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As Rahul Gandhi is sentenced to 2 years in jail for defaming Modi surname, here is what he said in 2019 and how the case progressed

OpIndia Staff
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As Rahul Gandhi is sentenced to 2 years in jail for defaming Modi surname, here is what he said in 2019 and how the case progressed

Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat court on Thursday (march 23) in connection with a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks.

The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma sentenced him to two years in jail and also imposed a fine of Rs. 15,000 after finding him guilty under Sections 499 (Defamation), 500 (punishment for Defamation) IPC. Almost immediately after being convicted, the Wayanad MP also secured bail in the case.

Reportedly the court suspended his sentence on his plea to enable him to move an appeal against his conviction within 30 days.

Notably, the case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi for making derogatory comments against the Modi community in Gujarat.

It may be recalled that during an election rally in the run-up to the 2019 elections in Koral, Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had mocked an entire community by saying, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi… how come they all have Modi as a common surname? How come all thieves have Modi as a common surname?”

The remarks were videographed by the video surveillance team and video viewing team, who were duly notified by the office of the Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Kolar district.

Twice Rahul Gandhi pleaded not guilty in the defamation case filed against him for saying that all Modis are thieves

After the case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by the Gujarat MLA in April 2019, the Surrat Court in October 2019 found that there was prima facie a case of criminal defamation against him under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). had granted him an exemption from personal appearance. After the court issued a summons, Rahul Gandhi appeared in the court on 10 October 2019 and pleaded not guilty.

Responding to the defamation case against him, Rahul Gandhi had stated that the defamation case was filed against him by his political opponents, who were desperate to silence him.

In June 2021 Rahul Gandhi appeared before a magistrate’s court in Surat to record his final statement in the case.

During the hearing, the Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi denied making any defamatory remarks about people with the “Modi” surname. According to Desh Gujarat, a lawyer said that Rahul Gandhi responded to every question with, “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know”.

Rahul Gandhi told the court that he mentioned the Modi surname only to highlight the misdeeds of PM Narendra Modi, and he was not defaming anyone else or any community. He had also claimed that as far as he knew, there wasn’t any community named Modi.

As the magistrate asked Rahul Gandhi if he had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving Rs 30 crore to an industrialist, the Congress leader claimed that he was a national leader who raises issues of corruption and unemployment in his addresses in the interest of the nation. The Gandhi-scion claimed that it was his right to raise such issues in the rallies.

“Gandhi said to the court that as a leader from the opposition it was his duty to highlight the misdeeds of the Prime Minister and that indeed he did by mentioning his surname, but as far as any other Modi was concerned, he never had any intention of defaming him or her,” Gandhi’s lawyer Kirit Panwala had said.

When the court asked if he had said all people with the Modi surname were thieves, Gandhi claimed he never said such words.

Prior to that, Rahul Gandhi had appeared before the court in October 2019 and had also pleaded not guilty for his comment.

Responding to the defamation case against him, Rahul Gandhi then stated that the defamation case was filed against him by his political opponents, who were desperate to silence him.  

However, while he had denied defaming people with the Modi surname, the video of the speech clearly shows that Rahul Gandhi had named Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, ‘Chowkidar’ (Narendra Modi), and had asked how everyone with a Modi surname is a thief.

‘Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, tell me one thing, how come everyone among them is Modi, Modi, Modi Modi? They are all thieves’ he had said.

PM Modi hits back at Rahul Gandhi for calling everyone with name ‘Modi’ as a thief

Notably, days after the Congress dynast had attacked Prime Minister Modi by linking his surname with those of fugitive businessmen charged with corruption, Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, PM Modi slammed Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Maharashtra.

Modi said that several times Congress and its allies have targeted him for his humble background and caste and that he has endured such insults for many years but if someone tried to insult the chowkidars, the backward classes, the Dalits or Adivasis, he would not tolerate it.

Accusing Gandhi of calling the entire backward community thieves, the PM condemned the use of such language. “Should such language be used? We have to throw out such people. Abusive language has become the norm. The Sahu community here would have been called Modi in Gujarat. Are they all thieves?”, said PM at the rally.

