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Ghaziabad gang rape case was fake, the woman along with Azad, Gaurav and Afzal tried to frame 5 men due to property dispute: Reveal Police

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad gang rape case was fake, the woman along with Azad, Gaurav and Afzal tried to frame 5 men due to property dispute: Reveal Police

On 20th October 2022, the Uttar Pradesh police made a shocking revelation in the case of the alleged gang rape in Ghaziabad. The police investigation has revealed that the victim woman had hatched a complete conspiracy to frame the accused due to a property dispute. Three people have been arrested by the police for colluding with the woman to frame the five men named by her in the fake gang-rape case.

In a press conference held on Thursday, the police informed that the alleged gang rape has not taken place, but in the property dispute, the woman hatched this conspiracy with her friends. In this case, the police detained the woman’s friend Azad and his two friends Gaurav and Afzal. Police have said that the arrested persons have confessed that it was a fake case.

Meerut Range IG Praveen Kumar has revealed this incident in the press conference. He said, “This is one of its kind conspiracy that these people have hatched. The collaborative evidence and the results of the forensic and medical investigations are found to be logically concurrent with the confessional statements given by these persons during the investigations. Therefore, things have become clear now.”

He added, “Examining the records of the person named Azad, it was found that this person has made multiple Aadhar cards. He has also made an Aadhar card in the name of the husband of the woman. A case is being separately registered on this basis. The conspiracy was hatched in order to hamper a legal case already going on. A separate case is being registered on that too. We will take action against the guilty according to the evidence. We will ensure that whatever factors we come across while investigating this case, we will take these factors to a logical end by forming a strong case before the court so that we operate in better order.”

Lauding the efforts taken by the police, IG Praveen Kumar said, “The whole team has done a very good job in this case. Especially, I would like to mention our SP of the crime branch who gave ample time to this case yesterday, visited the hospital yesterday, and also today in the morning, took efforts to understand all the medicolegal examinations and interpretations of their results. After going through all the details received, we arrested three persons in this case so far. We have also recovered the car used to drop these people on the spot. We have also recovered a few things along with this car. Further investigation, in this case, is going on.”

He said, “Different types of misleading information were being spread about this case. Normally we do not hold a press conference in between when the investigations are going on. But misconceptions were being propagated about this case. Therefore we found it necessary to put the facts proved on a scientific basis in front of the press.”

According to reports, Azad had given money to a man through Paytm to give more publicity to the rape case. Evidence of this has also been found. After the woman went missing, Azad’s mobile was also switched off and when it was turned on, his location was the same as where the woman was found lying. Azad had taken the woman with his friends and she stayed with them for 2 days. The woman had claimed that she was abducted and gang raped by the five men for two days. The car in which she went has been recovered by the police. Azad already has three criminal cases registered against him.

According to the police, the woman was first taken to a government hospital in Ghaziabad for a medical examination and then asked to go to Meerut, but she refused to undergo a medical examination at both places. On her insistence, she was admitted to GTB Hospital in Delhi. Investigation revealed that the victim had hatched this conspiracy with her friends to implicate 5 people against whom she is already fighting a property dispute.

It is notable that on October 18, at around 3:30 am, the Nandgram police station received information through UP-112 that a woman was lying on Ashram Road. The police immediately reached the spot and took the woman to the hospital. The woman had said that she was abducted and gang raped by five people whom she knows. She had named Dinu, Shahrukh, Javed, Dhola, and Aurangzeb alias Jahir in the case. Based on her statement, the police had arrested four of them.

The woman had sad that she was returning to Delhi after attending a birthday party in Ghaziabad on Sunday and her brother had dropped her off at a bus stand. While she was waiting for the bus there, a car approached her and five men dragged her into it. They took her to an undisclosed location and allegedly raped her, she had claimed in her statement to the police. She had also informed that she knows the five men and that the incident could be linked to an ongoing property dispute. The property dispute is sub-judice in Delhi’s Karkarduma Court.

However, now it has been revealed that the entire allegation of kidnapping and gang rape was fake, and the woman along with the three other men had hatched this conspiracy to frame the five men in the fake gang rape case.

