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Sometimes there is only one treatment – bulldozer, Yogi Adityanath hits back on Akhilesh Yadav

OpIndia Staff
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Sometimes there is only one treatment – bulldozer, Yogi Adityanath hits back on Akhilesh Yadav

In Yogi Raj in Uttar Pradesh, bulldozer seems to have emerged as an instrument to assert authority of the law and to protect land properties of law abiding citizens as well as government properties from mafias.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath minces no word in saying that bulldozer is the only treatment (answer) for those who capture government properties as well as innocent civilians.

“Nirdosh logon ki sampati wa sarkari sampati par awaidh kabja karne walon ka ek hi upchar hai—bulldozer,” the tweet of Yogi Adityanath reads.

This seems to be a response to Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party who took a jibe on the BJP stating that the BJP should replace lotus and pick bulldozer as the party symbol. Yadav had remarked this in the wake of the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh having undertaken a massive drive against illegal occupation of private and government properties by powerful persons, politicians and mafias of the state.

If the very image of bulldozer demolishing such illegal occupations irks Akhilesh Yadav and his party this may be because Yogi’s bulldozers demolished many illegal properties of many Samajwadi Party leaders which they had captured during regime of their party. For instance the mighty like Iqbal Ali, Azam Khan, Atik Ahmed and others have the first hand experience of the might of the bulldozers which demolished the notion that they are above the law.

In June 2020, the dental college constructed illegally on government land by former state minister of Samajwadi Party Iqbal Ali, was demolished.

Azam Khan who once used to enjoy enormous power is facing dozen of cases of land grab. The Yogi government demolished Urdu gate of his Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur constructed on the government land.

In no time the government bulldozed the illegal empire of Atik Ahmed in Praayagraj and elsewhere. Similar action was taken against encroachment by Rohingya infiltrators who had captured 2.1 acres government land.

What Yogi said that sometimes there is only one treatment that is bulldozer. He was addressing a gathering of intellectuals during Prabudh Varg Sammelan also that was held in Lucknow on Saturday.

Yogi Adityanath accused the previous Samajwadi Party governments for allowing gangsters to build illegal houses on government lands. He justified bulldozers running over such properties and said that sometimes it is better to give a direct answer rather than doing by not doing too much meetings and negotiations.

During his address Yogi Adityanath said that when he was not the chief minister he had gone to DGP office where he came to know that in Lucknow opposite to DGP office a dreaded mafia had constructed five massive buildings on the land notified as enemy property.  

“I said it has a solution. If nothing happens then we have the bulldozer. I knew that doing too many meetings and negotiations creates problem and in such a situation there is a need to give a direct answer and when the process of direct answer started no mafia now dare to capture land of any businessman, law abiding citizen and the government land. So many are running away and surrendering properties they had captured,” Yogi Adityanath said.  

In the poll bound Uttar Pradesh where assembly election is scheduled next year, the bulldozer has grabbed the center stage of entire poll discourse and this Sanyasi politician doesn’t hide that he will keep using bulldozers against mafias.

Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw indulge in the viral ‘Mani, pohe banenge’ meme, video viral

OpIndia Staff
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Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw indulge in the viral ‘Mani, pohe banenge’ meme, video viral

Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw entertained their fans by participating in the hugely popular ‘Mani, pohe banenge’ reel trend on Instagram.

The dialogue is from the serial ‘Saath Nibhana Saathiya’ where ‘Kokila’, the matriarch of the Modi family gets angry at Mani, the house help. Apparently, Kokila is upset that Mani was chopping vegetables and hence instructed her to make pohe instead. The sound effect in the background has triggered thousands of memes online and now it seems even the Indian cricketers are not immune to this madness.

Manyavar’s ‘Kanyadaan’ ad featuring Alia Bhatt stirs controversy, netizens slam brand for painting Hindu ritual as ‘regressive’

K Bhattacharjee
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Manyavar’s ‘Kanyadaan’ ad featuring Alia Bhatt stirs controversy, netizens slam brand for painting Hindu ritual as ‘regressive’

Clothing brand Manyavar finds itself in the midst of a controversy after one of its recently released advertisements again painted Hindu rituals and customs as ‘regressive’. The advertisement featuring Alia Bhatt portrays ‘Kanyadaan’ as an oppressive practice and suggests ‘Kanyamaan’ as an alternative.

