The ongoing world cup in Qatar has given us many memorable upsets already. Whether it was Saudi Arabia shocking Argentina or Germany losing to Japan, the shocks have come thick and fast in Qatar. The trend continued today as unfancied Morocco defeated Belgium, the number 2 ranked team in the world.
Morocco, who started the tournament with a hard-fought draw against the 2018 finalists Croatia, was expected to lose the match against the star-studded Belgian side comfortably. However, Morocco shocked everyone by turning the tables on the Robert Martinez side and handing them a massive defeat.
Belgium’s golden generation, which is having its last World Cup together with Eden Hazard, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Witsel etc unlikely to feature in the next tournament, wants to sign off on a winning note. However, the performances during their first two games suggest that unless there is a miraculous improvement overnight, Belgium will not be having much joy in Qatar.
Unlike their first game against Canada, when Belgium got played off the park, they actually dominated the play against Morocco but failed to make their domination count. Despite having 2/3rd of the possession, they failed to create enough clear chances despite having Kevin de Bruyne, one of the best creative players in the world.
Belgium got lucky when Ziyech’s free-kick goal at the end of the first half was chalked off because of offside, however, Belgium refused to heed the warning. In the second half, Morocco took their chances and the goals by Sabiri in the 73rd minute and Aboukhlal in injury time settled the issue in favour of the African side.
Morocco is now on top of the table in Group F, and a positive result against Canada in their last group game will be enough to push them to the next stage of the competition, against all odds. Their game against Canada is scheduled for the 1st of December, in what may turn out to be the biggest footballing game for both the sides involved.
On Thursday (November 24), the former Commanding officer of the Technical Support Division (TSD) of the Indian Army revealed how Lt. Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit was implicated in the Malegaon Blast Case.
Colonel Hunny Bakshi made the revelations during a podcast with ANI News Director, Smita Prakash. On being asked about Lt. Colonel Purohit, he remarked, “Let me start by talking about Colonel Purohit as a person. He worked indirectly under me in South Kashmir between 2004-2005.”
“He is a 3rd generation army officer and that too a proud one. Very nationalist. The army did two inquiries, the first inquiry was one-sided so the court said that give him a chance,” Colonel Bakshi emphasised.
The Colonel further said, “And when he was given the chance, the army did not find anything against him. That’s a fact.” Colonel Hunny Bakshi then recounted the inquiries conducted against Lt. Colonel Purohit.
“Among all documents, he pulled out the one featuring his detailed plan about how he will go about the operation,” he said. He added that during the inquiry, a senior officer had accused Lt. Colonel Purohit of not following the mandate.
“If it was not in Army mandate, why didn’t you ask questions at the time of receiving inputs?” asked Colonel Hunny Bakshi. Two officers of the same unit had however pointed out that they were being briefed about the protocol followed by Lt. Colonel Purohit.
The retired army officer pointed out how conspiracy theories about ‘missing RDX’ were being flouted to build a foundation for the arrest of Lt. Colonel Purohit. He shared how a Mumbai ATS officer was seen rubbing an alleged explosive material on the floor of a ‘suspected’ house to frame Lt. Colonel Purohit
“The recovery itself becomes suspect on the ground that ATS Mumbai may have planted the RDX traces to implicate him and the accused persons in the case,” Colonel Hunny Bakshi read out the NIA charge sheet (page number 47-48).
Colonel Bakshi added, “This is all documented evidence… He is being implicated…When an agency briefs the army about such incidents, the latter becomes duty-bound to support the investigation”. He also pointed out that when a narrative is created in people’s minds, it takes time to dismantle it.
The 2008 Malegaon blast case
On September 29, 2008, bomb blasts took place in the Malegaon region of the Nashik district of Maharashtra which resulted in 6 deaths and 100 injuries.
Soon, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Purohit were arrested in connection with the blast, and as a result terms like ‘Hindu terror’ or ‘Saffron terror’ were popularized by some politicians and Leftist media after their arrests.
They continued languishing in jails till April and August 2017, following which they were granted bail. As many as 235 witnesses have been deposed in the trial so far.
