A very clinical French side continued their march towards successive World Cup triumphs as they defeated Poland by 3 goals to 1. Spurred on by the goals from two strikers at the opposing ends of their careers, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, the french move to the Quarter Finals where they will meet the winner of England vs Senegal, a match to be held later tonight.
Olivier Giroud, who scored the first goal to break the deadlock just before halftime, went past the legendary French striker Thierry Henry as the highest-scoring French player. Henry scored 51 goals for France during his illustrious career, today’s goal was Giroud’s 52nd strike for his country.
While Giroud is in the twilight of his career, Kylian Mbappe is still very much at the start of his, even though he is a World Cup winner already in Russia. Mbappe settled the tie with a brilliant strike to get the second goal for France and extinguished any hopes of a comeback for Poland. Not satisfied with that, he put an exclamation mark on France’s performance with another brilliant strike right at the end.
Poland got a consolation goal right at the end when they got a penalty after Kamil Grosicki’s cross hit Dayot Upamecano’s arm. Lewandowski’s initial penalty was saved by French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris but the officials decided Lloris moved too soon. Lewandowski put the retaken penalty past Lloris to make the scoreline somewhat respectable for Poland.
The end result may make it seem like one way traffic in favour of France but it wasn’t always so during the game. Piotr Zielinski had a great chance to give Poland the lead when the score was 0-0 but he shot straight at French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and the rebound was blocked by French defenders.
However, once Giroud put the French ahead thanks to an Mbappe assist, there was no looking back for France. They totally dominated the second half and Mbappe, who provided the assist for the first goal, stepped up with two crackers of finishes to put the tie beyond Poland.
France now await the winner of England vs Senegal in their Quarter Final, while Poland heads home.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, an ISIS terrorist, has been charged with terror offences in Australia after he was extradited from Turkey. While all media in Australia and across the world has reported the development, all of them deliberately tried to insinuate that he is not a Muslim.
All media reports used his former name Neil Prakash, which sounds like the name of a Hindu from India. While his original was indeed Neil Prakash, it is no longer his name. He was originally Buddhist, and he converted to Islam in 2012. After converting to Islam, Neil Prakash adopted the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, referring to his Cambodian root.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi was born in Melbourne in Australia to an Indo-Fijian father and Cambodian mother. He said that when he visited Cambodia with his family, he saw that Buddhist people were worshipping idols in temples, and he was disgusted by it. Therefore, after returning to Melbourne in 2012, he learned that one of his friends was invited and had converted to Islam. Following his friend, he also converted in that year and joined the terror group in 2014.
Reports referring to Abu Khaled al-Cambodi as Neil Prakash
Since then, he has been using the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, for some reason, the media keeps using his old name Neil Prakash, which definitely creates a wrong impression about his religious affiliation.
More importantly, the media reports dos not even mention that he is now known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, and only used his old name in the reports. There is no mention that he converted to Islam from Buddhism and changed his name to an Islamic name before joining ISIS.
This seems to a deliberate attempt by media houses to suggest that the ISIS terrorist is not Muslim.
It is notable that these are the same media houses that insist on referring to a man as a woman if he identifies himself as a woman, and cancels people for referring to such people with their birth gender even if such people have not undergone any sex change procedure. But here, Neil Prakash converted to Islam from Buddhism, and changed his name to Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, but the media houses still refer to his earlier name.
Abu Khaled is accused of travelling to Syria to take part in the terror activities of ISIS. Among the charges that he is facing in Australia include engaging in hostile activity in a foreign state and country, being a member of a terrorist organisation, supporting and advocating for terrorism. He has also been named in two terror plots in Australia.
Abu Khaled al-Cambodi had become a prolific online supporter of ISIS, and had released several videos appealing to Australians to join the terror group. In April 2016, it was wrongly assumed that he had died in an air strike by the USA in Iraq, but had survived with injuries.
His association with the terror group did not last long. He was arrested in 2016 in Turkey after entering the country for Syria, on the charges of fighting for ISIS. While Australia had requested his extradition as an arrest warrant was issued in Australia also in 2016, the Turkish govt had rejected it and was put on trial. In 2018, Australia revoked his citizenship, saying that he will not become stateless as he was also a Fijian citizen through his father. But Fiji rejected this claim and denied him citizenship in 2019.
A Turkish court sentenced him to seven and a half years in 2019. As he had already served time in jail during the trial since his arrest in 2016, his term was completed in February 2022. He was moved to an immigration detention centre as both Australia and Fiji refused to grant him citizenship.