Manyavar claimed that it was “Promoting a progressive way of thinking, one tradition at a time!” Apparently, ‘Kanyamaan’ “gives a new spin to wedding rituals, highlighting the idea of respecting brides instead of ‘giving them away’.”

The campaign against the Hindu ritual of Kanyadaan has drawn sharp criticism on social media, with people incensed that time and again only Hindu customs and traditions are targeted while actual oppressive customs of other faiths get a free pass from brands.

People criticised the selectivity of brands repeatedly targeting only Hindu rituals while giving others a free pass.

Social media users rued the fact that not enough awareness is raised against practices such as Nikah-Halala and Triple Talaq but brands have launched a crusade against Hindu traditions.

Others pointed out the stupidity of the whole advertisement, especially at a time when Hindu women have made such great achievements in every walk of life.

Some people also highlighted the complicated history of the Bhatt family, of the time when Alia’s father, Mahesh Bhatt, said that he would have married Pooja Bhatt if she weren’t his daughter.

Needless to say, this isn’t the first time that brands have targeted a Hindu ritual for their marketing campaign. In recent times, many brands, most notably Tanishq, have received severe backlash for their misguided activism.

Furthermore, it is rather perplexing that a Bollywood actress was hired for the advertisement, since the industry is notorious for its exploitation and objectification of women. Brands have time and again targeted the Hindu faith as they are clearly too afraid to raise awareness about the problematic practices of other faiths.

It is clear that the Hindu community is not pleased with the singling out of their religion for overt attacks, as is evident with the backlash against Manyavar. Furthermore, the premise of the whole ad is bizarre, given that the brand is perfectly aware that what they are suggesting is completely cynical and makes no sense at all.

They are completely aware that nobody will change ancient customs based on the recommendation of a clothing brand and yet, they do not really care as it is only about a marketing gimmick and nothing else. Their silence over customs of other faiths that actually harm women does end up revealing a lot about their misguided moral compass.

Viral video suggests Rajdeep Sardesai was doing what Sidhu asked him to do when he interviewed Captain amid Punjab crisis

OpIndia Staff
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Viral video suggests Rajdeep Sardesai was doing what Sidhu asked him to do when he interviewed Captain amid Punjab crisis

Hours after veteran Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the post of Punjab Chief Minister, India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai tried to draw a false equivalence between Singh’s personal connections in Pakistan and Navjot Singh Sidhu’s close proximity with Pakistani army chief General Bajwa.

During an exclusive interview with Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajdeep admitted to being tipped off by Sidhu into asking the former Punjab Chief Minister about his Pakistani connections. “I will certainly not support him for being this way with Pakistan. He has great buddies over there and the way he handles them is a matter of national security. And national security comes first for me,” the ex-Punjab CM spoke out against Navjot Singh Sindhu.

At that point, Rajdeep was seen scrolling through his phone. While interjecting Captain Singh (at around 18 minutes into the conversation), the India Today journalist seemed to be playing the role of Sidhu’s advocate during the show. He asked, “You are saying all the strong words. Sidhu will hit back and say that you cannot take the moral high ground on any of these issues. As I said, it is increasingly becoming personal. Will it end up benefitting the AAP and Akalis?”

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/India Today)

Furthermore, Rajdeep conceded that he was briefed by Navjot Singh Sidhu about ex-Punjab CM’s personal relations in Pakistan. “Sidhu tried to suggest to me that Captain had personal relations in Pakistan. Why don’t you ask him about that?” the journalist inquired. Amarinder Singh clarified that half of the Patiala went to the Pakistani side during the Partition of India and that his personal relationship is with the common people of Punjab. “What has that got to do with leadership?” he confronted Rajdeep while negating any friendship with the Pakistani Prime Minister or Army general.

Singh had earlier bashed Navjot Singh Sidhu for the latter’s apparent love for the Pakistani military and its leaders. He claims to have told Sidhu, “here are my soldiers getting killed and you are going and hugging the Pakistani chief General Bajwa. Then you are going to Imran Khan where policies are made against our nation. Do you know how many drones are coming into Punjab on a daily basis? How much weaponry has come into Punjab? How much RDX explosives, how many grenades, how many pistols, over 50,000 rounds of ammunition, all that is coming in the state, what does it come in for?”

