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Gujarat: AAP state unit president Gopal Italia calls PM Modi ‘neech’ person, says he is making people “C”

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Gujarat: AAP state unit president Gopal Italia calls PM Modi ‘neech’ person, says he is making people “C”

A video of Aam Aadmi Party’s Gujarat state unit president Gopal Italia making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral on social media. In the video, Gopal Italia can be seen abusing PM Modi and calling him names. The date of the video is not confirmed, but it is apparently from 2019 during the run-up to the general elections.

In this video, Gopal Italia said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a ‘neech’ person. I can’t confirm but I want to ask you, is there any former Prime Minister of the country who has done so many gimmicks while going to cast vote? This ‘neech’ type of person is doing road shows here. And he is showing how I am making this country C. You better understand the meaning of C. He talks about digital India and rushes to Gujarat from Delhi to cast vote. This is how he is making country C. So, this ‘neech’ type of person is giving a message to the country about how he is making this country C.”

Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya criticised AAP leader Gopal Italia for this video. He tweeted, “Gopal Italia, Kejriwal’s right-hand man, and AAP Gujarat’s President, stoops to Kejriwal’s level, calls Prime Minister Modi ‘neech’. Using such profanities and abusing Gujarat’s pride and son of the soil is an insult to every Gujarati, who has voted for him and the BJP for 27 years.”

Notably, it is not the first time that an opposition leader has used ‘Neech’ for PM Narendra Modi. Back in 2017, veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called PM Modi a neech aadmi, a comment he repeated ahead of 2019 elections. At that time, people of India gave a resounding reply to Aiyar by giving a historic verdict for PM Modi. It remains to be seen how people of Gujarat react to this ‘neech’ comment by Gopal Italia against Narendra Modi.

This is just the latest instance of an AAP leader bringing embarrassment to the party. Earlier in the day, Rajendra Pal Gautam, minister in Delhi’s AAP government had to submit his resignation after attending an event where Hindu Gods were abused.

Did you know: The Mahmood Gewan Madarsa in Karnataka’s Bidar was a Hindu temple – The history that got buried in documents

Anurag
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Did you know: The Mahmood Gewan Madarsa in Karnataka’s Bidar was a Hindu temple – The history that got buried in documents

On October 6, a video of Hindus offering prayers at the Mahmood Gewan Madarsa, Bidar, Karnataka, went viral on social media. The police booked nine Hindus merely for entering the mosque and offering prayers. The mosque in question is located inside Mahmood Gewan Madarsa. A Twitter user Bharadwajagain laid down an informative thread to show that the Madarsa was previously a Hindu temple. Interestingly, Hindus never stopped offering prayers at the Madarsa to keep the spirit of the temple alive.

Bharadwaj quoted another Twitter user, a Hindustan Times journalist Arun Dev, who had tweeted, “A group of men shouting “Jai Sri Ram” entered a 550 + year of Madarasa in Bidar, threw kumkum and performed puja. Surprisingly (or not), most news channels are not reporting on this.” As a counter, Bharadwaj wrote, “This Madrasa was once a Hindu temple. A Persian Tyrant, Mahmud Gawan, became Bahmani Prime minister. He urged the king to kill Brahmins as an act of piety. He built this Madrasa after destroying the temple. The local Hindus never stopped their tradition of performing puja every year.”

The building was constructed in the Indo-Islamic architectural style of Deccan. In 2014, UNESCO added it to the tentative list of world heritage sites. However, Bharadwaj added that the site had a blood-stained history.

Bahmanis were self-proclaimed Persians. Notably, contrary to their claims, there was a possibility that all of them were Hindu converts and their founder Hasan Gangu had a Hindu background. It is important to note that initially, Bahmanis restrained themselves from killing Brahmins. However, it all changed with the arrival of Mahmood Gawan in the scene.

Gawan was a foreigner, and he had no such belief system. He was not against the idea of killing Brahmins or destroying temples. Rather, he urged the Bahmani king to destroy the temples and kill the Brahmins. According to him, it was a pious act. After the Bahmani king killed Brahmins under Gawan’s influence, he bestowed upon the king the title of Ghazi.

Mahmood Gewan Madarsa in Bidar in Karnataka was originally a Hindu temple which was destroyed by Mahmood Shah

Furthermore, as per the records, he then gave the orders to erect a mosque on the foundation of the temple. Following his actions, Mahmood Gawan states that as Mahmood Shah had killed the infidels (Brahmins) with his own hands, he “might fairly assume the title of Ghazi” that was something to be “proud” of for them.

