Many actresses have accused Bollywood filmmaker Sajid Khan of sexual harassment in the wake of the MeToo movement. There is also much resistance to Sajid Khan’s participation in Bigg Boss 16. Meanwhile, an old interview of Sajid is making the rounds on the internet. He is seen in this video chatting to Kiran Juneja on her show ‘Koshish Se Kamyabi Tak.’
In the popular video, he discusses his character, his engagement with Gauahar Khan, and his numerous relationships. When presenter Kiran asked him about his split with Gauahar Khan, Sajid answered, “I had a pretty loose character at the time.”
“I was hanging out with many girls and lying a lot,” he stated, adding that despite being engaged to Gauahar, he used to say ‘I love you’ to numerous girls and go out with them, with every lady proposing marriage and many girls becoming serious. “I might have had 350 marriages”, Sajid claimed.
Arranged marriages, according to Sajid, work in India because it takes time for two individuals to create a friendship after marriage, which helps them preserve their bond. Relationships, he asserted, inevitably have ups and downs and It is up to each individual.
Gauahar Khan, the winner of ‘Bigg Boss 7,’ got engaged to Sajid Khan, brother of Farah Khan in 2003. However, owing to personal circumstances, the two subsequently parted ways. She then began dating Kushal Tandon. However, their romance did not endure long. Gauahar Khan then married choreographer Zaid Darbar in December 2020.
Sajid Khan, a Bollywood filmmaker who was sidelined in the profession after sexual harassment allegations were levelled against him, is making a comeback on the reality show Bigg Boss. Following the news of Sajid’s participation in Bigg Boss, there has been much outrage, especially on social media and everywhere else.
During the 2018 MeToo movement, which saw women speak out about sexual harassment, Rachel White, Saloni Chopra, Sherlyn Chopra, Aahana Kumra, and Mandana Karimi, among others, made allegations against Sajid Khan. Sherlyn Chopra had levelled serious allegations on filmmaker Sajid Khan, such as being forced to touch his private parts.
Kanishka Soni, Sherlyn Chopra, and Mandana Karimi have publicly criticised the producers for putting Sajid Khan as a contender on ‘Bigg Boss 16’. Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal also wrote to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur requesting that Sajid Khan be removed from the reality show Bigg Boss.
In February 2020, Delhi was gripped with communal tension as Muslim mobs started running rampage, targeting Hindus, their houses and businesses. As is the nature of the Left and Islamist cabal, facts were discarded to peddle a narrative that the violence was perpetrated by the Hindu community specifically targeting the Muslim community. Today, Delhi High Court rejected the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in connection with a case pertaining to the bigger conspiracy in the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots, involving offences under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act).
“We don’t find any merit in bail appeal, appeal is dismissed,” the bench led by Justice Siddharth Mirdul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said.
The division bench comprising Justice Siddharth Mirdul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar had reserved their decision on Khalid’s bail application on September 9. Khalid had moved to the Delhi HC after he was denied bail by the trial court on March 24. He was arrested on September 13, 2020, and has been in the custody since then. Umar Khalid had challenged the lower court’s order rejecting his bail application on the grounds that there is no evidence linking him to the violence that erupted in Delhi during the riots.
The conclusions drawn by the High Court while dismissing the bail plea of Umar Khalid reinforces the fact that there was indeed a larger conspiracy at play, to be carried out while the then US President Donald Trump was in Delhi, targeting Hindus. This reinforcement in turn busts the narrative that the Left cabal was trying to peddle for the two years about the violence being targeted specifically at the Muslim community, branding the anti-Hindu violence as “anti-Muslim pogrom”.
The court, in its conclusion, said, “As per the charge sheet as discussed above & the materials collated during the investigation, if taken at face value, there appears to be a premeditated conspiracy for causing disruptive chakka-jam and pre-planned protests at different planned sites in Delhi, which was engineered to escalate to confrontational chakka-jam and incitement to violence and culminate in riots in the natural course on specific dates. The protest planned was “not a typical protest” normal in political culture or democracy but one far more destructive and injurious and geared towards extremely grave consequences. Thus, as per the pre-meditated plan, there was an intentional blocking of roads to cause inconvenience and disruption of the essential services to the life of the community residing in North-East Delhi, creating thereby panic and an alarming sense of insecurity. The attack on police personnel by women protesters in front only followed by other ordinary people and engulfing the area into a riot is the epitome of such a pre-mediated plan and as such the same would prima facie be covered by the definition of a ‘terrorist act'”.
One of the operative portions in this part of the conclusion drawn by the court is not only the fact that if the charges are taken on face value, there was a premeditated conspiracy for causing chakka-jam, which was a disrupting and destructive protest, unlike usual protests in the normal course of politics, but also the fact that the attack on police personnel by women protestors, followed by others, was proof of such a premeditated plan. The court says in this portion that such a premeditated act would be prima facie covered by the definition of “terrorist act”.
The court further says, “Further, as per precedents, terrorism is an act done with a view to disturb the even tempo of society, create a sense of fear in mind of a section of society. The argument of the appellant is objectively that although there was a sense of insecurity instilled in public by his speeches but he had nothing to do with it and referred to the charge sheet to argue that there is no statement of any witnesses, which could be termed as inculpatory against him. However, this court has to see whether the perpetrators individually or in connection with each other are responsible for it. As already mentioned above, different roles were ascribed to different people (accused) in carrying out the said conspiracy. Different protected witnesses have stated the role of the Appellant and other accused persons and about the open discussion on violence, riots, finance and weapons. Further, the weapons used, the manner of attack and the resultant deaths and destruction caused indicates that it was pre-planned. Acts which threaten the unity and integrity of India and cause friction in communal harmony and create terror in any section of the people, by disturbing the social fabric is also a priori a terrorist act”.
