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Wardha RSS chief thrashed by Muslim youths: Muslim family threatening Hindus, his intervention and threats to his life. What he told OpIndia

Jhankar Mohta
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Wardha RSS chief thrashed by Muslim youths: Muslim family threatening Hindus, his intervention and threats to his life. What he told OpIndia

On June 25, Sunday, the Wardha district chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jethanand Rajput was brutally attacked by youths belonging to the Muslim community. The incident took place when the RSS leader was travelling in a State Transport Corporation bus from Wardha to Hinganghat via Nandgaon on Sunday evening.

He was assaulted for reportedly intervening and trying to resolve a fight between a Hindu and a Muslim family travelling in the same bus as he was. The Hinganghat police registered a case, based on Jethanand Rajput’s complaint and arrested one accused identified as Sheikh Tanveer Azad.

Angered by the incident, members of RSS and the traders association protested and called for a bandh on Monday.

OpIndia spoke to Jethanand Rajput who detailed what transpired with him. The RSS Wardha chief said that on Sunday evening he took a state transport bus from Wardha to Hinganghat. In the bus, he saw a Hindu family and a Muslim family fighting with eachother. The members of the Muslim family were threatening the Hindu family with dire consequences, Rajput recalled.

The RSS leader quoted the members of the Muslim family as threatening the Hindu family members, “Tum Hinganghat chaloge toh hum humaare logo ko bulwa kar tumko marwa dalenge” (when you reach Hinganghat we will get you’ll killed by our men).

Rajput said that he intervened and tried to pacify the families when he overheard them squabbling, however, the Hindu family got so scared that they decided not to travel by that bus and disembarked at the Wardha bus stop.

Rajput continued, “I went into the bus and sat on my seat after the Hindu family left.” Since the Hindu family had left, I assumed the situation to be resolved. After a while, the bus stopped in Nandgaon, where two people got in. The Muslim family was requested by the duo, who appeared to be known to them, to identify the Hindu family members who had argued with them. The Muslim family’s members informed them that they had gotten off the bus at the Wardha bus stop. The Muslim family then pointed at me and told them that I was the one who had dared to interfere. The two youths, in turn, pulled me from the bus and mercilessly started thrashing me.”

“I managed to escape the two miscreants, returned, and sat in the bus. The Muslim family remained on board the bus while the two youths stayed back at the Nandgaon bus stop. I requested the bus driver to be taken to the nearby police station but he refused. After that, I contacted a friend of mine named Yadav and requested him to meet me at the next bus stop so that we could travel together to the police station to lodge a complaint,” Rajput claimed.

Rajput said, “The Muslim family also got down with me when I got off at the next bus stop.” They asked the man who came to receive them at the bus stop to take a picture of me so they could teach me a lesson. But the man who came to meet the Muslim family assured them that he knew where I was staying and would seek revenge.”

The Muslim family left after threatening the RSS leader, and Rajput rushed to the Hinganghat police station to report the incident.

On Sunday evening, as the news of the incdent spread, a large number of BJP workers and workers of other Hindu organizations gathered at the police station and demanded immediate arrest of the attackers.

Speaking about the incident, District Superintendent of Police Nurul Hasan said in a video byte that a case has been registered and investigation is being conducted.

“We condemn the incident that happened on Sunday, June 25. One elderly man was brutally beaten by some people on the bus. We have identified all the accused and has also detained one person. Meanwhile out Cyber team is looking into the case. Some communal messages are going viral on social media which can disturb peace and communal harmony in the region. I appeal all the Hinganghat residents to maintain peace and not fall for rumours. Strict action in the case will be taken, DSP Nurul Hasan said, adding that his team is on the lookout for the other accused.

Former ACP who sheltered SIMI terrorists in his home files complaint against Marathi channel for calling Aurangzeb as ‘Aurangya’

OpIndia Staff
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Former ACP who sheltered SIMI terrorists in his home files complaint against Marathi channel for calling Aurangzeb as ‘Aurangya’

A man in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar filed a complaint at the City Chowk police station on Monday against TV9 Marathi for allegedly addressing Islamist tyrant Aurangzeb as “Aurangya”. This was with regard to a TV9 news report on Prakash Ambedkar’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khultabad.