Excerpt from Tarikh-I-Ferishta Volume II.

It was on record in Tarikh-I-Ferishta that Mahmood Shah was the first of his race to kill Brahmins. Before him, it was believed by the Deccanies that killing Brahmins was inauspicious, something that Hindu kings have always believed, as per the Sacred texts. It further noted that this act of killing Brahmins “led to the troubles which soon after perplexed the affairs of himself and his family, and ended in the dissolution of the dynasty.”

Notably, the monument found its place in Sitaram Goel’s book “Hindu Temples: What Happened To Them”. In Volume I of the book under Bidar district, the Madarsa has been named as a monument built on the remains of a Hindu temple site.

Excerpt from Sitaram Goel’s book: Hindu Temples: What Happened To Them – Volume I

Hindus continued to offer prayers for centuries

Though the temple was destroyed and a Madarsa was built in its place, the Hindus in the region never stopped praying at the temple. It is pertinent to note that the police have gone on the record to say that Hindus offering puja at the Mahmood Gewan Madarsa and Mosque on Vijaydashmi is an event that takes place every year. They have also clarified that contrary to what Muslim leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi are claiming, nobody attempted to break the lock of the mosque to enter it illegally.

Kerala: Muslim organisations protest as Catholic school in the state bans girls from wearing hijab

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Muslim organisations protest as Catholic school in the state bans girls from wearing hijab

Muslim organizations in Kerala are protesting against catholic schools in the state where the hijab was banned inside the school campus. Muslim Youth League (MYL), Muslim Students Federation (MSF), and Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) protested on Monday, 26th September 2022, as Providence Girls Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode barred students from wearing headscarves in the institution.

This is the second catholic school in the state to ban hijab on their campus. It is notable that a Kozhikode school run by a congregation called Apostolic Carmel Southern Province had also banned the hijab on the school premises and Muslim organizations protested against the school on 26th August 2022.

A student of Providence Girls Higher Secondary School studying in the 11th standard was instructed by the school authorities that she cannot wear a headscarf as it was not a part of the uniform. The parents of the girl lodged a complaint with the school organization. As the school stayed firm on its rules, the student took a transfer certificate from the school.

MYL issued a statement after this incident. In this statement, it said, “Now, the student has obtained a transfer certificate from that school. It is a violation of her fundamental right. The inaction on the part of the state government in taking action against such institutions cannot be accepted.”

On 26th September 2022, protesting Muslim organizations took to the streets in large numbers and demonstrated outside the school. The police had to use force to disperse the mob. Some of the protesters were also detained.

In another such incident that took place in Kozhikode in August 2022, the parent of a girl aspiring to take admission to the 11th standard filed a complaint with state Education Minister V Sivankutty. In his complaint, the parent alleged that his daughter is being denied permission to wear a hijab at a government-aided school she enrolled in for the 11th standard on 23rd August 2022.

This school is also run by Catholics. A congregation called Apostolic Carmel Southern Province governs the Christian management board of the school. On Friday, 26th August 2022, a number of Muslim organizations, including the Campus Front of India, organized a demonstration, which resulted in a tense situation outside the school. To control the incident, police were called in.

While interacting with the media, the student’s father said, “This is against the religious freedom of an individual as well as the secular fabric of the state. The school uniform is a half skirt and a top with an overcoat. This may even make the female students uncomfortable as there are male teachers too. But we don’t have any objection with adhering to the school uniform, but wanted the permission to wear hijab also.”

He added, “The principal asked my daughter not to wear a hijab. Shawl (dupatta) is also not allowed in the school. I repeatedly asked the principal whether this means hijabs are also not allowed since there is no permission to wear shawls. Finally, the principal categorically said that hijab was not allowed. This is questioning the religious freedom of an individual in a state like Kerala. Hence I have lodged a complaint with the minister.”

According to school principal Silvi, there is no change in the norms of the school. Silvi said, “The things have been explained to them (the father and the daughter). There is an option for the student to get a transfer from the school. In this school, this would be the norm.”

Out of the organisations named above, Campus Front of India is the student wing of the Popular Front of India. Students Islamic Organization is the students’ wing of Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind. PFI and all its allied organizations were banned by the government of India on 28th September 2022.

