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Population of Muslims growing the fastest in the world, while population share of Hindus declining in several countries including India: Pew Research

Aditi
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Population of Muslims growing the fastest in the world, while population share of Hindus declining in several countries including India: Pew Research

Muslims are the fastest growing religion in the world and form the second largest religious group globally. A report of Pew’s Global Religious Landscape Study released on 9th June analysed the changes in the populations of religious groups at the global level between 2010 and 2020. The study revealed that the number of Muslims have increased sharply around the world while the populations of all other religions, including Hindus, registered a decline.

As per the study, the Muslim population grew by 347 million, which is more than the combined increase in the populations of all other religions.

Image via Pew Research Center

Globally, the number of Muslims grew 21% in 10 years, increasing from 1.7 billion to 2.0 billion. The study says that the number of Muslims grew twice as fast as the population of the rest of the world which grew by 10% during the same time period. Consequently, the share of Muslims in the world population increased from 24% to 26%.

Image via Pew Research Center

Notably, after Christians and Muslims, the third largest group in the world is the group of religiously unaffiliated people. Hindus are in 4th position with 15% share.

Muslim population increased across all regions globally

Considered regionwise, the research indicates that the Muslim population expanded across all geographic regions with varied percentage of increase. North Amercia witnessed the highest rate of gowth of its Muslim population, which spiked by 52%. This was followed by sub-Saharan Africa, where the Muslim population reached 369 million in 2020 after increasing by 34%. The share of Muslims in the population of the region is 33%.


Image via Pew Research Center

The rate of Muslim growth was the highest in North America, where Muslims numbered 5.9 million in 2020 (up 52%), followed by sub-Saharan Africa, where Muslims grew to 369 million (up 34%). According to the study, the Muslim population increased by highest rate in every region with one exception of the Latin-America-Carribean region. In this region, though the Muslim population registerd an increase of 6%, it was surpassed by the region’s non-Muslim population growth of 10%.

Notably, the share of Muslims in the population of the Asia-Pacific rose up to 26% in 2020, rising up by 1.4%. However, the concentration of Muslims has decreased by 2%, going down from 61% in 2010 to 59% in 2020. The Pew study claims that since 2010, the Muslim population has slightly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, which now accomodates 18% of the world’s Muslims, increasing by 2%.

A third of Muslims live in India, Pakistan and Indonesia

The study shows that one-third of Muslims in the world live in the three countries of India, Pakistan and Indonesia. Around 213 million of Muslims live in India as of 2020, making up to 15% of the country’s population. India lies slightly behind Indonesia, with the latter accomodating around 240 million of Muslims as of 2020, accounting for 12% of the world’s Muslims. Around 65% of the world’s Muslim population lives in 10 countries, including India. 1.3 billion of Muslims live in these 10 countries. In nine of these countries, Islam forms the majority religion with the only exception of India.


Image via Pew Research Center

5 countries where Muslim population changed substantially

The population of Muslims experienced significant changes in the five countries of Kazakhstan, Benin, Lebanon, Oman, and Tanzania. Out of the five countries, three (Kazakhstan, Benin, Lebanon) registered a significant increase in the population of Muslims. In Kazakhstan, the Muslim population grew by 8.2%, in Benin by 7.9% and in Lebanon by 5.5%. In Oman and Tanzania, the Muslim population registered a decrese of 8.3% and 5.5% respectively.


Image via Pew Research Center

In all five countries, the changes in the Muslim population were mostly caused by migration. In some of these countries, the increase resulted from non-Muslims moving out of the countries, while in the others, the increase happened due to influx of Muslim refugees. Several countries in Europe, witnessed an increase in their Muslim population because of immigration and above average fertility rate among Muslims. However, the change in the share of Muslim population in these countries remained below 5%.

Christians remained the largest religious group globally, their population decreased over the last decade. Number of Christians rose by 122 million and reached 2.3 billion, but their share in the world’s population fell by 1.8% marking their share at 28.8%.

The population of Hindus declined globally including in India

According to the Pew study, the share of Hindu population registered a slight decline, though less than 5%, in four countries of the South Asian region viz. India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, the share of Hindus did not register any significant increase or decrease in any country or region.


Image via Pew Research Center

Hindus form the fourth largest religious group in the world after Christians, Muslims and religiously unaffiliated people. Viewed in the global context, the number of Hindus increased by 12% between 2010 and 2020, rising from abroud 1.1 billion to around 1.2 billion. But, their share in the world population registered a slight decline from 15.0% in 2010 to 14.9% in 2020. Since the rate of growth of non-Hindus remained about the same, Hindus, as a share of the global population, remained stable.


Image via Pew Research Center

Around 99% of the world’s Hindus live in the Asia-Pacific region and constitute the largest religious group in India, Nepal and Mauritius.

As per the research, the population of Hindus increased sharply, by 62%, in the Middle East-North Africa region, in the last decade. Around 3.2 million Hindus are currently living in the Middle East-North Africa region. Hindu population in North America also rose by 55% in the same decade, reaching 3.6 million. The study says that the regions, such as the United Arab Emirates and Europe, which saw a faster rate of increase in the Hindu population, was primarily due to migration of Hindus to these regions for economic opportunities.

The geographic concentration of Hindus experienced a slight change between 2010 and 2020. The number of Hindus living in Asia-Pacific region dropped by 0.2%, while the population of Hindus living in North America and the Middle East-North Africa region rose by 0.1%.

Muslims grew by 43.15% between 1950 and 2015: Study

Similar to the global scenario, the Muslim population has registered an increase in India as well. According to a study titled, Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015), released in May 2024, revealed that the population of Muslims witnessed a sharp increase of 43.15% between 1950 and 2015 while the population of Hindus declined by 7.85. The populations of Christians and Sikhs also dropped by 5.38% and 6.58% respectively. According to the study, the share of Hindus in India’s population saw a decrease from 84% in 1950 to 78% in 2015, while that of Muslims witnessed an increase from 9.84% to 14.09% in the same period.

Notably, in India’s neighbouring countries where Muslims (or their sect) constitute more than 50% – a majority, the community’s share witnessed an increase in the demographic mix. Bangladesh saw the steepest increase of 18.5%, followed by Pakistan (3.75%) and Afghanistan (0.29%).

As per the fifth National Family Health Survey report released in May 2022, the total fertility rate (TFR) is highest among the Muslims. While the country’s TFR has declined over the years, decreasing from 3.4 to 2.0 children between 1992-93 and 2019-21, the TFR among the Muslim community was recorded at 2.36. The lowest TFR of 4.1 children per women was found among the Buddhists/Neo-Buddhists.

Furthermore, the report also revealed that teen pregnancy was more common among Muslim women aged 15 to 19 years (8%) than among other religious groups. Also, when it comes to the desire for another kid, Muslims have the lowest percentage of women who do not want another child. 72% of Sikhs and 71% of Hindus presently married women aged 15-49 prefer no additional children, compared to 64% of Muslim currently married women.

What is Meta Superintelligence and why is it important enough for Mark Zuckerberg to get personally involved in the hiring process

Rukma Rathore
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What is Meta Superintelligence and why is it important enough for Mark Zuckerberg to get personally involved in the hiring process

Meta has recently lost some ground in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) space, particularly after it suspended a major model rollout last month. Nevertheless, the social media company is striving to recover by making a new $15 billion investment in Scale AI.

