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6 things Siddique Kappan lied about to get bail: Working for PFI mouthpiece in Saudi that made Osama a martyr to what he really got money for

Nupur J Sharma
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6 things Siddique Kappan lied about to get bail: Working for PFI mouthpiece in Saudi that made Osama a martyr to what he really got money for

The state of Uttar Pradesh has filed a Statement of Objections, sworn to by the Deputy SP, STF Unit Agra, Uttar Pradesh, the Investigating Officer in the Hathras conspiracy case, opposing the bail plea of UAPA accused Siddique Kappan. Kappan claims to be an independent journalist, however, Uttar Pradesh in its affidavit has provided details of the investigation where they have demonstrated his deep links to Islamist outfit PFI. In the affidavit, the UP government has said that the investigation has revealed Kappan’s personal links to the top leadership of PFI and CFI, their student organisation. The affidavit further makes a connection between CFI and Al Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist organisation, through organisations like IHH in Turkey.

“High Court has meticulously considered the chargesheet, case diaries and evidence against the Petitioner before finding a prima facie case is made out and only then rightly refused bail,” the affidavit read. The affidavit further opposed the bail plea of Kappan saying that the accused knew how to take advantage of the loopholes in the law and that if he was released, it would pose a credible threat to the lives of the witnesses in the case.

In the affidavit, the Uttar Pradesh government also meticulously listed in a table the issues that Siddique Kappan had lied about and the facts he had suppressed from the court in order to secure bail.

1. Misrepresents his employment in Saudi Arabia and links to PFI

In his bail plea, Siddique Kappan categorically states that he was “employed” in Saudi Arabia from 2002 – 2011. It is further stated by Kappan that in 2011, he “resigned from his job in Saudi Arabia and settled in Kerala” and that “since he was very passionate about journalism and was an occasional writer…he opted to join as a sub-editor of the ‘Thejas’ Newspaper at Kozhikkode. In this, he fails to mention who his employers were in Saudi Arabia, for whom, he reportedly worked for almost a decade.

Uttar Pradesh government’s investigation revealed that at least from 2009, Siddique Kappan was employed with Gulf Tejhas Daily in Jeddah as a reporter. In the FSL analysis of his laptop in Agra, word File titled “Sidhique Kappan Resume.docx” was found by the police which lists his employment details.

Resume for Siddique Kappan

The affidavit says, “‘Thejas’ is a Malayalam language mouthpiece of the extremist organization Popular Front of India (PFI) with six editions in Kerala and international bureaus in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The publication was compelled to shut down in India in 2018 amidst reports (including by a Kerala High Court-appointed independent committee) that the paper’s coverage was aimed at creating religious discord”.

The UP government’s affidavit further states in May 2011, after the US had neutralised Islamic terrorist Osama Bin Laden, the magazine that Kappan worked for published its edition with his picture on the cover along with a Quranic verse and the word “Martyr” on it.

Tejhas cover from 2011

The verse of the Quran on the cover page translates to, “Do not think they are dead; the people who killed in the way of Allah; they are living with Allah; they are provided resources (gifts)”.

The affidavit says that as per his own admission, Siddique Kappan was employed with the magazine when this cover was published and has been associated for over a decade with an employer that espouses a terrorist ideology.

2. Kappan lies, says he was not carrying the Tejhas ID card when he was arrested, on his way to Hathras

In his bail plea, Siddique Kappan claimed that when he was arrested on his way to Hathras, he was not carrying the ID card of Tejhas, but was only carrying the Press Club of India card. However, the Uttar Pradesh affidavit exposes this lie peddled by Kappan as well.

In the affidavit, it is mentioned that when Kappan was arrested on the 5th of October 2020, while on his way to Hathras, 4 ID cards were recovered from his possession. 2 of which were of Thejas Daily, 1 was of the Delhi Union of Journalists (which itself noted Siddique Kappan’s employment with Tejhas) and 1 was a card of Press Club of India.

ID cards of Kappan

3. Siddique Kappan says that he was not deployed by PFI/CFI to go to Hathras

Kappan says that he was deputed by his “present employer” and not by PFI or CFI to go to Hathras. The Uttar Pradesh govt has given details of the people he was travelling with when he was on his way to Hathras and how he is connected to PFI and CFI.

The govt said he was travelling with persons who were named accused in previous riots, namely:

  1. Atik–ur–Rahman, National Treasurer of CFI, accused in relation to Muzaffarnagar riots (Case Crime No. 1161/2019, PS Kotwali Nagar, Muzaffarnagar)
  2. Masood Ahmad, former General Secretary of the Delhi chapter of CFI, was accused in relation to the Behraich riots (Case Crime No. 225/2020, PS Jarwal Road, Behraich)
  3. The 3rd co-accused in the car, i.e. the driver Alam, was the brother-in-law of co-accused Danish Khan, who is also an accused in relation to the Delhi riots (Case Crime 59/2020, PS Crime Branch Cell, Delhi).

The government’s contention is that if he was merely carrying out his journalistic duties, why was he travelling with the riot accused? This question was posed to Kappan and he was unable to provide a satisfactory answer for the same.

The affidavit further says, “Per contra, it has come out in the investigation that the Petitioner was actually part of the PFI/CFI delegation to meet the family of the Hathras victim and foment discord and spread terror. The investigation has revealed that the said delegation was sent to Hathras on the directions of co-accused Rauf Sharif (National General Secretary, CFI, prime fundraiser and financial transaction handler for PFI/CFI), who had also provided finances for the trip”.

