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O Panneerselvam supporters throw slippers at E Palaniswami’s photo, both factions hurl stones outside AIADMK headquarters ahead of General Council meet: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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O Panneerselvam supporters throw slippers at E Palaniswami’s photo, both factions hurl stones outside AIADMK headquarters ahead of General Council meet: Watch

The AIADMK infighting between O Panneerselvam (OPS) and ex-Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) spilled over onto the streets on Monday, with their supporters engaging in a violent brawl outside the party headquarters. The fight broke out ahead of the party’s general council meeting held to decide the future leadership structure of the party. However, despite the brawl, Edappadi K Palaniswami has been appointed as the interim general secretary of AIADMK following today’s meeting.

According to reports, O Panneerselvam supporters also hit E Palaniswami’s photo with slippers. Later, Panneerselvam greeted his supporters from a portico and also waved the party flag. His supporters raised “Ayya OPS vazhga” (hail OPS sir) slogans.

Visuals also showed members of both factions hurling stones at each other. Reportedly, some people also damaged vehicles parked nearby. Posters and banners were also burnt during the ruckus outside the party HQ.

The members from both factions also engaged in a fist fight and attacked each other with sticks.

Owing to the clashes, the AIADMK office had been locked, but rowdy members of both factions broke open the locked doors and made their way into the party headquarters and created a ruckus.

Ex-Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami elected as the party’s interim general secretary

Meanwhile, according to reports, during the party’s council meeting held today morning, Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), thus ending the dual leadership in the party. The announcement came as the General Council passed resolutions to reinstate the position of general secretary and to guarantee that the party’s primary members choose a candidate for the position. The election will be held 4 months from now.

Further, during the meeting, it was decided that the posts of the coordinator and joint coordinator would be terminated and a Deputy General Secretary post would be created, who will be selected by the party’s General Secretary.

The AIADMK infighting

For months on end, the two former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and his predecessor O Panneerselvam (OPS) were locked in an intense tussle for the sole leadership of AIADMK. While OPS has been pushing for the current joint leadership model to continue, EPS had been keen for single leadership with himself as the party General Secretary.

Recently, O Panneerselvam had moved the Madras High Court to stall the crucial General Council meeting of the party that was held today to decide on the fate of the party leadership. The Madras High Court, however, refused to stall the AIADMK general council meeting in Chennai on Monday, July 11.

It may be noted that when AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa passed away in December 2016, EPS and OPS decided to share party leadership. While there had been differences between the two leaders, the arrangement worked well until the AIADMK’s rule ended in April 2021.

After a string of election defeats, EPS declared that the model was ineffective, while OPS frantically petitioned the courts to retain power over the party.

On Wednesday, however, the Supreme Court gave EPS and his team permission to convene the meeting in accordance with the law.

Former HT journalist’s descent into madness over PM Modi referring to Goddess Kaali as ‘Maa’ is epic: Read details

Dibakar Dutta
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Former HT journalist’s descent into madness over PM Modi referring to Goddess Kaali as ‘Maa’ is epic: Read details

On Sunday (July 10), Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Goddess Kali as ‘Maa’ during a virtual address at an event conducted by the Ramakrishna Mission.

The event was organised to mark the centennial birth anniversary of the 15th President of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Atmasthananda. The development comes amidst the ongoing row over the objectionable portrayal of the Hindu deity by director Leena Manimekalai.

PM Modi stated, “Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one such saint who had a vision of Maa Kali and had surrendered his whole being at the feet of Maa Kali. He used to say this whole world, everything is influenced by the consciousness of Goddess Kali. This consciousness is visible in the Kali Puja of Bengal.”

Soon after, former Weekend Editor of Hindustan Times, Kanika Gahlaut, went on an unhinged social media tirade against Prime Minister Modi for supposedly limiting the Hindu deity to the status of a ‘mother’.

“Why Narendra Modi is referring to (the) Hindu goddess Kali as Maa kali? She is a supreme goddess and can be worshipped in various ways not everyone has to see her as the maa kali,” she tweeted.

