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Yet another mass shooting in USA, 9 injured in Mission district of San Francisco

OpIndia Staff
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Yet another mass shooting in USA, 9 injured in Mission district of San Francisco

On Friday, a mass shooting in San Francisco left nine injured in a “targeted and isolated incident” as stated by the police. The shooting took place at around 9 pm during a party hosted by a clothing store Dying Breed near the intersection of 24th Street and Treat Avenue in the Mission district. According to the media reports, no arrests have been made so far.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, all of the victims are “expected to survive their injuries.” However, according to a statement from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, one of the victims was still in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon.

Another victim was claimed to be in critical condition, four were stable, and three had been discharged. According to the hospital, the victims were eight men and one woman from the age of 20 to 34.

According to a witness who was present when the shooting occurred, the block party took an unanticipated turn for the worst as she saw blood and bodies on the floor.

“We were on the roof and all we saw was blood and bodies on the ground.” “It was just a terrifying sight,” Raymond Hou said. “It was funny because I was there just ten minutes ago, no problem, no worries.”

Taking to Twitter, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said that the authorities are analysing the situation. Breed further thanked the 911 dispatchers, paramedics, and medical staff for their prompt response to the horrific incident.

“Last night’s shooting in the Mission is still under investigation. I know there are a lot of questions and concerns in the community, and people want answers. We are still working to understand exactly what happened and why and we will share information as soon as we can. What we do know is our @SF_emergency 911 dispatchers, @SFPD, paramedics, and medical staff at @ZSFGCare all responded quickly to this shooting, and no lives were lost. Thank you to all our City workers who responded to this horrific event in the Mission”, he added.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott in a tweet stated that such incidents of violence are unacceptable.

“This kind of violence on our streets is unacceptable. People should feel safe to go out in San Francisco without fear of being victims of gun violence. Investigators are working diligently, and we will have a visible police presence in the community where this occurred.”

This comes just days after gunfire erupted on Tuesday evening at a theatre in Richmond, Virginia, causing hundreds of students and guests to flee in panic. The Huguenot High School graduation ceremony was held at the venue on Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)’s Monroe Park campus. Two people were killed and five others wounded in the unfortunate incident that took place outside the Altria Theater in Richmond.

Shubman Gill shares a cryptic tweet after his controversial dismissal in the WTC Final

OpIndia Staff
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Shubman Gill shares a cryptic tweet after his controversial dismissal in the WTC Final

On June 10, Indian cricketer Shubman Gill shared a cryptic message on his social media accounts after his controversial dismissal in World Test Championship final. On his Twitter account, Shubman, who is visibly displeased over the dismissal on the fourth day of the match at The Oval, used a lens and facepalm emoji with a screenshot of the controversial catch.

On his Instagram story, Shubman used the same image with four clapping emojis. The cricketer did not say anything about the dismissal in the posts other than posting emojis to express his disappointment over the controversial catch.

Screenshot of Instagram story by cricket Shubman Gill. Source: Instagram

Experts were divided on whether Cameron Green was able to catch the ball properly without it touching the ground. Videos and screenshots of the catch have raised questions over the decision taken by the third umpire, who thought the catch was fair and declared Gill out.

India closed day four of the match at 164/3 with a target of 444. Gill was at 18 off 19 balls and part of a rollicking opening stand with skipper Rohit Sharma when he was declared out. Despite all the doubts over the catch, the batsman did not get the benefit of the doubt in this case and Gill was sent on his way by the umpire.

By the time day four was over, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara had lost their wickets. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane will start day 5 with India needing 280 more runs to win the World Test Championship.

As Donald Trump is indicted in classified documents case, questions emerge over intent, critics compare brouhaha with Hillary Clinton’s email scandal

OpIndia Staff
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As Donald Trump is indicted in classified documents case, questions emerge over intent, critics compare brouhaha with Hillary Clinton’s email scandal

Former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly stored sensitive documents including nuclear weapons secrets at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. U.S. media reports cited the indictment papers which were unsealed by federal prosecutors on Friday. However, except for the general descriptions of the “potentially sensitive documents”, the indictment does not reveal what’s in the classified documents.

What the indictment alleges

As per the indictment, Trump stored in cardboard boxes information “regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.”

“The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods,” the indictment reads.

Images of the “classified documents” shared by the U.S. media show cardboard boxes labelled, stacked and stored in the rooms.

