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‘Muslim crowd, Arfa, religion… speak in Hindi, not Urdu’: Haldwani encroachers being trained by journalist claiming to be from The Wire

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‘Muslim crowd, Arfa, religion… speak in Hindi, not Urdu’: Haldwani encroachers being trained by journalist claiming to be from The Wire

The leftist media has geared up to make the Haldwani protests by the illegal encroachers as their new propaganda tool. That the illegal encroachers are mostly Muslims and state administration is getting the encroachment removed on 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 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 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.

Hence, OpIndia team decided to verify what is 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 who was 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 leftist propaganda outlet The Wire. He specifically asked one of the encroachers to address the Supreme Court, where the case is scheduled for hearing on January 5.

Part 1: Journalist trained encroachers to speak in Hindi

Our team spotted a man wearing woollen cap identifying himself as a journalist speak to a crowd of encroachers and he was showing something on his phone. In the first video, he was seen speaking to encroachers and showed them a video of Arfa Khanum Sherwani of The Wire. He said, “She is a Muslim. She is from your community. She speaks so well.” He said that the video would appear on likes of The Wire.

After this, we stopped recording the scene unfolding before us on camera, to protect safety of our reporter.

‘You’ve to speak to Supreme Court’: How the ‘journalist’ taught Muslim crowd to ‘speak in Hindi’

In second part, one can hear the said journalist teach the crowd how they have to speak on camera and ‘appeal’ to the Supreme Court and cry how they are the ‘citizens’ of India. Whether or not one is citizen of India, the law of the land should be respected by all and Indian citizenship does not bestow you protection for illegally encroaching upon government land.

In the above video, journalist claiming to be from The Wire told the illegal encroacher, “Bolna Padega… It will come first on Bolna Padega and second on The Wire. We want to request the Supreme Court to pass orders keeping humanity in mind. Where will the public go? On the one hand, the government is building night shelters and providing all types of facilities. On the other hand, we are being evicted. There are poor children here. Innocent women and pregnant women live here. Where will they go? Supreme Court must keep all this in mind while passing the order. Supreme Court should become a living example of humanity.”

‘Use Hindi words, not Urdu words,’ The Wire inspired journalist tutors encroachers

In the last part, he tutored the encroacher to change how he spoke. He asked the encroacher to address the Supreme Court and told him that the tagline of the report would be “The judgment will come tomorrow (January 5)”. He added, “I am putting words in your mouth. You have to say that. ‘I want to tell the Supreme Court. We are the citizens of India.

We are Hindu Muslims. We request you not to put us in a confused state.’ Don’t use Urdu words. Use Hindi words. ‘Please take cognizance of the injustice happening to us.'” He then asked them to speak to the camera and not look at him.

The Haldwani encroachment clearance orders and protests against it

Earlier this year, social media was flooded with viral videos of thousands of people sitting in biting cold pleading their ‘homes’ be not removed. Turns out, they were illegal encroachers and removal of encroachment was done after a High Court orders. The land that was encroached upon belonged to Indian Railways.

The protesters also claimed that the clearance of encroachments would affect a large number of women, children, and elderly persons residing in the area. Since then, speculations are rife that these are orchestrated protests and are being made to be yet another ‘Shaheen Bagh‘. And now it seems the tricks of leftist media have worked and Supreme Court has put a stay on demolition drive.

Supreme Court stays demolition drive to clear illegal encroachment from Railways land in Haldwani, says there has to be rehabilitation before eviction

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays demolition drive to clear illegal encroachment from Railways land in Haldwani, says there has to be rehabilitation before eviction

The Supreme Court Wednesday put a stay on the matter of the removal of encroachment from Indian Railways land in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, saying that a workable arrangement has to be devised. Staying the Uttarakhand High Court order to evict more than 4000 families who are illegally encroaching on railway land, the apex court bench comprising Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka also barred any new construction or development on the land till the matter is resolved.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Uttarakhand High Court order which directed the clearance of illegal encroachments on railway land in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. The Supreme Court issued notices to the Uttarakhand government and the Railways in the matter, asking them to find a practical solution before going ahead with the eviction.

