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Alt News’ Zubair, Scroll and other Islamists and leftists lie that UP police stopped Muslims from offering Namaz during Ramzan in Moradabad, get fact-checked

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News’ Zubair, Scroll and other Islamists and leftists lie that UP police stopped Muslims from offering Namaz during Ramzan in Moradabad, get fact-checked

On March 25, several Islamists and their apologists, including Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, Ashok Swain, and their friendly leftist media outlets such as Scroll and India Today’s The Lallantop, resorted to spreading lies that the Moradabad police, in connivance with members of the Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal, prevented Muslims from praying in a privately owned Moradabad warehouse during Ramzan.

The Moradabad police, however, took to Twitter to fact-check the lies propagated by the assorted bunch of Islamists and the leftist liberals, by confirming that the group of Muslims was indeed allowed to carry out the prayers on Saturday, that too in the presence of police.

In a statement, the Moradabad Police said that they received a complaint about the prayer meeting from residents of the city’s Lajpat Nagar area, which has a “Hindu majority/mixed population”. The meeting was allowed to be held on Saturday in the presence of police, but Muslims of the area have been asked to offer prayers in their homes or religious places, the statement said.

Zakir Hussain, who had organised the prayer meeting in his warehouse, has submitted a written statement to the police station agreeing not to hold any more similar congregations, the police added.

The Moradabad police responded after several Twitter users shared two videos online to propagate their lies. In the first video, Rohan Saxena, state president of the Bajrang Dal, was heard saying that he and fellow members of Bajrang dal had lodged a complaint with the Moradabad police against one Zakir Hussain who assembled 20-30 people for a prayer meeting in his warehouse in Moradabad. In the second video, UP police officials were seen standing outside Zakir Hussain’s purported godown.

Several Islamists and the assorted bunch of liberals used both these videos extensively to push their fake propaganda against the UP police, to which the latter promptly responded.

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was amongst the first to propagate the vile campaign against the Moradabad police. He retweeted several posts by like-minded ‘liberals’ like The Wire journalist Kaushik Raj and some Islamists to cast aspersions on UP police.

Zubair didn’t stop at this. He took to Twitter to further attack the UP police after it posted its response on the issue. “Here comes a statement by @moradabadpolice on Tareveeh offered in a godown. During Ramzan, Most Mosques are full, People usually prefer reading Tareveeh at Function halls/Houses/Godowns during Ramzan. This has been the practice. What’s wrong? Why give in to pressure by RW orgs?”

Meer Faisal, a columnist with The Wire, shared the first video and wrote, “In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Bajrang Dal have stopped offering Taraweeh prayers at home and complained about it to the police. After this, SSP requested to stop offering Taraweeh namaz in his own house.  #Islamophobia #Hindutva”

Repeating the falsehood, AIMIM’s Muzaffarpur’s social media in-charge Mehndi Hasan tweeted in Hindi, “Taraweeh prayers were being offered at Zakir Hussain’s iron godown in Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal worker, the police stopped the prayers, neighbors and family members used to offer prayers at Zakir Hussain’s godown. But @Uppolice has objection to offering namaz, shame.”

In the same instance, Millat Times also shared the second video wherein some UP police officials were seen outside Zakir Hussain’s warehouse and tweeted in Hindi, “In Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, an iron store owner made arrangements to perform Taraweeh prayers in his warehouse, but the locals protested to the police that the warehouse was being converted into a religious site, after which the police reached the spot and stopped them from offering Taraweeh prayers.

No sooner did the website post the video, a Twitter user going by the handle @shuja_2006, used the video to push false propaganda to portray Muslims as victims. “Indian #Muslim now even can not offer prayer at home during the holy month #Ramadhan Taraweeh prayers were being offered at Zakir Hussain’s iron godown in Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal worker, the police stopped the prayers, neighbors and family members used to offer prayers at Zakir Hussain’s godown. But Up police has an objection to offering namaz at home,” the tweet read.

Ashok Swain, the habitual fake news peddlers and leftist propagandist, shared the video and wrote, “Muslims in Moradabad, UP, India, were offering namaz inside their house and the Hindu supremacists with the police stopped the namaz. Where will Muslims pray in India if they can’t do that inside their houses?”

