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Navbharat Times journalist claims UPI and Digital payments not working anywhere in Gujarat except Ahmedabad, found to be false

Gopal Tiwari
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Navbharat Times journalist claims UPI and Digital payments not working anywhere in Gujarat except Ahmedabad, found to be false

Journalists from news channels across the country are rushing to Gujarat because of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Most of them are seen covering the news of their main subject of interest i.e. Gujarat elections, while some are forced by their habits and are seen trying to tarnish the image of Gujarat in some way or the other. Recently, a journalist made ridiculous claims about digital and UPI payments in Gujarat which are completely baseless.

Navbharat Times journalist Mithilesh Dhar Dubey, who calls himself ‘Bhadohi Wallah’ on Twitter, made this claim alleging that digital payments do not work in the state. Warning journalists coming to Gujarat for reporting on Gujarat elections, he tweeted, “Warning/suggestions for journalist colleagues coming to Gujarat reporting – Bring enough cash. Besides Ahmedabad, the facility of payment from Google Pay, Phone Pay, Paytm, etc. is negligible in other districts. The facility for payment by card is also very low.”

After Mithilesh tweeted this, Abhiyan magazine’s reporter Arjav Parekh replied, “This is absolutely wrong. Digital payments have also reached villages and towns in Gujarat. We live in Gujarat, we know.” In response, the Navbharat Times journalist wrote another claim in a replying tweet that read, “I am in Rajkot. If there is a facility for digital payment in the Honest restaurant – one of the most famous food chains in Gujarat – tell me. From Ahmedabad to Rajkot, I saw it. This is just an example. In UP Bihar, even a Bhujiawala also takes online payment.”

Fact-check by OpIndia

As a journalist and as a Gujarati, I also know that these claims of Mithilesh are false, yet we, OpIndia, thought of directly fact-checking this attempt of tarnishing the image of Gujarat.

A local source, Ram Sinh Zala, who lives in Rajkot, was contacted by OpIndia. At first, he tried to find out the truth of this claim on the call. After that, Zala said, “This is a baseless claim. The digital payment option has been going on here for years not only in hotels but also on small lanes.”

Ram Sinh Zala asked OpIndia to give him just 10 minutes and said, “I’m just going to an Honest restaurant outlet nearby and checking for your to know what is the truth.” After some time, Ramsinh Zala reached the outlet of the Honest Restaurant on Kalavad Road in Rajkot and from there made a video call to show us that digital and UPI payment facilities are available there.

An online payment facility is available in theHonest Restaurant. Image Source: Ramsinh Zala

When OpIndia spoke to the employee of that Honest restaurant, it was found that not only this but also at every Honest outlet in Gujarat and across the country, digital and UPI payment facility has been available for many years. He further said, “Yes, sometimes it may happen that the facility is not available temporarily due to some technical reason, but it happens just once or twice a year, that too for an hour or two.”

Netizens come together to refute this false claim

There was a lot of anger among Gujaratis against this unsubstantiated claim of the Navbharat Times journalist on Twitter. People also gave him a lot of evidence in response to his tweet.

RTI activist Sujit Hindustani, in his reply, posted a photo of a sugarcane juice shop in a village on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway where digital and UPI payments are accepted, Sujit Hindustani wrote in his tweet, “Please don’t spread lies. Digital payment is being accepted even by small people.”

Another Twitter user @Aalapshukla wrote, “I live in Ahmedabad. I have to travel from Jamnagar to Daman Palanpur and leave in my car with just two 2000 notes in my pocket. There is no need to pay with those two notes anywhere. Only mobile UPI is enough to pay.”

@Jaypal551983 wrote, “Stop spreading these false rumors. Digital payment facility is available all over Gujarat. Stop spreading false and incomplete information.”

The anger among the people due to this false claim was no less. A user named @Jagdish96068228 warned Mithilesh in his tweet that read, “Now do duty in Gujarat only by wearing a mask on your rotten face, otherwise Gujaratis will slap on the face, you liars.”

@i_m_prapti put up a poll on the tweet by Mithilesh and asked the people whether digital payments are available everywhere in Gujarat or not. So far, 351 people registered their responses, out of which 94% of people said that digital and UPI payment facility is available everywhere in Gujarat.

A user named @just_hu02 wrote in a sarcastic tone, “Journalists spreading false news should be suspended for 1 year. His social media ID should also be suspended for a year.”

Thus, an OpIndia investigation reveals the truth that the claim made by Navbharat Times journalist Mithilesh Dhar about digital and UPI payments in Gujarat is not only misleading but also completely false. It is just an attempt to tarnish the image of Gujarat just before the elections.

