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‘No data to show it is an elitist concept’: CJI Chandrachud on same sex marriage

OpIndia Staff
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‘No data to show it is an elitist concept’: CJI Chandrachud on same sex marriage

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud resumed the hearing on acknowledging same-sex marriage in India. The five-judge Constitution bench headed by DY Chandrachud which included Justices SK Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, PS Narasimha, and Hima Kohli said that there was no government data to show this was an elitist concept.

“Something which is innate cannot have a class bias. It may be more urban in its manifestations because more people in urban areas are coming out of the closet. There is no data coming out of the government that this is urban or something,” said CJI DY Chandrachud on April 19.

Yesterday, the Centre had told the Supreme Court that same-sex marriage is an urban elitist concept which is far removed from social ethos of country. “Extending same sex marriage beyond heterosexual unions will create a new institution,” it said.

The Supreme Court first heard testimony from senior attorney Mukul Rohatgi, who was representing one of the petitioners, who said that the State should come forward and provide recognition to same-sex marriage. In the meantime, the Centre’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted a new petition at the beginning of the hearings asking that all states and Union Territories be included in the current legal dispute.

Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing the petitioners seeking recognization of same sex marriages said that all consequences flowing from the registration of a marriage of a heterosexual couple must also flow to same-sex marriage. “We may be a miniscule minority but having the same rights, we’re entitled to the same declaration,” Rohatgi said in SC during the hearing.

The institution of marriage, according to Rohatgi, reflects the principles of love and faithfulness between two people. If this holy union is so beneficial to society, then it must also be beneficial to the LGBTQ+ community, he said. 

He recalled the times when the Hindu Code Bill was introduced in the Parliament. “The Hindu Code wasn’t just Hindu Marriage Act, it had adoption, succession, so many things. It wasn’t accepted. Dr Ambedkar had to resign,” Rohatgi claimed seeking marriage equality. He also said that the LGBT+ community had no representation in the Parliament but they had right to put up their veiws in the court of law.

“The LGBT+ community as equal citizens under the constitution, are entitled to the same benefits. Hence, the benefits flowing from marriages should also be extended to the same-sex couples,” he reiterated.

After this, Senior Advocate AM Singhvi began his submission in the case. He stated that LGBT+ people needed protection from both the State as well as non-state actors and that marriage equality would remove the next brick of exclusion, reducing the stigma around the community.

Singhvi also pressed that the non heterosexuals deserve validation of their marriage to live freely in the society. “For those who seek marriage, they seek it for a community and social validation of a relationship. And I can’t agree more with Mr SG that just like heterosexuals deserve it, non heterosexuals also seek it and deserve it,” he said. He also said that there was no point in excluding validation of one set of couples.

To this, CJI DY Chandrachud pondered whether the situation might create psychological impact on the child. “Incidentally, even if a couple is in a gay relationship or a lesbian relationship, one of them can still adopt. So the argument that this will create a psychological impact on the child is belied by the fact that today as the law stands, it’s open,” he said adding that the child might lose the benefit of parenthood of both the parents.

Advocate Singhvi then stated that it was an integral aspect for the ability to have and enjoy a family life. “Adoption, surrogacy, interstate succession, tax exemption, tax deductions- it simply requires marriage- compassionate government appointments…this is only illustrative, not exhaustive,” he was quoted as saying.

Referring to the ‘elitist concept’ on the second day of the hearing, the CJI said that something which is innate cannot have a class bias. “There is no data coming out of the government that this is urban or something,” he said. Further, several of the advocates representing the petitioners said that it would be lack of grace to brand them as ‘urban elitist’.

Singhvi brought up a different concern highlighted by the Centre, namely that same-sex marriage goes against cultural and conventional notions of marriage. According to him, the Special Marriage Act was passed with little regard for religion.

He pointed out that the Special Marriage Act is a non religious marriage related legislation. “This addresses the point of the respondent which is cultural understanding of marriage as a union. Cultural understanding of marriage was not the basis of SMA,” he said. He also added that the ‘Freedom of expression’ includes the freedom or the right to express one’s gender identity in all its manifestations.

“The right is being questioned on the ground that the rights heterosexuals have, non heterosexual couples do not have. The projection of the gender identity, which is a part of free speech, is inhibited by your stand which allows that right unfettered in heterosexual category,” Singhvi was quoted.

After hearing the petitions, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud clarified that the proceedings will only be confined to validating these marriages in accordance with the Special Marriage Act (SMA). It emphasised the need for a ‘incremental approach’ in the case’s judicial decision-making and remarked that this would show sage wisdom.

