Home Blog Page 2173

Calcutta HC stays Visva Bharati University’s notice to Amartya Sen to vacate illegally occupied 13 decimals of land

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Calcutta HC stays Visva Bharati University’s notice to Amartya Sen to vacate illegally occupied 13 decimals of land

On Thursday, May 4, Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on Visva Bharati University’s eviction notice to ‘economist’ Amartya Sen on a portion of land he is reportedly holding illegally. Amartya Sen petitioned the Calcutta High Court for relief after the university issued an order directing the petitioner to vacate 0.13 acres (5,500 sq ft) of land at his ancestral Santiniketan residence by May 6, even though an appeal for a stay on possible eviction was set for hearing on May 15, 2023, at a court in Suri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

The plea was heard at the High Court by a bench led by Justice Bibhas Ranjan De. It granted an interim stay of proceedings till the case is heard by a lower court in Birbhum. In his plea, the economist claimed that in October 1943, Visva-Bharati general secretary Rathindranath Tagore gave his father, Ashutosh Sen, 1.38 acres of land for a 99-year lease.

The notice to vacate the land allegedly occupied by Sen illegally was issued by Joint Registrar Asish Mahato.

“More or less 13 decimals occupied unauthorized by Sri Amartya Kumar Sen in the north-west corner of Visva-Bharati plot no 201, ie LR plot no 1900/2487 (having a total area of 1.38 acres) in LR Khatian no 270 Corresponding to R.S plot no 1900/2487 & further corresponding to Part of C.S,” the notice stated.

It further stated that Amartya Sen can only lawfully occupy 1.25 acres of land only, as lessee (for the residual period of lease) in the scheduled premises. He does not have the authority to occupy 1.38 acres of land on the scheduled premises. In response to this, Sen stated that the proper authorities should be notified to stop the university from abusing its power in an arbitrary manner.

Following the Visva-Bharati notice, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed her party leaders to stage a sit-in in front of Sen’s house if Visva-Bharati attempted to evict Sen.

Australia: 6th Hindu temple attacked, this time they write ‘Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)’ on walls of BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, hang Khalistani flag on gate

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Australia: 6th Hindu temple attacked, this time they write ‘Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)’ on walls of BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, hang Khalistani flag on gate

On Friday, the Khalistani supporters attacked another Hindu temple in Western Sydney’s Rosehill suburb of Australia. The supporters vandalized the BAPS Swaminarayan temple and wrote “Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)” on the walls of the temple. Meanwhile, a Khalistan flag could also be seen hanging on the gate of the said temple.

This comes almost two months after the Khalistani vandalized the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs and wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple in Australia’s Melbourne.

According to the Australia Today report, the BAPS Swaminarayan temple was attacked early on Friday morning and the attack came to the fore after one of the daily visitors of the temple reached the temple for offering prayers. The temple management was then informed who further informed the Police about the incident.

The NSW Police officers have reached the spot and are investigating the matter. They have also been provided with the CCTV footage by the temple management for investigation.

Earlier on January 17, the supporter had attacked the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs and had written ‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’ on the walls next to the temple. Reportedly, Australia has seen four separate anti-Hindu attacks on Temples initiated by pro-Khalistani elements living in the country in the last 4-5 months.

On March 4, Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane’s Burbank suburb was vandalised with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti defacing its walls. According to local media reports, the vandalism was carried out by pro-Khalistani supporters. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu, anti-India and pro-Khalistani slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.

On February 16 a Kali Mata temple received a warning against holding a Bhajan program. A woman priest of a Kali Mata temple in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in Australia received threats from Khalistani terrorists for organizing a Bhajan program of Indian singer Kanhiya Mittal.

On January 23 a similar attack by Khalistani elements took place at the Hare Krishna Temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia. The temple served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne and is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). As per reports, temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a martyr.

On January 12, the Hindu community living in Melbourne woke up to a shock as the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, located in the northern suburb of Mill Park, Melbourne, was vandalised by Khalistani attackers. The walls of the temple were defaced by spray painting anti-India and anti-Narendra Modi slogans.