AAP leader climbs atop electricity transmission tower after being denied a ticket for MCD polls, says party sold tickets for Rs 3 Crores

OpIndia Staff
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AAP leader climbs atop electricity transmission tower after being denied a ticket for MCD polls, says party sold tickets for Rs 3 Crores

On Sunday, Haseeb ul Hasan, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor in East Delhi Municipal Corporation, climbed to the top of an electricity transmission tower in Shastri Park, saying that party executives have seized his documents. It is said that he was denied a ticket for the forthcoming Delhi municipal body elections, and as a result, he vowed to kill himself and climbed the tower.

Hasan alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party sold the ticket to Deepu Chaudhary for Rs 3 crores and then wanted money from him. Since he could not afford to pay the amount, he was denied a ticket.

He said, “Aam Aadmi Party’s Durgesh Pathak and Atishi will be responsible if something happens to me, or if I die. They have my original documents, including my bank passbook. Tomorrow is the last day for filing nominations but they are not giving my documents to me.”

Police officers, firefighters, and BSES officials, as well as ambulances, arrived at the scene and asked Hasan to come down. At 10:51 AM, fire personnel received word that someone had climbed an electricity tower in the Gandhi Nagar area.

Around 3 PM, Hasan came down, claiming that AAP leaders had returned his documents due to media pressure. “Durgesh Pathak, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh would not have returned my papers if the media had not come. I will file my nomination tomorrow,” Hasan said. When questioned if he would run as an independent candidate, Hasan replied he wasn’t sure.

Haseeb ul Hasan had earlier jumped into an overflowing sewer drain at Shastri Park in March this year. Speaking to reporters, the nominated AAP councillor stated that the drain had been overflowing for some time and that, despite numerous complaints, the local MLA had failed to resolve the situation. As a result, Hasan chose to shoulder the load and demonstrate his point. His followers afterwards bathed him in milk while chanting anti-BJP slogans around him.

The AAP released its initial list of candidates on Friday, followed by a second list of 117 candidates the following day. The 250-ward MCD heads to the polls on December 4, and the ballots will be counted on December 7.

Madhya Pradesh: Man kills girlfriend in resort, posts videos on her Instagram saying “Bewafai Nahi Karne Ka”

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Man kills girlfriend in resort, posts videos on her Instagram saying “Bewafai Nahi Karne Ka”

On November 8, a man killed his 22-year-old girlfriend in a room at Mekhla resort, which is under the jurisdiction of Tilwara police station in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh. After the murder, the man posted a video on social media confessing to the crime.

The murder came to light after the main suspect in the case posted a video on social media displaying the girl laying in a pool of blood on a bed in a hotel room, with the man saying “Bewafai Nahi Karne Ka (do not be unfaithful)”. It implied that he killed her because she was cheating on him. (Potentially sensitive content, viewers’ discretion advised)

The video was taken immediately after assaulting the girl by slitting her throat, and she was still alive at that time, as she can seen be taking her last breaths in the video. According to police, the video was posted on the victim’s Instagram account on Friday.

The victim has been identified as Shilpa Jhariya, a Jabalpur resident from Barela. Later, the suspect posted another video in which he said he killed the girl because his business partner urged him to do so.

All the videos were reportedly being posted from the Instagram account of the victim. They appear to have been removed from the account. There are still many photos on the Instagram of the victim which have been posted post her murder.

Abhijeet Patidar, the perpetrator, said in the video that he and his partner manage a business in Patna. Abhijeet alleged that his girlfriend was also having an affair with his business partner. She allegedly forced them to provide her Rs 12 lakh before running away to Jabalpur. Abhijeet continued by saying that his partner had asked him to kill her.

According to TI SL Jhariya of the Tilwara police station, it was found during the investigation that the deceased had come to the resort on Sunday with a man by the name of Abhijeet Patidar. Additionally, the pair had provided each of their own identity cards for authentication.

The deceased woman’s identity was recorded as Rakhi Mishra on the ID, which the authorities later found to be a counterfeit. When resort staff members were questioned, it was learned that on Sunday, the lady spent some time with Patidar before leaving, while Patidar stayed at the resort.

On Monday, nevertheless, the woman went back to the resort. The victim woman was still inside the resort when the man later left. The staff used a master key to unlock the door after the woman didn’t open the door until Tuesday morning, only to discover her laying blood-soaked.

Immediately after being alerted, the police launched an investigation into the matter. Searches are being conducted for the man who stayed in the victim’s room. According to SHO Jhariya, CCTV footage is also being examined for any clues relevant to him.

The fact that the young man boarded a cab to the resort has also come to the attention of the cops. On Monday, the accused and the lady boarded a cab to travel to the Mekhla resort. The cab driver was questioned by the police, and they also recorded his testimony. It is reported that the driver provided the police with a significant amount of information. Police also said that Abhijeet Patidar is from Gujarat, not from Patna.

