On Thursday, a Hindu student studying at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) of Uttar Pradesh was thrashed and mentally tortured by a Muslim student named Rehwar. The Muslim student also threatened him with a gun and forced him to chant pro-Pakistani slogans like, “Pakistan Zindabad”.
According to the Zee news report, the victim Hindu student has been identified as Saket Kumar who hails from Karanvash village of Bulandshahar district. He has enrolled for the Master of Technology course at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and is in the first year of his college. Saket stated that Rehwar thrashed him and forced him to say, “Pakistan Zindabad”. He also forced the victim to remove the Kalava (religious band) that he was wearing on his hand.
“We were in the Suleiman hall of the AMU. Rehwar was in an inebriated state when he forced me to remove the Kalava (religious band). He also forced me to hail Pakistan and threatened me with a gun”, the victim said. Saket also said the accused had threatened his sister to wear a hijab.
Reports mention that the accused was mentally torturing a Hindu female student and was forcing her to wear a hijab. He also threatened her on social media. The victim had opposed this act of the accused and so was attacked in the Suleiman hall of the AMU. The victim was immediately taken to the Civil Lines hospital after he was brutally thrashed by Rehwar.
The incident was confirmed by Amit Goswami, a student leader associated with a Hindu organization. He said that a Hindu student of AMU’s MTech has lodged a complaint, in which it has been said that a student named Rehwar of AMU had raised slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and also forced a Hindu student to praise Pakistan.
“It is highly condemnable to threaten our Hindu sister and force her to wear a hijab. We have just spoken to the police officials. Immediate action should be taken against such persons who target Hindu students by becoming fanatics. Strict action shall be taken”, Goswami stated.
Reportedly, an official complaint has been lodged in the case and the Police are investigating the matter. The victim has attained severe injuries on his head and around his neck. The Police have assured him of strict action against the accused in the case.
Following violence and targeted misinformation campaign against Hindus in Leicester and Birmingham, the UK’s opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer vowed to combat hate crimes of all sorts in its first direct reference to the term “Hinduphobia.”
On Wednesday evening, Labour Leader Keir Starmer addressed a crowd of hundreds of British Indian Hindus at one of Europe’s largest Navratri celebrations, saying that he was committed to putting an end to divisive politics and extremist forces using social media to propagate hatred within communities. According to several diaspora organisations in the UK, the upheaval in Leicester last month reflected Hinduphobia or hate crimes directed at Hindus, which were made worse by false information on social media.
“Hinduphobia has absolutely no place in our society anywhere and we must all fight this together,” Starmer said.
“I know that many people are targeted because of their religion, and hate crimes have increased in recent years. I’m so tired of our divisive politics. I’m saddened by the division we have seen on the streets of Leicester and Birmingham in recent weeks; violence and hatred spread by extremists exploiting social media. Together, we must stand firm against all attempts to spread hate” he added.
Keir Starmer also laid emphasis on the need to respect religion, places, and symbols of worship, and put an end to divisive politics.
“Nor will we tolerate the far right attempting to exploit grievances. We have more that unites us than divides us. Our religion, places, and symbols of worship must and will be respected. A Labour government will bring people back together and end this divisive politics,” he stated.
The opposition leader stated that it was his first time attending Dussehra celebrations in London and spoke of the greater significance of Navratri as personified in Goddess Durga’s resilience and strength, which demonstrates the importance of the female divine and women’s empowerment.
“It’s an honour for me to be here with you for the Vijayadashami celebrations. The fires that burn effigies of Ravana all over the world serve as a reminder of our need to extinguish the evil that’s facing our society the need to defeat poverty, injustice, and hate, and to attack our own shadows and bad habits, Starmer added.
Keir Starmer took the opportunity to thank the Hindu community for their huge contribution to Britain and also asserted that the British Hindus are an integral part of Britain.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Hindu community for your contribution to Britain, for everything you do for us, whether its culture, business, the financial sector, the NHS, supporting your community through the cost of living. Your contribution to Britain is huge. You are an integral part of Britain, the past, the present, and very much the future,” Starmer said.
“Dussehra is a time for celebration and the victory of good over evil when the world sees the power of resilience in the face of adversity,” tweeted Starmer.
Dussehra is a time for celebration and the victory of good over evil, when the world sees the power of resilience in the face of adversity.