However, Abu Khaled al-Cambodi was deported from Turkey to Australia last week, and he was flown to Darwin where he was arrested by Australian Federal Police. After that, a court in Darwin ordered his extradition to Victoria, and now is facing trial in Melbourne Magistrate’s court.
His arrest in Australia came after a joint investigation by Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police as part of a counter-terrorism operation since his arrest in Turkey.
On Friday (December 2), leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry desperately attempted to whitewash the ‘sins’ of a Turkey-based, Pakistan-funded ‘terrorist‘ named Mukhtar Baba. Apart from separatist terror activities, Baba is also known for issuing threats to journalists based in Kashmir.
In an article written by Newslaundry reporter Ayush Tiwari, he tried to portray Mukhtar as an ex-journalist, supposedly under attack from the Indian State. From the very onset of the article, he was hellbent on giving an image makeover to Mukhtar Baba by consciously substituting terrorism with ‘militancy.’
The attempt by Mukhtar in the 1990s to undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was dubbed the ‘fight for Kashmiri separatism.’ Newslaundry went on to romanticise his supposed decision of ‘giving up the gun’ and starting life afresh, as a journalist.
Screengrab of the article by News Laundry
The report expressed displeasure at the intelligence dossier, prepared by security agencies, wherein it accused Mukhtar Baba of masterminding threats to over 40 journalists in the Kashmir Valley. Ayush Tiwari conveyed his angst through the deliberate use of words such as ‘purported’, and ‘unnamed security agencies’.
He wrote, “Baba, in these media reports, wasn’t an alleged terror operative, or a former journalist purportedly accused by security agencies of being a terrorist, but a straight-up Turkey-based terror operative.” With this, the portal directly suggested that Mukhtar Baba is actually not a terrorist, but has been painted as a terrorist by the media and police.
Newslaundry went on to suggest that the intelligence dossier was prepared by analysing the social media activity of Mukthar Baba. “…At least some of the claims seem to come from Baba’s social media activity which includes pictures of him in Turkey in 2020 and 2021,” the report claimed.
Exhibit D:
On Aug 5, 2022, Mukhtar attended an event of a Pak-backed org LFOVK as spokesperson of Masarat Alam. LFOVK had carried out a hitjob against Indian Army Chief & India’s HM in January 2021, in collab with Turkey-backed firm, Stoke White LLC.
The leftist propaganda outlet also downplayed the fact that Mukhtar Baba went to Pakistan as a spokesperson for Masarat Alam Bhat, who has been serving jail time for masterminding stone-pelting protests in Kashmir in 2010.
A popular Twitter user (@OSINTWa_com), which specialises in Open Source Intelligence Analysis, pointed out that Mukhtar attended an event of Pak-based the Legal Forum for Oppressed Voices of Kashmir (LFOVK).
Citing Disinfo Lab, it added that carried LFOVK carried out a hitjob against the Indian Army Chief & India’s Home Minister in January 2021, in collaboration with Turkey-backed firm, Stoke White LLC.
Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case and Newslaundry’s attempt at contextualisation
Newslaundry tried to contextualise the decision of Mukhtar to become a terrorist and then went on to blame the police for pushing him to the jaws of extremism.
“A victory celebration ensued in Srinagar, but it was targeted by the police. It was this crackdown that pushed Baba to militancy,” the report insinuated. While the portal wrote that Mukhtar Baba had himself had admitted that he had joined terrorism, they still went on to claim that he was painted as a terrorist by the media and police. The Newslaundry article cites a BBC report from 2009 where Baba told BBC that he took up guns to take on India.
“The German people stood up against that man-made Berlin wall, so we thought why don’t we, and we started that armed struggle here,” Mukhtar Baba was quoted in the BBC report, which was cited by NewsLaundry, but still the portel does not believe that he is a terrorist, and accuses media of wrongly labelling him a terrorist.
Ayush Tiwari, the Newslaundry reporter, made the claims in the context of the Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case of 1989.
The Indian government was forced to release 5 terrorists to ensure the safe return of Rubaiya, the sister of Mehbooba Mufti and the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Saeed.
Rubaiya Sayeed with father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after being released by terrorists
Following the release of the terrorists associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), local supporters took to the streets in celebration. The police clamped down on the terror sympathisers to restore law and order situation.
According to Newslaundry, this became a turning point in the life of Mukhtar Baba that the otherwise ‘innocent man’ had to tread the path of terrorism. The leftist propaganda portal then labelled his association with a Kashmir-based terror outfit, Hizbullah, as ‘affiliation with the militant group.’
