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Islamists attack Shah Rukh Khan for the fifth year in a row as he celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, ‘cancel’ him again for bringing Bappa home

OpIndia Staff
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Islamists attack Shah Rukh Khan for the fifth year in a row as he celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, ‘cancel’ him again for bringing Bappa home

On Wednesday 31st August 2022, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan took to social media to share a picture of an idol of Lord Ganesha on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Welcoming Ganpati Bappa at his home, Shah Rukh Khan wrote in his post, “Ganpatiji welcomed home by lil one and me….the modaks after were delicious…the learning is, through hard work, perseverance & faith in God, u can live your dreams. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all.”

Immediately, Islamists on social media started posting their comments and replies to Shah Rukh Khan’s post attacking him for committing ‘Shirk’ which is the worst sin according to Islam.

A Twitter user Sadique Srd wrote, “Till when will you upset Allah just for the sake of making others happy? You have already earned a lot from them. Giving respect to them is one thing. What you are doing now is called Shirk.”

Another Twitter user Niaz wrote, “May Allah give you Hidayat.”

One Twitter user named Asad PK decided to take away SRK’s religious certificate and replied, “He is not a Muslim.”

Another Twitter user Shimorekato posted, “Have you forgotten that Allah is supreme? Allah will never forgive you. As a true Muslim, I completely boycott Shahrukh Khan.”

A user by the name of Alishba quoted Jinnah in the tweet and wrote, “Jinnah was right when he said, Muslims who want to stay in India, that they would have to prove their patriotism to India for the rest of their lives?”

Shah Rukh Khan also shared the same post on his Instagram handle and Facebook account as well. These posts received an equal amount of hate from the Islamists. A Facebook user Mir Najmu Saqib wrote in a comment, “This is what happens when you run after worldly desires, you will start going to any extent to get worldly gains. Let Gauri khan Ji celebrate it, why are you celebrating? Remember SRK it’s shirk and Allah hates this sin the most.. may Allah protect you from the success that makes you commit idolatry.”

Another Facebook user Ahmed Mamdouh wrote in a comment, “indeed, whoever associates others with Allah then surely for him Allah has Forbidden the Garden of Paradise and his shelter is Fire. May Allah guide u to the right path.”

Unfortunately, this is the fifth year in a row that Shah Rukh Khan has been attacked by Islamists for celebrating a Hindu festival. SRK continues to face online trolling and attacks every year for bringing Bappa home on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals across India, but in Maharashtra in particular with people from every religion enthusiastically participating in the celebrations.

On the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, a look back at her controversial interview where she talked about depression, bulimia, and Charles-Camilla affair

OpIndia Staff
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On the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, a look back at her controversial interview where she talked about depression, bulimia, and Charles-Camilla affair

On 31st August 1997, a car crash ended the young life of the much loved and popular Diana, the Princess of Wales. Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, the first in line to the British throne on 29 July 1981, and became Princess of Wales. While the problems in their marriage started soon after the wedding and the couple separated, the final blow to their marriage was delivered on 20 November 1995 when BBC aired an interview with Princess Diana.

“An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales”, the episode of BBC’s current affairs program Panorama, aired on 20 November 1995. Soon after the controversial interview, Queen Elizabeth wrote to Charles and Diana, advising them to finalise their divorce.

In the 54 minutes long interview, Diana spoke openly about all the problems their marriage had faced over the years and Diana’s own personal issues. Talking about Prince Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker (now wife of Prince Charles), Diana said, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” Diana also questioned the suitability of Prince Charles to be the King after Queen Elizabeth.

During the interview, Diana also admitted her own personal issues, including her battles with depression and bulimia. She also admitted that she had engaged in self-mutilation a number of times during her marriage, hurting her arms and legs. In the years following the interview, a few of her biographers have said that her statements during the interview showed that she had borderline personality disorder.

Diana admitted to her own extra-marital affair with James Hewitt as well during the interview. She also talked about the abusive nature of the media and how she was constantly harassed by them.

