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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sacks Punjab Governor ahead of no-trust motion against his government

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sacks Punjab Governor ahead of no-trust motion against his government

In an unexpected move, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has been ousted from his position by the federal government.

Fawad Chaudhry announced this in a tweet today. He wrote, “The federal government has removed Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar from his post. The new governor of Punjab will be announced later. According to the constitution, the deputy speaker will be the acting governor.” (Machine translated from Urdu)

The announcement came only hours before a crucial session of the National Assembly on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s no-confidence motion, as well as a session of the Punjab State Assembly to elect a new leader of the house following the resignation of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Sarwar, according to reports, was not towing the government’s line. According to certain reports, Sarwar conducted backdoor conversations with the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and was empathetic towards the opposition party.

Who is Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar?

Sarwar is a former British parliamentarian who left his profession in Glasgow in 2013 to serve in Pakistan. He joined the PML-N and was appointed Punjab governor after the party won both the national and provincial elections in 2013.

He did, however, resigned as governor of Punjab in January 2015 and promptly joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He was sworn in as governor for a second term in September 2018.

No confidence motion against Imran Khan

Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, tabled a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan’s government in the National Assembly. Imran Khan needs the support of 172 members of the 342-member National Assembly to prevent his government from dissolving.

The resolution of no confidence was passed against Imran Khan in the midst of surging inflation and dire economic conditions in Pakistan. The voting for the motion is expected to take place today

Massive drug bust at controversial Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s flat in Kochi, cocaine and LSD recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Massive drug bust at controversial Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s flat in Kochi, cocaine and LSD recovered

In a massive drug bust, the Kerala Excise sleuths have raided an apartment owned by the controversial Kerala actor Prithviraj Sukumaran and arrested a person for procuring a huge amount of narcotic substances such as cocaine, LSD stamps and ganja.

According to the reports, the Kerala excise team raided an apartment owned by Prithviraj Sukumaran in Thevara, Kochi and recovered a huge cache of drugs, including 6.92 grams of cocaine, 47.2 milligrams of LSD and 148 grams of ganja. The police have arrested a 33-year-old person named Nujum Salim Kutty, a native of Punalur who was living at the actor’s apartment.

The police said that the arrested person has been procuring drugs from some main peddlers in the state. The Kerala officials claimed that the actor had allegedly rented out his apartment to the accused. The police have now launched a detailed investigation to find out the persons from whom he procured the drugs.

“He is from a rich family. He completed his studies in the USA and came to Kochi this year for starting a business. He was paying Rs 85,000 in rent per month for the apartment. The actor who owns the apartment has no involvement in the case. Nujum’s parents have been in a West Asian country for years. He admitted that he started using drugs while studying in the USA,” an official said.

The team had carried out the raid based on a tip-off received after a similar drug bust. They had arrested about one Fazalu, a native of Kozhikode. Fazalu was arrested after the excise seized a parcel containing LSD stamps intercepted at the Foreign Post Office in Kochi. 

Meanwhile, the police have registered four cases in connection with the drug smuggling case in Kochi. The accused, Fazulu and Nujum, are currently in the custody of the Kerala excise officials.

Apparently, the police have not registered any case against the actor or will be investigating the alleged involvement of the actor in the drug bust.

Prithviraj Sukumaran was once part of absolving crimes of ‘Jihadis of Moplah’

This is not the first time that the actor’s name has been involved in controversies. Last year, the controversial actor Prithviraj Sukumaran had stoked a massive controversy after jumping in to exploit the Lakshadweep controversy for their personal gain. Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran was caught peddling anti-developmental agenda against Lakshadweep to gain the limelight.

After the centre had initiated a major reform initiative at Lakshadweep, the actor had jumped in to discredit them by peddling fabricated stories. A Kerala director, who often associates with the actor, had contradicted Prithviraj Sukumaran’s fabricated stories, leaving the actor embarrassed.

Prior to this, Sukumaran was involved in another scandal by becoming part of a movie titled ‘Vaariyamkunnan’, based on the life of a Jihadi named Variyam Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji, who was responsible for carrying out genocide against thousands of Hindus in Kerala during the early 1920s.

