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‘Complete autonomy of temple administration to the devotees’: Here are 9 promises BJP makes in Karnataka in their manifesto on culture and heritage

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‘Complete autonomy of temple administration to the devotees’: Here are 9 promises BJP makes in Karnataka in their manifesto on culture and heritage

On May 1, Bharatiya Janata Party released its manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. In its manifesto, BJP made nine promises on conservation and promoting culture and heritage.

The first promise by the ruling party calls for transforming Karnataka into India’s premier tourist destination by developing thematic tourist destinations on the lines of Wildlife Tourism, Beach Tourism, Heritage Tourism, and Eco-Tourism. Furthermore, it talked about launching a special helpline under the name ‘Visit Karnataka’ that will provide help and information regarding tours to destinations in the state.

Excerpt from BJP manifesto for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. Source: BJP

The second promise is to allocate Rs 1,500 crore to develop five projects named Kalyana Circuit, Banavasi Circuit, Parashurama Circuit, Kaveri Circuit and Ganagapura Corridor to transform the state into India’s favoured tourist destination.

The third promise discussed a dedicated Kannada help desk for the pilgrims to destinations including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Kedarnath, Rameshwaram, Tirupati, Velankanni and Ajmer Sharif. It will help tourists from Karnataka to get information in their native language during a visit to other states for pilgrimage.

In its fourth promise, BJP promised a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 to poor families to undertake a pilgrimage to Daiva Yatre to places including Tirupati, Ayodhya, Kashi, Rameswaram, Kolhapur, Sabarimala and Kedarnath.

In the fifth promise, BJP assured allocation of Rs 1,000 crores for the restoration and upkeep of ancient temples across the state under ‘Devasthana Jeernodhara Anudana’.

In the sixth promise, the ruling party assured to undertake the overall development of areas surrounding the temples in several locations, including Banavasi, Sirsi, Banashankari, Ganagapura, Kollur, Nayakanahatti, Mysuru, Male Mahadeshwara Betta, and Kaivara.

In its seventh promise, BJP assured to constitute a committee to grant the complete autonomy of temple administration to the devotees. The committee will also overlook and regulate the local businesses around the temples to create a sustainable temple economy.

In the eighth promise, BJP promised to initiate the “Shivarama Karanth Karnataka Manuscript Mission”, under which a grant of Rs 250 crores will be provided to collect, preserve and digitise treasured manuscripts and oral translations of Karnataka.

In the ninth promise, BJP assured to launch a dedicated Tourist Guide Training And Licensing Mission that will help to revamp the existing tour guide certification system. It will provide a platform to transform guiding into a lucrative tourism-linked profession, further transforming Karnataka into a premier destination for global tourists.

The Karnataka Assembly elections are scheduled for voting on May 10. The results will be announced on May 13.

Bijnor: Shahid stabs his son Gulfam to death suspecting incestuous relationship with mother, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Bijnor: Shahid stabs his son Gulfam to death suspecting incestuous relationship with mother, arrested

A shocking case from the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh has come to the fore wherein a father murdered his son over the suspicion of his son having an alleged incestuous relationship with his mother. The 45-year-old accused Shahid killed his son Mohammad Gulfam (22) on March 5 this year. The matter, however, came to light only after the deceased victim’s mother lodged a complaint against her husband accusing him of killing their son. 

Accused Shahid who was arrested by Bijnor Police on April 29 has confessed to his crime and told the police that he doubted that his son and his wife were having an incestual relationship. Shahid informed the police that he asked his wife to stay with him, but she opted to stay with their son, which caused them to get into arguments and physical fights as well.

The accused also said that on March 5, he called his son Gulfam to Hajipur village and tried to persuade him to stay away from his wife (Gulfam’s mother). However, Gulfam did not listen and started arguing with him. Following this, Shahid stabbed his son with a knife. After that Gulfam was taken to the district hospital, but he died during treatment.

Shahid also told the police that he hid the knife used in the murder near a Mango orchard. On the basis of the information given by the accused, the police recovered the murder weapon.

According to the police, the complainant alleged that her husband Shahid and son Gulfam were having a dispute over something and an angry Shahid severely injured Gulfam, following which he died. The police registered a case against the accused under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in response to the woman’s complaint. Police said that the accused who was on the run after killing his son has finally been arrested and has been sent to judicial custody.