While trying to provide an image makeover to Mukhtar, Newslaundry also used the opportunity to label the abrogation of Article 370 as the ‘removal of residual autonomy’ of Jammu and Kashmir.
Exhibit B:
Mukhtar has been in cahoots with #ISI stooge Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, who was exposed by the Disinfo Lab in 2021 for operating on the Kashmir theatre against India. Both attended a webinar on Kashmir in July 2022 together.
Ayush Tiwari saw to it that the perspective of a ‘terrorist’ cum ‘journalist’, with ties to Pakistan, is included in his article so that the abrogation of Article 370 can be dismissed as ‘draconian.’
“We are back to the bloody stone age, man…We have not been in touch with our families, our friends, and our colleagues. They don’t know whether I’m alive and I don’t know whether they are alive,” Newslaundry quoted Mukhtar Baba as saying.
The leftist propaganda outlet then pointed out how the ‘terrorist’ is not an ordinary man but holds a master’s degree in political science. “Besides journalism, he has dabbled in public relations and was the consulting head of an event management company called Kashmir News Communications between 2000 and 2009,” it added.
Exhibit E:
Mukhtar actively supported Muslim brotherhood propaganda of #BoycottIndianProducts, supported by Qatar, Turkey, & Pak.
This alone is enough to show his loyalties and his agenda.
As expected, the leftist outlet forgot to mention how Mukhtar Baba had demanded the boycott of his India’s products in the aftermath of the Nupur Sharma row.
Twitter user (@OSINTWa_com) pointed out, “Mukhtar actively supported Muslim brotherhood propaganda of #BoycottIndianProducts, supported by Qatar, Turkey, & Pakistan. This alone is enough to show his loyalties and his agenda.”
Newslaundry then went on to cast aspersions about the Indian security apparatus and insinuated that the State is hellbent onintimidating Kashmir-based journalists, including Sanna Irshad Mattoo, who is known for her pro-Pakistani rhetorics and support for Islamic extremists.
The aim of the Newslaundry article is clear, to paint a terrorist, who himself had admitted that he joined armed fight against India, and against whom the intelligence agencies of substantial evidence, as not a terrorist but a victim of a wrongful allegation by media and police.
Amritpal Singh Khalsa, a Sikh preacher and current chief of late actor Deep Sidhu’s organisation ‘Waris Punjab De’, is walking across the state under the banner of ‘Khalsa Vaheer’ or ‘Khalsa March’. The pro-Khalistani preacher took over the organisation after Sidhu’s demise in an accident on February 15, 2022. Sidhu formed ‘Waris Punjab De’ in September 2021 with the aim to “protect the rights of Punjab and raise social issues”.
Soon after Deep Sidhu’s demise in a road accident, in an official announcement, the organisation said that Amritpal Singh would henceforth manage it. However, when the announcement was made, he was not in India and it took him another six months to come back to India and take charge officially. On September 29, 2022, 29-year-old Amritpal Singh Khalsa took charge of ‘Waris Punjab De’. Amritpal is an open Khalistani sympathiser and slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale supporter.
Amritpal Singh even dresses like Bhindranwale, and is accompanied by armed men 24×7, much like the slain terrorist. Currently, he is on a mission to cover Punjab on foot while spreading the idea of “Sikhi”, which is a noble mission in isolation, however, behind the scenes, a lot has been happening that is raising alarms.
The way Amritpal is expanding his grip on Punjab has a striking similarity with the way Bhindranwale first rose to prominence. His sudden popularity among the youth, especially those who find themselves in sync with Khalistan ideology, has put the security agencies on high alert. So much so, that in October 2022, The Central Home Ministry issued an advisory to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government to be cautious of Amritpal’s activities.
Amritpal’s event at Bhindranwale’s native village
On 29 September, Amritpal Singh visited Bhindranwale’s native village Rode, district Moga, Punjab. Those who are aware of the Khalistani insurgency in Punjab, and the ideology that revolves around Bhindranwale, must be aware of the fact that his place holds utmost importance for the Khalistani sympathisers.
A ‘Turban Tying’ ceremony was held for Amritpal Singh at Gurudwara Sant Khalsa, a place of worship for Sikhs built in memory of Bhindranwale. The ceremony was attended by Jasvir Singh Rode who is a family member of Bhindranwale. His elder brother Harcharan Singh Rode attended the ceremony via video conferencing from the US. It appears that the idea behind conducting the ceremony in Bhindranwale’s village was to give the impression that Amritpal Singh is the true successor to Bhindranwale and can lead the Khalistani movement, and it worked to large extent.
