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Italy’s Giorgia Meloni-led nationalist government brings a draft law to stop the religious transformation of Industrial garages and warehouses, ban prayers outside mosques

OpIndia Staff
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Italy’s Giorgia Meloni-led nationalist government brings a draft law to stop the religious transformation of Industrial garages and warehouses, ban prayers outside mosques

The ruling Brothers of Italy (FdI) party in Italy has brought a bill that seeks to ban the use of garages and industrial warehouses and facilities as mosques and to ban prayers outside the mosques. According to local Italian media reports, the Giorgia Meloni-led nationalist government has brought an amendment to the country’s urban planning legislation. The draft law aims to prohibit the transformation of industrial garages and warehouses into religious prayer sites or mosques.

The bill was introduced by the ruling Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia party), the party leading the current coalition government in Italy. As reported by the Italian media, the bill tries to amend the Italian building code. They want to make it legally binding for all religious groups to take permission for using unsanctioned buildings like Industrial garages and warehouses for religious purposes. Further, this would keep in check the location of mosques in Italy.

The bill was first signed by the group leader Tommaso Foti. It is currently being debated in the Chamber’s Environment Commission for Islamic communities where it is facing stiff opposition.

The opposition has objected to the bill, questioning its merit and constitutional legitimacy. They claimed that the urban planning regulation will curb their religious freedom.

Impact of the Bill

If passed, the bill would result in the closure of countless places of worship that are already located within buildings or premises that were not approved by the Italian govt. It is claimed that the bill will stop any potential Islamification of Italy.

According to reports, if the bill is passed, all those Cultural and religious organisations that have not signed an agreement with the Italian state will not be allowed to use any unsanctioned property as a Place of Worship. It is worth noting that Islam, despite being among the most widespread in Italy, is the only religion that has not signed an agreement with the Italian state.

Apparently, the Italian government does not officially recognise Islam as a state religion.

Opposition terms it ‘unconstitutional’

In a media interaction, the Imam at the Magliana Mosque in Rome, Sami Salem said, “It is a bill that clearly discriminates against Muslims and does not respect the Italian Constitution that protects all citizens living in Italy.”

Izzeddin Elzir, another imam from the Northern province of Florence, raised concerns about the legality of the bill.

Opposition leaders including Marco Simiani of the Pd, Green’s Angelo Bonelli, Daniela Ruffino (Action-Iv), and Franco Manes (linguistic minorities) have vehemently opposed the bill challenging its merit and constitutional legitimacy. These Liberal opposition politicians have termed it both Islamophobic and ‘unconstitutional’.

In fact, Green Party leader Angelo Bonelli has sent a letter to the Speaker of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana. The Green Party has four seats in the assembly strength of 200 seats. Angelo Bonelli wrote that the bill discriminatory and it is totally unacceptable.

Background for the legislation

Last year, the Brothers of Italy (FdI party) was elected on the promise of opposing mass immigration, particularly those coming outside Europe. As an election promise, the Party’s leader in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Tommaso Foti spearheaded this bill.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni too made efforts to reduce immigration. Last week, She meet the Tunisian leadership to discuss ways to stop illegal immigration into Italy.

However, this draft legislation banning religious prayers outside sanctioned buildings or mosques is not a first of its kind. Earlier, similar legislations, which were also termed anti-mosque legislations, were proposed by right-wing controlled regional councils in Lombardy and elsewhere.

As per media reports, these legislations have been brought keeping in mind the recent immigration from Morocco, the Balkans, and Pakistan. Reports further claim that this has drastically increased the number of Muslims in Italy.

It is notable that while the Italian constitution ensures freedom of religion, Roman Catholicism enjoys a special status and it recognises the Catholic Church as “independent and sovereign”. The religions in the country are regulated by law, based on agreements signed by the govt with their representatives. So far Italian govt has signed thirteen such agreements with several different churches, and representatives of Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and others. However, no such agreement has been signed with Muslims.

Ghaziabad conversion case: Investigations reveal the Pakistan connection of mastermind Shahnawaz, police to impose NSA after analysing the proofs

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad conversion case: Investigations reveal the Pakistan connection of mastermind Shahnawaz, police to impose NSA after analysing the proofs

On 14th June 2023, the Ghaziabad police in Uttar Pradesh said that the mastermind of the Ghaziabad conversion racket Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan alias Baddo has links with Pakistan. The UP Police are checking if the National Security Act (NSA) can be imposed on Shahnawaz alias Baddo who was arrested from Alibag by Thane police in connection with the case of conversion through online gaming. He was sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

The Ghaziabad Police have found ample evidence against Baddo, after which NSA can be imposed against him. The DCP of Ghaziabad City shared this information in a thread of tweets. Baddo alias Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan’s connection with Pakistan has also been revealed. All this information has come out after examining his call details.

