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Malegaon blast case: Former BJP MP Pragya Thakur says she was tortured, asked by ATS to name Yogi, PM Modi, and Mohan Bhagwat

OpIndia Staff
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Malegaon blast case: Former BJP MP Pragya Thakur says she was tortured, asked by ATS to name Yogi, PM Modi, and Mohan Bhagwat

Following her acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur has made explosive allegations against the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), claiming that she was subjected to brutal custodial torture and coerced into naming senior BJP and RSS leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, as part of a politically motivated conspiracy.

Speaking to the media after a special NIA court absolved all seven accused due to lack of evidence, Thakur said, “They tortured me relentlessly and kept saying, ‘Name these people and we’ll stop beating you.’ Their intention was not justice, it was character assassination.” She claimed that while she was illegally detained for 13 days, the actual physical torture spanned 24 days under ATS custody.

“These were not investigations; they were politically driven vendettas,” Thakur stated. “I have documented everything and submitted it in writing — including the names I was forced to take under duress. This wasn’t about solving a case. It was about targeting the RSS, saints, and those associated with the idea of Bharat.”

Thakur squarely blamed the then Congress-led UPA government for what she called a conspiracy to fabricate the “saffron terror” narrative. “The Congress party attempted to destroy the foundations of this country — the RSS, Sanatan Dharma, and the Army. This case was part of that larger plot. But the truth has prevailed.”

Witness testimony corroborates Pragya Thakur’s assertions

Her claims appear to find some corroboration in court testimonies. Milind Joshirao, a key witness who later turned hostile, told the court that he too was threatened by ATS officers, including Param Bir Singh, to name five RSS functionaries, including Yogi Adityanath. “They kept me at the ATS office for seven days and treated me like an accused. When I refused to give false statements, I was threatened with torture,” Joshirao stated, as recorded by NIA Special Judge A.K. Lahoti. The court concluded that his statement appeared involuntary and compromised.

In a further twist, former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar alleged in a media interview that senior officer Param Bir Singh had once directed him to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, as part of efforts to strengthen the “saffron terror” narrative in the aftermath of the blast. He claimed this was a deliberate strategy to malign nationalist organizations.

The Malegaon blast case, in which six people were killed and over 90 injured in an explosion near a mosque on September 29, 2008, was originally investigated by the ATS before being transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The recent verdict observed glaring lapses in the ATS probe, from tampered forensic evidence to coerced witness statements.

With the court acknowledging the lack of credible evidence and procedural integrity, Thakur has framed the acquittal not just as legal vindication, but as ideological triumph. “This is not my personal victory,” she said. “It is a victory of Bhagwa, Sanatan and Rashtra. The Congress’s conspiracy has been exposed.”

Tejashwi Yadav falsely claims his name does not appear in voter list, uses different voter ID number to prove it

OpIndia Staff
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Tejashwi Yadav falsely claims his name does not appear in voter list, uses different voter ID number to prove it

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday claimed that his name is missing in the draft Bihar electoral list published on 1st August, 2025. But his claim has proven to be false, as his name appears in the draft electoral roll published by the Election Commission of India.

Addressing press conference, he said “My name is not there in the electoral roll. How will I contest the elections?”. He entered his EPIC number on the Election Commission’s portal, which showed that an user with that number exist.

However, he was quickly fact-checked by netizens, who downloaded the draft voter list for his polling booth, where his name appears.

As per details posted on social media, Tejashwi Yadav’s name appears at serial number 416 in the electoral roll for Digha assembly constituency. As per the roll, his polling booth is located at the library building of the Bihar Animal Sciences University.

Notably, to prove that his name does not appear in the roll, Tejashwi Yadav used the wrong voter ID number. He said that his Voter ID number is RAB2916120. But as per draft roll, his EPIC number is RAB0456228.

Posting the images of the electoral roll showing his name, BJP IT cell’s head Amit Malviya said, “Please verify facts before amplifying misinformation. Deliberate attempts to mislead voters must be called out.”

Update: ECI’s statement on his EPIC number

Later in the day, the Election Commission clarified that Tejashwi Yadav’s EPIC number is RAB0456228, and there is no record of the number he used in the press conference. The Poll Panel said that he used the number RAB0456228 for filling his nomination papers on affidavit in 2020, this number was present in the electoral Roll in 2015.

