Home Blog Page 2568

Ramcharitmanas should be burnt because it spreads hatred against lower castes: Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Ramcharitmanas should be burnt because it spreads hatred against lower castes: Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar

Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar has triggered a major controversy by saying that the Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas should be burnt like Manusmriti because it promotes caste division in society. He made the comments during the 15th convocation ceremony of the Nalanda Open University in Patna.

During his speech event, Chandrashekhar claimed that books like Manusmriti, Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas and Bunch of Thoughts by Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar worked towards keeping 85% of the population in the country backwards. He claimed that while Manusmriti abuses lower castes, Ramcharitmanas advocates keeping lower caste people illiterate.

He alleged that the three books, Manusmriti, Ramcharitmanas and Bunch of Thoughts have been spreading caste-related hatred in different eras.

He claimed that the verse in the Ramcharitmanas ‘adham jati me vidya paye, bhayatu yatha dudh pilaye’ means ‘Lower caste people become poisonous after getting education like snake becomes after drinking milk’. This is an often deliberately misinterpreted translation of the verse, because the word poisonous does not appear in the verse as claimed. It means that just like snake feels happy after drinking milk, the speaker – who is referring to himself as adham jati – also feels happy after getting education.

The Bihar education minister went on to say that Ramcharitmanas prevents Dalits, lower castes and women from getting education, and therefore it should be burnt. Dr Chandrashekhar further said that RSS is spreading hatred in the country.

After his speech, he reiterated his position while talking to reporters present there. He said that Manusmriti laid the seeds of hatred, after that Ramcharitmanas helped to grow it, and now Golwalkar’s book is expanding it.

He added that Ambedkar had burnt the Manusmriti, because it talks about depriving Dalits of rights. Similarly, Ramcharitmanas also has several such verses, he claimed.

‘Congress played a big role, but it is not right to undermine others’ contribution to country’s freedom struggle’: HM Amit Shah

ANI
-
0
‘Congress played a big role, but it is not right to undermine others’ contribution to country’s freedom struggle’: HM Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, while acknowledging that the Congress-led freedom movement had a big contribution to India’s freedom, said that it is, however, not right to propagate the narrative that there was no role of others in the country’s freedom struggle.

Shah’s remarks came at the book launch event of ‘Revolutionaries, The other story of how India won its freedom’ by Sanjeev Sanyal in the national capital.

The Home Minister said that the word ‘other story’ in the title of the book is the summary of the book which presents the other perspective of the contributions of various others in the freedom struggle.

“Revolutionaries, The other story of how India won its freedom. The word ‘other story’ is the summary of this book. Because one story has been established in public under one narrative. One perspective has been imposed on the public through history writing, and education. The perspective that has been imposed, I do not say that the non-violent struggle has no role in the freedom struggle, or is not a part of history. It is a part of history and has a huge contribution,” Shah said.

Stating that there were contributions of various people and organisations, the Home Minister said that freedom is the “collective” result of everyone.

“The movement led by Congress has a big contribution to the country’s freedom. But no other has contributed, this narrative is not right. Because if we analyze the country’s freedom, numerous people, organisations, ideologies and paths had made efforts to reach one destination. India’s freedom is the collaborative result of all of this,” he said.

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

Leicester violence: Five suspects identify themselves after police releases pictures of 10 accused, efforts underway to identify others

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Leicester violence: Five suspects identify themselves after police releases pictures of 10 accused, efforts underway to identify others

On January 10 (local time), Leicester Police released photographs of ten suspects of anti-Hindu violence in the area and sought help from the public to identify them. As per the latest update, five out of ten suspects identified themselves, and the hunt for the remaining six is still on. In a statement, Leicester Police said that the officers working on the investigation sought help in identifying the suspects.

The detectives checked hours of CCTV and body cams to identify the miscreants involved in the violence. While over 100 were arrested, many others remained unidentified and escaped incarceration. It is unclear how many more suspects are still unidentified, and the police may release more images in the coming weeks.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Arthur is leading the investigation. In a statement, he said, “With near to 100 arrests now of those we have identified, we are working hard to find out who the remaining men are. To be able to do this, we need help from the public.”

“I would also appeal to anyone featured within the imagery to come forwards themselves so the investigation team can make contact,” he added.