After 12 long years, the Labour Party would finally be the government on the side of the people, said Starmer, criticizing the ruling Conservative Party for plunging the nation into a crisis. The opposition party has been preparing for the UK’s upcoming general election, which is scheduled for around 2024 and is seeking to take advantage of the recent uptick in polls amid dwindling support for the conservatives owing to an ongoing economic crisis.
Leicester violence, Hinduphobia, and misinformation campaign
Leicester City in England’s East Midlands region had witnessed a significant uptick in targeted attacks against the Hindu community. The onslaught of violence by Islamists began soon after India clinched victory against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup on August 28. Following that, there were violent attacks directed at Hindus in which Hindu houses were set on fire, Hindu men were attacked by mobs, cars were wrecked, and temples were vandalized.
Islamists disseminating misleading information on social media with a specific focus on Hindus exacerbated the violence. A dangerous lie spread by one of the Islamists, Majid Freeman, about a mosque being vandalized and a Hindu man trying to kidnap a Muslim girl was later debunked by Leicester police.
They denigrated an event where Sadhvi Ritambhara was slated to appear as justification to attack a Hindu temple in Birmingham. Due to Sadhvi’s health, the event was postponed. However, the Islamists did not back off and attacked the temple. They rushed forward and called to circle the temple to terrify Hindus while clearly knowing that not only that particular event but the whole tour had been postponed.
When there was an outbreak of violence against Hindus in Leicester, Islamists also propagated the rumour that a Muslim traffic warden had been assaulted by Hindus. On September 12, the Hinduphobic South Asian Journal published a video in which an imam was seen conversing with his nephew, who was purportedly a traffic warden. In contrast, Leceister Police’s investigation revealed that the assertions were complete fabrications.
On Friday (October 5), a relative of BR Ambedkar spewed vitriol against Hinduism during an event organised by the Buddhist Society of India at the Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi. The event was attended by AAP Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam who was sharing the stage with Rajratna Ambedkar when vitriol was spewed against Hindus and Hinduism.
During the event, a whopping 10,000 Hindus were converted to Buddhism. Rajratna Ambedkar, the great-grand-nephew of BR Ambedkar, labelled Hindu deities as fake and described Hinduism as Narak (Hell).
While speaking at the event, he claimed, “I came out of Narak – This is what Babasaheb Ambedkar said after converting to Buddhism. Hindu Dharma or Brahman Dharma is equivalent to the status of Hell.”
“There is no concept of Heaven or Hell in Buddhism. But if it was there, it would have been Brahman Dharam. This is what Ambedkar had said,” Rajratna further alleged.
“Therefore, I request those of you, who are stuck in this Hell of Brahman Dharma, to come to the fold of Buddhism,” the great-grand-nephew of BR Ambedkar remarked.
At 8:41 minutes into the speech, he said, “We are after their fake 33 crores Gods and Goddesses and they are roaming around with our golden Buddha.”
Encourages people to denounce Hinduism
Rajratna then accused Nitin Gadkari, Narendra Modi, and ‘Peshwa Brahmin’ Devendra Fadnavis of hijacking the identity of Ambedkar and supposedly presenting themselves as Buddhists to the entire world.
Citing the example of Yogi Adityanath and his biography, ‘The Monk who became Chief Minister’, Rajratna claimed that India is misleading people around the globe with the impression that a Buddhist monk became the CM of India’s most populous State.
“They have entrapped us in the Hindu Faith with fear and intimidation. Therefore, we must encourage people to publicly denounce their religion and embrace Buddhism. It is only then we account for the debt that we owe to Ambedkar,” he continued his rant.
Rajratna Ambedkar fear mongers about the removal of caste-based reservation
Rajratna resorted to fear-mongering and claimed that the Modi government is ending privatising all sectors and thereby removing caste-based reservations.
He further claimed that Hindus belonging to reserved categories are afraid of converting to Buddhism for the fear of losing reservation benefits. “You did not convert out of the fear of not receiving reservation benefits. Now, the government is removing those jobs altogether. You are left with nothing. The only hope is that you convert to Buddhism and avail benefits that apply to religious minorities in the country.”
Rajratna lamented how the socially backward communities including ‘Chamar’, ‘Jaatav’, ‘Valmiki’, and ‘Mahar’ still associate with their caste and have not completely disassociated from their Hindu identity.