In this portion, the High Court observes that while the defence has claimed that there is no statement by any witness which could be termed as inculpatory against him, the fact is that in the conspiracy, different people were ascribed different roles to carry about and that several witnesses have named Umar Khalid and other accused persons indulging in open discussion about violence, riots, financing the violence and acquiring weapons. The court also says that the weapons used and the manner of attack indicates that the violence was pre-planned.
The court said in para 65, The name of the appellant finds recurring mention from the beginning of the conspiracy till the culmination of the ensuing riots. Admittedly, he was a member of the WhatsApp group of Muslim students of JNU. He participated in various meetings at Jantar Mantar, Jangpura Office, Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur, Jaffrabad and Indian Social Institute on various dates. He was a member of the DPSG group. He referred to the visit of the president of USA to India in his Amrawati Speech. The CDR analysis depicts that there had been a flurry of calls that happened post riots amongst the appellant and other co-accused. The cumulative statement of the protected witnesses indicates the presence and active involvement of the appellant in the protests, engineered against the CAA/NRC. Admittedly these protests metamorphosed into violent riots in February 2020, which began by firstly choking public roads, then violently and designedly attacking policemen and random members of the public, whereat firearms, acid bottles, stones etc. were used, resulting in the admitted and sad loss of 53 precious lives and the destruction of property worth several Crores. These protests & riots prima-facie seem to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings held from December, 2019 till February, 2020.
There are several important points made in para 65 that must be broken down for an accurate analysis:
The court categorically states that his name finds recurring mention from the beginning of the conspiracy till the culmination of the violence in February.
He was a member of the WhatsApp groups where violence and the conspiracy itself were being discussed, including the DPSG group.
He had referred to the visit of the President of the USA in his Amravati speech – it is a part of the conspiracy charge sheet that violence was planned to coincide with this day.
When the violence started, CDR shows that there was a flurry of calls to and from Umar Khalid and other co-accused.
Witness statements indicate the active participation of Umar Khalid in the protests.
These protests culminated in violent riots in February 2020, which began with choking roads and then violently attacking police personnel and random members of the public.
Firearms, stones, acid bottles etc were used.
These protests & riots prima-facie seem to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings held from December 2019 till February 2020.
While saying that the court is not commenting on the merits of the case, the court also said that for the purpose of this bail application, the charges against Umar Khalid appear prima facie true.
“Further, on the in-depth and considered perusal of the charge- sheet, the accompanying documents and in view of the discussions herein above, only for the limited purpose of the present bail; this court expresses the inescapable conclusion that allegations against the Appellant are “prima facie true” and hence, the embargo created by Section 43D(5) of UAPA applies squarely with regard to the consideration of the grant of bail to the Appellant. Thus, the Appellant‟s application seeking regular bail is rejected”.
The entire premise of the Left and Islamist cabal, which has been repeated ad nauseam since 2020 is that the riots erupted specifically against the Muslim community at the provocation of BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur. This conclusion was drawn even though the first murder that occurred during the riots was that of constable Ratan Lal. In fact, violence had erupted against the Hindu community ever since December 2019, as detailed in our report.
It is pertinent to note that one the chargesheets specifically says that the violence was initiated by the anti-CAA protesters and the Muslim community specifically against those who were protesting in favour of CAA.
Excerpt from Delhi Riots chargesheet
The first evidence of Umar Khalid’s role in the Delhi Riots came when a speech made by him surfaced. The speech was allegedly made on the 20th of February in Amravati. In the speech, he was clearly heard saying that on the 24th of February, when President Donald Trump visits India, Muslims should ‘show’ the visiting US president that the people of India are fighting against the ruling party of India.
The entire speech was about 17 minutes long where Khalid invoked the false narratives of ‘targeted mob lynching’ against Muslims and then went on to say that when the Muslims did not revolt against the Ayodhya judgement by Supreme Court, the government took it for granted that they can bring any law against Muslims.
Inciting the crowd further, saying the CAA has been brought to harm Muslims, Khalid says that the people should show the government its ‘Aukaad’, and take to the streets to throw it out. He further says that if enough people take to the streets, first the CAA will go, then the NPR and then NRC, eventually the government will also go.
It was 4 days after this speech, on the 24th of February, as Umar Khalid had predicted, that riots broke out. Ankit Sharma was stabbed over 50 times by the mobs of Tahir Hussain. Dilbar Negi’s arms and legs were chopped off and he was burnt alive by Muslims. Amidst chants of Allahu Abkar and Nara e Taqbeer, Hindus were specifically targeted.
In the chargesheet filed in FIR 114, the role of Umar Khalid in the conspiracy hatched is mentioned clearly. It says that Tahir Hussain was connected to Khalid Saifi of United Against Hate Group and through Saifi, he was also in touch with Umar Khalid. Khalid Saifi, it says, had arranged a meeting between Umar Khalid and Tahir Hussain on the 8th of January at Shaheen Bagh. In that meeting, it was decided to take ‘big action’ so the government gets shaken up on the issue of CAA and NRC and also, ensure that the international community takes notice of that action.
In the chargesheet, it is also mentioned that Umar Khalid had told Tahir Hussain not to be concerned about the funding for the riots as the Popular Front of India (PFI) would provide the funding as well as logistic support. It was categorically mentioned that the riots were to take place when President Donald Trump would visit India.
