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‘Let the law take its own course’: HM Amit Shah tells protesting wrestlers who met him to seek action against Brij Bhushan

OpIndia Staff
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‘Let the law take its own course’: HM Amit Shah tells protesting wrestlers who met him to seek action against Brij Bhushan

On Saturday, June 3, a delegation of protesting wrestlers reportedly met Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence in Delhi. Media reports quoted sources as saying that the meeting began at 11 pm and lasted for more than an hour. Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Mallik, Sangita Phogat and Satyawart Kadian were amongst those who met the HM.

Amit Shah reportedly assured the wrestlers that the law remains the same for everyone. “Let the law take its own course,” he told the wrestlers. 

While many reports said that the Home Minister had assured that due process would be followed, Satyawrat Kadian, the husband of wrestler Sakshi Malik, was quoted by India Today as saying that the wrestlers’ meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah held on Saturday was inconclusive, as they “did not get the reaction they wanted from the Home Minister”.

“We didn’t get the reaction we wanted from the Home Minister so we came out of the meeting. We are chalking out our strategy for the future course of the protest. We will not back down,” Kadian said, as he informed that the wrestlers are planning their next course of action.

The wrestlers demanded quick action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven female wrestlers, including a minor.

It may be recalled that the wrestlers had charged Singh under section 10 of the POCSO Act claiming that he has committed a sexual offence against a minor girl. However, a video of the girl’s relative has come to the fore, which claimed to expose the strategy of the wrestlers to trap Singh in false legal cases. In a video that has been shared by UP Tak, the uncle of the girl revealed that the protesting wrestlers have been making a strategy to trap the Wrestling Federation of India chief in the false legal case.

The girl’s uncle added that the wrestlers have influenced the girl, who is 20 now. “The case says the incident happened when she was 16. We would have known then. They want to target Singh anyhow they can. They are trying to do politics by filing false case against Singh,” he added.

Sports Minister asks not to politicise wrestlers’ protest, lists several demands fulfilled

It may be noted that, prior to meeting HM Amit Shah, the protesting wrestlers had met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on June 1. He had said that the government of India has fulfilled wrestlers’ demands as required. He added that the government is handling the issue very sensitively and urged people not to politicise the issue.

“To all those politicising this issue, I would like to say that the law is equal for everyone and all the players are important to us. Modi government has improved the facilities to encourage sportspersons. The government has given respect to the players and everyone knows it. However, when it comes to the police investigation, it is being done. The discussion on the chargesheet will be done once it is filed,” he said.

‘Will hang myself if proven guilty even in one case’

Former WFI Chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also interacted with the media and asked them not to put up unnecessary questions. He said, “You [reporters] know that Delhi Police is investigating the matter. You are also aware that on January 18, they started their protests for the first time. They made a few demands and later demanded other things. I can only say that they are repeatedly changing their demands and language.”

Wrestlers protest

Wrestlers’ protests first started in January 2023. The wrestlers claimed there was mismanagement in the federation and they were not being treated well. Later, they claimed Singh molested female wrestlers including minors. A committee was formed with PT Usha at the head. Wrestlers demanded the addition of Babita Phogat which was obliged by the government. They submitted the report in April 2023 which is yet to be made public.

In April 2023, wrestlers sat in protest again. This time they concentrated on claims of molestation. FIR was registered by the police under relevant sections of IPC and POCSO. While the protests should have ended following the FIR, they have turned into political protests. Opposition parties and farmer unions have extended support to the protesting wrestlers who are now demanding Singh to be jailed with immediate effect. They also tried to protest outside New Parliament Building as part of wrestlers’ protest but failed.

Rahul Gandhi in the USA talks about Gandhi vs Godse ideology as he chants ‘Jai Bhim’: Here is how he interpreted history all wrong

Nupur J Sharma
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Rahul Gandhi in the USA talks about Gandhi vs Godse ideology as he chants ‘Jai Bhim’: Here is how he interpreted history all wrong

Rahul Gandhi is on a 10-day tour of three cities in the USA. In the last leg of his tour, he spoke in New York to the Indian diaspora-making several bizarre statements. Keeping up with the general theme of his visits abroad, Rahul Gandhi denigrated India, and the Indian government and made factually inaccurate claims about India’s history, its democracy, and its leaders.

One of the first statements that he made in his speech was an attempt to say that the Congress party follows the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi while the RSS and BJP (a euphamism for all Hindus who refuse to vote for the Congress party) follow the ideals of Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated MK Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi claimed that India is in an ideological fight between Mahatma Gandhi (Congress) and Nathuram Godse (representing BJP and RSS’ thoughts and ideology).

Further, he added that the principles and ideology that the Congress holds dear are the same as that of the ‘Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi’. 

