Demeaning Hindu culture, and defaming Hindu Gods and Goddesses has become a calling card for the left-liberal cabal who leave no chance to further the anti-Hindu, anti-India narrative. One such novel face that has emerged recently is that of Geeta Ruchika who indicatively portrays herself as a ‘feminist’ and ‘atheist’ and takes to Facebook to use derogatory words for Hindu Gods and Goddesses and the Hindu culture.
In one of her recent posts dated May 20, the woman who is a resident of Delhi used abusive language for Hindu Gods. “I have just one question. Why do devotees only feed Hindu Gods and Goddesses? Why don’t they clean their poops? Devotees also don’t help their Gods in shaving their face and genitals. They don’t pay attention to the well-being of their Gods,” Geeta wrote on Facebook.
Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall
She also continued in the comment section saying, “Why don’t Gods use condoms and how must they be cleaning their lower body parts after defecation- using water or tissue paper?” In one of her other posts, she also said that there is no need for a Hindu nation or an Islamic nation. Instead, there ought to be separate nations for men and women.
Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall
Using derogatory language for Lord Rama
Further, in a separate Facebook post, the women used derogatory language for Lord Rama and said, “It’s really difficult to digest that Lord Rama had 5 fathers.” She said this by posting the image of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also known as Bageshwar Dham Maharaj.
Screenshot from Geeta Ruchika’s Facebook wall
Delhi Police tagged, strict action demanded
The said posts posted by the women went viral on social media platforms with several Hindus tagging the Delhi Police for action. “This woman, Geeta Ruchika, a resident of Delhi, is absurdly abusing Hindu gods in her Facebook post. Delhi Police, requesting you to take the needful action,” said one of the Twitter users named BALA.
This woman, Geeta Ruchika, resident of Delhi, is absurdly abusing Hindu gods in her Facebook post. @DelhiPolice, requesting you to take the needful action. pic.twitter.com/wXwK0ijiyF
Also, AKTK (Aaj Ki Taza Khabar), a YouTuber posted a tweet saying that the woman proudly posted pictures with Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi Marlena. “Does Atishi support these comments by Geeta Ruchika? Geeta proudly shares picture with atishi. There were lakhs of people on the streets of India chanting sar tan se juda after a factual statement from hadees by a girl from Delhi,” he said recalling the Nupur Sharma incident.
Does @AtishiAAP support these comments by Geeta Ruchika? Geeta proudly shares picture with atishi.
There were lakhs of people on the streets of India chanting sar tan se juda after a factual statement from hadees by a girl from delhi. pic.twitter.com/PLqO3uxuUV
Interestingly, the woman has shared several friendly images with Delhi’s education minister and seems to have good relations with her. She also has posted pictures with one of the women wrestlers who recently staged a protest in Delhi against BJP’s Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Geeta Ruchika with Atishi
Geeta says, ‘Women not safe in Sanatan Dharma, should not wear Sindoor and Mangalsutra as they are symbols of ‘cowardice’
The social media page of Geeta Ruchika is entirely filled with abuses and derogatory language for Hindu culture and Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Bearing the flag of ‘feminism’, the woman also says in one of her social media posts that women in Sanatan Dharma are not respected and that there should be a separate nation for women. She indicated that women should not wear sindoor and mangalsutra as they are symbols of ‘cowardice’.
She also said that women in the patriarchal society are not safe and that they are meant to be abused and beaten. She also asserted that a woman has to choose marriage if she wants to stay alive. She also hosts a YouTube channel which has been terminated catering to multiple third-party claims of copyright infringement regarding material the user posted.
YouTube channel terminated
Several people at present have raised the matter on social media and asked the Delhi Police to take cognizance of the account. The netizens have also demanded strict punishment for consistently hurting religious sentiments. At the time of publishing this report, Atishi Marlena has not commented on her pictures with Geeta Ruchika.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and “transformative policies” initiated by his government and said the two countries are increasing their collaboration around critical emerging technologies.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the US-India 5G and Next Generation Networks Workshop, Garcetti said 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems.
“India is in such wonderful hands. With your leadership, with the transformative policies that you and this administration are implementing together with the public sector and private sector and with that community aspect that defines everything that is part of India’s rise right now. This is the most exciting nexus in the world, The US-India relationship is where it is at,” he said.
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is hosting the workshop. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Department of Telecommunications Secretary K Rajaraman kicked off the workshop with over 150 senior Indian and US government and private sector participants.
The event is being attended by leading industry experts and officials to exchange information on approaches, solutions and applications of 5G and next-generation networks in India and highlight new opportunities for US-India technical and commercial cooperation in the sector and expand strategic technology partnership, an important element of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
Garcetti said 5G is an important part of the United States’ and India’s shared efforts to build a resilient economy for now and for the future.
“To foster an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, we must ensure that our shared values fuel our shared decisions. Events like today’s workshop allow us to build mutual trust and confidence, allowing us to turn ideas into action”, Garcetti said.
Sharing his recent experience at Select USA Summit, he talked about the growing US-India relations as it had the largest Indian delegation.
