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Corrupt dynasty of Philippines, Sri Lanka and uncanny parallels: A cautionary tale and what India needs to do to avoid the same fate

Ganesh R
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Corrupt dynasty of Philippines, Sri Lanka and uncanny parallels: A cautionary tale and what India needs to do to avoid the same fate

If you have noticed something inherently unfair about how some countries are rich, their cities are clean and livable while some, including, sadly our own, is in many ways “third world”. The conclusion one might draw simplistically from that observation is that “white” countries somehow managed to master the trick. But then there are several poor white countries, in Eastern Europe, not all white countries are equally rich and more importantly, Asians, including Indians in the West do extremely well. Furthermore, there’s Japan that’s very rich.

But there’s another thing that most analysts are perhaps paid not to notice –corrupt, fascist, nepotist dynasties and the sycophantic ecosystem they spawn infect the third world much more than the rich West. India is not alone. The Philippines, a country many Indians hardly know of, can perhaps be called No. 1 and that’s quite an achievement considering the competition.

Ignoring the lazy intellectual explanation of “BJP too has dynasties” that we hear often, let us make one thing clear– it is not that dynasties, corrupt or otherwise, are inherently bad in a democracy. They have rights to contest too. Moreover, not just dynasts, anyone with a known name and face – be it a boxer, actor, TV anchor, sportsperson, or even a retired military general, instantly gets a head start in politics, whether we like it or not. 

What we are specifically referring to is that subsect of the dynast caste – ones with success path carved out, mapped, and a vast, corrupt entrenched ecosystem in place to ensure they and only they can get ahead, even with zero merits. And once in power, they stay there for exactly the same reasons. They can boldly declare that seats will only be given on merits and not get “fact-checked” or mocked.

That’s the one we should be vary of.

It is in this context that developments in Sri Lanka as well as the recent Presidential elections in the Philippines need to be analysed. And it can give us a timely warning, even a sick feeling in the stomach that we too can be the next victim if we don’t watch out. Yes, we are not only not immune, but we are also genetically vulnerable.

Philippines election

Unlike events in SL, we hardly hear about the Philippines in Indian media. So let us look at that first. In the recently concluded elections, Ferdinand Marcos, son of the notorious dictator of the same name, who looted billions, has won a resounding victory. Even though a whole generation has grown up since the 1980s, many are scratching their heads. How can this happen?

Many respectable media outlets are attributing this victory to sustained fake and misleading propaganda on social media about the so-called “golden age of peace and prosperity” during the dictatorship. Naturally, the loot and plunder and tales of thousands of expensive shoes were brushed under the carpet. 

We must be very familiar with some of the tricks used by the dynast – using handpicked, filtered statistics to boast about higher growth rates, for one. And the portrayal of a country at peace (they didn’t exactly call it “Idea of Philippines”, perhaps that was copyrighted), focus on growth etc. If you read the propaganda by leftist media and academia in India, you would also think the 60s, 70s and 80s were a golden era. Modi was handed over an India of milk and honey at peace with its neighbours to destroy. That a huge percentage did not even have access to a toilet, school, electricity or roads was brushed off by the brown-nosed media servants (thanks Tharoor) who started counting every pothole in 2014.

And Filipinos were told to judge the junior by his actions and not the sins of his parents. Sounds familiar? He obviously benefited hugely from the empire built in the “golden era” of corruption, fascism and repression. Just that it can be selectively cashed like our “has her grandma’s nose” & “I am Indira’s granddaughter” or disowned and hand-washed (“why blame Rahul for the Emergency?”) depending on the situation. After all, when you control the “fact-checking” frauds and media boot lickers that call themselves “fearless and independent”, you can get away with anything. That’s what Marcos Jr did. The first thing he did was visit his father’s grave. He knows why he won.

Yet another bizarre propaganda lie was that Leni Robredo, the main challenger with a reputation for clean hands, and from a much simpler family background was portrayed as an “elitist” and had to go around defending herself, while the corrupt dynast tried to portray himself as pro-poor! Again, that should sound very familiar to Indians.

By the way, here is some trivia! Marcos Sr did not think too much about his son – he even wrote in his diary that his son was “carefree and lazy”! And he too was sent to London to study!

All this can be debated and discussed till the cows come home. But the reality is that many Filipinos who wanted an end to corruption and were pinning hopes on Robredo woke up to the shocking reality of the return of Marcos! Bankers in Europe must be licking their palms because billions will now start flowing. West loves corruption in the third world. 