Screengrab of the tweet by Kanika Gahlaut

Thereafter, she attempted to label Hindus as misogynists for elevating women to the status of a mother or a wife. “Hindus have an obsession with turning every female into wife or mother. It’s extremely unhealthy and misogynist,” Kanika brazened it out.

The author of ‘Among The Chatterati’ then inquired whether Lord Shiva was ever referred to as a father figure or Papa.

Screengrab of the tweets by Kanika Gahlaut

After being called out for her ignorance about the Hindu religion, the former Hindustan Times journalist went into a defensive mode. She posted tweets after tweets in a failed bid to convince her readers.

“Shiv is Mahakaal, his consort Kali is MahaKaali. I like this story. I don’t know about mummy & all, people are free to see & worship their gods the way they like. This includes Leena Mahua & Modi. There should be no exemption, it’s unfair,” she tweeted on Monday (July 11).

Screengrab of the tweet by Kanika Gahlaut

“Just because Modi is a Hindu PM appointed by Hindus, he is not Bhagwan Krishna and his Hinduism is not everyone’s Hinduism,” Kanika Gahlaut continued her rant.

The invocation of Gaumutra to deride Hindu beliefs

After being quizzed by Hindu netizens about her contentious remarks, she attempted to shame them with ‘gaumutra jibes.’ “Don’t cry, drink gaumutra and be happy,” the journalist had retweeted a Hinduphobic joke by a pro-Islamist account named ‘I stand with Zubair.’

Screengrab of the tweet

For a long time now, Hinduphobes have been using gaumutra barbs to deride Hindus and ridicule their beliefs. It has often been used by Islamist terrorists before attacking Indians, especially Hindus.

In 2019, a Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist in a suicide attack killed as many as 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama, Kashmir. Following the attack, a video was released in which the terrorist could be heard saying he wanted to punish and kill the ‘cow urine drinkers’ in the name of Allah.

The terrorist identified as Adil Ahmed Dar alias Waqas was seen admitting that he had joined the Jaish-e-Mohammad a year ago. In the video, he had referred to Indians as “Gae ka Peshab Peene Wale” (People who drink cow urine).

Former HT journalist plays the victim card

After her hollow arguments failed to make an impression on the netizens or thwart the criticism directed at her, Kanika Gahlaut sought to play the victim card.

“No one cares about majoritarian Twitter bullying by Hindutva trolls. They think their Low IQ bullying really makes a difference to our lives,” she said.

Screengrab of the tweets by Kanika Gahlaut

Kanika Gahlaut claimed, “Why Hindu gods are all Bhagwan literally meaning god & their consorts Hindu goddesses are maa or mother? Instead of trolling me why don’t Hindutva people answer the question? Kali goddess doesn’t have to be worshipped as ma that’s not the only way to worship her this is fact.”

It is notable here that in Hinduism, every Goddess is referred to as ‘Mother’. Hinduism is one of the last remaining religions on the earth that worships the ‘Sacred feminine’, be it in the form of the planet itself, as ‘Prithvi Mata’, or the very basis of the Universe’s energy, ‘Shakti’. Hindu Goddesses like Kali, Durga, Lakshmi etc are all considered the manifestations of ‘Shakti’, or the energy of the Universe.

Pakistani journalist claims he had spied on India during visits, was invited by Hamid Ansari and passed information to Pak Army

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani journalist claims he had spied on India during visits, was invited by Hamid Ansari and passed information to Pak Army

On July 10, Pakistani Journalist and YouTuber Shakil Chaudhary published an interview with Pakistani Journalist Nusrat Mirza who claimed he spied on India and handed over the information he had gathered during his visits to India between 2005 to 2011.

During the interview, Chaudhary asked Mirza if India was an existential threat to Pakistan and why Pakistan did not have experts on India. His statement irked Mirza, who went on boasting about himself and how he was an expert on India. He said he travelled to India five times. In 2005, he visited Chandigarh, followed by Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai 2006. On another trip, he covered Kolkata, Patna, and other places.