The submissions by Singhvi are slated to continue tomorrow. Earlier the day, the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud (CJI), pondered on the current gender spectrum, asserting that there is no absolute concept of a man or a woman and the question of gender is not determined by one’s genitals.

“There is no absolute concept of a man or an absolute concept of a woman at all,” CJI Chandrachud noted. The observations came at a time when the Supreme Court is considering a set of petitions that are based on constitutional principles and seek to establish the recognition of same-sex marriage.

During the hearing yesterday, the Constitution bench indicated that the Special Marriages Act would be examined at a later time. In response, the Solicitor General pointed out that, at present, the idea of marriage was limited to a union between a biological male and a biological female. However, the Chief Justice of India countered by stating that the notion of a man was not an absolute one and was far more intricate than just the physical characteristics of one’s genitalia.

‘I am still a BJP MLA’: TMC MLA Mukul Roy makes cryptic comments creating speculations of re-joining BJP, son Subhrangshu says his ‘dementia has deteriorated’

OpIndia Staff
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‘I am still a BJP MLA’: TMC MLA Mukul Roy makes cryptic comments creating speculations of re-joining BJP, son Subhrangshu says his ‘dementia has deteriorated’

In a surprise turn of events, veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Roy, who had switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and then returned to the TMC, has kept the political pundits guessing yet again. On Tuesday night, he stated that he is still a BJP legislator and would like to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda as he is keen on returning to the party. He further added that he will advise his son Subhrangshu also to join BJP, in view of the situation.

However, his son Subhrangshu, who had also switched sides and returned to the TMC along with his father, claimed that his father is “extremely unwell” and suffers from “dementia and Parkinson’s disease”.

The drama over Mr Roy’s whereabouts started on Monday evening when his family members claimed he was “untraceable”. He had travelled to New Delhi for “some personal work”, as per his own statement, and his family had accused the BJP of indulging in dirty politics by using the TMC leader who is unwell and not in the “right frame of mind”. According to Mukul Roy’s doctors, he has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and dementia and underwent surgery for a neurological disorder last month.

Roy underwent surgery for hydrocephalus, a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain, which may cause brain damage, according to reports.  “Baba has recovered well from several health issues. He is better now. But his dementia has deteriorated vastly and hence he is making all kinds of statements,” Subhrangshu Roy told the media while talking about his father.

However, speculations over Roy rejoining the BJP gained momentum after BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra made a cryptic single-word Facebook post: “Comeback”.

Talking to reporters in Delhi, Mukul Roy said, “I could not do politics to the full extent for some days because I was unwell. Now the body is healthy. I will talk to Amit Shahji, Noddaji. I have not decided yet whether I will join BJP or not. If that’s the case, I will work for BJP again.” He added that BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya arranged his stay in Delhi.

But during media interactions, Mukul Roy made several conflicting comments, saying he went to Delhi to attend parliament as he is an MP, that he was never a BJP, and that he does not work for TMC. These comments raised questions about his mental health.

Mr Roy, who had joined the BJP in 2017 following differences with the TMC leadership, was made BJP national vice president in 2020. He won from the Krishnanagar North assembly seat on a BJP ticket in 2021 and returned to the TMC just a month after the results were announced, complaining of “ill-treatment” by the saffron party. He, however, didn’t resign as an MLA. Since his return to the TMC, he has remained away from the public glare.

Reacting to the latest developments, the TMC has accused the BJP of indulging in dirty politics. State parliamentary affairs minister and TMC leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay accused the BJP of pursuing politics by using an unwell person, however, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said that the saffron camp is not interested in “inducting Mr Roy back into the party.”

The flip-flop by Mukul Roy has once again brought to the fore the issue of turncoat politics in India, where politicians switch sides for their own benefit.

However, the issue also raises questions about the integrity of politicians who switch sides for political gains. Mukul Roy’s return to the TMC just a month after he won on a BJP ticket has been criticized by many as an opportunistic move, and his latest statement about wanting to return to the BJP has only added to the confusion.

‘Word for word duplication’: MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan accused of plagiarism, American journalist reveals Hasan’s pro-spanking column was copied

OpIndia Staff
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‘Word for word duplication’: MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan accused of plagiarism, American journalist reveals Hasan’s pro-spanking column was copied

Mehdi Hasan, the anchor of MSNBC, is facing accusations of plagiarism in connection with a previous article he authored endorsing the idea of parents resorting to physical discipline for their children.

