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Usual victim playing: Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind, which often protects terror accused, demands law specifically to protect the Muslim community, cries Islamophobia

OpIndia Staff
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Usual victim playing: Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind, which often protects terror accused, demands law specifically to protect the Muslim community, cries Islamophobia

On Friday, February 10, the Islamic outfit Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind, which often protects terror accused, demanded a separate law to “specifically punish those inciting violence against minorities” amid the alleged rise in Islamophobia. Interestingly, the Muslim community has constantly demanded special laws to protect their feelings even though 295A was passed specifically for this reason after the Rangeela Rasool controversy.

The oldest Muslim body in the country started its 34th three-day general session at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground. The session is headed by Maulana Mahmud Madani. On the first day of the conclave, the Jamiat passed multiple resolutions, one of which was against the alleged rise in hate campaigns and ‘Islamophobia’.

Playing the victim, as usual, the Jaimiat claimed that in recent years, “the growth in Islamophobia, apart from acts of hatred and incitement against the Muslim community, has escalated to an alarming level in our country.”

‘Central government has adopted an ‘ostrich-like approach‘

It also accused the central government of having an ‘ostrich-like-approach’ towards the matter and also alleged that several Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, MLAs, and MPs are ‘poisoning’ the atmosphere of the country by giving ‘hateful statements.’

Senior Jamiat leader Niaz Faruqi said, “The most regrettable point is that, while being aware of these developments, the government prefers to take an ostrich-like approach. The authorities are conveniently overlooking these incidents despite reports from numerous international organizations, Indian civil society, and the Supreme Court’s warnings, while the cordial atmosphere in the nation is continuously being poisoned by the hateful statements of several BJP leaders, members of State assemblies, and Members of Parliament.”

Separate ‘hate speech’ law 

The Jamiat urged the Center to act right now to stop the alleged anti-Islamic activities that are against the standards of democracy, justice, and equality.  

In order to deal with rising ‘Islamophobia’, the Jamiat said that “As law commission recommended, a separate law should be enacted to specifically punish those involved in inciting violence against minorities and efforts to boycott or isolate the Muslim community socio-economically.” 

“Action should be taken against inattentive agencies and their lax attitude in this regard, and miscreants should be punished,” the resolution stated.

‘Hate Speech’ – Law Commission Report 267

Hate speech, according to the Law Commission of India’s 267th Report, is an incitement to hatred directed primarily at a group of people who are recognized by their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. 

The report issued in March 2017, recommended amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860, and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The Commission headed by Justice BS Chauhan suggested adding new provisions on ‘Prohibiting incitement to hatred’ following section 153B of the IPC. ‘Causing fear alarm or provocation in violence in certain cases’ following action 505 IPC and accordingly amending the First Schedule of CrPC.

Resolution seeking measures to counter anti-Islam mindset

In a separate resolution, Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind demanded measures against the alleged ‘anti-Islam mindset’ and defamatory content on Prophet Muhammad. The resolution stated that in case ‘blasphemous’ content is aired by any channel or on social media or the sentiments of Muslims are deliberately hurt, then selected people should file FIR and take legal action against such media channels and social media platforms.

Prophet Muhammad Bill

It is notable that in the year 2021, Muslim religious groups like Raza Academy and Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Board and Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) pressured the then Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government to introduce ‘Prophet Muhammad Bill’. An act was demanded to stop blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad and religious figures of all religions.

Section 295(a)

Though there is no law against blasphemy in India, there is a law that provides the provision of imprisonment and a fine against those who deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of anyone. Section 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has the provision of fine and imprisonment up to 3 years if the accused has hurt religious sentiments “with deliberate and malicious intention”.

‘They talk about Islamic Khilafat, incite Muslims against Hindus’: Read the letter by a PFI whistleblower, attached in the chargesheet by Maha ATS

OpIndia Staff
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‘They talk about Islamic Khilafat, incite Muslims against Hindus’: Read the letter by a PFI whistleblower, attached in the chargesheet by Maha ATS

On the 2nd of February 2023, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) filed a charge sheet against 5 PFI (Popular Front of India) terrorists, who were arrested during nationwide raids against the proscribed Islamic organization, for being involved in unlawful activities and conspiracy against the nation. The five accused – Mazhar Khan, Sadiq Shaikh, Mohammad Iqbal Khan, Momin Mistry, and Aasif Hussain Khan were arrested by the Mumbai unit of the Maharashtra ATS for their association with PFI.

