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‘Our history was distorted under a colonial conspiracy’: PM Modi at 400th birth anniversary celebration of Lachit Borphukan

OpIndia Staff
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‘Our history was distorted under a colonial conspiracy’: PM Modi at 400th birth anniversary celebration of Lachit Borphukan

On Friday, November 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Indian history was distorted under a conspiracy during the colonial era. However, India now has broken the shackles of the colonial mindset and is moving forward filled with pride for its rich heritage.

PM Modi outlined how for so many years, Indians were fed that their history is about people who were always looted, beaten, and got defeated. He also asserted that India’s history is not just about colonialism.

In his address at the closing ceremony of the 400th birth anniversary celebration of the 17th-century Ahom warrior Lachit Borphukan, who defeated the Mughals, PM Modi said, “For centuries, it was attempted to tell us we’re people who always get looted, beaten & lose. India’s history is not just about colonialism, it’s a history of warriors. India’s history is about displaying valour against oppressors, about victory, sacrifice & great tradition.

A 3-day event was held in Delhi on the occasion of the 400th birth anniversary of Lacht Borphukan, which concluded today.

PM Modi lamented the fact that even after independence, Indians were taught the same history which was ‘created’ under a conspiracy during the colonial era, and no attempt was made to change the colonial agenda. 

“Unfortunately, even after independence, we were taught the same history which was written under a conspiracy during the colonial era. After independence, it was needed to change the agenda of those who colonized us but it wasn’t done,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi pointed out that numerous brave hearts of this country fought the oppressors and sacrificed their lives. However, the history of their valour and sacrifices was deliberately suppressed. Even during the long period of repression, there are numerous stories of fierce resistance and victory over tyranny. The mistake of not bringing such events into the mainstream is not being fixed and the event celebrating Lachit Borphukan’s birth anniversary is a reflection of the same.

The Prime Minister also laid emphasis on the fact that only when a nation knows its real history can it learn from its experiences and treads the right course for its future.” It is our responsibility to ensure that our understanding of history is not limited to a few decades and centuries, PM Modi said.

Notably, on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah while speaking at an event related to Lachit Borphukan encouraged scholars to conduct studies and write about 30 great Indian civilizations and 300 soldiers who fought valiantly for the motherland. He said that no one can stop rewriting history to free it from distortions.

“I often come across complaints that our history has been distorted and tampered with. These allegations could be true. But who stops it from being corrected now? Who stops us from writing the correct history now,” the Minister said.

Shah urged researchers, historians, and students to recognize 30 great civilizations in Indian history that governed for more than 150 years in any part of the country, as well as 300 warriors who demonstrated exemplary courage in fighting for the country’s independence and conducting extensive study and writing about them.

Notably, every year on November 24, on the occasion of the Ahom Commander’s birthday, Assam celebrates Lachit Diwas to commemorate Lachit Borphukan‘s valour and Ahoms’ victory over Mughal tyrants at the Battle of Saraighat. The story of how the Ahoms defeated the mighty Mughal army repeatedly, and how the defeat of Auragngzeb’s army at the hand of a small Ahom army led by Lachit Borphukan in 1671 struct a major blow to the Mughal empire, is one of the many stories ignored by historians.

Good governance during a natural calamity: How we can find ways to alleviate the adverse effects

Guest Author
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Good governance during a natural calamity: How we can find ways to alleviate the adverse effects

Natural disasters are a difficult reality. Every year, people all over the world face several disasters. Regardless of our beliefs, these disasters such as earthquakes and floods have a huge impact.

Some of the major natural disasters such as the Tsunami, Gujarat Earthquake, and floods across Mumbai, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Kashmir which India has witnessed over the years have affected nearly 108 crore people. 79,732 people have lost their lives in these natural incidences. In a report released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) India ranks among the top three countries that bore the impact of natural disasters in recent years. 

Given that natural calamities are unpredictable, it is challenging to seize control and bring back normalcy immediately. It is important that the government along with various public and private entities partner to assess, monitor and find a solution to the problem. Support from various other sections of society is critical for the government to minimise losses. It is thus imperative that we are prepared, on home ground, to tackle such crises and put in order a plan that is thought through and effective. 