Lee Fang, an investigative journalist with The Intercept, recently penned an article on Substack, accusing the ‘Mehdi Hasan Show’ host of “passing off others” reporting as his own, at times without any citation at all. Fang contends that Hasan’s early foray into journalism, a column he wrote in support of corporal punishment for children titled “No Harm In Smacking,” published in January 2000, was almost entirely lifted from an article titled “When to Spank,” which had been printed in U.S. News and World Report two years prior, with minimal alterations.

“In one of his first attempts at journalism, Hasan authored a column in defence of spanking children, “No Harm In Smacking,” in January 2000, that is nearly a word-for-word duplication of the article, “When to Spank,” published two years earlier in U.S. News and World Report,” Fang writes.

The Intercept journalist argues that similarities between Hasan’s article and the one published two years ago appear from the beginning. Hasan began his piece for a London-based newspaper with “Anti-smacking crusaders have consistently relied upon inconclusive studies to make sweeping over-generalisations about the dangers of smacking”, which Fang highlighted, closely resembled the line used by co-authors Lynn Rosellini and Anna Mulrine in their news article on the topic for U.S. News and World Report.

In yet another instance cited by Fang, Hasan allegedly copied a whole paragraph from the same source and even included a verbatim quote from the U.S. News and World Report piece without proper acknowledgement.

Hasan: 

“In 1998, even the American Academy of Pediatrics toned down its blanket injunction against smacking, though it still takes a dim view of the practice. In fact, an AAP conference on corporal punishment in 1996 concluded that, in certain circumstances, smacking, or “spanking”, may be an effective backup to other forms of discipline. ‘There’s no evidence that a child who is spanked moderately is going to grow up to be a criminal or antisocial or violent,’ said S Kenneth Schonberg, a paediatrics professor co-chairing the meeting. In fact, the reverse may be true: a few studies suggest that, when used appropriately, spanking makes small children less likely to fight with others and more likely to obey their parents.”

U.S. News and World Report: 

“This week, even the American Academy of Pediatrics is expected to tone down its blanket injunction against spanking, though it still takes a dim view of the practice and encourages parents to develop discipline alternatives. An AAP conference on corporal punishment in 1996 concluded that in certain circumstances, spanking may be an effective backup to other forms of discipline. “There’s no evidence that a child who is spanked moderately is going to grow up to be a criminal or antisocial or violent,” says S. Kenneth Schonberg, a paediatrics professor who co-chaired the conference. In fact, the reverse may be true: A few studies suggest that when used appropriately, spanking makes small children less likely to fight with others and more likely to obey their parents.”

According to Fang’s report, Hasan referred to a study conducted by U.S. News and World Report regarding Sweden’s prohibition on parental spanking in 1979, and replicated almost the entire paragraph word-for-word, without crediting the source or its authors.

Hasan:

“No study demonstrates that spanking a child leads to abuse – indeed, it may be the other way around. Parents who end up abusing their children may misuse all forms of discipline, including spanking. Contrary to Mr Saunders’ assertions, Sweden hasn’t borne out the spanking prohibitionists’ fears, either. After Sweden outlawed spanking by parents in 1979, reports of serious child abuse actually increased by more than 400 per cent over 10 years, although the actual number of reports – 583 cases in 1994 – was still quite small. Sweden’s experience does not prove that banning spanking creates more child abuse, but it does suggest that outlawing the practice may do little to lower the rate of child abuse and instead deprive parents of an effective and common disciplining procedure.”

U.S. News and World Report: 

“But no study demonstrates that spanking a child leads to abuse–indeed, it may be the other way around. Parents who end up abusing their children may misuse all forms of discipline, including spanking. Sweden, often cited as a test case, hasn’t borne out the spanking prohibitionists’ fears, either. After Sweden outlawed spanking by parents in 1979, reports of serious child abuse actually increased by more than 400 per cent over 10 years, though the actual number of reports–583 cases in 1994–was still quite small. Sweden’s experience does not prove that banning spanking creates more child abuse, but it does suggest that outlawing the practice may do little to lower the rate of child abuse.”

“The Hasan column on spanking is a clear violation of the simple ethics code outlined by the Society for Professional Journalists, which is to “always attribute.” The articles are not hosted online anywhere publicly — I found them via a newspaper archive — so I have copied them above,” Fang said.

In addition to this, Fang also drew attention to another instance from 2000 when Hasan had lifted entire passages from another writer’s article without providing proper citations. Hasan, Fang contends, used passages from “The 94 Percent Solution,” an article by Jeff Halper in the Middle East Research and Information Project, for his piece “Arab Bantustans”.

A series of online disputes between Fang and the MSNBC anchor regarding Matt Taibbi’s reporting in the ‘Twitter Files’ prompted the Intercept journalist to deep dive into Hasan’s past work, which resulted in the discovery of instances when Hasan had indulged in plagiarism.

