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Church priest arrested over forced religious conversion in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh

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Church priest arrested over forced religious conversion in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh

A priest from an Uttar Pradesh church has been arrested over an alleged case of forced religious conversion in Rampur, police said. 

The accused priest, Polo Messiah, has been booked under sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, police said. Sansar Singh, additional DCP, Rampur said the case was registered on the basis of a complaint by a local resident, Rajeev Yadav, against the accused, who will be sent to jail. 

“Local police station got the information that a priest, Polo Messiah, a resident of civil lines, was gathering people from other communities and attempting to convert them,” the DCP said. 

Singh said that police took prompt action and arrested the priest. 

“Accused will be sent to jail on December 27,” DCP added. 

On December 21, in a similar case, Sitapur Police filed an FIR against two persons in a case of alleged forced religious conversion in Uttar Pradesh. 

Police then said, that two Indians and four Brazil nationals had organised a programme in Shahbajpur village and allegedly lured people to change their religion. 

In October this year, Uttar Pradesh Police lodged an FIR against nine people for alleged forced conversions to Christianity in Meerut. 

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

Veer Baal Diwas – A tribute to the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh’s four sons who were executed by the Mughals

OpIndia Staff
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Veer Baal Diwas – A tribute to the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh’s four sons who were executed by the Mughals

On January 2022, Prime Minister Modi declared that December 26 every year will be celebrated as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ as a tribute to the ‘Sahibzadas’.

Who were the Char Sahibzades?

The four Sahibzade Khalsa warrior princes were the sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Guru Gobind Singh ji had four sons – Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. All four of his sons were initiated into the Khalsa and all were executed by Mughal forces before the age of 19. Sikhism honors the illustrious martyred sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji in the prayer of ardas for their valor and sacrifice as ‘Char Sahibzade’, that is the four princes of the Khalsa warrior order.

Ajit Singh was martyred at the age of 18, on December 7, 1705 CE at Chamkaur after he volunteered to leave the besieged fortress and face the enemy on the battlefield. Jujhar Singh was martyred at the age of 14, on December 7, 1705 CE at Chamkaur where he earned the reputation of being likened to a crocodile for his fierceness in battle, when he volunteered to leave the besieged fortress with five of the last Singhs standing, and all achieved immortality on the battlefield.

Zorawar Singh and his younger brother Fateh Singh were captured with their grandmother Mata Gujari, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh. They were imprisoned with their grandmother and put to death by cruel Mughals on the orders of Aurangzeb, who attempted to suffocate them ​inside a brick enclosure. At the time of martyrdom, the ages of Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were 9 years and 6 years respectively. This sacrifice is seen as the bravest sacrifice for Dharma by any young boys in the Indian history.

Guru Gobind Singh was also killed by a Mughal assassin in 1708, a year after the death of Aurangzeb.

Kerala: Six-member family from Kasaragod on radar of security agencies after they illegally enter war-torn Yemen, suspected of joining ISIS

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Six-member family from Kasaragod on radar of security agencies after they illegally enter war-torn Yemen, suspected of joining ISIS

Kerala Police authorities have discovered that a young couple and their four children from Padna panchayat in the Kasaragod district of Kerala went into war-torn Yemen illegally. The family was living in Dubai for the past ten years, and they entered Yemen through Saudi Arabia.

Kerala police learned of the family’s departure to Yemen after the NIA conducted inquiries in the family’s village of Udinoor in the Padna panchayat on Tuesday, 20th December 2022. The missing family’s relatives were summoned by the police on Wednesday to the Chandera police station where they were required to file a missing report.

The police officer told the news agency PTI, “Any illegal movement of Indian citizens to the countries like Yemen is a matter to be reported (officially). The intention of the family which is suspected to have traveled to Yemen is not known.”

In response to a question, the police official said it was impossible to say with certainty that the individuals had travelled to the country because they were drawn to the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, which is highly active in places like Yemen. The officer added, “There could be religious reasons as well for their disappearance from the country. Some religious institutions in Yemen are the favourite destinations of extremely religious persons.”