‘Let Josh Butler and Alex Hales fail’: Pakistani Girls pray for their team’s victory at T20 World Cup final, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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‘Let Josh Butler and Alex Hales fail’: Pakistani Girls pray for their team’s victory at T20 World Cup final, video goes viral

The final match of the ICC T20 World Cup is being played between Pakistan and England on Sunday, 13 November 2022. It is being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. After the initial setback in this match, the condition of the Pakistan cricket team looks fragile. Meanwhile, a video of Pakistani girls is becoming increasingly viral on social media, in which the girls are seen praying for the victory of the Pakistan cricket team.

In the viral video, the girls are seen in school uniforms. The girls are also holding the Flag of Pakistan in their hands. In the video, a girl is seen praying for Pakistan’s victory and talking about the poor performance of England batsmen, on which other girls are seen saying ‘Ameen’.

In the video, the girl says, “Let Josh Butler and Alex Hales fail” to which the other girls say ‘Ameen.’ The next, the girl says “Let Mohammad Rizwan hit sixes” after which the other girls sitting there once again say ‘Ameen.’ Not only this but in the video, the girls are also seen praying for the courage of Pakistani bowlers to pick England’s wickets, to give strength to Babar Azam for hard-hitting, and for no rain in the match.

However, even after this, the condition of Pakistan remains very critical. Be it captain Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan and Haris, top order batsmen of Pakistan failed miserably in front of England bowlers. This is the reason why Pakistan has scored just 137 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs against England. That is, England now has a target of 138 runs.

England has scored 71 after losing 3 wickets in 10 overs so far, and the winning target is not very far for them.

After losing the first two matches, Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals were over. But, after South Africa’s defeat at the hands of the Netherlands, Pakistan reached the semi-finals. In the semi-final match, they defeated New Zealand. Now, they are playing the final match against England, who reached the final by defeating India.

Pakistan and England have won the T20 World Cup once each. Pakistan became the world champion of T20 cricket in 2009 and England in 2010. That is, whichever team wins the final on Sunday, November 13, 2022, will become the T20 World Cup winner for the second time.

Rajdeep Sardesai proposes debate with sociologist Salvatore Babones over his criticism of Indian intellectuals, then declines his invitation to debate

Raju Das
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Rajdeep Sardesai proposes debate with sociologist Salvatore Babones over his criticism of Indian intellectuals, then declines his invitation to debate

After saying that there should be a debate with Australia-based American sociologist Salvatore Babones over his criticism of India’s left-liberal intellectuals, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has now declined an invitation for such a debate from Babones. Salvatore Babones, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Sydney, had invited him for a debate after Rajdeep Sardesai refuted his views on Indian intellectuals and their role in negative perception of India at international forums, but Rajdeep Sardesai declined the invitation, saying he does not want to be the news, and that he is not an intellectual.

Salvatore Babones has created quite a storm in Indian social media by showing the mirror to Indian left-liberal intellectuals. He is in India to attend India Today Conclave in Mumbai, and at that event, he made comments that have earned him the anger of the left and praise of the right.

At the India Today Conclave, Salvatore Babones said that India under Narendra Modi is wrongly portrayed as a fascist state, and said that Indian intellectuals were fuelling this false narrative about the country. He said that the organizations and the so-called ‘liberal’ intellectuals who build their opinions against the government are ‘anti-India’. “India’s intellectual class is anti-India. There is also a class of society who is anti-Modi and anti-BJP, as a class, not as an individual,” he said.

Salvatore Babones also slammed various global rankings of democracy, press freedom, hunger etc, where India is often ranked way below without any justification. He gave several examples, like how India is ranked below Hong Kong on press freedom. He said that these rankings are negatively influenced by Indian intellectuals who provide anti-India inputs to these studies.

Videos of comments by Salvatore Babones had gone viral, earning him the admiration of social media users. People particularly praised him for giving ‘befitting replies’ to Rajdeep Sardesai. Following this, the controversial journalist decided to confront him in a video blog later, instead of confronting him on the stage of the India Today conclave itself.

In a video posted by Sardesai on YouTube yesterday, he pointed out that Salvatore Babones is writing and commenting authoritatively on Indian Democracy when this is his first visit to India. While Babones has stated that he has expertise on competitive democracy in Asia-Pacific region, and has studied Indian political system extensively, Sardesai suggested that he should not be writing on India without visiting it first.

Responding to Salvatore Babones pointing out how Hong Kong ranking ahead of India in terms of freedom of press shows these rankings are not reliable, Sardesai just said it is an interesting argument.

Talking about how the professor was loved by common people but hated by left-liberals, Sardesai said that he has polarised Indians. Saying that the professor’s comments need to be countered, Rajdeep Sardesai then went on to do what Salvatore Babones had already accused Indian left-liberals of doing, cherry picking specific incidents to claim that freedom is under attack in India instead of using broad data.

