Home Blog Page 2925

How the ‘communal harmony’ skit from a Lucknow school actually displays the inherent challenge of ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhava’

Nupur J Sharma
-
0
How the ‘communal harmony’ skit from a Lucknow school actually displays the inherent challenge of ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhava’

As the nation celebrated 75 years of independence on the 15th of August 2022, social media woke up to a viral video where kids were seen stripping Bharat Mata of her Mukut (crown), tying a cloth on her head and making her do namaz. After substantial outrage, the Lucknow police ‘clarified’ that the video was actually one where all major religions were represented by the children, and it was an exercise that represented communal harmony. The teacher of the school said the same.

The video posted by the Lucknow police of the skit first shows Hindus bowing their head to Bharat Mata and worshipping her. Then, as Namaz plays in the background, kids wearing the skull cap emerge and strip Bharat Mata of her crown. They make Bharat Mata bend, sit on her knees and perform Namaz. Bharat Mata continues to kneel as kids dressed as Sikhs emerge amid the sounds of Ek Onkar. Next, the Christians emerge, who make Bharat Mata stand, take the cloth tied to her head off, extend her arms and tilt her head in the Crucifixion pose amid Church bells.

This skit was presented by the school as a lesson in communal harmony – perhaps signifying that Bharat belongs to all religions – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. That Bharat was a land where all sections could co-exist harmoniously even though our methods of worshipping her may be completely different.

Human beings, inherently, are a hopeful, dewy-eyed lot. We love to gaze at balls of hydrogen and helium, thinking about love and life. We gaze at large natural elevations of the earth and wonder about the futility of life, thinking of ourselves as small in front of the majesty of nature. We stand amid cloud bursts and think of all that is wonderful in life, while the clothes never dry and the air feels strangely moist.

We, naturally, look at people, and religions, and think about how worship, spirituality and religion are personal, sacred and just a part of a person’s existence that hardly defines them. But while we can afford to be dewy-eyed about rocks that have the capacity to crush humanity and rain that makes our clothes smell like rotten fish etc, can we truly afford to be dewy-eyed about Sarva Dharma Samabhava?

Sarva Dharma Samabhava is not a phrase that comes from Sanatan Dharma, as many would like us to believe. It was a creation by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi when the chasms between Hindus and Muslims started to get visible, given that the Muslims of the time were committing genocides against Hindus. MK Gandhi coined this phrase to essentially say that all religions are based on the same moral tenets, though they may take different paths to reach the same goal – the divine and therefore, all religions must be respected equally, that is, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism must all find equal respect.

This skit, in essence, preached exactly what Gandhi did – all religions are equal, all religions deserve equal respect and that each religion has its own way of expressing its patriotism of faith, does not mean that they don’t strive for the same universal truth.

However, upon scrutiny, the lofty dewy-eyed vision of Sarva Dharma Samabhava crumbles like a house of cards. If one watches the video without preset lenses, one sees that while Hindus worship Bharat Mata as she is, bowing their heads in veneration, all other religions change Bharat Mata according to their own faith, changing her civilisational and foundational character. The Muslims make her kneel to do Namaz, and the Christians crucify her. They make Bharat Mata bow to their Gods. The Muslims, to their Namaz that says there is no God but Allah, the Christians, to Jesus.

And that in itself busts the long-held myth that all religions perhaps aim to reach the same universal truth in different ways. The deification of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi unfortunately also led to the internalisation of several myopic views that he held. It is a fact, even if we bury our heads in the sand, that Abrahamic religions are out of congruence with Sanatan Dharma. While Sanatan Dharma in essence does believe that there can be several paths to reach the same truth, Abrahamic religions believe that all other paths and the truth they aspire to reach are false and must be annihilated for their truth to exist. Those who walk a different path are often denigrated as Kafirs or Heathens and the idols are called the manifestation of Satan himself.

One can quote scriptural references for Islam and Christianity that essentially talk about the destruction of everything Hinduism, a Polytheistic religion stands for. When two religions are considered the ultimate and only truth, where all other paths are to be destroyed, brutally so, and Hinduism alone is pluralistic and accepting of different paths, to say that all religions are based on the same tenets is patently incorrect.

