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‘Mulnivasi Muslim Manch’ and ‘Bhim Army Bahujan Ekta Mission’ oppose launch of book on Lt Col Purohit, who was falsely accused in Malegaon blast case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mulnivasi Muslim Manch’ and ‘Bhim Army Bahujan Ekta Mission’ oppose launch of book on Lt Col Purohit, who was falsely accused in Malegaon blast case

On Sunday, December 18, members of a Pune-based Muslim organisation Mulnivasi Muslim Manch and Bhim Army staged a protest against the launch of ‘Lt Colonel Purohit: The Man Betrayed?’. The book is about Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, who was falsely implicated in the Malegaon Blast Case during the UPA Government’s tenure.

According to reports, the Muslim organisation and Bhim Army held demonstrations against the book on the SP college premises, the location of the book launch. Meanwhile, Hindu Mahasangh members came out in support of the book. Cops detained members from both sides and released them only after the event.

The book, written by Smita Mishra was launched at the SP College in Pune, Maharashtra on December 18, Sunday. It was released by retired IPS officer and former Pune police commissioner Jayant Umranikar. Author Smita Mishra, publisher Renu Kaul Verma, retired Major Gaurav Arya and others were present on the occasion.

Invitation to the book launch event (source: Twitter user Nisheeth Sharan)

The Muslim organisation and members of the Bhim Army, meanwhile, staged a protest during the day demanding the cancellation of the book launch event. The protest was reportedly launched after their plea to the SP College authorities to cancel the event did not elicit a response.

The organisations claimed that it was inappropriate to hold such an event when the trial in the case was underway. “It is inappropriate to hold such an event to launch a book such as this when the trial in the Malegaon blast case is underway. Our protest is against Purohit,” Mulnivasi Muslim Manch president Anjum Inamdar said.

The 2008 Malegaon blast case and how Lt. Col. Purohit was maliciously framed

On September 29, 2008, bomb blasts took place in the Malegaon region of the Nashik district of Maharashtra which resulted in 6 deaths and 100 injuries.

Soon, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Purohit were arrested in connection with the blast. They continued languishing in jails till 2017, when they were finally granted bail in April and August respectively. The then UPA government and the left-wing media at that time continuously labelled Lt Col Purohit as a traitor to further their agenda of establishing the idea of ‘Hindu Terror.’

Many reports and statements by former bureaucrats had, however, pointed out that Lt Col Purohit was maliciously framed, with planted ‘evidence’, to fan the imaginary ‘saffron terror’ narrative and distract the public from the scams of the Congress-led government.

It is important to note that one of the accused, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, had told the NIA court in 2017 that the Mumbai ATS tried to frame the then BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the behest of the Congress-NCP government.

In 2018, Republic TV accessed an official letter by the Army which also revealed that the then UPA government deliberately framed Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit despite having information that he was on duty and was gathering intelligence.

Further, in the year 2021, one of the witnesses made similar statements against the Maharashtra ATS. The witness told the Special NIA court that he was threatened, tortured, and kept in illegal custody by the Mumbai ATS and forced to take the names of five Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members including Yogi Adityanath, Indresh Kumar, Deodhar, and Kakaji.

‘Will participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra’: Anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler after attending Delhi Congress Unit’s meeting on container rally

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra’: Anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler after attending Delhi Congress Unit’s meeting on container rally

Controversial leader and anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler on Monday attended the Delhi Congress unit’s meeting over the preparations of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

“We will participate because we are in favour of what he (Rahul Gandhi) is doing. So, we will participate in a big way,” said Jagdish Tytler, Congress leader whose name cropped up in the 1984 Sikh pogrom that took place after the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi. 

Warding off charges against him, Tytler said, “Is there any FIR (in 1984 anti-Sikh riots ) against me? CBI has also given me clearance. Some are only doing politics…Yes, will join the (Bharat Jodo Yatra), and I will be with the party until my last breath,” he said, reported ANI. 

When asked about Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of forming government in Gujarat in 2027, Tytler said, “Let Kejriwal speak. We know Rahul Gandhi’s program has got the entire nation working on it. We’ve seen what happened in Indira Gandhi’s time & now we are again seeing this happening. People are joining him.” 

