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Is The New York Times committing fraud and keeping subscriber numbers high artificially? What a Fox News investigation, aired by Tucker Carlson, found

OpIndia Staff
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Is The New York Times committing fraud and keeping subscriber numbers high artificially? What a Fox News investigation, aired by Tucker Carlson, found

The New York Times Company recently reported that it was close to hitting its target subscriber base by reaching 9.1 million subscribers. After the acquisition of the sports website The Athletic, it added a new subscriber base of 387,000. The Times is now closer to its target of hitting 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027. However, there seems to be a catch. A recent Fox News investigation reveals that The Times may be committing widespread subscriber fraud. The investigation was aired on the show Tucker Carlson Tonight on the 14th of May 2022.

The Tucker Carlson show that aired on the 14th of May 2022 was shared by Twitter handle @ColumbiaBugle. In the video, Tucker Carlson details how The New York Times essentially does not allow its subscribers to unsubscribe and continues to charge them $17 month after month.

The show details how another employee at Fox News tried to unsubscribe and was neither allowed to do so nor was there any provision for a refund after the system refused to allow him to unsubscribe.

What the Tucker Carlson show found about The New York Times committing subscriber fraud

Tucker Carlson starts his segment by asking a basic question that perhaps every Indian echo – We know The New York Times is unreadable. Then how does its subscriber base continue to grow?

One of the producers of the Tucker Carlson show subscribed to The New York Times about a year ago. When The Times increased its subscription rate to $17 a month, the producer tried to cancel his subscription. In April, the producer spoke to the representatives of The Times and they were assured that the cancellation of the subscription would go through. However, this month (May), the producer got billed $17 again.

On Wednesday, the producer called again to ensure that the cancellation goes through and was assured that it would. However, yet again, this did not happen. Tucker Carlson says on the 14th of May, the producer was charged another $17. When the producer called again to find out what was going on, Tucker Carlson says that the customer care representative essentially admitted that The New York Times was committing fraud. The show then proceeds to play the entire conversation that took place between the producer and The New York Times customer service representative.

First, the customer service representative confirms to the producer that the system “rejected” the request for cancellation. The reason they cited for the rejection of cancellation was that a transaction was already in progress.

Conversation between the producer and NYT customer care

On the 11th of April, there was another attempt to cancel the subscription but that was rejected by the system too, said the representative.

Conversation between the producer and NYT customer care

Essentially, so far, it appears like The New York Times does not let its subscribers cancel their subscription even if they want to given that the producer’s request was “rejected by the system” on two separate occasions.

The producer, having failed to cancel his subscription, then demanded for a refund. For this as well, he was told that the “system does not allow refunds”.

Conversation between the producer and NYT customer care

In this event, the customer service representative seemed as confused at The New York Times chicanery as the producer. She first says that she would process the refunds, however, she quickly realises that the system does not allow it. “Why is there another event being processed, that doesn’t make any sense?”, she says.

Foxed, the representative says that the system needs work and “this is not okay”.

Conversation between the producer and NYT customer care

The representative admits that “customers have been charged after cancellation too”.

Essentially, The New York Times representative admitted that first, the system does not let one cancel their subscription and if the individual assumes that NYT would be ethical enough to do the needful, they would soon realise that they are being charged repeatedly for a subscription they wanted to cancel. To top that, there is no option of giving customers a refund.

Laughing, Tucker Carlson then wonders if anyone would file a class action law suit against The New York Times.

It is pertinent to note here that China Daily, a propaganda outlet of the Chinese government, has reportedly paid $19 million to American newspapers in advertisement and printing charges in 4 years. As per the documents filed by China Daily with the Justice Department, the Communist party mouthpiece had paid over $6 million to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), $4.6 million to the Washington Post, $2,40,000 to Foreign Policy, $50,000 to the New York Times, $34,600 to The Des Moines Register and $76,000 to CQ-Roll Call. In fact, The Communist party mouthpiece had also spent $2,65,822 on advertising on Twitter.

