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Sri Lanka: Protestors storm the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, set it on fire

OpIndia Staff
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Sri Lanka: Protestors storm the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, set it on fire

Agitation against the government in Sri Lanka has taken a violent turn as the protestors set the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on fire on 9th July 2022. Earlier in the day, the protestors had stormed the official residence of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and forced him to flee. With protests already taking place across the country for months after the collapse of the economy in the country, the agitations peaked after the government said that the country has gone bankrupt.

After his residence was surrounded by the protestors, President Rajapaksa was reportedly evacuated to a safer location before the protestors could enter. Later, protestors took over the control of the President’s house. People were seen using the swimming pool and the kitchen of the President’s house. However, there were no reports of any violence there, but, the agitations at the Prime Minister’s private house took a dangerous turn as the protestors set the building on fire.

Besides Prime Minister’s house, violent protests are continuing at various places in Sri Lanka. Police have lathi-charged and used the tear-gas against the angry protestors. Both the President and the Prime Minister of the island country have resigned to form an all-party government.

Ranil Wickremesinghe tweeted, “To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today, to make way for an All-Party Government. To facilitate this I will resign as Prime Minister.”

Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis in its history as the country has run out of food, medicine, and fuel, and unrest among the citizens continues to grow. Due to shortages, the govt even banned the sale of fuel for private vehicles. After the fierce protests by the people, President and Prime Minister resigned making way for an all-party government and elections.

Jharkhand: Communal Tensions prevail after miscreants throw meat pieces in Shiv Temple in Lohardaga

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Communal Tensions prevail after miscreants throw meat pieces in Shiv Temple in Lohardaga

Communal tensions prevailed in Rampur village of Lohardaga district of Jharkhand after antisocial elements belonging to another community hurled a piece of meat inside the premises of the local Shiv temple.

Hindus living in the village are angry with the miscreants for attacking their faith and hurting their sentiments by throwing meat pieces inside their temple premises.

The incident sparked a face-off between members of the two communities as the police rushed to defuse the simmering tensions.

As per reports, the local police authorities undertook pacifying efforts to alleviate the communal flare-up that erupted in the wake of meat pieces thrown inside the temple.

Reportedly, village elders also tried to broker peace between the two sparring sides following the incident, which has the potential of plunging the region into a wider communal conflict, leading to injuries and possibly deaths.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that miscreants have thrown meat pieces inside temple premises in a desperate attempt to provoke Hindus. In fact, errants have long used meat as a weapon to convey their disrespect and contempt for Hindu temples, where bringing meat inside the premises is considered taboo and religiously disallowed.

Earlier this year, in February 2022, a group of unidentified miscreants threw an objectionable thing suspected to be meat inside the Kalibari Durga Temple located in Phulbaria of Rajmahal police station area in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, raising tensions in the region.

The temple authorities had called up the local police and informed them about the incident, following which SDO Roshan Sah, Police Inspector Rajiv Ranjan, Rajmahal police station in-charge Praneet Patel, Teenpahar police station in-charge Anupam Prakash and Radhanagar police station in-charge Kundan Kant Vimal rushed to the spot. However, even before their arrival, a local resident, sensing soaring tensions in the region, prudently removed the objectionable thing from inside the temple.

YouTuber Gaurav Taneja arrested after fans swarm Noida metro station to celebrate his birthday

OpIndia Staff
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YouTuber Gaurav Taneja arrested after fans swarm Noida metro station to celebrate his birthday

The violation of Section 144 imposed in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida came as a heavy blow to YouTuber Gaurav Taneja also known as the Flying Beast as titled in his YouTube channel. He is arrested by the Sector 49 police station on charges of creating chaos in the city. Gaurav Taneja had gathered a crowd of his fans and followers under the metro station to celebrate his birthday, due to which the traffic situation collapsed. People were stuck in a traffic jam.

Gaurav Taneja had informed his fans about his birthday on his social media account. After this, on Saturday, the metro station in Sector-51 was flooded with Taneja’s followers. The crowd was so huge that the passengers travelling in the metro had to face a lot of trouble. The metro staff had to work very hard to control the fans. There was also a long jam on the roads below the metro.