The interview got record viewing figures in England and even around the world as public curiosity about the Charles-Diana marriage was at its peak. Nearly 40% of the British population tuned in to watch the interview with around 200 million tuning in from around the world. It turned out to be the last chapter of their marriage as a month later, Buckingham palace announced that the queen has advised both of them to divorce. It took another 8 months to finalise the divorce which was finally granted on 28 August 1996.

BBC obtained the interview with Princess Diana through fraudulent means

It later emerged that the interviewer Martin Bashir and the BBC had used fraudulent means to get the interview with Diana. Forged bank statements were prepared that falsely indicated that people close to her, including her former private secretary Patrick Jephson and another former royal household member, had been paid for spying on her.

Initially, BBC cleared Bashir of any wrongdoing after conducting an internal enquiry in 1996. However, years later, in 2020, BBC Director General apologised to Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, for the use of the forged statements to get the interview. Spencer refused to accept the apology and asked for an independent investigation.

Princess Diana’s death

On 31 August 1997, Princess Diana died in a tragic car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris while trying to flee the paparazzi. She was accompanied by Dodi Fayed, the driver Henry Paul, and Fayed’s bodyguard who ended up surviving the crash.

‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: Story of BJYM member Praveen Nettaru, killed by Islamists after police denied him protection

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hindus killed for being Hindus’ series: Story of BJYM member Praveen Nettaru, killed by Islamists after police denied him protection

On July 26, Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by Islamist assailants. Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was returning home when the attack happened. The killers came on a bike in Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, in the late evening and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. The assailants escaped after the attack. Nettaru was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.

Praveen Nettaru’s murder and initial speculations about the reason behind the crime

Praveen Nettaru was an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing popularly known as Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He was an executive committee member of the Dakshin Kannada district unit of the organization. He owned a poultry business in Bellari. On 26th July 2022, when he was returning home after closing his shop, he was attacked by sharp weapons and hacked to death by the attackers.

According to the eyewitnesses of the incident, the assailants came on a motorcycle. The motorcycle had a Kerala registration number. The location where the incident happened is close to the Kerala border. The assailants fled immediately after Praveen Nettaru fell down. Praveen Nettaru was taken to hospital but he could not survive.

As the Karnataka police registered an FIR in this case and launched an investigation, different theories began to appear along with the initial speculations and subsequent arrests. Primary reports suggested that two recent incidents, including the murder of a Muslim man and a matter related to a mosque, could have led to the murder of Praveen Nettaru. But before details of all those theories appeared first in the investigation and then in public, the Karnataka government and the state unit of the BJP witnessed a massive outrage staged by the party workers and Hindus across the state.

Investigations and Arrests

On July 28, the Karnataka Police arrested two persons on suspicion of involvement in the BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Kumar Nettaru’s murder case. The accused were identified as Zakir and Mohammed Shafiq. The duo was arrested from Kasargod, Kerala. Zakir is 29 years old and is a resident of Savanoor whereas Mohammed Shafiq who is 27 years old belongs to Bellari. These two were the conspirators of the murders and not the actual assailants.

Hours after the arrest of the two accused, reports emerged that Shafiq and Zakir are linked to the Islamist terrorist organization PFI and SDPI. The wife of Shafiq has confirmed that her husband was an active member of the PFI and that he used to participate in all the ‘social’ activities. She also said that on the day of the incident, he was not at home hinting that he might be involved in executing the murder of the BJP youth member. “My husband was a PFI member. He was aware that the murder took place,” Shafiq’s wife told India Today.

Shafiq was also associated with SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) and had organized various ‘social’ events. The wife after the arrest while talking to the media also said that initially, her husband was not aware of the murder. Later he had tears in his eyes when he came to know about who was murdered in the village. 

Shafiq’s father worked in Praveen Nettaru’s shop

Another important fact in the matter is that father of the accused Shafiq and his father Ibrahim worked as a butcher at the chicken shop of Praveen Nettaru. This was revealed by Shafiq’s father Ibrahim himself while talking to the media. Ibrahim told India Today,  “I work at Praveen’s shop. My son and Praveen used to talk there.” Ibrahim denied his son’s involvement in the crime and alleged that they are targeted because they are Muslim. The brutal killing of Praveen Nettaru happens to be the latest case where the perpetrator and his family were known to the victim.