While the Supreme Court agreed that the land belongs to Indian Railways and is needed for the development and expansion of railway infrastructure, the court stated in its judgement that the government must give full rehabilitation to the eligible residents of the area. “In the meantime, there shall be a stay of the directions passed in the impugned order,” Supreme Court said, prohibiting any new construction or development on the land.

While putting a stay on the matter, the bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka opined that 50,000 persons cannot be relocated in seven days. As Justice SK Kaul heard the case, he stated that there are numerous parts to the issue, that people have been living on the land for years, and that there are establishments.

The court noted that there are many people who claimed to have been living in the area for 60-70 years, and asked the authorities to identify illegal encroachers and legal residents. After that, the govt must rehabilitate the valid residents, and find a suitable solution for the illegal encroachers, the court ordered.

“What is troubling us is how do you deal with a situation where people bought in auction and took possession after 1947 and acquired title. You may acquire the land but what to do now. People lived for 60-70 years some rehabilitation has to be done. There must be a culmination to the issue and we do not encourage what is going on,” Justice Kaul said during the hearing. The justice said that even in cases of illegal encroachment, governments have often rehabilitated the encroachers. He said that there is a human angle to the issue.

The court also noted that the High Court issued the order to clear the encroachment within 7 days without hearing the affected people. The bench further said that a large number of people have been living in the area for a long period, and all of them can’t be painted with the same brush. There could be different categories, the bench said.

As the lawyers of the petitioners said that many people have been living there for decades and were granted leases of the land by the government and some claimed to have purchased land in auctions, the Supreme Court said that the state govt will have to find a practical solution. It is notable that the petitioners are not seeking rehabilitation as they claim to have ownership rights of the land.

While staying the eviction order, the court said that proceedings under the Public Premises Act can continue.

The case has now been listed for its next hearing on February 7.

The Haldwani encroachment clearance orders and protests against it

Thousands of Muslim residents in Haldwani staged a protest on December 28 against the clearance of illegal encroachments on railway land in accordance with a High Court ruling. The demonstrators claimed that removing the illegal encroachments would make them homeless.

The protesters also claimed that the clearance of encroachments would affect a large number of women, children, and elderly persons residing in the area. Obvious actors including Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair, Amnesty India and others have jumped to make Haldwani another Shaheen Bagh.

The Congress party too jumped in to exploit the situation for political brownie points. On January 4, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat sat on an hour-long silent fast at his residence in Dehradun in support of the people of Banbhulpura of Haldwani. 

‘Hockey comes home’: As Odisha gears up to host Hockey World Cup, Birsa Munda Stadium, world’s largest, to be inaugurated today by CM Patnaik

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hockey comes home’: As Odisha gears up to host Hockey World Cup, Birsa Munda Stadium, world’s largest, to be inaugurated today by CM Patnaik

Hockey has a home in Odisha, in the Sundergarh district. In recent years, with active encouragement and funding by the state government under CM Naveen Patnaik, the players have found a home in Odisha too. Many of you may be aware that when the Indian national hockey teams, both Men’s and Women’s, were struggling to find a sponsor around 2018, CM Naveen Patnaik had come forward, and opened Odisha’s purse, and heart for hockey.

Since 2018, the Odisha government has taken a number of steps to promote hockey and its players. The results were for everyone to see when both the Men’s and Women’s teams made it to the Semifinals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after almost four decades. The Men’s team won the Bronze medal, ending a long hiatus since the Goldens days of Indian hockey.

The state is again going to host the Men’s Hockey World Cup this month from 13 to 29 January. The capital city of Bhubaneswar and steel city Rourkela have been decked up to host the event. To mark the state’s position in the world hockey map, the Odisha government has constructed the world’s largest hockey stadium in Rourkela, named after legendary freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

Hockey India today shared a proud video, of Indian players standing inside the grand stadium, declaring their intent for the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, “to bring it home”.