Many reports and statements by former bureaucrats had pointed out that Lt Col Purohit was maliciously framed, with planted ‘evidence’ by the former UPA government to fan the imaginary ‘saffron terror’ narrative and distract the public from the scams of the Congress-led government.
It is important to note that one of the blast accused named Sudhakar Chaturvedi in the year 2017 had told the NIA court that the Mumbai ATS had tried to frame the then BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on the behest of the Congress-NCP government.
Also, in the year 2021, one of the witnesses made similar statements against the Maharashtra ATS. The witness told the Special NIA court that he was threatened, tortured, and kept in illegal custody by the Mumbai ATS and forced to take the names of five Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members including Yogi Adityanath, Indresh Kumar, Deodhar, and Kakaji.
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Indian government is taking steps for the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) to produce clean energy. The Small Modular Reactors will have up to 300 MW capacity, and they are being built to fulfil India’s commitment to the Clean Energy transition.
Dr Jitendra Singh is the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science & Technology, MoS (Independent) of Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The union minister revealed his address to a Workshop on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) organized by NITI Aayog and the Department of Atomic Energy. He said that the participation of the private sector and Startups needs to be explored in the development of this critical technology within India.
Jitendra Singh said that the exploration of new clean energy options is in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadmap for clean energy transition through bold climate commitments which are reflected in the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). He added that the Indian government has already taken steps for clean energy transition with penetration of non-fossil-based energy resources and achieving net zero by 2070.
The minister said in terms of base load power, nuclear energy can play a big role in the de-carbonization strategy. It is in this context that the role of nuclear energy will be critical for clean energy transition of not just India but for the entire world, Dr Singh added.
Small Modular Reactors (SMR), with up to 300 MW capacity, are flexible in design and require a smaller footprint. Being mobile and agile technology, SMR can be factory-built, unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built on-site. Thus, SMRs offer significant savings in cost and construction time. SMR is a promising technology in industrial de-carbonization, especially where there is a requirement of reliable and continuous supply of power. It is said that SMR is simpler and safer as compared to large nuclear plants.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, SMR designs are generally simpler compared to traditional reactors. They are also safer, due to inherent safety characteristics of the reactor, such as low power and operating pressure. Due to this, they use passive safety systems and do not require human intervention or external power to shut them down in case of emergencies.
“These increased safety margins, in some cases, eliminate or significantly lower the potential for unsafe releases of radioactivity to the environment and the public in case of an accident,” says IAEA.
SMRs also operate longer without the need for refuelling. While traditional nuclear plants require to be refuelled in 1 to 2 years, SMRs need refuelling every 3 to 7 years. SMRs are used for various purposes, like producing electricity, heating, water desalinisation and steam for industrial applications.
SMR is a very new technology developed in recent years. Akademik Lomonosov in Russia was the first Small Modular Reactor to be commissioned, which started commercial operation in 2020. The modular reactor is actually a floating plant, as it is placed on a barge docked in the Pevek harbour. After that, many such SMRs are under construction in various countries.
Dr Jitendra Singh also said that due to continuous efforts of the government towards renewable energy, India today stands at number four in terms of installed capacity of renewable energy across the world, after China, Europe and the United States. He added that these measures also conform to the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat goal, where India contributes significant value to global value chain. It must be noted that India, comprising 17% of the world population, has seen its primary energy growing at a rate of 4% during the last decade, almost double the global growth rate of 1.3%. However, by historical standards, India’s share in global emissions is less than 5%.
On November 25, Congress shared a video of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra performing Aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The Gandhi siblings performed Aarti with the priests at Brahmapuri ghat on the banks of the Narmada river while holding Diyas and apparently reciting Narmadashtakam. The Congress leaders had reached the place as part of the ongoing Bharat Jodi Yatra.
Rahul Gandhi also presented a Chunari to the river before praying at the famed Shiva temple, one of the country’s 12 Jyotirlingas. The aarti was also attended by Priyanka Gandhi’s husband, Robert Vadra, and their son, Rehan.