Further, Rauf Sharif sent a Whatsapp message to Kappan at 12:26 pm on 05/10/2020. The affidavit says, the WhatsApp message “specifically stated: “What’s the status there” meaning thereby that Sharif was well aware of the Petitioner’s whereabouts on the date. The same is also confirmed by co-accused Rauf Sharif’s 161 statement in the present case”.

The fact that Kappan was deputed by PFI/CFI is further evidenced by the fact that even the statement of the Editor of Azhimukhum nowhere states that the said publication had deputed the Petitioner to cover the Hathras incident, it merely states that the Petitioner had at 12.10 am on 5.10.2022, sent the office a whatsapp message that he is going to Hathras.

4. Siddique Kappan claims in his bail plea that no incriminating evidence was collected from his possession upon arrest

Siddique Kappan has played the victim and claimed that no incriminating evidence was recovered from him when he was arrested on his way to Hathras, however, the UP govt has contested the claim and called it “patently untrue”.

They say, “3 sets of a 17-page pamphlet with the front page having the words “Justice for Hathras victim” and another page having the words “Am I not India’s Daughter (made with Carrd) were recovered from the car. A perusal of the pamphlet would demonstrate that it is nothing more than a “Rioting 101” for rioters, teaching them how to, inter alia, conceal themselves from the police, which “riots” to attend, to “recognize the place you are rioting in“.

5. What did Siddique Kappan get money for?

Kappan in his bail plea has claimed that the Rs 25,000 he got in September in cash and the Rs 20,000 he got in October was not meant for (i) conducting a secret workshop in September and (ii) making the trip to Hathras in October to foment religious discord and spread terror.

The UP govt says that Kappan’s assertions are untrue based on their investigation and also, according to his own submissions in the high court, the statements seems contradictory.

The govt’s affidavit says, “In the present Petition, the Petitioner has claimed that the Rs. 25000 of 15.09.2020 was money deposited by him which he had saved to construct a house and that the Rs. 20000 of 4.10.2020 was money that had been borrowed by friends and returned to him. However, in his Supplementary rejoinder before High Court, the Petitioner has (at p. 364) states that “the alleged payments made to the applicant are relating to his salary paid for working at Tejas Daily.” Thus, there is a clear contradiction in the Petitioner’s own version of the source of the said funds”.

Further, the govt says that there are chats between Kappan and Kamal KP, General Secretary, PFI (comprising largely of voice notes) that reveal that there was a secret workshop in September that Kappan had to conduct. Kappan, in his voice note to Kamal KP also tells him to “delete the voice note after he hears it”. It was after this workshop that Kappan was paid Rs 25,000 in two tranches. The affidavit says, “Further, the Section 161 statement of co-accused Rauf Sharif (Annexure R/7) stated that Kamal KP deposited cash in the account of the Petitioner for the purpose of the Hathras journey. The Petitioner has, later in the High Court, pleaded that the workshop referenced in the 09.01.2020 voice note was merely a Wikipedia workshop; however the same begs the question: why would the Petitioner ask the recipient (Kamal KP) to delete the voice note if it were for something as innocuous as a Wikipedia workshop”.

6. Siddique Kappan claims he had no personal connection with PFI/CFI leadership beyond his employment at Tejhas

The affidavit, countering this claim by Kappan says, “This is patently untrue. The investigation (detailed hereinafter) has revealed a close nexus and deep connection of the Petitioner with the extremist PFI and its chapters including CFI, a close nexus with top leadership of PFI/CFI (which is basically formed of ex-SIMI members), who in turn have been found to have connections with Al Qaeda linked organizations like IHH in Turkey. An analysis of the Whatsapp chats between the Petitioner and the said top leadership of PFI reveal that his relationship with them was not, as claimed, merely in relation with his so called journalistic work with Thejas, but rather, went much deeper, in which he warned them of government suspicions of PFI, discussed his ambitions, has written articles in other publications on the directions of such PFI members, and has, in one chat specifically even admitted that he is a “PFI person”.”.

The Supreme Court will hear Kappan’s bail plea for final disposal on 9th September. There are several shocking revelations in the response filed by the Uttar Pradesh government, however, it is amply clear that the “journalist”, who has found support from several liberal quarters, is closely associated with the PFI, was on his way to Hathras on their instructions and has lied in his bail plea application to the Supreme Court according to the UP government.

Siddique Kappan among 4 arrested under UAPA by Uttar Pradesh police

Siddique Kappan was arrested by the UP Police on October 5 while he was proceeding to cover the Hathras case where a 19-year-old Dalit woman had died after a strangulation attempt. He was arrested along with three other persons, under stringent sections of UAPA and sedition charges for attempting to create a caste-conflict in the state amidst the ongoing Hathras case controversy.

Apart from Kappan, Siddique of Nagla in Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed of Jarwal in Bahraich district, and Alam of Kotwali area in Rampur district were arrested.

According to the FIR, the UP Police has charged all the accused under Section 17 of the UAPA that deals with raising funds for a terrorist act. The four people who were apprehended from Mathura on October 5 were then sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Reportedly, all the arrested four had connections with radical Islamic organisations Popular Front of India (PFI), and were planning to cause caste-based unrest in the state.

DU college under Delhi government forced to work for only 5 days due to lack of funds: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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DU college under Delhi government forced to work for only 5 days due to lack of funds: Reports

While the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Delhi government has been browbeating about its education model, it has now come to light that a prestigious college of Delhi University is forced to work for only 5 days.

