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West Bengal: A cop tells Hindus to remove Lord Ram idol from a private property because it is visible from road, BJP slams TMC after video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: A cop tells Hindus to remove Lord Ram idol from a private property because it is visible from road, BJP slams TMC after video goes viral

An undated video of a police official, asking a group of Hindus to remove a publicly visible idol of Lord Ram in West Bengal, has gone viral on social media. The contentious clip was originally shared by the official Twitter handle West Bengal BJP.

In the disturbing footage, the uniformed cop could be heard saying, “I understand that this is your private property. The main issue is that it (the idol) is visible from the road.” The incident occurred in Rathtala village under Nodakhali Police Station.

The Hindus, standing in the vicinity of the police official, argued that it was their property and that there was nothing outrageous if the murti is visible from the road. “Thakur chokhe probe na (Now, deities shouldn’t be seen by all),” scoffed a man in the background.

“Ami kothai jabo? Amar toh jaiga tai royeche! Private property er upor royeche (Where should I go? The idol is at my place. It’s on private property,” a man wearing a blue shirt was heard saying.

This led to a heated argument between the Hindu devotees and the police official. A man in the background was heard saying that it was illegal to sell cow meat (gou mangsho) but it’s being done in broad daylight.

“Aagami din thaka jabe na ai Banglai (It will not be possible to survive in Bengal in the coming days),” one man in the crowd lamented. At about 43 seconds into the video, an idol of Lord Ram could be seen in the background.

“Have you given it a thought how will your next generation survive in this State?” one of the Hindus confronted the cop. The location and date of the video remain unknown.

While sharing the video clip, ‘BJP Bengal’ tweeted, “Outrageous violence of TMC continues as their puppet police ask the people of Bengal to remove the Murti of Bhagwaan Shri Ram. One cannot even practice the religion they stand for! This is Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal for you.”

In the video, an idol of Lord Ram is seen placed outside a house. A saffron flag and frills are also seen at the place.

Muslims don’t commit ‘injustice’ during Ramzan: Mamata Banerjee

The development comes days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clean chit to Islamists, responsible for orchestrating violence in Hoogly during Ram Navami.

On March 30 this year, Mamata Banerjee claimed, “I have said several times that I will not stop public processions of Ram Navami. You go and do it peacefully. I have instructed the same to my party.”

“The police were given direct instructions – There was Annapurna Puja on one side and Muslims were observing Ramzan fast (Roja) on the other. We have 33% Muslims in the State. Their families observe fast during Ramzan,” she added.

“Ai somoi ta tara kunu anyay kore na karon ata holo Allah er kache oder sacrifice (During Ramzan, Muslims don’t commit ‘injustice’ as this is the time of sacrifice for Allah),” the West Bengal Chief Minister dismissed the role of Islamists in the violence.

Mamata Banerjee had also insinuated that violence occurs when Hindus take out Ram Navami processions through ‘Muslim areas.’ “I want to request those who are taking out the Ram Navami procession, please do but do it peacefully. Kindly avoid Muslim areas as Ramzan is going on. Celebrate peacefully but don’t try to create violence. Don’t get provoked,” she was heard saying.

‘Seems a targeted attack’: Sharad Pawar on Hindenburg report against Adani Group; slams Congress’ ‘Ambani-Adani’ strategy of targeting large corps

OpIndia Staff
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‘Seems a targeted attack’: Sharad Pawar on Hindenburg report against Adani Group; slams Congress’ ‘Ambani-Adani’ strategy of targeting large corps

Sharad Pawar, the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, an alliance partner of Congress in Maharashtra, on Friday said he felt the Adani Group has been targeted. The remark came in the wake of political rhetorics against the business conglomerate after the US-based Hindenburg Research accused the Adani Group of stock manipulation and accounting fraud

Speaking to NDTV about the attack on the Adani Group by the Congress Party, the NCP stalwart said unequivocally that it seemed like a targeted attack to him.

“Such statements were given by other individuals too earlier and there was a ruckus in parliament for a few days but this time out proportion importance was given to the issue. The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When they raise issues that cause a ruckus across the country, the cost is borne by the country’s economy, we cannot disregard these things. It seems this was targeted,” Pawar told the NDTV journalist Sanjay Pugalia.

