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Who is Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham: Read about the spiritual leader who has asked Hindus to stay away from the conversion mafia

Shraddha Pandey
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Who is Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham: Read about the spiritual leader who has asked Hindus to stay away from the conversion mafia

Bageshwar Dham and its Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri are in news recently. Dhirendra Krishna Shastri has been charged with promoting superstition, but he has rejected all accusations, claiming they are a part of a conspiracy against him. He claimed that his Gharwapsi programs, in which converted Hindus are brought back to Hinduism, have offended some people.

According to Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, those who oppose Dharma are behind all of this. “These are the same people who demanded proof of Lord Ram’s and Ayodhya’s existence. Sanatani sadhus are targeted continuously.  These individuals have had issues with us ever since we started bringing converted people back to Hinduism. We had declared in Chhatari’s Katha that there would be conspiracies against us. However, we don’t fear them. They can continue to speak against us.  They are barking from a distance if they will come in front, they will get wet,” Shastri said.

“Sanatanis are waking up for Sanatan,” he has also claimed. “The fact that opponents of Dharma are speaking against us demonstrates this. I have stopped speaking on this issue altogether. If they have any issues,  they can come and see and understand our Darbaar. We have not received any legal opposition from them.”

Allegations against Dhirendra Krishna Shastri

Notably, From January 5 to January 11, Mahant Dhirendra of Bageshwar Dham travelled to Nagpur for Ramkatha. This Katha was originally scheduled to last until January 13. However, the Katha ended two days earlier due to some reasons.

After this Katha concluded, Shyam Manav, the national convenor of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, accused Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of promoting ‘superstition’.  He allegedly challenged Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. 

Shyam Manav had announced a reward of 30 lakh rupees on Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for showing miracles during the Darbaar. Later, he also filed an FIR against Shastri.

Responding to Shyam Manav’s allegations, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri said, “When I have in Nagpur for seven days why didn’t he challenge then, why he didn’t send any letter or a person?”

Shastri went on to say that “If you come here to Raipur, better inform us beforehand. Don’t come here, leave, and then claim that you didn’t meet us. Inform Nitendra Choubey or Keshav Mehta ji that we are from such and such a place and want to meet Dheerendra Krishna Shastri.”

He said, “These people have not spared Lord Ram, so we are commoners,” in a statement to Sudarshan News. We don’t need to run away or feel threatened by them. We all sincerely hope that you will check your facts before listening to any of these people speak. Then trust them because this is a cautiously thought conspiracy.

He further said, “We are bringing the converts back to Hinduism. They are spending crores on conversion. So what would be wrong with spending 10 crores on us?  

Reportedly, Dhirendra Shastri brought 300 people back into Hinduism during a Gharwapsi program on Christmas last year.

“Offering Chaadar at Dargah is faith, but faith in Lord Hanuman is superstition”

Shastri continued by asserting that he would not do anything to harm or defame the reputation of Hindus, even if he has to sacrifice his life. He contended that if an FIR is filed for spreading his religion, then FIR should be lodged against all the worshippers of Lord Hanuman in the country.

Dhirendra Shastri has also posed the question, stating that “In India, offering chadar (at Dargah) is called faith, but devotion towards Lord Hanuman is a superstition. In India, lighting a candle is considered an act of faith, whereas tying a Kalava, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, or talking about Sanatan are considered superstitions. Where does this hypocrisy come from?”

About Bageshwar Dham and Mahant Dhirendra Krishna Shastri

The Bageshwar Dham Temple is situated in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is devoted to Lord Hanuman. 26-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Shastri originally was Dhirendra Krishna Garg. Shastri is the Mahant (head priest) of the temple and is popularly called ‘Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’. 

According to the information available on the website of Bageshwar Dham, Shastri is the successor of his grandfather Dada Guruji Maharaj who was a ‘Siddh’ saint. In recent years, Dhirendra Shastri gained popularity among devotees and on social media. A court or Darbaar is held at the Bageshar Dham every Tuesday and Saturday, wherein Dhirendra Shastri demonstrates his ‘miracles’ to solve the problems of the devotees of Lord Hanuman. Shastri has, however, always claimed that it is the power and miracle of Lord Hanuman that blesses the devotees and that he is only a medium and holds no supernatural powers. 