Thanks to new and advanced technologies many disasters are being monitored, informed well in advance, and handled better when occurred. Natural disasters put development gains at risk, but development choices in turn can increase disaster risks. Therefore, one should ensure that every aspect of development contributes to reducing disaster risks rather than generating new risks. In this context, governance is increasingly recognized as critical. Good or weak governance can be seen as one of the fundamental factors influencing disaster risk. Appropriate institutional, policy and legal frameworks are essential. Good governance is expected to elevate disaster risk reduction into a policy priority, allocate the necessary resources to it, ensure and enforce its implementation, and assign accountability for failures as well as facilitate participation by all relevant stakeholders.

It is evident that some governments have successfully adopted and implemented disaster management or Disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies while others have lagged behind. The shortcomings of disaster management are attributed to weak governance.

Karnataka displayed some strong management skills during COVID. The administration went all out with testing, tracking and treatment to tackle the mounting cases in districts. The government used a two-pronged approach – utilising existing resources at the district level to strengthen these facilities further to create a robust infrastructure in preparation for the future. It has continued to ramp up efforts post covid to ensure sophisticated, multi-speciality hospitals with ICU facilities and other services in all parts of the state. 

Even with the unprecedented rains, the government took swift action and released ₹600 crores to manage the rain and flood situation across the state. In Bengaluru, the BBMP deployed de-watering pumps and evacuated people from inundated areas. It has already set the wheels in motion to execute a master plan for east Bengaluru and for new development areas.

Since it is impossible to stop the occurrence of natural disasters, it is crucial to find ways to alleviate the adverse effects. These are some methods to reduce the effects. Some actions can be taken reactively, i.e., after a disaster has occurred whereas others need to be taken proactively.

  • Knowledge Problem: The team providing relief should ideally be decentralized, and quick decision-making should be the priority
  • Relief Aid for the needy: Government must ensure that the relief aid reaches the most deserving and affected people directly
  • Maintain Law and Order: People in distress break the rules. This is because an earthquake or flood throws the entire area into chaos. The anti-social elements find this to be a favourable time to conduct their activities. This is where the government can pitch in and show how good governance can bring back the law-and-order situation
  • Providing Rescue Services: The government is also the most well-equipped when it comes to providing rescue services. With the necessary equipment, the government is better positioned to perform rescue operations and provide necessary services. 

(This article has been authored by Dr Ashwath Narayan C.N, the Honourable Minister of State for Information Technology and Biotechnology, Higher Education, Science and Technology and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, for the State of Karnataka)

Rahul Gandhi claims RSS helped the Britishers when they hanged tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda: Here’s the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi claims RSS helped the Britishers when they hanged tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda: Here’s the truth

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on RSS, alleging that tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birse Munda, the unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement, were hanged by the Britishers while the organisation allied with the colonisers. 

The remarks came during a public rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district on the second day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) in the state.

In his speech, Gandhi alleged that the RSS supported the Britishers, who hanged two tribal freedom fighters—Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.

“Today, I am here because of Tantya Mama, for his personality, his bravery, his determination and his fearlessness. You know that Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda were hanged by the Britishers, and you also know that the RSS supported the Britishers,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the gathering in Khandwa, the birthplace of Tantya Mama.

“Thinking about Tantya Mama‘s name, the first word that comes to mind is revolutionary fearless. But when Tantya Mama was hanged by the British, the RSS was helping the British government,” Gandhi said at around 25 minutes in the speech attached above.

Fact Check: Did RSS help the British to hang Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda as alleged by Rahul Gandhi?

Contrary to what Rahul Gandhi would have his followers believe, there was no RSS or the Sangh when the Britishers hanged revolutionary leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munda.

The Britishers hanged Tantya Mama in 1889, while Birsa Munde was sentenced to death in 1900. However, the RSS came into existence 36 years after Mama’s death. On 27 September 1925, Dr KB Hegdewar instituted the RSS to consolidate Hindus under one organisation after growing disillusioned with Congress over its enfeebled approach to counter the Muslim League for radicalising Muslims.

In fact, Dr Hegdewar, the founder of RSS, was born in 1889, the same year when Tantya Mama was hanged by the British for his revolutionary activities for freeing India from the clutches of the Crown. It was only in 1925, 25 years after Munde’s death that RSS came into existence.

Rahul Gandhi’s claim that RSS was allying with the Britishers when tribal leaders Tantya Mama and Birsa Munde were hanged is therefore misleading, given that RSS did not exist when the two revolutionaries were hanged by the British. 

BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for spreading lies

BJP came down heavily against the former Congress president for spreading malicious lies about the RSS. Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s statement, BJP MLA from Pandhana in Khandwa district, Ram Dangore, tore apart the Gandhi scion for accusing the RSS of conspiring with the British to hang Tantya Mama and Birsa Munde.

“That’s why we call you Pappu, you really deserve to be called Pappu. The Sangh you are accusing, our revolutionary Tantya Mama was hanged by the British on 4 December 1890 and Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was born on 1 April 1889. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was established in 1925. Rahul Gandhi, you don’t have that much intelligence that you would have at least found out the date before making allegations. Which Bharat Jodo Yatra are you talking about? Are you going to unite India or are you working to take along those who raise slogans that break India?”

BJP leaders also shared pictures of the development of Tantya’s birthplace, highlighting how the party is committed to honouring the place that gave birth to a revolutionary leader and ensuring that every section of the society, including tribals, benefits from the fruits of development.

Madhya Pradesh: BJP posts video, says ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Khargone, Congress claims video doctored

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: BJP posts video, says ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Khargone, Congress claims video doctored

On Friday, ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faced another controversy after a video appeared on social media showing ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans being raised in the rally in the Khargone area of Madhya Pradesh. BJP’s Amit Malviya posted a video on November 25 and alleged that pro-Pakistani slogans were being raised at the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“After Richa Chaddha’s public application to join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat “Jodo” Yatra, “Pakistan Zindabad” (listen towards the end of the video) slogans raised in Khargon. INC MP posted the video and then deleted it after the faux pas came to light. This is Congress’s truth,” Malviya tweeted.

He also shared the screenshot of the video posted by the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh and said that the post was later deleted by MP Congress after they realized that pro-Pakistani slogans were being yelled at the Yatra. The video showed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi walking with the party supporters, including sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Former CM of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath also joined the Yatra with Rahul Gandhi in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh responded to the allegations put forth by Malviya and said that the video was doctored. “A video doctored by the Dirty Tricks Department of the BJP is doing the rounds to discredit the highly successful Bharat Jodo Yatra. We are taking the necessary legal action immediately. We are prepared for such tactics, and there will be payback,” he tweeted.

According to the reports, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra, and their son Rehan were also seen walking with Rahul Gandhi on the third day of the yatra in Madhya Pradesh. The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the state of Madhya Pradesh on November 23 after completing 14 days of the journey in Maharashtra.

Earlier, the BJP had alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was being stage-managed and that the actors in the state were being offered money to be a part of the rally. Nitish Rane, son of Union Minister Narayan Rane had posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp forward message in which actors were being asked to join the yatra according to their convenience for which they would be given the best possible pay.

Nitish Rane shared the message saying, “so the Rahul Gandhi Yatra is stage managed… This is a proof of how actors are being paid to come and walk with him… Sab Golmaal hai bhai…”.

After finishing its Maharashtra leg, the yatra reached the BJP-controlled state of Madhya Pradesh on November 23 from the Burhanpur district. Before entering Rajasthan, it is slated to travel 380 kilometers in 12 days through the Malwa-Nimar area of Madhya Pradesh. The yatra will enter Rajasthan on December 4.

Will Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM get support in Muslim majority seats of Surat? Here is an OpIndia Ground Report

મેઘલસિંહ પરમાર
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Will Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM get support in Muslim majority seats of Surat? Here is an OpIndia Ground Report

This time in the Gujarat Assembly elections, AAP is not the only party that is being discussed, another party seems to have joined the fray. It is Asaduddin Owaisi’s party – All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimin. AIMIM is contesting the assembly elections this time and the party has fielded candidates for a total of 14 seats out of 182 in cities including Surat, and Ahmedabad.

Out of these 14 seats, 12 seats have Muslim candidates, while the remaining two seats have Hindu candidates. Both these seats are SC reserved seats. Talking about the more discussed seats, these include Danilimda, Bapunagar, Jamalpur Khadia, Vejalpur, etc. in Ahmedabad, while Limbayat and Surat (East) seats of Surat are also included.

OpIndia has already done a detailed ground report on what Muslim voters think about AIMIM in Ahmedabad seats. Now, OpIndia got details from the ground to know how AIMIM is performing in both the seats of Surat and especially among Muslim voters.

