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Central govt stays Jharkhand Govt’s decision to convert Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth into a tourist hub, orders to protect the sanctity of Jain shrine

OpIndia Staff
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Central govt stays Jharkhand Govt’s decision to convert Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth into a tourist hub, orders to protect the sanctity of Jain shrine

In wake of nationwide protests by the Jain community against the Hemant Soren government’s decision to turn Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth in Jharkhand into a tourism hub, the central government has issued directives to halt all such activities in the larger Parasnath Hills. The revered pilgrimage site of the Jain community is located in these hills.

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav took to Twitter to share information about the same. “Met Jain community members who have been urging to protect the sanctity of Sammed Shikhar. Assured them that PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s government is committed to preserving and protecting the rights of Jain community over all their religious sites, including Sammed Shikhar,” the Union Minister Tweeted.

He also shared a copy of the letter written to the Inspector General of Forest (Wildlife) and ordered that the ecologically harmful activities on Shri Sammed Shikharji be halted with immediate effect. Orders have also been issued to the Jharkhand government to implement the restrictions mentioned in the memo immediately.

“Sammed Shikhar falls in the eco-sensitive zone of Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a list of prohibited activities that can’t take place in and around the designated eco-sensitive area. Restrictions will be followed in letter and spirit,” added the Union Environment Minister.

Over the last few days, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have received several representations from different organisations representing Jain Samaj. The organisations have been raising issues related to certain activities taking place at Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary that have negatively impacted the sentiments of Jain Dharma followers.

In this context, Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav summoned various representatives of the Jain community to a meeting to address the overall issue as well as possible solutions.

Following the meeting, it was decided that the State Government of Jharkhand be directed to strictly enforce the relevant provisions of the Management Plan of the Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary. These provisions specifically prohibit damage to flora or fauna; bringing pet animals; playing loud music or using loudspeakers; defiling sites of religious and cultural significance such as sacred monuments, lakes, rocks, caves, and shrines; and the sale of liquor, drugs, and other intoxicants, among other things. Jharkhand’s state government has been urged to aggressively enforce these provisions. The state government has also been asked to prohibit the sale and consumption of liquor and non-vegetarian food items on Parasnath Hills.

Jain community protests against the Jharkhand government’s decision to turn Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth into a tourist spot

It is notable that the Jain community has been carrying out peaceful protests in various parts of the country against the Jharkhand government’s move to develop Shri Sammed Shikharji as a tourism centre. The jain community believes this decision would chip away at the region’s spiritual significance and make way for the commercialisation of a pilgrim centre from where 20 out of the total 24 Tirthankaras of the current cycle attained salvation.

As a part of the Tourism Policy launched in July 2022, the Jharkhand government decided to promote religious tourism at Parasnath Hills. Every year, thousands of Jains from across the world undertake the 27 km long trek of climbing the hills to reach the summit that houses the salvation shrines of 20 Tirthankaras. Besides, the hills are also considered holy by the members of the Santhal tribe, who regard it as ‘Marang Buru’ and hold an annual festival there in mid-April.

On December 21st, 2022, members of the Jain community observed a one-day bandh as a mark of protest against the decision. On January 1st, 2023, members of the Jain community staged a protest in the national capital and other states of the country. Jain Muni Sugyesagar Maharaj died on January 3rd after fasting for over 10 days against the Jharkhand government’s decision on the Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth.

“Bahar nikalne ke baad dekh lunga”: jailed AAP minister Satyender Jain threatens and intimidates Tihar officials, complaint filed

OpIndia Staff
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“Bahar nikalne ke baad dekh lunga”: jailed AAP minister Satyender Jain threatens and intimidates Tihar officials, complaint filed

Delhi AAP minister Satyender Jain, who has already created controversy with his luxurious stay at Tihar Jail as an undertrial, now has been accused of intimidating and threatening jail officials. The Tihar Jail authorities have filed a complaint against the jailed AAP leader with the Director-General (Prisons), making several allegations.