According to Bloomberg and The New York Times, the Mark Zuckerberg-led corporation has signed an agreement to purchase a significant minority investment in the startup, which provides data labelling and model evaluation services to Microsoft, Google and OpenAI, among other industry giants. Meta would acquire a 49% interest in Scale AI as a result of the $14.8 billion deal.

The development transpired with Meta’s strategic efforts to create a new research lab focused on the pursuit of “superintelligence” as Zuckerberg is putting together a group of professionals to create artificial general intelligence. These experts are drawn from a team of AI engineers and researchers who have visited with him in recent weeks at his homes in Palo Alto and Lake Tahoe.

Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old founder and CEO of the Scale AI start up, has been recruited by Meta to work at the new laboratory. The two companies have been in negotiations to invest billions of dollars which would also bring other Scale AI people to Meta. Several researchers from top AI firms, including OpenAI and Google, have been offered seven to nine figure remuneration packages by Meta.

The 41-year-old referred to artificial intelligence as “possibly one of the most important innovations in history” in February. “This year is going to set the course for the future,” he remarked.

The new lab is reportedly a part of a bigger reorganization of Meta’s AI initiatives. The firm, which currently owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has recently struggled with internal management issues related to the technology, as well as staff turnover and multiple unsuccessful product releases.

The Meta’s CEO has spent billions of dollars transforming his business into a dominant force in artificial intelligence. The technology sector has been racing to develop ever-more-powerful artificial intelligence since OpenAI’s 2022 release of the ChatGPT chatbot. Zuckerberg has encouraged his company to integrate AI in all of its products, including its smart eyewear and the newly launched Meta AI software.

Mark Zuckerberg steers “superintelligence” project

Zukerberg has been upset with the disappointing performance of Meta Platforms Inc. He has therefore made it his primary objective to hire for the fresh and covert unit, which is internally known as a “superintelligence group” with an ambitious mission in mind.

According to him, Meta has the potential to surpass other tech firms in reaching artificial general intelligence, or AGI, the idea that machines are capable of performing a wide range of jobs just as effectively as humans. It is noteworthy that superintelligence, if developed would surpass AGI.

After reaching that milestone, Meta might incorporate the functionality into its product line, which would include a variety of AI tools such as the Meta chatbot and its AI-powered Ray-Ban glasses, in addition to social media and communications platforms.

Zuckerberg is personally hiring nearly all of the 50 employees he seeks to assemble for the new team, including a new head of AI research. He has moved desks at the company’s Menlo Park headquarters to ensure that the new hires will sit close to him as they discuss private plans.

He is assembling the team together with the projected multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI, which provides data services to assist businesses in training their models and creates unique AI applications for governments and corporations.

Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta have to compete as the technology could prove to be the industry’s future. The titans have invested in their own artificial intelligence labs and start-ups. Amazon has spent $8 billion in the artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, while Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI. They have also licensed their technology and hired staff from well-known start-ups, spending billions of dollars in the process.

Meta has almost ten years of experience in artificial intelligence. Zuckerberg established the company’s first dedicated artificial intelligence lab in 2013 after failing to acquire DeepMind, a revolutionary start-up, to Google. Now, Google’s AI initiatives revolve around the same.

Zuckerberg has made it clear that his company would prioritize artificial intelligence. He has apparently entered “founder mode” in the past two months, exhibiting a more involved management style. Giving away its AI code openly, or “open source,” is one of Meta’s tactics for advancing in the field to make sure developers and others can use its tools.

The business unveiled Meta AI, a chatbot, and Llama, an open-source artificial intelligence model. Meta AI was integrated into its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to Zuckerberg, Meta AI is used by over one billion individuals each month as of May.

Quality of Llama 4 triggers Mark Zuckerberg’s involvement

The CEO’s desire to control the hiring process stems in part from his dissatisfaction with the reaction and quality of Llama 4, the latest iteration of Meta’s extensive language model used to power chatbots and other services. Zuckerberg, who had repeatedly informed Meta insiders that he wanted the finest AI solution by the end of the year, both in terms of overall usage and performance, felt let down by the most recent release in April.

His demands put a lot of strain on AI-focused employees who worked weekends and evenings to meet those targets. However, the performance of the model has been questioned by developers who believe they overpromise and underdeliver, as well as by Meta’s own leadership.

Later, Meta postponed plans to launch “Behemoth,” its largest model, which it had hailed as even better than rival models from Google, Anthropic and OpenAI. However leadership reportedly became worried that it didn’t go far enough in improving upon earlier versions. Moreover, Meta’s AI division even lost staff members to competitors. Infighting among team leaders, a competitive labor market and the demanding speed of product development were the causes of the departures.

Zuckerberg then became more interested in expanding the new team as a result of these shortcomings. He created the “Recruiting Party” group WhatsApp chat for senior management to talk about possible hiring candidates. The chat group’s members have been speaking extensively in an effort to find talent.

Zuckerberg has been creating his own list of potential hires and prefers to be in charge of the first approach and maintain constant communication during the hiring process. He expects that the new bench would help Meta strengthen its Llama models and provide stronger AI tools for speech and personalization features.

Zuckerberg persuaded AI researchers, infrastructure engineers and other businesspeople to join Meta’s team during lunches and dinners at his homes in California throughout the previous month.

Mark Zuckerberg pins his hopes on Llama

The foundation of Meta’s AI aspirations is its Llama models, which drive its AI chatbot and have aided in the training of the algorithms that provide users of social media with relevant material and advertisements. Additionally, Meta has made Llama open-source, which means that anybody can use the model’s blueprints to build upon it. The company wants Llama to serve as the basis for AI solutions around the world, just how Google’s Android has fueled a generation of mobile software applications.

Several years of changing goals and AI leadership transition at Meta preceded the release of Llama 4. Meta swiftly reallocated expertise and resources to establish a new, more customer-focused AI division, called GenAI, after OpenAI’s ChatGPT established a new AI benchmark in 2022. That team was entrusted with transforming the Llama models and years of AI-related research from Meta scientists into real consumer products.

However, there were growing pains associated with the recalibration. Internally, some believed that Meta’s early consumer-focused AI initiatives, such as the development of AI personas modeled after famous people like Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady, were pointless in comparison to rivals like OpenAI’s attempts to achieve more ambitious objectives, like artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Many employees left because they were worried that Meta didn’t take AGI’s disruptive potential seriously enough. The churn has persisted as Meta has implemented major alterations in its GenAI and FAIR divisions this year.

Scale AI

Alexandr Wang and Lucy Guo, an engineer who was eventually let go by the company, co-founded Scale AI in 2016 which aided other companies in developing artificial intelligence technologies. It employed hordes of contract workers to sort through enormous volumes of data, labeling and “cleaning” it so that sophisticated AI systems could be trained on it. OpenAI, Microsoft and Cohere, a Toronto-based AI start-up, were among its clients.

Scale AI has recently pushed to expand its commercial and public sector businesses, sending engineers and consultants to assist corporations and governments in developing AI-powered software.

The pressure on Meta is only increasing as some startups decide to use open AI technologies that Meta’s Chinese rivals are developing instead. In January, DeepSeek, a Chinese business, unveiled a cutting-edge open-source AI model that was supposedly developed at a fraction of the price of American versions.

