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Indian student on LSE campus exposes Hinduphobia and anti-India rhetorics, says he was disqualified for being Indian Hindu

OpIndia Staff
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Indian student on LSE campus exposes Hinduphobia and anti-India rhetorics, says he was disqualified for being Indian Hindu

On April 2 (local time), Karan Kataria, Student Academic Representative, LSE Law School at The London School of Economics and Political Science, exposed Hinduphobia and anti-India rhetoric on campus. In his statement on social media, Kataria pointed out that he was disqualified from running for the post of General Secretary of the LSE Student Union LSESU after a smear campaign was launched against him to paint him as homophobic, Islamophobic, queerphobic, and Hindu nationalist.

In his statement, he pointed out that he belongs to a middle-class farmers’ family from Haryana, India, and he was the first-generation university-level graduate in the family. Considering his background, his journey to the London School of Economics and Political Science LSE cannot be deemed as privileged. However, his passion for student welfare and desire to strive on campus were shattered because of a deliberately orchestrated smear campaign launched against him because of his nationality as Indian and Hindu identity.

Karan was elected as the cohorts’ Academic Representative. He was also elected as a delegate to the National Union for Students in a short period. Considering his experience in engaging with the students in different positions at LSE, his peers motivated him to run for the post of General Secretary of the LSE Student Union LSESU. Karan said he was disqualified without being given a chance to tell his side of the story. He noted, “The silent treatment of the students’ complaints about such unacceptable behaviour also justifies the accusation of Hinduphobia against the LSESU.”

However, he was pushed back as some individuals on the campus could not “bear to see an Indian-Hindu leading the LSELU”. They restored to smear his character and his very identity. The campaign against him was in line with the alarming cancel culture at the campus. As a result, he was disqualified from the General Secretary elections of the LSE Student Union. His disqualification came despite immense support from students of all nationalities. He was accused of being homophobic, Islamophobic, queerphobic, and Hindu Nationalist. Multiple complaints were filed against him by individuals with vested interests.

The case of Rashmi Samant

This is not the first time a Hindu student got attacked for being a Hindu and an Indian in a western University. In February 2021, then-Oxford University student Rashmi Samant faced a similar attack. Samant, in a Twitter thread, said, “When I was attacked, harassed, bullied and humiliated at the University of Oxford for my Hindu Dharma, origins and background, I prayed that it should never happen to another Hindu on Campus. Karan Kataria’s story and experience from LSE is absolutely heartbreaking!”

She added, “It brings back the simmering issue of deep-rooted Hinduphobia not just in the UK but on campuses and in academia across the world, which under the guise of liberty, curtail the rights of historically persecuted communities like the Hindus. It is not Karan’s fault that he aspires to be a leader. He has every right to be one. Being Hindu does not make him less worthy of taking charge and creating change on any platform of his choice. LSE we demand transparency!”

“This incident brings back a personal trauma to the surface when I was not allowed to take office as the rightfully elected First Female Indian President of the Oxford Student Union due to the mindless cancel culture that continues to prey on the most underrepresented communities,” she said.

Rashmi Samant was hounded by leftists and anti-Hindu propagandists after becoming the first female Indian elect of the Oxford University Student’s Union on February 11. She was forced to resign within days after being abused, bullied and targeted for being a Hindu and over her views against British colonisation.

In a coordinated attack, her old social media posts were dredged up, accusing her of being racist, anti-semitic, Islamophobic, and transphobic. Besides this, Rashmi was also targeted for being a Hindu. One of the faculty members in Oxford – Dr Abhijit Sarkar had even dragged Rashmi’s parents into the controversy, attacking them for having a Lord Shri Ram display picture on their social media accounts while claiming that Rashmi’s student council elections were funded by Prime Minister Modi.

He had even accused Rashmi of being Islamophobic by alleging that she came from coastal Karnataka, which the faculty member termed as “a bastion of Islamophobic far-right forces”. Following the controversy, netizens from across the world demanded the dismissal of Hinduphobic faculty AbhijitSarkar and trended the hashtag #DismissAbhijitSarkar on Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi to flex muscle with all Congress CMs and Priyanka Gandhi to challenge conviction in Surat Sessions court

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi to flex muscle with all Congress CMs and Priyanka Gandhi to challenge conviction in Surat Sessions court

On March 3, the Congress party’s disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to challenge his conviction in Surat Sessions court. Before appearing in the court, Gandhi is scheduled to put up a big show of strength in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat. Reports suggest all Congress Chief Ministers (read three), Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and other senior leaders would accompany Gandhi for the show.