Ghaziabad City DCP Nipun Agarwal said, “In the Police Commissionerate, Ghaziabad, on 30th May 2023, a complaint was received which said that a minor boy was lured and converted. A case was immediately registered in this regard. An accused Maulvi Abdul Rehman was arrested from a local mosque. Teams were sent to Thane (Maharashtra) to arrest Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan alias Baddo.”

He further said, “With the help of Thane police, the accused Baddo alias Shahnawaz has been arrested and sent to jail in judicial custody yesterday. In the investigations so far, it has been revealed that the accused Shahnawaz Khan possessed two mobile phones and operated 6 email IDs from these two phones. During interrogation, the accused told that he had bought 2 email IDs for the gaming purpose. We found that one of these two email IDs has received some emails from Pakistan.”

The officer further said, “We also found that 20 Pakistani phone numbers are saved in his mobile phones. We are investigating this further. A CPU and the mobile phones recovered from the accused will undergo a forensic test as well. If we find sufficient evidence in this case we will definitely impose NSA (National Security Act) against him.”

Earlier on 13th June 2023, the Ghaziabad court sent the accused Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan to judicial custody for 14 days. This came a couple of days after Khan was arrested by the police from the state of Maharashtra.

Key developments in the Ghaziabad Conversion Case

A case of converting non-Muslim youths to Islam surfaced in Ghaziabad on May 30 this year when a victim filed a complaint at Kavinagar Police Station in which he said his minor son was lured into practising Islam by Islamists online. A team was formed to investigate the matter after filing an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). First, a Maulavi in Ghaziabad and then Shahnawaz Khan were arrested.

The Police have revealed that the prime accused involved in the case identified as Baddo alias Shahnawaz Maqsood Khan operated seven different bank accounts to handle the finances being generated from the conversion. The accused opened the bank accounts under different names and used them to transact money for conversion. The police said that all these seven bank accounts will be investigated.

Shahnawaz is the mastermind behind the nexus. He was absconding since the case came to light. But a special team of UP Police arrested him with the help of Thane police from Alibag in Maharashtra on Sunday, 11th June 2023. On Monday morning, Mumbra and Ghaziabad police produced Shahnawaz alias Baddo in Thane district court under tight security. The Ghaziabad police presented documents related to the transit remand before the court. The court had given a transit remand of 72 hours to the police. Baddo was then brought to Ghaziabad and interrogated thoroughly.

Along with Baddo, another accused identified as Maulvi Abdul Rehman alias Nanni s/o Mehmood Ansari or Sanjaynagar in the Madhuban Bapudham Police Station area of Ghaziabad was also apprehended by the police in the case. He is also being interrogated.

Police so far have found that four teenagers who were converted through the online gaming app were asked to read verses of the Quran to win the game. The police also are said to have arrested a person who arranged a SIM for Khan from Mumbai. Two other persons were also taken into custody by the police investigating the case.

‘Frustrated with frequent fights’: Woman strangles mother to death after overdosing her with BP pills in Bengaluru, takes the body to police station in a suitcase

OpIndia Staff
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‘Frustrated with frequent fights’: Woman strangles mother to death after overdosing her with BP pills in Bengaluru, takes the body to police station in a suitcase

In a horrible incident in Bengaluru, a physiotherapist named Sonali Sen (aged between 35-39 years) murdered her 71-year-old mother, Biva Pal, over a family dispute on Monday. Afterwards, she stuffed her mother’s 40 kg body in a suitcase and reached the Mico Layout police station at around 2 pm on Monday in an autorickshaw and stated, “I have killed my mother. The body is in the suitcase.”

After one of their frequent arguments, she first made her mother swallow 30 Blood Pressure pills before strangling her to death. The accused resided in a first-floor apartment in the NSR Green apartment on Kodichikkanahalli Road in Bilekahalli, Southeast Bengaluru, with her husband Subrotosh Sen who is an electrical engineer, mother-in-law Chaya Rani (70), and seven to nine-year-old son since 2017. Biva Pal who lived in Kolkatta earlier, shifted to her daughter’s place in 2018 after her husband’s death. During the instance, Sonali Sen’s husband was away at work while her mother-in-law and son were in the other room unaware of the gruesome development.

One among the many who “struggled to make sense of it all” was sub-inspector Sanjeev Kumar, who Sonali Sen spoke to first. A police personnel mentioned, “We watched anxiously as the suitcase was opened. Inside was an old lady’s body.” A police officer remembered her as she peacefully stood outside Sanjeev Kumar’s office and witnessed the event unfold. The latter then dialled an ambulance and transported the dead body for an autopsy. Police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in the case.

In her statement to police, the perpetrator claimed that after killing her mother, she sat next to her corpse for about an hour before deciding to turn herself in. Sonali Sen revealed that arguments with her mother and mother-in-law happened routinely. Her mother out of frustration told her on Sunday night that she would rather die than live such an awful life. She continued the refrain even the following morning.

