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Punjab: Teenage basketball player pushed off stadium roof after she resisted rape attempt, suffers multiple fractures

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Punjab: Teenage basketball player pushed off stadium roof after she resisted rape attempt, suffers multiple fractures

In a shocking development in the Moga district of Punjab, a teenage basketball player suffered multiple fractures as she was pushed off the stadium roof after she resisted a rape attempt by three youths. The incident took place on 12th August 2022. According to reports, the 18-year-old girl was admitted to a private hospital in Ludhiana for treatment of injuries to both her legs and her jaw. According to her father, the accused is her ‘good friend’ who along with two others had pushed her off the roof after she resisted their rape attempt.

The police sources said that all the three accused in this incident are still absconding and the police are searching for them. Gulneet Khurana, senior superintendent of police in Moga, stated on Thursday that raids are being conducted to apprehend the suspects.

In his complaint, the victim’s father said that his daughter had gone to the Moga stadium to practice. The father in the complaint said that he received a call from an unknown person at around 7:30 pm, who asked him to reach the city’s civil hospital as his daughter was brought there following an accident. In the FIR, he also revealed that the accused Jatin Kanda and his daughter were good friends. 

“Jatin Kanda among others took the 18-year-old basketball player forcibly to the stadium where the three accused tried to sexually assault her and when she resisted, she was pushed from the roof of the stadium,” the father mentioned in the FIR.

Earlier when the girl was admitted at the hospital following the incident, it was assumed to be an attempt to suicide case. But now it has been revealed that it was an attempt to rape case.

Jatin Kanda, one of the suspects, is charged with trying to rape her at the stadium. He reportedly shoved her off from a height of around 25 feet as she fought and attempted to flee, gravely injuring her in several places. Jatin and his two accomplices have been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 307 (attempt to kill) and 376 (rape).

The law and order situation in Punjab has become a matter of concern since the new government is formed in the state. In the state assembly elections held in February 2022, Aam Aadmi Party got a clear majority and it formed a government led by Bhagwant Mann. In May 2022, Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was murdered just one day after his security was removed by the state government.

Lakhimpur Kheri, UP: Woman cuts off private part of live-in partner as he tries to rape her 14-year-old daughter

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Lakhimpur Kheri, UP: Woman cuts off private part of live-in partner as he tries to rape her 14-year-old daughter

In a horrifying incident reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, a 36-year-old woman severed off her live-in partner’s sexual organs after the man reportedly attempted to rape her 14-year-old daughter.

The incident occurred in the Mahevaganj locality on Wednesday. The mother said the man attempted to sexually abuse her 14-year-old daughter while she was working on the farm. The woman stated that she was on time and caught the accused red-handed. She fought with the man for around 40 minutes but when she felt that she could not control the fellow, she took a knife from the kitchen and cut his genitals.

“I was working on the farm when the incident took place. Fortunately, I returned home in the nick of time and caught him red-handed. He even attacked me while I was trying to save my daughter so I brought a knife from the kitchen and chopped off his private parts to teach him a lesson. I have no regrets for what I did,” said the woman.

The woman had been living with the 32-year-old man for two years after leaving her spouse because of his drinking habits. The man’s condition is serious, and he has been sent to Lucknow for further treatment.

According to SHO Lakhimpur Chandrashekhar Singh, the accused has been charged with rape under Section 376 of the IPC and other provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. He stated that the accused will be interrogated when he recovers.

Popular Instagram influencer gets media coverage and wishes from Ravish Kumar as they take his sarcastic post in all seriousness 

OpIndia Staff
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Popular Instagram influencer gets media coverage and wishes from Ravish Kumar as they take his sarcastic post in all seriousness 

Madhur Singh, a popular influencer on Instagram, is being talked about in mainstream media organisations and has also received wishes on social media, including by NDTV journalist Ravish Kumar, over a sarcastic post they took in all seriousness. 

Taking to LinkedIn, the employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps for job seekers and employers, Singh uploaded a post with his picture beside a brand new car, explaining how saving money from all the means possible has helped him fulfil his dream of buying a car. 

Source: Twitter

In the sarcastic post, Singh said he has been saving money for years to buy a new car. He added that he skipped going to parties with friends, did not buy expensive gifts for her girlfriend or wife, and asked his vegetable vendor to give him free ‘dhaniya mirchi’ to save money to purchase the car.

“I want to thank my parents, my ex-bosses, ex and current girlfriends, and lastly to all those sabzi walas who supported me always,” said the conclusion on Singh’s post. 