“Earlier even cycles were not manufactured, today we are making automobiles, metro coaches”: PM Modi while designating Modhera as fully solar-powered village

OpIndia Staff
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“Earlier even cycles were not manufactured, today we are making automobiles, metro coaches”: PM Modi while designating Modhera as fully solar-powered village

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi designated Modhera village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district as India’s first solar-powered village. In his remarks, PM Modi stated that it is a historic day for Modhera as it takes a significant step toward harvesting solar power. Modhera, which is synonymous with the Sun Temple, would be recognised for its advances in solar energy, according to PM Modi.

According to sources, the endeavour to transform Modhera into a net renewable energy provider was a collaboration between the Gujarat government and the Centre. The village’s residents are now projected to save 60-100% on their power expenses.

PM said, “Today, new energy of development has been infused into Modhera, Mehsana, and the whole region of North Gujarat. Many initiatives linked to dairy, skill development, and health have been inaugurated and the foundation stone has been laid today, ranging from power to water to road and rail.”

“What was not done by invaders to destroy Modhera? This is the land which witnessed atrocities. Modhera is now becoming an example in the world for its Heritage as well as modernity,” PM Modi further added while addressing the gathering at the function.

Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to the people of Gujarat, adding that “previously even cycles were not manufactured, today we are manufacturing automobiles, metro coaches, and the day is not far when Gujarat would also manufacture aeroplanes.”

The Prime Minister stated that up until now, the government generated power and the people purchased it. Now the central government is attempting to encourage people to install solar panels on their properties. The government is providing financial aid to encourage solar energy throughout the country.

The state government had allocated 12 hectares of land for the solarisation of Modhera Sun Temple and Town.  The project was implemented at a cost of Rs. 80.66 crores, which was shared by the Gujarat government and the Centre.

According to reports, 1300 1kW solar panels have been put on the rooftops of houses in Modhera village. Its produced power is used during the day. A 15 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Sujjanpura, Mehsana, stores energy by charging batteries during the day and supplies electricity at night.

Near Modhera Sun Temple, a 50-kW solar-powered electric car charging and parking infrastructure complex, as well as a battery energy storage System (BESS), has been erected.

The solar project in Modhera is reportedly the country’s first “grid-connected mega-watt hour scale battery energy storage system.” According to Modhera Sarpanch Jatanben Thakor, power bills have been reduced to zero for several households that would earlier pay ₹1000 per month. “Solar panels have been installed at all feasible houses, free of cost. In case of excess power, we earn extra income too,” the village Head added.

The Chaulukya dynasty erected the Modhera Sun Temple on the banks of the Pushpavati river. “The remains of the Sun Temples at Modhera are relics of times gone by when reverence of the natural elements fire, air, earth, water and sky were at their peak sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic gods,” reads the website of Gujarat tourism.

Gujarat: Congress MLA Anant Patel alleges attack by BJP, saffron party rubbishes claim as an election stunt

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Congress MLA Anant Patel alleges attack by BJP, saffron party rubbishes claim as an election stunt

On Saturday (October 8), Congress MLA Anant Patel alleged that his convoy was attacked by BJP workers when he was en route to meet the sarpanch of Khergam town in the Navsari district of Gujarat.

As per reports, Patel claimed that a mob of around 50 BJP workers led by Navsari district panchayat president Bhikhubhai Ahir orchestrated the attack on him. While speaking to Indian Express, he alleged, “BJP leader Bhikhubhai Ahir conspired the attack on us after coming to know about my visit to Khergam.”

“He had spread information on different social media groups and invited people to gather at the spot and informed them to teach us a lesson,” the Congress leader had asserted.

Patel’s story was further amplified by Congress scion Rahul Gandhi on Twitter. “The cowardly attack by the BJP on our MLA Anant Patel, who fought for the tribals against the ‘Par-Tapi River Link Project’ in Gujarat, is condemnable,” Gandhi had said.

“This is the anger of the BJP government. Every worker of the Congress party will fight till the last breath for the rights of the tribal community,” he continued.

After the pictures of an ‘injured’ Anant Patel went viral on social media, scores of Congress workers reached Khergam and set fire to the cement steel shop of BJP leader Bhikhubhai Ahir. They also stopped firefighters from dousing the fire.

BJP responds to the allegations

While speaking about the ‘attack’ on Anant Patel, Gujarat BJP Chief CR Patil remarked that the Congress leader was doing drama to stir sympathy ahead of the assembly elections in the State.

“There has been no attack on Anant Patel. He himself has created this drama and tried to get sympathy. His supporters burned a shop of our district panchayat president Bhikhubhai Ahir, they torched houses and damaged furniture and caused huge losses,” Patil added.