As per a report in The Times of India, the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) college has cut down its operating hours to save electricity and keep costs down. DDU is funded by the Delhi government, which has not released electrical and maintenance grants or funds so far.

To add to the woes, the Delhi government has not even paid the salaries of the teachers for the past 2 months. This has prompted them to participate in protests against the Aam Aadmi Party government.

Given the paucity of funds, the DDU college is now working only 5 days a week. A teacher told The Times of India, “It has been more than two years now that we have been facing this problem.”

“Earlier, the government said once the governing body was constituted with its representatives, the problem of funds would be addressed, but still the same problem is going on,” the teacher added.

Deen Dayal Upadhyay college is not the only Delhi University college left at the mercy of the Delhi government. In fact, a total of 12 DU colleges are directly funded by the Arvind Kejriwal-led-government.

According to The Times of India, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has met Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and sought his urgent intervention to resolve the financial crisis. It lambasted the Delhi government’s Directorate of Higher Education for misleading about the release of grants to the said 12 colleges.

A K Bhagi, DUTA president, lamented, “On Teachers’ Day, teaching and non-teaching staff members have performed their duties diligently without fail, but the Delhi government has failed continuously for the past few years in providing the salaries to these employees and has also failed to build the basic infrastructure for the students in these 12 colleges.”

Delhi government spent ₹19 crores in ads for a loan given to 2 students

While colleges under the Delhi government are struggling for funds, last month, it came to light that the Delhi government spent ₹19 crores on advertisements for a scheme named ‘Delhi Higher Education and Skill Development Guarantee Scheme’ in 2020-2021, which benefitted only 2 students.

The AAP government launched the said scheme in 2015. The objective was to provide a loan facility of up to Rs 10 lakh to students in Delhi, studying in the 10th-12th standard, such that they can continue their education up to college.

In the financial year 2021-22, advertisements worth Rs 46,22,685 were given in print media and Rs 18,81,00,618 in television media. In all, Rs 19.27 crore was spent on advertising the scheme, while only two students benefited from the scheme during the financial year.

5 previous instances when Indian cricketers, including Tendulkar and Dhoni, were attacked by fans for their poor performances

OpIndia Staff
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5 previous instances when Indian cricketers, including Tendulkar and Dhoni, were attacked by fans for their poor performances

When India lost its match against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup, propagandists viewed it as an ideal chance to divide Indians and slander India on the world stage. Bots impersonating Indian supporters began to criticise and insult Indian cricketer Arshdeep Singh for dropping a catch during the match. Arshdeep’s Wikipedia page was also edited by someone with a Pakistani IP address to add “Khalistani” to his profile.

These troll accounts and their trolling was given a boost from the Indian side by none other than Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair. Within minutes following Pakistan’s last run, Zubair had a series of screenshots of Twitter users who used the epithet “Khalistani” for Arshdeep Singh. A complaint has been registered against Zubair in this matter for inciting hatred through his tweets.

While the campaign to call Arshdeep a Khalistani and divide Indians was largely running from Pakistan backed by the useful idiots sitting in India, fans criticising Indian cricketers for underperforming or making a mistake in crucial matches is hardly a new phenomenon. With the passion for the game running high in the country, fans do tend to go overboard with their criticism on occasions, and even legends of the game like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni don’t remain untouched in that case.

Here is a list of 5 incidents in which Indian cricketers have been attacked for not performing in crucial matches resulting in the loss of the Indian team.

Azharuddin’s effigies burnt after the 1996 ICC World Cup Semifinal.

The Wills World Cup semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka in 1996 ended in disaster for India, with the team losing in bizarre circumstances as the angry fans didn’t let the match finish. With India heading for a massive defeat, fans started throwing stuff on the ground making the resumption of play impossible, and the match referee handed Sri Lanka the victory.

Azharuddin, in particular, was insulted and booed when the Indian team exited Eden Gardens following the game. As a result of his decision to chase on a dry pitch after winning the toss, Azharuddin was accused of gifting the semifinal to Sri Lanka.

The uproar was not limited to Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Effigies of Indian cricketers, particularly of Azharuddin, were set ablaze across the country. Security was also deployed outside the house of Azharuddin to prevent any untoward incident. 

Houses of players stoned, effigies burnt after India’s poor start to the 2003 World Cup.

Even though India reached the Final of the 2003 World Cup, their start to the tournament wasn’t that great. After struggling to beat Holland in their first match, India slumped to a nine-wicket defeat against Australia sparking widespread outrage back home. Angry cricket fans took to the streets, with posters of numerous Indian cricketers being burned and residences of players being stoned.

Cricket fans burnt pictures of Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, top batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag, and screamed chants such as “Down with Sourav.” According to media reports, the most violent protest was directed at the family home of batsman Mohammad Kaif. A crowd hurled plastic bags containing paint and black oil at Kaif’s residence in Allahabad.

Sourav Ganguly publicly criticised the Indian public’s fury and asked the players not to communicate with the media. Following this episode, India won eight straight games to reach the tournament final.

Tendulkar, Dravid, and Sehwag’s effigies burnt after India lost to Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup

One of the lowest points of Indian cricket was the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean when a star-studded team crashed out in the first round itself after managing a solitary win against Bermuda. Hoping to go one better than the 2003 edition and win the whole thing, India suffered a huge upset when they lost to Bangladesh in their opening game.

