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UK museum signs agreement with the Indian government to repatriate seven artefacts including six stolen from Indian temples and shrines

Jhankar Mohta
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UK museum signs agreement with the Indian government to repatriate seven artefacts including six stolen from Indian temples and shrines

In a first, a museum based in the Scottish city of Glasgow in the United Kingdom signed an agreement with the Indian government to repatriate seven artefacts including a 14th-century Indo-Persian sword and an 11th-century carved stone door jamb taken from a temple in Kanpur.

Notably, 6 of the 7 artefacts were stolen from temples and shrines in various Northern Indian states during the nineteenth century, while the seventh was bought after the owner was robbed. All seven objects were ‘gifted’ to the collection of the University of Glasgow.

According to a statement from Glasgow Life, a charitable organisation which runs the city’s museums, the transfer of ownership took place on Friday in the presence of Indian High Commission officials.

The delegates from the Government of India and the Archaeological Survey of India with Glasgow Life Museum authorities (source: Glasgow Life)

Following the meeting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, delegates from the Government of India and the Archaeological Survey of India were given access to the objects at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, where they are safely stored.

The transfer of ownership ceremony took place after Glasgow City Council’s City Administration Committee approved a recommendation made in April by the cross-party Working Group for Repatriation and Spoliation to return 51 items to India, Nigeria, and the Cheyenne River and Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux tribes in South Dakota, US.

“Glasgow Life Museums has been working on the repatriation of the Indian artefacts, alongside the High Commission of India in London, since January 2021. The antiquities include a ceremonial Indo-Persian tulwar (sword) which is believed to date back to the 14th century and an 11th-century carved stone door jamb taken from a Hindu temple in Kanpur,” the statement said.

According to Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life, “The transfer of ownership of the Indian antiquities represents a significant step for Glasgow, with the city continuing its positive repatriation history by ensuring these cultural artefacts are placed back in the hands of their legitimate owners.”

The Indian High Commission and the British High Commission must be commended for their cooperation and support. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Indian authorities to ensure the safe return of these artefacts, he added.

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations for Glasgow City Council, said, “The repatriation of these objects is of great historical and cultural importance to both Glasgow and India, so it’s a privilege to welcome Indian dignitaries to our city for such a momentous occasion.”

Meanwhile, speaking about the agreement, India’s Acting High Commissioner, Sujit Ghosh said that these artefacts are an integral part of India’s civilisational heritage and will now be sent back home.

“We express our appreciation to all the stakeholders who made this possible, especially Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council,” Ghosh said. 

Notably, the Narendra Modi government has over the last seven years, managed to bring back almost 200 antique artefacts from foreign countries since 2014.

PM Narendra Modi brought back 157 artefacts and antiquities returned by the United States

Last year in September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought back home 157 artefacts and antiquities from the United States. According to reports, the artefacts and antiquities were handed over by the United States administration to Prime Minister Modi. Among the Artefacts & antiquities returned by the US administration included an 18th-century sword with the name of Sikh Guru Hargobind Das in Persian.

According to reports, around 71 artefacts among those were cultural while 60 among them were connected to Hinduism, 16 belonged to Buddhism and 9 were connected to Jainism. Most of the items largely belonged to the period between the 11th & 14th centuries. However, some were much older, like a copper anthropomorphic object from 2000BC and a terracotta vase from 2nd CE.

Vijay Deverakonda, Ananya Panday starrer Liger faces boycott calls for its association with Karan Johar

OpIndia Staff
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Vijay Deverakonda, Ananya Panday starrer Liger faces boycott calls for its association with Karan Johar

The forthcoming movie Liger starring Vijay Deverakonda is being talked about a lot on social media, with new calls for a boycott coming from netizens. The internet community is calling for the Telugu movie “Liger” to be boycotted for a number of reasons, but mostly because Karan Johar is involved with it.

The upcoming sports drama, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, is directed by Puri Jagannadh and also has Ananya Panday in the lead role. It is scheduled to hit theatres on August 25. Asking to boycott the movie, a Twitter user wrote, “Don’t forget this film is also produced by Karan johar who hates Hindi culture and listen carefully Vijay’s words he didn’t care about anything so we must be unite this time also for boycott his upcoming movie.”