The ECI added the other EPIC number RAB2916120 has been found to be non-existent even after checking records of over ten years. “No records have been found for the second EPIC number yet. It is highly likely that the second EPIC was never made through the official channel,” the ECI added.

The poll panel further stated further inquiries are underway to understand the reality of the second EPIC number, whether that is a forged document.

Rahul Gandhi narrates fake story to oppose India’s election system, claims Arun Jaitley threatened him on farm laws a year after his death

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi narrates fake story to oppose India’s election system, claims Arun Jaitley threatened him on farm laws a year after his death

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was caught spreading fake news regarding farm laws and Late Arun Jaitley on Saturday. Continuing his attack on the electoral system of India, he claimed that Arun Jaitley came to meet him to threaten him, a year after Jaitley had passed away.  

Speaking at the Congress Party’s Annual Legal Conclave in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi claimed that when the Congress party was protesting against farm laws, Arun Jaitley was sent to threaten him. He said, “I remember when I was fighting the farm laws, Arun Jaitley ji was sent to me to threaten me. He told me ‘if you carry on opposing the govt, fighting the farm laws, we will have to act against you’.  I looked at him and said ‘I don’t think you have an idea who you are talking to.’”

While making up a story, which is often does, Rahul Gandhi forgot a crucial detail, Arun Jaitley was not alive when the farm laws were introduced and when the farmers in Punjab along with some opposition parties started protesting against them.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley died on 24 August 2019 after fighting multiple illness. He was union finance and corporate affairs minister in the first Modi government, and had handled Defence ministry and Information and Broadcasting ministry for some time.

However, Jaitley had retired from active politics after the NDA won the general elections for the second consecutive time in 2019. A day before Modi govt was to be sworn in on 30th May, Jaitley wrote to Modi opting out of the cabinet, citing his treatment and health. He died just a few months later on 24th August.

On the other hand, the farm bills came a year after Jaitley’s demise. The bills were approved by the union cabinet on 3 June 2020, and ordinances on them were promulgated on 5th June. The bills were introduced in the parliament in September 2020 to replace the ordinances. The three bills were passed by the both houses of the parliament in September that year. The protests against the laws began in December 2020, more than a year after Arun Jaitley died.

Therefore, Rahul Gandhi is definitely making up the story by claiming that Arun Jaitley was sent to threaten him to stop protests against the farm laws.

The Congress leader also claimed that the election system of India is rigged, because Modi govt has very thin majority. He said, “We are going to prove to you in the coming few days how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged and was rigged.” He further claimed, “The truth is that the election system in India is already dead. The Prime Minister of India is the Prime Minister of India with a very slim majority… If 15 seats were rigged, he would not have been the Prime Minister of India.” 

Ironically, Rahul Gandhi forgot that first two Modi governments had BJP majority, but the last three Congress governments were minority governments. Congress didn’t cross the majority mark when P.V. Narasimha Rao and Dr. Manmohan Singh became prime ministers, they led coalition governments.

Arun Jaitley’s son responds

Arun Jaitley’s son Rohan Jaitley responded to the false claim by Rahul Gandhi, pointing out that the farm laws came a year after his father’s death. In a post on X, he said, “Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him, my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020.”

Importantly, he added that even if was Jaitley was alive when the bills were enacted, he would not have threatened anyone for protesting them, as it was not his nature to threaten anyone for opposite views. Rohan Jaitley said, “More importantly, it was not in my father’s nature to threaten anyone over an opposing view. He was a staunch democrat and always believed in building consensus. If at all such a situation was to occur, as it often does in politics, he would invite free and open discussions to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to all. That was simply who he was and that remains his legacy today.”

Asking Rahul Gandhi be mindful while speaking of those who are no longer with us, he reminded that Rahul Gandhi had attempted something silimar with Manohar Parikar, as he had politicised his final days.

Donald Trump claims India will no longer buy oil from Russia even as Modi Govt refuses to bow down to his diktat and continues to purchase oil from Russian suppliers

OpIndia Staff
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Donald Trump claims India will no longer buy oil from Russia even as Modi Govt refuses to bow down to his diktat and continues to purchase oil from Russian suppliers

On Friday (1st August), US President Donald Trump stirred the hornet’s nest after he claimed that India would stop buying oil from its arch rival Russia.

