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Besharam Rang from Pathaan may be a cheap and vulgar video but it doesn’t warrant any FIRs, and definitely doesn’t deserve politicians’ attention

Amit Kelkar
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Besharam Rang from Pathaan may be a cheap and vulgar video but it doesn’t warrant any FIRs, and definitely doesn’t deserve politicians’ attention

For the past couple of days, the new song from the upcoming movie Pathaan, titled ‘Besharam Rang’, has been making headlines and most of them are not so positive. The song featuring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan has Deepika’s character gyrating to the music in skimpy clothes in an attempt to seduce Shah Rukh Khan’s character. To maintain gender equality, Shah Rukh Khan also goes bare-chested in the video.

We don’t know if Deepika manages to seduce SRK in the movie or not, but it has definitely not seduced too many viewers. Most people online have termed it a cheap, vulgar attempt to promote the film by trying to attract viewers with the half-naked female lead.

Viewers disliking the video is one thing, but strangely, the video is starting to attract much more extreme reactions from some corners. In one of the scenes from the video, Deepika can be seen wearing a saffron bikini, and some people have interpreted that the ‘Besharam Rang’ in the lyrics refers to saffron, a colour long affiliated with Hinduism.

Even though Deepika has worn bikinis, swimwear etc of several colours in the video, that saffron colour is the one that has now drawn a lot of outrage. In fact, Shah Rukh Khan’s posters were burnt in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore for disrespecting the saffron colour in this video.

It is not only the people of Madhya Pradesh that are outraged over this song, their politicians have been leading the campaign against it. Home Minister Narottam Mishra expressed objection to actress Deepika Padukone’s attire in the song as well. The minister has advised the director to correct the attire, failing which the film may face troubles during its release in Madhya Pradesh. He also called Padukone a member of the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’, a term that refers to left liberals wishing to separate Kashmir and other parts from India.

Another BJP leader from the state, Indore MLA Ramesh Mandola said that instead of watching Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan, it is better to use that money to feed the poor.

Whenever there is an outrage in India, legal cases follow, and it is no different this time around either. Once the outrage against ‘Besharam Rang’ went mainstream, Supreme Court Advocate Vineet Jindal has already filed a complaint at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting against actor Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone over the song.

In his complaint, Jindal said that the song is “vulgar and obscene” and “against Hindu sentiments”. He argued that Deepika was seen wearing a saffron bikini and sarong with Shah Rukh Khan while performing in the song.

While the video of the song is extremely crass and vulgar, and is very openly trying to cash in on a young woman’s skin to promote the film, the protests against it are utterly bizarre.

If Deepika Padukone, and the film’s makers think the best way to promote a film is by trying to engage the male gaze, and exposing skin, then it is their prerogative. Maybe they don’t have any faith in the story and screenplay so they are trying cheap, vulgar ways to attract the audience, but again, it is their call.

Our politicians should have better issues to focus on, a cheap raunchy song is not worth the public’s time, much less elected public respresentatives’ time. Filing legal cases over such cheap issues clog our already over-burdened judicial system, and thanks to the publicity such cases generate, they even get a hearing much before other cases from ordinary citizens.

It is a terrible video, and that is all there is to it, if this is the best that Pathaan has to offer, it will be a flop anyway. Our elected representatives and judicial system should not be spending any time over it.

Uttar Pradesh: Mukhtar Ansari sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, asked to pay Rs 5 lakh fine under Gangster Act

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Mukhtar Ansari sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, asked to pay Rs 5 lakh fine under Gangster Act

Former Mau MLA and mafia Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a court in Ghazipur on Thursday, 15th December 2022. The former MLA has been sentenced by the MP-MLA court of Ghazipur. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him. Mukhtar Ansari and Bhim Singh were convicted under the Gangster Act on Thursday.

The court on Thursday pronounced its verdict in the 1996 gangster case against MLA Mukhtar Ansari. The special MP MLA court in Ghazipur has given its verdict at around 2.30 pm. However, Mukhtar Ansari was not present in the court at the time of the verdict. Mukhtar Ansari was not sent to the Ghazipur court due to Enforcement Directorate’s custody and security reasons. Therefore, arrangements were made for video conferencing in the ED office of Prayagraj.