FuriosaAI, a Korean AI chip startup, turned down Meta’s $800 million acquisition offer in March. Meta wished to enhance its own chip development operations by bringing in the engineering talent and expertise of FuriosaAI. Both Meta’s pipeline of people with an infrastructure focus and its own efforts to create high-performance, customized processors for AI applications were called into question by the unsuccessful acquisition.

Journalist Shazia Nisar tries to extort Rs 65 Crore from CEO of Bharat24 by threatening him with a false rape case, arrested along with her accomplice Adarsh Jha

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist Shazia Nisar tries to extort Rs 65 Crore from CEO of Bharat24 by threatening him with a false rape case, arrested along with her accomplice Adarsh Jha

On 10th June, Noida police arrested two journalists, Shazia Nisar, a former anchor of Bharat24, and Adarsh Jha, a digital journalist, for allegedly blackmailing the channel’s 75-year-old CMD Jagdish Chandra and extorting over Rs 2.26 crore from him. Nisar allegedly demanded Rs 65 crore through threats of a false rape case.

Channel owner alleges threats and extortion

According to Noida Police, the FIR was lodged by Jagdish Chandra, who is also the Chief Editor and CEO of Bharat24. In his complaint, Chandra stated that Shazia Nisar had been working with the channel since 2022. She allegedly threatened to falsely implicate him in a rape case and commit suicide unless he paid Rs 65 crore. Over the past year, Rs 2.26 crore was paid to her via cheques, Chandra alleged, and he had recordings and evidence to support this.

According to the Indian Express, the FIR read, “Shazia Nisar, 30, has been working as an anchor in my channel since 2022. She has been blackmailing me by threatening to implicate me in a false rape case and commit suicide. She has been illegally demanding Rs 60 crore from me. In the last year, she has taken Rs 2 crore 26 lakh through cheques several times. I have evidence of this (transaction). Adarsh Jha… is helping her blackmail me.”

The FIR also named Adarsh Jha, a journalist formerly associated with a digital news portal, as an accomplice in the blackmail. Police said the duo jointly attempted to extort Rs 65 crore in total. The complaint was filed on 8th June.

Speaking to media, SHO Amit Kumar said, “When asked about the money in her account, she (Nisar) did not have a proper explanation for it… it was a compensation, she told us.”

More complaints from channel staff

Two additional complaints were filed against the accused by Bharat24’s consulting editor Anita Hada and HR head Anushri Dhar. Hada dismissed Nisar’s allegations of harassment and said, “Had that been the case, she would have filed a complaint. I would have supported her.”

Speaking to the media on the question of why the company paid Nisar instead of going to the police earlier, Hada said, “We were worried about the company’s reputation being damaged.”

Raids and recoveries

Following the FIRs, Noida Sector 58 police raided Nisar’s residence in Delhi and seized Rs 34.5 lakh in cash, three mobile phones, two laptops, and a Scorpio vehicle. Simultaneously, a raid was conducted at Jha’s residence in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, where he was arrested. Both of them were produced before the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Court and sent to 15-day judicial custody.

Nisar’s mother also named in FIR

Police confirmed that Nisar’s mother was also named in one of the FIRs for her alleged role in the racket. However, she has not been arrested yet. Station House Officer Amit Kumar of Sector 58 police station said investigations are underway.

The police are investigating whether others were involved in this alleged blackmail syndicate.

Pakistani Mohd Shahzeb Khan, who was planning mass attacks on Jews in New York, extradited from Canada to US

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani Mohd Shahzeb Khan, who was planning mass attacks on Jews in New York, extradited from Canada to US

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, has been extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a post on social media platform ‘X’.

“Earlier this afternoon, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, was extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism. In the fall of last year, Khan allegedly planned to travel from Canada to New York and carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish Center in Brooklyn. Khan allegedly planned his attack to occur on October 7, 2024 –the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel,” Patel stated.

“Thankfully, the great work of FBI teams and our partners exposed those plans and shut them down — and Khan was arrested by Canadian authorities on September 4, 2024. He has now arrived in the U.S. and will face American justice,” Kash Patel added.

Calling the case a reminder of the “constant threat of terrorism facing every corner of the world,” Patel also warned about the “disturbing rise in threats against our Jewish communities.”

He acknowledged the efforts of multiple FBI field offices, saying: “@NewYorkFBI, @FBIChicago and @FBILosAngeles did great work in this case with our partners and we thank them.” The investigation highlights ongoing global efforts to counter terrorism.

Informing about the Pakistani jihadi’s terrorist activities, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City. He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS.  Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror.  Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”

As per a press release by US Attorney’s Office, Pakistani national Muhammad Shahzeb Khan residing in Canada started posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature in 2023.

“Khan then began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the “UCs”) about his desire and plan to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS.  During those conversations, KHAN confirmed that he and a U.S.-based associate (“Associate-1”) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (“City-1”) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1],” the press release reads adding that Khan instructed undercover officers to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks.

In August 2024, the Pakistani terrorist changed his target to New York and told the undercover law enforcement officers that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York. Shahzeb Khan wanted to carry out this attack on October 7, the same day when Palestinian Islamic terror group Hamas massacred Israeli civilians in 2023. The Pakistani jihadi picked New York as his target to attack Jews since the city has the “largest Jewish population in America,” and, as such, “even if we don’t attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.”

“KHAN then told the UCs that he intended to kill as many Jewish civilians as possible, proclaiming that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where KHAN planned to carry out his attack.  In the days that followed, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS.  During one such communication, KHAN noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11,” the press release stated, adding that Shahzeb attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border using a human smuggler to enter the United States and carry out his attack in September 2024.

The 20-year-old Pakistani jihadi has been booked on charges of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Pakistan to increase defence budget by 18% while its economic debt rises to 76,000 Billion Rupees: How Pakistan’s obsession with India has crippled the country

Shraddha Pandey
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Pakistan to increase defence budget by 18% while its economic debt rises to 76,000 Billion Rupees: How Pakistan’s obsession with India has crippled the country

In a classic case of misplaced priorities, Pakistan, whose entire existence revolves around competing with India, is set to increase its defence budget by 18 per cent to over Rs 2.5 trillion ($14 billion) for the fiscal year 2025-26. The Pakistani government’s decision is nothing short of an act of self-sabotage given its economic freefall.

With debt pegged at PKR 76000 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, and debt-to-GDP ratio around 65 per cent, Pakistan is teetering on the edge of collapse. The hostile neighbour’s foreign reserves cover just three months of imports, inflation rates are soaring high, and the stock market took a nosedive by 10 per cent, after India’s Operation Sindoor in May this year.

Despite disappointing performance in terms of economic indicators, Islamabad is prioritising guns over bread, allocating around 18 per cent of its federal budget to defence while slashing funds for poverty alleviation, education and healthcare. It, however, is not surprising  as it became clear with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s promotion to the position of Field Marshal that the country has officially became a military dictatorship masquerading as a democracy.

A terrified and desperate Pakistan prioritising nurturing terrorists over reviving economy

Pakistan’s ruling coalition comprising Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) agreed to increasing defence budget exponentially citing ‘war-like’ situation after India embarrassed Pakistan by attacking terror establishments and military bases deep inside the country while Pakistani defence systems remained clueless.

