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Pakistan: Chinese engineer arrested for ‘insulting Islam’ after he asked his Pakistani subordinates to work faster during Ramzan

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Chinese engineer arrested for ‘insulting Islam’ after he asked his Pakistani subordinates to work faster during Ramzan

On Sunday, April 16, Pakistan police arrested a Chinese engineer working at a hydropower project in Kohistan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the country on accusations of blasphemy. The Chinese national working in China Gezhouba Group Company was accused of ‘insulting’ Allah.

He had allegedly commented about the slow pace of work during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan during an argument with his Pakistani subordinates at his workplace.

The accused, identified in a formal complaint to the police by two Pakistani dumpster drivers as “Mr Tian, in charge of heavy machinery,” was detained by police late on Sunday from a residential camp for Chinese workers near Dasu, about 350 km north of Islamabad ‘to avert a serious situation.’

Dasu Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam under construction in Kohistan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan. China’s Gezhouba Group Company Limited has undertaken main civil works.

According to South China Morning Post, Tian had allegedly commented about the slow pace of work during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which infuriated the Pakistani employees of the company. As the news of the argument and alleged blasphemy spread, a charged mob of several hundred people, chanting death threats against Tian, gathered outside the residential camp and began pelting it with stones.

Hundreds of people from nearby villages also gathered to block the Karakoram Highway connecting Pakistan to China to protest against the Chinese citizen.

The police intervened and fired aerial warning shots at the mob to prevent a riot. The mob kept creating a ruckus for almost four hours and only dispersed after the police assured that the Chinese engineer would face legal repercussions.

Meanwhile, after the aforementioned incident, the security of the Chinese nationals working on the World Bank-financed Dasu hydropower project has been tightened.

Attack on Chinese nationals in Pakistan

In addition to the persecution of minorities, Pakistan has recently been under fire for the increase in attacks on Chinese people living there. In September last year, an unidentified gunman opened fire inside a dental clinic in Karachi, Pakistan, killing a Chinese national and injuring two others. The suspect managed to flee the murder scene with the assistance of an accomplice who had parked his motorcycle around the corner on Preedy Street.

Prior to this, three Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing at Karachi University in April by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which is hostile to China’s involvement in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploiting the resource-rich province.

In 2021, at least 10 people lost their lives and 39 were injured after a bus carrying staff members working on Dasu Dam was blown up. Of the four dead, 4 were Chinese nationals.

In fact, after the string of attacks reported in the recent past, reports emerged on how Pakistan’s security systems are no longer trusted by the Chinese population, particularly the Chinese labourers there. Chinese employees in Pakistan feel frightened and don’t trust Pakistan’s security apparatus to keep them safe in an emergency.

Last year, owing to the repeated attacks on Chinese nationals, a top-level tri-service military group from Pakistan visited China from June 9 to 12 to address various issues with senior military and government officials from Beijing. During the discussion, the attacks on Chinese citizens by Baloch militants were brought up.

Beijing requested Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to take appropriate actions to avoid attacks on Chinese people working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) facilities in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

It’s worth mentioning that China has made major infrastructural investments in Pakistan. The projects, one of which being the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), rely heavily on Chinese manpower and funds.

2 SITs constituted by UP Police to investigate the murder of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother in Prayagraj

OpIndia Staff
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2 SITs constituted by UP Police to investigate the murder of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother in Prayagraj

Mafia-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj on April 15. Now 2 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been formed to look into the killings by the Uttar Pradesh Police. One three-membered SIT, headed by Additional Director General Prayagraj zone Bhanu Bhaskar, including Commissioner of Police Prayagraj and Director Forensic Science Laboratory, has been formed by DGP RK Vishwakarma.

The second three-membered SIT that has been formed by the Prayagraj Police is slated to look into the murder case registered at Shahganj police station. According to the directions provided in response to numerous petitions filed in the Supreme Court and the High Court, the teams are instructed to submit investigative findings and affidavits in a timely manner. As per the reports, a detailed investigation of the entire incident will be included in the reports.