Notably, the complainant is a former ACP who retired in 2016. Calling it a “cognizable offense”, Riyazuddin Ghiyasuddin Deshmukh said that the alleged insult to Aurangzeb hurt his religious sentiments.

“I am a Muslim. We consider Aurangzeb our saint (wali allah). A tv channel on Facebook, TV9 Marathi on Prakash Ambedkar’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb. The title of that news on Aurangzeb who we consider as a saint…uncivil language was used against him…the title read ‘Ambedkar at Aurangya’s tomb’. This language was used in the description and status too. And the woman anchor was repeatedly addressing Aurangzeb as Aurangya..she was speaking like this to tease and insult us Muslims and to insult Aurangzeb. The captions were also objectionable,” Riyazuddin said.

He further added that along with him, many others consider Aurangzeb as their saint (wali Allah) and the coverage has hurt their religious sentiments.

The former ACP also went on a rant against the cops at the City Chowk police station who did not entertain the complaint. Sources have told OpIndia that Riyazuddin then went to Kranti Chowk police station where he spoke to some senior officials following which his complaint was received by City Chowk police.

However, no FIR was filed.

OpIndia dug into the background of Aurangzeb-fanatic Riyazuddin Deshmukh revealing some surprising details from his past.

Who is Riyazuddin Ghiyasuddin Deshmukh?

Riyazuddin Ghiyasuddin Deshmukh is a former Maharastra police officer who worked under Hemant Karkare, the former Maha ATS Chief accused of torturing Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the Malegaon Blast case. He also served as additional commissioner of police, in Amravati.

Now donning a maulvi look, Riyazuddin reportedly pursues part-time activism.

Moreover, in 2019, Riyazuddin contested Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal against Sadhvi Pragya in protest of the latter’s allegations of torture against Karkare. However, he got just over 1200 votes and lost his deposit.

Riyazuddin’s alleged connections with SIMI

The former ACP faced serious charges of sheltering terrorists in 2008. 2 SIMI terrorists were found living with Riyazuddin who was then working with the State Intelligence Department. He was a police inspector when the news was reported.

During a crackdown on the banned terrorist group SIMI, Riyazuddin’s brother-in-law Izaz Ibrahim and son Khwaja Moinuddin were arrested.

A supplementary chargesheet was filed against Riyazuddin which read, “Riyajuddin Gayasuddin Deshmukh, police inspector, had, in his house at Jakir Colony, given shelter to his brother-in-law, namely Izaz Ahmed Mohammad Ibrahim… who is a SIMI member and against whom offenses are pending at Buldhana… He was provided shelter at his house when he himself was an officer at State Intelligence Department at Amravati.”

However, the association with SIMI terrorists did not affect Riyazuddin’s career in the police department. He was promoted to an ACP later. He retired in 2016.

24 June 2023: Slogans hailing Aurangzeb at Owaisi’s rally

Slogans of ‘Aurangzeb Amar Rahe’ meaning ‘long live Aurangzeb’ were allegedly raised at a rally of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in Maharashtra. When Owaisi was addressing people in Buldhana, his supporters started shouting slogans glorifying Aurangzeb.

Those who raised the slogans also shouted ‘Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Aurangzeb tera naam rahega‘ which translates to ‘As long as the sun and the moon remain, Aurangzeb will be remembered’.

22 June 2023: Hoardings of Uddhav with Aurangzeb

Hoardings of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar with Aurangzeb’s picture in it were put up in the Mahim area of Mumbai. They were later removed.

14 June 2023: Cong neta says Aurangzeb won our (Muslims’) hearts

In the course of spinning the leftist Islamist narrative, former Congress MP Furkan Ansari threw logic out of the window. He said that Indian Muslims were actually Yadavs (a Hindu caste considered to be Lord Krishna’s lineage) who converted due to atrocities meted out by feudalism.

According to the Congress leader, this conversion was not forced by Aurangzeb nor by the use of force, but it was love that won them over.

12 June 2023: Owaisi defends Aurangzeb

On June 12, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi raked up the incidents of violence that had occurred in the districts of Ahmednagar and Kolhapur in Maharashtra over the Aurangzeb photographs. Owaisi said that it is difficult to verify and authenticate that the photos and videos used by some in the two regions were even of the Mughal emperor.