He emphasised, “Such serious offence would result in seven years imprisonment, and police could even do firing (to control such a violent mob). Forget firing, police didn’t even lathicharge or lob tear gas shells.”

The State BJP chief also accused Anant Patel of misleading the tribal community about the Par-Tapi River Link Project, which has already been set aside by the BJP government.

Arvind Kejriwal hits the panic button ahead of Gujarat polls, gets minister Rajendra Pal Gautam to resign who attended anti-Hindu event

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal hits the panic button ahead of Gujarat polls, gets minister Rajendra Pal Gautam to resign who attended anti-Hindu event

Rajendra Pal Gautam, minister in Delhi’s AAP government who was spotted participating in an event where people took an oath boycotting several Hindu Gods, has furnished his resignation. He shared the details of his resignation and the reasons behind it in a two-page letter dated 9th October 2022. Rajendra Pal Gautam was Delhi’s minister of social welfare, cooperation, SC/ST welfare, and Gurudwara election.

In his resignation letter, Rajendra Pal Gautam wrote, “I personally attended the Buddhist Dhamma Deeksha Samaroh organized by Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India on the occasion of Ashok Vijayadashami on October 5, 2022, at Ambedkar Bhavan Rani Jhansi Road as a member of society. This had nothing to do with the Aam Aadmi Party and my council of ministers. Babasaheb’s great-grandson Rajratna Ambedkar repeated 22 vows of Babasaheb which were repeated by more than 10000 people as well as me. After that, I see that the BJP is targeting our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal Ji, and the Aam Aadmi Party, it is very sad for me.”

He added, “22 pledges made by Babasaheb were also published by Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, former Union minister of the BJP government (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) in Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol-17. These pledges are repeated every year by crores of people at thousands of places held in every corner of the country. The BJP has objections to these 22 pledges made by Babasaheb and him. Hurt by BJP’s dirty politics, I am resigning from my ministerial post.”

He further said in his resignation letter, “I don’t want any kind of attack on my leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal Ji, and my party because of me. As a true soldier of the party, I will carry out the just and equitable constitutional values shown by The Tathagata Buddha and Babasaheb for life. I will fight for the rights of my sisters and daughters and the people of the community with utmost strength throughout my life. Some People with the Manuwadi mindset are threatening on social media and phones, to harm my life and property, my family, and my colleagues but I am not afraid of all this. I will fight for the rights of our community with utmost courage, honesty, and strength. Even if I have to sacrifice myself in this fight for the rights of the community, I will not let this fight stop.”

On Wednesday (October 5), AAP MLA (Seemapuri) minister Rajendra Pal Gautam was spotted at an event where 10,000 Hindus were converted en masse to Buddhism. The controversial event, organized by the Buddhist Society of India, was conducted at the Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi. During the event, a saffron-clad man administered an oath to the crowd, which closely resembled the controversial 22 vows of BR Ambedkar. The man urged the Hindus to disassociate themselves from their original Faith and desist from the worship of deities.

The Aam Aadmi Party was widely slammed for this anti-Hindu stand taken by a minister in the Delhi govt, and the BJP had started to use it to paint the party as anti-Hindu in the campaign for Gujarat assembly elections. Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had gone into a damage control mode calling himself “rabidly religious”, after posters targeting the party had come up in Gujarat. Heeding to the public backlash and with Gujarat assembly elections just months away, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal called himself ’religious’ and highlighted that he was born on Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, to eliminate the children of ‘Kans’.

Talking about the posters, Kejriwal said, “I saw my posters across Gujarat against me. I know they (BJP) hate me. I have no problem with them defaming me, but now they are using abusive words against gods as well. They are insulting gods as well, they are not even sparing gods. They are the descendants of Kansa.”

However, now it seems Arvind Kejriwal is not sure that mere his words will help to wash off the anti-Hindu image of the party painted by Rajendra Pal Gautam’s acts, and therefore he got him to resign.

Pakistan: Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar admits to acting as the spokesperson for the Taliban

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar admits to acting as the spokesperson for the Taliban

Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar recently confessed that her country serves as the Taliban’s “spokesperson.” Embarrassing Pakistan while in an exclusive conversation with Pakistani media outlet Geo News on Saturday, she admitted that Islamabad often advocates for Afghanistan on global forums.

