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How the ‘opposition’ has extraordinary powers that they use to scuttle voices of dissent as ‘journalists’ rejoice or look the other way

S. Sudhir Kumar
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How the ‘opposition’ has extraordinary powers that they use to scuttle voices of dissent as ‘journalists’ rejoice or look the other way

“If any media writes against Telangana and its culture, we will break their necks and bury them 10km deep”. This is a statement made by Mr. K. Chandrashekhar Rao, as Chief Minister of Telangana. He often makes fun of reporters and their questions in his press conferences; interrupts them in a commanding tone; once wished that journalists get COVID, and awards friendly media owners with Rajya Sabha seats. 

“Behave properly,” said Mamta Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, to the media. Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee once walked out of a town hall conversation, accusing the students questioning her on rape incidents, to be from the Left parties. The Supreme Court of India had to step in to stay the FIRs against the editors of OpIndia even as their editor-in-chief had to move out of Bengal due to threats and state intimidation. The list of incidents from an intolerant TMC government is simply too long to delve into in one article. 

“Don’t forget your limits” warned Bhupesh Baghel in a tweet addressed to the media, just because a comment was made against the boss Rahul Gandhi.  We have all seen recently how the Ashok Gehlot government does not think twice before filing FIRs and jailing journalists – even trying to ignore the Court orders! 

“You used to be a broker for the Congress. Now you are doing the same for Modi” thundered Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi. His government also threw out 7 journalists of Hindustan Times from a WhatsApp group because they were critical of his government. We can spend time and dig out the multiple instances where Kejriwal has abused the media. After all, when Kejriwal was not in power, the Editors Guild could muster the courage to ask him to control his tongue. Why couldn’t they muster the courage again after Kejriwal came into power?

In fact, for all of the instances mentioned above (and many more not mentioned in this article), you would expect Rajdeep Sardesai to be fuming (and not musing) on his nightly debates; you would expect an “Editors Guild has released a statement” tweet from the Editors Guild; you would expect running commentator Shekhar Gupta to “cut the clutter”; you would expect an eloquent editorial from Malini Parthasarathy’s The Hindu deriding the authoritarian attitude; you would expect Sreenivasan Jain to separate out the truth and hype; you would expect YoYa to wax eloquent in front of a mike irrespective of where he is speaking; you would expect an angry Nidhi Razdan demanding apology after apology, and you would expect a quirky only liner tweet from the boss of all – Rahul Gandhi. 

Now, why am I suddenly talking about these intolerant traits of our leaders? Because a lot of headlines these days are along these lines – Opposition slams Modi. Opposition plans joint protest. The opposition said this. The opposition did that. 

And who is this Opposition that gets often referred to? The Chief Minister of West Bengal, the Chief Minister of Telangana, the Chief Minister of Delhi, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, the Chief Minister of Kerala and members of the ruling coalition of Maharashtra. Almost every single “opposition” party is in power in some state or the other.

It then stuck to me that the “Opposition” that the media keeps referring to, actually holds extraordinary power that is often used to scuttle voices of dissent; that is often used to settle scores with opponents; that is often used to dole out freebies to the media – and all of this without any repercussions when things go south. 

Instead, at almost every instant, the media became largely compliant with the ruling party in many states, judging by their coverage or in fact by the lack of it. Adjectives that are freely employed in describing Narendra Modi are strangely absent when similar comparisons have to be made with the Chief Minister of “opposition” parties. 

We can never forget how Arnab Goswami’s arrest was actually celebrated by the famed members of the English media. You could sense that they must have sent Thank You messages in their WhatsApp groups. If any incident of intolerance by these leaders picks up traction, the media will then try to make this an “All politicians are bad” debate instead of garnering the strength to focus on the incident at hand. 

In pursuit of their biased agenda, the English media has often attempted to shield “opposition” leaders when they exhibit the very same traits they claim to detest. Fortunately for the country, the people are smart enough to see through this charade.   