Co-founder of ‘Beer Biceps’ says Ranveer Allahbadia interviews with ministers not paid after Left-Liberals go on a hypocritical tirade: What happened

OpIndia Staff
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Co-founder of ‘Beer Biceps’ says Ranveer Allahbadia interviews with ministers not paid after Left-Liberals go on a hypocritical tirade: What happened

On June 27, co-founder of Monk Entertainment Viraj Sheth refuted the claims that the podcasts with Union Ministers on the popular YouTube channel Beer Biceps were paid. Monk Entertainment is the parent company of BeerBiceps. The face of the BeerBiceps podcasts, Ranveer Allahbadia, is co-founder of the company with Sheth.

Earlier, OpIndia reported how AltNews co-founder Mohammad Zubair insinuated that YouTuber Akshat Shrivastava took money to criticise Congress. Shrivastava refuted the claims as ‘baseless allegations’.

Quoting a tweet of Apar Gupta, founder of Internet Freedom, Sheth categorically refuted the claims of receiving any fees for the podcasts. He said, “We did not ask for a fee or were offered to be paid for this. None of the political podcasts is a paid promotion.”

When a Twitter user questioned why the video description says it is in “collaboration with MyGov”, Sheth said it was written as the MyGov team made the podcast happen.

Apar Gupta pointed towards a tender released on March 7, 2023, for selecting influencer marketing agencies and insinuated that Beer Biceps was part of the “selected influencers”.

Sheth said, “We have never been empanelled with them for any such purposes till date.”

Another Twitter user Arnav Gupta pointed out that co-presented very often means paid partnership. Sheth accepted the mistake and said it should have been worded better. “Our mistake to have not worded it better, though. Full ownership there. A clarification has been added to the description now,” he wrote.

Quoting dubious journalist Abhishek Baxi who had added a screenshot of “co-presented to you by MyGov India” from the video’s description, Sheth said, “Would have appreciated if a senior journalist like you would have first verified this news from us like many of your peers did. Instead, you chose to be sensationalist, jump on the bandwagon and make false claims about an assumption you made. Enjoy the reach, I guess.”

Replying to Twitter user Prashasth who questioned why leaders from opposition parties were not invited, Sheth said it was already in the pipeline.

The hypocrisy at its best

Beer Biceps (Ranveer Allahbadia) and other high-profile YouTubers and influencers are under attack by the left liberals as the union ministers are giving them interviews. Interestingly, the same section of left-liberals was quiet when Congress leaders were giving interviews to one of their own Samdish. For those who are unaware, Samdish covered Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Jignesh Mehwani, Bhupesh Baghel, Akhilesh Yadav, Charanjit Channi, Kanhaiya Kumar and even BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari and Hardik Patel have appeared on his show Unfiltered with Samdish.

Rahul Gandhi has also appeared with YouTuber and food critic Kunal Vijayakar, Village Cooking Channel, Curlytales’ Kamiya Jani and others.

On Kunal Kamra’s channel, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut, BJP’s Tejaswi Surya, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi Marlena, BJP’s Shweta Shalini, Asaddudin Owaisi and others have appeared. No one created a fuss about it.

Uttar Pradesh: Over 1.2 lakh pending cases related to property inheritance settled in less than 1 month under ‘Varasat Abhiyan’

ANI
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Uttar Pradesh: Over 1.2 lakh pending cases related to property inheritance settled in less than 1 month under ‘Varasat Abhiyan’

As many as 1,23,733 pending inheritance-related cases have been settled in less than a month in Uttar Pradesh since the launch of the ‘Varasat Campaign’ on May 30. The Yogi Government launched Varasat Abhiyan to end land and revenue disputes as well as cases of illegal occupation by land mafias.

The campaign, which will continue till July 31, seeks to settle inheritance-related cases that have been pending in Village Sabhas for several years now. The cases are resolved by getting the names of the legal inheritors of properties by checking the old records to end disputes once and for all. As per the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a special Varasat campaign is being run by the Revenue Council in all the gram sabhas of the state.

It is noteworthy that most of the cases related to land disputes are heard on Tehsil Day in every district of the state. Every first and third Saturday is observed as “Tehsil Day” in Uttar Pradesh.

A large number of land dispute cases are also included in the police data. Therefore, the campaign also aims at curbing land conflicts and controlling the high-handed behavior of Tehsil employees.