As the Gandhi family continues to throw stunts to impress voters ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections this year, it can not be forgotten how former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept Gujarat deprived of Narmada water by sitting on the project to increase the height of Sardar Sarovar dam for years because the Congress government in the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra felt they were at ‘disadvantage.’
Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, laid the project’s foundation stone in 1961. Since then, it was hampered by objections from campaigners such as Narmada Bachao Aandolan founder Medha Patkar, who claimed that the dam’s water would force 40,000 villagers to relocate since their houses will be inundated. Earlier, Medha Patkar had joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodi Yatra.
The Congress party, which is now pretending to be a religious and devout party by worshipping at Narmada Ghat to secure some votes in the upcoming elections, kept the state of Gujarat parched for decades and decades. Interestingly, the then Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh had also opposed increase in the height of the dam by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA).
Earlier in 2017, former PM Manmohan even lied that Narendra Modi, as the chief minister of Gujarat, never reached out to Singh over the issue regarding the completion of the dam. This followed Narendra Modi’s accusation that whenever he went to PM Manmohan Singh to make a representation concerning the dam, the latter would profess ignorance about its halted development.
However, several reports emerged revealing that Modi had indeed met PM Manmohan Singh, not once but twice to discuss the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. According to one such report, Modi spoke with Manmohan Singh in 2009 to urge that the Sardar Sarovar Project be designated as a national project.
As per another report, Modi brought up the Sardar Sarovar project issue again in 2013 at a meeting with Manmohan Singh. During this discussion, Gujarat’s then-chief minister, Narendra Modi, mentioned putting a sluice gate on the dam and requested Manmohan Singh to obtain approval as soon as feasible.
On November 27, National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB), an NGO, published a tweet claiming that if a man stares at a woman for 14 seconds or more, he can be booked under Sections 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. The verified Twitter account, which uses the name NCIB Headquarters, posted a tweet in Hindi that translates to, “Important information: Seeing at any girl / woman for more than 14 seconds can lead to jail. Because knowingly or unknowingly or jokingly, staring at a familiar or unfamiliar girl / woman for more than 14 seconds is a serious crime under sections 294 and 509 of the IPC. Such cases come under molestation”.
NCIB’s name, Twitter handle NCIB Headquarters and its red and blue logo gives the impression that it is part of a police department. The description of the Twitter account also does not mention that it is an NGO. This is revealed only when one clicks the URL with .in domain given in the bio, as the website states that National Crime Investigation Bureau is actually a Non Government Organisation. Therefore, social media users were confused and surprised at the tweet, because nobody heard of any such provision in the IPC, as claimed in the Tweet.
Therefore, we investigated the tweet published by them and checked if there is any provision in the law under the said sections that deal with staring at a woman for a specific time.
NCIB, an NGO, published a misleading tweet. Source: Twitter
Section 294 of the IPC
As per Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with obscene acts and songs, whoever, to the annoyance of others, does any obscene act in any public place, or sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.
Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 509 of the IPC
As per Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with the word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any words, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and also with fine.
Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Both sections have provisions that deal with obscene actions and intend to insult the modesty of a woman, which may include staring in case it makes a woman uncomfortable, however, there is no specification of the time frame in any of the sections. If we go by what the NGO tweeted, a woman who feels uncomfortable with any action (in this case, staring) of a man for less than 14 seconds cannot file a complaint, which is not true.
Therefore, there is no such provision for 14 second limit for staring at women in sections 294 and 509 of the IPC, as claimed in the Tweet. Therefore, it is a fake claim published by the NGO. The claim also suggests that staring at women for 13 or fewer seconds is legal, which is not true. A woman can feel uncomfortable being stared at for a lesser duration, and there can’t be a limit of 14 seconds.
The 2016 statement of the Kerala Excise Officer
However, this is not the first time this 14-second claim has surfaced.
In 2016, Kerala Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh became the first person to say that if a person stares at a woman for 14 seconds or more, he may face prison time. In his statement, the IPS officer said, “A case can be filed against men who ‘annoyingly’ stare at women for more than 14 seconds. The stare need not really linger for a full 14 seconds to make it an offence. It is an offence if it makes a woman uncomfortable, even for a few seconds. Womenfolk should come forward to register complaints against such offenders.” He mentioned sub-sections of Section 354 of the IPC to back his statement.