Speaking about the contacts he had, Mirza said, “Usually, when you apply for Visa to India, they only allow you to visit three places. However, at that time, Khurshid Kasuri was the foreign minister who helped me to get Visa for seven cities. I think I understand how India functions. I have studied the circumstances in which Indian Muslims live. I am friends with all the editors of Urdu papers in India. Many news channel owners are good friends. Whenever I have visited India, I have given several interviews.”

‘I was invited by Hamid Ansari’

He said in 2010, he was invited to a seminar on terrorism by then-Vice President Hamid Ansari. He said, “Though I agree I am not an expert, but we are Mughals. We have ruled India for centuries. I understand their culture. I know about their weaknesses. But the problem is the experience I gathered about India is not being used due to lack of good leadership in Pakistan.” During his 2011 visit to India, Mirza said he had met The Milli Gazette’s publisher Zafarul Islam Khan.

‘No one wants to use the information

He blamed Pakistan’s politics for his inability to use the information he had gathered during India visits. He said, “Do you know what the problem in Pakistan is? When a new Chief comes, he wipes out the work done by the previous chief and starts with a clean slate. Khurshid asked me to hand over the information I had brought to Kayani (General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan’s former Army chief). I said I would not hand over the information to him, but if you want, I am giving you the information. He handed it over to Kayani.

Later they called me and asked if I could get more information like this. I asked them to work on the information I provided. They have a research wing. They have information. They know about the weaknesses in the leadership in India. But they do not use it. Since FATF came, Pakistan has not done any activity in India. It has its hands tied up.”

When the anchor said he was talking about academic experts, Mirza added, “See, they have 29 states. I have visited 15 of them. But at that time, there were 56 Muslim members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I was friends with every one of those. They were very helpful. It is not like there has not been any research or written work on India. We have books from the 60s.”

Chaudhary pointed out the lack of basic information Pakistani journalists have about India. He said once a senior journalist had said there were separatist movements ongoing in 40 states of India. When the anchor tried to correct him that India had only 29 states, he got angry and said he was well informed.

Mirza replied, “I know where separatist movements are happening. But no one wants to exploit the information. The separatist movements are happening in all regions of India. There is no doubt about that. I used to say there were 26 movements ongoing, but someone said now there are 67 such movements. The main movements are happening in Kashmir and Bengal. But they are not very effective as no one is helping them.”

‘India is against peace’, says Pakistani journalist

When asked if India and Pakistan could live peacefully with each other, Mirza blamed India for being against peace. He claimed India wanted revenge for centuries-old conflicts with Mughals and wanted to finish Pakistan. He talked about meeting a leader from the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh. He said, “When I visited UP, I met a party leader. He informed me how his government supported Muslims and gave them jobs. He was right. If they want to live like that, it is welcoming, but if they want to make Muslims slaved, that is not acceptable.”

‘Pakistan has right over Kashmir’

He was asked about the allegations against Pakistan that it has been creating issues for India since 1947. Pakistan claims Junagadh and Kashmir were its parts though it could have stuck with Kashmir only. Mirza said, “India forcefully took Junagadh and Hyderabad where the kings were Muslims, but the majority was Hindu. If the same logic is used in Kashmir, Pakistan has right on the state.” He agreed that Pakistani leaders made mistakes in the past but did not support the argument that Pakistan should only concentrate on Kashmir.

He further claimed that the king of Hyderabad had announced joining Pakistan, but it was forcefully taken away. He also claimed Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, father of Assasudin Owaisi, was part of the kingdom when the king announced Hyderabad Deccan would be part of Pakistan and not India.

‘India wants to massacre Muslims’

Mirza claimed there were plans to massacre Muslims in India. He alleged that it was not his words, but the intellectuals and experts from the US and other nations were saying so. When Chaudhary said Zulfikar Bhutto made similar allegations against India, but the population of Muslims has increased exponentially since then, Mirza did not like the counter and said, “I have been to every part of 15 states. I know what is happening there.”

‘India was responsible for Mumbai attack’

Mirza, during the interview, claimed that Pakistan had no role in the Mumbai terror attack of 2008. He said, “Pakistan did not play any role in 26/11. Even the experts from India say that it was an inside job.” He mentioned articles written by journalist Amaresh Misra who is infamous for whitewashing crimes of Pakistan in the 26/11 attack. His reports were also republished by Mirza’s media house. Mirza claimed to blame Pakistan was India’s strategy to malign its name.