In the complaint filed by the Additional Inspector General – Prisons (Tihar Jail), Superintendent of Jail No. 07 Rajesh Chaudhary, Deputy Superintendent Praveen Kumar, Assistant Jail Superintendent Jaidev, and the Law Officer complained to the Director-General (Prisons), it has been alleged that Jain has been abusing them and threatening them with dire consequences after he gets out of the jail.

According to the complaint, Jain threatened the jail officials after they tried to stop ‘special services’ like massage, lavish food, and other VVIP facilities that he was getting in the jail cell. CCTV footage of the cell had emerged which showed how Jain was getting VVIP services despite being a prisoner.

According to an incident report filed by Jaidev and Parveen Kumar on December 8, the threats were made by Jain on November 30 when they had gone to serve a show cause notice on the jailed minister regarding the allegations of flouting jail norms.

Satyendar Jain told the jail officials, “Mujhe pata hai ki ye sab mote ne karwaya hai, jo law officer hai. Main bahar nikalne ke baad is jail se CCTV footage mangunga aur is SCJ-7 Rajesh Chaudhary ko bahar nikalne ke baad dekh lunga aur isae naukri karna sikha dunga”.  (I know everything all this has been done by the Law Officer. Once I am out of jail, I will ask for the CCTV footage from him and won’t spare SCJ-7 Rajesh Chaudhary. I will look after him and will teach him how a job is done.)

The jailed minister further threatened, “Ye saara matter political hai aur jab bhi main bahar niklunga toh saare government servants jinhone mere against kuch bhi kia hai, chahe serving ya retired, unko dekh lunga.” (The entire matter is political. Once I am out of prison, all these government servants who have plotted against me, either serving or retired, won’t be spared.)

In the complaint, Law Officer Rajesh Chaudhary said that initially, he thought Satyendar Jain had said this in frustration, but after seeing the incident report, he took the matter seriously as Jain is a powerful minister and he can act on his threats after he gets out.

Considering the threats and that Jain is a powerful minister, the jail official also requested to transfer him to a different prison.

“The undersigned has apprehension that UTP Satyendra Kumar Jain s/o Ram Saran Jain, being a minister, may take adverse action against the undersigned and other Jail officials, once he comes out of the Jal. In view of the above it is requested that UTP Satyender Jain may be transferred to some other Jail at the earliest,” wrote Rajesh Chaudhary, the Superintendent of Jail No. 07.

DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India over the incident of urination in a flight from JFK to Delhi

ANI
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DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India over the incident of urination in a flight from JFK to Delhi

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday issued Show Cause notices to Air India, crew members and pilots of the New York-Delhi flight in connection with the urination incident onboard on November 26 last year.

In a statement, DGCA said, “A show cause notice has been issued to the Accountable Manager of Air India, the Director of in-flight Services of Air India, all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.”

The incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on AI-102 flight on November 26, 2022, from New York to New Delhi, came to the notice of DGCA on Wednesday wherein a male passenger conducted himself in a disorderly manner and allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger.

“For fact-finding, DGCA sought the details of the incident from Air India and on the basis of the reply of the airline, prima facie it emerges that provisions related to the handling of an unruly passenger on board have not been complied with,” the DGCA said.

The DGCA said that the conduct of the concerned airline appears to be unprofessional and has led to a systemic failure.

“Prima facie it lacks appreciation of regulatory obligations as described in applicable Aircraft Rules 1937, Civil Aviation Requirements on ‘Handling of Unruly Passengers’, Cabin Safety Circular, Air India Operations Manual, Air India Safety and Emergency Procedure Manual and Air India Quick Reference Handbook and is devoid of empathy,” it reads.

However, to meet the ends of justice, they have been given two weeks’ time to submit their reply to DGCA and based on that further action will be taken.

A man allegedly urinated on an elderly woman co-passenger during a New York-Delhi flight in November last year. The shocking incident occurred on November 26 when the flight was on its way from John F Kennedy international airport in New York to Delhi. The inebriated male passenger allegedly urinated on an elderly woman and flashed his private parts.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed the airline to conduct an internal probe into the matter and submit the report as soon as possible, said top government sources on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police said that the man who allegedly urinated on an elderly woman co-passenger onboard an Air India flight was a resident of Mumbai and will be arrested at the earliest.