NDTV journalist Ravish Kumar falls for the sarcastic post and extends wishes to Madhur Singh

The post instantly went viral, with many social media users wishing the social media influencer over what they perceived as a “feel-good story” about him. NDTV journalist Ravish Kumar also fell for the sarcastic post, extending wishes to Madhur Singh over the alleged purchase of a new car. 

“It is such a nice thing that you bought a new car without taking a loan,” Kumar replied to Singh’s post. 

Ravish Kumar
Source: Twitter

However, not everyone was dumb enough to be deceived by the sarcastic post. Several netizens highlighted how it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between a serious post and a sarcastic one. 

Many others were quick to decipher the underlying sarcasm in the post.

Ravish Kumar, however, can seek solace in the fact that he was not alone to be fooled by Singh’s sardonic post. There were some who took Singh’s post so seriously that they were wondering how he can have a girlfriend along with a wife.

The Instagram influencer’s post got coverage in mainstream media organisations, including India Today, which was not sure what to make of the post and if the claims made in the post were true.

Ravish Kumar
Source: Twitter

“What are your thoughts about it?” read a Twitter post by the official account of India Today, granting coverage to the Instagram influencer’s humorous post and seeking public opinion on what they made about the claims made by him.

Goa becomes the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified state, PM says 10 crore rural households provided piped water

OpIndia Staff
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Goa becomes the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified state, PM says 10 crore rural households provided piped water

The Centre on Thursday released the list of Har Ghar Jal certified states to declare that the state of Goa had topped the list with every household there having access to clean water through taps. Along with this, the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified UT.

According to reports, the people from the state and the UT have passed a resolution and have declared their village as ‘Har Ghar Jal’. The Ministry said the villages have claimed that all the houses within have access to clean and safe tap water, ensuring that no one is left out. “All 2.63 lakh rural households of Goa and 85,156 of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have access to potable water through tap connections”, the Ministry said.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship program of the Centre, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019. The mission’s goal is to offer enough potable tap water supply to every rural family in the country by 2024. The Centre is implementing the initiative in collaboration with the states and UTs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the initiative on Friday and said that around 10 crore rural households in India have access to clean water through pipes with around 7 crore rural families getting connected in the last three years. “This is among the biggest success of the central government’s campaign to deliver water to each house”, he said while virtually addressing the Har Ghar Jal Utsav being held in Goa.

“This is no ordinary achievement. In 7 decades of Independence, only 3 crore rural households in the country had piped water facilities”, PM said. He further highlighted three important milestones related to the huge goal that India is working on in Amritkaal. He stated that 10 crore houses getting access to clean tap water was a great example of Sabka Prayas.

He congratulated the state of Goa and UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and said that every rural household in the country will get a potable tap water supply by 2024. The Prime Minister meanwhile mentioned the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as the country’s third achievement. “A few years ago, the country was certified open defecation free. Thanks to the efforts of all citizens. Following this, we determined to establish village ODF plus. In this sense, the country has also reached significant accomplishments. More than one lakh villages in various parts of the country are now ODF plus”, he noted.

According to government data released yesterday, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas our Sabka Prayas’, more than 52% of rural households across the country are now linked to clean water supplying taps, up from 17% when the transformational mission was launched on August 15, 2019.

‘Woman beater, sadistic sick *#uk’: Ex-girlfriend Somy Ali asks people to stop worshiping Salman Khan

OpIndia Staff
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‘Woman beater, sadistic sick *#uk’: Ex-girlfriend Somy Ali asks people to stop worshiping Salman Khan

Somy Ali, the former girlfriend of Bollywood actor Salman Khan posted a cryptic post on her Instagram account on Friday taking a jibe at her ex-boyfriend. Calling him a ‘woman beater’ in the caption, she urged people to stop ‘worshipping’ the actor.

Sharing a poster of Salman Khan’s 1989 debut film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ and without naming the actor, Somy Ali wrote, “A women beater, and not just me, but many. Stop worshipping him please. He’s a sadistic sick *#uk. You have no idea.”

Meanwhile, Somy limited her comment section. 

Though as ususal, Somy Ali did not mention who she was referring to in her post, it is clear from the picture attached that she was hinting toward Salman Khan. The picture she had attached was from Salman Khan’s debut movie ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’.

This is, however, not the first time Somy Ali has taken a dig at Khan. In March this year, she had posted a photo on her Instagram handle which is a still image from Salman Khan’s debut film Maine Pyar Kiya. In the caption of the photo, she wrote, “The Harvey Weinstein of Bollywood! You will be exposed. The women you abused will come out one day and share their truth. Just like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.”