In a video shared on the official Instagram page of Bageshwar Dham, Dhirnedra Shastri addressing the Nagpur controversy said that he is being targeted since he started raising the issue of Gharwapsi. He also questioned Shyam Manav if he has ever questioned people of other religions over the alleged superstitions. 

“Ever since I have raised the issue of Gharwapsi for Sanatan Dharma, they are conspiring against us, we don’t have to stop and fear anyone, we have to be cautious. I want to ask the committee convenor in the Nagpur issue, have you ever raised your voice against the priests and people of other religions who convert Hindus? Is praying to your deity superstition (Jaadu-Tona)? I urge all the followers of Sanatan Dharma to stand united I again request you to raise your finger against the superstitions of other religions also,” Shastri said in what he called his last video about the controversy.

Shastri who enjoys immense popularity across social media platforms has often urged Hindus to refrain from visiting Dargahs and Churches and stay true to Sanatan Dharma.

Hamline University Professor sues varsity after she was called ‘Islamophobic’ and fired for showing Muhammad’s painting for academic purpose

OpIndia Staff
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Hamline University Professor sues varsity after she was called ‘Islamophobic’ and fired for showing Muhammad’s painting for academic purpose

On Tuesday (January 17), a former liberal arts Professor named Erika López Prater sued Hamline University for damaging her professional and personal reputation and subjecting her to religious discrimination.

The development comes weeks after she was fired by the varsity for displaying two historic paintings of Prophet Muhammad to her students during a global art history class. 

“Among other things, Hamline, through its administration, has referred to Dr López Prater’s actions as undeniably Islamophobic…Comments like these, which have now been published in news stories around the globe, will follow Dr López Prater throughout her career, potentially resulting in her inability to obtain a tenure track position at any institution of higher education,” her attorneys informed.

They pointed out how the university overlooked the ‘academic purpose’ of the paintings and went on to label her as Islamophobic, based on the complaint of a Muslim student. The attorneys had served the lawsuit to the varsity, post which the Hamline administration characterised its action against Erika López Prater as a ‘misstep.’

Hamline university concedes action against Professor as ‘misstep’

A joint statement was released by Hamline University President Faynesse Miller and Board of Trustees chair Ellen Watters.

“Like all organizations, sometimes we misstep. In the interest of hearing from and supporting our Muslim students, language was used that does not reflect our sentiments on academic freedom,” the statement read.

“Based on all that we have learned, we have determined that our usage of the term ‘Islamophobic’ was therefore flawed. Higher education is about learning and growing. We have certainly learned and continue to grow as we generate new knowledge to share with all of our Hamline community.”

In a bid to undo the damage, the varsity has now decided to hold two public sessions about ‘academic freedom and religion’ and ‘academic freedom and student care.’

The Background of the controversy

Erika López Prater was fired for showing the picture of Prophet Muhammad to her students during a global art history class at Hamline University in Minnesota in the United States.

As per reports, the incident took place on October 6, 2022, during which the Professor was teaching Islamic art to her students. She had warned them in advance about her plan to show two historic paintings of the last Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

One painting dated back to the 14th century (created by Persian scholar Rashīd al-Dīn) while another painting was made in the 16th century (by Mustafa ibn Vali).

Soon after, several Muslim students took offence to the display of the historic paintings and claimed that the professor’s actions constituted Islamophobia.

China strengthening infrastructure in border regions for a future water war with India: Report

ANI
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China strengthening infrastructure in border regions for a future water war with India: Report

China has stepped up preparations for a future water war with India by accelerating the construction of a huge dam on the Mabja Zangbo river, just a few kilometres north of the trijunction border with India and Nepal, Kathmandu-based online magazine Epardafas reported.

According to Epardafas, with this project, China can increase tensions in the future and can establish complete control over the water in the area.

Open-source intelligence @detresfa_ has revealed that on the basis of its latest satellite images, the Chinese dam is located very close to the Kalapani region of Uttarakhand. Experts and analysts say that China by building a dam near Uttarakhand can establish complete control over the water in the region.

Not only this, China is also building an airport near this dam, which can prove to be very effective for the Chinese Air Force. It can be seen from the pictures that the construction work of this Chinese dam has not been completed yet, but continuous work is going on, Epardafas reported.