Kanhaiya Lal – a tailor from Udaipur – and Umesh Kolhe – a chemist from Amravati – were killed by Islamists for sharing social media posts supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. In both these cases, the informers or conspirators were known to the victims. The photograph and location of Kanhaiya Lal were leaked and made viral by his neighbor Nazim. Nazim and his co-religionists also conducted a recce of his shop.

The tragedy that befell upon the family of Umesh Kolhe was also facilitated by his close friend of 16 years named Yusuf Khan. Like Kanhaiya Lal, Kolhe was hacked to death for supporting Nupur Sharma. While prioritizing his Faith over friendship, Yusuf provoked Islamists to kill his friend. According to police, Yusuf Khan had forwarded Umesh Kolhe’s message supporting Nupur Sharma in WhatsApp groups, instigating Islamists against him by saying that he was supporting someone accused of blasphemy.

Theories hatched about the reasons for the murder

Till now three different theories citing various reasons for the murder came to light. One is that he was killed because he posted on social media supporting Kanhaiya Lal, who was beheaded by Jihadis recently for supporting Nupur Sharma and criticizing the Congress government. The second theory was that he may have been murdered as retaliation for the death of a Muslim man, who had been beaten up by Hindus after he had beaten up a Hindu youth. The third theory said that the chicken shop that Praveen Nettaru had opened, where accused Shafiq and his father worked, had overtaken the meat shops run by Muslims in the area and had become an object of hatred for the Islamists there.

Apathy by the police department

According to the second theory, many local Hindu leaders were allegedly on the hitlist of Islamists in that area. This was to avenge the death of a Muslim named Masood who is said to be an alleged victim of the so-called cow vigilantism. According to reports, Praveen Nettaru informed the local police about the threats and asked for protection. But, the police denied providing him any protection saying that he is not that big a leader to get such threats.

More arrests linked to PFI and SDPI in the Praveen Nettaru murder case

On Thursday 11th August 2022, three main accused in the Praveen Nettaru murder case were arrested. Mangaluru police nabbed the suspects near Talapady check post at 8 am on August 11. The arrested accused were identified as Shiyabuddin Ali and Bashir from Sullia and Riyaz from Subramanya. He also suspected that the arrested accused can be linked with the Islamic organization Popular Front of India and its political wing the Social Democratic Party of India. On 18th august 2022, National Investigation Agency took custody of the five key accused in this case for further investigation.

The outrage after the murder of Praveen Nettaru

There was a massive protest in southern parts of Karnataka after Praveen Nettaru’s murder. Protests broke out in Bellari and Sullia, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a bandh. Hundreds of people escorted Praveen Nettaru’s dead body as it was taken to his home on July 27 in the morning.

After this murder, outraged BJP Yuva Morcha members started to furnish mass resignations. Members of the youth wing of the party were distressed after this incident and expressing their concern they took to social media to put up posts threatening mass resignation.

Karnataka BJP MLA Renukacharyra also said that Hindus are not safe despite there being a BJP regime and he also threatened of tendering his resignation from the MLA post if the Hindus in the state are not protected.

Hindu activists and BJP workers surrounded BJP state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel’s car and heckled him as they protested Praveen Nettaru’s murder, demanding answers from senior party leaders.

Karnataka BJP had planned an official event at Soudha, and ‘Janotsava’, a mega rally at Doddaballapur, on July 28 to mark Bommai’s one year in the office. National President of BJP JP Nadda was scheduled to attend the event. In view of the murder and the subsequent massive protests, the party canceled the program.

Stand of the state government

On Thursday, 28th July 2022, Karnataka’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he will not hesitate to implement the UP model of dealing with the anti-national and fundamentalist miscreants in Karnataka. 

CM Basavaraj Bommai said, “Whatever possible we will do that. If need be, if the situation says ‘UP model’ or much stricter than that we will not hesitate for that also.” The term UP model means the strong measures taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to control anti-national activities in Uttar Pradesh, including the use of bulldozers against miscreants and mafia. 

