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‘Call of Duty’ goes woke, ‘cancels’ streamer for objecting to ‘LGBTQ+ curriculum’ for school kids. Here is what happened

Dibakar Dutta
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‘Call of Duty’ goes woke, ‘cancels’ streamer for objecting to ‘LGBTQ+ curriculum’ for school kids. Here is what happened

On June 8 (US local time), the popular American media franchise Call of Duty ‘cancelled’ an online streamer for objecting to LGBTQ indoctrination and Pride Month celebration at schools in Glendale city of California.

The streamer was identified as Nicholas Kolcheff, popularly known as ‘Nickmercs’ on Youtube. ‘Call of Duty’ unceremoniously removed the ‘Nickmercs bundle’ from two of the game’s versions, Warzone and Modern Warfare II.

In a tweet (archive), Call of Duty announced, “Due to recent events, we have removed the “NICKMERCS Operator” bundle from the Modern Warfare II and Warzone store.

“We are focused on celebrating PRIDE with our employees and our community,” it claimed. Interestingly, the online streamer did not make any comment against the LGBTQ+ community.

Instead, he appealed to keep young children away from the radical gender theory, now openly espoused in US schools. “They should leave little children alone. That’s the real issue,” Nicholas Kolcheff said in his tweet.

He was reacting to a video of a clash between alleged Antifa supporters and concerned parents outside the Glendale Unified School District building. At that time, the district school board members had gathered to pass a resolution recognising LGBTQ+ Pride Month and introducing the LGBTQ+ curriculum.

Screengrab of the Tweet by Nicholas Kolcheff

Popular journalist, Andy Ngo, pointed out that the concerned parents of children had gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District building to protest against the academic curriculum on Tuesday (June 6).

“Immigrant families have been furious that elementary schools are doing pride events. Antifa has gathered to oppose the parents,” he said in a tweet. Andy also shared a video of the brawl and the intervention by the local police.

“Parents want transparency and parents want the option to opt out if it’s not appropriate and not told they can’t. It should be clear when you are placing your kids in taxpayer-funded (schools), it should be clear on what they should be educated on,” a parent named Sandy Garcia told NBC Los Angeles.

Reportedly, three people were arrested for obstructing police officers and unlawful use of pepper sprays. Meanwhile, the Glendale Unified School District has dismissed allegations of LGBTQ indoctrination of young and impressionable kids.

“Recently, intentional and harmful disinformation has been circulating about what is being taught in our district and the ways we serve our students. This includes disinformation about LGBTQIA+ curriculum, sex education, and supporting transgender and gender non-conforming youth,” it said in a statement.

Clarification issued by the streamer

After being ‘cancelled’ by Call of Duty, Nicholas Kolcheff took to Youtube to issue a clarification about the matter. He said, “I saw a tweet and I didn’t like what I was seeing. I saw parents brawling in front of a f*cking school with kids; I just didn’t f*cking like it.”

“I just don’t think it’s any place for a teacher or a school– I don’t think it’s the place to speak about things like that…It’s not that I think that it shouldn’t be spoken about, and if that’s what you got from that tweet, you’re just wrong…It wasn’t an ‘anti-gay’ tweet, that wasn’t what it was,” he emphasised.

The online streamer pointed out that he recently had a baby and did not want his child to be exposed to such ‘stuff’ in schools. Nicholas Kolcheff concluded, “If you think I hate you because you’re a certain way, you just couldn’t be any more wrong.”

Fans slam Call of Duty for their woke behaviour

Netizens and fans of the online streamer alike were aghast at the attempt of Call of Duty to ‘cancel’ Nicholas Kolcheff. They slammed the media franchise for giving in to LGBTQ+ propaganda in schools.

“Due to recent events, we will be deleting and not purchasing any future Call of Groomers game from you. My wife and I love the dmz from the latest game, but being parents, you made this decision easy. Grats on your ESG score. Now where do I get my money back?” wrote one Joseph Cameron.

“Call of Duty is pro-pedo now? Time to drop the boycott hammer” wrote one Mr Wizard.

“He said to leave the kids alone and this is how you respond…Interesting…” wrote another user.

Call of Duty has so far not responded to the Youtube video of streamer Nicholas Kolcheff.