From everything that is alleged in the chargesheet, it is clear that Umar Khalid was perhaps one of the masterminds who was also constantly in touch with Pinjra Tod activists who are also accused of grave sections. Khalid Saifi of UAH, who is also a close associate of Umar Khalid was coordinating with Tahir Hussain after their initial meeting in Shaheen Bagh on the 8th of January. Further, Tahir Hussain was coordinating with other rioters and instigators.
In the court observations today, it is evident that the prosecution has made a strong case where there is ample evidence that goes to show that there indeed was a conspiracy hatched to target Hindus of North East Delhi, coinciding with the day that Donald Trump would be visiting, so as to maximise the attention the violence would get. In such a scenario, the narrative built by the Left cabal, alleging that this was violence against the Muslim community summarily falls flat, or at the very least, appears to be crumbling as facts that were long known are now being ratified by the court of law.
Kerala Lokayukta, the state’s anti-corruption authority, has ordered an investigation against former health minister KK Shailaja and a few others in connection with alleged corruption in the acquisition of PPE kits and other medical equipment during the first wave of Covid-19 infections in India. The CPI(M) leader has been summoned by the agency on December 8.
Kerala Lokayukta has issued notice to the state’s former health minister KK Shailaja and a few others in connection with alleged corruption in the purchase of PPE kits and other medical equipment during the initial period of #COVID19.
The revelations came after Congress leader Veena S Nair filed a lawsuit alleging that kickbacks were received in the purchases made in the year 2020.
According to the lawsuit, PPE kits were purchased for Rs 1,550 each unit, which they claimed was substantially higher than the open market price at the time. The Congress has also accused corruption in the purchase of other medical equipment, such as gloves, thermometers, and oxygen metres, in addition to PPE kits.
KK Shailaja, the health minister at the time, justified the move by claiming that PPE kits were purchased at higher prices during the early days of the pandemic due to unavailability and that it was done with the agreement of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
It may be recalled that in April this year, in response to an RTI application, it was also learnt that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Finance Minister of the state TM Thomas Isaac were not only aware but had also sanctioned the purchase of PPE kits at an increased rate during the first phase of the Covid pandemic.
Corruption allegations against KK Shailaja
KK Shailaja who was the health minister when Kerala was among the worst-hit states by Covid-19, was facing corruption allegations by the opposition for inflated expenditure during the purchase of PPE kits. Shailaja Teacher, who got several awards from Indian media for delivering the highest Covid cases in India, was dropped as a minister in the new cabinet of the Left government in Kerala after their re-election in 2021.
In a clarification, KK Shailaja justified the purchase of PPE kits at higher prices stating that the order was to be procured swiftly considering its size.
“We purchased PPE kits wherever they were available at higher prices. After some time, when the production picked up, including in foreign countries, the supply improved and the prices decreased. Then we were able to buy PPE kits, which we had earlier bought at Rs 1500/unit, at Rs 500,” she added while clarifying her stance in December 2021.
The day was August 28, 2022. India had defeated its arch-rival, Pakistan, in the group stage match of the Asia Cup. The Dubai International stadium, which hosted the match, was filled with the loud cheer and applause of Indian fans.
But far off in Leicester in England’s East Midlands region, things were starting to take an ugly turn. A casual banter between Indian and Pakistani supporters turned serious when the latter snatched and disrespected the Indian National Flag on Belgrave Road in Leicester.
A man, dressed in black, was seen pushing and shoving Indian supporters who came in his way. The video of the incident went viral online with claims that racist slogans such as ‘death to Muslims’ and ‘death to Pakistan’ were raised in Hindi.
Without evidence, this was given Hindu-Muslim angle by some Muslim community leaders in Leicester. An email by Leicestershire Police to the Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths unfortunately repeated this falsehood, wrongly implicating India fans. This further escalated tensions. pic.twitter.com/ri6ONCb6OG
The foundation was being carefully laid for a story of false victimhood and the special reference to ‘racist chanting in Hindi’ suggested that the conflict was the handiwork of the Indian Hindu diaspora.
One of the first individuals to lend credence to this disinformation was Leicestershire Police Chief Inspector, Paul Allen. In a letter to the Leicester Council of Faiths on August 31, he reiterated the false claim that a small group of people called for the death of Muslims and Pakistan.
However, just a day later, he backtracked from his claims and asserted that there was no evidence for any such racist chanting. However, the damage had already been done.
Screengrab of the email transcript by Allen paul, image via Insight UK
Pakistan was able to settle scores with India during its second encounter with India in the Asia Cup on September 4. Off the field, its supporters attacked a Hindu home celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.
“Eggs were thrown into the house, attempted knifing of a young Hindu male and his aunt was punched on the nose when she came to save him. The incident took place while guests were arriving for the Ganpati Darshan,” informed Insight UK.
The accused men also received overwhelming support from their co-religionists on social media. The Leicester Police again took cognisance of the matter. Both Hindu and Muslim leaders made a joint appeal on September 5 in the hopes of restoring peace in the city.
Screengrab of the tweets by the police
“Hindus listened to their leaders but 100s of Muslims, some from outside Leicester gathered & orchestrated approx 50 Hindu hate attacks. 1 Hindu youth was stabbed & another barely escaped. Hindu homes attacked, windows broken & Bhagwa flag debased,” informed the Twitter handle.