In a heated on-air exchange last week, Taibbi and Hasan engaged in a contentious debate regarding Taibbi’s involvement in revealing confidential internal communications of Twitter in the ‘Twitter Files.’ While discussing Taibbi’s journalistic integrity, Hasan accused him of committing perjury during his testimony before Congress, prompting Fang to respond by defending Taibbi and rejecting Hasan’s accusation as baseless.

However, Hasan took to Twitter and launched a personal attack on Fang, alleging that he was “sucking up to Musk” to gain access to confidential information about Twitter’s internal affairs. At one point in time, Hasan also accused Fang of “Islamophobia” even though the journalist had not commented about his religion and had only spoken about his past work for Qatar-owned Al Jazeera to contend that it was disingenuous of him to free himself of the liability of his own work from the kinds of attacks he had flung at then-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Despite himself working for a foreign organisation (Al Jazeera) that received funding from a foreign government, Hasan had accused Gabbard of being a foreign agent due to her campaign contributions from supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Demanding Bharat Ratna for ‘martyr’ Atiq Ahmed and laying the national flag on his grave cost this Congress leader dearly, here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Demanding Bharat Ratna for ‘martyr’ Atiq Ahmed and laying the national flag on his grave cost this Congress leader dearly, here is what happened

Days after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead in police custody, Rajkumar Singh alias Rajju Bhaiya, Congress councillor candidate from Ward-43 South Malaka for the upcoming Municipal election in Prayagraj has demanded Bharat Ratna for the slain mafia. Rajju Bhaiya also said that Atiq Ahmed’s body should have been wrapped in the national flag. 

In a video going viral on social media, the Congress leader is heard demanding UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s resignation as he accuses CM Yogi of getting Atiq Ahmed killed. He goes on to demand Bharat Ratna — the country’s highest civilian honour — for Atiq Ahmed.

“Atiq Ahmed ji was a people’s representative and has been martyred, he should be conferred with the honour of a Shaheed (martyr),” Singh said. To substantiate his argument Rajkumar Singh asked if Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav can be honoured with Padma Vibhushan, why Atiq Ahmed can not be given Bharat Ratna. 

As he speaks, he becomes more agitated, shouting, ‘Why Atiq Ahmed does not get Bharat Ratna, why he was not given national honour, why the national flag was not hoisted at his grafve?’

However, as Rajkumar Singh alias Rajju Bhaiya was speaking his heart out, one of his colleagues stopped him. The other Congress leader asked him what sort of statement is he giving and what nonsense he is talking (Are yaar ye kya bayaan de rahe ho, kaisi baat kar rahe ho?). The video was cut after this, so Rajkumar’s reaction to his colleague’s comments could not be heard.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted the viral video and slammed the Congress party for ‘eulogising’ Atiq Ahmed. “Congress candidate Rajkumar for local polls in UP says BHARAT RATNA AND SHAHEED STATUS must be given to Atiq Ahmad. This ecosystem hailed & eulogised Yakub, Afzal, Mukhtar and now Atiq! After Atiq ji comment by Punia ji & Tejaswi now this,” Poonwalla tweeted.

Besides, another video of Rajkumar Singh has surfaced online wherein he is seen laying down the national tricolour on Atiq Ahmed’s grave and saluting and raising slogans in his praise. This sparked outrage as netizens pointed out that this act by Rajkumar Singh is an insult to the national flag.

He is heard chanting emotionally, ‘desh ka zhanda amar rahe, Atiq bhai amar rahe’ (national flag will be immortal, Atiq brother will be immortal.’ After that, he chants the Islamic prayer ‘La ilaha illallah Muhammad ur Rasulullah’, which means ‘there is no deity but Allah. Prophet Muhammad is his messenger’. After repeating ‘Atiq Ahmed tum amar rahoge’, Rajkumar then promises that he will get him Bharat Ratna and martyr status.

He then moves to the adjutant grave of Atiq’s brother Ashraf, and puts the tricolour on it, chanting ‘Ashraf amar rahe’. As he starts to leave, some people point towards the grave on the other side of Atiq’s grave, saying it is Atiq’s son’s grave. But Rajkumar Singh responds by saying he will not put the flag on Asad’s grave. He says, ‘unko nehi milega’ (he will not get).

As the controversy escalated, the Congress party expelled Rajkumar Singh from the party for six years. The party has also removed him as the candidate for Ward 43 in the municipal elections. Prayagraj Congress president Pradeep Kumar Mishra said, “Party has taken immediate action after his (Rajkumar Singh) comment by suspending him for 6 yrs from the party”.