Fans didn’t take the defeat lightly once more. Players’ homes were attacked with stones, and their effigies were set ablaze across the country. Senior players like Captain Rahul Dravid, Sahin Tendulkar, and Virender Sehwag were the main targets of this anger. Indian cricketers found it quite demoralising to be at the receiving end of this rage.

The under-construction house of Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also vandalised following the same match. The supporters, led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) activists, urged the state government to revoke the land given to Dhoni. A few pillars and several walls on the property were damaged by the mob.

Furious Indian cricket fans stormed the home of national wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to protest a five-wicket rout by Bangladesh in their opening World Cup match, police said.
Protest against Dhoni.

Yuvraj Singh’s house pelted with stones after India lost the 2014 T20 World Cup Final

After getting through to the final of the World T20 in 2014, Indian fans were expecting another World Cup for Team India. As Virat Kohli continued his good form in the tournament in the final, a win was very much looking like a possibility. However, Yuvraj Singh, who was returning after fighting cancer, got stuck at the other end and could only score 11 runs off 21 balls played.

Sri Lanka chased down the victory target with ease after that, and Yuvraj Singh’s knock received harsh criticism. His performance was seen as the reason India lost to Sri Lanka as he failed to generate any momentum in the middle and late overs.

Following the defeat, many people gathered outside his home in Chandigarh and shouted slogans against him asking him to retire. Some people even hurled stones at his house to express their anger over his performance.

Jasprit Bumrah trolled after No Ball in 2017 Champions Trophy

Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian fast bowler, was widely chastised for bowling a ‘No Ball’ during the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2017. Bumrah picked up the wicket of Pakistani opener Fakhar Zaman early on only to find that he has overstepped resulting in the No Ball. Fakhar went on to score a blistering century and played a pivotal role in handing Pakistan the Champions Trophy.

Following the defeat, Bumrah became an open target for trolls on social media for his ‘No Ball.’  Memes and jokes about Bumrah swamped Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The matter escalated when the Jaipur Traffic Police used the No Ball as part of their traffic awareness advertising. Following that, Bumrah criticized Jaipur Traffic Police for using memes featuring him. “Well done Jaipur traffic police,” he tweeted, “this shows how much respect you get after giving your best for the country.”

Fans must keep their emotions in check while criticising cricketers after a poor performance or a mistake on the field. However, it doesn’t always happen and some fans do go overboard with their criticism. Propagandists sitting in India and their counterparts in Pakistan want to show that Indians attack only people from “minority religions”, like Mohammad Shami or Arshdeep, for making mistakes on the field. The reality though is that as we have seen, not even the God of cricket Sachin Tendulkar is safe from the wrath of disappointed Indian cricket fans.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind backs UP govt’s decision to survey unrecognized madarsas in the state

OpIndia Staff
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Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind backs UP govt’s decision to survey unrecognized madarsas in the state

Days after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to survey unrecognized madarsas in the state, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, led by several Islamic clerics, held a meeting in Delhi on Tuesday and extended support to the government. Maulana Mahmood Madani called for a meeting to discuss the strategies to ascertain unlicensed madarsas in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government had on September 1 announced that it would survey unrecognized madarsas of the state to ascertain information such as several teachers and students, curriculum, and its affiliation with any non-government organization.

Minister of State for Minority Affairs Danish Azad Ansari had said that the survey would be conducted as per the requirements of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which wants to check on basic facilities being provided to students in madarsas.

The minister stated further that the survey would help gather other details also such as the name of the madarsa and the institution operating it, whether it is being run in a private or a rented building, and information regarding basic facilities of drinking water, furniture, electricity supply, and toilet, etc.

Maulana Mahmood Madani, the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind called a meeting on September 6 to discuss the matter amid other issues. It is reported that the Islamic clerics backed the state government’s decision to survey the madarsas in the state which are running without government help. Reports mention that Maulana Mahmood Madani will also address a press conference after the meeting.

Earlier in the day, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to conduct the survey of unrecognized madarsas in the state. It said that the government was deliberately targeting minority institutions.

“Madarsas are being targeted in Uttar Pradesh and Assam. This is being done even though minority institutions are protected under the law. In Assam, the government has gone as far as to bulldoze some of the smaller madarsas while converting others to schools. If the issue is that of restricting religious education and promoting secular education instead, then why isn’t the government taking the same action against gurukuls”, Qasim Rasool Ilyas, an executive member of the AIMPLB, was quoted as saying.

Ilyas further added that there was no clear estimate of the total number of madarsas in Uttar Pradesh. He also cited a report published by the Sachar Committee and stated that around 4 percent of Muslim children studied in madarsas and that there are likely to be thousands of madarsas in the state.

According to the reports, there are a total of 16,461 madrassas in the state at present. 560 of the state’s total madarsas get government subsidies, but new madarsas have been excluded from the grant list for the previous six years.

MP: Man booked for forcing a Hindu woman to marry and convert to Islam, had threatened her of murder and acid attack

OpIndia Staff
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MP: Man booked for forcing a Hindu woman to marry and convert to Islam, had threatened her of murder and acid attack

On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh Police registered a complaint against a person named Janbaaz Mansoori alias Monu for forcing a Hindu woman to marry and convert to Islam. The police registered an FIR based on a complaint of the woman who alleged that the accused had been harassing her for a long time and had now started sending her threatening messages.

