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‘Clearcut objective to kill and harm Hindus’: Delhi court frames charges against Tahir Hussain in Ankit Sharma murder case, Alt News had given him a clean chit

OpIndia Staff
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‘Clearcut objective to kill and harm Hindus’: Delhi court frames charges against Tahir Hussain in Ankit Sharma murder case, Alt News had given him a clean chit

On 23rd March 2023, the Karkardooma court in Delhi framed murder and conspiracy charges against Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain and ten others for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots on 25th February 2020. Ankit Sharma’s dead body was recovered from a drain in Delhi. Tahir Hussain and ten others are charged under sections 147, 148, 153A, 302, 365, 120B, 149 & 188 of the Indian Penal Code. Tahir Hussain was additionally charged under sections 104,109 & 505 of IPC.

While framing the charges, the court observed, “Tahir was continuously acting in a manner of supervising & motivating this mob. All these things were done to target Hindus. Every member of the mob assembled there participated in achieving the objective of targeting Hindus.”

The court further remarked, “Such conducts of the members of this mob, show that they were acting out of the meeting of their minds and with a ‘clearcut objective in mind, to kill and harm Hindus’. Thus, a ‘criminal conspiracy to indulge in a riot and to kill Hindus and harm properties of Hindus’, is well reflected from the evidence on the record.”

The court said specifically about the AAP leader, “Tahir Hussain also played the role of instigator to kill Hindus. and exhorting this mob as to not to spare Hindus. He instigated the mob when Ankit came forward towards this mob.”

The court also highlighted that Ankit Sharma was killed only because he was a Hindu. The court said, “The conspiracy need not be specific to kill Ankit. When the accused persons were acting in pursuance to conspiracy and common object to kill Hindus, it covered the killing of Ankit as well for the reasons that Ankit was killed because he was Hindu.”

The autopsy report revealed the horrific brutality

The dead body of slain Intelligence Bureau constable Ankit Sharma was recovered from a ditch in Chand Bagh on 27th February 2020. His body was then sent for autopsy by the authorities. The autopsy report revealed the horrific brutality that was inflicted on him before his body was dumped in a ditch behind the house of AAP leader Tahir Hussain.

The autopsy report said that Ankit Sharma was stabbed over 400 times, and his body has been mutilated beyond belief. He had stab wounds all over his body and not even a single portion of it was spared. He was stabbed for hours, four to six hours, by possibly as many as six individuals together. Moreover, his intestines were ripped apart, says the autopsy report. Forensic doctors reportedly said that they haven’t seen such nightmarish mutilation in their lives. The report said that the body had “multiple abrasions.. deep cut.. by sharp edge objects”. The panel of doctors, who carried out post mortem, clearly stated that Ankit Sharma was brutally and repeatedly stabbed, which had caused his death.

Tahir Hussain incited the mob that killed Ankit Sharma

A case in this regard was registered on 26th February 2020 by Ankit Sharma’s father Ravinder Sharma at the Dayalpur police station. IB staffer Ankit Sharma was reported missing by his family during the Delhi anti-Hindu riots. On 27 February, his dead body was found in a sewer in the Chand Bagh area. The Delhi police had stated in its charge sheet that Ankit Sharma was specifically targeted by the mob that was led by Tahir Hussain. They had alleged a deep conspiracy behind the murder. The charge sheet says that Ankit Sharma was murdered outside the residence of Tahir Hussain in the Khajuri Khas area on February 25. After stabbing him multiple times, the mob threw his body into the nearby drain. A knife used in the murder and blood-stained clothes were also recovered.

AltNews attempted to give a clean cheat to the Muslim leader of AAP

After it had emerged that AAP leader Tahir Hussain was one of the main organizers behind the riots in North East Delhi on 25th February 2020, Islamists and the left-liberal ecosystem went overboard in defending him. Even after stones, petrol bombs, acid packs, improvised slingshots to hurl petrol bombs, etc were recovered from Tahir’s building after the riots, and videos had emerged showing hundreds of people throwing stones and petrol bombs from the roof of the building with Tahir supervising the attacks, Islamists wanted people to believe that he was innocent.