According to a report by the Newsroom Post, the celebration was scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm, and a metro coach was reserved for Noida Sector 51 Metro Station. The YouTuber’s wife, Ritu Rathee Taneja, invited Gaurav’s subscribers and followers to a birthday celebration and a meet-and-greet with him. It was Ritu Rathee Taneja who is said to have booked the whole coach. These meet and greet events are typically organized by YouTubers and celebrities so that they can interact with and have fun with their fans.

After booking the metro coach, Ritu initially told the YouTuber’s viewers that they would need to limit the number of persons in the metro coach pursuant to NMRC restrictions. She then revealed to Flying Beast’s fans via another Instagram story that she had to postpone the party due to personal obligations. Massive crowds of Flying Beast enthusiasts descended onto the metro station, making it challenging for the police to control the traffic and the mob. The YouTuber was ultimately detained for violating section 144.

It is notable that Gaurav Taneja worked as a pilot for Iar India before becoming a full-time YouTuber after losing his job. He uploads daily vlogs to YouTube and has 7.57 million subscribers. Gaurav is also a fitness trainer and a law student, while Ritu Rathee Taneja is an Airbus A320 captain. The couple has two children named Kiaravi and Chaitravi.

Hate speech against Hindus by Khadims of Ajmer Dargah proves costly to businesses around it: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Hate speech against Hindus by Khadims of Ajmer Dargah proves costly to businesses around it: Report

As the Khadims of Ajmer Dargah continues to deliver hate speeches against Hindus and call for the beheading of Nupur Sharma, the Sufi shrine witnessed a drastic decline in footfall of visitors, reported The Times of India. It is notable that some of the Khadims of the Dargah were found involved in the gruesome murder of Kanhaiya Lal for supporting Nupur Sharma.

“In sharp contrast to other Fridays when devotees made a beeline to the shrine, this Friday was different. There were only a handful who visited the Sufi shrine,” the report pointed out. As per The Times of India, many hotels witnessed booking cancellations while transport companies and local eateries could generate only 10% of their usual business.

According to Khadim Syed Ainuddin Chishty, the economy of Ajmer is driven by devotees who visit the city on an everyday basis. He stated that Fridays usually imply a ‘full house’ in Ajmer.

The hateful remarks of Khadims proved costly for guest houses and hotels, given that Hindu devotees skipped visits to the shrine. According to the owner of Jannat Group of Hotels, Riyaz Khan, the hate speeches have affected the footfall of visitors.

“The market in Ajmer is very vulnerable to what is happening in the country. The cancellations started soon after the incident in Udaipur. Even on the auspicious day of ‘Chhati’ (The sixth day of the lunar calendar), hotels were not full which nobody wanted to see,” he lamented.

Vitriolic remarks by Ajmer Dargah Khadims

Days after the gruesome murder of Kanhaiya Lal, it has now come to light that a Khadim of Ajmer Dargah named Gauhar Chisti had met one of the killers of the Hindu tailor. Citing sources, journalist Nikhil Choudhary reported that Gauhar had called for the beheading of ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on June 17 this year for allegedly committing ‘blasphemy’.

After making the provocative speech, he travelled to Udaipur to meet Riyaz Attari, one of the murderers of Kanhaiya Lal. Interestingly, Riyaz issued threats to Sharma and her supporters through a video on the same day.

Reportedly, Khadim Gauhar Chisti had asked Riyaz to make the disturbing video after brutally beading the Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur. He is currently on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

The Khadim’s uncle, Sarvar Chisti, had threatened that any insult in the glory of the Prophet would not be tolerated and the country would shake by the movement that will be led by him.

In a video, Sarwar Chishti said, “The situation in the country right now, is such that people are committing blasphemy. They are doing mischief in the glory of the Prophet, in the glory of the Khwaja. We will not tolerate this at all. We will launch such a massive agitation that the whole Hindustan will shake.”

Recently, a phone call recording of Sarwar Chishti had gone viral in which he was heard calling for an economic boycott of Hindus.

A few days ago, a video of a Khadim named Salman Chishti went viral on social media where he announced a bounty for killing Nupur Sharma and offered his house to anyone who brought Sharma’s head. Chishti, who is a history-sheeter, has multiple cases filed against him including murder and attempt to murder.

