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Did the Olympics really ‘reserve’ Gold Medals for protesting Indian wrestlers?

OpIndia Staff
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Did the Olympics really ‘reserve’ Gold Medals for protesting Indian wrestlers?

On April 29, a screenshot allegedly from the Olympics started making rounds on social media platforms. It was claimed that the Olympics had kept aside a few medals for the protesting wrestlers so they could take them home without competing.

Tweet claiming Olympics keep aside medals for protesting wrestlers to take home without competing. Source: WA

The screenshot read, “We have been closely monitoring the protests by wrestlers in India, and it has been conveyed to us that they want a direct entry in the Olympic games without playing at national level and medical clearance. Hence, the international Olympic committee has decided to keep a few gold medals reserved for the Phogat sisters, which they can take home without playing any game at the Olympics.”

The screenshot, however, was a fake. OpIndia checked the timeline of the Olympics’ Twitter handle and did not find any such tweet.

 The origin of the sarcastic tweet

The origin of the sarcastic tweet is the statement that the protesting wrestlers have made. Notably, the wrestlers who are protesting claiming the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexually harassed the athletes. In several statements during the protests, they demanded direct entry to the Olympics without competing for the nationals. Ideally, athletes who compete at the national level should get a chance to show their potential on the international platform.

The issue between the federation and athletes has been boiling up for a long time as these international players want direct entry into the Olympics and other international competitions, without competing in the nationals which is being opposed. In a recent statement, Vignesh Phogat said a separate federation for wrestlers in Haryana has been created and none of the protesting wrestlers would compete in nationals. She claimed they are ready to compete at the Olympics directly.

The protests against WFI President

On April 28 the Delhi police told the Supreme Court that it is ready to file an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, amid a second round of protests by several wrestlers demanding action against him alleging sexual harassment. Wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment and intimidation. After the hearing in the Supreme Court, the wrestlers demanded that the WFI president be put in jail and the protest will continue until this happens.

PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat brought about behavioural changes in people, read how the radio show impacted Indians

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PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat brought about behavioural changes in people, read how the radio show impacted Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ made brought about a “behavioural change” among people with the kind of exchanges with the listeners during the show, Dr Amit Kapoor, Chairman, Institute for Competitiveness, said on Saturday. 

Kapoor said that the Prime Minister made conversations with the people on the issues which mattered to the citizens. Kapoor was speaking on the report on the impact of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), Axis My India and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

“It made a very huge sense for us to understand the impact it creates, we found unique things as we went along. We saw behavioural change in people with the kind of conversations that PM Modi made with the people. About 100 crore people heard these conversations. These conversations discussed topics that mattered to citizens,” he said while speaking to ANI. 

‘Axis My India’ was the knowledge partner, the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) the research partner of the report and the research was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Pradeep Gupta, founder and CMD of ‘Axis My India’ which was the knowledge partner in the research, said that the issues impacting the people due to PM Modi’s interaction varied from place to place. 

“It was a different kind of study in itself as we had to know what kind of changes Mann Ki Baat made in the lives of the people. Different issues had impact on different places. For example, in Madhya Pradesh’s village of Betul, people were initially not ready to get themselves vaccinated. But when PM Modi interacted with them directly about it. The villagers had their own concept of why they were not taking the vaccines. But within a few days of the Prime Minister’s interaction, every villager got vaccinated and benefitted,” Gupta told ANI. 

He said that the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat which will be aired at 11 am today will create more awareness among people. 

“The 100th episode will create more awareness among people. Listening is one thing, being impacted is another, and the third thing is change. I think more people would start making the change when they listen to the episodes of Mann Ki Baat,” he said. 

Speaking to ANI, Archana Vyas, Deputy Director, Policy, Communications & Behavioural Insights, at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said with Axis My India and IFC as partners, they looked back at all the episodes of Mann Ki Baat. 

“A thorough analysis was done about the themes that have been highlighted by the Prime Minister and there was tracing back of people to see if it did really generate any impact,” she said. 

Vyas said Mann ki Baat has reached to both urban and rural populations. 

“There are two or three things which have stood out in the research. One, it is a unique platform which has reached out to both rural and urban populations effectively. The use of traditional as well as digital platforms has been unique and transformational. Nearly 100 crore people have actually watched at least one of the episodes of Mann Ki Baat. It is a case study,” she said. 