Atiq Ahmad and his brother were shot dead by three gunmen who pretended to be journalists on Saturday night as the accused were being led by police officers for a medical examination in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

Just hours prior to the shooting, last rites of Ahmed’s son Asad, who died in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13 were conducted. Ahmed and Ashraf were both speaking to a large group of media persons when they were shot dead.

In the meanwhile, an appeal has been made to the Supreme Court seeking a direction to set up an expert committee to examine the deaths under the leadership of a former judge of the Supreme Court. On Sunday, attorney Vishal Tiwari filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for the creation of an impartial expert committee and for an investigation of the 183 encounters that have occurred in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

The petitioner emphasized that “such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and the rule of law and lead to a police state” while also calling for an investigation into the murders of Ahmed and his brother. 

Kerala train fire: Accused Shahrukh Saifi highly radicalised, follower of fugitive Islamist preacher Zakir Naik

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala train fire: Accused Shahrukh Saifi highly radicalised, follower of fugitive Islamist preacher Zakir Naik

According to Police, Shahrukh Saifi, the Delhi resident who is charged in connection with the recent train fire in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, is highly radicalised and a follower of the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.

In the April 2 fire incident on board the Kannur-bound Executive Express train, which resulted in the deaths of three people, Shahrukh Saifi, 27, a native of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, was charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on Sunday, according to the police.

According to Additional Director General of Police M R Ajith Kumar, who also serves as the head of the special investigative team in Kozhikode, “Saifi has been constantly watching Naik’s videos. He is an extremely radicalised man who arrived in Kerala with the intent to do the crime. All of the evidence linking him to the crime has been acquired.”

He said that after the terror angle was discovered, Saifi was charged under UAPA Section 16 (acts of terror that result in loss of life, punishable by death or life imprisonment). The investigation is still ongoing to see if he had any local backing for the crime. At this point, we have all the information regarding his travels from Delhi to Kozhikode in Kerala and his subsequent movements to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, the official said.

The ADGP further stated that an investigation into whether he received backing from extremist groups in Kerala or elsewhere in the nation is also ongoing.

In addition to section 151 (damaging railway property) of the Indian Railways Act, the police had previously filed a murder case against Saifi and cited sections 326A (causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc.), 436 (mischief by fire and explosive substances), and 438 (attempt to commit mischief by fire or explosives) of the Indian Penal Code.

On April 2, Saifi splashed petrol on the passengers of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express and set them ablaze at Elathur in Kozhikode.

Shahrukh, a YouTuber, and carpenter by profession, is believed to have landed in Shornur town in Kerala from Delhi on April 2 and spent the entire day there before boarding the train. Investigators claimed that he filled a couple of bottles with petrol from a Shornur outlet during this time.

Reportedly, Shahrukh Saifi, a YouTuber by profession changed his lifestyle in June last year as he quit smoking and started to spend more time in Namaz. The police suspect that despite having a very small number of subscribers on his YouTube channel, Saifi is thought to have been approached by radicals because of his social media activity.

Shahrukh claimed to have carried out the attack near Elathur by himself, however, police suspect there may have been other people involved in the attack. Shahrukh also had a list of railway stations in the state that he wanted to target. 

While Shahrukh reportedly told the cops about his changed lifestyle before carrying out the train fire attack, his family in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh claimed that he never showed any explicit religious behaviour. 

Earlier it was reported that a Kerala Police team visited accused Shahrukh’s residence in Shaheen Bagh and questioned his parents. He went missing from his residence on March 30, following which his parents lodged a missing person complaint. 

Bengaluru: Residents of Frazer Town ask BBMP to shut down ‘Ramzan Food Mela’, cite traffic congestion, garbage pileup

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru: Residents of Frazer Town ask BBMP to shut down ‘Ramzan Food Mela’, cite traffic congestion, garbage pileup

The residents of Frazer Town in Bengaluru have written to the civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to immediately shut down the ‘Ramzan Food Mela’, which is organised each year during the month of Ramzan.