Ram Swarup explained this dichotomy rather beautifully with a simplified example. He said that Hindus see their God through neighbours and their conduct while the Muslims see their neighbour through their Gods. Basically, when a Hindu sees his neighbour, who could be by all standards a good neighbour and a good person, he will think that his God must also be the same and his religion would teach tolerance and love. However, when a Muslim tries to evaluate his neighbour, regardless of the conduct of the said neighbour, it is his religion that determines what the Muslim will think of him. If he worships “false Gods”, he is an enemy. If he does not walk the same path, he is a Kafir. This essential difference between Abrahamic religions and Hinduism has to be underscored. All religions are not the same. All paths don’t lead to the same truth, therefore, all religions do not deserve the same or equal amount of respect. After all, how does one expect to get “equal respect” when the religion itself demands the annihilation of the one this respect is being demanded from?

In the skit, the fact that Muslims and Christians have to change the character of Bharat Mata and make her bow to their God instead of worshipping her in all her glory, turning her Islamic or Christian in order to accord her the respect she deserves, itself shows the futility of internalised tropes like Sarva Dharma Samabhava that MK Gandhi wanted us to internalise, so the people of a nation, Hindus, live with rose-tinted glasses forever.

The Liberals may just twist this entire argument to say that the skit only signifies how everyone sees Bharat Mata the way they want to picture her, but to make this argument, they should admit that the fundamental approach of how a Hindu sees Bharat and how Abrahamic religions see the nation are different – Hindu is willing to adopt her as goddess while others are to subsume her within a wider transnational concept, whether Ummah or a unified Christian world – But to admit that would tantamount to admitting that all religions are not the same when it comes to giving respect or even the assimilation needed for peaceful co-existence, and that honesty one can’t expect from liberals. They would never accept that it is this difference because of which Muslims don’t wish to chant Vande Mataram and Christians refused to salute the flag. While Hindus see India as a civilisational and cultural land of their ancestors, Muslims see it as Dar-Ul-Harb (to be turned into Dar-Ul-Islam) and Christians see it as a vast pool of sinners that deserve to be converted. With the truth too bitter to admit, the only thing that Liberals can possibly do is peddle hollow slogans like Sarva Dharma Samabhava.

The risks of these tropes become apparent when genocides of Hindus are committed in the name of Islam and icons like Gandhi tell Hindus to die with a smile on their face for the sake of the very ‘brotherhood’ that this trope was meant to promote. The cost of ignoring empirical evidence to live in a bubble that turns us blind to the truth is our blood colouring the pavements, as it did during the Direct Action Day, the Naokhali genocide or the Malabar Genocide of Hindus. It is Hindus who now need to decide if we wish to walk the path of Gandhi or Gopal Patha.

Uttar Pradesh: Advocate Mohammed Haroon arrested for stalking lady judge at Hamirpur civil court

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Advocate Mohammed Haroon arrested for stalking lady judge at Hamirpur civil court

Police in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested an advocate accused of voyeurism and stalking by a female judge. Advocate Mohammad Haroon has been identified as the accused. Haroon is accused of making vulgar remarks and misbehaving with female judge Harshita Sachan.

According to accounts, Mohammad Haroon used to send derogatory texts to the female judge posted in Hamirpur civil court. He used to stare at her at work and then follow her home in the evening. Several times, the lady judge objected to the message being communicated and admonished Haroon. However, the lawyer did not stop harassing the lady judge. When the situation became untenable, the lady judge filed an FIR at the Hamirpur police station.

The police registered an FIR against the lawyer on Friday based on the Judge’s complaint under Sections 354-D (stalking) and 354-C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the complaint, the Judge stated, “In the fourth week of July, I noticed that the accused advocate was ogling at me through a window slit and when I was walking out of my chamber. It happened twice that week.”

In addition, the victim judge stated that on August 18, the accused approached her and whispered something to her. “But I kept walking and got a whiff of liquor smell coming off him. I filmed him turning towards me and then walking to-and-fro at the same place, waiting for me to walk again. Thereafter, I decided to speak to senior judges and lodge an FIR,” she added in the complaint.

Anoop Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police in Hamirpur, stated, “Acting on the FIR lodged by the woman judge in Hamirpur court on Saturday, we arrested Mohammed Haroon from Laxmibai crossing under Kotwali police station area on Monday.”

Meanwhile, President of Hamirpur Bar Association Dinesh Sharma said, “Harshita madam has filed a molestation report. We oppose, and condemn what Haroon did. We demand strict action against the advocate. If the FIR is on a true incident, then we will write to the Bar Council demanding the cancellation of Haroon’s license. Such persons and advocates are a stigma in the society.”

