical thus proving that his love for his motherland equated his love for Bhagwan.
By 1904, ‘Mitramela’ had several members and was eventually renamed ‘Abhinav Bharat’. Under the leadership of Babarao, Abhinav Bharat organised several revolutionary meetings with revered freedom fighters like Lokmanya Tilak and Aurobindo Ghosh.
After the British announced the partition of Bengal in 1905, Babarao and Tatyarao parallelly organised the public bonfire of foreign goods in Nashik and Pune respectively.
Babarao’s nationalistic fervor spread across Nashik after his and other Abhinav Bharat members’ arrest and trial by the British for raising Vande Mataram slogans.
The trial was organised to harass the heroes but was followed by a backlash at every place where the trial was held, the four-point programme of Swadeshi, boycott of foreign goods, national education, and Swaraj received a fillip. Babarao was now under the radar of the ‘british’.
First and second arrests of Babarao
In 1908, Babarao was tricked into what became his first arrest. He was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for “disobeying sub-inspector Muhammad Hussain”, despite no proof. After being shifted from Dongri to Thane jail, Babarao was subjected to inhumane treatment that hospitalised him for a month.
After his release, the British surveillance on the Savarkar residence increased. Babarao was constantly being watched. He learned bomb-making, distributed manuals, met rulers of small principalities, and continued his revolutionary movement all the while escaping detectives and giving a slip to the secret police.
In 1909 came Babarao’s second arrest over the nationalist and religious poems published by him. He was sentenced to transportation for life under section 121 and two years rigorous imprisonment under section 124A of the IPC.
Babarao was a worshipped figure across Nashik. In order to quell the cry for freedom in the city, the British paraded Babarao on the streets donning a yellowish cap signifying kaala pani jail, prison clothes with his hands and legs chained.
What followed was 13 years of torture, abuse, and mental and physical harassment. The abuse meted out to prisoners of the Cellular Jail in the Andamans was and is still not lost on any Indian.
Babarao was forced to do hard labour, yoked to the oil mill, exploited to the extent of getting bloody diarrhea, forced to pass motion while standing, fed spoilt food, and sent to solitary confinement. He lived with diarrhea and tuberculosis for years at a stretch with no access to healthcare.
His ill health was never cured even after being released from jail.
Babarao’s release in September 1922
By the time of his release after over 13 years, Babarao was reduced to skin and bones. He was released on a stretcher from the Sabarmati jail in September 1922. His youngest brother Narayanrao was dumbfounded to see the plight of his eldest brother.
But the diya of his devotion towards his Bharat Mata was above and beyond the mental and physical ordeal he was subjected to.
Exposing the Gandhian ideology
During his time in prison, the flame of freedom kept burning in Babarao’s heart. He met and spoke to many Gandhi followers, and extensively read literature on Gandhism and Sufi Islam.
He vowed to expose the farce and sheer spinelessness of the Gandhian ideology and to reveal the sinister plot of the revival of Islam in India, and he kept that vow.
On his deathbed, on 31 July 1944, this was Babarao’s last message in service of the nation as told to Dr. Shayam Prasad Mookerji,
“My end is near. The journey of my life is drawing to a close. I now have to enter the land of liberated souls. Before that, I am handing over the flag of the Bharatiya revolutionary battle to you! I want to give you a word of warning regarding Gandhi. Under the spell of misguided nationalism, he is eager to hand over the sovereignty of Hindustan to Jinnah. Gandhi has decided to cover himself with greatness at the cost of the welfare of Hindustan. This is the first stage in this sinful tradition. Gandhi has done his utmost to destroy the revolutionary movement in Bengal and Maharashtra. But I want to tell you that the rights secured by the Act of 1935 were a result of the sacrifices of the revolutionaries and not because of non-violent agitation! I have documentary evidence that Gandhi had hatched an anti-national conspiracy to hand over Hindusthan to Muslims way back in 1920. In these terrible times, I am handing over the lamp of Hindutva and the freedom of Hindusthan to you.”