Notably, the 2024-25 defence budget of Pakistan was Rs 2,122 billion, already up nearly 15 per cent from the previous year. This year’s budget surge would be an estimated 35 per cent incremental hike in two years. However, the real defence expenditure would be way higher in the final quarter of this financial year given the increased military activities.

Pakistan’s fear and desperation following India’s snubbing can be understood from the fact that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal linked the defence budget hike to India’s decision to scrap the Indus Water Treaty, which is the lifeline of Pakistan and ‘water aggression’ via upstream dam projects. While Pakistan has been letters after letters to India to reconsider its decision of putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, the hostile neighbour is planning to expedite the work of $14 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam, of course not without the help of ally-cum-foster father—China.

Interestingly, Pakistan is overly prioritising defence budget even as the country’s public debt surged to a record PKR 76 trillion by March 2024, as per its Economic Survey.

It has skyrocketed fivefolds in the last ten years and nearly doubled from Rs 39.8 trillion in 2020–21.  The debt consists of overseas borrowings of Rs 24.5 trillion and home liabilities of PKR 51.5 trillion.  According to the Economic Survey, fiscal sustainability and economic stability are seriously threatened by high debt levels and inadequate management.

Not to forget, Pakistan is literally on the IMF’s loan ventilator. In May this year, the International Monetary Fund approved $1 billion for Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The lending body also imposed 11 new conditions on the country. With the new 11 conditions, the total number of conditions for the $7 billion loan has gone up to 50. The IMF also warned Pakistan that escalating military tensions with India could derail the hostile neighbour’s fiscal stability.

As per the IMF data, Pakistan’s unemployment rate in 2025 stands at 8.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s overall poverty headcount, at $4.2 per person, per day, has surged from 39.8 per cent of the total population in 2017 to more than 44.7 per cent in 2021.

Source: IMF

As per a latest World Bank report, Pakistan’s poverty rate stands at 42.4%, with 1.9 million additional people falling into poverty in 2024-25, with its 26 per cent economic growth rate proving insufficient to curb poverty. It is a sad reality of Pakistan that the country where 45% of its population is living in poverty and 16.5% in extreme poverty, the army-backed government prioritises raising defence budget by 18 per cent than focussing on reducing poverty rate and providing employment to Pakistani youth.

With reduced water flow in the Indus water basin in Pakistan due to India’s scrapping of Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan’s agriculture sector is also facing challenges. The country’s crop yields are projected to dwindle ranging from 29.6% for cotton to 1.2% for rice, confining sectoral growth to under 2%.

In addition, Pakistan is also grappling with food security concerns as around 10 million people at risk of acute food insecurity in rural areas, as per World Bank report.

“With agriculture employing approximately half of the working poor, rural poverty is expected to rise slightly (0.2 percentage points), while real incomes for agricultural workers are projected to fall 0.7 per cent in FY25. Food security concerns loom large, with an estimated 10 million people at risk of acute food insecurity in rural areas,” the World Bank report reads.

The IMF has bailed out Pakistan with around $22 billion over 25 years, yet the country’s socio-economic reality remains grim. This raises the question as to where this aid is going. This question becomes even more alarming when it turns out that Pakistan spent over $185 billion on its military. The world, especially the lending bodies, need to ask Pakistan that why does the country need IMF and other loans for sustaining economy and for balance-of-payments when it is continuously allocating defence more than five to ten times the IMF loans it took in more than 25 years.

It is evident that IMF loan money has been grossly misused by Pakistan to fund, nurture and shield Islamic terrorists within the country who then function as Pakistan Army’s proxies and carry out terrorist attacks in India. Pakistan’s military dominance has trumped civilian priorities like education, healthcare, and development, not only in this fiscal year, rather, this disgraceful pattern has been Pakistan’s story since many years.

Pakistan’s pathological obsession with bleeding India and competing with a country which has become world third-largest economy, has crippled its thinking.

Gross mismanagement, political instability, Chinese and IMF loans, and a military that literally gobbles up Pakistani resources while delivering little, has been the sad story of India’s hostile neighbour. On one hand, Pakistan has been taking loans after loans to sustain its economy, on the other, this debt-ridden country’s defence budget has only increased over the years along with increase in Pakistan Army and ISI-backed Islamic cross-border terrorism against India.

This is clear indication that the loan amounts are being misused by Pakistan’s de facto ruler—Pakistan Army— to fund, arm and shield terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba etc, who are then deployed in India’s Jammu and Kashmir to carry out jihadi attacks. However, it won’t be surprising if Pakistan in its quest to bleed India with a thousand cuts ends up starving its own populace to death.

India on the brink of ending Naxalism forever: Massive crackdown leaves movement leaderless and scattered

OpIndia Staff
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India on the brink of ending Naxalism forever: Massive crackdown leaves movement leaderless and scattered

Once upon a time, Naxalites roamed freely in the forests of Chhattisgarh and various regions of Jharkhand. Thousands of them camped in the forests of Chhattisgarh. However, due to the relentless efforts of the security forces, their number has begun to decline rapidly. Their organization has been dismantled and the largest group, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is now nearing its end. Its structure has also disintegrated. According to reports, only 300 Naxalites are left in the outfit.

The issue extends beyond the dwindling numbers of the foot soliders as there is leadership crisis within the organization. Naxalites now find themselves without any leaders. The top committee known as the Politburo consists of just 4 members while the central committee has reduced to only 14 individuals.

According to the Times of India report, 14 Naxalites of the Politburo have either been caught or killed since 2005 to 2025. Only 4 active members remain who are identifed as Muppalla Laxman Rao alias Ganpathy, Mallojula Venugopal alias Abhay, Thippiri Tirupathi alias Deoji, and Misir Besra.

It is presumed that Ganapathy has also died. However, the situation is still ambiguous. The membership of the central committee has rapidly declined. Its 26 members have faced arrest or death since 2007. Some have opted to surrender. Now, only 14 active members remain in the committee, including four Politburo leaders.

“The command structure of the Maoists is now in tatters. Consistent intelligence-led operations and surrenders have left the organisation fragmented and disoriented. In all, 300 armed cadres are hiding in scattered hideouts of Dandakarenya and few other pockets. The only options they have is to surrender or get eliminated,” conveyed Bastar IGP (Inspector General of Police) Sundarraj P.

The security forces have carried out numerous significant operations aimed at diminishing the structure of the Naxalite organization. A considerable number of their prominent leaders have been neutralized during the action. The security forces succeeded in killing the top Naxalite commander Bhaskar in a recent operation in the Bijapur district. he had a bounty of ₹45 lakh and was among the remaining important Naxalite leaders in the region.

In May 2025, the security forces took down the notorious Naxalite leader Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju. This incident is the first of its kind in over 30 years, involving the death of a major Naxalite leader. The operation was carried out by the special unit District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the Chhattisgarh Police.

Furthermore, on 6th June, Narasimha Chalam also known as Sudhakar, another influential Naxal commander was also slain in the same district. After Basavaraju, Sudhakar was regarded as a key figure in the movement and carried a 40 lakh reward on his head. He studied Ayurveda before becoming a Naxalite.