“An individual industrial group of the country was targeted, that is what it seems. If they have done anything wrong, there should be an inquiry,” he added.

When asked whether he was in agreement with Congress’ demand for a JPC probe into the Hidenburg’s report, the NCP chief’s answer was in the negative.

He stated that after the demand was made, the Supreme Court launched an investigation and formed a team comprised of a former Supreme Court judge, an expert, an administrator, and an economist. They were given rules and a timetable to undertake an investigation.

Sharad Pawar questions opposition’s demand over a JPC probe, says SC-monitored probe more reliable

“On the other hand, the opposition wanted a parliamentary committee to be appointed. If a parliamentary committee is appointed, then monitoring is with the ruling party. The demand was against the ruling party, and if the committee appointed for an inquiry has a ruling party majority, then how will the truth comes out is a valid concern. If the Supreme Court, who no one can influence, if they were to conduct the inquiry, then there was a better chance of the truth coming to light. So, after the Supreme Court announced an inquiry, there was no significance of a JPC Probe. It was not needed,” Pawar said.

On being questioned on Congress’s intent behind pushing for a JPC probe, the NCP supremo said, “I cannot say what the intent was but I know that a committee appointed by judges of the Supreme Court was very important, this is what I know. Maybe the reasoning could have been that once a JPC starts, its proceedings are reported in the media on a daily basis. Perhaps someone would have wanted the issue to fester for two to four months, but the truth would never have come out.”

Pawar made it plain that he did not agree with Rahul Gandhi’s “Adani-Ambani” strategy of targeting large corporations. He said, referring to the “Tata-Birla” narrative of the past, that it was completely meaningless.

“This has been happening in this country for many years. I remember many years ago that when we came into politics if we had to speak against the government, we used to speak against Tata-Birla. Who was the target? Tata-Birla. When we understood the contribution of Tata, we used to wonder why we kept on saying Tata Birla. But one had to target someone so we used to target Tata-Birla. Today the name of Tata-Birla is not at the forefront, different Tata-Birla has come before the government. So these days if you have to attack the government, the name of Ambani and Adani is taken. The question is, that the people you are targeting, if they have done something wrong, or misused their powers, then in a democracy, you have a right to speak against them 100 per cent, but to attack without anything meaningful, this I cannot understand,” Pawar continued.

“Today, Ambani has contributed to the petrochemical sector, does the country not need it? In the field of electricity, Adani has contributed. Does the country not need electricity? These are people who take up such responsibility and work for the name of the country. If they have done wrong, you attack, but they have created this infrastructure, to criticise them does not feel right to me,” he said

“There can be different viewpoints and criticism, one has the right to speak strongly about the policies of the government, but a discussion should take place. A discussion and dialogue are very important in any democracy, if you ignore discussion and dialogue the system will fall into danger, it will just perish,” Pawar added in an indirect reference to the Congress’s relentless campaign.

Congress continues to demand a JPC probe into allegations levelled by Hindenburg against the Adani Group

Even as Pawar denounced attacking business groups, his political ally in Congress remained among the political parties who ratcheted up the attack against the Adani Group after Hindenburg Research reported on the business conglomerate.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly trotted out ‘Adani and Ambani’ jibes to attack the current dispensation even as Congress-ruled state governments have generously indulged the businessmen. 

On Thursday, April 6, the final day of the second leg of the budget session, both Houses were rocked by continuous sloganeering by the Opposition seeking a JPC probe into the Adani case. While Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was speaking about the House’s productivity, opposition leaders entered the House well with placards calling for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

Hindenburg Research report accuses Adani Group of fraud and stock price manipulation 

Hindenburg Research, which claimed of having conducted an investigation for the last two years, said Gautam Adani, the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, has a net worth of approximately $120 billion, mainly due to an 819% average stock price growth in the group’s seven most significant publicly traded companies over the last three years.

The research involved interviewing multiple individuals, including former senior executives of the Adani Group, examining thousands of documents, and conducting due diligence site visits in nearly a dozen countries, Hindenburg Research said. 