Hyderabad: BJP MLA Raja Singh arrested amid ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ chants over allegedly ‘blasphemous’ comment on Prophet Muhammad

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Hyderabad: BJP MLA Raja Singh arrested amid ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ chants over allegedly ‘blasphemous’ comment on Prophet Muhammad

On Tuesday, the Telangana Police registered an FIR against Raja Singh, BJP MLA from Goshamahal for his alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Later, he was arrested. This move came after severe protests broke in Hyderabad last night at South Zone DCP office where protesters demanded immediate action against Singh and chanted ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, an Islamist chant calling for his beheading for ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Muhammad.

According to the reports, the BJP MLA had posted a comedy video on Monday in which the demonstrators claim that he used abusive language toward Prophet Muhammad. Multiple people filed a complaint against Singh and said that he had hurt the religious sentiments of the Islamists.

Several people after the incident on Monday night gathered at the South Zone DCP office and demanded Singh’s immediate arrest for his alleged offensive remarks against Muslims and the Prophet Muhammed. Calls for his beheading were also made at the police station as per reports. The Police then booked the BJP MLA under IPC section 153A (Promoting enmity between two groups) and similar sections at the Dabeerpura police station.

DCP South Zone, P Sai Chaitanya confirmed the FIR and said that the Police has begun the investigation into the case. “We have registered a case at Dabeerpura police station and necessary action will be taken in this regard, I appeal to the public to maintain restrain since police shall act swiftly”, he was quoted.

To note, the Telangana Police had taken the BJP MLA in preventive custody on August 19 after he allegedly issued threats to attack ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui if the Telangana government allowed his show in the city. Singh also had said that he would burn down the venue if the show happened.

He had released a video that went viral over social media to reveal that the ‘comedian’ had cracked jokes on Hindu gods and should not be permitted to perform in Hyderabad. “Let them see what will happen if he is invited to stage a show in Hyderabad. Wherever the program is held, we shall beat him up. Whoever offers him a venue, we shall set it afire,” Singh had allegedly said in the video.

The Police then took the BJP MLA and 4 other persons into custody and released them later. Earlier, the Police also detained over 50 persons including members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for protesting at the venue of a show by alleged stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui. Police were deployed in huge numbers at the location ahead of the event on August 20. Faruqui was supposed to perform his show named ‘Dongri to Nowhere’ in Hyderabad on August 20.

Singh objected to Faruqui’s show, stating that Faruqui had previously insulted Hindu Gods in his shows, resulting in criminal prosecutions. Instead of inviting someone who insults God, Singh argued that brilliant Telangana artists should be supported. On 1st January 2021, in a show held at Indore, Munawar Faruqui insulted Lord Ram and Sita. A case was registered against him by the Madhya Pradesh police under sections 295A, 298, 269, 188, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. He was also arrested and later released on bail.

In the current case, an FIR has been registered against Raja Singh, BJP MLA from Goshamahal for his alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The Police are investigating the case amid severe protests in the city.

Bollywood makes good films and Rahul Gandhi is intelligent, Swara Bhasker claims while comparing the two

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bollywood makes good films and Rahul Gandhi is intelligent, Swara Bhasker claims while comparing the two

Bollywood entertainer Swara Bhasker, who is expected to make a ‘comeback’ (??) with a film Jahaan Chaar Yaar, in an interview with India Today compared Bollywood with Rahul Gandhi and claimed that how Bollywood has been ‘Pappufied’. She said that since everyone kept calling him ‘Pappu’, people of India eventually started believing he is ‘Pappu’. However, Swara said she has met him and he is a ‘perfectly intelligent and articulate man’.

Bhasker then lamented that similar ‘Pappufication’ has happened to Bollywood too. Amongst other things, like bad script and bad Hinduphobic content, Bollywood has also been facing heat over nepotism charges as some ‘stars’ are identified as actors only because their parents, siblings, uncles have been part of the film industry.

Swara Bhasker, herself, can be an extended nepo-kid because her mother, Ira Bhasker, has also been a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), a statutory body under the information and broadcasting ministry, during UPA era. Ira Bhasker also teaches ‘cinema studies’ at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Rahul Gandhi, too, has been often criticised for being a politician only because his father, mother, grandmother and great grandfather were mainstream politicians in independent India. Many have believed he should have been Prime Minister only because his ancestors have been one.

