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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim mob attacks 2 men for playing Holi near a mosque in Bareilly, blocks highway and targets police led by SP MLA Ataurrehman

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim mob attacks 2 men for playing Holi near a mosque in Bareilly, blocks highway and targets police led by SP MLA Ataurrehman

On Friday, the festival of Holi in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district turned violent as the people from the Muslim community attacked two persons who were playing with the colors in the areas surrounding a mosque. The people from the community in Behari claimed that the two had allegedly thrown colors at the mosque in the city. The youths were allegedly dragged by the mob and were kicked, beaten with sticks while they were on their bike, heading home after playing Holi. The youths somehow saved their lives.

Himanshu Patel, Bareilly chief of the ‘Rashtriya Yogi Sena’ tweeted the video to Bareilly Police and said, “Muslim people surrounded and attacked two bike-riding Hindu brothers passing through the road, badly hit them. Police must take cognizance of the matter and take action against the culprits”

According to the reports, the Police arrived at the spot and tried to pacify the matter, but to no avail. Tensions aroused as more people from the Muslim community joined the argument and blocked the streets. The video of the incident went viral over social media where people from the community can be seen pelting stones and disrupting the law and order of the city. The Police, further trying to control the situation carried out a baton charge and dispersed the crowd.

The violent crowd then moved to the Nanital Highway and tried to block it. They also protested as they demanded immediate arrest of the persons who had allegedly thrown color at the mosque. The Samajwadi Party MLA Ataurrehman accompanied the crowd and demanded an FIR against those who threw colour at the mosque.

As reported by Prabhat Khabar, the SP MLA informed the SSP Bareilly about the matter and asked him to look into the complaint filed by Abdul Wahid, the caretaker of the mosque. Wahid in his complaint mentioned that he had already ordered the boys to avoid playing Holi in the areas around the mosque. The Bareilly Police then, based on the complaint registered an FIR against Rahul Gupta, Suresh Gangwar, and 40-50 unidentified persons for allegedly inciting the communal tensions on the occasion of the festival of Holi.

Copy of FIR registered by Bareilly Police (Source- Prabhat Khabar)

According to the SP Rajkumar Agrawal, the crowd had also misbehaved with the Police. “The crowd was becoming violent. They were protesting against the persons who threw color at the mosque. Some of them even attacked the Police while they were trying to pacify the matter. Then we had to carry out lathi charge”, he confirmed to ABP news.

The Police have so far registered a case against 2 BJP workers and 40-50 unidentified persons in the case. The Police have also assured to take strict action against those who blocked the Nainital Highway and attacked the Police.

DJ apologises for raising Azadi slogan during Holi event at Westin, Pune, says wasn’t aware it was used by separatists, Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogans also raised: Details

OpIndia Staff
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DJ apologises for raising Azadi slogan during Holi event at Westin, Pune, says wasn’t aware it was used by separatists, Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogans also raised: Details

A day after popular music producer and disc jockey (DJ) Vikash Kaser raised ‘Azadi slogans’ during a Holi party in Pune, he has tendered an apology on Saturday (March 19).

In a statement, Kaser said, “I had chanted the slogan “Azadi” at the Holi event. This song was from the famous movie ‘Gully Boy’, sung by “Divine” and starring“Ranveer Singh”. I was absolutely not aware that it is used by separatists and was used before terrorists had murdered Hindus in Kashmir.”

“I believe in the sovereignty and integrity of India and truly apologise if my innocence hurt anyone. I have pulled down the video, which was reposted by me after it was posted by a patron at the event,” he further added.

Vikash Kaser emphasised, “I would like to clarify that “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogans were also raised at the event and that is the one we actually believe in.”

The Background of the Controversy

On Friday (March 18), Kaser was the lead DJ during a Holi party, which was organised at the Westin Pune Koregaon Park in Pune in Maharashtra. During the event, Vikash Kaser was seen asking the crowd to repeat the slogan ‘Azadi’ after him.

Screengrab of the Instagram story

A large number of people in the crowd reciprocated his call by yelling ‘Azadi’ on the occasion of Holi. The matter came to light after an Instagram user (@jyo6177) had posted a video of the incident in her stories, which was later reposted by the DJ on his own profile.