OpIndia checked the provisions added under Section 354 as sub-sections A, B, C and D as part of The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 that was brought in light of the 2012 Nirbhaya Rape Case, also known as the Delhi Gang Rape Case.
Section 354 of the IPC
As per Section 354, which deals with assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will be there by outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 354A deals with sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment. It says, a man committing any of the following acts:
Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; or
A demand or request for sexual favours; or
Showing pornography against the will of a woman; or
Making sexually coloured remarks,
Shall be guilty of the offence of sexual harassment. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (i) or clause (ii), or clause (iii) of sub-section (1) shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine or with both. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (iv) of sub-section (1) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, with a fine, or with both.
Section 354B deals with assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe. It says, any man who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Section 354C deals with voyeurism. It says, any man who watches or captures the image of a woman engaging in a private act in circumstances where she would usually have the expectation of not being observed either by the perpetrator or by any other person at the behest of the perpetrator or disseminates such image shall be punished on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year, but which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine, and be punished on a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than three years, but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 354C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
Explanation 1: For the purpose of this section, “private act” includes an act of watching carried out in a place which, in the circumstances, would reasonably be expected to provide privacy and where the victim’s genitals, posterior or breasts are exposed or covered only in underwear; or the victim is using a lavatory, or the victim is doing a sexual act that is not of a kind ordinarily done in public.
Explanation 2: Where the victim consents to the capture of the images or any act but not to their dissemination to third persons and where such image or act is disseminated, such dissemination shall be considered an offence under this section.
Section 354D deals with stalking. It says any man who follows a woman and contacts or attempts to contact such woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman; or (ii) monitors the use by a woman of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication, commits the offence of stalking provided that such conduct shall not amount to stalking if the man who pursued it proves that:
Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Source: legislative.gov.in
It was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime, and the man accused of stalking had been entrusted with the responsibility of prevention and detection of crime by the State; or
It was pursued under any law or to comply with any condition or requirement imposed by any person under any law; or
In particular circumstances, such conduct was reasonable and justified.
Whoever commits the offence of stalking shall be punished on the first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine; and be punished on a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Again, in the case of Section 354 and its sub-sections A, B, C and D, there is no mention of the minimum time after which staring could be considered an offence. Furthermore, a woman does not have to wait for 14 seconds to decide if she feels uncomfortable with someone’s presence around her.
Verdict: The tweet published by NCIB, which is an NGO and not a government department, is misleading and fake. There is no provision for a timeframe in the Sections mentioned by the NGO or in the Sections that have been linked with such misleading statements previously.
On Saturday, November 26, a controversy erupted after prominent Hindi poet Anamika Jain Amber was stopped by the Bihar administration from reciting her poetry at the All India Kavi Sammelan at the Sonpur Mela. Jain was allegedly stopped by the Bihar administration officials at the directions of the Nitish Kumar-led government.
Anamika Jain Amber alleged that the district administration told her that she would not be allowed to perform on stage, and she then was left with no option but to return to Delhi.
Speaking about the incident Anamika Jain said, “I am disappointed at having been deprived of the opportunity to perform in the land of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.”
Jain also claimed that even the officials looked embarrassed when they informed her about the “orders from above” to stop her from performing.
Reacting to the controversy, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand demanded an apology from CM Nitish Kumar. He accused the Bihar government of ‘cultural policing’ and suppressing the voices of those opposed to their political ideology.
While speaking to ETV Bharat, Nikhil Anand said, “Renowned poets from across the country were invited to perform at the event. However, Anamika Jain was stopped from performing at the eleventh hour, after the officials received orders from the top level.”
Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, when questioned by media about the controversy, said, “It is indeed sad that Anamika Jain was stopped from performing just because she read a poem in praise of Modi Ji and Yogi Ji. Other poets had to boycott the Kavi Sammelan in solidarity with Anamika Amber. Will the events like Kavi Sammelan be now seen through a political lens? I appeal to CM Nitish Kumar to punish those behind this insult of the poet, and stop defaming Bihar.”
“अनामिका अंबर को बिहार में काव्य पाठ नहीं करने दिया गया, बिहार सरकार ने उनका अपमान किया”
Although the Bihar government and administration are now denying that Anamika Jain was invited to the event, the program schedule clearly states that Anamika Jain was invited and was scheduled to perform on November 25 at the Sonpur fair.
Sonpur Mela programme schedule (Image: ETV Bharat)
Taking to Twitter, Anamika Jain slammed the Bihar government and wrote, “The Bihar government was so scared that I was not even allowed to enter Sonpur, I was stopped in Patna itself since morning. The entire team of poets went to Sonpur and returned after boycotting the program.”
Anamika Jain’s ‘UP Mein Baba Ba’ song in Bundelkhandi dialect, in which she praised Yogi Adityanath during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, had gone viral on social media and was used extensively during the election campaign by BJP.
Before this year’s World Cup, 1.2 metric tonnes (1,000 kg) of mutton reportedly travelled from Bengal’s Nadia district’s Haringhata meat plant to Qatar. The two shipments of goat and sheep meat from the Haringhata brand, controlled by the WB Livestock Development Corporation, were flown to Qatar on November 3. Swapan Debnath, minister of animal resources development (ARD), flagged off the consignments.
“Qatar is the host of World Cup Football this time and the meat is to be used during the tournament. This is the first ever Bengal government’s initiative in exporting mutton to foreign countries,” the minister said. The buyers for the meat are Dahiya Export and Import Limited, who has signed a long-term agreement with the Haringhata plant that would eventually guarantee a steady supply of mutton.
In addition to Qatar, the state supplied goat and sheep meat from the Haringhata processing centre to nations such as Kuwait, Hong Kong, and the Maldives, according to the animal resource development minister. The Commerce and Industry Ministry’s Central Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) approved the state government’s licence to produce 3.6 tonnes of meat per day.
Every day, 300 sheep and goats are butchered at the Nadia plant and sent to Calcutta, from where they are distributed to the 667 Haringhata stores spread over Bengal. Haringhata meat is halal-approved and very popular across Bengal.
Gouri Shankar Koner, managing director of the West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation Limited (WBLDCL), said, “The first plant, set up in Durgapur, was a service slaughterhouse for goats. Farmers would get their livestock slaughtered in a scientific and hygienic manner there. The service was discontinued after a couple of years.”
A memorandum of agreement was signed between the WBLDCL, Dahiya Import and Export Limited, and the APEDA after it granted its approval in September of this year. According to an APEDA official, India is a significant supplier of sheep and goat meat to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the Maldives, with exports valued at over 60 million dollars in 2021-22.
On Sunday, Indranil Rajguru, the Congress candidate from Rajkot, created a stir ahead of the Gujarat state assembly elections by claiming that Allah and Mahadev are the same. “Whether I go to Somnath with Hindu pilgrims in a bus or with Muslim pilgrims to Ajmer in a train, it gives me equal happiness,” he remarked.
“In my opinion, there is Allah in Somnath and Mahadev in Ajmer,” the Congress leader added. He subsequently said that those who wish to divide will not prevail before saying Allahu Akbar. Given Rajguru’s comments, here’s a sneak peek at the horrific persecution history of Hindus at both places referred by him.
The desecration of the Somnath idol by Mahmud of Ghazni, the “believer” for whom all Hindus were Kafirs
One of the defining features of centuries of Islamic invasions in India was the intense animosity they harboured against Hindus, which expressed itself from time to time in their perverted desire to denigrate Hindus and force them to embrace Islam. To that aim, the Islamic invaders not only robbed the fabled wealth of temples to fill their bags but also tried to humiliate Hindus by demolishing temples and desecrating the idols that lived within them.