Actor Vijay Deverakonda has been relentlessly promoting his upcoming movie Liger in various cities. However, since early Saturday morning, the hashtag ‘Boycott Liger’ has been trending on social media. The trend started after Vijay supported actor Aamir Khan and his latest box office failure, Laal Singh Chaddha.

In an interview with India Today, Vijay stated, “When you decide to boycott a film, you are not only affecting Aamir Khan, you are affecting thousands of families who lose work and livelihoods. Aamir Sir is someone who pulls the crowd to the theatres. I am not sure why this boycott call is happening, but for whatever misunderstanding, this is happening, please realise you are not affecting Aamir Khan alone but the economy.”

Referring to these remarks by Vijay Deverakonda, a Twitter user wrote, “Vijay Deverkonda blackmails Indians for families of film making crew. Indians have taken contract to look after these families. Vijay Jee, you must convince Bollywood why they make jokes of Hindu Deities while 80% population is Hindu in India.”

It is worth noting that two recent releases starring Bollywood celebrities Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar tanked at the box office. Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Rakshabandhan both failed at the box office even with an extended weekend, amidst widespread boycott calls.

Aamir Khan’s anti-India sentiments in the past, his harsh and disparaging representation of Hindu Gods in his film PK, and his blatantly political pronouncements in the past have all contributed to Laal Singh Chaddha’s dismal performance. As far as Raksha Bandhan is concerned, the boycott calls emanated from the Hinduphobic comments made by its writer, Kanika Dhillon. Under the guise of targeting the BJP and PM Modi, she had repeatedly attacked Hindu beliefs and religious sentiments.

Another Bollywood movie Dobaara, featuring Taapsee Pannu as the lead character, has also failed to garner popular views. The film, directed by controversial filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, has largely failed to pique the interest of the audience. It was released in theatres on Friday, August 19, but had only a 2-3% occupancy rate on Day 1. A number of early screenings of the film were also reported to have been cancelled.

Liquor Scam: AAP leader Manoj Nagpal resigns, says ‘AAP once opposed corruption but now itself is practicing corruption’

OpIndia Staff
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Liquor Scam: AAP leader Manoj Nagpal resigns, says ‘AAP once opposed corruption but now itself is practicing corruption’

On Saturday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manoj Nagpal tendered his resignation from the party amid the ongoing controversy revolving around the excise scam in Delhi. This came a day after CBI booked 15 people including Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia following hours of raids into the alleged excise fraud. Nagpal stated that the party which once led campaigns against corruption was now itself involved in corruption.

Manoj Nagpal, the Subhash Nagar ward party President tweeted his resignation letter and said, “Today I resign from AAP party. Please accept and oblige”. The letter was also posted by Delhi BJP Spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga. “AAP leader resigned after Manish Sisodia scam”, he tweeted.

In the handwritten resignation letter, Manoj Nagpal said that the party which used to fight against corruption was now itself practicing corruption. He added that the excise scam had played a major role in ruining the party’s character. “AAP today has become a corrupt party. AAP’s excise policy boosted the youngsters to consume more alcohol and furthered their addiction”, he said.

He also said that one of the private liquor shops in his ward was provided a license illegally. “Many people from within the ward opposed but to no avail. When I asked the AAP leaders for help, I was asked to shut up. The AAP leaders instead threatened me and said that I would be forced to leave the party”, he added. Nagpal further alleged that AAP never gave respect to its party members. “The Aam Aadmi Party initially used to say that the Congress leaders are corrupt. But during the municipal elections in January 2022, AAP had invited the ‘so-called honest’ Congress leaders and asked the AAP members to look after them”, he said.

Signing the resignation letter he said that he was feeling suffocated in the party and that he wanted to be free from all the responsibilities of the party. The CBI yesterday named Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in an FIR filed into the alleged excise fraud. CBI FIR stated that Manish Sisodia and Excise officials were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions about excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority to extend undue favors to the licensees post tender

The policy was proposed in 2020 and came into force in November 2021. Delhi was divided into 32 zones, each with 27 liquor vends. It also marked the end of the government’s sale of alcohol, only private liquor shops functioned in the city, with 2-3 vends in each mayoral ward. The objectives of the policy were to put a stop to the liquor mafia and black marketing, raise income and improve the customer experience, and ensure equal distribution of liquor vends.