The news about China building a dam near Nepal comes at a time when China has started finalizing a huge dam near Arunachal Pradesh.

According to Epardafas, China is building this dam on the Yarlung Tsagpo River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. This Chinese dam is being built on the Medog border which is very close to Arunachal.

According to sources, China can change the water flow of the Brahmaputra river through this dam. The Brahmaputra river is not only the lifeline of the Northeast but also of Bangladesh. This will either lead to water shortage in Arunachal and Assam or so much water will come that many areas will be submerged in flood.

A recent media report said that China is trying to create a “hydro-hegemony” to dominate the water economy and ecology in south and south-east Asia by pursuing a series of mega-dam projects over rivers in Tibet.

Since Tibet’s occupation, China has disrupted the natural flow of rivers by pursuing a series of ill-conceived environmental and developmental policies such as the Great Leap Forward, the South-North Water Diversion Project, etc, the report said, adding that, this has led to a dam-building spree on the Tibetan plateau with disastrous impacts on Asia’s major rivers.

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

TMC leaders filling up their pockets with money sent to West Bengal by the centre: BJP President JP Nadda

OpIndia Staff
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TMC leaders filling up their pockets with money sent to West Bengal by the centre: BJP President JP Nadda

On Thursday, BJP national president JP Nadda kicked off the campaign for the upcoming West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023 by addressing a rally at Bathuadahari in the Nadia district of the state. He slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government and charged Banerjee’s party, the ruling Trinamool Congress of embezzling Centre’s funds. Nadda also asked voters to support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the panchayat elections and also in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

“PM Narendra Modiji is giving money to your state. But didi (Mamata), your party leaders are filling up their pockets by misappropriating it. Corruption is everywhere in Bengal. Didi, what have you done to this state? If action is taken against your corrupt leaders, you start criticizing Modiji. The people of the state have only way out, which is bringing the BJP in power, be it panchayat elections or Lok Sabha polls,’’ Nadda said while addressing the rally.

According to the reports, after stopping the fund under the scheme in December 2021 citing several anomalies, the Centre recently approved Rs 13,000 crore in funds for the construction of 11.34 lakh houses for the needy under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). His statement on suspected corruption by TMC leaders came at a time when the state was experiencing protests by the poor accusing governing party members of abusing the PMAY program.

“You have experienced misrule by the Congress, the CPM, and the TMC. Now the time has come to enjoy BJP’s governance. The Centre is sending money for PMAY and MGNREGA schemes. Modiji is giving money for constructing toilets. Didi, your party is not even sparing the poor people who deserve a toilet at their home,’’ Nadda was quoted as saying.

Nadda meanwhile also said that the people of West Bengal were witnessing ‘Jungle Raj’ imposed by CM Mamata Banerjee and that now people want the Bharatiya Janata Party to rule over the state. “If this Jungle-Raaz doesn’t stop here, public will teach ‘Didi’ the lesson; the BJP will definitely come to power and bring development and peace in West Bengal,” he said.

Reports mention that the West Bengal BJP officials expressed dissatisfaction since the party president made no mention of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The PMAY central team was met with protests in the state. On Thursday, villagers held protests and rallies against a central team visiting West Bengal to supervise the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) project in Keshpur, West Midnapore.

The two-person delegation was besieged by residents who complained about faulty roads and substandard properties allotted under the plan. The incident happened as the crew arrived at Keshpur at about 11.30 am. According to the reports, the BJP West Bengal officials were recently issued directions by the party to begin preparations for upcoming elections after an internal survey revealed that the party was losing ground in many of the 18 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2019.

The state unit has been urged by the central leadership to capture these 18 seats and enhance the total to at least 24 next year. Even though the dates for the panchayat polls have yet to be declared, BJP officials say top functionaries are already organizing rallies to reach out to the grassroots.

Earlier on Wednesday, actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty and state president Sukanta Majumdar also held a rally and a roadshow in South 24 Parganas district.

PM Modi to hand over 71,000 appointment letters to fresh recruits across Govt departments via video conferencing

ANI
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PM Modi to hand over 71,000 appointment letters to fresh recruits across Govt departments via video conferencing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute around 71,000 appointment letters to newly-inducted recruits in government departments and organisations, via video conferencing on Friday, said the PMO.

