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From ‘Rain Bow’ plane to pride colours on logo, Western teams show support to LGBT groups ahead of FIFA World Cup in Qatar

OpIndia Staff
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From ‘Rain Bow’ plane to pride colours on logo, Western teams show support to LGBT groups ahead of FIFA World Cup in Qatar

On Tuesday, England’s World Cup men’s team extended their support for the LGBTQ community as they travelled to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup scheduled to happen from November 20 to December 18. The team travelled in a plane named ‘Rain Bow’, as a gesture against Qatar’s anti-LGBT laws.

According to the reports, the plane owned by the Virgin Atlantic which ferried the England team to Qatar also portrayed a cartoon figure posed in rainbow-themed trainers. The airbus further had a registration number GV-PRD, an abbreviation of ‘Pride’. The stunt was revealed as England men’s team players arrived for the tournament and posed in front of rainbow-styled Nike swooshes.

A character wearing rainbow-themed trainers was visible on England’s plane (Image source- Telegraph)

US changes logo

Similarly, the US men’s team also extended their support to the LGBTQ community in Qatar by displaying a rainbow-themed logo at their training facility in the World Cup host nation on Monday. The design, which has seven rainbow-colored vertical stripes under “USA” written in dark blue letters, is part of the team’s ‘Be The Change’ program, which was launched in 2020 to motivate action on social justice concerns.

US coach Gregg Berhalter said on Monday that it is important to bring awareness to these issues on the world stage, especially in Qatar. “It is not just Stateside that we want to bring attention to social issues, it is also abroad. We recognize that Qatar has made strides and there has been a ton of progress but there’s some work still to do,” he was quoted.

US Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe also commented on the issue and said, “Our rainbow badge has an important and consistent role in the identity of US Soccer. Locations that we will manage and operate at the Fifa World Cup, such as the team hotel, media areas and parties, will feature both traditional and rainbow US Soccer branding.”

Germany hails diversity in its team aircraft

Meanwhile, Germany also made its stand on the issue clear by making a statement on its flight out. The statement ‘diversity wins’ has been written over the body of their Lufthansa Airbus A330 which would ferry the squad to Qatar. The German plane is currently at its training base in Oman while the England men’s team reached the World Cup host country on November 15.

Reports mention that the England men’s team in Qatar will also be wearing rainbow ‘One Love’ armbands regardless of FIFA permission.

In Qatar, same-sex relationships are outlawed, and the host country has come under fire for its harsh anti-LGBTQ regulations as the dates for the World Cup draw closer. Earlier, England and Wales and six other European nations had requested FIFA to allow their captains to wear ‘OneLove’ multicolored wristbands at the World Cup, in a response to concerns about Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws. However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura sent a letter to the teams urging them to ‘let football take center stage’.

James Maddison and Declan Rice posed in front of rainbow-styled swooshes from kit sponsor Nike (Image source- Telegraph)

Also, Germany and many other western countries had called for a boycott of the upcoming event in the Arab country due to the latter’s position on LGBTQ+ rights and the use of ‘slave labor. Qatar’s Foreign Minister, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani then summoned the German ambassador over the concerns raised by his country over the alleged human rights violations in Qatar. He accused Germany of ‘double standards’ and also reminded the people that the European countries have no problem with Qatar when it comes to energy partnerships or investments.

As reported earlier, a large majority of people in Britain think the World Cup should not be held in Qatar because of its position on LGBTQ+ rights. 62% of British people believe Qatar’s stance on homosexual rights should have been enough to disqualify it from hosting the event.

Organizers of the game say that they are welcoming everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or background but has also issued warnings against public displays of affection. Qatar won the right to host the summer World Cup in December 2010 against all odds in 50 degrees celsius temperature, before FIFA moved the World Cup to winter for the first time in history to protect players from that heat. The tournament will now be held from 21st November to 18th December in the small Arabian country.