Sonali Sen gave the pills to Biva Pal at about 7.15 am in a fit of rage and instructed “her to swallow it in one go and watched in silence” as the latter took all of them. “She fell on the bed and was semi-conscious. I thought she would die. She was breathing, but it was laboured. Finally, I took my dupatta and strangled her,” she disclosed to the police.

According to preliminary police investigations, Sonali Sen strangled her mother with a dupatta on Monday between 11 and 11.30 am. After placing a picture of her father inside the trolley suitcase carrying the body, she subsequently left at 1 pm for the police station where she surrendered. “Prima facie, we have learnt that there were some differences within the family. So, the accused woman killed her mother by strangulation. She brought the body to the police station because she didn’t want her family to face any issues,” said C K Baba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East).

“I am unsure of the motive behind the murder. She must be taken into custody by us. She has taken physiotherapy courses. There might have been some domestic problems. The victim had a few medical conditions. When the murder occurred, her mother-in-law and her child were also present in the house but in a different room,” he noted.

Sanjeev Gurappa Gol, a sub-inspector, made a complaint, after which the Mico Layout police station opened a suo motu murder case. After an investigation, more information will become available, the top cop added. Sonali Sen is the only child of Biva Pal, per the senior official. The family is from Kolkata. She took her mother to her Bengaluru residence after her father passed away five years ago.

Over the past two to three years, Sonali’s mother Biva Pal and mother-in-law Chaya Rani have argued frequently. The altercation between the two senior citizens worried Sonali Sen. She was also troubled by her son who was receiving treatment for his hyperactivity. The two elderly ladies engaged in a fight on Sunday about minor issues. Afterwards, the mother and daughter discussed the same in the evening.

Biva Pal allegedly told her daughter that the only way the problems would be resolved was for her to pass away. She urged the latter to send her to her father and give her the tablets. Sonali Sen made the decision to murder her mother after considering it all night.

Sonali Sen locked her up after giving her about 30 BP medications. She subsequently went to check on her and discovered her writhing with paralysis signs. She didn’t want her mother to suffer and hence strangled the woman with a dupatta, based on police accounts. She informed the police that she put the body in a suitcase and hired an auto without alerting her mother-in-law.

She informed the police that she chose to turn herself in because she didn’t want her husband or her family to face any consequences as a result of the occurrence. Sonali Sen has been taken into custody for two days as police look into her assertions. Sanjeev Kumar also called her husband and informed him about the entire incident.

Shekhar Kapur’s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ bags nine nominations at British National Film Awards

OpIndia Staff
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Shekhar Kapur’s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ bags nine nominations at British National Film Awards

Renowned movie director Shekhar Kapur’s recent film ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It? has been nominated for the 9th annual British National Film Awards. Shekhar Kapur’s latest directorial venture was recently released in the UK, US and India. The film received a great response from the audience. 

The film ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ has received not one or two but nine nominations at the British National Film Awards including best director.

The Shekhar Kapur-directed romantic comedy is also nominated for Best Actress (Lily James), Best Supporting Actor (Ashim Chowdhury), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Thompson), Best Screenplay (Jemima Khan), Best Producer (Nicky Kentish Barnes, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Jemima Khan), Best British Film, Best Comedy, and Best Independent Film.

What’s Love Got To Do With It, starring Lily James and Shazad Latif, hit UK theatres on February 24. On March 17, the film was released in Indian theatres. The plot revolves around Zoe played by actress Lily James an esteemed documentary filmmaker who is looking for love but finds herself bored of meeting a run of unsuitable matches recommended by a dating app.

On the other hand, her childhood friend, Kaz (Shazad Latif), decides to follow in his parent’s footsteps and enter into an arranged marriage with a Pakistani woman. While filming Kaz’s hopeful search to marry a stranger, Zoe begins to wonder if there is any wisdom to be gleaned by adopting a very different approach to finding true love.

There is also speculation that Shekhar Kapur has been working on a sequel to his debut film Masoom, which might be titled ‘Masoom… The New Generation.’

Mumbai Police book Actor Sahil Khan and six others for allegedly maligning the image of a business rival Manish Gandhi and his family

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police book Actor Sahil Khan and six others for allegedly maligning the image of a business rival Manish Gandhi and his family

On June 10, Mumbai Police booked actor and fitness influencer Sahil Khan and six others for allegedly defaming his business rival Manish Gandhi’s family on social media. In his complaint, Gandhi said Khan, his business partners and associates cyberbullied him for several years. Recently, they started publishing obscene and hateful content against his family members, including morphed and distorted photos of his teenage son and daughter on social media. The case has been registered at Amboli police station.

Gandhi said in his complaint, “Other than this, they have also fabricated news stories with reports which were made on Photoshop saying I was accused of rape and molestation. They also made up an FIR claiming on social media that a rape case was registered against me.”