Captain Amarinder Singh and his connection with a Pakistani journalist

Not many people know but there have been reports about that a Pakistani friend of Capt Amarinder who is a regular at his Chandigarh house. Aroosa Alam shares a close relationship with him and had also attended his swearing-in ceremony in 2017. She was also present at the launch of Captain Amarinder Singh’s biography ‘The People’s Maharaja’ in February 2020.

The duo has manifestly been low-key about their lesser-known ‘affair’ and has often shied away from talking about it in public. Notably, Alam is a former Pakistani defence journalist and was known in Pakistani circles for having close ties with the military establishment. Alam is the daughter of Akleen Akhtar, also known as the famous General Rani, a socialite who was described by the Pakistani media as the “muse and mistress” of Pakistani leader Yahya Khan. “My relationship is a sensitive issue even back home, I am a Muslim woman, and you know how people back home think,” said Aroosa in February 2018 when she was in Chandigarh.

Karnataka: Muslim mob assaults Hindu man for riding with a Muslim woman, two arrested by Bengaluru Police

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Muslim mob assaults Hindu man for riding with a Muslim woman, two arrested by Bengaluru Police

After Telangana, an undated video from Bengaluru is making rounds on social media platforms in which a Muslim mob stopped a Hindu man who was riding a bike with a Muslim woman. In the video shared by an account named Hate Patrol Squad on Twitter, the men in the mob were seen threatening the Hindu man and asked not to ride with a Mulsim woman again. The Muslim woman was forced to give out her family’s phone number and ridiculed for riding with a Hindu man.

When the Hindu man revealed his identity, the Muslim man slapped him repeatedly and said, “If I see you roaming around with Muslim women, I will f**k you.” He then asked the name of the woman, and when she told her name, the man said, “Are you not ashamed of riding with a Hindu man? Don’t you know what kind of situation it is these days? We are requesting you all not to go out with these motherf**ers, but you still are riding with him sitting like this on the bike. We are not concerned about you. We are concerned about the burqa. What will people say after seeing a woman in burqa riding like this?”

The woman tried to defend herself, but the man continued and said, “What was so important that you have to ride with him? Give me your family’s number.” The woman called and informed someone at her house that she had been stopped for riding with a Hindu man. It was revealed that the woman was married, and then the men asked for her husband’s number. The Muslim men again hit the Hindu man riding the bike and asked the woman to get off the bike.

She asked him what the problem with him was, but he kept on asking for her husband’s number. She gave a number to the man shouting at her to call. The man called the number and started ridiculing her husband for letting his wife ride with another man. He said, “Because of impotence like you, the whole community is getting ridiculed. Are you not ashamed of your actions?” The man asked her husband for the address, but it seems he refused to reveal it. He then shouted at him again for letting his wife to ride with a Hindu and said, “don’t you know their intentions? Don’t argue with me.” He then forced the woman to travel in auto and said, “No one is talking about you. We are concerned about the burqa.

2 accused arrested

Responding to the video being shared on Social Media, Karanataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed that two accused persons have been arrested in the case. He said that Bengaluru City Police acted swiftly in the case of assault on a bike rider travelling along with a woman of a different faith. He tweeted that a case has been registered and legal action has been initiated against the accused.

The CM added that his govt deals with such incidents with an iron hand.

Similar incidents were reported in Telangana

Recently several such incidents were reported in Telangana where Muslim men stopped Muslim women who were riding with Hindu men. They were not only ridiculed in public, but the Hindu men were also brutally beaten up. In one case, a Hindu Dalit man was allegedly kidnapped by a group of Muslim men for riding with a Muslim woman and beaten up. He was released later when local RSS leaders intervened. The Hindu man got so scared that it took him two days to gather the courage to file a case. It was only after his brother and local leaders supported him that he was able to file a case against the Muslim men who had kidnapped him.

ED files charge-sheet against former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, says he manipulated records to buy govt land using tainted money

OpIndia Staff
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ED files charge-sheet against former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, says he manipulated records to buy govt land using tainted money

Enforcement Directorate (ED) has disclosed that senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse had earned unaccounted money worth Rs 50 lakh which he later laundered through the bank account of his wife Mandakini for the purchase of MICD land in a fraudulent manner. ED says that he had manipulated land records misusing his office to purchase controversial MIDC land.

ED has made this disclosure in the chargesheet recently submitted before the special PMLA court while investigating the alleged purchase of the government land of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) by Eknath Khadse’s wife Mandakini Khadse and son-in-law Girish Chaudhari at Bhosari village in Pune in 2016. 