He mentioned the case of the arrest of Siddique Kappan, the confinement of Jammu and Kashmir politicians after the abrogation of Article 370, the alleged lynching of minorities, the arrest of Disha Ravi, some cases of arrest of politicians on corruption charges etc. It seemed that Rajdeep Sardesai sought to justify the low ranking of in democracy and freedom rankings, despite the fact that they are only some specific incidents and the rankings should reflect overall data.

Listing such few incidents, Rajdeep Sardesai said that these are the issues that need a fact-based debate. ‘These are the issues that need a fact-based debate, these are the issues that need a debate not on rhetoric but on arguments based on hard data’, he said. He said that if such a debate is held between professor Barbones and his critics, they may be able to shed more light than heat about the state of Indian democracy.

Salvatore Babones replied to Rajdeep Sardesai by commenting on the video, accepting the invitation for a debate. “Thanks Rajdeep for the rebuttal! I’m happy to have finally visited India, but as a social scientist, I deal in data and documents, not personal experiences. I’d be thrilled to talk about it, if you’d like to take the time. Let’s have a chat!” he replied.

Interacting with people on YouTube who replied to his comment, Babones said that he has nothing against Sardesai, he in fact praised Sardesai for setting him up to look good, and added that he is looking forward to another conversion.

However, as there was no response from Rajdeep Sardesai after calling for a debate, yesterday Salvatore Babones ran a vote on Twitter to seek opinion on whether he should invite Rajdeep Sardesai for an informal video discussion about the status of Indian democracy. The poll received an overwhelmingly positive response, with 81.3% of voters saying yes.

Following this, Salvatore Babones posted a video on Twitter today morning, where he invited Sardesai for a debate that Sardesai proposed. Showing the results of the poll where 4/5th of people voted in favour of the debate, he said, ‘Rajdeep, I hope you will take this as an invitation. Let’s sit down for a talk’. He then added that he has already set up a chair for him, showing a chair with the book 2019: How Modi Won India by Rajdeep Sardesai seated on the chair.

He added that Rajdeep Sardesai need not come personally for the talk and it can happen online through video conferencing. Babones said that he hopes that Sardesai will agree to a real-time show where they will answer live questions from viewers. He said that it is important for people to understand that social scientists and journalists have different perspectives on things.

However, Rajdeep Sardesai declined the invitation, saying that being an old-school journalist, he does not wish to be the story. He also said that he is not an intellectual but only an observer/reporter, and it is upto the Indian intellectuals to accept the offer of the debate. He added that he will play ‘neutral’ anchor of this debate.

Congress to review its stand on EWS reservations for the poor Upper Castes, takes a U-turn after initially welcoming Supreme Court judgment on it

OpIndia Staff
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Congress to review its stand on EWS reservations for the poor Upper Castes, takes a U-turn after initially welcoming Supreme Court judgment on it

After welcoming the Supreme Court’s verdict in favor of 10 percent reservations for the Economic Weaker Sections among the general category, the Congress party indicated on Saturday that it will rethink its stance. This U-turn by the party came after strong objections from leaders from southern states, especially Tamil Nadu.

On Monday, 7th November 2022, the Congress party welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgment. Not only this, the party tried to take credit for the 10 percent EWS reservations for the upper castes. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The 103rd constitutional amendment providing a 10 percent EWS quota was the result of a process initiated by the Manmohan Singh government in 2005-2006 with the appointment of the Sinha commission that submitted its reports in July 2010. Thereafter, widespread consultations were held and the Bill was ready by 2014. It took the Modi sarkar five years to get the Bill enacted.”

Jairam Ramesh added, “It also bears mention here that the Socio-Economic and Caste Census was completed by 2012 when I myself was the Union Rural Development Minister. The Modi Sarkar has yet to clarify its position on an updated Caste Census, something that the Congress party supports and demands.”

Later on Saturday, 12th November 2022, Jairam Ramesh gave another statement signaling the party’s decision to review its stand on the judgment. He pointed out that while three judges had declared that SCs, STs, and OBCs may be excluded from the EWS group and had offered various justifications for each of their opinions, two justices had come to the contrary conclusion that their removal from the EWS category was unconstitutional.

This U-turn in the party’s position about the upper castes getting reservations on an economic basis has come a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin held an all-party meeting to reject the 103rd constitutional amendment. It is notable that the Congress party was also a part of that meeting. Not only this, Congress leaders P. Chidambaram and his son and MP Karti Chidambaram are also not in support of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In addition, Jairam Ramesh’s comments were at odds with the party’s promises made in its Lok Sabha election manifestos in 2009 and 2014 to provide reservations for the EWS category for all groups without impacting the already-existing reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. According to reports, many other leaders in the party were also unhappy with the eagerness shown to welcome the Supreme Court’s decision without considering its political consequences. Congress leader Udit Raj had even called the Supreme Court casteist.