“Even if you ignore the findings of our investigation and take the financials of Adani Group at face value, its seven key listed companies have 85% downside purely on a fundamental basis owing to sky-high valuations,” said the forensic financial research company in its report.

‘Don’t preach Islam to me’: Hindu lawmaker in Pakistan Parliament after being pressurised to convert by fellow politicians

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t preach Islam to me’: Hindu lawmaker in Pakistan Parliament after being pressurised to convert by fellow politicians

A Hindu politician in Pakistan, Danesh Kumar, has accused his fellow lawmakers of trying to get him to convert to Islam and warned them not to preach Islam to him. He also discussed the country’s aggravating food crisis when addressing the Senate, the upper house of the Pakistani Parliament on Thursday.

Danesh Kumar stated, “My colleagues often urge me to recite the ‘Kalima’ and get converted to Islam. First, teach Islam to the criminal Muslims (hoarders) and then ask me to do so.” ‘Kalima’ is the formal content of the ‘Shahada’ (declaration of faith in Islam).

Danesh Kumar slammed the incumbent government for doing little to prevent the food hoarders in the market. He also attacked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s administration for bringing about the country’s catastrophic food crisis. Speaking on Pakistan’s current inflation problem, he remarked, “It is a source of embarrassment that food costs have increased in the holy month of Ramazan.”

His comments coincided with recent reports of stampedes that killed individuals queuing for food during the delivery of free rations. This year’s Ramadaz has already witnessed 16 fatalities as people frantically sought out free wheat flour and other food items under historically high inflation.

He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan on a reserved seat for minorities in the 2018 Pakistani general election representing Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). He is currently serving in the country’s senate. He has been the senate’s most outspoken opponent of the forced conversion of minorities (Hindu and Christian) to Islam.

Pakistan is notorious for the atrocities committed against minorities, particularly Hindus. Minor Hindu girls are the regular victims of kidnapping, rape, and forced conversions in the country. The Pakistan government has regularly come under fire for its treatment of minorities and the absence of measures to ensure their safety and security against continuous oppression.

Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath to perform Ram Lalla’s “Jalabhishek” at Ram Janmabhoomi using water from rivers of 155 countries

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath to perform Ram Lalla’s “Jalabhishek” at Ram Janmabhoomi using water from rivers of 155 countries

In a gesture of global Hindu unity, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath would be performing a grand “Jalabhishek” ceremony for Ram Lalla, the presiding deity of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, using waters of rivers from 155 different countries. The ceremony is set to take place on 23 April, marking the birth of Lord Rama, and is expected to be attended by many devotees from across the country.

Preparations for the ceremony are in full swing, and the temple administration has worked tirelessly to arrange for water samples from rivers of 155 different countries. The water from all these rivers is collected in special containers, each labelled with the name of the country it represents. The ceremony will involve pouring the collected waters on the Murti of Ram Lalla amidst Vedic chants and prayers by priests.

Yogi Adityanath, who is also the head priest of the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, is known for his deep devotion to Lord Ram and has been actively involved in the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The “Jalabhishek” ceremony apart from being a religious event is also a significant step towards promoting the ideals of peace, harmony, and global Hindu unity. It is expected to send a powerful message of inclusiveness and brotherhood to people around the world, reaffirming the universal appeal of Lord Ram’s teachings.

According to Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Yogi Adityanath would receive the Kalash which has water from rivers of 155 different countries from a team led by BJP leader Vijay Jolly on 23 April at the Maniram Das Chawni Auditorium in Ayodhya. On 23 April at the Auditorium, the “Jal Kalash” pooja will be performed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Water from rivers in 155 nations, including Pakistan’s Ravi River, will be included in the “Kalash.” Rai said that Hindus from Pakistan sent the water from the Ravi River to Dubai before bringing it to Delhi. Water will also come from the rivers of Suriname, China, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada, and Tibet in addition to Pakistan.

The initiative to collect water from rivers and oceans for Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple was taken up by Delhi Study Group, a non-government organization based in Delhi. Vijay Jolly, a former BJP MLA from Delhi, is the president of the organisation. Jolly said that he had been inspired by the late Ashok Singhal and PM Modi to collect water from all over the world and perform Jalabhishek of Lord Ram.