This son of Bharat Mata who endured brutal cruelties at the hands of the British will continue to guide Indians through his thoughts.
The Ghaziabad city in Uttar Pradesh has got itself embroiled in a new phenomenon wherein Islamists are luring young children to convert to Islam through online games. At the heart of this controversy are 3 Hindu boys and 1 Jain boy who have been identified as victims, brainwashed to follow practices of Islam including offering Namaz five times a day through an online game called Fortnite.
The incident came to light after an FIR was registered on 30 May at Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar police station based on the complaint of the minor Jain boy’s parents alleging that their “son was lured into accepting Islam while playing an online game.”
Following the complaint, a special team of UP Police was sent to Thane, Maharashtra which arrested Shanawaz Khan alias Baddo, the mastermind behind Ghaziabad’s gaming app conversion racket, in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.
Another accused identified as Maulvi Abdul Rehman alias Nanni s/o Mehmood Ansari or Sanjaynagar in the Madhuban Bapudham Police Station area of Ghaziabad was apprehended by the police.
During the investigation, police found out about the sinister approach the Islamists utilised to manipulate their teenage targets. The police revealed that the Islamists targeted children who were fond of online games so that it would be easier to lure them. Explaining the modus operandi, the police said that the perpetrators mainly used two apps namely the online game Fortnite and another online platform called ‘Discord’ to entice their targets. Discord is a free text, voice and video chat app that is incredibly popular among gamers for a variety of reasons.
The sinister plot of the Ghaziabad conversion racket where Islamists were luring children through online games
The police said that there were multiple steps involved in luring Hindu and Jain boys towards Islam.
In the first step, Muslim men created ids with Hindu names and played Fortnite games with unaware players of the Hindu and Jain communities. The perpetrators manipulated the settings of the game in such a way that however hard these players tried they kept losing to the game. When they lose, the accused forced them to recite Islamic verses suggesting it will help them win. Later, they would let them win to establish trust.
In the second step, they were lured into following Islamic practices. The victims were added to the online chat group called ‘Discord’. While chatting on the online app, the accused gradually indoctrinated them with Islamic practices and taught them how to pray. The kids were then told to visit the nearest mosque. The accused convinced the children that they would win the game if they read Namaz five times a day.
Now that the children were aware of the Islamic customs including performing Namaz, the accused used to approach them directly and start brainwashing the child to abandon their religion and embrace Islam.
In the third step, they would share videos of fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and Islamic speeches to brainwash the victims. Using these videos, they would inform them about Islamic practices and lure them to embrace Islam. Once they convert to Islam, videos of infamous Tablighi cleric Tariq Jamil were shared to make them extremists. Zakir Naik was declared a fugitive by the Government of India. He was banned by Indian Govt in 2015.
In the final stage, the clerics and Maulvis stepped in. The children were introduced to Maulvis who used to convince the children to read Namaz in the mosque. They were forbidden to involve their parents or any family members. Once the gang felt that the child was radicalised and completely brainwashed they converted them to Islam. After this, the accused asked the victims to confront their parents and reveal the truth.
The police also revealed that initially, the accused targeted the children through the online gaming application ‘Fortnite.’ After letting the victims win 2-3 consecutive games, the accused convinced these children to play other games on their gaming channels on YouTube where they were then lured to watch their gaming videos. The gang members were mostly shown winning in these videos so that victims would be drawn to them and be impressed by this Islamic group.
When the victims urged the gang members to teach them these games on their app, they would encourage them to join Discord, where they were indoctrinated in the name of Islam and subsequently coerced into converting to Islam.
Even though this new conversion strategy has so far only been prominent in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, anyone and everyone is susceptible to this phenomenon. As the Ghaziabad police continue their investigation into the enormity of the crime, it is imperative to raise awareness about the dangers lurking in online gaming and take proactive measures to safeguard vulnerable individuals, especially children and teenagers.
Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, who has been eyeing a colour revolution in India, has decided to hand over the reins of his $25 billion business empire to his younger son Alexander Soros aka Alex.
As per a report in the Wall Street Journal, the junior Soros identifies as a ‘centre-left thinker’ and has vowed to expand on the ‘liberals aims’ of his father. The 37-year-old also informed that he has the same mindset as George Soros. “We think alike…I am more political,” he emphasised.
Alex Soros is also focused on using the family’s wealth to support leftist politicians and champion the cause of abortion, voting rights and gender equity.
Just In: Alex Soros is taking control over his father $25 billion empire and is already in charge of all political activities.
Both members of the Soros family sat down with the WSJ and Alex said he’s excited to take over. One of his primary goals will be to pump as much… pic.twitter.com/vp2Y3DaOFu
He yields considerable influence in the White House and has met officials of the Biden administration, top Democrat leaders and even Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.
Interestingly, he is the Chairperson of the notorious Open Society Foundations (OSF), which was created by George Soros to undermine the elected governments in other countries through media and civil society.
In 1999, the Open Society Foundation began activities in India by providing scholarships and fellowships to pursue studies and research at Indian colleges. Organisations funded by OSF played a key role in creating chaos and unrest under the pretext of anti-farm law protests in India.
Alex Soros focused more on US domestic politics
Through the OSF, George Soros made significant contributions towards the spread of instability in India. According to the Wall Street Journal, Alex Soros is also the President of George Soros’ Super Political Action Committee (PAC) and is responsible for directing its political activity.
In his childhood, he would spend quite some time discussing ideas and global politics with his father George Soros. Until 2016, Alex was touted as the ‘playboy son’ of senior Soros, known for hanging out with NBA friends and gorgeous models at his mansion.
Screengrab of the Twitter profile of Alex Soros
All of that changed in the past 7 years so much so that he came to be known as George Soros’ deputy. No wonder, Alex has been made the torch-bearer of Soros’ nefarious political agenda and business empire.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Alex Soros is more interested in domestic politics in the United States. “Our side has to be better about being more patriotic and inclusive…Just because someone votes Trump doesn’t mean they’re lost or racist,” he made his political inclination crystal clear.
A vocal critic of Donald Trump
Alex Soros has been an open critic of Donald Trump. The 37-year-old has indicated that he is willing to use his wealth to keep the ex-US President out of the Oval Office.
“As much as I would love to get money out of politics, as long as the other side is doing it, we will have to do it, too,” he had vowed to support the Democratic Party’s Presidential campaign.
After Joe Biden took office, Alex Soros tweeted, “It’s a new day in America, but Trumpism and white supremacy are not dead. Let’s not forget that when George W. Bush left office, many said he was the worst President ever and acted as though leadership like his would never return to the White House.”
Let’s not forget that when George W. Bush left office, many said he was the worst President ever, and acted as though leadership like his would never return to the White House. (2/6)
“And I am saddened to say that it could even get worse than Donald Trump in the future if we repeat the mistakes of the past…Fellow Democrats: I urge you to keep this in mind over the next two to four years. Our democracy is at stake,” he laid out the political strategy for the Democratic Party.
Fellow Democrats: I urge you to keep this in mind over the next two to four years. Our democracy is at stake. (6/6)
Through his tweets, the junior Soros resorted to fear-mongering about Donald Trump and his possible return to the White House.
? If you all you care about democracy then watch this! @BillMaher nails how Trump and the GOP are already trying to steal the 2024 presidential election! ? https://t.co/2kTkWAmvrj
As per a report by Fox News Digital, Alex Soros has maintained good connections with the Biden administration officials so much so that he visited the White House 17 times since 2021. Two of his meetings in January this year were reportedly with Biden’s former chief of staff, Ron Klain.