Following social media outrage, Vikash Kaser deleted his story and has tendered an apology.

The Instagram user (@jyo6177 ) had posted another story, where some crowd members were heard raising the slogan of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai‘ (India is great).

Although a video of the incident is available with Opindia, we have decided against posting it keeping in mind the privacy of patrons at the event.

Azadi slogan and its grim past

In the aftermath of the ‘Azadi Movement’ by JKLF headed by Yasin Malik, several Kashmiri Pandits were slaughtered and forcibly evicted from their homeland. Kashmiri Pandits who were chased out of their homes violently by separatists in the 1980s and 1990s, know the horror of ‘Azadi’ chants the woke Instagram policy experts happily chant at the protest sites.

The ‘woke’ generation takes a thrill in chanting ‘Azadi’ slogans because they think they are ‘saving democracy’. Little do they realise that these ‘Azadi’ slogans meant death for the Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. That when an Islamist mob came for them chanting these ‘Azadi’ slogans and raped and murdered them.

But in an era when even a poem calling for destruction of Hindu idols in temples gets whitewashed into a poem of resistance, what can one say about these ‘Azadi’ slogans. The slogans gained prominence during the violent Anti-CAA protests, which later culminated into the 2020 Delhi riots.

Bihar: 70-year-old paralysed priest shot by unknown miscreants at a Hanuman temple in Buxar district

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: 70-year-old paralysed priest shot by unknown miscreants at a Hanuman temple in Buxar district

On Saturday morning, unknown attackers shot and critically injured Kashinath Pandey, a priest from Kudwa village in the Dhansoi police station area of Buxar district in Bihar. In the morning incident, locals gathered after hearing the sound of gunfire, contacted the police, and carried the injured priest to the hospital. He is currently under treatment. The police are actively trying to find the perpetrators.

The incident is reported to have happened at about 4 AM on Saturday. Kashinath Pandey, the priest of the Hanuman temple on the Kharhna-Banni main road, was sleeping in a room in the temple. At four o’clock in the morning, assailants entered the temple and fired three rounds at the 70-year-old disabled priest.
Kashinath Pandey has built the Hanuman temple and prayed there all hours of the day and night. Because he was physically handicapped and paralyzed, he used to reside in the room adjacent to the temple.

He is claimed to be no longer in danger. The offenders shot him three times, according to the police. One bullet is near the leg, the second on the waist, and the third in a hand near the elbow. There is yet no information on the circumstances surrounding the killing of the elderly and disabled priest. The assailants are being sought by police.

The police, on the other hand, recovered a wallet from the scene. They are expecting to reach the culprits through it. In this regard, Dhansoi police station chief Kamalnayan Pandey stated that the event is being investigated and the mystery surrounding the tragedy will be solved very shortly.

Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party block chief who was kidnapped 4 months ago rescued from the house of SP MLA Mahendra Nath Yadav

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party block chief who was kidnapped 4 months ago rescued from the house of SP MLA Mahendra Nath Yadav

A shocking case has come to light from Basti in Uttar Pradesh, taking action on which, the UP Police raided the residence of Samajwadi Party’s Basti district president and Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Basti (Urban) Mahendra Nath Yadav on the night of 18th March 2022. The MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) was accused of having kidnapped a sitting block head of SP named Ramkumar and his family including his wife and a four-year-old son for the last four months. At present, Ramkumar is the Samajwadi Party’s block head of Bahadurpur in Uttar Pradesh.

In this case, the police first registered a case against the SP MLA at Kalwari police station after receiving complaints that he has kidnapped Ramkumar. Then the process of finding the Ramkumar was initiated and during the search, it was found that the location of the missing person Ramkumar was kept in the SP MLA’s house. According to the information received, the force immediately reached there but seeing the police, the MLA closed the door.

After this, the police did not say anything for a long time and waited for the MLA’s door to open. After a brief struggle, the police showed some strictness and the SP MLA Mahendra Nath Yadav had to hand over the SP leader Ramkumar to the police. The police team rescued Ramkumar from the clutches of the SP MLA.

