Home Blog Page 2672

‘Have courage when govt is doing right too’: Gautam Adani hints at NDTV’s bias, answers opposition allegations of him benefitting from Modi govt

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Have courage when govt is doing right too’: Gautam Adani hints at NDTV’s bias, answers opposition allegations of him benefitting from Modi govt

In an interview with the Financial Times, the world’s third richest person and the Chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, stated that the takeover of NDTV is not a business opportunity but rather a ‘responsibility’.

“(Media) independence means if the government has done something wrong, you say it’s wrong. But at the same time, you should have courage when the government is doing the right thing every day. You have to also say that”, Adani said.

Adani also expressed his intention to make NDTV an international brand and expand it having a global footprint. “Why can’t you support one media house to become independent and have a global footprint? India does not have one single to compare to Financial Times or Al Jazeera,” he remarked in the interview.

He stated that the expense of establishing a worldwide media business would be “negligible” for the conglomerate, and he offered for NDTV owner-founder Prannoy Roy to continue as chairman.

Notably, in August this year, Adani Enterprises Ltd’s subsidiary AMG Media Networks Ltd purchased Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL), which had lent Rs 403.85 crore to NDTV promoter business RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd in 2009 and 2010. Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy were the owners of RRPR Holding. Adani Group obtained a 29.18 per cent stake in NDTV in this manner.

Following the acquisition of VCPL for Rs 113.75 crore, the Adani Group declared an open offer for the takeover of another 26% interest in NDTV. The group recently announced that subscriptions to its open offer to purchase an additional 26% of NDTV’s public shares will be available from November 22 to December 5.

Investors buying ‘India’s Success Story’

Adani further denied all allegations by the political opposition in the country of benefitting from the BJP government in the Centre and stated that his company was aligned with the government’s development goals. Investors, he claimed, were buying into “India’s success story.”  

According to Adani, India will continue to produce unicorns and businesses worth more than a billion dollars at a faster pace. In 2021, India added a unicorn every nine days, Adani stated. He also reiterated his $70 billion investment in a sustainable energy value chain.

Adani stated that he planned to invest more than $4 billion in a petrochemical plant at his sizable Mundra port and special economic zone in Gujarat. He also stated that he would be developing a “super app” in the upcoming three to six months to link Adani airport visitors with other Adani Group offerings.

What will Elon Musk do if Twitter is banned by Google and Apple? Launch his own smartphone? Read what he said

OpIndia Staff
-
0
What will Elon Musk do if Twitter is banned by Google and Apple? Launch his own smartphone? Read what he said

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted about launching his own smartphone and operating system in the ‘unlikely’ event that Google and Apple Inc. remove Twitter from their app store.

The development was confirmed by Musk on Saturday (November 26) in response to a tweet by an American conservative political commentator, Liz Wheeler. “If Apple & Google boot Twitter from their app stores, @elonmusk should produce his own smartphone,” she tweeted.

“Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone & Android. The man builds rockets to Mars, a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?” Wheeler inquired.

While Elon Musk hoped that Twitter is not removed from the Google play store or the Apple store, the new owner of the micro-blogging platform informed that he will make an alternative phone if such a situation presented itself.

“I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” he wrote. It must be mentioned that Google had earlier removed a conservative social media site named ‘Parler’ in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill siege on January 6, 2020.

Although launched in 2018, Parler grew in prominence after the ouster of Donald Trump from Twitter. In a statement, Google justified its decision to remove Parlier from its app store.

Parler was removed from Google Play store in January 2020

In a statement, the social media giant said, “All developers agree to these terms and we have reminded Parler of this clear policy in recent months. We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.”

However, in September 2022, Google reinstated the Parler app on its play store.

The Background of the Controversy

On Thursday (November 24), leftist media outlet The Washington Post published a propaganda piece by its columnist, Taylor Lorenz wherein it tried to cast aspersions about the safety of users on Twitter.

Using Elon Musk’s decision to revive previously banned Twitter handles as a troupe, the article appealed to tech giants such as Google and Apple to boot the micro-blogging site out of its app stores.

“Elon Musk plans to reinstate nearly all previously banned Twitter accounts — to the alarm of activists and online trust and safety experts,” it claimed.

Screengrab of the article in The Washington Post

“The mass return of users who had been banned for such offenses as violent threats, harassment and misinformation will have a significant impact on the platform, experts said,” the article further added.