Moreover, Rajkumar Singh has also been taken into custody by the Prayagraj Police after his videos emerged. Reportedly he is currently kept at Kotwali Police Station.

Notably, mafia Atiq Ahmed was killed by three attackers on 15th April 2023 in the government hospital of Prayagraj while he was being taken for a medical checkup. His brother Ashraf Ahmed was also killed. All three attackers were arrested as they surrendered after the shootout.

Al Jazeera downplays Islamist violence in India by spreading half-truths, attempts to normalise radicalisation

OpIndia Staff
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Al Jazeera downplays Islamist violence in India by spreading half-truths, attempts to normalise radicalisation

On Tuesday (April 18), Islamist propaganda news outlet Al Jazeera courted controversy for downplaying Islamist violence in India and encouraging radicalisation in the process.

In an Instagram post, the Qatari monarchy-owned organisation wrote, “Muslims have been subjected to violence for decades, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only made things worse.⁠ Using Artificial Intelligence software, it generated scintillating images to further the false narrative of ‘Muslim victimhood’ and ‘rising Islamophobia’ in India.

In a total of 10 slides, Al Jazeera sought to create hysteria about an ‘ongoing anti-Muslim campaign’ while absolving radical Islamists of their complicity in documented acts of violence.

Downplaying the 2022 Godhra carnage

For instance, the propaganda news outlet claimed, “In 2002, 59 Hindu Pilgrims were killed in a train fire in Gujarat State, which was blamed on Muslims. It should be noted how Al Jazeera downplayed the incident as a ‘train fire’, thus insinuating that it might have been an accident.

Moreover, it suggested that the Muslim community was somehow victimised as the ‘train fire’ was ‘blamed on them.’ In reality, a total of 31 Islamists were found guilty of setting the Sabarmati Express on fire, which claimed the lives of 59 Hindus (mostly women and children).

11 of them were handed the death penalty by a special fast-track court on March 1, 2011. Their names include Abdul Razzak Kurkur, Ismail Suleja, Jabbir Binyamin Behra, Ramzani Binyamin Behra, Mehboob Hassan, Siraj Bala, Irfan Kalandar, Irfan Patadia, Hassan Lalu, Mehboob Chanda, & Salim Zarda. Their death penalty was later commuted to a life sentence in October 2017.

Among the convicted, the other 20 were awarded life sentences. They included Suleman Ahmad Hussain, Abdul Rehman Abdul Majid Dhantiya, Kasim Abdul Sattar, Irfan Siraj Pado Ghanchi, Anwar Mohmmad Mehda, Siddik, Mehboob Yakub Mitha, Soheb Yusuf Ahmed Kalandar, Saukat, Siddik Mohmmad Mora, Abdul Sattar Ibrahim Gaddi Asla, Abdul Rauf Abdul Majid Isa, Yunus Abdulhaq Samol, Ibrahim Abdul Razak Abdul Sattar Samol, Saukat Yusuf Ismail Mohan, Bilal Abdullah Ismail Badam Ghanchi, Farook, Ayub Abdul Gani Ismail Pataliya, Saukat Abdulah Maulvi Isamail Badam, Md Hanif.

As evident from the names, the extremists who burnt the train and charred 59 Hindu pilgrims to death belonged to the Muslim community.

Despite attempts by Al Jazeera to cast aspersions on the Godhra train carnage, the conviction of the 31 extremists will continue to show the mirror to all conspiracy theorists that try to trivialise the planned killing of the Hindu pilgrims.

Al Jazeera peddles lies in the name of Narendra Modi

In one slide, the Qatari state-owned news outlet claimed, “Narendra Modi, who headed the State at that time, was accused of doing little to stop the violence.”

Following the 2002 Godhra train carnage and the subsequent riots, a section of the media and civil society portrayed then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the man ‘who orchestrated the riots.’

When the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team gave him a clean chit in 2012, the same cabal began claiming that Narendra Modi did not ‘do enough’ to stop the riots. It’s a classical ruse used by propagandists to shift goalposts, every time they are caught lying red-handed.

Al Jazeera is employing similar tactics in the hopes of discrediting well-established facts and spinning the political narrative to its advantage. The propaganda outlet also claimed that Modi’s BJP enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, which is seen to ‘discriminate against Muslims.’

A close reading of the legislation tells us that CAA is aimed to fast-track the citizenship of religious minorities, from three neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who entered India illegally before December 31, 2014.

The law evidently does not apply to the Muslim community as they are not minorities in the above-mentioned countries. This law neither prevents any non-citizen from applying for citizenship nor takes away the citizenship of any individual. As such, it does not constitute discrimination in any way.