It is worth noting that Tytler still holds sway in Congress and has repeatedly attended meetings and political events organised by it. He was last seen campaigning for the Congress party in the run-up to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections.

The Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday resumed from Rajasthan’s Bandikui and will halt for the day at Mahua Khurd in the state. It is scheduled to reach Delhi on December 24 and will take a 9-days break, resuming on January 3, 2023, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. 

Who is Jagdish Tytler

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots erupted in the aftermath of the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and culminated in the horrific killings of over 2800 people, according to government data.

Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler were accused of a direct role in instigating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India. Jagdish Tytler was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and later served as the Union Minister of State for Surface Transport. 

He was only dropped in 2009 by Congress due to the controversy over his actions in the 1984 riots. The CBI gave a clean chit to Tytler during the second term of the UPA government. However, the closure report was rejected by a Sessions Court, and an investigation into his role was requested. 

Despite public calls to cut relations with Tytler, Congress has frequently accommodated him on public platforms. In January 2019, Congress was criticised for granting Tytler a front-row seat during the ceremony of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit taking over as Delhi Congress chief on January 16, 2019.

Netizens accuse New York Times of putting the Nazi symbol in their crossword on the eve of the Jewish festival Hanukkah

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens accuse New York Times of putting the Nazi symbol in their crossword on the eve of the Jewish festival Hanukkah

On Sunday (December 18), the New York Times courted controversy after the crossword in the American newspaper bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nazi symbol ‘Hakenkreuz’ (or Hooked cross).

Social media users questioned the editorial decision-making process of the English daily and harbouring anti-semitism. They also raised alarms about the timing of the word puzzle, given that it was published on the eve of the Jewish festival of ‘Hanukkah.’

Former reality TV producer, Keith Edwards, asked, “What the hell, New York Times?”

Bryan E. Leib, the Executive Director of ‘Iranian Americans for Liberty’, pointed out, “Being a Jew in 2022 in America looks like this…What the f*ck is happening to this nation? Today’s #NYT crossword”

Another Twitter user wrote, “Happy Hanukkah to everyone but the person who designed this swastika themed crossword puzzle in the NYT.”

The son of the former US President Donald Trump also called out the New York Times over the publication of the controversial crossword.

“Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Hanukkah going with this is the crossword puzzle. Imagine what they would do to someone who did this and was not ideologically aligned with them?”

He added, “I’ll give them the same benefit of the doubt they would give those people… Exactly Zero.”

Another Twitter user accused the American newspaper of siding with the Nazi party of Adolf Hitler in World War II.

“Never use NYT as your “source” on anything Jewish and/or Israel related. They supported Nazis in WWII, refused to report on the Holocaust, and just today – on Hanukkah – put a swastika in their crossword section. They never stopped profiting from Jew-hatred,” the handle claimed.

New York Times has been a repeat offender

It is not the first time that the New York Times had resorted to using the design of a Hakenkreuz for their daily word puzzle. In October 2017, the newspaper had committed the same offence.

At that time, it had issued a statement, distancing itself from the controversy. “Yes, hi. It’s NOT a swastika. Honest to God. No one sits down to make a crossword puzzle and says, “Hey! You know what would look cool?” the New York Times said in a tweet.

The contentious word puzzle bore alikeness with the hooked cross (Hakenkreuz), which was adopted in 1920 by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NAZI party).

The Nazi symbol comprised of the hooked cross, a white disc and a red background. It was popularised by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, responsible for the death of 6 million Jews.

In its 2017 tweet, the New York Times had deliberately conflated the Vedic symbol of Swastika with the Nazi symbol of Hakenkreuz. For decades, the Hindu symbol has been maligned and characterised as a sign associated with the murderous Nazi ideology.

Hinduphobic organisations and left-wing ‘intellectuals’ have used equated the two to denigrate Hindus and paint those who use the symbol as proponents of the Nazi ideology.

However, there is a huge difference between the two symbols, which they have ridiculously considered as one and the same, thereby not only hurting Hindu feelings but also displaying their innate Hinduphobia.