Besides, P Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Sanghvi were concerned about the legal aspect of the decision. P Chidambaram said, “The powerful dissent of the two Honourable judges underlined the truth that the basic structure of the Indian Constitution did not permit exclusion. There are poor among all castes and communities. The moot question is will the poor be treated equally under the Constitution?”

He added, “We live in times that require a wise and compassionate understanding of the basic structure of the Constitution. I am sure the Supreme Court will be petitioned to revisit the issue on which the Honourable judges were divided.”

Pakistan’s blasphemy culture now in full glory repeated in Punjab, flower petals showered at Sandeep Singh, the killer of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan’s blasphemy culture now in full glory repeated in Punjab, flower petals showered at Sandeep Singh, the killer of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri

In Punjab, flower petals were showered on Sandeep Singh, the suspected killer of Shiv Sena Taksali leader Sudhir Suri, outside the court as he was being driven there in a police van. Sandeep Singh was produced in court on Saturday after his 7-day police remand expired. The court extended the police custody for three more days after hearing the matter.

The video of the flower petals being showered on his van was shared by journalist Sachin Gupta on Twitter. He wrote, “In Punjab, flowers are being showered during the court appearance of Sandeep Singh, the killer of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri.” Slogans like ‘Sandeep Singh Zindabad’ and ‘Raaj Karega Khalsa’ were also raised by several people inside the court premises, as audible in the video.

On November 6, the chief of the Khalistani terror group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, promised Rs 10 lakh in legal help to the shooter Sandeep Singh, who is charged with murdering Sudhir Suri.

Suri was shot numerous times in broad daylight on November 4 in Amritsar, in the presence of police. When the attackers fired Suri from the crowd, he was demonstrating outside a temple in Amritsar. Soon after, Sandeep Singh was apprehended by police. The condition of law and order in Punjab has been in question following the incident. This is reminiscent of similar incidents in Pakistan where killers are cheered and celebrated if they are deemed to have committed those crimes in the name of religion.

The Killer of Pakistani Governor showered with flowers in 2011

This tradition of honouring a convicted criminal or a murderer stems from Pakistan and the blasphemy culture that has been instilled in certain faiths in the past. In January 2011, Pakistani lawyers showered flower petals on Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the assassin of Punjab (Pakistan) Governor Salman Taseer, inside the court. As he walked out of the court, some 200 supporters shouted slogans in his support.

Governor Taseer was a liberal who frequently spoke out against blasphemy laws. Islamic clerics praised Qadri for being heroic, brave, and religious in his execution of Taseer.

Growing number of murders in Punjab in the name of religion

During the past few years, there has been a steady increase in crimes committed in the name of religion and ‘blasphemy’ in Punjab. Since 2015, Punjab has seen hundreds of instances of blasphemy associated with Sikhism as well as other religions.

Murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower accused in 2015 Bargari sacrilege case

A Dera Sacha Sauda follower charged in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case was recently shot dead in Faridkot by unknown people. The deceased person was identified as Pradeep Singh who was a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, an accused in a 2015 Bargari sacrilege incident.

In 2015, Pardeep Singh was accused of stealing a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot. He was out on bail. Protests had erupted in Faridkot following the ‘sacrilege’ incidents in 2015. In October 2015, police opened fire on protesters in Behbal Kalan, killing two people and injuring several others in Kotkapura, Faridkot.

Notably, Mohinder Pal Singh Bittoo, another Dera Sacha Sauda devotee and an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was murdered on June 22, 2019, at Patiala’s high-security Nabha jail by two of his fellow inmates. Two convicts, Gursewak Singh and Maninder Singh battered him with rods and lynched him.

Golden Temple Sacrilege

On December 18, a man was lynched to death by the Sikh Sangat (Sikh devotees) at Amritsar’s Shri Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara (Golden Temple) for allegedly disrespecting the Sikh religion’s sacred book, Shri Guru Granth Sahib. 

According to the CCTV footage, the young man leaped into the Sanctorum, which housed the sacred book. He took up the kirpan (sword) that had been put next to the holy book. At that point, the Sikh Sangat present acted quickly and captured him. According to reports, the Sangat accused him of attempting to disrespect Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

The guy was lynched by the Sangat, and his corpse was placed in front of the Gurudwara. After the man’s body was placed on the ground in front of the SGPC office, people gathered around it to applaud the speedy justice. They yelled Sikh religious slogans to rejoice over the murder.

The Singhu Border Lynching case

On the night of October 14 and 15, 2021, a man named Lakhbir Singh from a village in Punjab was killed near the Singhu Border in Delhi, where farmers’ protests were taking place. His right hand was severed, and his body was hung by Nihang Sikhs on a barrier near the Kundli border. It was said that Lakhbir attempted to flee with the Sikh holy book Sarbloh Granth.