Yet another aspect that should send a chill down the spines of Indians is that China is very pleased with the developments. Media reports are already talking about his Presidency being a “boon for China”. Naturally, Beijing too prefers corrupt elite dynasts to nationalist, son-of-soil leaders. Given vast and powerful Stalinist left ecosystem in India has made their preferences too very clear, one must worry about the future. Marcos Jr even said, “As a matter of fact, people from the Chinese embassy are my friends”! Sounds familiar? 

The key question we should ask ourselves is, can that horror happen in India? What are we going to do to avoid that fate again? 

The best answer I can think of is, stay alert to media propaganda by the corrupt ecosystem. Poor Pinoys didn’t. Stay alert to pseudo-intellectuals, leftist rags, elite academicians, rock-star central bankers, “eminent” historians and “concerned” civil servants, that, knowingly or otherwise, act as enablers of dynastic loot. 

When you come across any narrative in the media that calls itself “fearlessly independent”, take that as seriously as the “Democratic” label most communist nations add to their names. That’s the “Father not hiding in the barn” statement. Do your own thinking. What do they stand to gain from the return of the “golden era”? Check their track record of “speaking truth” in the UPA era.

The Sri Lanka saga

When it comes to Lanka though, we are not short of “information”. Our “independent” media is flooded with news all carefully curated to make sure no one even by mistake concludes family rule (aka loot) and obedience to Beijing caused the problem in the first place. Retainers are busy on social media attributing the problem to everything they can think of except the obvious. Jairam Ramesh wants to blame “majoritarianism”. Wait for some other leftist intellectual to out-lick him, blaming Brahminical patriarchy!

Ajit Datta had an interesting comment – “Eminent intellectual logic: The Rajapaksas ruined Sri Lanka. And it will happen soon to India too if we don’t bring the Gandhis back”. Sadly, he was not joking. Dynasts and their servants have been predicting, even fervently hoping and praying that India should suffer Lanka’s fate. And their cure?! Bring back dynasty!

But I have a different prediction – Sri Lanka may very well be the first nation in this part of the world to successfully rid itself of corrupt dynasties. Yes, it took a crisis, but they may end up doing it. I wish them well.  I would be sad to see business as usual there.

And when they do that, they may realise that building a prosperous country doesn’t take white skin. It just needs a citizenry that is “woke” to dynastic corruption and perpetual rule packaged by its serfs as progressive, liberal, pro-poor, secular or whatever impressive-sounding label they can think of.

Street vendor occupies public road and calls himself Khadim of a Mazar, Uttarakhand police remove him after locals protest, Mazar to stay, says police

OpIndia Staff
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Street vendor occupies public road and calls himself Khadim of a Mazar, Uttarakhand police remove him after locals protest, Mazar to stay, says police

The locals in Uttarakhand held a protest outside a Mazar (tomb) on a public road in Dehradun after a street vendor had allegedly occupied the Mazar to build illegal structures in an effort to encroach on public property.

A video had gone viral recently in which it was seen that a few local residents of Dehradun were seen protesting outside a Mazar demanding the removal of an illegal structure built over it. The locals alleged that the Muslim street vendor had occupied a Mazar next to Kailash Hospital on the Haridwar Road in Dehradun and built illegal structures over it.

According to the reports, the locals alleged that the street vendor, who settled in the area about nine months ago, used to sell eggs on a cart initially. However, later he settled inside the Mazar, where he put up the sheets on top of the structure, the local alleged.

In the presence of the police officials, the locals demanded that the Muslim vendor remove the illegal structures he had put up. The protesting locals said that the accused was found intoxicated and had built the structure intending to occupy the place.

The locals also alleged that they found an illegal electrical connection in the encroached place and accused Khadim of electricity theft. The street vendor, who has occupied the public property, was seen wearing Kurtha and a skull cap and referred to himself as the “Khadim” of Pir Baba Ki Dargah.

Later, the locals filed a complaint against the encroachment, upon which the police and local authorities reached the spot. The street vendor argued with the authorities and refused to remove the encroached property. However, as the police warned him of the consequences, he himself removed the encroachments built on top of the Mazar.

The police officials have found boiled eggs at the hideout inside the Mazar. The accused is originally a resident of Mohalla Nawabfer, Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.

