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Plea filed in Patna HC challenging amendment of Bihar Prison Manual which facilitated the release of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh

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Plea filed in Patna HC challenging amendment of Bihar Prison Manual which facilitated the release of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh

The amendment of Bihar Prison Manual 2012, according to which the convicts who have served 14 or 20 years in jail could now be released, is “arbitrary and unreasonable”, an advocate who filed a plea in the Patna High Court against the government’s move said on Thursday.

Alka Verma who filed the petition in the High Court on Wednesday told ANI that the amendment is not for the people’s good and the court is expected to interfere on this ground. “The amendment is not in good faith because it is arbitrary and its usefulness is not understandable. If we try to understand its use, it means that you have benefitted the criminals. The amendment should be for the people’s good. It is not for the good of the people. The government did not even consult the public servants. This is an arbitrary action. The amendment is arbitrary and unreasonable. I expect the inference of the court on this ground. I filed the plea yesterday,” Verma said.

The advocate’s remarks came after gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh walked free from Bihar’s Saharsa jail early Thursday morning, a move which was mandated following the amendment of the prison rules by the Bihar government allowing the release of 27 convicts including him.

The gangster-turned-politician was earlier on parole of 15 days to attend the engagement ceremony of his MLA son Chetan Anand. He had returned to Saharsa jail on April 26 following the end of his parole period.

Earlier on Wednesday, the state prisons department had released nearly 14 convicts from various jails of the state.

Singh was among eight others who could not be released yesterday.

There has been a backlash regarding the former MP’s release from jail by the opposition in the state.

Anand Mohan murdered Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah on December 5, 1994, in Muzaffarpur. Krishnaiah was killed by a mob allegedly provoked by Anand Mohan Singh. He was dragged out of his official car and lynched.

G Krishnaiah, a 1985-batch IAS officer who hailed from Mahbubnagar in present-day Telangana.

Anand Mohan was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. A year later, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court. Mohan then challenged the verdict in Supreme Court but no relief has been granted yet and he has remained in Saharsa jail since 2007.

His wife Lovely Anand has also been a Lok Sabha MP, while their son Chetan Anand is an RJD MLA from Bihar’s Sheohar.

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

Case filed against Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Coca Cola CEO for a joke in new Sprite ad: What the joke was and what triggered a boycott campaign by Bengalis

OpIndia Staff
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Case filed against Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Coca Cola CEO for a joke in new Sprite ad: What the joke was and what triggered a boycott campaign by Bengalis

On Wednesday, a Calcutta High Court lawyer named Dibyayan Banerji filed a police complaint against Bollywood actor Nawazzuddin Siddiqui and the CEO of Coca-Cola India for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Bengali community in its newly launched advertisement for the soft drink brand Sprite. The legal follows a social media campaign by Bengalis to boycott Sprite and other Coca-Cola products over the ad, the Bengali version of which implied that Bengalis will rather remain hungry instead of working.

The complaint says that there is a joke cracked in the Bengali version of the advertisement which has hurt the sentiments of the Bengali community. “The main advertisement by Coca-Cola for its product Sprite was in Hindi. And we have no problems with that. We only have a problem with Bengali dubbing of the ad which is running on various TV channels and websites,” the petitioner said.

He alleged that actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is seen laughing at one of the jokes in the advertisement which says, ‘shoja anguley ghee na uthley, Bangali khali petey ghumiye porey’. “In English, it means that if Bengalis don’t get anything easily, they sleep hungry. And this, we think, hurts the sentiments of the Bengali community,” the complaint read.

Banerji further said that there is nothing offensive in the Hindi advertisement but it attracts section 66A of the IT Act and also section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code. “We also want this type of shallow act and gimmicks to not be promoted in the future,” he added.

The meaning of the line ‘shoja anguley ghee na uthley, Bangali khali petey ghumiye porey’ is ‘if they can’t take the ghee out with a straight finger, Bengalis sleep hungry’. This is a take on the well-known phrase in Hindi and other Indian languages which says that ‘when ghee can’t be taken out with a straight finger, you have to bend the finger’. The joke in the Bengali advertisement for Sprite suggested that Bengalis won’t take the effort of bending the finger when a straight finger does not work, labelling the community as lazy.