The FIH Odisha Hockey World Cup’s mascot is ‘Olly’, the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle that travels thousands of miles across the oceans every year to make the coast of Odisha their nesting grounds.

Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela

The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium has been built over 15 acres of land at the campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Rourkela. The facility has a seating capacity of 20,000. It houses a swimming pool, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a tunnel connecting the dressing rooms to the playground.

20 of the 44 Hockey World Cup matches will be held at this stadium. The remaining ones, including the final, will be held at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium, which was the venue of all Hockey World Cup matches in 2018. Belgium was the winner in 2018.

To test the newly laid turf ahead of the grand event, a 3-match series was organised at the stadium, between Korean junior and Indian junior teams recently.

Sundergarh district and hockey

The tribal-dominated Sundergarh district in Odisha has been living a breathing hockey for decades. Located in an area that was once the heartland of the Maoist Red-corridor, Sundergarh has become the ‘Cradle of Indian Hockey’. The resource-rich region has produced five national captains of the Indian hockey team and over 60 international players.

Some believe that the natural soil and rock in the limestone belt of Chotanagpur plateau, with its abundance in calcium percentage, strengthens the bones of the people in this area and makes them energetic, making them perfect for playing hockey.

The sport is now a cultural identity for various tribes such as Orams, the Kharia, the Munda and the Bhuniya communities. Even aged people in these tribal villages can be seen playing hockey. The game introduced by Christian missionaries centuries ago has now seeped into their culture.

Three players from Sundergarh – one women hockey player (Deep Grace Ekka) and two men players (Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra) made it to the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

The Odisha government has been organising a series of promotional events to encourage the public to watch and participate in the sport. The trophy of the World Cup arrived in Odisha on December 27, after touring 16 states. Since then it has been on a tour across schools and colleges, getting a rousing welcome from people of the state everywhere.

‘Don’t talk about religion, don’t wear saffron, become modern’, Maharashtra Congress leader Hussain Dalwai mocks UP CM Yogi Adityanath

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t talk about religion, don’t wear saffron, become modern’, Maharashtra Congress leader Hussain Dalwai mocks UP CM Yogi Adityanath

On Wednesday, January 4, Hussain Dalwai, a senior member of the Maharashtra Congress and a former MP, mocked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s customary saffron robe, stating the latter should junk saffron and instead dress more contemporarily.

“Don’t talk about religion every day, do not wear saffron clothes and become a little modern, embrace modern ideas,” the Congress leader said.

The Congress leader further taunted the Uttar Pradesh CM, a Yogi and also the Mahant of Gorakhpeeth, by saying, “art comes from modernity, embrace those modern ideas as industries are a symbol of modernity, shun saffron and go modern.”

The Congress leader also chastised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is in Mumbai for two days to attract domestic investors ahead of the Global Investors Summit, which will be hosted in Lucknow next month, for pushing industrialisation in his state. Hussain Dalwai suggested that Yogi build new enterprises in his own state rather than taking them from Maharashtra.

“Maharashtra has provided good facilities for industry. So instead of taking industries from Maharashtra, you should develop new industries in the state. Create an environment to allow them to thrive,” he said while talking to the reporters on Wednesday.

BJP hits back at the Congress leader

Hitting back at Congress leader, BJP’s leader Ram Kadam said, “Is Congress leader’s statement not an insult to the saints who wear saffron? What has happened to the Congress party and its leaders? Why do they have an objection to the saffron colour? Saffron is not just a colour of the Hindu flag or the dress of Hindu saints, it represents sacrifice, dedication, knowledge, purity and spirituality.”