Perhaps no one personified this hate of Hindus and their deities more fiercely than Mahmud of Ghazni, who led 17 invasions against the venerable Hindu temple of Somnath and made no secret of his dislike for Hindu beliefs and statues of Hindu Gods. Mahmud of Ghazni was equally fanatical about conquering India in order to spread Islam, despite the fact that his main objective in invading India was to pillage its fabled wealth. He made his sixteenth trip to India in 1025, during which, he pillaged the revered deity of Somnath. “Somnath” is Hindi for “moon master.” One of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is the Somnath temple in Gujarat, India.
The subjugation of kafirs and the humiliation of their faith were the primary goals of the Islamic conquests in medieval India. In addition to leading many assaults on the Somnath Temple to plunder its legendary wealth, the Mahmud of Ghazni also attempted to demean Hindus by destroying the idol of one of their most revered deities.
According to historical accounts, during his 16th raid on the Somnath Temple, he smashed and broke the idol of Lord Somnath into four pieces. After successfully subduing defenders of the Somnath Temple, Mahmud of Ghazni entered the temple, where he saw the majestic idol of Lord Somnath. On seeing the idol, anger coursed through him and he lifted his mace and attacked with such ferocity that the reportedly five-yard-long idol of Lord Somnath was broken into pieces.
Remains of Somnath temple in 1895. (Image: Wikimedia commons)
Two of the four fragments were taken to Ghazni (in Afghanistan), one was deposited at the threshold of the Jama Masjid of Ghazni, and the other at the door of his own palace. The remaining two fragments were sent to Mecca and Medina to be buried inside the mosques there.
In Tariki-e-Alfi, an account of historical work compiled by a committee appointed by Akbar, it is mentioned that after defenders of Somnath temple were subjugated, Brahmins offered Mahmud of Ghazni an unprecedented amount of wealth in exchange for leaving the ling of Somnath unharmed. However, Mahmud replied to them that he would love to be called Butshikan (destroyer of idols) instead of ButParast (lover of idols) in the court of Allah after he dies. He turned down the offer from the Brahmins and destroyed the idol of Somnath.
Tariki-e-Alfi reference.
Al-Beruni, an Islamic scholar during the time of Mahmud of Ghazni, reiterated in his body of work that the fragments of the Somnath idol were buried inside the Jama Masjid in Ghazni and under the entrance of the Sultan’s palace so that people would walk on it while visiting the mosque and the palace and continue to insult the idol worshippers.
The gory story of Ajmer Sharif Dargah
While the despotism of Islamic rulers and the atrocities perpetrated on innumerable Hindus is frequently mentioned, one facet of Islamic dominance in India is almost always overlooked. Instead, it is adored, venerated, and presented as the face of Islam’s tolerant, forgiving, and loving side. Sufism is that tool of Islamic rulers which was effectively used by them during their rule in India. Sufism is sometimes defined as a mystic, melodic Islamic doctrine in which saints and followers seek a direct personal encounter with Allah.
Though Sufism may have been tolerant at one time, it evolved in a violent manner. One of the most popular Sufi shrines is that of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
The history of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti is violent and not at all compassionate. The book ‘Islamic Jihad, A Legacy of Forced Conversions, Imperialism, and Slavery’ by MA Khan gives some information on the actual truth about the Sufi ‘saints’.
Book by MA Khan.
According to records, the venerated Khawaja of the Ajmer Dargah harboured a strong animosity towards Hindus. He was one of the earliest Sufi saints to arrive in India when Delhi was ruled by Sultan Iltutmish. When Chishti arrived in Ajmer, he supposedly spotted a number of temples surrounding the Anasagar lake and swore to demolish them.
Khan writes further that every day, Khwaja’s followers used to bring a cow and they used to slaughter it near a prominent temple where the local Raja and Hindus used to pray, and cook kebabs from the cow’s meat to eat, just to show contempt towards the local Hindus.
Chishti had come to India to fight Jihad on the side of Sultan Muhammad Ghauri against the Hindu King Prithviraj Chauhan. Chishti had credited himself for Prithviraj’s capture, writing, “We have seized Pithaura (Prithviraj) and handed him to the army of Islam.”