However, hours after uploading the post, Somy Ali deleted it.

Allegations against Salman Khan are not new

As such, Salman Khan is not new to controversies. Allegations of abusing his co-workers, especially women, have often been levelled against him. In a press conference held on 1st April 2003, actor Vivek Oberoi alleged that Salman Khan had called him 41 times in a night and threatened him. Vivek Oberoi had also alleged that Salman Khan first asked him about his love affairs if any and that later in the same call Salman Khan told Vivek Oberoi that he had physical relationships with Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, and Somy Ali. There have been media reports of the actor showing aggressive behaviour towards his former girlfriends, including Aishwarya and Katrina.

‘Anyone with minimal intelligence will understand this’: Power Ministry slams Business Standard Deputy Editor for misleading allegations on coal import

OpIndia Staff
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‘Anyone with minimal intelligence will understand this’: Power Ministry slams Business Standard Deputy Editor for misleading allegations on coal import

On Thursday (August 18), the Ministry of Power slammed the Deputy Editor (Energy & Infra) of Business Standard, Shreya Jai, for misleading people about coal imports in the country.

The controversy began earlier this month when Shreya took to Twitter to claim that the Modi government has made U-turns in its energy policy. In a tweet, she alleged, “In 3 months, the Centre has gone from mandating imported coal blending for power gencos to making it optional.”

The journalist further stated, “In May, Ministry of Power directed gencos to blend 10% imported coal or face domestic supply reduction.”

Shreya Jai claimed that the Power Ministry allowed power generation companies to pass the escalated cost of imported coal to the end consumers. She also alleged that the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPCL), a public sector undertaking, placed an import tender of 6.25 million tonnes (MT).

“It estimated a 50-70 paisa/unit increase in power tariff after 10% imported coal blending,” her tweet read. The journalist also insinuated ‘foul play’ in the manner in which the Adani Group managed to get hold of the tenders.

“As several states clamoured against the idea of importing coal, PowerMin asked them to put their tenders in abeyance. It instead directed national miner & world’s 2nd largest coal producer @CoalIndiaHQ to import coal for the first time in its history,” she said in a tweet.

“But as against an estimated demand of 40 million tonne, CIL received interest for barely 2.4 MT from states and private gencos. The first tender of Rs 4,500 crore went to Adani Enterprises and the second to a blacklisted firm from Indonesia,” the Business Standard Deputy Editor continued.

In another tweet, Shreya Jai alleged that the supposed ‘U-turns’ by the Modi government have led to a severe blow to the private and State-owned gencos.

While accusing the Union government of doublespeak, Shreya remarked, “Yesterday (August 2), the Power Ministry revoked all its earlier decisions on imported coal, leaving it up to the states and gencos to import coal, if need be. It even told NTPC to reduce blending to 5% from 10%.”

She also shared a press release from February 2020 wherein then Minister of Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi, stated that India would stop the import of thermal coal from Financial Year 2023-24. The idea was to suggest that the Union government had been contradicting its own claims.

Power Ministry slams Shreya Jai for ‘utter ignorance’

In a series of tweets on Thursday (August 18), the Ministry of Power denied the allegations and slammed Shreya Jai for “displaying an utter ignorance of the sector which she is reported to be covering.”

In the statement, the Ministry of Power clarified that coal is being imported into India for a long time. It pointed out how the imports have decreased drastically over time from 38.5 million tonnes in 2013-2014 to 12.2 million tonnes in 2022-2023.

“Our power demand grew by 15 to 20% in energy terms from August / September 2021 onwards. The domestic coal supplies increased, but not enough to meet demand,” it further informed.

The Power Ministry pointed out how the coal stocks at power plants were being used at a rapid pace, leading to a deficit of 1.2 lakh tonnes each day by April-May this year.

“Had we not started imports when we did, our coal stock would have touched a low of 7 million tonnes on 23rd July. This would have meant large numbers of plants having zero stock – leading to large-scale load shedding,” it justified its decision.

While explaining the rationale behind coal imports, it emphasised, “When the supplies of domestic coal are sufficient we do not import/import less coal. When domestic supplies are insufficient, we need to import coal for blending.”

“Anyone with minimal intelligence will understand this. Unfortunately, this correspondent does not,” the Power Ministry went on to slam Shreya Jai.