Amritpal Singh and his speech promoting the idea of Khalistan
Addressing the public amidst the slogans of ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’, Amritpal Singh said, “Bhindranwale is my inspiration. I will walk the path shown by him. I want to be like him because that’s what every Sikh wants, but I am not copying him. I am not even equal to the dust of his feet.”
He further said, “Each drop of my blood is dedicated to the freedom of our community. Our battle started from this village in the past, future battles will also start from here. We all are still slaves. We have to fight for freedom. Our waters are being looted, our Guru is being disrespected. The entire youth of Punjab should be ready to give up their lives for the sect. People like Sidhu, who was on Guru’s duty, can never die in accidents. We know how he died, who killed him.”
Amritpal Singh targeted Hindus coming to Punjab from UP, Bihar, and other states
Amritpal Singh has been consistently making derogatory and distasteful comments against the members of other communities. For him, a lot that has been happening around are signs that Sikhs are living as slaves. During his speech at Rode following the Turban Tying ceremony, he said, “If you think Sikhs are living a free life, it will be better if you wash your face. Look around at what has been happening. Our turbans are being removed daily on roads. Our mothers and sisters are being harassed.” He also mentioned the court-mandated compensation for the family of the person who was killed on suspicion of sacrilege as a sign of slavery.
He made derogatory remarks against Hindus coming from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh. He said, “They come here and worship idols, sell cigarettes and drugs.” Addressing the crowd present at the event he said, “If you do not want such things to happen in your village, take action.” He urged the young Sikhs to take strict action against anyone who smokes around them. He said, “You are raising slogans here echoing my words. Make sure you do not change your path once you go back home.”
In a speech, Amritpal also challenged Dera Sachha Sauda and its leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Notably, a Dera building is being constructed in Sunam, Punjab, Speaking to the media, Amritpal stated that the activities of Dera should not be allowed by the administration to ensure peace and stability in the region.
He pointed out alleged links of Dera to sacrilege incidents, Maur Mandi blasts, and more and claimed he would not let the building be completed. Furthermore, he also targeted the followers of Radha Soami Satsang Beas over the September 5 clash between them and Nihangs outside Beas headquarters. The incident took place when the two groups clashed over cows crossing onto the land owned by Dera Beas. Amritpal deliberately talked about withdrawing cases against the Nihangs but did not try to blame Radha Soamis for the incident.
Not to forget, in the last few months attacks on Hindus in Punjab have increased by several folds. Prominent Hindu leader Sudhir Suri was brutally gunned down in Ludhiana in presence of senior police officials. Suri was sitting in protest when the attack happened. Following his murder, Hindu leaders who were on the target list of Khalistani terrorists were asked not to leave their houses by security agencies.
Furthermore, the person who allegedly shot Suri dead was also seen with Amritpal Singh. A video surfaced on social media where the accused Sandeep Singh was seen getting blessings from Amritpal Singh for his son. Khalistani sympathiser Gopal Singh Chawla who resides in Pakistan also issued a video message congratulating the murderers of Suri. He also threatened other Hindu leaders with a similar fate.
It is pertinent to note that similar incidents happened during the insurgency under the leadership of Bhindranwale. There is a video of Bhindranwale available where he was heard threatening to kill Hindus. In the video, he said, “I had warned them if they did not release our bus, I will kill 5,000 Hindus in one hour.”
Murder of Lala Jagat Narain and its aftermath
Like Sudhir Suri, a prominent media personality Lala Jagat Narain was also killed by Khalistani terrorists at the beginning of Khalistan terrorism in Punjab last time. Lala Jagat Narain was shot dead by assailants in September 1981, and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s name surfaced in the murder case. He was arrested by the Punjab Police from a Gurudwara at Mehta Chowk, Amritsar. However, due to political pressure and a statement by the then-Home Minister Zail Singh suggesting Bhindranwale was not involved in the murder, he was released.
Following his release, Bhindranwale went to Delhi with his associates and circled the national capital flaunting guns and other weapons openly. Similarly, despite his support for Khalistan, Amritpal Singh was allowed to conduct a march across Punjab. He is accompanied by armed men just like Bhindranwale, clearly showing who he is trying to emulate.
The war against ‘social evils’
Bhindranwale rose to fame because of his war against social evils. When he started preaching Sikhism across Punjab and urged the youth to get baptized, there was a drug problem in the state. He raised his voice against drugs, smoking, and other social evils including dowry and atrocities against women.