In 2018, both the New York Times and the Washington Post ran a sponsored news item titled, “Belt and Road align with African nations.” The same news story was accompanied by another story, critical of the Trump administration. It read, “Tariffs to take a toll on U.S. homebuyers.” The news item emphasised how the rise in US tariffs on China would raise the cost of building homes in the US. China’s attempt to use foreign papers as a tool to further its interests had been pointed out by organisations such as the Freedom House, Hoover Institution, and other pro-democracy groups.

Madhya Pradesh High Court admits petition seeking stay on Namaz, allowed by ASI, in Bhojshala Temple complex: Read full details

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh High Court admits petition seeking stay on Namaz, allowed by ASI, in Bhojshala Temple complex: Read full details

On Wednesday (May 11), the Madhya Pradesh High Court admitted a petition seeking a stay on the offering of Namaz by Muslims in the complex of the Bhojshala monument in the Dhar district of the State.

The Court had also issued notices to the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the Union government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The petition was filed by an organisation named ‘Hindu Front For Justice’, which had challenged an order by ASI Director-General on April 7, 2003.

The order by the ASI had allowed Muslims to offer Namaz in the complex of the 11th-century monument, which the community refers to as ‘Kamal Maula Mosque.’ The Hindu group argued that the monument is connected to the sentiments of the followers of Sanatan Dharma.

“Unfortunately, the magnificent temple and place of learning at Bhojshala was damaged by Muslim rulers in 1305, 1401 and 1514 AD but they could not change the religious character of Bhojshala and it continues to be the place of Divinity as well as of reverence and Hindus pay homage to this place and they perform Pooja there. The Pasant Utsav is celebrated every year at the said place,” the petition read.

The Hindu group also sought the establishment of the idol of Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi) in the Bhojshala complex and the production of coloured photographs of the inscriptions within the complex. It also asked the Union government to conduct radiocarbon dating of the artefacts, and sculptures, which are located inside the monument.

The petition said, “The destruction of a temple and its continuance in the same form is a continued trauma for the worshippers denying them to achieve spiritual power and in such a situation the life of worshippers remain in jeopardy giving day to day tease and feeling of humiliation done by the invader and such continued wrong has to be rectified under the sweep of Article 13(1) of the Constitution of India to protect the life and religious rights guaranteed under Article 21 and 25 of the Constitution of India.”

The matter was heard by Justices Vivek Rusia and Amar Nath Kesharwani. The Madhya Pradesh High Court found merit in the petition filed by the ‘Hindu Front For Justice’ and noted that other petitions, pertaining to the issue, were pending before it.

“Counsel for the parties jointly submit that the similar issue is already under challenge in W.PNo.(s) 6514/2013, 1089/2016 and 28334/2019 pending before this court. Counsel for the petitioner submits that he has filed some more documents which are not available in those writ petitions strengthening the claim of this present petitioner,” it stated.

The Judges added, “Therefore, they may be permitted to file this petition in the nature of Public Interest Litigation (PIL). Since, a similar issue is under challenge and the Archaeological Survey of India is contesting the matter, therefore, the petition is admitted. Issue notice.”

Petition filed in Mathura court seeking appointment of officer to survey disputed structure Shahi Idgah Masjid on Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Petition filed in Mathura court seeking appointment of officer to survey disputed structure Shahi Idgah Masjid on Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura: Details

After the Varanasi court ordered a day-to-day survey of the disputed structure Gyanvapi Masjid, a similar application has been filed in the court of civil judge (senior division) in Mathura on Friday seeking the appointment of a commissioner to survey the structure, Shahi Idgah masjid, built on Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

According to reports, two applications have been filed in the court of the civil judge in Mathura on Friday seeking the appointment of an advocate commissioner to carry out a survey at the Shahi Idgah masjid on Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi to confirm the “existence of Hindu artefacts and ancient religious inscriptions on the mosque premises”.

The Shahi Idgah Mosque stands at the Krishna Janmabhoomi in the city of Mathura. The Islamic invader Aurangzeb had destroyed the ancient Keshavnath temple and built the Shahi Idgah Mosque on its plinth in 1669.