The Yogi government has also set the target of 100% disposal of the pending cases of undisputed inheritance in the state during the campaign along with getting the names of the legal heirs registered in Khatauni (old records).

A total of 1,33,516 applications have been received so far during the campaign of which more than 1,23,733 cases have been disposed of since May 30.

Varasat Abhiyan has proved to be a great initiative in getting legal successors the physical rights of properties in time, reducing unnecessary revenue disputes and illegal occupation of land by land mafia and anti-social elements. It helps in maintaining law and order related to terrestrial rights.

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

Moradabad: Md Hashim stole a bullet bike and Rs 1,90,000 to fulfill his wife’s dreams, took her to Kullu Manali; arrested on return

OpIndia Staff
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Moradabad: Md Hashim stole a bullet bike and Rs 1,90,000 to fulfill his wife’s dreams, took her to Kullu Manali; arrested on return

In a bizzare incident, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday, June 27, arrested a man identified as Mohammed Hashim for stealing a bullet bike and a bag containing Rs 1,90,000 in the Moradabad district. The accused confessed to the crime and said that he executed two thefts to fulfill the luxurious dreams of his wife.

According to the reports, the accused Hashim, a resident of the Karula region got recently married to a woman who he said is fond of expensive assets and gifts. She wanted him to get a Bullet bike and also demanded a short tour. To fulfill her wishes, the accused first stole a Bullet bike from within the city on June 3 and on the next day managed to snatch a bag containing Rs 1,90,000.

The accused and his wife then fled and booked a trip to Kullu Manali in Himachal Pradesh and enjoyed a few days there. The duo spent around Rs 45,000 for booking the trip and also purchased a few luxury items. They returned after the tour with Rs 86,000 balance amount in their hand.

As per the reports, the accused was arrested days after he and his wife returned from the trip. Hashim was caught by the police while he was going to repay a local liability in the Mandi Chowk area of the city on June 26. The accused confessed to the crime and said that he stole the bike on June 3 and the bag filled with money on June 4 from the Medical Market area.

The police checked the CCTV footage and identified the accused. The Police have also recovered the bike and the balance amount of Rs 86,000 from the accused.

‘Will raise issue regularly with Pakistan, asked Pak to increase effort to disband terror groups’: What US said about joint statement of PM Modi and Pres Biden

ANI
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‘Will raise issue regularly with Pakistan, asked Pak to increase effort to disband terror groups’: What US said about joint statement of PM Modi and Pres Biden

United States said it has been consistently calling on Pakistan to increase efforts to permanently disband all terrorist groups like the LeT, JuD and their various front organisations and stated that Washington remains committed to working with Islamabad to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups throughout the region. 

“We remain committed to working with Pakistan to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups throughout the region…At the same time, we have also been consistent on the importance of Pakistan continuing to take steps to permanently disband all terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed, and their various front organisations,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday during a departmental press briefing.

Miller was responding to a query on the joint statement of India-US during Prime Minster Narendra Modi’s recent US visit and which called on Islamabad to ensure its territory was not used as a base for terrorist attacks. 

“Moreover, we commend both Pakistan and India for continuing to uphold the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC). And, we will raise the issue regularly with Pakistan and will continue to work together to counter mutual terrorist threats,” the US Department of State spokesperson said. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday summoned the United States Deputy Chief of Mission and handed a demarche to him over the joint Modi-Biden statement. 

“The US Deputy Chief of Mission was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this evening and a demarche was made to him regarding the US-India Joint Statement, issued on 22 June 2023,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said in a press release on Monday. 

“Pakistan’s concerns and disappointment at the unwarranted, one-sided and misleading references to it in the Joint Statement were conveyed to the US side. It was stressed that the United States should refrain from issuing statements that may be construed as an encouragement of India’s baseless and politically motivated narrative against Pakistan,” the release read. 

In their joint statement on June 23, India and US strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, and the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks. 

The joint US-India statement said: “They (Biden and Modi) strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks.” 

Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen. 

Both countries stood together to counter global terrorism and unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations. They called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice, read the statement. 

Relations between India and Pakistan have been precarious for many years with regard to cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. 