Congress leader Mir Ilyas also chimed in by propagating the same lie that the ‘Hindu supremacists in connivance with the Uttar Pradesh police stopped Muslims from offering namaz inside their house.’

RJD MLA Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi also joined the bandwagon. “@Uppolice don’t act against the principles and philosophies of the Constitution. Your action in Moradabad will have a far reaching effect. Stop this indiscriminate humiliation of muslims. Take action against the miscreants, don’t side with them. @moradabadpolice#Namaz#Taraweeh,” he wrote.

Another troll who goes by the name Anjali Mody also shared the videos posted by ‘journalist’ @WasimAkramTyagi to spread similar propaganda. “Man in the video identifies as a member of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the #VHP, a #Modi-BJP-RSS linked org, branches in the UK&US. Aided by Moradabad police, he has stopped #Ramzan prayers being said inside the privately owned warehouse of a Muslim resident. #India@g20org,” she tweeted.

Leftist-friendly media houses like India Today’s The Lallantop and Scroll also joined in to claim that the Moradabad police acted against the Muslims and stopped them from offering Namaz at their house, based on complaints filed by the Hindu organisation.

Vernacular media houses like Dainik Bhaskar also made similar assertions that the UP police in connivance with the Bajrang Dal members stopped Muslims from offering prayers.

The Moradabad police, nevertheless, responded to almost every such vile tweet to clarify that the prayer meeting was, indeed, allowed to be held on Saturday in the presence of police. Muslims of the area have, however, been asked to refrain from holding such public prayer meets and to offer prayers in their homes or designated religious places in the future.

Frustrated Congressis target Smriti Irani again with sexual innuendos, the Amethi loss of now disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi still hurts

Nirwa Mehta
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Frustrated Congressis target Smriti Irani again with sexual innuendos, the Amethi loss of now disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi still hurts

The frustration of Congress at Rahul Gandhi trying to put up a brave face amid all losing battles would have been amusing if it were not so problematic. Congress leader Srinivas BV while speaking at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in defamation case tried to take a dig on Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Srinivas, while trying to attack the BJP on inflation, mocked Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi at the family bastion of Amethi in 2019 and said how prior to 2014, she would talk about things being expensive. However, now, the ‘mehengai daayan (reference to the song from the film Peepli Live) ko darling bana ke bedroom mein bitha diya hai‘ (you have made the inflation your darling and kept her in your bedroom).

For all the women empowerment and feminism pontification by Rahul Gandhi and his, this casual sexism is quite jarring. But not surprising. Especially because it is thrown at Smriti Irani.

You see, Smriti Irani is the one who gave Rahul Gandhi a run for his money. During the run up to 2019 general elections, Congress realised that there is a possibility Rahul Gandhi may not win the family bastion of Amethi, a seat he himself had won for three straight terms. Which is why he contested from two seats – Amethi and Wayanad. Irani had contested Amethi in 2014 and lost but over next five years she built up her support base and in a true David vs Goliath style dethroned the Prince who is made to believe he is the rightful heir to the Prime Ministership of India. After all, his father, grandmother and great grandfather, have all held the seat.

Bitter over the loss, Congress leaders have time and again subjected Smriti to sexual slurs. In 2015, Congress leader Nilamani Sen Deka the former Assam state Agriculture minister said at a public meeting in Nalbari that many people refer to Smriti Irani as the second wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2019, Congress leader had shared an image of Irani with Hukumdev Narayan saying that Smriti is bowing in obeisance in front of a “Rape Guru” while Rahul Gandhi is asked to apologise for his rape remarks. Indrani Mishra had insinuated that Smriti is paying respect to rape accused Swami Chinmayanand, while it was actually veteran MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav.

Another Congress leader Shashank Bhargava, during a rally in 2020, made another such comment filled with sexual innuendos against Irani. “The hike in fuel prices must be rolled back. In the past, Smriti Irani would roam around with a lot of bangles in her hand. She is close to the Prime Minister and can give her bangles and a lot many other things. I will request her to gift the Prime Minister her bangles and whatever else he wants and ask him to roll back the price hike,” he had said.