Arrests were made in connection with the murder, but many welcomed the Nihang Sikhs’ actions, alleging that governments had failed to impose harsh punishment against individuals who desecrate the sacred texts.

Army officer killed for alleged sacrilege

Adding another incident to the list, on the night of July 1 and 2, 2021, an Indian Army officer named Deepak Singh was savagely assaulted at a Gurudwara in Punjab for alleged blasphemy. Several others rationalised the assassination by claiming that Deepak went to the Gurudwara to insult Guru Granth Sahib. According to them, the Gurudwara’s custodians observed him and when questioned, he was unable to provide a “justifiable” reason, which resulted in his lynching, and his subsequent death.

Many members of the Sikh community, who believe in harsh punishment for those who commit sacrilege, came out in favour of Daljit, the prime accused, and the other accused. Deep Sidhu, who was accused of rioting on Republic Day 2021, had then posted in support of Daljit.

The murder of main accused of Ghawaddi sacrilege case

On July 26, 2016, 47-year-old Balwinder Kaur was shot dead in broad daylight by two motorcycle-borne men. Kaur was the main accused of desecrating Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in October 2015.

In 2015, 20 Ang (pages of the holy book are called Ang or limbs) of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were found scattered in a Gurudwara in Ghawaddi Gurudwara which caused an uproar among the Sikh community. Later, Kaur confessed to the crime. She had allegedly torn the pages and later raised the alarm about the incident herself. Some reports suggested she did it to frame the granthi.

Celebration of the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal

The praise for Sandeep SIngh is not the first time that a killer has been praised like this in India. Just recently, following the infamous ‘Nupur Sharma blasphemy case’ and the savage killing of Kanhaiya Lal by two Islamists in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, the situation was similar. Several instances were documented in which other Islamists supported and even praised the heinous murder of Kanhaiya Lal. Needless to say, the barbaric killing of poor tailor Kanhaiya Lal in broad daylight by two Islamists shocked the entire nation.

These incidents of murders for blasphemy and sacrilege and widespread celebration of such convicts and accused have been on the rise in the recent past. Since Suri’s assassination, several Hindu leaders in Punjab have received death threats, threatening to kill them next. Regardless of the current level of tension in Punjab, pro-Khalistan Twitter users were spotted praising the murder. Some people even dubbed it ‘Sewa’ (a selfless religious offering).

‘Hindus kidnapped Muslim girl’: Fake news spread by Islamists to stoke communal tension in Leicester has eerie similarities with the 2002 Godhra riots

Dibakar Dutta
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‘Hindus kidnapped Muslim girl’: Fake news spread by Islamists to stoke communal tension in Leicester has eerie similarities with the 2002 Godhra riots

On November 3, a UK-based think tank debunked the false claims made by Islamists about the presence of ‘RSS terrorists’ and ‘Hindutva extremist organisations’ in Leicester city in the East Midlands region of England.

The disinformation was peddled by Islamists to rationalise their targeting of the Hindu community and camouflage their acts of aggression as violence perpetrated in self-defence.

The Henry Jackson Society (HJS), founded in 2005, released a 39-page report [pdf] on November 3 and concluded that the false allegations had exposed the Hindu community in Leicester to hate, vandalism and assault.

Screengrab of the report by Charlotte Littlewood of the Henry Jackson Society

“Contrary to press reports at the time, the investigations did not find Hindutva extremist organisations operating in Leicester, but instead discovered a micro-community cohesion issue falsely presented as an issue of organised Hindutva extremism and terrorism,” the summary of the report read.

HJS emphasised, “It finds that false allegations of RSS terrorists and Hindutva extremist organisations active in the UK has put the wider Hindu community at risk from hate, vandalism and assault.”

“Some members of the Hindu community in Leicester imposed a voluntary curfew, some relocated to stay with family or friends until they felt safe to return, while still others were unable to return to work owing to fears for their personal safety,” it further added.

Excerpt from the report by Charlotte Littlewood of the Henry Jackson Society

The report, prepared by research fellow Charlotte Littlewood, cited temporary Chief Constable of Leicester Police Robert Nixon, and pointed out that disinformation had been the greatest challenge in containing the unrest in the city.

“The allegations stoked tensions and were pivotal in the numbers that joined the anti-Hindutva Muslim marches, the violence that ensued and the wider impact then on the Hindu community in the UK,” she added.

“Beyond the claims of RRS terrorists and Hindutva extremists, there were accusations of attacking a mosque, kidnapping (the man accused of kidnapping was not in the country and approach of a 14-year-old girl by three men (later confirmed untrue by Leicester police),” the report concluded.