Supreme Court issues notice on petition seeking action under UAPA for so-called anti-Muslim hate crimes

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court issues notice on petition seeking action under UAPA for so-called anti-Muslim hate crimes

On Thursday, 20th October 2022, the Supreme Court issued notice on a petition seeking urgent intervention in a set of matters regarding so-called anti-Muslim hate crimes. The petition mentioned these matters as a “growing menace of targeting and terrorizing the Muslim community in India”, and seeks prosecution under UAPA for such alleged hate crimes against Muslims. The petition was heard by a bench led by Justice KM Joseph. Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice CT Ravikumar were the other two judges on the bench. Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner named Shaheen Abdullah.

The petitioner asked the Union of India and the State Governments for specifications on how they should launch an objective, independent, and credible inquiry into incidences of hate crimes and hate speeches. The petitioner also sought direction in order to take proper legal action against the speakers and organizations committing such alleged hate crimes against Muslims under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and other criminal laws.

Kapil Sibal submitted, “Something needs to be done on the issue and some action must be taken against the people responsible.” However, the bench observed that the prayers in the petition were vague. The court further cleared that cognizance can be taken of individual cases where FIRs are already registered.

In his reply, Kapil Sibal argued, “The prayers are not vague. We have mentioned the incidents. Several petitions have been filed in the court over last six months to stop such crimes, but they are continuing.” According to Shaheen Abdullah, who is the petitioner in this case, as members of the ruling political party actively participate in making hate speeches, the Muslim Community is being singled out and frightened.

What is said in this petition?

In his petition, Abdullah said, “The spread of hate towards Muslims and other minorities gets accelerated and becomes all the more far-reaching in its impact as a result of the support, directly or indirectly extended to radical miscreants, who engage in acts of hate crimes, physical violence as well
as communally charged speeches, by the ruling Political party.”

He further said in his petition, “No action seems to be forthcoming against the speakers or the parties that organize such events where genocidal and hateful speeches are delivered. In most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs, and that too under lesser offenses, is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seem to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery.”

The petitioner also alleged that the radicalization of Hindus is on the rise. He said in his petition, “Despite the fact that this Hon’ble Court has been cognizant of the genocidal speeches and hate crimes against Muslims made at several events and several orders have been passed by this Court directing the concerned authorities to take appropriate action, the circumstances of the country only seem to be worsening with the growing radicalization of the Hindu community and the propagation of widespread hate against Muslims that also culminates into the physical abuse of Muslims by radical elements.”

‘Mada****d Sukheja’, driver Salman hacks bus LED display board to take revenge against his employer after being fired for traveller’s safety

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mada****d Sukheja’, driver Salman hacks bus LED display board to take revenge against his employer after being fired for traveller’s safety

On Sunday (October 16), the Madhya Pradesh Police registered an FIR against a bus driver named Salman Khan for allegedly changing the scrolling text on the LED display board of the bus to an abusive phrase to settle scores with his employer. The driver was employed on the Satna-Indore bus by Satish Sukheja, the owner of the Sukheja Bus Service.

According to the reports, Sukheja registered a complaint against the driver after he hacked the LED destination showing board and changed it to display ‘Madar***d Sukheja’ instead. The incident came to light reportedly after a video, that showed a bus standing at Satna Bus Stand displaying abusive words for the bus owner, went viral over social media.

Surprisingly, neither the bus driver nor the Sukheja Travels employees were aware of the hateful reprogrammed message that was flashing across the windscreen. As word spread, the owner of the bus service ordered the display to be removed and reported the matter to the Kolgawan police station in Satna. The complaint was filed by the manager of the company, Anil Kumar Pathak. 

Pathak, in his complaint, stated that Khan had done this to malign the image of the Sukheja Company. He also added that only Salman had the password for the display board of bus number MP19 P 7782. It is further mentioned in the complaint that the accused was not working for Sukheja Company for the past 5-6 months. Pathak who has been working with the company for the past 22 years has demanded strict action against the accused.

Complaint filed by Anil Kumar Pathak

Reports mention that Khan was fired by his employer and that he meddled with the code to display abusive words for him to take revenge against the company. The owner is looking at a Rs 55,000 expense to replace the language on the display board, which might include replacing the CPU.