Interestingly, he became so powerful that he started holding personal courts and no one dared to oppose his rulings. In a similar manner, Amritpal Singh is finding space in the heart of youth and oppressed in the state by raging war against the ‘social evils’. Furthermore, Bhindranwale ran campaigns to bring people back to Sikhi. Hundreds of thousands of youth and those who were not following the rules of Sikhism got baptized under the leadership of Bhindranwale.
As per reports, since Amritpal Singh got baptized at Rode during the ‘Turban Tying’ ceremony, he has been baptizing youth and bringing them into Sikhism’s fold. On September 25, it was reported that over 900 Sikhs and Hindus were baptized by Amritpal Singh at Anandpur Sahib. During his march across Punjab, he is running a continuous campaign to baptize Sikhs and Hindus. On October 9, it was reported he baptized 647 Sikhs and Hindus in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The striking similarities between the two leaders who promoted the idea of Khalistan are more than enough to raise red flags.
Governments ignored red flags in the initial years
Despite the attack on Hindus, Bhindranwale almost ran a parallel government in the state. He kept on giving inflammatory speeches and more, while the then-government in both state and center ignored the initial signs of distress and did not take enough measures to suppress the insurgency. When Bhindranwale was arrested by the Police in Lala Jagat Narain’s murder case, the Khalistani terrorists were so furious that they even hijacked a plane to get him released.
There were a series of murders after Bhindranwale’s arrest as well for retaliation. Still, the government at the centre decided to release Bhindranwale. It was a crucial mistake as following his release, Bhindranwale was never arrested again. It was only during Operation Blue Star that he was gunned down by the armed forces. It took almost 20 years for the governments to suppress the Khalistani movement after letting it grow initially.
In the case of Amritpal Singh, though the central government has issued a warning to keep an eye on amritpal’s movement and actions, the Punjab government has done very little to suppress the re-emergence of the Khalistani movement. Till now, it was only Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of Sikhs For Justice who was actively speaking for Khalistan, and that too from the US. However, Amritpal Singh is right here in Punjab and right there among the people. He is interacting with people on the roads of the state that is still to fully recover from 2 decades of terrorism it witnessed.
On October 31, it was reported that Amritpal Singh said he would back every Khalistani movement. While speaking to the media from Golden Temple, Singh said the demand of Khalistan was being raised as per Indian Law.
Leaders and experts raise concerns
The attacks on Hindus have increased in the past few weeks which is a worrying sign as per the experts. Speaking to Republic TV, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “It is being done under the watch of Arvind Kejriwal. AAP is basically deliberately organising these pro-Khalistani rallies. Earlier also such pro-Khalistani rallies have been organised in different parts of Punjab. I would like to alert the government machinery not to play with the security of Punjab as it could lead to the collapse of law and order in the state. The AAP government must introspect because Punjab is a border state. If Amritpal is asking for ‘Mahapunjab’ then why doesn’t he go to Pakistan?”
Former Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla also expressed concerns over Amritpal Singh’s actions. In a statement on November 21, she said, “Maybe he is the agent of some agencies which is required to be probed and his Khalistani utterings could prove to be perilous to the state’s hard-earned peace and vitiate the atmosphere.”
On November 21, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress President Punjab said, “We welcome and appreciate baptizing youth & bringing them close to Sikhi, but for Gurus’ sake, don’t promote weapons which will eventually lead to violence. We have already paid a heavy price. Those horrible memories are still haunting us. Please don’t push Punjab again into the dark era.”
We welcome & appreciate baptising youth & bringing them close to Sikhi, but for Gurus’ sake don’t promote weapons which will eventually lead to violence. We have already paid heavy price. Those horrible memories are still haunting us. Please don’t push Punjab again into dark era. pic.twitter.com/JUFSL76Lq7
Former Congress Chief Minister of Punjab and current BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh said, “People of Punjab want to know who are the forces behind this youth who had recently moved to Punjab from Dubai… It is the duty and responsibility of the state government to confront such forces and their activities.” He warned the AAP government to wake up against Amritpal’s activities. Amarinder Singh also wrote to Punjab’s police chief Gaurav Yadav expressing concerns over Amritpal’s increasing popularity.
Notably, DGP Yadav in a statement had said that though Amritpal is free to preach his religion, strict action will be taken against him if he indulges in anything unlawful. However, despite issuing a warning directed towards Amritpal, his associates continued to circle him armed with lethal weapons including guns. Not to forget, Gaurav Yadav recently issued a warning against uploading content promoting gun culture and asked everyone to remove such content from social media. OpIndia tried to get in touch with DGP Yadav but could not connect.