Uttar Pradesh: Two baraats going for nikah of two girls of a family fight with stones and sticks over dancing to the DJ in Barabanki, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Two baraats going for nikah of two girls of a family fight with stones and sticks over dancing to the DJ in Barabanki, video goes viral

The marriage processions of the grooms of two girls of a Muslim family in the hamlet of Hazratpur in the Badosarai police station area, Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a lot of chaos on Friday. Conflict erupted between the two barats and they pelted stones, bricks, sticks and whatever they could find to throw, at one another. A stampede also occurred during the commotion in which reportedly more than one and a half dozen individuals were injured.

The incident happened during the Nikah ceremony of Jalil Hanif and Garib’s daughters when a major fight erupted between the two wedding parties over dancing to the DJ. The weddings of both the girls were scheduled on the same day at the same venue. Accordingly, the two groom’s parties, one from Tikaitnagar and the other from Safdarganj, with a DJ each, arrived in the afternoon. Both sides were singing and dancing on their way until they met each other on a village road.

They first got into a scuffle which soon escalated into whacking one another with sticks and intense stone pelting by kids. The people collected surrounding bushes and twigs and hurled them at one another after their rods and stakes broke.

Several people were injured in the incident, including Abdul Salam, Siraj Ahmed, Ramzan, Rehan, Aleem and Azim who were seriously injured.

A video of this incident was recorded which shortly went viral on social media. When Superintendent of Police (SP) Dinesh Kumar Singh learned about the same, he directed the Additional SP to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

Late in the evening, Ashutosh Mishra divulged details of the case and informed that the police showed up there and stabilised the situation. He mentioned that the complaint has been received from both sets of people and a case has been filed. Stone-pelting has resulted in several injuries and strict action will be taken.

He further stated that there is a sense of panic across the village due to the occurrence.

Gujarat: ATS busts terror module in Porbandar, arrests 4 terrorists of Islamic State of Khorasan Province

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: ATS busts terror module in Porbandar, arrests 4 terrorists of Islamic State of Khorasan Province

On Friday, June 9, the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police bust a major terror module in the state. Busting a secret module of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Porbandar, the ATS arrested four terrorists associated with the terror outfit. The arrested have been identified as Ubaid Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shal, Mohammad Hajim Shah, and Sumer Banu. Ubaid, Hanan, and Mohammad Hajim Shah hail from Kashmir, while Sumera Banu is from Surat. Another accused Zubair Ahmad Munshi is from Srinagar in Kashmir and the police are searching for him.

The three Kashmir residents were about to escape by sea route to join the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) with the help of their handler Abu Hamza. Materials related to the ISKP and sharp weapons such as knives were also recovered from them. For several days, the ATS team continuously conducted raids to arrest people associated with the terrorist organisation.

All the arrested terrorists are members of the terrorist organisation ISKP active in Afghanistan and they were in touch with each other for a year. According to the reports, all these terrorists were trying to escape from Porbandar to Afghanistan. DIG Deepan Bhadran and SP Sunil Joshi led this operation. They were camping in Porbandar along with local police officials since yesterday.

In a press conference, DGP Gujarat Vikas Sahay said, “ISKP that is Islamic State of Khorasan Province is a banned terrorist organisation. The ATS officers received the information that three terrorists related to this organisation are about to do a ‘Hijrat’ (travel) from India via Gujarat. The information was analysed and evaluated. We found that it was true information. Based on that information, the ATS officers arrested these terrorists from Porbandar on the 9th of June 2023 in the morning.”

The woman ISKP terrorist arrested from Surat

A woman associated with the terrorist organization ISKP was arrested from Surat. The woman – named Sumera – was caught by the ATS with the help of crime branch police. Sumera was detained from the Lalgate area of the city and taken to Porbandar. Sumera came to Surat from Kanyakumari to meet her father. The investigation also revealed that one of her family members is a government servant. Four mobile phones were recovered from her.

The plan to reach Afghanistan via Iran

During the investigation, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) discovered personal identification documents, digital communication devices such as mobile phones and tablets, as well as a sharp knife. In the presence of independent witnesses, ATS accessed the suspects’ cloud storage account, where they found photographs of the individuals holding ISKP banners and flags. Videos showing four Kashmiri youths taking an oath of loyalty to the Amir Ul Mominin (Commander of the Faithful or leader), audio clips of their pledge of loyalty (Bayah), and files indicating their intention to seek refuge in Khorasan were also found.