According to the reports, the victim girl is a student of a nursing college and the incident is said to have happened in the Indira Circle area of Ashapur, Khandwa, Madha Pradesh. The accused had been harassing her and threatening her to convert to Islam. He recently sent her some pictures of him in which he was seen holding a gun.

The girl decided to register a complaint on September 5 after the accused blocked her way to home and showered her with flower petals. He asked the girl to marry him and accept Islam as her new religion. The girl in the complaint said that the accused also forcefully made her sit on his bike and drove the vehicle at full speed. The girl who got scared jumped off the bike and called for help.

Several people from the locality then gathered around the girl after she jumped off the bike. They also tried to trap Mansoori who till then had fled from the spot. Several members of the Hindu organization also reached the spot and helped the girl to reach the Police.

She informed the Hindu organizations and the Police that she was a first-year student in a private nursing college in the city. On September 5, at 3 pm, while she was on her way home in Ashapur, Mansoori who is a resident of the same village blocked her way, showered flowers on her, and asked her for marriage. “He also asked me to convert my religion”, the girl reiterated.

According to the victim, Mansoori has been following her for the past one year. She said that the accused had made several similar attempts to harass her earlier when she was studying at Harsud College in the city. The accused then also blocked her way and pressurized her to get married to him. However, the matter was settled after the girl informed her about the incident to her family who later complained to Masoori’s family members.

However, the boy continued to harass the victim and managed to get her phone number this time. He began sending her threatening messages and his pictures with a gun. “Get married or else I will kill your whole family. Convert to religion or else I will shoot you”, the threatening messages read.

The girl also mentioned that the accused had threatened her to destroy her face with acid if she refused to marry and convert to Islam. A complaint has been registered by the Police against Mansoori. Further investigations in the case are underway.

Arshdeep Singh’s parents react to his online trolling after he dropped a catch in India vs Pakistan match, here is what they said

OpIndia Staff
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Arshdeep Singh’s parents react to his online trolling after he dropped a catch in India vs Pakistan match, here is what they said

On September 4, India lost a match to Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup by 5 wickets. Following the defeat, propagandists from Pakistan and trolls on Twitter and other social media platforms ran a campaign to defame Arshdeep by calling him a ‘Khalistani’.

Arshdeep’s parents were also in Dubai to watch their son playing for Team India. When they arrived back, several media houses approached them and questioned their views on the controversy.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Arshdeep’s father, Darshan Singh, who has served with the CISF, said, “We went to watch the match. India-Pak match is always interesting. Fans get emotional, angry when their team loses and say a few words. We are taking it positively, and there is no problem.”

His mother, Baljeet Kaur, said, “We also watched the first match and the second match was also good, but silly mistakes happen and can happen by anyone. People have a habit of saying, let them say. If people are commenting on it, it means they love him.”

They spoke to Sports Tak at the Chandigarh airport in Mohali upon arrival in a detailed interview over the issue. When Arshdeep’s father was asked about the controversy, he said, “I do not want to comment on this. Fans want their teams to win, and when they lose, some fans criticise the players. It is part of the game. We should not take it negatively and use it to improve our game.”

The reporter repeatedly questioned him on his views over the use of the term ‘Khalistani’ that Arshdeep’s father categorically ignored and said, “I do not want to speak other than about the game. It is part of the game. Winning and losing are parts of the game. When we win, our drawbacks get overlooked, but when we lose, they become a matter of discussion. If Pakistan had lost the match, their player who dropped the catch would have faced a similar fate.”

He added, “Arshdeep told me that he himself is reading the comments. He is taking criticism positively and will use it to improve his game. There is a lot left in the tournament. He will shine.”

When the reporter asked his mother if she felt bad, she said, “No, I did not. There is every type of fan. Some criticise the players but the rest of them love the players.” Speaking about the allegations that Arshdeep intentionally dropped the catch, she said, “We cannot stop anyone from saying anything. Let them speak what they want to. We will take it positively and move forward.” She further added that they told Arshdeep to ignore the controversy and concentrate on his game.

Indian Express quoted Darshan Singh as saying, “As a parent, it feels really bad. He is only 23. I don’t want to say much about trolls. You can’t shut everyone’s mouth. Without fans, there is no game. There are some who stand by you no matter what and others who can’t digest a single loss. But at the end of the day, only one team can win.”

Quoting Arshdeep, his father said, “Before returning, we had a word with Arshdeep. His exact words were – I am laughing at all these tweets and messages. I am only going to take positives from it. This incident has only given me more confidence.” Arshdeep’s parents are planning to go for the finals if India qualifies for it.

Interestingly, AAP leader Harbhajan Mann, Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair and the entire left cabal were busy propagating that Indians are abusing Arshdeep for the catch he dropped and calling him Khalistani. Several Twitter users pointed out that many tweets name-calling Arshdeep originated from Pakistan, as did the Wikipedia edit of his page. Some prominent personalities from Pakistan and of Pakistan origin were also seen propagating the same.

Amidst all the campaigns running to defame India and Indians over the matter, the IT Ministry summoned Wikipedia India officials to seek an explanation of how Arshdeep’s Wikipedia page was vandalised and what were security measures in place to prevent such edits.