“The accused is a resident of Mumbai, but his possible location is in some other state and the police team has reached there. We will arrest the accused at the earliest,” said Delhi Police. The Police on Wednesday filed an FIR on the shocking incident based on a complaint by Air India.

The police have registered an FIR in the matter under sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi. Air India on Wednesday imposed a 30-day flying ban on the passenger.

The National Commission for Women has taken cognisance of the incident onboard the Air India flight in which the inebriated male passenger also flashed his private parts at the elderly woman. The NCW has sought a detailed action taken report on the matter within seven days from the Delhi Police Commissioner.

In her letter, the woman said the ‘appalling incident’ occurred shortly after the lunch was served and the lights were switched off, as she was getting ready to sleep. The flight had taken off from John F Kennedy international airport in New York. She said that within minutes, an inebriated male walked to her seat and unzipped his pants, relieving himself and continued to expose his private parts until another passenger asked him to return to his seat.

“I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the appalling incident that occurred during my business class trip on flight AI102 (commencing in NY, JFK yesterday 26th November at 12.30 pm, and arriving this afternoon in New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport at approximately 1.30 pm). This has been the most traumatic flight that I have ever experienced.”

“During the course of the flight, shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, I was getting ready to sleep, and another passenger walked to my seat completely inebriated. He unzipped his pants, relieved himself, and continued to expose me to his private parts. The passenger sitting next to me asked him to return to his seat. He did not respond immediately, but after a few moments left the area,” the letter read.

The woman passenger who is in her seventies, in the letter, also highlighted that when asked for a change of seat, “the airline refused and informed her there were no seats available”. She also complained about being allotted a small seat used by the airline staff, by one of the senior stewardesses. 

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

As videos showing journalist tutoring Haldwani encroachers emerge, time to recall how it’s not new for ‘liberal media’ to tutor and twist for setting agenda

Anurag
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As videos showing journalist tutoring Haldwani encroachers emerge, time to recall how it’s not new for ‘liberal media’ to tutor and twist for setting agenda

On December 4, OpIndia’s ground team at Haldwani had an encounter with a freelance journalist who was inspired by the likes of The Wire. He tutored the encroachers to speak on camera and address Supreme Court in their statements. This was not the first time the left-wing media geared up to set an agenda using “emotional” messages from the locals.

From time to time, OpIndia has reported such cases where reporters and activists were seen tutoring protesters and even supporters of an ideology or a political party to build up the news reports. Some were even caught planting bytes and statements multiple times per their agenda.

Teesta Setalvad tutored Gujarat Riots victims and Shaheen Bagh Protesters

The infamous activist Teesta Setalvad who was arrested last year for conspiring against then-Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi in the Gujarat Riots of 2002, was caught on at least two occasions tutoring witnesses and protesters to plant her agenda. Even the Supreme Court had said that Teesta Setalvad was involved in fabricating evidence and tutoring witnesses to frame PM Modi in false cases.

The Shaheen Bagh case

In February 2020, OpIndia reported how Teesta Setalvad was caught on camera tutoring the Shaheen Bagh protesters demonstrating against Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register for Citizens (NRC). Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT Cell chief Amit Malviya published a video on Twitter on February 19, 2020, where Setalvad could be seen tutoring the protesters. Notably, Setalvad has also been accused of embezzling money she collected for Gujarat Riots victims for personal expenses.

In the 2-minutes long video, a lady can be heard reading out a list of questions the women could ask the interlocutors appointed by the Supreme Court to mediate and convince the Shaheen Bagh protestors to relocate to an alternative place. Teesta Setalvad could be spotted right behind her overseeing the tutoring.

Teesta also asked the ‘protestors’ if they were satisfied with the questions. The woman in pink then explained how one of them would sit with women in groups of 25-30 and explain in detail. Later Teesta explained what exactly change in elements of protests means.

The Gujarat Riots case

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of India gave a clean chit to the then-Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, in the Gujarat Riots of 2002. In the judgment, the apex court noted that Teesta Setalvad tutored the witnesses and submitted statements without checking with them. Notably, witnesses were unaware of the statements submitted in their names.

