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Supreme Court dismisses plea of Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap seeking to club FIRs and quash NSA charges: Details

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Supreme Court dismisses plea of Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap seeking to club FIRs and quash NSA charges: Details

The Supreme Court Monday (May 8), refused to grant any relief to Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap challenging the invocation of the National Security Act by the State of Tamil Nadu and said that he may approach the High Court. The apex court also dismissed his plea seeking to club the FIRs registered against him in Bihar and Tamil Nadu for allegedly spreading fake videos of attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu.

Kashyap faces six FIRs in Tamil Nadu and three in Bihar in connection with the matter.

The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice J.B. Pardiwala ordered, “We are not inclined to exercise jurisdiction under Article 32” and said in the order that Manish may approach the High Court.

Notably, senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Bihar-based YouTuber, argued that he made the films based on media reports published by some mainstream newspapers and that if he is being held under the NSA, then journalists from other newspapers must also be detained under the NSA.

“If this boy has to be in jail, all journalists have to be in jail then”, Singh submitted saying that the same thing was reported in the Hindi vernacular newspaper Dainik Bhaskar. He sought that the bench combines all FIRs filed in Tamil Nadu and transfer them to Bihar, where the first FIR filed in relation to the subject was filed.

When the bench declined to hear the case, Maninder Singh cited a previous Supreme Court ruling that interfered with the detention of Manipur journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhemcha under the NSA.

The bench, however, remained unfazed and the CJI stated orally that the Kashyap videos created panic about a stable state.

CJI questions application of NSA in the Manish Kashyap case calling it ‘vengeance’

Notably, in the previous hearing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud questioned Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the state government, regarding the invocation of the NSA against the YouTuber. “Mr Sibal, why NSA for this?”, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has asked. “Why this vengeance against this man?” he asked further.

Manish Kashyap, a YouTuber from Bihar, was held on April 6 under the National Security Act (NSA) in Bihar after he circulated alleged fake videos showing assaults on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu. Kashyap surrendered as the Bihar Police conducted raids on the possible hideouts of the accused.

It was reported earlier that Kashyap had tweeted a ‘fake video’ of the attacks on migrant workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu which went viral over social media. The video was however created by the main accused Rakesh Ranjan Kumar, a native of Gopalganj district in rented accommodation in Patna. The videos were debunked as fake by the police department.

Pakistan: Blasphemy killing of PTI-affiliated cleric for equating Imran Khan with the Prophet puts the ex-PM in the crosshairs of Islamists

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Pakistan: Blasphemy killing of PTI-affiliated cleric for equating Imran Khan with the Prophet puts the ex-PM in the crosshairs of Islamists

The recent killing of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-affiliated local cleric Maulana Nigar Alam for his ‘inflammatory remarks’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan, has become controversial due to its possible consequences for party chief Imran Khan who has seldom tried to pose himself equal not only to the Prophet but Allah also.

Maulana Nigar Alam, 40, while addressing a rally under the guidance of PTI Mardan in the Sawaldhir area to express solidarity with Imran Khan on May 6, said, “Imran Khan is a truthful person and I respect him like the Prophet”. The remarks, considered as blasphemy, enraged people gathered at the rally. They attacked Maulana Nigar. The police, however, reached the venue and locked him in a shop.

Following this, talks were held with the clerics, but the people, mostly PTI activists took the form of an enraged mob, broke the shutter of the shop, and took Alam out. They started kicking him and beating him ruthlessly with sticks and ultimately, lynched him to death.

Various sections of Pakistani Muslims wonder why Islamic radicals like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and others do not take cognizance of such kind of sacrilegious narrative being developed by Imran Khan and his followers so far.

The damage to the PTI has been done and the Mardan lynching serves as a serious warning. Imran Khan and his party have so far been ignored by the Muslim fanatics in real terms and Islamists appeared to be sparing him.

However, Pakistan intelligence agencies and sensible media persons as well as Imran Khan himself have strong apprehensions of an assassination attempt on him.