“The biggest number one delegation, first time in history came from right here in India. Over 240 different business delegations, some of whom are here today, who made the trip, who travelled from all parts of India in everything from steel and precious metals to looking at real estate, investments, technology, telecoms, agriculture, we saw a profound desire for our people to come together even more closely. And that’s really what we’re talking about here today,” he said.
Speaking on the upcoming visit of PM Modi to the US, he talked about technology cooperation between the two countries and said, “Our National Security Advisor is in preparation for the visit of the Prime Minister for a State visit next month to Washington,DC – collaborating intensely around critical emerging technologies…It’s technology that connects, protects and detects. We know that the backbone of this is 5G.”
PM Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the US on June 22. During his visit, PM Modi will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner at the White House.
In a tweet later, Garcetti said 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop would advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET)
“I am so excited to attend the U.S.-India 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop to advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET)! 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems. Looking forward to #USIndia technical and commercial cooperation in this transformative sector,” he said.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Bageshwar Dham and its Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri have come under the scrutiny of the Liberal and Islamist cabal. Recently, the Bihar government tried its best to skirt his Katha in Patna and an advocate reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court to stop his event in the state, claiming that it hurt the religious sentiments of tribals and promoted Hindutva. His petition was, of course, thrown out after he was warned of a contempt of court proceeding against him.
In Bihar for example, the Education Minister who had said the Ramcharitmanas is full of garbage, had threatened Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri with jail. Tej Pratap Yadav, the minister for the environment, forests, and climate change, called Dhirendra Shastri a coward and a traitor. He claimed that the former’s followers visit him daily to offer their apologies. He had pledged to go to the airport to stop the religious leader and promised not to allow him to organise his event in the northern state and the Bihar govt had given permission only after severe backlash.
The Bageshwar Dham Temple is situated in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is devoted to Lord Hanuman. 26-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Shastri originally was Dhirendra Krishna Garg. Shastri is the Mahant (head priest) of the temple and is popularly called ‘Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’. According to the information available on the website of Bageshwar Dham, Shastri is the successor of his grandfather Dada Guruji Maharaj who was a ‘Siddh’ saint. In recent years, Dhirendra Shastri gained popularity among devotees and on social media. A court or Darbaar is held at the Bageshar Dham every Tuesday and Saturday, wherein Dhirendra Shastri demonstrates his ‘miracles’ to solve the problems of the devotees of Lord Hanuman. Shastri has, however, always claimed that it is the power and miracle of Lord Hanuman that blesses the devotees and that he is only a medium and holds no supernatural powers.
The liberals have Islamists who are particularly targeting Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for several reasons. First and foremost, Shastri talks about gharwapasi and Sanatan Dharma unabashedly.
“Ever since I have raised the issue of Gharwapsi for Sanatan Dharma, they are conspiring against us, we don’t have to stop and fear anyone, we have to be cautious. I want to ask the committee convenor in the Nagpur issue, have you ever raised your voice against the priests and people of other religions who convert Hindus? Is praying to your deity superstition (Jaadu-Tona)? I urge all the followers of Sanatan Dharma to stand united I again request you to raise your finger against the superstitions of other religions also”, Shastri had once said.
Secondly and far more notably, Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri holds several of these events in tribal areas which are dens of religious conversions by Christian missionaries and Islamists. With these Kathas, Shastri aims to ensure that religious conversion by missionaries and Islamists is reduced significantly. He also conducts mass weddings for several underprivileged Hindu girls and talks extensively about the protection of Hindus, the menace of Love Jihad and the onslaught against the Hindu faith, traditions and civilisation by Abrahamics.
Apart from the tropes of ‘superstition’, another trope recently being used to attack Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is that there are several people who have “mysteriously” disappeared after they came to his Katha. The insinuation by the media is very simple – that Bageshwar Dham is not a spiritual destination and Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is not a spiritual guru – but a fraud who is indulging in criminality. There is, of course, no proof to claim this, however, the media and its liberal foot soldiers have a way of making these insinuations to dent the credibility of an incredibly popular Hindu guru.
On May 10th, Newstrack published a report claiming that 21 people had gone missing from Bageshwar Dham since January 2023. In the headline itself, the insinuation was pretty clear.
Headline by Newstrack
There are a few elements in the headline. First, Newstrack says that in 4 months, 21 people have gone missing from Bageshwar Dham. Then, they say that the police has been unsuccessful in tracing them. Then, they go a step further and add “Kahi kuch aisa khel to nahi” insinuating that there is a malicious conspiracy behind the disappearances and that the police has been completely unsuccessful in tracing all the 21 people who went missing.
In their report, after providing no evidence of any conspiracy, Newstrack adds this paragraph.
Report from Newstrack
Without an iota of proof, Newstrack adds that several other ashrams – like that of Asaram Bapu and Ram Rahim (convicted by courts) have seen people going missing. They say that when the police investigated, several terrible crimes came to light. They essentially insinuate that there is criminality is also an element in the 21 people going missing in Bageshwar Dham.
There have been some cases since January that have been sensationalised and presented by the media.