A photo published in the indictment released by DoJ shows cartons containing classified documents stacked and stored at Trump’s Florida residence. (Source: ABC News).

One such image shows some documents labelled “SECRET//SCI” and “TOP SECRET//SCI” scattered on the floor. The contents of the documents are dedicated. However, this raises an imperative question as to why the Dept of Justice (DoJ) would release clear images of “secret & top secret” documents even if it is meant to prove the charges against Trump.

A photo published in the indictment released by DoJ shows documents containing state secrets scattered on the floor of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. (Source: Market Watch)

Former Trump Attorney Timothy Parlatore while speaking to NBC News said, “Is it the type of thing where they want to declassify these things, if they haven’t already been declassified and put them out publicly? Even if he (Trump) did a lot of the things that they’re saying that he did, prosecuting him…there are the same reasons why you wouldn’t want to prosecute him as to why back in 2016 I was of the opinion that Hillary Clinton shouldn’t be prosecuted, because there are all of these other problems. You have to actually take these documents, show them to the jury and then prove to them that it constitutes national defence information. In doing you so, you…

When the NBC News Anchor asked, “…you’re declassifying that”, Parlatore answered, “to NBC News: “Exactly.”

Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz while speaking to Fox News pointed out another such questionable image. “I find these photos to be gratuitous at best. I mean for the FBI and Department of Justice to put those photos out…remember Mar-a-Lago is not just someplace you go walk-by, go check in…these are protected by the United States Secret Service. And if you look really closely at some of that photos that have come on, the ones that spilled on the ground, those are pictures of newspapers and of personal pictures of the President. That’s not classified material right there,” Chaffetz said.

While questioning the charges in the indictment, Chaffetz also questioned Trump asking, “Why not just turn them (the documents) back in?”

Image published in the report shows newspapers and some photos of Donald Trump spilled on the floor from one of the cartons containing secret state documents. (Sources: Fox News)

Parallels with Hillary Clinton Email Scandal

Supporters and critics alike are drawing parallels between Trump’s case with that of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal during her tenure as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. The 2016 Presidential nominee had used her private email server for official communication which led to a federal investigation by the FBI in 2015 for holding classified information. Then FBI director James Comey despite alleging that Clinton mishandled classified information, did not recommend prosecution and the DoJ declined to proceed in the case. Clinton was never charged.

Contrary to a 2018 U.S. govt report claiming 193 emails were classified, Clinton in 2022 had claimed that there were “zero classified email” on her private server. Further speaking to Fox News, Jason Chaffetz said, “I don’t understand why Hillary Clinton on the very day she started her Senate confirmation put up her own home brewed computer and then the FBI director comes out and says that ‘there was no intent to bypass the Federal Records Act.’ That thing was chock full of tens of thousands of documents, highly classified.”

Meanwhile, Clinton faced backlash on social media for mocking Trump over his indictment by downplaying the email scandal. She shared an image of herself from her tenure donning a black cap with the phrase “But Her Emails”.

“Bringing this back in light of recent news: Get a limited-edition But Her Emails hat and support Onward Together groups working to strengthen our democracy,” Clinton wrote on Friday, including a link to buy the $32 “unstructured dad hat.”

One of the users Audsauce @Audjuice9989 tweeted the same image of Hillary Clinton with the text on the cap altered to, “Lost to Trump”.

Another user named Tribe @tribe_zero tweeted, “Gloating about getting away with crime isn’t the win you think it is…”

Does this impact Donald Trump’s 2024 bid?

The former U.S. President, who is in the race for a second term in the 2024 Presidential Election, gave an exclusive statement to Fox News. He said his federal indictment is “election interference at the highest level,” telling Fox News Digital that the Biden administration is “the most corrupt” in history.

Notably, the indictment, a second one, does not impact Trump’s 2024 Presidential Campaign as per U.S. laws and he can still run for and be elected President even if tried and convicted. So barring more legal troubles, the case in itself is no threat to Trump’s Presidential bid provided he can swing public opinion in his favour.

“They come after me because now we are leading in the polls again by a lot, against Biden by a lot,” he said. Republican rivals to Trump for 2024 have also come out in his support.

Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida said, “The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society. We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation.”

Nikki Haley, Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor tweeted, “This is not how justice should be pursued in our country.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, Entrepreneur tweeted, “We shouldn’t be some banana republic where the party in power uses police force to arrest its political opponents.”