The action against Naxalites has gained momentum after 2024. The DRG, CRPF and police are constantly carrying out large-scale operations to wipe out Naxalites. Over 30 Naxalites have been eliminated in various operations. A report revealed that in 2024, 290 Naxalites were encountered, 1,090 were arrested and 881 surrendered. Notably, government action has increased by twofold since 2025. The year has seen the deaths of 226 Naxalites, 418 have been taken into custody and 896 gave up arms out of fear of death. Strongholds of the Naxalites, such as Karregutta Hills have also been evacuated.

Union Home Minsiter Amit Shah has stated unequivocally that naxalism will be eradicated from India. His goal is to remove naxalism from the nation by 31st March 2026. Additionally, Naxalites are being offered the opportunity to surrender, however, if they decide otherwise, they will have to face the bullets of security forces.

What is ‘Brigade 313’? Inspired from ‘Battle of Badr’, Al-Qaeda’s Pakistan-based terror wing that Islamabad doesn’t want you to know

Anurag
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What is ‘Brigade 313’? Inspired from ‘Battle of Badr’, Al-Qaeda’s Pakistan-based terror wing that Islamabad doesn’t want you to know

On 10th June, Sky News published an interview with Pakistan People’s Party Vice President Sherry Rehman where questions were raised about the al-Qaeda-affiliated Brigade 313. Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim asked the question about it and Rehman tried to evade the question.

When Hakim confronted her with details from the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) identifying Brigade 313 as an al-Qaeda-led outfit operating out of Pakistan and coordinating attacks in Kashmir, Rehman dodged responsibility.

She said, “Am I going to war every time there is an attack in India?” and brushed aside suggestions that Pakistan should be held accountable for repeated cross-border terrorism. She further deflected, citing the presence of multiple so-called insurgencies within India and claimed Pakistan is now a “changed” country.

The interview also revisited Pakistan’s past grey-listing by FATF and the role of 26/11 plotter Sajid Mir. Rehman skirted direct answers, stating only that Pakistan has a “long history” with terrorism, including fighting it.

What is Brigade 313?

Brigade 313 is a Pakistan-based terror coalition formed in the early 2000s. It is widely regarded as one of al-Qaeda’s most lethal extensions in the region. The terror outfit’s name draws inspiration from the 313 companions of Prophet Muhammad who fought the Battle of Badr. It signifies its deep-rooted ideological symbolism. The coalition was led by Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani Army commando who later rose to become one of al-Qaeda’s top commanders before being killed in a 2011 US drone strike.

Brigade 313 reportedly functioned as a hybrid formation. It is not a standalone organisation but an amalgamation of terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Taliban factions. It operated under the umbrella of al-Qaeda and formed part of its Lashkar al-Zil or “Shadow Army”, known for executing high-profile terrorist operations with precision and planning.

The group has been behind a series of targeted assassinations, bombings, and coordinated attacks both within Pakistan and in Jammu and Kashmir. It has been described by analysts as one of the most dangerous and effective jihadist units in the region. Beyond South Asia, according to the Combating Terrorism Centre, the CIA has documented Brigade 313’s operatives in various European cities, highlighting its transnational threat.

According to the BBC, the group is a specialised combat unit within HuJI. It is responsible for high-impact missions against Indian interests. The terrorists linked to the group carried out operations allegedly with the tacit approval or active support of Pakistan’s military and intelligence network, exposing the nexus between state and non-state actions in the region against India.

The group’s operational structure, recruitment strategy, and integration of members from multiple terror outfits have made it a potent force within the global jihadist landscape. While leadership losses such as Kashmiri’s death have weakened its core, the ideology and networks fostered by Brigade 313 continue to be a cause for international concern.

₹7000 Crore Unpaid, 2000 Families Ruined… From King of Good Times to Master of Guilt Trips: Here are 10 Lies of Vijay Mallya Busted from the Raj Shamani Podcast

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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₹7000 Crore Unpaid, 2000 Families Ruined… From King of Good Times to Master of Guilt Trips: Here are 10 Lies of Vijay Mallya Busted from the Raj Shamani Podcast

Vijay Mallya — a name that was once synonymous with a life of luxury and indulgence. From being seen with bikini models at Kingfisher calendar launch events to appearing alongside Bollywood actresses like Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif, his flamboyance knew no bounds. At times, he made headlines for purchasing a lavish mansion in the scenic city of Sausalito, and at other times, for acquiring the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

But the man who was elected twice to the Rajya Sabha as an independent MP, saw his empire collapse so dramatically that he fled from India.

Podcast Drama: Vijay Mallya Playing the Victim Card

After the death of his father, Vijay Mallya became the Chairman of United Breweries in 1983 at the age of 28. Now, nine years after fleeing the country, he is once again in the spotlight — this time because of his podcast with Raj Shamani. Following this podcast, which runs for over 4 hours and 18 minutes, some people have begun to feel sympathetic towards him — perhaps exactly what the podcast aimed to achieve. Armed with documents, Mallya made a strong attempt to portray himself as a victim, insisting that he committed no fraud and that he always intended to repay the loans.

The way Vijay Mallya has dragged Arun Jaitley’s name into this podcast has given a particular group an opportunity to target the Modi government. Mallya claims that before fleeing the country from Delhi, he had informed Arun Jaitley. He clarifies that he neither went to Jaitley’s office nor had any formal meeting with him — he simply told him in passing that he was leaving. At that time, Arun Jaitley was the Finance Minister of India, and he is no longer alive today to respond to these allegations.

This isn’t the first time Mallya has mentioned Arun Jaitley. Back in September 2018, he had made a similar claim outside a London court in front of a group of journalists — that he had met Jaitley with a settlement offer. However, Arun Jaitley had strongly denied this, stating that it was merely a brief exchange lasting only a few minutes, where Mallya had said he was preparing a settlement offer.

Since both of them were members of the Rajya Sabha at that time, a casual whisper in the corridors of Parliament by one MP to another can hardly be called a “meeting.”

Jaitley had clearly said back then that he never gave Mallya an appointment after 2014. Mallya took advantage of his position as a Rajya Sabha MP and approached him while walking, making a reference to a settlement offer. According to Jaitley, he was well aware of Mallya’s ‘bluff tactics’ and clearly told him there was no point discussing it with him, and that he should instead take the offer to the banks. So essentially, what was just a brief verbal exchange is something Mallya has repeatedly portrayed as a meeting, even though Jaitley never entertained further conversation with him.

The Financial Maze: Lies, Loans, and Lavish Lifestyles

Vijay Mallya is also claiming that the loan he had taken has already been repaid. This is like a thief saying that he looted a house 10 years ago, so now no case should be filed against him just because he has returned all the looted stuff. The truth is, Mallya still owes Indian banks over ₹7,000 crore. According to the banks, the total outstanding amount was ₹17,781 crore, out of which ₹10,815 crore has been recovered so far. This means ₹6,997 crore is still pending.

On the other hand, Mallya claims his loan was only ₹6,200 crore, and that he has already paid ₹14,000 crore in return.

But any common person knows that loans come with interest. What many might not know is that an additional interest is also charged along with earlier interest, which is called penal interest. People like Vijay Mallya, who neither repay on time nor cooperate with the banks, are liable to pay this penal interest as well. That’s why there’s a gap between the figures presented by the banks and Mallya’s own claims.