Maharashtra BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar also came down heavily at the Congress leader stating, “This is the old practice of Congress. The Congress which divide the whole country partitioned the country on religious lines and after independence, it indulged in the appeasement of Muslims. Not only, Maharashtra Congress people always flourished on the basis of hatred for the Uttar Bharatiya and Bihari and all the state people. And that’s why they are making such a statement against Uttar Pradesh’s successful Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.”

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also hit out at the Congress party saying that this is their vote bank politics.

Notably, CM Yogi Adityanath will today, begin his domestic roadshows in Mumbai, the country’s financial centre. He will be meeting with the country’s leading moguls and bankers, as well as important film personalities, in the context of the upcoming Film City in Noida.

It is worth noting that in December, eight delegations of ministers and senior officials visited 21 cities in 16 countries and received investment proposals worth 7.12 lakh crore under the leadership of CM Yogi.

The roadshows in nine Indian cities, which begins today, are a continuation of that effort.

According to CM Yogi’s schedule, he would have one-on-one interactions with several industrialists before and after the roadshow. These meeting will be conducted on a business-to-government basis (B2G).

Maharashtra: Sameer Saleem Patel lures a minor Hindu girl, rapes her several times on the pretext of marriage, booked

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Sameer Saleem Patel lures a minor Hindu girl, rapes her several times on the pretext of marriage, booked

On Tuesday, January 3, Maharashtra Police registered a complaint against a Muslim individual, Sameer Saleem Patel, for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in the Vai region of Satara district. The accused has been sexually exploiting the victim girl since June last year. The case has been registered under section 376 (n) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), and sections 3 (1) (w), 3 (2) (v) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

According to the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, both, the accused and the victim are residents of the Kadegao area of Vai and the victim girl is at present studying in standard 12. The girl in the complaint mentioned that she knew Sameer since December 2021. “Sameer used to work on our farm. We met once or twice. Later he became friends with my brother and started coming home. He also developed friendly relations with me so much so that I started trusting him,” the girl said.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

She added that in February last year, the accused called her to a cafe named ‘Dream Coffee Shop’ and expressed his love for her. He made her believe that he was in love with her and demanded sexual favours from her. On refusal, he assured the girl that he would marry her in the future. The girl in the report said that the accused took her to a room behind the cafe and developed sexual relations with her against her will.

As per the FIR copy, the accused sexually assaulted the victim girl in June 2022. Later he continued to rape the victim several times by calling her to the cafe after her college hours. The saga continued till December 2022. The victim in December last year discovered that the accused was having multiple similar affairs. She also discovered that he had given false hopes to her that he would marry her in the future.

Accused named in the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

“We had gone to Mandhar Dev, a Hindu religious place in December 2022 on his bike. There he again promised me that he would marry me. Later my parents helped me uncover the truth that he was cheating on me and that he had sexually assaulted me by giving false hopes that he would marry me,” the girl reported.

Complaint registered by the victim girl

Earlier, a similar case was reported from Ahmednagar in which a girl was raped several times by the accused identified as Ajmoddin Mohammed Sheikh. The accused had trapped the girl into a love affair and had raped her brutally. The Police had then booked the accused under IPC sections 376 (2) (n), 506 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) sections 5 (j) (2), 5 (l), and 6.

In the current case, the Police have registered a complaint under section 376 (n) of IPC, sections 4 and 6 of POCSO, and sections 3 (1) (w), 3 (2) (v) of the Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Per the FIR, the victim was born in the year 2005 and is 17 years old at present. Further investigations into the case are underway.

Kerala: Muslim politicians and organisations outrage after state-run school festival depicts a terrorist as a Muslim

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Muslim politicians and organisations outrage after state-run school festival depicts a terrorist as a Muslim

Outrage erupted in Kerala after several Muslim organizations alleged that a cultural program presented on Tuesday during the inaugural function of the state-run 61st Kerala School Arts Festival in Kozhikode allegedly depicted Muslims in a ‘bad light’ and promoted ‘Islamophobia’.