“I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That’s what I heard. I don’t know if that’s right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens…” he was heard saying.

The development comes days after the United States imposed 25% tariffs on goods imported from India and an unspecified penalty for purchasing Russian oil and arms.

Despite the diktat of the US President, India has refused to bow down and continues to make decisions based on the interests of the people of the country.

Indian oil refiners will continue to source oil from Russian suppliers due to competitive price, grade of crude, inventories, logistics and other economic factors.

Sources to ANI, “Indian oil refiners continue to source oil from Russian suppliers. Their supply decisions are guided by price, grade of crude, inventories, logistics and other economic factors.”

Indian embassy in Ireland issues advisory to take precautions for personal safety: Read how Indians have become unsafe in the country

Aditi
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Indian embassy in Ireland issues advisory to take precautions for personal safety: Read how Indians have become unsafe in the country

The Indian embassy in Ireland issued an advisory to Indian nationals on Friday (1st August) to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, particularly during odd hours. The advisory comes in the wake of increased instances of physical attacks on Indian nationals in the country.

Indian national stabbed in face, partially stripped and left bleeding

On July 19, an Indian national was brutally attacked in Tallaght, Dublin. The 40-year-old victim, an Amazon employee, was mercilessly beaten, stabbed in the face, partially stripped by a teenage gang and left profusely bleeding. He had arrived in Ireland just three weeks before the incident. The victim was accused without evidence of acting inappropriately around children. However, the Irish police denied the allegations. The authorities are investigating the case as a hate crime. An Irish woman, Jennifer Murray, who helped the victim after the attack, said that this was not the first instance of a racially motivated attack in the area.

“At least four Indian men and another man have been facially stabbed by this gang of teenagers in the last four days in Tallaght. How many of you knew that or saw it on the news?” Murray reportedly said. Talking about another similar attack, Murray said that a man, who worked in a delivery job at a multinational company, had to get a brain scan done and was “scarred for life”.

After the unfortunate incident, the Indian embassy got in touch with the victim and his family and assured them of all possible assistance. The incident sparked outrage among people from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Irish communities, leading to protests. Around 800 protestors reportedly marched after the incident from Dublin City Hall to the National Gallery, holding signs like “Say no to racism” and “Ireland is home”. An petition was also floated online that reportedly gathered around 15,000 signatures.

Teenage gang attacked an Indian national, fractured his cheekbone

In another recent incident, a 32-year-old Indian national named Santosh Yadav also became a victim of a hate crime. Yadav was brutally attacked by a gang of six teenagers near his Dublin apartment. The assault was so savage that it left Yadav with a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries. Yadav said that cases of racially motivated crimes are on the rise in the country.

Teresa Buczkowska, CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, reportedly said that the Indian community did appear to be a particular target of these attacks, but the attacks are not limited to the Indian community. According to Buczkowska, the situation is worsened by the Irish Police lacking the training to handle and deal with the attacks.

“There are certain outdated mechanisms within An Garda Síochána that are not fit for purpose in this age when people are constantly on the move. “We’ve been highlighting this issue with the guards for a long time, especially with incidents that happen on public transport,” Buczkowska was quoted as saying by Dublin Live. An Garda Síochána is Ireland’s national police and security service. It launched an investigation after the attack on an Indian national in Tallaght.  

Leftists and Islamists spread fake news about Hindu man assaulting Muslim passenger onboard Indigo flight, peddle victimhood narrative: Here is the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Leftists and Islamists spread fake news about Hindu man assaulting Muslim passenger onboard Indigo flight, peddle victimhood narrative: Here is the truth

On Friday (1st August), social media was rife with targeted disinformation about a Hindu man assaulting a fellow Muslim passenger onboard an Indigo flight.

The fake claims were peddled by prominent leftists and Islamist handles on X (formerly Twitter) to further the dubious narrative of ‘Muslim victimhood.’

While some of them over-emphasised the ‘Muslim identity’ of the victim, others were quick to associate the perpetrator with terms such ‘Hindu’, ‘sanghi’ and other assorted euphemisms.