“The ideology that we follow is the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, an NRI and a kind and simple man who propagated non-violence and had a lifelong quest for the truth. However, the ideology that BJP and RSS follow is that of Nathuram Godse, a violent and angry man unable to face the reality of his own life,” Rahul claimed.

Calling MK Gandhi an NRI, Rahul Gandhi said, “The reason he shot Gandhi was that he could not face his own life so he had to take his anger out on somebody. So he chose to take his anger out on the man who represented the essence of India. Gandhi was forward-looking, modern, and open-minded and Godse only spoke of the past, never spoke of the future. He was angry and hateful. He was scared. At his heart, he was a coward and he was unable to deal with his life. On the other hand, Gandhi ji faced the biggest force on the planet, a superpower, and he faced it because he was humble. You are all following in the footsteps of Gandhi ji, Nehru, Ambedkar, Sardar Patel”.

He ended this little tirade with ‘Jai Bhim’.

What Dr BR Ambedkar said about MK Gandhi

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi is the embodiment of what someone, with no sense and honesty about history would say. While Rahul Gandhi ends with ‘Jai Bhim’, he forgets about BR Ambedkar’s own criticism of MK Gandhi. In one of his essays, BR Ambedkar wrote, “Treachery and deceit are the weapons of the weak. Gandhi has always used these weapons”. He added, “He went to the Moslems and told them that he would support their 14 demands if they in turn opposed the demands placed by the representatives of the Depressed Classes. Even a scoundrel would not have done this. This is only one instance of Gandhi’s treachery.”

Further, Dr Ambedkar had said in the same essay, “Hindu-Moslem hostility is the result of the deceitful action on the part of Gandhiji. This immensely pained me. There is an old saying which benefits the occasion (Bagal mein chhurri Munh mein Ram) : ‘God’s name on the lips and dagger under the armpit.’ If such a person can be called a Mahatma, by all means call Gandhi a Mahatma.”

He added, “The politics of Savarkar and Tilak was based on honesty and truth. It was not hollow and noisy. But the politics of Gandhi is hollow and noisy. It is the most dishonest politics in the history of Indian polity. Gandhi was the man responsible for eliminating morality from politics and instead introduced commercialism in Indian politics. Politics has been denuded of its virtue.”

Interestingly, while Congress and Rahul Gandhi himself have repeatedly denigrated Veer Savarkar, Ambedkar himself called the politics of Savarkar honest and truthful, comparing him with Tilak, a towering Congress leader and the head of Congress before the party being taken over by MK Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Unfortunately for Rahul Gandhi, history is often far more nuanced than what political speeches by the ignorant can encompass. While nobody can deny that every individual, including MK Gandhi, contributed towards India getting his independence, making this about an ideological battle between Gandhi and Godse defeats the nuance of history that leaders ought to focus on, so mistakes are not repeated by future generations.

BR Ambedkar in no uncertain terms squarely blamed MK Gandhi for the hostility between Hindus and Muslims in not just this essay but several other writings of his. In his book ‘Pakistan or Partition of India’, BR Ambedkar wrote extensively about how the misplaced notions of MK Gandhi led to the genocide of Hindus and the lasting conflict between the two communities. With respect to the Khilafat movement that eventually led to the genocide of Hindus, Ambedkar in his book wrote, “The (Khilafat) movement was started by the Mohammedans. It was taken up by Mr Gandhi with tenacity and faith, which might have surprised many Mohammedans themselves. Many people doubted the ethical basis of the Khilafat movement and tried to dissuade Gandhi from taking any part in the movement, the ethical basis of which was so questionable.” (Pakistan or Partition of India, pages 146,147). Ambedkar further said, “On the contrary, his misguided zeal for Swaraj and his obsession with Hindu-Muslim unity, as the only means of achieving it, led him to support the project. ” (Pakistan or Partition of India, pages 144,145).

There were several excerpts from the book by BR Ambedkar which condemned Gandhi for sacrificing Hindu lives chasing his mythical aims. Talking about the Malabar Genocide of Hindus in 1921, he said, “Mr Gandhi has never protested against such murders. Not only have the Muslims not condemned these outrages but even Mr Gandhi has never called upon the leading Muslims to condemn them. He has kept silent over them. Such an attitude can be explained only on the ground that Mr Gandhi was anxious to preserve Hindu-Moslem unity and did not mind the murders of a few Hindus if it could be achieved by sacrificing their lives.” (Pakistan or Partition of India, pages 147). He further said, “Malabar has taught us what Islamic rule still means, and we do not want to see another specimen of the Khilafat Raj in India. How much sympathy for the Moplas is felt by Muslims outside Malabar has been proved by the defence raised for them by their fellow believers, and by Mr Gandhi himself, who stated that they had acted as they believed that religion taught them to act. I fear that that is true; but there is no place in a civilised land for people who believe that their religion teaches them to murder, rob, rape, burn, or drive away out of the country those who refuse to apostatise from their ancestral faiths, except in its schools, under surveillance, or in its goals.”