In this charge sheet, the Maharashtra ATS has included a letter by an unidentified Muslim man, who was a member of PFI, addressed to the ATS. The letter dated 17th October 2022 says that PFI is as dangerous as SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) and that it wants to break the nation.

The unidentified Muslim man wrote in his letter, “Sir, without giving my name, I would like to inform you that the CD I am going to give you with this letter is going to make a big disclosure to you. I am a true Muslim. A lot of our PFI personnel were asking us to join PFI. I have been with PFI people for a long time. They meet at different places. There were many protest marches taken out on behalf of PFI. Sometimes I was also involved in it. In one such march, a man talked about killing the police.”

The letter by an unknown Muslim was quoted by ATS in the charge sheet.

The unidentified Muslim man further said in his letter, “They used to ask us to give zakat to PFI people after Friday prayers. While taking zakat, they did not give anything receipts, etc. I don’t see any difference between these PFI people and the people of the old SIMI. These people are working to break the country. They incite Muslim children against Hindus. They say that the government of Hindustan is our enemy. They say that we have to overthrow this government. In today’s era, they talk about Islamic Khilafat. But this country is ours. We are indebted to this country.”

It is further mentioned in this letter, “When the country will be set on fire because of these people, Muslims will suffer the most. The law should teach these people a lesson. I am sending some recordings to this CD. Asif Adhikari, Mazhar Khan, Yasin of Chita Campwala, Owais from Nashik Malegaon, Mohammad Shahwar Ahmed and Abdul Basha of Mumbra, Fardeen Paikar of Kalyan and Maulana Nasir Nadvi of Aurangabad are some of them. I want the law to give them maximum punishment. I will not come forward as it may be harmful to my life.”

Shocking revelations are surfacing one after the other from the 600-page charge sheet submitted by the Maharashtra ATS.

Vande Bharat Express targeted yet again: Stone pelting in Telangana results in a glass window pane being damaged, police investigating ‘all angles’

OpIndia Staff
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Vande Bharat Express targeted yet again: Stone pelting in Telangana results in a glass window pane being damaged, police investigating ‘all angles’

On Friday (February 10), the Vande Bharat Express train, running between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam, came under attack in the Mahabubabad suburb in Telangana.

As per reports, unidentified miscreants pelted stones at the express train shortly after it left the Secunderabad railway station. During the attack, a glass window pane of coach C-4 of the Vande Bharat Express was damaged.

On receiving information, the Railway Police rushed to the crime scene and initiated a probe into the matter. Reportedly, no passengers were injured during the stone pelting incident.

While speaking about the matter, the CRPO of South Central Railway, Rakesh said, “We are investigating all angles regarding the same. The train and the condition of the pane will be assessed by the Railway Police officers once the train reaches Vizag.”

It must be mentioned that the express train service was flagged off, between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 15 this year on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

This is however not the first time that a Vande Bharat train came under attack. Last month, stones were pelted by unidentified miscreants on New Jalpaiguri-Howarh Vande Bharat Express in Bihar’s Katihar.

The train set out from New Jalpaiguri at 3:05 PM, with the final destination scheduled at Howrah at 10:35 PM. Although none of the passengers was injured, the windowpanes of coach number C-6 were shattered because of the stone pelting.

A similar incident was reported near Malda railway station, within just 4 days of the launch of the express train.

Gang of Kashmiri Muslim youths raising funds in the name of Kashmir Pandits caught by locals of Karala village in Delhi: Exclusive details

OpIndia Staff
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Gang of Kashmiri Muslim youths raising funds in the name of Kashmir Pandits caught by locals of Karala village in Delhi: Exclusive details

A gang of Kashmiri Muslim youths collecting funds in the name of displaced Kashmiri Hindus has been caught by the locals in Karala village in North West Delhi. This gang was running a door-to-door fundraising campaign. As per the exclusive information received by OpIndia thousands of rupees were being collected by a gang of five to six persons, including a woman, in the name of Kashmiri Pandits. The locals have nabbed three of the gang members and turned them over to the Kanjhawala police. The accused persons are being questioned by the police.

OpIndia reached out to the locals as soon as the issue was brought to light. The locals said that some people were asking for donations from people here in the name of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. When the locals became suspicious, they sought identity cards from the two persons who were collecting money.