Recently in December 2022, Gandhi family loyalist Ajay Rai said that the Amethi MP comes to her constituency only to show ‘latke and jhatke’. During a press interaction, Congress leader Rai said, “Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half of the factories in Jagdishpur Industrial Area are lying shut. Smriti Irani comes, shows ‘latka-jhatka’, and leaves.”

How to show a woman her ‘place’? Make sexually coloured remarks and insinuate that she has reached the position of power by ‘compromising’ on her ethics and not because of hard work. After all, she has dared to defeat their beloved leader Rahul Gandhi.

They say politics is a dirty place. After all, it is a man’s world there. Naturally, it is harder for a woman to not only carve a place for herself but defeat really powerful politicians, like fourth generation politicians, whose father, grandmother and great grandfather have been the Prime Ministers of India. The one for whom seat of Prime Minister was a given privilege, and would’ve been unchallenged had fate not taken a turn a few years back.

In 2014 general elections, Smriti Irani took on Rahul Gandhi, the then 2 time MP from Amethi, a constituency that has sent many members of his family to the Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi won the elections but Irani gave him a tough fight. Rahul Gandhi got 4,08,651 votes with 46.71% vote share while Irani clocked in 3,00,748 votes with 34.38% vote share. The previous term, in 2009, Rahul Gandhi had got 4,64,195 votes with 71.78% vote share. So, while Irani may have lost, she gave a tough fight to the crown prince.

For next five years, Irani worked hard and when she again took on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi that year, she had increased not only the vote count but also vote share. Irani got 4,68,514 votes with 49.71% vote share against Rahul Gandhi’s 4,13,394 votes with 43.84%. Rahul Gandhi’s vote share had gone down. Smriti Irani had won. But more importantly, she had won after defeating Rahul Gandhi. Something Congressis are still salty about.

And hence, they resort to such vile sexual abuse. The abuses we see are just the ones which make it to social media or mainstream media or where politicians are stupid enough to say it aloud on public platforms. I am pretty sure Smriti Irani, like many of us women out there, faces death and rape threats. If someone like me, who is hardly a speck in Indian political universe, is regularly faced with abuses, quite certain for Irani it is far more.

After all, she had challenged the one who was conditioned he will never be.

AAP Gujarat chief says the party is ready to challenge BJP for the 2024 LS elections, had earlier lost deposits on 128 seats in assembly polls

લિંકન સોખડિયા
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AAP Gujarat chief says the party is ready to challenge BJP for the 2024 LS elections, had earlier lost deposits on 128 seats in assembly polls

The Aam Aadmi Party, which dreamed of forming the government in the 2022 Assembly elections, but managed to win a paltry 5 seats, has challenged the BJP over the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. AAP Gujarat President, Isudan Gadhvi, who lost the assembly poll, has claimed that his party will field candidates in all Lok Sabha constituencies in the state for the 2024 general elections.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started holding meetings in Gujarat as part of its preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As part of this, a similar meeting was held in Dediapada under the leadership of Gujarat State President Isudan Gadhvi. The agenda of the closed-door meeting with local MLAs and workers was ‘How to capture Bharuch seat in the Lok Sabha elections’.

A public rally was also held after the meeting. Gadhvi was accompanied by MLA Chaitar Vasava, State Vice President Prof. Arjun Rathwa, Dr Praful Vasava, Jetpur Assembly President Radhika Rathwa, Dr Dayaram Vasava, Rajendra Vasava and many other leaders.

Aam Aadmi Party state president Isudan Gadhvi said, “The BJP MP or MLA in Bharuch has no strength to speak on the issue of tribals, and the party has kept its 156 MLAs and three others as peons. They are not allowed to raise any questions in the assembly. We will field Aam Aadmi Party candidates in 26 seats.”

In the same public meeting, the newly elected Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Dediapada, Chaitar Vasava, expressed his readiness to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Bharuch seat.

Mla Chaitar Vasava said, “I am only waiting for the party’s approval. If it tells me to contest, I will defeat Mansukh Vasava or whoever else comes before me. But if I get a ticket, I will go back to seven assembly constituencies of Bharuch Lok Sabha and contest with the consent of the people.”

Isudan, who talks about defeating the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, may not remember the results of the Gujarat assembly elections, which took place less than a year ago.