Memorial to be built at the site of Dhoni’s World Cup winning six in the Wankhede Stadium: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Memorial to be built at the site of Dhoni’s World Cup winning six in the Wankhede Stadium: Details

MCA informed on 7th April 2023 that the 2011 World Cup victory memorial will be built at the site where Dhoni’s winning six had landed in Wankhede stadium. 5 chairs of the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) pavilion stand will be removed for this(seat number J282 -J286). MS Dhoni will also be felicitated at the same spot by MCA.

Earlier on Monday, 3rd April 2023, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Amol Kale said that a small victory memorial will be built in Wankhede Stadium to commemorate India’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup win. The memorial will be built on the exact spot where MS Dhoni’s iconic winning sixer had landed in the stands.

He also said that MCA will approach MS Dhoni, India’s then-skipper in 2011 triumph for the inauguration of the memorial. He said that the MCA is hopeful that Dhoni will inaugurate the memorial when he is in Mumbai for his Indian Premier League IPL) team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match against Mumbai Indians (MI), which will take place on April 8. “MCA will also felicitate MS Dhoni when he inaugurates the World Cup Victory Memorial in Wankhede Stadium,” concluded Amol Kale.

India defeated Sri Lanka in the final by six wickets in the summit clash at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. After batting first, Sri Lanka posted 274/6 in their 50 overs. An unbeaten century from Mahela Jayawardene (103) and knocks from skipper Kumar Sangakkara (48), Nuwan Kulasekara (32) and Thisara Perera (22) powered Lanka to a competitive total. Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan took two wickets each and Harbhajan Singh took one wicket.

Chasing 275, India lost Sehwag (0) and Tendulkar (18) early. But an 83-run stand between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli (35) revived India’s chances. Gambhir went on to score 97 in 122 balls and had a 109-run stand for the fourth wicket with skipper MS Dhoni, who ended at an unbeaten 91* off 79 balls. Dhoni and Yuvraj (21) had an unbeaten 54-run stand for the fifth wicket that guided Team India to their first World Cup title in 28 years.

Notably, India will be hosting the Cricket World Cup 2023 in its entirety, for the first time ever. ICC, on Sunday 2nd April 2023, unveiled the logo of the upcoming 2023 World Cup on the same day the Indian team led by MS Dhoni stood victorious over Sri Lanka to lift the ICC trophy in 2011.

Andhra Pradesh: SC/ST court acquits 13 policemen accused of raping 11 tribal women at gunpoint in 2007

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: SC/ST court acquits 13 policemen accused of raping 11 tribal women at gunpoint in 2007

On Thursday, April 6, the special judge for SC and ST cases in Andhra Pradesh acquitted 13 cops accused in the gang-rape of 11 tribal women in Vakapalli in G Madugula Mandal of ASR district in the year 2007. The court acquitted the accused under section 235(1) Cr PC (acquittal on the benefit of doubt).

The policemen accused in the case belonged to the Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxal police force in Andhra Pradesh. It was alleged that the cops raped the Adivasi women at gunpoint. The court, however, acquitted the accused due to the lack of evidence.

The judge pulled up the investigating officer M. Sivananda Reddy, for conducting a shoddy investigation into the matter and directed the state government to constitute an apex committee to take action against the officer. Since the other investigating officer B. Ananda Rao, is no more, no action was to be initiated against him, said the court.

Since the accused were acquitted due to failure in the investigation, the court asked the District Legal Services Authority to decide the quantum of compensation to the victims in the case after conducting a due inquiry.

11 tribal women gangraped by Andhra Pradesh policemen

Notably, the case pertains to a sexual assault incident that took place 15 years ago. In August 2007, eleven tribal women belonging to Vakapalli village under Nurmati Panchayat of G Madugula Mandal about 650 km from Hyderabad had alleged that 13 policemen, who were part of a 30-member Special Party of Andhra Pradesh Police and had visited their village for anti-Naxal combing operation, raped them on gunpoint.

The women alleged that the police team stormed the village just as the men were leaving to work in the fields, forcibly took them into huts, and raped them. When the men returned in the afternoon, the women complained to them. They went to their sarpanch, who alerted then-BSP MLA L Raja Rao. The women were taken to the deputy collector by the MLA and tribals, who then asked the police to file an FIR. A complaint was filed under Section 376 (2)(g) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC and ST (PoA) Act, 1989.