After orders from the PMLA court, investigating agencies have already auctioned off several seized properties of Mallya, including the Kingfisher villa in Goa, because there was no other way to recover the money.

Mallya is also facing proceedings in the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT). A total of 17 banks — including SBI, PNB, IDBI, and UCO Bank — had loaned money to him. He is not just accused of loan default, but also of fraud and money laundering.

The fact is, the case is no longer just about Vijay Mallya alone. The CBI arrested Yogesh Aggarwal, the former Chairman and Managing Director of IDBI Bank, in connection with the Mallya case. Former bank executive BK Batra was also arrested. In January 2017, along with them, seven others were arrested, including Kingfisher’s Chief Financial Officer A. Raghunathan and three other officials. The allegation was that these individuals showed bias in favor of Vijay Mallya — in simple terms, they helped him unfairly.

Despite Kingfisher Airlines having weak financials, they still approved a ₹1,000 crore loan. The name of Buddhadeb Dasgupta, former General Manager at IDBI Bank, also appeared in the CBI’s supplementary chargesheet.

The CBI has also filed a money laundering chargesheet in the case. So, this is not just about defaulting on loans, it is also a case of money laundering and wilful default — meaning, intentionally choosing not to repay loans. The reason for the arrest of the bank and company officials is that they all conspired together. Mallya is labeled a wilful defaulter because when Kingfisher Airlines was collapsing, he showed no intention of repaying loans or paying salaries to employees.

From Fugitive to Web Series Star?

Now, Vijay Mallya is busy polishing his image, but that may work for a web series, not in real life.

In 2008 and 2015-16, when Kingfisher employees were crying out for their unpaid salaries, Mallya was busy buying properties abroad. In those two years, he bought properties worth ₹330 crore in England and France. He also founded the Force India Formula One Limited (F1F1) team. Investigations later revealed that ₹241 crore was transferred from Kingfisher’s bank accounts to this F1 team’s account, which was located at HSBC Bank in London.

The Ladywalk property in London, where Mallya lives, was also bought for ₹80 crore.

Now let’s address his recent claims — that he’s not a fraud. Here’s more on his actions, because sometimes facts get buried under flowery words due to their complexity.

In 2016, Mallya received $40 million (₹342 crore today) from Diageo PLC. As per the personal guarantee agreement he had signed with the banks, he was not allowed to alienate (transfer) this money, as it was considered an asset. Yet, Mallya transferred the funds to his son and other family members, clearly violating the 2010 agreement with banks.

When such a person claims he is not a fraud, it comes as a surprise. According to documents from Swiss banks in 2017, Vijay Mallya’s wealth was $1 billion (₹8,500 crore as per today’s value). An amount of $13.33 million was also transferred to an account belonging to Siddharth Mallya. Vijay Mallya purchased an aircraft for $60 million through Kingfisher Airlines. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this aircraft was bought to boost the revenue of a sinking company. It was, in fact, acquired as a tool to support Vijay Mallya’s luxurious lifestyle. He used it for personal trips with his friends. Operating this aircraft cost ₹100 crore. That money came from loans.

To put it simply, if you break the law deliberately, you’re a criminal—because intent matters. If Vijay Mallya truly believed he was innocent, he wouldn’t have fled the country using a diplomatic passport as a Rajya Sabha MP. Instead, he would have stayed, fought his case, and presented these documents before the courts and investigative agencies—not to some podcaster.

Even in his company UB, Vijay Mallya wasn’t short on shady practices. He sold 8.41% of UB shares without informing the Board of Directors or the stock exchange. As per rules, anyone buying over 5% of shares is obligated to notify the stock exchange.

UB was used as a guarantee for Kingfisher Airlines’ loans, but it was later found that the company’s valuation was lower than the loan amount. Since August 2012, Kingfisher employees had stopped receiving salaries. Yet, in February 2014, Mallya spent ₹28.70 crore on purchasing IPL players. His team RCB bought Yuvraj Singh for ₹14 crore. That season, RCB spent over ₹58 crore on buying and retaining players—while ₹350 crore in unpaid salaries to employees remained due.

While employees were protesting and some even went on indefinite hunger strikes, Mallya was busy partying in Goa. Dues were pending not just to banks and employees, but also to oil companies and aircraft lessors. Employees’ PF and tax (371 crore rupees) amounts were also deducted but never deposited with the government.

Congress-Era Shenanigans: The System Enabled the Scam

What’s more alarming is that all this happened during Congress-led governments. Mallya didn’t just name Arun Jaitley—he also mentioned Pranab Mukherjee, saying that during the 2008 global recession, when he approached then-Finance Minister Mukherjee, he was advised not to cut down Kingfisher operations. Today, Pranab Mukherjee too is no longer alive to respond to these claims.

Even if the loans are repaid, Vijay Mallya will still be charged under IPC Sections 406, 409, and 420, as he is accused of using forged documents. In one such document submitted for a loan, he falsely inflated the valuation of Kingfisher Airlines to $500 million. In July 2022, Vijay Mallya was sentenced to four months in jail by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case. Let’s say he doesn’t trust the government—but the judiciary too?

MythFact
1. Vijay Mallya is not a fraud; he intended to repay all loans.Mallya diverted ₹3,500 crore from loans to unrelated purposes, including a Formula 1 team and personal luxuries. He also transferred $40 million to his family against bank guarantees.
2. He repaid all his loans and owes nothing to Indian banks.Banks claim ₹17,781 crore was owed; only ₹10,815 crore has been recovered. Over ₹6,997 crore is still pending.
3. The total loan was only ₹6,200 crore.Mallya excludes interest and penal interest. With all dues, the official liability was nearly ₹17,781 crore.
4. He met Arun Jaitley to settle loans.Arun Jaitley confirmed it was a brief unsolicited corridor encounter, not a meeting. No official discussion or offer was accepted.
5. He’s being politically targeted by the Modi government.Most of the loans and defaults occurred during Congress-led UPA governments. The FEO Act came under Modi Govt to fix these loopholes.
6. He used loans to save Kingfisher Airlines.Funds were diverted for personal gains—₹330 crore spent on foreign properties during employee salary defaults; ₹100 crore spent operating a personal jet.
7. He is being unfairly accused despite returning to the spotlight to clarify facts.He fled India using a diplomatic passport. If he was innocent, he could’ve fought his case in Indian courts instead of appearing on podcasts.
8. The case is related to Vijay Mallya only.Several bank executives were arrested for biased approvals. The CBI and ED have filed chargesheets citing collusion between Mallya and bank officials.
9. He never evaded taxes or misused funds.He evaded ₹100 crore in service tax, collected from passengers but not deposited. A non-bailable warrant was issued by a Mumbai court.
10. Selling properties covered the dues.Multiple assets, including Kingfisher Villa, were auctioned. But this only partially repaid the loans; dues remain and criminal charges persist.

Nearly 2,000 employees saw their livelihoods destroyed due to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines. Because of cases like his, the Modi government had to bring in the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018. In 2020, a UK court also ordered his extradition, but Vijay Mallya has since exploited various legal loopholes to delay it. At this point, it’s no longer just about recovery—it’s a matter of criminal conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is prosecuting him for money laundering. The agency found that ₹3,500 crore from the loans was diverted elsewhere—meaning the money was taken under one pretext but spent for entirely different purposes.