Leftist propaganda site AltNews, which calls itself a fact-checker, jumped into the bandwagon to give a clean chit to Tahir Hussain. Alt News published an article to refute allegations that the AAP leader had posted an edited video, but several people questioned the arguments Alt News used to defend Tahir Hussain.

A video was posted by then-AAP spokesperson Prince Soni on 27th February 2020 where Tahir Hussain was making an appeal to the police to control the riots, amid violence going on in the background. He had alleged that rioters had forcefully entered and vandalized his house. Although the video was posted a day after the riots were brought under control, Prince had claimed that it was recorded during the riots. Alt News used the video as proof to give a clean chit to Tahir Hussain.

After the video was posted, several persons on Twitter claimed that it was doctored. It was alleged that Tahir Hussain had recorded his statement after the riots were over in an indoor setting with a green screen as a background, and footage from the riots was added in the background using video editing tools. Several persons had overserved that while Tahir’s statement was seemed to have recorded using a tripod as his footage was stable, the background was shaking and moving, typical of recording using a handheld device. Alrt News also relied on the AAP spokesperson and took the data provided by the AAP spokesperson for granted and peddled that Tahir Hussain’s video was shot on 24th February 2020 when the riots were going on.

The so-called fact-checker gave a clean chit to the AAP leader based on non-reliable and dubious sources. They chose to believe the version of an AAP spokesperson who will obviously defend their party leader and relied on video from a smartphone which can be easily manipulated. 

Tahir Hussain is also accused of financing the anti-Hindu Delhi riots of 2020

In conjunction with a money laundering investigation, the Karkardooma court also filed charges in January against former MCD councilor Tahir Hussain. He was accused of using unlawful means to finance the North East Delhi riots. Tahir Hussain has neither admitted guilt nor asserted his innocence.

Pakistan: Stampede breaks out in Swabi during distribution of subsidised wheat flour

ANI
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Pakistan: Stampede breaks out in Swabi during distribution of subsidised wheat flour

A stampede broke out on Wednesday during the distribution of subsidised wheat flour outside the offices of Razaar tehsil’s headquarters in Pakistan’s Swabi. No one was injured in the stampede, Dawn reported.

Residents said that mismanagement marred the distribution of subsidised flour. Riaz Khan said people queued up for flour outside the THQ offices and a stampede occurred when they jumped the queue. He said many people attempted to get more flour. 

On Wednesday, the Jamaat-i-Islami workers held a protest against the “unjust and mismanaged” distribution of subsidised flour. The protesters shouted slogans and called on the district administration to ensure the provision of flour to deserving people only.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) spokesperson Zafar Bukhari claimed that the district naib emir of the party Mian Iftikhar Bacha held a meeting with the assistant commissioner of Razaar tehsil on the issue. However, the latter misbehaved and threatened the former with “serious consequences,” as per the Dawn report.

The JI workers held a sit-in on the Swabi-Mardan Road. However, the protesters dispersed soon after administration officials promised fair flour distribution, as per the news report.

Last week, the price of 50 kilograms bag of wheat reached Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 6,000 in the Swabi district, Dawn reported citing traders and consumers, Dawn reported.

Speaking to Dawn, the consumers called it an alarming situation as they had never witnessed such a high price of grain, making it difficult for them to meet their basic staple needs.

Traders said that they could not rule out further rise in the price of wheat as the wheat harvesting season was still two months away, leading to an increase in the rate of flour. Sher Khan, a trader in Maneri Bala village, said, “The cost of a 50kg wheat flour bag may rise to PKR 6,600.”

Traders stressed that the survival of poor sections of society was difficult amid the record inflation, which could further rise in Ramzan, as per the news report. The consumers urged the provincial government to increase the subsidised wheat flour supply in Ramazan, allowing them to address their basic food needs.

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

Bihar: Shekhar Suman demands CBI probe to find his brother-in-law Dr. Sanjay Kumar who went missing 22 days ago

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Shekhar Suman demands CBI probe to find his brother-in-law Dr. Sanjay Kumar who went missing 22 days ago

The disappearance of Dr. Sanjay Kumar, who went missing from Patna in Bihar on March 1, continues to remain a mystery. Dr. Sanjay Kumar’s brother-in-law Bollywood actor Shekhar Suman has raised this issue in the media and said that he will also talk to CM Nitish Kumar for appropriate action.