The bane of Bollywood: Starkids drunk on arrogance, no respect for audience or genuine talent and hollow propaganda that is simply not selling anymore

Sharmi Adhikary
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The bane of Bollywood: Starkids drunk on arrogance, no respect for audience or genuine talent and hollow propaganda that is simply not selling anymore

What possibly ties Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda and Bollywood girls Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan with a thread of commonality? Deverakonda’s shrugging at a recent interview and saying, “This boycott movies gang should not be considered as important. Jisko dekhna hoga who dekhenge humari film Liger!” brought back memories of Khan uttering smugly, “No one has asked the audience to go and watch our films, no? If you don’t want to watch, mat dekho!” in an online dialogue held last year about nepotism in Bollywood with controversial journalist Barkha Dutt.

However, Bhatt, even after witnessing the recent debacles of big-ticket films Liger and Laal Singh Chaddha, had the nerve to casually remark, “If you don’t like me, don’t watch me!” days before her film Brahmastra, with co-actor and husband Ranbir Kapoor, is set to release in the theatre. Interestingly, while Liger and Brahmastra carry the Karan Johar (a man who has been under the scanner ever since Sushant Singh Rajput passed away for fanning nepotism and diluting the quality of films through insipid, baseless and irrational stories that often painted Hindus in a degraded light) tag, LSC bit dust because of the heat Aamir Khan faced due to the comments he passed against India in the past, his agenda peddling show Satyameva Jayate and for hurting Hindu sentiments in the extremely anti-Hindu film PK. Actually, the film LSC was totally panned by eminent critics but the left liberals would obviously blame ‘fascist Hindutva’ trolls for its failure.  

Drunk on the arrogance of stardom 

However, the arrogance of Bollywood doesn’t look like it is going to break very soon. Repeated commercial flops, the extensive boycott by the audience who are fed up with their lacklustre content, anti-Hindu diatribe, and distorted narratives that have affected the fabric of Indian society for years, notwithstanding, star kids and actors continue with their indignant fronts disrespecting the audience, their thoughts and decisions repeatedly. An industry filled with actors, producers, directors and other members who tasted stardom because of the love showered by the audience, are now blatantly disregarding the emotions of the junta expressing their ire over how these celebrities have been misusing their influence. And even if that morality bit is kept aside, what could possibly explain the gargantuan success of films such as RRR, KGF, Karthikeya 2, The Kashmir Files and Pushpa that were not Bollywood products?

In fact, small films such as Jaadugar, as well as series like Panchayat, Gullak, Ghar Waapsi too did well because of their relatable content as against what Bollywood has been brainwashing the public with for many, many years. So, when Arjun Kapoor has the audacity to utter that Bollywood should come together and teach the ‘boycott gang’ a lesson, it only reeks of his ignorance about quality content and the truth that in a democracy the audience will only watch what they enjoy! And this time, no amount of PR buzz generated by the Bollywood cabal is going to attract moviegoers to the theatre. 

Bollywood’s mill of propaganda

Even as we pen our thoughts on how unfazed Bollywood celebrities are by the disgruntled audience, the urban chatter room is brimming with opinions about the Hindi film industry acting as a propaganda platform against Hindus for years causing immense harm to the Bharatiya psyche generation after generation. With money laundering rampant, communist thought processes permeating people subtly and involvement of the mafia, experts now opine that the fall of the industry should mark financial losses for anti-Indian forces which actually is a welcome move.

Not that the powers-that-be in Bollywood have taken note. For, the PR machinery that has always worked up the halo effect for the stars despite the poor work they generate is already working overtime to topple the truth. Gems of Bollywood, a popular page on Twitter systematically decoding the anti-Hindu narratives spilt by the industry is being shadow banned and runs the risk of being suspended. Movie reviewers who put out honest criticism against paid positive reviews are being obviated using legal muscle (a case in point is Kamal Rashid Khan being arrested ten days before the release of Brahmastra for his 2020 tweet). 

Instead of correcting themselves and introspecting about what exactly brought about their downfall, the Bollywood cabal is playing dirty, armed with overconfidence. There is hardly any sign of course correction. The excessive usage of Urdu and Farsi in Brahmastra is not the only problem pointed out by movie lovers. They are questioning the veracity of what is being depicted in the film in the name of Hindu philosophy and iconography. Also, the latest skeleton tumbling out of the closet is that the film was originally named Dragon and Kapoor’s character was supposed to be Jalaluddin Mohd Rumi that got changed to Shiva after the Pulwama attack. So, questioning the veracity of the intentions of the filmmakers sounds legitimate.

While for ignoramuses the film might look like Ayan Mukerji’s tribute to Shiva and Parvati, actually it is nothing but a money-making tool doctored on the lines of Marvel and DC Comics that want to reap the benefits of the rising spiritual consciousness of Hindus. But, no matter how calculative the scheme is, the cracks in confidence are visible. Karan Johar is conspicuous by his absence from the promotions while S S Rajamouli has been flown in to spread awareness about the film since he is riding the wave of his immensely successful and nationalistic work, RRR.

The web of money-generated PR supporting the stars

While many, including most from the Hindi movie industry, would say films are made just to entertain, sensible minds would gauge that cinema is also modern visual literature that has an all-pervasive grip on the mind of the audience. They have the ability to shape thought processes and which Bollywood has for many years. In fact, if films were just to entertain then so are nukkad naatak, dance shows and the circus. Then how can we justify the humungous pay disparity between Bollywood film actors and the rest (even within their own industry)?