The Mathura court has decided to hear the petitions filed by Narayani Sena national president Manish Yadav on July 1.

In his petition, Yadav has stated that “religious artefacts, ancient inscriptions and mythological evidence related to the Hindu religion exist on the Idgah premises, and the same has been concealed there. These facts need to be presented before the court.”

Manish Yadav had also filed a petition in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court for early disposal of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah Masjid cases. The petitioner contended that since the High Court has ordered the disposal of all cases related to the disputed site within four months, he moved a fresh application in court demanding an assessment on the lines of the survey being carried out in the disputed structure of Gyanvapi mosque.

On Thursday, the Allahabad high court also directed a Mathura court to dispose of the petitions claiming ownership of the entire land on which the Srikrishna Janmabhoomi stands and seeking to remove the adjoining Shahi Idgah Mosque within the four months.

So far, nine petitions are currently pending in the Mathura district courts with regard to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah case. A Mathura court will pronounce its orders on one of the petitions on May 19.

Interestingly, the petition comes weeks after a Varanasi court had appointed advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Misra to conduct a video survey of the disputed structure Gyanvapi mosque that is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The court had directed him to record the videos of the disputed structure’s premises, built on the original Kashi Vishwanath temple, and submit a report.

The Gyanvapi mosque survey case also reached the Supreme Court on Friday, with the Muslim side asking to stop the survey and the videography of the structure. However, the apex court has refused to pass an immediate order, saying that they would first look into the case file.

There has been a growing demand among Hindus to reclaim Kashi and Mathura, along with Ayodhya. Taking back the disputed sites of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Krishna Janmabhoomi temple at Mathura has now become a priority for various Hindu groups in the country.

The Gyanvapi Mosque was built by the Islamic invader Aurangzeb after destroying the original Kashi Vishwanath temple. However, the remnants of the ancient Hindu temple can still be seen on the walls of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The temple was an earlier restoration of the original Kashi Vishwanath temple, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times in history. The current Kashi Vishwanath was built on a site near the Mosque in 1777 by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar.

Delhi: 26 dead after massive fire breaks out in a building in Mundka, more feared trapped

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: 26 dead after massive fire breaks out in a building in Mundka, more feared trapped

In a horrific incident at Delhi’s Mundka, 26 people lost their lives due to a fire in a building that has been raging since late afternoon today, 13th of May 2022. As per Delhi Police, there are even more people still trapped inside the building, and efforts are on to rescue them.

The fire broke out in Mundka, on Delhi’s border with Bahadurgarh, Haryana, in the late afternoon on Friday. Initially, 15 fire tenders rushed to the spot and started the rescue process. Later, nearly 30 fire tenders were involved in the efforts to bring the fire under control.

The fire broke out in a four-storeyed building that was used as office space by many different companies. The fire broke out on the first floor of the building, where a company manufacturing CCTVs and routers had its office. Rescuers managed to save 50 employees of the company from the blazing inferno. The owner of the company has been detained by the police after preliminary investigations.

The catastrophe shocked the nation and condolences for the victims flooded in led by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

Meanwhile, President Kovind said, “Distressed by the tragic fire accident at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Delhi. My condolences to the bereaved families. I wish for speedy recovery of the injured.”

As per the latest reports, the rescue efforts are still underway as the frontline workers try to save the people still stuck in the building.

Demand to administration to run bulldozers on illegal Mazars and dargahs: Hindu organizations in Aligarh make list, appeal to make law

OpIndia Staff
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Demand to administration to run bulldozers on illegal Mazars and dargahs: Hindu organizations in Aligarh make list, appeal to make law

People have started getting alert about the reports coming from the country about illegal Mazars being built overnight and encroaching and carrying out suspicious activities. In Uttar Pradesh, the voice against illegal Mazars and dargahs has now started to rise. In Aligarh, Hindu organizations have appealed to the administration to remove such illegal constructions immediately. They have also warned of an agitation if action is not taken.