The state government initially chose deputy SP (Visakhapatnam Rural) B Ananda Rao to probe the allegations, but he was later replaced by veteran police officer M Sivananda Reddy. At the time, Reddy was the SP of the Crime Branch (CID). Reddy eventually resigned and joined the Telugu Desam Party, running for Nandyal in 2019 but lost.

Lawyers defending the officers contended that Maoists forced the women to file false rape charges against them in order to prevent anti-Naxalite combing operations and that medical testing failed to confirm rape. The women, who were supported by tribal and SC/ST organizations, petitioned the Supreme Court, which decided that the medical test evidence provided to it did not indicate rape. The officers filed petitions to have the charges against them dismissed. The tribal organisations then petitioned the Supreme Court, which directed the Special Court for SC and ST cases to begin the trial and expedite the hearing in September 2017.

Bihar: Villagers attack a police team in Bhagalpur, accuse police of assaulting woman and newborn child while looking for an accused

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Villagers attack a police team in Bhagalpur, accuse police of assaulting woman and newborn child while looking for an accused

On Thursday, 6th April 2023, a police team was attacked by villagers at Dimaha village in the Naugachhia area of the Bhagalpur district of Bihar. The police team had entered the village in the night looking for an accused, but angry villagers surrounded the police and attacked them. Villagers alleged that the police had assaulted the accused’s wife and child, due to which the villagers got angry.

According to reports, the police team of Gopalpur police station went to arrest the accused Pradeep Mandal in Dimaha village which comes under the police station area. During this time the police were searching for the accused and then his wife was allegedly assaulted by the police. While beating the woman, the police allegedly ended up hitting a 6-day-old child in her lap, after which the villagers became furious and they attacked the police team.

After getting information about the incident, police teams from Naugachhia and Ismailpur police stations reached and tried to pacify the villagers, but the villagers were not ready to listen to anything. After this, the Vajra riot control team of Naugachhia police station reached the spot and they opened a lathi charge on the villagers.

However, the villagers became more furious due to this and they attacked the police team and chased them away. The police had to flee the village to save themselves. During this, one policeman fell down and he was caught by the villagers. They assaulted him with sticks and kicks, but he somehow managed to escape and save his life.

After the incident, police from several other police stations reached the spot to calm the matter. When the police force of many police stations was deployed in the village, the situation calmed down. After this, the police arrested the accused Pradeep Mandal. His wife Nutan Devi said that police assaulted her after not finding her husband in the house, and there was no male member in the house at that time.

Many policemen were injured in the attack by the villagers. The seriously injured policemen are being treated in the hospital. Several villagers were also injured in the lathi-charge by the police. Many women and children, including son, brother and nephew of Pradeep Mandal are also included in the injured. All the injured were sent to Naugachhia Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment.

The villagers demanded that an FIR be registered against the police team and legal action be taken. On the other hand, the Gopalpur police said that the women constables and other policemen were assaulted by the villagers, in which the women constables and other constables and officers were also seriously injured.

Regarding the case against Pradeep Mandal, he had burnt the used disposable plates after a feast he had organised a few days ago after the birth of his daughter. But one Laddu Mandal of the village filed a complaint against him alleging that Pradeep burnt his bamboo.

Uttar Pradesh: 15-year old girl commits suicide by consuming poison after being harassed by neighbour Salman, accused arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: 15-year old girl commits suicide by consuming poison after being harassed by neighbour Salman, accused arrested

In Barabanki, a teenage girl killed herself by ingesting poison after being allegedly tormented and harassed by a neighbour identified as Salman. The accused was taken into custody, according to information provided by the police on Friday. The 15-year-old girl reportedly passed away while receiving treatment.

SHO, Mohammadpur, Ashok Kumar Singh confirmed the development and stated that the accused has been booked under charges of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, IPC 354 (A) (sexual harassment). He also stated that the girl committed suicide after she was harassed by the accused who has now been arrested.

According to the police, Salman, 26, started to harass the girl this week after she left her home.