On the intervening night of July 27 and July 28, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state government would form a commando force with special training, intelligence, ammunition, and resources to go after anti-national and terror groups conspiring to disrupt the peace and stir communal tension in the state.

Hinduphobia following Islamism in Karnataka in 2022

Though northern parts of the country have been historically known for repeatedly waged invasions by barbaric Islamist tyrants, Deccan too had its own issues regarding medieval Islamic rules and demographic alterations in certain pockets which later went on to expand in larger territories. Secularized glorification of Tipu Sultan and liberal attempts to justify Nizam or Muslims who ‘willfully stayed back in India‘ after dissolving Hyderabad are therefore unavoidable parts of the Hindu-Muslim discourse in the southern parts of India. Forming the current situation in Karnataka in 2022, before the murders of Hindus thus has shades of historic facts lying at the core of its causality added to the rise of the Indian Mujahideen led by the Bhatkal brothers in the 21st century.

Karnataka witnessed a yet worse shade of Islamism at the very beginning of the year 2022. The issues mainly responsible for triggering the Islamic unrest in the state were Azaan and Hijab. Muslim girl students in various educational institutes in Karnataka took an adamant stand over wearing headscarves as per Islamic traditional costume despite prescribed uniform dress codes in those institutes. This went on to become a big issue in the early months of 2022. Azaan from the loudspeakers in the mosques five times a day – especially in the early morning – causing disturbance to nearby residents was the other one. Besides, incidents of protests or violence under the guise of protest over Nupur Sharma’s alleged blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad also added to the prevalent sensitive situations in the state months ahead of the murders of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru.

India’s GDP grows by 13.5% in the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23, fiscal deficit under control

OpIndia Staff
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India’s GDP grows by 13.5% in the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23, fiscal deficit under control

Continuing with the trend of recovery of the economy following the devasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian economy grew by 13.5% during the first quarter of the current financial year. It was revealed in the estimates of Gross Domestic Product for the April – June quarter of the FY 2022-23 published by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

The ministry said that the real GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 2022-23 is estimated to attain a level of ₹ 36.85 lakh crore, as against ₹ 32.46 lakh crore in Q1 2021-22, showing a growth of 13.5 percent as compared to 20.1 percent in Q1 2021-22. On the other hand, nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in Q1 2022-23 is estimated at ₹ 64.95 lakh crore, as against ₹ 51.27 lakh crore in Q1 2021-22, showing a growth of 26.7 percent as compared to 32.4 percent in Q1 2021-22.

The Quarterly Estimates of National Accounts are indicator based and data sourced from various Ministries/ Departments/ Private Agencies were used as valuable inputs in the compilation of the estimates. The sector-wise estimates have been compiled using various indicators like Index of Industrial Production (IIP), financial performance of listed companies in the Private Corporate Sector based on available quarterly financial results for these companies, Crop Production Targets for 2022-23, Production Targets for Major Livestock Products for 2022-23, Fish Production, Production/ Consumption of Cement and Steel, Net Tonne Kilometres and Passenger Kilometres for Railways, Passenger and Cargo traffic handled by Civil Aviation, Cargo traffic handled at Major Sea Ports, Sales of Commercial Vehicles, Bank Deposits & Credits, Accounts of Central & State Governments, etc., available for Q1 2022-23.

According to the ministry, GDP is derived as the sum of the gross value added (GVA) at basic prices, plus all taxes on products, less all subsidies on products. The total tax revenue used for GDP compilation includes both Non-GST Revenue and GST Revenue.

Among various sectors, Public Administration, Defence and Other services sector showed the highest growth rate of 26.3% at constant prices, with Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communications and Broadcasting coming second at 25.7%. Agriculture grew by 4.5% in the quarter and manufacturing grew by 4.8%.

However, these are estimates and the data will undergo changes in revised estimates to be published later, as individual source agencies will revise their numbers as per data release calendar.

During the same period, the fiscal deficit of the government stood at 20.5% of the full-year target, which was 21.3% in the first quarter of the last FY, showing an improvement. During April-July 2022, the fiscal deficit of the country, or the difference between revenue and expenditure, was ₹3.41 lakh crore.