On Page 118 of the judgment, the court observed that Zakia Jafri, the main petitioner in the case, had admitted to concealing the fact that she had known Teesta for some time. She admitted during her cross-examination that Teesta Setalvad tutored the statement she gave to Nanavati-Shah Commission. Interestingly, during cross-examination, Zakia admitted she never read the copy of her statement to the Commission.

The court further observed, “She fabricated the documents by persons who were to be prospective witnesses of the complainant. It is not only a case of fabrication of documents but also of influencing and tutoring the witnesses and making them depose on pre-typed affidavit, as noted in the High Court judgment dated 11.7.2011 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 1692/2011.”

Journalist Mausami Singh of India Today was caught tutoring Congress workers.

In January 2019, when India was gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, India Today journalist Mausami Singh was caught on camera tutoring Congress workers to look “excited” for Priyanka Gandhi’s visit. On an eventful day, she was present at Anand Bhavan to record the celebratory events of Congress workers to welcome the joining of Priyanka Gandhi as the UP East in charge. However, in a video that has gone viral now, it can be seen that the journalist was orchestrating the event all along to create a narrative of excitement.

In a series of videos, a Twitter user recounted the scenes at an event that was purposefully staged so that it could be broadcasted in the media to sustain a narrative. The social media user who was at the spot claimed that a few supporters of the Congress party were chanting “Priyanka Gandhi Zindabad” after it was announced that she would be joining politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In the video, it can be seen that Mausami Singh was indeed instructing those Congress workers to make certain statements to the media. The social media user further added that Mausami Singh had successfully managed to bring in some more crowd, especially women, to the spot, who claimed to be Congress party workers.

Two journalists were found tutoring local women villagers about giving statements against Bajrang Dal.

In December 2018, during a ground report in Bulandshehr, OpIndia reported how two make journalists led a group of women to give statements that they witnessed members of Bajrang Dal gather for a meeting on December 2 night. “We men were at Itjima, and only women and old people were present when the announcement was made. Hours later, the carcass was found,” a local villager told OpIndia. It was strange to witness a closed-door meeting between the witnesses and journalists. Those journalists were from a video platform which had partnered with a data analysis website which was called out for misreporting on ‘hate crimes’.

OpIndia’s encounter with a propaganda ‘journalist’ in Haldwani

The leftist media has geared up to make the Haldwani protests by the illegal encroachers their new propaganda tool. That the illegal encroachers are mostly Muslims, and state administration is getting the encroachment removed on a High Court order (now stayed by Supreme Court) the leftists have things served on a platter to make a communal issue out of it and cry ‘Muslims under attack by Hindu nationalist party’ on international platforms.

Appeals are made in the name of ‘humanity’, and requests for facilities are made so that eventually, the illegal structures can be regularised and government land is usurped illegally. It had all the elements to become yet another ‘Shaheen Bagh’ like movement where a law was opposed over fabricated allegations and ‘Muslims under attack’ was peddled. This is when Citizenship Amendment Act does not affect Indians, Muslims or otherwise, in any case. Propagandists cried ‘kagaz nahin dikhayenge’ in defiance over laws that did not affect them – no one wanted to see their papers if they were Indian citizens. However, those protests and ‘chakkajams’ eventually led to anti-Hindu riots in the national capital.

The OpIndia team went to Haldwani to verify what was going on in Haldwani. On January 4, OpIndia’s team was in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, to take stock of the situation amidst a notice issued to clear the encroachment of the Indian Railways land. Social media has been flooded with viral videos claiming that the court-ordered removal of illegal encroachers is a ‘conspiracy’ against Muslims. Most of the illegal encroachers on the railway land are Muslims.

During our time at the location, we spotted a man who identified himself as a journalist talking to the encroachers and tutoring them on what to say. Notably, he clearly asked them not to speak in Urdu but speak in Hindi and how it will come on channels such as the leftist propaganda outlet The Wire. He specifically asked one of the encroachers to address the Supreme Court, where the case was scheduled for hearing on January 5.

