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What happens when a nuclear bomb goes off? As leaders in Russia and Ukraine throw around the N-word, here is how a ‘mushroom cloud’ kills millions

Sanghamitra
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What happens when a nuclear bomb goes off? As leaders in Russia and Ukraine throw around the N-word, here is how a ‘mushroom cloud’ kills millions

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recently said in a video that he wants NATO to launch a preemptive nuclear strike against Russia, if at all the coalition wants to deter Putin’s forces. As per Zelensky, a preemptive nuclear strike by NATO will eliminate the possibility of a Russian nuclear attack against Ukraine.

Before Zelensky, the Russian government has already used the N-word in the context of NATO and Ukraine. Back on the Indian subcontinent, our belligerent neighbour uses the N-word rather frequently. Pakistani politicians love to casually throw around the fact that they have nuclear weapons and they would love to deploy them against India. There is a chubby, eccentric dictator sitting in North Korea practically on a pile of Nuclear weapons (thanks to Pakistan), and he keeps threatening to throw them at his neighbours too.

All in all, the world seems to be so accustomed to casual mentions of the words nuclear strike, nuclear bombs, ballistic missiles etc that it seems to have almost forgotten that when the last time nuclear bombs were actually used in war, two cities in Japan were flattened in a matter of seconds. 140,000 people died in Hiroshima and 74,000 people died in Nagasaki, and here we are talking about the immediate death numbers. For decades after, people in those areas suffered the ills of radiation exposure. Leukaemia, breast, lung and thyroid cancer kept affecting the survivors for decades. Deformed children were born to women for years. So much so that there is a Japanese word for people affected by radiation, ‘Hibakusha’.

Little Boy and Fat Man, the 2 bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively, are rather puny compared to the doomsday bombs of today. Visual Capitalist had done a comparison for easy understanding.

Comparison of nuclear bombs by Visual Capitalist

Compared to the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which produced energy equivalent to only 15 and 21 Kilo Tons of TNT, today’s hydrogen bombs contain far more destructive power. USA’s Castle Bravo is 1000 times more destructive than Little Boy, and Russia’s Tsar Bomba is more than 3 times more destructive than Castle Bravo.

What happens after the bombs are dropped?

Modern hydrogen bombs employ a combination of fusion and fission reactions, generating far more energy than atomic bombs that work by employing just fission reactions.

As per reports, modern hydrogen bombs can trigger fusion and fission reactions that will instantly elevate the temperature of their blast radius to the equivalent of that at the centre of the sun. At ground zero, this will mean instant death. Anyone on the ‘ground zero’ will be dead instantly before they even realise anything. Air bombs are said to have a larger blast radius than ground bombs.

Fireball, then shockwave

The blast generates energy that flattens buildings and infrastructure for miles around, and that happens within seconds too, not giving people any time to react. Falling debris can kill millions of people if the target of the weapon is a large city. Within a radius of a few miles, everything is flattened and burned. As the blast energy rises upwards, planes can fall off the sky too.

As roads are blasted away, railway tracks are uprooted and communication is incinerated, this makes it impossible for any aid to reach the areas. Moreover, any persons luckily alive from the immediate aftermath of the blast will be covered in radioactive dust, needing decontamination. The shockwave is so intense that it can cause lung damage, ear damage and internal bleeding in areas outside the immediate blast zone. Even the people hiding in bomb shelters may die of suffocation because lack of oxygen and CO poisoning, says ICAN.

Radioactive fallout

After the incineration, comes the more sinister ‘radioactive fallout’. The energy released by the bomb blasts radioactive material far away and upwards. The modern N weapons are capable of blasting radioactive material up into the stratosphere. People who are in the nearby areas, again we are talking millions when the target is a large city, will suffer radiation poisoning and may die within weeks. Any survivors will be at risk of cancer all their lives.

Nuclear winter and climate catastrophe

ICAN also says that the use of even less than 1% of the current global nuclear arsenal will likely trigger global level climate disruptions. A report published by The Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists says that even just 50 bombs the size of Fat Boy can usher in conditions worse than the ‘Little Ice Age’, a period roughly between 1300 and 1850 where average global temperature fell by 3.6 degrees F, destroying crops, causing famines and facilitating plagues.

Who owns how much

Approximately 90% of the global nuclear arsenal lies with Russia and the USA, around 5000 warheads each, as per FAS data. India and Pakistan have 160-165 warheads each. China, The UK, North Korea, France and Israel own the rest.

Why nuclear weapons?

When USA detonated the first bomb, it proved to the world that it now possess the power to bring an unfathomable level of destruction on its enemy, triggering an arms race in the world where powerful nations realised that the only thing that will deter an attack by a nuclear weapon is, a nuclear weapon. The use of nuclear weapons lies in them not being used. As the devastation of 1945 is now a minor example of what could happen now, in case of a nuclear war, the threat hanging in the air is what keeps nations from resorting to fire their warheads. India’s arsenal is what ensures its safety in a hostile neighbourhood with China and Pakistan on either sides.