For example, there was a case of a 10 year old who had died while she was there at Bageshwar Dham along with her mother and maternal aunt. According to a report in Times of India, she had epilepsy. On Saturday night, she had apparently not slept and then on Sunday, when she closed her eyes, she never woke up. The mother had rushed the child to the hospital where she was declared dead. Before that, a woman suffering from kidney problems had come to Bageshwar Dham to meet Shastri. She collapsed and died while standing in the queue.
There are no reports which indicate any wrong doing on the part of Bageshwar Dham, however, media reports have since earlier this year made it their mission to offer up these incidents as sensationally as possible, pointing towards criminality.
On 16th February, Sakshi Joshi, a self-proclaimed journalist who was terribly enthusiastic once about how Mamata Banerjee takes her toilet breaks while on political campaigns, posted a video which weaved a dangerous conspiracy theory.
In the entire video, Sakshi insinuated that there was negligence and worse, criminality in Bageshwar Dham and that there is substantial suspicion on the Dham. She questioned the media for supporting Bageshwar Dham and propping up a superstitious baba by “Godi media”. She says that unless Bageshwar Dham is held answerable for the disappearances, they will keep getting embroiled in suspicion.
Sakshi mentioned 3 cases to insinuate criminality against Bageshwar Dham. One, where a woman with kidney ailments died while waiting in a queue. Another Bihar man disappeared after reaching Bageshwar Dham. Reports indicate that he was suffering from mental ailments and his brother had announced a Rs 1,00,000 award for anyone who finds him. The third case was of a woman, Neeraj Maurya, who disappeared from the Bageshwar Dham when she had come with her family for an exorcism. It can safely be assumed that this woman, who disappeared, was also not mentally sound, which could be one of the reasons for her unfortunate disappearance.
What is the truth of disappearances from Bageshwar Dham
An India Today report dated 11th May 2023 elucidated what the police is saying about these disappearances. According to the report, Chattarpur superintendent of police Amit Sanghi told India Today that 21 ‘missing person’ reports had been registered at the Bamitha police station since January this year. Nine missing people had been found and reunited with their families.
The report further said that the people who had gone missing from Bageshwar Dham were because of the high footfall at the Dham. According to the India Today report, the police said that a vast majority of those who go missing are mentally challenged. They are brought to Bageshwar Dham to seek Shastri’s blessings. “Most of the people going missing are mentally disturbed, and appear to get separated from the family members bringing them [to the dham],” said Sanghi.
The India Today report also talks about the high footfall that the Dham sees on a regular basis. 60,000 to 100,000 people visit Bageshwar Dham on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the two days when Shastri meets devotees. On other days, when Shastri is at the dham but not meeting the public, a minimum of 30,000 people turn up. These numbers are also on the lower side. It is pertinent to note that in Patna, for example, when Shastri held his Katha, over 10 lakh people turned up.
These facts that are elucidated by the SP of the area clearly point towards no evidence of criminality on the part of Bageshwar Dham or Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. It is clear that several individual with mental ailments end up disappearing because they get separated from their family. Interestingly, no media report, which insinuate a conspiracy, mention in their headline that 9 out of 21 people who went missing have been found.
In fact, if one looks at the missing persons’ data by NCRB and the footfall at Bageshwar Dham, it becomes evident that these disappearances, while unfortunate, are not high or shocking. According to NCRB, 3.42 lakh people are still missing in India. According to 2021 data, for example, about 52% people who go missing were tracked. Given that according to the police, in a span of 4 months, 9 out of 21 were traced is a fairly decent track record according the the national average. Further, in Madhya Pradesh, the average missing persons traced were 50%.
It is therefore evident that stray incidents are being taken by the media to create a conspiracy around Bageshwar Dham in order to bring it down and mire it in suspicion and this is being done without an iota of proof.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday reiterated his aim of making Assam free from the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and said that the state government is working towards it.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Assam CM said, “We are working towards that. Our idea is that by the year-end we want to see that Assam is completely free from AFSPA.”
“However, whether I will be 100 per cent successful or only 90 per cent successful will depend on whether the police force strengthens itself. I addressed that in the Commandant conference. Basically, I am requesting the police to create a situation in Assam so that we don’t have to have AFSPA. But if the police are not 100 per cent successful then AFSPA will continue in five districts. If the police are successful, then we will withdraw it. That was a deliberation between the Home Minister and Police force,” he said.
Earlier on Monday too, the Assam CM had said that the state is aiming to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, (AFSPA) completely from the state by the end of this year.
“We will also rope in ex-military personnel to train our police force,” CM Sarma tweeted.
As part of the sequel undertaken to bring about police modernization in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday attended the first-ever conference of the commandants at the Police Training Centre in Dergaon.
“AFSPA will be lifted from the entire state by November. This will facilitate the replacement of CAPFs by Assam Police Battalions. However, the presence of CAPFs as required by law shall be in place,” one of the highlights from his speech made at the conference stated.
The Assam Chief Minister on Sunday chaired Police Battalions Commandants Conference held at Lachit Barphukan Police Training Academy, Dergaon.
“We are aiming at withdrawing AFSPA completely from Assam by the end of 2023. We will also rope in ex-military personnel to train our police force,” CM Sarma said.
While the Disturbed Areas notification under AFSPA was removed by the Centre from the entire state of Assam last year, it was still in force in about nine districts and one sub-division of another district.