As soon as Khar realised her mistake, she quickly added that the Shehbaz Sharif-led administration had favoured dialogue with the Taliban administration because Pakistan would be forced to face the consequences of poverty, hunger and terrorism in Afghanistan.

MoS for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, said, “I won’t have any room if the number of people killed along the Pakistani border escalates. We don’t pursue diplomacy by instructing others what to do. We’re expressing our own perspectives. Our view is not the Western view. We don’t want such conditions to prevail in Afghanistan. In a way, we end up becoming their (Taliban) spokesperson. It is Muttaqi (Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Taliban government) Sahab’s job, not ours, to serve as Afghanistan’s spokesperson. There should be clarity on this.”

Hina Rabbani Khar admits how the Balakot Airstrikes continue to haunt Pakistan

Hina Rabbani Khar also stated that Islamabad cannot cooperate with a “changed” India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose administration differs from the previous Manmohan Singh-led “secular” UPA regime. Khar pointed to the Balakot airstrikes in 2019 and claimed that Modi had sent Pakistan multiple messages, one of which was the ‘unprecedented’ airstrike within Pakistan. When the Narendra Modi government stripped the former J&K state of its special status on August 5, 2019, the deputy foreign minister of Pakistan sought that the decision is overturned.

Khar also claimed that the Modi government tried to bring Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) with the intention to strip Indian Muslims of their citizenship. However, the truth is that the CAA has absolutely nothing to do with Indian citizens irrespective of their religion in any way. The Indian citizens enjoy fundamental rights imparted to them by the Constitution of India. No law, not even the CAA, has the authority to restrict or in any manner take away their fundamental rights. 

CAA holds relevance solely to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian immigrants who migrated to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan prior to December 31, 2014, because of religious persecution. It does not apply to any other immigrants, including Muslims who have migrated to India from any country, including these three.

Role of Pakistan in the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

Reportedly, Ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed had a significant role in the formation of the interim Afghan Cabinet led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund. This was demonstrated by Hameed’s frequent visits to Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Furthermore, the Pakistani military’s drones and helicopters supported the terrorist group in capturing Afghanistan’s Panjshir region from the National Resistance Front. Additionally, it was reported that the Pakistan military favoured the Haqqani network, whose senior leaders have gained positions in the government.

Pakistan has frequently urged other countries to send financial aid to Afghanistan despite human rights violations. However, the relationship between the neighbours deteriorated due to the Afghan Taliban’s inability to rein in the TTP’s activities and the assassination of Al-Qaeda commander Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul. During his speech to the UN General Assembly, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised alarm about the presence of banned groups on Afghan land, which the Taliban denied.

Tej Pratap Yadav storms out of RJD’s national convention midway accusing party leader Shyam Rajak of hurling abuses at him and his sister

OpIndia Staff
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Tej Pratap Yadav storms out of RJD’s national convention midway accusing party leader Shyam Rajak of hurling abuses at him and his sister

Tej Pratap Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) politician and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son, angrily came out of the party’s national meeting in New Delhi today, saying that senior RJD leader Shyam Rajak yelled obscenities at him, his personal assistant, and his sister. Tej Pratap Yadav stormed out of the party’s two-day national convention on Sunday, telling reporters that Shyam Rajak attacked him when he called to inquire about the program’s time.

‘He abused me when I asked him about the party meeting timing. Rajak also used expletives at my sister and my PA too. I have the audio too that I will post on my page and then the people of Bihar will know the truth,’ Tej Pratap Yadav told reporters while coming out of the meeting. RJD is having its two-day national convention in Delhi

Labelling Shyam Rajak as a BJP and RSS man, Yadav said, ‘Shyam Rajak abused me, my personal assistant sister today when I asked him about the schedule of the meeting. I have an audio recording & I’ll put it on my social media. Such BJP-RSS people should be thrown out of the party.’

Storming out of the venue, Tej Pratap said that nobody is going to sit there to hear abuse, saying that Shyam Rajak abused him.

RJD National General Secretary Shyam Rajak said that he has nothing to make a remark about. “I have no comments to make on it. He is saying what he wants to say because he is powerful, I am a Dalit man, and cannot say anything,” Rajak said.

The RJD’s two-day national conference began today in New Delhi. However, the RJD appears to be in disarray, as state president Jagdanand Singh snubbed the two-day national conference. The meeting takes place before RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav travels to Singapore for a kidney transplant on October 10.

Since his son Sudhakar Singh was forced to leave as the agricultural minister in the Nitish Kumar administration, Jagdanand Singh has been dissatisfied with the party’s senior leadership, as per reports.