Prithviraj Sukumaran was supposed to produce and act in his period film titled ‘Vaariyamkunnan’. The controversial movie is based on the story of a Muslim leader of the Moplah community, who massacred thousands of Hindus during the Malabar or Moplah communal riots in 1921.

The movie had to be shelved after the filmmakers received massive backlash against their attempts to whitewash crimes committed by Jihadi Moplahs against innocent Hindus in Kerala.

AAP MLA threatens retired army Major with arrest, invokes ‘Pushpa’ film dialogue

OpIndia Staff
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AAP MLA threatens retired army Major with arrest, invokes ‘Pushpa’ film dialogue

Hours after Punjab police failed in its attempt to arrest BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Naresh Balyan threatened retired Army Major Surendra Poonia with arrest for voicing his support for Bagga.

On Saturday night (April 2), Major Poonia took to Twitter to inform that the AAP-administered Punjab government sent police personnel from the State to the National Capital to arrest the BJP spokesperson.

“This is because Bagga exposed the anti-Hindu face of Kejriwal before the world. How many people will you arrest? #IStandWithTajinderBagga. Do you?”, he wrote. The tweet enranged AAP Utam Nagar MLA Naresh Balyan so much so that he threatened the retired Army major with arrest.

Screengrab of the tweet by Naresh Balyan

“You have peddled fake news on several occasions. Your turn (of arrest) will come soon,” Balyan threatened. While repeating dialogue from the movie ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, the AAP legislator claimed that his party supremo isn’t a ‘flower’ but a ball of ‘fire.’

Major Surendra Poonia responded, “AAP MLA is openly threatening me. You and your CM Kejriwal can do whatever you want. I will continue to expose Kejriwal’s anti-Hindu, army hating, Pakistan loving stance.”

“I am a soldier. I will not back off. Jai Hind”, the retired army Major reiterated.

Screengrab of the tweet by Surendra Poonia

Punjab police reached my home to arrest me without FIR: Tajinder Bagga

On Saturday night, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had revealed that Punjab Police reached his house in Delhi to arrest him. According to him, Punjab Police took this step without intimating him about any FIR against him, and even without informing the local police, as per the norms.

He had tweeted, “Punjab Police Car number PB65AK1594 reached my home to arrest me without informing local police. Now they are tracking my friends’ addresses and going to their homes. No information of FIR, Police station, Sections against me to me till now.”

Earlier, Punjab Police had registered an FIR against Bagga for his criticism of Arvind Kejriwal after the Delhi CM mocked ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie during the budget session of the Delhi assembly calling it a jhoothi film.

The film depicts the sufferings of the Kashmiri Hindus during the genocide they suffered in Kashmir in late 1980s and early 1990s. Subsequently, the FIR against Bagga was withdrawn the next day as revealed by Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga in a tweet.

AAP bribes crowd to attend Gujarat rally the day Kejriwal claims Punjab became corruption free in 10 days

OpIndia Staff
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AAP bribes crowd to attend Gujarat rally the day Kejriwal claims Punjab became corruption free in 10 days

On April 2, Aam Aadmi Party held a rally in the Bapunagar area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in view of upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for December 2022. While Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener made tall claims during his rally and urged people to vote for the party, there were allegations that they distributed money to lure the crowd.

Amusingly, during his visit to Gujarat, Kejriwal had made tall claims that Delhi is free of corruption and that Punjab is also corruption-free in just 10 days of Mann taking over as Chief Minister. That his party cadres tried to ‘bribe’ Gujaratis to attend the rally, kind of contradicts the tall claims.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on his Twitter handle where AAP workers could be allegedly seen distributing money to the attendees in an alley. HE wrote, “AAP distributing cash to people to participate in Arvind Kejriwal’s roadshow in Gujarat,” and called it “revolutionary”.

A similar video was shared by media house Desh Gujarat that started with a video of a man sitting in an auto who alleged he was paid to attend the rally. He said people were paid Rs 500 to come to the event. He further claimed he was not aware that it was a political rally.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said in a tweet, “Following “Gandhi” but the wrong one (perhaps their favourite one – Rahul)  1) Distributing cash to get a crowd for roadshow 2) giving a discount of 25% for liquor on Navratri 3) Mocking Hindus and their Genocide in Kashmir 4) lying about 300 units free electricity.”