Owner of the company, Satish Sukheja confirmed to OpIndia that he had fired the accused as he was incapable of driving the vehicle after evenings. “He used to wear high power spectacles and it was dangerous to risk the lives of people travelling. I had offered him to drive a small four-wheeler but then he was fired”, Sukheja said.

According to Sukheja, the drivers at the company are employed on the basis of driving licenses and Khan has attached a photo without glasses on his driving license. “He worked for a month or so and then was asked to leave”, Sukheja confirmed. Reports mention that it was probably after this that Salman tried to defame the company.

During Khan’s appointment, Sukheja had asked the RTO officers how could they issue a license to a person who used high-power eye glasses but the departmental officials happened to shrug off the fact and had said that Salman was fit to drive. The accused is absconding after an official complaint has been filed in his name.

While talking to OpIndia, bus owner Satish Sukheja said that he was earlier very secular and had many Muslim friends and employees. “.. but now I am more cautious than secular especially after Khan broke my trust and tried to defame me and my company”, he added.

OpIndia has attained a copy of Salman’s driving license in which he can be seen wearing no eyeglasses. The driving license was issued to him in January 2021 and its validity is till March 2039. Salman’s father’s name is Shamsuddin and he is a native of the Panna district. OpIndia also tried to contact Salman on his available number to know his side but the number was said to be out of service.

Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry slams Shashi Tharoor for being ‘two-faced’ on party presidential elections

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry slams Shashi Tharoor for being ‘two-faced’ on party presidential elections

Madhusudan Mistry, chairman of the Congress Central Election Authority, slammed senior leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday for claiming irregularities in the recently held party presidential elections.

Tharoor suffered a crushing defeat against Gandhi-family loyalist Mallikarjun Kharge. Madhusudan Mistry has called out Shashi Tharoor for being allegedly two-faced, claiming that Tharoor had one face before the media and another before Mistry. Mistry said that while Tharoor praised the election process in front of him, he criticised it in the media.

“Despite the fact that we accommodated your request, you went to the media alleging that the Central Election Authority was conspiring against you,” Mistry said. “I’m sorry to say that you had one face in front of me that communicated that you’re satisfied with all of our answers and another face in the media that made all of these allegations against us,” he added.

On Wednesday, Tharoor’s campaign team wrote to the party’s chief election authority, citing “extremely serious irregularities” in the undertaking of the election in Uttar Pradesh.

Tharoor’s campaign team had raised “serious issues” in the conduct of the election in Punjab and Telangana, in addition to demanding that all votes from Uttar Pradesh be declared invalid.

According to Tharoor’s chief election agent Salman Soz, in a letter to Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry, the facts are “damning” and the election process in Uttar Pradesh is “devoid of credibility and integrity.”

He stated that Tharoor’s team is forced to report “disturbing facts” after a thorough discussion with polling agents.

Notably, Shashi Tharoor lost the party’s presidential election but gained more votes than any of the losing candidates in the party’s presidential elections in 2000 and 1997.

On Wednesday, Congress’ central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry announced that of the 9,385 votes cast in the Congress president election, veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge received 7,897 votes, Tharoor received 1,072 votes, and 416 votes were declared invalid. Tharoor received approximately 12% of all valid votes cast.

Soon after the results were announced, Tharoor congratulated Mallikarjun Kharge, saying the “democratic contest” had galvanized vibrancy at all levels and prompted a healthy and constructive discussion on change, which will benefit the party in the future.

In 2000, Congress leader Jitendra Prasada ran against Sonia Gandhi in the last election. Sonia Gandhi inflicted a crushing defeat over Jitendra Prasada, who received 7,448 votes (98.76% of valid votes), while Prasada received only 94 votes which amount to 1.24 percent of the valid votes.

For the past two decades, Sonia Gandhi has served as President of the Congress. In fact, with the exception of brief periods between 1992 and 1998 when PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri were in charge, the Nehru-Gandhi family has ruled the party since 1978. Sitaram Kesri was the last non-Gandhi family leader to hold the Congress party’s top leadership position, and his exit was one of the most contentious.