Pakistanis slam Salman Taseer’s daughter for refusing to declare that Ahmadiyya are not Muslims

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistanis slam Salman Taseer’s daughter for refusing to declare that Ahmadiyya are not Muslims

Sara Taseer, the daughter of assassinated Pakistani politician Salman Taseer, was criticised by Pakistanis for refusing to sign an application for passport renewal that did not recognise Ahmadiyya Muslims as Muslims. On Tuesday, Sara took to Twitter and shared a form that labelled Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Quadiani, the Messiah of Ahmadiyyas, as an imposter. The form was for the renewal of her Pakistani passport.

Pakistan is an Islamic nation with Islam as the state religion. The country does not consider Ahmadiyyas as Muslims even though it is home to the largest Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the world. It is notable that Sara Taseer herself is not Ahmadiyya, she belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam. But she refused to sign the declaration out of solidarity with the Ahmadiyya community, a persecuted minority community in Pakistan.

Ahmadiyyas were at the forefront of the creation of Pakistan before the partition of India, but now that same Pakistan refuses to acknowledge them as Muslim.

Following the tweet by Sara, Pakistani Twitter users accused Sara of not being a Muslim for not wanting to sign a declaration that denounced anyone else other than Prophet Muhammad as the prophet. Twitter user Butt Brothers wrote, “So what are you proud of this?? This is something of absolute shame. This is nothing to stand with your fellow Pakistanis… If you are not Qadiani and going against your religion for others this is really absurd.”

Another Twitter user having the Twitter handle @GD_Rasikh wrote, “Non muslims don’t deserve to sign such a special affidavit, your refusal is just a confession that you are not from the people who believe absolutely & unconditionally upon finality of Mohammad PBUH as Holy Prophet. Remember, doer of an atom’s weight good or bad will see it.”

One Usama Khan stated that Sara denying to sign the form indicates that she supports ‘non-believers.’ “Lol this indicates that you support the non believers, This does-not make you to stand for their rights. This simply means you are one of them….. May Allah guide you. My Prayers !!,” the user wrote.

Hafiz Usama wrote, “It is an important declaration for Muslims. Because ahmadies pretending to be Muslims is really dangerous. What if some Muslims does the same by entering into other religions and present the modified version of that religion while claiming to be one of the stakeholders.”

Sara Taseer is the daughter of former Pakistani Governor Salman Taseer and step-sister of British Writer and New York Times columnist Aatish Taseer.

Aatish Taseer and Salman Taseer

Salman Taseer was the governor of Punjab province in Pakistan and was assassinated in January 2011. Governor Taseer was a liberal who frequently spoke out against blasphemy laws. The method and grounds for his assassination illustrate in great detail the Jihadist nature of the Pakistani state. Salman Taseer was assassinated because he considered that a helpless Christian woman should not be punished for blasphemy. He thought that the woman was innocent of the allegation and publicly supported her.

Aatish Taseer, on the other hand, is one among the seven children of Salman Taseer. Aatish is the son of Governor Taseer and Indian columnist Tavleen Singh, who were in a relationship for a short period of time. Aatish has been outrightly critical of the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has also spoken against Hindus at times. In the aftermath of Kamlesh Tiwari’s murder, he argued that Indian Muslims should organize with no peace in their minds. Also, in November 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that Aatish was not eligible for an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card as his father was Pakistani.

Persecution of Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan

The Ahmadiyya community in the Islamic state of Pakistan has been excluded from the Pakistani government’s minority commission, which is charged with defending the rights of the country’s minorities. The Ahmadiyya community is an Islamic group that is frequently persecuted in Islamic countries because Islamic countries consider the community to be not “Muslim enough.”

According to the Pakistani constitution, Ahmadiyyas are not Muslims, and their places of worship are not referred to as mosques. Additionally, their places of worship are not allowed to feature architectural elements like minarets or to resemble Masjids or Mosques.