Ashish Shrivastav, the Superintendent of Police (SP) Basti, has said, “On 18th March 2022, a man named Om Prakash had informed the Kalvari police station that his brother-in-law Ramkumar, who is the Samajwadi Party’s block head of Bahadurpur; was abducted on October 23, 2021, by Samajwadi Party district head and an SP MLA Mahendra Nath Yadav. On 17th March, Ramkumar told Om Prakash over a phone call that he had been held hostage by Mahendra Nath Yadav and was not being allowed to go anywhere.”

He further informed, “Then, following the complaint of Om Prakash in the case, an FIR was lodged and the audio provided by him was also examined. As part of the operation, when the police reached the spot, Ramkumar was present at the MLA’s house. He was rescued safely. Further investigation in the case is on and police protection has been given to the victim.”

Mahendra Nath Yadav was only the district president of the SP when Ramkumar was abducted, but this time the people have elected him from the Basti (Urban) seat in the assembly elections and sent him to the Uttar Pradesh assembly. At the same time, it is being said that 5 months ago, Ramkumar had left the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and joined the SP of his own free will. But then the BJP won in the elections, so he turned around and filed a case of kidnapping.

Did you know: Actor cast by Vishal Bharadwaj in ‘Haider’ joined Lashkar-e-Taiba after featuring in the propaganda movie Haider, was neutralised in 2018

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know: Actor cast by Vishal Bharadwaj in ‘Haider’ joined Lashkar-e-Taiba after featuring in the propaganda movie Haider, was neutralised in 2018

Movies have a lasting influence on human lives. Some movies change the lives of individuals in unimaginable ways. For years now, Bollywood has understood the influence of cinema and has shadily used it to further all sorts of propaganda to target India’s culture and traditions.

The sordid saga of Bollywood’s attempts to whitewash the crimes committed by certain communities and subtly target the cultural values of the civilisation nation is not a new phenomenon. Over the years, Bollywood has not only tried to humanise the Muslim community by peddling distorted narratives, but also it has successfully sold the ‘perpetual victimhood’ narrative to absolve all the crimes they commit.

Well, some directors and moviemakers have taken this dangerous act to the next level to create a fierce anti-India perception among fellow countrymen with the help of their movies. In the guise of indulging in creative art, the filmmakers have sold distorted facts and narratives to show the country in a negative shade, so and so that the individuals part of the project turn up engrossing all of it.

One such movie in the recent past was Haider, directed by controversial movie director Vishal Bharadwaj.

The movie ‘Haider’, a brainchild by notorious anti-India propagandist and Pakistani-American Basharat Peer, was so influential in depicting the one-sided view of Kashmir such that, years later, one of the actors who played a role in the movie joined the ranks of terrorists to wage war against India.

It must be surprising to know that a Kashmiri youth named Saqib Bilal Sheikh, who was featured by Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj in his propaganda movie “Haider”, turned out to be a terrorist in real life. Saqib Sheikh, who was cast by the far-left movie director Vishal Bharadwaj in his controversial propaganda movie “Haider” in a minor role, joined the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba within months after featuring in the film.

Five years after he acted in Bharadwaj’s movie, Saqib Sheikh was neutralised by the security forces in December 2018. The actor-turned-terrorist had gone missing from his home in August 2018, along with his 14-year-old friend Mudasir Rashid Parray, who was also among those killed in the counter-terror operations.

As per the reports, Saqib Sheikh had left home after his mother asked him to go to a nearby market to get some meat for lunch. Apparently, that was the last time the family saw him.

Following his death, Saqib’s family had claimed that they had no clue that his son was a terrorist.

“Yes, he worked in the film ‘Haider’. But it wasn’t the main role it was just a ‘chocolate boy’ role,” Saqib’s maternal uncle Asim Aijaz had said.

Saqib had acted in a scene shot at Amar Singh College in which a bomb blast takes place, and Saqib’s character will be the lone survivor in that blast, his uncle said, adding, “It was just a 15-second scene.”

After joining terrorism, Saqib reportedly had returned to his village many times. He even met some of his friends during his visit; however, he never tried to reconnect with his family.

