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Chhattisgarh: Maoists kill army jawan to protest against Agniveer scheme

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Maoists kill army jawan to protest against Agniveer scheme

An army jawan, Moti Ram Anchla was gun down by Maoists in at the Useli village fair market, Bastar, Chhattisgarh, on February 25. He was on leave at his home town of Kanker.

The Maoists of the Kuwemari area committee claimed responsibility, stating it was done in retaliation for the central government’s Agniveer project.

In the midst of the ongoing investigation into the tragedy, a banner bearing the words “We killed Army jawan Motilal Anchla to protest Agniveer scheme” was found in the forests of Amabeda on Fufgaon.

The police said, that the discovery of the banner opened them fresh avenues for their inquiry.

It was the first instance, according to authorities, in which Maoists allegedly mistaken an army soldier for a member of a paramilitary force and attacked him.

The banner read, “Anchla was killed by our cadres in the Useli fair as a protest against Agniveer scheme, encouraging corporate houses for industrialization in Bastar and security forces. We protest against Agniveer recruitment in Army.”

Sundarraj Pattilingam, the inspector general of police for Bastar Range informed, that the Maoists have made a banner taking responsibility for the murder. The probe is in its early stages, he added.

Earlier, banned terror organisation PFI had opposed the Agnipath scheme claiming it was a scheme for ‘Muslim genocide’. In a charge sheet filed by the ATS, the authorities had stated that anti-Agnipath/Agniveer propaganda was being used by the PFI to mobilise Muslims against Indian State. The Agnipath scheme was likened to “Satan Israel like policy” where in every corner of the country, Hindus with army training would form groups. “This would be an army of rioters, who, because of their army training, would not run away if push comes to shove”, the message said.

In 2022, the government of India proposed Agnipath scheme to make the youth of India defence ready especially those who dream of joining the Indian armed forces. As per the scheme, selected candidates will be enrolled for four year period for training and will be known as ‘Agniveers’. After four year period, they could leave and join career of their own choice. 25% of these would also get opportunity to become regular cadre in Armed Forces.

FIR filed against Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan in Lucknow over a property she was the brand ambassador of: Details

OpIndia Staff
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FIR filed against Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan in Lucknow over a property she was the brand ambassador of: Details

On March 1, Wednesday, an FIR was filed in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, against Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan over a property dispute. The case against Gauri Khan has been filed under Indian Criminal Code section 409 (criminal breach of trust) (IPC). Tulsiyani Construction and Development Company CMD Anil Kumar Tulsiyani and its director Mahesh Tulsiyani were also named in the FIR.

Jaswant Shah, a Mumbai resident, filed the case, alleging that he invested in a property at Tulsiyani Golf View in Lucknow’s Sushant Golf City region but did not receive ownership despite paying Rs 86 lakh. He alleged that he purchased the apartment from Tulsiyani Construction and Developers Group because Gauri Khan was its brand ambassador.

The complainant said he bought the flat after being influenced by brand ambassador Gauri Khan. The complainant asserted that the flat at Tulsiyani Golf View, Sushant Golf City, Lucknow, was given to someone else.

Gauri Khan is a film producer and entrepreneur who runs her own company called Gauri Khan Designs. 

Prior to this, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) apprehended Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan,  on October 2, 2021, after raiding a cruise ship en route to Goa from Mumbai.

He was arrested for violating the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act’s Sections 8(c), 20(b), 27, 28, 29, and 35 after NCB alleged that it has seized 13 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of mephedrone MD, 21-gram charas and 22 pills of MDMA ecstasy.

A battery of India’s top lawyers including former attorney general for India Mukul Rohatgi, Karanjawala & Co. team and eminent lawyer Satish Maneshinde and his team had steered the bail proceedings in the Bombay HC on October 28. Finally, Bombay HC granted bail, however, imposing 14 stringent bail conditions on him.

Andhra Pradesh pledges to build 3000 new temples, says state showing interest in ‘protecting and spreading Hindu faith’

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh pledges to build 3000 new temples, says state showing interest in ‘protecting and spreading Hindu faith’

The state government of Andhra Pradesh has put forth efforts to guarantee that each of the state’s 26 districts is home to at least one significant Hindu temple. According to the administration, the state has greatly increased its interest in building shrines in every village of the state. 