In a tweet, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan informed, “The Frazer Town Residents’ Welfare Association (FTRWA) addressed a letter to the BBMP, and the police, requesting the discontinuation of the Ramzan Food Mela on Mosque Road, Bengaluru.”

He further added, “The FTRWA cited concerns about traffic congestion and the unsightly accumulation of garbage.” During Ramzan, stalls selling kebabs and biriyani prop up each evening on Mosque Road in Frazer Town.

The local residents are reportedly fed up with traffic congestion and the pileup of garbage. In their letter to the BBMP, they informed, “The Ramzan Food Mela has no religious importance and none of the residents nor mosque authorities are in favor of such an event.”

“We don’t even take part in organising nor we take part in shopping. On the contrary, we, the residents, shop owners, people who pray during Ramzan, are greatly disturbed,” they further added.

“The street shops have been opened by outsiders and the people who flock to eat here are also from outside. We have lost the serenity of our area and request your good selves to bring an immediate stop to such an event,” informed Frazer Town Residents’ Welfare Association.

While speaking to The Hindu, a local resident named Saud Dastagir said, “The event is too noisy, and the entire area is choked with traffic with irregular parking only adding to the list of woes. It stinks due to cooking on the streets and the smoke emitted from cooking has polluted the air.”

Throwback to the time when 10 court judges had recused themselves from hearing mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s case

OpIndia Staff
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Throwback to the time when 10 court judges had recused themselves from hearing mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s case

Atiq Ahmed, the gangster-turned-politician, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on Saturday, April 15, while being escorted to Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj for a regular checkup. The murders were shown live on television as the two brothers responded to inquiries from reporters.

Atiq and Ashraf were in police custody remand from April 13. It was to end on Sunday evening at 5 pm. However, the duo was killed by three individuals on Saturday night. Uttar Pradesh government has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in all districts. As per the reports, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of Atiq and his brother Ashraf.

The shootout happened just days after Atiq’s son Asad was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh STF. Atiq and his family members, including his brother Ashraf and his son Asad, were accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. However, there was a time when everybody in the city of Prayagraj was scared of Atiq.

A report by Prabhat Khabar reveals that 10 judges had recused themselves from a court case involving Atiq Ahmed. Later, the 11th judge agreed to hear the case and granted bail to the accused Atiq Ahmed in all the cases lodged against him.

The incident dates back to the year 2012 when the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Atiq, who was in jail in connection with a case registered against him under the stringent Gangsters’ Act. The order was passed by Justice D P Singh, who made it clear that Ahmed would have to appear before the trial court whenever summons were issued.

Atiq Ahmed, who was seeking revival of his sagging political career by contesting the assembly elections from Allahabad (West) seat, had been behind bars ever since he was arrested from Delhi in January 2008. He was lodged in a jail in Basti district in the year 2012. He was accused in a number of criminal cases, most notable being the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005.

According to the reports, he had secured bail in the murder case barely a few months after being named as an accused. However, once the Mayawati-led BSP took control of the state in 2007, several new cases were brought against Ahmed and his close friends.

Atiq Ahmed had been granted bail in all cases, which included threatening witnesses in the Pal murder case and those related to land-grabbing, except the one slapped against him under the Gangsters’ Act.

In the year 2012, Atiq Ahmed lost during the assembly elections. The Samajwadi Party government was formed in Uttar Pradesh that year, in which Atiq Ahmed again tried his best to regain his glory. Then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had given him a ticket from Sultanpur in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This was opposed by many from within the party so the seat was changed to Shravasti. But Atiq lost again and this resulted in him falling out of favour in the party.

RSS conducts its annual route march at 45 places across Tamil Nadu after SC rejected state govt’s appeal against it: Details

OpIndia Staff
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RSS conducts its annual route march at 45 places across Tamil Nadu after SC rejected state govt’s appeal against it: Details

Coming as a major setback to MK Stalin in the state, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Sunday, April 16, conducted grand roadshows at 45 locations across Tamil Nadu, ending months of the legal battle. The police were forced to grant the permission after the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court decision permitting RSS to organise the march was rejected by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 11.