Earlier, PM Modi had highlighted the need to fight terrorism and extremism that constitutes a real threat to democracy, the rule of law and the enjoyment of human rights. 

PM Modi’s remarks came just days after China rejected UN resolutions that would have designated Sajid Mir of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has its base in Pakistan, as a “global terrorist.” 

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

PM Modi bats firmly for Uniform Civil Code, calls out the opposition for provoking and misleading Muslims

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi bats firmly for Uniform Civil Code, calls out the opposition for provoking and misleading Muslims

On Tuesday, 27th of June, after flagging off five Vande Bharat Trains in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi publicly addressed party workers in the ‘Mera Booth Sabse Majboot’ program held in Bhopal. In a question-and-answer session with party workers, PM Modi lambasted the opposition multiple times. He strongly cornered the opposition parties claiming that they are provoking and misleading Muslims on the issue of UCC and Triple Talaq. 

In this public interaction, PM Modi dropped a major hint at the future implementation of Uniform Civil Code as he attacked the opposition parties for backing discriminatory practices like triple talaq.

PM Modi corners opposition on Triple Talaq

PM Modi strongly argued that if triple talaq was such an inseparable tenet of Islam, then why Muslim countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh do not have triple talaq. 

PM Modi further highlighted the fact that even Muslim-majority countries have banned triple talaq. 

He said, “I was in Egypt the day before yesterday. In Egypt, over 90% of people belong to the Sunni community. They did away with triple talaq 80-90 years ago. If triple talaq is a necessary tent of Islam, then why don’t these countries have triple talaq? Why do Qatar, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia not have triple talaq?”

PM Modi asserted that he feels that we should study this subject. He claimed that those who support triple talaq are doing vote bank politics of appeasement. They are doing injustice to Muslim daughters. 

PM Modi added that triple talaq does not only affect Muslim daughters, rather it damages the entire family.

PM Modi hints that UCC may be the next big thing in Parliament Session

Claiming that political parties are trying to mislead Muslims, PM Modi strongly batted for equal rights and Uniform Civil Code enshrined in the Constitution. He dropped a major hint that UCC may be on the cards in the upcoming Parliament session. For those unversed, the 22nd Law Commission had recently, on the 14th of June, asked for suggestions from the general public on the UCC draft bill within a stipulated time period of 30 days. 

Batting in favour of UCC, the PM said, “Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two laws? The Constitution also talks of equal rights. Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics.”

In another direct attack on the opposition, PM Modi highlighted the discriminatory behaviour meted out towards Pasmanda Muslims. He asserted that the Pasmanda Muslims have been facing widespread discrimination in the name of vote bank politics.

He said, “Our Pasmanda Muslim brothers’ and sisters’ life has been made hell by those who do vote banks. They live a life of struggle. No one listens to them. They have been discriminated against so much, but there has been no debate on this. Even today, Pasmanda Muslims are not given an equal share. They are thought of as untouchables.”

PM Modi also attacked the supposed opposition unity and the recently held meeting behind several arch-nemesis. 

He said, “People and parties who used to abuse each other are now falling on each other’s feet, and this reflects their helplessness. Don’t be angry, pity them.”

Sanjay Raut calls Telangana CM KCR a ‘vote cutter’ and ‘BJP’s B team’, mocks his 600-car convoy to Maharashtra

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Raut calls Telangana CM KCR a ‘vote cutter’ and ‘BJP’s B team’, mocks his 600-car convoy to Maharashtra

On the 26th of June, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao embarked on a two-day pilgrimage to Pandharpur, Maharashtra. In no time, his supposed pilgrimage turned into a show of strength putting the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at crossroads with the constituent parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.   

Apparently, Telangana CM and BRS Chief Rao stormed into Maharashtra with a 600-car convoy. As per reports, the convoy was nearly 6 km long by the time it reached the Hyderabad-Solapur National Highway 65.

The BRS Chief Rao was accompanied by a fleet of his ministers, BRS MLAs, and BRS office-bearers, heating up the political temperature in the state that contributes the second-highest number of seats in Lok Sabha.

Along with his large team, the BRS Chief halted at Pandharpur. Afterward, he went to offer prayers at the Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple in Pandharpur, Solapur.

Reports claim that it is perhaps the largest convoy led by a CM of any state to the pilgrim town. 