Jharkhand: Scuffle breaks out between locals and railways officials after an old Shivling is uprooted while laying down the tracks

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Scuffle breaks out between locals and railways officials after an old Shivling is uprooted while laying down the tracks

On Sunday. December 18, a clash broke out between local villagers and the railway officials in Jharkhand’s Bandidih railway station, Chas Muffasil, Bokaro district. According to the Hindi daily Jagran, the scuffle broke out after the railway officials forcefully uprooted a Shivling installed near the railway tracks.

The villagers protested after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans uprooted the Shivling while the railway officials laid the railway track and doubled it. The angry villagers first chased away the labourers and then blocked the road at the Bandhdih turn.

The villagers claimed that this Shivling was installed at this location roughly 200 years prior to the construction of the TT line. The villagers objected, asserting that the officials had offended the Hindus by vandalising the centuries-old Shivling that their ancestors and forebears had long worshipped.

According to reports, the villagers demanded that a temple be constructed and the Shivling be re-installed amid prayers and chants, but the railway authorities allegedly disregarded their demands and forcibly uprooted the Shivling before taking it away.

The locals added that Dhanbad MP PN Singh had also given the Divisional Railway Manager information in this regard but to no avail. They lamented the fact that the railway management had not even paid anyone compensation for the land.

This enraged the villagers who then drove away the railway workers who were doubling the railway track and blocked the road at the Banddih junction. On learning of the incident, six station in-charges, including those from Siyaljori, Bangaria and Chas Muffasil, arrived at the site and tried to pacify the villagers. The enraged villagers didn’t stop protesting and unblocked the Banddih intersection until the Shivling was reinstalled in its original location.

AAP MLA complains about poor connectivity after his phone doesn’t ring for 9-10 hours, phone later found in flight mode

OpIndia Staff
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AAP MLA complains about poor connectivity after his phone doesn’t ring for 9-10 hours, phone later found in flight mode

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Maur constituency in the Bathinda district of Punjab, Sukhveer Maiser Khana, ended up spreading unintentional hilarity on the internet recently. On December 16, Friday, Maiser Khana complained about his phone connection after he didn’t receive any phone calls for 9-10 hours, it later turned out that he had put his phone on flight mode.

Taking to Facebook, Maiser Khana shared, “I don’t understand why no sound is either coming or going from my phone for the last 9-10 hours. I am upset. All the other colleagues’ Airtel sims are working fine. I have brought it to the notice of DC Bathinda.”

Airtel India quickly responded to the MLA’s post to enquire about the problem and to assist him in resolving it. However, by then the commenters on the post already knew the story and advised Airtel to relax and take a “chill pill” since there was no problem to be resolved.

As reported by The Tribune, the only problem with the network connection was that the honourable MLA had put his phone on flight mode, barring himself from making or receiving calls.

The news of the funny incident involving the MLA quickly travelled to other social media platforms as well, and even BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga couldn’t resist poking fun at Maiser Khana.

While this ‘problem’ was quickly resolved after changing the phone’s setting, as we can see the MLA posting regular updates from his page without mentioning his connectivity problems again, the issue of not-so-tech-savvy MLAs may continue to prove to be a headache for officials.

Veer Savarkar’s portrait unveiled in Karnataka Assembly hall, Congress-led opposition stages a protest outside

ANI
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Veer Savarkar’s portrait unveiled in Karnataka Assembly hall, Congress-led opposition stages a protest outside

Congress MLAs led by the Karnataka Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah staged a protest outside the assembly after VD Savarkar’s portrait was unveiled inside Karnataka Assembly Hall on Monday.

The first day of the Winter Session of the state assembly began today at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. Opposition leaders – including former chief minister and the current Leader of the Opposition, Siddaramaiah, were among those who staged a demonstration and sat outside the assembly on the steps to protest the ruling Basavaraj Bommai government’s decision to unveil a portrait of Veer Savarkar in the assembly.

Siddaramaiah in a letter to the Speaker requested the installation of portraits of personalities like Valmiki, Basavanna, Kanaka Dasa, BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and others.

Karnataka Congress chief and MLA DK Shivakumar accused the state government of attempting to disrupt assembly proceedings through such steps.

“They want that our Assembly proceedings should not take place. They want it disrupted. They have brought this photo because we are going to raise a lot of corruption issues against them. They don’t have any development agenda,” Shivakumar said.