The advertisement is related to the Sprite Joke in a Bottle campaign, which lets consumers listen to a joke by scanning a QR code on the Sprite bottle. In the Hindi version of the ad, Nawazzuddin Siddiqui is seen waiting for a train at a railway station, where all trains are late by one hour. The Sprite bottle held by Siddiqui starts to talk, and asks, ‘train late? Want to hear a joke?’ When Siddiqui’s character says yes, the bottle says the joke, ‘These days it’s so hot that if you ask for a Dosa, the guy fries it on your face and gives it to you.’ Both the Sprite Bottle and Nawazzuddin Siddiqui laugh at the joke.

The ad also has been translated into various Indian languages, and in an effort to localise the ad, they used different jokes relevant to the language. But while selecting the joke for Bengali, they made the mistake of selecting a joke that created an outrage on social media. Before the complaint was filed, social media users were calling for boycotting Sprite.

After receiving the complaint, the corporation removed the advertisement from TV and its social media sites. In a message that was written in Bengali, Sprite India expressed its apology for the most recent ad campaign for the soft drink brand and its respect for the Bengali language.

The next movie Nawazuddin will appear in is Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah, in which he co-stars with actress Bhumi Pednekar. The movie will premiere in theatres on May 5. Additionally, it has significant parts for the actors Sumit Kaul, Sharib Hashmi, Sumeet Vyas, TJ Bhanu, and Rockey Raina.

Nawazuddin will also appear in Tiku Weds Sheru, a movie starring Kangana Ranaut.

Solicitor General reads out definitions of gender identities based on mood swings, queer “activists” call it hate-mongering

OpIndia Staff
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Solicitor General reads out definitions of gender identities based on mood swings, queer “activists” call it hate-mongering

On April 26, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta read out definitions of gender identities in the Supreme Court based on different sources. He mentioned that, as per the information available, there are gender identities that are based on mood swings.

SG Mehta said if the apex court was inclined to recognise same-sex marriage, it might need to take into account 72 different categories of sexual orientation that are claimed to exist. Around 160 provisions in different legislations deal with men and women differently. He questioned if the court would amend all these provisions with a constitutional declaration by reading “person” for “man” and “woman”. He further stated the right to marry does not give anyone the right to compel the state to create a new definition of marriage.

He questioned how the law would reconcile the recognition of the marriage of persons who do not identify with any particular gender. He said, “A person who does not identify with any gender is called agender, genderless…it is impossible to reconcile through a judgment..they refuse to be categorised in any gender identity…there are also people who change gender as per surroundings…Then there is gender as per mood swings…There is amic agender, where gender is changed as per the friends they have… engender, where gender identity fades in and out with intensity and comes back with another gender identity…These are facts without value judgment… will it be prudent to lay down regulations even if the Court gives them the status of marriage? This is inconceivable.”

SG Mehta was referring to the definitions of genders available on different websites. Medicinenet.com was mentioned in the footnote of the documents provided by SG Mehta. We checked the website for further information and found that the website claimed there are 72 “other genders” that include agender, abimegender, aerogender, alexigender, amicagender, autigender, astral gender, boyflux, cassflux, cisgender, demifluid, demiflux, epicene, girlflux, healgender, omnigender and so on.

The website further claimed that irrespective of a child’s anatomical identity, they may start to see themselves as a boy or girl at the age of 2 or 3. By the age 6 or 7, they become confident about their gender identity and by the age eight and above, they experience a “gender crisis”.

Furthermore, SG pointed out that when the Special Marriage Act was formed in 1954, the Parliament was well aware of homosexuality. However, it consciously avoided and deliberately left that aspect out of the SMA.

The arguments submitted by SG Mehta were shared by law portals. However, the video of the argument, which is available on the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel, irked the LGBTQIA+ community on social media.

Lawyer Robin Bhatt said, “This is hatemongering and moral panic caused in court by the Solicitor General from God knows where. This tweet amplifies hate and will cause violence against and harm to multiple LGBTQ people.” He urged Bar and Bench to remove the video.

Another lawyer Anmol said, “This is clear misinformation with a dubious source. It trivialises trans identities as being based on “mood swings and surroundings”. Bar and Bench is responsible for accurately reporting on court proceedings. Putting up the video w/o context is using the platform for fake news.”

Twitter user Satyam Sinha said, “This is hate speech at its best. Source of facts mentioned in this speech is “trust me bro” at its best. I’m all for taking sides in a debate but making a spectacle of queer people to argue against the demand of a gender-neutral law.” Interestingly, they mentioned the source during the argument, which Sinha seemed to have ignored.