Citing one Alejandra Caraballo, The Washington Post article suggested that Twitter should be removed from the app stores of both Google and Apple. “Apple and Google need to seriously start exploring booting Twitter off the app store,” it quoted her as saying.

The CEO of satirical news website Babylon Bee, Seth Dillon, pointed out how the so-called “clinical instructor at Harvard Law’s cyberlaw clinic” had been calling for violent action to intimidate dissidents into silence.

“The same person who used this platform to call for violence against sitting Supreme Court justices is now quoted in the Washington Post urging Apple and Google to boot Twitter from the app store because what Elon Musk is doing is dangerous,” he added.

Caraballo continued to use Twitter to cast aspersions about its safety while asking for it to be de-platformed. Elon Musk had responded to her allegations and assured that those found guilty of inciting violence will be suspended.

“Incitement to violence will result in account suspension. Currently suspended accounts will be enabled slowly next week after manual review to determine whether they have potentially broken the law or engaged in spam. Twitter will be a forum for the peaceful exchange of views,” he had emphasised.

Nonetheless, The Washington Post found a way to way to label Twitter as a potential ‘free-for-all hellscape’, linking it to the Club Q shootings and turning the site into an “engine of radicalisation.”

26/11 Mumbai attack vs 19/11 Mangaluru blast: The parallels of an attempt to raise the ‘Hindu Terror’ bogey

Gopal Tiwari
-
0
26/11 Mumbai attack vs 19/11 Mangaluru blast: The parallels of an attempt to raise the ‘Hindu Terror’ bogey

On 19th November 2022, a blast took place in an autorickshaw running on the streets of Mangaluru in Karnataka. The explosion in the vehicle in the coastal city of Karnataka took place under a mysterious situation. However, within 24 hours of the blast, the Director General of Police (DGP) Karnataka tweeted to confirm that this blast was an act of terror and a series of revelations appeared in the subsequent investigations.

One of the most important chapters of these findings is that the accused culprit in this case – Mohammed Shariq – had links with Islamist terror outfits and that he was posing to be a Hindu before executing the attack, so that, in case he dies in the attack, his identity is mistaken to be a Hindu thereby rendering the attack an act of the so-called Hindu Terror.

This modus operandi shares remarkable similarities with the one deployed at the time of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. As it marks 14 years of the terror attacks in Mumbai, it is time to recall how attempts to raise the ‘Hindu Terror’ bogey are still going on in the country that historically has been the biggest victim of and fighter against the Islamic Jihad. Let us have a look at how Islamic terrorists carry Hindu symbols as a tool of deception.

The Mangaluru Blast

On Saturday, November 19, an auto-rickshaw exploded in Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal town, under mysterious circumstances. The passenger in the auto-rickshaw was carrying a pressure cooker, and police found that there was an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the cooker which exploded. The passenger was the key suspect in this case and was hospitalized as he survived 40% burn injuries. The suspect was identified by Karnataka police on November 20, 2022. The suspect’s name was revealed to be Mohammed Shariq, who had previously been detained under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). But, what was revealed before his actual identity was proof of the attempt at deception.

Mohammed Shariq carried symbols and proofs of Hindu identity

On November 21, it was reported that the accused Mohammed Shariq had used fake identity cards to rent a room in Mysore. The suspect was paying Rs 1,800 per month for a single room, according to the house owner M Mohan Kumar from Mysore. He presented a copy of the rental agreement, which showed the suspect’s name as Premraj, S/o Sri Maruthi, and his address as Hubballi.

In a media interaction, Premraj said, “My name is Premraj. I am a resident of Hubballi. I got a call from PSI Hubballi who inquired about my lost Aadhar card. They asked me where I was presently staying.”

Besides, Mohammed Shariq also used a photograph of Adiyogi as a display picture on his WhatsApp profile. All these steps taken by the Islamic terrorist were essentially aimed at creating an illusion about his identity. He was posing to be a ‘Hindu’ as he went to execute the terrorist act. Similar tactics were used by the terrorists involved in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai. Ajmal Kasab – the only terrorist caught alive – revealed during interrogation how the Pakistani terrorists were given fake Hindu identities.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks

On 26th November 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists reached Mumbai from the sea route. They attacked various places in southern parts of Mumbai including Nariman house, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafe, and grand hotels like Taj Palace and Trident. Besides opening fire in public and brutally killing scores, they also placed a bomb inside a taxi that blasted into the suburban area of Mumbai. The attacks claimed 166 lives including foreign nationals. Ajmal Kasab was caught alive by the Mumbai police from a vehicle on Marine Drive while all 9 of his other accomplices were neutralized by the forces in an action that lasted for more than 60 hours.