Khan and six others have been booked under Sections 500 (defamation), 506 (criminal intimidation ), 504 (insulting someone intentionally to provoke them), 228-A (print or publish matter that makes the identity of a person accused of rape or molestation public) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

Gandhi’s family filed a complaint against Khan earlier in April this year, based on which he and his female friend were booked for allegedly using derogatory language against Gandhi’s wife at a gym. Gandhi’s wife complained that Khan threatened to harm her children.

According to reports, a businessman’s wife has filed an FIR against the actor and his female friend at the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai for making death threats against a woman and posting disparaging posts about her online.

She has claimed that she has received death threats and had offensive social media posts made about her. She disclosed that she was involved in a monetary dispute that broke out in a gym in February of this year, after which she was threatened.

Following the FIR, the model-turned-actor and his friend have been booked under sections 500, 501, 509, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Moreover, the actor has been accused of extortion.

Khan, who got famous from movies like Style and Xcuse Me, has a long history of controversies. In 2021, Sahil Khan was charged with harassing Manoj Patil, a former candidate for Mr India and a personal trainer. He was accused of inciting the latter and mentally harassing him, culminating in a suicide attempt. He was, however, taken to the hospital immediately and is currently safe.

A Hindu organisation Jai Shri Ram Sena, denounced a video uploaded by Sahil Khan to YouTube in October of last year. In the clip, a bar dancer was seen performing a Shiv Bhajan, which was also uploaded to the celebrity’s live story on Instagram. He was served with a legal summon from the Hindu outfit demanding an apology from him for the defamatory video and disrespecting Hindus.

NIA arrests PFI weapons trainer Nossam Mohamed Yunus involved in the Nizamabad terror case, was living in Karnataka under fake identity

OpIndia Staff
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NIA arrests PFI weapons trainer Nossam Mohamed Yunus involved in the Nizamabad terror case, was living in Karnataka under fake identity

On Tuesday, 14th June 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a master weapons trainer associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Karnataka. This arrest is linked to the Nizamabad terror conspiracy case, which involves a criminal plot devised by PFI leaders and members to recruit and radicalize young Muslim individuals. The objective of this conspiracy was to provide arms training to these individuals, encouraging them to carry out terrorist activities and ultimately establish Islamic rule in India.

The arrested individual, identified as Nossam Mohamed Yunus from Nandyal, had been evading law enforcement since the NIA conducted a search at his residence in September 2022. Further investigations conducted by the NIA revealed that he had relocated his entire family from Andhra Pradesh and was residing in Karnataka under a false identity.

Yunus, a skilled weapons trainer, was actively involved in imparting weapons training to recruited individuals associated with the PFI in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions. Additionally, he held the position of Physical Education Training State Coordinator for these two states in the Nizamabad PFI Case. With his arrest, NIA has once again exposed PFI’s radical plans to drive a communal wedge and use innocent Muslim youths to disturb and disrupt peace and communal harmony in the country.

Telangana Police had initially registered an FIR in the case in July 2022 before NIA took over the case and re-registered it as (RC-03/2022/NIA/HYD). NIA has already filed two chargesheets against 16 accused persons in this case. PFI and its many affiliates were declared an ‘unlawful association’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in September 2022 after its involvement in violent activities came to light during investigations carried out by various state police units and national agencies.

The Nizamabad terror conspiracy case

On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, the Nizamabad police in Telangana arrested three Popular Front of India (PFI) members involved in training Muslim youths in anti-national activities. the three PFI members were nabbed from the residence of one Shadullah in the Gundaram area in Nizamabad town. The trio was residing in Nizamabad while posing as small-time labourers like wielding mechanics, but their prime objective was to identify gullible Muslim youths, radicalize them with Sharia law, and then recruit them for anti-national activities, according to Nizamabad Commissioner of Police KR Nagaraju. These arrested accused were identified as Shaik Shadullah (40), Mohammad Imran (22) and Mohammad Abdul Mobin (27).

One of the accused admitted to the police during questioning that the PFI was seeking to indoctrinate the local Muslim youths with Sharia law and Islamic fundamentalism in order to recruit them into anti-national activities. He also admitted that the group had been conducting workshops to teach Muslims how to use deadly weapons and martial arts with the primary goal of recruiting them to wage jihad in the state.

The arrested also confessed that similar workshops regarding legal matters were being conducted along with physical training by PFI members in Nizamabad, Jagitial, Hyderabad, Nellore, Kurnool, and Kadapa.

SC rejects plea to stop Mahapanchayat to be held by Hindu groups in Purola, PUCL had written a letter to CJI too: Dangerous antecedents of the organisation

OpIndia Staff
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SC rejects plea to stop Mahapanchayat to be held by Hindu groups in Purola, PUCL had written a letter to CJI too: Dangerous antecedents of the organisation

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India rejected a request to stop a ‘Mahapanchayat’ planned by Hindu organisations in Purola, Uttarakhand. The court’s decision is made in the midst of rising communal strife in the state. The petition was filed by Association for Protection of Civil Rights.