‘Oppose dictatorship, oppose totalitarianism, oppose autocracy’: Protesters in China share anti-Xi Jinping posters using AirDrop

OpIndia Staff
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‘Oppose dictatorship, oppose totalitarianism, oppose autocracy’: Protesters in China share anti-Xi Jinping posters using AirDrop

Days after Chinese officials went into overdrive to remove evidence of a rare protest in Beijing that featured enormous posters on a flyover calling for boycotts and the removal of Xi Jinping, protestors have discovered a new means to carry on their demands. According to reports, some protestors in China are sharing anti-Jinping posters using AirDrop. The protest is a part of the ongoing protest against Xi’s tight hold on the country and the government’s “zero-Covid” policy of lockdowns and mass testing.

Vice reported how on Tuesday, a Shanghai resident was riding the subway when an AirDrop notification appeared on his iPhone, saying, “Xi Jinping’s iPhone’ would like to share a photo.”

Curiosity got the better of him, and he accepted the request, receiving a graphic criticising Chinese President Xi Jinping’s autocratic reign. “Oppose dictatorship, totalitarianism, and autocracy,” the posters read.

AirDrop is a feature available in Apple devices that allows transferring files using close-range wireless communication. Available on both iOS and macOS, AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files across devices. This feature transfers files directly from one device to another, and not through any Internet-based service.

Notably, AirDrop, which can only be used within close range and between Apple devices, is one of the few relatively untraceable methods of file sharing. Some Chinese people are also using the feature to surreptitiously transmit protest messages inspired by the two banners placed on a highway bridge in Beijing last week by a protestor, who is being referred to as the “bridge man” by the people of China.

Notably, last week, several photos and videos on social media appeared showing plumes of smoke billowing from the bridge over a major thoroughfare in the Haidian district of the capital, The Guardian reported.

Thousands of WeChat users ramped up anti-Xi narratives after this ‘bridge man’ burnt a tyre and draped two banners from the bridge demanding the ouster of “dictator and traitor Xi Jinping.”

One of the banners read, “Say no to Covid test, yes to food. No to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to lies, yes to dignity. No to cultural revolution, yes to reform. No to great leader, yes to vote. Don’t be a slave, be a citizen.” The other accused Xi of being a dictator.

Aside from distributing messages in public via AirDrop, some people have scribbled slogans opposing Xi’s reign on restroom walls and notice boards in Chinese universities, as well as providing information on how to avoid censorship via WeTransfer.

China called out for its zero-Covid policy

One of the reasons for growing discontent among the people in China is their government’s zero-Covid policy. Previously, in Shanghai, thousands of people were separated from their families and children after testing positive for Covid in order to accomplish the zero-Covid policy goal. According to The Geneva Daily, delays in crucial medical treatment and food supply to afflicted households had become routine.

The Chinese government, according to The Geneva Daily, utilised its internet censorship to silence scores of bloggers, academics, and activists, including Fang Bin, Chen Qiushi, professor Chen Zhaozhi, Chen Mei, and Cai Wei. The Chinese government ruthlessly silenced them after they posted stories, interviews, and personal experiences of people affected by Covid in Wuhan in April 2020.

China jailed the most number of journalists in the world

According to CPJ’s annual prison census, China has detained the most number of journalists globally. According to the report, there are 274 journalists lodged in prisons across the globe this year as compared to 272 journalists imprisoned in 2016.

China has a history of censoring not just the country’s domestic media space, thanks to state-supervised content delivery, but also the global media by way of harassment and intimidation of foreign correspondents working in the country. However, it is often difficult for China to force the foreign media to toe the establishment’s line. Hence, the Chinese government resorts to intimidation and scare tactics to bully them.

As China is more sensitive to its international image, especially after its grave mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, they are not taking any risks anymore. The Chinese government are now expelling journalists and sometimes refusing to recognise reporters.

“Going after foreign journalists is part of a broad strategy to control all information, including online voices, which has indeed become more challenging for them on all fronts as the methods of communication increase and diversify,” said Beach, who added that it is also part of their strategy to proactively rewrite the global narrative about China, especially with the COVID story.

As part of their latest new tactic, the Chinese-state run news organisations and tabloids, as well as popular anonymous social media users on Weibo, often leak the identities of foreign journalists who “smear and attack China”, calling their coverage “biased” or “dishonest”.

