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Javed Akhtar is in Lahore for Faiz Festival, Indians ask him to stay in Pakistan, but Pakistanis too don’t want him

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Javed Akhtar is in Lahore for Faiz Festival, Indians ask him to stay in Pakistan, but Pakistanis too don’t want him

On February 18, controversial lyrics writer Javed Akhtar attended Faiz Festival in Pakistan. As per reports, he was head of the Indian delegate that went to the poverty-hit country for the festival. He took part in the Mushaira and launched his new book at the event.

Faiz Festival was a three-day event scheduled for February 17 to February 19. It was organised by the Alhamra Arts Council of Lahore, Pakistan. Unlike the previous years, the events were free this year, most probably due to the economic crisis in the country. However, a senior official said the “free” factor was due to the fact that the last instalment of the festival did not get a response, and the attendees were unhappy with the ticket price.

Indians react to Akhtar’s Pakistan visit

As the reports went out that Akhtar was in Pakistan, Indians reacted and requested Pakistanis to keep him there.

Twitter user Desi Mojito said, “Javed Akhtar is in Pakistan to attend the Faiz festival. End of the day, their religion is above the country they live in.”

Twitter user Dilip Jain requested MEA Dr S Jaishankar to cancel his return visa. He said, “@DrSJaishankar Javed Akhtar ka return visa cancel kar dijiye. Rahne do iss aasteen ke saanp ko apne bil (pakistan) mein.”

Twitter user Sanskar said, “Hopefully, this Hinduphobic POS @javedakhtar stays there and asks his wife to get used to wearing black tent on her.”

Twitter user BesuraTaansane questioned if it was his “Ghar Wapsi”, to which Twitter user Itihasa_history said, “Hope #JavedAkhtar stays back in #Pakistan for good.

Interestingly, it appears even Pakistanis did not want Javed Akhtar in their country. Pakistani Twitter user Maria Sartaj said, “An anti-Muslim atheist. A writer who has mocked Pakistan many times on Indian prime time debates continually gets invited to Pakistan. We really have no self-respect as people.”

Twitter user Getting Older said, “May those Pakistanis who are blind enough to love javed akhtar, end up with him. Aameen. Among other things he was one of the biggest voice against Pakistani artists working in Indian film industry.”

Who was Faiz Ahmad Faiz?

Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a Pakistani poet. He was born on February 13, 1914, and died on November 20, 1984. Faiz Ahmad Faiz‘s poem “Hum Dekhienge” is often used by so-called liberals and intellectuals. The infamous poem has subtle Hinduphobic rants that have often raised eyebrows.

Jahannami Aurat, Shirk: Islamists attack Sara Ali Khan for extending wishes on Maha Shivratri

OpIndia Staff
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Jahannami Aurat, Shirk: Islamists attack Sara Ali Khan for extending wishes on Maha Shivratri

Sara Ali Khan Pataudi, a Bollywood actress, and daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan and his first wife, actress Amrita Singh, uploaded images with the words ‘Jai Bholenath,’ on the social media platform, Instagram, on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. In her post, Sara is pictured seated in front of a Lord Shiva idol. Her Islamist followers, however, took offense to this and started attacking her for engaging in practices that are associated with infidels or non-believers.

Soon after she shared the Maha Shivratri greetings, Sara Ali Khan started receiving hateful and abusive comments from Islamists for going against the teachings of Islam and performing ‘shirk’. Shirk in Islam is the sin of idolatry or polytheism. Idol worship is strictly forbidden as per Islam. It says, “Verily you and the gods you worshipped beside Allah are the fuel of Hell. All of you are bound to arrive there.” (Quran 21:98)

Image Source: Rightwing_guy on Twitter

Several Islamists vowed to unfollow her for committing this ‘crime’ of celebrating Maha Shivratri. Some ridiculed her for dressing in short clothes in her movies and claimed that she is only nominally Muslim. Others asked whether she really follows Islam. She was even asked to change her name (and convert to Hinduism).

One Instagram user Syed Shifa called her “Jahannami Aurat” (One who belongs in hell). Aurat, the Urdu word for woman, originates from the Arabic ‘awrat,’ meaning ‘genitalia,’ ‘defectiveness,’ & ‘nudity.’