The PTI recently staged a drama in which a young boy was equating Imran’s parents with Prophet Muhammad’s parents. Possibilities of an attempt on his life by hardcore Islamists and other elements in disguise of religion cannot be ruled out.

Pakistan journalist Talat Hussain termed the incident as “Bitter harvest of Fitna”, while Rifatullah Orakzai said that he has seen the video in which Maulana has not mentioned the name of Imran Khan.

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

US: Car runs over a crowd of migrants in Texas, 8 killed and 11 injured

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US: Car runs over a crowd of migrants in Texas, 8 killed and 11 injured

A vehicle crashed into a crowd on Sunday in Brownsville, Texas resulting in the deaths of eight people, believed to be migrants, and at least 11 others sustaining injuries, US-based Fox News reported.

A report in The Hill cited police as saying that the collision did not appear to be accidental. The incident took place after a car ploughed into a crowd at a bus stop located close to Brownsville’s Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless people in the community. 

Brownsville is one of the border cities witnessing a surge in migrants trying to cross into the US from Mexico border.

As per information from the Brownsville Police Department, eight victims died while 11 others were transported to hospitals in the area for treatment.

The driver, who the police confirmed is a Hispanic man, has been arrested and charged, but investigations are ongoing, according to Fox News. As per officials, all eight people who died in the crash were migrants.

No additional information has been released about the driver who has been taken into custody and is at present receiving medical treatment at an area hospital and is under 24-hour supervision. The suspect is also being tested for drugs and alcohol.

Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. of Cameron County said the driver has been charged with reckless driving, the police are awaiting the results of a toxicology report.

According to Judge Trevino, it was unclear whether the driver had lost control or had intentionally run over the group.

Further investigation is ongoing. More charges are likely to be filed, Fox News reported. When the attack occurred, the victims were waiting at a city bus stop next to the centre at roughly 8:30 am on Sunday.

The Hill stated that seven people had died at the scene and an eighth person died on Sunday evening. According to US media, witnesses near the intersection reported seeing several bodies covered in the street, as well as a group of women praying nearby.

The Hill quoted Shelter Brownsville’s Ozanam Center director Victor Maldonado stating that he had reviewed the shelter’s surveillance video on Sunday morning after receiving a call about the crash.

“The city bus stop is across the street from the shelter and is not marked. There was no bench, and people waiting there were sitting along the curb, Maldonado said. He said most of the victims were Venezuelan men, ” the publication citied.

This comes a day after a gunman opened fire on shoppers at a mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday killing eight people and wounding seven others. Police shot and killed the gunman, identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, of Dallas Texas.

According to US Census Bureau, Texas has the second-largest Indian-American population in the US as of 2020. In 2010, there were 230,842 Indian Americans in Texas, making up 0.9 per cent of the population.

According to the data shared by the Open Doors, about half of the Indian students are pursuing higher education in six US states including New York, California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Arizona. Texas had 19,382 Indian students in 2021.

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

Former SP leader Abdul Khaliq Ansari among those detained by UP STF for links with banned terrorist organisation PFI

OpIndia Staff
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Former SP leader Abdul Khaliq Ansari among those detained by UP STF for links with banned terrorist organisation PFI

On Sunday, May 7, Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) detained the former city president of Samajwadi Party, Abdul Khaliq Ansari, from Meerut for his alleged links with the banned terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Ansari lived in Bulandshahar for over 20 years and visited Meerut for treatment of his wife when ATS arrested him. The raids started on May 6 and continued for over a day. A Lucknow-based lawyer was also detained along with two PFI members with Rs 50,000 award on them.

Ansari continuously shifted from one party to another during his political career. Earlier, he was the city president of SP. Recently, he left SP and joined SDPI, the political wing of PFI. However, he left SDPI in a week and then joined the farmer union. His son claimed he has no connection to SDPI as he has already resigned from the party.