The complaint also asked for the filing of an FIR against pro-Hindutva supporters for allegedly making hateful remarks that were directed at a certain group of people. Hindu organisations had scheduled the Mahapanchayat, a sizable assembly, for June 15 in response to the recent love jihad incident that happened on May 26.

This comes a day after the controversial civil society outfit People’s Union of Civil Liberties wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud alleging that the minority community in the region were being targeted and threatened by the locals. “We are writing this letter to bring to your attention the alarming rise of hate speech, vigilantism and targeted communal violence against the minority community in Uttarakhand,” the letter by the People’s Union of Civil Liberties read.

PUCL is a fraternal organization of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR). The People’s Union for Civil Liberties is the same organisation that has substantial links to Maoists, as OpIndia reported earlier.

Two individuals, one of whom is a Muslim identified as Uved Khan, attempted to kidnap and elope with a Hindu girl in Purola. Massive tensions erupted in the region after the incident in which the locals demanded police verification of ‘outsiders’, most of whom are Muslims. 

The lawyer who submitted the appeal, Sharukh Alam, was instructed by the vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah to pursue all possible legal remedies through the high court or other pertinent authorities. The bench highlighted that it is the state government’s duty to uphold law and order and suggested turning to the high court for intervention.

“We are not short-circuiting the legal process. There is a high court and district administration; you can approach them. Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government. Why do you think no action will be taken if the matter is brought to its notice? You should have faith in the high court,” the bench said.

Alam informed the court that letters and banners asking members of a particular community to leave Uttarkashi had been distributed. There has been no action taken thus far despite an ongoing mandate (court order) directing the police to file a FIR on their own initiative in situations containing hate statements.

She further argued that the information offered in the plea shows that a FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is required, pleading with the judge to take the facts into consideration. “The material suggests that an FIR needs to be registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A ‘Mahapanchayat’ is scheduled to be held on June 15, and they have given an ultimatum to the district administration to remove members of a particular community by that date,” Alam said.

Uttarkashi administration refuses permission for Mahapanchayat

Since the love jihad incident, racial tensions have been progressively rising in Purola and neighbouring towns in the Uttarkashi area. A sense of uneasiness has been created among many populations as a result of the increase in tension, along with fears of violence and probable social unrest.

However, the Uttarkashi district administration has refused permission for a Mahapanchayat proposed to be held on June 15. The district administration has also imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people in a specified area, District Magistrate of Uttarkashi Abhishek Rohilla said. This means that even though the Supreme Court refused to stop the event, it has been stopped by the local administration and accordingly it will not take place, unless the govt reverts the decision.

The Mahapanchayat was organized by the Purola Pradhan Sangathan and was supported from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal among others. District Magistrate of Uttarkashi Abhishek Rohilla said, “The permission for the proposed mahapanchayat to be held on June 15 has been denied. No one will be given permission to break the law.”

Notably, a counter Mahapanchayat has also been requested by the Muslim Seva Santhan (MSS) on June 18 in Dehradun to draw the state government’s attention to the “mass exodus” of minorities from the hill town.

The controversial civil society outfit People’s Union of Civil Liberties who has filed a plea in the case had earlier extended support to the banned terrorist outfit named Popular Front of India (PFI) and had demanded that all the detained terrorist associated with the organization shall be released.

PUCL and its ties with Urban Naxals

PUCL is a fraternal organization of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR). The People’s Union for Civil Liberties is the same organisation that has extensive links to Maoists. ‘Urban Naxals’ who were arrested in the Elgar Parishad case and in connection with an alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister are intimately linked with the PUCL.

The PUCL and its associate organisations have a history of ties to Naxals and separatists in Kashmir as well as Manipur. Over the years, numerous members of the organisations have been arrested for their links to Maoists. One of those raided in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon, Sudha Bharadwaj, is the General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh unit of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). 

Father Stan Swamy was also associated with the PUCL. The narrative that PUCL propagates is quite often antithetical to a layman’s idea of civil society. On the website of the organization, it can be seen that it condemned the hanging of the Islamic terrorist Afzal Guru.

As per the report of Delhi PUCL for 2016-17, they assisted Islamist outfit PFI “in the matter relating to violation of their right to protest and their freedom of speech violated by the Delhi police on 5th Nov. 2017 in Delhi”.

‘Naxalite’ Binayak Sen was also the Vice President of the PUCL even after his conviction by Raipur Sessions Court. The West Bengal unit of PUCL also published a book exonerating Sen of all his crimes and branded him a “victim of state atrocity”.