Threats to defame India on a global platform
He claimed that the Indian Constitution is inspired by the teachings of Gautam Buddha. “Read the preamble. No religion teaches equality and brotherhood, except Buddhism,” he said.
Rajratna alleged that BR Ambedkar believed that Constitutional principles will not be enforced in the country for a long period of time and hence asked followers to convert. “Ambedkar knew that Lord Buddha will stand behind his followers in times of distress,” he said.
“I am going on a world tour and will meet representatives from Buddhist-majority countries. I will expose the true plight of Indian Buddhists at a global stage,” he threatened to defame India abroad.
Rajendra Pal Gautam, AAP Minister present at the event, also lamented how BR Ambedkar died within a month of converting to Buddhism and failed to convert the whole nation.
On Thursday, Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra featured the posters of Veer Savarkar in the Mandya district of Karnataka along with pictures of Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former state chief minister Siddaramaiah. It is pertinent to note that Congress has made it a point to deride the freedom fighter Veer Savarkar whenever they get the opportunity.
The poster was attributed to Shanthi Nagar MLA Nalapad Ahmed Haris of the Congress Party, who maintained a defensive stance to blame “unknown persons” for putting the poster up on the streets of the city.
According to the reports, Haris said that the posters were not put up by the Congress party members and that someone else had deliberately printed the posters. He also said that an official complaint would be filed against the unknown persons and the case would be investigated. “This is done by miscreants and not us. We will file a complaint in Mandya district,” Haris was quoted.
The incident that happened on October 6 was recognised by several BJP leaders who targeted the Congress party amid the Bharat Jodo rally. “After Kerala now Karnataka – Savarkar ji posters appear again in Congress’ Bharat Jodo! Clear testament that it is only with Veer Savarkar’s ideology that Bharat Jodo can truly happen! Congress can blame miscreants but truth always emerges”, tweeted BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.
After Kerala now Karnataka – Savarkar ji posters appear again in Congress’ Bharat Jodo!
Clear testament that it is only with Veer Savarkar’s ideology that Bharat Jodo can truly happen!
Also, BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh Vishnu Vardhan Reddy passed sarcastic comments on the incident. “Interesting!! Congress puts up Veer Savarkar’s posters in Karnataka. Seems like some of their workers have read the real history and think outside Gandhi-Nehru family as well!!”, he said hindering the Congress party.
Interesting!! Congress puts up Veer Savarkar’s posters in Karnataka.
Seems like some of their workers have read the real history & think outside Gandhi-Nehru family as well!! pic.twitter.com/qjswdyUuhu
Earlier, on September 21, a similar incident happened in Aluva in the state of Kerala where the Congress members had put up the poster of Veer Savarkar amid the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The said banner included pictures of almost all the freedom fighters including Veer Savarkar who has repeatedly been insulted by Rahul Gandhi and his party.
The Congress later claimed that it was a printing mistake, contending that it had wanted to use the pictures of freedom fighters and made an error. The party maintained that the booth-level workers had taken the images from the internet and failed to cross-check before printing the poster. The poster was later covered with the image of MK Gandhi and later taken down, after Congress was called out for using the image of Veer Savarkar while deriding and insulting him repeatedly.
Shehzad Poonawalla back then had also slammed the party for insulting Veer Savarkar in the past and said, “Veer Savarkar against whom Rahul has been spewing lies was exposed when his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Aluva, Ernakulam carried posters of Veer Savarkar. Rahul ji, no matter how much you try, history and truth comes out. Savarkar was Veer! Those who hide are the kaayars”.
Rahul ji, no matter how much you try… history and truth comes out
Savarkar was Veer ! Those who hide are the “kaayars”
To note, the Congress Party and its members including Rahul Gandhi have repeatedly insulted the great revolutionary and freedom fighter Swatantryaveer Savarkar and called him a ‘traitor’ for his ‘mercy petitions’ to the British while he was in jail in the Andamans, where he was incarcerated from 1911 to 1921. The Congress has never considered Veer Savarkar to be a freedom fighter, blatantly claiming that he only apologised to the British instead of fighting them.