Speaking to OpIndia, the SHO of Nehru Nagar police station in Dehradun said, “The Mazar existed for a long time, and it has not been touched. However, the illegal structures built on it were cleared, and people who lived at the place were also removed.”

The police said that the street vendor had shifted his family after encroaching upon the Mazar. In addition, there were complaints of drug usage in the place, the police said, adding that the Mazar will continue to remain in its own place.

Uttarakhand, known as the ‘Devabhumi’, faces severe demographic challenges as the influx of Muslims from neighbouring states and the subsequent land encroachment problem has increased in the last few years, becoming a significant source of concern for state officials.

Several reports have highlighted the concerns that the Muslim migrants, who have pervaded Uttarakhand, the state with many revered Hindu temples, have started interfering and snatching businesses from the locals living there.

The government’s intelligence agencies believe that Muslim migrants’ intervention in the leasing of horses, taxis, ferries, tourist guide jobs, and hotels has increased dramatically. As a result, locals find themselves being pushed out of jobs and livelihoods they had been holding for generations.

AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi draws ire for visiting the tomb of the barbaric Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, comparing MNS chief Raj Thackeray to a ‘dog’

OpIndia Staff
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AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi draws ire for visiting the tomb of the barbaric Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, comparing MNS chief Raj Thackeray to a ‘dog’

Akbaruddin Owaisi, the brother of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has drawn ire for visiting the tomb of the barbaric and bigoted Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, during his visit to Aurangabad, Maharashtra on Thursday, May 12. The AIMIM controversial leader had come to Aurangabad to lay the foundation stone of the School of Excellence. 

During his visit, Akbaruddin Owaisi visited Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad and offered flowers. He was accompanied by Aurangabad MP Imtiyaz Jaleel and former MLA Waris Pathan.

Akbaruddin’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb kicked up a political storm. Reacting to this, former MP and Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire alleged that Owaisi was trying to create a political controversy. “No one, neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, visits the tomb as Aurangzeb was the cruellest Mughal emperor. But Owaisi and his party leaders are trying to create a controversy for political benefit,” Khaire said.

Gajanan Kale, an MNS leader from Navi Mumbai remarked that “the Maharashtra government should take action against Owaisi for visiting the tomb of Aurangzeb. If no action is taken, then the MNS will take the matter into its own hands.”

Owaisi was in the district just days after MNS chief Raj Thackeray led a public rally there demanding for loudspeakers to be removed from mosques.

Akbaruddin Owaisi compares the MNS chief Raj Thackeray to a ‘dog’

In a speech given in the city after his visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb, the AIMIM leader launched a scathing attack on the MNS chief for his demand for the removal of loudspeakers from mosques over the last few weeks. Akbaruddin Owaisi, without naming Raj Thackeray, went on to compare the MNS chief to a ‘dog’ and stated that those who have been evicted from their homes should be ignored.

“Jo bhi kutta jaisa bhi bhonkta bhokne do. Shero ka kaam chup chaap chle jana hai” (the job of a dog is to bark, the lion must stay calm when a dog barks), said Akbaruddin Owaisi in an indirect reference to the MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

Owaisi further added, “I have not come here to answer anyone, nor to call anyone bad. I don’t want to answer anyone. I am an MP and you are homeless, you are missing, you have been evicted from your own house.”

Owaisi went on to remark that while there is talk of animosity in the country, he will reply with love rather than hatred. There have been talks of azaan in the country, as well as lynching and hijab, there should be no fear, instead, Muslims must unite.

Reacting sharply to Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb and his subsequent hate speech, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra for abandoning Hindutva after embracing Congress and the NCP. “Open provocation made by hate-monger Akbaruddin Owaisi.. inflammatory speech in Aurangabad… paid tribute to HINDU HATER & DESTROYER OF MANDIRS – TERRORIST AURANGZEB! But Shiv Sena is under such pressure of Congress & NCP it can book people for Hanuman Chalisa, not AKBAR Owaisi,” Tweeted the BJP spokesperson.

Notably, Akbaruddin Owaisi, the brother of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has a habit of spewing hate rhetoric. He had in 2012, made a highly inflammatory speech while addressing a public meeting where he asked police to be removed for 15 minutes so that he could finish off 100 crores Hindus. While addressing a crowd in Nirmal, Akbaruddin Owaisi resorted to fear-mongering and attempted to incite violence against Hindus by raking up the issues of alleged lynchings against minorities. He had also abused the Hindu deities and blatantly mocked Hindus for worshipping them.