There are two assembly seats of Surat city – Limbayat and Surat (East) seats where Muslim voters are in large proportion. AIMIM has fielded its candidates for both of these seats. Many leaders ranging from party president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi are making efforts to campaign for these candidates. Owaisi has also held a meeting in Surat.

In the recently held meeting of Asaduddin Owaisi, there was a lot of discussion about the protest registered by waving black flags. There was a similar response from the people when we spoke on the ground.

‘BJP is stronger. AIMIM will hardly win a booth or two’

A local named Azharbhai of Limbayat constituency said that the seat is witnessing a fight between the BJP and Congress. He said that even among them, the Congress party does not have a good and big face this time. As a result, BJP’s Sangeetaben Patil is being seen getting more public support.

Talking about AIMIM, he said, “The party is not active even at the booth level, and in these circumstances, forget winning the assembly, even 1-2 booths can barely win. They (AIMIM) cannot even win the corporation elections.” He added that in the last municipal elections, all four seats in his ward were won by the BJP.

Talking about which party has the support of the Muslim community, he says that the inclination of the community towards the Congress party is more visible. On the support to AIMIM, he said that if only 2,000 of the thousands of Muslim voters support it, their chances of winning are very low.

Another local from Limbayat, on condition of anonymity, says that Muslim voters here have more support for the Congress as the fight will be seen between the BJP and the Congress. On AIMIM, he said that in the Muslim community, only those who are unhappy with Congress can vote for AIMIM.

A total of 44 candidates including 34 independents

The BJP has given a ticket to sitting MLA Sangeetaben Patil from the Limbayat seat. Gopal Patil has been fielded from Congress. AIMIM’s Abdul Bashir Sheikh and Aam Aadmi Party’s Pankaj Tayade have been given tickets. Apart from this, the total number of candidates including those from small and big parties and 34 independent candidates reaches 44.

Talking about demography here, Sheikh voters have the highest number (11.17 percent). Patil voters constitute a good number of votes (9 percent). In this seat, it is the Muslim and Patil votes that decide the result of the election.

This constituency was formed in the year 2012. Since then, BJP’s Sangeetaben Patil has been winning from here for two consecutive terms. However, this time, Asaduddin Owaisi has taken efforts to infiltrate the BJP stronghold, but he does not seem to be getting much support.

Surat East Assembly Constituency

The other seat in Surat, where candidates have been fielded by AIMIM, is Surat (East). Muslim votes play a crucial role in this seat as well. Apart from this, the votes of the Rana community are also in second place. Besides, there are also votes of various Hindu castes.

A total of 14 candidates will contest the elections here. The BJP has given a ticket to sitting MLA Arvind Rana. Congress has fielded Aslam Cyclewala, while AIMIM has fielded Wasim Qureshi. The Aam Aadmi Party left the battlefield even before the elections.

The fight is between BJP and Congress; AIMIM has no existence

Talking about the meeting, Sahil, a local man, said that there will be a fight between the BJP and the Congress. “There is no existence of any third party AIMIM or Aam Aadmi Party,” he said.

He added, “What does the AIMIM party candidate bring for us? He should first tell what work he has done in this area. Now that the elections have come, they have come to seek votes. They don’t exist here. It looks like either the BJP or the Congress party will win here.”

Regarding the AIMIM candidate, he said, “We do not know whether their candidate is local or not. How do we vote for him in these circumstances?”

The Aam Aadmi Party had fielded a candidate here, but after the high-voltage drama, its candidate withdrew the name. After that, the dummy candidate also withdrew, and now the party is out of the fight. However, Sahil talks about the AAP and says that he has never seen an AAP candidate in the area. “Even if they (Aam Aadmi Party) had fielded a candidate, they would not get any votes,” he said.

Talking to some others, it was found that both the seats are still witnessing a fight between the BJP and Congress. Neither AIMIM nor Aam Aadmi Party, or any other party is getting much support. For AIMIM, Muslim voters are their core voters, but they also do not seem to be showing much interest in Owaisi’s party.

Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 1 and 5. In the first phase, 93 seats in Saurashtra and South Gujarat and in the second phase, 89 seats in North and Central Gujarat will go to polls. The results will be declared on December 8.