PM will also address these appointees on the occasion, added the PMO. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Modi will distribute appointment letters at 10:30 am via video conferencing and will also address these appointees.

The Rozgar Mela is expected to act as a catalyst in further employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities to the youth for their empowerment and participation in national development.

The new recruits, selected from across the country will join various positions or posts under the Government of India like junior engineers, loco pilots, technicians, inspectors, sub-inspectors, constables, stenographers, junior accountants, grameen dak sevak, income tax inspectors, teacher, nurse, doctor, social security officer, PA, MTS, among others.

The experience of newly inducted officials in learning from the Karmayogi Prarambh module will also be shared during this Rozgar programme. Karmayogi Prarambh module is an online orientation course for all new appointees in various Government departments.

Additionally, various union ministers will visit different states in January to provide jobs to the youth under the ‘Rozgar Mela’.

A total of 45 ministers will take part in the Mela including senior ministers like Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, Hardeep Puri, Anurag Thakur, and others.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be in Bhopal, Anupriya Patel in Mumbai, Ashwini Choubey in Nagpur, Nityanand Rai in Pune, Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, Dharmendra Pradhan in Bhubneshwar, Hardeep Singh Puri in Ludhiana, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Lucknow, Arjun Ram Meghwal in Udaipur, Anurag Singh Thakur in Kanpur, RK Singh in Ghaziabad. Union Minister Giriraj Singh in Patna, Bhupendra Yadav in Faridabad, Ajay Bhatt in Jammu, Pashupatinath Paras in Ranchi, and Pralhad Joshi in Bengaluru.

The Prime Minister had launched the “Rozgar Mela” to recruit 10 lakh people and underscored his government’s efforts to create jobs in the last eight years amid the opposition’s constant criticism of it on the issue of unemployment.

In his address after more than 75,000 people were given appointment letters for various government jobs in the first tranche, PM Modi acknowledged the challenges facing the economy the world over with many countries hit by record inflation and unemployment, and said India is making every effort to come out of the situation unscathed.
The Prime Minister had launched the concept of Rozgar Mela at the central level on Dhanteras. This was the beginning of the campaign to provide 10 lakh jobs at the central level of government.

Since then, the Prime Minister has addressed the Rozgar Melas of Gujarat, J-K and Maharashtra governments, and also launched a Karmayogi Prarambh module for online orientation courses for all new appointees in various Government departments while distributing about 71,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits.

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

Uttar Pradesh: Video of one Taseeruddin spitting on the dough while making rotis goes viral, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Video of one Taseeruddin spitting on the dough while making rotis goes viral, arrested

On Thursday (January 19), the Tila More police arrested a man named Taseeruddin for preparing spit-filled rotis at a restaurant in the Sahibabad area in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

While speaking about the matter, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Sahibabad) Poonam Mishra said, “A video was going viral on social media from the area under Tila More police station, in which a man was making Rotis by applying spit.”

“Accused Taseeruddin has been arrested in the case & further legal action is being taken,” she further added.

The matter came to light after a video of Taseeruddin spitting on the dough while preparing Rotis went viral on social media. The roadside eatery was identified as one ‘Madina Hotal.’

In the video, Taseeruddin was caught red-handed indulging in the unhygienic act. The man recording the footage was heard saying, “Why are feeding spit-filled rotis to people? Hindus might be eating it. Even Muslims might be eating it. What is the objective behind serving such rotis?”

A formal complaint was lodged against the accused on Wednesday (January 18). Taseeruddin was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease harmful to life) and 270 (malignant conduct likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life).

Past incidents of cooks spitting on food in Ghaziabad

In April last year, a video of a man ‘spitting’ on rotis went viral on social media. The contentious video was posted by MSB news and was purportedly shot during a wedding ceremony in Modinagar town in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

In the 2 minutes 20-second long video clip, the cook could be seen leaning forward and ‘spitting’ on the dough. The accused then proceeded to knead the dough and prepare rotis. Given that the video was shot in the dark, Opindia could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

In March 2021, the Ghaziabad police arrested a man named Mohammad Mohsin, after a video of him spitting on rotis at a wedding ceremony, went viral on Twitter. The cops informed that they had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the youth and were interrogating him in connection to the case.

Moreover, the police had also booked the caterers, who were given the contract for the wedding. The incident purportedly took place on March 11 in the Bhojpur area of Ghaziabad district.