Upon further questioning, the youths revealed that their handler, Abu Hamza, instructed them to travel to Porbandar. They were instructed to find employment as labourers on fishing boats there and later navigate to specific GPS coordinates in the sea. From that location, they were to be transported to Iran on a ship. Once in Iran, they were to obtain fake passports and travel to Khorasan via Herat. The ultimate objective was to participate in a terrorist attack in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on behalf of ISKP and attain martyrdom. Subsequently, their handler would have used pre-recorded statements, photos, videos, and documents to declare them martyrs.

ATS deployed multiple teams in this operation

Four teams of ATS were continuously active in the operation and were raiding near the coastal towns. Two teams were deployed in the Porbandar area, while the others were conducting raids in the Dwarka area. Apart from this, the ATS team also conducted searches at different places in Bharuch and Surat in Gujarat and also in Delhi.

Further investigation into this ISKP module case is underway.

In har**iyon ko main auqaat dikhaoongi- Jamia scholar Shoaib Jamai beaten and forced to leave a live TV show by co-panellist Subuhi Khan: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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In har**iyon ko main auqaat dikhaoongi- Jamia scholar Shoaib Jamai beaten and forced to leave a live TV show by co-panellist Subuhi Khan: Watch

On Friday, June 9, a video clip from a TV debate went viral on Twitter, showing a woman panellist Subuhi Khan and Jamia scholar Dr Shoaib Jamai hurling unpleasantries and physically assaulting each other. Jamai was subsequently asked to leave the programme.

The rabid Islamist self-proclaimed scholar Shoaib Jamai, who has recently come under fire for promoting virulent anti-Hindu sentiment and the idea of India’s annihilation, was assaulted on the live television show which was hosted by journalist Aman Chopra on News18 TV.

The talk show was conducted to discuss the upcoming film 72 Hoorain (72 Hoors) which depicts the dark face of Islamic terrorism. The teaser of the film was launched on 4th June 2023 leaving several Islamists of the likes of Shoaib Jamai and their apologists feeling quite unsettled and upset.

As it appears in the viral video, co-panellist Subuhi Khan apparently becomes enraged by Jamai’s remark and stands up from her chair. She then angrily advances towards Jamai and tries to assault him. She can be heard hurling profanities at Jamai in the video.

The original video of the scuffle has been removed from YouTube, making it difficult to determine what exactly caused the debate to devolve into a physical confrontation, but, Jamai had probably passed some remark aimed at Khan’s son which had infuriated his co-panellist Subuhi Khan.

“In haramiyon ko main auqaat dikhaoongi (I will teach these bas*ards a lesson),” Khan told Jamai after pushing him violently.

She then asked Jamai to get out of the studio as she yelled, “Chal nikal yahan se (Get out of here).”

Jamai replied, “Tu nikal yahan se. (You get out)”

Subuhi Khan added, “Teri auqaat kaise ho gayi be. Musalman aurton ko saala pros ki tarah istemaal karta hai. (How dare you? You guys use Muslim women as prostitutes).”

She continued, “Tere baapon ko bhi maarongi main. (I will thrash even your father)”

Throughout the entire fiasco, it is visible how the anchor Aman Chopra and several crew members are continuously attempting to physically separate the two panellists, but Subuhi Khan, who visibly looks extremely furious and agitated, keeps trying to attack Jamai. Aman Chopra then leads Shoaib Jamai out of the set.

The debate show on News 18, titled ‘Desh Nahi Jhukne Denge with Aman Chopra’ during which the alleged incident happened can be viewed below.

Shoaib Jamai issues clarification over fight with Subuhi Khan

Shoaib Jamai, in a long tweet written in Hindi, clarified the fight with Subuhi Khan. The Jamia scholar stated being offended by Subuhi Khan constantly berating the Islamic concepts of Jannat and Jahannum and other practices such as Halala.

Shoaib Jamai went on to say that he used an instance of Islamic law to support his argument on the show, which Subuhi Khan mistook for a personal jab and attacked him. He also mentions going to court over how the newsroom footage ended up being leaked on social media.