Notably, PM Modi had taken cognizance of the event and had raised the issue in front of Australian PM Anthony Albanese, who was on a visit to India on March 10. He had said that the Indian community was worried about the attacks. PM Albanese then assured that the safety of the Indian community would be a priority for him.

Also, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack on the Indian community by the extremist Khalistani groups in Australia. The MEA had urged the local authorities to launch an investigation into the case and punish the perpetrators.

Before SC, Khap Panchayat decides: Here is what wrestler Vinesh Phogat said about respecting the latter’s decision, which has now stirred a row

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Before SC, Khap Panchayat decides: Here is what wrestler Vinesh Phogat said about respecting the latter’s decision, which has now stirred a row

Amidst the ongoing protests by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, a video of Vinesh Phogat claiming supremacy of the Khap Panchayat over other institutions is going viral on social media.

The video was initially shared on Twitter on Thursday (May 4) by a social media influencer named Ravi Bhadoria. In the video, the Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was heard saying, “Our elders, who represent the Khap Panchayat, have been making decisions before the High Court and the Supreme Court.”

“So whatever the Khap Panchayat decides, we will adhere to it,” she announced. The attempt by the Indian wrestler to suggest that Khap Panchayat can somehow have the same binding, legal jurisprudence as the higher courts has now stirred a controversy.

In a longer version of the video, Vinesh Phogat was heard saying that she respects the decision of the Supreme Court and is exploring all legal options. After she said this, she went on to talk about the Khap and elders making the decision before the Supreme Court, which they will adhere to.

On Thursday (May 4), the Supreme Court wrapped up the petition filed by three women wrestlers after considering the fact that the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over alleged sexual harassment.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narsimsha, and Justice JB Pardiwala stated that the plea had been filed by the wrestlers seeking registration of an FIR against Singh. It noted that the purpose of the plea had been served with Delhi Police registering an FIR in the case.

Meanwhile, the Khap Panchayat has vowed to join the demonstration of the protesting wrestlers from May 7, 2023. Last month, the members of the Khap from Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh threatened to call a bandh (strike) if the demands of the protestors are not met.

“All khap leaders held a meeting and decided to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision before chalking out their further course of action,” the coordinator of Sarv Khap Panchayat Om Prakash Dhankar had said.

It must be mentioned that Khap Panchayats have often been in the news for the wrong reasons, including attempts to declare inter-caste marriages between consenting adults ‘illegal’ and involvement in honour killings.

The Background of the Controversy

On April 23, ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia launched a second round of protests against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging he sexually harassed hundreds of female wrestlers.

The first round of protests took place in January this year. It was called off after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur formed a committee to investigate the matter.Following the fresh wrestlers protest, Delhi Police filed FIRs against Singh based on the complaints of seven athletes.

The entry of politicians in the protests and slogans like ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ have raised concerns over the actual motive behind the protests. In other news, the AAP-led Delhi government has announced that Punia will be appointed as chief sports advisor. Currently, he is an employee at Indian Railways.

‘8000 temples destroyed, 4 million Hindus converted to Islam, force-fed beef’: Movie ‘Tipu’ announced, trailer shows brutality inflicted by Tipu Sultan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘8000 temples destroyed, 4 million Hindus converted to Islam, force-fed beef’: Movie ‘Tipu’ announced, trailer shows brutality inflicted by Tipu Sultan

For a long time, historians and school History textbooks dubbed Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan as a ‘freedom fighter’. However, Tipu Sultan, whose birth anniversary was commemorated by the Congress government, was notorious for slaughtering Hindus and destroying temples. A film on the 18th-century Sultan of Mysore’s true representation, which was littered with religious zealotry and radicalism, is also in the making. This film is being presented by ‘Eros International’.