Dr Sanjay Kumar has not been found despite several attempts in the last 22 days. Dr. Sanjay Kumar’s wife is Shekhar Suman’s sister. Family members have said that Kumar is a straightforward man who has no past enmity with anyone.

Shekhar Suman said, “We are very worried. This problem has arisen all of a sudden in a family that was living happily. This is worse than the worst nightmares. Even after 22 days, we are unable to understand where did he physically disappear. If he committed suicide, then where is the dead body? If he jumped from the Ganga bridge at 7:42 o’clock then how is it possible that nobody saw him? If he walked away, how long he kept on walking? Till horizon? Where did he go?”

Shekhar Suman further added, “We hoped that the police gives us at least some clue so that we also try to investigate in that direction, but the police could not give any clue after 22 days. Where did he go? Is there no camera? No record? Tomorrow anyone may disappear just like that. This matter should be investigated properly. However, I don’t claim that the current investigation is lacking somewhere on the part of the police. Yes, they are doing whatever they can but the main hurdle, in this case, is that we have no further CCTV footage. I am demanding CBI inquiry because I feel that maybe the agency is more capable when it comes to solving such complex cases. Maybe there has not been any such big case on the state level before. So if the agency joins in and the police jointly work with them, maybe we can hope for better results.”

Talking about the police investigation so far, Shekhar Suman said, “The only assurance they give us is that they say we are looking into it. But my only question is, till when? A month? Two months? Two years? Twenty years? There is no past history, he had no enmity with anyone. Also, there is no threatening phone call or demand for any ransom. Was he kidnapped? Did he commit suicide? Police should tell us something, and we will believe that story. The case should get some direction or some definite closure but that’s not happening. We will definitely meet the chief minister and request that this case should reach a conclusion.”

Dr. Sanjay Kumar, head of the pharmacology department at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Patna went missing on March 1, Wednesday. He had left in the evening for Muzaffarnagar for the inspection of a college there. On Thursday, the family of Dr. Kumar filed a case of kidnapping at Patrakar Nagar police station.

The car in which Kumar said he is going to travel was later found abandoned at Mahatma Gandhi Setu connecting Patna and Hajipur. Both the mobile phones of the doctor were also recovered from the abandoned car. 

Dr. Kumar’s wife Saloni Kumari is a retired professor from the College of Commerce, Arts, and Science. She last spoke to her husband at around 7:42 pm on March 1, when he told her that his car got stuck in a traffic jam. Later, despite calling several times, Dr. Kumar did not pick up her calls.

AIIMS Guwahati to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on 14 April, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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AIIMS Guwahati to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on 14 April, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Guwahati is all set for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 April, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said today. After visiting the AIIMS Guwahati today, he said that 84% of work in the institution has been completed, and said that PM Modi will inaugurate it during his Assam visit on 14 April.

‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Guwahati on 14 April to participate in the Bihu program organised by the state government at Sarusajai Stadium. Along with that, we are thinking about whether we can inaugurate the AIIMS Guwahati on that day. Therefore, I inspected the AIIMS campus today, and we will take a decision on it soon,’ the chief minister said addressing the media after the visit.

He stated that the AIIMS has started OPD services, and IPD services with 150 beds will start soon. The CM said that almost 84% of the construction work and 82% of finances have been completed. He also informed that three batches with almost 200 students are already studying at the AIIMS, and the fourth batch will be admitted by April-May.

Himanta Biswa Sarma added, ‘therefore we hope that if the prime minister approves, we will inaugurate the AIIMS Guwahati by his hands on 14th April’.

He also posted a video of his visit to the campus on Twitter and said that after its inauguration, the AIIMS will give a huge boost to healthcare in North East. “Reviewed status of its various infrastructure facilities including OPD, auditorium, waste disposal & connecting roads,” he added.

The CM said that 18 departments including OPD are ready to be opened, while some super-speciality departments will come up gradually. While the AIIMS will have 750 beds, it will start with 150 beds.