Compliant filed against Shoaib Jamai for his rabid anti-Hindu and anti-India remarks

For the uninitiated, Shoaib Jamai is the Chairman of the India Muslim Foundation. Subuhi Khan, meanwhile, is the coordinator of ‘Rashtriya Jagran Abhiyan’ and also the founder of ‘Kabir Foundation’.

Notably, only yesterday Shoaib Jamai’s hate-filled video against Hindus went viral after which lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha filed a complaint against him with the Delhi Police. “Filed a Police Complaint against @shoaibJamei with @DelhiPolice. I’ve included his anti-India speech and anti-Hindu tweets along with 2 orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court which mandates @CPDelhi to lodge FIR in #HateSpeech cases. Otherwise, it’s a contempt,” tweeted the SC lawyer.

Additionally, BJP spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala has also declared that he will boycott any TV debate show that features Shoaib Jamai.

Jamia scholar spews hate against Hindus, peddles the fictitious ‘Bhagwa love trap’ conspiracy theory

Shoaib Jamai has been drawing the ire of Netizen for his brazen display of rabid hate towards Hindus and India in general, in a video that went viral yesterday (June 9, Friday). In the video, the Islamist scholar was not only seen spreading canards and peddling false propaganda to berate Hindus but also propagating the idea of India’s annihilation.

The Islamist scholar was further seen peddling the false ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’ conspiracy theory that is being spread by Islamists and Maulanas like Sajjad Nomani. He cleverly whitewashed the crimes being perpetrated by his religious brethren by blatantly claiming that Hindus are to be blamed for the rampant rape and molestation cases in India.

Islamist scholar spreads lies about Hindu religious texts, claims Apsaras are same as Hoors in Islam

A film titled 72 Hoorain (72 Hoors) depicting the dark face of Islamic terrorism is soon to release. The teaser of the film was launched on 4th June 2023. After the teaser of this film was released, Dr Shoaib Jamai, Chairman of India Muslim Foundation, posted a thread of tweets spreading fake things about Hindu religious texts to whitewash the concept of 72 Hoors in his faith which is Islam.

Shoaib Jamei is known for his controversial acts and comments. He was a media coordinator of the Shaheen Bagh protests.

Mischievous, distortion of facts: Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam rubbishes The Hindu report questioning the Sengol history, says comments taken out of context

OpIndia Staff
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Mischievous, distortion of facts: Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam rubbishes The Hindu report questioning the Sengol history, says comments taken out of context

Days after The Hindu claimed that the Chola era sceptre Sengol, which has been installed in the new parliament, was not presented to Lord Mountbatten first to be used as a symbol of the transfer of power to Nehru, the Hindu math in Tamil Nadu that crafted the Sengol has released an official statement condemning the report. It was issued by guru Maha Sannidhanam of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam and it started by labelling the latter as “mischievous” and a “distortion of facts.”

The Hindu on June 8 published a report titled “Not clear if Sengol was presented to Mountbatten, says Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam head” alleged that the head of the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai district said that there is no clear information whether the sceptre was presented to Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy to India, before it was given to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of India’s independence.

The Hindu report quoted Sri La Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramacharya Swamigal, the 24th head of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam. He was quoted as saying, “There is no clear information on it. Some say the Sengol was given to Lord Mountbatten. The people, who belonged to that period also say the same thing.”

As per the report, the Adheenam chief also commented that there was no use in giving the sceptre to Lord Mountbatten as he was already leaving India, and it was given directly to Jawaharlal Nehru. It is notable that as per the govt version, the Sengol was first given to Mountbatten, who returned it to the priests, after which it was presented to Nehru, symbolising the transfer of power.

However, now the Adheenam has accused the Hindu of distorting the statements of the head of the Adheenam. The statement said, “There is a report in the Hindu dated June 9th that the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam is ‘not clear if sceptre was presented to Mountbatten.’ This is taken out of context and is a distortion of facts. The Adheenam was accosted by the Hindu reporter after the morning puja, and the responses have been misreported out of context.”