By amending the constitution, Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister ZA Bhutto considered it politically advantageous to declare Muslim Ahmadiyyas to be “non-Muslims” in 1974. This change received the hearty backing of the “mullahs”. This legislation paved the way for the Community’s persecution. Since then, Ahmadiyyas have been targeted for persecution by the government, the police, and the Mullahs.

In 1889, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a distinguished Muslim scholar and reformer, established this Community in Qadian, India. He formed a movement that denounced terrorism and the use of violent action to preach religion, i.e. the contemporary notion of ‘Jihad.’ The extreme ulemas are adamantly opposed to this tolerant interpretation of Islam. For years, they have used it as a justification to exclude this minority from Islam. Mullahs, politicians, and the military in authority in many Islamic states, particularly Pakistan, have conspired to repress and persecute the Ahmadiyyas.

Kejriwal’s ‘kidnapped by BJP’ candidate reaches election officer to withdraw candidature, read about the hilarious turn of events

OpIndia Staff
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Kejriwal’s ‘kidnapped by BJP’ candidate reaches election officer to withdraw candidature, read about the hilarious turn of events

The political turmoil intensified before the assembly elections in Gujarat. The Aam Aadmi Party, on 15th November 2022 accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of kidnapping its candidate Kanchan Jariwala. On 16th November 2022, Jariwala reached the election officer’s office amid police security to withdraw his nomination. The Aam Aadmi Party gave a ticket to Jariwala from the Surat East assembly constituency. But now Kanchan Jariwala has withdrawn his candidature.

Kanchan Jariwala had suddenly gone missing claimed Aam Aadmi Party. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s CM candidate in Gujarat Isudan Gadhvi accused the BJP of being involved in the disappearance of Kanchan Jariwala. According to Isudan Gadhvi, Kanchan Jariwala and his entire family were missing.

Isudan Gadhvi wrote in his tweet on November 15, “THE BJP is so scared of AAP that it has come to hooliganism! The BJP was following our Kanchan Jariwala, who was contesting from Surat East, for a few days and today he is missing! His family is also missing! It is believed that BJP goons have taken him away.”

Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted about this on 16th November 2022. He wrote, “Our candidate from Surat (East), Kanchan Jariwala, and his family missing since yesterday. First, BJP tried to get his nomination rejected. But his nomination was accepted. Later, he was pressurised to withdraw his nomination. Has he been kidnapped?”

Within an hour of Arvind Kejriwal tweeting this, Kanchan Jariwala reached the office of the election officer to withdraw his nomination.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia reached the Election Commission in the matter of withdrawal of Jariwala’s nomination. He said, “I was scheduled at 2 pm to go to the Election Commission but now there is a state of emergency. So I have to talk about this matter as soon as possible.”

AAP leader Raghav Chadha held a press conference on Wednesday morning in which he said, “Kanchan Jariwala, AAP candidate from Surat East, has been kidnapped by BJP goons. The AAP candidate has been in BJP’s custody since yesterday morning. The BJP is so nervous that it is kidnapping the AAP candidate. This is the murder of democracy.”

This hilarity invoked reactions from people who mocked this as political drama instigated by Aam Aadmi Party.

Some even sarcastically said how BJP is so afraid of Aam Aadmi Party.

BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998 and has traditionally been a two-party state, with other party being Congress.

Twitter users also pointed out how this has been a standard modus operandi of AAP leaders to create an air of “BJP is afraid” every time elections are close or they are found not doing their own work properly.

Gujarat will go to polls in December this year with results being declared on 8th December 2022.

Shraddha murder: Aftab had made up his mind to kill her a week before the murder, but held back as she got emotional

OpIndia Staff
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Shraddha murder: Aftab had made up his mind to kill her a week before the murder, but held back as she got emotional

Shocking details are emerging in the gruesome Shraddha Walkar murder case. Aftab Amin Poonawalla, who murdered his Hindu live-in partner and chopped her body into 35 pieces, has made shocking revelations to the police about his plans to kill Shraddha more than a week before the murder.