Delhi HC restrains infringement of Amitabh Bachchan’s personality rights after he moved court against WhatsApp scammers using his name: Here is what it means

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC restrains infringement of Amitabh Bachchan’s personality rights after he moved court against WhatsApp scammers using his name: Here is what it means

The Delhi High Court issued an interim order on Friday prohibiting people at large from infringing on the personality and publicity rights of legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan had approached the court seeking protection of his personality rights. Senior lawyer Harish Salve appeared on the actor’s behalf. The matter came for a hearing before Justice Navin Chawla.

While passing the interim order in the veteran actor’s favour, Justice Navin Chawla observed: “It cannot seriously be disputed that the plaintiff is a well-known personality and is also represented in various advertisements. The plaintiff is aggrieved by the defendants using his celebrity status to promote their own goods and services without his permission or authorization. Having considered the plaint, I am of the opinion that a prima facie case is made out and balance of convenience also lies in his favour.”

Senior counsel Harish Salve had begun his arguments by explaining what caused the veteran Bollywood actor to initiate the suit. “All India sim card WhatsApp lucky draw. Lucky draw holder name — Amitabh Bachchan and Mukesh Ambani,” Salve told the court citing one of the advertisements in which Bachchan’s name was used. He went on to say that people have complained that such lottery advertisements were scams.

Kaun Banega Crorepati Whatsapp scam which is using pictures of Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan had moved the court seeking to protect his personality and publicity rights after scams forwarded on WhatsApp were found to be using his name and photographs. Notably, as pointed out by Salve, a WhatsApp scam is making rounds on the instant messaging platform that mentions Narendra Modi and Mukesh Ambani, apart from Bachchan. This is actually an old scam which keeps resurfacing time and again. In this purported scam, scammers are sending messages to users claiming to have won a Rs 25 lakh lottery, which is obviously a ruse to fool users and steal their hard-earned money.

Scammers are utilising photographs of PM Narendra Modi, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and the name Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) to make the scam appear real. A message is being received from non-Indian numbers such as +92 309 7423840 and +1 914 6553526 with a poster image indicating that the user has won Rs 25 lakh in a lottery.

Notably, +92 is the country code of Pakistan, and miscreants use this code and call up unsuspecting cellphone users to siphon off money or lure them into a scam.

The Whatsapp message to lure people into the lottery scam

The message then instructs the user to specifically Whatsapp call on numbers like 7305563282 and 9644517195 and inform them that they have won the lotto prize and their Lotto number. Along with the poster, there is an audio message that describes how to get the money transferred to the bank account.

The Whatsapp message to lure people into the lottery scam

Drawing the Delhi HC’s attention towards such lottery scams which have been wrongly using the actor’s picture, Bachchan petitioned the High Court for an omnibus injunction to safeguard his name, image, voice, or any of his qualities that were used without his authorization.

According to the lawsuit, mobile application developers were using Bachchan’s name, image, and voice to conduct lotteries by illegally linking with Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the show hosted by the veteran actor.

He has also obtained injunctions against book publishers, T-shirt vendors, and other enterprises against the unauthorised use of his images. Bachchan’s counsel told the court that the defendants are operating websites and mobile apps by misappropriating Bachchan’s photographs and/or other characteristics, to create popularity amongst the public and to entice members of the public to download such mobile apps.

After hearing the argument, Justice Chawla issued an interim order prohibiting those in the public eye from violating Bachchan’s personality and publicity rights. The matter will be heard in March next year.

What are Personality Rights?

Let us examine the position and framework of laws in place in India that deal with the protection of the rights of celebrities and famous figures, also known as personality rights or celebrity rights, in a country where people revere celebrities such as actors, cricket players, and even politicians as “larger than life” figures.

Personality rights are a person’s rights relating to his or her personality that can be protected under the right to privacy or as a person’s property. Most celebrities worry about this since the businesses utilise their name for commerce, which influences their sales and other operations. People can readily misuse the name or image of celebrities for personal gain, thus prominent figures must register their identities to protect their personality rights.

Whether Indian law recognises the right to privacy

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, under the rights to privacy and publicity, is the closest provision to protecting personality rights. Other statutory provisions under intellectual property law control and protect personality rights more broadly. For example, moral rights are only guaranteed to authors and performers by the Copyright Act of 1957, which includes actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and so on.