Notably, this is not the first time AAP has been accused of distributing money to gather a crowd. In February 2021, allegations were levelled by labourers from Delhi that AAP did not pay them the Rs 500 that they had promised in exchange for attending the rally.

In February 2020, AAP allegedly outsourced campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections. Not only the agency hired by the party force job-seeking youth to campaign for AAP, but they did not pay those who came late for the rally.

Meteor shower or rocket re-entry? Bright lights in sky surprises people in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

OpIndia Staff
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Meteor shower or rocket re-entry? Bright lights in sky surprises people in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

On Saturday, the people of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were amazed to see a bright streak of light cutting through the sky in what appeared to be meteor showers.

According to footage released by ANI, a thick flash of light appeared over the skies of Nagpur in Maharashtra and Jhabua, Barwani districts in Madhya Pradesh. The sightings are being speculated as an unusual event of a meteor shower. 

Netizens from Ahmedabad also said a bright streak of light was seen in the sky.

Meteors often referred to as “shooting stars”, are rocky objects that enter the earth’s atmosphere at a tremendous speed, between 30 and 60 km per second. This high-speed journey produces a shower of light streaks called a meteor shower.

However, some experts believe that it might not be a meteor shower but the re-entry of a rocket.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell said that the sightings over Maharashtra could be the “re-entry of a Chinese rocket stage” that was launched in February 2021.

“I believe this is the re-entry- of a Chinese rocket stage, the third stage of the Chang Zheng 3B serial number Y77, which was launched in Feb 2021 – it was expected to reenter in the next hour or so and the track is a good match,” McDowell, who is an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics, said.

Another scientist Suresh Chopade, president of Skywatch group, said the rare event could be related to a satellite. Chopade did not rule out the possibility of a meteor shower, however, he added that the colours indicated that “a metallic thing” has accompanied it while coming towards earth.

“It seems like a satellite of some nation might have fallen accidentally or may have been caused to fall intentionally. It does not seem like a meteor shower or fireball,” Chopade said.

‘Will put the double louder speakers in front of the mosque and chant Hanuman Chalisa’: Raj Thackeray addresses the annual Gudi Padwa gathering of his party

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will put the double louder speakers in front of the mosque and chant Hanuman Chalisa’: Raj Thackeray addresses the annual Gudi Padwa gathering of his party

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray addressed the annual Gudi Padwa gathering of his party on 2nd April 2022 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. In his fierce style, Raj Thackeray warned that if the government is not going to decide anything about the loudspeakers in the mosques, he will put double loudspeakers in front of the mosques and chant Hanuman Chalisa. He also said that if the police properly check the mosques and madarsas in the slums of Mumbai they will get to know many things. He also underlined the changing demographics of Mumbai and other places of Maharashtra and alleged that so many Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh have come and settled here.

Right in the opening of the speech, Raj Thackeray thanked the police force for ensuring discipline during the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. He then criticized the way the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed disrespecting the mandate given by the voters of Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray then reminded the audience of the whole sequence from planting explosives near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani to the arrest of Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik. He also criticized Maha Vikas Aghadi for bringing into the cabinet MLAs of NCP having criminal backgrounds.

Raj Thackeray said, “If ED thinks so, then a notice is bound to reach your home. I too had received a notice. I went to the ED office. Now Uddhav Thackeray says in the assembly don’t you dare to target my family. Before saying so, he must prohibit his family from visiting the office of the MCGM and poke their noses into every little thing there.”

Raj Thackeray further said, “When I watched the results of the assembly elections of the Uttar Pradesh and I knew that Uttar Pradesh is being developed, I was so happy. Because that is what I want. Because when the people living in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand get their jobs in their home states, it automatically reduces the burden on Mumbai and Maharashtra. No one should need to leave his place for bread and butter and this should happen in every state.”

He further said, “A Hindu is a Hindu only in Hindu-Muslim riots. On 15th August and 26th January, he becomes an Indian. Otherwise, he becomes Marathi, Gujarati, etc. When you go into the states Hindus get divided into castes. And in Maharashtra, this politics of dividing Hindus into castes has picked up pace after Sharad Pawar formed Nationalist Congress Party in 1999. When we are going to unite as Hindus?”