UK: Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in office, sets a record for the shortest tenure as the UK PM

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in office, sets a record for the shortest tenure as the UK PM

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday 20th October 2022. She resigned from the Prime Ministerial post on the 45th day of joining the office. Truss made the statement outside Downing Street, following her near-complete loss of political power. Liz Truss announced her resignation following the collapse of the markets after her controversial economic policies. She also lost two important ministers, and lose the trust of nearly all of her own MPs. Truss will hold the record for the shortest tenure as prime minister of the UK.

In her resignation speech, Liz Truss said, “I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills. Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent. And our country had been held back for too long by low economic growth. I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this. We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance. And we set out a vision for a low-tax, high-growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit.”

The outgoing PM accepted that she could not deliver the promises she made when she was running for Conservative leader. 47-year-old Liz Truss said, “I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. This morning I met the Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady. We have agreed there will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week.”

Concluding her final address, Liz Truss said, “This will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security. I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen.”

On 5th September 2022, Mary Elizabeth Truss, serving as the Foreign Secretary since 2021, emerged victorious in her race with Rishi Sunak to become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Liz Truss got over 57% of the votes compared to Sunak, who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Boris Johnson’s administration before resigning, who could only get just over 42%.

Over 172,000 members of the Conservative Party were eligible to vote during this election to elect their next leader, with 82.4% turning out to vote. Liz Truss got 81,326 votes while Sunak could only muster 60,399 votes. 654 ballot papers were rejected.

Liz Truss was widely expected to win the PM race against Sunak after a campaign spanning the entire summer. The election for the new leader of the Conservative Party took place after the outgoing PM Boris Johnson was forced to resign following the resignations of most of his cabinet due to a number of scandals in his government.

PM Modi along with UN Secretary-General launches Mission LiFE for action against climate change, gets support from world leaders

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi along with UN Secretary-General launches Mission LiFE for action against climate change, gets support from world leaders

On Thursday, world leaders from France, the United Kingdom, and several other countries congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the launch of the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment). According to the Prime Minister’s Office, LiFE mission will be a global mass movement led by India to ensure both individual and collective action to preserve and protect the environment. It will be India’s unique initiative at the United Nations and other global platforms for demonstrating climate action and early achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In his video message, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France is looking forward to working with India as the country prepares to take over the G20 presidency next year.

“Dear Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, colleagues, and friends, namaste.” I wish I could be with you in Kevadia on this momentous occasion. And, at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising, we have no choice but to choose cooperation over the division for a single region. “No one can address global challenges, particularly climate change, on their own,” Macron said.

“France looks forward to working with India to make this initiative a success, including in view of India’s G20 presidency next year,” he added.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss congratulated PM Modi via video message.

“As democracies, we must work together to ensure energy independence and economic protection.” We are collaborating with partners such as India to develop critical climate infrastructure. I commend India’s leadership in launching Mission LiFE, let’s keep leading the way.”

Moreover, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih stated that PM Modi’s Mission LiFE could not have arrived at a more crucial time. The negative consequences of the climate crisis hit the countries with full force.

In her message, Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, expressed her gratitude to PM Modi for launching Mission LiFE and stated that the need for a collective response to climate change is stronger than ever.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated, “Georgia welcomes and fully supports this global initiative, timely introduced by PM Modi, which promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle based on the principle of mindful and deliberate utilization.”

Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, said “Our planet is under attack. 70% of forest land is significantly degraded. To protect the planet, we must all work together. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the launch of the Mission LiFE logo and mission document, which aims to mobilize 1 billion Indians to become pro-planet citizens by 2027. Congratulations on taking the lead, India.”

In Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar, Prime Minister Modi and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the Mission LiFE mission.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid floral tributes at Kevadia’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat, and the UN Secretary-General joined Prime Minister Modi in launching the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) booklet, logo, and tagline.

PM Modi stated that Mission LiFE will strengthen the P3 concept (Pro Planet People).

“Mission LiFE connects Earth’s people with ‘Pro-Planet People,’ uniting them by integrating them with their thoughts.” It is based on the fundamental principle of “Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet, and by the planet,” according to the Prime Minister. Talking about the concepts of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ and circular economy, PM said that it has been a part of the lifestyle of Indians for thousands of years.