“We registered a case against the accused under section 302 of IPC based on the complaint filed by his wife, but he had been on the run ever since. However, he has finally been arrested,” Bijnor SP said. Shahid also has been booked under section 4/25 of the Arms Act.

SC collegium overrules IB objection, recommends lawyer Firdosh Phiroze Pooniwalla as Bombay HC judge, ‘minority’ identity also cited in resolution: Details

OpIndia Staff
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SC collegium overrules IB objection, recommends lawyer Firdosh Phiroze Pooniwalla as Bombay HC judge, ‘minority’ identity also cited in resolution: Details

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court Collegium reportedly overruled the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) objection to the selection of attorney Firdosh Phiroze Pooniwalla as a Bombay High Court judge.

The Collegium decided to recommend Pooniwalla for a judgeship, although it made a note in its resolution that IB had objected to Pooniwalla’s nomination by drawing attention to an article published by an attorney under whom Pooniwalla had previously worked as a junior.

The aforementioned piece, which was written in 2020, expressed worries about the country’s purported lack of freedom of speech and expression over the previous five to six years. The Collegium declared in its resolution that Pooniwalla’s personal competence, skill, or qualifications for nomination as a judge of the High Court are unaffected by the opinions made by a former superior of his.

“Moreover, the Collegium notes that Shri Pooniwalla and his former senior practise on the Original side of the High Court of Bombay. Junior counsel associated with the chamber of a senior on the Original side is not engaged in a relationship of employer-employee with their senior. While juniors are associated with the chamber, they are free to do their own work and for all intents and purposes, are entitled to independent legal practice. No adverse comments reflecting on the suitability of the candidate for elevation have been made in the file,” the resolution said.

The Intelligence Bureau stated in its report that he has a good personal and professional image, that nothing unfavourable has been discovered regarding his integrity, and that he is not affiliated with any political party. The Collegium, which was composed of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and KM Joseph, also took note of this information. He is qualified for promotion, according to the consultee-judges’ opinions.

“No adverse comments reflecting on the suitability of the candidate for elevation have been made in the file. The candidate has extensive practice at the Bar and is specialized in commercial law. The candidate professes Parsi Zoroastrianism and belongs to a minority community; the resolution noted.

The collegium also suggested Jitendra Shantilal Jain and Shailesh Pramod Brahme, attorneys, for appointment as judges in the Bombay high court in addition to Pooniwalla. Additionally, the IB had also raised a concern about Jain’s work in a senior taxation official’s chambers about 20 years ago. In this regard, the Collegium stated, “Enquiries have indicated that while it is correct that the candidate had ceased working in the chamber of that senior, he subsequently joined the chamber of a noted senior counsel at the Bar. The fact of the candidate having left the chamber of a senior earlier has no bearing on his ability, competence or integrity.”

About Brahme, the Collegium said that he is a competent lawyer with experience of about thirty years of practice in civil, criminal, constitutional and service law cases and that no adverse inputs were received against him.

Notably, this is not the first time when the Collegium has publicly rejected the IB objections. In January, the SC Collegium had presumably made public the reasons for rejecting the IB objections. Regarding the elevation of Senior Advocate Saurabh Kirpal, Advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan, and Advocate John Satyan, the Collegium resolution addressed IB objections.

The Collegium stated that the IB’s objections to Kirpal’s sexual orientation and his foreign partner had no bearing on his recommendation for promotion to the Delhi High Court. The Collegium also dismissed the IB argument that Somasekhar Sundaresan (recommended for the Bombay High Court) had published a piece critical of the government.

When it came to John Sathyan (who was recommended for the Madras High Court), the Collegium overruled the IB’s argument that he had uploaded a piece online that was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even though the collegium reiterated these names in the January resolutions, the Central Government has not yet notified them of their appointment.

Later, Kiren Rijiju, the minister of law, expressed his displeasure over the Collegium’s decision to make IB inputs public. “Putting secret or sensitive reports of the RAW or IB in the public domain is a matter of grace concern which I will react at an appropriate time. I can say this much, if the concerned office; who is working for the nation in disguise or in a secretive manner, will think twice that his/her report is going to be in the public domain. It will have an implication,” he said.

In the current case, the Collegium also noted that Pooniwalla professes Parsi Zoroastrianism and belongs to a minority community. Given all said above, it decided to endorse Pooniwalla’s nomination notwithstanding the IB’s protest.