The government’s receipts, including taxes, stood at ₹7.85 lakh crore or 34.4% of the Budget Estimates (BE) for 2022-23. According to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Net tax receipts was ₹6.66 lakh crore while total expenditure was ₹11.27 lakh crore during this period.

The union govt is targeting a fiscal deficit of 6.4% of the GDP for financial year. July was particularly good in this regard, as the govt posted a surplus of Rs 11,040 crore for the month.

‘Figment of their imagination’: Delhi Lt General VK Saxena to take legal action against AAP leaders for defamatory allegations of corruption

OpIndia Staff
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‘Figment of their imagination’: Delhi Lt General VK Saxena to take legal action against AAP leaders for defamatory allegations of corruption

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena will take legal action against four Aam Aadmi Party leaders for defamatory allegations against him. On August 31, LG House Officials said in a statement that the Lt Governor would take legal action against a number of Aam Aadmi Party leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Jasmine Shah, among others, for highly defamatory and false allegations of corruption.

Notably, AAP leaders have launched a series of attacks against the LG, claiming he indulged in money laundering and more. On August 29, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak claimed that during his tenure at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as chairman, VK Saxena had forced his employees to exchange old currency notes with new ones. AAP leaders alleged that the currency exchanged by LG tuned to 1,400 crores.  “A cashier working there has given in writing that he was forced to carry out exchange of notes. It is unfortunate that he was suspended. Those who levelled all dismissed. But we want a probe in this. There is a news report also and there are statements by the affected employees,” Pathak said.

Pathak said that two Khadi cashiers have claimed under oath that the Delhi L-G made them exchange old demonetised currency notes. Durgesh Pathak also accused VK Saxena of misusing his power by investigating the allegations himself and suspending the cashiers who exposed him. “Clear cut case of money laundering, there should be an ED investigation into the matter,” he had demanded.

LG Saxena has denied all the allegations, calling them a “figment of their imagination”. The LG’s office said in a statement, “This has been the hallmark of Kejriwal and co. to shoot and scoot and then when pushed for truth, apologise.” The statement issued by the LG House Officials further said, “The LG has taken a serious view of these blatantly false, defamatory and obviously diversionary allegations made by these AAP leaders and has decided to take legal action against them so that the AAP does not get away with its characteristic shoot and scoot.”

The LG informed that a vigilance inquiry was ordered when it was alleged that some demonetised notes were deposited in the account of Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan, and four officials were suspended in the matter. The case is currently being probed by CBI, and the CBI has found that Rs 17,07,000 in demonetised notes were deposited by two officials, not Rs 1,400 crore as claimed by AAP leaders.

“The matter being falsely touted by the AAP is with regards to just ₹ 17.07 lakh as against the claims of ₹ 1,400 crore, which is nothing but a figment of imagination for which the habitual liars will face the consequences,” the statement by LG’s office added.

On Monday, AAP MLAs raised slogans against the LG in the Delhi assembly and protested into the well of the House, demanding the immediate removal of Saxena from the post of Delhi Lt Governor. The AAP leaders had also sought a CBI-ED investigation against him.

The allegations came at a time when several AAP leaders are facing corruption charges. AAP leader Satyendra Jain is currently lodged in custody, while Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia is facing accusations of corruption in liquor policy. The opposition party BJP has called out the Delhi government over unfulfilled promises, including 500 schools, better infrastructure and more.

Apart from the allegations of corruption against AAP leaders, LG has recently schooled Delhi CM and instructed him to sign the files before sending them for approval to him, which irked the AAP leaders against LG.

Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram question Congress party’s upcoming election for president, seek a fair, transparent process

OpIndia Staff
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Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram question Congress party’s upcoming election for president, seek a fair, transparent process

Ahead of the Congress Presidential Elections that are scheduled to take place on October 17, party leader Manish Tewari has questioned the fairness of the elections and has suggested that there might be lapses in the party’s electoral process. Tewari on Wednesday stated that the party had not made public the electoral roll and was just claiming that there would be free and fair elections to elect the party president.