The Adheenam clarified, “We are proud about the role of the Adheenam in the Sengol ceremony of 1947. The group from the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam went to Delhi on invitation, with the Sengol. There the Sengol was given to Mountbatten, taken back and purified by ganga jal abhishekham. Then it was handed over to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.”

It further continued, “When the question was posed by the Hindu if the Sengol was handed over to Mountbatten, the answer was that it was given to Pandit Nehru. This was clearly the case as the Sengol ended in Pandit Nehru’s hands.”

The religious organisation mentioned that the Sengol is explicitly acknowledged to have been presented to Mountbatten and then brought back for Ganga Jal Abhishekam in the recently released history of the Adheenam, under the chapter “Sengol Sirapu” and the Adheenam adheres to the published version of its record.

“In a related statement, Shri Masilamani Pillai who was the “Anukka Thondar” (or Personal Secretary) of the 20th Mahasannidhanam in Aug 1947, who is 96 years old, has clearly recalled the events recently, before the report by The Hindu. Shri Masilamani Pillai is a living witness from that time,” it added.

The group highlighted that he remembered that the Adheenam group succeeded in delivering the Sengol to Mountbatten before presenting it to Pandit Nehru. “Shri Masilamani Pillai clearly recalls that this was done at the initiative of Shri C Rajaji and that the Collector from Madras had visited the Adheenam in August 1947 to arrange for the Sengol.”

The Adheenam conveyed that the Math is extremely hurt by the ongoing attempts to malign it. “The Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam is deeply pained by the continuing efforts of some section of the media to discredit the Adheenam. There is no photograph of Mountbatten with the Sengol because the Adheenam people of that time did not go with cameras to take pictures.”

It informed, “They went about the task of presenting the Sengol which they completed successfully and reported to the Adheenam upon return.” It additionally proclaimed that the subsequent reports, including those in the media, had covered the development.

This is the second time The Hindu tried to question the history of the Sengol. Earlier on 25 May, before the Sengol was installed at the Parliament, it had published a report claiming that the Sengol was merely a gift from the Adheenam to India’s first PM, and it was not considered a symbol of the transfer of power on 15 August 1947. The Sengol had disappeared soon after that, and was recently found that it was lying at Anand Bhawan in Allahabad, the former residence of Nehru which has been converted to a museum.

Shockingly, the Sengol was mislabeled as a ‘golden walking stick gifted to Nehru.’

The Sengol was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the head priest of the Adheenam on May 27. It was then installed behind the chair of the Lok Sabha speaker in the new Parliament building on May 28 when it was inaugurated by the PM.

Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath govt cancels pending traffic challans from the year 2017 to 2021

ANI
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Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath govt cancels pending traffic challans from the year 2017 to 2021

In a major reprieve to the vehicle owners charged with violating traffic rules, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday announced to cancel the pending challans of all the vehicles from the year 2017-2021, a press release from the Chief Ministers office said.

“Uttar Pradesh government has cancelled the challan of the vehicle owners in the state, giving concession to the owners who have not paid the challan between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. This applies to all vehicles, including those pending in various courts,” the official statement said. 

Transport Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Singh instructed all divisional transport officers to withdraw these challans from the portal once they receive the court’s list of abated cases, it said.

“This decision by the UP government will provide tremendous relief to the general public. This decision by CM Yogi Adityanath has been welcomed by lakhs of vehicle owners, particularly those who were previously charged with violating traffic rules. The government has issued instructions to all divisional transport offices to remove pending challans from the e-challan portal after receiving the court’s list,” it added.

As per the statement, the transport Commissioner further stated that this cancellation of old pending challans is in accordance with Uttar Pradesh Ordinance No 2 of June 2023.

“It is notable that farmers in Noida were protesting for the cancellation of such challans. This move paves the way for the waiver of crores of challans across Uttar Pradesh,” added the statement.

It informed that if drivers believe that a wrong challan has been issued, they can also file a complaint directly on the website. A mobile notification is also sent when a vehicle’s challan is deducted, ensuring prompt communication.

“Following the cancellation of old pending challans, the drivers should not panic after this period. They can fill online traffic challans while sitting at home. Detailed information can be obtained by visiting the official website of UP Traffic Police, and for this, only the vehicle number is required,” the statement informed. 