Screengrab of the tweets by prominent leftists and Islamists on X

While peddling the ‘Muslim victimhood’ narrative, leftists and Islamists alike conveniently omitted the fact that the perpetrator was also a Muslim.

The Facts of the Case

A passenger identified as Hossain Ahmed Mazumdar, who was travelling on a Kolkata-Mumbai flight, was slapped by a fellow passenger. The victim is from the Cachar district of Assam and has reportedly been missing since the incident.

Hossain had a panic attack on the flight, which delayed the takeoff. Miffed by the development, a fellow passenger named Hafijul Rahaman assaulted the victim.

A video of the incident has now surfaced on social media. A fellow passenger was heard saying, “Why did you slap him? You don’t have any right to hit anybody.” Hossain was seen crying after this incident.

The perpetrator was deboarded in Kolkata and subsequently arrested by CISF. Indigo has issued a statement on this matter on Friday (1st August).

In a statement, the airline operator stated, “We are aware of an incident involving a physical altercation on board one of our flights. Such unruly behaviour is completely unacceptable and we strongly condemn any actions that compromise the safety and dignity of our passengers and crew. Our crew acted in accordance with established Standard Operating Procedures.”

“The individual involved was identified as unruly and handed over to the security authorities upon arrival. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been duly informed, in line with protocol. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment on all our flights,” it added.

The narrative of Muslim victimhood vs reality

Soon after the video of the incident went viral, the usual suspects assumed that the perpetrator was a Hindu and began making doomsday predictions about India’s secularism and future based on the isolated incident.

However, their vicious agenda was punctured by ‘The Hindu’ journalist Jagriti Chandra who first pointed out that both the accused and the perpetrator belong to the same religious community.

She cited Indigo as the source of her information.

Later, other journalists reported the name of the perpetrator as Hafijul Rahaman.

Once it was ascertained that the culprit is a Muslim, leftists and Islamists dropped the case and moved on to other issues to discover a new story of victimhood.

Jalaluddin, who was running a mass conversion racket targeting Hindus, admits to receiving crores in foreign funding

OpIndia Staff
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Jalaluddin, who was running a mass conversion racket targeting Hindus, admits to receiving crores in foreign funding

Jalaluddin alias Chhangur, who once claimed to be a spiritual guide, is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his role in a massive illegal religious conversion racket. During custodial interrogation, Jalaluddin made shocking revelations about the foreign funding his organisations received, some of it even coming from countries like Pakistan.

ED grills Jalaluddin on foreign funding trail

According to media reports, the ED questioned Jalaluddin for hours on Thursday, 31st July, focusing on his financial dealings and assets in India and abroad. When asked directly about foreign donations, he admitted that several of his institutions received money from outside India, including from Pakistan. Trying to defend himself, Jalaluddin reportedly told officials that the funds were meant for spreading his religion. “What’s wrong with promoting one’s religion?” he asked during the questioning, according to ED sources.

Links with Dubai-based associates exposed

Jalaluddin also revealed details about his frequent travels to Dubai. He confessed to having connections with several individuals in the emirate and said that his followers sponsored his trips. He claimed the purpose of his visits was purely religious and aimed at helping the poor.

Admits to receiving crores in funding

When probed about why he often took a woman named Nasreen along on foreign trips and why several properties were bought in her name, Jalaluddin said that she was trained in conversion activities and was carrying forward his mission. He denied forcing anyone to convert to Islam but admitted that his network had received crores of rupees in funding, which he claimed was used for welfare purposes.

₹106 crore under the lens

The ED has now intensified its investigation into Jalaluddin’s international funding and property connections. Officials say they have already collected details about his properties in Dubai, most of which were earlier flagged by the Uttar Pradesh ATS. Records show that more than ₹106 crore came into over 40 bank accounts linked to Jalaluddin from countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. A part of this money is suspected to have been used for illegal religious conversions and property purchases. The case has raised serious questions about the misuse of foreign donations and the organised networks operating under the guise of religious work. 