Rahul Gandhi has insulted the great revolutionary leader several times in the past. In 2019, the Congress leader while addressing the ‘Bharat Bachao Rally’ in New Delhi had unnecessarily dragged Veer Savarkar’s name in his speech. He was speaking about the rape incidents in the country and had said that he was Rahul Gandhi and not ‘Rahul Savarkar’ to keep the truths in hiding.
Also, recently in Kerala in March 2022, he invoked Veer Savarkar again, terming him a ‘traitor’. Blatantly criticising the BJP who had hung MK Gandhi’s photo opposite to Veer Savarkar’s photo at Parliament House, Gandhi had said that a traitor can never be a patriot. “A patriot can become a traitor, by making a mistake. But a traitor can never be a patriot. That is who Veer Savarkar was. BJP does drama on Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose because their leader was a traitor”, he had said.
The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was started by Rahul Gandhi along with other leaders of the party, Congress workers and several ‘activists’ on September 7. It started from Kanyakumari and is expected to end after 150 days in Kashmir. The Yatra will cover 3,500 KM across 12 states.
On Wednesday, October 5, Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale hit out at Aaditya Thackeray, the former Maharashtra minister and son of ex-Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of partying in a pub in Switzerland when his father was admitted to a hospital.
Aaditya Thackeray was enjoying himself in Switzerland when Uddhav Thackeray was hospitalised: MP Rahul Shewale
“When the CM (then CM Uddhav Thackeray) was admitted to the hospital, this Yuvraj (Aaditya Thackeray) was roaming around and enjoying himself in Switzerland in the pub. I am here to tell you that though he kept talking about the environment, his foreign tour was industry-related,” Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale said adding that Aaditya Thackeray also took a female MP with him.
Shewale, an Eknath Shinde loyalist, took the jibe at the former Maharashtra environment minister after Uddhav Thackeray and the incumbent Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde held their separate rallies on the occasion of Dussehra and vociferously attacked each other.
Uddhav Thackeray called Eknath Shinde ‘Katappa’ and accused him of ‘betraying’ him
In his address on Dussehra, Thackeray called Shinde ‘Katappa’ and accused him of ‘betraying’ him. He said, “The only thing I feel bad and angry about is that when I was admitted to the hospital, the people whom I gave the responsibility (of the state) became ‘Katappa’ and betrayed us. They were cutting me and thinking that I will never return from the hospital.”
Katappa is a fictional character from the film series Baahubali who was a loyal servant to the royal family but eventually killed (read stabbed in the back) Amarendra Baahubali, the crown prince of Maahishmati.
He called the Shinde camp “parasites” and said, “They (the rebels) are parasites who have crept up the Shiv Sena tree. They should understand that without a tree, they have no worth. We are happy that these traitors have left us. Now, new leadership will emerge.”
He further said that Shinde was what he was because of him. He pointed out that Shinde’s son was also made Lok Sabha MP.
Eknath Shinde hits back
Replying to Thackeray, CM Shinde said, “They call me ‘Katappa’. I want to tell you, that even ‘Katappa’ had self-respect, and did not have double standards like you.”
Targetting Uddhav he added that Balasaheb used to run the government by ‘remote control’ but Uddhav was running the government with the ‘remote control’ of Congress and NCP. He blamed Uddhav for ‘selling the thoughts of his father for power.
Shinde accused Uddhav of not only selling his father’s thoughts but ‘father himself’.
On Thursday, the Russian government accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of trying to provoke a nuclear war against the country amid the Russia-Ukraine ongoing conflict. Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the Ukrainian leader had turned into a monster whose hands could destroy the planet.
This is after President Volodymyr Zelensky believed in the need for pre-emptive strikes and stated that NATO should make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons. While addressing the Australian audience via video link, Zelensky said, “We need pre-emptive strikes, so that they’ll know what will happen to them if they use nukes, and not the other way around, Don’t wait for Russia’s nuclear strikes, and then say, ‘Oh, since you did this, take that from us!”, he was quoted.
NEW – Ukraine’s Zelensky calls on NATO to launch “preemptive strikes” against Russia to “eliminate the possibility” of a Russian nuclear strike.pic.twitter.com/gj6mSRZfFF
The Ukrainian President was speaking at the Lowy Institute’s event when the host asked him about Russia’s nuclear weapon move. “What do you want NATO to do to deter Russia from using nuclear weapons?”, host Michael Fullilove pondered to which Zelensky replied saying that NATO should eliminate the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons.