What ‘amazing’ work is the topmost ‘stars’ of Bollywood doing to demand such a hefty fee? They influence at an impactful scale and the web of money is spread to support that halo. Rather an entire system is built around it. But the sheer lack of talent of the star kids makes one wonder how they have relied heavily on faff and PR in order to not have to work hard while enjoying the fruits of fame and power. This has made them defensive towards genuine criticism and insecure about getting dethroned when talented freshers make headway. Interestingly, this very PR has been successful in painting Bollywood as the be-all and end-all of Indian cinema despite way better work regularly coming out of Marathi, Gujarati and other film industries in the country. 

No space for genuine talent

Don’t we remember how Shiney Ahuja’s career was ruined by a rape case where the accuser later made a U-turn, or how Priyanshu Chatterjee stopped getting prominent roles despite becoming a sensation after Tum Bin? Remember Shreyas Talpade relegated to silly slapstick comedies even after he exhibited a massive spark with Iqbal and Welcome to Sajjanpur? Rajat Barmecha, who delivered a sleeper hit with Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan, had openly lashed out at the nepotism prevalent in Bollywood that disillusions, demoralizes and ruins the careers of young actors when the talentless star kids feel threatened about relinquishing the throne to deserving actors.

And of course, we all know what happened to Sushant Singh Rajput! A noxious nexus present in the industry ensures that star kids keep getting work no matter how terrible they are in histrionics because that’s how it has always been, at the cost of audience money. Or maybe because it’s a superfluity of unaccounted money that emboldens the cabal and makes the members stick together. It’s a vicious cycle that ensures mediocrity is celebrated and arrogance is toasted while real talent is stifled and genuine efforts are thwarted. 

In fact, Deverakonda’s demeanour and body language at the press con (and the way he lifted his feet up while sitting to interact with the audience) show how the Bollywood dust has rubbed off on him. Now it’s up to the Geeta Govindam and Arjun Reddy star to realise that Bollywood will only heed him if he gets in the moolah. In an industry that only understands money and is a million miles away from morality, humility or professionalism, it wouldn’t take them minutes to use and throw him if their purpose is not solved. The audience has woken up to this blatant truth and moved on to better content dished out by filmmakers in Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada and Telugu cinema. When will this reality dawn on Bollywood, blinded by hubris and conceit? Or will it ever!

Hyderabad gang-rape case: Police unable to retrieve data from destroyed mobile phones of six accused

OpIndia Staff
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Hyderabad gang-rape case: Police unable to retrieve data from destroyed mobile phones of six accused

The Hyderabad Police investigating the gang-rape case of a minor girl at Jubilee Hills is facing trouble as it is unable to retrieve data from the accused’s mobile phone. The incident happened on May 28 this year when a minor girl was gang raped by 5 minors and one adult.

According to the reports, the Hyderabad Police arrested all the accused and also confiscated their mobile phones which were used by the accused to record the brutal crime that had sent shock waves across the city. The Police are facing technical trouble as the accused had reportedly destroyed the mobile phones before they were arrested, erasing the full video recording of the crime.

However, though the police were able to recover the destroyed phones shortly after the accused were taken into custody on June 8, they are unable to retrieve the data even after three months of the ongoing investigation. Mohammed Sadadduin Malik, the only major among the six accused, allegedly directed the other accused to destroy their mobile phones before their arrest.

The Forensic Science Laboratory technical expert elaborating on the case said that the Police did not send the mobile phones for forensic investigation as they already knew that the phones were destroyed and that no data could be retrieved. The Police however have recovered short video clips in which the accused cannot be seen forcing over the victim.

The minor girl was gang-raped in Telangana’s capital Hyderabad on May 28 this year. The victim girl had gone to attend a party at the Amnesia and Insomnia Pub in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Notably, the culprits took her out of the party in the Mercedes car and then gang raped her. Out of the six accused in the case, five were identified as minors.

According to the Juvenile Justice Act, a minor accused cannot be detained by the police overnight and cannot be kept in police custody beyond 6 pm. Considering the law in the given case, the accused had adequate time to destroy their cellphones which contained evidence enough to prove them guilty. Reports mention that the accused had also uploaded images and videos of the assault on social media after the incident. The same was taken down by the police amid the investigation.

The Telangana High Court has granted conditional release to all five minors charged in the case, but the bail request of the primr accused Saduddin Malik has been denied. According to reports, the children recounted how they liked the ‘joyride’ while in police detention but were terrified of their parents after being released on conditional bond.

The Hyderabad police, investigating the Jubliee Hill gang rape case, had also confirmed that the five accused, all kins of AIMIM MLAs and TRS leaders, had clinically planned the entire crime. They were carrying condoms and even used it while raping the 17-year-old girl in a moving car on the night of May 28.

The police said during the interrogation, the accused had referred to the girl as ‘affable’ and confessed to taking advantage of her ‘friendly attitude’ to sexually assault her.

On 28th May 2022, a 17-year-old minor girl had gone to attend a party at the Amnesia and Insomnia Pub in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The party was hosted by two of her friends. Some other boys also had met her in the same pub, from where she was taken in a Mercedes car and allegedly gang-raped by the accused. The Mercedes car in which the girl left the pub belongs to a TRS leader and an Innova car in which the crime took place belonged to a Waqf Board functionary.

‘India’s Hindu religious places have become a den of loot’: Congress leader levels bribery allegation against Tirupati temple, TTD denies

OpIndia Staff
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‘India’s Hindu religious places have become a den of loot’: Congress leader levels bribery allegation against Tirupati temple, TTD denies

On Monday (September 5), Congress leader and ‘Miss Bikini India 2018’ Archana Gautam courted controversy after she accused the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) staff of soliciting ₹10,000 bribe for the darshan of Lord Venkateshwara.