In 1996, this Gangster Act case was registered against Mukhtar Ansari. The action was taken against Mukhtar on the basis of five cases under the Gangster Act. Congress leader Ajay Rai’s elder brother Awadhesh Rai’s murder case and the fatal attack on additional SP are also included in these five cases.

In this case, the court has sentenced after 26 years. This is the first time Mukhtar Ansari has been convicted in any case. The gangster act was invoked simultaneously in connection with the murder of Awadhesh Rai, the murder of constable Rajendra Singh, the murder of constable Raghuvansh Singh, the attack on an additional SP, and the attack on policemen in Ghazipur.

Vivek Oberoi slams Bollywood for its ‘God complex’, says few people have too much power in their hands to even destroy people: What he said

OpIndia Staff
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Vivek Oberoi slams Bollywood for its ‘God complex’, says few people have too much power in their hands to even destroy people: What he said

Actor Vivek Oberoi revealed that the entire Bollywood lobby tried to push him down through his career and had stopped offering him films. “I had no work. No films were offered,” he said adding that the lobby that tried crushing his talent is now breaking.

“It is breaking. Look at what Sushant Singh Rajput went through, or so many other kids go through, so much talent gets crushed because it was somebody’s decision, for reasons other than work, to just destroy someone. There is so much power in some people’s hands, there is a God complex, which needs to go,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Indian Express.

He also said that it was inadequate that some people in the industry had been given much power in their hands, so much so that they thought they could destroy someone, could stop him or her from working in the films. ” It’s our fault as an industry that we’ve given that kind of power to them. That pedestal should be given only to talent, new, old, upcoming, established, that is the most important,” he stated.

The actor who was featured in the biopic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that he and his family struggled when the Bollywood lobby acted against him and offered no projects. “That was the time I went out and gave a Shootout at Lokhandwala, where I got a lot of praise and won awards. People were saying ‘oh my God, this is amazing!’ and then for one and a half years, I was sitting at home, nobody was coming to me with films, it defies all logic,” he said.

However, he said that he has struggled and had created his name in the industry despite being a second-generation actor. He said that none of the acts by the Bollywood lobby stopped him and his talent from reaching his fans. He lauded the OTT platforms and said that they have liberation from unnecessary paraphernalia that has nothing to do with creativity, talent, or meritocracy.

Vivek was an early adopter of OTT when Bollywood was still dismissive of the media. The actor claims that it was his open-mindedness rather than his foresight that got him there. “I’d say open-mindedness and lack of arrogance, I think. Sometimes we believe hum sab jaante hai, humara hi sahi hai. That comes from a sense of arrogance that you know all, but you should be willing to try something new, you should be willing to say ok, I’ll try and reinvent myself, let me try and experience what this is and that’s what leads you,” he said when asked about the OTT shift.

He further added that he has been following and working in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema for years before other Bollywood actors realized how impactful South Indian cinemas are. He said that the actors working in South Indian films have commitment, dedication, the honesty which pays them more respect and honor than the Bollywood actors. The actor meanwhile also confessed that he is getting good work in mainstream Hindi cinema too.

The actor from 2017 to 2022 did Inside Edge 1, 2, and 3 (Prime), Dharavi Bank (MX player), and recently worked in Rohit Shetty’s Indian Police Force drama series (Prime). Earlier to that he appeared in several Bollywood films which include Saathiya, Dum, Vivegam, Kaal, Omkara, Mission Istanbul, Prince, and many more.

The actor throughout the interview stood by his opinion that money is just the byproduct of art and that for him it’s ‘pehle Saraswati uske baad mein Lakshmi.’ “I’ve been very particular and very careful. Despite who’s the producer or how big the set-up is, if I don’t get a feeling, I say no. I think I commit my fans who’ve been there for me for 20 years through thick and thin. So, my commitment is that if excellence, at least I try,” he was quoted.

DCW issues notice to Amazon and Flipkart over ‘easy availability of acid’ after police said acid thrown on girl in Dwarka was bought on Flipkart

OpIndia Staff
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DCW issues notice to Amazon and Flipkart over ‘easy availability of acid’ after police said acid thrown on girl in Dwarka was bought on Flipkart

On Thursday, December 15, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sent a notice to Flipkart and Amazon after it was learnt that the acid used in the Dwarka acid attack incident in Delhi was bought from the e-commerce platform Flipkart. The DCW said that the availability of acid on Amazon and Flipkart is illegal, and sought details on the availability of acid on the e-commerce platforms.