‘Advani had gone to jail, others will too’: Education Minister of Bihar, who had said Ramcharitmanas is full of ‘garbage’, now threatens Bageshwar Dham Baba

OpIndia Staff
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‘Advani had gone to jail, others will too’: Education Minister of Bihar, who had said Ramcharitmanas is full of ‘garbage’, now threatens Bageshwar Dham Baba

Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar Yadav who earlier said that Ramcharitmanas is filled with “kooda-kachra” (garbage) and should be burnt like Manusmriti has now targeted Pandit Dheerendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham. Chandrashekhar Yadav said, “If Baba Bageshwar comes to conduct malicious work, Bihar will not allow it to happen; if he has come to promote hatred, then even Advani went to jail and others will also go. Bageshwar Baba, or any other Baba, posses no magic or supernatural powers.”

Chandrashekhar further alleged that people like Pandit Dheerendra Krishna Shastri run their businesses in the name of religion. It is notable that Dheerendra Krishna Shastri also known as “Bageshwar Dham Sarkar” is the head priest (Mahant) of the Bageshwar Dham Temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Notably, RJD leader Tej Pratap Singh is also opposing the Bageshwar Dham head priest. Recently, Tej Pratap threatened to nab Shastri at the airport. He also shared some pictures of the volunteers of Dharmnirpeksha Sevak Sangh (DSS) undergoing ‘training’. The volunteers were seen holding lathis and green flags. 

Meanwhile, former deputy CM of Bihar and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi challenged RJD’s Chandrashekhar and Tej Pratap to dare to speak against the propagators of Islam and Christianity in a similar fashion. He also demanded action against RJD leader Jagadanand Singh, who had earlier said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is being built on the land of hatred (nafrat ki zameen par banne wala dharmsthal). 

“Why did Lalu Yadav remain silent on Jagadanand’s statement so as to secure whose vote?” Modi questioned. He also recalled RJD leader Gulam Rasool Balyawi’s hateful statement wherein he threatened to turn Bihar into the land of Karbala. Modi further added that RJD while in opposition performs hawan and pooja but after getting power they turn arrogant. 

“The famous mind reader Suhani Shah has already punctured Baba’s miracles,” Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar. All of his magic is nothing but a garbage of lies (jhooth ka kabaad).”

Notably, on Saturday (May 13, 2023), Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri will arrive in Bihar for his program at Naubatpur, Patna. Thousands of devotees are expected to come from Bihar and Jharkhand.

Congress, which now wants to ban Bajrang Dal, withdrew cases against 1600 PFI terrorists, allied with SDPI and gambled with national security

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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Congress, which now wants to ban Bajrang Dal, withdrew cases against 1600 PFI terrorists, allied with SDPI and gambled with national security

The political tactics of the Congress party which include gambling with the national security and minority appeasement are well known now. The party also has played a major role in assisting the banned radical Islamic terrorist organization, Popular Front of India (PFI) to spread its network across the nation. The Modi-led government banned the PFI in September 2022. The organization has made all the plans to make India an Islamic nation by the year 2047 when the country would complete 100 years of its independence.

Now, the Congress party wants to impose a ban on Hindu organizations like Bajrang Dal. The Congress party in its manifesto released ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Elections, clearly mentioned that it wanted to outlaw groups like PFI and Bajrang Dal. It stated that it is dedicated to taking a resolute and unwavering stance against people and groups who ‘incite enmity among communities on the basis of caste and religion’.

Notably, the Congress happened to compare the Bajrang Dal with the PFI which has time and again been involved in anti-India activities. However, to date ‘Bajrang Dal’ has neither been named in any anti-national activity nor has it done anything against national security. The organization works to provide security to Hindus and raises its voices against the suffering of Hindus. In such a situation, promising to ban ‘Bajrang Dal’ on the very birthplace of Bajrang Bali describes the anti-Hindu mentality of the Congress party.

The Congress while in power at the Centre had also tried to create a divide in the Hindu religion by trying to give recognition to the Lingayat community as a separate religion. The Lingayat community worships Lord Shiva. It has always been the endeavour of the Congress party to weaken the Hindus and polarize the anti-Hindu votes in their favour by doing Muslim appeasement.