According to the reports, Tewari also alleged that there was no transparency in the electoral process and that the party was hiding the names and addresses of electors. “Essence of a fair and free process is names and addresses of electors must be published on INC party’s website in a transparent manner. How can there be a fair & free election without a publicly available electoral roll?”, he tweeted.

Tewari’s tweet was directed to the party’s central election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry who earlier had said that ‘there should not be any doubt in anyone’s mind about the fairness of the electoral process. Mistry had also stated that those who wish to see the electoral rolls can contact the Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC).

Responding to this Tewari on Wednesday said, “Why should someone have to go to every PCC office in the country to find out who the electors are? This does not happen in a club election also with great respect. How can someone consider running if he/she does not know who electors are If someone has to file his/her nomination and gets it proposed by 10 Congresspersons as is requirement CEA can reject it saying they are not valid electors”.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also highlighted the importance of a transparent electoral college. “Every election needs a well-defined and clear electoral college. The process of forming the electoral college must also be clear, well-defined, and transparent. An ad hoc electoral college is no electoral college”, he tweeted on August 31.

Tewari further noted that Chidambaram’s observation was accurate and reiterated that for any election to be kosher the electoral college must be constitutionally constituted. Earlier, Congress leader Anand Sharma had also raised the issue in a CWC meeting on Sunday. He had alleged that there was no clarity on the PCC delegates who would vote in the election for Congress president. He also said that many State-level leaders were not aware of the list of delegates that make up the 9,000-member strong electoral college.

Mistry at that time too had stated that those who wanted to see their names could go to the PCC office and confirm. “What is the problem? I don’t understand”, he had asked. In an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, on being asked why were the electoral rolls not published on the INC website, Mistry said that electoral rolls were not for the general public. “It is an organizational election, our members can have it. It is our property”, he was quoted.

To note, on August 30, Mistry rejected former senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s allegation that the Congress’s presidential polls are a farce and reiterated that there should not be any doubt in anyone’s mind about the fairness of the electoral process.

The CWC determined on August 28 that the election for Congress president will take place on October 17 and that if there are several candidates, the counting will take place on October 19. Reports mention that though the electoral process will officially begin on September 22, the party’s central election authority has begun informing the PCC about the electoral system and has sent the pro forma of the election form that aspiring presidential candidates must fill out.

NCRB Crime Data 2021: Jharkhand saw maximum number of communal riots in the country

OpIndia Staff
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NCRB Crime Data 2021: Jharkhand saw maximum number of communal riots in the country

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released the crime statistics for the year 2021. The data showed that a total of 378 communal riots took place across the country, out of which 100 took in Jharkhand.

In the number of communal riots, Maharashtra stood in second place with 77 incidents, followed by Bihar with 51 incidents, Haryana with 40, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with 22 each and Assam with 17. If we talk about the general riots, a total of 41,066 such cases were registered across the country, out of which 1426 took place in Jharkhand.

Crime against children on the rise in Jharkhand

According to NCRB data, crimes against children are also on the rise in the state. In the year 2019, 1,674 cases of crimes against children were registered, while it increased to 1,795 in 2020 and 1,867 in 2021. A slight drop in crimes against women was seen in 2020, but it again rose in 2021. A total of 8,760 crimes against women were registered in 2019, followed by 7,630 in 2020, and 8,110 cases were registered in 2021.

Rape crimes against minors girls

As per the data, two girls below the age of six, 21 girls between the ages of six and 12, 92 between the ages of 12 and 16 and 231 between the ages of 16 and 18, became the victims of rape in Jharkhand. Nine hundred one girls between the age group, 18 to 30  and 218 women in the age group of 30 and 45 years were reportedly raped in 2021.

Acid attacks in Jharkhand

As per the data, a total of 69 acid attacks were reported in 2021, out of which two were reported in Jharkhand.

Sexual abuse cases

A total of 46,918 cases of molestation were registered across the country, out of which 69 were reported in Jharkhand. Such cases remained at an almost similar level compared to previous years. Similarly, 17,107 cases of sexual abuse were registered across the country, out of which 148 were registered in Jharkhand.