The government also made laws more flexible for licensees, such as enabling them to provide discounts and establish their pricing rather than selling at the government-mandated MRP. Following it, vendors gave discounts, attracting people. Following opposition rallies, the tax agency temporarily suspended discounts. Reports mention that the excise policy 2021-22 helped the government to earn increased revenue, generating around Rs 8900 crore.

Sisodia reportedly changed the excise policy without the LG’s consent, such as providing a remission of Rs. 144.36 crores on the surrendered licensing fee due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

India’s second Sologamy wedding: After Kshama Bindu, ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ star Kanishka Soni marries herself

OpIndia Staff
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India’s second Sologamy wedding: After Kshama Bindu, ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ star Kanishka Soni marries herself

Days after Kshama Bindu of Gujarat announced her plan to have India’s first ‘sologamy marriage’, television actress Kanishka Soni followed suit. The actor best known for starring in the TV shows Pavitra Rishta and Diya Aur Baati Hum, took to Instagram on August 6 to announce that she has married herself.

“Married to myself ?❤️ since I fulfilled all my dreams on my own & the only person I am in love with is MYSELF? ? answer to all questions I am getting ????? I don’t need any Man Ever .. I am happy always alone & in solitude with my guitar ? I am the goddess , Strong & Powerful , shiva & Shakti everything is inside ME , Thank you”, the actress had written in her Instagram post as she shared pictures of herself wearing mangalsutra and sindoor.

Soon after the post went viral, social media users started questioning her for her decision to pursue sologamy. Recently, the actress posted another post where she responded to the people who called her out for disrespecting Indian culture by marrying herself instead of a man.

She wrote in her caption, “I know you guys have been raising lots of questions on my self marriage decision, I truly believe in Indian culture and here is my POV, that’s why I chose to live in solitude. Marriage is not about sex, it’s about love and honesty one seeks for and I have lost that faith, so it’s better to live alone and love myself than seeking it in outside world when it’s difficult to find, but thanks a lot for making my post on google trending and in news though… it wasn’t my intention.” She added, “It is a decision made by my full heart and soul with full conscious mind and I am happy that I am in USA now and focusing on my career.”

Kanishka Soni, who completed her MBA in Finance from the University of Mumbai, started her career in 2007 when she participated in a singing reality show Bathroom Singer and was a guest contestant in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 2. Kanishka then featured in a Tamil movie Pathaveram Kodi in 2013, and went on to do films like Devaraya and Yuvrajayam. She has also acted in TV shows like Do Dil Ek Jaan, Pavitra Rishta, Diya Aur Baati Hum and Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev.

India’s first sologamy: Gujarat girl Kshama Bindu marries herself

Interestingly, this is the second such recent marriage in the country where a woman has chosen to marry herself. In June this year, Kshama Bindu, from Gujarat, grabbed headlines when she announced that she had married herself.

Kshama Bindu had ‘married herself’ with all the rituals including Haldi and Mehendi. She has also shared the visuals of the same from her Instagram handle.

Kshama Bindu had declared that she will marry herself on 11th June in a temple. However, in response to criticism on social media, she decided to have the ceremony sooner than planned. Bindu married herself, complete with Mehendi and Haldi rites. This was the first sologamy marriage in India. After finishing the wedding rites, she thanked everyone in a video message on Facebook. Bindu expressed her appreciation for the encouragement and support she had received.

Khalistani organisations under the scanner, Home Ministry directs security agencies to take action: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani organisations under the scanner, Home Ministry directs security agencies to take action: Report

As per a report by Aaj Tak, the central government is set to take strong steps to tighten the noose around the Khalistani network and drug trafficking module in five states. Citing sources, Aaj Tak reported that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed investigative agencies to neutralise the Khalistani network across Delhi/NCR and the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

According to the report, the Ministry made this decision during a meeting with the NIA, ED, IB, RAW, and Delhi Police as well as other state police organisations. According to sources, the NIA would file an FIR over the rising Khalistani activities in Delhi and the other states.