Meanwhile, the DoJ reportedly believes that it will take prosecutors about a month in court to present their case to a jury at trial. Trump has been directed to appear before a federal court in Miami on June 13.

West Bengal: TMC leader found carrying a pistol at a protest against the murder of a Congress leader in Murshidabad, arrested

ANI
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West Bengal: TMC leader found carrying a pistol at a protest against the murder of a Congress leader in Murshidabad, arrested

A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was arrested after a pistol was allegedly found in his possession during a protest over the alleged murder of a Congress leader in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

The protest over the alleged killing of the Congress leader was staged during the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls on Saturday. The Congress leader was allegedly murdered at Khargram of Murshidabad on Saturday.

The police arrested the TMC leader after finding a pistol on his person. He was taken to a police station nearby.

Congress workers, meanwhile, staged a demonstration outside the office of the West Bengal State Election Commission in Kolkata on Saturday over the alleged killing of a fellow party member.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government over the alleged killing of the party member, claiming that the state administration was shielding the culprit.

“A Congress worker was murdered at Khargram in Murshidabad. The incident took place in the run-up to the panchayat elections. The accused is being shielded by the administration in the wake of the killing. We will hold protests against this. Does the TMC want a bullet election or a ballot election? We will not allow TMC to indulge in this politics of blood,” he said.

He further accused the TMC of “intimidating” the Opposition parties ahead of the Panchayat polls.

“Our worst fears around the panchayat polls are ringing true. The ruling party in Bengal is resorting to unchecked hooliganism and using the administration to unleash terror on the Opposition forces ahead of the panchayat polls. We are being intimidated in a planned manner. They don’t want the panchayat polls in Murshidabad and elsewhere to be held in police,” Chowdhury told ANI.

The panchayat elections in West Bengal are to be held on July 8 in a single phase and votes will be counted on July 11, the state poll panel said on Thursday.

The rural polls are likely to see a fierce contest between the ruling TMC and the principal Opposition, the BJP. They are being seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. 

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

Delhi: Shahrukh pretends to be Hindu to lure a Hindu girl, starts blackmailing after she broke up knowing the truth, arrested but police say it’s not love jihad

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Shahrukh pretends to be Hindu to lure a Hindu girl, starts blackmailing after she broke up knowing the truth, arrested but police say it’s not love jihad

Another case of alleged ‘love jihad‘ came to light from the Karawal Nagar area of Delhi on 10th June 2023. A Muslim youth named Shahrukh allegedly concealed his identity to trap a Hindu girl. He introduced himself as a Hindu and befriended a Hindu girl and allegedly raped her. On the complaint of the victim, the Karawal Nagar police station registered an FIR and arrested the accused Shahrukh. However, the police have denied the love jihad angle in this incident citing that there was no religious conversion involved in this case.

According to the complaint lodged by the victim girl, she befriended the young man on Instagram where he identified himself as Golu – a Hindu person. First, a deep friendship developed between the two on Instagram and then both started meeting. In October 2020, the victim girl met Golu, but in January 2023, it was revealed that Golu’s real name is Shahrukh.

The victim alleged that when she came to know that Golu’s real name was Shahrukh, she started distancing herself from him. Despite this, the accused threatened to make her photos viral and kill the family members. The victim alleged that the accused used to threaten her as he had allegedly taken some compromising videos and photos. She complained that Shahrukh started blackmailing her repeatedly. The girl said in the complaint that the accused Shahrukh repeatedly forced her to have physical relations.

While speaking to the media, the victim girl said, “I first met him on Instagram where he identified as Golu. When my mother’s health was not well, I could not meet him. During those days, he became angry with me and told me his real name – Shahrukh Khan. after that, he started threatening me. He would roam around my college where he once molested me. I lodged a complaint in the police station and he is arrested now.”

The Karawal Nagar police have registered an FIR and arrested the accused Shahrukh. Northeast Delhi Additional DCP Sandhya Swami said, “Yesterday we received a complaint from the girl. In the complaint, she said that she befriended a person on Instagram in October 2020. At that time, the person had told her that his name is Golu. He told the girl that he is a Hindu. This is why the girl befriended him. Recently he came to know that Golu’s real name is Shahrukh and that he is a Muslim.”