Uttarakhand: Former Congress minister Rajendra Bahuguna climbs a water tank and shoots himself dead

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Former Congress minister Rajendra Bahuguna climbs a water tank and shoots himself dead

Rajendra Bahuguna, who was a minister in Uttarakhand during the ND Tiwari government in the state, committed suicide in a dramatic fashion on Wednesday as reported by the Times of India. Bahuguna climbed a water tank and shot himself dead as passers-by watched in horror. The incident took place in Bhagat Singh Colony in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

Bahuguna, 59, was accused by his daughter-in-law of sexually molesting his granddaughter just 3 days ago, and was booked under the stringent POCSO act. He was formerly associated with the Congress party and served as a minister of state from 2004 to 2005 during their government.

Speaking to the Times of India, the senior superintendent of police (Nainital) Pankaj Bhat said that Bahuguna himself called the Police helpline number before climbing the water tank. Bhat said, “A police team immediately reached the spot and tried to convince him to get down, to which he initially agreed. However, he suddenly picked up a country-made pistol he was carrying and shot himself. He was declared brought dead at the hospital. The man ended his life even before the police could record the statement of the minor girl.”

According to Bahuguna’s family, he was depressed and hurt over the allegations made against him by his daughter-in-law. Another neighbor had also registered a complaint against him for threatening, abusing, and attacking her while she was walking with her mother-in-law.

According to senior district police officials, Bahuguna’s daughter-in-law is in the midst of marital conflict with his son and is currently living on a different floor of the house, away from her husband. Bahuguna’s son has filed a case against his mother for aiding his father’s suicide. The police will soon begin an investigation into the case.

‘Perform wuzu before coming for prayer, go to other mosques’: Masjid committee asks Muslims coming to Gyanvapi disputed structure

OpIndia Staff
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‘Perform wuzu before coming for prayer, go to other mosques’: Masjid committee asks Muslims coming to Gyanvapi disputed structure

The Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid Committee has urged Muslims to offer Friday namaz in the mosques close to their houses instead of visiting the Gyanvapi premises, adding that those who still wish to visit it should perform wuzu and istinja before coming for Friday prayers.

It must be noted that during the videography of the Gyanvapi premises, a Shivling was found in the wuzukhana of the disputed structure. Wuzu means washing hands and mouth before offering Islamic prayers. Istinja means cleaning one’s private parts after urinating. Varanasi civil court has sealed the wuzukhana and the istinjakhana (toilets) of the Gyanvapi premises. However, an alternative facility for wuzu was made available.

Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid Committee has appealed to Muslims that they should offer the Friday prayers in the mosques near their homes, rather than visiting the Gyanvapi premises. Joint Secretary S M Yasin has advised Muslims to not come in large numbers to offer prayers at Gyanvapi. He said that every effort is being made to resolve the issue. He added, “May Allah soon find a solution to this problem. With the sealing of the wuzukhana and istinjakhana (toilets), the problem of wuzu and istinja is being faced at the time of namaz. People gather here in large numbers on Friday to offer prayers. So at that time, there will be more problems.”

He further said, “Because of this, Anjuman Intezamiya Masajid Committee Banaras appeals to everyone to avoid coming for prayers in large numbers. Like every time, this time also people should offer the Friday prayer in their own locality. At the same time, those who come for Friday namaz here should come after performing istinja and wuzu so that they do not face any problem here.” It is notable that tight security measures have been deployed on the Gyanvapi premises.

Even the last Friday, the Masajid Committee had made a similar appeal to people, asking them not to come in large numbers to the disputed so-called mosque. Despite this appeal, more than 1200 Muslims had gathered at Gyanvapi to offer the Friday prayers. The premises were full of Muslims one hour before the time of namaz. Security forces had to show extra alertness to keep an eye on the people because the issue is very sensitive. The next hearing in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case in the Varanasi court is scheduled for 30th May 2022.