UP ATS action against PFI

Notably, UP ATS conducted state-wide raids on at least 30 locations spread over 20 districts on May 7. ATS field units from Noida, Meerut, Saharanpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Bahraich, Azamgarh, and Varanasi conducted the raids.

They detained at least 70 people linked to PFI, including a 75-year-old activist and lawyer from Lucknow. The police also arrested two people with an award of Rs 50,000 each. They have been identified as Parvez Ahmad and Raees Ahmad.  

In a statement, the police said, “The duo (Parvez and Raees) were spreading the PFI’s extremist ideology and had two other cases under sections 121-A (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India) of the Indian Penal Code … During the time of CAA-NRC (protests), Raees Ahmad was in touch with PFI leaders from Assam and other states and was actively involved in anti-national activities.”

ATS Statement on the arrest of Parvez and Raees. Source: ATS/Twitter/TrueStoryUP

Raees was active during CAA-NRC protests in Assam and other states. Both accused have participated in PFI events in Delhi, UP, and Kerala, among other states. They also encouraged youth to join PFI and helped expand its roots nationwide. They consistently changed their locations and remained underground for long.

The lawyer who was detained for questioning has been identified as Mohammad Shoaib, who is the founder of Rihai Manch, a platform that provides legal assistance to those who are accused of terror links. He was detained on Sunday morning and was released in the late evening after questioning. Following the action taken by the ATS, Shoaib’s wife filed a complaint at Aminabad Police Station. In her complaint, she alleged that around 12 people came and took away her husband. In a video statement, she said, “They said that he (Shoaib) had been called to the Aminabad police station for 10-15 minutes and will be released soon. Three people were in uniform, while seven were in civilian clothes. I can’t say who they were. He has not taken his medicines.”

ATS Statement on the raids. Source: ATS/Twitter/TrueStoryUP

Later, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, “He (Shoaib) has been taken for questioning in connection with action against the PFI. He will be released if he is not involved.” Notably, he has been detained by the police on several occasions earlier as well. He was booked for rioting by the police during anti-CAA-NRC protests on December 19, 2019, at Hazratganj Police Station. He was among the 28 people served notice by the UP government to pay damages worth Rs 63.37 lakhs in the Hazratganj area. He was arrested for rioting and released on bail after a month.

Police have reportedly identified around 211 people who have past associations with PFI in UP. In a statement, the police said the raids started on Saturday to take action against the suspects.

Out of 70 suspects detained by the ATS, 11 were from Shamli, ten from Ghaziabad, nine were from Lucknow, and eight were from Varanasi.

ATS said in a statement that the detained suspects are being questioned. The investigation agencies also looked into their social media activities and electronic gadgets. Further action will be taken based on the questioning and electronic evidence.

Ban on PFI

In September 2022, the Home Ministry under the Government of India banned PFI under UAPA. Since then, the security agencies have conducted multiple raids against PFI and arrested several cadre members concerning cases involving anti-India and terror activities.

Fox News paying Tucker Carlson $20 million to not start rival channel but he wants to get out of the contract, friend says, ‘he is preparing for war’: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Fox News paying Tucker Carlson $20 million to not start rival channel but he wants to get out of the contract, friend says, ‘he is preparing for war’: Details

Two weeks after Tucker Carlson quit Fox News, it has now come to light that the news channel is paying a whopping $20 million (~₹160 crores) a year to prevent the American political commentator from joining a rival network or starting his own media empire.

As per a report by Axios, Tucker Carlson is bound by this contract until January 2025. It implies that the prominent news show host cannot seek new work until the end of the 2024 US Presidential elections.

While discussing the contract, Carlson’s lawyer Bryan Freedman stated, “The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous.”

Citing sources, Axios reported that the news show host wants to get out of the contract to be able to start his own media empire. Tucker Carlson has been approached by the likes of media outlets such as ‘Rumble’ and ‘Newsmax.’