Deepak Dhananjaya said, “Privilege is what SG is referring to “mood swing based gender identity” just like women’s anger was attributed to PMS by patriarchal men! WhTs most disturbing is the comment section! Ignorance of marginalised experiences and basic rights! Opened up space to be openly homophobic!”

While the LGBTQIA+ activists deny the argument SG Mehta put up, multiple online sources make the same arguments that he did. ABC News, Healthline, Women’s Health Magazine, and even Wikipedia have listed these on their websites.

The Supreme Court has formed a 5-judge constitution bench to fast-track the hearing on the matter related to giving recognition to same-sex marriage under Special Marriage Act. SG Mehta was presenting the government’s stand on the same matter.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar: 3 men attack hijab-clad Muslim girl for hanging out with ‘gair-Muslim’, case filed

OpIndia Staff
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Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar: 3 men attack hijab-clad Muslim girl for hanging out with ‘gair-Muslim’, case filed

Police in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra, apprehended three males for harassing a hijab-wearing Muslim college girl. The incident took place on Monday in the vicinity of Makai Gate, and a video of it has since gone viral.

The girl’s mobile phone was also snatched and she can be seen asking the boys harassing her to give back her phone. The intimidation started due to the youngsters’ suspicion that she was hanging out with a Hindu man. At the time of the attack, the girl had come to visit the famous Bibi Ka Maqbara in the city.

The trio made an effort to stop the pair and even questioned the girl, “Why are you walking with some other boy”. Afterward, they started harassing her. One of them grabbed the girl’s hand as she quickly moved forward to escape them. Screaming, she begged them to release her hand. This lasted for a long time and no one stepped forward to assist the girl despite the fact that there were a lot of people around them.

In the meantime, someone nearby recorded a video of the incident, which quickly went viral on social media. After being notified, Begumpura police arrived at the scene.

The woman was recognised by the police from the footage, and they asked her to register a complaint. She declined, though, and as a result, the police started the procedure to file a suo motu case.

“The three accused, in this case, have been detained by the police on charges of criminal intimidation, stalking, causing bodily harm, and insulting a woman,” informed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Deepak Girhe.

“This incident is of Monday, 24 April. The victim hails from a town in Ahmednagar and is staying in Sambhaji Nagar to prepare for a competition. Police team reached the spot soon after the girl was molested, she was rescued by a family and taken to their home. Then the police team brought her to the station,” Begumpura Police Inspector Shivaji Taware told the media. “After taking some information, she was dropped off at her house after some time,” he added.

Poonch terror attack: Detained villager Nasir Ahmad admits he gave shelter and logistical support to 4 terrorists before the assault

OpIndia Staff
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Poonch terror attack: Detained villager Nasir Ahmad admits he gave shelter and logistical support to 4 terrorists before the assault

Nasir Ahmad, a villager who was detained following the April 20 ambush that killed five soldiers, confessed to investigators he had provided four terrorists with shelter and logistical support for two months prior to the deadly attack on a military truck at Bhata Dhurian in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu division.

He is a local resident and one of the 60 people held for questioning. It was unable to determine if he is an “overground worker,” a euphemism for radicalised individuals who carry out terrorist attacks or work for terrorist organisations and revert back to their regular lives or if he assisted the terrorists under coercion.

According to a source, “Some of the detainees were released after questioning.” The vehicle transporting six troops and supplies including food and fruit from the Bhimber Gali military camp to Sangiote hamlet for an Iftar by the Rashtriya Rifles was ambushed by the terrorists when they were sheltering behind a culvert.

The automobile was hit with grenades and gunshots, turning it into a blaze as it wound through blinding rain on a lonely road. A fellow soldier was injured and five others were martyred in the ghastly assault. The four-wheeler had more than 50 bullet holes, per sources.

The truck was purportedly immobilised and the driver was killed by a sniper. “The terrorists used steel-coated bullets that can penetrate armour. Before fleeing, the terrorists stole the soldiers’ arms and ammunition,” a source stated.

No terrorist has been arrested so far. For the previous six days, security personnel have been searching the area with metal detectors, sniffer dogs, and aerial monitoring using helicopters and drones.