“Reconsider the way you apply pressure. This is what NATO should do, reconsider the order in which it applies pressure”, he added. The comments were criticized by the Russian Foreign Ministry which stated that the Ukrainian leader was trying to provoke a nuclear war. Also, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the remarks saying that “Zelensky’s comments were nothing but a call to start a world war which would lead to unforeseeable disastrous consequences”.
However, Zelensky’s office later issued a statement clarifying the President did not call for nuclear war but was talking about the period before the start of a full-scale invasion. “Colleagues, you have gone a little far with your nuclear hysteria and now you hear nuclear strikes even where there are none. He did not call on NATO countries to preemptively use nuclear weapons against the Russian Federation. The President spoke about the period until February 24. Then it was necessary to take preventive measures to prevent Russia from starting a war. Let me remind you that the only measures discussed at that time were preventive sanctions”, press secretary Serhiy Nikiforov said.
Nikiforov further in the press statement highlighted that only the state of Russia can afford to threaten the world with disasters and hint at the use of nuclear weapons, but Ukraine would never make such calls. “In the case of mutual use, it is unlikely to be able to stop this process later. We will remind you that on September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again resorted to nuclear blackmail in his address. Meanwhile, the US administration, together with its partners, is discussing a response plan in the event of the use of nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation”, he added.
Reports mention that fears of a massive nuclear escalation have risen since Moscow’s annexation of four occupied areas (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) of Ukraine, which Russian President Putin formally signed into law on Wednesday.
Russia has been flashing its nuclear hammer in the aftermath of last week’s annexation referendums, which the West denounced as sham votes. Putin’s largest submarine, Belgorod, which can be armed with catastrophic nuclear missiles, was reported to be on the move, and a convoy related to a nuclear unit is said to be in motion in Russia. NATO is said to have sent a warning to its members about the danger of a nuclear escalation by Putin.
In another case of atrocities on Hindus in Pakistan, a Hindu lady was stripped, tortured, and gang raped by Muslim landlord Mohammad Akram when she went to him for wages. The incident occurred in Bhawalpur in Punjab, Pakistan, after the lady approached Muslim landlord Mohammad Akram to request payment. Akram subsequently returned to the woman’s residence and threatened her with guns. He then abducted her and brutally raped and tortured her.
Six or seven men hung the woman, the wife of bonded labourer Gangaram, upside down, battered, and gang-raped her. Her sole transgression was going to the landlord to request payment of her salary.
The lady stated in a video, “He kidnapped me and took me to an unknown place. Over there they stripped me naked and kept beating me. ” She went on to say that they had covered her face and continued to beat her. She went there to collect her pay, but instead of settling the dues, they threatened that they would beat her if she asked for money.
According to reports, the suspected landlord has also been attempting to cover up the issue by negotiating with medics who are treating the victim. A complaint has been filed, and three persons have been detained in connection with the crime.
According to local media sources, the woman was beaten up over a fake theft accusation. The woman was transferred to a hospital, where she was refused treatment. She also rejected providing her with a medical certificate.
As the news of the tragedy became public, members of the Hindu community flocked to the streets to condemn the horrors. The protesters demanded an impartial investigation and harsh punishment for the assailants and medics.
Recently in March of this year, Pooja Oad, an 18-year-old girl, was shot dead in the street of the Sindh district in March of this year after she resisted efforts to kidnap her. She was shot dead after resisting an abduction attempt in Rohi, Sukkur.
Hindus, a minority in the Islamic country of Pakistan, are frequently targeted with hatred, kidnappings, rapes, forced marriages, and death. According to the Peoples Commission for Minorities’ Rights and the Centre for Social Justice, there were 156 cases of forced conversions between 2013 and 2019.
Pakistan’s courts have continuously failed to provide justice for Hindus in Pakistan. In reality, in several cases, judges have granted immunity to those involved in abducting and forcibly converting Hindu and Christian minorities.
A 2019 field investigation report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reaffirmed an unpleasant reality that is already known for far too long—minorities in Pakistan live under constant fear of persecution as their perpetrators enjoy court sanctions, support from the influential and affluent section of the society and patronage from political leaders.
On Wednesday (October 5), AAP MLA (Seemapuri) Rajendra Pal Gautam was spotted at an event where 10,000 Hindus were converted en masse to Buddhism.