Taking a jibe at India’s Prime Minister, he had compared PM Modi to terrorist Ajmal Kasab and had said that he should be hanged to death. He had instigated the Muslim crowd and had said that if all the Muslims from all over the country unite, then this country will be ruled by a Muslim and then the death of PM Modi would be confirmed.

Further in 2019, he blatantly repeated his ’15 minutes’ threat and challenged the RSS and the Bajrang Dal.

It is pertinent to note that a total of 41 witnesses were examined in the Nizamabad case while 33 people were examined in the Nirmal case. Owaisi was also arrested and subsequently released on bail.

Last month, the special sessions court for MP and MLAs at Nampally metropolitan courts in Hyderabad acquitted AIMIM controversial leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in decade-old hate speech cases and directed him not to make any controversial speeches in future, keeping in view the national integrity.

Nigeria: Christian woman beaten to death by fellow Muslim students in college over ‘blasphemy’, killers shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ while burning her

OpIndia Staff
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Nigeria: Christian woman beaten to death by fellow Muslim students in college over ‘blasphemy’, killers shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ while burning her

In a shocking incident in Nigeria, a Christian student named Deborah Samuel was beaten to death by an Islamic mob over an allegation of blasphemy in college in the northwestern region of Sokoto. As per reports, the violent mob, comprised of Deborah’s fellow students in a WhatsApp group, was upset over some of her comments and had declared her a ‘blasphemer’.

In videos of the brutal mob lynching and burning that have gone viral, Deborah’s killers can be seen shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, showing off the matchbox with which they burned her battered corpse and rejoicing in the violent deed.

The victim Deborah Samuel was a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, in Sokoto State. Reports stated that a WhatsApp group was being used by Deborah and her fellow students where someone had shared an Islamic post. To the Islamic post, Deborah had responded with a comment that was deemed ‘blasphemous’ by some Muslim students.

Some reports mention that Deborah had only objected to religious content being shared in a college WhatsApp group.

What followed was a violent mob assault on Deborah while the college authorities and police watched helplessly. Reports state that attempts to rescue the woman failed because of the size of the mob. The mob, comprised of male Muslim students of the college mercilessly beat, stoned Deborah to death and then burned her body.

“The police sacrificed the lady after the students began throwing sticks and stones at them, then the students used stones and sticks to beat the lady. After being beaten, she was set on fire,” a college student who witnessed the incident has told The Guardian.

The college authorities have shut down the institution for an indefinite period of time following the incident. The police have reportedly arrested 2 accused persons, but most of the culprits remain at large.

Sokoto state is under Sharia law, and blasphemy is punishable by death

The Sokoto area is largely Muslim. Nigeria is divided into northern Muslim parts and southern Christian parts.

The Sokoto state is under Islamic Sharia law, like almost a dozen other Nigerian states and it is unlikely that Deborah’s killers will be brought to justice because killing blasphemers is ‘allowed’ in Islam. In Sokoto state, the crime of ‘blasphemy’ means the death penalty.

In 2016, a 74-year-old Christian woman was beaten to death in Kano by a Muslim mob who had accused her of blasphemy. Bridget Abgahime was killed by the mob outside her own shop. In 2021, another person was killed by a mob over similar allegations in the Darazo district in the Bauchi state, a report in Voanews stated.

In 2007, a teacher was beaten to death by secondary school students in Nigeria over allegations of disrespecting the Quran.

Tamil Nadu Commission for SC/ST cries ‘discrimination’ over the exclusion of beef biriyani from the ‘Ambur Biryani Tiruvizha 2022’, calls it ‘communal’

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu Commission for SC/ST cries ‘discrimination’ over the exclusion of beef biriyani from the ‘Ambur Biryani Tiruvizha 2022’, calls it ‘communal’

On Thursday (May 12), the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes wrote to the Collector of Tirupattur district in Tamil Nadu, complaining about his decision to exclude beef biriyani from the ‘Ambur Biryani Tiruvizha 2022.’

“In the press note, you have specifically stated that beef biriyani shall stand excluded. This Commission, on consideration of the petition, has chosen to take up the matter for enquiry as a practice of untouchability in the form of discrimination against SC/ST and the Muslim population which accounts for more than 2lakhs,” the notice read.