Centre announces 71st National Film Awards: Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey share best actor, Rani Mukherjee wins best actress, 12th Fail named best feature film – See full list

OpIndia Staff
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Centre announces 71st National Film Awards: Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey share best actor, Rani Mukherjee wins best actress, 12th Fail named best feature film – See full list

The winners of the 71st National Film Awards were announced on Friday evening, celebrating the best of Indian cinema in various categories for the year 2023. From Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and director Sudipto Sen, to powerful regional films such as ‘Parking’ and ‘HanuMan,’ the winners represent a wide spectrum of talent across languages and genres.

The jury, led by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker (Feature Film), P. Sheshadri (Non-Feature Film), and other distinguished members, unveiled the list of awardees in the presence of Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Joint Secretary (Films), and Mattu J P Singh, Director General, PIB. The awards were announced at a press conference held at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

12th Fail has been honoured with the Best Feature Film award at the 71st National Film Awards. Flowering Man won the Best Non-Feature Film award, while God Vulture and Human was recognised as the Best Documentary.

This year, one of the biggest highlights was Shah Rukh Khan winning his first-ever National Award. The actor bagged the Best Actor award for his role in the blockbuster film ‘Jawan.’ Known for his long and successful career, this win is seen as a special moment for the superstar.

Khan shares the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey, who was honoured for his performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ’12th Fail.’ The film, which tells an inspiring story of determination, was widely praised by both audiences and critics. Meanwhile, Rani Mukerji won the Best Actress award for her emotional role in ‘Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.’ Sudipto Sen, on the other hand, won Best Director for ‘The Kerala Story.’

Here is the complete list of winners for the year 2023:

Feature films:

Special mentions: MR Rajakrishnan (Animal – Re-Recording)

Best Tai Phake Film: Pai Tang…Step of Hope

Best Garo Film: Rimdottianga

Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari

Best Tamil Film: Parking

Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa

Best Odia Film: Pushkara

Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai

Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhukku

Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu

Best Hindi Film: Kathal

Best Gujarati Film: Vash

Best Bengali Film: Deep Fridge

Best Assamese Film: Rongatapu 1982

Best Action Direction: Nandu-Prudhvi (HanuMan)

Best Choreography: Vaibhavi Merchant (Dindhora Baje Re – Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani)

Best Lyrics: Kasarla Shyam (Ooru Palleturu – Balagam)

Best Music Direction: GV Prakash Kumar (Vaathi), Harshavardhan Rameshwar (Animal)

Best Makeup: Shrikanth Desai (Sam Bahadur)

Best Costume Design: Sachin, Divya, Nidhhi (Sam Bahadur)

Best Production Design: Mohandas (2018)

Best Editing: Midhun Murali (Pookkaalam)

Best Sound Design: Sachin Sudhakaran, Hariharan (Animal)

Best Screenplay: Sai Rajesh (Baby), Ramkumar Balakrishnan (Parking)

Best Dialogue: Deepak Kingrani (Sirf Ek Bandha Kaafi Hai)

Best Cinematography: Prasanthanu Mohapatra (The Kerala Story)

Best Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao (Chaliya – Jawan), Rohit (Premisthunna – Baby)

Best Child Artist: Sukriti Bandireddi (Gandhi Thatha Chettu), Kabir Khandare (Gypsy), Treesha Toshar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav (Naal 2)

Best Actor in Supporting Role: Urvashi (Ullozhukku), Janki Bodiwala (Vash), Vijayaraghavan (Pookalam), Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar (Parking)

Best Actor in Leading Role: Rani Mukerji (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway), Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan), Vikrant Massey (12th Fail)

Best Direction: Sudipto Sen (The Kerala Story)

Best Film in AVGC: HanuMan

Best Children’s Film: Naal 2

Best Film Promoting National, Social Values: Sam Bahadur

Sam Bahadur bagged the National Award for Best Film Promoting National and Social Values. Meghna Gulzar, in a statement, expressed her “immense pride” for the film winning the honour.

