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Undated video shows Delhi hotel denying accommodation to Kashmiri man, similar incidents happened earlier too but Islamists blame The Kashmir Files

OpIndia Staff
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Undated video shows Delhi hotel denying accommodation to Kashmiri man, similar incidents happened earlier too but Islamists blame The Kashmir Files

On March 23, an undated video started making rounds on social media platforms in which a man could be heard alleging that a Delhi hotel denied him accommodation that he had booked earlier via OYO. Islamists have claimed that the incident took place in the light of alleged ‘communal disharmony’ spread by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s latest movie ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Sharing the video, the National Spokesperson of Jammu & Kashmir Students Union, Nasir Khuehami claimed that a Kashmiri man, was denied accommodation in The Pleasant Inn hotel, which is a flagship OYO Hotel. The man who was allegedly denied accommodation was not visible in the video, but a woman employee at the reception can be seen.

The man, who was visibly irked as he was not able to check-in, demanded an answer why he was being denied accommodation. He said, “I am giving you my identity card. Here is my Aadhaar Card. Why are you denying it?” When the female employee said she had orders not to give room to anyone with an ID from Kashmir, he said, “I can give you passport as well.” As Kashmir’s address was mentioned on the passport, it was denied as well.

A few seconds later, the woman called someone, possibly the manager of the hotel, and told him what was happened at the hotel. When she asked the manager to talk to the customer, he told her to tell the man from Kashmir that there were orders from the Police not to give accommodation to anyone holding an identity card from Kashmir.

While sharing the video, Nasir blamed the incident on filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and said, “Impact of #KashmirFiles on the ground. Delhi Hotel denies accommodation to Kashmiri man, despite provided id and other documents. Is being a Kashmiri a Crime.”

The video was also shared by RJ Sayema as well who blamed Vivek Agnihotri for whatever was happening.

Blaming Kashmir Files is wrong

While many are projecting that the incident happened due to the alleged communal differences created after the release of The Kashmir Files, in reality, there have been many instances in the past where people from Jammu and Kashmir were denied accommodation in hotels for various reasons.

In 2019, a hotel manager from an OYO hotel in Jasola Vihar was warned by OYO for denying accommodation to a Kashmiri man. At that time, OYO said in a statement that it was an isolated incident and they do not discriminate against anyone.

Similarly, in 2020, a Delhi University student alleged he was denied accommodation that he had booked for his father and sister. He alleged the hotel denied accommodation claiming they were not allowed to give room to anyone from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. He added despite showing Indian ID, the hotel denied the accommodation. OYO had temporarily suspended the operations with that particular partner for some time.

Twitter user The Hawk Eye also shared screenshots of similar reports dating back to 2016 while replying to RJ Sayema.

Therefore, there no justification in blaming The Kashmir Files for someone refused accommodation by a hotel. Several such incidents have occurred in the past, before the release of the movie. Moreover, it is not even clear when the incident in the video took place. It is possible that the video could be old, and the incident might have took place before the release of the movie.

It is notable that the video was first uploaded on YouTube by several persons, and none of them had mentioned The Kashmir Files. But later some people on Twitter started blaming the movie.

The Kashmir Files

Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files has brought the plight of Kashmiri Pandits to the mainstream. Several sections of society are trying to discredit the film as it does not suit their agenda. The film has been a blockbuster on the box office and is close to clocking Rs 200 crores worth of business very soon.

OpIndia tried to reach out to the hotel mentioned in the video but could not connect. There have been claims that the video is old. OpIndia cannot verify the authentication and timeline of the series of events including the date on which this particular incident happened.

Lawyer seeks Attorney General’s consent to initiate criminal proceedings against ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra for misusing and dishonouring national emblem

OpIndia Staff
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Lawyer seeks Attorney General’s consent to initiate criminal proceedings against ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra for misusing and dishonouring national emblem

On Wednesday, advocate Chandni Preeti Vijaykumar Shah wrote to the Attorney General for India KK Venugopal seeking to initiate criminal proceedings against ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra under the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005. This is a day after Kamra insulted India’s National Emblem by using it in a photoshopped certificate that shamed the agony of the Kashmiri Pandit genocide and blatantly mocked the film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Kunal Kamra yesterday used a ‘COVID certificate’ and photoshopped it along with the National Emblem on the certificate. He termed that the certificate would be issued under ‘Ministry of Propaganda’ to all those who have watched ‘The Kashmir Files’. “Soon you’ll have to show this certification to watch any other movie in India. Welcome move in the national interest”, he tweeted. He also mocked director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and named him ‘Vivekuddin Agnihotri’ in the Photoshop certificate image.