While three chief ministers, Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), would join him for the show, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has already met him on March 2, a day before filing the appeal. Gandhi had met his mother in a hotel in Delhi where his brother in law Robert Vadra was also present. Rahul Gandhi is expected to ask for interim relief to restore his Lok Sabha membership.

Congress supporters plan Twitter trend for Gandhi

In a tweet, Congress supporter Shantanu asked for suggestions for hashtags that would be used for Twitter trends on March 3. In the tweet, he said, “Suggest a hashtag for tomorrow’s trend which will highlight the fact that Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification is due to his continuous questioning of the Modi-Adani relationship. Will choose one from the comment and share the timing of the trend alert. Tomorrow our CMs, Priyanka Gandhi and many senior leaders, will be in Surat. So..” In general, such discussions are done by social media managers in private. It is unclear why a Congress supporter would give a hint of a planned Twitter trend.

Netizens feel amused over the plan to flex muscle with three CMs

Netizens found it amusing that Congress was likely to flex muscle with three CMs. Abhijit Gupta said, “Height of sycophancy in INC that 3 CM shall not work because RG going to apply for bail….”

Twitter user Nandita Thakur said, “Show of strength against Judiciary??? “how dare a Judge to sentence me, The Rahul Gandhi???”

Some even wondered if this was a way to try and pressurise the judiciary.

Rahul Gandhi’s conviction

Gandhi was convicted by a Surat Court and sentenced to 2 years in prison in a 2019 defamation case. Gandhi’s conviction led to an automatic disqualification from Lok Sabha as per the regulations. His disqualification has been used by Gandhi and Congress leaders to attack Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming “democracy is in danger” and “Modi is suppressing the voice of opposition”. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi abused the OBC community by questioning “why all thieves have a common surname, Modi”. Irked by his comments, a defamation case was filed. Surat Court found him guilty and sentenced him to two years. He had 30 days to appeal against the sentencing.

‘Yes if that’s the language spoken’: British activist-commentator Bushara Shaikh justifies killing over blasphemy

OpIndia Staff
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‘Yes if that’s the language spoken’: British activist-commentator Bushara Shaikh justifies killing over blasphemy

On 2nd April 2023, British-Pakistani Political Commentator Bushra Shaikh justified killing over blasphemy in one of her tweets replies to author Douglas Murray. Bushra Shaikh, the anchor of the breakfast television show Good Morning Britain, wrote that violence is ok if someone commits so-called blasphemy.

Quoting Douglas Murray’s tweet responding to a ‘blasphemous cartoon’ depicting prophet Muhammad saying it is only a cartoon and asking the Twitter user to calm down, Bushra Shaikh wrote, “Keyboard badman right here. He’d never say this with his chest in Bradford. NEVER.”

Bushra Murray also added a smiley in her tweet essentially pointing out how it is difficult for someone to commit blasphemy in Bradford – an area in the UK with a significant Muslim population living there.

As the original tweet of the Prophet Muhammad’s cartoon, quoted by Douglas Murray was deleted, Bushra Shaikh wrote in the next tweet, “Douglas Murray referencing cartoon depictions of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. For context. A man of his so-called intelligence lacks in sensitivity clearly.”

Replying to Bushra Shaikh’s tweet, one John Thomas wrote, “So violence is ok?” Bushra Shaikh replied, “Sometimes yes. If that’s the ‘language’ being spoken…”

Another Twitter user John A called out Bushra Shaikh and wrote, “The problem with violence is reciprocity.” Bushra Shaikh wrote in her reply, “Correction. The problem with violence is there’s always a badder man out there, so be prepared to take a beating if you’re willing to give out to begin with.”

It is notable that according to the 2021 census, the Muslim population in Bradford went up to 30.5% from 24.7% in 2011. In 2011, 7.7% of people in Bradford were born in Pakistan. In 2021, this percentage went up to 8.3%. Therefore, Bushra Shaikh wrote that nobody would be able to defend depictions of Prophet Muhammad without getting killed.

The row originally started on 1st April 2023 when Douglas Murray quoted a tweet by Omar Salha and asked him if a mosque in the UK would host a Holy Communion just like a church in the UK hosted an iftar event during the ongoing Muslim month of Ramzan.