The Pakistani terrorists also carried Hindu symbols of identity

Former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria in his tell-all book ‘Let Me Say It Now’ has revealed that 26/11 Mumbai terror attack terrorist Ajmal Kasab had an ID with a Hindu name on it. The ID found on Kasab had his name as “Samir Chaudhary”. Maria was on control room duty on the day 10 Pakistani terrorists wreaked havoc in Mumbai.

Maria reveals how he unravelled the plot ISI and Lashkar-e-Toiba had hatched against India during the interrogation. All ten terrorists were made to seem like they were disgruntled Hindus who were against India because of ‘atrocities’ against Muslims. All ten terrorists were given saffron or red thread to be tied around their wrists. Identity cards with Hindu names with Indian addresses were placed in their pockets as the ISI and Lashkar wanted all the ten terrorists to die in the attack. Catching Kasab alive was the biggest breakthrough for Mumbai Police. Had he not been caught alive, the whole world would have been led to believe that this was a Hindu terror attack.

Because of this, guarding Kasab and ensuring his safety was more challenging to make sure he stays alive till the end of the trial. Earlier it was reported that the 26/11 terrorists even carried fake student ID cards from Arunoday College in Hyderabad. Maria reveals that Kasab was made to believe that Muslims are not allowed to offer namaz in India and that mosques are locked up. He thought that the azaan he heard in his prison cell was a figment of his imagination. Maria then got police officials to take Kasab to a nearby mosque in a police vehicle to show that Indian Muslims are indeed allowed to offer namaz, contrary to what he was made to believe.

Congress soon came up with the ‘Hindu Terror’ theory

In 2010, months after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, along with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and others launched a book which claimed that the Mumbai terror attacks were an RSS conspiracy. While the world was holding Pakistan responsible for 26/11, then Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, had released the book “26/11 RSS Ki Saazish?” (26/11 – RSS Conspiracy?). The book was authored by Aziz Burney, Editor-in-Chief of the Urdu Sahara newspaper.

Further, Singh had alleged that Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare had called him two hours before the 26/11 attack in Mumbai to say that his life was blighted by constant threats from those opposed to the ATS probe into the 2008 Malegaon blast in which Hindu extremists were accused. Thus, Singh exonerated Pakistan and decided to push the blame for the 26/11 attack on RSS and Hindu extremists.

Similar attempts after 14 years

The Mangaluru blast occurred 14 years after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The modus operandi of the Islamic terrorists has not only been the same but has become more audacious given the fact that Mohammed Shaqir not only carried an Aadhar card of a Hindu but also went on to avail a rented room using the same. The Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) team arrived at Shariq’s rented residence in Mysore on Sunday, 20th November 2022, as the inquiry into the Mangaluru bomb case proceeded. The squad seized explosive-making ingredients from Shariq’s home.

Gelatin powder, circuit boards, tiny bolts, batteries, mobile phones, wood power, aluminium multimeters, cables, mixing jars, pressure cookers, and other components required to build explosives were found by the FSL team. One mobile phone, two fake Aadhaar cards, one fake pan card, and one FINO debit card were also discovered by the forensic experts. The accused is alleged to have been assembling explosive devices at his home. All this was being done by an Islamist who pretended to be a Hindu. In this way, Islamic terrorists continue similar attempts of deception even after 14 years of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The Al Taqiyya connection

An Islamic terrorist posing to be a Hindu is essentially an outcome of a Jihadi practice called Al Taqiyya. Al-Taqiyya, or simply Taqiyya, is a term from the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is derived from the verb “Ittaqu,” which means to lie, mislead, manipulate and create illusions for an ‘enemy of Islam’ when being persecuted. Except, in today’s day and age, it has been used by Islamists and their apologists to deceive ‘kafirs’ (non-believers of Islam) into believing they are a well-wisher only to stab them in the back (figuratively) or behead them (literally).