Urdu teacher Dilshad takes Maulvi Wasim from Panipat to Kairana, beats him to death, and buries him in an under-construction house

OpIndia Staff
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Urdu teacher Dilshad takes Maulvi Wasim from Panipat to Kairana, beats him to death, and buries him in an under-construction house

A shocking case has come to light from the Panipat district of Haryana. The case is reminiscent of the Bollywood film ‘Drishyam’, just as the body of a young man was buried in an under-construction police station after killing him in the film, the accused in film’s style, buried the dead body in an under-construction house. The accused Dilshad first took Wasim to Kairana from Panipat and then killed him there.

The police have arrested the 65-year-old cleric. The deceased has been identified as Maulvi Wasim. He had been missing since December 31, 2022. Wasim was reportedly married and left behind two children.

Panipat police recovered Wasim’s body from an under-construction house in Reta Wala Mohalla in Kairana on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in the presence of duty magistrate Tahsildar. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Police said the accused was an Urdu teacher and a cleric, and the deceased was his fellow Maulvi.

A WhatsApp message was sent to Wasim’s brother

According to reports, 28-year-old Maulvi Wasim was a resident of Imam Sahib Mohalla, Jatal Road in Panipat. He had been missing for 4 days. According to the deceased’s elder brother Kallan, his younger brother left for work around 8 AM on December 31, 2022, after which he did not return home.

He said, “At 6.12 pm on January 1, 2023, I received a message on WhatsApp with a photo of Wasim’s body. It was written in that message that we are speaking from Jind. Your brother did wrong to our girl. That’s why we killed him. Waseem had also taken Rs 7.35 lakh from the girl. Before dying, Wasim has given his brother’s number. Now this money will be recovered from his brother.”

Dilshad confessed to the murder

In some media reports, Wasim is being called Wasin. Investigating officer Mahipal Singh, who is investigating the case, said, “The victim’s family had initially lodged a missing person’s report. After this, the story of Wasim’s murder came to light when his brother received a message, in which the girl and the money were mentioned.”

He added, “During the investigation of the case, family, friends, neighbors, and others were questioned. Wasim was also a cleric. He had made 65-year-old cleric Dilshad his master. When Dilshad was strictly interrogated in this case, he confessed to killing his disciple.”

Dilshad killed Wasim for Rs 7.5 lakhs

The accused Dilshad told the police that he had taken the deceased Wasim to Kairana on the pretext of getting him a job. He asked Wasim to sit in an under-construction house. Dilshad hit Wasim on the head with a stick, due to which he died on the spot. He then brought a mattress cover and placed Wasim’s body inside it. He then buried his body in the under-construction house.

The accused Dilshad is a resident of Kandhla in UP. He had known Wasim for about 7 years. Dilshad also often visited Wasim’s house. During this time, he came to know that Wasim was friends with a woman teacher from Jind. The teacher had recently given about Rs 7.5 lakh to Wasim and Dilshad had his eye on it. For this money, he killed Wasim under a well-planned conspiracy.

Zakir flashes his private part at a woman passenger in DTC bus in Delhi, pretends to cry when caught by marshal: Watch

Jhankar Mohta
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Zakir flashes his private part at a woman passenger in DTC bus in Delhi, pretends to cry when caught by marshal: Watch

On Thursday, January 5, a video went viral wherein a man named Zakir, a resident of Bihar, was caught by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) marshal after he allegedly flashed his private part at a female passenger on a bus in Delhi.

Popular Twitter user named Ashwini Shrivastava was the first to highlight the matter on social media as he posted a video of the incident on his Twitter and YouTube accounts.

In the video, which has now gone viral, the DTC marshal can be heard confronting the accused after the woman passenger narrates her ordeal. The accused, who pretends to cry after being caught, identifies himself as Zakir, a resident of Bihar. He reveals that he currently stays in Rajouri Garden and works in the Vijay Vihar area in the national capital.

The DTC marshal then introduces himself and gives out the details of the incident. He also says in the video that he called the police and appropriate action will be taken by them.

This is not the first time such a disgusting incident has come to light. Last month, a man was arrested for allegedly flashing his private parts inside the Vishweshwar Mahadev temple in Prakash Nagar in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh.