Omar Salha posted, “History was made last night! Over 1,000 people from all faith backgrounds & none attended the iftar at the Manchester Cathedral. A beautiful showcase of bridging, belonging & celebrating our community of communities. Appreciation for hosting us in MCD.”

Douglas Murray wrote, “Shouldn’t a bridge be a two-way thing? So when is the next Holy Communion at a major mosque in the UK?”

Douglas Murray later posted another tweet with a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. He was countered by one Zeeshan Saleem whose tweet is now deleted. Depicting Prophet Muhammad is considered blasphemy in Islam and is punishable by death. Douglas Murray replied to Zeeshan Saleem, “It is just a cartoon. Calm down.”

Bushra Shaikh is a Pakistan-origin British anti-racism activist and political commentator. She is also known for anti-Hindu Islamist views. She has now supported killing for blasphemy according to Islamic Sharia.

India moves closer to having its own space shuttle, ISRO successfully carries out Re-usable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission

OpIndia Staff
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India moves closer to having its own space shuttle, ISRO successfully carries out Re-usable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission

India on Sunday moved a step closer to having its own ‘space shuttle’ or reusable space vehicle with the successful completion of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) by ISRO. The test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle RLV LEX, an autonomous winged spaceplane, was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka’s Chitradurga in the early hours on Sunday.

With LEX, the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle arrives one step closer to reality, ISRO said in a statement.

The RLV LEX resembles the space shuttles operated by US space agency NASA for 3 decades before retiring them in 2011. It is a space aircraft with wings that can land like a regular aircraft after returning from space. RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitated a landing at high velocities of 350 kmph.

The RLV was taken to an altitude of 4.5 km using a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force as an underslung load. The helicopter carrying the vehicle took off at 7.10 am. After the desired altitude was reached and all the predetermined parameters were attained based on the RLV’s Mission Management Computer command, the vehicle was released. Following that, the vehicle flew automatically and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR air strip at 7:40 am.

Release conditions of the RLV included 10 parameters covering position, velocity, altitude and body rates, etc, and its release was also autonomous. After the release, the RLV performed approach and landing maneuvers using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance & control system, and landed at the Aeronautical Test Range runway.

According to ISRO, the autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a Space Re-entry vehicle’s landing —high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path— as if the vehicle arrives from space. Landing parameters such as Ground relative velocity, the sink rate of Landing Gears, and precise body rates, as might be experienced by an orbital re-entry space vehicle in its return path, were achieved.

The RLV LEX used several state-of-the-art technologies including accurate Navigation hardware and software, Pseudolite system, Ka-band Radar Altimeter, NavIC receiver, indigenous Landing Gear, Aerofoil honey-comb fins and brake parachute system.

It is also notable that it was first in the world that a winged body was carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by a helicopter and released for carrying out an autonomous landing on a runway.

Several indigenous systems have been used in the Reusable Launch Vehicle, including  navigation systems based on pseudolite systems, instrumentation, and sensor systems. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the landing site with a Ka-band Radar Altimeter provided accurate altitude information.

Extensive wind tunnel tests and CFD simulations enabled aerodynamic characterization of RLV prior to the flight. Adaptation of contemporary technologies developed for RLV LEX will make operational launch vehicles of ISRO more cost-effective.

The RLV is ISRO’s attempt at developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space. According to ISRO, the RLV’s configuration is the same as that of an aircraft and combines the complexity of both launch vehicles and aircraft. “The winged RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight. In future, this vehicle will be scaled up to become the first stage of India’s reusable two stage orbital launch vehicle,” the space body says in its website.

RLV consists of a fuselage (body), a nose cap, double delta wings and twin vertical tails. It also features symmetrically placed active control surfaces called Elevons and Rudder. In actual use, the RLV will be launched using rockets, and after completing space missions, it will make a re-entry and land like conventional aeroplanes.

At present Elon Musk’s SpaceX is the only company with operational reusable space vehicles. However, its Falcon 9 rockets land vertically.

PhD student from West Bengal dies by suicide at IIT Madras, the third such incident this year

OpIndia Staff
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PhD student from West Bengal dies by suicide at IIT Madras, the third such incident this year

The 11th suicide-related death at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in the past five years came to light when the dead body of a research scholar was discovered at his house in Chennai, on Friday. He was identified as Sachin Kumar Jain (32), a native of West Bengal and a PhD student of mechanical engineering at the institution. The former was found hanging in the leased flat he shared with two other researchers, Devkush and Deveraj, both 28 years old.