Congress had withdrawn cases filed on 1600 PFI members

The PFI was given a huge opportunity to grow in the state of Karnataka when the Congress was in power. The Congress remained in power in the state from May 2013 to May 2018 when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister. Further, the party continued to remain in the power for next year as HD Kumaraswamy of JDS became the Chief Minister. The Congress was part of the ruling coalition then. In these six years, the PFI grabbed the massive opportunity to spread its network in the state. Also, in the year 2015, Siddaramaiah’s government in Karnataka decided to withdraw all the cases against 1600 PFI terrorists.

The decision taken by Congress was dangerous. The NIA officials during the raids on the PFI, recovered weapons, anti-national literature, guns, and what not but Congress then withdrew all the cases against 1600 PFI terrorists. This was not a case of short-sightedness but of deliberate appeasement and gambling with the country’s security for votes. Today, by comparing this organization with ‘Bajrang Dal’, Congress is doing the same thing while it is in opposition.

Apart from PFI, cases were also withdrawn against the members of ‘The Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD)’. Both these organizations were born out of SIMI, which was formed in April 1977 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. It was a terrorist organization, whose people later formed ‘Indian Mujahideen’. The organization’s name appeared in bomb blasts from Jaipur, Allahabad, Delhi, Pune, Patna and Bodh Gaya to Hyderabad. Several SIMI members became part of PFI after it was banned.

As far as KFD is concerned, its name has cropped up in incidents ranging from communal riots in Mysore to the IISC Bangalore firing. This organization was directly accused of killing two students in a college in Mysore. These incidents are said to have happened before the formation of Siddaramaiah’s government in the state. TB Jayachandra, who was than Law Minister of Karnataka, defended the decision to withdraw the case, saying that they were peaceful people who had gathered only to protest, but their names were unnecessarily put in the charge sheet.

Without any investigation, the Minister declared that the accused were part of the mob and that they had no hand in the violence. Then the BJP opposed the decision to withdraw 175 cases out of 1600 PFI workers, saying that all this is being done at the cost of the country’s security. The party had alleged that the allegations against these organizations were being ignored, which would further increase communal tension in the state. The allegations and charges against the members were not minor but included riots in several areas including Mysore and Shivamogga.

In October 2022, the BJP again started a campaign to remind the public of this decision, stating that the Congress government had taken this decision against the opinion of the then DGP and Secretary of the Law Department. Congress general secretary Venugopal then gave a statement that there is no question of banning PFI. The decision was taken after Congress MLA Tanveer Sait wrote a letter to the government demanding the withdrawal of the cases.

‘Deal’ with PFI, problem with ‘Bajrang Dal’: Congress’ Jihadi mentality

The Congress had also struck a secret deal with the PFI and its student wing SDPI on several seats, under which they did not field candidates against the Congress in the 2018 assembly elections. Compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, PFI was spreading rapidly in Karnataka and it had also made a hitlist for killing big faces of Hindu religion. RSS leaders were their target. An entire community hall in Puttur was converted into an arms warehouse, which was also seized by the NIA later in the raids.

The Congress party which until yesterday used to deal with PFI and protect its members from the law, today is associating its name with PFI to defame ‘Bajrang Dal’. VHP has termed it as the Jihadi mentality of the party. Rahul Gandhi also had earlier said that Hindu organizations are more dangerous than the terrorists who had launched an attack on Mumbai in 2008. His party leader Digvijay Singh had termed the Mumbai attack as a conspiracy of the RSS.

This shows how deeply the Congress has sunk into its anti-Hindu mentality. The makers of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ are being compared to those who are engaged in the task of keeping society safe from Islamic fundamentalist ideology. PFI was spread in 17 states and the entire credit of this goes to the jihadi mentality of the Congress. The Congress, which calls ‘Bajrang Dal’ a terrorist organization without proof, should speak over the facts. It has been repeatedly been showing through such tactics that it is Rahul Gandhi’s party anyway.

Did Rana Ayyub speak at United Nations General Assembly? Not really. Here is what really happened

OpIndia Staff
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Did Rana Ayyub speak at United Nations General Assembly? Not really. Here is what really happened

On Tuesday (May 2), ‘journalist’ Rana Ayyub, who is a veteran propagandist peddling fictitious Muslim victimhood and fake news, took to Twitter to claim that she would be speaking at the United Nations General Assembly later in the day.

In a tweet (archive), she said, “Good Morning from the UN General Assembly. I will be speaking at 3 pm Eastern time. Democracy, journalism, free speech.”