Further, Ambedkar said that the genocide in Malabar was too heavy a price to pay for unity. “All over Southern India, a wave of horrified feeling had spread among the Hindus of every shade of opinion, which was intensified when certain Khilafat leaders were so misguided as to pass resolutions of ‘congratulations to the Moplahs on the brave fight they were conducting for the sake of religion’. Any person could have said that this was too heavy a price for Hindu-Moslem unity. But Mr Gandhi was so obsessed with the necessity of establishing Hindu-Moslem unity that he was prepared to make light of the doings of the Moplahs and the Khilafats who were congratulating them. He spoke of the Moplahs as the ‘brave God-fearing Moplahs who were fighting for what they consider as religion and in a manner which they consider as religious,” he said. (Pakistan or Partition of India, pages 147, 148).

What Nathuram Godse said about MK Gandhi and how it is much closer to what BR Ambedkar said than Rahul Gandhi can imagine

One could perhaps write a thesis on what BR Ambedkar truly felt about MK Gandhi and how he believed Gandhi not only contributed to the genocide of Hindus but also doomed India forever, by pandering to the Muslim community who were committing grave atrocities against Hindus at the time.

If one was, therefore, to truly evaluate history, one would realise that while the paths were very different, what BR Ambedkar thought about Hindu-Muslim unity, the plight of Hindus and the role of MK Gandhi in that plight was closer to Nathuram Godse than it was to the supposed ideals of MK Gandhi. It is, of course, necessary to point out that nobody in their same mind can endorse the actions of Godse and the act of assassinating MK Gandhi. However, to say that Godse killed Gandhi because he could not face his own life is rhetorical and a gross misinterpretation of history.

Nathuram Godse in his speech in court after he assassinated Gandhi spoke extensively about his reasons. He spoke about the fanaticism of Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence, his contribution towards the genocide of Hindus and more. In Godse’s speech, paragraph 56, he says ‘(…) To imagine that the bulk of mankind is or can ever become capable of scrupulous adherence to these lofty principles in its normal life from day to day is a mere dream.’ He further says, “I could never conceive that an armed resistance to the aggressor is unjust. I will consider it a religious and moral duty to resist and if possible to overpower such an enemy by the use of force.”

Godse in his petition mentions Gandhi’s quotes where he essentially wanted Hindus to accept their fate at the hands of Muslims, who were massacring them in broad daylight. Godse specifically quoted Gandhi saying, “Hindus should be never angry against the Muslims even if the latter might take up their minds to undo even their existence”.

After the partition, referring to violence against Hindus in Pakistan, Gandhiji said, ‘I asked them why they all came here (to Delhi). Why they did not die there? (…) Let us die if the people kill us, but we should die bravely with the name of God on our tongue.’ This is quite ironical since Gandhiji’s God himself would ask him to fight whenever there’s a decline in righteousness.

“यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥४-७॥
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥४-८॥”

He also suggested that in the killing of Hindus in Pakistan, it is the Hindus who had gained something, since ‘the killers were none other than our Muslim brothers.’ He made similar comments to the Hindu refugees from West Punjab, asking them to return home, even if they die in doing so. Hence, not only is Gandhian non-violence misplaced, radical and not in tune with Hindu teachings, but it is also unjustly applicable only when Hindus are subject to communal violence.

Essentially, Godse believed that MK Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence were a farce leading Hindus to their eventual demise at the hands of Muslims, that he had stood by and done nothing as Hindus were slaughtered, asking Hindus to die at the hands of Muslims for the sake of unity and that India was a distressed, blood-soaked land because of the decisions taken by Gandhi. Living in 2023, it is perhaps impossible to understand the enormity of the blood bath which led Godse to assassinate Gandhi and as said before, nobody in their right mind would endorse the political assassination, however, if one objectively analyses Godse’s critique of Gandhi and BR Ambedkar’s critique of Gandhi, there is much more that they agreed upon than disagreed on.

Having said that, one would be remiss to not also evaluate how Godse forever doomed Hindus by his actions. It is true that the bullet-ridden body of Gandhi has been used by those like Rahul Gandhi to demonise anyone who talks about Hindu rights. Even an honest evaluation of Gandhi’s legacy has been made taboo by talking about Godse, the assassination of Gandhi and the reasons that led to that assassination. Had Godse not assassinated Gandhi, the world would see the errors of Gandhi and the merit in what many leaders, including those like BR Ambedkar, and other Hindu leaders were saying. Godse doomed Hindus and tainted the chance of an honest evaluation of history, however, for Rahul Gandhi to hail BR Ambedkar and condemn the ‘ideology’ of Godse is a reduction of history that only serves political agendas.