The origins of the disinformation campaign

On September 13, a conspiracy theorist and Muslim fanatic by the name of Majid Freeman alleged that 3 men had tried to abduct a teenage Muslim girl. “CONFIRMED: An incident took place this morning not far from a college in Leicester,” he tweeted.

“A Muslim teenager was approached by 3 men but she ran away into the school. The college & police are aware of it and the family have been given an incident number by Leicester Police,” he claimed.

Screengrab of the tweet by Majid Freeman

The conspiracy theorist even claimed to have met the family of the girl, who was traumatised by the alleged kidnapping attempt. “The girl is very shaken but she is ok alhamdulillah. They’ve reported the incident to the police. Hopefully, we’ll get to the bottom of this and the people behind it are caught,” he said.

Screengrab of the tweet by Majid Freeman

The fake news was then amplified by other Islamists, who alleged the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the alleged abduction attempt. The Hindu man, falsely accused of kidnapping the Muslim girl, was doxxed on Facebook and his residential address was leaked on social media.

On September 14, the Leicester police debunked the disinformation through a press release. It said, “Yesterday we issued an appeal following a report that a teenage girl had been approached by three men in the area of Richmond Way, Leicester, on Monday morning.”

“A full investigation has been carried out. Following extensive enquiries, we have established that the incident did not take place and no offence was committed,” the cops confirmed.

The deliberate attempt by Majid Freeman to stoke hysteria in the Muslim community and lay the foundation of violence against the Leicester Hindus did not stop the city Mayor to arrange a meeting with him.

A similar modus operandi during the 2002 Godhra carnage

It has been 20 years since 59 Hindus, travelling by Sabarmati Express, were burnt alive by Islamists in Godhra. However, soon after the carnage unfolded, the usual suspects began peddling conspiracy theories to rationalise the brutal killing of the karsevaks returning from Ayodhya.

One of the fake stories that was doing the rounds in mainstream media was the alleged abduction of a young Muslim girl by the karsevaks over a dispute with her father (who happened to be a bearded tea seller).

“Hearing the chaos, the daughter (16) of the old man who was also present at the station came forward and tried to save her father from karsevaks. She kept pleading and begging them to stop beating her father and leave him alone,” a report in Outlook read.

“But instead of listening to her woes, the karsevaks lifted the young girl and took her inside their compartment (S-6) and closed the compartment door shut. The train started to move out of the platform of Godhra railway station,” it continued.

“The old man kept banging on the compartment doors and pleaded to leave his daughter. Just before the train could move out completely from the platform, two stall vendors jumped into the last bogey that comes after the guard cabin. And with the intention of saving the girl, they pulled the chain and stopped the train,” it said.

Later, the Nanavati Commission, probing the case, junked the allegations. After careful scrutiny of her evidence, the Commission came to the conclusion that the version of the supposed victim did not appear to be true.

“The alleged attempt to abduct her was made while they were near the bookstall. That would mean that they were almost in the middle of the covered portion of the platform and very close to the offices of the railway staff. The evidence discloses that there were many persons on the platform,” it noted.

“Apart from passengers, many Muslim vendors were there. The railway staff was present in their offices. Some policemen were also present. If she had raised shouts to save her then they would have been heard at least by some persons who were near about but not a single vendor or anyone else has come forward to support her version,” the Commission emphasised.

“Her explanation that she was much frightened and had giddiness and, therefore, they had decided not to go back to Vadodara on that day, does not appear to be true,” it further stated.

The parallels between the two incidents of violence targeting Hindus and the fake stories floated of a Muslim girl being abducted, harassed by Hindus which triggered violence in a bid to justify the same is alarming. In both the cases, Leicester as well as Godhra, the Islamists and their apologists conjured up fake stories to make the Hindus come across as aggressors and justified the violence perpetrated on them as ‘retaliation’ to save honour of a woman of Muslim community. However, as can be seen, in both the cases, no such incident of harassment of the Muslim girl took place and a fake narrative was created to simply unleash violence on Hindus and obfuscate the facts to further propaganda.

‘False and baseless’, PIB fact-checks Rahul Gandhi’s claims about privatisation of Indian Railways

OpIndia Staff
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‘False and baseless’, PIB fact-checks Rahul Gandhi’s claims about privatisation of Indian Railways

On Sunday, November 13, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) took to Twitter to fact-check the misleading claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the privatisation of railways as false and baseless.

The official Twitter handle of the PIB Fact Check shared a screenshot of Rahul Gandhi’s tweet from Saturday (November 12), which claimed that 151 trains of the Indian Railways have been privatized and wrote in Hindi, “In a tweet, a false claim is being made that 151 trains, Railway property, stations and hospitals have been privatised. This is false and baseless. The Railways have not privatized any of its assets.”

Notably, Rahul Gandhi shared a video from his ongoing campaign in a tweet on Saturday, writing, “Railways connect India, serving 2.5 crore passengers per day and employing 12 lakh people. Railway, Pradhanmantri ji, is the property of the country. It should not be privatized. It needs empowerment, not privatisation. Don’t sell it.”

