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As Congress vows to ban Bajrang Dal, SDPI, political wing of banned PFI, supports Congress in Karnataka to ‘defeat BJP’: Here is how

OpIndia Staff
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As Congress vows to ban Bajrang Dal, SDPI, political wing of banned PFI, supports Congress in Karnataka to ‘defeat BJP’: Here is how

On Wednesday, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) which is the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) declared that it would contest only 16 Assembly seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 in order to help Congress.

The SDPI had earlier said that it would field its candidates in 100 constituencies. However, today it decided to contest only 16 seats in the upcoming state elections. This is to help Congress in defeating the BJP. The decision taken by the SDPI reportedly comes a day after Congress released its manifesto for the elections and stated that it would impose a ban on Hindu organisations like Bajrang Dal.

The party 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’.

“We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations,” read the party manifesto.

SDPI national general secretary Elyas Thumbe confirmed the development to Times Now and said, “The initial plan was to contest 100 seats, we dropped the plan as the ground situation looks fertile for Congress to win and for BJP to lose the Karnataka Election 2023. We told our SDPI workers to go door to door and campaign for Congress and JD(S).”

SDPI had made covert alliance with Congress in 2018 elections also

It is interesting to note that the SDPI had made covert alliances with Congress in several seats to oust BJP from power during the Karnataka assembly elections of 2018. SDPI leader Ilyas Thumbe had revealed in March this year that SDPI in 2018 had taken back their candidates from more than 25 seats as a result of secret pacts with Congress. Congress also had withdrawn its candidacy from three constituencies with a Muslim majority for SDPI to contest. However, the Congress has denied any pact made with the Islamic organization.

Yesterday, the Hindu organisations slammed the grand old party for making such unconscionable remarks in its poll manifesto and comparing Bajrang Dal to the PFI. Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson of Vishva Hindu Parishad said that he was not completely surprised though as the remarks made by Congress were completely in sync with the party’s “Jihadi mindset.”

He further denounced the Congress for repeatedly seeking to humiliate Hindus in an effort to placate and pacify Islamists. He asserted that Congress had a track record of supporting jihadis and sheltering Islamist terrorists.

The VHP leader claimed that equating Bajrang Dal with PFI is the final nail in Congress’s coffin. “By making such reckless comments in the poll manifesto, the party has penned its own death warrant”, he said.

VHP stage protest in Delhi, seek withdrawal of promise to ban ‘Bajrang Dal’

The VHP members also staged protest outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi today and sought immediate withdrawal of the poll promise. PM Modi also took cognizance of the event and said that the Congress party had attempted to oppose Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman.

“See the misfortune that when I have come to pay my respect to Hanuman’s land, at the same time, the Congress in its manifesto has decided to lock up Lord Hanuman. Initially, they locked up Prabhu Shri Ram (Lord Ram). And now they want to lock up people who chant Jai Bajrang Bali,” PM Modi said while addressing an election rally in Karnataka.

Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka on May 10, 2023 to elect all 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on May 13, 2023.

Same-sex marriage row: Centre to set up a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary to address concerns of LGBTQIA+ community

OpIndia Staff
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Same-sex marriage row: Centre to set up a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary to address concerns of LGBTQIA+ community

On Wednesday, May 3, the Supreme Court was informed by the Union Government that a committee would be formed, led by the Cabinet Secretary, to tackle real-life issues affecting members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before a Constitution Bench hearing the same-sex marriage case said the government is positive on addressing the concerns raised by the LGBTQIA+ community.

“My friends [petitioners] can give me suggestions for their problems. The committee will go into them and try as far as possible and legally permissible to see they are addressed,” Mr Mehta said.

The government stated that the committee would be formed with the understanding that the challenges encountered by the community would be spread across various ministries.

A.M. Singhvi, counsel appearing for the petitioners, said the hearings should continue as the government has assured to only make administrative changes.

Mr Mehta, however, affirmed that changes that are legally permissible would be brought in.

A constitution bench of the top court has been hearing a batch of pleas seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India.

The batch of petitions has sought the recognition of same-sex marriages under the law, arguing that the right to marry a person of one’s choice should extend to LGBTQIA+ citizens as well.

The Central government has opposed the petitions.

Centre, in its affidavit, had opposed the plea seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage, saying that living together as partners by same-sex individuals, which is decriminalised now, is not comparable with the Indian family unit and they are clearly distinct classes that cannot be treated identically. 

The Centre has filed the affidavit countering the demand made by various petitioners seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. In the affidavit, Centre has opposed the plea and said that pleas seeking legal recognition of same-sex ought to be dismissed as there exists no merit in these petitions. 

Same-sex relationships and heterosexual relationships are clearly distinct classes that cannot be treated identically, the government said as its stand against the petition seeking legal recognition of LGBTQ marriage. 

However, the Supreme Court, during the hearing of the matter on April 27, said that the granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages is under the purview of the legislature but the court’s objective in hearing the case is to ensure that measures are devised to accord same-sex couples social and other benefits and legal rights without the label of marriage.