In the announcement video of the upcoming film “Tipu”, it is shown how Tipu Sultan destroyed 8000 temples and 27 churches, converted 4 million Hindus to Islam, and forced them to eat beef. One lakh Hindus were imprisoned. Over 2000 Brahmin families were wiped out in Calicut. His war cry of Jihad started in 1783. The 50-second video concludes with burning temples in the backdrop and a portrait of Tipu Sultan in the foreground, his face marred with soot. 

The film “Tipu” is co-produced by Rashmi Sharma and Sandeep is directed by Pawan Sharma. It is notable that Sandeep Sharma is also producing the biopic of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar titled “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar” with actor Randeep Hooda playing the titular role. Moreover, Sandeep Sharma is also producing former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s biopic “Atal” with actor Pankaj Tripathi in the lead role. 

The film “Tipu” will be released in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. Rajat Sethi, a political analyst and author who studied at Harvard and IIT Kharagpur handled the film’s research. During the Assam assembly elections, Sethi also worked for the BJP. 

Speaking about the film and its story, director Pawan Sharma said, “Whatever we are taught in schools about Tipu Sultan is gross misinformation. I was absolutely shaken and disillusioned after knowing Tipu’s reality as a bigoted king. I am daring to show a brutal reality that was manipulated to make him a warrior hero.”

Meanwhile, Rajat Sethi said that “the admiration and adulation of Tipur Sultan are overrated, while his brutalities are concealed in our textbooks.”

Azadi slogans raised at wrestlers’ protests, Islamists push anti-Modi, anti-RSS agenda in the guise of supporting the wrestlers

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Azadi slogans raised at wrestlers’ protests, Islamists push anti-Modi, anti-RSS agenda in the guise of supporting the wrestlers

Controversies do not seem to end with the protests by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. After politicians made a beeline to the protest venue for their political benefits and ‘Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi’ slogans were raised, now any-India ‘Azadi’ slogans were raised in the venue on 4th May 2023. A group of Muslims and other self-styled activists appeared at the protest venue and raised various slogans against PM Modi, RSS, and BJP in the name of supporting the wrestlers who are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

According to a report by Khabar India, a group of Muslims and other self-styled activists appeared at the protest site in the afternoon and raised Azadi slogans, and slogans against PM Modi, RSS, and BJP. The protestors alleged that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is the culprit and the BJP government is sacking him. The protestors demanded the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and alleged that the Delhi police are working under the pressure of the central government.

The protestors newly joining the wrestlers today included many students and youths including hijab-clad young Muslim girls. Along with various placards, an apparently scripted list of slogans written on paper was also seen with the protestors. Some of them also used mobile phones to read out the slogans.

The sloganeers also mentioned the so-called Muslim victims of mob lynching including Mohammad Akhalaq and Junaid Khan. Salman Abbasi – one of the Muslims supporting the wrestlers said that there is unrest in the minds of Muslims in India. He said that the whole Muslim community is against the government in this protest and supports the wrestlers. He said that Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao is just a slogan for BJP. “They do not save girls and they do not educate girls. See what they have done in Madhya Pradesh. If a person from another party does anything, they put the entire IT cell after him. We hope for justice from the courts and Allah”, he said. He also added that if any Muslim in the country raises his voice for justice, he is likely to be jailed under this regime.

Another protestor said, “They are asking why are we asking for freedom. We are asking for freedom which means Azadi. Why a wrestler like Vinesh Phogat has to suffer? She is a diamond of the country.”

The wrestlers who have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since 23 April.

The scuffle yesterday is said to have broken after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) politician and an MLA from Malviya Nagar, Somnath Bharti arrived at Jantar Mantar with folding beds for the wrestlers without any permission. The Delhi Police spotted Bharti and said that he did not have permission to see the wrestler, given that in the evening, no outsiders were allowed inside the barricade.

After a few minutes, the wrestlers also got involved and the Police detained Bharati and his supporters who arrived at the spot. The matter further escalated as the wrestlers claimed that the Delhi Police were drunk and they misbehaved with the wrestlers. The police, according to the wrestlers, also caused injuries to Dushyant Phogat and other wrestlers. Now, Azadi slogans are raised at the wrestlers’ protest.