Retaliating on Gandhi’s remarks, PM Modi said, “Recently the Namdar (a reference used by the PM for Gandhi) branded an entire community as thieves. He says everyone having Modi in his name is a thief. They abuse me because I am from a backward community. This is how they view people from backward castes.”

Islamist hate preacher Zakir Naik arrives in Oman amidst reports of deportation

OpIndia Staff
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Islamist hate preacher Zakir Naik arrives in Oman amidst reports of deportation

Days after reports emerged that Indian fugitive and radical Islamist preacher Zakir Naik is likely to be deported from Oman, Naik arrived in the country on Wednesday, March 23

The contentious Islamist preacher said in a statement that he arrived in the Islamic country safely and was given a warm welcome.

Reportedly, Naik has arrived in Oman as a ‘state guest’. The controversial preacher will be delivering his first lecture on ‘Holy Quran is a Global Necessity’. 

“Diplomatic efforts would be made to persuade Oman to detain Zakir Naik for further action within the existing legal framework,” a senior Indian security official had told FPJ. The efforts could be hindered by complications if, as claimed, he is Oman’s guest there.

According to the Times of Oman report, Zakir Naik has been invited to Oman by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA), a government department, for a lecture series.

According to a statement from the ministry, “The Ministry is organizing a lecture by the preacher Dr. Zakir Naik.” The event is being organized by the Department of Introducing Islam and Cultural Exchange in the Iftaa office.

The lecture, titled “The Holy Qur’an is a Global Necessity,” would take place on March 23, according to the statement. Another seminar has been set for March 25 by the government and Sultan Qaboos University.

Zakir Naik has been avoiding Indian authorities ever since his name started cropping up in terror-related cases. In 2016, terrorists involved in the Dhaka blast case admitted that they were influenced by the preacher’s speeches.

In 2019, Zakir was banned from giving speeches in Malaysia after he made racist comments against Hindus and Chinese Malaysians. He was interrogated for hours in connection to the same. Last year, OpIndia reported how he had earlier joined hands with those who instigated violence in Leicester in England’s Midlands area.

Zakir Naik is wanted in India in cases involving money laundering. The government of India had taken his channel, Peace TV, off the air for peddling hate propaganda. Zakir Naik has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017.

‘India is secular because Hindus are the majority’: Old video of Atal Bihari Vajpayee giving befitting reply to Javed Akhtar goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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‘India is secular because Hindus are the majority’: Old video of Atal Bihari Vajpayee giving befitting reply to Javed Akhtar goes viral

Former Prime Minister and late BJP leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had once schooled lyricist Javed Akhtar when the latter tried to paint the Hindu majority and the BJP as communal. The video of the confrontation has now gone viral on social media.

During an interview with Pritish Nandy and co-host Javed Akhtar on ‘Face Off’ in 1998, Javed Akhtar claimed that the ‘communalism’ of the majority community in several countries is shrewdly disguised as nationalism.

At about 17:26 minutes into the conversation, he insinuated that ‘communal Hindus’ used nationalism as a cover for their deeds. “What is the definition of nationalism and communalism for the majority community?” Javed Akhtar asked.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee responded, “If a Hindu in India by virtue of his majority demands more rights for himself and seeks lesser for the minority community, then, I will call such a behaviour as communal.”

“If the rights are the same and it is guaranteed by the Constitution (with independent judiciary), vigilant press and elected representatives of the Parliament, then, the scope of injustice to minorities is significantly reduced,” he emphasised.

Vajpayee said, “India is secular not because of the BJP or the RSS.” Akhtar tried to interject saying “It is secular despite of them”. But Vajpayee continued, “Bharat is secular because 82% of its populace is Hindus. It is the thought process and philosophy of Hindus that make this country secular. Hindus are not bound by a single book, or a single prophet. Even an atheist is a Hindu. Hinduism embraces all.”