The ability to regulate how their persona, in the form of their voice, signature, likeness, appearance, silhouette, feature, face, expression, gesture, mannerism, and distinctive character, is being used and commercialised is a person’s right to their personality and image.

Personality rights, as a fairly broad term, have been interpreted by courts in a variety of contexts to defend celebrities’ rights. In Shivaji Rao Gaikwad vs. Varsha Productions case, the Madras High Court remarked that, while “Personality Rights” are not specified in any Indian statute, Indian courts have recognised them in a number of judgements. Notably, this case was filed by the legendary Tamil superstar Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth.

Similarly, in 2012, in the Titan Industries Ltd. vs. Ramkumar Jewellers case, the Delhi High Court defined a celebrity as “a famous or a well-known person and is merely a person who “many” people talk about or know about” and further went on to lay down that “The right to control the commercial use of human identity is the right to publicity.”

In the case at hand, the photograph of Indian celebrities Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan, which was uniquely captured for the endorsement of the plaintiff’s jewellery product, was unauthorizedly utilised by the defendant for his jewellery product. While issuing a permanent injunction against the defendant, the Court clarified that the identity of a famous personality or celebrity can be used in advertisements for commercial purposes, but only with the consent and approval of the respective personality regarding the time, place, and nature of usage.

‘India will be on fire’: Maulana Sajid Rashidi threatens after Uttarakhand govt decides to modernise madarsas

OpIndia Staff
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‘India will be on fire’: Maulana Sajid Rashidi threatens after Uttarakhand govt decides to modernise madarsas

After the Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams on Thursday, November 24, announced that the Uttarakhand government has decided to modernise the madarsas in the state, the chairman of the All India Imam Association Maulana Sajid Rashidi has warned the government that India will burn if government dares to touch the private madarsas. 

Maulana Sajid Rashidi told ANI, “Every state has a madrassa board that comes under the government. The government can order dress codes, play movies or songs, and do whatever they want in those Madarssas, and no one can stop them. However, we will not allow you to do anything in our private Madarsas, hear this out.  Because Indian Muslims retain 4% of children from private madrasas to become maulvis and maulanas, if they attempt to intervene in that 4% of madrasas, all the Indian Muslims will oppose it. We will not allow them to do this.”

Rashidi went on to say, “We never accept anything from the government. These are the foolish people who gave their madrassas to the government in order for the government to earn money, and now they are paying the price. That is why our great Maulavis and Ulemas advise others not to accept government funds for Madarsas.”

“We do not need anything from anyone… Do whatever you want in the government-run Madrassas. But don’t touch the private Madarsas; otherwise, India will be on fire,” Rashidi threatened.

Notably, Shadab Shams, the chairman of the Waqf Board on Thursday said that the Uttarakhand government will impose a dress code at all 103 madrasas. The madrasa modernization program will also include the implementation of the NCERT syllabus and will function from 8 AM to 2 PM like regular schools.

Speaking about the government’s efforts to modernise the madrasas, Shadab Shams said that the government plans to run the madrasas like regular schools. The Waqf Board Chairman stated that in the first phase, seven madarsas will be modernised, including two in Dehradun, two in Udham Singh Nagar, two in Haridwar, and one in Nainital.

Uttarakhand’s madarsas have also been directed to register with the state education board or risk closure. According to the Uttarakhand government, there are over 400 unregistered madrasas in the state.

“Madarsas have been given a month to register with the state education department.” If they do not meet the deadline, steps will be taken to close them,” Uttarakhand Social Welfare and Minority Welfare Minister Chandan Ram Dass said.

The President of the All India Imam Association, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, earlier tried to corner the Uttar Pradesh government for surveying the unrecognised madarsas. On September 14, he urged madarsa authorities to welcome state surveying authorities with slippers and shoes.

Netizens slam cosmetic brand Mamaearth for defending anti-Army tweet of actress Richa Chadha, Congress leader tries to rescue Chadha too

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens slam cosmetic brand Mamaearth for defending anti-Army tweet of actress Richa Chadha, Congress leader tries to rescue Chadha too

On Thursday (November 24), social media users called for a boycott of the cosmetic brand ‘Mamaearth’ after it tried to rationalise the anti-army tweet of Richa Chadha.