According to Deputy Chief Minister Kottu Satyanarayana, the endeavour to ‘protect and spread the Hindu faith’ has been launched across the state on the orders of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and that the state would build 3000 temples in coming years. Deputy Chief Minister Kottu Satyanarayana who is also the Endowments Minister confirmed the initiative by releasing an official statement which read, “To protect and propagate the Hindu faith on a massive scale, construction of Hindu temples in the localities of weaker sections has been initiated.”

The Sri Vani Trust of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which was established to build Sri Venkateswara Swamy temples at various sites around India, has allotted Rs 10 lakh for the construction of each temple.

The state administration had already stated that it would start building 1,330 temples. This list now includes 1,465 more temples. At the same time, 200 other temples will be constructed throughout the state at the request of certain politicians. “The construction of the recently added temples and the ones requested by the individual legislators will be done with the cooperation of voluntary organisations”, the deputy chief minister of the state said.

The minister claims that the Endowments Department is in charge of building 978 temples, and that work is proceeding at a rapid pace. Further, the state government has allotted Rs 270 crore to renovate temples and to carry out ceremonies there. Rs 238 crore of this has already been released.

Many Hindu temples vandalized in the state in the past few years

To note, there have been severe attacks on temples in the state of Andhra Pradesh leaving Hindus all over the country horrified and shaken. The unprovoked, systematic attacks on Hindu temples across the state, whose numbers have increased both in magnitude and seriousness over the recent years are troubling.

In October 2022, a Nandi idol in a prominent Shiva temple in Kanaparthi Village of the Prakasam district was vandalised. Authorities in the area said that the unidentified culprits had broke into the temple’s premises and vandalised the Nandi idol in an effort to steal it. Reportedly, no arrests had been made in the case.

In December 2020, a 400-year old mūrti of Sri Rāma at Ramathirtha, Vizianagaram District was vandalized and the head of Lord Rama was found lying in the temple tank. Prior to this incident, a 12th-century Nandi was also found broken to pieces at a Śiva temple in Chittur district; two old Hindu temples in Suryaraopeta, East Godavari district illegally demolished by neighbouring Church’s Pastor, who also stole the antique idols housed within, and 23 idols of small shrines in Pithapuram, East Godavari district were brutally vandalized. There are countless other similar incursions across the state.

As reported earlier, about 228 cases of attacks on temples were registered in Andhra Pradesh in the year 2020, 305 cases in 2019, 267 in 2018, 318 in 2017, 332 in 2016 and 290 in 2015. Also in September 2020, YS Jagan government had dissolved 2500 temple trusts across the state, which goes against the provisions of the Endowments Act.

While the state government of Andhra Pradesh has pledged to ‘protect the Hindu faith’, it is unclear whether the temples will be looked after by the state authorities who have history of digging deeper into the temple coffers, or the Hindu trustees and devotees.

Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court asks SEBI to conclude investigation in 2 months, constitutes committee to review the regulatory framework

OpIndia Staff
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Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court asks SEBI to conclude investigation in 2 months, constitutes committee to review the regulatory framework

The Supreme Court Thursday, March 2, directed market regulator SEBI to complete in 2 months its enquiry proceedings in the Hindenburg research report on the Adani Group of companies and submit the status report in a sealed envelope before the court within the stipulated time frame.

It asked SEBI to investigate whether the Adani Group of companies have violated Section 19 of SEBI rules and whether there was any manipulation of stock prices, as alleged in the Hindenburg research report.

In the wake of the Adani-Hindenburg row, to review the regulatory mechanism, the apex court bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice JB Pardiwala also constituted an expert committee consisting of OP Bhat, Justice Devdhar, KV Kamath and Nandan Nilekani. The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Abhay Manohar Sapre.

CJI DY said that SEBI shall apprise the court of its progress and also inform the expert committee of the progress. He added that the constitution of the committee does not hamper the independence of SEBI and its probe processes.