Moinuddin and forced conversions of Hindus
Khan writes that none of the Sufi saints had come to India with the idea of ‘peace and love.’ Instead, they had come as a part of invading armies or had participated in Jihadi wars against Hindu kings, aimed at capturing their kingdoms and wealth and enslavement of their people. While Moinuddin fought for Mohammad Ghauri, Nizamuddin Aulia fought for Sultan Alauddin.
From ‘Islamic Jihad,’ a book by MA Khan
Khan writes, Moinuddin and Nizamuddin were among the most revered Sufi saints. However, instead of adopting a missionary approach toward spreading Islam, they were the spiritual and moral supporters of the bloody Jihad waged by Islamic invaders. In Kashmir, it was the Sufis who had inspired the destruction of Hindu temples, the slaughter of Hindus, and their forced conversions.
Khan further writes that while Muslim rules were incessantly undertaking bloody wars against Hindus, calling it Jihad, resulting in the slaughter and enslavement of tens of thousands of Hindus, not a single Sufi saint ever objected to this cruel practice. They never asked the Islamic rulers to stop conversions by the sword and said that they can achieve it by peaceful means. Instead, they lent the rulers their unflinching support, and even actively participated in their wars.
It is said that Khwaja Moinuddin actively took part in Ghori’s war against Prithviraj Chauhan. Additionally, he is charged with supporting slavery, abduction, and forced conversions of Hindu women. One cannot overlook the other key details of slavery, brutality, and bloodshed heaped upon numerous Hindus in order to erect the edifices of this notion, even though Sufism has been successfully promulgated as a mystic, musical, and “cool” version of Islam with ideas sold commercially by music artistes and Bollywood.
On Saturday (November 26), a class 12 student of Lucknow Public School (LPS) died during a brawl between two groups of students. The incident took place outside the Royal Mount Academy in Gomtinagar’s Vibhuti Khand.
DCP (east) Prachi Singh informed that the deceased student has been identified as Ansh Tiwari, aged 18 years. The boy was badly injured and was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body has been sent for post-mortem. It is also not clear what led to the fight between the two groups.
Three youths have been booked by the police in the case, identified as Abhay Singh, Swashat and Shivam, based on a complaint filed by the family of Ansh. The family members also said that there was an ongoing dispute between Ansh Tiwari and Abhay Singh, and Abhay killed Ansh under a conspiracy.
However, there seem to be multiple accounts of how the youth died. Some reports say he was attacked with a pot, some say he fainted during the fight, while some other reports say he was shot by goons.
According to most reports, during the clash between the two groups, someone hit Ansh with a pot on his head. He was seriously injured in the attack and started to bleed from his head. He fell down to the ground and lost consciousness. After that, he was taken to the hospital, but he had died by then.
The students who attacked Ansh fled the spot after seeing that he is seriously injured.
However, a different report says that Ansh was taken to the hospital after he fainted at the brawl, and no sign of any major injury was found on the body of the deceased. The report also says that the cause of the death has not been ascertained yet.
And a report by Aaj Tak gives a completely different story. It claims that Ansh Tiwari was shot by some people who were waiting for him after the fight between the two student groups. According to this report, when Ansh Tiwari along with his friend was going home from Krishna College, some masked men were waiting on a bike on the Bijnour-Muradabad highway. They shot at Ansh, and after being hit by the first shot, they started running. But the goons chased them on the two-wheeler and shot at Ansh several times, killing him on the spot
According to this report by Aaj Tak, the shooting took place after a fight between groups of students from Lucknow Public School and Royal Mount School. The report also states that the brother of deceased Ansh is in jail along with three others in a murder case three years ago, and police are investigating any possible link with that case.
A Twitter user named Alok Pathak (@pathakalok68), shared a video related to the incident, however, with a misleading context, claiming that the student who killed Ansh is the son of an IAS officer who is chief minister Yogi Aditynath’s secretary. The person also tagged Rohini Singh, a journalist associated with the left-wing propaganda portal The Wire.