The Power Ministry made it clear that the decision to involve Coal India Limited in imports lies with gencos at State, Central and IPP level. “If the States want the CIL to import on their behalf they give their indent to the CIL,” it said.

While rubbishing the insinuation that tender was given preferentially to the Adani Group, the Ministry of Power said, “All procurement is through open international bids and contract is awarded to company which can supply coal at lowest rate.”

‘Keep a close watch on the changing demographics in the border areas’: Amit Shah tells cops at DGP Conference

OpIndia Staff
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‘Keep a close watch on the changing demographics in the border areas’: Amit Shah tells cops at DGP Conference

On Thursday 18th August 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructed the DGPs of border states, especially West Bengal and Bihar, as well as Jharkhand, to keep a close eye on changing demographics in respective areas. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day National Security Strategies Conference held in New Delhi. Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, emphasized national security, saying the objective is to “fight for the future of the nation and the youths,” and he asked all states to work together in this mission.

Amit Shah also shared this in a tweet in which he wrote, “The two-day National Security Strategies Conference concluded today. Deliberations were held on challenges like narco-trafficking, demographic changes in border areas, and cyber fraud. Urged all the states that the issues related to national security should be our top priority.”

The minister claimed that since 2014, PM Narendra Modi has altered the DGP Conference’s focus to place more emphasis on bolstering domestic security and utilizing technology to address new issues. He said, “A system has been developed in the country for the first time in the form of the National Automated Identification System (NAFIS). We should percolate it down to the grassroots in addition to regular district-level meetings of coordination committees.”

The two-day security conference explored themes such as Maoist overground workers and front organizations, counter-terrorism tactics, radicalization, counter-drone technology, cyber and media surveillance, and upcoming concerns related to 5G technology. He said, “It is the responsibility of the DGPs of states to bring all technical and strategic information in their states, especially in the border districts, and share with others.”

According to the minister, the government has made great progress in addressing three major concerns related to internal security: terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, different extremist organizations in the Northeast, and Left-wing extremism. He said, “Under the leadership of Modiji, we enacted many new laws, increased coordination with states, increased budgetary allocation, and made optimum use of technology.”

Shah stated that the government is willing to dismantle the network of smuggling syndicates and determine the source and destination via rigorous investigation. He said that the central government is creating a record of all sorts of crimes that will be communicated instantaneously with all intelligence and security organizations for enhancing cooperation. This will be accomplished through the use of 5G technology.

Underlining the importance of sharing the crime records amongst various law enforcement agencies, Amit Shah said that the fundamental concept of a contemporary intelligence agency should not be “need to know,” but “need to share,” as we will not succeed until we modify our methodology.

Did you know: Hundreds of Bollywood artists used to get ‘pensions’ from the Akhilesh government till Yogi Adityanath put a stop to it

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Did you know: Hundreds of Bollywood artists used to get ‘pensions’ from the Akhilesh government till Yogi Adityanath put a stop to it

The condition of Bollywood, the mainstream Hindi filmmaking industry, is deteriorating by the day, with several high-budget and big-banner films suffering widespread boycotts for various reasons. The most recent is Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, which is facing a popular boycott. Aamir Khan’s past anti-India rants, his negative and derogatory portrayal of Hindu Gods in his film PK, and his explicitly political remarks have all led to the film’s rejection by the viewers.

As the industry has drawn the ire of the general public by making popular opinions irrelevant and producing films that are overtly explicit and disparaging towards the majority, it is worth noting that hundreds of artists and filmmakers in Bollywood used to receive a monthly pension from the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. The pensions were discontinued only after Yogi Adityanath became the state’s chief minister, putting paid to the government-funded scheme of doling out Bollywood artists and filmmakers with a monthly pension.

Yogi Adityanath puts a stop to doling out Bollywood artists and filmmakers with monthly pensions

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared in an interview that the state has now stopped offering free stuff. When questioned if he had discontinued providing pension to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, he said, “We’ve stopped giving out freebies. Whether it was Anurag Kashyap or anyone else, their habits worsened after obtaining funds for free. Undoubtedly, the money belongs to the state’s inhabitants and must be used accordingly.”

In 2016, a year before the state assembly elections, Akhilesh Yadav, the then-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, announced a scheme to provide monthly pensions of Rs 50,000 to Yash Bharti Samman awardees in the state. As per the scheme, 172 beneficiaries received the pension till February 2017. Raj Babbar, his wife Nadira Raj Babbar, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui were among those who benefited.