He also had a discussion with billionaire Elon Musk about working together but they reportedly did not discuss specifics. The American show host is planning to start a direct-to-consumer media outlet, wherein viewers can pay to watch him on TV.

Meanwhile, a friend of Carlson told Axios, “His team is preparing for war. He wants his freedom.” Tucker Carlson has also expressed interest in moderating a Republican Presidential primary debate, which is not authorised by the Republican National Committee.

He has reportedly discussed the matter with ex-US President Donald Trump. According to Andy Lee, who works as an entertainment lawyer with Foley & Lardner, the earning potential and relevance of show hosts decrease when they are away from the public eye for an extended period of time.

“It’s not always just a question of money, because being off the air for an extended period can have an adverse effect on a career,” he told The New York Times.

It must be mentioned that the news host had been a political analyst on Fox News since 2009 and had appeared on various programs before launching his own show in 2016.

‘Vasundhara Raje helped me save the govt in 2020 as I didn’t support the toppling of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat govt’: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

OpIndia Staff
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‘Vasundhara Raje helped me save the govt in 2020 as I didn’t support the toppling of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat govt’: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

On Sunday, 7th May 2023, amidst the ongoing political tension between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Gehlot claimed that three BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, had helped him save his government during the revolt by Congress MLAs led by Sachin Pilot in 2020. Speaking at an event in Dholpur, Gehlot mocked the rebel Congress MLAs and suggested that they should return the money they had allegedly taken from the BJP if they wish to carry out their duties without any pressure.

He credited the survival of his government to Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal, and MLA Shobharani Kushwah.

He said, “Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government. They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised that they are not demanding the money back from them.”

Ashok Gehlot further said, “I have even told the MLAs that whatever money they have taken, Rs. 10 crores or Rs. 20 crores, if you have spent anything, I will give that part or I will get it from AICC (All India Congress Committee).”

Gehlot also accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of using intimidation tactics if the money was not returned, citing an example of how he allegedly divided Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Gehlot emphasized that it was his duty to lead the party for a third time, ensure that everyone is united, and focus on the upcoming assembly elections later this year.

Ashok Gehlot claimed that Vasundhara Raje helped him save his government as a reciprocal measure because earlier he didn’t support the toppling of the BJP government led by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Gehlot added that he didn’t support that move of his party because it was unfair. It is notable that in 1996, the Congress party tried to topple the BJP govt led by Shekhawat by offering money to a few MLAs when the CM had gone to the USA for treatment, but it was not successful.

Former Congress leader Bhanwar Lal Sharma had led the attempt by managing to get the support of a small number of BJP MLAs and Independents who were supporting the BJP govt and had kept the MLAs captive so that they can’t revert their position. But a BJP MLA he contacted, Rangji Meena, turned out to be loyal to Shekhawat, who escaped the captivity and made an ISD call from an STD booth to the CM to inform him about the ongoing attempt to overthrow his govt. As a result, the party took swift action, the CM returned to India against the advice of doctors, and the BJP govt was saved.

In July 2020, Sachin Pilot, then Deputy Chief Minister and 18 other Congress MLAs revolted against Gehlot. The crisis was resolved after the intervention of the party’s high command. Sachin Pilot was removed from the post of Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President.

Here is why EAM S Jaishankar was right about calling out Pakistan at SCO Summit

OpIndia Staff
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Here is why EAM S Jaishankar was right about calling out Pakistan at SCO Summit

On Friday (May 5), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called out Pakistan and its terror industry at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

Without mincing any words, he said, “As a Foreign Minister of an SCO member state, Mr Bhutto Zardari was treated accordingly. As a promoter, justifier and spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and countered including at the SCO meeting itself.”

When asked by a reporter to engage Pakistan at a diplomatic level, S Jaishankar made it clear, “Victims of terrorism do not sit with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. They defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, call it out, delegitimise it and that is what is exactly happening.”

The External Affairs Minister pointed out that India and Pakistan are not in the same boat when it came to terrorism. “Pakistan’s credibility is depleting faster than even its Forex reserves,” he underlined.