When asked to produce their identification cards, the gang members hesitated. This deepened the suspicion of the local people. These suspects were stopped and questioned by the locals. After further inquiry, several slips with the name National Student Camp were found among the suspects’ belongings. The amount of the donation received from the donor was noted on this.

Image: Screenshot from the video shared by locals

Later, both Kashmiri youths showed their Aadhaar cards to the locals. The names of two of the suspects have been identified based on their Aadhaar cards; one is Shabbir Ahmed Khan, a resident of Chattabal, Kulgam, and the other is Fazil Ahmed Khan, a resident of Anantnag’s Narsengpora.

The local people have also handed over the video of that slip to OpIndia, in which the names of the people and the amount are recorded. The information provided in the slip indicates that the locals have donated an amount ranging from 500 to 5,000 rupees.

Fake donation slips (Image: Screenshot from the video shared by locals)

People claim that the police should look into the movements of the funds collected and for what purpose are these funds being used. The locals suspect that funds deposited in the names of Kashmiri Pandits who were murdered, driven away by Islamists from their homeland can end up being exploited for anti-national activities.

OpIndia made several attempts to get in contact with the Kanjhawala police station to find out their stand on the matter. However, the police station has not yet provided any information. If the complainant is to be believed, initially the police seemed reluctant, however, due to the pressure of the local people, they have assured to investigate the matter.

Three women and three Muslim men from Kashmir are reportedly being questioned at the Kanjhawala police station. Locals claim that several suspects have visited the village in the past to collect funds in the name of Kashmiri Pandits.

On Facebook Live in the year 2019, a local journalist from Faridabad, Haryana, highlighted illicit recovery occurring under the name of the National Student Camp. In this live session, the journalist discussed suspected Kashmiri Muslims collecting funds from several locations in Faridabad.

Madhya Pradesh: Petrol pump sealed by Jabalpur administration after a judge was billed for 7 litres extra

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Petrol pump sealed by Jabalpur administration after a judge was billed for 7 litres extra

On Thursday (February 9), a petrol pump was sealed after a High Court judge received a bill for an additional 7 litres than the fuel tank capacity of his car. The incident took place in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh.

As per a report by The Times of India, the unnamed judge had gone to the said petrol pump to fill up his car. However, he received a bill for 57 litres although the fuel tank capacity of the car was only 50 litres.

After realising something was fishy, the judge dialled the district administration. On receiving the complaint, the local authorities conducted an initial inquiry and then proceeded to seal the petrol pump.

On Friday (February 10), the Jabalpur administration set up a team, consisting of 4 members, to inspect all petrol pumps in the city. The team included officials from Naptol Department, Petroleum companies and Food-Civil Supplies Department.

The development was confirmed by Kamlesh Tandekar, who serves as the Food and Civil Supplies District Controller. Meanwhile, the district Collector also vowed to take stringent action against those fuel outlets found ‘wrongly billing’ their customers.

After controversy over Modi documentary in India, BBC faces boycott calls in UK for sympathetic documentary on ISIS bride Shamima Begum

OpIndia Staff
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After controversy over Modi documentary in India, BBC faces boycott calls in UK for sympathetic documentary on ISIS bride Shamima Begum

After facing massive controversy in India over its documentary on PM Modi titled ‘India: The Modi Question’, BBC is now facing boycott calls in its home country over another documentary. Netizens from UK are outraged that BBC has tried to create sympathy for ‘ISIS bride’ Shamima Begum in its latest documentary titled The Shamima Begum Story. Like the documentary on PM Modi, this documentary was also broadcast on BBC Channel Two and its streaming service iPlayer.

The documentary is a follow-up of the ten-part podcast by BBC on Shamina Begum, which was titled I’m Not a Monster, The Shamima Begum Story. After the podcast was released, BBC was accused of giving platform to an ISIS terrorist. In the name of ‘retracing her journey’, the channel had tried to portray as a vulnerable young woman, which was seen as an attempt to garner sympathies in her favour to overturn a ban on her return to the UK imposed by the government.

The outrage against the publicly funded broadcaster have now gone up after the documentary was aired, with several UK citizens threatening to not renew their subscriptions. People, including politicians, also demanded that the funding to the channel should be scrapped for defending ISIS terrorists.