The search is being conducted throughout 12 zones in the neighbouring mountainous districts of Poonch and Rajouri, which are filled with dense woods, deep canyons, and undiscovered caverns. Due to the possibility that terrorists may have placed homemade landmines in the trees, the search crews are being extremely cautious.

Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command, paid a visit to the two districts near the Pakistani border on Wednesday to assess the search.

This was his second visit in less than a week. The attack has been attributed to the outlawed People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a division of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

‘Mamata’s police brutally killed a young man’: LoP Suvendu Adhikari accuses Bengal police of tyranny in Kaliaganj

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mamata’s police brutally killed a young man’: LoP Suvendu Adhikari accuses Bengal police of tyranny in Kaliaganj

On Thursday, April 27, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the state’s opposition, claimed that the ‘Mamata Police’ raided the home of a BJP Panchayet Samiti member and shot and killed a youth. He alleged that the 33-year-old Rajbangshi youth named Mrityunjay Barman was killed a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pinned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the recent violence in Uttar Dinajpur district following the rape and murder of a Dalit girl.

Taking to Twitter, Suvendu Adhikari wrote, “’Mamata’ police brutally killed a Rajbangshi young man of 33 years at Kaliaganj. Trigger-happy ‘Mamata’ police raided the house of a BJP Panchayet Samiti Member Bishnu Barman at 2:30 am midnight (April 27; 2023) but did not find him.  They brutally shot dead a Rajbangshi young man named Mrityunjay Barman; 33 years old, S/O Rabindranath Barman. This is  tyranny and state terror at its worst form and Mamata Banerjee is merry-making like Emperor Nero while the state is burning and sliding into a phase of civil unrest.”

Adhikari further added that last evening CM Mamata Banerjee held a press conference and “declared a war against the people of Kaliaganj.” He went on to say that following the press conference, the West Bengal police complied with CM Banerjee. Urging Mamata Banerjee to take ownership of the murder of the youth, he called on people to democratically oppose the ongoing violence and bloodshed.

“She will have to take ownership of this brutal murder by the state. The people should rise democratically by raising their voice against such internecine violence and bloodshed,” Adhikari tweeted and shared a video wherein a person is seen weeping near the corpse of the slain youth.

On Wednesday, a video of angry locals assaulting several policemen surfaced online. Reportedly, the policemen were assaulted by angry locals after the police had dragged the body of the minor Dalit girl, the victim of the rape and murder. Moreover, when the villagers had protested demanding justice, the police lathi-charged them.

CM Mamata Banerjee while speaking on the attack on police officials had alleged that the BJP had “brought people from Bihar” to burn down the police station in Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district and vandalize public property adding that she will direct the police to take strong action against the people who burned down the police station.

“BJP brought people from Bihar. They beat up the women Police personnel brutally. I won’t say that the Kaliaganj incident was planned. It’s an unfortunate incident and we are with the family. But what happened later was planned,” said the WB CM.

BSF shoots down Pakistani drone in Amritsar sector, over 2 kg heroin and opium seized

OpIndia Staff
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BSF shoots down Pakistani drone in Amritsar sector, over 2 kg heroin and opium seized

A Pakistani drone carrying packages of heroin and opium was shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF) early on Thursday, April 27, near the village of Dhanoe Kalan in Punjab’s Amritsar. During the initial inspection of the area, the BSF troops discovered a black-coloured drone (quadcopter, DJI Matrice 300 RTK) that was half broken.

One iron ring was affixed to the cargo, along with a large packet wrapped in yellow adhesive tape which contained two suspected heroin packets and two smaller packets of opium, according to the BSF. Two packages of heroin weighed 2 kilograms, while one packet of opium measured 170 grams.

Source: ANI

Earlier, BSF intercepted a drone trying to cross India from Pakistan earlier on Wednesday. “A rogue drone entering from the Pak side was intercepted with firing by alert BSF troops in Amritsar Sector. On being fired, the drone returned back to Pak side,” the BSF informed in a statement.

Last month, on March 28, the BSF shot down another Pakistani drone near Amritsar shortly after it crossed into Indian territory with a shipment of illegal goods.

When the BSF troops in Amritsar noticed the drone’s buzzing, they fired their weapons down at it. It was found the following morning as the border patrol was conducting a search operation. The drone infiltrated Indian territory from Pakistan, as reported by the BSF, and was found near Border Outpost Rajatal in the Amritsar Sector.