Earlier on March 3, Health minister Keshab Mahanta and chief secretary Paban Kumar Barthakur reviewed the work of the medical institution with top officials of AIIMS and Kamrup district administration. The minister had directed the officials to complete the work by 31 March.

The foundation stone for the AIIMS at Changsari at North Guwahati was laid by prime minister Narendra Modi in May 2017. It is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at an estimated cost of Rs 1,123 crore on a 571-acre plot.

Academic activities started in January 2021 with the induction of 50 students in the first batch. Subsequently, 2 more batches were admitted, with 100 students admitted in the third batch last year. While the academic sessions had started at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, the classes were shifted to the permanent site at Changsari in March 2022 after the buildings were ready.

While at present Saraighat bridge over the Brahmaputra is the only way to reach the AIIMS from Guwahati, the upcoming Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge, construction for which has been going on, will provide a much shorter link to the premier health institute.

The AIIMS was approved in the union budget in 2015, presented by then finance minister Arun Jaitley. In the first full budget after coming to power, the Modi government had announced five AIIMS in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and a second AIIMS in Bihar.

Among these, land for the AIIMS at Darbhanga in Bihar is yet to be finalised, while construction has not started at Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Construction of the Jammu AIIMS is going on, while the Himachal AIIMS at Bilaspur was inaugurated last year, and the institution at Bathinda in Punjab has also started functioning.

Police suspect Amritpal Singh stayed in Haryana’s Shahbad area based on new CCTV footage, woman who allegedly sheltered him arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Police suspect Amritpal Singh stayed in Haryana’s Shahbad area based on new CCTV footage, woman who allegedly sheltered him arrested

On Thursday, March 23, cops in pursuit of Amritpal Singh, have claimed to have recovered CCTV footage which showed the last location of the fugitive Khalistani leader in Haryana’s Shahbad area. The CCTV footage shows a man walking with an umbrella, who is suspected to be Amritpal Singh. The footage is from Sidhartha Colony in Shahbad Markanda, Kurukshetra.

As per media reports, police is suspecting that Amritpal crossed over to Haryana after escaping Punjab, where he took shelter in a lady’s house in Shahbad on the intervening night of March 19-20.

Based on the footage, the police have arrested the woman identified as Baljeet Kaur, who allegedly provided shelter to the Khalistani leader and is questioning her about his whereabouts.

According to reports, Baljeet Kaur was in touch with Papalpreet Singh, Amritpal’s ‘mentor’ who assisted him in escaping. The fugitive is claimed to have arrived at the lady’s house on a scooter with Papalpreet. According to sources, Baljeet and Papalpreet have known one other for two years. This was discovered after Baljeet’s brother informed the police that Amritpal was hiding at his sister’s residence. Haryana Police detained the woman and turned her over to Punjab Police after getting a tip-off.

Besides, the Punjab police have also arrested Tajinder Singh Gill, a gunman who worked for Amritpal. “Various pictures of him (Gill) holding weapons can be seen on social media. When the records were checked, it was found that he did not have a gun license. An FIR has been registered against him under section 188 of IPC. He was also involved in the Ajnala incident,” Harsimrat Singh, DSP of Khanna, Punjab told news agency ANI. 

Punjab Police question the wife and mother of Amritpal Singh over alleged foreign funding

Earlier in the day, the police questioned the family members of ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief and fugitive Amritpal Singh. A police team comprising senior officials questioned Amritpal Singh’s wife Kirandeep Kaur, father Tarsem Singh and mother Balwinder Kaur for nearly an hour at the Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar.

Reportedly, a woman police officer questioned Amritpal’s wife Kirandeep and mother Balwinder Kaur in connection with the alleged foreign funding for the activities of Amritpal Singh and his group ‘Waris Punjab De’. 

Although the Police refused to give any details regarding the questioning of Amritpal’s family, reports suggest that the police may have inquired about Kirandeep’s alleged past connection with radical Sikh organisation

Amritpal Singh supporting pro-Khalistan Canadian businessman issues threats to BJP leader Tajinder Bagga: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Amritpal Singh supporting pro-Khalistan Canadian businessman issues threats to BJP leader Tajinder Bagga: Details

The action against Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and his pro-Khalistan organisation ‘Waris Punjab De’ has triggered many Khalistan supporters, particularly outside India. They have now resorted to issuing threats to Indians, including leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In one such episode, an Amritpal Singh supporter threatened Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga over a phone call and WhatsApp messages. In the series of WhatsApp messages, the caller threatened to come to India and “find” Tajinder Bagga and then used abusive slurs to make his threat.