लखनऊ में 18 साल के छात्र अंश तिवारी की पीट पीट कर हत्या कर दी गई, अंश की मां का आरोप है की यूपी के मुख्यमंत्री के आईएएस सचिव के लड़के ने उनके बेटे की हत्या कर दी घटना के 20 घंटे बाद भी पुलिस ने अब तक कोई गिरफ्तारी नहीं की ,@rohini_sghpic.twitter.com/iRHmymMcF5
However, Lucknow Police clarified that the 3 accused have been arrested and contrary to claims made in the tweet, none of them is in any way related to any IAS officer. The police also appealed to them not to spread or amplify fake news.
उक्त प्रकरण में मृतक के पिता द्वारा दी गई तहरीर के आधार पर थाना विभूतिखण्ड द्वारा सुसंगत धारा में नामजद 03 अभियुक्तों के विरुद्ध अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया है। 03 अभियुक्तों का किसी अधिकारी से कोई संबंध नहीं है। ट्वीट में बताए गए तथ्य पूर्णतः असत्य हैं,कृपया भ्रामक सूचना ना फैलायें।
“Vibhuti Khand Police Station has registered a case against the three accused named in the relevant section based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s father. The three accused have no relation with any officer. The facts stated in the tweet are completely untrue. Please refrain from spreading misleading information,” Lucknow Police tweeted.
Advocate Deepika Singh Rajawat, the lawyer who shot to fame after taking up high profile Kathua rape and murder case today took to social media to throw much on Union Minister Smriti Irani. Rajawat was accused by the Kathua victim’s family of milking the tragedy for her own personal gains and was removed as lawyer on account of her inordinate absence.
Deepika Singh Rajawat’s tweet
Rajawat shared image of Irani’s husband, Zubin Irani and his former wife and tagged Union Minister Irani and said ‘now it is okay’. This was after Irani mocked Rahul Gandhi for wearing a stole with “Om” printed on it such that it appeared upturned.
However, in her bid to mock Irani, Rajawat, a woman herself, dragged Irani’s personal life and her husband, a non-public figure and his ex-wife, also someone who is not related to politics.
Rajawat is Jammu Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and she joined the party in October 2021.
Advocate Deepika Singh Rajawat became an overnight celebrity in media after she appeared as a lawyer for Kathua rape and murder victim. Kathua rape case was top news for several weeks in the country, and Deepika was hailed as a hero of the case. It was argued that if Deepika Singh had not joined the case, the victim would have never got justice. And she became a superstar after she got a thumbs up from Hollywood star Emma Watson. In April 2019, Watson tweeted “All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat”.
However, she was later accused of grandstanding by taking up the case the of Kathua rape victim’s tragedy but deserting the victim’s family during the court proceedings.
Deepika Rajawat was removed by Kathua victim’s family for not attending court proceedings
In November 2018, it was revealed that Deepika had attended only 2 hearings in the case that was being heard by Pathankot session court. Sessions Judge Dr Tejwinder Singh was hearing the case on a daily basis as per Supreme Court order, and a total of 110 hearings had taken place already in the five and a half months. But the celebrity lawyer, who was supposed to lead the fight for justice of the victim, attended only 2 of these hearings.
Subsequently, an affidavit was filed at the Pathankot sessions court by the victim’s father, who was also the main complainant of the FIR, saying that Deepika will no longer be his advocate in the case and he is withdrawing the power of attorney issued to her. According to victim’s father, Deepika Rajawat had said she has a threat to her life in Pathankot, that’s why she did not go there for hearings. In view of this, the victim’s father informed the court that he is removing Deepika Rajawat from the case.
After she was removed from the case, Deepika had posted a tweet, alleging that she stood with the family when no one else did and since the “rainy days had passed”, they had winded up with her. In a bid to push the blame on the grieving family, Deepika said that she does not blame the grieving parents for removing her owing to her lack of attendance. Because it is “the human tendency which travels in genes”.
Advocate Talib Hussain, who was a prominent activist demanding justice for the victim, was later accused of rape by two women. He was also accused of domestic violence and attempt to kill his wife over dowry.