There is very little information available about Amritpal Singh in the public domain. He was born Amritpal Singh Sandhu in 1993 and hails from Jallupur Khera Village in Tehsil Baba Bakala, district Amritsar. After completing his education till the 12th standard, he left for Dubai in 2012 and worked in the transport sector. In 2022, after spending ten years in Dubai, he returned to India and took over Deep Sidhu’s organisation. Other than that, his life before being announced as head of ‘Waris Punjab De’ largely remains a mystery.
On Monday, December 5, Gujarat will see the second and final phase of the ongoing assembly elections. Candidates on 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat will see their fate decided during this phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also cast his vote tomorrow at a polling booth in Ranip, Ahmedabad.
The district administration has been in charge of making all arrangements to ensure a seamless voting experience at the booth. Nishan High School, like in previous years, has been designated as the polling site where the PM will be voting.
According to Aniruddh Gadhvi, Chief Fire Officer, an alternate route has been planned for smooth traffic movement. He stated that fire department officers will be on standby and an emergency evacuation plan has also been planned.
Ahmedabad | Alternate route is planned for traffic. Fire Dept officers will be on standby. Emergency evacuation plan also prepared: Aniruddh Gadhvi, Chief Fire Officer, AMC on preparations at Ranip polling booth where PM Modi will cast his vote for Gujarat Assembly polls tomorrow pic.twitter.com/dUJ18sPlWF
In the 2017 assembly elections in the state, Prime Minister Modi cast his vote at the same polling booth of the Sabarmati constituency in the Ahmedabad district. PM Modi, dressed in a white Kurta Pajama and a navy blue jacket, waited in line and spoke with those waiting to vote. After casting his vote, the PM smilingly showed his inked finger to the public outside.
The last phase of voting will take place in Gujarat tomorrow with the counting of ballots set to take place on December 8. According to the findings of opinion polls conducted by India TV-Matriz and ABP-CVoter, the BJP will once again return to power in the state with an absolute majority.
According to the India TV-Matriz survey, BJP is going to win more than 117 seats in the elections. The potential vote share of the BJP is around 50%.
According to the ABP-CVoter survey, the BJP will form a government with a historic majority. They predict that the BJP will get around 140 seats making it a historic win for the incumbent dispensation.
On December 4, Sunday, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad sparked controversy by saying that giving election tickets to women is against Islam and doing so weakens the religion. “Those who give election tickets to Muslim women are against Islam, weakening the religion. Are there no men left,” said Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad. He also asked if there is no men left in Islam that women are being given tickets.
The Imam also said that Islam does not allow Muslim women to come out in front of the public, that’s why they are not allowed to enter mosques for namaaz, and therefore they should also be not allowed to enter the legislature.
Talking to ANI, Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui said, ‘you just saw namaaz being offered, did you see any woman? And in Islam namaaz has been given the highest importance. If women coming out in open like this was allowed in Islam, they would not have been barred from the masjid. Why they are barred from mosques? Because there is a place for women in Islam. Therefore who are giving tickets to Muslim women are revolting against Islam’.
The Shahi Imam went on to say that an outrage erupted in Karnataka around a ban on hijabs in government schools, “but if Muslim women become MLAs, councillors etc, then the Hijab cannot be protected. Because in that case, the government will argue that your women are contesting elections, sitting on Municipal boards, speaking on stage, etc. In Islam, Aurat’s voice is also Aurat,” Shahi Imam Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui said. He added that when Muslim women contest elections, they have to address election rallies, visit houses of voters regardless of their religion, and therefore such women can’t maintain their hijab.
Furthermore, he asked if there are no Muslim men left that Muslim women are being made to contest elections. “Had there been a law that only women can contest election then the case was different. In Delhi also, I have noticed that in Delhi also they are giving tickets to young women, thinking that if women are taken into control then the whole family will automatically come under control,” he said.
#WATCH | Those who give election tickets to Muslim women are against Islam, weakening the religion. Are there no men left?: Shabbir Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad#Gujaratpic.twitter.com/5RpYLG7gqW
Notably, Shahi Imam of Ahmedabad Jama Masjid has time and again made inflammatory remarks. On December 3, he urged Muslim voters to vote for a single party rather than splitting their votes as they did in 2012.
Siddiqui said in a statement to ABP news that Muslims are messaging each other on WhatsApp and reminding each other of the 2012 elections. During the 2012 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate won the Muslim-majority seat of Jamalpur because Muslim votes were divided.