However, starting April 1, 2023, the notification was lifted from one more district in the state, which meant that AFSPA was restricted to only eight districts of Assam.
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. According to the Disturbed Areas Act, 1976 once declared ‘disturbed’, the area has to maintain the status quo for a minimum of three months.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Tuesday, May 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a community event in Sydney during his visit to Australia. The event was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Speaking at the event, PM Albanese called the Indian Prime Minister ‘The Boss’, the nickname of the celebrated American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
During his speech, the Australian Prime Minister mentioned Indian PM’s popularity and the reception he got and said that even the legendary rockstar Bruce Springsteen did not get the welcome that PM Modi got at the event in Sydney.
Speaking at the event, PM Albanese said, “The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss.”
#WATCH | "The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," says Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the community event in Sydney pic.twitter.com/3nwrmjvDaR
Notably, the world-famous rockstar Bruce Springsteen has been called “The Boss” since the early 1970s when he took on the task of collecting his band’s nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates. However, after seeing the reception that the Indian PM got in Australia, the Australian PM conceded that PM Modi is the actual boss.
PM Modi gets a grand welcome in Australia
Upon his arrival in Sydney, Prime Minister Modi was given a kind greeting by the Indian community. This is the Indian PM’s second visit to the country. People from the Indian diaspora greeted the PM with great joy and some of them also sang songs in his praise. “Suno suno oh duniyawalon Bharat ne bulaya hai, Modi ji ke navbharat ko aage aur badhana hai,” women could be heard singing. PM Modi seemed to enjoy the welcome and responded saying, “Waah, Waah” and also clapped for them.
The people further danced to the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song and also performed traditional Garba at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney to welcome Modi. The people from the Indian diaspora also reached Sydney on May 23 to listen to PM Modi speak on the Australia-India relationship and hired a privately chartered “Modi Airways” flight. The recreational aircraft also spelt ‘Welcome Modi’ in the sky before the community event in Sydney, Australia, the video of which went viral over social media platforms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park with Vedic chanting and other traditional types of welcome as he arrived in the company of Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to address Indian diaspora at a community event in the Australian city.
After a traditional welcome, PM Modi and Albanese greeted each other with a warm hug and walked into Sydney’s biggest stadium to reverberating cheers.
He was also welcomed in India traditions. Priests were present at the event and chanted prayers.
A cultural program was held at the Qudos Bank Arena. Various cultural performances were performed by various artists, Bharatnatyam, Garba and other dance forms were performed at the event.
Members of the Indian diaspora expressed their excitement at attending the event. Modi is visiting Australia for the first time in nine years. He has last visited the country in 2014.
An attendee Shashi Prabha said, “All of us are excited for PM Modi to arrive. That is the most important thing for us at the moment.”
Earlier, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that a chartered Qantas flight rebranded as “Modi Airways” was in Melbourne to bring fans to Sydney and “Modi Express” buses are being chartered from Queensland.
The plane full of Indians from across Australia arrived this morning in Sydney for the diaspora event.
According to ABC, PM Modi will address a rally which is expected to draw a crowd of up to 20,000 people who are hoping to catch a glimpse or listen to him. Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Sydney on Monday as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney.
Earlier today, he met different Sydney-based CEOs and highlighted “transformative reforms and initiatives” taken by his government and India’s credentials as one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world.
He also met certain prominent figures of the country including artists and those working in science, artificial intelligence, art and music.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The third and last phase of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation visit began shortly after he landed in Australia. PM Modi will be spending time in Australia till May 24 as a guest of the Australian government. During his three days there, he plans to meet with Anthony Albanese, his Australian counterpart, and take part in a celebration of Australia’s vibrant and diverse Indian diaspora.
Upon his arrival in Sydney, Prime Minister Modi was given a kind greeting by the Indian community. This is the Indian PM’s second visit to the country. People from the Indian diaspora greeted the PM with great joy and some of them also sang songs in his praise. “Suno suno oh duniyawalon Bharat ne bulaya hai, Modi ji ke navbharat ko aage aur badhana hai,” women could be heard singing. PM Modi seemed to enjoy the welcome and responded saying, “Waah, Waah” and also clapped for them.
Landed in Sydney to a warm welcome by the Indian community. Looking forward to various programmes over the next two days. pic.twitter.com/gE8obDI5eD
The people further danced to the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song and also performed traditional Garba at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney to welcome Modi. The people from the Indian diaspora also reached Sydney on May 23 to listen to PM Modi speak on the Australia-India relationship and hired a privately chartered “Modi Airways” flight. The recreational aircraft also spelt ‘Welcome Modi’ in the sky before the community event in Sydney, Australia, the video of which went viral over social media platforms.
#WATCH | ‘Welcome Modi’ spelt by a recreational aircraft’s contrails before the community event in Sydney, Australia. pic.twitter.com/d5KhGm6Nm8
For the ceremony at Olympic Park Arena, which will also be attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, over 170 persons of Indian descent took a chartered aircraft from Melbourne to Sydney.