West Bengal: TMC MLA Idris Ali hopes for Sri Lanka-like-situation in India, wishes ouster of PM Modi from power by a frenzied mob

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC MLA Idris Ali hopes for Sri Lanka-like-situation in India, wishes ouster of PM Modi from power by a frenzied mob

Days after violent protestors laid siege on the Presidential residence of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo in Sri Lanka, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Idris Ali wished for a similar situation in India.

Ali, who represents the Bhagabangola Vidhan Sabha constituency in the Murshidabad district of the State, told ANI, “Whatever happened to the President of Sri Lanka, I think the same will happen to Narendra Modi in India.”

“The same treatment will be meted out to the India Prime Minister, given the present circumstances,” the TMC MLA hoped for anarchy and lawlessness in the country/

He further alleged, “Look at things in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a total failure. The response of the mob will be worse than what it has been in Sri Lanka.”

“As such, Modiji will have to resign as the Prime Minister and flee the country,” he wished for total anarchy in India with a smile on his face.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa forced to flee 

Earlier, it was reported that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had fled from his residence after thousands of protestors stormed his house.

With protests already taking place across the country for months, the violent agitation peaked after the government conceded that the country had gone bankrupt. Citing defence sources, the news agency AFP reported that president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled from his official residence.

Rajapaksa was evacuated to a safer location before the protestors stormed into the presidential residence. According to sources, the president was moved to the army headquarters after intelligence reports had predicted that the situation could go out of control. Some reports say that he has been taken away to an unknown location on a Navy ship.

Goa: Congress removes leader of opposition Michael Lobo hours after rumours of him leaving the party to join BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Goa: Congress removes leader of opposition Michael Lobo hours after rumours of him leaving the party to join BJP

Congress party removed Michael Lobo from the position of the leader of opposition in the Goa state legislative assembly hours after rumours of him leaving the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. All India Congress Committee’s Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao announced this on 10th July 2022 in the evening.

Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “Michael Lobo immediately removed from the position of Leader of Opposition of Goa. A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let’s see how many people will stay/move. 5 of our MLAs are here, we’re in touch with some more MLAs &they’ll be along with us.”

Dinesh Gundu Rao further said, “Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will take it to the people this betrayal that is being engineered by 2 people for the sake of power & personal gain.”

Earlier, Michael Lobo had denied the rumours of him and other Congress leaders joining the BJP. He said, “These are all rumours. There’s nothing as such. Assembly (session) is starting & one rumor has to be spread by somebody or the other. I’ve not been told, if I’m told I’ll tell you first.”

In Goa’s 40-member house, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the BJP, has the support of 25 MLAs, while the Congress has 11 MLAs. Sources claimed that 7 to 10 Congress MLAs gathered at a hotel in Margao in the state of Goa and vowed to remain united amid concerns of another split in the Goa Congress. There are now 11 Congress-affiliated MLAs in the Goa legislature, and it has been reported that some of them may switch to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The suspicion was directed towards Michael Lobo who had switched sides from the BJP to the Congress just before the elections. He was rumoured to be in touch with BJP leaders.

‘Liberals’, including a professor at Stevens Business School, attack Rajdeep Sardesai for wishing Hindus on Ashadhi Ekadashi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Liberals’, including a professor at Stevens Business School, attack Rajdeep Sardesai for wishing Hindus on Ashadhi Ekadashi

On 10th July 2022, Rajdeep Sardesai wished his followers on Twitter on the occasion of the Ashadhi Ekadashi. Soon after that, liberals including a professor at Stevens Business School attacked him on Twitter for extending those wishes. It is notable that Rajdeep Sardesai belongs to a Marathi family and Ashadhi Ekadashi is one of the most pious occasions of the Hindu calendar and people in Maharashtra celebrate it with great enthusiasm.

It is believed in Hinduism that Lord Vishnu takes a rest for four months starting on this day. On Ashadhi Ekadashi, lakhs of pilgrims gather at Pandharpur in Maharashtra to get the Darshan of Lord Viththala who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Wishing people a blessed Ekadashi, Rajdeep Sardesai wrote, “Wishing everyone a blessed Ekadashi. Peace and happiness.”