In addition, he also faces charges of evading ₹100 crore in service tax. Complaints filed between 2012–2015 revealed that although this money was collected from passengers, it was never deposited with the government. A Mumbai court even issued a non-bailable warrant against him for this. The SFIO (Serious Fraud Investigation Office) also issued a notice in 2016 based on 17 complaints. The allegation: loans were taken through 17 different companies to finance Kingfisher Airlines.

Vijay Mallya: Fraudulence in numbers

Yes, it is true that criminals often become so cunning that they exploit the loopholes and weaknesses in the system. If bank officials were also involved, Vijay Mallya certainly took full advantage of it. The flaws in the banking system were clearly exposed. That’s why the FEO Act was introduced in 2018. Under this act, a fugitive’s assets—both domestic and overseas—can be seized even before the charges are proven. RBI and the Finance Ministry introduced several reforms. But just because the system had flaws does not mean the person exploiting it gets to play the victim card and claim innocence.

Honeymoon murder case: Sonam’s warning to her mother, chats with her boyfriend, last call with the in-laws and more

Rukma Rathore
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Honeymoon murder case: Sonam’s warning to her mother, chats with her boyfriend, last call with the in-laws and more

A honeymoon trip to Meghalaya transformed into a comprehensive murder investigation when an Indore-based entrepreneur, Raja Raghuvanshi, was found dead days following the disappearance of him and his newlywed wife. Meghalaya Police stated that his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, planned the murder and colluded with her boyfriend, Raj Kushwaha, to carry out the crime.

Five people have been arrested in the case including Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand Kurmi. Akash was caught from Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh while the other three men were arrested from Madhya Pradesh. Sonam was arrested from a dhaba in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziapur on 9th June.

“On Monday (9th June), Sonam reached a dhaba at Ghazipur in UP around 1 am and informed her family about her whereabouts knowing that the cops would recover her from the spot. Her family immediately contacted Madhya Pradesh police, who informed the local police, leading to Sonam’s arrest. Sonam claimed that she was drugged and brought to Ghazipur and presented as the victim,” highlighted UP Police’s Additional Director General Amitabh Yash while talking to NDTV.

The main accused was then taken to a One-Stop Center after her medical examination. She appeared before a Ghazipur local court for transit remand approval. A team of Meghalaya Police also arrived there to take her into custody.

Sonam warned her mother before wedding

Vipin Raghuvanshi, the brother of the deceased has made shocking disclosures during an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak. He asserted that Sonam had forewarned her mother before the marriage and indicated that the consequences would be dire if the wedding took place. He disclosed that her mother was completely aware of the affair, yet she chose to conceal it.

He wanted her to be interrogated as well. Vipin mentioned that Sonam’s father would have terminated Raj Kushwaha’s employment if he knew about it, which is the reason his wife kept the relationship hidden.

Vipin informed that Sonam and Raja attended another wedding merely three days following the wedding where his brother complained to his family that she avoided him and sat in a corner, preoccupied with her mobile phone. Raja further voiced that he was quite displeased with her behavior. Nevertheless, they reassured him that it is a new marriage and that everything would improve with time.

Vipin even claimed that Sonam’s Mangal Dosha was quite intense and she was under the impression that it would be resolved after her husband’s murder. He added that she had already arranged to marry Raj as a widow after his demise to avoid any inquiries and suspicion. The police have also initiated an investigation into these allegations.

Raj Kushwaha at Raja Raghuvanshi’s funeral

On the other hand, alarming revelations have surfaced as the probe unfolds. According to reports, Raj Kushwaha drove a vehicle to bring people to the funeral of Raja Raghuvanshi. “When Raja’s body arrived, Sonam’s family, whose home is in Govind Nagar Kharcha area, had arranged four-five vehicles for people to attend the funeral,” stated Lakshman Singh Rathore, an eyewitness.

He added, “Kushwaha was driving the four-wheeler in which I went, though we did not talk. Only after seeing his photograph in the media post his arrest, I recollected this episode.” He was even observed comforting Raja’s father, Devi Singh, during the funeral, as seen in a video.

Uma Raghuvanshi, Raja’s mother, asserted that Sonam was the one who pressed for the honeymoon. According to her, she took ₹9 lakh from her son for the trip and even brought some jewelry. Raja informed her that they had not yet purchased return tickets and they might do so in a week when Uma inquired about their anticipated return date.

Sources unveiled that Sonam expressed disapproval of having an intimate relationship with Raja in a conversation with Raj Kushwaha, reported India Today. According to sources, she also discussed her intention to murder her husband three days after they were married, while talking to him. They mentioned that she purposefully picked a remote area to murder her spouse.

Raj lived closed to Sonam’s house and had a long-standing relationship with the family. They placed their full trust in him. Additionally, he was employed by them and he handled their bills and accounts.

An omnious phone call

Sonam Raghuvanshi last spoke to her in-laws while hiking up a rocky summit in the Meghalayan mountains to catch a view of a waterfall. She countered that the beautiful hills provided stunning vistas when her mother-in-law asked why it was necessary to embark on such a strenuous climb.

It appeared to be an ordinary exchange between a loving woman and her daughter-in-law, aside from the possible indications it presented about Raja’s murder during their honeymoon. The phone conversation was probably placed by Uma Raghuvanshi, prior to the couple’s disappearance on 23rd May.

She was first heard asking whether her son’s phone had resumed working in an unconfirmed audio recording of the call, suggesting that she had been attempting to contact him but was unsuccessful. “We are climbing. We will call once we reach,” Sonam replied. However, whether or not that promised call was ever placed is unknown.

“I was preparing food and I remembered that today is your fast. You have fasted, right,” she questioned to which Sonam answered, “Yes. I told them that I will not break my fast because of travelling.”

She stated that they were traveling and wouldn’t find anything in the jungle when Uma told her to eat some food that is permitted during fasting. When she pointed out that Sonam was breathing heavily, the latter retorted, “It is a tough trek. It’s a dense forest with a steep ascent.”

“Why did you go there? Couldn’t you see it without climbing,” she inquired but her daughter-in-law explained, “We went to see a waterfall. I had refused, but he (Raja) didn’t listen. It was so hectic. We didn’t even get proper food.” Sonam didn’t talk to the family again after that.

Sonam even posted “saat janmon ka saath hai (together for seven lives)” from Raja’s phone after he was murdered and dumped in a gorge.

On 21st May, the hitmen reached Guwahati and arrived in Shillong, the next day, according to a report in NDTV. The murder took place on 23rd May when the pair disappeared. According to sources, Sonam was spotted roughly ten kilometers from the scene of the crime and the killing took place before her eyes.

She had ordered the hitmen to kill her husband. Raja’s body was found to have numerous sharp wounds, including two significant ones on the front and rear of his head, according to the autopsy report.

The accused then met 11 kilometers away from the spot (Raj did not travel to Meghalaya). Sonam then traveled by train to Guwahati from where she departed for her place. When she got to Indore on 25th May, she met Raj who had made arrangements for her to rent a room. He remained at another hotel close by.