US-based digital media house Vice Media may soon file for bankruptcy: Report

OpIndia Staff
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US-based digital media house Vice Media may soon file for bankruptcy: Report

Days after it was reported that American ‘liberal’ media company Buzzfeed is shutting down its news division, it has been reported that Vice Media is reportedly prepping to file for bankruptcy. 

According to the New York Times, the company, whose holdings include Vice News, Motherboard, Refinery29, and Vice TV, has been in negotiations with at least five companies in an attempt to avert bankruptcy. 

Vice was valued at USD 5.7 billion in 2017 following an investment round from the private-equity company TPG. However, by most accounts, it is now only worth just a portion of that amount.

According to the NYT report, in the case of bankruptcy, Vice’s largest debtholder, Fortress Investment Group, could ultimately end up owning the company. With Fortress in the lead as the most likely acquirer, Vice would carry on operations as usual while conducting a 45-day auction to sell the company.

“Vice Media Group has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning. The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path for the company,” the company spokesperson told Reuters.

This comes just a week after the company announced the discontinuation of its popular Vice News Tonight show, which resulted in numerous layoffs. The company’s global operations restructuring affected its Asia-Pacific newsroom.

In March this year, an Indian journalist Pallavi Pundir working as a senior reporter at the Vice World News wrote an article sympathizing with the Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh. Pundir dubbed Amritpal who recently surrendered before the Punjab Police a “charismatic Sikh leader” and also downplayed his secessionist activities as a fight for “self-determination” for the Indian Sikhs.

Moreover, Vice India in January shared a photo of a “pure vegetarian” restaurant and tried to shame Indians for casteism over it and attack Hinduism. In their caption of the photo, Vice wrote, “Do eateries need to promote being #pureveg and, by doing so, do they uphold #casteist ideas and practices?”

However, OpIndia reported that the image of the “pure veg” restaurant Vice India shared was of a restaurant in an Islamic country—United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Recent convert Andrew Tate challenges people to desecrate Quran and social media gets flooded with people accepting the challenge: What started the fiasco

OpIndia Staff
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Recent convert Andrew Tate challenges people to desecrate Quran and social media gets flooded with people accepting the challenge: What started the fiasco

On May 1, former kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate who recently converted to Islam, challenged people to desecrate the Quran. He was irked by a video from SatanCon 2023 where a Satanist tore down Bible pages and chanted ‘hail Satan’. Tate said, “Try the Quran if you’re so brave :)”. The emoji he used at the end of the tweet gave the impression that he wanted to say if anyone tried the same with Quran, he or she would not be spared. However, it did not go well with the netizens.

The tweet by Andrew Tate that triggered the fiasco

Social media users accepted the “challenge” by Tate and started posting photographs and videos desecrating the Quran. They trended #AndrewTateQuranChallenge to post on the media. There were images of burnt Quran, pork and bacon placed on the open Quran, the holy book in the mouth of a pig and other derogatory imagery against the Quran.

SatanCon 2023

For those who are unaware, SatanCon is a formal ceremony that ‘renounces’ symbols of oppression by ripping up a Bible and a ‘Thin Blue Line’ flag that represents police. The video that Tate quoted showed a woman tearing up Quran and chanting ‘Hail Satan’. SatanCon 2023 was a three-day event that took place in Boston, USA. It was hosted at the Marriott Copley Place by the Satanic Temple. The event marked the 10-year anniversary of the Temple.

Andrew Tate converted to Islam

In December 2022, Andrew Tate, a former Orthodox Christian embraced Islam. Since then, his Muslim fan base has increased exponentially. Tate was arrested and jailed in Romania as part of a human trafficking and rape investigation. Tate’s residence in Bucharest, where he was held alongside his brother Tristan, was raided by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).

Interestingly, Tate was detained by the authorities, who seemingly tracked his social media accounts to discover his location after he engaged in a verbal brawl with Swedish environment activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg mocked Andrew Tate recently when the kickboxer included her in a tweet boasting about the significant emissions produced by his huge automobile collection. In response to his tweet, Greta Thunberg took the ‘small d*ck energy’ jibe at Andrew Tate.

Later on December 28, Tate took to Twitter to post a 2-minute video mocking Thunberg over her previous tweet. The kickboxer in the video could be seen enjoying cigars and Pizza from ‘Jerry’s Pizza’, a Romanian restaurant chain. Several social media accounts and media reports claim that the box of Pizza displayed in Tate’s video helped authorities ascertain that he was in Romania, which certainly led to his arrest.

Previous incidents of Quran burning

There have been several incidents in the past where Quran was desecrated or burnt. In January 2023, Dutch leader Edwin Wagensveld of the far-right group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) destroyed a copy of the Quran in the Netherlands before setting it on fire.