The controversial event, organised by the Buddhist Society of India, was conducted at the Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi.
Gautam, who serves as the Social Welfare Minister in the Delhi Cabinet took to Twitter to gloat over the mass conversion of Hindus. The event coincided with the Dusshera celebrations during which the Hindu community celebrates the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana.
चलो बुद्ध की ओर मिशन जय भीम बुलाता है।
आज “मिशन जय भीम” के तत्वाधान में अशोका विजयदशमी पर डॉ०अंबेडकर भवन रानी झांसी रोड पर 10,000 से ज्यादा बुद्धिजीवियों ने तथागत गौतम बुद्ध के धम्म में घर वापसी कर जाति विहीन व छुआछूत मुक्त भारत बनाने की शपथ ली।
The AAP leader wrote, “With the support of Mission Jai Bhim”, more than 10,000 intellectuals took a pledge to make a caste-free and untouchable India by converting to the Faith of Gautam Buddha.” The archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.
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.
“I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, nor shall I worship them. I shall have no faith in Rama and Krishna who are believed to be the incarnation of God nor shall I worship them,” he was heard as saying.
“I do not and shall not believe that Lord Buddha was the incarnation of Vishnu. I believe this to be sheer madness and false propaganda. I shall not perform ‘Shraddha’ nor shall I give ‘pind-dan’,” he further added.
The man, dressed in saffron, continued, “I shall not allow any ceremonies to be performed by Brahmins. I renounce Hinduism which is harmful to humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity because it is based on inequality, and adopt Buddhism as my religion.”
During the event, AAP Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam was seen repeating the controversial vows and sharing the stage with the man.
Later, he was seen delivering a speech wherein he urged Hindus to renounce their Faith and tread the path of Dr Ambedkar. “If you don’t want to be called a traitor, then, we need to spread this message of BR Ambedkar to every household,” Gautam said.
“If caste has been made by nature, why there is no caste in France, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand?” the AAP leader displayed his ignorance about social hierarchy and affirmative action in other nations.
“Who benefitted from this caste system and who suffered the most? BR Ambedkar had found the medicine to this disease and we are now spreading it,” he was heard as saying.
Rajendra Pal Gautam also lamented how BR Ambedkar died within a month of converting to Buddhism and failed to convert the whole nation. Known as Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din, Ambedkar converted to Lord Buddha’s Faith on October 14, 1956 along with 3,80,000 of his followers.
‘We are working to turn India into a Buddhist country’: Rajendra Pal in 2020 interview
It is worth noting that in a 2020 interview, Pal revealed that they are working to turn India into a Buddhist country. “It is time to turn India into a Buddhist country. We are working to convert India into a Buddhist nation. Our target is to convert 10 crore people to Buddhism by October 2025,” he had said.
We are working to make India a Buddhist country & our target is to convert atleast 10 crore people by October 2025 : Kejriwal’s minister @AdvRajendraPalpic.twitter.com/tXpbR9i3fe
In March this year, Arvind Kejriwal mocked the genocide of Hindus during his address in the Delhi assembly under the pretext of criticising Vivek Agnihotri’s movie ‘The Kashmir Files.’
He had insinuated that the plot is not grounded in reality and that it is a “jhoothi” (fake) film.
The AAP supremo had earlier tried to rebrand himself as a ‘Hanuman bhakt’. At that time, netizens pointed out how he derided Hindu sentiments to make a political statement.
When leftists had attacked ABVP students over semester form at Jawaharlal Nehru University in January 2020, Kejriwal shared an objectionable cartoon. The graphic showed a belligerent Lord Hanuman setting the university campus on fire.
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Kejriwal shared an image where a man with a broom was seen hitting the Swastika symbol. The seasoned politician shares the derogatory image, despite being well-aware of the sanctity of the symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Screengrab of the tweet by Arvind Kejriwal
In August 2020, the official Twitter handle of AAP shared pictures of Kanchenjunga in Sikkim, Kamet Peak, and Nanda Devi hills in Uttarakhand and drew analogies with a humongous landfill at Ghazipur in Delhi.
The contentious tweet was accompanied by the caption, “Highest Mountains of India.”
Screengrab of the tweet
In 2018, the AAP supremo deliberately drew false equivalences between building universities and temples to suggest that the construction of the latter would undermine development in the country.