The Commission dubbed the decision by Tirupattur Collector Amar Kushwaha as ‘discrimination on a communal basis’ and asked him to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.

Earlier, the District Collector of Tirupattur had called for the exclusion of beef and pork biriyani from the ‘Ambur Biriyani Thiruvizha 2022 in light of the religious sentiments of the people. “Respecting the sentiments of the people, as many Hindus as well reside here, we are avoiding beef and pork biryani,” he had said.

The decision by Amar Kushwaha had drawn the ire of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party.

“The collector, himself, declared that Beef/Pork Biryani will not be a part of the festival. I totally condemn this style of work by the Collector. They should allow the Beek/Pork Biryani in the festival. Already our VCK party members have given a petition to the collector in regards to this,” VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalava remarked.

‘Ambur Biriyani Thiruvizha 2022’ was initially organised between May 13 and May 15 this year. The three-day festival has been temporarily postponed due to the rain forecast by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The festival was supposed to be held at the Ambur Trade Centre and feature more than 20 different varieties of biriyani, including chicken, mutton and seafood.

‘If you have even a drop of Rajput blood within, show those documents’: Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy challenges BJP MP Diya Kumari

OpIndia Staff
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‘If you have even a drop of Rajput blood within, show those documents’: Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy challenges BJP MP Diya Kumari

Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claims to be a descendant of Shah Jahan, criticized Bharatiya Janata Party MP Diya Kumari for her remarks that the Taj Mahal is built on land that originally belonged to the Rajput Royal Family of Jaipur. Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy shared a video from his social media accounts Thursday 12th May 2022 in which he went on to say that Diya Kumari has ‘even a drop of Rajput blood in her’, she should show the documents proving the land deal she claimed.

He said, “This statement of mine is about the controversy about the Taj Mahal that appeared yesterday. Bharatiya Janata Party’s MP Diya Kumari has made a statement. All of you must have heard that she claimed that the Taj Mahal was built on land that Shah Jahan grabbed from their Rajput forefathers without paying any compensations and that she has documents to prove this. So, all I would like to tell her is that she should not throw any such allegations in the air. It looks idiotic. First, you read the history. Because Shah Jahan happens to be the uncle (husband of the maternal aunt) of you Rajputs. Because his second wife was known by the name Laal Bai. Their marriage was solemnized in 1611 CE. Shah Jahan’s mother Jagat Gosain also hails from your Rajput family. Shah Jahan’s grandmother, that is, the wife of Akbar the Great, who gave birth to Jahangir, Jodha Bai alias Harka Bai was also a Rajput.”

Speaking about the land given by the Rajputs to the Mughals he said, “When Akbar the Great became the son-in-law of the Rajputs, in those days, there was a custom in Rajput families that Rajputs used to gift them different palaces. So this claim about the compensations and grabbing land is baseless. Mughals did not need it at all, because the whole Hindustan was theirs. Mughals were the rulers of H/industan. You are just talking about the Jaipur province. Mughals were the rulers of the whole country which at that time included Bangladesh, Pakistan, and border parts of Nepal as well. Yours was just a small province as compared to the Mughal empire. And you had made alliances with the Mughals at that time. 14 out of my 27 grandmothers were Rajputs. So you giving such statements about having the documents and throwing allegations in the air is not good.”

Diya Kumari had said in her statement that the documents regarding the land deal between the Rajputs and the Mughals are available to her Royal Family and those documents prove that the Taj Mahal is built on the land of Rajputs which was grabbed by the Mughals against negligible costs. Responding to this, Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy said, “If you have the documents kept in that so-called basement cells, and you said that you will present them in front of the court, I give you an open challenge that there are no such documents. If there are any documents, show those documents. Then only I will trust this. If you have even a drop of Rajput blood within, show those documents. You are making such baseless statements just like Modi Ji had once said that there are some blabberers in his party who needlessly create some controversy. So this statement of yours is like one of those blabberers.”

Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy further said, “You must know that the Mughals ruled for 350 years. And Rajputs were in alliance with them because I know that all my grandmothers were from the Rajput families. Our maternal homes are Rajput families. And your forefathers forgot this thing. In 1857, the Britishers occupied India. For 100 years you sat in their laps. When the whole nation was fighting against the British Raj, you preferred to sit in their laps just to save your ancestral properties. The whole nation and the whole world know what you people have done. British rulers left in 1947 and India became independent. From 1947 till today, you people did not remember this. How did you remember it all of a sudden? Did Uncle Shah Jahan come into your dreams and told you this? Did your grandmother Laal Bai come and told you this? How did you make such claims?”