The police officer said, “This family from Udinoor was living in Dubai for 10 years. That’s why we did not know when they went to Yemen.” The man who eloped to Yemen with his family is a regional manager and trainer of a leading business improvement and management consulting firm in Dubai.

The police officer further said, “The company has branches in Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Bengaluru, and Kochi. He is with the Dubai branch and used to travel frequently to Gulf countries to train staff of his client companies.”

The officer did not disclose the nature of his wife’s employment, who hails from Thalassery in Kannur. Both the man and his wife are MBA graduates from Bengaluru. The couple took their four children to Yemen. The four children are aged three, five, six, and nine years old.

According to a close family friend of the missing persons, the family visited their hometown for a week in June due to the death of a close relative. “But he (the man) stopped communicating with his friends around four months ago,” the friend said. The family is in contact with their immediate relatives only through messaging apps and has communicated that they have gone to Yemen for studying Islam and Arabic. The family has also communicated to these close relatives that they will return after a year.

The security agencies are concerned because Yemen is a recruitment ground for many Islamist terror outfits and it is a continuously war-hit zone of the middle east. The state police had previously found that many people from Kerala had joined the IS over time. According to reports, two more youths from Vadakepuram in Padna panchayat have also entered Yemen from Oman and Saudi Arabia, where they previously worked. However, Kasaragod police said they were unaware of them.

Madhya Pradesh: Youth arrested after he brutally kicked a girl till she fainted and the video went viral, administration bulldozes his house

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Youth arrested after he brutally kicked a girl till she fainted and the video went viral, administration bulldozes his house

Police have arrested a boy after a video showing him beating a girl mercilessly went viral on social media. The incident had happened in an area under the Mauganj police station of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, where he had kicked her face and her entire body so much that she had lost consciousness, all of which were caught on camera. The accused has been identified as Pankaj Tripathi.

Police nabbed him from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, December 24, 2022, after the video of the assault emerged on social media. Inspector Shweta Maurya, in charge of the police station, has been suspended for negligence in connection with the incident. The home of accused Pankaj Tripathi has also been razed with a bulldozer in Rewa by the district administration. He brutally thrashed the 19-year-old teen on camera over refusing to marry him.

Two days ago, a video went viral on social media. In this video, the young girl was talking about marrying the culprit youth. Meanwhile, the accused youth asked the video maker to stop making the video and after that, he started beating the girl. The boy first grabbed the girl and threw her down and then kicked her in the face and other parts of her body several times. When the girl stopped responding to the assault as she had gone unconscious, he also made her stand holding her hand and checked her.

Initially, Pankaj was detained under section 151 (disturbing public peace) of the IPC, but he was released as the girl refused to lodge a complaint.

However, after the video of the incident went viral, there was a demand on social media for strict action against the accused. There was pressure on the police to catch the accused. The police formed a team for the investigation and contacted the girl. After she lodged a complaint against the accused, a case was registered, and he was arrested from Mirzapur. The accused has been booked under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. After this, a team of revenue and police officials reached the accused’s house, where his house was bulldozed.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, “In the incident of brutality with a young woman in Mauganj area of Rewa district, criminal Pankaj Tripathi was arrested and his house was bulldozed. Driver Pankaj’s license has also been cancelled. No one will be spared for committing atrocities on women on the soil of Madhya Pradesh.”

SP Navneet Bhasin said that he has suspended the station house officer Shweta Maurya. The investigation of the case has been handed over to Additional SP Mauganj Vivek Kumar Lal. A case has been registered under sections 366, 294, 323, 506, and 363 of the IPC and the IT Act.

Another accused Bharat Saket, who made the video viral, has also been arrested. It is being said that earlier the girl’s family refused to complain in this regard. However, when the video later went viral, the demand for action intensified. People demanded action against the accused Pankaj.

Pakistan: US embassy issues a warning to staff and restricts them from visiting Marriott Hotel in Islamabad due to a possible attack

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: US embassy issues a warning to staff and restricts them from visiting Marriott Hotel in Islamabad due to a possible attack

The US embassy in Islamabad has instructed its staff to avoid the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan’s capital citing the possibility of a terror attack. The security alert issued by the embassy said that they are aware of a plot to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel during the ongoing holiday season.