“More than a week before murdering Shraddha on May 18, 2022, I had made up my mind to kill Shraddha. Even on that day, we had a fight. I was determined to kill her but suddenly she became emotional and started crying. So I held back for later,” ANI reported quoting a Delhi Police source citing Aftab’s confession.

As per the report, Aftab told the police that Shraddha had trust issues and would often get angry and fight with him. “I often had to talk to someone over the phone, and due to this she used to get angry.”

Notably, blood stains were discovered in the kitchen of accused Aftab Amin Poonawalla’s flat in Delhi’s Chhatarpur. The blood samples have been sent for testing to determine whose blood it is. The police are expected to call the victim’s father for DNA testing, and the blood and bone samples from the recovered body parts will be sent to Forensic Light Source (FLS) for matching. Following this, a DNA test will be conducted.

In order to determine how Shraddha was killed, the Delhi Police reportedly took Aftab to his flat to recreate the crime scene and carried a mannequin for the purpose. Police in its investigation so far suspect that after chopping Shraddha’s body into 35 pieces in the bathroom, accused Aftab would leave the shower on so that the blood would flow into the sewer and he could easily cut Shraddha’s body, ANI reported.

Aftab confessed to having browsed Google all night after murdering Shraddha. He searched for ways to dispose of the body without arousing suspicion or getting caught. He kept Shraddha’s Instagram profile updated even after killing her “to  preempt doubts about her well-being and keep her alive in the eyes of her family and friends.” He kept the Instagram account active till June.

“Aftab was aggressive and restless”, says the doctor who treated Aftab’s knife wound in May

Dr Anil Kumar, who treated Aftab Amin Poonawalla has revealed that the Aftab was very aggressive and restless when he visited him for treatment of his injury, which he claimed to have suffered while cutting fruit.

“He was very aggressive and restless. He looked bold and confident, and told me that he originally was from Mumbai and had moved to Delhi in search of good opportunities in the IT sector.” Dr Kumar also recalled that “Aftab comfortably got the stitches and did not show that he was having pain during the process.”

Shraddha’s father demands death penalty for Aftab, seeks probe into ‘Love Jihad’ angle

Vikas Madan Walkar, father of victim Shraddha has expressed suspicion of a ‘love jihad’ angle in the case and demanded the death penalty for the accused. 

While speaking to ANI about the same he said, “I suspected a love jihad angle. We demand the death penalty for Aftab. I trust Delhi Police and the probe moving in the right direction. Shraddha was close to her uncle and didn’t talk to me much. I was never in touch with Aftab. I lodged the first complaint in Mumbai’s Vasai.”

Shraddha’s family was opposed to the relationship because Aftab was Muslim, according to the FIR. They were also against Shraddha’s decision to live with Aftab. Shraddha, on the other hand, was adamant about her decision. According to the FIR, after her parents expressed their disapproval of her relationship with Aftab, she stated, “I am 25 years old. I have full right to take my own decisions. I want to have a live-in relationship with Aftab. You can assume you never had a daughter starting today.” She packed her belongings and left the house. Vikas and his late wife, Suman Madan Walkar, attempted to stop her, but she refused to listen.

‘Muslim men deliberately entrap Hindu girls’ says retired DGP Nirmal Kaur

Reacting to the horrifying Shraddha murder case, Nirmal Kaur, a 1983 batch IPS officer who retired as DGP in Jharkhand said that Muslim men deliberately entrap Hindu girls and they get huge funds for this purpose. She said that the Muslim men who kidnap Hindu girls are also provided with all the required legal support by their community.

Kaur stated her opinion while she was speaking during NDTV prime time debate on November 14. “The persons executing the entrapment of Hindu women are provided with motorcycles or heavy monetary assistance. These people are also provided with all the required legal assistance. Many similar cases are emerging these days. In a way, this is being supported by their sub-culture. Their community has started accepting and making their people believe that woman has no feelings, and no value in society. They see her as an object,” she said.