‘Creative freedom is a tradition, but religious sentiments should not be hurt’: RSS on Kali poster row

OpIndia Staff
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‘Creative freedom is a tradition, but religious sentiments should not be hurt’: RSS on Kali poster row

The issue around a documentary film poster that features Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette was addressed by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday 9th July 2022. Speaking to the media at the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharaks meet that is now taking place in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, RSS emphasized that no one should offend someone’s religious sensibilities.

According to a report by India Today, Sunil Ambekar – Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS – said, “Creative freedom has been a tradition in India. But no one should hurt anyone’s religious sentiments. Everyone should be careful about that.”

The RSS also condemned the beheading of a Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and asked Muslims to condemn this incident. RSS said that Hindus were outraged by the heinous crime. Sunil Ambekarsaid in his media interaction, “Any amount of condemnation is less on Udaipur killing. Muslim society should also come forward and speak against Udaipur killing.”

Islamists in India are repeatedly issuing death threats to Nupur Sharma and those who support her on social media. Addressing this issue, Sunil Ambekar said, “For some days, it has been going on that threats have been issued to people. If you do not agree with someone, there are ways of protesting peacefully. No one has the right to kill someone.”

These remarks by RSS have come in the wake of the controversy that erupted due to the poster of a documentary film Kali directed by Leena Manimekalai. In the poster, Hindu Goddess Kali is shown smoking a cigarette and holding the LGBTQ+ community’s pride flag in hand.

Many cases were registered against the director Leena Manimekalai for hurting religious sentiments. The controversy grew yet bigger when the Trinamool Congress Party’s MP Mahua Moitra made insulting remarks about the Goddess Kali while answering a question about the controversy around this film’s poster.

It is notable to mention that in the year 2025, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh will mark its centenary year. In the annual Prant Pracharak meeting, the RSS is discussing its strategies for growth in the years leading up to its centennial in 2025. Sunil Ambekar said, “RSS will be completing its 100 years. Its centenary year will be celebrated in 2025. We have set targets for expansion of RSS in the run-up to the ‘Shatabdi Varsh’.”

The three-day gathering is being attended by top figures in the RSS including RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Manmohan Vaidya, Arun Kumar, Dr. Krishan Gopal, and CR Mukund.

Karnataka government issues warning against cow slaughter on Bakri Eid, asks officials to remain vigilant

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka government issues warning against cow slaughter on Bakri Eid, asks officials to remain vigilant

On the occasion of the Islamic festival of Bakri Eid, the Karnataka government has urged district authorities to keep a careful check on cow slaughter throughout the state, and a new law is being implemented ahead of Eid. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cow Bill 2020 makes slaughtering any cattle, except buffaloes aged 13 and over, a serious offense punishable by up to seven years in prison.

According to the reports, Prabhu Chauhan, minister of animal husbandry, has advised the Muslim community to refrain from offering animals as a sacrifice. The ministry has issued a warning that anyone found sacrificing livestock during Bakri Eid this weekend will face the full force of the law. “Police and animal husbandry officials have been instructed to maintain strict vigil across the state to make sure the new law is strictly followed. A close watch will be maintained at borders (with neighboring states) to ensure cattle are not transported,” he stated.

The government has established a task force to carry out the new rule, which permits the killing of only buffaloes older than 13 years old that have been deemed suitable for human consumption and slaughter by officials in charge of animal husbandry. Reportedly, a campaign opposing the sacrifice of livestock during Bakri Eid has already been initiated by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. Their cadres have been instructed to monitor the movement of livestock to other southern states as well.

Muslims in Karnataka have also been warned that if they sacrifice livestock, they risk legal repercussions. According to Maulana Mohammed Maqsood Imran, the head imam of Bangalore’s Juma Masjid, all mosques and Muslim organisations have been instructed to inform the public about the need to rigorously adhere to the new anti-cattle killing rule.

“Sacrificing goats is the best option under the circumstances. So we have informed our community about the need to stick to the law and avoid any issues in the name of Bakri Eid sacrifice,” Maulana Mohammed Maqsood Imran was quoted. He pleaded with the state administration to prevent Sangh Parivar groups from enforcing the legislation in the name of vigilantism. Nobody has the authority to impose their own laws, and the government must make sure of that, he insisted.

Since the new regulation came into effect, a number of people have been detained for selling beef in the state. On July 1, a father and son were detained in Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada district, on suspicion of selling meat and slaughtering cows.