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

Ladli Behna Yojana: MP govt to transfer ₹1000 to over 1 crore women. Here is what you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Ladli Behna Yojana: MP govt to transfer ₹1000 to over 1 crore women. Here is what you need to know

On Saturday (June 10), the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led-government will transfer ₹1000 to 1.25 crore women, residing in Madhya Pradesh, under the scheme of ‘Ladli Behna Yojana.’

In a statement, the State Chief Minister said, “My dear sisters, today is a very significant day for me as well as for you. Under the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’, I will deposit ₹1000 to your bank accounts in the evening.”

“And it is not just about the 1000 rupees. I have a message to share for your better future. At 6 pm today, I will participate in a public meeting in Jabalpur and connect with you,” he informed.

On Friday (June 9), BJP leader Jyotiraditya M Scindia informed, “Tomorrow, under Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahana Yojana, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji will put Rs 1000 in the account of the sisters of the state and make them socially and economically empowered and self-reliant.”

He added, “Full of enthusiasm and joy, June 10 will be a historic day for my sisters of Madhya Pradesh.”

What is Ladli Behana Yojana

The flagship scheme of ‘Ladli Behana Yojana’ was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister on his birthday on March 5, 2023. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has participated in various programmes and public meetings in the past two months to raise awareness about the scheme.

Under the said scheme, an amount of ₹1000 will be sent to the bank accounts of 1.25 crore women, aged between 23 and 60 years, each month. The only condition is that the family’s annual income should be less than ₹2.5 lakh rupees annually and that the women are not income tax payees.

The beneficiaries can withdraw the amount from their bank accounts, starting Sunday i.e. June 11, 2023. Reportedly, a corpus of 8000 crores has been kept aside for the ‘Ladli Behana Yojana’ in the annual Budget.

To participate in the program, women were required to complete an application form, which could be obtained from Gram Panchayats, ward offices, and Anganwadi centres.

Authorised officials were responsible for entering the beneficiaries’ information into the Ladli Bahna portal, and subsequently, an acknowledgement slip was sent to the beneficiary’s mobile number. There was no charge for applying to the Ladli Bahna scheme.

Once the application submission period ended, a comprehensive list of all the beneficiaries was published. The deadline for applying to the scheme was April 30, 2023.

The scheme was introduced to promote financial independence for women and ensure adequate nutrition for their children. Additionally, the scheme seeks to empower women to participate in decision-making within their households.

On Friday (June 9), Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a high-level meeting with senior State government officials to review the preparations for the ‘Ladli Behana Yojana’ programme to be held in Jabalpur on June 10.

India tops world ranking in digital payments, records 89.5 Billion transactions in 2022

OpIndia Staff
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India tops world ranking in digital payments, records 89.5 Billion transactions in 2022

India, with 89.5 billion digital transactions in the year 2022, has topped the list of countries in digital payments, according to the latest available data.

Second, on the list is Brazil which amounted to 29.2 billion transactions followed by China with 17.6 billion transactions. On number 4 is Thailand with 16.5 billion digital transactions followed by South Korea with 8 billion worth of transactions, the data from MyGovIndia has stated.

The continuous increase in the number of digital payments in the country is in line with the government’s vision to transform the economy using digital transactions.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is number one in digital payments and that the country’s rural economy is transforming.

“India is number one in digital payments. India is one of the countries where mobile data is the cheapest. Today, the country’s rural economy is transforming,” the PM said.

In digital payments, India has been witnessing new milestones, in both value and volume terms, which indicate the robustness of India’s payment ecosystem and acceptance, as per RBI experts.

(With inputs from ANI)

Dainik Bhaskar distances itself from the ‘journalist’ who was seen arguing rudely with Smriti Irani, says not our employee

OpIndia Staff
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Dainik Bhaskar distances itself from the ‘journalist’ who was seen arguing rudely with Smriti Irani, says not our employee

On Friday (June 9), Dainik Bhaskar issued a statement, clarifying that the ‘journalist’ who argued with Union Minister Smriti Irani and insulted the people of Amethi in a viral video is not associated with the Hindi daily.

In a tweet, it stated, “A journalist is seen arguing with Smriti Irani in a viral video. The man, identified as one Vipin Yadav, is claiming to be a reporter from Dainik Bhaskar. That is untrue.”