“There was a perception created that climate change is merely a policy issue that will be addressed by governments or international organizations. “However, people are now feeling the effects of climate change,” he explained. The Prime Minister urged people to make lifestyle changes to help protect the environment from climate change.

The Prime Minister expressed delight at the support that has been showered upon India for taking up the Mission LiFE initiative and thanked the heads of all nations for sending in their congratulatory messages on this gracious occasion.  Highlighting the importance of unity in the fight against climate change, PM Modi said that the launch of Mission LiFE is taking place before the Statue of Unity, a colossal statue of the pride of India, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. “The world’s largest statue will be a source of inspiration in achieving the set targets”, he said.

Mission LiFE aims at following a three-pronged strategy for changing our collective approach towards sustainability. First is by nudging individuals to practise simple yet effective environment-friendly actions in their daily lives (demand); second is by enabling industries and markets to respond swiftly to the changing demand (supply) and; third is to influence government and industrial policy to support both sustainable consumption and production (policy).

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation renames ‘Afzal Khan no Tekro’ in the city to ‘Shivaji no Tekro’, Sunni Waqf board objects

OpIndia Staff
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Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation renames ‘Afzal Khan no Tekro’ in the city to ‘Shivaji no Tekro’, Sunni Waqf board objects

On Wednesday, 19th October 2022, the Gujarat High Court directed that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) make a decision about a representation made by a minority organization challenging the renaming of a residential colony from “Afzal Khan No Tekro” to “Shivaji No Tekro” in Ahmedabad. On October 14, the AMC’s town planning committee put up a proposal to alter the name to “Shivaji No Tekro” and sent it to the Standing Committee for approval. The committee will hold a meeting on Thursday.

However, Ahmedabad Sunni Muslim Waqf Committee objected to the name change of the area in a letter to AMC, claiming that the area exists for the last 400–500 years. The petitioner Waqf is the owner of the 3,116 sq. m. property in Sarangpur that is located opposite the New Cloth Market. Additionally, the site includes a graveyard, a Pir Afzal Khan mosque, and a Pir Afzal Khan “dargah.” According to the Waqf petition, the mosque and “dargah” have important historical importance and were built 400–500 years ago.

Additionally, it was said that there are hutments and buildings bordering the mosque and “dargah” that belong to both the Muslim and Hindu populations, some of whom are encroachers and others being Waqf tenants. The petition claimed that the land owned by the Waqf is well-known as “Afzal Khan No Tekro” for a long time. The plea claimed that without providing it with a hearing chance, the AMC committee made a decision to rename the locality that was illegitimate and unconstitutional.

However, the petitioner stated at the court hearing that the issue raised in the petition may be resolved if the corporation decides in accordance with its representation after taking into account all relevant factors. Ultimately, the court rejected the request and ordered the AMC to make a quick decision about the Waqf committee’s argument within a week.

Is this the same Afzal Khan whom Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed?

However, it is not ascertained in the reports if the Pir Afzal Khan quoted in the petition is the same as the one killed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or if some self-identified Sufi saint has mushroomed along with his Mazar. Also, the Waqf board is claiming that the mosque on the site dates back almost 500 years which is before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in time. But, apparently, the objection to the name ‘Shivaji no Tekro’ is only because the Hindu king had killed Adilshaha’s commander Afzal Khan with the iconic weapon of hand combat – the claws on 10th November 1659.

This Afzal Khan never visited Ahmedabad. However, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj raided Surat – then governed indirectly by the Mughals – twice to raise funds for the Hindu Swarajya. Naming some areas in Ahmedabad after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is at least worth considering as the King foresaw the expansion of the Swarajya, but the tyrant Afzal Khan never visited Ahmedabad. For all practical purposes, Afzal Khan has nothing to do with Indian culture and civilization in general and Gujarat and Ahmedabad in particular.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed ‘an Afzal Khan’ in the battle of Pratapgad

On 10th November 1659, the Battle of Pratapgad was fought between the forces of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Adilshahi general Afzal Khan, near the town of Satara, Maharashtra, where the Marathas emerged victorious despite the numbers not being in their favor. It led to the eventual establishment of the glorious Maratha empire. In 1657, Aurangzeb, the Mughal leader with a heart of gold as described by so-called liberals, decided to leave the Deccan and march northward. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in his bid to expand his Maratha empire, started winning over Konkan and other Adilshahi kingdoms.