In a tweet, she claimed, “Hindu religious places in India have become the den of loot. In the name of Dharma, TTD employees misbehave with women. Action must be taken against them. I appeal to the Andhra government. They are taking ₹10500 in the name of VIP darshan. Stop the loot.”

The Congress leader had also uploaded a video wherein she was seen misbehaving and physically assaulting TTD staff members. “Just shut up”, she yelled at one of the employees. Archana Gautam alleged that she was denied entry into the temple premises despite having a valid ticket.

She accused the TTD administration of trying to charge her ₹10,000. “God will punish you,” the Congress leader cursed after creating a spectacle. Archa Gautam also sought the urgent intervention of the Jaganmohan Reddy-led Andhra government.

TTD slams Congress leader for her untrue claims

Following an uproar over the incident, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam condemned the attack on its employees and issued a clarification into the matter. In a tweet, it said, “TTD vehemently refutes the untrue claims made by actress Archana Gautam.”

The TTD administration informed that a man named Shivakant Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh, Archana Gautam and 7 others came to the temple with a letter from the Union Minister for Darshan on August 30.

“They registered in the Additional EO Office at Tirumala for Darshan. Later they were allotted Rs.300 tickets on this Referral letter and an SMS in this regard was delivered to the mobile number of Sri Tiwari,” it added.

However, their tickets expired since they did not avail the darshan on time. It was communicated to Tiwari after he sought darshan on August 31, 2022.

“In the meantime, Ms Archana Goutham rushed into the office and began shouting at the staff uttering unparliamentary words against them. Sri Tiwari was also seen as a mute spectator watching the entire high drama created by his team member,” TTD said.

The temple administration tried to apprise the Congress leader of the existing rules but it was in vain.

“Though the TTD staff tried to explain the rule position and pacify her, she turned deaf and even manhandled one of the on duty office staff members. At last, the Office staff have allotted them Rs.300 tickets for the second time and advised them to go for Darshan,” TTD clarified.

However, Archana Gautam instead filed a complaint with the police, accusing a TTD employee of abusing and manhandling her.

“It was clearly seen in the video taken by the staff that how the woman behaved in an arrogant manner using filthy words against the staff. She was also seen pushing and hitting an on-duty staff member,” the temple authority pointed out about the police inquiry.

“When the lady insisted on Break Darshan, the office staff advised her to take SRIVANI Trust and go for VIP break darshan on September 1 for which she needs to pay Rs.10,500 (Rs.10,000 to SRIVANI Trust and Rs.500 for the VIP Break ticket),” it added.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam accused Archana Gautam of falsely claiming that the Additional EO Office staff sought ₹10,000 for her ticket. It has urged the devotees to not fall for the baseless allegations of the Congress leader.

In January this year, the Congress party announced its first list of 125 candidates for the UP assembly elections. The party had nominated 50 women in the first list, which included Tamil actress Archana Gautam.

The model turned actress joined the Congress party in November 2021, and within just two months, she was given a ticket to contest assembly polls. Interestingly, she had joined the party twice in that month.

While several people were inducted into the party on November 26 in Lucknow, Archana Gautam complained that she was not given proper respect during the event. Archana Gautam had alleged that while Chhatisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and party general secretary Pramod Tiwari were present at the stage, there was no special mention of her.

After she made her displeasure known, Bhupesh Baghel organised a separate event at a hotel, where he was staying.

‘He has been kept in custody only to appease certain people’: Wife of suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh challenges his preventive detention in HC

OpIndia Staff
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‘He has been kept in custody only to appease certain people’: Wife of suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh challenges his preventive detention in HC

The wife of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leader T Raja Singh has petitioned the Telangana High Court challenging the Preventive Detention Act (PD Act) invoked by the Hyderabad City Police against her husband after he was detained last month for his alleged statements against Islam.

The writ petition submitted by the wife of the legislator, who is in prison after being detained on August 25, is expected to be heard in a couple of days.

Giving several reasons for the release of Raja Singh, his wife alleged that the police alluded to three recent cases brought against him for his detention under the PD Act. According to the petition, the charges in all three instances against him are the same. In her petition, she argues that her husband was not given an appropriate chance to argue his case before the advisory committee contesting his arrest.

“It is submitted the present detention order came to be passed only to satisfy a section of people who are not public at large and this appears to have been only to appease them and not for any other reason,” the petition reads.

On August 25, Raja Singh was arrested in accordance with the PD Act and sent to Cherlapally Jail. On August 23, police had already taken him into custody. He was however freed following a court order. T Raja Singh’s attorney contended in the bail petition on August 23 that no notice was provided on the MLA under Section 41(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court accepted the lawyer’s arguments and granted bail to T Raja Singh.

As a result, violent protests erupted across the state. The Islamic mob’s sloganeering became so intense that the police were forced to disperse the gathering with lathi charges and tear gas. Massive protests against his bail were held in Hyderabad, with Islamists chanting shouts demanding his beheading. According to accounts, Islamists flocked to the streets and staged rallies throughout the night, raising shouts demanding T Raja Singh’s execution.

In reference to the video Raja Singh shared on YouTube, the police claimed that when the video went viral, protests broke out in several areas of Hyderabad City and other regions of Telangana, causing tension between residents and upsetting the state’s law and order situation.

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