Members of the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), wearing tricolour turbans and carrying Indian flags, boarded the plane dubbed “Modi Airways” by the Prime Minister’s supporters. According to an official statement by the Australian government, the IADF is hosting the Sydney event to honour Australia’s vibrant and diversified Indian population, which is a “core part” of the country’s multicultural culture.
People from Indian diaspora wearing Indian tricolor turbans
On his three-day visit to Australia, PM Modi is set to meet with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and take part in a celebration of the vibrant and diverse Indian diaspora there. Modi left Papua New Guinea for Sydney, where he spoke with James Marape about their bilateral relations and took stock of them. He also spoke on how to improve collaboration in fields including business, technology, healthcare, and climate change.
Following an invitation from his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, he started his three-nation visit on Friday in Japan, where he attended three sessions of the G7 meeting.
The third in-person Quad Summit took place in Hiroshima, and Modi was there together with US President Joe Biden, Japanese PM Kishida, and Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
Sajjad Nomani, a prominent Islamic scholar and cleric, has been at the forefront of the ‘misleading campaign.’Bhagwa love trap’ conspiracy theory.
In recent times, a new menace of Islamist mobs attacking Hindu-Muslim couples has come to light. Multiple videos have surfaced on social media where these extremists are seen harassing, abusing, molesting and physically assaulting Hindu men and Muslim women under the garb of combating ‘Bhagwa Love Trap.’
It is based on a baseless theory about Hindu outfits, supposedly training Hindu youth to lure, and entrap Muslim women and turn them into non-Muslims.
While Islamists are not new to making outrageous claims without evidence, Sajjad Nomani (a member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board) has been at the helm of this dangerous affair.
His speeches and provocative remarks have added enough fuel to the fire of Islamism so much so that they have now translated into real-life incidents of attacks.
Sajjad Nomani and his speeches endorsing ‘Bhagwa love trap’
In one of his videos, he was heard saying, “8 lakh Muslim women have turned infidel and left Islam after meeting their Hindu partners. RSS has created a team of Hindu youths who are trained in Islamic teachings and Urdu…They are then instructed to lure Muslim women into a love trap.”
Sajjad Nomani claimed that such Hindu men are then rewarded with ₹2.5 lakhs, a house and a job, which is supposedly serving as an ‘incentive’ for the Hindu community at a time of high unemployment.
“Several Hindu youths are fixated on this mission but we are sleeping…Billions of funds have been allocated to take away our Faith,” he alleged. The AIMPLB member urged his fanatic followers to ‘wake up from their deep slumber and take action’.
Sajjad Nomani then used his conspiracy theory to discourage girl child education. “We send our daughters to schools and colleges but we do not know if they are learning science and maths or vulgarity and apostasy there,” he further claimed.
The Islamic cleric called upon the parents and brothers of Muslim girls to ‘follow them’ and see when they take out their burqa and put it inside their purses. “Our Faith is being robbed…How will we show our face to the Prophet on the day of Judgment?” he continued to peddle hysteria.
After fear-mongering about the ‘Bhagwa love trap’, he said, “My job was to make you aware. I did my part and now leave the fate of your children in the hands of Allah.”
In one video, Sajjad Nomani was seen discussing the marriages between Hindu-Muslim couples, without conversion, under the Special Marriage Act.
“The court displays the name of the couple on the board and gives a month for anyone to raise objections…After compiling the cases, I found that more than 8 lakh Muslim women have turned into infidels and left Islam with their Hindu partners,” he brazened it out.
“Only Allah knows when we will wake up from our slumber…Only He knows when we will stop imagining ourselves as the governor (wali) of Islam by reading Namaz on Fridays…” the cleric made his appeal.
While quoting the Quran, he said, “Subah ko aadmi Momin hoga aur shaam takKafir ban jayega…Shaam ko Momin hoga aur subah tak kafir ho jayega (He will be a practising Muslim until evening and then turn apostate by night or be a Muslim from evening to night and then Kafir by morning).”
Sajjad Nomani claimed that Muslims might also sell their Faith in exchange for quick money. “I do not know why are we so unaware… Is this a curse from Allah on us? Many of us send our daughters to schools, universities and colleges… And we do not take note of what they are learning there.”
#Video: Sajjad Nomani claimed, “As per my estimates, at least 5000 girls have run away with Hindus, married them and changed their religion to Hinduism."
And these are the children of those people, who are considered ‘religious’ in their neighbourhoods,” he said.
“As per my estimates, at least 5000 girls have run away with Hindus, married them and changed their religion to Hinduism. And these are the children of those people, who are considered ‘religious’ in their neighbourhoods,” he was heard claiming in another video.
“You have not indoctrinated them enough or taught them about Faith…You have instead sent them to schools and colleges, gave them mobile phones and allowed them to make friends,” he lamented.
Sajjad Nomani remarked, “On the other hand, there is a concerted effort to entrap as many Muslim girls as possible, destroy their Faith, have ‘fun’ with them and then discard them. This is their plan to destroy the lives of such girls.”
He claimed. “These girls are dumb…Their parents are ignorant and did not bother to inform them about such a conspiracy… I have been told that the organisation (hinting at the RSS) trains Hindu men for 2 months to be able to entrap such girls.”