He further said, “I appeal to all the media houses and the Hindus and the Muslims in the country that ignore these people who are making such statements just to gain some publicity through such cheap publicity stunts. By making such statements you are reducing the stature of the Rajput families not only in India but also in the whole world. You are lessening their value and credibility. I would ask her not to give such statements. Especially to the BJP media cell chief who has filed this petition, I would like to tell him that today you are asking to open the 22 doors of the Taj Mahal. Tomorrow you may ask to dig out the truth of the Gurudwaras in Amritsar which are built on the lands given by Akbar the Great. After that, you will ask to open the Churches in Mumbai and so on. Thus, by making such statements, you are trying to create a controversy between Hindus and Muslims in the country.”

Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy concluded by saying, “My message to the nation is the same as the message given by Modi Ji. Don’t pay any attention to what these blabberers are saying. I would also like to ask Diya Kumari Ji to take her words back. She should not give such cheap remarks while talking to the media and especially she should not try to break the bond of alliance and love shared by the Mughals and the Rajputs.”

‘Atmosphere of fear being created’: Judge RK Diwakar, who allowed videographic survey of disputed structure ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’, fears for his life

OpIndia Staff
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‘Atmosphere of fear being created’: Judge RK Diwakar, who allowed videographic survey of disputed structure ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’, fears for his life

Civil Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar who allowed videographic survey of the disputed structure ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’ days after the same was halted amid opposition, expressed safety concerns on Friday. He said that an atmosphere of fear is being created and that he is worried about his family’s safety. The judge added that this case is considered an extraordinary case now and not a civil case. “The fear is so much that my family is always concerned about my safety and I am concerned about their safety”, he said.

“Yesterday, my mother (in Lucknow) during our conversation also expressed concerns about my safety, and from the news received by the media, she came to know that maybe I am also going to the spot as commissioner and my mother asked me that I should not go on commission on the spot, as it may endanger my safety,” the judge was quoted on May 12.

The court on Thursday rejected the plea to change the court-appointed advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex and also ordered the completion of the survey task by May 17.

Earlier on May 6, the committee of Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi had said that it won’t allow videography inside the mosque, as ordered by a court. S M Yasin, joint secretary of Anjuman Intejamiya Masjid Managing Committee, had stated that no ‘non-believer’ would be allowed to enter the mosque. “The survey and videography should be restricted to the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises”, he had said.

Reportedly, the Muslim mob had blocked the gate and prevented the survey team from entering the premises on May 6. They protested against the court order that stopped the court-directed documentation for the day in Varanasi. The videographer, however, who accompanied the survey team involved in the process revealed the presence of Hindu motifs including the Swastika, Nandi (bull associated with Shiva) and lotus motifs all over the outer side of the mosque walls.

“We saw Swastik symbols at two places on the walls of the temple. There are a number of lotus symbols all over. We also saw Nandi while doing a Parikrama and other Hindu religious symbols”, he noted. The court on May 12 was hearing a plea demanding darshan puja and security at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and other idols including Shringar Gauri at Gyanvapi Mosque complex and ordered the completion of the video survey. Judges Diwakar issued guidelines for the same and ordered the report to be submitted by May 17.

Tamil Nadu: Police arrest Iman for leaking nude images of Hindu woman for not converting to Islam, had forced her to wear Hijab, abused for being Dalit

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Police arrest Iman for leaking nude images of Hindu woman for not converting to Islam, had forced her to wear Hijab, abused for being Dalit

On Wednesday (May 11), a 21-year-old man named Iman Hameef was arrested for forcibly trying to convert a Dalit Hindu woman to Islam and posting her intimate pictures on social media.

As per reports, the accused befriended the victim on Instagram and started living with her. He took control of the girl’s smartphone and posted her intimate pictures on her Instagram handles.

Iman had also sent compromising images of the victim to her friends and family through Whatsapp. He also threatened to post more of her intimate pictures if she did not convert to Islam.

Iman Haneef had forced the victim to wear a burqa and a hijab and pray on Fridays on more than 1 occasion. The girl recounted, “Iman had initially insisted on getting married immediately. He said we would do a Nikkah and told me he would enrol me in a Madrassa (Islamic school), I resisted these plans.”