According to the information posted by the politician, the name of the Khalistani proponent is allegedly Pranvatt Singh Ghotra. As per his claims, he is the proprietor of ‘Ghotra Trucking’ in Canada and hails from Bishanpur Village of Kapurthala district, in Punjab. He also said that he will be visiting India next week.

The caller can be heard using abusive language against Tajinder Bagga and accusing him of uttering nonsense while wearing ‘pagh’ (Sikh turban). He also dragged the latter’s parents into his rants.

He boasted about his affluence during the call and claimed that he owns a trucking company called ‘Ghotra Trucking’ there. He also revealed that he is from Bishanpur, Punjab, during the conversation.

The BJP Delhi spokesperson also shared a series of WhatsApp screenshots where the Canadian businessman can be seen using the same offensive words against the former.

He accused Tajinder Bagga for ‘not standing against injustices on his own kind’ and told him to ‘take off his turban.’ He questioned the latter’s commitment to the Sikh faith and asked him to ‘renounce Sikhism.’

The caller went further and threatened Bagga as he said, “Don’t make me come to India and find your dumbass. I am coming next week.”

Referring to Tajinder Bagga in a disparaging manner, the caller called him the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)’s lapdog. He bragged about his foul language and called the Sikh Baniya community ‘real scum.’ He reiterated that he will find the latter and taunted him over his security.

The caller gloated about his educational degrees while making fun of Tajinder Bagga’s educational background. He added even more coarse language to the discourse and flaunted that he could ‘do this all day,’ asking the latter ‘where he would hide?’

He continuously used crude language against Tajinder Bagga, his caste, and his family.

He declared his pride in his anti-India position and blamed ‘people like Tajinder Bagga’ for making him a Khalistani.

Tajinder Bagga also released a list of phone numbers of people from whom he received threats from pro-Khalistan supporters living abroad.

In the aftermath of the crackdown on Amritpal Singh, Khalistan supporters have already attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco and the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom.

Similar attacks on Indian High Commissions, particularly in Australia are a regular occurrence.

Gujarat: Dalit girl from Nanakhanpur who went missing at Urs fair found dead, murder suspected as the body was wrapped in a sack

Krunalsinh Rajput
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Gujarat: Dalit girl from Nanakhanpur who went missing at Urs fair found dead, murder suspected as the body was wrapped in a sack

On 18th March 2023, a Dalit young girl (aged 19) from Nanakhanpur in the Mahisagar district of Gujarat went missing while she had gone to a local Urs fair with her family. On 21st March 2023, her dead body was found in a river bed. The dead body was tied in a sack. This has raised suspicion of the girl being murdered. The police are investigating this matter further.

The deceased girl was appearing for her 12th standard examinations. She went to attend a Urs fair in the Karanta village in the Mahisagar district. She attended the fair with her family but while returning, she went missing. Urs fair is an annual celebration at a dargah in memory of the Muslim saint after whom that particular dargah is named. People having faith in that dargah primarily gather there for religious rituals and participate in it, while other sections of the society also join in the fair for celebrations and enjoyment.

The deceased girl had gone to the Urs mela with her family members. While returning from there, they were standing at a place where she went missing as it raining with the storm. The family started searching for her. She was not found anywhere around. Finally, the family members lodged a complaint at Khanpur police station. The police then launched an investigation and sent photos of the missing girl to the entire Mahisagar district police as well as police stations in central Gujarat, including Godhra, Dahod, Vadodara, Aravalli, and Anand.

On the evening of March 21, the Khanpur police found the body of the Dalit girl in a sack at the Mahisagar river passing through the Karanta village. A complaint was then lodged by the family at the police station. The police registered an FIR under sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense) of the IPC against the unidentified accused and started further investigation.