The embassy has also instructed Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Islamabad during this period citing the Red Alert in the city and the ban on public gatherings. The alert has been issued just two days after a suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 1 policeman and left 6 others injured.

Following the suicide bombing, the authorities issued a red alert and banned all public gatherings in Pakistan’s capital city. The activities related to the upcoming local government elections have also been suspended for two weeks.

The US embassy has asked its staff to stay vigilant if they are attending any events, or visiting religious places, and have been asked to stay away from places with large crowds. They have also been instructed to carry their identification at all times and keep track of local media if they are travelling.

2008 terror attack at Marriott Islamabad

In 2008, Marriott Hotel in Islamabad was the target of a deadly terror attack that killed 54 people and left over 250 injured. A dumpster truck filled with explosives was rammed into the front gate of the hotel on September 20 that year. The explosion, carried out by using 600 KGs of explosives, destroyed a part of the hotel. The hotel was closed for a few months as the renovations took place.

Three major international organisations stop working in Afghanistan after the Taliban government banned women from working in NGOs

OpIndia Staff
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Three major international organisations stop working in Afghanistan after the Taliban government banned women from working in NGOs

On Sunday, 25th December 2022, three big international NGOs announced that they are suspending their work in Afghanistan. These aid groups took this decision after the Taliban government in Afghanistan barred the NGOs from employing women. Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE are these three aid groups.

These NGOs said in a joint statement that without women working in their organizational fold, they find it impossible to reach children, women, and men in desperate need in Afghanistan. In the midst of deteriorating humanitarian situations, the three NGOs offer support and services in the areas of health care, education, child protection, and nutrition.

“We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff. Without women driving our response, we would not have jointly reached millions of Afghans in need since August 2021. Beyond the impact on delivery of lifesaving assistance, this will affect thousands of jobs in the midst of an enormous economic crisis,” the joint statement said.

“Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan,” the statement signed by Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland, and CARE International Secretary-General Sofia Sprechmann Sinerio said.

Neil Turner, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s chief for Afghanistan, said, “We have complied with all cultural norms and we simply can’t work without our dedicated female staff, who are essential for us to access women who are in desperate need of assistance.” 468 women work for the organization across Afghanistan.

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said that the Taliban has forced NRC, Save, CARE and many other organisations to suspend operations in Afghanistan with their ban on female workers. “Banning NGOs from employing women crosses a humanitarian red line. NRC cannot and will not operate without our 470 female staff,” he tweeted.

“Millions will suffer due to the TB edict. Noone should work with male staff only. It would be a horrible precedent,” Jan Egeland added.

Apart from these 3 NGOs, other organisations are also contemplating suspending their work in the country due to the ban on female employees. A meeting of the Humanitarian Country Team, which comprises top UN officials and representatives of dozens of Afghan and foreign NGOs, is being held in Kabul to discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive. “A meeting of Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is scheduled later today to consult and discuss how to tackle this issue,” Tapiwa Gomo, public information officer for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.

On Saturday, 24th December 2022, all domestic and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan were ordered by the Taliban government to forbid the presence of female employees at work. Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif wrote a letter with the directive for the NGO. It said that any organization found to be disobeying the rule will have its operating license for Afghanistan cancelled.

The Taliban banned women from working in local and international NGOs alleging that they are not wearing the Islamic headscarf correctly. The Ministry of Economy said it had received “serious complaints” that women working in NGOs were not following the Islamic dress code properly.

The United States has denounced the Taliban for ordering non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan to cease hiring women, saying that the prohibition will prevent millions of people from receiving crucial and life-saving aid. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday, 24th December 2022, “Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”

United Nations is seeking to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order barring all female employees of national and international organizations (NGOs) from going to work, according to the UN Humanitarian office, OCHA.

“The UN will seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order. Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Saturday.