Far-left media ‘humanised’ Saqib, portrayed him as an avid ‘footballer’

Well, if Bollywood does all the brainwashing of young people, who end up becoming Saqibs of the world, then there is also the left-wing media outlets and the ‘secular-liberal’ ecosystem that absolves and humanises terrorists like Saqib.

A day after the killing of Saqib Sheikh and his friend Mudasir Parray, the far-left media outlet – The Wire tried to sympathise with the terrorists by highlighting how good football players they were. In a report published by the Wire, the propaganda outlet attempted to show a soft corner towards the Lashkar terrorists who picked up arms against the Indian state by making us believe that one was a football enthusiast and the other one a theatre artist.

As per The Wire, Saqib loved football and was a bright student who had scored 76% in Class 10 finals. Saqib’s relatives had informed The Wire that he wanted to become an engineer, but “fate had something else in store for him”.

“A theatre artist, he had won a theatre competition three years ago in Kerala and even appeared in a cameo role in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film Haider, a Bollywood film based on Kashmir,” the Wire wrote, making its readers believe that Saqib was just another innocent boy from Kashmir who joined terror groups out of certain circumstances.

Interestingly, the Wire quoted one of Saqib’s uncles Asim Aijaz, who was unapologetic about Saqib’s act. Glorifying the actor-turned-terrorist, Ijaz said, “They fought like lions. This is not mourning, this is a joyous moment”.

‘New education policy is to introduce Hindutva in schools’: Congress’ K Rahman Khan as Karnataka govt seeks to include Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus

OpIndia Staff
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‘New education policy is to introduce Hindutva in schools’: Congress’ K Rahman Khan as Karnataka govt seeks to include Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus

On Saturday, Congress leader and former Union Minister K Rahman Khan launched a Hinduphobic attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party saying that the party had vested interest behind introducing the Bhagavad Gita in the Karnataka school syllabus. He said that the new education policy was nothing but a cover to introduce the Hindutva policy in the school syllabus.

This is a day after Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh said that ‘if approved by experts, the state would definitely include the Gita in the syllabus for students’. “Bhagavad Gita is not only for the Hindus, but it is also for all. If experts say, it will definitely be introduced. However, it will not be done for this year, but from next year”, he had said on March 18.

Criticizing the opinion, Khan today said that Gita is not the only book that teaches ‘Dharma’ and that students should be taught every religious book that teaches ‘Dharma. “Karnataka Education Min has spoken on the lines of Gujarat that they’re going to introduce Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus. Nothing wrong if they prescribe a religious book but India is a country of diversity with several religions”, he said.

“Every religious book teaches ‘Dharma’, you can’t say it’s only Gita that teaches ‘Dharma’ and Indian culture. All religious books should be taught to students. New Education Policy is a cover to bring Hindutva policy in the syllabus, nothing else”, Khan added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh also stated yesterday that re-introduction of the Moral Science subject was important. The BJP leader said, “We’ve studied Moral Science in schools. Now, parents feel it should be introduced. At present, we’ve not thought of it, but we want to introduce it in the future. Subjects in Moral Science will be decided by experts.” The minister continued, “We will speak to the chief minister about whether we will introduce Moral Science. Whatever makes an impact on children will be introduced, be it the Bhagavat Gita, Ramayana, or Mahabharata.”

It is important to note that amid the Hijab ban in Karnataka, the Gujarat government on Thursday announced in the Assembly that the Bhagavad Gita will be a part of the school syllabus for Classes 6 to 12 across the state from the academic year 2022-23. Education Minister Jitu Vaghani announced in the Legislative Assembly during a discussion on budgetary allocations for the education department.

The Karnataka High Court on March 15 upheld the state government’s order prohibiting students from wearing religious attires, including hijab, in educational institutes. The court, as per its order, stated that the hijab is not an essential practice of the Islamic faith and dismissed all the petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking permission to wear hijab in educational institutions.