The FIR copy is available with OpIndia. Apart from this, our team also contacted the family members of the deceased girl, who gave more details about the matter. The deceased girl’s brother told OpIndia team about the circumstances under which his sister had gone missing. He said, “On the 18th of March, my younger sister, along with family, went to the annual Urs fair at the dargah in the Karanta village. Our family goes to this fair every year. At around 8 pm, when she was returning with her family, she was separated from the family in the crowd due to a sudden storm and rain.”

He further told that when the girl’s family members tried to trace her some people stopped them. “One of them has been identified as Mohsin”, he said. He added that when his family was looking for the girl, he had also sought the cooperation of the people around the dargah but no one helped. So in the end, he had to file a police complaint in this regard.

According to the family, the next day, they also went to Hussainbhai, the former sarpanch of Karanta village, to seek help. He stopped the family from going to search the dargah area saying that he would investigate it himself. The victim’s brother also told our team during the conversation that whenever the victim’s family used to go for a check-up in the dargah area, a crowd of locals used to gather there.

According to the victim’s brother, on the evening of the 21st of March, the Khanpur police called him and told him to identify the body of the girl tied in a sack obtained from the Mahisagar river passing through Karanta village. When the family members went and saw it, they identified the body. A complaint was later lodged in the matter and on the other hand, the police seized the body and sent it for postmortem.

The OpIndia team also contacted the cousin of the deceased girl. According to him, the deceased girl was brutally beaten up and her arm and one leg were in a broken condition as well as her eye was also damaged. The face was mutilated and the teeth were also broken to prevent the body from being identified.

It has also been claimed by the family that the girl also sustained injuries on her private parts. However, it is yet to be revealed in the investigation if she was raped. According to the victim’s family, they will meet the district collector on Thursday and submit an application seeking justice.

After this incident came to light, there is panic in the entire Mahisagar district. There is also a lot of anger in the Dalit community after the incident. The locals are demanding that the killers who brutally murdered the Dalit girl be arrested at the earliest and strict action should be taken against them.

Are Raghav Chadha and Parineeti Chopra dating? Here is what we know

OpIndia Staff
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Are Raghav Chadha and Parineeti Chopra dating? Here is what we know

Rumours have started circulating online that Rajya Sabha MP from Aam Aadmi Party Raghav Chadha and Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra are in a romantic relationship. Although either party has made no official confirmation, they have been seen together on a couple of occasions recently, sparking speculation about their relationship status.

According to reports, Chadha and Chopra have been spotted in each other’s company over dinner and lunch in the past few days.

Recently, the duo was clicked as they stepped out of a restaurant together after lunch. Raghav Chadha was followed by Parineeti Chopra as they got out of the restaurant and left in their car. This again made some netizens speculate if the Rajya Sabha MP is dating the Ishaqzaade star.

However, both individuals have not made any public statements regarding their relationship status. It remains unclear whether the two are in fact dating or simply good friends.

Raghav Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, in 2022. Parineeti Chopra, on the other hand, is a well-known Bollywood actress who has starred in several films over the past decade. Parineeti’s upcoming films include Imtiaz Ali’s Chamkila with Diljit Dosanjh, based on Punjabi Singer Amar Singh ‘Chamkila‘. She will also be seen in Jaswant Singh Gill’s biopic, starring Akshay Kumar.

The speculation about their relationship has sparked a buzz on social media, with many people wondering about the status of the rumoured couple.

As Ramzan starts, Pakistanis struggle with high prices, businesses forced to shut down due to all-time high inflation

OpIndia Staff
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As Ramzan starts, Pakistanis struggle with high prices, businesses forced to shut down due to all-time high inflation

As the Islamic holy month of Ramzan has started today, people in Pakistan are facing and feeling the pinch of inflation with food bills skyrocketing owing to one of the worst economic crises. Though people usually face price hikes in food products during Ramzan, this year the increased inflation rates have added to the woes of Pakistani citizens.

The 1st day of Ramzan ul Mubarak is being observed in Pakistan today, after Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the government body responsible for sighting the new moon and announcing the same, issued a notification yesterday informing that the moon was sighted. The committee is equipped with telescopes and other optical devices to find the new moon to determine the accurate beginning of the Ramzan as per the Islamic lunar calendar.