Screenshot of the tweet by Kunal Kamra

Chandni Preeti Vijaykumar Shah in her letter to the Attorney General for India said that Kamra had dishonored the National Emblem by labeling it with the preposterous and undignified language used in the rest of the photoshopped certificate. “According to the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005 no person other than authorized under the act is allowed to use the emblem for any purpose in any manner”, the letter read.

She added that Kamra, in the name of Freedom of Speech, had attained fame by insulting the Judiciary and the National Emblem. “There is a strong need to establish the notion that Freedom of Speech is not absolute but rather a privilege”, she stated adding that the Constitution of India will be in danger if this kind of mockery is allowed time and again.

This is not the first time that Kunal Kamra has insulted India, its integrity and its pillars. Earlier this month, two lawyers- Advocate Ashutosh Dubey and Advocate Vineet Jindal had written to the Attorney General of India, KK Venugopal requesting permission to commence contempt proceedings against the stand-up comedian for vilifying and defaming the Indian judiciary in his recent ‘comedy’ video.

Kunal Kamra in one of his videos uploaded on his YouTube channel had made derogatory remarks against the SC. While speaking about the contempt of case filed against him in the top court, Kamra had said, “Dear SC, kal ki baat bhul ja, lvda pakad ke jhul ja (forget yesterday’s talk, come swing on pnis)”. Kamra in the video further had said that he had more respect for the food court in the shopping mall that the apex court and alleged that the SC is a ‘Brahmin Baniya’ affair and it did not represent different cultures.

Shah in her letter also mentioned that Kamra had taken the Attorney General for India for granted by outrightly rejecting its request to take down malicious tweets against the Supreme Court of India. Earlier, in December 2020, the SC had issued notice to Kamra seeking contempt proceedings after his contemptuous remarks against the Judiciary in his bid to become a liberal ‘hero’ or ‘martyr’.

In one of the tweets, he had also shown the middle finger to CJI Arvind Bobde and in another, he had painted SC in saffron color to allege that it had become a ‘puppet’ of the NDA govt. “The pace at which the SC operates in the national interests, its time we replace Mahatma Gandhi’s photo with Harish Salve photo”, he had said. The earlier cases filed against Kamra by Advocate Dubey and Advocate Jindal were under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The recent case by Advocate Chandni Preeti Vijaykumar Shah has been filed under the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005.

Birbhum Massacre: Calcutta High Court orders state govt to submit status report on probe by tomorrow, orders protection of evidence and witnesses

OpIndia Staff
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Birbhum Massacre: Calcutta High Court orders state govt to submit status report on probe by tomorrow, orders protection of evidence and witnesses

After taking sou-motu cognizance of the Birbhum massacre in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has issued directions to the state government to ensure proper probe of the case. Taking up the matter today afternoon, the court asked the state government to submit the case diary and a report on the investigation so far by tomorrow.

A bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj issued the orders, asking to submit the case diary and report by 2 PM tomorrow. “We at the first instance give an opportunity to the State to produce the case diary/ report about the investigation by tomorrow 2 PM. Report relating to investigation done until now to be produced by 2 PM on 24 March,” the bench said.

The court also issued directions for protection of evidence and the crime scene. The court ordered that the scene must be continuously monitored through CCTV cameras. The court directed the state govt to “immediately install CCTV cameras with DVR having sufficient memory covering all angles of scene of occurrence and will do continuous recording until further orders.” Cameras will have to be installed in the presence of the District Judge of Purba Bardhaman district.

The Calcutta High Court directed that a team from CFSL in Delhi will visit the site to collect forensic evidence. The order said that the evidence will have to be collected without any delay.

The bench also asked the DGP and the IGP to ensure the protection of witnesses in the case. “Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police in consultation with District Judge, Purba Bardhaman district should ensure that witnesses are adequately protected and not threatened or influenced by anyone,” the court order said.

While postmortem of the victims has been already done, the court said that if any postmortem examination is yet to be that, the same should be done under video recording.

The High Court had taken up the matter after initiating a suo motu case, along with some PILs filed by some individuals after 8 persons were killed in retaliation to the alleged murder of a TMC leader. The individuals who have approached the court have demanded a CBI probe, saying that the SIT formed by the state govt is not impartial.