The BJP leader further added, “Now there is Human Rights Commission, and Minorities Commission. These were constituted by a State where Hindus are a majority. No one objected to it. Once Pakistan was formed, the Hindu majority did not seek an exclusivist Hindu Raj with no place for minorities.”

“There is no demand for Hindu Raj (theocracy) but Hindu Rashtra, which is entirely a different concept. None has demanded theocracy so far or the declaration of the Hindu Faith as a State religion or that Muslims be discriminated for the virtue of their religion,” he pointed out.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, “I want to assure you that. The concept of Rashtra is different. India wasn’t born in 1947 but an ancient civilisation…Sometimes the Hindu community should be thanked for upholding secularism in the country. “

When Javed Akhtar tried to drive a wedge between former PM and Advani

At about 10 minutes into the conversation, Javed Akthar tried to drive a wedge between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani by inquiring whether their ideology was the same or different when it came to religious minorities.

Vajpayee responded, “They are not different. Both of us believe in the same thing. In fact, our party believes in the same thing…Minorities are citizens of India and are entitled to equal rights and responsibilities.”

“There has never been discrimination on the basis of religion in this country. And this will not change even in the future. The BJP has made its stance clear that India was/is/ will be a secular state,” he added.

“Minorities in India should not live under any false sense of fear. Our rivals have created this fear in the minds of minorities by presenting us as ‘demons.’ But this game won’t last for long. Muslims have started to realise that other parties have exploited them as vote banks,” the former PM emphasised.

On relationship with RSS

Javed Akthar then attempted to paint the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a radical Hindu outfit, which does not consider Muslims as equal citizens of India. He claimed that such an idea is reflected in the writings of KB Hedgewar, MS Golwalkar and others.

While refuting his claims, Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, “They have clearly written that those who live in India and love the country will be treated fairly and won’t be discriminated against on the basis of religion.”

At about 26 minutes into the conversation, he highlighted, “The relationship with the RSS is of the people. All members of the BJP are not members of the RSS. As the party will grow in future, there will be people who are not associated with the RSS in any way.”

“They joined us because of our ideology…” he added. The former Prime Minister pointed out that there is no contradiction between the ideology of the RSS and that of the BJP.

Surat Court convicts Rahul Gandhi for defamation, sentences him to 2 years in jail, gets bail to appeal in higher court

OpIndia Staff
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Surat Court convicts Rahul Gandhi for defamation, sentences him to 2 years in jail, gets bail to appeal in higher court

On Thursday, March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Surat District Court in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The case against Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for his “Modi surname” remarks. The Congress leader was then given bail by the judge later, and the ruling was postponed for 30 days so that the Congress leader could file an appeal with a higher court.

The defamation suit was filed by Purnesh Modi after Gandhi made derogatory remarks against ‘Modi surname’ at a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar on April 13, 2019. “Why all the thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names,” the leader had said during the rally.

Purnesh Modi had filed a complaint under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code and had stated that the Congress leader had defamed every person who carried the surname ‘Modi’.

Reportedly, the video of the remarks made by Gandhi was captured by the video surveillance team and video viewing team duly notified by the office of Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Kollar District.

In February this year, the Gujarat High Court revoked the preliminary hold on the criminal defamation case. Rahul Gandhi was in the courtroom when the judge delivered the decision. He had appeared before the Court on the previous three dates as well. Rahul Gandhi on the other hand has maintained that he didn’t want to say anything bad when he made the disputed comment.

After finding him guilty of violating Sections 499 (Defamation) and 500 (Punishment for Defamation) of the IPC, the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma sentenced him to two years in prison. Rahul Gandhi’s request however has resulted in the suspension of his sentence and the granting of bail, which would allow him to file an appeal against his conviction within 30 days.

Over 1,000 artefacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art linked to traffickers and looters: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Over 1,000 artefacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art linked to traffickers and looters: Report

According to a recent report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has more than 1,000 artefacts in its collection that are linked to people who were allegedly involved in crimes related to the antiquities trade.

In an investigation of the Met’s antiquities collection, the ICIJ and nonprofit organisation Finance Uncovered discovered that at least 1,109 items had previously been acquired by people who had been charged or found to have committed crimes, including looting and trafficking.