It may be noted that earlier the MK Stalin government in Tamil Nadu had raised objections and prohibited the event from taking place in the state. It filed a plea in the apex court against the Madras High Court orders allowing RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) to hold marches in the state.

However, after getting a nod from the SC, the traditional route march was conducted peacefully on Sunday, April 16. According to reports, the routes for the roadshow were pre-decided. The volunteers also carried drums and sticks, which are commonly used in these traditional parades.

The places in Tamil Nadu where the roadshow was held included Chennai, Vellore, Hosur, Salem, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Palladam, Karur, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Tiruchupalli and Madurai. A rally was also organized in the Korattur area of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, in which Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry DL Murugan also participated. After this, he also addressed a huge public meeting.

R Vanniyarajan, the RSS president in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, confirmed that the state police had granted permission for the marches after SC’s nod. “We approached the DGP on April 12 seeking permission for route marches on three probable dates: April 14, 15, and 16.  The DGP granted permission to conduct marches on April 16 and requested the district cadre to approach their respective district commissioners and SPs and work out the route and other formalities.”

According to Vanniyarajan, the RSS has been organising these traditional route marches from Kashmir to Kanyakumari on the occasion of Vijyadashmi every year since 1925. All states, with the exception of Tamil Nadu, used to grant permission for the route marches.“The state government, whether DMK or AIADMK, have always refused permission for conducting route marches and RSS was forced to approach the court for obtaining permission,” he added. 

The legal battle between RSS and MK Stalin Govt in Tamil Nadu over permission to hold Pathsanchalan

Notably, RSS had been conducting Vijayadasami route marches annually in the State. However, it was unable to plan route marches for the last few years due to the pandemic. Last year (2022), the Hindu outfit approached the state government seeking permission to hold its traditional route march on October 2. It planned to cover 51 locations across the state. The purpose of the processions was to mark the RSS’s founding day, India’s 75th anniversary of independence, and Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth centennial. In October 2022, the MK Stalin government refused to grant permission after which RSS approached the Madras High Court filling 50 writ petitions to direct the police to grant permission for the same.

What ensued was a protracted legal dispute between the Tamil Nadu DMK administration and the RSS.

RSS filed a case with the Madras High Court, seeking direction from the TN government to give permission. The state government, in turn, filed 50 review petitions, which Justice GK Illanthiraiyan of the Madras HC dismissed on September 22, 2022, and permitted the RSS to hold rallies across Tamil Nadu on October 2 with some conditions.

Since the order of HC dated September 22, 2022, was not complied with by the State Govt, RSS Tamil Nadu was forced to file 50 contempt petitions before Single Judge.

During the hearing of the contempt petition, State Govt filed a status report, in which it stated petrol bomb attacks on RSS and BJP cadres throughout Tamil Nadu as an excuse to not grant permission for the route march to RSS. It argued that RSS rallies would lead to instability and would be difficult to manage.

The Madras HC modified the order dated September 22, 2022, and gave permission for RSS to conduct procession within compounded premises in 23 places and conduct the route marches in 3 other locations. It rejected permission in 24 places. The court also ordered the TN Police to let the RSS hold a rally on November 6 rather than October 2.

Despite Madras HC’s specific orders, MK Stalin only granted permission for route marches in 3 locations while denying permission for other areas. It also went on to file a review petition on September 28 on war foot urgency.

Angered by the order of a single Judge for rejecting permission in other places, RSS Tamil Nadu filed 45 appeals to the division bench.

On November 2, the division bench set aside the order passed by Single Judge in contempt petition and restored the original order passed by Single Judge order. It rejected the State Government’s review petition.

Reprimanding the state police for not allowing rallies only based on information received from the intelligence department, the court once again issued instructions to the state police to allow RSS to hold rallies at 44 locations in the state.