The bench noted that the report alleged that Adani manipulated share prices. The report further said Hindenburg Research took a short position in the Adani shares as well. The bench further noted that the complaints address the loss of investor capital over the last few weeks as a result of the steep decline of Adani group companies, caused by the Hindenburg Research report, which alleged manipulations and malpractices by Adani group companies. It is in this background these petitions have been filed, said CJI DY Chandrachud.

SC declined to gag media reporting on the issue

Notably, earlier the apex court made it clear that it will not issue an injunction against the media in connection to the recent Hindenburg Research report on the Adani Group of firms and its market impact.

Pronouncing the decision Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said there is no question of gagging the media till the court pronounces the order. “We are not going to issue any injunction to the media ever. We will pronounce orders shortly,” the CJI said.

The apex court was responding to a plea filed by Adv ML Sharma on February 3. The plea had sought a gag order to prevent media from carrying statements or allegations related to the Adani group firms unless they are filed with and verified by market regulator SEBI.

Adani-Hindenburg row: SC rejects centre’s sealed cover suggestions over expert panel

On Friday, February 17, the Supreme Court turned down the Centre’s suggestion in a ‘sealed cover’ regarding a proposed panel of experts recommending steps to tighten regulatory measures in order to minimise any loss to Indian investors due to market volatility, as witnessed during the Adani-Hindenburg row.

Notably, the SC has been hearing four petitions regarding a report written by short-seller Hindenburg Research, alleging conglomerate fraud that cost the Adani Group losses of over $100 billion in market value.

The Adani Group equities have suffered on the stock exchanges following a slew of accusations from Hindenburg Research against the corporate behemoth, including illegal transactions and share-price manipulation. The Adani Group has denied the accusations, claiming that it abides by all legal and transparency obligations.

US senate passes bill to declassify all intelligence on Covid origins, a day after FBI said pandemic leaked from Wuhan lab

OpIndia Staff
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US senate passes bill to declassify all intelligence on Covid origins, a day after FBI said pandemic leaked from Wuhan lab

The United Senate has unanimously voted to call for a bill to declassify all intelligence regarding the origins of Covid 19, more than 3 years after the pandemic broke and killed millions of people around the world. As per reports, Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Mike Braun reintroduced the bill that requires Presiden Biden to declassify all intelligence related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and possible origins of the SARS Cov 2 virus.

The development comes a day after the US Department of Energy and later the FBI confirmed that the ‘Wuhan lab leak’ is the most likely origin of the pandemic.

In an interview with Fox News, FBI director Christopher Wray confirmed that the probe agency has known for some time that a ‘Wuhan lab leak incident’ is the most probable origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Though the claim has just become mainstream, a number of journalists, scientists and politicians have been saying for more than a year that the SARS-COV 2 virus had most likely leaked from the BSL4 lab inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology where the US govt’s NIAID had funded a gain of function research through the EcoHealth Alliance and the Chinese government.

In a classified report provided to the White House, the US Department of Energy has also affirmed the same.

“For nearly three years, anyone asking whether COVID-19 originated as a lab leak outbreak was silenced and branded as a conspiracy theorist. Now, these prudent skeptics stand vindicated. The Biden administration must immediately declassify all intelligence reports pertaining to the origins of COVID-19 coronavirus and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The American people deserve to know the truth.” Senator Josh Hawley told Fox News.

US govt, media and so-called ‘scientists’, everyone had labelled the Wuhan lab leak theories as ‘conspiracy and false news’

It is notable here that despite repeated claims by several experts and journalists, the ‘mainstream’ government and media voices, including Dr Fauci, have been labelling the lab leak theory as a conspiracy.

A detailed report in OpIndia had explained how Peter Daszak, the head of EcoHealth Alliance, which was carrying out gain of function research in Wuhan lab, was one of the first persons to denounce the lab leak theories and had gone so far as to publish a letter in Lancet, declaring all ‘lab leak’ claims as baseless.

Interestingly, Daszak had also made himself a part of the WHO team sent to the very Wuhan lab to investigate the Covid origins, which was unsurprisingly unsuccessful in making any significant headways. Daszak was one of the most vocal influencers in setting down and dismissing the claims of ‘lab leak’.