MP Scott Benton tweeted, Disgraceful decision by the BBC to give Shamima Begum a platform. Absolutely indefensible. Who on earth at the BBC makes these decisions? Time to #ScrapTheLicenceFee.

Veteran media executive and former Sun editor Kelvin Calder MacKenzie tweeted, “We are forced to pay a £159 BBC licence fee and yet had to view the corporation embrace the PR effort of Shamima Begum who wants you to know she’s no longer an ISIS wag but has seen the error of her ways. It won’t work. She wanted the ISIS world. She must live with it.”

“Defund the BBC. They are no longer fit to be our state broadcaster,” Tweeted a Reform party politician.

“When you look at all the people who have been cancelled, it’s unbelievable the BBC are giving terrorist Shamima Begum a platform to tell her story. Who makes these decisions???” Tweeted conservative politician Andrew RT Davies.

Several people said that while it is true that Shamina was a minor when she joined ISIS, she stuck to her decision even after she became an adult. Photojournalist Michael Martin tweeted, “Sickened to have watched the BBC’s airing of ‘The Shamima Begum Story’. As a 15yo British girl who was indoctrinated by ISIS, she was a victim. As an adult willing to live in Syria and join ISIS she was no longer a victim. She’s previously defended the UK ISIS terrorist attack.”

Michael also said that the BBC documentary didn’t mention that Shamina Begum was accused of being involved in the torture of female ISIS captives. She was allegedly a member of the all-female ISIS ‘Hisba’ sadistic ‘morality police’ which tortured women and girls in Syria, he said.

A large number of social media users echoed similar voices, asked to scrap the funding of BBC, and vowed to cancel their subscriptions. One Twitter user said: ‘I won’t be renewing my licence, it’s taking the p**s.’ Another user said, ‘What is happening with the BBC? Are you kidding me? Won’t ever pay my TV licence again… She’s a terrorist with no remorse, she doesn’t deserve to have her story heard like she is a victim.’ 

One user, who has included ‘Defund the BBC’ in the user name, tweeted, ‘Anyone who has a BBC TV licence should cancel it today. Their support of Shamima Begum is nothing short of terrorism and treachery.’

“Why are you wasting licence payers fees on this girl. She knew what she was doing,” Tweeted one Joee. “So the BBC has decided to show a programme on over an hour long about Shamina Begum how dare they waste licence payers money on this shite,” said another Twitter user Denise.

“The BBC presenting Shamima Begum as a “vunerable young girl”.  All beautifully staged, with ominious music back track, moody shots, tearful pieces to camera etc. Maybe they should involve some of the families of the people beheaded and tortured by her ISIS mates?” said one Jimmy Krankz.

One user went one step ahead and cancelled his subscription and filed a complaint, saying that he won’t be allowing his licence fee to be used in this way and that he has cancelled his direct debit.

Shamina Begum now lives at the Al-Roj camp in northern Syria, run by the Syrian Democratic Forces. She told the BBC said that living in the camp is worse than being in a prison, as she does not know whether she will be able to get out of the camp or not.

She agreed that she had joined a terror group, but said she does not think there is public anger against her, and the anger is against ISIS. ‘We went to ISIS, that was it. It was over, it was over and done with,’ implying that the matter should be considered as over and people should forget that she was a member of ISIS.

Shamima Begum narrated her journey to Syria, saying how she had researched to find information to join ISIS, and how she had planned her journey. She said that ISIS handlers were guiding them online, telling what to do and what not to do.

‘You are talking about corruption? First, go and wash your face with Dettol’: Nirmala Sitharaman takes a dig at Congress over corruption charges

OpIndia Staff
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‘You are talking about corruption? First, go and wash your face with Dettol’: Nirmala Sitharaman takes a dig at Congress over corruption charges

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Congress party on Friday for accusing the Centre of corruption. During the general debate on Budget 2023-24 in the Lok Sabha, the union minister stated people who accuse the BJP of corruption should first cleanse their face with Dettol.

“Arre Corruption ke upar aap… Dettol se muh saaf kardo bhaiya. Congresswale. Corruption ke upar aap, Corruption ke upar aap aap baat kar rahe ho. (You will speak on corruption, clean your mouth with Dettol first. You will speak on corruption, what are you saying?), expressing sheer disbelief, the Union Minister said that a party with a history of corruption should not counsel others.