“I was thinking what would have happened if Jawaharlal Nehru built temples instead of the Steel Authority of India? Would India have developed after Independence?” he said during a public address, mocking the construction of Ram Mandir.
Even in 2014, he tried to trick Hindus into guilty for supposedly demanding the construction of Ram Mandir atop the debris of a mosque.
Thus, it comes as no wonder that AAP Minister, Rajendra Pal Gautam, was part of the mass conversion event.
On Thursday, the accused of the rape of a minor was caught and brutally lynched by an angry mob in Bihar’s Hasanganj. The accused has been identified as Mohammad Sagir (35), a resident of Hasanganj Bazar under the Hasanganj police station.
Om Prakash, sub-divisional officer of Katihar Sadar said the incident happened when the girl informed her family members that she was sexually assaulted on Wednesday.
Katihar, Bihar | A man who allegedly raped a minor girl was tied to a tree and beaten by locals in the Hasanganj area yesterday. Later, the district hospital confirmed that the man was brought dead. Further investigation underway.
The police stated that the 9-year-old victim was sleeping with her mother inside the house, when the accused arrived and took her away silently.
“He first brought the victim to his house before taking her to a remote location to commit the crime. She called out for aid as they raped her. In the meantime, the victim’s mother awoke and began looking for her child in the village. Soon, other villagers also began searching and they reached the crime scene after hearing the cries,” the police said.
Notably, the accused Mohammad Sagir had committed a similar crime earlier and had served jail time for rape.
“We went there right away to rescue the accused after hearing about the incident. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died. Sagir was a serial rapist. He had previously served jail term after being convicted on similar offences” said an investigating officer.
In a video shared by Patna-based Pratyek News, the family members of the deceased Mohammad Sagir stated that the relatives of the girl had thrashed Sagir brutally and caused his death. Speaking to the media, Sagir’s brother-in-law stated that one Md Abbas and others were the ones thrashing Sagir. Another relative mentioned that Abbas, Firoz, Afroz, Rukhsana and some of their relatives were the ones behind the brutal mob lynching of Md Sagir.
Sagir’s family have stated that they will file a written complaint with the police seeking justice. They told that they have received the body after post-mortem and other formalities.
As per a ZeeNews report, the accused lured the girl, took her near a secluded place and raped her. However, the victim’s cry for help was heard by villagers who caught the accused and brought him to the village where a Panchayat ordered instant justice and reportedly asked the relatives of the rape victim to thrash the rapist. After this, the accused was brutally thrashed by an angry mob and was handed over to the police as they arrived.
Hasanganj police have sent the rape accused’s body to Sadar hospital for postmortem and further investigation is underway. Meanwhile, the victim is also getting treatment in a hospital.
In the Bidar district of Karnataka, 9 Hindus were booked by the police for merely entering a Mosque and offering prayers. The police action came after the videos of Hindus offering prayers at the Mahmood Gewan Madarsa and Mosque went viral on social media. The incident reportedly took place on Dussehra on the 6th of October.
In an assault against the syncretic and composite culture of India, the Muslim community filed an FIR against the Hindus alleging that Hindus tried to break the locks of the Mosque and raised “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans. The complainants also warned the police to aggravate their protests on Friday if the accused persons are not arrested. According to reports, Hindus have been booked merely for offering puja, however, nobody has been arrested so far.
While the Muslim community has been outraged by the actions of these Hindus, the Superintendent of Police Dekka Kishore Babu said, “It is a regular practice from the Nizam period of performing Pooja during Dasara. There is a minar inside the mosque complex. Usually, 2-4 people visit but this time there was more number of people who entered the place. Nobody illegally broke the lock to enter the mosque. We have registered an FIR and will be arresting the miscreants.”
Inspector General of Police, Gulbarga said that every year Hindus go near the Masjid to perform Puja on Vijaydashmi and this occurrence is not new. It would seem like it was only this year that the Muslims of the area decided to stop Hindus and raise alarm over the incident.
While the police said there was nothing unusual about Hindus offering prayers in the premises of this Mosque and no lock was broken, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter to fear monger.
Visuals from historic Mahmud Gawan masjid & madrasa, Bidar, #Karnataka (5th October). Extremists broke the gate lock & attempted to desecrate. @bidar_police@BSBommai how can you allow this to happen? BJP is promoting such activity only to demean Muslims pic.twitter.com/WDw1Gd1b93
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 illegally enter it.