Former ThePrint journalist says she is afraid in India after hearing Jai Shree Ram slogans during Holi, gets a reality check by Netizens

OpIndia Staff
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Former ThePrint journalist says she is afraid in India after hearing Jai Shree Ram slogans during Holi, gets a reality check by Netizens

Many journalists who claim to religiously follow the principle of ‘secularism’ are often found indulging in blatant Hinduphobia and bashing Hindu festivals while gushing over the festivals of other religions. These efforts assume greater earnest especially during the festival of Holi, when the supposedly “neutral journalists” fall over themselves to malign Hindus.

Journalist Swagata Yadavar, who also wrote columns for Shekhar Gupta’s The Print, is one such individual who has displayed eager alacrity to slander Hindu festivals and attack Hindus. Yadavar said she is afraid to listen to the chants of Jai Shri Ram and that she loves street food in Pakistan. Interestingly, she has chosen the occasion of the Hindu festival Holi to spew this venom and got slammed by the netizens for her shared views.

Swagata Yadavar has shared in a post from her Twitter handle, “Slogans of Jai Shri Ram while playing Holi. I froze for a moment. I, a Hindu woman, don’t feel safe in this country. I can only empathize with other minorities. And Holi is the scariest time to be a woman traveling alone. I had to take an auto yesterday and I prayed so hard.”

Swagata Yadavar

She further said in her tweet, “People are saying if you are feeling unsafe in the country, go to Pakistan on my tweet about Holi. When women say they are afraid, it is not about the religion but the fundamentalist followers, whatever the religion be Hindu, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism.”

Swagata Yadavar

In a subsequent tweet, she wrote, “The first thing fundamentalists do is curb the freedom of women. Try to control our clothes, what we study, where we work. So yes, I am afraid of Jai Shri Ram chanting youth. You are creating the same kind of Taliban that you seem to hate but are obsessed about.”

Swagata Yadavar

Expressing her love for Pakistani food and hospitality, she says, “Also I don’t understand people who said what I wrote is fake. Haven’t you lived in this country long enough to know the truth? By the way, would love to go to Pakistan and try their street food. I have heard such good stories about their hospitality.”

Swagata Yadavar

Netizens slam Swagata Yadavar for maligning Jai Shri Ram slogans

A Twitter handle named Sweet Sinner has replied to her saying, “First you do the honors. Also, do us a favor & buy a one-way ticket & savor that street food & hospitality for a lifetime I’ve heard they show great respect to women & especially non-muslin women. May Allah grant you the heavens.”

Another Twitter user Sumit said, “become a muslum and travel in muslum ghettos sharia governed, then come back here and tell your story if possible. you’ll feel like you living in heaven in your current condition”

Ankit Kumar wrote in his Twitter post, “I guess, everyone in print gets scared of jai shree ram but feels safe in Allah hu akbar…. There are 57 other countries you can refer to for your safety.”

After such replies, independent journalist Swagata Yadavar turned off the reply section of her Twitter timeline and also restricted access to certain tweets for the ones who are not her followers or not mentioned in her tweets.

‘Censoring The Kashmir Files will mean censoring Information’: Former New Zealand Deputy PM after Chief Censor decides to review the movie

OpIndia Staff
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‘Censoring The Kashmir Files will mean censoring Information’: Former New Zealand Deputy PM after Chief Censor decides to review the movie

Winston Peters, former deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, has expressed his support for the movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ and held that censoring the movie is an attack on the freedom of New Zealanders. His comments came in response to reports that the chief censor of New Zealand was reviewing the movie again after the Muslim community in the country demanded a ban on the film. Peters shared his views in a Facebook post earlier today.

Winston Peters, who is leading the New Zealand First party since its inception in 1993, wrote, “The ‘Kashmir Files’ Censored: Another Attack on the Freedom of New Zealanders. The ‘Kashmir Files’ has been shown in America, Australia, India and many other locations around the world. To date the film has been viewed by over 1.1 billion people.”

The Facebook post.

Writing about the authenticity of the film, he added, “The film is about true and real events surrounding the 1990 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Kashmir and today over 400,000 Kashmir Pandits remain in exile after 32 years.”

He further stated that censoring the movie would be equal to denying the attack of 9/11. He went on to add, “Terrorism in all its forms, no matter what its source, should be exposed and opposed. This attempt at selective censorship would amount to one further attack on the freedom of New Zealanders and people worldwide.”