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Best Debut Film: Aatmapamphlet

Best Film: 12th Fail

Non-feature films:

Special mentions: Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man, The Sea and the Seven Villages

Best Script: Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know

Best Voiceover: Hari Krishnan S (The Sacred Jack – Exploring The Tree of Wishes)

Best Music Direction: Pranil Desai (The First Film)

Best Editing: Niladri Roy (Moving Focus)

Best Sound Design: Shubarun Sengupta (Dhundhgiri Ke Phool)

Best Cinematography: Meenakshi Soman, Saravanamaruthu (Little Wings)

Best Direction: Piyush Thakur (The First Film)

Best Short Film: Giddh The Scavenger

Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: The Silent Epidemic

Best Documentary Film: God Vulture and Human

Best Art/Culture Film: Timeless Tamil Nadu

Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction Film: Mo Bou Mo Gaan, Lentina Ao

Best Debut Film: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw

Best Non-Fiction Film: Flowering Man

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

Cambodia nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for halting its war with Thailand after White House said he should get the prize for resolving 6 conflicts

OpIndia Staff
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Cambodia nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for halting its war with Thailand after White House said he should get the prize for resolving 6 conflicts

The Cambodian government will nominate US president Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said on Friday. He said that his country is nominating Trump for his direct intervention in halting Cambodia’s recent border conflict with Thailand.

Talking to reporters in capital Phnom Penh, Chanthol thanked Trump for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize. When asked whether Cambodia was planning to nominate Trump for the prize, Chanthol responded saying “yes.”

This comes after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded the Nobel Prize for Trump claiming that he has ended six conflicts, including those between Israel and Iran and India and Pakistan.

She said, “The President has now ended conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia. This means President Trump has brokered, on average, about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office. It is well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Last week after Thailand and Cambodia agreed to halt the war, Karoline Leavitt posted on X saying “President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!” 

Cambodia becomes the second country to endorse Trump for the award he is yearning for, as last month Pakistan said they will nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for his “decisive diplomatic intervention” in halting the military conflict with India.

On their X account (which is withheld in India), the Pakistan government posted, “Government of Pakistan Recommends President Donald J. Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J. Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”

Pune: Syed shares offensive post on social media leading to protest from the Hindu community in Yavat, watch video

OpIndia Staff
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Pune: Syed shares offensive post on social media leading to protest from the Hindu community in Yavat, watch video

Violence erupted in the Yavat region of Daund tehsil in Maharashtra’s Pune on 1st August. The unrest was triggered by the dissemination of an objectionable message on a WhatsApp group. This issue began on the 25th July when an individual identified as Syed posted an objectionable message in a WhatsApp group.

Afterward, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was defaced the next day which heightened tensions in the locality, leading to the arrest of the accused who is from the Sahakar Nagar neighbourhood of Yavat. A bandh was then declared in Daund and Yavat while many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders visited the area. However, now another insulting Facebook post has provoked further turmoil.

Syed is charged with uploading this offensive content as well. He had been taken into custody, however, the situation remained volatile. The members of Hindu community took to the streets in protest, expressing their anger. Markets were shut down, vehicles were damaged, peoperties were vandalised and reports of stone pelting by some young miscreants also surfaced. Enraged mob also threw stones at the perpetrator’s residence. However, no injuries were reported.

Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh Gill stated that tear gas shells were deployed to restore order. He arrived at the scene and urged the public to maintain peace. Police also did lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Authorities also enforced prohibitory orders (Section 144).

“Here in Yavat village, around 12-12.30 pm, police received information that a young boy posted an objectionable status on his WhatsApp/Facebook. Following the complaint, the boy was brought to the police station. Action was initiated. A few villages also reached there. Our police team started a meeting with the representatives of the village to maintain peace in the village. But by then, the message on social media had become viral,” Gill conveyed.

“Police administration responded here and patrolled the village. The situation is peaceful right now,” he further noted. Additionally, the official also issued warnings to those responsible for spreading rumors. “We are closely monitoring the situation. I appeal to everyone to refrain from spreading rumours,” he added.

“An irate mob vandalised structures and properties belonging to the other community, pelted stones and also set a motorcycle ablaze. We had to lob teargas shells to disperse the mob and restore law and order. A sizable number of police personnel have been deployed at the site. The youth who uploaded the post has been detained,” an official informed.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also reacted on the development and remarked, “Based on the information we have gathered, this issue arose from an objectionable post made by an outsider. Certain individuals intentionally share such posts to incite tension within society. We will take stringent action against them. No one has the right to make comments regarding any religion. It is entirely incorrect to claim that the chaos was caused by any gathering or event.”

He mentioned, “The area is currently peaceful and both communities are having a dialogue. We urge the public to uphold peace and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.”

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