Jammu & Kashmir: Opposition parties protest against the decision to construct cancer hospital on a part of Eidgah grounds in Srinagar

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu & Kashmir: Opposition parties protest against the decision to construct cancer hospital on a part of Eidgah grounds in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board is facing mounting criticism from regional parties and political figures over its plan to repurpose a portion of Srinagar’s Eidgah into a cancer hospital. This comes after Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi indicated that a portion of the Eidgah site will be utilised to construct a cancer hospital.

Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said, “The statements issued about Eidgah have hurt the sentiments of local Muslim populace, which is watching the situation with lots of apprehension. The place is meant for prayers. Anything done against the wishes of the people will be fraught with dangers.”

Mehbooba Mufti blamed the administration for creating a pressure cooker situation in J&K. “This government has no representative character and no authority to take decisions on behalf of any community, especially the Muslim community to which the Waqf properties belong to,” she stated.

Numerous youth groups have also spoken out against the Waqf Board’s decision. According to National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, the Eidgah is just for prayers. “We have two cancer hospitals just a few kilometres away from the site. This Eidgah is used by youth from the old city, which does not have enough open spaces. Where will the youth go? Let the government identify some other site,” Dar said.

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq stated in a statement that the Eidgah in Srinagar was acquired in the 15th century by Persian saint Mir Mohammad Hamdani. Farooq described it as “a historic public space,” and stated it was where Kashmir’s first cricket and football games were played.

Darakhshan Andrabi, Waqf Board head, and BJP politician declared on September 22 that a cancer hospital will be built on Eidgah grounds. According to Andrabi, the hospital was initially intended to be erected next to Sultan-ul-Arifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi’s tomb in Rainawari, but the archaeological department rejected the idea. She stated that the hospital will be built on around 80 Kanals of land (10 acres). The Eidgah has an area of 650 kanals, or 80 acres.

In her capacity as Waqf chief, Andbrabi has implemented a number of corrections, including eliminating “peer” donation boxes from Valley shrines, doing away with the tradition of politicians donning turbans, and modifying Waqf property rentals.

PM Modi to declare Modhera village in Gujarat, which houses the iconic Sun temple, as India’s first solar-powered village

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PM Modi to declare Modhera village in Gujarat, which houses the iconic Sun temple, as India’s first solar-powered village

On Sunday (October 9), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare the Modhera village, located in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, as India’s first solar-powered village.

As per reports, the project to turn Modhera into a net renewable energy generator was a joint initiative of the Gujarat government and the Centre. Residents of the village are now expected to save 60-100% on electricity bills.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Looking forward to being in Modhera today. Modhera, which is associated with the Sun Temple will also be known for its strides in solar energy.”

The State government had allotted 12 hectares of land for the ‘Solarisation of Modhera Sun Temple and Town.’ The project has been implemented at a cost of ₹80.66 crores, borne by both the Gujarat government and the Centre.

While speaking about the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that the State is leading in fulfilling the vision of clean energy generation of PM Narendra Modi. “We are committed to fulfil his resolve of producing 50% of India’s energy requirements through renewable energy by 2030,” he said.

Reportedly, 1300 solar panels of 1kW capacity have been installed on the rooftop of houses in Modhera village. The power generated by it is used in the daytime. A 15 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, located at Sujjanpura in Mehsana, stores energy by charging the batteries during the day and it provides power supply at night time.

A 50-kW solar-powered electric vehicle charging and parking infrastructure facility along with a battery energy storage System (BESS) also has been installed near Modhera Sun Temple.

According to Modhera Sarpanch, Jatanben Thakor, power bills have been reduced to zero for several households that would earlier pay ₹1000 per month. “Solar panels have been installed at all feasible houses, free of cost. In case of excess power, we earn extra income too,” the village Head added.

The solar project in Modhera is reportedly the country’s first “grid-connected mega-watt hour scale battery energy storage system”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also dedicate a 3-D projection facility to the iconic Modhera Sun Temple.

“Glimpses of the spectacular light and sound, which will begin today with Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji’s visit to the magnificent Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat,” BJP Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said in a tweet.

Situated on the banks of river Pushpavati, the Modhera Sun Temple was built by the Chaulukya dynasty. “The remains of the Sun Temples at Modhera are relics of times gone by when reverence of the natural elements fire, air, earth, water and sky were at their peak sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic gods,” reads the website of Gujarat tourism.

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