The victim girl’s father said in the FIR that Salman threatened the daughter with severe repercussions as she resisted against his advances. The victim ingested poison the following morning and locked herself in her room. When she didn’t come out until midday, her mother knocked on the door and discovered her unconscious, the FIR in the case read. 

After the incident, the girl was taken to the district hospital by her parents. The doctors there referred her to the KGMU Trauma Centre in Lucknow where she died during treatment.

Karnataka Assembly Elections: State Congress chief DK Shivakumar promises to restore 4% Muslim reservation if the party forms govt

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Assembly Elections: State Congress chief DK Shivakumar promises to restore 4% Muslim reservation if the party forms govt

The Karnataka Congress chief, DK Shivakumar, reiterated his party’s stance on the Muslim quota, declaring that if Congress is elected to power in the next assembly elections in the state, it will reinstate the quota.

He stated, “As soon as our govt comes, we will cancel the reservation issue and will protect the minority interest,” in response to the BJP eliminating the 4% Muslim quota and transferring it to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.

The BJP government in Karnataka abolished the 4% reservation (2B category) for Muslims under the OBC quota and transferred them to the 10% pool for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the final cabinet meeting on 24 March. After removing the 4% Muslim quota, the quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas was increased by 2% each.

Previously, on March 26, the Congress criticised the BJP-led Karnataka government for abolishing the Muslim quota under Category 2B in the Other Backward Class (OBC) list and promised it would reinstate the same for the minority community if the party wins the state’s upcoming assembly elections in May.

DK Shivakumar referred to the action as ‘unconstitutional’ and charged, “They (BJP government) think that reservation can be distributed like a property. It’s not a property. It’s a right (of Muslims). We don’t want their 4% to be scrapped and given to any of the major communities. They (Muslims) are our brothers and family members.”

“Entire Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats are rejecting this offer,” he claimed. He vowed, “We will scrap all this,” and alleged that there isn’t any justification to remove Muslims from the OBC list.  According to the Gandhi loyalist, if Congress wins the election, the first meeting of the Cabinet will resume the quota.

He accused the Basavaraj Bommai administration of trying to stir up emotional matters as BJP is expected to lose the elections.

The leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, Siddaramaiah, also attacked the BJP administration, blaming it for betraying everyone by causing uncertainty over the reservation issue and separating people based on caste and religion.

He remarked, “The purpose of the Constitution by Ambedkar is to provide equal protection without discrimination based on caste, religion or gender. This is what Article 14 of the Constitution says. Articles 15 and 16 provide for reservation in education and employment.”

“It aims to give special privileges to those deprived of opportunities and bring them into the mainstream. It is only when the socially and educationally backward are brought into the mainstream that we can move towards the establishment of an equal society. This is clearly stated in the Constitution,” the former Karnataka CM added.

Leaders of the Muslim community have proclaimed that they will challenge the govt decision in court. At a meeting on Saturday, the state’s senior Muslim religious officials denounced the move and threatened to pursue legal action. 

Maulavi Maqsood Imran, a leader of Jamia Masjid and a representative of the Ulema Council complained, “Today, Muslims are below the SC and ST in terms of education. You can make out from the atrocities being perpetrated against the Muslims.”

In the meanwhile, the Congress released the second list of 41 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 on Thursday and also marked a seat for the regional outfit Sarvodaya Karnataka Party. The announcement was made following the meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee. The Congress had on March 25 announced its first list of 124 candidates, which included names of former CM Siddaramaiah and State Party chief DK Shivakumar.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Parliamentary Board would finalise and release the list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state on April 8.

The Assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled to be held on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. 

Remove illegal structures on your own or be ready to face action: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami vows to eliminate menace of ‘land jihad’ and ‘mazar jihad’

OpIndia Staff
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Remove illegal structures on your own or be ready to face action: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami vows to eliminate menace of ‘land jihad’ and ‘mazar jihad’

On Friday, April 7, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated his government’s unsparing stance on illegally constructed mazars on designated forest land that are mushrooming all over the state, including the Jim Corbett National Park, one of the oldest and one of the most famous forested wildlife sanctuaries set amidst the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

In a tweet shared by him on April 7, the Uttarakhand CM is seen vowing to do whatever it takes to eliminate the menace of ‘land jihad’ from Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. “It has been observed that 1000s of unauthorised mazars, or mausoleums, have been built on forest land in Uttarakhand,” Dhami said, adding that “anti-social elements emerge” from these mazars and that his government will take “strict action” against such structures. 