“Their participation must be both respected and safeguarded. This latest decision will only further hurt those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” the statement added.

In the meanwhile, it is not clear whether the latest order will also impact organisations under the United Nations, which are heavily represented in Afghanistan and provide assistance in the midst of the country’s humanitarian crisis. However, an Economy ministry spokesperson said that the letter referred to organizations under Afghanistan’s coordinating body for humanitarian organizations, known as ACBAR, when questioned if the regulations extended to U.N. agencies as well. While United Nations is not included under ACBAR, more than 180 national and international NGOs are a part of it. Moreover, UN collaborates with these NGOs to carry out humanitarian activities.

TV actress Kamya Punjabi posts a tweet shaming those who commit suicide, gets called out by netizens for her insensitive judgment

OpIndia Staff
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TV actress Kamya Punjabi posts a tweet shaming those who commit suicide, gets called out by netizens for her insensitive judgment

TV actress Kamya Shalabh Dang, popularly known as Kamya Punjabi, posted a tweet on 25th December 2022 in which she shamed those who commit suicide. She shared this tweet a day after TV actress Tunisha Sharma allegedly committed suicide in Vasai on the sets of her TV show. Immediately after she shared the tweet, Kamya Punjabi was called out by the netizens for her insensitivity.

Kamya Punjabi tweeted, “What’s with today’s generation? At least have some courage to deal with your issues, your problems. Why give up on life so easily? Why are they so weak? Please think abt ur parents before taking such a drastic step, please give some importance to them too they suffer more than death.” At the end of the post, Kamya Punjabi also included a hashtag for Tunisha Sharma.

A Twitter user @dilnajaneyaaa responded to Kamya Punjabi’s judgment on people committing suicide and said, “Oh my god just shut up You don’t know what someone might be going through and you have no right to judge.”

Another Twitter user Shraddha replied, “I will hold on to my judgments until a proper investigation is done, someone posting stories, posts right before alleged hanging and that too motivational ones doesn’t make sense & you don’t know what someone is going through! You need the right person to take you out of those thoughts.”

Another Twitter user Shash asked Kamya Punjabi to restrict her opinions to TV shows like Bigg Boss only. Shash wrote, “you should restrict your options to BB, usse zyada dimaag nahi tumhare pass.”

Another Twitter account named Armyspeaks wrote in the reply, “How do u know what she was going through? Why do u judge? Maybe if her parents had created a safe space for her to come and voice out her pain, she would be alive today. She felt she is weak is also what her parents might have made her feel. there r possibilities. Don’t judge.”

Bharathi H told Punjabi that people from her generation keep mocking and judging youngsters, leading to more mental health issues. She replied, “People in your generation keep mocking, judging, humiliating people in our generation in the name of “putting out opinions” on social media which is one primary cause of mental health issues.”

TV actress Tunisha Sharma committed suicide on the sets of the TV show ‘Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul’ at Vasai on Saturday, 24th December 2022. Tunisha ended her life by hanging herself on the sets of the series.

Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ appointed as the new Prime Minister of Nepal

ANI
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Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ appointed as the new Prime Minister of Nepal

Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Sunday appointed Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation, Nepal President’s Office said.

“Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) will take oath as the new Prime Minister of Nepal tomorrow at 4pm (local time),” said Nepal President’s office.

Dahal was appointed PM for the third time after he secured the support of 169 members of the Parliament to form the new government. Dahal, also known by his nom de guerre Prachanda, meaning “fierce”, served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 2008 to 2009 and again from 2016 to 2017.

Earlier today, Prachanda moved an application with the President claiming the Prime Ministership of Nepal shortly after a coalition of six parties decided to support him to form the next government.

“A coalition of 6 parties have decided to project Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the Prime Minister. An agreement has been reached. Dahal will lead the government for two and a half years and the CPN-UML will be in power in the remaining two-and-a-half years,” Barshaman Pun, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) said.

In the new coalition, the CPN-UML has 78, Maoist Center 32, Rastriya Swatantra Party 20, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 14, Janata Samajbadi Party 12, Janamat Party 6, Nagarik Unmukti Party has four MPs and three independent lawmakers are in support of Prachanda.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal now has the support of 169 Members of Parliament.