She added, “The girl wanted to break up the relationship. However, the accused did not want to break up. He continued to talk to her and follow her. He told the girl to continue the friendship. We have registered an FIR in this matter. We have arrested the accused – Shahrukh.”

Additional DCP Sandhya Swami further said, “There is an angle in the complaint that the accused had made some videos of the girl and he threatened her to upload those videos if she does not talk to him. However, he had not uploaded anything. He just issued threats. We seized his mobile phone. We will check his phone too.”

When asked why did the accused commit this crime, Additional DCP Sandhya Swami said, “It is not yet clear why did he do this. But it seems that he created the social media ID with the intent of increasing the closeness and getting acceptance. He is 22 years old and has passed 10th standard. He works in a tailor’s shop in Silampur. We are investing in this case.

Interestingly, the DCP claimed that this is not a case of love jihad, as Shahrukh didn’t force the girl to convert to Islam. She said, “there is no angle of religious conversion found so far in this case. There is no angle of love jihad.”

We will participate in Asian Games only if all the issues are resolved: protesting wrestlers

OpIndia Staff
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We will participate in Asian Games only if all the issues are resolved: protesting wrestlers

Wrestler Sakshi Malik, who has been part of the demonstration against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of sexual harassment, declared today that wrestlers who are engaged in the protest will only compete in the upcoming Asian Games if their issues are resolved.

She stated, “We will participate in Asian Games only when all these issues are resolved. You can’t understand how mentally exhausting this is and what we are going through every day.” She arrived in Sonipat to take part in the Mahapanchayat to determine the future course of action for wrestlers who have been clamouring for the WFI head’s resignation following allegations of sexual harassment. 

According to the wrestler, there is pressure on the wrestlers to make a concession, and that is why the minor grappler who accused the WFI chief and Bharatiya Janata Party MP of sexual harassment changed her statement. She alleged that due to the pressure exerted on him to drop the case, the father of the girl is depressed.

“Some things were said out of anger in that, some of them are true and some things were wrongly said. Brij Bhushan is right at his place but the anger was there and out of anger some false things were said. I have again given my statement and the things which were wrongly stated, I have corrected them,” the complainant had mentioned.

“There’s huge pressure on us to compromise,” She commented on a television channel. She charged that the individuals close to Brij Bhushan are dialling and threatening them.

Her remarks coincide with the month-long Asiad trials that are now set to take place. The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023. All wrestlers, including those involved in the protest, must participate in the trials to secure a spot on the India squad.

Bajrang Punia remarked earlier this morning that they would present their conversations with the government to the Mahapanchayat delegates. “Whatever talks we had with the government, we will discuss that with the people who are supporting and standing with us.”

Anurag Thakur, the Union Sports Minister, who recently hosted the wrestlers for a second meeting at his residence, on Thursday expressed that the discussions with the protesting wrestlers were fruitful and that decisions had been made over a number of issues.

The former listed out their five demands including, the appointment of a woman as WFI supremo, no one related to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh should be included in the organisation, cases filed against wrestlers to be withdrawn, impartial WFI election and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh should be arrested, after coming out of the meeting.

The wrestlers have been protesting for over a month now. They started their agitation in January but retracted after assurance from Anurag Thakur before returning to Jantar Mantar in April. The centre even constituted a five-member oversight committee under the chairmanship of Olympic medallist boxer M. C. Mary Kom to look into the matter.

Pakistan: Minor Hindu girl Sohana Sharma Kumari abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man, court refuses to let her return to her family

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Minor Hindu girl Sohana Sharma Kumari abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man, court refuses to let her return to her family

Pakistan continues to inflict atrocities on the religious minorities residing there as yet another minor Hindu girl was abducted on June 2, 2023, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man. Adding to her anguish, despite her appeals, a Pakistani court refused to allow her to return to her parents.

A 14-year-old girl named Sohana Sharma Kumari was abducted from her home in the Benazirabad district of Sindh province. She was kidnapped at gunpoint by her tutor and his aides in front of her mother. Sohana’s father Dilip Kumar, filed a police report alleging that she had been abducted. Later, Sohana appeared in a video clearly stating that she had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man under pressure. Her parents, on the other hand, argued that she was a minor.

After much outrage on social media, authorities retrieved the minor Hindu girl from a residence in the district five days after she was abducted.

On Friday, June 9, Sohana was brought to the district court in Larkana, where she told the judge in her statement that she had been abducted and forced to convert to Islam. She also expressed her wish to return to her parents.