Police stated, “On March 31, the deceased student posted a WhatsApp status ‘I am sorry not good Enough’. Seeing the status, his friends reached home and found Sachin hanging in his room. An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead on examination. Further investigation is underway.”

The body was taken into custody by the Velachery police and transported for an autopsy at Royapet Government Hospital. Police also registered a case under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Police stated that no suicide note was obtained. His cell phone has been sent for in-depth analysis. “We are looking probing whether the faculty was pressuring him. We also looked into his housemates and friends,” they proclaimed. The dead body was handed over to his parents on Saturday, 1 April.

IIT Madras said, “We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of a PhD research scholar from the mechanical engineering department on the afternoon of 31st March 2023 at his residence at Velachery, Chennai,” in a statement.

“A student with exemplary academic and research record, it is a big loss to the research community. The institute expresses its heartfelt condolences and shares the grief of the friends and family of the deceased student. The institute requests everyone to respect the privacy of the student’s family at this difficult juncture. May the departed soul rest in peace,” it read.

Three suicides in two months

This is the third instance of suicide by a student at IIT Madras this year. On March 13, Vaipu Pushpak Sree Sai (20), a third-year BTech student and native of Andhra Pradesh, died by suicide. He belonged to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community. There was no suicide left behind.

The eyewitness claimed that on Tuesday afternoon, a few students passing by the hostel corridor spotted him in his room and promptly informed the hostel staff. The institution’s management had announced that such instances will be investigated by a freshly established Institute Internal Inquiry Committee that comprised elected student representatives.

An investigation revealed that the student had failed to pass the exams in multiple disciplines.

Stephen Sunny Alappat (24), a second-year MS research student in the Electrical Engineering Department was found dead in his hostel room on campus on 13 February. The police recovered a note which read ‘don’t prosecute.’ He hailed from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra and died by hanging himself in his dormitory room.

He was residing alone in a room in the Mahanadhi dorm on campus. Some of his friends who went in search of him discovered that his room door was locked from the inside and that there was no response from him. His body was found after the hostel security was notified and the door was smashed down.

The deceased’s body was submitted for a post-mortem examination by Kotturpuram police, who filed a case under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in this regard.

Later in the day, another suicide attempt was reported at the same varsity. The student was immediately admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for treatment.

To protest the insensitive treatment of a student’s suicide and another attempt at the same, the students organised a nightlong demonstration on campus. The protest compelled management to postpone lectures for a day, and the IIT-Madras director personally addressed the students and promised to take action.

MoS for Education’s statement in the Parliament

33 students have committed suicide across IITs since 2018, according to Dr Subhas Sarkar, the minister of state for education, who addressed the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written response, he stated that “The reasons identified behind such suicides include academic stress, family reasons, personal reasons, mental health issues, etc.”

The minister noted that following the Covid epidemic, the government’s Manodarpan initiative offered psychological assistance to children, teachers, and families for their mental and emotional well-being.

“Besides this, students’ specialised psychological counselling helplines, students’ wellness centres, buddy-support system and various other measures have been implemented in IITs and other institutions for early detection of cases of psychological stress,” he observed.

Concern has been raised by the death of Sachin Kumar Jain among students and academics as suicides at prestigious tech schools, particularly IIT Madras, are on the rise.

Kerala: 10 persons booked for depicting a terrorist as Muslim in a state-level school festival

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: 10 persons booked for depicting a terrorist as Muslim in a state-level school festival

On Saturday, 1st April 2023, Kerala police booked 10 persons for depicting an allegedly Muslim terrorist in a state-level school festival’s inaugural performance. The case is registered regarding the program that took place on January 3, 2023.

During the opening ceremony of the five-day youth festival held in the school on January 3, the performing ensemble MATHA (Malayalam Theatrical Heritage and Arts) from Perambra performed the musical program. It showed the Indian Army capturing a man who was wearing a Keffiyeh, a traditional male Arab headwear. According to reports, Anoop VR, the director of the Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle, complained to the Nadakavu police in the Kozhikode district of Kerala and asked to register a case, but the police declined.

Anoop then went to the court. The Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate Court IV issued directives for filing a case under Section 153A of the IPC against the director of Matha Perambra and 10 other individuals. According to the instructions of a magistrate’s court, a case has been filed against 10 people, a senior police official has confirmed.

MATHA, a well-known performing group, dismissed the allegations, claiming that the purported representation of a person as an extremist wearing a Muslim costume was not intended and that they have no affiliation with any political organisation or ideology.