It must be noted that just before this tweet, Rajdeep Sardesai wished his followers a Happy Eid, as the Muslim festival of Bakri Eid is also being celebrated on the 10th of July in India. Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted, “Eid Mubarak. Peace and happiness everyone.”

Stevens Business School professor, Gaurav Sabnis, tweeted commenting on Rajdeep Sardesai’s tweet, “Hehehe “Happy Ekadashi” it seems. There are 24 in a year. Sometimes 26. The dude doesn’t know what Ashadhi Ekadashi signifies I’m sure. Just covering all bases.”

Another Twitter user Urban Shrink tweeted, “Praan Jaye par balance Na Jaye.” The comment referred to how after wishing Eid, Rajdeep Sardesai wished a happy Ekadashi within minutes.

Another Twitter user Sanjay Mukherjee replied to Rajdeep Sardesai and wrote in his tweet, “Ekadashi comes twice a month at least. It has no special significance, except that Hindu widows have some food restrictions. In the search of “inter-faith” harmony, don’t obfuscate please.”

One more Twitter user M. Sadiq Ali tweeted, “Today Eid is also being celebrated in the country. Your fear for greetings on Eid occasion can easily be understood.” Even though Sardesai had tweeted his Eid greetings, apparently tweeting greetings for a Hindu festival nullified that.

After facing criticism for wishing Hindus on Ashadhi Ekadashi, Rajdeep Sardesai tried to monkey-balance things as he tweeted, “Sunday noon musing: Eid and Ekadashi on the same day. Maybe the gods are reminding us of the need for interfaith harmony.”

However, rather than doing damage control, this tweet attracted more criticism for Rajdeep Sardesai. A Twitter user Doremon replied, “Eid is about killing an animal and having their meat to please your senses and Ekadashi is about fasting to clean and purify your mind. Two entirely different philosophies.”

Significance of Ashadhi Ekadashi in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, there is a 750-year-old tradition of going to Pandharpur by foot on Ashadhi Ekadashi, this is called Wari. The pilgrims following this tradition are called Warkaris. Wari roughly commences 20 to 25 days before Ashadhi Ekadashi. On Ashadhi Ekadashi, people from all the corners of Maharashtra gather at Pandharpur to get the Darshana of Lord Viththala, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Referring to this, another Twitter user Devesh Bagul replied to Rajdeep Sardesai and wrote, “There’s a huge difference. One crowd gathers for a stone-pelting. Other crowds gather to end a spiritual journey to meet their beloved god. Give this secular sermon somewhere else.”

Journalist Rohini Singh displays her ignorance, claims the evidence of ancient Indian knowledge is ‘WhatsApp information’

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist Rohini Singh displays her ignorance, claims the evidence of ancient Indian knowledge is ‘WhatsApp information’

It is well known fact that ancient India excelled in several fields of scientific knowledge, including mathematics, medicine, cosmology, metallurgy, architecture etc. A large number of theories and principles ‘discovered’ by Europeans in 400-500 years ago actually mentioned in Indian texts which as thousands of years old. While such ancient Indian knowledge is globally acknowledged, there are some Indian left-liberals who refuse to believe that, and mock it as ‘Sanghi claims’ and ‘results of WhatsApp University’.

In latest such incident, journalist Rohini Singh dismissed such Indian origin of knowledge terming it as ‘WhatsApp information’. She was quoting a tweet by The Hindu journalist Vijaita Singh, who had posted a Times of India report on the Karnataka government’s decision to teach students about ancient Indian origin of knowledge. The report stated that one of the proposals says that ‘fake news such has Pythagoras theorem, apple falling on Newton’s head etc. are being created and propagated’.

Elaborating on this, Madan Gopal, chairman of the task force to implement the National Education Policy in Karnataka, had said that Gravity and Pythagoras have roots in vedic maths, and it is an Indic-centred approached.