Interestingly, in 2012, local leader Sabir Kabliwala ran against the Muslim candidate fielded by Congress and received over 30,000 votes. Consequently, BJP was able to claim victory by a margin of 6,000 votes. AIMIM has fielded Kabliwala from Jamalpur’s seat in the current elections.
As per media reports, the Government of India is planning to regulate all online games including real-money games based on skills as well as chance. Reportedly, the Prime Minister’s office overruled a proposal only to regulate skill-based games and leave out chance-based games. Notably, the gaming sector in India is expected to become worth $7 billion by 2026. The Indian gaming sector is dominated by real-money games, including Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital-backed Dream11 and Mobile Premier League.
Reuters said in its report that an Indian panel was set up to draft the regulations in August. It proposed a new body to decide if a game is based on skill or chance. The body suggested that the skill-based games should be governed by planned federal rules requiring registration, KYC norms, and a grievance redress mechanism.
For those who are not aware, games of chance basically come under the ambit of gambling that is banned in most parts of the country. If the government had decided to govern only skill-based games, the games of chance would have come under the state governments’ regulations. However, things will change as the PMO has overruled the suggestions given by the panel to leave the chance games out of the regulation cover.
As per reports, a meeting was held on October 26 where PMO officials objected to the differentiation suggested by the panel. The officials called for the expansion of oversight on all types of games. As Reuters report suggests that the information gathered was through confidential documents, OpIndia cannot verify the authenticity of the claims.
It is notable that the process of differentiating the skill-based games and games of chance is not easy as there is no legal clarity over the two and there have been different court decisions in contrast to each other. For example, the Supreme Court of India says that rummy and certain fantasy games are skill-based and legal, however, state courts have different views over such games including poker.
Reuters talked to three officials involved in the rule-making process, including two officials from New Delhi. They told the agency that the rules will give the central administration broader oversight on all types of games. The state governments will also have the power to impose bans on gambling or games of chance.
Furthermore, there have been reports of addiction to such games leading to financial losses, especially among youth. In some cases, incidents of suicides were also reported. The government has expressed concerns over the potential addiction to such games and platforms. Notably, the panel in August had recommended the inclusion of “de-addiction measures” including periodic warnings and advisories to inform people about the danger of such games. The panel also suggested imposing limits on deposits and withdrawals.
PM Modi expressed concerns over mental stress due to online games
In June 2021, PM Modi expressed concerns over real-money games and the resulting stress from these games.
जितने भी ऑनलाइन या डिजिटल गेम्स आज मार्केट में उपलब्ध हैं, उनमें से अधिकतर का कॉन्सेप्ट भारतीय नहीं है।
आप भी जानते हैं कि इसमें अनेक गेम्स के कॉन्सेप्ट या तो Violence को प्रमोट करते हैं या फिर Mental Stress का कारण बनते हैं: PM @narendramodi
While speaking at Toycathon-2021, PM Modi said, “Cheap data and the boom in the Internet are digitally connecting our villages today. In such a situation, along with physical games and toys, India’s prospects and potential in virtual, digital, and online gaming are increasing rapidly. But the concept of most of the online or digital games that are available in the market today is not Indian; it does not match our attitude. You also know that the concepts of many such games either promote violence or cause mental stress.”
Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest movie ‘An Action Hero’ has failed to strike a chord with the audience resulting in a low box-office collection.
Released on December 2, the film starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat in lead roles witnessed a slow start on day one and earned only Rs 1.31 crore and could not manage to gain momentum on day 2 either and collected Rs 2.16 crore taking the total collection to Rs 3.47 crores. The film’s strikingly low box office collection has become a cause of concern for the producers of the film. If the film fails to pick up on Sunday, it will become Ayushmann Khurrana’s biggest flop till now.
#AnActionHero gets the much-needed boost/jump on Day 2, but the 2-day total remains extremely low, despite favourable word of mouth… Mass circuits are weak… Needs miraculous turnaround on Day 3… Fri 1.31 cr, Sat 2.16 cr. Total: ₹ 3.47 cr. #India biz. pic.twitter.com/H8sxE1J9gt
Notably, the Anirudh Iyer directorial venture received good reviews, however, looking at the box office figures, the 45 crore budget film may not even be able to recover its production costs. An Action Hero also includes item songs featuring Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi as well, but they also failed to impress the audience.
It is being speculated that the reason behind the film’s poor performance at the box office is Ayushmann Khurrana’s controversial statement where the actor said that “India is a homophobic country.”
In an interview with Hindustan Times during the promotion of An Action Hero, Ayushmann Khurrana argued that his film ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ flopped at the box office because India is a homophobic society. Notably, the film had no homosexual character but was the story of a transsexual person who underwent sex reassignment surgery.