Despite this, the running narrative on social media has been that Hindus “desecrated” the faith of the Muslim community by offering prayers at the Mosque and raising the slogan that pays respect to Bharat as a Goddess to be revered.
Interestingly, in the past, there have been several instances of Muslims offering Namaz inside temples that have been hailed as an example of the inclusive, tolerant and syncretic culture of India where faiths inter-mingle freely.
In April 2022, in Gujarat’s Dalvana village, a historic Hindu temple opened its doors and invited Muslims to break their Ramzan fast and offer Namaz at its premises. The media hailed the move as a signal of brotherhood and love while reports of communal strife emerged from various parts of the country. According to the report, some 100 Muslim rozedaars of the village were given an invitation to offer Maghrib Namaz (Jumma Namaz) and break their day-long fast during Ramzan inside the premises of a 1,200-year-old temple holding great social and religious significance for the people of Dalvana.
In 2018 as well, reports emerged from Uttar Pradesh that Hindus in a village had offered to 100s of Muslims that they could use the temple premises for offering Namaz. A Deccan Herald report read, “In an example of Hindu-Muslim unity, a group of Muslims offered ‘namaz’ (prayer) at a Shiva temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar district, about 500 kilometre from Lucknow, on Sunday.
The report further read, “According to reports, a group of Muslims were returning home after participating in a religious meet, attended by thousands of their community members. The group was caught in a jam. The members of the group were desperately looking for a suitable place for offering ‘zuhr’ (namaz offered at midday) prayer as it was time for the same. Sensing their desperation, some Hindus from the nearby Jounpur village suggested to their Muslim brethren that they could offer the prayer at the Shiva Temple, which was very close to which they agreed readily. The gates of the temple were opened and arrangements were made for the prayer, reports said adding that around one hundred Muslims offered prayers at the temple and its adjoining ‘dharamshala’ (inn)”.
In fact, there was widespread outrage when members of the Muslim community were booked for offering Namaz at Mathura temple recently. In 2020, a Hindustan Times report read. “According to the FIR, the four accused — Faizal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Alok Ratan and Neelesh Gupta — reached the temple at about 12.30 pm on October 29 and performed the “84 kos parikrama” that is common in Hindu prayers in the Mathura’s Braj area. “[Later] photographs of the two Muslims offering ‘namaz’ in the temple premises were uploaded on social media by Faizal Khan. This has hurt Hindu sentiments,” alleged Goswami. “No permission was sought from the priests or administration for offering ‘namaz’. Also, the photos of the ‘namaz’ were made viral on social media,” Goswami said in the FIR, adding that these images could be misused to fan communal tensions”.
When the Mathura incident happened, there were several “liberal” portals and individuals who condemned the arrests. One such cartoon by Manjul posted on FirstPost said that nobody could be sure if the Muslim men had been arrested for offering Namaz in a temple or “spreading love and communal harmony”.
Police have booked four people after a video clip showing members of their group offering namaz on the premises of a temple in #Mathura surfaced on social media, officials said.
It was said that Faisal Khan was a Gandhian activist working for Communal Harmony by offering Namaz inside the Mathura temple and that it was “turned communal” when he was arrested for celebrating India’s syncretic culture.
The Khudai Khidmatgar's national convenor Faisal Khan said his visit to a Mathura temple was to promote harmony, but it has been turned into a communal controversy after he offered namaz inside the temple compound. | @gaurav5173 reports.https://t.co/zYSpPSqoXd
In fact, it was alleged that Faisal Khan has been offering Namaz in temples for the sake of communal harmony for decades. But it was only under Yogi Adityanath that he is seen as a threat.
Faisal Khan has spent decades visiting temples, doing Hindu pilgrimages, reciting the Gita and the Ramcharitmanas, all for communal harmony. In today’s UP, he is seen as a threat.
Profiling the activist arrested for offering namaz in a Mathura temple. https://t.co/JM6hmgmmBS
One has to wonder why the incident of Hindus offering Puja in a Mosque is different from the incident of Muslims offering Namaz in temples which were viewed as exercises in maintaining communal harmony and promoting brotherhood by the very people who are today outraging against the Hindus.