He asked the public to contact police on 101, quoting incident 158 of January 9, to provide information. Anonymous reports can be made to Crimestopper on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, people can use logon to leics.police.uk and provide information to the police.

The anti-Hindu attacks in the United Kingdom – Leicester and Birmingham

Since August last year, the anti-Hindu attacks in the United Kingdom, especially in Leicester and Birmingham, increased by several folds. What appeared to be a reaction to the defeat Pakistan faced in the T20 Asia Cup match against India, it was later found that Islamists were just using the match as an excuse to attack the Hindus as they did not stop even after Pakistan defeated India in the same series a week later.

The attacks intensified to the extent that Hindu families left Leicester, and some of them reportedly have not returned so far. The houses, businesses and properties of Hindus were vandalised. Contrary to what was happening, mainstream media and Islamists tried to cover up the anti-Hindu attacks and blamed Hindus for the clashes.

In Birmingham, they used an event where Sadhvi Ritambhara was scheduled to appear as an excuse to attack a Hindu temple. The event was postponed owing to Sadhvi’s health. However, the Islamists did not back off and attacked the temple. It was evident that they were well aware of the fact that not only that particular event but the whole tour was postponed, but they moved ahead and called to circle the temple to intimidate Hindus. More such so-called “peaceful protests” at Hindu temples and establishments in the UK have been planned by the Islamists in the coming days.

Delhi court frames charges against ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in money laundering case for funding Delhi riots using illegal money

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Delhi court frames charges against ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in money laundering case for funding Delhi riots using illegal money

On Wednesday, January 11, Delhi’s Karkardoom Court framed charges against former MCD councillor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case. The former AAP councillor has been charged with funding anti-Hindu riots in 2020 through illegal means.

Hussain has not pleaded guilty and opted for trials after Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat framed the charges against him. 

Reportedly, the riot-accused ex-councillor had on January 8 sought parole to get medical treatment at a private hospital citing his ‘poor health’. Following this, the Additional Sessions Judge has sought Tahir Hussain’s medical reports. 

The matter has been listed for hearing on February 10 for the presentation of evidence. During the hearing, Tahir Hussain’s counsel was absent, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was represented by Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta and Faizan. 

It has been claimed that Hussain allegedly conspired to partake in money laundering, and the proceeds of the crime were used in funding the northeast Delhi riots against Hindus. 

Hussain was previously charged in three separate cases in link with the February 2020 violence in Delhi, including the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

It is notable that in November 2022, a Delhi court dismissed Tahir Hussain’s plea challenging a trial court order framing charges against him in the money laundering case and also rejected his bail plea.

The trial court order stated that it appears prima facie that accused Tahir Hussain was involved in the conspiracy and engaged in money laundering.”

According to the order, “Tahir Hussain, in a conspiracy to fraudulently withdraw money from accounts of certain companies owned or controlled by him through bogus and malafide transactions, with him as the beneficiary and with intent using it to fund riots, would be set to be deriving or obtaining property as a result of criminal activity associated with/relatable to the scheduled offence as the proceeds of crime and will be guilty of money laundering.”

Earlier in October, the court framed charges against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councilor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, and four other accused in a similar case in connection with the anti-Hindu riots that took place in North-East Delhi in 2020. Justice Pulastya Pramachala, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) heard the case in the Karkardooma District Court of Delhi and framed charges against former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, Tanveer Malik, Gulfam, Nazim, and Kasim.

‘Clear-cut objective to harm Hindus’

Notably, a Delhi court on December 5, 2022, framed charges against Tahir Hussain, Liyaqat Ali and others involved in the 2020 Delhi riots and held that there was clear cut objective to harm Hindus in every manner possible while framing charges against the accused, involving former councillor Tahir Hussain, in Delhi Riots 2020.

The court held all the accused liable to be tried for hatching a criminal conspiracy to indulge in riots & to harm the properties of Hindus, assaulting persons from the Hindu community, who were present in that building. 

Role of Tahir Hussain in the Delhi riots

It is notable to mention that Tahir Hussain had earlier confessed in a disclosure statement that he chose his own house as a launchpad for the riots. Given that his house was a high-rise building and was under construction at that time, it was easy to collect stones and bricks without raising any suspicion. 