“Second – it has spurred community action. We have seen through the case studies that communities have taken action on the clarion call of the Prime Minister. This community action can be sustainable because of community adoption,” she added. 

The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister’s Office in May.

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

Brutal working hours fuels anger among Chinese workers: Report

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Brutal working hours fuels anger among Chinese workers: Report

The dissatisfied and angry Chinese working population over forced overtime issue are venting their emotions on social media and criticizing their leaders, according to the Indo-Pacific Centre for Strategic Communications (IPCSC).

As per the publication, the workers had criticized their leaders on social media for forcing them to work overtime and in many cases without any remuneration. Many Chinese companies are mostly accused of violating labour laws, which was the 1995 law that limits the work week to five days. 

The companies routinely defrauded the workers’ wages and fired them if they try to organize a union, forced them to work double shifts, and denied them benefits that are promised to them. Female workers are sexually harassed by their bosses. 

This has become a never-ending problem for Chinese workers. Several fraudulent training programs and numerous scams are prevalent in China that are aimed at cheating the poor and naive or even kidnapping women into prostitution, reported IPCSC. Migrant workers are often hired at the bus and train stations by recruiters who promise them good wages which often don’t materialize. 

Though China has clear regulations on overtime work, rest and vacation, they are hardly implemented in letter and spirit on the ground. 

The “Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China” implemented in 1995 stipulates that the daily working hours of labourers shall not exceed 8 hours, and the average weekly working hours shall not exceed 44 hours, and emphasizes that “workers shall have the right to rest and vacation.” 

In terms of overtime work, the law stipulates that generally, it shall not exceed 1 hour per day; if it is necessary to extend the working hours due to special reasons, the extended working hours shall not exceed 3 hours per day under the condition of ensuring the health of the workers, but it shall not exceed 36 hours per month, IPCSC reported. 

At the same time, if the employer arranges overtime work, it shall pay overtime pay to the labourer in accordance with the relevant state regulations. 

Though on paper, Chinese labour laws might look favourable to employees, in reality, it is mostly state-owned enterprises that are found to be violating labour laws. 

The publication suggests that Beijing need to pay heed to the demand for basic facilities of its working population. Mounting dissatisfaction among the working class does not augur well for China which is already facing a resource crunch as is evident from the downslide of its economy. 

Moreover, Beijing must keep in mind that it is bound to obey international labour laws and guarantee universal basic human rights to all its citizens, as per the report in IPCSC. 

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

Historic 100th for PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat monthly radio address to nation, to go global as UN headquarters in New York to broadcast live

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Historic 100th for PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat monthly radio address to nation, to go global as UN headquarters in New York to broadcast live

The 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ will be broadcast today with lakhs of people expected to listen to the popular programme in different parts of the world. 

It will be a historic moment with the 100th episode also to be broadcast live in the United Nations headquarters in New York. The programme, which started on October 3, 2014, has become a key pillar of the government’s citizen-outreach programme addressing multiple social groups such as women, youth, and farmers and has spurred community action. 

Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, Mann Ki Baat is broadcast in 11 foreign languages including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari and Swahili. Mann Ki Baat is being broadcast by more than 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio. 

Studies have shown that over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, it speaks directly to people, celebrates grassroots-level changemakers and achievements of people and has influenced people towards positive actions. 
The research report identified five key themes associated with Mann Ki Baat, cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability. 

The BJP has planned massive outreach to make the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat a memorable occasion. Sources said the party is planning to organise facilities in every assembly constituency of the country for people to listen to the programme. 

The programme will be telecast live by Doordarshan in Raj Bhavans across the country. The Raj Bhavan in Mumbai will host citizens from Maharashtra who have been mentioned by the Prime Minister in previous editions of Mann Ki Baat along with other eminent personalities from the state. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended the valedictory session of the National Conclave on Mann Ki Baat @100 on Wednesday, said that Mann Ki Baat is a unique experiment that has strengthened the foundation of democracy in the country. 
The event, which was also attended by Union Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnav and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur marked the release of a stamp and coin commemorating 100 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. 

Shah said that people had almost forgotten All India Radio due to changing times and different mediums of communication, but Prime Minister connected the young generation through Mann Ki Baat and gave a new lease of life to All India Radio. He said that PM Modi took All India Radio to every home and village of the country. 