The accused was identified as Wasim. The incident of the man doing obscene acts in the temple was recorded in the CCTV footage. Wasim was arrested after police checked the CCTV footage after receiving a complaint about the obscene act. He has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

Kanjhawala Death Case: Delhi police deny the possibility of murder charges, 7 accused identified so far

OpIndia Staff
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Kanjhawala Death Case: Delhi police deny the possibility of murder charges, 7 accused identified so far

On January 1, a girl named Anjali died in a horrific road accident that took place early in the morning in Kanjhawala, Delhi. The police have arrested five accused in the case. On Thursday, 5th January 2023, the Delhi Police shared important updates related to the case. The police have denied the possibility of any murder charges on the accused in this case. Police have also revealed that there are 7 accused in the case, and not just 5.

On 5th January 2023, Delhi Police officer Sagar P Hooda said that so far, based on the investigation, they can not apply charges of murder on the accused. He also informed that 18 teams of Delhi Police are working on this case.

Sagar Hooda said that five accused are in custody and the clues found on the basis of their statements are being investigated. He said that many discrepancies have been found in the statements of the five accused. Based on the CCTV and CDR, it has been found that there were two more persons involved, the official said.

Delhi Police said accused Deepak identified himself as the driver, but another accused Amit was driving the vehicle. There were two more people. They were the associates of the five prime accused and they have also been made accused in the case. “Our team is investigating the matter seriously and the final post-mortem report is awaited”, Delhi police said.

The Delhi Police has also shared the exact time of the accident. Hooda said that the incident took place between 2.04 AM and 2.06 AM. He said that the road where the accident took place leads to Haryana and continues for almost 10-12 km. However, how far the body was dragged is not known at the moment.

“There is nothing that indicates sexual harassment,” the official also said.

Sagar Hooda further added, “We will present the accused to take their custody again. At the same time, there are two more accused who are being arrested. Their names are Ashutosh and Ankush Khanna. A charge sheet will be filed in the case soon.”

“Nidhi is a key witness in the case and we have recorded her statement. As to why she did not report to the police, it is also on our minds. We have also done counseling. There could be some trauma. All aspects are being investigated. She told her mother. So we will investigate that too,” he added.

According to a report by ABP News, Nidhi’s mother Sudeshi has now come up with a new revelation. She said that the accused deliberately ran the car over Anjali to and fro several times. According to her, Nidhi told her that Anjali has been murdered by the accused. Anjali’s friend Nidhi was with her when her scooty was struck by the accused’s vehicle, and it is claimed that she left the scene of the accident.

Nidhi’s mother said, “My sons have disowned Nidhi. I meet her without informing my sons. She told me that some people have run a car over her friend, and they tried to do the same with her but she ran away. The allegations the deceased’s mother is putting against my daughter are untrue.”

Questions are also being raised on the working style of the police in this whole case. Eyewitnesses of the case said that the police were informed on time, but no action was taken. On these questions, Sagar P. Hooda said that the police are conducting an internal investigation into the response of the police PCR. If there is a human error in it, then action will be taken against those who are at fault, he assured.

CPIM women’s wing AIDWA uses former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto’s face for its national conference

OpIndia Staff
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CPIM women’s wing AIDWA uses former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto’s face for its national conference

All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), the women’s wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has used the picture of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as the cover photo for their upcoming national conference. AIDWA also labelled Palayam Martyr Mandap in Thiruvananthapuram as Benazir Bhutto Square. 

Big hoardings with the photo of the former Pakistan PM have been put up for the AIDWA conference. The text written next to Benazir Bhutto’s image reads, “Benazir Bhutto the first woman prime minister of Pakistan was also presented with the honorary doctorate by 9 universities including Harvard University.” At the bottom, Benazir Bhutto Square is mentioned.

As per a press statement, the conference is scheduled to be held from January 6 to 9 and will be inaugurated by Mallika Sarabhai, Chancellor of the Kerala Kala Mandalam Public Deemed University. The concluding meeting of this conference will be attended by CM Pinarayi Vijayan on January 9.

Sandeep Vachaspati, Spokesperson for the Kerala unit of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), took to Twitter to condemn the communist party for placing the picture of Benazir Bhutto on the hoarding of their conference. 