Birbhum massacre

At least eight people were charred to death after unidentified miscreants set a dozen houses on fire. The incident took place in the Rampurhat area in the Birbhum district of West Bengal on Tuesday.

As per reports, the miscreants locked the houses outside before setting them ablaze, leaving no room for the occupants to vacate. The incident took place after the killing of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionary named Bhadu Sheikh on Monday.

At least 20 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence. While CM Mamata Banerjee has promised an impartial probe in the case, she tried to dilute the incident by saying such incidents are more common in other states like UP, Bihar, Rajasthan etc. She also accused the opposition of using the incident to defame the state.

Pakistani men attack Esra Bilgic, who portrayed ‘Halima Sultan’ in the Ertuğrul series, for showing ‘too much skin’ in the Victoria’s Secret ad

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani men attack Esra Bilgic, who portrayed ‘Halima Sultan’ in the Ertuğrul series, for showing ‘too much skin’ in the Victoria’s Secret ad

On Monday, the Pakistani fans launched a blistering attack on Turkish actress Esra Bilgic for appearing in Victoria’s Secret bra advertisement and showing ‘too much skin’. Bilgic, having best portrayed the role of Halima Sultan in the Turkish historical television series Diriliş: Ertugrul, the local fans of the show criticized the actress for living her life outside of the character.

Bilgic took to Instagram to share her collaboration with the lingerie company while promoting their latest collection, Love Cloud. “Are you ready to be above the clouds? I am my biggest supporter of its lightness, softness, smoothness, and comfort. Join this journey and experience a completely different comfort”, the advertisement in Turkish read.

The moment she uploaded the video advertisement, Pakistani fans, especially the men crowded the comment section giving her unwarranted advice. Feeling cheated over the Turkish actor’s choice of clothes, a user commented, “Shame on you! After Halima’s character, you should be ashamed of this type of dress”. The other furious user suggested the actress stop showing her ‘naked’ body.

It is observed that the actress has turned off the comment section on her Instagram post. But here are some of the screenshots of the comments that are going viral on social media.

Image Source- Twitter

Another one, continuing to shame Bilgic stated that if she wanted to show herself in lingerie, then the actress should never have played the role of Halima Sultan. One of the Pakistani fans also claimed that he was no more a fan of the actress due to the advertisement. “I was a fan of yours but no longer. You should know that majority of your fans exist because of your portrayal of Halima Sultan. What was the need to promote nudity? Seems like you do not care about your fans. It is a great shame!”, the comment read.

File Photo

Further, the Pakistani men kept on saying that the actress had ruined the Islamic culture and that she no more deserved to be called a Muslim girl. One of the epic comments also read that if the actress had done the advertisement for money and that if she needed money, she should have asked the Pakistani govt to help her.

Meanwhile TV host and VJ, Anoushey Ashraf also took to her Instagram story to point out the trolling on part of Pakistani men. “Why don’t men just unfollow her?” she wrote. Interestingly, this is not the first time that Bilgic has faced unwarranted criticism. Last year, Pakistani fans had criticized her for posting personal photographs. The comments then ranged from her dressing to her dignity and respect owing to her on-screen persona. Responding to the criticism, Bilgic had then given her fans a polite shut-up call and had asked them to unfollow her. “Let me give you a little advice: Don’t follow me, thank you,” she had written.

Image Source- The Tribune

It is important to note that Diriliş: Ertugrul, an action drama that originally aired on Turkish state TV from 2014 to 2019 was banned by many countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The countries accused Turkey of trying to create an area of influence for itself in the Middle East. The High Fatwa Council- Darul-Ifta in Egypt had also targeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that the President allegedly aimed at regaining sovereignty over Arab countries which were previously under Ottoman rule.

Also, Jamia Binnori, a Karachi-based Islamic institute had released a statement banning the Turkish series after the government of Pakistan had announced its broadcast on state television from the beginning of Ramzan 2020. Allama Muhammad Yusuf of the Binnori Town Mosque had stated that the series should be forbidden according to the ‘shariah law’.

According to the reports, Ertugrul was one of the highest-rated shows on Netflix and had acquired worldwide appreciation from the film critics for portraying an accurate history of the Ottoman caliphate. It is rated 8.4 on IMDb and had an average of 100% score from the audience.