Raj Thackeray further said, “There is a difference between the slums of 1995 and slums today. If people, police, and administration persons carefully see these slums, they will get to know so many things. There are mosques and madarsas. What happens through those mosques? What is being taught in those madarsas? It is shocking. So many people from Pakistan and Bangladesh have come and settled in Mumbai and many other cities in Maharashtra. They have documents like the AADHAAR cards, ration cards, etc. Behrampada near Uddhav Thackeray’s residence Matoshri has four-story houses built in the slums. Police persons have all the sources. They must be discussing these things in private. If there is so much going on here, do we need a separate Pakistan? If anything happens, it would be very difficult to control the situation.”

Raj Thackeray then slammed the loudspeakers saying, “I don’t oppose one’s right to pray but the loudspeakers on the mosques must be removed. I request the government to get them removed. Otherwise, I tell this right now, we will put double loudspeakers to chant Hanuman Chalisa right in front of those mosques. Which religion mentions loudspeaker? Was there any loudspeaker when your religion was invented?”

IPL: Shubman Gill and Lockie Ferguson star as Gujarat Titans continue their unbeaten start

OpIndia Staff
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IPL: Shubman Gill and Lockie Ferguson star as Gujarat Titans continue their unbeaten start

Shubman Gill’s blistering 84 from 46 balls, and Lockie Ferguson’s 4 for 28 ensured a comfortable victory in the end for Gujarat Titans as they continue their unbeaten start in the 2022 IPL.

Having been put in to bat by Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant, Gujarat didn’t get off to the best of starts as they lost Matthew Wade in the first over and allrounder Vijay Shankar within the powerplay. However, Shubman Gill found an able partner in skipper Hardik Pandya and slowly changed the course of the innings.

Once Pandya departed, Shubman really let loose with a flurry of sixes, and along with some lusty blows from David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, pushed Gujarat to a sizeable total of 171 for 6.

In response, Delhi started poorly losing 3 wickets within the first 5 overs for 34. They had a little recovery after that through their hero of the first game, Lalit Yadav, and skipper Rishabh Pant. But once Lalit got run out, and captain Rishabh Pant holed out to square leg off Lockie Ferguson, the writing was on the wall.

Rovman Powell and Axar Patel gave some hope to Delhi faithful with a few boundaries but Gujarat’s bowling star Ferguson accounted for Axar and veteran Mohammed Shami took out Powell.

In the end, Delhi fell short by 14 runs to taste their first defeat of the 2022 IPL. Now Delhi gets ready to meet the other newcomer, Lucknow Super Giants on coming Thursday, while Gujarat plays Punjab Kings on Friday.

BJP youth leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga says Punjab Police reached his home to arrest him without any FIR

OpIndia Staff
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BJP youth leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga says Punjab Police reached his home to arrest him without any FIR

National Secretary of BJP youth wing, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga has revealed that Punjab Police reached his house in Delhi to arrest him. As per Bagga, Punjab Police took this step without intimating him about any FIR against him, and even without informing the local police, as per the norms.

Posting a tweet on Saturday night, Bagga said, “Punjab Police Car number PB65AK1594 reached my home to arrest me without informing local police. Now they are tracking my friends’ addresses and going to their homes. No information of FIR, Police station, Sections against me to me till now.”

Earlier, Punjab Police had registered an FIR against Bagga for his criticism of Arvind Kejriwal after the Delhi CM mocked ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie during the budget session of the Delhi assembly calling it a jhoothi film. The film depicts the sufferings of the Kashmiri Hindus during the genocide they suffered in Kashmir in late 1980s and early 1990s.

Subsequently, the FIR against Bagga was withdrawn the next day as revealed by Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga in a tweet.

However, Punjab Police is far from done with Bagga as evident by today’s actions of the police. Bagga though is refusing to back down, and in a subsequent tweet, said that he will call out Kejriwal if he denies the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus.

Tajinder Bagga was in Lucknow when Punjab Police dropped by his house late Saturday night to arrest him.