It is to be noted that recently certain communal organizations in the country urged the New Zealand Censor Board to ban the film’s release in the country. In response, Director Vivek Ranjan Agnohotri had urged Indians in New Zealand to pay close attention, and stand united against extremists.

According to Agnihotri’s statement, the Muslim community in New Zealand had an issue with the film and planned to oppose its screening. He further alleged that the Muslim communities had sent threats to the board, threatening to demonstrate in front of the theatres if the film was released.

However, chief censor David Shanks had said that there is no question of banning the movie, and only its classification is being reviewed. He had said members of the Muslim community had approached him with concerns that the film “could raise anti-Muslim sentiment and potential hatred”. Shanks had said the concerns raised by the Muslims were “valid and serious”, so it was important to “take stock and pause”. As the movie is under review, its release in New Zealand has been postponed.

‘The Kashmir Files,’ directed by Vivek Agnihotri, has become one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. The film wowed audiences at the box office, grossing around Rs 116 crores since its release. Interestingly, the film, which was initially released on only 650-700 screens, has witnessed an increase in screens and shows to meet the rising fan demand.

The film is based on the genuine stories of Kashmiri Pandits. It takes viewers back to 1989 when the unrest started in Kashmir as a result of the increasing Islamic Jihad, driving the vast majority of Hindus from the valley. Between February and March 1990, around 100,000 of the valley’s total 140,000 Kashmiri Pandit people escaped from the valley, according to estimates.

Congress now an official Islamic party? After Kerala Congress, leaders discredit the genocide of Hindus and the movie Kashmir Files

OpIndia Staff
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Congress now an official Islamic party? After Kerala Congress, leaders discredit the genocide of Hindus and the movie Kashmir Files

The unexpected success of Vivek Agnitori’s The Kashmir Files, a film based on the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus has completely thrown all the so-called leftist liberals and Islamist apologists off balance, including the grand old Congress party that has officially stepped in to defend the Islamists who carried it out.

At first, the Congress Kerala tried to blame the BJP for the genocide, then the party’s media head in Chhattisgarh effectively exonerated the Islamists who carried it out, and now its senior leader Jairam Ramesh has gone on to not only dismiss the veracity of the Kashmiri Hindus genocide but also cast aspersions on the film-makers’ sincere efforts to expose the unspoken and harsh truth about the Islamic terror in the valley in the 1990s that forced thousands of Kashmiri Pandits to flee their homeland.

On Saturday, March 19, the senior Congress leader took to Twitter to call out the makers of The Kashmir Files. He claimed that the movie “incites hate”. He went on to call the movie propaganda that “twists facts, distorts history to whip up anger and promote violence” and its makers “Pracharaks” (propagandists) who exploit fear and prejudice to divide and rule.”

“Some films inspire change. Kashmir Files incites hate. Truth can lead to justice, rehabilitation, reconciliation & peace. Propaganda twists facts, distorts history to whip up anger & promote violence. Statesmen heal wounds. Pracharaks exploit fear and prejudice to divide & rule,” Tweeted the senior Congress leader.

Notably, several first-generation Kashmiri victims have come forward since the film’s release to testify that the film is, in its entirety, based on pure truth and facts. Many victims sobbed after seeing the film, exemplifying how relatable it was to them. Furthermore, the ‘Jagmohan conspiracy,’ which Congress continues to exploit to blame the BJP for the Kashmiri Hindu Genocide, has also been debunked a million times over the last three decades. Despite this, since the release of The Kashmir Files, the ruffled Congress members are either questioning the film’s veracity and discrediting the filmmakers or blaming the BJP for the genocide.

Chhattisgarh Congress again blames BJP for Kashmiri Hindu genocide

On March 15, Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress’s media head in Chhattisgarh, was quoted as saying, “We want people to go and watch the movie and understand that the situation arose in the country when VP Singh was PM and BJP was in support of him. Jammu and Kashmir Governor was BJP leader and state was under the President’s rule which means the BJP was indirectly ruling the state.”

It’s appalling that in their attempt to divert the blame from the terrorists who actually carried out the genocide, the party is willing to blame everyone else.