Hindus listened to their leaders but 100s of Muslims, some from outside Leicester gathered & orchestrated approx 50 Hindu hate attacks. 1 Hindu youth was stabbed & another barely escaped. Hindu homes attacked, windows broken & Bhagwa dhwaj debased. pic.twitter.com/VVrGmrO5m8
Homes, cars and properties belonging to the Hindu community, which were easily identifiable with sacred symbols, were damaged. And thus began the month-long orgy of violence by Islamists, fuelled by disinformation against the Hindu community.
Fake news peddled by Islamists led to real-life violence against Hindus
On September 11, Australian researcher Sarah L Gates pointed out how Islamists had resorted to making outlandish claims to deviate public discourse from the targeted attacks on Hindus.
One of the conspiracy theories peddled by the extremists was that a copy of the Quran was ‘ripped apart’ by Hindutva supporters.
This account says they saw vids of a Koran ripped up in Leicester by Hindutva pussies. There are countless threats to come there from outside and sort the Hindus out. This is not abating. pic.twitter.com/gBPVWhsnGQ
On September 13, a conspiracy theorist and Muslim fanatic by the name of Majid Freeman alleged that 3 men had tried to abduct a teenage Muslim girl. “CONFIRMED: An incident took place this morning not far from a college in Leicester,” he tweeted.
“A Muslim teenager was approached by 3 men but she ran away into the school. The college & police are aware of it and the family have been given an incident number by Leicester Police,” he claimed.
Screengrab of the tweet by Majid Freeman
The conspiracy theorist even claimed to have met the family of the girl, who was traumatised by the alleged kidnapping attempt. “The girl is very shaken but she is ok alhamdulillah. They’ve reported the incident to the police. Hopefully, we’ll get to the bottom of this and the people behind it are caught,” he said.
Screengrab of the tweet by Majid Freeman
The fake news was then amplified by other Islamists, who alleged the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the alleged abduction attempt. The Hindu man, falsely accused of kidnapping the Muslim girl, was doxxed on Facebook and his residential address was leaked on social media.
On September 14, the Leicester police debunked the disinformation through a press release. It said, “Yesterday we issued an appeal following a report that a teenage girl had been approached by three men in the area of Richmond Way, Leicester, on Monday morning.”
“A full investigation has been carried out. Following extensive enquiries, we have established that the incident did not take place and no offence was committed,” the cops confirmed.
The deliberate attempt by Majid Freeman to stoke hysteria in the Muslim community and lay the foundation of violence against the Leicester Hindus did not stop the city Mayor to arrange a meeting with him.
In a bid to control the unrest in Leicester, Chief Superintendent Adam Slonecki granted dispersal and stop search powers to the police. “Incidents of violence will not be tolerated and the orders have been authorised to protect our communities and provide safety to those living in the area,” it said in a statement.
On September 16, the police informed that a total of 27 people were arrested in connection with the violence.
A total of 27 arrests have now been made as part of our policing operation in the East Leicester area.
Islamists also tried to use the trope of provocation to justify their attacks on the Hindu community. They claimed that Hindus raised anti-Islamic slogans whereas they only chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Vande Mataram.’ Majid Freeman was yet again at the helm of this fake news.
Second Claim: Racist Hindu mob raised anti-Islam slogans on streets was widely shared by Islamists & local media (without any evidence).
Fact: Mob was shouting slogans of ‘Vande Mataram’ & ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to protest the violence against them, indicating no communal angle.
Islamists began making calls for mobilisation, which eventually led to the targeted attack on a Hindu temple. In a viral video, an Islamist was seen desecrating a Hindu place of worship and uprooting a saffron flag.
The Leicester police took cognisance of the matter and tweeted, “We are aware of video circulating showing a man pulling down a flag outside a religious building on Melton Road. This appears to have taken place while officers were dealing with nearby public disorder. We do not tolerate violence or disorder and are investigating the incident.”
We are aware of video circulating showing a man pulling down a flag outside a religious building on Melton Road. This appears to have taken place while officers were dealing with nearby public disorder. We do not tolerate violence or disorder and are investigating the incident.
Islamists then came up with the claim that a mosque was attacked, a piece of fake news that was promptly debunked by the Leicester police.
In a statement, it said, “We’ve seen reports on social media that a mosque is being attacked. Officers on the ground have confirmed this is not true. Please only share information on social media you know to be true.”
We’ve seen reports on social media that a mosque is being attacked. Officers on the ground have confirmed this is not true. Please only share information on social media you know to be true.
A day later, Islamist ‘scholar’, Mohammed Hijab, was seen mocking Hinduism and inciting Muslims to attack the Hindus. In a video that has now surfaced on social media, he was seen interacting with mask-clad Muslim men and encouraging them to teach the local Hindu population ‘a lesson’.
“When I was on social media, I saw these people (Hindus) getting brave. How come today it is like pin-drop silence?” the British Egyptian ‘scholar’ was heard as saying. He claimed that no Hindus were in sight after realising that Muslim mobs were coming at them in hordes.
“Cause they (Hindus) fear us when they are near us”, responded an Islamist from the crowd. Pumped by the support of the like-minded people in the crowd, Hijab said, “Deep down, they know we got the truth. If you want respect, then, learn to respect.”
Muslim fundamentalist Mohammed Hijab who previously had led violence against Jews in London, is now in #Leicester with a mob of masked men and planning similar assault on local Hindu community. We demand arrest of Mohammed Hijab immediately.@leicspolicepic.twitter.com/Nl8kmupY5b
“If they (Hindus) believe in reincarnation, what a humiliation of them to be reincarnated into some pathetic, weak, cowardly people like that,” the Islamist went on an anti-Hindu tirade.