The welcome song during the function was performed when the Chief Minister and ministers were on stage. It was presented just before Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the annual event, which is widely considered to be the largest student cultural gathering in Asia.

The allegations were raised against the performers immediately after the event, but Kanakadas, director of MATHA Perambra, had said that the allegation that there was a Sangh Parivar agenda behind the welcome song of the 61st Kerala State School Kalolsavam is baseless. He added, “Minister Mohammed Riyas congratulated us after we staged the song titled ‘Drishya Vismayam’. The team had earlier staged the song in CPM’s district sessions as well.”

As ‘Jai Shri Ram’ gets vilified as a provocative ‘war cry’, ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, a literal call for beheading gets a free pass

Amit Kelkar
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As ‘Jai Shri Ram’ gets vilified as a provocative ‘war cry’, ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, a literal call for beheading gets a free pass

Ram Navami celebrations of 2023 marked a scale and spread of attacks by Islamists on Hindu processions and Shobha Yatras in various cities and states across the country like never before. Across India, religious fervour sparked clashes as Islamists targeted Ram Navami processions passing through Muslim-majority areas. Cities and towns from Vadodara in Gujarat to Howrah in West Bengal and Mumbai to Sambhaji Nagar were affected.

The violence was essentially fueled by radical Islamic extremism. As investigations are progressing in each of the individual cases, attempts were being made to insinuate that Jai Shri Ram chants by Hindus participating in the procession were the root cause of the incidents in most of the cases.

Many liberals in media and politics have presented this sacred chant of Hindus as a ‘war cry’ time and again. However, the Islamist slogan of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ – a literal call for beheading – is never addressed by these people with the condemning tone it actually deserves. It, therefore, becomes necessary to take an account of how a non-violent simple Dharmik chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is demeaned as a provocative slogan as opposed to how an Islamist threat for beheading is comfortably ignored and gets a free pass.

Demeaning Jai Shri Ram gained momentum after BJP came to power in 2014

The ‘liberal’ group and their media allies are using the sacred ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan to defame Hindus and portray them as hateful. They have a deep-rooted animosity towards Hindus and manipulate stories to portray any crime, particularly those involving Muslim victims, as a ‘hate crime’. This trend has increased since the BJP, known for its Hindutva beliefs, came to power in 2014. The false narrative of ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ is being widely promoted by them.

Incidents with Muslim victims are usually picked to peddle the agenda

The murder of a Muslim youth Asif Khan in Haryana on 16th May 2021 can be seen as an example of this trait of narrative peddling. Haryana Police had ruled out any communal angle in the murder of Muslim youth Asif Khan from Mewat. As per reports, Asif, along with his two cousins was returning from his sister’s house when he was allegedly attacked by a group of men and was beaten to death. However, soon after the report of his death poured in, some media houses claimed that he was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ before being killed, thereby giving it a communal angle.

Kerala-based portal Maktoob Media claimed that Asif was ‘forced to chant Jai Shri Ram’ and referred to the religious slogan as ‘warcry of Hindu nationalist militants’. Sharjeel Usmani, the Newslaundry columnist, also used the unfortunate crime in Haryana to peddle hatred against the Hindu community. Sharjeel Usmani tweeted, “A Hindu chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is ‘most likely’ a terrorist.” However, Maktoob Media offered no evidence to prove this fact. In fact, even the initial statement of one of the witnesses said how they were attacked by a group where most men were known to them. Eventually, it turned out to be a case of internal political rivalry and there was no communal angle in it.

In September 2020, the leftist media worked overtime to attribute a communal angle to the death of a Muslim cab driver named Aftab Alam claiming that he was lynched to death by a communal mob after forcing him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Media houses like TheWire and Amar Ujala claimed that Aftab Alam was made to chant Jai Shri Ram. This fake narrative was soon busted by the Noida police who confirmed that they had examined the audio recording of the event and the victim, Aftab Alam, was not asked to chant Jai Shri Ram.

Islamists and their followers have been demonising the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan on social media, most notably Mohammed Zubair of Alt News, who made a false allegation that an elderly Muslim man in Ghaziabad had been beaten for not chanting the slogan. Later, it became clear that the attack happened as a result of personal hatred and a failed occult practice. Nonetheless, hordes of “liberals” rushed to defame the “Jai Shri Ram” chant and propagate the false information.