West Bengal: 29-year-old man brutally rapes a pregnant cow, the cow dies due to excessive bleeding

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: 29-year-old man brutally rapes a pregnant cow, the cow dies due to excessive bleeding

On Wednesday, a 29-year-old man named Pradyut Bhuiya was arrested by the West Bengal Police for allegedly raping a pregnant cow. The incident is said to have happened in the North Chandanpidi area of Namkhana block, South 24 Parganas district.

According to the reports, the cow who was bearing a child was raped at the midnight. The cow belonged to the neighbor of the accused identified as Aarti Bhuiya. The incident came to light after the owner of the cow filed a complaint against the accused at the city police station.

Aarti Bhuiya mentioned in the complaint that the accused entered the cattle shed from behind the house and brutally raped the cow. “The cow died due to excessive bleeding after being raped at around midnight,” the complainant was quoted.

Reports mention that the accused has been a troublesome person to people around the North Chandanpidi area. According to one of the residents, there are numerous allegations against the accused. “He had earlier stolen goats, vehicles, and vegetables from fields. The boy should be punished adequately for his inhumane act”, the resident added.

Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Karnataka when a 34-year-old resident named Manjunath of Gejjalagere village near Maddur town in Mandya district was arrested for having unnatural sex with cows. According to the reports, the accused had developed the habit of having unnatural sex with cows for which he would travel to Bengaluru University Jnanabharathi campus from his village.

In the present case, the West Bengal Police has arrested Pradyut Bhuiya and have charged him under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced before the Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Court on Tuesday and now has been sent to 14 days in judicial custody.

Ukrainian fighters using Pakistan-made artillery against Russia? Viral video shows projectiles from Pakistan Ordnance Factory

OpIndia Staff
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Ukrainian fighters using Pakistan-made artillery against Russia? Viral video shows projectiles from Pakistan Ordnance Factory

The Ukrainian military is reportedly using Pakistan-made artillery against Russian troops. As per reports, 122 mm HR artillery is being used against Russian troops in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

An OSINT account named Ukraine weapons tracker had recently shared a video of 122 m HE artilleries under use in Ukraine. He shared that Ukrainian artillerymen were seen using ammunition that was clearly made in Pakistan Ordinance Factory (POF), evident from the distinct British packaging widely used by POF.

He further added that the ammunition was only recently manufactured a few months ago, probably due to the escalation of the conflict.

It is notable here that Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan was in Moscow on the day Russia launched the military operation against Ukraine. Since then, Pakistan has refused to take an explicit stand over the issue and has rebuffed global attempts to get the country to antagonise Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, citing its fuel and food needs.

Earlier this month, reports had emerged claiming that Pakistan may be helping the UK to ferry weapons via an airbridge through Cyprus and Romania to Ukraine. However, finding Pakistan-made weapons in the war is a new development. The UK has announced arms and ammunition worth $2.8 billion to Ukraine so far.

The Wire does it again: Twists PM Modi’s statement on nutrition programs to claim he said bhajans reduce the burden of malnutrition

Anurag
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The Wire does it again: Twists PM Modi’s statement on nutrition programs to claim he said bhajans reduce the burden of malnutrition

On August 30, The Wire published a report titled ‘Dear PM Modi: Good Food Will Reduce the Burden of Malnutrition, Not Bhajans’ where the media house criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that “Bhajans can play role in controlling the problem of malnutrition”.

The Wire opened its report with “In the 92nd episode of his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme on August 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the ‘Mera Bachha’ campaign and about celebrating ‘Poshan Maah’ – the cause of good nutrition – in September. He also said that conducting bhajans and singing devotional songs can help reduce the burden of malnutrition.”

Excerpt from The Wire report.

The report further reads, “Many scholars and scientists have often criticized Prime Minister Modi for his irrational claims on many occasions. Reminiscent of his “taali, thali and Diwali” campaign as the COVID-19 pandemic was gaining strength, Modi’s comment on bhajans only distracts from the dire importance of effective public health measures – even as the rate of improvement of some important indicators have slid in his time at the helm.”