The Washington Post columnist shrewdly gave the impression that she was somehow invited as a ‘speaker’ to address the diplomats of member-States at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Screengrab of the tweet by Rana Ayyub

As expected, her supporters descended on Ayyub’s Twitter timeline to congratulate the ‘journalist’ on her massive feat. “Rana you’re an inspiration. Keep good going. Love from Pakistan” wrote one user.

DailyO columnist, Arshad Khan, tweeted, ” Good morning Rana Ayyub…Thank you for sharing your speaking engagement at the UN General Assembly. It’s great to see leaders like you advocating for democracy, journalism, and free speech.”

“These are crucial pillars of a healthy society and must be protected at all costs. I encourage everyone to tune in at 3 pm eastern time to hear your insights on these important topics. Keep up the great work!” he further claimed.

“May god give you strength to speak load and clear,” another user wrote.

One Rafath said, “A voice a real value if it is given a platform like this to, wish you all the best. Right time and right platform to a right voice to raise further.”

What is the Truth?

While it is true that Rana Ayyub was indeed invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, it must be mentioned that the event was not organised by the United Nations.

Ayyub was one of the dozen speakers, who was invited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to celebrate the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.

As per the programme itinerary, the ‘journalist’ was part of a panel of 4 individuals including Sergiy Tomilenko (the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine), Liliane Landor (the Director of the BBC World Service) and Jose Zamora (the Chief communications and impact officer at Exile).

Screengrab of the UNESCO programme itinerary

The time allotted for the session was just 50 minutes. Contrary to the tweet of Rana Ayyub on Tuesday (May 2), the programme was not an exclusive event meant only for her to address the delegates (as evident from the image below).

“Good Morning from the UN General Assembly. I will be speaking at 3 pm Eastern time. Democracy, journalism, free speech,” The Washington Post columnist had posted.

Those who were present at the programme ranged from human rights advocates, press freedom activists, media leaders and journalists but not ambassadors or diplomats of Nation States.

Rana Ayyub during a panel discussion at UN General Assembly Hall

Although the event was organised at the Hall of the United Nations General Assembly, it was not hosted by the United Nations (an important aspect that Rana Ayyub cunningly avoided mentioning in her tweet.)

In another tweet posted on May 1, Rana Ayyub deliberately chose to omit the fact that she would be speaking as a part of a panel guest.

“Will speak about journalism, democracy and all that is urgent and important for the times we live in,” The Washington Post columnist wrote, suggesting that she is a keynote speaker of sorts at the event.

It must be mentioned that Rana Ayyub’s book on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which finds a mention in her speaker profile, has been junked by none other than the Supreme Court of India.

A habitual fake news peddler, Ayyub is now facing a probe for donation fraud. She had solicited money from the public in the name of Covid relief work but deposited it in her personal bank account and that of her family members.

Despite such dwindling credibility, she has been platformed by the likes of UNESCO to amplify her lies and half-truths before a global audience.

No home, no water: How Pakistani Hindu refugees are living in abysmal conditions in harsh summer after their houses got demolished in Jodhpur

OpIndia Staff
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No home, no water: How Pakistani Hindu refugees are living in abysmal conditions in harsh summer after their houses got demolished in Jodhpur

On April 24, Jodhpur Development Authority bulldozed the houses of Pakistani Hindus in Chokha village. While the migrant Hindus helplessly tried to save the roof on their heads, the administration continued the demolition and put their life at risk in the scorching summer heat. The Hindus have maintained they bought the land before building houses, but the administration claimed they had encroached on the land.

23-year-old Ramchandra Bhil is one of the migrant Hindus who escaped from Pakistan and reached India with the hope of a better future around four months ago. He was living in the Sanghar district of Sindh province in Pakistan. He came to India on a passenger visa. However, they have got a long-term visa to stay in India.

He walked for days before reaching Chokha village in district Jodhpur of Congress-ruled Rajasthan. He spent around Rs 70,000, his life savings, to buy a small piece of land to build a house and start living there. However, he and his fellow migrant Hindus from Pakistan are homeless with only a cot roof over their head.

These migrants escaped life full of atrocities and reached India with hope in their hearts, but their lives became worse after the bulldozers razed down their houses. They are now forced to live in temporary structures to save themselves from scorching heat. The children are unable to get food for one time, let alone water. Not to forget, the administration also demolished the only well that was saving them from thirst. Torn tarpaulins, empty utensils and their belonging scattered around was the scene after the so-called ant-encroachment drive.