Old videos and articles show Daszak even boasting about how his research is trying to ‘create’ antibody-resistant variants of the Coronavirus. Emails between Fauci and Daszak obtained by some media organisations under the Freedom of Information Act showed Daszak thanking Fauci for shutting down and dismissing the ‘lab leak’ theories.

Now that the US government is finally warming up to admitting the ‘lab leak’ claims, even validating them, the important question is, despite all the evidence, documentation and repeated claims, why had the same US government and media establishment worked for years to cover this up?

CM Yogi Adityanath registers new record, serves longest unbroken term in the state completing 5 years, 347 days in office

OpIndia Staff
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CM Yogi Adityanath registers new record, serves longest unbroken term in the state completing 5 years, 347 days in office

On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath registered a new record in his name of serving the longest unbroken term in the state after Independence. CM Yogi Adityanath completed 5 years and 347 days in the office yesterday and outlasted Dr Sampurnanand of the Congress, who had served the office for 5 years and 345 days from 1954 to 1960.

Dr Sampurnanand, Mayawati of the BSP was the first CM to serve out the entire tenure. Nonetheless, she served from 2007 to 2012, a period of 4 years, 307 days, until her party was defeated in the elections.

The following chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav of the SP, also served for the full term and his administration lasted 5 years, and 4 days. CM Yogi then became Chief Minister in 2017 when the BJP won the election with a landslide victory. The incumbent chief minister led the BJP to a record third straight victory in March 2022 as well.

Govind Ballabh Pant, the state’s first CM, held the position for the longest period of time without an interruption in the area, however from April 1, 1946, to January 23, 1950, he served as the chief minister of the United Provinces. After serving as the CM of Uttar Pradesh from January 24, 1950, to December 28, 1954, for a total of 4 years, and 336 days, he was appointed the Union’s home minister.

In terms of cumulative tenure, Mayawati, who held the position of chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times, is in the lead with a total run of more than seven years. However, during three terms as chief minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav held office for little under seven years.

Yogi Adityanath has already broken the Noida jinx of the former UP CMs, which stated that going to the district guaranteed that the incumbent and their party would not be returned to power. Reports mention that Yogi Adityanath travelled to the district over a dozen times in his previous tenure and returned as the UP CM for a second historic time in March 2022.

“Due to his vision, the CM broke the Noida jinx It was believed in UP that if a CM visited Noida, he or she would lose their seat. Due to this fear, many CMS never visited Noida, However, in the past six years, Yogi Adityanath must have visited Noida at least 25 times and also took oath as CM for the second time on March 25, 2022,” a government spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Here’s the broad list of state Chief Ministers who held the office for more than 3 years

Yogi Adityanath (BJP) — 5 years 347 days (serving) — 2017-23
Dr Sampurnanand (Congress) — 5 years 345 days — 1954-60
Akhilesh Yadav (SP) — 5 years 4 days — 2012-17
GB Pant (Congress) — 4 years 336 days –1950-54
Mayawati (BSP) — 4 years 307 days — 2007-12
MS Yadav (SP) — 3 years 257 days — 2003-2007

‘Who did you vote for?’ Comedian asked people pleading for help amid Covid wave. Watch his genocidal views on those who voted for PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Who did you vote for?’ Comedian asked people pleading for help amid Covid wave. Watch his genocidal views on those who voted for PM Modi

On February 3, comedian Daniel Fernandes published a video, ‘Alive and Vaccinated’, on his YouTube channel, which was a recording of his live show. In the one-hour 39 minutes long video, Fernandes mentioned that during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, he would ask people whom they voted in reply to their DMs for help on Instagram. Without taking any party’s name, he said if they had voted for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he blocked them, and if they hadn’t, he would share their plea on his profile.