During his recent three meetings, Alex Soros met the principal deputy national security adviser, the special assistant to the president, the chief of staff for senior Biden adviser, and the adviser to the counsellor of the president.
George Soros' son,Alexander Soros has visited White House 14 times since Biden took office. At least 2 were with the WH Chief of staff. Access granted because of his dad's checkbook
He has been open about his deep connections in the Democratic Party. Alex Soros is friends with top Democrats such as Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer.
“Great to catch up with Madame Vice President, KamalaHarris!”, he said in a tweet on June 6, 2023.
The 37-year-old has also been spotted alongside controversial US House Representatives Ro Khanna and Ilhan Omar. Interstingly, Ro Khanna had earlier courted controversy for trying to interfere in India’s internal political affairs. In April last year, Ilhan Omar tried to legitimise Pakistan’s control over occupied Kashmir.
Citing records from the Federal Election Commission, Fox News reported that Alex Soros donated $6 million (~₹49.37 crore rupees) to Federal Political Action Committee. Similarly, he paid $7,00,000 (₹5.76 crore rupees) to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020 and was one of the top donors.
The junior Soros also coughed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund, State Democratic parties, and individual campaigns.
Other controversies of Alex Soros
Earlier this month, TV commentator Bryan E. Leib pointed out that Alex Soros, who is a Jew by Faith, has opposed the working definition of anti-semitism, as espoused by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
“We shouldn’t be shocked at all by this. The Soros family are directly responsible in large part for the anti-Israel bias in America,” he remarked.
The son of George Soros, Alex, has come out against the IHRA working definition of #Antisemitism.
We shouldn't be shocked at all by this. The Soros family are directly responsible in large part for the anti-Israel bias in America.@AntiSorosJewshttps://t.co/5fpU3Sbgzn
In the meantime, Elon Musk has expressed his scepticism over Alex Soros’ supposed commitment to free speech. “If @AlexanderSoros is serious about freedom of speech, then we have common ground. But destroying public safety by electing DAs who won’t prosecute violent criminals needs to stop,” he wrote.
If @AlexanderSoros is serious about freedom of speech, then we have common ground.
But destroying public safety by electing DAs who won’t prosecute violent criminals needs to stop.
“Maybe we should do a Spaces with you, me & Alex to air this out,” he added on being told that Alex Soros is not against public safety but wants rehabilitation for addicts and those with mental illness.
Maybe we should do a Spaces with you, me & Alex to air this out
India has been fighting a ‘perception war’ on all fronts since the start of 2023. On February 16 this year, George Soros exploited the Adani-Hindenburg controversy and launched a scathing attack on the Indian government.
He claimed, “Modi and business tycoon Adani are close allies. Their fate is intertwined…Adani Enterprises tried to raise funds in the stock market, but it failed. Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards.”
Soros accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of crony capitalism. “Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament,” he added.
The Hungarian American billionaire also said that the ‘shakedown’ caused to the Indian markets due to the Hindenburg Research report will result in ‘much needed institutional reforms’ and ‘democratic revival’.
George Soros and his vicious ecosystem of NGOs, activists and journalists had been trying to prove PM Modi as an ‘electoral autocrat’ who needed to be ousted for the ‘greater good’ of this country. And it has been a work in progress for a long time.
The Hungarian-American billionaire has also tried to use international institutions, which are funded by him, including Freedom House and V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute to tarnish the image of India at a global level.
In January 2020, the American billionaire committed $1 billion to start a global university to “fight nationalists” and climate change, calling them twin challenges that threaten the survival of our civilisation.