The DCW took this step after Special Commissioner of Police, Sagar Preet Hooda said yesterday that the acid used in the attack was bought from the e-commerce platform Flipkart, and the payment was made online.

“DCW has learnt that accused bought acid through ‘Flipkart’ & that acid is easily available on ‘Amazon’ & ‘Flipkart’ which is illegal,” the letter reads as DCW seeks details on the same,” the notice read. “The easy of availability of acid on online platforms is a matter of grave concern and needs to be checked urgently,” the DCW said in the notice.

In the notice, DCW asked that these online marketplaces explain why acid is available there as well as full contact information for any vendors who have listed “acid” as a product.

It further inquired as to whether the seller’s licence was verified prior to posting the acid product on the website, and if not, it asked the e-commerce sites to specify the reasons. It further questioned whether photo ids of those purchasing acid online were sought. If yes, they were asked to provide a complete list of the purchasers along with the photo Ids of the buyers.

The DCW has also requested information on the people responsible for allowing the sale of acid on the portal, as well as information on the measures taken against them.

Highlighting the gravity of the matter, the Delhi Commission for Women has asked the e-commerce sites to send in their responses by December 20.

Availability of acid

While police said that the acid used in the attack was purchased from Flipkart, searches on both Amazon and Flipkart do not show any corrosive acid that can be used in such an attack. Searching for acid shows various healthcare products that include various kinds of acid which are not corrosive. Therefore, it is not what kind of acid was purchased online which was used in the attack.

Delhi acid attack incident

On Wednesday, December 14, a Class 12 student was on her way to school in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka when two men on a bike passed by and one of them flung acid at her. Within 24 hours of the acid attack incident, the Delhi Police arrested the three accused in the case.

According to the police, the motive behind the attack was ‘revenge’ as the main accused Sachin Arora (20) wanted to take revenge on the minor girl for calling off their friendship a few months ago. 

The CCTV footage of the incident that emerged showed the teen recoiling and then running in pain. It showed a person named Harshit riding the bike while accused Sachin Arora throwing acid at the girl. Later on, Virendra took Sachin’s mobile phone and scooty so that the police cannot trace Sachin’s location.

Adv Vineet Jindal files complaint against Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan for hurting religious sentiments, seeks ban on ‘Besharam Rang’

OpIndia Staff
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Adv Vineet Jindal files complaint against Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan for hurting religious sentiments, seeks ban on ‘Besharam Rang’

On December 15, Supreme Court Advocate Vineet Jindal filed a complaint at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting against actor Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone for the recently released song ‘Besharam Rang‘ of their upcoming film Pathaan.

In his complaint, Jindal said that the song is “vulgar and obscene” and “against Hindu sentiments”. He argued that Deepika was seen wearing a saffron bikini and sarong with Shah Rukh Khan while performing in the song.

Saffron being a “symbol of renunciation, sacrifice, knowledge, purity and service”, he said. He blamed Bollywood for turning saffron into a symbol of ‘shamelessness. He said, “Bollywood turns saffron into a symbol of shamelessness by insulting the colour of pride and devotion by performing obscene moves in this song. It is also noted that vulgarity has its height by using saffron colour intentionally to insult the Hindu community and Sanatan culture.”

Complaint filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vineet Jindal against Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan. Source: Vineet Jindal

Accusing Deepika and Shah Rukh of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus with the song ‘Besharam Rang, Jindal said that their performance in the song has damaged the pure divinity of the saffron colour which is of utmost significance to the Hindu community. Such deplorable performances in the context of the saffron colour which is worn by Hindu saints and ascetics as their devotion toward the religion are extremely outrageous, atrocious and hurting the sentiments and beliefs of the Hindu community.”

Jindal alleged that it was a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage the religious feelings of the Hindu community via vulgar visuals and verbal representation in the song that is being circulated on social media and on public platforms. He urged to file a complaint against the involved parties, including Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan and others, under Sections 295A,298, 505, 67 IT Act and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

He further urged the I&B Ministry to ban the video and called for its removal from the internet immediately.

Speaking to OpIndia, Jindal said, “How our Saffron colour has been displayed in the song Besharam Rang with vulgarity in the film Pathaan is derogatory. I have requested the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ban the song and remove it from all platforms immediately. Furthermore, action should be initiated against the actors, filmmakers and all parties involved for making such an obscene song.”