“The photograph of Former PM of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, who declared 1000 years of war against India, now adorns the hording that was erected in connection with the national conference of @cpimspeak women association. Beware of the traitors and the threat within,” Vachaspati tweeted.

While the conference is to be held with the slogan ‘Struggle in Unity for Equality,’ the CPI(M) women’s wing is using the cover image of Benazir Bhutto who in her speech in Larkana in the year 1990 echoed the former Prime minister of Pakistan and founder of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s “1000 years war against India.”

It is pertinent to mention that in 1965, the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a speech at the UN Security Council had said,  “We will wage a war for 1,000 years against India, a war of defence…Irrespective of our size and of our resources, we shall fight to the end.”

Excerpt from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s speech at UNSC in 1965 (Image credit: bhutto.org)

This declaration of “1000 years war against India” was not a mere provocation or rhetoric which reflected in Pakistan’s policy towards India which came to be known as “Bleed India With a Thousand Cuts.”

In 1990, Benazir Bhutto delivered a speech that resulted in a surge in cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and led to the ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Hindus. 

The same Benazir Bhutto the CPI(M) identifies as a woman who received doctorates from 9 universities including Harvard also instigated the Kashmiri Muslims to take up arms and wage a Jihad against India. 

“That Jagmohan (Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 1990) will be cut into Jag-Jag-Mo-Mo-Han-Han. Kashmiri Muslims do not fear because they are Muslims. Kashmiri Muslims have the blood of Mujahids and Ghazis in their veins. Kashmiris will take their freedom with bravery. From every town, village, and every mosque only one voice will echo, Azaadi,” Benazir said in her speech while addressing a large crowd.

Even though the targeted killing of Hindus in Kashmir began in 1989 with the murder of Tika Lal Taploo, Benazir Bhutto’s 1990 speech was among the many factors that led to the genocide of Hindus in Kashmir.

California: Indian-origin man drives his Tesla off 300-foot cliff in a suicide attempt, family of four survives crash

ANI
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California: Indian-origin man drives his Tesla off 300-foot cliff in a suicide attempt, family of four survives crash

An Indian-origin man, Dharmesh A Patel, has been arrested for attempted murder and child abuse after California Highway Patrol officials say he intentionally drove his car over a cliff with his wife and two children, reported ABC News.

The Southern California man faces multiple charges on suspicion of attempted murder and child endangerment, according to an arrest report. The highway patrol said that he will be formally booked into San Mateo County Jail after his hospital treatment.

The driver of the car, Patel, of Pasadena, California, is being treated for his injuries and will be booked into San Mateo County Jail upon his release from the hospital, according to CHP.

All four occupants of the Tesla survived the crash Monday after the car plunged 250 to 300 feet into a rocky beach area known as Devil’s Slide, about 20 miles south of San Francisco, California Highway Patrol said.

California Highway Patrol spokesman, officer Mark Andrews said the car’s three passengers were the driver’s wife and two children.

According to Patel’s arrest report, the other occupants of the car were a 41-year-old female, a 7-year-old female and a 4-year-old male.

CHP received a call about a vehicle plunging over a cliff on Highway 1, south of the Tom Lantos tunnels, CHP said in a statement to ABC News.

CHP officers and additional emergency personnel arrived at the scene and saw a white Tesla about 250 to 300 feet down the cliff, according to CHP. According to CHP, emergency personnel rappelled down to the vehicle and found two adults and two children inside.

All four people were successfully rescued from the car and taken to the local hospital with serious injuries, according to CHP.

CHP officers interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence from the scene. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators developed probable cause to believe the accident was an intentional act, according to CHP. 

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

Cracks in houses, families relocated: Severe landslides continue to cause concern in Joshimath, Uttarakhand

OpIndia Staff
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Cracks in houses, families relocated: Severe landslides continue to cause concern in Joshimath, Uttarakhand

Joshimath, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is seeing severe landslides. Currently, all of the wards in the area have been affected by landslides. On Monday, 2nd January 2023, houses also began to develop cracks, which caused alarm throughout the city.