A Hindu man identified as Manohar Lal was murdered in Himachal Pradesh. Manohar was missing since June 6, and his dead body was recovered from a brook near the village on June 9. As per reports, his dead body was chopped into eight pieces and stuffed in a sack. The incident took place in village Bandal of Saluni village, district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
As per the police, a total of five people have been arrested in the matter so far. Two of the accused are juvenile females, and three are adults. Speaking to OpIndia, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vinod Kumar Dhiman categorically denied the communal angle in the matter. He said in the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that Manohar was having an affair with the sister of the accused. “Though the victim was Hindu and the accused are Muslims, there was no communal angle in the matter. The victim and accused were having an affair. We have arrested five people, two juvenile females, and three adults. Prima facie, there is no evidence of the communal angle in the murder,” said ASP Dhiman.
Reports suggest that Manohar had an affair with a Muslim girl named Rukhsana. Her family members were not in favour of the relationship. On June 6, Manohar went missing while returning to his home. His family members searched for him but could not find any traces. Three days later, some people noticed a foul smell coming out of the brook. They informed the police about the sack. The police reached the spot, recovered the bag, and found a chopped up dead body.
Hindu organisations learned about the incident and demanded strict action against the accused. A case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant sections has been filed against the accused. Though police refused to reveal the names of the accused, media reports identified one of the accused as Shabbir. He has been sent to police remand by the court. Reports suggest he is the brother of Rukhsana.
The mother of the victim has demanded a death sentence for the accused. She accused Rukhsana’s uncle Musafir of being involved in the murder. Speaking to OpIndia Hindi, the Media Cell Head of Chamba Police said the investigation led by ASP is underway.
Speaking to OpIndia, district head of Bajrang Dal Ravi Bharadwaj said that if the administration fails to take action against the accused, they will take the matter to the roads and start protests. Local BJP leader Ajay Tondon said the murder was a conspiracy to create tension in the area. He added Devdar’s human trafficking gang of Muslims could be behind the murder.
As per reports, local Muslim leaders have condemned the murder and boycotted the family. They accused the family of stirring communal tension in an otherwise peaceful area. However, Tondon said the statements given by Muslim leaders are just a whitewash. “After a few days of expressing anger, they will come together,” he added.
On Monday, the Maharashtra Police filed an FIR against a Twitter account identified as ‘Hindutva Watch’ for spreading fake news and attempting to incite riots during the recent violence that erupted in Kolhapur city in the state. The Twitter account has been booked under the 153A, 295, and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code based on the complaint filed by local Hindu activist Sambhaji alias Banda Salunkhe.
As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the Twitter account ‘Hindutva Watch’ has been accused of defaming the Hindu community and hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus by posting wrongful videos post violence in Kolhapur. The account has also attempted to spread hatred against Hindus through the tweet by claiming that the Hindu leaders had delivered ‘communal speeches’ which resulted in the violence in the city of Kolhapur.
The complainant further mentioned that the Twitter account posted two videos in a tweet trying to impose on the minds of people that the violence was a result of meetings conducted by local Hindu leaders including Banda Salunkhe.
FIR copy obtained by OpIndia
In his complaint, Sambhaji Salunkhe said, “I work for the Hindu community’s cause for the last few years in the Kolhapur district. For the last two days, there is an attempt to create communal tensions in the city by using social media. I guide people to be united so that Hindus do not lose their existence in society. On 6th June 2023, a video clip of my speech was shot. It was used in the wrong way for the wrong purpose and put before the entire society by the Hindutva Watch Twitter account.”
He further said in his complaint, “The clips of two separate incidents were shared in the same post. I was not involved in that incident, but this post is shared with the intent of defaming me and creating unrest in society. Considering the current situation in the society, there can be communal tensions and they need to be prevented by the legal process.”
“Currently, there is tension prevailing in the city because some people shared wrong posts regarding religion on social media. There is an attempt to defame me by posting a clipping on the Hindutva Watch Twitter account by sharing the video of my speech and the recent violence in the city. This can potentially attract the wrath of the administration against me. therefore I request the administration to take strict action against this Twitter handle. I will not be responsible if any communal tension or violence is incited by this post,” the FIR said.