MP’s Home Minister objected to Deepika’s attire

Notably, on December 14, Madhya Pradesh’s home minister Dr Narottam Mishra expressed objection to actress Deepika Padukone’s attire in the song ‘Besharam Rang’ from the film ‘Pathaan’. The minister has advised the director to correct the attire, failing to which the film may face troubles in release in Madhya Pradesh. He also called Padukone a member of the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’, a term that refers to left liberals wishing to separate Kashmir and other parts from India.

Dr Narottam Mishra said, “The costumes used in the song are prima facie very objectionable. It is clear that this song has been filmed with a corrupt mentality. Anyway, in the JNU case, Deepika Padukone has supported the Tukde Tukde Gang.”

Shraddha Walkar murder case: DNA report confirms the bones recovered from Delhi forest belong to Shraddha Walkar

OpIndia Staff
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Shraddha Walkar murder case: DNA report confirms the bones recovered from Delhi forest belong to Shraddha Walkar

On Thursday, 15th December 2022, Delhi police sources revealed that DNA from skeletal remains found by the Delhi Police in the Mehrauli forest in connection with the gruesome Shraddha Walkar murder case matched with specimens from the victim’s father. While looking for Shraddha Walkar’s body parts, the police found 13 pieces of bones in the region. The pieces were then sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory for DNA examination.

Shraddha Walkar’s murder case shook the national capital when it was revealed that she was killed by her live-in-relationship partner Aftab Amin Poonawala who chopped her dead body into 35 pieces and kept it in a fridge before disposing of it in parts.

According to a report by The Tribune, a police source said, “The police has received the DNA report of the bones found. The DNA of the bones matches with the DNA samples of Shraddha Walkar’s father.”

Shraddha Walkar murder shocked the country

After the Delhi Police detained Poonawala on November 12, the shocking revelations surrounding Shraddha Walkar’s murder stunned the whole country. The 28-year-old admitted during questioning that he killed Shraddha Walkar, dissected her body, and dumped the pieces about the nation’s capital.

The corpse of Shraddha, 27, who had been murdered, was sawed into 35 pieces on May 18 and kept in a 300-litre refrigerator at Poonawala’s home in Mehrauli, south Delhi, for over three weeks before being dumped throughout the city over a number of days.

Poonawala also underwent a number of sessions of polygraph testing, which was followed by a narcoanalysis test performed at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital by specialists from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Rohini. Aftab Amin Poonawala is currently lodged in Tihar Jail and is in judicial custody till December 23.

FIFA World Cup: Moroccan football players prostrate before Allah after defeat, invite people to convert to Islam on Instagram live

OpIndia Staff
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FIFA World Cup: Moroccan football players prostrate before Allah after defeat, invite people to convert to Islam on Instagram live

On Wednesday, the Moroccan football players offered ‘Sajdah Al Shukr’ which means prostration of gratitude on the ground after France defeated them in a World Cup 2022 semi-final match. The image of their prayer went viral over the internet.

“Morocco’s players pray and thank their travelling fans for their support after losing to France. This Morocco team may have not won the World Cup, but they won our hearts,” tweeted ESPN FC sharing the pictures of players kneeling to Allah on the ground.

The Moroccan players qualified for the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in history after they defeated Portugal, in the process, becoming the first Arab nation and first African nation to reach the last 4 of a World cup.

Earlier, after the team qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals following a win over Spain, the team members were seen asking their fans and people in general to embrace Islam. According to the reports, two players, Zakaria Aboukhal and Abdelhamid Sabiri, returned to their hotel after the match against Spain and broadcasted a live stream in which they invited the viewers to embrace Islam.

“Alhamdulillah. We have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup and this has happened for the first time in history. This is all because of Allah. Allah-hu-Akhbar. Join us. Join us. Join Islam. Come. Come to the peace,” the players could be heard saying in the video.

The duo also posted their photographs on Instagram later in which they raised their index fingers which signifies ‘oneness in God’ in Islam. Zakaria Aboukhal and Abdelhamid Sabiri also captioned the images they posted online and wrote, “Allah hu Akbar,” and “Freedom,” respectively.