“Hindutva (Hindus), you are trying to act like gangsters…Don’t ever come out like that again (referring to the protests by Hindus in Leicester). Do you understand? Are they going to come out again?” he continued his threats.
Amidst the war cry of Allah hu Akbar, Mohammed Hijab cautioned that he and his supporters would be there if Hindus ‘dared’ to protest against the violence, committed by his co-religionists.
In an Instagram post, Hijab was seen leading a frenzied mob of Islamists, with their faces covered in masks. “Muslim patrol in Leicester,” he wrote in his post.
On September 18, a Twitter user named aart123 posted a 1-minute long video, alleging that a bus belonging to Angel Tours has been ferrying ‘masked Hindutva thugs’ to Leicester. It also claimed that the supposed mobilisation of Hindus was being done at the behest of a Hindu temple.
Soon after, Islamists dug out a year-old picture which showed a group of BJP supporters, standing in front of an Angel Tours’ bus’. “This is the coach in Leicester Angel Tours belonging to Ealing Temple London and the group openly supports BJP,” wrote one Ash.
This is the coach in Leicester Angel Tours belonging to Ealing Temple London and the group openly support BJP. pic.twitter.com/NZfl7a8NeQ
This was despite the fact that the owner of the tour company, Angel Tours, denied all the allegations, and said that his buses did not go to Leicester for the past 2 months.
He clarified that the buses of his company always stop in front of the temple as it is a major landmark and people are well-acquainted with the place. The owner, Yatin Bhimani, said that his buses are parked there only for convenience, and his coach company has no link with the temple.
Based on the fake news that RSS workers were bussed to Leicester with the help of a Hindu temple, Islamists called for a mass mobilisation outside the Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir in London from 12 pm onwards on September 25.
The said Hindu temple is located off Ealing Road in Wembley in northwest London. In a tweet, Australian research scholar Sarah L Gates pointed out how an Instagram account named ‘Apna Muslims’ had been instigating violence against the Hindu community.
In a story, the handle demonised the Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir as the ‘hornet’s nest of Nazi Hindutva’ and called for gathering outside its premises. In this way, ‘Apna Muslims’ laid a perfect ground for Islamists to justify any attacks on the temple.
So what are you going to do? Dress up like ISIS then scream at the Hindus to denounce RSS – a non terror entity?
The Instagram account (now deactivated) boasted of 1240+ followers and was dedicated to promoting Islamist causes in the United Kingdom. Following the threat, the Chairman of the temple was forced to issue a statement of peace while being gheraoed by two Muslim men, sporting skull caps and long beards.
“We are a peaceful community and have always been living in harmony with multi-faith surroundings. (We are doing so) for the past many decades without any problems and hope to do it forever”, the temple Chairman was heard as saying.
“Let us all hold unity and respect for each other,” the temple Chairman concluded. One Muslim man, standing by his side, appeared to nod in agreement.
“We strongly encourage everyone to do so. We believe that these protests (outside the temple premises) should not take place for the sake of peace and harmony of all the communities,” he emphasised.
The disinformation peddled by Islamists was legitimised by leftist news media outlets. Understanding the close nexus between the two is crucial to understanding the victimisation of the Hindu community. And Opindia has been the frontrunner in debunking disinformation about the Leicester violence.
BBC provided a platform to Islamists to amplify fake news
Majid Freeman, who has been at the helm of this disinformation campaign about Hindu mobs attacking Muslims, was interviewed by the BBC to set the narrative in favour of the perpetrators.
A @LeicsPolice statement has confirmed that Majid Freeman lied about Hindus acting against Muslims in Leicester. Why are the BBC interviewing someone who has already been proven a liar? Why no interview of the Hindu community who suffered the attacks from #Islamists for weeks? pic.twitter.com/tBHDu9FkEz
While BBC acknowledged the fact grudgingly, there were subtle hints that showed the intention of BBC, where they continued to whitewash the Jihadi elements who instigated violence against Hindus.
In a recent report titled “Did misinformation fan the flames in Leicester?”, BBC said, “Some people link the disorder and the reaction to it to the Hindutva ideology. They believe that Indian politics is being imported to the city, but thus far the BBC has found no direct link to such groups in the run-up to the disorder”.
After days of trying to push the narrative that Hindus were responsible for the violence while using Hindutva as a euphemism, this seemed to be the best acknowledgement that we could possibly get from BBC that it was indeed the Islamists who went on a rampage against Hindus.
The Guardian whitewashed Islamist violence in Leicester
Opindia exposed the tactics, adopted by The Guardian journalist Aina J Khan, to blame the violence against Hindus in Leicester on themselves.
In an intellectually dishonest piece, Khan had distinctly associated religious identity with groups of Hindu protestors, with phrases such as “unplanned protest of Hindu men,” and “Hindu men were filmed marching.”
However, she shrewdly chose not to point out the religious affiliation of the man who desecrated a Hindu temple and uprooted a saffron flag. In a bid to shield her co-religionist who desecrated the Hindu place of worship, Aina J khan used the bait of a ‘good Imam.’
The Guardian journalist thereby shifted the public discourse from the vicious attack on a temple by her co-religionist to the alleged benevolence of a ‘bystander’ Imam. When OpIndia pointed out the obvious discrepancy in her reportage, Aina J Khan cried foul and dubbed the criticism as ‘Islamophobia.’
Screengrab of the Guardian article
On October 17, the anti-semitic organisation ‘Stop Funding Hate (SFH)’ went on an unhinged tirade against Opindia for exposing ‘The Guardian’.