However, given the acute financial crisis Pakistan is facing, everyone in the country is not able to celebrate the festival fully. According to local reports, inflation in food products increased to 47% in rural areas while it was recorded at 41.9% in urban areas. The local restaurants, caterers, and cafes state that they have found no substitute yet for the basic food ingredients like onion, cooking oil, and tomatoes used in the festive special dishes and that using substitutes might hamper their original respective tastes. Meanwhile, several other food businesses have closed down owing to high food prices.

On the other hand, families with low and severe low income are struggling to purchase food items due to affordability issues. Many families whose breadwinners have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn might further find it difficult to plan Iftari and Sehri for their dependents and will be forced to sacrifice their dignity by turning to assistance organizations or asking for loans from their family members.

Huge price rises for gas and electricity have made things even worse for customers. According to the data provided by the Sensitive Pricing Index (SPI) from the first week of Ramzan in April 2022 to the day before this holy month, customers remain distressed, especially while trying to buy wheat flour of medium quality. 

In different regions of the nation, the price of a 20 kg flour bag has increased to Rs 1,295-3,100 from Rs 800-1,500 during the previous Ramzan. The price of five and ten kg branded fine flour bags has soared by 80–90% today as compared to last year’s price which was Rs 820–870 and Rs 1,600, respectively.

Following a week of price stability, onions are now available for Rs 100–200 per kg, up from Rs 40–80 per kg during the previous Ramzan. Gram Pulse (Daal Channa) pricing increased from Rs 148-200 per kilogram to Rs 220-320. During the past Ramazan, the prices for masoor, moong, and mash were Rs 190-240, Rs 116-220, and Rs 200-310 per kg. However, now these are available in Pakistan at Rs 240-330, Rs 250-350, and Rs 280-480 per kg.

According to SPI statistics, one kilogram of Dalda’s ghee bag has increased to Rs 570-638 from Rs 399-484. The price of five litres of Dalda cooking oil has increased from Rs 2,060-2,485 to Rs 3,000-3,510. Several stores also charge Rs 650–670 for branded ghee and cooking oil.

The cost of a kg of live chicken varies from Rs 360 to Rs 550 as opposed to Rs 240 to Rs 350 last year.  Formerly priced at Rs 1,050-1,500 and Rs 350-750 per kg, mutton and beef with bones are now offered for Rs 1,100-1,800 and Rs 500-900, respectively. The price of potatoes have also crept up from Rs 25–60 per kg to Rs 40–100 per kg. The price of sugar has increased from Rs 83-95 to Rs 100-110.

Reportedly, several people have been forced to close down their businesses owing to the price hike in food and basic food ingredients. While many others are struggling to put food on their table amid the country’s worst economic crisis. Notably, the Sharif government took cognizance of the event and announced a special package for the month of Ramzan 2023.

The Ramzan Relief Package, which provides three bags of free wheat flour (atta) throughout the month of Ramzan 2023, was announced by the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad on March 21. According to the reports, 185,894 families enrolled with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) with a PMT-60 score or below are receiving the Ramzan Relief Package. 

The qualified residents of Islamabad are to receive three bags of wheat flour (atta) during the holy month of Ramzan 2023 as part of the Ramzan Relief Package. The specifics state that people who have registered with BISP will initially get one bag of wheat flour (10 kilograms) and then two further bags of wheat flour (7 kilograms) after a week.

However, Pakistani citizens are criticizing the Sharif government as they have to wait in queues at the flour distribution centers to collect the flour bags which have been announced by the government to help people cope with inflation amid the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan.

Satluj Network – US-based pro-Khalistan channel spreading misinformation and hate against India

OpIndia Staff
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Satluj Network – US-based pro-Khalistan channel spreading misinformation and hate against India

On Saturday, March 18, Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown against pro-Khalistan separatist leader Amritpal Singh. Since then, pro-Khalistani elements worldwide have come out to support him, including Khalistani terrorist organisations Babbar Khalsa, Sikhs For Justice and notorious organisations like Dal Khalsa UK. Apart from a well-oiled campaign by pro-Khalistan individuals and organisations, media houses that promote Khalistani ideology are putting their might into the “cause” to save Amritpal Singh. One such channel that OpIndia came across is Satluj Network, based in Glendale, Arizona in USA.