Following the action taken by the administration, Swarajya magazine’s journalist Swati Goyal Sharma went to inquire about their condition. Ramchandra Bhil told her that he and his wife built the house with their lifetime earnings, and it has been razed down. They are forced to live under a cot-made roof in the scorching heat. They are forced to fetch water from far away as the well has been demolished too.

Mahna Ram Bhil, another migrant living at the site, came to India in 2013. He was also living in the Sindh province of Pakistan. He and his family now walk for several kilometres to fetch food and water. Speaking to Swati, he questioned where his family would go if they were not allowed to stay there. He urged the government to allow them to build a house.

Notably, other migrants are also hoping to rebuild their houses at the exact location. One of the enders, Chauthram, spoke to Swati and informed her about the scarcity of water. He said the migrant Hindus do not have water for drinking and other chores.

As per Swarajya’s report, while the houses of Hindus were razed down, the houses of Muslims still stand strong. The Pakistani migrant Hindus are forced to live in temporary tents made of bamboo and tarpaulin. During the demolition drive, one of the migrants, identified as Bhagchand Bhil, was arrested as he allegedly tried to instigate the people there. People are angry over his arrest. They questioned, “What was his mistake? He came here to have a better life. Was it his fault?”

When Swati was talking to the migrants, a Muslim identified as Furqan Khan Silawat from the nearby Muslim community came. He said, “We feel for these migrants. Did the Modi government bring the CAA bill only to create animosity between the two communities [Hindus and Muslims]? Why has he not given them a place to stay?” He introduced himself as a member of the minority wing of the Congress party.

Notably, a few years ago, the Rajasthan government allowed 1,700 plots to Pakistani Hindus in Chokha Gangana. However, to avail of the land, the Hindus must get citizenship of India. Most of the residents there came to India in 2013, but they could not avail of citizenship to date. Speaking to Swarajya, Dehraj Bhil, one of the migrants, said, “We keep going to the office and submitting our documents repeatedly. One day, it will happen, and we will have a permanent house.”

Not to forget, the government of India brought Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 to help such migrants. Those who came on or before December 31, 2014, would have benefitted from it. However, due to the misinformation and propaganda against the Act, there were violent protests nationwide. The propagandists claimed CAA was discriminatory to Muslims in India. However, Indian Muslims cannot get affected by CAA as they are already citizens of the country. Moreover, if a Muslim wants to take citizenship in India, he or she can follow the process under the law.

Following the anti-CAA protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Act could not be implemented. The centre is yet to frame rules. In a statement, Home Minister Amit Shah assured CAA would be implemented after the pandemic. In January this year, the centre extended the framing of rules for the seventh time for six months.

Communist SFI protests against screening of The Kerala Story in JNU, says it is ‘propaganda’ to hurt ‘secular ethos’

OpIndia Staff
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Communist SFI protests against screening of The Kerala Story in JNU, says it is ‘propaganda’ to hurt ‘secular ethos’

The much-awaited film The Kerala Story has created a buzz before its scheduled release on May 5. On Tuesday, May 2, the film was screened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) amidst protests by the leftists. The screening of The Kerala Story was organized by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). 

A tweet by ABVP JNU informing about the screening read, “Vivekananda Vichar Manch presents a premiere screening of “THE KERALA STORY” uncovering the reality of ‘Love Jihad’- forceful conversion, women trafficking & women exploitation on 2nd May 2023 at Auditorium-1, Convention Center, Jawaharlal Nehru University.”

According to the media reports, the screening of the Adah Sharma starrer was held by ABVP at 4 pm on Tuesday on the JNU premises. Meanwhile, the Student Federation of India (SFI) protested against the screening of The Kerala Story. It is notable that SFI is the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). 

SFI issued a statement and said, “The SFI-JNU unit strongly opposes and denounces the screening of this propaganda film as it would tarnish the fabric of the secular ethos.”

In a Tuesday morning tweet, SFI called The Kerala Story an RSS propaganda and claimed that the film is an attempt by the Sangh Parivar to polarise society by propagating ‘Islamophobia’.

It is notable that The Kerala Story—written and directed by Sudipto Sen is based on the true stories of thousands of girls from Kerala who were converted to Islam and sent to Syria to become ISIS terrorists and sex slaves.