Earlier on Sunday, Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel said Maoist Center decided to leave the ruling coalition.

Confirming the decision of the Maoist Centre over the phone with ANI, Paudel said that Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda walked out of the coalition meeting on Sunday after saying that “the coalition has lost its relevance.”

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

Defence ministry clears procurement of Pralay tactical ballistic missiles, to be deployed along China border

ANI
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Defence ministry clears procurement of Pralay tactical ballistic missiles, to be deployed along China border

In a major decision, the Defence Ministry has cleared the procurement of around 120 Pralay ballistic missiles for the Indian armed forces that will deploy them along the borders with China and Pakistan.

At present, the Pralay ballistic missiles can take out targets from 150 to 500 kms and are extremely difficult to intercept for the enemy through interceptor missiles. “A high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry cleared the acquisition of around 120 missiles for the armed forces and their deployment along the borders,” senior defence sources told ANI here.

The acquisition of these ballistic missiles is being seen as a big development for the country which now has a policy that allows the use of ballistic missiles in tactical roles. Both China and Pakistan have ballistic missiles which are for tactical roles.

The missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation is being further developed and its range can be extended significantly if the forces want it, the sources said.

The missile system started getting development around 2015 and the development of such a capability was given a push by the late Gen Bipin Rawat as Chief of Army Staff.

The missile was successfully tested twice on consecutive days last year on December 21 and December 22.

‘Pralay’ is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile. The advanced missile has been developed in a way to be able to defeat interceptor missiles. It has the ability to change its path after covering a certain range in midair.

‘Pralay’ is powered by a solid propellant rocket motor and other new technologies. The missile guidance system includes state-of-the-art navigation and integrated avionics.

The missile would be first inducted into the Indian Air Force likely to be followed by the Indian Army.

The proposal has been cleared at the Defence Ministry level and has paved the way for manufacturing and induction into the armed forces.

Defence watchers say such a missile system can be used for taking out long-range enemy air defence systems and also other high-value installations and weaponry.

The proposal to induct these missiles has been cleared at a time when the defence forces are working towards creating a dedicated rocket force which can take out enemy targets from long range. The Chinese military already has a dedicated rocket force.

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

Chhattisgarh: Tribal girl stabbed 51 times with a screwdriver, reports claim Shahbaz murdered her for ignoring his phone calls

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Tribal girl stabbed 51 times with a screwdriver, reports claim Shahbaz murdered her for ignoring his phone calls

A shocking case of the gruesome murder of a tribal girl has come to the fore from Chattisgarh’s Korba wherein a 21-year-old girl named Neelkusum was stabbed 51 times with a screwdriver. Tribal by birth, Neelkusum had converted to Christianity. The accused in this brutal murder case has been identified as Shahbaz. The incident took place on Saturday, December 24.

As per media reports, the reported incident took place in the Pump House colony of South Eastern Coalfields Limited. On the day of the incident, the girl was alone at home, while the rest of the family had gone somewhere else. The back door was open when the girl’s brother returned around 11 a.m. When he entered, he found that his sister Neelkusum has been murdered and her dead body was lying on the bed. The girl’s face was covered in blood, and her mouth was covered with a pillow. The victim’s brother immediately informed the rest of his family members. 

As per reports by Dainik Jagran and others, the accused is a man named Shahbaz who took a flight from Gujarat to Chattisgarh to kill the girl for ignoring his phone calls. The reports claim that the accused used to talk to the victim over WhatsApp calls earlier. It has also been claimed that the case involves a ‘love jihad’ angle. The police checked the call records of the victim’s mobile phone, however, nothing substantial was found.

Reportedly, two flight tickets in Shahbaz’s name were also recovered from the crime scene. As per the postmortem report, the victim was stabbed 34 times in the chest, 16 times in the back, and once in the side with a screwdriver. The wound near the heart was the most severe.

According to police, four teams have been formed to nab the culprit in the case. 

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