World Cup of religion

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup matches, the host country Qatar had made all the arrangements to introduce Islam to the new non-Muslim visitors to the country. It had installed numerous digital boards at tourist destinations about the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings in more than 30 different languages. Also, books about Islam and Prophet’s teachings were distributed to the visitors.

Further, at the Katara Cultural Village Mosque in Doha, multilingual male and female preachers were chosen to convey Islam’s faith and ‘tolerance’ to tourists. Workers and preachers from the Qatar Guest Centre were posted at the mosque’s entry to greet visitors and answer questions about the mosque. Hadiths and Prophet Muhammad’s statements, behaviors, or habits were inscribed on the roads to attract non-Muslim tourists.

It was also reported that around 558 people visiting Qatar for the FIFA World Cup were allegedly converted to Islam. Following this, even several journalists in the Arab world criticized the country’s act of promoting Islam to World Cup visitors.

Liberal Egyptian journalist Khaled Montasser stated that the willingness to utilize the World Cup in this way indicated a sense of inferiority that leads Muslims to try to sell their faith to the public like cheap items at the market, which is narrow-minded and an insult to Islam itself. 

The journalists asserted that the World Cup is not designed for the propagation of Islam and that the best way to develop the Islamic country is to engage in culture, science, industry, and technology rather than recruiting a large number of new Muslims.

Further, Kuwaiti journalist Muhammad Al-Rumaihi contended that Islam deserves far more recognition and respect than that, while ‘Oraib Al-Rantawi, a Jordanian journalist and political commentator wondered how Muslims would react if efforts were made to convert Muslims to Christianity during a World Cup in a non-Muslim country.

Reports mention that Dr. Zakir Naik, an extremist Islamic preacher who is wanted in India, and Egyptian preacher Omar Abdelkafy had reached the capital Doha at the invitation of the Qatari regime, to engage in the propagation of Islam among World Cup attendees.

‘Child activist’ Licypriya Kangujam claims her family is so poor they don’t even have a bed, her own social media posts expose her lies

Raju Das
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‘Child activist’ Licypriya Kangujam claims her family is so poor they don’t even have a bed, her own social media posts expose her lies

So-called child climate activist Licypriya Kangujam posted a thread of tweets yesterday narrating ‘the poor financial condition’ of her family. While the 11-year-old minor girl didn’t seek donations despite the tone of the tweets suggesting that she was seeking financial help, she added a cryptic phrase saying “What you heard from media is too different from the real life”. We could not find any media report on her that could have prompted her to post the tweets.

However, what have raised questions is, the mismatch between her claims and her lifestyle that she herself documents on social media. She said that her family does not even have a bed to sleep on, as her father is jobless and her mother runs a small street vendor shop. She said that the expenses for her travelling to speak at various events are sponsored by organisers of such events, and that she has donated all the remuneration she receives for public speaking and awards to support children’s education and victims of climate change.

However, Twitter users were quick to point out that Licypriya Kangujam posted the tweets from an iPhone. It raises questions on how a family that can’t afford a bed can afford an iPhone.

Netizens soon dug out her earlier social media posts which suggests that her family is not so poor after all. On November 17, she had posted a photograph herself where she was seen sporting a wrist watch and ear buds.

While these may not be very expensive gadgets, these still seems totally unnecessary for a family that does not have a bed. After several people posted screenshots of that tweet, she deleted it, which proves that she does not have an explanation for it.

Licypriya Kangujam posted photographs from her house earlier, and it is clear that it is a decent house with all the necessary amenities and furniture. Some photographs she posted on Facebook show a couch, a TV, and a bookstand filled with various awards and citations she has received, along with other furniture.

Licypriya Kangujam’s house (Source: Her Facebook account)

Similarly, a photo from another room shows a study table with a desktop computer and wood and steel furniture. The house with painted walls and tiled floors do not match how she described her house in her tweets.

Licypriya Kangujam’s house (Source: Her Facebook account)

There are also photographs showing her visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt along with her family, and other international tourist destinations. It is not sure if the organisers of the events where she is invited to speak also sponsor such trips for her family to tourist places.

It seems her mother travels with her to international destinations almost always, perhaps as a guardian as Lycypriya is a minor. As the girl visits lots of events for speeches, it means her mother’s ‘small street vendor shop’ remains closed for long periods of time. But that does not seem to affect their lifestyle, like having a large collection of clothes and visiting restaurants like KYLIN Experience, a chain of luxury oriental restaurants.