A snippet of that particular section was published on Instagram. He said, “If you were on social media, Instagram, for instance, it was very scary. Instagram looked like a hospital ward. Do you remember that? Every Instagram story was a cry for help. “I need an oxygen cylinder!”, “I need an ICU bed”, “I need a ventilator”, And I’m like, “but you voted for chai!” [audience applauded] “Drink it!” And anyone who had any amount of following on social media they were getting a lot of messages in their DMs asking for help. They were saying stuff like, “Hey, I need such and such thing. Can you please share this with your followers?” Can you please amplify my cry for help?” Now, as somebody who has a little bit of a following on social media, I got these messages too.”

“And as I said earlier, in a difficult time, I’m happy to help out if I can make a difference. But I also have an obligation to my own followers. I can’t blindly share anything that comes into my inbox. I have to verify the information, right? So whenever I receive these messages asking for help, saying I need such and such things, I will reply and ask them, “Who did you vote for?” And if they said, “Not chai”, I would share the message. But if they said they voted for chai, I would block them! That seems fair, right?” He added.

Notably, Fernandes is not the only one who has dreamt of BJP leaders or supporters dying of Covid-19. When Home Minister Amit Shah got Covid, there was a wave of hateful comments wishing for his death. The same goes for other BJP supporters. Not only during Covid, but the left-liberal ecosystem also has a habit of wishing for the death of BJP/RSS leaders and supporters. Not to forget, late journalist Vinod Dua’s daughter Mallika Dua once casually wished death for RSS/BJP supporters. On the contrary, when she cried for help on social media, BJP leaders rushed to help her. We covered how left-liberals were refusing to help “Sanghis” during Covid.

Fernandes further said, “I told my friend I did this, and he was like “Bro, this is exactly what the hospitals should’ve done!” He’s like, “Yeah yeah, just think,  you have COVID, you go to the hospital, “Yeah, hi, I have Covid. I need an ICU bed.” “Who did you vote for?” “Not chai” “Come, come, come! Right, this way. We have an ICU bed for you. Come, come! There’s air conditioning, there’s Netflix, there’s Wi-Fi. Come come!! Acche din idhar hai!” (Good days are here!) “Next!” “Yeah, I have COVID. I need an ICU bed.” “Who did you vote for?” “Chai” “Aap wahan jaaiye” (Please move over there). “Kyun” (Why?) “Kyunki Hospital wahi banega” (Because that’s where the hospital will be built).”

“Chai” is often used to point towards PM Modi as he used to sell tea when he was a child. “Acche din idhar hai” was to mock “Acche Din Aayenge” slogan used by BJP. “Hospital wahin Banega” was to mock Hindus because of the slogan “Mandir Wahin Banayenge”, which was used as a vow to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Whether it is just a joke or not, the lack of empathy and the way Fernandes wished for the death of BJP/RSS supporters is beyond comprehension. Sadly, instead of calling him out, his audience applauded the dark “jokes”. Fernandes has over 76,000 followers on Instagram and over 2,20,000 subscribers on YouTube.

‘Abbu used to beat me for visiting Hindu temples’: Nargis becomes Nikki and marries her Hindu lover in Mainpuri

OpIndia Staff
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‘Abbu used to beat me for visiting Hindu temples’: Nargis becomes Nikki and marries her Hindu lover in Mainpuri

On February 28, a Muslim woman reverted to Hinduism and got married to a Hindu man from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. Agra native Nargis got married to Alok in the Mainpuri district. They had been acquainted for a year. The two met on a social media platform and became friends and eventually decided to get married.

According to media reports, Nargis has stated that she has liked Sanatan Dharma since she was a young child. She occasionally visited the temple as well, which enraged Abbu (father) to thrash her. Following the Ghar Wapsi rituals, the newlywed Nargis changed her name to Nikki and said that she had never liked Islam. Nikki claims that she became friends with Alok on Instagram. After several days of interaction, they both decided to become life partners.

Nikki claims that now, she intends to remain a Hindu for the rest of her life. The wedding took place in a Laxmi temple in Mainpuri and was attended by Alok’s family and friends, while Nikki’s family members were not present there. Nikki’s mother is reportedly deceased. Nikki and Alok will soon be doing a court marriage as well.