Sitharaman’s remark came after she noted that the Congress party in Himachal Pradesh raised the Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel after assuming office last year.

“You increased VAT on diesel in Himachal Pradesh. This is the culture of Congress. They will level allegations, walk out from the house but will not listen,” she said.

Further taking a dig at the Congress government in Rajasthan, the finance minister said, “Rajasthan mein gadbad hai bhaiya, pichle saal ka budget iss saal padh rahe hain. Mistakes can happen to anyone, but I pray to God that such a situation should not arise in front of anyone that someone has to read the previous year’s budget.”

Notably, the Union Finance Minister’s aforementioned remark came in the wake of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s major gaffe while presenting the state budget in the assembly on Friday, which elicited hilarious responses on social media as well as from members of various opposition parties.

CM Ashok Gehlot reads last year’s budget in assembly

On Friday, CM Ashok Gehlot started reading the budget and kept reading it for several minutes before his party leaders and other ministers realised that the budget sounds familiar and asked him to stop. As per reports, the CM kept reading the old budget for nearly 7 minutes.

BJP leader Rajyavardhan Rathore shared the footage.

The opposition had started mocking Congress and laughing in the assembly. The budget session was halted for several minutes as the Congress leaders ran around to locate the current year’s budget papers.

‘If you want to live in this era, then create chaos’: watch the video of PFI member’s speech cited by Maharashtra ATS in its chargesheet

OpIndia Staff
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‘If you want to live in this era, then create chaos’: watch the video of PFI member’s speech cited by Maharashtra ATS in its chargesheet

On the 2nd of February 2023, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) filed a charge sheet against 5 PFI terrorists, who were arrested during nationwide raids against the proscribed Islamic organization, for being involved in unlawful activities and conspiracy against the nation. The five accused – Mazhar Khan, Sadiq Shaikh, Mohammad Iqbal Khan, Momin Mistry, and Aasif Hussain Khan were arrested by the Mumbai unit of the Maharashtra ATS for their association with PFI.

In this charge sheet, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) cited a YouTube video in which one of the accused is seen delivering an instigating speech. The video is uploaded from the YouTube channel ‘The Janta Talks’. Accused Mazhar Khan appears in this video wearing a yellow shirt.

He said, in this video, “The atmosphere of hatred in the country is increasing rapidly. We all have seen that Hindu festivals are being used to increase the atmosphere of hatred. The Prime Minister of our country has worked for 18-18 hours without getting tired, without taking any breaks to accomplish this atmosphere. This is now a new India. Welcome to New India.”

The accused further said, “In this India, the police, the administrators, and the courts no longer matter. In this India, there will be only a crowd that picks up arms in their hands, shouts provocative slogans in front of mosques in Muslim areas, violates the beliefs of Muslims, and will continue to put saffron on mosques while giving dirty abuses to Muslims. If Muslims try to stop them by mistake, then stones will be thrown, and Muslim shops will be burnt, that is, a ruckus will be created. After that, the police will come forward and arrest the Muslims. Then in the end, the administrator will come forward with his bulldozer, and the shops and houses of Muslims will be reduced to stones. The law and the government are being flouted. Those who have taken the oath of the constitution are doing this.”

This video was published on YouTube on 19th May 2023, 3 days after a Shivling was found during the survey of the disputed structure at the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi. The accused used it to provoke Muslims.

Mazhar Khan said, “Everyone is trying to prove themselves as the biggest Hindutva income con in this country. Take the matter of Gyanvapi mosque now. The Place of Workship Act in 1991 was blown up by the lower court of Banaras itself. According to the Places of Working Act 1991, the temple or mosque in India will be kept in the same condition after 1947, that is, its nature will not be changed. This law was passed by Parliament in 1991 and the Allahabad High Court also showed no interest in preventing this matter. Even the Supreme Court also avoided the matter and gave time to the lower court of Banaras to complete its decision. The proceedings of the Sessions Court of Banaras have also been completed and now the report will also be filed in the court.”

He compared it with Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi case. He said, “A similar action was also seen in the Case of Babri Masjid, how the lower court of Ayodhya described the Babri Masjid case as a disputed case. Then in the name of court action, the case was kept pending. Political parties were given a chance to play their politics in this matter. The same game is now being played at the Gyanvapi Mosque. However, if the court wanted, it could have dismissed the case without hearing it. The Supreme Court could also have dismissed the case by taking a strong stand on the case and expressing displeasure over the action of the Sessions Court of Banaras. But from the bottom to the top, everyone is engaged in proving themselves to be Hindus. Who cares about the law and the order?”