Essentially, if Rahul Gandhi wants to make elections a battle of ideologies by quoting Godse and Gandhi, he may as well say that in that limited spectrum, the battle is between what BR Ambedkar thought and what Gandhi thought, however, that would not particularly suit his ‘Jai Bhim’ politics. Further, while Rahul Gandhi claimed that Nathuram Godse only looked towards the past, the truth is, that the reason he assassinated Gandhi was the plight of Hindus in his present, reasons that were similar to the criticism of Gandhi by BR Ambedkar.

What India needs is an honest evaluation of historical mistakes, including those of Gandhi and Godse to ensure that mistakes are not repeated, leading us to not only the genocide of Hindus but also the partition of India. Rahul Gandhi’s rhetorics thwart those efforts significantly and must be called out for what it is – subversion of India, her history and her future interests.

Nepal Census reveals how Islam and Christianity are on the rise in Nepal with Hindu population declining: Full details

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal Census reveals how Islam and Christianity are on the rise in Nepal with Hindu population declining: Full details

On June 3, the Government of Nepal released caste, ethnicity and language stats based on Census 2021. As per the data provided by the Government of Nepal, Islam and Christianity are on the rise in the country. On the other hand, the population of Hindus, which is the predominant religion in the country, and Buddhists, have declined. The total population of the country stands at 29 million with an absent population of 2.2 million.

As per the latest census report published by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 81.19 per cent of the total population follows Hinduism. Buddhism, the second most followed religion in Nepal, is followed by 8.2 per cent population. Followers of Hinduism have declined by 0.11 per cent and followers of Buddhism have declined by 0.79 per cent in the country over the past 10 years.

In the 2011 census, the government noted that 81.3 per cent of the population of the country followed Hinduism, 9 per cent Buddhism, 4.4 per cent Islam and 0.1 per cent Christianity. However, in the latest census, Islam and Christianity are now followed by 5.09 per cent and 1.76 per cent respectively. Kirats have also seen a rise of 0.36 per cent in the latest census and stand at 3.17 per cent of the total population.

The government also released data on the languages spoken in the country. There are 124 mother tongues spoken in Nepal out of which 44 per cent speak Nepali followed by 11.05 per cent Maithali and 6.24 per cent Bhojpuri. Other popular languages include Tharu (5.88 per cent) and Tamang (4.88 per cent).

Nepal conducts a census every 10 years and it was scheduled for 2021. However, it was delayed due to an increase in Covid-19 cases across the country.

Missionaries converting Hindus in Nepal at a rampant pace

In January 2023, OpIndia reported that the Christian population has possibly increased by 68 per cent in Nepal in less than a decade, thanks to Christian missionaries, especially from South Korea. A report by BBC titled ‘Christian missionaries target birthplace of Buddha in Nepal’ explained how South Korea, in particular, has been sending a tsunami of evangelists to Nepal. As per the report, Nepal had 3,76,000 Christians in 2011 (census numbers), which has increased to approx 5,45,000 now, a jump of 68 per cent. As per the latest census, the number stood at 5,12,313 which is fairly close to the estimate.

The rapid rise of Islam in Nepal

In September 2022, OpIndia did an exclusive series on the demographic change on the borders of Nepal. It was in sync with the demographic change on India’s side where a number of mosques and madrasas mushrooms in the border areas. OpIndia’s team visited Nepal and found that in the last 20 years, the Muslim population in the country doubled from 4 per cent to 9 per cent. It may double in the coming 20 years. Furthermore, demographic change is a phenomenon not limited to the Indo-Nepal border regions only, but the demographics in the hilly regions of Nepal are also changing very rapidly.

Nepal’s MP Abhishek Pratap Shah highlighted the problem of Rohingya Muslims in Nepal. He said, “A large number of Rohingyas have infiltrated the northern areas of Nepal while speaking to our reporters. This infiltration took place because the appearance of Rohingyas is slightly similar to the residents of northern Nepal.” Notably, Pakistan’s ISI was reportedly helping in the demographic change in the country. Shah added, “Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has been active in Nepal for a long time. ISI not only promotes cross-border terrorism but is also running illicit businesses like fake currency notes.”

All Prominent freedom fighters were NRIs: Rahul Gandhi in USA names Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru, Gandhi, Patel, Ambedkar in bizarre statement

ANI
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All Prominent freedom fighters were NRIs: Rahul Gandhi in USA names Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru, Gandhi, Patel, Ambedkar in bizarre statement

Addressing the Indian Diaspora in New York on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the key architects of contemporary India were all Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who kept an open mind about the outside world. 