Prior to this, BSF personnel destroyed a Pakistani drone that had violated the Amritsar sector of the Indo-Pak border at 2:30 in the morning on February 2 and 3, respectively. As per the BSF, the drone entered the jurisdiction of the Border Observation Post (BOP) Rear Kakkar in the Amritsar sector of Punjab.

As Executive Editors of NYT, WaPo, LA Times, and Reuters pontificate on ‘democracy’, watch how dissenters were pinned down and ousted from a program

OpIndia Staff
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As Executive Editors of NYT, WaPo, LA Times, and Reuters pontificate on ‘democracy’, watch how dissenters were pinned down and ousted from a program

On April 26 (local time), three individuals, Jose Vega, Kynan Thistlethwaite and Sam Nettnin, confronted the executive editors for New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times and Reuters.

Sharing the video, Vega wrote, “My friends and I confronted the executive editors for NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times and Reuters on their censorship of Seymour Hersh, Uhuru, Julian Assange, Tucker Carlson, Russiagate. Then the Dean of Columbia and security pushed me to the ground and tried to silence me.”

Jonathan Capehard of MSNBC, Joe Kahn of The New York Times, Sally Buzbee of The Washington Post and Alessandra Galloni of Reuters were on the stage when the trio called them out. They were guests at “FaultLines: Democracy: A conference on building a democratic press”.

Calling the editors, Vega talked about censoring Seymour Hersh, a veteran journalist who had gained popularity in 1969 for exposing the My-Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War. He then called out the editors for the silence on the bombing of the Nordstream pipeline that US and its allies allegedly did as per leaks.

Vega said, “Shouldn’t we be talking about the Nordstream since that’s the biggest story of the century? Is there anything you have gotten right in the last 20 years, or am I mistaken about that? I mean, it’s just kind of funny because Iraq, Syria, and Russiagate are wrong.”

He further questioned them on the silence over the expose via leaks that alleged Ukraine’s President Zelensky was planning to bomb Moscow on the anniversary [of the war]. “If you are so impartial, shouldn’t you at least say, right, that Zelensky was going to bring us on the verge of World War Three? While Julian Assange rots in prison, all of you got fat checks because he is in jail for doing your job. And you know what? Tucker Carlson ain’t no Seymour Hersh, but he did something you guys are scared to do. Speak the truth and actually be critical of the war, which is why he was actually fired from Fox because you are all cowards. Every single one of you,” he added.

By that time, he was blocked by a woman, and later, the security came and pinned him down. However, it was far from over. From there, his friends Kynan Thistlethwaite and Sam Nettnin took over. Thistlethwaite said, “You know what. He [Jose] is right. He is right about Julian Assange. He was the only one that did his job right. He exposed US war crimes. He exposed what we committed in Afghanistan, killing civilians. None of your outlets reported that. None of your outlets did. Instead, we are bowing down to the war policy. The war nuts who are going to get us all blown up in World War Three.”

As Thistlethwaite got silenced by the security, Nettnin, who was also recording the whole ordeal, said, “MSNBC Fired Donoghue. He had the highest-rated show on MSNBC, and he got fired for criticizing the invasion of Iraq in 2002 as a disgrace. You lied about Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine. Supporting bailouts, and money printing. Now we are on the brink of World War Three. If WWIII kicks off, the blood is on your hands.”

Calcutta High Court orders NIA investigation into violence in Howrah’s Shibpur during Ram Navami, all CCTV footage, FIRs, to be handed over in 2 weeks

OpIndia Staff
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Calcutta High Court orders NIA investigation into violence in Howrah’s Shibpur during Ram Navami, all CCTV footage, FIRs, to be handed over in 2 weeks

In an important update to the communal violence that took place in Howra on Ram Navami, the Calcutta High Court has ordered National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into the case. The Court also asked the authorities to hand over all the CCTV footages and FIRs to the NIA team withing two weeks.

On April 10, the High Court had taken the notice of a report submitted by the state police which suggested that the Ram Navami clashes were pre-planned. “The Howrah Police commissioner has filed a 54-page report, including annexures. Reports prima facie suggest that it was were pre-planned. There were allegations that stones were pelted from rooftops. Obviously, they were not carried there within 10 – 15 minutes,” a bench of acting chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya had said.