“And by talking ‘smooth’, they can lure these girls into their trap. We are not doing anything about it…It is disheartening to see that you are not bothered that a daughter of this community ran away with a kafir (a derogatory term used for non-Muslims),” he continued with his provocation.
The cleric claimed, “You are going about your normal lives…And our Faith is being systematically destroyed. This is our last chance.” He lamented that Muslims in India today are somehow not concerned about ‘Ummah’ and are busy with their everyday lives.
Opindia found several videos wherein Sajjad Nomani was heard reiterating the conspiracy theory of Hindu men supposedly entrapping Muslim women and converting them to Hinduism.
Screengrab of Youtube videos where Sajjad Nomani is heard peddling the Bhagwa love trap theory
In another video, Sajjad Nomani was heard saying, “Some people are challenging us, saying they want to take our girls and make them daughters-in-law or turn them into infidels.”
He claimed that Muslim girls are somehow giving up on purdah and modesty, which he later uses to urge parents not to send their daughters to schools and colleges. “Teach women at home…Don’t send them anywhere and find a female teacher…” he added.
The cleric then went on to show his fundamentalist mindset when he said, “I swear on Allah that it is better to keep your daughters uneducated and illiterate instead of sending them to such colleges.”
Social media conspiracy theory translates to real-life attacks
Although he did not coin the term ‘Bhagwa love trap’, Sajjad Nomani was one of the prominent Islamic clerics who ‘mainstreamed’ the bogus claim of Hindu men deliberately entrapping Muslim women to take them away from ‘Deen.’
It also served as a useful tactic for the Islamists to counter 100s of documented cases of impersonation, identity fraud, and forced conversions to Islam (popularly known as Love Jihad).
The conspiracy theory soon took the form of a social media hashtag, which Islamists used to share videos of random hijab-wearing Muslim women and their male Hindu friends/ acquaintances and partners without their consent.
The posts are often accompanied by emotional messages and sought public help in identifying the couples.
Soon after, social media was rife with videos of Islamist mobs ambushing random Hindu-Muslim couples. This would then be followed by heated arguments, physical assault on the Hindu men, and even molestation of the Muslim women.
Multiple videos have now come to light where rabid Islamist mobs are seen openly harassing, abusing, and manhandling inter-faith couples. These videos have been reported from different cities/States of India.
The victims have been targeted on roads, restaurants, eateries, and even hotels. Based on local reports and social media videos, OpIndia has compiled a total of 30 cases where Hindu men and Muslim women were attacked by extremists under the pretext of the ‘Bhagwa love trap.’
The attacks were carried out under the pretext that a sinister plot was underway to convert Muslim women to Hinduism by luring them into a love trap – a conspiracy theory espoused by Sajjad Nomani in multiple videos.
Sending daughters to schools alone is Haram: Sajjad Nomani
In one of his videos, the member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board announced that sending girls to schools and colleges alone is forbidden (Haram) in Islam.
Sajjad Nomani also declared that those parents who send their daughters to educational institutes alone will be condemned to Hell (Jahannum). He added that Muslim girls should not be left unaccompanied, even if they wear a hijab.
He said that it does not matter even if the daughter is wearing a hijab and going to college, she is not to be left unaccompanied. While encouraging a new form of vigilantism, the cleric said, “If you are a father, a Muslim or a good person, it is Haram to be careless about your daughter.”
Indian Mullah Maulana Sajjad Nomani, listen how he is injecting fear in Muslims parents who have daughters going for Collages & Coaching Classes pic.twitter.com/emFnE3MMoq
The speech by Sajjad Nomani can be seen as an extension of his conspiracy theory about Hindu men entrapping Muslim women. Other than provocating his community to ‘do something’ against such men, he was seen advocating keeping Muslim women restricted to their homes.
Sajjad Nomani and his support for Mohammed Zubair and Asaduddin Owaisi
For someone who has been actively provoking Muslims to ‘take action’ against Hindu men for befriending Muslim women, it came as no surprise when Sajjad Nomani extended his support of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair.
In a tweet in July last year, he said, “Thank you Ho’ble Judges of Supreme Court of India for passing such a speaking and landmark judgement on Zubair’s bail application.”
In the past, Opindia covered in detail how Alt News has been using its dubious fact-checking methods to shield radical Islamists. These include peddling systematic lies, doxxing, disputing obvious facts, whitewashing deplorable crimes and, of course, collaborating with global left-wing actors.
It was thus obvious that a radical cleric such as Sajjad Nomani would come to the rescue of one of his co-religionists, who has been actively working to further Islamist propaganda.
Thank you Ho'ble Judges of Supreme Court of India for passing such a speaking and landmark judgement on @zoo_bear's bail application.
Besides his support to Mohammed Zubair, Sajjad Nomani also backed AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the Uttar Pradesh polls. He had advised Owaisi to form strategic alliances and contest in only those constituencies where victory is certain.
Nomani had warned against the ‘possible division of the Muslim vote’ and heaped praises on the AIMIM chief. His unwavering support of Asaduddin Owaisi is not without any reason.