It takes someone coming from place of privilege to identify with someone who also comes from place of privilege.

Mumbai: Police arrest one Shahbaz for throwing egg at Hindu procession carrying Ganpati idol. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mumbai: Police arrest one Shahbaz for throwing egg at Hindu procession carrying Ganpati idol. Here is what we know so far

On Sunday (August 21) night, the police arrested a man for hurling an egg at a procession carrying the idol of Lord Ganesha.

The incident took place at around 10 pm in the Kamathipura area in the Nagapada neighbourhood of South Mumbai. As per a report by Organiser, the accused was identified as 25-year-old Abdul Kalim Atru Khan, who also went by the alias of Shahbaz.

The Hindu devotees were bringing the Ganesha idol from Chinchpokli to Kamathipura Gully No.13 when the incident took place. This sparked off protests in the area, with the worshippers demanding strict action against the accused.

Shahbaz was booked by the Nagapada police station under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A and 295A. Following his arrest, he was remanded to police custody.

While speaking about the matter, an official informed, “The man has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).”

The police were able to pacify the angry devotees by registering a First Information Report (FIR) and arresting the accused. They informed that the situation was under control and that the legal process was underway.

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, who lost to 17-year-old Praggnanandhaa in Miami, gives 4 reasons why chess isn’t cricket

OpIndia Staff
-
0
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, who lost to 17-year-old Praggnanandhaa in Miami, gives 4 reasons why chess isn’t cricket

For years, cricket, that too male cricket, has dominated the Indian sports. However, in past few years, other sports, too, are finally the due respect and credit they deserve. Indian athletes and sportspersons have made us proud in many tournaments including Olympics. Along with sports like badminton and hockey, wresting, weight lifting, and javelin throw are also getting recognition. Recently, Chennai hosted the Chess Olympiad.

In recent times, with Indian players making waves in the chess field, Twitter influencers Abhi and Niyu on Sunday tweeted how Chess is the ‘new cricket’. To that, Magnus Carlsen listed out four reasons why chess isn’t cricket.

Carlsen said how chess is played on a field with humans, while chess is played on a board with wooden pieces. He added that while cricket has a bat and a ball, chess ‘usually’ doesn’t. Further, cricket needs 22 players while chess only needs two. And finally he said that chess is not the new cricket since he does not play cricket.

On August 22, 17 year old Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen at the FTX Crypto Cup, the American finale of the Champions Chess Tour, in Miami. This is the third time in the last six months that Praggnanandhaa has defeated Carlsen. Praggnanandhaa won the game in the blitz tiebreaker after the score was tied at 2-2.

Mumbai: Man arrested over WhatsApp status on Prophet Muhammad after an acquaintance snitches on him to a lawyer

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mumbai: Man arrested over WhatsApp status on Prophet Muhammad after an acquaintance snitches on him to a lawyer

Police on August 21 arrested a man from the Malad suburb of Mumbai for uploading a post on Prophet Muhammad on WhatsApp Status considered “derogatory” to an acquaintance who snitched against him to a lawyer.

The lawyer, Salim Choudhari, filed a complaint with the Dindoshi police on August 19 saying that he learnt about the “derogatory” status photos and a video—from an acquaintance. The police arrested the man, a real estate agent, and produced him before a magistrate’s court, which remanded him in police custody for two days. 

The advocate also shared screenshots of the content in his complaint following which a first information report was filed by the police. The man was charged under Information Technology Act sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage reli­gious feelings) and 67A (transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts).

Killings over social media posts on Prophet Muhammad

The arrest comes months after the death of at least two people over social media posts on Prophet Muhammad. Kanhaiya Lal, a Hindu tailor, was brutally hacked to death by Islamists for extending support to beleaguered former BJP leader Nupur Sharma. Sharma had been at the receiving end of Islamist wrath after Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair dog-whistled against her, setting off an ugly chain of events as Islamists ran riot shouting ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ chants against Nupur Sharma and those supporting her. 

After killing the tailor, the murderers shared a video boasting how they had killed Kanhaiya Lal, brandishing their knives and declaring that they would kill PM Narendra Modi in a similar manner. Kanhaiya Lal had been receiving threats of murder from Islamists for days because of a social media post that was shared accidentally by his minor son. He was also arrested by the police. Despite reporting to the police that his life is under threat, he was not given protection. Hours after the gruesome incident, the murderers were arrested from Rajasamand district.