The Congress leader, who is on the last legs of his ongoing three-city tour of the US, said all prominent leaders associated with the country’s freedom struggle, including Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhash Chandra Bose, were NRIs who kept an open mind about the outside world. “The central architect of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi, was an NRI. The foundation for India’s freedom movement was laid in South Africa…Nehru, BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, all were NRIs and had an open mind about the outside world,” he said. 

His remark assumes significance as the BJP, which holds the reins of administration at the Centre, has often accused him of sullying India’s image on foreign soil. 

The saffron party has also alleged a larger global narrative to defame India. 

Continuing with his offensive against the saffron party, the Congress leader said the country faces a battle between two ideologies — one espoused by the Congress and the other by the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 

“There is a fight between two ideologies in India — one that we (Congress) represent and other that is espoused by the BJP and the RSS,” the Congress leader claimed. 

Further, he added that the principles and ideology that the Congress holds dear are the same as that of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. 

He claimed that the ideas espoused and propagated by the BJP and RSS were that of Nathuram Godse, a rightwing leader who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. 

“The ideology that we follow is the ideology of the Mahatma Gandhi, an NRI and a kind and a simple man who propagated non-violence and had a lifelong quest for the truth. However, the ideology that BJP and RSS follow is that of Nathuram Godse, a violent and angry man unable to face the reality of his own life,” Rahul claimed.

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

Balasore triple train accident: Railway Minister says ‘responsibility not over yet, need to make sure missing persons’ family members can find them’

ANI
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Balasore triple train accident: Railway Minister says ‘responsibility not over yet, need to make sure missing persons’ family members can find them’

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that their goal is to make missing persons’ family members can find them as soon as possible after the horrific triple train accident that took place in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday, June 2. 

“Our goal is to make sure missing persons’ family members can find them as soon as possible…our responsibility is not over yet,” Vaishnaw told reporters on Sunday night. He also waved at the crew of a goods train and prayed for a safe journey, as services resumed following the repair of the damaged tracks on both the up and down lines, 51 hours after the terrible triple train accident in Balasore that left at least 275 dead and more than 1,000 injured. 

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the Railway minister said work on the reconstruction of the damaged tracks started soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent out instructions to that effect. 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his advice and instructions on the restoration of the railway tracks. The whole team (involved in the restoration work) laboured diligently and systematically to fix the damaged rails for the resumption of services,” he said. 

The Railway minister added both the lines were reconstructed and tested before services resumed, 51 hours after the chilling derailment incident. 

Earlier, Vaishnaw said the accident occurred due to a “change in electronic interlocking”. 

The triple train accident involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and the goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore district. 

Odisha Chief Secy Pradeep Jena on Sunday clarified that the death toll from the horrific accident had been revised from 288 to 275 after it was determined that some bodies had been counted twice. 

Over 1000 workers were pressed into service for restoration of the damaged tracks, the ministry stated, adding that more than 7 Poclain Machines, two Accident Relief Trains and 3-4 Railway and Road Cranes are deployed for the purpose as well.

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

Gujarat Congress leader spreads fake news on Bihar bridge collapse, blames PM Modi for the state govt project

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat Congress leader spreads fake news on Bihar bridge collapse, blames PM Modi for the state govt project

On 4th June 2023, the Aguwani to Sultanganj bridge on the Ganga River collapsed near Sultanganj. The bridge, which is being constructed by Bihar govt and is considered a dream project of CM Nitish Kumar, is under construction for over 8 years and it collapsed for the second time. As soon as the news spread, Congress leaders started peddling lies implying that the bridge was one of the projects initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gujarat’s Congress leader Hitendra Pithadiya tweeted the video of the bridge collapse incident in Bihar along with a news screenshot that said Narendra Modi initiated a 4-lane bridge project parallel to the Vikramshila Bridge.

The Gujarat Congeess leader also abused PM Narendra Modi, calling him ‘Panauti, Nanhoos, Maut Ka Sadagar’.

Hitedra Pithadiya tweeted in Hindi, ‘[‘An under-construction bridge collapsed in Bihar. Inauspicious, ill-fated, the merchant of death.’ Pithadiya essentially used the adjectives for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It must be noted that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had called Narendra Modi a merchant of death in the 2007 Gujarat state assembly election campaigning. The Congress leader from Gujarat followed his leader’s footsteps and called Modi a merchant of death.

The news screenshot Pithadiya shared was that of the news of PM Modi laying the foundation stones of two bridge projects near Bhagalpur in Bihar. It is notable that none of the bridges collapsed. The bridges quoted in the news are – a parallel bridge to the Vikramshila bridge on the Ganga River and a bridge over the Kosi River near Fulaut between Veerpur and Bihpur. Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones of these two projects on 21st September 2020 through video conferencing.