In her tweets, Lycypriya said that she is 11 years old and she “studied in a school with free merit scholarship till Grade 12.” This raises obvious questions, a 11 year old can’t be studying in grade 12. When people started to question her on it, she ‘clarified’ that it is was a typo and it should be ‘study’, not ‘studied’. She said that she is currently studying in class 5, and she meant that she has scholarship till class 12th.

Screenshot of Licypriya Kangujam’s tweets

While the girl claims her family does not have a house, property or a car, her father was arrested for collecting a large amount of money by duping students. Over 100 students from various countries had paid $300 for a fake youth exchange program run by Kanarjit Kangujam. He had collected at least $44,685 through this scam, more than ₹35 lakh. He had also collected crores of rupees through several seminars in the name of collecting donations for earthquake victims.

Lycypriya’s father was declared a fugitive in 2016 by a court in Manipur, and the Manipur police had announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information on him. While he was on the run, he was finally arrested by Delhi police in May 2021. He was released on bail in February this year.

Kanarjit Kangujam had defrauded many people posing as officials of various organisations like UN, UNESCO etc. He ran an organisation called International Youth Committee with a fake address in Delhi. He used this ‘organisation’ to hold seminars and meetings to dupe people. He is also accused of selling property belonging to his landlord that he had pretending to be from ‘UNESCO Youth Foundation’ to two different persons.

After several cases were filed against him and police started to looking for him, his seminar activities vanished, and at the same time, Licypriya Kangujam started to appear on media as a child activist.

Interestingly, during the period her father was in jail, social media accounts of Licypriya Kangujam went silent. And after he was released, she started to post updates on social media. This seemed to confirm what was already suspected by many, that her social media accounts are actually run by her father.

It is notable that Licypriya Kangujam was turned into a climate activist by her father using fraudulent means. He had got her fake awards from fake organisations he had created, and managed to got the news of such ‘awards’ on the media, which established her as a child activist, with many calling her India’s Greta Thunberg.

Many of her claims of speeches at the UN are also fake. For example in 2019, she had claimed that she was selected to address the United Nations (UN) in the sixth session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019 at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. However, ahead of the event, she claimed that she decided not to attend the program as she was ‘in depression’.

However, when the organisers of the UN event were contacted by media, they had confirmed that Licypriya was not invited to speak at the event. The ‘invitation letter’ that she had displayed turned out to be a letter confirming registration to attend the event as a member of the audience.

39 dead in Bihar after consuming toxic liquor: CM Nitish Kumar says ‘Jo Piyega Wo Marega’, shrugs away responsibility

OpIndia Staff
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39 dead in Bihar after consuming toxic liquor: CM Nitish Kumar says ‘Jo Piyega Wo Marega’, shrugs away responsibility

On Thursday, December 15, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar sparked outrage after he said “Jo Piyega Wo Marega’ in response to media questions regarding the Hooch tragedy wherein at least 39 people have died and several fell ill after consuming spurious liquor. 

“We took action against liquor consumption. Bihar is a dry state since 2016, people should understand this. Last time, when people died after drinking toxic liquor, someone said they should be given compensation. When someone consumes alcohol, they will die, the example is before us (Jo Sharab Piyega Wo Marega). We should express grief and tell people that liquor is bad and it should not be consumed”

LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan stated that CM Nitish Kumar is saying that “Jo Piyega Wo Marega but what about those who are selling toxic liquor, Jo Bechega Wo Bachega (those who sell liquor will be saved), the state government is protecting those involved in this business. In Nitish Kumar’s rule, those who drink liquor are Mahapaapi but those who sell liquor are Maha Gyani,” the LJP leader said. 

Bihar Industry Minister Sameer Mahaseth on Wednesday claimed that in order to ‘tolerate’ liquor, body strength needs to be improved. During an interaction with the media at Hajipur, the Minister said “Poor quality of liquor is reaching Bihar. This poor quality liquor is working as a slow poison for the people.”

The Minister who had come to attend a Badminton tournament asserted that bodybuilding and strengthening the immune system can help tolerate toxic liquor. “If you make yourself stronger by playing sports, you could tolerate the liquor.”