In the musical dance-drama program it was shown that the Indian army has captured a rifle-yielding terrorist who is seen sporting a Keffiyah, which is a traditional Arabic scarf, allegedly giving the impression that the terrorist is a Muslim. Malayalam Theatrical Heritage & Arts, in collaboration with Matha Perambra, directed the musical.

Local Muslim organizations slammed the CM Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government for allegedly sanctioning an ‘Islamophobic’ program at the Kerala School Kalolsavam.

The allegedly controversial dance-drama was presented shortly before CM Vijayan inaugurated the annual event. Kerala School Kalolsavam is regarded as the biggest cultural event for students in Asia.

Indian Union Muslim League MLA K P A Majeed objected to the portrayal of a terrorist as Muslim, calling it a reflection of Islamophobia. “It is objectionable that a Muslim costume was portrayed as a terrorist in the musical sculpture presented in connection with the inauguration of the State School Art Festival. It is clear that it is not a coincidence that a Muslim dressed man was portrayed as a terrorist in a visual expression that speaks of brotherhood, religious harmony and patriotism. This is a true picture of islamophobia”, he wrote in a Facebook post.

“The image will have disastrous effect at a time when the government itself is spreading the ideology of hatred,” the MLA added. He demanded immediate action against the concerned people.

In a Facebook post, Fathima Thahiliya, a lawyer and former vice president of the Muslim Students’ Federation claimed that “CPM MLA from Kozhikode North, Thottathil Ravindran had seen the rehearsal of the program and yet did not find the musical ‘Islamophobic’. Ravindran was also invited to the BJP by its leader K Surendran.”

Screengrab of the Facebook post by Fathima Thahiliya

Samastha Kerala Sunni Yuvajana Samgham (SYS) in a Facebook post claimed that the ‘controversial program’ was a challenge posed to the secular society in Kerala and that the visuals did not match with the lyrics. 

In its Facebook post, SYS dragged the RSS into the issue and alleged that the state education department should investigate and take strict action against those who ‘misused’ the Kalolsavam and officials who took a supportive stance to further the “agenda of the  Sangh Parivar by depicting a terrorist should be a Muslim.”

Screengrab of the Facebook post by SYS Kerala

It is pertinent to mention that Kerala School Kalolsavam is an annual event organised by the Government of Kerala. Started in 1956, the Kalolsavam features multiple art competitions for high school and higher secondary school students of Kerala. The Kalolsavam is monitored by the state Education Department. The event is conducted between December and January annually wherein several state-level competitions are organised.

‘Dogs aren’t humans’, Bombay HC imposes fine on State for filing FIR against delivery boy for ‘killing’ a dog by ‘rash driving’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Dogs aren’t humans’, Bombay HC imposes fine on State for filing FIR against delivery boy for ‘killing’ a dog by ‘rash driving’

The Bombay High Court recently quashed an FIR against a Swiggy delivery executive who had accidentally mowed down a stray dog while delivering a food parcel. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the State for filing the case.

The bench, in an order that was pronounced on December 20, stated that the cost be collected from the salaries of the officials who “defied logic” by booking the accused under IPC Sections 279, 337, and 449.

‘Owners may treat a dog as their child but pets aren’t human beings’, Bombay HC observed while quashing the FIR

The provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) penalising rash driving and endangering life would not apply in a case where an animal is a victim, the division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan held. The court added that the owners may treat dogs and cats as their children, but pets aren’t human beings; hence, a person cannot be booked under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC.

“While Section 279 speaks about whoever drives any vehicle so as to endanger human life, Section 337 speaks about endangering human life. No doubt, a dog/cat is treated as a child or as a family member by their owners, but basic biology tells us that they are not human beings. Sections 279 and 337 pertain to acts endangering human life, or likely to cause hurt or injury to any other person,” the bench held.

Given that the State police had filed the said charges despite the fact that no offence had been disclosed, the judges ordered the State Government to pay the petitioner 20,000 in costs. The cost must be recovered from the salary of the officers responsible for filing the FIR and later approving the filing of the chargesheet, the court said.