The incident occurred just a few days after a copy o Quran was burnt in Sweden during a protest against Turkey. A copy of the Quran was reportedly burnt in Sweden during protests against Turkey outside Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, was the one who burnt the copy of the Quran.

Sharad Pawar forms committee to choose next NCP chief, Dharashiv NCP leaders resign, workers cry, demand reconsideration of resignation: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Sharad Pawar forms committee to choose next NCP chief, Dharashiv NCP leaders resign, workers cry, demand reconsideration of resignation: Details

The veteran NCP leader who announced his resignation on May 2 has now organised a committee that will choose the next party leader. This has put a stop to widespread rumours that Ajit Pawar would take over immediately as the new chief of the party.

According to the reports, the 18 members included in the committee are Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, Jaydev Gaikwad, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Jitendra Whad, Hassan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Sunil Tatkare, Fauzia Khan, K K Sharma, Dheeraj Sharma, P C Chacko and Sonia Duhan.

The committee is slated to decide the next party chief from the names that will be recommended by Sharad Pawa himself. This is a day after Ajit Pawar stated that senior Pawar would reconsider his decision from resigning as the party chief.

“I am resigning from the post of the national president of NCP. It’s time for a new generation to guide the party and the direction it intends to take,” Sharad Pawar said on May 3 adding that a committee shall decide who should be given the responsibility of the NCP chief’s post.

As per the reports, the NCP chief would be one of the five names that have been recommended by former NCP chief Sharad Pawar. These five recommendations include Praful Patel, Rajya Sabha MP, Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha MP, Ajit Pawar, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly, and NCP MLAs Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil

Sharad Pawar yesterday resigned from the post of NCP chief at the relaunch event of his book ‘Lok Maze Sangati’. The 82-year-old served as NCP’s President for 24 years between 1999 and 2003. During the event, he said, “The people of Maharashtra have supported me and showed immense love and respect for me. NCP was formed in 1999. We all know how it was formed and what happened. I have dedicated 24 years of my life working as the chief of the party.”

“My public life began on May 1, 1960. It’s been 63 years today and I was part of the major ruling political events in the State for about 56 years. I won’t contest any more elections but will keep working for the betterment of the State and the nation. I won’t take any other responsibility hereafter,” Pawar added.

“After 63 years, I think I need to stop somewhere. After having the opportunity to serve the public for so many years of my life, you all may feel disappointed to know that I am resigning from the post of the national president of NCP,” he announced on May 2.

Soon after the announcement, NCP leaders who had gathered for the book launch event protested against Pawar’s decision and demanded he take back his resignation. Many leaders including Jitendra Awhad, Praful Patel, Dilip Walse Patil and also daughters of Nawab Malik cried and said that NCP would not function properly without him. Several other leaders also said that they would tender their resignations and would quit food and water if Sharad Pawar fails to take back his resignation.

Eventually, Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar supported Pawar in his decision and tried to convince the other NCP workers and leaders to respect his decision. They assured that Pawar would only run the party just the chief will be changed.

Notably, the update by Republic TV revealed that NCP leaders from Dharashiv have tendered their resignation from the party and have asked Sharad Pawar to reconsider his decision. The NCP workers and leaders believe that the ‘smooth functioning’ of the party will be disturbed if Sharad Pawar discontinues to be the chief of the party.

Mohammed Shami’s estranged wife moves SC seeking lift stay on his arrest, alleges he had sex with prostitutes in BCCI hotel rooms, demanded dowry

OpIndia Staff
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Mohammed Shami’s estranged wife moves SC seeking lift stay on his arrest, alleges he had sex with prostitutes in BCCI hotel rooms, demanded dowry

The Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami’s estranged wife, Hasin Jahan, has petitioned the Supreme Court to reopen the criminal case against him stemming from allegations of dowry demand and domestic abuse and to withdraw the stay placed on the athlete’s arrest by a sessions court.

Jahan said before the Supreme Court that Shami frequently demanded dowry from her and that he had extramarital affairs.

Shami was mandated to pay Jahan alimony in the amount of 50,000 per month by a Kolkata court in January of this year. The arrest warrant for Shami was delayed in 2019 by a West Bengal sessions court. Additionally, it had stayed Shami’s criminal trial.

Jahan then petitioned the Calcutta High Court, which again rejected the argument, leading to the current argument before the Supreme Court. In the court filing, Shami was accused of engaging in sexual affairs with prostitutes, especially during his BCCI tours, in the hotel rooms.

Jahan said that Shami used his second mobile phone to coordinate all of his business dealings with prostitutes and that the Lal Bazaar Police in Kolkata had taken the phone in connection with the current incident. “However, Shami still continues to be involved in sexual activities with prostitutes,” the plea said.

According to the plea, Shami has not appeared before the trial court and has not even requested bail for the previous four years that the trial has been postponed. The plea was filed through advocate Deepak Prakash, assisted by advocates Nachiketa Vajpayee and Divyangna Malik.

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

Anurag
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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.

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