Meanwhile, the BJP has hit out against the Opposition protests. “There must be ideological differences but Savarkar is a freedom fighter, then ask Siddaramaiah, whose poster must be put, of Dawood Ibrahim?” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said today in Delhi outside the Parliament.

During the 10-day Winter Session of the Karnataka Assembly, the border row with neighbouring Maharashtra is likely to be brought up.

Meanwhile, in Nagpur outside the assembly, opposition Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) in Maharashtra chanted slogans targeting chief minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

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

Did you know: Christian Missionaries attempted to convert Nathuram Godse while he was in prison, sent communication just two months before his execution

Anurag
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Did you know: Christian Missionaries attempted to convert Nathuram Godse while he was in prison, sent communication just two months before his execution

When Nathuram Godse was jailed during his trial for the assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (MK Gandhi), Christian Missionaries regularly sent him letters urging him to convert to Christianity. On December 16, advocate, TV presenter and journalist TG Mohandas shared this information on Twitter.

In a tweet, TG Mohandas mentioned that he accessed over 11,000 documents related to MK Gandhi’s assassination, and a particular document caught his eye. In that document, there was communication between the Indian Government’s officers talking about the letters received from the UK containing exhortations to convert to Christianity.

OpIndia accessed documents from the National Archives to confirm the existence of the letter. We found the said letter and associated documents to it and other proof that Godse was regularly getting letters from Christian Missionaries.

The communications between Godse and Ramdas Gandhi

Ramdas Gandhi, son of MK Gandhi, had written a letter to Nathuram Godse on May 17, 1949, in which he claimed that once Godse was “free from misunderstanding, then no doubt that he would repent and realise his blunder”.

Excerpt from Ramdas Gandhi’s letter to Nathuram Godse. Source: National Archives.
Footnote from Ramdas Gandhi’s letter to Nathuram Godse mentioning he sought mercy for Godse. Source: National Archives.

On June 3, 1949, Nathuram Godse replied to a letter by Ramdas M Gandhi, who was trying to meet Godse. In his reply, Godse said that being open-minded, he was always a subject for correction but “what is the way to remove my misunderstanding, if any and to make me repent”.

Excerpt from the letter by Nathuram Godse to Ramdas Gandhi. Source: National Archives.

Pointing out the footnote where Ramdas Gandhi had mentioned he addressed the governor and gave him reasons why Godse should not be made to suffer the penalty awarded, Godse said, “Certainly neither the gallows nor any big show of mercy and to commute my punishment. The only way is to see me and make me realise. Uptilnow, I have come across nothing which will make me repent.”

Excerpt from the letter by Nathuram Godse to Ramdas Gandhi where Godse mentioned he received letters from Christian Missions. Source: National Archives.

In his letter, Godse mentioned he was receiving regular communications from “prominent Christian Missions”. He said, “I have received several letters from some prominent “Christian Missions”, and according to their faith and the teaching of the ‘Holy Bible’, they have tried to give me some message. Their stand is quite intelligible. But yours is the first letter that I have received which resembles to some extent to the well-known or more known teachings of your revered father. Really this is surprising! I have received letters full of abuses. I do not consider they were a disciple of your father.”

The letters between Deputy High Commissioner for India in Pakistan and MoEA

On September 14, 1949, Deputy High Commissioner for India in Pakistan YK Puri wrote to Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs Prem Krishnan, informing him about the letters he had received from the UK for Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte, who were lodged in Ambala Jail. In his letter, Puri mentioned that the letters contained exhortations to Christianity.

Communication between Deputy High Commissioner of India in Pakistan and Deputy Secretary, GoI, MoEA, about letters received for Godse and Apte containing exhortations to Christianity. Source: National Archives.

Further communications within the MoEA and Ministry of Home Affairs showed that a ‘No Objection’ was issued to deliver the letters to the prisoners. On October 17, 1949, the letters were forwarded to the Superintendent of Central Jail, Ambala. Notably, the letters were to be delivered to Godse and Apte only if the Superintendent of Central Jail had no objection. So far, OpIndia did not find the letters to Nathuram Godse sent by Christian Missions.

No Objection was issued for the letters to be delivered to Godse and Apte. Source: National Archives.

OpIndia is looking into more documents to determine the extent to which Christian missionaries were trying to convert Godse and if conversions of prisoners were going on at that time.