The ED has explained the tricky layering of cash and manipulations of accounts. Purchasers had spent Rs 5.53 crore to complete the purchase of land including the cost of the land and stamp duties. Mandakini had arranged Rs 2.38 crore out of which Rs 2 crore she got from a shell company Benchmark Buildicon Pvt Ltd as an unsecured loan. The rest Rs 38 lakh she had used out of Rs 50 lakh provided by her husband. ED has claimed that this Rs 50 lakh is tainted money.

It was further disclosed that the Benchmark Buildicon got money from five other companies namely Abjayoni Trading, Adamina Traders, Proficient Merchandise, Pearl Dealers Private Limited and Chemexgoods Private Limited. But these are also bogus companies. Chaudhari also raised money in the similar way.

He was the revenue minister in Devendra Fadnavis led government when the deal took place. He has been accused for misusing his office to manipulated land documents for pecuniary gains while heading the department. The ED has also framed charges against the then land sub registrar Ravindra Mule for helping minister to manipulate and reduce the notified circle price of the land.

The BJP had forced him to resign owing to the allegation. Later in October 2020, he joined Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party.

On July 7 this year, the ED had arrested Khadse’s son-in-law Chaudhari under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and had questioned Khadse also. The PMLA court while rejecting the bail petition of his son-in-law had remarked that he as revenue minister had taken disadvantage of his post, influenced the departments under his control for his personal interest.

As a minister, Khadse was aware that the land in question was stuck in litigation but during the pendency of the case his family members purchased that aforesaid land.

Maharashtra: 22-year-old Chand Akbar Sheikh from Pune befriends minor on Instagram, then rapes her

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: 22-year-old Chand Akbar Sheikh from Pune befriends minor on Instagram, then rapes her

On September 17, a case has been registered under POCSO Act against 22-year-old Chand Akbar Sheikh at Dehu Road Police Station in Pune for raping a 16-year-old minor girl. As per the reposts, Sheikh met the victim on the social media app Instagram. The case was registered based on the complaint of the victim’s mother.

Sheikh started chatting with the victim on the social media app. After a month of coming in contact with her, he met the victim at her house and allegedly sexually assaulted the minor when she was alone at her home. When the victim’s mother came to know about the assault, she filed a complaint against Sheikh at Dehu Road Police Station.

In a statement, the Police said that the victim’s mother came to file a complaint on September 14 for her minor daughter, who is 16-year-old. A case has been registered under POCSO Act against 22-year-old Chand Akbar Sheikh. He has been sent to Police Custody till September 21. The Police added that they met on Instagram and started chatting. Sheikh reached the victim’s house and, as she was alone, took advantage of the situation. Further investigation is underway.

Kerala: Leaked internal document of CPIM warns about radical Islamists grooming young women for terror activities

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Leaked internal document of CPIM warns about radical Islamists grooming young women for terror activities

In a leaked internal note, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had admitted the threat posed by radical Islamist organisations in Kerala. On Thursday (September 16), the CPIM distributed pamphlets amongst its cadre, warning about attempts by Islamists to lure young, educated women in professional colleges to the path of terrorism.

The internal document titled, ‘Minority Communalism’ noted that extremist forces have ‘infiltrated’ into mainstream Muslim organisations to create communal disharmony in the State. It further cautioned that debates in support of the Taliban were happening in Kerala. The CPIM has urged its supporters and party workers to remain vigilant about these issues.

“Deliberate attempts are being made to lure youth into communalism and extremist ideologies. Conscious efforts are on to make educated young women in professional colleges to think that way…Both the student union and youth organisation (of CPM) should pay special attention to the issue,” the ruling party in Kerala stated. The development comes amidst the backdrop of allegations of ‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotics jihad’ by Catholic Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt.

Leaked internal document of the CPI (M)

Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of providing ‘fertile ground’ to terrorists to thrive. “The extremist forces would not have gained a foothold in the state if they have reacted strongly against them. What sincerity do they have to say now that vigil should be stepped up against terrorism, senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan pointed out.

BJP asks Kerala govt to acknowledge the presence of Love Jihad in the state

BJP state president K Surendran had recently stated that CPM should publicly admit that ‘Love Jihad’ or Grooming Jihad is prevalent in the state of Kerala as the party has now mentioned the same in the note that the party’s state unit has prepared. “CPM should stop its double standards on the issue. There should be a proper investigation on the matter. The influence of terrorists is rising in the state and they are using love jihad to further their goals,” the BJP state president asserted.