Uttar Pradesh: Muslim mob attack a Dalit wedding procession for playing music, claim their goats were getting scared of the loud sound

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim mob attack a Dalit wedding procession for playing music, claim their goats were getting scared of the loud sound

On July 8, a Muslim mob attacked a Baraat (wedding procession) of a Dalit man when it passed through the road in front of a mosque in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place at around 3 pm on Friday in the Bhojahedi village of Muzaffarnagar’s Purquazi Block. As per reports, the Muslim mob was irked by the music played in the Baraat, so they attacked the Baaratis with sticks and batons. The Muslims claimed that the loud music was frightening their goats.

The police reached the spot after they received information about the ruckus, however, the accused had fled by then. CO Sadar Hemant Kumar and Purkaji Kotwali in charge, however, managed to detain one accused.

Members of the bride’s family then reached the police station and lodged a complaint against four known and several unknown people. Based on the complaint filed by Ram Babu, the Muzaffarnagar police registered an FIR against Aas Mohammad, Danish, Monish, Shabnam, Mukarram, Jambu, Pindu and Aakil under relevant sections of the IPC. Sections of the SC/ST Act have also been invoked against the accused. The police are currently probing the case.

Meanwhile, heavy police force has been deployed in the area to avoid any further escalation. Anyone who attempts to further spread communal discord in the village would not be spared, said Hemant Kumar, CO Sadar.

In what transpired, the Groom’s family had come from the Harinagar village to get their son married to one Sandeep’s niece, a resident of Bhojahedi village of Muzaffarnagar’s Purquazi Block. Sandeep informed that around 3 pm on Friday, the Baraat was passing through a road in front of a mosque when some Muslim youths urged the Baraatis to stop playing the DJ music in front of their place of worship.

At their request, the Baraatis paused the music briefly but resumed playing it as the procession moved ahead. Suddenly a large group of Muslim youths armed with sticks and batons again accosted them and warned them against playing the DJ. They reportedly told the Dalit group that their goats were getting scared of the loud music.

The lame explanation infuriated the Dalits, who got into a fight with the Muslim group. They refused to stop playing the music which, in turn, enraged the Muslim youths who then attacked the Baraat with sticks and lathis.

West Bengal: TMC leader and his 2 aides killed by ‘party worker’ Rafikul in Canning. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC leader and his 2 aides killed by ‘party worker’ Rafikul in Canning. Here is what we know so far

Days after three TMC leaders were hacked to death in Canning in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, it has come to light that the primary accused in the triple-murder case, Rafikul, is a worker of the Trinamool Congress.

The deceased were identified as Swapan Manjhi, Jhantu Halder and Bhootnath Pramanik. While speaking about the matter, the accused’s mother Ayesha Sardar said, “Both my son and husband are TMC workers. But they were not associated with Swapan Majhi. They belonged to another faction.”

The revelation comes at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is trying to pin the blame for the gruesome murders on the Opposition. After Rafikul’s mother claimed that her son was part of the TMC, the party went into a defensive mode.

Local TMC leader Saikat Molla claimed, “There is no party worker by the name of Rafikul in Canning. Anti-social elements can’t be members of our party.”He further inquired, “If Rafikul was part of TMC, then why would he murder a fellow party leader?”

Similarly, TMC Minister Firhad Hakim accused Rafikul’s mother of lying and claimed, “Anyone can give such statements. It is the police to find out and the court will decide. The BJP is trying to introduce politics of murder in West Bengal just like Gujarat. We won’t allow that.”

The Background of the Case

On Thursday (July 7), TMC (Gopalpur) gram panchayat member Swapan Majhi was killed by a group of 6 people near Peer Park in Canning in South 24 Parganas district. Besides Majhi, two TMC workers, namely, Jhantu Halder and Bhootnath Pramanik were also murdered.

Reportedly, the assailants first hurled a crude bomb at the trio. Swapan Majhi was shot twice while Bhootnath Pramanik was shot only once. After the accused ran out of bullets, they hacked Jhantu Halder to death.

Then, they also tried to behead the three victims. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the Canning police on the basis of a complaint by Madhu, the elder brother of Swapan Majhi.