Plea filed in Mathura Court to bar the destruction of any Hindu inscription at the disputed Shahi Eidgah Masjid

OpIndia Staff
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Plea filed in Mathura Court to bar the destruction of any Hindu inscription at the disputed Shahi Eidgah Masjid

A plea has been filed before the Mathura Court to bar the defendant Muslims from destroying any religious inscriptions, artifacts, or symbols present inside the disputed Shahi Eidgah Masjid at the Krishna Janambhoomi site. The plea requests the Court to maintain the status quo at the structure during the long summer vacations of the Court.

The plea alleges that after the Gyanvapi episode in which alleged Shivling and other Hindu religious symbols have been reported to be found, the defendant parties in this dispute will make every effort to destroy the Hindu religious symbols and inscriptions at the Shahi Eidgah. Therefore, the court should ensure the status quo remains during the summer holidays of the court.

The plea has been filed in the senior division court of Mathura district by Manish Yadav, the main plaintiff in one of the 3 cases filed over the disputed Eidgah Masjid structure. The other two suits are filed by Lucknow resident Ranjana Agnihotri as the next friend of child deity Shri Krishna Virajman of the Katra Keshav Dev temple and another suit filed by five other plaintiffs through advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh.

The plea states, “The summer vacations are about to commence and defendants will make every effort to destroy the evidence. The evidence of Hindu religious symbols and remains need to be preserved in the interest of justice.”

Further, the plea says, “The plaintiff has come to know that it has become clear from the Navbharat TV channel’s Pathshala program that religious artifacts in the alleged Idgah, ancient rock writings, and religious and mythological symbols were illegally suppressed. The Gyanvapi case is going on in Varanasi and is getting publicized a lot in the media and Shivling, Kamal, and Chak in Gyanvapi have also been found in the alleged Gyanvapi Masjid, due to which the respondents have been furious.“

Citing these facts, Yadav has said that there could be attempts to destroy evidence at Eidgah Masjid in Mathura as well during the court holidays so the court needs to ensure the status quo is maintained.

Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi land dispute case

According to the petitioners, a part of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple which was spread on 13.37 acres of land was demolished and the Shahi Idgah mosque was constructed. They have demanded the removal of the mosque and the return of the land for the temple.

Tampering with physical evidence at Gyanvapi mosque

On May 24, during a debate on the disputed structure at Gyanvapi, the Hindu side lawyer Vishnu Jain said that the Shivling was willfully desecrated by the Muslim side to install a fountain-like structure. He added that a 63cm hole was drilled in the Shivling to make it look like a fountain structure.

Jain said the said structure was still present in the storage room and the Muslim side tried to remove it but CRPF had stopped them.

PFI Hate Speech Rally: Kerala Police trace details of minor boy, likely to arrest his parents for inciting him to deliver provocative slogans

OpIndia Staff
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PFI Hate Speech Rally: Kerala Police trace details of minor boy, likely to arrest his parents for inciting him to deliver provocative slogans

The Kerala police on Thursday traced the details of the minor boy who was seen raising provocative slogans against Hindus and Christians at a rally organised by the radical Islamic organisation Popular Front of India at Alappuzha, Kerala.

According to the reports, a police team from Alappuzha had reached Kochi to collect information regarding the minor boy and his parents after he was seen making hate speech against non-Muslims sitting on the shoulders of another PFI worker in Alappuzha recently. The police are tracking the minor’s parents to take action against them for instigating him to deliver such provocative slogans.

A video had gone viral recently in which a boy was seen making hate slogans at the ‘Save the Republic’ rally conducted by PFI on May 21. In the video, the boy is seen raising the slogan, “Hindus should keep rice for their last rites, and Christians should keep incense sticks for their last rites. If your live decently, you can live in our land, and if you don’t live decently, we know Azadi (freedom). Live decently, decently, decently.”