“I am in Lucknow, without any information Punjab Police reached my home. May i know the reason?” Bagga asked.

Communal tensions in Rajasthan’s Karauli after the rally to celebrate Hindu New Year is attacked while passing through Muslim dominated area

OpIndia Staff
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Communal tensions in Rajasthan’s Karauli after the rally to celebrate Hindu New Year is attacked while passing through Muslim dominated area

In Karauli of Rajasthan, tension prevailed in the city after a bike rally taken out on the occasion of Hindu New Year was attacked while passing through the Muslim-dominated area of Hatwara Bazar in the city. Stones were pelted at the rally, and the miscreants set on fire more than a dozen shops and three bikes. The rally was organised to celebrate ‘Nav Samvatsar’, the first day of Hindu New Year. In view of the deteriorating situation, the market was closed and a curfew was imposed in the city.

So far, 43 people, including policemen, have been injured in the mob attack. All were admitted to the district hospital. The condition of a person named Pushpendra is said to be serious. He has been referred to Jaipur. Four policemen accompanying the rally were also injured in the stone-pelting on the bike rally. According to a report by Amar Ujala, there were knife marks on the body of the injured who reached the hospital. However, the doctors refused to say anything and no such information has been revealed so far by the administration.

The district collector Dr. Mohan Lal Yadav and SP Shailendra Singh Indaulia reached the spot to control the deteriorating situation. Police personnel is deployed in sensitive areas along with the spot of the incident. DGP ML Lather took information about the entire incident. ADG Law and Order Hawasingh Ghumaria took over the front. A force of 600 jawans has also been sent to Karauli.

“Arson took place in the tension, which erupted with stone pelting on the rally while it was passing through a Muslim-dominated area. At least one bike and one shop have been torched,” a source in police said.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tweeted that he has spoken to the DG on the Karauli incident. He said that the police have been ordered to control the rioters and appealed to the public to maintain peace.

Karnataka: Belur temple board asks a Muslim vendor to vacate the shop on the temple premises as per Hindu temple law

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Belur temple board asks a Muslim vendor to vacate the shop on the temple premises as per Hindu temple law

The governing committee of the 12th-century Chennakeshava temple of Belur in the Hassan district of Karnataka issued an eviction notice to a Muslim vendor running a shop on the shrine premises. According to a report by the Times of India, the vendor is running this shop for the last few decades.

On 28th March 2022,  the temple executive officer Vidyalatha served the notice to a Muslim vendor selling children’s toys. The shopkeeper was asked to stop the business activities with immediate effect. The vendor replied to this notice on the same day. In his reply, the vendor sought permission to continue his business till next year when the agreement with temple authorities ends.

The toy shop at the Belur temple complex is run by a Muslim shopkeeper. Image Source: Times of India

The temple executive Vidyalatha said, “The notice is issued under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 2002, which disallows leasing or renting premises in a temple complex to non-Hindus. I have sent our vendor’s reply to our Commissioner.”

There are 17 shops in the Chennakeshava temple complex. Among these shops, there is a hotel, a milk booth, godowns, and a few other shops. The temple comes under the Karnataka Muzrai Department and it is set to be recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The annual chariot procession of this temple is scheduled on the upcoming 13th and 14th of April 2022.

This move comes amid several temples in Karnataka deciding to not allow non-Hindus in their premises. Two weeks ago the Marikamba temple of Shivamogga had banned Muslim vendors at the annual fair. A similar decision that was taken by the Hosa Marigudi temple in Kaup, as the temple committee had decided to allow only stalls by Hindus during the annual event ‘Suggi Mari Pooja’. This was done after several Muslim traders had shut down their shops to protest against the Karnataka High Court’s decision on the hijab issue.

Reacting to the development, the Karnataka govt had clarified that the temple committees were right as according to the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 2002, non-Hindus cannot do business in and around the premises of the Hindu religious institutions. When Congress had demanded action against Hindu temples for not allowing non-Hindus to do business in their temple premises, the Karnataka govt had said that govt can’t interfere in the decisions of temple committees as it was as per law. Law minister J C Madhuswamy had also informed that the law was enacted by a Congress government.

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