Google Earth image showing location of Aguwani-Sultanganj Bridge and Vikramshila Bridge

The new 4-lane bridge parallel to the existing Vikramshila bridge is being built with a budget of 1110 crore rupees. It is 4.455 km long. The Congress leader meant this bridge in his tweet, implying this bridge collapsed during construction.

But the fact is, the construction of the collapsed bridge started in 2015 itself, while the construction work of the new Vikramshila bridge is yet to start. Still, Hitendra Pithadiya implied that it has collapsed. The other bridge on the Kosi River spans around 28.94 km including the approach roads. Its budget is 1478.40 crore rupees.

The four-lane under-construction bridge that collapsed today is situated approximately 35 km west of Bhagalpur, the location of the new Vikramshila Bridge. It connects Aguwani and Sultanganj across the Ganga River. SP Singla Constructions Limited is currently constructing this four-lane bridge for the Bihar Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) at a total cost of ₹1710.77 crore.

The quality of the construction work by this company was questioned when in April 2022, a part of this bridge succumbed to the impact of storm and rains that lashed the area. A part of this bridge caved in near Sultanganj on 30th April 2022. 

The Congress leader from Gujarat blatantly peddled the lie that it was one of the bridges initiated by the Prime Minister. The foundation stone of this 3160-meter-long bridge was laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on 23rd February 2014 at Parbatta in the Khagaria district. He then inaugurated the actual construction work of this bridge on 9th March 2015. The approach road to this bridge from Khagaria spans 16 km while it is 4 km long from Sultanganj.

In this way, the Congress leader peddled lies about the bridge-collapse incident to target PM Modi, whereas the bridge, in fact, is the dream project of CM Nitish Kumar and also collapsed once in April 2022. This is the second time of its collapse in the last 13 months. Congress leader comfortably ignored this fact to peddle his politically motivated lies about the bridge collapse.

Under construction for over 8 years, Nitish Kumar’s dream project Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge over Ganga collapses again, a guard goes missing

OpIndia Staff
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Under construction for over 8 years, Nitish Kumar’s dream project Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge over Ganga collapses again, a guard goes missing

On 4th June 2023, the under-construction Aguwani- Sultanganj bridge on the Ganga River collapsed near Sultanganj. This is the second collapse of the same bridge since April 2022. Though no casualties are reported yet, a guard was said to have gone missing after today’s collapse. Construction work was closed as it was a Sunday.

Three pillars and the superstructure of girders joining them collapsed causing damage to more than 100 meters of the bridge. Videos of the incident went viral on social media in which the bridge collapsing can be seen. The collapse took place at around 6 pm on Sunday. 

Yogendra Kumar, executive engineer of Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Khagaria said, “Some spans of the bridge have collapsed. We are on the way to the spot. Nothing specific can be said right now. We can clearly say something only after reaching there.”

District Magistrate of Khagaria – Amit Kumar Pandey said, “There is no news of any casualty so far. A team of officers is sent to the spot. We are also checking for the missing person.”

SP Singla Constructions Limited is currently constructing this four-lane bridge for the Bihar Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) at a total cost of ₹1710.77 crore. The bridge is situated approximately 35 km west of Bhagalpur.

The quality of the construction work by this company was questioned when in April 2022, a part of this bridge succumbed to the impact of storm and rains that lashed the area. A part of this bridge caved in near Sultanganj on 30th April 2022. Around 36 spans of the superstructure suspended from pillar number 5 had collapsed due to a storm. Now this bridge collapsed again after 13 months.

In November 2022, a team of two experts from Canada visited Bihar to assess the reasons behind the bridge collapse that took place in April 2022. This team studied to find out how this bridge succumbed to thunderstorms and fast winds. However, its findings were not made public.

After today’s bridge collapse, Parbatta’s MLA Dr Sanjeev Kumar said that he had earlier raised questions in the state assembly regarding the quality of this construction work. He said that this is the dream project of the chief minister but the company is not doing quality construction here. The Parbatta MLA demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter and the registration of an FIR against the culprits. He also criticised SP Singla’s Project Director Alok Jha.

BJP leader Amit Malviya slammed Nitish Kumar over the collapse, asking whether he and Tejaswi Yadav will resign over the incident. He said that the bridge was started by Kumar in 2015 and was to be completed by 2020. He also noted that the bridge has collapsed for the second time.