Also recently, the organization published an article in which it condemned the killings of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother in law and slammed the UP police for not assuring proper security measures during the incident. Ahmed and his brother in law were shot dead by three persons who posed as media individuals and fired around 22 bullets at the gangster. “PUCL is outraged by and strongly condemns the cold-blooded shooting down by a 3-member gang of politician and former minister, Atiq Ahmed and his brother, Ashraf Ahmed,” the article read.

Further downplaying the criminal activities of the gangster, PUCL wrote, “The killing is not just a security lapse on the part of the police, who failed to check the identity of the killers posing as media persons; a much more disturbing issue is how the killer gang knew that a media meeting would be held in the open, outside the hospital.

“Equally worrisome is the question why Atiq Ahmed and his brother were not transported by ambulance, why the medical check-up was at such an unusual time late at night and why despite the security concerns, the police permitted such a media meet in an open space and in public.  The other question is as to why the police did not seek  police custody of those who did the shooting? The answer to these questions will tell us whether it was a question of mere negligence by the UP police or a deeper conspiracy by the UP police and the UP administration, in the murders themselves?” it added.

Earlier, the organization in the month of August last year had objected to the organization of Ram Katha at the Raj Bhavan in Rajasthan. PUCL had cried foul saying that the 5-day programme undermined the dignity of the Governor’s office and also violated the Constitutional principles of secularism. “This event (Ram Katha) brazenly compromises the secular character of our Constitution. These are not personal programmes of the Governor. Will the Governor likewise organise religious events and arts exhibitions of faiths like Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sarna-Adivasi, etc?” the state president of the organization had said.

MP: Married Hindu woman dies after consuming acid as one Zakir harassed her to convert to Islam and marry him, threatened to rape her

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Married Hindu woman dies after consuming acid as one Zakir harassed her to convert to Islam and marry him, threatened to rape her

In the Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, a shocking case has come to the fore wherein a married Hindu woman named Reena committed suicide on Saturday (10 June) by consuming acid after five-six months of harassment by a Muslim man named Zakir. After the locals were outraged, the police arrested the accused and sent him to jail. 

According to media reports, the matter pertains to the Kshipra Haat Maidan in Kshipra Village where Reena Joshi resided with her husband Sundar Joshi and their two children. On Saturday, Reena consumed acid, and she was rushed to a nearby hospital. As her health deteriorated, she was referred to Indore. The family, however, took her to a private hospital. Later in the evening, she breathed her last. Reena’s death enraged the villagers as they demanded justice and said that the accused Zakir be hanged till death. 

The agitated villagers led a protest outside the accused person’s house demanding that his house be demolished. Following this, police teams from five police stations were deployed to bring the situation under control.

Deceased victim Reena’s brother accuses Zakir of forcing her to consume acid

Speaking to Dainik Bhaskar, the deceased victim’s brother Deepak Joshi said that on Saturday, he received a call from Reena at around 10 am. Reena told Deepak that she has consumed acid pleading with him to save her. An appalled Deepak then rushed to Reena’s home. “When I reached Reena’s home in Kshipra village, I saw her suffering immense pain and vomiting,” Deepak said.

Deepak also said that his sister had told him eight days back that a person named Zakir who resided in the same locality used to harass her. “He used to follow her wherever she would go. Zakir was pressurising her to marry him. He would say that after marrying Reena, he would convert her to Islam. I told Sundar (Reena’s husband) about this and he said that they will sort it out. But before they could take a decision, all this happened,” Deepak said.

The deceased victim’s brother further alleged that Zakir had threatened his sister two days prior to her death. He also raised suspicion that Zakir may have forced Reena to consume acid as she was alone at home on Saturday.

“He has given acid to my sister as she cannot do this. When I took my sister to the hospital, about 200 grams of acid was found in her stomach. Nobody can drink that much acid,” Deepak asserted.

Deepak also said that he warned Zakir not to harass his sister. However, accused Zakir was adamant about his pursuit. He resided near the rented house where Reena stayed with her family. Zakir would stalk her regularly.

Meanwhile, the deceased victim’s sister-in-law told Dainik Bhaskar that Zakir persistently harassed Reena. For the sake of the family’s honour, Reena did not inform anyone about the harassment she was facing. For the last few days, Zakir was forcing her to establish sexual relations with him. 

Reena and Sundar Joshi got married twelve years ago and had a daughter and a son. Earlier they resided in their ancestral home in Kshipra. However, they later shifted to a rented house. In the last six years, they changed four homes in the same area. Five months back, Reena along with her family moved to another rented house Sunvani Marg area. It is said that Reena may have moved to Sunvani Marg house due to Zakir’s harassment. 

Angry locals and Hindu organisations protest outside accused Zakir’s house

As soon as the news of Reena’s death reached the Hindu rights organisation in the middle of the night, they marched to the police station and demanded harsh punishment. Some irate people arrived at Zakir’s house at midnight. Zakir’s family members escaped somewhere late at night. When no one could be found at home, the agitated locals hurled stones at the house and set fire to the loading van parked outside. The police arrived on the scene and deployed their teams in Shipra village as soon as they received information about the serious situation. Later, they managed to bring the situation under control.