Supreme Court refuses to stay the release of The Kerala Story 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of the film The Kerala Story. A bench comprising Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna observed that “there are various kinds of hate speeches. This movie has been cleared and certified by the board. If you want to contest the movie’s release, you should challenge the certification in High Court or an appropriate forum.”

Notably, senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Nizam Pasha had told the Supreme Court bench that this film is a “worst kind of hate speech” and an “audio-visual propaganda”.

The Kerala Story gets an ‘A’ certificate

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), commonly referred to as the censor board, has awarded the movie Kerala Story an ‘A’ certificate. CBFC has reportedly ordered the makers to delete and/or tweak ten scenes from the film that included an interview with a former Kerala Chief Minister who is supposed to be the Communist leader VS Achuthanandan.

Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle, if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the world: What Former Chief Justice of Nepal said

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle, if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the world: What Former Chief Justice of Nepal said

On May 1, former Chief Justice of Nepal Gopal Paranjali advocated making India a Hindu nation. He said if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the whole world.

Former CJN Paranjali visited temples in Govardhan, Mathura, with a delegation from Nepal. Prominent members of Pashupatinath Vikas Kosh Kathmandu Arjun Prasad Vastola and ten other people were part of the delegation.

Following their visit to the temples, Paranjali also met Shri Adya Shankaracharya Ashram and sought blessings from Peehadhishwar Swami Adhokshajanand Devtritha of Govardhanpuri.

During a discussion on Indo-Nepal relations, he mentioned that Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle. In such a situation, if India also becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the whole world. He added that it would make 178 crore Hindus worldwide feel proud and increase their self-confidence.

Arjun Prasad Vastola, who was part of the delegation, said that over 2500 years ago, Adya Shankaracharya established the Vedic Sanatan Culture that was destroyed by the heretics. Now once again, everyone will be benefited from the thoughts of Shankaracharya.

Vastola added that there are countries for Christians, Muslims and Buddhists Jews have a country for themselves. In such a situation, the world’s most populous country, India, should be declared a Hindu nation. Calling India a divine country, he added that the knowledge stream has always flowed here. Declaring India a Hindu nation would increase the self-confidence of Sanatanis worldwide, and it will be for the betterment of the world.

Notably, Nepal became a ‘secular’ country in 2008 after the success of the people’s movement of 2006, which led to the abolishment of the monarchy. Hinduism is the largest religion in Nepal. There have been calls to make Nepal a Hindu nation again. In February 2023, the former King of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, joined the campaign to reinstate the country as Hindu Kingdom.

Operation Kaveri: 12th flight carrying 230 Indian evacuees from Sudan departs from Jeddah for Mumbai

ANI
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Operation Kaveri: 12th flight carrying 230 Indian evacuees from Sudan departs from Jeddah for Mumbai

Under ‘Operation Kaveri’, the 12th flight carrying 231 stranded Indian evacuees, departed from Jeddah on a Mumbai-bound flight. 

“12th outbound flight departs from Jeddah. 231 passengers are heading to Mumbai,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday night, 328 more Indians landed at the New Delhi International Airport from strife-torn Sudan. Nearly 3,000 stranded Indians have reached India till now. 

“328 more passengers have landed in New Delhi. #OperationKaveri moving steadily forward as around 3000 have reached India now,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. 

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India started Operation Kaveri on April 24 and deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. 

Earlier on Tuesday, another ‘Operation Kaveri’ flight carrying 231 Indian evacuees reached Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Tuesday from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, Jaishankar said. 

“Another #OperationKaveri flight lands in Ahmedabad. 231 more passengers have reached home safely,” the EAM tweeted. Under Operation Kaveri, the 10th flight carrying Indian nationals left Jeddah earlier on Tuesday. 

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan has warned that the humanitarian crisis in the country is turning into a “full flown catastrophe” and that the risk of spillover into neighbouring countries was worrisome. 

“It has been more than two weeks of devastating fighting in Sudan, a conflict that is turning Sudan’s humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe,” Abdou Dieng, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, told a briefing of member states via video link. 

Fighting is underway in Khartoum as the UN warns that Sudan is at a humanitarian “breaking point”. Rival military forces accuse each other of new violations of a ceasefire that they had just agreed to extend as their devastating conflict enters a third week. 

Sudan continues to face bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Earlier, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday said that nearly 2300 evacuee Indians have reached the country. 

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

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