Such incidents are more common in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan: Mamata Banerjee on Birbhum massacre

OpIndia Staff
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Such incidents are more common in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan: Mamata Banerjee on Birbhum massacre

A day after the horrific Birbhum massacre in which at least eight people were charred to death following the death of a TMC leader, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tried to paly it down by saying that such incidents are more common in other states. The CM on Wednesday said that while she did not justify Birbhum killings, such incidents are more common in the Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

The West Bengal Chief Minister attempted to dilute the issue by claiming that incidents such as the Birbhum massacre have happened in other states as well.

“I am not justifying the incident in Rampurhat. We will take action in a fair manner. This is Bengal, not Uttar Pradesh. I had sent a delegation of TMC to Hathras, but we were not allowed an entry. But we are not stopping anyone from coming here,” the West Bengal CM said.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee claimed that she would be visiting the violence-hit Birbhum district where at least eight people, including two children, were charred to death and nearly a dozen houses were set ablaze on Tuesday as a response to the alleged killing of a ruling TMC panchayat official.

“Will be going to violence-hit Birbhum district on Thursday to take stock of the situation….have also postponed visit as other political parties huddling there,” Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying by ANI.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the government would take strict action against those found guilty of the Birbhum violence. “The government is ours, we are concerned about people in our state. We would never want anyone to suffer. The Birbhum, Rampurhat incident is unfortunate. I have immediately dismissed the OC, SDPO. I will go to Rampurhat tomorrow,” CM Mamata Banerjee said.

Birbhum massacre

At least eight people were charred to death after unidentified miscreants set a dozen houses on fire. The incident took place in the Rampurhat area in the Birbhum district of West Bengal.

The West Bengal police have recovered seven dead bodies from a single house, which was then sent to the Rampurhat medical college hospital. As per a report, the miscreants locked the houses outside before setting them ablaze, leaving no room for the occupants to vacate.

The incident took place after the killing of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionary named Bhadu Sheikh. The deceased was a panchayat member who has allegedly attacked with crude bombs while he was sitting at a shop on National Highway-60 on Monday (March 21).

At least 20 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report on the incident from the state government. The Calcutta High Court has also taken suo moto cognisance of the Birbhum massacre. A bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj is slated to hear the matter after 2 pm on Wednesday.

Mysterious Mazar inside 10 Janpath, can the Waqf Board stake claim to Sonia Gandhi’s official residence? Here is what we know

Anurag
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Mysterious Mazar inside 10 Janpath, can the Waqf Board stake claim to Sonia Gandhi’s official residence? Here is what we know

A few days back, a photograph of Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad surfaced on social media where he could be seen changing the cars while going for a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. A mysterious structure in the photograph that caught the attention of many. Netizens wondered if there indeed was a mazar inside the official residence of Congress President.

While many reports have published that there indeed is a mazar at 10, Janpath, there were very little details about it. OpIndia decided to take it upon itself to find out whose mazar is this. Usually, mazars, dargahs, masjids, madarsas are registered with the Waqf Board. Hence, OpIndia thought it would be wise to find out if the Waqf Board in Delhi has list of all such mazars in the national capital. Here is what we found:

Whose mazar is it anyway?

OpIndia reached out to the Delhi Waqf Board to find out if they have details. An email to the Board was left unanswered. Our calls, too, did not elicit any response. Hence, we depended on all the information the Internet had to offer.

First of all, it was essential to find out if Delhi Waqf Board has made records of properties available online. On the Waqf Board’s website, there is a section where a person can search for properties under the board across the country. On the state page under the property search section, in this case, Delhi, there is an option to search properties region wise.

On the search page, you can choose multiple criteria to find details of the properties. Just to point out the fact that there are 1,045 properties registered under the Delhi Waqf Board as per the website. We cannot verify if there are more properties under the board that have not been linked to the website yet. It is not clear whether the website is regularly updated.

Janpath region falls under New Delhi district. There are three sections under New Delhi on the website that are Chanakya Puri, Connaught Place and Parliament Street. We checked on all three regions but could not find any reference to a Mazar on Janpath or close to 10 Janpath. There is only one mention of Dargah Sheikh Karimullah Mazar in the list.

Source: Waqf Board Website.

If there are any further updates on this, we will update the report.

Mysterious mazar at 10, Janpath

As we hit a dead end on the Waqf Board website, the next logical step was to search for any information available about the said Mazar on the internet. During the research, we came across a report by DailyO, and things got very interesting. In the 2019 report, it was mentioned that the house Sonia Gandhi lives in, i.e. 10, Janpath, has been deemed as unlucky. It talked about a Mazar in the compound built under a tree.