Om Veer Singh along with the people of the Hindu organization has submitted a memorandum to the ministers and the administration regarding the matter. In a memorandum to the administration, Om Veer Singh has said, “Nowadays, the construction of illegal Mazars and dargahs on the roadsides and on public land is increasing day by day, which seems to be a well-planned conspiracy. Where there was nothing until a year ago, the grave suddenly starts to appear. After that, it is expanded to make a Mazar.”

Om Veer Singh demanded the government to enact a law on this so that such construction without permission can be stopped. In this regard, he submitted a memorandum to the Governor through Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh. Revenue Minister Anup Pradhan and MP Satish Gautam were present during the meeting. Bharatiya Janata Party’s MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam said that any illegal construction on government land will be bulldozed, and no one will be spared.

According to Khabar India TV, MP Gautam said, “With the help of the administration, such places will be identified and an inquiry will be conducted by PWD officials. Bulldozers will be operated at all such places, which are illegal, whether the building belongs to a builder or it is a Mazar or a dargah. Everything in Yogi Adityanath’s state will be done under the Constitution.”

In fact, Om Veer Singh, a resident of the Hetalpur village of Tappal in Aligarh, mentioned many such Mazars and dargahs. He said that the Mazar in front of Adampur Road on Aligarh-Palwal Road in Kasba Tappal, the Mazar near Attari Road on Aligarh-Palwal road, the Mazar near cold storage of Khair Kasba on Aligarh-Palwal Road, the Mazar on Noorpur Road, the Mazar on Yamuna Expressway on Garhi Surajmal Road, etc. are all illegal. He said that due to illegal Mazars built on the roadside, road accidents take place every day.

The construction of illegal Mazars and dargahs is a problem not only for Aligarh but for the entire country. Delhi MP Pravesh Verma has submitted to the Lieutenant Governor a list of 54 such government lands in the capital region on which mosques and cemeteries were built illegally. There is a Mazar built in the posh area of Dehradun in Uttarakhand. The people there claim that this Mazar is illegal. The person who works as a Khadim at the Mazar is said to be a drug addict. He also started selling eggs there.

During the lockdown last year, a case of an illegal Mazar being built by Muslims was also reported near Prithviraj Chauhan’s ‘Qila Rai Pithora‘. After the video of it came out, people were enraged and demanded that the Mazar be demolished immediately. Similarly, the case of Mazar at the Lohagarh Fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji was also reported.

Similarly, a variety of medicines, including those for sex and subduing of women, were recovered from an illegal Mazar built on panchayat land in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad. The locals had complained that the toilet in the Mazar had pictures of Hindu deities. When people reached there, they found intoxicating drugs, Islamic books, and many objectionable items.

Similarly, an attempt of encroachment has been in the Civil Hospital in Surat in Gujarat by constructing an illegal Mazar. The hospital administration has written to the police requesting them to remove the illegal Mazar located on the premises. A video of the Mazar is also going viral on social media.

Germany: Five wounded in a suspected Islamic terror attack on a train, passengers overpowered Iraq-born attacker

OpIndia Staff
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Germany: Five wounded in a suspected Islamic terror attack on a train, passengers overpowered Iraq-born attacker

In a shocking incident that took place in Germany, three passengers on a regional train in Germany overpowered an attacker who wounded five persons on the train with a knife. This incident took place on Friday 13th March 2022 and the nabbed attacker is identified as an Iraq-born man.

According to a report by Associated Press, state interior minister Herbert Reul said that the train was traveling near the western city of Aachen when the man began attacking fellow passengers in a random and arbitrary manner.

Herbert Reul further said, “The motive for the attack is under investigation. Authorities are investigating the possibility of an extremist motive but haven’t yet confirmed it. There were about 270 passengers on the train. The attack was a gruesome crime that was stopped in an enormous act of courage. The suspect was known to authorities.”

The state police informed that the police officer who happened to be among the passengers overpowered the 31-year-old suspect with the help of two other passengers. The wounded were being treated at local hospitals and none of them was in the life-threatening condition as informed by the police.

The police authorities have suspected but not confirmed that the attacker had an Islamist motive for the attack. A probe is launched to determine if the attack was influenced by Islamist ideology and if the attacker was a part of a terror outfit.