Propaganda outlet presents Delhi riots as ‘Muslim pogrom’

As expected, the propaganda outlet did not leave any stone in presenting a distorted view of the Delhi riots. The cycle of violence that started in the first ten days of December 2019 during anti-CAA protests culminated with the Delhi anti-Hindu riots that claimed the lives of over 50 people.

The media went hammer and tongs alleging that the Delhi riots were an ‘anti-Muslim pogrom‘, trying to paint the Modi government as Nazis and the Muslims as Jews.

When US President Donald Trump arrived in India for his official visit on February 24, 2020, widespread anarchy and chaos erupted across the national capital. Muslim mobs went on a rampage again in Delhi and a head constable of the Delhi Police lost his life.

A petrol pump was set on fire at Bhajanpura in East Delhi and many vehicles were burnt. Another DCP has been injured during clashes between two groups in Delhi’s Gokulpuri. In the midst of all this, the photograph of a certain gun-wielding rioter wearing a maroon/red t-shirt had gone viral on social media.

Some people claimed that the gunman who opened fire at police during the Delhi riots is from the ‘rightwing’ while others claimed that the said person is a Muslim rioter. Later, the gunman was identified as Shahrukh and was arrested.

Shahrukh Pathan intimidated a cop during the Delhi riots

Since then, there was chaos in Delhi. The dead body of an Intelligence Bureau constable was recovered from a drain in Chand Bagh, spearheaded by Tahir Hussain.

A Hindu man was murdered in Brahmapuri amidst chants of ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ and ‘Nara e Taqbeer’. The death toll has mounted over 50 and hundreds of people have been injured. Mosques have also been said to be damaged. A great deal of property has been damaged across the national capital.

The Delhi High Court observed, “The riots which shook the National Capital of the country in February 2020 evidently did not take place in a spur of the moment, and the conduct of the protestors who are present in the video footage which has been placed on record by the prosecution visibly portrays that it was a calculated attempt to dislocate the functioning of the Government as well as to disrupt the normal life of the people in the city.”

The court further added that the CCTV cameras were destroyed systematically that confirmed the existence of a pre-planned and pre-meditated conspiracy to disturb law and order in the city.

It said, “This is also evident from the fact that innumerable rioters ruthlessly act that in descended with sticks, dandas, bats etc., upon a hopelessly outnumbered cohort of police officials.”

Interestingly, even the deadly anti-Hindu riots of 2020 started off as ‘peaceful protests’ under the pretext of saving the Constitutional idea of India. And when the opportunity presented itself, Islamists were quick to weaponise violence under the garb of ‘provocation’ to get their writ established.

Al Jazeera dubs ‘The Kashmir Files’ as propaganda

Al Jazeera cried foul over the overwhelming response received by the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ and labelled it as a ‘propaganda film’ that supposedly demonises Muslims.

In reality, the movie is inspired by the true stories of Kashmiri Pandits. It takes viewers back to 1989, when conflict erupted in Kashmir due to rising Islamic Jihad, forcing the great majority of Hindus to flee the valley.

According to estimates, roughly 100,000 of the valley’s total 140,000 Kashmiri Pandit inhabitants migrated between February and March 1990. More of them fled in the years that followed until just about 3,000 families remained in the valley by 2011.

The movie based on video interviews with first-generation Kashmiri Pandit victims of the Kashmir Genocide was released in India in March 2022. Given that the film held the truth bare to the audience, the likes of Al Jazeera had been rattled ever since.

Half-truth about mosque demolition

Al-Jazeera also presented half-truths about the demolition of a 300-year-old mosque in Uttar Pradesh in November last year. “Today, mosques are often attacked, like the 300-year-old one in Uttar Pradesh razed for a highway,” it claimed in one of the slides.

The propaganda outlet thereby suggested that the Indian governments and law enforcement authorities casually demolish Islamic shrines and places of worship for civic projects.

In reality, all religious and non-religious structures are demolished when it becomes an obstacle to public infrastructure projects, meant for the greater good of society. And such demolition exercises are conducted following proper rules and protocols.

In the case of the 300-year-old mosque, the Muzzafarnagar district administration asked the residents of the area to relocate the mosque several times but they did not pay any heed. Once the deadline passed to make amends, the administration moved ahead with the demolition drive for road widening.

“The local SDM said the area residents were asked to relocate the mosque several times in the past, but since they did not do so past the deadline the mosque had to be pulled down,” SDM Parmanand Jha told Times Now.