He said that his government is law-abiding and that no work will be done against law and religion in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. He further said that the state government is not against any religion or any community in particular, however, they would not spare anyone indulging in ‘land jihad’ or ‘mazar jihad.’

Dhami stated unequivocally that the encroachers should, in the next 6 months, remove these illegal structures on their own or be ready to face action from the authorities. All mazars built in Jim Corbett National Park should be removed immediately, or else the government would remove it, he added.

It is a matter of concern that the burgeoning issue of illegal land encroachment is not only pervasive in some places but is slowly enveloping the whole state of Uttarakhand. It is unfortunate that the issue of ‘land jihad’ in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, which has been prevalent for quite some time, and OpIndia has been extensively reporting since 2021, has just recently gained mainstream media attention.

Aaj Tak, Friday, published a report on the impending issue of land jihad, which OpIndia has been extensively reporting since 2021. We, in our reports, highlighted how in just 2 years, almost 400 new madarsas, mosques and religious institutions mushroomed in the state of Uttarakhand.

In September 2021, we reported a case of land jihad in Uttrakhand near Tehri Dam. We reported about an illegal mosque that was built during the early 2000s at a site in Khand-Khala Koti Colony, which was in close proximity to the dam, and since then, Hindu organizations have tried multiple times to get it removed. Recently, in the first week of September 2021, a group of local Hindus started fresh protests against the mosque and paced up the efforts to get over 150 square meters of land freed from illegal possession.

In May 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced action against the mazars mushrooming everywhere in the state calling them encroachments.

In June 2022, our team visited various parts of the state, including Jim Corbett National Park, to delve into this issue further. To our horror, there were several mazars that mushroomed up inside Jim Corbett National Park, one of the oldest and one of the most famous forested wildlife sanctuaries set amidst the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

OpIndia also spoke to Swami Darshan Bharti, a veteran saint working against illegal mazars and drug addicts, who raised concerns about this radical problem plaguing the state of Uttarakhand.

Swami Darshan Bharati told OpIndia that the biggest boost to the Muslim population in Uttarakhand came during the Congress government led by ND Tiwari. He stated that it was not the BJP government, but the previous Congress regime that helped illegal Roginyas settle here by preparing their official documents.

He explained, “Earlier, the cumulative number of Muslims in Uttarakhand was roughly 1.5 to 2%. The local Muslims spoke Garhwali and were sensitive to the indigenous culture. When Uttarakhand annexed the district of Haridwar, the entire Muslim population rose to 5 to 6%. Furthermore, when Yogi Adityanath took over the charge in Uttar Pradesh, many Muslims abandoned the state and settled in Uttarakhand. Among the settlers are a number of well-known Muslim leaders and entrepreneurs. Muslims now constitute around 14% of the population of Uttarakhand. Infiltrators from Bangladesh and Rohingyas living in the riverside slums are adding to this population. These illegal infiltrators and Rohingyas have also arranged all the necessary government documents over these years”, said the Hindu saint.

Months after OpIndia brought the demographic imbalance in Uttarakhand to the fore, the state government took cognisance of this impending issue and directed the state authorities to clear forest land of encroachment. The authorities, in turn, launched a major crackdown, rolling bulldozers over illegal mazars which were built by encroachment on the reserved forest land.

In December 2022, the government of Uttarakhand ran bulldozers on some illegally constructed tombs. 15 mazars built in the forests of Dehradun and Pauri districts were demolished. 17 tombs built on the land of the Forest Department were identified, but two tombs were left after the documents were shown during the action.

Once again in March 2023, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government demolished 26 mazars that were illegally constructed on the government’s forest land. The authorities conducted a survey and identified around 1400 religious structures built illegally on government land. As per reports, some of the illegal Mazars did not even contain any human remains.

Now, once again, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has vowed strict action against illegally constructed mazars on government forest land that are remaining in various parts of the state.

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