Indian govt announces one-day state mourning on Saturday as a mark of respect on the passing away of UAE president

OpIndia Staff
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Indian govt announces one-day state mourning on Saturday as a mark of respect on the passing away of UAE president

The government of India has decided to observe a one-day state mourning on Saturday, following the death of the UAE president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A statement issued by the union home ministry said that that there will be one day’s State Mourning tomorrow throughout India, when the national flag will be flown at half-mast and there will no official entertainment program.

The statement issued by the ministry said, “His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi has passed away. As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, the Government of India has decided that there will be one day’s State Mourning tomorrow throughout India. The National Flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day.”

Earlier today, Emirates News Agency WAM had reported the death of 73-year-old Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi. Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced that UAE will observe a forty-day national mourning with the flag flown at half-mast starting today.  Moreover, work will be suspended at all ministries, departments, and federal, local and private entities for three days.

Sheikh Khalifa had suffered a stroke in 2014, and had undergone a surgery, after which he continued to face health issues. His role as the president was limited to ceremonial duties, and His brother and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, has been widely seen as the de-facto leader of the UAE, who handles day-to-day activities.

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed as the second president of the UAE in 2004, after the death of his father and founding president of UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Khalifa was born in 1948, and was the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed. Even before becoming the president, he was handling several presidential duties as the crown prince since late 1990s, as his father was facing health problems.

He was considered one of the richest monarchs in the world, and was the richest emirate in the UAE. His net worth is estimated to be over $18 billion, most of which comes from his investments in the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi where Khalifa was the president.

It is noteworthy that world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai was named after the late UAE president. The skyscraper was originally named Burj Dubai, but after Abu Dhabi and the federal government of UAE lent Dubai 10 billion US dollars to pay off its debts, the structure was renamed as Burj Khalifa in honour of the UAE president.

Australia: Liberal Party joins hands with Turbans 4 Australia’s Amar Singh, who had said demanding Khalistan is a “democratic right”

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Liberal Party joins hands with Turbans 4 Australia’s Amar Singh, who had said demanding Khalistan is a “democratic right”

Ahead of the election polls in Australia, the Liberal Party of Australia seems to have decided to throw its weight behind the controversial community leader Amar Singh as one of its key faces in the marginal Sydney seat of Parramatta.

Singh, who had allegedly fuelled tensions between Sikhs and Hindus in Australia over the farmers’ protests last year and had even defended the ‘rights’ of secessionists demanding a separate Khalistan, is reportedly going to canvass for the Liberal Party of Australia for the polls that are slated to take place on 21 May 2022.

Maria Kovacic, the Liberal party candidate for Parramatta, in a recent event, received support from the contentious leader Amar Singh. The event was also attended by Liberal Party MP and immigration minister of Australia Mr Alex Hawke.

Amar Singh (extreme right) with Liberal Party members

However, the association between the Liberal Party and Singh is not borne out of a convergence of ideology. Rather, it stems from a symbiotic transactional relationship between the two entities. According to the sources, Liberal candidate Maria Kovacic has purportedly promised a massive donation to Turbans 4 Australia, a putative charitable organisation which is founded by Singh to further his anti-Hindu activities.

Liberal Party banner

Turbans 4 Australia is also a part of a Hinduphobic NGO group called the Australian Alliance Against Hate and Violence (AAAHAV), which had in the past maligned Hindus and stoked fear psychosis among Australians by claiming that Australia is “least prepared” to counter the allegedly “rising threat of Hindu far-right extremism.” Calling upon politicians, and federal and state governments to “urgently recognise the threat of far-right Hindu extremism”, and urged “to take concrete steps to address this threat.”

Pertinently, the Parramatta federal electorate is among the federal constituencies with the highest Hindu population in Australia. The Liberal Party is hoping that their partnership with Singh might turn the fortune in their favour and sway Hindu votes towards them.

However, some Hindu voters of Parramatta were not impressed with the Liberal Party’s dalliance with Singh. “This man (Amar Singh) spoke against Hindus during the Harris Park violence between Khalistanis and patriotic Hindu Indians,” one voter said.