So, be it Ajmal Kasab or Mohammed Shariq, posing to be a Hindu is a way to mislead the masses. If the terrorist dies during the attack, the Hindu symbols carried by him ultimately help to establish the so-called ‘Hindu Terror’ theory. This not only shields Islam from being perceived as a religion of terrorism but also bolsters the opinion that a ‘Hindu’ can also be a terrorist, thus empowering the popular secular liberal narrative ‘Terrorism has no religion’.

Who will buy the theory of ‘Hindu Terror’ in the New India?

With the Indian people electing the Narendra Modi government for the second consecutive term, it is an established fact that the majority of the people in the country are not going to buy the theory of ‘Hindu Terror’ anytime in the future. The 2047 vision documents of banned organizations like PFI have exposed the detailed planning of the Islamists aiming for ‘Gazwa-e-Hind’. The Hindu Terror theory was primarily weaved around the Malegaon bomb blast case. Many witnesses, in this case, have changed their stand and turned hostile. There are no other cases in the country where Hindus are arrested for executing an act of terrorism.

The narrative of Hindu Terror has miserably failed and this has been proved over a period of time. Even terrorists have found new means. The accused in the Mangaluru case, for instance, had received funds from middle east countries through cryptocurrencies. However, attempts at demeaning Hinduism are something terrorists are firmly stuck to. The Mangaluru incident proves that no matter how much time changes, some Jihadi fundamentals like Taqiyya will always be a part of their conspiracies irrespective of the outcome.

Congress leader Asif Mohammad Khan assaults cop Akshay, repeats ‘Muslim area’ trope, gets arrested from Shaheen Bagh: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress leader Asif Mohammad Khan assaults cop Akshay, repeats ‘Muslim area’ trope, gets arrested from Shaheen Bagh: Details

On Friday (November 25), the Delhi Police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against a former Congress MLA named Asif Mohammad Khan for abusing, manhandling and threatening an on-duty police officer. Reportedly, Congress leader Asif Khan has now been arrested from Shaheen Bagh after he made a provocative speech and heckled a police officer.

In a viral video, he was seen addressing a large gathering of people outside Tayyab Masjid in the Jamia Nagar area of Delhi. Asif Mohammed Khan was campaigning on behalf of his daughter, Arifa Khan, who has been contesting the upcoming MCD elections.

The Congress leader and ex-MLA was interjected by sub-inspector Akshay, who asked whether he had sought permission from the Election Commission (EC) for conducting the public meeting using a loud hailer megaphone.

On hearing that, an agitated Asif Mohammed Khan went on an abusive tirade and manhandled the cop. “Saale tujh jaisa kitna police vala meina sidha kar diya (I have made several cops such as you toe my line)”, he was heard as saying.

Soon, the officer was gheraoed and heckled by Congress supporters. Amidst loud cheers and applause, the former Congress MLA threatened, “Chal chala jaa nahin toh juice nikal dunga tera (Get lost before I rough you up).”

While hurling slurs such as ‘kutte’, ‘chal bh*sdike‘, he accused the Delhi police personnel of “looting people in the Muslim area”. “I will shove you into the burrow that you came from,” Asif Mohammed Khan continued his threats. He served as the Congress MLA between 2009 and 2013.

Interestingly, the Congress leader furthered the “Muslim area” trope that has been used to heckle and even commit violence against non-Muslims. The “Muslim area” trope essentially means that the area is dominated by Muslims and therefore, normal rules of the land would not apply to the area and only the Islamic law would apply – almost as if every Muslim-dominated area was like a mini Kashmir with a version of Section 370. This has often led to religious processions of Hindus being attacked and other Hindus being heckled, intimidated and even attacked in the process. We have seen in the past several Hindus being attacked because they dared to cross through a “Muslim area” or when religious processions were passing through mosques of a “Muslim area”.

In 2018, for example, a young Hindu boy Chandan Gupta was killed while taking out a Tiranga Yatra. At that time, “Liberals” and the media had blamed Chandan for his own murder, claiming that he was raising “provocative slogans” like Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram while crossing through a “Muslim area”. Essentially saying that Chandan was responsible for his own murder since he dared to pass through an area which was dominated by Muslims and raising slogans that they found “offensive”.

While Congress and Rahul Gandhi are pretending to walk miles for a “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, his leaders seem to be dividing India by endorsing the idea of Muslim ghettos where non-Muslims are liable to be attacked and abused.