AAP lost deposits on 128 seats during the Gujarat 2022 assembly polls

In December 2022, the AAP had a tough time fulfilling its tall promises and claims made in the run-up to the assembly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party won five seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections and secured 13 per cent of the votes. At the same time, out of the 181 candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party, 128 lost their deposits. On just one seat, Dediapada, AAP had more than 50 per cent vote share.

The atmosphere created by the Aam Aadmi Party by holding rallies across Gujarat, and the tall claims made to establish power, proved to be hollow. But once again AAP state president Isudan Gadhvi has started making similar claims before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Most notably, Gadhvi, who was the chief ministerial face of the Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat, himself lost the assembly elections.

Only time will tell what the outcome of the election will be, but till now one thing has become clear: Gujarat and Gujaratis have not shown any special interest in the Aam Aadmi Party and its claims.

Ahead of Gujarat 2022 assembly elections, AAP had claimed that they are winning the polls

In a media interaction ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, the then AAP’s chief ministerial candidate, Isudan Gadhvi, had said that his party was going to win the polls in Gujarat and show the BJP the way out.

When a reporter had asked Gadhvi to name seats where the AAP would comfortably win the elections, the AAP state chief said he was confident of the party winning Ambaliya, Somnath, Mangadh, Dwarka, Jamnagar Rural, Rajkot Rural, Morbi, and Mandvi in Kutch. However, AAP could not win any of these seats in the elections.

As Atiq Ahmed is transferred from Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh, national media covering the ‘event’ shows live pictures of him urinating on the way: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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As Atiq Ahmed is transferred from Gujarat to Uttar Pradesh, national media covering the ‘event’ shows live pictures of him urinating on the way: Watch

On March 27, media channels covering gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s transfer from Gujarat Jail to Uttar Pradesh Jail showed him taking a break to urinate live on their channels. Several clips from Aaj Tak’s live reporting of the ‘event’ went viral on social media platforms. Though the particular segment has been removed from the reports on Aaj Tak’s YouTube channel, the clips are already viral and are making the rounds on social media.

Earlier, Atiq Ahmed’s car almost overturned after hitting a cow on the road. Sadly, the cow died in the accident. Atiq Ahmed was taking a 1200 KM journey from Ahmedabad to Prayagraj as he gets transferred in the Umesh Pal murder case. Before getting onto the van for the journey, Ahmed had expressed fear that he will be killed by the UP police team. “Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)…Mujhe inka programme maloom hai…Hatya karna chahte hain (I know their programme…They want to murder me),” he was heard saying.

This was not the first instance of Atiq Ahmed’s urination making news. A similar video also surfaced last night when he took a break to pee at a petrol pump.

Atiq Ahmed has been lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail since June 2019. The Supreme Court directed the transfer of Atiq Ahmed to a high-security jail in Gujarat on charges of kidnapping and assaulting a businessman while in prison.

Since then, Atiq Ahmed has been in Sabarmati Central Jail. He pleaded with the court not to keep him in UP jails, saying there was a threat to his life. However, he is being taken to Prayagraj, where he will appear in a 2006 case before the court. He will also be questioned in the Umesh Pal murder case.

Uddhav Thackeray asks Rahul Gandhi to refrain from insulting Veer Savarkar as their priority is to ‘save democracy’

OpIndia Staff
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Uddhav Thackeray asks Rahul Gandhi to refrain from insulting Veer Savarkar as their priority is to ‘save democracy’

Uddhav Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), pleaded with Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, asking him to not get ‘provoked’ and insult Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar as their first priority was to ‘save democracy’. Thackeray’s party, UBT, is in coalition with Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra.

Uddhav added that even if his party participated in the Congress leader’s “Bharat Jodo Yatra” in an effort to preserve democracy, Rahul should refrain from making comments that could stoke tension between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress.

“I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that we walked with you in your ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ as it was for the fight to save democracy. But I want to openly tell Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar is a God-like figure for us and we will not tolerate his insult…. We are together in the fight to save democracy. But do not make statements or take steps that will create fissures (between the Sena (UBT) and the Congress). They (BJP) are trying to provoke you. If we missed the timing today, then our country will surely go towards autocracy,” Uddhav said while addressing his Shiv Garjana rally at Malegaon on Sunday evening.