Anti-Corruption Bureau arrests AAP MLA’s kin in ‘cash for ticket’ row, was taking ₹90 lakh for MCD ticket

OpIndia Staff
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Anti-Corruption Bureau arrests AAP MLA’s kin in ‘cash for ticket’ row, was taking ₹90 lakh for MCD ticket

On November 16, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Model Town MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi’s brother-in-law Om Singh, Tripathi’s Personal Assistant (PA) Shiv Shankar Pandey alias Vishal Pandey and Prince Raghuvanshi for allegedly taking bribe for tickets of Municipal Elections in Delhi. They were arrested under relevant sections of the Corruption Act and bribery in elections. As per reports, cash worth Rs 33 lakh was recovered from their possession.

In its statement, ACB said that they were arrested based on the complaint of one Gopal Khari, a resident of Warn No 69, Kamla Nagar. ACB said, “Anti-Corruption Branch, GNCT of Delhi arrested one Om Singh R/o H-3, First Floor, Type-V, Model Town, Delhi (official residence of MLA Model Town) reportedly brother-in-law of Sh. Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA/Model Town, AAP and his associates, namely Shiv Shankar Pandey, a.k.a. Vishal Pandey, PA of Sh. Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA/Model Town, AAP and Prince Raghuvanshi U/s 7/13 of POC Act and 171 (E) of IPC, i.e. for accepting a bribe for giving an AAP ticket of MCD election to Ms Shobha Khari wife of the complainant Sh. Gopal Khari for Ward No. 69, Kamla Nagar.”

ACP had set a trap at Gopal’s residence where accused Om Singh, Shiv Shankar Pandey and Prince Rakhuvanshi were present. They were caught red-handed and arrested by the agency.

Rs 90 lakh for a ticket for the wife

In his complaint to the Additional CP, Gopal alleged that on November 9, he went to Akhilesh Tripathi’s office seeking a ticket for his wife. He was told he had to pay Rs 90 lakh for the ticket. “After this, I told him that I needed some time to arrange the money and asked him to arrange a ticket, assuring that I would pay the money even after getting the ticket.”

On November 10, Om Singh went to Gopal’s office and asked him to talk to Tripathi. He added, “On the call, he asked me to give Rs 90 lakh or my wife won’t get a ticket. I asked him to give me some time. I could arrange Rs 25 lakh with the help of my relatives and friends. Then, he called me to a stall and asked me to hand over the money to a man wearing a red shirt. I gave the money while Om Singh was in his car.”

Gopal said he gave another Rs 20 lakh to Rajesh Gupta on November 12. Gopal was allegedly told to arrange the remaining Rs 35 lakh by November 12 after he gets the ticket for his wife. He said, “On November 12, they released the list of candidates, but my wife’s name was not there. Now, Om Singh is telling me to take back the money and has assured me that my wife will get the ticket the next time. They have blackmailed me in the name of giving a ticket.”

He said, “Rajesh Gupta (MLA), Akhilesh Tripathi (MLA), and his brother-in-law Om Singh have misused their power.”

BJP called out AAP over ‘cash for ticket’

Following the arrest made headlines, the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party called out AAP and said the party was full of corruption. BJP leader Harish Khurana called it a clear case of ‘cash for ticket’. Pointing towards alleged liquor policy scam and other cases against AAP leaders, he said, “All this shows that AAP is full of corruption and the kingpin is Arvind Kejriwal.”

BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala questioned if Kejriwal would expel the two MLAs involved in the matter. Listing the cases AAP leaders have been allegedly involved in, including liquor policy scam, money laundering, alleged extortion from conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and others, he said, “It has come to light how Rs 90 lakh were demanded on behalf of MLAs Akhilesh Tripathi and Rajesh Gupta for MCD elections. Rs 35 lakh were already taken. When the ticket was not allotted to the person who had paid the money, he filed a complaint. He has provided audio and video recording in the matter based on which Akhilesh Tripathi’s kin, his PA and another accused were arrested.”