He also confessed that he and his co-conspirators had started collecting stones, bricks, and other ammunition, well in advance so that they could teach those, who were in support of the CAA, a lesson when the time was right. The Aam Aadmi Party later expelled Tahir Hussain from the party. 

ED attaches 3.64 crore house of prime accused Archana Nag in Odisha sextortion case

ANI
-
0
ED attaches 3.64 crore house of prime accused Archana Nag in Odisha sextortion case

The Enforcement Directorate has attached a house worth Rs 3.64 crore of Archana Nag, prime accused in an alleged sextortion case of Odisha, under the anti-money laundering law, the federal agency said on Wednesday.

“A luxurious house of the prime accused Archana Nag worth Rs 3.64 crore has been attached in connection with ongoing money laundering investigation into the high-profile sextortion racket being run in and around the city of Bhubaneswar,” the agency said in a statement. The ED said the state police complaint states that the lady blackmailer namely Archana Nag, and her husband (Chand) with the assistance of Shradhanjali Behera and Khageswar Patra generated properties worth crores of rupees through extortion by way of honey trapping high profile and rich people and secretly making their videos and threatening and blackmailing them for lodging false police cases against them and making viral of their videos in social media.

Earlier, the ED seized two high-end vehicles worth Rs 56.5 lakhs under section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

ED had recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) for taking up an investigation under the provisions of the PMLA against Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand, Shradhanjali Behera, and Khageswar Patra on the basis of two separate FIRs registered by Bhubaneshwar Police.

The central agency is probing the assets and cash amassed by alleged blackmailer Archana Nag, her husband Jagabandhu Chand and their associates, over a few years.

The ED has traced Rs 2.5 crore deposits in the bank accounts of Archana and Jagabandhu between 2017 and 2022 and investigating the matter.

Archana Nag belongs to Kalahandi and she is accused of amassing over Rs 30 crore along with her husband between 2018 and 2022 by blackmailing and threatening some politicians and affluent people.

Bhubaneshwar Police arrested Archana, her husband and her Associate Khageswar on the charges of blackmailing and are now lodged in Bhubaneshwar jail.

Further investigation, in this case, is under progress.

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

Opposition targets Mohan Bhagwat for his remark ‘Muslims must abandon the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy’: Here’s what the RSS chief said

Amit Kelkar
-
0
Opposition targets Mohan Bhagwat for his remark ‘Muslims must abandon the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy’: Here’s what the RSS chief said

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks in his recent interview with Organiser and Panchjanya had knickers of some of the usual suspects in a twist as they fulminated against him for asking Muslims of India to abandon rhetorics of supremacy.

From CPM leader Brinda Karat to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, a raft of opposition leaders objected to Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks in his latest interview wherein he affirmed that Muslims have nothing to fear in India and advised them to jettison their boisterous rhetoric on supremacy.

CPM leader attacks RSS chief

Senior CPM leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday attacked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remark, saying his statement was “highly objectionable, anti-Constitution and provocative”.

“The RSS chief’s statement is against the Constitution. It is objectionable and provocative. The court should also take suo moto notice of his statement,” Karat said as reported by ANI.

The former Rajya Sabha MP further added, “It seems Bhagwat ji will prepare and decide the criteria (for living in India). Bhagwat ji and all his Hindutva brigade should read the Constitution, especially articles 14 and 15, among others. Every citizen has equal rights in our country irrespective of religion.”

“Should Mohan Bhagwat decide how we behave? Former RSS Chief Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar had said if Muslims want to live in India then they will have to remain subordinate. The present RSS chief wants to impose this understanding and thinking even today,” she alleged.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi targets Mohan Bhagwat for asking Muslims to abandon the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy

Similarly, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi too appeared to lose his mind over statements made by the RSS chief in his interview. The fact that Mr Bhagwat belled the cat and confronted the harsh truth without coating it in politically correct terminology seemed to have raised the hackles of the AIMIM chief, who went on a long tirade against the RSS supremo for asking Muslims to relinquish their maximalist beliefs. 

“Who is Mohan to give Muslims “permission” to live in India or follow our faith? We’re Indians because Allah willed it. How dare he put “conditions” on our citizenship? We’re not here to “adjust” our faith or please a bunch of alleged celibates in Nagpur. Mohan says there is no external threat to India. Sanghis have been whining about the bogey of “internal enemies” & “state of war” for decades…” Owaisi ranted.