FIR against Asif Mohammed Khan

The Delhi police booked the former Congress MLA under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 186 (voluntarily obstructing an on-duty public servant) and 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), based on the complaint by sub-inspector Akshay at Shaheen Bagh police station.

While speaking about the development, the police informed, “On November 25, a police personnel, Sub Inspector Akshay, during patrolling in the area noticed a gathering of about 20-30 people in front of Tayyab Masjid.”

“The policeman reached in front of Tayyab Masjid near the gathering, where Asif Mohammad Khan, a resident of Thokar number 9, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi along with his supporters was present in front of Tayyab Masjid and addressing the gathering using a portable speaker,” it added.

Delhi Commissioner of Police (Southeast), Esha Pandey, further remarked, “Khan got aggressive and started misbehaving with him. He also used abusive language, criminal force and manhandled SI Akshay.”

Delhi police arrest former ex-Congress MLA for assaulting SDMC employees

In November last year, the Delhi police arrested Asif Mohammed Khan for assaulting four on-duty SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation) workers in the Shaheen Bagh area. The development came after the video of the assault went viral on social media.

Asif Mohammed Khan was seen thrashing four SDMC employees with a stick. He had also forced them to bend down and hold their ears with their hands, in the position known as becoming Murga. “Murga ban (Squat on the ground like chicken),” he and his followers yelled at the workers.

The ex-Congress MLA was seen hurling the choicest of expletives at the municipal workers for removing a political banner of the party, on the supposed instructions of the Aam Aadmi Party.

However, Asif Mohammed Khan said that he didn’t know that the persons he assaulted are municipal workers, and said that he punished them for removing party banners.

He alleged that hoardings of a local AAP MLA and municipal corporations remained untouched, but hoardings of the Congress party in Okhla area are immediately removed.  

“I saw that some men were removing Congress party hoardings and posters near my home in Okhla. When I questioned why they never removed posters and hoardings of other parties they did not answer. I just taught them a lesson. I have no idea who they were,” Khan said.


SC issues contempt notice against petitioner who called judge a ‘terrorist’, ‘What interest will the judge have in your matter’, remarked enraged CJI

OpIndia Staff
-
0
SC issues contempt notice against petitioner who called judge a ‘terrorist’, ‘What interest will the judge have in your matter’, remarked enraged CJI

On Friday, November 26, the Supreme Court directed the Registry to issue a show cause notice for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against a petitioner who called a  Supreme Court judge a ‘terrorist’. “You must be sent to jail for a few months then you will realise,” a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli told the litigant, calling his allegations “scandalous.”

The Apex court was hearing an application filed by the person seeking an early hearing in a pending matter. The CJI was enraged that ‘scandalous allegations’ were levelled against a sitting Supreme Court judge with no evidence to back them up.

“You have made scandalous accusations against a Judge of the Supreme Court. What interest will the Judge have in your matter? You say all these because the judge is from your state?,” CJI remarked.

After reading the file, an advocate for the petitioner told the bench that he had asked the litigant to unconditionally apologize for making such averments. The lawyer stated that he will only represent him if the man offers an unconditional apology.

“I tender my apology,” the man said, adding that he was experiencing “tremendous mental trauma as there was corona“ at the time he filed the application.

The petitioner had filed two applications, one in March 2021 and the second one in July 2021. In both applications, the petitioner in person had levelled similar allegations. Directing the registry to issue a show cause notice to the petitioner, the application was dismissed and the hearing was listed after three weeks.

“The petitioner has made scandalous allegations against a Judge of this Court in support of his application for an early hearing. We are not inclined to entertain the application for an early hearing. The application shall stand dismissed,” the court ruled.

The bench recorded the petitioner’s unconditional apology, however, to determine the genuineness of the apology, the bench granted three weeks to the petitioner to file an affidavit explaining his conduct. 

NDTV distorts Amit Shah’s statement on the 2002 Gujarat riots, deletes tweet after being called out

OpIndia Staff
-
0
NDTV distorts Amit Shah’s statement on the 2002 Gujarat riots, deletes tweet after being called out

Media channel NDTV has once again come into the news for spreading misinformation by distorting what Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said about the 2002 riots in his public meeting. The media channel incorrectly quoted Amit Shah and tried to spread confusion with a tweet about his remarks on Gujarat 2002 riots. However, the tweet was deleted after the channel was exposed.