TMC spokesperson links victory of Argentina in FIFA World Cup to his party, deletes tweet after controversy

OpIndia Staff
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TMC spokesperson links victory of Argentina in FIFA World Cup to his party, deletes tweet after controversy

On Monday (December 19), a Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson named Riju Dutta courted controversy for likening the victory of Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Final to that of his political party.

In a tweet, he wrote, “Ei joy sudhu Argentina r jai noi, eta Maa Mati Manusher jai…Jai Bangla (This is just not the victory of Argentina but of Trinamool Congress… Hail Bengal).”

It must be mentioned that Maa Mati Manush (Mother, land and people) is one of the official slogans of the Trinamool Congress. Following a social media upheaval over the issue, Riju Dutta was quick to delete the tweet.

Screengrab of the now-deleted tweet of TMC spokesperson

The matter first came to light when popular Twitter user ‘ Befitting Facts’ posted a screenshot of his tweet on the micro-blogging platform.

“This TMC spokesperson really tweeted this. He called the victory of Argentina as the victory of Maa Mati Maanush,” he tweeted.

TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta has recently courted controversy for his misogynistic tweet about Smriti Irani. He had shared a video of Smriti Irani, wearing an orange-coloured dress, during the Femina Miss India 1998 pageant. “Rang de tu mujhe Gerua (colour me saffron),” the TMC leader had tweeted.

“Shame on Mamata Banerjee for appointing such misogynist men as TMC’s national spokesperson. He has no respect for women and the choices they make in life. They resent successful women and their rise. Men like him are responsible for rising crime against women,” slammed BJP leader Locket Chatterjee.

Newly constructed bridge collapses in Bihar’s Begusarai

ANI
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Newly constructed bridge collapses in Bihar’s Begusarai

A portion of a bridge that was built across the Burhi Gandak River in Sahebpur Kamal of Bihar’s Begusarai district collapsed and fell into the river, but no casualty was reported. 

As per information, the 206-metre-long bridge had developed cracks. The front part of the bridge between pillar no 2 and 3 collapsed on Sunday. 

The bridge was built at a cost of over Rs 13 crore and was yet to be inaugurated. 

Nobody was on the bridge at the time of the incident, said the administration on Monday. 

The bridge was constructed in 2022 but was never inaugurated due to the lack of an access road. The bridge was constructed under the Chief Minister National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) scheme. 

In October, a total of 134 persons lost their lives after a century-old suspension bridge fell into the Machchhu River of Morbi, Gujarat.

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

FIFA World Cup: Angry fans create a riot-like situation in France as they lose to Argentina 4-2

OpIndia Staff
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FIFA World Cup: Angry fans create a riot-like situation in France as they lose to Argentina 4-2

On December 18 (local time), France lost to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with 4-2 on the scoreboard. The angry French fans took to the streets and created a riot-like situation. Notably, when France defeated Morocco in the semi-finals to book its place in the finals, riots broke down in France as Moroccan and French fans clashed across the country.

As per reports, 14,000 Riot Police personnel were deployed across the country to deal with the fans. They clashed on the famous Champs-Elysees in Paris. Reports suggest that the fans fired fireworks towards the sky and the police. Videos were shared by the Eastern European media house Nexta on the social media platform Twitter.

In Lyon, the police used tear gas to disperse them as the fans got violent on the streets. Visuals surfaced on social media platforms suggesting that the fans draped in French flags pelted stones, bottles and fireworks at the police.

In videos, the police were seen shouting “turn around” at the rioting fans. The water cannons were also deployed to control the crown. Reports suggest that dozens of angry fans have been arrested by the French Riot Police.

French journalist Clement Lanot shared a few videos of the riots on social media. In one of the videos, the Riot police were seen standing, prepared to control the aggressive crowd. The fans started throwing fireworks at the police, after which the police personnel charged towards the crowd.

Notably, in the riots that broke out following the Morroco-France match, a 14-year-old boy was crushed to death. He was with the rioters when a car was attacked. The driver tried to escape and reversed the car crushing the boy.

Argentina won the FIFA World Cup

Argentina won the FIFA World Cup for the third time in history. The first World Cup victory came in 1978. Later, in 1986, Argentina won the cup for the second time. The fans waited for 36 years for the third cup.

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