Aside from a monthly pension, the awardee received Rs 11 lakh, a shawl, and a certificate. Yash Bharti Samman, started by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1994, was disbanded by the Mayawati government, but Akhilesh Yadav revived it in 2013. The government declared in October 2015 that recipients will receive a monthly pension.

Yogi Adityanath ordered a full assessment of the Yash Bharti awards, concentrating on the process for determining honorees, during a review meeting of the cultural department on April 21, 2017. The CM stated that the dignity of the recipients should be maintained because honouring ineligible persons compromised the honour. He had also stated that action would be taken based on the review report.

Later in December 2020, it was reported that the Uttar Pradesh government intended to discontinue the Yash Bharti Samman in favour of a new honour called the Rajya Sanskriti Puraskar. According to the government’s proposal, this award will be bestowed to a total of 25 people in the field of literature, arts, sports, social service, culture, medicine, education, etc. The top reward in this scheme would be Rs 5 lakh, awarded in the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

‘Neither MHA nor FRRO proposed to shift Rohingyas to EWS flats’: Home ministry denies AAP claims, says it was proposed by Delhi govt

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‘Neither MHA nor FRRO proposed to shift Rohingyas to EWS flats’: Home ministry denies AAP claims, says it was proposed by Delhi govt

After union Housing & Urban Affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri created a storm by claiming that the government has decided to settle Rohingyas living in camps in Delhi EWS flats, the matter refuses to die down. While the MHA had denied taking such a decision, a letter written by the Delhi govt the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) had appeared which suggested that an office under the union home ministry had proposed such a move. But now the home ministry has denied this too, saying that it never asked for shifting Illegal Rohingyas from their current location at Kanchan Kunj, Madanpur Khadar to EWS flats at Bakkarwala in New Delhi.

The Home Ministry today clarified that while Foreigners Registration Regional Office under it had earlier proposed that the illegal migrants be shifted to some other place, they never proposed the EWS flats, and this location was proposed by the Delhi government only.

On Wednesday, both BJP and AAP had targeted each other using the letter written by the Deputy Secretary of the Delhi government’s home department saying that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which comes under the union home ministry, had proposed to shift the Rohingyas to a detention centre to be set up at the flats built for people from Economically Weaker Section, as they had run out of space at the current location. As the flats are under NDMC, the Delhi govt had written to the NDMC to hand over the flats to FRRO.

The letter and other media reports on meetings on the issue had created the impression that the home ministry wanted to shift the Rohingyas to a bigger detention centre because of logistical reasons, but minister Hardeep Singh Puri had presented it as a humanitarian move for the illegal foreigners which created outrage and forced MHA to scrap the move.

But now, the home ministry had denied that FRRO wrote to Delhi asking for allotment of the EWS flats to be used as a detention centre for Rohingyas. On Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs rebutted the claims made by Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia on the shifting of illegal Rohingyas migrants to economically weaker sections (EWS) flats in West Delhi. In the letter, MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra said that the decision to shift the Rohingya illegal migrants was that of the Delhi government.

Ajay Kumar Mishra wrote a letter to Manish Sisodia rejecting the claims made by AAP that MHA had proposed to shift the Rohingyas, and said that it was the Delhi govt which made the proposal. Mishra cited the meeting that was conducted by the Delhi Chief Secretary on July 29 during which Foreigners Registration Regional Office (FRRO) was informed that the Rohingya illegal migrants would be sifted to the EWS flats in Delhi. “In the July 29 meeting, an officer rank of a director who represented the MHA and the head of the FRRO, Delhi had clearly stated that India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on refugees or related protocol of 1967, therefore treats all foreigners who enter the country without valid passports as illegal immigrants”, Mishra wrote.

“Neither MHA official nor FRRO had proposed that the illegal Rohingya immigrants be shifted to EWS flats built by NDMC in Bakarwala. Neither had they proposed this earlier”, he added in the letter.

He also clarified that the UNHCR cards issued to illegal migrants don’t grant any legal status under Indian laws. “MHA and FRRO said all foreign nationals, including Rohingyas, who enter into India without valid travel documents are treated as illegal migrants & dealt as per the law. UNHCR cards or refugee cards are not recognized by Indian law”, he said.

Letter written by MoS Ajay Kumar Mishra (Source- Navbharat Times)

Mishra meanwhile also asked the Delhi Dy CM to take immediate action against the illegal migrants and said that the Centre would extend full support in that direction. He reiterated that the decision to shift the Rohingya illegal migrants was taken by the Delhi government and that the information was out only on August 17. “It was learned through media reports on Aug 17 that Delhi Govt has decided to shift the Rohingya immigrants from Kanchan Kunj, Madanpur Khadar, to Bakarwala”, Mishra stated in the letter adding that the MHA then wrote immediately to the Delhi government asking it not to do so.