The Hyderabad-based leader has been a provocateur himself, threatening Hindu activist Kamlesh Tiwari (ultimately leading to his gory killing on accusations of blasphemy), and dog-whistling against ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Sajjad Nomani has been a fan of the brutal Islamist regime of the Taliban in the war-torn country of Afghanistan. After the Talibs managed to capture Kabul, he sent his congratulations from India.
“No one can defeat a community which is ready to die in its pursuit of power. Congratulations to the Taliban! I, as a Muslim from Hind, salute your courage, calibre, religious zeal and determination,” the cleric remarked.
“The whole world has witnessed this historic event. I want to extend my heartfelt greetings and love to the clerics (Ulemas)of Afghanistan and the leaders of Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Hazaras and that of Northern Afghanistan,” he was heard saying.
Last year, India’s #Deobandi cleric Sajjad Nomani was openly glorifying #Taliban.
Will he be condemning Taliban’s evil law of banning female education?
At one side, they praise Ayesha ؓ as intellectual, & on other side they block Muslim women from mosques and universities. pic.twitter.com/faIgmB2WZ9
Sajjad Nomani peddles hysteria and plays victim card
In February 2018, the member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board stirred the hornet’s nest for fear-mongering about the possible ‘genocide’ of Indian Muslims along the lines of Rohingyas in Myanmar during a speech in Hyderabad.
Former UP Shia Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi filed a complaint against Sajjad Nomani for his speech, following which the Islamic cleric was booked on charges of sedition and hurting religious feelings.
“Referring to Rohingya Muslims, Nomani said attempts are underway to make the situation of Indian Muslims like that of their Rohingya counterparts. He even said he had proof of arms, ammunition and training being given to all, even in the smallest of villages, to make Indian Muslims suffer,” Rizvi said.
Chairman of UP Shia Central Waqf board Waseem Rizvi filed complaint against AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Sajjad Nomani accusing him of enticing Muslims against the country by comparing condition of community in India with that of Rohingya Muslims. Police yet to convert it intoFIR.
“This speech was widely broadcast by television channels, which had a mass impact,” he added. Sajjad Nomani has however cried foul and rejected the accusations.
Alleged support to Atiq Ahmed
Following the assassination of politician-gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj city of Uttar Pradesh, a purported video of Sajjad Nomani hailing the duo as ‘martyrs’ had gone viral on social media.
With a teary voice, the Islamic cleric led prayers and sought forgiveness for Atiq Ahmed and his brother. “Allah, give the strongest punishment to those who killed them,” he prayed thrice.
“They first killed the son, then the father and the uncle… I don’t know who else they are planning to eliminate,” he had lamented.
After the video went viral, the All India Muslim Personal Board distanced itself from the alleged remarks of Sajjad Nomani. It claimed that the cleric’s remarks should be considered as his personal comments and should not be attributed to the Board.
Sajjad Nomani supported farmers’ protests
At a time when so-called ‘farmers’ were protesting against the repeal of the farm laws, the Islamic cleric sought to exploit the opportunity to unite several warring factions against the Modi government.
While speaking at the Singhu border, he claimed that the violent demonstrations had brought new hope against ‘injustice’ perpetrated in the country. Sajjad Nomani remarked, “So many organisations have been, for years, trying to create awareness about the injustices in the country, and this movement has brought a new ray of hope from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.”
He added, “Thanks to you and your leadership, who realised that ‘enough is enough’ and decided to raise your voices, we have been reassured that the era of darkness in the country is ending and that justice is not very far away.”
Maulana Sajjad Nomani Sahab participated in farmers protest at Singhu Border and when Maulana wanted to go because of Namaz, the Sikh brothers provided a place for Namaz and the Namaz were offered there. This is the Gurdwara of Singhu Border.#FarmarProtestpic.twitter.com/vk783UGPgj
In his desperate attempt to forge an artificial ‘Muslim-Sikh unity’ under the pretext of supporting the farmers’ protests, Sajjad Nomani claimed, “On behalf of the Muslim society, I assure you that we are all standing behind you and support you, and request you to not lose hope and continue this fight.”
“The protest is not just a fight against the three laws, but a fight for freedom. The country that became independent after so much struggle, is being made a slave again, but India is not meant to be a slave,” he brazened it out.
A conspiracy theorist himself, the Islamic cleric went on to claim, “There is a conspiracy to divide this movement, but we should all remain united because India is a country of love and brotherhood.”
Sajjad Nomani and his activism against CAA and UCC
In January 2020, Sajjad Nomani declared ‘Bharat Band’ against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
It must be mentioned that the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by the Indian Parliament to fast-track citizenship of religious minorities who fled from the neighbouring Islamic republics of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and settled in India.
Similarly, the implementation of NRC and NPR is necessary to correctly identify illegal immigrants living in India and posing a threat to the country’s national security.
Given that a majority of such illegal immigrants are Muslims from Bangladesh, who came to India out of economic opportunity, the Islamic cleric (just like a true defender of Ummah) took it upon himself to oppose NRC and NPR.
He also advised the Muslim community to maintain ‘strategic silence’ against Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and wait for other communities to lead the protest.