In the video embedded in Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, he can be seen interacting with people in Telangana while on his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Some of them were railway union members who came to meet Rahul Gandhi to submit a memorandum opposing the alleged ‘privatisation of railways.’

“Which part of Indian Railways is being privatized?” Rahul Gandhi inquired as he walked. ‘Railway stations, workshops, medical centers, and establishments will be privatized,’ said Bharani Bhanu Prasad, a member of the South Central Railway Employees’ Sangh.

“When do they plan to do this? Are they already doing this slowly?” Rahul Gandhi inquired. “Yes, Sir,” the members replied.

“To whom are they giving it? Big companies or small ones?” Rahul Gandhi queried. “Big companies, sir,” the union members said collectively in the video. “Private trains are already in use in India,” the members claimed.

The Railways’ Employee Sangh member went on to claim that Adani, Ambani, and their affiliated companies are getting railways properties including trains as part of Modi government’s railway privatisation.

The railway union members also stated in the video that they met with Rahul Gandhi and explained the ‘privatisation’ of the railways to him. “In the 170-year history of the Indian Railways, we have never seen or heard of privatisation. We are opposed to the privatization,” a member said.

Gujarat: AAP IT cell spreads fake video to mock BJP while trying to take advantage of Morbi bridge tragedy

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: AAP IT cell spreads fake video to mock BJP while trying to take advantage of Morbi bridge tragedy

On 12th November 2022, one Praatik Innamdar of Aam Aadmi Party’s IT cell in Gujarat tweeted an old video from West Bengal claiming that it is from Gujarat where BJP workers were being beaten up by angry crowd. He added “Morbi Bridge Collapse” hashtag, to insinuate that the people were angry with BJP workers because of the Morbi tragedy that claimed over a hundred lives.

However, the video is old and not from Gujarat.

Notably, the people in the video are speaking in Bangla. The hoardings and boards in the surroundings are in Bangla. As the AAP has included text over the images, it is not clearly seen who is beating whom.

The video shared by AAP’s IT cell in Gujarat. Image Source: Twitter Handle of Praatik Innamdar

A rickshaw stops near a petrol pump. A man suddenly barges into the scene along with some of his accomplices and thrashes the person in the rickshaw. The rickshaw bears a loudspeaker and the Bharatiya Janata Party flags.

In this way, a person was being thrashed near a petrol pump. Image Source: Twitter handle of Praatik Innamdar

After some research, it was found that the video is originally from West Bengal. The video was shared by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on 6th August 2022. In his tweet, Adhikari has written, “Yesterday Asit Mazumdar; TMC MLA from Chinsurah; Hooghly, thrashed a BJP Karyakarta for campaigning democratically. Those who questioned the NHRC, India’s post-poll violence report, citing ‘Law of the ruler, not Rule of law’ in WB haven’t seen Mamata Banerjee’s GOONDA Raaj.”

So, it became clear that the video is originally from West Bengal in which a TMC leader along with his supporters was seen thrashing a BJP worker in West Bengal. Praatik Innamdar who shared this video claiming that it is from Gujarat is a member of the Gujarat IT cell of Arvind Kejriwal. He has also shared his photographs with the party chief Arvind Kejriwal from his Twitter handle in the past.

The screenshots and tweets confirm that the video shared by AAP is not from Gujarat and that by claiming that it is from Morbi, AAP appears to be trying to take the advantage of the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy for its political gains. It is notable that a 140-year-old hanging cable bridge in Morbi collapsed on 30th October 2022. The bridge had just been reopened following renovations.

The video is originally from West Bengal. Image Source: Twitter handle of Suvendu Adhikari

However, this is not the only incident in which AAP is using old pictures or videos from one place to claim that it is from some other place. AAP has also used a picture from Trinamool Congress Party’s mega rally held in 2018 and claimed that it is from Surat in Gujarat.

AAP’s Jhalawar unit shared a photo from West Bengal and claimed that it is from Surat. Image Source: Twitter handle of Kanchan Gupta.

An official Twitter handle of the party’s Jhalawar unit shared one such old photograph and claimed that the crowd was present in Surat to follow AAP leader Raghav Chadha who was accompanying Gopal Italia as he filed his nomination form for the assembly elections.

Exposing this lie by Aam Aadmi Party, Kanchan Gupta tweeted, “An official handle of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP is spreading disinformation. But then, it is Kejriwal and it is not surprising that his fans would use a picture of a 2018 TMC rally in Kolkata West Bengal, and claim the crowds have turned up for Raghav Chadha in Surat Gujarat.

State assembly elections in Gujarat will take place on December 1 and December 5. The results of the same will be declared on December 8.

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