Following the last rites on Sunday, the crowd pressed on demolishing the accused’s house. In addition to keeping Shipra Nagar closed in protest of the incident, traders also kept their shops closed in protest. Reportedly, a force of five police stations from the city, Police Line, Sonkach, Bhaunrasa, and Baretha, was deployed in the area. The Revenue Department team sealed the accused’s residence in the presence of the police. 

According to the In charge of the industrial area police station, Ajay Channa, a woman ingested acid in the Shipra area. Her relatives claimed that she had been harassed for 4-5 months by a youth named Zakir. The accused has been arrested and imprisoned. No evidence of conversion has been found. If any evidence is found in this respect, stern action will be taken.

Ahead of film 72 Hoorain’s release, Twitter suspends co-producer Ashoke Pandit’s account after Islamists and Leftists mass report him

OpIndia Staff
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Ahead of film 72 Hoorain’s release, Twitter suspends co-producer Ashoke Pandit’s account after Islamists and Leftists mass report him

On June 14, left-liberals and Islamists rallied against filmmaker Ashoke Pandit ahead of the release of the film ’72 Hoorain’, of which he is a co-producer. Directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and produced by Gulab Singh Tanwar, Kiran Dagar and Anirudh Tanwar, the film is set for release on June 7, 2023. A couple of days back, the teaser of the film was released.

Ashok Pandit is vocal against Islamists on social media, making him a prime target. This time, a vague tweet was picked by the dubious Twitter handle ‘Team Saath’ to target him and get his account suspended.

On June 13, after Jack Dorsey’s allegations against India went viral, a Twitter user ArunSFan who wrote his name as “Raghuram Rajan”, the former RBI governor, shared a report in that context. Quoting him, Pandit, who apparently confused him with the real Rajan, wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “Why are you dancing? Don’t worry. All demons like you will be killed”.

Now-deleted tweet by Ashoke Pandit. Source: Twitter/Jix5a

Left-liberals and Islamists were looking for such an opportunity, and Team Saath saw it as an opportunity to target Pandit right ahead of his film. In a tweet quoting Pandit, Team Saath tagged Twitter and wrote, “Dear Twitter, Ashoke Pandit is issuing a death threat to ArunSFan in full public view. This calls for an immediate suspension of his account as per your rules. They also tagged Twitter Safety and Elon Musk in the Tweet.

Team Saath started a campaign against Pandit and got his account suspended. Source: Twitter

While the algorithm suspended Pandit’s account due to mass reporting, it is pertinent to note that he was not issuing a death threat to the user or anyone, for that matter. He was tweeting in a ‘matter of speaking’ and he meant that evil will be vanquished, not that someone should be killed.

Soon after the account got suspended, several prominent voices on Twitter came out in Pandit’s support. BJP leader Tejinder Pall Singh Bagga wrote, “why Ashoke Pandit account is suspended by @TwitterIndia? #RestoreAshokePandit”

BJP leader Kapil Mishra wrote, “Why account of Ashoke Pandit is suspended right before the release of his movie #72Hoorain? @Twitter Pls restore the handle immediately.”

BJP MLA from UP Dr Shalabh Mani Tripathi wrote, “Ashoke Pandit account is suspended by Twitter India. Why? #RestoreAshokePandit”

Nationalist leader Ramesh Solanki wrote, “Account of producer and director Ashoke Pandit is suspended right before the release of his movie #72Hoorain? @Twitter @elonmusk Pls restore the handle immediately. #BringBackAshokePandit”

Activist Vijay Patel wrote, “After releasing the trailer of the #72Hoorain movie radical Islamists and the leftist ecosystem have been rattled and they have mass reported the Twitter account of Ashoke Pandit sir. Hello, @elonmusk your Indian office still have left-leaning employees?”

News18 Managing Editor Amish Devgan wrote, “Unfortunate right to freedom curbed Twitter suspended account filmmaker Ashoke Pandit.”

Director of 72 Hoorain, Sanjay PS Chauhan said, “Calling on Twitter India to reconsider the suspension of Ashoke Pandit’s account. Transparency and open dialogue are crucial in building trust. #RestoreAshokePandit”

About 72 Hoorain

The film titled ’72 Hoorain’, featuring Pawan Malhotra and Aamir Bashir in lead roles, is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Puran Singh, a two-time recipient of the National Award. Natottam Bain, Ashok Pathak, and Rashid Naaz are among the other actors in this film. The production of the film is undertaken by Gulab Singh Tanwar, Kiran Dagar, Anirudh Tanwar, and Ashok Pandit, who serve as its producers.