“UCC is not practically possible. Strong voices of opposition are emerging from the Adivasi community. They have special rights (which will undo with the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code),” he claimed.
Sajjad Nomani alleged, “All privileges of the Adivasis, Lingyats, non-Muslims will be taken away.” He asked his co-religionists to wait and watch so that the matter doesn’t become a Hindu-Muslim affair’ and the pot still keeps boiling.
Sajjad Nomani and the implications of his hate speeches
The conspiracy theory of the ‘Bhagwa love trap’, as disseminated by the likes of Sajjad Nomani, is now endangering the lives of Hindu men who are seen with hijab/burqa-clad women in public spaces.
It must be mentioned that the police have not taken cognisance of all videos, which have surfaced on social media. Only a few incidents have so far made it to local reports and mainstream media.
In the absence of appropriate action by law enforcement authorities, the extremists are only likely to be emboldened. This becomes more alarming when analysed with the fact that the viral videos were shot by the perpetrators and not the victims.
It goes on to show that the Islamists have no fear of law and order despite being well aware that the videos could be used as evidence against them. Despite provoking his co-religionists for such a long time with his baseless claims of 5000 and 8 lakh conversions, no action has been taken against Sajjad Nomani.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a search into a sports-tech start-up operated by a former top NDTV executive in connection with its money laundering investigation against suspected conman Sanjay Prakash Rai ‘Sherpuria’.
The agency searched MyySports Pvt Ltd’s offices in Delhi NCR earlier this month and froze its fixed deposits totalling more than Rs 4.6 crore. The ED is looking into the business for allegedly storing Sherpuria’s cash; Saurav Banerjee, a former Co-CEO and CFO of the NDTV Group formed and oversees it.
Late last month, the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Sherpuria for allegedly fabricating his access to the Prime Minister’s Office and deceptively misusing the PM’s name for private advantage.
“Sherpuria received money from a number of businessmen in various forms on the promise of helping them with issues related to the government. These funds have been parked in various companies. One of these is MyySports. We have frozen two separate FDs of the company to ensure the funds are not diverted until the investigation is complete,” an ED official said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MyySports Pvt Ltd commented on the issue and said that the company was not at all aware of the alleged conman’s antecedents. It also said that it was shocked and surprised after knowing about Sherpuria’s arrest.
“Sherpuria’s family invested Rs 3.50 cr on the same terms as other investors in the latest round of funding in February 2023. Against the said investment, Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares were allotted to the investors, including to Sherpuria’s family, on an arm’s length basis. The price at which the shares have been allotted to Sherpuria’s family is the same as that of shares allotted to other investors,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
“None of the directors or officers of the Company had any knowledge of any allegations now being made against Sherpuria. The company has no other dealings with him other than this investment,” he added stating that the company is co-operating with the investigation.
The company claims that MyySports is in the business of creating, managing, operating, and disseminating international digital platforms and multimedia content. MyySports was formed in December 2020 with an authorized capital of Rs 14 lakh and a paid up capital of Rs 8.54 lakh, according to paperwork submitted to the Registrar of Companies. In addition to Banerjee, who serves as the company’s managing director, there are six other directors.
Sherpuria was arrested by the UP STF last month on suspicion of defrauding entrepreneurs by falsely claiming to be connected to Cabinet members and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The UP STF move was conducted in response to a tip from ED, which had already started questioning the individual.
On May 21, 48-year-old Zulfikar, a native of village Kappur, district Palakkad, Kerala, died in Karachi jail. He was arrested by the Pakistani Coast Guard for illegally entering Pakistani waters. Reportedly, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) found his links to the Islamic terrorist organisation ISIS. He was living in UAE for several years and in 2018 he was in Abu Dhabi. He died in a Karachi hospital due to a lung-related ailment.
His family disowned him but will receive his body
As per reports, his wife and two children were living with him in UAE. However, his wife left him after learning about his connections to ISIS and came back to India. His parents and siblings also disowned him over links to the Islamic terrorist organisation.
However, after learning about his death, his family said they would receive his body if it is delivered to their home state. His father Abdul Hameed said it would not be possible for him to receive his body from Chandigarh Airport but would receive it if the government arrange transport to the home state. Zulfikar’s dead body will be handed over to Indian authorities by Pakistan at Attari-Wagha Border.
In a statement, his father said, “An inspector, who is an acquaintance of mine, works at the Special Branch. He called me to ask if we have any information about Zulfikar and I said no. He then claimed that somebody told him Zulfikar has returned. After some time, my son (Zulfikar’s brother) told me that he passed away.”
Zlfikar’s cousin was quoted by The News Minute as saying that they did not have any problem in collecting Zulfikar’s body. However, if his links with the terrorist organisation were proven, they would not have collected it. Zulfikar did not visit Palakkad since 2018.
As per reports, the Union Home Ministry has directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Kerala Home Department to ensure the dead body is handed over to the relatives.
The links between Kerala natives with ISIS are making headlines for weeks because of the film The Kerala Story. The movie revolves around the lives of Hindu women who were lured to convert by Muslim men and then later sent to join the terrorist organisation ISIS. The film, which is inspired by real-life stories, has faced backlash from Islamists, communists, and liberals.