He emphasised Savarkar’s sacrifice and involvement in the freedom fight, saying that what Savarkar underwent was unfathomable. “Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. It is a form of sacrifice. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar.”

Uddhav Thackeray said. Uddhav criticised the Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis-led administration harshly for failing to address the problems and hardships that farmers confront. In addition, he attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that they were not representative of India and that criticising Modi was not an insult to the nation as claimed by party leaders.

“Criticising Modi doesn’t mean it’s an insult to the country. How can it be an insult to the country if there is criticism of Modi? Modi is not India,” Uddhav said.

Uddhav also demanded that the BJP alter its name and criticised the party for “inducting corrupt persons into the party” and exploiting federal agencies. He claimed that the BJP had implicated all opposition party leaders by levelling accusations of corruption against them. “By creating false accusations against them and blackmailing them, you are enlisting individuals in your party. You are bringing in every corrupt individual in the party out of your desire for power. I urge the BJP to alter its name since it is a party of corrupt individuals. Change the party’s name to “Bhrasht Janata Party”

Uddhav criticised the Election Commission of India when the Shinde-led group won the party name and symbol. He claimed that Shinde and the BJP had stolen the Shiv Sena party name and election emblem, the “bow and arrow,” and that the ECI was operating under orders from the Union government. He did, however, state that he was committed to fighting until he wins.

Moreover, Uddhav urged the BJP to say if Shinde would lead the party in the elections and dared the national organisation to run for office in Modi’s name. “Conduct polls right away. He said, “You seek votes in the name of Narendra Modi, and I will ask for votes in the name of my father. There can be no separation between the Shiv Sena and Thackeray.”

In addition, Uddhav Thackeray poked fun at the EC, stating that if it did not have cataracts, it should have looked at the (Shiv) Sainik crowds at the Shiv Sena (UBT) rallies that were held on March 5 in Khed and on Sunday in Malegaon before deciding which organisation is the true Shiv Sena.

IAMC, with links to terror orgs including Jamaat-e-Islami, comes out in support of Rahul Gandhi, executive director says proof of India being ‘fascist’

OpIndia Staff
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IAMC, with links to terror orgs including Jamaat-e-Islami, comes out in support of Rahul Gandhi, executive director says proof of India being ‘fascist’

On March 24 (local time) Islamic terror organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami linked Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) issued a statement condemning the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha. In the statement, IAMC claimed that the defamation case against Gandhi was designed to harass and intimidate him.

The organisation called his disqualification a “grave injustice and clear manifestation of the ruling party’s desperation to maintain its hold on power, decimate the opposition, and silence dissenting voices.”

The statement read, “Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) strongly condemns the disqualification of Mr Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader from the Indian parliament, a day after being convicted in a politically motivated defamation case. In 2019, Mr Gandhi delivered a speech at an election rally where he referred to thieves as having the same surname as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The defamation case against Mr Gandhi was designed to harass and intimidate him. The decision to disqualify him from the parliament on the basis of this conviction is a grave injustice and a clear manifestation of the ruling party’s desperation to maintain its hold on power, decimate the opposition, and silence any dissenting voices. The IAMC believes that the decision to disqualify Mr Gandhi sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Indian democracy. It sends a message that the ruling party will stop at nothing to suppress any opposition and that the judiciary can be manipulated to serve political interests.”, the statement continued.

The statement also quoted IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed saying, “The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Indian parliament is a blatant violation of the principles of democracy and a chilling reminder of the descent of India into a fascist state. This is not just an attack on an individual but an attack on everyone who is critical of the Modi regime. We urge the Biden administration and the international community to take note of this alarming development and speak out in defence of democracy and human rights in India.”

IAMC and its dubious history

For the uninitiated, Rasheed Ahmed is the executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a radical Islamist group that has alleged links with banned terror organizations such as the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and has a long history of lobbying against India.

The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with the terror outfit Jamat-e-Islami.

IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently, was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s Director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood, an ex-Pak Navy official.

IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.

Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi

On March 23, a Magistrate Court in Surat convicted Rahul Gandhi, sending him to 2 years imprisonment and a fine for in the defamation case where he had called everyone with ‘Modi surname’ a thug. Many people in Gujarat who belong to the OBC community have a ‘Modi’ surname, and this kind of remark by an elected public representative could have harmed individuals, causing them a social stigma.