Afzal Khan, the commander of the Adilshahi dynasty in Bijapur Sultanate, presently in Karnataka, took it upon himself to stop the forces of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He had earlier killed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s brother, Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale, through treachery when he was just 33. Khan started destroying temples (not surprising). Khan’s strategy was to bring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in open in the Deccan plains against the rocky plateau where Shivaji had an advantage, and overpower him since they outnumbered the Marathas.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj sent out an emissary to Khan that he did not want to fight and wanted peace. Khan and Shivaji met on the foothills of Pratapgad. They had decided to meet unarmed with just 10 bodyguards each, who would stay within an arrow’s distance from the two men. A towering figure, Khan hugged Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but in a treacherous move, tried to kill him with a sword. However, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had come armed as well and the force was repelled by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s armor which was underneath his clothes. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who had concealed a bagh nakh (curved blades fixed to a crossbar just like claws) and disemboweled Khan when they embraced in the tent.

Bagh Nakh used to kill Afzal Khan

Hand-to-hand combat ensued in which the Marathas, though having been outnumbered by Adilshahi forces, emerged victorious. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was attacked by Sayyed Banda, Afzal’s bodyguard, but his trusted bodyguard Jiva Mahala came to the rescue, cutting him down, and saving Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life. Such is the story of the valor and courage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that the Hindu king is respected across India. No wonder the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation chose his name over that of Afzal Khan to name a residential colony in the city.

It’s not over yet: Privacy researcher says viral WhatsApp messages claiming he had endorsed The Wire’s fraud are fraudulent

OpIndia Staff
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It’s not over yet: Privacy researcher says viral WhatsApp messages claiming he had endorsed The Wire’s fraud are fraudulent

It seems that the ‘Meta Vs The Wire’ saga is not ending anytime soon. A privacy researcher named V Anand took to Twitter on October 20 to debunk the claims that he endorsed The Wire’s Devesh Kumar’s work in Meta controversy. He said some WhatsApp groups were discussing such claims.

Anand said, “I have been seeing some claims in WA groups that I endorsed Devesh’s work on Meta w/ screenshots of my interactions w/ him. Those claims are fraudulent, and I only pushed for more details like Pranesh did, which incidentally never came.”

He added, “I am really getting tired of the constant chicanery and deception. It is really bonkers that this is happening to drum up credibility on what was now clearly a dead and buried story. Notified Siddharth Varadarajan about this.”

It is likely that his October 18 tweet was being misinterpreted as an endorsement of the claims made by The Wire about Meta and BJP in its reports that have been since removed from the website pending an internal inquiry. He had said, “The painful reality of newsrooms when it comes to tech reporting. Complete breakdown of process failure. I have reviewed the details, and as shocking as they are, they are true.”

Again, this we are making a calculated guess because at this point, in this Meta vs The Wire controversy, everything is just too bizarre.

Anand was quoting Kanishk, a researcher who The Wire claimed to have validated Meta’s communication head Andy Stone’s emails. Notably, it was after Kanishk’s statement on Twitter that the email that named him was fabricated and he never validated anything for The Wire the whole story built by The Wire fell apart, and the publishing house issued a statement that it was retracting the report and initiating an internal investigation.

The ‘Meta Vs The Wire’ saga

On October 6, The Wire published a story that Instagram took down a post critical of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The post was published by a small private account known among its 250+ followers for posting “cringe” memes. On October 10, The Wire published another story claiming the post was brought down as BJP’s IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya, who did not even follow the private Instagram account, reported it. The Wire further claimed Malviya was on Meta’s XCheck list, which gave him superpowers to remove any post.

Meta refuted the claims and said no such privileges are given to any user under XCheck. However, The Wire came up with “evidence” that Malviya reported it, and the post was not even reviewed because a user with XCheck privileges had reported it. They also came up with screenshots of Meta’s communication head Andy Stone’s email, where he was furious that the list and documents were “leaked.”