Similar attempts to demonise Jai Shri Ram slogans have been made, in which “liberals” and “Islamists” portray the peaceful slogan as a war cry in order to dissuade devout Hindus from chanting it, guilt-trip them into skipping another of their traditions, and force them to abandon their centuries-old custom. Many such instances can be quoted where these liberals attempted demeaning the sacred chant of Jai shri Ram.

Attack on Jai shri Ram slogan has now translated into attacks on Ram Navami processions

This vilification of the Hindu gesture of greeting each other, and praising their deity slowly turned into assigning a meaning to the Hindu festivals which suits most to the liberal narrative. Attacks on Ram Navami processions are a continuation of Islamic efforts to distort the holy chant “Jai Shri Ram” into a war cry and a sign of religious extremism. Mainstream liberal media has brought it into action with unmatched quickness.

In a latest example, after the Ram Navami processions were attacked by Islamists in West Bengal, “liberal” journalist Rajdeep Sardesai said while anchoring a TV debate, “The worry is the Ram Navami which is an occasion to celebrate the greatness of Ram, has now became an occasion for a militarist, aggressive, version of Ram which is directed against other community. And it is creating tensions. This is surely not what Ram Navami meant to be. Ram Navami was meant to celebrate Maryada Purushottam.”

Rajdeep Sardesai deliberately insinuated that Hindus in West Bengal were the culprits of the riots instead of condemning the Islamists attacking the Ram Navami processions peacefully taken by the Hindus when they reached the so-called Muslim areas recently legitimized by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Sar Ta Se Juda slogan raised by Islamists

“Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda” is a slogan raised by Islamists in India in various violent protests and riots in recent times. The literal translation of this slogan is – “There is only one punishment for being disrespectful to Rasool (Prophet Muhammad), their head separated from their torso, their head separated from the torso”. This is clearly a call for beheading anyone who allegedly disrespects the Prophet Muhammad.

It is pertinent to recall here that Jai Shri Ram means ‘Glory to Ram’. Even the word Jai in this Dharmik chant does not literally translate to some victory in some war. Rather it is said to praise the deity. Clearly, Jai shri Ram is not a ‘war cry’ as vilified by liberals and Islamists. Chanting Jai Shri Ram does not initiate, incite, or inspire any act of violence, terror, bloodshed, or antisocial activity of any sort whatsoever. However, this is not the case with the Sar Tan Se Juda slogan which is clearly a call for beheading.

Islamists practising Sar Tan Se Juda in India

India widely witnessed this beheading call wildly turning into action in the year 2022 after Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair dogwhistled bloodthirsty Islamists to attack former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her allegedly blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate in May 2022. Mohammad Zubair shared the video of the debate in a manner that incited fanatic Islamists who started issuing threats to Nupur Sharma. Multiple cases were filed against her for this alleged blasphemy.

But this was not all. Threats were issued to Hindus who supported Nupur Sharma on social media. As many as 6 innocent Hindus were beheaded by Islamists in various cities of the country after this incident. Kanhaiya Lal’s gory beheading in Udaipur and heinous killing of Umesh Kolhe in Amravati for just supporting Nupur Sharma on social media spread a countrywide fear of this slogan in the minds of innocent law-abiding majority community Hindus. Moreover, many cities in the country saw aggressive mobs of Muslim men and women coming to streets in large numbers and chanting this beheading call together thereby rooting a sense of traumatizing terror in the society. A terror that silently said, ‘if you touch our sensitivities even a little bit, you desrve to be killed by us’.

Notably, beheading threats issued to Nupur Sharma and subsequent murders of Hindus who supported her on social media was not the first case where this ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ call was taken into actual practice by some Islamists. In January 2022, a young man from Dhadhuka in rural Ahmedabad, Kishan Boliya alias Kishan Bharwad was shot dead by two men from the Muslim community. Kishan had shared a video which allegedly showed an image of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims firmly believe that visual depiction of Muhammad is forbidden. Islamists believe that such a visual depiction is blasphemy and an ‘insult’ to Muhammad, and beheading the one who blasphemed is the appropriate punishment.

The threat of “Sar Tan Se Juda” chants against Kamlesh Tiwari materialised in 2019 when Islamists entered his house under the guise of Hindus and slit his throat for remarks made on Prophet Muhammad years ago, for which he had already served jail time. But, those who religiously believe in ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, never settle on anything except Islamic punishments for blasphemy, killed Kamlesh Tiwari. Similarly a century ago in 1920, Mahashay Rajpal was killed for publishing Rangeela Rasool. In a latest incident, these slogans were raised in Una of Gujarat on 31st March 2023.