The actress stirred the hornet’s nest on Wednesday (November 23) after she mocked the 20 soldiers, who were killed in action during the Galwan Valley clash of 2020 with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Angry netizens had questioned ‘Mamaeath’ over its association with Richa Chadha and asked whether it endorsed her tweet. It must be mentioned that the actress was seen promoting the product of the brand in an Instagram post on October 3 this year.

Instead of distancing itself from the controversy, Mamaearth put itself in the line of fire. Social media users accused the cosmetic brand of desperately trying to rationalise and justify the now-deleted tweet of Richa Chadha.

“Hey! Brand Mamaearth too does not support anyone mocking our Bravehearts. The words ‘Galwan says hi’ are not conclusive and we interpret as a recall of the upperhand Indian army had in such a tough terrain and even being outnumbered at the standoff,” it tweeted in support of Richa Chadha.

The tweet further drew the ire of netizens, who then called for a complete boycott of the brand over its ‘endorsement’ of the actress’ tweet. “Mamaearth will be brought to earth if it dare speaks the anti-national language!” wrote one Twitter user.

Popular Twitter user ‘The Hawk eye’ said, “At time silence is better than pretending to be over smart! If Mama Earth think Richa Chaddha’s tweet was recall of bravery of our armed forces than why she deleted & apologised?”

Another user suggested that the cosmetic brand put itself in the line of fire, albeit unnecessarily.

Another user said that Mamaearth would be questioning Richa Chadha for putting it in the midst of a Twitter boycott campaign.

“I am throwing all products I am using of Mamaearth if they are unable to find any offense in that tweet. Then here we are with our reply,” another user vowed.

Aftermath of the Boycott Campaign

The cosmetic brand later tried to undo the damage by putting out a clarification. “Brand Mamaearth does not support or subscribe to any offensive views or disparaging comments against our country or army. #saluteindianarmy,” it said.

The company’s co-founder, Varun Alagh, clarified that Richa Chadha is not the brand ambassador of Mamaearth. “Hum Kattar desh premi hai, shuddh made in India for india and will always support our country’s troops. Apologies if this was misunderstood, getting it corrected,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Nagma Morarji had come out in support of the controversial tweet of Richa Chadha. This is despite the fact that the actress had apologised and deleted her tweet. interestingly, Morarji has a Twitter DP with Rahul Gandhi.

In June 2020, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to twist Prime Minister Modi’s statement on the Ladakh standoff and deliberately misled everyone on the Galwan Valley issue.

Using a screenshot where Prime Minister Modi had assured Indians that the Chinese did not manage to to intrude in our territory and grab any land, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of ‘surrendering Indian territory to Chinese aggression.

He cast aspersions that the Galwan Valley, which is part of Indian territory and where Indian soldiers were martyred fighting the PLA, was ‘surrendered to China.

US govt agency USCIRF uses Tek Fog to allege a lack of religious freedom in India, a month after the fake story was withdrawn by The Wire

OpIndia Staff
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US govt agency USCIRF uses Tek Fog to allege a lack of religious freedom in India, a month after the fake story was withdrawn by The Wire

After the leftist propaganda portal The Wire was forced to take down their Meta reports with their false claim that BJP leaders have unlimited powers to manipulate content on Instagram, they were also forced to withdraw their earlier fake stories about the fictitious app Tek Fog, written by the same ‘tech expert’. The Wire in its reports in January this year claimed that BJP has an app with the name Tek Fog which has super powers on social media, giving the party power to manipulate any social media platforms.

The Wire story about Tek Fog had reached the parliament, the Supreme Court, and international media and publications. It was cited as an example of ‘attack on freedom of expression’ by the Modi government in numerous reports published by left-liberal organisations and think tanks. Now, after The Wire withdrew their story, some of them have removed reference to Tek Fog from their reports. But some continue to carry this false information.

In fact, an organisation under the US government has mentioned this fake claim in a report published a month after The Wire took down the Tek Fog reports. On November 22, The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report on Religious Freedom Conditions in India. They claimed in the report that religious freedom conditions in India remained poor in the year 2022. It says that the report provides a broad overview of religious freedom conditions in India in 2021 and 2022. 

In the 6-page report, USCIRF mentioned the Tek Fog allegation as an example of lack of religious freedom in India. The report said, “The BJP has also been accused of using ‘Tek Fog,’ a highly sophisticated app utilized by online operatives to hijack major social media and encrypted messaging platforms to amplify hate speech and exacerbate sectarian divides.”