MHA has ordered the NIA to file a secret complaint against the Khalistani factions and their affiliated organisations for using drones to smuggle weapons, IEDs, and other explosives. Strict action is to be taken against the Khalistani organisations. These include organisations like Khalistani Liberation Front (KLF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Sikh Youth Federation (SYF), Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

The intelligence agencies have substantial evidence, as indicated in the report, that the IEDs and explosives found in Delhi and surrounding states in recent months were planted there by the ISI and Khalistani organisations operating from Pakistan. Several events in the past have revealed the growing Khalistani sentiment in and around Punjab.

SFJ’s call to replace Tiranga with Khalistan flag at Attari border

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a Khalistani organisation based in Canada, recently ‘challenged’ the Indian government to replace the highest Tiranga at the Attari border with the Khalistani flag. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the SFJ said in yet another announcement about the “Khalistan Referendum” that they will start a “Ghar Ghar Khalistan” campaign on August 15 and continue it until the Khalistan Referendum materialises in Punjab on January 26.

Election of pro-Khalistan MP from Sangrur

The by-election results for many Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across states, including the Lok Sabha seat in Sangrur, Punjab, which became vacant when Bhagwant Mann, the MP from Sangrur, was elected Chief Minister of Punjab, were declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on June 26. Gurmail Singh received a ticket from the Aam Aadmi Party but lost against Simranjit Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar).

Simranjit Singh Mann has long supported the Khalistan movement, which is significant. He has long been known to publicly back the Khalistan movement. He had left Police Services because of Operation Blue Star, which was initiated by the Government of India to eliminate Khalistani terrorists lodged in Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.

Mumbai Police receives threat message warning of a ’26/11′ like terror attack in the city, sounds alert and launches probe

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police receives threat message warning of a ’26/11′ like terror attack in the city, sounds alert and launches probe

On Saturday, the Mumbai Police received a threat message from a Pakistani phone number saying that a 26/11-like terrorist attack would be executed in the city. The message was sent on the WhatsApp number of the Mumbai Police traffic control room. The Mumbai Police is investigating the matter and has put the security agencies on alert.

According to the reports, the WhatsApp message talked about reviving memories of the 26/11 attack when 10 terrorists belonging to LeT had entered the city and executed a series of attacks that lasted for almost four days. The threat message received by the Mumbai Police from a Pakistan-based number stated that the probable attack would be executed by six people.

While the Police have lodged an investigation into the matter, the Nationalist Congress Party’s Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar has advised the state government to take the threat seriously and launch an investigation.

To note, the incident comes a couple of days after a suspicious boat containing 3 AK-47 guns, explosives, and other ammunition was found at Harihareshwar Beach. The Raigad Police had immediately informed the security agencies and had sounded alert in the nearby coastal area. Though a potential terror threat was ruled out, a detailed investigation is being carried out by the ATS and Raigad Police.

Later, Maharashtra Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis stated that the boat belonged to an Australian citizen. “Boat’s engine broke out in the sea, people were rescued by a Korean boat. It has now reached Harihareshwar beach. Keeping in mind the coming festive season, police and the administration have been instructed to be prepared”, he was quoted.

The Mumbai Police today were seen investigating the matter in the Nariman Point area after it received a threatening message warning of a ’26/11′ like terror attack in the city. The 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of terrorist attacks that started on 26 November 2008 in which 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani Islamist terrorist organization, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai over four days. As many as 175 people were killed and over 300 were injured in the deadly attack.

Pilot and co-pilot fall asleep at 37,000 feet, miss the landing for the flight

OpIndia Staff
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Pilot and co-pilot fall asleep at 37,000 feet, miss the landing for the flight

An Ethiopian Airlines flight from Khartoum to Addis Ababa missed its landing on Monday for a very bizarre reason, both its pilots fell asleep during the flight. The plane continued to cruise at 37,000 feet and missed the Bole airport in Addis Ababa causing an alarm on the ground. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) raised an alert after flight ET343 approached the airport but did not make any attempt to descend.