“Why this “chori” for China & “seenazori” for fellow citizens? If we’re indeed at war, has Swayamsevak sarkar been sleeping for 8+ years? RSS’s ideology is a threat to India’s future. The sooner Indians recognise the real “internal enemies”, the better it will be. No decent society can tolerate such hatred and radicalism in the name of religion. Who elected Mohan as the representative for Hindus? Fighting elections in 2024? Welcome” Owaisi further bellowed. 

“There are enough Hindus who feel the boisterous rhetoric of supremacy of RSS, leave alone how every minority feels. You can’t say Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam for the world if you’re busy building divides in your own country. Why does PM hug all Muslim leaders of other countries but is never seen hugging a single Muslim in his own country? What are this awakening and war stuff if not rhetoric and hate speech?,” the AIMIM chief asked.

Congress MP Kapil Sibal also weighed in on his opinions on Bhagwat’s remarks, concurring with his ‘Hindustan should remain Hindustan’ statement, but adding “Insaan (human beings) should remain Insaan” to it. 

What RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said about Muslims and the belief in religious supremacy

While opposition leaders are ranting and raving over comments made by Mohan Bhagwat, it is worth dwelling on what the RSS chief said in his interview with Organiser and Panchjanya.

From challenges facing the Sangh to its intricate relationship with politics, the newfound assertiveness among Hindus, issues plaguing the young generation of the country, the socio-political transformation primarily driven by technology and modernisation, to the population policy and the population imbalance, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke on a plethora of issues and provided insights about the Sangh’s views on them.

When asked what he thinks how to solve something as complex as the population policy and the population imbalance question, Mr Bhagwat said Hindus must bear in mind that the belongingness they feel for the country is because of their numerical superiority. Expanding on the population imbalance issue, he highlighted that it had been a global problem caused by the aggressive nature of people and civilisations.

“Only the Hindu society stands apart, showing no aggression whatsoever. In the interest of pacifism, non-violence, democracy, secularism etc., the preservation of those who are not aggressive is essential,” emphasising the salience of preserving the Hindu majority of the country in the face of aggressive civilisations striving for homogeneity.

“Hindu is our identity, our nationality, our civilisational trait—a trait that considers everyone as ours; that takes everyone along. We never say, mine is only true and yours is false. You are right at your place, I am right at mine; why fight, let us move together – this is Hindutva. As long as adherent of this value stays in the majority, Bharat remains united,” Bhagwat added.

Stressing why preserving the Hindu society is important, Bhagwat said, “This united Bharat, in turn, provides unity and strength to the entire world. It is not just about Bharat but concerns the welfare of humanity at large. Imagine for a moment the consequences if the Hindu society was to disappear. Other races will start a war for supremacy. This is inevitable. Then what is the guarantee (to save us from this volatile possibility), it is the presence of Hindus.”

“The simple truth is this—Hindusthan should remain Hindusthan. There is no harm to the Muslims living today in Bharat. If they wish to stick to their faith, they can. If they want to return to the faith of their ancestors, they may. It is entirely their choice. There is no such stubbornness among Hindus. Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy,” Bhagwat said.

Warning how supremacy could foment chaos and inter-religious clashes, Bhagwat accentuated the need to abandon a narrative that promotes uniformity and demonises diversity. “We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together—they must abandon this narrative. In fact, all those who live here—whether a Hindu or a communist—must give up this logic,” he said.

‘This separatist attitude is highly unhealthy’: Adnan Sami slams Andhra CM on ‘Telugu flag’ remark on RRR’s Golden Globes win

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘This separatist attitude is highly unhealthy’: Adnan Sami slams Andhra CM on ‘Telugu flag’ remark on RRR’s Golden Globes win

On Wednesday, January 11, director SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ bagged the Best Original song trophy for its song ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Golden Globes. As the nation rejoiced over the spectacular win, singer-composer Adnan Sami schooled Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for promoting regionalism with his ‘Telugu flag’ remark for congratulating the ‘RRR’ team. 

Quoting CM Jagan’s tweet, Sami wrote, “Telugu flag? You mean the INDIAN flag right? We are Indians first & so kindly stop separating yourself from the rest of the country…Especially internationally, we are one country! This ‘separatist’ attitude is highly unhealthy as we saw in 1947!!! Thank you…Jai HIND!”