However, Rohini Singh disagree with this. She tweeted, “The kids of politicians get world class education at the best schools and colleges globally. Your kids will be reduced to being consumers of WhatsApp information with no prospects!”

While it has become fashion to blame WhatsApp for anything that is considered incorrect by anyone, in this case, actually Rohini Singh might be the victim of WhatsApp information. Because, there is ample evidence that the quoted principles were discovered in India centuries before they were documented by Europeans.

While Greek mathematician-philosopher Pythagoras is credited with the Pythagorean theorem, it is well accepted fact that the theorem predates him. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the theorem is mentioned in the Baudhayana Sulba-sutra from India, which was written before Pythagoras.

According to the Pythagorean theorem, for a right-angle triangle (triangle with one corner measuring 90°), the square of the length of hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths on the other two sides. It is expressed as a²+b²=c², where c is the side opposite to the right angle, and a and b forming the right angle in the triangle.

Baudhayana Sutras are ancient Indian texts on various subjects, and among them the Baudhayana Sulba-sutra contains several mathematical theorems and calculations, including the square root of 2, and the Pythagorean theorem. The Sulba-sutra was believed to be authored by ancient Indian mathematician Baudhayana (800 BC – 740 BC).

The sutra contains a statement that accurately describes the theorem. It says: दीर्घचतुरश्रस्याक्ष्णया रज्जुः पार्श्वमानी तिर्यग् मानी च यत् पृथग् भूते कुरूतस्तदुभयं करोति ॥

(dīrghachatursrasyākṣaṇayā rajjuḥ pārśvamānī, tiryagmānī, cha yatpṛthagbhūte kurutastadubhayāṅ karoti.)

This verse in Sanskrit translates to, ‘the areas produced separately by the length and the breadth of a rectangle together equal the areas produced by the diagonal of the rectangle’. Baudhayana has used a rope for the sides in the verse.

While the Sutra didn’t contain any mathematical calculation, it accurately describes the so-called Pythagorean theorem, because the diagonal and two adjacent sides of a rectangle makes a right-angled triangle, where the diagonal becomes the hypotenuse.

Therefore, the theory attributed to Pythagoras was actually written in India more than 400 years before him. The Britannica notes that Pythagoras had visited middle eastern regions like Egypt, Persia, Babylon etc, and possibly also visited India. Therefore, it is believed that he might have picked up the theorem in India or in the middle east, and introduced it in Europe.

It is a well-known fact that lots of Indian knowledge was transferred to Europe via middle east, and therefore middle east is wrongly credited for such knowledge that actually originated in India. The most famous example of such wrong credit is the decimal system, as the ten digits in the system are called Arabic numerals even though they were developed in India centuries ago before Europeans saw them in the far east.

Similarly, while it is true that Isaac Newton developed the mathematics around gravity, the basic concept of gravitational power was known centuries before him. Several Indian scholars had talked on the subject of gravity, and one of the first among them was astronomer and mathematician Varahamihira. While he had not given any name to the phenomena, he had compared the earth being suspended in space with an iron ball suspended between two magnets.

After that, Brahmagupta had elaborated more on the theory, saying that earth is spherical and it attracts objects towards it. He had said, “Bodies fall towards the earth as it is in the nature of the earth to attract bodies, just as it is in the nature of water to flow.”

11th century scholar Bhaskarachaya, also known as Bhaskara II, had explained that earth has gravitational force (gurutvakarshan shakti). He had said that there is a mutual attraction between the planets and this allows them to hold themselves firmly in space. He had added this observation to the ancient astronomical text Surya Sidhanta that dates back to 400 AD.

After that, several Indian scholars had discussed on gravity before Newton. Even in Europe, many scholars including Aristotle had talked about the subject. However, Newton had developed the mathematical expression for gravitational force, this led to the believe that he was the first to observe gravity.

Several netizens have pointed these things to Rohini Singh responding to her tweet, but she is yet to acknowledge them. For left-liberals like her, Indians knew nothing before the British came, and every evidence of ancient Indian knowledge is ‘WhatsApp information’.