Questions were raised on the authenticity of the email. The Wire again came up with more evidence, and this time they dropped some tech bombs claiming they got the emails verified and further claimed Andy even opened the emails they had sent to him. However, the claims were refuted not only by Meta but several tech experts who raised questions about the methodology used to validate emails. Also, there was a date error in the screenshot of the emails that were “repaired” by The Wire, allegedly by using Photoshop. That further raised more red flags.

Later, the expert who The Wire claimed to have validated emails said on Twitter that he never validated anything for The Wire. From this point, the whole story crumbled into ashes, and The Wire pulled down all reports related to the so-called investigation down and initiated an internal inquiry.

Meanwhile, The Wire continued to ask for Rs 30 Lakh per month from its donors/readers so that it can continue what it refers to as “journalism”.

Encroachment in Kabristan: Alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants take over space of the dead, here’s what Maulana Zubair had to say

OpIndia Staff
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Encroachment in Kabristan: Alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants take over space of the dead, here’s what Maulana Zubair had to say

The Panchkuian graveyard of Agra has made headlines after it was revealed that only 20 out of 250 people who have encroached on the graveyard land have proof of Indian citizenship. As per Dainik Bhaskar’s report, the majority of them could be illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

The Panchkuiya graveyard is known as Asia’s largest cemetery. After repeated complaints of illegal encroachments by family members of people buried there, the management committee recently announced that they will not allow permanent structures to be built at graves anymore. Mohammad Zaharuddin Babar Saifi, the secretary of the graveyard committee had told TOI that even existing graves that have concrete structures will be demolished to allow space for new entrants.

There are around 100 families who have encroached on the graveyard land. Following a notice from the Waqf board, Local Intelligence Units (LIU) have started the investigation into the matter, and administrative may follow soon. Notably, the cemetery committee has banned permanent graves in the graveyard.

The people who live in the graveyard in makeshift huts sell balloons and do low-wage jobs such as making roti at eateries. Children of these families are often seen begging on the roads. Reports suggest only 20-25 people among them have Aadhar cards, and the remaining have no documents to prove their identity or citizenship. Furthermore, many of these families have done illegal constructions on the graveyard land.

Mehfooz organization’s Naresh Paras came to know about the alleged illegal immigrants and filed a complaint to the Chief Minister and Agra District Magistrate to get more information about them. He appealed to the authorities to take immediate action in the matter.

Hindus posed as Muslims to get huts

Paras told Dainik Bhaskar that several Hindu families posed as Muslims to get huts at the graveyard land. He said, “There are many Hindu families. They are living as Muslims by changing their names. The committee has set up illegal settlements for years for their personal vendetta.”

Some of them could be Bangladeshi or Rohingya

The LIU team is investigating the matter on the orders of SSP. Those who do not have identity cards or try to hide their identities could be illegal immigrants, Bangladeshi, or Rohingya. The administration will take appropriate steps once the investigation is over.

Anti-encroachment drive on Friday

On October 13, a team of ACM Pancham and other officials visited the graveyard. After the inspection, they warned the people living here that strict action would be taken if they failed to show the documents. Following the first inspection, a team from Waqf Board also visited on October 18 and pasted notices. People were asked to submit identification documents and permission to stay on graveyard land within three days. As per Dainik Bhaskar’s report, the anti-encroachment drive will take place on October 21.

ADM city Anjani Srivastava said, “The graveyard committee has written a letter as well. An investigation is being carried out into the matter based on the complaints. The administration will take appropriate action after the investigation is over. Those who have their ID can stay with the graveyard committee’s permission.”

Maulana Zubair, secretary of the graveyard committee, said, “The people who live here are very poor. Whatever decision is taken by the administration, we will honour it.”

Paras said, “People have been living here for many years. There should be an investigation into those who do not have identity cards or trying to hide their identities. Those who have identity cards are Indians. The administration should make arrangements for their rehabilitation. The government has many schemes for the poor.”

Both state authorities and the central government have raised the problem of illegal immigrants in India several times. Recently, OpIndia did a series of reports on the increasing population of the Muslim community in the border districts near Nepal. The reports suggested that many who shifted to the border areas could be illegal immigrants.

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