Another Islamist prayed for Allah “to guide her in the right direction”. Sara Ali Khan was told by several such users to have some shame for extending wishes on a Hindu festival. Another Islamist pointed out that Sara is yet to perform Hajj. Another Instagram user named Bilal warned her and said, “There is no forgiveness for ‘shirk’ in Islam.”

One Sehrish wrote, “I cannot understand what do they gain by worshipping to stones and animals,” as he attacked Hinduism along with Sara.

Notably, this isn’t the first time Sara Ali Khan has come under fire from Islamists. On the last Maha Shivratri, she was attacked for posting a picture of performing puja at the Omkareshwar Temple. Similarly, in 2021, she was abused for visiting Ujjain Mahakal ahead of the release of her movie ‘Atrangi Re’. Same year, she was accused of being an ‘infidel’ for visiting Kedarnath temple.

She is far from the only Muslim celebrity to receive such virulent backlash from Muslim users. Cricketers like Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Kaif, and even the ‘king khan’ Shah Rukh Khan have all endured nasty vitriol from Islamists for participating in Hindu rituals or celebrating Hindu festivals.

CBI summons Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia again on Sunday for questioning in excise policy scam case

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CBI summons Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia again on Sunday for questioning in excise policy scam case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has again summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for questioning, nearly three months after filing a chargesheet in the Delhi excise policy case, officials said on Saturday.

Sisodia has been called for questioning on Sunday. However, Manish Sisodia has not been named as an accused in the charge sheet filed in the case.

Arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek are among the seven accused named in the chargesheet.

Alleging that the “full power” of agencies under the BJP-led central government had been unleashed to hound him, Manish Sisodia took to Twitter and said, “CBI has called me again tomorrow. They have unleashed the full power of CBI, ED (Enforcement Directorate) against me, raided my house, searched my bank locker, and yet found nothing against me.”

“I have arranged good education for the children of Delhi. They want to stop it. I have always cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so,” he added.

Last year in August, the CBI conducted a search operation at Sisodia’s Punjab National Bank locker in connection with Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 money laundering case, where according to him the CBI had found nothing.

Several raids were also conducted at 21 places in Delhi and the National Capital Region including the residence of Sisodia and the premises of four public servants last year, according to a CBI official. The official said that raids were conducted in locations across 7 states.

The probe was done after taking into account a report forwarded by the Chief Secretary to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending a CBI investigation into the matter.

The excise policy was passed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

It has been alleged that the Delhi government’s policy of granting licenses to liquor traders is in the interest of some dealers who allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly denied by AAP.

Following L-G’s recommendation, the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) issued a notice to Delhi’s Excise Commissioner asking him to provide all documents relating to the award of liquor licenses under the new excise policy.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that there was “no liquor scam” in the city and claimed that the case over his government’s excise policy was created as a result of “political vendetta”.

“First of all, there is no such thing as a liquor scam. We formulated the best and most transparent policy in the country. We implemented this policy in Punjab and the revenue increased by 48 per cent. All this is happening due to political conspiracy in Delhi.”

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Kejriwal said his government will fully cooperate with the CBI’s investigation into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22.

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

Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad once again slams selectors for the continued selection of KL Rahul

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Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad once again slams selectors for the continued selection of KL Rahul

Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad lashed out at the Indian team management for persisting with KL Rahul to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the innings and stated that the batter’s inclusion costs other talented batters a place in the national side.

The selectors have stuck with the opener despite the right-hander underperforming in Tests. He was dismissed for 17 runs in India’s first innings in the second Test, taking his run tally to 37 runs in the two innings of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. 

“And the torrid run continues. More to do with the rigidity of the management to persist with a player who just hasn’t looked the part. No top-order batsman in at least the last 20 years of Indian cricket has played these many tests with such a low average,” Prasad said in a tweet.

He slammed the selectors for ignoring players who have been performing consistently in the domestic circuit and making them wait for a place in the national Test side.