He said the programme has provided a platform for the expression of the country’s positive energy and creative power. He said PM Modi has brought the mantra of democracy to the grassroots through 99 episodes of Mann Ki Baat. 

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday released Coffee Table Book ‘My Dear Fellow Citizens…’. The book, brought out by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, presents glimpses of over 100 inspiring stories, mentioned by PM Modi in the radio programme. He also released a book “Collective Spirit, Concrete Action”, authored by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO, Prasar Bharati, which describes the impact of the programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on the nation. 

Dhankhar, who was speaking at the national conclave ‘Mann Ki Baat @ 100’ in New Delhi, said the programme reached every nook and corner of the country and is unparalleled in reach and popularity. He also credited the program for giving recognition and brand value to local art and artisans, and for generating a market space for them. 

The Vice President said that as ‘Mann Ki Baat’ completes its 100th episode, it will be the foundation to ‘India @ 100’. He said that India will be at the top of the world when it will celebrate the centenary of Independence in 2047. 

Dhankhar said Mann Ki Baat gave a huge impetus to flagship initiatives of the government such as Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and turned them into mass movements. He added that the PM’s addresses on the show were a ‘beacon of positivity’ to the nation during the COVID pandemic. 

Noting that the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be a historic milestone, Dhankhar lauded the programme for serving as an effective platform to popularise and bring to the mainstream the culture and festivals of the northeast and other states. 
India’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations said the 300th episode of Man Ki Baat will go live in Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters. 

“Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat”[?] is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ! #MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in ‘s developmental journey,” India’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations said in a tweet. 

Tourism Ministry has decided to celebrate the 100th Episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ through its Yuva Tourism Clubs. 

Tourism has been mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from time to time in the programme. Tourism Ministry proposes to undertake a special initiative of “100 Episodes of Mann ki Baat – 100 days of Action” through the Yuva Tourism Clubs. 

Culture Ministry has taken up three unique initiatives to mark the completion of the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat. 

It is celebrating it through state-of-the-art projection mapping shows at 13 iconic locations including ASI monuments located across the country commencing on April 29. 

The projection on each of the monuments will showcase the history, architectural importance and distinctiveness of the region highlighting the diversity of India on the lines of diverse topics and themes addressed by the Prime Minister in his show Mann Ki Baat. 

Culture Ministry, in collaboration with NGMA, has curated an immersive experience though an art exhibition called the Jana Shakti, which will be inaugurated on April 30. It will showcase paintings by 12 renowned artists. 

The third key initiative of the Culture Ministry involves the publication of the Amrit Chitra comics which will highlight the heroic stories of the common people mentioned by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat. It will present the experiences and the exceptional and good work done by these heroes in a story format. 

A special study conducted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) found that 76 per cent of the Indian mediapersons believe that Mann Ki Baat has played a significant role in introducing the “real Bharat” to the countrymen. 
The programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of the things in other parts of the country and they have started appreciating them. 

Seventy-five per cent of the respondents felt that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has emerged as a platform, which introduces grassroots innovators working selflessly to ensure a significant difference in the lives of people living in remote areas of India. 

Another survey by IIM Rohtak said that Mann Ki Baat has reached 100 crore listeners 

It said there were 23 crore regular listeners of Mann Ki Baat and 96 per cent of population was aware of the radio programme. 
The powerful and decisive leadership of PM Modi and emotional connect with audience were cited as reasons for popularity of the programme by the listeners, the survey said. 

Another research identified cleanliness and sanitation, health, wellness, water conservation, and sustainability as key themes of Mann Ki Baat. 

It said the programme highlights government and citizen action in these priority areas and in turn, encourages listeners to establish or participate in “changemaking” initiatives in their own communities with the aim to have a lasting and sustainable impact on lives of people and for the country. 

The report said that Mann Ki Baat speaks directly to people and celebrates their achievements within– and beyond– their communities. The programme celebrates grassroots-level changemakers. 

The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be broadcast on Sunday. The programme started on October 3, 2014, months after Narendra Modi took over the Prime Minister’s Office in May. 

The research report cited instances of people being “moved to action” after listening to Mann Ki Baat programme. 

The research looked at what makes Mann ki Baat unique. 