The judge, however, adjourned the case until June 12 since she appeared to be under ‘pressure’ when giving her statement and remanded her to a women’s shelter home. It is notable that there have been many similar cases wherein the victim girls have stated that they want to go back to their parents, however, the courts in Pakistan send them to shelter homes.

Sohana’s mother, Jamna Sharma, informed the media at court that her daughter was taking home tuition and that the teacher had told her a few days ago that he required a loan of Rs 100,000.

“When my daughter informed me of this, I told the teacher that he should not be talking about such matters with Sohana, and he left.” Then after a day, he came back with some people and forcefully took her away at gunpoint. “I begged him to take the money and jewellery but leave my daughter. But those people did not listen,” Jamna recalled.

Sohana’s father stated to the media that the accused presented fake documents to claim in the court that she had converted to Islam of her own free will and married a Muslim man.

“I don’t know how government officials can stamp such documents when the girl is 14 years old,” he said.

Sohana Kumari Sharma’s forceful conversion and marriage case rocks Sindh Assembly

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Lal Chand Ukrani raised the issue of Sohana Sharma Kumari’s abduction and forced conversion to Islam in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.

During his speech, Ukrani deemed the incident cruel and stated that no religion allowed forced marriages or conversions. He said that a 14-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped in Qazi Ahmad and that her marriage certificate was afterwards furnished.

“We respect every religion, but it is not appropriate to change someone’s religion by force,” he added, adding that the episode sparked widespread outrage across the province.

Meanwhile, Provincial Minister Giyan Chand Essrani described the situation as tragic.

“There is a law that a girl under the age of 18 cannot change her religion and cannot marry,” he stated, adding that he was in frequent contact with the provincial police chief in this respect.

Mangla Sharma, MPA of the MQM-P stated that the victim girl was a class eight student who was compelled to convert to Islam and do nikah with a Muslim man.

“She is my relative, please have mercy on her,” she stressed in a raspy voice and teary eyes.

Kidnappings and forced conversions of Hindu girls to Islam in Sindh have become a matter of grave concern for  Pakistani Hindus.

There has been an upsurge in such cases in Sindh in recent months, with lower courts overwhelmed with applications from afflicted parents demanding justice and the return of their abducted women.

Recently, OpIndia reported that a 9-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped from her house in May this year by a 55-year-old man in Sindh province who forcibly convert her to Islam and perform Nikah with her.

124 non-Muslim women forcibly converted to Islam in 2022: Report

Notably, a recent Human Rights Observer 2023 fact sheet revealed that in the year 2022, as many as 124 women belonging to minority communities were forcefully converted to Islam in the Islamic country. Out of this, 81 were Hindu, 42 were Christian and one was Sikh.

Further, the fact sheet revealed that 23 percent of girls were below 14 years of age, 36 percent of them were between the age of 14 and 18 years, and only 12 percent of the victims were adults, while the age of 28 percent of the victims was not reported.

Infographic via Centre for Social Justice website

In 2022, 65% of cases of forced religious conversion were reported in Sindh, 33% in Punjab, and 0.8% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, respectively.

Devas Multimedia CEO Ramachandran Vishwanathan declared a fugitive economic offender by Bengaluru Court

ANI
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Devas Multimedia CEO Ramachandran Vishwanathan declared a fugitive economic offender by Bengaluru Court

Bengaluru Special Court has declared Ramachandran Vishwanathan as a Fugitive Economic Offender for allegedly generating huge proceeds through his company, said an official press release.

The matter pertains to the alleged offences committed under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 in the Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. Case. The case was registered by CBI under various sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Viswanathan. Thereafter, an investigation was initiated by the ED under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The Provisional Attachment orders worth Rs 82 crore were issued and subsequently Prosecution Complaint was filed by ED against Ramachandran Vishwanathan and others before the Special Court, PMLA Bengaluru for the offence of money laundering.

As per the agency, the total proceeds of crime involved in money laundering were quantified as Rs 579 Crore (approximately).

“Ramachandran Viswanathan was the mastermind behind the whole scheme of fraudulent generation of huge proceeds by his company M/s Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd., and then further diverting the same for his personal benefits and thus caused pecuniary gain to himself and other accused persons,” the release stated.