“His inclusion deliberately denies talented guys, in form guys an opportunity to be in the 11. Shikhar had a test average of 40 plus, Mayank averages more than 41 with two double hundreds, Shubhman Gill is in sublime form and Sarfaraz’s never-ending wait. Many domestic performances are constantly ignored. His inclusion shakes belief in Justice. SS Das had great potential, and so did S Ramesh. Both averaged 38 but did not get beyond 23 Test matches. Rahul’s consistent inclusion gives the impression of a lack of batting talent in India which isn’t true. Last 5 years his average has been below 27 in 47 innings,” the former player expressed.

Prasad further stated that deserving players who have delivered match-winning performances have been sidelined, citing Kuldeep Yadav who was dropped after being named the player of the match.

“As per me, he is not among the 10 best openers in India but is being given endless chances. Guys like Kuldeep Yadav put in man-of-the-match performances and the next game are dropped with theories like horses for courses. In any course, KL is not a horse. Sad,” he added.

A 114-run partnership bailed India out of trouble in the first innings of the second Test match being played here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi with the team conceding just one run lead to Australia.

At the end of the second day, Australia had scored 61 runs with the loss of one wicket in their second innings, taking their lead to 62 runs with nine wickets in hand. Travis Head scored 39 of 40 balls while Marcus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 16.

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

Israel passes law to strip the citizenship of terror convicts who receive money from the Palestinian Authority

OpIndia Staff
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Israel passes law to strip the citizenship of terror convicts who receive money from the Palestinian Authority

On Wednesday, February 15, the Knesset or the unicameral parliament of Israel passed a law to deport and strip convicted terrorists of Israeli citizenship in case they receive funding or stipends from the Palestinian Authority or related organisations. 

The new law received 94 votes in favour and 10 votes against it to pass, garnering support from certain right-wing opposition Knesset members (MKs).

Despite sharp political and ideological and political differences, the law received cross-Knesset votes. The bill, titled “Revoking the Citizenship or Residency Status of a Terrorist Operative Receiving Compensation for Committing an Act of Terrorism, 2023,” was presented by Likud MK Ofir Katz and backed by MKs Sharren Haskel and Zeev Elkin of Nationalist Unity Party, Simcha Rothman of Religious Zionist Party, Yisrael Beitenu’s Oded Forer, Yinon Azoulay of Shas, Meir Cohen of Yesh Atid and many other MKs.

Ofir Katz, a Likud MK, declared on the Knesset floor that the law marks “the dawn of a new era” and added, “I know and feel from the bottom of my heart that such laws are our true mission as elected officials. I categorically state that a terrorist who is paid by the Palestinian Authority should fly from Israel to Gaza or from anywhere else. Don’t stay here.” Katz remarked.

Arab lawmakers in the house opposed the bill calling it racist, but they were outnumbered. As the law will be applicable to only those citizens who receive salaries or stipends from  Palestinian Authority or related organisations, it will not be applicable to Jewish terrorists.

In a note attached to the bill presented at the Knesset, the sponsors said, “It is inconceivable that citizens and residents of Israel who not only betrayed the state and Israeli society, but who have also agreed to receive payment from the PA as a reward for committing the act of terrorism and continue to benefit from it — will continue to hold Israeli citizenship or residency.”

They further added, “Many people who hold Israeli citizenship or residency are currently receiving monthly salaries from the Palestinian Authority as wages and remuneration for committing acts of terrorism. These salaries gradually increase with the seniority of the people in prison.”

About the law

In accordance with the law, which is an amendment to Israel’s 1952 Citizenship Law, both Israeli citizens and permanent residents who are imprisoned after being found guilty of terrorism, backing terrorism, undermining Israel’s sovereignty, inciting war, or assisting an enemy during wartime are subject to having their citizenship status revoked by the interior minister following a hearing. The court will revoke citizenship upon the Interior Minister’s request, with the approval of the Minister of Justice and following consultation with an advisory committee.

The citizenship will be revoked even if the person does not have another citizenship of another country, provided they have permanent residence status outside Israel. Once citizenship is revoked, such a person will not be allowed to enter Israel again.

“The measure specifies a timetable for the revocation of citizenship or residency, as well as the premise that if a person receives such payments, he is presumed to be entitled to the status from the Palestinian Authority,” an official press release read.