Meanwhile, the Kochi City police have shared the details with the Alappuzha police where a case was registered in connection with the incident, said a police officer investigating the case.

Kochi Police Commissioner CH Nagaraju said that they have accessed more details about the minor, which he said cannot be divulged at the moment. The police have also hinted about a conspiracy, suggesting that the minor was trained to chant slogans.

“We have launched a detailed probe to identify the people who trained the boy to deliver such provocative slogans,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Police have arrested Ansar Najeeb, the person who carried the minor child on his shoulders. During the interrogation, Najeeb claimed that he did not know who the child was but carried him on his shoulders just out of curiosity. PFI Alappuzha district president PA Navas was also booked in connection with the incident.

As the videos from the event went viral, the police had taken cognisance of the incendiary sloganeering. In its statement, the police said that they were examining the videos.

Incendiary slogans were made at the PFI rally in Kerala

Reportedly, a mob of over 1,000 PFI supporters and members had hit the streets, engaged in threatening, abusing and calling for violence against Hindus and Christians. The mob warned Hindus and Christians of dire consequences if they did not live peacefully in the country. The mob threatened that they have not forgotten the Gujarat Riots of 2002 and cautioned the Sangh Parivar not to mistake Kerala for Gujarat.

“Be ready for your death rituals if you won’t live in our land quietly. Be ready with rice flakes to fill your mouth if you won’t live quietly (For Hindus ). Be ready to burn amber in your home if you won’t live quietly ( For Christians). Because we are coming, we are your death. We won’t go to Pakistan or Bangladesh, you have to live here as we say, or else we know how to make you live quietly, we will kill you even if we are attacked. We take pride in being a martyr, we salute them. We know how to ask for ‘Azadi’ if you don’t live quietly. So be prepared for your death,” the PFI members shouted in Malayalam.

Furthermore, the mob also vowed to conduct ‘Sujood’ ( kind of prayer ) in the disputed building of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya again. Also, they have decided to continue ‘Sujood’ in the disputed structure called ‘Gyanvapi Mosque’, which is built on the ruins of a temple in Varanasi. They said they were not leaving for Pakistan or Bangladesh, and if they did so, they would take the Sangh Parivar along with them.

“Will do Sujood in Babri Masjid again. We will do Sujood in Gyanvapi too. Insha Allah Insha Allah…Reminding you Sanghis..Won’t leave for Pakistan, won’t leave for Bangladesh. We will go to 6 feet down under instead. Sanghis, listen to us before we go, If we go, we will “take” you also with us,” said the protesters who attended the PFI demonstration.

The threat calls ended with the famous ‘Intifada Assalam”, the Islamist salute to the people who have been killed in political murders recently in Kerala. It is worth noting that the Intifada Assalam salutes were used in Iraq in 1952 before the horrifying spate of mass murder, rioting, and killings gripped the country. The same pattern continued till 2015, during the Syrian and Lybian civil wars. The calls for intifada have become a common sight in PFI rallies in Kerala nowadays.

PFI claims slogans were targetted at RSS

Amidst this, PFI state president CP Muhammad Basheer claimed that the slogan was directed against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and not against the Hindus. He further said that his party would continue fighting and resisting RSS terrorism.

The PFI leader had claimed that they gave out printed slogans, but the programme attracted a large number of people, which was beyond the organisers’ expectations.

“One group of people was sloganeering with a boy below 15 years. He was chanting the slogans, and the slogan was basically against the RSS and against the terrorism of RSS. But one or two lines were not in accordance with the policy and the culture of PFI and democratic society. It was totally against RSS. Using this instance, the people who hate Muslims or do not like the work of PFI are actively involved in the propaganda to tarnish the image of the organisation”, Basheer claimed.

The PFI has claimed that when workers associated with the organisation noticed the slogans, they stopped them.