He added similar allegations were made previously by sitting MLA ND Sharma and Adarsh Shastri. He questioned, as arrests have been made in the matter, Kejriwal will expel two MLAs named in the case.

Social media users, especially from Pakistan, mock Shraddha Walkar’s gruesome murder by 28-yr-old Aftab Amin Poonawalla

OpIndia Staff
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Social media users, especially from Pakistan, mock Shraddha Walkar’s gruesome murder by 28-yr-old Aftab Amin Poonawalla

Following the cold-blooded and gory murder of Shraddha Walkar by Aftab Amin Poonawalla, several users on social media have been mocking the same by circulating memes and creating Facebook groups with disparaging titles. Popular Twitter user The Hawk Eye shared numerous screenshots of memes shared by users from India as well as from Pakistan.

The Hawk Eye shared that a Facebook group has been formed with the name ‘Aftab Poonawalla Fridge Posting‘ which has 3 administrators namely Syeda Fatima, Aliza X, and Syed Abuzar Shaukat Abbasi. The Facebook group has an uncounted number of posts making fun of the gruesome murder of Shraddha Madan. A user Oden Baloch shared a photo of Shraddha and Aftab together with the text “Me with my qurbani ka janwar before bakra Eid” embossed on it.

The FB post.

Another user Syed Hussain Wilayat Naqvi wrote, “Aftab slaughter his hindhu live -in partner into 35 pieces for asking him to marry her”

The FB post.

Haziq Ansari wrote, “Bro was practising since day one” adding a Pakistani flag emoticon at last.

Chdry Fyzan, a Facebook user, took to his wall and wrote, “Boys be like ‘I know a place’ then take you to their Fridge”

Shayan Khan II, another Facebook user, took to his timeline to share an edited image of Aftab and wrote, “Yeh Wala Le Lo Sir Isme Aap Kuch Bhi Rakh Sakte. Kuch Bhi. Trust me.”

The FB post.

The Hawk Eye shared that while most of the members mocking are Pakistani, some of them are Indians too.

The horrifying murder that stunned the whole nation has become merely meme material for certain social media users, particularly those from Pakistan. Aftab Amin, 28, who eloped with Shraddha from Mumbai, and chopped her into 35 pieces in a rented residence in Chhatarpur, was apprehended by the police on Saturday (November 12).

The victim’s wish to marry Aftab apparently upset him. On May 18, this year, he strangled her to death. Aftab, a former chef, chopped the body parts using an iron saw, which is intended to cut wood and trees. He also threw away the blood-soaked garments. Following that, the accused purchased a refrigerator and stored her body in it for many days. He dismembered it into 35 parts and disposed of them in 18 various locations around Delhi.

He allegedly went out every night at 2 a.m. to dispose of the body parts and eliminate the evidence of his horrible murder. Shraddha’s family tracked her activities via social media posts.

When she stopped posting updates, her family grew worried. Shraddha’s father went to Delhi but was unable to find her. Thereafter, he lodged a complaint with the police. The arrest of Aftab on Saturday (November 12) thus brought closure to the 6-month-old case.

SC terms forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue, warns difficult situation may emerge if practice not stopped

OpIndia Staff
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SC terms forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue, warns difficult situation may emerge if practice not stopped

Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday stated that the Central Government would soon give a proper response to the SC’s decision of terming forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue. “This is a judicial pronouncement and judicial observation. And anything which comes as a judicial order will be responded to appropriately,” Rijiju said while talking to Republic TV.

“Proper response will be given because the observations are serious. And definitely, forceful conversion or anything which are done illegally is to be given proper treatment by the government. I will speak on this matter. We will be presenting our viewpoint to the Supreme Court,” he was further quoted saying.