FIR copy obtained by OpIndia
In the Twitter post shared by the Hindutva Watch, there are two video clips. In one video clip, Sambhaji Salunkhe is seen addressing a group of people on the occasion of the 350th coronation day celebration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is from 6th June 2023. Another clip shows a tense situation in the city on the next day, June 7. In the first tweet in the same thread, Hindutva Watch shared a video clip and said that a Muslim youth was thrashed by Hindus for sharing a social media post hailing Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. Hindutva Watch essentially tried to insinuate that Sambhaji Salunkhe’s speech was responsible for the communal tension.
In the video clip shared by Hindutva Watch, Sambhaji Salunkhe is seen appealing to the people to be united. Salunkhe said, “We should be united because there are so many families in which they have only two daughters. We should protect them.” He also appealed to the listeners to call for a peaceful bandh against the social media posts hailing Aurangazeb. It was during this peaceful protest the next day that stones were pelted at innocent Hindus and a law and order situation was created.
Later, stones were pelted at a mosque during the protest rally by Hindu far-right groups. The situation remains tense as far-right leaders like Banda Sakunkhe try to keep the pot simmering by delivering communal speeches. As of now, Kholapur Police continues to ignore his hateful… pic.twitter.com/qL16Sw0ba8
Hindutva Watch wrote in the caption, “Hindu extremists thrashed a Muslim youth who uploaded status hailing Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. Later, stones were pelted at a mosque during the protest rally by Hindu far-right groups. The situation remains tense as far-right leaders like Banda Sakunkhe try to keep the pot simmering by delivering communal speeches. As of now, Kolhapur Police continues to ignore his hateful rhetoric and calls for violence.”
Massive tensions erupted in the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Wednesday, June 7, amid peaceful protest by Hindu organisations against people who posted social media stories praising Aurangzeb and Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan on the glorious day when the state celebrated the 350th Rajyabhishek Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Notably, the Twitter account Hindutva Watch is ill-known to insinuate false things against Hindu activists and Hindu organisations. It is run by one Raqeeb Hameed Naik who lives in the USA and identifies himself as a Kashmiri journalist.
Hindutva Watch has shared several such inciting posts in the past which may potentially cause religious tensions and communal disharmony in the society. Hindu activist Sambhaji Salunkhe has demanded strict action against this account for defaming him by spreading fake news against him and inciting riots.
In the Ghaziabad conversion case, the prime accused involved in the case identified as Baddo alias Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody by Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad court. This came a couple of days after Khan was arrested by the police from the state of Maharashtra.
The Commissioner of Police had got transit remand of 72 hours to bring Baddo from Thane to Ghaziabad. According to the reports, the police have prepared a list of more than 50 questions to interrogate Baddo, so that more aspects of this case are exposed.
A case of converting non-Muslim youths to Islam surfaced in Ghaziabad on May 30 this year when a victim filed a complaint at Kavinagar Police Station in which he said his minor son was lured into practising Islam by Islamists online. A team was formed to investigate the matter after filing an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Baddo operated seven different bank accounts for conversion
The Police have revealed that the prime accused involved in the case identified as Baddo alias Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan operated seven different bank accounts to handle the finances being generated from the conversion. The accused opened the bank accounts under different names and used them to transact money for conversion. The police said that all these seven bank accounts will be investigated.
During the investigation, police found that the real identity of the online handle Baddo, with whom the victim was talking regularly, was Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan s/o Maqsood Khan of Shazia Apartment, Devipada Mumbra under Mumbra Police Station area, Thane, Maharashtra. A special team of UP Police was sent to Thane, Maharashtra to arrest the accused. Shahnawaz is the mastermind behind the nexus. He was absconding since the case came to light.
On Monday morning, Mumbra and Ghaziabad police produced Shahnawaz alias Baddo in Thane district court under tight security. The Ghaziabad police presented documents related to the transit remand before the court. The court had given a transit remand of 72 hours to the police. The court had also ordered them to make arrangements for his food and security during this period.