“Many raised slogans against Hindutva terror. This boy also raised slogans. We regret the few lines of the slogans and will look into it. His slogans were not against Hindus or Christians but against Hindutva terrorists planning genocide,” PFI spokesperson Rauf Pittambi had claimed.

Cordelia drugs case: NCB gives clean chit to Aryan Khan citing lack of evidence

OpIndia Staff
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Cordelia drugs case: NCB gives clean chit to Aryan Khan citing lack of evidence

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has given a clean chit to Aryan and 5 others accused in the Cordelia drugs case, stating that the evidence against them is not substantial to press the charges. The agency, however, added that a complaint is being filed against 14 others involved in the case under the NDPS Act provisions.

A 6,000-page charge sheet has been filed by the anti-drug agency, which includes the names of 14 accused after drugs were found on a luxury cruise liner off the Mumbai coast last year.

Aryan Khan, who had been arrested following the raids, has not been named as an accused.

Aryan Khan drug case

A high-profile party was organised onboard the Cordelia Cruises’ Empress ship in early October 2021. Based on a tip-off, the NCB officials had boarded the cruise ship after disguising themselves as passengers. Once the ship sailed off the coast of Mumbai, the rave party began and several passengers began consuming illicit drugs. The NCB officials swung into action and detained 7-8 individuals, who were seen taking drugs.

On October 3, 2021, Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and other 6 people were detained from a luxury cruise liner where a rave party was going on. As per reports, cocaine and ecstasy pills were found on Khan and others with him.

The Court had then held that a prima facie case is made out against Khan and other co-accused. “Investigation is of prime importance and the presence of the accused is needed for detailed investigation. It is useful for both the prosecution and the accused to prove their innocence,” it said.

However, on October 28, the Bombay High Court granted Khan and two others bail in the case.

Uttarakhand: Eviction team attacked in Roorkee while removing illegal encroachment in front of shops, bulldozer operator injured

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Eviction team attacked in Roorkee while removing illegal encroachment in front of shops, bulldozer operator injured

Municipal Corporation Roorkee is conducting a drive against encroachments these days. The municipal corporation on Thursday launched a drive to remove encroachments as part of the scheduled program. During the eviction drive, a shopkeeper fell down from a tin shed, after which the people present there got agitated. They started throwing stones and sticks at the workers of the municipal corporation. Even the driver was beaten up by anti-social elements by climbing onto the bulldozer. The municipal team returned after the incident. The municipal corporation is filing a complaint against the unidentified assailants.

A day before i.e. on Wednesday, an encroachment was removed from BT Ganj market. On Thursday, as part of the pre-scheduled anti-encroachment drive, the municipal team arrived at old tehsil Machhi Bazar with a bulldozer. The corporation started removing the encroachments from one end of the road. However, most of the shopkeepers in Machhi Bazar had already removed the encroachments themselves after getting notice for the same. The team moved towards Rampur Chungi removing the remaining encroachments with a bulldozer.

First the illegal encroachments were removed from the right side of The Sapna Talkies Road. After this, the team started removing the encroachments from the left side of the road from one end. The bulldozer stopped to remove the encroachment from outside a shop. During this time, the shopkeeper of that shop climbed on the tin shed in front of the shop and started unloading goods kept there. But the tin shed was weak, which suddenly broke, causing the shopkeeper to fall down and hurt him. Seeing this, the crowd present there suddenly got agitated, and some anti-social persons from the crowd started throwing stones and sticks at the bulldozer. Some of them climbed onto the bulldozer and started beating the driver. However, at that time the bulldozer was not even being used, it was standing still waiting for the shopkeepers to move away. The shopkeeper had fell on his own as the shed was weak, it was not struck by the bulldozer yet. Somehow the policemen present there pacified the crowd and saved the members of the eviction team.