There are 309 of these artefacts on display in the museum. Nearly half of these artefacts originate from countries with rigorous export regulations that have been in place for decades.

On the basis of the museum records, ICIJ stated that many such relics were taken down after international regulations restricting the movement of antiquities across national borders were already in effect.

Several ancient artefacts in the Met’s collection lack records tracing them to their country of origin, according to ICIJ and Finance Uncovered. Among more than 250 Nepalese and Kashmiri artefacts listed in the museum’s inventory, just three can be traced back to their original regions.

The Metropolitan began purchasing artefacts from American-born antiquities dealer Robert E. Hecht in the 1950s and kept doing so even after Hecht was accused of smuggling by Italian prosecutors in 1959 and 1961.

As the statute of limitations ran out, the prosecution against Hecht was subsequently dropped, and Hecht passed away in 2012 after persistently denying any involvement in the illicit export of artwork.

Further, the Met is home to more than 800 items that originally belonged to Hecht’s business colleague Jonathan P. Rosen, who was indicted in Italy with Hecht in 1997. According to The Los Angeles Times, Rosen donated 10,000 ancient Iraqi tablets to Cornell University in 2013. The Cleveland Museum of Art agreed to return items in its collections from Rosen in 2008 after finding out that they had allegedly been stolen. Rosen’s attorney disputed that the tablets had been obtained unlawfully at the time.

85 more artwork in the Met’s collection are associated with Subhash Kapoor, a former Manhattan art dealer who was handed a 10-year prison term last year for crimes related to trafficking. Kapoor was accused of theft and illegally exporting statues from the Varadharaja Perumal temple, a Hindu temple outside the city of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.  These items then made their way to his Manhattan gallery, Art of the Past.

Celestial Dancer, one of the prominent Indian artefacts held by the Met, was purchased as part of a deal involving Art of the Past, Kapoor’s Manhattan gallery at the time. The gallery manager admitted to selling Asian artwork that was stolen in 2013, which was two years after Kapoor’s imprisonment. 

“Then in 2015, as Kapoor faced trial on smuggling charges in India, the Met received the piece as a donation from wealthy collectors who had purchased it from his gallery,” ICIJ report stated.

ICIJ linked an archived version of the Metropolitan Museum’s website wherein it was stated that the 12th ‘Celestial Dancer’ artefact ornamented a North Indian Hindu temple in Uttar Pradesh’. 

Celestial Dancer (Image via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

The executive director of the anti-trafficking group Antiquities Coalition, Tess Davis, told the ICIJ that “The Met sets the tone for museums around the world. What hope is there for the rest of the art market if the Met is allowing all of these things to fall through the cracks?”

An ICIJ and Finance Uncovered report stated that their analysis of 94 Kashmiri artefacts in the Met’s collection shows that none of them has detailed provenance outlining how they left Kashmir. Only four of them have records of ownership dating back to 1970, the year UNESCO approved a convention to preserve cultural property, making them the pinnacle of provenance. Eight artefacts were purchased from art dealers who were earlier faced indictment.

Vijay Kumar, the co-founder of India Pride Project (IPP) told ICIJ that “the Met’s collection of Kashmiri artefacts are essentially blood antiquities, acquired during years when much of the population was fleeing what has been described as an ethnic cleansing.” He also added that the museum was encouraging looting and smuggling from a known conflict zone by buying these artefacts.

Notably, Vijay Kumar’s India Pride Project had in December last year traced two of the stolen Hanuman and Narsimha idols to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

These idols were reported, stolen from the Sri Varathraja Perumal temple in Melakasakudi, Nedungadu in the Karaikal district

Mumbai: BMC brings bulldozer to demolish illegal construction around Mazar at Mahim coast after MNS chief warns to build Ganesh temple there

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: BMC brings bulldozer to demolish illegal construction around Mazar at Mahim coast after MNS chief warns to build Ganesh temple there

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday began the demolition of the illegal construction around the Mazar that has illegally come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. Several of the BMC officers gathered at the spot this morning and surveyed the area. The coporation has also deployed bulldozer to pull down the illegal construction of around the Mazar in question.