It is notable that similar slogans were raised by protestors in many protests in the past. Anti-CAA protests, Shaheen Bagh protests, farmers’ protests, and various other protests in JNU are known for these Azadi slogans. Now, these sloganeers have also joined the wrestlers’ protests.

Adani Group to develop India’s first integrated data centre and technology business park in Visakhapatnam

ANI
-
0
Adani Group to develop India’s first integrated data centre and technology business park in Visakhapatnam

The Adani Group is developing an integrated data centre and technology business park in Visakhapatnam to boost local technology ecosystem in the region.

The investments will be on top of the Rs 20,000 crore already invested in the state, which created more than 18,000 direct and 54,000 indirect jobs, according to a statement from the Group. The Adani Group’s investments in Andhra Pradesh span multiple sectors, including ports, logistics, and renewable energy. The groundbreaking ceremony at the park site in Visakhapatnam was held on May 3 in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Adani Group Managing Director Rajesh Adani, and Adani Ports & SEZ (APSEZ) CEO and Whole Time Director Karan Adani.

The project, which will have a data centre, technology and business park, and skill development centre, will generate jobs for local communities and open new gateways of growth in the region, connecting Vizag to the APAC (Asia-Pacific) IT ecosystem, according to a statement from Adani Group.

AdaniConneX, a 50:50 joint venture between Adani Group and EdgeConneX, will host within the park an integrated 300 MW data center facility, according to the statement.

“Our world is being defined by our ability to generate, store, access and move data,” said Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group. “With the advancements in AI, high-definition content and massive digitization, the need for computing and storage is increasing exponentially.”

Gautam Adani said, “Andhra Pradesh, with its geographical advantages of land for renewable energy and a long coastline, is well positioned to host data centre parks not only for our country but also for those nations that are short of land or energy. What the Adani Group brings through our ports, data centres and green energy capabilities is a uniquely powerful combination of unmatched strategic adjacencies within the data centre world.”

“The establishment of 300 MW data centres by the Adani Group will facilitate the laying of a submarine cable from Singapore and help change the future dynamics of broadband services,” he said.

Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh said “The technology park will propel Vizag into a tier-1 city which will also deploy renewable sources of energy to power it up.” 

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

‘Can’t punish minors in romantic consensual relation using POCSO’: Bombay HC grants bail to 25-year-old Imran Shaikh accused of raping a minor in 2020

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Can’t punish minors in romantic consensual relation using POCSO’: Bombay HC grants bail to 25-year-old Imran Shaikh accused of raping a minor in 2020

On Thursday, 4th May 2023, the Bombay High Court granted bail to 25-year-old Imran Shaikh who is accused of raping a minor girl in 2020. The court noted that the testimony of the mother of the victim apparently indicated that the relationship was consensual and observed that the POCSO act cannot be used to punish minors in a romantic relationship. The court has also imposed conditions on the accused while granting him bail.

Imran Shaikh, who was 22 years of age at the time of the alleged crime, was charged with kidnapping and raping a juvenile in violation of sections 363, 376 of the IPC and section 4 of the POCSO Act. Justice Anuja Prabhudessai granted bail to him after he moved the court seeking bail. The applicant was represented by attorneys Sunny Aaron Waskar, Harshada Morey, and Shamish Marwadi. The State was represented by SV Gavand, an additional public prosecutor. The victim was represented by advocate Veerdhawal Deshmukh, who was appointed by the Court.

While the court granted bail because Shaikh is in prison as an undertrial for a long time, Justice Anuja Prabhudessai also noted that the relationship was consensual, and the POCSO was not made to punish minors in such cases.