The Hindi daily further added, “Dainik Bhaskar has no permanent employee in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. We work with our stringer (freelance journalist) network for news gathering. Vipin is not one of those stringers.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Dainik Bhaskar

The Background of the Controversy

On Friday (June 9), a ‘journalist’ named Piyush Rai shared a 1 minute and 19-second long video wherein a ‘reporter’ (claiming to be a ‘journalist’ from Dainik Bhaskar) was seen heckling BJP leader Smriti Irani in her Lok Sabha constituency of Amethi.

“Do not insult the people of my constituency, even if you are from Dainik Bhaskar…I know what I am… Do not insult the people here…” the Union Minister was heard saying.

The so-called reporter claimed, “I am not insulting anyone… Just questioning you about your activity for the first time. You are not ready to answer.”

At that point, Smriti Irani sat in her car and reprimanded the man for insulting the people of Amethi. “If you continue to do this, then, I will need to call your supervisors… Journalists do not have the right to insult people…I will call and let them (your higher-ups) know,” she cautioned.

She further added, “You might be a big-time reporter but you do not have the right to insult the common people…I am telling you this with utmost respect and love…Do not insult my people again.”

It remains unknown as to what triggered the heated conversation between Smriti Irani and the alleged journalist. Piyush Rai, who uploaded the video, had falsely claimed that the reporter was associated with Dainik Bhaskar. He also accused the BJP leader of threatening the man.

The video was then re-shared by the Congress party, with the claim that Smriti Irani is threatening the journalist.

“…It seems that the journalist must have asked – when will you get sugar for 13 rupees? Or when will the price of gas cylinders be reduced? Or why are you silent on the atrocities on daughters? When she could not answer, Smriti Irani issued threats to the reporter,” it claimed in a tweet.

Smriti Irani did not hold back and responded to the allegations of the Congress party. “Do not misbehave with the people of Amethi. It was a request that you may not understand. You can bear the insult of the people of Amethi but I cannot,” she tweeted.

“As far as the subject of questions is concerned, tell me when to debate with the former MP (a reference to disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi). I can tell the price of sugar, flour and pulses as well,” the Union Minister hit back.

Following the clarification of Dainik Bhaskar that the ‘journalist’ in the viral video is not associated with the Hindi daily, Smriti Irani took potshots at the grand old party.

“O Lord, the reporter turned out to be fake,” she tweeted.

Balasore train tragedy: School building that served as temporary mortuary demolished amidst rumours of supernatural presence

ANI
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Balasore train tragedy: School building that served as temporary mortuary demolished amidst rumours of supernatural presence

Amidst rumours of supernatural presence at the Bahanaga High School building in Balasore, which served as a temporary mortuary for the victims of the Odisha train accident, an assistant teacher of the school has refuted the claims of any spirits existing on the premises.

The teacher emphasized that the reports suggesting the presence of spirits are untrue. However, due to the concerns raised by parents and students, the decision has been made to demolish the current school building and construct a new one.

“Parents and children have refused to come to Bahanaga High School citing that dead bodies were kept there. The District Magistrate visited yesterday. This is all a superstition. The new building will be constructed after demolishing the rooms in which the dead bodies were kept. Till then children will be taught by making temporary arrangements,” said one of the school teachers.

Following the tragic incident of triple train accident on June 2 involving the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the Howrah-bound Shalimar Express and a goods train, which claimed the lives of 288 people, the Bahanaga High School accommodated bodies in six classrooms. The incident occurred in close proximity to the school, leading to apprehension among the students and their families.

In response to the reluctance of students to return to the school, the demolition of the building commenced on Friday morning in the presence of the school managing committee. The district collector had previously asserted that the building would be demolished if the committee submitted a resolution, which they did.

Demolition of the Bahanaga High School building in the Balasore district began today in the presence of the school managing committee. On Thursday, Balasore district collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde had visited the school and said it would be demolished if the school managing committee submits a resolution.

“The committee accordingly submitted the resolution following which the demolition started. It had earlier members met with District Collector Shinde and discussed virtually with Odisha chief secretary PK Jena the reluctance of the students to attend classes in the school where bodies of the victims of the June 2 mishap were kept. 

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

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