According to the local reports, the authorities are taking action against the illegal construction around the Mazar and not the Mazar itself. It is claimed that the Mazar is old and the land on which it is built is 600 years old. Further as per the ABP Maza report, only illegal construction around the Mazar is being demolished and the officers have no intention to raze down the Mazar.

Along with the BMC officers, the authorities working at the Mahrashtra Maritime Board have also reached the spot to verify the incident. Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar also commented on the issue and said, “Now there is a government that walks on the path of Balasaheb Thackeray. Raj Thackeray raised the issue which was earlier raised by Balasaheb Thackeray. Proceedings have been initiated under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and if any kind of construction has to be done in the sea, then permission should be taken under the CRZ.”

This is a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray played a clip in his Gudi Padwa address and exposed that an ‘illegal dargah’ has come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. He demanded removal of the illegal dargah and said that if it is not demolished immediately, then his party would construct a huge Ganpati temple at the same place.

He also slammed the Municipal authorities for staying indifferent to illegal constructions. The video of his speech was shared widely on social media. He could be heard saying in the video that a ‘new Haji Ali’ was being prepared in the middle of the sea in broad daylight and yet the police and the municipality could not see it.

“I want to ask the Constitution-abiding Muslims of the country: Do you condone this? I don’t want to flex, but when needed I will have to do it,” Raj Thackeray said adding that the ‘illegal dargah’ was built near the dargah of Makhdum Baba in Mahim.

The Mahim Dargah Trust however took cognizance of the incident and said that the ‘illegal dargah’ as alleged by Thackeray is 600 years old. “This place is 600 years old. It is not built recently as claimed by Thackeray. Basically, Hazrat Makdoom Ali Shah used to sit at this place and take lessons from Hazrat Khwaja Khizr Ali Shah. This is a historical place,” said Suhail Khandwani, Trustee of Mahim Dargah.

The video Raj Thackeray was widely circulated through social media, and some people asserted that Mahim’s mysterious dargah was even visible on Google Maps. However, local reports reveal that the BMC is pulling down only the illegal construction around the Mazar and has no intention to raze down the illegal Mazar.

With anti-Hindu violence and anti-India forces being allowed to fester in UK, time has come for India to consider leaving the Commonwealth

Ashish Dev Priy Ojha
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With anti-Hindu violence and anti-India forces being allowed to fester in UK, time has come for India to consider leaving the Commonwealth

In the wake of multiple attacks on Hindus and those of Indian origin in England and the recent attack on the Indian Mission in London, voices are growing louder in India urging the country to consider leaving the Commonwealth. The British government’s failure to take strong action against the violence and anti-India forces operating on its soil has led to calls for India to reassess its relationship with the Commonwealth.

The attacks on Hindus in England have been a cause for concern for some time now, with reports of increased violence and harassment targeting members of the community. However, the recent attack on the Indian Mission in London has raised the stakes considerably, with many in India viewing it as a direct attack on the country’s sovereignty itself.

Indians argue that it has been a mute spectator to the violence directed against India and Hindus, failing to take decisive action to contain anti-India forces operating on its soil. The Indian government has expressed its concern to the British authorities on numerous occasions, but the response has been deemed inadequate by many.

The growing discontent with the British government’s handling of the situation has led to a call for a reassessment of the country’s relationship with the Commonwealth. While India has historically maintained ties with the UK and other Commonwealth nations, there is a sense that this relationship may no longer be tenable given the current situation.

England, a safe haven for anti-India forces

In recent years, England has increasingly become a safe haven for anti-India forces and Khalistani separatists, raising concerns about the country’s role in supporting such groups. The UK has turned a blind eye to such activities, and it allows its soil to be used by Khalistani separatists and even Islamists as a base for their operations.

Last year, Islamist mobs in Leicester targeted Hindus and Hindu businesses. Vandalisation, arson and street riots happened and England Police hardly took any action. In fact, the Mayor of Leicester was seen meeting the mastermind of the anti-Hindu violence.