This is a day after the Supreme Court termed the practice of forced religious conversion a ‘very serious’ issue and directed the Central Government to step in and make sincere efforts to check the practice. The Court also warned saying that a very difficult situation might emerge if the practice of forced religious conversion is not stopped.

“It is a very serious issue that affects the security of the nation and freedom of religion and conscience. Therefore, it is better that Union of India may make their stand clear and file counter on what further steps can be taken to curb such forced conversion,” the bench led by Justices MR Shah and Hima Kohli said on November 14.

The Court was hearing an appeal filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay that sought direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by ‘intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits’.

Taking serious notice of religious conversion by deceit, allurement, and intimidation, the bench requested the Government to undertake action against it and asked Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to list steps to limit the conversion practice happening through enticements.

SG Tushar Mehta said that the matter was being debated in the constituent assembly. “There were two Acts. One was by the Odisha government and the other one by Madhya Pradesh dealing with regulation of any forcible conversion by deceit, falsehood or fraud, money. These issues came before this court for consideration and the top court upheld the validity,” he added.

He meanwhile also stated that such practices were more visible and rampant in the tribal areas. He added that in certain situations, the individuals are converted to another faith and are unaware that they are the subject of a criminal offense. “The issue with respect to the alleged conversion of religion if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens,” the bench said, noting that while there is freedom of religion, it does not apply to forced conversion.

The Centre has been granted time till November 22, 2022, to file its response on the issue and a hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 28.

Lucknow: 19-year-old Nidhi pushed to death by Mohd Sufiyan, family says he was forcing her to get converted to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: 19-year-old Nidhi pushed to death by Mohd Sufiyan, family says he was forcing her to get converted to Islam

On Tuesday night, a 19-year-old girl Nidhi Gupta was reportedly pushed to death from the fourth floor of an apartment by her boyfriend Mohammad Sufiyan. The reported Sector H, Basant Kunj, Dubagga police station area. 

According to the reports, the girl was taking training to become a beautician and she was in a relationship with the accused Mohammed Sufiyan. Gupta fell to her death from the 4th floor of the apartment. On Tuesday, Nidhi and her family members had gone to Sifiyan’s house to confront him over his pressure on Nidhi to convert to Islam and marry him.

During the heated argument that ensued, Nidhi went to the rooftop and Sufiyan followed. Soon, Nidhi was pushed off to the ground. Nidhi’s family has alleged that Sufiyan pushed her to death because she had refused to convert and have a Nikah with him.

The girl was rushed to King George Medical University (KGMU) trauma centre where the doctors declared her brought dead. 

In the FIR lodged by the girl’s family, her mother has reportedly accused Sufiyan, who lives in the same locality, of harassing and forcing Nidhi to marry him under Islamic rituals. 

As per the Zee News report, Accused Sufiyan claimed to a have ‘video’ of Nidhi and was forcing her to marry him. Sufiyan was hellbent on converting Nidhi to Islam and doing Nikah (Muslim contract marriage) with her. 

On Tuesday night, the girl along with her mother, elder sister, and uncle went to confront the youth and complain to his family. While the two families were talking to each other, an altercation between Sufiyan and the girl started and he pushed her from the fourth floor, the mother told police.

Chiranjeev Nath Sinha, Additional DCP, West Zone, stated that the victim’s body has been sent for postmortem. An FIR has been filed against the accused Sufiyan under appropriate sections of murder and forced conversions.

Sufiyan, according to police, is on a run after the incident along with his other family members. Their house where the argument happened has been locked.  A police investigation is underway to verify the claims made by the victim’s family in their complaint. 

Tamil Nadu: ISIS module busted in Chennai, close on heels of Coimbatore suicide bombing, 18 detained and interrogated

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: ISIS module busted in Chennai, close on heels of Coimbatore suicide bombing, 18 detained and interrogated

On November 15, Tamil Nadu Police busted an ISIS terror module in Chennai. As per reports, 18 suspects were detained and interrogated by the police over alleged terror links. The police conducted multiple raids and searched the premises of at least four suspects of ISIS sympathisers in Chennai in connection to the ISIS crackdown following the Coimbatore cylinder blast.