The law’s proponents write in an explanatory note that it is “inconceivable that citizens and residents of Israel who not only betrayed the state and Israeli society but who have also consented to receive payment from the PA as a reward for committing the act of terrorism and continue to benefit from it — will continue to have Israeli citizenship or residency.”

The note also states that the Palestinian Authority pays a monthly salary to many people with Israeli citizenship or residency as payment for committing terrorist activities. Depending on the seniority of the convicts, these payments soar gradually.

The Israeli Citizenship Law of 1952, also known as the “Israel: Nationality Law, 5712-1952,” granted Palestinians Israeli nationality under specified conditions, including if “he was a Palestinian citizen immediately before the formation of the State (of Israel)”.

Section 3(a) of the law states “A person born before the establishment of the State shall be an Israel national by residence in Israel from the date of the coming into force of the Nationality (Amendment No. 4) Law, 5740-198) if he meets the following requirements: (1) He is not a resident of Israel by virtue of any other provision of this Law; (2) he was a Palestinian citizen immediately before the establishment of the State. Besides, if a person was registered as a citizen on the Population Register as a resident of Israel.

The new law targets Israeli citizens who are paid by the Palestinian Authority to conduct terror activities in Israel. Referred to as “pay for slay,” the Palestinian Authority regularly pays stipends to convicted terrorists in Israel. The law will also apply if the funding is received from other organisations related to the Palestinian Authority.

Israel’s Supreme Court on revoking the citizenship of ‘disloyal citizens’

In July last year, the Supreme Court of Israel heard a plea filed by The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) against a 2017 ruling of Haifa District Court which affirmed the Interior Minister’s request to revoke the citizenship of Alaa Zayoud, a Palestinian citizen of Israel from Umm el-Fahem. Upholding Haifa District Court’s ruling stated that ‘disloyal citizens’ can be stripped of their Israeli citizenship and residency for “breach of loyalty” including acts like espionage, terrorism, and treason.

Palestinian Authority and the ‘pay for slay’ policy

The Palestinian Authority, or “PA,” was established on the basis of the Oslo Accords, a series of accords reached between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1993-95.

The Palestinian Authority runs a Martyrs Fund that provides monthly monetary stipends to the families of Palestinians who have died, been hurt, or been imprisoned as a result of engaging in violence against Israel. This is often termed by Israel as a ‘pay for slay’ policy adopted by the Palestinian Authority. 

Opposition to the citizenship bill 

Opposing the recently passed bill, Ahmad Tabibi, a member of Knesset called it a populist and draconian law.  He claimed that if an Arab commits a crime he will be subjected to revocation of citizenship, however, for committing the same crime an Israeli citizen will not be stripped of his citizenship.

The need for the citizenship bill

On January 27, a 21-year-old Palestinian terrorist went on a killing spree and gunned down 7 Jews outside a synagogue in Neve Yaakov in East Jerusalem. In the deadliest attack on Jerusalem since the one in 2008, 7 Jews were killed and at least 10 were injured. Following this, the PM Benjamin Netanyahu-led government authorized. nine Jewish settler outposts in the occupied West Bank and announced the construction of new homes within established settlements. In a statement, PM Netanyahu authorized the nine communities of Avigayil, Beit Hogla, Givat Harel, Givat Arnon, Mitzpe Yehuda, Malachei Hashalom, Asahel, Sde Boaz and Shaharit.

West Bengal: Asansol businessman shot dead by two gunmen inside his hotel, captured on CCTV

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Asansol businessman shot dead by two gunmen inside his hotel, captured on CCTV

In a horrific murder in Asansol in West Bengal, a man was shot dead from point-blank range by two gunmen at his own hotel on Friday. The entire incident was caught on CCTV cameras of the hotel, which showed that businessman Arvind Bhagat was shot by two men when Bhagat was talking to some people inside the hotel.

The two shooters entered the hotel in the Bhagat Singh More area in Asansol, West Bengal, and shot at Arvind Bhagat (56), who was seating on a sofa. Bhagat was talking to two other men on another sofa in front of him in the lounge of Hotel Meera International at that time. The hotel on Vivekanand Sarani is only around 500 metres from the Asansol South Police Station.