Hindus were attacked again and Hindu religious symbols were desecrated by Islamists when the Hindus came out to protest peacefully against the violence by the Islamists.

How did India become a member of the Commonwealth?

The date was 16 May 1949, Jawaharlal Nehru moved a motion in the Constituent Assembly, he asked the members of the Constituent Assembly to ratify the Indian government’s decision to continue its association with the Commonwealth of Nations. Many members of the assembly were beyond astonished and saw this as a question mark on India’s newly found sovereignty. Nehru introduced the Objectives Resolution declaring with great zeal that India would be a sovereign republic. This was effectively a rejection of dominion status in favour of complete independence and also implied the severing of India’s ties with the Commonwealth. So, most expected that India would discontinue its Commonwealth membership. And now Nehru was introducing a motion to cage India in the Commonwealth of Nations which many saw as nothing but colonial baggage.

Yet behind the scenes, Nehru’s perspective towards the Commonwealth was slowly changing. He began to believe that Commonwealth membership would bring political and economic benefits to India. Specifically, it would ensure close ties with England – still India’s largest trading partner.

In 1949, Nehru attended the Commonwealth Prime Minister’s Conference, where he told other Prime Ministers that India would like to remain a member of the Commonwealth even though it had declared itself as a republic. The Conference after much deliberation accepted this arrangement.

Nehru now wanted the Assembly to ratify India’s decision to remain in the Commonwealth. In his speech, while moving the motion for ratification, Nehru expected criticism. many members voiced their opinions against the decision of a sovereign republic which had fought so hard to become independent to accept British overlordship upon India. Nehru tried convincing these members by saying that India’s membership of the Commonwealth will have no bearing on the country’s independence and tried persuading the members as to why this was beneficial for India. Many Assembly members, however, were not convinced. The motion was still passed and India became a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Arguments in favour of leaving the Commonwealth

The argument for India leaving the Commonwealth in the current context is based on clear evidence that the British government has failed to take decisive action against the violence and harassment directed against India and Hindus in England, and has allowed anti-India forces to flourish on its soil. This has led some in India to question the value of the country’s continued membership in the Commonwealth.

It can be argued that India’s membership of the Commonwealth represents a colonial baggage that must be shunned, as it is a remnant of the country’s subjugation to British colonial rule. India should therefore distance itself from the Commonwealth and forge its own path without any colonial baggage.

Proponents of leaving the Commonwealth argue that by remaining part of the organization, India is implicitly endorsing the actions of the British government and sending a message that it is willing to tolerate violence against its diaspora and Mission.

There are also concerns that the British government’s failure to act against anti-India forces operating on its soil could have wider implications for India’s security and stability. By allowing these forces to operate with impunity, the UK is seen as indirectly supporting efforts to destabilize India and undermine its sovereignty.

Furthermore, some argue that India’s continued membership in the Commonwealth has little practical value and that leaving the organization would have minimal economic or political repercussions. The Commonwealth is primarily a symbolic organization, and India’s departure would not necessarily impact its relationships with other Commonwealth nations or its standing in the international community

Overall, the argument for India leaving the Commonwealth is based on a combination of symbolic, practical, and security concerns. While there are potential drawbacks to such a move, some in India believe that the benefits of taking a firm stand against violence and anti-India forces outweigh the potential costs.

Despite certain concerns about the diplomatic and political ramifications, the calls for India to consider leaving the Commonwealth are growing louder by the day. It remains to be seen whether the Indian government will take decisive action in response to the perceived failure of the British authorities to address the violence directed against India and Hindus.

Madhya Pradesh: four Tablighi Jamaat members from Gujarat and MP drown in Narmada, three bodies recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: four Tablighi Jamaat members from Gujarat and MP drown in Narmada, three bodies recovered

On March 22, four members of Tablighi Jamaat drowned in the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh. As per reports, three of those who died were from Gujarat, and one was from Madhya Pradesh. The incident took place in the Anjad Police Station area’s Mohipuri, district Badwani at around 10 AM. The police were informed about the incident. The rescue operation was initiated to recover the bodies.