This comes within days of MVA parties questioning the intentions of BRS leaders behind making an aggressive push into Maharashtra. The MVA leaders have been arguing that this would undermine the Opposition’s unity bid against the BJP.

BRS’ expansion and accusations of poaching

The MVA parties have accused BRS of poaching their leaders for its political expansion in the state. Apparently, these allegations are not completely unfound as several leaders from the state joined BRS in the presence of BRS Chief KCR.

As per media reports, Bhagirath Bhalke, the son of former NCP MLA Bharat Bhalke, joined BRS in the presence of Telangana CM KCR. 

During his earlier trips to Maharashtra as well, KCR lured mid-level functionaries of the Congress and NCP from rural regions of the state.

In this line, the Pandharpur visit is seen as another move by KCR to expand his party beyond Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. For his, he has been harping on the slogan, ‘Abki Baar Kisan Sarkar’. Going ahead, he even claimed that Telangana onion farmers are getting better payment (@Rs 1,800- 2,100 per quintal) for their crops as compared to their Maharashtrian counterparts, (@Rs 900-1150 per quintal). 

Through his farmers’ outreach, along with roping new leaders from other parties, BRS has been focusing on rapid expansion in Maharashtra. BRS has been actively targeting leaders from other parties in key locations like Chandrapur, Aurangabad, Nanded, and Latur as part of their ongoing efforts.

The BRS has been holding rallies in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. It also set up an in Nagpur and planning to open new party offices in Pune, Aurangabad, and Mumbai.

Sanjay Raut hits back at BRS Chief KCR, calls him BJP’s B team

Responding to KCR’s claim on onion prices higher in Telangana, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said, “A lot of the farmers from Maharashtra who went to sell at Telangana were duped. For a political agenda, news was created that onion farmers were getting a better price in Telangana.” 

UBT spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut said, “It is clear that they are BJP’s B team. They are doing what AIMIM did last time (in 2019 when AIMIM and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi split Congress-NCP votes). They are not going to Odisha or Uttar Pradesh. They have, however, come to Maharashtra. They are not going to win seats here; it is not their intention. Their intention is to divide votes.” 

Raut also claimed that there will be no impact of BRS in Maharashtra politics and MVA is strong in Maharashtra. He argued that the Telangana CM is fearful of defeat which is why he came to Maharashtra but his 12-13 former ministers/MPs joined the Congress yesterday. He asserted that this is a fight between KCR and Congress.

However, the ruling parties in the state welcomed KCR’s visit to Lord Vitthal temple. CM Eknath Shinde stated that the doors of Pandharpur temple are open to all.

Similarly, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “If anybody is coming to participate in the pilgrimage, we welcome it. (But) they should keep politics away.”

As the White House criticises people questioning ‘journalist’ Sabrina Siddiqui, here are five occasions when President Biden was hostile to the media

OpIndia Staff
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As the White House criticises people questioning ‘journalist’ Sabrina Siddiqui, here are five occasions when President Biden was hostile to the media

On June 26 (local time), NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the “harassment” of Wall Street Journal’s Sabrina Siddiqui for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint press meeting with President Biden.

On the question of so-called harassment, Kirby said, “We’re aware of the reports of that harassment. It’s unacceptable. And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances. That’s just — that’s completely unacceptable. And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy that — that — you’re right — were on display last week during the state visit.”

Reiterating Washington’s commitment towards freedom of the press, Jean-Pierre said, “We certainly condemn any efforts of intimidation or harassment of a journalist or any journalist that is just trying to do their job.”

While the White House has “condemned” the backlash Siddiqui is facing for asking a propaganda-filled question in an attempt to corner PM Modi during his official state visit to the US, it is pertinent to note that President Biden himself has been hostile to media on several occasions. Here are five instances where the President lashed out at the media and even called journalists’ bast*rd’ and ‘son of a bi*ch’.

‘What a stupid son of a bi*ch’ – President Biden

On January 24, 2022 (local time), President Joe Biden snapped at a Fox News reporter and made an expletive-laden remark when quizzed over inflation. The incident took place during an event at the White House after Biden had made a prepared speech about tackling inflation and addressing supply-chain issues.

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked, “Do you think inflation is a political liability (ahead of the midterms)?” Instead of answering the question posed to him, Joe Biden went on to abuse the journalist. “That’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a b**ch (SOB),” he said.