Given that Al Jazeera is fixated on peddling its vicious political narrative, it chose to ignore the facts and add to the magnified sense of ‘Muslim victimhood.’

The false propaganda fed by media outlets then translates to radicalisation and real-life acts of violence, as seen in the case of Shahrukh Saifi, who killed 3 people in a Kannur-bound Executive Express train on April 2 this year.

Gujarat: Police arrest one Jishanuddin for stalking, and molesting a Hindu woman in Vadodara

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Police arrest one Jishanuddin for stalking, and molesting a Hindu woman in Vadodara

The Vadodara police have arrested one Jishanuddin Jahiruddin Shaikh for stalking, and molesting a Hindu woman at her residence in the city. Besides Shaikh, the cops also arrested two of his accomplices, identified as Gulammustufa Izharbhai Diwan and a minor (name withheld).

As per a report by DeshGujarat, the victim was a former co-worker of the accused at a telecommunication firm. The duo became good friends and eventually entered into a romantic relationship.

When the parents of the victim found out about their affair, they asked the woman to sever ties with Jishanuddin Jahiruddin Shaikh. She broke off the relationship owing to her parents’ disapproval and later got engaged to another man on April 1, 2023.

A jilted Jishanuddin reached the residence of the woman with a minor and another friend, Gulammustufa Izharbhai Diwan. He tried to gain entry into the victim’s home by ringing the doorbell repeatedly.

When the victim answered the doorbell, the accused barged inside the house while his accomplices waited at the door. He then went on to hold the woman’s hand without her consent.

The victim was able to call the police control room, which dispatched a team to her residence. After arriving at the scene, the cops arrested Jishanuddin and his two accomplices.

It later came to light that the accused threatened the victim to call off her engagement and inflict harm on her fiancé if she failed to continue their relationship.

Madhya Pradesh government orders to remove Muslim employees from Maa Sharda temple in Maihar

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh government orders to remove Muslim employees from Maa Sharda temple in Maihar

An order has been issued by the Madhya Pradesh government’s Department of Culture to remove non-Hindu employees associated with the Maa Sharda Temple in Maihar, Satna district. In addition to this, all meat and liquor stores located near the temple area would also be shut down.

Pushpa Kulesh, Deputy Secretary, Religious Trust and Endowment Department of Madhya Pradesh, has addressed this letter to the District Magistrate. In this, the directive of Tourism Minister Usha Thakur has been cited. The District Magistrate has also been instructed to submit the report in three days after taking the necessary action.

The management committee has been urged in this letter dated April 5, 2023, to order the expulsion of Muslim employees in addition to the removal of meat and liquor stores from the city. The District Magistrate acknowledged receiving the letter and assured that after an inquiry, further action will be taken.

The management committee of the temple employs three Muslims. These workers have been employed since 1988. Abid Hussain is one of the staff members, and he works as a legal advisor. Ayub Khan, who has been assigned the charge of managing the water system, is the other employee there. There is another Muslim worker named Yusuf Khan employed there. 

Even Abid Hussain, who handles court matters and transportation arrangements, has been accused to not doing his job properly. People claim that the temple management committee has not been successful in winning any cases to date.

Image via Bhaskar

The letter from the government has been received, according to Maihar’s SDM and the administrator of the Maa Sharda Management Committee, Dharmendra Mishra. The temple management committee meeting will be called upon in this regard.

Notably, on January 17, 2023, a memorandum was handed over to Minister Usha Thakur on behalf of the Satna district’s Hindu organization. The closing of meat and liquor stores in the locality was demanded in this, coupled with the removal of Muslim workers from the Maa Sharda Management Committee. Minister Usha Thakur had sought answers from the departmental officers concerning this.

While the Hindu organizations are claiming it as a victory, a controversy has erupted because there is no provision in the rules of the Maa Sharda Devi Temple Management Committee to make religion a criterion for hiring employees.

Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil hints at massive political drama in coming days, claims Ajit Pawar has made up his mind to leave NCP

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil hints at massive political drama in coming days, claims Ajit Pawar has made up his mind to leave NCP

A day after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Leader of Opposition from Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar put a full stop to the speculations about his shift from NCP to the BJP, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Gulabrao Patil stated on Wednesday that Pawar has made up his mind to leave the NCP. He also said that something big is slated to happen in the coming 2-3 days in Maharashtra Politics.

“The political environment being created in Maharashtra is an indication that he (Ajit Pawar) has decided that he wants to leave the party. One need not ask a Jyotish (astrologer) for the same. If the news is being shown on news channels, it proves something is brewing, something is wrong. Many people are saying, in the next two-three days, it’s sure to happen,” stated the Water Supply and Sanitation Minister of Maharashtra.