Five shots were fired at him hitting different parts of his body. One of the two shooters was wearing a helmet, and the second was covering his head with a monkey cap. Both shooters arrived at the sport on a two-wheeler, entered the hotel, approached Arvind Bhagat calmly and directly, and then pointed revolvers in his direction. They fired at him from point-blank range and continued firing at him even after he collapsed from the couch. He received two gunshots each on the chest and stomach, and one on the head.

The two persons who were talking to Bhagat were shocked by the sudden murder, and they got up and moved out from the spot. The two gunmen departed the hotel lobby after shooting at Bhagat. The concierge attempted to stop them, but they pushed him away by threatening to shoot him. They quickly fled after that.

Arvind Bhagat was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

While the shooting was caught in the CCTV of the hotel, as there is no CCTV in front of the hotel on in nearby areas covering the road, police could not find many clues about the killers. According to eyewitnesses, they fled towards national highway 19.

The police have started an investigation after the murder. The inquiry was taken over by the West Bengal Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) division, and a preliminary examination has established the role of contract killers. The reports also stated that they had followed Bhagat to learn his routines and had practised the crime to prevent any slip-ups. The investigative team is yet to establish who ordered a hit on him.

According to police, apart from running hotels, Bhagat had other businesses, including lending money. It is suspected that he has been killed over rivalry in business.

Bhagat is survived by his wife, two boys and two daughters. According to the accounts, the victim operated as a real estate broker in Asansol and had a great deal of clout there. He and other businessmen had a falling out over land dealings. But, the authorities have not yet confirmed that a previous dispute is what caused his death on Friday.

Police suspect that the killer might have entered Jharkhand through the national highway. Searches have already started at Bengal-Jharkhand border points.

Nikki Yadav murder case: 5 accused including the father of Sahil Gahlot sent to police custody for 3 days

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Nikki Yadav murder case: 5 accused including the father of Sahil Gahlot sent to police custody for 3 days

Delhi’s Dwarka court on Friday granted 3 days’ police remand of five accused including Virender, father of Sahil Gahlot, in the Nikki Yadav murder case.

Delhi Police arrested these accused after interrogating Sahil who is in 5-day police custody. According to sources, Delhi Police on Friday produced Sahil’s father Virender, two cousins Ashish and Naveen and two friends Amar and Lokesh at the residence of the Duty Magistrate.

The Duty Magistrate granted 3 days of police custody of these five accused persons. They are to be produced in the court on Monday along with Sahil.

According to Delhi Police, during interrogation, Sahil disclosed that the deceased was asking him not to marry another girl because both (Sahil and deceased) had already solemnised their marriage in the year 2020. She was actually his wife and not live-in partner.

Therefore she was pleading with him not to go ahead with the marriage fixed by his family with another girl on February 10, police said.

Thereafter, they hatched the conspiracy and planned to kill Nikki, police alleged. Accordingly, Sahil Gahlot executed the plan and murdered her and informed the other co-accused persons about it on the same day – February 10 – and then all of them went ahead with the marriage ceremony.

The Dwarka court on Wednesday granted five days remand of Sahil Gahlot to Delhi Police Crime Branch to interrogate him and to ascertain the route where he went after the commission of the crime.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Archana Beniwal granted five days’ police custody after the investigation officer (IO) had submitted before the court that the place of the alleged offence was to be ascertained. The route Sahil took after the crime was also to be ascertained, the IO told the court.

The IO submitted that the accused has to be taken to the places where he went with the deceased. He also submitted that some searches are also to be made and recovery of CCTV footage has to be done.

Sahil was arrested on February 14 by the Crime Branch after he allegedly murdered Nikki.

It is alleged that he murdered her as she was pressuring him to marry her. It is also alleged that he married another girl after the alleged crime.