In its order, the court said that it would like to set an example and awarded the maximum punishment possible under the section so that people act responsibly. “When someone of an MP level addresses common people, the intensity of crime increases. If he is given lesser punishment, it gives out a wrong message to society that anyone can say anything and get away with it without consequences. Hence, keeping in mind everything, the accused is given two years imprisonment and is asked to pay a fine,” the court had observed.

According to section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, any MP or MLA convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction, which means, as of March 23, 2023, Rahul Gandhi stood disqualified as an MP. He also could not contest the upcoming 2024 general elections unless his conviction is stayed. The such stay could come from a higher court with or without conditions.

“Getting an ass to run a horse’s race..”, Hardeep Singh Puri pulls no punches commenting on Rahul Gandhi

ANI
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“Getting an ass to run a horse’s race..”, Hardeep Singh Puri pulls no punches commenting on Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi who was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP recently, and said that the Congress leader should fight the “court’s action in the court” instead of speaking against Veer Savarkar.

“You are getting an ass to run a horse’s race…They really deserve to do some serious introspection…People of India would judge them for what they are…Fight Court’s action in the Court, you are invoking Mahabharat and Savarkar,” Puri said. 

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

In April 2019, he made the remark “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname” at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The court approved Rahul Gandhi’s bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts.

After his disqualification, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he was not Veer Savarkar and that he will not apologise.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital a day after he was convicted in a defamation case and subsequently disqualified from Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday “My name in not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis don’t apologise to anyone.”

He further stated that he is not scared of going to prison and that his disqualification from Parliament was aimed at distracting people from the Adani issue.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha today attended the Parliament session by wearing black clothes.

Besides Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, the Congress has since the start of the Budget session of Parliament been registering their protest over the Adani-Hindbenburg issue and questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s relation with the Adani Group. 

Congress had demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue and staged protests in the Parliament’s ongoing Budget Session.

The ongoing second part of the Budget Session began on March 13 and will continue till April 6. 

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

Left-wing terrorists kill Assistant Platoon Commander of Chhattisgarh Armed Forces in an IED blast

ANI
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Left-wing terrorists kill Assistant Platoon Commander of Chhattisgarh Armed Forces in an IED blast

 An officer of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) was killed by unidentified Naxals in an explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Monday in the state’s insurgency-hit Bijapur district, said the police.

The deceased officer has been identified as Assistant Platoon Commander Vijay Yadav (58). The incident took place between Temenar and Etepal area this morning, said a police officer.

Further, the police also informed that the officer was belonging to the 19th battalion of CAF’s D-Company and was a native of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, a team of security personnel were out on an area domination exercise on Monday morning from Mirtur police station and when they reached a forest patch between Temenar and Etepal, the officer accidentally stepped over an IED placed by the Naxals resulting in an explosion. Further information is awaited.

Earlier, an encounter broke out between a joint party of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and District Reserve Guard and Naxals in the forest area of Chote Burgum in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Sunday, officials said.

The Naxals fled the area taking advantage of forest cover, officials said.

During a search operation in the area, the security forces recovered two IEDs which were later defused at the spot.

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

United States funding organisations involved in anti-Netanyahu protests against judicial overhaul: Report

OpIndia Staff
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United States funding organisations involved in anti-Netanyahu protests against judicial overhaul: Report

In a recent development, it has been reported that the US State Department is funding an organisation that has been actively involved in organising anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel over judicial overhaul.

According to sources, the US State Department has granted funds to the “Movement for Quality Government,” an Israeli organisation that has been at the forefront of the protests against the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and also protesting against the judicial reforms which the Israeli PM seeks to bring in.

Israeli funding documents examined by the Washington Free Beacon show that the U.S. government has been giving taxpayer money to the left-wing organisation “Movement for Quality Government”, which is, in turn, funding the demonstrations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A senior government official accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his weekend trip to Italy asserted on Friday that the Biden administration had contributed financially to the large-scale demonstrations against the controversial judicial reforms.

He said that millions of dollars were used to fund and plan this protest. “We are following what is happening. This is a very high-level organization. There is an organized centre from which all the demonstrators branch out in an orderly manner,” the senior official said.