The victim further informed that the accused would often come home drunk and assault her. He had also taken possession of her gold earrings and mortgaged them by claiming that his father was unwell. Iman would also abuse her for being a member of the SC/ST community.

“When I refused to convert my faith, he asked me why I had so much pride despite belonging to the community I belonged to?” the girl added. Iman worked at a local banian manufacturing unit in Tirupur.

“Fearing for my life, I went back to my home town (in Karur district) around Diwali in 2021,” the woman had informed. Later, she went back to Tirupur to collect her education certificates and Aadhar card. It was then that Iman refused to hand over the documents and leaked her nude images on Instagram.

“He has been calling my parents and relatives and threatening to kill me,” she had stated. Aggrieved by his constant physical and psychological abuse, the girl lodged a complaint with the Nallur police in Tirupur on May 5 this year. A First Information Report (FIR) was then registered in connection with the case.

Charges were pressed against him under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (I) (criminal intimidation), Sections 66C, 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act. Iman was also booked under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

Following his arrest on Wednesday (May 11), the accused was remanded to Tirupur district prison.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s wife asks Okhla residents to protest against the arrest of her husband by keeping their shops shut on Friday

OpIndia Staff
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AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s wife asks Okhla residents to protest against the arrest of her husband by keeping their shops shut on Friday

A day after controversial Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by Delhi Police for creating a ruckus during an anti-encroachment drive, the AAP MLA’s wife on Friday attempted to incite the residents of Okhla by asking them to keep their shops shut today to protest against her husband’s arrest.

Taking to Twitter, Shafia, Amanatullah’s wife, claimed that her husband has been sent behind bars for raising the voice of the public. She also ‘requested’ the people of Okhla to keep their shops closed from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday in protest against the arrest. She said the protest was to tell the “merciless” BJP government that the people are standing with their MLA.

Shafia had also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government for arresting her husband Amanatullah Khan after the Delhi Police detained him for obstructing a public servant from discharge of duty after he, along with locals, protested against the BJP-led South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in the Madanpur Khadar area during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive.

She had also stated that she had no news of Khan for the few hours of his arrest. “I am afraid that no untoward incident should happen to him, his life is in danger,” she had claimed.

According to the latest reports, the Delhi Police have sent AAP MLA from Okhla to Tihar jail after they arrested him for creating nuisance during the anti-encroachment in Delhi. Earlier this week, Amanatullah Khan was also booked for obstructing the demolition drive in Shaheen Bagh earlier this week.

On May 9, a massive drama unfolded when the MDC officials reached Shaheen Bagh to take action against the illegally constructed infrastructures in the area. Hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters led by Amanatullah Khan and Congress workers staged protests in the area to obstruct the civic body’s ongoing anti-encroachment drive.

Following the ruckus, the SDMC’s Central Zone licensing inspector filed a complaint against the AAP MLA and his aides with the SHO of Shaheen Bagh. In the complaint, the licensing inspector wrote, “Amanatullah Khan MLA (Okhla) along with his supporters present did not allow the field staff of the zone SDMC to remove the encroachment. In view of the above, you are requested to take appropriate legal action against Amanatullah Khan and his supporters for interfering in the discharge of official duties by public servants.” 

Based on the complaint filed by the SDMC’s Central Zone licensing inspector, an FIR was registered against Aamanatullah Khan and his supporters under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

YouTuber Abhisar Sharma says India is known world over because of Taj Mahal, here are some brilliant architectural marvels predating it

Siddhi Somani
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YouTuber Abhisar Sharma says India is known world over because of Taj Mahal, here are some brilliant architectural marvels predating it

The dissensions around one of the seven wonders on the planet, the Taj Mahal in Agra, are spiraling. While some say that there was a Shiv Temple on the spot before Taj Mahal, others deny the fact and claim that the Mughal structure is pride of India and that the country is known worldwide only because of the monument built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Shockingly, a few acclaimed intellectuals, historians and journalists have also joined the race to demean the Hindu culture of India and praise the country only for the Taj Mahal built by the Mughal Emperor. On Wednesday, Youtuber Abhisar Sharma in his recent episode of ‘Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain Tere’ accused the Indian government of deliberately creating controversies over the Taj Mahal and the Qutab Minar. He said that the government by creating controversies around the Taj Mahal was pushing the country in a wrong direction.