They subsequently set up a vehicle that transported her to Uttar Pradesh. Sonam turned herself in late on 8th June in Ghazipur where police stated that she was found with a fever and in a distressed state.

7 times Congress leader Pawan Khera used his X account to spread fake news and misleading claims, is this the ‘Tapasya’ he is doing to reach Rajya Sabha

Anurag
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7 times Congress leader Pawan Khera used his X account to spread fake news and misleading claims, is this the ‘Tapasya’ he is doing to reach Rajya Sabha

Congress leader Pawan Khera has often taken to his X account not to inform, but to mislead in his relentless pursuit of relevance. Whether it is posting half-baked narratives, recycling old news reports out of context with fresh outrage, or amplifying unverified claims, he has made a habit of pushing misinformation with surprising confidence, something which seems to come from the Congress leader whose political career has been launched countless times. As murmurs grow louder about his Rajya Sabha ambitions, one is left wondering, is this the “tapasya” he claims to be doing, or just a digital shortcut laced with fake news? Here is a list of 7 times Khera used his social media presence to mislead people.

On 9th June, Khera claimed on X that Saudi Arabia had suspended visas for 14 countries including India and called it the “latest blow in a steady collapse of India’s foreign policy” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He then continued to make several false claims in his post, including that Canada had not invited India for the G7 meeting.

The Ministry of External Affairs has already debunked the fake news about visas being cancelled. In a post on X, MEA’s dedicated Fact Check account wrote, “The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Hajj season, there are temporary restrictions on short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during this season, which end with the conclusion of Hajj.”

Khera further claimed that India had been excluded from the G7. This post was made on 9th June. Notably, on 6th June, PM Modi shared on his X account that the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, had personally called him and invited him to the G7 Summit. PM Modi wrote, “Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month. As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit.”

This is not the first time Khera has published fake news on his X profile.

Khera repeatedly questioned ceasefire with Pakistan citing Trump’s claims of using trade to stop the operation

Congress has been unable to digest the fact that Operation Sindoor was a success. Notably, the military operation against terrorist organisations in Pakistan and the Pakistani military was paused after Pakistan’s DGMO called India’s DGMO and sought a ceasefire. This fact has been established by the Indian Armed Forces as well as the Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar.

However, Khera chose to trust the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has falsely claimed to have mediated between India and Pakistan, and used trade to get both countries to agree to a ceasefire. Despite clarification coming directly from the armed forces and the ministry, Khera kept seeking a statement from PM Modi in his posts. In a post on 22nd May, Khera wrote, “This is the 8th time President Trump has made this claim that he got Operation Sindoor stopped. He claims to have used trade to get India to end Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Modi has not rejected this claim even once. What does this silence mean?”

His misleading statements came at a time when Indian delegations, including MPs from Congress, were on world tour to different countries to put India’s stance against terrorism and details of Operation Sindoor.

Prof Shamika Ravi slammed Pawan Khera for sharing fake news about her.

In December 2024, Professor Shamika Ravi, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Secretary to the Government of India, slammed Khera for spreading false claims that she received funds from George Soros.

In a post, Shamika said, “The statement below is entirely incorrect. In 2006/7 The Open Society funded ISB (for work on financial inclusion) – where I was an assistant professor teaching & researching on the topic. No money came directly to any faculty member. 18 years later, I joined the EAC-PM. I have never been more proud of my work, my nation or my Prime Minister. Meanwhile, in 2020, George Soros declared his anti-India designs and guess who swarms towards him?”

Earlier, Khera had tweeted that Prof. Shamika Ravi, PM’s advisor and secretary, Government of India, received a grant from the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros.

Khera claimed Congress lost Haryana because ECI played mind games

In October 2024, when trends of the Haryana assembly election results went against Congress, Khera insinuated foul play on the part of the ECI. He claimed that there was collusion between the BJP and the ECI to somehow “defeat” Congress. He further claimed that a similar pattern in delayed updating of trends was seen during the Lok Sabha elections as well.

It is amusing that a senior leader of the grand old party fails to cope with the fact that perhaps something was lacking in the ‘Tapasya’ of the Congress party in Haryana. Or maybe the people of Haryana are not too sure about the success of the Jalebi factory Rahul Gandhi talked about.

It has to be noted that all the agents of the political parties get the information about how many votes were cast on any given polling booth the same day of the polling. Any delay in uploading the voting percentage makes no difference. As they already have the numbers in their hands, they can always crosscheck and raise objections if numbers mismatch, which has never happened.

Khera shared old video to claim people of Andhra Pradesh were upset with Naidu supporting PM Modi

In June 2024, after the Lok Sabha elections were announced and it was evident that the NDA would be forming government for the third time under the leadership of PM Modi, Khera quoted an X post by a Congress supporter showing a video of some people burning down posters and flexes. The X user claimed, “Angry people of Andhra Pradesh burning down photos of Chandrababu Naidu for supporting Modi.” Quoting the post, Khera wrote, “Why are people of Andhra Pradesh so angry?”

Source: File/X

In a desperate attempt to pull TDP away from NDA, Khera shared an old video that had nothing to do with TDP supporting BJP. After facing backlash for the fake claims, Khera quietly deleted the post but did not apologise for spreading fake news.

India TV warned Congress leaders against spreading fake news about Rajat Sharma

In June 2024, several Congress leaders including Pawan Khera accused journalist Rajat Sharma of abusing on-air. India TV responded and issued a statement vowing legal action against the Congress leaders. In the statement, India TV’s legal head Ritika Talvar pointed out that Sharma has been in the profession for over four decades and has a very high degree of credibility and reputation.

She further clarified that the claims that he used abusive language were false and lack any basis and foundation. “They are malicious and defamatory and clearly constitute fake news. You have blatantly violated all limits of public decency by falsely accusing a personality of high repute. We are taking legal advice on this to take further action,” she wrote.

Khera used old image to spread fake news that BJP has put up hoardings to insult world leaders attending G20 Summit in Delhi

In September 2023, several Congress leaders including Khera claimed that hoardings have been put up ahead of G20 summit which shows that PM Modi is ranked ahead in popularity ahead of several other global leaders. The hoarding said that it was put by BJP leader Vijay Goel. Pawan Khera tweeted, “Is this how we welcome our guests, @VijayGoelBJP ji?”

Source: File

The hoarding has the image of PM Modi along with the images of the heads of Mexico, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Brazil and the USA, showing the popularity of each leader. PM Modi’s image is the largest is size, as his popularity is highest with 78%.

Notably, Switzerland is not a member of G20. Pawan Khera later deleted the tweet.

The image of the hoarding was old, and it was put up by Vijay Goel after a Morning Consult survey had found that PM Modi is the most popular leader with 78% votes. A report from 6th April carries the Associated Press photograph, clearly showing that the image is at least 5 months old. A Navbharat Times report from 12th April also carries a different photo of the same hoarding.

From sharing outdated visuals to echoing false claims and ignoring official clarifications, Pawan Khera has consistently showed a troubling disregard for facts in his attempt to remain politically relevant. Instead of engaging with constructive discourse or introspecting on electoral defeats, his reliance on misleading posts only exposes the intellectual hollowness that surrounds Congress leadership today. In the age of instant fact-checking, such attempts at narrative manipulation are not just irresponsible, they are politically self-destructive.

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