Similarly, in Maharashtra’s Amravati, a man named Umesh Kolhe became a victim of violence for supporting Nupur Sharma over her comments on Prophet Muhammad in a TV news debate. Significantly, Kolhe was killed after one of his good friends, Yusuf Khan, had instigated Islamists against him. 

Umesh Kolhe’s friend Yusuf Khan had spotted Kolhe’s WhatsApp message supporting Nupur Sharma and had circulated it in other WhatsApp groups. He had also informed about it to Sheikh Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO. Irfan Khan then plotted the murder and gave the responsibility of recce to Maulana Mudassir Ahmed alias Sonu Raza Sheikh Ibrahim. After that, Irfan Khan engaged four daily wage workers Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Taufiq, Shoaib Khan and Atib Rashid, who had worked for his NGO earlier, for the execution of the plan.

On the night of June 21, Shoaib stabbed Umesh Kolhe in his neck. Initially, the police had said that this was a robbery gone wrong, but after there was a change in the government in Maharashtra, the police admitted that Kohle was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma.

Gujarat: State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi hands over Indian Citizenship certificates to Hindu refugees from Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat: State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi hands over Indian Citizenship certificates to Hindu refugees from Pakistan

On Monday, August 22, Harsh Sanghavi, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, handed over citizenship certificates to several Pakistani Hindu refugees who had come to Ahmedabad years ago and had applied for Indian citizenship.

The Gujarat minister took to Twitter to inform the same.

Tweeting about the same, BJP leader Dhaval Patel stated that under the BJP regime in Gujarat, up to now, 1032 Hindu refugees have obtained citizenship in the state.

Notably, prior to this, Sanghavi on August 12, 2022, had also handed over citizenship certificates to 24 Pakistani Hindus who were living in the state’s Rajkot district.

Addressing all 24 individuals, Sanghavi said: “I welcome you all as brothers and sisters of this big country… hope like all of us here, you too will join the development motto, and we promise you all that we will extend support to you all for your growth and progress.”

The refugees had expressed their gratitude to Sanghvi on the occasion. A teary-eyed woman named Valbhai Namodi told the minister how she had been waiting for this moment for years and finally, her patience paid off.

Kesarben Shankarchand, another woman studying to make a career in the aviation sector, thanked the Indian government for citizenship. Shankarchand told the minister, “My family was waiting for Indian citizenship for the last 16 years.

Describing it as the happiest moment of her life, Kesarbhai Sankalchand, the 22-year-old Pakistani Hindu said, “Now I will be able to complete my graduation and fulfil our dreams in my country India.”

CAA and Delhi Riots

in December 2019, the BJP government amended the Citizenship Act, which gives fast-track citizenship to persecuted minorities of the three neighbouring Islamic states of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. After the passage of the Act, Muslim mobs went on a rampage, rioting and causing arson and violence throughout the country.

Islamists came out of the woodwork to claim that the Muslims were being discriminated against since the CAA provided fast-track citizenship to only persecuted minorities of Islamic nations but not Muslims. Adding to that, Muslim leader Asadduddin Owaisi went as far as to demand proof that minorities were persecuted in Pakistan.

Opposition parties and several groups criticized the amendments in the Citizenship Act. They tried to propagate that CAA, combined with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), aims to target minorities living in India, especially the Muslim community. Since its enactment in December 2019, there were large scale protests across the country. Sit-in protests at Shaheen Bagh attracted a lot of attention, especially because of the anti-India speeches given by the speakers at the site.

In the background of these protests, there was an alleged larger conspiracy to cause unrest in the Indian state that resulted in riots in February 2020. As a result, several arrests were made by investigation agencies, including that of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain and several others. As per reports, Police registered over 700 cases connected to the riots and detained or arrested 3,400 people by the end of March 2020. A detailed report on the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots by OpIndia can be read here.

Excise policy scam: A timeline of the controversy, political war-of-words and CBI probe

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Excise policy scam: A timeline of the controversy, political war-of-words and CBI probe

Amidst allegations of corruption against Manish Sisodia in connection to the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came to the defence of his party leader.

In a statement on Monday (August 22), he claimed that Sisodia must be felicitated with the country’s highest civilian award instead of being held accountable for financial irregularities.