The Government of India has already blocked selected videos of Satluj Network’s Satluj TV, an online channel. However, the channel is still accessible on YouTube and other social media platforms in India. In one of the videos that have been blocked on YouTube but accessible on Facebook, the news anchor, Ginger Jeffries, called Punjab “Indian Occupied Punjab”. It is similar to the notion used by Pakistanis for Kashmir, as they call it “IOJK” (Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir) or “IOK” (Indian Occupied Kashmir). The Indian government has blocked the video on YouTube. Keeping it in mind, we have refrained from sharing it in this report.

The report further claimed that the anti-drug drive of Amritpal Singh became a headache for the government and drug mafia, resulting in a crackdown against him. Notably, OpIndia recently reported how he was being projected as a good person for his “social activities”, including de-addiction centres. Interestingly, Singh was found to be using his de-addiction centre to recruit vulnerable addict youth for his private militia.

Source: Facebook/Satluj TV

Jeffries claimed the Police made over 1,000 arrests in the case linked to Amritpal Singh, while the actual number stood at just over 110. The report also claimed Amritpal Singh has already been arrested, which has been denied by the Punjab Police on several occasions. Jeffries’ LinkedIn profile says she is a freelancer.

A day earlier, another video with news anchor Bob Williams was published on YouTube by Satluj TV, where he also referred to Punjab as “Indian Occupied Punjab”.

Who is behind Satluj Network?

Satluj Network and Satluj TV were founded by Mangat Group, owned by Tony Mangat, at the beginning of 2022. According to a report by Local Today, it started producing news in September 2022. As per the report, Mangat Group’s Tony Mangat and Satluj Network’s co-founder and director Surinder Singh were planning to launch a news channel by the end of 2022.

The website of Satluj Network was registered in February 2022.

The YouTube channel of the network started in July 2022. However, the first video on the channel was only released in February 2023.

The Facebook page of the channel was started on February 9, 2023.

The one-month-old channel is owned by Mangat Group, which is a service provider in multiple sectors, including filmmaking, real estate, and trucking. According to Bloomberg, the Mangat group was founded in 2004. Its main business is trucking transportation services. Tony Mangat owns Mangat Group and co-founded Satluj Network. There is not much information available about him.

Source: LinkedIn

However, the co-founder of the channel, Surinder Singh, has an interesting history. According to his LinkedIn profile, Surinder did his graduation from Punjabi University. He started his career at ANI in March 2006. In January 2007, he shifted to Global Punjab. In January 2011, he joined Day and Night News Channel. In October 2013, he joined Global Punjab TV (USA). Simultaneously, he started his own media house by the name Talking Punjab. In June 2022, he joined Satluj Network as its co-founder.

Surinder Singh started his career at ANI. Source: LinkedIn

Surinder’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, social media accounts have been blocked in India.

Source: Twitter

However, it did not stop him from spreading misinformation about India and Punjab. He is the man behind calling Punjab “India Occupied Punjab”. In a post in Punjabi he wrote, “Indian Occupied Punjab” is a term that has never been discussed. But from the Sikh point of view, it should have been/is the first issue for the intellectuals and Sikh thinkers of Punjab. In the report presented by Sutlej TV, instead of answering on human rights, responsible Indian people working at a high level and with money got irked by only one thing. “Indian Occupied Punjab”.”

Source: Facebook

In 2022, Surinder’s Talking Punjab released a web series titled “And They Occupied Me”. Though it is not available in India, its description reads, “The Sikhs in Punjab started a peaceful movement for their rights and independence. In June 1984, the Indian military launched a massive attack to curb the Sikh movement in which thousands of Sikhs were killed. The army fails miserably to capture Sant Jarnail Singh and obtains permission to use the tanks’ main guns. Whereabouts of Sikh fighters are smashed with tanks.” The trailer shows the Government of India in a bad light and paints the Khalistani terrorists as if they were the victims.

Source: IMDB

His LinkedIn profile noted that he produced a 67 hours audio documentary on the “June 1984 attack on Sikhs”. It further reads, “Now working as a freelance news analyst and covering Punjab independence struggle. Hosting and presenting “Talking Punjab” show on social media”.

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