How the Kerala Congress doubled up as terrorist sympathisers to deride BJP and makers of The Kashmir Files

Likewise, in a long rant, the official Congress Kerala handle on March 14, blamed everyone from Governor Jagmohan to BJP for the genocide. In a Twitter thread from their official Congress Kerala handle, the Congress party started off their rant by downplaying the whole Kashmiri Hindu genocide itself. Saying 399 Kashmiri Hindus were killed by terrorists and comparing it to the 15,000 deaths of Muslims in the valley over the last 3 decades as a result of terrorism.

To put things in perspective, lakhs of Kashmiri Hindus were forced to leave their valley, almost overnight, leaving all their belongings behind. There were announcements made from mosques asking Kashmiri Hindu men to leave the valley, leaving their women behind. The chants of ‘convert (to Islam), leave or die’ echoed in the valley. That the Kashmiri Hindus did not leave their homes out of free will but were forced to is completely ignored by Congress.

Then Congress went on to blame Governor Jagmohan, the man who actually saved Kashmiri Hindus from a fate much worse than the exodus. “Jagmohan theory” is a long peddled lie by Congress and its cabal to give a clean chit to the Islamists for their actions in 1990.

The thread further tried to imply that the Kashmiri Hindus were not targeted and they were victims of terrorism just like everyone else. 

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Congress managed to turn Jammu residents into villains by claiming that Kashmiri Muslims were massacred in Jammu during partition. This implies that the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and genocide at the hands of Islamic terrorists is justified because ‘Muslims were also killed.’

Space Foundation censors name of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, citing Russian invasion of Ukraine: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Space Foundation censors name of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, citing Russian invasion of Ukraine: Details

Three weeks after Russia declared a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Space Foundation has removed the name of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin from its space industry conference. It must be mentioned that Gagarin was the first human in history to travel to outer space.

As per a report published by Futurism, the nonprofit advocacy organization declared that it would rename a fundraiser named after the late Soviet cosmonaut in light of the ‘current world events.’

Citing the geopolitical conflict and the aggression of the Russian Federation as the reason, the Space Foundation changed the name of the fundraiser at its 37th Space Symposium Conference to ‘A Celebration of Space: Discover What’s next’ from ‘Yuri’s night.’

It added in a now-deleted note, “The focus of this fundraising event remains the same — to celebrate human achievements in space while inspiring the next generation to reach for the stars.”

The report by Futurism pointed out, “It’s a rather dubious show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, especially considering that Gagarin worked for the USSR, a completely different country from modern-day Russia. And the icing on the cake? Ukraine actually appears to be rather fond of Gagarin and his monumental achievement.”

In 2011, Ukraine released a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic flight undertaken by Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961. Moreover, the Chernihiv Stadium in Ukraine was earlier named the Yuri Gagarin Stadium and it is still known by the same name.

In 2013, Ukrananian street artist Andrey Palval paid tribute to the deceased Soviet cosmonaut.

Ukraine invasion and the rise of Xenophobia against Russians

The rising Anti-Russian sentiment has not restricted itself to the educational and intellectual circles but has spread like fire in the arenas of culture, entertainment and sports. OpIndia had earlier reported on how calls were given to bar Russian players from international leagues – more so by the international sports bodies themselves.

The institutionalised politicization of sports has ensured that Russia and its players are banned in the FIFA and UEFA football tournaments by football governing bodies in Europe. Earlier, a Democratic representative from California, Eric Swalwell, suggested that Russian students should be ‘kicked out‘ of US universities.

The U.S. life insurance company, MassMutual pulled out an ad featuring hockey team Washington Capitals’ Russian captain Alexander Ovechkin. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has happily announced that Russia would no longer be allowed to participate in a leading annual singing contest hosted in the continent. 

Many concerts, performances of Russian artists, classical presentations including ballet performances have been cancelled en masse in Europe while taking political stances against the state of Russia. 

Film companies including Warner Bros, Disney and Sony Pictures have halted the release of their films in Russian cinemas. Going ahead, The Ukrainian Film Academy has called for an international boycott of Russian cinema, including a ban on Russian films at international film festivals.

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