The court also said that according to the facts presented in the case, the petitioner, Manas Godbole, now in the final year of his Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunication, was 18 years old at the time of the incident. He was on his way to deliver a food parcel. The complainant was feeding stray dogs on the streets of Mumbai’s affluent Marine Drive neighbourhood. The dog suddenly came in front of the motorbike of the applicant, due to which, it hurt itself and eventually died. In the collision, the petitioner also fell down and injured himself.

The complainant then filed a complaint against the delivery boy. Based on the complaint, the police lodged a first information report (FIR) against him invoking Sections 297 (rash driving), 337 (endangering human life) and 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc. of any value) of the IPC and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act and section 11A and B (treating animals cruelly) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The Bench noted that the petitioner had no intention of killing the dog that suddenly crossed the road and came in front of his bike.

“Nothing is shown by the prosecution to show that the petitioner was driving beyond the speed limit stipulated on the said road. The incident shows that the dog crossed the road, as a result of which, the petitioner’s bike, due to sudden braking, skidded and as such the petitioner sustained injuries. The dog also got injured and later succumbed to the same,” the bench noted.

As a result, no offences as charged in the FIR are made out against the petitioner, and the same cannot be sustained in law, the HC bench opined while it chastised the police for filing the FIR “without applying its mind.”

“How Sections 279, 337, 429 could have been applied to the case in hand, even from a bare perusal of these Sections, defies logic. The police being the custodian of law, need to be more circumspect and cautious whilst registering FIRs and of course later, whilst filing chargesheet,” the bench held, as it quashed the FIR against the Swiggy delivery executive.

“If I open my mouth, your Dhoti, Pyjama…”: Prashant Kishor takes a dig at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav over party funding

OpIndia Staff
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“If I open my mouth, your Dhoti, Pyjama…”: Prashant Kishor takes a dig at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav over party funding

On Tuesday, January 3, political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav or their party’s funding. Prashant Kishor who launched a 3500 km Padyatra in Bihar on 2nd October last year, was questioned by the media about the funding for his Jan Suraj Abhiyan.

Kishor accused Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav of looting the money of the poor people of Bihar. He also warned that he has closely worked with both RJD and JDU and if he opens his mouth, he will expose all of them.

During a media interaction in east Champaran’s Kalyanpur, Kishor said, “You are asking where are we receiving funds from, right,  we have received the money in Bihar as our organization has backed several political parties in other states during elections. In six states, political parties have come to power due to our help and we are getting funds from them only. We are doing this so that the people in Bihar don’t have to take money from the wrong people. I telling the poorest of the poor people that if you are honest, I will help you in contesting the election.”

After giving his clarification on the funding for his Jan Suraj Abhiyan, Kishor went on to advise the media that he has given the answer about the source of his campaign’s funding, however, if the media is Bihar Bandhu,  then they should question Tejashwi Yadav and other RJD-JDU coalition leaders about their fundings. 

“Ask them how they get money to celebrate birthdays on chartered planes, ask CM Nitish Kumar from where he receives funding from. From where is Tejashwi Yadav getting funds to run his party? If you make me open my mouth, I have closely work with you also, If I will open my mouth, nobody’s Dhoti and Pyjama will be left,” Prashant Kishor went on to say. 

Notably, Prashant Kishor had recently said that Nitish Kumar should not wait till 2025 to make Tejashwi Yadav the chief minister of Bihar. 

Taking a dig at Nitish Kumar, Kishor said, “By announcing to contest elections under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar has accepted that he cannot win the election on his own face.”

OpIndia Exclusive: Streets named as per ‘Line Number’ after ‘Railway Lines’, the inside story of encroachments in Haldwani

राहुल पाण्डेय
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OpIndia Exclusive: Streets named as per ‘Line Number’ after ‘Railway Lines’, the inside story of encroachments in Haldwani

On January 5, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter of removal of the encroachment from Indian Railways land in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. Before the hearing, the streets of Haldwani were silent on January 4. In Vanbhulpura, we noticed complete silence. This is the same location seen in the demonstrations’ viral videos.