As per sources, Singh was one of the staunch supporters of the Khalistani elements who clashed with patriotic Hindu Indians at Harris Park. In the aftermath of the violence, Singh was seen defending the Khalistani hoodlums, stating that demanding Khalistan is a “democratic right” and that Sikhs have a right to demand Khalistan.

It is also worth noting that while Singh has been currently consorting with the Liberal leaders, he was seen to be closely associated with Green leaders such as Senator David Shoebridge and Mehreen Faruqi in the past.

Shoebridge had earlier called VHP and RSS ‘neo Nazis’, and had castigated India for enacting the CAA bill and revoking article 370. His fellow parliamentarians asked him to refuse for making unsolicited remarks, but he stoutly refused to do so.

Amar Singh with Greens MLC David Shoebridge

There is also a mystery surrounding why Singh is no longer attending Sydney’s Glenwood Gurudwara, a place where he had frequented regularly in the past until an ugly brawl broke out between Khalistani supporters and Hindus who opposed the former for harbouring secessionist ideology and advocating for the vivisection of India.

Conversion racket foiled in Gujarat’s Naswadi, authorities cancel program by Christian missionaries after Hindu groups object

લિંકન સોખડિયા
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Conversion racket foiled in Gujarat’s Naswadi, authorities cancel program by Christian missionaries after Hindu groups object

Last week, a pamphlet of an alleged spiritual gathering called ‘New Life in Christ’ organized by a Christian missionary was circulated in and around the Sankadibari village in Naswadi taluka of Chhota Udepur district and in the surrounding villages in Gujarat. When the local Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists knew about the conversion of Hindu tribals, they petitioned the Tehsildar of Naswadi to stop the program. The VHP had warned that if the program was not cancelled, they would go to the same place with more than 2,000 workers and perform the Hanuman Chalisa and Ramdhun, after which the event, which was to be held without police permission, was cancelled.

Pamphlets that went viral in the villages of the Naswadi area (Photo: By Vishal Jaiswal)

According to the leaflet, a conversion program titled ‘New Life in Christ’ was to be organized by the Christian missionary on May 9 and May 10 at the Sankadibari village of Naswadi taluka. Rev. G. Samuel and Brother Vinubhai were the main speakers addressing the program. The event was strongly opposed by local Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists fearing the conversion of gullible Hindu tribals. About 20 activists led by Vishal Kumar Suresh Chandra Jaiswal, president of VHP Naswadi, went to the Seva Sadan office in Naswadi and appealed to the Tehsildar. Later the PI of Naswadi police station was also informed by the VHP activists.

The Hindu religious leaders of the District of Junagadh also protested against the Naswadi Mamlatdar and the Naswadi police officer and demanded the cancellation of the programme.

In an exclusive conversation with OpIndia, Vishal Jaiswal said, “We came to know about the event on May 6 through a pamphlet circulating in the area. In the past, similar programs have taken place in this border tribal area, in which in the end, gullible Hindu tribals were lured and converted to Christianity. Therefore, we immediately gave a written request to the taluka mamlatdar to stop the program on the 7th itself.”

Vishal Jaiswal said, “There have been such gatherings by Christian missionaries in the past in which the gullible tribals are converted in the name of miracles during the day and at the same place at night, there is a smell of alcohol and meat.”

Conversion of Hindus in the name of miracles

Replying to a question on how the missionaries carry out the conversion, Vishal Jaiswal said, “Whenever such a gathering is to take place, the local agents of the missionaries go out to survey the surrounding tribal areas. In whichever village they visit, they make a list of who has common ailments like cough, cold fever headache in which house and who has been ill for three or more days, etc. The agents then invite such families to such an event and say that their illness will be cured by a miracle there. These common diseases, which are in fact naturally cured in 4-5 days, are claimed to be cured by these people by giving them some adulterated powder in these programs, and by showing such alleged miracles, they trap the gullible Hindu tribals and eventually convert them.”