The report connected the resident being unlucky with multiple incidents of the past. Important to mention former Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, lived in the same building. He had moved to 10, Janpath after becoming PM, and within two years, he was found dead in Russia. No one knows what exactly happened, how he died and who was behind the alleged murder. It was termed as death by a heart attack, but no one knows if the reports were true or not.

The next occupants of the house were Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who moved there with their kids. At that time, VP Singh was the Prime Minister. Gandhi campaigned for the Lok Sabha elections from 10, Janpath. In 1991, he was assassinated by LTTE terrorists. Sonia Gandhi still lives in the building. Her son and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, though lived at Tughlak Marg, he had lived at 10, Janpath at one point in life and the struggle he is going through to maintain his image as a possible national leader is known to everyone. The same goes for Priyanka Gandhi. Interestingly, when Congress won Lok Sabha elections in 2004, Sonia Gandhi, resident of 10, Janpath, was set to become PM but could not the following uproar over her Italian background. One may call it superstition, but is it really a superstition when the chief of the grand old party struggle to save the party while living in an allegedly “unlucky” building?

In a 2014 report of Sunday Guardian, it was mentioned that many Youth Congress members from the time when the building was its office during Emergency had seen blood marks in certain areas. Before Rajiv Gandhi moved to the house, senior Congress leader KK Tewari stayed there for some time. His political career went south over time. It is also reported that mysterious blood stains would appear inside 10, Janpath. However, we are not sure if the mazar has anything to do with these rumours.

The notable superstitions that shocked us

During the research, we found a few notable superstitions linked to famous locations in Delhi, including Lutyens Delhi and Delhi Airport. A few of them need special mention here. The first one is the jinxed house at the address 33, Shamnath Marg. As per a report in the Sunday Guardian from 2014, senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana lived there for three years while he was Chief Minister of Delhi. He shifted to the house in 1993 and within three years in 1996 following Hawala Scam. Notably, his name was not involved in the scam.

Later then-Delhi Minister in Shiela Dixit’s government, Deep Chand Bandhu, shifted to the house. He died while being an occupant of the house. Since his death, the particular building has been considered inauspicious.

Another superstition linked to a famous location in Delhi is Qutab Colonnade. It is believed to be still haunted by the curse of girls and women who were abducted for the pleasure of Nawabs and senior officials. Those girls and women were kept captive and abused in the Qutab Colonnade. Those who live around its claim to hear screams during the night.

The Runway Dargah

Do you know there is a Mazar on Indira Gandhi International Airport’s premises? There is a belief that two Sufi saints, Hazrat Kale Khan (Bade Baba) and Hazrat Roshan Khan (Chote Baba) that were buried at the place, provide protection to the flights. The employees of IGI and several airlines regularly visit the Mazar and believe the ‘Peer Baba’ of the Mazar would protect them. The two saints were believed to be lived during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Also known as the Runway Dargah (a name given because of its close proximity to the runway), it is open to the public every Thursday for a few hours. A special bus is also provided by the airport authorities for the devotees that take them to the Mazar free of cost.

Once a Waqf, always a Waqf

Usually, when a property gets registered with the Waqf, it forever remains the property of the Waqf. In this case, it is not yet clear whether the mazar and the complex surrounding it, i.e. Sonia Gandhi’s official residence, are registered with the Waqf. Hence, it is not yet clear whether the official residence of the President of Indian National Congress is property of the Waqf or not.

Source: Waqf Board Wesbite.

Recently, the Gujarat Waqf Board had staked claim to the Surat Municipal Corporation building which is now property of the Waqf because the documents were not updated. As per Waqf, back during the Mughal era, the Surat Municipal Corporation building was a sarai and used during the Hajj travels. The property then belonged to British Empire during British rule. However, when India got independence in 1947, the properties were then shifted to government of India. However, since the documents were not updated, the SMC building then became Waqf property, and as Waqf Board says, once a Waqf, always a Waqf.

If you, as reader, have any information on whose mazar is there at 10, Janpath and/or whether 10, Janpath and/or the mysterious mazar inside its compound are Waqf properties, we would be happy to update the report. You may reach out on [email protected]

Provisions of Disaster Management Act to contain Covid-19 revoked after two years, requirement of face masks to stay

OpIndia Staff
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Provisions of Disaster Management Act to contain Covid-19 revoked after two years, requirement of face masks to stay

On Tuesday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced the revocation of the Disaster Management Act 2005 for COVID containment measures. This is exactly two years after the Central govt had imposed the ‘Janta Curfew’ as the beginning of a long standing battle against the corona virus outbreak in the year 2020.