Earlier in the day, S Jaishankar gave a half-hearted welcome to Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the SCO Summit in Goa. Following a brief gesture of ‘Namaste‘ and photo session, he promptly showed the way to his Pakistani counterpart.

The ‘cold treatment’ drew the ire of the ‘Aman ki Asha’ brigade in India. Former advisor to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sudheendra Kulkarni, lamented, “Dr Jaishankar should have taken SCO foreign ministers, including Bilawal Bhutto, for a friendly stroll on a beach in Goa. But he didn’t.”

My dear Pakistani friend Murtaza Solangi⁩, an eminent journalist, and I walked — and talked peace. People must prevail over politicians,” he claimed. It must be mentioned that Kulkarni had downplayed Chinese aggression against India in July 2020 and dubbed calls to boycott Chinese products as ‘stupid’.

‘Director’ Ram Subramanian claimed, “S Jaishankar invites Pak’s Bilawal Bhutto to India and insults him. Not our culture. Don’t invite them again if this is how you are going to behave sir. You are deviating from our tradition with your pedestrian-level politics.”

‘Author’ Scharada Dubey wrote, “How does a man whose every single utterance sounds rude and petty become a representative of our country on the international stage? My 4 yr old grandson has more diplomacy in his demeanour. What a sad day for us to read these statements daily.

While the ‘Aman ki Asha’ brigade wanted India to be hospitable to Pakistan, look past its record on terrorism and mend bilateral ties, the presser by the Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed the fact that S Jaishankar was right about Pakistan.

When asked about India holding a G20 summit in Kashmir by reporters, he said, “Waqt aane par aisa jawab denge jo yaad rahega (When the right time will arrive, we will give them such a reply that they will remember it for a long time).

Why India cannot afford to trust Pakistan

Such tall claims were made by his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as well in the early 1970s. He vowed to develop the atomic bomb to fight India after Pakistan’s humiliating loss in two major wars (one in 1965 and one in 1971) to India.

“Pakistan will fight, fight for a thousand years. If India builds the (atom) bomb…(Pakistan) will eat grass, even go hungry, but we will get one of our own (atom bomb). We (Pakistan) have no other Choice!” he had infamously said.

He repeated the same lines on learning about the success of ‘Operation Smiling Buddha’, India’s successful testing of the nuclear bomb in Pokhran in Rajasthan. His firm resolve indeed paved the way for Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation programme.

Before the ‘ambitious’ Pakistani politician could see the end of the decade, he was executed by his own military general Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. And thus followed a harrowing tale of Islamism, foreign debt and the Pakistani military drying out the coffers of the State.

The ‘Land of the Pure’, as envisaged by its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, has nuclear bombs today but not enough resources to feed its impoverished citizens. Such has been the prophecy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, five decades earlier.

But there is something to note – The determination to avenge India through one or other nefarious design (popularly known as Ghazwa-e-Hind) remains consistent. And the trend has not changed in the past 76 years and is unlikely to change in the future as well.

Despite claims to do course correction on terrorism and proxy wars, Pakistan and its leaders seem unable to detach themselves from the notion of seeking revenge from India (as recently suggested by Bilawal Bhutto as well).

It is thus clear that Pakistan does not seek peace with India. It has backstabbed us whenever we tried to extend the olive branch. The Kargil War of 1999, the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, the Uri and Pathankot attacks and the Pulwama suicide bombing attacks are a testimony to its sinister agenda.

While the ‘Aman ki Asha’ brigade and Op-ed writers continue to berate S Jaishankar and India’s foreign policy, the approach undertaken by the External Affairs Minister at the SCO Summit shows that India is firm in its resolve in exposing Pakistan before the world stage.

For a beleaguered nation that clearly did not learn its lesson in the past 76 years, the ‘Aman ki Asha’ facade cannot hide the truth that peace is impossible with Pakistan. India can and should not have any cultural exchange till terror export from Pakistan to India stops.