The MK Stalin government filed an appeal against this order before the Supreme Court of India.

After an elaborate hearing of the State Government and RSS, the apex court on April 11, 2023, pronounced its orders allowing the RSS to conduct route marches in Tamil Nadu.

Video of pregnant Sana Khan dragged out by her husband from Baba Siddique’s Iftar party goes viral, former actor clarifies after online backlash

OpIndia Staff
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Video of pregnant Sana Khan dragged out by her husband from Baba Siddique’s Iftar party goes viral, former actor clarifies after online backlash

On Sunday, Sana Khan, a former Bollywood actress, attended Baba Siddique’s Iftar celebration in Mumbai with her husband Maulvi Mufti Anas Sayyed. Sana, who is expecting her first child, attended the party to which several other Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan were also invited. However, a strange video of the party went viral over the internet yesterday in which the pregnant former actress was seen being dragged by her husband.

“Bhai mai thak gai. Mai itna nahi chal paungi. (I am tired. I won’t be able to walk),” Sana could be heard saying as her husband hastily headed her out of the party. The video was posted by one of the paparazzi who quoted the video saying, “Sana Khan thak gayi (Sana Khan looks tired)! Sana Khan and her husband attended the Iftar party tonight by Baba Siddique!! Seems like they were in hurry!!”

The netizens then sharply reacted to the video as they saw breathless Sana being dragged by her husband. They slammed Maulvi Mufti Anas Sayyed for his irresponsible behaviour towards his pregnant wife. “Why is he dragging her like that.. she’s pregnant. Nonsense behaviour” commented one of the users.

Another one then commented saying, “Let her breathe, man.” Further one said, “Why is he pulling her that fast in her condition?” One more said, “She looks breathless, she’s pregnant…”

One of the users meanwhile claimed that the Maulvi was probably protecting his wife from viral making cameras as he believed it would be evil to present her pregnancy publically as per Sharia.

Former actor Sana Khan issues clarification over viral video

Sana also later noticed the video and asked her “lovely brothers and sisters” not to worry for her safety in the comments section after seeing it. Sana responded to the paparazzi footage by stating it “looks weird” to her as well. She thanked people for their concern. 

“This video just came to my notice. And I know it looks weird to all my lovely brothers and sisters and to me, in fact. We lost contact with the driver and car once we came out and I was standing for longer than usual and started sweating and (getting) uncomfortable, so he quickly wanted to get me in so I can sit and have water and some air. I was the one to tell him to let’s go in quick as we did not want to disturb the paps (paparazzi), who were there clicking pics of all the guests. So just a request, please don’t think otherwise. Thank you all once again for your concern. Loads of love to everyone here,” she said.

Prior to getting married to Anas in November 2020, Sana, who appeared on Bigg Boss 6, gave up acting. She announced her pregnancy in an interview in March of this year. As stated by Sana, she was not feeling well at the party and so was hastily taken by her husband to their car so that she could breathe some fresh air. The crowd of cameramen and other celebrities can also be seen in the video.

BBC does it again, finds a ‘Robinhood’ in gangster Atiq Ahmed

Dibakar Dutta
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BBC does it again, finds a ‘Robinhood’ in gangster Atiq Ahmed

On Sunday (April 16), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) courted controversy for attempting to stir sympathy in favour of deceased gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed.

The UK’s national broadcaster published a report, which was titled ‘Atiq Ahmed: The brazen murder of an Indian mafia don-turned-politician.’ Written by one Geeta Pandey, it initially delved into the circumstances leading up to the assassination of Atiq Ahmed

Thereafter, BBC weaved a sorry tale around his childhood days. “The 60-year-old was born in a poor family in Prayagraj and was a school dropout…” the report read.

Hinting at a rags-to-riches story, it added, “…But over the years he amassed huge wealth, enjoyed political patronage and power and came to wield immense influence in the city of his birth and beyond.”