Taking note of the NDMA recommendation, the Union Home Secretary yesterday wrote to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories to discontinue the orders and guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act for COVID containment measures. “I would advise all the States/UTs to consider appropriately discontinuing issue of orders and guidelines under the DM Act, 2005 for COVID containment measures”, the Home Secretary stated in the letter dated March 22.

The letter states that over the last 24 months, significant capacities have been developed for various aspects of management of the pandemic, such as diagnostics, surveillance, contact tracing, treatment and vaccination, hospital infrastructure and the general public has much higher level of awareness on the CO VID appropriate behaviour. States and UTs have also developed their own capacities and systems and implemented their detailed State/UT specific plans for managing the pandemic.

The letter further stated that the total COVID caseload in the country stood at 23,913 only and the daily positivity rate had declined to 0.28 percent. It added that a total of 181.56 crore vaccine doses had been administered. “Considering the overall improvement in the situation and preparedness of the Government to deal with the pandemic, NDMA has decided that DM Act will not be invoked after March 31 for Covid containment,” the letter by Bhalla read.

It therefore states that, “After taking into consideration the overall improvement in the situation and preparedness of the Government to deal with the pandemic, NDMA has taken a decision that there may not be any further need to invoke the provisions of the DM Act for COVID containment measures.”

According to the NDMA, after the expiry of the existing MHA order dated February 25, no further order may be issued by MHA. However, it said that COVID containment measures, including the use of face masks and hand hygiene, will continue. NDMA further has stated that the states and UTs may act at the local level if they record a surge in the active corona virus cases.

According to the reports, India has reported 1,778 new COVID cases and 62 related deaths in the last 24 hours. With this India’s total tally of COVID cases have increased to 4,30,12,749 and the death toll has climbed to 5,16,605. The data revealed by the Union health ministry further says that the active cases have declined to 23,913, the recovery rate currently being at 98.75%.

Afghanistan: Taliban orders closure of girls’ schools hours after reopening

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan: Taliban orders closure of girls’ schools hours after reopening

Hours after the Taliban regime in Afghanistan reopened schools for girls, the hardline Islamist group backpedalled on its decision, ordering the closure of secondary schools for girls on Wednesday.

The policy reversal was confirmed by Taliban spokesperson Inamullah Samangani after the closure led to confusion and heartbreak among students yearning to visit schools since last August when the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan for the second time in over two decades.

Nevertheless, the move is likely to cause heartbreak among girls in a country where the return of Islamic fundamentalists to power threatens to undo years of progress achieved in empowering women, which also included providing women with access to quality education.

After capturing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban had tried to bill itself as a modernist group, committed to ‘protecting’ the rights of women, children and minorities. But that pretence has often been called out by analysts and observers around the world, who assert that the change in tune of the Taliban is to seek western funds in order to prop up the country’s foundering economy.

Even so, the regime kept up with its promise when in September 2021, it allowed some schools for girls, up to class 6, to reopen. In addition to this, women were also permitted to visit universities. However, high schools for female students had remained closed, with the Taliban regime announcing that classes for all girls would resume ‘at the earliest’.

Then in March 2022, months after the closure of schools for girls in Afghanistan, the Taliban announced that the schools will reopen from March 23 in several provinces, including Kabul. However, the schools in Kandahar—the stronghold of the Taliban—continued to remain close. Even then, the directive was observed patchily, with many schools around the country remaining closed despite having permission to reopen from the Taliban regime.

“We are reopening schools not to make the international community happy, nor to gain recognition from the world,” a spokesperson said at the time.

Plight of women under the Taliban during its earlier stint

However, ever since the Taliban commenced its offensive to recapture Afghanistan last year, it has consciously sought to project greater moderation in its rule, something that is in stark contrast to its ham-handed rule from 1996 to 2001.

Back then, women were proscribed from attending school or working outside their homes, in conformity with Sharia Islamic law. Besides, they were also mandated to wear fully covered overgarments called chadaree and be chaperoned by a male relative whenever they went outside. The Taliban had also placed a ban on music and imposed severe punishments on those who violated the Sharia law, such as chopping off the hands of thieves, lashing women in public and stoning people over allegations of adultery.