‘Stop Funding Hate’ desperately wanted to strip OpIndia of advertisement revenue for showcasing the true plight of Leicester Hindus to the world, who were left at the mercy of Islamists and their sympathisers in the media industry.
In a tweet, SFH wrote, “If you’re concerned about the toxic narratives being promoted on OpIndia, there’s a way to take action. Go to this webpage and take a screenshot showing the advertiser. Tweet the screenshot to the brand.”
Screengrab of the tweet by ‘Stop Funding Hate’
Reuters journalist blamed the violence on fake news from India
In a propaganda piece published in ‘Context’ (a media platform run by Thomas Reuters Foundation), Chandran alleged that disinformation, which supposedly originated in India, was the cause of Hindu-Muslim unrest in Leicester city in England’s East Midlands region.
“Rumour had it that a Muslim girl had been kidnapped and a Hindu temple had sent masked thugs into combat,” she wrote, without mentioning that both these rumours were conceived in Leicester and disseminated by the Islamists living there.
OpIndia pointed out how Rina Chandran resorted to false balance despite the fact that it was only the Hindu community which has been at the receiving end of violence. The ‘brown sepoy’ shrewdly pointed out the fake stories without specifying the group that spread it in the first place.
Screengrab of the article by Rina Chandran
For the fake abduction story of a Muslim girl, she conceded that it was debunked by the police without mentioning that Islamists deliberately spread it to create a foundation for violence against Hindus.
Chandran employed a similar strategy for the fake story about ‘truckloads of RSS workers’ being brought to Leicester by ‘Angel Tours.’ Citing BBC and Logically, She then relied on ‘experts’ such as Logically and BBC, who claimed that disinformation that supposedly led to the unrest in Leicester came from India.
The assertion was based on the fact that the majority of the tweets about Leicester violence originated from India. Given that the Hindu population in India is close to a billion and that the community was concerned about the atrocities committed by Islamists in far-off Leicester, it explains why most tweets demanding justice for Hindus were from India.
Chandran then downplayed the attack on the Hindu temple and went on to insinuate the hand of the BJP government in violence, committed miles away in Leicester.
The Wire gave a platform to Islamist who claimed Leicester violence was provoked by RSS
In such an attempt to whitewash the crime of Muslims, the leftist portal The Wire interviewed UK-based author and journalist Amrit Wilson, who claimed that the violence was provoked by RSS.
In the interview, Wilson claimed that coachloads of RSS supporters were brought to Leicester from other places in UK to provoke trouble and conflict. She claimed that this was done with the objective of ‘strengthening the narrative that Hindus are victims.’
Quoting Wilson, The Wire journalist Sumedha Pal tweeted, “Coach Loads of RSS supporters went to Leicester to provoke conflict which can then be used in India to further Islamophobia & strengthening the narrative of Hindu victimisation.”
She claimed that RSS is working towards creating the narrative of Hinduphobia, to label any criticism of PM Narendra Modi as anti-Hindu. The journalist also claimed that RSS has closed links with Zionist organisations, and is following the strategy of Zionists to label any criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
This was despite the fact that OpIndia had already debunked the conspiracy theory. In conclusion, religious affiliation and nationality (to some extent) were at play in the series of attacks against Hindus in Leicester.
This explains why the likes of ‘journalists’ Kallol Bhattacharjee and Deepal Trivedi are now trying to blame it on Gujaratis (ethnic angle) and discounting the Islamist angle.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court rejected the bail plea of so-called activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid in connection with a case pertaining to the bigger conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots, involving offences under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act).
“We don’t find any merit in bail appeal, appeal is dismissed,” the bench led by Justice Siddharth Mirdul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said.
The division bench comprising Justice Siddharth Mirdul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar had reserved their decision on Khalid’s bail application on September 9. Khalid had moved to the Delhi HC after he was denied bail by the trial court on March 24. He was arrested on September 13, 2020, and has been in the custody since then.
Umar Khalid had challenged the lower court’s order rejecting his bail application on the grounds that there is no evidence linking him to the violence that erupted in Delhi during the riots.
The High Court on September 9, reserved its judgment on Khalid’s appeal after the completion of the arguments put forth by both parties.
The FIR filed against Khalid includes serious allegations such as Sections 13, 16, 17, and 18 of the UAPA, Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act of 1984. He is also charged with a number of offences listed in the Indian Penal Code of 1860.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad appearing for Delhi Police said that Khalid is one of the brains behind the riots and that he acted as a silent whisperer. He also presented Khalid’s Amravati address, proving that it was a premeditated speech in which the focus was not only CAA NRC but other alleged problems directly relevant to the Islamist community such as Triple Talaq and the Babri Masjid, among others. He said that Khalid was involved in managing the protest to sow dissatisfaction among the minorities.
Umar Khalid was booked under UAPA
The Delhi Police apprehended Umar Khalid on September 13, 2020, and charged him on November 22, 2020, under several provisions of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code. In July 2021, Khalid filed a bail application.
It may be noted that Khalid’s bail plea has been rejected thrice since his arrest in September 2020. Most recently, the Delhi Court had refused bail to so-called activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid on 24th March in connection with a case pertaining to the bigger conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots, involving offences under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). The order was issued today by Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat.
In an incident hurting Hindu sentiments in Andhra Pradesh, a Nandi idol in a prominent Shiva temple in Kanaparthi Village of the Prakasam district was vandalised. The incident occurred on the intervening night of October 16, Sunday, and October 17, Monday. On Monday morning the matter was brought to the attention of the temple priests.