The court said, “The Applicant was also a young boy of 22 years of age at the time of the incident. The statement of the first informant, prima facie indicates that the relationship was consensual. It needs to be noted that the POCSO Act has been enacted to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment etc. and contains stringent penal provisions to safeguard the interest and the well-being of the children. The object is certainly not to punish minors in a romantic or consensual relationship and brand them as criminals.”

The POCSO Act does not recognise consensual sexual relations with minors and considers such cases as rape. Moreover, the accused Imran Shaikh is not a minor and he was an adult when the alleged crime happened, and therefore it is not clear what the judgement means by saying that “the object is certainly not to punish minors in a romantic or consensual relationship and brand them as criminals.” In this case, only the victim girl is a minor and she is not being punished, only the adult man is facing the case.

Imran Shaikh was arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The young girl, however, claimed that the relationship was consensual and that she had left her parents’ home on her own in December 2020, not been abducted. However, the applicant was arrested in February 2021 and has been imprisoned ever since the mother of the victim girl accused him of kidnapping and rape.

The court also said while granting the bail, “The Applicant is in custody since February 17, 2021. The trial has not yet commenced and considering the large pendency, the trial is not likely to commence in the immediate future. Detaining him further will bring him into association with hardened criminals which will also be detrimental to his interest.”

The applicant was released by the court on various conditions, including that he would not obstruct the complainant or the other witnesses, tamper with the evidence, or make any attempt to influence or get in contact with them or anyone else involved in the case.

Following a complaint from the victim’s mother, an FIR was filed with the Dindoshi Police Station in Mumbai for offences punishable under Sections 363, 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

The victim had left the residence on December 27, 2020, and had not come back, according to the FIR. Her mother suspected the victim had been abducted by someone. After being located, the girl gave a statement in which she admitted that she had left the home on December 27, 2020, and had spent two to three days with her friends. She was afraid to go home since she had left the house without telling her parents. She maintained that she did not go back home and that she spent the night sleeping in a rickshaw and the day wandering around the area near her house.

According to the FIR, the victim was sleeping in a rickshaw on December 29, 2020, when the accused called her to the terrace of the SRA building next to the Kodarmal Masjid and engaged in an enforced sexual relationship with her. He allegedly had a sexual relationship with her again on January 7, 2021.

The bench stated that the victim was a minor as defined by Section 2(d) of the POCSO Act, and the petitioner was also a young boy at the time of the incident. the court also noted that the statement of the mother of the victim indicated that the relationship between the two was consensual.

Manipur governor authorises shoot-at-sight orders in extreme cases after violence during tribal protests against ST demand by Meiteis

ANI
-
0
Manipur governor authorises shoot-at-sight orders in extreme cases after violence during tribal protests against ST demand by Meiteis

The Governor of Manipur on Thursday authorised all District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates/Special Executive Magistrates to issue shoot at sight orders ‘in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force etc has been exhausted’, an official statement issued by the office of Manipur Governor said.

“In view of the prevailing law and order situation, following the unwanted incidents that occurred at the Tribal Solidarity March 2023 held on 03-05-2023 and in order to maintain public order and tranquillity in the State, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to authorize all District Magistrates, Sub- Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates/ Special Executive Magistrates detailed by the District Magistrates concerned to issue Shoot at sight orders in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted under the provisions of law under CrPC, 1973 and the situation could not be controlled,” the official order said. Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and took stock of the situation in the State where law and order were disrupted after tribal groups took out rallies in several districts.

In the telephonic conversation with Manipur Chief Minister, the Union Home Minister was apprised of the present situation and the steps being taken by the State government to control it.

A total of five companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were airlifted on Thursday to violence-hit Manipur on the directions of the Union home ministry.

After clashes in various parts of Manipur after a mass rally held by tribal groups, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that the incidents were a result of a “prevailing misunderstanding between two communities”.

“The government is taking all the measures to maintain the law and order situation in the state. Paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas. We are committed to protecting the lives and property of all our people. Long-term grievances of different communities will also be suitably addressed in due course in consultation with the people and their representatives,” Singh said.