Did you know: There is a mazaar deep inside Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, uncomfortably close to the runway

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know: There is a mazaar deep inside Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, uncomfortably close to the runway

Hidden inside the busy runways and vast terminals of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, a mysterious structure of a mazaar – the resting place of two Sufi babas have left travellers perplexed for years now. The mazaar or dargah of Peer Baba, supposedly one of the most revered places, rests deep inside one of the world’s busiest airports, especially adjacent to a runway.

Nobody knows when and how the shrine came up inside Delhi’s international airport. But, the mazaar of the two Muslim saints inside a public property, that too within a strategic airport, has raised eyebrows of many. But, according to the employees, the shrine has been there for a long time. Several people are allowed to enter the IGI premises to pay reverence, make a wish, offer prayers at the mazaar that stands tall near the Terminal-2 of the airport.

Located close to the runway 10/28 in the middle of the airport, the mazaar is clearly visible from the terminals. Interestingly, the Airports Authority of India provides a free bus from the cargo complex T-2 to the shrine between 2 pm -5 pm. Every Thursday is Jumme Raat, the day considered auspicious for the people visiting the shrine and praying there.

The dargah is very close to the runway. A 2011 India Today report said that flowers, incense sticks and other offerings for the dargah are sold outside Customs House at the airport. In fact, back then the security at airport was so lax that the India TOday team even managed to sneak in their spy camera till the dargah close to the runway of one of the busiest airports in the world.

As per the hearsay, the mazaar or dargah belongs to two Sufi saints – Bade Baba (Baba Kale Khan) and Chhote Baba (Baba Roshan Khan). The visitors need to undergo a security check-up at Gate number 6 before entering the mazaar. People are forbidden to take photos of the shrine. Except for Thursdays, the dargah is open to all Delhi Airport employees.

Peer Baba ki Mazaar inside Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport/ Image Source: Youtube

The caretakers of the mazaar claim that it is the saints that keep the operations at the IGI airport safe. “Flights come and go, but our saints are the ones keeping all the operations safe,” reports citing caretaker of the mazaar claim.

There have been reports which cite the airport employees and claim that they believe in the Sufi babas’ supernatural myths. Reports claim that one of the bricks at the mazaar dates back to 1860 and the Peer Baba Dargah is believed to be even older.

Media reports citing employees of airport claim that the dargah has prevented tragedies. Citing one Satish Singh alias Satish Jha, reports claimed that once a flight’s engine caught fire while landing but when it came near the Dargah, the fire miraculously extinguished and flight was controlled. There are no details about which flight was this and when it happened.

Despite being a threat to the security and safety interests of the airport, the mazaar has been operating inside the airport for decades now. The devotees claim that it is the power of the dead saints that has ensured that the dargah remains at the place it is.

A grand festival called “Urs” is celebrated inside the dargah annually, with the Airports Authority of India and other airlines organising grand cultural events. The dargah is maintained by the donations made by the devotees, and a committee runs it called the “Baba ki Committee”.

Calcutta High Court registers suo-moto case in Birbhum violence, matter listed for hearing at 2 PM today

OpIndia Staff
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Calcutta High Court registers suo-moto case in Birbhum violence, matter listed for hearing at 2 PM today

Taking cognizance of the honorific killings in Rampurhat village in Birbhum district that broke yesterday, The Calcutta High Court has decided to hear the matter at 2 PM today. A suo-moto case was registered in the High Court after the killings of eight people, including three women and two children following the killing of TMC leader Bhadu Shaikh took place in Rampurhat village of Birbum district in West Bengal.

The bench led by Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava is set to hear the matter today at 2 pm. Violence broke out in the Rampurhat village a day after Trinamool Congress deputy Panchayat chief Bhadu Sheikh was allegedly murdered. In the wave of arson that erupted, an angry mob set as many as eight houses on fire in which eight people including innocent women and children lost their lives. In the petition filed in the High Court, it was demanded that a thorough investigation should be done by central investigation agencies be it the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

After a delegation of Bengal BJP leaders met Central Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the violence, sought a report from the state government on the burnings. After the violence broke out, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar tweeted, “Horrifying violence and arson orgy Rampurhat in Birbhum indicates the state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness. Already eight lives lost.”

Eleven people have been arrested and two FIRs have been registered against the killings in Birbhum by West Bengal Police. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional Director General (CID) Gyanwant Singh has been formed to probe the matter.

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