Viswanathan is not cooperating with the ongoing proceedings before the competent Special Court under PMLA as well as investigations being conducted by the ED, the agency alleged

The Special Court has also declared Vishwanathan as a Fugitive Economic Offender for the offences under Section 12 of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. The attached properties have also been confiscated by the Bengaluru Court under the same act. 

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

“Ladki cheez hi aisi hai…”, Sarwar Chishti of Ajmer Dargah on the 1992 Ajmer Sharif rape scandal

OpIndia Staff
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“Ladki cheez hi aisi hai…”, Sarwar Chishti of Ajmer Dargah on the 1992 Ajmer Sharif rape scandal

On 9th June 2023, Khadim of Ajmer Sharif Dargah Sayed Sarwar Chishti tried to justify the 1992 Ajmer Sharif rape scandal during a media interaction. He said that girl is such a thing that it corrupts a man. He was reacting to the questions regarding the upcoming film ‘Ajmer 92‘ which is based on the 1992 Ajmer Sharif rape scandal.

Sarwar Chishti said, “Man may not be corrupted by money, may not be morally corrupt even. But ‘Ladki cheez hi aisi hai…’ (a girl is such a thing) that can corrupt anyone. Just like Menaka disrupted Vishwamitra’s ‘Tapasya’. All the ‘Babas’ in jail have been incarcerated in cases involving women. Even the most prominent men fall into this trap.”

Ajmer’s deputy mayor Neeraj Jain reacted to these bizarre remarks and said, “The comments made behind the camera expose Sarwar Chishti’s mindset. His comments betray the attitude towards women. This is what you think about mothers and sisters. He is trying to shield the accused by giving communal colour to the movie.”

It is notable that the trailer of the film Ajmer 92 has created a stir since its release. This hard-hitting picture, produced by Reliance Entertainment in collaboration with U&K Films Entertainment, Sumit Motion Pictures, and Little Crew Pictures, will be released on July 14, 2023.

Based on true events, Ajmer 92 tells the story of the plight of as many as 250 girls who were trapped, sexually exploited, and blackmailed for years by caretakers of Ajmer Dargah, including many influential men in the area in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Some of the Chishti Khadims (caretakers) of the Ajmer Dargah were among the accused in this case. The accused Chishtis included Anwar Chishti, Farooq Chishti, and Nafees Chishti. A grooming gang led by them raped and silenced the Hindu women in Ajmer.

Talking about the horrific crime, advocate Ajay Pratap said, “A lot of families sacrificed the education of their girls, pulled them out of schools. A lot of them moved from Ajmer. When their daughters’ names surfaced in this case, they were forced to change their names. They made several requests to advocates, journalists, police, and others to not reveal their daughters’ names as in that case they would never get married. From 1992 to 1996, it had become difficult to get girls married. Ajmer’s girls had to leave the town to get married.”

Sarwar Chishti has a past record of controversial remarks

Sarwar Chishti, who tried to justify these acts in the guise of a reaction to the film ‘Ajmer 92’, is known for his bizarre and controversial remarks. In 2022, he called for an economic boycott of Hindus. He made this appeal in response to a rally held by Hindus in Ajmer in support of the former spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party Nupur Sharma.

Sarwar Chishti was also caught on camera inciting a group of Muslims around him, saying that Muslims were the rulers of India for hundreds of years and that by changing the names of railway stations, the current government cannot erase the fact that Muslims ruled the country. He had warned the administration saying that such activities will only force the Muslims to aim to rule India again.

World Hindu Congress 2023 to be held in Bangkok in November by World Hindu Foundation, 7 thematic conferences to be organised

OpIndia Staff
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World Hindu Congress 2023 to be held in Bangkok in November by World Hindu Foundation, 7 thematic conferences to be organised

The World Hindu Foundation has announced that the World Hindu Congress 2023, a quadrennial global platform for Hindus, will take place for the first time in Bangkok, Thailand from November 24 to 26, 2023. A press release issued by the Foundation said that “this prestigious event will bring together Hindus from around the world to articulate their values, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit in all its vibrance and glory with the theme of “Jayasya Aayatnam Dharmah,” meaning “Dharma, the Abode of Victory”. Seven parallel thematic conferences will be organised in the Congress to address the challenges and opportunities facing the global Hindu community.

World Hindu Foundation said that The World Hindu Congress aims to bring together the 1.2 billion-strong Hindu community, representing 16% of the world’s population, spread across approximately 200 countries. “Hindus have been leaders and catalysts in various spheres of human endeavor, including business, economy, education, governance, media, technology, and culture,” it said.