Earlier violence had broke out during the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Torbung area of Churachandpur district to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Thousands of tribals — who make up about 40 per cent of the state’s population — joined the processions, waved placards and raised slogans opposing ST status for the Meitei.

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

As Islamists call The Kerala Story a propaganda movie, a Hindu girl who was brainwashed by her Muslim friends to embrace Islam says the movie is factual

OpIndia Staff
-
0
As Islamists call The Kerala Story a propaganda movie, a Hindu girl who was brainwashed by her Muslim friends to embrace Islam says the movie is factual

Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story is all set to release in theatres on 5 May 2023. The movie tells the story of ‘ISIS brides’ from Kerala, women from the state who had joined ISIS and married ISIS terrorists in Syria, including Hindu and Christian women who had converted to Islam. The opposition particularly the left and the Congress, and Islamist groups, have been attempting to delegitimize the movie.

They labelled it as propaganda cinema and tried to prevent its screening. However, the film has asserted to shed light on the experiences of countless Kerala girls who were coerced into becoming Muslims and wound up in territories under the occupation of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or IS (Islamic State).

Now, in a recent development, ABP News interviewed multiple victims of the Islamic conversion factory that operates in the southern state in order to uncover the truth about the horrific and grave problem.

Shruti, a Brahmin and native of Kasargod was one of these females. She said that she was brainwashed by her Muslim friends to convert to Islam, and asserted that the movie Kerala Story is factual.

She went to college to pursue her graduation where she was befriended by other Muslim students. However, this was neither an organic nor innocent association as they had a nefarious agenda behind forming the relationship which soon came to fruition.

She was brainwashed, converted to Islam, and given the name Rahmat. She conveyed that everything portrayed in the trailer of “The Kerala Story” is factual.

She recounted her startling tale in the interview. “Everything the girls are claiming in the movie (The Kerala Story) is true. I also changed my religion ten years ago after being misled. I am from a Brahmin family and converted to Islam because I was brainwashed as well,” she disclosed.

“Muslims made up the majority of the graduation class who influenced me about Islam. They often discussed Hinduism with me. They questioned our religious practices and I had no idea how to respond to them. I had some knowledge due to television series like Om Namah Shivay and Jai Hanuman, but they had so many inquiries that I was unable to address them all and they took advantage of this opportunity,” she informed.

According to Shruti, her Muslim friends used to make fun of Hinduism. “They mocked our festivals and alleged that our festivities happen only to bring boys and girls together. They argued that in the temples, where celebrations are held, males take advantage of females.”

They left no stones unturned to sow the seeds of doubt in her mind. “They used to link the occurrences of physical contact with our events and interpret Hinduism improperly. As a result, I began to wonder a lot about the truth.”

She was lied to by her Muslim acquaintances that such instances are unheard of in Islam. “They remarked that boys and females sit in different sections and the veil ensures the safety of girls. They placed the highest priority on their religion and believed that Islam is the only true ideology.”

She observed that they were very good at manipulating others. “They used to express their thoughts in a way that even the listener took their arguments to be valid.”

Notably, The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, also chronicles how a young Hindu girl named Shalini Unnikrishnan converted to Islam with the help of her Muslim companions, married their co-religionist and fled to an ISIS-controlled area with her spouse.

Fatehpur mass conversion: ‘Aadhaar cards were changed for money’, UP Police refutes allegations that VHP staged people to prove mass conversion

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Fatehpur mass conversion: ‘Aadhaar cards were changed for money’, UP Police refutes allegations that VHP staged people to prove mass conversion

On Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh Police told the Supreme Court that it had strong evidence in the mass religious conversion case of persons from Hindu religion to Christianity at Evangelical Church of India, Hariharganj, Fatehpur by defrauding them. The lawyer appearing for the state said that the police had recordings of people in which Adhaar Cards of the Hindu people were being changed and money was being offered to them in return.

This is after Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the defendants in the case alleged that the Hindu organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had picked up the persons to wrongly prove that they were forcibly converted to Christianity. “200 FIRs have been filed across Uttar Pradesh for no offence,” Dave claimed.