Authorities in the area said that the unidentified culprits broke into the temple’s premises and vandalised the Nandi idol in an effort to steal it. An investigation has been launched, and the idol has been sent to forensics for further assessment.
“The idol was damaged by unknown people and it is suspected that they were thieves who had entered the temple to steal some properties. We have inspected the CCTV footage and a special team led by the Circle inspector (CI) has been formed to probe the case,” a police official said.
SHOCKING: Nandi idol vandalised in ancient Shiva temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district; probe underway https://t.co/1Va5IeVNcS
Reportedly, no arrests have been made in the matter till now. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government over the delay in action against the culprits. “When Hindus were worshipping Lord Mahadeva, his beloved Nandi was found ruthlessly vandalised in Kanaparthi Village of Prakasam district. What are you doing Jagan Mohan Reddy? No action, no arrest, no investigation. Such kind of incidents have happened more than 200 times in this state and not a single culprit has been found,” stated BJP national secretary and Andhra Co-Incharge Sunil Deodhar.
In a highly disturbing incident, when whole world was worshipping #Mahadeva on Monday morning, his beloved #NandiVandalised ruthlessly in Kanaparthi village, Bapatla Dist, AP.
“You are totally Anti-Hindu Chief minister. Please don’t test the anger of the Hindus in the state. BJP workers on Monday conducted agitation and today’s state president has demanded a high-level inquiry. BJP will not allow this to happen we will go ahead with a strong agitation against all Anti-Hindu activities that are taking place in the state,” Deodhar further added.
Attacks on Hindu temples have increased in the recent past in India and across the globe. On September 27, OpIndia reported that two Muslim ladies were apprehended for vandalising the idol of the goddess Durga at a Navratri pandal in Hyderabad. The women stormed a pandal in the city’s Khairatabad neighbourhood and shattered a part of the Durga idol.
OpIndia also recently reported how ahead of Durga Puja, unknown vandals smashed Durga idols at the Kashipur Sarbajanin Durga Temple in Mehendiganj Upazila in Barisal, Bangladesh.
In another incident on September 8, one Taufeeq Ahmed was arrested for allegedly damaging an idol of a deity at a Hindu temple in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. With a “tilak” on his forehead, Ahmed allegedly entered the temple gates and started smashing the idol of the deity while yelling “Jai Shri Ram.”
On Tuesday, the Central Government submitted its first affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and put forth many arguments in its support. In its affidavit, In its affidavit, the government contended that varied laws inhibit national unity and the UCC divests personal law.
The affidavit was filed in response to several petitions seeking uniformity in personal laws. According to the reports, six PILs were filed before the Supreme Court, four by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, one petition by Lubna Qureshi, and another petition filed by Doris Martin to seek the enactment of the law. The PILs sought direction from the central government to frame religion and gender-neutral uniform laws for divorce, adoption, guardianship, succession, inheritance, maintenance, marriage age, and alimony.
Varied laws hamper nation’s unity: Centre files affidavit on UCC to SC.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had urged the Centre to clarify its position on the possibility of introducing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the country. It also requested a detailed answer from the Centre on several petitions concerning the Uniform Civil Code. The petitioners stated that the UCC has always been seen as a spectacle of religious appeasement.
The Union Law Ministry on October 18 stated that it cannot direct the Parliament to enact any law. “A writ of Mandamus cannot be issued to the legislature to enact particular legislation. This is a matter of policy for the elected representatives of the people to decide and no direction in this regard can be issued by the Court. It is for the legislature to enact or not to enact a piece of legislation”, the Ministry was quoted.
The Ministry also said that the goal of Article 44 is to enhance the object of the ‘Secular Democratic Republic’ as stated in the Preamble of the Constitution. Reports mention that Article 44 of the Indian Constitution is a regulatory principle that requires the state to secure a uniform civil code for all people.
The Ministry further added that the clause is intended to foster the integration of India by bringing communities together on a single common platform on issues that are now regulated by diverse personal laws. Therefore, considering the relevance and sensitivity of the subject, an in-depth study of diverse personal laws is necessary. The matter will now be placed before the 22nd law panel.
What is the Uniform Civil Code
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
The UCC attempts to safeguard vulnerable groups, including women and religious minorities while simultaneously boosting nationalistic fervour via unity. When passed, the code will attempt to streamline laws that are now divided based on religious views, such as the Shariat law and others. The code will make the complicated laws concerning marriage ceremonies, inheritance, succession, and adoptions one for everyone. The same civil law will then apply to all people, regardless of faith.
An adorable video showing a three-year-old angry toddler lodging a complaint with the police against his mother for preventing him from eating chocolates and candies has gone viral on social media. A lady police officer from Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh is seen diligently writing his ‘complaint’ in the same video.
मध्यप्रदेश के बुरहानपुर में तीन साल का बच्चा मम्मी की शिकायत लेकर पुलिस थाने पहुंच गया। उसने पुलिस से कहा कि मम्मी मेरी कैंडी और चॉकलेट चुरा लेतीं हैं। उनको जेल में डाल दो। बच्चे की मासूमियत देखकर सभी की हंसी छूट गई।#MadhyaPradesh#Videopic.twitter.com/iGdHVOZEF6
On Sunday afternoon, a three-year-old toddler stepped into the Dedhtalai police post under Khaknar Police station with his father after having a ‘fight’ with his mother about putting kajal (kohl) on his eyes after bathing.
On reaching the police station, the ‘angry’ child told the officer that his mom beats him when he nags her for chocolates and candies and that she steals his chocolates when he goes to school. “Mumma steals my chocolates, put her in jail,” the kid was heard telling the woman constable.