Keeping in view the security, the police decided to bring Baddo to Ghaziabad by flight. Police officials stated that on Monday evening at 4.30 pm, he was to be taken on a flight, but the entire team could not get tickets. As per the reports, Baddo reached Ghaziabad by a night flight. He is being interrogated in detail.
Police have prepared a set of 50 questions to interrogate accused
Police are fully prepared to interrogate Baddo to bring out each and every aspect of this episode of conversion which has become famous across the country. Two senior police officers and other officers involved in the investigation have together prepared a list of more than 50 questions.
The list includes questions related to Baddo’s coming in contact with a 17-year-old Ghaziabad teenager as well as the involvement of others in the gang of conversions from Faridabad and Chandigarh.
The police have also got the details of the transactions executed in the bank accounts under investigation so far, inquiries will also be made regarding these bank accounts. Apart from this, several other questions like how many other people have been converted so far, and whether Baddo’s strings are connected abroad or not will also be asked.
Senior police officers say that before interrogating Shahnawaz alias Baddo, they have not only prepared a list of questions but have also collected electronic evidence related to these questions. The evidence includes chats found on the mobiles of converted teenagers. Apart from this, evidence has also been collected from bank account details and mobile apps.
Converted teenagers were asked to read verses of the Quran to win the game
Apart from the Commissionerate Police, ATS and IB officials will also interrogate Shahnawaz. Teams of both security agencies will reach Ghaziabad on Tuesday. However, the first interrogation will be conducted by the officers of Ghaziabad Police, and after that Baddo will face questions from ATS and IB.
Along with Baddo, another accused identified as Maulvi Abdul Rehman alias Nanni s/o Mehmood Ansari or Sanjaynagar in the Madhuban Bapudham Police Station area of Ghaziabad was also apprehended by the police in the case.
Police so far have found that four teenagers who were converted through the app were asked to read verses of the Quran to win the game. The police also are said to have arrested a person who arranged a SIM for Khan from Mumbai. Two other persons were also taken into custody by the police investigating the case.
On Tuesday, June 13, the Mumbai session court acquitted two people charged in Gujarat’s 2002 Best Bakery case. Additional Sessions Judge MG Deshpande acquitted Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil of all charges. Both Solanki and Gohil were absconding when the other accused faced trial. A separate trial for them was initiated after their arrest.
Fourteen people were killed in the Best Bakery attack on March 1, 2002. The incident occurred two days after 59 Hindus, including women and children, were burnt alive in a train in Godhra that was returning from Ayodhya. Following the incident, riots broke out across the state.
According to reports, around 1,000 people attacked Best Bakery and killed 14. Several were injured as well. Gujarat Police had booked 21 people on murder charges. Two of them died in prison during the trial.
The matter was first heard in a local court in Gujarat, where all 19 accused were acquitted in 2003. The matter went to Gujarat High Court, which also acquitted the accused. One of the victims, Zahirabibi Shaikh, moved to the Supreme Court, which accepted her plea and remanded the matter to Maharashtra. The apex court ordered reinvestigation by the police and retrial in a Mumbai court.
The matter was concluded in a Mumbai court in 2006, where nine persons were found guilty on several charges, including murder. They were sentenced to life imprisonment. The matter was then called at the Bombay High Court, that acquitted five and upheld the sentence of four.
When the matter was being heard in the Mumbai court, Solanki and Gohil were absconding. Both of them were declared absconding during trial before a Vadodara court. Later, the Mumbai court also declared them absconding. Following their arrest, they were brought before the court in 2013. In 2018, the court rejected their bail plea. The duo claimed in their application that they were unaware of the retrial, and their absence should not be considered as proof against them. A separate trial for them was ordered that began in 2019.
While framing charges against them, the court used the testimony of witnesses given during earlier trials as per the provisions of the law. However, during cross-examination of the witnesses, no evidence was found against them as no witness had deposed about their role in the attack on the Best Bakery.