Reportedly, eleven members came to Mirzapur to participate in a Tablighi Jamaat event. Ten among them were from Gujarat, and one was from Mirzapur’s Manawar Police Station area. They went to Mohipura to take a bath in Narmada.

One of them slipped and fell into deep waters. Three members of the group jumped to rescue him, but none could come out. The other seven are safe. Those who died were between the ages of 30 to 40. The dead bodies of Asra, Junaid and Mohammad Kifayatullah were recovered.

Tablighi Jamaat gained prominence during Covid

Tablighi Jamaat is a global Islamic missionary movement that urges Muslims to return to the way Islam was practised during the time of Prophet Muhammad. The focus is on rituals, dress, and personal behaviour, and it is considered one of the most influential Islamic religious movements of the 20th century. It has become the world’s second-largest Muslim congregation after the Islamic holy pilgrimage of Hajj. It came in the news in India when the gathering of its members in Delhi became one of the earliest hotspots of Coronavirus in the country. The Tablighi Jamaat event was not only attended by Indian Islamic clerics but also by foreign nationals.

NIA conducts raids in Nagpur, Gujarat and Gwalior in Ghazwa-e-Hind case

ANI
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NIA conducts raids in Nagpur, Gujarat and Gwalior in Ghazwa-e-Hind case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at three locations in Nagpur in its ongoing probe into Gazwa-e-Hind case that is linked to the radicalization of impressionable youth over various social media platforms for carrying out violent terrorist acts. 

The places searched by the NIA officials included the residential premises of the suspects involved in anti-national activities and the radicalization of impressionable youth through social media. The NIA initially registered the Gazwa-e-Hind case on July 22 last year at Phulwarisharif Police Station in Bihar. 

In the Phulwari Sharif investigations, the NIA said, “It is revealed that accused Margub Ahmad Danish, a self-radicalized individual, was in contact with a number of foreign entities on the WhatsApp group “Ghazwa-e-Hind” created by him”. 

“In this group, terrorist acts and activities in Kashmir were being glorified with the view to radicalize impressionable youth. He had also created another WhatsApp group in the name of Ghazwa-e-Hind BD and was propagating conquest of India through violence,” the NIA had said earlier. 

On January 6 this year, the NIA filed a charge-sheet against an accused in NIA Special Court in Bihar in the case. 
Earlier on March 15 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) also raided 15 locations in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Punjab in a case related to terror conspiracy hatched by Pakistan-based proscribed organisations to radicalize youth of the Union Territory and target members of minority communities, security personnel and religious events and activities. 

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

Rahul Gandhi convicted in defamation case by Surat District Court, know what the case is about

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi convicted in defamation case by Surat District Court, know what the case is about

Surat District Court today held Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi guilty in criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks insulting the Modi surname. A case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi for making derogatory comments against the Modi community in Gujarat.

During an election rally in the run-up to the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi had mocked an entire community by saying, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi… how come they all have Modi as a common surname? How come all thieves have Modi as a common surname?”

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Surat Purnesh Modi had filed a complaint against the Congress leader for defaming the entire Modi community. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was booked under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with criminal defamation.

In June 2021 Rahul Gandhi had appeared before a magistrate’s court in Surat to record his statement.

During the hearing, the Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi denied making any defamatory remarks on people with “Modi” surname. According to Desh Gujarat, a lawyer has said that Rahul Gandhi responded to every question with, “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know”.

As the magistrate asked Rahul Gandhi if he had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving Rs 30 crore to an industrialist, the Congress leader claimed that he was a national leader who raises issues of corruption and unemployment in his addresses in the interest of the nation. The Gandhi-scion claimed that it was his right to raise such issues in the rallies.

When the court asked if he had said all people with Modi surname were thieves, Gandhi claimed he never said such words. Prior to that, Rahul Gandhi had appeared before the court in October 2019 and had also pleaded not guilty for his comment.

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