Silent liberals

While Islamists played havoc by translating this beheading call of Sar Tan Se Juda into action, killing many people, liberals in Indian media and politics remained silent. None of them condemned these acts in as many words as Sar Tan Se Juda slogan is a terrorist call for beheading and it has no place in a country ruled by law. Those who were peddling their agenda against Jai shri Ram and Ram Navami celebrations preferred to keep mum when radical Muslims came to the streets in mobs and chanted this slogan.

The so-called liberals did not show the same enthusiasm and zeal to condemn this violent slogan that claimed at least a dozen lives in the last few years. The same liberals are still comfortably running a bandwagon to prove Jai Shri Ram – a simple praise of a deity – a war cry. The condoning of such slogans, believing they are just a cathartic expression of a livid mob aggrieved over the purported insult of their prophet, is nothing but wishful thinking because chances are that some religious zealot in the crowd, egged on by the slogans, would be motivated to pick up the weapon and proceed to kill someone like Kanhaiya Lal.

‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a slogan singing praise to the glory of Lord Rama. ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is a cultural slogan. For a long time, it has been a manner of greeting each other for Hindus, along with another variant ‘Jai Siya Ram’. Calling ‘the slogan’Jai Shri Ram’ a provocative war cry is just another attempt to spite Hindus and create a division within Hindu society, while comfortably being silent on beheading calls like Sar Tan Se Juda which is a precursor to a terror attack and a direct incitement to violence.

Can call Sai Baba a fakir, but not a God: Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham

OpIndia Staff
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Can call Sai Baba a fakir, but not a God: Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham

Mahant of Bageshwar Dham, Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri has said that Sai Baba can be called a saint or fakir, but he cannot be called a God. He has also said that no vulture can pretend to be a lion.

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, is currently conducting a Dharmik preaching in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. During his program, a person named Shailendra Rajput questioned him about the worship of Sai Baba. While answering this question, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri said, “Shankaracharya ji of our Dharma has not given Sai Baba the place of a deity. Shankaracharya is the Prime Minister of the Hindu Dharma. Therefore, obeying him is the duty of every Sanatani. Any saint of our Dharma, be it Goswami Tulsidas ji or Surdas ji, is a saint, a great man, a Yug Purush, a Kalpa Purush but not a God.”

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also said, “People have their faith. We cannot hurt anyone’s faith. Sai Baba can be a saint, a fakir but he cannot be a God. If I say it in this way, people may call it a controversy, but let me tell you, a vulture cannot pretend to be a lion.”

Giving his example, he further said, “If I dress up like Shankaracharya, take the throne, etc., and say that I am Shankaracharya, will I become Shankaracharya? I cannot. God is God and saints are just saints. One should keep it as one believes. But Sai is not God, our Shankaracharya says.” Regarding the worship of Sai Baba according to Vedic customs, he said, “If someone is coming to Vedic Dharma, then Gharwapasi is our campaign, there is no problem.”

Earlier, citing a judgment by a court, he had said, “The court has said that Sai Baba is not a Sanatani, is not a Hindu, and has also apologized to Shankaracharya. Sai Baba is not God. Man can never be God. A human being can be a guru, a saint, or a great man, but he cannot be a God.”

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also said in response to a question about the worship of Sai Baba that when Sanatanis have 33 crore gods and goddesses to worship, why is there a need to worship Chand Mian?

He further said that Lord Rama is the most revered God in the world. He is the creator of the world. Who does not believe in him, cannot be believed by anyone. Devotees have protested against the statue of Sai Baba in the temples of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj. Shankaracharya ji holds the highest position of Sanatan Dharma. Therefore, Sanatanis should obey them.

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan queue up to get their photo clicked with Tom Holland and Zendaya, image viral

ANI
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Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan queue up to get their photo clicked with Tom Holland and Zendaya, image viral

The launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) will always be remembered as it saw renowned personalities from Bollywood and Hollywood coming together under one roof.

From supermodel Gigi Hadid, and actors Tom Holland and Zendaya to superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, the two-day event was marked by the presence of a gamut of stars. Several inside images and clips from the gala event have surfaced online. One of the most loved pictures from the event is of Shah Rukh and Salman posing with Tom Holland and Zendaya.