The Movement for Quality Government has been organizing protests against Netanyahu for several years, calling for his resignation over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. The organization has been instrumental in mobilizing large-scale demonstrations, including the recent protests that have taken place across Israel.

On Channel 14 News, a source intimately associated with the premier, pro-Netanyahu analyst Yakov Bardugo made a similar assertion last week.

And on Saturday night, Netanyahu’s son Yair posted a story about a report in the far-right Washington Free Beacon that claimed the State Department funds the Movement for Quality Government, a group that has been at the forefront of the demonstrations against the judicial reform, through grants.

Nevertheless, that financing started under the Trump administration, and according to the State Department, it particularly supports programmes that teach students about democracy in Israeli schools.

The legislative plans by the right-religious government, Israel’s most hardline to date, have sparked mass public protests in Israel for over two months, as well as fierce backlash from opposition politicians and dire warnings from economists, business leaders, legal experts and security officials.

The statements by the top official and others close to the premier are a sign of the difficulties Netanyahu is facing in his government’s relations with the US, with the official response seemingly being to lash out at Washington.

Talking about the incident Rep. Jim Banks said “If the shoe was on the other foot, the Biden administration would accuse Israel of interfering in our elections. Congress should absolutely review the State Department’s potential funding of partisan politics in Israel.”

The news of the US State Department’s funding has drawn criticism from Netanyahu’s supporters, who see it as interference in Israel’s domestic affairs. They have accused the US of supporting a campaign to oust the Prime Minister, who they believe has been unfairly targeted by the opposition and the media.

However, supporters of the Movement for Quality Government have defended the organisation, saying that it is a non-partisan group that is committed to promoting good governance and combating corruption in Israel.

The US State Department has not yet commented on the matter, but sources say that the funding was approved after a thorough review of the organisation’s activities and objectives. It remains to be seen how this development will impact the ongoing political situation in Israel, where Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from his opponents.

Khalistani calls Hindu god Hanuman ‘first international terrorist’

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani calls Hindu god Hanuman ‘first international terrorist’

On March 26, a TikTok user published a video of a Khalistani protest from an unnamed location in which the speaker used derogatory language for the Hindu God Hanuman. Calling him a “terrorist”, the Khalistani speaker lashed out at those who call Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a terrorist. The video was shared on Twitter by Canada-based user Pritam Singh, who has repeatedly published pro-Khalistani posts on his account.

He said, “If you and your media call our Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a terrorist, then you have to listen and answer. Your Hanuman was the first international terrorist. He crossed the border illegally. He did not take a visa or care about the sovereignty of another nation. He went to another country. He had a dispute with one person, but he burnt down Lanka. He scared the civilians, and you celebrate it to date in the name of Lanka Dehen. It was his personal dispute. When you call it (so-called Khalistan) our personal dispute, remember that it was your personal dispute. It was a personal dispute with Ravan. Why did you cause civilian causalities? You destroyed people’s houses. You illegally crossed the border. You sent the world’s first terrorist to another country, and you proudly remember it. You have to listen to this, and we will keep telling you.”

It is unclear if the event where the incident happened was organised in support of pro-Khalistani separatist leader Amritpal Singh who is currently on the run after Punjab Police, with central agencies’ support, launched a crackdown against him or it was a Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice‘s event as Referendum 2020 poster was in the background.

This is not the first time a pro-Khalistani has abused Hindu Gods and Goddesses. In April 2022, during an attack on Maa Kali temple in Patiala, a Khalistani protester used derogatory language against Maa Durga. The Nihang Sikh, in a statement to ‘Pro Punjab TV’, said, “They should think (before speaking) about the Hindu religion. Khalsa Panth, which was established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is the master of all religions. Show these people of Haridwar Hemkunth Parbat (mountain) in Sarbloh Granth.” “Who were those bad guys on Hemkunth Parbat? Who forced your Durga to dance naked? Who saved her? Ask them. When rakshas looted Indra Dev’s house and made Durga dance naked, who saved her?” the man was caught saying.

In January 2022, it was reported how pro-Khalistani elements abuse Hindu Gods and Goddesses on social media platforms like Clubhouse.

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