The Court was hearing the petition by the leader of the opposition in the state assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari that sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the violence that erupted in West Bengal.

The court also had said that a probe by central agency would be needed in the case. “The report proceeds on the line that the clash took place between two groups. There can be a third person who wants to take advantage of the situation. If that group is involved, then it requires investigation by a central agency. That is very difficult for the state police to find. Somebody would have set the fire, had set the ball rolling. Without a probe by a central agency, you can’t identify that outside source,” the bench was further quoted as saying.

It may be recalled that on March 30, stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession from the terraces of the buildings in the Shibpur area of Howrah. This led to a clash between the Hindu and Muslim groups, leading to violence and arson. Vehicles and shops were also torched during the attack.

Several disturbing videos of the incident went viral on social media. A large contingent of police was deployed to maintain the law and order situation in the area. The cops conducted a flag march, fired tear gas shells and chased away the rioters.

Hours after Islamists ran riots against Hindus celebrating Ram Navami in Howrah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had attempted to give a clean chit to the perpetrators by first invoking their faith and second, blaming the violence on ‘outsiders.’ She insisted that Hindus should not venture into “Muslim areas” to carry out processions.

The violence was also justified by West Bengal Islamic cleric Pirzada Nazimuddin Hossein who gave a clean chit to the Islamists for the mayhem they unleashed on the Hindu devotees in Shibpur, Howrah on March 30, by pinning the blame on the timing of the ‘Sobha Yatra’ taken out by the Hindus.

According to Pirzada Nazimuddin Hossein, who spoke to ABP News, the violence erupted in the evening during Azaan. According to him, the Ram Navami procession should have gone through the neighbourhood before or after the Azaan hour. The Hindus should have obeyed the time to avoid the violence, which is essentially what the cleric suggested to rationalize the carnage carried out by radical Islamists on March 30.

However, a day after Mamata Banerjee accused Hindu devotees of carrying out the Ram Navami procession on ‘unauthorized routes’, the organizers of the rally had come forward to refute her claims.

‘Muslims constitute 30% of male prisoners in Britain, Muslim gangs in prisons are forcing conversion and radicalisation’: Report 

OpIndia Staff
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‘Muslims constitute 30% of male prisoners in Britain, Muslim gangs in prisons are forcing conversion and radicalisation’: Report 

On April 25, 2023, Collin Bloom, an independent faith advisor appointed by the UK government released his report “The Bloom Review” which made several alarming revelations. The report states that prisoners in jails across Britain are being converted to Islam by Muslim inmates and are also being provided ‘protection’ on converting. 

The report adds that Qurans were left on the beds of the new prisoners and they were given the choice to either “convert or get hurt”. 

“Failure to identify as a Muslim meant that at best the new prisoner would be denied ‘protection’ from the dominant Muslim gang on that wing, or at worst the new prisoner would be subjected to violence and intimidation from that same gang,” Bloom said.

He said, however, that the government must “redouble” its efforts to “reinforce the distinctions between extremist Islamism and Islam and between Islamist extremists and Muslims.”

The paper goes on to highlight certain statistics to highlight the frequency of in-prison conversions. Muslims made up around 18% of the prison population in 2021, an increase from 8% in 2002.192 “However, the Muslim male prisoner population in London prisons is reportedly almost 30%, which is considerably higher than the 15% in the general London population (as recorded in the 2021 Census),” the report reads.

Collin also recommended the government to conduct an immediate review of the claims that inmates are being forcibly radicalized and converted in jail as well as the issue of faith-based gangs.

Additionally, the report mentions that the Hindus make up for the lowest levels of prison rates of any religion but have the highest employment rates.

Excerpt from The Bloom Review

In his 159-page report, Bloom asserts that “insufficient action” has been undertaken and continues, saying: “There is one burning injustice from which this Government should not shrink, and that is the issue of forced and coercive marriages.

Some of the most pressing issues within the few Sikh communities in Britain, notably the strife brought on by the “extremist fringe ideology within the pro-Khalistan movement, have been brought to light by Collin Bloom. 

“Propagating hate and divisions, trying to brainwash youth to cause divisions and hate in India, [is] really sad. [Some Sikh extremist groups] are using places of worship to fund or getting funds under the name of faith and spearheading hate, these types of organisations shouldn’t be allowed to operate in our great country,” the report reads.

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