Watch: Two Muslim women ram their car into an anti-Islamisation group leader’s vehicle after he burnt Quran copies

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Two Muslim women ram their car into an anti-Islamisation group leader’s vehicle after he burnt Quran copies

A video of Muslim women ramming into the vehicle of an anti-Islamic group leader resulting in the vehicle turning upside down has gone viral on social media platforms. As per reports, the women allegedly attacked the man identified as Lars Thorsen after he burnt copies of the Quran. The incident took place at around 3 PM when Thorsen was driving toward Norway‘s capital city Oslo on July 2. Thorsen is the leader of the anti-Islamisation group ‘Stop the Islamisation of Norway’ (SIAN).

Anti-immigration activists from Alternativ Media shot the video. They were driving behind the car that rammed into Thorsen’s military-style Jeep. The Jeep did not turn upside down after the first attack. The woman driving a grey Mercedes B-Class kept ramming into his Jeep till it was pushed off-road, resulting in it turning on its roof.

At the time of the incident, there were five people in the Jeep, including Thorsen. All of them sustained injuries, and one of them had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. The Police said none of the passengers in the Jeep were seriously injured.

Police arrest women for intentionally hitting Thorsen’s vehicle after the Quran burning event

As per reports, both the women who rammed into Thorsen’s vehicle were arrested by the Police. They were charged with causing or being complicit in grievous bodily harm. The Police did not release the names of the women arrested.

Both of the women were at the spot where Thorsen and his supporters burnt copies of the Quran outside a mosque in Mortensrud, a suburb in Oslo. Reportedly, he also burnt several copies of the Quran in areas where large numbers of Muslims live in Norway. The footage of the women ramming a vehicle into Thorson’s Jeep was handed over to the Police by Alternativ Media. They said the women first helped in putting out the fire and then drove behind Thorsen.

The woman driving the car was arrested on the same day of the incident, and the passenger was arrested the following day. As per reports, they had pleaded not guilty.

Speaking to the media, Thorsen said that he was not surprised by the attack. He further added that the Quran was burnt as a reaction to the complaints filed against him after he had protested outside an Islamic center in Oslo in 2021.

Activist Medha Patkar booked in Madhya Pradesh for misappropriating funds collected in the name of educating tribal children

OpIndia Staff
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Activist Medha Patkar booked in Madhya Pradesh for misappropriating funds collected in the name of educating tribal children

A formal case has been registered in Madhya Pradesh against ‘activist’ Medha Patkar, who gained notoriety as a result of the “Narmada Bachao Andolan,” in a cheating case. Medha Patkar and several others have been accused of misusing funds in the name of educating tribal children. An FIR has been lodged in Madhya Pradesh’s Barwani against Medha Patkar and 11 others in this regard.

In the FIR, Pritam Raj, the complainant, accused Patkar of embezzling more than Rs 13 crore on the pretext of funding educational opportunities for tribal children. The complaint also alleged that Patkar had misappropriated funds since she did not have accounts for all of the donations collected for the education of the tribal poor between 2007 and 2022.

According to the FIR, Medha Patkar raised more than Rs 13 crore through the ‘Narmada Navnirman Abhiyan’ foundation. She has been accused of inciting anti-government sentiment by soliciting donations for education.

In addition to Medha Patkar, the FIR names Parveen Romu Jahangir, Vijaya Chauhan, Kailash Avasya, Mohan Patidar, Ashish Mandloi, Sanjay Joshi, and others as accused.

Medha Patkar is best known for her ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ against the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. The protest contributed to the years-long postponement of the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on the Narmada River. So-called social activists and environmentalists like Medha Patkar expressed concern as soon as the construction of the project started. When Medha Patkar visited the project site in 1985, she accused that the dam had fallen short of the social and environmental requirements set forth by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

For suspected money laundering during the “Narmada Bachao Andolan,” the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed an FIR against activist Medha Patkar on April 5 this year. In addition to the ED, investigations into Patkar’s shady dealings have also been initiated by the Department of Revenue Intelligence and the Income Tax Department.

According to a Pioneer report, Patkar’s NGO received a donation of roughly Rs 1.2 crores within a year of its foundation in 2004 but managed to elude authorities for almost 17 years.