North Korea manages to keep its neighbours on their toes and sends a silent message to USA that if it tries to interfere, things can go very bad for South Korea. Basically it is a situation where a group of powerful bullies point powerful guns at each other and carry on trade and diplomacy knowing very well that any one of them pulling the trigger may kill them all.

Nuclear power: God’s power in human hand

Nuclear power is immense. As all things great, it can either bring massive catastrophe or can be used responsibly to benefit humankind in countless ways. Research shows that a single 1-inch pellet of Uranium can produce energy equivalent to 1 ton of coal or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or 149 gallons of oil.

Nuclear power can be our path to prosperity, and answer to global climate change, because it can be a reliable source of energy for hundreds of years to come. The same power, when made into weapons of mass destruction instead of energy generating reactors, can annihilate us all in a mushroom cloud.

As conflicts rage across the world for politics interests of a few entities, nations need to realise that we are basically sitting on a pile of explosives. As PM Modi recently told to Putin, this is not the age of war. May the leaders who hold political power to take decisions realise the weight of their words and choose diplomacy, dialogues and cooperation instead of threatening to blow everything up.

Kheda violence: Eyewitness recall Congress leader Arif Sheikh leading the Muslim mob that stone-pelted the Navratri Garba event

OpIndia Staff
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Kheda violence: Eyewitness recall Congress leader Arif Sheikh leading the Muslim mob that stone-pelted the Navratri Garba event

Days after Islamists pelted stones at a Navaratri Garba event in the Kheda district of Gujarat, eyewitnesses have accused local Congress leader Arif Sheikh of leading the frenzied mob, reported Republic TV.

Sheikh, who contested the civic body polls of 2021 on a Congress ticket, was identified as one of the stone pelters. An eyewitness told Republic TV that a group of men were clicking pictures of Hindu women, participating in the Garba event.

The police were called in and the accused were shooed away. The eyewitness recalled that the men later came back, sat down on a verandah and started touching the women with their legs.

“They were made to move from there also… But after 10 minutes, they started pelting stones,” the eyewitness told Republic TV. He further informed that Arif Sheikh, who was present there at the time of the stone pelting, was seen instigating the Muslim men.

“Arif Sheikh fought the election in 2021 on the ticket of Congress, but the BJP candidate won. He has a first hand in instigating youths… Arif and others were sitting with me. They went away and within 5 minutes the riots started,” the man emphasised.

He confirmed, “Yes. Arif along with others was pelting stones.” The eyewitness pointed out that he recorded his statement against the Congress leader with the police. Republic TV reported that 3 people, including Arif Sheikh, are on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

The Background of the Incident

On Monday (October 3) night, a menacing mob of 150 Islamists laid siege on a Navratri Garba event in Undhela village in the Kheda district of Gujarat.

As per reports, they pelted stones at a Hindu temple, which hosted the event on its premises. Islamists had earlier objected to the conduct of the Hindu religious event by the village sarpanch (Head) under the pretext that a mosque was in the vicinity of the temple.

When the Hindu devotees refused to give in to their demands and went ahead with the Navratri Garba programme, the mob of Islamists came to disrupt the event.

While a total of 43 people were named in the case, only about 14 people could be detained by the police. They were brought back to the village on Tuesday (October 4) and allegedly caned by police personnel for pelting stones at the temple. The accused were also asked to apologise to the public.

Deputy Superintendent of Police VR Bajpai informed, “Police detained 13 persons after the FIR was registered at Matar police station. The village sarpanch (head) had organised Garba at a temple. A mob from the Muslim community tried to stop it from taking place.”

A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media. Islamists and their sympathisers quickly hopped on the opportunity to cast aspersions on law enforcement authorities.

‘Terror outfits enhancing their finances and presence by exploiting natural resources in Africa’: Indian minister V Muraleedharan at UNSC

OpIndia Staff
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‘Terror outfits enhancing their finances and presence by exploiting natural resources in Africa’: Indian minister V Muraleedharan at UNSC

In a debate organized by the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, October 6, 2022, India raised alarm about the use of African resources to boost terrorism and bloodshed in several parts of the nation.

In the debate was titled “Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources”, India emphasized that the exploitation of African resources must be ended, and those engaged in funding terrorism must be held responsible by the world community.

While addressing the conference, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan stated that in recent years, terrorist and armed organizations have made significant inroads in Africa. He described how some of the weaker groups are taking advantage of weak governance structures and security flaws across the continent, notably in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and East and Central Africa.

V Muraleedharan underlined that by taking advantage of the region’s abundant resources, the terrorist organizations are enhancing their finances. He said, “These regions have remained vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. Terrorist and armed groups are increasingly funding their activities through illegal exploitation of natural resources and trafficking of wildlife, and extortion, etc., amongst other well-known activities.”