‘Indian press is much better behaved than the American media’

On September 24, 2021, during the first in-person bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Biden said that Indian press is much better behaved than the American media. He was hosting PM Modi at the Oval Office in the White House. Shortly after they greeted each other. President Biden said, “I think what they’re going to do is bring in the press. The Indian press is much better behaved than the American press. And I think, with your permission, we should not answer questions because they won’t ask any questions on point.”

Biden accused journalist of asking a ‘Dumb question’

On June 15, 2023, (local time) President Joe Biden snapped at a reporter for asking a question about why he was being referred to as the ‘big guy’ in Ukraine’s FBI informant file. The Post’s reporter asked, “Why did the Ukraine FBI informant file refer to you as the ‘big guy’, President Biden? Why is that term continuously applied?” The President lost his cool and said, “Why do you ask such a dumb question?”

For those who are unaware, he is referred to as the ‘big guy’ in the June 2020 informant file. Later, The Post reported that the abandoned laptop of his first son Hunter Biden had an email from May 2017 that referred to him as the Big Guy and suggested that he was due a 10 per cent cut in the business deal with CEFC China Energy.

Biden tells a journalist- ‘Give me a break, man’

On February 13, 2023, President Biden walked out of a press meeting after he was asked by The Post reporter if he was compromised by his “family’s business relationships in China”. While walking out, he looked at the reporter and said, “Give me a break, man” with a dismissive laugh.

When The Post reporter added, “Does your son still co-own a company with Chinese government entities?”, President Biden made a hand gesture towards the reporter and said, “You can come to my office and ask a question when you have more polite people with you.”

President Biden tells a reporter- What a stupid question

In January 2022, before Russia initiated military action against Ukraine, President Biden was asked by Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich why he was waiting on Russian President Vladimir Putin to make the first move. She asked, “Why are you waiting on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to make the first move, sir?” To which, Biden replied, “What a stupid question.”

President Biden has a long history of making the situation uncomfortable for reporters. With such a track record, it is appalling to see the White House feel the necessity to speak about press freedom and harassment of journalists.

‘We are not the ones who sit in AC rooms and issue fatwas’, says PM Modi while interacting with booth workers in Madhya Pradesh: Here is what he said

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‘We are not the ones who sit in AC rooms and issue fatwas’, says PM Modi while interacting with booth workers in Madhya Pradesh: Here is what he said

Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly election to be held later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) booth workers are its biggest power as they make sure to reach out to the people at the grassroots level in order to make the party the biggest in the country. 

“BJP’s biggest power is its workers. They have made the party the largest in the country. I thank JP Nadda for organising this event today through which I am able to virtually address around 10 lakh booth workers of the BJP virtually. No such virtual programme has ever taken place in the history of any political party,” PM Modi said while interacting with BJP booth workers in Bhopal. These workers have been selected from all the states through a process defined by the party president JP Nadda via the Namo App. 

For 10 days, these workers will interact with boot-level BJP workers in election-bound states and share their experiences and best practices. 

The exercise is being done to activate the party workers at the lower level five months before the upcoming assembly elections. 

PM Modi further said that Madhya Pradesh played a significant role in making the BJP the biggest party in the world. 

“We are not the workers who sit in the air-conditioned rooms and issue fatwas. We go to the people and remain determined round the clock,” Modi added. Earlier in the day, PM flagged off five Vande Bharat Express trains from the Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh’s capital city Bhopal. 

“I congratulate the people of Jharkhand, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka for this modern connectivity. I congratulate the people of Madhya Pradesh for getting two Vande Bharat Express trains today. The journey from Bhopal to Jabalpur will be faster and more comfortable now. Vande Bharat train will boost connectivity in the state,” PM Modi said. 

Ahead of the flagging-off ceremony, the Prime Minister interacted with crew members of the train and some children onboard the Vande Bharat train at Rani Kamlapati railway station. 

Five Vande Bharat Express trains which were flagged off by the PM include — Rani Kamalapati-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express; Khajuraho-Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat Express; Madgaon (Goa)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express; Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express; and Hatia-Patna Vande Bharat Express. 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor Mangubhai C Patel, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishaw and Jyotiraditya Scindia were present at the event. 

(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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