On Friday, November 25, 2022, NDTV‘s Twitter handle tweeted a report titled ‘They were taught a lesson in 2002, there is permanent peace in Gujarat: Amit Shah’. In the report, the news was given about the speech of the Home Minister at his public meeting at Mahudha in Kheda.

NDTV’s deleted tweet. Image Source: Twitter handle @FabulasGuy

In the speech that is being discussed, Home Minister Amit Shah did not give any kind of communal angle or name any community anywhere. Hitting out at the Congress party, he said it was because of them that riots took place in 2002, but now there is permanent peace in Gujarat.

What did Amit Shah say?

Home Minister Shah said in his speech, “If there is a state where curfew does not have to be imposed anywhere, it is mine and your state – Gujarat. In 2022, congressmen got used to it, so riots took place. But in 2002, they were taught a lesson that they forgot how to incite the riots, and there are no riots in Gujarat from 2002 to 2022. The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat has established unbroken peace in Gujarat by taking strict action against those who create communal disturbances in Gujarat.”

The meeting was broadcast live from Amit Shah’s official Facebook page. From 16:24 to 17:10 in this video, the entire statement of the Home Minister can be heard.

The Home Minister had attacked the Congress in his speech, but NDTV interpreted it in its own way, trying to spread disinformation with misleading headlines. However, NDTV finally had to delete the tweet as soon as it was exposed.

After this tweet of NDTV became quite viral, Twitter users exposed the propaganda. NDTV deleted the tweet after many users told about Amit Shah’s true statement.

This was followed by a tweet with a new headline, in which the word ‘rioters’ was used instead of the word ‘they’.

Sultanpur village in Maharashtra renamed as ‘Rahul Nagar’ by the villagers, here is why

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Sultanpur village in Maharashtra renamed as ‘Rahul Nagar’ by the villagers, here is why

Sultanpur village in Solapur district in Maharashtra will now be known as ‘Rahul Nagar’. Local residents have renamed the village in memory of a resident of their village who laid down his life while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The village, with 600 households, has a population of around 1,000.

Rahul Shinde, a state reserve police officer, was killed in the Mumbai terror attack 14 years ago. Rahul Shinde was in the first group of police to enter the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai after the news of the firing by terrorists surfaced. During the operation, the terrorists shot Rahul Shinde in the stomach and he lost his life.

Rahul Shinde was a resident of the Sultanpur village in the Madha taluka of the Solapur district in Maharashtra. For his supreme sacrifice, the government awarded him the President’s Police Medal posthumously. Now, the Sultanpur residents have decided to change the name of the village to honour Rahul Shinde.

According to reports, Rahul Shinde’s father Subhash Vishnu Shinde said, “All the official formalities to change the name of the village have been completed. We are now looking forward to the official program to announce the name change. We are waiting for the date to be finalized and it will be decided soon.” He said Vishwas Nangre Patil who was deputy commissioner of police of Mumbai at the time of the terror attack had helped me in the process.

Subhash Vishnu Shinde said, “I’ve been working on it for the last 10 years. It finally happened. I’m satisfied now and I don’t want anything else. I feel proud that this village will be known by my son’s name.”

Referring to his son’s sacrifice, he said he showed courage in fighting terrorists and sacrificed for the country. He added, “Rahul’s mother is still in grief. She still couldn’t brace herself according to the situation. She still doesn’t agree that Rahul is no longer in this world. After Rahul was martyred, the government helped us financially as per the rules. We also got a flat in Mumbai and a gas agency in the taluka which makes the family a living.”

It is notable that the Shinde family also built a memorial in the name of Rahul in the village in 2010.

‘Dear collector uncle…why do they scream so much?’ Letter allegedly by Bhopal school children against mosque loudspeakers goes viral

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Dear collector uncle…why do they scream so much?’ Letter allegedly by Bhopal school children against mosque loudspeakers goes viral

A three-page letter purportedly written by some school children in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has recently been doing the rounds on Whatsapp. The letter, dated November 9, 2022, is addressed to the collector and has an official stamp on it. In this letter, the children have apprised the Bhopal collector about the hardships they are experiencing as a result of the blaring noise coming from loudspeakers being used to play Azaan in a mosque in their neighbourhood.