The conversion program was canceled due to the alertness of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad

VHP activists giving application to the Tehsildar (Photo: By Vishal Jaiswal)

Explaining more about the recently thwarted conversion event, he said, “When we reached out to the Tehsildar to call on the program after the program was exposed by a leaflet, it was found in an inquiry that the organizers had not even taken permission for the event. We had urged the Tehsildar as well as the local police officials that if the program was not canceled, we would reach the venue with more than 2,000 activists of the VHP and Bajrang Dal and would recite Hanuman Chalisa and Ramdhun there itself.” Jaiswal further said, “After our application, the organizers themselves canceled the gathering. Yet, as a precautionary measure, we did check at the scheduled time of the event to ensure that no such event took place.”

Cutting of Divya Bhaskar newspaper

Vishal Jaiswal further told OpIndia that he had received full cooperation from the administration and the police in this regard due to which the missionary’s conversion program could be stopped. In this tribal area, such programs of conversion of Hindu tribals are frequent and whenever they come to know about it, they protest. Jaiswal said that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad will never allow to carry out such misdeeds and will always oppose them and will stand in the front to protect Hindu tribal brothers and sisters.

This is not the first time that an incident involving the conversion of Hindu tribals by Christian missionaries has come to light in Gujarat. Such incidents have been reported several times in the border areas of south Gujarat in the past. A month ago, five members of the same Christian family were arrested in connection with a similar conversion in the Tapi district.

PFI, SDPI extremist outfits indulging in serious acts of violence but not banned, observes Kerala High Court

OpIndia Staff
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PFI, SDPI extremist outfits indulging in serious acts of violence but not banned, observes Kerala High Court

On May 5th, the Kerala High Court observed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) are extremist organisations, which have not yet been banned in India.

The court made the remarks while hearing the petition of the wife of deceased RSS worker A Sanjith, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “No doubt, SDPI and PFI are extremist organisations indulging in serious acts of violence. All the same, those are not banned organisations,” Justice K Haripal had stated.

The Kerala High Court further noted that both SDPI and PFI have a history of attacking members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It added, “It is the common case that activists of the SDPI/PFI were behind the attack.”

“There were clashes between the activists of the SDPI/PFI on the one hand and activists of the RSS on the other. There are series of attacks and counter-attacks between them,” Justice K Haripal emphasised.

The Kerala High Court pointed out that clashes between RSS and the two Islamist outfits had continued even after the brutal murder of A Sanjith. It continued, “This Court takes judicial notice of the fact that even after this incident, after completing arguments in this case, two such incidents have happened in Palakkad.”

However, the Court dismissed the petition of A Sanjith’s wife on the grounds that a CBI probe would lead to a delay in proceedings and increase the chances of accused PFI workers getting bail. “If investigation is handed over to the CBI, that would result in further delay in the proceedings. It is not in public interest. That may also pave way for raising demand by the accused persons for releasing on bail. Given the mind set of the rival groups, if the accused persons are released on bail that would entail further clashes and may lead to law and order situation,” the court said in its order.

Another reason the court gave that the investigating agency does not appear to have a special interest in the case or interested in shielding the culprits. “Partisan attitude could not be inferred,” the court said, adding that all the culprits had been identified and many of them have been arrested by the police. “Merely for the reason that some of the culprits remain at large, CBI cannot be asked to conduct an investigation,” the court further added.

The murder of RSS worker A Sanjith

On November 15, 2021, a 26-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker Sanjith was hacked to death in front of his wife in Ellapully, Palakkad. In broad daylight, the assailants who came in a car waylaid Sanjith’s bike and attacked him in front of many people including his wife.

As per reports, many of the accused in the case was linked to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the extremist Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

On January 24 this year, Mohammad Haroon, the key conspirator behind the case was arrested by Kerala Police. Haroon was actively involved in planning the murder along with other associates from the SDPI.

A few days after the involvement of the political outfit was clear, Sanjith’s family had demanded an NIA probe in the matter. Sarath, Sanjith’s brother had alleged that the ongoing investigation was not being done in a proper way. According to him, Sanjith had faced similar attacks in his lifetime, in one of which he had a hand injury.

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