The Wire took down the Tek Fog story on October 23, the same day the Meta story was withdrawn. Therefore, the story was withdrawn a full month before the publication of the USCIRF report, which was published on 22nd November. But it still carried the Tek Fog fake claim.

Apart from this, the report contains the usual lies that are being repeatedly used by left-liberals to make false allegations against India under the Modi government. The report alleges that the “laws targeting religious conversion, interfaith relationships, and cow slaughter negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis”. It also falsely claims that CAA is against the Muslims in the country which is completely inaccurate, as the law is only applicable for foreigners and not Indian citizens. And it finds fault in the law for not including Muslim groups like Rohingya Muslims, Ahmadiyya Muslims etc.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a federal government agency created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), 1998. In July this year, the Indian government had condemned the organisation with strong words after they made similar claims against India in their 2022 annual report.

“Regrettably, USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda. Such actions only serve to strengthen concerns about the credibility and objectivity of the organization,” a statement issued by MEA had said. In the 2022 annual report, USCIRF had recommended that the US administration should classify India as a “country of particular concern”, along with other countries like Pakistan, North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia.

After the Wire took down the Tek Fog story, several organisations and media houses including the Editors Guild of India, Freedom House, Bloomberg, etc had removed references to the fake app from their reports or had withdrawn their reports.

‘Jihadis will behead you, it is Allah’s order’: Bihar Professor receives ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threat letter, accused of abusing Muslim women

OpIndia Staff
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‘Jihadis will behead you, it is Allah’s order’: Bihar Professor receives ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threat letter, accused of abusing Muslim women

On Thursday, a Lalit Narayan Mithila University professor from Bihar filed a police complaint after he and his family members were issued death threats. The complainant has been identified as professor Prem Mohan Mishra who said that he received a ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threat letter from one Parvez Alam. “Jihadis will severe your head at any time. This is what Allah has ordered,” the letter read.

Professor Mishra works in the Chemistry department of the Lalit Narayan Mithila University of Darbhanga. The incident is said to have happened on November 23. The letter also stated that the family members of the professor would also be murdered. “Sar Tan Se Juda, Sar Tan Se Juda,” the letter highlighted.

Parvez in the letter has also demanded the removal of Shashi Shekhar Jha who is an employee of the same department where the professor works in the University. The letter has accused Jha of allegedly verbally abusing a Muslim woman.

“Transfer Shashi Shekhar Jha to another college in Begusarai which is at least 20 kilometres away from the University. He keeps on abusing them. You must be knowing that when Nirmal Chowdhary was the Head of the Chemistry Department, he had forcibly taken away our book and accused us of stealing during the dental college examination,” the letter read.

“After the exam, we told that we knew nothing about the book. The book had been stolen from the library and was sold for Rs 17,000. We bought it. We have become doctors today by giving exams but will not forgive Shashi Shekhar Jha. Prem Mohan Mishra will suffer the consequences of this sin,” the letter added.

Professor Prem Mohan Mishra said that the incident referred to in the letter is true and that it is a 20-25-year-old matter. “I was not even in the University at that time,” he added. Professor Mishra has demanded police protection for himself and his family. Investigations in the case are underway.

The menace of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threats afflicting India

For decades now, Islamists in India have mastered the veto of street violence and protests to fulfil their demands and instil a sense of fear among those who dare to enunciate uncomfortable facts. But of late, those protests have gone a step further, devolving into starker violence and featuring a nefarious chant of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ that has come to define the blasphemy rage coursing through the country.

“Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda”, which translates to “There is only one punishment for being disrespectful to Rasool (Prophet Muhammad), their head separated from their torso, their head separated from the torso”, an Islamist clarion call, has become a staple feature of violent protests that have so far claimed the lives of at least 6 Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe in Amravati, after Muslim fundamentalists, egged on by the dog-whistling of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, resorted to violence for what they perceived as ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Muhammad.

From Kanpur in India’s northern plains to the southern metropolis of Bengaluru, from Kolkata in the east to Hyderabad in the south, protests in the name of blasphemy have erupted in almost every corner of the country as Islamists took to the streets running amok and shouting “Sar Tan Se Juda” chants over the perceived belief of blasphemy against the Prophet.

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