Nikki’s Abbu reportedly opposed her relationship with Alok. After her mother passed away, it was just Nikki and her father in the family.  Nikki claims that once Alok arrived in Agra to meet her, her father learned about it and then assaulted Nikki. Alok after knowing about this brought Nikki to Mainpuri.

Nikki’s father filed a complaint against Alok. Following this, Alok was apprehended by the police, and Nikki was handed to her father. Alok and Nikki resolved to get married after Alok was released from police custody. 

“I am an adult, I have the right to marry the man of my choice. I got married to Alok on February 28,” Nikki said. Meanwhile, Alok asserted that he or his family did not exert any pressure to have Nargis change her name to Nikki adding that it was her own decision. 

Pakistan shows no interest in rescuing ‘Lady Al Qaeda’, Aafia Siddiqui

ANI
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Pakistan shows no interest in rescuing ‘Lady Al Qaeda’, Aafia Siddiqui

Addressing the press conference along with Aafia Siddiqui’s sister, Fauzia Siddiqui, lawyer Clive Stafford Smith said Aafia, who was ‘abducted’ in 2003, “holds no special importance for the US” and it’s the government of Pakistan that didn’t do enough to bring her back, the Dawn reported. 

Clive Stafford Smith is the lawyer who paved way for the return of two Pakistani brothers — Abdul Rabbani and Ahmed Rabbani — who were detained at the Guantanamo Bay prison for the last 20 years. They were released and returned to Pakistan last week. Responding to a question, he said if Shakeel Afridi had to be traded for Siddiqui’s release, the Pakistani authorities should do it. 
Afridi has been incarcerated for more than a decade after he was accused of helping the US in tracing the Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden who was killed in Abbottabad in 2012. 

As reported by Dawn news, Smith called on the Pakistan government to consider ‘prisoner swap’ for her release, while revealing horrific details of torture endured by Gitmo detainees. 

“If the Rabbani brothers [Abdul and Ahmed Rabbani] can be brought back, why not her,” he was quoted as saying in the report. 
Smith said he had visited Siddiqui in January at the Federal Medical Centre, Carswell in Texas where she was being detained. 

“I have engaged with over 80 Guantanamo Bay prisoners, but not one was in the condition as bad as her,” he said. 

He added that although the facility was a “medical centre”, in reality, it was as “ghastly as the other prisons in the US”. 

He said the commitment from the government and media support was needed to bring the incarcerated doctor back. 

He said 546 prisoners have been released from Guantanamo Bay, of which only one was released by courts. “The remaining 545 got their freedom through pressure exerted by the media and journalists,” he said. 

Fauzia said the last time she ever heard any report about her imprisoned sister was in 2016. 

“Since then, we have had no contact with her. We used to hear that she had died, but it was finally this year in January when Clive met her, we came to know that she is alive,” she was quoted as saying in the Dawn report. 

Further, according to the Dawn, she added that Siddiqui was subjected to many types of torture but the brutal act of “taking children away from a mother” was the worst of all. 

FMC Carswell is a high-security prison, and Aafia Siddiqui is slated to spend the rest of her life there, under US law, she will be well over 100 years old before she is eligible for release. Life expectancy in US prisons hovers around 60. 

She also said her six-month-old nephew had gone missing and to this day he hadn’t been found. 

“We want to make this a movement with a momentum that does not end until Aafia is back,” she said. 

Speaking to Dawn, Smith said Ahmed Rabbani was a skilled artist and an adept chef, the skills he learnt during his detention. 
The lawyer added that he is planning to hold an exhibition of Ahmed Rabbani’s artwork depicting his time in detention. 

“He made an imaginary Guantanamo Bay as he never saw it since they always kept him blindfolded,” he said. 

“We also have a great Guantanamo Cook Book coming along based on Ahmed’s recipes. The recipes are named after 62 torture methods he went through.” 

Smith also revealed horrific details about the torture inflicted upon the two brothers which left them with inexplicable physical and psychological trauma. 

He said the brothers were getting therapy which they would need for a long time to normally integrate into society. 

Detailing one of the torture techniques, Mr Smith said the inmates were subjected to the strappado, a medieval punishment in which a person is tied from shoulders and left hanging on tiptoes. 