According to the MHA, the Foreigners Registration Regional Office had earlier proposed that the illegal migrants be shifted from Rampur Sadan to some other place. It is the Delhi Govt’s home department and social welfare department who proposed that EWS flats in Bakarwala would be made the detention centre.

To note, the Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly been asking Delhi and other state governments to initiate deportation proceedings against illegal migrants including the Rohingyas. The MHA on August 18 reiterated its request to take strict action against the Rohingyas under the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Earlier the day, Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that it was the Centre’s conspiracy to rehabilitate Rohingya illegal migrants in Delhi. Demanding a thorough investigation of the case, he said, “The center’s conspiracy regarding rehabilitation of Rohingya in Delhi was exposed yesterday. Neither I nor Delhi CM had any clue about a plan to move Rohingyas to flats earmarked for the economically weaker section in Bakkarwala”.

“We got to know through newspaper reports that a scheme to provide flats to Rohingya was on. I checked with the officers and got to know from them that some meetings had taken place in the presence of central government officers,” Sisodia was quoted.

This is after Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on August 16 tweeted that all the 1100 Rohingya illegal foreigners would be provided with accommodation (EWS flats) and round-the-clock protection. “India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision, all Rohingya Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs, and round-the-clock Delhi Police protection”, tweeted Puri.

The Ministry of Home Affairs then immediately clarified saying that the Rohingya illegal foreigners will not be given EWS flats in Delhi. “Govt of Delhi proposed to shift the Rohingyas to a new location. Illegal foreigners are to be kept in Detention Centre till their deportation as per law”, the HMO had said. The Ministry had also made it clear that Rohingyas are ‘illegal foreigners’ illegally staying in India, and that they will be deported, not be given refugee status.

MK Gandhi statue outside New York’s Tulsi Mandir vandalised for the second time in two weeks: Details

OpIndia Staff
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MK Gandhi statue outside New York’s Tulsi Mandir vandalised for the second time in two weeks: Details

A statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (MK Gandhi) placed outside Shri Tulsi Mandir in South Richmond Hill, located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens, was vandalised on the night of August 16 Tuesday, a second such incident of hate crime in less than two weeks. Incidentally, the same statue was vandalised by unidentified miscreants on August 3, 2022.

The founding pandit of the temple, Lakhram Maharaj, told reporters that a group of five to ten unidentified miscreants, armed with sledgehammers, vandalized the Tulsi Mandir. After vandalising the Gandhi statue, the miscreants spray-painted the word ‘Dog’ both in front of the temple and down the block before fleeing in two cars, a white Mercedes Benz and a darker car, possibly a Toyota Camry that is possibly used as a livery cab, police said.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the vandalism at the Tulsi Mandir last night,” the Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol tweeted. “This is not the first time something like this has happened, and it must stop. We must work together to send a clear message that hate crimes towards any religion will not be tolerated.”

Pandit Maharaj, founder of the Shri Tulsi Mandir in South Richmond Hill, said that the community members are sad and heartbroken after Gandhi’s statue was again vandalized late on Tuesday night. “To see them coming after us like this is very painful,” he told CBS News.

Second vandalistic attack on Gandhi statute in two weeks

Notably, the same statue was vandalised less than two weeks earlier, on August 3, 2022. Then too, some unidentified men had knocked over the statue outside the Shri Tulsi Mandir in Richmond Hill, leaving it to face down on the ground with the hand in pieces and an arm cracked.

Following this incident of hate crime, on August 8 (local time), New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar announced that she would hold a press conference on August 9 with community leaders and elected officials to denounce an alleged hate crime at Shri Tulsi Mandir located in South Richmond Hill. Condemning the incident, she had said that the desecration of Gandhi statues and anti-Hindu hate crimes would not be tolerated in Richmond Hill or anywhere across New York State.

Incidentally, the Shri Tulsi Mandir in New York has previously also been targetted. In 2020, a woman was captured on surveillance video setting fire to a flag outside this same temple in Queens.

The August 3 incident of vandalism, however, came after a previous vandalism incident in New York in July when a giant statue of Gandhi was defaced. According to the York Police, the statue was 5 meters high and placed at the Vishnu Temple on Yonge Street and Garden Avenue. The statue was reportedly defaced with words like “Khalistan” and “rapist”. 

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