What is written in the letter?

The children, who allegedly wrote this letter, stated that they live at Nikhil Bungalow Phase-3, Hoshangabad Road, Bhopal. It is believed that the Muslim population in their area is insignificant. The children have, however, alleged that they get extremely disturbed by the sound of Azaan emanating from the mosque’s loudspeaker. Asserting that Azaan is performed in different voices, both during the day and at night, the children demanded to know the exact reason for the noise coming from the mosque at odd hours. They also demanded that the mosque be shut down.

According to the children who wrote the purported letters, they discussed their problems with their parents and neighbours. However, they could not provide them with any solution.

The children complained that the loudspeaker that is installed on their colony’s boundary wall starts playing indiscriminately at any time of day or night, interfering with their studies and extracurricular activities.

The children went on to compare it to a temple in their colony. According to them, if there is ever a noise in the temple, the priest intervenes and urges devotees to remain calm so that others who are praying in the temple do not get disturbed.

The children were also perplexed as to why the Azaan is performed in Arabic, given that no one can understand the sounds emanating from the mosque. The kids claimed to have discussed this with their classmates at school. They also reported hearing similar noises in their neighbourhoods.

Bhopal mosque loudspeakers
The letter that was addressed to Bhopal’s collector doing rounds on Whatsapp

Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra finds a mention in the letter written to the Bhopal collector

The letter also mentions Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. The children wrote that they learned about Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bhopal during his Bharat Jodo Yatra via news. The children asked the DM to send a copy of their complaint to Rahul Gandhi so that they can discuss the solution to this problem with him.

In the letter, the kids said in jest that Rahul Gandhi is not looking smart in the beard he has grown and that he should stop and get it shaved.

At the end of the letter, the children inquire who the Azan is recited to when there is not a single Muslim family living in and around their colony. The students mentioned how they are aware of the Supreme Court and High Court directives with regard to the use of loudspeakers at mosques. The children asked the district administration to follow suit, citing how loudspeakers were removed from many religious places in Uttar Pradesh for exceeding decibel regulations.

Deepak Lalwani, the developer of Bhopal’s Nikhil Bungalow Phase 3 Colony, was also contacted by OpIndia. He denied having any knowledge of such a letter. He did, however, confirm that a mosque is only 500 metres away from the colony and that the sounds emanating from the mosque can be heard clearly across the colony.

OpIndia, however, cannot confirm the veracity of the letter. We attempted to reach out to Bhopal DM Avinash Lavania on his mobile phone for information about the purported letter, but he did not answer the phone. We tried seeking information in this regard over WhatsApp by sharing a copy of the letter, but till the time of writing this report, we received no message from him in this regard. The landline number of the Bhopal collector’s office, which is listed on their official website, remained unanswered. We will update this story as soon as we speak with the district administration.

Bihar: Man who raped a minor girl let go by panchayat after ‘punishment’ of 5 sit-ups, police file case after video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bihar: Man who raped a minor girl let go by panchayat after ‘punishment’ of 5 sit-ups, police file case after video goes viral

A shocking incident happened in Bihar, where a rapist of a minor girl was let go by the village panchayat after a ‘punishment‘ of five sit-ups. After the video of the sit-ups emerged on social media and it went viral, police registered a case and promise action.

The incident happened in Kannauj village under Akbarpur police station in Bihar’s Nawada district, where a five-year-old girl was raped by the owner of a poultry farm in the village. On 21 November, the man lured the minor girl with some gifts and took her to his poultry farm. There, he sexually molested her.

However, when the girl reached her home, she narrated the incident to her family members. The girl’s father lives somewhere else for work, and her uncle discussed the matter with fellow villagers, preparing to go to the police station.

In the meanwhile, the accused approached his boss, who is the former head of the village, requesting to save him. That person took the matter into his hand and convinced the village panchayat to handle the matter instead. Accordingly, the panchayat decided to take the case and deliver justice themselves instead of reporting it to the police. They conducted a ‘hearing’, found the man guilty, and as punishment, they asked him to do sit-ups just five times.

Accordingly, the accused did five sit-ups at the Panchayat meeting, and his punishment was over. His entire punishment was captured in a 14-second video. After that, he was discharged by the Panchayat. The accused has been identified as one Arun Pandit in media reports. In the video, the accused is seen doing sit-ups. In this viral video, it can be clearly seen that a large number of people are sitting and a man wearing a shawl is doing sit-ups.