“This was one of the 62 torture techniques the Rabbanis faced,” he said. “They were left hanging like that for weeks.” 

He added that Eminem’s song White America used to be blared at full volume for days to torture the inmates. 

Mr Smith, who was the brothers’ lawyer for the last 15 years, said Ahmed Rabbani’s son Jawwad, who is now 20 years old, was born seven months after his father was abducted. “At that time, Ahmed Rabbani didn’t even know his wife was pregnant.” 

Siddiqui is serving an 86-year prison sentence for shooting at US service members. She had been arrested in connection with an alleged Al Qaeda plot before she grabbed a soldier’s M4 and opened fire on her interrogators. She missed. 

David Grantham, a law enforcement professional with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and author of “Consequences: An Intelligence Officer’s War,” said the police can also learn lessons from the case to improve their ability to thwart future attacks. 

“If we see these trends in the future, anything like this, we need to consider that there could be violent action associated with this organized online activity,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“So that’s the most basic fundamental thing that law enforcement will look at from this report,” he added. 

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

Pakistani actress Ushna Shah deactivates her Instagram account after outrage over her ‘Indian-style’ wedding lehenga

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani actress Ushna Shah deactivates her Instagram account after outrage over her ‘Indian-style’ wedding lehenga

On Wednesday, 1st March 2023, Pakistani actress Ushna Shah deactivated her Instagram account after Pakistanis were outraged over the Indian-style lehenga she wore in her marriage ceremony on Sunday. The actress was attacked after photographs of her wedding were published on social media and people trolled her for wearing Indian-style costumes. Ushna Shah who was born in Lahore and raised in Canada married a half-Pashtun and half-Austrian golfer, Hamza Amin.

In an Instagram story, Ushna Shah wrote, “I haven’t reacted to online trolling for years, but I am a human being at a very vulnerable time of my life. A new bride in a new home. From hiring photography teams who signed NDAs to hiring security and strict guest lists at the door, I wanted to protect our union and only share what I was comfortable with, I worked very hard to make this time private. Several people invaded that privacy to exploit our happy occasion, including disrupting our nikkah. As any bride would be, I was mortified, only times a million. I had a human moment and I reacted, I exposed the first person I learned invaded my privacy, I defended myself, I even retracted because they apologized, and I learned others were also involved, in worse ways, and because the damage done to me couldn’t be undone either way.”

Ushna Shah’s Instagram posts. Image Source: Times Now

Ushna Shah added, “I have read many of the comments, they don’t seem to stop. Please believe that I did not get married to offend our culture, that was not the intention, and if that is what people feel I have done then I apologize for letting anyone down. I am going to sign off from this platform for a few days, for the sake of my mental health, and to spend this precious time and energy on my wonderful husband and my new family which is a blessing. I am also questioning if I am cut out for this job. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

Her reaction came after she was trolled for wearing a red lehenga to her wedding like a Hindu bride from India. She also posted a snapshot of a recent chat she had with the photographer, who reportedly brought a drone into her wedding and released her unauthorized wedding images online with the aid of a fashion blogger who was invited to the event.

Ushna Shah received massive outrage on social media

Many Muslims in Pakistan were outraged because Ushna Shah dressed like an Hindu bride from India at her wedding. Zunaira Mahum said in her video reaction that Ushna Shah’s marriage did not appear like that of a Muslim because she had invited Sikh singers to perform in her wedding ceremony.

Many others criticized her for dressing like an Indian bride and disrespecting Islam. Several social media users were unhappy with Ushna Shah because she also wore bangles and her husband was dressed like a Maharaja which is a Sanskrit word for a great king.

Hindu brides in India typically wear red lehengas on their wedding day. Since India and Pakistan have significant cultural similarities, certain rituals and dressings on some occasions overlap. While Ushna Shah had a nikah, a Muslim wedding ceremony, she was still brutally attacked by Muslim Twitter users in Pakistan for wearing something that ‘looked’ Indian, to imply she looked like a Hindu bride and sent abuses her way.

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