Euphoria star Zendaya looked stunning in a sheer violet saree with floral designs created by Indian designer Rahul Mishra. On the other hand, Spider-Man star Tom Holland looked dapper as always in a sleek yet classic black tuxedo. Our “Karan Arjun” Shah Rukh and Salman also looked extremely stylish in their ensembles.

SRK opted for a long black sherwani paired with a black Pathani salwar. Salman, on the other hand, Salman was dressed in a teal-green tuxedo.

You can also spot host Nita Ambani looking pretty in a golden gown in the image.

The NMACC, situated within the Jio World Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex here, was inaugurated on Friday and the fashion showcase was launched on the second day of the opening gala on Saturday. 

The exhibition explores the layered impact that traditional Indian dress, textiles and craft have had on international fashion sensibility since the 18th century and features iconic Western couture and ready-to-wear designs inspired by India, from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal, and Karan Johar among others also arrived at the event.

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

‘Will discipline the rioters by hanging them upside down’, Amit Shah asserts in Bihar, says ‘BJP will never ally with Nitish Kumar again’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will discipline the rioters by hanging them upside down’, Amit Shah asserts in Bihar, says ‘BJP will never ally with Nitish Kumar again’

Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Nawada, Bihar on Sunday, April 2, 2023. In this rally, he said that the violence in Sasaram during Ram Navami is unfortunate. Amit Shah said that if BJP is voted to power in the state, the government will discipline the rioters by hanging them upside down. The BJP leader also criticized chief minister Nitish Kumar and asserted that the BJP will never ally with Nitish Kumar again.

Notably, before this public meeting, Amit Shah was to attend a program organized on the birth anniversary of Emperor Ashoka in Sasaram. However, due to violence during the Ram Navami procession and the imposition of section 144 after that, his program was canceled.

Amit Shah said, “I was supposed to go to Sasaram. There was a program to be held on the birth anniversary of Emperor Ashoka. But unfortunately, people are being killed there. Bullets are being fired. Tear gas shells are being fired. So I couldn’t go there. I apologize to the people of Sasaram from here. In the next tour, I will definitely hold a public meeting in Sasaram. I pray to God that there is peace in Bihar soon. When I called the Governor in the morning, Lalan Singh ji (JDU president) felt bad that why do I worry about Bihar. Hey brother, I am the Home Minister of the country and the law and order of Bihar is also a part of the country. You can’t handle it. That is why we have to worry.”

Amit Shah further said, “Nitish Kumar’s hunger for power forced him to ally with Lalu Prasad Yadav. We have not become helpless. We will go to the people. I’ll tell people. We will root out the Mahagathbandhan government. I have not seen such a selfish government in which one person wants to become prime minister and Lalu Yadav’s son wants to become chief minister. The people of Bihar are suffering because of this. I want to tell Lalu ji that Nitish Babu will never become the Prime Minister. There is no vacancy for that post. The people of the country have decided that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third time. And, Nitish Babu will never allow Tejashwi Yadav to become the Chief Minister.”

Amit Shah added, “The government of Bihar is a ‘BAD’ government of bad intentions and bad policy. This ‘BAD’ government is made up of B for Bhrashtachar (corruption), A for anarchy, and D for Daman (repression). This bad government has to be overthrown. MLAs, who are allies of the government, are opposing Nitish Kumar every day. Half of their MPs are knocking on the doors of the BJP. If anyone has any doubt that BJP can ally with Nitish Kumar again after the elections, then I want to make it clear that BJP’s doors are closed for these people.”

Amit Shah said, “Tejashwi Yadav called Nitish Kumar a snake, a “turncoat uncle”, a “fraud”, an arrogant man, and even a chameleon. But Nitish Kumar is in government with him today in the greed of becoming the Prime Minister. This government is going to fall after the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. After this, the BJP government is going to be formed. Modi ji will improve law and order by freeing people from corruption.”

Amit Shah asserted, “Nitish Kumar has changed many parties in his life. He betrayed many people. But what have those leaders, given to the people of Bihar with whom Nitish Kumar has formed a government today? The central government had given only Rs 50,000 crore to Bihar from 2009 to 2014. But from 2014 to 2019, PM Modi has given Rs 1 lakh 9 thousand crore to Bihar. The central government has given more than double the money to Bihar. Today, the entire Bihar is worried. There are riots in Bihar Sharif. There are riots in Sasaram. Everybody is worried. Give Modi ji 40 out of 40 seats in 2024 and form a BJP government in 2025. After this, the BJP government will work to discipline the rioters by hanging them upside down. There are no riots under the BJP government.”

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