“Real application of nudge theory; over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once; conversational, personal tone and practical subject matter make the programme feel more relevant, contextual and accessible to its audience; inclusion of all and encourages citizen action to bring about social and economic change; and it highlights key public-policy interventions related to the themes it covers in the episode,” the report said. 

“The programme addressed multiple social groups– “women,” “youth,” and “farmers”– and emphasized on topics such as “cleanliness,” “Yoga,” “water,” “conservation,” “innovation,” “technology,” and “environment,” the report said. 

According to the report, the ethos of Mann Ki Baat is 5Cs – Citizen Engagement, Catalysing Collective Actions, Cultural Commitment, Connecting with the Wider Masses and Celebrating Changemakers. 

Mann Ki Baat is broadcast on last Sunday of every month.

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

AAP MLA Abdul Rehman and his wife Asma convicted by a Delhi court for assaulting school principal Razia Begum in 2009

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AAP MLA Abdul Rehman and his wife Asma convicted by a Delhi court for assaulting school principal Razia Begum in 2009

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Saturday convicted a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Seelampur constituency Abdul Rehman, for criminally intimidating and assaulting a Government School Principal in the year 2009. He is a MLA from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal in the judgement passed on Saturday convicted MLA Abdul Rehman and another accused Asma under offences for Assault/ criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and Criminal Intimidation with common Intention. Court said, “having carefully considered the entire case, the documents placed on record, the police report, the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, the statement of accused persons, the arguments advanced by both the sides and the provisions of law and the rule of procedure, this court holds that the prosecution has successfully proved its case, beyond reasonable doubts, against accused Asma that she caused simple hurt on the person of a public servant in discharge of her duties”.

The prosecution has further proved beyond reasonable doubt that both the accused persons i.e.Abdul Rehman and Asma, in furtherance of their common intention, criminally intimidated the complainant and assaulted her, while she was holding the office of the public servant and was in discharge of her duties as a public servant, to deter her from discharging her duties, said the Court.

Accordingly, both the accused are hereby convicted for the offences under section 353, 506 (Para II) read with sections 34 IPC and additionally, the accused Asma is hereby separately convicted for the offence under section 332 of IPC, Court said in the order.

According to the Police, the complaint of Razia Begum, who at the time of the incident was employed as a Government Servant, working under the Directorate of Education and on the date of the alleged incident she was holding the post of Principal of a Government School. As per the complainant, on 04.02.2009 while performing duties as a Principal of SKV School, Jafrabad, Delhi, she was slapped by the accused Asma, thus causing simple hurt to the complainant.

It was further alleged that the co-accused Abdul Rehman alongwith a few other persons, barged into the school after having made preparation of causing hurt. As per the complainant, the accused persons also threatened to kill her and also abused her with the intention to outrage her modesty.

In the matter, a charge sheet was filed in the court. On the basis of the charge sheet and annexed documents, cognizance of offences was taken and the accused persons were summoned to face trial. After hearing the parties, the charge of offences under sections 451, 323, 506, 509 and 34 of IPC was framed against the accused persons, to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, noted the court.

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

Mumbai: A woman named Farzana Irfan Sheikh shot dead by a father-son duo in an alleged scuffle between two families

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: A woman named Farzana Irfan Sheikh shot dead by a father-son duo in an alleged scuffle between two families

On Saturday, 29th April 2023, a 31-year-old Muslim woman named Farzana Irfan Sheikh was shot dead in the Mankhurd area of Mumbai. the incident took place during a scuffle between two families.

On April 29, in the evening, a scuffle broke out between two families in the Indira Nagar Mandal area of Mankhurd in Mumbai. An unidentified assailant shot Fatima Irfan Sheikh in her chest from point-blank range. The victim woman was taken to the Rajawadi Hospital of Ghatkopar where she was declared brought dead.

Mumbai police informed, “A woman, namely Farzana Irfan Sheikh died in firing in the Mankhurd area. A scuffle broke out between 2 families & firing took place. CCTV footage is being checked, and efforts to arrest the accused are underway.”

According to the police, the incident took place in Mankhurd area of ​​Mumbai at around 6:35 pm today. Two persons, Sonu Singh (age 55) and his son Atis Singh (25), are named as accused. They fled from the spot after shooting the woman. Senior police officers reached the crime scene to probe the incident. Police are probing the CCTV footage and gathering information about the accused. It is still unclear why and why the woman was shot.