‘Ganja under burka’: Shabnam, Madina, Shahnaz and Shabana arrested for smuggling cannabis inside jail under their Islamic attires in Azamgarh

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ganja under burka’: Shabnam, Madina, Shahnaz and Shabana arrested for smuggling cannabis inside jail under their Islamic attires in Azamgarh

in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, the police have arrested 4 women named Shabnam, Madina, Shahnaz and Shabana for supplying cannabis inside the prison. The women were reportedly hiding the contraband inside their burka (Islamic attire for women) and taking it inside the jail under the pretext of meeting their relatives or family members lodged as inmates in the prison.

The police have stated that the arrested women used to hide Ganja (cannabis) inside their burka to avoid detection. They used to carry the banned substance for supply and sale inside the prison. Upon inspection, 4 kg of cannabis was found hidden inside their burkas. Two inmates in the jail named Imran and Ismail have been found to be involved in illegal trade and consumption of the substance.

The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act of the Indian Penal Code. Suspecting smuggling of contraband, the police officials stationed at the prison had asked women personnel to thoroughly check the burka-clad women coming to visit some specific prisoners, SP (city) Azamgarh Shailendra Lal has confirmed.

The police suspect that the network of contraband smuggling and sale inside the jail may be bigger and more people are involved in this. A probe has been started to find other culprits.

As per reports, the smuggling of contraband has been a big source of income for the involved burka-clad women. They used to claim heavy commission on the supplied drugs. This is one of the many cases where the Islamic female attire of a burka has been used for smuggling and stealing.

CBI files FIR against businessman Amit Agarwal, close to Hemant Soren, after raids at his premises in Jharkhand, Kolkata in corruption case: Details

OpIndia Staff
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CBI files FIR against businessman Amit Agarwal, close to Hemant Soren, after raids at his premises in Jharkhand, Kolkata in corruption case: Details

On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against businessman Amit Agrawal and unknown personnel of the Kolkata police for scandalising the court, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other government representatives. The investigation agency also executed raids in Jharkhand and Kolkata at several places related to Agarwal.

According to reports, Amit Agrawal is believed to be close to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. “The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against an accused, unknown officials of Kolkata Police and unknown others. The High Court directed CBI to conduct a PE into the conduct of the petitioner into scandalizing the judiciary, ED officials and other Government officials particularly considering the Hare Street Police Station case no. 222/2022. The enquiry has revealed that prima facie offence under relevant sections of IPC, PC Act etc is made out. Therefore, a case was registered. The investigation is continuing,” the statement issued by CBI read.

The central agency launched this operation in response to the Jharkhand High Court’s order to undertake a preliminary investigation. According to the CBI, it received a complaint regarding Amit Agarwal from unidentified Kolkata Police personnel. A preliminary investigation into the subject found that on October 10, 2021, a writ suit was filed by a person named Shiv Shankar Sharma through lawyer Rajeev Kumar Agarwal alleging that Amit Kumar Agarwal, among others, was engaged in money laundering for Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. According to the CBI, shell businesses were leveraged to achieve this goal.

The investigation further found that Amit Agrawal lodged a complaint on July 31, 2022, at Hare Street Police Station against Rajeev Kumar and Shiv Shankar Sharma for allegedly demanding and defrauding a payment of Rs.10 Crore in exchange for dismissing the PIL.

Reports mention that Amit Kumar Agarwal taped the chats between him and Rajeev Kumar on both occasions. Agarwal persuaded Rajeev Kumar to utilise his strong ties with Judges to get the PIL dismissed, and he also promised him money and inquired about the amount of cash required.

Later, on July 31, 2022, Agarwal contacted Rajeev Kumar and gave him Rs. 50 lakhs. This was done to trap him by the Kolkata Police. The Enforcement Directorate highlighted Amit Agarwal’s role in the illicit mining scam in Jharkhand while demanding prison detention. The agency further accused him of attempting to bury and undermine the legal process in the Jharkhand High Court.

Tripura: BJP office ransacked by Congress workers, CRPF fact-checks Tripura Congress in charge Ajoy Kumar

OpIndia Staff
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Tripura: BJP office ransacked by Congress workers, CRPF fact-checks Tripura Congress in charge Ajoy Kumar

On Thursday (January 20), a clash broke out between BJP and Congress workers after the latter vandalised the party office of the former in the Majlishpur constituency of Tripura.