‘India has the most uncontrollable press, but Afghanistan ranked above us’: S Jaishankar on India’s low press freedom index, calls it a mind game

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‘India has the most uncontrollable press, but Afghanistan ranked above us’: S Jaishankar on India’s low press freedom index, calls it a mind game

 India has the most uncontrollable press, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday in response to a question about the low ranking of India on the press index.

During the interactive session on the Foreign Policy of the Modi Government, Jaishankar said, “I was amazed at our number. I thought we had the most uncontrollable press, and somebody is getting something fundamentally wrong. Comparing India’s rank with Afghanistan, EAM said, “Afghanistan was freer than us. Can you imagine? Look, these are all I mean, I see the democracy index, freedom index, religious freedom index, and press freedom index.”

Terming the press index “mind games,” Jaishankar said that these are the ways of playing the mind games which are like lowering the rank of the country whom you don’t like while others do not.

This statement came days after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released their press index and ranked India at 161. While Afghanistan stood at 152. China drops to the second-lowest spot on the 2023 World Freedom Press Index, standing at 179th rank.

Last year, India stood at 150th rank. This time, India falls 11 ranks.

During the session, Jaishankar took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he was taking classes in China from the Chinese ambassador.

He said, “I would have offered to take classes on China from Rahul Gandhi but I discovered he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador,” responding to the Congress leader’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s handling of relations with China.

Jaishankar referred to Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador to India during the Doklam crisis. He attacked the government, suggesting that new territory had been lost to China’s salami slicing.

“I know everything in politics is political. I accept that. But I think on certain issues, we have a collective responsibility to at least behave in a way that we do not weaken our (India’s) collective position abroad to do what we have seen in the last three years in China,” Jaishankar said, adding, “often very misleading narratives are put in.”

Jaishankar also hit out at misleading narratives and misrepresentations, adding, “We had, for example…a bridge which the Chinese were building on Pangong Tso. Now, the reality was that the particular area first Chinese came in 1959, and then they occupied it in 1962. But that’s not the way it was put across. This happened in the case of some of the so-called model villages as well, that they were built on areas which we lost in 62 or before 62. Now, I don’t believe you will very rarely hear me say 1962, that shouldn’t have happened, or you are wrong, or you are responsible. What has happened has happened. It’s our collective, I would say failure or responsibility. I do not necessarily attribute political colouring to it. I would like to see is actually a serious China conversation. I’m prepared to accept that there are different viewpoints on that, but if you reduce it to kind of slanging match, what can I say after that?”

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

Rajasthan: Bajrang Dal worker assaulted in Jodhpur for posting about The Kerala Story on WhatsApp, beheading threats issued

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Bajrang Dal worker assaulted in Jodhpur for posting about The Kerala Story on WhatsApp, beheading threats issued

A 24-year-old man named Abhishek son of Raju Sargara was reportedly assaulted in Jodhpur for sharing the status of the movie The Kerala Story on WhatsApp. The accused also threatened to slit his throat. The victim is associated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal.

He revealed that he had watched The Kerala Story on Friday and posted a status on his WhatsApp regarding the film’s poster. He applauded the movie and wrote that it is very good and should be watched by every girl in the world in order to remain safe from (Islamic) conversions.

He was en route to his house on Saturday night between 8.30 to 9 pm when he was stopped and questioned by Pintu, Aman, and Ali about the same as he approached the main road leading to Merti Gate at Kali Tanki. “Why did you post the status? Are you trying to defame our religion,” they charged.

“I inquired as to what was wrong with it. My phone was charging at the time inside my house. When they demanded to see the mobile, I brought them to my place and informed my mum that they were my friends,” he mentioned. “I took the mobile outside and as soon as I started showing them, they began hitting me.”

He remarked that there was nothing offensive in his status. He didn’t mean to disrespect anyone’s religious sensibilities. He just recommended everyone to watch the film.

Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal reached Udai Mandir police station on Sunday and demanded action against the assailants. VHP workers asserted that watching movies is every person’s right and it is not justified to thrash people for posting status.

“They called one of our members out of their residence on the pretext of some work and assaulted him. He managed to get away and sprinted back inside his home. He had posted a status of The Kerala Story. There was nothing derogatory about any caste or religion in it,” noted VHP’s District Secretary (East) Jitendra Sharma, who had reached the Uday Mandir police station with others.

“Such people will be answered in their own language,” he declared. The outfit is of the opinion that everyone has the right to watch any movie that has successfully navigated the legal censorship system.

Derawar Singh, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) proclaimed, “A guy had reported three persons for beating him today after they stopped him on his way. He had posted the status of a film. We have filed a case and are currently looking into the matter. The victim works as a salesperson in a clothing store.”

The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma was released on May 5 and has been in the news since its trailer was released. Liberals, Muslims and opposition parties, particularly the Left and the Congress, have vehemently denounced the movie and attempted to have it banned from theatres.

Despite the massive controversy, the film has performed exceedingly well at the box office and managed to do strong business.

The multilingual project follows a group of girls who are brainwashed and converted to Islam. They are married to Muslim men and proceed to join ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) also known as IS (Islamic State).

Islamists attack wrestler Bajrang Punia for supporting Bajrang Dal on social media, the wrestler deletes his Instagram post

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists attack wrestler Bajrang Punia for supporting Bajrang Dal on social media, the wrestler deletes his Instagram post

On 7th May 2023, wrestler Bajrang Punia posted a story from his Instagram account that said, “I am Bajrangi. I support Bajrang Dal. Jai Shri Ram.” It also had a caption that appealed to all the Bajrangis to keep that picture on their WhatsApp status and display pictures.

However, soon after he posted it, Liberals and Islamists including those who supported the wrestlers for their protests against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, started to criticise Bajrang Punia and called him a bigot. The wrestler later deleted the post.

Bajrang Punia is one of the top wrestlers who are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding the ouster and arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The protest has got the usual suspects like Aam Admi Party and Congress leaders, with farmers’ groups joining them today. However, the moment Punia announced his support for Bajrang Dal, many of those who were supporting him made a U-turn and started to attack him.

Radio Mirchi RJ Sayema asked Punia to consider what kind of society he wants, “Hooliganism or peaceful existence”.

Shirin Khan posted, “Shame on all those who supported these snakes.”

Dr Nimo Yadav said, “Bajrang Punia has removed this story from his Instagram account. Bajrang Punia should come forward and apologise for this. Today he is gonna trend his hashtag on Twitter at 7 pm, don’t participate in it.”

In a prior tweet, this Twitter account posted, “He is Bajrang Punia, the Indian wrestler. In 2020, he did a communal post to please his masters in BJP. 2 days ago he was crying at Jantar Mantar in protest against sexual harassment by BJP MP. Today He is sharing Bajrang Dal and pro-BJP stories from his Instagram account. As I said earlier, once a bigot, always a bigot.”

Md Asif Khan posted, “Instagram story of wrestler Bajrang Punia. He is supporting Bajrang Dal.”

In another tweet, Md Asif Khan shared Bajrang Punia’s old tweet which said, “A dog also becomes loyal to you by eating bread one day, but some humans have been eating the grain of the country since birth, yet they have not been able to be loyal.” Quoting this tweet by the wrestler, Md Asif Khan wrote, “This is for all those people who were shedding tears for these Sanghi wrestlers who are sitting at Jantar Mantar. 3-year-old tweet and 4-hour-old IG story.”

Bajrang Punia’s tweet in support of the Bajrang Dal came after the Congress party announced to ban Bajrang Dal in its election manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023. But as the liberals and Islamists criticised, the wrestler deleted the post. It is notable that after facing a huge backlash from the Hindu community, VHP, Bajrang Dal, and BJP, Congress has later clarified that it will not ban Bajrang Dal.

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