After noticing the abnormal behaviour, ATC tried to contact the pilots several times but to no avail. Once the plane overshot the runway where it was supposed to land, the autopilot disengaged, triggering a siren, that eventually woke the pilots up. The pilots then maneuvered the aircraft back and landed 25 minutes after it was supposed to land in Addis Ababa.

After eventually landing at the airport, the aircraft was kept on the ground for two and a half hours as authorities checked the plane to ensure it is safe for flying again.

Luckily, nobody was hurt due to pilot negligence in the incident and the flight landed safely. Ethiopian Airlines is the largest air carrier in Africa and they have reacted swiftly. Both the pilots are suspended pending an enquiry into the incident. However, the incident has raised questions about the issue of pilot fatigue and how they are overworked.

This is not the first case of pilots falling asleep in the middle of a flight. A similar incident occurred in May when two pilots of Italian airlines ITA Airways fell asleep while flying 38,000 feet above the ground from New York to Rome.

Ethiopian Airlines didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment but an investigation into the reasons behind the incident is currently underway.

Somalia: Al-Shabab terrorists attack a hotel in Mogadishu; 10 deaths reported

OpIndia Staff
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Somalia: Al-Shabab terrorists attack a hotel in Mogadishu; 10 deaths reported

On Friday, Islamist terrorists of Al-Shabab attacked Mogadishu’s Hayat Hotel in Somalia killing at least 10 people and injuring several others. The terrorists executed an explosion outside the hotel first and then entered the building with guns, explosives, and other weapons.

According to the reports, the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group executed the attack on August 19 at a hotel in Somalia’s capital which is often visited by government officials. Al-Shabab which is the affiliate of a terrorist organization named Al-Qaeda is in a long-running conflict with the federal government.

The Police and the eyewitnesses claimed that gunfire could be heard on Saturday early morning too. “Two car bombs targeted Hotel Hayat. One hit a barrier near the hotel, and then the other hit the gate of the hotel. We believe the fighters are inside the hotel”, a police officer informed Reuters. The eyewitnesses also claimed that the number of gunmen who entered the hotel last night is unclear. More than 10 people have lost their lives in the incident and several others are reported injured.

“The security forces continued to neutralize terrorists who have been cordoned inside a room in the hotel building. Most of the people were rescued, but at least eight civilians were confirmed dead so far,” an official named Mohamed Abdikadir was quoted.

Reports mention that many of the guests and staff members were rescued by the security agencies who continued to neutralise the terrorists holed up on the top floor of the hotel. However, unverified social media photographs appeared to show smoke rising from the hotel as shouts and loud noises could also be heard.

To note, the Islamist terrorist organization Al-Shabab controls the majority of southern and central Somalia but has expanded its influence into areas controlled by the Mogadishu-based government. In recent weeks, Al-Shabab forces have also assaulted locations near the Somalia-Ethiopia border, raising fears about the group’s likely new strategy. The strike on Friday was the group’s first in the capital since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s new president, was elected in May.

In the year 2008, a similar incident was reported in Mumbai, India when 10 terrorists of the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba entered the city and executed a series of terrorist attacks lasting for four days. The attack that happened at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Palace and Tower, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema and in the lane behind the Times of India office resulted in the death of more than 175 civilians and around 300 injuries.

Kareena Kapoor Khan displays blind hubris even as Laal Singh Chaddha tanks, says her character ‘Geet’ in Jab We Met increased Indian Railways’ revenue

OpIndia Staff
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Kareena Kapoor Khan displays blind hubris even as Laal Singh Chaddha tanks, says her character ‘Geet’ in Jab We Met increased Indian Railways’ revenue

Kareena Kapoor Khan has claimed that she financially helped the Indian Railways by playing the character of Geet in Imtiaz Ali’s film Jab We Met. Kareena, whose recent big-budget film with Aamir Khan, Laal Singh Chaddha, just became one of the biggest disasters in the Hindi film industry, said this on an episode of Amazon Mini TV show ‘Case To Banta Hai’.

“Mere Geet play Karne Ke Baad Harem Pants Ki Sale Aur Indian Railways Ki Revenue, Dono Badh Gayi Hai By The Way (The sale of harem pants and Indian Railways revenues both surged after I played Geet.)”