The foundation stone of this 3,160-metre long bridge was laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on 23rd February 2014 at Parbatta in the Khagaria district. He then inaugurated the actual construction work of this bridge on 9th March 2015. The bridge has been described as Nitish Kumar’s dream project. The bridge construction was to be completed in 4.5 years, but the work has been slow, resulting in long delays. The work has been hampered by floods every year, and recently during the pandemic lockdown.

The approach road to this bridge from Khagaria spans 16 km while it is 4 km long from Sultanganj. If this bridge gets completed, the distance between Bhagalpur and Khagaria will significantly reduce.

On 22nd January 2019, CM Nitish Kumar asked BRPNNL to complete this bridge by March 2020. He specifically said this because the bridge holds great importance in order to reduce the load on the Vikramshila bridge near Bhagalpur. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, though there was a lockdown in India, many construction sites of infrastructure projects resumed earlier than regular civil life. However, the construction of this bridge was not completed. It lingered more after the 2022 collapse. Now, this collapse has delayed it more.

Teaser of the film ’72 Hoorain’ released, the movie exposes the dark face of Islamic terrorism from 9/11 to 26/11

OpIndia Staff
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Teaser of the film ’72 Hoorain’ released, the movie exposes the dark face of Islamic terrorism from 9/11 to 26/11

Islamic terrorism has prevailed for centuries in various parts of the world wherever Islamic tyrants invaded and ruled. For many centuries, Indian civilisation is one of the biggest suffering survivors of this organised crime in the name of religion. Jihad – the war for religion – forms the core part of Islamic terrorism and Muslims joining various terrorist organisations for Jihad are lured by various baits shown to them by fanatic religious preachers.

Hoors (meaning beautiful virgin ladies) promised to Muslim men when they go to Jannat (meaning paradise or heaven) after attaining martyrdom while on the path of Jihad is one of the most alluring baits to join Jihad and unleash Islamic terrorism. A film titled 72 Hoorain (72 Hoors) depicting this dark face of Islamic terrorism is soon to release. The teaser of the film was launched on 4th June 2023.

The terror masters of various terrorist outfits lure Muslim youths with jannat and 72 hoors to kill infidels (non-Muslims) and wage jihad against them. Trapped in this greed, Muslims become terrorists and then get ready to kill not only others but also themselves. To break this myth of Islamism, a film called ’72 Hoorain’ is set for release on July 7, 2023.

The film titled ’72 Hooren’, 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.

Ashok Pandit tweeted, “As promised, presenting to you the first look of our film 72 Hoorain. I am sure you will like it. What if you end up dying a brutal death instead of meeting 72 virgins, as assured by terrorist mentors? Presenting the first look of my upcoming film “72 Hoorain”. The film is slated to release on 7 July 2023.”

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.”

It is notable that the film will release on 7th July 2023 which is two months after the release of the film ‘The Kerala Story‘. The Kerala Story was based on the forced conversions of non-Muslim girls in Kerala by Muslim youths. This religiously profiled sexual grooming of Hindu girls was done with the intent of recruiting them to Islamic terrorist organisations like ISIS. This film received an overwhelming response and went on to earn more than Rs 200 crores at the box office.

This film proved a great educator to non-Muslims wherein they could see how love jihad is executed in India and abroad. This awareness caused many Hindu victim girls to report the incidents of love jihad they fall prey to. 72 Hoorain release after this awareness is expected to give a huge boost to the momentum gained by Hindu awareness about Islamic terrorism and its various forms.

Meerut: College Professor Shamim Ahmed celebrates the birthday of his pet dog, gifts a refrigerator to a guest winning a lucky draw

OpIndia Staff
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Meerut: College Professor Shamim Ahmed celebrates the birthday of his pet dog, gifts a refrigerator to a guest winning a lucky draw

On 3rd June 2023, Professor Shamim Ahmed of Meerut celebrated the third birthday of his pet dog Alex with over 300 invitees. He also gifted a refrigerator to a guest who won a lucky draw at this party. Dr Shamim Ahmed is locally known for his love for animals.

Dr Shamim Ahmed is a professor in the Department of Pharmacy at Translam College. He has a pet dog Alex of St Bernard breed. Dr Shamim Ahmed invited more than 300 of his friends and acquaintances to the birthday celebrations of his pet dog. He made an invitation video and sent it on WhatsApp to all the invitees.

At this party, an 11-kg cake was cut in the presence of the dog Alex who was wished for and loved by all the invitees. Dr Shamim Ahmed’s relatives and his students living abroad joined the celebrations through video conferencing. The kids and adults attending the party enjoyed a lot. The delicious menu on this occasion included Chhola Bhatura, Ice Cream, different Chaat dishes, and Chowmin.

The guests attending the party gave various gifts to the professor’s pet dog Alex. Everyone was given return gifts. On taking out the lucky draw, a guest Anas was given a fridge as a return gift.