Claims were also made on social media that the sister of the victim woman was earlier raped by the group of attackers. A Twitter user Advocate Sidique Ashif Husain posted, “A 25-year-old girl was shot dead in Mankhurd, thrice she was shot and assaulted by swords. The irony is a few weeks ago her younger sister (minor) was gang raped by the same persons and Mankhurd p.s refused to register c.r of rape against them.”

Further investigation into this case is going on.

Mumbai’s iconic Eros Theatre is being renovated, not demolished, say reports after rumours of demolition

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai’s iconic Eros Theatre is being renovated, not demolished, say reports after rumours of demolition

Today it was widely reported that the iconic Eros Theatre in Mumbai is being torn down, evoking emotion among netizens who shared their fond memories of enjoying movies at the iconic theatre. Several netizens had posted photographs of Eros Theatres covered in fabric, claiming that it is being demolished. But now it has been revealed that the building is not being demolished, but it is being renovated, and that’s why it has been covered.

Times of India reported that it has exclusively learnt that Eros is under renovation and hence the covers over the building. “The threatre will soon be restored to its former glory,” the TOI report said.

Similarly, Live Mint also said that the news of demolition was a rumour, saying that Eros Theatre in Mumbai’s Churchgate is being renovated. “The iconic Mumbai theatre isn’t being demolished but only being renovated,” the Mint reported.

Earlier, several media houses reported that the iconic theatre is being demolished, based on tweets by netizens. The most prominent among them was Screenwriter Apurva Asrani, who shared a picture of the theatre completely covered up. He tweeted, “Heartbreaking to see #ErosTheatre being torn down. This South Bombay Art Deco landmark, built in 1938, was was where I bunked college to go to. It’s where I went on my first date & where my first film #Satya released in ’98. Sad that Mumbai can’t preserve its heritage buildings.”

Following that, Twitterati expressed anguish over the development and shared their memories of Eros Theatre. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri wrote, “Each time a single screen theatre is torn down, a piece of my childhood dies. 4 of my films released here. Watched hundreds of films, specially Matinee shows of world films. But then I also understand practicality and viability….. #Nostalgia”

Filmmaker Onir also responded to Apurva’s tweet and criticised “whoever chose to take over this landmark building and demolish it”. He also appealed the state government to stop the demolition.

Several other people posted similar tweets, disappointed over the reported demolition of the iconic theatre. However, now it is being reported that the reports of demolition are incorrect. Later Apurva Asrani also posted another saying the many saying that it is just being renovated, and some saying that they will keep the facade and rebuild the rest.

However, he was unwilling to completely believe them, talking about ‘real estate hunger’. He tweeted, “But with real estate hunger, you never know. I think public outcry is important for them to know that we are watching.”

Eros was built in 1938, and it was considered one of Bombay’s luxury cinemas with a capacity to seat around 1,200 people. It was built in the Art Deco architectural style which was known as Bombay Deco, as opposed to Gothic and Victorian style which was popular under British rule. The Eros building located at the junction of Maharshi Karve Road and Jamshetji Tata Road at Churchgate is a Grade II-A heritage building.

The single-screen theatre closed in 2017 due to poor ticket sales as people stopped going to old movie theatres, preferring modern multiplexes. A 2018 report by Mumbai Mirror states that there was a plan to reopen the theatre with some modifications. The report stated that the Cambata family, which owns the space, planned to turn the theatre’s lobby and stall section into a department store and the balcony into a 300-seat theatre.

However, after that, the building was attached by the administration after the inability of the Cambata family to clear the dues of the employees of Cambata Aviation, a ground-handling business at the Mumbai international airport owned by the family.

Siddaramaiah-led Congress govt was the most corrupt regime in the state: Karnataka CM Bommai

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Siddaramaiah-led Congress govt was the most corrupt regime in the state: Karnataka CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday lashed out at Congress and said that the Congress Government led by Siddaramaiah was the most corrupt government in the state.

Speaking at the BJP election rally in Humnabad which was held under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bommai said, “Congress leaders termed the Lingayats as corrupt. But the reality is that the Congress Government led by Siddaramaiah was the most corrupt government.”

Reacting to the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark of ‘a poisonous snake’ about PM Modi, Bommai said, “Kharge made an atrocious statement against PM Modi, the meaning of Narendra Modi is ‘defeat’ of the Congress Party”.