As the toddler rattles off his complaints against his mother, the woman constable can be seen paying serious attention to his complaints and noting them down diligently. The woman officer is also seen bursting into laughter seeing the innocence of the kid.
The father of the three-year-old said, “His mother was applying kohl to his eyes after bathing him, but he disturbed her by insisting on eating chocolate and so his mother slapped him lightly. Then he started crying and asked me to take him to the police station. So I brought him here.”
Speaking about the incident, sub-inspector Priyanka Nayak, in-charge of the post, said, “I was leaving the post for some work when this boy got hold of my trousers and insisted that he wanted to file a complaint about his mother. I tried to dissuade him, but when he insisted, I took a paper and pen and started questioning him. He said that his mother had slapped him on the cheek and that she stole his candies. When I repeated the question on theft, he clarified that he did not steal it, but his mother had done it. Also, she stole his chocolates.”
“He ensured that the name of his ‘Ammi’ was put in the complaint though he did not know the actual name of his mother,” the sub-inspector added.
She also confirmed that the toddler confidently made some marks with the pen on the paper when he was asked to ‘sign the complaint.’
According to Sub-Inspector Priyanka Nayak, everyone laughed after hearing the child’s complaint. “Later, I explained to him that his mother had no bad intentions and then he went home,” she added.
Prime Minister Modi will celebrate Diwali with soldiers on October 24, sources close to PMO said. Since he was first elected, the prime minister has celebrated Diwali with soldiers every year. PM Modi is also expected to visit the border village of Maana and meet with locals and troops.
Prior to Diwali, on October 21 and 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines. PM Modi will assess the current development projects at Kedarnath during his visit.
PM is scheduled to visit Kedarnath on October 21. He would proceed to Badrinath the same day after visiting the shrine. After spending the night, PM will offer prayers at the shrine on October 22. He will also evaluate initiatives carried out in line with the Badrinath master plan.
On the occasion of the Prime Minister’s visit, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Kedarnath on October 11 to assess the status of development projects underway within the region. Dhami told reporters following the visit that work has been moving ahead at a rapid pace.
“Kedarpuri is being constructed under the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I have come here to inspect the development work. The work will be completed by December 2023,” he remarked. “Today, I inspected the re-development works being carried out in Kedarnath. Work is also underway on a masterplan for Badrinath,” CM Dhami continued.
Terror threat to blow Hindu religious shrines
A note addressed to the Haridwar railway station threatened to blow up the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines as well as other revered locations and train stations in Uttarakhand. According to Aruna Bharti, Additional Superintendent of Police, Government Railway Police (GRP), the letter was received by the superintendent of the Haridwar railway station on October 10.
The message’s sender, who identified himself as Jameer Ahmad, the “area commander” of the terrorist group Jaish-E-Mohammed, vowed to exact retribution on Jammu and Kashmir for the murders of “Jihadis.” According to the statement, the attacks would happen on October 25 and 27.
Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya
On October 23, PM Modi is expected to spend Diwali at Ayodhya, where a massive ceremony is planned. The Ram ki Paudi ghats in Ayodhya have been prepared for the sixth Deepotsav, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Sources claim that during Diwali, up to 17 lakh earthen lamps would be lit at Ayodhya. Diwali festivities in Uttar Pradesh have been organised by the state government since the Yogi Adityanatah government assumed office.
Protests against mandatory hijab have been raging across Iran since the murder of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the ‘morality police’ for her inappropriate hijab. Women of all ages, and all backgrounds, have put their foot down and revolted against the Ayatollahs for imposing the hijab on them. Sportswoman Elnaz Rekabi also decided to make a statement when she competed without a hijab at her event in Seoul, South Korea, but it seems to have landed her in trouble.
While competing at the Asian Sport Climbing Championships on Sunday, Elnaz Rekabi refused to wear a hijab and competed without it. Even when competing outside Iran, Iranian athletes are required to wear a hijab as per the Ayatollah regime. However, 33-year-old Elnaz Rekabi shunned the Islamic Republic’s restrictions while representing her country.
Even though Rekabi couldn’t win a medal and finished fourth, her brave stand made headlines across the world and gave hope to millions of persecuted women. Last year, Rekabi created history when she became the first Iranian woman to win a medal at the sport climbing world championships. Unfortunately, since Monday evening, Rekabi is no longer traceable and has gone missing because this time she chose to compete without a hijab.
The athletes taking part in this event were due to return to Iran on Wednesday. However, as per the information provided to BBC Persia by sources, Elnaz Rekabi was forced to give up her passport and mobile phone in Seoul by the Iranian authorities. Since then, she hasn’t been heard from by her friends and family.
Meanwhile, BBC World Service presenter Rana Rahimpour tweeted on Tuesday morning that Rekabi was already on a plane bound for Tehran. She was removed from other athletes, and sent to Tehran ahead of schedule.
Update: we have found out that Elnaz Rakebi is on a plane heading to #Tehran, two days earlier than planned. There are concerns about her safety. #Iran#MahsaAminihttps://t.co/tXeMZN3Jqz
The ongoing protests in Iran began after a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini died on September 16 in Tehran. She was arrested and tortured by the ‘Morality Police’ for wearing the hijab inappropriately on September 13, 2022. Iranian media reported that Amini fell into a state of coma and was eventually declared brain dead.
Mahsa Amini succumbed to her injuries on September 16. Following her death, there have been large-scale women-led protests in Iran. Videos of women surfaced where they cut off their hair and burnt hijab as a mark of protest against the enforcement of compulsory hijab for women.