Six people, namely, Rafiqul Sardar, Basir Sheikh, Bapi Mondal, Ebayadullah Mondal, Ali Hosain Naskar and Jalaluddin Akhand were named as accused in the FIR. All of them have been on the run from law enforcement authorities.

The BJP has hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress government and labelled the triple-murder case as a fallout of a factional feud within the party.

BJP leader Rahul Sinha remarked, “It is now clear that it was a factional feud of the TMC. The factions wanted to exercise their dominance and take control over the area ahead of the panchayat polls.”

Gujarat man arrested from Maharashtra for objectionable social media post against Hindu Goddess Ashapura

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat man arrested from Maharashtra for objectionable social media post against Hindu Goddess Ashapura

A 23-year-old man from Gujarat’s Kutch area was detained in Maharashtra on Saturday for allegedly hurting religious sensibilities with an “objectionable” social media post about a Hindu goddess. Bharat Rupani, the accused, was apprehended by Kutch (West) Local Crime Branch (LCB) personnel from Talmod in Maharashtra after an FIR was lodged against him at Bhuj A-division police station for uploading an inappropriate photo of goddess Ashapura, a local deity, on Facebook. The applicant in the complaint said that the content offended his religious sentiments.

Rupani was charged under Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity between different communities) and 295A (deliberate and malicious intent to offend religious sentiments). The local crime branch of Kutch said, “LCB Kutch (West) formed a team to investigate the case. Through technical surveillance and human intelligence, it was found that the accused, hailing from Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district, was staying at Talmod border in neighboring Maharashtra.”

The accused was picked up and handed over to the Bhuj A-division police station, which arrested him on Friday. Further investigation was underway in this case.

It is notable that, in India, the cases of hurting religious sentiments over a social media post about deities of different religions are increasing day by day. Even supporting someone who is allegedly accused of blasphemy has become a cause for issuing death threats. In Udaipur, a Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded by two Islamists for supporting Nupur Sharma in a social media post. Nupur Sharma is accused of making allegedly insulting remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. Similarly, Umesh Kolhe, a chemist from Amravati was beheaded for supporting Nupur Sharma in a social media post.

Gujarat Crime Branch team en route to Mumbai to arrest filmmaker Avinash Das in a case related to sharing Amit Shah’s pic: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat Crime Branch team en route to Mumbai to arrest filmmaker Avinash Das in a case related to sharing Amit Shah’s pic: Reports

Trouble seems to mount for filmmaker Avinash Das as the Crime Branch of Gujarat Police is reportedly on their way to Mumbai to arrest him for sharing a controversial picture of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on social media.

Das had shared an old picture of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with scam-tainted Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pooja Singhal of Jharkhand, who was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and a painting allegedly insulting the national flag, following which the Ahmedabad Crime Branch filed a case against him under section 469 of the IPC and section 67 of the IT Act, as well as a section related to respect for national symbols.

The action by Crime Branch comes after the Gujarat High Court rejected his anticipatory bail last month. The court had also rejected his submission of offering an “unconditional apology” while terming his social media post a “mistake” as he did not intend to insult.

Gujarat HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of filmmaker Avinash Das who over insulting the national flag

The High Court, in its order, said that it would be circumspect in releasing the applicant, adding that prima facie it appeared that the applicant had insulted the national flag. The court noted that the applicant had violated the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act by circulating a painting showing a person wearing a dress made of tricolour. 

While Mr Das’ lawyer argued that the image was shared by mistake, the court came down heavily against the filmmaker saying that insult to the national flag cannot be a mistake.

“Before we proceed further, it may be remembered that from time immemorial people have laid down their lives with a view to salute their own flag. What is so compelling in the piece of cloth called the national flag that people make even the supreme sacrifice for its sake? The national flag, indisputably, stands for the whole nation, its ideals, aspirations, its hopes and achievements.” the court observed.

Before approaching the Gujarat High Court, Das had moved a sessions court to file a petition seeking anticipatory bail. However, the court rejected his bail plea. The Mumbai High Court had also rejected his transit anticipatory bail in the case. 

Avinash Das, the Mumbai-based filmmaker, is known for directing the 2017 film “Anaarkali Of Aarah” starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi. He also helmed Raat Baaki Hai, which was released in 2021, and Netflix series She.

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