Citing former Uttar Pradesh DGP Vikram Singh, BBC highlighted how the gangster Atiq Ahmed was a sort of ‘Robinhood’ who helped people in distress.

“(He) spent lavishly to help poor people – paying for weddings, giving them money during Eid festivals, and helping poor women buy school uniforms and books for their children,” the UK’s national broadcaster quoted Singh as saying.

BBC casts aspersion on Asad Ahmed’s encounter

The news publication also pointed out how the family of Asad Ahmed is being hounded by law enforcement authorities.

“The February murder caught on video set in motion a chain of events that has left Ahmed and several members of his family and supporters dead, his wife on the run with a bounty on her head, two of his sons in jail and the remaining two sons who are minors in government protection homes,” the report read.

BBC also cast doubts on the police encounter of Asad Ahmed, the son of Atiq Ahmed, but did not delve into the details of his criminal activity.

“On Thursday, his 19-year-old son Asad and an aide were killed by the police in a so-called encounter – with accusations flying that they were shot dead in a planned execution,” it claimed.

UK’s national broadcaster finds ‘Muslim angle’

BBC was also successful in discovering a ‘Muslim angle’ and suggesting that the assassination of the gangster-politician had left the streets of Prayagraj deserted in the month of Ramzan.

“Many parts of Prayagraj were a ghost town on Sunday morning. The main bazaars in the old city – usually buzzing with activity at this time of the year as Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid – were deserted,” it claimed.

It further stated, “Police vans and officers are deployed on almost every street. Internet services are down in most parts. And locals are reluctant to talk to the media or say anything about the murders.”

BBC was also able to find a 40-year-old anonymous ‘Muslim’ man, who was left wondering whether the assassination of Atiq Ahmed was related to his Islamic Faith.

“Many of us are wondering if he was killed because he was a Muslim. I don’t know if that’s true, but this incident has terrified the city. We deserve better,” the anonymous man was quoted as saying by the BBC.

BBC dwells on the political career of Atiq Ahmed

Another article published by BBC on the gangster focused on every other aspect except for the criminal record of Atiq Ahmed.

“Experts have raised questions on how a man could be killed in front of the media and the police,” the UK’s national broadcaster insinuated about BJP government’s involvement in the assassination.

Not surprisingly, BBC also laid emphasis on the meteoric rise of the gangster in the political sphere. It also cast doubts about the encounters carried out by the Uttar Pradesh police.

“Rights activists accuse the police of carrying out extra-judicial killings, which the state’s government denies. The police usually calls them “encounters” – many say these are really staged confrontations which almost invariably end with dead criminals and unscathed police,” BBC claimed.

Woman allegedly denied entry in Golden Temple over ‘Tricolour painted on face’, SGPC issues clarification

OpIndia Staff
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Woman allegedly denied entry in Golden Temple over ‘Tricolour painted on face’, SGPC issues clarification

On April 17, a video went viral on social media in which a woman alleged she was denied entry to Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, as she had a tricolour painted on her face. The video attracted a lot of criticism on social media.

In the video, a man and woman can be seen confronting a Sikh person who allegedly did not allow the woman entry to the famous Sikh shrine. When asked why she was not allowed to enter the Gurudwara, the Sikh man said, “She has a flag on her face”. When the woman said it was the Indian flag, the Sikh man said, “This is Punjab, not India”.

Following the criticism, Gurcharan Singh Grewal, General Secretary of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) issued a clarification. He was quoted by the news agency ANI saying, “This is a Sikh shrine. Every religious place has its own decorum…We welcome everyone…We apologise if an official misbehaved…The flag on her face was not our national flag as it didn’t have Ashoka Chakra. It could have been a political flag.”

Rahul Gandhi says ‘Nandini is the best’, netizens point out his divisive politics right after so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’

Siddhi Somani
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Rahul Gandhi says ‘Nandini is the best’, netizens point out his divisive politics right after so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’

Amid the massive controversy that has erupted between the two milk brands, Amul and Nandini in the state of Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited a local store in Bengaluru and purchased Nandini ice-cream further referring to the brand as ‘Karnataka’s pride’.