At the BJP election rally in Humnabad CM Bommai welcomed PM Modi and said that the first and foremost duty of the democracy was to treat everyone equally which the Congress Party did not do to date.

“But the incumbent BJP government is treating all the communities equally,” he added.

Highlighting the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, Bommai said, “PM has been giving 10 kg of rice to each poor person in the country and the Government of India has sanctioned 13 lakh houses to the State. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, drinking water was given to 40 lakh houses.”

“As part of the Kisan Sanman scheme, Rs 16000 crore had been disbursed among 54 lakh farmers. Textile parks have been given which would create around one lakh jobs. The people of Bidar district must vote for the BJP candidates in all the constituencies,” he added.

The BJP is seeking a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in returning to power with a full majority.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.

‘Why do you roam around with a kaafir, there are so many Muslims’: Islamists in Ahmedabad harass a Muslim girl over her Hindu friend

OpIndia Staff
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‘Why do you roam around with a kaafir, there are so many Muslims’: Islamists in Ahmedabad harass a Muslim girl over her Hindu friend

Recently, many videos have surfaced in which Muslim girls have been stalked and harassed by Muslim men for talking to Hindu youth. Now, a similar video has surfaced from the Muslim-dominated Juhapura area of Ahmedabad in which Muslim youths are seen harassing a hijab-clad Muslim for talking to a Hindu youth.

In the viral video, it can be seen that earlier some Muslim youths are chasing a young woman sitting behind a young man who is driving a two-wheeler vehicle. Later, the young Muslim woman is stopped by Muslims who harass the girl with abusive talks as they preach the girl to find friends within the same community rather than befriending any ‘kafir’.

Mohammad Firozalam Mohammad Samsher who posted this video on Twitter, wrote in the caption, “Look at this incident from Ahmedabad’s Juhapura 100 feet road near Amber Tower. See how your Muslim girls don’t lose their dignity when you explain to them.”

As can be heard in the video, the Muslim youths surrounded this Muslim girl going alone on the road and talked to her in a very loud voice. On the other hand, when the Muslim youth making the video asked the Muslim girl her name, father’s name and address, the girl answered him very calmly.

Later, the Muslim man asked her in a harsh tone why she was sitting behind the Hindu youth on his scooter and why she hugged him. The girl then replied to him that he is her school friend and what is wrong with hugging a friend.

The Muslim youth then abused the Muslim girl and said, “Even though there are so many Muslims, you are roaming around with kaafirs. Other Muslim girls get spoilt because of people like you. I am so angry that I can kill that Hindu youth.”

This video has been going viral on social media since April 28. Many people are also expressing their views about this video. Most people are condemning the way Muslim youths are harassing that Muslim girl. OpIndia does not confirm where this video is from.

Journalist Vijay Patel tweeted, “Hello, RJ Sayema, Arfa Khanum Sherwani. Please speak up for this girl. She was harassed just because of having a non-Muslim friend! You can also hear voices from the background which advocate physical attacks on this girl. You can also learn from where this guy gets fake information!”

Another Twitter handle @warriorbeast73 posted, “Hijab-clad Muslim girl harassed and abused by Muslim youths for befriending Hindu man. (Visala road,jahapura,ahamdabad.)”

@BefittingFacts tweeted, “Another video of a Hijabi girl being harassed and stalked by a man of her own community for talking to his school friend. The girl turned out to be brave.”

Another Twitter user @Theintrepid tweeted a part of this video and wrote, “‘Why you’re Hugging Hindu Man?’ ‘He is a classmate, We’re Friends’ Another Muslim girl bullied by her own community people.”

Dr Amit Manohar tweeted, “Urgent! Islamists are threatening to kill a Hindu boy in Juhapura, Ahmedabad.”

A Twitter user named @Aalap79 tagged police officials and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi, and asked, “Is this kind of hooliganism acceptable in Juhapura? Why shouldn’t legal action be taken by noticing the atrocities on women?”

It is worth mentioning that recently many such cases have been reported from different parts of the country in which Muslim youth are targeting such Muslim girls who are friends with Hindu youths.

On April 16, a situation of communal tension had arisen in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, due to the ruckus made by Islamic fundamentalists over a Muslim girl befriending Hindu youths. The local administration had to impose Section 144. The ruckus started when a Muslim girl had gone to a cafe with Hindu youths. Some local Muslims reached the cafe and created a ruckus misbehaving with the girl. Hindu boys were beaten up and abducted. The girl was later forced to file a case of molestation against the Hindu boys. Stones were also pelted at the police station.