50 affected residents of JP Company Colony were relocated on Wednesday by the company, while 16 affected families from other wards were relocated to safer locations by the government. 11 affected individuals were relocated from the area earlier. The structures in the low-lying areas are also in danger as a result of the water leaking from the ground in the Marwari area. Cracks have also appeared in BSNL’s office and residential buildings in the town’s Singhdhar ward, posing a risk to the residents who live there.

On Monday night, there were major cracks in 50 residential buildings of JP Company in the Marwari ward of the town. In view of the threat, on Wednesday, JP Company evacuated all the houses and shifted the employees to safe places in different locations. Bharat Bisht, who lives in the company’s residential complex, said that along with the company’s buildings, there have been cracks in his house as well. Water leakage from the ground also continues unabated in parts of the JP Colony. Now the water has started leaking from the walls of many houses as well.

According to a report by Amar Ujala, water coming out of the ground is entering the cracks, which has increased the danger even more. Since Monday, cracks have occurred in some or the other house in all the nine wards of the city – Parsari, Ravigram, Sunil, Upper Bazar, Narsingh Mandir, Manohar Bagh, Singhdhar, Marwari and Gandhi Nagar wards. At the same time, the cracks are constantly increasing. From here, the administration has shifted about 16 affected people on Wednesday and five families on Tuesday. Earlier, six families were also shifted while many of the affected have left their homes.

Auli ropeway operation suspended

The operation of the Auli ropeway has also been suspended till the next orders. Ropeway manager Dinesh Bhatt said that these orders have been received from the administration, while the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Directorate has not yet ordered to stop the ropeway operations. There have also been cracks in the land around the ropeway tower in Joshimath. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the safety of the tourists.

Post office shifted

The post office operating on the premises of JP Company has been shifted to the head post office in Joshimath. Post office official N Lohani said that the post office operating in the premises was in danger due to leakage of water. Due to this, it has been transferred to the post office of Joshimath.

The building complex of Dharmic institutions also affected

The Jyotirmath complex has also been affected by the landslides. There have been major cracks around the buildings of the complex, the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. Brahmachari Mukundanand, in charge of Jyotirmath, said there were cracks at the entrance, Lakshmi Narayan temple, and in the auditorium.

Hotel Mount View in Singhdhar ward has also been damaged due to landslides. On Monday night, the family living behind the hotel was in a state of panic after hearing the sound of the walls of the hotel being broken. Hotel owner Sunder Lal Semwal said that the hotel has been completely evacuated.

Dr. Brijesh Sati, media in-charge of Jyotirmath, said that Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotishpeeth has expressed his concern over the landslide. Shankaracharya has said that the government should work seriously on this issue. Brahmachari Mukundanand, in charge of Jyotirmath, said that soon the disaster service center room will be set up on behalf of the math.

Report by the SDC Foundation and UDAS

The SDC Foundation has released its third report on major natural disasters and accidents occurring in Uttarakhand. According to the Uttarakhand Disaster and Accident Synopsis (UDAS) report, 500 houses in Joshimath are not fit to live. The report has expressed concern over the continuous landslides in Joshimath.

The major part of the report is about the landslide in Joshimath this time. The report says that more than 500 houses in the city are uninhabitable. People alleged that the administration has not taken any action to deal with the situation, due to which they had to take to the streets on December 24. About 800 shops in the city remained closed on the day as a mark of protest. The reasons for Joshimath’s landslides have also been mentioned in the report.

Team of experts to survey Joshimath

The state government is keeping an eye on the entire matter. On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a team of experts will leave for Joshimath on Thursday, 5th January 2023. The expert team includes Dr. Piyush Rautela from Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), Dr. Shantanu Sarkar from Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre (ULMMC), Prof. BK Maheshwari, Manoj Kastha from Geological Survey of India (GSI), Dr. Swapna Mitra Chaudhary from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), and Dr. Gopal Krishna from National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) Roorkee.

Earlier, this team of experts visited Joshimath between August 16 and 20, 2022, and submitted the first report to the government. This team will stay in Joshimath for the next few days and do the survey work. During this time, the team will report to the government regarding both long-term and immediate measures.

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