This comes after the Andhra Pradesh CM in a tweet stated that with the ‘Naatu Naatu’ victory at Golden Globes 2023, the “Telugu flag is flying high.” 

“The #Telugu flag is flying high! On behalf of all of #AndhraPradesh, I congratulate @mmkeeravaani, @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan, and the entire team of  @RRRMovie. We are incredibly proud of you! #GoldenGlobes2023,” CM Jagan tweeted. 

It is notable that the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song has been composed by veteran music director MM Keeravaani and penned by Kala Bhairavi and Rahul Sipligunj. ‘Naatu Naatu’ was nominated alongside Taylor Swift’s ‘Carolina’ from ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’, ‘Ciao Papa’ from ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’, Lady Gaga’s ‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. 

RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’ wins Best Original Song at Golden Globes 2023

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ bagged the Best Original song trophy for its song ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Golden Globes 2023.

While accepting the award at the 2023 Golden Globes, Keeravaani expressed gratitude for his team and also thanked N. T. Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan for their performance on the song. He said, “Thank you NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan danced in full stamina on the song.” 

RRR is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively.

Mangaluru blast: Enforcement Directorate raids underway in Shivamogga at the houses of terror suspects

ANI
-
0
Mangaluru blast: Enforcement Directorate raids underway in Shivamogga at the houses of terror suspects

The Enforcement Directorate are carrying out searches at various locations in Shivamogga district of Karnataka in connection with the Mangaluru blast case.

Searches are being conducted at the houses of suspected terrorists, including Mohammed Shariq, the main accused in the November 19 pressure cooker blast in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Wednesday. “ED officials are in the area where the houses of suspected terrorists Shariq, Maz Muneer and Mateen are located in Thirthahalli (Shivamogga). Their houses are being searched. Officers are also collecting information from neighbouring houses,” Jnanendra said.

A moving auto-rickshaw had exploded on November 19 last year triggered by a bomb in a pressure cooker that led to unravelling of a terror plot aimed at fuelling communal tensions in the coastal region and in the state, police had said.

Shariq, who was carrying a pressure cooker bomb made IED and Purushottam Poojari, the autorickshaw driver were injured in the blast.

Shariq was en-route to a pre-decided location for carrying out the blast when the explosion took place. The Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) team reached the house rented by Shariq in Mysore the next day and recovered materials used to make explosives. 

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

Rakhi Sawant secretly ties the knot with beau Adil Khan Durrani, photos of court wedding surface online

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Rakhi Sawant secretly ties the knot with beau Adil Khan Durrani, photos of court wedding surface online

TV actor and Bigg Boss fame Rakhi Sawant, known for her mercurial outbreaks and a knack for courting controversies, has hit the headlines once again. This time, though, Sawant is in the news for secretly tying the knot with her long-time beau Adil Khan Durrani. The actor had a low-key court wedding and is yet to make it official on her Instagram account.

However, social media are replete with pictures of the couple which suggest the two are married. In the pictures, Rakhi and Adil are seen holding what appears to be a wedding certificate and posing for the camera. Rakhi is seen donning a red suit while Adil is wearing a black shirt over a distressed pair of jeans.

In another picture, Rakhi is seen signing the wedding certificate. However, it appears that the marriage was registered last year, and it’s only now that the photos have emerged online. The certificate shows July 2, 2022, as the date of the couple’s marriage.

Rakhi Sawant first shot to fame after her infamous row with singer Mika Singh. Since then, she has remained in the headlines for her eccentric take on matters and idiosyncratic behaviour. Rakhi also was a part of ‘Rakhi Ka Swayamvar’, a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. In its finale, Rakhi Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala, a Canadian businessman from Toronto, as her future bridegroom from among the three finalists. 

However, the relationship did not last long. After her stint in Bigg Boss Marathi 4, Rakhi made her first public appearance with her then-beau Adil.

The duo had started dating after Rakhi separated from Ritesh, another man who she claimed to have married. She reportedly filed for divorce from him, and later introduced Adil, a businessman from Mysore as her boyfriend, to the media and her fans.

1...2,5672,5682,569...7,631Page 2,568 of 7,631