Excerpt from The Wire report.

The report authored by Pankaj Kumar Mishra, asserted that the way PM Modi talked about a community program in Madhya Pradesh where people gather, collect grains and distribute cooked food was not the right way, as he mentioned “Bhajan-Kirtan” and diverted the attention from the matter. “This is counterproductive,” the author suggested.

Complete distortion of PM Modi’s statement on malnutrition

First of all, neither Taali, Thaali, and Diwali campaigns were to gain strength, nor Bhajan-Kirtan have to do anything with managing malnutrition. The covid campaign was to encourage and appreciate the frontline health workers, and it also gave a sense of unity among the people of India that the author completely missed for some reason.

Now coming to the Bhajan-Kirtan portion of the monologue, it appears that the author either did not listen to PM Modi’s speech, or he just decided to interpret what he meant without actually understanding the culture, traditions, and rituals that revolve around different communities in India.

What did PM Modi say?

At around 12 minutes into his Mann Ki Baat monologue, PM Modi talks about steps taken by the Bongaigaon administration in Assam under Project Sampoorna in a unique way. Under this program, one woman, who is a mother of a well-nourished child, meets the mother of a child who is malnourished and explains the importance of nutrition as a friend. With this program, over 90% of children are out of malnutrition.

PM Modi then moves on to Datia village in Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi said that under the “Mera Bachha Abhiyaan”, bhajan-kirtans (Hindu gatherings where devotional songs for Hindu gods and goddesses) were held in the districts. In such bhajan-kirtans, teachers were called in as nutrition gurus. Under the ‘Matka’ program, women would bring a handful of grains to the Anganwadi centre, and with all these grains, a ‘Balbhoj’ is organized on Saturdays. This not only increased the attendance of children in Anganwadis but also showed a dip in malnutrition.

Similarly, a unique campaign is underway in Giridih in Jharkhand, where children are taught about good and bad habits of nutrition via a game of snakes and ladders.

Does he say Bhajan-Kirtan reduces the burden of malnutrition? No. He very clearly did not. It is very easy to listen to his Mann Ki Baat episode as it is widely available on YouTube even if you miss its broadcast. If the person is not well-versed in Hindi, the English version was published on the same day by the Press Bureau of India (PIB) as it always does.

Excerpt from English render of Mann Ki Baat episode 92. Source: PIB

He said, “Can you imagine whether song and music and bhajans can also be used to remove malnutrition? It was successfully used in the “Mera Bachha Campaign” in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh. Under this, bhajan-kirtans were organized in the district, in which teachers as nutrition gurus were called. A Matka program was also held, in which women bring a handful of grains to the Anganwadi centre, and with this grain, a ‘Balbhoj’ is organized on Saturdays. Besides this increase in the attendance of children in Anganwadi centres, malnutrition has also shown a dip. A unique campaign is also going on in Jharkhand to increase awareness about malnutrition. A snake-ladder game has been prepared in Giridih, Jharkhand. Through play, children learn about good and bad habits.”

Upon carefully reading and listening to what he said, it is clear that PM Modi mentioned that the program organized in Datia district not only brought people together and helped them in learning about malnutrition, but the attendance of children in Anganwadi centres also increased, that showed a dip in malnutrition. Bhajan-Kirtan was only a way to bring people together.

If we go by The Wire’s author’s logic, the food distribution drives and charity concerts organized by prominent personalities to tackle different world problems will also be “diverting the attention from the real problem”. There are a lot of traditions, cultures, and rituals followed by different communities in India that have a deeper meaning. Food distribution among the needy is one of the most auspicious ways of ‘daan’ in Sanatan Dharma. Doing Bhajan-Kirtan followed by food distribution has been happening for centuries in India, and if it can help in drawing children towards Anganwadi centres where they get a diet as per experts’ recommendations, what is the harm?

Just because Bhajan-Kirtan is a “Hindu” thing, is it being attacked? Will the author say the same for Langar that Sikh communities organize after religious ceremonies? Or would he suggest the same for food distribution programs organized by churches after the Sunday Mass? The questions, in our opinion, will remain unanswered.

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