The World Hindu Congress is held every four years, with the Inaugural Congress held in New Delhi in 2014. The second Hindu Congress was held in Chicago in 2018, commemorating the 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic address at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893.

World Hindu Congress 2023 will be held at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The 7 Thematic conferences will cover a wide range of sessions and topics, providing delegates with valuable takeaways to implement in their respective communities, according to the foundation.

Each conference will address specific subjects and topics related to its theme, featuring speakers and thought leaders. The findings of each conference will be presented to the Congress as a whole, allowing delegates to critically examine the work and contribute their input.

The seven conferences will be: World Hindu Economic Forum, Hindu Education Conference, Hindu Media Conference, Hindu Political Conference, as the pillars of society and the, Hindu Women Conference, Hindu Youth Conference and the Hindu Organizational Conference as the drivers of society. 

The Foundation has said that the WHC 2023 will serve as a pivotal platform for encouraging collaboration among Hindu leaders, activists, and thinkers to come together for insightful discussions contributing to Hindu resurgence. It is focused on areas of strategic importance and deliberates upon the opportunities and challenges faced.

Delegates will have the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and collectively shape the future course of action. WHC 2023 aims to instil a sense of pride and responsibility within participants, empowering them to fearlessly embrace their duties and responsibilities towards Hindu Dharma, the Word Hindu Foundation said.

Susheel Kumar Saraff, Chairman of World Hindu Congress 2023, stated, “The World Hindu Congress is the quintessential and original yajnya (self-sacrifice) for the greater interest of the Hindu society. It is a shared platform where Hindus from all walks of life, spread across nations, societies, and cultures, can come together to organize and combine their energies for global welfare.”

The cultural and historical connections between India, Thailand and South East Asia, along with the shared Dharmic and cultural values, make Bangkok an ideal host for the World Hindu Congress 2023, according to the foundation. Magnificent symbols of this shared heritage can be seen in landmarks such as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram in Thailand, Angkor Wat and Phnom Kulen in Cambodia, Prambanan and Borobudur in Indonesia, Kedaram in Malaysia), Cham Temple, Mỹ Sơn in Vietnam and Vat Phou in Laos.

During a press conference announcing the WHC 2023 in Bangkok, key speakers touched upon various aspects of the event.

Dr. Sophana Srichampa, Associate Professor Dr, Mahidol University, highlighted the cultural connections between Bharat i.e. India and Thailand: “The rich cultures of India and Thailand are deeply intertwined. We share a heritage expressed through language, arts, architecture, and tradition. WHC 2023 serves as a bridge between these two nations, fostering cultural, economic, and philosophical connections. It will contribute to the growth and development of both Thailand and the global Hindu community.”

Sushil Dhanuka, President of India-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand, explained the significance of the seven parallel conferences: “The seven conferences held during the World Hindu Congress cover a range of topics pertinent to the Hindu community. We discuss subjects such as economic empowerment, education, media, politics, youth engagement, women’s empowerment, and organizational collaboration. These conferences bring together experts and leaders from various fields to share their insights and inspire the delegates.”

Shri Raju B Manwani, Secretary World Hindu Congress Bangkok, shed light on the organization of WHC 2023: “We expect a significant number of delegates from various countries to attend the Congress. The basic criteria for being a delegate include a commitment to Hindu values and an active involvement in promoting Hindu causes. Apart from the conferences, the congress will feature exhibitions, and networking opportunities. We have made comprehensive arrangements to ensure the safety and security of all delegates and honored guests during the WHC 2023. Our priority is to create a conducive and inclusive environment for fruitful discussions and networking.”

The World Hindu Congress 2023 expects a substantial number of delegates from various countries, saying that they are expecting over 3500 participants representing Hindu communities worldwide. Delegates can register for the event at the website of the event. World Hindu Foundation said that it welcomes the participation of all Hindu organizations, associations, and institutions.

For the World Hindu Congress in Bangkok, Thailand to be held from November 24 to 26, registration can be done at discounted rate till 31 July, 2023. Under this, the registration for all delegates will be USD $300, for women it will be USD $200, and for student USD $150.

The foundation said that they can be contacted at the email ID [email protected] for further information and partnership opportunities, while updates about the event can be found on the official website www.worldhinducongress.org and social media accounts of World Hindu Congress.

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