The UP govt’s counsel rejected this claim by Dave that the accused persons were booked without an offence. He said that the accused were seen on camera changing Aadhaar card details of victims, and it is not that there is no case.

The SC then asked the parties to file their pleadings in the case and said that the case would be next heard in the month of July.

As reported earlier, the FIR in this case was filed last year in April in response to a complaint made by a VHP leader named Himanshu Dixit alleging that about 90 people of the Hindu religion had gathered at the Evangelical Church of India in Hariharganj, Fatehpur, with the intention of converting to Christianity through coercion and undue influence. The accused had also promised easy money, among other tactics to the Hindus.

The government officials arrived at the scene after receiving this information and questioned the pastor, Vijay Massiah, who admitted that the conversion process had been ongoing for 34 days and was expected to be finished in 40 days.

The pastor Vijay Massiah was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 31, 2022 for illegally converting a group of Hindus to Christianity in the Fatehpur. The accused was absconding after he was booked in another case of illegal mass conversion of Hindus to Christianity in around July of that year. The Police arrested him after they got a tip against the accused who was secretively carrying out another mass conversion in Hariharganj Church of the city.

The accused pastor was arrested while he was giving lessons about Christianity to Hindus and was trying to forcefully change their religion in the name of prayers. The Police arrived at the spot after they were informed about the illegal conversion and arrested the pastor for luring the Hindus. The Police also recovered several Aadhaar Cards with different identities from the accused.

The accused pastor during the investigation confessed that he was illegally converting a group of Hindus to Christianity in the Hariharganj Church of the city. He said that the Aadhaar Cards recovered by the Police belonged to those Hindus who had been converted and that their identities had been updated after they had been given lessons about Christianity and converted to a new religion.

The Police in April last year had also arrested around 26 people including the pastor in a case of mass conversion of Hindus to Christianity in the ECI Church building in Uttar Pradesh. Police had booked 55 people in total in the case, including 10 women. The names of the accused included Vijay Kumar Samson, Reshma Samson, Ratna Daud, Sharon, Jyoti Monalisa, Geeta Masih, and more.

The matter had come to light after the members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal surrounded the ECI Church building in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, and staged protests against the pastor who was allegedly converting more than 50 Hindus inside the Church. Around 100 people had gathered inside the Church on April 14 of which more than 50 were Hindus. The VHP members had also gathered outside the Church and alleged that the pastor in the name of prayers was giving lessons of Christianity to Hindus and was trying to forcefully change their religion.

The accused converted poor Hindus under the guise of a healing assembly. On receiving the complaint, the police registered a case against Massiah and the other persons involved. While they arrested many other accused involved in the case, they could not nab pastor Vijay Massiah who went absconding from the spot. However, the accused pastor was arrested by the Police in October while he was secretively luring, brainwashing innocent and poor Hindus and forcing them to convert to Christianity.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal members had launched protest in April last year and had demanded strict action against the Church for conducting a religious gathering without permission and inviting local Hindus to it. They reiterated that the pastor intended to convert the religion of Hindus.

The VHP leader Himanshu Dixit had also alleged that the pastor was deceptively giving lessons of Christianity in the church by luring poor Hindus. He said that it was the fifth time that a similar incident had happened in the area. “The pastor invites poor Hindus and brainwashes and illegally converts them by offering some ‘religious’ drink. So far five such cases in the church have come to the fore, where the disgusting game of conversion is being played under the guise of a healing meeting without any permission”, Dixit had said adding that the police never take any action against the Church.

However, after the arrest of the accused pastor, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police took over the investigation and probed into the foreign funding links of the accused. The details of the bank accounts of as many as 31 of the 36 accused were scrutinised and the UP ATS suspected that the accused had been receiving foreign funding to fuel illegal religious conversions in the state.

1...2,1722,1732,174...7,596Page 2,173 of 7,596