As per reports, the incident took place during a bike rally of the Congress party. The grand old party has accused the BJP of ‘pelting stones’ at its workers when they were passing through the Sachindra Lal colony, Ranirbazar Townhall area and Briddhanagar.

It further claimed that more than 15 party workers were hospitalised in the aftermath of the incident. The Congress party has blamed BJP Minister and Majlishpur MLA Sushanta Chowdhury for allegedly orchestrating the attack.

While reacting to the allegations, Chowdhury informed that the BJP office was attacked by Congress workers during the bike rally. “First of all, they did not have any police permission to organise the rally. All of a sudden, the bike-borne Congress workers reached the party office and indulged in vandalism,” he said.

The BJP leader emphasised.”I don’t have any problem if they were here to organize a street corner or party meeting. If they are willing to counter us politically, they may have taken the right course instead of indulging in such criminal offences.”

He also added that two well-known criminals, namely, Keshab Sarkar and Manoranjan Debnath, took part in the bike rally of the Congress party. Chowdhury also pointed out how the CPIM-Congress alliance had been trying to create unrest in the State by bringing in people from outside.

CRPF fact-checks Congress leader

Meanwhile, the Tripura Congress in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar hit out at ‘non-existent’ DS Rao for not taking action against the alleged goons.

In a tweet (archive), he claimed, “The IG CRPF DS Rao Crossed three groups of goons with swords and lathees and did nothing. I was being rushed to the hospital on a motorcycle. In fact, one miscreant hit me with lathee on my back in front of him. Shame on you DS Rao”

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) hit back at the Congress official and punctured his fake claims. It said, “On your allegations about inaction by CRPF IG, we only consider it appropriate to inform you that there is no Inspector General D S Rao serving in CRPF.”

Meanwhile, a large contingent of police has been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation. The Election Commission on Wednesday (January 18) announced the schedule for Assembly elections in the northeastern State of Tripura.

“Voting for Assembly elections in Tripura will be held in a single phase on February 16 and in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. The results will be declared on March 2,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said during a press conference.

“The term of Assemblies of respective states in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura are respectively due to expire on March 12, 15, and 22. The 3 states have 60 Assembly constituencies each,” the CEC added.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asked to resign within 24 hours after protesting wrestlers meet Anurag Thakur

OpIndia Staff
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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asked to resign within 24 hours after protesting wrestlers meet Anurag Thakur

On Thursday, January 19, the Ministry of Sports has reportedly given an ultimatum to the Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to tender his resignation from the post. This comes after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met the protesting wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik at his residence. 

Several veteran wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik are protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the Wrestling Federation of India at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday. The protesting wrestlers have demanded Brij Bhushan Singh’s resignation as well as urged the Ministry to dissolve the wrestling federation.

Earlier, while speaking to the media during the protest at Jantar Mantar, wrestler Vinesh Phogat said, “I know of 10-20 cases of sexual harassment of women wrestlers. Many coaches and referees are involved. When the High Court directs us, we will produce all the evidence. We are also ready to submit all the evidence to the PM. We will protest till the culprits are punished. No athlete will participate in any event.”

Vinesh Phogat accused Brij Bhushan Singh of sexual harassment. She also complained about the coaching staff. She said, “Coaches sexually harass wrestlers. I raised my voice against this. Brij Bhushan Singh also sexually harasses women wrestlers.”

Vinesh Phogat said that no one takes responsibility when injured. She also said that the president talks about not playing on the national level. She said crying, “After the Tokyo Olympics defeat, the WFI president called me a ‘Khota Sikka’ (false coin, meaning non-reliable player). The WFI tortured me mentally. I used to think about ending my life every day. If something happens to a wrestler, the responsibility will be on the WFI president.”

The national president of the Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Singh has rejected allegations of dictatorship and sexual harassment raised by wrestlers on 18th January 2023. Brij Bhushan Singh has said,  “I am ready to face an FIR, or CBI inquiry and even face the highest legal authority in India. I will hang myself if the allegations are found to be true.”

Reportedly, Brij Bhushan Singh is likely to resign on January 22nd at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Wrestling Federation of India. 

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