It is also alleged that there was some ‘give and take, and the victim’s family was managed. However, some villagers were outraged at this decision, saying that the punishment was too small for a grave crime.

Someone among them sent the video to the media, in the hope of catching the attention of authorities. After the video made its way to social media, it became viral, outraging the netizens. The video also reached the police, after which the local police filed a case and started a probe.

After the police came across the video, Nawada SP Gaurav Mangla ordered to register a case and initiate a probe. An officer in the local police station said, “A village panchayat was called and the matter settled after the youth accused of raping a minor girl was made to do five sit-ups. A video purportedly showing the youth doing sit-ups went viral on social media. On the basis of the viral video, an FIR was registered on the order of the Nawada SP.”

Locals say that it is not right to suppress such a disgusting and inhuman case. There is a POCSO law for those who misbehave with a 5-year-old innocent. There is a provision of punishment up to life imprisonment, but here the case was settled by doing sit-ups only five times.

Chhattisgarh: Four pastors lure Hindu villagers to convert to Christianity on the pretext of reviving their deceased family members, arrested

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Chhattisgarh: Four pastors lure Hindu villagers to convert to Christianity on the pretext of reviving their deceased family members, arrested

A video has gone viral on social media, wherein a group of non-Christians are seen being encouraged to convert to Christianity by pastors. The video, first shared by BJP leader Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, is believed to be from the Rajpur block division in the Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh.

According to reports, on Wednesday, November 23, in the dead of night, a group of four evangelists were attempting to persuade vulnerable and innocent Hindu villagers to embrace Christianity by offering various kinds of allurements such as money, medicines and the promise to revive their deceased family members.

When locals and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) members learnt of the incident, they went to the house where the illegal conversion was taking place, detained the four pastors, and handed them over to the police.

According to media reports, the incident occurred in the village of Paharkhadwa in the Rajpur district of Balrampur. More than two dozen Hindus were congregated inside a house on Wednesday night. As part of the conversion program, the villagers were offered money, medicines and various other facilities. They were guaranteed that their deceased family members would be revived within two days, and in exchange, they were urged to convert to Christianity.

A resident of the same hamlet, Rajesh Yadav, alerted the members of the Yuva Morcha and Vigilance Group about this. The programme was halted after a large number of people arrived at the location late at night. Later, the Rajpur police station was summoned, and the four accused, including a priest, were arrested. The police also recovered Christian literature from the house where the conversion program was underway.

The police, who have registered a case and begun an investigation, stated that the village was in chaos for some time after the occurrence.

In the video shared by BJP leader Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, several women and men are seen sitting on the ground while a man is seen addressing them.

Suddenly, some protestors storm into the residence and confront the facilitator. When they ask the facilitator to introduce himself and explain what’s going on, he begins bickering with the protestors. At this point, the villagers in the room respond by addressing the facilitator as a pastor.

The owner of the house where the conversion programme was held was also heard supporting the accused.

The BJP leader hailed the Dharma Sainiks for the prompt action taken against the evangelists. He has also declared the appointment of Dharma Sainiks in every hamlet, in addition to demanding harsh action from the administration against the culprits. Prabal Pratap, who has labelled the people involved in the conversion as heretics, has advised them to get themselves insured.

Anil Kujur, Shisan Vashil Tigga, Dharamlal Tiki, and Jeevit Lal Tiki are the names of the four evangelists named in the FIR. All of them have been charged under Section 295-A of the IPC. This event sparked outrage among Hindu organisations, which have sought harsh punishment for the accused. The members of various Hindu outfits have claimed that the man whose home was being used to conduct the conversion program is being pressurised to change his statement.

SDPO Ritesh Chaudhary has, meanwhile, assured the members of the Hindu outfits and locals that the perpetrators will be investigated and prosecuted.

Chhattisgarh has recently become a hotbed of forced religious conversions, wherein Christian missionaries lure susceptible and marginalised Hindus and other non-Christians with enticements like money, medical aid, education, food, clothes etc to bring them into their fold. Only last month, OpIndia, in a series of ground reports, exposed the nexus between the state government and Christian missionaries in land grab operations and the menace of forced religious conversion pervasive in the state.

1...2,6712,6722,673...7,599Page 2,672 of 7,599