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

‘CPIM and Congress always want Hindu-Muslim fights’: Kerala BJP chief slams Pinarayi Vijayan for criticising Jamaat-e-Islami’s meeting with RSS

OpIndia Staff
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‘CPIM and Congress always want Hindu-Muslim fights’: Kerala BJP chief slams Pinarayi Vijayan for criticising Jamaat-e-Islami’s meeting with RSS

On Saturday, K Surendran, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, slammed state CM Pinarayi Vijayan for criticizing the Jamaat-e-Islami for engaging in discussions with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The leader of the BJP in Kerala emphasized that certain individuals have a strong intolerance towards Muslims and Hindus coexisting peacefully.

“Some people are deeply dissatisfied with the amiable atmosphere with all religious minorities. Some people are very intolerant of Hindus and Muslims living in harmony. CPIM and Congress always want these two religions to fight,” he said.

He added that there was nothing wrong with people of different minds getting along. “They are the ones who are now issuing a large number of statements against this discussion. There is nothing wrong with people of different minds getting along. Those who are undermining it have been using the Muslim vote bank for political purposes all this time,” he stated.

K Surendran made the comments a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised Jamaat-e-Islami for holding dialogues with RSS. In a statement, Vijayan said the stand of the Jamaat-e-Islami that discussions with Sangh Parivar are needed, notwithstanding the differences with it, shows the hypocrisy of the Muslim organisation. He also demanded that the Islamic organization should disclose what was discussed in the meeting with RSS.

“The logic of Jamaat-e-Islami that the RSS is an organization that can be reformed and transformed through dialogue is like thinking that a leopard’s print can be washed away by bathing it. What is even more strange that their argument that the discussion was held to present the common problems of the Indian minorities before the RSS which controls the country’s administration. Jamaat-e-Islami leadership should clarify what was discussed with the RSS and what was the content of the meeting,” he said.

“At a time when the secular community in the country is fighting against the Hindutva agenda of the RSS, these steps would only help favour their agenda. This a challenge to the secular society,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami general secretary T Arif Ali stated that the meeting between the two organizations should be seen positively. “Nothing wrong with having meetings. The mass lynching and bulldozer politics had emerged in the discussion. When attacks against the Muslims are on the rise, we have asked the RSS to make an earnest effort to stop such incidents,” he said.

Hitting further at the Chief Minister, the state BJP chief accused the state government of being involved in scams. “Additional Private Secretary CM Raveendran is the mastermind behind all the scams. The chats between M Sivasankar, former principal secretary of the Kerala CMO and prime accused Swapna Suresh in the LIFE Mission Scam case surfaced. The chats also mentioned the name of Raveendran,” he said.

“Pinarayi Vijayan and CM Raveendran are two bodies but one soul. CM Raveendran is at the helm of all the transactions of Pinaravi Viiayan. It is something that everyone knows. Raveendran is the mastermind behind all the scams being done for the Chief Minister. So if we say Raveendran’s involvement, it directly means the Chief Minister’s involvement,” he added.

Notably, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s office has been facing allegations of corruption since the gold smuggling scam broke, highlighting the involvement of his former principal secretary M Sivasankar and minister KT Jaleel. Recently, the ED took M Sivasankar on a 5-day remand to interrogate him about the Life Mission Scam on February 16.

Life Mission was a government project to provide free housing for the homeless victims of Kerala floods in 2018. Irregularities in the scheme came to light when the ED was probing the gold smuggling case. BJP chief, following Sivasankar’s detention, stated that the CM has no moral right to continue being in the power.

Pakistan repackages aid provided by Turkey after the 2022 floods and sends it back as relief material after the earthquake

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan repackages aid provided by Turkey after the 2022 floods and sends it back as relief material after the earthquake

In a major embarassment to Pakistan, the country sent relief material to Turkey which it had received from Turkey itself when it was struggling with massive floods in June 2022. Turkey provided aid to Pakistan following the floods and now it has been revealed that Pakistan repackaged those supplies and returned them back to the earthquake-struck country.

Turkish authorities with knowledge of the situation revealed that the relief supplies Turkey received were the same ones that Turkey had supplied to the province of Sindh during the flooding there.

The Pakistani authorities updated the box on the outside but failed to change the smaller boxes inside. While the outer packing had the message that these materials were donated to the people of Turkey by the people of Pakistan to aid them in dealing with the earthquake, the message inside the box stated that these materials were delivered from Turkey to Pakistan to assist them in coping with the devastating effects of the flood.