Kareena made these remarks on the comedy courtroom show Case To Banta Hai after Varun Sharma, who plays her lawyer, advised her to be more serious about her court proceedings.

Jab We Met, written and directed by Imtiaz Ali, is a 2007 Indian romantic comedy film starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor. The film was one of the year’s highest-grossing Hindi films. Jab We Met narrates the story of Geet, a Punjabi girl who is thrown off course when she meets Aditya Kashyap, a hopeless Mumbai businessman, on a midnight train to Delhi. 

While Kareena may think she boosted Indian Railways revenue with her film, the data suggests no spike in Railways revenue in 2007-08, the financial year in which Jab We Met was released. In fact, the growth slowed down in that year compared to the previous financial year.

Financial year-wise revenue of Indian Railways (Source: Statista)

Kareena Kapoor Khan appeared in the latest movie Laal Singh Chaddha, which failed to impress the audience and earn commercial profits due to widespread boycott calls. Due to Aamir Khan’s previously troublesome utterances, the film ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ has been mired in controversy right from the start.

The film’s collection at the box office was dismal compared to the budget of the film. Amidst the boycott calls for the film Aamir Khan himself indicated that he was apologetic if he had offended anyone. Kareena too pleaded with people not to boycott the film as she finds it a beautiful film. “They should not boycott this film, it’s such a beautiful film. And I want people to see me and Aamir,” she said in an interview.

Several social media users noted Kareena Kapoor Khan’s U-turn, citing statements she made in 2020 suggesting that individuals who don’t want to see movies should not watch them because no one is trying to convince them.

It is pertinent to mention that back in 2020, Kareena Kapoor stated during the nepotism debate that it is the people who have made them stars and that nobody is forcing people to go and watch their movies. She then said, “The audience has made us, no one else has made us. The same people pointing fingers are the ones who have made these nepotistic stars right? Aap Jaa Rahe Ho Na Film Dekhne? Mat Jao. Nobody has forced you. So I don’t understand it. I find this whole discussion is completely weird.”

DIPR dismisses media reports claiming J&k likely to get around 25 lakh additional non-local voters, says ‘vested interest’ trying to misrepresent facts

OpIndia Staff
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DIPR dismisses media reports claiming J&k likely to get around 25 lakh additional non-local voters, says ‘vested interest’ trying to misrepresent facts

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday refuted media claims that Jammu and Kashmir will be getting around 25 lakh additional voters including outsiders or non-locals after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370.

Slamming ‘vested interests’ for misrepresenting facts, the order issued by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) on Saturday, August 20, cleared that the electoral rolls will cover only existing residents of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and that the increase in voter numbers will be limited to Jammu and Kashmir youths who have reached the age of 18 as of 1st October 2022 or earlier.

“This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by the vested interests. This revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the UT of J&K and increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as on 1.10.2022 or earlier,” the order read.

It further clarified that no change has been made in the special provisions for Kashmiri migrants for their enrolment in the electoral rolls of their original native constituencies.

The order added that the Kashmiri migrants will continue to be given the option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through specially-setup polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc.

It further clarified that there is no change in rules regarding buying of property and jobs in the government of Union territory of J&K and have no link to the representation of voters or otherwise.

The order stated that summary revision of electoral rolls are undertaken by Election Commission from time to time according to the laid down process. “This is to enable young persons who become eligible to register themselves as voters. Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” it read.

It further said that the number of electors as published in special summary revision of J&K in 2011 was 66,00,921 and it has now increased to 76,02,397. “This increase is mainly due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years.”

Basically, the clarification was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after several media houses like NDTV, Deccan Herald and a few others claimed that the BJP government is trying to tip the scales in its favour by enrolling around 25 lakh additional voters including outsiders in the Union Territory as the special summary revision of electoral rolls is being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Report published by NDTV on August 18, 2022
Report published by Deccan Herald on August 18, 2022
Report by Daily Excelsior published in August 19, 2022

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has, however, cleared the air confirming that no outsiders are being included, in fact, only those “ordinarily” residing in J&K and having achieved the age of 18 years or above as of October 1 are to be included in the electoral rolls. “This is to enable young persons who become eligible to register themselves as voters. Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at the new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” the order read.

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