Gulabrao Patil also indicated that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s statement was difficult to believe as he said ‘whatever happens is contrary to what Sharad Pawar says’. “Sharad Pawar is a big leader but whatever happens is contrary to what he says. I feel if he is saying that it will not happen, then I feel it will happen. The MLAs are currently meeting with Ajit Dada, if everything is alright then why are they meeting,” he was quoted as saying.

Affirming that a political storm might erupt in Maharashtra in the coming 2-3 days, Patil said, “I haven’t spoken with anybody but this is not a matter which can be completed in one day, it has taken a series of meetings and may get over today or tomorrow.”

Earlier several media reports were published which claimed that Ajit Pawar was allegedly preparing to join the BJP with the support of more than 40 MLAs, who have also signed a petition in favour of his decision. Pawar subsequently refuted the accusations in a press conference on Tuesday. He affirmed that he is not leaving the NCP and that no signatures of any MLAs had been obtained to support the speculated shift.

“I am with NCP, not going anywhere. Nobody took the signatures of any MLAs. These are all baseless speculations. I don’t know why people are speculating about my shift from the party. All these are sheer rumours. Under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, NCP was established and we will continue to work under his leadership. This is an attempt to mislead the people and divert the issue from the core,” he said yesterday.

Notably, Ajit Pawar’s statement came hours after NCP supremo Sharad Pawar dismissed speculations about Ajit Pawar’s political move. He said that no meeting of the party MLAs had been called in the matter. Earlier, when asked whether NCP would form an alliance with BJP, the NCP supremo had said that it was difficult to predict the future. “Nothing can be said about what will happen in the future,” he was quoted.

UGC debars Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies from offering distance learning and online programmes for violations of norms

ANI
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UGC debars Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies from offering distance learning and online programmes for violations of norms

The University Grant Commission (UGC) has debarred the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Maharashtra, from offering open and distance learning (ODL) and online programmes for the academic sessions of January-February 2023, July-August 2023 and January-February 2024.

UGC secretary Manish R Joshi in a statement said that NMIMS had not adhered to the UGC regulations and was in gross violations with regard to the functioning of the Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA), quality of self-learning material and e-Learning Material (e-LM), the nomenclature of the Centre for Distance and Online Learning. According to the statement from UGC released on Tuesday, the Commission has taken a serious view on the above violations and “decided in its 566th meeting held on February 23, 2023, to debar/ban/withhold the Higher Education Institution (HIE) from offering ODL and online programme for January-February 2023, July-August 2023 and January-February 2024 academic sessions even as entitled HIEI and/or Category-I HEI”.

The UGC statement also added that the HEI may be allowed to run or offer ODL and online courses for the academic session from July-August 2024, only pursuant to inspection or onsite visit by UGC and after obtaining necessary approvals from UGC.

Therefore, he said in the statement that the general public is advised not to take admission in any course of NMIMS, Maharashtra, through open and distance learning mode and online mode for January-February 2023, July-August 2023 and January-February 2024.

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

UP: Atiq Ahmed’s henchman Asad Kaliya arrested in Prayagraj, crackdown on deceased mafia’s gang continues

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Atiq Ahmed’s henchman Asad Kaliya arrested in Prayagraj, crackdown on deceased mafia’s gang continues

On Wednesday, 19th April 2023, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested Atiq Ahmed’s henchman Asad Kaliya. Asad Kaliya is considered a close aide of Atiq Ahmed. He was wanted in many cases. He had a reward of Rs 50000 on his head.

The special operations group (SOG) of the UP police arrested him on Wednesday. The police staff from the Dhumanganj police station and the Puramufti police station also participated in this operation. Asad Kaliya was arrested along with two more accomplices. One of the two accomplices is identified as Faizan who is Asad Kaliya’s brother. The police are interrogating the arrested miscreants of Atiq Ahmed’s gang.

Since December 2021, four cases have been registered against Asad Kaliya for threatening and demanding extortion. The police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for his arrest. Recently, a video from 2019 was also circulated in which Asad Kaliya, with his accomplices, was seen throwing bricks at a person’s house and issuing threats. Asad Kaliya used to handle Atiq Ahmed’s land business.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Prayagraj) Deepak said that Asad Kaliya is arrested and being interrogated. Efforts are also being made to recover the weapons based on the information he reveals in the interrogation.

Mafia Atiq Ahmed was killed by three attackers on 15th April 2023 in the government hospital of Prayagraj while he was being taken for a medical checkup. His brother Ashraf Ahmed was also killed. All three attackers were arrested as they surrendered after the shootout.

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