He added that these organizations are using rapidly developing information and communication technology, as well as other technologies related to financial transactions, encryption, and other forms of transportation and delivery, to fund their operations. He told that without deliberate and concerted measures to stop the financing of terrorists, neither the global war on armed organizations nor the war on terrorism can be won.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said, “We need to recognize the fact that terrorism, like armed conflicts, is expanding in Africa. Al-Qaida and ISIL-affiliated terrorist groups in different parts of Africa have gathered significant strength in recent years, thriving on the illegal mining of artisan gold, rare minerals, gemstones, uranium, coal, timber, etc. through illegal trade networks facilitated by transnational criminal networks.”

He said, “Terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab have put in place elaborate revenue collection networks, to support their terrorist activities. If left unaddressed, terrorism may seriously jeopardize peace prospects in several parts of Africa, which is already ravaged by armed conflicts.”

Tension erupts after Police use brutal force on Hindu devotees going for Durga Puja Visarjan in Bhainsa town in Telangana leaving 4 injured

OpIndia Staff
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Tension erupts after Police use brutal force on Hindu devotees going for Durga Puja Visarjan in Bhainsa town in Telangana leaving 4 injured

Tension gripped the communally sensitive Bhainsa town in Nirmal district, Telangana after police used force on Hindu devotees participating in the procession for Durga idol immersion. According to a report by TV9 Telugu, the Hindu devotees stopped the procession midway and protested after police used force on the devotees carrying the procession during Durga immersion, reportedly injuring some.

As the Sobha Yatra was en route to the Gaddenna project in Bhainsa, devotees were dancing to the beats of music playing on music systems on vehicles, when the Bhainsa police deployed there abruptly began pressuring the devotees to speed up the procession. This resulted in an altercation between the devotees and cops. According to media reports, when Hindu devotees refused to speed up the Shobha yatra, police beat them up unilaterally. This triggered a protest, with devotees blocking the road with the Durga idol and halting the idol immersion procession.

The worshippers, as per the TV9 Telugu report, refused to remove the idol and continued to protest until SP Kiran Kare intervened and pacified the irate devotees, after which the procession resumed.

On Twitter, the YouTube channel Telangana Maata published a video of the incident. The clip showed a youth who had suffered a head injury. The injured youth was identified as Vicky, one of the Hindu devotees beaten up by Bhainsa police during the Shobha Yatra.

The channel alleged that besides Vicky, three other Hindu devotees were also injured when police officials used brutal force on Hindus going for Durga Puja Visarjan.

Telangana Maata took to Twitter to also allege that when their reporters attempted to record a video by flashing a torch in the faces of police officers, they were also beaten by the latter on camera.

#RohitSharma and #ViratKohli with pig emojis trends on Twitter: Here’s what we know

OpIndia Staff
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#RohitSharma and #ViratKohli with pig emojis trends on Twitter: Here’s what we know

In an unusual move on social media on Thursday, pig emojis trended with the names of Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on Twitter. This mysterious trend began on Thursday when #RohitSharma trended with a pig emoji.

Twitter users shared different images of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and their performances in past cricket matches. It appears that the trend was initiated by Virat Kohli’s supporters, who used the trend to criticise Rohit Sharma for his poor performance in recent matches.

Following this trend, the supporters of Rohit Sharma weighed in with a similar trend having Virat Kohli’s name with an emoticon of a pig under a hashtag. This trend was in retaliation to the trend started by the fans of Virat Kohli.

As the trends have come out of the blue, there are no details available about the beginning of the trend. Some speculate that this started without reason whereas some find it relatable to the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

India will face Pakistan in their opening game of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia on October 23. The tournament will begin on October 16. The players chosen for the series are Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh.

AMU: Muslim student threatens Hindu student to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, remove Kalawa after he opposed a Hindu student being forced to wear Hijab

OpIndia Staff
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AMU: Muslim student threatens Hindu student to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, remove Kalawa after he opposed a Hindu student being forced to wear Hijab

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.

UK: Labour Party’s Keir Starmer pledges to combat Hinduphobia in the wake of Leicester violence, says Hindus are an integral part of Britain

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Labour Party’s Keir Starmer pledges to combat Hinduphobia in the wake of Leicester violence, says Hindus are an integral part of Britain

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.

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.

Great-grand-nephew of BR Ambedkar spews vitriol against Hinduism, calls it “Narak”, AAP minister endorses as 10,000 Hindus convert to Buddhism

OpIndia Staff
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Great-grand-nephew of BR Ambedkar spews vitriol against Hinduism, calls it “Narak”, AAP minister endorses as 10,000 Hindus convert to Buddhism

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.

Karnataka: After Kerala, Veer Savarkar appears again on Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra posters, BJP says ‘truth finally out’

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: After Kerala, Veer Savarkar appears again on Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra posters, BJP says ‘truth finally out’

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.

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.

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”.

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.

‘Yuvraj’ was enjoying himself in Switzerland when his father Uddhav Thackeray was hospitalised: MP Rahul Shewale takes a dig at Aaditya Thackeray

OpIndia Staff
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‘Yuvraj’ was enjoying himself in Switzerland when his father Uddhav Thackeray was hospitalised: MP Rahul Shewale takes a dig at Aaditya Thackeray

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.

“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’. 

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