“Manish Sisodia reformed govt schools which other parties could not do in 70 years. Such a person should get Bharat Ratna. The entire country’s education system should be handed over to him, but instead, they conducted CBI raids on him,” Kejriwal remarked.

While his bizarre comments have drawn ridicule from several quarters and rightly so, it has taken away the public discourse from the matter at hand i.e. the estimated loss of ₹900 crores to the exchequer and allegations of corruption through the implementation of Excise Policy 2020-2021 by the Delhi government.

Here is how the controversy unfolded:

September 4, 2020: Expert committee constituted by the Excise Commissioner floats a new excise policy.

November 17, 2021: Delhi government implements Excise Policy 2020-2021. It changes the manner in which alcohol is sold in Delhi. Introduces private players in the market and marks the exit of government-owned liquor vendors.

May 2, 2022: Proposals such as home delivery of liquor, allowing liquor vendors to offer unlimited discounts, opening of stores till 3 am are tabled before the Delhi Cabinet.

July 8, 2022: Naresh Kumar, who was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi in April 2022, finds irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. He prepares a report and seeks the response of Manish Sisodia on July 8.

July 22, 2022: Incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, orders a CBI probe on the recommendation of Naresh Kumar.

July 29, 2022: Delhi government makes a U-turn on its new excise policy. Manish Sisodia issues official direction to revert to the old regime of excise policy for the following 6 months.

August 17, 2022: The Central Bureau of Investigation names Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, ex-Only Much Louder (OML) CEO Vijay Nair and 13 others in an FIR for irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-2021.

August 19, 2022: CBI raids the residence of Manish Sisodia. Besides, 20 locations across 7 States were searched by officials of the central agency.

While dismissing allegations levelled against him, Manish Sisodia claimed, “CBI had come to our house. They are welcome. We (he and his party leaders) are extremely honest. We are building the future of millions of children.”

He added, “It is very unfortunate that those who do good work in our country are harassed in this manner. That is why our country has not yet become number 1 in the world.”

August 20, 2022: AAP leader Manoj Nagpal resigns from the party, and accuses it of corruption. “AAP today has become a corrupt party. AAP’s excise policy boosted the youngsters to consume more alcohol and furthered their addiction”, he said.

August 21, 2022: Manish Sisodia claims that a Look Out circular (LoC) has been issued, CBI denies the allegation.

August 22, 2022: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister cries foul, alleges that the BJP asked him to abandon Aam Aadmi Party in exchange for dismissing all cases. Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, declared that Sisodia should be felicitated with the Bharat Ratna.

Reportedly, Manish Sisodia waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the coronavirus pandemic. He also caused loss to the Excise Department and benefitted liquor licensees by waiving the import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case.

All these changes were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993. The CBI had therefore registered a case against Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister.

‘Inform police if you don’t know the Imam coming to your village’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after arrest of suspicious Islamic clerics in Assam

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Inform police if you don’t know the Imam coming to your village’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after arrest of suspicious Islamic clerics in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that if an Imam visits a village and the residents do not recognise him, they should immediately alert the police and this should be an accepted Standard Operating Procedure.

Talking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said, “We have made some SoP that if any Imam comes to your village and you do not know him, immediately inform the Police Station, they will verify, only after that, they can stay.” “Our Muslim community of Assam is helping us in this work,” he further added.

“We’re also making a portal for Imam & other people who are coming to madrasa from outside the state. Those who are from Assam, do not need to register their names in that portal, people from outside will have to register their names in the portal,” Sarma went on to add.

These remarks from the Assam Chief Minister follow after two Imams were arrested in Assam by the Goalpara Police as part of a larger anti-terror operation against the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and the Islamic terrorist outfit Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent. Jalaluddin Sheikh (49), the imam of Tilapara Natun Masjid, and Abdus Subhan (43), the imam of Tinkunia Shantipur Masjid, Mornoi, were both arrested after being questioned by police for several hours.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier stated that five modules of the terrorist organisation Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) had been disbanded with the cooperation of other investigating agencies in the past five months.

The CM stated that jihadi activities in Assam have become a significant concern as a result of the police breaking various Islamist modules comprised of Bangladeshi immigrants. A number of jihadi and terror modules have also been disbanded by police in other jurisdictions.

1...2,9242,9252,926...7,600Page 2,925 of 7,600