Line number 17 is located off the main road of Kidwai Nahar. The place seen in the video of women and children protesting is called Azad Nagar. OpIndia reached the area at around 11 AM on January 4. The majority of the shops and houses in this area belong to Muslims. Women were seen shopping while men were relaxing in the sun on the street. The traffic in the area was normal.

Street where protests happened.

The reason behind choosing the area for the protest

Speaking to OpIndia on the condition of anonymity, a local person said that line number 17 is the border till which the Indian Railways has marked the place for bulldozing. The road here divides the market into two parts. The left side of the road comes under encroachment the right side of the road can be saved from demolition. As this place borders the area owned by Railways, this area was chosen for the protests.

The streets are called ‘Line’ in Vanbhoolpura, as in ‘Railway Line’

Vanbhoolpura of Haldwani has a street named after ‘line’ numbers. The term ‘line’ is commonly used by railways. There are three lines at Haldwani station. The area that comes under the encroachment in Vanbhoolpura is called ‘Line No 17’. In these streets, OpIndia found both slums and concrete houses.

Street named after Railway Line.

The red mark of encroachment

During the investigation, OpIndia also noticed the signs that railways marked as the border of encroachment. There was an arrow mark made in the upward direction. The house whose wall was marked was closed. The shops around the area were functioning normally.

House marked by Indian Railways.

Traffic jam in Vanbhoolpura

The road that passes through Vanbhoolpura leads to Haldwani city. This road has also become a hotspot of encroachment along with the Railways land. At the beginning of Kidwai Nagar, the road is wide but narrows down as it reaches the railway crossing. Muslims have established shops on both sides of the road. The signal drops on this road as per the train schedule and remains closed for 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, traffic jam happens regularly, and the commuters have to face a lot of trouble.

The Haldwani encroachment clearance orders and protests against it

Thousands of Muslim residents in Haldwani staged a protest on December 28 against the clearance of illegal encroachments on railway land in accordance with a High Court ruling. The demonstrators claimed that removing the illegal encroachments would make them homeless.

Traffic jam due to encroachment.

The protesters also claimed that the clearance of encroachments would affect a large number of women, children, and elderly persons residing in the area. Obvious actors including Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair, Amnesty India and others have jumped to make Haldwani another Shaheen Bagh.

Amazon to layoff over 18,000 employees, had fired 10,000 in November 2022

ANI
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Amazon to layoff over 18,000 employees, had fired 10,000 in November 2022

Amazon on Thursday said it will lay off over 18,000 employees from its workforce citing economic uncertainty.

“Between the reductions, we made in November and the ones we’re sharing today, we plan to eliminate just over 18,000 roles. Several teams are impacted; however, the majority of role eliminations are in our Amazon Stores and PXT organizations,” CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement.

“S-team and I are deeply aware that these role eliminations are difficult for people, and we don’t take these decisions lightly or underestimate how much they might affect the lives of those impacted.”

Jassy added that Amazon is working to support those affected by providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support.

In November 2022 too, Amazon reduced staff size by approximately 10,000, especially in the Devices and Books businesses, and also announced a voluntary reduction offer for some employees in its People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) roles.

During the November layoff, the company indicated that there would be more role reductions in early 2023.
“This year’s review has been more difficult given the uncertain economy and that we’ve hired rapidly over the last several years,” the statement by CEO added, explaining the rationale for the downsizing of the human resources.
The company will communicate with impacted employees or (representative bodies for Europe) starting January 18.
“Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so. These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure; however, I’m also optimistic that we’ll be inventive, resourceful, and scrappy in this time when we’re not hiring expansively and eliminating some roles,” Jassy further said in the statement.

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

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