“The Hindu people say that there was a Shiv Temple named Tejo Mahalaya on the spot before Taj Mahal. They say that the 22 rooms closed in the Taj Mahal contain the remains of the demolished Shiv Temple. What do these people want? Do they want to demolish Taj Mahal now and built a Shiv Mandir there? What is the guarantee that there are remains of Shiv Temple behind those closed doors?”, he pondered.

He also stated that if the 22 closed doors of Taj Mahal are opened, the entire Mughal sturcture might be in a danger. He accused the government of deliberately pushing the country to fight over the Taj Mahal and the Qutab Minar. He sated that some of the Hindu people last week had warned that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa in the premises of the Qutab Minar. This is after the VHP stated that the Qutab Minar was actually a ‘Vishnu Stambh’ and that it was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples, he said.

Vinod Bansal, the spokesman of VHP had also said that the structure of the Qutab Minar was built only to tease the Hindu community. Sharma in the video also alleged that those seers who were protesting against the structure of Qutab Minar by reading ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ themselves did not know the Hindu religious verse. “Does the government lack real issues? Why does it want people to protest against the age old monuments?”, he pinned the Modi-led government.

While the claim of an ancient temple at the Taj Mahal site is disputed, it is well known fact that the Qutub Minar was built after demolishing 27 Hindu and Jain temples in Delhi. The various structures and ruins in the Qutub Minar complex still have several proofs of their past, but liberals like Abhisar Sharma will not accept this.

It is important to note that the Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking to open 22 closed rooms in the Taj Mahal. “Are these issues debatable in a court of law? Please, don’t make a mockery of the PIL system”, the Court said. The PIL was filed by Rajneesh Singh, a BJP youth media in-charge, before the Lucknow bench. It s ought the directions to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to probe the 22 closed doors in the Taj Mahal to ascertain the presence of the idols of Hindu deities.

‘India is known worldwide because of Taj Mahal’, says YouTuber Abhisar Sharma-

Sharma in the video further blatantly stated that the country of India was known worldwide because of Taj Mahal and that there was no Shiv Mandir before Taj Mahal. He reiterated that the 22 doors in Taj Mahal were closed due to the security reasons. “Taj Mahal is a world heritage. Anyone who wants any changes to be made in the structure needs to discuss the matter with the UNESCO”, he quoted.

Pertinently, YouTuber Sharma slipped by saying that Taj Mahal was the only identity of India. He forgot that India has been known as land of temples for centuries and that there are many religious temples, monuments and marvelous structures other than Taj Mahal that are the identity of the country. Structures like the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the Virupaksha temple in Hampi, the Badami Shiv Temple in Karnataka, the Ajanta-Ellora cave in Maharashtra, the Konark Sun Temple, the Kailasha temple in Aurangabad, etc have been built before the Taj Mahal and represent India’s heritage and culture.

Temples and marvelous structure of India predating Taj Mahal-

Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his allegedly favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was built in the 17th century and is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around Rs 32 million.

However, marvelous temples like the Virupaksha temple in Hampi, the Badami temples were built in the 7th century. The Virupaksha temple is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bhutanatha group of temples in Badami were built in between the 7th to 12th century. The temples are the superlative example of the Dravida architecture style and are looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Konark Sun temple meanwhile was built in the 13th century (year 1250) and it truly represents the country’s cultural heritage. Konark Sun Temple is dedicated to Hindu Sun God Surya and has the appearance of a 30 m high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone. The temple is depicted on the reverse side of the Indian currency note of Rs 10 to signify its importance to Indian cultural heritage.

The Ajanta caves date back to 2nd century and are located in the Auranagabad district of Maharashtra. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art. This site is also under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India and since 1983, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Also, the Hindu temple of Lord Shiva, the Kailash temple in Maharashtra was constructed in the 8th century. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temples at the Ellora Caves and is considered one of the most remarkable cave temples in the world because of its architecture and sculptural treatment.

UNESCO designated Taj Mahal as World Heritage Site for being ‘the jewel of Muslim art’-

While these many and many more temples and historical monuments have been the identity of India and have represented the Indian culture globally, it would be a grave mistake to state that ‘India is known worldwide only because of Taj Mahal’. Sharma must note that the Taj Mahal, the Mughal structure was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being ‘the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage’. It is regarded by many as the best example of ‘Mughal architecture’.

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