5 women officers commissioned into Indian Army’s Artillery Regiment for the first time, Galwan hero’s wife becomes Army officer

OpIndia Staff
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5 women officers commissioned into Indian Army’s Artillery Regiment for the first time, Galwan hero’s wife becomes Army officer

Five women officers have been commissioned into the Indian Army’s Regiment of 1, a first in Indian military history, and three of them have been assigned to frontline formations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt Pious Mudgil, and Lt Akanksha have joined the Army’s top artillery regiments after successfully finishing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. Three of the five female officers are assigned to units stationed near China’s borders while the other two are placed in challenging locations close to Pakistan’s border.

The Regiment of Artillery is a significant combat support unit that consists of about 280 units that operate different artillery gun systems, such as Bofors howitzers, Dhanush, M-777 howitzers, and K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns.

According to the sources, the young female officers are being assigned to various types of important artillery units, where they will receive the necessary training and experience to operate rockets, field surveillance and target acquisition (SATA) systems, and other important tools under trying circumstances.

Lt Saini has been commissioned into a SATA regiment, Lt Dubey and Lt Yadav have been assigned to field regiments, Lt Mudgil has been assigned to a medium regiment, and Lt Akanksha has been assigned to a rocket regiment.

The appointment of female officers into the Regiment of Artillery is evidence of the Indian Army’s progressive development. Gen Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, made the decision to place female officers into artillery divisions in January. Later, the government agreed to the proposal.

“The Indian Army has expanded the role of women by allowing women officers into the Regiment of Artillery. Five Women Officers have joined the Regiment of Artillery after successful completion of training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on April 29,” a source stated.

As per a representative, female officers face the same possibilities and difficulties as their male counterparts. After completing their training at the OTA, 19 male officers were also commissioned into the artillery battalions. On Saturday, the OTA held it’s passing out procession.

“The culmination of the passing out parade was the moment of commissioning, when the young women cadets took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and received their rank insignia, signifying their entry into the Regiment of Artillery,” an official remarked.

Senior military commanders, including Lt Gen Adosh Kumar, Colonel Commandant, and the Director General of Artillery (Designate), as well as dignitaries and the families of the newly commissioned officers, were present at the ceremony.

“This significant event marked a major milestone in the journey of women officers in the Indian Army, who have been breaking barriers to serve their country with valour and distinction,” he asserted.

The Army started the process of integrating women into the military police in 2019. The military police’s responsibilities include maintaining order in army installations and cantonments, stopping soldiers from breaking laws and regulations, ensuring logistics are maintained for both peace and war and providing assistance to civil police as needed.

Captain Shiva Chauhan, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, was assigned to a frontline post in Siachen Glacier in January. This was the first operational deployment of a female officer to the highest battlefield in the world.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Cadet Rekha Singh, the wife of the late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, a hero in Galwan, was inducted into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. She graduated from the Officers Training Academy in Chennai after completing her training, and she has since been assigned to a frontline base along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Deepak Singh was one of the 20 brave Indian soldiers killed in a skirmish with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley in June 2020, and he was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra for his heroism in November 2021.

“After my husband passed away I decided to join Indian Army and started preparing for it. Today my training has been completed and I have become a lieutenant. I am feeling very proud and I would like to advise all the women candidates out there to believe in themselves and do whatever they want to do without thinking about what others will say,” the newly appointed officer mentioned.

Deepak had been married to Rekha for 15 months when he and 19 other troops were martyred in the clash with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020.

186 cadets, including five gentlemen cadets and 24 women cadets from Bhutan, completed their training at the Officers Training Academy. A military parade at the Parameshwaran Drill Square of Officers Training Academy, Chennai marked the passing out ceremony of the officers on Saturday. A total of 121 Gentlemen Cadets and 36 Women Cadets Courses got commissioned into various Arms and Services of the Indian Army. Bangladesh Army General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed was the reviewing officer for the ceremony.

The newly commissioned officers, donning their ranks and regimental accoutrements, swore allegiance to the country and the Constitution of India, committing to ‘Serve with Honour’ to safeguard the Honour of the country.

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