The RJD leader also questioned the government’s responsibility over the issue and said, “If the government can take credit for prohibiting liquor in the state then who takes responsibility for the deaths caused by consumption of toxic liquor’ Mahaseth questioned. 

“When the ministers know that poisonous liquor is coming to Bihar, who will take responsibility for the lapse of administration? he further asked. 

Notably, a ruckus was caused in the Bihar assembly over deaths caused by drinking toxic liquor. In the assembly, CM Nitish Kumar took out his frustration on BJP MLAs who questioned his failure in stopping sales of illicit liquor in the state. 

CM Nitish Kumar shouted at the BJP MLAs saying “Sharabi Ho Gaye Ho Tum Sab ( you all are alcoholics).” This sparked outrage as the BJP MLAs led a demonstration outside the assembly. 

‘Who permitted these Muslim organisations to certify Halal products?’ BJP MLC to introduce a bill seeking a ban on Halal certification: Details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Who permitted these Muslim organisations to certify Halal products?’ BJP MLC to introduce a bill seeking a ban on Halal certification: Details

On December 14, Karnataka Legislative Council Member N Ravikumar sought permission to introduce a private bill during the upcoming winter session of the assembly seeking a ban on Halal certification issued by several Muslim organisations. Notably, Halal certification is not limited to meat products but has expanded its reach to vegetarian food products, cosmetics, medicines, and construction businesses.

Ravikumar is the state general secretary of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a statement on December 14, he said that several organisations charge money for issuing the certification without any authorisation. Notably, the word Halal is Arabic, which translates to “permissible”. It is in contrast to Haram, which translates to “forbidden”. Any food or product is Halal only if it is prepared as per Islamic law.

Ravikumar added, “The Halal certification, which was earlier restricted to meat, has now been extended to various products like cosmetic goods, and food items, among other things.” Furthermore, he questioned, “The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the government agency which gives the certification. But who permitted these Muslim organisations to certify halal products? They are not a certified authority to do this. They charge lakhs of rupees to give halal certification. Where does this money go?”

He added that the private bill he plans to introduce in the legislature would seek amendments to the Food and Safety Standards Act 2006. Ravikumar said it would help the government to take action against the illegal certification.

India has no legal body to give Halal certification like Arab countries. The certification in India is obtained on a voluntary basis by the businesses. Several private bodies are comprised of Muslim clerics, religious groups and others who provide such certifications.

Notably, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has been raising voices against Halal certification for a long time. They recently announced that the organisation would restart a state-wide campaign against the certification. On Tuesday, the members of HJS reportedly met several leaders of the BJP and submitted a memorandum seeking a law to ban the certification. The leaders who HJS approached included National Secretary of BJP CT Ravi and State Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

Mohan Gowda, the spokesperson of HJS, said in a statement, “In the name of halal certification and religion, there is a huge conspiracy and mafia to sell halal products across India. Muslim organisations are collecting crores of rupees using halal certification, and the money is being used for anti-national activities.”

He added, “This why we are giving our memorandum to all the legislators, including the chief minister and the home minister, to ban halal products. In the upcoming Winter Session, the halal products should be banned, and the state government should bring in a Bill in this regard.” Calling the certification illegal, he questioned the usage of money collected in the name of Halal certification.

Furthermore, the Ugadi festival is only three months away. Keeping it in mind, the organisation has sought a ban on Halal meat and urged Hindus to ban Halal-certified products. The organisation alleged that the money collected for certification was used for “anti-national activities”.

In a statement, CT Ravi said, “They submitted a memorandum yesterday. I will talk to the chief minister, and then we will decide this. We don’t identify Halal certification in our country. But it is recognised in some other countries. We will have a discussion and then take a call.” Notably, in a previous statement, CT Ravi linked Halal to “economic jihad”. In April this year, he said, “It means that it is used like a jihad so that Muslims should not do business with others. It has been imposed. When they think halal meat should be used, what is wrong in saying it should not be used?”

What is Halal certification?

Halal is a method of slaughter and packaging of meat that is in tune with Islamic sensibilities and religious practices. Halal can only be performed by a Muslim man. Thus, non-Muslims are automatically denied employment at a Halal firm. There are certain other conditions that must be fulfilled that makes it quite clear that it is intrinsically an Islamic practice. Guidelines are available on the official website of a certification authority of Halal in India which makes it clear that non-Muslim employees cannot be employed in any part of the slaughtering process.

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