The investigation raised a number of concerns regarding the payments. According to records obtained by the Pioneer, the NGO received the funds on June 18, 2005, from 20 different sources in a single day. Surprisingly, the amount of all 20 donations was the same, which was Rs 5,96,294.  Pallavi Prabhaar Bhalekar, one of the donors, was a minor at the time the donations were transferred.

Gujarat: Two more arrested in the Bharuch forced religious conversion case, so far 16 arrested in the organised racket converting tribals to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Two more arrested in the Bharuch forced religious conversion case, so far 16 arrested in the organised racket converting tribals to Islam

In a significant development in the Bharuch forced conversion case, in which people from the tribal communities were converted to Islam, two more culprits have been arrested in Gujarat. The total number of arrested accused in this case has now risen to 16. Earlier, the Gujarat police had arrested 14 people involved in this conversion racket that operated in the Kakariya village of Amod Taluka of Bharuch district. The arrests were made by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Gujarat police.

According to a report by Desh Gujarat, the two arrested are identified as Sarfaraz alias Javid Khuji alias Javid Mufti Salim Hasan Yusuf Ibrahim Patel (a resident of Achhod) and Ramiz Raja alias Owais Abdugani Abdulrahim Khanji (a resident of Nadiad in Kheda district). The two played a crucial role in arranging the incentives for the people to be converted into Islam. Both of them were responsible for managing hand carts, food, clothes, and medicines for the ‘targets’. They also ensured that the financially challenged people of the Kakariya village get employment and thus can be converted in exchange. They also made money promises to the target people from the tribal communities.

The Bharuch conversion case

In 2018, one Pravin Vasava of Amod, Bharuch got converted to Islam. Vasava belonged to the Vasava Hindu tribal community. He converted to Islam and went by the name Salman Patel. As per notarised documents filed in Surat in 2018, he had stated that he was in touch with people from the Muslim community for a year and was convinced Islam is the religion of peace and true religion. He claimed he wanted to convert to Islam and none of his relatives had any objection to the same. He had claimed he was not lured into embracing Islam and he did it of his own free will.

Later, he filed a complaint alleging that he was forcibly converted to Islam. The complaint led to the discovery of the racket of mass conversions that operated in the Bharuch district of Gujarat. The tribal families in the Amod Taluka of the district were being taught that Hinduism is not a religion and Islam is the only true religion. The people were being lured and trapped by the Muslims who were in fact themselves recent converts from Hinduism to Islam.

Poor people from the tribal communities were promised good employment by those operating the conversion racket. Along with all the tall promises, the racket handlers also promised that they will take care of all the formalities and documentation and change the names on all the identity proofs after conversion.

The affidavits were made in Surat. Food grains, help in business, employment, marriages, second marriages, well-built houses, and money were the baits promised by the racket operators to the poor tribals. One of the accused Fefdawala Haji Abdullah originally hails from the Nabipur village in Bharuch but currently lives in London. He used to fund the conversion racket. A video from a few years back shows him boasting about the conversion of Hindus to Islam.

Police lodged a complaint against nine persons under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 Act, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The accused have been identified as Shabbir Bakerywala, Samad Bakerywala, Abdul Aziz Patel, Yusuf Patel, Ayyub Patel, Ibrahim Patel, Fefdawala Haji Abdullah, Hasan Tisli, and Ismail Achhodwala. All the accused are local residents barring Fefdawala Haji Abdullah who lives in London. Around 150 people of 37 families in the Bharuch district were converted by this racket.

It is believed that the mass conversion in Bharuch has links with the mass religious conversion racket in Uttar Pradesh. Two maulvis were arrested in June 2021 by the Anti-Terrorism Squad, Uttar Pradesh where they were accused of converting at least 1,000 people to Islam.

The accused were later identified as Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam and were residents of Jamia Nagar in South Delhi. The two accused, who ran an organization named Islamic Dawah Centre(IDC), along with their other associates, were charged for mass conversion of people into Islam through inducements such as marriage, job and money, and mental pressure.

So far 14 arrests were done in the Bharuch mass conversion case. The Gujarat police have now arrested 2 more accused, taking the total count of arrests in this case to 16.

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