The teaser of the film depicts pictures of many Islamic terrorists including Osama Bin Laden who planned and executed the 9/11 attacks in America, Ajmal Kasab who was one of the 10 terrorists in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Yakub Memon who executed the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993, Masood Azahar responsible for the Delhi plane hijack in 1999, and many others. In the background, the voice of some leader in the Islamic terrorist outfit is heard that says, “You will get those 72 hoors. Those hoors are made for you.”

About Team Saath

‘Team Saath’ is a malicious troll account on Twitter that routinely indulges in targeted harassment of people who do not conform to its views. They use their Twitter account to target those who do not toe the Islamist and Leftist line.

It has been notorious for misusing Twitter for online bullying and targeted harassment of individuals whose political views do not align with theirs. ‘Team Saath’ Official is the go-to Twitter account for left-liberals and rabid Islamists to silence nationalist voices in the country. Not just celebrities, but even influential Twitter accounts, are subjected to targeted harassment by ‘Team Saath’ and its army of brainwashed Islamists.

As per speculations on social media, actor Sushant Singh is inextricably linked to the account ‘Team Saath’, with rumour mills claiming that he is the founder of the troll account meant for targeting and browbeating nationalistic voices into silence. Singh also boasts of his support to ‘Team Saath’ by mentioning it in his Twitter bio, raising suspicions that the account is indeed operated by him. However, a tweet by ‘Team Saath’ clarified that Sushant Singh is not the founder of the group and is rather ‘The Goodwill Ambassador’. The account, the tweet said, is run by one ‘The Linguist’, who, according to investigative journalist Vijay Patel, is an inveterate Islamist harbouring pathological hatred for PM Modi.

‘Is this where 85% deals are being orchestrated’: Opposition questions Congress after Randeep Singh Surjewala attends official meeting in Bengaluru

OpIndia Staff
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‘Is this where 85% deals are being orchestrated’: Opposition questions Congress after Randeep Singh Surjewala attends official meeting in Bengaluru

Randeep Singh Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, reportedly attended an official meeting in Bengaluru which was presided over by the deputy chief minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar. The meeting was organised to discuss the upgrading of infrastructure in Bengaluru and was held at Shangri-La Hotel in the state capital on Tuesday.

The state cabinet minister met with representatives from the state government and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) at a private hotel after touring Bengaluru to assess municipal projects that were being carried out. Both the Congress leaders were seen seated next to each other in a photograph from the meeting shared by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“What is his capacity or authority to chair the meeting with the BBMP and BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) Commissioners /Officials? Is this where the 85% deals are being orchestrated by the ATM Sarkara to raise funds ahead of the 2024 Elections,” asked the primary opposition party. However, DK Shivakumar denied the accusation. He claimed, “Officers had come to take me to the BDA office when I was with Surjewala. Let BJP tweet whatever they want.” There was no official meeting, according to several Congress officials as well.

Rakesh Singh BBMP administrator and assistant chief secretary of the urban development department and BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath can be spotted along with Randeep Singh Surjewala and DK Shivakumar. Other prominent figures in the room included Energy Minister K J George, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Minority Affairs Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Naseer Ahmed, and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad.

“Is Surjewala Super Chief Minister of Karnataka? Under what capacity he called for a meeting of the BBMP Commissioner, ACS (Additional Chief Secretary) Urban Development, and BDA Chief? I heard Advocate General was also present in this meeting conducted by the Congress Party in charge,” questioned Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Basangouda Patil Yatnal. He sought the BBMP Commissioner to make it clear what was on the meeting’s agenda and what the officers’ assignment was.

HD Kumaraswamy, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former chief minister, also criticised the state administration for allowing Randeep Singh Surjewala to meet with ministers and top officials. He charged, “Do we have a government headed by Siddaramaiah or a government that is at the mercy of Delhi’s 10 Janpath? Did people vote for a Congress government or a puppet government? That has been proved even before the government completed a month in office.”

He challenged who gave the Congress stalwart the permission to host the official meeting with senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in attendance. He remarked, “There are senior ministers in the meeting. Senior IAS officers are also present. This means it was an official meeting. But, Surjewala is in the centre seat. Minister is sitting in a seat beside him. Isn’t it strange? The Chief Minister should answer.”

Meanwhile, Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan tweeted, “Participated in the meeting which was called by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at Shangri-la Hotel in Bengaluru and discussed various issues and betterment of Bengaluru. AICC General Secretary and in-charge of Karnataka State Randeep Singh was also present,” along with an image from the meeting. Afterwards, he took the tweet down. The meeting lasted two hours, according to sources in the government, and they covered a range of topics, including the BBMP elections.

On Wednesday afternoon, a BJP delegation led by the former ministers and party legislators R Ashoka and Suresh Kumar is scheduled to meet with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to demand that DK Shivakumar be held accountable for allowing Randeep Singh Surjewala to chair an official meeting that included senior IAS officers. A BJP official confirmed that the party would also seek action against the latter for attending the formal session.

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