Appealing to Muslims in India, Mazhar Khan concluded by saying, “You have seen this situation before how the Babri Masjid case was made disputed and the Babri Masjid went away step by step. We just depended on the trust of the courts and did not fulfill our responsibility. Our silence became the strength of our enemies, and one day we also saw that heart-wrenching scene, the Babri Masjid was martyred in front of our eyes. After that, even from the courts, we completely lost the Babri Masjid. Now the same game is being toured again. We are seeing another mosque becoming Babri Masjid with our own eyes. Will we remain silent this time too? Will you keep giving the Sangh Parivar a chance to play the game with your silence? Or will you even fulfill your responsibilities? We can respond to the moves of the Sangh Parivar by coming out on the streets and protecting our rights in a jamboree style. This silent mood will not let us live. This silent mood will not allow us to live. If you want to live in this era, then create chaos.”

Kerala Police instruct Vellayani Bhadrakali temple to remove saffron decorations put up for a festival, claim it will create law and order situation

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Kerala Police instruct Vellayani Bhadrakali temple to remove saffron decorations put up for a festival, claim it will create law and order situation

In another incident of targeting Hindu temples in Communist-ruled Kerala, a temple has been asked to not use saffron decoration during a festival. Recently, police visited the Vellayani Bhadrakali temple located on the southern outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and instructed the temple authorities to avoid saffron-coloured buntings, flags other fabric on the premises for the upcoming Mohotsav. According to the police, the temple should use fabrics, flags and buntings of all colours, not just saffron, even though traditionally the temple is decorated with saffron during the festival.

In protest against the police instruction, devotees later set up a tent for a police post for the festival using saffron fabric. The temple authorities also have refused to remove the saffron flags and buntings. The devotees have alleged that the police are helping the anti-Hindu elements in the state.

This enormous Devi temple is situated next to Vellayani Lake, a wetland that draws a significant number of pilgrims during the Kaliyoottu Mahotsavam, which is held once every three years. It is managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board of the Kerala government, and it has a number of committees that are chosen annually by residents of the Kalliyoor panchayat nearby.

The triennial festival is scheduled to start on February 14, 2023, and will be the first one to be held in the last six years. The 2020 festival had to be interrupted due to the Wuhan virus pandemic. However, this year’s enthusiasm and preparations for the festival have also been dampened due to the unnecessary issue that has cropped up from the side of the local government. 

According to the reports, the Kerala Police have demanded that the temple’s administrators switch out their customary saffron-coloured buntings (torons), flags and other fabric for multicoloured ones since they worry that lining the temple’s approach road with solely saffron-coloured decorations might cause a law-and-order issue.

The Vellayani Bhadrakali temple authorities are enraged as it is blatantly disrespectful to religious sensibilities to have government officials interfere in a custom that the temple has maintained for centuries. At first, the temple administration thought that the instruction was regarding the ban on plastic flags, and therefore they used cloth buntings and flags. But later they found out that the objection was on the saffron colour.

The saffron buntings had just been raised on the approach road to the temple, according to Sreekand Kalliyoor, a member of the temple’s festival committee, and festival arrangements were moving along with great enthusiasm, when the police showed up in the middle of the morning on January 7 to give their outrageous instructions.

Rageesh Kumar, the Nemom Station House Officer (SHO) and Inspector of Police, made the demand while being escorted by a sizable police force. When the temple officials inquired as to why the saffron flags had to be changed, they were told that the police had received a telephone complaint over the colour of the torons and as a result, wanted them changed to multi-coloured ones to prevent a law-and-order issue.

The complainant’s identity was kept a secret, and the SHO orally gave directions. The representatives of the temple received no written complaint or directive. Reports mention that the police departed after the temple refused to remove the saffron torons.

The following day, on February 8, four senior members of the advisory and festival committees for the Vellayani temple met with Anil Jose J, the Deputy Collector (General) ADM, at Kudappanankkunnu Civil Station, Thiruvananthapuram, for a regularly scheduled meeting in the evening to review the festival’s planning and preparations.

Rageesh Kumar, the Nemom SHO, was present at this meeting. The matter of the SHO asking the temple officials to swap out the saffron flags for multicoloured ones was brought up during this discussion. However, no decision was made in either direction, and the discussion over saffron torons came to a deadlock.