When asked why his films were not doing well in theatres, Khurrana responded, “I started with movies on taboo subjects. I suppose the type of subjects—it has to be a community viewing, and it has to have a wider film—the kids have also been watching. In fact, my last three films, including an LGBTQ film (Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui), have performed poorly commercially because our country is homophobic. Then there was Anek, a docudrama that was extremely niche in terms of tone. Doctor G was an A-rated film that performed reasonably well in theatres given its certification. For a while, that was my learning for making a film.”
Update: Several reports have emerged stating that the Iranian government official’s statement regarding the abolition of morality police was ambiguous and the Islamic regime has not stated that it was going to abolish the morality police and strict hijab laws.An updated report can be read here.
In a massive victory for Iranian women protesting against the mandatory hijab law and brutal police action for violating it, the Iran government has decided to abolish the morality police which enforces the Hijab law in the country.
According to media reports, the Attorney General of Iran has announced that the country has abolished its morality police. This comes after more than two months of demonstrations sparked by Mahsa Amini’s detention and execution for allegedly breaching the country’s stringent female dress code. In addition, as the nation attempts to calm more than two months of protests tied to the dress code, Iranian officials announced they will reconsider the decades-old legislation requiring women to cover their heads.
“Morality police have no role in the judiciary and have been disbanded”, said Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, as cited by the ISNA news agency. He made the remark during a religious conference in response to an attendee who inquired, “Why are the morality police being shut down?”
The declaration came a day after Montazeri stated that “both parliament and the judiciary are working on the issue” of whether the legislation requiring women to cover their heads should be modified. In broadcast statements Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi stated that Iran’s republican and Islamic roots were legally anchored, but that “there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible.”
According to Iranian law, women and post-pubescent girls must wear head coverings and loose-fitting clothing in public. However, now this law is going to be reviewed.
These remarks are indicative of a victory for the protestors in the Islamic country and across the world who are raising their voices against the government and its hardline stance.
The morality police, the formal name of which is Gasht-e Ershad or “Guidance Patrol”, were established in 2005 under hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to “spread the culture of modesty and hijab.” The police squad consisted of both male and female members that patrolled the streets and public places to monitor women’s attire. The Guidance Patrol teams arrest women they think are not appropriately dressed as per Islamic rules.
The women found violating the morality codes are slapped in the face and beaten with batons on the spot and pushed into police vans. They are taken to a correctional facility or police station, where they are lectured on how to dress appropriately and are released after recording the details. The detained women are also required to destroy their ‘inappropriate’ clothes if applicable. Now, after the morality police is abolished, such draconian measures will be a thing of past.
However, it is not known if some other force with a different name but with a similar purpose will be set up in future after the heat of the protest dies down.
Protests erupted on September 16 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish descent who had been detained by morality police for allegedly violating sharia law.
According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened on September 13 when Amini, a native of Saghez, Iran, had travelled to Tehran for a pleasure trip. The woman was with her brother Kiarash at the entrance to the Shahid Haghani Expressway when the ‘Morality Police’ arrived and arrested Amini for a one-hour ‘re-education class.’
Following her death, widespread protests erupted in the Islamic nation protesting the Sharia laws and compulsory hijab for women. Women across the world supported the movement by chopping their hair and burning their headscarves.
Congress leader KC Venugopal, the Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, has said ahead of the winter session of the parliament that it will not be practical for the party’s senior leader Rahul Gandhi to attend it. The winter session will start on December 7 and is scheduled to conclude on December 29. However, as Rahul is busy with the Congress party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, he is unlikely to attend it.
Addressing the press in Delhi, KC Venugopal said, “Bharat Jodo Yatra is underway. It is not practical for Rahul Gandhi to attend the winter session of Parliament.”
KC Venugopal was speaking after the meeting of the Congress Steering Committee, where the party decided to hold the Congress Plenary Session at Raipur in February.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is the current campaign of the Congress party led by former party president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi. The yatra started on September 7 from Kanyakumari and is scheduled to end in February 2023.
At the time of the winter session, Rahul Gandhi will be in Rajasthan, a state that has seen bitter fights over the last few years between CM Ashok Gehlot and senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot. The party will be hoping that Rahul Gandhi can at least bring together its own leaders, if not the public.
The winter session, which was delayed by a month due to the ongoing Gujarat elections, is when the Congress party is planning to target the ruling BJP-led coalition over various issues. However, with senior party leaders like Rahul Gandhi unlikely to attend, it is uncertain how effective this targeting will prove to be.