The issue was brought up by the Turkish consulate general with the Pakistan Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Turkey had previously turned down the proposal by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who wanted to travel to the calamity-hit country. Turkey had said that, during this tragic period, they were only taking relief aid from other nations.

Turkey received Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, along with a high-level entourage, just two days after snubbing Pakistan’s prime minister.

Sharif did, however, meet Erdogan on Friday on his visit to Turkey.

Nearly, two weeks ago, one of the most powerful earthquakes in the region in at least a century, with 7.8 magnitude, hit central Turkey and north-western Syria, leaving at least 45,000 dead and several more injured.

36 loudspeakers on mosque where stone pelting on Hindus took place in Palamu’s Panki, Muslims rename Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk as ‘Masjid Chowk’

OpIndia Staff
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36 loudspeakers on mosque where stone pelting on Hindus took place in Palamu’s Panki, Muslims rename Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk as ‘Masjid Chowk’

Sensational revelations about the violence related to the construction of an archway in Panki Bazar, Palamu, Jharkhand, have come to the fore. The locals claimed that long before the violence occurred, preparations were underway for such an event, and an excuse was found in the guise of an archway (welcome gate) being constructed for Mahashivaratri.

The locals told OpIndia that there is a mosque nearby that Muslims in the area refer to as Jama Masjid, which is said to be 200 meters from an old Lord Hanuman temple. In this temple, Aarti used to be held every Tuesday. Up to 200 people used to gather on Tuesdays in the temple.

To ensure that everyone could hear the Aarti, loudspeakers were set up at the temple for the Aarti. The nearby residents also began playing bhajans and other devotional songs.

Following this, the mosque committee members began to voice their disapproval, claiming that this was creating difficulty for them in offering Namaz.

Hindus, on the other hand, said that Namaz is offered five times per day and that congregational aarti is held once a week. There is no rationale for Muslims to object to Aarti, just as Hindus never did to Namaz despite it being offered five times a day. Hindus said that there are 36 loudspeakers placed in the mosque, yet how can they have any problem in offering Namaz.

According to locals, 36 loudspeakers have been installed at the mosque, and they are used for Azaan five times a day at full volume. Under the condition of anonymity, a person stated that the noise of the loudspeakers during Namaz makes it difficult to even talk to customers in the shop. The police started summoning Hindus to the police station in response to the complaints from the Muslim side.

Subsequently, this resulted in violence from the members of the Masjid Committee. Bricks and stones were carried in a tractor owned by a man named Haroon and kept on the roofs of homes of Muslims and mosques a day before the incident. On the day of violence, stones were pelted from these rooftops.

Some claim that because the neighbourhood is not an upper caste (Savarn) dominated area, Muslims there regularly harass and mistreat Hindus.

Hindu wedding functions and festivals are disturbed as well by the Muslims there. Due to this, the Hindus are compelled to live in constant fear.

Locals went on to say that Muslims have arbitrarily renamed the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk where the mosque is located as ‘Masjid Chowk’. Despite the fact that a statue of the martyr has been installed there, the Muslims associated with the mosque remain adamant about dubbing the Bhagat Singh Chowk as Masjid Chowk.

The Hindus of Panki live in such a state that they are scared to even reveal their names. One such Hindu person claimed that suspicious individuals frequently come and go from this mosque. There is also a madrasa in the mosque and Muslim children study here. Such people coming here are radicalizing the local Muslims.

According to a local, a Muslim from Kerala visited the mosque’s madrasa around a year ago. He was brainwashing people in the Madarsa. The authorities arrested him after receiving a complaint from the local Hindus. Besides, one Rajiullah, a native of Balrampur in Chhattisgarh, has also been arrested in connection with this violence.

Kamlesh Singh, a social worker from Panki Bazar, while speaking to OpIndia said that the recent anti-Hindu violence was a trial for ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’. He said that the Islamic fundamentalists are weighing their strengths across the country. Apart from this, Manjulata Dubey, a local BJP leader also said that the mosque regularly interrupted the religious programs of the Hindu community. 

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