Police have detained a few youths on the spot. Seeing the angry crowd, the municipal team returned leaving the drive incomplete. The bulldozer driver sustained injuries in the assault. Assistant Municipal Commissioner S P Gupta, Naib Tehsildar Pitam Singh, Tax Inspector Ravindra Panwar, Mridul Kumar, Vipin Sharma, and others were present on the occasion.

Roorkee Municipal Commissioner Vijaynath Shukla said, “Those who vandalized the bulldozer and beat up the driver will not be spared. A case is being registered against the unidentified assailants in the case. There was a constant asking for the removal of encroachments on behalf of the corporation. When the encroachment has not been removed, a drive has been taken up to forcibly remove the encroachments. The young man who had fallen from the tin shed, at that time the bulldozer . Unnecessarily some anti-social persons have tried to vitiate the atmosphere.”

‘Intrigued by articles written on GST judgement’: Justice Chandrachud after SC noted that Union and States have simultaneous legislative rights on GST

OpIndia Staff
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‘Intrigued by articles written on GST judgement’: Justice Chandrachud after SC noted that Union and States have simultaneous legislative rights on GST

Justice DY Chandrachud of the Supreme Court said on Thursday that articles, written on his judgement, which held that the GST council’s recommendations are not binding on the Parliament and state legislatures, had “intrigued” him.

Justice Chandrachud was referring to the ruling in Union of India vs Mohit Minerals, which concluded that the GST Council’s recommendations could not bind the legislative authorities of the Union and States. Both the Union and the States have simultaneous legislative rights on GST, according to Article 246A of the Constitution.

“246A treats state and centre as equal. Article 279 says state and centre cannot act independent of each other. This also points towards competitive federalism,” said Justice DY Chandrachud.

According to a report by Livelaw, Justice made this statement while addressing Senior Advocate Harish Salve about a petition filed by Jindal Mining Group against the State of Odisha’s GST demand. “I am intrigued by the articles being written on the different facets of the judgment…Articles are being written on aspects like cooperative federalism etc. I hope you have read the judgement,” he told Salve, adding that “Ultimately we ruled on the aspect of composite supply.” 

The court noted that the GST Council’s unequal voting structure – the Centre has 1/3 of the votes and the States have the remaining 2/3 – can be an outlet for “political contestation” between the Centre and the States, especially if different parties are in power.

The interdependence of democracy and federalism is apparent. Although the Indian Constitution mandates a bigger amount of power for the union to avert instability, the relationship between the two constitutional bodies is not always cooperative, said the court, adding “…therefore, the GST Council is not only an avenue for the exercise of cooperative federalism but also for political contestation across party lines. Thus, the discussions in the GST Council impact both federalism and democracy.”

Ricky Gervais stands by his Trans jokes in latest Netflix special SuperNature, clarifies he is mocking the Trans activism, not Transgenders

OpIndia Staff
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Ricky Gervais stands by his Trans jokes in latest Netflix special SuperNature, clarifies he is mocking the Trans activism, not Transgenders

Legendary British comedian Ricky Gervais released his latest comedy special ‘SuperNature’ on Netflix earlier this week, and ever since the release of the comedy special, activist internet has been out for his blood. True to his comedy nature, Ricky once again gave a masterclass in irony and in the process offended everyone with his jokes on religion, God, Satan, and Baby Hitler. However, the jokes that got the internet up in arms involved transgenders, an alleged “no-go” area for comedians.

The creator of ‘The Office’ did not hold back while joking about transgenders as he made fun of these “new women with beards and c*cks”, and the transgender community and their ‘allies’ did not like it. The internet was full of people attacking Ricky for being transphobic and homophobic, and some even went as far as to say that Ricky Gervais isn’t funny. One of the highest-paid comedians in the world and the creator of one of the biggest hits in comedy history apparently stopped being funny because he made a joke about transgenders.

After the backlash, Ricky Gervais has come out and clarified that the target of his jokes was exactly this sort of trans-activism. Explaining his decision to do those jokes, Ricky said, “My target wasn’t trans folk, but trans activist ideology. I’ve always confronted dogma that oppresses people and limits freedom of expression.”