Later, N Gryan, General Convenor of the temple festival committee while in a debate on JanamTV said that when they brought up the issue with Deputy Collector Anil Jose J. that evening, SHO silently mouthed “saffron, saffron, saffron.” Kalliyoor adds that they could not comprehend why a simple saffron bunting would cause so many problems.

Also, AH Hafem of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) said on the February 8 debate that the saffron colour could cause law and order problems. So, the saffron colour decoratives at the temple now are being opposed by both the local administration and the Communist party functionary.

According to a Swarajya Magazine report, the Vellayani temple has been targeted for a few years now as it is the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Vellayani temple lies within the boundary of Nemom assembly and Veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal had polled heavily in this segment in the 2014 general elections. Further, the temple lies in the Kalliyoor panchayat, the area which the BJP attained in the local body polls of 2015 and 2020.

Earlier, the temple was attacked on a similar issue in the year 2017. The temple authorities then had been asked to take down the saffron flag hoisted on the entrance of the temple. The festival committee then didn’t want to engage in an argument so had decided to take down the flag.

ISIS mouthpiece ‘Voice of Khurasan’ glorifies SIMI and PFI members, calls them innocent

OpIndia Staff
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ISIS mouthpiece ‘Voice of Khurasan’ glorifies SIMI and PFI members, calls them innocent

The mouthpiece for the international terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) came out in favour of the Popular Front of India. The 20th edition of ‘Voice of Khurasan’, an English language magazine published by the Afghanistan-based Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), was released in the past week. A four-page piece with the headline ‘Crackdown on Popular Front of India: Lessons for Indian Muslims’ was published in a magazine of 45 pages. The publication defended the arrest of the members of outlawed extremist organisations, The Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Popular Front of India (PFI), by labelling them “innocents.”

The four-page paper critiques the police administration’s actions towards PFI and SIMI. The magazine notes that during the past seven decades, violent fundamentalist Hindu governments have targeted Muslims. Following this pattern, PFI activists were arrested and banned across the country.

However, they attempted to portray it as an unjustified and illegal assault on the PFI workers. ISIS’s mouthpiece gives PFI even more accolades by stating that it has made a name for itself as an organisation that addresses the plight of Indian Muslims.

Many PFI supporters embraced the flag of Tawhid (Islamic monotheism) in various parts of the world, and many of them may have gained Shahada (martyrdom for Islam), according to this article, which extols the virtues of a fundamentalist organisation which is banned in India for indulging in anti-national activities.

According to sources, ISIS is trying to gain some foothold among the other Islamist groups and inspire them to band together for their terrorist agenda by backing PFI and making their most recent pronouncements.

The publication of the article coincides with the ongoing PFI investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bihar.

PFI conspired to turn India into an Islamic state by 2047: Maharashtra ATS

Even after a five-year ban was placed on the activists and members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) the previous year, there has been a constant crackdown on them. Arrests are being made all around the country, from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra and most recently in Bihar. In its chargesheet, the Maharashtra ATS made it quite explicit that PFI members intended to bring Islamic rule to India by 2047.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) mentioned a seven-page booklet titled ‘India 2047, Towards Rule of Islam in India’ that was allegedly found in Mazhar Mansoor Khan’s Vikhroli home in its 1,113-page chargesheet, which was submitted on February 2. The booklet aims to establish “Islamic rule” in India. According to the ATS, the recovered document contains instructions on how PFI members can topple the ruling dispensation.

Neelesh Purohit, a cyber intelligence analyst, says, “PFI cadre have training sessions for fighting, swording and insurgency kind of attacks. The cadre is highly radical in nature against the government. After banning PFI, the trained well-charged cadre has no option to work in the same manner which is a good chance for outfits like ISIS. As a result of which ISIS wants to mobilize PFI fighters into the organisation to start Jihad against India.” He continues, “It was suspected PFI was recruiting Indian youths for ISIS so that they could carry forward the agenda of the global terror group.”

‘Voice of Khurasan’ is a tool of ISIS which the Jihadi outfit uses to spread its message across Central and South Asia. It urges loyal adherents to carry out attacks on the group’s behalf throughout the world. This journal encourages younger extremists to support the goals of both ISIS and Al Qaeda.

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