It is notable that Dr Shamim Ahmed is known as a local animal lover. Despite taking care of his pet dog, he also works for stray animals. He also adopted a stray dog who is now named Rim. Rim was also present at the party. The party took place in the evening. Before that, Dr Shamim Ahmed served many animals in the day. He fed many stray animals including cows, dogs, and monkeys. Dr Shamim Ahmed spends a sizable amount of his income on feeding stray animals.

OpIndia Exclusive: RSS activists started relief work in less than an hour of the Odisha train accident, helped at hospitals

Anurag
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OpIndia Exclusive: RSS activists started relief work in less than an hour of the Odisha train accident, helped at hospitals

On June 2, a passenger train and a freight train transporting iron ore collided in the Balasore district of Odisha. The impact of the collision was so strong on the passenger train that its coaches derailed and hit the last two coaches of another passenger train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah. While the state and centre swung into action immediately and rescue teams were deployed to the scene, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists became the first responders at the accident site.

Speaking to OpIndia, RSS’s Odisha media head Rabi Narayan Panda detailed how RSS helped in the rescue operation and provide relief to the victims. The following chain of events and the role of RSS is based on a discussion with Rabi Narayan Panda.

There is an RSS Shakha (RSS branch) at village Asimila of Bahanaga tehsil in district Balasore (Baleshwar) of Odisha. The Shakha is located close to Bahanaga Bazaar railway station near the accident site. The RSS activists present at the Shakha heard the sound of a collision and rushed to the accident site.

RSS – The first respondent

The accident took place at around 7 PM. Within minutes, RSS activists and locals were at the accident site. The RSS activists swung into action and started preparing for the rescue. By 7:30 PM, they started the rescue operation while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies at the state and national level rushed to the accident site.

Equipped with basic tools, mobile torches and courage, RSS activists and villagers tried their level best to save as many passengers as they can. As the accident left coaches in a dangerous state, everyone present had to move cautiously. By 9 PM the government agencies reached the spot. Rabi said, “When NDRF reached the accident site, it got much easier to rescue victims. We worked alongside rescuing people. We had only mobile lights and were trying to reach victims with bare hands. NDRF changed the situation in minutes after reaching.”

He added that the response time of state government was praiseworthy. Within an hour of the accident, around 100 ambulances reached the accident site on the instructions of the state government. The situation was overwhelming for the ambulance drivers and frontline workers due to the extent of the accident site. RSS activists stood by the medical care workers and ambulance drivers to help them in transporting dead bodies and victims.

He added, “We did everything possible to make sure victims and mortal remains of the deceased reached the nearest hospitals as quickly as possible. Before ambulances arrived, we had already started transporting them in private vehicles.”

RSS helped in identifying injured and deceased

The next chaotic site was the hospitals. The victims waiting for treatment, the shortage of blood, devastated family members and limited hands to help them made the situation tense. RSS workers rushed to the hospital and without further delay started assisting the hospital staff and victims’ families in whatever way possible without hindering the hospitals’ and doctors’ work.

One of the most difficult situations for the families of the deceased and injured was to fill out the required forms and get the process started. RSS workers helped the family members in identifying the deceased, and fill out forms so that they can get relief funds promised by the government and claim dead bodies. At every step, RSS workers were there to help the victims.

Assisting hospital staff, donating blood and medical care

In such situations, hospitals often run out of blood. RSS activists were among the first to stand in line to donate blood at the hospital. By midnight, around 250 units of blood were donated by RSS activists. RSS also broadcasted messages about blood requirements in its WhatsApp groups. Within a couple of hours, over 2,000 volunteers were lined up at hospitals to donate blood.

At one point, the senior members of RSS at the site noticed there was a need for medical professionals at different sites to help the victims and family members in distress. Three RSS members who were medical professionals were stationed at different locations to provide first aid assistance to whoever required it.

Source: RSS

Water distribution drive

While state and central agencies worked tirelessly to clear the coaches as soon as possible, RSS worked hand-in-hand with these agencies. In the beginning, there was enough water for the victims, families and rescue teams. However, on Sunday, RSS was informed there was a shortage of water.

Source: RSS

Within a couple of hours, water was arranged and a distribution drive was initiated across the accident site and hospitals to ensure everyone had water in the scorching heat.

RSS also arranged food packets and other items as and when required by the victims and their family members.

Source: RSS

RSS and its History of relief work

Apart from RSS, ABVP, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Yuva Vahini and other Hindu organisations were present at hospitals and accident sites to provide assistance. All these organisations have a remarkable history of being the first respondents at the time of a disaster across the country. RSS and other Hindu organisations worked extensively during the Covid pandemic to arrange medicines, food and oxygen for the people suffering from the deadly disease.

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