Further, the Afterlife creator said, “It was probably the most current, most talked about, taboo subject of the last couple of years. I deal in the taboo subjects and have to confront the elephant in the room.”

Notably, another legendary comedian Dave Chappelle has been facing attempts to get him ‘canceled’ over the past 2 years for daring to joke about transgenders. Chappelle even faced an onstage attack during his last comedy performance from someone who was offended by his trans jokes.

These cancelation attempts aren’t new to the British comedian. After the first time he hosted Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood and the American press was so shocked that they deemed his showbiz career over, he went on to host the show 4 more times.

Two LeT terrorists who killed Kashmiri actress Amreena Bhat shot dead in encounter, the actress was abused by Islamists for making musical videos

OpIndia Staff
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Two LeT terrorists who killed Kashmiri actress Amreena Bhat shot dead in encounter, the actress was abused by Islamists for making musical videos

On May 27, Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir police gunned down the two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terroists who had killed the Kashmiri actress and singer named Amreena Bhat in Kashmir’s Budgaon district on May 25.

The slain terrorists have been identified as Shahid Mushtaq Bhatt and Farhan Habib. Both were associated with the Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. They had killed the TV artiste on the instruction of LeT Commander Lateef., informed IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar.

The police further said that 1 AK-56 rifle, 4 magazines, and a pistol were recovered from the terrorists during the encounter, which had begun the previous evening.

The police on Thursday had informed that both the terrorists were trapped on the night of May 26 in Avantipora in the Pulwama district. They later confirmed that they were killed in the wee hours of Friday, May 27.

According to the police, the slain LeT terrorist Shahid Mushtaq Bhatt was a resident of Hafroo Chadura in Budgam. The other terrorist Farhan Habib was a resident of Hakripora in Pulwama. The two had recently joined the LeT.

Notably, Kashmiri TV actress Amreena Bhat was killed by two LeT terrorists outside their home in Budgam’s Chadoora area in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, May 25. Her 10-year-old nephew was also injured after being hit with a bullet. Both of them were immediately rushed to the hospital, but Amreena succumbed to the injuries. Her nephew is currently undergoing treatment.

Islamists abuse Kashmiri actress Amreena Bhat for insulting Islam, celebrate her death

A day after the actress was killed, India Today journalist Pooja Shali revealed how the Kashmiri actress, before and even after her death, had been receiving a lot of hate from the people of her own community for allegedly insulting Islam. She was being targeted for her work by the people of the Muslim community. In fact, after her murder, many radical Islamists were even seen celebrating on social media.

On May 26, the India Today TV anchor took to Twitter to share screenshots of the abusive messages Amreena Bhat had received on her Instagram handle, before and even after her death. In one message sent to Amreena four weeks ago on her Instagram handle, one user Aseef Bashir wrote in Hindi, roughly translating to “Aunty, understand, you have been defaming the name of Muslims.”

One Emmu Imran wrote, “Have some shame, you mad woman. What will become of you if you don’t fear Allah, you ill-mannered woman.”

In another screenshot shared by Pooja Shali, one Musharraf Altaf Wani lauded Amarina’s killers after she was shot dead, “Glad to hear that unknown gunmen have killed Tiktok Girl. I’m proud of those unknown gunmen.” Meanwhile, Aman Rauf wrote, “Overall, you deserved what you got. You should at least know you are not doing right.”

Likewise, another Instagram user going by the handle 33_Daniyal also applauded Amreena’s killers. Besides, she also attracted some abusive comments targeting her work owing to her Muslim identity by Islamists like Shenfu Malik, Shaukat etc.

Amreena Bhat was very popular on social media. With around 26.8K followers on Instagram, she would make reels and musical videos. Her last reel on a Bollywood song had a strap on it. It reads: “Love you MA”.

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