He further pointed out that Nandini, the premier brand of the Karnataka Milk Federation, is the ‘best’. The Congress leader’s action comes after state party officials supported the locally produced dairy company out of concern that Gujarat’s Amul might acquire it.

In a video that went viral over the internet, the former MP entered the store with state party leader DK Shivakumar and general secretary KC Venugopal. Gandhi could also be seen holding an ice cream cone from the local Nandini ice cream parlor. 

Rahul Gandhi also posted his picture while he shopped at the local ice cream and captioned the picture by saying, “Karnataka’s Pride – NANDINI is the best!”. However, the action by the former MP was not welcomed by the netizens who criticized the leader for seeking opportunity ahead of the elections and playing the drama of praising the Karnataka-based milk brand.

One of the users posted excerpts of Gandhi’s old speech from Anand, Gujarat where the leader had praised the Gujarat-based Amul brand amid the state assembly elections then. The user stated that Gandhi had praised Amul during the Gujarat elections and now he was praising Nandini during the Karnataka elections. “All this divide for votes only,” he said.

Another user meanwhile cross-questioned the leader and indicated that if Nandini was so best, why were Amul products being sold in the Congress-ruled state of Rajasthan instead of Nandini? One Rahul Gupta also claimed that the leader was praising the Nandin milk brand only for politics. “When in Gujarat, Amul is Best. Divide and Rule Policy has been History of Congress,” he said indicating that Gandhi was fueling the controversy by taking a biased stance on the issue.

One of the users meanwhile alleged that the Congress party was promoting regionalism amid the elections. Also, a user quoted Gandhi’s tweet and said that the leader was just being a hypocrite. He said that the state of Kerala, Wayanad (Gandhi’s constituency) was opposing Nandini’s entry into Kerala and here, the leader was showering praises on the milk brand.

Earlier it was reported that Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), also known by the brand name Milma, expressed grave concern regarding the propensity of some State milk marketing federations of entering markets outside of their respective state. The KCMMF claimed that the action violated the cooperative ethos on which the country’s dairy industry has been set up for the betterment of millions of milk farmers.

Milma Chairman K.S. Mani stated that Amul’s (Gujarat Milk Cooperative Federation) initiative to advertise its staple goods in Karnataka has encountered stiff opposition from state competitors but the Karnataka Milk Marketing Federation has lately opened its stores to sell its Nandini brand of milk and other goods in several areas of Kerala. “This is a highly unethical practice which defeats the very purpose of India’s dairy movement and will harm the interests of the farmers,” he said.

The milk saga began on April 5 after Amul’s official Twitter handle posted an infographic about its entry into Karnataka. The Congress in the state of Karnataka, ahead of the state assembly elections grabbed the opportunity to spread misleading information concerning Amul’s acquisition of the state’s local dairy brand Nandini. The matter escalated and grew into a full-fledged controversy and then Congress started milking it further for political gains.

While the Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah attempted to inflame regional tensions among Karnataka voters before the state elections using the Amul-Nandini controversy, he probably forgot that Amul had already expanded its footprints in the state when he was at the helm of affairs in 2017. As reported earlier, Amul entered Karnataka in 2017 when the Congress was in power in the state and Siddaramaiah himself was the CM.

The incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai however last week clarified that his government had taken all kinds of measures to make Nandini number one at the national level. He also stated that Karnataka was also going to other states and marketing and that the state will do all required to put Amul behind in the competition.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi recently finished the Congress’ so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which aimed at uniting India and coming together to strengthen our nation. The Yatra began on September 7 last year from Kanyakumari and passed through 12 states, culminating in Jammu and Kashmir – spanning a distance of 4000 plus km over about 136 days. However, the aim of the Yatra and the Congress party seems to have failed as the former MP could be seen creating a divide between the two crucial states over milk brands ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka.

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