Kerala CPM has prepared the note for distribution on September 10 to all its lower committees, which are getting ready to meet ahead of the upcoming state conference of the party scheduled to be held in Kochi in February next year.

Tamil Nadu: BJP functionary hacked to death, Police arrests three

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: BJP functionary hacked to death, Police arrests three

On September 16, a BJP functionary, 45-year-old Muthupandi, was hacked to death by three men identified as 27-year-old Sugumar, 22-year-old Palpandi and 60-year-old Selvendran from Viravanpatti. The Police arrested all three accused on Friday. The other three who were allegedly involved in the murder are still at large.

Hailing from Virampatti village in Sivagangai district, Muthupandi was appointed as District Vice President of Fisherman’s team of BJP. As per reports, Muthipandi was brutally attacked at a tea shop. The attackers had gone to his house located on Nelmandi Street but could not find him. They ransacked the house, including the car parked outside his house. They came to know he was spotted at a tea shop near his house.

When Muthupandi tried to escape, they chased him. He was surrounded by the attackers and attacked with sharp weapons. When Muthupandi fell on the road unconscious, the attackers ran away. He was rushed to Sivagangai Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.

A three-member Police team was formed to capture the killers. The Police scrolled through the CCTV footage and found that there were six people involved in the murder who escaped on two motorbikes after committing the crime.

Reports suggest that Muthupandi was accused of the murder of an AIADMK functionary identified as Selvam. The trio, relatives of Selvam, killed Muthupandi allegedly to take revenge. They have confessed to the murder as per the Police. After the arrest, the trio was produced in court and remanded in Police custody. The Police are looking for the other three accused. The Police have recovered two motorbikes and weapons.

Murder of AIADMK’s Selvam

In July 2012, Selvam, an AIADMK functionary from Vairavanpatti, was travelling on a two-wheeler to the Sivaganga district sessions court to appear in a murder case. He was allegedly murdered on the way, and Muthupandi was named as one of the accused in the crime.

Not without our Gandhis: Congress social media wants Rahul as party president, leaders want Priyanka as UP CM candidate

Nirwa Mehta
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Not without our Gandhis: Congress social media wants Rahul as party president, leaders want Priyanka as UP CM candidate

As Congress faces yet again political crisis after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab CM, the party workers have again decided the only solution to the mess would be to make Rahul Gandhi as party president. Rahul Gandhi was the party president during the 2019 general elections and he decided to ‘step down’ taking ‘moral responsibility’ of the party’s defeat as well as his own humiliating defeat in the Nehru-Gandhi family bastion, Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi had contested from two seats and managed to win the Wayanad seat.

Upon his resignation, his mother, Sonia Gandhi was again made party president. She was also the party president for nearly twenty years before handing over the business to her son Rahul Gandhi. Now, AICC social media team again wants Rahul Gandhi to come back as party president and save the sinking ship that Congress has been reduced to.

Apparently, Congress social media cell believes Rahul Gandhi, despite his history of goof ups on Twitter, will infuse the party cadre with new energy. Earlier this month, the Indian Youth Congress, NSUI, the students wing of Congress and the Congress SC/ST department had also passed resolutions to make him party president again.

But it is not just Rahul Gandhi the party workers want to be subservient to. If the party wants Rahul Gandhi to take on the national role, senior leaders want Priyanka Gandhi to lead Uttar Pradesh as party’s general secretary.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said that it would be up to Priyanka Gandhi to portray herself as the Chief Minister candidate for Uttar Pradesh elections.

Priyanka Gandhi has never contested any elections. Further, the family members of the Nehru-Gandhi family have always contested the general elections and not legislative assembly elections. It is perhaps below their dignity to contest state assembly elections when they feel they are entitled to becoming the prime minister of the country. In fact, the entitlement is so much that when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on 31st October, 1984, her son Rajiv Gandhi was made Prime Minister in her place. Surely, there were other, more experienced Congress MPs who may have been better leaders, but, well, Rajiv Gandhi was the ‘natural heir’.

Considering the circumstances and history, it is unlikely Priyanka Gandhi would put herself out there as face of UP Chief Ministerial candidate, especially when the party’s chances appear bleak, that party leaders, including veterans like Salman Khurshid, cannot think beyond the Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra nexus is amusing, at the very least.

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