As per News Agency ANI, the police recovered money, laptops and phones during the raids. The properties linked to Mohammad Thabrez of Kodangayur, Thowfiq Ahmed of Sevenwells, Haroon Rasheed of Mannady and Mohammed Mustafa of North Beach were among those that were searched during the raids. These four suspects have pending cases of selling SIM cards and fake passports to banned organisations.

Mohammad Tharbez is accused of transferring money for the Khilafah movement. He allegedly helped the terrorist organisation ISIS by recruiting Muslim youth for terror activities. A case was registered against him by National Investigation Agency in 2017.

Thowfiq Ahammed had allegedly helped to mobilise money for terror activities in Syria and Iraq in the name of Ansarullah. Dubai Government caught him while he was working there as a Bank accountant. Ahammed was deported to India. On his return, NIA arrested him in Delhi under UAPA.

Haroon Rasheed was interrogated by Rajasthan Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) in 2016. Mohammed Mustafa is a suspected ISIS sympathiser and was arrested by NIA Delhi.

As per the News18 report, around Rs 15 lakh were recovered by the police. The suspects had currency from Thailand, China, Myanmar and Singapore.

Over 100 mobile phones, multiple debit and credit cards and other items were recovered from their possession. Furthermore, the report suggested that the raids were in continuation to the 43 raids that were conducted previously in the state by the investigation agency.

Coimbatore Blast

On October 22, Jamesha Mubin was caught on CCTV loading a large object (LPG cylinder) wrapped in a white bag onto his Maruti 800 car. It was around 11:25 pm. Mubin was accompanied by three other men, namely, Mohammad Riyaz, Feroz Ismail, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail.

At around 4 am on October 23 night, the car carrying Jamesha Mubin exploded mid-journey in the Ukkadam area of Coimbatore. The incident took place adjacent to the Kottai Easwaran Temple.

Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the two commercial cylinders onboard the car had exploded while the other remained intact. As per reports, the remains of Mubin’s body were unrecognisable.

A total of 6 people, namely, Mohammad Thalka, Mohammad Azarudheen, Riyaz, Nawaz, Afsar Khan and Feroz, were arrested in connection to the case. It also came to light that the NIA interrogated Mubin in 2019 regarding the Easter bomb blasts.

It later came to light that Jamesha Mubin was motivated by the Islamic State and engaged in preparing for jihad. Reportedly, he was on a suicide mission to destroy a large area, including a Hindu temple using his car bomb.

On October 27, the case was transferred to the NIA by the Centre, following the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. An official said, “The Union home ministry decided to hand over the Coimbatore blast case to the NIA.”

Former US President Donald Trump to run for President in 2024 elections, files candidacy papers

OpIndia Staff
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Former US President Donald Trump to run for President in 2024 elections, files candidacy papers

On Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections of the United States and filed papers for the same. 

Trump’s announcement comes days after the mid-term elections were held in the US. With Trump filing the 2024 White House bid paperwork, he becomes the first candidate from either the Republican or Democrat side to officially announce their candidacy. 

“America’s comeback begins right now,” the former president told his supporters gathered in an American flag-draped ballroom at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States tonight,” Trump said, minutes before filing his official 2024 paperwork with the US election authority.

Trump’s early announcement for the presidential run is being seen as an attempt to gain support over other Republicans who seek to represent the party.

In recent months Trump has been hinting that he might run for the President post. In his address to a rally in Iowa, Trump had stated, “I will very, very probably do it again.”

Former US President is targeting a second term in office, according to CNN, after making a statement about two Republican governors, Ron DeSantis of Florida and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, who could challenge his position as the party’s flag-bearer in the near future. 

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump stated, “I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him – or he couldn’t have come close to winning.” Notably, Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to US Vice President Joe Biden.

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